From the live album RockinnReelininAucklandNewZealandXXX (Live). A stellar example of how awesome and bizarre The Cramps were.
One story in, and I adore this man's writing. I feel a similar "Stark Lushness" to Laird Barron's early short stories, never mind that the two adjectives I've just employed would seem to contradict one another. There is a manner in which prose can offer a staunch worldview that in itself decorates the fiction in an expansive manner, and that's the vibe I picked up from opening story "Beside Me Singing In The Wilderness," which applies a very satisfying Southern Gothic spin to a classic monster module, all in a lush Appalachian or Southern realm that I felt I could "step into" at any moment.
31 Days of Halloween:
One of the things I'm trying to do for this year's 31 Days of Halloween is watch all the movies I have on DVD that I pull out every year and then never end up getting around to. I nailed one with Michele Soavi's The Church a few nights ago, and I got another yesterday with Yorgos Noussias's 2005 oddity, To Kako, or Evil as it was known here in the States. Here's a trailer:
I refer to this film as an oddity because, despite being a fairly low-budget Rage Virus/Zombie flick, Noussias leans into a tone that is severe yet also often subtly comedic. I'd never go as far as to call Evil a Horror Comedy, but there are moments that make me laugh out loud. The editing is super original on this one, too. Lots of double, triple and even quadruple split-screen stuff, none of it ostentatious enough to detract. In fact, the split screen really enhances the fast-paced narrative and adds a severity that makes this one a keeper.
In watching this yesterday, it came to my attention there was actually a sequel released in 2009! I had no idea To Kako: Stin epohi ton iroon or Evil: In the Time of Heroes existed, but to my good fortune, this film is actively streaming on Tubi at the moment. While I'm not a super fan of any streaming site that by default includes commercials, in 2023 Tubi seems to be a safe harbor for a lot of films that would otherwise be impossible to find - see The Horror Vision's recent episode on La Horde - so for that, I'm grateful.
Turns out, Evil: In the Time of Heroes is even better than its predecessor! There's a considerably larger budget, so much so, Billy Zane appears in this film! Seeing both of these inside of twenty-four hours, I must say, it's a shame that Noussias did not keep making films. He has such an original voice, I would have loved to see more from him.
1) When Evil Lurks/VHS 85/Adam Chaplin
2) Tales From the Crypt Ssn 1, Ep 6 "Collection Complete"
3) VHS
4) All You Need is Death
5) Slashers (2001)
6) The Beyond/Phenomena
7) The Convent
8) Evil Dead 2
9) The Autopsy of Jane Doe
10) Totally Killer
11) Ritual (Joko Anwar)/The Final Terror/Grave Robbers
12) Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (w/Joe Bob)
13) Never Hike Alone/Never Hike in the Snow/Never Hike Alone 2
14) Puppetman
15) Creepshow Season 4 Episode 1
16) Return of the Living Dead
17) Don't Look Now
18) When Evil Lurks
19) Barbarian
20) Demons 2/All Hallows Eve
21) May
22) Let's Scare Jessica To Death
23) The Birds/30 Coins Ssn 1 Ep 1
24) 30 Coins Ssn 1 Ep 2/The Church
25) Elvira Mistress of the Dark
26) To Kako (Evil)/To Kako: Stin epohi ton iroon
Read:
I finally finished reading Clive Barker's The Scarlet Gospels. Take it from me, if you're a fan of Mr. Barker, skip this one. My current working theory is he actually did not write the book but conceptualized and outlined it before passing it to another writer to build the prose. That's all I'll say on that because Barker remains one of my all-time favorite authors.
I've moved on to the much-recommended Greener Pastures, the first short story collection by Weird Horror writer Michael Wehunt.
Playlist:
Chelsea Wolfe - Spun
Graham Parsons - The Avalon Tapes (Live Flying Burrito Brothers)
The Cramps - RockinnReelininAucklandNewZealandXXX (Live)
Misfits - Collection 1
Jeff Grace - House of the Devil OST
Ritual Howls - Turkish Leather
Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man
Deftones - Ohms
Snake Eats Boy - Occupado (single)
Perturbator - Nocturne City
Card:
From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.
• Five of Cups
• VII: The Chariot
• Knight of Cups
Lots of emotions tied up in the cards again today. This is on the nose, as the reality of my parents' impending move and the forfeiture of my childhood home has begun to sink in and stir up weird mortality anxieties. Of course, I recognize that I've been lucky enough to have my parents and that home in my life for as long as I have, so I'm not complaining. Five of Cups appearing at the center of this pull suggests emotional conflict, and while The Chariot often suggests more upbeat things, I'm reading it as a warning to think things through as we proceed. This also fits, as we are trying to ensure that, in their rush to exit the house by the closing date and find a new one to move into, my folks don't settle on a house just to have one. This then introduces the third phase of the pull, Knight of Cups, where Force of Will is applied to Emtion, hopefully for the benefit of everyone involved.
