Wretch: or, The Unbecoming of Porcelain Khaw by Eric LaRocca - Book Review

 

'After his husband dies, Simeon Link finds himself overcome by grief and seeking comfort in an unusual support group called The Wretches, who offer an addictive and dangerous source of relief. They introduce Simeon to a curious figure known as Porcelain Khaw—a man with the ability to let those who are grieving have one last intimate moment with their beloved...for a price.

'Hallucinatory, fiendish, and destructively beautiful, Wretch transports us to a world where not everything is as it seems, and those we love may be the ones who haunt us most.'

When I first discovered Eric LaRocca's work I was fascinated by the mixture of emotions it made me feel. I was repulsed, disgusted by some of the things he created, yet found myself being drawn into his narratives and invested in the bizarre, often monstrous things that happen to his characters. I'm not sure if he's a writer I'd advise to people on a whim, as I think I'd need to recommend him very carefully, but his work is definitely something that I think will have a more shocking effect on people than they first expect. That being said, I think that perhaps Wretch might be one of the easier entry points into LaRocca's catalogue, a way to test the waters for new readers as it eschews the usual visceral, almost gory horror in exchange for more of a slow burn.

Wretch tells the story of Simeon, who recently lost his husband, Johnathan, after a short battle with cancer. Simeon hasn't been managing his grief well, and as the book begins he's gently let go from his job because of the effect his loss has had on his work there. He doesn't have anyone to turn to, perhaps other than his ex-wife Evelyn, who still loves him and hopes to rekindle their relationship despite Simeon leaving her years before. Retreating to online spaces, Simeon eventually hears about a local support group called the Wretches, who attempt to deal with their grief using photography. 

The group take photos of everyday objects and places in the hopes of capturing some abstract impression of the people they've lost. Somewhat doubtful of the process, Simeon at least gives it a try to somewhat mixed success. It's from a member of the Wretches, however, that he hears of a man named Porcelain Khaw, a name that Simeon has heard rumours of on dark corners of the internet. Khaw is able to help people with their grief, able to give them a moment with the person that they've lost. Unsure where else he can turn, and desperate to see Jonathan again, Simeon reaches out to the mysterious figure.

Wretch is first and foremost a story about grief, how it can consume you, and how not having healthy coping mechanisms can lead to destructive ends. However, this is a LaRocca book, so it's not as simple as all of that. The hallmarks of a LaRocca story are here, with parts of the book given over to internet chat logs, stories found on forums, diary entries, and even a play at one point. For the most part in LaRocca's previous work I've found these segments have added quite a bit to the story, or have been the entire story itself, and have often conveyed quite a lot of important information or tone. However, in Wretch these parts seemed somewhat out of place to me, jarring me out of the narrative, and leaving me wondering as to their significance. 

These are also the sections that have what I consider the trademark LaRocca horror, the moments that deal with twisted thoughts, awful compulsions, and disjointed realities. For example, there's a point in the story where Simeon reads through an old diary entry where he fantasises about killing his infant son. He imagines how he could throw the baby into the alligator enclosure in the zoo to watch him be torn to pieces. After reading his old words Simeon wonders if he wrote it because he enjoys misery and suffering in his life, and perhaps it's just me, but this feels like a very bizarre and extreme way of showing that. I didn't read those parts and think Simeon liked misery, I thought he was some kind of psychopath, and I was glad he was hardly in his sons life. It made me hate Simeon, and I can't help but wonder what effect LaRocca was going for with this, and with other even more unusual cutaways from the main story, and why he chose to present those moments the way he did.

Sadly, despite spending the entire book with Simeon, I felt like I didn't really know anything about him come the end of the book, and that other than 'sad boy' who at one point wanted to murder a baby, I have no real impression of him. The other characters in the book fare about the same, as few of them as there are, and people are presented as either kind of pathetic, or weirdly enigmatic for no obvious reason. I wish I could have connected with the characters more, and it might only be a problem for me and other people really do click with them, but because I just couldn't manage to do it it left a lot of the book unable to affect me that much.

Having mostly really enjoyed LaRocca's work (I'm sure it's normal to enjoy something you find gross right?) I was left kind of sad that Wretch just didn't work for me. There's something in the final moments of the book that was great, that recontextualised a lot of the story and made me go 'oh shit!' out loud, but it was kind of a bit too little too late to make me really love the book. Hopefully others will get on better with it than I do, and if you're testing out LaRocca's work and aren't big into disturbing horror I think Wretch is a great book to do that with.

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Unemployed Killer Support Group by Rio - Blog Tour

 

'Locker is a nearly-blind sniper, and after losing his job, he joins a support group for unemployed assassins. All of the members were once feared, but now they're losers who help and hinder one another. After overhearing a conversation at a restaurant, Locker believes he's identified the man that took his sight. Finally he has one shot at revenge - hopefully this is one he doesn't miss.'

Losing your job because of health reasons sucks, and it's something that I personally have been through, and so the opening scenes of Unemployed Killer Support Group were ones that allowed me to instantly connect with our lead character, Locker. Though I've never been a hitman for hire I have found my life turned upside down by a sudden and unexpected health issue, and Lockers frustrations of his life changing drastically without warning, of not knowing if you have financial stability, of feeling lost, all felt incredibly true to real life. Fortunately for Locker, he doesn't have to go through things alone. 

After losing his job as a sniper thanks to his failing eyesight, Locker finds himself in the middle of a specialised support group, one where other hired killers come to try and help each other through losing their job through a variety of reasons. Locker is the only disabled person there, but other members of the group are facing their own struggles, such as Maze, who lost her work after a job leads to her killing the wrong person and learning that her husband was cheating on her. Everyone in the group has their own unique and unusual story, and discovering what these are and how they came out is a big part of the fun of the book.

As Locker tries to adjust to his new life he overhears someone in a restaurant, a voice that's eerily familiar, talking about how he attacked a guy, hitting him over the head and taking his customised sniper rifle. Convinced that this is the man who blinded him Locker realises there's not much he can do in his newly disabled state, and chooses to let it go. However, when fate brings this man across Lockers path a second time he comes to the realisation that he can't move on from this, and sets out to find out who his attacker was and get revenge.

