Is Halloween Dying Out As A Holiday?

A few days ago Chris lamented about the lack of homes decked out in Halloween decorations around his local neighborhood. In the two Halloweens my wife and I have lived in our condo, we've had zero trick or treaters, and talking to our neighbors makes it seem like this year we may hit the three-peat.

Maybe I'm overly sensitive to it because Halloween has long been my favorite holiday, followed closely by Thanksgiving. While I'm dreading the inevitable cold spell and mornings where I leave for work bleary eyed and needing to scrape the ice from the windshield, this seasonal stretch that runs until the end of November makes me never want to leave the colorful landscapes of New England (shorts and hoodie weather as I like to call it). I should also factor in that I'm in a weird sort of limbo right now. With a five month old daughter at home, my free time isn't really free to hit up the various local haunts and attractions like I normally would these past few weekends. At the same time, despite dressing Ada in an outfit that makes her the cutest ladybug in the universe, she's way too young to go out trick or treating, leaving me a couple years away from living vicariously through her.

So if Halloween is on its way out as a holiday, what are the reasons why? I've got a few ideas

Weirdos

You kids want candy? I have some right
downstairs, in the murder pit, er, I
mean the basement. Follow me.

Man I hate sounding like Old Man Wangdoodle here, but in my trick or treating days the thought of a razor blade in candy seemed like a far off urban legend. Maybe the changing media landscape, where news and information is available at the click of a button, where there's multiple 24 hour news stations all chasing the same stories, all looking for the shock and awe of grisly stories to boost ratings and it just feels like a weird dude lives behind every other door on the block, and he's just waiting for the right moment to snatch up someone's kid and wear their ass cheeks for a hat. I think Nancy Grace leaves breadcrumb trails for kids to sexual predators homes just so she can drum up show material. My cousins have kids that are of trick-or-treating age and what they're telling me is most parents aren't letting their kids go beyond the homes in their immediate vicinity, which is about a dozen homes. Gone are the days of rampaging through the neighborhood, banging on every door, even the ones where half in the bag grandpas answered in their skivies, half mumbling and full of rum. It wouldn't surprise me if trick or treating is phased out over the next ten years.

Fatties

Before you go all Marie Claire on me, please understand that if you and I were to meet up at a costume party on Halloween, you'd probably tell me I'm rocking a damn fine Kevin Smith costume. Svelte I am not. Can we all agree that with the nation as a whole trending towards obesity, perhaps it's not a wise idea to send kids out on a quest to collect a years worth of sugar in a couple hours. Or it could be that today's chubby bastards simply stand at the end of a driveway and decide it's "Too far" to walk for a candy bar, choosing to stay home and play Farmville instead.

Traditional Halloween Spooks Just Don't Seem That Scary

Every day is Halloween for this clown

Not much to say here except that the traditional ghost, witch and zombie standbys don't quite measure up to real life scary stuff anymore. Financial ruin, an inexplicable war on the vague concept of terrorism, the possible  rise of the Tea Party (I hope I'm wrong come Tuesday) leading this country further into the abyss all make a green skinned hook nosed witch seem rather silly in comparison.


Lack of Modern Holiday Themed Movies
Not all horror movies invoke the spirit of Halloween. It takes a certain mood and atmosphere to get the setting right. Give me abandoned old houses, fog rolling through tree lined streets, and homes decked out in scarecrows and jack o lanterns. While studios trip over themselves each December to release Christmas inspired pap into cinemas, the only Halloween inspired flick I can think of is Trick or 'Treat, and even that got withheld by studios before getting dumped straight to video.

I hope I'm just feeling run down and a bit gobsmacked this year, and things will be back to normal next season.

Halloween Happenings In and Around Boston this Weekend

New England readers, the Halloween weekend if finally upon us. I don't think there's a better time of year for us here at All Things Horror. There's a ton of really cool stuff going on, and the hard part will be choosing which activity to spend your time. In addition to the many parties, cover band shows, and general debauchery, trick or treating, and roving monsters, here are a few events that will make your Halloween a little more special. New England has that perfect atmosphere for Halloween happenings, and we hope you'll make it out to get the full effect.

PROVIDENCE IRON GUILD IRON POUR

Friday 10/29 - The Iron Pour in Providence: If you've never witnessed an iron pour, it is quite a wonder of heat, light, and melted mayhem. The Iron Guild presents rivers of sparking iron ore flow in beautiful, fiery colors. Live music accompaniment by Empty House Cooperative.

