Celluloid Diaries: October 2014

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Reading / watching / listening to...

books and coffee

 Reading:

* Snowblind by Christopher Golden. Claustrophobic snowstorms, monsters, people disappearing... I was hooked from the very first page. But once the exciting set-up was over, I got bored. The action and character development melts away at the same pace as the snow from the story, and while Golden attempts to build-up a return of events in the third act, he never really succeeded in making me curious enough to finish the book. Snowblind is currently been turned into a TV-series by Universal TV.

* Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones by Kaitlyn Dunnett. A woman organizes a Halloween party in a haunted house and weird things happen: objects disappear, secret rooms are discovered, and someone is found dead. Who is the killer? I read Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones based on the cover alone and it delivered exactly what I expected: a fun Halloween atmosphere, a few animals, and an easy to follow story. Perhaps the writing and story were a bit too easy. And, if I'm being completely honest, I was never really invested in finding out who the killer was either. But Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones got me into the Halloween mood early on and definitely made my autumn a little better.

* Chats Chats Chats (Cats Cats Cats) by Lapuss', Larbier and Rabarot. Cats that indulge in typical feline mischief is what this French comic is all about. Funny, highly recognizable and well-illustrated, Chats Chats Chats doesn't need any text to be effective. Recommended to all cat addicts, children included. Unfortunately, chances are slim it will ever be turned into a series.

* Cath et son chat volume 2, Cath et son chat volume 3 and Cath et son Chat volume 4 by Cazenove and Richez. Not all jokes in Cath et son chat are equally funny. Sometimes Cazenove and Richez try too hard to be original, and their jokes just fall flat. The authors' best gags are those where you recognize typical cat behavior, albeit presented in a new light. While not perfect, it's definitely entertaining and funny enough to read the rest of this comic series about a little girl and her problem-causing cat.


Watching: 

* The Leftovers. As soon as I knew this was going to be about sects and 2% of the world's population disappearing, I knew I was going to like The Leftovers. The best part about this HBO series based on the novel by Tom Perrotta wasn't the mystery, though. The characters were fleshed out, the soundtrack by Max Richter one of the best I heard in a long time, and the silent, chain-smoking sect members fascinating. Fun fact: there's a scene in the third episode (where Christopher Eccleston nurses his disabled wife) that inspired me to write my short film script Next To Her.

* Game Of Thrones Season 1, 2, 3 and 4. I'm a bit late to the party with this one, but now I'm OBSESSED. First I thought Game Of Thrones wouldn't be my thing, but when I heard about all the different plot twists and the majority of the cast being slaughtered in a single episode, it was time to check out what the buzz was about. I loved every single second of it. Season three and four are my favorites.

* Thief. Michael Mann's first feature film Thief (1981) bears the characteristics of later blockbusters like Heat. The story isn't all that original (a thief wants to lead a normal life, but has to do one last job for the mafia), but thanks to well-researched realism, an involving soundtrack by Tangerine Dream, and an in-depth, touching performance by headliner James Caan, Thief may be considered one of Michael Mann's very best.

* Jeune et jolie. After losing her virginity during a holiday in the south of France, Isabelle explores her sexuality even further by voluntarily working as a call girl. I really liked that prostitution was presented in such a different way here. For Isabelle, it was a way to test the boundaries of life, a path to growing up. An exciting movie with a good vibe, though I didn't like the ending.

* Palo Alto. I can't decide whether to find James Franco's stories touching or detached. There's this brilliance and beauty in his work that speaks to me profoundly, but his characters are generally the kind I'd steer away from in real life. In the case of Palo Alto (which is based on his book and directed by Gia Coppola), they're too infantile, too irritating, too reckless. I'm just unable to identify with any of them, no matter how well-constructed they are. For that reason alone, I feel like an observer instead of being into the movie. But is it well-done? Absolutely.

* The Purge: Anarchy. While the first installment of The Purge sported an intriguing premise, the execution was largely lacking. The sequel revolves around the same concept – during one day of the year, every crime is left unpunished – but improves upon its shortcomings. Instead of keeping the action indoors, the film follows a young couple trying to survive on the streets after their car breaks down when the annual purge commences. The result is a chase of life and death that doesn't leave the viewer much room to breathe. Despite some lower-tier actors and an ending that didn't quite do it for me, The Purge 2: Anarchy is definitely a step up from the first one.

* Spring Breakers. Four bored college girls hold up a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation and befriend a drug dealer (an almost unrecognizable James Franco, with rasta hair and silver teeth) who brings them into contact with a world of sex, drugs, and murder. As spring break is like a dream for these girls, the film is made in such manner as well – dreamy images, repetitions, and lots of bright colors that clash with the decadent nature and violence of the film. We're far from the intensity and weirdness from Harmony Korine's early projects such as Gummo and Julien Donkey-Boy, but it's still an enjoyable film is you manage to see its second-degree nature.

