No CGI in the New Evil Dead Movie

I read that there will be no CGI whatsoever in recent remake of the classic horror film Evil Dead. I think this is brilliant. I've been waiting for a filmmaker out there to have the balls to actually go old school and thumb their nose at what people have been conditioned to and what is cheaper, yet, in my opinion and probably that of many others, looks just as cheap if not completely fake and or cartoonish.  Let's face it, we've become used to computer generated images in our films, particularly those in the horror genre.  We just accept it though, deep inside, we know it looks like utter shit and when done terribly it can draw us out of the movie in an instant.

Remember The Exorcist?  Of course you do, and you may remember the scene where Regan's room drops to freezing temperatures and you can see the priest's breath as he is attempting to expel the demon.  They filmed that scene in a huge refrigerated room to achieve that important detail, but now...oh hell no, the CGI team can just add in some fake breath after the movie is filmed.  Looks real enough, right?  No.  It doesn't and it never has.  Same thing with snow.  A filmmaker can hardly be bothered to use fake snow because they can get the CGI team to insert it after the film is shot.

Now, there is room for CGI, but it needs to be used delicately and, in most cases, should be restricted to the background.  The viewer shouldn't know that something has been computer generated or enhanced.  Once the viewer consciously thinks to themselves that yes, CGI is in use, the filmmaker has failed.  I figure I may be in the minority on this one, but that's how I feel. I have never been able to get into superhero movies because they look like cartoons. Spiderman swinging through skyscrapers just looks ridiculous. I'd much rather watch Tim Burton's Batman (and I did a few weeks back--still holds up after all these years).  Monster movies are full of CGI, and most often they are unpalatable.  It can be done even to create something huge and menacing, but the FX must be finessed rather than an inexpensive substitute for real prosthetics and make up. 

There is no werewolf transformation quite like that in An American Werewolf in London, no nasty creature like the thing in Cronenberg's The Fly or, for that matter, Carpenter's The Thing.  You couldn't have created such vile monstrosities with CGI, and it has been tried.  Good god it's been tried, and failed at every turn. I liked Cabin in the Woods, but I had to seriously excuse the bombardment of CGI during that final sequence of events with all the monsters and madmen. It really was kind of ridiculous, but even I, someone who has a deep loathing for CGI, can look past such uninspiring effects from time to time. I have to if I want to watch movies anymore because CGI has become, sadly, the standard...

Until now.  I am eagerly awaiting the release of Evil Dead not only because of the fact that they went old school and used real FX, but also due to the striking trailer. My distaste for remakes is equal to that of CGI, but this one has me interested.

Cheers!

Goodbye 2012...Hello New Year

Haven't been posting much as of late. Shame on me. Maybe I'll change that in 2012. I sure hope so.

In retrospect 2012 wasn't so bad. A lot of people cannot say the same considering politics, the economy, and the general state of humanity, but for me it was a good year overall. Of course, the politicians are playing Russian roulette with the American taxpayer right now, and their decisions will affect the middle class one way or the other (though I am, politically speaking, considered poor). If we go over the fiscal cliff, well...I don't know what to think.

But enough about that shit. I digress. What 2012 brought for me was the publication of my first novel Through the In Between, Hell Awaits, of which I couldn't be more proud of. To add a cherry on top, I sold my second novel People of the Ethereal Realm to Post Mortem Press. Those accomplishments alone made my 2012 a success. Though I sold fewer short stories, I made more money off of them, so take that however you like. I'm very pleased, and I can only hope to increase my reputation and sales in 2013.

On a personal level, my son is healthy and I did a metric shitload of work on my house (new flooring, remodeled my son's room, paint, baseboards, etc.). Doing the labor myself saved a pretty penny. The downfall of the year is that with getting older the need for health care is increasingly necessary. My wife has had an eye infection that the doctors and specialists can't seem to properly diagnose. That or they have their thumbs firmly planted up their asses (as I suspect some of them do). A trip to the ER without health insurance is a major bummer (to use some well worn SoCal vernacular). It's tough, but crunching the numbers we cannot decide whether it is worth paying for medical insurance or just dealing with the hospital bills (insurance is freaking outrageous!). Anyway, that's the big shit storm at the end of a decent year, and the bills haven't stopped coming in. On top of that, the eye infection, though seemingly healed, will likely come back (it came back once already). We can throw money at it, but until we find a doctor who gives a shit, we're screwed, glued and tattooed. I see paying ridiculous premiums for health care in 2013. Robert may be working an extra day or two a month, who knows.

All of that aside, I hope we all have a wonderful and prosperous 2013.

Cheers!

Through the In between, Hell Awaits -- OUT NOW!

That's right, folks!  My debut novel from Grand Mal Press, Though the In Between, Hell Awaits, is now live! Available in print, for kindle, nook, and at smashwords.

After an ancient tribe of sentinels disbands, the realm between Earth and Hell devolves into a land where vile beasts roam free and corruption reigns. In this aberrant land time is only relative, and pain can last forever. On Earth there are three strangers in search of something tangible, something real, something that gives meaning to their lives. Little do they know that a grisly murder in San Diego will mark the beginning of a series of events that will draw them to a world of madness, torture, and lawlessness where they will be forced to fight for their desires and their lives. Once in the realm of the In Between will they ever be the same again? Is there a way back home to Earth, or does Hell await?

