Movie Review: Fright Night (1985)

Fright Night (1985) written and directed by Tom Holland

Teenager Charlie Brewster (William Ragsdale) develops a big problem when someone moves into the house next door. He sees two guys carrying a fancy coffin into the basement. Later, he sees a scantily-clad young lady go for a visit. Charlie sees her and the new home owner, Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon), making out. He sees a bit too much because he sees Dandrige bare his fangs--Dandrige is a vampire! Dandrige sees Charlie watching through the window. Obviously he doesn't want his secret coming out so he threatens Charlie. Charlie enlists the aid of a bullied, nerdy friend who is nicknamed Evil Ed (Stephen Geoffries). Ed doesn't really believe him but knows plenty of vampire lore. Charlie's girlfriend Amy (Amanda Bearse) also doesn't believe him. Charlie goes to the local TV station to ask former horror star Peter Vincent (Rodney McDowell), who starred in a lot of cheesy 1960s and 1970s horror films, for help. Vincent blows him off initially. When Amy and Evil come to Vincent to ask him to pretend to test Dandrige for vampirism so Charlie will back off, Vincent agrees when they offer him five hundred dollars. Dandrige is willing to go along and drink fake holy water to remove suspicion. The act almost works except that Vincent accidentally sees that Dandrige casts no reflection--solid proof that he is a vampire. Vincent rushes the teens out of the house but the conflict is not over.

The movie has a lot going for it. The script is witty in both senses of the term--it's smart and it's funny. The characters are interesting and have their own personalities and foibles. The actors all give good performances, especially Sarandon as the sexy but also menacing vampire and McDowell as the has-been actor who needs to (but doesn't always) rise to the occasion. The terror isn't all from goop and guts, though there is a lot of that stuff at the end. Dandrige toys a lot with Charlie before he moves in for the kill. I personally like how they honor both the "sexy vampire" tradition from Frank Langella's Dracula and also the "ugly vampire" tradition from Nosferatu. The final battle is over the top but not too much over. The very end is a solid finale to the show. This is a very entertaining film.

Recommended--highly for horror or vampire fans.

Movie Review: Dark Water (2002)

Dark Water (2002) co-written and directed by Hideo Nakata

Yoshimi (Hitomi Kuroki) is getting divorced and her husband is only contesting one thing--custody of their five year-old daughter Iku (Rio Kanno). Yoshimi is struggling to get on her feet, still looking for a place to live and for a job. Her real estate agent (Yu Tokui) takes her to a few places. She settles on a third floor apartment in a somewhat rundown building. She has a hard time juggling the responsibilities (home, job, and divorce) while also picking up her daughter from school. If that wasn't bad enough, the apartment ceiling has a leak and the upstairs neighbor is a bit noisy, running around. She asks the building manager to repair the ceiling but he just writes it down in his log. She goes to the apartment above her but no one answers the door. As she's on the elevator going back down, she sees a glimpse of a youngster in a yellow raincoat peek out the door. Meanwhile, her husband is bringing up all Yoshimi's bad history--she needed therapy after working too hard at a proofreading job where she was assigned all the grisly horror and thriller novels. As a child, she developed sleepwalking for a short time while her own parents divorced. He's trying to make her look unfit for custody. The weird stuff at the apartment only adds to her difficulty. There's a missing child poster for a girl in a yellow raincoat and the constantly reappearing kid's red purse that may be from the missing child. Iku likes the bag and wants to keep it but mom is unnerved by it.

This movie is definitely part of the "wet ghost girl" Japanese horror craze in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The movie does a great job leaving the viewer questioning whether there really is a ghost or the lady is just going crazy. The movie is anchored by Kuroki and Kanno's performances. The mother is both sympathetic and a bit neglectful, the viewer easily sees how the husband doesn't trust her to take care of their child. She overreacts to things. Kanno is also excellent as the child caught in the middle of the divorce and the conflict over a haunting she does not understand. The movie has almost no special effects, relying on sound design and the slow unfolding of the situation to provide the chills. The low-key menace must have been effective because at one point I thought about turning a light on. I had the visceral reaction that the filmmakers were going for. The ending provides some melancholic relief and ends the story nicely.

Recommended--I saw this on Kanopy.

