Last House On The Left vs. Last House On The Left -- TKO!

Down the trail of remakes I was recently up against the 2009 version of Wes Craven's terror classic The Last House On The Left from 1972. Arguably it all started with Ingemar Bergman's Virgin Spring (1960) and if you've seen both his and Craven's masterpieces you would notice their relationship. I'm not going to say that I'm particularly fond of Mr. Craven's complete works, however, LHOTL is by far (once and again, only halfway rivalled by A Nightmare On Elm Street) his best film and thus most worthy being a part of my humble DVD collection...

But now for the 2009 remake then... It's certainly not a bad movie, by a long shot, and not a makeover that you should be ashamed of watching. Then again, though bloody and violent, it crashes out quite badly in the cruelty department -- what I mean is that it lacks the feeling och "terror" that made the Craven film so groundbreaking and horrifying. Of course there's a grisly of especially cold-hearted stabbing to one of the kidnapped girls in the forest, but the whole setup is as stroking a cat's fur compared to the way it was all conducted in 1972. Then we fast forward to the parents' house -- again, the gut-wrenching revenge lacks some raw power of the original; though I don't mind saying that it's quite entertaining and spectacular in its own right. On the plus side we don't have any redneck, farmboy police officers doing their slap-stick thang in this movie; and I didn't mind the fact that some characters were saved from the slaughter, since the real terror was gone at this time in the movie.

The worst thing is that the Krug of this installment is no way near the atom's size compared to that of the one and only original, David Hess. The same goes for most of the other characters, but not in an equally drastic way. Yet another thing, apart from the earlier mentioned "terror" ingredient, is the way Last House.09 ultimately ends: The microwave scene is quite out of character; and as a shock effect to the movie it somewhat destroys the 2009 year LHOTL in its attempt to be a real good mainstream alternative to the original film. To be more specific: The more subtle horror and suspenseful mood that should have made this remake stand proudly is ruined -- what a shame!

Paperbacks in "Good Condition or Better"...

I had a few SEK left after my last dentist appointment so I spent it on wine and women... Ahem, truthfully... I spent it on three second hand paperback books that I ordered from English "Awesome Books" through Play.com. Shall I tell you which ones? First, my first Stephen King novel ever read: The Eyes of the Dragon (1987) -- a hardcover that my mother was going to send back in late 1988. Then, of course, the classic novel of a man who wakes up from a coma: The Dead Zone (1979). And last, a vintage novel by the famed British teller of ghosts James Herbert -- Since re-reading his Haunted, I figured it was about time to try another one of his more famed, earlier novels: The choice finally fell on The Dark (1980). Why? Because when reading Ramsey Campbell's The Hungry Moon it was said to have been intitally influensed by this James Herbert novel... These books and a few others makes it a year end's cramming to look forward to. Wouldn't you agree?

When Demons Are Lying In Wait -- PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

"You cannot run from this- it will follow you. It may lay dormant for years. Something may trigger it to become more active and it may over time reach out to communicate with you."

Yesterday I really felt that I should indulge myself in watching a movie at the local theaters, all by myself. To tell the truth: My wife said she wouldn't want to see it because she's afraid of the dark; and my longtime best friend doesn't like subjective cameras at all, so I didn't ask him this time. Then again, I'm quite comfortable by myself, and after the day I had I believe I actually deserved to be there...

Whatever... The film was Paranormal Activity (2007). My wife brought it to my attention a few weeks ago by letting me see a trailer, and my first thought went to The Blair Witch Project which we both saw together and I had hoped we would celebrate it as a kind of anniversary... but that wasn't to be...

Katie and Micah are "engaged to be engaged" and have moved to their own home in the suburbs when Katie's old childhood presence makes itself felt and heard again; last time it terrorized her it was when she was a child and their home ultimately went up into flames. Micah, a strong but willful young man, has this bright idea that they should film everything and try to record the entity's activities as it goes bump in the night (and by daytime too, for that matter).

While we follow them through the lens of Micah's camera we can see doors moving, hear strange sounds and violent rumbles and be aware of shadows moving and other strange goings-on. Katie does the right thing to call a psychic, though her beau seems to think it's complete bogus. The expert tells them it has nothing to do with ghosts and that it's a demon responsible for all their disturbances, and that she and Micah cannot escape -- because a ghost is connected to a specific place, and is essentially something human; in contrast, a demon is connected to a person... and is nothing human at all!

