Apaches wasn’t filmed as entertainment but as a warning about the dangers of playing on a farm. I’ve remembered the death scenes my whole life, although one stuck with me the most: the boy drowning in slurry. Pretty nasty that one.
Watching the film again, so many decades later, it really hadn’t lost any of its edge. Yes, it’s hugely contrived, with the children dying off one by one and yet still continuing to play on the farm as their numbers dwindle, but it still works. It is a stark movie. The soundtrack is non-existent, which only adds to the bleakness of the piece. The laughter and excitement of the children grates loudly against the darkness that unfolds in front of you, not just the deaths, but the scenes of items being taken away from a school desk, a cloakroom peg, a bedroom.
It would be easy to think, much like Gordy really, that perhaps showing a film like this to children isn’t very sensible. It may scare them, after all, even scar them for life! (It’s certainly stuck with me!) Yet that was its point, to scare children, to get the message across that bad things happen, and you need to be careful.
Other films like Apache were around at the same time, such as The Finishing Line and Building Sites Bite. I remember that we were shown the latter, which was even gorier than Apaches (boy crushed by earth mover and leaves behind blood-filled shoe, anyone?). And, of course, everyone remembers what happened to the kid whose Frisbee ended up in the electricity power station, right?
Stories are powerful. They affect us all in so many different ways and if they don’t then they’re doing something wrong. They entertain, they terrify, they teach. In them we meet new friends, visit strange worlds, disappear down rabbit holes.
I love writing. I love reading. And I consider myself blessed to able to do both. More so, I count myself astonishingly lucky to be writing this little note at the end of a book that you’ve just read. Why? Because writing a book is one thing, but to be able to release it, to have others, like you, read it? Well, that’s something quite different. It’s exciting, it’s terrifying, it’s life-affirming. It’s something I’ve created and that I hope you have enjoyed.
I will never claim to be a literary master; I’m simply someone who enjoys spinning a yarn in the hope that you, the reader, will have been entertained. If you have, wonderful! And I really hope you stick with Grimm as he continues to explore his new life in beautiful Wensleydale (and perhaps even write a review!) If not, well I would still like to thank you for at least giving it a go. We can’t all like the same things, and I reckon that’s all for the better! I mean, think how dull the world would be if we did . . .
Dave
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You’ll be prompted to leave a review when you get to the end of this book in just a few pages time.
And, in advance, thank you! Your support and enthusiasm mean more than you will ever know, and I look forward to (hopefully!) entertaining you with many more books to come!
About David J. Gatward
David had his first book published when he was 18 and has written extensively for children and young adults. He has held a number of roles in the publishing industry, including as a ghost-writer and researcher specialising in the military and extreme sports, and also worked with thriller writer and former SAS soldier, Andy McNab. He has also seen a number of ghosts. Best Served Cold is his second crime novel.
For more information:
www.davidjgatward.com
Also by David J. Gatward
THE DCI HARRY GRIMM SERIES
Grimm Up North
THE PADRE SERIES
Padre: Mission Creep
Padre: Raised From Death
Padre: Jaws of Hell
SHORT STORIES / NOVELLAS
Padre: Damascus Road
