Have a Haunting Half-o-Ween and a Witchy Walpurgisnacht!

Today, April 30th, marks halfway to Halloween and Walpurgisnacht (aka Witches' Night aka Hexennacht). Walpurgisnacht is known as the "other Halloween", where the veil between the worlds separating known and unknown is thinnest, allowing all manner of spirits, witches, otherworldly creatures, demons, devils, and so forth to push through into our world.

Ancient tales of witches, devils, and spirits gathering high in the mountains on this night seems to have its roots in Germany. Brocken Peak in Germany's Harz Mountains has two rock formations called Devil's Pulpit (Teufelskanzel) and the Witches' Altar (Hexenaltar), where these legends originate from. Nearby the Brocken Peak is the Hexentanzplatz, which literally means Witches' Dance Floor, where many pre-Christian rituals were performed, including the rites of old Saxon cults honoring the forest and mountain gods and goddesses.

Watch Now on Netflix: Veronica (2017)

Veronica just hit Netflix streaming and I had heard mostly positive buzz about this supernatural horror film, so I couldn't wait to watch it! It is directed and co-written by Paco Plaza, who is most know for his [REC] movies (he co-directed the first and second of these films with Jaume Balagueró before directing the third film solo) as well as directing the excellent The Christmas Tale segment in the Films to Keep You Awake series. I really enjoyed the [REC] films and The Christmas Tale, so I was interested to see how he would handle a more supernatural-style film.

Watch Now on Netflix: The Devil's Candy (2015)

I was so excited to see that Netflix added The Devil's Candy to their instant streaming catalog! I had been looking forward to seeing it since early 2016 (where I had it as one of my most anticipated movies of 2016). Even though it technically had a 2015 release (probably at film festivals), it was really hard to track down, though I think it was available on Amazon at the beginning of 2017.

I really enjoyed writer/director Sean Byrne's last film The Loved Ones, so I couldn't wait to see The Devil's Candy. As soon as I saw it pop up on Netflix I dimmed the lights, lit a few candles, and snuggled up on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn to finally watch The Devil's Candy!

Attend an Evening of Witches This Walpurgisnacht

[image source]

Walpurgisnacht (Witches' Night) usually occurs on April 30th (unless it's a leap year), and marks the halfway point to Halloween. Historically it was believed that on Walpurgisnacht the veil between worlds becomes thinner (just like Halloween), and witches were able to take to the skies and travel to their mountaintop sabbats. You can learn more about Walpurgisnacht from an article I wrote previously, and I am so thrilled that the good folks over at Death and The Maiden are celebrating it and allowing others to join in the fun with their Night of the Witches event!

The event will be held on Walpurgisnacht (April 30th) at Phantom Carriage Brewery in Carson, California. There will be death positive talks on the funeral industry from mortician Amber Carvaly as well as an illustrated talk on Walpurgisnacht from Sarah Chavez. Food and drink specials will be served from Phantom Carriage's taproom, and a very special screening of The Love Witch by Anna Biller will be shown.

The Occult Activity Book Returns with Volume Two

The Occult Activity Book is back, and bigger and better than ever! The first volume was filled with wonderfully dark art and activities, and the second is packed with even more! In fact, this new volume has doubled in size and it is bristling with 52 pages of gore-geous artwork, eerie activities, gruesome games, and all sorts of fiendish fun! Where else can you immerse yourself in activities like Mad Libs-inspired incantations, building your own papercraft coven, solving the sexiest occult-themed crossword puzzle ever, mastering macabre mazes, learning about the Gilles de Rais, Ed and Lorraine Warren, Madame Blavatsky (and more) while coloring in their illustrations, testing your knowledge of the esoteric, all the while listening to a hand-crafted witchy playlist?

Watch Now on Netflix: Baskin (2016)

Baskin, the surreal Turkish horror film, finally hit Netflix instant! This film generated a lot of buzz last year when it hit festivals, so I've been dying to see it! It is directed by Can Evrenol and based on his 2013 short film of the same name (the poster above is actually from his short rather than this full-length feature, but I loved it too much not to use it!).

Synopsis: A group of cops responding to a request for backup in an abandoned building stumble upon a portal to hell and inadvertently become part of a horrifying ritual.

