Soulz At Zero
Proudly Presents
The Death Certificate!
-----THE-DEATH-CERTIFICATE------VOLUME-1-ISSUE-3---------DECEMBER-1994-----
Staff: The Stranger, Jack Flack - Editors, Writers.
Black Sunshine - Writer.
* If you are interested in contributing to The Death Certificate
please let one of the editors know.
It was black as a moonless night when the clouds cover
the stars, and it was evil, and in its own strange way
it was alive.
And it was growing.
Alan Ryan, Blood of the Children
+ Table of Contents +
1. Words from the Editors
2. SAZ News
3. Horror News
4. Reviews
5. The Writers Block
6. Final Words
1. Words from the Editors:
Jack Flack:
- If you wont walk with me, I will walk alone - Life of Agony -
Greetings, all you SaZ fanatics, and I *DO* mean, fanatics! We have
got response from several states, a few groups, and the like, so as long
as you people are reading it, we are going to keep bringing it to you.
Of course the Death Certificate is mostly Strangers baby, so I will
turn it over to him shortly. I did, howver, play the new Tales of the
Crypt pinball game at Crossroads mall last night! They also have a Nightmare
on Elm Street pinball game. Not horror enough to warrant a review, but
kinda interesting.
For anyone who doesnt know, Hohocon, the biggest Hacker, Pirate, etc.
convention is coming up this December 30,31 and Jan 1st somewhere in Texas.
If you have been invited, you know where it is. Although its not what
SaZ is about, we will be there, handing out disks with our packs on it and
maybe some flyers, so if you are headed there, look for SaZ products!
We are also having a lot of changes in our support boards. Ozzys
board seems to be down until he pays a debt to Ma Bell, so we are avidly
awaiting his return. Two new SaZ systems have gone up, Where Shadows
Wait, and a new Distro site, The Sanitarium, so be sure to read the
saz.nfo file in the pack, which we will keep up to date pack to pack.
I guess thats about it for me. I am still a slave to the man actually,
Best Buy working 60+ hours a week, so computer time has been limiting, and
The Stranger and Black Sunshine have had finals, so its been a short, short
month, but here it is, pack 4 ...
-Jack Flack/SAZ
The Stranger:
Well were a little late this month because most of our members
had Finals to worry about. Were late, but were still here. This is
our fourth pack and I cannot believe it. Our first three packs have been
downloaded close to 200 times all across the country and we hope to have
SAZ expand to every state in the country. If you would like to help us
by distributing our packs let us know. We are always looking for help.
I just started my own BBS called Where Shadows Wait and its
the home of SAZ. If you would like to call to get packs or to leave us
comments but you dont want to waste time filling anything out you may log
in and enter the user name as SAZ and the password SAZ . If you would
like to gain full entry to the board use the new user password which is
Kill The Dead and fill out all the information. If you do call under
the SAZ name, please leave me a message with your name and state just so
I know whos calling.
Once again, were always looking for new members, so if you write
poetry and/or short stories fill out the application and bring on over to
us. You can also reach me or Jack Flack via the InfiNet or GTCM net.
Well thats all for this time. Have a Merry Christmas and a bloody
great New Year. Enjoy the pack and pass it around to your friends and
family members. Talk to you next time.
The Stranger...
And death should know me
My hands are dirty with his blood.
Danzig, Brand New God
2. Soulz At Zero News
Well I think the major news this month is the fact that we have a new
home for SAZ which is being run by me, The Stranger. See my editorial
for more information.
We still dont have a viewer. We have 2 or 3 people working on them but
the future doesnt look promising. If I were you, Id use the viewer
from Shiver. By far the best viewer out there. If youd like to make
us a viewer, you know where to contact us.
Weve had request from some people to be distro boards but so far only
one board has sent us all the information we need. That board is The
Sanatarium in North Carolina. We welcome that board and its sysop
Zipperhead, to the SAZ family. If youd like to be a distro, just send
us mail.
Thats the newz for this month. See ya next time.
It was hells season, and the air smelled of burning children.
Robert McCammon, Gone South
3. Horror News by The Stranger:
New in Bookstores:
Dark Rivers of the Heart is Dean Koontz new novel. Im not sure
what its about but its in a book store near you.
Clive Barker returns with Everville which is part two of a series
that began with The Great And Secret Show.
Fires of Eden is the new hardback novel by Dan Simmons, known best for
his books Summer of Night and Children of the Night.
Borderlands 4 is a new limited edition anthology that contains new
stories by Joe Lansdale, Elizabeth Massie, David Silva, Ed Gorman and tons
of others.
They sleep not, except they have done mischief
And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
Proverbs 4:16-17
4. The Reviews:
Books:
Twilight Time, by Rick Hautala, 1994 Zebra Books.
Rick Hautala is one of the scariest writers around. The problem is
he doesnt know it. Or maybe he doesnt want to know it. After spending
years establishing his name in the horror field, he has quickly moved out
of the horror genre into the psychological terror category. Many years
ago, Hautala hit his peak with two great books in a row, Winter Wake and
Dead Voices. Those are by far two of the scariest books Ive ever read.
And right after those two books declared him as one of the brightest stars
in horror, he left the field with a book called Dark Silence. That book
had some horror but not much. What horror it did have he took out of his
next book entitled Ghost Light. Ghost Light was the book every writer is
suddenly writing again. The wife beating husband chasing after the wife
who has their child. But were not here too talk about any of those books.
We are here to discuss his newest novel, Twilight Time. It says
right on the cover, horror, but this isnt traditional horror. This
book is once again a trip into the psychological aspects of horror, very
much like his last two novels. The difference with this novel is that
Hautala has finally learned how to write a psychological horror novel. This
book is wonderful, with twists and turns that will leave you holding your
breath. The writing is typical Hautala, which is to say it is crisp and
fantastic in some places and boring and drawn out in others.
