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FEO NEWS FOR WINTER 2005:
JANUARY

AWARDS

JANUARY

JAN. 31

MY MISTAKE!
I thought it was a given that if I was running a promotion whereby visitors could get free physical stuff like T-Shirts and all, then folks would naturally send their shipping addresses along with their email contest entry. A few of you did, but the majority of folks who entered the ALONE IN THE DARK prize give-away, did not. If you sent in an email for the giveaway and did not include your shipping address, please do so now. The give-away expires at midnight on Tuesday (which is actually 12:00am on Wednesday). Those without a shipping address will not get anything even if they sent in an early email. Why? Because we have nowhere to send it. I apologize for the confusion. I'll be sure to add a bit about including your shipping address in the future.

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JAN. 28

from Matthew Warner
THE PLOT THICKENS
This is just to inform readers that "Blessed Among Women," by Wendy Brewer and myself, has been withdrawn from the forthcoming anthology FAMILY PLOTS (Wild Roses Productions), effective today.

There's many reasons that I won't go into for taking this action, but suffice to say that the publisher's rights to this story expired on August 20, 2004, at the conclusion of a one-year option period.

I apologize if any of you pre-purchased the book in the hopes of reading this story. Hopefully, if you did buy it, then you ordered it through Shocklines.com, which makes a policy of not charging credit cards until books actually ship.

SNIDE AMONG THE DEAD
No doubt you, like me, have read a media story and were so boggled by the utter vacuous nature of the reporter that you could only sit there thinking, "Are you out of your Mother F**king MIND?" or "What in the F**k are you THINKING?" Such was my thought pattern when I read the story linked below. I mean, picture the setting: The Holocaust. Genocide. Racism. Mass Murder. Systematic Slaughter of a people. Nazis. These words invoke images, right?

Now imagine a grave - in every sense of the word - formal ceremony commemorating the liberation of the Aushwitz Nazi Death Camp. Imagine participating in such a thing. Now imagine a reporter who is so insular, so plastic, that they write a story about it and the entire article is a critique on the dignatary's fashion sense in winter clothes.

Thanks to the Associated Press and Washington Post fashion writer Robin Givhan, who ably demonstrate that they are not only out of touch with their readers, but their own humanity as well. Read their own words as they sniff about Vice President Dick.

Cheney's Green Parka

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Writer / Director Frank Darabont (THE WOMAN IN THE ROOM, A NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET 3, THE BLOB [1988], THE FLY II, FRANKENSTIEN, THE GREEN MILE) is 46.

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JAN. 26

From Weston Ochse
CHATTING WITH TASTY GUTS
Hey Friends. I've been invited to Chat online Thursday, January 27, 2005 from 9-11 EST at Carnival of Wicked Writers. Please come by and at least say hi, ask me about Scarecrow Gods, my next novel(s), or about my new Great Dane - I have two now. I'll also be giving away a copy of Appalachian Galapagos to a randomly selected visitor. All in all, it should be a load of fun.

So here's the Low Down.
Place: Carnival of Wicked Writers
Chat: Scarecrow Gods
Date: Thursday- Jan 27th
Time: 9 - 11 EST
8-10 CST
7-9 MST
6-8 PST

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JAN. 25

WELL DRESSED IN THE DARK Are you planning to see ALONE IN THE DARK? If so, why not grab some FREE SWAG while yer at it? The first 10 people to email me this week will get a FREE ALONE IN THE DARK T-Shirt, courtesy of Lion's Gate Films. They also have some cool ALONE IN THE DARK merchandise for those who don't make the top ten. 100 prizes in all. Write to Feo Amante and be sure to write "ALONE Stuff" in the subject header. Those who fail to write "ALONE Stuff" get squat, or maybe laughed at.

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO -
Since a very young age, this actor has dedicated her career largely to Horror Thrillers and some pretty heavy dramas. Happy Birthday to
Actor Mia Kirshner (DRACULA: The Series [TV], MURDER IN THE FIRST, THE CROW: City Of Angels, MAD CITY, SPEED OF LIFE, DARK SUMMER, CENTURY HOTEL, WOLF LAKE [TV], NEW BEST FRIEND, PARTY MONSTER and more) who is 30.
Do I even NEED to explain Tobe Hooper? THE Tobe Hooper? I think not. So let me merely say Happy Birthday to
Writer/Director Tobe Hooper (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, HORROR HOTEL, SALEM'S LOT [TV], THE FUNHOUSE, POLTERGIEST, LIFEFORCE, INVADERS FROM MARS, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2, NIGHT TERRORS, THE MANGLER, TOOLBOX MURDERS and more) who is 62.