Watch Now on Netflix: Deathgasm (2015)

Deathgasm was one of my favorite movies of 2015, and it has finally hit Netflix streaming for all to enjoy. This New Zealand gorefest features metalheads who accidentally summon demonic forces and must wage battle on them before their whole town is consumed by the evil forces.

It's a helluva good time, and reminds me a lot of the TV series Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, complete with a rag-tag group of metalheads, creepy cults, metal music, wackiness, demonic possession, and lots of projectile puking and bodily fluids. Its splatstick is in the same outrageous vein as the New Zealand classic goregasm Dead Alive!

Wishing You a Weird Walpurgisnacht and Happy Halfway to Halloween!

April 30th marks Walpurgisnacht, or Witches' Night, which not only serves to exalt the arrival of springtime (much like May Day or Beltane), but it is also a night where the veil between worlds becomes thinner, and witches are able to take to the skies and travel to their mountaintop sabbats. Plus, it means that it is halfway to Halloween (though since it is a leap year, Walpurgis and halfway to Halloween are a day apart and don't fall on the same day...but that just means we get to celebrate all weekend!).

Film Review: The Witch (2016)

Note: I haven't done a full film review in quite some time, though I might do them on a more regular basis if I start to enjoy doing them again. I thought this film was worth writing about, and had to get my thoughts on it down somewhere. Anyways, I give you my thoughts on The Witch!

Why aren't there more horror films set during Colonial America? It was a time of upheaval and religious reformation, not to mention a period when colonists faced living on an entirely different continent, which sparked fears of the unknown and fueled superstitions, all the while early settlers endured unimaginable hardships in their fierce fight for survival. All these frightening experiences that colonists went through seem so ripe for horror movies, since many are about facing basic fears. It's really a pity we don't have more period piece horror films, because The Witch is an example of how well horror works in a historical context.

In 1630's New England a family is banished from a settlement and determinedly set out for the wilderness to start anew, alone. The family consists of father William (Ralph Ineson), mother Katherine (Kate Dickie), eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), twins Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson), and baby Samuel. Together they establish a small farm on the edge of a dense forest, but when baby Samuel is snatched by a supernatural evil lurking in the woods, despair and panic envelope the family. Soon, crops begin to fail, the other children are threatened, goat's milk turns to blood, and suspicions of witchcraft began to mount.

It is best to go into this film knowing as little as possible. I saw The Witch Thursday night, and besides seeing the trailers I tried to avoid seeing/reading much about it at all. I wanted my own experience, and didn't want to hold any expectations for the film going into it. So please, if you have yet to see this film consider stopping here and reading no further. I don't give any spoilers away below, but it really is best to have no preconceived notions before seeing The Witch. If you do want to read what I thought, continue reading...

Book Review: The Occult Activity Book

The recent boom in adult coloring books (yes, I'm a fan!) has given rise to some intriguing books for those of us that aren't necessarily going to be interested in coloring flowers or pastoral scenes. There are coloring books for Halloween, classic horror, goths, and other creepy categories, but I have to say that the newly released Occult Activity Book trumps them all! It features not only fantastical drawings of macabre magics, historical figures, arcane rituals, and so forth, but also witchy word games. This is the perfect adult coloring book for those with darker tastes!

Halfway to Halloween + Walpurgisnacht

[image source]

It's April 30, ghouls and boils, which means it is officially HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN!!

Only 6 months to go!

Please excuse me while I squeal...SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Witch by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite

Tonight also marks Walpurgis Night, or Walpurgisnacht, aka Witches' Night!

From Wikipedia:

"Walpurgis Night is the English translation of Walpurgisnacht, one of the German names for the night of 30 April, so called because it is the eve of the feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess in Germany. In German folklore Walpurgisnacht, also called Hexennacht (literally "Witches' Night"), is believed to be the night of a witches' meeting on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, a range of wooded hills in central Germany between the rivers Weser and Elbe."

Stay spooky and better start getting your Halloween plans in order!

Heritage Square's Annual Victorian Mourning Tours Return this October to Los Angeles

[source]

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

I have always wanted to attend Heritage Square's Victorian-inspired event, and I'm hoping I'll actually be able to attend this year!

