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FEO NEWS FOR FALL 2006:
- NOVEMBER PAGE 2 -

The detritus of old Horror/Thriller history can be found here.

AWARDS

CommunistVampires.com
has bestowed unto feoamante.com their

Hero Of The Vampire Masses

CommunistVampires award

 

PlanetDoom.net has bestowed unto feoamante.com their

Planet Doom.net
Cool Site Award



NOVEMBER
These are archived news items, many of them outside of this website, so overtime, the links may not work.

NOV. 15

QUICK BITE
From Brett Savory
Canadian rights to Brett Alexander Savory's IN AND DOWN, in which two brothers have been taught that women do not truly exist but when one looks for answers about what happened to their mother they are forced to confront a secret that's been buried for over thirty years, have been sold to Ruth Linka at Brindle and Glass, in a nice deal, by Carolyn Swayze at Carolyn Swayze Literary Agency.

Also, Savory's first short story collection, THE TIME BETWEEN LIGHTS, will be released in 2007 through Delirium Books.


AfterDark Horrorfest
HORRORFEST PARTIES
There will be two AfterDark HorrorFest parties on Saturday November 18th. These parties will be held in NY and LA from 10:00PM-2:00AM. Parties are only for people who are wearing a Horrorfest T-shirt (or at least bring one along to show at the front door).

Horrorfest T-shirts are only available to people who buy tickets to all 8 movies of Horrorfest. They collect the T-Shirts in one of two ways:1. When they buy all 8 tickets, at the ticket booth, they receive the T-Shirt immediately.

2. When they buy all 8 tickets on-line they must present the credit card used that was used for the purchase along with their ID to receive the T-Shirt at the Ticket booth.LA PARTY: Will be held at Cinespace: cinespace.info

NY PARTY: will be held at Pressure: pressurenyc.com

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NOV. 14

Forbidden Planet
NOW OUT ON DVD
In the U.S., DVDs get a Tuesday release. These are the movies of interest coming out on DVD today.

FORBIDDEN PLANET [1956] 50th Anniversary Double Disc set. 50 years later and this film remains one of the best selling Science Fiction movies of all time. By 1950 standards, this film was hardcore science fiction: even the monster was scientifically accurate! Part Science Fiction and part Horror Thriller, this is the movie that every film buff should have in their library.

THE GREEN MILE [1999] Double Disc edition. Where Stephen king is concerned, you can't get entirely away from the Horror as the Electric chair scene aptly demonstrates.CHRISTMAS EVIL: Special Edition [1980]. You might know it better as YOU BETTER WATCH OUT, or more than likely, you've never heard of it at all. This is one of those special editions that are entirely contained on a single disc.

MANIC COP: Special Edition [1988]. The Bruce! The Z'Dar! And Joel Cohen! If you have a taste for So Bad It's Good Horror movies, you have to love MANIAC COP starring Bruce Campbell, Robert Z'Dar (aka Bunky Z), and directed by Joel Cohen.

KING KONG [2005] Deluxe Extended Version. Peter Jackson's first mis-step is a 3 DVD set with an even longer version of KING KONG than the double disc DVD set, which in itself, was even longer than the 3+ hour theatrical version. Anyone in porn will tell you: There is such a thing as too long.

Masters of Horror: HAEKEL'S TALE [2006]. John McNaughton as director. Clive Barker as writer, and away we go! Like all of the Masters of Horror series, this one will be stuffed to the limit with great DVD extras.

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NOV. 13

QUICK BITES
If you plan to be in the Los Angeles area this coming weekend, you may want to know about the following:
Author and former Feo Amante alumnus, Harry Shannon, will be signing his Thriller novel, THE PRESSURE OF DARKNESS on Saturday, November 18, at 3:00 pm at BORDERS BOOKS on 100 S. Brand Blvd., in Glendale CA 91204.

AND

Author Max Brooks (Z), has an article over at The Guardian.co.uk about zombies. Check out

The Movies That rose From The Grave.


Kelly with his VIP Badge
KELLY WITH HIS VIP BADGE
From Kelly Parks
BECOMING A SCREENWRITER

As FeoAmante readers may know, I’m trying to start a career as a screenwriter. I’ve written two screenplays: HOWARD'S CROSS (science fiction / horror) and DOG (supernatural horror). Both have received good feedback and Howard’s Cross has finished in the top 10 in a few contests.

And recently Howard’s Cross won a contest: The International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival Screenplay Competition. This was doubly good because not only was it a win – it was a genre-specific win.

And recently Howard’s Cross won a contest: The International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival Screenplay Competition. This was doubly good because not only was it a win – it was a genre-specific win.

For someone like me, with essentially no “Hollywood connections”, contests are really the only way to get noticed. Movie makers are buried in scripts and they need a good reason to pay attention to one particular script out of the pile. A win can do that, or so I hoped.

