It Came from the Multiplex

This excellent anthology of 14 horror shorts compiled by Viola (Finder’s Fee) is an escapist homage to the horror flicks and B-movies of the 1980s. The authors revel in eldritch terrors, gore-filled body horror, and the fear of the unknown. An introverted teen battles a horde of mind-devouring aliens who have invaded the world through film in Warren Hammond’s delightfully pulpy “Alien Parasites from Outer Space.” “Rise, Ye Vermin” by Betty Rocksteady is a gruesome account of a couple’s encounter with a demonic infestation of roaches at their local cinema, while “The Devil’s Reel” by Sean Eads and Joshua Viola sees the rise of a mysterious movie house that corrupts its patrons. The darkly comic “Creature Feature” by Gary Jonas follows a movie theater owner’s efforts to keep a group of Lovecraftian monsters entertained and so prevent them from subsuming the Earth in chaos. Stephen Graham Jones’s chilling “Coming Attractions” is a time-bending tale about a group of kids exploring a peculiar old movie theater. The universally well-paced, imaginative selections sizzle with energy, delivering an intoxicating blend of spine-tingling chills and ’80s nostalgia. This is sure to resonate with horror lovers. (Sept.)