Tag: reflection

Reflecting on Poltergeist – “No More.”

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Everyone has that one movie they use to officially kick off the Halloween spirit. My wife’s, for example, is The Rocky Horror Picture show. Mine on the other hand, is Poltergeist.

Poltergeist is, hands down, one of my favorite horror movies of all time. It is the perfect balance between terror and wholesomeness. On one hand we have the slowly growing threat of the spirits’ takeover of the homestead. On the other, we have the loving family dynamic between husband and wife Steven and Diane Freeling. I could write an entire post surrounding the love these two have for one another but for now, I would like to focus on another character.

That of their youngest daughter Carol Anne.

For you see, there is more than one love story in Poltergeist. We have the love between Steven and Diane, but also the love between Diane and daughter Carol Anne. A majority of the movie revolves around the mother’s feelings towards protecting, and later finding, her daughter.

Hell. One of the movie’s strongest and most emotionally charged scenes is when Carol Anne, trapped within the spirit world, runs through Diane. Diane then describes the sensation. Talking about how Carol Anne touched her soul and how she can now smell her daughter on her clothes. It is a powerful scene that really hammers home the love Diane has for Carol Anne and is another fine example of just how well made this movie is.

With that out of the way, let’s discuss something I noticed during my most recent viewing. Carol Anne’s “No More.”.

“No More.”

As I had mentioned before; the primary story of Poltergeist revolves around Steven and Diane trying to save their youngest daughter from the spirit world. After several stressful days and sleepless nights, the Freelings get in touch with a medium who agrees to help them.

They concoct a plan to send Diane into the spirit realm to find Carol Anne and bring her back to the world of the living. The plan succeeds resulting in reunion of Carol Anne with her family. The next day, as Steven and Diane pack up their belongings to move away, we learn that Carol Anne seems to have no memory of what happened. According to Diane, the little girl is as happy and as care-free as she has always been – much to the relief of her parents. No expensive therapy for this wee one.

I don’t know why, but for some reason I ended up focusing on that line. What was it that made this line stand out so much? Then it hit me. Carol Anne’s whimper of “No More” meant that she did, indeed, have memory of being inside the spirt world. She was fully aware of everything that had happened to her the previous night and she did not want experience that horrific event again.

Now I don’t know if this was the intention of the writer and director but for me, at least, it adds just that much more tragedy to Carol Anne’s experiences. The poor girl wants nothing more than to forget everything that happened only for the entities to try and pull her back in. It is as heartbreaking as it is terrifying.

What are your thoughts on this scene? Is this just Carol Anne’s reaction to another ghostly event – having already experienced such things earlier in the movie? Or is she expressing fear based off her memories of being within the spirit world? Let us know in the comments below!

I would also like to take a moment to apologize for our lack of updates. We are working to keep moving forward with entries – whether they are brief discussions such as this one or fully detailed reviews. We appreciate your patience!

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Final Fantasy XII: An Apology Letter

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Dear Final Fantasy XII,

Like previous Final Fantasies, I bought Final Fantasy XII at launch. I was excited, as I always was, for a new Final Fantasy. My excitement slowly dwindled as I discovered that you did things differently than the previous games.

You had a very MMO style look and feel. You allowed enemies to hit me even as I tried running away. The license board meant I could not equip what I wanted, when I wanted. Gold came from loot instead of normal fights.

The story was overly political the language flowery. You were not my basic Final Fantasy I grew up with.

I distinctly remember the exact moment I stopped playing you. It was in the Tomb of Raithwall, shortly after the Demon Wall. Although you provided beautiful graphics and a surprisingly amount of well-spoken dialogue, you were not my Final Fantasy. You were new and different. I tried to keep an open mind but it wasn’t enough. Final Fantasy had a tried and true system and you changed that. As such, I stopped playing and had since never looked back.

Time has passed. I am now 41 years old and spending my free time live streaming old video games. Several of which being games that I had never finished during my childhood. Eventually, I came across you. Final Fantasy XII. Staring up at me from my game cabinet as if begging for another chance to show me your greatness. Although I had my reservations, I decided to do just that. I gave you a second chance.

Today I stand before you humbled. I have realized simultaneously that I was not only a stubborn child but a foolish one. What I seek from you, as I fall to me knees, is forgiveness. I was blind to the magnificence you tried to show me.

The language that I had originally thought as long winded and boring is now seen as mature and delightful to listen to.

Whereas the story, which I had once believed to be boring and political is now gripping with a sense of constant dread. There are high stakes involved in this colorful world you’ve created.

Furthermore, I no longer see our cast of characters as one irritating and dull. Instead, they are full of life and personality. Vaan, you lovable one-brain-celled fool. Ashe you stoic badass. Balthier you delightful scamp. Penelo, I hope you never lose your hope and kindness.

