Book Review Bite Club

Bite Club by Hal Bodner

Reviewed by Sheri White

West Hollywood, California - home of many gay people, who find it a safe place to live and play.  But lately things have gotten dangerous.  Several gay men have been found dead, drained of all blood.  Clive Anderson, Captain of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, is at a loss to solve the cases, even with the help of the city coroner, Becca O’Brien.  She is baffled by the murders, and thinks there is a serial killer loose in the city.

She calls an old friend, Chris Driscoll.  She had a crush on him in college and was dismayed when she found out he was gay.  But they have kept in touch, and Chris is somewhat an expert on serial killers.  He and his boyfriend, Troy, travel to West Hollywood to see what Chris can contribute to the investigation.  But Chris has a secret of his own, and he’s afraid of who - or what - is actually killing the city’s gay men.

Bite Club is a great read.  I’m not a huge vampire fan, but I was drawn in right from the beginning.  The characters are real and funny, and have their own quirks.  The vampires are not the usual Nosferatu or Bela Lugosi vampires; some are vicious and some are just living their lives, minding their own business.

Whether you like vampires or not, pick up Bite Club.  You can tell Hal had a blast writing it, and you’ll have a fun time reading it.

Book Review Animosity

ANIMOSITY

By James Newman

(Necessary Evil Press 2011; Limited HC and E-book)

Reviewed by Colleen Wanglund

 

Andy Holland is a successful horror writer, both for adults and with a Young Adult novel series.  He had a beautiful wife Karen until a recent divorce and has a young daughter Samantha, who is the most important person in Andy’s life.  Andy still lives in the same house in a neighborhood that he thought couldn’t be more perfect.  It was safe and his neighbors were friendly….until the day, while out walking his dog, Andy discovers the dead body of a little girl.

Andy is horrified by what he sees, but manages to wrangle the dog and get back home to call the police.  What Andy doesn’t realize is that his seemingly good life is about to slowly unravel.  It begins with the police questioning him as though he may be a suspect.  It seems something from Andy’s past is now coming back to haunt him.  As time passes, the neighbors are no longer friendly and the news reports focus more on a stupid mistake made when he was young instead of the girl and her rape and murder.  They stop speaking to him and begin to take out their suspicions on his property.  Initially Andy tries to rationalize their behavior, until they kill his dog.  It seems the once friendly neighbors now believe that Andy is a pedophile/murderer….all because he is a writer of horror fiction.  I mean, anyone who can dream up such horrible things must be an evil person, right?

What strikes me about ANIMOSITY is that these are normal and generally good people, but the mob mentality sets in with a vengeance, making for a potentially real scenario and a very scary final confrontation.  The writing is wonderful and flows without a hitch and Newman’s character development is perfect.  As shocking as the events in the story are, I could see something like this happening, especially in a small, tight-knit community.  With a revealing introduction by author Ray Garton and fantastic illustrations by Alex McVey, ANIMOSITY is definitely one to get your hands on.  And beware of the neighbors.



More poetry from Anna Marie

I vessel innocence and aspire seduction, though I have self centered thoughts the world remains uninterrupted, by all the little thinkers in my head, moving round full and well fed, by the planets that caress my gentle head, by the stars that still stay when you're dead, the sky is eternal and we're forever, my face is pretty but my body's nasty weather, that's ok because no other can harness, the sanctity of life and place her life where her charm is, where will you find the patterns without your blinkers, how can you turn right if you decide to quit her, maybe it was you or maybe it was me, or maybe it was the sea that lead to our bitter tea, maybe it was the words or maybe it was the pollution, all this air leads to frantic misleads and false conclusions, I sign wavers in my mind to pass all my bias votes, they get vetoed every time I drop anchors from my boat, and remind me of all the times I've sacrificed my intellect for objective pleasure, where I worried about time and whether my mascara had feathered, where I allowed an audience to grant me my self love and strong might, I'll never go back again, I'll never succumb to their twisted version of light, where beauty is skin deep and scars are unholy, they've pushed me towards shyness and casual self loathing, when in reality and in the eyes of the universe, I'm the most beautiful thing to have ever churned out a verse, and every eyesore is an experience and a view, of reality and all the cards I've refused to que, you look up and baby then you look down, you realize you're the one pressed against unforgiving ground, when I'm riding clouds and dancing with my soul, magnum opus has lied and forced upon me irrelevant goals, I'm not meant to look or be anything other than what the moon has given me, I only carry within me what is alive and what is free.
 

