Movie Review -Self Driver

 

Facing mounting expenses and the unrelenting pressure of modern living, a down-on-his-luck cab driver is lured on to a mysterious new app that promises fast, easy money. As his first night on the job unfolds, he is pulled ever deeper into the dark underbelly of society, embarking on a journey that will test his moral code and shake his understanding of what it means to have freewill. The question becomes not how much money he can make, but what he'll be compelled to do to make it. If you've got nothing to lose, how far would you go?

The film world premiered at the Fantaspoa - International Fantastic Film Festival, winning Best Film in the Low Budget, Great Films section and went on to play Fantasia Festival where it won the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature, Grimmfest, taking home the award for Best Actor and receiving a Special Mention of the Jury for Best Director, Macabro Festival Internacional de Cine de Horror, MidWest WeirdFest, and Panic Fest.

Cinephobia Releasing acquired rights to the film in a deal negotiated between Cinephobia President Raymond Murray, and Justyna Koronkiewicz, Owner of Media Move. Self Driver will arrive on VOD, digital on May 8.

I was invited to view an early screener of Self Driver which will be available in the US on May 8.

Self Driver stars Nathanael Chadwick as a new dad who lost his office job to a corporate merger, and now struggles to support his family by using a ride-share app. He spends his days and sometimes nights shuffling people to and fro while avoiding calls from his landlord. When he is told by one of these riders that there is a new app where he can make thousands of dollars per night, plus a sign-up bonus he is intrigued, but wary. Desperation makes him throw caution to the wind and sign up even though his question of its legality goes unanswered.

The new app is utilized by an unusual clientele, and if he refuses any rider, he will lose all of the money he has made. As the night goes on, he will learn what he is willing to do or participate in to make money.

This low-budget thriller takes place almost entirely in the car, and although this is a money saving option that other films have utilized poorly, it was well done here and never boring. Chadwick gives a believable and completely relatable performance. At some points, it felt as if the car became a character in the movie. 

I rated this 8 out of 10 stars on IMDB

Self Driver will arrive on VOD, digital on May 8.

Watch the trailer

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

 

This "brilliant" (NYT) and Bram Stoker Award-winning novella opens with twelve-year-old Junior wide-eyed at his father's surprise visit to the family home late one night and increasingly desperate to make him part of their family again. The only problem, of course, is that Dad drowned eight years ago. When it's revealed that the cost of new life is far too high a price, Junior fiercely protects his mom and younger brother Dino, battling generational trauma and societal inequity alongside the supernatural. 

Walking through his own house at night, a young boy thinks he sees another person stepping through a doorway. The figure reminds him of his long-dead father, who drowned mysteriously before his family left the reservation. When he follows it, he discovers his house is bigger and deeper than he ever knew.

The house is the kind of wrong place where you can lose yourself and find things you'd rather not have. Over the course of a few nights, the boy tries to map out his house in an effort that puts his younger brother in the worst danger, and puts him in the position to save them . . . at a terrible cost.

"You can leave the reservation, but your income level will still land you in a reservation house, won't it?"

After the death of his father, Junior, his little brother Dino, and their mom have left the reservation. They've moved into a small rented modular home. 

Junior is a sleepwalker, and Dino has some learning disabilities that attract bullies, but Junior protects him as best he can.

"I was twelve the first time I saw my dead father cross from the kitchen doorway to the hall that led back to the utility room."

Mapping the Interior is a coming-of-age tale with a touch of grief and a generous serving of terror. When Junior first spots what he believes is his dead father, he takes it as a favorable sign of healing for his family. I was emotionally invested in that hope as well. I read this novella in one sitting because there was no way I was going to be able to function without knowing how Junior's dad died and whether this manifestation was good or evil. After racing through to the end, I was sorry that it was over. That's how much I was enjoying it. 

My thanks to Tor Nightfire for the paperback.

About the author

Get a copy

Monster Bones edited by Stephanie Ellis and Noel Osualdini

 

Since time immemorial, humans have feared monsters. Whether they be real or imagined, stories of their existence have been told and retold, becoming either legend or urban myth.

Within the pages of Monster Bones are to be found the horrors that haunt the evil spirit, the revenant, the occult—creatures of different cultures who know no borders—as well as the monster made within ourselves. The rusalka who lurks in the water, the ghûl lurking in the graveyard, the cannibal skeleton, the geung-si, the anchimayen... the human. These are the monsters who seek to feed on us, suck the marrow from light and life.

