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BOOKS: Duncan Swan’s Terrifying ‘Monstre: Volume One’ is Out Today

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Monstre: Volume One

“People think evil is easy to spot. They think of evil and imagine a monster. They imagine the Devil with horns, something obvious and identifiable. But sometimes evil looks just like the kid next door.”–Duncan Swan, Monster” Volume One

Duncan Swan’s terrifying novel, Monstre: Volume One, is out today. The compelling, often gut-wrenching novel marks Swan’s debut, and sets him apart as author to watch.

Set in the present, the novel begins at the CERN lab in Sweden where a sudden and inexplicable explosion occurs. In the fallout of that explosion, the air becomes toxic, a massive cloud begins spreading across Europe blocking out the sun, and strange creatures emerge the darkness.

The story is told in two time frames, jumping back and forth from ground zero in Europe and 90 days later as the cloud inches toward the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. and frantic citizens who already witnessed the destruction in across the Atlantic decide how to deal with the terror knocking at their door. With no known hope of survival, will they turn on each other or come together to survive?

Swan does not spare a single moment blending apocalyptic and cosmic horrors and drawing the reader into the novel. He lets us know, almost immediately, that absolutely no one is safe in this scenario. Not every character you connect with is going to survive this. The problem is that he writes his characters so well, it’s hard to remain detached. Even the most unlikable characters–and believe me when I tell you there are plenty–are compelling in their own way.

The other thing the author does exceptionally well is handling details and description. He seems to have an innate talent for giving his reader just what they need to set the imagination on fire. This works for him both in the realm of dealing with his monsters and what they might look like, but also in doling out the inevitable gore that comes from human encounters with them.

Like early John Carpenter films, Swan gives us just enough to make us think we’re experiencing so much more gore than we really are. He trusts that he does not have to spell out every little detail for the reader, and his instincts are impeccable.

Like any apocalyptic novel, Monstre: Volume One is not so much about the looming apocalypse itself as it is the people who are experiencing it. It is the humanity, or lack thereof, that keeps the pages turning. Swan presents his readers with numerous moral questions along the way, and the answers to those questions are not always comfortable.

Who do you leave behind? Is one life more important than any other? When do you trust your instincts and when do you listen to others?

The answers to those questions are never easy, nor should they be, and Swan writes in such a way that there are times you almost feel like you’re in the author’s chair making the decisions. I don’t mind admitting to you that I chose poorly once or twice while reading.

Monstre: Volume One is out today with volume two expected mid-year in 2021. Fans of Stephen King’s The Mist will no doubt want to add this excellent novel to their libraries. Get your copy by CLICKING HERE.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the novel from the author himself, Duncan Swan is hosting a special live event this afternoon/evening at 5 pm PT on Facebook. Details for the event can be found here!

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Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

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Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

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Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

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In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

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Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

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Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

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