Gory, Pulpy Fun...

THE DREADFUL DOCTOR FAUST by K. H. Koehler (2010 Bandersnatch Books / 47 pp / tp)

Poor Louise---you'd think being murdered and dumped into NY's East River would be punishment enough. But her body happens to wash ashore near an abandoned church, and an underground surgeon known simply as The Doctor recreates Louise in his own image, using his own experimental techniques.

The Doctor operates beneath the abandoned church, performing all types of surgeries (even helping to deliver babies) for the homeless and unfortunate who seek shelter. But he's not exactly a nice guy: we discover he's been kidnapping innocent victims since the Victorian era, and has discovered the secret to immortality through his surgery. Louise becomes his assistant, and the two make a demented pair worthy of any late-night schlock-fest.

A model, a bartender, and a high school janitor each fall victim to The Doctor's savage operations, and become part of his "body parts farm." While the story brought Gord Rollo's excellent novel THE JIGSAW MAN to mind, this one's done a bit quirkier and with a slightly gothic feel.

THE DREADFUL DOCTOR FAUST brought several b-movies to mind, especially the seldom seen HEADLESS EYES (1971), ANDY WARHOL'S FRANKENSTEIN (1973) and a personal favorite of mine, DOCTOR GORE (a.k.a. THE BODY SHOP---also 1973). There's a couple of truly gruesome situations here, and it's not a bad take on the mad doctor thing. But I had a hard time caring much for the three main victims, as little is revealed about their backgrounds. Louise, however, turns out to be even more interesting than The Doctor himself, and it all ends with the potential for a sequel.

If mad doctors are your thing, give FAUST a whirl. Others may find this a bit too familiar. Either way, it's plenty fun...

February Reviews now LIVE at...

...the HORROR FICTION REVIEW, my press' FREE online fanzine. Enjoy!

http://www.freewebs.com/hfrzine/february2011reviews.htm

A More Extreme Sasquatch

Check out my latest column over at CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT: http://cinemaknifefight.com/2011/01/27/suburban-grindhouse-memories-night-of-the-demon/

You've never seen a Sasquatch THIS pissed before!

Santa Sangre (Part 1 of 2)

Thanks to the fine folks at Severin Films (http://www.severin-films.com/), today marks the long-awaited (proper) release on DVD and blu-ray of Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1989 cult classic, SANTA SANGRE. Last night I had the pleasure of attending a screening of this new blu-ray at the funky reRun theater in Brooklyn (http://www.reruntheater.com/) on their 12-foot screen. The first time I saw this was around 1990 on VHS, and about a year ago, convinced the film would never come to DVD (especially after it was absent from Anchor Bay's fine Jodorowsky boxed set), I had ordered a double DVD from amazon that turned out to be little more than a well-packaged bootleg with a crappy VHS-to-DVD transfer, along with extras taken from the aforementioned boxed set.

For those yet to see it, SANTA SANGRE is (arguably) Jodorowsky's easiest-to-follow film. While it doesn't have the surreal nature of EL TOPO or THE HOLY MOUNTAIN, it still maintains a bizarre feel throughout, with sections looking like a cross between Fellini and a 70s slasher film. The director's staples (religious cults, father/son generational legacies, etc.) are all present, albeit in a different tone than his previous efforts.

SANGRE tells the story of a young circus performer named Fenix who goes mad after witnessing the murder/suicide of his parents (his dad, Orgo, the circus' ring leader, and his mom, Concha, the head of a heretical Catholic sect). The film begins with Fenix as an adult, living in a strange room at an insane asylum. The story is told through his flashbacks, and from an early sequence of his chest-tattoo "turning" into a bird and flying over a Mexican city, the stage is set for this beautifully-shot film that defies genre. Without giving too much away, Fenix's mother--whose church worships a saint who had her arms cut off during a rape--has her own arms cut off when she tries to kill her husband and the woman he's having an affair with. Fenix eventually uses his arms to do his mother's bidding, and the conclusion is a sort-of bizarre take on Hitchcock's PSYCHO.

With several unforgettable scenes (especially the funeral of a beloved circus elephant) and a score that's a true treat for the ears, SANTA SANGRE is a must see for any lover of original films.

(In Part 2 of this blog, I'll be taking a look at the DVD and it's 5+ hours of extras.)

