Fascination With Fear

Nightmare Castle: There's A Candleabra In My Cannoli!

2012-01-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

It’s no secret that I like Italian horror films, in fact, I may just talk about it too much. But perhaps even more than Italian horror, I am a fan of gothic horror. From the time I was a young girl sneaking off with my mom’s old gothic romance novels – you know, the ones with the long-haired, flowing-gowned heroines running away from a mansion or castle on a dark hillside? (Or wait – were they running to the mansion?) So if you combine the two, I’m in movie heaven.

And so it should come as no surprise that I am a big fan of Nightmare Castle. In fact, short of some Bava, Argento, and Fulci standards, this film is on a short list of my favorite Italian horror flicks.
Oh, and warning: spoilers ahead!

Directed by Mario Caiano, Nightmare Castle (“Amanti d’oltretomba“, 1965) stars the ever-so-alluring Barbara Steele in a dual role – the raven haired cheating wife Muriel, and her mentally off-kilter blonde sister Jennie. Also starring Paul Muller as Doctor Stephen Arrowsmith and Helga Line as the lovely Solange – housemistress, lover, and co-conspirator with the doc.

Muriel and her secret lover die brutally at the hands of her husband, who discovers them doing the nasty in the garden . The evil doctor chains them up and tortures them to death. Right before her death, Muriel vengefully tells Stephen that she’s left her entire fortune to her institutionalized sister.

Determined to keep a tight hold on his dead wife’s money, Stephen quickly removes Jennie from the asylum and marries her to guarantee his wealth continues. Though I definitely think Steele is much more stunning in her natural dark hair, it doesn’t effect her acting prowess, always dramatically over the top in such an impressive fashion.

To ensure Jennie’s fragile mind dissolves quicker than not, Stephen and Solange whip up a ‘potion’ in his laboratory to help Jennie hallucinate and have horrific nightmares. They conspire together to drive Jennie bat-shit crazy using the morbid, bad-memory inducing castle surroundings. (It is only then that we discover Solange’s youth has been restored by using the blood of a dead woman…Stephen is obsessed with his wacky experiments)

Jennie continues to experience unnerving visions of ghostly apparitions – are they real? She teeters between dreams and reality. Her frightening dreams soon cause her to realize that it is her sister and her sister’s lover that she is having visions of. And that they apparently died an awful death and are trying to reach out to her to warn her and solve the mystery of their untimely demise.

When a psychiatrist Dr. Joyce (Laurence Clift) takes Jennie’s case and visits her at the castle, only to discover that things are not quite right – it is not Jennie’s mind that is decomposing, but perhaps something in the crypt in the basement lab. He discovers Muriel’s tomb – empty – and begins to do a little detective work. At this point he feels it pertinent to take Jennie back to the city for treatment, sure that the house is causing not only her nightmares, but her mental instability.
Stephen in turn, puts ideas in Jennie’s head that Doctor Joyce just wants a bit of nookie and is not interested in helping her but wants to take her away from the castle and him. He convinces Jennie it is in her own best interest to stay with him and ignore the head-shrinker’s crazy ideas.

That night though, Dr. Joyce tends to Jennie while she has another awful dream. Hearing someone approaching her room, he hides in a corner and watches as Stephen comes into the room -thinking Jennie has finally succumbed to their dastardly poisonous plot. But she doesn’t die.

Meanwhile, Solange is getting weaker and weaker, her “transfusions” not holding up. Desperate, she and Stephen decide that the time has come. They cold-cock Jennie and drag her to the basement, placing her on an adjoining table right next to Solange, where they set up an intended transfusion.

Supposedly already gone, Dr. Joyce creeps back into the house (candle in hand like a good little gothic hero) and sneaks around the mansion looking for clues. It’s no doubt he realizes something is amiss. Anyone could tell that by how damn suspicious everyone is acting! Of course, in a truly predictable move, he is then also knocked out.
But in the basement lab, things quickly go south when a ghostly Muriel and her dead lover show up, back from the grave, to take their revenge on the count and his mistress. Much ghastly cackling ensues.

Full of creepy gothic standards like a spooky castle, huge candelabras, those long flowing gowns, a compelling scream queen, and the beautiful strands of the main theme by composer Ennio Morricone wafting memorably through nearly every frame – this film has it all.

Some may argue that this is Barbara Steele’s best work – I still feel Black Sunday holds that honor – and indeed she is the classic gothic heroine/villain. But she is in fabulous form here, and I for one, consider this a first-rate performance of captivating distinction.

The movie isn’t perfect of course. The editing is horrible, the dubbing (if that’s the version you’re stuck with) is just awful, and some of the secondary acting leaves a lot to be desired.
But this is Italian gothic horror at its best, and is the perfect accompaniment to a dark stormy night – one where you sit home alone, hoping the lights don’t go out. Not because you’re afraid – but because you don’t want to miss the movie!

*This post was previously published elsewhere but has been regurgitated for your enjoyment.

Ten Horror Films That Shaped My Youth

2012-01-20T18:03:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago I was asked what movies were most responsible for me becoming a horror fan. It's a tough assignment to try to come up with a list of films that shaped my youth and made me the stark raving mad fan I am these days. But I wracked my brain and this is what I've come up with. Not precisely my favorites, and there are no films on this list made after 1982… they are the movies I watched as a kid and into my early teens – before I became an utterly obsessive horror fan.

Frankenstein (1931): While Dracula would seem a more appropriate introduction to Universal Horror for a vampire-loving geek like me, it was not my first taste of classic horror. Frankenstein remains, for me, the movie for which all other horror is judged. I first read the magnum opus novel by Mary Shelley as a youngster – and when the movie was placed in front of me, I blossomed into the crazed, give-me-all-I-can-get horror fan you now have. The mere idea of patching together body parts from various sources to make a complete man is well…sick. When James Whale brought the book to life, it managed to hit my every nerve – shocking me into submission and titillating me to the point of no return. I had such compassion for the monster, and still feel that this film is the reason I always seem to identify with the monster/killer rather than the hapless victim. Call me crass, I don’t mind.

Theater of Blood (1973): On Saturday afternoons at my house when I was a pre-teen, it was all about Vincent Price (and Godzilla…more later!). House of Usher, The Abominable Mr. Phibes, The Pit & The Pendulum, The Fly, House on Haunted Hill…..I could go on and on. But the film that made the biggest impression on me was Theater of Blood. Why, I don’t know – except the defining moment for me was when Edward Lionheart (Price) makes Mr. Merridew eat his own poodles. Gah! That is burned on my brain for all of eternity. The movie is quite campy, to say the least, but I still think it is one of my favorite Price films. On a side note, when I was in 7th grade, my school showed this film on the last day of school. Can you imagine? Maybe that contributes to my admiration.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) – Somewhere in my past, I was scarred for life by this movie. My grandfather introduced me to it, and like the Wizard of OZ, it had elements that, for a kid, were absolutely terrifying. That damn boat ride to hell with its psychedelic lunacy and Gene Wilder’s maddening poetic rant! Damn! I was freaked out (yet slightly happy) when that gum-chomping Violet chick turned into a blueberry, alarmed when Augustus went into the pipe, psyched when bratty Mike TV was made mini, and thrilled when Veruca (and her dad!) were deemed bad eggs. I think this film is possibly the reason why I never wanted children. In reality, those kids were more frightening than any other element of the film. And that includes the wacky Oompa-Loompas!

Xtro (1982): Here’s a bizarre association for you. When I was a silly young teenager, my parents went out for the evening and left me alone to fend for myself. No, it wasn’t the first time I was alone and watched a horror film (When A Stranger Calls has that distinction) but for some reason, I have vivid memories of this 1982 British sci-fi trash. I made tacos for myself – you know, the kind in the box (Ortega if memory serves) – and proceeded to eat my tacos while watching a woman give birth to a grown man on her kitchen floor. I can’t say it scared me, but I was slightly disturbed to say the least. I think it has left me with two lasting advantages : I can eat absolutely anything while watching a horror movie, and I can still easily watch any horror movie utterly alone without anxiety.

Godzilla (Gorjia, 1954): I am a major Godzilla fan. I recall all those lovely Saturday afternoons watching Godzilla first wreak havoc on Japan, then defeat various other monsters that came to call – such as Mothra, Ghidorah, Hedorah… the list went on. Godzilla was a force of nature that came into existence in 1954, just after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He at first was a true monster, roaring his way through the streets of Toyko killing everyone in his sight. In later films the prehistoric-looking Godzilla was deemed a hero, and those were my favorites – him saving the day from other outcasts set to demolish the city. I love that he can swim or pound around on the city streets, breathe fire, and his secret intelligence never fooled me. He was one smart cookie.
Oh, and can we please just not mention that 2000 remake of disastrous proportions? Thank you.

Night of the Living Dead (1968): I’m from western Pennsylvania. Specifically George Romero land. I live north of Pittsburgh, and hence grew up watching the twenty year Saturday night tradition that was Chiller Theater. Every Saturday night at 11:30 Bill Cardille would host two horror flicks, with time in between the films for campy skits. My point (and I do have one) is that the first film I recall seeing on Chiller Theater was Night of the Living Dead. With good reason, as Bill Cardille has a small role in the horror classic. I certainly wasn’t old enough at this point to be watching zombies eating human flesh, but I’m not sure I knew just what was going on. Quite frankly, this could be the first actual horror movie I was privy to. To see the iconic images of Barbra’s brother taunting her “They’re coming to get you, Barbra!”, Karen killing her mom with a garden trowel, and several ghouls eating intestines… well, let’s just say I was hooked. Could be why I’m so messed up in the first place. Thanks, Chilly Billy!

Psycho (1960): No way in hell would this list be complete without a movie that reached right into my soul and tore a piece out, replacing it with screeching strings and a butcher knife. To me, a perfect slice of film making by Hitchcock, and also of acting excellence by Anthony Perkins. You can hear me wax poetic about the charming attributes of Norman Bates here on this blog more than often. I can’t remember how old I was when I first saw this movie, but I’m sure I shouldn’t have been watching it. I know I saw the sequel (which I love) at the drive-in but know it wasn’t a double feature (which incidentally would have kicked ass!)
The shocking death of Marion Crane in the first act proved to me that all bets were off in horror, and one could never know what to expect. So many other films have blatantly ripped this one off, but none of them could hope to achieve the landmark dread and apprehension that you get when you watch that door opening from behind the shower curtain while our heroine cleans herself up to die, an ominous shadow grows closer…

Let’s Scare Jessica To Death (1971): This film, along with Burnt Offerings (1976), were films I was “allowed” to watch as a relatively young girl, because I think my mom thought they were “movie of the week”-type of films. Remember back in the day they used to have Monday Night Movies or what-have-you? But both those films pack a punch, and I remember both well. Jessica, to me, was slightly more eerie than the other, so it gets the nod here. It reminds me of the old gothic novels of my mother’s I used to read – the ones about the big old house and the wispy female lead. The whole time I’m watching the thing, I’m thinking ‘She’s crazy, right?’….and then, ‘Maybe she’s not’… In any case, it’s a creepy ghost/vampire/? story – an atmospheric gem I’m still sweet on even now.

Hell Night (1981): I think this was one of the first movies I rented for a sleepover party when I was a young teen. Nowadays it makes me laugh, but I cannot dispute my fond memories of it and how cool I thought it was (!) Hell Night is a ridiculous romp into the land of thread-bare plots and really bad special effects. With Linda Blair’s boobs ‘a bouncing in nearly every reel, we watch as cheap thrills reign and the old haunted house story gets a stagnant re-telling. A tale of crazy families, mutant children, murder and suicide, and a frat part gone wrong, it reeks of camp – but that’s part of its charm, and I still throw it in the DVD player on occasion when I need a taste of nostalgia. And hey, Garth Manor has yet to be duplicated in terms of awesomeness.

The Legend of Hell House (1973): Here’s an example of a film I saw before reading the actual source material. Richard Matheson always did know how to weave a story, and though I read the book long after seeing the movie, I think both are great. Vivid memories of me curled up on the couch covered with an afghan while the foreboding strains of the title music filled the room come to mind when I think of this early shocker. This movie has so much moody ambience, so much trepidation lurking around every corner of the Belasco mansion. The forces working against our anxious group of investigators are downright scary. It scared me when I was a kid, and even today it still makes my eye twitch nervously when they discover Belasco – and his shortcomings.

**Once again, if this post looks familiar it is because it was previously published on another site from which I have retrieved all my work. It's not that I'm lazy, I just wanted to both share these writings as well as have a permanent record of them here on my blog. Well...and I'm a little bit lazy :)

The Pros And Cons Of Dating A Psychopath: My Love Affair With Norman Bates

2012-01-15T00:26:00.000-05:00

When I was a teenager, my grandfather told me to try to marry a man who treated his mother well, because that was an indicator of how he’d treat you.

And even though I’d like to tell you he was the guy who introduced me to Norman Bates, he wasn’t. I found him all on my own.

While other fan-girls are obsessing over a trifecta of loonies: Michael Myers (the strong, silent type is all well and good, but come on!), Freddy Kreuger (who apparently never trims his fingernails and keeps you awake at night for all the wrong reasons) and Jason Voorhees (seriously, you know what’s under that mask, right?) – I’ll just stick with my mama’s boy, Norman. I think if Mrs. Bates would have only let Norman get himself a girlfriend he may not have become the repressed, pathetic individual he became. Instead she smothered and bullied him until his whole world revolved around her. Yeah, it’s kinda icky, but bear with me here…

This dude was seriously devoted. If he can be so committed (no pun intended) to mommie dearest, then perhaps with a few minor adjustments, he could be likewise obsessed with me, right?