TV Review: The Midnight Club (2022)

The Midnight Club created for television by Mike Flanagan and Leah Fong

A group of 1990s teens live at Brightcliffe Hospice. The hospice is for the terminally ill and is a former estate home. Ilonka (Iman Benson) is the newest arrival and the viewer's entry into the Brightcliffe community. Doctor Georgina Stanton (Heather Langenkamp) runs the hospice with few rules, allowing the teens their own agency in many ways. The teens, in a small form of rebellion, meet at midnight (after "lights out") in the library where they light the fire, drink stolen wine, and tell each other horror stories. Also, they have a pact that when any of them die, they will come back from the afterlife and give some sign that there is an afterlife. Ilonka readily joins in. The old house is a bit spooky and some of the teens see ghosts or other malevolent entities, sometimes seeing the halls in their older days with gas lamps instead of electric lights. Maybe it's their meds, or maybe the place is really haunted. Ilonka did some research before coming and found out that a 1960s patient was miraculously cured, so she hopes that she can find out what happened and maybe get cured herself.

The show is a blend of the Brightcliffe narrative and the hodgepodge of teen-told horror stories, most of which have some relation to the teen's actual lives, usually before they came to Brightcliffe. The format is interesting but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The first stories the teens tell are amateurish to the point where the other teens point out the ridiculous bits and inconsistencies. Unfortunately, the ridiculous bits and inconsistencies are mirrored in the larger story, making the chilling moments less effective and less believable. The writing overall is not satisfying, especially by the end.

At first, Ilonka is an interesting and sympathetic character. As the series goes on and she makes a lot of dumb decisions and odd reversals of attitudes, her character becomes annoying and unlikeable. The other characters keep saying how smart she is, but most of the twists and surprises are easily guessed long before Ilonka has a clue. The actress does the best she can with the material, a thankless and unsuccessful task. The rest of the cast is just okay, so there's nothing great on display anywhere.

The series comes to an open-ended conclusion, leaving room for another show. I have no interest in continuing with the story. It does not succeed as a chiller or as a human interest story.

Not recommended.

Book Review: Marvel Masterworks: Werewolf by Night Vol. 1 by G. Conway et al.

Marvel Masterworks: Werewolf by Night Volume 1 written by Gerry Conway and Len Wein, pencils by Mike Ploog

Jack Russell turns eighteen and discovers a horrible family secret. His father lived in Europe and was secretly a warlock with a curse...the curse of lycanthropy! Jack turns into a werewolf when the full moon rises for three nights a month. His father died years ago and his mother remarried....to a cad! The step-dad sold the European castle (which got moved to an island just off southern California) and is abusive to the mom and the kids (Jack has a younger sister named Lissa). Jack's mom dies in a mysterious accident, though Jack (in wolf form) saw the chauffeur messing around under the hood. Jack has plenty of things to deal with: protecting his sister, getting revenge on his step-father, and finding some way to deal with the wolf within.

After an initial three-issue appearance in Marvel Spotlight 2-4, Werewolf by Night got its own comic which continued Jack's adventures. The castle has his father's book of magic, the Darkhold, which Jack gets ahold of but can't read because it's in Latin. He enlists a monk to translated it though things don't turn out well for the monk. Jack wanders about, running into adventures. This collection ends with an issue of Marvel Team-Up where the Werewolf is paired up with Spider-man.

The book has an interesting narrative and style. The story is told mostly from Jack's perspective, with him narrating what's going on, especially when he is in werewolf form. Each of three nights of the full moon are chronicled, along with some daytime stuff to fill in the narrative. The wolf version of Jack can't talk or think but Jack has memories of what happens. The wolf is occasionally influenced by Jack's memories and desires. The wolf's main desire is to hunt in the forest for food. He kills some bad guys but surprisingly few and happily eats none of them. Jack gets out of bad situations through accidents or brute force. Neither Jack nor the wolf are very clever. They have the earnestness that has been part of the werewolf mythology since Lon Chaney's version. The visual style is very much a 1970s horror comic, with dark panels and sinister drawings. The stylistic exception is the Team-Up story, which is dominated by the wisecracking Spider-man. The web-slinger visits San Francisco to get away from Gwen's death and winds up in a whole other adventure, first fighting then allying with the Werewolf. Typical Marvel fare. 

Mildly recommended--this is probably more interesting for comic book fans than general readers. I liked it more than the TV show.

