BOOK REVIEW: Witching Hour Theatre by Jonathan Janz

I love horror movies. I love horror novels. So when the two are combined - as they are in Witching Hour Theatre - I become very excited. And this story not only featured a movie theatre as a setting and several horror film references, but it was also very spooky.

Larry Wilson never misses Witching Hour Theatre, the horror flick triple feature shown at midnight on Friday nights at Starlight Cinema. This week's films include new teen slasher, Death Mountain, the classic, The Omen, and a B movie Wilson has never heard of, Veil of the White Temptress. Being a horror fanatic, Wilson doesn't expect to become so frightened by the last film. Or to be alone in the dark theatre with a mysterious stranger....

Witching Hour Theatre is a novella and a mere 47 pages, making it a quick read - I finished it in less than an hour. But despite its length, the novella still manages to pack a punch. The villains "Longface" and "Pumpkinhead" are undeniably creepy and Larry's first encounter with the former gave me goosebumps.

It's easy for horror movie fans to identify with the main character, Larry, who is a diehard horror fan. But his love interest isn't developed enough for me to care about her. Also, since Larry didn't know her well it made me question why he would risk his own life to save her.

The horror movie references make this a fun novella. Janz really articulates how it feels to watch a horror flick on the big screen - or any film in general. The taste of the buttery popcorn and sugary Twizzlers, the sounds of other moviegoers groaning and cheering, the sight of the blood being splatted onscreen, etc. His descriptions make me want to venture to the theatre immediately and experience those feelings again.

All horror movie fans should give Witching Hour Theatre a read. The Kindle edition is only $5.00. If you don't have a Kindle, you can download a free Kindle application for your computer, Blackberry, iPhone or iPad here.

Rating: 4/5