The combat is so detailed, the Gambit system phenomenal. I had originally thought the Gambit system to be overly complicated but now I see it is nuanced with a great deal of customization. Oh how your future brother FF7REMAKE would benefit from the Gambit system…how I wish it would return.

The dungeons surprising me with dangerous areas full of over-leveled monsters – resulting in my panic and fear. Making me feel things as I race my level 14 ass out of the level 40 enemy swarm.

The plethora of hidden weapons, items, armor, and loot. The hunts. The monster designs; it is all wonderful!

As I write this, I squeaked a win against Adrammelech, the Wroth – my characters only at level 24-26. Yet in a world where facing monsters too early means instant death, you were fair enough to allow me to alter my stratergies and find a way to win. An adrenaline rush given up to me from among high.

Forgive me, Final Fantasy XII. I was but a fool. Today I am one of your biggest fans. Thank you. Thank you for climbing the ranks to, as of right now, being my 3rd favorite FF of all time…

I hope this feeling lasts as I continue my journey!

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The Fear of Knowing – Hannibal the TV Series (Season 1)

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HannibalPoster

As of this month I have finally sat down to watch season 1 of Hannibal. Now I know what you are asking. Why has it taken you over 11 years to watch this show? Well, I’ll be honest. I just never got around to it. Yes, there is a part of me who wanted to wait until the show had wrapped up but beyond that, I never made time for the show.

I decided to change that. With my Dean Koontz backlog finished and my “Terror on Tubi” list caught up to 550 movies, I figured now would be the best time to pick up on Hannibal.

So I sat my butt down, fired up my Tubi app, and started watching season 1.

At the time of this entry, I am on episode 12 of season one. Just one episode away from the season finale. Honestly? I cannot wait to see how the season wraps up. What started off as a nice, slow burn has evolved into an inferno of manipulation, murder, and mystery. Despite knowing the end result of these characters, I have no idea how this season will end. I cannot wait!

That said, there is something I wanted to discuss. Hence this post.

Let’s call it the Fear of Knowing.

Knowing is Half the Battle

Fear is the unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of danger whether real of imagined. Is someone following us? Is there something lurking in the shadows? These invasive thoughts work to keep us safe.

As a result, it only makes sense that most horror media focuses on the fear of the unknown. The unknown killer, the mysterious event, the bump in the night. This is what makes horror so effective. We don’t know what’s going on and through that, we are afraid.

But what if we did know? Would that ruin the experience? To that I say, no.

Let’s take a look at Nightmare on Elm Street for example. Freddy Kruger is only in the movie for about seven minutes. Before the finale, all we get of Freddy is his voice or a few shots of him bathed in the shadows. It’s a very effective tool. At this point of the franchise, we don’t really know what Freddy is. Is he man or demon? We just don’t know.

The sequels change this up. After the second movie, Freddy stopped being the boogeyman and instead became the main character. You can even see this in the movie posters. The original two movies kept Freddy’s appearance minimal. From three forward, Freddy became the face of the franchise.

Nightmare5 Poster
Nightmare1Poster

Certainly this diminishes his scare factor, right?

Wrong. While true the series became more comedic in tone later down the line, Freddy was still an intimidating villain. His ability to manipulate the dreamworld as he saw fit meant that he was always in control. This means that despite us knowing about Freddy Kruger and his powers, we still fear him.

Hannibal follows the same logic. Even though we the audience knows that Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a serial killer, that does not diminish the fear we have of him. In fact, I daresay it enhances the fear.

Those familiar with the movies and books know that Hannibal is a cannibalistic mass murder. A refined man who feeds upon the rude and kills when the mood strikes. It is this knowledge that enhances the show’s tension for now we are questioning every little thing Hannibal does.

For example; there are moments throughout season one where Hannibal invites the FBI agents to his home for dinner. The show makes it a point to show us the food he presents to his guests. Elaborate, delicious looking meals that belong in a five-star restaurant. It makes your mouth water as he explains the process in making each of these meals.

HannibalSeason1 Dinner

Until you remember where it came from. That is when the terror kicks in. As I said; we the audience knows he is a cannibal. The characters in the show, however, do not. So we watch in quiet horror as they eat the meat provided. Questions begin to form. Is Hannibal serving his guests human meat? No, he couldn’t possibly…

Then, as nonchalantly as talking of the weather, Hannibal says something to confirm our fears. Of course, the characters don’t understand what’s happening. But we do. We understand and we are horrified by that knowledge.

This is what I mean. While it is true that horror preys on the fear of the unknown; there exists moments where Knowing is scarier than Not Knowing. Season 1 of Hannibal is one of those moments.

Do you know of any other examples where knowing a character’s background enhances the suspense? Or are you a fan of the Hannibal series? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to read them.

