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Top Stephen King books to read during Halloween!

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The Halloween season is in full effect and we’ve been sucked into the frivolities!  Amusement parks have been taken over by demonic forces and transformed into a macabre tangle of haunted mazes. Spooky stores have popped up everywhere to feed our Halloween cravings, and horror movies are playing all month long. We live for this phantasmal time of year when ghouls and creepies are free to walk freely under the autumn sky. So what better time to get lost in a good scary book? Stephen King has us covered.

 

Stephen King is a Halloween must!

Stephen King is the modern-day master of the macabre. His books have bewitched readers for generations and will certainly go on to outlive us all, proving the timelessness of his immortal visions of the grotesque and the dreaded.

Stephen King masters the ability to turn the ordinary into the – grimmest kind of – extraordinary. His writings are captivating and easy to get lost inside. First-time readers may find his library of works a little intimidating and not know where to start. So here’s a list of my personal favorite Stephen King books to read during this spooky time of year.

 

Pet Sematary

One of the secrets to the literary success Stephen King enjoys is his ability to make everyday life truly terrifying. Many people who read his works are shocked by how relatable his stories can be. In fact, they may be a little too close to home for comfort.

That’s because Stephen King uses his own experiences in his stories. The more hair-raising they are the better. At the time before writing Pet Sematary, Stephen King moved his family into a little house that stood just a little too close to the road. After a particularly close call with one of his kids (involving that road), King’s imagination kicked into overdrive. ‘What would have happened if…?’ and with that chilling riddle thundering around in his mind he sat down at his typewriter and hammered out what would become one of his most ghoulish classics. The answer to his morbid curiosity took form as the deadly secrets behind the mysterious Pet Sematary began to reveal themselves to the writer, and later would go on to haunt readers everywhere.

 

 

Stephen King said that his mother taught him to imagine the worst to get the opposite. So he intentionally puts the families of his stories through the worst kind of traumas as a way to – just maybe – keep his own family safe and sound. This story is possibly a shining example of that kind of strange magic at work.

Pet Sematary is alive with eerie undertones and malicious atmosphere. On one hand, you could reason that the terrible series of events that have befallen the Creed family can be chalked up to nothing more than horrible coincidences. Then again, there is a dark rumor echoing from beyond the lonely cemetery the local kids have built. Something is restless out there and maybe, just possibly, has orchestrated disaster upon the family to achieve its own unholy demands.

 

‘Salem’s Lot

This was the first Stephen King book I ever read. Yup, this was the one that hooked me for a lifetime. I was seventeen, living in St. Petersburg, Russia, and ecstatic because I just found the only English bookstore we had in the city. I saved up – because import tax was a nightmare – and bought this book, rushed home, and could not put it down!

This past year I returned to it out of curiosity and once more was pulled into its darkly wonderful world. Before I knew it the first five chapters were behind me and I couldn’t put it down. History repeated itself and I was reminded why I originally loved this story. It’s dark, it’s menacing, there is a real sense of dread to closes in on the town, and you genuinely feel for each character. Everyone is written so well that you believe they’re real.

As far as Halloween goes, this is a story you’ll want to make a priority.

Anyone familiar with the plot will know it’s about vampires. No real secret there. Stephen King got the idea one day while wondering what would happen if Count Dracula moved into town. So, per his usual, he set out to exorcize this demonic curiosity via his typewriter. ‘Salem’s Lot was thus born.

 

image via Cemetery Dance Publication.

 

It’s an underrated vampire classic. It really dives into the heart of vampire lore. But I was a little shocked upon this past re-reading; perhaps I was a dense teenager back when I first cracked this book open, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized the vampires are not the actual core of the story. The core of this story lies behind the boarded-up windows of an old house sitting atop a hill. The house can be seen from any point of ‘Salem’s Lot, and the locals both hate and fear that abode of shadows and secrets.

This is a clever (and quite unexpected) Haunted House story. That old house is the rotting heart of the town and serves as a malignant beacon summoning all the Devil’s children home to its darkened halls of pain. And evil does answer it’s call.

If you’re needing a modernized gothic horror tale, this is a must.

 

IT

Of all the many books he’s written, this one is by far my favorite. The story flows from cover to cover with a genuine sense of encroaching dread.

Deeply hidden beneath the mundane surface of Derry, Maine, sleeps an ageless evil. It is a malignant force that befouls the entire town by its mere presence. Indeed, there’s something to be very afraid of in Derry.

 

image via barnesandnoble.com

 

Everyone knows this is a killer clown story, but Stephen King – the sadist we all love him for – isn’t just content to leave it at that. Oh no, Pennywise isn’t just an ordinary killer clown. He
is the very embodiment of pure terror. He is a cosmic evil and is far older than our world. He is what’s known as a Deadlight, a horrifying reality of nightmares and hysteria.

The Clown is Fear incarnate. He not only has the power to read your deepest fears but can bring them to life. He will scare you beyond your limits. He will unhinge your mind by using your worst fear against you. Why? Because scared people taste better of course.

Stephen King admitted he wanted to write a story where he could somehow use all the classic monsters – Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolfman etc. – he grew up loving. Pennywise offered King that opportunity, and that’s what makes this such a great Halloween read. IT  offers readers a nice selection of monsters and nightmares through the central character of Pennywise, who may be King’s grandest creation.

 

Cycle of the Werewolf

In case IT seems like too much of an undertaking as your first dive into Stephen King literature, I recommend a work that is far less in bulk but lacks nothing in story. This is one that gets overlooked and it’s time to let the full moon shine brightly upon this wonderful creature-spectacular.

 

image via Amazon

 

The cult-classic Silver Bullet was based on this hair-raising chiller, however, if you’ve seen the movie and think you know the story you’ll find yourself very surprised to find the half hasn’t even been told you.

This is a quick read and who doesn’t love a little lycanthropy for Halloween?

 

Night Shift

Again, if you’re looking for a quick read – and this is a busy time of year, I get it – then look no further. Night Shift is a collection of some of Stephen King’s best short stories.

 

image via Goodreads

 

Quick Halloween recommendations from this collection:

Children of the Corn – A creepy little story about killer kids who worship a demonic presence out in the corn fields. Kids are creepy little bastards on their own, but Stephen King has to give them a demon to worship and offer sacrifice to – because of course, he does!

Graveyard Shift – If you’re looking for a down and dirty little eerie delight, this is the one you’ll want to start with. Tons of rats burrow in and out of the bowels of an old cotton mill, but there is something much nastier than these greasy legions to worry about down there. And guess what? We have to go down there and discover this breathing abomination to nature.

Jerusalem’s Lot – This one serves as a tie-in to the aforementioned ‘Salem’s Lot. It’s King’s closest attempt at the Mythos lore of Lovecraft, while also adding more depth and background to the accursed town from his own dark imagination.

Sometimes They Come Back – This is a good, old fashion ghost story from King’s unique perspective. In it, we learn that sometimes the past refuses to stay buried, and will find a way to come back.

 

Sure, nearly each of these has had a film adaptation (or adaptations), but even if we’ve all grown up watching the movies, the books are always superior and offer a lot more to the tales we already know we love. So let’s make reading sexy and creep ourselves out with some chilling tales by a horror master. Happy Halloween, my Nasties.

 

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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