An Assortment of Horror

I've really been on a horror kick lately. For a while I avoided it entirely because all I could find were generic slashers as far as movies were concerned and predictable plots for novels. However, things have been looking up lately, as I've been turning towards older movies and cult hits once again. Here are a few of the highlights this month.

The horror aspect of The Fly is pretty slow to pick up if we're being completely honest. All the same, it's a great movie, and when the horror does start occurring...well. I'll admit there was one scene towards the end that had me squirming uncomfortably. The Fly is a great example of 80s horror at it's best and the makeup is fantastic.

This was actually a re-watch for me, but I'm going to mention it anyway because Hellraiser has got to be my favorite horror movie of all time. The giant Pinhead poster over my wall says a lot about how I feel about the film. To be honest, I'm a bit obsessed. Obsessed enough to stick through the train wreck that was the franchise after Hollywood got a hold of it. Granted, number three wasn't awful, but everything after that makes me cringe. Still, the first two movies are horror movie gold in my opinion, and I highly recommend the book it was based off of as well.

Eraserhead is at the top of the list of movies that have disturbed me so deeply I'm not sure I want to watch them again. The whole movie is unsettling from start to finish, with it's black and white arthouse style and surreal filming. There's one scene at the end that I just really don't want to think about too hard, but I can appreciate this movie as a work of art, as well as an absolutely horrifying film.

  

You can't go wrong with Vincent Price. You just can't. I love every single one of his B-grade, cheesy, wonderful horror films and House of Wax was no exception. I didn't like it as much as say, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, but it's undeniably a masterpiece.

Ok now this has actually been a consistent horror source in my life so I can't say it's a new discovery. However, season two has been airing and I feel the need to express how wonderful it is. Season one was a fresh take on the many escapades of Hannibal Lecter, (And of course, I fell in love with Will Graham immediately) but season two hasn't lost any of the creativeness of the first, while amping up the horror aspect. They're not holding back anymore, and let me tell you, the cinematography in this show is phenomenal. As are the relationships between the characters, dialogue, and of course, death scenes.

Finally, a book! This is one of the coolest books I've read in a very long time. The horror in this book is the  kind that nags at the back of your mind and doesn't want to let go. It's psychologically unsettling, no gore here, but it really doesn't need it. The premise is simply a house who's inner dimensions don't match it's outer ones, but that discrepency turns into something no one could ever have expected. The only thing with House of Leaves is that the format is extremely bizarre. The whole thing isn't like that, but I had to put several hours into this book in order to make sense of some of it. Just google the book and you'll see what I mean. You're either going to find it very pretentious, or extremely clever and fun.

This has been sitting at the bottom of my movie list for a very long time and I finally got around to watching it. I didn't expect to love it the way I did. The costumes are a Goth's dream and the story an absolutely delicious concept. Is it perfect? No. But it doesn't have to be because Repo was a thrill ride from start to finish. Graverobber's songs were my favorite so it's a shame we didn't see more of him. I think it's safe to say I've developed another character crush... Now I'm off to watch the Devil's Carnival!

I don't know where to start with this movie. I went to Vancouver Fan Expo this weekend (There will be pics quite soon) and one of the panels featured the Soska Sisters, AKA The Twisted Twins. They. Were. Wonderful. I have to say I enjoyed their panel the most. They weren't afraid to curse, tell stories about running away from cops while filming, or to be brutally honest about the pieces of themselves they put into this movie. I don't know if they identify as Goths, but they certainly had the aesthetic. I was ridiculously happy to see some girl directors. They weren't afraid to call out sexism and also they hit on me in front of everyone which was wonderful. Basically, this movie deals with a lot of issues like rape and sexism, and also heavily features the body mod community. A lot of research went into this film and I highly recommend it.

7 Dark Christmas Movies/Episodes to Watch

Hello everyone! I've just been dead this month haven't I? Well never fear. I've returned with a holiday inspired post. With Christmas just around the corner sometimes you get the urge to see something a little more festive. But we've all seen the classics, so how about some darker things to watch before the holiday season ends?

