The Subtle Terrors of "The Remaking"

I was really impressed by Clay McLeod Chapman's novel Ghost Eaters, which I reviewed recently on this blog. I dived right into his earlier work, The Remaking, and it's pretty fantastic as well. The Remaking tells the story of Ella Louise Ford, and her daughter Jessica, who are burned as witches in a small Virginia town in the early 20th century. In the 1970s, a low-budget horror movie based on their story is filmed at the actual location where they were put to death. Strange things happen, and Amber Pendleton, the young actress playing the daughter, has a horrifying experience that scars her for years afterward. The film becomes a cult classic, and the terrifying events that occurred during its production only add to its legend.

Years later, in the 1990s, a hotshot young director wants to remake the film in the modern era, and he tries to convince Amber to play the mother this time around. Amber reluctantly agrees, as she's been haunted by her earlier experience. She hasn't been able to maintain an acting career, due to her struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. Amber makes money by appearing at horror conventions and signing photos for fans of the original movie. But what Amber and the rest of the cast and crew don't know is that the spirits of Ella Louise and Jessica aren't done with their ghostly vengeance, and their need to put their spirits at rest once and for all.

The Remaking is a very meta-infused novel, and if you're a horror fan, you'll enjoy all the self-referential nods to classic horror film franchises, and the knowing references to the tropes of the genre. It's a well-developed tale of how stories can gain a life of their own across the generations, and that things beyond our understanding really do exist. McLeod Chapman's insightful portrayal of Amber, and her haunted existence, is central to the success of the novel. There are some truly terrifying sequences that will make your hair stand on end. Many of the most frightening moments in the novel are of the subtle variety, but that doesn't make them any less horrifying.

If you're a fan of the works of Stephen King and Peter Straub, and a true horror film aficionado, who enjoys meta-inspired works like The Blair Witch Project and Scream, than you'll find a lot to enjoy while reading The Remaking. McLeod Chapman is an innately talented author who knows how to tell an unsettling, eerie and atmospheric tale of terror. Along with Ghost Eaters, the other novel of Chapman's that I've recently read and reviewed, I highly recommend The Remaking to dedicated readers of expertly written tales of the supernatural. The Remaking is currently available in paperback. And please remember: "these woods whisper."

"Ghost Eaters" is a Haunting, Frightening Tale

What if you could reunite with the spirits of the people you've lost? Clay McLeod Chapman's eerie, terrifying novel Ghost Eaters imagines that this is possible through the use of a drug called Ghost, which allows you to see the ghosts of departed friends and family members, and interact with them. The problem is that this connection isn't quite what you bargained for, as madness and obsession are the result of using Ghost. This highly addictive drug turns its users into haunted versions of their former selves, converting them into hollowed out shells, aching for their next fix, who feel a strong need to remain connected with the spirit world.

The novel's main character, Erin, is part of a group of friends who met in college. Silas, the charismatic leader of their group, has always depended on Erin to help him when he runs into trouble, including his run-ins with the law. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least. When Silas dies of an apparent drug overdose, Tobias, another member of their circle, offers Erin a hit of a drug called Ghost, which allows you to be "haunted" by the ghosts of those you've lost, and connect with them from the other side. Erin is hoping to gain some closure, but her use of the drug leads her into a spiral of addiction, terror, and a series of frightening encounters with the spirit world (and other users of Ghost) that just might drive her mad.

There are a series of unsettling and disturbing sequences throughout the novel, and McLeod Chapman amps up the horror content as the story moves forward. You'll definitely want to keep the lights on while you read this one. Erin is a fascinating character, and her quest to reconcile her personal demons, while surviving her battles with the very real ones that Ghost conjures up, will keep you turning the pages. Just when you think the story has gotten as dark as it can get, McLeod Chapman comes up with yet another intense set-piece that will chill you to the bone.

As the novel draws to its dark, uncanny conclusion, you'll find there are no easy answers or neat resolutions for Erin, or the other haunted people featured in Ghost Eaters. This is one of the best horror novels I've read in recent months. The interesting and well-drawn characters, combined with a stark and powerful tale of addiction, infused with strong elements of horror and the supernatural, make for a compelling journey. This is the first work by McLeod Chapman that I've read, and I'm now working my way through his earlier novel, The Remaking, so a review of that will follow. Ghost Eaters is now available in paperback.

Retro TV Movie: Pray For The Wildcats

Robert Reed, Marjoe Gortner & William Shatner

The 1970s was definitely the golden age of the made for television movie, and many of these telefilms showcased all-star casts. One prime example is 1974's Pray For The Wildcats, which stars Andy Griffith, William Shatner and Robert Reed, and also features Angie Dickinson in a supporting role. That's right, Sheriff Andy Taylor, Captain Kirk, Mike Brady and "Police Woman" Pepper Anderson all in the same movie! Pray For The Wildcats tells the story of business executive Sam Farragut (Griffith), who cajoles three advertising agency employees (played by Shatner, Reed and 1970s B-movie star Marjoe Gortner) into joining him for a fateful motorcyle trip into the California desert.

Farragut is egotistical, manipulative and a borderline socipath. He leads the other three men on a nightmarish journey that will change their lives forever. The three men are dealing with issues in their personal lives. Warren Summerfield (Shatner) is about to be fired by the agency, and is considering suicide. Paul Mcllvain (Reed) is having trouble in his marriage, and Terry Maxon (Gortner) has just found out his girlfriend is pregnant, and they'll need to figure out what to do about the baby. The trio is at a crossroads, and Farragut's macho posturing is exactly what they don't want in their lives. However, they need him as a client for their company, and agree to go on the trip with him.

During the desert ride, things take a deadly turn after the group visits a cantina, and only Summerfield is willing to challenge Farragut regarding his bad behavior. Will the maniacal executive push the suicidal Summerfield (quite literally) over the edge? Pray For The Wildcats features a scenery chewing turn from Griffith as Farragut. At the time, he was still best known to TV audiences for his portrayal of the kindly Sheriff Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, but following this film, he was cast in several other villainous roles, including that of a a murderous hunter in another telefilm, 1974's Savages, co-starring Sam Bottoms. It shouldn't be surprising that Griffith wanted to stretch his acting muscles a bit, as he'd given a chilling performance in the 1957 Elia Kazan film A Face In The Crowd.

William Shatner, Robert Reed and Marjoe Gortner are all solid in this entertaining film. Shatner dials back his usual Shatner-isms a bit, and it's fun to see Reed in a role other than Mike Brady. The cast also includes Lorraine Gary (best known as Chief Brody's wife Ellen in Jaws), the late Janet Margolin (who co-starred with John Saxon in the Gene Roddenberry telefilm Planet Earth) and Robert Burton, who appeared in the Dan Curtis classic Trilogy of Terror. Pray For The Wildcats was written by Jack Turley and directed by Robert Michael Lewis. The film is available on DVD and Blu-ray, and can also be found on YouTube. If you're looking to see several actors best known for iconic television roles ride dirt bikes around the California desert, wax philosophic, and deal with a homicidal Andy Griffith, then check out Pray For The Wildcats.