31 Days of Halloween #19

There are a lot of great actors in the classic horror genre.  Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney (both Jr. and Sr.), John Carradine, Claude Rains, Lionel Atwill, George Zucco....and perhaps my favorite: Dwight Frye.

Day 19: Dwight Frye

Without a doubt, Dwight Frye is one of my all-time favorite actors.  You might know him best as Renfield from the original Bela Lugosi Dracula, or perhaps even as Fritz, the hunchback from the original Boris Karloff Frankenstein.  There is something about Dwight that always sends shivers down my spine.  And yet, at the same time, he creates a very sympathetic character (especially in Renfield; not so much in Fritz).  He's truly a wonderful actor.  If you want to read a bit about his life, I highly recommend this wonderful book.

And now for some free stuff!  I'm going to start things off with perhaps the most famous Dwight Frye song out there: "The Ballad of Dwight Fry" by Alice Cooper.  Yes, I know I left the "e" off in "Frye", but that's how its spelled in the song.

While you're listening to that, why not check out a few of these interesting biographies of Dwight?  They can be found here and here.

Also, here is a wonderful remix song about Renfield from Dracula, called "Now, Now, Renfield".  The link will take you to a page where you can download the song.  And if you wanted a video of the song instead, I'm including that below.

Want more?  Check out some of Dwight's films.  In addition to Frankenstein and Dracula, you can find him in The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, The Vampire Bat, and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man--just to name a few!

 

31 Days of Halloween #6

I love stories that turn classic tales on their heads.  For example, one of my favorite horror films is Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.  The plot?  Two hillbillies named Tucker and Dale decide to purchase a rundown cabin in the woods, thinking they can build it into the perfect vacation home where they can go hunting and fishing and generally have a good time.  But, at the same time, there are a group of college students camping in the woods.  They've apparently seen enough horror films to be convinced that all hillbillies are backwoods, cannibal, psycho rednecks, and through a series of horrible misunderstandings, come to believe that Tucker and Dale have not only kidnapped their friend, but that they are also trying to kill them!  Ah, horror/comedy at its finest :3

Day 6: Crashervania

I have been listening to this song quite a bit these past few days.  For those of you who have never heard of Castlevania, I'll try to sum up the plot as simply as I can.  Basically, you play Simon Belmont (or one of his family members) and try to destroy Dracula (because he's evil).

This song is part of a series by Starbomb, a musical group that writes songs based on various videogames, including Minecraft, Pac Man, Legend of Zelda, and Super Smash Brothers.  You can find videos done by tons of artists all over YouTube, but the "official" stuff can be found on Egoraptor's channel (he's one of the singers).

A quick disclaimer: I love Starbomb's music, and the vocals are excellent.  But the content can be very dirty--almost uncomfortably so.  But, this is one of those songs that is just good fun without tons of sex jokes.  Now, there are two versions of the song that I just love.  One includes a more "comic book" style (the artist actually drew a comic for it, and copied it into the video).  I'm including the original comic here for you to check out.

This second version is actually animated.  Simon Belmont looks so goofy and cartoonish in this version, but I really liked it.  Actually, if you like the song, I suggest you check out both versions.

31 Days of Halloween #4

In honor of the Pope's visit to the United States, today's entry is going to focus a bit more on Christian imagery.  Of course, there is still an element of Halloween involved, but for those Christians among my readers, this post is for you!

Day 3: Christian Halloween

Don't worry--Christian Halloween doesn't mean we're going to be talking about dressing your kids up like saints.  And this isn't going to be one of those posts that demonizes Halloween (or "Hell-oween" as I've heard it called).  Naw.  This is all about Catholic or Christian imagery and how Christians should really be enjoying Halloween.  It's a great time of the year!

First up, I have a list of reasons why Christians should love the holiday here.  And then, we'll follow that us with a bit of Catholic imagery in Dracula.  I hope you enjoy!

The Books are the Life

Working at a library has been one of the best life choices I have made so far.  I could not be happier with my line of work.  However, there is a slight snag.  The books.

Now, I know what you're thinking....But, Em, you love books!  What's the problem?  This should make you happy!  And it does.  It really does.  But, books are starting to take over my life, like they did back in high school.  And I'm totally okay with this.  Sometimes, however, I wonder if that's a problem.

There's hardly a day that goes by where I don't bring a new library book home.  They follow me there like lost puppies or feral children.  And I don't have time to read them all.  Also, did I mention that I have another library I go to?  And I find more books there.  PLUS, used book stores.  And my library sells used books, so I'm always dipping my dollars into the register, after promising myself that I'm only "just browsing."

In case you were wondering, I'm currently rereading Dracula.  Yeah, I read it back in high school, but I thought I would give it another shot, and I'm enjoying it considerably more now.

I have a few more books stacked up and waiting in the wings.  Perhaps I'll talk about those sometime soon, too.  I have a couple Jeanette Winterson novels, plus The Good Earth (a birthday present from Kitsune), and a couple tidbits I picked up at a book sale: Confederacy of Dunces and some Nabokov, among others.

The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Dracula

As I was joyously searching through the stacks of Dracula books I'd just recently checked out at the library, I found one in particular that really held my attention: The Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Dracula by Mark Dawidziak.  The innocent looking tome claimed to be "the essential guide to the un-dead," but to me appeared to be no more than just a cozy read.  Although, regrettably, I did not read this in the bath or an armchair, I did read it in bed, and it's trivia and book/movie recommendations made for a comfortable way to wind down before bed.

If you have read Dracula and seen a couple of the movies (preferably Lugosi, Schreck, or Lee), then I would highly suggest this book.  I've read Dracula twice already (this summer is going to be my third), and I've seen movies starring Lugosi, Carradine, Schreck, Oldman, and Nielsen as the infamous Count.  While I don't consider myself a Dracula expert by any stretch of the imagination, I do think that I have enough of a background to remain unfazed by the multiple spoilers this book contains.  If you have minimal experience with Dracula, then I would suggest steering clear of this book, as you would either be a bit lost, or groaning at the spoilers.

All in all, I thought that this was a wonderful book.  I relished Dawidziak's pleasant writing style and candid honesty throughout.  I think my favorite aspect, however, had to be all the trivia.  I feel so much smarter for having read this :P  (I'm sure most of you know I love trivia, haha.)  This truly was a delightful way to pave the way for my reading of Dracula, which is to start very soon.  I'm not sure if I'll pursue another commentary first, or consecutively, though.....Hmm...guess I still have a few things to think through.... In any case, Dracula is the next volume for the LXG Reading Challenge, and I'll be starting it before the end of the week. ;)

LXG Reading Update

I realized that I've been going through my LXG Reading Challenge a bit haphazardly, and as a result, I wasn't really reading anything. So, I've decided to tackle the books in organized chunks. First, I'm going to finish off the vein I've started with The Picture of Dorian Gray, and read the other Gothic novels on the list: Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. After that, I'll move onto Science Fiction, with The Invisible Man and Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Finally, Adventure: King Solomon's Mines and Tom Sawyer. So, that being said, Dracula is next on the list, and with it, I'm reading several supplemental books on Count Dracula and vampires. This wasn't planned, but I found a ton of interesting Dracula supplements and commentaries just sitting there on the shelf! How is any self-respecting English major/Gothic novel fanatic supposed to pass that up??? Haha; well, that being said, please check back soon for more fun :)

Dracula: The Connoissuer's Guide

I just finished Dracula: The Connoisseur's Guide, but now I'm unsure of what to turn to next. I'm thinking about reading a little bit of Edgar Allan Poe while I wait for Dracula (the actual novel itself) to come in from the library. Just a few notes on THIS book...I would say that it was worth every bit of time I dedicated to it, and I would recommend it to anyone who has read and enjoyed Dracula. However, if you haven't read the original, I wouldn't suggest this book, since there would be far too many spoilers.

However, it's wonderful for anyone who has an interest in movies, theatre, history, Dracula, Bram Stoker, folklore, etc. (I happen to be interested in all of them :D)

Happy reading!

The End of Sherlock; the Rise of Dracula

No, no...this does not mean that Holmes failed in his task to overthrow Dracula in Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula, but it does mean that I finished the book, and the logical progression would be into Dracula itself. I'm actually sinking my teeth into Dracula: The Connoisseur's Guide by Leonard Wolf, which does not contain the original book, but is full of the same sort delicious and bloodcurdling facts that I so enjoyed in the copy of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that I was reading earlier. After this, I'll read Bram Stoker's novel. So far, this summer of Gothic novels is going better than I had expected. Not only am I reading some wonderful literature, but I'm also getting my fill of history. :3

Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula

Yes, you read that correctly. This is my current summer reading choice: Sherlock Holmes Vs. Dracula by John H. Watson, edited by Loren D. Estleman

It's actually surprisingly good. I've read various Sherlockain adaptations, and most of them leave you feeling a little cheated, or a little soured at the end. They just don't hold up to the original. Of course, I'm only on the third chapter, but this book has really impressed me so far. Hopefully, the excitement will continue.

To anyone who chooses to read this book, I cannot stress how important it is that you read the Forward and the Preface, because they disclose so much about the story. It's worth the extra ten minutes or so that it would take to review it.

The reviews say that this is supposed to be a treat for both Sherlockian and Dracula fans alike; I happen to be both :3

If you're interested in other adaptations from Sherlock Holmes, or book recommendations of any kind (adaptations, etc.) I'd be happy to supply them. Just type them in with your comments :D