Gremlins

I saw this when I was three and subsequently had nightmares for weeks. Nowadays, needless to say it's a lot less scary and more fun to view. Gremlins is one of those ridiculous classics that doesn't get any less entertaining as time goes on and being set during the Christmas season it becomes a great holiday movie.

Batman Returns

This isn't something that comes immediately to mind when you think Christmas movies, but it's certainly a good one. Much darker than it's predecessor, the holiday theme of Batman Returns is a nice contrast to the grim tale. Also, come on, it's Batman. Who needs an excuse to watch that?

Tales From the Crypt: All Through the House

Who remembers this wonderful show? If you're lucky boils and ghouls, you'll be able to find this one on Youtube somewhere. Most episodes from this delightfully cheesy show ere good and this one sports a murdering wife and even more murderous Santa Claus.

Edward Scissorhands

Not quite a Christmas movie, but it's got enough holiday elements to warrant watching it and I don't think most of us would turn down this lovely movie. It's emotional and snow-covered, which is enough to make it count in my book.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

This Finnish horror film cover the gruesome and gory side of Christmas quite well. The Santa unearthed in this film 'punishes' naughty children instead of rewarding the good ones and the results are not pleasant. The Saint Nick here isn't the one we know and love.

 A Very Supernatural Christmas

Supernatural is a great show full of ghost, demons, myths, and one liners. Of course, after nine seasons it's a getting spread a little thin, but I remain a faithful fan. This episode has pagan gods, dark humor, and a creepy-cheerful holiday vibe. It's highly recommended.

 Christmas With The Addams Family

Ok so The Addams Family is always a delight and this Christmas themed episode is as adorable as ever. We should all strive to have a Christmas as unique as theirs

I didn't put The Nightmare Before Christmas or Black Christmas up here because I think they're pretty obvious choices. However, you guys get a bonus if you watch Gingerdead man and let me know how bad it is. Happy holidays!

Halloween Horror Nights Reveals

I think Halloween Horror Nights is a reward for us goths who have to brave the Daystar on such a regular basis. It's one of the only things I constantly look forward to every year. If you ever get the chance to try it out you should. I mean, yes there are problems. Obviously, it's a whole lot more commercialized then when it first started out and more and more people come every year much to my annoyance, but that's to be expected. On the bright side, it means a bigger budget every year. A bigger budget means better stuff. It's kind of a give and take situation.

I'm not saying HHN is the best halloween attraction out there, far from it I'm sure. But it's pretty awesome if I do say so myself and I always have a great time. I don't know if anyone plans on going, but here are a few tips if you ever make the venture down here.

• Go to the Orlando one. I might be a bit biased because I live here, but from everything I've read we do a better job than Hollywood most of the time. I mean, we are theme park central and we kind of thrive on touristy. 
•  Go on a THURSAY or SUNDAY. Those are non-peak nights because everyone has school or work the next day and it won't be as busy(or expensive). Lines are bad enough on those days and if you want to try and hit all the houses you can't go on a Friday or Saturday.
• It's my experience that people always head to the closest houses first. I tend to go the opposite way to the farthest one so by the time we meet the real crowds we've gone through about half of the houses.
• Get there early. As soon as it opens and while it's still light. You'll have plenty of time to see the scarezones in the dark and the houses are dark inside so it doesn't matter. Most people won't show up until one or two hours in so you can get a head start.
• Eat dinner before you go. Food and drinks are beyond expensive and you don't want to waste time eating anyway. You can grab a funnel cake or something later if you're hungry.
• Warning: there will be drunk people. They do sell alcohol and some people aren't very responsible with their intake. Just...you'll know who they are, try to avoid and/or ignore the obnoxious ones. 
• If I were you I wouldn't bother with the rides. It's good that they leave some of them open because it thins the lines to the houses a little, but you can always come back another time during the day to ride those. 
• Ok, this is probably one of the more important ones. Tone your outfit down beyond belief. If you have anything on that even slightly resembles a "costume" you'll have to remove it. If you have chains or spikes they'll take those too. Spare yourself the trouble and wear shorts and a shirt and leave the accessories at home. Plus, you wouldn't want to be wearing anything you really adore there anyway. Last year, I fell over twice, and and had someone spill their drink on me. I was wearing a t-shirt I didn't really care about so it wasn't a big deal. I only wore it because it had some neon print on the front that would glow under blacklight and make the scareactors notice me more ^^
• Last thing, DON'T BRING CHILDREN. PLEASE. I see a bunch of kids as young as five running around. If you read my article on Horror Movies and Desensitization you'll know I really don't approve of little kids seeing things like that. I just don't think it's right to expose developing minds that young to so much blood and gore. I can't make you not take your kids, but I really advise against it.

