Movie reviews: Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Last night I had the pleasure of sitting down to a new horror movie that opened the doors to a whole new genre of genius. The film that I am talking about is recent release “Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon”. written by David J. Steve and directed by Scott Glosserman.

At first sight what attracted me to this movie (other than the obvious fact that it is a new horror flick) is that part of the supporting cast featured Robert Englund and Zelda Rubinstein. Everyone should remember Robert from his leading role as Freddy Kruger, but also from the television series V and a wide variety of B-rate horror flicks such as the Mangler and 2001 Maniacs. Zelda Rubinstein is a name that might not immediately conjure up a familiar visual, but you will remember her as the creepy munchkin psychic woman from “poltergeist”. She also narrated for Fox Family’s “World’s Scariest Places” and was on the hit show Picket Fences for a shirt time. Don’t get too excited about seeing these two on the back of the box though, each one has less screen time than Jaws had in his first movie.

This small disappointment, however, it redeemed by the brilliant writing and acting that makes “Behind the mask” one of the most original movies I have seen in a long time. It focuses on a small documentary film crew that are following around a serial killer or “living embodiment of evil” that is calling himself Leslie Vernon. This movie treats Jason, Freddy, Michael and even Chucky as though they were real living serial killers. Thus automatically opens a wide new area of comedy, allowing this would-be killing machine of evil to teach the film crew the proper rules of setting up your average, money blasting horror movie slaughter fest.

Leslie Vernon (played by Nathan Baesel of Invasion) seems like a normal guy at times and he is very funny. He spends time with his mentor discussing breakthroughs such as targeting his “survivor virgin girl” and her supporting cast, as well as gaining his own “Ahab”, which is a nemesis that is obsessed with catching him, very much like Dr. Loomis in Halloween. When the film crew realizes that this murder is real however, it turns ugly as they become part of the script for terror.

What I like most about this movie is that it jumps back and forth from a documentary style showing Leslie Vernon and the crew to the actual horror movie action. For example: In one scene Leslie is hiding in a library about to plant a back story and scare the survivor virgin girl that he has targeted. After he explains to the crew what to do, it immediately switches to perfect horror movie cinematography as we watch his plan unfurl as though it were a completely different movie. It was genius and it indeed a masterpiece of film.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who is a seasoned horror flick buff. It is a turning point in horror history that should not be overlooked. What are you still doing reading this? Go rent the movie!

General Tips For Seeking The Paranormal From Professional Ghost Hunters

There has been an enormous upsurge in the interest of paranormal phenomena in recent years. There have been many causes speculated, from the weakening of the base of traditional western Judeo-Christian spirituality to a reaction to the mobility of American society manifest as a longing to commune with long dead ancestors. While the psychologists and sociologists continue to debate the issue, the popularity of so called ghost hunting continues to rise. For those who believe in such paranormal phenomena and are seeking to strike out on their own, consider this advice from top ghost hunters.

First, be sure to receive training from qualified ghost hunters before striking out on your own. According to professional ghost hunters, those who attempt to make contact with spirits without being reasonably prepared are at a risk to incur damage, either physically or, more likely, psychologically. While some ghost hunters argue over whether or not spirits can physically harm humans, there is a strong consensus that an encounter for one who is not psychologically ready can leave lasting mental and emotional scars. Most physical injury is caused by amateur ghost hunters fleeing the scene in the dark and running into or tripping over unseen obstacles.

Seasoned ghost hunters suggest that you case the scene in the daylight before returning at night. Having a mental map of the area will help you to keep your bearings in the dark and can help you avoid injury. Ghost hunters say that knowing the lay of the land is also helpful in case the situation becomes uncomfortable and you feel the need to quickly retreat. Being certain of the path out of the encounter area can lead to a feeling of greater control over the situation and can reduce the feelings of fear and panic that can occur. Keep your mind open and discover the darkness.

