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Book Review: ‘Meddling Kids’ Out Just in Time for Summer Reading

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It’s time to start getting ready for Summer, and if you’re an old school horror fan, have I got a book recommendation for you. It’s called Meddling Kids and its author, Edgar Cantero, has created the perfect vacation adventure to put at the very top of your reading lists.

Take one part Famous Five, one part Scooby-Doo, and go way back to grab some H.P. Lovecraft. Mix them all together and you’ll begin to understand the genius that is Meddling Kids.

For those unaware, the Famous Five was a series of popular books in the UK written by Enid Blyton that involved four best friends and their faithful dog who would solve mysteries and hunt for lost treasure together.

Sound familiar?

It’s not a leap to say that they’re the precursors for the Scooby Gang that many Americans grew up with starting in the late 60s.

So what’s going on in Cantero’s novel?

Once upon a time, a group of youngsters (Peter, Kerri, Nate, and Andy) would spend their holidays in Blyton Hills. (See what he did there?) Every Summer they would band together to solve the mysteries that eluded the local authorities.

They called themselves the Blyton Summer Detective Club, and everything was going well until their final case. Something went wrong; something was just a little more real than a man in a mask.

Their lives spun out of control after that and they drifted apart, and Cantero doesn’t shy away from showing that aftermath.

Peter is dead; Kerri’s an alcoholic; Andy’s a wandering badass in trouble with the law and Nate is in a mental institution.

Andy has decided the only way their lives will ever be back on course is to go back to Blyton one last time and confront the real life monster that’s been chasing them for 13 years.

It isn’t only their dangers that have grown up, however. Andy, whose real name is Andrea, is ready to come out of the closet and Kerri has been the object of her desire for over a decade.

The author handles the story line beautifully, delving into the emotional depths of awakening desire and the uncertainty of a friend confronted with a love she’s not sure she can accept or be a part of.

Cantero’s prose is fast-paced and engaging, switching from action to comedy to horror and back again with the ease of an old pro. Essentially, he’s created an adventure story for the kid inside all of us, but raised the blood, tension, and monsters to match our grown-up outsides.

It isn’t only his storytelling that’s innovative, however. The author fuses together different styles of writing from multiple points of view to keep the reader on their toes. One moment, we’re inside the head of Andy, and the next, he’s switched to script format to support the rapid-fire (and often hilarious) dialogue.

My favorite moments, however, come when Cantero takes us inside the mind of the group’s faithful dog, Tim. They are moments of purely innocent observation and contain, quite frankly, some of the best one-liners in the entire book.

In an odd way, the book was created specifically for the crowd who enjoyed the Scooby-Doo/Supernatural crossover that took place a few weeks ago, though it was written long before “Scoobynatural.”

Meddling Kids will be released in a brand new paperback edition on May 29, 2018. You can pre-order the new edition, which comes with a special bonus scene, on Amazon!

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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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