Anatomy of a Horror Setting #4-7: Out of the Woodwork

The grand exploration of the world that took place in the Victorian age opened the doors to different stages upon which familiar characters held sway cementing the validity of their imagined reality even as it forced alterations. Wherever the British went they found tales of what could only be faeries and other familiar beings and creatures of legend. There were some differences and occasionally new and strange additions to add to the lore of the day. As with at home there were good faeries and evil faeries though dealing with either was something to be avoided if possible. Of course there were exceptions such as the Brownies, which were reminiscent of the Domovoi or house spirits of Russian lore, at least in terms of helpfulness around the house and farm.

It can be hard to differentiate the origins of the beliefs in the fae even between the English, the Scottish, and the Irish so an amalgamation of the mythologies is the way to go. The division between the Seelie--good faeries--and the Unseelie, nasty faeries--courts is a common one. Court in this case indicates groupings or members of the royal fae court more than a place of judgment though the Seelie certain had those and used them to enforce their will upon humans who interfered with their affairs. The fae also fall into several categories or species each with a particular name, or some overlapping names depending on which culture was describing them. Many of them were of human size and stature while others were diminutive, unlike in fantasy where most are small.

Changelings in particular were normal human size, which helped them in stealing a human infant and replacing it with their own baby for the humans to raise, similar to cuckoos laying their eggs in other bird’s nests. As strange as their customs, and in spite of their innate magical qualities, the fae are seen as native to the world, a natural part of it, and in tune with it. This adds to the mystique of the world, the idea that the strange and fantastical is the norm. When dealing with faeries for the setting use less focus on the mischievous members of the Seelie court and more on the malicious and violent types of the Unseelie court. The Unseelie are more frightening figures any way. They are solitary, greedy selfish, and enjoy terrifying their victims even before the real torment beings.

Mood: relaxed.
Music: My Fairy King by Queen and The Power and the Glory by Twisted Sister.

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13 Nights of Hallowe'en: Night #11 Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

It’s hard to say where to start with the movie for tonight,
“Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon”. Getting into who the actors are and the director and writers is so much fun, but let’s try to be quick about that. There are small parts played by Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger) and Zelda Rubinstein (from Poltergeist). Great things need to be said about horror newcomers Nathan Baesel and Angela Goethals. They absolutely make the film--they’re in most of the scenes. Writer/director Scott Glosserman has no other credits for those two job titles previous to this film, which makes him immediately awe inspiring. The other writer, David J. Stieve, is in the same boat. This movie really makes it true that some films are better and better every time you see it.

“Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon” is a full-on horror mockumentary. It has an amazing balance of comedy and horror. It’s the good kind of comedy too, all deadpan satirisation in a smart and funny way without resorting to being lame or stupid. This movie is serious fun. At one point some will wonder if it is going to become the movie it was presented as, then it reaches a tipping point, where just like a roller coaster some good drops are past, and then around the corner is the monster rise and fall for which everyone was waiting. Keep an eye on everything in this movie. There are a number of references that are less obvious than others. There are also several horror in-jokes, one of which is incredibly cool and funny. Sit back and enjoy the birth of a new legend.

Mood: extravagant.
Music: Halloween in Heaven by Type O Negative off of Dead Again.

13 Nights of Hallowe'en: Night #6 Dead Silence

While tonight’s movie is a more recent release it
is not hard to classify it as a classical kind of horror. It hearkens back to an earlier time in horror. At the same time it is a modern film. The movie starts, as some of the most interesting ones do, with a local legend. There is even a nursery rhyme associated with the legend. This is another movie that is not a remake of anything and has no immediate point of comparison. Don’t let the director’s name be a red herring, or the front of the box promotional text. James Wan is indeed the writer/director on “Saw”. Wan has two more movies beside “Saw” and tonight’s movie, “Dead Silence”. Don’t let “Saw” influence expectations for this movie; it can only lead to frustration. This movie taps into a different vein of horror.

“Dead Silence” has the best kind of examples of what moviemakers are doing right with CGI and green screens. There is a lot of negative talk about CGI in horror movies. They say it disrupts people staying engaged in the movie. Bad effects aside, they say the CGI makes them remember it’s a movie every time there is a scene that would be impossible without it. This is somehow worse than other effects. “Dead Silence” has CGI scenes that people will not notice until the bonus features tell them otherwise. Parts that seem completely normal in the movie were not fully real. Another great thing done in “Dead Silence” is how the supernatural is bound by rules, which is always fun. It is a great way to create tension and anticipation, by actually keeping the audience in on things.

Mood: creaky.
Music: How Can I Live by Ill Nino off of Freddy Vs. Jason Soundtrack.