So that's about all you need to know if you ever plan on going. Now, to let you know what's in store for everyone this year!

Houses

The Walking Dead~ Zombies are a bit overdone in my opinion, but since they normally go for campy instead of terrifying this could be a little different.

 


Penn and Teller~ This is the"cheesy house" that they have every year. The one just for fun and laughs. Last year, it was Holidays of Horror. This year Penn and Teller have accidentally nuked Vegas and you've gotta deal with the consequences.

Alice Cooper~ I'm really excited about this one. HHN often have Rob Zombie or Alice Copper design things for them and they're always pretty good. I mean, you're entering his "nightmare" and if being inside the mind of Alice Cooper isn't scary I don't know what is.

Silent Hill~ Oh. My. God. This makes me so happy. Have you seen the monsters in Silent Hill? They're terrifying. This is going to probably be one of my favorites.

Dead End~ Basically, a cursed house. I don't know much more than that...it's kind of vague.

 Gothic~ Well isn't this ironic? Although really, it's a nod to the architecture of the cathedral the gargoyles are guarding. I have a feeling this will be like the cemetery one last year. Gorgeous background and designs, but not horribly scary.

House of Horrors~ This is the one I'm looking forward to the most. The website says "The original icons of fear in blinding black and white". I've read that at some point you'll have to duck to get somewhere and they'll have the most scareactors in one room in HHN's history. Eep!

Scarezones

They're doing something different this year. Instead of having set scarezones in one place they're going to have wandering "Legions" of vampires, beasts, warriors, prisoners, and traditionals. (ghosts and goblins and such.) This is kind of cool because you won't see them coming until you're surrounded by people, but on the other hand you might not meet them all. So I have sort of mixed feelings.

 And that's that! I'll try to get pictures when we go, but I won't make any promises because last time we tried for about 5 minutes before giving up. It's sort of difficult to focus while being scared half to death ^^

Dark Matters: Twisted but True

 I was feeling really lazy with the start of school and all so I thought I might hold off of a new post for a few days. Then I came on and saw I had gotten a few more followers and I told myself to get off my lazy butt and write. Thanks for the motivation everyone! Still, I've got an AP essay to start on so I'm afraid this is going to be a quickie.

There's a show on the Science Channel called Dark Matters: Twisted but True. It's hosted by John Noble, who some of you might know from Lord of the Rings or Fringe. Basically they go and dig around in history and find notes/records of experiments that question human morality.  Then they broadcast them. It's normally about the real "mad scientists" who've existed and caused massive controversy with their actions, about the horrific turn science can take if people let go of their inhibitions. But sometimes, it's just creepy events and occurences that make you rethink a few things in life. Things like...

• The invention of the lobotomy.
• Brain surgery creates a perfect amnesiac who can't remember his own life from day to day
• A man who has a hole blown in his stomach and is kept as a living science experiment.
• Alien hand syndrome.

I like the show because they don't go after the typical doctor horror stories we've all heard. Not to mention, they're all real! They really dug deep to find some of these. It's not always scientists experimenting, as with the Hungarian 'Suicide Song', but they're all interesting and have a medical aspect to them. What I like best about the show is that it makes you question what's right and wrong. Where should science draw the line?

It's my personal opinion that the stories in season two are far more fascinating than season one. So if you stick with the show it gets better. Of course, it doesn't really matter what order you watch them in and there are reruns all the time. A warning though, the show can be pretty gory if the occasion calls for it, so if you're squeamish do not watch the episode with the man with the hole in his stomach. The reenactment isn't very....pleasant.

Today Has Been a Vincent Price Kind of Day...

