Eric Mosher's Blog

Happy New Year (really, REALLY late)! Been dealing with some personal issues but still plugging along on the novels and I'm so close to finishing the fantasy novel I can taste it. That one has been a bit of a task at times and I understand why George R.R. Martin takes so long. Creating a whole world like that is no joke. This year should see me finish that, as well as publish two more books--Friday Night Frights Book 6 and Astrogirl Book 2, the latter of which should be out this Spring/Summer. That's all for now. Thanks for all of your support!

Had some time on my hands last night so I decided to spend it watching a Christmas movie. I wanted something new so I fired up Shudder to see what they had and boy, was that a great idea because I found a gem.

DIAL CODE SANTA CLAUS is a crazy little Christmas horror film from France that plays like DIE HARD meets HOME ALONE (but predates the latter) with a little bit of THE STRANGERS mixed in for good measure. It's equally bizarre and charming and I love how the kid is kind of a little shit but you are still rooting for him the entire time against the deranged Santa that is stalking him. Lean and mean, too, with little fat on it and keeps the scares coming at a fast pace. It also might contain the first instance of the dangers of online chat in a horror movie too.

The plot is simple enough. A kid and his grandpa are home on Christmas Eve as the mother has to work late. The kid decides to stay up and see if Santa is real. When a deranged maniac slides down the chimney instead, what should have been a bit of childhood whimsy becomes a fight for survival. There's more to it than just that of course, as there's a good half of the film to help set the stage, but that's the gist. And let me tell you, it is amazing. If you have Shudder, you should definitely check it out.

Looking for a Secret Santa gift or a stocking stuffer? The Friday Night Frights series is perfect for the horror fan in your life!

Check them out at https://www.amazon.com/Eric-Mosher/e/B005O9FAMK

Just a polite reminder that the new covers for the Kindle AND paperback version of the Friday Night Frights series are now live on Amazon.com! Check them out here!

It's not easy to do horror comedies. For every Shaun of the Dead or Return of the Living Dead, there are dozens that don't quite stick the landing. So when you find one that does it right, it is a real treat and speaks to the movie's quality. One Cut of the Dead is just such a film.

The premise is simple. A film crew is making a zombie movie in a remote location when real zombies suddenly appear and all hell breaks loose while the obsessed director wants the camera to keep rolling the entire time, regardless of whether or not it is safe for his cast and crew. Also, the whole thing is filmed in one long take (which happens to be one of my favorite gimmicks as it requires a lot of planning and practice to pull off and I enjoy trying to find out where they hide the cuts.)

Oh, and as if zombies weren't enough, there's a twist around the 30 minute mark that turns the whole movie on its head and really ups the craziness on set. That's really all one can say about the plot without spoiling some of the greatness of the movie.

If you've ever made a low budget movie of any sort, you know the sort of craziness that can happen on set, and zombies aside, One Cut of the Dead really captures that mayhem that threatens to make the entire movie fail. There's the obsessed director, diva actors, crew with very exacting meal requirements and more. It really is amazing to watch everyone work together to try and stay on target even as everything seems to be falling apart at the same time. Even with horrific things happening, the movie manages to capture a heartwarming feeling of camaraderie that makes you feel good and care for the plight of those making the movie.

It is an ambitious movie and one that writer/director Shin'ichirô Ueda manages to stick the landing on. Sign on for the gimmick and stay for one of the best horror comedies that we have seen in recent years. It's currently streaming on Shudder and I wholeheartedly recommend checking it out.

And finally, we have the last of the revamped covers in the VHS style--SHE WOLF TAKE A BOW. This one is done as a homage to the old Midnight Video VHS tapes. I always loved that dapper skeleton (which probably explains my love for the Social Distortion skeleton too but that is neither here nor there) so trying my own hand at it was a no-brainer. Look for this one to be released with the others in October, though the Kindle versions will hit earlier as they require less work.

The next cover reveal will be much later on for the next book in the Friday Night Frights series, which is still being written. Had a little computer issue I had to sort out but I am back on track with that.

Cheers.

 Here are the next three of the redesigned covers. The cover for THE MADMAN OF LAKE MONGAWONGA is based on the old WB tapes. I WAS A TEENAGE SEX ROBOT takes its inspiration from 20th Century Fox rental versions. Finally, CHEERLEADERS OF THE BLIND DEAD takes cues from the CNR Video releases of the Netherlands.

One more left and then I'll put putting them up online for order.

Until next time.

Because I can never just leave things alone, I have been designing new covers for the Friday Night Frights series. At first I was only going forward with the publication of ALL-NIGHT HORROR SHOW next year. Then it got into my head that they should all look alike. Thus, the new VHS-styled covers were born. It only makes sense considering this series is inspired by all of those weekends spent renting horror movies at the local video store. All of the covers will drop at the same time. I've attached the finished version of THE DEAD NEXT DOOR for your viewing pleasure and will be posting the others as I finish them.

And as I remember.

Until next time, be kind and rewind.

The Friday Night Frights series is probably my favorite thing to work on. However, one of the things I feel the series has been lacking is a logo. So I came up with one. It is going to be making its debut on the the new novel and then I'll be redesigning the others to utilize it as well. That should keep me busy.

Fun fact: this picture is actually from the cover of the new book. I'll be revealing it in the future and it is my favorite of the ones I've had done so far.

I'm happy to report that last night I finished the outline for All-Night Horror Show (Friday Night Frights Book 6). Then, thanks to traffic coopering, I managed to get into work early enough to start work on it. No idea when it will be done just yet as I'm only a 1000 words in but it should be on track for release in 2020.
In addition to writing, I'm sending out The Last Giant Killer and John and Deety Save Christmas to agents and publishers to see if I can get some nibbles on them. I was close on J&DSC but things fell apart at the end but I'm hopeful that one will find a home somewhere.
Sorry I've been slacking on reviews but I honestly haven't been watching that many movies lately. I'm hoping to catch a few this weekend so I should have something to post.
Until next time.