AT DARK, I BECOME LOATHSOME by Eric LaRocca (to be released 1/28/25 by Blackstone Publishing / 175 pages)

After losing his wife to cancer and having his young son kidnapped, Ashley becomes a sort of underground grief counselor, creating a ritual the daring pay good money to participate in. Said ritual involves being buried alive for 30 minutes in a “fake death” exercise where people’s lives are guaranteed to change.

But things take a wicked turn when Ashley’s purpose comes into question, and his own world is challenged by an unusual client.

LaRocca’s latest is as dark as it gets, and will surely not be for the faint of heart. But as disturbing as it is, I saw the twist coming early on and felt things may have been more effective had the third act gone in another direction.

AT DARK is well worth the reader’s time, and most readers of stronger horror won’t be disappointed despite the obvious twist. Can easily be enjoyed in one sitting.

 

 

THE UNWORTHY by Agustina Bazterrica (to be released 3/4/25 by Scribner / 192 pages)

After escaping from 4 men who nearly kill her, a woman finds her way to a convent and joins the ranks of the sisterhood. THE UNWORTHY tells this woman’s story through diary entries (some written in her own blood), and we are given glimpses of the convent’s hierarchy as we learn the outside world has come to an end due to environmental disaster and mankind literally turning from God and worshipping artificial intelligence.

Bazterrica’s second English-translated novel might not be for everyone, but those looking for a different type of end times story may enjoy it, and don’t let the cover art fool you: this story deals with nuns, but it’s not “Nunsploitation.” This is a dark, strange, and unusual literary horror novel that will leave you contemplating where we may be headed.

Suburban Grindhouse Magazine Issue 3

 

The first two issues of SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MAGAZINE have been well received by the fanzine/underground film community (and beyond). Issue 3 will be available on December 3rd at the following link: SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MAGAZINE

Each issue contains a new installment of my SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES column (the first 79 columns were collected in the 2019 book Suburban Grindhouse published by the UK's Headpress Publishing). Each issue also features loads of new and old film reviews, film retrospectives, and plenty of book and zine reviews.

The 4th issue, planned for June/July of 2025, will be an oversized monster featuring lots of guest writers and surprises. More news to follow...

Early reviews for AT MIDNIGHT WE POSSESS THE DAMNED

 

My forthcoming novella, co-written with Andre Duza, has been receiving some great reviews over on Netgalley. Among the comments have been:

"The excitement starts right away and there are non-stop twists ... this will give you nightmares."

"This novella jumps straight into the horror."

"This is horror done in all the right ways."

"An enjoyable read, a well-crafted novella blending the urban legend of snuff films with supernatural and religious horror."

"This is a wild one..."

"I didn't know what (or who) to trust by the end of it, but it made the final scenes breathtaking to read!"

"A truly thrilling novella that has so much action and depth ... I enjoyed every second on the edge of my seat."

"I could not believe the ending and what became of our main chraracter, Gary: it was FUCKING wild! Well written and an enthralling treat of a tale."

Coming 1/14/25 from DEATH'S HEAD PRESS. Pre-order here: AT MIDNIGHT WE POSSESS THE DAMNED  / trade paperback & kindle now / audiobook soon

Nick Cato and Andre Duza, authors

Suburban Grindhouse Magazine

 

People often ask me why I don't regularly publish a fanzine anymore (I did one titled STINK from 1981-1991, then random one-shot issues over the years since). There are many reasons why, but primarily it's just too costly to produce it the way it was done in the 80s, despite how cheap it looked. But seeing as there are many Amazon-produced zines out there now, I figured I'd give it a shot as it's pretty much free to produce an issue. And hence, the debut issue of SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MAGAZINE has arrived. It's basically a continuation of STINK fanzine, combined with my 2010-2018 online column SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MEMORIES (which were collected in a 2019 book published by Headpress. This magazine is not being published with that publisher).