Iron Pour Details
Friday, October 29
The Steel Yard, 27 Sims Avenue, Providence RI
Doors at 6 pm
Event is FREE

BARRETT'S HAUNTED MANSION

Friday 10/29 and Saturday 10/30 - Barrett's Haunted Mansion: If you're in the mood to be scared out of your wits, a sure bet is Barrett's Haunted Mansion. It doesn't get much better than one of New England's scariest haunted house attractions.

Barrett's Haunted Mansion
1235 Bedford Street (Rt 18), Abington MA
Tickets: $18

COOLIDGE CORNER THEATER HALLOWEEN HORROR MOVIE MARATHON

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Saturday 10/30 - The Coolidge Corner Theater's Annual Halloween Horror Movie Marathon: The Coolidge Corner Theater has been putting on great marathons each Halloween and this year is no different. In addition to costume contests, live music, and burlesque, this year's film offerings include a new 35mm print of Stuart Gordon't Re-Animator, as well as Japanese mind-twister Hausu. The rest of the films in the lineup are a secret, but will prove a night of terror, gore, and sleep-deprived hallucinations.

The Coolidge Corner Theater Halloween Horror Movie Marathon
Saturday, October 30
Midnight unttil Noon
$15 for double feature/$20 for entire marathon
290 Harvard Street, Brookline MA

ATOMIC BRAIN INVASION at the REGENT THEATER

Sunday 10/31: Atomic Brain Invasion at the Regent Theater: Read Mike's write up about this ode to 50's sci-fi/horror written and directed by Guy Benoit. Atomic Brain Invasion

Visit the Regent Theater site for more info

Boston Premiere of Atomic Brain Invasion

2 pm/$9

Trailer



SPOOKY ZOO

Sunday 10/31 - Spooky Zoo at Roger Williams Park Zoo: Trick or Treating, music, and impressive Jack 'O Lanterns will be on display throughout the weekend at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence.

More info about Spooky Zoo

Friday, October 29 - Sunday, October 31
Roger Williams Park Zoo
1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence RI

You Know...Alien is a Remake of Dark Star (Hyperdrive Edition)

Review Author: Chris Hallock

Dark Star (1974)
Written by: John Carpenter and Dan O’Bannon
Directed by: John Carpenter

After a hilarious and bittersweet crawl written by Mr. Dan O’Bannon at the start of VCI Entertainment’s Hyperdrive Edition of Dark Star (releasing on Oct 26), I was stricken all over by the fact that we’ll never have another film by this amazingly talented renaissance man. Just realizing all the hats he wore not only on this production, but many of his other iconic works, made me realize just what a loss we’ve suffered with his recent passing. It’s with a heavy heart I once again revisit an old favorite.

Paying respect to O’Bannon and his first brilliant film (the directorial debut of fellow icon John Carpenter) on its 36 1/2 year anniversary, VCI Entertainment has unleashed a monstrous Dark Star DVD. The attentive folks at VCI have put together an impressive collection of interviews, documentaries, and other assorted features and treats to go along with a full digital restoration of Dark Star’s 35mm transfer, and man, does it look swell. Lifelong fans of Dark Star such as myself will remember many murky VHS editions that dulled the flashy colors of the film. Now, we’re able to fully appreciate the explosion of color and light that permeates with lush red, green, and blue tones. We’re finally able to experience the asteroid storm to its full effect. When planets are blown up, we are awash in the fiery debris. The soundtrack, featuring John Carpenter’s electrifying score and the various bloops, bleeps, whooshes, and alien screams of the sound design have also been digitally enhanced for a very well-rounded viewing experience.

The product of budding USC film students John Carpenter and Dan O’Bannon, Dark Star is a romp of a science fiction action movie. However, I wouldn’t quite call it a parody. It is clearly a funny film, but taken with the utmost seriousness for the genre and audience. Sure, it has many of the usual goofiness of ultra low budget films, but there’s something endearing about the entire thing that the viewer can forgive a little shaky acting and “thrifty” set pieces.

