Force of Impact in an ITW giveaway

An autographed copy of Bryan Cassiday’s latest Ethan Carr thriller Force of Impact will be donated to the International Thriller Writers Big Thrill Giveaway to be held in May 2018.  Enter the giveaway for a chance to win the breakneck thriller that critics are calling “addictive reading.” Details of the contest will be related later by the International Thriller Writers.  Or if you want your copy this week, buy one now at Amazon.

“A potent shot of contemporary LA noir that will have readers hooked from page one.  Fans of Dennis Lehane and James Ellroy will love Force of Impact.”–BestThrillers.com

Rave Review for Force of Impact

Bryan Cassiday’s latest Ethan Carr thriller just got a rave review from BestThrillers.com.

“A potent shot of contemporary LA noir that will have readers hooked from page one.  Fans of Dennis Lehane and James Ellroy will love Force of Impact.”–BestThrillers.com

Buy Force of Impact today on Kindle.

Unsane by Steven Soderbergh

I have mixed feelings about Steven Soderbergh’s latest thriller Unsane.  I liked the way he worked his trademark indictment of the health insurance industry into the film’s story, which made it seem more realistic.  On the other hand, the whole movie was shot on an iPhone, and the results are a blurry, dreary movie, especially when the scenes are shot inside the insane asylum.  Everything seems to fade into the background.  I found the movie suspenseful, but not scary.

It turns out to be an unpleasant movie about an unpleasant woman who is being stalked, or is she losing her mind?  Whatever’s happening to her, she isn’t sympathetic thanks to her offensive personality.

Maybe if Soderbergh uses a newer-model iPhone next time, his movie won’t look so blurry.

Soderbergh is a good match for horror movies, because he has a realistic approach to them, which makes them more believable.

I’ll recommend Unsane, but with reservations.

Thought for the day

I write.  Therefore, I am.

Unhinged is now available on Kindle

Bryan Cassiday’s new collection of horror short stories Unhinged:  Tales of Madness and Horror is now available on Kindle.  Buy it now.

Unhinged is now in production as an audiobook

The audiobook version of Bryan Cassiday’s Unhinged:  Tales of Madness and Horror is now in production.  It is set to be released some time in April 2018.  The e-book is available for preorder on Amazon.

Night of the Living Dead on Criterion

Is the new Criterion Blu-ray edition of George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead worth purchasing? I’m of two minds on this question. Part of the eerie charm of the original edition is its low budget–its grainy black-and-white film, cheap sets, tinny music, and actors nobody ever heard of.

 

The Criterion edition attempts to enhance the cheap black-and-white print with Blu-ray technology. But do we really want it enhanced? Doesn’t enhancement take away part of the sinister charm of the grungy original?

 

On the other hand, it’s good to see that the movie is getting the attention it deserves from its groundbreaking reenvisioning of the zombie as a flesh-eating creature that feeds on living humans. Before this movie, zombies lumbered around with their eyes bugging out of their heads, looking spooky, but they were harmless. They were the walking dead without a bloodthirsty appetite, as in Bela Lugosi’s White Zombie.

 

Then along came George Romero and the invention of the modern zombie in Night of the Living Dead. And the zombie was forever changed. It has now become identified as the monster that is the most terrifying threat to humanity, much more terrifying than vampires and werewolves.