BOOK REVIEW: Chilling Tales edited by Michael Kelly

 This will be the last review of my special Canada day weekend.

Chilling Tales: Evil Did I Dwell; Lewd Did I Live edited by Michael Kelly is an anthology of 18 horror and dark fantasy tales by Canadian authors.

I didn't enjoy this anthology as much as the previous two I reviewed. I only enjoyed a handful of stories and didn't find any remotely creepy. The plots of most the stories are dull and unoriginal.

But I found a few entertaining. Here are my favourites:

In "Tom Chestnutt's Midnight Blues" by Robert J. Wiersma, a musician is haunted by the love of his life. An interesting story, or at least until the anti-climactic ending.

"Sympathy For the Devil" by Nancy Kilpatrick tells the tale of an awful man who is the cause of a fatal car accident and how he gets his comeuppance. A well-written story that actually has the reader rooting against the main character.

"The Needle's Eye" by Suzanne Church is about a virus that blinds those infected and has a vaccine that will make you cringe. An emotional story that makes you appreciate doctors, family and sight.

In "Looker" by David Nickle, a man becomes romantically involved with a strange woman. I know that isn't much of a description, but I don't want to reveal too much. This is my favourite story in the book because it's so strange. I've never read anything like it before.

Chilling Tales is an okay anthology. The best stories are worth reading, but because the others are disappointing, I would recommend getting it from a library or used. Submissions for volume two, Chilling Tales: In Words, Alas, Drown I, are currently being accepted.

Rating: 3/5

BOOK REVIEW: Evolve edited by Nancy Kilpatrick

I'm not a huge vampire fan. I've read a few vampire novels, but wasn't crazy about them because I found them predictable. More often than not, it ends with a stake in the heart. But I thought I would give this anthology a chance since it features stories about the "New Undead." I'm glad I did because none of these stories are predictable or end with a stake. These vampire stories are unique and fascinating.

Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead is edited by Nancy Kilpatrick and features 23 stories and one poem written by Canadian authors. The plot of every story involves the "twenty-first century vampire." Many of the vampires are accepted in society, many don't succumb to the usual vampire traditions (dying in the sun, etc.) and while similar to the bloodsuckers in classics like Dracula, they are all unique, new breeds of vampire.

"An Ember Amongst the Fallen" by Colleen Anderson is the most original story of the bunch, and my favourite. In this story, vampires are the dominant species and use humans as "cattle". There is much more to the plot than that, but I don't want to give anything away. It goes in a direction I never expected, and I ended up being a bit shocked by the events in the story. Reading the anthology just for this story would be worth it; definitely one of the best short stories I've read.

In "A Murder of Vampires" by Bev Vincent, vampires are common and live in a bad part of town. When vampires are being murdered, a detective tries to find the killer. I love detective and serial killer stories, so I enjoyed this story a lot. The twist of a human detective finding a killer who is murdering vampires, which most people consider monsters, makes this story interesting.

"The Greatest Trick" by Steve Vernon is about a vampire who wants to be a politician, but when he finds it difficult to convince the public to choose a vampire over the other candidates, he finds ways to even the competition. This story is gory and humorous, making me laugh quite a bit. Here's an example of a joke from the story: 

"Nobody is going to vote for a vampire," Jessome said, after I explained what I wanted of him.

"They voted for Schwarzenegger," I pointed out. "And he married one."

In "Soulfinger" by Rio Youers, a journalist goes to a blues bar to see legendary blues musician, Soulfinger, for an article he's researching, unaware that it's a bar for vampires. This is the creepiest and most atmospheric story in the anthology. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just leave it at that.

In "How Magnificent is the Universal Donor" by Jerome Stueart, a virus called Beijing Blood Disease - a.k.a. Baby Dee - has infected most of the population and the World Health Organization (WHO) is trying to save everyone with blood transfusions. But Jacob knows there is a secret the WHO is trying to hide. And when he is told his perfectly healthy partner has died from Baby Dee, he sneaks into the hospital to find him. There is tons of suspense when Jacob is sneaking around the hospital, trying not to get caught by the doctors of the WHO, and an eerie scene in the morgue.

Overall, Evolve is a must-read for vampire lovers, and anyone who is tired of the same old vampire cliches. Evolve 2: Vampire Stories of the Future Undead will be released August 15, and will be about vampires in 2012 and beyond, once again edited by Nancy Kilpatrick.


Rating: 4/5

BOOK REVIEW: Tesseracts Thirteen edited by Nancy Kilpatrick & David Morrell

Happy Canada Day!

Last year to celebrate my country's birthday, I posted a list of 20 Great Canadian Horror Films. This year I've decided to highlight Canadian horror literature by reviewing three anthologies this weekend which contain stories written by Canadian writers.

