#Zombie Movie Review: Cargo

I'm usually late to the party, so this may be old news to some and hopefully new to others.

I'd seen the trailer to the movie Cargo a while ago and finally got to see the film itself.

Wow!  The zombies were scarce in the film as it's more a personal story about the lengths a father goes to protect his daughter, but it makes it no less worth watching.

The zombies, when they come on scene, are as awful as you'd expect. The difference here is it is a slow, agonizing transformation until there is no return.

What makes this movie refreshing is the setting. It is set in the Australian outback and involves the native Aboriginal people. There is a clear message here showing the native population as the heroes when a girl the father rescues ends up finding her family again and saving the man's daughter. I won't give away the main plot points to avoid spoiling the story for others. But it's a heartwarming story and well worth watching.

Review: The Lizzie Movie

Lizzie Borden is a person that continues to fascinate and is always open to new interpretations. But as often happens, the hype doesn't always match the end result.

 I'm always behind everyone else, so I just watched the recently released Lizzie movie with Chloe  Sevigny as Lizzie and Kristen Stewart as Bridget Sullivan.

Well. It's nothing new really. The movie focuses on the rumored relationship between Lizzie and Bridget suggested by a lot of gazing and staring. There is one scene with the two of them together in the barn - and then the creepy Father staring in the window, Ugh.

The movie does give the impression of this being one dysfunctional and creepy family. Uncle John is having money problems, Father is strict, overbearing and something of a pervert who's visiting the maid at night. The whole household is full of mistrust.

Then there is the enduring theory/rumor that no traces of blood were found on Lizzie since she committed the murders in the nude. Except this time, there is the added twist of getting Bridget in on it. An excuse to have both of them au natural I say. (Elizabeth Montgomery in the original 1975 movie, The Legend of Lizzie Borden did it better, I say, with only a bare shoulders shot and nothing gratuitous for the sake of showing nudity.)

Except for the axing scenes in the new Lizzie, which were gory and played for the shock value, overall, the movie was rather.... blah. I'll take the excitement, horror and attitude of Christina Ricci's 2014 Lifetime movie,  Lizzie Borden Took An Ax.  

And if you want another take on the murders, what if Lizzie Borden
killed her parents for an entirely different reason? How about if they'd become... zombies? Check out my book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter. 

Best Books of 2018 #horror #mystery #zombie

A nice way to end 2018 and start 2019!

Here's a great list of King's River Life Magazine's Best Books of 2018 by its reviewers.

 An eclectic selection including Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2. Yay!

January Reading List: Bird Box #Apocalyptic Fiction #Anthologies #Horror

It's January (despite it being in the 50s in the Midwest!) and I have a baker's dozen-plus of new reads in various genres that look intriguing, so fire up that Kindle or get a print copy and dig in!

Anthologies

 

 100 Word Horrors: An Anthology of Horror Drabbles, Kevin J. Kennedy - Lisa Morton and other authors offer horrifying 100 word bites of terror. 

Hellhole: An Anthology of Subterranean Horror, Jonathan Maberry and others - Legends tell of a hollow earth below ours - what if they're true? Includes Maberry's new Joe Ledger story, plus: 
Introduction by James A. Moore
All the Devils are Here- A Joe Ledger/Lizzie Corbett Adventure by Jonathan Maberry
The Devil's Throat by Rena Mason - A Plague of Locusts by Michael McBride
Pit of Ghosts by Kirsten Cross - Where the Sun Does Not Shine by Paul Mannering
Guard Duty by SD Perry - Black Lung by Aaron Sterns
The Offspring by JH Moncrieff - Ginormous Hell Snake by Jake Bible
Ghosts of Hyperia by Jessica McHugh -He Who Fights by Sean Ellis

Release the Virgins, Michael Ventrella, Gail Martin and others -  Eighteen authors offer stories in various genres containing the book's title from teenage Cthulhu worshippers, ghost dinosaurs, computer hackers, and even a unicorn or two. Featuring stories by: Nebula, Hugo, and Stoker Award-winner David Gerrold; Hugo Award-winners Allen M. Steele and Lawrence Watt-Evans; IAMTW Grandmaster Keith R.A. DeCandido; Skylark Award-winners Daniel M. Kimmel, Sharon Lee, and Steve Miller; WSFA Small Press Award-winner Alex Shvartsman; and Matt Becthel, Shariann Lewitt, Gordon Linzner, Gail Z. Martin, Jody Lynn Nye, Beth W. Patterson, Hildy Silverman, Patrick Thomas, Cecilia Tan, and Brian Trent.