The story is about a man with multiple personalties brought on by years
of abuse as a child. The abuse began in his home state of Maine where he
has tried to stay away from for years. But his sister is suicidal and so
has to go back to help her. He feels he knows why his sister is trying
to kill herself. Shes still thinking about the time the two of them had
sex when they were kids just as he cant stop thinking about it. But when
he gets to Maine he will find the real reason for his disorder through
a doorway that leads to dark childhood memories.
If you are a horror fan looking for one good suspense book this is it.
Hautala doesnt waste your time with useless information and he knows how
to tell a story. With every question are main character asks himself, you
will be wondering the same thing. When are main character wonders if he
is causing the deaths of others around him, youll never know. This book
is a great read and better than anything that other Maine writer has done
in 3 years. Check it out.
The Stranger...
Writer Of The Purple Rage by Joe R. Lansdale, CD Publications.
Well if youve ever read a copy of The Death Certificate before you
already know that I worship the paper Joe Lansdale writes on. There is no
writer hotter than Lansdale in the horror field write know and there are
few who write short stories better than he does. If you read a Lansdale
story, you know its a Lansdale story. This man has his own style that
many are know trying to imitate but none come close.
Writer of the Purple Rage is his new collection of short stories. He
has already published two other collections entitled Bestsellers
Guaranteed By Bizzare Hands. Both of which are incredible. This one
however is no where near as good as either of those two, but still this
is Lansdale. This book has thirteen short stories, a script for a play,
a non-fiction piece on horror, an introduction, and author notes on every
story. Most of the stories in the book have seen print in small magazines
and paperback anthologies but there are a couple of new ones included.
The stories in this one go from a man who lives to have sex with a blow up
doll only to find the doll is taking over his life, to a story about Elvis
Presley trying to break out of an insane asylum with John F. Kennedy before
an ancient mummy can kill them. Lansdale stories are usually violent,
right to the point, and strange. These stories continue that.
This book is only sold in hardback and you can only find it at your local
horror store. Its priced at a big 25, but for the Lansdale fan its a
great buy. Be warned, you need to like your stories violent, and you
better have a good imagination to follow Lansdale around. Try some other
Lansdale books before you spend the dough on this one. Youll probably
end up like me, feeling that you have to have this one.
The Stranger...
The Definitive Best of The Horror Show, Edited by David Silva, 1992.
The Horror Show was a magazine published in the 80s by David Silva
that was for the most part, the only magazine dedicated to horror writers.
In the 80s, horror writers were usually found in Twilight Zone or other
science fiction magazines. That is until The Horror Show came around.
Every horror magazine around now owes its life to The Horror Show and
so many know famous writers do as well. Poppy Z. Brite, Robert McCammon,
Joe Lansdale, and so many others got their start in this magazine.
But times were hard in the late 80s and so the magazine died. But
in 1992, CD Publications put together this great collection of the best
short stories to ever appear in The Horror Show. Forty short stories
are packed in this collection, the authors are a whos who of horror.
From Dean Koontz to Ramsey Campbell. This book has almost all of the best.
Possibly the best story in the collection is the one that starts off the
book called I Scream Man by Robert McCammon. Few can show emotion better
than McCammon and this one really comes through. Poppy Z. Brite has two
entries in the book, both of which show promise for what she is slowly
becoming, which is one of the biggest names in the field. Joe Lansdale
and Dennis Etchison throw violent stories into the mixture along with an
odd tale of sex by Dean Koontz. The biggest names in short stories, Janet
Fox, Steve Rasnic Tem, Gary Raisor, Bently Little, David Schow, William F.
Nolan, are all here with a ton of others.
If your looking for a long read this is the book. With 40 short
stories you are bound to love atleast half. This is a 25 hardback edition
that is not available in paperback but its worth the price. This is the
only way your going to get to read a lot of these stories because its
almost impossible to find any of The Horror Show magazines. So if you
love short stories, pick this one up.
The Stranger...
Movies:
Wes Cravens New Nightmare
by Black Sunshine
I had read some decent reviews about this movie before I
actually paid to go see it. And now I wonder who the movies PR
paid.
The movie DID have a few things going for it-- all the
original characters from the first Nightmare on Elm Street
returning, Wes Cravens name becoming an official part of the
title I wonder how many people went to see it for that
reason..., and the strange and unique plot, which was supposedly
interwoven around the real lives of the characters from the first
one and inspired by actual, true events.
The movie is about making a movie-- about making a Nightmare
on Elm Street movie. It is somewhat of a documentary in that
respect. The characters play themselves-- Robert Englund
Freddy plays Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp Nancy plays
Heather Langenkamp, etc. The idea was that Freddy was really
some ancient evil force, and by making movies about him, they had
managed to trap him and keep him from escaping his dimension, and
yet, once the movies stopped, Freddy began terrorizing all the
people involved with the making of the movies, preying especially
on Heathers son. Why I dont know. The only way to stop
Freddy, it was discovered, was to make another movie about him.
And what the audience was watching on the screen WAS supposed to
be that movie.
Weird. Confusing. Out of sync with the rest of the series.
That is basically how I would describe this movie. As you can
tell, it IS original, but associating it with Freddy Kruegar, the
audience will already have certain expectations about what will
happen and what Freddy will do-- expectations that never come to
be. For example, this movie played too much with emotional
issues to be of the usual mindless, Nightmare brand. I didnt go
see the movie to get a glimpse of Heather Langenkamps personal
life, or Robert Englunds extracurricular activities.
The movie also, was not scary. In fact, silly is a better
word to describe it. Involving Heathers very young son, it took
on almost fantasy-type characteristics towards the end, almost as
if they were trying to entertain children. It seemed to lack
direction, and wandered from event to event, leaving me
wondering, Now what was the point of that? It seems it was
assumed that the gimmick of the movie the movie within a movie
thing would hold its own, and it does-- for awhile, then youre
waiting for it to get scary, for it to get real. It never does.
Robert Englund had this to say to Fangoria, ...Ultimately,
we are addressing the question of whether Hollywood is
responsible for a lot of the things that are going on in the real
world today. Really. I did not pick this up while watching the
movie. As I said before, I had certain expectations about Freddy
that left me underwhelmed, and therefore outweighed the marvel
and main points that really were there.
