Steve Balderson's The Casserole Club--A Review By William Butler

The Synopsis:

Steve Balderson’s new film, “The Casserole Club” focuses on a group of mod 1960’s era suburban housewives. Close-knit and neighborly, they are all bent on one-upping each other, trying to prove that each is “the hostess with the mostess.” They begin a recipe club, and hold dinner parties, testing out their new casseroles. But when the gatherings become increasingly focused on boozy flirtation, and more than recipes start getting swapped, the story moves swiftly from stylized and campy to a drama about irresponsibility, selfishness, and damaged people.

The Casserole Club--IMDB Page

The Trailer:

The Review:

The Casserole Club by Steve Balderson is one dish you can't stop eating. You will savor each bite as if it were your last. What leads from a quaint get together of friends and neighbors, turns into an exploration of dark inner feelings and desires. Steve Balderson brings you into the lives of five couples: Sugar (Susan Traylor) and Conrad (Kevin Richardson), Kitty (Starina Johnson) and Sterling (Garrett Swann), Jerome (Daniela Sea) and Leslie (Mark Booker), Marybelle (Jennifer Grace) and Max (Michael Maize), and finally Florene (Pleasant Gehman) and Burt (Hunter Bodine).

Sugar (Traylor) suggests that the women make a casserole dish and bring it to a little get together and let their husbands judge who made the best dish. The winner gets a T-shirt that says "Queen Casserole". This is only the beginning of what lies beneath the happy exterior of these home makers. The Casserole Club starts off as a comedy but quickly changes directions into a drama from this point on.

After the first party turns into a wife swap, the women feel awkward and the men seem to move on. It was interesting to see how the two sexes deal with the situation of that night. You also start to discover the issues lying underneath each character. Everything from cutting, self-loathing and sadness, homosexuality to questioning ones own desires in love and marriage. The way people tend to deceive themselves to make their lives better.

Set to the backdrop of the 1969 moon landing, as well as some major moments in history, which I might add are placed well within the film to set the mood of the scenes. The music goes very well with the current mood of the scenes as well. Another theme in the movie are the colors. I have to say that Steve Balderson knows how to weave visuals and sound together like a master chef. His direction is on point with what he is trying to portray to the audience. The actors bring each character to life and make you feel sympathy for them. You become connected with the characters and their issues. You can actually say to yourself that you know someone like this.

Overall, The Casserole Club is an excellent film that serves up a tasty dish that will tantalize ones taste buds. I highly recommend this movie to join anyone's DVD library. It's one movie you can watch over and over again, only to discover something you missed the first time around.

Check out The Casserole Club on it's official page at Dikenga.com: The Casserole Club

Bang vs Julianne Snow

Please welcome Julianne Snow to Bang Noir! I am very grateful that she has come here to share with us her first novel DAYS WITH THE UNDEAD. Go check her out!! and buy her book, it's great!!

About the Author - Julianne Snow

It was while watching Romero's Night of the Living Dead at the tender age of 6 that solidified Julianne’s respect of the Undead. Since that day, she has been preparing herself for the (inevitable) Zombie Apocalypse. While classically trained in all of the ways to defend herself, she took up writing in order to process the desire she now covets; to bestow a second and final death upon the Undead. 

As the only girl growing up in a family with four children in the Canadian countryside, Julianne needed some form of escape. Her choice was the imaginations of others which only fostered the vibrancy of her own. The horror and forensic/crime thriller genres top her list of favourites, but she can never turn down a good science fiction, fantasy or mystery read. 

Julianne appears in the anthology Women of the Living Dead with a story entitled The Living Dead at Penderghast Manor. Look for her short stories in future anthologies. Days with the Undead: Book One is her first full-length book, the basis of which can be found in her popular web serial of the same name.

Days with the Undead: Book One Synopsis:

It’s a journal of survival.

Five people set out to escape the Undead who have risen too close to home. Join the emotional and physical struggle as they began on the third day after the awakening of Brooks VanReit, as they are recorded from the point of view of Julie, a former pathologist and part-time survivalist.

Each entry is geared toward helping those who want to help themselves and maybe give a few that don’t a swift kick in the ass. Join our group of survivors on their journey through these Days with the Undead.

