What it’s about: It's young Lucy's first day
as a trainee in-house caregiver. She visits Mrs. Jessel, an old woman who lies
in cerebral coma, by herself, in her large desolate house. Learning by accident
that Mrs. Jessel, a former dance teacher of repute, supposedly possesses a
treasure somewhere in the house, Lucy and friends William and Ben decide to
search the house in the hope of finding it. At night, they get into the house,
which reveals itself to be increasingly peculiar. Their hunt for Mrs. Jessel's
treasure leads them into a horrifying supernatural series of events that will
change Lucy forever...
Review: The
creators of Livid also made another film called Inside. Inside was a tight,
focused film centering around two female characters that fight over an unborn
fetus. It’s an intensely graphic, gory film that quite honestly had me on the edge
of my seat. Livid is pretty much the opposite of Inside; it takes its time to
develop, and its far more about the imagery than it is about the story (which
is just as convoluted as the interior of the house that this film is mainly set
in). Basically, when you get down to brass tacks, this film is about
bloodsucking vampire ballerinas, and if that doesn’t pique your interest I don’t
know what will.
This is what I get for staying up until 3 a.m. on Saturday (and then pretty much doing nothing all of Sunday, hah). No post! So instead I present to you another filler post, one full of awesome music that I've been listening to lately. Feel free to add anything you've been listening to as well!
Today's horror short is an animated film; overall it's pretty simple, but it's incredibly well done. A little boy afraid of the monsters in his closet must confront the real monster in his home. Check it out!
Now that Briarcliff has closed its doors for good, I thought I would comment on the entirety of the season rather than doing a blow-by-blow (as I was doing over on my friend's site, which I am sorely behind on). Overall, this season impressed me far more than the first did. Season one felt like it still had some kinks to work out, or maybe some of the actors just didn't fit. The second season was not without its flaws, but it descended to a depth that was both shocking and, well, rather timely for the current situation we're living in (at least those of us in America).
Let's start with the bad. THE CONS
OK I don't know whose baby ralphed on Ryan Murphy, but can we stop with the potentially-demonic/potentially-christlike children? I get it, Rosemary's Baby, pregnancy is scary, hormones and bodily changes that you have no control over. It was more than well addressed in the first season with Michael; the three babies that came to life in this season were overkill. Not that I don't love Thomas, Julia, and Johnny all in their respective ways, but honestly, if there absolutely had to have been a baby the only one super pertinent to the story line was Johnny. The aliens could have easily been doing something else to people -- I mean, they gave Pepper intelligence and the ability to convey that intelligence. They brought Grace back to life. So why the breeding experiment? That wasn't explained very well, other than hey we can do it, so why not?
If I see another baby next season, I am turning the TV off.
If the kids are this old, they might get a pass. MAYBE.
I want to list this as a pro as well, but did it not seem that Jessica Lange and Evan Peters were essentially redoing Constance and Tate? Jude was not too far off from Constance to begin with, though obviously far less greedy; Kit on the other hand was certainly no serial killer/active shooter. But the wrap up between them seemed like closure for the first season when we see Constance grappling for some kind of foothold in her children's lives, even as that drives them toward their destruction. I know it's difficult to get away entirely from these characters and relationships when you're dealing with the same actors, but... Eh. It's not a huge con, but something that stuck out to me.
Oh, and the accents. They really could have lost them; Lange was losing hers and then finding it again every five minutes. Peters seemed to have a better hold on his, but I've never really heard a Jersey accent in person so I can't really be a judge there. But they were really the only two trying accents on for size, so I don't think it would have been remiss for the entire cast to go without.
The aliens. Perhaps not necessarily as a con, but as iterated above, their story line didn't make a whole lot of sense. But perhaps that was the point -- that there are things beyond our grasp, things we may never understand, which quite well underlines the tone of the entire season.
I know, Grace, I know. Trying to make sense of it all just makes my head hurt as well.
THE PROS
Oh man, where do I even start? Well, I'd love to start with the two leading ladies who seriously stole the show from Lange, despite her best efforts to fight back. I'm talking about Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe.
Paulson, as Lana Winters, was just flat out amazing. I am so glad that they gave her something to really chew on this season, because her character in the first season was incredibly superfluous to explaining why Violet could see the ghosts. That whole aspect felt so shoehorned in. But Lana was a completely different character, and watching her evolution from a perky, wide-eyed little girl of a reporter into a hard hitting sleuth who's survived the worst of conditions really made the show for me. Murphy described the relationship between Paulson and Zachary Quinto as that of incredibly close friends, which allowed them to do such horrible scenes because they were so comfortable with one another.
One really tough cookie, especially when it came to that finale!
