Monthly Archives: April 2021

Book Review: Deathless Divide (Dread Nation #2) by Justina Ireland

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Deathless Divide ( Dread Nation #2)

Authors: Justina Ireland

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

American release date: April 6, 2021

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Young Adult Zombie Fiction/560 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Civil War has been called… on account of the dead! Ever since the dead first began to rise from the fields of Gettysburg, nothing has been the same. But sadly, some things do remain the same. Slavery may be illegal, but blacks and Indians are still downtrodden, second-class citizens, and they’re being thrown into the front lines to combat the dead menace.

Jane McKeene and Katherine Devereaux have been trained at the renowned Miss Preston’s School for Combat in Baltimore. But Jane’s impulsive and rash nature in regards to a certain young man named Jackson see them shipped out West to a supposed haven from the dead by the name of Summerland. Unfortunately, this is not the paradise it was intended to be. Things go from bad to worse, and the girls and their friends escape and head out to nearby Nicodemus.

As they travel, Jackson suddenly tries to dissuade them from going to Nicodemus, which makes no sense to Jane, but the stubborn boy refuses to talk… until he does, and what he tells her well nigh breaks her heart. No wonder he didn’t want to let her know the truth. Why did she ever trust him to begin  with?

The road to Nicodemus is not an easy one, and along the way, they lose someone they care about. When they finally reach Nicodemus they learn that Daniel Redfern is the mayor—how crazy is that?—and a number of refugees from Summerland are here as well. Which begs the question how long before this town run by blacks will be in the hands of the whites? And what can be done to combat that?

Quick thinking by Jane allows Katherine to pass as white, and she is sent to the nicer part of town, while the other girls end up bedding down in the local brothel, run by the Duchess. Jane is not surprised to see Gideon here, but is surprised to learn he’s made this a base of operations for some time. And he’s still hot on vaccinating anybody and everybody he can. Thanks to a terrible error of judgment on Gideon’s part, Nicodemus is overrun by the dead, who have become surely more savvy than before,  and while trying to escape, the unthinkable happens when Jane is bitten.

The second volume of the Dread Nation duology is written in two perspectives, both Jane’s and Katherine’s, where the first book was all in Jane’s voice. That becomes necessary when the friends are separated, beginning their own journeys.

I enjoyed hearing Katherine’s voice and learn more about her in her own words. She and Jane are so different from one another, but perhaps therein lies the attraction. Difficult times bring out the best and the worst in people, and that is very obvious in this book, as it was in the first. As abhorrent as the people of Summerland were, the people of Nicodemus are every bit as horrible with a few exceptions. And, as usual, Jane keeps putting herself behind the eight ball, so to speak, because that is how she is—strong-minded, and unwilling to let an injustice go unpunished. Even so, something happens which changes Jane, not necessarily for the better, and it will take everything these two girls possess to overcome this divide that has grown between them.

The second book is every bit as good as the first, and although there are no signs of a third book, the ending leaves that open to change, at least in my eyes. There is also a side book I intend to read, Three For the Road.

If you enjoyed Dread Nation, you are sure to love Deathless Divide. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Wednesday Briefs: April 28, 2021

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Super Trooper #66 (15.3) by Julie Lynn Hayes

Everything had gone perfectly today, just as Evan hoped it would. It had been difficult to send Chan off to work looking like a wounded puppy because no one had acknowledged his birthday. But that would have given everything away, and he was sure his lover forgave him for that now.