The Post

Bang Noir has been one of my go-to blogs for quite some time so imagine my delight in finding out that I would be guesting with the handsome and charming William Butler. William is the author of a great many books, all of which are great – but those of you that follow his blog already know that. Taking into account the fact that I have been influenced by many of the Indie authors that I now call friends, I took a look into my past and remembered…

My Earliest Literary Horror Influences

I have been a fan of horror since the first moment that I can remember. Books, films - you name it and I will find a way to read it or watch it. I love the momentary feeling that being frightened creates within my body. Ruminating on this topic, I can’t help but remember back to those first books that helped to cement my love of the genre.

The first horror story that I ever read was The Mist by Stephen King. I was around eight years old at the time and I remember being scared by that ominous fog that rolled in. Sometime in the next few days, a layer of light fog rolled over the landscape outside of my window and I can remember the feeling of dread that overcame me. Luckily, it passed without incident.

After reading The Mist, I recall asking my elementary school librarian, Mr. Connor, at the age of ten if there was anything that he could recommend for me. I had spent the previous few years reading my brother’s Stephen King novels and my mother’s Robin Cook books so I was looking for something new. My elementary school only went as high as grade six at the time, so it’s understandable that there were limited offerings from Scholastic available.

Some might look at what followed as an interesting reaction to a ten year old’s request to stock horror stories, but Mr. Connor ordered one per month for the school library. Whether it was his desire to foster my love of reading or a twisted way to suss out my limitations for horror, none of it really mattered. I was going to get access to new and exciting reads.

The first book that came in was Slumber Party by Christopher Pike. Admittedly it was Young Adult Horror and I was used to reading the full-fledged freak outs, but I devoured it! I took it home on a Friday and by the time I brought it back the following Monday, I had read it three times. That was the only drawback to being a fast reader – I’d have nothing else to read until the next Scholastic order came in…

After devouring Slumber Party, Mr. Connor tried to push Roald Dahl’s The Witches at me and while it was a good book, it was something I had already read. Knowing that I was unlikely to get any new or gratifying horror reads from my school library, I talked my mother into taking me to my local public library for some time among the stacks.

Now of course I had been there before and mainly it was to get additional works by King and Cook but admittedly, there were things in these books that had gone over my head the first time I had read them. Reading them again in adulthood has straightened quite a few of those things out. Discovering an author who wrote horror geared a little more toward my current age was like Christmas! As I scoured the racks for more by Christopher Pike, I found titles like Chain Letter, Gimme a Kiss and The Party. It was only a few titles at the time, but I had certainly found something new that I could really get into.

Quite by chance, I happened to glance up at the end of the bookshelves as I was preparing to leave with my new finds and discovered that the librarians had made finding new authors a little easier. Listed on pages of letter-sized paper were recommendations for other authors based on who you already enjoyed. That list held a few names but those names I would become very familiar with: Dean Koontz, Caroline B. Cooney and Richie Tankersley Cusick. I would have to say that Pike and Koontz along with King and Cook kept me quite busy. I was a voracious reader and would pretty much read anything that struck my fancy. Along with horror, I was reading a lot of science fiction mainly from Ray Bradbury, James Herbert and Jack Finney. It was a time of literary exploration and I enjoyed each and every minute of it.

If you’re interested in reading the posts and interviews that have made up the beginning of my Days with the Undead: Book One tour, you can mosey on over to The Sirens Call and check them out!

***

It was while watching Romero's Night of the Living Dead at the tender age of 6 that solidified Julianne’s respect of the Undead. Since that day, she has been preparing herself for the (inevitable) Zombie Apocalypse. While classically trained in all of the ways to defend herself, she took up writing in order to process the desire she now covets; to bestow a second and final death upon the Undead. As the only girl growing up in a family with four children in the Canadian countryside, Julianne needed some form of escape. Her choice was the imaginations of others which only fostered the vibrancy of her own.



Days with the Undead: Book One is her first full-length book, the basis of which can be found in her popular web serial of the same name. You can find Julianne’s The Living Dead of Penderghast Manor in the anthology Women of the Living Dead and an upcoming story in Sirens Call Publications first anthology Childhood Nightmares: Under The Bed.

 Where To Get It At

Date Released - February 29th, 2012

ISBN: 1468007998

ISBN-13: 978-1468007992

Available in print and digital formats.