The Darkest Hour: WWII Tales of Resistance, Roberta Kagan, Jean Grainger and others -  (Releases Jan. 22) Authors share tales of the Resistance in 10 never-before-published novellas by bestselling historical fiction authors. 

Includes: Bubbe’s Nightingale by Roberta Kagan
Catriona’s War by Jean Grainger - Reluctant Informer by Marion Kummerow
Killing the Hangman by Ellie Midwood - The Moon Chaser by Alexa Kang
Enemy at the Gate by Mary D. Brooks - The Occupation by Deborah Swift
Code Name Camille by Kathryn Gauci - V for Victory by John R McKay
Sound of Resistance by Ryan Armstrong*** All proceeds will be donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum In Washington DC ***

Apocalyptic

Bird Box:  A Novel, Josh Malerman - This originally came out in 2014, but as everyone is talking about the Sandra Bullock movie, I thought readers would be interested. Something is out there... something that must not be seen. Engulfed in darkness, suspense interweaving past and present, a mother is trying to raise her two children in a world where hearing is foremost and sight is not possible. 

Shattered Lives: Becoming Henry, Issue #1, This Must Be the Place, Rissa Blakeley - Cool idea! Comic version of the author's post-apocalyptic book series, Shattered Lives. Violent nightmares, a haunted past... Luke and others selected by government recruiters finds who he can trust - and fears what will happen to the one person he confides in.

Fantasy

Throne of Deceit: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Wicked Crown Book 1), K.N. Lee - (Releases Jan. 31) Elise was born a bastard. But, as the daughter of the king, her life has never been ordinary. The king is mad, and the entire country of Kova knows it. Having a wizard on the throne tends to keep his subjects quiet and submissive, but when he dies, the line of succession points directly to his illegitimate daughter......the one who killed him.

Fantasy/Urban, Dystopian, Paranormal

Cursed Lands Box Set - Various authors. (Special 99 cents.)

Mysterious strangers. Hidden abilities. Inescapable darkness… Twenty-two exclusive tales of courageous heroines and heroes battling demons, governments, and secret organizations in worlds where fae, vampires, angels, witches, humans, and more fight for survival. Limited edition collection of YA/NA tales from 24 top authors.

The Primal Series, Monique Singleton - Immortality comes at a high price. Her sanity.
  Known simply as subject 336, she was the unwilling subject of sinister and brutal experiments designed to replicate her enormous strength, healing powers, and apparent immortality. It didn’t work that way. They unleashed her primal nature.

Mixed Genres

** Favorite genre KU books delivered to your inbox daily. Just tell us your favorite genres, and we'll do the rest! Sign up here. Check out the website for more info!

Zombie

Arize: Resurrection, Book 1, Scott Nicholson - A long-dormant virus releases from an archaeological dig in Alaska. The survivors turn to a charismatic, apocalyptic preacher and soon find he is far from he appears as they are caught between the devil and the living dead. Fear of the Dead, Mark Woods - Survivors fight for survival, but find the odds (and the dead) are stacked against them...

Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, C.A. Verstraete - What if everything you think you knew about the infamous 1892 killings by spinster Lizzie Borden wasn't true? What if she had another darker and more horrifying reason to kill?

Romantic Thriller 

Dark Water Rising, Sharon Sala - (Releases Jan. 29)  A hurricane is looming, two prisoners have escaped and when Sam’s phone rings with his ex-wife’s number, he immediately remembers the card he gave her when they parted on the courthouse steps. If you ever need me, call and I’ll be there. She hasn’t called in three years, and Sam is sure this can mean only one thing: Haley is in danger, and it’s up to him to save her.

Happy Reading!!