“Essig brings a fat slice of urban horror combined with his uniquely abstract vision of a hellish world. Endless suffering abounds! For fans of down and dirty horror!” - Daniel I. Russell, author of Samhane

Cheers!

Critique by Daniel I. Russell

Critique is the story of harsh restaurant critic Sandy Devanche who finds something rich and invigorating through the doors of The House of Jacob, where is is introduced to something he never could have prepared himself for. Taken down the strange and often times horrifying road to redemption he is forced to deal with his past demons in a most unusual way.

This may very well be the best book I've read this year.  From beginning to end everything in this novella is top notch.  The characters are so real you feel their horror and yearning, the plot so rich and textured that you cannot put the book down.  Russell's ability to lay down smooth prose makes for a most joyous trip into Mr. Devanche's worst nightmares.  Not an overly gory slice of horror, Critique does tread some disturbing territory of which Russell weaves effortlessly.

For those who haven't read this novella yet, what are you waiting for?  Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.  You won't regret it.

Available HERE in both print and kindle format.

Fear the Abyss

Fear the Abyss is the latest anthology from Post Mortem Press in which the stories blend science fiction with horror. I wrote a story specifically for this anthology called "The Nostalgiac". I have had an idea for a story about and intergalactic moving company that transports relics from a defunct Earth to people now living in the universe. I'd tried to write the story once but it was utter shit. When I was invited to submit to this anthology I knew it was time to revisit that idea. I changed it drastically and wrote the first draft over the period of a few days. After rewrites and some editorial suggestions, I am very pleased with how the story turned out.

Below is the table of contents. I'm honored to share the pages with such talented authors.

• "Cutting the Cord" – Joseph Williams
• "Extraction" – Jessica McHugh
• "Amid the Walking Wounded" – Jack Ketchum
• "A Box of Candy" – Nelson W. Pyles
• "That Which Does Not Kill You" – Matt Moore
• "Human Caverns" – Lawrence C. Connolly
• "The American" – S.C. Hayden
• "What's Left Behind" – C. Bryan Brown
• "Always Something There To Remind Me" - Gary Braunbeck
• "Neptune Dreams" – Rose Blackthorn
• "Broken Promises" – Jamie Lackey
• "The Great Ocean of Truth" – Tim Waggoner
• “Graphic Violence Equalizer" – Michael Arnzen
• "Parasite" – Kenneth W. Cain
• "If Thine Eye Offend Thee" – Thomas Malafarina
• "Seeing" – Harlan Ellison®
• "A Nice Town With Very Clean Streets" – Paul Anderson
• "The Nostalgiac" – Robert Essig
• "Life After Dead" – Jeyn Roberts
• "Andrew and the Better Mouse Trap" – KT Jayne
• "They Still Sing Beautifully" – Brad Carter
• "What We Found" – Andrew Nienaber

Fear the Abyss is slated for a late November release. I will post details when it is available.

Cheers!

What I've Been Working On

With work on Through the In Between, Hell Awaits finished (it will be released so damned soon I can taste the blood and grue!) I have had time to work on some other projects that have been set on the back burner, and I would like to get some things finished before editorial work on my Post Mortem Press novel People of the Ethereal Realm begins.

In the interim I have written a story that reflects one horrifying result of the desperation many facets of our current society are dealing with called "Like Ants on a Carcass".  I heard two news stories in one day that were frighteningly similar with a sad yet comical bend, so I took the idea and gave it a sad and horrific twist by taking said situation to the extreme. I'm pleased with the first draft and eager to tidy it up.

I have recently rewritten a story that I had entered into a writing competition last year.  The story had done terribly for many reasons, one of which was that I was too excited and didn't properly edit.  As a result there were a few embarrassing typos, however the commentary by the others in the contest was very helpful in directing me away from the worn-out monster with tentacles and the typical POV I had been using. Now the story has an original villain that better reflects the deeper meaning of the story, and with the shuffle of my lead character I think it is a far more engaging and affective read.  And, of course, I will have to clean this one up before submitting (maybe a few times for good measure).

With first drafts of those stories finished, I have resumed working on my latest novel In Black, which is coming along nicely. I have been hitting 500 words a day, which isn't too shabby for a guy who has been working a day job and then coming home to work on his house until 10 PM just about every night for the past week and a half.  What is it they say, if you can't fit writing into your busy schedule, then you may want to reconsider being a writer? I don't know what they say, but it's something like that. And who the hell are they anyway? In Black is coming along nicely. I am writing it using the stream of consciousness method, which I am trying to steer away from if for nothing else that to see if there are more effective ways to write books. I'm always interested in trying new methods. Having no idea how the book will end or where it is going is kind of thrilling, and can be very exciting when the plot begins to take hold.  Recently I have hit a major development, which may have something to do with my recent 500 words a day (that may not be a lot of words for many other authors, but I'm kind of a slow writer, so it's very good for me, particularly on weekdays).

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate it.

Cheers!

Free PDF of Through the In Between, Hell Awaits

Through the In Between, Hell Awaits will be out very soon.  This means we need to create some buzz. If you would be interested in reading a free PDF of the book, please contact me HERE and I would be happy to get one to you. You wouldn't be required to post a review on amazon, however that would be very much appreciated.

Thank you! I appreciate your interest.