Purchase Links - Print:

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3736479

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Days-Undead-Book-Julianne-Snow/dp/1468007998/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330611569&sr=8-1

Purchase Link - Digital:

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/137213

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Days-Undead-Book-One-ebook/dp/B007F14OTA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330471120&sr=8-2

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007F14OTA

Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B007F14OTA

Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B007F14OTA

Amazon ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B007F14OTA

Amazon IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B007F14OTA

The Bang Trilogy- Book Covers

Tim Jones had everything planned out. He was going to tell his wife, Shelley, that he still loved her. He didn't care if she cheated on him with his best friend, Frank.
He wanted Shelley back and was ready to move on...
That was until someone shot him...
It all began with a BANG. It sounds so simple and yet could be the beginning for any movie or book. But did Tim shoot himself or did someone try to kill him? And an even bigger question is WHY? A BANG is only a small portion of what is happening in this novel. Bang carries you through suspects and crimes committed by each of the characters--some worse than others. Noir at its best! This dark story has it all. Lies, deciet, sex, and murder. You wont believe what you read and will enjoy the thrill ride to the end.

LIES, SEX, DECEPTION and MURDER all come into play in this twisted sequel to William Butler's BANG. Claire Newman is at it again as she manipulates Tim Jones and a few new faces into her web of deceit. As for Tim, he has his own problems. With a fragmented memory, he sets out to forget the past and work on his future with a new relationship. But not even Claire will let Tim forget that faithful night he was shot. With twisted lies and truths twisted Claire won't rest until she has what she's set out to do...and the results could spell DEATH for a lot of people.

The story continues from the first book. A lot is going on and if you think that BANG was just about Tim Jones then you have a lot to learn...

Book 3 in the trilogy. Smoked pics up an hour before the last book ended. Talk about double crosses!! This book will bring all three books together and give you the roller coaster ride of your life!! 

Hold on to something baby, you're gonna be blown away.

BANG Vs. ONLY CHILD

Where to help with this project:

Kickstarter.com

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

ONLY CHILD is the second feature-length film in the Woman's Picture Series, created by Evelyn Avenue Productions. The film features Grace Zabriskie (Big Love, Twin Peaks) and Amy LaVere, who play an estranged mother and daughter with a hidden secret between them. As mother searches for daughter, trying to retrace her steps after a sudden disappearance, the women's shared background comes into sharper focus, revealing a strange and destructive bond.

ONLY CHILD is a modern day mother/daughter noir with influences as diverse as PSYCHO, THREE WOMEN, NOW, VOYAGER, and MILDRED PIERCE. The locales are the typical haunts of noir: neglected roadside motels, sun faded diners, and homes that hide menace under a veneer of fancy decor. The characters are trapped in the past but trying to move away from it. Their identities are fluid and merge, making it harder for them to know themselves and each other.


WHY KICKSTARTER AND WHAT DO YOU GET OUT OF IT?

We need to raise $20,000 to start filming in April. We’ve raised the majority of our budget, but we’re not “there” just yet. Reaching our Kickstarter goal is crucial to our success.

We’ve tried to come up with creative incentives to offer you for helping us out, things that give you something besides a short lived warm fuzzy feeling. I've looked to my collaborators at Evelyn Avenue for help, and they've been generous enough to offer you something in return. The incentives of our campaign are a diverse sampling of the talented people who intersect at Evelyn Avenue Productions.

Of course, we'll be trying to make a really good film, as well.

WHO ELSE IS SUPPORTING THIS FILM?



Recently I was awarded the 2012 Film/Video grant by Creative Capital for theWoman's Picture Series and the work at Evelyn Avenue. 46 artists were chosen for this grant, out of over three thousand applicants. Creative Capital offers support and resources to its recipients and helps move projects like Woman's Picture toward completion and success.

HOW WILL YOUR DONATION BE USED?

Your donation will go toward helping us shoot the film in April. Your help now, combined with Creative Capital’s support, will give us the last boost we need to make this film possible, completing our budget goal. Thanks for your willingness to help make the film.


WHAT IS WOMAN'S PICTURE?