Movie reviews: The Exorcism of Emily Rose – Part 4

On the surface THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE is nothing more than THE EXORCIST-LITE. Inspired by the same real life events, this modern day retelling decides to, in my words, play it safe, by telling the story through the point of view of Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) a lawyer who is at a cross roads in her life and to which the belief in God and a higher power is brought forward when she takes the case to defend Father Moore (Tom Wilkerson) for the death of Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter).

Screenwriters Paul Harris Boardman and Scott Derrickson (who also directs) do a good job with presenting a rather pedestrian story with a few surprising moments. It’s rather the performances that make this film worth watching. Although Wilkerson is always good, it is Linney and Carpenter who are the standouts this time around.

Linney crafts a unique and complex lawyer in Bruner which by many other actors would’ve become derivative. She has a knack of humanizing even the most questionable people which is needed in her character, a lawyer who can set free even the most inhuman of people. The film is the story of this woman who has defied the legal system countless times in her favor and now when her talents are best needed it becomes a testament of faith, which she has sorely lacked. The acquittal of her most recent and headlining case (prior to Father Moore’s) is on public display which makes her new case to get the Father Moore free a public fiasco especially when it isn’t sanctioned by the Vatican.

Carpenter is also a standout as she crafts a truly haunted Emily Rose. Her performance is easily one of the highlights of the film as we watch an innocent woman slowly become tortured and then who comes to grips with faith and God and her purpose on this earth.

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE is another film in line with STAY ALIVE, THE OMEN remake, AN AMERICAN HAUNTING, and THE GRUDGE films, in which it is more important to tell a dry suspense film rather than a true horror film. In some cases this is not so bad but unlike in this film it can seem watered down and “safe” rather than trying to open up and tell a truly compelling story. This film has its merits but its nothing to write home about.

Haunted House design – Designing the Facade

Title: Haunted House design – Designing the Facade

Author: Paul ” DragonMaster ” Pendragon

Article:
DESIGINING YOUR HAUNTED HOUSE / ATTRACTION

From decorating your home, to a haunted house to raise funds, to
a haunted house for profit certain things pertain to all and can
help whatever you do be more successfull. In a series of
articles I will attempt to help you design and build whatever
you desire for halloween and make it more successfull, and more
exciting. Remember you do not have to spend alot of money, but
it will take time, imagination, and hard work.

Everyone who has a home haunt always works on the outside the
most, as the outside is what most people see. However a haunted
house as a fundraiser or for profit haunted attraction often
spends more time on the inside then they do on the part of the
attraction people will see first. We are always told that first
impressions mean the most, and that applies in a big way to
haunted attractions. You need to set the stage for your
visitors, and you need to prepare them for what is inside..

The facade is so important as they are what people see first,
and it is what sets the stage and starts the frightning of the
guest. Part of scaring people is the anticipation that something
is going to happen. So your facade and queline should give your
visitors the feeling that something dangerous and ominous is
going to happen. Visitors will be prepared for your first scare
before they ever enter your attraction.

For home haunts most visitors will not enter your house. They
will simply walk up to get there treats so the outside of our
home and the areas leading up to the door is so very important
so that trick or treaters get the feeling that this is the house
they want to visit time and time again.

First you should pick a theme for this halloween year. Between
haunted houses if I am going to be home for halloween I always
pick a theme. And of course if I am designing and building a
haunted house the theme is so very important. In a home haunt
you are decorating for the season, in a haunted house to raise
money or for profit you are telling a story. Without the story
your visitors will be more confused then scared as to what is
going on in your attraction.

WALKING UP TO THE HOME HAUNT OR HAUNTED ATTRACTION.

Your planning and decorating should go from the road up to your
home or attraction. Everyone should be in costume and the
costume should fit the theme in one way or another.

The first thing to remember in planing the walk from the road to
the entrance / door of your house or attraction is lighting.
While our tendency is to make things dark and scary the walk to
the entrance should be well lighted for safety sake. Depending
on your theme you can use pumpkins, tiki torches, luminares, or
alternative forms of lighting so that visitors to your home or
attraction can get to the door without tripping or falling. Make
sure walkways are at least 40 inches wide to accomodate
wheelchairs or small children clinging to a parent.

