10 Awesome Classic Horror Films That Are a Must See

There is nothing quite like a classic horror film. For classic I'm counting everything from the early cinema to the 60s and maybe the early 70s because it was before the era of the slasher movie. My favourites of the genre are mostly from the late 50s and early 60s, but anything is fair game.

This is an era where the films could not rely on CGI special effects. They had makeup, some of which was iconic, but the rest was done with lighting effects, scenery and, most important of all, plot.

I don't suppose that anyone envisaged that horror films would give anyone a warm, cosy feeling, but some of these titles do just that for me. Many of them I first saw as a teen and, I have to admit, they don't really scare me anymore, but they did the first time I saw them :).

I would love to know which are your favourite classic horror movies, please comment and let me know.

Dracula (aka The Horror of Dracula) (1958)

Christopher Lee (Dracula) and Peter Cushing (Van Helsing) at their best.

When it comes to Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and horror films, I always think of them in the same thought, even though they both did plenty of films without the other. It's all this film's fault. They go together like bread and butter because of Dracula.

To me this is the classic Dracula. I know a lot of people always think Lugosi, but I'm not all that fond of the 1931 film. Christopher Lee will always have the honour of being THE classic in my head.

The scene with the crossed candle sticks and Dracula's foot just disintegrating in the light will always stay with me. It is one of those things that is etched in my head. It was so brilliantly done.

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

I hadn't actually seen this until recently and had no idea that the Will Smith movie, I Am Legend was based on the same book.

This classic is of course a much gentler film than the Will Smith version and stars the ever brilliant Vincent Price (he'll pop up again :)).

Now if there is an iconic classic voice for horror it has to be Vincent Price. I mean Michael Jackson chose him to voice over Thriller, so that should tell us everything.

In The Last Man on Earth, Price carries the entire film because he's the only really sentient character until right up to the end. He narrates the film as we watch him and it is brilliantly done. Very definitely worth a watch, just for that.

Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974)

Okay, so yes, another vampire movie, but this one makes it in because it's a little different. No blood drinking fiends this time, but youth sucking instead.

Kronos is played by Horst Janson and comes to the aid of an old friend whose community is losing young girls to something horrible. He is a professional vampire killer.

This film has everything: the fearless vampire hunter, the beautiful girl, the fearful local and the haughty nobles, any of whom could be the vampire.

I love the end of this film, it is just so well done and set up. There are sword fights and hideous monsters and everything you could want from a classic horror movie. This is one of my favourites to watch over and over again.

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

I told you Vincent Price would be back and here he is throwing his wife a haunted birthday party.

It's the wobbly skeleton and the vat of acid that win it for this one.

This is a story all about a haunted house, only it's really about murder and manipulation. Price is as intimidating and strange as ever as we are led to believe he is a psychotic madman.

This is a great film if you like an ominous soundtrack and lots of bad effects. It's definitely a classic.

Frankenstein (1931)

This film is here for me for one reason and one reason only - the scene with the little girl. It is the part that has stayed with me over the years even as I have forgotten the details of the rest.

Boris Karloff gives the monster such humanity even with his classic monstrous look. He makes me cry every time and the scene with the little girl is heartbreaking.

In many cases I prefer the later remakes to the black and white classics, but in this case, the 1931 film wins hands down.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

I remember first seeing this film on BBC2 after school, probably on a Friday early evening, because that's when they showed a lot of these classics.

Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter are brilliant exampled of the sci-fi invasion classic couple, where they come together as they realised something very strange is going on.

It rankles a bit these days that, of course, it was the woman who gave them away in the end, but this is still a great film. The way it's all about staying awake so they can't get you.

It's such a simple thing, something we can all relate to on the long drive home, or just one more episode of The Blacklist, and so we all know how hard it can be. I'm pretty sure I checked under my bed for pods for quite some time :).

The Gorgon (1964)

This has Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing again and a great performance by Barbara Shelley.

In a small German village people are being murdered: turned to stone. Only the authorities are covering it up. So not only do we have a creature out of mythology terrorising the community, but the people in charge are lying about it - this is made for tension.

How a Greek monster ended up in a German castle is anyone's guess, but I like this film because it's not just simply, the monster and the hero battling it out. There are other layers in there.

The Fly (1958)

Vincent Price is in this one again and although Patricia Owens gives a great performance as Helene, the woman who kills her own husband with a hydraulic press, neither of them are why this film makes it onto my list.

No, the reason it is here is very simply the fly in the spider's web at the end. The fly with the human head going "help me, help me, help me".

That is still clear in my memory and has been since the day I first saw this movie. Yes the remake is edgier and more horrific, but that scene from the original makes me shiver.

Mask of the Red Death (1964)

Yes, it's Vincent Price again  and he is the reason this film makes it into the pack.

The film is part of the Roger Corman series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe and this is my favourite of the set.

This is a film all about the elite and their vices and their abandonment of the masses. Prince Prospero is a Satanist and tyrant, burning a whole village and abducting a young woman just to play his games.

He believes that the Red Death, a plague devastating the countryside will pass him by because of his power and allegiances. Of course he is wrong and Price gives a great performance as Prospero and Death. The whole air of this film is heartless and twisted and the ending it simply just.

Twins of Evil (1971)

This one makes it onto my list because it has twins in it and Peter Cushing playing a very horrible man. I'm a twin so it always fascinates me to see how people write them :).

The twins in this case are played by Mary Collinson and Madeleine Collinson: one is good and one is bad, just the way it should be. In case you are wondering, when it comes to me and my sister, I am the evil twin ;).

After the death of their parents, Maria and Frieda are sent to live with their puritanical uncle, Gustav (Cushing) in Karnstein. The local count is the only one who will defy Gustav and his band of puritan men who burn anyone they suspect of witchcraft.

