Well, obviously, I think it is. I mean, look around this place :)
Over the years of writing/promoting "The Coming Evil", I've often used the term "Christian Horror". Mainly as a means of getting people's attention. You can't hardly walk up to someone with a straight face and say "Hey, I write Christian Horror" without them looking at you all bug-eyed and immediately asking "What's that?" Which gives me a perfect opportunity to tell them about my book :) But I've had to do my fair share of defending. I have been told on numerous occasions that the term is an oxymoron, that it's impossible (to which I say "bah!"), or that it's just plain wrong. I think the reasoning behind that response is that some people just don't understand "horror" (well, Christians, anyway. The horror fans have problems understanding or recognizing what Biblical Christianity is meant to be, but that's a blog for another day :p).
Recently over at the Cloud Ten Pictures Blog, there's been just a bit of controversy surrounding their upcoming release Dangerous Calling. It's a pretty good little movie that's been getting a lot of buzz. Kind of an exaggerated "Psycho" version of what happens when legalism and church politics get way out of hand. "Dangerous Calling" is more of a thriller (no supernatural elements, ya know), but some Christians are fearful that it's too close to the realm of "horror", which has led some to speculate -- "Is Christian Horror a good thing?"
Normally I'm not one for debate. Everybody's got an opinion and when we all jump to say ours (especially here on the internets) we get so caught up in hearing ourselves talk that we just start shouting over one another and things get heated and dramatic when they really shouldn't--especially among brother and sister believers. But, for awhile now, I've wanted to write a blog about what "Christian Horror" means to me. Because, it's not just a marketing label, but something that I live and breathe and am very passionate about. I figured now was as good excuse as any to give some of my many thoughts on the topic. In light of that, here's a version of the response that I posted on the Cloud Ten Pictures blog:
One of the biggest complaints I've heard against horror movies is that they are populated by “sex, nudity, drugs, profanity, etc.” But I would say that is hardly exclusive to the “horror” genre. In fact, I’ve nearly sworn off of comedies, because, as far as I’ve seen, modern comedies are nothing but sex jokes and profanity and bong-smoking and it’s all portrayed as being “good clean fun”. But, I wouldn’t say that the entire comedy genre is hopeless or Satan’s playground. I’d just say that it’s worldly and in need of some godly influence. Horror is not defined by its sex and violence. I run into many people who, when I tell them I write horror, they think I mean Friday the 13th. But Friday the 13th does not define the genre. I look back to Frederic March’s portrayal in the 1932 film adaptation of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. What a wonderful, complex study on the struggle between the sin nature and the divine nature! I think to the Universal Monster movies. What great treasures that don’t rely on sex and violence and nudity and drugs and profanity at all. Just good stories with good messages—maybe not intended to be “Christian”, but there is definitely Christian influence in them.
I wholeheartedly understand and recommend using caution and wisdom in the kinds of horror moves one watches. As a happily married man who’d like to stay that way, the last thing I need is to see an hour and a half of some underpaid, surgically enhanced B-movie actress flaunting her naked body in my face. Discretion is absolutely needed, but, I’m not willing to rule out the genre as a whole because of those examples.
Before I had ever seen one single horror movie, I was captivated by ghost stories told around flashlight at sleepovers. I was terrified, but I wanted to hear more. I’ve always been a pretty introspective guy, and I really did a lot of soul searching into why I felt that way. I believe horror—at least for me—is about putting a face to faceless fears in life and confronting them. Fear of the unknown, of things beyond our control. Horror has always been here. “Horror” might be a bad term, because it evokes a lot of “slasher movie” images for people (which is unfortunate, because there’s so much more out there that is offered) but the essence of telling those scary stories is timeless. Even in the Bible, in 1 Peter, it says the Devil is like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Is the Devil literally a lion? Does he literally eat human flesh? I don’t think so. I think the intent in that passage is to convey a spiritual truth using fairly graphic and visceral imagery. When “horror” is at its best, isn’t it the same way? We’re using exaggerated pictures, perhaps, but what we’re saying is something of substance. What does horror say about us? Is it just rampant debauchery, as some would believe? I don’t think so. I think there are deeper questions there—people are afraid of death, afraid of that unknown. As Christians, we believe the Bible addresses those concerns with the light of truth! What more wonderful of an opportunity to go to those people who have those questions and are already looking for answers, and give them that hope in Christ? I’m not saying that “Christian Horror” as a budding genre has or always will live up to that potential, but that is certainly something I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to do. To face that fear head-on with faith and to give people looking for a way to deal with life’s difficulties some measure of hope.
That’s what writing “Christian Horror” means to me. I realize that it’s not for everyone. I’ve met Christians who have had problems breaking away from the occult in the past, and they won’t go near my work, and I encourage them not to. I wouldn’t want to cause a brother or sister to stumble. Some Christians who are recovered alcoholics are called to deal with other alcoholics, but others would find that only a greater temptation to slip back into their old habits. But, I still believe that the work is important and I’m not ready to hand over the genre to Satan or just plain worldliness. There will always be people drawn to the horror genre, and I hope that there can be mature believers waiting for them with something more than just fright-filled fun.
That’s my take on it.
Click here to read Part Two of my thoughts on "Christian Horror", entitled "The Coming Evil: Just an excuse to preach?"
If you've got an opinion you'd like to share, I'd invite you to head over to the Cloud Ten Pictures Blog (not here :p) and sound off. I'm not encouraging a flame war, here, but I think we can learn a lot from each other in civil discussion.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
"The Coming Evil: Clown Time...The Remake!"
INTRODUCTION
Sometimes you just need a break.
After spending many weeks up to my eyeballs in the Sperry novel, all the words started to swim together and I needed a chance to clear my head and catch my breath. In an effort to decompress, I returned to my favorite world "The Coming Evil" for another little tale.
I love my group of characters from "The Coming Evil" and have often joked that I could write a whole story about Dras and Rosalyn talking about bananas and it would be just as much fun for me as having them fight monsters. Well, I thought I'd put that idea into practice. Very early on, I realized that I don't know enough about bananas to carry on a whole short story, but I DO know the pain of finding out that one of your favorite childhood horror movies is about to be remade by corporate Hollywood, and that got me to thinking about how Dras might react to such news.
