Saturday starts with S

The A to Z Challenge in partnership with this blog proudly brings to you, our recommendations for letter S.

Movie.

Shutter (2004)
Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun

Plot: A young photographer, Thun, and his girlfriend, Jane, discover mysterious shadows in their photographs after fleeing the scene of an accident. As they investigate the phenomenon, other photographs containing similar supernatural images emerge and they find out that Thun's best friends are being haunted as well. As the supernatural surrounds them ever more threateningly, Jane starts to suspect her boyfriend has not told her everything. Soon it'll become clear to them that you cannot escape your past.

Review: First let me warn you: Stay away from the American version. I know, I know, Joshua Jackson is so cute, but trust me, not even his baby face and vulnerable eyes can salvage this disaster. With that in mind, let's talk about the Thai version. I saw this movie on the theater with a friend. The whole place was in utter silence, terrified to even put popcorn in your mouth. By the mid-point of the movie I was holding my legs and I didn't dare lower my feet even when I started to cramp, lest the monster under my seat grab them. Shutter is a wild ride full of surprises and a final twist to leave you horrified of back pain. I had a really hard time shaking that last image out of my mind.

Book.

Sineater by Elizabeth Massie.
Published by Pan Books in 1992.

Blurb: Winner of England's Bram Stoker Award, Massie's first novel works better as a convincing and original story about the potential horrors of backwoods religious fervor than as a traditional supernatural thriller. Young Joel Barker lives with a special stigma: his father, Avery, is the "sineater," chosen by their Blue Ridge Mountain religious sect to live alone in the woods and bear the sins of the community's dead. Though Joel is universally ostracized, Burke Campbell, the nephew of the sect's leader, Missy Campbell, befriends him in defiance of his aunt, whose mumbo jumbo he despises. When death and mutilation falls upon anyone who has dealings with Joel's family, Missy blames the sineater and mounts a crusade against him and his kin. The two boys set out to stop the sineater and to end the religious madness that is sweeping the town, only to discover that they may be seeking the wrong enemy.

Review: Sineater is an excellent novel deserving of the Bram Stoker Award recognition. Massie's storyline focuses on a tradition and is more realistic than supernatural. Religious fanatics like Missy Campbell really do exist in our world. Massie’s sharp eye for detail brings the characters alive. Sineater is not only a horror/mystery/coming of age novel that has a bit for everyone. The town must face the fact that their traditions are archaeic and unfounded. I travel quite a lot between Montreal and Southern Connecticut and we pass through many a small towns. The very detailed setting Massie protrayed made me avoid at all costs to drive at night on our last trip.

A to Z Challenge. Letter E.

For letter E I decided to try a movie from a sub genre that has been very popular lately, the found-footage. This type of movies are usually less graphic and tend to be low budget with not many effects but effective scare scenes. Of course the most famous are The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. Both of them made big bucks and are fan favorites. I for one, love them, though there are a lot of detractors to the style. But no, I didn't choose one that you already know, that was the goal of the whole challenge, remember? Instead I chose a small production that barely got noted but that's pretty impacting.

Now, for the book I went with a classic you all know but, I'm willing to bet, most of you haven't read.

With you, the selections of the day.

Movie.

Exhibit A (2007)
Directed by Dom Rotheroe



Plot: Exhibit A tells the timely story of a normal family disintegrating under financial pressure, eventually driven to the unimaginable. All is not as it seems as the King family go about their day-to-day lives oblivious of the horror to come. Dad Andy (Bradley Cole) is nursing a secret that ultimately leads to terrible consequences for them all. We witness these chilling events unfold through daughter Judith's video camera, which subsequently becomes Exhibit A.

Review: Technically a thriller, this is an extraordinary, award winning, indy movie that is worth every second of the 89 minutes you'll invest in watching it. The story is conveyed in the natural form of family home videos, so the wobbly camera angles and moves are there but they won't make you sick unless you are very sensitive, in which case you are not a fan of the found footage sub genre. However, also in keeping with this style of movies, the less you know about it, the better for your enjoyment, so lets leave it at this: Watch it!

Book.

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty.
Published by Corgi Books in 1971.

Blurb: (Is this really necessary? Ok, fine.) When originally published, "The Exorcist" became not only a bestselling literary phenomenon, but one of the most frightening and controversial novels ever written. (When the author adapted his book to the screen two years later, it then became one of the most terrifying movies ever made.) The deceptively simple story focuses on Regan, the 11-year-old daughter of a movie actress residing in Washington, D.C. When the child is apparently possessed by an ancient demon, it's up to a small group of overwhelmed yet determined humans to somehow rescue Regan from this unspeakable fate. Purposefully raw and profane, this novel still has the extraordinary ability to literally shock us into forgetting that it is "just a story." "The Exorcist" remains a truly unforgettable reading experience. It's sequel, "Legion", was published in 1983.

Review: Why did I choose this one, you wonder? Well, because most of the time you hear all about the movie and most people have watched it and thought they didn't need to read the book. The movie was incredibly well adapted, I'll say that, but the book still retains a raw power over the reader that will make you experience a big range of emotions, not only fear. I also was pleasantly surprised by the depth of Father Karras' character. We suffer through his battle with his faith and feel his lose as the story develops. I even cried at the ending. This is a very complex book that deserves a lot more credit than living in the shadow of a superb movie. Do yourself a favor, don't skip it.

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