Anna Marie  ~*~ 

Asian Horror Review Thirst

THIRST (2009)

Released in America by Universal Studios

Runtime: 133 minutes

Colleen Wanglund

  

THIRST from director Chan-wook Park (OLDBOY {2003}, LADY VENGEANCE {2005}), tells the story of a Catholic priest, Father Sang-hyeon (Kang-ho Song), who volunteers for a high-risk experiment testing a vaccine for a deadly virus, the Emmanuel Virus, which causes death through massive blood loss. The priest ultimately becomes infected and near death, is given a blood transfusion in an attempt to save him. He is the only survivor out of fifty taking part in the experiments, thus becoming almost saint-like to the faithful seeking him out for prayers of healing. Six months after his miraculous recovery, Father Sang-hyeon ends up living with the family of a childhood friend that he seems to have cured of cancer. Soon he begins experiencing strange sensations, and the virus seems to have returned....until he drinks the blood of a comatose patient in the hospital in which he volunteers. The priest has become a vampire.

This is NOT your typical vampire story. We see no fangs, no physical transformations, but he does have super-human abilities, such as instant healing when wounded and increased physical strength. He even continues to be a priest, drinking small amounts only when necessary. Ultimately he falls in love with Tae-ju (Ok-bin Kim) the wife of the man whose cancer he cured, and she seems to return those feelings. However, with a Park movie, nothing is ever really as it seems. He turns Tae-ju into a vampire and she begins to pull away from him, reveling in her new life. She had been abused by her husband’s family and now has been given the freedom she so desired. Sang-hyeon continues to struggle with his desire for Tae-ju as well as trying to keep her from going off the deep end.

This is Park's first feature-length horror movie (he directed the segment “Cut” in THREE…EXTREMES {2004}) and I thought it was great; I’m a huge fan of his other films. The screenplay, co-written by Park and Seo-Gyeong Jeong, is inspired by the book Therese Raquin by Emile Zola. It was a little longer than I expected but it didn’t feel that way. I liked the priest, and empathized with him when it seemed as though he was being used by everyone around him. As with any Park film, THIRST delves into the human psyche, examining how similar circumstances can affect people differently. The end was amazing and totally unexpected. The only problem I have with it is that there is really no explanation as to how he became a vampire, except for a hint at the transfusion....but where did they get the blood from in the first place? I recommend this movie to any horror fan, especially if you like something a little bit different.

THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA

THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA

(TOKAIDO YOTSUYA KAIDAN)

Colleen Wanglund

Directed by Nobuo Nakagawa (JIGOKU {1960}) TOKAIDO YOTSUYA KAIDAN (1959) is based on the most famous Japanese ghost story of all time which was written by Nanboku Tsuruya in 1815 for Kabuki Theater. Iemon Tamiya (Shigeru Amachi-who starred in JIGOKU)) is a ronin, a masterless samurai who has been refused the hand of Iwa (Katsuko Wakasugi), the woman he loves, by her father. Enraged, Iemon kills the girl’s father along with another man; Naosuke, the only witness tells Iemon he will help him. They tell Iwa and Yomoshichi that another man attacked and killed their fathers. Iemon marries Iwa and vows to avenge her father’s murder. While on a pilgrimage to pray at a shrine Iemon and Naosuke stab Yomoshichi and throw him over a waterfall. They then tell Iwa and Sode (Iwa’s sister) that the same man who killed the fathers also killed Yomoshichi.

Some time has passed and Iemon and Iwa are living in Edo (Tokyo) and they have a son. Naosuke and Sode are also in Edo, but neither of the sisters knows this. Iemon and Iwa are poor and he has grown tired of Iwa asking when he will avenge her father’s death. Iemon meets the daughter of a wealthy samurai and wishes to marry her; but he is already married. Naosuke devises a plan to get rid of Iwa and clear the way for Iemon’s marriage. Iwa is poisoned and dies, taking her son to the grave with her. Her body is disposed of and Iemon marries his new bride. Out of grief and betrayal Iwa’s spirit haunts Iemon and it affects everything he has lied, schemed and murdered to attain. Iwa has vowed revenge and she will have it.

