Nosferatu (2024)

I finally got to watch Nosferatu. I had been so excited to watch it. Nosferatu is a beautiful film but very slow. Very slow. I really struggled to stay awake during this film. The acting was good and the costumes were really nice but I felt like there was a lot of nothing between some really good and creepy scenes. Also, I would’ve liked more dramatic and intense music. I think that would’ve made this film so much more enjoyable for me. Anyways, I’ll probably give it another try in the future and if I change my mind about the film I’ll update this. 

The Crow (2024)

First off, all the actors were amazing and the costumes were wonderful. I liked almost every character on screen. I was not expecting the film to be as gorey as it was. It had more of a horror film vibe with all the gore; and the way it ended was definitely more horror than the gothic drama I was expecting. Of course, I love the original Crow and this movie didn’t feel like it as competing with that Crow as much as a different version of the story.  Overall, it was a good movie. It may be something I watch again.

Carrie (2013)

So I know that this movie came out almost a decade ago but I had no idea so as soon as I found out I had to watch it. 

The original Carrie (1976), starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, holds a special place in my heart. I watched it countless times growing up, and it remains a favorite horror classic of mine. However, I was thoroughly impressed with the 2013 remake, directed by Kimberly Peirce and featuring Chloë Grace Moretz as Carrie and Julianne Moore as her terrifyingly strict mother.

This modern version stays true to the core of Stephen King’s story but updates the setting to be more modern. The performances are outstanding. The remake also amps up the horror, delivering a more intense and fast-paced experience compared to the original’s slower, atmospheric approach.

Overall, I found the new Carrie (2013) version scarier and more gripping, While I’ll always love the original, this fresh take stands out as a thrilling reimagining of the story.

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My October Movie Marathon

     This October, I went on a bit of a spooky scary movie binge. I found myself going to the theater four times this month to catch all the Halloween season films I’d been looking forward to. It’s not something I usually do, but I couldn’t resist diving into the lineup of creepy, thrilling movies.

     I started with a sneak peak of Terrifier 3, which definitely lived up to its reputation for over-the-top gore and terror. After that, I saw another sneak peak this time it was Smile 2, which had me on edge with its terrifying jump scares. I then indulged in the nostalgic and delightfully weird world of Beetlejuice. Rounding out the week was Joker: Folie À Deux, which was as haunting as it was beautifully chaotic.

     It was such a great experience, and even though I’m not someone who usually hits the theater that often, it felt like a fun and immersive way to celebrate the Halloween season. The mix of horror, thrills, and even a bit of dark humor made for an unforgettable time.

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Joker Folie À Duex (2024)

Joker Folie À Duex 

This film has got a lot of bad reviews but I really did like this one. It is a musical so I think that obviously if you’re not a fan of musicals you really won’t like this movie. I have no idea what the movie was going for because I’ve literally read nothing about the background of this film but I felt like the breaking into songs represented the insanity in the story. I enjoyed the characters and the love story between Lee and Arthur. I also thought the ending was good and there are lots of theories on it but I don’t want to give it away. I would recommend this movie for any musical fans or any big Batman/Joker fans. I do actually think it’s worth seeing and I liked this sequel better than the first, of course, I LOVE musicals. 

Smile 2 (2024)

Smile 2

Smile 2 is easily the best horror movie I’ve seen all year. It was better than the original. It was scary! The acting was so good and the story had so many twists and turns you really didn’t know what was going to happen next. The special effects were beautiful and gory at times but very good both ways. And there were plenty of jump scares. Normally I don’t like jump scares but these ones were actually horrifying. The movie was so scary that the couple sitting next to me left the movie early. This is a great one for a horror movie fan. 

Is Art The Clown From Terrifier A Mime?

Is art the clown a clown or a mime? I got into this conversation with a family member this week and I wanted to explore it a little more. 

Art’s face is painted white with black, with exaggerated features that is a classic clown look with a touch of sinister surrealism. He dons a black and white outfit, which could easily pass for either a clown or a mime. However, his costume lacks the bright colors or playful patterns typical of many clowns, which aligns him more with the subdued, monochrome world of mimes.

Clowns are typically loud, engaging in absurd antics meant to entertain. Art, however, takes a different approach. His performances are silent, utilizing exaggerated facial expressions and body language to convey menace. This emphasis on non-verbal communication is more akin to mime traditions, which emphasize storytelling without speech.

