A to Z Challenge. Letter V

Movie.

The Visitors (1988)
Directed by Jack Ersgard.

Plot: Frank, Sara and their two children have recently moved into the house of their dreams on the countryside. For a moment they seem to be living their dreams but then they notice strange happenings in the house; the tapestries start to fall off in one of the rooms, in another nothing 'feels' right, and Frank is disturbed by mysterious sounds. As help from the outside ends with tragic consequences, Frank embarks on a quest to find out the truth himself.

Review: This is an obscure little film that most don't even know it exists. A Swedish odd ball, the film is highly atmospheric and claustrophobic. The way the director works around having basically no special effects is to use darkness to create a sense of doom and it works like a charm. By no means this movie can be compared with the greatest horror movies of all times but it is worth a look if you're tired of beaten down plots, empty characters, lots of sex, and CGI feasts. Great acting, believable characters that react just the way most of us would, and an eerie set will make your two hours a well invested time.

Book.

The Vanishment by Jonathan Aycliffe.

Published by HarperPrism in 1994.

Blurb: It promises to be an idyllic vacation -- a lovely old house on the Cornish coast where Peter Clare can finish writing a collection of short stories and where his wife Sarah can paint -- a place where they can try to rebuild their troubled marriage. The spectacular cliff overlooking the sea, the wild gardens and woodlands. But from the moment they enter Petherick House, Sarah feels the dark menace surrounding them. Peter dismisses Sarah's fears without another thought, until she disappears without a trace. Now, Peter can see the shadowy figures in the night and hear a child's desperate weeping, but the nightmare has only begun.

Review: Tell me this isn't one of the best blurbs you've ever read. I dare you. Though I haven't read The Vanishment, I just couldn't pass the chance to let you all know about such a high praised book. Everywhere you look there are four and five stars all over it. From what I know, it is a ghost story that won't scare you to death but that packs a high emotional charge. Atmospherical and with a dash of the supernatural, this is a read for even those who doesn't like horror books. Hope you enjoy it!

A to Z Challenge. Letter M.

And with letter M we have...

Movie.

Martyrs (2008)
Directed by Pascal Laugier

Plot: Fifteen years after a horrifying experience of abduction and prolonged torture, Lucie embarks on a bloody quest for revenge against her oppressors. Along with her childhood friend, Anna, who also suffered abuse, she quickly descends into madness and her own delusions. Anna, left on her own, begins to re-experience what Lucie did when she was only twelve years old.

Review: A warning for all interested in this canadian jewel; the movie is part of the extreme violent and bloody slasher movement. I wouldn't categorize it with the rest of the Torture Porn movies (Hostel anyone?) simply because there is a deep, profound story and a reason for the violence. The movie attempts, and succeeds in my opinion, to show the deep emotional pain and scars that torture/abuse leaves. It is a harrowing story that somehow manages to have a somewhat uplifting ending. This is not for the faint hearted but definitively interesting and thought-provoking.

Book.

Midnight by Dean Koontz.
Published by Berkley in 1989.

Blurb: Four people are the last hope of Moonlight Cove because one by one the rest of the citizens are changing into boogymen, werewolves, mythical creatures, or something entirely new. They are the New People; the willing victims of a seductive experiment in chemically induced evolution. They can transform their bodies at will and eliminate unproductive emotions, like grief and compassion. In fact, the only instinct left to the New People is self-preservation, and their only emotion is fear. And they want the rest of humanity to join them.

Review: After a very gory, crude recommendation, I have something lighter and entertaining for you. "Midnight" is set in a small town in Northern California, where an experiment is transforming humans and a small group of survivors, along with an FBI agent, band together to respond to the horror. There is a pervasive sense of eerieness throughout the story and although the book is not without violence, it is not stomach-churning. True to his style, Koontz generates suspense and terror more through implication than explicit description, so fret not my squeamish friends. Also, as usual with Koontz, the book reads more like a mystery with a supernatural twist. "Midnight" was a Bram Stoker nominee in 1990.


Now a little extra.
For those who asked me to include Lovecraft in the list I give you At the Mountains of Madness.
Published in Outstanding Stories Magazine in 1936.

Blurb: A novella, At the Mountains of Madness is a tale of terror unilke any other. The Barren, windswept interior of the Antarctic plateau was lifeless--or so the expedition from Miskatonic University thought. Then they found the strange fossils of unheard-of creatures and the carved stones tens of millions of years old--and, finally, the mind-blasting terror of the City of the Old Ones. 

Review: This is one of my favorite Lovecraft stories, mostly because I read it in my youth and got me so stoked I read everything with his name on the cover that came my way. I couldn't stop thinking about the Necronomicon for months. I actually believed it to be a real satanic book and searched sea and earth to find a copy. Back then there was no internet to tell me my search was futile because the book existed only in the brilliant mind of the author. My heart broke when I found out. =(

Living with a Psychic

I bet you have never wondered what it would be like to live with a phony psychic who tricks people into believing she's for real. We all know there are a hundred of them working in shops all over the world with essences inundating the air, candles, crystal balls, scary looking card decks, and funny names like Lady Soothsayer. Well, those people out there have families of their own, they're mothers, wives, daughters... What would it be like to know your mom is a fake? How do you survive high school with all its miseries when you can't respect the parenting image waiting for you at home? It must be heart-breaking, and indeed a great character forger.

Now, imagine you're a blind kid. You rely on your senses to guide you through life, but what if your senses grew to perceive things others can't. Would you be able to identify what's real from what's not? You'd never knew if the presence you're feeling next to you is really there, or just a vision from the future. Nerve racking, right? The problem is, things can get worse. What if you could, for example, experience the future death of someone important to you? Surely, figuring things like these at sixteen can change you forever.

Well, these characters are two of the most memorable in the array of craziness that is Farsighted. And I mean crazy in a good way, because it stretches your imagination and makes yourself ask questions you'd never thought of before. There are more secrets on those pages than in Silvia Brown's crystal ball, and I won't ruin those for you. You have to read it, not only if you're a lover of YA paranormal books, but if you enjoy finding your way through mazes and figuring out what's behind a character. I bet you my Tarot deck, you won't be able to see the final twist coming at you.

Chances are, if you spend some time in books-related cyberspace, you've met the author Emlyn Chand, who is an active mind always thinking on new ways to connect. Her vivacious voice lends herself perfectly to voice the anguishes of growing up superhero. Don't miss her debut novel, first of a series that will have you hook from page one; and remember:  Vampires are out, Psychics are in!

REMINDERS:

As part of Farsighted launching blog tour, Novel Publicity and the author, Emlyn Chand, are giving cash prizes of $100 each. Bloggers can win by writing the most creative entry and you can help me by voting in the traffic-breaker poll. Readers like you can also win! All you have to do is leave a comment on this and other tour host’s entries for the random commenter prize. That easy!!

Here you have the link with the tour dates and the list where you can vote:  Novel Publicity, Farsighted Tour.

Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

Learn more about Emlyn through the following links:

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Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he’s blind. Just when he thinks he’ll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.

Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future.