COMPLETE DARKNESS is published!!

Complete Darkness: Matt Adcock

So after what feels like forever - my debut novel 'Complete Darkness' is out in the world! It's been a fun ride to get to this point and I'm fascinated to hear what people are making of it...

"in the daunting company of Isaac Asimov & Iain M Banks"

Reviews so far have said things like:

"The deft world-building transports you to a place where the breathless violent action comes thick and fast. Complete Darkness is likely to shock in places and yet give you an incredible adrenaline rush too. If you liked sci-fi visionaries such as Iain M Banks or Richard ‘Altered Carbon’ Morgan - those are clear inspirations here.

Tackling thorny subjects like Hell - there is theology woven into the plot and adds a level of intelligence beyond standard pulp fiction. Complete Darkness is a brilliant, turbo-charged adventure for those who looking for something wild..."

- - -

"Complete Darkness is the interplay of science, market forces, and religion.... with some hilarious (as in, I snorted out loud on the bus, prompting strange looks) usage of technology and wordplay.

I think complete darkness is a creative introduction to a genuinely interesting alternate universe - with brash, comic-book levels (think Deadpool unhinged rather than Marvel) of violence."

- - -

"It's a like jumping headfirst into the choppy waters of the past, present and future of the battle between good and evil and you're not sure which way you want to swim. Big on tech, bigger on deep thoughts."

- - -

"...weaves a gripping theological thread into the story of a corrupt and depraved world designed to grab the attention of a contemporary audience weaned on superhero movies, gritty crime dramas and graphic novels."

If you've taken the plunge and got a copy of Complete Darkness do let me know what you think...

Here's the Goodreads link if you swing that way: Goodreads - Complete Darkness

Huge thanks to everyone who has helped me get to this point - who knows where we go from here!!!


Here's some handy shopping links in case you're tempted to take the plunge:

Amazon 

Waterstones

Foyles

Blackwells

Matt puts on a Happy Face - JOKER review...

Joker (15) 

Dir. Todd Philips

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

'I hope my death makes more cents than my life...’

“Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?” asks ArthurFleck (Joaquin Phoenix), of his counsellor, after being attacked and beaten in the street by a gang of youths.  What follows is a heartbreaking odyssey into madness and violence that traces the birth of Gotham’s clown prince of chaos – Joker.

'and where is the Batman?'

Yes, Batman’s iconic arch-nemesis gets his big-screen origin story and it’s a cinematic gut-punch of a man on the very edge – pushed over the line by a callus and mean society.  Director Todd “The Hangover’ Phillips delves into the pain of a life shaped by abuse, of a man who society either ignores or targets and has created a superbly gritty character piece which stands as a warning to us all. Joaquin Phoenix is incredible in the lead – owning the huge clown sized shows of Heath Ledger and giving him a serious run for the title of best Joker ever’.

'evening officers'

After his show-stopping performance in the brutal ‘You Were NeverReally Here’, he is an actor who can make horrific violence feel necessary and give viewers an insight into the actions of a crazed individual in a way that no other has to date. The writing here is as brilliant as it is bleak, this isn't feel-good film on any level and it is liable to traumatise any Bat-fans looking for a standard superhero (or even villain) romp.

'future vigilante?'

Certainly, comic book villains don't come much more iconic than the Joker, he is a character that somehow transcends understanding with his charismatic insanity and casual ultra-violence. So it's a tough brief to make him the central character of the film as he is normally held up as existing solely as the flip side of Batman’s vigilante justice – but Phoenix pulls it off in fine style.

Joker the movie, however, works as a twisted masterpiece that may well tear your soul apart. Any film that can induce menace by playing Stephen Sondheim ‘Send in the Clowns’ and reference such light-hearted movies like Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Modern Times’ whilst being a chilling crime drama on a par with Taxi Driver deserves serious consideration as something much more than the standard super-flicks that have become such big business.

'go with a smile'

What we have here is the full-throttle descent of a misunderstood man who has no positive reference points. Joker is a timely instant classic, put on a happy face and see it!!


Out of a potential 5 - you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö

(5 - Tragic insanity has never been more compelling)

Awesomeness ööööö – Staggering insights into a violent descent

Laughs ööö – Some very dark laughs

Horror öööö – Strong bloody violence and unsettling madness

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Look beyond the outside smile

Want some more madness? 

Check out COMPLETE DARKNESS which delivers near future nightmares...

Matt visits Ladyworld...

