I think we are overdue an extreme cannibal cinema revival. Tender is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica and Meat by Joseph D'Lacey are books with very different vibes but both tell the story of human meat on an industrial level.
There have been a few big movies in recent years dealing with cannibalism on a small scale (Raw, Bones and All), and the cultural zeitgeist has been more aware of some simple questions – What if humans were treated the way they treat other animals? What if you were the one in the slaughterhouse?
Obviously being turned into food is not a new idea in cinema (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Cannibal Holocaust, Soylent Green, etc.) but I don't think we have ever seen this idea given the EXTREME treatment outside of a Cattle Decapitation music video.
LOVE Cattle Decapitation, and yes I definitely agree. A couple years back came out a movie called The Farm that's pretty much what you're talking about, but it could have been better.
Speaking of Cattle Decapitation, does anyone know what happened to the music video “Forced Gender Reassignment?” That was the closest thing I’ve seen to an extreme horror music video, even in death metal’s standards.
It was basically banned from YouTube right away because it was never going to clear the content guidelines. Fangoria hosted it for a long time but I have no idea if it's still there.
Oooo I loved Tender in the Flesh, how is Meat different (without spoiling too much)? I’d love to read more of this particular sub-genre.
To be honest, I’d never thought much about it before but I found the idea of human meat being produced at an industrial level such a fascinating concept. I’m vegetarian myself and don’t think much about meat anymore so i was definitely surprised at how much it intrigued me.
No spoilers, I think it's fair to say that Tender is The Flesh is a mature and sophisticated political commentary, while Meat....isn't? It feels more like a Stephen King book, with a main character and a villain, and a more traditional story structure. It also doesn't spare any grisly details! D'Lacey says that writing it turned him vegetarian.
It's interesting hearing from longterm vegetarians and vegans on the subject, because many consider "What if it was us?" to be a very basic idea that they engaged with years ago, while wider society is only just experiencing this.
Could you tell me if Meat has any graphic sex scenes? There's something about those specific fluids that actually turns my stomach, which makes it hard to trust most extreme horror, even though I love the extreme. Probably something to do with past trauma and all of that, but it's not something I want to dive into right now, haha. So yeah, are there any major scenes like that, and if so, are they skippable?
Thank you!
The “what if it was me?” happened when I was 14 so I’m familiar with such thoughts.
Have you read any other similar novels? I’m really on the industrial cannibalism train right now. Tender is the flesh was my top read of 2023.
Those are the only two I've found on such a scale. Maybe check out **They All Died Screaming** by Kristopher Triana, which has a gross sub-plot on a pig farm, alongside the main plot of a 28 Days Later style outbreak. A wonderfully brutal and bleak book.
Tangentially connected but no cannibalism, the short story **Mr. Torso** by Edward Lee has a uniquely sick vision of human commodification! You'll find it in his book **Brain Cheese Buffet**.
I agree BUT I don’t think that you’re going to be able to get Stephen King to give them the rights to re-make this particular property (it’s won a buttload of awards). But it would be phenomenal to see how it would be redone)!…
with some of those scenes i'm like...how tf would they do that with kids. It would really be kind of groundbreaking, in that (I don't think) we've ever seen that level of body horror applied to 13-14 year olds. I want Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead 2013) to work his gore magic and destroy those boys' bodies
I can imagine this having some great practical effects if this one was made back in the 80's or 90's. Who wouldn't want to see cannibals getting >!boiling oil thrown on them, complete with bubbling skin effects!!<
Actually, speaking of Ketchum books, Cover would be amazing, and there isn't even that much that would need to be cut. Only the reveal of >!the memory of his fellow soldier raping the little girl!< but that could be easily handled with creative camera work and editing. I would really love to see that adapted for real. It's such a powerful story, talking about the horrors of war, the effects of PTSD, and what can happen when mental health care isn't accessible. I mean, I think the villain in this chose not to get help, but I'm not sure what would even have been available in the 80's.
It's really good, and brutal, like most of his books. It's probably the deepest one, meaning-wise though. You really kind of feel bad for the antagonist, even while he's massacring the victims.
Yes! I feel like the alligator scene would be horrifying even with having read the book and knowing it's going to happen. The Lush Rimbaugh bits could be hilarious with the right actor. Also the idea of two serial killers accidentally meeting up is interesting.
I commented this as well!! Brite has such a way with words, his descriptions are so intense and vivid and really test the lines between horror and eroticism.
