Poetry: Haunted houses – Part 4

Haunted House

A house with no ghosts

Is simply incomplete

I haunt my parents’ home

With slammed doors

Laughter and love

I wonder do the tenants know

Their ghost is alive

Wondering how many childish memories survive

With slammed doors

Laughter and love.

Movie reviews: Crocodile

Its little saying that Tobe Hooper’s CROCODILE is a low point in the career of a director who brought the world the visceral TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and the haunting POLTERGEIST. Hooper’s career has had lots of ups and downs especially considering that most of his career has been on public display as he has been known to be a difficult person to work with.

This film just happens to be the worst film on his resume. Sure, if it was made by a first timer doing a straight to DVD or cable film I would be more forgiving but coming from one of the “masters” of the genre this is completely amateurish. The story is clich following a group of college aged kids on spring break who decide to go on the river in style and have a great time. Unbeknownst to them a couple of rednecks have trashed the nest of the local giant crocodile and royally pissed her off. As coincidence would have it one of the giant crocodile’s eggs happens to find its way into the backpack of the kids which makes them all targets for the crocodile’s rage.

With three screenwriters (Jace Anderson, Adam Gierasch, and Michael D. Weiss) you’d think that an interesting and somewhat original story would be had but nothing in this film is remotely original and it follows the plot of the more interesting ANACONDAS to a “t” even having one character being eaten by the crocodile only to be thrown up soon after (i.e. the famous John Voight scene).

The acting is passable for a straight to DVD film. Nothing to write home about and the highlight of the whole production happens to be the abandoned hotel, presumably home to the crocodile, which we never actually see the inside of in the film. Instead, we are shown the blame characters running around the blame woods that look like they were filmed in someone’s backyards.

The only thing worth mentioning good about the film is Serge Colbert’s original score which actually enhances the film’s atmosphere and drives the film forward. It’s a shame when the only thing good worth mentioning in a Tobe Hooper film is the musical score.

How to perform an exorcism – Part 3

Exorcism is a title for a ritual in a particular religious following. Rescue is another word for aiding the progression of spirit from people, place, thing.

On a TV demonstration a priest with the help of several others (the number may be important to the ritual?) pressed a cross against the head of what appeared to be a possessed individual. It went on for some time and remained ineffective.

The following day, the possessed individual died of a brain tumor. The priest was devastated. How could they have missed the symptoms to the brain tumor?

Religious symbols work with those that believe. As this is stuck spirit, they have no religious understanding of where they are and what is keeping them stuck there in a fog of existence. When the individual who is possessed shines their light into this fog it is like a candle in the dark. Like a moth to the flame, they draw to the light of the individual.

A firm belief in an afterlife and what it is like is a good grounding. We are returning spirit to the realms of the unseen. So we must have some understanding as to this particular aspect of progression of the soul.

We have heard in many near death experiences about a light and also about a tunnel. How much of this do you understand and believe?

Spirit is light! And we are spirit now shining a light into the world. When we pass out of the physical body, we will be the purest light our spirituality can muster from its lessons on the earth plane.

To begin a ritual we must first examine the parameters of the exercise. Do not consider possession until all medical causes have been eliminated.

We protect ourselves with a ritual protection visualization as well as prayer to the highest source – the God of our own understanding. Then we are prepared to take on the unseen realms.

We must believe in what we are doing. We must realize and know with all certainty that there is another realm of energies – the spirit realms. And we must understand their abilities to affect our material vibration of energy. What can they do? What can’t they do?

A spirit entity can be ‘invited’ in through many things that happen to the mental stability of the individual. They are allowing this intrusion through their mind sets and beliefs.

The individual conducting the ritual must be in touch mentally with the spirit that is intruding. They must be able to release them to the light through talk and sometimes using a shock treatment. (See Thirty Years Among the Dead where a psychiatrist used a shocker to remove the spirit who entered an entranced medium so that they could be talked into the light).

Talking the individual into the light may take some time and effort. Fears hold them ’stuck’ in their present condition and understanding their own intrusion into the individual must be recognized so they can move on.

Always open and close with prayer as this keeps all efforts in the light of spirituality. God knows the fall of every foot – He knows our efforts are sincere.

