Books
Why I Novelized My First Screenplay, “New Horizons”!
A few years ago, I wrote a screenplay— a dark, wilderness survival thriller influenced in equal measures by David Fincher’s The Game and “Lord of the Flies“. It was a weird idea meant to evoke the coming-of-age brutality of Stephen King’s “The Long Walk” and when I was done I asked Mutant Chronicles director Simon Hunter if he’d give it a read.
I had been impressed with Hunter’s unique visual style since his debut, Lighthouse, and thought the script would give him something new to chew on. As it turned out, I was right, he loved it, and we spent the better part of a year developing the script, along with his producer at the time.
I’m sure you can guess what happened. Development hell ensued and he drifted off into the ether, tempted by other, shinier things. Anyone who has ever attempted to write or produce a film knows this can happen multiple times on any project, the end result being five years of pissing around only to end up with no film for all your troubles.
Faced with the decision to either head in that well-worn direction, or shelve the script, I decided to take a different road, expand on the world and characters and novelize the material.
I knew if I didn’t do this I would never be free of it, and the wild children in my story would haunt my imagination forever, trapped inside my head screaming to be released.
Two years later, the novel in question is finally done and dusted. It’s called “New Horizons” and, I’m happy to say it’s finally being published this week, silencing those voices in my head.
It’s been quite a journey getting the planets to align on this one. First of all, writing a novel is quite a different undertaking than writing a screenplay. There are pros and cons to both, each is a distinct art form, but novels are something of a lonelier endeavour, especially if you enjoy collaborating. And while screenplays thrive on a razor-sharp precision; 100-pages-or-perish, novels allow for wandering, exploring.
Because I believe in testing any product, I beta tested an early version of the book on the social storytelling site, Wattpad. It was read nearly 1 million times in less than a year and the feedback from teens who give zero fu–s was priceless. It’s a step I’d recommend to any new writers take before publishing.
I’ll leave with a bit about the book, a thank-you for reading, and hopefully the inspiration to take that old screenplay I’m sure you’ve got somewhere in your files and find a way to give it new life in another medium. It’d say it’s worth it!
About New Horizons:
“Kids call it The Compound- an endless wilderness enclave where teens rule and every day is a fight for survival. A world out-of-time where an elaborate culture has arisen out of violence and scarcity, and all live under the thumb of unseen masters who have ultimate control.
15-year-old Marcus Riley is The Compound’s latest enrollment. A delinquent, kidnapped from his inner-city apartment, he wakes up alone in the wilderness. Left with nothing but the clothes on his back and a cryptic note in his pocket, it seems only his wits will keep him alive… but for how long?”
“New Horizons” is out now from StoryFix Media and available to order on paperback or Kindle eBook.
Books
‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans
In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.
The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.
Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.
Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.
For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.
Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.
One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.
At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.
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