Movies
[Book Review] Small Press Roundup: ‘Red Empire,’ ‘Stainless’ and ‘By the Time’
Small press horror is always a crapshoot. Better have your lady friend kiss those dice before you roll, cause with indie fiction you never know what you’re gonna get. But for some reason, an unusually stellar streak of small press titles have arrived on my doorstep the last several weeks, and pure luck may be the only explanation. A trio of novels––by authors Joe McKinney, Todd Grimson, and J. David Osborne––really stood out of the pack. And while my expectations were admittedly low, it’s always nice to be pleasantly surprised. Whether you’re intrigued by grisly vampire romance, nature vs. human smackdowns, or the horrors of Siberian prisons (and who isn‘t really?), these guys can really bring the heat. The Red Empire and Other Stories
By Joe McKinney
Redrum Horror
January 1, 2012
Joe McKinney is the author of the apocalyptic Dead Worldseries, but there’s nary a zombie to be found in The Red Empire and Other Stories. Tales about crime dominate this 9-story anthology, which makes sense when you consider that when he’s not writing, McKinney is a San Antonio police sergeant with 15 years of law enforcement experience. He throws in a couple of ghost stories and a non-fiction piece for good measure, but the highlight of the book is the title piece. In his horror novella The Red Empire, McKinney gleefully introduces mutant red ants and an escaped convict to a rain-drenched town, and cranks the ingredients into a pulpy, page-turning stew. It’s a 1950s monster movie, in story form.
3.5 Skulls out of 5
Stainless
By Todd Grimson
Schaffner Press
January 18, 2012
Todd Grimson’s vampire novel reads like a gruesome, grown-up sequel to Let Me In…except that Stainless was published 11 years before John Lindqvist’s new horror classic hit bookstores. Along with the similarly excellent Brand New Cherry Flavor, Grimson burst onto the horror lit scene back in the mid-90s with Stainless––now getting a re-release from Schaffner––but lately his literary output has been limited to short stories popping up in an online mag here and there. Too bad, cause even 15 years later, Stainless really holds up. Justine is a 400-year-old vampire; Keith is her human familiar. Moving back and forth in time, Grimson tells the story of their grim romance, from their first meeting after Keith’s hands had been maimed by drug dealers to their final confrontation with a sadistic vampire leader. Blood will flow and heads will roll, but Grimson keeps his story grounded in emotion and reality. Some will undeniably cower away from the uber-bleak characters, but Grimson is an excellent writer, and those with a renewed interest in this increasingly popular subgenre owe it to themselves to give Stainless a look.
4 Skulls out of 5
By The Time We Leave Here, We’ll Be Friends
By J. David Osborne
Swallowdown Press
December 10, 2010
It was a short story in last year’s Demons anthology that first turned me on to J. David Osborne, and it turns out his 2010 debut novel is even better than expected. This spare, violent, hallucinatory survival piece about rival Russian gangsters in a 1953 Siberian prison reads like the hard-edged framework of a richly drawn epic. Osborne sketches a vivid outline and allows his readers to make some obvious (and not so obvious) connections on their own, while constantly allowing the threat of calculated brutality to linger in the background. Speaking of brutality, a few of his stronger scenes will make even the most jaded horror lover squirm. (Hint: tattoo removal.) By The Time We Leave Here, We’ll Be Friends is a bleary, opium-addled fever dream from a highly talented new author. Osborne is one to watch.
4.5 Skulls out of 5
Autumn and horror naturally pair well together. The cooling weather, changing leaves, pumpkin patches, and, of course, Halloween ensure that, for the horror fan, it’s difficult to separate the two. This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to horror movies that embrace an Autumnal atmosphere, with many set around Halloween proper.
These picks leave off some of the more prominent Fall horror movies, like Sleepy Hollow (Max) or The Blair Witch Project (Paramount+), to pad your watchlists with less obvious choices.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers – AMC+, Shudder
After sitting out the previous entry, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield once more on All Hallow’s Eve with murder on his mind. This time, the Boogeyman targets his telepathically linked niece, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris). Not only does the fourth entry have a great final girl in Rachel (Ellie Cornell), but its Autumnal atmosphere grabs you from the opening credits and never lets go. What’s a Fall horror list without a Halloween entry, anyway?
The House of the Devil – AMC+, freevee, Peacock, Plex, Redbox
Ti West’s ’80s set cult horror movie sees a young college student, Samantha, taking on an unusual babysitting gig. She’s so desperate for money that she ignores all the signs, including that it’s the night of a lunar eclipse. Poor Samantha realizes far too late that her eccentric clients have ritualistic plans for her. West’s fantastic slow burn brings the atmosphere, allowing its shocking bursts of violence and terrifying imagery to pack a powerful punch.
The Ritual – Netflix
Director David Bruckner established his ability to instill unsettling dread and unspool imaginative mythology with Netflix’s The Ritual. Based on Adam Nevill’s novel, The Ritual follows a group of old friends embarking on a trek to honor a lost loved one. A series of bad luck and strange circumstances lead them further into the forest, where they soon find themselves stalked by a menacing presence. The crisp Fall air and thick woods scream Fall, and that’s before the horror kicks into high gear. It’s gorgeous, eerie, and captivating.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – Hulu, Peacock, Prime Video
On Halloween 1968, Stella (Zoe Margaret Colletti) and her two friends meet drifter Ramon (Michael Garza) while fleeing bullies. They invite Ramon to explore a local haunted house, where Stella discovers a mysterious book containing horror stories that seem to write themselves in real-time. Director André Øvredal brings the nightmarish illustrations by Stephen Gammell and stories by Alvin Schwartz to life. Harold the scarecrow, the Pale Lady, the Big Toe corpse (Javier Botet), and the Jangly Man (Troy James) terrorize Mill Valley’s teens in this recent Halloween treat. It’s the perfect October movie full of chills for the older kid or kid at heart, with Mill Valley a picture-perfect vision of Fall.
The Stepfather – Fandor, Kanopy, Peacock, Plex, Roku Channel, SCREAMBOX, Vudu
Terry O’Quinn stars as the titular Stepfather, a serial murderer who targets single mothers, hoping to find his perfect family. When it doesn’t work out, he murders his new makeshift family, changes his appearance, and skips town to begin anew. Loosely based on mass murderer John List, The Stepfather brings the intensity thanks to a bone-chilling turn by O’Quinn. His reign of terror is set against a crisp Fall backdrop that only adds to the chilly atmosphere.
October 3, 2023: These 7 New Horror Movies Just Released at Home Today
October 6, 2023: These 10 New Horror Movies Just Released Today
Shoe Palace Launches ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ and ‘Friday the 13th’ Clothing Collections!
Experience Tim Burton’s Classic ‘Beetlejuice’ in Dolby Cinema for One-Night-Only This Month!
You must be logged in to post a comment.