Refrain from using strobe lights on the outside of your home or
haunted attraction close to the walkway or where the lights will
hit those walking towards your home / haunted attraction. Strobe
lights can trigger seizures, migraines, or other physical
problems in some individuals. If strobes are used at all they
should be used in a way that they do not directly point to, or
in the view of visitors.

Also ensure the walkway is clear of debris or props that may
trip someone or cause them to fall. And I will make the point
now and later. Never let an actor touch someone ! Touching a
guest is a liability especially if the person falls. Also I want
to mention that some people coming to your home / haunted
attraction may suffer from panic attacks, and / or anxiety
attacks so we want to make sure they get to the door without
having to call an ambulance. In the case of haunted attractions
warnings usually are posted only at the entrance, and waivers
are signed until a person gets ready to enter. So if a person “
freaks out ” and has a medical emergency, or falls, you will be
liable for any injury.

FACADE

The facade is the outside of your home or haunted attraction and
in the case of the haunted attraction most likely will include
your ticketbooth and your warnings for visitors who should not
enter the attraction.

The first thing to consider is our windows. A cheap simply
approach is to use the plastic window clings you can buy in most
stores. A more expensive but better approach is to set up a
Peppers Ghost Illussion in your windows so it appears there are
ghost awaiting the guests walking up. You can check out my
website www.pendragonscastle.com/hauntmasters for more on this
illussion and how best to use it.

Next are the walls which you won’t want to mess up with nails or
adhesive. Scene setters which are available from my party store
is a good alternative for this. Scene Setters can be held up
with tape so you won’t damage your home or building. Scene
setters come in many wall designs and also include decorations
that attach to the scene setter to complete the affect.

If you want to build a frame you can use styrofoam to make a
fake brick look to the outside with a little trimming and paint.
Add a few old boards and you have a great look. Be sure that all
the items you use on the outside of your home or building are
firmly attached so they won’t fall on someone. Many times over
the years a scared visitor made their own exit which included
tearing down part of the facade that I forgot to firmly attach.

Once you have the walkway lighted, you have covered windows,
walls. You can add smoke, specialty lighting ( caution on the
strobes ) and spread a few bones, chains, skulls and whatever
you can get to add to the effect.

Halloween has evolved to the point that many stores sell motion
activated props that you can use outside your home or haunted
attraction. Use these when you can but remember. Most motion
activated props work on the principal that when a person walks
in front the light level changes setting off the prop. If the
area where you use this prop is to dark then it won’t work. Some
of the props are sound activated. This solves the light problem
but one prop can set off another prop atc. so you loose the
effect you want. Make sure you test all of your props and
effects prior to the opening of your attraction, or in the case
of the home haunt halloween night so you get the maximuim scare
value you need

You can find more articles on Halloween at my website at
www.pendragonscastle.com you can also find more articles, tips,
etc at www.pendragonscastle.com/hauntmasters. On both sites you
will find articles, tips, ideas, and a great merchandise section
where you can buy all the great stuff you will need for this
halloween season.

Paul Pendragon has been designing home haunts and haunted
attractions for twenty seven years and is co-founder of The
House of Pain Haunted House in Middle Tennessee. He is also
founder of Pendragons Castle a Halloween / Entertainment site.

Angels in Different Cultures and Religions

“Ever noticed how there seems to be angel sculptures or figurines in every home you go?

This is because many cultures in the world share the belief in the existence of this supernatural being.

In Judaism, angels, or malachim, serve as God’s messengers and “workers” here on Earth. It was for example, an angel who stopped Abraham just as he was about to kill his beloved son as a sacrifice to God. The angel Michael on the other hand, is viewed as the guardian and protector of the people of Israel.

With the roots of Christianity closely linked to Judaism, it comes as no surprise that Christians also hold angels in high-esteem. As in Judaism, angels also played great roles in many events viewed with great importance by Christians. It was the angel Gabriel who appeared to Mary and told her of how she was chosen by God to give birth to his son Jesus, who Christians believe is the savior of mankind. The Bible also recounts that Christ’s resurrection from the dead was announced by angels. Angels, Christians believe, are God’s link to man.

