Friday, April 6, 2012

And then there was G.

First I want to wish you all a happy Easter. May the Easter Bunny bring you many eggs full of candies and new publications. =)

Here are the selections for the day.

Movie.

Grave Encounters (2011)
Directed by The Vicious Brothers


Plot: Lance Preston and the crew of "Grave Encounters", a ghost-hunting reality television show, are shooting an episode inside the abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital, where unexplained phenomena has been reported for years. All in the name of good television, they voluntarily lock themselves inside the building for the night and begin a paranormal investigation, capturing everything on camera. They quickly realize the building is more than just haunted - it is alive - and it has no intention of ever letting them leave. They find themselves lost in a labyrinth maze of endless hallways and corridors, terrorized by the ghosts of the former patients. They soon begin to question their sanity, slipping deeper and deeper into the depths of madness, ultimately discovering the truth behind the hospital's dark past...and taping what turns out to be their final episode.

Review: HOLY COW. This movie knocked my socks off. Another found footage film, and in the best Blair Witch style, the movie is claustrophobic and atmospheric. A perfect selection for a stormy dark night. If you like shows like Ghost Hunters, My Ghost Story, of Ghost Adventures, this will make your blood run cold.

Book.

Ghost Stories by MR James.
Published by Penguin in 1931.

Blurb: M. R. James is best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal gothic trappings of his predecessors, and replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.
According to James, a story must "put the reader into the position of saying to himself: 'If I'm not careful, something of this kind may happen to me!'"


Review: MR James is not very famous in America, however he was quite a figure of his times. He was an English medieval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918), as well as of Eton College (1918–1936). Beyond his social stature and fame at the time, the reason why he is mostly remembered these days is his ghost stories, regarded as among the best in the genre. James redefined the ghost story by abandoning the formal Gothic clichés of the time and using more realistic settings. His endurance would surely come as a surprise to him but the fact that he can still scare you from your iPad is prove that he is one of the best.


Thanks for commenting! I'll visit you all soon.

15 comments:

Doreen McGettigan said...

That was so scary I am such a big baby. I will watch it though..because I am a little crazy like that.
Thank you for stopping by my site. I am enjoying my visit here:)

jabblog said...

I can't watch horror films but reading ghost stories is a different matter:-)

Golden Eagle said...

Happy Easter!

I've heard of Ghost Stories before, but I've never read it. Based on the last line of your review, it sounds like a creepy book. :)

that guy said...

the blair witch freaked me out...
in a good way...

i guess i will have to check out the ghosty one you mentioned...

good luck in the a to z thingy!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Movie sounds cool.
Hope you're having fun with the Challenge!

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Hi found you through A to Z. Thoroughly enjoyed your G post.

Thanks for coming by and leaving a lovely comment.Much appreciated.

Yvonne.

mooderino said...

I'm a fan of MR James, Casting The Runes is a great story.

new follower,
mood
Moody Writing

SharleneT said...

Hello, Fellow Challenger. I'm #408 from Rockin' Chair Reflections. Come visit when you can. I've enjoyed Mr. James for so many years. So glad you reviewed him and, maybe, introduced some new readers. He can raise the hackles on my spine faster than any horror-story writing I've had the pleasure of reading.

Elizabeth Twist said...

Hi Gina! It's so nice to meet another horror writing and loving woman!

That movie looks great. I'm scrolling through your previous posts and adding things to my TBR list.

A-Z @ Elizabeth Twist

Joyce Johnson said...

I love SCARY! Thans so much for a good post.

http://thewritejoyce.blogspot.com/
a to z challenge

Georgina Morales said...

Happy Easter, guys! Thanks for stopping by!

Doreen, I'm also easily scared but I keep watching these movies. My husband says I'm a masochist. =)

Jabblog, ghost stories are my favorite. I hope you enjoy these.

The Golden Eagle, reading them is even scarier, You should really try. You'll see you can't stop later.

Bruce, I'm glad I can bring something 'new' to your attention.

Alex, thanks for the good wishes! Hope you're having fun, too!

Yvonne, thanks for commenting!

Mood, welcome to my madness! Thanks for following. I'll be stopping by your place soon!

Sharlene, I'm glad to find a lover of quality horror! I'll be visiting your site tonight, thanks for commenting!

Elizabeth, it makes me so happy to know you find my list interesting. Thanks so much!

Joyce, thanks to you for the nice comment. I'll be paying back the visit very soon.

nutschell said...

Wow. INteresting to see the first horror flick ever made. I don't like watching horror as it gives me nightmares though:S


Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Mina Lobo said...

DUDE! I dig supernatural horror though I prefer it on the lighter side (like TV series Supernatural or American Horror Story) but I LOVE *comedic* horror (like Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland, for instance). But YOU dig that *hardcore* stuff! You've got a much stronger constitution than I have!!! :-) Just that creepy ghoul chick's face in the video for "Grave Encounters" gives me the shakes. And it's well after dark so there's NO WAY I'm viewing that clip now (I'll have to check it out before I start my day at the office tomorrow morning). (LOL) I look forward to coming back to your blog and getting spooked some more! ;-)

Some Dark Romantic

Georgina Morales said...

Nutschell, you know what's worse? Horror gives me nightmares, too! I know, my husband says that I'm a masochist. The thing is I really enjoy when a movie or a book gets me scared. Not haunted houses, though. I can't walk into any Halloween attraction unless it is approved for little kids. Go figure.

Hey Mina, thanks for all your nice comments. I've been watching horror since I was, I don't know, ten? By now I have a pretty high tolerance level and I can predict most twists and turns the story will take, hence diminishing my scale of sacredness. However, I still get nightmares, ghosts, haunted houses, and zombies are my Achilles tendon. Zombies terrify me big time. But I still love great stories God knows why. Supernatural is my favorite show EVER. Great choice!! Thanks for commenting.

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