What emerged from that was "Clown Time...The Remake." It's a truly SHORT story with no real bearing on the mythology (though there is a setup for a future story that I'm currently writing), but it was a heckuva lot of fun to write--especially since my wife, Meghan Mitchell, makes her debut. I wrote the first half of the story before turning back to my duties on Sperry, and Meghan read what I'd written. Then, she came to me with an idea for how it should play out and I said, "Write it!" She did and I'm really honored to have her on board.
Without further ado, we present to you--"The Coming Evil: Clown Time...The Remake".
Historian’s Note: This story takes place approximately a month before the events in “The Coming Evil, Book One: The Strange Man”.
“They’re remaking Clown Time?!”
Dras Weldon reread the rather brief, though no less heartbreaking, article off ShockMasters.com, his jaw dangling near the space bar on the keyboard. Rosalyn Myers leaned over his shoulder, brushing back her long, bouncy auburn locks, as if removing the veil from the dreaded news.
Once finished pouring salt on the fresh wound, Dras scooted back out of the chair and stood, animal adrenaline coursing through him.
“I can’t believe this!” He ran his fingers through his unkempt dirty blonde hair.
“This is an outrage! A travesty to cinema!”
Rosalyn blew out a huff and flopped down in the chair, absently leaving the offending site to go check her e-mail. “You knew this would happen eventually, Dras.”
“But Clown Time! It’s sacred! You know that the director, Bruce Hobbs himself, lived out his last years around this area, right?” Dras trailed off, “Though he never returned my calls…” then resumed his exuberant tirade, “But the man was a legend! He even co-hosted a special presentation of Clown Time 2 with Edmond Ghoulie on Midnight Matinee! Bruce Hobbs offered us one of the most probing studies ever into the psyche of the repressed and downtrodden!”
Pausing in between her login name and password, Rosalyn swiveled the chair around to raise an eyebrow at Dras’ protest. “It’s a movie about a killer clown with an axe.”
Dras paced in the cramped computer room of his apartment, ranting now, “No, Rosalyn. That’s what outsiders always say.”
Rosalyn nodded, already tuning him out, going back to her e-mail.
Raving, Dras flung his arms wildly, shouting to the gods who had bestowed such cruelty, “Clown Time teaches us something, Roz. It’s a morality tale about what happens when irresponsible teenagers get caught doing nasty things when there’s an undead clown on the loose! What do you think kept me out of the North Woods all those years, huh?! That movie quite possibly saved my life!”
Dras huffed and grumbled under his breath, “Bruce Hobbs was planning on making the fifth one before he died. Leave it to those soulless Hollywood executives to take a man’s life’s work and trash it the second he croaks.”
Unable to keep a straight face, Rosalyn finally laughed. “You want me to go see it with you when it comes out?”
“No!” Dras slapped his thigh in protest. Paused. Then slumped. “You paying?”
“Would that make you feel less like you were violating your strict moral code?”
Dras collapsed on the couch, deflated, now. “Maybe. Probably not.”
“You know you’re going to see it.”
“Of course I’m going to see it,” Dras groaned, rubbing his face tiredly. “That’s why I hate myself.”
Rosalyn quickly surveyed that she had no new messages, then logged out of her e-mail. With great finality, she stood and moved toward her best friend, dropped down beside him, then laid her head on his chest. “Listen, I know what can cheer you up.”
“Stop it,” he whined. “I don’t want to be cheered up. They’ve just ruined my childhood.”
Rosalyn pushed on, ignoring him, “Why don’t we go to Dave’s and rent the original. I’ll…” she took a deep breath. “I’ll even watch it with you.”
Dras carefully craned his neck to study her with suspicious and distrusting eyes. “You will. Really.”
“Really, really. But only the original one.” Poking her finger into his chest, she reinforced, “I don’t want to watch one of those lame sequels where they shoot him into outer space or something.”
“That was Part Three,” Dras responded automatically.
“The first one, Dras.”
Dras stood, newly invigorated, and held out his hand, gentlemanly. “Then let us be off. We have a date…with death!”
* * *
Rosalyn waited like a patient parent off to the side of the racks as Dras hungrily roved over the faded VHS covers in the horror section. Corner Video Store boasted the best selection of terrible horror movies in town, and Dras melted in its glorious presence. He’d perused these shelves many a time over the years, recounting the B-movies of his youth and diving back into that pool of time, enjoying the old classics.
Rosalyn did not hold the same appreciation for monsters and ghouls and masked maniacs, but she remained tolerant. Dras zeroed in on his target and located the box for the original 1982 slasher movie extravaganza, Clown Time. Shot on a shoestring budget by Bruce Hobbs and a group of friends fresh out of film school, Clown Time told the touching tale of a simple, backwoods man-child who loved nothing more than being a clown at the annual carnival until one fateful year when cruel teenagers played a trick that ended the poor clown’s life. Twisted by the screaming void of hell, the man-child returned as Mr. Smiles—the hellbent revenge-driven psychotic clown—to punish those teenagers and their entire hormone-led ilk.
“A-ha!” Dras exclaimed, reaching out for the box.
“Great,” Rosalyn replied, crossing her arms. “Now we pick one for me.”
Dras slowly lowered his arms. “Say wha—?”
“I watch one of your movies, you watch one of mine.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Dras protested as Rosalyn began her trek over to the other side of the store—the side Dras never dared to explore. “We never agreed to that. That wasn’t part of the deal.”
“It’s only fair,” Rosalyn defended, the hint of a smile in her dark, doe eyes.
“But-but-but-”
“Oh, grow up, you big baby. It won’t kill you to watch something without a monster or spaceship in it, just this once.”
Dras stopped dead in his tracks, a frown marring his boyish features. “It might.”
Rosalyn bent down, taking stock of the selection, before making hers. She flipped the cover toward Dras and called, “Steve McQueen. Bullitt. See? No chick flick.”
Crestfallen, Dras returned his attention to Clown Time and lifted the box…to find that no tape rested behind it.