I think this would have made for a better movie if the
Freddy Kruegar line had been forgotten, instead using a movie
monster that didnt really exist. The way they tried to
incorporate the older Nightmare films and the themes and ideas in
this one didnt fly well. It led to too much confusion,
unbelievability and indifference from the audience-- how are you
supposed to care what the characters are doing if you dont
understand why they are doing it? I really did think the plot
was ingenious, but not with characters we already knew that did
not do what we anticipated.
To sum it up, the movie killed a couple of hours and I
didnt look at my watch, but I couldve used the admission price
money for gas or something. If youre into the Nightmare series,
watch it just to say you have, or if youre really bored. But if
you heard good things about it and want to check it out, or if
you want to be scared, then stay away.
@ 1994 by Black Sunshine
Interview With the Vampire
By Black Sunshine
Despite the extraordinarily long wait for this movie to hit
the theaters and the overblown controversy concerning the casting
of Tom Cruise as Lestat, I was still confident that Geffen
Pictures would ensure that the adaptation would do the novel its
derived from justice. Though there were a few minor problems, I
was not disappointed. In fact, I was strangely and
embarrassingly, moved to tears in one scene, and I would dare
call it one of the best vampire movies ever made.
Die-hard fans of the novels author, Anne Rice, would
probably disagree with me. There were a few trivial changes put
in the screenplay form for both time reasons and for making some
scenes more visual. If you havent already, you should pick up a
copy of the book and read it. I wont argue with the fact that
movies usually cannot compete with their original format. This
one is no exception, however, treating the movie by itself, I
found it more than entertaining on several levels.
The plot itself is unique, without utilizing a lot of fancy
techniques or surprises-- pure talent. If you dont know it
already, here is a brief run-down of the story: Louis is a
depressed young man with a death wish living in the eighteenth
century. Lestat is a charming, yet arrogant vampire who suddenly
finds himself a little bored, a little lonely. When the two
meet, Lestat without fully explaining the details turns Louis
into a vampire in an attempt to put an end to both their
problems. Louis then becomes the reluctant vampire. He cannot
stand killing people, lives on the blood of rats and other
animals. We are given an unusual slant here about the
psychological ramifications of being a vampire. Eventually, when
Louis is weak, he almost kills a little girl, Claudia, while
drinking her blood. Lestat then turns the girl into a vampire as
well, then presents her to Louis as a gift: a daughter. As years
melt into centuries, the remainder of the story consists of the
struggles going on between the three of them and other vampires,
the struggles between the vampires and the rest of the world
those who are not like them, and especially, the personal
struggles each of the vampires endures. Most notably is
Claudias struggle with having a womans mind and being trapped
in the body of a pre-pubescent girl. All of this is being told
in the here and the now by Louis, through flashback sequences
wrapped around scenes with a young interviewer. Understand that
I am leaving out a lot here, *grin*.
The movie is absolutely captivating. The costumes and
scenery add tremendously to pulling the audience into it,
providing the movie with its credibility, and giving an
authenticity to each setting. Tom Cruise controversial figure
that he is.. heh plays a decent Lestat. I mean, there is
nothing lacking in the character, however, his effort is obvious-
- he tries too hard. Brad Pitt steals the show, playing the
perfect melancholy, sensitive, pensive Louis. Rice really knew
what she was doing when she created a character like this-- any
woman in the audience that didnt secretly fall in love with
Louis must be devoid of emotion-- or at least a libido. The
movie really picks up with the introduction of Claudia Kirsten
Dunst-- toying with the interesting idea of a child vampire, and
then eventually, a woman-child vampire. Christian Slater barely
in the movie at all plays a good naive, cynical-turned-intrigued
interviewer, a good choice following the death of first-cast
River Phoenix.
I did, however, have a minor problem with the pace of the
movie. The first hour and a half or so consists of the incidents
that occur before Lestats supposed death. Once Claudia and
Louis continue their cross-continent journey for others of their
kind, however, the tread picks up quickly enough to make the
audience feel objective once again. Not enough time is spent on
the formation of the Armand character or the events that surround
his appearance in the story. It has been several years since I
read the novel, and I did not refresh my memory prior to going to
the movie. I found myself confused for a few minutes on some
events of course, this lessened the significance and intensity
of them for me until I understood what was going on and why, but
at this point, I no longer felt sucked inside the story since I
had to spend so much time analyzing. It was almost as if they
knew they were running out of time and so hurried through the
second half. The result was a good watch, but without the same
effect as the first part. The story itself carries the second
half.
On another note, another thing I found fascinating about the
story was the underlying eroticism within and the subconscious
connections between sex and death. I enjoyed the way the two
were intertwined to appeal to everyones dark side. Also
interesting was the fact that the movie did not skimp on the
homosexual and pedophilic undertones. Of course, there was
nothing blatant or offensive, but it was still there, and it
added to the movies authenticity. Interestingly, during a
special on the movie on the Oprah Winfrey show, a homosexual
claimed that he related to the movie on a very personal level...
I have already said that the movie is especially full of the
vampires personal struggles with what they are. This particular
homosexual had picked that up and commented on the similarity of
that idea with homosexuals contending with being outsiders and
struggling with what and who they are. Nice parallel.
The movie will definitely leave a lasting impression upon
you. You will have the desire to be a vampire but hopefully,
not the urge to act on it..ha, you will want to take other
people with you to see if it affected them the same way as it
affected you, you will want to talk about this movie for hours
afterwards. Who hasnt heard about the sicko I think it was in
San Francisco who took his girlfriend to see it, then afterwards
told her he was going to kill her and drink her blood and two
days later stabbed her seven times in the chest and drank some of
her blood? Translation: Dont go see this movie in San
Francisco.
Overall, I would highly suggest that if you have not seen
this movie already, go. It is well worth the money. If you
dont like adaptations, then forget the book exists and go see
the movie as a separate idea. It is unique, entertaining, has
lots of violence but not excessively-- this violence is more
subtle, and for all you people that like to think and analyze
everything me? ha there are several psychological and moral
questions posed. It is a true vampire epic, even with all the
commercialization. If you dont have anyone to go with, hell,
call me and Ill go with you-- its well-worth watching again.