And Rabe, who also got a larger role and one completely opposite her first season character. In fact, one could even count Sister Mary as two separate characters, both pre- and post-demonic. But her delicious torturing and bedlam-inducing actions inside of Briarcliff were a real treat to watch. Seeing poor little Mary go from a sweet and clumsy do-gooder into this powerhouse of evil was fantastic. And the relationship between Mary and Arden (James Cromwell) was especially touching since it was removed from the usual 'star-crossed romance'. It was idealism and chivalry in its most base form, and the fact that it was between a Nazi and a nun just made it all the more strange and, well, unique.
Remember, when you look into the face of evil, evil will look right back. Don't blink.
I think the most interesting thing about this season, though, aside from the fantastic cast and the great script, is its timeliness. Mental health is becoming a huge issue in America, following several mass shootings. We've had 5 in 2013 alone, and we're not even out of January yet. Jails are becoming holding centers for people with severe mental illnesses because there's no where else for them to go. Very few know how to treat them, and those with the illnesses don't really know that they need treatment because our society stigmatizes these things while at the same time throwing products at you that will make your skin the right tone or your hair the right color. You can look at the images Lana Winters takes of Briarcliff in order to get it shut down are certainly not made up -- similar footage of such events took place in places like Willowbrook State School, which was only shut down in 1987. The jails in nearly every state in America are overflowing with inmates, many there because of mental issues, and still posing a threat to officers who work at those jails. Treatment for them is virtually nil, so then they are released back into the public because no one knows what to do with them.
Will people take this as a wake up call, though? Or is this just entertaining television? It's hard to say. Most people will probably just look at this season and think "it's 2012, that sort of thing doesn't happen anymore." Please get your head out of the sand and realize that horror in the media is just a reflection of horror in reality.
OK, getting off my soap box now. Overall, this season was a tremendous success in my opinion and I can't wait for the next. Hints are already flooding in that it's going to be something in the Salem Witch Trials, but my hopes are on New Orleans voodoo/hoodoo. Right now, three actors are slated to return -- Jessica Lange (of course), Evan Peters, and Taissa Farmiga. Who knows who else will sign up for another season of horror? Can we get Ian McShane back? Let me know what you thought of the show!
What it’s about:Bob, a cab-driving serial killer who stalks his prey on the city streets alongside his reluctant protégé Tim (also known as Rabbit), who must make a life or death choice between following in Bob's footsteps or breaking free from his captor. Review: I’m
not even honestly sure where to begin with this film. It’s horror, it’s an
examination of the psychological aspects of a serial killer, it’s a father-son
story, it’s so many things wrapped up into one delicious film that I feel like
I could watch it again and again and still find new things to pull out of it.
Starring Vincent D’Onofrio, Chained takes a close look what makes serial
killers tick.
Sometimes when I pick a book, it’s not always because of a
review or an author’s name or even a recommendation. It can just be because of
the cover art. I’ve been guilty of this pretty often, though more often for
videos when video rental stores were still around. So Anna Dressed in Blood
came to my attention not because it’s got a good recommendation from Stephen
King, and nor because it’s a female voice in the horror genre (though that gets
it big stars in my book). The outside cover is dressed up in this very (ok,
yes, it’s pretty stereotypical) foreboding picture of a girl facing a house.
She’s dressed up in this pretty, lacy white dress with a pink sash. Her hair is
being swept up an away from her by a harsh wind that’s blowing through the portrait,
and the edge of her dress is coated in a deeper color than its sash. Frankly it
looks not unlike many a j-horror icon with long black hair curling as though it
were an entity with its own free will. Staring at the cover long enough makes
you hope that the girl never turns around.
The innards of the book do not quite live up to the cover –
there’s a very generic love story between a boy and a girl, but one that’s
twisted enough to keep your attention. The main character is Cas, a ghost
hunter who’s been looking for the spirit responsible for his father’s death
many years prior. He has a special blade that he uses to dispatch ghosts into what
he believes is a better plane of existence for them; he and his mother move
from place to place quite often, seeking out the most bizarre and terrifying
urban legends so that he might one day find the thing that ate his father. This
is how we learn of Anna Dressed in Blood, the titular character. For me, the
best parts of the book were descriptions of Anna – she’s a ghost who is forced
to kill anyone who enters her home. When we are initially introduced to her,
her story is a simple one: a girl on the way to a party all on her lonesome has
her throat slashed unceremoniously in an alley way where she’s found the next
morning. It certainly leaves the reader wondering how she came to be back in
her house, haunting it and killing anyone who sets foot inside.