Laksha had begun to bake as soon as Chan was out of sight. The result was the most beautiful carrot cake Evan had ever seen, completely with traditional fondant decorations. She seemed pleased with the praised he heaped on her, and helped him to prep for the food he was going to make for Chan’s birthday lunch. He couldn’t even pronounce the name of the main dish when he started, but with

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No more Irregulars for me and other shows I am enjoying (x-posted at Full Moon Dreaming)

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by Julie Lynn Hayes

It’s been a while since I talked about what I’m watching. Of course I can’t go back and  pick up what I missed, but I can move forward. Starting with my decision tonight to stop watching the Irregulars, a new Netflix show loosely based on the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

 


The Baker Street Irregulars are a group of street kids, led by a boy named Billy, who were utilized for their knowledge of London streets by famed private detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. John Watson. In this Netflix series, these kids are reimagined, with a young girl named Bea as their leader, and in this imagining we find a definite element of the supernatural. Edgy and youth oriented, I enjoyed it at first. After all, with sexy Royce Pierreson as Dr. Watson (last seen as Istredd on The Witcher), what can go wrong?

 

Sadly, a great deal. In this incarnation, they have completely changed Dr. Watson’s character, and are apparently portraying Sherlock as a weak, wasted drug addict (please don’t tell me he was an addict, he was high functioning and he did not spend time in opium dens). The straw that broke the camel’s back came when  I was about halfway through the fourth episode when  they introduced Inspector Lestrade as an utter asshole. I didn’t even care that they brought in one of Queen Victoria’s brood (the hemophiliac Prince Leopold) to run around with the group, although I personally don’t see that as ever happening. What I have come to realize is that this is Netflix’s version of any one of a number of shows on the CW – youth rules, age drools, that sort of thing. Bad enough what the CW did to Vampire Diaries, now Netflix is ruining Sherlock (and I won’t even consider watching Enola Holmes, not happening). So, it ends here. I can’t recommend this to anyone who enjoys watching or reading Doyle’s detective. Hard pass for me.

There is another book adaptation that Netflix is running. I just happened to read the book when I learned


about the series. You is the series in question, from the book by Caroline Kepnes. Told in the first person, it’s about a guy named Joe who works in a second-hand book store and becomes obsessed with a young female customer who enters the story by the name of Guinevere Beck. The first book in the series is all about this relationship as we quickly discover that Joe will do what it takes to get what he wants, up to and including murder.

 

****SPOILERS AHEAD*****  Joe stalks Beck, which she makes ridiculously easy by not having shades and by being something of an exhibitionist. For example, she has a little green pillow she humps when she’s horny. But she also has a friend with benefits named Benji, who is everything Joe despises. Plus he is using Beck. So he’s got to go.

Luckily the book store owner, Mr. Mooney, installed a sound proof cage in the basement where he 


keeps rare editions (although in the book, you have to take a ladder to get to them, in the series, they are reachable. Which is where Joe puts Benji, keeping him hostage until he dies from ingesting peanuts (Joe didn’t believe he had an allergy but by golly he did!)

 

Beck also has a very obnoxious, rich friend named Peach Salinger (yes, related to those Salingers), who is determined to win Beck’s heart (and body). Joe knows how to deal with her thought.  And then we have Beck’s analyst, Dr. Nicky, who is also (unknown to Beck) Joe’s analyst (played in the series by John Stamos). While he doesn’t die, he does end up framed for Beck’s murder. And that concludes the first book.

 

Now, the first season covers the first book, with some changes. In the book, Candace is dead. In the series, she comes back, and her characters is combined with Amy Adam. The second season, like the second book, sees Joe go to Hollywood where he meets Love Quinn and her brother Forty. But in this version, Joe takes the identity of a screenwriter, who he ends up trapping in the cage, now situated in a storage locker in LA) To be honest, I don’t know how that got there, but it did.

 


Other changes in the series include the addition of a young boy in the first season, Will’s neighbor’s son, who lives with his mother and her abusive boyfriend. In the second season, the writers gave Delilah a little sister, who is the object of the pedophile comedian Hendy, and Delilah is given more intelligence and less sluttiness, which apparently makes her less likeable too. I’m sure the writers had their reasons for this. I’ve finished the second book and am waiting on the third, and so far I am liking the series. Keep in mind, Joe is a sociopath. I think the addition of the young cast members was to instill some sort of humanity into someone who is a serial killer.