*grin*. Just dont laugh if we come to that ONE scene and I wipe
away a tear.
@ 1994 by Black Sunshine
Up and Coming to the Theaters...
by Black Sunshine
Its been a horror boom for all movie exchanges lately, with the
release of flicks such as Interview With the Vampire, Puppet
Masters, New Nightmare, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, Ed Wood
well, he was a cheezy horror movie director *grin*, Ghoulies
IV, Hidden 2, etc. It shows no signs of letting up in 1995,
either. Heres a look at movies to expect within the next few
months.
Hideaway - Yes, its true. Dean Koontz is finally going to have
a novel adaptation that isnt released direct-to-video. And it
even has people in it you might recognize: Jeff Goldblum The
Fly and Alicia Silverstone who doesnt know who this is? Key
word: Aerosmith. After surviving a hideous car wreck, a man
becomes psychically linked to a serial killer. Or at least
thats what the book was about.
Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh - The first Candyman scared the
hell out of me, with its strange, haunting images. The camera
and lighting tricks worked to set the movie apart from others and
win it awards. I hope a different director and visual effects
team doesnt change that. I look forward to see if this movie
can disturb me as deeply as the original.
Darkman 2 and 3 - Its been decided to turn this movie into a
trilogy and release numbers two and three simultaneously on
video. Who are Larry Drake and Arnold Vosloo? I wish they would
get actors I recognize. And anyway, I thought he died in the
first one...hmm...this could be interesting...
Lord of Illusions - Is it just me, or does this sound like a
handle someone would use while modeming? This along with two
other movies-- guess which is Clive Barkers new baby.
Something about a detective drawn into a powerful world of magic
by a famed illusionist and a cult-leader. Spooky.
Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight - Its going to the big-time
now. A trilogy of tales being made for the big screen, crypt-
keeper on hand, of course. Its getting a lot of publicity and
generating interest, but Im still wondering what will make this
different from whats already on HBO...
The Langoliers - Stephen King has finally found his visual
medium: television mini-series. I dont find it hard to
understand how he would have problems keeping a screenplay under
120 pages, and this way he can go on and on. *grin* Four hour
long mini-series for ABC, based on a novella in Four Past
Midnight: a group of people travelling by airplane on a red-eye
flight are thrust into another dimension. This is one of my
favorite King works, by the way. Very clever. There are some
scenes I will HAVE TO SEE, because I cant figure out how they
are going to make them work visually.
In the Mouth of Madness - John Carpenters attempt to explore
Lovecraftian tenets. From the movie trailers, it looked like it
was done in the style of one of his other movies, Prince of
Darkness. This should be good...
Hellraiser IV - Another Barker deviation. I dont know much
about this one yet, but if you want background, rent one, two AND
three because theyre all different. The only recurring motif
seems to be that damn box...
Godzilla - Yes, they are making a Godzilla movie. Its slated to
have a budget to rival Jurassic Parks. And they expect it to
bring in as much revenue, as well... Good luck. Hasnt been much
news on this yet, but I hope I dont have to explain what
Godzilla is. I also wont remark on the Japanese connotations
here... BUY AMERICAN. heh
And there you have it! Its gonna be another great year at the
video store and the movie theater for horror fans. So get out of
the house and go check one or two of them out.
@ 1994 by Black Sunshine
I believe what Karl means, Oslett said, is that . . . Well,
in the vast scheme of things, what does it matter if a few people die
a little sooner than they would have in the natural course of events?
Mr. Murder, Dean Koontz
5. The Writers Block By The Stranger...
I just dont have enough time this month to jump into any subject.
I wanted to talk about where writers get ideas or how you can make millions
being a horror writer, but as I said, I dont have the time. Hopefully
next months Writers Block will be long, maybe even a two parter. Next
time I think well have an essay on how to sell your novel and where
writers get their ideas.. That sounds good.
I will leave you with some tips I got from Stephen King. Not that
I ever met him ofcourse, I read these in a magazine. King says that if
your walking around or lying in bed or whatever, and you are hit with an
idea, you shouldnt write it down. He feels that if the idea is worthy
of being written into a story or poem, you should remember it well enouh
when you sit down to write. I usually write down most of my story ideas
and then sometimes do an outline of where I want the story to go. Nine
out of 10 times my stories look nothing like the outline.
Also King said that if youve come across a word in your story that
you think is too bland and you want to pick up a thesauraus to find a better
word, dont. King feels that you wrote the word you used for a reason
and there is no need to find some fancy word that wont fit as well in the
sentence. Ive looked a few words up in my time, but I try not too anymore.
Well thats all I wanted to add this month, or atleast all I have
time for this month. Send me your ideas or comments. Keep writing, its
the only way youll get better.. And Ill see you next time on the block.
The Stranger...
A sick person pining away is one upon
whom an evil spirit has gazed.
Homer
6. Final Words:
Well thanks to everyone who picked up a copy of the pack and took
the time to read the Death Certificate.. I hope we are informing you as
well as entertaining you. Any comments or suggestions can be sent to any
of the members of the group on just about any board in the 405 area. This
pack may be small but remember its not the size that counts... Its how
you use it... I think Im getting off the subject.
Thanks once again, have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year.
Make sure your holidays are safe. Look for the next pack in Mid January.
And keep reading.
Soulz At Zero
Your fingers black from ink as your shaking hands glide
down the page, trying to see if your name is on the death
certificate. The wind screaming against the window, begging to
get in, to get to you. And at last you find the dotted line,
written in blood the letters that form your name. A sudden gasp
caught in your throat, a flicker of the lights until they fade
off completely. The cold touch of fingers as a hand reaches
across the bare skin of your neck. Goosebumps rise from your
neck just as the lights shine on once more. And once again you
are alone. Before you lies the death certificate, your name is
no longer written. You have escaped death, for now.
The Stranger...
C Copyright SAZ 1994.