Young Fenix with his deaf mute companion, Alma

Fenix in a nightmare sequence, recalling the death of his beloved elephant

The Temple of the Holy Blood (Santa Sangre)

Young Fenix and his dwarf assistant

Fenix's hands helping his armless mother

Now with his own theater, Fenix's mother continues to control his hands

Fenix's potential girlfriend falls victim to a jealous mother

Simple but attractive DVD/blu-ray cover from Severin Films

Those Sleazy 70s!

THE EXORCISM OF ANGELA GRAY by Norman Thaddeus vane (1974 Belmont Tower Books / 166 pp. / mmp)

Apparently re-titled to cash in on the success of THE EXORCIST, this sleazy, 1974 occultic sexromp would've been more accurately called THE SEANCE OF ANGELA GRAY.

Stanley Ladd (a man "on the wrong side of 30") lets a younger woman he meets outside a health club stay at his apartment...and before long she latently moves in. When they're not having sex or smoking joints, Angela often wakes at night, telling horrifing stories about orgies and being raped by a ram, although she's not sure if these are just dreams or repressed memories.

Things take a ROSEMARY'S BABY-ish turn when Angela reveals to Stanley she's pregnant, and has been since before she moved in. But what eventually comes out of her isn't human...and Angela dies during the delivery (and this is only at the halfway point!). The second half of the story deals with Stanley locating the coven who Angela had mentioned and then sitting in on one of their seances as they attempt to contact her.

THE EXORCISM OF ANGELA GRAY is a typical, trashy early 70s pulp horror novel, full of sex, violence, drugs, and "satanism." I believe this is the only novel Vane wrote, although he did pen 14 screenplays and directed 7 flms (inclding 1983's FRIGHTMARE). If you enjoy a quick read in the vein of a low-budget B-movie, you'll enjoy it.

One Corny Devil...

SATAN'S MIRROR by Roxanne Smolen (2010 L & L Dreamspell / 284 pp. / tp)

Emily Goodwin is the host of a popular TV show called "Do You Believe It?," where she debunks myths about monsters and urban legends. When we meet her, she's hot on the trail of an alleged "bat boy," and quickly discovers he's a real person with a deformity. After filing the story with her boss, she barely has time to get caught-up with her young daughter when she's sent on another assignment; it seems there's been several missing persons in the town of Saint Augustine, Florida, as well as reports of a haunted house that may be connected. Upon her investigation, Emily loses her camerman Dan when an interdimensional-portal opens at a locally famous abandoned house, sucking him into the abyss. When the police refuse to buy her story, she heads home shaken up and suspicious of a local fortune teller who may hold the secret to the missing persons.

But it seems someone--or something--has followed her. A demon manages to kidnap Emily's daughter right under her bed through a similar portal that took Dan. Desperate, Emily heads back to Florida to again confront Vanessa the fortune teller, and intends to go back to the house where she lost Dan...knowing she'll have to go to hell itself to find her daughter.

Although the publisher's website doesn't have this listed in the YA section, SATAN'S MIRROR reads as if it was written for a younger audience. The writing is standard, the dialogue quite corny (especially between Emily and her daughter), and for a story dealing with hell and the Devil himself, there's nothing scary here. Pre-teens might enjoy this as the finale features an adventurous, fantasy-like fight sequence, but adults seeking a serious occultic-horror story (as the title suggests) will most likely give up after a few chapters.

Disciple Overkill...

DEATH'S DISCIPLES by J. Robert King (2011 Angry Robot Books / 325 pp. / tp)

A woman wakes up in a hospital after being in a coma for four weeks with no idea who she is. She learns through her doctor that her name is Susan Gardner, and that she was the only survivor of a terrorist attack on a plane that killed 361 passengers. Sergeant Steve Krupinski guards the door to her room; apparently she's being stalked by an extremist cult known as Death's Disciples, and an attempt on her life goes down as early as the second chapter, setting off this fast-paced thriller that had me flipping the pages (almost) non-stop.

DEATH'S DISCIPLES, while a best-bet for thriller fans, sort-of lost me toward the ending. I liked the idea that Susan was able to not only communicate with, but use the abilities of the 361 spirits that now lived within her. But King throws in perhaps one too many twists, and at times I couldn't tell who was on who's side. He's also asking us to accept a supernatural terrorist organization whose members can change their appearance at will to look like those they've killed. If you can get past this, you'll probably enjoy the ride (I mean, WHO could stop a group like this?).

