Behind the Couch

Portrait of Lovecraft by Juhoham ‘ That is not dead which can eternal lie. And with strange aeons even death may die .’ Howard Philips Lovecraft is a name that has become synonymous with macabre tales of cosmic horror, rife with the notion that just outside our realms of perception, is a cold, dark and nullifying world populated by unknowable and delirious beings that exist only to wreak chaos, destruction and madness. His work is guaranteed to disturb, provoke and chill the marrow of all who read it… Keeping up with the literary theme kicked off by National Poetry Day, throughout the remainder of October I’ll be taking a look at a few film adaptations of Lovecraft’s work in the lead up to All Hallow's Eve. Despite his prolific output and formidable legacy, Lovecraft film adaptations are not exactly rife and his work has been notoriously difficult to translate to the screen. His plots are draped around lengthy descriptions of atmosphere, alien landscapes and the emot...

Horror films regularly feature unfortunate characters in extreme circumstances and situations. Whether they be battling poltergeists or demonic possessions in the comfort and privacy of their own homes, or evading a hulking brute with a big machete in a remote backwoods cabin; settings usually play an important part of what makes horror stories compelling and relatable. What if you add harsh winter weather to the mix though? Wintry, snowbound horror films can often be chilling in more ways than one. A typical narrative of man versus, well, whatever monster he's facing, soon takes on the added aspect of man versus the elements; which can often be just as threatening - and much more relatable. Or perhaps the elements themselves are the threat? Films such as Frozen, The Shining, The Thing and 30 Days of Night – to name but a few – feature characters in already horrific situations which become somewhat exacerbated by freezing temperatures and blinding snow-storms. Isolation, hyp...

Aaron Duenas recently asked me to write about my favourite heroines from horror cinema for his Women in Horror month at  The Death Rattle . As much as I love Laurie, Ripley, Alice, and Nancy et al, I thought it might be more interesting to take a look at a few other characters who perhaps broaden the (generally held) concept of what it is to be a 'Final Girl'.  The various characters I’ve chosen might not necessarily fit the conventional definition of ‘Final Girl’, but they still represent the strong spirit she is renowned for. Of course, many of the characters Aaron and I have cited obviously owe a huge debt to Laurie, Ripley, Alice, Nancy and co – whose essences pervade this month over at The Death Rattle . 

As some of you may know, Aaron over at The Death Rattle has been busy all week, posting about the work of George Romero. Romero’s work is generally considered to be groundbreaking, genre-redefining stuff; he’s often credited with reinventing modern horror cinema with his morbidly bleak masterpiece Night of the Living Dead . Throughout the years he is a filmmaker who has consistently proved he has a unique and singular vision, effectively realised with each cinematic offering. So head over to The Death Rattle to check out Aaron’s guide to Romero’s Top 13 movies, a Poll of the Dead and various guest posts from the likes of B-Movie Becky from The Horror Effect , Carl Manes from I Like Horror Movies , and Richard of Doomed Moviethon . There’s also a little something on Romero’s mold-breaking vampire tale Martin , by me. But don’t let that put you off.

Aaron over at The Death Rattle has just completed a mammoth trip through the darkest recesses of slasher movie history this month, notching up an impressive collection of reviews and articles on everyone's favourite slasher flicks. As well as all the usual suspects (Freddy, Jason, Michael), Aaron also explores lesser seen, obscure classics - as well as the Italian precursor to the slasher - the giallo - and offers up recommendations for horror fans who long for a little slasher nostalgia. Aaron invited a few fellow horror bloggers (including myself) to contribute and wax lyrical about their favourite stalk'n'slash films. So head over yonder , and prepare to lose your heart and strip nude for your killer, as The Death Rattle takes you on a doom-laden, blood-spattered trek through slasher movie history... ' Hello? Hello, who's there? Aaron is that you? This isn't funny anymore! Stop screwin' around you guys ...'