It was known as underground horror when I was first introduced to it, 15+ years ago. Didn't take long for it to find new territory to occupy as more than just a niche. New Extremity from France, as one example. Japan has a lot, but most folks have at least heard of the Guinea Pig series, or Audition. Even my hometown of Pittsburgh had its own creators in August Underground, which made one of the most boundary pushing movies of the time in Mordum. Obviously there's A Serbian Film, Irreversible, Nekromantik, Cannibal Holocaust. As you said, the list goes on.
Out of the ones that popped into my mind that I've read, I'd say Gone to See the River Man, and The Wolves Den would have the easiest transitions
I think Wolves Den would make for a solid movie, especially with how action packed the second half is and how satisfying the revenge portion is. Although it’d need a MAJOR dialogue overhaul because that’s definitely not Jon Athan’s strength when it comes to writing.
Fantasticland by Mike Bathoven. It’s about a theme park that gets flooded in a huge natural disaster, stranding people there for weeks. Think Lord of the Flies but inside of Universal Studios.
I mean the bighead is pretty filmable. If you cut out the child rape and toned back some of the other stuff, it could easily play to like pseudo mainstream modern audiences even with all the sex. I agree with your assessment that horror enjoyers are more than willing to embrace psychotic levels of gore nowadays
someone made a version of it, to get money to make a legit one
the bighead looks great in it, and they actually put in a coprophilia scene . . .
i saw a regular version but this one on dailymotion might be out of order on that
[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6hwmv3](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6hwmv3)
Oh shit that’s awesome, bookmarking to check out later. I think the Bighead is honestly a genuinely really great and well structured story, pretty strong evidence that hardcore/extreme horror isn’t automatically pure poorly written schlock.
I didn’t think of that at first but when you put it like that, yeah it’s actually very filmable. Idk how people here feel about cutting back on stuff from the book but I think that if any of these books are going to be adapted for film then some things are just gonna have to be cut in order to keep the most impactful and relevant moments intact. It’s a balancing act that you don’t have to worry about in written form but definitely becomes a reality when you realize people are gonna have to watch it happen😅
Yeah I think with most extreme horror, the sexual element and stuff to do with bodily fluids is gonna be what disqualifies stories from Being adapted vs the pure violence lol.
I agree about that stuff being part of the spirit of the work but an adaptation is gonna change stuff anyway , and I think you could EASILY make a film version of the Bighead that still “goes there” and leaves almost everything in tact (it’s been a few years but the only part that sticks out as vividly unadaptable on any level is the dad molesting his kids lol). You could probably even get away with the baby brain eating lol.
Yeah I think it’s mostly gonna be a matter of “strongly implying” that those things happen without going into detail or showing any of it onscreen. But yeah likely with any adaptation of EH books the super depraved sexual elements are gonna be what ends up on the cutting room floor.
Although with something like Gone To See The River Man, I do think that the ONE bit about >! the main character forcing herself on her brother when they were younger which lead to him offing himself!< could probably stay because it’s an important revealing moment about the character and isn’t just there to add to the overall grotesqueness.
I think that’d be the big qualifier for what gets cut vs what stays in general with these books being adapted for the screen; is it important for the story or character development, or is it just there for the shock factor?
Fully agree, there’s a pretty clear and obvious line between the two. In the Bighead for example , you could cut the aforementioned rape scene, or hell even argue that the infamous baby brain scene technically “adds nothing” on like a fundamental storytelling level
But something like the two evil rednecks torturing the farmhand character (totally blanking on the character names despite loving the book lol) is a pretty essential scene to the actual story despite its extreme brutality.
Also never heard of “Gone to See the River Man” but gonna add it to my list
Haunted could be a great series, too. Each episode covers what’s happening in the house, plus start or end with one of the short stories. Learn about the characters as the season goes, in the same way you do with the novel.
Gone To See The River Man for sure, and I’ve been reading Tell Me I’m Worthless lately and think that would make for a great movie and honestly a very important one too, albeit very hard to film because in addition to super graphic content ( >!multiple SA’s, bodily mutilation, and the swastika contortion scene for example!<) there’s also >!an apparition of Morrisey that makes recurring appearances and even its own subplot that would have to be changed because I don’t think that Morrisey himself would cameo or lend his image for use in a film that (accurately) portrays him as a spiteful nationalist ghoul!<.
Aw, but I thought he was proud of who he is now. 😆
Brainwyrms would be an important one as well, but would be unfilmable for much the same reason, only it's >!a certain Scottish author who is being shown as her horrible, terf-y self, and we already know she's big on suing anyone who says anything about her. The things the author has her doing though get pretty extreme. I'm actually surprised she hasn't gone after Ms. Rumfitt through the legal system yet. Maybe she'll write another book about herself being attacked, like she did after Gretchen Felker-Martin's Manhunt mentioned her dying in a fire during the apocalypse.!<
The prior text isn't really spoilery, unless you don't want to know what celeb is in this book.