The majority of the story revolves around Cas and Anna’s
relationship, and Cas’ obsession with freeing Anna from her curse. There are a
few other interesting characters – Thomas, a psychic, and Carmel, a sort of
Buffy stand-in – but the main two are the ghost and the ghost hunter. It’s your
typical Romeo and Juliet love story, only one’s already dead. The other
downsides to the book are that there aren’t any real rules for the ghosts;
their behaviors and abilities vary, especially Anna. She’s able to float
through walls and other objects, but she’s also able to grip a man and tear him
in two. It doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, but when facing a
supernatural subject, little rarely ever does. There’s also the issue of the
villain of the piece, who ends up being a black character who is a
voodoo/hoodoo practitioner. There was a lot left to be desired when it came to
him, to be perfectly honest, but he did serve his purpose as the antagonist very
well.
The best part of this book, however, is the descriptions.
Kendare Blake wastes no words in describing the state of Anna’s victims, who
are plentiful throughout the novel, or in helping her reader visualize the
villain, who is quite bone-chilling to read about. When it comes to gore and
horrifying passages, Anna Dressed in Blood definitely has it, and it seems
incredibly surprising for something found in the Young Adult section that is
quickly taking over any and all book stores.
And then there came the sequel. After enjoying the first so
much, anticipating Girl of Nightmares was no easy feat – I was ready to dive
back into the realm of Anna and Cas, especially following the ending of Anna
Dressed in Blood. The second book gives more detail as to where the ghosts Cas
slays are going – and it’s not a pretty sight. Girl of Nightmares follows a
similar pattern to Anna Dressed in Blood in that Cas is struggling to rescue
Anna again, but Anna is left out of the majority of the book. I found this odd
and disconcerting, since she is, again, the titular character and essentially
the main selling point of the novel. She was one of my favorite characters, and
in the second novel she was reduced to little more than a damsel in distress
waiting for a knight in shining armor to come and save the day.
The second novel also suffered from a lot of other issues –
the story covers a wider geographic area, sending our heroes to England to find
a cult who may be the source of Cas’ knife, but there is little that really goes on in the first half of the book. By the
time we get to anything interesting (such as Cas and a competitor all but
committing suicide to pass over to the ghosts’ plane), it’s closer to the end
of the book, comprising maybe a quarter of it or less. There are very few what
you might describe as horror scenes in the book (with the exception of Cas' dreams of Anna, which he interprets as cries for help), instead choosing to focus more
on action and some deduction work that becomes incredibly tedious. There is one
interesting scene of the characters being forced to travel through a suicide
forest, but again with no specific rules on the ghosts, sometimes it seems a
bit jumbled. I would think that a second novel would be tighter than the first,
a better concept that was polished to completion, but it feels more like there
was a rush to get it out for public consumption.
Overall, I definitely recommend the first book. Maybe get
the second from a library, if you feel that you absolutely must read it to get
some closure from Anna Dressed in Blood.
Today's SHS comes to us already a winner at the San Diego Comic Convention, and it's easy to see why. While "The Insane" comes off as a generic Resident Evil knock off or spoof, the twist is where it'll get you. So sit back, enjoy some popcorn, and watch the show!
What it’s
about: After discovering an urban legend of a demented serial killer, who has
nothing but a carved 'smiley' on his face, a mentally fragile teen must decide
whether she is going insane - or will be the next victim.
Review: Smiley is, for all intents and purposes, a generic
slasher flick. But is it a successful slasher flick? Well, this is where people
might be divided. Me, I know exactly where I fall in the spectrum of people who
will consume this film, but first lets go over the finer points of it before we
get to a conclusion. Smiley, the titular character, is an urban legend that
grew out of the internet’s backwater forums not unlike 4chan, creepypasta, etc.
And he’s only got one thing inside his smiley little head. Or rather, big head…
It looks kind of like a growth, doesn’t it?
Kenneth Oppel returned with a sequel to This Dark Endeavor with Such
Wicked Intent. This book follows the same basic formula as the first:
following Konrad’s death, Victor swears off of alchemy and burns the Dark
Library, vowing to himself that he will abstain from all that he believes resulted
in his twin’s demise. This includes leaving Elizabeth, Konrad’s betrothed,
alone. Of course, we can’t have these things stay like this for forever, and
all too soon Victor is presented with a doorway into the spirit world, where he
finds his brother still trapped in an alternate version of their home.
Once again, Victor, Elizabeth, and Henry are working against
the clock to save Konrad. This time though, it’s from a far larger threat which
stems from their past – their ancestor’s past, that is. There’s no fan service
with a pop in from another historical face like there was with Dr. Polidori in
the first book, but instead the story this time focuses more on the idea of
bringing someone back to life. Much like the first book, it riffs off of the
original Frankenstein mythos, but takes it in a new direction. Rather than
being obsessed with dead flesh and the re-ignition of life, Victor and company
are introduced to a more Promethean kind of creation: clay.
