Video Night is a book that I’ve seen often on social media lately. Between photos of it at Scares That Care and fellow NightWorms talking about it, I did some further investigation. No sooner than I read the back cover description “John Hughes meets John Carpenter”, did I immediately purchase this book. I wasn’t disappointed.
Video Night is the story of high school best friends Billy and Tom. Despite being polar opposites, they’ve maintained a close friendship, one that is likely to end at the end of senior year. The boys come up with the idea to get Tom’s girlfriend to bring a friend for Billy to hang out with at one of their "Video Nights". Like all of the best-laid plans in horror, things don’t even come close to going smoothly. This book, despite being horror, was such a joy to read. Adam Cesare crafted a novel that feels like it was ripped directly from '80’s cinema. Obviously that was the intent, but holy shit did Cesare nail it. The book hits the ground running in chapter one, setting forth the events which make up what has to be one of the most fun horror novels I’ve ever read. The characters in Video Night are awesome. Cesare does such an immaculate job of building the characters in this book that you feel as if you know them. Hell, you could BE one of them yourself. The great characters are also complimented by awesome aliens. The creatures found within these pages are disgusting. Cesare does a wonderful job describing the invaders, really allowing you to picture what they look like and they aren’t pretty. The extraterrestrials in Video Night are ruthless, laying waste to those in their path, hellbent on carrying out their plan. Things escalate from bad to worse in the most wonderful way possible. Towards the end of the book, I found myself procrastinating. Not because I didn’t want to read the book anymore, but because I was sad to see it end. The entirety of Video Night is a masterful display of 80’s horror nostalgia, right through to the satisfying conclusion.
Video Night by Adam Cesare is a must-own for any fan of the genre, but doubly so for fans of the ’80s. I’m a sucker for 80’s nostalgia, despite having grown up as a 90’s child. Video Night fills a void in my heart, allowing me to revisit a period in time that I often wish I had been a part of.
5/5 stars
John is a native of Cranston, Rhode Island. He served 4 years in the United States Marine Corps, deploying twice to Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s a lover of all things horror, pizza and cheeseburgers. When he’s not reading or watching boxing he spends his time with his amazing wife and two beautiful sons.
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