Proudly Presents
The Death Certificate!
-----THE-DEATH-CERTIFICATE------VOLUME-1-ISSUE-3---------DECEMBER-1994-----
Staff: The Stranger, Jack Flack - Editors, Writers.
Black Sunshine - Writer.
* If you are interested in contributing to The Death Certificate
please let one of the editors know.
It was black as a moonless night when the clouds cover
the stars, and it was evil, and in its own strange way
it was alive.
And it was growing.
Alan Ryan, Blood of the Children
+ Table of Contents +
1. Words from the Editors
2. SAZ News
3. Horror News
4. Reviews
5. The Writers Block
6. Final Words
1. Words from the Editors:
Jack Flack:
- If you wont walk with me, I will walk alone - Life of Agony -
Greetings, all you SaZ fanatics, and I *DO* mean, fanatics! We have
got response from several states, a few groups, and the like, so as long
as you people are reading it, we are going to keep bringing it to you.
Of course the Death Certificate is mostly Strangers baby, so I will
turn it over to him shortly. I did, howver, play the new Tales of the
Crypt pinball game at Crossroads mall last night! They also have a Nightmare
on Elm Street pinball game. Not horror enough to warrant a review, but
kinda interesting.
For anyone who doesnt know, Hohocon, the biggest Hacker, Pirate, etc.
convention is coming up this December 30,31 and Jan 1st somewhere in Texas.
If you have been invited, you know where it is. Although its not what
SaZ is about, we will be there, handing out disks with our packs on it and
maybe some flyers, so if you are headed there, look for SaZ products!
We are also having a lot of changes in our support boards. Ozzys
board seems to be down until he pays a debt to Ma Bell, so we are avidly
awaiting his return. Two new SaZ systems have gone up, Where Shadows
Wait, and a new Distro site, The Sanitarium, so be sure to read the
saz.nfo file in the pack, which we will keep up to date pack to pack.
I guess thats about it for me. I am still a slave to the man actually,
Best Buy working 60+ hours a week, so computer time has been limiting, and
The Stranger and Black Sunshine have had finals, so its been a short, short
month, but here it is, pack 4 ...
-Jack Flack/SAZ
The Stranger:
Well were a little late this month because most of our members
had Finals to worry about. Were late, but were still here. This is
our fourth pack and I cannot believe it. Our first three packs have been
downloaded close to 200 times all across the country and we hope to have
SAZ expand to every state in the country. If you would like to help us
by distributing our packs let us know. We are always looking for help.
I just started my own BBS called Where Shadows Wait and its
the home of SAZ. If you would like to call to get packs or to leave us
comments but you dont want to waste time filling anything out you may log
in and enter the user name as SAZ and the password SAZ . If you would
like to gain full entry to the board use the new user password which is
Kill The Dead and fill out all the information. If you do call under
the SAZ name, please leave me a message with your name and state just so
I know whos calling.
Once again, were always looking for new members, so if you write
poetry and/or short stories fill out the application and bring on over to
us. You can also reach me or Jack Flack via the InfiNet or GTCM net.
Well thats all for this time. Have a Merry Christmas and a bloody
great New Year. Enjoy the pack and pass it around to your friends and
family members. Talk to you next time.
The Stranger...
And death should know me
My hands are dirty with his blood.
Danzig, Brand New God
2. Soulz At Zero News
Well I think the major news this month is the fact that we have a new
home for SAZ which is being run by me, The Stranger. See my editorial
for more information.
We still dont have a viewer. We have 2 or 3 people working on them but
the future doesnt look promising. If I were you, Id use the viewer
from Shiver. By far the best viewer out there. If youd like to make
us a viewer, you know where to contact us.
Weve had request from some people to be distro boards but so far only
one board has sent us all the information we need. That board is The
Sanatarium in North Carolina. We welcome that board and its sysop
Zipperhead, to the SAZ family. If youd like to be a distro, just send
us mail.
Thats the newz for this month. See ya next time.
It was hells season, and the air smelled of burning children.
Robert McCammon, Gone South
3. Horror News by The Stranger:
New in Bookstores:
Dark Rivers of the Heart is Dean Koontz new novel. Im not sure
what its about but its in a book store near you.
Clive Barker returns with Everville which is part two of a series
that began with The Great And Secret Show.
Fires of Eden is the new hardback novel by Dan Simmons, known best for
his books Summer of Night and Children of the Night.
Borderlands 4 is a new limited edition anthology that contains new
stories by Joe Lansdale, Elizabeth Massie, David Silva, Ed Gorman and tons
of others.
They sleep not, except they have done mischief
And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
Proverbs 4:16-17
4. The Reviews:
Books:
Twilight Time, by Rick Hautala, 1994 Zebra Books.
Rick Hautala is one of the scariest writers around. The problem is
he doesnt know it. Or maybe he doesnt want to know it. After spending
years establishing his name in the horror field, he has quickly moved out
of the horror genre into the psychological terror category. Many years
ago, Hautala hit his peak with two great books in a row, Winter Wake and
Dead Voices. Those are by far two of the scariest books Ive ever read.
And right after those two books declared him as one of the brightest stars
in horror, he left the field with a book called Dark Silence. That book
had some horror but not much. What horror it did have he took out of his
next book entitled Ghost Light. Ghost Light was the book every writer is
suddenly writing again. The wife beating husband chasing after the wife
who has their child. But were not here too talk about any of those books.
We are here to discuss his newest novel, Twilight Time. It says
right on the cover, horror, but this isnt traditional horror. This
book is once again a trip into the psychological aspects of horror, very
much like his last two novels. The difference with this novel is that
Hautala has finally learned how to write a psychological horror novel. This
book is wonderful, with twists and turns that will leave you holding your
breath. The writing is typical Hautala, which is to say it is crisp and
fantastic in some places and boring and drawn out in others.