“No…” he breathed, feeling his heart stopping with cold dread. “No, it can’t be…”
Rosalyn moved to his side, casually holding her McQueen, and glanced down. “What? What’s wrong?”
Dras turned to her, his face pale and his eyes leaning towards hysteria.
“Some…someone…someone checked it out!”
Nearly toppling her, Dras rushed for the front of the store where the illustrious Dave leaned against the counter, his head swallowed up by a large headset, Metallica blaring through. Dave bopped his head, looking away from the store he was to be minding, and through the glass front, watching the traffic pass by. Dras skid to a frantic stop at the counter. “Dave! Hey, Dave!”
Dave didn’t answer. Only nodded to the ferocious beat of his metal, his eyes glassy and unresponsive, watching the world outside his video store prison.
“Hey!” Dras shouted louder, drawing the annoyed stares of the other patrons. Rosalyn grinned on his behalf and waved to them all. With pursed lips, Dras stabbed at Dave’s shoulder until the clerk finally turned around and removed one side of his headset.
“You need to check out?” Dave asked lazily.
“No,” Dras countered, offended. “I need to know who rented Clown Time.”
“Dras,” Rosalyn quietly admonished him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Dras jerked free of her grip and held a warning finger to her face. Despite his intensity, she snickered. He spun back to Dave. “I need to know.”
Dave sighed and eased his headset off to dangle around his neck. “Look, dude, I’m not really able to give out that kind of information.”
Fishing around in his Velcro wallet, Dras procured a twenty-dollar bill. He clutched the money between two fingers and made a show of sniffing it in front of Dave. Then he waved it closer to the clerk, hoping to waft the smell of cold, harsh cash in the man’s face. “How about now?”
“Dras,” Rosalyn snapped. “The movie only costs a dollar-fifty to rent in the first place. Are you nuts?”
“Quiet, Rosalyn,” he replied, cool and condescending. “This is man’s work.”
Rosalyn closed her eyes and huffed, flabbergasted.
Dave eyed the twenty dollars with barely a spike in his enthusiasm. Looking to Dras to make sure the deal was serious—to be met by Dras slowly nodding his head, as if coaxing a frightened stray cat to eat some food—the clerk reached out and snatched the bill, quickly stuffing it in his pocket before Dras had a change of heart.
“That’s right, Dave. You treat yourself tonight, buddy. Just tell me what I want to know.”
Rosalyn smacked her head and marched off to put McQueen back on the shelf. She could already tell it was going to be a very long evening. When she returned, Dave was searching through the records, Dras anxiously drumming his fingers on the counter.
“Uh…” Dave read off, “Says here the last person to check it out was…Dras Weldon.”
* * *
Back at Dras’ apartment, a pile of old VHS cassettes and newer DVD cases lay strewn on the floor of the living room, getting comfy amidst the bits of stale food, soda cans, and horror magazines. Dras’ movie cabinet was empty and he stood scratching his head, flustered, before the mess.
“It’s not here,” he surmised. “Where could I have put it?”
“In here?” Rosalyn scoffed. “Dras, I don’t know how you find your left foot in this place.”
Ignoring her sarcasm, Dras continued through the apartment, checking such ridiculous locations as the refrigerator, his underwear drawer, and the cabinet beneath the bathroom sink. At last, defeated, he sank into the chair before his computer desk and moaned.
“Great,” he sighed. “Probably the last beautiful copy of one of the world’s classic horror films and I’ve lost it.”
Rosalyn entered the room, munching on some red licorice she’d purchased at the video store while Dras was spazzing out and begging Dave to check one more time, to make sure the movie wasn’t in the stack of returned tapes.
“Before you commit hari-kari, you might want to look under the bag of Cheese Puffs,” she observed.
Dras snatched the bag of snacks from the desktop to reveal just the sun-faded, curled-plastic-encased video he’d been seeking.
Dras embraced the cassette case and quickly pulled it open, then audibly gasped with glee to see that the tape was still inside. Stopping just short of crying actual tears of joy, he celebrated with himself while Rosalyn looked on in disbelief.
At last, Dras turned to Rosalyn with purpose in his eyes.
“It’s time for a victory viewing.”
* * *
Hours later, as Rosalyn gathered her things to go, she turned to Dras and asked, “Do you want me to drop off the video for you on the way home?”
“Drop it off?” Dras’ expression was one of utter confusion. “Why?”
“Well, Dras, you’ve watched it. Don’t you want to return it so someone else can share in the, what did you call it, ‘complete zen-like peace’ of being vicariously pursed by pure evil?”
Dras shook his head and took the final sip of his third can of root beer of the evening. “No way, Roz,” he asserted. “Far too early for that. It’s just a dollar-fifty to rent a flick for three days.”
“So you’re taking it back on Friday?” she questioned.
“No, I’m taking it back sometime next month.”
Rosalyn stood still, puzzled.
“Twenty bucks divided by a dollar-fifty, chica. Three days per dollar-fifty. I’ve got this perfect movie in my possession for thirty-nine days.”
Rosalyn was now totally dumbstruck. “Dras, you can’t even do that kind of math. You need a calculator for single-digit addition. You never applied yourself one day in any math class you ever took.”
“Yes, but then,” Dras said with a sigh, holding his precious copy of Clown Time, “it was never quite this important.”
Copyright 2009 Greg Mitchell
Sometimes you just need a break.
After spending many weeks up to my eyeballs in the Sperry novel, all the words started to swim together and I needed a chance to clear my head and catch my breath. In an effort to decompress, I returned to my favorite world "The Coming Evil" for another little tale.
I love my group of characters from "The Coming Evil" and have often joked that I could write a whole story about Dras and Rosalyn talking about bananas and it would be just as much fun for me as having them fight monsters. Well, I thought I'd put that idea into practice. Very early on, I realized that I don't know enough about bananas to carry on a whole short story, but I DO know the pain of finding out that one of your favorite childhood horror movies is about to be remade by corporate Hollywood, and that got me to thinking about how Dras might react to such news.