Angels also figure prominently in the Islam faith, one of their basic articles of faith being the “belief in angels”. Muslims believe that each person has four angels (which they call Malaa’ika, meaning, messengers) assigned to him who tallies his good and bad actions (two record the good while the other two take not of the bad). They also assign souls to newborns and are responsible for taking care of the environment.

One main difference between the Islamic and Christian/Jewish views on angels, is that for Muslims, it is not possible for angels to fall from grace, as they do cannot commit sin.

Hindus have their angels too. Called “devas”, these entities are responsible for natural elements like water, earth and fire. While angels are viewed as God’s workers in Christianity, Islam and Judaism and are not worshipped, the distinction between angels and the lesser gods are blurry.

Like these major religions, many minor belief systems also profess a belief in angels. Followers of Zoroastrianism (estimated at just around 200,000 worldwide), also believe that each one of us has a guardian angel—a Fravashi— that protects and guides us.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints meanwhile, angels are heavenly beings in human form that help spread the work and word of God on earth. The church was established after an angel allegedly appeared to its founder Joseph Smith.

So why the ubiquity of these heavenly entities? Because the idea of angels—beings that guide us, protect us from harm and give us a more personal link to God—is comforting, reassuring and one that is thoroughly welcomed.

Click here to view pictures of heavenly angel sculptures.

Humor: Lessons learned from horror movies

Humor: Lessons learned from horror movies

Growing up many of my friends loved horror movies. They would come to school chatting about the great film they saw the night before. I was not like them. I hated horror films. When I did see one, they would replay in my mind for weeks, I would wake up in the middle of the night hearing or imagining that the villain was in my home ready to pounce in the darkness. I had great parents. They sheltered me from scary films for as long as they could. Until one Autumn day in 1982, when I begged them to allow me to accompany my friends to see the ever popular movie “Poltergeist.”

Armed with only popcorn and a soda, we entered the theater and found seats near a large speaker. I spent the next 114 minutes screaming, gasping and eventually my popcorn flew out of my hand and landed like a million snowflakes on a sweet old couple in front of us. I left the theater with visions of Oak tree branches breaking through windows and clowns hiding under beds. My first real lessons from horror films came from this movie. First, beg my father to cut down the large Oak tree outside my bedroom window. Second, find someone who wanted a large doll collection consisting of mostly clowns, and do it quickly.

The invention of the VCR soon brought movies into our living rooms. As if movie theaters were not scary enough to view them, we begin to rent them and bring them home. Sitting in dark family rooms, the villains were invited into our homes and given new life. Those first years of renting movies, were the scariest for me. Ghosts, murderers, aliens and psychos were now in the safest place of all, our homes. Here was when I begin to learn a few new lessons from horror films. One of the most important lessons, never and I mean never, go to the basement to examine where a strange sound came from. It is never just a cat or the wind. It is always something you don’t want to encounter in the dark. Hollywood film makers love to send dumb, blond women into obscure spots to examine what made the noise, armed only with a flashlight and a tube of lipstick. I have learned if you hear a noise, leave the house! Call the police! But don’t grab your lipstick and investigate!

Then came along the DVD’s. The best thing to come along since peanut butter and jelly. These DVD’s had one thing the movie theaters and the VCR tapes did not. Bonus features. It was a comfort to be able to click on special features and see just how the actor was transformed

Why I hate horror movies

Horror films, who needs them?

I have to tell you I, I’m not a a fan of blood sucking, flesh ripping, cannibalistic monsters. Though they are only models of perverse imagination; these aberrations live on long after they flicker from the movie screen. Every closet is a potential portal for shadow lurking menaces to appear and what of them? Well there’s a good chance your life will be in mortal danger. Now back to reality…

The horror film industry is one lucrative cash cow. Now think about it for a moment: these programs have one of the lowest production budgets, make the highest profit margin per flick and are watched repetitively over a long period of time. Next to porn films, horror flicks rule. When interest for high budget block busters have little more than flickered out, titles such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Psycho, Poltergeist, Amity Ville Horror and The Exorcist are still in high demand.