Gals
SOME GALS REALLY LIKE WINNERS
That was on my mind because of some interesting timing. The Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival was held in Phoenix the weekend of 10/27 to 10/29. But the weekend before that (10/20 – 10/22) was the Screenwriter’s Expo in Los Angeles. I found out about winning the contest a couple weeks before the Expo.

The Expo has lots and lots of seminars and classes and such relating to screenwriting and the business called show, but as I've said previously I believe too much of that stuff is a trap so I skipped it. I'm not saying it's not valuable or worth your time - it's just not for me right now. My main reason for going was the pitch fest.

I'd been to a pitchfest before but I was hoping this one would be different because now I had a contest win to mention. If you've never been, a pitchfest is a big get together between us wannabe screenwriters and people from various agencies, studios, production companies, etc. You buy 5 minute slots for each one you're interested in and when the time comes you get to go into a big room, sit down at a table with the appropriate representative, and pitch your script for 5 minutes. They're very strict about the 5 minutes because there's someone right behind you.

I bought a total of 13 pitches ($25 each) spread over Friday morning, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. I chose companies based on their availability and their current or past interest in horror and sci-fi.

When you pitch there are 4 possible outcomes:
1. "No thanks"
2. "Give me your card." (better)
3. "Give me the 1-sheet" (better still)
4. "Send me your script" (best)
Note: a "1-sheet" is a one page description of your script that includes the log line, synopsis, contest wins if any, and your contact info. Here was the outcome:
Friday Afternoon
Big Light Productions: Took 1-sheet
Imagen Films: Asked for script
Asylum Films: Asked for script
Saturday Morning
Screen Gems: Took card
Dark Castle: No Thanks
Bold Films: No Thanks
Benderspink: Asked for script
Saturday Afternoon
William Morris Agency: Asked for script
CineLA: Took card
Lionsgate: No Thanks
Silver Pictures: Asked for script
Sunday Morning
Aimee Mgmt: Took 1-sheet
APA: Took card

So the very good news was that five companies asked to see the script (Actually six, since one that took my card followed up a few days later with a request for the script). This was definitely due to me opening the pitch by mentioning the contest win. That helped a lot.

Man of the Hour
Left to Right: BRIAN PULIDO, MICK GARRIS, KELLY PARKS, CLARE GRANT and the HORROR & SCIFI gang.

Important side note: Have your shit ready. Have a bag with you containing a few copies of your script (I gave one directly to Asylum when they asked - the rest preferred it be sent to their company), more than enough copies of your 1-sheet and a box of business cards that has all your screenplays, their credits and your contact info.

With that adventure behind me Feo and I loaded up the car the very next weekend and headed to Phoenix for the Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival.

The festival was very cool. Most everything took place either in the theater (a multiplex with several screens set aside for the festival) or in one of the nearby bar/restaurants. By the way I highly recommend the Kobe beef burger at the Grilled Expedition.

Unrest
I have to admit that I almost didn't go. Nothing against the festival - it was just difficult to arrange between work and family stuff, plus I'd gone out of town (and stayed at an expensive hotel) the weekend before to attend the pitchfest at the Screenwriter's Expo. But Feo talked me into it and I'm glad he did. Aside from the very good feeling of actually getting an award (a handsome plaque) in front of a crowd of fellow horror geeks and being congratulated by passersby for the entire weekend, there was also the opportunity to meet filmmakers. The festival also presented awards to and presented the films of horror and sci-fi filmmakers, which just happens to be my genre of screenwriting choice. This made for some good conversations and hopefully some good business connections.

You may end up witnessing one such conversation, Jason Todd Ipson, writer/director of the Festival’s "Best Feature" film winner, UNREST, was kind enough to let Feo and I video a conversation for our podcast. Feo will let you know when that’s available.

The lesson is: hang out at film festivals and stalk film makers. One of them might make your movie someday.

So what happens now? More waiting. The scripts have made it to somebody's desk somewhere, probably in a big pile of scripts they need to read. If anything happens I'll let you know.


From Ed Peters
EVIL IN THE DARK

From Michael Hurst, the writer/director of ROOM 6 and renowned special make-up and creature effects artist Robert Hall (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, VOODOO MOON) comes an all-new mind blowing nightmare with the January 2, 2007 DVD release of THE DARK ROOM from Anchor Bay Entertainment. Starring Reed Diamond (THE BREED, SPIDERMAN 2), Greg Grunberg (WITCHCRAFT V, HOLLOW MAN), Chris Ellis (GODZILLA [1998], PLANET OF THE APES [2001], THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, THE ISLAND), and Lucy Lawless (GINGER SNAPS, SPIDER-MAN, BOOGEYMAN), THE DARKROOM promises viewers a horrifying journey into the mind of an escaped mental patient who, after taking some experimental medication, finds himself discovering that certain things about his past are better left in the dark.