Unemployed Killer Support Group is a wonderfully dark comedy, a book that doesn't take itself too seriously; just look at the concept and tell me that it's going to be a serious tale. There are a number of moments that will make you laugh out loud, twisted jokes that somehow never come across as gross or mean, but end up being quite charming because our core cast of characters are presented as pretty decent people; despite the murder. It helps that our core cast of characters are all broken, kind of pathetic people, and so you end up feeling sorry for them more often than not, and by the end you're rooting for them to come out on top even if most of them should be in jail for their crimes.

As a disabled person I also really liked that Rio, the writer and artist on the book, didn't use Locker's disability as a joke. Yes, it's used to some comedic effect at time, but Locker himself is never the butt of the joke. You're never told to look down on him or feel bad for him because he's somehow lesser now that he's blind, instead you look down on him for being a fuck up, for being a killer, and for failing to get his life together way before going blind. It's also nice to have a disabled character as a lead where their disability isn't something that makes him special, nor is it something that gets cured or altered in some unrealistic way. Locker's blindness is just a part of him now, and he's having to adapt and change to live with his new normal. Despite the absurdity of the book his disability is never an absurd factor, and for that I appreciate it.

Unemployed Killer Support Group is a wonderfully fun, self contained manga that feels grounded and realistic, whilst also managing to be farcical and ridiculous. It's a fine line, but one that the book walks wonderfully. It reminds me of some of my favourite comedy film, and I could see the story getting adapted to film someday, as there are times it feels like it's more structured like a movie than a book, and I think that's something that really helps you to connect with it and read it in one sitting because you just can't put it down. Easily one of the most delightful manga books I've ever read, and one that I'd recommend in shot.

Unemployed Killer Support Group is available now from Titan Manga.

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Basic Psych - Film Review

 

Basic Psych opens strong, dropping the viewers into a harrowing scene as a psychologist is home alone on Halloween night, handing out candy to trick or treating children. Suddenly there's a masked man with a gun in the house with him, and he knows his life is in danger. Part way through the encounter he realises he knows his assailant, before being shot and killed. From here we jump forward several days where we meet another psychologist, Stuart Price (Michael Cerveris), as he meets a new client, Dan (David Conrad). Dan is evasive and demanding, making Stuart shred his notes there and then and getting him to promise not to tell anyone of their appointments. He seems to be hiding something, and his intensity is unnerving.

Despite the unusualness of his first appointment with Dan, Stuart meets him a second time, where Dan reveals a frightening piece of information to him. He is responsible for a killing of two people that took place in a park several weeks before. With Stuart bound by his medical ethics not to reveal this information, and with a desire to help Dan lest he fall prey to the man himself, Stuart enters a dangerous game with his new patient; one that could threaten everything Stuart cares about.

As soon as I saw the trailer for Basic Psych I knew I really liked the concept. The idea of a doctor being duty bound not to reveal that a patient is a killer, and being forced into a situation where if they don't find the perfect way to help their patient they too might end up dead is a wonderfully dark concept. I also appreciate that Basic Psych doesn't try to dance around this idea, there's not really any point where the concept is hidden from the audience, and even Stuart realises what's happening pretty quickly into the story. The film is really good about not wasting time, and every moment used adds to the story and the characters.

The film also allows the viewer to come to their own decision on who the hero of this story is. Both Stuart and Dan think that they're the heroes of this tale, and whilst we spend the most time with Stuart the film could have easily been told from Dan's perspective. Both of them have a daughter that they care for and want to protect. They both feel a sense of danger from the other. They're both trying to come out on top without winding up losing their lives. The film presents things fairly evenly, and it's the viewers own perspective that will pain one as the hero and one as the villain; and subsequent watches of the film will absolutely shift how you first saw it.

Speaking of that, there aren't many films that I want to watch again almost immediately, but Basic Psych had me wanting to start the film over from the beginning as soon as the credits rolled. Some of this is down to some trickery from the creators keeping some important pieces of information back from us until the final moments, but there's a lot of stuff that I realised I wasn't questioning before, that I was just going along with and that if I were to see those scenes again I'd be able to clearly see the other meaning that was there the whole time.

Both Michael Cerveris and David Conrad to an excellent job throughout. Much like the story having more meaning than you first think the performances from the two leads take on very different interpretations once you've seen the film the once, and you realise they were giving two performances rather than just one, walking this fine line where they had to make themselves look like both the protagonist and antagonist. The supporting cast is pretty light, but do a decent job at helping to flesh out the world and add more to our leads. Siena Goines does a great job as Stuart's artist wife Sisi, who has some much stronger and more realistic reactions to Stuart's patient admitting to murder, such as fearing for her life before opting to help a killer. Compared to the two leads she gives a much more honest performance, one that becomes more tragic once you watch through the film again.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Basic Psych before going into it. The trailer looked interesting, but I've found that lower budget films in the psychological thriller genre can sometimes fall a little flat due to a weaker script and lead actors unable to really deliver fully. Basic Psych doesn't fall into these traps, and whilst it's not a big studio picture it never stops trying to deliver that kind of experience. It pushes it's leads to deliver great performances, and has a script that uses it's runtime so well that by the end I was surprised that almost two hours had already gone by and wanted more. 

If you're looking for a smaller, more intimate movie that doesn't rely on spectacle to entertain you and instead puts its actors in the spotlight Basic Psych will definitely deliver. A film that not only delivers on its promises, but reminds viewers that smaller movies are not to be overlooked.

Basic Psych is available now on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango.

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Green Room 10th Anniversary

 

Green Room was released ten years ago today, and as soon as it was released I was hearing amazing things about it and the performance from its lead Anton Yelchin. Unfortunately, it took me several years to get around to watching it myself, not seeing it until it received a 4K release in 2024. Ever since seeing it I've considered it one of the best examples of unsettling horror I think I've ever seen. It's brutal realism is perhaps it's most frightening aspect, knowing that all of the events that happen in it are a very real possibility. In the time since the films release the world has shifted further to the right and extremism like racists and Nazis has become more and more visible in the world as those who take part in it feel emboldened to be open about their awful views. Green Room is a film I often recommend, though with the caveat that it's going to disturb you if you watch it. Here follows my thoughts from my initial watch of the movie. 