We are on a journey through the deepest of deep space with the crew of Dark Star, the scout ship housing the Advanced Exploration Corps who travel through space to eradicate “unstable planets” using an arsenal of intelligent bombs. The crew consists of daydreaming surfer Pinback, Lt. “don’t give me intelligent life, give me something to blow up” Doolittle, laser targeting obsessed Boiler, loner Talby, and the dead, cryogenically frozen Commander Powell, a motley team of space travelers, each dealing with their own issues in the confined space of the Dark Star. Having been on their mission for many years, they each have their own ways of dealing with boredom while staving off outright space madness. There’s a hitch in the mission when their computer begins malfunctioning, a dangerous alien escapes from confinement, and they must deal with Thermostellar Bomb #20, a bomb that mistakes itself for god.

Despite the limitations of an extremely small budget, Dark Star triumphs as a science fiction film that can stand toe-to-toe against films with many times its budget. The innovation of the crew and special effects artists pushes it beyond just being a goofy sci-fi flick and into territory where the audience can really be wowed by the images on display. It’s a testament to the visual and special effects teams supervised by Dan O’Bannon that the film still stands up with some impressive visuals. It’s really quite fascinating to see what they accomplished on spare change and elbow grease, particularly after the insight from the making-of featurettes. Making a beach ball menacing is no easy feat, after all.

All in all, Dark Star is an intelligent, funny, and yes, thought-provoking movie produced during an era when mavericks still snuck into buildings to shoot last minute scenes or built sets from junk sitting around the house. There’s a reason why people still seek out Dark Star after all these years. Just wanted to again mention the plethora of great features including the feature length documentary “Let There Be Light”, a 3D animated tour of the Dark Star ship, the original and extended versions of the film, interviews with Brian Narelle, author Alan Dean Foster, and most special of all, Dan O’Bannon’s final interview. With three hours of bonuses and the care put into them, this is one of the essential DVD's of 2010.

Hey Boston-Prepare Ray Guns to Stun for ATOMIC BRAIN INVASION

I'll let you know at the start that any pretense of journalistic impartiality will get chucked out the window within this post.

Way back in my Providence College days, nothing made me happier than making the trek off campus one of many rock clubs that put on amazing shows nightly. Long gone are the glory days of Club Babyhead (which played Day of the Dead and Evil Dead on an endless loop on monitors across the club), the Living Room, Luop's, the MET Cafe, Fort Thunder, and AS 220. Some of these places are still kicking, but trust me my friends, this was a rare case when "back in the day" was truly better.

Providence had a thriving music scene blossoming an hour south of Boston. Bands like Scarce, The Royal Crowns, Six Finger Satellite, Drop Dead, the Double Nuthins played on a regular basis. Without a doubt, my favorite local band was an outfit named Thee Hydrogen Terrors.  Going on more than fifteen years later and their two albums are still on a near weekly listening rotation, while most of my CD collection from that day resides in the dustbins of the dollar isle at In Your Ear Records. Their singer, Guy Benoit, apart from being a stand up dude, gave me one of my favorite quotes in an interview for my old zine, reminding me that as much as Providence college sucked, "if you were a freak, at least you know who your friends are".

Anyhow, for those still reading, this long winded introduction is all to tell you that a film Guy wrote the script for invades the Boston area Halloween afternoon at the Regent Theater in Arlington Mass.Guy could probably write a kitten snuff film as a documentary and I'd at least want to check it out, the fact that he's come up with an ode to the B movie classics of long ago means I'm going to get my butt in a seat.

Atomic Brain Invasion hearkens back to the days of Drive In Theaters, cheap monster suits and making sure that you were protected from the Red Menace. In the year 1957, aliens have landed in a small Massachusetts town, hellbent on enslaving the God Fearing, Saturday Evening Post reading population as their first step in taking over the world. Will our plucky band of teenagers be able to save the day AND will Betty wear Johnny's pin? These are questions only Atomic Brain Invasion can answer. For those of us weaned on black and white classics during the Saturday afternoon Creature Double features as a gateway to horror, there's not going to be a better way to spend Halloween afternoon prior to beating up little kids for their candy stash. Tongue looks firmly planted in cheek here (just check out the first four seconds of the trailer-we've all been there) so those of us that love cheese ball humorous horror in the vein of Slither and Re-animator should check this out.

The when and the where:
The REGENT THEATER, Alington MA, 2pm October 31st

All Things Horror Presents: A Night with Matthew Garrett

Join us as director Matthew Garrett and producer Thomas Rondinella present the feature Morris County and brand-new short Beating Hearts! (Q&A to follow screening.)

