SADIE THE SADIST (Book Review)

Like many people, Sadie feels undervalued and frustrated. Employed by a supermarket, she plots to murder coworkers--or lore them into the employee bathroom for a quickie. Sick of being treated like a robot, she taps into a powerful (and deranged) alter-ego and transforms into Sadie the Sadist.   

Author Zané Sachs tackles the topic of a middle-aged woman named Sadie, who could be your next door neighbor, and who is tired of her common and boring life. She shucks corn at her place of employment; the supermarket, until her hands are in agony. And she gets demoted to being a bagger and collecting carts, after injury and having a fellow employee who she can't stand promoted to the management job Sadie wanted. While Sadie is completely lovable and funny as hell, it's apparent she's deranged, and has various amounts of mental issues. She's a pathological liar, and murderer, and a cannibal. My favorite parts in this fiction novel are the recipes. 

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DRACULA (Book Review)

"A journey in text and pictures to Transylvania and beyond"

Author Steven P. Unger, has officially (in my opinion) made the greatest travel book to Transylvania ever. The book is so rich in details and pictures. I really like how there's little excerpts from Bram Stoker's groundbreaking novel, Dracula, and then a text walk through with pictures. Helping to paint the image for you in your mind with such details and photos to back them up, you see where Bram Stoker based his novel, and the specific places he used as inspiration, and how they compare in person to what's written on the pages of Dracula. In most cases it's always identical, but there are some that you can tell Stoker elaborated a bit on. 

THE RELIC (1997)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 110 MINS
WRITER(S)- DOUGLAS PRESTON, LINCOLN CHILD, AMY HOLDEN JONES, JOHN RAFFO, RICK JAFFA, AND AMANDA SILVER
STARRING- PENELOPE ANN MILLER, TOM SIZEMORE, AND LINDA HUNT
DIRECTOR- PETER HYAMS



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A homicide detective and an anthropologist try to destroy a South American lizard-like God, who's on a people eating rampage in a Chicago museum.

 
This one goes out to my buddy, Lee. After briefly discussing this flick along with other horror nerds, he requested that I review it. Now, I don't usually do older film reviews unless I've just recently seen them for the first time. However, I've only seen "The Relic" once before, back when it came out on VHS. So, watching it again would be like watching it for the first time. That's my logic, anyway.

Now, one thing that always comes up when ever this film is the topic, is the book by Douglas J. Preston. I've never read it, but apparently it's even better than the movie. And from what I understand, has a lot more depth and more characters. Even when watching the film, I can see areas that I think are going to be touched up on more. Such as Margo and Dr. Greg Lee's rivalry. 

The one thing that I remembered about the film going into it again was how little you see of the Kothoga. Although it works, because less is more, it's a shame there just wasn't some really bright lights on this Chimeric beast if only for a brief period. I like the quality of darkness kept to set the mood, even if it does deprive us of a great visual creature. The late Stan Winston's masterful skill and genius gave birth to yet another one of the best designed movie monsters ever.

Watching this again was like experiencing it for the first time, I had forgotten so much. The heavy footsteps the Kothoga has, and how eerie it's breathing is, sounding like an old man wheezing. The ferocity and viciousness make it a truly terrifying creature.

Now, on with the plot. Very suspenseful, there's many scenes where nothing happens and yet you're on edge. The mystery behind the Kothoga, and where it could be at any and all times adds a strong sense of paranoia whenever a scene is dark. I also like that it takes place in a museum. It's like the last bit of "Jurassic Park" (1993), only more terrifying than fun. Although this film is entertaining, it does suffer from not enough interactions between characters, there's not really any character development.

The acting is surprisingly well done. Tom Sizemore does very good at playing a really likable character. It really is a shame what's become of his career. Anyway, the performances all around are strong, especially Penelope Ann Miller and James Whitmore. I just wish we had more time to see the characters grow, and really get to know them. For this reason, I am very much excited to read the novel. 