What emerged from that was "Clown Time...The Remake." It's a truly SHORT story with no real bearing on the mythology (though there is a setup for a future story that I'm currently writing), but it was a heckuva lot of fun to write--especially since my wife, Meghan Mitchell, makes her debut. I wrote the first half of the story before turning back to my duties on Sperry, and Meghan read what I'd written. Then, she came to me with an idea for how it should play out and I said, "Write it!" She did and I'm really honored to have her on board.
Without further ado, we present to you--"The Coming Evil: Clown Time...The Remake".
Historian’s Note: This story takes place approximately a month before the events in “The Coming Evil, Book One: The Strange Man”.
“They’re remaking Clown Time?!”
Dras Weldon reread the rather brief, though no less heartbreaking, article off ShockMasters.com, his jaw dangling near the space bar on the keyboard. Rosalyn Myers leaned over his shoulder, brushing back her long, bouncy auburn locks, as if removing the veil from the dreaded news.
Once finished pouring salt on the fresh wound, Dras scooted back out of the chair and stood, animal adrenaline coursing through him.
“I can’t believe this!” He ran his fingers through his unkempt dirty blonde hair.
“This is an outrage! A travesty to cinema!”
Rosalyn blew out a huff and flopped down in the chair, absently leaving the offending site to go check her e-mail. “You knew this would happen eventually, Dras.”
“But Clown Time! It’s sacred! You know that the director, Bruce Hobbs himself, lived out his last years around this area, right?” Dras trailed off, “Though he never returned my calls…” then resumed his exuberant tirade, “But the man was a legend! He even co-hosted a special presentation of Clown Time 2 with Edmond Ghoulie on Midnight Matinee! Bruce Hobbs offered us one of the most probing studies ever into the psyche of the repressed and downtrodden!”
Pausing in between her login name and password, Rosalyn swiveled the chair around to raise an eyebrow at Dras’ protest. “It’s a movie about a killer clown with an axe.”
Dras paced in the cramped computer room of his apartment, ranting now, “No, Rosalyn. That’s what outsiders always say.”
Rosalyn nodded, already tuning him out, going back to her e-mail.
Raving, Dras flung his arms wildly, shouting to the gods who had bestowed such cruelty, “Clown Time teaches us something, Roz. It’s a morality tale about what happens when irresponsible teenagers get caught doing nasty things when there’s an undead clown on the loose! What do you think kept me out of the North Woods all those years, huh?! That movie quite possibly saved my life!”
Dras huffed and grumbled under his breath, “Bruce Hobbs was planning on making the fifth one before he died. Leave it to those soulless Hollywood executives to take a man’s life’s work and trash it the second he croaks.”
Unable to keep a straight face, Rosalyn finally laughed. “You want me to go see it with you when it comes out?”
“No!” Dras slapped his thigh in protest. Paused. Then slumped. “You paying?”
“Would that make you feel less like you were violating your strict moral code?”
Dras collapsed on the couch, deflated, now. “Maybe. Probably not.”
“You know you’re going to see it.”
“Of course I’m going to see it,” Dras groaned, rubbing his face tiredly. “That’s why I hate myself.”
Rosalyn quickly surveyed that she had no new messages, then logged out of her e-mail. With great finality, she stood and moved toward her best friend, dropped down beside him, then laid her head on his chest. “Listen, I know what can cheer you up.”
“Stop it,” he whined. “I don’t want to be cheered up. They’ve just ruined my childhood.”
Rosalyn pushed on, ignoring him, “Why don’t we go to Dave’s and rent the original. I’ll…” she took a deep breath. “I’ll even watch it with you.”
Dras carefully craned his neck to study her with suspicious and distrusting eyes. “You will. Really.”
“Really, really. But only the original one.” Poking her finger into his chest, she reinforced, “I don’t want to watch one of those lame sequels where they shoot him into outer space or something.”
“That was Part Three,” Dras responded automatically.
“The first one, Dras.”
Dras stood, newly invigorated, and held out his hand, gentlemanly. “Then let us be off. We have a date…with death!”
* * *
Rosalyn waited like a patient parent off to the side of the racks as Dras hungrily roved over the faded VHS covers in the horror section. Corner Video Store boasted the best selection of terrible horror movies in town, and Dras melted in its glorious presence. He’d perused these shelves many a time over the years, recounting the B-movies of his youth and diving back into that pool of time, enjoying the old classics.
Rosalyn did not hold the same appreciation for monsters and ghouls and masked maniacs, but she remained tolerant. Dras zeroed in on his target and located the box for the original 1982 slasher movie extravaganza, Clown Time. Shot on a shoestring budget by Bruce Hobbs and a group of friends fresh out of film school, Clown Time told the touching tale of a simple, backwoods man-child who loved nothing more than being a clown at the annual carnival until one fateful year when cruel teenagers played a trick that ended the poor clown’s life. Twisted by the screaming void of hell, the man-child returned as Mr. Smiles—the hellbent revenge-driven psychotic clown—to punish those teenagers and their entire hormone-led ilk.
“A-ha!” Dras exclaimed, reaching out for the box.
“Great,” Rosalyn replied, crossing her arms. “Now we pick one for me.”
Dras slowly lowered his arms. “Say wha—?”
“I watch one of your movies, you watch one of mine.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Dras protested as Rosalyn began her trek over to the other side of the store—the side Dras never dared to explore. “We never agreed to that. That wasn’t part of the deal.”
“It’s only fair,” Rosalyn defended, the hint of a smile in her dark, doe eyes.
“But-but-but-”
“Oh, grow up, you big baby. It won’t kill you to watch something without a monster or spaceship in it, just this once.”
Dras stopped dead in his tracks, a frown marring his boyish features. “It might.”
Rosalyn bent down, taking stock of the selection, before making hers. She flipped the cover toward Dras and called, “Steve McQueen. Bullitt. See? No chick flick.”
Crestfallen, Dras returned his attention to Clown Time and lifted the box…to find that no tape rested behind it.
“No…” he breathed, feeling his heart stopping with cold dread. “No, it can’t be…”
Rosalyn moved to his side, casually holding her McQueen, and glanced down. “What? What’s wrong?”
Dras turned to her, his face pale and his eyes leaning towards hysteria.