Let’s consider his attributes.

1} Good looking. This guy runs miles around any of the three majors listed above, and if we factor in Leatherface, Candyman, and Pinhead - as well as the majority of lunatics we're accustomed to, you’ll realize you can’t go wrong with Normie.

2} Talkative. The guy can carry on a conversation without drooling, mumbling, grunting, cackling or immediately lashing out with a sharp implement.

3} He’ll cook for you. Okay, so maybe all he can do is sandwiches and milk, but hey – isn’t that better than your liver on a silver platter or eyeballs in your soup? Especially your own eyeballs.

4} He’s got accommodations out the ass. No sleeping in the boiler room or a pieced-together, dilapidated shack in the woods! This dude has not only got a 12-room motel, but a big ol’ Victorian mansion right up there on the hill. All the comforts of home.

5} I’m going to go out on a limb and assume Norman won’t be into any of the weird, deviant sexual things that Pinhead might try. Those chains are all well and good till they start ripping off skin. And the other guys? Well, slice and dice just ain’t my style.

6} He’s in shape. All that running back and forth from the house to the motel has done him a world of good. Compared with chub-meister Leatherface and the lumbering Michael Myers, he can run rings around the competition.

7} Solitude. While some of the other guys also have relatively quiet digs (well, I don’t know how quiet Hell is, Pinhead), Norman’s place is so out-of-the-way and secluded off the beaten path that no one would hear you scream… (that didn’t sound right, did it?)

8} And on that note, there’s no weirdo family members to contend with. No hillbillies sitting around the dinner table, no random sister-you-didn’t-know-existed will pop up, no menacing Cenobites tagging along for the ride. Just us.

Of course, with pros there are always cons. So here are a few things Norman might have to work on to benefit our relationship:

1} No tea. We’re going to have to be a tea-free household. Period. Oh, and no instant coffee either.

2} No showers. The shower head? Gone. Curtain? Gone. Peephole? Well, he can keep that if he wants. But seriously, baths are a much more luxurious way to get clean anyway. And they can be sexy too, right?

3} No more taxidermy. And I don’t just mean animals.

4} We’re gonna have to drain that nearby lake. It was way too murky anyway. Screws with the aesthetics of the place.

5} Paint the house. We can’t have it looking like that when company comes calling.

6} The fruit cellar? Um, gotta block it up. It’s not like we’ll be canning peaches anytime soon, anyway.

7} All Ginzu knives and the likes are out the door. Would you have a bottle of Jim Beam in the house with a recovering alcoholic?

8} His mother cannot come to visit.
Wait a sec..
Oooh, that’s right…

*If this post looks familiar to you, there's a reason. It was previously published on another website. I recently removed my articles from said site because many of my fellow contributors' articles mysteriously either disappeared or had their names removed as authors and someone else took credit for their work. Obviously not only do I not approve of this, but I wanted to make sure it didn't happen to me. I even waited several weeks before taking my writings off, as I thought perhaps it was just an error and would be fixed and apologies would be handed out. But that didn't happen so I can't condone the situation, so I felt it prudent to preserve my work. I'm not doing any name calling, nor will I discuss the situation. Suffice it to say I am irritated, disappointed, and was provoked into action. My various writings will now be re-posted on here from time to time until they are all back where they apparently should have been all along...my own blog. Thanks for understanding.

Finally Putting 2011 To Bed: An Aimless Rant About The Year That Was...

2012-01-07T23:52:00.003-05:00

Once again it's time to put to bed another year in horror. Which, for the most part has not been overly exciting, at least not to me. I'm hard-pressed to make any kind of serious "top ten" list about which films are the best of the year, as I found so many films to be hyped up to the high hills and then be profoundly disappointing. I"m hoping things turn around in 2012, at least before December and the world ends. Right?

Personally (as in outside the horror box), 2011 has probably been the worst year of my life. A quick run-down of events has me remembering that my mother was diagnosed with brain cancer, I had my own cancer scare (benign!) and then major surgery to recuperate from in the summer, things at work took a major tailspin that is only now starting to slowly improve, my grandmother died, we got insanely awful new ~~assholes~~ neighbors, and both of my cats have been ill.
On the upside, I did gain a beautiful new niece in March, was lucky enough to vacation joyfully on Hatteras Island in the late spring, and oh yeah - I watched some stellar horror television. Yeah, I said television. Movies just didn't do it for me this year quite as much as the various tv shows that got me through the muck that was 2011. Even non-horror television such as Sons of Anarchy and Justified came through with fantastic seasons. But between True Blood, Game of Thrones, The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead, and American Horror Story, a case can certainly be made that 2011 belonged to tv.

Regardless, this is kind of a rambling post about what made me happy this year, with a few lists thrown in because that my friends, is who I am.

The MOST EXCITING THING THAT HAPPENED IN 2011: Yes, I had to use CAPITAL LETTERS for this. I was published. Twice. In January, I was lucky enough to be in issue #300 of Fangoria. A landmark issue that serves as a retrospective of 300 of the greatest horror films of all time, I was happy to serve up reviews of some of some of my favorite horror films, including Deep Red and Night of the Living Dead, among others. To see my name in print in a magazine I'd been reading since I was around eleven or so, well...that was epic.

In February, I was published in Paracinema. If you are not familiar with Paracinema, you should be. It is (to quote Wikipedia and someone else, I'm sure): a quarterly film magazine dedicated to b-movies, cult classics, indie, horror, science fiction, exploitation, underground and Asian films from past and present. In other words, it is some fantastic writing about genre films. I was utterly honored to be asked to contribute to its very first women's issue, which was - just as you suspected - an issue written entirely by women. And damn, it was so awe-inspiring it is currently sold-out. So what did I write about? Laura Palmer of Twin Peaks fame. Which reminds me how much I'd love a piece of cherry pie and a damn fine cup of coffee....
Anyway, if you haven't read Paracinema, you're missing out. Go here immediately.

Here at FWF, it was a busy year. In addition to keeping my 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' feature going strong (which after over 100 weeks and well over 500 gruesome and gory pics will become more of a sporadic Sunday occurrence at this point), I also let you fine folks in on what really scares me in the 'Bringing on the Fear' feature, continued to talk trash about some less-than-perfect films in 'Mindless Movie Monday', brought you 'My Life in Film' - going decade by decade through films that shaped me into who I am today, and in my most exhaustive move yet: my 'Halloween Festival of Lists', in which I wrote a list for every damn day of October, effectively burning myself out for most of the remainder of 2011.

This March marks four years of Fascination with Fear. At times, life gets in the way of letting me write as much as I truly want to, but I am hoping to continue here as much as is humanly possible. I am also hoping this year will be better for me personally as well, for if so then the blog surely benefits from my happiness.

For now, I give you my meandering look back at the moments in horror last year that tickled my fancy and alternatively made me want to stick chopsticks in my eyes.

F/X's American Horror Story

My 'best horror experience of 2011": American Horror Story.
Though I am a big fan of The Walking Dead, pound for pound, American Horror Story packed a bigger punch in my book. It also trumped the witchy goodness of the summer season of True Blood, which is insanely difficult to do in the Hadden household. You know how I love my vamps.
But AHS opened a whole new can of worms on television. Not since the days of Twin Peaks and The X-Files have I been so utterly anxious for upcoming episodes. It was all about whether or not the newest episode could out-do the last one. For me, episode 6 of AHS - "Piggy Piggy" - was the most frightening thing I'd seen on television or film all year. With a Columbine-esque school shooting in the beginning that had me on the edge of my seat, ep. 6 was a shocking and eye-opening hour of television. I can't say enough about this show. I realize that in 2012 we will gain a completely new family and house to contend with, but I just want to give a shout out to Jessica Lange ('Constance Langdon') and Evan Peters ('Tate Langdon') for making this show so damn much fun to watch. Their acting has been top-notch while scaring the pants off us as they chewed scenes into tiny bits. Oh, and speaking of pants: thank you Dylan McDermott ('Ben Harmon') for....your ass.

I Saw The Devil

Seven Horror Purchases I'm Happy With:
1) *I Saw the Devil - See more praise and gushing to follow...
2) The Caller (screener) - My favorite screener from 2011. Dark and creepy. And Stephen Moyer.
3) Jane Eyre - A dark, gothic period film with a stunning score by Dario Marianelli/Jack Liebeck.
4) The Reef - Not Jaws, of course...but worlds more entertaining to me than Open Water.
5) Wake Wood - I love me some creepy Irish countryside with disturbing pagan rituals. Bring it.
6) Amer - What if the French made a giallo? Yup, here it is.
7) Black Death - Sean Bean in a medieval-era horror film? Need I say more?

Burning Bright

Eight favorite Netflix rentals this year:
1) *I Saw The Devil - First I rented, then I purchased the next day.
2) Stake Land - The best vampire movie I have seen since Let The Right One In.
3) Super 8 - I'm not a fan of kids in movies, but this one made me feel all nostalgic.
4) Burning Bright - A real surprise. Premise sounds absurd but it totally works.
5) Red State - While it can't be labeled straight horror, it's as disturbing as anything you'll see in that genre.
6) Hobo with a Shotgun - Overrated, yes. But the sheer fun of it, combined with Rutger Hauer's wonderful performance, make it a win.
7) Quarantine 2 - This film is so much better than plain ol' Quarantine. Trust me. And they got rid of the roving camera thank heavens.
8) The Perfect Host - This surprised me as well. David Hyde Pierce plays Niles again. Well, until he turns into a psycho.

*A few words about I Saw the Devil, which lies at the top of both the favorite rental and favorite purchase list. With good reason. It was my favorite movie of the whole damn year. Yes, the film was released in its native South Korea in 2010, but it didn't reach us here in the US until March of 2011. I've already written a review so I won't go on about it again, but suffice it to say it is such a powerful and intense film - even my husband (who can't stand subtitles) enjoyed the hell out of it. While it cannot be called entirely horror, it is a visceral yet engaging revenge film like no other, and you will see it topping many a "best of" list this year. It also started my insane quest to see everything Lee Byung-hun has ever done. And if that includes commercials for Snuggies, I'd be okay with that.
Looks like I'm going to see the new G.I. Joe film.

Moving on to the crap of the year:

The Haunted Airman
(He's just as bored as I was...)

Ten "why the hell did I rent this?" rentals from Netflix:
1) Altitude - I stand by my statement that this film is complete and utter nonsense.
2) Case 39 - Why, Renee, why?
3) Psychosis - Not even looking at Charisma Carpenter could save this one, sorry.
4) The Resident - Not even looking at Jeffrey Dean Morgan could save this one, either.
5) Grotesque - Probably the worst film I have seen in perhaps eight or ten years. Gah!
6) Hatchet II - Not entirely awful, but pretty damn close.
7) The Rite - Hard to believe Anthony Hopkins headlined this.
8) The Inheritance - The ending ruined anything they might have pulled off.
9) Apollo 18 - I wanted to like this. However...
10) The Haunted Airman - I fell asleep twice while watching this, so in truth it could have gotten better and I wouldn't have known. My guess is probably not.

Five "I wish I'd have rented this first so I'd have known not to buy it" purchases:
1) Chain Letter - I didn't finish this one, so there you go.
2) Fright Night ('11) - Again, even gazing at Colin Farrell really couldn't save this.
3) The Presence - I don't hate this, in fact it's beautifully shot, but it drags terribly. I mean SLOW.
4) Scream 4 - I would have been happy with seeing this only once, just for shits & giggles.
5) The Ward - Aww, I guess my expectations ran too high.

Seven films I'm pretty glad I DID miss:
1) My Soul to Take - I still have no desire to see Wes's latest.
2) Season of the Witch - I hear it's a massive fail, so I steer clear.
3) Priest - Paul Bettany has creeped me out since The Da Vinci Code, sorry.
4) Don't be afraid of the dark - Again I say: I'm not a fan of "kids in peril".
5) Cowboys vs. Aliens - I'm just not understanding the title. Or the point.
6) Hostel III - Bringing it to Vegas? Nah!
7) The Thing (2011) - Yeah, I'll catch it on DVD like everyone else.

Absentia

Twenty movies I missed in 2011 but hope to catch in the coming year:
1) Drive
2) Contagion
3) Dream Home
4) The Woman
5) Little Deaths
6) The Tunnel
7) The Innkeepers
8) The Bleeding House
9) Absentia
10) The Last Circus
11) We Need to Talk About Kevin
12) The Skin I Live In
13) We Are What We Are
14) Melancholia
15) The Divide
16) Grave Encounters
17) Needle
18) The Silent House
19) Yellow Brick Road
20) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

My most anticipated films of 2012:

The Woman in Black - The original '89 production has long been one of my favorites, so I'm really anxious for this one.

The Yellow Wallpaper - Mental illness and horror go hand in hand sometimes.

The Awakening - Already out overseas, this period film looks like it could be a winner.

Dunderland - Norway churns out another chiller.

The Raven - Not sure how I feel about this one, but will take a look nonetheless.

The Silent House - An American update of the Uruguayan film. For now, it looks creepy.

The Grey - Liam Neeson vs. The Wolves. Yay.

Prometheus: In no way will it top Alien, but we have to have a looksee, right?