While the supernatural element of the story runs amuck towards the ending, most of the novel reads like a well-done, gripping thriller. I think King (author of several other novels) tried to squeeze-in too much, and the result is hit or miss...but I'll say mostly hit. If you're a fan of government conspiracies, goth kids, and military intrigue, check it out.

Female Fright Flingers!

In the fall of 2005, my (then) print fanzine THE HORROR FICTION REVIEW featured a 6-author interview titled FEMALE FRIGHT FLINGERS, where I interviewed some of my favorite ladies in the genre. As a prelude to WOMEN IN HORROR APPRECIATION MONTH, I've scanned this section for your reading pleasure. Click on each page for larger (and hopefully readable) image.

Good...but Familiar

Darren Aronofsky’s BLACK SWAN is a psychological thriller that plays out like a combo of Argento’s SUSPIRIA and Ross’ THE TURNING POINT (both released in 1977) with some late night cable “erotic thriller” thrown in for good measure.

This is one of those films where, despite the excellent performances from the entire cast, there’s just something missing. I felt like I’ve seen this a thousand times before and I’m hoping Aronofsky will attempt a different type of ending with his next project (I was told this one was similar to THE WRESTLER…it’s more than similar…it’s basically the same).

I haven’t seen too much mentioned about actor Vincent Cassel, who plays Swan Lake’s director Thomas Leroy. He’s fantastic as a high-class sleazeball, and for some reason reminded me of Udo Kier. I found the much-hyped lesbian scene between Nina (Natalie Portman) and Lily (Mila Kunis) more disturbing than a turn on (especially with the crater-faced Barbara Hershey [as Nina’s mother] banging on the door during some of it). But suffice it to say, it’s going to be weird watching re-runs of That 70’s Show for some time to come…

One element that impressed me was how Aronofsky often changed the colors and shades of the background to highlight the moods and direction of the characters, quite reminiscent of Peter Greenway’s 1989 controversial art-house hit, THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER. The black swan-sequence of Swan Lake during the film’s finale looked great, although I was hoping for a different ending (which I saw coming about 20 minutes into the film).

The relationship between Nina and her mother, Erica, seems solid at first, but in time we begin to wonder how much control Erica truly had. While it’s ultimately left up to the viewer to decide, I was hoping the film would take this a step further.

Natalie Portman should have no problem winning an Oscar for this (she truly does shine here), but it’ll be a long shot if it takes best film.

BLACK SWAN’s a decent take on the classic “good vs. evil” thing, but one I expected more from.

Winona Ryder does a great job as aging dancer Beth Macintyre. MAN do I still love her!

Continuing to be the BEST in the Genre...

The UK's BLACK STATIC magazine has been on a roll since its first issue, and now at it's 20th it shows not only no signs of slowing down, but of getting better.

This issue's fiction features 5 solid tales, including a collaboration between Paul Meloy and Sarah Pinborough titled 'The Compartments of Hell," a fresh take on the apocalyptic thing. Nate Southard masterfully uses suggestion to make "Going Home, Ugly Stick in Hand" a memorable monster mash (literally), while Norman Prentiss delivers the quiet and quite creepy "The Covered Doll." Barbara A. Barnett's 'The Wounded House" features a woman coming to grips with some dark memories and the death of her grandmother, and Ray Culley's "At Night, When the Demons Come" is another futuristic yarn, this time following six survivors who are tormented by demons...all of them seemingly female.

The usual columns from Stephen Volk and Christopher Fowler are informative and entertaining, and Mike O'Droscoll's "Old Horrors Revisited" explains why some films that scared us as kids no longer hold up today.

There's 12 pages of Peter Tennant's amazing book reviews (I think he spends as much time on a review as it takes to read the book), which are simply the best guide for horror fiction fans on the market today, and the issue is again end-capped by Tony Lee's 10-paged DVD and Blu-Ray reviews.

I say it all the time, but here goes again: WHY aren't you reading this yet? (Subscriptions and single issue order info at ttapress.com/shop).

