Movies
[Book Review] Grisly ‘NightWhere’ Not for the Squeamish
With six successful horror novels notched into his belt, Bram Stoker Award-winner John Everson is no stranger to sex and violence, but the BDSM-addled NightWhere is easily his most graphic book to date. In Everson’s dark, harrowing tale, a bondage enthusiast gets herself deeply involved with a cultish S&M nightclub, compelling her crazily devoted boyfriend to endure tests of torture and humiliation in an attempt to rescue her. It’s a “love story” for pain freaks, and Everson handles the subject matter with a deft touch, but be warned, this is some very strong stuff. Readers who dig gross-out horror will love the hell out of this one. Samhain Publishing isn’t releasing the trade paperback until October 2, but the e-book is currently available from Amazon. Read on for the full review.
In 1981’s Danse Macabre, Stephen King wrote, “I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I’ll go for the gross-out. I‘m not proud.” Although NightWhere has some undeniably horrifying moments, it’s obvious that author John Everson has decided to go for the gross-out. His narrative starts out tawdry and dirty, as young couple Mark and Rae receive a personal invitation to NightWhere, a pain-and-bondage-themed nightclub, and things only get worse from there. While Rae is totally into the whips, chains, and hooks, Mark isn’t nearly as enthusiastic about the whole pain aspect of S&M, and eventually Rae is visiting NightWhere alone.
Everson depicts Rae’s journey through NightWhere––from The Red, to The Black, to the mysterious Night Mother––with escalating details of orgiastic sex, rampant beatings, and gut-wrenching violence. And yet, considering the actions taking place, Everson handles the material with considerable restraint. If he wanted to, he could certainly push even harder toward the gross-out. As a result of this restraint, there’s a forbidden appeal to NightWhere, a guilty desire to find out what happens next. And yet….I still found a couple of scenes actively unpleasant.
That’s not Everson’s fault. In fact, it may have been his intention. Aggressively violent horror fiction like The Summer I Died ore The Girl Next Door has never really been my bag. But while reading NightWhere I nevertheless felt a strange sort of admiration for Everson. He knows exactly what he’s doing here, knows exactly what buttons he’s pushing. The dialogue is crisp, the plotting is fast-paced––it’s a very confident piece of work, regardless of the subject matter. And is it scary? Yes, at times NightWhere is very scary…because this is a novel that can go anywhere. And it does.
Official Rating: 4 out of 5 Skulls
Movies
SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!
As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.
Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:
Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.
Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.
Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.
Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.
Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?
Also check out:
The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.
Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.
And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.
These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.
Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.
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