Like many, I was shocked to hear of the passing of Anton Yelchin in 2016, him having died at only twenty seven years old. Having seen him in a number of projects I found him to be a very good actor, and wanted to see more of the work that he'd left behind. I'm a little ashamed to say that it took me until this month to finally watch one of his more notable films, 2015's Green Room. I'd heard amazing things about it, particularly both his and Patrick Stewarts acting, but had never brought myself to watch it; perhaps in part to the subject matter of the film. With the new 4k Ultra-HD release from Second Sight Films I've finally corrected that oversight, and found myself wishing I'd watched it years before. 

Green Room follows the journey of a young punk band, the Ain't Rights, as they travel around the country, barely able to keep fuel in their van, playing one crappy gig after another. After an interview with a small town radio host they're offered to play in a remote bar in Portland, but upon arrival they discover that they're in a neo-Nazi skinhead bar, and are opening for a Nazi band. They decide to go ahead with the gig anyway, needing the money, and decide to get out of there as soon as they're off stage. However, when Pat, played by Yelchin, returns to the green room to grab his bandmates phone he walks into a murder. 

The Nazis running the bar shove the rest of the band into the green room and take them hostage as they deal with the police in order to cover up the stabbing. Knowing that there's no way that they're going to be let go the band overpower the man left watching them and barricade themselves in the green room. Thus begins a tense fight for survival between the band and a bar full of neo-Nazi's who want them dead. 

To say that Green Room is a tense film is something of an understatement. From the moment the Ain't Rights enter the remote bar the film becomes nerve-wracking. The only thing that I knew before watching the film was that Patrick Stewart played the leader of a gang of neo-Nazi's, I didn't know that the band were going to see a murder, or that it would become a room under siege type of story, and as such I was waiting for something bad to happen almost immediately. But even when something terrible did happen it didn't help to lessen the tension of the film. The scenes with the band trapped inside their small room, trying to figure out how they're going to escape whilst the Nazi's are outside, preparing weapons and bringing in attack dogs were almost as disturbing as any violence that happens in the film. 

Part of the reason why the film is so terrifying is that it's very frighteningly real. Green Room deals with a very real horror. It doesn't rely on ghosts or monsters, things that you will never actually encounter in real life, but instead it thrusts you into a situation that you could realistically find yourself in. Bigotry is a very real thing, and it's a very real danger. There are open and proud Nazi's in the world, people who embrace hatred and revel in the harm that they can bring to others. And as someone who is in one of the groups that they would happily kill in an instant the fear of Nazi violence is a very real one. 

And just like in real life, the antagonists of this film cannot be reasoned with. They won't back down, they won't show mercy, because they're staunch in their beliefs. They believe that they're in the right and that their violence is justified. And that is horrifying. Perhaps it's because I'm a person that has been the target of hate crimes more than once, who's in a group that the people in Green Room would brutalise, but this quickly became one of the most disturbing and frightening films I've ever seen. 

It helps that the actors sell the film so amazingly too. Yelchin and his bandmates, played by Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, and Callum Turner, run through a gamut of emotions, from terror, to defiance, to despair. Each actor delivers a powerful performance as their characters are trapped inside the green room, realising that there's no way out that doesn't involve horrific violence, and that if they don't kill they'll die themselves. Imogen Poots joins them as Amber, the girlfriend of one of the neo-Nazi's who saw the murder and is also a target. More weary and resigned to her fate than the others, she understands the violence that's going to come, accepts that blood will be spilled and that not all of them will make it out alive. Her performance is one of the more interesting in the film, for as the others begin to lose hope she has the opposite journey, and begins to believe that maybe she might survive. 

The neo-Nazi's, on the other hand, are a fascinating part of the film. There are several in the film who take important roles, each of which shows a different side to this kind of group. The film has a few named characters that are what people would think of as neo-Nazis. Big Justin, played by Eric Edelstein, is a bruiser, a brute of a man who holds the band and Amber hostage, using hostility and fear as his main weapons. He's violent and vile. Kai Lennox plays Clark, a man who trains attack dogs for the group. He's a quiet, more insidiously sinister man, a man who loves his dogs and cares for their safety, but thinks nothing of commanding them to rip a persons throat out if told to do so. Gabe, played by Macon Blair, is the most unusual of the Nazis in the film, as over the course of the movie you begin to see him not as a raging bigot like the others, someone willing to kill and die for the cause. He's more of a person who was radicalised by a cult, but isn't truly evil himself. Whilst this doesn't erase his crimes or his actions his story does show that the villains of the film aren't all just cartoonish parodies of cruelty, but complex and realistic people. 

Darcy, played by Stewart, is the bar owner, and the overall leader of the group. He's the most outwardly normal, the most charming. He's been a Nazi most of his life and knows how to project a front of normalcy to hide his hate. There are moments in the film where his appeals to end things peacefully, a ruse, almost wins the protagonists over thanks to his eloquence and tone. However, this is masking a cruel and terrifying man who's willing and determined to do whatever it takes to protect his people and his ideological movement. This makes him the most terrifying character in the film, as he's what a lot of bigots are like, the ones who are able to blend in, working in the background, pushing to destroy lives all whilst being seen as decent people.

Green Room was a film that I watched in the middle of the day, yet felt more disturbed than by than when I'd watched horror films alone at night. It got under my skin and made me feel sick. It didn't matter that it was a beautiful looking film, that director Jeremy Saulnier had captured some beautiful locations or written a deep and complex study on the kinds of people that end up in a hate movement, even if he never makes them sympathetic. During that first moment all I could focus on was the way the film made me feel. I felt dirty. I felt despair. I felt afraid. The world is becoming an ever increasingly scary place for a lot of people, and as a trans person I feel that fear. I've started to be the victim of hate crimes once again after years of none. Politicians are pushing for removals of rights and healthcare. Trans people are being murdered and people are openly celebrating it on social media. Nazis are openly going to anti-trans hate rallies. A very famous children's author just this last week engaged in holocaust revisionism in order to attack trans people. I'm becoming more and more frightened by the world, and Green Room tapped into that fear. I don't know if it will do the same for others, I can't say it will have the same effect if you're say a cis white straight person, but I think this film will still disturb, even if you're not the target of Nazi hate.

