The Appearance, Movie Review

The Inquisition and the black plague was a period of time that is open to storytelling of many different strains. In The Appearance we are treated to a tale of an inquisitor who believes strongly in the scientific method. He is brought to an out of the way abbey and the small town that supports it to determine if a woman is truly a witch.

The Appearance is a thriller/adventure movie with a touch of horror. There are elements to make you jump, but without gore. There is a scene near the end of the movie that implies a sexual situation. The Appearanceis not rated, but I would say it would be a PG-13.

I saw a screening of The Appearance at the 2018 FilmQuest Film Festival (website). You can also find additional information about The Appearance on Internet Movie Database (IMDb link).

Plot Summary

Early on, after we meet the inquisitor, Mateho, we know the abbey he is going to is someplace he has been before. Someplace long ago. He doesn’t have kind memories of the abbey, yet he is going because it is his duty and his own personal calling. He is a man of science and is determined to prove the women accused of being a witch is not.

There are a series of incidents after the inquisitor’s arrival that the abbot, Scipio, and others quickly explain are due to the witch they have in the dungeon. Mateho uses his knowledge in the sciences to show that each is due to natural events. However, the events continue.

Eventually Mateho has to accept the reality of the situation and deal with what is truly the reason behind the events, and the accusation of witchery. It isn’t until he is willing to face the facts of the abbey, past and present, that he is bring the accusation, and the case, to a close.

Cast

Most of the actors listed in The Appearance also have parts in the recent television program The Outpost. One notable exception is the part of Johnny, who is played by Kristian Nairn (IMDb link). He is more widely known for his role of Hodor in Game of Thrones. Kristian Nairn was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. He does a wonderful job in the role of the sidekick/guard/confidant of the inquisitor.

Mateho and Johnny

The inquisitor, Mateho, is played by Jake Stormoen (IMDb link). He has also been a part of the Mythica movies. Jake Stormoen was nominated for Best Actor. His portrayal of the inquisitor sets up from the beginning that he is haunted by his own demons.

One of the monks, Felix, played by Adam Johnson (IMDb link), summoned an inquisitor because of the events at the abbey. Here again, the role is well portrayed as the reasoning, faithful counterpoint to the abbot.

Michael Flynn (IMDb link) plays the abbot, Scipio. I liked how Flynn brought the abbot to life on the screen with his own internal conflicts and justifications. Here is a character who is struggling with what has happened and working to maintain control and loyalty. He presented a man who believes he is doing the right things and works to justify his actions the best way he knows how.

Isabel is the accused and is played by Baylee Self (IMDb link). Her ability to use facial expression in the film adds a lot to the story telling and who the character is, even though hers is a small part.

Together these actors were nominated for Best Ensemble Cast. The interaction between the characters was great. The story is stronger because of how these actors brought their roles into the fold of the overarching story of the movie.

The cast was directed by Kurt Knight (IMDb link) who also wrote The Appearance.

FilmQuest Cthulhu Awards

The Appearance was nominated for nine awards. Along with the three awards listed with the cast the movie was nominated in the following categories.

Best Cinematography: Benjamin Allred

Isabel

Best Sound (Winner)

Best Score (Winner)

Best Production Design

Best Costumes

Best Makeup

Overall

The Appearance was a fun movie to watch. The horror aspect of the movie were in line to the thriller setting. There were points of surprise (horror) to make you jump, but no gore was shown on screen. There is a scene near the end that has implied sexual content. Although there is some foreshadowing on how the movie will end, the use of reoccurring symbols and a slight twist tied up the story nicely.

The visuals and music throughout the movie brought me into the story. Its great settings and look of the characters provided a touch of fantasy with the expected historical aspects. The score complimented without overtaking the storytelling.

Kurt Knight, director and writer, has mentioned that this might just be the beginning of the adventures that Mateho faces.

I give The Appearance 3 out of 5.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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World of Darkness: The Documentary, Movie Review

Roleplaying games have been around for a very long time. Formalized games have been with us for about 50 years. Then, in the early 1990s a game was introduced that caused a change. Not just a change in the roleplaying game industry, or even the game industry, but a change that rippled out and affected many areas of current society. Vampire: The Masquerade introduced us to a dark side, embracing the concepts of being a creature of the dark instead of hunting it.

World of Darkness: The Documentary is an exploration of the phenomenon that came from White Wolf Publishing. It starts back at the roots of White Wolf and brings their story forth to the present day, covering over 30 years.

World of Darkness doesn’t just cover what happened with White Wolf.

It looks at what it meant to be a player in the early days when roleplaying games were just gaining a place on the fringe of society. It brought back memories for me, of being in high school and waiting for the Dungeon and Dragons books to be published. It describes how it influenced the Wieck brothers.