"He was found fifteen years ago, aimlessly wandering the road, covered in dirt and blood with no name or memory. But when this now-grown mental patient (Reed Diamond) is given an experimental new drug, he’s plagued by horrific visions of a beast that slaughters beautiful young women. Escaping from the institution, he is befriended by Stanley, a teenage outcast (Shawn Pyfrom) who needs the stranger’s help to unlock a few buried secrets of his own. Together, the two will discover the violence of their pasts, the evil in their future, and the shocking secret that waits deep inside The Darkroom."


House of 1000 CORPSES
HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Tom Atkins (THE FOG, THE NINTH CONFIGURATION, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, HALLOWEEN III, CREEPSHOW, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS, MANIAC COP, DUE OCCHI DIABOLICHI, STRIKING DISTANCE, BRUISER, OUT OF THE BLACK) is 71.
Since 2000, more than half of the movies this actor has made have been Horror Thrillers. Happy Birthday to
Actor Gerard Butler (DRACULA 2000, REIGN OF FIRE, LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, BEOWOLF AND GRENDEL) is 37. Gerard is currently involved with the horror movie, THERESE RAQUIN, scheduled for a 2007 release, and is in negotiations for the expected 2008 Horror movie, PRIEST.
Actor Tracy Scoggins (WATCHERS II, PLAY MURDER FOR ME, TIMEBOMB, DEMONIC TOYS, DEAD ON, ALIEN INTRUDER, DOLLMAN VS. DEMONIC TOYS, HELLBORN, THE STRANGE CASE OF DOCTOR JECKYLL AND MR. HYDE, MR. HELL) is 53.
And On Sunday -
Writer Chesya Burke (CHOCOLATE PARK) is 31.
Chesya was a friend long before she became a MySpace Friend. Visit her at her website, ChesyaBurke.com, and at MySpace.com/Chesya
And on Saturday -
Actor Bill Mosely (ENDANGERED SPECIES, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2, FAIR GAME, THE BLOB [1988], THE FIRST POWER, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD [1990], ARMY OF DARKNESS, EVIL ED, THE CONVENT, ESSENCE OF ECHOES, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, VICIOUS, HOME SICK, CARNIVÀLE [TV], THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, EVIL BONG, A DEAD CALLING) is 54.
Look for Bill's upcoming films THR3E (scheduled for a 2006 release), and the 2007 scheduled releases of FALLEN ANGELS and HOUSE. THR3E and HOUSE are both based on the horror novels of Ted Decker.

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NOV. 10

REGARDING VETERAN'S DAY
From one military veteran to all of you military veteran's past and present, in whatever way, big or small, ENJOY OUR DAY!

-Feo "The Shellback" Amante


FEO AMANTE'S PODCASTER
An update every week. This week, the second half of Kelly Parks video interview with actor Lance Henrickson (TERMINATOR, ALIENS, NEAR DARK, ALIEN3, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR).


Farewell Summer
From Christine Bell
MYSTERY IN NOVEMBER

If you plan to be in the Los Angeles area this month, you may want to know about the following:

November Signings at Mystery and Imagination Bookstore!

Saturday, November 11 from 2-4 pm:
Bruce Kimmel - actor, screenwriter of THE FIRST NUDIE MUSICAL - will be offering a dramatic, humorous reading from his new short story collection: HOW TO WRITE A DIRTY BOOK. The dust jacket art on this is big and bold - a beautiful, sexy, bad-dame with a hardboiled guy looking-on in a marvelous color, vintage-pulp style. Really eye-catching! Hardcover. First edition.

The author/ham, (and his readings truly are entertaining) has garnered some wonderful reviews for his new book. All but one of the stories in this collection are set in Los Angeles, and drawn from a nostalgia for the rich multi-cultural, Hollywood-influenced characters of the city's past - and present.

Kimmel's most recent film credit is as a writer and director for the acclaimed thriller DECEIT, now available on DVD.

Please join us for delicious delectables, and a real fine time.

Thursday, November 16 from 8-9 pm:
Barbara Hambly - multi-award-winning, multi-genre veteran author of the historical dark-side--will be giving a talk and signing her new novel:
RENFIELD: Slave of Dracula. Hardcover. First edition.

The most enigmatic character to stalk the shadows of DRACULA here takes center stage in Hambly's ingenious re-imagining of Stoker's classic tale. Told from the point of view of Reinfield himself, Hambly explores the chilling circumstances of his madness, his immortal devotion to the Vampire Prince, and the mortal fear that feeds his need for revenge.

Ms. Hambly, a master of historical fiction, brings her expertise, and fascinating detail to this eerily realistic, full-bodied novel.

Sunday, November 19 from Noon-2pm
Ray Bradbury - a living author treasure - will be signing:
FAREWELL SUMMER. (Long-awaited sequel to DANDELION WINE) Hardcover. First edition.