Patuxent Research Refuge--Merganser Pond Trail

The Patuxent Research Refuge has a north entrance that we didn't know about. The refuge is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Refuge was created in 1936 by President Franklin Roosevelt's executive order in 1936. Its mission is to preserve wild lands and wild life along with providing an area for research. At 13,000 acres, it is the largest forested area between Baltimore and Washington. 

We visited during hunting season, so most of the trails were closed to non-hunters. One trail that was open was the Merganser Pond Trail. It loops around Merganser Pond (no surprise there!). The trail is about half a mile, but making the loop is more like a full mile since the trail ends at a road that comes back around to the parking lot. The pond looks tranquil. Approaching the water is impossible due to fences that preserve the flora.

No fishing at the pond

We saw a beaver lodge out in the pond but no beavers. Maybe they know about the hunting?

Well, no fishing for humans, anyway

The trailhead is clearly marked at the edge of the pond. The path leads to an observation area.

Go this way

The observation area

The view from the observation area was not particularly impressive to us. I am sure with binoculars and bird activity, there'd be more to see.

Another side of the pond

The trail then led us into the woods for a pleasantly shaded walk.

Into deeper cover

An easy trail to follow

At one point we found a bridge over a mostly dry stream bed. The kids were disappointed with the lack of water. Boy, did they show it!

Sad at the bridge

Further down the trail, I spotted a snake having a sunny nap. We did not disturb it even though it disturbed my kids. They walked a little faster and more gingerly after the sighting.

Can you find the snake?

The trail has the occasional bird houses set up, most with protective posts. 

No climbing up!

We were surprised to find a road as part of the trail. We should have looked closer at the map!

Even easier to follow this part of the trail

No traffic at all!

Back near the parking lot, a small bat refuge has been set up with housing for the flying rodents.

Info on a stick!

Houses on sticks

At the far end of the parking area is an observation tower that is open to the public. At least, I think it was open to the public. I asked the kids if they wanted to climb up and look around and they declined. Maybe next time I will come back by myself!

Observation tower

Sure looks open to me

The north end of the refuge has plenty of other trails to explore. We'll come back after hunting season!

Book Review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This classic horror novel needs no introduction but does need some clarification. The Universal Horror Film version of the monster has become ubiquitous in Western culture and overshadows the depiction of the creature in the novel. The mute, zombie-like Boris Karloff incarnation is physically similar to but lacks the persuasiveness, cunning, and agility of the book's monster. The monster learns to speak and is quite eloquent and self-aware, especially of his needs for a companion. The book has a different story and a much closer link between the doctor and his creation.

The parallel between Victor Frankenstein and the monster is fascinating. Frankenstein has great ambition and curiosity. He wants to be a great scientist but gets off on the wrong foot in his youth by reading Paracelsus and other (unknown to Frankenstein) scientifically discredited writers. When he goes to university, some professors mock him for reading worthless trash. One teacher takes pity on him and helps guide him to more fruitful learning. Frankenstein keeps his desire to create life hidden even from his greatest sympathizers (i.e., that professor and his family). He works alone and eventually has success, a success that horrifies him so much that he flees his own lab. He can't face what he's done now that he can see it more clearly. He goes home to recover from the stress.

The newly-awakened monster also flees the lab. He struggles to understand the world around him and receives no help at all from anyone. People who see him are revolted by his appearance and always choose the "fight" part of the primitive "fight or flight" response. The monster eventually finds an isolated cabin with a father and two adult children. He listens to their conversations, learning a language and how people normally interact. He chops wood for them at night and is an unseen benefactor, just as he benefits from them. When he finally reveals himself to the father (who is blind and so does not have an immediate negative reaction), he almost makes a human connection. Then the son and daughter return and the son beats on the monster. The monster is forced to flee again. He discovers who his true creator is and goes to the Frankenstein home in hopes of finding a sympathetic creator. The monster persuades Frankenstein to make him a female companion so that he won't be alone and won't cause problems for Frankenstein and the rest of humanity. He's killed Frankenstein's younger brother and put the blame on an innocent woman who is executed, so the monster has already demonstrated a malicious cunning that could (and does) make Frankenstein's life miserable.