World of Darkness explores how Vampire influenced the roleplaying game industry and influenced other games. The rise of the narrative and movie further away from the heroic fantasy setting that the hobby was known for at the time. How, with the rise of Vampire, more women became a part of the roleplaying community.

It further explores beyond the gaming industry. The influences of Vampire are shown to influence the course of pop culture through the movies that have been influenced or come directly from the World of Darkness created by White Wolf. Modern classic horror films that include the Underworld and Blade franchises. Even popular television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

There is more to the story besides the influences on the media culture. Profiles of the live action events and the players who attend are sprinkled throughout the movie. The game has influenced many lives and continues to be a part of what many do for regular entertainment.

There have been troubles along the way for White Wolf and the documentary covers some of that and even has commentary from the founder of the fan club who ended up in court with the company of the game they love. It explores the attempt to become an online gaming presence and the hardships faced as the company had to change directions as entertainment modes changed.

Overall

When I look at a documentary, the most important part is the presentation of the information. World of Darkness: The Documentary was a fair and informational presentation of widely known facts and additional information. It is a celebration of the game and the movement it embraced and helped grow. But, it’s not a fan flick. It doesn’t show the company as being perfect, but has a more holistic approach.

The production work of the movie is good. There is the balance of information. And, there is the presentation of the people who are the fans: the misunderstood counterculture.

I enjoyed the documentary. It gave me a broader understanding about a hobby I enjoy and the society I live in.

For fans of Vampire and Werewolf, this is a documentary that can be deeply appreciated.

For fans of roleplaying games, this is a movie that will give you a better understanding of what is happening in your hobby and how it has changed, and how it is still changing, from the influences White Wolf introduced.

For fans of the World of Darkness setting, or the pop culture surrounding it, this might not be where it started, but this is where the first major explosion took place.

I give World of Darkness: The Documentary 3 ½ out of 5 for general viewing and 4 out of five for those who are already familiar with the subject matter.

World of Darkness is releasing September 18, 2018 on multiple platforms, including Amazon (link).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Alive. (2018), Movie Review

Alive. is a mystery in a horror setting, even though it is listed as a horror thriller. I don’t want to go into a lot of detail about the plot; it would be easy enough to give up the mystery. I’ll give you a jump on the mystery and other information about the movie.

I saw a screening of Alive.at the 2018 FilmQuest Film Festival (website).

Plot Summary

A man and a woman wake up in an abandoned building. It looks like it was possibly a medical facility of some sort. They have no memory of who they are and how they got there. They are unable to leave, or even see what is beyond the walls of the building.

They have a caretaker who is helping in their recovery. A man who is making sure that while they are getting better they are unable to leave.

I really want to say more about the plot of Alive., but it would spoil the fun.

(Small spoiler) The only fault I give to the story is how the leads don’t solve their own mystery. They are given the information by others which, however, sets the movie up to be a classic tragedy where the characters get what they want and not what they need.

Thomas Cocquerel and Camille Stopps

Cast

The male patient is played by Thomas Cocquerel (IMDb page). He is known recently for his role in Table 19, which is a very different role than what he has in Alive.. Camille Stopps (IMDb page) plays the female patient opposite of him. She is known for her work in television series including Guilt Free Zone. Their caretaker, listed as “The Man,” is Angus Macfadyen (IMDb page). Macfadyen has a long string of credits which include Robert the Bruce in Braveheart and Jeff in Saw III and Saw IV.

The actors are great in their roles. They took on their characters and brought them to life  throughout the movie. The interaction between them was disturbingly moving as they learned more about each other.

I was rooting for the characters to solve their mystery to see how they would react to the situation.

FilmQuest Cthulhu Awards

Alive. was nominated for six awards.

It was in the running for top honor of Best Feature Film.

Camille Stopps was nominated for Best Actress—Feature.

Angus Macfadyen was nominated for Best Supporting Actor—Feature.

Rob Grant (IMDb page) was nominated for Best Director—Feature.

Alive. was also in the running for Best Makeup—Feature.

The screenplay, written by Chuck McCue (IMDb page) and Jules Vincent (IMDb page) was nominated and recognized as the Best Screenplay—Feature.

Angus Macfadyen

Overall

Alive. is a well written mystery worthy of your time. If you are expecting a thriller, you will probably think that the movie moves slower than it should. However, those are the scenes where McCue and Vincent are subtly setting out the clues (and red herrings) to the mystery they have crafted.

I promised a clue to the mystery earlier and it has probably been annoying some you from the beginning of this article. The title is Alive.. Alive with a period. The additional punctuation and lack of capitalization after the period has been purposeful, just like in the title. So, say the title as “Alive Period” and think about how that sounds.

I give Alive. 4 out of 5.