Morris County reaches into the hidden black heart of suburbia and uncovers some unsettling results. Watch three tales of what must be unchecked mental illness unfold. Starring Pamela Stewart (100 Proof, Amateur), Albie Selznick (24, Desperate Housewives), Alice Cannon, and Darcy Miller, this dark little triptych shouldn't be watched if you're having a really bad day.

In Ellie, a teenage girl hides a deadly secret while plummeting toward self-destruction. You'll cringe and maybe relate while poor Ellie tries hard to fit in to the point of debasing herself. You'll be glad you're not part of The Family Rubin, in which a family overflowing with true dysfunction spirals downward while presenting a united face to society. The young Rubin does reprehensible things to his pets unknown to Mom and Dad. Thankfully that stops after the arrival of a snow white bunny, but only after an especially gruesome day in the neighborhood. Lastly, Elmer & Iris features an elderly couple in their golden years. Iris, the sweet old lady (veteran stage actress Alice Cannon) denies that her worst hour is upon her (accompanied by some really cool FX). If you're looking to be disturbed and yet compelled, move to Morris County.

Director-screenwriter Matthew Garrett got his start interning for Troma Entertainment, and was eventually added as a contributing writer to cult feature Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger Part 4. Upon graduating from the School of Visual Arts, Garrett was one of four recipients awarded the Rhodes Family Award For Outstanding Achievement in Film/Video.

Splice: The Power of Cronenberg Compels You

Splice (2009)
Directed by: Vincenzo Natali
Written by: Vincenzo Natal, Antoinette Terry Bryant, and Doug Taylor

Splice was all over the internet for a while last spring, particularly when it was making a controversial run on the festival circuit. Once it was picked up for a release, the polarized reviews hit like a storm, some saying that it was vile trash for its provocative stance and uncompromising bleakness. Others lauded it as smart and scary, pointing out that its no-holds-barred approach is the very reason it was a great horror offering in 2010.

I actually missed Splice during its run here in Boston, and I was a little disappointed. I really enjoy the debates that arise from films that get people up in arms. Most of the time, it means somebody is doing something right. Horror films are the last bastion of challenging work in an increasingly sterile film environment. Luckily, one of my favorite theaters, the Brattle Theater, brought it back as part of a retrospective double feature with Predators. I jumped at the chance to see both, but came home very satisfied by only one of them.

The question remains: Was Splice the movie I liked? Hell yeah! In fact, I think it's one of my favorite films of the year. Yes, it is a nasty piece of work. Yes, it is a very bleak look at the fallacy of unchecked science and the irresponsibility of selfish parenting. Yes, everything you heard about it is true, including the now infamous Adrian Brody sex scene. Honestly, that's not even the tough part of the film. You know what, though? This is a horror movie. If you can't handle a little discomfort, you might think about getting a new line of work. Splice is here to push your buttons.

Splice harkens to a day when horror films had a little more meat on their bones. I'm talking specifically the 70's and in particular, the work of David Cronenberg. Cronenberg was always the one who pushed the envelope to painful places, and it's no wonder Splice is being compared to his early work. Sure, the science may not be 100 percent feasible, and yes, people in the science biz may be able to pick it apart for discrepancies. However, it is still quite a horrifying and thought-provoking film experience, and one that brings the horror of science back to the forefront after a time away.

(Horrible, horrible science can be so damn cute sometimes.)

The premise of Splice is easy to sum up without giving away too many surprises. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play romantically-entangled couple Elsa and Clive, brilliant but egotistical genetic engineers juggling daily life while working on patentable genetic hybrids for use in future medical procedures. They find some success with a pair of cute little hybrid blobs that appear stable which, in turn, opens up their employers to boatloads of money. Riding on the high and on the verge of great success, Elsa takes a huge gamble by introducing human DNA into a new hybrid and decides to bring it to term without the approval of her pharmaceutical company masters. She succeeds in creating Dren, a very human-looking creature with some "special" features. Elsa with resistance from Clive, decides to raise Dren, first as an experiment, and then as a child. The result is a descent into some very horrible happenings as Dren reveals many hidden evolutionary mysteries. Elsa and Clive also reveal some terrible tendencies in their own selves.

(Dren and Elsa share a moment.)

