Thommy Hutson Interview - Jinxed

Photo Content from Vesuvian Books

Born and raised in Upstate New York, Thommy Hutson graduated from UCLA and launched his career co-writing the story for the Warner Bros. animated hit SCOOBY-DOO IN WHERE’S MY MUMMY? He followed that with co-writing the concept and additional material for CHILL OUT, SCOOBY-DOO!

His career then took a thrilling turn when he wrote and produced several definitive genre film retrospectives for television and home entertainment: SCREAM: THE INSIDE STORY (Bio Channel), NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY (Bio Channel), MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD (Chiller) and HIS NAME WAS JASON: 30 YEARS OF FRIDAY THE 13th (Starz/Anchor Bay).

He was also a staff writer on Hulu’s daily web series “The Morning After,” a smart, witty, pop culture program aimed at getting viewers up-to-date on the latest entertainment news and celebrity interviews.

Thommy also produced the critically acclaimed feature THE TROUBLE WITH THE TRUTH, an insightful relationship drama starring Lea Thompson and John Shea. He also produced DREAMWORLD, a quirky, romantic dramedy.

He co-wrote and produced ANIMAL for Chiller Films and Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films. The project debuted in iTunes’ top ten horror films (reaching #1) and became the network’s highest-rated original movie.

Continuing his passion for uncovering the stories behind the story, he went on to produce CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13th, which is the most comprehensive look at the popular film franchise.

He produced and made his feature directorial debut with THE ID, an independent psychological drama/thriller. Filmmaker Magazine stated it was “a deeply unsettling thriller that’s as moving as it is frightening…with skillful, provocative direction that has echoes of early Polanski.”

Thommy also wrote the screenplay for Syfy Channel’s supernatural horror film TRUTH OR DARE, which was a trending topic on social media the night of its release.

As an author Thommy crafted a limited-edition coffee table book detailing the making and legacy of Wes Craven’s 1984 classic A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. A trade version distributed by Simon & Schuster reached number one in Amazon.com’s Movie History & Criticism category. His latest novel, the teen thriller “Jinxed,” (Vesuvian Media) is the first book of a trilogy and has been called “A must-read for classic horror fans…Inevitable and shocking. Brutal and beautiful. Homage and originality…Hutson could easily take on the mantle as the next Lois Duncan.”

He is currently scripting a film for The Hallmark Channel as well as writing another book that definitively details the history, making, and legacy of another fan-favorite genre film from the 1980s.

A member of the Producers Guild of America and Horror Writers Association, and an aficionado of horror and teen movies from the 80s and 90s, Thommy continues to develop unique, compelling, and provocative projects across multiple genres for film, television, publishing, and home entertainment through his company Hutson Ranch Media.

        

Paperback: 246 pages

Publisher: Vesuvian Books (March 13, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781944109127

ISBN-13: 978-1944109127

ASIN: 1944109129

Praise for JINXED

[Hutson] creates a gore-filled throwback to the classic teen slasher flick genre … Graphically detailed descriptions make it clear that this work of horror isn’t for the faint of heart. ―Publishers Weekly

Thommy Hutson’s ‘Jinxed’ is a Must Read for Classic Horror Fans (linked to full iHorror review)

“Hutson … knocked it completely out of the park … with an expertly paced, cinematic slasher in a setting that would make Agatha Christie proud.” ―Waylon Jordan, iHorror.com

“…gory but captivating … a masked murderer starts picking off the teens, killing them all in theatrically grisly ways. … entertaining” ―School Library Journal

“Thommy Hutson is the ultimate authority in nostalgia-driven storytelling.” ―Clive Barker, Bestselling Author of Books of Blood and The Thief of Always

“Jinxed is the teen whodunit that Wes Craven and Lois Duncan never made. Hutson has created the best new slasher franchise since Scream.” ―Peter M. Bracke, Author of Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th

“A dark, tension-filled thriller that’s wicked to the very end. Bad luck was never so much fun!” ―Jeffrey Reddick, Creator of Final Destination

  

Can you tell us when you started JINXED, how that came about?
The idea for “Jinxed” came out of two things. The first was definitely my love of horror and teen movies of the 80s and 90s. I grew up watching “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Friday the 13th,” “Halloween,” John Hughes movies, “Scream,” and many, many more. I always wanted to do something of my own that combined thrills, chills, and kills, mixed with a little teen angst, snark, drama, secrets, and the notion of superstitions. And I have always loved masked killers in horror movies, and the big reveal, so I wanted to do that as well. I also went to a performing arts school, so a lot of the characters, their actions, words, and thoughts were things my friends and I experienced. I had the idea for a long time that a performing arts school would be a fun place to set a horror novel. In this case it is heightened in the fact that it is very posh and very secluded.

