Celluloid Diaries: August 2012

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

5 Things You Didn't Know About Boris Karloff

Today I have a guest post from Jolie du Pré, the author of Litria. She has stopped by to talk about her favorite horror actor, Boris Karloff.

boris karloff

No fan of classic horror movies is unaware of the name Boris Karloff. The Englishman, who died at the age of 81, is one of my favorite horror actors.

1. Boris Karloff, born William Henry Pratt on November 23, 1887, died of emphysema at his home in England on February 2, 1969. He was a major player in the formation of the Screen Actors Guild, or SAG, an American labor union founded in 1933.

2. Karloff spent 10 years in repertory companies, and then he went to Hollywood appearing in forty-five silent films for Universal Studios, including The Last of the Mohicans (1920) and Forbidden Cargo (1925).

3. The actor is best remembered for his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and Son of Frankenstein (1939). Karloff was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - one for motion pictures and one for television.

4. The role that made Boris Karloff a star is his most famous role, that of Frankenstein's monster in the 1931 movie Frankenstein. When Bella Lugosi refused to take a role in which he would have his face hidden by makeup and have no lines, the role of The Monster went to Karloff.

5. Remember the 1966 cartoon version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Karloff provided the voice for the bitter, green character created by Dr. Seuss.

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jolie du pré litria

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Fun Trivia Quiz

To celebrate the release of my new vampire thriller, A Good Man, take this super fun trivia quiz to see how well you think you know me and my books. Hint: even if you've never read the books, you can find all the answers on this blog. Comment below with your test results. If you get everything correct, you will receive a copy of A Good Man.

1. Where does Vanessa live?

a. United States
b. Ibiza
c. Belgium
d. France

2. On which Hollywood actress was the main character of DROWNED SORROW, Megan Blackwood, based?

a. Charlize Theron
b. Cameron Diaz
c. Naomi Watts
d. Nicole Kidman

3. Which French reality TV star plays one of vampire's Louis Caron's victims in the movie adaptation of A GOOD MAN?

a. Julien Doré (La Nouvelle Star 5)
b. Elodie Frégé (Star Academy 3)
c. Matthias Pohl (Secret Story 2)
d. Michal Kwiatkowski (Star Academy 3)

4. Which paranormal ability does Vanessa want to possess?

a. Bilocation (the ability to be in two places at the same time)
b. Telekinesis or pyschokinesis (the ability to move and manipulate objects with the mind)
c. Animal telepathy (the ability to talk to animals and read their minds)
d. Precognition (the ability to foresee events)

5. Who is slated to direct the movie adaptation of A GOOD MAN?

a. Steve De Roover
b. Jaume Balaguero
c. Philippe Geus
d. Drew Barrymore

6. Which author is Vanessa Most compared to?

a. Brett Easton Ellis (American Psycho)
b. Stephenie Meyer (Twilight)
c. Stephen King (Salem's Lot)
d. Joe Hill (Horns)

7. Wich one of Vanessa's books was called 'the scariest story of the year'?

a. Avalon
b. A Good Man
c. The Strangers Outside
d. Drowned Sorrow

8. What do the 'strangers' in THE STRANGERS OUTSIDE look like?

a. Monks
b. Clowns
c. Aliens
d. Children

9. Which animal transforms into a vampire in A GOOD MAN?

a. Guinea pig
b. Cat
c. Cow
d. Horse

10. What is Avalon?

a. The name of the spooky town in The Strangers Outside
b. The title of Vanessa's favorite movie
c. The title of Vanessa's favorite song
d. Vanessa's cat


Giveaway

To win an ebook copy of A Good Man, you must leave a comment on this post with your quiz answers. I will send a book to EVERYONE who answers the questions correctly! All the answers are hidden within the pages of this blog, so this should be fairly easy ;-)

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A Good Man
 

Louis Caron is a good man. Vegetarian, he feeds the homeless, takes care of animals and is concerned with the ecological future of the planet. But Louis has a sinister edge - he's a vampire - and local detective Taglioni is getting increasingly suspicious. Louis' attempts to escape the police will take him a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to confront his worst fears, but also to destroy the lives of those he cares about most.

Purchase
Amazon (ENG) * Smashwords (FR)

Friday, August 17, 2012

Interview at Earth's Book Nook

halloween witches

Here's an interview I recently did for Earth's Book Nook. Enjoy!

Earth's Book Nook: Was there anything about your upbringing that influenced your love of paranormal subjects?

I was an anxious child. Even the news scared me. When I was a toddler, I saw the trailer for The Planet Of The Apes on television. The images from that movie scared me so much that the apes materialized in the living room and continued to "visit" me for several months. They looked as real to me as my friends and family. Despite my fears, I quickly became attracted to anything horror and paranormal. I guess it was a way to process those fears. In any case, my fears disappeared as soon as I showed an interest in the genre.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Alternate cover art for Drowned Sorrow

Alternate Cover Art by Gilles Vranckx

Alternate cover art for Drowned Sorrow, by Gilles Vranckx.

Have a look at this artist's fascinating portfolio at http://gillesvranckx.blogspot.com.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Creepy fortification in Sint-Katelijne-Waver

urbex creepy fortification in Sint-Katelijne-Waver

Last month, I guided Ingrid and Lars from Cosy Travels around Sint-Katelijne-Waver, the Belgian town where the film adaptation of  my supernatural thriller THE STRANGERS OUTSIDE was shot. The result is a series of articles on the Cosy Travels website and an amazing collection of creepy photographs of the World War I fortification that appears in the film.

"I have to admit that it was one of the most bizarre places I had ever seen," Ingrid says. "As soon as we arrived, we could sense an eerie atmosphere, so we were a little hesitant to enter the fortification. We knew that it had been built to stop the Germans from conquering Antwerp and that lots of people were killed here during World War I, but what we found went far beyond our imagination. All the rooms had one thing in common: they all contained one. Single. Chair. Some of which were surrounded by candles. Yes, candles. Seriously, what happened in this place?"

wereldoorlog 1 belgië
Creepy war fortification
World War I fortification
Sint-Katelijne Waver fortification
generaal deschacht


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the strangers outside

Two sisters return to their remote holiday cottage after a day at the seaside, but little do they know they're being surrounded. Soon after their arrival, the girls will come face to face with THE STRANGERS OUTSIDE. When the assailants make their intentions known, things take a shocking turn and an intense battle for survival will begin.

Purchase


Other articles on The Strangers Outside