News

Out Today: The Vines by, Christopher Rice

Published

10 years ago

October 21, 2014

Spring House, a beautiful and storied plantation, sits in the quiet, lush flora of southern Louisiana. Caitlin Chaisson, heiress and current owner of the big old house, creeps upstairs as the guests of her birthday party file out into the darkness of night. At the top of the stairs, through the slightly opened bathroom door, she spies her husband in the arms of another woman. He is tearing at her clothes, his mouth on her earlobe. Caitlin slowly backs down the stairs before sprinting out of the back of the house, grabbing and breaking a champagne flute as she heads for the gazebo. She slices at her skin, and as blood falls to the floor and seeps beneath onto the ground, an ancient evil rises that has slumbered in the soil since a slave woman named Virginie Lacroix unleashed hell on the slave owner and overseer who had broken their vows to her and her people.

This is only the beginning of the journey we take with author Christopher Rice in his new novel, The Vines, released today. What follows is a novel about revenge and the myriad ways we are changed by it. Rice has proven time and again that he is a masterful storyteller and this latest work is no different. Indeed, when I first settled in to read The Vines, it was about 11pm at night and I thought I’d read for an hour before heading to bed. At 3 in the morning, I was finishing the novel as emotionally exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions I felt while reading as I was physically from staying up well passed my bedtime.

You see, reading a Christopher Rice novel is deceptive because the characters are so multi-faceted. In The Vines, you think you know who the good guys are and who the bad guys are from the beginning. Viriginie Lacroix and her connection to Caitlin via their need for revenge on those who have harmed them quickly plant the seeds of sympathy in our minds. It doesn’t take long for Caitlin to begin making decisions that force us to question that sympathy. She has certainly been a victim, but does making victims of others right the wrongs against her? Certainly she was mistreated by those around her, but she was no slave in a place and time without options for redressing those wrongs.

On the other hand, Caitlin’s gay former best friend Blake, who we discover was the victim of a violent hate crime in his teens, would seem like the one to take the violent action to seek vengeance on those who caused the death of his very first love. Instead, we find him examining the situation and the people involved and making different decisions. This may seem a bit vague, but I really don’t want to give too much away. I hate spoilers, and this is a novel that must be experienced without too many preconceptions, but at every turn of the page I was asking myself, “Would I be capable of this? Could I commit these acts even if I thought, deep down, that they were deserved?”.

I will tell you this, some of the scenes in this book brought on such a visceral response in me. Mr. Rice’s horror spawns from nature and natural places and the titular vines come to serpentine life that makes the flesh crawl, especially if you’re as phobic of snakes as I am. Insects take on a sinister quality in swarms of roaring, winged vengeance. And the very earth shifts and changes under the feet of the characters as these horrors come to life. It is a thrill ride from start to finish. The ending is ambiguous enough to leave you not only wondering when the next volume will be released but also anxiously anticipating it. If you’ve never read any of his work before, this would be a perfect introduction to Christopher Rice

If I had one complaint about the novel, it was that I found I wanted more as I read, especially about the slave woman’s story. One gets the feeling there is much more that Virginie has to say and I can’t help feel that the story would have taken on even more depth with a longer visit to this character’s time and circumstances. I can only hope that Mr. Rice will come back to this character in the future and give us more of her story.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of The Vines today. It’s available in trade paperback at major booksellers and on Amazon.com for direct download to your Kindle and other devices with the Kindle App.

A final word, I am excited to announce that about a month ago, Mr. Rice agreed to an interview with me for iHorror.com. It was a great pleasure working with him on this interview and it’s a great opportunity for you to hear, in his own words, some of Christopher’s own thoughts about horror, writing and his fantastic characters. Make sure to check back here on Thursday for the full interview!

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News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

1 hour ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

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Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.

^{28 Days Later}

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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News

Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

Published

22 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.