This movie is worth seeing on any size screen if you get a chance to see it on. I know as others figure out the mystery they are going to want to share it.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Preparing for FilmQuest 2018

I mentioned today I was going to a film festival starting tomorrow and I had someone ask, “What film festival?” The only one they could think of here in Utah is Sundance.

I’ll give Sundance its due that it does well and is internationally recognized, but it is not the only film festival in Utah with those credentials.

FilmQuest (website) is a film festival for science-fiction, fantasy, and horror.

Last year was the first year I attended and I was impressed. In just over a week I watched a lot of movies. They were from short films, presented in blocks, and feature films. Over the year some have made it to theatrical release and awards around the world.

It was an enjoyable time.

Here is a quick list of the reviews I wrote last year with links to the articles.

Dead Shack (link) horror

The Gateway (link) sci-fi/horror

Curvature (link) sci-fi

Dead Leaves (link) sci-fi (post-apocalyptic)

The Secret Garden (link) steampunk

Gnaw (link) horror

Diani and Devine Meet the Apocalypse (link) comedy sci-fi

Muse (link) horror                                                                   

Flora (link) historical sci-fi/horror

Please, let me know if you enjoy any of these. This year’s reviews will be coming soon.

Thanks,

Dan

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Tower of Madness by Curt Covert, Game Review

The townspeople say it is just another haunted house you and your fellow investigators are approaching. But you know the Elder Gods are stirring. You are one of the few who understand what is happening, and what is ultimately at stake. You enter looking for clues to solve the riddle of this house and how it ties into the greater horror. The things you have seen have already touched your mind, and there are times when you’re not sure what you are seeing is real anymore.

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Tower of Madness, by Curt Covert is a semi-cooperative game based on the Cthulhu mythos. As with other games designed by Curt Covert, there is the possibility of one of the players being or becoming a traitor who works for the demise of the rest of the group, and in this case the rest of the sane world.

I had the opportunity of playing a four person game of Tower of Madness at SaltCon End of Summer Event (website and Facebookpage) 2018.

Setting

Arkham is the easiest way to describe the setting you’re in. This is based on H.P. Lovecraft’s creations of Cthulhu and the rest of the Elder Gods. The look is for the early 1900s. This provides the theme of the game, but you don’t have to worry about getting into the actual horror aspects presented by Lovecraft’s works.

Mechanics

Tower of Madness has several levels of play that players work through.

Investigators search through a series of settings attempting to solve the mystery associated with it. This is done by a random series for the game, and a game doesn’t include all of them. To solve the investigation a variation of the dice game Ship, captain, crew (Wikipedia explanation) is used. If the investigation is successful, then play passes. If more than one investigator is successful, then the high score collects the location for points. If an investor fails, that player pulls a horror.

When a player is unsuccessful in solving the investigation, they pull a horror from the tower. The tower is hollow and the horrors are long “pins” pushed through the tower holding up marbles. This is where the game received a quick nickname of Cthulhu Ker Plunk (here’s a link about Ker Plunk). Unlike Ker Plunk you can’t see the marbles inside the tower. The marbles are different colors representing different affects for the player.

There are four different colors of marbles. One is worth victory points, another grants spell cards to be drawn, the third drives the player’s character insane, and the final one works as a countdown for the unleashing of Cthulhu. The players win if all of the locations are investigated and the three green countdown marbles haven’t all been released. Scores are tallied for the highest score.

However, this is a game from Smirk and Dagger. And, Covert likes to add a traitor aspect.

In Tower of Horror, a traitor is a player whose character goes insane. They are now working to release the Elder God and bring insanity to the world. If they can get the green marbles to drop, they win. If the locations are completely investigated, they automatically lose.

Art

Multiple artists are given credit on Tower of Madness. All of it works together to maintain the Eldritch them. It is age appropriate.

Overall

Tower of Madness is designed to be a lighthearted game based in a horror setting without the horror.

I played a five person game. It was light and we had fun. This doesn’t require developing strategy. You roll the dice, determine the outcome, then, if you have to, you pull a horror. In our case we were moving right along and nearing the end of investigations, one of us went mad. He used his spell cards as soon as another person had to pull a horror and won the game.

The spell cards had their own twist. Each card had two spells, one for when the character is sane, and the other for when the character is insane.

For the fans of the style of play of earlier games from Smirk and Dagger, Tower of Madness will fit right into your game shelf.

Tower of Madness is designed by Curt Covert and distributed by Smirk and Dagger (web page). It is designed for 3–5 players of ages 10+ for 40–60 minutes.

Tower of Madness is available from Amazon (link).

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You follow behind the Reginald as he makes his way through the darkness. His flashlight shows a narrow path down the hall when you hear a giggle coming from in front of you. You don’t see anything unusual until Reginald turns to face the group.

His giggling continues and his shoulders shake. You reach out to shake him back to reality when he smiles and his right eye rolls in his socket while his left one focuses on you.