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JAN. 24

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO - And on Saturday Actor Linda Blair (THE EXORCIST, EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC, HELL NIGHT, RUCKUS, SAVAGE STREETS, GROTESQUE, WITCHERY, THE CHILLING, REPOSSESED, FATAL BOND, SORCERESS, SCREAM) is 46. Actor Stephen Wozniak (PSYCHO BEACH PARTY, SCARECROW, EXORCISM, THE HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE) is 34.

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JAN. 21

From Paula Guran
STATE OF THE ART
In the last couple of years, horror literature has been quietly moving back to exactly where it belongs. It's reclaiming its place as part of literature as a whole rather than remaining isolated in a misbegotten marketing niche. It's being mixed into and with genres from science fiction to romance to mysteries and beyond. Horror's doing what it has always done: transgressing, subverting, and changing.

Douglas E. Winter, in his usual eloquent way, recently said quite a bit about horror these days in an interview with Chizine. Among other comments, Winter briefly updates his "Pathos of Genre" speech /essay that originated in 1998 and his 1988 enunciation of "horror is a genre, not an emotion."

Consider it essential, immediate reading.

As Winter points out (and has pointed out before), horror "will only survive like everything else survives: through evolution . . . and occasionally, revolution." Or we may be looking toward a future revolution. Or both. Evolution is a slow process but, eventually, species become extinct; entire genera vanish. Revolution is a more rapid process, and usually a bloody one. Either way - the world (and horror) moves on.

Looking back at the last few years, with the clear vision of hindsight, it is beginning to appear that we've been going through an adjustment period, metaphorically on the cusp between the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic. Dinosaurs didn't die out overnight and mammals did not immediately stand upright and dominant the world. No revolution has occurred, at least not yet.

Look at the most obvious omens: Stephen King finished the Dark Tower series and there's no new novel scheduled for 2005. Anne Rice said she's finished with vampires. Dean Koontz published something that's actually thought-provoking. HP Lovecraft, once derided as nothing more than a weird pulp writer, becomes part of the "Library of America" series in a volume edited by Peter Straub this month (January 27). SCARLET GOSPELS, Clive Barker's first collection of stories since BOOKS OF BLOOD (1984/85) comes out this fall. It supposedly includes a 90,000 word "short" novel in which Pinhead and Harry D'Armour meet up and Pinhead is forever laid to rest. (Check with the ever-accurate Phil and Sarah at the Revelations site to keep up with Mr. B) The Red Sox won the World Series...

Watch for the portents. Interpret the signs. Understand the past, but live in the present and look toward the future.

The above is but one article from Paula Guran's latest Dark Echo newsletter.

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JAN. 20

SIMON CLARK

SIGNED BY THE HEART
If you plan to be in the Sheffield, England area this January, 25th. There is something you should know... I ...

No. I mustn't tell. It's too horrible! Too terrible! Think of the suffering! All right, I'll do it!

Horror writer, Simon Clark (BLOOD CRAZY, DARKNESS DEMANDS, THE JUDAS TREE) will be signing copies of his books at Blackwell's bookshop, Mappin Street, Sheffield on Tuesday, 25th January from 5pm. All welcome for the signing.
Would you like to chat and shoot the shit with Simon? No problem. He will also be shit shooting.
Would you like to know why your writing sucks? The ever accomodating Simon Clark will gladly give you writing tips.
Will you need to freshen up while at the book store? Sorry, no freshments will be provided, but if you have already freshened up elsewhere that day, you can be refreshed at Blackwell's on account of the refreshments which will be served during the signing. See? All your little problems handled in one place. Why you'd have to be stupid not to go! Avoid stupid people! Go to Simon Clark's book signing at all costs!

Judges for the 2005 IHGs are Edward Bryant, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, Ann Kennedy, and Hank Wagner.

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO - You can make scary Horror movies and you can make gory Horror movies - you can even make supposed Horror movies that are actually neither. But this birthday boy consistently makes the creepiest Horror movies ever! Happy Birthday to Writer/Director David Lynch (ERASERHEAD, THE ELEPHANT MAN, BLUE VELVET, TWIN PEAKS [TV], LOST HIGHWAY, MULHOLLAND DR.) is 59.

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JAN. 17

KELLY GOLDBERG
aka dgk Goldberg, moved on Thursday night, Jan 13. Kelly had been living with cancer for several years and finally succumbed. Kelly was a convention friend. With little to no contact throughout the year, I'd see her at nearly every World Horror Convention and we'd hook up and catch each other up on what was going on in our lives. Then we'd get into passionate arguments about Horror and race cars: Especially race cars. Like me, Kelly was a gear-head. Kelly was also my kind of nut and always wanted to thoroughly gross me out with her hard-core Horror stories.