* Horns. The film adaptation reflects the novel rather well, so I had the same issues with both of them. The beginning is highly original, with a young man (Daniel Radcliffe) discovering he has grown horns over the night and realizing that these horns make those around him say the truth. It's only when he starts using this gift to find out what happened to his dead girlfriend for whose murder he's accused, that the movie becomes common. Overall, Horns reminded me of The Lovely Bones, both in terms of tone and story. There is one scene near the end (in which Daniel Radcliffe uses his sudden power to control snakes to seek revenge) where I thought Horns was going to become more exciting, but it ended just like you'd expect most such stories to end.

* This Is The End. You know the concept, right? A bunch of celebrities (Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Rihanna, Emma Watson) play themselves. They gather for a housewarming party at James Franco's and then the apocalypse sets in. The entire movie is one big joke, but an incredibly good one. Without the gimmick of the actors playing themselves, the story wouldn't have been efficient at all. But in the context of this being 'real', it's absolutely hilarious. I loved how they are backstabbing each other and that they all die in the most horrible of ways. The actors had visibly a lot of fun making This Is The End and that fun flows onto the viewer. Not sure what to expect? Consider the dialogue: “A huge earthquake happens, who do they rescue first? Actors. They'll rescue Clooney, Sandra Bullock, me. If there's room, you guys will come.” / “I fucked Lindsay Lohan at the Chateau Marmont. She kept knocking on my door, she was high. She kept calling me Jake Gyllenhaal. I said: just call me your prince of Persia.” / “Shoot her in the head!” “I'm not killing Emma Watson.”

* The Houses October Built. This new found-footage horror movie is slightly superior from others in the genre. It takes place during Halloween with a group of friends going on a road trip to visit the most notorious backroad haunted houses. The film consists, for the most part, of visits to these Halloween haunts and generally has the feel of a documentary where the crew takes the camera with them inside the attractions. Unfortunately, The Houses October Built is a bit feeble story-wise, but it has enough creepy scenes and Halloween atmosphere to be recommendable for this time of year. The film won the award for best midnight movie at this year's Sitges Film Festival.

* Killer Legends. This was the perfect documentary for Halloween. Delving into the true killer stories that have inspired some of the most terrifying urban legends such as poisoned Halloween candy, the hook, the babysitter in danger and the evil clown, filmmakers Joshua Zeman and Rachel Mills have concocted a fascinating documentary, backed up with so much research that they even shed new evidence onto certain criminal cases. What makes Killer Legends so ideal for Halloween are the vintage Halloween images and the many scenes from classic horror movies such as When A Stranger Calls, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Halloween, Urban Legend, and Candyman.


Listening to:

* Music For Insomniacs by Matt Berry. Best known for his role of Douglas Reynholm in the IT Crowd, Matt Berry might not be the person you'd expect a new-age influenced, ambient album from. But it's actually beautiful and moody, and also quite different compared to his previous albums.

* Zombie Playground by Shawn Lee. This soundtrack for a zombie game reminded me a lot of the many zombie movie soundtracks from the seventies. Not quite the best of the bunch, but nevertheless pleasant and captivating. By the way, did you know that Shawn Lee has worked before with singers such as Lana Del Rey and Amy Winehouse?

* Soundtrack for The Double by Andrew Hewitt. I'm as much in love with the soundtrack as with the movie. Andrew Hewitt's music blends score and sound design elements. It's rich, utterly engaging and perfectly matches the visual artistry and musical editing of the picture. The album also includes classics such as Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto, East Virigina by Danny & The Islanders and the credit song The Sun by Kim Jung Mi.

* Last but not least, I also went to the World Soundtrack Awards which included a philharmonic interpretation of several soundtrack scores by Cliff Martinez (Only God Forgives, Contagion, Wicker Park, Solaris, Kafka, A l'origine, and Espion). Given the many celebrities that attended the awards (Brett Easton Ellis, Gabriel Yared, etc) I expected something exceptional, but the end result was lifeless and too short. Also, though Cliff Martinez was present at the concert, he didn't play or conduct music himself.

What have you been reading, watching, and listening to lately? 
 

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Top movies to watch this autumn {part 2}

movie recommendations

This is the second part of all the new horror movies and thrillers to watch this autumn. The first part can be found here. In conjunction with the Siges Film Festival.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Halloween reading list

Halloween reading list

What's on your Halloween reading list this year?

This week, I published a guest article over at Midnyte Reader about the five books I'm planning to read this Halloween. My reading interests are usually varied, but around Halloween the only thing I want is to curl up with a book that has any hint of spooky goodness. Here's the list in case you missed it.


Vampires Bones and Treacle Scones

Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones by Kaitlyn Dunnett

I'm about halfway through this cozy mystery and it's an instant mood-setter for Halloween. In Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones the town of Moosetookalook is planning a Halloween party in an abandoned mansion. But nothing goes as planned. Objects disappear. Hidden rooms are discovered. And then, someone is murdered. What follows is an investigation to try and find the killer.  