Today has just been one of those days where I had the chance to simply laze about and do nothing of importance. It was rather nice actually. So I decided to have myself a themed movie marathon. Vincent Price themed! He always plays the madman so well and most of the horror movies he's in make me laugh at their absurdity. (In a good way!)  So if you haven't seen any of these movies I'm going to recommend them to you.

1) The Pit and the Pendulum (1962)

One of eight films done using the works of Edgar Allen Poe. This is a horror movie people who aren't normally fans of horror movies can enjoy. The violence/blood/gross things are kept to a very extreme minimum, leaving everything to the imagination. A man receives news of his sister's death and is suspicious of the vague details he receives. He travels to the castle to investigate and discovers the ghost of his sister might be haunting the place. But not everything is as it seems...
The atmosphere is done extremely well for such a low budget production and the Gothic castle is dark and elaborately decorated. Vincent Price plays the meek man wonderfully and then rises to his other part with arresting enthusiasm. (Nearly overacting I'd say, but without seeming ridiculous.)  The movie keeps you in a constant state of suspense and the plot is decent.


2) Theatre of Blood (1973)

A Shakespearean actor (Edward Lionheart) is insulted and overlooked for an award and as a result attempts to commit suicide. Failing, he is discovered by a bunch of meth-addicted tramps (Yes, I'm serious) who he manipulates into helping him exact his revenge on the critics. He makes each murder into a performance and reenacts deaths from Shakespeare's plays. This movie is just so amusing with the frenzied actions of Lionheart and his perverse enjoyment in killing each critic. It's campy and fun with just the right amount of horror thrown in.


3) The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

 This is my second favorite Vincent Price film that I've seen to date. Once again, he's playing an insane man (Can we say typecasting?) but the madness is more subdued. Prince Prospero, a devil-worshiping sadist, mistreats the plagued villages and hides in his castle with his shallow courtiers for entertainment. Francesca is a peasant girl he takes an interest in and brings back to the castle with the intent of corrupting her and making her renounce her faith.  The best part is towards the end, when a stranger crashes the masquerade he's holding and it turns into a danse macabre. Prospero learns that not even his 'master' can protect him from the Red Death he so fears.


 4) The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

This blows Theatre of Blood away in terms of campiness, (it borders on ridiculous at times) but all the same it's my favorite of the lot. Dr. Phibes, hideously scarred from an accident works to get revenge on the nine doctors he feels are responsible for his wife's death. Dr. Phibes is manic in his obsession, completely mad. He bases the deaths around the plagues of Egypt and utilizes 'darkness' in the finale and his own end. And seriously, Phibes had to be the inspiration for Jigsaw. The scene where he places the lead surgeon in a race against time to save his son is a predecessor to the traps in Saw and much more entertaining. (I've never found the Saw movies very good.)  Granted, it's pretty unrealistic (Especially the locusts) but this horror-comedy really is a must see. I personally wouldn't recommend the sequel, it gets too supernatural for me and I think it ruins a perfect end to the first one.

To wrap it all up and break the Vincent Price pattern I decided to go and watch Carrie. Now I remember why I was so freaked out the first time I saw it. Don't denounce old horror movies. I swear all I'll be seeing is her face in my windows tonight. (Note to self: buy curtains). Her fanatical, abusive mother created a monster and both of them creep me out beyond belief. And you almost forget the film is a horror movie until you get to the prom scene.

Horror Movies~ Fearnet.com's Top 10 Art-House Shockers

 Hello lovelies! Remember that little spiel about not having any scary horror movies to watch? Well I read an old article on Fearnet.com with some suggestions and I'm here to share! Now, like I said, I'm not one for blood and gore. However I'm willing to overlook it if the movies are honestly good psychologically as well. So without further ado, here are their top 10 art-house shockers.

1) Aftermath (1994)

One of three short (30 minute) films focusing on the themes of birth, death and rebirth. Two morticians are working on gruesome autopsies. When one of them leaves for the night the other continues to work and has free reign with a corpse. Warnings: necrophilia, mutilation, disturbing themes. (I'm afraid I'm going to have to skip this one. Some things make even me queasy.)