This does not make Count Karnstein the good guy however, and in his boredom he wakes his vampiric ancestor with black magic and is turned himself. Frieda becomes fascinated with him and also becomes a vampire like him.

Of course it can't end well.

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And there you have it, my list of 10. What are your favourite classic horror movies?

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Also this week I am posting a new chapter of Dead Before Dawn: The Vampire Curse every day.
It's totally free to read and we're up to chapter 13 as of today.

Max Statton is in Moscow for the premiere of his new movie when a terrifying encounter turns his life on its head. Attacked by one of the city's resident vampires, Max is bitten and infected. Only a team of local vampire hunters prevent him being dragged into the underworld of the undead.

Fighting for his very existence, Max must resist the vampire curse trying to take over his body.

The Conjuring 2 - Sometimes Seeing the Monsters is Terrifying Too #MonsterMondays 40

Welcome to a new week, let's hope it's better than the last one. Now the other week I talked about how the hidden monster can be much more frightening than the seen one, but The Conjuring 2 has a monster you definitely see and it's terrifying :).

The Conjuring 2 - Sometimes Seeing the Monsters is Terrifying Too

It's somewhat ironic that I am talking about monsters that are seen when The Conjuring 2 is actually based on The Enfield Poltergeist, a phenomenon which is inherently not seen.

The film is focused on Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren, who are/were real people. They really were at the Enfield incident for a few days in the 1970s, although the ending to the real thing is nowhere near as exciting as the ending to the film.

Patrick Wilson as Ed and Vera Fermiga as Lorraine

The film starts at Amityville, where Lorraine has a vision of a demonic entity dressed as a nun. You can see her in the trailer above. Now revealing one of the monsters so soon into the film could have been something of a let down, but, in this case, it is done so well. The vision is somewhat prophetic in nature and the way the camera angles are done is shocking and scary enough that the demonic nun is in no way diminished.

In fact the nun is in what I thought was the best scene of the entire film. The scene involves a painting and the Warren's study at home and it is so brilliantly done. It's all shadows and tricks of the eye and really it's mostly a quiet scene that builds and builds to the thrilling climax. The writers (James Wan, Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes, David Leslie Johnson) and director (James Wan) of The Conjuring 2, really knew what they were doing.

Vera Fermiga as Lorraine Warren

Then we have the Enfield part of the plot. Again it is handled so well because it keeps us on the edge of our seats. It's done with lighting and shadows and the camera just catching something until, suddenly it's not, and it scares the bejezus out of everyone watching.

The Enfield Poltergeist was focused on Janet Hodgson, age 11, who is played by Madison Wolfe and she brings everything to life. We feel her terror through the screen and her reaction to things that are not always there it what has us believing.

Madison Wolfe as Janet Hodgson

Many believe that the real haunting may have started as a prank, and then become a fully fledged hoax once the press became involved. The film deals with this really well too, using it to build tension because we, the audience, know it's a real haunting even when the characters in the film are doubting.

The ghost in Enfield is Bill Wilkins, the man who supposedly lived in the house before the Hodgsons. He is just as well done as the demonic nun. I thought the scene where Ed Warren talks to Bill through Janet (something that he did actually do in reality) was another of the best in the film. It's done with forward focus, leaving the background blurred, only giving hints of what may or may not really be there. It is so effective in bringing the monster to life.

I'm not going to say any more about the monsters because I don't want to spoil the film. Suffice to say this is a film that builds tension and gives some really good scares all the way through. It's not a gory horror movie, just a spooky one. I think it's a superior film to The Conjuring, which I liked as well, and it kept me hooked right through the closing credits. If you like a good scare, this is the film for you.

Have you seen The Conjuring 2 or The Conjuring? What did you think? Have you heard of the Enfield Poltergeist? Do you think it was a hoax?

Review - Let Us Prey - Great Horror Movie!

In honour of Halloween last night, my husband and I decided to pick a horror movie to watch and we saw a new one had popped up on the Sky box: Let Us Prey. This is my review.

Review - Let Us Prey

Great Horror Movie!

Title: Let Us Prey (2014)

UK Rating: 18

Cast:

Liam Cunningham ... Six
Pollyanna McIntosh ... PC. Rachel Heggie
Bryan Larkin ... PC. Jack Warnock
Hanna Stanbridge ... PC. Jennifer Mundie
Douglas Russell ... Sgt. MacReady
Summary: PC Rachel Heggie is the newbie at a remote police station and on her way to work see a local hoodlum hit a mysterious man who disappears. With the hoodlum in custody PCs Warnock and Mundie are ordered to find the possibly injured man and when they bring him to the station strange things start to happen. People start dying.

This is an Anglo-Irish production and it's doesn't have the highest budget with lots of CGI and A-list actors and it is all the better for it. It is brilliant. I was gripped all the way through.

First a warning, this is a horror film that earns its 18 rating. It is bloody and very nasty in places. If that is not your cup of tea, then definitely do not watch this film.

This film does not have a cast of thousands, in fact the entire cast list at IMDB is 11 and mainly there are actually nine actors doing all the work. They do it splendidly.

This is a film about the characters. The horror is the people, not the mysterious forces at work conniving towards midnight. Yes there is gore and blood, but what is truly horrific are the characters littering the small town and what some of them have done. That is the whole point.

Be prepared to suspend your disbelief that so many horrible people are in one small space, and sit back and enjoy.

Liam Cunningham is a brilliant actor, I've never seen him in anything where he wasn't, and he is superb in Let Us Prey. He is the mysterious stranger who speaks rarely and with purpose and finds the dark centres of those around him. At times he is menacing, at others almost amusing, and always merciless.

Pollyanna McIntosh also shines as PC Heggie with her tattered past and desire to be a good police officer. She is the newbie, the outcast among the closed community that she doesn't really know and our gateway character into the film. She's tough, but also vulnerable.

