Oktoborror Fest 13 - Alarums Richard Laymon (1992) Book

 

Of all the books I've read of Laymon (that I can remember) this is the least violent.

We've follow a couple and the sister of the woman plus the stepmother and the friend of the father of the girls. 5 Characters total.

First of all, calling this Horror is a stretch. It's a thriller. A fast pace thriller with a mix of a mystery.

So we've got Melanie that has a seizure and sees her sister\father having an acident. Being that the last time she had her mother died she returns home with Bodie (the boyfriend). Right from the start you kind understand there is some beef between both sisters. Melanie says that every boy that she loved (and dated) has switch to the hot sister (Pen). Bodie says that will not happen. So they arrive home where they understand what it was their father who had accident. The new wife starts to behave a little strangely as she invites her husband colleague to help her. Meanwhile Pam has been receiving hardcore sexual threats.

The story progress kind of what you expect from Laymon. Some more or less graphic sexy scenes and one thing is sure in all of his books, he can built tension.

Unfortunately you kind know what is going to happen. I am going into spoilers as soon as you see the hot sister you know that Brodie is going to be with her - the only thing that you don't know is how. As I've said men reading this want to identify with him BUT you want a clean mind getting into her - so you know something is going to happen to the sister - either killed or she finds someone else and he is free to be with the hot girl. Well she becames a crazy woman.... touché. .

I kind understand why people would not enjoy his stuff- he makes beautiful hot woman to drool over and one guy that you imagine it's you. What's the difference between this and the Romantsy genre? NONE! So why all the crap against him? I enjoy it. But not my favourite

Oktoborror Fest 12 - Scrapbook by Iain Wright Rob (2025) Book

The author wanted to tell you a narrative and then wrote a beautiful book around it.

I will say that the beginning is the worst and then turn out good.

I am going to shit a bit on the politics behind this:

Rant

So what have we learn so far in the first 45 pages? The poor migrants :( families that are crossing the channel - this is just crap. Over 80% of migrants passing the channel are young men! not "woman and children". Don't gaslight people please.

"In the year ending December 2025, approximately 17% of long-term immigrants were women and children combined." taken from some official UK website.

We also learn about the bad Christians who want their country back & a white men beating his wife. I see a pattern here don't worry.

Another thing I just learn (I am of course mocking) is that the legacy media hates migrants. No they don't. You see it on the TV, Series, investigation everything. It's always "poor migrants". Only now some companies are changing behaviour because unfortunately they cannot hide it anymore.

The explanation about , what other way they can enter your country - well you know that you can enter a country legally right? You just go through the airport or train and enter via customs. That phrase of... if you let anyone enter bad and good people enter, if you stop - well fuck me with a pineapple sideways- JUST DO IT LEGALLY!"

I am not mocking or anything like that BUT I hope one day these people don't have to live in a country where the majority of the population is Islamic and hates them and persecutes them, because no other Islamic country has any sympathy for Christians. They will not do what European Christians do for them. That's a given.

Review

This book is a bit different from the normal zombie stuff out there. It's not a tale that focus on survival but in this case it focus on the first steps of a zombie apocalypse which was a fresh of breath air. We follow three people, one is Lenny which is a journalist (the one he tried to push the narrative above) another is Caz which is a woman on a toxic relationship and Max a store clerk which is dealing with his own crap at home and at work.

In the beginning we are told how this started (this flu) and this medicine companies that are creating virus on labs so they can push the medicine - imagine covid stuff but imagine covid created on purpose to sell stuff... (Who the heck knows). Then with the help of some migrants they brought the disease to Europe (mainly focus on UK). So stuff happens and in the beginning nothing major is happening, just a mild flu, then some people start to change and become a bit craze. We can't really talk it's zombies because technically they aren't dead. The main focus again is on the tales of the above characters, this all zombie apocalypse going on is more on the side-track. You've go Max which is dealing with depression and alienation from other people, at the same time complete lack of support from his parents which he has to pay rent to sleep there. There is another character within his arc which is heather which is trying to open a restaurant but from the time being she is amassing money. There is a odd love interest there. You've got the boss of both which is a moron - strict to the rules kind of guy. Lenny which again is trying to avenge the reputation of the journal he works and wants to uncover the real stuff around migrants. It's a do gooder. He ends up helping first a migrant family and later on he encounters Caz. Caz is a normal woman who works and then deals with the shit at home (with a kid) while her companion do nothing but feels entitled to everything. After some altercation she leaves home with her child but unfortunately she has diabetes and left her medication at home.