Green Room was a film that I'd heard about a lot, yet knew little of. It was always recommended, almost spoken about in hushed whispers. It was talked about as this almost mythic film. And I get that now. I understand why people can't say much about the film other than 'it's amazing' or 'you need to see it'. A film filled with powerhouse performances, it would be a terrifying film to watch at any time, but with the ever increasing spread of far right beliefs and a resurgence of Nazism it may be more relevant now than ever. 

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The Hive by Ronald Malfi - Book Review

 

'The residents of Mariner's Cove are changing… In the aftermath of a violent storm, a collective obsession is rapidly developing among the people of this quaint suburban neighbourhood. Random, everyday items left scattered upon the lawns, the streets, and the shoreline all seem to call out to them. There is an item for almost everyone, and each item has a certain hold over the person who finds it—a hold that soon turns into unwavering infatuation. They hide their items from each other, obsess over them, and they will do anything—anything—to protect them.

'The collective hum of bees' wings... A young boy finds himself the possessor of a strange and inexplicable power. Is the arrival of this power linked to the increasingly odd and dangerous behaviour of the residents of Mariner's Cove? Has he been granted this power in order to thwart whatever is about to happen in this small, bay side community, or is there a more sinister purpose?

'All hail the Dragon... All eyes are on him now. The residents of Mariner's Cove are watching. They move as one, like a solitary organism, and will do anything to succeed in their single-minded purpose. They will not be stopped.'

I've enjoyed each of the Ronald Malfi books that I've read over the last few years, and have put him on my list of authors whose work I'm going to be willing to check out without even reading the blurb. I've said in past reviews that he strikes me as something of a modern day Stephen King, someone who's able to create deep and disturbing stories whilst still making them very character focused, giving readers more information on these characters and their lives in a single chapter then some people do in their entire books. If I'm going to continue to compare Malfi to King then The Hive is definitely going to cement those feelings for me, as it takes a slow burn approach to its story in a brick of a book that feels comparable to something like The Stand.

The Hive begins with a storm hitting the coastal town of Mariner's Cove, one that causes some minor property damage across the small community, but doesn't result in any real horror such as injury or death; or at least no overt horror. During the storm ten-year-old Cory McBride can feel something dark and powerful pushing at the boundaries of our world. Cory has been hiding his secret abilities from his mother, abilities that allow him to hear people's thoughts and move things with his mind, and now that ability is warning him of 'the dragon' that's trying to claw its way into our world.

Following the storm things begin to change in Mariner's Cove as the people begin to act strangely. Some residents discover items in the debris of the storm that begin to hold sway over their thoughts, everyday items that become the focus of powerful compulsions. Heart surgeon Michael Danver finds a door standing upright in the water of the bay behind his home and drags it into his garage, where he becomes focused on protecting and restoring the door; even if it means hurting others to keep them away from the door. Teenage waitress Sarah Miller finds some wire coat hangers after the storm and takes them home, then more, then even more. Something is making her collect every wire hanger she can find and she has no idea why; worse still, she begins to have terrible nightmares and starts to hear other people's thoughts. Alex Braswell ignores both his family and his job as he becomes focused on the strange graffiti that has begun to appear around the neighbourhood and his desire to transform a local water tower. And there's 'Stinger', a handyman and bee keeper who has some darker desires, who wants to bring everyone together towards one dark objective.

Added onto this are strange disappearances in the neighbourhood, of teenagers going missing, there's the mysterious messages and codes appearing everywhere, the old neighbour who wants to get to Cory, and the strange entity just outside the bounds of our reality driving it all onwards. The Hive is a sprawling, complex tapestry of different characters and stories that are all converging towards one destination that makes this a long read, but one that draws you in and demands your attention.

Malfi doesn't focus on a singular protagonist with The Hive and there's no one character who gets more page time than others. Instead the story will follow a character for a few chapters before shifting to another, allowing us adequate time to get to know them, to understand their situation, and discovering the piece of the ever growing puzzle they hold before jumping to another. Despite these shifts Malfi manages to give each character a lot, and after the first chapter or two with each character I felt like I had a really excellent grasp on their motivations, their past, and the things that were driving them on. For example, we spend some time with Cory's uncle, the only character we spend time with outside of Mariner's Cove, and our introduction to him is basically a short story about his past and career as a radio DJ and host and his ups and downs with addiction that could have been the focus of it's own book. Malfi does an impressive job at juggling all of these characters and the ever expanding puzzle that it's almost frightening.

As for frights, The Hive is a horror book that I'd be hard pressed to define. There's a sense of unease throughout, of things being ever so slightly off kilter though I myself became somewhat used to this after a while, becoming less disturbed by a character obsessing over something they found after the storm and instead becoming invested in seeing the mystery revealed. There are some cosmic horror elements scattered throughout the early chapters, teasing at potentially bigger, stranger things to come. There's some gross-out horror in the form of Stinger, a man covered in weeping wounds as his body becomes a patchwork of bee stings. Much of The Hive has this strange, almost detached horror that is lurking in the background, occasionally poking its head out to remind you that this isn't just a book about the lives of these characters and the strange obsessions they have.

I've been trying to stay somewhat vague as to what happens in the later half of the book, so if you've read this review and feel that perhaps The Hive doesn't sound overtly horror enough for you, or that it doesn't seem like enough is happening in the story that's because I feel like I can only really talk about the early parts for risk of giving too much away; and The Hive is definitely a book that you're going to want to experience without knowing too much about it. I even think that I may have given too much away about it at this point.

The Hive is an imposing book. It's a huge novel, and if you're the kind of reader that's more used to reading books around 300-400 pages in length a novel that's close to 800 pages might seem like it's going to be too much of an investment for you, but I can only reassure you that it's more than worth the time and effort that you put into it, and even if you don't love the final destination you won't be able to deny you had a great time getting to know these characters. And if I can't convince you to try this out as your first Malfi book go and read one of his shorter ones, because then you'll definitely be rushing out to grab a copy of The Hive.

Ronald Malfi continues to impress me with this book, and whilst it was a long, sometimes demanding read, The Hive has in large parts helped me to start reading more and getting back into the swing of things after being ill for so long. And I can't wait to see what he does next.