Rabies - Looking to see what Israel can contribute to horror.

And of course, The Dark Knight Rises. Filmed in my backyard. Pittsburgh serves as Gotham. Hines Ward has a cameo. Summer can't come fast enough...

Also on tap but no trailers available yet...

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: Because the book rocked.
Dark Shadows: Johnny Depp, people. Seriously.
World War Z: Will see even with the unfortunate casting of Brad Pitt. Ugh.
The Expendables 2: Yeah, I know - not horror. So sue me.

Favorite book of 2011: Vampires: The Twilight World by Sir Simon Marsden. NOT a book about the infamous sparkly vampire series. A book of infrared photography intertwined with intriguing text about the mythology, lore, and various "hot-spots" of vampire legends. Downright stunning.

Favorite movie score: Hands down Jane Eyre. I have long adored the scores of Dario Marianelli, and this is just another notch on his superiority belt. No one does period films better. It reeks of melancholy but has hints of quiet happiness infused. Runner up: Straw Dogs by Larry Groupé.

Favorite non-horror movie: I absolutely loved The King's Speech. Love might not be a strong enough word. Colin Firth is (as usual) a marvel. For something I couldn't imagine being remotely interested in, this film caught my attention and ran with it. But since it was filmed in 2010, I'll give you another pick for 2011.
Most assuredly, Steven Spielberg's War Horse is one of the great films of 2011. The cinematography is outstanding, the story heartwrenching and moving, and the score - sweeping and yet another triumph for John Williams. Plus, it has horses. Duh.

And finally, my list of random awards:

Trollhunter

*The "I can't believe I sat through this whole movie" award: Red Riding Hood

*The "Surprise! This remake was actually good!" award: Straw Dogs

*The "When the hell is this going to get a domestic DVD release?" award: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane

*The "What the hell is this movie about, anyway?" award: 11-11-11

*The "It better be as good as everyone says because I'm sick of hearing about it" award: TIE: The Woman and Attack the Block.

*The "SO didn't live up to the hype" award: The Ward

*The "I really don't give a shit whether I see this" award: The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence. Seriously, wasn't number one enough? You had to do a number two? (see what I did there?)

*The "I loved it then I hated it then I liked it alright" award: Insidious

*The "Can't wait for the sequel" award: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

*The "This is what I'm watching tonight so I have to get off the laptop" award: Trollhunter

Laterz....

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2012-01-01T08:30:00.003-05:00

Quarantine 2

Husk

Isolation

Predator


The Company of Wolves

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Have A Bloody Good Holiday......Or Else!

2011-12-25T08:30:00.007-05:00

Happy Holidays from Fascination with Fear!

Hope Christmas isn't too much of a headache for you!

*Sunday Bloody Sunday will return in the New Year. May it be a bloody good one! ~ Cheers!

Sunday Bloody Sunday: 100 Weeks Of Bloody Good Gore

2011-12-18T08:30:00.011-05:00

To celebrate the monumental occasion of the 100th Sunday Bloody Sunday post, I've chosen a selection of my favorite plasma-infused scenes, most of which have appeared already at some point in the series.

Enjoy ~

Alien

Angel Heart

Cabin Fever

Evil Dead 2

Flowers of Flesh and Blood

Friday the 13th

Frontier(s)

Haute Tension

Histeria

Hostel

Hostel 2

Inside (À l'intérieur)

Martyrs

Red State

Saw

Scanners

Suspiria

Tenebrae

The House by the Cemetery

The Descent

The Shining

True Blood

The Walking Dead

Wrong Turn

The Yellow Wallpaper: The Horror In Our Own Minds

2011-12-15T08:11:00.000-05:00

What do you see?

Recently I checked out a new trailer (see below) for an upcoming film called The Yellow Wallpaper, which looks entirely intriguing and creepy. This set me off on a quest to find the source material, a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Easily purchased on my Kindle for ZERO dollars (please do note that tons of classic novels and short stories are F...R...double E! on Kindle), I finished it in around twenty minutes.

Written in 1892, it is a stark foray into mental illness. The movie trailer makes it out to be a horror story, and in fact it does have elements of terror in it, but it's mostly due to the frightening realism with which Gilman portrays her main character's descent into madness. Back in the 19th century and well into the 20th, women who had any kind of anxiety or depression were thought to be not only a nuisance, but a problem to tuck away and ignore. In particular what is now readily recognized and diagnosed as post-partum depression.

The Yellow Wallpaper tells the story of an unnamed woman who with her physician husband John, rents a house in the country for the summer to recuperate from what he calls a 'nervous condition'. In fact, it is hinted that there is a baby in the picture, so it's safe to assume she is indeed going through post-partum depression. Instead of simply acknowledging the problem, John feels it is best for his wife to do absolutely nothing but rest. He drags her to said house and stuffs her in an attic room, with nothing to stimulate her except the patterns in the wallpaper.

If it sounds cruel, it is. But unintentionally. Back in those times it was standard procedure to prescribe bed rest and complete so-called relaxation to ward off those nervous troubles. John even goes as far as to lock her in the room so she can't have any access to the rest of the house. He works out of the house a lot, leaving her alone, so he fears her wandering and keeps her stowed away for her own safety. She has also been told she is not allowed to write (apparently her previous profession or hobby) so she hides her journal from him and writes when she is confined to the room with no interruptions. Unfortunately as I mentioned, she has no stimulation of any kind, and while at first finds the faded yellow wallpaper ugly and strange, as time goes by she begins to see shapes and patterns. Eventually she has decided there is a woman hiding behind the paper waiting for someone to help release her. The ease with which this happens is probably the most terrifying element of the story. It's not like suddenly she's off her rocker...it's a gradual decline that you almost don't see coming.

The story is told in first person and moves quickly even as it seems nothing is truly happening. The woman's inner voices convince her there is something at work in the paper - behind the paper - and just when you think she is getting better or that the summer will end and her husband will move her out of that house...she descends even further into madness.

I was entirely impressed with the story and can't wait to see what they do with it on film. That being said, books always have their own degree of unattainable palpable fear. It's your mind at work, formulating the story in your head and planting pictures to go along with it. I'm always glad to have read the source material before seeing a film, if for no other reason than to have the story unspoiled. In most cases the book is usually far superior to the movie, but I'm always hopeful. Rarely does a short story grab me like this one did. I'm more of a full-length novel girl in reality.

The poor woman in The Yellow Wallpaper might have been able to have been saved had her husband's ridiculous methods been ignored and she just have been allowed out of the house to walk the gardens regularly and travel to see family members she talked about. Mental illness has been largely ignored on all counts, writing it off and sliding it under the rug. Horror films oft display it in a negative manner, making the knife-wielding maniac bat-shit crazy. It's really a shame, and does it a terrible disservice. The book is written with what I would call a feminist angle, making it quite obvious that is it basically John's fault that she isn't any better and that perhaps a little more caring and a lot more acceptance she might have gotten through her breakdown with a bit more ease and dignity. Calling her "hysterical" and "nervous" when in fact she is sad and despondent is an injustice. Thankfully times have changed as far as treating mental illness, but it's safe to say the stigma remains.

Even though the story was written in 1892, it wears the years well and translates to become effective at any period in time. Hopefully the film will be able to wrap its head around the real root of the story, the woman's subtle slide into psychosis, and not just try to freak us out with jump scares and filler. I do know they add a bit of back story to it, which I will reserve judgement on until I see the movie. The last film I can recall that handles mental illness/depression well was the largely ignored (except in certain horror-loving circles) Let's Scare Jessica To Death. Maybe we can add The Yellow Wallpaper to its ranks. I'm hoping.
For now, check out the trailer.

Red State: Shooting Its Way To The Rapture And Beyond

2011-12-13T20:42:00.000-05:00

Some people say Kevin Smith's latest film is not horror. I can somewhat see their point. But I also see an awful lot of horrifying things within Red State as well. To speak frankly, I guess I first have to express my overwhelming despair that there are people in this world that are closed-minded and self-righteous enough to actually act just like the bible-thumping assholes shown in this movie. The film makes its point quite disturbingly, ravaging the screen with painful homophobic barbs and rampant gunfire - yet we are captivated and cannot look away, even as it disgusts us.

I have, just as any free American does, the right to speak freely and the right to religion. I can make semi-knowledgeable statements about religion validly because I grew up with it all around me. My grandfather was a Methodist minister for over thirty five years. He left a cushy management position with an electric company back in 1970 because he truly believed he had a calling. I'm not saying he "spoke" to God or anything of the sort, I'm simply saying the man felt an uncontrollable compulsion to quit his 22-year old job and become a minister. He was the fairest, most decent man I've ever known, with hope in his heart and love for everyone he met. He never looked down on anyone, never judged anyone, and made friends where ever he went. People respected him, as he respected others. If you weren't religious, that never meant he couldn't like you, nor that the pearly gates weren't opened for your kind.
So it's fairly safe to say there is no way in hell he would have condemned anyone for their beliefs or their manner of living. Hence, I was raised in a similar fashion. Yes, over the years I have become a jaded, cynical, sarcastic bitch - but at my core I am fair and unprejudiced.
Red State had me feeling just about as dirty and contaminated by hatred as I've ever felt.

The film starts with local teen Travis (Michael Angarano, otherwise known as Kristen Stewart's Ex) and his mother driving past a demonstration by the Five Points Church in Randomtown, USA. Church members are protesting the funeral of a gay teen who was murdered. Can someone explain to me why people feel compelled to do this?

Soon after, Travis and two of his horny friends, Jared (Kyle Gallner, who always seems to get killed in horror films) and Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun, and yes seriously - Billy Ray), have set up a rendezvous with a woman one of them has met on the internet. On the way to the woman's residence, they accidentally sideswipe Sheriff Wynan's (Stephen Root, a.k.a. True Blood's Eddie the gay vampire) car. They quickly speed off without realizing the sheriff has been up to some clandestine business of his own. When two male heads pop up from the seat, we learn the married sheriff has some volatile secrets. Sweating nervously, he heads off to the station and sends his deputy out to locate the car that bumped bumpers with his.

Meanwhile, the boys arrive at the internet date's trailer and there is a promise of sex for all three of them - possibly at the same time. Sarah (the incomparable Melissa Leo) hastily hands them off some beer and within moments they are falling down drunk. Well, falling down drugged is more like it.

Jared groggily wakes up and quickly realizes he is trapped in a cage at the Five Points Church. The cage is covered by a blanket but he is able to listen as Pastor Abin Cooper (the outstanding and Oscar-worthy Michael Parks) delivers a hellfire and brimstone sermon condemning blatant sexuality and a sinful life, with an extra heaping dose of hatred for the homosexual lifestyle. It is soon apparent that they have not only kidnapped Jared and probably his two friends, but they have abducted a gay man and have vile, murderous plans for him. He's been nailed to a cross and wrapped in what looks like a year's worth of Saran Wrap. As the congregation looks on dreamily while they chant the Lord's "good word", the hostage is shot dead. Bam!

Unnerving is probably as good a word as any for the way I felt at this point in the film. I considered not watching the rest, actually, as I have no tolerance for gay-bashing bullies who take the words from the bible as well as our own legal system and twist them to suit their reprehensible agendas. It is part of what makes me hate today's politics as well, but that's a whole other story.

But I left the movie run on. After throwing the dead man's corpse into a trap-doored crawlspace where Jared's two friends are, they move on to Jared, stating that even though he's not gay he is a sexual deviant that found no issues with lying with a woman and two other men. Just as they are going to execute Jared, the sheriff's deputy, Pete, arrives, thwarting their plans.

In the crawlspace below, Billy Ray manages to get free (perhaps he sang a verse or two of Achy Breaky Heart?) but cannot free Travis, so he leaves him for dead. (Some friend.)
While escaping, Billy Ray happens upon an entire room filled to the brim with guns - a virtual arsenal of firepower - and here's where we realize the Five Points Church is a little more Waco than Wacko, probably a whole lot of both.

Eventually there is a standoff between Billy Ray and one of the Stepford goons, and as all this is going down, an ATF task force has gathered outside to take down the ~~Heaven's Gate~~ Five Points congregation.
Leading up the operation to take down the cult is Agent Joseph Keenan, played by a very non-Roseanne John Goodman. I've always liked the guy, and it's no different here. He's given orders by his higher ups to take down (in other words, exterminate) the entire compound so there isn't more than one story. He clashes with another agent (Harry, played by True Blood's Kevin Alejandro) about just how to proceed with the raid and what to do with the lives inside. There are many children in the house, and Harry has qualms about shooting them. Likewise, inside the compound Jared has run into one of the older teens who is in the process of trying to help the children escape. But stark confusion and alarming error soon overtake common sense and strategic technique.

Where the movie succeeds is in showing the ridiculous beliefs of the Five Points church, with all it's homophobiic judgements and bat-shit crazy ideals. Parks is truly a revelation in the role of Abin Cooper. (When he first started his demented speech to the congregation, I finally had to close my eyes. I knew the voice, and well. By god, it was Texas Ranger Earl McGraw from the film From Dusk Till Dawn and other Tarantino/Rodriguez flicks! I had to smile.) But make no mistake, he isn't here to make us smile or laugh in Red State. He's here to piss us off. Or at least he should. With his moonstruck bunch of relatives making up the bulk of the church-goers, he teaches them hatred, disrespect, vulgarity, and prejudice. And it shows.

