Behind the Couch

On a recent trip to London to visit friends I also took the opportunity to visit Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington, in the London borough of Hackney. It is one of London’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries and a peaceful Saturday afternoon was spent exploring the place. It’s no secret I love cemeteries (the older the better) and wouldn’t think twice about spending an afternoon wandering around one and taking photos. In 1840 Abney Park became a non-denominational garden cemetery and semi-public park arboretum, and today it is used by local residents who walk, jog, and picnic there. Amongst the dark delights I discovered were an abandoned gothic chapel in the middle of the grounds and various catacombs amongst the overgrown and hauntingly beautiful walkways; themselves flanked by landscaped woodlands. Everything is wildly overgrown and atmospheric. Here are (but a few!) of the photographs I took whilst wafting around there on a strangely mild November afternoon...  ...

Head over to Paracinema's online lair to check out my article on the soundtrack of David Lynch's “dream of dark and troubling things”, Eraserhead ; a surreal and nightmarish meditation on the horror of parenthood. "You're in very bad trouble if you won't cooperate..." Why not pick up the latest issue of Paracinema while you’re there? Amongst its lurid delights are articles such as 'Blood Is Thicker Than Fear: Maternal Madness in Horror Cinema'; 'Dreams That You Could Never Guess: Bela Lugosi on Poverty Row, 1940-42' and 'Censoring the Centipede: How the BBFC are Sewing Our Eyes Shut.' All great stuff, written by fans of genre films for  fans of genre films. The following article was published on Paracinema.net on 16th November 2011 Eraserhead – David Lynch And Alan Splet Eraserhead’s ominous soundtrack feels like it could only have been recorded in the urban squalor of a city choked with industrial gloom and consumed by decay...

2011 Dir. Lucky McKee Social satire or torture-porn movie? Misogynistic trash or an examination of fundamentalist attitudes towards women? Feminist wish-fulfilment or objectifying glorification of violence? These are the kinds of questions that are being asked about  The Woman  and its gruelling rape-revenge story. Whether the film is viewed as a powerful portrait of misogyny, a thoughtful 'torture-porn' flick or simply a brutal and nasty gore-fest - The Woman proves to be an uncompromising and memorable ordeal. More a film to be endured than enjoyed, it has left audiences and critics divided and immersed in deep debate. Some critics have suggested that rape-revenge narratives can subvert traditional power dynamics, ultimately empowering the victim. Others have said films like The Woman or I Spit on Your Grave can't possibly be regarded as feminist works because rape-revenge films are inherently misogynistic, produced solely to depict violence against women. View...

2010 Dir. Gregg Araki Director Gregg Araki has never been one to shy away from controversial subject matter. His work usually explores the dark side of teenage life, where bad things happen ‘unexpectedly' and the lines between life and death, reality and nightmare are increasingly blurred. His 2005 film Mysterious Skin looked at sexual abuse and its aftermath through the eyes of two teenage boys – one of whom is convinced he is the victim of alien abduction. The Doom Generation was a gloomy, ultra-violent and nihilistic 'Generation X' for the Nineties. His work usually features various depictions of the apocalypse as an almost mundane, matter of fact event and drugged-out characters wander through hyper-retro, candy-coloured sets and broodingly dark cityscapes. His latest film, Kaboom is a fantastical, mind-altering, sex-charged romp through the fickle world of college life that gradually morphs into an increasingly oddball, horror-tinged and absurd story about the ...

1988 Dir. William Lustig Innocent New Yorkers are being brutally murdered by a uniformed police officer. As the death toll mounts, officer Jack Forrest finds himself accused of the slaughter. With few friends, powerful enemies and a psychopathic slayer still at large, Jack teams up with hardboiled Detective Frank McCrae and fellow officer Theresa Mallory, to prove he’s not guilty and bring down the killer. You have the right to remain silent… Forever! Boasting a cult-tastic cast of 80’s exploitation veterans including Tom Atkins, Richard Roundtree, Bruce Campbell and Laurene Landon, Maniac Cop has so much going for it. The script, by Larry Cohen, coupled with William Lustig’s bruising direction, ensures the film unravels as an entertaining and riveting suspenser. Cohen has made a career out of subverting normal, everyday things into objects of terror: babies ( It’s Alive ), ice-cream ( The Stuff ), paramedics ( The Ambulance ), and public phone boxes ( Phone Booth ). Maniac ...

1980 Dir. James Glickenhaus After returning home to the US from fighting in Vietnam, a traumatised soldier attempting to rebuild his life turns vigilante when his best friend is paralysed by a group of thugs. While it may unfold as a brazenly violent, exploitative and at times trashy revenge fantasy, Glickenhaus’s The Exterminator is also at times a strangely thoughtful commentary on the difficulties of ex-military reintegration, post-war trauma and government corruption. The socio-political subtext about the plight of Vietnam vets and how their own society and justice system failed them on their return home, isn’t just a front for the exploitative violence – the film does make some genuinely stark points – some of which, particularly those about the ordinary working man’s dissatisfaction with greedy, corrupt governments who make us pay for their mistakes – have never been more prevalent. John Eastland (Robert Ginty) fought because he felt he would be protecting the ideals of ...

