Luc Besson's re-telling of Dracula looks spectacular, but lacks any bite. It's a tale as old as time. Bram Stoker's immortal literary classing, Dracula. It's been told and re-told dozens of times, most recently in the remake of Nosferatu. While Besson's Dracula isn't as visually stunning as Egger's vision of the undead count, Besson's telling is quite pretty to look at it. But that's where it ends. The adaption features the count in Paris, wearing a perfume that makes him irr

...to those who celebrate.

Worth a watch? What do you get when you mix rest stop horror, with family horror, and cursed horror? You get Something Very Bad is Going to Happen. The series achieves a high level of dead, suspense, and outright horror from the first episode and sustains it over the course of its subsequent episodes as the story slowly unfolds. It's never quite what you think it is. It keeps you on your toes and keeps you guessing. The atmosphere is the real star, even though the acting is s

Worth a watch? When I saw they were turning the novel Cold Storage into a film, I thought it had potential. It was a fun, thrilling, and horrific book - a riff on Night of the Creeps and Slither, which is a riff on Night of the Creeps. And I was right. The movie closely follows the book and mostly manages to capture the book's dark humor and tone. It's not quite a home run in that department, but it's not cringe-worthy either. The EFX are gory and fun, reminiscent of the Gold

100-word Story   She worked the corner of 44 th  and 12 th so long that it was now “Titty’s corner”. Everyone knew that. Titty was a man-eater, with a stable of clients who appreciated her... endowments. It was a slow night, and she needed a John. Her girls needed to eat. Finally, a worm jumped on her hook. They went to her spot and got right down to business. His hand went right for her tits, feeling her up over her bra. As his hand slid under Titty’s bra, a set of teeth ch

Will I see you there? Hey, gang! As of now, I will be attending the AWP 2026 Conference in Baltimore, MD. It's a great conference for book lovers as well as writers and publishers. Lots of free stuff! Will I see you there? Look for me if you're attending! See you in Charm City! May the road rise to meet you. #awp2026 #baltimoremd #baltimore #rjclark

I finished a new short story, On a Bench in Union Square Park. It's a meditation on grief, loss, and regret. This is my second short story of 2026, and more are on the way! I've missed writing short pieces. I hope to have six solid shorts written by the end of the year. Here's a snippet: "I don’t remember whose idea it was to meet at the bench — mine, my mother’s, or my therapist Tonya’s. I suppose it does not matter whose idea it was, not really. It had been a good one, sure

100-word Story   My body lies broken. Shattered into pieces. I don’t know which bones have snapped, but I’m guessing from the pain shooting through my body, it’s more than a couple. I shouldn’t have trusted you. Something in my gut told me not to get in the car, but I did anyway. It was snowing and I needed the ride. Home was only one mile from where you picked me up. Now, my body lies thirty-seven miles from home in a ditch. It’s dark outside and getting darker. I pray someo

Currently rated 4.67 on Goodreads! "Had me flipping pages super fast!" "Loved the modern take on a classic!" "A very interesting retelling of Dracula!" "If you're a fan of Dracula, definitely check this one out!" "Couldn't put it down!" "Brilliantly executed!" "Loved every minute!" Have YOU read dracula.exe? Order it here or on Amazon: https://m4lpublishing.com/dracula/ #dracula #branstoker #twistedtales #horrorbook #horror #vampire #vampirebook #horrorbooks #rjclark

A remake that's certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes! I don't mind horror remakes. I don't. Remakes aren't made for US, my generation. They're made for a younger generation who won't watch the originals because they're "old." Remakes often bring modern sensibilities, tech, and pacing to tried and true properties. Plus, from a studio standpoint, there's the monetary value of a brand name. All that said, I really dug the latest horror remake of an 80's classic slasher, Silent Nig

A 100-Word Story They used to call him “Chunky”. “Chunk” for short. By the time Freddie Filch, aka Chunk, was ten, he was pushing 200lbs. Kids can be so cruel. Chunk’s Ma said it was a “gland problem”, even though she herself was what neighbors referred to as a “Heffer”. Adults can be cruel. High school came. Chunk grew wider and “Chunk” became “Super Chunk”. Young adults can be cruel. High school went. College came. Chunk went 1,200 miles away from home. Nothing changed. He

I talk Sweethaven, Dracula, Staycation, and more! Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ANZZx2w0bq7mNf8ZsyE8o?si=2dZVr0eHRKu53UU4OVB2fg4 YouTube: https://youtu.be/4GoDeT8H5tg?si=JXyT6fco0JKlVL4Q #podcast #interview #rjclark #sweethaven #horrorbooks #horrorbook #booktok #bookstagram #indiehorror #horror

My episode goes live on 2/15. Check it out on Youtube and Spotify. Links below!   https://open.spotify.com/show/3bNSWXJvjDBpG9Vqhs37FG https://www.youtube.com/@circleoftwistedmasks3042 #podcast #interview #rjclark #sweethaven #horrorbooks #horrorbook #booktok #bookstagram #indiehorror #horror

Doesn't anyone just want to have fun anymore? If you Google "elevated" horror, the results pull up the usual suspects: The Lighthouse, The VVitch, It Follows, The Babadook, Hereditary, Midsommar, and Mother! There are others, of course. Metaphor movies, I call them. Stories that have a "deeper level" and are trying to "say something." I don't mind a deep horror movie, except when the movie thinks it is smarter than the viewer (A24, I'm looking at you). I like to think at the

A 100-Word Story  I love and hate eBay. Everything I want is there. Everything. I made a list. Over 100 items, toys mostly. Childhood toys. The same ones my mother got rid of while I was at summer camp. She purged them because I was “too old” for them. That wasn’t her decision to make. Star Trek, Superfriends, and KISS Megos. The Dracula! board game. ColecoVision. Atari. Everything. All there for the buying. I buy them all. One by one. A flurry of packages arriving like Chris

Does Ronald Malfi's latest measure up? If you know me at all, you know how much I have championed the writing of Ronald Malfi. He writes magnificently, drawing readers into his story through vivid characters in horrific situations. He is King-like in his mastery, but Malfi carves his own path. Still, the comparisons are inevitable. His latest, The Night Parade, does not disappoint. It's a dystopian horror novel about a killer virus. I know... no, this is not Captain Trips. Th

You read that right. I recently appeared as a guest on Al's Mystical Loft. We talked about "Sweethaven," "dracula.exe," and, of course, "Staycation." I'll be posting links as soon as they're available. For now, check out some of Al's previous episodes: https://open.spotify.com/show/3bNSWXJvjDBpG9Vqhs37FG Until then... May the road rise to meet you.

Well... I've done it. Again. I've written a new short story. I used to LOVE writing short stories. I used to write a story a day, literally. It was how I learned to write and tell stories. At this stage of my career, I've gotten away from the form as I focus more on writing novels. But when lightning strikes, it strikes. Over Snowmageddon, I wrote a 34-page story that ties into my most recent novel, The Mourning House. I am really proud of it and hope to share good news about

We're just over one month into winter, and I, for one, have had it. This last snowstorm all but did me in. A foot of snow which iced over. Parking will be fun for several weeks. And, as if that was not bad enough, it's colder than a witch's tit out there. I'm doing the best I can at beating the blues. I'm using the inside time to catch up on personal reading. I'm back in school so the bulk of my "free" time has been devoted to my studies. It's nice to breathe a little and cat

See you in Baltimore! Just a quick note to everyone: I'll be attending AWP 2026 in Baltimore! I am planning on being at the conference on Thursday and Friday morning. Hope to see you there!