Review - the ‘Wrong Turn’ Series

I don’t generally watch slashers involving psycho killers, mainly because I’m uneasy about films which show mental illness or disability in a bad light.

Having got that out of the way, I bought a multi of the ‘Wrong Turn’ series because my local DVD retailer was selling them at a price I couldn’t refuse.  So, what did I think of the series (which didn’t include the sixth installment)?

For my money I got a succession of films about a family of inbred hillbillies living in a remote area who live by slaughtering and eating wayward travelers – usually sex-crazed college kids, I suppose showing the films’ target audience.

The gore is laid on thick, but in a more tongue in cheek way than in a lot of slashers, a sign that the films take themselves less than seriously.  After watching the first two the formula became predictable but enjoyable, although by the last film I was ready for the series to finish.  It became a bit like listening to an AC/DC or Status Quo album for the first time, you know what you’re going to get which is generally young people being cut up and eaten (in the films, not the albums!), although each of the films had a clever twist at the end.

The series’ strong points are:

• Not having to indulge in backstory, which is straightforward;
• Simple, easy to follow plots;
• Fun twists at the end;
• Not taking itself seriously which allows for some black humour.

The weak points are:

• Little variety in the characters;
• Little imagination in the plotting;
• Some highly implausible deaths.

My favourite in the series was the second, which was genuinely a fun watch.  It had a good mix of characters and tongue in cheek, over the top gore, while maintaining tension.

The weakest in my opinion was three, which involved escaped prisoners and a list of obnoxious characters whose fate I was largely ambivalent to.

Overall this is an entertaining if not groundbreaking series and I’d give it 3/5.

‘The Door into War’– Release

I’ve been told by Rebel ePublishers that ‘The Door into War’ will be published on 11 November 2016.  As it deals with World War One, publication on 11 November – Armistice Day – seems appropriate.

The kindle version is already up for pre-order on Amazon – here’s the buy link.

The story is a science fiction tale of time travel, about how modern politicians arrange for social undesirables to be sent back in time to the First World War to help resolve the allies’ manpower crisis.

Here’s the blurb:

Archaeologist Rachel McKenzie expects the excavation of a World War One bunker to yield routine results – until she uncovers modern artefacts among a handful of skeletons in British uniforms. DNA testing provides evidence of a government scheme to address Britain’s shortage of soldiers in 1918 by abducting 21st century citizens and sending them back in time to fight the Germans. The authorities from both eras are desperate to keep ‘Operation Trench’ secret, and ruthlessly stamp down on anyone who might expose them.

Despite her scepticism about time travel, Rachel needs to persuade the public that ‘Operation Trench’ is much more than a conspiracy theory dreamed up by cranks. Battling against ever increasing odds to expose the plot, Rachel endangers herself and her colleagues as the government ruthlessly culls those they suspect are privy to their plan.

Can Rachel make the truth public before she and her colleagues become victims of the very scheme they are trying to stop? Or will those in power take brutal revenge against her?

As always, a big thank you to everyone who made the book happen: too many to list here, but I must mention Jayne for both taking the book on and for a thorough editing job.