jdcorley's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
An above average anthology: a few real gems, including the long novella at that end, a few bombs (we shall pass by in decorous silence), and a few interesting twists on the "cursed film" concept. Even the rather staid idea of "the extra who died while filming" is given a phantasmagorical revision. Well worth a look.
michaellouisdixon's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this anthology! This is a perfect example of the great work coming out from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. Stellar fiction, all the time!
I’ve selected the ones that I liked the most:
LATHER OF FLIES by Brian Evenson. A great story to kick off this anthology. It really establishes the setting. With my appetite whetted, I'm ready to sink my teeth into this book.
THE CHURCH IN THE MOUNTAINS by Gemma Files. This was a rather long story but so worth it. I love Gemma's work. I want to see her work made into films. This story takes the premise of Lost Films and masters it. Bravo! Gemma Files is an amazing talent. I highly recommend reading her novel: EXPERIMENTAL FILM. It’s a novel length work that fits the premise of this anthology. Great stuff!
IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA ON 8TRACK by Bob Pastorella. This story is fantastic. Dude is an amazing writer! I actually first heard this when he read it at KillerCon Austin. I highly recommend reading his novel: MOJO RISING. Also from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing.
A FESTIVAL OF FIENDS by Brian Asman. Another great addition to this book's theme. Brian delivers a story that would make a great episode of a Creepshow/Black Mirror hybrid. It was even extra special when I first heard this story during a live reading at KillerCon Austin. Things got intense with Max Booth III playing Brian's hype-man.
THIS COSMIC ATROCITY by Andrew Novak. OMFG! That was one F-ing scary story!
ELEPHANTS THAT AREN'T by Betty Rocksteady. This story sucked me in with its totally identifiable main character. I could relate to her experience. And then... Sh*t gets Weird.
ARCHIBALD LEECH, THE MANY-STORIED MAN by John C. Foster. When scientists break reality and things are starting to go insane, you send in someone who's just crazy enough to fix it.
DON'T TURN AROUND by Thomas Joyce. A fun short story that plays with the second person POV and the Reality TV/Found Footage trope.
THINGS SHE LEFT IN THE WOODS by Jessica McHugh. A very creepy tale.
STAG by Kristi DeMeester. All I can say is just, WOW! Kristi’s work never ceases to amaze me. If you haven’t read her novel BENEATH, you should.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS by Izzy Lee. A compelling Horror tale told in a similar style as Memento. Oh my god, that ending! Or, I mean, beginning! Good stuff.
THE FABULOUS AND TORMENTED LIFE OF A SERIAL EXTRA by Chad Stroup. A rare case of second person POV that manages to be captivating and compelling. Nicely done Weird Horror.
THE FANTASTIC FLYING ERASER HEADS by David James Keaton. A rather long story, probably considered a novelette. I can see why this came at the very end of the anthology. It's long and it sums up the theme's premise magnificently. It involves mindf**kery. I don't want to say any more than that. Read it!
I’ve selected the ones that I liked the most:
LATHER OF FLIES by Brian Evenson. A great story to kick off this anthology. It really establishes the setting. With my appetite whetted, I'm ready to sink my teeth into this book.
THE CHURCH IN THE MOUNTAINS by Gemma Files. This was a rather long story but so worth it. I love Gemma's work. I want to see her work made into films. This story takes the premise of Lost Films and masters it. Bravo! Gemma Files is an amazing talent. I highly recommend reading her novel: EXPERIMENTAL FILM. It’s a novel length work that fits the premise of this anthology. Great stuff!
IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA ON 8TRACK by Bob Pastorella. This story is fantastic. Dude is an amazing writer! I actually first heard this when he read it at KillerCon Austin. I highly recommend reading his novel: MOJO RISING. Also from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing.
A FESTIVAL OF FIENDS by Brian Asman. Another great addition to this book's theme. Brian delivers a story that would make a great episode of a Creepshow/Black Mirror hybrid. It was even extra special when I first heard this story during a live reading at KillerCon Austin. Things got intense with Max Booth III playing Brian's hype-man.
THIS COSMIC ATROCITY by Andrew Novak. OMFG! That was one F-ing scary story!
ELEPHANTS THAT AREN'T by Betty Rocksteady. This story sucked me in with its totally identifiable main character. I could relate to her experience. And then... Sh*t gets Weird.
ARCHIBALD LEECH, THE MANY-STORIED MAN by John C. Foster. When scientists break reality and things are starting to go insane, you send in someone who's just crazy enough to fix it.
DON'T TURN AROUND by Thomas Joyce. A fun short story that plays with the second person POV and the Reality TV/Found Footage trope.
THINGS SHE LEFT IN THE WOODS by Jessica McHugh. A very creepy tale.
STAG by Kristi DeMeester. All I can say is just, WOW! Kristi’s work never ceases to amaze me. If you haven’t read her novel BENEATH, you should.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS by Izzy Lee. A compelling Horror tale told in a similar style as Memento. Oh my god, that ending! Or, I mean, beginning! Good stuff.
THE FABULOUS AND TORMENTED LIFE OF A SERIAL EXTRA by Chad Stroup. A rare case of second person POV that manages to be captivating and compelling. Nicely done Weird Horror.