 

Okay, last show I want to discuss is Lilyhammer, another Netflix series. I recently watched the entire 


Sopranos series, which I received as a gift for Christmas, and I loved it! I was sorry to see it end. Then one day I ran across Lilyhammer, which stars Stephen Van Zandt, who played Sil in the Sopranos. Of course I had to check it out!

 

Van Zandt plays Frank Tagliano, a New York mobster who testifies against one of his associates and demands the FBI relocate him in Lillehammer, Norway. One, because he saw the town during the Olympics and thought it was beautiful. And two, because it’s the last place in the world that anyone will look for him.

 

He is given the new name of Giovanni Henriksen, supposedly his father was Norwegian, but he likes to go by Johnny. Johnny has to learn a new language and a new culture in order to make his way in his new homeland. Of course, you can take the guy out of the mob, but you can’t take the mob out of the guy…

C’mon, is anyone really surprised? This is SIl we’re taking about lol

 


He’s intent on learning the language and studies diligently.  New in town, he meets single mother Sigrid Haugli (Marian Saastad Ottesen) and is attracted to her. He also makes some new business associates of his own and sets himself up in business. But his time as a wise guy is far from wasted as he uses his experience to get ahead in this new world he finds himself. in.

 

I have only seen four episodes but I love it already and am looking forward to more. Johhny, aka Stephen Van Zandt, is utterly adorable. There are lots of laughs, as well as some very romantic moments. Johnny’s next door neighbor turns out to be the chief of police, and she is very suspicious of him. In one episode, they decide he’s actually an Arab terrorist!  lol This series is fun for all.

All right, that’s it for now. I hope to talk about The Magicians soon (which I am rewatching) and Castlevania (which I will watch again since season 4 comes out May 13) and The Witcher (which I’ve seen six times now and have no idea when the second season is coming).

Saturday is Horror Day #8 (x-posted at Full Moon Dreaming) – Swiss Army Man, The Babadook

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Reviewed by: Julie Lynn Hayes

 Swiss Army Man

Stranded and alone and sure he will never be found or loved again, Hank (Paul Dano) decides to take his own life. Poised on the top of his cooler, his head in the noose, he suddenly spies what seems to be another person washed up on the beach. Almost killing himself to reach that person, he discovers what appears to be a corpse. But appearances can be deceiving, as Hank discovers when the corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) begins to convulse.

 

Beside himself with joy at no longer being alone, Hank discovers that his newfound friend is very flatulent, even if silent. Harnessing the power of his flatulence, Hank finds himself on top of the corpse, whom he names Manny, and is swiftly cutting across the water thanks to his strong gassiness.

 

Hank and Manny thus begin their long journey together, during which Hank discovers all sorts of uses for Manny, in the strange powers he possesses – much like a Swiss Army knife. Manny’s spit is fresh water for Hank, and he can break things with his hands. When Manny spies Hank’s phone, he asks about the girl in the picture. Hank is embarrassed to admit she’s a random girl on the bus he has always been too scared to speak to. He leads Manny to believe the phone is his, and the girl is his sweetheart, giving Manny something to look forward to when they get home.

All right, maybe strictly speaking this isn’t a horror film, but it has a dead guy in it who talks and a 

whole lot more, so I’m including it. And hey, it’s Daniel Radcliffe, whom we saw last week in The Woman in Black. This was a surprisingly different movie than I expected. I think it’s much deeper than strictly the story of a farting corpse. I believe it’s Hank’s journey to find himself, and to work through all the angst in his life. Interpret the ending however you like, but this film will make you think about a lot of things.

The Babadook

Amelia Vanek(Essie Davis) is a single mother doing her best to raise her seven-year-old son Samuel (Noah Wiseman) on her own. Her husband was killed on the night Samuel was born, while driving AMelia to the hospital. Samuel is a very bright, creative boy who loves his mother dearly, but finds himself shunned by the other children and their mothers because they find him to be too different.