Art’s silence might be mime-like yet his actions are anything but. Traditional mimes engage in imaginary activities, like pulling ropes or being stuck in boxes. Art’s actions, however, are visceral, real, and violent, in contrast to the whimsical worlds mimes create. This violence places him firmly in the clown territory—an entertainer gone awry, turning what should be humorous into something horrific.

While Art the Clown shares visual and behavioral traits with mimes, particularly his silent communication, his overall persona leans more towards a grotesque form of clowning. His violence, unpredictability, and the distortion of traditional clownish elements make him a nightmarish version of a clown, albeit with strong mime-like characteristics. 

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M.R. James: Master of the Ghost Story

M. R. James, or Montague Rhodes James, is a name synonymous with classic English ghost stories. Born in 1862, James was a scholar whose background heavily influenced his writing. His professional life was primarily spent in academia, serving as the Provost of King's College, Cambridge, and later Eton College. Despite his notable career in medieval studies and manuscripts, it was his ghost stories that earned him lasting fame.

James' tales are distinct for their atmospheric tension, drawing heavily from his scholarly pursuits. His passion for history, folklore, and ancient manuscripts bleeds into his works, providing rich, detailed backdrops for his supernatural stories. Unlike many horror writers who use overt terror or graphic descriptions, James' approach is more subtle and psychological. His protagonists are often educated men, like himself, who stumble upon something sinister hidden within the mundane world of old books, churches, or artifacts. This blending of the academic with the eerie is what gives James' stories their unique flavor.James believed that a ghost story should be set in a familiar, real-world environment, that the supernatural element should be hinted at rather than shown outright, and that there should always be a sense of ambiguity. Therefore, the settings of James' stories often reflect his own surroundings. Many are set in remote English countryside villages, Gothic churches, or musty libraries—places he knew well. His ability to transform these familiar spaces into sites of terror is a testament to his skill. He was able to make the ordinary extraordinary, hinting that beneath the surface of our day-to-day lives lies something far darker and more mysterious. This approach gave his stories a lingering effect, leaving readers haunted by the possibilities of what might lurk beyond the veil of the everyday.

Unlike many writers of supernatural fiction, James didn't begin his career as a full-time author instead, he wrote ghost stories as a hobby, often reading them out loud to friends suing Christmastime-a tradition that goes back to Victorian times when ghost stories were a popular holiday entertainment.

James' influence on horror fiction is profound. His ghost stories set the standard for many 20th-century writers, and his work continues to inspire contemporary horror. His emphasis on suggestion, atmosphere, and the power of the unseen shaped the genre in significant ways. M. R. James remains a master of the ghost story, his works a timeless reminder that true horror lies not in what we can see, but in what we can barely glimpse.

 

 

 

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The Fenstanton Witch by M. R. James

 

The Fenstanton Witch by M. R. James

"The Fenstanton Witch" by M.R. James is a ghost story set in the small village of Fenstanton. It centers around a legend of a witch who was wronged by the local villagers, leading to her curse upon the land.

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Read more about the Author M. R. James here.

 

 

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The Music of Erich Zann (1921) by H.P. Lovecraft

 This week I am sharing The Music of Erich Zann by H.P. Lovecraft. You can read or listen to this story at the following websites: 

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Click here to learn more about this author. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

H.P. Lovecraft: The Man Behind the Cosmic Horror

H.P. Lovecraft, often hailed as the father of modern horror, has left a mark on literature, influencing countless authors, filmmakers, and artists. But what is it about Lovecraft that makes his work so enduring? To understand this, we need to delve into his history, education, and the unique inspirations that shaped his writing.

Born on August 20, 1890, in Providence, Rhode Island, Howard Phillips Lovecraft had a childhood marked by tragedy and solitude. His father, Winfield Scott Lovecraft, suffered a mental breakdown and was institutionalized when Lovecraft was just three years old. His mother, Sarah Susan Phillips Lovecraft, who also struggled with her own mental health issues, was deeply protective of him, fostering an environment of isolation.