And since it's not his speciality, the psychic advices them to contact a real demonologist. But, of course, Micah believes he can save the day with the use of his documentation technique and his skills at verbally insulting the demon's abilities, and subsequently refuses to have another witch doctor at the house. Unfortunately, and perhaps fatally, he talks her into not getting help because he is her man and he's the one supposed to protect her. When he decides to get an Ouija board and tries to powder the floor to get some footprints the situation just escalates with sleepwalkings and physical abuse of young Katie. When they finally, exhausted and horrified out of their witts (well, Micah tries to hide it real well, I can tell ;-), she's allowed to call the demonologist. But he's abroad and when the psychic returns he also feels the intense, dark energy of the place and vacates the premises like a bat out of hell, so to speak... Well, it seems to be the end of it then -- nowhere to run for Katie and Micah...

I actually enjoyed this film. The slow pacing and the building of tension while witnessing all the strange activities reminded me of an indoors, domestic relative to The Blair Witch Project. Not as "classically" eerie, nor equally spectacular in its uniqueness, but spellbinding and menacing al the same. However, it's the ultimate ending that confounds me a bit; the somewhat tongue-in-cheek closure of the plot leaves me wondering if the team behind the production in the end wasn't really able to decide whether the whole thing would be better of as a silent mind-boggler with a completely open ending, or if it should be more of a traditional tale of demonic possession with its usual shocks, jumps and ghoulish features. To me, the short sharp shock could have been more or less left out of it all...

Still, I left with the salon with the expected and not so unpleasant bad feeling you get from taking part of the sad and horrific destiny of the our two protagonists. At the same time, hearing the verbal expressions of brutal disappointment of the two post-adolescent boys in the row right behind me, I rose from my seat with a smile of scorn upon my face.

Oh, by the way... Ms. Featherston! See you in Experimental Activity, yes? Love you, girl! ;-D

They're Coming! Take Them Away! Get Them Away From My Skin!

"There are those who ought to feel guilty, but don't; and there are those who feel guilty when they have no need to. Then, of course, there are those for whom the concept of guilt has no meaning whatsoever."

Inspired by a friend and literture soulmate, I got on the train again of re-discovering the oldies of that once so notorious limey, Graham Masterton. This round I'm not grappling with the neat little goodies of his late 70s and early 80s, but with the novels of the mid-80s and forward -- a time when his fiction started becoming more complex and intriguing, while pumping up the volume on gore, absurdity and disgust at the same time. The book I'm holding in my hands right now has notably won a price in France (which is not easy, I've been told) of all places (well he is very popular both there and in Poland, you see...); it's Family Portrait (aka. Portrait of Evil, 1985), one of my absolute favourites with it's own interpretation one of Oscar Wilde's most controversial stories -- The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890).

Since I've always enjoyed the more classical books of gothic, doppelgängers and specters rather than the more current time masterpieces, while studying literature at school, I find this Graham Masterton one of his first and most rewarding pieces in a continuous context. Family Portrait is a violent and visceral tale of a family that kills and flays people for their unnatural survival; of a portrait of twelve that rots and suddenly comes alive while innocents are tortured beyond belief; but rest assured that there are some brave souls left to fight this malice that has tormented two continents through generations... I cannot tell you more; I just want to whetten your appetite, but, so typically with Masterton, you start of your reading with quite an initial shock that tells you there's quite more to get where that came from... Mind you, though, that this is still an interesting and enjoyable read should you take away most of the more graphic descriptions -- gone is the ultra slim plot and forgettably boring characters of his first post-Manitou shock-o-ramas ...

So, what are you waiting for? Get this hidden gem on Adlibris, Amazon, Play or where ever its face and start reading; it will be a ride of a life time -- you have my word!

Head Above Water While Trying To Keep Myself From Drying Out...

Just when I thought I was going to be ready for some newly delivered films on DVD to lighten up my sombre state of mind ... It is not to be! First, I forgot I had to pay this quarter's student loan; second, I must pay the car taxes and the day care bill; and third, my dentist discovered this huge cavity in my right upper molar that has to be dealt with right away (if I'm lucky I don't have to root fill...).

Hopefully, after some token Christmas shopping, another paid rent and finally some personal installments on the mortgage of our little cabin, I'll be able to get some freshly new discs in the player, before long... Just hope my senses will lift and change colours a few times so I will find it worthwile keeping in touch with you nice folks, wouldn't it be nice...? ;-)

Vengeance Is Mine Sayeth The Lord!

So, what to say about this one? I got a "used" disc in mint condition of Alone In The Dark (1982) at a very reasonable price, and since it seems to be a forgotten gem among many aficionados I thought it would be a good thing to have this item in my humble collection. I can say that the prospect of having the very potent triad of Donald Pleasance, Jack Palance and Martin Landau in the same film was the major reason for having this fick in the first place. On the other hand, I guess there could have been a risk that these three dynamic and individually unique actors would squander each other's performances, should the script, plot etc. be too thin or incomplete or be otherwise faulty. But all three play their own characters with great talent and bravery and complement one another greatly -- Pleasance as the curious, pipe-smoking head of the secluded mental institution; Landau as the deranged, malevolent priest with a God complex; and last (but not least) Palance as the leader of the asylum's lunatic pack that escape the complex during a power outage that leaves the town in darkness and panic. Now the crazies are out in hunt of the new doctor Potter (Dwight Schultz) that they suppose murdered their former therapist -- and Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord!