 

While Amelia loves her son, she has never gotten over the death of her husband, and she finds herself stressed all the time, which isn’t helped by Samuel’s clinginess, and the way he ends up in her bed because of his vivid imagination. He finds a book on the shelf which he requests she read to him, so she does, about someone called Mr. Babadook. For a children’s book, it sounds scary, and she isn’t sure it’s appropriate for her son. That idea is reinforced when he becomes convinced that the Babdook will get them if she lets him in.

 

The situation goes from bad to worse as Amelia’s friends don’t want to have her son around, his behavior gets him removed from school, and she doesn’t know how to deal with his nightmares, and his insistence that he will save her from the mysterious Babdook. Sometimes, she just wishes, her husband hadn’t been the one to die that night….

The Babdook is a gripping story about a woman who is trying to cope with stress/PTSD and unresolved grief, and then is faced with a supernatural creature who seems to want to take her son. Amelia is doing the best she can, but her continued lack of proper sleep puts them all in grave danger, as she becomes more and more unable to cope with the reality of her life. As the film progresses, we see a reversal in the roles of Amelia and Samuel as she regresses and he becomes more and more determined to protect the mother he loves.

This is a film that really begs to be paid attention to. It’s deeper than you might think it is. I would give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. But don’t look for a sequel, there won’t be one.

Wednesday Briefs: April 21, 2021

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Super Trooper #65 (15.2) by Julie Lynn Hayes

Chan’s unhappiness over the day’s events—or rather the lack thereof—grew even greater when he arrived at work to find it was just another ordinary day on the job. Not one happy birthday in the bunch, just business as usual. He tried hard not to be grumpy or morose, but he found that difficult to do when everyone else was just so full of smiles and sunshine.

He hadn’t brought a lunch, thinking someone would treat him for his birthday, as was the usual custom among his fellow employees. But when an offer wasn’t forthcoming, he finally decided what the heck, he’d just do something for himself. Why not? Even if no one else realized what day it was, he did.

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Saturday is Horror Day #7 – The Woman in Black (1989), The Dentist (x-posted at Full Moon Dreaming)

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Reviewed by: Julie Lynn Hayes

The Woman in Black (1989) 

 


Grieving widower Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is sent on business to a remote region, leaving his son Joseph with the nanny. He promises Joseph they will be reunited in just a few days when the nanny brings him on the train to meet him. Arthur is a solicitor who has to go through all the papers left on an estate, which is a tall order indeed. On his arrival, Arthur gets the distinct impression that no one wants him there. His room reservations suddenly don’t exist, and everyone seems determined to put him on the next train back to London. But Arthur isn’t one to give up quite so easily.

 

 


On the train, he strikes up an acquaintance with a man from the village, Sam Daily (Ciaran Hinds). Hitting it off, Sam invites Arthur to dinner the following night and Arthur agrees. The estate where Arthur is to work is sadly neglected and very desolate. And yet Arthur spies a woman on the property, one dressed entirely in black. On his return to the village, he happens to be at the constable’s office when two young boys bring in a girl who is in a bad way, having apparently drunk lye. Before Arthur can even think what to do, the girl dies in his arms. And now the villagers are more adamant than ever that he must go, that it’s his fault the girl died.

 

When he goes to dinner at the house of his new friend, Sam warns Arthur not to talk about children, if at all possible. He and his wife (Janet McTeer) lost their son, Nathaniel, and he doesn’t wish to distress her. But Arthur learns there is more to that story when, at the dinner table, Mrs. Daily talks of how her son liked to draw and still does and then proceeds to jab a knife into the wood table, gouging it severely before her husband calms her down.

 

Sam doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but since his wife’s death, Arthur isn’t so sure. And now he’s seeing and hearing things that make him wonder who is the woman in black, and what does she have to do with the deaths of the children?