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Silent Hill 2’s Creepiest Moment – “It’s Gone Now”

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I recently discussed one of my favorite horror video games, Silent Hill 2. In that post we talked about what makes Silent Hill 2 such a successful horror game and why it still holds up well to this day. That I failed to mention, however, was one of the creepiest parts of the game. I would like to rectify that mistake so let’s get to it.

In Silent Hill 2 you play as James Sunderland, a man haunted by memories of his deceased wife. One day he gets a letter from her asking him to meet her in their special place in the town of Silent Hill. James ventures off to the small lakeside town to seek out the truth behind this mysterious letter.

James arrives to a deserted Silent Hill. The streets are empty; not a soul to be see. There is no one in the tavern or even the bowling alley. It is as if everyone in town had suddenly vanished. On top of that, there is a thick fog that baths the town in a shroud of darkness. It obscures James’ (and by extension, yours) surroundings.

Along the way to discover the truth, you encounter a wide variety of horrific entities. Creatures that can only be described as things of nightmares. Men-like beasts who look as if they had been wrapped in fleshy straight jackets, scantily clad nurses with bandaged faces and wielding pipes and handguns, a pair of living legs sewn on top of another pair of legs, and of course the dreaded Pyramid Head – a terrifying immortal that stalks your every turn. These are just some of the monsters that James encounters along his journey.

Normally, the monsters alone would be enough to elicit a player’s whimpers, and yet it isn’t enough. Not for a game like Silent Hill 2. It continues to assault the senses by providing the player with an environment as visceral and disturbing as the enemies themselves.

208Before

One such example would be Room 208. In the Woodside Apartments, the first real “level” of the game, you come across Room 208. It is an important room in which players must solve a puzzle in order to progress. The first time players visit the room they may notice how sparsely decorated it is. The only bits of furniture in the room are a coffee table, an old television set, and a gross armchair. Consequently, it is nothing out of the ordinary. Therefore why should you question this room?. After all, we’ve seen other rooms that look similar. Why should this apartment be any different??

It is only after you find the clock key that the room changes. Even as the room loads into view, you can immediately tell that something is wrong. The sound of static now fills the once quiet room. Walking into the family room will expose players to a grisly sight – a trail of blood leading from one side of the room up to the chair. A splash of blood on the television and in the chair itself, a corpse.

208After

All the while the television remains tuned to a channel of constant static. An eerie soundtrack to the grisly scene lying in front of you. That is what I mean by the environment being an unreliable narrator. Silent Hill 2 immerses players in an ever-changing environment. Similarly, the town, much like James, is an unreliable narrator; constantly changing what is real and what is make believe.

Yet there is something more chilling than Room 208. I am not talking about the prison level; filled to the brim with some fantastically horrifying sound design. Nor am I talking about the endless pitfalls beneath the Museum (If you know, you know.).

No. I am talking about a small, almost forgettable moment early in the game that, to this day, sends chills down my spine.

In Neely’s Bar, a tavern that you can explore during the first half of the game, you come across a window. Plastered upon the window are newspapers and written upon the newspapers (presumably in blood) are 8 simple words.

There Was a hole here…

It’s Gone Now.

Silent Hill 2 Hole

Chills. I have chills.

There is something inherently wrong about this sentence. I cannot put my finger on it. Like, who wrote this? What is the hole that they are referring? Is this a physical hole or a metaphorical one? What made it vanish?

I am picturing some poor soul who, like James, is trapped in their own personal hell. Within the walls of Neely’s Bar is someone who has seen a hole – a hole big enough for them to notice daily. Eventually, there comes a day where the hole no longest exists.

I imagine this shattering their world. That there is this constant in their life that had suddenly up and vanished. The hole has gone away and it took their perception of reality along with it. Furthermore, if that was not strange enough, they also feel the need to tell others about the hole. They paint the window with a warning for others to see. To let people know about the whole.

Of course, this is just a theory I have. . There are some fans out there that feel like this message represents James and his possible alcoholism. That the hole is the pain he feels over his wife’s death and by drinking, he has filled that hole. Either way, it is still an eerie message that sends shivers down my spine.

Although I wish I could explain it better, I can’t. The message triggers this primal fear from deep within. Therefore I cannot help the almost Eldritch-like feeling I get from reading this. Almost as if there is something more ancient, more evil than Silent Hill out there waiting for us.

Feeling almost Eldritch in nature – as if the hole is part of something more ancient, more evil than Silent Hill itself.

No matter how you interpret the message, you cannot deny the sense of wrongness and dread that comes from reading it. Just another example of the brilliance that comes is Silent Hill 2. That even something so small, so simple, can elicit terror in the player.

Now I ask this of you, my dear readers: What subtle moments did you find equally scary in Silent Hill 2? Please let us know in the comments below and thank you for joining us today!

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Unexpected Horror: Rugrats Season 03 – In the Dreamtime.

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Horror has the tendency of popping up when you least expect it. Case in point: Rugrat’s Season 03 episode “In the Dreamtime.”