Some photographs of Boris Karloff behind the scenes and between takes. Check out more Karloff related goodness at Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog . Having a break whilst filming Frankenstein Enjoying a joke with friend and producer Val Lewton during filming of Bedlam Having a quick cuppa and a smoke with Colin Clive Clowning around with Bela Lugosi Jnr Sharing cake with Basil Rathbone On the set of The Tower of London Boris with Basil Rathbone and Donnie Dunagan on Son of Frankenstein Relaxing between takes More behind the scenes shenanigans In the make-up chair Yet more tea with Colin Clive Brought to you in association with The Boris Karloff blogathon.

As part of this week's ongoing Boris Karloff blogathon , we take a look at the Uncanny One's final collaboration with distinguished producer Val Lewton – the 1946 Period-Horror-‘Message’-movie hybrid, Bedlam . Be sure to check out a list of links to other Karloff related goodness over at Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog . After the success of The Body Snatcher and with Isle of the Dead finally wrapped and ready to be released, RKO decided to ‘reward’ Lewton by upping his budget for what would transpire to be his last B Horror movie for them. As well as receiving $350,000 Lewton was also given a staggering 8 months for post-production – unheard of for a B movie at the time. Following on from Isle of the Dead and The Body Snatcher , Bedlam was another ‘period’ film with astounding attention to detail lavished upon it, and like Isle of the Dead was also inspired by a painting – William Hogarth’s Bedlam Plate 8: The Rake’s Progress . The script was written by directo...

As part of this week's Boris Karloff blogathon , we continue to take a look at the Uncanny One's work with distinguished producer Val Lewton. With work on Isle of the Dead coming to halt only days into the shoot due to Karloff needing to have a spinal operation, Lewton began working on his next film – The Body Snatcher . In early 1944, the ‘period thriller’ began to gain popularity again. Titles such as Gaslight and The Lodger had proved immensely popular with wartime audiences who relished the opportunity to step back in time to find their chills and thrills. After the 1930s cycle of horror films, Lewton had helped ‘Americanise’ and modernise horror with the contemporary Cat People , and many other filmmakers had followed suit; however it soon came to pass that period films were hot again, and Lewton, not content to just remix past glories, was eager to try and make his own mark on the period horror film. Lewton thought it appropriate to return to the world of literatu...

Throughout his career, Karloff shared the silver-screen spotlight with many great actresses – often with them recoiling in terror from him! He never really got to play the ‘romantic lead’ but there is no denying the chemistry he shared with some of the actresses he worked with. Karloff came to prominence in the early 30s with his role in horror classic, Frankenstein . Sadly, many roles for women in horror films during the 30s and 40s often only required them to scream and faint - some roles however, provided the opportunity for women to play complex characters who found themselves in intricate, dark and fantastical stories quite unlike those in any other genre. Here are some of the great actresses who shared some memorable moments with Karloff ‘The Uncanny.’ Don't forget to check out Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog for more Karloff related wonderment... "She's alive! Alive! " Elsa Lanchester . A British character actress with a lengthy career in theat...

Born November 23, 1887, William Henry Pratt soon went on to become one of the most enduring horror icons of all time. As Boris Karloff, he would make his mark in cinema history with his sensitive portrayal of the man-made Monster in James Whale's adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein ... To celebrate Karloff's birthday and his vast range of film work, this week will be given over to a Boris Karloff Blogathon , with all posts dedicated to looking at some well-loved, and perhaps some overlooked, Karloff 'The Uncanny' classics. Today is also Sara Karloff's birthday and she sent a message to Pierre Fournier over at Frankensteinia to say she is looking forward to reading all the blogs about her father and his work this week. Head over to Frankensteinia to read her message. Karloff, Gooooood!

Beginning on November 23 — Karloff’s 122nd birthday — and on through the 29th, Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog is inviting bloggers far and wide to post something about Boris Karloff, his life and his wide-ranging career. Karloff is perhaps best known for his work in the horror genre, particularly his Universal horror films such as Frankenstein, The Mummy and Bride of Frankenstein . With an impressive career spanning over 50 years, Karloff collaborated with a staggering array of acclaimed filmmakers such as James Whale, Val Lewton, Mario Bava and Roger Corman to name but a few. Why not head over to Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog for more info... And stay tuned throughout November for all things 'Karloff The Uncanny.'