But you can arm yourself against them, read their stories and learn from those who have gone before. You never know, it might save you one day. So, crack the spine, turn the page and dig in to Monster Bones...

Including stories and poems by Gwendolyn Kiste, David Wellington, Ben Monroe, Lisa Morton, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Maxwell I. Gold, Theresa Matsuura, Cindy O’Quinn, F. Paul Wilson, Stephanie Ellis, Joe R Lansdale, Kasey Jo Lansdale and Keith Lansdale, Eugen Bacon, Linda D. Addison, Lucy Taylor and Ai Jiang.

Published as a paperback and ebook

Features no fewer than 10 pieces of commissioned artwork from the award winning Luke Spooner.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Monster Bones contains a smorgasbord of stories, poems, and artwork that serve up a satisfying meal for any horror lover's appetite. Some have been previously published, but all were new to me. I did wonder why “The Companion” seemed so familiar to me even though I am positive I never read it before. Then I realized it had been turned into one of my favorite episodes of Creepshow a few years back. It was a treat to read it here.

There are familiar monsters including vampires and ghouls, and more unusual but no less deadly beings that I had never heard of such as the rusalka, a terrifying creature of Slavic folklore.

Gorgeous artwork and a slew of monsters from around the globe make this a fun and freaky read.

My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications for the e-ARC

Get a copy

Urban Legends: Three New Tales of Terror (Dark Tide 20)

 

Dark Tide 20 takes you on a terrifying journey through some of the most unsettling myths and folklore, where terror lurks in the shadows and urban legends come alive in the most horrific ways. Prepare for twists, fear, and truths you may not want to know.

“Knock on Wood” by Leigh Kenny: If he knocks, it’s too late. He’s already inside. 

The house on Hawthorne Avenue has an unfortunate past. The adults think it's just bad luck. The kids believe it's something worse. Sometimes truth is scarier than legend.

“Nesting” by Dan Franklin: Amanda can’t shake the idea that her newborn baby isn’t hers…and maybe isn’t a baby at all.

Not even one full day postpartum, and Amanda can’t shake the certainty that the baby isn’t hers. The charts say he is, the nurses and doctor all agree, but in her heart she can’t help but know better. His hair is wrong. He doesn’t quite smell right…and he has a tooth.

“Poltergeist Password” by Nick Roberts: “Have you heard of Poltergeist Password?

A reporter presents the unedited transcript of the final episode of the Broadcasts from the Grave podcast in which three hosts test an urban legend known as “Poltergeist Password.” Whether it’s real or an elaborate hoax, three people remain missing. You be the judge. 

Urban Legends contains a trio of chilling tales from three authors who understood the assignment to bring on the scares.

First up, Knock on Wood by Leigh Kenny revisits the childhood fear of monsters in the closet. It begins in an asylum, which holds a man accused of killing his family. But did he really do it or is Mr. Upside Down to blame? When a new family moves into the murder house, they will find the answer. This is one to read in the light of day, especially if you live in a house with wood that creaks or pipes that knock. For reasons unknown to me, my freezer sometimes makes a knocking noise and I about jumped out of my skin when it happened while reading this story. 

 Maybe poor Amanda is just overly stressed out in Nesting by Dan Franklin.  There is nothing I love more in horror than creepy kids. Lets face it, kids are scary anyway. But is there a Changeling?  Amanda has always wanted to be a mother. It's what she dreamed of from the time she was a little girl. All she ever wanted was a baby. Now at last, she has one. But is it really hers? Things get creepy from the moment she is dropped off alone at the hospital door to give birth, and a pervasive sense of unease turns to all-out terror once she brings her baby home.

Last but not least is Poltergeist Password by Nick Roberts, about the mystery of three missing persons who were never seen again after their final podcast. At first it seems like a silly bit of fun. They decide to live broadcast themselves taking part in the legend of Poltergeist Password, a ritual that is alleged to summon poltergeists to manifest. What could go wrong? Was it all an elaborate hoax? A reporter presents the full transcript of that final terrifying night, and I felt like I witnessed it live.

5 out of 5 stars

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing.

Get a copy