During a weekend in October, Heritage Square, located in Los Angeles, offers Halloween and Mourning Tours, where guests can learn about Victorian death and mourning rituals and etiquette, plus the movement of Spiritualism and how other cultures and time periods celebrate the deceased. They have actors in period costume recreate Victorian scenes involving death, mourning, funerary customs and spiritualism rituals. Heritage Square itself houses authentic Victorian Era buildings, so it is the perfect setting for the event.

Film Review: The Lords of Salem (2013)

Believe it or not, The Lords of Salem was a movie I was eagerly anticipating. I know that this film has either been under the radar or just plain dismissed by many people, but I was honestly looking forward to it ever since I saw the leaked footage of a teaser shown at a Rob Zombie concert. It’s not that I am a big Zombie fan; sure, I dig most of his music but his films are a different story and the only one I truly enjoyed was The Devil’s Rejects. The Lords of Salem felt different than his other film projects, though. The Lords somehow seemed special and I gleefully anticipating its release.

It finally saw a limited release in theaters this weekend, and luckily it was playing at a theater near me. I had heard mixed things about the film (pretty much either “I loved it!” or “I hated it!”) going into it, but I stayed away from reading any reviews and tried to go in with an open mind. I knew it was going to be different than his other films, heavy on visuals and light on story.

The story is about a Salem, Massachusetts DJ named Heidi (Sheri Moon Zombie) who receives a vinyl record from “The Lords”, which contains one ominous-sounding song. The song seems to be mysteriously linked to “the lords of Salem”, a coven of witches who worshiped Satan and were burned at the stake in the Salem Witch Trials. Heidi soon starts having strange visions of the witches…have the lords returned for revenge or is Heidi slipping into madness?

What lurks in apartment #5?

Well, I can say that I wasn't disappointed in the film and that The Lords of Salem may be my favorite Rob Zombie film to date! I know many people might not enjoy it as much as I did – it has a sparse narrative and instead relies heavily on nightmarish visuals with shocking iconography (plus some awesome sound design and music). Sure, there are some moments that are a bit too over the top (like the sequence at the end that felt a bit too much like a shock-rock music video trying its hardest to blaspheme everything), but for the most part it was a real dark pleasure.

Its visuals reminded me a lot of the older Satanic worshiper/witch films, like the disturbing The Devils from 1971, but its structure also reminded me of the Italian horror films from the ‘70s/’80s. I adore those movies, but they rely solely on an emotional gut reaction rather than be founded on rationale. Lords of Salem is a lot like that, featuring stunning visuals and eliciting an emotional response of dread rather that focus only on a linear storyline. It felt looser, freer and definitely more dangerous not knowing exactly what was real and what wasn't in the film! God, and some of the visuals will haunt me for days!

The feelings of unease and dread were helped immensely by the genius sound design and soundtrack. The music was done by none other than John 5 (best known for his guitar work in Marilyn Mason). The song Heidi hears by the Lords is a simple but discordant piece of music that managed to raise goosebumps on my arms every time I heard it in the film – and it is played again and again. It is so deliciously dark and ominous – I loved every note of it!

Patricia Quinn, Dee Wallace and Judy Geeson

I also enjoyed the performances in the film. Sheri Moon Zombie, whose performances can sometimes grate on my nerves, played the strong but lost Heidi perfectly. I sympathized with her and really felt like I was there experiencing hell with her. The other actors really shined as well, especially Judy Geeson who played Heidi’s overly concerned landlord and her two sisters, played by Patricia Quinn (Magenta from Rocky Horror Picture Show!) and Dee Wallace (who needs no introduction if you’re a horror fan). Ken Foree and Jeffrey Daniel Phillips are also excellent as Heidi’s fellow DJ’s.

The performances were awesome, but another thing I appreciated were that all the effects in the movie were practical – no CGI or any other digital nonsense, just plain creepy creatures and nightmarish visages that truly looked like they had crawled from the pits of hell. And if I had witnessed some of those monsters in real life, you bet your bottom dollar I would go insane…and that’s if I was lucky! Some truly demented creatures were spawned from Rob Zombie’s nightmares and put into this movie, let me tell ya!

