Wanna read some porn?

I published some short erotica stories a while back. If that intrigues you; if you like tentacle monsters,   funhouse rooms full of johnsons, or general cuckoldry, check THESE BOOKS out.

‘Possession’ and the Fear of Reality Crumbling Beneath Our Feet

Originally published here: https://addictedtohorrormovies.com/2016/07/24/possession-and-the-fear-of-reality-crumbling-beneath-our-feet/

‘Possession’ and the Fear of Reality Crumbling Beneath Our Feet (Review)

When I think about horror movies that resemble bad acid trips, a few pop into mind. Most of which aren’t considered “horror” in the traditional sense of the word. I’m talking Beyond the Black Rainbow, Enter the Void, Suspiria, pretty much anything by Lynch… you get the idea. But the grand wizard of them all in my opinion is 1981’s Possession, a film that I have been watching at least once a month since I saw it for the first time a few years ago. 

That first viewing, whew! Let me tell you something about how fragile our minds are. I was surfing my usual web haunts for something new, something I had never seen before. Something twisted and surreal and, most importantly, scary.

I forget where I heard about Possession, probably Reddit. I was directed to a Youtube link, and there, like the black magic that is this age of iffy ‘intellectual rights,’ was the entire movie—free for anyone to enjoy or suffer through depending on their constitution. I promptly untangled my HDMI cable, rammed it in to my computer port (giggity), and relaxed on the couch with a beer and some reheated pizza. 

Now, I thought that I was going to be getting a nice little movie about Isabelle Adjani getting possessed by some serpent-like entity (judging from the title, the cast, and the cover art), but holy hell was I wrong! One of the great things about going into a movie blind is that you increase the chances of having your mind blown.

The fact that I was a few beers in when I started the movie might have contributed to this, but I was thrown completely off guard within the first five minutes. Sam Neill is in an adversarial mood upon meeting his wife outside of a rundown apartment block that looks eerily like the Ludovico Medical Facility in A Clockwork Orange.

The first thing that threw me was the acting. It was theatrical, over the top, but full of passion. Every. Single. Moment. Was. Intense. As fuck! I had to let some light into my living room by pushing the blackout curtains to the side (I like to keep my hovel as dark as possible when it’s cinema time!). 

Throughout the film, I kept having the nagging suspicion that my mundane reality was an illusion, and that I was living in some sort of bubble that would eventually pop and everyone that I encountered would be as full of verve and spite and life as the characters in Possession were. I know that sounds insane, but I have had the exact same feeling before—during terrible drug experiences.

I have looked upon friends that I have known my entire life and thought that they were aliens out to harvest my mind. I have come to conclusions regarding reality that made me question whether every single memory of mine was a fabrication. 

To me, this is true Cosmic Horror. The stuff that really scares me. Losing my mind and my sense of reality. The thought that everything I know about the world is false, and that reality is hostile. Possession scared the utter crap out of me. Not just because of the tense atmosphere, amazing acting, and splendid creature effects, but because it portrays a world that is just slightly off-kilter; A heightened reality that resemble ours, but with something horrific writhing under the surface. 

I completely doubt that this movie will have the same effect on you; but I can guarantee that it will, at the least, be a very disorienting experience. I don’t want to spoil anything for you, so I suggest finding the movie any way you can.

If you are ready for it…

Rating: 5/5

A Look Back At ‘The Blair Witch Project’ In Preparation for 2016’s ‘Blair Witch’

Originally published here: https://addictedtohorrormovies.com/2016/08/01/a-look-back-at-the-blair-witch-project-in-preparation-for-2016s-blair-witch/

A Look Back At ‘The Blair Witch Project’ In Preparation for 2016’s ‘Blair Witch’

Looking back, the world seemed like a much more innocent place in 1999. Which is, of course, a rose-tinted fallacy. Still, things were much different. Not everybody had the internet, for one thing. Which is why The Blair Witch Project could succeed in fooling much of the populace into believing that the film was real. With a genius ad campaign that took advantage of the infantile World Wide Web, and a believable documentary about the search for the missing college kids, many of us entered the theaters believing that we were about to see literal ‘found footage.’

Since a new addition to the Blair Witch saga is about to be released nationwide, I decided to revisit the original film for the first time in many years. I was delighted and surprised to find that it still holds up as my second favorite found footage film (the top spot goes to a Japanese film from 2005 called Noroi: The Curse). 

