 |
| Taylor O'Brien and Mox Leonard of Bookmarked & Buried at Catfight Coffee Photo Courtesy of Bookmarked & Buried |
by Tara Adams
Haunt Hunters App
BOONTON, NJ – A horror book club and a spooky rock and roll coffee shop brewed a bit of New Jersey-style redrum Saturday night to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the horror movie classic, “The Shining.”
Bookmarked & Buried and Catfight Coffee in Boonton hosted the free event in honor of the film, which was released in the U.S. on May 23, 1980.
“It's a classic for a reason,” Taylor O'Brien, of Bookmarked & Buried and event co-host said of the movie, which is based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. “Many people in this area love the movie and the book.”
“The Shining” is often referred to as one of the greatest horror movies of all time. It's known for its disturbing visual storytelling and supernatural terror which build up dread and psychological horror.
The event included a screening of the cinematic masterpiece.
“David Lynch said you never see a movie the same way twice, and I found that to be true tonight,” Catfight Coffee Owner and Musician Acey Slade said. “The Shining is a gift that keeps on giving. I feel like every time I watch it, I learn something new about it and discover something deeper.”
Bookmarked & Buried, a new horror club, meets regularly at Catfight Coffee, which is active in supporting community events.
Slade said it was always part of the plan to host a book club, and, as a horror lover, Bookmarked & Buried is a great match.
“I feel so fortunate to be part of Bookmarked & Buried, because it's a horror book club,” Slade said. “To host something that's close to my heart means a lot to me.”
 |
| Photo: Haunt Hunters App |
The event featured a Zoom discussion with Erika T. Wurth, author of “The Haunting of Room 904,” a thriller which focuses on a paranormal investigator and a haunted hotel in Colorado.
The Shining takes place in the Overlook Hotel in Colorado, and the movie was filmed at The Stanley Hotel in Colorado.
O'Brien and Mox Leonard, co-host and member of Bookmarked & Buried, thought Wurth's novel was a perfect tie-in to the event.
It not only tells an impactful story based in a haunted Colorado hotel, but it “showcases a new age of women authors who've taken horror by storm.” O’Brien said.
Book club members held an open discussion on Wurth's novel, followed by the Zoom session with Wurth, the movie screening, and book and movie-based contests.
Wurth said during the Zoom discussion that she stayed at The Stanley Hotel, an experience that made her want to keep the lights on.
“The Stanley Hotel - that room scared the shit out of me,” Wurth said.
She stayed in a room that was thought to be haunted by a cowboy, and the lights flickered whenever she tried to communicate with him, she said.
“So that spooked me, man,” she said.
 |
| Photo: Haunt Hunters App |
Catfight Coffee, along Main Street in Boonton, opened in 2024.
The shop, with streaky red and white striped walls - eerily faded and blotchy in spots, gnarled mossy vines dropping from the ceiling, and Halloween and black cat decor placed throughout, served as a fitting location for the event.
“It really makes me proud to experience this movie in my coffee shop with a bunch of like-minded people in this small town,” Slade said.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Bookmarked & Buried |