Dreamtime Title

In the Dreamtime revolves around our favorite ginger-haired scaredy cat Chuckie Finster. He has been having a hard time telling the difference between his dreams and reality. What transpires next are several short dream sequences that keeps audiences guessing on what is real and what is a dream.

Space Dream

For example, there is a moment in the episode where Chuckie is explaining the dream world to the other Rugrats. Tommy takes inspiration from Chuckie’s dreams and decides to lead the gang of ankle-biters upstairs into Grandpa Pickles’ bedroom. The adventure starts off normal enough, but it doesn’t take long for the world to warp. The staircase grows longer and longer and the babies soon find themselves in outer space. Chuckie’s attempt to join the fun leaves him falling into nothingness. He wakes up with a scream and realizes that it was just another dream.

ClownStu

In the end, Chuckie realizes that dreams are just that – dreams. They cannot hurt him. His father Chas ends up comforting Chuckie before putting him down for the night. However, in a surprise twist, we follow Chas into the kitchen where he encounters a deformed, clown-faced Stu. He wakes up with a shout as the episode ends. This leaves audiences wondering whether it was really Chuckie’s dreams we’ve been watching or Chas’s. Either way, it ends on a creepy note.

The episode obviously takes a lot of its inspiration from horror. The idea of being unable to tell the difference between the Real World and the Dream World is probably one of the oldest tropes of the genre. We’ve seen it in such movies as Phantasm, Donnie Darko, episodes of the Twilight Zone, and the granddaddy of them all: Nightmare on Elm Street.

RugratsDog

To add to the horror, we then have the scene where Chuckie decides to talk to the neighbor’s bulldog. Now this is not a sweet pupper like Tommy’s dog Spike. No. This is an angry, frothing at the mouth, raging bulldog that wants nothing more than to tear Chuckie apart. Luckily, Tommy is able to distract the dog with a stick before Chuckie gets hurt. Still, that does not negate the fact that we just watched a baby nearly get mauled by the neighbor’s dog!

Then you have the sudden, and rather horrific transformations of Tommy and Stu’s faces. These transformations, being so quick and random, reminds me a lot of Large Marge from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. For those of you who don’t know – Large Marge was a truck driver that Pee Wee Herman hitches a ride with while looking for his stolen bike. She tells Pee Wee about a terrible accident of which she was a witness too. When she describes the dead person’s face, her own suddenly twists and contorts; much to the shock of Pee Wee and the audience.

ClownTommy

Clown-Face Stu and Clown-Face Tommy follow the same idea. Both keeping their faces normal, or hidden, before the big reveal. Combine that with their suddenly squeaky and high-pitched voices (‘When I Talked. Like. THIS!”) and you got yourself one memorable episode.

And memorable it is. In the Dreamtime is one of the most talked about and referenced episodes of the Rugrats. People, to this day, still consider In the Dreamtime to be one of their earliest experiences of ‘nightmare fuel’ with many fans still considering it to be one of the creepiest episodes of this long-running franchise.

And I agree.

At the time of this post, In the Dreamtime is currently available to stream on Paramount +.

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Unexpected Horror

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The Fantastic Adventures of Unico

Examples of Unexpected Horror

What is “Unexpected Horror”? To me, it is when a piece of non-horror media suddenly introduces something scary or unsettling. Examples of this could include a frightening image, an intense moment, or a complete tonal shift.

When I think of unexpected horror, I think of 80s classic Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. There are two scenes where the tone shifts from comedic to terrifying.

The first is when Pee-Wee loses his bike. While unconscious, Pee-Wee has a terrible nightmare about his stolen bike. In this nightmare Pee-Wee sees a trio of creepy clown doctors wheeling his bike into a hospital operating room. He watches in horror as the lead surgeon begins to “operate” on his bike (by operate I mean dismantle). The surgeon removes his mask to reveal that his face has been painted with a wide, devilish smile. The makeup may not be as detailed as the other clowns’ but I think that was the point. Before removing the mask, he looked normal. After removing it, we see he is just as fiendish as the other clowns in the room.

The other is a scene is probably the most infamous. Pee-Wee is hitch-hiking along a desert road when he is picked up by a strange woman named Large Marge (played by Alice Nunn). She tells him the story of a car accident that she had witnessed on night. In the middle of the story, she says:

“And when they finally pulled the driver’s body from the twisted, burning wreck. It looked like THIS!”

MargeTransform

She then turns towards Pee-Wee, her face twisting and contorting into this claymated mass of nightmare fuel. Her cheeks sink in, her eyes bulge out of her skull, and her mouth stretches out to inhuman proportions. It lasts just under three seconds, but it left a lasting impact in my mind.

