Created by internationally-renowned and award-winning film director Stuart St Paul, ‘Shades of Bad: Who Dies Today?’ is the eagerly-awaited new book spin-off of St Paul’s chart-topping online web series. Focusing on the life of a ruthless serial killer whose lair is her own kitchen, this quirky serial killer comedy’s video counterpart has already hit #2 in the world web chart. St Paul now expands its reach through an interactive eBook. Just choose a chapter, (once read) click it and watch the drama unfold on screen. (or wait until the end of the book and binge watch)
United Kingdom – When it comes to a legacy, Stuart St Paul has created an unforgettable one in the entertainment industry before he even begins to wind down. Forty-five years in music and film have seen him working for everyone from ITV to HBO, with his final cuts distributed by the likes of Universal and ICON.
But perhaps his most proud achievement is ‘Shades of Bad’, an online web series chronicling the exploits of a kitchen serial killer. Rightfully dubbed a “serial killer comedy”, the series became an instant hitting topping out at #2 on the world web chart.
Due to its success, St Paul and his team have recently converted the series into an interactive eBook. Aptly titled ‘Shades of Bad: Who Dies Today?’, the new volume marks yet another focal turning point in St Paul’s already esteemed career
Synopsis:
In this off-beat, extreme dark comedy, you will be embarrassed to smile and feel guilty when you laugh.
Doris wakes up one morning to find her husband has not come home. She knows he is never coming home. Not because he has left for good, but because she has made a decision. She has decided he is no longer welcome. It is one of the hardest decisions any woman makes, far harder than saying yes then getting married. The end of a relationship is a huge decision.
Moreover, it is a huge turning point in anyone’s life, not least Doris’s life. Everything changes for she is now alone. A woman against the world, and she is not, never has been, never will be a loser. The question is how to move forward, what to do, how does the new Doris Shades develop?
She starts by killing her husband and ensuring she does not take the blame. The second part is as important as the first. It seems a good place to start, but then life never works out exactly as planned. The best laid plans go wrong and Doris Shades accidentally becomes a serial killer bringing to the kitchen the zero remorse decision making that her neighbours commute to the city each morning to work, she begins an incredible ‘work from home’ business. The thing about a suburban housewife like Doris is, that no one will suspect her. That makes her an interesting proposition to be headhunted for greater things.
The book goes shares the thoughts of Doris and Wilma and therefore goes far further than the web series the book twins. Shades Of Bad web series has been in the world charts for many weeks and made the top three on more than one occasion. Shades Of Bad can be found on most social media where you can join the discussion as to why crime looks so much worse when done from the kitchen. Is she worse than Spacey in House Of Cards or does it just feel worse.
When Stuart finished his first feature, a children’s film, producer Daniel Figuero said St Paul was like a new Terry Gilliam and then along with Zygi Kamasa, now CEO of Lionsgate, signed him to direct the now highly acclaimed The Scarlet Tunic. St Paul’s creative ability look at things frankly and honestly has made audiences laugh, cry and be uncomfortable. Devil’s Gate was a very moving movie. In Shades Of Bad the brief he gave himself was to ask why people can watch disgusting crime on the 6 o’clock news and horrendous social behaviour on the daily TV soaps, (and he was attached to Emmerdale for 26 years as an advisor), yet ignore it. (they have become so immune crime (rather than it??)) It is no longer disturbing. Add that to the accepted zero remorse of banks, managers, CEO, HR bosses and many politicians then you have to ask how has this become an expected way of life. What if, he poses, one takes a slim, ordinary housewife and make her develop those same psychopathic traits and work them from the kitchen. How would it be viewed if it were all centred around the kitchen and done in three minute bites for the internet. A Psychopath that no one would suspect, which is often the case, who works from home, which is also often the case.
“This new book is a fusion of all the traditional hallmarks of eBooks, turned upside-down with the addition of video from the actual Shades of Bad web series,” explains St Paul, who has recently embarked on a new movie project with Status Quo. “Readers can throw themselves right in the middle of the action with a single click, and become part of the series that is taking over the world.”
Continuing, “The entire thing has been a roaring success. We’ve got hundreds of thousands of people talking about us on social media, we’ve pushed the series up to #2 in the charts and don’t plan to stop yet!”
Readers agree that the book is innovative. For example, Tassy comments, “This book is an absolute must read for all fans of serial killer comedy thrillers and why you may ask, well not only is it brilliantly written and keeps the reader guessing with every chapter, but the reader can with one click watch actors perform each chapter. Now how cool is that, a video kindle book all wrapped up in the best thriller ever to hit ebook shelves in ages. This reader could not put it down and read it in one sitting, and watched the performances too which makes this novel truly unique and very highly recommended. An instant classic in its own time!”
‘Shades of Bad: Who Dies Today?’ is available now: http://amzn.to/1MmVBlI.
For more information on the series, visit the official website: http://shadesofbad.com.
Existing episodes of the series are available here: http://bit.ly/1kIhqQn.
About the Author:
Stuart St Paul is an author and an internationally acclaimed and award winning film director. He has worked for all the majors, recently including HBO, BBC and ITV. His own films have been distributed by Universal, ICON, and the series Shades Of Bad has reached no2 in the world web chart. It has been taken up by the Disney acquired Maker Studios and can be found on DAILY MOTION. Stuart won Best Director in the USA for his film on sex trafficking, FREIGHT and it went on to win a Silver Palm in Mexico amongst other awards. His first film The Scarlet Tunic was picked up at Cannes. He was invited to his first red carpet in competition against The English Patient and Anna Karenina in Carborg and went on to be in competition during Sidney Pollack’s chaired year at Verona where for a week he and his wife, actress Jean Heard, were treated as if they had the keys to the city. Other acclaims stretch from nominations in Bombay to Porto to Halifax in Canada to the AFI in Los Angeles. Stuart now lectures all over the world.