“Some…someone…someone checked it out!”
Nearly toppling her, Dras rushed for the front of the store where the illustrious Dave leaned against the counter, his head swallowed up by a large headset, Metallica blaring through. Dave bopped his head, looking away from the store he was to be minding, and through the glass front, watching the traffic pass by. Dras skid to a frantic stop at the counter. “Dave! Hey, Dave!”
Dave didn’t answer. Only nodded to the ferocious beat of his metal, his eyes glassy and unresponsive, watching the world outside his video store prison.
“Hey!” Dras shouted louder, drawing the annoyed stares of the other patrons. Rosalyn grinned on his behalf and waved to them all. With pursed lips, Dras stabbed at Dave’s shoulder until the clerk finally turned around and removed one side of his headset.
“You need to check out?” Dave asked lazily.
“No,” Dras countered, offended. “I need to know who rented Clown Time.”
“Dras,” Rosalyn quietly admonished him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Dras jerked free of her grip and held a warning finger to her face. Despite his intensity, she snickered. He spun back to Dave. “I need to know.”
Dave sighed and eased his headset off to dangle around his neck. “Look, dude, I’m not really able to give out that kind of information.”
Fishing around in his Velcro wallet, Dras procured a twenty-dollar bill. He clutched the money between two fingers and made a show of sniffing it in front of Dave. Then he waved it closer to the clerk, hoping to waft the smell of cold, harsh cash in the man’s face. “How about now?”
“Dras,” Rosalyn snapped. “The movie only costs a dollar-fifty to rent in the first place. Are you nuts?”
“Quiet, Rosalyn,” he replied, cool and condescending. “This is man’s work.”
Rosalyn closed her eyes and huffed, flabbergasted.
Dave eyed the twenty dollars with barely a spike in his enthusiasm. Looking to Dras to make sure the deal was serious—to be met by Dras slowly nodding his head, as if coaxing a frightened stray cat to eat some food—the clerk reached out and snatched the bill, quickly stuffing it in his pocket before Dras had a change of heart.
“That’s right, Dave. You treat yourself tonight, buddy. Just tell me what I want to know.”
Rosalyn smacked her head and marched off to put McQueen back on the shelf. She could already tell it was going to be a very long evening. When she returned, Dave was searching through the records, Dras anxiously drumming his fingers on the counter.
“Uh…” Dave read off, “Says here the last person to check it out was…Dras Weldon.”
* * *
Back at Dras’ apartment, a pile of old VHS cassettes and newer DVD cases lay strewn on the floor of the living room, getting comfy amidst the bits of stale food, soda cans, and horror magazines. Dras’ movie cabinet was empty and he stood scratching his head, flustered, before the mess.
“It’s not here,” he surmised. “Where could I have put it?”
“In here?” Rosalyn scoffed. “Dras, I don’t know how you find your left foot in this place.”
Ignoring her sarcasm, Dras continued through the apartment, checking such ridiculous locations as the refrigerator, his underwear drawer, and the cabinet beneath the bathroom sink. At last, defeated, he sank into the chair before his computer desk and moaned.
“Great,” he sighed. “Probably the last beautiful copy of one of the world’s classic horror films and I’ve lost it.”
Rosalyn entered the room, munching on some red licorice she’d purchased at the video store while Dras was spazzing out and begging Dave to check one more time, to make sure the movie wasn’t in the stack of returned tapes.
“Before you commit hari-kari, you might want to look under the bag of Cheese Puffs,” she observed.
Dras snatched the bag of snacks from the desktop to reveal just the sun-faded, curled-plastic-encased video he’d been seeking.
Dras embraced the cassette case and quickly pulled it open, then audibly gasped with glee to see that the tape was still inside. Stopping just short of crying actual tears of joy, he celebrated with himself while Rosalyn looked on in disbelief.
At last, Dras turned to Rosalyn with purpose in his eyes.
“It’s time for a victory viewing.”
* * *
Hours later, as Rosalyn gathered her things to go, she turned to Dras and asked, “Do you want me to drop off the video for you on the way home?”
“Drop it off?” Dras’ expression was one of utter confusion. “Why?”
“Well, Dras, you’ve watched it. Don’t you want to return it so someone else can share in the, what did you call it, ‘complete zen-like peace’ of being vicariously pursed by pure evil?”
Dras shook his head and took the final sip of his third can of root beer of the evening. “No way, Roz,” he asserted. “Far too early for that. It’s just a dollar-fifty to rent a flick for three days.”
“So you’re taking it back on Friday?” she questioned.
“No, I’m taking it back sometime next month.”
Rosalyn stood still, puzzled.
“Twenty bucks divided by a dollar-fifty, chica. Three days per dollar-fifty. I’ve got this perfect movie in my possession for thirty-nine days.”
Rosalyn was now totally dumbstruck. “Dras, you can’t even do that kind of math. You need a calculator for single-digit addition. You never applied yourself one day in any math class you ever took.”
“Yes, but then,” Dras said with a sigh, holding his precious copy of Clown Time, “it was never quite this important.”
Copyright 2009 Greg Mitchell
Friday, May 29, 2009
Breaking Ground on My Next Novel
God has really been blessing my writing these days!
Hot off the heels of my big "Apocalypse V" announcement, my longtime friend and mentor Rich Christiano (who I also collaborated with on the "Time Changer" novelization) contacted me about writing up the novelization of his next release "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry". I owe a lot to Rich, so it's my treat to write this book for him. It's very much NOT in my element (not a fanged monster in sight :p). Rather it's an old-fashioned family film with a positive message. Kind of Hallmark-y, kind of Norman Rockwell-y, it's good, clean entertainment.
Rich has just sent me a preview copy of the finished film and the script, so, as soon as I get back from my big week at the Gideon Film Festival, I hope to get cracking on it. As any good novelization should, I believe, it's my hope to compliment the film, but add an entirely new dimension to the story, giving you a different experience and one that will, hopefully, allow you to see the film in a whole new light.
For those of you into the "heartwarming family film", take a peek at the trailer for "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry" and stay tuned for updates on the release of the novelization.