Splice can be seen as a demented coming-of-age story, as Dren (the brilliant and exotic Delphine Chaneac) develops at a very high rate. Throughout the film, we see her develop from birth to adulthood in a relatively short period of time. Elsa and Clive have their issues, and are clearly not ready for the responsibility of hiding and caring for Dren on top of their demanding work schedules. Soon, things beging to fall apart and they must make a difficult decision regarding Dren and their own relationship with each other.

(The strange eating habits of hybrid teens.)

Director Vincenzo Natali (Cube) keeps things moving and the pacing of the film is effective in the developing the characters and relationship dynamics while still giving us plenty of monster action. I've read some reviews stating that the film is "slow", but I just didn't get that at all. I found it wholly engaging until the end and there were a number of great scenes. The cinematography is nice, with some really good camera movement that served the story well. The screenplay was smart and the dialogue strong. The special effects were outstanding and I'm surprised it was done on a modest budget.

Despite the brutal ending, I'd happily recommend Splice to most horror fans, especially the jaded ones who think modern horror is too watered down. Splice packs a punch and will have you thinking for days after viewing. It's a film about consequences, and the scary things that are wrought when ego takes over in place of good decision making. That's how you know something is good, when it sticks to your ribs and keeps you up at night pondering the terrible possibilities.

Splice Trailer

Halloween Time Around My Hood

A lot has changed during the Halloween season since I was a kid. For one, not many people seem to decorate much anymore. There's a pronounced feeling of not giving a shit. It's a little depressing to walk around and see plain old houses that could be adorned in gravestones, skeletons, and spiders. I remember impressive and elaborate displays when I was a kid, and the owners of the homes usually dressed up, played spooky music, and enthusiastically gave out candy to us frightened, but candy crazed kids. Sure, it was a little scary to go up to some of them, but I always left with some sweet, sweet candy, and a smile.

I'm not sure what has changed since then. I suppose the economy tanking has something to do with it. I suppose it's a little frivolous to spend cash on decoration materials when you're worried about being laid off or whether or not you have enough cash for that box of diapers. But, damn if I don't come from one of the poorest towns in the country, and people still got excited about Halloween enough to make an effort to enjoy the holiday to the fullest.

Really, I don't even see a lot of trick r treaters anymore, and it makes me sad. One of my favorite things to do at Halloween is give out candy and check out all the cool costumes. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm still going to put on the Halloween and Suspiria soundtracks, sit on the porch with my big purple bowl of candy, and wait for the ones who do show up.

Luckily, I was able to find a few people in my neighborhood who still hold onto the Halloween spirit. In turn, they raised my own. I snapped a few pictures to share with our readers and I hope you enjoy. Most of these reside on a particular  street in my neighborhood where they really deck their homes out for all the holidays. I make an effort to walk around there every year to see what new surprises are in store.

So, without further ado, here are a few quick photos I snapped while I took a stroll today in the overcast, but mostly pleasant day.

(Wolfman looking dapper.)

(This Witch has on her favorite holiday sweater. But it's the wrong holiday, I think.)

(Frankenstein's Monster looks a little sleepy.)

(Dracula is excited about good dental hygiene.)

(Oh look, a Halloween shrine!)

(The Handsome Couple)

(The lovely lady  gets a flower.)

(The stately gentlecorpse)

(The bones go INSIDE the box, stupid.)

(Sure, I got a light, man.)

(You can come out when you've had time to think about what you've done.)

(Just a quick little nap on this skull cot and I'll be good for the horror movie marathon later.)

(Just what are they cooking up in Joe's Lab, anyway?)

Book review: Twice the Terror-The Horror Zine Vol. 2

This new anthology is a hell of a lot different than the 'zines I'm used to from back in my old DIY days. I'm more familiar with hastily cut and pasted photos and articles bound together by cheap glue stick. I can wax rhapsodic for hours on Kinko card scams, paying pennies on the dollar for hundreds of copies. The tips of my fingers still bear the faint scars of stapler pricks, and I've nearly chipped a front tooth dozens of times pulling out a staple that couldn't cut its path all the way through the pages. I still get hot behind the ears thinking of all the scuzzy punk kids at shows (and a certain Mr. Ben Weasel that once told my sister "I don't want to buy your brother's shitty fanzine) that told me they didn't have a buck to spare for a 48 page edition of Pocket Full of Chump Change but would drop five bucks a piece on the same seven inch record for the sole reason that the wax slabs came in various colors.