Ladyworld (18)

Dir. Amanda Kramer

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

'I don’t want to be dramatic – but it looks like we’re trapped...’

Agitated young women, trapped in a house with food supplies running dangerously low and sanity slipping away… This freaky new femme-em-up version of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies takes place in the grim aftermath of a birthday party.

Director Amanda Kramer goes all out with this freaky, arty drama that allows the actors to tap into their characters as the camera tracks their mental and physical disintegration. There is very little ‘plot’ so as to speak – just a psychological breakdown on a group scale as the damage to the apartment seals in the unfortunate females.

'the last supper?'

With little sign that rescue is on the way – and an unwillingness to try and ‘dig for freedom’ through the dirt outside – the rules of civilization collapse and a power struggle sees the girls split into two hostile groups. Underlying bigotry, fear and bitchiness surface as manipulation becomes the name of the game…

To make the situation worse there is a rumour that there is a ‘Man’ in the apartment somewhere. Seen by Eden (Atheena Frizzell) who later disappears – has she been attacked, or might she have found an escape route?

'Make your own entertainment'

The rest of the girls: Olivia (Ariela Barer), Dolly (Ryan Simpkins), Piper (Annalise Basso), Blake (Odessa Adlon), Romy (Maya Hawke), Amanda (Tatsumi Romano) and Mallory (Zora Casebere) are unsure. Delirium starts to seep into their minds, they become scared that this male interloper -thinking he must be a pervert looking to attack them. Things start to get potentially violent as the young women tool up with knives to fight off this literal ‘bogeyman’…

Overall Ladyworld is a strange film. The tiny budget means that all the heavy lifting is on the female cast, it doesn’t always pay off but there are flashes of inspiration. Speaking of which in places it has the feel of a low budget alternative Mean Girls – with much fewer laughs…

'Standoff'

One for those looking to test themselves rather than seeking any sort of ‘entertainment’!?

Out of a potential 5 - you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö

(3 - Freaky and off-kilter experimental stuff)

Awesomeness ööö – Some great scenes of palpable panic

Laughs öö – Some dark humour

Horror ööö – Disturbing in places

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Do you really know the person next to you?

Matt Gets Ready or Not

Ready or Not (18)

Dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

'Hide and Seek? Are we really going to play that?’

Want to play a game? How about Hide & Seek where if you’re found – you die… Yes, this crazy new part horror /part dark comedy flick from the makers of Devil’s Due - a twisted and very violent romp based on the children’s game.

Meet Grace (Samara ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ Weaving), a young bride who has just married her true love, Alex Le Domas (Mark ‘Arrival’ O'Brien). He hails from an obscenely wealthy family that made its fortune by manufacturing board games. The Le Domas clan, however, seem to have made something of Faustian pact as whenever someone new joins the family, they must play a game.

'Till death us do part...'

Grace is initially up for this odd midnight game ritual, until she discovers the game is Hide & Seek, and her new relatives will be hunting her down with real weapons. What follows is her attempt to stay alive for the entire night as the try their best to murder her.

The whole caper is played for maximum fun and yet doesn’t skimp on the jumps and gore too. The cast which includes Herny Czerny as patriarch Tony Le Domas, Andie MacDowell as his wife Becky, and Adam Brody as Alex's brother Daniel all bring their ‘A’ game and seem to be having a whale of a time.

The directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett don’t hold back – Ready or Not earns it’s 18 rating with strong language, bloody deaths and grim subject matter. But it is also laugh-out-loud funny and had the feel of a potential cult classic like ‘You’re Next’.

'Hunting for a bride'

It’s perfect Friday night thrills for this time of year as we start to think about Halloween. The script packs sinister laughs, courtesy of wickedly quotable dialogue. The elder aunt of the family played by Nicky Guadagni is a caustic old crony who disses everyone – for example, she refers to her niece only as ‘brown-haired niece, you continue to exist’…

As the body count rises and the dawn ticks closer – things get seriously out of control. It might just be that their fate of all the other family members depends on their killing young Grace. So it becomes a literal fight to the death.

Ready or Not is a wild ride – a fun and irreverent hunt -em-up which will please those looking for some dark fun…

Out of a potential 5 - you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö1/2

(3.5 - Lots of fun minor cult classic in the making)

Awesomeness öööö – Brutal fun and 'games'

Laughs ööö – Very funny in places

Horror öööö – Gets nicely grim

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - Families can be murder!