BOOK REVIEW: VIDEO NIGHT BY ADAM CESARE
31/7/2018
BY KIT POWERI’ve been (very) slowly working my way through Adam Cesare’s back catalog, ever since I read his short story So Bad in Splatterpunk #5 (a near-perfect short horror story, incidentally). So far he hasn’t disappointed, and - spoilers - he doesn’t here either. In fact, I’d say Video Night is pretty much a Cesare classic. Set in 1988, Video Night is an Invasion Of The Body-Snatchers meets Species creature feature. Like other novels in the Cesare cannon, it certainly wears it’s 80’s horror movie influences proudly on its sleeve - Jason Takes Manhattan is namechecked on the first page - but at the same time, it’s genre aware enough to play somewhat with the format, without either showing distian for the source material (VIdeo Night is, in part, a love letter to the 80’s ‘video nasty’ roster of movies) or feeling like a simple retread - no simple nostalgia porn for the Stranger Things generation, here. Some of that’s down to the core characters - Billy, Tom, Darcey, and Rachel. They are, in many important respects, stock teenage horror movie characters - Billy, the ever-problematic ‘nice guy’, with Rachel the distant object of his affections, Tom, Billy’s friend from the poor part of town, an obnoxious braggart with obvious insecurities and a certain charm - enough that as a reader you find him obnoxious, but can understand why Billy hangs out with him - and Tom’s girlfriend Darcey. But Cesare draws them so damn well that they transcend their stock character origins and become well realised, sympathetic characters. Cesare has a brilliant ear for believable dialog, which helps, but more, he really understands the odd push/pull dynamics of this kind of relationship, and he brings it to the page with real poise. Elsewhere, the creatures are magnificent - a nice mix of gory body horror and possession- and the chapters taking their POV are inspired. There’s also a great sense of escalation and tension as the narrative unfolds, it part because the creature chapters give us information the main characters don’t have. There’s also some superb confrontation scenes as the tale progresses; one in particular, featuring an ‘infected’ school bully was a particular highlight. Overall, I have a great time with Video Night, and it has further cemented Cesare’s reputation with me as a reliable author of top draw pulp horror with heart, guts and brains. KP 3/5/18 FILM REVIEW: BLACK WAKEBY TONY JONESCLICK HERE TO READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH DARREN“Through the Eyes of Douglas” was a book I began with no particular expectations, and although it took a bit of time setting the scene, I found it exceptionally good company and whizzed through this multifaceted story in a few days. It’s a complicated book, with a lot going on which is as much psychological mystery as horror. Keeping bending and twisting to the end, it really was great dark fun. Also, if you think you’re good at predicting where a book is going to finish up, think again, with this one you’ve got no chance. The novel opens in 1995 with the main character Douglas Duffy being released from prison after a number of years, his crime is soon revealed. Flicking forward to 2005 where the majority of the novel is set, Douglas works for a specialist travel agent, but is haunted by his past, the finer details of which are revealed very slowly. Before long Douglas gets a surprise visit from his childhood sweetheart who tells him his grandmother Lacey has died, with this shock much baggage from the past resurfaces. Returning for the funeral, with his best friend JJ, the remainder of the novel is set in the small Suffolk town of Little Gannmere. Douglas’s family have lived there for generations, and have serious history, a lot of which is seen with suspicion by the very unfriendly locals. A deathbed letter from Grandmother Jodi to Douglas is the catalyst which brings him back to a town which only holds bad and painful memories, but perhaps also an opportunity to clear his name? Much of the novel deals with the strange relationship between Douglas and his dead grandmother, which was unconventional and even abusive, with Douglas slowly opening up to his two friends. As a boy she forced her grandson to drink gin three times a day calling it his “medicine”, why does she do this? Why is Douglas’s memory so fractured? Especially around the murderous incident that sent him to prison of which he has no memory? All good questions, with no obvious answers. A particular strength of the novel revolves around Douglas’s guilt or innocence. For the majority of the novel you really don’t know which it is, but the reveal when the reader finds out the truth is terrific writing with no cop-out from the author. For significant periods of the novel the author also cleverly treads a 50/50 line on whether the supernatural is involved at all and this ambiguity works exceptionally well. When Douglas and JJ move into the house, and are supported by neighbour Jodi, they immediately have problems with the local yob teenagers and clash over how to deal with them. But the banter between the three friends is convincing and lots of other emotive issues are thrown into the mix including alcoholism and self-harming. Douglas is a damaged character, with a lot of baggage. His loyal friend JJ is not much better, but they are fiercely protective of each other and easily draw the reader into their world. As the two begin to clean up and strip the house, they find weird drawings under the wallpaper, a door in the cellar which will not open, and Douglas has strange visions of a character he calls “Big H” an entity which may have been a figment of his childhood imagination. Or perhaps he was real? When they discover old video films of characters who must have been dead over a hundred years it gets even more perplexing. Then there is another death…. I really enjoyed this book which was incredibly imaginative, quirky, fresh and well plotted piece of fiction. It even had me heading to Google to see if the town of Little Gannmere really existed! If you do give it a whirl make sure you give it a decent chance, as the plot takes several turns before genuinely settling on its main direction. The characters are engaging, they may be damaged and/or murderers, but you’ll feel their pain. If you enjoy horror novels which lead you up the garden path, which rely heavily upon twists, atmosphere and characters which are psychological damaged goods then give “Through the Eyes of Douglas” a spin. Also available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited. Tony Jones REad our interview with darren hereDARREN J GUEST IS LOOKING AT US THROUGH THE EYES OF DOUGLAS
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