A complete list of Vampire books and descriptions

Most people think of movies and famous books when you mention the word vampire. Books like Dracula, Interview with a Vampire, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They also envision movies such as Van Helsing, Underworld, Dracula, and The Forsaken. There are a few who actually take time to search for the other books that would help them see different views of the mythical vampires.

An adult series of books are the Diaries of the Family Dracul, by Jeanne Kalogridis. Covenant with the Vampire, Children of the Vampire, and Lord of the Vampire. These books are for adults because of their strong lesbian sexual descriptions. These books introduce a new kind of vampire and some new theories of the origin of vampires. It is an adaptation of the Dracula myth involving Van Helsing.

A set of vampire stories for the children would be the Cirque Du Freak serious by Darren Shan. Shan reinvents the myth of the vampire same as Rice and Stoker did in their stories. Shan includes two colonies of Vampires and allows them to war with each other while adding in here and there help from other fantastic creatures. This series is good for kids in middle school.

Christine Feehan wrote the Dark Series. These are romantic stories involving vampires. As far as I can tell there is no real connection between the five books in the series. The books are as listed; Dark Demon, Dark Melody, Dark Celebration, Dark Secret, and Dark Destiny.

The Noble Dead Saga follows the actions of a Vampire Slayer. There are currently five books in this series. Dhampir, Thieves of Lives, Sisters of the Dead, Traiter to the Blood, and Rebel Fay.

There are well over seven hundred stories involving vampires. There are almost as many different myths that these stories create. I hope I have given a list of books that may interest you.

Are angels real or imaginary? – Part 6

ARE ANGELS REAL OR IMAGINARY?

Are angels real? Yes! Have I ever seen one? I Don’t know. Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

If we have faith in God, and believe the Bible to be His Holy Word, then how can we not accept that angels are real? They are mentioned many, many times throughout it’s pages. They are portrayed as immortal celestial beings that worship God and serve at His bidding.

(The number one definition for the word ‘angel’ in Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language is as follows: (a) a messenger of God , (b) a supernatural being, either good or bad, to whom are attributed greater than human power, intelligence, etc.)

In the Old Testament we find that angels appeared to people on numerous occasions.

Exodus 3:2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Moses) in flames of fire from within a bush.

Joshua 5:13-14 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

Numbers 22:31 Then, the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn.

Judges 6:11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.

Genesis 16:7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.

Genesis 19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his fact to the ground. (These are the same angels who had earlier appeared to Abraham when the Lord told him he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.)

Genesis 18:1-2 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Angels also appeared to David (II Samuel 24:16-17), the parents of Samson (Judges 13:6-21), Elijah (I Kings19:5-7), Daniel (Daniel 6:22),

What the Bible says about paranormal phenonomena

From Genesis to Revelation the Bible is the ultimate guide to the supernatural. The Bible

its self is not only a legitimate source of historical insight but is the ultimate source of

prophecy for the world. Paranormal phenomena is found from front to back.

In the context of paranormal phenomena, many occurrences are described with detail in its

pages. As there are many types of the paranormal let’s start with the basics.

Ghosts! In the Old Testament the story of King Saul is one such example. In the book of

First Samuel in Chapter Twenty Eight King Saul was facing one of the most challenging

battles of his time. Already in disfavor with God soon to be replaced by King David, Saul

was desperate for answers. Unable to go to God because of his disobedience, Saul

resorted to visiting the Witch of Endor. He had to go in disguise because previously he

had banned all witchcraft and threw out all the wizards and witches. In his desperation,

Saul asked the Witch to summon the soul of Samuel the Prophet who had been his friend

and mentor before his death. Instead of the comforting word he sought, the “ghost” of

Samuel prophesied Saul’s death and the death of his sons. The Bible is clear in its lesson.

When we tamper with the supernatural, things never turn out as expected. This was

definitely paranormal phenomena.

Jesus walked on water as he waded out to his friends who were in danger out on the sea in

storm. He also opened the eyes of a blind man named Bartimaeus and raised his friend

Lazarus from the dead. He fed over five thousand people with just 2 fish and 3 loaves of bread. He was not bound by natural law or principles.

