News
Mike Thorn Brings Illumination to the “Darkest Hours”
If you ever want to have a truly fascinating conversation, ask an author about his or her work. Seriously, there are few things more riveting than listening to the inspiration and their personal process of writing, and even more, the subjects that sparked an author’s imagination that brought a story to life. Fortunately for me, I get to do that a lot, and Mike Thorn, whose recent debut anthology Darkest Hours just released, had plenty to say about his work and his process.
This particular anthology came together for the author when he answered a call for unsolicited manuscripts.
“Most of the stories I pulled together had been written over a period of two years,” Thorn says. “I realized that there were certain recurring fixations and thematic tones that I thought worked well together in a close, concentrated way.”
Consisting of sixteen stories, eight of which had previously been published previously, Darkest Hours was soon well on its way to publishing. The collection delves deep into the human psyche, specifically into the realm of obsession and anxiety, with a deft and practiced hand.
“I always talk about my writing as a defensive thing,” the author explains. “I figure if I’m feeling a certain anxiety or negative impulses then these are things that other readers can relate to, as well. Mainly what I’m trying to do for myself and them is trying to fight off the things that terrify us.”
The author fulfills that promise sixteen fold. Each tale pushes the reader to confront those things that make us uncomfortable with the author as our personal Virgil leading us through the Inferno he created.
Take for instance the very first story in the collection simply titled “Hair”. It centers on a young man with an unhealthy fixation on hair. His fetish sends him to unhealthy lengths that all begins with finding his own hair wrapped around the asparagus he’s eating for dinner.
“It came from a desire to write something that was specifically about addiction through the lens of genre horror. Going into it, I didn’t know that it would turn into the kind of body horror piece that it became,” he says, “but I did pick up on that phobic reaction, kind of like an automatic affective reaction of finding hair in unwanted places. And it also dawned on me that I hadn’t seen anyone deal with that before in a horror story so I thought it was a great opportunity to explore addiction in a unique and disturbing way, as you said.”
Then there’s “The Auteur” in which a video store clerk finds out what true horror is when he’s made the subject of his co-worker’s film.
“Part of that was me reflecting back on a time when I worked as a video store clerk in my teens so I wanted to write about that environment,” Thorn points out. “The vibe of a video store is distinct and it’s now kind of a relic and so I wanted to write about that, but I also wanted to write about my love for horror films. I think there was also an unintentional homage to a Kathe Koja novel called The Cipher in there, as well. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but looking back, it’s definitely there.”
The author has a whole host of writing influences and authors who inspire him. From obvious choices like Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe to the reclusive Thomas Ligotti and the prolific Joyce Carol Oates, the great authors have informed his work and yet his voice is entirely unique.
Darkest Hours is currently available on both digital and paperback formats from a whole host of online sellers including Amazon and you can keep up with all the latest updates from the author about his future work as well as his own critiques and reviews of horror films and fiction on his website.
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Movies
New Windswept Action Trailer for ‘Twisters’ Will Blow You Away
The summer movie blockbuster game came in soft with The Fall Guy, but the new trailer for Twisters is bringing back the magic with an intense trailer full of action and suspense. Steven Spielberg’s production company, Amblin, is behind this newest disaster film just like its 1996 predecessor.
This time Daisy Edgar-Jones plays the female lead named Kate Cooper, “a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years who now studies storm patterns on screens safely in New York City. She is lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), the charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his raucous crew, the more dangerous the better. As storm season intensifies, terrifying phenomena never seen before are unleashed, and Kate, Tyler and their competing teams find themselves squarely in the paths of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in the fight of their lives.”
Twisters cast includes Nope’s Brandon Perea, Sasha Lane (American Honey), Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Nik Dodani (Atypical) and Golden Globe winner Maura Tierney (Beautiful Boy).
Twisters is directed by Lee Isaac Chung and hits theaters on July 19.
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News
Travis Kelce Joins Cast on Ryan Murphy’s ‘Grotesquerie’
Football star Travis Kelce is going Hollywood. At least that is what Dahmer Emmy award-winning star Niecy Nash-Betts announced on her Instagram page yesterday. She posted a video of herself on set of the new Ryan Murphy FX series Grotesquerie.
“This is what happens when WINNERS link up‼️ @killatrav Welcome to Grostequerie[sic]!” she wrote.
Standing just out of frame is Kelce who suddenly steps in to say, “Jumping into new territory with Niecy!” Nash-Betts appears to be in a hospital gown while Kelce is dressed as an orderly.
Not much is known about Grotesquerie, other than in literary terms it means a work filled with both science fiction and extreme horror elements. Think H.P. Lovecraft.
Back in February Murphy released an audio teaser for Grotesquerie on social media. In it, Nash-Betts says in part, “I don’t know when it started, I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s different now. There’s been a shift, like something’s opening up in the world — a kind of hole that descends into a nothingness…”
There hasn’t been an official synopsis released regarding Grotesquerie, but keep checking back to iHorror for further details.
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Movies
’47 Meters Down’ Getting Third Movie Called ‘The Wreck’
Deadline is reporting that a new 47 Meters Down installment is heading into production, making the shark series a trilogy.
“Series creator Johannes Roberts, and screenwriter Ernest Riera, who wrote the first two films, have co-written the third installment: 47 Meters Down: The Wreck.” Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine) will direct.
The first two films were a moderate success, released in 2017 and 2019 respectively. The second film is titled 47 Meters Down: Uncaged.
The plot for The Wreck is detailed by Deadline. They write that it involves a father and daughter trying to repair their relationship by spending time together scuba diving into a sunken ship, “But soon after their descent, their master diver has an accident leaving them alone and unprotected inside the labyrinth of the wreck. As tensions rise and oxygen dwindles, the pair must use their newfound bond to escape the wreck and the relentless barrage of bloodthirsty great white sharks.”
The filmmakers are hoping to present the pitch to the Cannes market with production starting in the fall.
“47 Meters Down: The Wreck is the perfect continuation of our shark-filled franchise,” said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “This film will once again have moviegoers terrified and on the edge of their seats.”
Johannes Roberts adds, “We can’t wait for audiences to be trapped underwater with us again. 47 Meters Down: The Wreck is going to be the biggest, most-intense film of this franchise.”
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