All of the rest of the cast hold up their parts just as well, being arseholes, sadists, nutters and vaguely normal people in various degrees. This is a film of extremes, it's a horror movie after all, and the characters are done beautifully as the community we see goes from normal to nightmare in a few hours.

The set is limited, being mostly two rooms, which makes the claustrophobic ending just perfect. This is a stifled community with it's vulnerable, disturbing underbelly being revealed to the world and the main location reflects this perfectly. It's almost as if the presence of Six has taken the protagonists out of reality and time without them realising it, leaving them in their own world to make their mistakes.

I also thought the script was superb. It's gritty and real and has gems like this littered through it:

Dr. Duncan Hume: This is such a one-horse town.
Six: And now it's a pale fucking horse. 

Every single character is damaged in some way and they show it through their actions and their words.

The plot is driven by the people and the people are the plot. There are no high octane car chases, no wailing phantoms, no poltergeists, no grisly monsters, but just a touch of the supernatural as Six touches each of the gathered cast of characters. The way alliances shift and change is beautifully done and subtle in places. Realisation about the depths certain of the characters have gone to comes bit by bit and it is wonderfully paced. I enjoyed every second of it.

For once I also thought the ending to a horror film was perfect. I very rarely enjoy the end of horror films, they mostly annoy me even when the rest of the film has been good. Not so in this one. I loved the ending; it was just right. Have definitely added this to my wishlist.

Monster Mondays #4 - The Thing

Hello and welcome this sunny Monday to Monster Mondays #4. Thank you to everyone who is joining in, be it with comments or posts, I love you all :).

Monster Mondays posts may be fiction, film reviews, book reviews or me waxing lyrical about a particular monster. Monsters can be paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy or even simply human. So basically, anything monster goes. I also invite anyone who would like to, to join in with their own post. (See end for details).

The Thing

So this week I am going for an alien monster. This creature from the depths of space is a monster that has stuck with me since the moment I first saw it and still haunts me to this day, it is John Carpenter's The Thing. No matter how many times I see this movie it still creeps me out. The first time I saw it, it had me hiding behind a cushion.

For those who have not seen it, the Thing is an alien, dug up by Norwegian scientists in the Antartic. It had been in the permafrost for thousands of years, but when they thaw it out it is still alive and attacks them. The big problem with this beastie is that is can take on and mimic whatever it attacks and absorbs.

In the original 1982 film we come in where what is left of the Norwegian party is chasing a dog through the snow towards an American outpost. The dog is not what it seems and ends up like this:

The Thing then proceeds to absorb one crew member after another while  Mac (Kurt Russel) does his best to try and stop it.

The reason I find this such a wonderful monster is how insidious it is. At first the team don't even realise there is a problem and the dog is there for ages before it transforms and it has already assimilated another member of the group by then. Just by looking it is impossible to tell who is the Thing and who is simply human.

It is also utterly disgusting, which is a good start with a monster. While it is assimilating and transforming it is horrid and slimy and goopy and all things that an evil alien should be. The part of the original film that will always stay with me no matter what is what many people refer to as the spider head.

One of the really dangerous facts about The Thing is that every cell is an organism of it's own. Shoot it and nothing happens, stab it, nothing happens - the only thing that can kill it is fire. Hence when it is discovered, not all parts have to act as one. During the movie one crew member it discovered and in defence his head separates.

At first it uses an extra long tongue to move around, but then it adapts even more:

It grows legs and eye stalks and runs away.

This creeped me out beyond belief when I first saw it and it still makes me shiver now :). This is why I think The Thing is a superb monster.

I have also seen the 2011 prequel The Thing as well and although it was okay, I found it much less engaging than the original. Maybe it was simply that I knew all the rules already and so I was expecting everything.

Have you seen The Thing? Does it creep you out? Which is your favourite part? If you haven't seen it, had my post about it managed to raise any goosebumps? ;)

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Monster Mondays #4 Links 

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EYM: Scariest movie or book that made sleeping hard!

The Express Yourself Meme (EYM) is a weekly blog hop run by Jackie at Bouquet of Books and Dani at Entertaining Interests. Each month they post a Gadget with a question/task for each week in the month. Participants then answer the question in a post during the correct week.

There is a list of the participants at the bottom of this post.

This week's question/task:

What's the scariest movie you've watched or book you've read that made you unable to sleep?

Recently I would have to say that the scariest movie for leaving me sleepless is probably Mama. I did a longer review of it here, but let's just say the monster in this made me look at dark corners a lot.

Then there is Paranormal Activity, but that didn't stop me sleeping it just made the odd trip to the loo at 3am kind of freaky :).

If we go further back then I remember seeing the original mini series of Salem's Lot on TV when I was younger and the scene with Ralphie Glick floating outside his brother's bedroom window put the willies right up me. It wasn't helped that we were staying with relatives at the time and the windows we were sleeping next to looked just like those from the mini series.

Do you have a movie or a book that scares you or used to scare you?
or (if you are already in the meme so have answered that question already on your own blog)
Do you like being scared by books or movies or do you shy away from it?

AtoZ Day 23: W is for Wall, Wurdulac, Waxwork

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site and see all the other participants.

Wall

One of the vampire images that sticks in my mind is Dracula crawling down the wall in the 1979 version with Frank Langella. I remember being very scared when I first saw it and it stays with me so well because my darling twin screamed a lot and we had to turn it off. My forays into vampire films did not begin again until The Lost Boys came out :).

There is something about a creature that can scale walls that are supposed to keep the enemy out that is very frightening. Our fortresses and homes are vulnerable so we have to take other precautions.

Vampires also break down our metaphorical walls as well and make us question our own reality. If vampires are real death is not a limit and they are constantly associated with social taboos like wanton sex and stealing the life of others.