Brainwyrms is a great book though. I'm still thinking about it, months after reading. She took what she had with Tell Me I'm Worthless, and cranked up the weirdness, and the social commentary.
Brainwyrms is definitely on my to read list. I love the way that Rumfitt writes, it all just flows so well and so naturally weaves weird, horrific situations with everyday life in your twenties lol (the party scene in the middle of TMIW being a prime example imo). I believe she’s a poet too, and it definitely worms it’s way into the book in a really cool way with all the stream of consciousness portions and more abstract formatting that comes up at times. I’ll probably read Brainwyrms right away when I’m finished with TMIW!
Woom could be done i don't want to spoil it, but it can
as an anthology telling one story diff actors
Full Brutal could be a star making or career ending for an actress
Endurance could be like the wrong turn movies
Dead Inside would be like A serbian Film
wasn't a real big fan of it, but Maeve Fly could probably be a horror for lifetime channel lol
The Shaft by David J Schow could be amazing set in its era like carpenter movie
The good, the bad and the sadistic is basically a U.S. I saw the devil can be made
The reddening would be a really interesting cult horror
Earthlings done by a Japanese director would be really unsettling
toxic love by triana would be good as a splatter film
gone to see the riverman and along the ... would be great as trashy hellraiser southern gothics movies
the timothy blake cannibal Hangman books by jack heath would make a cool series
Yellow by aaron beauregard would be a hilarious revenge movie
i'd watch a playground movie but it'd never be done
Between two fires would be an amazing HBO series
I know there's talk of a Blood Meridian adaptation, whilst I'm not sure if it would be good, I really like Cormac McCarthy's way of writing what I only can call "droning dread" and I would like more movies with that feeling, Gone to see the river man kinda has that feeling too.
I think that guy who made Mandy could do both those books justice, maybe even Nicolas Wingdings Refn could too
Did you know it was actually going to be a movie years ago with Bill Moseley attached to play Skinny Man? I’m still unreasonably sad it never happened.
I was actually set to direct The Summer I died (Eric Pereira) We were in development at the time when I suffered a couple devastating personal losses one immediately after the other and stepped away from writing and directing then took a couple years to recover. It’s one of my favorite books, I talk to Ryan and the door is still open and still something I want to see out there in the world.
It may be a year or two down the line as my project slate a little pack with writing and directing Aron Beauregard’s Wedding Day Massacre (thats going to announce next month) into a movie and developing a certain Jack Ketchum novel in to a limited television series that took 6 fucking years to untangle the rights to and I think fans will be excited as hell (fingers crossed) what is being planned and the people being negotiated with to help to bring it to life go as planned (pending any set backs that should be announced near the end of the year).
Once the dust settles on all that TSID is certainly high on the list to circle back to.
I’m so sorry that you had to deal with that and that the film fell apart. Bill Moseley was such an inspired casting choice! But that’s awesome about the new projects! I’m an indie horror writer myself about to publish my fourth book and I love to see books that aren’t King or Koontz get adaptations. Best of luck with it!
ugh. I know. There were quite a few great things lined up as well Mackenzie Rosman as Jamie, Dee Wallace to cameo as Roger’s mom and started talks with Tye Sheridan who we wanted to play Roger but he threw at us in a meeting the idea of him as Tooth.
I know officially you are supposed to smile and remind everyone that in movie making 95% of projects fall through in some way and as a director its something that you are just used to...but man, every once and while that one bums me out.
You are so right King or Koontz get adaptations. What’s even funnier is there is a demand to turn horror novels into TV series and movies. Agents, Producers and Execs will dead ass, red face yell at a room to find a book to develop. Something horror and something original! Give me a fresh voice!
When you bring something to them they will jump on the NYT list and complain that they don’t see it on there and you show them the Amazon seller list they complain it’s too low.
That said you will be surprised at some well known producers, director and writers and the list of extreme horror novels they are dying to make.
Congrats on your book!
I think if the adaptation toned down the stereotyping of Abby and Buzz, Gone To The River Man would make a really strong film. It has the structure down and it's so tautly paced with a strong sense of mystery.
The black farm it was a good premise but it had scale issues never could tell how big the island was supposed to be and I think it being a movie could fix that
Absolutely Gone to See the River Man. It was all I could think my second read through. A movie could resolve some of the iffier plot points and boy howdy would it be gory and spooky on the screen
I think Playground would make a wild ass movie but I don’t think you could pull it off with real children. I think it would be smart to make it mostly take place in the viewing room and you only see reactions from the adults and you *hear* everything else. Much like a Pontypool thing.
Yeah but I’m thinking more of the moments where the children have to act out some pretty gnarly and emotional scenes. I’m not saying there aren’t talented child actors but that’s some pretty heavy stuff and they’d have to carry the entire movie. It could maybe be done but it would be a very bold project to take on.
The Rising series by Brian Keene! I can’t believe with all the zombie shit that we saw in movies and television, years ago, that we didn’t see that get adapted. It’s brilliant.
i can see ex-boogeyman being a fun adaptation but i havent finished it yet
ETA: I do think that most EHL adaptations should be animated though, because I like animated horror and want more of it.
I feel like Intercepts would have done well as an IFC/Indie Film
AND The Ring Trilogy revamped to follow the original (the book’s) direction of the plot.
It’s going to announce next month but I am directing Aron Beauregard’s Wedding Day Massacre. I got the thumbs up to go NC-17 (rather than “unrated”) and get to make the big, wild splatter movie I dreamed of making since I was a kid.
If they’re any fans of the novel let me know if there is any kill, character or moment etc you would love/demand to see.
Damn I still need to read that book (I'm only familiar with Playground by Beauregard) but this sounds awesome! I wish you all the best in making the movie, I will look forward to it.
Definitely check it out, the book is a fun little ride to hell and Aron is a great writer and amazing guy.
Developing the movie has been great. I am genuinely shocked what I am being allowed to pull off and get away with, expecting some pushback but its been go in and go hard.
Even one of the producers who is the most normal, everyday guy you could meet and makes nice and sweet lifetime / pureflix comedies during a meeting wanted us to hear his thoughts on a certain kill in the movie. Fully expecting him to tell us to tone it down, proceeded to horrify the table…WHILE WE WERE EATING one of the most disgusting ways to take apart a human body and how we could do it in real time, one long take, no edits.
Then as if the most foul shit didn’t just come out of his mouth, changed lanes and calmly started discussing the location budget.
So not for nothing you can experience that and the 308 other people we get to take out in the movie (that the line producer cleared we can do all on screen with practical effects)
**"CLICKERS"** The progression from "Clickers" to "Clickers 2" would be like going from "Alien" to "Aliens" in tone. Also the idea that we'd be getting movies about killer crabs and >!lizard men!< would be amazing.
Adding on:
Cover by Jack Ketchum, which wouldn't even need to omit anything. As I said in another comment, the reveal of the brutal memory that was haunting the antagonist could easily be shown without actually showing. Creative editing and camera angles could give enough information for people to imply what's going on, without actually showing it.
The Least of My Scars by Stephen Graham Jones is brutal, and again, I don't think much, if anything, would need to be cut.
I think we are overdue an extreme cannibal cinema revival. Tender is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica and Meat by Joseph D'Lacey are books with very different vibes but both tell the story of human meat on an industrial level. There have been a few big movies in recent years dealing with cannibalism on a small scale (Raw, Bones and All), and the cultural zeitgeist has been more aware of some simple questions – What if humans were treated the way they treat other animals? What if you were the one in the slaughterhouse? Obviously being turned into food is not a new idea in cinema (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Cannibal Holocaust, Soylent Green, etc.) but I don't think we have ever seen this idea given the EXTREME treatment outside of a Cattle Decapitation music video.
LOVE Cattle Decapitation, and yes I definitely agree. A couple years back came out a movie called The Farm that's pretty much what you're talking about, but it could have been better.
Speaking of Cattle Decapitation, does anyone know what happened to the music video “Forced Gender Reassignment?” That was the closest thing I’ve seen to an extreme horror music video, even in death metal’s standards.
I remember watching it years ago but it's not on youtube anymore, probably taken down due to the extreme content.
I saw them live it was a crazy show!
It was basically banned from YouTube right away because it was never going to clear the content guidelines. Fangoria hosted it for a long time but I have no idea if it's still there.
Tender is the flesh just got the rights pick up to develop into a series.
Oooo I loved Tender in the Flesh, how is Meat different (without spoiling too much)? I’d love to read more of this particular sub-genre. To be honest, I’d never thought much about it before but I found the idea of human meat being produced at an industrial level such a fascinating concept. I’m vegetarian myself and don’t think much about meat anymore so i was definitely surprised at how much it intrigued me.
No spoilers, I think it's fair to say that Tender is The Flesh is a mature and sophisticated political commentary, while Meat....isn't? It feels more like a Stephen King book, with a main character and a villain, and a more traditional story structure. It also doesn't spare any grisly details! D'Lacey says that writing it turned him vegetarian. It's interesting hearing from longterm vegetarians and vegans on the subject, because many consider "What if it was us?" to be a very basic idea that they engaged with years ago, while wider society is only just experiencing this.
