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Knuckle Supper

Drew Stepek has balls. Big ones. In a day and age when vampires are funny, charming, sexy or even sparkly, he grabs bloodsuckers and drags them back into the gutter. Stepek’s vampires are not the tormented lovesick cover boys that can be purchased at Wal-Mart and hung on your niece’s bedroom wall. No, these vampires are true monsters, composed of drug addicts, thieves, murderers, and rapists. The type that truly relish in the grotesque, chaotic blur of drugs and served body parts left in their wake. Mr. Stepek has truly created a counter balance to the vampire craze that has romanced us all.

Stepek’s book Knuckle Supper focuses on R.J., leader of “The Knucklers”, a gang of vampires that spend their days (or nights) using prostitutes and pimps as human funnels for heroin (trust me you’ll understand once you read the first three pages). One of these prostitutes, a 12-year-old girl named Bait, is reluctantly taken in by R.J, though she proves to be more mascot then street walker. With his gang feeling he’s gone soft and R.J. left holding the bag for a drug deal gone south, R.J. let’s his second in command, Dez, talk him into selling the drugs. Of course said drugs belong to a rival gang of rasta vampires known as “The Battlesnakes” (Yes, I know that’s an amazing name) and as you can guess not too long after the proverbial shit hit’s the fan.

It’s hard not to feel sympathetic for a character like R.J., all the guy wants to do is turn a no good street pimp into a human heroin needle then sit back and listen to his vintage punk records. Who among us hasn’t had a day like that ruined by a teenage prostitute’s pop bottle abortion?

In a book like Knuckle Supper there are no “good guys", only varying degrees of bad. And as if his own gang turning on him and a bunch of pissed off rasta-pires (see what I did there) wasn't enough, R.J. also has to deal with "The Cloth", a mysterious group of religious vampire hunters that know more about R.J’s past than he cares to know himself. The less I say about The Cloth the better, don’t except any M. Night twists here. Just answers.

This book pulls no punches, it's a nasty, hardcore, piece of literature that has you laughing one minute and choking down vomit the next. A true testament to Stepek is how he makes you relate to and even care about these characters, which is saying a lot, as most are vile degenerates. As R.J. says in the book “I don’t know why we’re alive or what purpose we have besides delivering misery and death, I can tell you one thing though, there’s something human in us all.’

If you’re like me and have always wondered what would happen if Chuck Palahniuk did crystal meth then decided to write a mash up of the Lost Boys, Clockwork Orange and The Warriors, then this is the book for you. It's running pretty cheap right now at everyone's favorite Internet super store so do yourself a favor and buy this book. 

****1/2

auth. Drew Stepek

pub. Alphar 

Review contributed by Bub Smith

The King of Desiderate

Desire is a high wire, that seems to need very little concentration or balance to cross. Needlessly putting us into a perilous situation that comes on too late to sense any real danger. Throwing chance into the wind for a shot at short lived glory. The strobing lights of the mind, disorienting any real common sense to the point of humor. Willing to give up near anything, for slightest glint of hope. A far away light at the end of tunnel that will only get brighter, the faster you sprint towards it, to find it stays at the same distance as where your journey began. You must be getting closer? The nature of human instinct demands so. Like reading a map through a key hole,the madding task of trying to decipher if what your seeing, is in fact accurate.

Could it be this easy to navigate? 

Could i possibly have the map all wrong? 

What if i'm off course? 

Who will right this ship?

Soon your self survival kicks in. Look, just a few more inches and i have finished this treacherous task. Feet safely upon solid ground again. 

Did i cross this unscathed? 

Surely i gained more then i lost from the whole ordeal?

Why do i want pancakes now?

Anyways, check the album: Django Django-S/T. One of my favorite albums of the year....so far.