“Reginald what have you done?”

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Lovecraft’s Pillow by K. Scott Forman, Anthology Review

I don’t remember if I read my first H. P. Lovecraft story in elementary or junior high school. But, when given a chance to review a book entitled Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read it. I didn’t want to ruin the relationship. However, I’ve had the chance to read some of K. Scott Forman’s other work including his story in The Hunger (link to review). I thought Lovecraft would be treated well.

I picked up a copy of Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales at the League of Utah Writers (website) Spring into Books 2018 event for review purposes.

The Selection

Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales by K. Scott Forman is a collection of horror stories as one would expect. The author selected thirteen of his short works to reprint. I am sure Forman purposefully selected thirteen because he also wrote the foreword on Friday, April 13, 2018.

These tales are a showcase of Forman’s ability to tell a good horror story. Settings are from the past, the present, and into the future. These tales range from lighter horror stories crafted to make you think about the possibilities to those reminiscent of the book’s namesake with the teller slipping into realms of insanity.

The Progression

The first story, “The House That Jack Built,” is told in the style of H. P. Lovecraft. By the end you are left wondering if the person is sane or if there is something greater to be concerned about. “Lovecraft’s Pillow” brackets the book at the end, tying the just over 100 page book nicely together.

In between the brackets be prepared to take a ride that will slide you to one side and then jerk you back the other way.

Forman’s book structure creates a wonderful arc taking the reader on a journey. The stories are stand-alone tales that build on the theme, taking you from recollection of the style to a final resting place that keeps you thinking about what may come next.

Overall

Lovecraft’s Pillowis an excellent collection for anyone who enjoys horror shorts. I found this to be a wonderfully decrepit read.

Lovecraft’s Pillow and Other Weird Tales is published by Fear Knocks Press, which is where Forman also maintains a blog (website).

The book is also available on Amazon (link).

I give Lovecraft’s Pillow 4 ½ out of 5.

About the Author (From the Book)

K. Scott Forman is a writer and editor. He co-edited and contributed to the first three volumes of Fast Forward: A Collection of Flash Fiction along with working on three more volumes, a novel, and a flash novel for Fast Forward Press. He also edited It Came From the Great Salt Lake: A Collection of Utah Horror and has published several short stories and poems. He was the recipient of the Robert Creeley Scholarship in 2007 at Naropa University, and graduated with a Master in Fine Arts degree in 2009. Scott teaches English Composition at Weber State University, and was an adjunct faculty member at the National Cryptologic School. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and enjoys long walks in inclement weather, sunsets with blood in them, and Metallica at volumes determined unsafe by the Surgeon General. He currently is at work on the Great American Novel. He makes his home in the Rocky Mountains with his family and a collection of guitars.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Tales from the Storm: Volume One by C.R.Langille, Book Review

Anthologies from a single author can be a great way of highlighting their work. C.R. Langille's collection, Tales from the Storm: Volume One succeeds at showcasing his ability to write horror. He has brought together seven of his short stories, ranging from his first published work to items published in 2017, in this self-published work. They're not in chronological order, instead they are in an order to take you on a journey through place and time.

I was given a copy of Tales from the Storm: Volume One from the author at the League of Utah Writers (website) Spring into Books 2018 event for review purposes.

Style

Each of the stories are complete and self-contained, but with enough left at the end to keep you wondering about what was still to come. These endings made me pause before continuing on to the next tale. This is the style of anthology I really enjoy; being able to read an entry and then set it aside for a bit to allow you time to ruminate.

The settings are different for each story. This made for a fun read. I was taken from early Mesoamerica, to the old west, into the present, and off to a post-apocalyptic future. The variety of locations provided a sampler of C.R. Langille’s creative ability. In these tales, there are touches of Lovecraft and Poe.

The stories came in different voices and point of views. The stories flowed through the narrative without being forced. Tales are told in both first and third person. Each was appropriate for the tale being told.

Tales from the Stormare stories for mature readers. The stories deal with allusions to the darker side of human nature. They are all fantastical in nature to set them far enough out of the everyday possibilities, but a parent may want to make sure the reading is suitable for their younger readers.

Overall

Tales from the Stormis a collection of horror shorts that will make you think.

I enjoy well written horror stories, and I enjoyed every one of the stories in this collection. I’m looking forward to volume two.

I give Tales from the Storm Volume One 5 out of 5.

Tales from the Storm is available on Amazon (link).

About the Author (From the Book)

C.R. Langille spent many a Saturday afternoon watching monster movies with his mother. It wasn't long before he started crafting nightmares to share with his readers. An avid hunter and amateur survivalist, C.R. Langille incorporates the Utah outdoors in many of his tales. He is an affiliated member of the Horror Writer's Association and received his MFA: Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hall University.

Follow his exploits at www.crlangille.com.