The Hive is available now from Titan Books.

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Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars - Graphic Novel Review

 

I've struggled to get into MMORPG games in the past. Whilst I like open world games where I have the freedom to go where I want and do what I want there's something about the sheer size and scope of MMORPG's that's been somewhat a little too daunting for me; and any time I've tried them I've found myself being a little overwhelmed by how much there is mechanics wise, and bow out after a few days or weeks at most. However, I have a very close friend who loves Runescape, and have heard them sing it's praises over the years for both it's gameplay style, and for the world that it has managed to craft over the years. As such, when I saw that Titan Comics were bringing out a graphic novel that delved into a part of the massive lore that had accumulated for the franchise I knew I had to check it out to see what made Runescape so special.

Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars takes place within the confines of a warm, welcoming tavern on a cold winters night as the owner and patrons are treated to a tale of ancient history by a mysterious cloaked Storyteller. We're given a tiny breakdown of the origins of the Runescape world by the Storyteller, which was fantastic as someone coming in pretty fresh other than the small bits of lore my friend had told me, before we jump into a tale set 4,000 years before the current time of the Runescape game, during the titular God Wars. The God Wars were a time when gods that made the land their home begun to fight for power and influence, crating huge armies of different races to battle in their name. It is here that we meet a number of characters as we learn part of the story of the Godsword, a weapon forged with the hope that its power could kill a god.

Each of the four issues of the mini-series focuses on one of the four different factions taking part in the God War, and their mission to claim ownership over the Godsword. The first issue introduces us to the demon army of the Zamorakian's, where we meet the necromancer Sherok and his floating skull familiar Maro. Whilst the Zamorakian general K'ril Tsutsaroth leads his forces against the bird-like Armadyleans to take the Godsword from them Sherok tortures the souls of his victims, and adds more undead to their forces. By the end of the issue we've witnessed some internal politics, as well as the horrors of war, and Maro finds himself alone and fleeing from his former allies before falling into the care of Armadylean scout Lea'anna. 

Maro becomes the central character of the series, this minor familiar who finds his fate intertwined with that of the Godsword, and whilst not the hero of the story, nor a figure around who fate revolves, someone who is witness to important events and figures of legend. As Maro journeys we are introduced to each of the factions, to important people, and we see how each faction operates, their relationships with each other, and what this small part of the God War is like. As an outsider to the franchise it felt like a fantastic way of telling the story, as the reader is swept along with Maro, getting something of a crash-course on the war, as well as the various races and factions. Throughout this, we revisit the tavern from time to time as the Storyteller continues their tale, and those that listen to him become more and more invested in this ancient and long forgotten part of history.

Ryan O'Sullivan does a great job at creating an interesting narrative that weaves through various locations and introduces us to multiple characters. Whilst it could have been easy to become bogged down in the piles of lore, trying to cram in as much history and information as possible to give readers a dense and detailed experience O'Sullivan instead chooses to keep things fairly simple, allowing the shifting narrative to become the important part. I was a little worried before going into the book that it might be too heavy for someone who's not played the game and experienced that lore, that I wouldn't be able to follow things, but it's kept so new reader friendly that it never once felt overwhelming. 

It would have also have been easy for the characters to get little to no time to do much, as most of the ones we meet are only in a single issue, or come in and out of the narrative for a page or two every now and then. Despite only Maro really having any decent amount of time every character felt like they had clear motivations and distinct personalities, and there were a few of them that I really wanted to spend more time with as they were so compelling despite how short a time we had them.

The art on the book is provided by Sid Kotan and Daniel Bayliss, with Laurel Dundee on colours. Kotan is the main artist on the book, drawing issues one to four, with Bayliss creating the introductory section in the Free Comic Book Day issue. Despite their being two artists I didn't really notice when I first read it as the two of them managed to match styles relatively closely, which allows for a smooth transition between the two of them. The art's nicely presented, with Kotan able to deliver a surprising range of emotions and expressions of characters that really shouldn't be able to do so, such as the bird-like Armadyleans, and on Maro, who manages to convey a lot despite only being a floating skull.

By the time Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars was done I was left wanting more, and not just more with these characters and this particular story, but more of this universe as a whole. I found myself curious to learn more about Runescape and it's lore, and whilst I'm not quite ready to go and play the game just yet it's certainly created an interest in the universe. And whilst I can't say what this graphic novel is like for someone already a fan, who knows the lore and characters, I can say that as someone who knew next to nothing I'm impressed with how it's been able to draw me in and entertain me.

Runescape: Untold Tales of the God Wars is out now from Titan Comics

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Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan - Book Review

 

'A grieving mother and son hope to survive Christmas in a remote mountain cabin, in this chilling novella of dread, isolation and demons lurking in the frozen woods. Perfect for fans of The Only Good Indians, The Shining and The Babadook.

'Two weeks ago, Christine Sinclaire's husband slipped off the roof while hanging Christmas lights and fell to his death on the front lawn. Desperate to escape her guilt and her grief, Christine packs up her fifteen-year-old son and the family cat and flees to the cabin they'd reserved deep in the remote Pennsylvania Wilds to wait out the holidays.

'It isn't long before Christine begins to hear strange noises coming from the forest. When she spots a horned figure watching from between frozen branches, Christine assumes it's just a forest animal—a moose, maybe, since the property manager warned her about them, said they'd stomp a body so deep into the snow nobody'd find it 'til spring. But moose don't walk upright like the shadowy figure does. They don't call Christine's name with her dead husband's voice.'

Grief is a powerful emotion, one that is perhaps the most debilitating we can feel. Grief destroys our lives when it first hits us, it's all we can feel, often in times when we have no choice but to push on and keep on moving when all we want to do is lie down and lose ourselves. When grief comes with the loss of a loved one it's at its worst because it's not just the emotions of the loss you have to deal with, but the reality of it as the world around you changes to reflect that; yet we're often forced to continue our lives, going to work, going to school, talking to strangers, living out lives as if our world hasn't come crumbling down. Grief also lingers, even long after the event that brought it on, sometimes taking you by complete surprise it the most unusual times. Despite the power of grief it's one of the emotions that we're perhaps least equipped to deal with, and because of that it's one of the most destructive.