I am not going to spoil much for your guys but yes, the book is not hard to read or follow. It's quite good. This is my third book by him and although I did have some issues (see RANT) I end up enjoying it. He could easily do this a series of the surviving as the book ends in the first or second day of the apocalypse.

Oktoborror Fest 10 - John's Carpenter - Ghosts of Mars (2025) - Movie

I've watched this movie several times, probably half a dozen times and I really enjoy it. There hasn't been one of his books I've not enjoy. I should do like a movie marathon of his movies.

This movie is set on Mars , in 2700's something and there is a breathable atmosphere - not totally but partial. The society is living there is now a Matriarch based instead of Patriarch based and woman are the dominants ones. In the beginning of the book they try to emphasize this which then it slowly grows away. Is it explained? No.

So in the beginning we are introduced to the sole survivor of a group of police officers (in mars) that are trying to get one criminal to the main city of the planet. As they arrive to the miner town something is off as no one is about. After the initial investigation they start finding people dead in some of the most weird ways PLUS some people have "transformed" and now do some weird body horror stuff to themselves - purpose? I don't know. We never learn.

So it seems an alien beings were released after an explosion and take the bodies of humans and then start killing people. That's it.

Why this beings don't possessed everyone? We don't know. 

Who put the beings on that catacombs? We don't know.

How could they be there without leaving? They are incorporeal why not go through cracks or so? We don't know.

Why sometimes you kill a person and he comes back to you while others - when per example they kill around 50 of these monsters- where were these beings off to? Are they stranded there where the body fell or they travel to a respawn place? More, if they escape , if they leave their place will why not possessed then?

What are the rules for possession? Is it random, is it like a trait? Why could she be possessed and cast it out? The only explanation would be that she is main character.

The ending of the movie was quite good. OVerall I've enjoyed it but so many questions....

There is no nudity here although if you really want to see Natasha Henstridge nude please watch either Species, Maximium Risk, Seal, widow on the hill or Badge of Honor. You're wellcome

Oktoborror Fest 11 -Starship Trooper 2 - Heroes of the Federation (2004 - Movie)

This book it's not a sequel of the first. It's another chapter that follows the first one. You've got new characters in a new world. THey are stranded there and so they escape to an outpost where they become surrounded by thousands of Zergs. The story is not horror per se, although it's less military sci-fi than the previous one and more horror like as we've got a new type of Zerg. One that can enter and take over a human body and they have a goal.

This movie is a flick and it's good but it's a cult sci-fi classic for a reason. Although it's low budget it provided what lovers of good sci-fi horror wanted. It has a low rating as to be expected but it serves the purpose. Not material for hollywood but good for Sy-Fy channel. 

There are some interesting characters like the psyker, the general or Jax.  What's interesting is that Brenda Strong appears on this movie as she appered on the first. The difference is that in the first she was a Navy Captain and died. Here she is a Marine Sgt and... also died.  

It's one of those movies to watch on your second screen while you play a videogame.

Nudity: There is some as all other Starship Troopers movies. It's Kelly Carlson. She basically show her boobs a couple of scenes.

Oktoborror Fest 09 - Daddy's Head (2024) - Movie

This is a slow burn movie with some jump scares. The movie starts with the death of a man leaving behind the son   (around 10/12) and his step-mother. She has some doubts on keeping the child but innitially she says she will. The boy is not conformed with the dead of the father and becomes quite erratic and "seeing" his father. Innitially nothing major but as the days pass we've got a dead dog, disturb grave of the father among other things. We see the breakdown of the woman and I will say she had a great role on this movie. 