For Collectors Only

Like EERIE and CREEPY, VAMPIRELLA's early issues featured stories that were (mostly) silly and seemingly aimed at pre-teens. Dynamite's Archive Volume 1 collects the first 7 issues of this classic Warren Magazine...and I was surprised to see only two Vampirella stories within them. Vampi was more of a host, like Uncle Creepy and Cousin Eerie, introducing horror and fantasy stories and making wise cracks.

I found myself more interested in the feedback letters from fans, as well as the neat items that were for sale in the back pages than I was in the actual stories. While VAMPIRELLA picked up story (and art) wise as it progressed, these early issues are strictly for collectors. I wasn't aware Forrest J. Ackerman wrote some Vampi tales (and thank goodness stopped), and it was nice to see early work from the likes of Neal Adams and Doug Moench. Dynamite did a nice job reproducing the magazine in its original size. I'm looking forward to archives of later issues.

Sick & Twisted

DEADLY NIGHTLUSTS by John Everson (2010 Blasphemous Books / 125 pp. / tp)

This collection showcases six short stories from Everson's early days as a writer, as well as a new one.

There's a few Halloween-themed stories here, the first, PUMPKIN HEAD, being the only one I had previously read (and it's a good 'un). GREEN APPLES, RED NAILS is one of two stories to feature a witch, and gives a nice variation on the old "poison apple" Halloween urban legend, while TO EARN HIS LOVE reads like a pre-cursor to the author's grim 2006 occult novella, FAILURE.

A LACK OF SIGNS brings Stephen King's NEEDFUL THINGS to mind, while STAR ON THE BEACH is one of two stories dealing necrophilia (this could be a contender at a gross-out contest) as a vacationing man cheats on his wife with a beautiful corpse thanks to the guidance of a strange young Cuban boy. SACRIFICING VIRGINS tells the tale of a rock star who, after making a deal with the devil, is given fame and fortune so long as he has sex with a virgin after each of his band's concerts. Things get hairy when a deceased virgin shows up on the bed in his dressing room one night--and he's still held to his ungodly commitment.

The collection ends with BODY AND BLOOD, a wicked little tale of religion gone amuck after the body of an ancient, controversial saint goes on display at a neighborhood church. Well written, disturbing, and reminiscent of classic Bentley Little, this is easily the highlight of NIGHTLUSTS.

I've compared Everson here to King and Little, and not done so lightly. This peek at some of his early work shows a writer chiseling his way through the horror fiction underground to become the acclaimed novelist (and short story writer) he is today. Check it out.

EPIC fail...

OUT OF THE DARK by David Weber (2010 Tor Books / 382 pp / hc)

When I read this military scifi novel's synopsis, it sounded like a sure fire hit. It turned out to be anything but. To be fair, this is the first of a proposed new series, but as a stand alone novel it's just . . . terrible.

It's alien invasion time once again. They've destroyed every city on earth and half the population is dead. Then we're introduced to two groups of survivors who decide it's time to fight back (one in the mountains of North Carolina and the other in the Balkans).

The majority of OUT OF THE DARK is (almost) non-stop military scifi, a subgenre I've been getting into over the past few years thanks to authors such as Robert Buettner. But here it gets played out very quickly, and all the technobabble stood (not to mention the turtle-like pace) in the way of me caring for even a single character.

But the "twist" ending...all I can say is I hope Weber has a real ace up his sleeve for the second story, because right now it reads like a rushed idea that I still laugh at whenever it pops into my mind. I'd even say I doubt the author could've come up with a more ridiculous idea if he tried.

Let me know how the next chapter is...I'm getting off here. I understand Weber has a huge following and is a best selling author, but this wasn't the book to discover him through.

Terriers & Terror...

THE MAD AND THE MACABRE by Jeff Strand and Michael McBride (2010 Dark Regions Press / 186 pp / tp)

The two novellas contained here are both equally terrifying in their own way, and while the ending of the second tale left me wanting, this is an overall good time.