Grief is the central theme of Lindy Ryan's Cold Snap, which tells the story of Christine Sinclaire, who lost her husband to a sudden tragedy just weeks before when he fell from their roof whilst hanging Christmas lights. Standing beside him at the time, Christine was unable to save him, and was forced to watch as he fell to his death, snapping his back on a railing on the ground below. Unable to process these tragic events, and failing to connect with her teenage son Billy, Christine retreats into the last thing her husband wanted the three of them to do, travelling to the Pennsylvania woods for Christmas. Loading into her truck with the Christmas dinner supplies, presents, and pet cat Haiku, the bereaved family travels to a remote cabin in the snow covered forest. However, once they arrive Christine becomes convinced some strange creature able to talk in her husband's voice is watching her.

The set-up for Cold Snap definitely intrigued me. I enjoy horror, remote winter locations are one of my favourite environments, and strange, spectral entities tick my box; alas, I came away from Cold Snap not just terribly disappointed, but also incredibly bored.

Cold Snap is a relatively short read, barely more than a hundred and twenty pages in length, and I have to say with all honesty the short page count was something of a mercy to me, as despite the length I kept checking how much more of the book there was whilst reading it; and if it had been longer it would likely have ended up on my 'did not finish' pile. I have three main areas where Cold Snap failed to do anything for me, confusing and twisting narrative, repetitiveness, and lack of resolution. 

At the start of the review I said how grief is a destructive emotion, one that can ruin your life and mess with your mind, and I'm familiar with how it can cause blanks in memory, and how when it wears down your mind it can cause you to become disorientated and even confuse reality. I think that this was where Lindy Ryan was trying to take Christine's narrative, but more often than not the book ended up feeling more like a spiral into madness than grief itself. Christine acted like she was on a bad drug trip, or spiralling because she was missing needed medication. She would become obsessed over tiny, strange things whilst forgetting basic everyday stuff, having almost manic moments at times. Other times she'd black out halfway through a task, coming to in another location or in the middle of a task. There were multiple times where I wasn't even sure if this was even happening to her or not though, as Billy wouldn't seem to react to her mania or blackouts, going about his day like everything was normal to him. Christine quickly became an unreliable narrator, and one that made little sense most of the time.

This played into the second criticism, of Christine's repetitive nature. Every few pages Christine would obsesses over something, often repeating the same phrases over and over again, or going back to a subject that had no relation to the moment that she'd already gone to a dozen times. 'Derek's foot slips. Derek's foot slips. Derek's foot slips.', 'Just the three of us and the trees. Just the three of us and trees. Just the three of us and the trees. Just the three of us and the trees.', 'Derek's foot slips. Derek's foot slips. Derek's foot slips.', 'Remember why you called it a blankety? Remember why you called it a blankety?', 'Just the three of us and trees. Just the three of us and trees.', 'Blankety. Blankety. Blankety.', 'Derek's foot slips.'. Over and over and over and over again. A quarter of the book feels like a repeat of a phrase, or a question, or a thought that Christine has. Yes, it plays into themes of grief and trauma and how it wears the mind down, but boy does it make it hard to connect to the character, follow the story well, or care about what I'm reading.

For me the biggest problem was the supernatural horror element, and how nothing really comes from it. To spoil some of the book a little, Christine sees a man, maybe a moose, maybe a moose man, that talks like her husband, haunts her from the trees, might not be real, but is definitely real as it kills the cat and destroys the car, but is also not a real moose, but might be a real moose. The book gives no answers, no hints, and no satisfaction. The creature is hardly in the book too, with the majority of it centring instead on Christine and her insanity, and by the time the creature is shown to be actually 100% real and a threat it's a single chase scene until the book just ends. When I say it ends I mean it just suddenly stops. There's not even an attempt at a resolution, satisfying or not, and it comes across like Ryan was simply done with the story and didn't want to do any more. After slogging through one of the longest, most unsatisfying hundred pages I was rewarded with absolutely nothing at the end.

I understand that my review sounds harsh, and that I'm probably making some people who enjoyed the book angry as I'm missing something that made them connect with it and love it (I've seen the reviews and there are people who adore it). I think part of this is that Cold Snap was one of the first books I read in a long while as I've been dealing with some health issues and reading hasn't been easy for months now, and that it felt like I got nothing in return of the time and effort that went into reading the book. Perhaps I'm judging it harshly because of that, and if I was healthy and doing well I would have connected with it more, but for where I am at the moment it ended up being one of the most disappointing books I think I've ever read. Perhaps your experience with it will be better, I actually hope it is if you go to the effort of reading it; but for me, Cold Snap was a huge missed opportunity. 

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She Killed in Ecstasy - 4K UHD/Blu-ray Review

 

Whilst I enjoy cinema and film I'm by no means an expert in it, and there are major figures in the industry who's work I've been completely unaware of over the years, particularly those outside of the mainstream. As such, I'd never encountered the work of Jess Franco, a rather prolific writer, director, and composer across 173 films, until the release of She Killed in Ecstasy, and Vampyros Lesbos on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Severin Films. Always eager to discover new things, I grabbed a copy of both and tried to not only learn more about Franco, but their lead actress, Soledad Miranda. 

She Killed in Ecstasy centres on Dr Johnson (Fred Williams) and his wife, played by Miranda, who is never given a name in the movie. Johnson has been experimenting with human embryos to try to leap forward in medical science, he's shunned by his peers, mocked, called an animal, and sent spiralling into a deep despair and mania. The result of this is that he eventually takes his life, with his Mrs Johnson finding his body in their home. Enraged that the man she loves most in the world was driven to suicide by the medical community, she swears to get revenge against those responsible, and launches into a murderous mission. 

Jess Franko was well known for his horror work, and for his erotic cinema, and She Killed in Ecstasy has these two work hand in hand for him, as he has Soledad Miranda use sex and seduction in order to gain revenge for her husband. However, compared to Vampyros Lesbos, which I watched first out of the two releases, it feels somewhat flatter than its counterpart, and lacks something that the other film had in spades; character.

