News

Brian Moreland Serves Up Revenge in Darkness Rising

Published

9 years ago

September 18, 2015

As a rabid fan of horror fiction, one of my favorite experiences is being introduced to an author whose work I’ve never experienced and finding in the words something that moves and terrifies me simultaneously. Such was the case when I was recently introduced to the work of Brian Moreland, an author well versed in folklore, myth, and history who infuses that knowledge into his writing and elevates it to a level above that which we normally see in horror fiction outside some of the masters like Rice, King, and Barker. His newest novella, Darkness Rising, does not disappoint in the least.

Coming in at just under 100 pages, Darkness Rising is a taut and mesmerizing tale of revenge. Revenge is nothing new in horror fiction. One needs only pick up a copy of Stephen King’s Carrie or Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” to experience the archetype. Therefore, it takes something special to catch the reader and fully invest them in the character seeking revenge on those who wronged him. Fortunately for us, Moreland handles this beautifully with Hitchcockian precision.

Poor Marty has not had an easy life. He has been bullied and beaten every step of the way, and he handles it the only way he knows how. He writes and writes until the darkness he feels inside himself seeps onto the page and out of his system, if only for a little while. When things are really bad, he goes to a secluded spot at his favorite lake and reads his writings, further releasing his rage into the watery depths. One night, Marty crosses the wrong group of people, a band of psychopathic killers, and though he tries his best to escape, he is murdered and his body is thrown into the very water he’s been pouring his soul into for years. That’s when things get interesting.

What? You thought I was going to break my rule and give spoilers? Not happening, and especially not with a piece of fiction assembled as expertly as Moreland has done. I will only say this. There is a point in the novella where you realize that what you thought was the most important part of the story is merely a brush stroke to the larger picture…and that moment is terrifying and beautiful! Perhaps the thing that sets it the farthest apart from its peers is that through all of the revenge, the murder, and the gore, Moreland somehow manages to end on a note of utter hope and fulfillment. Don’t believe me? Read it and prove me wrong.

Available now for only $3.44 on Amazon, there is no reason not to download a copy of Darkness Rising today! Follow this link to get your copy and immerse yourself in his dark world.

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Related Topics:brian moreland Darkness Rising Waylon Jordan

News

Netflix Releases First BTS ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’ Footage

Published

16 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been three long years since Netflix unleashed the bloody, but enjoyable Fear Street on its platform. Released in a tryptic fashion, the streamer broke up the story into three episodes, each taking place in a different decade which by the finale were all tied together.

Now, the streamer is in production for its sequel Fear Street: Prom Queen which brings the story into the 80s. Netflix gives a synopsis of what to expect from Prom Queen on their blog site Tudum:

“Welcome back to Shadyside. In this next installment of the blood-soaked Fear Street franchise, prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night.”

Based on R.L. Stine’s massive series of Fear Street novels and spin-offs, this chapter is number 15 in the series and was published in 1992.

FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN IS NOW IN PRODUCTION 🩸 Welcome to Shadyside High. We're gonna have a killer time. pic.twitter.com/jDl0zRa2CH
— Netflix (@netflix) April 30, 2024

Fear Street: Prom Queen features a killer ensemble cast, including India Fowler (The Nevers, Insomnia), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket, The Idol), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls, Above the Shadows), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Cinnamon), Ella Rubin (The Idea of You), Chris Klein (Sweet Magnolias, American Pie), Lili Taylor (Outer Range, Manhunt) and Katherine Waterston (The End We Start From, Perry Mason).

No word on when Netflix will drop the series into its catalog.

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News

Live Action Scooby-Doo Reboot Series In Works at Netflix

Published

17 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The ghosthunting Great Dane with an anxiety problem, Scooby-Doo, is getting a reboot and Netflix is picking up the tab. Variety is reporting that the iconic show is becoming an hour-long series for the streamer although no details have been confirmed. In fact, Netflix execs declined to comment.

If the project is a go, this would be the first live-action movie based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon since 2018’s Daphne & Velma. Before that, there were two theatrical live-action movies, Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), then two sequels that premiered on The Cartoon Network.

Currently, the adult-oriented Velma is streaming on Max.

Scooby-Doo originated in 1969 under the creative team Hanna-Barbera. The cartoon follows a group of teenagers who investigate supernatural happenings. Known as Mystery Inc., the crew consists of Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and his best friend, a talking dog named Scooby-Doo.

Normally the episodes revealed the hauntings they encountered were hoaxes developed by land-owners or other nefarious characters hoping to scare people away from their properties. The original TV series named Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! ran from 1969 to 1986. It was so successful that movie stars and pop culture icons would make guest appearances as themselves in the series.

Celebrities such as Sonny & Cher, KISS, Don Knotts, and The Harlem Globetrotters made cameos as did Vincent Price who portrayed Vincent Van Ghoul in a few episodes.

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News

BET Releasing New Original Thriller: The Deadly Getaway

Published

18 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Cameron McFarland

BET will soon be offering horror fans a rare treat. The studio has announced the official release date for their new original thriller, The Deadly Getaway. Directed by Charles Long (The Trophy Wife), this thriller sets up a heart racing game of cat and mouse for audiences to sink their teeth into.

Wanting to break up the monotony of their routine, Hope and Jacob set off to spend their vacation at a simple cabin in the woods. However, things go sideways when Hope’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a new girl at the same campsite. Things soon spiral out of control. Hope and Jacob must now work together to escape the woods with their lives.

The Deadly Getaway is written by Eric Dickens (Makeup X Breakup) and Chad Quinn (Reflections of US). The Film stars, Yandy Smith-Harris (Two Days in Harlem), Jason Weaver (The Jacksons: An American Dream), and Jeff Logan (My Valentine Wedding).

Showrunner Tressa Azarel Smallwood had the following to say about the project. “The Deadly Getaway is the perfect reintroduction to classic thrillers, which encompass dramatic twists, and spine-chilling moments. It showcases the range and diversity of emerging Black writers across genres of film and television.”

The Deadly Getaway will premiere on 5.9.2024, exclusively ion BET+.