Thursday 13 April 2017

AtoZ2017 - K is for Kastrian & David Kessler #AtoZChallenge


Welcome to Day 11 of the AtoZChallenge and the letter K. Every day in April (except Sundays) I will be making a post about shapeshifters of all kinds. Check back to see my choices and, from time to time some flash fiction too.

K is for 

Kastrian (Eldrad)

Back to my childhood we go, although I have to admit I don't actually remember ever seen this Doctor Who episode at the time since I was only 4. It is called The Hand of Fear.

The Kastrians are a silicon based lifeform and the one we meet is called Eldrad. Although not technically shapeshifters of the can-change-form-at-will kind, Eldrad regenerates into a female form from just a hand and then, later regenerates again back into his male form. Destruction of the previous phsical form is required first and regeneration takes an emormous amount of energy.

This makes them very hard to kill. In fact Kastrian execution is called Obliteration and involved blowing up a spacecraft in the vastness of empty space. Eldrad only survived because his execution had to be done early before the spacecraft had reached position and the hand landed on Earth.

Kastrians also appear to have the ability to control human minds.

Eldrad is definitely not someone to mess with if at all possible.

Werewolf of the Day

David Kessler (An American Werewolf in London)

So I've talked about the sequel for A, so let's talk about the original for K: An American Werewolf in London. David Kessler (David Naughton) and Jack Goodman are American backpackers trapsing across the North Yorkshire moors when they come across The Slaughtered Lamb pub. Here they meet very weird locals who warn them not to leave the path.

Unfortuneately they don't heed the warnings and Jack is killed which David is infected by the bite of a werewolf.

David wakes up three weeks later in hospital in London with no memory of the attack. Things are quickly explained, however, when Jack appears to him as an animated corpse and tells him he's a werewolf. He also urges him to kill himself so he doesn't kill anyone else, which is not so good.

David does not believe what he is seeing and hearing until he turns into a werewolf and does exactly what Jack told him he would.

There is no doubt aAWiL is a classic black comedy horror. It's dark and bloody, but very funny at times too. Well worth seeing.

Thank you all for any comments, I hope you liked today's choices.
  • Do you have a favourite silicom based lifeform? Xenomorphs? Gorignak? Tholians? etc
  • What is your favourite comedy horror film?
See you soon. Have fun with the other AtoZ sites.

Click here and here to find other AtoZ posts.


11 comments:

  1. My hands-down favorite horror spoof is Young Frankenstein. Sorry, no shapeshifters or werewolves, but lots of fun anyway. My daughter, a horsey person, will break out into a Brun Hilda neigh at the slightest provocation.

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  2. I remember seeing this film when I was younger and loving it (probably because I was a little too young.) I need to get my hands on a copy.

    K is for Kevlar—Gift From Aliens?

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  3. Not familiar with Kastrian but I did watch 'An American Werewolf in London' and liked it. I always wondered why they didn't use Warren Zevon's 'Werewolves of London' in that movie. Love that song! ☺

    Debbie @ THE DOGLADY'S DEN
    Latest Post: KNOCKIN' ON HEAVEN'S DOOR: 30 year span

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  4. The special effects in American Werewolf in London were incredible.

    Best horror comedy is probably Shaun of the Dead. An excellent movie on so many levels.

    K is for Kanata, the origin of the name "Canada" (probably)

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  5. I don't remember the Kastrians, but I am going to look them up in my Dr. Who books. I'm not saying how old I was in 1976.

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  6. I avoid horror movies, books, news stories etc. Yet i continue to read your blog.
    Finding Eliza

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  7. The local indie theatre played An American Werewolf in London during October, though I decided to pass after hearing a lot of people saying it hasn't aged well. I think I saw parts of it on TV a long time ago.

    Given my dinosaur tastes, I like the classic comedy teams' spoofs of horror movies from the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s.

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  8. I hadn't realised An American Werewolf in London was supposed to be humorous. I'll have to check it out sometime.

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  9. The only silicon based life form I can think of right now is Odo from Deep Space Nine. And, yes, he is my favorite character on that show. :)

    A to Z 2017: Magical and Medicinal Herbs

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  10. An American Werewolf in London is one of my favourite horror films - although I don't know that many! The black humour is excellent too.
    @Raesquiggles from
    The Quiet Writer

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