THE FANTASTIC FLYING ERASER HEADS by David James Keaton. A rather long story, probably considered a novelette. I can see why this came at the very end of the anthology. It's long and it sums up the theme's premise magnificently. It involves mindf**kery. I don't want to say any more than that. Read it!
ashley__reads's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing collection of stories. My favorites being The Church in the Mountains, A Festival of Fiends, I Hate All That is Mine, This Cosmic Atrocity, The Fourth Wall, Don’t Turn Around, Things She Left in the Woods, but that last one… The Fantastic Flying Eraser Heads was the diamond in this book of gems. Really fed my Mandela Effect love SO much.
judetheunbeliever's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
jwdonley's review against another edition
5.0
This is a solid horror anthology. Each story deals with the film theme of the collection in its own original way. There isn't a bad story in the bunch.
Highlights for me were:
* In-a-godda-da-vida On 8Track - by Bob Pastorella
* A Festival of Fiends - by Brian Asman
* This Cosmic Atrocity - by Andrew Novak
* Teeth and Teeth and Teeth - by Ashlee Scheuerman
* The Fourth Wall - by Kev Harrison
* Things She Left in the Woods - by Jessica McHugh
* Stag - by Kristi DeMeester
* The Fantastic Flying Eraser Heads - by David James Keaton
Things She Left in the Woods was my very favorite of the entire collection. I did not see that ending coming!
There is something for every horror reader in here, so be sure to give it a try.
Highlights for me were:
* In-a-godda-da-vida On 8Track - by Bob Pastorella
* A Festival of Fiends - by Brian Asman
* This Cosmic Atrocity - by Andrew Novak
* Teeth and Teeth and Teeth - by Ashlee Scheuerman
* The Fourth Wall - by Kev Harrison
* Things She Left in the Woods - by Jessica McHugh
* Stag - by Kristi DeMeester
* The Fantastic Flying Eraser Heads - by David James Keaton
Things She Left in the Woods was my very favorite of the entire collection. I did not see that ending coming!
There is something for every horror reader in here, so be sure to give it a try.
wpsmith17's review against another edition
4.0
A very solid anthology hosting a lot of talented writers. My favorites included The Church in the Mountains, A Festival of Fiends, Elephants that Aren't, The Thing in the Side Room, Archibald Leech, the Many-Storied Man, Stag, and The Fabulous Life of a Serial Extra. Good stuff in here!
tankiestein's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
3.5
There were few stories in here that were an absolute vibe. Stag was immaculate, I still think about it.
Great sampling dish of different horror authors to check out.
Great sampling dish of different horror authors to check out.
weirdtea's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Overall, this is a pretty damned decent collection of short stories. I’m pleased I stumbled across it.
I loved the theme of lost films—it’s got so much potential and so many different directions to go in. I gotta give credit to a collection that brings inspiration along with it. The stories vary enough in levels of horror and weird that the balance is quite satisfying.
As with most collections, there are hits and misses—and those are going to vary from reader to reader. There were one or two that I was ultimately neutral about. One I thought was weak mostly because it relied on lazy stereotypes (automatic deduction for butterball as descriptor) and didn’t really hang together. A couple I don’t really remember.
My favorites:
Gemma Files’ “The Church in the Mountains” for character, atmosphere, and tension. Cool use of the theme.
“Elephants That Aren’t” by Betty Rocksteady. Wonderfully weird and unsettling with a great hook for the main character. Extra points for the illustration!
“Things She Left in the Woods” by Jessica McHugh kept me reading.
“The Fantastic Flying Eraser Heads” by David James Keaton got off to a slow start. It’s worth getting through the beginning because once it gets rolling it’s really satisfying. There are some excellent ideas and I enjoyed seeing them play out. Also, as a former video store clerk I have to applaud.
Bonus: The Introduction by Max Booth III was particularly well done.
Overall, this is a pretty damned decent collection of short stories. I’m pleased I stumbled across it.
I loved the theme of lost films—it’s got so much potential and so many different directions to go in. I gotta give credit to a collection that brings inspiration along with it. The stories vary enough in levels of horror and weird that the balance is quite satisfying.
As with most collections, there are hits and misses—and those are going to vary from reader to reader. There were one or two that I was ultimately neutral about. One I thought was weak mostly because it relied on lazy stereotypes (automatic deduction for butterball as descriptor) and didn’t really hang together. A couple I don’t really remember.
My favorites:
Gemma Files’ “The Church in the Mountains” for character, atmosphere, and tension. Cool use of the theme.
“Elephants That Aren’t” by Betty Rocksteady. Wonderfully weird and unsettling with a great hook for the main character. Extra points for the illustration!
“Things She Left in the Woods” by Jessica McHugh kept me reading.
“The Fantastic Flying Eraser Heads” by David James Keaton got off to a slow start. It’s worth getting through the beginning because once it gets rolling it’s really satisfying. There are some excellent ideas and I enjoyed seeing them play out. Also, as a former video store clerk I have to applaud.
Bonus: The Introduction by Max Booth III was particularly well done.
mercwolfmoor's review against another edition
4.0
A great anthology about haunted media. The stories compliment each other nicely, and there is a wide range of tone and style and what constitutes "lost film" -- if you like creepy and haunted films, videos, VHS tapes, streaming and more, you will probably enjoy a bunch of the stories in here.
(I posted some thoughts on individual stories in a twitter thread: https://twitter.com/Merc_Wolfmoor/status/1210297223575212032 )
(I posted some thoughts on individual stories in a twitter thread: https://twitter.com/Merc_Wolfmoor/status/1210297223575212032 )
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