Lovecraft's formal education was sporadic, but his intellectual curiosity knew no bounds. He was a voracious reader, devouring works of classical literature, mythology, and science. His early exposure to Gothic tales and the works of Edgar Allan Poe left a lasting impression on him, and his fascination with astronomy became another lifelong passion.

Although Lovecraft never completed high school due to health issues, he was largely self-taught, educating himself through extensive reading and writing. His love for the classics, particularly Roman and Greek literature, influenced his writing style, which is characterized by an archaic tone and elaborate prose.

Lovecraft's work was unique and stood out from the other writers of his time for several reasons. Firstly, his creation of a shared mythos, often referred to as the "Cthulhu Mythos," was groundbreaking. This universe, populated by ancient deities like Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, and Azathoth, has become a cultural phenomenon, influencing not just literature but also games, movies, and even music.

Another aspect that made Lovecraft unique was his ability to blend science and fiction in a way that was ahead of his time. His stories often incorporate elements of astronomy, physics, and biology, reflecting his deep interest in these subjects. This fusion of science with the supernatural helped to create a new genre of horror that explored the terrifying implications of the unknown.

Lovecraft died in relative obscurity in 1937. Despite this, his work has had a lasting impact on popular culture. His influence can be seen in the works of writers like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Clive Barker, and his mythos continues to inspire new generations of creators. His tales remind us that in the vastness of the cosmos, there are mysteries beyond human comprehension—an idea that continues to both fascinate and terrify.

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Longlegs (2024)

Longlegs is a movie that was really hyped up in my circle of friends so when I saw it tonight I was a little disappointed that It wasn't more scary. That said, it was a really good movie. A good story. I think the actors all did a great job but the best part of the movie was the eerie atmosphere that was created throughout the whole film. I think this was the result of characters that were odd and awkward and the shots taking place in liminal spaces that created an amazing sense of suspense and tension. I would recommend seeing this one.

The sound I searched many years to find.

                                      

     Once upon a time... in the nineties, I had somehow found a Halloween cassette that I found myself really liking and I liked it so much that I continued to play it all year long. (This Halloween tape was the kind that had music and sound effects on it to create background for a haunted house or a Halloween party). I loved the atmosphere that it created as I played it in the background as I went about my everyday business of chores and homework and what not. 

     Unfortunately, I lost that tape and could not remember the name or where I had gotten it in order to replace it. For years, I would buy Halloween tapes hoping that I would come across a tape like the one I had loved so much. I even remember one of my dear friends lovingly teasing me for listening to such "cheesy" or "cringe" music. 

     Well, twenty years later I finally found the sound I was looking for. I had long given up on trying to find a great Halloween cd until I saw one called Midnight Syndicate 13th hour. Taking a quick look at the back of the cd, I had a good feeling that this could possibly be the sound I was looking for. The moment I played it I was so excited. It was indeed what I was looking for all those years. in fact, the album was really very good and I was so happy that I had went with my intuition and bought it. 

     With the name of the cd I went online and researched and found a few other albums that had this kinda Halloween atmospheric sound. I discovered that it is called a few things but I think that the most common ones I saw were dark neoclassical, neoclassical ambient wave, dark ambient, or neoclassical dark wave. 

     I have started listening to these albums and I find this music so relaxing and interesting. I think that I will have a collection of this music in no time. 

     I am including a list of the groups I really like that I have found for anyone who may be interested. I am including albums I think are Neoclassical dark wave and Neoclassical ambient wave . However, my apologies if I have put any of these bands/groups in the wrong genres.

 

Midnight Sanctuary

Nox Arcana

Lustmord

 Danzig- Black Aria (this album specifically)

 

Update : I found the name of the cassette. It is the 1990 version of Pumpkin Time's Chamber of Horrors sold by Kmart in the 1990s. There is supposedly a CD version of this recording but the running times don't match. I think I'm going to try to get a hold of one and see if its the same. There is more information about this cassette on my Recommended links page. Scroll to the bottom to check out the links.

Movies movies movies!!!

 There are so many remakes/re-imagined movies happening or that have happened in the last four years that I can't keep up. I still haven't seen the craft remake and now I see there is a new crow, Blade and a new Beetlejuice. I really want to see all the remakes of the movies that I loved and give them a chance. I know that the crow is kinda getting some negativity because of the way that the new Eric Draven looks but I plan on trying my best to keep an open mind and give them all a chance.