Book Review: 33 A.D. by David McAfee

What if vampires were around when Jesus roamed the Jerusalem countryside? That's the premise we find in David McAfee's brilliant novel, 33 A.D. Now, I have to be honest. I bought this book for my Amazon Kindle not because I previously read Mr. McAfee's work, but because it was so damn inexpensive, I couldn't pass it up. I think I got it on sale for like 99 cents or something, but let me tell you, it was the best dollar I ever spent! This book is an action-packed extravaganza of entertainment.

McAfee's story introduces us to a society of vampires living in the age of Jesus. When one of the vampires decides to start following the teachings of this mysterious new Rabbi, the vampire elders send an assassin to dispatch the traitor and take out the Nazarene. What develops is an elaborate plot full of twists and turns that ensures the crucifixion of Jesus in what the vampires hope will eradicate his new threat. Filled with superb characters and crackling violence, this story doesn't relent until the final page is turned and once done, it leaves you wanting more. Thankfully, a sequel is in the works!

33 A.D. is hands-down one of my favorite reads of 2011 thus far. For a genre that's been all but drained of its blood, McAfee has managed to breathe some new life into it by concocting a fresh and original vision. Thanks for this excellent escape from reality Mr. McAfee, and I wait anxiously for your next chapter in this tale. 33 A.D. gets ***** out of *****.

Buy 33 A.D. for your Kindle for just $2.99 by clicking below!

Short Film Review: Gitchy

He'll make you laugh... till you DIE!! Now, how can you go wrong with a tag line like that? As writer/director Thomas Norman show us, you can't! Gitchy is a short horror/comedy that introduces us to a new independent horror icon, Gitchy the Clown. To be honest, I don't know what's more disturbing, Gitchy's look or the way he talks. When combined, this clown can be downright disturbing.

The plot goes like this: Since the untimely death of their parents, David and Kimberly have had a rough time of it. David has been experiencing mental breakdowns and visions of a 400-pound killer clown. In fact, he believes that his parents were tickled to death by the clown. Kimberly does her best to help David and even gets him professional help, but nothing stops his disturbing dreams. Eventually, everyone connected to David finds out that Gitchy the Clown is all too real.



Gitchy is a very well-made short film. The cinematography is excellent, the sound design is impressive and the pacing is spot on, especially for such a low-budget film and one that clocks in at 32 minutes to boot. The actors do their best, but it's ultimately Gitchy, played by Greg Gale, who steals the show. I think what was most impressive was that Norman took a bare-bones approach to his film, keeping blood and guts to a minimum while upping the ew-factor in more creative ways, like Gitchy's use of whipped cream and the ensuing toe lick. That scene still makes me shudder when I think about it.

All in all, I really liked this short film. It made me laugh, it made me shutter and perhaps most surprisingly, it made me feel like I watched a full length movie. It will be interesting to see what Thomas Norman and his crew do once they expand to long-form film. Gitchy tickles **** out of *****.

Check out the Gitchy trailer: