You can see my full review and discussion in my September 25th, 2020 Friday Reads.
https://youtu.be/qKOiqsWgqc8

This was about as good as I had hoped. Overall, I'd say this was a mediocre set, but most of these are still tolerable. Only 2 or 3 were so bad I wish I never read them. The theme definitely helped. I didn't expect much out of this, but I chose it because I thought I would at least appreciate what the stories are meant to honor: the 80s horror multiplex experience. Granted, I was born in '90, so that was before my time, but I always loved 80s horror.

The best stories in here are
1) Creature Feature by Gary Jonas. This was a story about a multiplex that showed old classics, but there's a catch. Lovecraftian horrors exist within, and the multiplex is the only thing that can contain it. I was so pleasantly surprised here. This was the 7th story, so I had become resigned to not expect much from this. Luckily, this would precede several other gems.
2) The Devil's Reel by Sean Eads and Joshua Viola. This is a story about he sinful and negative influence of the multiplex. I really enjoyed this because it mocked Christianity while still using the mythos. That said, I wish the ending went a different direction. It was a little too safe.
3) Coming Attractions by Stephen Graham Jones. A few teens breaks into an old multiplex that is said to be haunted. They quickly realize they're in over their heads. This one might have been the most genuinely creepy and dark. Jones gives exactly what I want, and may be the best of the collection.

Many of these had potential, but they ended up messing up in one way or the other. Sometimes they were too safe. Other times it was too out there to make sense. Then others failed to take a good idea to fruition in a way that left us wanting. Late Sleepers by Steve Rasnic Tem is a good example of this; it was a great story that didn't take it far enough while also playing it too safe imo.

I also want to mention that the last story played on racist stereotypes. Early on, there's some classic sexist comments, but the other used a character to give a more modern commentary on it which I appreciated it.

Ultimately, would I recommend this? If you're a fan of 80s cinema, then yes. I think there is enough to appreciate even if it isn't a new favorite.

I wanted to read this because the cover grabbed my attention. Most of the stories were ok, 2 stood out and where really great (the first and last). One of the stores I'm still mad I even had to read (The Devil's Reel) and honestly if it weren't for Devil's Reel I'd even consider this to be YA horror.

Some of the stories I had to go back to make sure I didn't miss anything because they came to a conclusion quickly and I felt like something was missed each time but I didn't miss anything.

Overall it was alright, quick popcorn read.

The moment I saw It Came from the Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers, I was interested. I mean just from that cover alone how could I not want to check it out. Plus I have been on such a nostalgic kick lately. It's been about 2 months but I did pick up a book that was set in the 90s which I enjoyed a lot. I mean I may not be super familiar with the 80s but I like watching the old 80s movies. This anthology is based around movies so I was excited for that. Overall I have to say this was an enjoyable experience. There were some really good stories which I enjoyed a lot. Some I could have read a full book on the story. Others fell flat for me and I just didn't find as enjoyable. Since this is a short story collection, I decided to write little comments on each story. That way it's easier for me to remember the story. I am sorry some of these are vague. I didn't want to keep too much away to spoil the story for you. I do have to say after reading this I will definitely be checking out other works by some of these authors.

<b> Alien Parasites From Outer Space By Warren Hammond </b>

Okay so damn was not expecting things to go that way but it's a horror anthology so shouldn't be surprised. Honestly such a fun short story that takes place at a drive-in. I thought the ending would be different but once again horror anthology. The next story continues the story on so excited for that.

<b> Return of The Alien Parasites From Outer Space By Angie Hodapp </b>

Well that was the second part and I'm guessing final part to the first story. I really enjoyed it. It's fun seeing characters who don't like eachother work together. I loved how they used their environment to help their situation. I could see this being a novella because I wanted more.

<b> Negative Creep By Alvaro Zinos-Amaro </b>

So wasn't a big fan of this story unfortunately. I honestly wasn't really sure what exactly was going on. So I think that is why I didn't enjoy it as the other ones.

<b> Helluloid By Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore </b>

Okay so it's probably just me but this gave me some Phantom and the Megaplex vibes. They are different since this deals with ghosts. I just was reminded of that movie. Anyway I enjoyed this one. I learned never do a seance right before work is about to start. I also was confused by who was who since it's so short. I did wish it was longer.

<b> Rise, Ye Vermin! By Betty Rocksteady </b>

This is another story that I wasn't 100% sure what was going on. I do know this one involves bugs which grosses me out lol. I honestly would love another story involving Jenn and Christi. We got to learn a little about them and I honestly would love more of their romance and what they've dealt with and what's to come.