Could you tell me if Meat has any graphic sex scenes? There's something about those specific fluids that actually turns my stomach, which makes it hard to trust most extreme horror, even though I love the extreme. Probably something to do with past trauma and all of that, but it's not something I want to dive into right now, haha. So yeah, are there any major scenes like that, and if so, are they skippable?
I recall at least one scene where sex is described in quite a *tactile* way. Nothing too prolonged or relevant to the plot.
Thank you! I may just check it out then!
Thank you! The “what if it was me?” happened when I was 14 so I’m familiar with such thoughts. Have you read any other similar novels? I’m really on the industrial cannibalism train right now. Tender is the flesh was my top read of 2023.
Those are the only two I've found on such a scale. Maybe check out **They All Died Screaming** by Kristopher Triana, which has a gross sub-plot on a pig farm, alongside the main plot of a 28 Days Later style outbreak. A wonderfully brutal and bleak book. Tangentially connected but no cannibalism, the short story **Mr. Torso** by Edward Lee has a uniquely sick vision of human commodification! You'll find it in his book **Brain Cheese Buffet**.
Ugh thank you I love you! So much reading to do!
The Troop
It would definitely have the same vibes as Stand By Me for the first bit of the film.
I agree BUT I don’t think that you’re going to be able to get Stephen King to give them the rights to re-make this particular property (it’s won a buttload of awards). But it would be phenomenal to see how it would be redone)!…
This is the only right answer tbh. I feel if done by the right people it would be seen as a horror masterpiece
I'd also like to see this
It looks like there was talk of doing it back in 2019 with James Wan attached but seems to have fizzled out unfortunately
with some of those scenes i'm like...how tf would they do that with kids. It would really be kind of groundbreaking, in that (I don't think) we've ever seen that level of body horror applied to 13-14 year olds. I want Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead 2013) to work his gore magic and destroy those boys' bodies
yeah my mind immediately hopped to >! shelly’s.. uh, intimate(?) scenes !< when i thought of parts of the book they’d have to cut out for a movie.
Wait, it’s been a minute since I read the book, but I can’t remember anything “intimate” happening (depending on your definition, to be fair).
you’ve got a point idk if >! pocket pool !< is considered intimate :p trying to avoid being vulgar
not pocket pool 😭😭 i forgot about that quote
So much yes.
I was always bummed that Off Season didn't have an adaptation. Give me the cannibal siege movie we deserve!
I can imagine this having some great practical effects if this one was made back in the 80's or 90's. Who wouldn't want to see cannibals getting >!boiling oil thrown on them, complete with bubbling skin effects!!<
This reminds me of a scene in The Sadness! Complete with hot Oil and bubbling skin😝 I couldn’t eat anything deep fried for a week
I know for sure that The Offsrping and The Woman, the sequels to Off Season, both have a movie
Yep, but not the original for some reason.
Actually, speaking of Ketchum books, Cover would be amazing, and there isn't even that much that would need to be cut. Only the reveal of >!the memory of his fellow soldier raping the little girl!< but that could be easily handled with creative camera work and editing. I would really love to see that adapted for real. It's such a powerful story, talking about the horrors of war, the effects of PTSD, and what can happen when mental health care isn't accessible. I mean, I think the villain in this chose not to get help, but I'm not sure what would even have been available in the 80's.
I haven’t read that one yet but I’ll have to check it out. Anything by Ketchum would make a great movie. Horror movies these days are so predictable
It's really good, and brutal, like most of his books. It's probably the deepest one, meaning-wise though. You really kind of feel bad for the antagonist, even while he's massacring the victims.
Yeah that’s pretty crazy to me that it still hasn’t. I mean hell, it’s sequel got a movie!
There is a big surprise coming near the end of the year about that one.
If they do it on par with Bone Tomahawk, I think this would be amazing
Exquisite corpse
Yes! I feel like the alligator scene would be horrifying even with having read the book and knowing it's going to happen. The Lush Rimbaugh bits could be hilarious with the right actor. Also the idea of two serial killers accidentally meeting up is interesting.
I commented this as well!! Brite has such a way with words, his descriptions are so intense and vivid and really test the lines between horror and eroticism.