The scenes with the Kothoga, are downright scary. It has a seriously intimidating presence, and I genuinely felt scared for the people who got close to it. I knew it wasn't going to end well. This thing pulled the heads off of humans like it was opening a beer! The gore isn't overdone, but used very properly to push the realism.

There's good story development, and a solid little twist at the end. Overall, I think this is a really well done and underrated motion picture. Completely original, and it delivers as a horror movie. What else can you really ask for? Although it's not a perfect film, and needed more room to grow, it's very effective and memorable. But, I think the studio execs should have let this have an extra 20 minutes, at least.

As a matter of fact, after seeing this film again, I've decided to buy a collectible from it for my mancave. The paint job isn't quite right, but I know people who can fix that.

THIRTEEN TALES OF HALLOWEEN available now!

"The world's oldest celebration comes to life in The End of Summer: Thirteen Tales of Halloween, an anthology that honors the darkest and strangest night of the year. Each story is designed to be intrinsically intimately about Halloween- it's traditions, its myths, and its effects- and they run the gamut from horrifying to heartbreaking. Halloween night is the tapestry through which a haunted house, a monstrous child, a late-night drive to a mysterious destination, and other tales are weaved. Demons are faced, death is defied, and love is tested. And not everyone makes it out alive."

A fellow horror blogger, The End of Summer has just released a new book on October first. The book is comprised of 13 short stories that explore, examine, and celebrate the origins of Halloween. I haven't had the pleasure to read it yet, but I plan on it. This sounds right up my alley. I don't usually post about books, but I figured this one is suitable for the month, and is relevant right now.

Owner of AuthorMike Dark Ink., Michael Aloisi has said, "We are thrilled to release such a great collection of short stories. It's a great addition to our list of horror titles."

So, if you're looking for a good book to read around this time of year that's fitting with the upcoming holiday, swing over and get yourself a copy. And support a fellow blogger in his writing career!

The book is available in both paperback and Ebook editions. It's in limited book stores, but available on all retailers online. To purchase it, visit Amazon or, the publisher's website AutherMikeInk.com

When I read this, I'll be posting a review. But, don't wait for my review, get yours now!

Stitch: Slasherton (Book Review)

I had the pleasure again, of reading another Slasherton story. This one being the 2nd story in the book, is about a bean bag chair made of flesh, named Stitch. I knew just from looking at the cover and pages, that this was going to be another trip of nostalgia. Yet again, we're hit with great illustrations that are as morbid as they are adorable!

Stitch is a little more brutal than Sack, the first story. If you missed my review, here it is. Sack: Slasherton (Book Review)


I love how mature and adult themed the writing and storytelling is, yet we're hit with illustrations based around children's books. True horror genius here. I've said this before, but it's true, I don't know what there is to not like about these books.

Stitch uses blunt force objects to murder his victims and he also eats them. There's a couple good laughs you'll get reading the book. And I found myself smiling through it a lot because it's just so damn cool and well written! The drawings and story compliment each other very nicely. It's a quick read, so you'll actually want to read it about four times because it's so enjoyable. With rhymes like "He likes finding new ways to kill Mr Victim, like even a cut from mouth to rectum." You're sure to turn the page and read more, trust me.

What I like about these books the most is that they're harmless fun! Anybody can enjoy them. Have a friend over and you're talking about horror? Show him or her your copy of these books and watch and see if they don't fall in love with them. These books appeal to the adolescent and mature sides of all of us. It's a horror anthology of cute horror guys doing bad things, what else can I say?

I'll be eagerly awaiting the 3rd story in this series called Stealth, and that one looks to be promising as well. He's a masked fella in bunny slippers. Stay tuned, because I'll be reviewing it when it hits!


Below are a few pages from Stitch

If you want to give this little nasty a read and get caught up on the first story, Sack, here are the links below.

Purchase the Slasherton books on Amazon.

And here!

And don't forget to LIKE them on Facebook!

Slasherton Facebook

Sack: Slasherton (Book Review)

Some of you may be wondering what that cute little picture is at the top of this post, and I'm going to tell you. This adorable psycho is Sack, the first story in a series to come. He's a twisted character but, undeniably charming and enjoyable. Drawn to perfection by Zoe Humphries, Sack is a blast of total nostalgia to those who are horror fans and kids at heart, like myself.

