Horror Drive-In vs. 'The Conjuring 2'

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 12, 2016Horror Drive-InColumns, Featured, Horror Drive-In, Mark Sieber, The Conjuring 2, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil1 Comment

HorrorDrive-In-web

Horror Drive-In vs. The Conjuring 2

Conjuring2Poster1 I try. I really do. I want to like every horror movie I see. Every book I pick up. I know I can be a curmudgeon, but I have never gone into something with the intention of trashing it.

And yet I am disappointed all too often. Not only am I disappointed, I usually seem to be on the opposite end of the opinion spectrum than most.

Case in point: The Conjuring 2. A movie that is earning a lot of positive buzz. According to Rotten Tomatoes, this sequel is being well received by the critics. Well, I’ve always maintained that your average movie critic hasn’t a clue as to what constitutes quality horror.

I didn’t mind The Conjuring. I thought the first half had some extremely effective moments. Director James Wan has shown skill at establishing and maintaining tension and dread in his movies. The second half of The Conjuring? Well, it all became kind of silly once the cat was out of the bag and we began to see physical manifestations of the haunting.Continue Reading

Horror Drive-In vs. ‘The Conjuring 2’

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 12, 2016Horror Drive-InColumns, Featured, Horror Drive-In, Mark Sieber, The Conjuring 2, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil1 Comment

HorrorDrive-In-web

Horror Drive-In vs. The Conjuring 2

And yet I am disappointed all too often. Not only am I disappointed, I usually seem to be on the opposite end of the opinion spectrum than most.

Review: 'The Devil's Evidence' by Simon Kurt Unsworth

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 11, 2016Reviews- Frank Michaels Errington, Featured, Reviews, Simon Kurt Unsworth, The Devil's EvidenceLeave a comment

The Devil’s Evidence by Simon Kurt Unsworth
Doubleday (July 2016)
400 pages; $20.34 hardcover; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

Thomas Fool, The Devil’s Detective, is an Information Man and a human among demons. Fool is the Commander of the Information Office, a position in Hell for which he gets little respect. Along comes a new department in Hell, The Evidence, headed by Mr. Tap. All they seem to do is get in the way of the Information Men:

They didn’t investigate, they simply tore things apart and reached conclusions that made little or no sense, and then executed justice on the spot.

Review: ‘The Devil’s Evidence’ by Simon Kurt Unsworth

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 11, 2016Reviews- Frank Michaels Errington, Featured, Reviews, Simon Kurt Unsworth, The Devil's EvidenceLeave a comment

The Devil’s Evidence by Simon Kurt Unsworth
Doubleday (July 2016)
400 pages; $20.34 hardcover; $12.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

They didn’t investigate, they simply tore things apart and reached conclusions that made little or no sense, and then executed justice on the spot.

A Brief Walking Tour of Burbank's "Horror Row"

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 8, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured1 Comment

EndofRoad-web

A Brief Walking Tour of Burbank’s Horror Row

Kasey Lansdale and Brian inside Dark Delicacies. (Photo Copyright 2016 Brian Keene) — Kasey Lansdale and Brian inside Dark Delicacies.
(Photo Copyright 2016 Brian Keene)

Unbeknownst to most fans of the horror genre, there is a two block stretch of Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, California that serves as “Horror Row.” What follows is a brief walking tour for those wishing to experience it.

We start at 3512 West Magnolia Boulevard, the current address of Dark Delicacies. In business since 1994, Dark Delicacies—operated by Del and Sue Howison—sells horror novels, horror non-fiction, horror vinyl, horror movies, horror toys, and horror-themed clothing and accessories. It’s a popular hang-out and social spot for Los Angeles-based horror professionals, many of whom a visitor might happen to spot browsing the shelves. Dark Delicacies hosts in-store signings with authors, actors, directors, and musicians on a weekly basis. Their book selection in unbeatable—used mass-market paperbacks, new trade paperbacks, signed limited edition hardcovers, and offerings from both the mainstream and the small press. They are also a New York Times bestseller list reporting store, meaning strong sales there can boost a horror novel’s success. More importantly, Del and Sue make sure that every visitor to the store feels welcomed and special.Continue Reading

A Brief Walking Tour of Burbank’s “Horror Row”

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 8, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured1 Comment

EndofRoad-web

A Brief Walking Tour of Burbank’s Horror Row

An Abundance of Bourbon, or, "Whiskey River Take Me Home"

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 7, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured2 Comments

EndofRoad-web

An Abundance of Bourbon, or, “Whiskey River Take Me Home”

On Wednesday morning, I woke up in Los Angeles, forgetting that I was still on East Coast time. I stumbled outside in search of coffee and couldn’t understand why it was still dark. Then I fumbled for my phone and glanced at the time and saw that it was only four in the morning. The only people awake were the homeless—and they weren’t nocturnal by choice. They were just out to beat the heat.