Hot off the heels of my big "Apocalypse V" announcement, my longtime friend and mentor Rich Christiano (who I also collaborated with on the "Time Changer" novelization) contacted me about writing up the novelization of his next release "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry". I owe a lot to Rich, so it's my treat to write this book for him. It's very much NOT in my element (not a fanged monster in sight :p). Rather it's an old-fashioned family film with a positive message. Kind of Hallmark-y, kind of Norman Rockwell-y, it's good, clean entertainment.
Rich has just sent me a preview copy of the finished film and the script, so, as soon as I get back from my big week at the Gideon Film Festival, I hope to get cracking on it. As any good novelization should, I believe, it's my hope to compliment the film, but add an entirely new dimension to the story, giving you a different experience and one that will, hopefully, allow you to see the film in a whole new light.
For those of you into the "heartwarming family film", take a peek at the trailer for "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry" and stay tuned for updates on the release of the novelization.
Friday, May 22, 2009
"Apocalypse V" - the cat is out of the bag!
Well, I've been sitting on this news for awhile (since Christmas, when all this started) and I'm near ecstatic to finally be able to share it all with you.
I am officially writing "Apocalypse V" for Cloud Ten Pictures!!
Wait.
"What's Apocalypse?" you ask. For shame. For. Shame.
Allow me to educate thee.
Back in 1998, when "The Coming Evil" was still forming in the murky depths of my monster-laden imagination, I was easing into the Christian film industry. I had already met Rich Christiano (who I later collaborated with on the novel "Time Changer") and was even an extra in his End Times/Revelation flick "End of the Harvest". At that time, I was pretty much soaking up every Christian film experience I could, trying to see what had come before and figure out how I was going to be different and add my two cents to the whole thing. As you may or may not remember (or you may be trying to forget) there was a sort of "Millennium Fever" at the turn of the century, and between the "Left Behind" books, and "The Omega Code" movies (the second one had Kyle Reese, yo!), and Rich's own "End of the Harvest", there were a LOT of "End Times" flicks. I'd kind of grown sick of the whole thing, which is one of the reasons I stressed to everyone that "The Coming Evil" was NOT an "End Times" story. But, my church was having its first ever movie night and what are they going to show?
Another End Times flick called "Apocalypse". Well, good grief. So I watched, prepared to roll my eyes and tear the flick a new one.
However, much to my surprise, I found that I actually really enjoyed it. Yeah, it was shot on video and had the budget of a Craft catering table (perhaps a very small one), but there were characters that I was invested in (Leigh Lewis as Helen Hannah is an underrated gem. She appears in all the movies--mine included, I hope!!--and turns out quietly compelling and commanding performances every time), and a bad guy who was so awesome in his zany over-the-top evilness (Len Parker. Watch the movie, he's great) that I found myself wanting to know more.
I put "Apocalypse" out of my mind, moving on to begin writing my non-End Times Christian extravaganza in "The Coming Evil", but was curious when, a year later, the sequel "Revelation" came out. I watched it, because I'm a sucker for sequels, and REALLY enjoyed it. The production was elevated exponentially and they brought in a great director (some new guy named André van Heerden) who really gave it a very polished look (despite the still limited budget). Plus: Jeff Fahey! You mean, "Psycho III" Jeff Fahey?! Yes, I do! There was action, some great genuine character-driven humor on the part of Tony Nappo's character "Willie Spino" and a big boost in the mythology. What? A mythology? Well, now you've got me hooked.
Soon after that, part 3 was released. "Tribulation" with "Silver Bullet"'s Gary Busey! Hecks, yes! I really, really loved part 3. It had the occult, psychic phenomenon, a definite horror slant and continued to push the mythology and expand the characters. By this point, I was ready to jump in to write my own. It was still '99, I think, and I was convinced I could push the continuity even further. I was ready! But...alas, I had no idea what to do about it...
A couple years later (2001, I think), "Judgment" was released and, I'll tell you, I was a bit disappointed, at first. Coming off of "Revelation" and "Tribulation", I was expecting explosions and psychic enforcers and demons. But...I got a courtroom drama. It felt like a very quiet note to the end series on and then "Apocalypse" faded from the public eye...
So, it happens that last Christmas, my brother (a writer and mythology nut in his own right--go check out his stuff) and I decided, just for kicks, to pop in "those Apocalypse movies" and watch them again. I found myself JUST as entertained, if not more. Even "Judgment" shone through and I really understood all that movie had to offer--including Leigh Lewis' best performance to date (I think) and an exceptional full orchestral score. The "End Times" movie craze had thankfully slowed down (too much of a good thing, you know?), but I found that, even without that hysteria of impending global disaster, these movies still held up. Because, like I said, there are characters to believe in. Plots to follow. Villains to boo. It's FUN, man! Suddenly, all of my old ideas about how I would contribute to the series came flooding back in a wave of blissful nostalgia, and after a casual comment from my brother that Wikipedia said there was a proposed "Apocalypse V" on the horizon, I decided to seize my chance to make one of my dreams come true.
Out of the blue, I cold-wrote Cloud Ten and told them of my love of the series, a few of my credentials as a writer, and expressed my desire to try out for Apoc 5. I was thrilled and subsequently terrified when, the very next day I believe, that "new guy" director André van Heerden--now the CEO of Cloud Ten and the director on the last three films--wrote me back and asked for a pitch.
What?! Really?!
I spent all Christmas break cramming in everything I loved about "Apocalypse" and turned it in. And I had a BLAST doing it. What's more, Cloud Ten was interested. From that point on, André and I conversed quite a bit, eventually bringing in Paul Lalonde (head honcho at C10 and the co-creator of the entire franchise!!). We had lots of talks, going back and forth on the different characters we loved and how we might bring them back and use them again. We worked out story points and plot twists and I signed a contract and eventually turned in a first draft.
And they accepted. I "got the job". I'm writing "Apocalypse V".
:)
Needless to say, the process to produce a movie is a perilous one and anything can happen along the way. But, for this one moment, I've achieved a dream as a fanboy crossing over into the series he follows so closely. It's a treat and I promise to do my level best to turn out the best "Apocalypse" yet.
