Horror Aficionados discussion

This is the thread for our 2nd group read of April as we're joined by Adam Cesare. We'll be reading his classic, Video Night. Please help me welcome, Adam Cesare!

Welcome Adam!

Welcome!

Welcome Adam!!

I've loved his other stuff. the summer job and tribesmen were fantastic. Welcome!

welcome Adam and thank you! this sounds like good 80's fun!

Welcome Adam! I read the Thunderstorm version of VIDEO NIGHT last year, but never added a written review. I think I'll be joining in and re-reading with the group.

Welcome, just finished Video Night and loved it. Matt Godfrey actually turned me on to the audio book version. Fantastic job. Guess I will have to re-read it myself this time.

Jason wrote: "Welcome, just finished Video Night and loved it. Matt Godfrey actually turned me on to the audio book version. Fantastic job. Guess I will have to re-read it myself this time."

Jason wrote: "Welcome, just finished Video Night and loved it. Matt Godfrey actually turned me on to the audio book version. Fantastic job. Guess I will have to re-read it myself this time."

Welcome aboard

Hi there Adam. I'm definitely looking forward to reading your work. I love this group & have discovered some of my favorite writers thanks to it. Welcome & glad to have you. :)

Lets do this Adam!!

Hey, Adam! Great to see you here!

I'm actually listening to the audio of Video Night right now! Narrated by Matt Godfrey who I see commented just above me. Hi Matt!

Just stopped in to day hi guys and ga----

Oh Godfrey's here?

Nevermind.

But really. Thanks for having me. I'll try to do my best to stop in daily during the month of April.

To anyone who picks up the book: thank you, I hope you enjoy it. It's my first novel, so I'm barely the same person who wrote it, but I think it exemplifies the enthusiasm I have for the genre, and maybe serves as a precursor to what my work is trending towards.

Despite having written a lot of books that are period pieces, I actually am not a hyper nostalgic guy. I don't like nostalgia and in writing, I think it can lead to a lot of lazy shorthand when it comes to developing characters and themes. So this book is a younger me getting the "venom" of nostalgia out of his system, and hopefully the book holds up.

Okay. I'll stop philosophizing, just figured I'd introduce it with that. See you once the group read starts in earnest.

Welcome Adam and thanks for offering this group read!

Another month for a book I wanted to dig into for some time now...no more excuses on this one! And the story seems to be perfect for a holiday read (Easter holiday just started over here).

This was already downloaded and ready to go. Looking forward to reading this book.

Nice! Welcome, Adam!

Welcome, Adam!

Excellent to meet you all and am so happy at all who've picked up/been looking to get into the book. Makes me really happy and eager to see what ya'll think.

I know we haven't officially started yet, but I'm over halfway through the audio of this and I'm having a freaking blast!

I do have a thing for creature features so I'm sure that accounts for part of it, but this book is also fast paced, creative and nasty! Just how I like my creature features to be.

I would say to anyone considering joining in: if you're a fan of Lansdale's The Drive-In, Gonzalez' Clickers, or any of Hunter Shea's creature feature books, (there are too many to list!), you will most likely love Video Night: A Novel of Alien Horror

Welcome Adam! It will be the first time for me to read one of your books.
I'm looking forward to reading this one!

Heyyyy, Ginger! I'm glad you made it! :)

I finished reading the book and I did post a review if anyone is interested. (I listened to the audio version.)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Char wrote: "Heyyyy, Ginger! I'm glad you made it! :)"

It was your great review that got me on the Video Night bandwagon! :D

Re-read and actually WROTE and posted a review this time!! (On GRs, Amazon, and Amazon UK). :D Looking forward to the discussions!

Ginger wrote: "Char wrote: "Heyyyy, Ginger! I'm glad you made it! :)"

It was your great review that got me on the Video Night bandwagon! :D"

That's good to know and thank you! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :)

Thanks so much for the review, Char! And great meeting everyone. Hope you enjoy it, Ginger.

Posted my review last night. Excellent book. Really fun read that combined many elements that I enjoyed.

Man, I was really hoping to get to this one this month, but I don't think it's going to happen now - bummer. :-(

Wait, I just saw there's an audiobook - I'm in! I've been wanting to get to this one for a while. Woohoo!

Robert wrote: "Wait, I just saw there's an audiobook - I'm in! I've been wanting to get to this one for a while. Woohoo!"

Yep! It's good too! :)

Just because of my current reading list, I won't be able to start this until the beginning of next week. Looking forward to it!

You can do it, Robert! Enjoy :)

Started this one today and quickly read through the first chapter. I can already tell this is going to be my kind of book.

Ken wrote: "Started this one today and quickly read through the first chapter. I can already tell this is going to be my kind of book."