I suppose the most powerful and unique example of the paranormal though is the painful

bloody crucifixion of Christ along with his own resurrection three days later. His return to

life was witnessed by many and recorded in the book of Acts, Romans and many other

books in the New Testament.

Beyond these examples their account of angels including the Gabriel who announces the

birth of Christ and Michael who fights on behalf of Daniel. Lucifer’s fall from heaven is

recorded also. This does not even begin to describe the ability for certain disciples to

bilocate and many had visions. (Example would be the entire book of Revelation as seen

by John).

The Bible is uniquely supernatural filled with the paranormal. These are just a few

examples of what could be considered paranormal.

Living in a haunted house – Part 30

Our house is over two hundred years old, and I can only imagine the people who have passed through here in the time that it’s been standing.

I’ve been told by more than one person that I have psychic tendencies, so maybe that’s why I have seen things here. Nothing malicious, but when I’m standing in the kitchen (which is an add-on built much later than the rest of the house) I have seen on many occasions a figure out of the corner of my eye – standing in the doorway which would have been the original back door into the garden.

My parents have both passed on, so it could be mum or dad coming back to check on me, but I always feel like it’s someone who has been in the house previously.

I have promised myself one day I will research the two hundred years of history between me and the time this house was built… but I’m always a little worried about what I will find!

Haunted House Tours

You are bored of taking the conventional vacations. Camping, water-rafting or even dog-sledding in Alaska leave you cold. It is the right time to take the off beat vacation. Join the many adventurous people who are taking those literally breath-taking vacations – haunted house tours. You have most definitely been exposed to some of the haunted houses, thanks to television, especially around Halloween. But why not try these tours yourself?

Imagine living in a haunted house – eating, sleeping and all the other activities – amidst a spooky environment. But where do you find haunted houses? here are the top four places recommended for all those who is itching for a chill down their spines:

Perhaps the spookiest of them all is the Burford House B & B in tombstone, AZ. This house, built in 1880 and owned by Ruth and Richard Allen have hosted many celebrities, including John Wayne. Interestingly, many of the guests have never really left the house, which includes one George who shot his fiancé for reasons of infidelity and then committed suicide. Many modern-day visitors have taken pictures of a man donning a cowboy hat who looks out of the window. The orbs and reflections are a boon for the ghost hunters. There are several other ghost inhabitants in this house, but not yet identified with any particular person.

Located a few minutes away from the French Quarter and Magazine Street is another famous haunted house – the Castle Inn in New Orleans. Built in 1891, this haunted house is famous for a horse carriage driver who frequents it. He got killed during a fire and keeps on playing some ghostly tricks on residents and guests. He appears translucent, staring at the guests or at times he is heard coughing or whistling. The other ghost is that of a little girl, who met with a tragic end in a pool close by. She still haunts the house as well as the neighborhood. She declares her presence with little noises of trotting about in the hallways or bouncing on the bed. The bed and breakfast arrangement has a large variety of luxurious rooms suitable for extended stay.

Then there is this double-storied Romanesque building built in 1897 called the Red Garter Bed and Bakery, situated in Williams, AZ. Here the friendly ghosts enjoy being photographed. It is believed that some of the residents of this erstwhile bordello and saloon, never really left the place. Apparently there is this woman with long dark hair who shows up in photos. You can hear footsteps in the hallways and noisy doors which slam in the middle of the night. The rooms of this house are large and comfortable and the location, very memorable.

Built in 1716, the Colonial Inn of Concord, Massachusetts also offers a spooky vacation. It has housed many celebrities, one of whom, in room 24, has not yet left. This room was used as an operation theater during the civil war and it could well be that some of those operated upon did not survive ! and hence their spirit lives on.

Not only is a haunted vacation memorable on its own merits, but also great fun to do research on and find out more about the past historic facts. You can actually relive history in these houses, which has its own charm. In case you would much rather stay away from spooky adventures, there are other haunted house tours available which provide murder mystery nights and other dramatic outings for the guests.

If you don’t really care much about reliving history, a house riddled with an unsolved murder mystery could be your place. Such a house is the Lizzie Borden B & B. along with the ghosts, these houses are wonderful buildings to be admired, with or without your surreal friends.