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Dr. Stuart’s Heart by Johnny Worthen, Book Review

I’ll start off by saying I usually don’t review standalone short stories. This is an exception because Dr. Stuart’s Heart by Johnny Worthen builds on a story presented in a novel I reviewed, Beatrysel (review).

Dr. Stuart’s Heartprovides more backstory to a scene presented in Beatrysel. It wasn’t explained in the novel, nor did it need to be for the novel to work. However, this provides interesting information for those who enjoyed the book.

Dr. Stuart’s Heartnot only provides backstory to the larger story, but is a wonderful little horror tale on its own. You don’t need to have read Beatrysel to get what is happening here. You also don’t need to read Dr. Stuart’s Heart to plug a hole in the novel. It’s just some additional good dark fun.

Here is a tale of a professor with a broken heart who has been desperately working to reconnect with his lost love. He thinks he has found a way by helping a graduate student who has surpassed him in knowledge and ability of the occult.

If you’ve read Beatryselyou will enjoy Dr. Stuart’s Heart. This short piece is also a wonderful introduction into Johnny’s work (personal website).

I received a copy of Dr. Stuart’s Heart from the author for review purposes.

Dr. Stuart’s Heartis published by Omnium Gatherum (website).

Dr. Stuart's Heart is available on Amazon (link).

About the Author (from the book)

Johnny Worthen is a lifetime student of the occult and supernatural. Raised in a secluded suburb of Salt Lake City, he gravitated to the more obscure paths of spiritual knowledge. He is a Freemason, twice Past Master of his Lodge, youngest ever at the time.

Johnny received a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a Classics minor before earning a Master’s Degree in American Studies from the University of Utah. He lived in Oregon until the rain drove him back to the dry high deserts of Utah. He married his junior-prom date and together they have two sons.

After many varied and interesting careers, Johnny writes full time now.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Donn’s Hill by Caryn Larrinaga, Book Review

Donn’s Hill, by Caryn Larrinaga, is a wonderfully told, haunting tale of Mackenzie Clair. A women in her late twenties who decides she needs a new start, after returning from her father’s funeral and finding her boyfriend in bed with another women. Mac has fond memories of the town of Donn’s Hill, a place her mother took her every year for the Afterlife Festival. The memories gave her hope. A place to start a new life away from the one she hadn’t really wanted herself, but had become a part of by following her now ex-boyfriend, Josh, after graduating from college.

I was given a copy of Donn’s Hill by the author at a recent writers’ event sponsored by the League of Utah Writers (website) for review purposes. Donn’s Hill received the award of Silver Quill from the League of Utah Writers in the Adult Book category and a finalist in The Dragon Awards for Horror category in 2017. Donn’s Hill and Caryn Larrinaga deserves both of these honors.

Plot

Donn’s Hill was a peaceful place from Mackenzie’s past. It was where she had happy memories of a time when it was her and her mother. She didn’t know her dad then, only after her mom passed away did she meet him. Now that her father had also passed away, and other parts of Mac’s life fell apart, she wanted a new start. She wanted a peaceful place.

Some townspeople remembered Mac’s mother and were quick to identify her because of their close physical resemblance. But her first greeting as she passed the town’s sign was a tortoiseshell cat. But, Striker, the cat, was not the first resident to seek out Mac.

While Mac works to create a new life for herself, she comes to understand she has the same gift her mother had, she’s psychic. And she is now an important part of solving a murder that happened before she arrived in town.

Style

Donn’s Hill is a great combination of mystery and the paranormal. The book is suitable for young adult readers with enough complexity for older readers. The location is well developed. The first person point of view lends itself to the telling, and the story elements are well handled.

Caryn Larrinaga does a wonderful job of creating the fictional location. The town of Donn’s Hill is known for its Afterlife Festival and its history of dealing with the supernatural. It is also listed as one of the most haunted locations in the states. With all of this going for it, the townspeople know truths about the supernatural that most people scoff at.

Mac tells her own story. Key points of her backstory are nicely interwoven with the events she’s now facing. This keeps the pace moving without bogging it down from an overload of details not important to the current situation.

Foreshadowing was given, an important aspect of mysteries, which helped build the story and deliver the climactic scene. The twist was still relevant without being overly exposed. Hardcore mystery readers will probably figure it out earlier, but it is still a fun read to see how Mac pulls the clues together.

Characters

There are great characters through Donn’s Hill. Mac has depth that is presented throughout the book. The characters are heroine interacts with have their own motivations as well. They are not stagnant characters as they move through the storyline on the sidelines of Macs activities. By the end of the book there are others who we have met that you will want to find out more about.