<b> The Cronenberg Concerto By Keith Ferrell </b>

So this was probably my least favorite story so far. I just felt like it dragged on too much and there was nothing really creepy about it. The character would do these rituals but they weren't really explained. Towards the end it basically mentions the things he has done but it kinda was just added in real quick.

<b> Creature Feature By Gary Jonas </b>

I think this was my favorite so far. I felt like it was perfectly paced for a short story. It didn't drag on. I also was very entertained by it. I also found it pretty funny. I would read more from this author.

<b> Invisible By Mario Acevedo </b>

Okay but damn this was another one I really ended up enjoying. It creeped me out. I want to say more about this one but I feel want I have to say is a bit of a spoiler. But let's just say it reminds me of a certain tv show. If I say what show it gives away the ending and that part was really good!

<b> Screen Haunt By Orrin Grey </b>

I feel for this one it could have been longer. I do think it's an interesting concept especially creating a movie and then it's come to life right in front of you. However I guess I just wanted more to it but I get that leaves more mystery to things.

<b> The Devil's Reel By Sean Eads and Joshua Viola </b>

Eh I have to say once again I wasn't really a huge fan of this one. It just wasn't for me. I read it but just didn't really pay full attention because I wasn't invested in it.

<b> On The Rocks By K. Nicole Davis </b>

So this story just flew by. I enjoy that it had to do with werewolves. So far there haven't been any werewolf stories. I do wish the end scene ended up lasting a little longer. I was getting into it and before I knew it the story just ended.

<b> Coming Attractions By Stephen Graham Jones </b>

Stephen Graham Jones is the only author in this short story collection that I have actually read from before. I enjoyed this one. I like that he gave us some backstory first. Then we get into the present with the kids following up on the story in the present. Then everything is explained and wrapped up. It was enjoyable

<b> Late Sleepers By Steve Rasnic Tem </b>

This was another story that I thought was just okay. I'm honestly a bit confused by it. I don't really fully understand what happened in this story.

<b> Special Makeup By Kevin J. Anderson </b>

So I feel from the title alone you have an idea what this story was going to be about. I ended up enjoying this one. It was fun that this story takes place on a film set. Even though I pretty much knew what was going to happen it ended up being such a fun read. Even had a little laugh at the end of the story

*I just want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for me honest opinion.*

Talk about your 80s slasher stories. It was a little much for me to be honest, as these brought me back to my youth and movies that scared the daylights out of me, but it was a fun read.

While the first two stories seemed to be tied together, but the rest were their own stories. Their own twisted stories with a def 80 movies feel to them. The book, while twisted and somewhat disturbing, its was a ton of fun to read and took me on a nice trip back to the 80s!

Be warned, this is not for the faint hearted. If you were a huge fan of 80 slasher movies, then this is the book for you!

Thank you to #NetGalley and Hex Publishers for this fun ARC in exchange for my review.

I don't often read this kind of book but it sounded interesting so I just had to read.
I enjoyed the stories. Very well done.

It Came From the Mutiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers is an anthology of short stories that are set in a movie theater in the 1980s. Specific, much? There are 14 stories from authors Betty Rocksteady, Warren Hammond, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, Angie Hodapp, Alvaro Zinos-Amaro, Keith Ferrell, Orrin Grey, K. Nicole Davis, Gary Jonas, Mario Acevedo, Sean Eads & Joshua Viola, Steve Rasnic Tem, Stephen Graham Jones, and Kevin J. Anderson.

The most noticeable thing about this collection was the amount of detail in each theater. I think every author really wrote about their childhood or teen years and placed whatever dollar-a-pop, sticky floored cinema they tromped through years ago. That element added levity, despite the dark subject matters some of them focused on.

Some of the stories felt similar compared side to side. Whether it was a similar antagonist or the general gist of the whole thing, it felt stuck on repeat at times. There’s a range of (how to put this?) “cinema-themed” monsters to appeal to every generation of movie goers, like the Atomic Age of creature features and the Satanic Panic, but that range was populated by the majority of the authors. A few of the shorts suffered from weak endings, which is a shame considering the time spent developing such full bodied settings. The final short story also didn’t sit well with me, as it took place on a movie set and not a theater. Why break the theme and the consistency? I would have loved to seen more female authors on the roster, as well.

Alright, onto the good stuff. This anthology was FUN! I’ve encountered all sorts of horror fans and the majority of them love the films of the genre more than anything. Reading about horror movies/movie-themed horror was like getting the best of both worlds. I enjoyed the premise of the collection and those who seek out 80s homage horror will definitely like it. Book worms can devour this in a day with a slim page count. This is my first book from Hex Publishers & I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of their creative titles down the road.