It is always a pleasure when Mr. Bradbury visits our bookstore. He enjoys the exchanges, and we all enjoy meeting him. Pre-orders for this sequel to a major early work are being taken now, and numbers are being assigned when the orders are taken, so that no one will have to wait in a line to meet him. Other new book titles will be available for those who can attend the event in person.

Mystery and Imagination is located in
Glendale, California


HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAY TO -
Writer Jack Ketchum (Books: COVER, RED, THE LOST, Movie: THE LOST) who is 60.
Jack is a longtime acquaintance and a fairly new MySpace Friend.
We also have the Jack Ketchum Interview, contributed by Monica O'Rourke.

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NOV. 9

Cannibal Flesh Riot
GRIM FLESH
FeoNote: If you live or plan to be in the Los Angeles area this month, you may want to know about the following.
November is shaping up to be packed full of Gris Grimly goodness. We have a great book signing lined up!

This weekend get ready to do some early holiday shopping. On Saturday November 11th Gris Grimly will be returning to our favorite store, Dark Delicacies to sign his new book, "Santa Claws". The signing begins at 2pm. As an added bonus, the Chiodo Brothers (KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE) and Christy Kane will also be there signing their new books as well. And Liz will be there selling tickets for the "Cannibal Flesh Riot!" screenings on the 15th & 16th.

And the most anticipated event of the year is almost here:

EVENT UPDATE

These screenings are going to be so much fun- we can hardly stand it. Here are just a few of the perks in store for those who attend:

Be the first to see the anticipated Gris Grimly film, "Cannibal Flesh Riot!"

See a LIVE performance from the band that scored the film, all the way from Denmark, HOLA GHOST

See original artwork from the film by Gris Grimly and Crab Scrambly, including the stop motion puppets and sets from the film -first time dispalyed for the public.

Hear music from guest DJ Dave Bats from Release the Bats playing great music in between the madness.

Every ticket holder will receive a raffle ticket from our sponsor Coffin Case. They will be providing one of their signature coffin cases at both shows to be raffled off. The coffin case has an original sketch by Gris Grimly and is signed by both Gris Grimly and the members of Hola Ghost.

A collectable ticket with Gris Grimly artwork and mystery "ghoulie" bag will be distributed to each attendee.

There will be complimentary hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer served in the back Spanish patio.

Buy your tickets today! Seating is extremely limited.

INFO AND TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

CANNIBALFLESHRIOT.COM

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NOV. 8

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Tara Reid (A RETURN TO SALEM'S LOT, I WOKE UP EARLY THE DAY I DIED, URBAN LEGEND, CRUEL INTENTIONS, DEVIL'S POND, INCUBUS, ALONE IN THE DARK, THE CROW: WICKED PRAYER) is 31.
Tara has an upcoming Horror Thriller movie scheduled for a 2007 release. From Torchlight Productions, the company that brought you BEACH BABES FROM BEYOND, TEST TUBE TEENS FROM THE YEAR 2000, BEACH BABE 2: CAVE GIRL ISLAND, and other graveyard shift Cinemax soft porn fluffer stuff we've been too embarrassed to bother writing about, comes LAND OF CANAAN. Get a hit with this one, Tara, and you'll be queen of the velvet rope again! Put that Paris tramp in her place: Whatever place that is.

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NOV. 6

QUICK BITE
From Robert Dunbar
What can I say? I'm a fan!
Greg Gifune - one of my all time favorite horror writers - is doing an online chat at Lost & Damned this evening at 10PM ET. Drop by and help me heckle him (I hate people with talent. Who needs the competition?).

LostDamned.com.
Speaking of which, Lee Thomas is on right before him at 9PM.


BILL O'REILLY WANTS TO BAN HORROR MOVIES
The media is full of pontificating blather bladders full of self-rightous opinion and very little knowledge ranging from Keith Olbermann to Bill O'Reilly. But this Op-Piece from movie reviewer, Scott Weinberg, is right on the money. Scott fully researched his opinion and backed it up with facts plus handy links, so that his readers can form their own opinion, not just bobble head nod to his. Kudos Scott!

Check out his blog
BILL O'REILLY WANTS TO BAN HORROR MOVIES (AND HE'S A MORON).

A video is included letting Bill damn himself. I particularly like Bill O'Reilly's haughty guest, psychotherapist Dr. Virginia Klein. Dressed like some dowdy matron who just stepped out of the swanky party scene of a Three Stooges movie, she expounds on her simplistic opinion of what Horror movie fans are. Horror movie fans, according to her, watch movies like SAW because we "Want pow-wah!" I've never known anyone, personally or on message boards, who walked out of SAW or HOSTEL feeling empowered. I'd say Virginia's a few cream pies short of a food fight. She may have a Ph.D, but she doesn't have a clue.