The last twenty minutes or so is an all-out circus of gunfire and retribution. Cooper's gun-crazy gang start believing that if they can't live the way they want to, maybe it's time to cash their tickets and take the ride up to heaven. Assuming that God is on their side (because isn't that what all fucking stupid religious wackos think?), they feel they have a special link to the pearly gates. The group of ATF agents and Cooper's congregation are temporarily stunned though, at the events of the last few moments of the film, as was I. By the time I actually figured out what was going on, the credits were rolling. Interesting, yet perplexing. Somewhat humorous, even.

My question is, why do people like the Five Points Church exist? Because there sure seems to be a lot of them. All the recent hub-bub about "The Rapture" and the world ending and hell coming to bite us in the ass just actually makes me giggle a little. I guess people don't realize how ridiculous it really is to think God is going to come down from his giant throne up in the clouds and touch each one of those obedient followers on the forehead with a shiny star-topped wand and save them because they read his book and took every word literally. In fact, he's going to beam them up to heaven, ripping them right out of their Manolo Blahnik's and their Beemers while the rest of us doomed folks are grilling steaks in our backyards or jogging in the park. Yeah, whatever.

I digress. Or do I? So what does Red State, in the end, tell us? It tells us that there will always be idiots out there who are prejudiced, insolent assholes. And they will always try to berate and bully the minorities and people who are minding their own business. And at times, they'll be carrying AK-47s. But it doesn't get them to Heaven any more than any of the rest of us. And if there truly is a God, they aren't gonna meet him any time soon.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2011-12-11T08:30:00.002-05:00

Red State

Creature

Kingdom of the Spiders

The Shrine

The Taint

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2011-12-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

Sleepless

Joy Ride 2

Black Christmas

The Psychic

Toolbox Murders

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2011-11-27T08:30:00.012-05:00

30 Days of Night

Intruder

Nikos the Impaler

Pink Eye

Cujo

The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane: Tea & Secrets, Perverts & Murder

2011-11-25T22:14:00.000-05:00

A few nights ago, I was lucky enough to have caught a film just by chance. The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane is a 1976 thriller/drama starring Jodie Foster. While it can't be called a horror film, there are elements within it that bring to mind a few horror movies, namely Psycho, among others. I'd never seen it, so thought I'd watch a bit of it and see what it was like.

I've always enjoyed Jodie Foster's acting, but for some reason she never comes to mind when people ask me my favorite actors. Maybe she should. Her body of work is so extraordinary, when you think about all roles she has had, from a child television star to films like Taxi Driver, The Accused, The Silence of the Lambs, Nell, Panic Room, The Brave One...heck, even Freaky Friday. And anyone who saw this particular Canadian production back in 1976 should have realized immediately that she was going to be a force to reckon with.

Rynn Jacobs is a wiser-than-her-years thirteen year old who is living in a rented house on the outskirts of a small seaside town. I don't really think it's spoiling anything by mentioning that it's obvious after a few minutes of film that Rynn is living alone in the house. We find out that her father is a poet, and that he's not readily available for receiving guests. They've recently moved over from England and have signed a three year lease on the home.
When we meet Rynn she is celebrating her 13th birthday with a cake and candles on Halloween night.
Alone.

Her party for one is interrupted by one Frank Hallet, a pedophile disguised as a normal joe - the landlady's son - who uses a ruse about trick or treating to gain access to the house and act entirely creepy towards Rynn. Martin Sheen plays this role to perfection. In fact, he is so lewd and indecent that I was both nervous and pissed just thinking about it. His suggestive manner at first makes you think he's going to take advantage of Rynn being alone, but then we see how tough she is, and how well she can stand on her own. She stands up to his lecherous remarks, knowing just what to say to get him out of the house.

When the bitchy landlady (Alexis Smith) shows up at the house asking to speak with Rynn's father, Rynn bounces back with sarcasm and irritates Mrs. Hallet into claiming she is going to speak to the school board about Rynn's apparent truancy. But Rynn counters, telling Mrs. Hallet about her son's visit to the house, pointing out that it might not be appropriate for him to be stopping by to visit a thirteen year old girl when her father isn't home. Mrs. Hallet is pissed but drops it, asking Rynn to let her into the basement to retrieve some jelly jars. Rynn flat out refuses, causing a bit of a scene. Mrs. Hallet lets it go for the moment, perhaps afraid of Rynn's knowledge of her son's tendencies. The caustic bantering between these two is definitely one of the highlights of the movie, it's fun to watch.

At this point I think the audience knows something untoward is going on. The enigmatic father never does show up at any point to back Rynn's stories of him being out of town. And just why in the hell is Rynn so protective of the basement? And why is she always offering everyone tea? Watching her move about the house like she owns it - baking her cake, serving up tea and cookies, even turning out all the lights before heading off to bed with a book - all acts that seem much too adult for someone so young and innocent.
How she handles herself with Frank Hallet is also indicative of someone who knows a bit too much about the pressures of adulthood and the sometimes difficult experiences in life.

Frank finds Rynn in town the next day, he starts up the creep act again, only to get spooked by the cop pulling up to the curb. Rynn makes a quick friend in Officer Miglioriti, who apparently knows Frank is one fry short of a happy meal. They chat and when Rynn explains that her father is working in his den and can't be disturbed, Officer Miglioriti buys the excuse and is on his way.

Already intrigued enough to continue watching, I was pretty amazed at how believable Rynn's deception is. I can see how it would work for awhile, but as people get more curious, there is bound to be trouble. And that's exactly what happens. Mrs Hallet returns, demanding the jelly jars. Rynn has brought them up from the basement, but when Mrs. Hallet notices the rubber seals are missing, she takes it upon herself to roughly flip open the basement trap door (shades of Evil Dead here) and storm down the steps. When she sees (just her, the audience still doesn't know) something that scares the tar out of her she screams and manages to knock the door down on her head. It's certainly no surprise when Rynn opens the door and finds Mrs. Hallet dead.

When Rynn tries to hide Mrs. Hallet's car outside and can't, a teenage boy (the cop's nephew, Mario, played by "Bad Ronald" himself, Scott Jacoby) sees her plight. Soon, Rynn has him eating out of her hand, and he not only moves the car but begins to develop a relationship with the young girl. He even helps her out with the matter involving the pedophile.

One evening when the two of them are having dinner at Rynn's, Officer Miglioriti stops by to announce that Mrs. Hallet has been reported missing by her son. He all but demands to see Rynn's father, but Mario covers her tracks by eluding to the poet being upstairs in bed. After this act of trust, Rynn decides it's time to show Mario just what IS in the basement. And it isn't what you think.

I have to admit, I was thoroughly entertained by this film. Foster's excellent performance carries the entire movie, and the backup cast is made better because of it. The friendship between Rynn and Mario does become intimate, and while some may turn their noses at a child having a serious relationship, I thought it was handled sweetly and appropriately. After all, it was almost hard not to see her as an adult - or at least an older teen. It fit the storyline and was as plausible as it was gutsy.
Sheen, as the disturbing sexual deviant, seemed like the guy next door - until he opened his mouth and started spouting those distressing and suggestive come-ons....to a CHILD. Gah!

After learning the whole story of what has transpired in the house, and the pain and loss Rynn has been through, you want everything to work out for her. You actually want a thirteen year old to be able to live in a big old farmhouse alone, to not be discovered by the cops or the school board, and you certainly want justice to be served to the resident pervert.
What is most remarkable is how well Foster carries herself and embodies the role. Telling the tale of a little girl who will do pretty much anything to keep her happy home, The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane is a most impressive turn by a child actor who turned out to be one of the finest of our generation. Herein lies the proof of what is to come.

Barking Up The Right Tree: CUJO

2011-11-21T08:00:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago I was pondering what movie to watch on Halloween night. Now this isn't rocket science, nor is it akin to picking out a good wine or even what color you should paint your bathroom...but it is a difficult decision for someone such as myself that surrounds herself with horror at every turn. It had to be something good, right? It's the big night. Generally I end up with one of my favorite classics, such as Night of the Living Dead or Psycho. But this year I had made some purchases from Amazon right before the holiday and low and behold, I picked Cujo. (Which you already surmised due to the title of this post, duh.)

before.....

Cujo, for those who may have been trapped under a rock for thirty years or what have you, is not only a book by the venerable Stephen King as well as an adapted 1983 film, but the moniker of a feisty St. Bernard. Oh wait, did I say feisty? What I really meant was terrifying.
Now, I'm not one to be frightened of dogs, but I will admit to having some reservations when I walk up and down the back alleys behind my house. There are an assortment of scary-looking pooches in some of the yards of the folks in town. Pit Bulls. Dobermans. Rottweilers. Even the occasional nutty poodle. But to my knowledge, there are no St. Bernards.
In nearly every case though, St. Bernards are a fairly docile breed. They were originally bred to be rescue dogs, carrying medicine over mountains to the sick and injured. They also were known to be great livestock guardians and hunting dogs, as well as guard dogs. But they are not known for violence. I'm sure that after Cujo came out there were plenty of St. Bernard lovers who were pissed as all get out to see their breed slandered with the title of "killer". Doesn't it stand to reason that this might indeed be the nudge that screenwriters had to come up with the lovable hulk named Beethoven, who was for all intents and purposes, the exact opposite of King's monster? In any event, a St. Bernard always gives me pause now...if I see one loose in someone's yard or hovering on a porch, I'm sad to admit it still scares the shit out of me.
Thanks Steve.

But hey, isn't that the mark of a good film? One that can still scare you nearly thirty years later? One that has you on the edge of your seat? And one that would have you running and screaming for your life if the damn dog steps off the porch?

One big happy family... Mom, Dad, son...oh, and Mom's boyfriend. Nice.

Cujo, at first, seems a bit melodramatic. What are we watching here, a Lifetime movie of the week? Seems Donna Trenton (the amazing Dee Wallace) is participating in a bit of hanky panky outside the marriage bed. Though her hubby, Vic (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) isn't a bad looking dude, he apparently is about as exciting as a loaf of bread, so Donna sneaks off with Steve the handyman to his sleazy apartment and has some afternoon delight. (May I add that the delight she dishes was her actual husband in real life, Christopher Stone? So she's not really cheating, right?)

Time for the "monster words".

Vic may be dull, but he's not stupid. He soon finds out Donna's running around on him. And so there's all this night-time drama going on, with us as the audience apparently supposed to relate to Donna and her plight. I myself was pissed. Call me moral, but it made me feel dirty just watching her romps with Steve. Throw in their little boy, Tad (Danny Pintauro). Little bugger is so cute, all nervous and scared of the monster under his bed or in the closet. Mom and Dad have even written up a list of "monster words" that they read before tucking him in for the night, you know - to keep the monsters at bay.

But hey, let's not forget the star. Cujo is owned by the local mechanic, Joe Camber, who isn't really much of a nice guy either. He's just hanging around trying to find a way to go gambling while his wife heads off to her sister's. His son Brett is Cujo's best friend, but isn't with him when Cujo sticks his nose into a rabbit hole and gets bit by a rabid bat. (What are those bats doing in that hole, anyway??) At this point, I'm feeling pretty damn bad for the dog. He was just out goofing off, chasing a bunny, and WHAM! Your life is over as you know it.

.....and after

As the rabies progresses, every little noise like the phone ringing or the car engine revving hurts the poor guy's ears. Add to that the nasty bite on his nose that is obviously infected, and you have one pissed off pooch. His attitude is poor, to say the least. Rabies affects the brain. Horribly. It infiltrates the central nervous system and basically makes your life a living hell. Once the brain is inflamed with the disease, death is almost a 99% certainty.

Cujo starts a downward spiral even before he starts offing the human population. It takes only a few days for him to start becoming mad, and I don't mean angry. His behavior is noticeably erratic and frenzied. Loud noises and bright lights set him off, and before long he is making toast of the likes of his owner and the neighbor next door.

Meanwhile, Donna has decided to end her affair with Steve, which does more than just irk him. He gets pissed off. He trashes their house and leaves some incriminating evidence on the bed, in liquid form if you know what I mean. (I have to admit, this film is full of characters that are pretty damn unlikeable. I'm not sure any of them are truly redeemable, including the annoying kid!)
Vic has already headed off for a business trip but forgets to get Donna's ailing car (a Ford Pinto!!) fixed, so Donna has to make her way out to the Cambers with Tad in tow to drop the bungled auto off.

As most folks know, here is where the heart of the story lies. The beefy part that everybody remembers about the movie. Cujo is there waiting when Donna and Tad arrive, and when the Pinto gives up the ghost in the driveway at Cambers, Cujo is there waiting to inspect the car and its contents. Donna realizes quickly that something isn't quite right with the dog, particularly after he chases her back to within an inch of her life and rams the car with his 200 pound body. When it's obvious Joe Camber isn't at home (or alive, for that matter), Donna quickly deduces that they are trapped in the car. In the raging summer heat. With an insane dog the size of a pony, covered in the blood of his former victims and looking to add to that muzzle of doom.

Again and again the dog attacks, with no thought whatsoever to the pain he inflicts upon himself. He's gone completely mad at this point and is probably in so much discomfort he can't see straight. Just when you think he's gone, or at least napping (no way, Jose!), he attacks.