Another example of Unexpected Horror would be the tunnel scene from Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. A scene that does not exist in the source material; added for the sole purpose of disturbing the audience. And it works. To this day, decades later, the tunnel scene is still talked about as one of the scariest scenes in a kid’s movie.

I always found it funny that the primary source for Unexpected Horror seems to come from children’s animated movies. And what better example of than the 1981 animated film “The Fantastic Adventures of Unico”.

The Story of a Unicorn and his Devil

UnicoDVDArt

Unico was a Japanese Manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was about a cute little baby unicorn aptly named Unico who is banished from his homeland by pantheon of jealous gods. They order the loving and gentle West Wind to take Unico to the Hill of Oblivion where he will live the rest of his life alone. However, the West Wind finds that she cannot comply with the gods’ orders. She instead secrets Unico away to a desolate island in hopes that he will be able to find friends and live a happy life.

The island is nothing more than a series of jagged cliffs, dark caves, and desolate wastelands. He soon comes across a crumbling castle where he discovers a giant demonic statue. The statue claims to be the Demon of Solitude and threatens to destroy Unico least he leaves the castle. Unico, desperate for a friend, refuses. The resulting chaos causes a pillar to crumble and collapse upon the statue, destroying it. From the rubble we discover a much smaller demon – Beezle – who is upset with Unico for destroying his father.

There was just something unsettling about this scene that I did not understand as a kid. They never really go into detail about whether the statue was alive or not. On one hand it makes sense for Beezle to use the statue as a way of scaring people but on the other hand, he seemed legitimately upset at the statue’s destruction.

However, as I watched the movie in preparation for this blog, I realized that the statue had to be alive. For you see, there is a scene where Beezle tries to shoot lightning at Unico only for his magic to fizzle out. Furthermore, the voice of the statue and Beezle’s voice don’t match. What I think happened is that Beezle was born the moment the statue was destroyed. Him coming out of the statue is the demon equivalent of being hatched from an egg. That could be the reason I found this scene so eerie. Our hero accidentally killed someone! How insane is that?

Afterwards, Unico convinces Beezle to be his friend. Beezle concedes but on one condition. He wants Unico’s horn. Unico reluctantly agrees under the condition that Beezle returns the horn after 24 hours. Beezle accepts the terms and yanks the horn off Unico’s head before attaching it to his own. He then goes on a rampage – using his new horn to tear the castle apary. During this, he ends up knocking Unico off a cliff and into the stormy seas below.

What follows next is probably the first example of unexpected horror. We watch as Unico begs for Beezle to help him. But Beezle does not know what help means and admits that even if he did, he would not bother rescuing Unico because that is “Not what Devil’s do.” He then proceeds to go back into the castle leaving our protagonist to drown.

We watch in horror as Unico struggles to stay above the water. Meanwhile, Beezle contemplates if he should bother rescuing the baby unicorn. The seconds tick by as Beezle argues with himself – bouncing back and forth between acting like a proper demon and “keeping his promise” by returning Unico’s horn. He finally decides to do the right thing and rescues Unico. He gives Unico back his horn, allowing Unico to use his powers to bring them both ashore. Unico then rewards Beezle’s kindness by giving Beezle a horn of his very own.

Unfortunately, Beezle’s happiness gets the attention of the gods who send the Night Wind after Unico. The West Wind manages to get to Unico in time and takes him away before he has a chance to tell Beezle goodbye. We then get a rather heart-wrenching scene as Beezle expresses genuine sorrow at losing his only friend. I always liked this scene as it shows Beezle’s growth from selfish little brat to someone who truly values Unico’s friendship.

The first act is cute. Beezle is a fun little gremlin, and his chaotic energy is a wonderful foil to Unico’s constant upbeat attitude. There are a few dark moments sprinkled in. Unico nearly drowning and the destruction of Beezle’s father can be disturbing to younger audiences. That said, the rest of the first act is rather light-hearted.

For you see, it is just a trick to lure you into a false sense of security. It is all downhill from here.

A cat, a witch, and a Demon Prince.

UnicornandCat

After leaving Beezle’s Island, the West Wind drops Unico off in a beautiful forest. It is here where he meets Katy, a black and white kitten with a red bow. She explains to Unico that she wants nothing more than to become a witch and will do anything in order to achieve her dream.

They soon discover a lonely old woman who lives in the woods whom Katy immediately thinks is a witch. To help Katy out, Unico uses his magic to transform her into a young human girl. Of course Katy thinks that the transformation came from the old woman thus cementing her opinion that she is, in fact, a witch.

When Unico tries to explain the situation, Katy’s stubbornness and selfishness takes over. As a result, Unico reverses the spell, turning Katy back into a kitten. This results in Katy finally accepting that the old woman is just that; an old woman. Despite being heartbroken, Katy decides to stick it out and stay with the old woman. She even goes as far as to help her with her laundry. But when the woman slips and ends up falling into the river, Katy does not even hesitate in jumping in after her.

