'GAS-S-S-S....WHICH IS WHAT ROGER CORMAN'S UNION WITH AIP FINALLY RAN OUT OF......

 Gas-s-s-s  - Or: It Became Necessary to Destroy the World In Order to Save It (1970)

     This sloppy, chaotic, satirical mess is now only famous for ending the long time association between prolific exploitation icon Roger Corman and American International Pictures, the prime purveyor of cinema shlock since the 1950's through the 1970's.

       Together, Corman and AIP ground out cheapo junk as fast as they could shoot it and release it....but their output also included some genuine quality.....groundbreakers like "The Wild Angels", "The Trip", and Corman's lushly produced Edgar Allen Poe films with Vincent Price.

      Of the two moguls running AIP, Samuel Z. Arkoff reveled in cinematic drek, but his partner James H. Nicholson began to fancy himself as a would be David O. Selznick, hoping to slap his name on classier projects and somehow meddle and improve the usual fast-buck AIP movies.

      According to Corman, Nicholson took to tampering and re-editing 'Gas-s-s-s', which Corman had taken actual artistic pride in (an unusual attitude for the most practical and savvy of cash conscious filmmakers....) Thus ended AIP's marriage to Corman who went on to form his own successful film company.  For AIP, its Golden Age was fast coming to a close, as big studios started making far better popcorn munching movies than AIP could ever hope to achieve....(such as "Star Wars" and "Jaws".....)

      'Gas-s-s-s, was written by George Armitage, who'd later go on to direct some darkly funny movies of his own ("Miami Blues", "Grosse Pointe Blank") A post apocalyptic, dystopian satire, the film imagines the aftermath of a bio-weapons accident that has killed off everyone over the age of 25.

       Hey, Gen Xers, Milennials, Gen Zs, Gen Alphas!  Want to see what the world would look like in 1970 with nobody left alive but Baby Boomers?  Guess what?  It's every bit as f***ed as you knew it would be.......

         And this might very well be what Corman and Armitage had in mind.....a cautionary tale for young boomers to 'be careful what you wish for' with more than few subtle hints that they'd be no better at running the world than their elders.

         What unfolds on screen - a freeform, making-it-up-as-they-went along carnival of quirky, self-absorbed idiots wandering from place to place (mostly the American Southwest). Along the way, nuggets of actual sharp wit are sprinkled into the swirling mix of random pandemonium, but you'd need tweezers and a microscope to isolate them. 

        And who needs to work that hard?  But every so often the film does land a few of its jibes, including the idea of fascist dictatorships set up by golf club members and high school football players. Offscreen, God drops a few gag lines, sounding like a Catskill Resort comedian and on screen Edgar Allen Poe and his beloved Lenore wander through the film on a motorcycle.  (Please don't ask us to explain any of that.....the film doesn't either.....)

         You can extract a bit of fun spotting the future stars in the cast (Cindy Williams, Talia Shire, Bud Cort, Ben Vereen) but that doesn't make the interminable 78 minute running time go any faster. Shapeless and desperate to make itself hip, the film collapses into nothing right before your eyes. 

         1 star (*) and that star is only because Roger Corman, George Armitage and their cast had nowhere to go but up......and many of them did.  

       

A VIOLENT MASTERPIECE'.....STARRING L.A. AS THE DARKEST HEART OF DARKNESS.....THE HORROR....THE HORROR....

A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper (2026)

     Welcome to America's real Heart of Darkness......Los Angeles, the city of Hollywood dreams and drug fueled, blood drenched nightmares, the city populated by the bitter, and desperately impoverished along side the fabulously wealthy titans of industry and media, whose sybaritic lifestyles place them above the law and above all known morality. Or to put it more bluntly, what some would call a snapshot of America today.

     That's the carnival ride of horrors that author Jordan Harper takes you on. It's a twisted, warped funhouse of drugs, perversions, random gore-dripping carnage, all of it overseen by a justice system favoring only the rich and powerful......the only ones who make it out alive while literally getting away with murder.

