Review: Holla for a Dolla
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 9, 2011
While horror isn't my first choice, it does hold a special place. Horror has such a broad brush too. My preference is the kind that crawls along my skin. Not in the `toss around blood and guts and teenagers doing the horizontal bop in the woods' kind. Surprise me. Show me that level of revenge and comeuppance that makes me cheer, not the crap ending of thinking one person gets away only for them to become food for the creepies. I'm looking at you, Decent, Part 2.Alright, enough rambling. On with the ins and outs of one Buck Horror's first issue by story.Jenny's HouseThe voice of this is of a young child and the overall tone is well done. It's a story of a friend going to his friend's Jenny's house for the equivalent of a play date. All is not well, however, in GI Joe Land because something festers in the basement and it doesn't like noise. Clue the curious kid who descends the basement steps and sends his brave GI Joe into the goo. Cue awakening goo and a panicked Jenny.A Lullaby for CalibanEnter a creepy carnival and an initiation to a local soda jerk club (minus the dancing) and you've got the next offering. What I loved about this one was the imagery and setting of tone. It made you feel like you were beside the MC sneaking through a carnie after dark.The Last NephewAh this one is my favorite of the bunch. It's a story of a boy living with a man his calls Uncle yet they are not of blood relations. Told in the first person, we see through the eyes of the MC well. Through veiled actions, we see the blossoming of deceit to save the other nephews before him. All to the tick tock of a watch.The CornfieldI'm going to be blunt here. This story is the ugly duckling of the group. The picked last at gym class dodge ball target. I really want to find a glimmer of hope in this one but for me, it fell flat. This is a story about walking through a snow-covered cornfield near creepy woods (though the distance isn't quite clear) and seeing glowing lights (and the words `lights' is used liberally) that grow in size. Enter the freaked out MC.The Ginger MenI guess you could call this one my second favorite as far as how well-written it is. It had a pod people feel to it but with a nice flaky crust. I wasn't sure of the age of the MC, other than they were young, but that didn't take away from the piece. A special green wiggly substance is used to make obedient spouses and what not with a little added revenge in ways. The calm cool demeanor of those allegedly not affected by the goo or the servants to the master is downright creepy.All in all, this first edition was well done. It offers something a little different than the norm and is in a genre that is a crowd pleaser. Scary is good and I'm hoping to see more from One Buck Horror.