Do you have a mental image from a vampire film or book that has always stuck with you like Dracula on his wall did for me?

Creature Feature:

Wurdulac/Wurdalak

Now this creature from Russia deserves pity because it is cursed to consume the blood of all its loved ones to convert its entire family. V.I. Tolstoy wronte a story about one of these vampires which was later turned into a film. (Wikipedia, Enchanted Doorway, Encyclo)

Movie Recommendation:

Title: Waxwork
Rating:18
Summary: Mark and his friends visit a private wax museum and one by one become trapped in the exhibits, completing them. When all are finished the evil they contain will be unleashed on the world.
Why you should watch this: Another 80s horror movie and just as fun as the others. It has humour and gore and a clever plot. We still in the era of wax special effects and models so the plot had to fill in the gaps CGI so often patches over these days. Only one of the exhibits has vampires, but this still counts :). You'd be surprised how many of the cast you recognise.

Up and At 'Em 

(#23 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)

by Natasha Duncan-Drake

With all the information she had extracted from Ren it was embarrassingly easy to track down where the priest was staying once Ianthe put her mind to it. She had never hunted anything before. It was part of her vampire nature she had refused to acknowledge, but she was beginning to understand why the others loved it. It was also becoming obvious why those who crossed vampires very rarely survived.

She stood looking up at the nondescript four storey town house and she knew it was the place from her dream. It wasn't anything she could put her finger on, but it felt right and it also felt right to go up. Following her instincts had seen her right so far in the hunt, so she obeyed them this time as well.

"Round the back," she said in little more than a whisper as she looked down at Lilith.

The hellhound currently looked like a black Labrador, but as they walked to the small alley at the side of the house, Lilith grew into her larger form, although not the largest.

It took a matter of seconds to slip over the garden wall into what was an overgrown mess of a forgotten corner. Lilith joined her with barely a sound, landing as lightly as a creature an eighth of her size. No one had bothered with this place in a while. There was still a to-let sign out the front, so she assumed someone was having problems selling it and had gone with renting it out instead. Crossing to the house she made no noise in the long grass, passing like a ghost; Alex would have been proud.

As soon as she skirted the side of the building the light from the street dimmed considerably. It wasn't completely dark, but she knew no one could have seen her as she lurked in the shadows.

There was one window at the attic level on the back of the house and the design looked familiar. She remembered seeing it out of the corner of her eye when she had dreamed. It had been in the altar room. A priest would not expect a vampire to enter that way.

Placing her hand against the red brick wall of the house, she allowed her human mask to fall away.

"Guard," she told Lilith and the hound's eyes glowed.

It was not a matter of using her talons to grip the brickwork or slip between the crumbling mortar as she began to climb. It wasn't fine hairs or sticky residue either that allowed her to move upwards smoothly and steadily. It was simply a matter of circumventing the laws of physics, or at least that was how Ianthe always thought of it. She grinned to herself; her father, ever a practical man, would have hated that explanation. Of course, it wasn't as if anyone had ever scientifically studied vampires.

The window had no latch or hinges when she got there; it was simply stuck in its frame. That caused her to grin again as she used one long nail to flick out the grout on the old window frame, just like she had seen Dracula do in a film once. She really was going for all the clichés this evening.

There was still anger bubbling under her skin, but the excitement of the hunt had taken over. She had no fear; she was the predator, her adversary the prey. He would fall to her and it was as simple as that.

As the pane of glass fell from its frame she caught it with lightning reflexes and placed it in the valley gutter to the side.

It was not a large window and she was not a sylphlike individual, but she was flexible. Not having to worry about gravity was also a major advantage as she pushed herself inside. As she dropped to the floor she took stock of the room and it seemed bigger than she remembered from the dream. The altar was to the left of the window and there was far more space than she had been expecting. Everything was in place as she expected, but it was as if the size had been affected by the priest's perception.

That worried her slightly, because she wondered what else she might have missed; but it was too late now.

Standing up straight she was ready; now all she had to do was find her prey. She really hoped he was home.

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A few of us discovered that we all had supernatural themes for the AtoZ so we got together and did a mini list. If you also have a supernatural theme (ghosts, monsters, witches, spells etc), please feel free to add yourself to the list.

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AtoZ Day 22: V is for Vendetta, Vyrkolakas, Vamp

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Vendetta

noun - a blood feud in which the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer's family.

Blood feuds are something vampires really should know a lot about considering how important blood is to them. In fiction the blood feuds tend to be between hunters and vampires, both sides having lost members to the other.

In reality it is likely vampires have been used more than once in vendettas between rival families, either as an excuse for the deaths or as a reason to attack. In the past politics often used the supernatural in its machinations, just look at the Salem witch trials; no vampires there, but there is likelihood many of the accusations were to do with land rights.

The film Van Helsing is a turn your brain off movie, but there is a definite blood feud running all the way through it.

What is your favourite vampire movie/book/TV show with a vendetta in it?

Creature Feature:

Vrykolakas

As the spelling might suggest, this vampire is from Greece. I didn't realise Greece had such a varied folklore about vampires, but it seems it does and this is one of them.

According to Lyn Gibson these are not pretty vampires. Before they feed they looked completely drained of blood and after they feed they look bloated and nasty.

These creatures come about when someone dies who is excomunicated or scariligeous or someone who eats the meat from a sheep injured by a wolf or a werewolf. Some legends also say a werewolf would become one of these vampires when they died. (Wikipedia)

According to Enchanting Gardens this vampire is not always a killer and sometimes just causes trouble. However, the way to kill it is to chop off its head or impale it on a spike.