This is a good book to recommend for young adult readers. There are strong female characters throughout Donn’s Hill. We start by meeting Mackenzie, but along with her we have Penelope Bishop, the Deputy Mayor, Dr. Lee, the town veterinarian, Kit Dyedov, a new friend, Gabrielle, owner of the Nine Lives Book Exchange and old friend of Mac’s mom, and Deputy Wallace. These reminded me of women in my own life and it was good getting to know them.

The portrayal of Striker was a fun interlude between the points of tension. Anyone who’s had a close pet knows how they sense the mood of the people around them. Caryn uses Striker as a great counterbalance to relieve tension in the story, which pets naturally do.

Overall

Donn’s Hill was a good read that kept me interested. I quickly went through the 328 pages and was left thinking about what comes next for Mackenzie Clair.

The story is strong and has emphasizes the mystery. The horror element is present in the use of the supernatural and in solving the mystery. Since it is about a murder, there are some details written in.

Characters are alive and personable. They have depth even when they only come to the page a few times.

I look forward to reading more from Caryn Larrinaga (website).

I rate Donn’s Hill5 out of 5.

Donn’s Hill is available from Immortal Works (website).

Donn's Hill is available on Amazon (link).

About the Author (from the book)

Caryn Larrinaga is a Basque-American mystery, horror, and fantasy writer living in Utah with her husband and cats. Despite obtaining a degree in Anthropology (which is much cooler that you might think), she explored several career paths before deciding that she had to follow her passion. Suddenly, writing fiction was the only thing that made sense.

Watching scary movies through split fingers terrified Caryn as a child and inspires her to write now. She lives in a 90-year-old house with a colorful history, and the creaking walls and narrow hallways send her running (never walking) up the stairs from her basement whenever she has no other choice but to go down there. Exploring her fears through writing makes Caryn feel a little bit less foolish for wanting a buddy to accompany her into the tool shed.

When her fingers aren’t glued to her laptop keyboard, Caryn also enjoys binge-watching superhero television shows, reading, playing video games, and filling up her phone’s flash memory with pictures of her cats. She loves music, and plays the bass guitar.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Andy Warhol Presents, a Twofer Retro-Movie Review

I had the unique opportunity of watching two cult classics originally released in the early 1970s. Both of these films were produced by Andy Warhol and created in the studios he had at that time for film projects pushing creativity. They were Flesh for Frankenstein(1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974). I wouldn’t be surprised if you said you haven’t heard of either of these flicks.

They are billed as horror because genre identification is usually required for marketing and placement. However, these two films are dark comedies in a horror setting attempting to be light pornography. The mashup works if you are looking for a movie to share with a group of friends who are already into the campy and are not easily offended.

Both Movies

More blood comes out of single wounds than a body should hold. This is one of the over-the-top aspects used in these films. It is clear they were made to push boundaries from the use of full frontal nudity, shocking statements, and use of sexual premise for the basis of the stories. Of course, this fits with the other films from the studio and the writer/director.

Written and Directed by Paul Morrissey, these were his last two films made in conjunction with Warhol Studios before he left in 1975. Frankenstein and Dracula were his more main stream releases and by some standards considered his best successes during the entirety of that period of work. He no longer makes films due to not being able to maintain an independent stance free of outside influences.

Three actors star in both movies in similar roles: Udo Kier plays The Baron and The Count, Arno Jurging is his assistant, and Joe Dallesandro is the sexual interest.

Udo Kier didn’t start his career with these movies, and has been productive ever since. Kier is an actor many people have seen and don’t recognize with nearly 250 acting credits for both the big and little screen. This includes 12 movies scheduled for release during 2018 and more after that.

Arno Jurging played Otto and Anton, the assistant to the title character in each movie. His ability to play off the lines and acting of Udo Kier was something to watch. I believe a major reason for getting these roles was the use of his eyes. He continued acting for another 10 years in Europe.

Joe Dallesandro was part of the Warhol movie factory experiment with a number of movies. In both of these movies he was given lead billing. His participation was most likely due to his popularity at the time. He has maintained a presence in front of the camera since that time, even if his star power wasn’t brought forward. At the time of this writing he has a movie in post-production due in 2019.

Both movies are testaments to the time period in which they were made. There are scenes that probably wouldn’t be allowed today, and if they were would create a backlash. Our standards have progressed to which some of the scenes which were clearly made to be shocking aren’t and others that make people feel uneasy about what they are seeing.

Flesh for Frankenstein

Baron Frankenstein is out to create his own race of humans/zombies. The man and woman are his first step, with his eventual goal being their children. Those will be his perfect children. He is assisted by Otto, a man who wants to emulate the baron.

The Baron is married to his sister and they have two children. Early in the movie, while at dinner, the adults talk to set the facts of their parentage. The Baroness complains about how bad their parents were and their peculiarities including how bad their mother was due to her sexual appetite. Which you find out is very much the same for the Baroness. The children sit and watch (between them only one word is spoken in the entire film).