About the monster, well it's kind of weird as it's hinted it's a alien being that uses the fears and pain of the family against them.... or isn't?  

The story progress and the incidents keep getting worse and the stepmother is thinking about leaving the boy to the friend of the family. The ending is quite gruesome but it ends fast. Julia Brown did a great job and she is very beautiful.

There is no nudity whatsoever - I believe the monster was well done - it's thought provocative and it has a great atmosphere. Pace wise is bad. Writing is not that good as well. Overall a nice addition.

Oktoborror Fest 08 - Mr Buzzkill (2025) - Movie

This movie was just bad. We've got this people around the fire talking about some massacres that happened a while back.  It's a low budget book and it shows in the acting and plotline. They tried to do something interesting with the way they are telling the tales but it didn't work for me.

It's halloween all over again, but not set in halloween.

There are a lot of boobs. At least four girls showing them.

Oktoborror Fest 07 - Hell House LLC (2023) - Movie

This movie has nothing to do with Hell House by Matheson. This is a pseudo-documentary regarding a crew which is turning a haunted hotel in an halloween attraction. This is all recorded with a camcorder and in the beginning we start learning more the interactions between the five people. As they construct the scenario weird stuff starts to happen making the camera man a bit crazy - after all he is the one that he is receiving the vast majority of the problems. Meanwhile the documentary are running we've got future recordings of town people, survivors and another camera crew documenting what went wrong with the documentary.

As the story progress I start enjoying and some of the jump scares are really scary - if you watch them at night. There are some caveats due to the shaking of the camera and nothing really is explain which may be the intent.

Overall, really interesting and what we get from this is that everything could have been averted if they had left when things start to go wrong. The second camera crew is just dumb.

Most of the actors were not that known so it as interesting to see them act. They did a good job. 

I enjoyed it.

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Oktoborror Fest 06 - From Black (2023) - Movie

This movie a slow burn about a woman who was drunk - now in remission and wants to understand what happened to her son. It's what I would consider quiet horror more focus on character development than the story itself - maybe the reason for this movie was just that.

The way it's somethings filmed may be wonder on why.... per example at 50m part where two characters are arguing the camera is stop outside of the bedroom while they argue within. Don't know the reason.

The story goes from a more centered on the main character dealing with drugs and reason why her son disappear and a way to overcome this issue via incantations \ summoning. and of course everything went to shit afterwards.

There is nudity although our main protagonist at halfway book has some cleavage and cleaning with her knees. It's rather revealing although you can see her naked on other movie.

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Oktoborror Fest 05 - Blood Flower (2022) - Movie

This is a 2022 Malasya movie. It's very interesting one. IT deals with the supernatural Islamic faith. If this was a catholic movie this would be the equivalent of book with a exorcist.  I am not verse on Islamic but from what I've know by watching Indonesia and other south Asia movies it mixes old folk from a time before the Islamic faith and current Islam. The mix is quite good and really gives some odd Tenebrae (is this a word) and encompasses the humidity odd forests/jungles. All of it combined really provides some interesting Folk Horror. This is not the first and won't be the last to watch.

There is a family which is basically are somekind of exorcists and the mother is killed in front of her children. The boy starts seeing strange stuff and being confronted with the paranormal, although he does not want it. He just wants to be a child. 

After releasing a demon it starts killing people and then a bunch of fast pace chase and exorcisms happen.

Not everything is good, the pace is kind off, sometimes too fast , sometimes too slow. I was interesting in the tale but everything was happening so fast I was a bit lost. And the action of some of characters just don't make sense. It's a okay movie to see but don't expect much.

There is no nudity.