X-Men: The Last Stand
HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Actor Thandie Newton (INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, LOADED, BELOVED, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II, THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE, SHADE, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, CRASH) is 34.
Actor Rebecca Romijn (X-MEN, ROLLERBALL, FEMME FATALE, X2, THE PUNISHER, GODSEND, X3: The Last Gasp
) is 34.
Rebecca is currently in talks to star in MAGNETO, an X
MEN spin-off, which should begin production in 2007. She shares a November birthday with fellow XMEN alumni, Famke Janssen.
And on Sunday -
Actor Famke Janssen
(LORD OF ILLUSIONS, GOLDENEYE, DEEP RISING, THE FACULTY, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, X-MEN, X2
, X3: The Wet Turd) who is 4
1. A birthday with fellow THE FACULTY alumni,
Actor Robert Patrick
(DIE HARD 2, TERMINATOR 2, FIRE IN THE SKY, ZERO TOLERANCE, LAST GASP, ASYLUM, THE FACULTY, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN 2, THE X-FILES [TV], SPY KIDS, FIREWALL, and more) is 49.
Robert's upcoming Thriller / Mystery movie, LONELY STREET, is currently slated for a 2007 release.

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NOV. 3

QUICK BITES
Nanci Kalanta of HorrorWorld.org, tells us that award winning author, Brian Hodge, is November's featured writer with his new tale, GUARDIAN.They have a host of other goodies going on this month, so getcherself over to HorrorWorld.org.

ALSO

The new Feo Amante's Horror Thriller Stuff is loaded with ten live shops of stuff plus, new today, an 11th shop of stuff, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN STUFF.


From Paula Guran
QUINN IS A LIVING LEGEND
The IHG awards were presented beginning at at 8:00 PM, November 2 in the Wedgewood Room of the Renaissance Hotel in Austin, Texas during the World Fantasy Convention. Artist JOHN PICACIO hosted. CHELSEA QUINN YARBRO, this year's Living Legend and the first woman so honored, accepted her award from SUZY McKEE CHARNAS. Recognized for achievement in the field of horror/dark fantasy during 2005:

NOVEL
Brett Easton Ellis. Lunar Park (US: Knopf, UK:Macmillan/Picador)

SHORT FICTION
Rick Bowes. "There's a Hole in the City" (SciFiction 06.15.05)

MID-LENGTH FICTION
Caitlín Kiernan. "La Peau Verte" (To Charles Fort, with Love)

LONG FICTION
Gary Braunbeck. Kiss of the Mudman (Home Before Dark)

COLLECTION (Single Author)
Joe Hill. 20th Century Ghosts (PS Publishing)

PERIODICAL
Postscripts (Peter Crowther, Editor/Publisher, PS Publishing)

ILLUSTRATED NARRATIVE
Memories by Enki Bilal (Humanoid/DC)

NONFICTION
S.T. Joshi and Stefan Dziemianowicz, editors. Supernatural Literature of the World: An Encyclopedia (Three Volumes) (Greenwood Press)

ART
Clive Barker for Exhibition: Visions of Heaven and Hell (and Then Some), Bert Green Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA

LIVING LEGEND: CHELSEA QUINN YARBRO

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is one of the first women to make a successful and long career writing modern supernatural fiction and now becomes the first woman to be named as an IHG Living Legend. Yarbro is best known as the creator of the heroic vampire, the Count Saint-Germain. With her creation of Saint-Germain, she delved into history and vampiric literature and subverted the standard myth to invent the first vampire who was more honorable, humane, and heroic than most of the humans around him. The world and its mortal inhabitants, not the vampires, are forces of darkness in Yarbro's long-running "historical horror" series. She fully meshed the vampire with romance and accurately detailed historical fiction then filtered it through a feminist perspective that both the giving of sustenance and its taking were of equal erotic potency. Yarbro's novels are notable for laying the groundwork for the 1990s upsurge of "paranormal romance" and trans-genre fiction.

Yarbro is one of only two women ever to be named as Grand Master of the World Horror Convention (2003) and the first to serve as president of the Horror Writers Association (1988-1990). In 2005 the city of Padua, Italy honored her with a day of celebration. She is the recipient of the Fine Foundation Award for Literary Achievement (1993) and (along with Fred Saberhagen) was awarded the Knightly Order of the Brasov Citadel by the Transylvanian Society of Dracula in 1997. In 1995 Yarbro was the only novelist guest of the Romanian government for the First World Dracula Congress, sponsored by the Transylvanian Society of Dracula, the Romanian Bureau of Tourism and the Romanian Ministry of Culture. She has been nominated for the Edgar, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Awards. Her manuscripts are being archived at Bowling Green University. Her Website can be found at: ChelseaQuinnYarbro.net.

The IHG Awards

The International Horror Guild Awards are now in their eleventh year. Based on public recommendations, the juried awards recognize outstanding achievements in the field of Horror and Dark Fantasy. Nominations are derived from recommendations made by the public and the judges' knowledge of the field. Edward Bryant, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, Ann Kennedy, and Hank Wagner adjudicate.