The group finds a strange underground passage beneath the
family dwelling, one that’s full of catacombs and primitive drawings on the
walls. Further exploration reveals a kind of burial ground, where one large and
obviously revered grave is set. In the mortal plane, everything looks normal
and somewhat dull, but in the otherworldly setting, the grave pulses and gives
off a sort of life. It also sprouts out black butterflies, the reasoning for
which I won’t explain here since it will give away part of the ending. However,
the description of all of this is basically the best part of the book – once
again the subject matter is brought to life with tight and elegant prose,
something I absolutely love Oppel for.
Still, things are not as simple as they seem and the process
of creation, which seemed straight-forward, turns out to be working against
them for there’s another presence in the otherworldly house. Deep within the
house itself lies another dormant soul, one that’s looking to get out, and
plans to use what Victor and his friends are using to save his brother. All in
all, it quite veers away from what we all know as Frankenstein; while it still
deals within the realm of alchemy and the occult, I was surprised to see this
kind of…I don’t know, spiritualism come into play? But I had to keep reminding
myself that this was not the Frankenstein
mythos but a retelling or reconjuring of it.
Many other reviewers have called this sequel much darker
than its predecessor, and that’s not without truth. Victor, Elizabeth and Henry
are really dabbling with life and death in this book, and it even goes so far
as to change one of their personalities. Other, darker topics are touched upon.
The way the book flows had me believing that it would end in one fashion, but
then I was surprised to see that it was not. Rather, it was left open for
another sequel, which left me feeling a little miffed. I thought it would be a
natural course of events for the book to take a closer leaning toward the
mythos by introducing the Creature, but it does not (or rather it seems to for
a moment, but then dashes those hopes).
The ending of the book hints more at the Victor we all know,
which left me asking why this book was made at all – it seems like a detour on
the way to a larger story. Hopefully Oppel can clear up the reasoning behind
this bit, but all in all it’s still an enjoyable read.
I’m going to start this off by saying the creators of The
Walking Dead game are bad people and they should feel bad. This is, of course,
not to say that the game itself is bad – in fact, it’s fantastic. It’s
incredibly moving and every turn will present you with another hard hitting
question or decision that pushes you, as a survivor of the zombie apocalypse,
to your very limits.
The Walking Dead game is a point and click game (with a few
quick time events sprinkled throughout) developed by Telltale, the people who
brought us Tales of Monkey Island. It tells the story of Lee, a man convicted
of murder, and Clementine, an eight-year-old girl, as they try to survive
through the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. The two are brought together by
chance when the patrol car Lee is being transported in gets into an accident
with a walker and Lee must fight to survive. He finds Clementine along the way –
she’s hiding in her house, where she had been babysat while her parents were
away in Savannah.
The entire game hinges on the decisions you, as the player,
will make. Will you tell strangers about your past? Who's going to live and who's going to die? How are you going to keep everyone around you calm as more and more walkers continue to appear, hungering after your living flesh? Any and
all actions have intense repercussions, and often in ways that you could never
expect. The story itself is intensely gripping. Each character has their own
story and will react in their own way to the decisions you make.
Thus, every time you play and make a decision differently,
you alter the course of the game. Where one character might have died in your
first play through, they could live in your second. Outcomes, punishments and
justifications will all change as you move through the game in various ways.
And, man, the storylines in the game do not pull any punches. Some characters that
I at first hated I came to like, while others lost my respect due to different
reactions. Sometimes it didn’t quite make sense, or I imagined something I had
Lee say coming off in a different context, but I suppose that can be chalked up
to the stress that everyone would be under in an apocalypse.
The entire game is presented in a comic-book style, where
you can see lines and brush strokes coming off of the characters. This cartoony
representation in no way diminishes the gore – in fact, it makes it almost
worse. All of the characters are extremely expressive, with mobile faces and
large eyes. What’s also neat is that there are a variety of body shapes – no stick-figure
women and buff men are to be found here. Each character, even the walkers,
seems separately molded to fit into a world of varied people. The walkers tend
to look a little odd after a while, with skulls for faces, but in truth they’re
only a small part of the game. But yes, varied people of different shapes and sizes! Varied races! The main character is not a know-it-all white guy!
I don’t want to spoil any of the chapters, because honestly
they’re far more hard-hitting as you play through and discover the story along
the way. Some things will be painfully obvious, hinted at with an unsubtle
hand, but it’s all in the reveal. To offer you some kind of a measuring stick,
the show doesn’t have anything on this game in terms of storytelling. The only
thing I wished they’d done differently was make the puzzles harder. This game
is pretty easy to get through with a lot of basic observation and exploring
every nook and cranny. I suppose, then, the meat of the game is the story and
its characters, and it in no way disappoints.
I just hope you get a better initial ending than I did.