The first thing that struck me on this re-watch of TBWP was the refreshingly lackadaisical approach to narrative cohesion. Compared to many current found footage films aimed at short attention spans (leaving few, if any, questions unanswered), the viewer is forced to do a little work if he/she wants to catch everything. There is a shot near the beginning of the film of Mikey pulling in to Heather’s driveway (it is obvious that they have known each other for a while, as Heather jokingly refers to him as, ‘Mr. Punctuality’), followed by a shot of Heather meeting him for the first time outside his mothers house. Despite this chaotic chronology, we get to know the characters surprisingly well on their first day of shooting. Heather is the dominant force, Josh is the wacky stoner, and Mikey is the innocent.

TBWP uses some classic horror film techniques to achieve its power. There is some excellent foreshadowing, such as a crying baby yelling “no no no” when Mommy starts telling a story about the mysterious witch in the woods. One interview subject even spoils the ending of the movie (guy in the yellow hat). Does this detract from the power of the final shot? Not in the least.

TBWP even has memorable minor characters, which you won’t find in many found footage films these days. Even more impressive is the fact that most of them are non-actors. Case in point: Mary Brown. This hauntingly disturbed woman was played by a production assistant.

Many of the things that make TBWP succeed would not work well today. For instance, while cell phones were prevalent in the late 90’s, they were not the all powerful machines they are now. In fact, GPS would have solved all of the trio’s problems in TBWP, so it will be interesting to see how that is handled in the upcoming Blair Witch film. 

Usually, in horror films, we question the actions of the characters because there is usually an obvious way out. Don’t go upstairs, go out the outside, leave the light on, etc. But there is no way out in TBWP. These people are trapped in the middle of the woods without a clue. A headstrong (bordering on annoying, many would say) person like Heather has to be the MC for this film to remain credible. She remains rational for much longer than anyone else in the film, and much longer than many of us would if we were in her shoes. If she wasn’t leading the group aimlessly though the woods with the hope of redemption being right around the next bend, then we wouldn’t have a film.

Something that many people have a problem with when it comes to found footage films is the question of why a character would keep holding a camera while being attacked by some malevolent force. Refreshingly, TBWP has more “turn the camera off” talk than any other found footage film I’ve seen. The guys are constantly berating Heather for filming their terror. And her excuse is as simple as it is sensible. At one point Mike says, “We’re not making a film about us getting lost, were making a film about a witch.”

Heather pauses for a second, then says, “I got a camera…”

Later, Josh expounds on why Heather refuses to stop filming the tragic events. “It’s not quite reality. It’s like a totally filtered reality. It’s like you can pretend everything’s not quite the way it is.” Indeed.

The biggest thing that I took away from watching TBWP for the umpteenth time is this: More directors need to keep their actors in the dark about what is going to happen to them! The actors in TBWP were pretty much stranded in the forest without much food for much of the production. They didn’t know what kinds of tricks the crew were going to pull on them in the middle of the night. The disorienting feeling that the cast feels is contagious, and we, as viewers, feel just as lost and helpless as Heather, Josh, and Mike. Would abandoning your cast in the middle of the woods with barely any food fly these days? Let’s hope so.

Judging from the trailer for the new Blair Witch film, we look to be in for a more dirty, bloody, and loud experience than the original. There are a few reviews out that are quite positive, and I, for one, am very excited. Let’s just hope that the subtlety and nuance of TBWP isn’t completely replaced with tired jump scares and excessive gore. 

Creepy Indie Movie ‘Flytrap’ Will Keep You Guessing

Originally published here: https://addictedtohorrormovies.com/2016/08/31/creepy-indie-movie-flytrap-will-keep-you-guessing-review/

Directed/Written By: Stephen David Brooks

Starring: Jeremy Crutchley, Ina-Alice Kopp, Jonah Blechman

What a surprising little gem this turned out to be! 

I have always subscribed to the notion that one doesn’t need a huge budget and big-name stars in order to make a compelling movie, and Stephen David Brooks and co. have created a smart, scary, moving, and often times hilarious film with meager means. 