Jeff Strand's KUTTER tells the story of Charlie Stanlon, a forty-two year-old, nerdy serial killer who tortures women in his sound-proofed basement by night and works a typical office job by day. He has a lot of self-made rules (including ONLY kidnapping one woman every two months). After he rescues a Boston Terrier one freezing-cold night at a local park, Charlie's life begins to change. He begins--for the first time in his life--to have feelings for someone other than himself. He eventually names the dog Kutter, and finds himself giving it more and more space in his home as well as his life. Things take a bad turn one night when he goes off his schedule and--on impulse--kidnaps a door-to-door salesgirl. Strand does a terrific job of making the reader care for this low-life serial killer, and I found myself actually cheering him on when he finally accepts a co-worker's inviation to come out of his shell and hang out with some people from the job at a local bar. KUTTER is a grim little story that manages to end on a semi-positive note, and even has a slight twist thrown in.

Michael McBride's REMAINS has a great set-up: a couple of years after some religious college students disappear while seeking proof of their faith in an isolated forest in Boulder, Colorado, a few of the missing students' siblings get together to take another look for them after local officials have continued to come up with no answers. One of them, Brent Cavenaugh, a college proffesor, has discovered something that has inspired him to head this search...and while he tells his companions what he has found, he doesn't tell them everything.

McBride does a wicked job here of building (not only) some serious suspense, but an expectation that kept me flipping the pages as quick as I could. When we finally discover what happened to the missing students, I continued on, psyched to see the final answer. But, when we discover the promised mystery of life, it was nothing readers of "Fate" magazine or followers of paranormal programs haven't heard a thousand times before. REMAINS is a very well written, suspenseful novella, I just wish the ending went for something a bit more unusual.

Despite this one minor flaw, I still recommend THE MAD AND THE MACABRE for those seeking some genuinely disturbing stories.

We Now Pause for a Message to my Fellow Creators . . .

A new year is supposed to bring hope and inspiration. Yet during the first 8 days of 2011, no less than four of my friends (two writers, one musician, and one artist) have messaged me asking basically the same thing:

Why do we keep doing to do this?

In the wake of poor attendance at shows, low book/CD/ticket sales, little enthusiasm from those around them, etc., just why do we continue to torture ourselves by the writing of stories/novels/songs, the drawing/painting of pictures, and the continual practice of our arts? Two of them even claimed they were giving up.

But I have news for them...and for you, if you're a creative type.

You can't give up. So don't even try. If you're a real writer, a real artist, a real dancer, a real musician, a real film maker . . . you'll continue doing what you do because it's in your genetic make-up. Being discouraged over lack of interest or sales of your product is just part of the business end of the artist's life. It's no secret that even those who stick with it their entire life may never gain fame, or that dreamed-of six-figure contract. But that's okay. Because if you're only in this for the money and the money alone, chances are your heart is only partially into your work (if at all).

From 1982-2000 I played bass and then drums in countless bands...most of them original. The only time I made a little bit of money was with the two cover bands I drummed for. I've also been publishing fanzines and books since the early 80s, and have just over the past few years finally seen some money (and a small following) over my writing and some of the books released by my small press. While financially my press is in jeopardy (even after releasing a book last month by one of the all-time best writers in the horror genre), I will continue to publish one way or another. Likewise, while I've been trying to sell my second novel for close to two years, I will continue to do so as I write my third and work on several short stories, regardless of the money that may or may not come.

Why? Because it's what I have to do. I'm engineered to create...in my case, through writing and publishing.

I have friends who continue to play weekend after weekend in "tribute" bands and cover bands at small neighborhood bars, some of them who were at one point signed to major label record deals (my own brother being one of them). Yet instead of leaving when the big time never came calling, or when their CD received negative reviews or no press, some of them continue on because they LOVE to play...it's what they do. Same with some artists I know who may never see their work featured in a prominent gallery or between the pages of a $75.00 hardcover coffee table book. Yet they keep painting...they keep sketching...they keep drawing comics even after Marvel and DC have let them go or avoided them altogether.

While every creator who is serious about his or her craft will see ups and downs (and many will see the artist's life as mostly downs on the financial side), discouragement is going to happen. But we need to brush ourselves off the second a rejection comes, the second the bad reviews come in, the moment your potential boss or buyer says, "No thank you," or "We can't use this at the moment." For those serious about their craft, they need to cherish and take criticism from those who know better...from those who've been there. I'm thankful for the handful of writers/editors who are willing to tear apart my work and point me in the right direction. I'm even thankful for the guy who told me my debut novel was the worst novel he's ever read.