Both Frankenstein and the monster are in desperate need of other people in their lives to support them. The doctor has had mixed responses from the academics; the creature has had nothing but hard treatment from anyone. The monster goes to the only person he thinks might help him; the doctor seeks out no help with his problems (either creating another monster or getting rid of the monster he has created), even though he has a loving family and an academic friend who would give the assistance he needs. If Frankenstein had shown care and support to his creation, the story would be very different. Both need genuine love and affection in their lives. The creature does not have it because everyone else cannot see past his physical deformity. Frankenstein has it but is unwilling to be completely honest with anyone, so he can't benefit from their love in any way other than superficial. Frankenstein is clearly culpable; the monster is more a victim of circumstance (though he has culpability too).

The book is an amazing look at obsession and the need for love. The central characters struggle with each other and with themselves but cannot win. Their main problem is isolation, self-imposed in Frankenstein's case. A lot of the horror was avoidable. Making bad choices spirals out of control and leads to a tragic ending.

Highly recommended.

The book was discussed a while back on A Good Story is Hard to Find Podcast #125. Check it out!

Book Review: X-Men: From the Ashes by C. Claremont et al.

X-Men: From the Ashes written by Chris Claremont, penciled by Paul Smith, Walter Simonson, and John Romita Jr., and inked by Bob Wiacek

The volume of classic X-Men stories covers a lot of ground. Kitty Pryde is upset that she's been put on the New Mutants, the junior mutant team. She's mad at Professor Xavier and wants to upgrade. Meanwhile, Logan, aka Wolverine, has gone to Japan and is about to marry a woman who is inheriting leadership in a shady organization. If that wasn't bad enough, her half-brother wants control of the organization, which means offing her. Also meanwhile, Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, is in Alaska dating a woman who has a striking resemblance to Jean Grey, the former X-Men who died as Dark Phoenix, a powerful entity that nearly destroyed the universe. Additionally meanwhile, Storm and a handful of X-Men (by this point, Kitty has made the grade so she joins in) confront the underground mutants who call themselves Morlocks, led by the mutant female Callisto. Storm discovers her powers are getting out of control and she adopts a new look (the mohawk) to go with her newly discovered attitude. Finally meanwhile, Professor X is struggling with a new body that should be able to walk but something is wrong. His space princess girlfriend helps out.

Reading this volume out of context with the rest of Claremont's run will cause a lot of confusion. I knew about most things going on (except for Professor X's clone body) from other reading I've done. The story telling comes off choppy. Claremont also got a lot wordier in his later years, making the plots sound a bit like a soap opera (is Cyclops' girlfriend really Jean Grey reincarnated? The girlfriend did miraculously survive a plane crash just when Jean died...). I enjoyed this for the most part but it's not the best stories from the mutants' history.

Mildly recommended.

Movie Review: Stree (2018)

Stree (2018) directed by Amar Kaushik

The town of Chanderi has a big problem. Every year during their multi-day festival, an evil witch spirit named Stree abducts men. They vanish from the town, leaving only clothing behind. The legend is she was supposed to marry but she and her fiance were killed on their wedding day. The townsfolk follow various rules to protect themselves, the most basic of which is to write "O Stree, come back tomorrow" on their walls or doors so that she won't come in to their homes. Men don't go out at night, at least not alone, unless they dress up as women. 

At this year's festival, master tailor Vicky (Rajkummar Rao) sees a girl (Shraddah Kapoor) that came last year. It's love at first sight for him. She asks him to make a dress for her. He readily agrees and she hints that she will be at the local shrine for evening devotion. He doesn't quite catch on that she wants to meet him there. After talking with his friends, he decides to go to devotion and does not want them along. He shows up but she's late and misses going into the sacred temple. She gives him a letter. Later, he goes to a party at a friend's house. He has to pee so he goes outside and inadvertently erases some of the "O Stree, come back tomorrow" writing on the wall. Stree shows up and takes one of the partiers.

The next day, he busts out the letter with his friends, charmed that she started with "My dear Vicky." The letter asks him to bring her some gifts--a bit of liquor, some hairs from a white cat, and a lizard's tail. His friends draw the obvious conclusion--she must be Stree. He is too blinded by love to believe it and gathers the stuff for their rendezvous. Thing get complicated from there.