2) Antichrist (2009)

 When a couple loses their son they decide to take a break and head to a cabin in the woods. While there the husband has bizarre and gruesome visions while his wife exhibits increasingly violent and strange behavior. Warnings: nudity, torture, genital mutilation. (That last one makes me hesitant to tackle this one too. There's a reason I avoid films like Hostel.)


3) Audition (1999)

 Shigeharu, a widower, is encouraged to start dating again by his son. His friend, a film producer, suggests they hold a series of mock auditions to find him a new significant other. Shigeharu is captivated by Asami and starts to pursue her despite his friend's uneasy feelings and her apparent lack of a past. It's a bit slow in the beginning, you almost forget that it's a horror movie, but it doesn't disappoint later. This is more my type of film. There are some graphic scenes, but not an excessive amount of gore and it's primarily a psychological film. (Yes!) Warnings: torture, disturbing themes.


4) The Beast (1975)

 A noblewoman's dream of an affair with a werewolf like creature seep into reality.  Warnings: Bestiality (through weird dreams) and apparently two horses 'get intimate'. (Yeah, I'm not too sure about this. Come on, you ask for creepy films and then you reject them? Shame on you brain!)


5) In a Glass Cage (1987)

A Nazi doctor and child molester tries to suicide. His efforts are unsuccessful and he ends up confined to an iron lung. He requires 24/7 attention to remain alive and his wife, tired of the work, hires a nurse. The boy was a prisoner in a concentration camp and one of the doctor's former victim's. What follows is a twisted mind game as the boy is determined to show the doctor how he suffered. Another extreme psychological film. Warnings: Nazism, hints at pedophilia and homosexuality, and torture.


6) Irreversible (2002)

A film told in reverse chronological order about two friends plan for vengeance. The story being revealed backwards, without you knowing the motive for the revenge will shock and change your perspective in the first half of the film. Later, you'll have time to see how it started and reflect on how your actions can affect your life. Warnings: Violence, rape, homosexuality.


7) Little Deaths (2011)

A British film containing trio of stories. In the first one an unhappy couple finds pleasure only through a ritual. The type you invite guests to. The second one deals with a homeless girl who's trying to deal with her problems by taking a pill given to her. After some strange side effects she decides to uncover just what is in that pill with some unnerving results. In the third one the guy has a girlfriend who treats him like a dog. Literally. One day, he just snaps. Warnings: Nudity, torture, extremely disturbing themes.


8) Martyrs (2008)

Anne finds a tortured woman and attempts to help her, but is captured. She learns that the group is trying to create 'martyrs' through pain in order to discover what comes after death. So far, they have been unsuccessful and Anne becomes their new test subject. Warnings: torture, nudity


9) Possession (1981)

I'm not going to try and create a summary for this one. Fearnet.com says it "explores the shattered mind of a young woman whose mental collapse may be manifesting itself in the physical world – including an apparent miscarriage. When her secret-agent husband begins an affair with her doppelganger and a strange detective begins snooping around her apartment, she turns increasingly violent – leading to self-mutilation, a little nookie with a Lovecraftian monster (are you keeping up with this?) and finally what appears to be World War III." Warnings: Disturbing images and themes.



10) Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)

The article claims this one is the ultimate test. Eighteen teenagers are kidnapped by wealthy faschists and put through four months of extreme physical, sexual, and mental torture. It explores themes of political corruption, abuse of power, sadism, perversion, sexuality, and fascism. Warning: torture, sadism, nudity.

 Some of these films are very graphic and you might want to do a bit of research before watching them. You should know your limits when it comes to movies. Please don't blame me for sharing! I don't know how many I'm going to watch. Probably not all of them. I looked for disturbing movies. Here they are, and well...they're shockers. Plus, I'm a bit uncomfortable when it comes to movies with a sexual theme. (Which seems to be the case in many of these.)

Why would you want to watch any of these? I like the way the article put it.

"Great art is not meant to make you comfortable; it's supposed to make you think and feel. Sometimes it has to shock us, smack us in the face and break through our defenses in order to poke at the soft, unprotected parts of our brains... which we don't always want to see. but isn't that one of the definitions of horror?"

 If any of you decide to see one let me know how it is! I think I'll be seeing Audition, Martyrs, Possession, and In a Glass Cage and I might do some reviews.

 Here's the link to the original article.