Tesseracts Thirteen is an anthology containing 23 short stories and one essay, edited by Canadian authors Nancy Kilpatrick and David Morrell.

The Tesseracts series of award-winning anthologies features speculative fiction short stories by Canadian writers. Because this is the 13th edition of Tesseracts, the stories focus on horror.

Rather than write about every story in the book, I'll just mention a few of my favourite stories.

In "Kids These Days" by Rebecca Bradley, a virus turns all children into zombies, but they can be controlled with medication. The story has a unique spin on zombies and a surprising and satisfying twist ending, making it my favourite story from the anthology.

"Quints" by Edo van Belkom is about a doctor who delivers quintuplets, reminding him of the Dionne quints and how they were exploited, prompting him to do something unthinkable. I found the plot of the story intriguing. The main character's thoughts and actions made me angry, but I think that just shows how well-written the story is.

"Silence" by Stephanie Short is a different version of the Pied Piper legend where the Piper controls children with his flute, but the kids come up with a plan to break free from him. This story is a bit gory and made me cringe at the end.

"The Tear Closet" by Suzanne Church deals with the difficult subject matter of spousal abuse and  child molestation. It's a very well-written and emotional story, making me tear up a few times.

"His One True Love" by Catherine MacLeod is the story that terrified me the most, out of all the stories in the anthology because I have a fear of birds. The main character in this story is also afraid of birds and is terrorized by a blue jay that flies into her house just as she returns from her husband's funeral.

The anthology also includes a short essay on the history of Canadian horror literature, "Out of the Barrens: Two Centuries of Canadian Dark Fantasy & Horror" by Robert Knowlton, which is very thorough and cites many novels by Canadian horror authors, that I will now be checking out thanks to this essay.

Tesseracts Thirteen encompasses a variety of dark plots including zombies, abuse, super heroes and myths, making me experience several different emotions such as anger, sadness, disbelief and disgust. As with pretty much every anthology I've read, I didn't love every story, but I enjoyed most of them and would say this book is worth a read.

Rating: 4/5

20 Great Canadian Horror Films

Happy Canada Day! In celebration of my nation's 143rd birthday, I have compiled a list of Canadian horror films. It's an eclectic bunch, featuring werewolves, ghosts and talking medical instruction dummies. Some are scary, some are funny, some are strange, but they're all great horror films and go to show that Canada has more to offer than hockey and maple syrup. Instead of ranking them, I listed them by their release date.

For more Canadian horror movies, check out this list. There is also a documentary, Nightmare in Canada: Canadian Horror on Film, which is all about Canadian horror films.

1. Black Christmas (1974)

Arguably the best and most recognizable Canadian horror film, this is one of my favourite horror films and I watch it every Christmas. I'm sure everyone already knows the plot, but I'll recap it anyway. It's Christmas and a handful of girls in a sorority are staying put over the holidays/waiting for family to arrive. They start receiving obscene phone calls and soon some of the girls go missing. This film, directed by Bob Clark, is considered to be the first slasher.

2. Deranged (1974)

After watching Motel Hell on TV and becoming obsessed with it, I rushed out and bought it on DVD, and this film came with it. I had never heard of it before, but it turned out to be pretty disturbing - especially the fact that it happened in real life. Based on the life of Ed Gein, this film follows the true story closer than Psycho or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and features unsettling scenes such as digging up corpses and making things out of skin.

3. The Brood (1979)

David Cronenberg is probably the most well-known Canadian horror director. His films are always creepy and...unusual. I could've chosen any of his horror films to put on this list, they all include bizarre and interesting plots such as telepathic people who can will others' heads to explode or parasites that make you crave human blood. The Brood is about a woman who gives birth to mutated children, and they kill anyone their mother feels anger towards.

4. The Changeling (1980)

A creepy and atmospheric film about a widower moving into a haunted mansion and his attempt at solving the mystery behind who died there. Won the first ever Genie Award for Best Canadian Film, and an addition seven Genie Awards. Director Lamberto Bava made an unofficial made-for-TV sequel in 1987.



5. Terror Train (1980)

A college prank traumatizes a young man and he is sent to a mental hospital. Three years later, the six college kids responsible are throwing a New Year's Eve costume party on a moving train. But there is a killer aboard the train, stalking those kids. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis.


6. Prom Night (1980)

Although I think this film is a little overrated, it's not a bad slasher and it stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen. A group of kids accidentally kill a young girl and six years later, on prom night, a killer is stalking everyone who was involved. This film spawned three sequels (Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II, Prom Night III: The Last Kiss and Prom Night IV: Deliver Us From Evil) and a 2008 remake which were all filmed in Canada.