I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect of this film, or of Daniel Radcliffe. I was just beginning to think it a run of the mill gothic when suddenly it wasn’t. And yes, I’ll admit I jumped at least once. The premise has been used before. We saw it in Dracula with Jonathan Harker going to Dracula’s estate in order to discuss legal matters with him. But this version sees Radcliffe as a grieving widower trying to deal with the loss of his wife while raising the son he loves more than anything.

This film has a definite Gothic atmosphere, and a rather creepy vibe as we watch Arthur become sidetracked from his duties by the mystery of the woman in black, whom he has seen more than once. And every time he sees her, another child dies. I really liked it, and definitely didn’t see the ending coming. Definitely worth the watch, I give it a pretty solid 4 stars.

The Dentist

 


Dr. Alan Feinstone (Corbin Bernsen) is a successful dentist with more than just a cleanliness fetish – he absolutely abhors anything that is even a little dirty. Finding out that his young blonde wife is cheating on him, with no less than the pool man, who is filthy and dirty by the very nature of what he does, sends Alan careening over the edge, spiraling into madness… and revenge.

While spying on the pool man at his neighbor’s house (she’s also carrying on with the man), the good

 


doctor is attacked by her dog, whom he dispatches with cold efficiency. Long overdue at the office, his 


patients are growing impatient, and his loyal office staff is trying to placate them. When the doctor is finally in, he starts to keep his appointments, including that of a budding starlet, April Reign (Christa Sauls) who has been brought by her manager, Steve (Mark Ruffalo). Upset over the perfidy of his wife, the doctor hallucinates and begins to molest the poor woman while in the chair. He comes to himself to find her panty hose on the floor, her bra undone. He hastily tries to make repairs, but ends up shoving the panty hose under the table, and telling her manager to take her out for fresh air as she’s had a bad reaction to something.

As if things weren’t difficult enough, the doctor has been dodging calls from an IRS agent, until the agent shows up on his doorstep and can’t be ignored any longer. How will he deal with him, with so much on his plate?


Luring his unsuspecting cheating wife to his office under the pretext they are going out, he introduces her to a new chair he’s had installed at his office, and to a rather unusual producedure. Later he takes her home and wreaks vengeance on the hapless pool man.

The doctor can’t seem to catch a break, and people are catching on. So, like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps going and going and…

This was an interesting role to see Corbin Bernsen play, as I mostly known him from his stint as the sleazy divorce lawyer Arnie Becker on LA Law. I think he was already not too tightly wound from the beginning with his compulsions and his visions, but the discovery of his wife’s adultery caused him to snap. I think the strength of this film lies in trying to figure out just how far this crazy dentist will go to get revenge, no matter who gets hurt. Not a great film, but I do intend to watch the sequel. I’ll give it a solid 3 stars.

Book Review: Bleach, Vol 34 by Tite Kubo

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Bleach, Vol 34       

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: March 1, 2011

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/216 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Nel’s transformation has taken Ichigo and everyone else by surprise as she goes from young child to voluptuous fighting woman in a heartbeat! Pesche and Dondochakka also turn out to be more than they seem. Indeed they are true friends and loyal followers and protectors of Nel. As Nel battles Nnoitora, in her Capricorn Knight form, you can almost feel the fear that radiates from him. Apparently he hasn’t missed her presence ever since she almost beat him down once before.

Pesche and Dondochakka attack Szayelaporro, who has vastly underestimated them, not knowing they have been training for years. After Nnoitora unexpectedly causes Nel to revert to her childlike state, he tells Tesla to do what he wants with all of them, he is done. Now Ichigo must face the Armored Tusk Warrior, and Ichigo is in bad shape already.

Szayelaporro deals with Nel’s two friends and is about to put an end to Ichigo when salvation unexpectedly arrives in the form of Kenpachi. A confused Ichigo asks how can he be there, since the captains have been forbidden to help him. Kenpachi explains that it has to do with Uruhara, who was working to stabilize a safe path to Hueco Mundo for the captains, but that Orihime being snatched forced them to speed up the timetable.

The other captains begin to arrive – Unohana, Byakuya, and Kurotsuchi. They are faced by Zommari Rureaux, the number seven Espada

Let the battles begin!

