The N Details of Horror

The third monday of April is here and I can't believe we're past the mid-point of the challenge. Time is flying!! But I'll open the week with a bit of a trivia.

In recent years we have been inundated by the amount of remakes Hollywood has forced us to endure, usually in detriment of the original piece which often shares but a few threads with its 'newer' version. Well, it seems bad remakes were not invented by Hollywood. Here I share with you the first remake ever. The English version of The Haunted Castle, directed by George Albert Smith in 1897 and based on the French original of the same name. If you want to check the 1986 version, click here.



Movie.

Noroi: Te Curse (2005)
Director: Koji Shiraishi.

Plot: A documentary filmmaker explores seemingly unrelated paranormal incidents connected by the legend of an ancient demon called the "Kagutaba."

Review: You didn't really think I was going to forget about Japanese horror, right? Also know as J-horror its peak of interest hit around 2002, when The Ring exploited into western theaters and blew our minds. Recently it has been kind of forgotten, though it is still much well regarded. Noroi is a prime example of a good story that doesn't follow western standards for horror and yet delivers in scares and eeriness. Film as a mockumentary--another huge trend--it is an effective film that actually bothered with a story that makes sense.

Book.

Necroscope by Brian Lumley.
Published by Tor Books in 1992.

Blurb: From the undead vampire in the Romanian mausoleum, Boris Dragosani tries to draw an evil force so powerful he will gain supremacy in the ultra-secret paranormal agency he works for in Russia. His official job is as a Necroscope – his speciality is tearing secrets from the souls of newly-dead traitors.

And England too has her necroscope – her communicator with the dead. When Harry Keogh is recruited by the British Secret Service to take on the paranormal menace from behind the Iron Curtain, the stage is set for the most horrifying supernatural confrontation ever... 

Review: This is actually the first book in the series, a total of five widely popular books. Lumley style is quirky but interesting and makes you care for his characters. He has also develop a very intricate story surrounding his vampires--indeed, these are vampire books--making the collection one with the most complex backstories and mythology on the theme EVER.

A Horrific Ode to Letter L

Movie.

Lake Mungo (2008)
Directed by Joel Anderson.

Plot: Sixteen-year-old Alice Palmer drowns while swimming in the local dam. When her body is recovered and a verdict of accidental death returned, her grieving family buries her. The family then experiences a series of strange and inexplicable events centered in and around their home. Profoundly unsettled, the Palmers seek the help of psychic and parapsychologist, RAY KEMENY. Ray discovers that Alice led a secret, double life. A series of clues lead the family to Lake Mungo where Alice's secret past emerges. Lake Mungo is a mystery, a thriller and a ghost story.

Review: Nine out of ten people will say Lake Mungo is a truly scary, yet relatable film and it's not me making up this numbers, you can check IMDb for many more satisfied customers. The australian film is yet another 'mockumentary'. It is a mystery with so many twists and turns you never know what follows, then you add a touch of supernatural and you have the recipe for success.

Book.

Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker.
Published by William Rider and Son Ltd. in 1911.

Blurb: The story centers around Adam Salton who is contacted by his granduncle in England for the purpose of establishing as the last two members of the family. Adam travels to Richard Salton's house in Mercia and quickly finds himself in the center of some inexplicable occurrences. The new heir to the Caswall estate, Edgar Caswall appears to be making some sort of a mesmeric assault on a local girl, and a local lady, Arabella March, seems to be running a game of her own, perhaps angling to become Mrs. Caswall. There is something strange about Lady March, something inexplicable and evil.

Review: Once again I travel the less known path. I could have easily suggested Dracula but you all know that is a classic and it awesome. Instead I offer you something more from the same great mind. Lair of the White Worm is every bit as dark and gothic as its predecessor. Just remember our sensibilities are quite different from those of the Victorians, don't expect a contemporary horror.

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.

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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