ghosts | Cavalcade of Awesome

Archive for the ghosts Category

AWESOME-tober-fest 2017: The Others (2001)

Posted in Genres, ghosts, horror, monsters, movies, pop culture with tags AWESOME-tober-fest, Awesome-tober-fest 2017, Fangoria Movie Friday, ghosts, Halloween, holiday, monsters, movies on October 20, 2017 by Paxton

Today I want to talk about another favorite ghost movie of mine, The Others, from 2001.

It was directed by Alejandro Amenabar and starred Nicole Kidman. The only other movie I know Amenabar from is Open Your Eyes from 1997 with Penelope Cruz. It’s the movie Cameron Crowe and Tom Cruise remade into Vanilla Sky which would open the very same year as The Others.

I saw this movie in the theater based mostly on the spooky trailer and Nicole Kidman. I had no preconceived notions going in on what to expect.

The movie takes place in 1945 in Jersey, a British dependency located in the Channel Islands. Kidman lives in a remote country home with her two children; Anne and Nicholas.

The children have a rare condition that makes them allergic to sunlight and their father had left to fight in WWII but has not returned.

After three servants take up residence in the house strange things start occuring. The oldest daughter begins talking about seeing a small boy named Victor. Mysterious sounds are heard in abandoned rooms. Doors are left open. Typical ghostly haunted house stuff.

Kidman is not sure if the kids are causing the disturbances, the new servants or some ghostly intruder. The suspense is really ratcheted up throughout the movie. Lots of atmosphere. And the old house is a great part of this whole thing. It’s huge with all of these abandoned rooms. You almost feel lost in the house while you are watching it. There’s so much wood which causes lots of “house noises”. Kidman’s character opens and closes every door of every room she enters and you get the requisite wood sounds every time. The house looks and sounds great. And the “ghostly” events are really spooky.

I’m not going to give away the ending. I really want you to watch it. But the atmosphere and tension are really amped up. Kidman gives a great performance as the mom trapped in an ever increasingly bizarre set of circumstances. The daughter, Anne, played by Alakina Mann, is pretty great as well. She needed to work because she’s the one who goes against her mother for most of the movie as she’s the one who’s seen Victor and the “intruders”. And she brings it 100%. She’s really great in all her scenes with Kidman.

I rewatched this movie for this review and it still holds up. Even knowing what the ultimate climax was going to be, I still very much enjoyed the journey the movie took me on to get to its “final resting place”.

Okay, so next week is the final FULL week of AWESOME-tober-fest. I can’t believe it’s already nearly over. Usually for this final week I’ll do what I call “Greatest Hits” where I revisit topics from previous AWESOME-tober-fests like vampires, werewolves or movie maniacs. However, this year, for the 10th anniversary of this countdown, I’ve decided to do something a little different. For the next week I’ll be doing ALL NEW topics. Topics that I had planned for their own AWESOME-tober-fest at some point. I’ll pick one article from five different topics I’ve never done before. It should be a lot of fun. I’ll even give you a preview of Monday’s topic.

I’ll see you back here on Monday.

Also, check out the blog Countdown to Halloween for more Halloween-y, bloggy AWESOMEness.

1 Comment »

AWESOME-tober-fest 2017: Heart Shaped Box (2007) – Joe Hill

Posted in books, Genres, ghosts, horror, monsters with tags AWESOME-tober-fest, Awesome-tober-fest 2017, Book Report, ghosts, Halloween, holiday, monsters on October 18, 2017 by Paxton

I’ve been a fan of Stephen King since before high school. So when I found out his son, Joe, was writing books, I was initially intrigued but ultimately never sought out the kid’s books. Then I randomly stumbled upon Horns. I forget how, but the synopsis intrigued me and I put it on my Amazon list making a mental note to check that book out when I get a chance. Then, in 2013, the Kindle book went on sale so I pulled the trigger and read it. And really enjoyed the book. So at that point, I’m wondering, what Joe Hill book should I read next?

Enter AWESOME-toberfest 2015. I was all set to do Ghosts as the theme and I was deciding between two Joe Hill books; the short story collection 20th Century Ghost and the novel Heart Shaped Box. However, things happen, things change, and I wind up doing invisible man that year instead. Flash forward to 2017. I’m really doing ghosts this time. So, I get a sample on my iPad of both books, read the samples and select, with much fanfare to no one but myself…Heart Shaped Box.

So, what is this book about? The quick elevator pitch is that aging rock star Jude Coyne likes to collect macabre things. Among other things he has a used hangman’s noose, a signed witch’s confession from the Salem Witch trials, and even a snuff film. And when his assistant stumbles across a haunted suit in an online auction, Jude decides on impulse to buy it and it to his collection. Yet when the suit arrives on his doorstep a few weeks later in a black, heart-shaped box, Jude finds that he’s going to get more than he bargained for.