     Within this maelstrom we follow the fates of three L.A. denizens who run afoul of 'The Kids in the Candy Store' that collection of rotten-to-their-very-core bigwigs whose influence and power can cover up anything and everything.........including young women who disappear without a trace. The ones who don't disappear might resurface as victims of the 'L.A. Ripper', whose mutilations of their bodies defy all rational description.

     This book, as you can imagine, is not for the faint of heart or anyone who cannot stomach graphic violence of any kind. But for those willing to grab on to this Dante's Inferno tour of everything horrible in our modern society, it's a breathless, mesmerizing experience, a perpetual bad dream that nobody can wake up from.

      And I couldn't stop reading until the last drop of blood spills out. If you're up for it, then by all means take the ride. But don't say you weren't warned.....

      5 stars (*****). 

'DARK IS WHEN THE DEVIL COMES'.....TURN ON ALL THE LIGHTS.....CHECK UNDER THE BED AND THE COUCH.....

  Dark If When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce (2026)

     When it comes to authors who can chill you to the bone and fuel up your nightmares, Daisy Pearce is one of the most expert practitioners. And she's back at it with this one guaranteed to make you turn on a few more lights while you're reading it........and checking underneath the couch for.....well, no spoilers can I reveal.

     In a small English country town, Hazel's come back to occupy her parents' vacated home. Reeling from an emotionally bruising divorce, she's hoping to repair the estrangement from her sister Cathy, whose mean streak is well known to everyone who grew up with her. That included Hazel and Cathy's childhood friend Suzie, who now runs the town pharmacy with her husband.

      And here's the point where I think I should cease going into any more particular detail for fear of spoiling the nasty, scary trip this book proceeds to take you on. I'll only say that put in frightening harm's way, Hazel's facing genuine horror.........some of it obvious and some of it indescribable and bound to generate plenty of readers' bad dreams.

     When Hazel drops out of sight, Cathy and Suzie join forces to find her, which leads to a a truly harrowing finale confronting terrors both earthbound........and let's just say something else you'd rather not think about before bedtime.

     An excellent read here for anyone who loves a mixture of a thriller blended with horror and suspense........all in one convenient package. .Well done again, Daisy.

     4 stars (****).

'THE GIRL UPSTAIRS'.....THE CREEPIEST HOUSE IN A CRAZY-FOR-HALLOWEEN TOWN....LOADED WITH TWISTS....

 The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch (2026)

     Oh my, you can never have enough books set in small New England towns where Halloween is celebrated like a Federally mandated National Holiday.......not to mention having a creepy old house with a virtual traffic jam of ghosts. and murderous histories.

     So welcome to Cold Harbor, Maine where recently disgraced ex-homicide detective Gwen McDaniels, her baby girl Tara and her doctor husband Steven have taken up residence. And guess which prime piece of creepy old real estate they've moved into......heh, heh, heh.........

     In no time at all, Gwen's beset with paranormal sights and sounds and her detective instincts kick in. She's not only determined to delve into the house's haunted backstories but also the origin of a bone recently found on her property.......a bone the town's Chief of Police insists belongs to an animal, not a human, as some in town believe.........and boasts a medical examiner's report to back him up.

     But something's telling Gwen that all's not well in Cold Harbor and she teams with young coffee shop owner and fledgling true crime podcaster Cady to get to the bottom of things. And that includes the strange writing carved into Gwen's attic floor, ghostly lullabies heard at night and the mysteries surrounding a long missing child. Meanwhile, Steven's exasperation and disapproval of Gwen's relentless sleuthing has set their already shaky marriage to crumbling.

     Everyone who loves a small town eve-of-Halloween atmosphere and a ton of twists will want seek this book out right away. (I'll admit that at least one of those all-of-a-sudden reveals coaxed a gasp out of me). And once the plot really starts coming to a boil, the twists start tumbling all over each other so fast, I slowed down my usual reading speed to make sure I was getting them all.

     Well paced and a whole lot of fun to dive into.......perfect for either a beach read or the spooky season, but you may not want to wait that long to enjoy chilling out with it....or getting chilled by it.

     4 stars (****).