Moved by this act of selflessness, Unico quickly transforms Katy back into a human girl. Katy then manages to save the old woman by dragging her out of the river. Proud of Katy’s development, Unico decides that she can remain in her human form.

Did you enjoy that little heart-felt, wholesome story about a baby unicorn, a cat, and an old woman? Well I hope you did because this is where the movie takes a turn for the dark and twisted.

Shortly after rescuing the old woman, Katy comes across the Prince of the Forest. He is a sinister looking man who immediately notices her naivety. He invites Katy to a party at his castle and makes it very clear that he won’t be taking no for an answer. Completely smitten by the Prince, Katy agrees.

That night the prince gallops through the forest, using his magic to corrupt the woodland critters. This causes them to turn against one another – biting and clawing any animal unlucky enough to avoid the curse.

The next evening Katy sneaks into the woods and finds some delicious berries on a nearby bush. By eating the berries (which had been corrupted by the prince’s magic), Katy falls into a drunken stupor. The trees and vines maneuver Katy through the woods, bringing her to the prince’s castle. Immediately upon seeing her, the prince begins to seduce and manipulate the young Katy into being his slave.

Unico, sensing something is wrong, ventures into the woods to find Katy. Along the way, he discovers the extent of the Prince’s corruption. The forest has been transformed into a death trap; filled with slithering thorny vines and possessed trees equipped with sharp, jagged branches meant to rip Unico apart. Luckily, he is able to escape and find his way into the castle.

Meanwhile, the prince continues to manipulate Katy – providing her with wine and drugs until she passes out. He brings her to a bedchamber with the intentions of keeping her for all eternity. Luckily, Unico finds and rescues Kary by digging a tunnel through the castle’s walls.

The escape attempt does not go unnoticed. When Unico exits his tunnel, he discovers that the prince is there waiting for him. He attacks but soon realizes that there is more to Unico than he had originally thought. As such, the prince resorts to using his dark magic to render Unico unconscious. He then takes Katy back to his castle where he chains her up on one of the castle’s many spiked towers.

So, at this point in the movie we’ve seen:

  • The destruction of a father figure
  • The near-drowning of a baby Unicorn and baby Devil
  • A demonic prince using his magic to corrupt the innocent animals of a nearby forest
  • The use of drugs and alcohol on an young girl
  • The kidnapping, seduction, and manipulation of a young girl by an older character

It couldn’t possibly get any worse, could it?

Yes. Yes it can.

Unico decides to go on the offensive. He grows a pair of little baby unicorn wings and lunges at the prince, slicing completely through the prince’s shoulder. Taken by surprise, the prince falls off the roof of his castle. Now if this were a Disney movie, that would be the end of the prince. He would fall off the roof much like Gaston did in Beauty and the Beast and that would be that. But this is Unico. This movie wants to traumatize you.

Impaled

He doesn’t just fall off the roof. He ends up getting impaled by one of the many spires upon the castle’s roof. And if that was not enough; the movie zooms in upon his corpse. The prince looks into the camera as his body begins to rot and mutate. The landscape begins to shake, the castle begins to collapse. The ground explodes as lava erupts from the earth. The trees transform into monsterous wooden dragons and blood-red bats erupt from darkness.

As for the prince? He transforms into a gigantic demon that all but reminds me of Disney’s Chernabog. Using his unholy power, he confronts Unico and his friends, sending all sorts of horrible minions after them.

But Unico is no slouch! Using his baby wings and his little horn, he begins impaling himself upon the creatures summoned by the prince. After reaching the safety of a cliffside, Unico realizes that he must put an end to the prince once and for all.

Now what I am about to write is in no way an exaggeration. This is exactly what happens in this children’s movie.

Unico attacks the prince. He flies as fast as his little wings can carry him but the prince is just too powerful. With a swing of his mighty axe, the prince lops off Unico’s horn; smashing the little critter into the earth. Katy and Beezle (of whom the West Wind had brought) rush over to Unico’s side. Tears flowing from their eyes, they both proclaim their love and friendship upon the dying unicorn.

The power of love resurrects Unico, transforming him into a full-grown Alicorn.

Unico then flies up to meet not-Chernabog. He avoids the prince’s attacks before PLUNGING HIMSELF INTO THE PRINCE’S BODY.

Unicoimpale

I need you to read that again. In this movie made for kids, our main character literally stabs the villain in the chest then GALLOPS AT FULL SPEED THROUGH THE PRINCE’S BODY. He erupts out of the prince’s back; killing him instantly.

With the prince dead, the forest returns to normal, as does Unico – reverting back to his original young self. Unfortunately, his actions have not gone unnoticed. As Beezle and Katy check up on the old woman, the West Wind returns to take Unico away before the Night Wind shows up.

