Tribesmen: Cinema's a Killer

In Adam Cesare's breakneck publishing debut Tribesmen, a barebones cast and crew headed by a sleazy film director, travel to an out of the way island to film an exploitation movie and get more than they bargained for. A loving tribute to the insanity that was Italian gore flicks like Cannibal Holocaust, Cesare takes several important cues from those movies besides the violence. The most important of which is the pacing. He keeps characterization to a minimum in order to notch up the frenzy of his novella sized story. This, for the most part, works. We essentially are handed cue card snippets of characterization that in broad strokes tell us the island is cursed, the director only cares about himself, who to root for, and who will probably die.

Black T Shirt Books 2019 Edition

That is the singular problem with the novella though. If you have seen any amount of horror movies especially slashers, there aren't any surprises in the narrative. Saying that, the novella is still a ton of fun. The initial kill that sets off the crew's descent into madness is brilliantly done and the character's telegraphed as "hero" are likable enough. Although not perfect, if you're looking for a snappy fun read with well done violence give Tribesmen a look.

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