Another action-packed, battle-filled volume of Bleach. Watching Nel and her friends reveal their true selves is pretty awesome. Also, the fortuitous arrival of Kenpachi to save the day! Not exactly an altruistic fellow, I imagine he’s saving Ichigo so he will have the pleasure of battling him again. Look for a brief appearance by Yuchiro as well! Byakuya shows why he has the reputation he has with some pretty awesome moves against Rureaux, and also reveals he is not entirely cold-hearted. But, in my opinion, it is the under-utilized Kurotsuchi who steals the show. We don’t get to see him fight very often, but don’t underestimate him. He takes advantage of a bacteria he planted in the unknowing Uryu in order to gain advance information on the enemy, and that move certainly pays off. Not only does he display his devious skill set but he reaffirms what a cold being he is. His coup de grace against Szayelaporro is priceless!

Hopefully we’ll get to see more of the captains in the next volume, especially Shunsui! I enjoyed this volume of Bleach, look forward to the next one!

Wednesday Briefs: April 14, 2021

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

 

Ancalagon: Chapter Thirty-four by Cia Nordwell
 

Garjah knelt between my legs. I slowly pushed up on the bunk so I could pivot on a knee and then face away. My breath sawed in and out of my chest, and I moved almost as slow as I had when the gravity had pressed down on me. I gripped the top edge of the bunk with my arms, and balanced on my other forearms, lowering my torso toward the soft surface.  

“Like this?” I murmured.  

“Yes.” Garjah grunted the word. He leaned forward, tracing one hand over my back. “Your color is amazing. So pink.” He brought his

 
 

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Book Review: Skip Beat! Vol 1 by Yoshiki Nakamura

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Skip Beat! Vol 1     

Author: Yoshiki Nakamura

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: July 5, 2006

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Shojo Manga/Supernatural/184 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Kyoko and Sho have known each other since they were children, practically raised together. So when Sho, pursuing his dreams of stardom by moving to Tokyo, asks Kyoko to go with him, how can she say no? Forgoing high school, the sixteen-year-old gets a job and works hard to support them both, while Sho works at becoming a famous musician. Kyoko remains in the background as he grows in popularity, and has to endure hearing other girls talk about Sho and the things they wish they could do with him. But Kyoko knows that when he isn’t on tour, it’s her he comes home to.

Until one day she overhears Sho and his manager talking about her, and she learns that she is only a housemaid to Sho! Angry and hurt, she confronts him, but he doesn’t even seem to care. How could she have been so blind? He taunts her by saying that if she wants to get revenge on him, she should go into show business and become better than him.

Revenge is on!

Kyoko hasn’t got the faintest idea of how to become a celebrity, and has no particular talent. But that doesn’t stop her. Selling the Sho merchandise she has accumulated, she gets a complete makeover, turning from brunette to blonde. Then she goes to one of the two top talent agencies, the one that isn’t Sho’s but is home to his biggest rival, Ren Tsuruga. Ren is far above Sho, which has always griped the selfish singer to no end.

No talent? No problem! Kyoko is sure that sheer determination and spunk will get her where she wants to go! She is so focused, she is downright scary!

I am actually re-reading this series, and I totally love it! The only minor complaint I have about the artwork is that everyone has really weirdly pointy chins. But in the scheme of things I can forgive that as it’s a really good manga. Kyoko is a strong female character, but she is far from perfect, although she is rather naïve. At heart, she’s a very good girl, but Sho has hurt her, and there is a very thin line between love and hate. In this first volume, we meet some of the people who will become pivotal to Kyoko in the future, including the eccentric head of L.M.E. Talent Agency, Lorry. Also Ren Tsuruga and Kanae Kotonami.

Kyoko learns that guts will only get her so far. She has to develop whatever talents she possesses in order to succeed with her chosen revenge on Sho. In the process, she may just find who she truly is. On to the next volume!