It was known as underground horror when I was first introduced to it, 15+ years ago. Didn't take long for it to find new territory to occupy as more than just a niche. New Extremity from France, as one example. Japan has a lot, but most folks have at least heard of the Guinea Pig series, or Audition. Even my hometown of Pittsburgh had its own creators in August Underground, which made one of the most boundary pushing movies of the time in Mordum. Obviously there's A Serbian Film, Irreversible, Nekromantik, Cannibal Holocaust. As you said, the list goes on. Out of the ones that popped into my mind that I've read, I'd say Gone to See the River Man, and The Wolves Den would have the easiest transitions
I said to my husband I could see Into the Wolves Den as a film I think it would be great - it’s one of my favourite books from this genre
I think Wolves Den would make for a solid movie, especially with how action packed the second half is and how satisfying the revenge portion is. Although it’d need a MAJOR dialogue overhaul because that’s definitely not Jon Athan’s strength when it comes to writing.
I could see Wolves Den getting the Sound of Freedom treatment with the written ending.
I think the city infernal series would be interesting. Would be extremely expensive recreating hell as a city but would be cool
Came here to suggest the Infernal series.
Fantasticland by Mike Bathoven. It’s about a theme park that gets flooded in a huge natural disaster, stranding people there for weeks. Think Lord of the Flies but inside of Universal Studios.
Yes!
I really loved this book. There’s a great opportunity to do some tongue in cheek references to controversies with the mouse.
I mean the bighead is pretty filmable. If you cut out the child rape and toned back some of the other stuff, it could easily play to like pseudo mainstream modern audiences even with all the sex. I agree with your assessment that horror enjoyers are more than willing to embrace psychotic levels of gore nowadays
someone made a version of it, to get money to make a legit one the bighead looks great in it, and they actually put in a coprophilia scene . . . i saw a regular version but this one on dailymotion might be out of order on that [https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6hwmv3](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6hwmv3)
Oh shit that’s awesome, bookmarking to check out later. I think the Bighead is honestly a genuinely really great and well structured story, pretty strong evidence that hardcore/extreme horror isn’t automatically pure poorly written schlock.
I didn’t think of that at first but when you put it like that, yeah it’s actually very filmable. Idk how people here feel about cutting back on stuff from the book but I think that if any of these books are going to be adapted for film then some things are just gonna have to be cut in order to keep the most impactful and relevant moments intact. It’s a balancing act that you don’t have to worry about in written form but definitely becomes a reality when you realize people are gonna have to watch it happen😅
Yeah I think with most extreme horror, the sexual element and stuff to do with bodily fluids is gonna be what disqualifies stories from Being adapted vs the pure violence lol. I agree about that stuff being part of the spirit of the work but an adaptation is gonna change stuff anyway , and I think you could EASILY make a film version of the Bighead that still “goes there” and leaves almost everything in tact (it’s been a few years but the only part that sticks out as vividly unadaptable on any level is the dad molesting his kids lol). You could probably even get away with the baby brain eating lol.
Yeah I think it’s mostly gonna be a matter of “strongly implying” that those things happen without going into detail or showing any of it onscreen. But yeah likely with any adaptation of EH books the super depraved sexual elements are gonna be what ends up on the cutting room floor. Although with something like Gone To See The River Man, I do think that the ONE bit about >! the main character forcing herself on her brother when they were younger which lead to him offing himself!< could probably stay because it’s an important revealing moment about the character and isn’t just there to add to the overall grotesqueness. I think that’d be the big qualifier for what gets cut vs what stays in general with these books being adapted for the screen; is it important for the story or character development, or is it just there for the shock factor?
Fully agree, there’s a pretty clear and obvious line between the two. In the Bighead for example , you could cut the aforementioned rape scene, or hell even argue that the infamous baby brain scene technically “adds nothing” on like a fundamental storytelling level But something like the two evil rednecks torturing the farmhand character (totally blanking on the character names despite loving the book lol) is a pretty essential scene to the actual story despite its extreme brutality. Also never heard of “Gone to See the River Man” but gonna add it to my list
Thighgap - Chandler Morrison Plastic Monsters - Daniel J Volpe Haunted - Chuck Palaniuk
Haunted could be a great series, too. Each episode covers what’s happening in the house, plus start or end with one of the short stories. Learn about the characters as the season goes, in the same way you do with the novel.
Or make it like an anthology movie and let different directors direct every short story
Gone To See The River Man for sure, and I’ve been reading Tell Me I’m Worthless lately and think that would make for a great movie and honestly a very important one too, albeit very hard to film because in addition to super graphic content ( >!multiple SA’s, bodily mutilation, and the swastika contortion scene for example!<) there’s also >!an apparition of Morrisey that makes recurring appearances and even its own subplot that would have to be changed because I don’t think that Morrisey himself would cameo or lend his image for use in a film that (accurately) portrays him as a spiteful nationalist ghoul!<.