You wouldn't think a film about a pissed off dog could be that scary, but for all accounts, it's the scariest, most realistic movie about a killer dog I've ever seen. The look in the bleeding dog's eyes is pure hatred, and nothing but the disease can be responsible. A passive and friendly pet, the St. Bernard loves nothing more than pleasing his master. But the entire thought process is gone when you throw rabies into the mix. Each time Donna tries to make a run for it, Cujo comes back harder, with more of a vengeance than the last. It seems he truly just wants to kill them. And you're pretty much thinking he's going to succeed, particularly after an especially horrifying sequence in which the dog actually has most of his body in the car - jaws snapping, saliva flinging, teeth bared over Donna's prone body stretched across the front seat - all the while Tad in the back seat wailing for the "monster" to go away.

I cannot stress enough how paralyzed with fear you can be while revisiting this classic film. If you've read the book, you'll know the ending is even more bleak than the film, but I think they did a good job with the storyline here. Even though it seems a bit implausible that anyone would survive after actually being bit by a rabid dog. I mean, wouldn't you get the virus as well? And the hours and hours that Donna and Tad are stuck in that hot car? Would you really last as long as they did? Seriously? A small child? They say a dog can suffer heat stroke in 15 minutes. That statistic can't just be for animals.
And can I just say - with all that screaming the kid did, I was almost ready for Cujo to have a Tad sandwich, you know?

But the fear that seeps out your pores when Cujo is jumping on that car, snarling and snapping... that is scarier than any vengeful long-haired ghost or hockey-mask donning stalker. At least in my book. Because a rabid dog could happen at any time, anywhere. The sad progression from happy family pet to stark raving mad beast from hell really brings me down. As an animal lover, I doubt I could watch Cujo too many times simply for that reason if nothing else. I always feel bad when the dog or cat dies in a horror movie, and even though this canine was the main attraction, the way in which he is taken out - the slow, cruel death by incurable disease - well that's just not fair. Simply put, there wasn't one person in that whole film that I wanted to survive more than the dog. And you know going in that's just not going to happen, poor thing.

So I think the moral of the story is: get your damn dog vaccinated for Rabies, okay?!

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2011-11-20T08:30:00.017-05:00

Castle Freak

The Stepfather

The Gates of Hell

Frontier(s)

Dirty Habit

Random Rambling: Stephen King Novels

2011-11-15T23:42:00.000-05:00

My pal William Malmborg just put a post up on his blog about Stephen King and "the most frightening book he has ever written", and he asked others to weigh in on their favorites. So I was thinking this is the perfect opportunity to ramble on for a few moments about ol' Stevie and his works. This won't be an all-inclusive look at everything he's ever written of course, as I don't have a whole week to sit here....but to mention my favorites won't take too much of my time - or yours.

A little backstory: I've been reading Stephen King since I was ten or eleven. I can't recall how on earth I actually got my hands on a SK book at age ten, it's hard to tell. I've always been someone who is easily swayed by pop culture. Meaning, if someone is reading a popular book, talking incessantly about a certain movie, watching a tv show I haven't yet seen, or listening to trendy new music, I have to read it/watch it/listen to it. It's just in my nature. And though I can't remember, I'm going to assume that way back when, someone was chattering on and on about The Shining and I had to have it. I was also well above my reading level from the time I was small, so I have to say I had already been reading things such as Jaws and Valley of the Dolls (yeah? well my mom shouldn't have left that one under the bed for me to discover!).

Like I said, The Shining was the first SK novel for me. I stayed up late every night for a week, hiding with a flashlight under the covers because I was supposed to be sleeping. Thankfully, my bedroom was upstairs and the folks' down, so I got lucky and read late into the night....a lot. Probably how I ended up the night owl that I am today. The Shining is my favorite SK book, and probably because it was my first. The story always fascinated me - I love a good haunted house story, and this was an entire hotel! When the movie came out I was a bit surprised at the way Jack Torrance shifted over into complete lunatic-mode. Not that I didn't like it, but I will agree with the author when I say the story is not conceived as such. Torrance was more of an alcoholic influenced by the spirits (see what I did there?) of the hotel than simply a straight-forward madman. Jack Torrance's behavior isn't the only thing different in the novel in comparison to the film. The ending is entirely different, with the hotel burning down instead of the frozen conclusion we're used to. Add to that the fact that there were malicious (live) topiary animals outside the hotel instead of the hedge maze...and well, you see what I mean about it being different. But many key frights remain intact, such as the menacing hotel itself. And the entire Room 217 scenario (though in the movie they changed the room number to 237). Every time it was mentioned I knew something awful was going to happen. I was also entirely spooked by Delbert Grady.
The Shining remains one of the best of King's stories, in my humble opinion.

Pet Sematary is probably my second favorite. The completely disturbing content of this book just rattled me to the core. I remember when my little brother was born, I implored my mother not to read that book. I also begged her not to see the later film. Little Gage was just a little too close to home, if you know what I mean.
This book is really frightening, perhaps even more than The Shining. In fact, I'm sure of it. So much is going on, from perilous highway that takes the lives of all the local pets... to the death of Victor Pascow... to the family cat getting smooshed on the road... to the Micmac burial ground behind the pet cemetery.. to the truck-creaming demise of young Gage... to zombie Timmy Baterman... to (and this is the real kicker) ZELDA!!
Okay, so maybe I'm just forever scarred by the movie version of Zelda, but hey - she's fucking scary!
Pet Sematary has it all going on. So many elements of horror to scare the shit out of you. To me, it's the most shock-loaded book he's written. And I love it.

Soon after reading The Shining, I knew I had to pick up and read absolutely everything King had ever put to paper. In fact, if I could have purchased his shopping list, I would have done so. (Something that is probably possible these days with the advent of eBay!) So being the young OCD that I was, I started from the beginning. Which meant Carrie. Being at the tender age of pre-puberty myself, Carrie affected me wholeheartedly. While I couldn't totally identify with her (my mom was kind enough to explain the facts of life to me prior to my own happy hormonal experience), I could understand her. I felt bad for her. Everyone knew someone like her. Well, not the telekinetic thing, but the unpopular thing. It gave me great pleasure to see those bratty teenagers get what was coming to them at that prom.

I made my way through novel after novel, eventually catching up to King writing them. I've always loved all his early stuff, and though I enjoyed the likes of The Dead Zone and Salem's Lot, I'd have to say my next favorite of his works would have to be Christine. Not because of the name, mind you - but because it was so different. A car that has a mind of its own? Say what? I also remember loving how he used song lyrics from so many of those old 'car tunes' of the 50's and 60's to open each chapter. That translated fairly well to film, also. I was fifteen when the book was published, and was impressed to the hilt if a guy drove a nice car, especially a classic, because that was what was popular back then - unlike today's teens who get an SUV on their 16th birthday whether they deserve it or not. Back in the 80's, most guys worked after school and on weekends to raise up enough money to buy a car to fix up and impress the ladies. Times have changed. Thanks, but I'll take the past.
Anyway, Christine was a damn fun novel....but scary - not exceptionally.

Misery, however? That was scary. Let's face it, at this point everyone probably associates the movie with the characters from the book. And I'm okay with that now. But I read the novel before the film came out. There were changes from book to film, but I have to say it was still quite effective. And the casting was simply brilliant. But let's talk about the book. Misery has this terribly effective way of getting under your skin as you read it. You feel a claustrophobic tension that lasts through every chapter, and if there were such a thing as reading on the edge of your seat, this book would be a prime example. Annie Wilkes is such a terrifying character. You can imagine the headlines in your local paper - this shit could happen. I had trouble imagining that King didn't think of himself as the Paul Sheldon character, because I sure did. The "number one fan" thing was utterly unnerving and you really could feel Paul's fear, no more so than when Annie cuts off his foot with an ax. That's right folks - none of this breaking feet with a sledgehammer stuff....in the book she cuts off his foot with an ax and cauterizes it with a blowtorch. Um, yessiree! And that whole "shooting the sheriff dead in the basement doorway"....didn't happen. She stabbed him then ran him over with a lawnmower. Suppose that would be hard to translate to film. But besides all the obvious gore (did I fail to mention she cuts off Paul's finger with an electric knife?), I really think the effectiveness of the novel comes in the quiet moments of dread, such as when Paul realizes that Annie knows he's been out of his room....

While I profess my love of the likes of Cujo, Danse Macabre, On Writing, Needful Things, etc...I have to say I haven't been quite as keen on King's later novels (i.e. ones written beyond 2000) - they haven't grabbed me like his earlier works. Some are just outrageously long, like Insomnia! Gah! To be honest I've never finished that one. IT is quite extensive as well, but that's one I couldn't stop reading. Having purchased the just-released 850 page historical opus that is 11/22/63, I can see I'll have my work cut out for me. From what I hear, it's a departure from the horror that we are so used to from him. I haven't even started it yet, and it certainly seems like a helluva task. I much prefer a novel around 450-550 pages. That way I don't lose interest and I don't wonder when I'm going to finally finish.
There's a lot more I could ramble on and on about regarding Stephen King's novels but I'll save it for another day.

I've heard a lot of people cut Stephen King up, calling him a hack, a sell-out, untalented, etc. In fact, I'm weary of pretentious assholes that seem to think they are too good for his books. Yes, I like Dickens and Austen too. But I for one, have to defend King adamantly. Anyone who can give me countless hours of entertainment and enjoyment is okay in my book.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2011-11-13T08:30:00.003-05:00

Candyman

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Urban Legend

Inside (À l'intérieur)

The Prowler

Slight breather...

2011-11-01T08:17:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to say thanks so much to everyone who read and commented on my Halloween Festival of Lists!
It was a fun but exhausting thing to do, hence I need a slight break to catch my breath and catch up on some of the other fantastic posts that I have missed over the last month because I was so busy racking my own brain!
Additionally, my DVR is full of a ton of great horror that I recorded throughout the month of October - so hopefully that will bring me some inspiration for the future.

Fascination with Fear will return on Sunday, Nov. 13th for another dose of Sunday Bloody Sunday.
See you soon :)

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 31: THIRTY-ONE Terrifying Masks

2011-10-31T08:00:00.011-04:00

Alice Sweet Alice

Black Sunday

Blood and Black Lace

Curtains

Saw (series)

Eyes Without a Face

Halloween (1978)

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

My Bloody Valentine (1981)

The Hills Run Red

House of Wax (1953)

Laid to Rest

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

The Silence of the Lambs

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

(Rob Zombie's) Halloween

Nightbreed

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Saw (series)

Scream (series)

Terror Train

The Abominable Mr. Phibes

The Prowler

The Shining

The Strangers

The Orphanage

Torso

Trick 'r Treat

Valentine

V for Vendetta

Twilight Zone: 'The Masks'

Happy Halloween!!

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 30: THIRTY Favorite Twilight Zone Episodes

2011-10-30T08:00:00.224-04:00

Long have I loved The Twilight Zone. There really hasn't been anything comparable on television since. The brilliant writing, top-notch acting, and anticipated shocks and twists at episode end put the show in the upper echelon of TV history. It is certainly a mark of quality when a show that completed its first run back in the late 50's and early 60's can still be found on television to this day at any given moment.

The original incarnation of the show ran for five seasons and gave us some of the most iconic stories of our time. It was actually hard to pick just thirty episodes, but I did my best.

Please note that spoilers ensue.

TIME ENOUGH AT LAST
Probably one of the most terrifying episodes for a bibliomaniac such as myself.
A man who is constantly struggling to find time to read finds himself with all the time in the world after a nuclear explosion renders him alone with stacks of tomes. His glee is short lived when he breaks his glasses.

YOU DRIVE
A nervous man experiences strange happenings after he hits and kills a young boy and flees the scene. His car, apparently taking on a life of its own, honks its horn, flashes its lights, and continues to drive to the scene of the crime, holding the man accountable and doesn't relent until he gives himself up.

WALKING DISTANCE
A bittersweet episode about a man who ends up in the town he grew up in and discovers it to be exactly the same as when he grew up. A tale that reminds us to make the most of the life we have.

DEATH SHIP
One of the many episodes penned by the prolific Richard Matheson, it is the story of men who, upon investigating an uninhabited world, discover a space craft that to their surprise, has what looks like their own corpses inside. Seems like the modern film "Moon" has a bit in common here.

BACK THERE
A man time travels back to 1865 to attempt to stop the assassination of President Lincoln.
Obviously, he doesn't succeed. Which is amazing since he is The Professor (Gilligan's Island)!

NOTHING IN THE DARK
A woman is paranoid that death is coming to get her. Turns out, he is - and he looks like Robert Redford!

KICK THE CAN
A game of kick the can turns a group of elderly nursing home patients back into children for a time.
One man can't grasp the miracle, and is left behind.

THE INVADERS
A lonely old woman battles tiny interlopers from a tiny spaceship that lands on her roof.
Notable for the fact that there is almost no dialogue whatsoever until the very end.

THE DUMMY
In one of the most unnerving episodes, a man determines that his ventriloquist dummy has come to life.
I hate dummies. Period.

MIRROR IMAGE
The excellent Vera Miles is showcased in an episode about a woman who may or may not be losing her mind. In all actuality, she has a malicious doppelganger. Nice.

LONG DISTANCE CALL
Billy Mumy (Danger Will Robinson!) is a boy who can communicate with his dead grandmother through a toy phone. Yikes.

THE MASKS
A fantastic episode about an old man who makes his unappreciative and greedy family wear hideous masks in order to claim their part of his fortune after he passes away. What they don't realize is that their faces are going to stay that way after they remove the masks.

THE AFTER HOURS
A woman becomes confused in a department store after she makes a purchase on a non-existent 9th floor.
The big twist? She's a mannequin who has been "out in the real world" for a month, but is late to return to her podium.