2011 Dir. Paddy Considine Stifled by his past and his own anger and frustration with the world, Joseph thinks he finds redemption in the form of local charity shop worker Hannah. However Hannah has a dark secret of her own which threatens to shatter both their lives and plunge them both deeper into deadly despair. In Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park there’s a famous moment when the audience and characters are alerted to the oncoming danger of an approaching T-Rex by water rippling in a paper cup. Paddy Considine’s assured and commanding feature directorial debut doesn’t have man-eating monsters in it, but it does feature a one-man rampage against life and the same sense of impending doom and menace as that moment from Jurassic Park ripples throughout. Considine is an actor who made a name for himself with his intense performances under the direction of Shane Meadows. Appearing in films such as Dead Man’s Shoes (which he co-wrote) and A Room For Romeo Brass , Considine soon ...

Head over to Paracinema to read my review of Session 9's creepy soundtrack by Climax Golden Twins. I'll be reviewing a film soundtrack every month for the new Audiodrome: Film In Music feature.   And check out my interview with Rob Millis from Climax Golden Twins, also over at Paracinema. While you're at it, why not treat yourself to the latest issue of Paracinema Magazine.  The following article was published on Paracinema.net on 28th October 2011 Session 9 – Climax Golden Twins If ever a soiled gurney being wheeled through an empty and decaying building ever needed ‘musical’ accompaniment – this would be it. Session 9 is the intensely unsettling story of an asbestos removal crew who begin working in an abandoned asylum. Under pressure to get the job finished in as little time as possible, the group begins to fracture beneath the strain of the job and the oppressive atmosphere of the building, leading to the unveiling of dark, bloodied secrets, psychologic...

Founded and published by London-based editor and journalist Naila Scargill, Exquisite Terror is a brand new independent periodical that takes a thoughtful, accessible-academic approach to the genre, featuring exclusive art, script analysis and in-depth essays. Naila has harboured a deep-rooted fascination with the horror genre since a young girl, and it has long been a source of frustration to her that our beloved subject is rarely taken seriously as the relevant art form that it is. Having worked as deputy editor on the now defunct Gorezone Magazine, and with increasing frustration witnessed its downward trajectory into tacky, gutter-press levels of salaciousness, Naila needed to sate her appetite for an intelligent and thought-provoking horror magazine that actually focuses on horror. And thus,  Exquisite Terror was born. Issue 1 includes an in-depth essay on actor Donald Sutherland and his career in the 1970s; an interview with Spanish director Guillem Morales ( Julia’s...

Following on from its well received premiere at the 3rd Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival in Belfast last month, and its award winning stint at this year’s Freak Show Film Festival in Orlando – where lead actor Robert Render picked up the award for Best Actor – George Clarke’s creepy spookfest The Last Light is set to chill the spines of audiences at Belfast’s Strand Cinema on Saturday 29th October… The Last Light is the dark tale of a maintenance man called on to ensure an old derelict house – formerly a psychiatric hospital, no less - is securely boarded up after a reported break-in. On what is supposed to be his last day on the job, he experiences increasingly chilling occurrences. Initially believing that wayward kids are playing a prank on him, it soon becomes evident that something much more sinister is afoot… The Last Light is a moody, atmospheric and old fashioned haunted house yarn – perfect viewing on All Hallow’s Eve… Read more about the film here . Tickets...

Aaron over at The Death Rattle was kind/drunk enough to present me with the iDig Your Blog Award. As such it is my duty to gratefully accept and spread on the accolades to a few other blogs I dig… 5 Blogs I dig… SADFAY Belfast-based musician/producer Martin Byrne has been composing, producing and recording a song every day this year. A daunting task indeed, but Martin’s commitment to the project is nothing short of inspiring. Each visit to his blog results in an album’s worth of listening material. Great stuff. Plus, his latest track, The Slasher , appears to be an homage to John Carpenter and synthy slasher goodness from the 80s... It All Happens In The Dark A lover of slasher flicks, damsels in distress and feisty final girls, Cody’s breezy reviews and reflections on horror films old and new boast an infectious sense of humour and an ever fresh perspective. Currently on hiatus, here’s hoping Cody rejoins us soon for the sequel! Unflinching Eye A visit to Ayl...

“Wine is bottled poetry” - Robert Louis Stevenson. Okay, so while all of this month has been dedicated to watching the Halloween films, my intentions to try some pumpkin wine for October’s featured bottle were put on hold when I heard there was a new addition to the Crystal Lake Wine series… Plus, the suburban sprawl of Haddonfield made me long for the greenery of Crystal Lake. Survivor’s Syrah is a smooth and inviting red with hints of toasted coconut followed by notes of poached Anjou pear, strawberry jam and dried blueberries. The perfect weapon in a bottle for those trying midweek times. To promote the latest addition to the Crystal Lake Wine range, filmmaker, avid Friday the 13th fanatic and fine wine connoisseur Curtis Pew has filmed Back To The Lake II , an eight-minute short and the second instalment of the Back To The Lake commercial series. It stars Adrienne King, Dallas Bobbitt and Nicholas Matthew Walker. Check it out here . Crystal Lake Wine is produ...

Dir. Rob Zombie A year later, and a traumatised Laurie still struggles to come to terms with the bloodbath that resulted when her psychotic brother Michael Myers escaped from an asylum and came to find her, killing everyone who got in his way. Her worst fears are soon realised when Myers, who has been in hiding ever since, returns on Halloween night to finish what he started a year ago… I first wrote about Rob Zombie’s follow-up to his remake of Halloween when it came out in 2009. You can read that review here . After burning out while making Halloween , Zombie was initially hesitant to helm the sequel. After thinking about it though, and recognising the chance to continue with the story, he decided to film the follow up, imbuing it with the same squalid, dingy and bleak tone as its predecessor. My thoughts on the film haven’t really changed. I still think it is a flawed, but beautifully filmed work. I appreciate that the focus is on Laurie and her struggle to repair her life...