The movie is more of a comedy than a horror film, though it does deliver some horrific moments. The moviemakers play with the viewer's expectations, creating some comedy and suspense at the same time. For example, there are many scenes of the camera approaching a guy from behind with creepy music, the typical POV shot of the monster. Sometimes it actually is the monster, sometimes it's just a regular person. The plot is entertaining with a couple of good twists and lends itself to plentiful comedic moments. As an Indian film, it has surprisingly few dance numbers, but the two or three in it showcase the exuberance of the cast and filmmakers.

Recommended for a light-weight comedy/horror experience.

Historic London Town and Gardens, Maryland

The Anne Arundel County Library offers family passes to Historic London Town and Gardens. Patrons can request a pass which is good for four admissions. We requested one back in the summer. The queue was long. We finally received a pass in October 2022 and were able to visit.

London Town was a small town south of Annapolis that operated as a port for shipping tobacco and other goods. It was on the King's Highway that stretched from Boston, Massachusetts, to Charlestown, South Carolina. The ferry that ran from Annapolis to London Town had regular business and kept the town of approximately 300 citizens prosperous until the trade routes changed. The town fell into disrepair and eventually vanished, with only the William Brown House lasting to the present day. That house was built in 1760 and served as a tavern for travelers. Brown eventually lost the house to creditors and in the 1820 the county made it an almshouse. The almshouse closed in 1965. The area was turned into an outdoor historic museum in the 1970s.

London Town grounds

Our first stop was the modern visitor's center which has exhibits about the town's history and various industries. The first display we saw talked about a skeleton found buried under one of the buildings, though the identity of the person is unknown and the guesses about why he or she was buried there seemed a bit random.

Recreation of the discovery

The museum has the typical artifacts from colonial life: floor and wall tiles, household items like cutlery and bowls, metalwork, and the star of the museum, a delft plate with a mermaid design.

Tiles functional and fashionable

Bowls, knives, fork, and spoons

Keys, locks, scissors, and beads/buttons?

The delft mermaid

Our kids enjoyed the educational activities in the museum.

Questions about the King's Highway

Wearing a hat

More dress-up

After the historical exhibits, we explored a bit of the gardens, including the Sound and Sensory Garden, which has various musical instruments to play.

Concert time!

Mid-October may not be the best time to visit a garden. Not much was in bloom but we were amazed by the variety of berry colors on the same plants.

Red and blue

Purple, blue, and white?

At 11 a.m., we took the guided walking tour which started at a tenement house recreated on the footprint of an 18th century house. These buildings served as homes for the poorer citizens. People who came to London Town could buy an acre of land cheaply but had to building a structure on the land in the first six months or lose the property. The colony wanted to encourage towns to diversify the economy. The area already had plenty of tobacco farms.

Tenement house

The house has two rooms downstairs, the main one being the kitchen. 

Fireplace

The second floor has an open room that would have been used as a sleeping area or, as it was laid out, rented to someone like a spinster or a young couple to live in.

Spinster and her wheel

A hutch

Another recreation is the carpenter's shop. This building has also been recreated on the same spot from 250 years ago. 

Carpenter's shop

Inside are many tools of the trade. The docent leading us around told us about various jobs the carpenter would have, including making finished products (thus giving him the title "joiner"). The shop has an attic where the museum has been storing extra lumber for future projects.

Tools of the trade

More work tools

Someone's upstairs!

View out the window (the camera is tilted, not the window frame)

The star of London Town is the William Brown House. William Brown was the town carpenter and was successful enough to buy the ferry (a very profitable business) and built a brick tavern overlooking the landings of London Town. The House was Brown's home and also served drinks and food, as well as providing a place to sleep for travelers on the Kings Road.

William Brown House

Seal of historicity?

One of the noteworthy things about the house is how the brick have been placed with the short end out, making the walls thicker and requiring a lot more bricks. Brown was showing off his wealth!

Inside, they have recreated some of the features of the 1700s era.

Bar

Meeting room

A cozy bedroom

A fancier bedroom

Fireplace and desk for the best room

Dressing table and chair

The basement was used for storage and for cooking. The slaves also lived down here.

Storage

Kitchen fireplace

The view from the William Brown House is still impressive. The South River still has some docks right by the museum.

South River

Boats of various sizes can come

My kids coming when we said it's time for lunch

The grounds are lovely and can be rented out for special events like weddings. We loved the visit and would recommend it.