This film brings to mind a number of influences, not all of them cinema-related. Think After Hours as written by H.P. Lovecraft and directed by David Lynch. I don’t want to spoil too much of the story (because it is such a good one that you really should go in blind), but it involves a man that unwittingly encounters problem after problem. There are cosmic forces at work here, which we see hints of throughout the movie, but the real terror is in the mundane details of the “American Dream” lifestyle that Flytrap so deftly dismembers. 

That’s right, not only is this indie gem a thrilling ride, it also has some things to say. Throughout the film I detected subtle and not so subtle jabs at gender roles, the vapidness of Hollywood, and the nuclear family. There is more going on beneath the surface than first appears, and I cant wait to give Flytrap another watch. 

Flytrap works because of the tight script, the dedication of the actors to a strange and engrossing premise, and a synchronicity between the camera work and the score. You can tell that Brooks is a craftsman that takes a lot of care when composing each shot, and choosing where to place the creepy piano/string music. The movie also manages to tell a story using a single location as well as the original Saw did. 

The only reason I am deducting a point is due to a somewhat disappointing ending. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t just END (expecting you to “leave the rest to your imagination”, a lazy and hackneyed thing that too many directors like to do these days), but it does leave a few questions unanswered. It just makes me wish that there had been a slightly bigger budget, because I wanted to see more of this world! 

I highly recommend seeing Flytrap when it gets a general release, especially if you are a fan of my two favorite “L’s” – Lynch and Lovecraft.

4/5 Stars

What a Japanese recluse can teach an American mass-murderer

The first definition of antisocial is: Shunning contact with others.

In Tokyo, Japan; a megalopolis with almost twice the population of New York City, a man in his mid-20’s has not left home in months, save for the occasional trip to an all-night corner store. He spends all of his time playing video games, reading comics, or “socializing” in online chat-rooms. The state of his cramped apartment is that of a not-so-severe episode of Hoarders, and the last time he left was only to stock up on comics and non-perishable foods. He has few friends, unless you count the faceless multitude he chats with online. He is, for all intents and purposes, a hermit. For many reasons he feels society has rejected him, and like a growing number of Japanese citizens, he has decided to withdraw from it. He feels that people, in general, are insidious, untrustworthy, and evil.

The second definition of antisocial is: Being hostile to or disruptive of normal standards of social behavior.

In Isla Vista, California, a 22-year-old named Elliot Rodger stabbed three men to death. He then posted a video to Youtube explaining how humanity treated him unfairly, and how people were like a virus that needed be erased. After he posted the video he went to a nearby sorority house and shot two students, then continued his rampage throughout the city, running over bystanders in the BMW that his parents bought him. When the dust finally settled, Rodger had killed six people and injured thirteen, before turning the gun on himself. He decided to commit these crimes because he felt rejected by society. People, to Rodger, tended to be insidious, untrustworthy, and evil.  

Each story mentioned above takes its definition of antisocial to the furthest extreme. In fact, the motives behind the Japanese man holing himself up, and Elliot Rodger’s killing spree, are strikingly similar. Why did these two comparably tortured souls take drastically different approaches to appeasing themselves?

In 1998 the Japanese psychiatrist Tamaki Saitō invented the term hikikomori, referring to a condition characterized by a state of social withdrawal and avoidance (education, work, friendships) combined with a persistent isolation and confinement in the own home for at least 6 months. These hikikomori react to the pressures of the outside world by complete social withdrawal. It is estimated that there are between 500,000 and two million hikikomori in Japan, but considering that many of them are hidden away, and reluctant to talk, it is extremely difficult to gauge the number accurately.

These hikikomori that feel rejected by society retreat inward and stay there, while many Americans that feel the same way advance outward and take revenge. 

Lets take a look at some of the commonalities that hikikomori and spree-killers share… 

Both tend to: 

Be male, between the ages of twenty and thirty-five.

Play violent video games.

Suffer from increasingly poor job markets.

Be victims of bullying.

Come from middle, and upper-middle-class families.

They share many commonalities, but two very different reactions. The difference seems to do in-part with the way the two societies view the importance of social hierarchies.  