Movie Recommendation:

Title: Vamp
Rating: 18
Summary: Keith and AJ are on a mission to find a stripper so they can get into a fraternity on campus. After a run in with a biker gang, they end up at The After Dark Club. Only problem is the strippers are vampires and they eat the clientèle and they've taken over the whole neighbourhood.
Why you should watch it: Grace Jones is the head vampire and she is the weirdest stripper I have ever seen. She also barely says a word and still captures the screen. It's a fun 80s vampire movie with humour and a little bit of excitement and it's a romp. Keith and AJ are played beautifully as slightly arrogant 80s boys and nothing takes itself too seriously.

Truth 

(#22 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)

by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Every lock in the house had been changed and yet Ianthe knew she would not feel safe until the priest was dead or locked up. Even Alex did not look relaxed and she'd never seen him agitated for more than a few seconds before. They had returned home to talk tactics, but they hadn't got far.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked as she petted Lilith's head and tried to distract herself from her darker thoughts.

"Nothing you need to know," Alex replied.

"Bollocks."

Alex looked at her then; he disapproved of foul language. However, he didn't just leave, which also said a lot about their current situation. They were in the library and this was probably the longest they had spent in each other's company alone since Alex had given up trying to turn Ianthe into a proper vampire.

"Alex," she said, because frankness was about all they had left; "I need to know anything you do. It's me he's coming for."

"No, it's me," Alex replied, "he just thinks he can make me suffer by destroying you first."

Ianthe almost laughed, because the opposite was probably true. If someone else disposed of her Alex's life would be far easier, so she said so.

The look that Alex levelled on her was as devoid of emotion as ever.

"You really believe that?" he asked eventually.

"Well it's true, isn't it?" she replied. "I embarrass you just by existing."

"I understand most children embarrass their parents," Alex said; "it is part of the job description."

"Not the same thing."

Alex raised an eyebrow at that.

"It is exactly the same thing," he told her. "Yes your creation was a mistake, but I believe nothing ever happens by pure chance. Our personalities appear to be fundamentally incompatible, but that does not stop you being my child. I will care for you whether you like it or not and it would pain me should anything happen to you."

The way her stomach twisted gave her an indication of how much of a shock that was to her system. Nothing had prepared her for Alex to say that. She despised him for what he had done to her, but it seemed the feeling was not mutual.

"Then why is he coming after you?" she asked, because she needed time to process anything she might be feeling.

"He was my lover."

That news propelled Ianthe to her feet and she walked over to where her maker was standing.

"He was what?"

"My lover," Alex repeated.

"But he's a priest," Ianthe protested.

That made Alex smile a little and she realised she was thinking down very conventional lines.

"He is currently eighty four years old."

Ianthe blinked.

"You did something to him," she said; "there was no way the man I met and whose eyes I saw through was over fifty."

"He was twenty eight years old when I met him," Alex said, turning to look at one of the bookcases, his eyes just dancing from one book to the next. "I fell in love almost immediately and he with me. He just seemed to forget about his church. When I told him what I was he came away with me."

There was a wistful note to her maker's voice that made Ianthe actually feel for him for once.

"We were together a year when I suggested he become one of us."

That sounded about right from what Ianthe knew about vampire initiation. A prospective vampire was introduced to certain parts of vampire society for between one and three years, but without the real secrets being revealed, before being offered the change.

"He said no?" she asked because Alex seemed to have become lost in his memories.

"He said yes," was the surprising reply.

"So why ..?"

"I initiated the first stage," he replied before she could finish asking; "the blood bond. I took blood from his neck, above his heart and his inside leg and allowed my power to flow into him. I placed a drop of my blood in each of his wounds."

Ianthe knew about this. It wasn't necessary to create a vampire, but it was supposed to make the transition easier. A victim had to be brought to the very edge of death and actually drink their maker's blood for the conversion to take place. That was what had happened accidentally to Ianthe when Alex had been shot by hunters after he drank from her.

"But something went wrong," Ianthe guessed.

Alex nodded.

"The connection broke his mind. He became convinced I was a demon sent to test him and only his faith could save him. I tried to help him, but he would not allow me close. Then he escaped. He returned to his church and they placed him in a mental facility because of his ravings. He was there for five years before he escaped their control as well. He came for me, but even with the longevity the first part of the ritual gave him, he was no match for one of us. I had him taken back to his hospital. He found a way out yet again more than half a century ago, but I thought him long gone."

"And you've known it was him all this time?"

"Since the ritual."

"A priest has a vendetta against you and you didn't think I needed to know?"

"It doesn't change anything."

"He isn't completely human anymore," she pointed out. "No wonder he knows how to hide."

"He is insane."

"And you still love him."

The revelation just fell from her lips as it popped into her head.

"Bloody hell, now, of all times, you actually have human emotions," she said as Alex refused to look at her.

It was an insight behind the mask that Alex showed the entire world and it made her reconsider so many things. She also suspected Mila was aware of these facts and the significant looks Mila had been sending Alex the previous night made perfect sense.

"When I find him I won't kill him," she said after a very long pause.

"You have the right," Alex said, trying to come over all authoritative, but there was still a frown between his perfect eyebrows.

"He's after me," she replied, "no matter if it's to get to you and I know what my rights are. I'm going after him and I'm going to stop him, but then I will bring him to you."

"He is dangerous."

"So am I," she replied and bared her fangs, letting her vampire nature out full force. "For once I am going to be the vampire you want me to be."

With that she turned and walked out, Lilith trotting along behind her.

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AtoZ Day 21: U is for Underground, Uruku/Utukku, Ultraviolet

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Underground

Vampire are creatures of darkness, so what better place to hide than underground. In John Carpenter's Vampires they literally bury themselves if they see fit; in Nightlife there are catacombs; in Vampires Les Muertos an underground lair; in Fright Night 2 a blood pool in the depth of a castle's underbelly.

Caves are dank and dark and the earth easily prevents the glare of the sun so underground is perfect for the living dead.