The Lords of Salem is not your typical horror movie. Most people won’t even like its hallucinogenic feel, but I for one adored this crazy concoction of witches, Satanism, creepy creatures, curses and one lone rocker trying to make sense of some astoundingly eerie visuals. It was recently announced that this may be Rob Zombie’s last horror film, and though this is sad considering the potential he showed in this movie, I also think that if this is Zombie’s last horror film at least he’ll go out with a bang!

Rob Zombie also wrote a Lords of Salem book, which I am very excited to read as it goes into much more detail than the movie!

The Lords of Salem DVD on Amazon (pre-order)

The Lords of Salem book on Amazon

The Lords of Salem soundtrack on Amazon

Film Review: Evil Dead (2013)

Ghouls, most of you know I retired from reviewing horror movies quite some time ago, but seeing Evil Dead Thursday night has inspired me to do a quick little review of the movie!

When I first heard about the Evil Dead remake, I pretty had the same reaction as I do for most “reimagings”…rolling my eyes and thinking “another one?” I didn't have much faith in the project AT ALL and wrote it off as another insipid remake. Months passed, and then the teasers and trailers came and with each one I felt my interest pique more and more, until I got to the point where I was actually excited for the movie.

I very rarely see movies on opening weekend cuz I am getting crotchety in my old age and if I go to a packed theater I usually grumble about those rude jerks who think it is ok to talk or play with their cell phones the whole movie. Plus it’s expensive!! However, I’ll make an exception for movies that I am really, really excited about…like this one. I even went to a 10 PM Thursday showing of the flick even though I had to get up for work at 5 AM on Friday (which means I barely got 4 hours sleep). I braved the obnoxiousness of the crowds last night and you know what? The crowd was so groovy and just as excited for the flick as I was so I didn't even care that we were packed into the theater like sardines! Plus we got there super early to ensure primo seating and proper snacks.

Even though I was stoked for the movie, I tried to keep my expectations in check. Remakes are notorious for letting fans down, but I was really hoping this one would live up to the buzz!

The film was an extremely bloody, clever remake that walked the fine line between serious scares and pure fun. I really love how director Fede Alvarez (who also co-wrote the film with Diablo Cody and Rodo Sayagues) broke up the somber tension with gleefully over-the-top gore and several laugh-out-loud moments. One minute it is cleverly winking at you and the next minute it is making you jump out of your seat!

Speaking of scares, the film has plenty! And these aren’t your typical jump scares either, but are much more insidious and creep up on you. Plus, if the scares don’t get you the ooey-gooey gore will! This film is drenched in blood and its practical FX are pretty damn impressive (no CGI was used that I could notice). Severed limbs, stabbings, gunshot wounds, rotting skin, people burned alive, self-mutilation, nail gun wounds, and so on – this flick has it all!

This isn't just a brainless gorefest, though, because I also liked how Alvarez, Cody and Sayagues revamped the story. I especially appreciated the backstory as to why the five friends are at the remote cabin in the first place, which was really quite clever and acts as the perfect cover for the demonic presence to take possession of a certain character without the other characters suspecting anything out-of-the-ordinary until it is too late. And of course there is a nice little surprise at the end that turns your assumptions about certain characters on their head! These layers that were added to the original story really lend themselves well to the film and elevate it beyond a simple remake to a film that stands on its own.

I have to give props to the whole cast for great performances, but specifically I loved Jan Levy as Mia and Lou Taylor Pucci as Eric. Pucci got the most laughs from me with his character’s straight-faced wisecracks. And Levy did an amazing job as the first to fall victim to the demonic forces. This film really shows off her range as an actress, which may seem weird coming from a horror film, but it’s true! From vulnerable to evil to badass, she was a firecracker!

All in all, Evil Dead was a fun film that I had an awesome time watching. It’s got scares, some tongue-in-cheek laughs, and rivers of blood. It doesn't step on the original’s toes and actually builds and expands on the original story in a clever way.

Go see it, now!! And stay through until after the credits for a groovy surprise!

Film Review: Hack-O-Lantern (1988)

In my quest to watch every Halloween-themed horror flick I can get my hands on, I decided to give the obscure Hack-O-Lantern a whirl. This film combines one of my favorite subgenres of horror, satanic cults, with my favorite holiday, Halloween. What could go wrong, right?