Because the Baron and Otto are working to create a new race of humans, the Dr. must find the perfect head for his male. He explains to Otto how they need a man with an unmatched sexual appetite, which is located in the head, so they go stake out the nearby brothel. Unfortunately they mistake the movies sexual interest with his friend, who at the best is nonsexual and ready to go join a monastery, or is homosexual and interested in his friend and ready to join a monastery.

During his working in the lab, the good doctor has a close brush to necrophilia. After a scene where he is on top of the female cadaver with his hand inserted through an incision into her abdomen he delivers one of the strangest lines I’ve heard, “To know death, Otto, you have to fuck life... in the gall bladder!” Of course Otto ends up killing the maid and the female zombie as he attempts to do just that in his attempt to be like the great doctor.

There is a pile of bodies and a lengthy death scene at the end. Our sexual hero is left hanging from a chain with the two children in the laboratory. And, if you want to know what happens next, then you will have to decide how to watch it.

The look of the laboratory seems to have influenced the laboratory in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which came out a couple of years later.

Blood for Dracula

As with its predecessor, this movie focuses more on challenging the societal norms of the times. The sexual theme is pretty much the same. Some are disturbing based on a different approach.

The opening sequence is Dracula applying makeup and hair dye. An interesting touch showing he is old. Soon we learn he is dying because vampires need virgin blood. We learn this when Anton explains his plan to save the count, the last remaining vampire because they go and place Dracula’s sister in her coffin. As you can tell by now both of these movies use a lot of maid and butler dialogue to convey the story.

The locals have become wise of the Dracula family and there are no virgins in the area. Anton has developed a plan to save the Count by traveling to Italy where there must be virgins because of the Vatican and influence of the Catholic Church. His cover story is the Count is looking for a new wife who, according to family tradition, must be a virgin.

They end up at an estate that is going bankrupt with four daughter, and the hired woodsman. The oldest daughter is considered off the market because she is considered tainted and ugly. The next two are of marrying age. And, the youngest, at fourteen, is too young. The parents believing they have the opportunity of regaining some of their wealth gladly invite the two men into their home.

Of course the two of marrying age are having at it with the hired hand. This is shown as a controlling/abusive relationship with him having, literally, the upper hand. The oldest daughter is more directed than her next two younger sisters and is working at maintaining the household as best as possible from going into ruin. While the youngest is naive.

Dracula attempts to feed on the two middle daughters which makes him violently ill. Using his control over the two bitten women, he has them go to fetch their youngest sister. The planned kidnapping goes badly and the woodsman figures out the visiting noble is a vampire. To protect the youngest sister he rapes her against a wall, which she decides she likes.

The woodsman goes after Dracula and cuts of his arms and legs one at a time during the chase. While lying on the ground the eldest sister comes running to Dracula’s rescue. When the axe handle is forced through his chest she throws herself upon it to be with him.

Dracula is a wimp. The movie actually does a pretty good job of getting you to start feeling sympathetic for a vampire because he is so physically sick. The only power he is seen to have is a little bit of control of the two daughters after they are bitten.

Final Note

Again, both of these movies are for those who are into campy “B” flicks. They are offensive to some modern ideals. And, they are not family movies.

On the other side they are dark comedies that won’t really make you laugh, except at the absurdity of what you’re watching, but at how they were using horror to mock the prevailing/ruling culture of the time.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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The Hunger, Anthology, Book Review

If you like your horror in smaller bites, The Hungerprovides a menu worth perusing. This is a collection of short stories and poetry provided by the Utah Chapter of the Horror Writers Association (website). All of the inclusions are from Utah writers, and most have a dash of local flavor enhancing the fare.

The Hunger is presented in a menu format, providing three courses of consumption. As the reader, you have 24 selections you can work through by finding particular items appealing to your appetite. Or, like me, you can be gluttonous and devour everything from start to finish.

Entree

There are 14 entrees. The selections range from 3 to 19 pages, providing something fitting for anyone looking for anything from a small plate to a full serving. The range of tastes is also quite exquisite. Each is titled to give a hint of what it brings to the table. But, to get the full enjoyment of the plate, I suggest you just dig into one. And, then have a serving of another.

Intermezzo

Here we have 6 pieces of poetry providing palate cleansing. As the diner, you may choose to intermix these smaller delectables between your selections of entrees. Some prefer these selections together so they may savor the flavoring of witty word play.

Digestif

Four items are available and this section concludes the menu. Here we have those which the talented staff have selected to help in the final consumption of the meal you have been enjoying. The choices range from 4 to 14 pages and each leaves a different taste.

Overall

The range of topics around the title theme, The Hunger, is broad enough to appeal to just about every taste of horror consumer. There will always be a favorite, and one that just didn’t go down right. But, as they are placed together, they make a good menu.