What do you hope for people to be thinking after they read your novel?
“I can’t wait for book 2!”

Has a review or profile ever changed your perspective on your work?
Honestly, not really. I certainly appreciate constructive thoughts and criticism, as well as the points of view of others regarding my work, but I try to write the story that is inside me, not the one people are expecting. I often tell people, “Write the tale in your heart, not the one in someone else’s head.”

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
The end, before the epilogue. It was fun—and difficult—because it had to accomplish a lot of different things: I had to reveal the killer, the motive, and wrap things up. I worked hard to find ways in to keep it exciting, thrilling, creepy, and have a lot of action. I enjoyed the goings-on and could really see it playing out, which was entertaining. There are characters in this story that are larger-than-life and dramatic, particularly because of the setting, so it was great to play with that and let things really go.

TEN QUOTES FROM JINXED

• “Some say you can still hear her screams in the still of the night.”
• "The competition never ends. It will cause cracks in even the most sturdy. Coupled with adolescence, what can one expect? You see it as tragic. Others claim it is the price of chasing fame and, for the lucky few, fortune.”
• “Because that girl can only kill herself once.”
• “Listen, I need to practice. Disappearing through a trap door is harder than it sounds.”
• “I’ve decided creepy is not in season, but somehow we’re standing in the middle of it.”
• “Uh-uh. No more private. No more secrets. You wanna know why? Because I finally found a piece of material, a play, that means something to me. And I’m not going to stop until I get to the bottom of it.”
• “You’ve dug yourself a grave with these secrets.”
• “The superstitions in this play were used to kill people. This play was about murder. Are you listening? Do you understand? It reads like a damn blueprint for what’s going on here.”
• “It’s a piece of fiction somebody wants to turn into a really cuckoo town, real life Afterschool Special."
• "This is the theater! Everything’s got to be bigger than life. Especially in death."

What part of Layna did you enjoy writing the most?
Her arc of going from carefree teenager just trying to make her way through school and teen life, to realizing there is something terrible going on, to trying to survive the murders and finding the strength to fight back. I liked her. She’s someone I would want to be friends with and have my back.

What book would you recommend for others to read?
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?
I am currently working on book 2 of the “Jinxed” trilogy. It’s entitled “Cursed” and it is really fun, creepy, and a blast to write. I can’t give too much away, but it definitely builds on the characters, relationships and mystery set up in the first book. I actually came up with the end of book 2 first and am really thrilled about it; it’s definitely going to be quite a cliffhanger!

I’m also a screenwriter and have two projects in the works that I am writing. One is a teen thriller and the other is a fun, quirky horror film…with bite.

How do you feel about the horror boom of the 80’s and early 90’s?
The 80s was such a fun, special time in horror. It felt like there were so many possibilities and movies of all kinds, big and small, made it to the movie theaters. It was also such a fantastic time that introduced us to characters and franchises we are still talking about today. The 90s was great because with the (well-deserved!) success of “Scream,” horror came back in a major way. I don’t think I would be a writer in general, or the writer I am, without horror of the 80s and 90s!

High School Can Be a Real Killer

Break a mirror
Walk under a ladder
Step on a crack

Innocent childhood superstitions …

But someone at the secluded Trask Academy of Performing Arts is taking things one deadly step further when the campus is rocked with the deaths of some of its star students.

Layna Curtis, a talented, popular senior, soon realizes that the seemingly random, accidental deaths of her friends aren’t random—or accidents—at all. Someone has taken the childhood games too far, using the idea of superstitions to dispose of their classmates. As Layna tries to convince people of her theory, she uncovers the terrifying notion that each escalating, gruesome murder leads closer to its final victim: her.

Will Layna’s opening night also be her final bow?

You can purchase JINXED at the following Retailers:

  

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you TOMMY HUTSON for making this giveaway possible.

Winner will receive a Copy of JINXED by Thommy Hutson.
Winner will receive a $25 Dollar PayPal/Amazon Gift Card.

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