The film opens with a young boy named Tommy as he is visited by his friendly grandfather on Halloween. Grandpa gives him his pick of pumpkins as well as an ominous looking pendant. Tommy’s family doesn’t like grandpa visiting his grandson and Tommy’s father goes after good ol’ grandpa to give him a piece of his mind. However, grandpa isn’t as nice as he seems…he’s actually the leader of a satanic cult and they dispatch Tommy’s dear old dad right quick.

The film then jumps ahead several years to the eve of Tommy’s 18^th birthday that happens to coincide with Halloween. Grandpa has grand plans for Tommy’s initiation into his satanic cult, but Tommy’s beleaguered mother pleads with him to reconsider. Also concerned for Tommy’s well-being are his younger sister and brother, who is a rookie cop.

With Halloween celebrations in full swing, a robed, Devil-masked killer starts murdering townsfolk. Can Tommy’s family stop him from joining his Grandpa in the Dark Arts or are they already too late?
At least the title got it right…HACK-O-Lantern is an apt title for this painfully silly “horror” movie. Good god, this movie felt like it dragged on and on though it clocked in at under an hour and a half. It had its entertaining parts (more on these later), but overall this is a serious piece of cinematic doody. The first glaring evidence of this was the ridiculous acting from Hy Pyke, who played Grandpa. Are all Satanist leaders this effeminate and non-threatening? And then we have the actor who played Tommy, Gregory Scott Thomas (whom you might recognize as Mac’s father on the hilarious TV show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia). Tommy is supposed to be nearing 18 in the film, but Scott Thomas is seriously mis-cast as he looks like a ‘roided out, 30-year-old jock rather than a young teenage follower of Satan.

Then, there are all the wacky and weird scenes throughout the movie. These are the “entertaining” bits I mentioned above. First is a seriously strange dream sequence/metal video that features an exotic voodoo-like dancer (check her out on the flick’s cover above) who, 1.) has multiple arms like a Hindu goddess, and, 2.) shoots horrible-looking lasers out of her eyes that zap the band members. This is a seriously WTF scene, but wait! It gets better…There’s the whole branding scene where nubile young Satan worshippers get their butts branded with a pentagram, another horrendous dime store metal band that screeches during a Halloween party that features random strippers and a five minute sequence of a “comedian” doing stupid impressions…of turkeys. Not to mention the amount of devil’s horns the characters throw around…except instead of the traditional holding up of just pointer and pinky fingers to hail the devil, the characters hold up pinky, pointer AND thumb…which actually means “I love you” in sign language and NOT “hail Satan”. Those silly satanists! Seriously, though, Grandpa, Tommy and other cult members throw the horns around non-stop…so much that you could in fact make a drinking game out of their appearances, taking a shot every time someone flashes the devil’s horns. However, you would probably be sloshed in 20 minutes…but perhaps that would be a better state of mind in which to watch the movie. Maybe if you’re drunk it would at least be kinda enjoyable.

Plus, there is the whole sleazy aspect of the film. We are talking random nudity (and not good nudity, it’s all low-budget ‘80s nudity here!) like the previous stripperella at the party mentioned above, plus a few non-sexy sex scenes. There is also the whole subtext of incest that pops up throughout the film. It is hinted that Tommy is actually the son of his mom and his grandpa. Yup, how ‘bout a big old EWWWWW from the audience, eh? I was half expecting that Tommy put the moves on his mom, but thankfully the film didn’t go down that road!

As for the kills? They were almost an afterthought and the only decent one worth mentioning is when a dude gets a shovel through his noggin. Yes, it is a low-budget film but the kills took a long time coming…too little too late in my opinion. It’s like the film couldn’t decide if it wanted to focus on the masked killer or the satanic cult and it ended up not giving enough attention to either. I also think too much time was spent on Tommy’s family, including his sister, brother and mother, instead of focusing on the supposed main character of the film, Tommy. The only time we saw him was when he was brooding in his room, listening to his crappy metal music and having weird dreams, or slamming the door in his poor mom’s face.

The ending had a nice little twist as to who the killer was, but by then I was really too bored to care. I watched Hack-O-Lantern for some fun Halloween thrills, but found it more of a chore to sit through. A film with a cool name like Hack-O-Lantern deserves to be somewhat entertaining, but this was more like Crap-O-Lantern.

READ THE ORIGINAL POST ON FATALLY YOURS!