Underground can also refer to something that is hidden from the general population, for example the 'underground' parties held by the vampires in Blade. Underground is hidden; underground is out of sight of those who could do harm; underground is safe.

If you had to have an underground lair, where would you want it to be? I think I'd go for a basement complex under a castle.

Creature Feature:

Uruku/Utukku

Now this legend is a really old one from ancient Mesopotamia. The Uruku's name mean 'vampire that attacks man' and it is all trouble.

According to Vampires Around the World even just looking into its eyes can cause a human to be injured. The Encylopedia of Vampire Mythology adds that one of these creatures is created when a person interferes with someone else's burial rites. It is said to be similar in appearance to another creature the Ekimmu and is demonic and phantom like.

Movie TV Recommendation:

Title: Ultraviolet (1998)
Rating: n/a
Summary: Michael is a cop and joins an elite team of government vampire hunters when, after his best friend Jack vanishes, he is thrust in the world of the leeches. He joins Dr Angela Marsh, Vaughan Rice and Father Pearse Harman in the fight against these adaptable beings.
Why you should watch this: It's a very different take on vampires. They have many of the normal traits, but they are shown as adapted to modern living and integrating with society. They don't convert people by force all the time, instead simply using persuasion. The rules for the vampires and their history is very interesting and this is a great mini-series. It also has Jack Davenport and Idris Elba so win/win.

Old Fashioned 

(#21 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)

by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Ianthe did not finish with Ren until a little before dawn, at which point she let the weasel run. She wasn't interested in him as she pulled out her phone.

"Alex," she said as soon as he answered her call, "it was Ren; he sold information to the priest. I know everything he gave away."

"Good," Alex replied, "I'm proud of you."

It still came as a shock to hear praise from her maker.

"I am having the house secured," Alex continued; "it will be done by tomorrow night, but for today we have been invited to stay with Mila. When should we expect you?"

"Twenty minutes," she replied, not bothering to question it.

Krige showed her into the same room she had been in before as soon as she arrived. Alex was sitting primly on the chaise, a glass of familiar red liquid in his hand, while Mila walked around the room.

"Ianthe, My Dear," Mila greeted immediately and came over and hugged her, "you must be very upset."

"I'm furious," she replied; talking with Ren had done nothing to calm her down.

"And you have every right to be," Mila said, patting her gently on the arm.

It could have been patronising, but Mila seemed perfectly genuine; her ancient eyes showing nothing but sympathy.

"My house is your house for as long as you need it," Mila went on.

That almost shocked her out of her anger, because vampires were usually very territorial creatures. Mila had just given them permission to use her home as if they actually lived there rather than simply being guests. It was so odd that Ianthe looked to Alex just to check she was reading the situation correctly. Her maker simply nodded minutely in confirmation.

"Thank you," she said, "I'm very grateful."

"Come and sit down," Mila offered, "and tell us all you have found out."

In moments Ianthe found herself in a comfortable chair, Lilith at her feet, with her own glass of blood, at which point she began to talk. She told Alex and Mila everything Ren had told her and exactly what information Ren had sold to the priest. Throughout the whole thing Alex simply sat there looking stoic. He nodded in all the right places, but it looked as if the whole situation had affected her maker far more than Ianthe would have suspected.

"Ren will be dealt with," Mila said simply once Ianthe had finished and Ianthe really didn't feel like asking how, "he is a danger to the community. As for this priest, his apprehension and punishment are yours by right as the injured parties."

The way Mila looked at Alex made Ianthe wonder what the two had been talking about while she was busy. Alex simply nodded.

"Of course," Alex replied, but he didn't sound over enthusiastic.

Vampires were, by nature, predators; an opportunity to hunt should not have been met with what looked like reluctance.

"Are you alright?" Ianthe asked, for once slightly worried about Alex rather than simply annoyed with him.

"I am fine," Alex said, looking her right in the eye and making her doubt what she had just seen, "but I do not wish to become too involved. If I allow my blood to rise I will steal the hunt and this should be yours."

Ianthe realised that being shocked by her maker was distressingly becoming a habit. The last thing she ever wanted to do was start not hating him; it would be far too complicated.

"Thank you," she replied, even though she wasn't sure she wouldn't mind Alex taking over.

"Good," Mila said, "then that is settled for tonight, now I will show you to your rooms. Dawn is already here and we must all be well rested to face what is to come."

"That would be welcome, Mila, thank you," Alex said, standing in one graceful motion.

Ianthe had no choice but to go along with it. If truth be told, she was beginning to feel the strain.

Mila, however, did not lead them upstairs; she led them to a large oak door that soon revealed steps going downwards.

"I know I'm old fashioned," Mila said as she led them into the dimly lit interior, "but I come from a time when windows didn't exist and blackout curtains just weren't viable. I always feel more comfortable sleeping underground."

The stairway was a dressed stone spiral going down, with a beautifully carved, wooden handrail and Ianthe had no idea what to expect at the bottom. When they stepped out into a long, high ceilinged, flagged stone hallway with ornate little gargoyles every few feet she was impressed. It appeared there was a whole other level of Mila's home that was completely invisible from outside.

"Alex, Darling, you're in here," Mila said, pushing open double doors to the left. "This suite has the best bathroom and I know how you are about preparing to sleep."

Ianthe almost smiled.

"Thank you," Alex replied and walked in.

"If you need anything, just ring for Krige," Mila told him. "And, Ianthe, My Dear and your darling Lilith, this way, the bathroom may not be as big in the second suite, but the bed is very luxurious."

Before they reached the second set of double doors, Alex was already closing his.

"Good day," was his final communication.

"Sleep well, Darling," Mila said and linked her arm with Ianthe's before pushing open one of the new doors with her other hand.