STOPOVER IN A QUIET TOWN
A married couple wake up in a strange house after a drinking binge. When they try to leave they find an entire town with no life whatsoever. And all they can hear is a child's laughter. The big revelation is that the couple was abducted by aliens for the enjoyment of their young daughter! Love it.

THE MIDNIGHT SUN
A young artist and her landlady attempt to stay alive in their apartment building even though they realize the sun is getting closer and closer to earth. At the end we realize the exact opposite is happening and she was only dreaming about the heat. In actuality, everyone is freezing to death.

LIVING DOLL
A disinterested step-father is pissed at his wife's purchase for their daughter. The Talky Tina doll senses this hate, and flat-out tells him so. "My name is Talky Tina, and I don't think I like you." And so it begins.
And you thought Chucky was bad.

THE LAST NIGHT OF A JOCKEY
Banned from horse racing for fixing races, a jockey sits in despair in his apartment, wishing to be a "big" man. When his wish is granted by his alter-ego, it backfires when the racing commission reinstates him and he is unable to ride a horse because he's too damn big. The definition of irony.

LITTLE GIRL LOST
A little girl disappears under the bed into another dimension.
So that's supposed to be a bad thing?

THE SHELTER
A group of friends turn on each other when faced with their own mortality, stuck inside a bomb shelter during a nuclear attack. Could this be where George Romero got the idea for some of Night of the Living Dead?

NIGHT CALL
In one of my favorite and definitely one of the creepiest episodes, an elderly woman is terrorized by a series of unnerving phone calls in the middle of the night. The phone company traces the call to the local cemetery. Whoa.

NUMBER 12 LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU
Some time in the future, young adults are supposed to go through The Transformation, in which they are operated on and made to look like an attractive model, so that no one ever gets "unattractive". Sounds about right for today's society.

NICK OF TIME
Captain Kirk and his wife stop at a roadside diner that has a tabletop "mystic seer", a type of fortune teller machine. When it gets several things right, the Captain begins to fear his every move, and feels a need to consult the seer for everything. Actually I think all diners should have these contraptions. Just for shits & giggles.

THE HITCH-HIKER
A young woman on a cross-country journey is plagued by a relentless hitch hiker. When she picks up a soldier that cannot see the hitch hiker, she realizes perhaps she's not actually here with us.

TWENTY TWO
A woman has a recurring nightmare about being in a hospital where she keeps ending up in the basement at the morgue.
But is it a dream? Or maybe a premonition? Or simply destiny?

IT'S A GOOD LIFE
Young Anthony is not your normal little boy. He's a monster in disguise, with complete and utter control over a small town, even controlling the weather and the power sources. Anything and everything he wants, he gets. And that is the scariest thing of all.

DEATH'S-HEAD REVISITED
A sadistic former Nazi officer is forced to relive the atrocities of a concentration camp, but not physically. He experiences all these horrors in his mind. Which to me is not enough retribution for anyone associated with that tragedy.

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
In one of the best episodes and one of the most famous, a woman goes through surgery after surgery to look like everybody else. In the beginning of the episode, her face is completely bandaged. When her bandages are finally removed, it is revealed that she is actually beautiful and the doctors and nurses (and apparently everybody else) are deformed and hideous. Another good-looking surgery failure comes in to take her away...to live with the rest of the rejects.

DEAD MAN'S SHOES
A vagrant steals a pair of shoes from a mob hit and ends up wearing the dead man's life as well.

NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET
A traveling salesman on a plane thinks he sees something outside, on the wing of the plane.
This is an incredibly awesome and wildly famous episode which most people have seen.
The palpable fear of Shatner is impressive, but for more bang for the buck, you need to check out the movie version.

NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET
Much as I love Shatner, this performance by John Lithgow is freaking legendary.
He is genuinely TERRIFIED, and it comes across in the film in spades. One of my favorite roles in horror.

"WANNA SEE SOMETHING REALLY SCARY??"

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 29: TWENTY-NINE Characters I'd Trade Places With

2011-10-29T08:00:00.003-04:00

Pretty self-explanatory post, don't you think?

Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau) ~ The Fog
Who wouldn't want to be Stevie, really? With her sexy voice and her sassy attitude, along with the fact that she gets to spin cool jazz from inside a lighthouse? Jealous here.


Jessie (Eliza Dushku) ~ Wrong Turn Maybe it's her take charge attitude combined with her vulnerability of emotion. Maybe it's just her body I covet.

Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) ~ The Devil's Rejects
Not just because she's beautiful, but because she's deadly. A lethal combo.
Utterly intolerable in House of 1000 Corpses, a much improved baby is scads more interesting here.

Frederick Abberline (Johnny Depp) ~ From Hell
The Ripper case has always intrigued me, so being a detective on the case who shares his downtime with a bottle of Absinthe and a hot bath? Count me in.

Selene (Kate Beckinsale) ~ Underworld (series)
If I looked like this my husband would never let me leave the house. And of course the fact that she is a kick-ass vampire doesn't hurt things much.

Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) ~ Jurassic Park
I've loved dinosaurs since I was a kid, so I'd love to be Dr. Grant, if even for a day.
Matter of fact, a day is probably all I'd need. That T-Rex is pretty intimidating.

Ana (Sarah Polley) ~ Dawn of the Dead 2004
Simple nurse turned into billy-bad zombie killer. Yeah, I'd like that.

Lila Crane-Loomis (Vera Miles) ~ Psycho
Though Marion got all the attention, Lila was the brains of the operation.
One, she didn't steal 40k. Two, she didn't meet her end naked. And three, we find out in Psycho II that she ended up with the luscious Sam in the end. Good call.

Mike (Stephen Gevedon) ~ Session 9
I can't help my insane curiosity either. I would so be down in that basement listening to those tapes too. Plus it got him out of stripping the poisonous asbestos. Only thing is: no way I'd be there after dark, alone, or both.

Sarah (Robin Tunney) ~ The Craft
I was obsessed with this movie for a while, and while Nancy was the more charismatic one, Sarah was the true witch. This makes her my new best friend. Hair color change in the blink of an eye? Make someone fall in love with you? Use the powers of the elements to do your bidding? Yes please.

Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) ~ Dorian Gray
While I realize it didn't end well for Dorian, he was having a helluva good time as long as he could. Philandering all over the place, getting high on opium, and basically just leading a hedonistic lifestyle makes him someone anyone would want to be, at least for a time.

R.J. MacRready (Kurt Russell) ~ The Thing
Everybody loves Kurt Russell. Do I really need to say anything more than I'd love to BE him?

Ginny (Amy Steel) ~ Friday the 13th, Part 2
Ginny is my favorite F13 character, so it's no doubt I'd change places with her. Even if it meant I had to put on that highly offensive old blue sweater! I'd also have to find myself a new man. Paul is rather a dolt.

Neville Flynn (Samuel L. Jackson) ~ Snakes on a Plane
Why? Because it's Samuel L. Jackson, you fool!

Satánico Pandemónium (Salma Hayek) ~ From Dusk Till Dawn
Why? Because it's Salma Hayek, you fool!

Gina (Kiele Sanchez) ~ A Perfect Getaway
Oh how I love grit and determination in a woman. Combine that with great looks, a cheeky southern accent, and Timothy Olyphant as a significant other? Wow.

Chuck (Mark Ruffalo) ~ Shutter Island
Even when we are all aware that he is Leo's shrink, it doesn't make him any less empathetic to Leo's case.
I took Psychology in college. Now it just seems to be psycho-ology.

Jesse Reeves (Marguerite Moreau) ~ Queen of the Damned
In all honesty, she is probably most who I'd want to be. I love the way she looks, all goth'd out. I love that she works as a paranormal researcher. I love that she chases Lestat down, pursues him, and finally becomes his.
Yep, I want to be Jesse.

Willow (Britt Ekland) ~ The Wicker Man
Yes, I want to writhe around naked and attempt to seduce a Scottish police officer. That kind of mirrors my life anyway. Well, except the naked dancing and the police officer.

Armand (Antonio Banderas) ~ Interview with the Vampire
Even though Lestat was the more dynamic vampire and Louis the soulful one, I've always been more fond of Armand, with his enigmatic nature and seductive manner. If I had to be one of them, he'd be my choice.

Lucy Seward (Kate Nelligan) ~ Dracula 1979
Though characters are interchanged and mixed in this version, deviating from the book, I have a fondness for Lucy. She's easily bewitched by the Count's gaze, yet holds her own and remains fiercely loyal.

Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci) ~ Sleepy Hollow
She gets to ride a white horse, wear a corset, and woo Johnny Depp. Oh, and whip up some protection spells from her grimoire of magic tricks. My kind of gal.

Asa Vajda (Barbara Steele) ~ Black Sunday
If I could get a chance to be a vampire-witch combo, wear a black flowing get-up, and live in a castle, I'd have to say yes. Of course her cruel death wouldn't be my cup of tea, but we all have our crosses to bear. (no pun intended)


Michael Emerson (Jason Patric) ~ The Lost Boys Perhaps I just want to be a good looking guy for a change. And if that looker can also be a vampire (for awhile) and get the girl, all the better. Actually I think it's just my forever crush on Jason Patric.

Anita "Needy" Lesniki (Amanda Seyfried) ~ Jennifer's Body
While most people would choose the character of Jennifer, I disliked her thoroughly. I empathized with the character of Needy, and let's face it - she was the strong one in the end.

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) ~ The Silence of the Lambs
I've always been fascinated with the FBI, and the fact that a woman in the biz was portrayed in such a positive light was a real turn-on. Starling's character was a bad-ass in disguise, with brains and wit to match.

Muffy (Buffy) St. John (Deborah Foreman) ~ April Fool's Day
I'd love to have a guest house on an isolated private island that I could turn into a bed and breakfast with a mystery-murder theme. In fact, I'd love to just have the money to be able to do it.

Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) ~ The Others
Grace is a toughie, especially with her whiny children. She's been alone for quite awhile since her hubby was listed MIA from the war. And even when she hears things and begins to wonder about her own sanity she holds it together for the sake of her family. Admirable.

Marsha Quist (Elisabeth Brooks) ~ The Howling
While normally I am not a fan of the big furry monsters, I'd have to make an exception in the case of Marsha Quist. She's so mysterious and full of life (or should I say full of raw meat?) Maybe it would be fun, for a change. (Pun intended)

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 28: TWENTY-EIGHT Of My Favorite Horror Soundtracks

2011-10-28T08:18:00.000-04:00

Soundtracks are my life.

Okay, that's over-stating it a bit. But it's no lie that most of the music on my iPod is horror movie scores. You could say I have a serious obsession. I've got waaay too many downloaded scores from off the internet, many are even legal!

Of course I like most of the same scores as the majority of other horror fans, the ever-popular Halloween, Jaws and The Omen...but I also have a lot of more obscure ones. I recall my serious fixation with getting my hands on the score for Psycho II (which most regular readers here will not be surprised to hear). It was listed on eBay, sure...for about $150.00! That was certainly out of the question. Finally found it for around $25.00 - it was on cassette and was in Nebraska. Guess what? I bought it. A few years later I found it online - for free! Of course I won't tell where, but suffice it to say I was elated and probably made about four or five copies. I even have a copy in my fire safe with my marriage certificate and insurance policies. Now that's commitment! It remains one of my favorite scores.

Anyway, I've listed twenty-eight of my favorite scores. I thought about trying to find samples for every one of them, but some of them would be hard to find and I'm not savvy enough to know how to upload them here.
*You'll note The Exorcist isn't here, and that's only because I chose not to base my picks on one tune, and Tubular Bells is actually Mike Oldfield's composition and wasn't written specifically for the movie. That does not however, make it any less affecting.

Off to the races....

One of the best. Carpenter is a multi-talented son-of-a-bitch. Besides the main theme, my two favorite tracks are 'The Haunted House' and 'Halloween 1978'. Sometimes, simple is just more effective!

No denying Bernard Herrmann's fantastic score here, with the shrieking strings depicting the murder in the shower it is one of the most (if not THE most) famous segments in music. But I enjoy the entire score, in particular 'Marion and Sam', the music playing over their hotel rendezvous.

Probably not well known, this score by Brett Rosenberg struck me so quickly that the first time I heard it I literally paused the film and got on the internet looking for it. Thankfully, iTunes made my day. The music here is as gorgeous as the sweeping Welsh countryside, especially the last song on the disc, 'The Girl in the Storm'.

Christopher Young is certainly a prolific composer, and one that has done his fair share of horror. In this score the music evokes the moody and frightening tone of the film, with the main theme being the most recognizable. There are no track titles, just simply a list of "parts".

Ah, Goblin. They are Dario Argento's go-to band, and horror fans have a deep regard for their work. While Suspiria may be their most famous score, Phenomena has some truly spooky tracks, with not quite as much in the way of drumming, banging, and wailing. Great stuff.

It is actually surprising to be able to purchase a score from a documentary, so I was pleasantly stunned to see it available. It's an amazing compliment to the top notch film, with just as much atmosphere.

Easily as dark and eerie as the title suggests, this score is perfect for the morbid subject matter at hand.
My favorite track is 'Ebril'.

Everyone knows the "da-dum, da-dum" main theme, but this score is an absolute masterpiece. From the 'Montage' which backs up folks coming to the shoreline to vacation, to 'Father and Son' - where you'll remember Brody and his son having a moment at the kitchen table, to 'Three Barrels Under', which is one of several "chase" tunes that make up this one of a kind gem. To me, the best score in horror, hands down.

