Synopsis:
Welcome to tonight’s feature presentation, brought to you by an unholy alliance of our spellcasters at Hex Publishers and movie-mages at the Colorado Festival of Horror. Please be advised that all emergency exits have been locked for this special nostalgia-curdled premiere of death. From crinkling celluloid to ferocious flesh—from the silver screen to your hammering heart—behold as a swarm of werewolves, serial killers, Satanists, Elder Gods, aliens, ghosts, and unclassifiable monsters are loosed upon your auditorium.
Relax, and allow our ushers to help with your buckets of popcorn—and blood; your ticket stubs—and severed limbs; your comfort candy—and body bags. Kick back and scream as you settle into a fate worse than Hell. Tonight’s director’s cut is guaranteed to slash you apart.
Edition:
E-ARC
Disclaimer:
I received a copy of this book via Net Galley in exchange for review.
Trigger Warnings:
- use of racial slur when referring to a Romani person
My Thoughts:
I was really excited at the prospect of a collection of 80s horror-themed stories. I’m an 80s baby, and this is the stuff I grew up on.
Since I’m still trying to figure out how I want this new blog to look, bear with me while I try something a little different (again). No stars on each story, just an explanation of whether or not it worked for me, and stars at the end for the whole collection. Let me know if you hate this, please – I’m undecided and could use the help.
The Stories:
Introduction – Paul Campion
I have nothing to say about this. It was a fine introduction, but not memorable.
Alien Parasites from Outer Space – Warren Hammond
This story takes place at a drive-in, and revolves around alien parasites. I assume you already guessed that based on the title. Good job!
I didn’t love this story. It was written competently, but it just didn’t really grab me.
Return of the Alien Parasites from Outer Space – Angie Hodapp
This is a poorly fitted sequel to the first story. I say it is poorly fitted because there are some mental gymnastics required of the reader in order to figure out how certain alliances came to be.
Negative Creep – Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
A group of friends reeling from the death of one of their own are stalked by an unseen presence. Dammit, I didn’t like this one either. We are not off to a great start here.
Helluloid – Dayton Ward & Kevin Dillmore
Ok, I love the name of this one. It sounds like an 80s movie. It centers around a necromancer whose ritual awakens something. I was with this one right up until the ending, which I didn’t feel worked at all.
Seriously with this book…
Rise, Ye Vermin – Betty Rocksteady
Teen lovers try to escape their narrow-minded, shitty town. Finally a story I could get into. LGBT-friendly and filled with gross bugs!
The Cronenberg Concerto – Keith Ferrell
I thought this one was going to be right up my alley. They had me at ‘Cronenberg,’ but then lost me at the story. This is about a dude who has been performing weird rituals at video nasty showings for most of his life. Conceptually it was interesting, but there was something about the execution that left me wanting.
Creature Feature – Gary Jonas
A theater is all that stands between humanity and a bevy of Eldritch horrors.
This one was okay. I enjoyed it well enough.
Invisible – Mario Acevedo
A serial killer discovers that he’s not as unnoticeable as he believed himself to be.
I rather liked this one as well. Finally this book is starting to pick up!
Screen Haunt – Orrin Grey
A filmmaker makes a movie to honor her best friend who went missing many years before.
Yet again, this one was pretty good. Woo!
The Devil’s Reel – Sean Eads & Joshua Viola
The Devil in a multiplex. Not much more to it than that.
This one was pretty fun. I no longer want to yeet this book, which is great!
On the Rocks – K. Nicole Davis
Things get crazy at a showing of Howling II. You know, as they do. This one struck me as insanely funny because Howling II strikes me as insanely funny. And things don’t get crazy in the way you might think if you’ve seen that movie.
Coming Attractions – Stephen Graham Jones
4 young friends decide to hide out in a movie theater in order to see what goes on there after it closes for the night.
I don’t think SGJ is capable of writing a bad story. This one is a lot of fun.
Late Sleepers – Steve Ransic Tem
A college student has a shitty holiday at home with his family and decides to stop in for the last showing at the local theater before he heads back to campus.
I didn’t connect to this one at all. It was a well-written story, but I don’t feel like I really “got” it.
Special Makeup – Kevin J. Anderson
A Romani makeup artist uses “special makeup” on a difficult actor. Two things about this story bothered me. First, the dude’s name is Zoltan. Does he moonlight as a fortune-telling-automaton?
Second, he is repeatedly referred to, and repeatedly refers to himself as a “gypsy.” The former of which unfortunately works because of the time setting. Back in the 80s we were way less woke. But the latter is the one that really gets me. As far as I know, the term has always been considered by the Roma to be a pejorative term, so why the hell would he consistently refer to himself using a slur? I feel like the character read as having more pride in himself and his heritage than that.
It sucks, because it was otherwise a pretty good story, but that felt like a pretty big hurdle for me that kept knocking me out of the tale.
Rating:
There were some hits, a few total misses, and a lot of middling stories here. The cover is great though, and honestly I would have probably blind-bought this if I came across it in a bookstore. If you are looking for 80s movie-themed stories, you should at least give this one a shot, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
It Came from the Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers Edited by Joshua Viola Hex Publishers Published: September 15, 2020 ISBN: 9781733917759 Format: Paperback, E-book 316 Pages Website
Hmmm, sounds like quite a mixed bag of good and not good. I’ll likely give it a go if it crosses my path because I’m a sucker for the 80’s but I’ll have to DNF those that don’t work because I am all out of patience.
Yeah, I hear you. I hadn’t yet decided to go ahead and dnf some stuff when I read this, but at least all the stories were short.