After Dark Horrorfest
AFTER DARK UPDATE
Many of you may have already noticed that the weekend passes for the After Dark Horrorfest is no more. Individual ticket sales are still available both online and at your participating theater. Need I explain that this festival will be a monster?

At the theaters, a limited number of Collector Edition T-Shirts will be given out to the participants. The T-Shirt design is by Crash MacCreery, the artist behind the creatures of JURASSIC PARK III and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: Dead Man's Chest.The Special secret ninth film has been revealed, Snoop Dogg's HOOD OF HORROR, will be shown on Sunday only.There are more goodies planned for audiences in various theaters across the country (with over 500 theaters, you can imagine that the logistics of everything are a nightmare for a first time festival. Especially one that is taking on such a grand scale as this!). The wild success of advance ticket sales and interest has already convinced sponsors to make the After Dark Horrorfest and annual event, which is probably the coolest news of all. That is, if this all pans out right. And I doubt it will - all pan out all right. There are bound to be a few bumps and snags during the fest so be prepared for them. It's not like anyone has ever attempted a festival of this magnitude before (to my knowledge), and certainly not with the people involved. What's more, After Dark Films is not, like some of it's co-sponsors, a huge film studio. They hardly have the clout of companies like 20th Century Fox or New Line. So speaking as a fan of all things in Horror Thriller fiction, including events that celebrate them, give a little patience to the first timers running this: they are fans, just like us.

And this should be wild!


The Tomb
From F. Paul Wilson
THINK IT'S EASY IF YOUR FAMOUS? HA!

FeoNote: New York Times best selling author, winner of numerous awards, F. Paul Wilson tells us just what happens to such a respected author when he tries to crack Hollywood.

REPAIRMAN JACK – THE MOVIE
[Historical note: Years ago I sold film rights to THE TOMB to Beacon Films/Touchstone Pictures. The idea has been to title the film “Repairman Jack” and turn our guy into a franchise character. The project has spent 10 years in development hell, chewing up 6 or 7 writers who’ve churned out reams of scripts.]

10/6 – the day of the powwow with Beacon – and when you say “Beacon” you’re saying Armyan Bernstein.

1 PM: Off to Santa Monica for lunch with Barry and Bill Borden – sort of a meeting to discuss what will go on at the meeting. They bring me up to speed on the situation with the movie. They have a version of the script by Craig Spector and Chris Morgan they want to take out to directors. Army still has character and plot issues. It’s the same stalemate again and again, so they want to put Army and me in the same room and see if we can resolve this.

Truth is, if I had the rights back, I could resell them in a heartbeat. My agent has people lined up who are dying to make this movie, and who would get it done, but it just so happens that the guy who has it has not been getting it done. Talk about frustration.

And the thing is, I really, really like Army. He’s bright, charming, and funny. I believe he’s a good person, a straight shooter who sincerely wants to make the film (obviously – he’s spent seven figures on screenplays). But he’s been stymied by certain realities of the film industry. When he shows a full-blown, true-to-the-novel script to big stars, they balk at the rakoshi. When he de-emphasizes the supernatural-paranormal elements, the story becomes anemic and flaccid.

What’s the answer? Well, that’s what the meeting’s about.

2:30: We (Army, Barry, Bill, production chief Suzann Ellis, Army’s assistant Glenn, and yrs trly) gather in Army’s office overlooking the beach and the Santa Monica Pier. I’m watching the Ferris wheel as we talk. Army talks about the problems I mentioned above, also about his problem with the necklace being “magic”—he thinks that’s too convenient and wants a rationale for how it does what it does. I talk about how I don’t think you can make Jack the neighborhood fix-it guy everybody knows and loves. The Jack in the script is too goody-goody, and Kusum does too much mustache twirling. We need to stick at least one of Jack’s feet in the demimonde, and make Kusum a conflicted villain. I go on about how I’ve always seen Jack and Kusum as flip sides of the same coin: both outcasts with their own strict moral codes. They understand each other and might even be friends if their agendas weren’t diametrically opposed. Neither will back down.

This goes over well. Bill and Barry tell Army that if he gives them X-million dollars (I'm not mentioning numbers until the budget is settled), they can make this picture. Army says okay. But first he wants me to go through the script and flag everything I like and don’t like and get it back to him ASAP. The meeting lasts 2-1/2 hours during which Army comes up with a cool and elegant solution to the necklace problem (if I'd thought of it in 1983, it would have been in the novel). He says he wants a tweaked and polished version of the script out to directors before Thanksgiving. We talk about budget, where we can get the most bang for the production buck, where to have the CGI done, etc. We talk directors (don't ask – I'm familiar with the work of only a few) but not stars. Director first.

I leave the meeting feeling pretty good. This is starting to look like it might happen at last. Barry, ever the realist, says, When we're both sitting in a production test eating catered food and film is rolling and the checks have cleared, then you can believe it's happening. He's right, of course.

10/8 – on the flight home I pore over the script and scribble mucho notos.