The illustrations are simple, and exactly what this book needed. It's aimed to be a child's book, only for adults. So, Sack is enjoyable for everyone, but it is adult themed, so make sure you let your kid grow up a bit before they read it. Mostly, it's a book that anyone can read and enjoy to the fullest. Just imagine reading a children's style book about a murderer, what's not awesome about that? If you can think of something please tell me, because I can't!

On top of good subject material and the aforementioned illustrations, the book is short and sweet. Sack comes off like a twisted Dr. Seuss book, full of nice little rhymes that'll crack you up and keep you smiling. This work of literature manages to keep our love for horror as strong as ever, as well as bring us to a place of peace in our minds, because it puts in back into childhood. The idea of this series is fantastic! Managing to bring together your childhood and adulthood in one book isn't something I've seen in a while, and especially not this well done. Reading Sack was as enjoyable as watching an episode of Tales from the Crypt, it's pure genius and entertainment!

I'd like to thank Zoe Humphries for bringing this book to my attention and giving me the chance to read it in advance. She's a very talented artist who captured chidhood and horror beautifully, and I can't wait to read the next book!

Below are a few pages taken from Sack

If you're wondering where you can check this little nasty out for yourselves, the links are below.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=slasherton&sprefix=slashert%2Caps%2C3952

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=slasherton


And don't forget to LIKE them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/Slasherton

Sleepers (Book 1996)

Sleepers is an overwhelmingly powerful true story. Some would ask if "Sleepers" is considered horror, and to me you're damn right it is. Some of you may have never heard of this book or movie but it is a horrific tale. It's also a beautiful drama and a story about the power of friendship and the power of revenge. 

This is a book that has had critical appraise as "Undeniably powerful, an enormously affecting and intensely human story" and "A GUT WRENCHING PIECE OF WORK... Carcaterra's graphic narrative grips like gunfire in a dark alley."  

This is the story of four friends who grow up to fast. After joining a local gangster King Benny, they begin running mob errands, like running packages and dropping off  and picking up money. This soon leads to them acting out in more confident ways and gets them into trouble. They decide to hijack a hot dog vendor's cart and push it down some steps. And in doing so they severely injured a man and got time in a juvenile detention center.

The four friends find themselves rats in a trap when they arrive at the correction center. The guards are ruthless perverts and pedophiles. They're also even meaner bullies. Constantly running these boys down every opportunity that arises. They beat these boys up on a regular basis as well as take out their perverted desires on the defenseless kids.  

They degrade and humiliate these boys. They break these boys. All they have is the hope that one day they'll be able to exact some sort of revenge. They're lives were forever changed when they entered that hell they call a correction center.

One day years later two gangsters who used to be two of the kids in the correction center see the head guard/tormentor, Nokes. And they shoot him several times.

The rest of the story is the re-bonding of friendship after years of moving on and finding the strength to do what is necessary, to get their revenge and make all those who tortured them get what they have coming.

This book is gripping, and touching, it's scary because it's horrific what these kids have to go through.

Before I read the book I saw the movie and thought it was a true masterpiece. Shorty after I found the movie at a Farmer's Market very cheap. And so I watched it again shorty after buying it. Then I decided it was time to read the book. The movie was so well done that when I read the book I saw their faces and saw what was happening in the book in the movie. Jason Patrick, Brad Pitt and Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman all star in this movie and their acting sold me on the movie and giving the book a chance.

Overall I thought the book was very authentic and depicted old New York very well and that lets you know that this story is true. We see how the men treated women back then and how people acted in general. It's a remarkable tale. It's unsettling and it's tragic.

THIS BOOK GETS 3 REAPERS OUT OF 4

Stephen King's Carrie (Book 1974)

This was a book that I've had on my list for a while. And since I'm always chipping away at the Stephen King books I still need to get through, I figured it only fit that I finally bump Carrie to the top of my list.