Saturday is Horror Day #6 – Absentia, The House of the Devil (x-posted at Full Moon Dreaming)

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Reviewed by: Julie Lynn Hayes

Absentia (2011)

Seven years have passed since Tricia’s husband Daniel went missing. Seven long years of wondering what the hell happened, where did he go, and why. Finally, Tricia decides it’s time to move on and have Daniel declared dead in absentia, since it’s clear he isn’t coming back, for whatever reason. Tricia’s sister Callie joins her in order to help her move on. Callie is something of a wanderer, flitting about from place to place, setting down no permanent roots. And she was a junkie, but she’s clean now and she’s found religion. Also, Tricia is pregnant, but she is reticent about revealing the name of her baby daddy.

Strange things begin to happen. Tricia thinks she sees her missing husband and he terrifies her. Her

therapist assures her it’s just the stress of finally declaring him dead that has triggered these sightings. While on a run, Callie encounters a strange man in a nearby tunnel. His first question to her is, “You can see me?” He creeps her out and she goes on her way, but returns later, with food for the man, as her Christian duty. But he isn’t there.

And then the unexplainable occurs… Daniel returns. 

Tricia’s world seems to be falling apart. Daniel doesn’t seem to be the same man, and she is torn between her husband and the father of her baby. Something very odd is going on, to say the least, but what is she supposed to do?

 

Absentia is a very quiet kind of psychological horror film which revolves around the resolution of grief, never an easy task.  There are some creepy moments, but nothing overtly horrifying. And yet at the same time, the premise is horrifying as we try to suss out what happened to Daniel, and can it happen again? To him… or anyone? The mind sometimes finds certain facts or suppositions difficult to accept. But the easy answer is not always the right one.

This was a good film, worth watching. Decide for yourself what happened. And think twice about entering creepy tunnels. I give this film 3.5 stars.

House of the Devil (2009)

Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) is a college sophomore who longs to move out of the dorm she shares with her friend Megan (Greta Gerwig) and into her own place, one where she won’t have to worry about not getting into her own room because her roommate is entertaining. She finds a great apartment with a very understanding landlady (Dee Wallace) who only asks for $300 first month rent, no down payment. The trouble is Samantha needs the money by Monday and today is Wednesday. She has to do something fast!

An answer to her prayers arrives in the form of an advertisement on campus for a babysitter. One night only for $100. Seems too good to be true… and it is. When Megan drops Samantha off at the house in the middle of nowhere, she tries to persuade Samantha it’s not a good idea, but Samantha is stubborn. They both go into the house and meet the man who placed the ad, Mr. Ulman (Tom Noonan, who played Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon). But here’s the catch. Turns out there is no child, just an elderly woman. When Samantha balks, Mr. Ulman increases his offer. Finally, Samantha demands and receives $400. What the heck, it’s just for a few hours. She’ll watch TV and come home with the money she needs.

If only life were that simple….

This is one of those films where you wonder how anyone can ignore so many red flags. Seriously?

Granted, this takes place in the 1980s, so no cell phones, no Internet, only rotary phones and Walkman. Even so, Samantha ignores the signs that even her roommate catches on to, such as the way the guy stood her up initially. His willingness to pay so much for a few hours work (in the 80s, mind you).  If it seems too good to be true, then you can bet it is too good to be true and you should look that gift horse in the mouth.

By the way, look for Mary Woronov of Eating Raoul in the role of Mrs. Ulman, and also the aforementioned cameo by Dee Wallace (ET). I think I spent more time waiting for the other shoe to drop than anything else. Lots of suspense, that’s for sure. The night this all occurs also just happens to be the night of a major lunar eclipse, which is the big thing on everyone’s mind. So, of course, one’s mind runs to what sorts of things occur during supernatural events. 

Certainly not the worst film ever, though hardly the best. Decent production values, and some good music, including The Fixx playing One Thing Leads to Another. I’ll give it 3 stars. And I’ll just add pay attention to the ending.