And that is how the movie ends. Unico soaring off into the distance; forced to leave his friends behind one more. There is no happy ending for our little protagonist. No post-credits scene showing Katy and Beezle looking for Unico or a hopeful little stinger that promises the audience that Unico will come back.

Nothing.

What is it about old children’s movies and sad endings?

But I digress.

The Fantastic Adventures of Unico was my introduction to genre-changing kids movies. It starts off as a light-hearted adventure movie only to transform into a scary dark fantasy film. The prince, his minions, the methods in which he manipulates and seduces Katy; these are all scenes that have been etched within my mind. Like Large Marge, like Willy Wonka’s Tunnel; the second half of this movie is a sudden and unexpected dive into the horror genre. Our bright and colorful world transforms into something dark and terrible. But never too dark to the point where kids cannot enjoy the movie. Just dark enough to keep audiences on the edge of the seat.  

You can find The Fantastic Adventures of Unico on Youtube. It is also out on DVD if you know where to look and occasionally up on streaming sites like Tubitv.com. If you have a chance to watch this movie, I recommend it. I highly doubt that this entertaining albeit creepy movie will disappoint you. Thank you very much for joining us today. If you have seen The Fantastic Adventures of Unico or its sequel, Unico and the Island of Magic, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below!  

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The Art of the VHS

GrimmReflecty83Leave a comment

Horror never looked so beautiful

I don’t mean to come across as the crotchety old man waving his cane while proclaiming how much better things were back in his day. But there were some things that were objectively better when I was younger. The most obvious being the beauty of VHS cover art.

I cannot tell you how many times a movie, especially a horror movie, caught my eye because of its cover art. Hell. I distinctly remember sneaking over to the horror section of my BlockBuster Video just so I could check out all the creepy imagery on display. It was fun. As a kid, I was not allowed to watch scary movies. So looking at VHS covers was the closest thing I could get to watching the movie.

Now you see, there were 2 kinds of cover art. You had ones that used live-action photographs of the main characters. And you had ones that had hand-painted artwork. The live-action ones were still pretty cool. I remember Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child’s VHS cover. It was simple but effective.

This VHS cover had a blue background with Freddy Kruger kneeling over a gothic, bone-like stroller. He was holding one claw up to his lips to hush the audience. And while his expression wasn’t scary, the stroller sure as hell was! It looked to be a combination of bone and blackened flesh. It always stood out to me.

The other movie that stood out was Hellraiser. Again, a simple design but I found it to be quite menacing nevertheless. Pinhead was standing in the center of the image. He was holding a partially solved Puzzle box and it looked like he was offering it to you.

Hellraiser VHS

But what struck me as scary about this VHS cover was his expression. Freddy usually had some kind of smart-ass expression on his face whereas Chucky would be laughing maniacally. Pinhead, on the other hand, looked PISSED. His lips curling back in a quiet snarl. His eyes narrowed and filled with rage. The hooked chains in the background dangling with deadly intent; this was a VHS cover that stuck with me all throughout my childhood.

On the other side of the coin you had the artistic cover art. These were painted images meant to capture the spirit of the movie.

HouseVHS

The movie that springs to my mind every time I talk about cover art is the 1985 horror comedy HOUSE. The VHS cover was absolutely terrifying for a young me. It showed a severed hand ringing a house’s doorbell. It was super detailed – with the veins and muscles showing. You could see the bones in between the rotted out sections of flesh and beneath it were the words “DING DONG, YOU’RE DEAD.”

Another cover that I enjoyed was Chopping Mall. A simple design but so much fun to look at. It shows a robotic claw clutching hold of a red shopping bag. Through the several rips and tears of the bag we can see various body parts sticking out. Eyes, fingers, an ear; even a screaming face. Like the Dream Child VHS cover, this was simple and effective. It you everything you needed to know about the movie. It was a horror film that takes place in a shopping mall.

What was fun about these artistic designs, however, was that they rarely involved a scene from the movie itself. There is no shopping bag full of body parts in Chopping Mall. In fact, the robots that movie don’t have hands to begin with. House, also, does not include a floating severed hand that rings the doorbell.

Dead Alive does not have a woman peeling off her face to expose a skull beneath. Wax Works does not have a little person opening a door to a melted mass of horrible faces. And Evil Dead does not have a woman being dragged underground by a zombie hand.

But you know what? It didn’t matter if the art matched a scene from the movie. It was still very eye-catching and fun to look at.

Unfortunately, as time went on, VHS and subsequently DVD cover art began to change. They focused less on the showing the concept of the movie and more on the actors who star in the movie. You can see this a lot in the late 90s to early 2000s. Cover art changed thanks to the reemergence of the slasher genre. Live action photos of the main cast posing in front of the killer became the norm. This style would, sadly, replace the hand-drawn or stylized live-action posters of the 90s.