This book surprised me by it's size. For those of you who don't know, Carrie is a small book. It looks more like a short story, especially since most of King's books are gigantic. Not as thin as say Cycle Of The Werewolf (my favorite short story by King) but t's still a slim book.

Instantly what I liked about this book was how it was a past-telling book. It starts off with everything that happens at prom and all already having happened. And while you're reading about Carrie, the book breaks off into segments from magazines and books as well as interview segments all depicting incidents that occurred that night and how they're lives have changed. And there's segments about the condition Carrie has.

Carrie however, was depicted as looking totally different from movie Carrie. Movie Carrie is slim, skin and bones and long blonde hair. In the book Carrie is chubby, has bad acne and has red hair. So that was an instant notice for me because I've seen the movie dozens of times so Sissy Spacek was the face of that character to me.

The book starts off with Carrie being picked on in the locker room for getting her first minstrel cycle and due to her mom being a religious fanatic Carrie was never told what a period was. So the movie was true to the opening scene in the book.

Carrie's relationship with her mom is pretty much the same, only a little crazier and a little more harsh. Carrie's mom is a friggin' whack job. The conditions in which Carrie was forced to live her life were cruel and unfair for any child. There's no wonder she was 'the weird kid' at school.

Everything pretty much goes down the same with the bully's in Carrie's gym class being punished for picking on her and Chris, the lead and main Bully instantly wanting revenge when she loses her opportunity to go to prom.

Carrie gets hooked up with Tommy, the cutest boy in school and they go to prom together. The bucket scene was the same but since it was a book it had great detail and made for a better visual in your head than on screen. The humiliation at this moment for Carrie is horrible, for once in her miserable life she got to be the center of attention only to have blood dumped on her.

I like the way it goes down in the book more than the movie because in the book she actually leaves prom hysterical. And then she kinda realizes that they should all be punished for proving her mom right that they'd all laugh at her and never accept her. Carrie actually looks the doors from the outside and is outside of prom looking in as shes murdering people with her mind causing all sorts of devastation. The visual of her standing outside the doors looking in covered in blood and murdering people. Great story telling and I liked that more than her being in the prom while doing it. However, I can see how being inside would make a better scene visually.

I thought the book over all was great. Another King classic.

THIS BOOK GETS 3 REAPERS OUT OF 4

The Guardian (Book 1979)

After reading The Sentinel there was absolutely no choice but to read The Guardian. I had heard great things about this book from my dad, he had read it when he was a teenager. So I impatiently awaited my book to arrive from Amazon, and when it did I read it in only a few days. From the start I knew I was in for a good story.

Upon opening the book I see an illustration of men and women with white eyes and it says:
You are about to experience the most paralyzing terror ever unleashed...the final hour of evil. One step beyond the very boundaries of belief...it has already begun.

This book was amazing. It is without a doubt one of the greatest horror fiction books I have ever read, even beating alot of Stephen King books. This book is severely underrated and forgotten, people don't know what they're missing.

The story centers around Ben and Faye Burdett and their life together. When they move into an apartment and start to witness weird things it becomes apparent that they're going through what Alison Parker went through. And when Ben finds out his wife is picked as the new Sentinel/ Guardian to guard the gates of hell from hell leaking onto earth. What will Ben do to save his beloved wife?

This story was particularly better than its predecessor The Sentinel because this one was higher stakes and more on the line. Satan is on earth and waiting his time to take over. It's up to Ben and the help of Father McQuire along with the Catholic church to stop Satan from claiming the thrown. But how can they do that when Ben is protecting they're chosen Guardian, Faye, from being picked as the new Sentinel? He must find another way. But is there one? Or is he fighting a hopeless battle?

This book is filled with non stop suspense and twists. It leads you in one direction and then bangs a sharp right and switches on you with jaw dropping turns of events.

The Characters were well written and genuine, alot of character development as well. It's heart racing speed and adrenaline makes you feel in the moment and you're scared for the characters.

The ending of this book is absolutely amazing. One of the best endings ever written. I won't give it away but lets just say that so far this gets my Book Of  The Year Award. I wish I was into this book sooner. My heart dropped to my feet when the ending unraveled.