IT CAME FROM THE MULTIPLEX: 80s MIDNIGHT CHILLERS will be available for purchase on September 15th, 2020. You can order this directly from Hex Publishers by clicking HERE.

This collection will be a fun fall time read for short story lovers. For my tastes these are mostly just okay short stories and I wish some of them were a little longer. But if your looking for a solid creepy/weird collection of stories with 80s horror vibes I definitely reccomend this collection. I also love that they all centered around cinema. 🎥

Average rating: 3.09 Stars
Star rating of individual stories:
ALIEN PARASITES FROM OUTER SPACE
Warren Hammond- ⭐⭐
RETURN OF THE ALIEN PARASITES FROM OUTER SPACE
Angie Hodapp- ⭐⭐⭐
NEGATIVE CREEP- ⭐⭐⭐.5
Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
HELLULOID Dayton Ward
and Kevin Dilmore- ⭐⭐⭐.5
RISE, YE VERMIN!
Betty Rocksteady- ⭐⭐⭐.5
THE CRONENBERG CONCERTO
Keith Ferrell- ⭐⭐
CREATURE FEATURE
Gary Jonas- ⭐⭐⭐.75
INVISIBLE
Mario Acevedo- ⭐⭐⭐
SCREEN HAUNT
Orrin Grey - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
THE DEVIL'S REEL
Sean Eads and Joshua Viola- ⭐⭐⭐.5
ON THE ROCKS
K. Nicole Davis- ⭐⭐.5
COMING ATTRACTIONS- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stephen Graham Jones
LATE SLEEPERS
Steve Rasnic Tem- ⭐⭐.5
SPECIAL MAKEUP
Kevin J. Anderson- ⭐⭐⭐

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!! It truly was like you were transported to a 80s slasher movie. Nostalgia for the win! Each story was truly so much fun. Highly recommended to any horror fan.

Unfortunately, I don't think I was the intended audience for this anthology. I love the idea of stories set in a movie theater and 80's movies. These all really leaned into the cheesiness of cult classics, which is fine, but not for me. I can see other people enjoying it.

* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review *

This is more like a 3.5 star review. Much like the beloved Horror section of your local video rental store — they’re not all winners, but even the bad ones are gloriously bad. I’ll be honest, I saw the title on NetGalley and requested it thinking it was essays. It is short stories in the style of 80s horror. So keep in mind, some nights you rented Near Dark & were blown away & sometimes you rented The Love Butcher and were like “??? WTF ??”

Cover art — 5 stars, I would have rented this video, or hoped that my babysitter in 1986 rented it.

5 star stories:

“Coming Attractions”, Stephen Graham Jones — I wish this had been the last story in the collection, because those closing sentences would have been the best way to close out the collection. What a great story.

“Screen Haunt”, Orrin Grey — Creepy, atmospheric, and also has a taut emotional cord that runs from the opening sentence and ties neatly and naturally into the closing line.

“Late Sleepers” , Steve Rasnic Tem — Weird, eerie, and with just a touch of the opening to Midsommer in its ethereal quality.

***

I wouldn’t call “Invisible” a 5 star story in a category with the above mentioned standouts, but it has a deeply satisfying ending. “Creature Feature” started strong but the silliness at the end (which, sigh, is very attuned to 80s horror, so hard to say if that was intentional or not) lost me & made the story less satisfying. Likewise, “On The Rocks” had a weak start but a great ending. “Cronenberg Concerto”, “Devils Reel”, and “Special Makeup” were middle of the pack. Enjoyable while I read them but nothing I’ll remember or think about in a month, whereas Screen Haunt, Late Sleepers, and Coming Attractions will stay with me a while.

There’s some horribly cheesy dialogue — again, hard to say if this is poor writing or intentionally reflecting the feel of 80s horror, which is full of terrible dialogue. There’s also some cringe-y instances of “men writing women” (they really just don’t get how periods work, do they?) but here again: having not read anything else by those authors, I can’t say if it’s bad writing or “bad-on-purpose” writing, because no one in 80s horror knew how periods worked, either. Overall, it was a fun read and the 3-star review is a POSITIVE 3 star review because sure, there are better horror anthologies out there. But they may not be as fun, schlocky, or nostalgic as this one. I’d give this to horror-con buddies for sure.

The only thing this book was missing was a Joe Bob Briggs tally at the beginning.

3 stars, Allie says, Check It Out.