It is true, I am ashamed to admit to seeing all these programs in my younger years. After all I had an older brother who couldn’t get enough of the violence. He was hooked, line and brick sinker. It still doesn’t change my view, not in the least; horror films do not tickle my fancy. My distaste stems on the unthinkable, the what if factor. Now I know what you are thinking, what exactly is this so called what if factor?

OK, let’s put it in simple terms; you know that feeling you get when you wake up in the middle of the night after a nightmare? There’s that one split second when all things that are improbable, demented and without instantiated proof seem a little less well, impossible. yes I’m talking about the fabled boogie man, the dismembered hand, tortured spirits and let’s not leave the imagined serial killer out. This fear is something of primal nature, the will to protect our loved ones as well as self preservation take a whole new meaning when we are up against the unknown. In an essence fear makes us act.

Could it be that this type of strange reaction is something genetically passed down from our prehistoric ancestors? It would seem only logical. After all humans have not always been on top of the food chain. There was a time when man was hunted down by saber tigers and other creatures of the like. Though these tigers have long since become extinct, they may have left an lasting impression.

So it makes one wonder, if fear is such a terrible feeling why would anyone want to experience it over and

Exploring the vampire in cinema – Part 10

Vampire mythology has long held firm on two important elements, in spite of its many deviations that were the result of “artistic license”. The first being the depiction of vampires as tortured soul-less beings, doomed to live an unnaturally long life, devoid of any companionship…even that of their own reflection. The second being the sensual undertones of the lifestyle the walking dead are forced to live.

Vampires are of course mythological or folkloric beings that are renowned for subsisting on human blood, or in some cases “life-force”. While originally popularized in the early 1800s Balkans as “undead beings who visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the areas they inhabited while living”, the charismatic and sophisticated vampire of the modern era can be traced to John Polidori’s 1819 publication The Vampyre.

However it is the Bram Stoker novel Dracula (1897) that has long been considered the quintessential vampire story. It is here that the first notion of vampire’s being unable to cast a reflection is introduced. This piece also openly reinforces the erotic’ nature of the disease that is vampirism.

The reason, it is argued, that vampire’s fail to cast a reflection or to be captured on film is because both of those acts “capture a piece of your soul”, something a vampire no longer has. Because this trait was the birth child of Stoker’s imagination, as well as generating more technical arguments like “why can’t we see the vampire’s clothes?”, it has been the subject of numerous debates.

Regardless, the more interesting question has to do with the obvious dichotomy of portraying such a concept in a medium that it is essentially claiming is unable to do so. Is there some sort of hypocrisy to be found in the mere act of presenting the story of a vampire on film when the history of said character tells us they cannot be captured as such?

In some circumstances, most notably Shadow Of A Vampire (2001), where the story itself involves a vampire having its image captured on film, one could certainly argue as such. However, since the particular trait itself is the product of one particular author, rather than traditional vampire lore, the argument is without much merit.

Sensuality, however, has long been the one truly universal theme in vampire literature. As society’s views on sex have evolved, so have the erotic undertones of vampire lore.

What began as a representation of a dominant male, able to seduce women and bend their will to meet his needs, has begun to delve into a more complex set of issues. The modern vampire is able to overwhelm the sense of their prey, no matter the sex of either the hunter or the hunted.

Additionally, the disease’ of vampirism was always a thinly veiled allusion to sexually transmitted diseases from the onset of its existence in literature. In the post HIV world this takes on an additional relevance. While the medical implications of a vampire ingesting HIV tainted blood has been the subject of a heated debate among fanboys and folklorists alike, the underlying implication is undeniable.

Once again we find society telling us that danger lies around the corner of every sexual encounter.

