Devoured the first book and about halfway through the sequel. I'd highly recommend grabbing one of them if you are looking for a fun summer read. Cool trailer for the book below... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5swoHS21tBw Don Coscarelli adapted the book into a film that I also enjoyed. Anyone here a fan of the books?
Yeah...I would say if you like the movie you'll love the book and if you love the book you might not like the movie. Also this a"cracked" me up(Yuk Yuk)...
Thought the book was fun for the most part. Sometimes it dragged and seemed like he was trying to find interesting things to fill it with. The movie, for me, was a big disappointment. Lost its way.
I think a lot of people felt this way. Maybe it had a lot to do with how compressed it is and of course the budget. For me I think the first act is perfect. Sure it has some changes from the book but really keep the feel of the book. The strongest part of the whole film is the casting. Chase Williamson does a great job as Dave and Rob Mayes is the perfect fun alcoholic good natured Jon. The two strongest characters for me were Paul Giamatti as Arnie and Tai Bennett as Robert Marley(Oh boy...When he gives the speech). Watching the film I think you can tell the actors spent the time and actually read the book. BTW...Did you read the sequel?
Korrok is pleased. Also here's a great pic of the author... Supposedly his face is less blurry in real life.
I haven't read the sequel. I have it but after the movie haven't had the interest. The good thing for me about reading this was that it opened me up to new genres. Not sure how much I will follow the 'new weird' but it got me to become far more eclectic and veer off from fantasy and the occasional politics. So followed that with Fight Club, Jagannath, Bad Monkey, Raising Stony Mayhall, and others. So the end result is very positive.
This actually answered what would have been my follow up question. I've read "Fight Club" but not the others. I'll have to look into a couple of those. Thanks!
Unfortunately the book reminded me a lot of Joe R. Lansdale's work. John Dies At The End felt like a weaker version of what would happen if Hap & Leonard found themselves in any one of Lansdale's horror shorts. All that aside, the book was still pretty good. I'll read the sequel and the movie's still on my list. But I'm also not in any rush to do either.
Thanks for posting, I had no idea that the movie was based on a book (seems like they are not doing this anymore in hollywood . . . if they are not doing reboots, they seem to be doing fine without a script at all (*cough* prometheus *cough*). Anyway, this will be next after I finished Palahniuk's Damned. Oh, and I for my part was totally blown away by the movie.
I think that's a fair comparison(For some reason I thought of William S Burroughs?). I think what separates them for me is that I find Lansdale's work a lot more gritty than Wong's. I also think Wong focuses more on humor in the books. No problem but...Ya owe me a beer man! If you end up picking up the books I'd say start with the sequel.
Just started on '....Spiders..." and enjoying it more, so far, than the first book. Feels like he is trying less to be quirky. The flow is better. Sort of in the same vein I just read Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz and Lexicon by Max Barry. Deeply Odd is simply, fun, and quick. Not quite as New Weird as it is basic good vs evil with the spirit world thrown in. Felt sometimes that Koontz was pushing a bit of Christianity on me which I do not enjoy. He also tries to hard with the metaphores filling up pages with it like a fantasy novel will ramble on about pageantry. Also not New Weird, Lexicon was excellent. Kind of of a mix between chaos magic, psychology, and corporate conspiracy. Felt like it could have been a novel by Grant Morrison if Grant wrote novels. Highly recommended.
Just started on '....Spiders..." and enjoying it more, so far, than the first book. Feels like he is trying less to be quirky. The flow is better. Sort of in the same vein I just read Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz and Lexicon by Max Barry. Deeply Odd is simply, fun, and quick. Not quite as New Weird as it is basic good vs evil with the spirit world thrown in. Felt sometimes that Koontz was pushing a bit of Christianity on me which I do not enjoy. He also tries to hard with the metaphores filling up pages with it like a fantasy novel will ramble on about pageantry. Also not New Weird, Lexicon was excellent. Kind of of a mix between chaos magic, psychology, and corporate conspiracy. Felt like it could have been a novel by Grant Morrison if Grant wrote novels. Highly recommended.
I am half through 'John...' and really enjoying it. Too bad I have seen the movie before reading the book - the book is both, scary gruesome and funny but since I am always reminded of the hilarious movie, the scary parts of the book cannot work as they should. Great read and again: Thanks for the tip.
Glad you are enjoying it. If you enjoyed it I recomend picking up "This Book is Full of Spiders" next. Wong took everything good about "John Dies at the End" and perfected it IMO.
The new Wong is out Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits: A Novel (It is not a JDATE book, but he has already started working on the third installment.) Just got it today and love it already though I am only on page 5. Oh, and he did an AMA on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3nuwhb/i_am_author_and_crackedcom_executive_editor_david/
Thanks for mentioning the new release. On my list. First though it brought me to another book, The Unnoticeables, which I am blasting through. Smart, funny. Taking place in poverty '77 NY Punk and current LA desperate survival among the film scene.
It is coming. http://jdate3.com/ I can't wait! @SoS: I just finished The Unnoticeables. Pretty fun, though I liked Brockway's Everything Is Going to Kill Everybody much more. Have you read the second part of the The Unnoticeables, The Empty Ones?