This anthology is a collection of short stories all written in the vein of 80s horror movies and set in drive-ins and movie theaters.

As with most anthologies, some stood out a little more than others, but all gave me the feeling of going to the theater with a big bucket of popcorn and watching classic horror films with friends.

The stories feature classic creatures such as werewolves, alien parasites, bug men, and ghosts. It Came from the Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers is a great way to get into the fall/Halloween spirit any time of year.

Thank you to NetGalley, the editors and authors and Hex Publishing for the opportunity to review this horror anthology.

The characters in these stories live different lives and live in different parts of the country. However, they're all connected by one thing: their relationship to movies and movie theaters. Sometimes it's the movies themselves that are important and sometimes, it's just the feeling of being in a theater or being in the audience.

So while the stories are meant to be scary, there's also a kind of sadness to them. It's the pain of nostalgia. For one thing, they don't really make movies like these anymore, at least not in wide release. And for another, a lot of these theaters don't exist anymore, either. As Steve Rasnic Tem writes in "Late Sleepers," "Did you know in the 30s they called movie theaters dream palaces? They understood back then. We've just forgotten."

Some of the stories revolve around scenes at drive-ins, for instance. Although they're still around, they obviously don't number as many as they once did. In reading these stories, I was reminded of something Emily VanDerWerff wrote about my favorite X-Files episode, "Home":

...it's both a sterling example of a certain kind of horror tale and a last gasp effort within the subgenre, a sort of sad farewell to a weird America that was rapidly smoothing itself out.

The collection begins with Warren Hammond's "Alien Parasites from Outer Space," a story that continues in the second tale, Angie Hodapp's "Return of the Alien Parasites from Outer Space." Both stories follow an awkward teenage boy, as he suspects the alien parasite movie at the drive-in may be a true story. The sequel device could come off as clunky, but both Hammond and Hodapp work well together, and it's a fun story.

Other stories invoke theater ghosts, real-life serial killers, and that good ol' 80s staple, demons and the specter of hell.

As this is a collection of stories, from over a dozen authors, the quality within varies. However, I didn't hate or even really dislike any of the stories. I just connected more with some of them than I did with others.

For personal, spoilery reasons, I think my favorite was K. Nicole Davis's "On the Rocks," in which a group of friends goes to Red Rocks to see a showing of The Howling. (In case you're unfamiliar, The Howling is a horror movie about a human terrorist who moves to a peaceful werewolf community and destroys it.) I also enjoyed the cosmic horror of Gary Jonas's "Creature Feature," as well as the atmospheric eeriness of Orrin Grey's "Screen Haunt." Coping with anxiety, the latter story's protagonist tells her therapist, "Movies don’t scare me. They’re, like, the only things that don’t scare me. So, of course, I want them to." Girl, same.

Each of the stories can be read in a moment, gobbled down like a large popcorn. That's both a positive and a negative for the book. It's positive because if you don't like a story, just wait. Another's on the way. However, it's also a negative, because it lends each story--and the book as a whole--a slight feeling. As with inhaling that popcorn, it doesn't really stick to your ribs.

Still, though, it's entertaining, and it's a good introduction to several horror authors you might not know.

A collection of short stories with one thing in common - 80s horror at the cinema. I’m a fan of both horror fiction and horror films so I was excited to get an ARC of this collection, although the only contributor I had heard of already was Stephen Graham Jones.
As with many collections, there were some gems and some that didn’t quite hit the mark. I particularly enjoyed ‘Rise, Ye Vermin’ and ‘Special Makeup’, which I could imagine as episodes of Creepshow or The Twilight Zone!
Sadly there wasn’t anything that blew me away, hence the 3 stars, but it’s worth picking up if you love a good 80s splatterfest!

Disclaimer - I received a free ARC in return for a fair review

2.5/5

This collection of short stories is a blatant homage to 80s horror movies. Both main stream movies and B-movies play a major role in each entry. Each story has a grind house vibe and not much else. In terms of character and plot development, there are none. I understand that short stories are not a great medium to establish well fleshed (pun intended) characters nor are they a great medium to tell a somewhat cohesive narrative. However, at a slim 316 pages, there is plenty of room to grow. Also, there are many stories (and when I say many I mean all) that logic takes a backseat to blood splatter, monsters, ghosts, and other horror tropes. Maybe this is ok for some. But I found the decisions and conclusions made by characters a bit ridiculous. Out of fourteen tales, three stand out as pretty exceptional: The Cronenberg Concerto by Keith Ferrell, Invisible by Mario Acevedo, and On the Rocks by K. Nicole Davis. Thanks to these wonderful entries, this collection gets a mild thumbs up from me.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53494312-it-came-from-the-multiplex?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bNnoLlDGj3&rank=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/CE3tTYLghAS/
https://www.amazon.com/review/R3QFSCDA9SGWKB/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

If you're into campy and bloody 80's horror movies, and luckily I am, this book is for you! This book is a gem! Full of references and easter eggs! I'm definitely a hard copy of this!