She Killed in Ecstasy is a short film, clocking in at around 80 minutes, and despite having a short runtime and a simple revenge narrative the film came across like it was struggling to actually do anything. The story never really developed beyond its initial concept, the characters were pretty one dimensional and more stock archetypes than people, and many of the scenes went on too long to the point where they stopped being entertaining. I'm glad that it wasn't the first Franco movie I watched, as I'd have struggled to see why he had such a successful career.

The only real thing in the film that stands out is it's lead, Soledad Miranda, who is the only actor who seems to have any kind of presence in the film. Miranda has a striking beauty, one that lends her face well to expressing extreme shifts in emotion and mania that her character goes through. It's clear that Franco thought she was an extreme beauty, putting her in these two movies as seductresses, and whilst it worked well in Vampyros Lesbos here it fails somewhat as the film has no real reason why these victims, who are aware that they're being hunted by Miranda, willingly open their beds to her. She's too beautiful, too irresistible, and these terrible doctors can't help but get naked with her before they die. 

I can't help but feel that Franco had a vague idea for a film he wanted to make with Soledad Miranda, and whether because of his production style of knocking out as many films as he could, or some other pressure, rushed into the movie before he'd given it the treatment it deserved, and thus we end up with a film that could have been interesting, yet feels somewhat hollow. This feeling was only compounded by the fact that compared to Vampyros Lesbos, which had a pair of audio commentaries from people who had deep love for the film, She Killed in Ecstasy had none.

Whilst the release lacks audio commentaries it does come with some extras, including an interview with Franco, an interview with a historian who specialises in the life and career of Soledad Miranda, and an interview with author Stephen Thrower. There's also the thirteenth part in Severin's series on Jess Franco, 'In the Land of Franco'. The extras offer some extra insight into the film and it's creators, but like the film itself it does feel a little lacking at times.

Whilst I'm glad that I've watched She Killed in Ecstasy, and it makes for a good companion piece with the other release, it's not a film that I can see myself returning to. For fans of Franco this is likely going to be a great purchase, but for casual film watchers and movie fans it might not quite hit the mark as well.

She Killed in Ecstasy is available on 4K UHD/Blu-ray now from Severin Films.

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Vampyros Lesbos - 4K UHD/Blu-ray Review

 

Whilst I enjoy cinema and film I'm by no means an expert in it, and there are major figures in the industry who's work I've been completely unaware of over the years, particularly those outside of the mainstream. As such, I'd never encountered the work of Jess Franco, a rather prolific writer, director, and composer across 173 films, until the release of Vampyros Lesbos, and She Killed in Ecstasy on 4K UHD and Blu-ray from Severin Films. Always eager to discover new things, I grabbed a copy of both and tried to not only learn more about Franco, but their lead actress, Soledad Miranda. 

Those familiar with the story of Dracula will very quickly come to see the inspiration behind Franco's erotic vampire film as we're introduced to young lawyer Linda Westinghouse (Ewa Strömberg), who's working for a law firm in Istanbul when she's sent to see Countess Nadine Carody (Soledad Miranda) to discuss her inheritance. Prior to this we learn that Linda has been having erotic dreams about a mysterious woman, a woman she eventually sees performing in an exotic cabaret. When she finally arrives on the remote island she discovers that the woman in nonother than Carody. Little does she know, however, that Carody is more than she appears, and as the beautiful woman begins to seduce her Linda learns terrible truths.

Much as the name would suggest, Vampyros Lesbos is a lesbian take on the basic Dracula story, despite Dracula also being referenced as a character in the film. Aside from the parallel of Linda being both a combination of Jonathan and Mina Harker, there's also a Dr Seward (Dennis Price), and a Renfield stand-in. Despite these similarities, Franco does some interesting things with his vampires that definitely feel a little mould breaking for the time; the most obvious being that sunlight doesn't do anything to Carody (yes, this was also true in Dracula, but the idea was introduced in Nosferatu and became a staple of vampire mythology from that point on). This allows for some visually striking moments of our vampire antagonist sunbathing, frolicking on the beach, and generally enjoying the beautiful home she's made on the coast.

Whilst She Killed in Ecstasy felt somewhat light and lacking in places there's a lot more to Vampyros Lesbos than you'd expect, with plenty of story, character moments, subtle themes, and creative visual storytelling that feels a little jarring when you compare the two Franco films. It feels somewhat like perhaps out of the two this is the one that's more of a passion project, the film that he cared more about, and put the greater effort into; and this translates on screen as the much more enjoyable experience.

Soledad Miranda is wonderfully cast as Countess Carody, a vampire that was created by Dracula himself. Miranda is very beautiful, and her delicate looks coupled with her at times cold and aloof performance definitely sells the concept that she's an ancient and powerful being. She dominates the scenes she's in, and you can't help but give her your full attention any time she's on camera. This is perfectly contrast against Strömberg, who feels so much more real in comparison. She's a woman with troubles, struggling with the dreams she's been having, of the urges she feels upon meeting Carody, and the temptation of power that she's being offered. Where Carody is sure of herself and dominant Linda is so much more human.

It's not always clear what kind of film Vampyros Lesbos is trying to be though. It's centred around strong, powerful women who are given the spotlight over their male counterparts, yet Franco has a desire to titillate, and will disrobe his female leads in erotic scenes that feel more created for the male gaze than any realistic representation of the lesbian experience. It feels somewhat progressive for the era on one hand, yet sleazy and exploitative on the other; and based on some of the opinions expressed on the discs, this is perhaps part of the draw of Franco in general, and this film in particular. 

However you land on that topic you'd be hard pressed to deny that Franco has a very clear visual style for the film, and that he clearly wants to experiment and play with expectations. Some parts of the film take on a very dream-like feel, and audiences will have to contend with some surreal moments. There are repeating motifs throughout the film, not all of which make complete sense, but all add to the strange beauty of the film. And there are some visual touches that are so simple in their execution yet are incredibly striking. One scene has Soledad Miranda floating almost lifeless in a pool wearing nothing but a long red scarf around her neck that's floating in the water that creates the image of a body floating with its throat cut, blood spreading out around it. There's a set in the film that has been decorated by red tasseled rope hanging from the ceiling that evokes the image of blood dripping down the screen. It's these odd details that almost demand subsequent viewings of the movie.