Dark, dark, dark. I love Trevor Jones, and he is at his grim best here. When you're dealing with such horrific subject matter, it's best to have subtlety when scoring a film. Too loud can be too much, and even though there are murders throughout, the film still stays at an evil keel. So melancholy it hurts.

Another movie that I had to have the score for immediately after watching the film....way back in the 80's. However, I didn't actually get to purchase it (after much looking around) until the 90's. The ghostly haunting voice at the end of the 'Finale' is simply sublime.

Must have been a real coup to get Hans Zimmer to score (or at least oversee) this project.
It's a great score, with 'The Well' being the most familiar (and generally though of as the main title), but my favorite remains 'Shelter Mountain', which perfectly matches the eerie cabin at the remote resort.

The most spectacular thing about this score is the fact that it has been remastered and re-released as of this fall! To my knowledge it is only available on iTunes, but I could be wrong. A superb score by a true master, Ennio Morricone.

Badalamenti, who scores David Lynch films and also the television counterpart for TP, is a master of weird. His distinctive tracks like the fabulous 'The Pink Room' and the utterly bizarre 'The Black Dog Runs At Night' are only a few of the treats in store. My favorite remains the melancholy main title - jazz never sounded so good in a horror flick.

Speaking of jazz, Trevor Jones strikes a melancholy mood here that has me wanting to hang out in a jazzy dive bar.
By far one of my favorite scores for a rainy day.

A simply gorgeous score, which you wouldn't necessarily expect for a film about a blood-thirsty vampire.
But it is so adept at inducing feelings of wistfulness and sorrow. Its American counterpart for the Let Me In film is quite good as well, but darker and without the layers of feeling that this one has.

I've said before that Dario Marianelli is one of my favorite composers. I've also indicated that this score could possibly be why I like this movie so much, as I realize it isn't that great. But this score is on my iPod at all times, and it is generally the music I fall asleep to at night.

And here's more JC. The man is a force of nature. Something else I like here besides just the music is the Prologue, in which we get to hear John Houseman tell his little tale of woe regarding the doomed Elizabeth Dane. Musically, the 'Main Title' is a great piece of work, but again, I like the more subtle tracks, in particular 'Walk to the Lighthouse'.

Those crazy voodoo folks! Edward Shearmur sets a scene with his music, dropping us deep into the bayou to experience the thick-laced atmosphere lurking about. This disc also has some tunes from the film, including Barefoot Dancing by Blackbud, and Iko Iko - which must have something to do with all this dark magic, right? Just kidding.

You certainly have to be in the right mood for this disc, the largely organ-based score takes you right back to the deserted carnival where the ghoul awaits to take you deep into no-man's land. Very creepy.

This score is what I could only call unearthly. Using an instrument called the theremin, it sounds like something out of an outer space movie. Hard to describe, other than saying it is incredibly spooky and feels like if you close your eyes you could be watching The Day The Earth Stood Still. But you're not.

Another score by Dario Marianelli, Jane Eyre is an impressive score, with a downbeat main theme that remains throughout but is distinctive enough that you never get bored with it. My current favorite.

And here it is, the score I searched everywhere for. No matter what, it was worth it. Imagine the difficulty in trying to emulate the work of the great Bernard Herrman. Who could possibly even manage to try? Jerry Goldsmith, that's who.
Makes perfect sense. Really good stuff.

Generally not the type of director that would score a horror film, what I heard was that the American composer didn't realize it was for a horror movie when he took the job on. I mean, this is a man who writes symphonies.
But lucky for us, he scored this gem and we're the better for it!

I am also a big fan of Wojciech Kilar's The Ninth Gate score, so it goes without saying I'd like this one.
The entire thing is full-bodied and at times, sweeping. Each track can stand alone, but my favorites are 'The Brides' and the knockout, Love Remembered, obviously meant to be the love theme. If I were getting married again tomorrow, I'd use it to walk down the aisle.

From the theme playing in the opening scene in which Jack is traveling up the Sidewinder to the final strains of 'Midnight, the Stars and You', this soundtrack is a varied smorgasbord of unnerving musical vignettes. The copy I have has some spoken cues from the movie, such as "Wendy....Darling....Light of my life...." Well, you know the rest.

Here's a surprise. I've never seen this movie. Yet. Apparently it's a Finnish film about strange happenings at a boy's school. All I know is I happened upon it on iTunes and the rest is history. You can check out a sample there.

I love me some Danny Elfman. I enjoy most of his scores, but this one in particular really grabbed me. Not as wonderful as his work in Black Beauty (which remains my favorite of his), it still is a stellar backdrop to the fully atmospheric movie. The first two tracks, aptly entitled "Introduction" and "Main Titles"....sublimely dark and gothic.

And no, I couldn't leave off Goblin's Suspiria. The whole thing is simply a work of art, with the titular opening track being one of the most familiar in horror. Talk about conjuring a mood! They really tap into the feel of the film, the desperate confusion and the harsh reality of what really lies at that German dance school. Top shelf work.

*A few honorable mentions: Cannibal Holocaust, The Beyond, The Omen (an Oscar winner!), Hellraiser, Alien....I could go on and on!

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 27: TWENTY-SEVEN Quotes To Live By

2011-10-27T08:00:00.082-04:00

In my life, I can relate almost anything to horror in some way. Even some of the most popular quotes in history, I can associate to horror in nearly every case.

Here's 27 examples.

The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.
~Marcus Tulius Cicero
(FRANKENSTEIN)

Tell the truth and then run.
~Proverb
(THE THING)

Life is not one thing after another. It's the same damn thing over and over!
~Unknown
(TRIANGLE)

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
~Confucious
(SPLICE)

True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen.
~Francois de La Rochefoucauld
(1408)

Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness.
~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca
(SCREAM)

Death is the wish of some, the relief of many, and the end of all.
~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca
(SAW VI)

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear -- not absence of fear.
~ Mark Twain
(THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS)

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
~Bruce Lee
(I SAW THE DEVIL)

One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.
~Unknown
(THE WICKER MAN)

Chose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
~Confucious
(MANIAC COP)


A mother's heart is always with her children. ~Proverb (FRIDAY THE 13TH)

Men never remember, but women never forget.
~Unknown
(DAY OF THE WOMAN a.k.a. I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE)

All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
~Edgar Allan Poe
(A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET)

Fear has its use but cowardice has none.
~ Mohandas Ghandi
(CABIN FEVER)

I feel the same way about disco as I do about herpes.
~ Hunter S. Thompson
(PROM NIGHT)

Fear? If I have gained anything by damning myself, it is that I no longer have anything to fear.
~Jean-Paul Sartre
(BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA)

Beauty is not caused. It is.
~Emily Dickinson
(THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN)

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.
~Virginia Woolf
(HANNIBAL)

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
~Benjamin Franklin
(THE SHINING)

If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my ax.
~Abraham Lincoln
(TENEBRAE)

Breakdowns can create breakthroughs. Things fall apart so things can fall together.
~Unknown
(BLACK SWAN)

God couldn't be everywhere, so he created mother.
~Jewish proverb
(PSYCHO)

Love is a serious mental disease.
~ Plato
(FATAL ATTRACTION)

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward.
~Soren Kierkegaard
(MEMENTO)

Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
~Confucious
(PUMPKINHEAD)

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
~ FDR
(THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT)

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 26: TWENTY-SIX 80's Films That Jump-Started My Love Of Horror

2011-10-26T08:00:00.041-04:00

I grew up in the 80s. Which is not to say I was born in the 80's. I was a teenager and went to high school in the 80's. So that is when I truly hit my stride as far as horror. While 1979's When A Stranger Calls scared me to death by the time it hit Showtime in the early eighties, I watched things like Evil Dead, Pumpkinhead, and Halloween II, III and IV at their first run. Yes, I was a lucky dog.

I fondly recall going to see Psycho II at the drive in...it was the second feature playing that night after Vamp. I remember being terrified at my babysitting job not by watching House of the Devil....but by watching When a Stranger Calls - which I still think is one of the scariest opening twenty minutes in film. And I remember the first time I saw Children of the Corn. I was pleasantly appalled at the blatant disregard for religion. And my first Fulci film? I have no words.

It's exceedingly difficult to pick out a group of films from the 80's that defined my formidable teenage years, and I'm sure I left out a lot of crazy-good movies....but here goes nothing. I've discussed or reviewed several of them at one point or another, and the ones I haven't, I'll leave for another day.

Onward:

A Nightmare on Elm Street

April Fool's Day

Cat People

Children of the Corn

Friday the 13th

The Lost Boys

The Fly

Cujo

The Serpent & The Rainbow

My Bloody Valentine

Creepshow

The New York Ripper

Christine

Xtro

The Howling

Silver Bullet

Mausoleum

Hell Night

The Funhouse

The Thing

The Hitcher

The Stepfather

The Fog

Night of the Comet

Pet Sematary

Psycho II

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 25: TWENTY-FIVE Impressive Jack-O'-Lanterns

2011-10-25T08:00:00.002-04:00

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 24: TWENTY-FOUR Films In Which Atmosphere Kicks Ass

2011-10-24T08:00:00.499-04:00

One of the most important things to me in a horror film is atmosphere. I can overlook bad acting, poor plot, and a whole host of other piss poor faults, if the movie has an impressive look to it.

Some of my favorites:

1) The Woman in Black - I've discussed this film (1989) dozens of times over the years and stand by my original assessment: This is the most atmospheric ghost story I have ever seen. While The Changeling is perhaps the best, this film just reeks of beautiful yet frightening ambiance. The way the mist settles over the Eel Marsh house, out over the moors on an isolated causeway...the sound of the tragic accident that started the ghostly visits...the outright fear Mr. Kidd has as he spends time alone in the foreboding mansion. Simply perfect.

2) The Strangers - One of my favorites of the last several years, The Strangers is one of those films that you can only wish for. Something that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I first watched this on Halloween a few years ago, with the lights out on the big tv screen. It was a near-orgasmic experience, I was actually scared! It takes a lot to get my ghost, so to speak, but this movie did it. Simple premise, wildly effective.

3) Pumpkinhead - One of the only "backwoods" type movies that I can think of that doesn't come off as ridiculous. Besides the grotesque creature, there is a spooky old witch, lots of running through foggy woods, and use of light that rivals some of the best in the business to evoke creepy images. All this and Lance Henriksen too! Can we top that?

4) The Innocents - Another wonderful black and white film, The Innocents really has some great images. It is a ghost story through and through, and though it's probably evident that many ghost stories are very atmospheric and moody, this is really one of the best examples. When young Flora is singing Willow-Waly and her and Miss Giddens see ghost of Miss Jessel, it is one of the most effectively frightening moments in horror.

5) 28 Days Later - So, what would it be like to find out the entire city - or perhaps the world - is over run by zombie-like creatures who have contracted a volatile rage virus? Watch this film. It has the perfect blend of desolation and dread. The striking visuals of a barren, empty London are reason enough to check this one out. It's a nearly flawless film.

6) Wake Wood - You know what happens when you bring back the dead? Of course you know! You watch horror films! Wake Wood is a UK/Irish production that is steeped in atmosphere, as many overseas films tend to be. Crazy pagan ceremonies and forbidden rituals amp up the weird here, with most of the film being overcast and rather dark. Perfect.

7) The Others -Filmed in Spain but supposedly set in Jersey (that's the UK, not the state) after WWII, a woman keeps her children holed up in a cavernous old mansion because they have a deadly physical reaction to sunlight. The dark house, with its closed draperies, candle-lit rooms, and echoing hallways, is like the perfect haunted house. And if you've seen the film, you'll know that's not too far off the mark. Reeks atmosphere.

8) The Dark - I'm always championing this movie, I can't help it. The sweeping vistas of the Welsh countryside combine with legend and mythology to evoke some of the most atmospheric scenes and images I've seen on film. The musical score lends a lot to the movie as well, the darker segments matching the film scene for scene. People jumping off cliffs has never looked better. Neither have Sean Bean and Maria Bello.

9) Dead Birds - Mixed reviews plague this film, but I've always had a special place in my heart for it. It's a slow burner, for sure - sometimes even lacking dialogue and leaving you to figure things out on your own. But the ominous setting of a deserted plantation house that holds deadly secrets makes the movie work for me. Adding to the tension is the group of thieves who are hiding out there start suspecting each other. The whole film is just so quiet, it's nearly intolerable.

10) Lake Mungo - I'm a big fan of this film, and a big part of that is the sense of doom that is prevalent throughout the entire mockumentary. The entire movie seems utterly real, as if these people are your next door neighbors. Dread hangs in the air. The visuals are disconcerting. And the twists in the story only make the experience seem more possible. Truly unnerving.

11) Angel Heart - From the seedy streets of Harlem to the occult-ridden back roads of New Orleans, this film is a moody example of how to set a scene. The air is so thick with eerie atmosphere it is practically dripping off the screen. Everything has a certain feel here: the voodoo rituals, bloody walls, street dancers, diners, the dirt-track horse racing, the chats with the devil...it all feels heavy. Laden down with creepiness. It's a movie that you almost need a shower after watching. My kind of film.