10/9 – I spend the morning typing my revisions and additions into the Final Draft file of the script, then send it off to the Beacon gang.

10/13 – a conference call with the same gang, plus screenwriter Chris Morgan who's on board for the revisions. Reaction to my comments and changes has been generally positive all week (but that could mean they're just being polite). They're looking at Australia to do principle photography with a second unit to shoot exteriors in NYC. Barry says he'll put together a list of Australian directors. They discuss the possibility of using Weta Digital for effects. We close with Chris saying he’ll go through the script, make notes, and get back to Army next week.

10/27 – things seem to be progressing but have slowed due to negotiations with Chris’s agent about the rewrite. Visit F. Paul Wilson.

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NOV. 2

Del Howison
Del Howison

DOUBLE WHAMMY WEEKEND
FeoNote: If you live in, or are planning to visit the Los Angeles area, you may want to know about the following.

Dark Delicacies Bookstore, the only Horror Thriller bookstore in Southern California (And possibly THE WORLD!) has a great line up of signings going on this weekend.Saturday, November 4, 2:00pm
Horror film maker, Donald Glut signs DVDs of THE MUMMY'S KISS: Second Dynasty, and I WAS A TEENAGE MOVIE MAKER.
Director Todd Tucker signs his DVD of MOLDY'S MADHOUSE.Sunday, November 5, 2:00pm
Horror Hall of Fame director, Mick Garris (CRITTERS 2, THE FLY II, SLEEPWALKERS, RIDING THE BULLET, MASTERS OF HORROR) will be on hand to sign his new novel, DEVELOPMENT HELL. Former feoamante.com reviewer, Harry Shannon signs his novel, THE PRESSURE OF DARKNESS.
Glen Hirshberg signs, AMERICAN MORONS.
Eric Turowski signs, WILLING SERVANTS.
David J. Schow signs, WILLING SERVANTS.
James Dane signs, GOTHICIDE, HUNTING THE JINN.

Dark Delicacies is located at
4213 W. Burbank Blvd.
Burbank, CA


King Kong 2005
KING KONG - NOW (GOD FORBID) EVEN LONGER!
I
really used to like Peter Jackson. His work on DEAD ALIVE, MEET THE FEEBLES, BAD TASTE, THE FRIGHTENERS, and of course, LORD OF THE RINGS, left me in awe of the man. Then he went and made KING KONG [2005]. And it could have been a good movie. Hell, it could have been a great movie except for one thing. He took a 90 minute story and filled it with an additional 90 minutes of fluff. 3 plus hours, yall! I had to sit through that thing! (I wasn't going to have the only Horror Thriller website that DIDN'T review it)

True, it was the latest in technical special effects CGI wizardry yippee-shit, but the dynamics between the characters was worn through the leather; the battle between the monsters went on before, through, and after the bathroom break, and I got bedsores on my butt after sitting in that theater seat for three+ freaking hours.

How in the hell did Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and the minions of Universal Pictures utterly fail to grasp the concept, which was: A movie about a giant ape?

This was not LORD OF THE RINGS territory. It didn't have or need a detailed world of multi-layered design and characterization. It didn't have or need epic battles of good over evil.

And there was certainly no need to take the very horribly racist scenes of the non-white tribe of Skull Island and make them evil, ugly, insanities. The original KING KONG was made back in the 1930s and showed the tribe of Skull Island primitives with far more respect. They were a society of good people cursed by the proximity of giant monsters - one of which demanded tribute.

Apparently I wasn't the only one to feel this way as, despite a tremendous advertising budget, the ape fell flat on his hairy ass. KONG too. World-wide, nobody was getting excited about it. So it went to DVD in no time flat. Same verdict. Nobody really wanted to see it in the theaters and nobody really wanted to own or rent it on DVD.

Or maybe, say the marketeers at Universal Pictures, just MAY-BEE, everyone was really waiting for a high falutin', glory hallelujah, knock-down drag-out, and don't-that-beat-all version of KING KONG [2005]!

This November 14! You wanted the best and you got this instead! Presenting, The Deluxe Extended Edition of Peter Jackson's KING KONG! Now with 3 DVDs, 13 minutes of additional footage and over 40 minutes worth of 16 deleted scenes.

GAHH!!!

What would be REALLY cool is a deluxe limited edition with a 90 minute cut of KING KONG [2005]. I bet that would be great! Less fat, less filler!


HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Writer Peter Atkins (MORNINGSTAR, BIG THUNDER, HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER 2, WISHMASTER) is 51.

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NOV. 1

E.C.McMullen Jr.
E.C.McMullen Jr.

END OF THE MONTH UPDATE
Big month, October, as to be expected.

Word got out on a lot of the Horror Thriller sites, this one included, about the upcoming After Dark Horrorfest.