The two audio commentaries that come on the new release also encourage subsequent watch-throughs, and end up giving listeners a lot more information about the film and the people who made it. Kat Ellinger, author of the horror book Daughters of Darkness gives some excellent insight into the film and displays a knowledge of the subject that is sure to encourage others to want to learn more about it. The second commentary, by film professor Aaron AuBuchon, and John Dickson and Will Moriss from Obscurate Film Collective has a much more relaxed and conversational style, and acts as a great counter to the other commentary.

Alongside the commentary tracks are a host of other extra features that include an interview with Jess Franco, an interview with Stephen Thrower, a Jess Franco career appreciation, the twelfth part of Severin's ongoing 'In the Land of Franco' series, an interview with Soledad Miranda historian Amy Brown, and an alternative opening and trailer.

Out of the two Franco releases being offered by Severin Films I found that Vampyros Lesbos was leagues ahead of She Killed in Ecstasy in terms of both overall quality of the film itself, and in what comes alongside it. Thanks to the quality of both of these I'm definitely more interested in seeing more of Franco's work, whilst She Killed in Ecstasy had almost the exact opposite sensation. For those who enjoy Franco I'm sure that this release is already on your radar, but for those like myself who are new to him this movie is hopefully going to really intrigue you, and one that you'll thoroughly enjoy.

Vampyros Lesbos is available now on 4K UHD/Blu-ray now from Severin Films.

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Bone Keeper - Film Review

 

I love a good creature feature. I think this stems from having grown up watching some fantastic monster movies as a kid, but a film that throws a group of characters into a situation where they have to deal with something monstrous as it hunts them down is almost like a comfort food for me. Upon seeing the trailer for Bone Keeper I immediately wanted to watch it, as it ticked a load of boxes for me. And whilst I went into the film not really expecting a huge amount of quality, I was relatively surprised at just how well Bone Keeper managed to deliver a decent, entertaining movie; even if it did stumble in a few places.

Bone Keeper begins by laying it's cards out on the table and removing some mystery elements from the film. Starting millions of years ago, a comet crashes to Earth, and something living crawls out of it. Over the centuries it grows, replicates, and kills creatures in the surrounding area, eventually moving into a deep cave system. We even seen ancient humans fall afoul of the alien monstrosity. I honestly think that this is a pretty bold move, telling viewers immediately that the creature in Bone Keeper is an alien, but when considering the fact that there would be no other way for us to learn this over the course of the movie, other than perhaps a character speculating it's origin, just showing us makes quite a bit of sense. Plus, the opening scenes are made with some very impressive visual effects, and it indicated to me immediately that despite being a lower budget movie it was at least trying to present itself as a film trying to push its limitations.

Jumping forwards in time to the 1970's, we see a scientist exploring the caves where this creature has chosen to live, and getting grabbed by it. This is the grandfather of our lead character, Olivia (Sarah Alexandra Marks). We learn that at some point her mother went looking for her grandfather, and went missing too. Now Olivia and a group of her friends have decided to set out for the caves to try and find some answers. Travelling to the area, they seek out the advise of Professor Harisson (John Rhys-Davies), who has made studying the caves and the creature inside his career. Something of a 'quack' scientist, he's able to describe the monster that lives within, warning the explorers to be careful. Despite these warnings, the six of them decide to continue on their mission and enter the cave system, unaware that they've just entered the hunting grounds of an ancient alien monster.

Bone Keeper, despite limitations in budget, actually ends up delivering a pretty decent and competent movie. The human cast, whilst never given the time or space to have any real depth, are all still distinct, fitting into horror archetypes. They're played well, with some endearing you to them whilst others, such as the hitchhiking vlogger they pick up, making you dislike them to the point where you're hoping they get eaten first. John Rhys-Davies is the biggest name attached to the project, and whilst the movie uses him most heavily in the first act writer/director Howard J. Ford seems to know that not using him more would be a mistake, and manages to pepper him throughout the film without it feeling like forced inclusion of the big name star. 

The story itself is entertaining, if not completely original. Bone Keeper borrows from other places, it's characters make frankly stupid mistakes, such as leaving one person behind to make a video in the monster caves when everyone else could have waited, but these are all expected tropes of the horror genre. Bone Keeper doesn't try to break the mould, but instead tries its best to deliver what fans of the genre would want; and for the most part delivers in a way that the movie never feels dull.

I want to talk about the films monster now, and this section will have to come with a little caveat. For the most part, the creature in Bone Keeper is pretty good. It's definitely alien, and doesn't really resemble anything that you'd expect to see in nature. It moves and behaves in ways that feel otherworldly, and whilst there are some aspects of its design that feel recognisable, such as tentacles, they're combined in such a way that the overall package feels unnatural and wrong. However, I'm not entirely sure if there aren't times when the monster effects are made using AI. The monster shifts and changes, mutating at times, and there are a few shots where these shifts feel wrong in the same way that AI videos suddenly having people morph and shift as they grow extra limbs of their face changes by mistake feels wrong. I don't know if this was just an unfortunate similarity, or if AI was utilised here, but having looked as some other opinions on the movie I'm not the only person who's come away suspecting AI having been used in the effects work. There's an early shot of the groups car driving through the countryside that set my AI alarm off simply due to the fact that they were on the completely wrong side of the road. But, there's no confirmation of AI usage listed in the films credits from what I can see, so this is purely a speculation on my part.

Whether the CGI used in the movie is AI or not, there are times where it does feel a little removed from actors and events happening on the screen. There are moments where the camera focuses on the monster as it comes charging through the cave at a character, then it'll cut to the human actor reacting and screaming, then back to the monster, and so forth. The people rarely share the screen with the creature other than the moment they die, and this does lead to a feeling of division between the effects work and the practical moments that only highlights the fact that these actors are reacting to nothing tangible. It's a small detail, but it did draw me out of the moment a few times.

Overall, Bone Keeper is a pretty decent, entertaining movie. It tries to deliver something decent, pushing the boundaries of its budget so that it can stand out amongst other low budget, independent movies. And for the most part this works, and the film is visual impressive at times. I hope that there wasn't any AI used in it's creation, as if it transpires their was I'd have to slash its final score quite substantially, but as it stands now, Bone Keeper is a fun monster movie.

Bone Keeper is available on digital release in the UK on 6th April 2026.

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