News

Thommy Hutson’s ‘Jinxed’ is a Must Read for Classic Horror Fans

Published

6 years ago

April 8, 2018

I’ll admit I was a bit uncertain when I picked up Thommy Hutson‘s debut novel, Jinxed.

I’ve been a fan of Hutson’s work for years, especially Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy and Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, both of which he co-produced as well as some of the horror films he has written like Truth or Dare and Animal.

Still, a novel is a much different creature from a film script with its own set of rules, and from a critical standpoint, its own expectations, and there are far more examples of writers who can do one or the other than those who can do both.

As it turns out, Hutson was not only up to the task, he knocked it completely out of the park. The author presents his readers with an expertly paced, cinematic slasher in a setting that would make Agatha Christie proud, and should have film producers already bidding to adapt it for the screen.

In many ways, Jinxed is a blood-splattered love letter to the filmmakers whose franchises shaped the landscape of horror in the 80s and 90s, and just like many of those films, it all begins and ends with secrets that refuse to stay buried.

As the novel opens, Amanda Kincaid, the most promising acting talent at the very elite and even more secluded Trask Academy for the Performing Arts (think the high school from Fame only everyone here is filthy rich), is preparing to star in the school’s talent showcase attended by agents from all over the country as well as the wealthy donors who keep the school’s mahogany doors open.

The theater is deserted as she stands illuminated only by the singular ghost light in the center of the stage when she begins to hear noises and then to smell smoke. The theater is on fire and Amanda discovers there is no escape as she huddles in the orchestra pit and finally succumbs to the flames.

Flash forward…

It’s been almost 20 years since Amanda died in the fire at Trask Academy and her story has become an urban legend that no one entirely believes but can neither completely deny as the ruins of the old, burned-out theater still loom over the academy grounds.

A group of friends are preparing for this year’s showcase and have elected to stay on campus over Spring Break to continue rehearsals for the upcoming show. Little do they know that a killer is stalking the grounds of Trask Academy.

He wears a mask that is a twisted amalgam of the Comedy and Tragedy drama masks, and his plans for the students and their deaths have been in place for quite some time.

Hutson’s love of the genre is on every single page of Jinxed. From the naming of his characters (pay attention readers!) to the inescapable plot twists and turns, he expertly walks the razor-sharp edge between what is homage and what is simply derivative and makes it seem effortless.

The novel’s often gore-filled kill scenes are both brutal and beautiful in ways that recall Clive Barker’s Books of Blood while simultaneously reminding the reader of the theatricality of Argento’s Suspiria.

And yet, for all of its homage and the author’s obvious intensive understanding of the works of these genre giants, Jinxed is a unique novel that stands easily on its own merits as a work by a first time author.

At just under 300 pages, Jinxed is a fast read that pulls the reader along in its momentum to a conclusion that seems both inevitable and shocking, and as I sit here typing this review I’m reminded again of the Killer’s mask and how it works on so many levels as the ultimate symbol for the book as a whole.

Inevitable and shocking. Brutal and beautiful. Homage and originality. Comedy and Tragedy.

Thommy Hutson could easily take on the mantle as the next Lois Duncan, and I’m sure many reviewers will no doubt draw those comparisons, but after reading his debut, I’m not sure that he isn’t better off being the first Thommy Hutson, instead.

After all, it seems that guy has a LOT of talent.

Jinxed is currently available in multiple formats via Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

12 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

14 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

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Movies

’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

Published

15 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

**Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes**

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.