The story is about a man with multiple personalties brought on by years
of abuse as a child. The abuse began in his home state of Maine where he
has tried to stay away from for years. But his sister is suicidal and so
has to go back to help her. He feels he knows why his sister is trying
to kill herself. Shes still thinking about the time the two of them had
sex when they were kids just as he cant stop thinking about it. But when
he gets to Maine he will find the real reason for his disorder through
a doorway that leads to dark childhood memories.
If you are a horror fan looking for one good suspense book this is it.
Hautala doesnt waste your time with useless information and he knows how
to tell a story. With every question are main character asks himself, you
will be wondering the same thing. When are main character wonders if he
is causing the deaths of others around him, youll never know. This book
is a great read and better than anything that other Maine writer has done
in 3 years. Check it out.
The Stranger...
Writer Of The Purple Rage by Joe R. Lansdale, CD Publications.
Well if youve ever read a copy of The Death Certificate before you
already know that I worship the paper Joe Lansdale writes on. There is no
writer hotter than Lansdale in the horror field write know and there are
few who write short stories better than he does. If you read a Lansdale
story, you know its a Lansdale story. This man has his own style that
many are know trying to imitate but none come close.
Writer of the Purple Rage is his new collection of short stories. He
has already published two other collections entitled Bestsellers
Guaranteed By Bizzare Hands. Both of which are incredible. This one
however is no where near as good as either of those two, but still this
is Lansdale. This book has thirteen short stories, a script for a play,
a non-fiction piece on horror, an introduction, and author notes on every
story. Most of the stories in the book have seen print in small magazines
and paperback anthologies but there are a couple of new ones included.
The stories in this one go from a man who lives to have sex with a blow up
doll only to find the doll is taking over his life, to a story about Elvis
Presley trying to break out of an insane asylum with John F. Kennedy before
an ancient mummy can kill them. Lansdale stories are usually violent,
right to the point, and strange. These stories continue that.
This book is only sold in hardback and you can only find it at your local
horror store. Its priced at a big 25, but for the Lansdale fan its a
great buy. Be warned, you need to like your stories violent, and you
better have a good imagination to follow Lansdale around. Try some other
Lansdale books before you spend the dough on this one. Youll probably
end up like me, feeling that you have to have this one.
The Stranger...
The Definitive Best of The Horror Show, Edited by David Silva, 1992.
The Horror Show was a magazine published in the 80s by David Silva
that was for the most part, the only magazine dedicated to horror writers.
In the 80s, horror writers were usually found in Twilight Zone or other
science fiction magazines. That is until The Horror Show came around.
Every horror magazine around now owes its life to The Horror Show and
so many know famous writers do as well. Poppy Z. Brite, Robert McCammon,
Joe Lansdale, and so many others got their start in this magazine.
But times were hard in the late 80s and so the magazine died. But
in 1992, CD Publications put together this great collection of the best
short stories to ever appear in The Horror Show. Forty short stories
are packed in this collection, the authors are a whos who of horror.
From Dean Koontz to Ramsey Campbell. This book has almost all of the best.
Possibly the best story in the collection is the one that starts off the
book called I Scream Man by Robert McCammon. Few can show emotion better
than McCammon and this one really comes through. Poppy Z. Brite has two
entries in the book, both of which show promise for what she is slowly
becoming, which is one of the biggest names in the field. Joe Lansdale
and Dennis Etchison throw violent stories into the mixture along with an
odd tale of sex by Dean Koontz. The biggest names in short stories, Janet
Fox, Steve Rasnic Tem, Gary Raisor, Bently Little, David Schow, William F.
Nolan, are all here with a ton of others.
If your looking for a long read this is the book. With 40 short
stories you are bound to love atleast half. This is a 25 hardback edition
that is not available in paperback but its worth the price. This is the
only way your going to get to read a lot of these stories because its
almost impossible to find any of The Horror Show magazines. So if you
love short stories, pick this one up.
The Stranger...
Movies:
Wes Cravens New Nightmare
by Black Sunshine
I had read some decent reviews about this movie before I
actually paid to go see it. And now I wonder who the movies PR
paid.
The movie DID have a few things going for it-- all the
original characters from the first Nightmare on Elm Street
returning, Wes Cravens name becoming an official part of the
title I wonder how many people went to see it for that
reason..., and the strange and unique plot, which was supposedly
interwoven around the real lives of the characters from the first
one and inspired by actual, true events.
The movie is about making a movie-- about making a Nightmare
on Elm Street movie. It is somewhat of a documentary in that
respect. The characters play themselves-- Robert Englund
Freddy plays Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp Nancy plays
Heather Langenkamp, etc. The idea was that Freddy was really
some ancient evil force, and by making movies about him, they had
managed to trap him and keep him from escaping his dimension, and
yet, once the movies stopped, Freddy began terrorizing all the
people involved with the making of the movies, preying especially
on Heathers son. Why I dont know. The only way to stop
Freddy, it was discovered, was to make another movie about him.
And what the audience was watching on the screen WAS supposed to
be that movie.
Weird. Confusing. Out of sync with the rest of the series.
That is basically how I would describe this movie. As you can
tell, it IS original, but associating it with Freddy Kruegar, the
audience will already have certain expectations about what will
happen and what Freddy will do-- expectations that never come to
be. For example, this movie played too much with emotional
issues to be of the usual mindless, Nightmare brand. I didnt go
see the movie to get a glimpse of Heather Langenkamps personal
life, or Robert Englunds extracurricular activities.
The movie also, was not scary. In fact, silly is a better
word to describe it. Involving Heathers very young son, it took
on almost fantasy-type characteristics towards the end, almost as
if they were trying to entertain children. It seemed to lack
direction, and wandered from event to event, leaving me
wondering, Now what was the point of that? It seems it was
assumed that the gimmick of the movie the movie within a movie
thing would hold its own, and it does-- for awhile, then youre
waiting for it to get scary, for it to get real. It never does.
Robert Englund had this to say to Fangoria, ...Ultimately,
we are addressing the question of whether Hollywood is
responsible for a lot of the things that are going on in the real
world today. Really. I did not pick this up while watching the
movie. As I said before, I had certain expectations about Freddy
that left me underwhelmed, and therefore outweighed the marvel
and main points that really were there.