Heart-Shaped Box was Hill’s first novel, published in 2007. It’s actually pretty good. Based on the two novels I’ve read, Hill really knows how to set up the atmosphere of his books’ worlds. Hill’s books exist in this darker, hyper real existence where crazy things can happen but it still feels 100% real. Like I can easily picture it and it feels like I’m in that world as well when I’m reading the book. Hill is also good at setting up his main characters. Jude, in this novel, isn’t the greatest guy. He’s an aging rockstar, he collects weird memorabilia, he sleeps with goth girls that are way too young for him. But by the end of the novel you see how the experiences in the book change him. He realizes that how he’s been acting is wrong. He sees the unhealthy patterns he’s following. We also learn a little about his past that brings his current behaviors into focus. So by the novel’s climax, the things Jude learns and the behaviors that are changed are earned.

What about the ghost aspects of the novel? Hill realizes his ghost very well. He is CREEPY. He has black scribbles over his eyes which somehow makes him more terrifying. You learn a little bit about the nature of the particular ghost haunting the suit, but it’s not really made clear if that applies to all ghosts. There are clearly some rules for the ghost in the book but you don’t know if the rules apply to all ghosts or just him.

I liked this book. I actually think I liked it more than Horns. And don’t get me wrong, I liked Horns. I really like what I’ve read of Hill’s books so far. They are dark and atmospheric. They have interesting characters that follow a good arch throughout. And the story concepts for his books so far have been interesting and different.

I happen to also have two of Hill’s newer books The Fireman and NOS4A2 which are absolutely going to get read sooner rather than later.

Also, check out the blog Countdown to Halloween for more Halloween-y, bloggy AWESOMEness.

1 Comment »

AWESOME-tober-fest 2017: Goober and the Ghost Chasers (1973)

Posted in cartoons, ghosts, monsters, pop culture, TV shows, Uncategorized with tags AWESOME-tober-fest, Awesome-tober-fest 2017, cartoons, ghosts, Halloween, holiday, monsters, pop culture, TV show on October 17, 2017 by Paxton

Today I’m going to talk about the cartoon series Goober and the Ghost Chasers. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired in late 1973. It was created to capitalize on the popularity of Scooby-Doo.

Much like Scooby-Doo, the show involved a group of teenagers and their dog driving around solving mysteries.

Goober, obviously, was the dog. He had similar mannerisms to Scooby. Sort of a coward. Very goofy and jokey. He talked. But it’s interesting, it’s not directly acknowledged in the cartoon if the teens can understand Goober when he talks. They talk to Goober, but when Goober talks, it’s usually directly to camera and the teens never give any indication that he talked or that they heard he talked. It’s weird. The teens were Ted, Tina and Gilly. The teens worked for a supernatural investigation magazine called Ghost Chasers. Obviously Ted = Fred. Tina is very much a cross between Daphne and Velma. And Gilly is sort of his own thing. He’s Goober’s closest human companion. He’s not a stoner or a coward. He doesn’t love to eat. He’s the photographer for the magazine. In some ways like Shaggy but in most ways he’s different. Gilly is probably the most annoying. I like everyone else.

The mysteries this crew investigate usually wind up having a real supernatural aspect to them. As in real ghosts and real monsters as opposed to Scooby in which the mysteries had a basis in reality. Plus, for some reason, Goober can turn invisible. He can’t control it, and it usually happens when he gets scared, but it happens.

Like Scooby, many episodes would have “special guests” show up to help solve crimes. For at least half of the one and only season the Ghost Chasers crew were joined by the Partridge Kids (Danny, Laurie, Tracy, Chris, seen below in the middle).

The Partridge kids were voiced by the actual actors; Danny Bonaduce, Susan Dey, Suzanne Crough and Brian Forster. For some reason, around episode 11, the Partridge Kids disappear and never make another appearance. However, don’t feel bad for them, about a year later they would get their own cartoon series.

Continue reading →

1 Comment »

AWESOME-tober-fest 2017: The Frighteners movie novelization by Michael Jahn (1996)

Posted in books, Genres, ghosts, horror, monsters, movies, pop culture with tags AWESOME-tober-fest, Awesome-tober-fest 2017, ghosts, Halloween, holiday, I Read Movies, monsters, movies, podcast, pop culture on October 16, 2017 by Paxton

On Friday I talked about one of my favorite ghost movies, Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners from 1996. Well, as luck would have it, they released a movie novelization for it. It was written by Michael Jahn.

So, I recorded a very special Halloween episode of I Read Movies all about this novelization. I talk about extra scenes, I talk about new plot points, there’s even a good bit explaining the nature of the movie’s ghosts. Lots of good stuff to hear, so either download the latest episode of I Read Movies on iTunes and Google Play or listen to it right here.

Also, check out the blog Countdown to Halloween for more Halloween-y, bloggy AWESOMEness.