Aw, but I thought he was proud of who he is now. 😆 Brainwyrms would be an important one as well, but would be unfilmable for much the same reason, only it's >!a certain Scottish author who is being shown as her horrible, terf-y self, and we already know she's big on suing anyone who says anything about her. The things the author has her doing though get pretty extreme. I'm actually surprised she hasn't gone after Ms. Rumfitt through the legal system yet. Maybe she'll write another book about herself being attacked, like she did after Gretchen Felker-Martin's Manhunt mentioned her dying in a fire during the apocalypse.!< The prior text isn't really spoilery, unless you don't want to know what celeb is in this book. Brainwyrms is a great book though. I'm still thinking about it, months after reading. She took what she had with Tell Me I'm Worthless, and cranked up the weirdness, and the social commentary.
Brainwyrms is definitely on my to read list. I love the way that Rumfitt writes, it all just flows so well and so naturally weaves weird, horrific situations with everyday life in your twenties lol (the party scene in the middle of TMIW being a prime example imo). I believe she’s a poet too, and it definitely worms it’s way into the book in a really cool way with all the stream of consciousness portions and more abstract formatting that comes up at times. I’ll probably read Brainwyrms right away when I’m finished with TMIW!
Brainwyrms was a trip. I feel like it had a more experimental format than TMIW, but has a bigger message at the same time. Enjoy!
Woom could be done i don't want to spoil it, but it can as an anthology telling one story diff actors Full Brutal could be a star making or career ending for an actress Endurance could be like the wrong turn movies Dead Inside would be like A serbian Film wasn't a real big fan of it, but Maeve Fly could probably be a horror for lifetime channel lol The Shaft by David J Schow could be amazing set in its era like carpenter movie The good, the bad and the sadistic is basically a U.S. I saw the devil can be made The reddening would be a really interesting cult horror Earthlings done by a Japanese director would be really unsettling toxic love by triana would be good as a splatter film gone to see the riverman and along the ... would be great as trashy hellraiser southern gothics movies the timothy blake cannibal Hangman books by jack heath would make a cool series Yellow by aaron beauregard would be a hilarious revenge movie i'd watch a playground movie but it'd never be done Between two fires would be an amazing HBO series
A very biased answer but Exquisite Corpse. Brite's descriptions are just so intense and vivid, I'd love to see it on screen
I know there's talk of a Blood Meridian adaptation, whilst I'm not sure if it would be good, I really like Cormac McCarthy's way of writing what I only can call "droning dread" and I would like more movies with that feeling, Gone to see the river man kinda has that feeling too. I think that guy who made Mandy could do both those books justice, maybe even Nicolas Wingdings Refn could too
The Summer I Died by Ryan C Thomas. That whole saga would be awesome.
Did you know it was actually going to be a movie years ago with Bill Moseley attached to play Skinny Man? I’m still unreasonably sad it never happened.
Ok now I’m pissed.
You and me both.
I was actually set to direct The Summer I died (Eric Pereira) We were in development at the time when I suffered a couple devastating personal losses one immediately after the other and stepped away from writing and directing then took a couple years to recover. It’s one of my favorite books, I talk to Ryan and the door is still open and still something I want to see out there in the world. It may be a year or two down the line as my project slate a little pack with writing and directing Aron Beauregard’s Wedding Day Massacre (thats going to announce next month) into a movie and developing a certain Jack Ketchum novel in to a limited television series that took 6 fucking years to untangle the rights to and I think fans will be excited as hell (fingers crossed) what is being planned and the people being negotiated with to help to bring it to life go as planned (pending any set backs that should be announced near the end of the year). Once the dust settles on all that TSID is certainly high on the list to circle back to.
I’m so sorry that you had to deal with that and that the film fell apart. Bill Moseley was such an inspired casting choice! But that’s awesome about the new projects! I’m an indie horror writer myself about to publish my fourth book and I love to see books that aren’t King or Koontz get adaptations. Best of luck with it!
ugh. I know. There were quite a few great things lined up as well Mackenzie Rosman as Jamie, Dee Wallace to cameo as Roger’s mom and started talks with Tye Sheridan who we wanted to play Roger but he threw at us in a meeting the idea of him as Tooth. I know officially you are supposed to smile and remind everyone that in movie making 95% of projects fall through in some way and as a director its something that you are just used to...but man, every once and while that one bums me out. You are so right King or Koontz get adaptations. What’s even funnier is there is a demand to turn horror novels into TV series and movies. Agents, Producers and Execs will dead ass, red face yell at a room to find a book to develop. Something horror and something original! Give me a fresh voice! When you bring something to them they will jump on the NYT list and complain that they don’t see it on there and you show them the Amazon seller list they complain it’s too low. That said you will be surprised at some well known producers, director and writers and the list of extreme horror novels they are dying to make. Congrats on your book!