It was a very beautiful room, all reds, blacks and cream with the most enormous bed Ianthe had ever seen. It looked as if it could sleep seven, let alone her and Lilith.

"Thank you," she said, doing her best to show her appreciation, but she couldn't help fidgeting just a little.

She was tired, but there was an itch under her skin that she hadn't had a chance to scratch because of everything that had happened. Mila's incubus blood had not helped at all.

When Mila did not reply she turned her head and found the older vampire was looking at her with one eyebrow raised slightly. She wasn't sure what the expression meant.

"Of course," Mila said before she could ask anything, "that is a very big empty bed. It would be terribly inhospitable of me to make you feel lonely."

Ianthe knew what she thought Mila was saying, but she was pretty sure she had to be reading the situation incorrectly.

"I have an even bigger bed that is very comfortable," Mila added.

There had been too much going on and was still going on in Ianthe's head to play games.

"Are you propositioning me?" she asked, because blunt seemed the best way to go.

Mila smiled brightly.

"Oh, yes," Mila replied, "are you interested? You seem to need a little distraction."

Ianthe considered the question for all of ten seconds.

"It really is a very big, very empty bed," she said as if still thinking about it, "and it would be rude of me to snub your hospitality when you offer your own company so selflessly."

Mila giggled.

"I like you, Ianthe," Mila said, "I like you a lot. Modern vampires are so stuffy. Come on, Lilith, sweetie, me and your mummy are going next door where I'm sure Krige has some lovely dead things for you to enjoy while we're busy."

There was so much to think about, but Ianthe let herself go with the flow. After the night she had had she needed a break and Mila was the perfect, willing solution.

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A few of us discovered that we all had supernatural themes for the AtoZ so we got together and did a mini list. If you also have a supernatural theme (ghosts, monsters, witches, spells etc), please feel free to add yourself to the list.

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AtoZ Day 20: T is for Thrall, Tlahuelpuchi, The Twins Effect

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Thrall

A thrall is a vampires servant, so called because they are enthralled by their master.

Ludwig is a good example from Dracula: Prince of Darkness. He is perfectly harmless, a creator of beautiful books, until he comes under Dracula's influence, at which point he becomes his minion.

Many vampires are said to have mesmeric powers as a way to trap their prey. We used to have a cat who could stare at a bird and make it walk off a branch into his waiting paws, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't a vampire.

The idea that the will can be taken away is frightening and yet also freeing. Thralls are subject to the will of their masters so they are not responsible for what they do.

Is there a vampire you wouldn't mind being a thrall to?

Creature Feature:

Tlahuelpuchi

This is a vampire from East-Central Mexico and is rather a sad case because it is the victim of a curse. This vampire is not turned it is born this way and cannot do anything about it. They don't even find out what they are until puberty. (Wikipedia)

Examiner.com expands on this saying the vampire lives with its family and must be protected and cannot be killed by a member of that family or the curse will continue to the next generation.

According to Haunted Curiosities these mostly female vampires are the epitome of evil. Once they come into their powers at puberty they have an insatiable thirst for human blood and they can shapechange into animals.

Garlic onions and metal will repel this vampire and they can be killed by chopping off their head with a metal blade.

Movie Recommendation:

Title: The Twins Effect (aka Vampire Effect)
Rating: 15
Summary: Prince Kazaf is the last of the European vampires who are being hunted down by a rival vampire duke who wants their power. Kazaf relocated to Hong Kong where he meets and falls in love with Helen. What he doesn't realise is Helen's sister, Gypsy, and Gypsy's mentor are vampire hunters. With everything in the mix it's going to complicated.
Why you should watch this: It's fun and entertaining. It's a film out of Hong Kong so it has kick arse martial arts and it definitely has its tongue in its cheek at points. Definitely never going to win points for depth, but it is worth watching.

Gloves Off 

(#20 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)

by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Ianthe was no longer in a mood to play games. She had thought she wasn't before, but now she was furious. Her stalker knew things about her that could only have come from the supernatural community. Someone was selling her out and she was pretty sure she knew who.

Ren let her in without argument and gave her an obsequious little head nod as she marched into his cellar. Lilith stopped by the door, guarding it as if she knew exactly what Ianthe had in mind. Ren clearly noticed, however, he wasn't expecting it when she grabbed him by the front of his grubby shirt and pulled him towards her.

"Look into my eyes, Ren," she commanded.

His face filled with shock.

"You can't ... it's not allowed ... you ..."

Ren tried to look away, but it was too late.

Ianthe did not like mindless puppets and this was the first time she had ever used the power she knew she had.

"You are mine, little man," she said and let the vampiric energy in her veins flow towards the surface.

She had seen Alex do this; she knew her eyes would be glowing bright red and, for once, she wished she could see herself. It was child's play to invade Ren's mind and push his will down deep. She didn't snap it, even though she knew she could have; she didn't want Ren as a slave forever.

"I am yours," Ren repeated dutifully.

This was why vampires of certain bloodlines were feared. They were strong in body, but they were stronger in mind. Very few supernatural creatures could stand against those with such dominant powers of the mind.

"Tell me the truth, Ren," she commanded, "you are helping this hunter."

"Yes," Ren replied, his expression blank and his voice lifeless.

He was in her thrall and she could have ordered him to kill himself if she had wanted.

"Why?"

"He pays well and I don't like you," Ren replied simply.

She almost laughed.

"What have you given him?"

"Weapons and information about your habits and where you live," Ren admitted without hesitation.

"How did he get into my house?"

"I drugged your cleaner in the pub, copied her key and made her tell me the routine of the house," Ren explained.

Ianthe had to hold her instincts in check as the need to kill flashed through her. This rat had broken the first rule of the supernatural community in selling out to a human and he had allowed the priest to invade her home. The vampire in her saw it as a very simple solution; kill until there was no danger left. Luckily for Ren the part of her that retained human decency was in control.