AWESOME-tober-fest 2017: The Frighteners (1996)

Posted in Genres, ghosts, Halloween, holiday, horror, monsters, movies, pop culture with tags AWESOME-tober-fest, Awesome-tober-fest 2017, Fangoria Movie Friday, ghosts, Halloween, holiday, monsters, movies, pop culture on October 13, 2017 by Paxton

Today I finally get to talk about The Frighteners by Peter Jackson starring Michael J Fox. I’m trying to remember how I first found out about/watched this movie. I’m fairly certain I did not see it in the theater as I would have been still in college and this particular movie wouldn’t have got me or my friends into the theater. Plus, I don’t actually remember it in the theater.

I’m pretty sure I found out about it later. The draw for me would have been Michael J Fox in a horror comedy. I’m also fairly certain this would have been my first exposure to Peter Jackson as well. I probably caught it on DVD sometime in 1998 or 1999. And I loved it.

The movie is about Frank Bannister, played by Michael J Fox. He can see ghosts. He uses this ability to fleece money from people as a “psychic investigator”. However Frank stumbles upon a rash of recent killings that look to be linked to a murder that happened decades earlier and he’ll need to use all of his supernatural skills to solve the murder before he becomes the next victim.

That’s the basic synopsis. Lots more is going on here. Let’s take a look at the movie.

Opening title card.

This is the Bradley House. At one time it was Fairwater Hospital/Sanatorium. It was the site of the Bartlett/Bradley murders. Now it’s mostly closed and abandoned. The only people living here are Patricia Bradley and her mother.

As I’ve already mentioned, I’m a big fan of this movie. I want you to know that upfront before I talk about the opening of the movie. The opening is a very exciting set piece within the Bradley house. We see Patricia being chased by a ghost that is materializing within the walls of the house. It’s a fast paced chase with some pretty great effects for 1996. And Patricia, played by Dee Wallace Stone, seems pretty terrified. Eventually the ghost materializes under the carpet on the stairs and grabs her just as her mother appears with a shotgun and blows away the part of the carpet where the ghost’s head would be. It’s a nice, thrilling beginning to the movie. However, once you get to the climax of the movie, it ultimately makes no sense. At all. Even Peter Jackson admits this opening is a cheat. It’s ostensibly one of the bigger problems with the movie, but honestly it never really bothered me.

Easter Egg Alert! We learn some backstory about Patricia and her boyfriend, Johnny Bartlett, in a sequence featuring a “real crime” video one of the main characters is watching. This is the cover of the video. The picture of the couple on the left is supposed to be a photo of Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey as their characters in Jackson’s previous movie, Heavenly Creatures.

Patricia’s mother the very next morning after the above opening sequence and she’s sporting a hairdo in what looks to be an unsubtle homage to Gary Oldman in Coppola’s Dracula which was only 4 years before this.

Michael J Fox plays Frank Bannister. A man that has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. As I mentioned he uses this ability to con people by working with ghosts to haunt houses so they have to hire him to “exorcise” the ghosts. Fox is pretty great as the lead.

These are the ghosts that work with Frank; Cyrus and Stuart. Cyrus is a 70s disco gangster and he’s played by the great Chi McBride. Stuart is sort of a nerdy guy played by Jim Fyfe who, to me, is probably best known for hosting/producing those “Buy Me That!” series of PSAs about how commercials use camera trickery to make their products appear more attractive.

This is another ghost working with Frank, “The Judge”. Judge is an Old West gunslinger/sheriff played by John Astin. He is sort of decrepit, his ectoplasm is drying up, and he has trouble keeping his jawbone in.

Frank starts seeing spectral numbers carved into people’s heads. At first he thinks his ghost associates did it but we learn they didn’t.

Great cameo by R Lee Ermey as Sgt Hiles. He protects the cemetery and is essentially playing his character from Full Metal Jacket.

Here’s the ghost that Frank is up against. This ghost is killing people by appearing out of the walls and squeezing their hearts until they die. The Judge calls him the Soul Collector.

Jeffrey Combs is excellent as Special Agent Dammers. Dammers is an expert in parapsychology. His work with cults has rendered him a bit…insane.

At one point The Judge humps a mummy.

“Dr Teeth” Jake Busey plays Johnny Bartlett with much scenery chewing.

Those are just some of the highlights. Like I said, I quite adore this movie. Fox is great. I think, for the most part, the effects are great, especially for 1996. And it’s got this fun horror-comedy vibe that I just dig.

The movie does pose several questions in the nature of it’s ghosts. One of the biggest issues I’ve had for years is that the ghost that’s committing the murders is WAY more powerful than ghosts like Stuart and Cyrus. As a matter of fact, Sgt Hiles also seems way more powerful than Stuart and Cyrus. Why is there a difference? Are there different classes of ghosts? What are the rules? The movie doesn’t really spell any of that out. For the most part, this lack of clarity doesn’t really hurt the movie, but those of us that have watched it many times can’t help but wonder what’s up.

I acquired the movie novelization to The Frighteners which is written by Michael Jahn. I was hoping it would address some of my concerns. On Monday check out my review of said novelization on a brand new episode of I Read Movies where we’ll see if any of this ghost business is explained.

Also, check out the blog Countdown to Halloween for more Halloween-y, bloggy AWESOMEness.

1 Comment »