This anthology surrounds itself with the nostalgic environment of multiplexes and drive-ins aligned with cars filled with individual grotesque horror stories wrapped up with a mesmerizing bloody bow on top. Each story melted into the next creating this timeless flow.

First, I have to applaud this book for it’s artwork. The reader may think they only get this stunning 80’s influenced horror film dedicated cover described in the preface as “...the right sort of artwork, something with eye-gouging, wait, eye-popping colors'' (9). Oh no, there is much more art submerged within the pages. Included inside are these gorgeous horror stencils that not only accommodate each story but also synchronize with the header flip-book artwork.

The majority of these stories had my heart pumping and gripped by the throat gasping for air. Others had tropes that were expected to eventually appear, but done quite well. I admired the multiple creative usages of physical film reels incorporated in select stories in comparison to simply using a film within the story. “Alien Parasites From Outer Space” (Warren Hammond⁣ & Angie Hodapp⁣), “Helluloid” (Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore) and “Invisible” (Mario Acevedo) were my favorites from the collection. Also, Keith Ferrel’s “The Cronenberg Concert” had me submerged through the vivid word usage. Then, hit me with the horrifyingly grotesque.

I would recommend this anthology to anyone. One can find fragments of comedy, mystery and magical realism alongside the main genre of nostalgic horror.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hex Publishers, the authors, and all contributors for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Came From the Multiplex is an anthology of short stories that feature 80s horror movies and a variety of movie settings. I do not know if it my sense of nostalgia was stirred from the ode to older movies or from the settings of movie theaters since COVID 19 prevents me from going to a movie theater.

I really enjoyed this collection. “Devil’s Reel” was one of my favorites for turning the notion of spiritual warfare in Christianity in a terrifying 3-D movie that set chills down my spine –and I am very skeptical about institutional religion! “Creature Feature” was my other favorite because it was the story of the last day of a movie theater that had components of both romance and doom.

One thing I appreciated about the way the collection was constructed is that it emphasized different aspects of the movie experience: “Invisible” involved a serial killer at a drive in movie, “Coming Attractions” emphasized the bathroom of a movie theater, “Screen Haunts” was about someone who suffered from severe anxiety but made horror movies and “Special Make Up” involved the production of a movie.

My least favorite story was “Rise Ye Vermin” because it had excellent descriptions of cockroaches…and descriptions of bugs and rodent in horror novels and movies always makes me squeamish. However the author of the story, Betty Rockstead, wrote it remarkably well. If an author makes me paranoid that I may be attacked by creepy crawly things they are doing their job well and I kept wondering what might be crawling over me while I read the story.

I would highly recommend this collection if you are a fan of horror movies as all of the stories succeed in bringing the movie experience to life on the page. You will find yourself wanting to pop popcorn and snuggle in front of your favorite horror movie as a result of reading this book!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this advanced reader’s copy.

Another book with a cover that I just LOVE. And it utterly fits this fun 80's horror anthology.

All of the 14 short stories here are centered around the movies- theaters/cinema drive-ins etc

Despite the low page count there is not a clunker in the bunch. Pretty amazing and makes the purchase print price worth it. Plus again- that cover just begs to be shown off! Oh-and there are some treats inside I won't spoil!

My favorites (in no order) were:

Coming Attractions by Stephen Graham Jones (seriously- add him to your must read list-he's one of my favorite authors)

Invisible by Mario Acevedo

On the Rocks by K.Nicole Davis

Creature Feature by Gary Jonas

rating - 4 hearts out of 5

You know how things can be cheesy in a good way? It Came From the Multiplex is cheesy in a good way. If you have loving memories of drive in theaters or watching the sudden boom of wonderfully bad horror movies that came with the rise of VHS players in homes, this will scratch that nostalgia itch. Think of the way Stranger Things has appealed. Same thing.

If I just described you, these stories center on people just like you. Just like us. Mostly a bunch of teenagers who watch bad movies and what happens to them in the places they watch them. Or the places they don't. I wonderfully cheesy collection of horror stories.

A great collection of short stories. While my teen years were the 80s, I loved all of the old movie references! This book brought back so many memories of the movie theaters!