Use the criticism, the poor sales, and the lack of general interest to fuel your fire. Use what you can from the bad (and even good) reviews to make your next project better. If you don't have many, do what you have to to find those who are like-minded and encourage one another, daily if possible. Honestly critique one another's work. Do what you do to please yourself and to fulfill that inner desire that forces you to put everything on hold until you've expressed yourself through your chosen medium as best as you can...then seek to do it even better.

Those who mean business will keep on keeping on, regardless of the levels of success. Those who are playing games or doing it for kicks will eventually fade away.

I hope my four friends (and anyone else reading this) will keep on keeping on.

(Illustration by MC Escher)

Mikels Expose is so-so

FILM ALCHEMY: THE INDEPENDENT CINEMA OF TED V. MIKELS by Christopher Wayne Curry (2008 McFarland & Co., Inc. publishers / 212 pp / hc)

If you're a fan of the horrible cinema of Ted V. Mikels, there's only a few things here you probably haven't heard before. Not a bad read, unless you're unfamiliar (and interested) in Mikels' work. For low budget film makers, there's plenty of discussion on how Mikels was able to finance his films, and how he's still struggling to do so today.

McFarland has done a nice job with this large hardcover, and there's some good pics inside. But compared to Curry's Herschell Gordon Lewis book, A TASTE OF BLOOD, this isn't all too great (which is kind of fitting when you think about the quality of Mikels films!).

For hardcore b-movie junkies only!

A "FACKING" wild ride . . .

THE BROTHERS CRUNK by William Pauley III (2010 Grindhouse Press / 93 pp / tp)

On the post-apocalyptic world of Japan, two brothers (Divey and Reynold) make a living as traveling burrito salesman. Their lives take a drastic turn when they find the remains of a mutilated robot, which eventually transforms Divey into something never before seen. The Burrito Brothers are captured in the desert by a race of Wasp Women and taken to their hive. Desperate, Reymond constructs an old friend out of their stock of buritto meat to help them escape, but things don't go exactly as he planned. Soon, a TV Demon named Vandenboom rescues Rey and 'Meat Pete' and the trio are off to find the (now) missing Divey in this '8-Bit Fack-it-All Adventure in 2-D."

To call THE BROTHERS CRUNK imaginative is a gross understatement. Everything explained above is just the starting point of this "mini-epic" novella that blends scifi, horror, and fantasy into a bizarro-concoction of FRACKING greatness. I was thoroughly entertained on every single page.

With video game controllers used as real weapons, a nifty gang of mutants known as the Damned Dirt Devils, a wonderfully gross female slug-like villain ("Jools Dethbyte") and (arguably) the coolest ostrich to come down the pike in many a moon, fans of offbeat tales just can't go wrong here. There's also plenty of funny dialogue throughout.

As a bonus, there's some funky interior artwork courtesy of Megan Hansen and Brandon Duncan's old-school Nintendo cover design fits ths thing to the tee.

Conversations from the Outer Realms...

DARK STARS RISING by Shade Rupe (2011 headpress Books / 560 pp. / tp)

When you can get through a 560-paged book in two sittings (as I did with this semi-door stop-sized volume), that's saying something.

International film festival producer Shade Rupe delivers this collection of interviews with 27 film makers, artists, writers, actors and performance artists. Each interview is as unique as the person being questioned, from cult movie icon Udo Kier to artist Andre Lassen, from everyone's favorite drag queen Divine to legendary director Alejandro Jodorowsky, there's something here for anyone who loves unusual entertainment (especially cinema).

A couple of chapters even hit me on a personal level. The late Chas. Balun (who not only gave my old fanzine, STINK, a nod in an issue of his DEEP RED magazine, but was an inspiration to me as a DIY guy) has a very informative interview here, conducted in 1994. Chas. was a fan's fan, a true horror fan who did more to get seldom-seen films into the hands of horror geeks around the globe than anyone else I can think of. In the wake of his passing, some of his statements here actually made me all misty...

Rupe's interview with COMBAT SHOCK director Buddy Giovinazzo (conducted in 1995) is chock-full of info I was unaware of, and I was thrilled to see him get such long-overdue coverage in a book of this nature (Buddy was also a film teacher at my local college, the College of Staten Island). Great stuff.

Rupe has introduced me to a few people here, and I found myself equally interested in every chapter, regardless of how familiar I was with the person's work. As a bonus, this Headpress Book is simply GORE-geous: there's countless photos, ad mats, and rare stills, something you'll never be able to fully appreciate on an e-reader (and MAN does this ink smell GOOD!).