In the debut digest-sized issue, I take a look at BLOOD FREAK (1972), an absolutely insane film that's perfect for annual Thanksgiving viewings, an overview of some great 70s euro-crime films, then THE TOUCHABLES are touched upon, plus loads of film, book, and zine reviews. Available now right here: SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE MAGAZINE issue one

And by the time you're reading this, the second issue should be available, which features my extensive look at 70s occult films, a preview of my book dealing with the future of Midnight Movies, a rare NYC screening of Scandinavian drive in classic WITHOUT A STITCH, and a boatload of film, book, and zine reviews. Cover preview below:

Bentley Little's 30th Novel May Be His Weirdest Yet

 

BEHIND by Bentley Little (2024 Cemetery Dance Publications / 349 pages)

Little’s 30th novel continues with concepts explored in his recent novels THE HANDYMAN and GLORIA, even hinting back to ideas presented in THE HOUSE and some of his classic short stories.

After being laid off from his job during the Covid pandemic, Alex joins his (also) laid off co-worker Britta in a start up delivery service, which becomes successful. What makes them different from other delivery services? They find a niche in catering to those who request strange and rare things not found on Amazon. This lets BEHIND feature a barrage of demented characters and situations who add to Alex’ unwanted problems, including…

…it seems a “ghost house” he used to see in his yard in Maryland as a kid has returned. It now sits in his west coast back yard, and eventually not only can his wife see it, but his co-worker sees one in her own yard. And they seem to be appearing all over the place.

Alex then has to confront a strange religious man and his female harbinger who were responsible for his parent’s deaths, who along with the ghost houses, have finally located him across the country.

BEHIND is almost like 3 novels in one, full of shifting dimensions, weird time frames, and all the macabre goodness Little fans have come to expect. It makes a nice “double feature” read with the author’s first novel THE REVELATION, and features an ambiguous ending that will surely divide readers (I thought it fit the tone perfectly). Fans of weird, religious-themed horror should eat this up, as well as those who might be looking for a modern Twilight Zone.

Grab a copy here: BEHIND

Book Launch Party for ANTICHRIST SUPERTASTER in Brooklyn!

 

On Thursday, September 5th, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., meet my wife Shannon Barracato as we launch her new novel ANTICHRIST SUPERTASTER at the legendary Duff's, Brooklyn NY's coolest heavy metal bar! There will be copies of the novel available, plus swag for everyone, not to mention Duff's kick ass juke box where you can play all the metal/punk you can handle. Read more about the bar here: DUFF'S Brooklyn

Check out some of the amazing reviews that have been coming in:

"ANTICHRIST SUPERTASTER is a powerful book, so original, filled with both wonder and horror, hope and fear. It's a funny, moving, scathing commentary - shades of Maus and Jojo Rabbit, the bastard love child of Chuck Palahniuk and Irvine Welsh."
- Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award finalist

"Funny, scary, and at moments painfully relevant to modern times, ANTICHRIST SUPERTASTER is a dark, dystopia, punk-pop classic. A road trip from Hell that's a joy to travel."
- Brendan Deneen, bestselling author of ALIEN: UNCIVIL WAR and THE CHRYSALIS

"The most original post-apocalyptic novel I've read in years. Shannon Barracato delivers an all-too-believable dystopia with gallows humor and vivid imagination in this genre-defying tale of magic, mayhem, and brotherly love. True horrors abound, but the darkness has a beating heart."
- Douglas Wynne, author of RED EQUINOX

"In a climate where wholly unoriginal fiction is often celebrated as genius, Shannon Barracato's ANTICHRIST SUPERTASTER is a deep breath of fresh dystopian air. I've honestly never read anything quite like it. Barracato is an exciting and unique voice, and her latest novel is a testament not only to her talent, but to a fully realized artistic vision. Deeply unsettling, darkly funny, smart and thought-provoking, ANTICHRIST SUPERTASTER will leave you reeling and questioning all the so-called 'rules' in the best possible way."
- Greg F. Gifune, bestselling author of THE BLEEDING SEASON and SAVAGES

If you can't make the event, grab a copy right here: ANTICHRIST SUPERTASTER

Cover Reveal for my new novella

 

Popular horror site DAILY DEAD recently revealed the cover art for my and Andre Duza's forthcoming novella AT MIDNIGHT WE POSSESS THE DAMNED, which will be released on 1/14/25 by Death's Head Press, an imprint of the ever-growing DEAD SKY PUBLISHING / The artist is Ken Miller, whose impressive body of work can be seen on his website: Violent Visual 

About the novella:

"There are casual fans, and then there are genuine fanatics. Gary has been obsessed with the extreme side of cinema since he could remember, and has been on a quest to see every infamous film possible, the more shocking, the better.