TOKAIDO YOTSUYA KAIDAN is not the first film adaptation of the original play but it is the most faithful, following the story almost exactly as it was first written. It is a beautifully directed movie with a suitable dark atmosphere throughout. The sisters are very sympathetic characters and Iemon and Naosuke are truly villainous. The special effects are fantastic with Iwa’s face becoming “monstrous” after drinking the poison and her ghostly image is very scary. This is a movie for the horror purist and fans of good old fashioned ghost stories. Director Nobou Nakagawa is a genius of the horror genre in Japan and is considered by many to be the father of Japanese horror movies. What also stands out is the story itself (both the original and this movie) is based on two real-life murders that took place during the samurai period in which it is set. The first crime involved two servants who murdered their masters and the other involved a samurai who murdered his concubine after learning she was having an affair. The story also takes place during a time when women were seen as merely possessions and they suffered greatly. The ghost represents the spiritual power of the woman allowing her to take revenge for her bad treatment. THE GHOST OF YOTSUDA is a little hard to find on DVD/Blu-ray but it is definitely worth the hunt.

76 minutes

Meet New Reviewer Sheri White

Sheri White

Sheri White is not your typical suburban mom.  She has three girls, ages 23, 16 and 14 and lives in a small town in Maryland.  Married for 19 years, her husband has grown used to her love of all things horror, and puts up with the many stacks of books around the house.  Music-wise, Sheri is stuck in the 60s, 70s and 80s, and is a complete Beatles freak.

In addition to reviewing for The Mavens of Horror, she also reviews for The Bag and the Crow, horrornews.net, The Future Fire, Horror Drive-In and The Horror Fiction Review. There are probably a few others she’s forgetting* .  She writes short stories and has been published in several anthologies and small press zines.

You can find her on Facebook pretty much anytime, since she’s attached to her lap at any given point during the day.  If not surfing, she’s writing, reviewing, editing/proofreading, or being bothered by one of her dogs, usually Jack, who is ridiculously needy.  And as fitting any good horror lover, she has a black cat named Magic.

Sheri is glad to be part of The Mavens of Horror, and reviewing on yet another site with her friend Colleen.

 *Editor's Note: Any site overlooked, will be added. :)

Short Film Review The Beast

THE BEAST

Director: Peter Dukes

Writer: Peter Dukes

Stars: Bill Oberst, Jr, Peter Le Blas and Alexander Le Blas

Reviewed by Char Hardin

Short - Horror

3 Out of 5

 

“What would you have me do…he’s my boy!”

A loving father will do anything for his child and in this short film from writer/director Peter Dukes, Michel must choose. It should be an easy decision, but for Michel, nothing is as it seems, when it pertains to his sons’ affliction during full moons. The ending will leave you screaming…"NO…it can’t be over!”

Bill Oberst, Jr. known to the Horror Community as “The Creepy Guy” showed a tender vulnerable side in THE BEAST. Peter Dukes had some minor details wrong…but what he got right was casting: Bill as Michel the father of the afflicted boy Jacob (Alexander Le Blas) and Peter Le Blas as Douglas brother to Michel as their performances were believable and at the end…it will leave audiences wanting more. Short films are glimpses into storylines and after a short time spent watching this one…I want to see more.

BEAST was made on a shoestring budget of $600 and given more of a budget and some fine tuning of minor details, then Dukes would have a potential thriller on his hands.

My recommendations would be do a sweep of the area before filming, so objects that do not belong, in the film are removed before filming. Research clothing styles and make sure they coincide properly with the story’s time period. Pay attention to dialect, so that it flows steady. I am not raking the director over the coals; I am mentioning some details that showed themselves to me, while watching the film. I still think the storyline is good and the acting was good and set-up the scenes well and yes, I would be like to see a full feature with these characters and their fine actors.

Links:

 http://www.dreamseekersprods.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2325997/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1088478/