Why are we scared of ghosts? – Part 2

There is no doubt about it. To the average person ghosts are scary. The answers as to why are as numerous as the average people that are scared of them, but the most common reasons are nearly universal. Ghosts to us are more than just a mist, a visual cue, a strange smell or feeling. Like a fear or snakes or spiders, our fear runs deeper than our surfaces.

We are scared of ghosts because:

1) They represent death.

To many people, especially in our modern times, death is a scary thing. We prolong our lives as much as possible. A ghost is a reminder that this state of being doesn’t last forever. A ghost is also a reminder that our futures are uncertain.

Even if you have a strong belief in the afterlife the ghost’s relationship with death is frightening. Why do some people “come back?” The death a ghost represents is often violent, and the lives they leave are unresolved. This element of death can be unsettling to even the most spiritual of people.

2) They represent the unknown.

No one likes to be left in the dark. Because we can’t communicate with ghosts (at least for the most part) there is no way that we can know what existence is like for them. Will we all share the same fate? If we peer too closely at the mystery will it draw us in against our will?

The mystery of ghosts have fascinated humanity for centuries at least. Mediums, spiritualists, and Ouija boards are all evidence of this. Even with all our tools and gifted psychics we still don’t know much about what their “lives” are really like.

3) We have watched/heard/read too many ghost tales.

If you’ve ever seen a particularly scary movie involving a ghost you’ve got an unhappy preconceived notion. Perhaps you’re expecting them to wreak havoc in your home. Maybe you’re always secretly scared that one will murder you just as they were murdered. Literature, Hollywood, and even our family tables are filled with blood thirsty warnings about ghosts. Who wouldn’t be scared?

4) Sightings are often accompanied by an unsettling feeling.

Then there are the actual instances of ghost to human “contact”. If you’ve ever seen a ghost you may have felt a large surge of instinctive fear. Just as many people are automatically scared of spiders or snakes, many people are also automatically scared of ghosts. Maybe there is an evolutionary reason for this. Maybe we still have remnants of a sixth sense.

Believing in angels

Til this day, I have never experience the existence of angels. Angels are related to God. They are the messengers of God. There are many types of angels and they have different ranking as well. They are given names too.

Angels are something good, something that God has sent them to complete a mission. They got their duties to accomplish. In my opinion, spirits are a more general term to describe the ‘light’ that leaves the body once it dies. I think it is a collective terms for all the souls that leave the body. It can be used interchangeably with the word ‘Ghost’. However, I think that ‘Ghost’ is more of a evil spirit.

The existence of angels was recorded in the bible long ago. Angels are normally known to be something good. They are always known to be helping people, just like the Guardian Angels. It is known that small babies are able to see angels. Every baby has a guardian angels to guide it and protect it. That’s why sometimes, we can witness baby smiling and giggling or even like interacting with some people around them. Scary right? It is indeed very scary to me when I was alone with my baby children when they were still babies. Sometimes when I was carrying the baby or even near them, the angels might be around them also. This is because my baby child would look at a different direction or staring at a direction for a time and they might respond to it.

Are Angels visible? How they look like? Just like I mention before, I think babies can see angels. But as we grow older, as eyes development changes and soon we cannot such things. We often see retailer selling angels with wings and curly hairs, some even very chubby. How true is that, do they really can fly? It was recorded in the bible that the angel Gabriel appeared in front of Mary. This probably means that some people do can see angels.

Not all angels are obedient to God’s command. Some angels who never follow him, turned against him and come down to earth to fool around on earth, creating havoc on earth. These are the fallen angels. They are the bad angels.

Just like angels, I think spirits are not easily visible also. Spirits comes from all dead people who die. Some spirits can be good and some can be bad also just like the angels.

As angels are such a beautiful and amazing creatures, people are drawing it, selling figurines of it and painting it. On websites, at families’ home, in offices tables, on walls, in church, we can see angels around us. But nobody put any kind of spirits figurine. Spirts, in my opinion has no body. It is just like a genie, some kind of gaseous body.

The existence of angels and spirits, is really very obscure. Till now, some people are still doing research on it, going to graves and deserted house, using some machines to test the existence of supernatural objects.

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