He has even tried his hand at making his own films, but tonight he will be part of an urban legend, the thing people like him fantasize about: tonight Gary is going to see an actual snuff film.

But what he witnesses on a small screen at a secret location is only the beginning of a downward spiral where entertainment and fate collide... where Gary discovers there was a latent reason for his life long fascination with the dark side…"

Pre-orders can be placed here: AT MIDNIGHT WE POSSESS THE DAMNED

2024: The Year in Film So Far

 

2024, like most years, has been a mixed bag. Here are some quick comments on my theatrical screenings so far this year:

NEW:

POOR THINGS (2023): Finally caught this controversial feature right before it won some Oscars. It's an interesting take on the FRANKENSTEIN thing, and another winner from director Yorgos Lanthimos. Even if this isn't your cup of tea the cinematography (and especially the odd soundtrack) are fantastic.

AMERICAN FICTION (2023) is yet another '23 release I caught up with, and found it quite funny. Jeffrey Wright is excellent here, but the ending left me wanting.

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL (2024) is a wonderful take on found footage/70s talk shows. I loved every second of it and watched it again on Shudder a month after this screening. How some critics found this dull baffles me. Star David Dastmalchian is so good in this role it's ridiculous.

IMMACULATE (2024): FINALLY! A modern nunsploitation film with balls. Star Sydney Sweeney delivers a killer performance, especially during the finale, which will surely piss off most Catholics/pro lifers. Liked it more than the similar THE FIRST OMEN, which I caught on pay per view (although OMEN was fine, too).

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA (2024) is pretty much more of the same as the previous 2015 MAD MAX FURY ROAD, but highly enjoyable. Could've easily been 40 minutes shorter, and Chris Hemsworth is hilarious.

KINDS OF KINDNESS (2024): Director Yorgos Lathimos strikes again with this 3-story anthology, featuring most of the same actors in each segment (Dafoe plays different types of cult leaders in a couple and is top notch). I loved it, and despite enjoying Lathimos' films for years, I now consider him one of the best in the business. The nearly 3 hours fly by.

LONGLEGS (2024): Like a satanic version of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, Nicolas Cage is pitch perfect as the title serial killer/occult doll maker. Creepy, disturbing, this proves you can be familiar yet still make things feel fresh.

MAXXXINE (2024): I liked the first in the trilogy, X, and thought second film PEARL was so-so despite featuring star Mia Goth's best performance. This time, porn star Maxine is trying to break into mainstream films, but a satanic cult is killing her colleagues and coming after her. Goth's performance is overshadowed by two great supporting roles (one by a great, sleazy Kevin Bacon, the other by Giancarlo "Breaking Bad" Esposito as Maxine's agent). Not bad, but highly forgettable. Goth simply isn't the major scream queen everyone is proclaiming. And for a film set in the 80s, they could've picked a much better soundtrack. This one is terrible.

RETRO:

ZOMBIES: THE BEGINNING (2007): The last film of late cult director Bruno Mattei is like ALIENS on crack. Lots of fun with a lively crowd at Brooklyn's Nitehawk Theater.

REPO MAN (1983): Was great to see this punk rock classic on the big screen once again where it belongs: at midnight.

DAWN OF THE DEAD (1979): WAS SO GOOD to see this classic on the big screen for its 45th anniversary.

PULP FICTION (1994): Finally got to see this on the big screen. Still one of Tarantino's top 3 best.

HARDCORE (1979): Can now cross this off my "must see in a theater" list (saw it on Father's Day!), and the great Paul Schrader was in attendance afterwards to answer q&a and share some very funny stories about star George C. Scott.

FINAL DESTINATION 3 (2006): Saw this at a heavy metal bar called LUCKY 13, and found it a lot of fun (it's the first film in the series I've seen). Was surpisigly gory! Like a more violent version of the 70s film ROLLERCOASTER.

BLACK ROSES (1988) Another screening at heavy metal bar LUCKY 13, this is a goofy heavy metal/possession film. The only notable thing about it is Vincent "Big Pussy" Pastore, who plays an Italian father 11 years before he starred on THE SOPRANOS. He gets whacked by a demon who pops out of his son's stereo speaker! Gotta love the 80s...

