**3.5 stars**

This was a fun collection of 80s themed monster movie stories. My favorite stories were “Alien Parasites From Outer Space,” “Creature Feature”, and “On the Rocks”. I’m glad to have read this.

**Thanks to the authors and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

"It Came from the Multiplex" is a thrilling anthology that offers a nostalgic yet chilling journey into the world of '80s horror movies. Brought to life by a collaboration between Hex Publishers and the Colorado Festival of Horror, this collection is a must-read for fans of classic horror and cinema.

The anthology features a range of stories that pay homage to the horror genre of the 1980s, a time when horror cinema was marked by its unique blend of terror, gore, and campiness. Each tale transports the reader to a cinematic world where werewolves, serial killers, Satanists, Elder Gods, aliens, and a host of other monstrous entities wreak havoc. The settings of drive-ins and movie theaters are perfectly chosen, serving as the backdrop for on-screen horrors that leap into the audience's reality in unexpected and terrifying ways.

This sadly wasn’t for me. I read four stories and I really couldn’t get into any of them. I am really sad because I was so excited for this book

DNf. These stories did not give me the 80s views I was looking for in the anthology. I did not find them interesting and the writing style was bland.

A review is to follow shortly. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an electronic advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Love a good anthology, but like with all, no matter the medium, some are going to shine more than others! I really enjoyed the Stephen Graham Jones and K. Nicole David stories. This was a lot of fun.

This was such a fun read! So many amazing authors, I really loved it a lot. I truly recommend this book if you love horror and horror fiction.

The concept behind this anthology was great, but unfortunately, many of the stories themselves just didn't deliver. The execution and characterization in many of the stories felt a bit underbaked, although the concepts themselves were cool.

This was great. It felt like stranger things and I loved every bit of it. I loved the 80s slasher feel but with gore. The ending stories kinda got a bit boring for me therefore I didn’t give it a full 5 stars and I’m sure that’s not my reading preferences kicking in. All in all a wonderful book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hex Publishers for an ARC of this book.

It Came from the Multiplex: 80's Midnight Chillers, is a book with an interesting premise. Short stories that are based on Eighties horror movies. Not always the major horror movies, for example, Friday the Thirteenth, or Halloween, to name two. They are more in the line of B-movies. There are some good stories here, and some "eh" ones. It's a mixed bunch. If you have a hankering for Eighties horror or just a nostalgic view of the Eighties in general, then this is the book for you.

3.5 rounded to 4. Anthologies are difficult for me to review and take SO long for me to get through. That said, I was pleased to find more stories in here that I liked than I didn’t and I love the 70s/80s movie vibes throughout. The stories from Rasnic Tem, Grey, and Jones were my absolute favorite and, honestly, what made me move it up from a 3 to a 3.5. Worth the price of admission, those ones.

A wonderfully creepy and nostalgic read, this ticked plenty of boxes for me. A wide array of fabulous author's truly makes this anthology one of a high quality. A mix of satyrically hilarious and downright freaky tales, I recommend this time and of horror and especially those with a love of 1980s flicks.

Alien Parasites from Outer Space - 3
Return of the Alien Parasites from Outer Space - 3.5
Negative creep - 2
Helluloid - 3.5
Rise, Ye vermin! - 4
The Cronenberg Concerto - 2.5
Creature Feature - 3.5
Invisible - 2.5
Screen Haunt - 3
The Devil's Reel - 2
On the Rocks - 2
Coming Attractions - 2
Late Sleepers - 2
Special Makeup - 2.5

I have to say that overall all the stories had that 70's/80's horror movies feelings, which was interesting.
Some of the mentioned books, I didn't know of them but I could still understand what they were about, but I feel it would have been better if I did know them.
My bigger critique is that the stories were very short and therefore they felt rushed.
However I did like the spooky vibes!!

I was not immediately sold on this anthology, as I struggled to get into the stories and really had a challenging time with the humor/horror blend initially. However, as I read further along, I really got into this collection and appreciated the vibe overall.
Thanks to NetGalley/Hex Publishers for the review copy!

It Came From The Multiplex: 80s Midnight Chillers is an anthology of horror stories, all of which are centred around the 80s Multiplex and cinema. These stories also resembled a lot of the 80 horror movies and the tropes within them, which really excited me at first as I love 80s horror. Although I was really excited to read this anthology, as I’ve been in a spooky mood lately and this sounded perfect, this was overall a disappointing read for me.

As with all anthologies when I read them, the stories within are either hit or miss and then when it comes to rating the thing as a whole, I find it difficult to separate the ones I loved from the ones I disliked. There were a few that I really did enjoy reading and have stuck with me, but the majority of them were sadly not for me and just fell short, which is why I have personally given this a lower rating.

I ended up enjoying the latter half of this anthology, compared to the first half, which could either be because they were more to my style, or because it took me that look to properly get into it. I was shocked to see a Stephen Graham Jones short stories within this anthology and was even more surprised that his one was one of my favourites, as I don’t usually like his writing style, but it has made me want to continue reading his works.

It is sad that a lot just seemed to fall short and seemed rush in coming to it’s conclusions to quick and within the right pace, therefore spoiling the stories. So after going into this with high expectations, it ultimately left me disappointed.

While this may scratch the itch of some horror nostalgia lovers, I couldn't get into the short stories presented. Some horror stories can be short and incredibly effective - look at Children of the Corn and the legacy it inspired - but these stories didn't quite insinuate themselves into the halls of horror fame.

Most anthologies and collections are hit or miss but with this one I sadly found a few more misses. These tales take me back to a time when movie theaters were all the rage, the best hangouts, and more. I felt like I was a kid again being scared for the first time in the stories that delivered. From monsters to invasions and more, there are so many themes and subjects explored with this anthology.

This just didn’t end up being a book that interested me. When I first read the premise, I was very excited and invested, but getting into it made it clear that it just wasn’t for me. Hopefully it works for others out there!

💛✌️BOOK REVIEW TIME✌️💛

Thank you so much to the publisher and author for this gifted copy of the book via NetGalley.

What a delightful, quick paced and exciting read. I enjoyed diving into this collection of tales and getting to know these characters. The writing is fluid, flowing and easy to read without being simple and I will certainly be looking out for more by the authors in the book.

Recommend to all.

This was a cool anthology. I love horror movies and this book felt like I was reading a fun 80's horror movie. The stories was fun and creepy and it's the perfect book for spooky season.