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Oktoborror Fest 04 - The Monkey (2026) - Movie

 

This movie was very enjoyable. We've got this monkey that every time it drums someone will be killed. Simple as that. We've got this two brothers who find the monkey in the cellar after their father "went" away and start playing with it. Of course their mother died. And then another person and another and so on... We jump into the future where they are now adults and estranged. One is trying to safeguard his son while the other is bent on revenge. 

If you enjoy gore and strange deaths akin Final Destination please watch this. If you think those are stupid , you won't enjoy this.

The characters were okay, nothing major although I enjoy the development  of the brothers. 

There is no nudity.

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Oktoborror Fest 03 - 10:37 by Jacqueline Druga (2017) Book

 This is the tenth book I've read from Druga and this is probably my least  favourite alongside with Torn. It still is a good tracking with only 2 books with 2 stars. 

This one follows a event, like most of her books, that kill the vast majority of population. Is it explained? No.  

People suffocate and died. But some did not. Some lived and thus we find out following 4 people (two groups of two).  I enjoyed their interactions mostly Morgan and Ross as they are quite different personalities and clash. 

After 99% of population died, it started to rain endlessly. After some deus-ex-machina stuff they hear some feedback that this is worldwide and they must escape to high ground. 

Then our survivors meet other people who basically just woke up and had no expression. Just being on the rain and so on. Like zombies but without the carnage. They are just there.... 

So our adventurers or survivors just go to a place told in a vision of one child OR following the communication. They meet other two survivors and that's it. The book is disjointed , nobody really talk about issues that arose.  Per example the priest they met had a bookcase on top of him, it takes around 30 pages so he finally says what happened. Nobody deemed worthy of asking. Ross & Morgan leave one another after one of them betrayed the other and smack on the head. Later one meet the remaining duo and after the  second one appear they are hostile against the other - noone ask, why are you like this with that other person? It's absurd. Then it just ended. This book could have been 400 pages and better. Some connections to stephen king the stand btw.

OH well, you can't win them all

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Oktoborror Fest 02- The Last House (2026) - Movie

 

I watched the movie and I enjoyed. IT's a funny little family movie that deals with something unexplained. The story is simple, it started to rain and people inside the house could not leave, the water was "blocking" / "controlling" it. No matter what they did nothing worked. This was the same throughout the neighbourhood and soon the family had to arrange things to do , food to have as this prolonged for days, weeks months and years. The family soon invents a way to cultivate stuff and the husband finds a way to catch animals through the roof.

Not everything is good. In terms of character, well they lack emotions and the wife was a bit of... drag. She was always complaining and the way she treated her husband was just abhorred. She expected him to do everything and the way she felt entitled it's absurd.

The kids were good on this.

There are some inconsistencies and plot holes like okay we understand there is strange monsters out there, first why wait 5 years? They could have killed them before without issue and then just drop the act after ONE boy has a good intention? The idea behind this is that this "aliens" are not really aliens but beings from the planet that just want it back - I get a hint of something here regarding colonizers...

And then the ending, okay they are free now, only this family or everyone? Who knows...

The movie has some strange situations that made it boring, predictable and preachy BUT I will say it was entertaining.

- I mean why trying to kick down a door that opens inwards?

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 10

Oktoborror Fest 01- Humanoids from the Deep (1980) - Movie

 

Interesting movie from 1980. It's one of those monster horror that the 70's and 80's really shine. It was release in 1980 and it has some interesting costumes. 

We've got this small town that is in a turmoil due to some american indians wanting to shut down a fish factory as they believe it's destroying nature while the vast majority of inhabitants do not as it's the best source of income. We are introduce to several characters who are pro and against and stuff really is boiling over with people killing dogs of the other faction.

Meanwhile there is a monster, the one in the photo which is killing dogs and men and raping woman - not graphic.

This remind me of one of the cthulhu mythos stories where the deep ones from insmouth are attacking.

I enjoyed it. It will never win any awards but for people who enjoy lovecraftian tales this is a very good addition.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080904/

Nudity - Indeed there is. Some boobs of several characters. No sex situation. Just some breasts by Lisa Glaser, Linda Shayne , Lynn Theel

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