Scream, I Know what you Did Last Summer, Soul Survivors, The Faculty, Final Destination, The Curve – the list goes on and on. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. We still have some fantastic stylized cover art but it’s not like it used to be.

I understand that it costs more money to produce something unique and special for your DVD cover but there was just something special about the way cover art used to be. Luckily there exist websites that work to preserve this art. Websites like Critical Condition that provide an extensive list of obscure movies (and not just from the horror genre). They include reviews, cover art and variants, and brief histories on the movies. The Internet Archive has their own archive of cover art – again not just limited to horror movies. I highly recommend checking them both out if you are a fan.

So tell me. What is your favorite horror cover art? Which movies stood out for you the most? Let us know in the comments!

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“It is only a game. I like scaring myself.”

GrimmReflecty83Leave a comment
taptap

My introduction to horror didn’t come from a dream demon or a zombie in a hockey mask. It did not have a puzzle box nor did it come from the depths of hell.

No.

My introduction to horror came from a children’s book. A book that was written to help children overcome their fear of the dark. It was called “The Flat Man” and it was published in 1988. Written by Rose Impey and illustrated by Moira Kemp, the book is a short story about a little boy who is afraid of a ‘Flat Man’ who hides in the shadows. The man can stretch his body up to the ceiling, and flatten itself against the floor. He can slip under the crack of a closet door and can crawl along the floor like a snake. The Flat Man wants nothing more than to smother and terrify the little boy.

Now the story on its own is creepy enough but nothing prepared me for the illustrations. The Flat Man was this paper-like entity with a wide, bald head, broad nose, and a pair of angry eyes. Throughout the book we see him creep and crawl towards the boy; bending and folding his body in impossible shapes to remain in the shadows. The worse came when he reached the boy in his bed – twisting his body so that he could wrap his thin arms and spindly fingers around the boy’s body. Looking back on it, I guess you could find this to be a metaphor for fear itself – how it can envelop you, suffocate you; bury you in anxiety and terror.

The book has a happy ending. The boy fed up with the monster, flings it off of his bed. He finds his flashlight and uses to it stun the Flat Man before finally turning on the lights to his room. The Flat Man, weak and helpless, crumples up into a ball and flies out the bedroom window.

But it doesn’t stop there. For what is horror without a twist?

As the boy lays back in bed, he notices a paper bird hanging from the ceiling of his room. It was a present his parents bought him. He then pretends that the bird is a monstrous vampire – ready to swoop down on him at a moment’s notice.

And that’s how the book ends.

As a six-year-old, that was pretty scary. The idea that everything and anything could become a monster? That no matter what I did, there was another monster waiting for me around the corner. Talk about intense.

I still have this book. The original from my childhood – with its ripped dust cover and worn pages. It was just one of those books that I could never get rid of. Every once in a blue moon, I would take it out of storage and flip through its pages; wondering if the illustrations and story still creep me out.

They do.

However, I look at the book differently now than I did back then. You see, as I sat down to write this journal, I took a moment to download a digital copy of the book to get a refresher on the story and its artwork. It’s been quite some time since I sat down and read the book. And, having re-read it as not only an adult, but as someone who loves horror, I can say, with confidence, that this book influenced my life more than I had originally thought.

You see, what I hadn’t realized back then was that the child created the Flat Man. It was not some blood-thirsty monster that lived in the shadows. It was a figment of the boy’s imagination.

At the start of the book, the boy recounts how his room would transform whenever the lights were shut off. How the shadows would make his toys, clothes, and desk look like terrifying creatures. The Flat Man was created when he heard tree branches tapping upon his window. He liked to think of the branches being the fingertips of a monster; drumming its claws against the glass wanting to get in.

The following is a passage from the book.

“But I like to pretend that

It is the Flat Man, trying to get in.

His long, bony fingers

Tap on the glass.

“Let me in,” he whispers softly.

Tap, tap, tap.

It is only a game.

I like scaring myself.“

How apropos. What betters describe the horror fanbase more than this quote?

“It’s only a game. I like scaring myself.”

Isn’t that just the truth? We know that it’s fake; the movies, the books, the comics, the tales around the camp fire. But while we read, watch, or listen to the stories; for those moments, we like to pretend its real. We let go of reality and pour ourselves into the world of terror that these creatives have conjured. A world where zombies feast on human flesh. Where demons possess housewives, poltergeists terrorize suburban families, and dolls come to life.

But what happens when the movie ends? When the last page of the book is flipped or when the story teller finishes their tale? Well, we find ourselves cast back into the real world but not without consequence. The horror sticks with us, lingers on our bodies like a smell. We cast glances over our shoulders least the masked killer be right there, raising a knife over their heads. We monitor the dark corners of our bedrooms as if waiting for the glow of a monster’s eyes.

And thus, the game begins.

The game of scaring ourselves.

Like I said. We know it is fake. But we like to pretend it’s real.

Because we like scaring ourselves.

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