-Greg (a bit excited)
PS--Now, for your viewing pleasure, feast upon the trailers for all four "Apocalypse" movies and get ready for Part 5. Written by me! :p And, of course, if you like what you see below, go buy the movies!
I am officially writing "Apocalypse V" for Cloud Ten Pictures!!
Wait.
"What's Apocalypse?" you ask. For shame. For. Shame.
Allow me to educate thee.
Back in 1998, when "The Coming Evil" was still forming in the murky depths of my monster-laden imagination, I was easing into the Christian film industry. I had already met Rich Christiano (who I later collaborated with on the novel "Time Changer") and was even an extra in his End Times/Revelation flick "End of the Harvest". At that time, I was pretty much soaking up every Christian film experience I could, trying to see what had come before and figure out how I was going to be different and add my two cents to the whole thing. As you may or may not remember (or you may be trying to forget) there was a sort of "Millennium Fever" at the turn of the century, and between the "Left Behind" books, and "The Omega Code" movies (the second one had Kyle Reese, yo!), and Rich's own "End of the Harvest", there were a LOT of "End Times" flicks. I'd kind of grown sick of the whole thing, which is one of the reasons I stressed to everyone that "The Coming Evil" was NOT an "End Times" story. But, my church was having its first ever movie night and what are they going to show?
Another End Times flick called "Apocalypse". Well, good grief. So I watched, prepared to roll my eyes and tear the flick a new one.
However, much to my surprise, I found that I actually really enjoyed it. Yeah, it was shot on video and had the budget of a Craft catering table (perhaps a very small one), but there were characters that I was invested in (Leigh Lewis as Helen Hannah is an underrated gem. She appears in all the movies--mine included, I hope!!--and turns out quietly compelling and commanding performances every time), and a bad guy who was so awesome in his zany over-the-top evilness (Len Parker. Watch the movie, he's great) that I found myself wanting to know more.
I put "Apocalypse" out of my mind, moving on to begin writing my non-End Times Christian extravaganza in "The Coming Evil", but was curious when, a year later, the sequel "Revelation" came out. I watched it, because I'm a sucker for sequels, and REALLY enjoyed it. The production was elevated exponentially and they brought in a great director (some new guy named André van Heerden) who really gave it a very polished look (despite the still limited budget). Plus: Jeff Fahey! You mean, "Psycho III" Jeff Fahey?! Yes, I do! There was action, some great genuine character-driven humor on the part of Tony Nappo's character "Willie Spino" and a big boost in the mythology. What? A mythology? Well, now you've got me hooked.
Soon after that, part 3 was released. "Tribulation" with "Silver Bullet"'s Gary Busey! Hecks, yes! I really, really loved part 3. It had the occult, psychic phenomenon, a definite horror slant and continued to push the mythology and expand the characters. By this point, I was ready to jump in to write my own. It was still '99, I think, and I was convinced I could push the continuity even further. I was ready! But...alas, I had no idea what to do about it...
A couple years later (2001, I think), "Judgment" was released and, I'll tell you, I was a bit disappointed, at first. Coming off of "Revelation" and "Tribulation", I was expecting explosions and psychic enforcers and demons. But...I got a courtroom drama. It felt like a very quiet note to the end series on and then "Apocalypse" faded from the public eye...
So, it happens that last Christmas, my brother (a writer and mythology nut in his own right--go check out his stuff) and I decided, just for kicks, to pop in "those Apocalypse movies" and watch them again. I found myself JUST as entertained, if not more. Even "Judgment" shone through and I really understood all that movie had to offer--including Leigh Lewis' best performance to date (I think) and an exceptional full orchestral score. The "End Times" movie craze had thankfully slowed down (too much of a good thing, you know?), but I found that, even without that hysteria of impending global disaster, these movies still held up. Because, like I said, there are characters to believe in. Plots to follow. Villains to boo. It's FUN, man! Suddenly, all of my old ideas about how I would contribute to the series came flooding back in a wave of blissful nostalgia, and after a casual comment from my brother that Wikipedia said there was a proposed "Apocalypse V" on the horizon, I decided to seize my chance to make one of my dreams come true.
Out of the blue, I cold-wrote Cloud Ten and told them of my love of the series, a few of my credentials as a writer, and expressed my desire to try out for Apoc 5. I was thrilled and subsequently terrified when, the very next day I believe, that "new guy" director André van Heerden--now the CEO of Cloud Ten and the director on the last three films--wrote me back and asked for a pitch.
What?! Really?!
I spent all Christmas break cramming in everything I loved about "Apocalypse" and turned it in. And I had a BLAST doing it. What's more, Cloud Ten was interested. From that point on, André and I conversed quite a bit, eventually bringing in Paul Lalonde (head honcho at C10 and the co-creator of the entire franchise!!). We had lots of talks, going back and forth on the different characters we loved and how we might bring them back and use them again. We worked out story points and plot twists and I signed a contract and eventually turned in a first draft.
And they accepted. I "got the job". I'm writing "Apocalypse V".
:)
Needless to say, the process to produce a movie is a perilous one and anything can happen along the way. But, for this one moment, I've achieved a dream as a fanboy crossing over into the series he follows so closely. It's a treat and I promise to do my level best to turn out the best "Apocalypse" yet.
-Greg (a bit excited)
PS--Now, for your viewing pleasure, feast upon the trailers for all four "Apocalypse" movies and get ready for Part 5. Written by me! :p And, of course, if you like what you see below, go buy the movies!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Podcast Interview With Yours Truly
Yo.
Just finished up a podcast interview over at The Zoo pitching "The Coming Evil" and my latest work in Coach's Midnight Diner (what, you haven't bought that yet? What's your problem?). I was hoping to get the Head Fry Cook himself, Coach Culbertson onto the show, but podcast technical difficulties--what can you do?
The Zoo is a weekly one-hour(ish) political commentary run by my good friend, James "Shamrock Jim" Stacey and his cohort in political upheaval Kurt. James was actually the inspiration for the character of "James" in "Flowers for Shelly", so it was fun to bring it full circle and talk with him about the story.