The American victim of bullying may retaliate because of the shame that comes with losing social status. They must keep up appearances. In a society that preaches individuality and advocates creative freedom, Americans tend to center their lives around personal relationships and the networking that cultivates these relationships. A painful breakup,for instance, will usually be taken harder than the disgrace of a failed exam. Most people would deal with either of these in a myriad of ways ranging from taking a long walk, to taking hard drugs. Then there are those few that decide to shoot up a school or a movie theater. Many mass shooters, rather than wanting to be alone, have a history of struggling to connect. This ties in to a uniquely American obsession with fame, or infamy. Rising to the top of the social ladder, being notorious, achieving “legendary status” - all of this is very glamorous in our culture. If a person feels rejected by society, seeing their chance of making a mark on it dwindling, they might take drastic measures to make sure that they are remembered. 

In Japan the prevailing philosophy is that of Confucius, who's teachings de-emphasize the individual, and favor the conformist stance. The way to a happy life is to fit in, to be one of the many, to not make waves. Although bullying is prevalent in both societies, Japanese victims don’t tend to retaliate with violence because they do not hold such high importance on social status. Being at the top of a school pecking order would mean sticking out. A Japanese victim of bullying might be more worried about bringing shame to his family, than the damage it would inflict personally. It is no wonder why so many retreat inward, and stay there. A hikikomori is trying to erase any trace of existence, instead of leaving a blood-stained mark in the history books. 

If Elliot Rodger decided to turn the gun on himself before taking innocent lives, it would be a much less heart breaking story. In fact, if it played out this way in Japan, it would be almost common. This isn’t to say that many socially rejected Americans don’t commit suicide without taking others with them, but statistically it is more often the other way around. 

The suicide rate in America is 12.5, In Japan it’s 21.4.

Conversely, The murder rate in America is 4.7, and in Japan it’s 0.3.

The evolution of a mass-shooter and a hikikomori is so often the same, a sad story of social rejection and self-inflicted pain. The Japanese author Ryu Murakami writes: “Japan should develop into a society in which each member is able to set his or her own aims.” - In essence, to put more emphasis on the individual, as America does. Is there a happy medium to be found between these two schools of thought?

 Technology has given us access to inter-continental communication. A modern day hermit in Japan might be, at this moment, chatting online to an American with murder on his mind. Maybe they can empathize with each other's similar plights, lessening the pain that, to them, feels inescapable.   

New novel

Started my new novel today, the day after finishing the 2nd draft of my first one. I din't think that I was going to be able to jump right in like I did, but it felt great. Got a little over 1k words down. I type on a discontinued word processor called an Alphasmart Neo, because I get too distracted by the internet when I use the computer. If my handwriting wasn't unreadable, I'd do it that way.

This new one (as yet untitled) is going to involve a Japanese cult that kidnaps an American rapper. The protagonist is a young woman named Kaori who is an ex-member of the cult. I think she might save the rapper, I'm not sure. She is a virgin, and the cult has messed her head up quite a bit. I want to novel to read like vaporwave music makes me feel. I am very inspired by the films of Sion Sono. Here are some images from some of his movies and other shots of how I want the novel to feel

*********************************************************************************

Now what?

I finished the 2nd draft of my short horror novel tentatively titled How We Became This Thing, and have been looking around Goodreads and other forums for beta readers. I found one so far.

The book is only 45k words at the moment. Too long for a novella, and too short for a "proper" novel. Since reading it over for the fourth or fifth time before sending it to the beta reader, I came to the conclusion that it was shit. Utter garbage. The ending is awful and anticlimactic. All of the characters except for the protagonist are one dimensional. It's too damn short, or too damn long.

Then again, what do I know? Make the microscope bigger and bigger until you can find anything. I am already excited to write the next one, that's what it is. It is going to be Blue.

I'll start this off with a rejection.

My first. I pooped my cherry. I mean popped. About ten times in one day. It was actually kind of like the first time I had sex. After the experience, I immediately wanted do it again and again and again.
The story is about a couple that make a fake snuff film together. The only publisher that gave me feedback said that the ending was crap (which is true), and the formatting was terrible (I had to transfer from scrivener to a Word file, and I don't have Word on my mac). They would, however, love to take my story if I fixed those issues.

Maybe later. I've found it really tough to go back and edit after about draft 3. By that time, I am sick of the story.

That is all I have to say, here is a thing:

Lipstick

Lipstick

Lipstick

Green prairie seabed 

Sony Genesis 

Revolving aquarium Blue love seabed

Dirty monkey yoga fucking

Splinter in the head, seabed

Yours

Truly