Horror and cult film fans take note as there's interviews with William 'MANIAC' Lustig, Gaspar 'ENTER THE VOID' Noe, Jim 'DEADBEAT AT DAWN' Van Bebber, and Tura 'FASTER PUSSYCAT, KILL! KILL!' Satana. There's also a rare "talking" interview with the usually silent Teller (of Penn & Teller fame) that turned out to be one of the more enjoyable sections of the book. Comic geeks will also be thrilled over the Arnold Drake interview, as well as Rupe's yak-session with MEAT CAKE creator Dame Darcy.

If you're a die hard cinephile or art nut, there's no reason not to have this on your shelf ASAP. I'm quite impressed...

Plan 9 of the Dead...

DEAD EARTH: THE VENGEANCE ROAD by Mark Justice and David T. Wilbanks (2010 Permuted Press / 241 pp / tp)

Justice and Wilbanks' follow up to their novella DEAD EARTH: THE GREEN DAWN is a rip-roaring road-trip tale that reads like a combination of DAWN OF THE DEAD, PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.

After escaping to Mexico when his town and loved ones were destroyed, young sheriff Jubal Slate is determined to make it back to Nevada, to the infamous Area 51, where alien beings known as "Necros" have entered our world through an inter-dimensional portal. They've been reanimating the dead in an attempt to take over the world, and Slate (along with his small band of survivors) decide it's time to try and fight back or die trying.

Standing in their way (besides thousands of zombies) is a power-mad nutjob named Kemp, who has found favor in the Necro's eyes: they have given him a piece of technology that allows him to control the undead. And with this new power, he starts his own campaign against anyone who stands in his--and the Necro's--way. Kemp begins to build his army (and new-world religion!) when he comes across Jubal and his crew. Jubal manages to rescue one of Kemp's prisoners (a big guy named Mother), sending Kemp into an even darker rage.

As both groups make it out of Mexico, the showdown on the way to Area 51 brings non-stop action, zombie attacks, and plenty of in-group fights (especially among Kemp's crew). Jubal's group manage to obtain real ace when they find a suitcase nuke at an abandoned military facility.

The authors have managed to keep the zombie thing fresh. While I enjoyed the alien-controlled mayhem (as well as a strange side-character named Mike, who holds a nifty power which is revealed at the end), I'm hoping Jusitce and Wilbanks have something fresh up their sleeves for the third installment; I'm not sure how much longer they can keep this thing going. But for now, THE VENGEANCE ROAD is a brain-smashing good time that'll have zombie fans grinning through every blood-stained page.

What's BEHIND LOCKED DOORS?

Find out in my latest column for CINEMA KNIFE FIGHT!

http://cinemaknifefight.com/2010/12/30/suburban-grindhouse-memories-remembers-behind-locked-doors/

BAD MAGICK

I'm now doing a monthly book review over at THE BAG AND THE CROW. Check out my first, for Nate Southard & Steven Shrewsbury's BAD MAGICK :

http://horrorgy.com/thebagandthecrow/2011/01/02/reviewed-bad-magick-by-nate-southard-and-steven-shrewsbury/

Enjoy!

My Reads in 2010

SO I ended up reading 78 books this year. How I managed to read this many on top of everything else I do remains a mystery, but suffice it to say, it's amazing what you can do when you keep the TV off. I also read (from cover to cover) several issues of BLACK STATIC and CEMETERY DANCE magazine (each issue a mini-book in its own way), countless comic books, and Phil Nutman's amazing, 80K + history of Amicus Films that was published in an issue of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS magazine (why no one published this as a book is anyone's guess). I also read several chapbooks, most notably T.M. Wright's THE PEOPLE OF THE ISLAND.