I liked the movie for its own take on the current slasher film theme of the era; it contains quite a few bloody and grisly scenes, but is aside from this dominated by a sense of foreboding and dread more than most of its peers. Foremost you wonder about the characters and the actors that portray them in such an incomparable way: How will they manage? Well, they do... until the totally baffling ending -- WTF! Maybe it's not that bad, only confusing... But I have to look at this film once again, at least, with the commentary on perhaps, before I can fully try to comprehend the complete film...

What's EATING YOU, my dear?

While I was in the mood I figured re-reading my English introduction to Ramsey Campbell: his full length novel entrance -- The Doll Who Ate His Mother (1976). With a title like that, decorating the vivid front cover, how can you go wrong with this one? Well, I'll tell you a bit about it; it's quite a mixed bag, both in ways of first novel and the way Ramsey Campbell is as an author and his person...

To get right to the heart of the matter: One evening, Clare is driving her car with faulty breaks when the impossible accident occurs. She crashes her vehicle into a tree and her brother, unprotected in the passenger seat, is slumped against the door and instantly killed. But this is not all; something is missing -- somebody, or something, has taken off his arm!

And so the hunt starts. Clare, and an egotistic writer of criminal novels who claims fame and fortune, begin to look för the young man who supposedly ripped away the brother's arm. The wanted person has a small tendency to bite chunks and bits from animal and human victims. Alledgedly, he was promissed to a kind of devil worshipper and was witnessed to have eaten his way out of his womb at the time of his birth...

Bloody hell! It starts off quite well. There's an atmosphere of absurdity and the macabre, at first, then, unfortunately, the novel begins to tire to an almost standstill, and it's not until the last chapters that it once again becomes interesting. A pity, because it's not a very thick novel and it could (and should!) have been more fast-paced and gripping throughout... But, then again, this is Ramsey Campbell -- one hell of a psychological knock-out, when he likes to...

As always, the violence is off-stage and/or not very graphic. but often described in a way that clearly does not insult the creative and intellectual mind (if not driven too far by subtle descriptions, that is...).

I will continue reading one or a few more Ramsey Campbell novels before long... So if you're interested, just stay tuned.

Go down Harry Moony, harry us no more...

The second Ramsey Campbell novel I ever read, at least in my native tongue, was called Månhunger (The Hungry Moon, 1986). I'd bought it at a sale in the early 90s, a hardback together with another book of his; Återkomst (Incarnate, 1983)...

The Hungry Moon tells us the story of the small village of Moonwell and its citizens; when an American preacher and his followers come along and begin to convert the people from their "pagan religious ways" he unwittingly awakens the Man In The Moon. According to the old Celtic legend this creature came from the moon to bring darkness and slavery upon mankind and to feed upon their sacrifices. The only ones who may be able to stop this horror is the young school teacher Diana and some friends of hers... but will they be able to fight back this ancient monster from the Dark Side Of The Moon ...

The Hungry Moon is a tale that is several times more sinister and foreboding than graphically gory and downright shocking, as with many other works by his hand. Foremost it's a story about with the struggle between darkness and light, in many different ways, and the dangerous manic delusions that people succumb to when they are kept in isolation from rationality by the fear of darkness and ignorance.

Now, almost a couple of decades since the first time, when I read this novel again I find it quite easy to follow the few important plots (this is not always the case with Ramsey Campbell, mind you!) along the way that build up the story of this quite amazing tale of "fear of the moon". The charachters are studiously crafted, as always, and there is again this horrid picture of what kind of people the author himself considers his fellow Britons to be ...

Certainly, I consider Incarnate to be the more psychologically nightmarish of the two; however, The Hungry Moon is the more skillfully crafted and definately the most reader friendly. And why make it unduly hard on yourself and your followers? In any case, I love both books and I'm happy I was able to enjoy this feeling of primal dread once again; this time around in English, as it should be.

PS. In the afterword of my Headline Feature edition Ramsey Campbell tells us, among other things, that a few lines of a rhyme to keep the moon at bay also appears in the infamous Jess Franco's Bloody Moon: "Baja, Harry el lunático..." and the fact that he would gladly have Dario Argento to make a film out of any of his novels, preferably with a sinister score by Goblin, of course. Now ain't that totally awsome, dudes? DS.