The Overview: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: DARK DAYS - THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF WOLF MEN - CUTTHROAT

(C) Sony Pictures

Film Review: 30 Days Of Night: Dark Days (2010): I liked the feature film adaptation of the graphic novel 30 Days Of Night, but I didn't love it. The film was suspenseful, atmospheric, even occasionally frightening, and stylishly directed by David Slade. But the characters weren't that appealing, and the vampires pretty annoying. The sequel, 30 Days Of Night: Dark Days, is a far better film, in my opinion.

Co-scripted by Steve Niles (the author of the original graphic novel, and who wasn't involved in the making of the first film) and stylishly directed by Ben Ketai, Dark Days, is far more loyal to the source material, and the characters much more well-defined. The pace is better, and, despite the much lower budget, the atmosphere is thicker and the fright-factor higher.

Following the adventures of Stella Oleson (Olemaun in the graphic novel) and her quest for vengeance for the death of her husband, Eben, the film's pace never lets up while never sacrificing characterization for cheap thrills. Kiele Sanchez shines as Stella, a strong-willed warrior struggling with depression and trying to stave off madness with all her will. Working with a low budget and a good script, director Ben Ketai manages to do what David Slade couldn't in the first film, which is tell a good story, as the film is visually compelling, tightly edited, and dramatically effective at the same time.

Fans of the original film (not the original graphic novel) may scoff at the smaller scale and shift of focus and tone. But fans of the original graphic novel and good horror films will probably enjoy this ambitious low-budget effort for what it is: one of the best vampire films of recent years.

(c) Hachette Books

Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Wolf Men. Edited by Stephen Jones: I'll make this short and sweet. The Mammoth Book of Wolf Men is, hands down, one of the most entertaining anthologies I've read in quite some time. Forget the cheesy cover, and jump into these tales of suspense and horror, featuring some of the most enjoyable horror short stories out there. Edited by Stephen Jones and featuring 25 short stories and novellas, this is a book to lose yourself in; a book that has something for every one.

Highlights include the opening story "Twilight At The Towers" by Clive Barker, a disturbing and thrilling story of espionage and lycanthropy; Ramsey Campbell's "Night Beat", an enjoyable homage to EC comics and pulp fiction; "The Werewolf" by R. Chetwynd Hayes, an atmospheric classic; "Guilty Party" by Stephen Laws, an entertaining and fast-paced tale, written in smooth, uncluttered prose; "Rug" by Graham Masterton, a frightening psychological horror story about loss of innocence; Karl Edward Wagner's "One Paris Night", a delightful action-horror tale; Manly Wade Wellman's "And The Hairy Ones Shall Dance", an enthralling Victorian-horror pastiche, replete with psychics, ectoplasm, and a swamp; "The Nighthawk" by Dennis Etchison, a terrifying and highly atmospheric tale of psychological horror; "Boobs" by Suzy McKee Charnas, a clever, coming of age tale with a dark twist; "Out of The Night, When The Full Moon Is Bright", Kim Newman's imaginative and energetic re-imagining of the Zorro legend.

Enough said. If it's a horror fix you're after, and you want to get your money's worth, buy this collection. You won't regret it.

(c) Signet Books

Book Review: Cutthroat by Michael Slade: Cutthroat by Michael Slade, is a superbly entertaining thriller. Violent, atmospheric, bizarre, and highly original, this novel about a special team of Canadian investigators hunting a seemingly invincible assassin, crosses genres with surprising ease, and ends with one of the strangest climaxes I've ever come across. Highly recommended.

Text © Ahmed Khalifa. 2012 - 2021.

Ahmed Khalifa is a filmmaker and novelist. He is the writer/director of several short films and a feature, which was released on Netflix, and the author of a number of novels and short stories, including the YA horror novel, Beware The Stranger, available on Amazon. Find him on Twitter @AFKhalifa and on Facebook @Dark.Fantastic.AK·Writer