By Paula Limbaugh
Buy one, get one free! Stephen Bacon and Mark West bring us two novellas that are very different in narrative style but share a common thread. Both novels can stand on their own, but I found it more interesting to read when able to see each person’s take on the topic at hand… Lost Movies.
and Lantern HouseStephen tells us a story that is similar to a classic Vincent Price movie. The dark, gloomy atmosphere, mysterious characters, heroes, all add to the mystery of this powerful story. Although the story is set in modern times, the Gothic atmosphere gives a pervasive feeling of gloom while reading.
The film follows Paul Madigan. He gets the chance to interview his idol, Lionel Rutherford. Lionel is at the peak of his career, but he mysteriously quits the film industry. Paul travels to the island where Lionel lives with a lady he just met, who, by the way, has secret plans of her own. After they arrive, a storm cuts them off from the mainland.
Soon, strange things start to happen. There’s more to old Lionel’s screening room than just his old movies locked away. There’s an evil lurking in the room, waiting to be unleashed.
Mark West’s story has a different feel to it. Lost Movies We are introduced to Gabriel Bird, a private investigator hired to find Roger Sinclair, a film producer during Lionel Rutherford’s heyday in the 1960s and 1970s. However, Roger disappears one day, along with the film that was supposed to be his masterpiece.
Rumor has it that those involved in the film have been maliciously attacked. What at first seemed like a simple missing persons case now spirals into madness. As Gabriel searches for those who might have information about Roger, he begins to sense there is more to the story than he has been told. The search comes too late, and Gabriel realizes that now his own sanity is at stake.
Both of these stories are so wonderfully written, I really think you should pick up a copy!
score:5/5