Faithfully yours,

                    E. Hines

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Continuing my "Best of the Rest" series featuring films from 2011 that I didn't think got nearly the credit they deserved I give you Martha Marcy May Marlene. This is a hauntingly beautiful film about a teenage girl who runs away from home only to unknowingly be taken in by a cult. "Martha" is portrayed by the amazingly talented Elizabeth Olsen, in fact she's so good in this film (her first by the way) that I almost forgot she's related to those Olsen's. The film is wonderfully directed by first time writer/director Sean Durkin, who weaves a fantastic piece of non-linear story telling masterfully. Though the film often jumps back and forth between Martha's time with the cult and her present day surroundings where she's been taken in by her estranged sister Lucy(Sarah Paulson) and Lucy's husband Ted (Hugh Dancy) you never seem to lose your place. Her time in the cult is chilling to say the least, the women are often separated from the men, and used only for household chores and sex. While the cults leader "Patrick" played by the always stellar John Hawkes holds sway over the cult using both a tactile force and an almost calming manipulation. Martha's naivety is pounced on immediately by Patrick and she soon becomes one of his most trusted allies, but an unforgettable event forces Martha to flee the cult, turning to the only person she has left, her sister Lucy. Once back in the real world Martha struggles to come to grips with the life she's left behind and her current environment where she really doesn't seem to belong. This film can only be described as a slow roller coaster, twists and turns are abound, but it's done with such a paced cadence that the details are really given time to sink it. This was easily one of the best films I saw all last year and I am greatly encouraged by the new careers of both Elizabeth Olsen and Sean Durkin. I was very impressed to see two people make such an impact in each their debut film, and I can only hope for much more impressive work to follow. 

****1/2

Matha Marcy May Marlene

writ. and dir. Sean Durkin

feat. Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, 

and John Hawkes(R)

Bellflower

Now that the Oscars have passed and the awards have been handed down I think it's time to shed some light on the best films you didn't see last year, and in my opinion there's no better place to start then with Bellflower. This hellahsish love story was one of the best film I saw in 2011 and though it'd never pass for a blockbuster you'd be shocked to find out it was made for a mere $17,000.  In true Robert Rodriquez fashion writer, director, and star Evan Glodell knows how to stretch a buck. He build "Medusa", the 72' Buick Skylark converted into a Mad Maxien hell machine, the massive flamethrower producing what I could only guess were 20 foot flames, and the one of a kind Silicon Imaging SI-2K mini digital used to shoot the film. Glodell plays "Woodrow" a hard drinking, weapons building, Apocalypse enthusiast who's consistently flanked by childhood best friend "Aiden"played by Tyler Dawson. The two grew up obsessed with Mad Max(didn't we all) and are determined to remain standing as the rest of the world perishes around them. That plan however gets derailed the second Woodrow meets "Millie"(Jessie Wiseman) a hard drinking hell raiser herself. The two fall in love, fall out of love, and as is always the case when relationships bound by booze and adrenaline end, all hell breaks loose. I can't say enough about this film, much like "Monsters" the year before it's proven yet again that you don't need a million dollar budget to make a great film. I don't quite have my rating system worked out yet so at this point I'll just use stars based on a scale of 1-5. Please do yourself a favor and watch this film, and while you're at it build yourself a flamethrower. I mean it is 2012 isn't it?

****
Bellflower
writ. and dir. Evan Glodell;
feat. Evan Glodel, Tyler Dawson,
and Jessie Wiseman (R)

Cannes 2012

In honor of Cannes naming Marilyn Monroe this year's festival icon I though I would pass along the newly released festival poster. Much like everything else Cannes does this poster is fantastic, it's beautiful in it's simplicity and the perfect way to mark the festival's 65th anniversary as this year will be the 50th anniversary of Marilyn's death.  In addition Miss Monroe will be honored with a tribute to her career which will coincide with the festivals own anniversary celebration. And just as a head's up, I'll be reviewing each of the film's from this years festival as soon as the official selections are announced.

And the blogging begins!

What is The Vulgarian you ask? The Vulgarian is a collection of reviews, editorials, photos, findings and all things wonderful brought to you by a group of contributors well knowledged in movies, music, comic books, television, literature, and anything else you can possibly imagine. We want to share with the world the things we enjoy most and will be doing so by regularly updating this blog with any and everything that peaks our interest good or bad. So please, follow along and maybe you'll come across something that peaks your interest as well.