I think this would have made for a better movie if the
Freddy Kruegar line had been forgotten, instead using a movie
monster that didnt really exist. The way they tried to
incorporate the older Nightmare films and the themes and ideas in
this one didnt fly well. It led to too much confusion,
unbelievability and indifference from the audience-- how are you
supposed to care what the characters are doing if you dont
understand why they are doing it? I really did think the plot
was ingenious, but not with characters we already knew that did
not do what we anticipated.
To sum it up, the movie killed a couple of hours and I
didnt look at my watch, but I couldve used the admission price
money for gas or something. If youre into the Nightmare series,
watch it just to say you have, or if youre really bored. But if
you heard good things about it and want to check it out, or if
you want to be scared, then stay away.
@ 1994 by Black Sunshine
Interview With the Vampire
By Black Sunshine
Despite the extraordinarily long wait for this movie to hit
the theaters and the overblown controversy concerning the casting
of Tom Cruise as Lestat, I was still confident that Geffen
Pictures would ensure that the adaptation would do the novel its
derived from justice. Though there were a few minor problems, I
was not disappointed. In fact, I was strangely and
embarrassingly, moved to tears in one scene, and I would dare
call it one of the best vampire movies ever made.
Die-hard fans of the novels author, Anne Rice, would
probably disagree with me. There were a few trivial changes put
in the screenplay form for both time reasons and for making some
scenes more visual. If you havent already, you should pick up a
copy of the book and read it. I wont argue with the fact that
movies usually cannot compete with their original format. This
one is no exception, however, treating the movie by itself, I
found it more than entertaining on several levels.
The plot itself is unique, without utilizing a lot of fancy
techniques or surprises-- pure talent. If you dont know it
already, here is a brief run-down of the story: Louis is a
depressed young man with a death wish living in the eighteenth
century. Lestat is a charming, yet arrogant vampire who suddenly
finds himself a little bored, a little lonely. When the two
meet, Lestat without fully explaining the details turns Louis
into a vampire in an attempt to put an end to both their
problems. Louis then becomes the reluctant vampire. He cannot
stand killing people, lives on the blood of rats and other
animals. We are given an unusual slant here about the
psychological ramifications of being a vampire. Eventually, when
Louis is weak, he almost kills a little girl, Claudia, while
drinking her blood. Lestat then turns the girl into a vampire as
well, then presents her to Louis as a gift: a daughter. As years
melt into centuries, the remainder of the story consists of the
struggles going on between the three of them and other vampires,
the struggles between the vampires and the rest of the world
those who are not like them, and especially, the personal
struggles each of the vampires endures. Most notably is
Claudias struggle with having a womans mind and being trapped
in the body of a pre-pubescent girl. All of this is being told
in the here and the now by Louis, through flashback sequences
wrapped around scenes with a young interviewer. Understand that
I am leaving out a lot here, *grin*.
The movie is absolutely captivating. The costumes and
scenery add tremendously to pulling the audience into it,
providing the movie with its credibility, and giving an
authenticity to each setting. Tom Cruise controversial figure
that he is.. heh plays a decent Lestat. I mean, there is
nothing lacking in the character, however, his effort is obvious-
- he tries too hard. Brad Pitt steals the show, playing the
perfect melancholy, sensitive, pensive Louis. Rice really knew
what she was doing when she created a character like this-- any
woman in the audience that didnt secretly fall in love with
Louis must be devoid of emotion-- or at least a libido. The
movie really picks up with the introduction of Claudia Kirsten
Dunst-- toying with the interesting idea of a child vampire, and
then eventually, a woman-child vampire. Christian Slater barely
in the movie at all plays a good naive, cynical-turned-intrigued
interviewer, a good choice following the death of first-cast
River Phoenix.
I did, however, have a minor problem with the pace of the
movie. The first hour and a half or so consists of the incidents
that occur before Lestats supposed death. Once Claudia and
Louis continue their cross-continent journey for others of their
kind, however, the tread picks up quickly enough to make the
audience feel objective once again. Not enough time is spent on
the formation of the Armand character or the events that surround
his appearance in the story. It has been several years since I
read the novel, and I did not refresh my memory prior to going to
the movie. I found myself confused for a few minutes on some
events of course, this lessened the significance and intensity
of them for me until I understood what was going on and why, but
at this point, I no longer felt sucked inside the story since I
had to spend so much time analyzing. It was almost as if they
knew they were running out of time and so hurried through the
second half. The result was a good watch, but without the same
effect as the first part. The story itself carries the second
half.
On another note, another thing I found fascinating about the
story was the underlying eroticism within and the subconscious
connections between sex and death. I enjoyed the way the two
were intertwined to appeal to everyones dark side. Also
interesting was the fact that the movie did not skimp on the
homosexual and pedophilic undertones. Of course, there was
nothing blatant or offensive, but it was still there, and it
added to the movies authenticity. Interestingly, during a
special on the movie on the Oprah Winfrey show, a homosexual
claimed that he related to the movie on a very personal level...
I have already said that the movie is especially full of the
vampires personal struggles with what they are. This particular
homosexual had picked that up and commented on the similarity of
that idea with homosexuals contending with being outsiders and
struggling with what and who they are. Nice parallel.
The movie will definitely leave a lasting impression upon
you. You will have the desire to be a vampire but hopefully,
not the urge to act on it..ha, you will want to take other
people with you to see if it affected them the same way as it
affected you, you will want to talk about this movie for hours
afterwards. Who hasnt heard about the sicko I think it was in
San Francisco who took his girlfriend to see it, then afterwards
told her he was going to kill her and drink her blood and two
days later stabbed her seven times in the chest and drank some of
her blood? Translation: Dont go see this movie in San
Francisco.
Overall, I would highly suggest that if you have not seen
this movie already, go. It is well worth the money. If you
dont like adaptations, then forget the book exists and go see
the movie as a separate idea. It is unique, entertaining, has
lots of violence but not excessively-- this violence is more
subtle, and for all you people that like to think and analyze
everything me? ha there are several psychological and moral
questions posed. It is a true vampire epic, even with all the
commercialization. If you dont have anyone to go with, hell,
call me and Ill go with you-- its well-worth watching again.
