Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Happy Birthday, Edward Gorey!
February 22 is the 87th anniversary of the birth of the fabulous Edward Gorey. A writer and artist, he was particularly well known for his macabre illustrated books, but sadly died at just 75, on April 15, 2000.If I didn't already greatly admire Edward Gorey's art, I'd certainly be won over by his love of cats, and his fondness for dark genre series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Batman: The Animated Series, and The X-Files.
Edward Gorey, in common with my other favourite, Charles Addams, was charmingly eccentric. He never married and believed himself to be essentially asexual. Upon his death, he left the bulk of his estate to a charitable trust for cats, dogs, bats and insects. His home in Cape Cod, called the Elephant House, is now the Edward Gorey House Museum, and continues to support his work for animal welfare.
Incidentally, February 22 is also my son's birthday (I swear it's coincidental) so I want to wish a very happy birthday to my James as well!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Vampire's Day Soiree
Lust for a Vampire
Thank you for joining me for my contribution to the first annual Vampire's Day Soiree, and thank you to the delightfully dark Holly, of Holly's Horrorland blog, for hosting this bloody affair! As it is both Valentine's Day and Vampire's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to feature a vintage vampire movie with a lustful theme.
When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I persuaded my father to let me watch To Love a Vampire. At the time, neither he nor I was aware that this movie was a renamed, and censored for television version of the Hammer Horror Production, Lust for a Vampire. In fact, it wasn't until I was an adult that I realized that the uncut version was quite the risque romp in its day, abounding with boobs and saucy lesbian hijinks.
Part of the "Karnstein Trilogy" of Hammer Horror films, and loosely based on the J. Sheridan Le Fanu novella, Carmilla, the story is set in 1830 at an exclusive finishing school in Styria, overlooked by the ruins of the ominous Karnstein Castle. When a beautiful young girl named Mircalla joins the school, students and local villagers begin to die. A visiting horror author, Richard Lestrange, also takes up a teaching position at the school, and promptly falls in love with the mysterious Mircalla.
Lust for a Vampire has been called silly and camp, and truthfully there are some spectacularly ludicrous scenes in this film. The most memorable one is a when the girls perform a scantily clad Greco-Roman calisthenics routine on the school lawns. Made in 1971, it also includes a song called "Strange Love" that is featured in a couple of musical sequences, one of which is a somewhat psychedelic dream montage. That said however, this movie is fine example of Hammer's ability to create wonderful Gothic atmosphere with their locations and sets.
Despite the many ridiculous elements in the film, it holds great sentimental value for me. Even as a young child, I found its visual style aesthetically appealing, and Yutte Stensgaard's "Mircalla" was like a vampire Barbie doll come to life in my youthful eyes. In fact, so taken was I with it at the time, that when asked by a teacher what I wanted to be when I grew up, I responded: "A vampire!"
Now, in this post-Twilight era, vampirism may be seen as a perfectly valid career choice, but back in my day, such a response was apparently shocking enough to warrant my parents being summoned to speak with the school principal. My mortified mother briefly banned me from anything vaguely horror-related, but fortunately, as I think my father rather appreciated having a companion for spooky films, besides the family dog, the ban was lifted. For more blood-soaked shenanigans, you can mingle with the other guests at Holly's blog, here.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
A Ghastlie Gallery
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
A Whole Bunch of Spooky Tags
Boo Gift Tags by Fresh Lemon Blossoms
I've been tagged... and tagged, and tagged, and tagged, and tagged, and tagged... and received an award, and yep, I've broken all the rules and thoroughly deserve a visit to the woodshed. Unfortunately, lack of time has necessitated my wicked disregard for tagging and award protocol. I apologize in advance, and thank you all for thinking of me.
