Greetings, Readers Digested! For those of you who’re unaware, my name is Nicholas “Nick” McConnaughay, and I run the day to day on the morbid, little website you’re looking at.
I have decided to make a better effort at writing personal blogs for Readers Digested. Some of them will have a more casual vibe to them, whereas some of them will touch on more formal subjects regarding RD. For clarification, anything deemed significant about the website will be included in the Front desk section, and The Gray Fox blog will be more about adding my own personal perspective on them.
I will also talk about what films I have been watching, and, occasionally, I will offer anecdotes I think you will enjoy.
Every entry, I will culminate by adding a single film to a list, the list. if you will, and detail some of why I included it.
Create Something.
The Dreamers Hallow contest began on February 17th and I am mostly encouraged by the outcome we have had. It was the highest-viewed post this month. More importantly, I have had a handful of submissions, and, some of them, I think, will find their way into the Anthology. I think that’s benefited by our decision to include a monetary incentive, which I think, shows everyone how serious we are about it. I am not a rich man, but I am an inspired, ambitious one, who hopes to have something concrete to show all of you shortly.
As of now, I believe Dreamers Hallow will be heavy lifted by Scott Moore and myself. Thus far, I have written a novelette called The One-Two Punchline and he has written a novelette called The Color House, both of which are available onAmazon for the Readers Digested [Presents] selection.
Currently, Scott is polishing a second novelette, whereas I am polishing an old short story and beginning a new slasher novelette I am hopeful will be available on Amazon for a March 31st release. Meanwhile, Scott’s, we’re thinking will be released sometime in the same window.
Afterwards, we will be moving straight ahead with the next onslaught of [Presents] installments, with he and I both having ideas in mind.
By the time the smoke settles, Scott and I’s combined effort will be enough for the first installment of the Dreamers Hallow anthology, but, that should be taken as a precaution, so to speak. Dreamers Hallow will come out before October this year. Since we are a new Publishing initiative, I understand we have to build momentum and, most of all, create products.
If we are able to find a lot of interested writers, I’d love for us to be able to publish Dreamers Hallow and Dreamers Hallow II in time for Halloween.’
I have also been developing a new, full length novel called 52 Corpse Pick Up, which, while already far along, has a lot of work left on it. I hope to talk with you guys about it some more later on.
Movies.
Earlier this month, I started South Korean Sunday on Readers Digested. This was, honestly, a more personal decision. Readers Digested receives viewership from all across the world – mostly Stateside, of course, but, also, the United Kingdom, Canada, and this month, especially, Sweden. Ironically though, since starting the new series, we haven’t received a single view from South Korea.
That aside, I didn’t start reviewing South Korean movies for the viewership, per se. Although I did review the new film Willy’s Wonderland and hope to review as many new films as I can. Instead, I did it in order to add some depth to the content
I have a couple other websites cooking behind-the-scenes, specifically a gaming website and a writing website, both of which I am very excited to introduce to you all. They’ll, however, be a little more generalized / professional, meanwhile Readers Digested, I think, works best because of the loose, carefree and personal approach. I have the opportunity to write about something weird or different, and I want to embrace that.
Thus far, revisiting South Korea has brought mixed results, I think. I enjoyed I Saw the Devil a lot, but I already knew I enjoyed it a lot, you know? I was hoping to uncover a handful of great movies to bring back with me and recommend, but, so far, that hasn’t happened yet. It is still early though, and my goal is to write about twenty-five new South Korean movies before I move onto a new subject.
The List.
For the first addition in the list., since it seemed thematic and symmetrical, I decided I would single-out a South Korean film. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the film Parasite came out of nowhere. The black-comedy thriller became the first South Korean film ever to obtain mainstream theatrical success, grossing nearly 300 million worldwide, and was the first South Korean film ever to be awarded the Academy Award for Best Picture (and Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film).
Although I am certain it will have its detractors in years to come, I believe it was a fantastic film and, at this moment, the best South Korean film I have ever seen. The film is bolstered by enigmatic performances, a timely yet eccentric narrative, and a talented director at his best (he previously directed the very good Snowpiercer film as well).
1.) Parasite
Check out my full review of the Parasite film here.
End.
Come next Gray Fox, I hope to have at least halfway finished my new Slasher novelette, have stuck with the South Korean Sunday, and, hopefully, even, be able to unveil the new videogame website I have been developing offsite. Until next time, …
Peace, love, and chicken grease,
McConnaughay