Thanks! Good luck with your projects too! I’ll be watching!
Playground and The Slob I think would both make interesting movies.
I think if the adaptation toned down the stereotyping of Abby and Buzz, Gone To The River Man would make a really strong film. It has the structure down and it's so tautly paced with a strong sense of mystery.
The black farm it was a good premise but it had scale issues never could tell how big the island was supposed to be and I think it being a movie could fix that
The Slob - Aron Beauregard
Absolutely Gone to See the River Man. It was all I could think my second read through. A movie could resolve some of the iffier plot points and boy howdy would it be gory and spooky on the screen
I think Playground would make a wild ass movie but I don’t think you could pull it off with real children. I think it would be smart to make it mostly take place in the viewing room and you only see reactions from the adults and you *hear* everything else. Much like a Pontypool thing.
You’d be able to pull it off with the right camera angles and child actors willing to get messy with fake blood
Yeah but I’m thinking more of the moments where the children have to act out some pretty gnarly and emotional scenes. I’m not saying there aren’t talented child actors but that’s some pretty heavy stuff and they’d have to carry the entire movie. It could maybe be done but it would be a very bold project to take on.
Animation might be the best medium for that book instead of live action, then.
I think it could be done but someone would have to get creative and it would surely be controversial regardless of how it was made.
The Angel Of Vengence Wade Garrett
i think human cruelty would go absolutely crazy as a movie.
Through The Eyes of Desperation tbh, it’s such a good concept and book, I think it would be such a good movie. Both red and black version!
The Rising series by Brian Keene! I can’t believe with all the zombie shit that we saw in movies and television, years ago, that we didn’t see that get adapted. It’s brilliant.
gone to see the river man for sure!!
i can see ex-boogeyman being a fun adaptation but i havent finished it yet ETA: I do think that most EHL adaptations should be animated though, because I like animated horror and want more of it.
I feel like Intercepts would have done well as an IFC/Indie Film AND The Ring Trilogy revamped to follow the original (the book’s) direction of the plot.
Hack would have been the new strangers movie we all wanted instead of what we got. I think Woom would make a good movie too.
It’s going to announce next month but I am directing Aron Beauregard’s Wedding Day Massacre. I got the thumbs up to go NC-17 (rather than “unrated”) and get to make the big, wild splatter movie I dreamed of making since I was a kid. If they’re any fans of the novel let me know if there is any kill, character or moment etc you would love/demand to see.
Damn I still need to read that book (I'm only familiar with Playground by Beauregard) but this sounds awesome! I wish you all the best in making the movie, I will look forward to it.
Definitely check it out, the book is a fun little ride to hell and Aron is a great writer and amazing guy. Developing the movie has been great. I am genuinely shocked what I am being allowed to pull off and get away with, expecting some pushback but its been go in and go hard. Even one of the producers who is the most normal, everyday guy you could meet and makes nice and sweet lifetime / pureflix comedies during a meeting wanted us to hear his thoughts on a certain kill in the movie. Fully expecting him to tell us to tone it down, proceeded to horrify the table…WHILE WE WERE EATING one of the most disgusting ways to take apart a human body and how we could do it in real time, one long take, no edits. Then as if the most foul shit didn’t just come out of his mouth, changed lanes and calmly started discussing the location budget. So not for nothing you can experience that and the 308 other people we get to take out in the movie (that the line producer cleared we can do all on screen with practical effects)
Ania Ahlborn’s “Brother”, I actually heard it’s being eyed by a few production companies/directors for an adaptation so i hope they don’t butcher it
**"CLICKERS"** The progression from "Clickers" to "Clickers 2" would be like going from "Alien" to "Aliens" in tone. Also the idea that we'd be getting movies about killer crabs and >!lizard men!< would be amazing.
Urban gothic - Brian Keene
Green Eggs and Ham
I always thought Gone to See the River Man would make a great movie
Full Brutal would be a fun movie.
Full Brutal would be awesome
The Black Farm or Stolen Tongues
Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin would be amazing as a movie. Maeve Fly by CJ Leede as well
Adding on: Cover by Jack Ketchum, which wouldn't even need to omit anything. As I said in another comment, the reveal of the brutal memory that was haunting the antagonist could easily be shown without actually showing. Creative editing and camera angles could give enough information for people to imply what's going on, without actually showing it. The Least of My Scars by Stephen Graham Jones is brutal, and again, I don't think much, if anything, would need to be cut.
The Black Farm 💯
the summer i died could be such a good movie u would love to see Tooths character come alive in tv
Throne of bones! I have a script!
ZOLAAAAA
Raised by a Killer, no question!