I received 6 tags and I've chosen one question from each of the taggers to answer:
Pensive Pumpkin Pensive Pumpkin Blog
"Who is your favorite superhero?"I'm tempted to say Catwoman, but I suppose technically she's a villain... although she's not really bad. I love that she's a complicated character. Batman is probably my favourite superhero. I'm actually quite a fan of the whole superhero genre. I guess it's just an extension of my interest in the supernatural. Superheroes are also a manifestation of the extraordinary amongst the ordinary. I prefer my superheroes a little dark and angsty so Superman, for example, is a little too straightforward for me. I watched the Smallville series, but I preferred Green Arrow and Chloe/Watchtower to Superman and Lois. I also like Question and Huntress from the Justice League Unlimited animated series, both of whom are misfits and rule breakers. My husband and son are both mad superhero fans. We're currently all re-watching Batman The Animated Series from the '90s.
aw My Life as I Know It... Blog
"Do you have pets? What are they and their names?"
Yes, absolutely! I currently have just one cat called Phoebe. She's on the right, pictured with her "sister", Sabrina, who sadly died a couple of years ago and left me heartbroken. Sabrina was a Burmese, and Phoebe is a Tonkinese, which is a hybrid cross between a Burmese and a Siamese. Like all Siamese cats, Phoebe talks... incessantly. She is hilariously funny and never bites or scratches (apparently she didn't receive that memo on cat behaviour). At the risk of sounding stomach-churningly schmaltzy, when my husband, son, Phoebe and I are altogether on the couch watching a movie, I feel like all is right with the world.
I had many beloved dogs during my childhood, but cats hold a special fascination for me. The Ancient Egyptians understood just what special animals they are. There's nothing like the instant gratification of picking up my cat and having her break into a rumbling purr!
Mark Shingle Creek Manor Blog
"Of all the movie monsters, demons etc. what's the one created that caused you to lose the most sleep?"
When I was a small child it was the witch from Disney's Snow White. I hadn't even seen the film at that point, but I had a picture book, and as much as I loved it, I always skipped the page with a certain particularly nasty picture of the Evil Queen transformed.
As an adult, it is without doubt the shark from Jaws. I have a pathological fear of sharks. They never fail to pop into my mind when I see any large body of water on screen, even the most benign one. I still remember playing at the beach, while on a family vacation as a child, when a small plane flew overhead with a huge banner saying, "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water: Jaws 2." You should have seen how fast people scrambled out of the surf!
Kweeny Todd Kweeny Todd Blog
"What is you favorite food and/or drink?"
I'd have to say chocolate and coffee, simply because I couldn't imagine going a day without either one. I also love wine, champagne, Coronas with a twist of lime, and strawberry daiquiris. (She says, sounding like a total boozehound!) I'm kind of a fussy eater, but my favourite cuisines are Chinese and Italian.
Astrea Musings of a Magical Mom Blog
"What made you choose your screen name?"
My screen name and my blog were both spawned by the dolls I designed after being inspired by Neil Gaiman's, The Graveyard Book. The story is set in a cemetery, and I was captivated by the imagery of the ghosts of long deceased children playing eternally amongst the tombstones. I was trying to think of a name for the dolls, and as I love Gothic Horror, and as the term "little horrors" is often used for children, "Little Gothic Horrors" was born.
VainGlorySinner VainGlorySinner Blog
"If you could hold a dinner with only 2 other guests (dead or alive, celebrity or historical) who would they be?"
I'd love to pick more than two, but if I'm restricted to just a couple of fantasy invitees then I'd choose Charles Addams and Edward Gorey. Both these men inspire me with their artwork, and charm me with their wicked humour and eccentricities. I endlessly perused my father's books of Charles Addams' cartoons when I was a child, and I've always had a profound affection for The Addams Family television series. Edward Gorey is a more recent discovery, but if I didn't already admire his art, I'd certainly be won over by his love of cats, and that he was a fan of dark genre series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Batman: The Animated Series, and The X-Files.
Nora The Demon Stole My Pencil Blog
Thank you to Nora, of The Demon Stole My Pencil blog, for passing along the 'Versatile Blogger Award' to me! Nora describes herself as a: "Writer, pizza fanatic, insomniac, and a voracious reader." Go check out her blog!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Vampire's Day Soiree
The delightfully dark Holly, of Holly's Horrorland blog, is hosting the first annual Vampire's Day Soiree on February 14, 2012. If such a sanguinary affair sounds like just your cup of plasma... er... tea, come along and join in on all the blood-soaked merrymaking! For more details just click on the link, or on the button in the sidebar.
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