12) Let's Scare Jessica to Death - Sometimes a movie just gets inside you and camps out, never intending to leave. I'm fairly certain a lot of people don't get this film, but for me, I love to sit down on a rainy afternoon and let Jessica seep into my pores. It's just so somber and affecting, with an ominous haze over the whole thing.

13) From Hell - Whitechapel, 1888. The stomping grounds of Jack the Ripper. Obviously meant to be a grim, distressing look at the most famous unsolved crime in history, From Hell is teeming with foul alleyways, nasty-looking people, and gruesome murders. That being said, the film is beautiful, with the blood extra red and the fog settling in for a long winter's nap. A perfect blend of hopeless and dreadful.

14) The Abandoned - Probably one of the lesser-seen films on this list, The Abandoned falls apart a bit throughout the film, but wow - it leaks atmosphere right off the screen. An American woman who heads to Russia to see about her long lost parents and the home she has apparently inherited. This movie strikes a mood straight off, taking us to the (very) dark woods of Russia, to a house that is only accessible by a bridge. Naturally, the isolation is stifling, and take my word for it....very spooky.

15) Session 9 - Horror fans will know what I'm saying here when I say Session 9 is certainly one of the best examples of atmosphere in the entire genre. The unbelievably daunting and terrifying Danvers State Mental Hospital (in Massachusetts) is the real star of this film. You could take a camera inside and simply walk room to room and scare the pants off yourself. Combine that with the fictional tale of Mary Hobbs and her several personalities and the problems Gordon is trying to work through, and what you get is a work of art.

16) Below - Simple facts: it's dark and mysterious under the sea. And period films always have a distinctive feel to them. When you combine both these things, you have an eerie trip to the Twilight Zone when mysterious things start happening and vengeful ghosts begin to take over. It's as claustrophobic as it sounds, which is a good thing.

17) Jane Eyre - Quite often, films adapted from famous works of literature are plentiful in their period atmosphere, and the 2011 adaption of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is no different. A beautiful score by Dario Marianelli adds considerable flavor to the story of an orphan who falls for a man who holds more than a few secrets in his heart, and his daunting yet stunning estate, Thornfield Hall. This version of the classic looks gorgeous, with impressive locations and effective set design to bring all the gothic horror of the tale to life. Put it this way: lots and lots of misty moors.

18) Suspiria is full of life. Dario Argento knows exactly how to make eyes close and palms sweat. His use of color in this film and also in Inferno are striking, which is something he is famous for of course. Goblin's score provides a proper yet chilling backdrop with its howling and moaning and banging drums. In all, Suspiria is a nightmarish journey into a different world, and believe me - you should take that trip.

19) Sleepy Hollow - The look of this film is classic Tim Burton. But that goes to say that he knows what he wants in a film, and he sure enough got it here. The town of Sleepy Hollow, bathed in fog and looking like an eternal graveyard, lends an unreal amount of credibility to the story. I mean, a man who has no head riding around on a horse? You believe it here. And the opening sequence, combined with Danny Elfman's superlative score, make for a first-class ride into the legendary tale.

20) The Fog - Fog is so often used to create atmosphere that it would seem to be overused. But what else would you expect from a movie entitled The Fog? I love a film that takes place in an oceanside setting. The ocean seems so threatening at night, and there can be no denying that seeing that large, ghostly clipper ship coming out of the fog is a really impressive - and shuddersome - moment! Face it, fog is wonderfully menacing.

21) Wind Chill - Two college age kids are trying to get through a snowstorm when they end up stuck in a repetitious cycle of a ghastly event. The fact that they are trapped along a mountain road in freezing temps with little to no food and a dwindling heat supply serves up tension with a side of panic as they face ghosts that want nothing more than to add them to their eternal haunting.

22) Sauna - Another period film that takes us to Finland, where two warrior brothers leave a young girl to die a heinous death. It haunts the men, one brother in particular, as they are forced to traverse through remote swamplands to an uncharted town in which their secret is revealed, and to where they will face horrific repercussions. The entire film is exceedingly dark, with misty fields and murky swamps that make you feel like the world is closing in on you. It's awesome.

23) Carnival of Souls - Black and white films always have a certain amount of ambience to them, but this movie has ridiculous atmosphere - and it's rife with frightening images. As a young woman cheats death in a ghastly car accident, she can't shake the feeling that something just isn't right. She also can't shake a persistent ghoul who follows her everywhere. And let's not forget the hair-raising score of organ music - atmospheric in its own right.

24) Rogue - Sure, it seems like a movie about a killer crocodile couldn't possibly be anything special. But when you trap a bunch of people on a small island in the middle of a river inhabited by crocs, the tension runs high and you can't help but have a palpable fear while watching it. With Rogue, the natural beauty of the Australian wilderness by day is transformed into a venerable hot box of panic and terror. Goosebumps are likely.

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 23: TWENTY-THREE Ghastly Graves

2011-10-23T08:00:00.037-04:00

Horror fans expect cemeteries to be a focal point in many films, in fact we relish the thought. The graveyard is a crucial part of terror in tons of horror movies, and many of my favorites have scenes of being buried alive, digging up corpses, saying goodbye to loved ones, and just plain waking the dead.

I think graveyards are completely groovy. When I was a teen I hung out in them all the time, and it wasn't because I was emo - it was because it was an awesome place to be. All throughout my youth I could be found in our local town cemetery, spending many a night hiding behind tombstones, walking the paths, and perhaps looking for ghosts.

While the following list does take us to cemeteries in film, I'm focused more on the actual grave here. Atmospheric cemetery shots are just another list waiting to happen, I think!

Dellamorte Dellamore (Cemetery Man)
Don't we all have someone we lost that we'd like to have back?

Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn
Oh Ash, they never stay dead when you want them to!

Frankenstein
One of my most favorite graveyard moments.

Creepshow (Something to tide you over)
How long can you hold your breath?


Halloween "Whose grave is it?" .... "Judith Myers." .... "He came home."

Drag me to Hell
And it had to rain, right??

Creepshow (Father's Day)
Hoping for a chocolate double layer with sprinkles.

Monster Squad
Always wondered how the Gill Man stayed out of water that long...

Friday the 13th, Part VI: Jason Lives
Seriously? They lost me at Part III.

Sleepy Hollow
The Hessian has a few compound fractures there, I think...

Carrie
Is there a better ending in horror? Is there!?

Bram Stoker's Dracula
While I won't dwell on vampires, this was pretty cool..

Stir of Echoes
Kevin Bacon needed some kind of redemption from Friday the 13th.
His abs here do the trick.

Night of the Living Dead
See what you get for making fun of your sister, Johnny?

The Omen
Gregory Peck seems really out of place here.

The Serpent and the Rainbow
"Don't let them bury me, I'm not dead!"
Whoops.

Buried
This would have to be the worst feeling in the world, hands down.

The Gravedancers
Anyone could have told them dancing wasn't a good idea...

Pet Sematary
My question has always been: how did they get the tombstone that quick?

Psycho II
"Yeah..ok, it's her. You wanna go grab some lunch?"

Poltergeist
Because the 'Burbs isn't always the best place to settle down.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Probably the single best scene in that whole film, and it's first.

The Walking Dead
...and NOW we know why he was digging those graves.

Halloween Festival of Lists: October 22: TWENTY-TWO Non-Fiction Tomes of Terror

2011-10-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

As I sat down to read the newly acquired 'Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting' I realized how much I actually enjoy reading about this genre. I'm a voracious reader by all accounts anyway, so I guess it makes sense I would go nuts over books that talk about all things dark and disturbing.

So if you're looking for something other than Danse Macabre (which you should have already read by now, dammit!), here are some suggestions for (non-fiction) books that discuss, in one form or another, the very thing that we are all obsessed with: horror.

My most recent acquisition I have only started to read, but it's wildly entertaining so far. Explaining the importance of folklore, history, and popular culture, W. Scott Poole brings to life society's infatuation with all things dark and disturbing.

I already reviewed this book on the site, you can read that here. But suffice it to say this book is an awesome reflection on how a bunch of young film directors gave us our most prized horror films. Believe me, you're gonna want to read about the hows and whys of making some of the most influential films in horror.

I don't need to shamelessly plug this book just because I have some dear friends who are contributors...the book speaks for itself, it's awesome. Overflowing with intelligent and interesting essays, BKBC will reward the reader with discussions of one of the ultimate sub-genres in horror, the slasher film.
Come on, you know you want it!

A revised edition from the one I purchased years ago, this book has a broad history of horror films, starting with Browning in the 30s and moving through horror history at a readable pace. While the first half is a venerable feast of info, Skal moves into popular culture in the second part and perhaps over-analyzes somewhat. But still worth a look, especially for his thoughts on early horror.

Exactly what it says it is, The Book of Lists: Horror, is an amazing collection of nothing but....you guessed it....lists. For instance: "Twenty Great Openings in Horror Fiction", "Ten Horror Cocktails and How to Make Them", "The Original Titles of Fifteen Horror Films", and "Ray Bradbury's Five Horror Films that Most Influenced Him as a Youth". You get the gist?

"320 pages * with 122 photos from * 110 films covered in * 101 essays by * 78 horror fans from * 12 different countries"
Written by horror fans for horror fans, Horror 101 has reviews, trivia, and tidbits that are presented with the enthusiasm and passion you can only expect from genre aficionados.

Not so much a book of reviews as a coffee table book with thousands of photos, John Landis's new tome includes him chatting with famous horror elites such as David Cronenberg, Christopher Lee, and Ray Harryhausen. Discussing the importance of monsters in the films we all love, Monsters seems like the perfect gift for the discerning horror fan for the upcoming silly season.

In 'Monsters: An Investigator's Guide to Magical Beings', occult scholar John Michael Greer takes a more literal approach to monsters and things that go bump in the night. A fascinating look at fictional characters such as vampires and zombies, he has perhaps a new age angle on the subject, but it makes it no less interesting.

One thing I'm fairly addicted to is encyclopedias. I love collecting facts. And in my personal library I have more than just a few encyclopedias of the macabre. This one has been on my shelf for over fifteen years. It's on its third edition, and is a comprehensive reference on the subject, with all types of ghosts and hauntings described and discussed in detail.

In this one, they break down the subjects into five categories - aliens, beasts, creations, psychopaths, and the supernatural. Lots of trivia and quotes from the films we all love so much are intertwined with humorous anecdotes making for a fun read.

"All the skills to dodge the kills". Instantly hilarious, this tongue in cheek book will have you unable to put it down. With chapters on 'how to perform and exorcism' and 'how to tell if you've been dead , you could do no better to waste away a rainy afternoon. Highly recommended.

Forget all the whining about how your life has been going like shit. Hey, at least you're still alive, right?
The Undead: Chicken Soup for the Soulless focuses on vampires, zombies, and other undead or living dead folks that just can't stay away from the living, and begs questions such as: if we kill the undead, is it still murder?

What scares Clive Barker? You'll find out when he discusses people like H.P. Lovecraft, William Castle, and John Carpenter, and subjects like Grand Guignol, zombies, and special effects. Besides it being in an alphabet form, there's no real rhyme or reason to the subjects Barker picks for this book, and it moves easily from vampires to Poe to true crime put to film.

"999 Hair-raising, Hellish, and Humorous Movies"
This book of reviews has pretty much every popular horror film and as you can guess, a lot of not-so-popular ones. It also has trivia on the sidebars about popular legends of horror like Peter Cushing and Brian DePalma, etc. A useful source.

Looking for something on the cultural significance of Halloween on the public? Want to learn about the truths behind holiday urban legends? While not a complete volume of Halloween history, Death Makes a Holiday still gives a good look at our favorite holiday.

When I was a kid, I loved that show: In Search Of. It was so damn intriguing, with all its talk of Bigfoot and Jersey Devils and UFOs.... So this book was a given, I had to have it. It includes all the aforementioned topics, plus weather anomalies, cryptozoology, urban legends, phantoms, Bermuda Triangle, and plenty else to whet your appetite for the bizarre and unexplained.

By the same author as the ghosts and spirits encyclopedia above, this exhaustive reference pays tribute to what everyone is crazy about these days: paranormal creatures. While there are entries on the "other" indicated in the title, vampires are by far the monsters that get the most play here.

"Avoid machetes, defeat evil children, steer clear of bloody dismemberment, and conquer other horror movie cliches." I loved this book, it was so witty and hilarious.With chapters entitled 'Making it out alive', 'Keep your friends close (and chop your enemies into bits)', and 'Possessed--- and Pissed off about it', you know you're in for something special.

The original edition of this book came out twenty years ago, and is now updated and ready for prime time. Genre expert Kim Newman draws on his extensive knowledge of his subject to wax poetic about films from Psycho to The Human Centipede.

Claiming to be the definitive guide on modern horror films, The New Horror Handbook moves away from Jason, Michael and Freddy and moves on to things like the Saw franchise, Ginger Snaps and Hostel. Horror comics and magazines are given some long overdue attention as well.

Speaking of horror magazines, here's a book from the Fangoria camp that has reviews of lesser known films to casual fans of the genre, like Pumpkinhead for instance. Naturally, obsessive horror fans will be familiar with many of the movies, but I feel sure there are some gems in there that will be new even to the most impassioned fans.

Yep, I have a major obsession with serial killers. My enthusiasm hasn't waned since I first "discovered" them back in high school. I have several books on them (which doesn't bode well if the cops are ever called to my house) but this one is one of the best. All the usual suspects are here: Bundy, Gacy, Dahmer...with a spattering of psychos you may not have heard of. Good stuff.