I agree Ken! I started it this weekend and the first chapter was fantastic. Pulls you right into the story. :D

Just got to Ch7 in the book. I'm really enjoying the characterization of Billy and Tom. They have an interesting friendship since they are so different.
(view spoiler)[Damn it, I was really cheering for Darl to stop Rhonda! (hide spoiler)]

Finally started reading the book and about 14% in.

My first assumption was that Chapter 1 may describe a movie the guys were watching, as a little introductory surprise, but then I noticed I was already waist-high in the middle of the main plot ;) Adam, you definitely don't waste time to start a story!

I like the retro atmosphere spread by Video Night, as the 80s will always remain the decade that had the most impact on me.

I remember the first VHS recorder, though I never rented videos, as it's sole purpose was to record all those TV shows I couldn't watch in time. Only later did I start purchasing movies and collecting the X-Files season boxes (which by now have been replaced with one small DVD box, sigh).

It's fun to read the bickering between Billy (my favorite character so far) and Tom, and that they are friends despite of their different characters, like Ginger already mentioned.

I have an idea how the story will continue, but I'm open to surprises. Either way I'm sure I will enjoy it.

I LOVE the "80's themed novels"--so much fun!

Loving the nostalgia flowing through everyone's veins, and all the kind words. Thanks so much everyone, both on and off of the boards. I've been getting tagged in Twitter and Instagram threads, people saying they're reading along with HA and it makes me so happy.

I'm about 3/4 finished now, and this is a *blast*! Very curious to see who will be left standing 🙂

This was my first of many Cesare reads. I rarely if ever reread anything (if you saw my tbr you would understand), but couldn’t resist this group read. Catching some cool stuff I may have missed the first time around. The nostalgia everybody is talking about makes this such a great (re)read.

Adam - Can you give us HA’ers any inside scoop as to what you are currently working on? Cesareians want to know.

Bill wrote: "This was my first of many Cesare reads. I rarely if ever reread anything (if you saw my tbr you would understand), but couldn’t resist this group read. Catching some cool stuff I may have missed th..."

I second Bill's question!!! (While this was a re-read for me, too, I love discovering things I've "forgotten" or may have missed the first time around.) I believe Bill was the one who first introduced me to your work... ;)

;)

Just finished it. This was a fun read, Adam. The violence was at the right level for me, and the characters were great.
Now, fess up - not-that-popular Billy gets super-hot Rachel - is that a bit of author-fantasy-time?
Joking aside - I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE renting horror videos back on VHS. I pretty much seen them all. This takes me back to that, though we never had any alien invasions (which is exactly what someone would say if they had been taken over by an alien).

61% done now and can't wait to continue...the development of Billy's and Rachel' relationship is as fascinating as the main plot! (though I wished I hadn't read Paul's comment yet)

This is one of those books where I have the movie video playing right along in my head while reading. Now I'd really like to see it on the big screen, especially the scene (view spoiler)[where Rhonda sheds her skin (hide spoiler)]

Sorry, Elke. I didn't even think to do the spoiler removed. My bad.

This is a question for Adam but other's can comment if they want if they have finished or got to this part.
I just finished up Ch13. (view spoiler)[I have noticed that the alien had a hard time trying to quiet Darl's voice. But other aliens have no issue with controlling Rhonda or Terry. Is it because the stronger a person is in temperament and mind is why it's difficult for the alien? Did you write it this way? (hide spoiler)]
I might be making more out of this then need be. hahaha!
Just something that came to my mind while reading each (view spoiler)[transformation. And speaking of transformation, Rhonda shedding her skin was nasty and awesome!! (hide spoiler)]
Well done!! :D

Hi Ginger, I think your comment is 100% on the money. (and apologies, I don't know how to flag spoilers, so anyone who reads any further: SPOILERS). I think it has less to do with a person's smarts than it does their mental fortitude/ability to handle stressors. By that point in the book it's been introduced that Darl is A) a cop who's been at the job for a while, projecting a certain image B) a closeted gay man living in suburban Long Island in 1988 and doing a job that is flagged as traditionally "masculine".

Good eye.

Also, for Paul: My fiance (who I'd just begun dating at the time I was writing VN, we've been together awhile) is very Rachel-like. So if I'm the Billy (I am and I'm not, there are a lot of qualities/voice things I share with Tom, too) proxy, I think it's less wish-fulfillment and more life imitating art. ;)

Unfortunately, I don't have time to do a re-read. I can't believe it's already been nearly a year since I read Video Night, but it's stuck with me.

Adam, I don't think you've done a sequel before - do you think you'd ever return to these characters? The ending is terrific, but I'd be curious to see how life is like for these kids in the months and years following.

Props to Bill to for coining Cesareians as the official fan name for Adam's readers! :D