Citadel Review

A semi-autobiographical movie from Writer/Director Ciaran Foy, starring James Cosmo from Game of Thrones and Aneurin Barnard, Citadel is one of the best horror movies I’ve seen in years.

I was surprised to learn how much of this Irish import was based in real life when I watched the behind the scenes featurette, with Foy mentioning he’d been attacked with a hammer and a dirty syringe as a teenager, which led to his struggles with agoraphobia.  In the film, it’s the main character Tommy’s pregnant wife who gets attacked with a syringe in their high-rise apartment, while he can do nothing but watch from behind the faulty elevator door.  The culprits behind the attack?  Feral children clad in dirt-caked white hoodies. 

Not long after, Tommy is alone and raising his infant daughter, Elsa, all but crippled by the terror he feels toward the outside world.  To make matters worse, the children in the hoodies aren’t your typical punk kids, and they’re coming back for Tommy’s child.  And worse still, these kids can see his fear, honing in on it like a shark with blood in the water. 

The film is shot in a way to make you feel claustrophobic, getting up close to the protagonist as he delivers a spellbinding, believable performance.  The characters are as likable as they are vulnerable, which is the best way to create suspense, in my eyes.  As is having something to protect, and something to lose.  Rarely did I find myself worried about Tommy himself, but that’s not the point of the film.  It’s not Tommy who was attacked to begin with.  His fear springs from his inability to defend those he cares for. 

The plot felt a bit reminiscent of After Earth, the recent Will Smith & M. Night Shyamalan collaboration, which is all about overcoming fear, but in a much different manner.  In this movie, it’s understood that bravery doesn’t come from the elimination of fear, but in persevering despite it. 

If you like suspense, or if you just like well-crafted movies that draw you in and feature great performances, then definitely give this one a try. 

Favorite line from the movie: “If you don’t wanna get dead, hold my hand.”

Rating: 5 stars.  

 

Indie Book of the Day Award Winner

Hey, I just found out I won an award!  That's always fun, isn't it? 

The fine people at IndieBookoftheDay.com just awarded Try Not to Burn as the "Best Paramormal Thriller to Listen to Enya to While Sipping a Latte".  Well, not really.  They awarded it as the "Indie Book of the Day" for January 25, 2014.  But that's still pretty nifty.  Now, I'm just waiting for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to hand me the key to Chicago and proclaim January 25th as the official "Try Not to Burn" day. 

Now, I just need the mayor to start returning my calls.  Guess he took that whole "You tried to include yourself as a write-in candidate and didn't vote for me" thing personally. 

Sale on Kindle Version of Try Not to Burn!

It doesn't happen very often, but Post Mortem Press has seen fit to lower the cover price of the Paranormal Thriller, Try Not to Burn, for a limited time. Grab it while supplies last!  (Technically, it's an ebook, so supplies aren't really a factor, but...well, it's fun to say, isn't it?)

Mia Darien, author of the Adelheid Series of vampire novels, says, "I’m always fascinated by unique or different depictions of Hell and Purgatory, the darker and unusual settings. Matula provides an interesting scenario, blending the spiritual, the emotional, the physical; merging past, present, future; bringing religious concepts without necessarily any specific religion, so it has a general appeal and fascination without being “preachy.”  This book brings in another thing I love: characters living in the moral grey. You know from the start that our Main Characters would not be there if they hadn’t done something to earn it, but you root for them anyways; even after you learn what they did. You’re still there with them."

Angelika Rust, writer of the mafia-inspired fantasy novel, Ratpaths, calls the book, "A very well thought-out, action-laden story. I'm truly looking forward to the sequel."

And Top 500 Amazon Reviewer Kacunnin says: "A mash-up of 'The Matrix' and Dante's 'Inferno.' I recommend TRY NOT TO BURN for fans of epic horror stories set in strange and convoluted worlds chock-full of mind-bending rules and God-driven tests of faith and character. This is a very big story, even though the focus is on three very small people. In Dante's version of Hell, he reveals that the only way to salvation is through an understanding of sin. It's the same with TRY NOT TO BURN - only through immense and harrowing trials can Brand and his friends move beyond Hell City to whatever awaits beyond."