protean depravity

Here are the reviews for some more of my latest reads. I am recently really trying to diversify my reading and not to get stuck on horror alone. That's why miraculously there are two regular fiction and one science fiction books among this week's short reviews. Enjoy! 

  She-Pack (2018), courtesy of FGBFF So, it has almost been two weeks since I had the pleasure of having the great Final Girls Berlin Film Festival (FGBFF) in my own living room. Although it was a weird feeling to attend an online film festival, it was also much cooler than I had expected it to be. I had no doubts that the selection of the organizers would be flawless, but what about the lack of chit-chatting in foyers, showing up for one movie but then spontaneously deciding to stay for a discussion too, buying yet another FGBFF t-shirt or bag, and the whole atmosphere? Well, unfortunately not this year. Or at least not this year in February, because there will hopefully be a second festival around Halloween at the City Kino Wedding - for the moment being that is nothing but a utopia in which we'll all be vaccinated... So, some of the charm of the festival wasn't there this year, but I found lots of joy in other things. There is, for instance, something extremely cozy in bein...

Your favorite electronicon-storytelling project from Norway is back! And they're sponsored now, I can't believe it!! Check out this trailer (!) and the declaration: 

Here are the new short reviews! Unluckily, this time it is all about books that I would rate as average except for Negative Space and Crossroads which are very solid stories. I don't know, maybe it's the lockdown winter or maybe it really is the books, but this time I found it hard to feel much excitement for the books I've read. I still hope you enjoy them.

  In my ears the new year's fireworks were a starting signal for a project I have been longingly waiting for the last few months: the opportunity to read and review the complete “Rewind or Die” series for the Otherland Newsletter; a sum total of 23 retro-horror paperbacks (I recently realized that the series isn't even complete yet, so it's still counting!) inspired by 70s, 80s and 90s horror movies. Ever since I first saw and read Cameron Roubique's Disco Deathtrap from this series I am dreaming about these colorful little books with amazing cover art and extremely over the top storylines. Tongue-in-cheek, bizarro, absurd, gore-splatter, wild ride or pulpy are terms that come to mind describing this incredibly fun series that I will happily read and discuss for you guys in the near future. Recycling alarm - before you all jump on me; yes, I have already reviewed the first book and published it here among the short reviews last month, so sorry for that. To my defense, ...

I did as I have announced in October and have watched almost all the movies I planned to watch during the ongoing lockdown. I did my little festival-at-home-thing (though there's still movies whose release dates have been postponed and are therefore not available yet, so I couldn't watch them) and I have come to a conclusion! The winner of the fall film festival at home and my best film of the year 2020 is the Australian dementia-horror "Relic" which was written and directed by Natalie Erika James! 👏👏👏👏👏 If you ever wonder; number two is Brandon Cronenberg's stylishly cruel "Possessor" and third place goes to the super gory and revolting cosmic horror flick "The Beach House" which was written and directed by Jeffrey A. Brown.