Kelly is gone now, leaving behind her husband, Ronnie Shull, and her son. With every passing moment, she's racing further and further away. She won't be at the 2005 World Horror Convention in April, and then I'll miss her again.

Goodbye, Kelly.

Though perhaps best known for her recurring role as Tara on the hit television series BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER from 1999-2001, Amber is also an accomplished film actress. She has appeared in such films as "Imaginary Crimes," "Bye Bye, Love," and "The Crush."

In 2003, Christopher Golden and Amber Benson teamed up with the BBC and Cosgrove Hall to create an animated horror/adventure online series called Ghosts of Albion. Christopher and Amber created and wrote the tale, which Amber also directed. They followed up with "Astray," a novella, then finalized a book deal for a series of Ghosts of Albion novels.

Amber is also the author of "Chance," a movie she not only wrote but starred in, directed and produced. The movie also features fellow Buffy alumnae James Marsters, who played Spike on the show.

The World Horror Convention, the premiere event for all things darkly imaginative, will be held April 7th-10th, 2005 in New York City at the Park Central Hotel. This year's Guests of Honor include stellar authors Harlan Ellison, Jack Ketchum, Joe R. Lansdale, Tom Piccirilli and Tim Lebbon among many others. For more information or to register please visit whc2005.org.

You know you want it.

HAUNTED

Tamara also channeled the spirit of Gene Siskel and recorded an EVP of his review of WHITE NOISE.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! Howz about some EEP (Electronic E-mail Phenomena)? If you are going to get into this, you might as well get in over your head! So check out Tamara's E-Mail From The Dead! The dead have risen! And they've got an Internet provider!

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JAN. 14

NEWSBITE
Check out Jonathan Reitan's interview with Horror author Bev Vincent (THE ROAD TO THE DARK TOWER) in the latest issue of Dark Discoveries magazine!

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JAN. 13

From Michael Laimo
DEEP IN THE DARKNESS TO BE PUBLISHED IN ITALIAN
GARGOYLE BOOKS, a horror publisher based out of Rome, Italy has purchased the rights to translate my novel DEEP IN THE DARKNESS in Italian. GARGOYLE BOOKS publishes horror exclusively, and has titles lined up this year from Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Robert McCammon, Joseph Nasisse, Christopher Golden, and John Passarella. "Nel "Profondo delle Tenebre" will be published in hardcover, and will be widely available in Italy, Principato di Monaco, Italian speaking Switzerland and The Republic of San Marino.

For those of you who have been collecting all my books, the GARGOYLE BOOKS WEBSITE has additional info about my book (and all the others too), and will soon post info about ordering copies online.

THE DEMONOLOGIST now available for pre-order.

My forthcoming novel, THE DEMONOLOGIST, will be released in paperback from Leisure Books in May of this year. Copies of the book should be popping up in bookstores around the end of April. Of course, you'll get an announcement from me once the book is out :-) However, if you so desire, the book is now available on the AMAZON.COM website for preorder. The success of DEEP IN THE DARKNESS will be tough to follow, but I am certain that you will find THE DEMONOLOGIST to be my most horrific book to date! Here's the cover copy:

Is Bev Mathers going crazy? He's been hearing chilling voices in his head, seeing nightmarish visions that just can't be true. And it keeps getting worse and worse. No, unfortunately for Bev, he's completely sane. What's taking control of him is far more terrifying than insanity. And it has an unimaginable purpose...

Bev has become an innocent man in an infernal game, a victim of hellish forces beyond understanding. His visions of blood and dabauchery are growing more ghastly every day. Some of them - the most shocking - are real. Bev can feel his mind, his body, his very soul slipping away. Will his only hope or his eternal damnation come from ... the demonologist?

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JAN. 12

DARK TOWER WEDNESDAYS
Join the Dark Tower Reading Group at the Stephen King Discussion Board! Every month the group will read and discuss one book in the series, starting this week with Volume I: THE GUNSLINGER. Each week a new question will be posted and you can join fellow book club members for an online discussion and be entered to win exclusive King merchandise!

Check out The Monster and the Nursery.

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAY TO -
In Music and Movies this birthday boy does it all. He writes, choreographs, sings, directs, acts, and the man is all about - make NO mistake - Horror! Happy Birthday to
Music Maker/Movie Maker Rob Zombie (Music: HELLBILLY DELUXE, AMERICAN MADE MUSIC TO STRIP BY, SINISTER URGE. Movies: HOUSE OF 1000 CORSPES) who is 39.