(And some 2024/note worthy films I caught on streaming):

THE FIRST OMEN (2024) is decent, has a couple of disturbing/creepy sequences, but it's pretty much more of the same. As mentioned above, the similar IMMACULATE did it much better.

DESTROY ALL NEIGHBORS (2024) is a straight to SHUDDER original, and was a pretty good horror comedy starring that other guy from the BILL & TED film. He's unrecognizable in some hilarious make up.

INFESTED (2024) is a kick ass spider-attack film from France. Makers of those shitty animal-attack quickies on the SyFy channel should watch this as a lesson how to do it right.

GHOSTWATCH (1992): Finally caught this infamous UK found-footage film and the hype was true: its as creepy as it gets and very well done. Easy to see how the Brits thought this was real the night it originally aired.

QUEEN OF THE DEUCE (2022-4) is a great documentary about a woman who ran the porn theaters in Times Square during the 70s and 80s, starting out before that showing regular films. Highly enlightening and entertaining, it was nice to see this after two years playing only on the film fest circuit.

AN ANGRY BOY (2024) is a superior indie horror film. This came out of nowhere and takes the cult-leader thing to a different level. Excellent.

BRATS (2024) is a documentary about the "Brat Pack," made by Andrew McCarthy, and it's kind of disappointing. Way too much time is spent talking with an actress who wasn't really a part of that group (Demi Moore), and not having Judd Nelson was a bummer. McCarthy comes off as a real whiney bitch! Emilio Estevez, in an early interview, looks so much like his late father it's scary.

IN A VIOLENT NATURE (2024): after a year of hype, I found this a total letdown with plot holes galore, and a style that leaves ZERO room any kind of suspense. Some are hailing this as a new slasher classic, but I'm betting even so-called fans will be using the fast forward button to get to the kill scenes upon future viewings. The kill scenes, however, are quite insane and gory, but that's not enough to save an entire feature length film.

DARK DREAMS: AN OBSESSIVE LOOK AT ROMANO SCAVOLINI'S NIGHTMARE

My second film book, DARK DREAMS: AN OBSESSIVE LOOK AT ROMANO SCAVOLINI'S NIGHTMARE, will be released soon from Headpress, who also published my debut film book SUBURBAN GRINDHOUSE in 2019. This is a deep dive into NIGHTMARE (1981), one of the most notorious slasher films of all time, which was also known as NIGHTMARES IN A DAMAGED BRAIN, and several more discussed in the book.

Among the table of contents is my commentary on every second of the film, interviews with producer Bill Milling, and for the first time anywhere, star Kathleen Ferguson, guest contributions from fellow Nighmarians Andre Duza, Jerome Reuter, Gary McMahon, Philip Lopresti, and 42nd Street Pete, plus an interview with NIGHTMARE novelization author Michael Gingold.

Capping things off are plenty of rare photos, including many from super collector Marc Leppla.

Follow Headpress on all social media, and keep your eye on their website (Headpress.com) for announcements. Here are a couple of early reviews:

"A book on Nightmare? Now we're talking!  Nick Cato never disappoints, and his exploration of Romano Scavolini's much maligned masterpiece is about as exhaustive (and entertaining) as it gets.  Add this book to your library now!"

-John Szpunar, editor-in-chief, DEEP RED Magazine

“After over four decades, it seems like horror fans have scoured every single detail about their most beloved slasher films. As it turns out, there's still a wealth left to explore when it comes to Nightmare, one of the most reviled of the decade's unrated splatter shockers. It's a grungy, haunting, mean mongrel of a film that's never let go of author Nick Cato, and he uses that to deliver a compelling mixture of in-depth research, personal experience, and a meticulous eye for detail. There's no way you can read this book and avoid watching the film right away, whether it's your first time or your 20th.”

