A to Z Challenge. B...

Day 2 and time for B recommendations...

Movie.

Borderland (2007)

Directed by Zev Berman.

Plot: Loosely based on a case occurred on 1989 in a northern Mexican town close to the American border where a group of drug dealers killed at least twenty people for the sole purpose of using their bodies in satanic rituals. When they kidnapped and killed Mark Kirloy, a student who disappeared in march 1989 during spring break, the story became so big, it lead to the capture of their leader and dismantlement of the group. In the movie three college students, Phil, Ed, and Henry, take a road trip into Mexico for a week of drinking and carefree fun only to have Phil find himself captive of a group of satanic Mexican drug smugglers.


Review: Though the movie does not depict the real turn of events, it follows the line our imagination goes when one reads about a group of drug smugglers and satanists killing people to offer them to the devil in exchange for power and money. The movie is very disturbing. There is no paranormal monster anywhere, no ghosts, nor any cameo from demons of any kind. The evil in the movie comes totally as courtesy of the humans committing despicable acts of violence with the possible excuse of being crazy. In that sense this film works perfectly as the viewer can perceive the frail mental state of the one calling the shots, as the desperation of the young group of friends trying to escape the unbelievable situation they put themselves into. This movie is not for everyone but let me assure you, it will scare you silly.


Book.


I just couldn't make my mind, so I will point to two amazing books that every lover or horror has to read.


1. Books of Blood by Clive Barker.
    Published in 1985 by Berkley Books.


Blurb: There are six books in total, each simply subtitled Volume 1 through to Volume 6, and were subsequently re-published in two omnibus editions containing three volumes each. Each volume contains four or five stories. With the publication of the first volume, Barker became an overnight sensation, hailed by Stephen King as "the future of horror". The book won both the British and the World Fantasy Awards. Several of the stories have been adapted into movies, "Rawhead Rex" (1986); "Candyman" (based on "The Forbidden" in 1992); "Lord of Illusions" (Based on "The Last Illusion"in); "Quicksilver Highway" (based on "The Body Politic" in 1997); "The Midnight Meat Train" (2008); "The Book of Blood" (in 2008, which combined "Book Of Blood" and "On Jerusalem Street"), and "Dread" (2009).


Review: This is another book that's waiting for me atop my huge pile of TBR but it doesn't matter where you read about it, it has nothing but four and five stars, and with so many amazing movies being based on these stories, one can't wait to jump at the chance of holding in one's hands a piece of contemporary horror history.




2. Best Ghosts Stories by Algernon Blackwood.
    Published in 1973 by Dover Publications.


Blurb: "If a ghost is seen, what is it interests me less than than what sees it?" Thus Algernon Blackwood describes his fascination with human beings' ability to sense invisible powers and stirrings in the universe, a fascination he developed most famously in his stories about mystical, ineffable encounters with nature. This collection, selected by renowned scholar of the supernatural, E. F. Bleiler, is an excellent sample of Blackwood's work, including 12 of his best ghost stories and a crime story as well. Blackwood is acknowledged today as the author who made the ghost story into a respectable literary form.


Review: Sadly, Algernon Blackwood is a name most of us haven't heard at all. He definitively set the groundwork that made the horror genre what it is today and his stories should be a must for every self-respecting horror buff. Now, don't expect blood and gore, these stories are the complete opposite of Clive Barker's in that they are subtle, quiet, and atmospheric but nonetheless eerie. Algernon Blackwood presents a good opportunity for those who are not used to or do not enjoy extremely frightening reading, however they will stay with you for a long time.


Hope you enjoy today's selections! Keep the comments and suggestions coming, I'll do my best to accommodate them all. Have a great B-Day and remember to keep hopping!!