Movie reviews: Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)

It is no secret that I love Exorcist II: The Heretic and actually prefer it to the original film. Whenever this come up, my taste in film and knowledge of the medium is always pulled into question. And I could hardly care. This bizarre continuation of a film about faith does for mental health care what The Exorcist did for Catholicism.

Regan (Linda Blair) is now a high school student attending therapy sessions with Dr. Gene Tuskin (Louise Fletcher) because she has repressed every significant memory about the exorcism she went through. In fact, she’s convinced that those memories are just dreams. Father Lamont (Richard Burton) is sent by a Cardinal to investigate the circumstances surround Father Merrin’s death to save his reputation from rampant rumors of satanism and other wrongful activities. By using Dr. Tuskin’s invention of a mind synchronization device, Father Lamont establishes a deep connection with Regan and the dormant demon residing within.

That plot summary barely scratches the surface of the film. The constant battle between faith and reason persists from The Exorcist, though the focus is far more clinical in nature. It’s not a question of losing faith in society; it becomes the issue of the struggles between science and faith. The easiest way to explain this is Dr. Tuskin believes Regan is mentally ill while Father Lamont believes her to still be possessed. The tension created by their individual struggles to find out just what’s wrong with Regan is the most superficial interpretation of the film.

It goes far deeper. There’s Biblical imagery. There’s sexual imagery. There’s even a pedophilia subplot brought about by Tuskin’s invention. And much more.

The performances are very good. Linda Blair, in a much more pronounced role, shines on the screen as a young woman trying to fit into a world that will never understand her. Kitty Wynn, returning as Sharon, is perfect as the only appearing witness to the events of the original film. Her portrayal of fear and love is wonderful. Louise Fletcher does so much with so little compared to the rest of the cast. She fills Dr. Tuskin with an unexpected depth, adding meaning to to every movement and word on screen. The weakest link can be seen as Richard Burton, though there’s technically nothing wrong with his performance. It just follows genre stereotypes a bit more than the rest of the cast.

Exorcist II: The Heretic is never going to be seen as a film for everyone. It’s very strange, to say the least. It is the furthest removed from all of the Exorcist films in its approach. Most important of all: it’s not a horror film. It’s science fiction, and that certainly through people for a loop. It’s not a literal film, either: it’s all about the symbolism and suggestion. You have to think to understand this film, and most people aren’t willing to put in the effort to reap the rewards.

What makes a scary movie scary – Part 2

If we study the horror film for a minute, you’ll begin to realize that the horror films today are being saturated with new faces which, in one sense of another word, its the only thing that can take away the concentration of what and how a horror film or just the very essence and nature of horror is way to easily mistaking itself in so many ways:

1.) Back in the 1980s, the top horror films that were the most watched were Halloween, Fright Night, Child’s Play, (of course, who can forget), Dracula and Nightmare on Elm Street. If you look back to the 1980s, that’s when horror films were the major source of all talks of the title: “Most Scariest Films Ever Made”.

2.) The very most rare of horror that are sometimes the less heard of are the ones dating back between the 1920s and 1950s. Back then, the only actors who ever made our sins crawl or send shivers up our spines are Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney and Vincent Price. Look back this far and you’ve got your definition of the true horror film. I think I forgot an actor: a name of Max Shreck who played Count Orlock in Hollywood’s very first vampire movie ever made: Nosferatu-A Symphony of Horror. I’ve got this movie on DVD and the very first silent film in my DVD library.

3.) The actors that we have today barely have the talent to do a horror film. Honestly, I think the horror film is losing its appeal with our society and movie goers. See, if we stick to thrillers and suspense, we get a really good scare from them than we can from an actual horror film itself because its not what we see in a horror film that sends us out of our seats and crying all the way home to mommy, its the facts and what you hear from a certain character’s point of view that starts getting to you really good and when the climax of the tension builds, that’s when you start gripping onto something real tight.

You want that feeling of nervousness.

I believe that the only two movies in Hollywood history that provide this theory are: The Exorcist and The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

Watch them again and you’ll see what I mean.

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