But onto my mainreads:

1) FISTFUL OF FEET by Jordan Krall

2) THE ETERNAL PRISON by Jeff Somers

3) SPELLBENT by Lucy A. Snyder

4) DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN by Brian Keene

5) THE IRON GOSPELS by Will Hache

6) DWELLER by Jeff Strand

7) ARCHELON RANCH by Garrett Cook

8) DEMON HUNTER by Cynthia Vesper

9) PLEASURE MODEL by Chris Rowley

10) MONSTER by A. Lee Martinez

11) ALIEN PERVERTS (v/a)

12) SOLOMON'S GRAVE by Dan Koehane

13) A DARK MATTER by Peter Straub

14) CHASING THE DRAGON by Nick Kaufman

15) HORNS by Joe Hill

16) 51 FIENDISH WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER by Lisa Mannetti

17) SLIGHTS by Kaaron Warren

18) THE FEMINISTS by Parley J. Cooper

19) DINNERBELL FOR THE DREAM WORMS by Jason Weleich

20) THE FRENZY WAY by Gregory Lamberson

21) THE SANTA THING by Rob Freese

22) DIMITER by William Peter Blatty

23) CITIES OF NIGHT by Phil Nutman

24) GATOR A GO-GO by Tom Dorsey

25) THOUGHT FORMS by Jeffery Thomas

26) FLORIDA ROADKILL by Tom Dorsey

27) EMPIRE OF SALT by Weston Ochse

28) ZOMBIE FIGHT NIGHT by A.P. Fuchs

29) WHEN THE NIGHT COMES DOWN (v/a)

30) MORNING IS DEAD by Andersen Prunty

31) DONNY'S DAY byBrandon Berntsen

32) ROLE MODELS by John Waters

33) 10 A BOOT STOMPING 20 A HUMAN FACE 30 GOTO 10 by Jess Gulbranson

34) THE KULT by Shuan Jeffrey

35) DARK FAITH (v/a)

36) ANIMAL BEHAVIOR by Keith Gouieva

37) THE NEW DEAD (v/a)

38) THE BLOODSTAINED MAN by Christopher Rowley

39) MY FAKE WAR by Andersen Prunty

40) KING SCRATCH by Jordan Krall

41) LIQUID SKY by Anne Carlisle

42) MIDNIGHT ON MOURN STREET (play) by Christopher Conlon

43) THE LAST DEEP BREATH by Tom Piccirilli

44) THE KILLING KING by Bryan Smith

45) DESPERATE SOULS by Gregory Lamberson

46) FAMILY BUSINESS by Erick Williams

47) THE NURSING HOME by James Murphy III

48) THE FULLER MEMORANDUM by Charles Stross

49) BUTTERFLY by Simon Clark

50) BLOOD ON THE MOON by S.M. DeSilva

51) THE WHISPERERS by John Connolly

52) VAMPIRES IN DEVIL TOWN by Wayne Hixon

53) THE DISAPPEARANCE by Bentley Little

54) THIS PAINTED DARKNESS by Brian Freeman

55) SLAG ATTACK by Andersen Prunty

56) IN SICKNESS by L.L. Soares and Laura Cooney

57) PRETTY LITTLE DEAD THINGS by Gary McMahon

58) WOLF HUNT by Jeff Strand

59) NEW WORLD MONKEYS by Nancy Mauro

60) THE PLACE IN BETWEEN by Rev. Steven Rage

61) NIGHT LIGHT by Chris Burgoyne

62) KING MAKER by Maurice Broaddus

63) THE HORRIBLES by Nathaniel Lambert

64) PARIAH by Bob Fingerman

65) BREAKING EGGS by L.L. Soares and Kurt Newton

66) SHOTGUN SORCERESS by Lucy A, Snyder

67) DUNCAN'S DIARY by Christopher Dayne

68) BUT FIRST THE DARK by Frank Chigas

69) AS THE WORM TURNS by Brian Rosenberger

70) ELEVEN TWENTY-THREE by Jason R. Hornsby

71) HOW TO EAT FRIED FURRIES by Nicole Cushing

72) THE SAMHANACH by Lisa Morton

73) ETERNAL UNREST by Lorne Dixon

74) KING'S JUSTICE by Maurice Broaddus

75) SNAKE JAW by Andrew Gallacher

76) PERMANENT OBSCURITY by Richard Perez

77) SUCCUMBING TO GRAVITY by Richard Farnsworth

78) A TASTE OF BLOOD: THE FILMS OF HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS by Christopher Wayne Curry

(Started in 2010:)

1) THE DEAD EARTH by Mark Justice and David T. Wilbanks

2) FILM ALCHEMY: THE INDEPENDENT CINEMA OF TED V. MIKELS by Christopher Wayne Curry