A year ago, we started a series called Woman’s Picture (read a review here), a related collection of stories inspired by the women’s films of the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. The series is an homage to my childhood memories of my grandmothers and the films which remind me of them. I think of these cinematic portraits as an answer song, a way to recreate some of the stories I grew up hearing about the women in my family, their lives and the ways they were judged and viewed.

Part of what motivates me to do this series is my frustration with the way women are often depicted on screen. Hollywood and even many independent films seem to narrow down women characters in ways that contradict my own experience and the experience of most of the people I know. I want to see women characters who are as complex and inscrutable as the women I grew up around, and want to give the actresses I admire material to reflect that real life complexity on film.

The first feature film in the series (see trailer above) stars Ann Magnuson (as Miriam), Amy LaVere (pictured below as her character Loretta), and Calpernia Addams(as Ingrid). I was inspired by these actresses and wrote their parts explicitly for them. I love the women I work with and want to see them do something special on film. I try to write stories for them that provide them opportunities to do something unique, hopefully their best work, something people haven’t seen them do before maybe, something they haven’t tried to do themselves or been allowed to do.

Some of the related shorts in the Woman’s Picture series are featured on evelynavenue.com/videos/.




ONLY CHILD follows up with the character of Loretta. Along with Amy LaVere and Grace Zabriskie, ONLY CHILD features Angela Dee and Lindsey Roberts in principal roles.

WHY PERFUME?


When we started the Woman’s Picture series, I contacted my favorite perfumer, Zurich’s Andy Tauer (pictured above), about collaborating on a group of fragrances inspired by the characters in the films. Perfume was a big part of my childhood and plays a big role in the memories I have of the women in my family. Perfume is memory; like noir it merges past and present. Andy and I wanted to create scents that work with the films, enhancing the complexity of the characters even more. For this kickstarter campaign, Andy has created several exclusive items inspired by the stories of Loretta and her mother. Visit his blog.

Also, visit our blog evelynavenue.com, 'like' us on Facebook, and follow us onTwitter.

BANG Vs. THE UNDEAD

JULIANNE SNOW IS COMING TO BANG NOIR!! CHECK OUT HER BOOK FOR HER BLOG TOUR. A POSSIBLE QUESTION AND ANSWER ON MARCH 20TH!! BE HERE FOR JULIANNE SNOW'S GUEST POST...

DAYS WITH THE UNDEAD - BOOK 1

Press Release - Days with the Undead: Book One by Julianne Snow

Days with the Undead: Book One Synopsis:

It’s a journal of survival.

Five people set out to escape the Undead who have risen too close to home. Join the emotional and physical struggle as they began on the third day after the awakening of Brooks VanReit, as they are recorded from the point of view of Julie, a former pathologist and part-time survivalist.

Each entry is geared toward helping those who want to help themselves and maybe give a few that don’t a swift kick in the ass. Join our group of survivors on their journey through these Days with the Undead.

Date Released - February 29th, 2012

ISBN: 1468007998

ISBN-13: 978-1468007992

Available in print and digital formats.

Purchase Links - Print:

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3736479

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Days-Undead-Book-Julianne-Snow/dp/1468007998/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330611569&sr=8-1

Purchase Link - Digital:

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/137213

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Days-Undead-Book-One-ebook/dp/B007F14OTA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330471120&sr=8-2

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007F14OTA

Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B007F14OTA

Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B007F14OTA

Amazon ES: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B007F14OTA

Amazon IT: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B007F14OTA

About the Author - Julianne Snow

            It was while watching Romero's Night of the Living Dead at the tender age of 6 that solidified Julianne’s respect of the Undead. Since that day, she has been preparing herself for the (inevitable) Zombie Apocalypse. While classically trained in all of the ways to defend herself, she took up writing in order to process the desire she now covets; to bestow a second and final death upon the Undead.
             As the only girl growing up in a family with four children in the Canadian countryside, Julianne needed some form of escape. Her choice was the imaginations of others which only fostered the vibrancy of her own. The horror and forensic/crime thriller genres top her list of favourites, but she can never turn down a good science fiction, fantasy or mystery read. 
             Julianne appears in the anthology Women of the Living Dead with a story entitled The Living Dead at Penderghast Manor. Look for her short stories in future anthologies. Days with the Undead: Book One is her first full-length book, the basis of which can be found in her popular web serial of the same name.