Now as I mentioned in last months The Sentinel review, The Guardian was never made into a movie for whatever reason. I think this would make a great movie and would love to see it happen. I'd go opening weekend for this one. It deserves the movie treatment as much as The Sentinel did, and if The Sentinel did as well as it did then the fanbase for The Guardian has got to be there as well.

If they do do the movie at some point in the movie I can only hope that they do it as close to the book as The Sentinel. If they do it'll make a fantastic horror film.

I would prefer to have the movie made as a direct sequel to The Sentinel and I'd like it authentic, really looking old and in the same fashion as it's predecessor. One thing I can't stand is when a movie is a sequel or prequel to an old movie and they don't try to keep it true to the other film, they don't pay attention to detail and it always ends up looking more modern. And so it doesn't fit with the other, just like with Prometheus and Alien. The ship in Prometheus was way more high tech and definitely didn't look older than the ship in Alien which is was supposed to be. I'd want this movie to fit right in with the other.

But on the other hand, if a remake of The Sentinel is what it takes to make The Guardian an authentic film to The Sentinel then bring it on. I'll be iffy of a Sentinel remake but I'm a supporter if it'll get The Guardian made.

Read this book if you want a good horror read that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. It's highly recommended.

THIS BOOK GETS 4 REAPERS OUT OF 4

The Sentinel (Book 1974)

In 1974 author Jeffry Konvitz made a landmark novel in the horror genre that was passionate, enthralling, compelling, gracefully written and brilliant. It was chilling to the core and it was one of the greatest books I've ever read. It keeps you guessing and doesn't let up on plot twists and shockers. It's a book any fan of horror fiction can easily fall in love with. It's smoothly written and paints the picture perfectly.

I actually was introduced to the movie adaptation (1977) of the book starring Chris Sarandon and Burgess Meredith years and years ago when I was a young kid. I remember the movie scaring the hell out of me but it left such an impression on me that I became obsessed and it remains my favorite Haunting movie to date. It wasn't until years later that I realized the movie was based on a novel, so I bought the book and just read it. I don't know if I was happier that the movie was identical to the book or vise versa. There are a few minor differences but at their core they're one in the same.

The Sentinel is about a young and gorgeous model Alison Parker, who is still overcoming her emotional situation after her father passes. She decides to pick up her life by moving out of her boyfriends apartment and into a New York Brownstone building that's just what Alison needs to get away from her issues and clear her head. But things as usual, are too good to be true as Alison starts to realize how weird her neighbors are, an old man named Charles Chazen and a lesbian couple living below her. She also starts to get woken up in the middle of the night by heavy footsteps in the apartment above her.

After complaining to the landlord she comes to discover that there is no one else in the apartment building but her. But she refuses to believe the people she met are mere figments of her imagination and decides to investigate what's going on. But as she does she starts to get splitting migraines that eventually start making her immobile. Is she crazy and haunted by the guilt she has over her fathers death? Or is she being toyed with by greater forces involving heaven and hell, good and evil?

I suggest you watch the movie if you haven't seen it and if you haven't read the book I highly recommend it. This book is a 1 million copy bestseller and is a staple in horror literature.

It starts slow, steady, and builds up gradually and takes you through every cloudy thought and illusion Alison has, eventually leaving you with no option but to not put the book down and keep reading. The suspense is fantastic and the chills and creeps are good, they keep you scared of what's to come next and yet you're excited to get there and find out anyway.

As the story unwinds and it all adds up I was also very impressed with the characters and how well written they were as well as their character development.

So do me a favor, if you're in the mood for a good book and don't have one yet picked out to read, pick this one. You won't be let down.

After reading The Sentinel I jumped right into The Guardian (1979) which is the sequel to The Sentinel, and I was shocked to see that it was even better than it's predecessor. Why it was never made into a movie I have not idea but I consider it one long over do. But more on that next month when I review it...

THIS BOOK GETS 3 1/2 REAPERS OUT OF 4