'YESTERYEAR'.....SHE'S DOWN ON THE FARM.....CENTURIES APART....

  Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (2026)

     What a brilliant, funny and deeply unsettling book this is. And a what a powerhouse introduction to this new author.

     Corrosive wit dipped in acid flows throughout this epically sardonic and all too American saga. Author Caro Claire Burke performs a genuine high wire act here, crafting a lead female character that you don't know whether to cheer on,, ridicule, hate with a passion or choke back a tear for.. And sometimes I felt like doing all of those things......all at once.

     Natalie Heller Mills seemingly marries well.....to the youngest son of a wealthy family political dynasty. But Caleb's the dimmest of bulbs, the most unsharpened tool in the shed, lacking intelligence, skills and no detectable ambition whatsoever. But through trial and error (and her father-in-law's money) Natalie creates a social media sensation as a "tradwife', supposedly living the life of a pioneer wife and mother on a supposed early 19th century Idaho farm.........with Caleb overplaying his role of her cowboy-farmer husband. But of course, it's all showbiz smoke-and-mirrors behind the scenes, generating millions of adoring, merch-buying fans and plenty of active haters as well.

     It's a charmed life for Natalie until she wakes up one morning to find herself transported to an actual 19 century Idaho farm, complete with a different set of children, a different version of her husband and none of the 21st century amenities she's used to and depends on. A nightmare? God's punishment? A colossal prank at her expense that's gone viral?

     I'll say only this......I'm still not sure I entirely swallow the staggering final section of this story, but I'm in total awe of how it's pulled off with the same deeply satirical skill and incisive writing that tugs on your emotions in ten different directions.

     No doubt about this.....it's one of the 5 star must-reads of the the year. (*****)

'HOPE RISES'.....THE "NASH FALLS" REBORN HERO MEETS HIS NEMESIS.....

 Hope Rises by David Baldacci (2026)

     The first book in this series, "Nash Falls" had me fully glued to it and "Hope Rises", its sequel is even better. It takes the perilous story of Walter Nash a.k.a. Dillon Hope into some fascinating twists and turns I never imagined or anticipated, with deeper characterization, more action and surprises.

     I would first highly recommend, for full enjoyment of 'Hope Rises you need to read 'Nash Falls' That book details everything it implies in its title..........the utter destruction of the life of FBI informant Walter Nash and the terrible price he pays for functioning as an undercover agent in the company he works for.

     Nash found himself in the crosshairs of ruthless international criminal Victoria Steers, who ordered the killing of his daughter and framed Nash for her murder. as well as other unspeakable crimes. Hunted and on the run, a friend of Nash's father helps him to physically transform himself into an all new identity......that of heavily muscled and expert bodyguard Dillon Hope.. The kind of formidable man who might very well get closer to that cold blooded villainess Steers.

     Dillon Hope does in fact move closer to Steers than he could imagine......functioning as her new bodyguard. And it's no easy job, given that those in Steers' orbit (including her mother) are every bit as ruthless and lethal as she is. Steers has no shortage of enemies and doesn't yet realize that the one who hates her most in the world, Hope, is now within easy killing distance of her..

     I would not dare to reveal the host of stunning complications and revelations that befall both Hope and Steers, taking this action-packed story into directions that challenge these characters like never before and raise the stakes ever higher.

     After reading the first book ,I had my own ideas as to where this story was going (all wrong, as it turned out) but the only thing I did expect was that David Baldacci would hit this one out of the park. And in 'Hope Rises' he doesn't disappoint.

     5 stars (*****).

WEEKEND MADNESS WRAP-UP.....SPECIAL 'EXTRAORDINARILY BRILLIANT' EDITION.....

 Dear Trump voters: Your rotting orange pumpkin recently described himself as (and we quote exactly) "an extraordinarily brilliant person". 

      Please remember that the next time you stop to put gas in your car, read your supermarket receipts, and figure out how you'll ever pay for medical care.......

And never forget......

To BQ visitors: Great weekend to you all!

To "But I didn't vote for THIS!" Trump voters: Yes...You....Did. Please continue suffering in the hell you helped unleash upon the world.