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JAN. 10

FEARLESS HACKERY
You know, it's one thing when someone makes a hack horror or thriller flick and tries to pretend that its all theirs - that they never heard of or saw the wildly popular flick that they are ripping off. Or they did but they are making a presumed "homage" toward it. Yet there are others who not only make hack Horror Thrillers, but stand on your chest and DEMAND that you recognize it for what it is!

To that end, we have Tempe Video, who actually announce their new flick like this.

Fans of Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL films and the gonzo comedy films of Troma will want to check out Splatter Rampage's very own parody MULVA 2: KILL TEEN APE! when it slices its way to DVD on March 22, 2005. This splatteriffic flick stars B-movie diva Debbie Rochon (featured in Tempe DVD's SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT, WITCHOUSE 3: DEMON FIRE and DEAD & ROTTING) and is from Low-Budget Pictures writer/director Chris Seaver, the zany mastermind behind our 2003 release MULVA: ZOMBIE ASS KICKER!

Join Mulva as she rips through victims left and right to get to the notorious Teen Ape — who five years ago shocked her into a sugar coma and stole her Halloween candy. Now she’s awake and ready to kill that monkey-man in a splatter-filled action-comedy spoof of the KILL BILL films that will leave you squealing for more!

DVD BONUS FEATURES:
• Audio commentary by star Debbie Rochon, director Chris Seaver and the LBP crew
• Audio commentary by writer/director Chris Seaver
• Behind-the-scenes featurette (31 mins.)
• Lloyd Kaufman’s Tribute to Low-Budget Pictures (6 mins.)
• Jen-Co Syrup Commercial (2 mins.)
• Production still & artwork gallery
• Splatter Rampage DVD trailers

You gotta wonder what it must be like to work in Tempe Video's marketinig department.

From Del Howison
A CLUSTER BOMB OF HORROR FUN
On Saturday January 15th at 2:00p.m. Dark Delicacies will hold it's first signing to kick off the 2005 events schedule.

On hand will be writer/cartoonist Gahan Wilson signing his newest book THE BEST OF GAHAN WILSON. Joining him will be author Stephen Woodworth signing his novel WITH RED HANDS and Marc Scott Zicree signing MAGIC TIME: Ghostlands.

Dark Delicacies is located at
4213 West Burbank Blvd,
Burbank, CA

THE DEAD HAVE RISEN FROM THE GRAVE! AND THEY'RE VOTING DEMOCRAT!
Today's Horror cartoon provided by Cox and Forkum.
Click Here for the complete story to the cartoon.
Additional reporting:

Dead voted in governor's race

Election scrutiny reveals provisional-vote flaws

While being reported in state print and television news, this story is being ignored by U.S. major media. The FOOLS! Don't they realize that's how a zombie crises gets out of control?

MYSTERIOUS JANUARY
If you plan to be in the San Diego, California area in January, you may want to know about the following going on at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore.

Best-Selling Author: Linda Fairstein
Title: ENTOMBED
Description: Alexandra Cooper works a murder case with ties
to a secret Poe society.
Event Time: Sunday, January 16, 1:30 PM

Holmes-ian Author: J. Brooks Van Dyke
Title: NO ORDINARY TERROR
Description: Dr. Watson’s progeny work to solve a mystery.
Event Time: Saturday, January 22, 1:30 PM

Poet and Suspense Author: James W. Hall
Title: FORESTS OF THE NIGHT
Description: Murder and mayhem in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Event Time: Tuesday, January 25, 7:00 PM

Mysterious Galaxy Books
7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
Suite 302
San Diego, CA 92111

From Creation Entertainment
WES CRAVEN SET FOR DAYS OF DARKNESS CONVENTION JUNE 4-5, 2005 IN BURBANK!
Superstar director WES CRAVEN (DEADLY BLESSING, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, SCREAM and more) joins BRUCE CAMPBELL (EVIL DEAD, ARMY OF DARKNESS) as one of the headliners at the annual DAYS OF DARKNESS CONVENTION: A WEEKEND OF HORRORS! coming June 4-5, 2005 to Burbank's Airport Hilton and Towers.

Wes also joins Bruce in signing autographs on a complimentary basis for our GOLD WEEKEND PATRONS.