-Nathaniel Thompson, mondo-digital.com

Second Editions and New Novella w/Andre Duza announced

 

SECOND EDITIONS:

My 2015 novella, THE BLASPHEMOUS SISTERS OF SAINT APOLLONIA, has just been released in this 'purdy second edition. The story was originally published back in 2014 as part of a 6-chapbook "nunsploitation" series from Dynatox Ministries (which sold out almost immediately), and then it's first official edition was in the collection THE ATROCITY VENDOR in 2015 from Grindhouse Press. You can still get the e-book edition of THE ATROCITY VENDOR via Amazon, but the print version is long out of print. Hence, you can now own this story in this slick trade paperback second edition, featuring killer cover art by Witch Crusher (you can find him on Instagram). You can get a copy for your favorite Sunday school teacher right here: THE BLASPHEMOUS SISTERS OF SAINT APOLLONIA

My most well-known novella, THE LAST PORNO THEATER, has only been available as an e-book for a while now, but a second print edition has just been released, and the publishers of the first 2013 edition, Grindhouse Press, have graciously allowed me to use Matthew Revert's cover art once again.  Grab your copy right here: THE LAST PORNO THEATER second edition

My 2009 debut novel, DON OF THE DEAD, has been out of print in any format for close to 10 years. A second edition is now available, featuring fantastic new cover art by the great Matthew Revert. It has gangsters. It has ghouls. It has tons and tons of calamari. This bizarro-horror-comedy even has senior citizen Sicilian hitmen tickling people to death and zombified dogs guzzling anti-freeze. What more do you need?

THE APOCALYPSE OF PETER, my first bizarro novella from 2012, also long out of print, is back for a second edition. Original Publisher Damnation Books is long out of business, as is Calburn Press, who took over for about a year when Damnation went under. Author Eric S. Brown said about this story, "The author is either a genius, or utterly insane." You be the judge RIGHT HERE...

NEW NOVELLA ANNOUNCED:

AT MIDNIGHT WE POSSESS THE DAMNED

by Nick Cato and Andre Duza

Dead Sky Publishing officially announced the book's release on June 24th. It will be available 1/14/25 and the cover design by artist Ken Miller will be revealed shortly.

AT MIDNIGHT WE POSSESS THE DAMNED is our take on the snuff film legend, the horror fan's desire to see the darkest things imaginable captured on celluloid. Our protagonist Gary is thrown through the ringer and back, and we're hoping horror fans will not only identify with him, but come out the other end as thrilled with this concept as we are.

One grew up in the grindhouses of Times Square

One was raised in the grindhouses of Philly

Together they bring you a savage tale of cinematic insanity...

DEAD SKY PUBLISHING presents:

AT MIDNIGHT WE POSSESS THE DAMNED

by Nick Cato and Andre Duza

Picking Things Right Back Up ...

 

... from where I left off back in early 2021, when I left the Internet for what has turned out to be 3 years and 3 months. And during that time:

-I was married on Halloween, 2022, right in front of Belvedere Castle in Central Park, NYC. My wife Shannon and I exchanged vows using quotes from Neil Gaiman, Gary Numan, Frank Sinatra, and of course, our own. It was an amazing, sunny day for two horror writers decked out in black to get hitched on

-Went through a grueling editing process on a soon to be released, co-authored novella

-Saw Tina Romero (star of ALUCARDA) Udo Kier (ANDY WARHOL'S DRACULA) Richard Kelly (director of DONNIE DARKO) and Jackie Kong (director of BLOOD DINER) at various screenings in NYC

-Despite being a dog person, became the stepdad of two cats

-Continued to see midnight movies and concerts (am now among the people I use to say: "Oh crap, look at that old guy in the pit!")

-Sold my second novel, with a third nearing completion

-Am almost 20,000 words into my third non-fiction film book (my second will be released later in 2024)

-Checked out Substack and other blogging platforms, but decided to return to Blogger

AND with this old-school blog, I'll be talking about my upcoming projects, will be posting film and book reviews and the usual stuff people did on blogs back in 2007 when I originally started this one, which unfortunately Google deleted and are making me start over from scratch. 

I'll also be attempting to do a (hopefully) quarterly "blog version" of my old school fanzine STINK (which I published from 1981-1991, with a couple of attempts to restart it over the years). But, alas, it's just not feasible trying to do this today as physical media, as STINK was a crudely printed (via Xerox) fanzine featuring my film, concert, and book/zine reviews. We'll see how it goes digitally.

LOTS of new book info on the horizon, including cover reveals and news on my wife Shannon's soon-to-be-released, genre-defying fourth novel, ANTICHRIST SUPERTASTER.

Onward ...