Our reviewer and Science Moment geek, Kelly Parks, became yet another success story by winning the Horror & Scifi Film Festival in Phoenix for his screenplay, HOWARD'S CROSS. Jason Todd Ipson won in the same contest for his film, UNREST (which will be part of the After Dark Horrorfest), and Master of Horror, Mick Garris, won Hall of Fame honor. Over 118,000 people visited us in October, with the count dropping off dramatically for Halloween night - which was to be expected (You'd BETTER be out enjoying Halloween!). Those visitors looked at an average of over 228,000 pages. And, if you are still interested in how many hits we get, over 2,414,000.In October we started our PodCaster, featuring Kelly Parks audio interview with Writer / Director, James Gunn (DAWN OF THE DEAD [2004], SLITHER) and video interview (part one of a two parter) with actor Lance Henrikson.

"The best tech tracking site on the Internet, Netcraft.com" (Quote from Tech guru, Tim O'Rielly), ranked feoamante.com 36,660 out of the billions of websites out there in rank of importance based on visitor use. #1, of course, is google. But to put this in perspective, Universal Pictures, home of their various websites dedicated to their various movies, ranks 66,584.


Death's Dominion
From Simon Clark
FRANKENSTEIN!

I loved Frankenstein films from the age of ten onwards.

I bought the paperback of Mary Shelley's original FRANKENSTEIN when I was twelve and managed to get through it - just - but it was nothing like the full-blooded monster epics that I saw on TV, with the likes of Karloff, Christopher Lee and the rest stomping around graveyards as lightning zapped through the sky. I didn't even mind when one of my friends used the book I'd lent him to beat out a grass fire near his home. Come to think of it, that last sentence could do with more elaboration, concerning the surreal fire-fighting techniques of my school friend, but it's time I cut to the chase.

My latest novel, DEATH'S DOMINION, is out from Leisure. The Frankenstein story has had me in its monstrous grasp since childhood and, at last, I've done what I've been longing to do for years: to write my own take on the Frankenstein theme, set not only in the modern world but one we might find ourselves in next year or even next week. Here's an excerpt from Leisure's own mailer that describes the book and includes a heart-warming review from Publisher's Weekly.

Modern scientists have proven Dr. Frankenstein right. They have discovered a way to raise the dead. Unlike Dr. Frankenstein's monster, these gentle creatures docilely serve their masters, but the living have begun to despise the dead among them. They are disgusted by their creations, and the government has set out to systematically destroy every last one of the "monsters." The monsters cannot fight back -- it's not in their nature to defend themselves. That is, until one of the creatures retaliates against humanity with shocking brutality. In the war between the living and the dead, a new leader has arisen.'

Visit Simon Clark.

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GO TO OCTOBER 2006 PG. 1

Our Contributors are going places! Check it out below!


Starring Adrian Paul
(
THE HIGHLANDER),
Bokeem Woodbine, and Ling Bai (
THE CROW), This Alternate History movie is part Horror, Part crime, part S.F. and all Vampires.
From the screenplay by our own
Christos N. Gage
and
Ruth Fletcher Gage.


Brian Keene was one of the first reviewers at feoamante.com and has gone on to become one of the fastest growing Horror writers in publishing.

Harry Shannon began writing for us in the new millennium and has gone on to write mass market novels and pen the motion picture,
DEAD AND GONE

 

Haunted
Links:

The Chancery House
Dancing Skeletons
Sure, why not?
Evil On A
Budget

Every Evil Overlord has to start somewhere.
Evil Overlord,
Inc.

valuable advice for setting up your own world dominating empire.
GoreLets
Once this site buries its hook in you, you won't want to pull it out.
Flash Enabled.
Halloween
Midis - Music - and Wavs
The Haunted Graveyard
The Haunted Playhouse
Hell2U
Hell, Michigan. It's a beautiful little place that's a helluva lot of fun to visit.
The Hilarious House of Frightenstein
I've never met a soul who remembers this whacked out show, yet Canadians Bill Strutt and Ben Kane have created this excellent tribute site.
The Monster Dance
Sigh... for those of you who really crave kitsch.
The Monster Mash
More dancing monsters. This time with lyrics.
The Moonlit
Road
MustDie
A Russian site. I don't know what they are saying, but it looks so COOL!
Necropsy
A fledgling Horror site hosted on the Louisiana State University servers. Not much there so far, but the roster of reviewers, including S.T. Joshi, is impressive.
Rather Good
Not Haunted or Horror but being this twisted, where else would he have a link?
The Ossuary In Sedlac
A massive and ornate building made of human bones.
Screams From The Abyss
Few images, mostly text. It's a 24 hour, 7 day a week Geoff Cooper Bitch-Fest!
Spectrum Of Fantasy
Is back online! A Russian site, with pages in English and/or Russian. Uses Shockwave!


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Feo Amante's Horror Home Page and feoamante.com are owned and copyright 1997 - 2006 by E.C.McMullen Jr.
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All fiction stories belong to their individual authors.
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