7. My Bloody Valentine (1981)

When the foreman of a mine leaves five workers to attend a Valentine's Day dance, there is an explosion and sole survivor Harry Warden remains alive by eating his fellow miners, driving him insane. One year later (on Valentine's Day) he escapes from the loony bin and murders the foreman. 20 years later, Harry Warden is old news and the town decides to have a Valentine's Day dance. But then the murders begin.... Is Harry back? A great slasher with lots of inventive kill scenes. I also enjoyed the 3D remake.

8. Happy Birthday to Me (1981)

Happy Birthday to Me stars my namesake Melissa Sue Anderson (my parents liked Little House on the Prairie) as a young woman who finally fits in at her snotty school, Crawford Academy, gaining acceptance into the most exclusive clique the "Top 10." But being in the group isn't all it's cracked up to be since someone is offing them, one by one. I love this movie. Sure it's pretty cheesy at times, but so are most 80's slashers.

9. The Pit (1981)

Odd yet amusing film about a boy, Jamie, whose only friend is his teddy bear - oh, and the creatures who live in a pit in the middle of the forest. The film mostly focuses on Jamie's obsession with sex, but there are still plenty of scenes where he feeds people to the monsters.

10. Deadly Eyes (1982)

I have a phobia of rats. If I see one I don't just scream, I sob hysterically and shake uncontrollably. This film about giant rats is like my worst nightmare brought to life. Set in Toronto, these huge rats have a taste for human flesh. Based on James Herbert's novel, The Rats. Interestingly, the rats were actually dachshunds in costume.

11. Curtains (1983)

Six actresses are invited to a famous director's home to audition for a lead role in his latest project. How far would they go to get the part? Would they sleep with the director? Kill the competition? Well, the answer is both. The actresses are killed off one by one a la And Then There Were None. A great horror film with plenty of creepy scenes featuring a killer wearing a scary hag mask and carrying a scythe.

12. The Gate (1987)

When a boy (Stephen Dorff) digs a hole in his backyard with the help of his friend (Louis Tripp), they unleash small demons. Also starring Kelly Rowan (Kirsten Cohen on The O.C.)! Directed by Tibor Tackacs, who also directed the sequel and I, Madman...oh, and the made-for-TV movie, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which spawned the TV series!

13. Pin (1989)

Pin, short for Pinocchio, is an anatomical dummy that Leon (David Hewlett) and Ursula's (Cynthia Preston) father (Terry O'Quinn) uses to teach life lessons. When their father dies, Leon develops an unusual relationship with Pin and an obsession with his sister, Ursula. Pin driving Leon to madness and murder is genuinely creepy. Pin is based on the novel of the same name by Andrew Neiderman.

14. Ginger Snaps (2000)

I love werewolf movies and this one is my favourite - and my favourite film on the list. Katherine Isabelle (Freddy vs. Jason, Carrie remake) and Emily Perkins (It, Supernatural) are great actresses and two of my favourite scream queens. I loved the outcast/goth main characters and how becoming a werewolf was linked to Ginger getting her period. This is an excellent example of a Canadian horror film and makes me proud to be a Canadian. There is also a sequel, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed and a prequel, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning.

15. Fido (2006)

A unique and funny zombie comedy where in the 1950's radiation brings the dead back to life and a company develops collars which controls their taste for human flesh. People then use zombies as servants.



16. End of the Line (2007)

Members of a religious cult make their own Judgment Day and start murdering all the "sinners". The film focuses on a group of people trapped in a subway while this happens. An unsettling film that made me wary of Bible thumpers, with an opening scene that made me jump.

17. Wrong Turn 2 (2007)

I can't decide if I like this film more than the original. It's awesome and has loads of gore, but the first film has Kevin Zegers and Jeremy Sisto.... Although this film has an American director and most of the cast is American, it was filmed in Vancouver so I'm going to include it.


18. Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2008)

A funny monster movie about a man (Trevor Matthews) who witnessed the murder of his family at the hands of a beast when he was a kid and flees. When his Professor (Robert Englund) is possessed by a demon, Jack uses his pent up anger about running away to fight this monster.



19. Gutterballs (2008)

This is an entertaining and extremely gory homage to 80's slashers. Set in a bowling alley, the killer uses various bowling-related items (pins, bowling balls, etc.) to murder his victims. There is tons of sex and buckets of blood and may be offensive to some (there is a fairly long and nasty rape scene), so viewer discretion is advised.

20. Pontypool (2009)

Definitely the most original zombie film I've ever seen. Instead of being infected by a bite, the virus is spread through the English language. Having the entire movie set inside a radio station with the characters not knowing what is going on outside makes this film even more terrifying than if the gore was shown. Based on the novel Pontypool Changes Everything by Tony Burgess.