Los Angeles is a city that runs on automobiles. Seriously. You can’t get anywhere in Los Angeles without a car, and in truth, because of gridlock, you can’t get anywhere with a car, either. I’m told that the city offers public transit, but much like Bigfoot, Chupacabra, and Dean Koontz novels that don’t feature a dog, I have never seen it. Continue Reading

An Abundance of Bourbon, or, “Whiskey River Take Me Home”

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 7, 2016Brian Keene's End of the RoadBrian Keene, Columns, End of the Road, Featured2 Comments

EndofRoad-web

An Abundance of Bourbon, or, “Whiskey River Take Me Home”

Stephen King: News from the Dead Zone #192

Bev VincentJuly 6, 2016Stephen King News from the Dead ZoneBev Vincent, Cell, Columns, Cookie Jar, Drunken Fireworks, end of watch, Featured, Gerald's Game, Hearts in Suspension, In Sunlight or Shadow, It, News from the Dead Zone, Six Scary Stories, Sleeping Beauties, Stephen King, The Dark Tower, The Mist, The ShiningLeave a comment

We’ve been spoiled in recent years by getting two novels from Stephen King. 2016 will see the end of that streak. The recently published End of Watch is the only book from King we’ll see this year. Later this fall, though, we’ll get Hearts in Suspension, edited by Jim Bishop, a collection of essays by King and others about his time as a student at the University of Maine. The publisher says that King’s essay is quite long (the longest of the set of about ten essays by various authors), and that the essay is “funny, truthful, and an involved work about Steve’s experiences during the 60’s, 70’s and the anti-war work of the Vietnam era, and so much more.”Continue Reading

Norman Prentiss on "Odd Adventures with Your Other Father"

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 5, 2016InterviewsBlu Gilliand, Featured, Interviews, Kindle Scout, Norman Prentiss, Odd Adventures with Your Other FatherLeave a comment

Norman Prentiss on Odd Adventures with Your Other Father

Author Norman Prentiss has taken his decidedly unconventional road trip/horror novel, Odd Adventures with Your Other Father, and brought it to audiences via a new, non-traditional publishing route: the Kindle Scout program. A little over a month after its official publication on May 31, it looks like the book—and Prentiss’s chosen method of publication—can be called a success: early readers responded favorably to the book, and now it’s opening up new audiences for the talented author. Recently, Prentiss took a few moments to speak to Cemetery Dance Online about his recent Odd Adventures.

(Interview conducted by Blu Gilliand)Continue Reading

Norman Prentiss on “Odd Adventures with Your Other Father”

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 5, 2016InterviewsBlu Gilliand, Featured, Interviews, Kindle Scout, Norman Prentiss, Odd Adventures with Your Other FatherLeave a comment

Norman Prentiss on Odd Adventures with Your Other Father

(Interview conducted by Blu Gilliand)Continue Reading

Review: 'Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow'

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 1, 2016ReviewsBlu-Ray, Featured, George Romero, Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow, Movies, Reviews, Stephen King, Synapse Films, Tom SaviniLeave a comment

Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow
Synapse Films (July 12, 2016)
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

In 1982, director George Romero and author Stephen King—horror royalty then and now—unleashed Creepshow, an anthology film born out of their mutual appreciation of 1950s horror comics. Realizing that capturing the unique look of those comics was going to be crucial to the movie’s success, they brought special effects superstar Tom Savini on board to help realize their vision. The result was a modest hit that has seen its stature grow among horror fans over time—enough so that its making-of documentary, Just Desserts, has become one of the most anticipated horror Blu-Ray releases of the summer.Continue Reading

Review: ‘Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow’

Cemetery Dance OnlineJuly 1, 2016ReviewsBlu-Ray, Featured, George Romero, Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow, Movies, Reviews, Stephen King, Synapse Films, Tom SaviniLeave a comment

Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow
Synapse Films (July 12, 2016)
Reviewed by Blu Gilliand

'Night Shift' and the Nature of Fear

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 29, 2016What I Learned from Stephen KingColumns, Featured, Jason Sechrest, Night Shift, Stephen King, What I Learned from Stephen King8 Comments

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Night Shift and the Nature of Fear

Let’s talk about fear. We won’t raise our voices and we won’t scream; we’ll talk rationally, you and I. We’ll talk about the way the good fabric of things sometimes has a way of unraveling with shocking suddenness. – Stephen King, Introduction to Night Shift

I finished reading Stephen King’s first collection of short stories, 1978’s Night Shift, a few months back, but have avoided writing down any thoughts on it.

No one wants to expound on a subject of which they feel they have little to contribute, and for me everything that needs to be said about Night Shift was said perfectly by Stephen King in his introduction to the book. In fact, it may be one of the most perfect pieces King has written, if not certainly the most perfect he had written in 1978.

King’s opening act serves as an essay on the nature of fear: why he writes horror, and why people read it. I found myself not only more mesmerized, but more haunted by this than any of the tales in King’s gruesome set list. Continue Reading

Review: 'United States of Japan' by Peter Tieryas

Cemetery Dance OnlineJune 28, 2016Reviews- Frank Michaels Errington, Featured, Peter Tieryas, Reviews, United States of JapanLeave a comment

United States of Japan by Peter Tieryas
Angry Robot Books (March, 2016)
400 pages; $10.77 paperback; $6.99 e-book
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington

United States of Japan is Peter Tieryas’s third book. It began as “a story revolving around the tragic events on the Asian side of WWII.” The book is inspired by Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle, as well as the author’s time at Electronic Arts and his experiences traveling in Asia.

For the most part, I’ve never been much of a fan of alternate history stories, but John Liberto’s cover art caught my attention and I did enjoy the Amazon Prime series The Man in the High Castle, so I decided to take a chance.Continue Reading

Horror Drive-In vs. The Conjuring 2

Horror Drive-In vs. The Conjuring 2

A Brief Walking Tour of Burbank’s Horror Row

A Brief Walking Tour of Burbank’s Horror Row

An Abundance of Bourbon, or, “Whiskey River Take Me Home”

An Abundance of Bourbon, or, “Whiskey River Take Me Home”

Norman Prentiss on Odd Adventures with Your Other Father

Norman Prentiss on Odd Adventures with Your Other Father

Night Shift and the Nature of Fear

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