Say Her Name James Dawson

Say Her Name by James Dawson 

This YA horror novel is supposed to be one of the creepiest books you'll read this Halloween. Set in a boarding school, Say Her Name focuses on a group of students who dare each other to summon the legendary ghost of Bloody Mary: say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... At first, nothing happens. But in the next five days, it'll become clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife and that she will come for them, as she has come for countless others before.  

The Shuddering Ania Ahlborn

The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn 

I absolutely loved Ania Ahlborn's horror novel Seed. She didn't really re-invent the wheel, but she took all my favorite elements from obscure horror movies from the seventies and eighties and threw everything into her own mix. With The Shuddering, she seems to be doing the same thing. This time, she focuses on a group of friends vacationing in a mountain cabin in Colorado. Something lurks in the forest, watching the cabin, growing ever bolder as the snow falls. After a blizzard leaves the group stranded, the true test of their love and loyalty begins as the hideous creatures outside close in, one bloody attack at a time. 

October Dreams

October Dreams: A Celebration Of Halloween edited by Richard Chizmar and Robert Morrish 

October Dreams is a delightful mix of Halloween goodies: never-before-published short stories, classic novellas, essays on the history of Halloween, personal reflections on Halloweens past, and guides to Halloween fiction. Among the authors are Dean R. Koontz, Poppy Z. Brite, Peter Straub, Jack Ketchum, Tim Lebbon, Ed Gorman, Tom Piccirilli, Douglas Clegg, Ray Bradbury, Richard Laymon, Kim Newman, Christopher Golden, and many more. Many call this a must-read for Halloween.  

Vacationing With Ghosts

Vacationing With Ghosts by Sharon Day 

Being an avid reader of Sharon Day's blog Ghost Hunting Theories, I've already had a preview of the many weird things that happened to her. Vacationing With Ghosts is partly a nostalgic flashback of the childhood family holidays in their beautiful summer home, and partly an account of the supernatural occurrences she encountered there. Having never experienced the supernatural, I'm usually the first to be sceptic. But Sharon Day's experiences always make me doubt my own belief. 

What's on your reading list this Halloween? I'd love to hear. Anything to recommend? 

And, of course, if you're looking for spooky reads, you can always check out my books Drowned Sorrow and The Strangers Outside. They're meant to really put you on the edge of your seat, so be prepared what you're getting yourself into. 

Halloween reading list

Megan Blackwood has just lost her son in an accident. Now she has come to Moonlight Creek with her teenage daughter, Jenna, hoping that a change of scenery might help to put their lives back together. 

But something odd is happening in Moonlight Creek. 

When rain falls over the village, its inhabitants commit grisly murders, leaving the village deserted again with the first rays of sunshine. Beneath the lake's surface, something watches... and waits... Waits to reveal a tragic past drowned in mystery and fear. One that doesn't bode well for visitors. 

By the time Megan realizes that her daughter's life is in danger, it might already be too late. 

“Pretty damn spooky” -- Book Cover Justice 

“A disturbing gem of the horror genre.” -- The Current Reader 

“A roller coaster ride of mystery, horror, and overall creepiness.” -- Reading Urban Fantasy 

“The scariest story of the year.” -- Sword and Magic 

Halloween reading list

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

The Strangers Outside has been turned into a movie starring Pierre Lekeux and Iulia Nastase. 

"This was a really fun, creepy horror story PERFECT for Halloween." -- Little Squeed Book Reviews 

"This had me on the edge of my seat, wanting more, more, MORE! Basically, this is an amazing horror story you should go buy NOW!" -- The Beaucoup Review 

"The Strangers Outside had me thinking about the ending for a couple of days after." -- The Diary Of A Bookworm 

"Vanessa Morgan's writing is not to be missed, for it comes from the depths of fear to give readers a chance to be entertained as well as enlightened." -- Pitching Pencils 

Halloween badge

Monday, October 13, 2014

Top horror movies to watch this autumn {part 1}

top horror movies to watch this autumn

Don't you like cozying up on the couch with a good movie and your favorite hot drink? There's something about autumn weather that makes these activities sound really appealing.

Just like last year, I teamed up with the Sitges Film Festival in Spain to put together a list of the top horror movies to watch this autumn. If you haven't heard of the Sitges Film Festival, it's one of the biggest movie events in the world and thus an ideal place to watch upcoming films before anyone else hears about it.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Strasbourg in pictures

Strasbourg

I'm writing this post from my hotel room in Sitges, Spain. I'm here for the famous Sitges Film Festival and it's already my third day in this lovely little coastal town. Before I head out to enjoy the sun, some tapas, and the festival, I'd like to show you my pictures from my trip to Strasbourg, France, from two weeks ago. If you missed my film reviews of the Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival, you can find them here.

Situated close to the border with Germany, the principal city of the Alsace has that same typical feel to it. I particularly loved the colorful, half-timbered houses which are so common in the region. The idyllic center is quite small, though; one weekend to visit is enough.