*grin*. Just dont laugh if we come to that ONE scene and I wipe
away a tear.
@ 1994 by Black Sunshine
Up and Coming to the Theaters...
by Black Sunshine
Its been a horror boom for all movie exchanges lately, with the
release of flicks such as Interview With the Vampire, Puppet
Masters, New Nightmare, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, Ed Wood
well, he was a cheezy horror movie director *grin*, Ghoulies
IV, Hidden 2, etc. It shows no signs of letting up in 1995,
either. Heres a look at movies to expect within the next few
months.
Hideaway - Yes, its true. Dean Koontz is finally going to have
a novel adaptation that isnt released direct-to-video. And it
even has people in it you might recognize: Jeff Goldblum The
Fly and Alicia Silverstone who doesnt know who this is? Key
word: Aerosmith. After surviving a hideous car wreck, a man
becomes psychically linked to a serial killer. Or at least
thats what the book was about.
Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh - The first Candyman scared the
hell out of me, with its strange, haunting images. The camera
and lighting tricks worked to set the movie apart from others and
win it awards. I hope a different director and visual effects
team doesnt change that. I look forward to see if this movie
can disturb me as deeply as the original.
Darkman 2 and 3 - Its been decided to turn this movie into a
trilogy and release numbers two and three simultaneously on
video. Who are Larry Drake and Arnold Vosloo? I wish they would
get actors I recognize. And anyway, I thought he died in the
first one...hmm...this could be interesting...
Lord of Illusions - Is it just me, or does this sound like a
handle someone would use while modeming? This along with two
other movies-- guess which is Clive Barkers new baby.
Something about a detective drawn into a powerful world of magic
by a famed illusionist and a cult-leader. Spooky.
Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight - Its going to the big-time
now. A trilogy of tales being made for the big screen, crypt-
keeper on hand, of course. Its getting a lot of publicity and
generating interest, but Im still wondering what will make this
different from whats already on HBO...
The Langoliers - Stephen King has finally found his visual
medium: television mini-series. I dont find it hard to
understand how he would have problems keeping a screenplay under
120 pages, and this way he can go on and on. *grin* Four hour
long mini-series for ABC, based on a novella in Four Past
Midnight: a group of people travelling by airplane on a red-eye
flight are thrust into another dimension. This is one of my
favorite King works, by the way. Very clever. There are some
scenes I will HAVE TO SEE, because I cant figure out how they
are going to make them work visually.
In the Mouth of Madness - John Carpenters attempt to explore
Lovecraftian tenets. From the movie trailers, it looked like it
was done in the style of one of his other movies, Prince of
Darkness. This should be good...
Hellraiser IV - Another Barker deviation. I dont know much
about this one yet, but if you want background, rent one, two AND
three because theyre all different. The only recurring motif
seems to be that damn box...
Godzilla - Yes, they are making a Godzilla movie. Its slated to
have a budget to rival Jurassic Parks. And they expect it to
bring in as much revenue, as well... Good luck. Hasnt been much
news on this yet, but I hope I dont have to explain what
Godzilla is. I also wont remark on the Japanese connotations
here... BUY AMERICAN. heh
And there you have it! Its gonna be another great year at the
video store and the movie theater for horror fans. So get out of
the house and go check one or two of them out.
@ 1994 by Black Sunshine
I believe what Karl means, Oslett said, is that . . . Well,
in the vast scheme of things, what does it matter if a few people die
a little sooner than they would have in the natural course of events?
Mr. Murder, Dean Koontz
5. The Writers Block By The Stranger...
I just dont have enough time this month to jump into any subject.
I wanted to talk about where writers get ideas or how you can make millions
being a horror writer, but as I said, I dont have the time. Hopefully
next months Writers Block will be long, maybe even a two parter. Next
time I think well have an essay on how to sell your novel and where
writers get their ideas.. That sounds good.
I will leave you with some tips I got from Stephen King. Not that
I ever met him ofcourse, I read these in a magazine. King says that if
your walking around or lying in bed or whatever, and you are hit with an
idea, you shouldnt write it down. He feels that if the idea is worthy
of being written into a story or poem, you should remember it well enouh
when you sit down to write. I usually write down most of my story ideas
and then sometimes do an outline of where I want the story to go. Nine
out of 10 times my stories look nothing like the outline.
Also King said that if youve come across a word in your story that
you think is too bland and you want to pick up a thesauraus to find a better
word, dont. King feels that you wrote the word you used for a reason
and there is no need to find some fancy word that wont fit as well in the
sentence. Ive looked a few words up in my time, but I try not too anymore.
Well thats all I wanted to add this month, or atleast all I have
time for this month. Send me your ideas or comments. Keep writing, its
the only way youll get better.. And Ill see you next time on the block.
The Stranger...
A sick person pining away is one upon
whom an evil spirit has gazed.
Homer
6. Final Words:
Well thanks to everyone who picked up a copy of the pack and took
the time to read the Death Certificate.. I hope we are informing you as
well as entertaining you. Any comments or suggestions can be sent to any
of the members of the group on just about any board in the 405 area. This
pack may be small but remember its not the size that counts... Its how
you use it... I think Im getting off the subject.
Thanks once again, have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year.
Make sure your holidays are safe. Look for the next pack in Mid January.
And keep reading.
Soulz At Zero
Your fingers black from ink as your shaking hands glide
down the page, trying to see if your name is on the death
certificate. The wind screaming against the window, begging to
get in, to get to you. And at last you find the dotted line,
written in blood the letters that form your name. A sudden gasp
caught in your throat, a flicker of the lights until they fade
off completely. The cold touch of fingers as a hand reaches
across the bare skin of your neck. Goosebumps rise from your
neck just as the lights shine on once more. And once again you
are alone. Before you lies the death certificate, your name is
no longer written. You have escaped death, for now.
The Stranger...
C Copyright SAZ 1994.
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