After being victimised by not one, but two other bloggers (thanks
Chuck Norris Ate My Baby and
Fascination With Fear!), I’ve been coerced into continuing on with the recent ‘meme’ pandemic, in which bloggers are urged to come up with a series of screen grabs, all focusing on a specific theme. So, after MUCH procrastination I decided on the theme of
premature burial in horror movies. Natch.
The fear of being buried alive is an ancient, primal one. Man’s preoccupation with this, most ghastly of fates, can be traced back throughout the ages in literature, art, film and of course, documented historical fact - perhaps the reason why this fear is still so rife and so universal – because it is rooted in truth. Of course, this darkest of fates has been represented in cinema too, particularly in the dark visions of horror cinema…
The subject is of particular interest to me (not just because I’m a morbid puppy with a severe melancholic disposition) but because of my (albeit tenuous) connection to one such case in my home town, Lurgan, Co Armagh. My mother and her sisters grew up in the local graveyard house – my grandfather was the caretaker (perhaps the source of my obsession with horror?). He, and indeed many adults in town, regaled tales of a local ‘bogey-woman’ by the name of
Margorie McCall - whose body was buried in the very cemetery where my mother grew up (
Shankill) – to keep naughty children in check. McCall was a resident of the town in the mid 18th century and her grave was no ordinary one – to this day it still bears the
inscription –
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| ‘Lived Once, Buried Twice.’ |
Her story is still a popular one amongst townsfolk today - many times I myself have stood at her graveside and pondered, weak and weary, her tale (told you I was morbid). After a little research it became obvious to me that tales such as McCall’s were rife throughout Europe. Therefore it is impossible to say with any authority that this tale is true – however her gravestone is still there in Shankill graveyard today, and still bears the inscription. I for one would like to believe it is true. If only because it had a (sort of) happy ending…
Anyway. On with the meme…
Some images depicting premature burials in cinema…
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| Kill Bill Vol.2 - 2004 |
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| Misfits - 2010 |
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| Premature Burial - 1962 |
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| Vampyr - 1932 |
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| Superman - 1978 |
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| The Serpent and The Rainbow - 1988 |
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| Spoorloos - 1988 |
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| Bedlam - 1946 |
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| The forthcoming Buried |
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City of the Living Dead - 1980
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Pleasant nightmares...
Comments
I love your theme! :)
I was tagged a while back too and have to think of a theme...
Dreaded Dreams
Petunia Scareum
And that story about the woman from your hometown - sounds like the makings of a really good movie (nice article by the way)!
@Kristy - I tried to find some images of ol' Kiefer six feet under, put alas I couldn't! Otherwise, your wish would be my command... :)
@Morgan - Yeah, just the thought of it makes me feel so frantic! It was quite a challenge trawling through google image search 'premature burial'. But one I simply had to rise to! ;)
@Christine - Me too! Plus, I love that scene in Drag Me To Hell. :)
@Petunia - Yeah, this and SHARKS. Doesn't bear thinking about. :)
@Matt - Thanks Matt, very kind of you! Glad you liked it - and yeah, we would indeed have a great time hanging out with one another! :)
@Christine - Always nice to revisit Poe. I couldn't sleep the other night, so re-read Ligeia. :)