Twice the Terror  (editied by Jeani Rector) is a 350+ page turner collecting short stories, poetry and artwork. Like any collection, it's got its highs and lows, but there's a fair number of fantastically twisted tales contained within. It definitely makes for some great late night reading. I'm going to focus on the short stories over the poems and art (though I will say that artist Jason Beam created a fantastic black and white sketch of the venerable Vincent Price), and give you a rundown on some of the better stories:

The Security System (Bentley Little) A fantastic black comedy about a couple that can't shake the dogged attention of a gung-ho home security salesman. Giving all new meanings to the terms "hard sell", the story takes some absurd twists that recall the twisted gallows humor of Robert Bloch's better short stories.

It's A Boy (David Bernstein) This tale opens the book, and while it's a bit of a missed opportunity, the premise is strong enough to warrant a mention. While a zombie uprising has thrown the world in to chaos,  a young married couple live peacefully on their secluded farm and await the birth of their child. As you can probably surmise, it being a horror story and all, things don't go so well, and a zombie baby is unleashed on the world.

A Bad Day (Larry Green) A young woman wakes up disoriented on the tile floor of a convenient store after getting gut shot. As she tries to piece back the events of the night, her attackers learn they should have robbed the Quicki Mart up the road.

Last Dreams (Michael C Keith) It's too bad this one end so abruptly because the concept is awesome. A company has learned how to capture the final thoughts of the dead, and sells these images to the bereaved family. While every dream to date has been pleasant and brought the family comfort, things come unravelled when angry, nightmarish are accidentally uncovered.

This Moment Will Haunt You Forever (Chris Reed) A bottom-line loan officer turns down a client's offer to repay a loan and get his house back. Wouldn't you know it-EVERY channel on his television begins running Groundhog Day shortly thereafter.
  

Don't Forget Our HUGE Horror Extravaganza on Tuesday, October 26

All Things Horror Presents
A Trick or Treat Bag Stuffed with Horror
Tuesday, October 26
The Somerville Theater, 55 Davis Square, Somerville MA 02144
6 pm - 11 pm
$7

Boston area fans, don't forget we are screening nearly 5 hours of continuous horror film features and shorts on Tuesday, October 26 at the Somerville Theater.

We know that we normally hold our horror support group...er, screenings on Wednesday nights, but we had to compromise with an October packed with events. We hope you'll be able to make it out to see some amazing films, most of which have never appeared on the big screen. Not only will we have great movies, but we'll also have some trivia, and the theater has cold beer on tap and the best popcorn in town!

We'll be kicking things off at 6 pm with a few shorts, followed by Andrew Moorman's suspensful and claustrophobic crime/horror film Sympathy

After that, we'll be screening the celebrated short films of Rodrigo Gudino, founder of the outstanding Rue Morgue Magazine. From his collection entitled Curious Stories, Crooked Symbols, we'll be screening The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow, The Demonology of Desire, and The Eyes of Edward James.

We are also brining you two recent shorts that are receiving rave reviews, Dan Riesser's Night of the Punks, and Sage Hall's Candy.

Finally, we bring you the feature film debut of Stacie Ponder, the hilarious and insightful horror queen who runs the fantastic blog Final Girl. Trading in her trademark humor for a more serious tone, we bring you her intense and nightmarish film Ludlow.

Here are a few trailers to whet your appetites for what is shaping up to be a great night to get scared!

The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow Trailer



The Demonology of Desire Trailer



Ludlow Teaser



Sympathy Trailer




Night of the Punks Trailer

Friday Ultimate Giant Monster Movie List

Since I was a wee little one, I've been obsessed witth monster movies. I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of Chilly Billy's Chiller Theater out of Pittsburgh when I was barely out of diapers, but I distincttly remember catching lots of giant monster movies like The Deadly Mantis, Godzilla vs. Megalon, and Gorgo to name a few. Cable channels like USA Network and TBS also had a plethora of fun Saturday afternoon programming that included all manners of gigantic monster destruction. During its brief run, I compulsively watched the Godzilla cartoon, collected Shogun Warriors, and daydreamed about riding through space on Gamera's back. Ray Harryhausen was a huge influence on me and I immensely enjoyed all his brilliant creations in everything from the Sinbad movies to The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Monsters have just always been around, and welcome companions even if they tend to trash the place like behemoth rock stars.

Giant monster movies have all but disappeared on television as far as I can tell. It's a shame because I can't imagine a childhood without them. I have no idea what kids are watching or whether or not they even care about monsters at all. I honestly can't remember the last time I even saw a Godzilla movie on television.