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO - He's been a force behind some of my favorite movies of all time. Happy Birthday to Writer/Director/Producer Walter Hill (THE MACKINTOSH MAN, THE DROWNING POOL, THE DRIVER, ALIEN, ALIENS, TALES FROM THE CRYPT [TV], ALIEN3, DEMON KNIGHT, BORDELLO OF BLOOD, ALIEN: RESURRECTION, SUPERNOVA, RITUAL, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR and more) is 62.

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JAN. 6

THE HORROR OF HYPOCRISY
What are fat and happy tax paid American Professors teaching their students to spread to the world? Why, the irrational hatred of the United States. Don't believe it? Check out these curriculums and the current tempest brewing at a California University. Political Science Professor, Dr. Joe Woolcock, is merely the tip of the festering wound.

Professor Files Grievance Against Pro-American Kuwaiti Arab Muslim Student for Revealing Classroom Intimidation

Collegiate Intimidation

Dissident Arab Gets the Treatment

Al-Qloushi's Essay

Joe Woolcock

Foothill College

Isolated incident? Not at all. The Anti-America book, THE IRONY OF DEMOCRACY, by Thomas R. Dye, Harmon Zeigler, and L. Harmon Zeigler (all lifelong "secret conspiracy" theorists. One of their theories draws collusion comparisons between America and the Nazis. The U.S., according to these bozos, was actually helping the Nazis all along) remains in the curriculums of most universities. Required reading, in fact, for most college courses in politics and American History. In other words, you are not allowed to graduate until you have read and been graded in hatred of the U.S. The authors of this book, even after 30 years, still stay (or stayed) in the U.S. by their own choosing. Hmmm.

Truman State University: James Przybylski - Political Science 161: American National Government

The College of William and Mary: G. Grayson - Introduction to American Government and Politics: Section 01

University of Illinois: Randy Smith - POLS 101: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Canyon College: COURSE SYLLABUS: Intro to Political Process and Behavior

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point: Professor Brophy-Baermann's Introduction to American Politics!!!

Fordham University: Martin C. Fergus - PORF 1100 Introduction to Politics

Casper College: Donald Robinson - POLS 1000 - U.S. and Wyoming Government

To think that even after 30 years in print and discredit, such a book could still make such a ripple. Those wacky, insular college professors!

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAY TO - Actor Norman Reedus (MIMIC, DARK HARBOR, 8MM, LET THE DEVIL WEAR BLACK, GOSSIP, BAD SEED [2000], BLADE II, TOUGH LUCK, PULSE, ANTIKÖRPER) is 36. Actor Mickey Hargitay (BLOODY PIT OF HORROR, LADY FRANKENSTEIN, DELIRIUM, THE REINCARNATION OF ISABEL) is 79.

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JAN. 5

THE ART OF HORROR
Political cartoonists, John Cox and Allen Forkum, have taken their original artwork and put it up for bidding to raise relief money for the victims of the Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Check out the full information and image of the artwork at CoxandForkum.com

Ringing in a Liberal or Conservative New Year

HAPPY HORROR THRILLER BIRTHDAYS TO - Musician Marilyn Manson (PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY, SMELLS LIKE CHILDREN, ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR, THE LAST TOUR ON EARTH, MECHANICAL ANIMALS, HOLY WOOD, THE GOLDEN AGE OF GROTESQUE) is 36.

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JAN. 3

From E.C.McMullen Jr.
FEO AMANTE'S HORROR HOME PAGE IS DEAD
"What?" you say. "It's dead? But I can still see it." You can still see a corpse after the person dies too. In fact, it's amazing how well you can still see someone's body after they are dead. See, smell, touch, and even taste them after they are dead. -BUT- they are still dead.

feoamante.com will be dead until the Ides of March. How can something that's dead come back to life? Hey! This is a Horror site! So whether you go around believing in Christ or whether you go around believing in zombies, or even if you go around saying, "Christ! A Zombie!", rest assured that feoamante.com will return from the grave with new reviews and a whole lotta new goodies. Unless I personally die, in which case this website is bupkiss. Meanwhile there will still be news, but there won't be any new reviews and - come March - at least one section of the site will be gone. That soon to be extinct section will never be updated with news or reviews again. Welcome to the New Year!

Thus Was His Death

Check out their wretchedly targeted satire of peacenik boy bands with their video, MISTLETOE.

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Contributors to feoamante.com are going places!
See below!

THE BREED Starring Adrian Paul (THE HIGHLANDER), Bokeem Woodbine, and Ling Bai (THE CROW), This Alternate History movie is part Horror, Part crime, part S.F. and all Vampires. From the screenplay by our own Christos N. Gage and Ruth Fletcher Gage.