"I should rip your throat out," she hissed at him, baring her fangs and letting her control of his mind drop.

He screamed and stepped backwards crashing into his work table. The smell of urine filled the air and she realised he'd wet himself.

"If you want to live you will tell me every detail you gave the priest," she said, her tone as cold as ice. "I will know if you are lying."

Now she had been in his mind that was perfectly true and Ren whimpered, but he nodded.

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A few of us discovered that we all had supernatural themes for the AtoZ so we got together and did a mini list. If you also have a supernatural theme (ghosts, monsters, witches, spells etc), please feel free to add yourself to the list.

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AtoZ Day 19: S is for Stake, Shtriga, Sundown - The Vampire In Retreat

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Stake

So possibly the most famous method of disposing of a vampire is a stake through the heart.

Most people think this is how Dracula was killed in the book, but actually he was killed with a knife. It was Lucy who was staked, then decapitated and even then, just to make sure they put garlic in her mouth. Not a dignified way to end up really.

Ever since, however, all the best vampires end up with stakes through their heart: David from the Lost Boys (okay so it was an antler, but same idea), Kurt Barlow from Salem's Lot, Helen Kent from Dracula: Prince of Darkness, just about all of them from from Dusk Till Dawn.

What is the most dramatic death by stake you have read or seen?

Creature Feature:

Shtriga

Today we dip into Albanian folklore for our creature of the day. The Shtriga is a vampiric witch which, according to Wikipedia sucks the blood of infants at night and then turns into a flying insect.

Unnatural World also adds that part of her legend is that she sucks the living essence or spirtus vitae out of people at night.

By day she appears human, most often an old woman and The Demonical says that this is when she can be killed. She can be trapped in a building using a cross of pig bones after which she can be killed quite easily.

Movie Recommendation:

Title: Sundown - The Vampire In Retreat
Rating: 15
Summary: Vampires have taken over a small American town where they seek to live in peace under the watch of Count Mardulak. They have a plant which manufactures fake blood, only there is a problem with production so they bring in the inventor and his family to fix it. However, all is not peaceful among the vampire ranks and there are those who wish to go back to killing. Add in a Van Helsing and things are going to get ugly.
Why you should watch this: It's hilarious and has Bruce Campell and David Carradine, do I need to say anything else? Honestly, it's a great entertaining movie.

What's At Stake 

(#19 in The Diverse Life of Ianthe Jawara, Vampire)

by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Philips entered the hallway just as Ianthe was storming up the stairs.

"Is there something wrong, Madam?" the man asked.

"This," she all but hissed and threw the destroyed rose branch at the butler.

It wasn't fair to take it out on him and she did deliberately miss him, but she had to let the anger out somehow. Afraid of what she might do she turned and continued upwards to her rooms. She needed to think and to plan.

As she threw open the door to her section of the upstairs it only latterly registered that the door had not been completely closed. Fear tried to spark again, but she was far too furious. However, that didn't stop Lilith. The hellhound puppy shot past her as she froze just inside the doorway. She could actually feel Lilith feeding off her anger and as she watched the puppy became anything but.

Cute, if somewhat fantastical looking puppy became a huge, demonic dog, but Lilith didn't stop there; there was more to come. Shock almost curbed some of Ianthe's rage, but it was something of a feedback loop and Lilith's determination and protective instincts came back to her, bolstering her righteous anger. Lilith grew more until she was one hundred percent bigger yet again. Spines erupted from her back in a long sharp row and black scales flowed across her flanks and down her legs to form armour. When Ianthe stepped up beside her hell hound she could also see long, sabre like canines jutting out of Lilith's top jaw.

"Find it," was all she said, putting any questions about Lilith's abilities to the back of her mind.

There was no hesitation as Lilith immediately jumped forward, through the bedroom door.

Ianthe was not expecting a yelp to follow. It was the unmistakable sound of pain and she didn't even think about it, she used every ounce of speed she had and rushed into the next room. Lilith was standing her ground, glaring around the room, snarling, but Ianthe's eyes were immediately drawn to the large wooden stake sticking out of Lilith's left side.

Every fight response Ianthe had fired and her humanity dropped away completely. She was all vampire as she glared around the room. Anything remotely dangerous would have found itself shredded before it could attack, but there was nothing there. What she did see was a mechanism and it had clearly been attached to the door as a release. Lilith had fired a trap meant for Ianthe.

"What in hell's name is going on here?"

She span on the spot and almost launched at Alex. It was only the maker bond that curbed her actions and she had to take a deep breath to centre herself.

"Someone got in here," she all but accused even though she knew it wasn't Alex's fault.

Lilith growled in agreement. Alex's eyes grew in shock as he looked at the hellhound, but at that moment Ianthe didn't really care.

"The priest was here," she declared.

She knew if she let herself think too hard the fear would come back. She did not want that. This was no time for human sentiment; she needed to act. The priest had stepped over a line that no vampire would allow, no matter how forgiving, and he was going to pay. Before any worry could touch her, she turned, pulled the stake out of Lilith's side and threw it across the room. In the next second she ripped a hole in her left palm with talons on her right and thrust it against the wound.

Vampire power met demon power in a heady mix. It sent shots of ice up her arm, but she could feel the wound closing under her hand. It was the work of moments.

"Someone betrayed us," she said, wiping her hand on her dress without thought as she turned back to her maker; "I am going to find out who."

"Wait," Alex said, but Ianthe wasn't interested.

She swept past her maker and Philips who was in the outer room and headed straight for the stairs. This could not be allowed to stand.

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A few of us discovered that we all had supernatural themes for the AtoZ so we got together and did a mini list. If you also have a supernatural theme (ghosts, monsters, witches, spells etc), please feel free to add yourself to the list.

get the InLinkz code to add to your blog