Aside from the obvious icons like Godzilla, King Kong, Gamera, and Mothra, there have been a number of excellent giant monster movies over the past several decades. After the success of Korea's The Host, it looked like a new era of gargantuan creature features was being ushered in, followed soon by Cloverfield. Now we have Monsters to look forward to on the horizon and I must admit I'm extremely psyched! One final note: I am NOT going to mention any of the SyFy monster animal shark hybrid movies, but if that's your thing, I'm all for it. If you're a fan, say it don't spray it!

Anyway, just a brief list of some of my favorite monsters. Some aren't city block size huge, but they are still pretty darn large. Large enough to cause enough mayhem to keep me entertained, anyway.

Quetzalcoatl from Q: The Winged Serpent

End of the World Beasties from The Mist

The Mutant Amphibian from The Host

The Eye Throwing Creep from Big Man Japan

The Cloverfield Monster from Cloverfield

The Graboids from Tremors

Smelly Old Bastard from Razorback

The Demon Lord from The Gate

Ali Gator from Alligator

Kothoga from The Relic

Gojira from Godzilla Final Wars

A trailer for the upcoming film MONSTERS

Paul Tremblay's "In the Mean Time": Quiet Moments Can Be Filled With the Biggest Threats

In The Mean Time (2010)
Author: Paul Tremblay
Publisher: ChiZine Publications
Paul Tremblay's Official Site

I believe the true measure of a fiction writer's skill rests in his or her ability to craft a good short story. In my experience, most fall short of completing a satisfying arc and it more often than not sings of working out the bugs in storytelling. This is fine. We all need our practice canvases to improve and hopefully exorcise a lot of rookie mistakes in our chosen artforms. While there are a number of writers whose short fiction I greatly enjoy, most of the time I am left with a feeling of something missing. For this reason, I sadly find myself avoiding a lot of short collections. Fortunately,  I do periodically come across a writer who surprises me with his or her ability to create awe-inspiring moments within the confines of the short story format.

In my opinion, Boston-area author Paul Tremblay was born to craft the short story. The author of No Sleep Till Wonderland and The Little Sleep, his recent collection of shorts entitled In the Mean Time is a selection of diverse tales ranging from the horrific to the heartfelt, most of which encompass the whole of the spectrum. Tremblay's stories occupy a unique space, one in which a teenager having two heads isn't even her biggest problem, or a tiny knock on the door signifies the end of the world. It's one in which the soft sound of a plant growing is the soundtrack to an unraveling existence. This space resides somewhere between the action and the dialogue, a sensitive and frightening place where true feeling is confronted and exposed raw. This is the space where Tremblay drags us and forces us to confront the horror of honesty and empathy. Through his characterization, subtle dialogue, and intriguing premises, Tremblay succeeds in showing us the truth no matter how ugly or futile the circumstances might seem.

Each story is a test of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Within each universe created by Tremblay, we find that there really isn't such a thing as "ordinary". In Feeding the Machine, the simple act of eating becomes life threatening. In It's Against the Law to Feed the Ducks, a five year old child's innocent inquiries can be a dangerous thing. In The Blog at the End of the World, one blogger's posts may just save the world from itself. 

Where Tremblay succeeds most is knowing his characters: their insecurities, dark secrets, and desires, all added up to provide a layer of humanity that might otherwise be be sacrificed for plot in lesser tales. There's a sense that Tremblay is trying very hard to understand people, and a wide range at that. People of all ages, genders, sizes, sexual orientations, and mental capacities are explored with a thoroughness unexpected in short work. It's all done with careful use of dialogue and in creating a sense that sometimes the terrible things we are confronted with aren't as scary as our reactions to them. The running theme in most of the tales is apocalypse, both large scale and personal. Plagues of all sorts pollute the bodies, minds, and actions of our protagonists, and Tremblay's deft skill is in showing us how they cope with it.

There are a number of reasons why I highly recommend this collection. Each story is unique and even though we know Tremblay is the writer, every voice seems fresh, distinct, and realistic. There is never a moment where a theme or character feels like a retread of the others. Tremblay knows how real people think and speak, and that the most important things sometimes lurk hidden in their messages. With his collection, Tremblay is providing us the keys to unlocking those secrets even though we run the risk of exposing ourselves.