Well, I stay far away from politics, so for the first half-hour I'm a ghost hovering in the room, but if you skip to about midway through the show, you get to me. Pretty good interview, if I do say so myself. Got to say a lot of things I'd always wanted to say about what it's like writing Christian Horror. Never really had an outlet before, but I had the chance to get some things off my chest and it seemed like the show got some good response, judging by the chatroom action. Unfortunately they were having some audio difficulties, so there's warble in my deeply masculine voice, but, hey, it is what it is.
Now, go. Go check it out. I have more writing to do.
Just finished up a podcast interview over at The Zoo pitching "The Coming Evil" and my latest work in Coach's Midnight Diner (what, you haven't bought that yet? What's your problem?). I was hoping to get the Head Fry Cook himself, Coach Culbertson onto the show, but podcast technical difficulties--what can you do?
The Zoo is a weekly one-hour(ish) political commentary run by my good friend, James "Shamrock Jim" Stacey and his cohort in political upheaval Kurt. James was actually the inspiration for the character of "James" in "Flowers for Shelly", so it was fun to bring it full circle and talk with him about the story.
Well, I stay far away from politics, so for the first half-hour I'm a ghost hovering in the room, but if you skip to about midway through the show, you get to me. Pretty good interview, if I do say so myself. Got to say a lot of things I'd always wanted to say about what it's like writing Christian Horror. Never really had an outlet before, but I had the chance to get some things off my chest and it seemed like the show got some good response, judging by the chatroom action. Unfortunately they were having some audio difficulties, so there's warble in my deeply masculine voice, but, hey, it is what it is.
Now, go. Go check it out. I have more writing to do.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
"Halloween: The Diary of Judith Myers"--Coming Soon!
More non-"The Coming Evil" news today (Don't worry, I'm still working on it :p).
I've been sitting on this particular project for awhile because I've come to discover that, in the world of writing comic books, everything rests on a foundation of shifting sand. But, since there's the official announcement of it over on Comic Monsters, I thought it would be safe to spill the beans.
In the upcoming trade paperback collection of Devil Due's Publishing's release of "Halloween: The First Death of Laurie Strode"--written by Stef Hutchinson with art by the amazing Jeff Zornow--I am writing a prose piece entitled "The Diary of Judith Myers". I actually wrote this a year or so ago, and it looks like it might finally be getting its due (no pun intended).
Who is Judith Myers, you ask? For those of you uninitiated in the world of John Carpenter's original masterpiece "Halloween", Judith--or Judy--is Michael Myers' (that's the killer) big sister. She is, in fact, his very first victim. She plays a pivotal role in his life as a monster, but until now, her story has never been told (save for the opening scene of the first movie). Her life has been a blank slate, and it has been my honor to try to fill that.
The Diary is written from Judy's point of view, giving readers a sneak peak into Michael's childhood and home life. But, for those of you--like me--who believe that Michael Myers is the best when he's "The Shape"--a vessel of pure Evil with no motive for his madness--this Diary does not attempt to spell out why he kills. I'll leave that to Rob Zombie. I want to keep Michael mysterious, and, instead, shift the spotlight to poor Judy.
I'm really excited to hear people's reaction to the story. Like I said, Judy is a very integral part to the "Halloween" mythology--the event that begins Myers' reign of terror--but one that has been, so far, almost entirely ignored. Seeing how she is Michael's first victim, I went into the writing of this Diary as a sort of "Halloween 0"--a prequel and natural lead-in to the first film.
I'll keep everyone posted when it comes out.
Friday, April 24, 2009
I'm in "Supernatural"!
Well, sort of.
Let me explain. Anyone who knows me or "The Coming Evil" and my other work knows that I am a huge fan of monster hunters. I've gone on and on about how watching "The Monster Squad" every day for a summer when I was a wee, timid lad forever shaped my destiny. I love monsters--but more importantly, I love those brave souls who fight against the dark.
Naturally, when I heard about a show about two demon-hunting brothers on a road trip across "Backroads America" I was greatly intrigued. ...Then I found out said show was going to be on the teen-oriented WB and would be starring two "pretty boy" actors. I cringed. I was already coming down off my "Joss Whedon is a writing god" high and the thought of another cutesy tongue-in-cheek take on a subject matter that I hold very dearly made me want to hurl.
But, I watched that first episode of "Supernatural" and I was blown away. A) The pretty boys can act. Can REALLY act. B) The show is dark and horror based--not like I've seen since the glory days of "The X-Files". C) It's about monster hunters!! I was hooked from that point forward.
So, when I heard that the first tie-in novel "Nevermore" was coming out in 2007, I was first in line (only in line, I think) to get my copy on release day. It was a great read. The author--one Keith R.A. DeCandido--nailed the mythology and the voice of the characters and really showed that he knew this series. So, I felt so led to write him a long, gushy e-mail shouting my praise.
Turns out that letter was sent in good timing, for Mr. DeCandido was hard at work on his second "Supernatural" tie-in novel, "Bone Key". As soon as "Bone Key" was released last year, I was back in line (still the only one, I think) and cracked that puppy open. Then I get to Chapter Five on page 61 and my heart nearly stopped.
I read my own name.
Was it an amazing coincidence? I guess "Greg Mitchell" isn't really that uncommon a name. Or...did I dare to dream? Had Mr. DeCandido taken a name off a fanboy's e-mail and slapped it on to an original character in a "Supernatural" novel? I was floored with excitement, but tried to tell myself it was only a fluke.
However, since then, I've taken up the matter with the author, himself, and I am proud--and humbled at the same time--to say "Yes". I am a Supernatural character...albeit one who gets roughed-up by the ghost of Ernest Hemingway over a six-toed cat...but still!
Sure, none of this means a hill of beans to you people, but this was a small victory for me--a little kid who grew up loving monster hunters and now gets to be in a book about two very awesome monster hunters.
I'm writing all this to say A)Yay! B) Thank you, Mr. DeCandido and C) Watch "Supernatural". If the series mastermind Eric Kripke has his way--and I hope he does--, the story will finish next season. You've still got time to catch up on the DVDs and be a part of this amazing show.
That is all.
-Greg Mitchell
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