The Hunger does contain some stories parents might not consider suitable for their younger eaters. Young adult diners may have already encountered some of the ideas presented and I leave that to the discretion of the adults managing their diets.

The authors include some with collections of short stories and books already on the market to new ones earning their earliest publications. It is a nice mix of established flavors and new tastes. All fit in well and are stories fitting with the theme of the completed work. This isn’t a vanity work, but a collection highlighting talented Utah authors.

I’m glad I picked up a copy of The Hunger at a recent event in Salt Lake City. After satiating the pangs welling up from the depths of my being, I am looking forward to trying some of their other servings. I am also looking forward to the after dinner discussion with friends to find out which ones they enjoyed the most.

The Hunger is edited by Caryn Larrinaga (Managing Editor), Johnny Worthen, Callie Stoker and Terri Baranowski and published by Twisted Tree Press.

Bon-appetit.

The Hunger is available on Amazon (link).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Book and TV Series Review, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and on Hulu

This is a guest article by Alisha Upwall.

Dystopian novels are a favorite of mine. Something about a bleak future with reminiscences of how good it used to be versus the stark reality of what a “better” utopian-esque society looks like is fascinating to me. Although Margaret Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale in 1985, the book has gained a resurgence of popularity, including a multiple award-winning TV series on Hulu that debuted in the spring of 2017 with a second season ready to debut on Hulu Wednesday, April 25^th.

The story follows the path of a woman named Offred who, like other fertile women, is forced to be a handmaid—someone whose role in society is to bear children, but not raise them. Due to an extremely high rate of infertility, the upper class chose to recreate their society based on Biblical ideas where husbands and wives who are infertile would use a handmaid to bear children for the couple. Women are forced into this role and raped monthly in a ceremony involving the entire household.

The themes are (obviously) mature, and especially with the TV series, they don’t hold back. As painful as it was to watch these scenes, most episodes included a fertility ritual—I was encouraged by how it was produced. These scenes were not sexualized at all. There is no nudity during the rape scenes and camera angles do not glorify what is happening. In the few episodes where consensual sex is shown, camera angles are completely changed becoming much more sexualized. Where there was no consent before, when there was, it was made obvious by how much differently the scenes were filmed.

Key differences between The Handmaid’s Tale versus other more recently published dystopian novels are the inclusion of flashbacks—people actively remembering how life used to be, and that the timeline for societal changes is short—within the last few years. Being the first generation to decidedly make immense changes to how their society functions, the flashbacks and memories about how the changes came to be are frequent and disturbing (especially as their society is eerily similar to current American society).

That the impetus for these changes was brought on due to concerns that presently affect our society made the premise of the story convincing—horrifying even—to consider how a small group of powerful people can change life for everyone. It also says a lot about our current society that some of our basic concerns haven’t changed as much as we might like to think in the last 30-some odd years. Women’s rights have improved considerably, but as political parties and groups vie for control even now over medical decisions for women (not to mention the ever-present rape culture, dress codes for school-age girls inching toward our more Puritan roots in some areas, and then there’s the #metoo movement) we still have progress to make. Atwood keys in on fears that power in the wrong hands could do real harm to all of us, especially for the more vulnerable in our society.

Interestingly, Atwood and the writers for the series do a phenomenal job at showing how this type of life and society harms women and families—the exact ones it says it will protect and provide for. The handmaids are revered in word, but in action they are treated as slaves. The upper-class wives are shown to deal with sharing their husbands sexually in extremely different ways (for even the same woman). From outwardly needing to show they approve of the situation they are in to those in authority or outside their social circles to inwardly and to close friends despising it—the pain these women face from sharing their husbands sexually is palpable.

Margaret Atwood

As the handmaids are trained in a center to ensure that they know proper etiquette for the monthly ceremonies they must go through, alongside having their wills broken (so that they will concede to being raped regularly), they are also called together to take vengeance upon members of the community who are found guilty of sexually assaulting a handmaid or not fulfilling her duty as a handmaid. This comes across as a cathartic release of anger as these women literally stone people to death. It also leads to a fantastic turning point in the story where these women take back power that has been wrested from them and stand up to the system that has repressed them.

While the first season of the TV series ends where the last chapter of the book does, it will be interesting to see where the writers take the story. The epilogue of the book, however, is where my reading was frustrated. Although the contents of the book are horrifying, there is hope that Offred will make it, that she will persevere and find freedom. In the epilogue though, it’s revealed that Offred’s story is from a collection of tapes found by historians years into the future. The writing style is so incredibly different—which makes sense as it’s part of a paper presented at a conference. The real problem I had was that in the end, Offred’s story is not her own. It is told by men who have carried on sexist cultural customs. It was disappointing that things hadn’t seemed to change much in society for women in the future.

What I did appreciate about the book and TV series was that the oppressed people in Gilead knew what they had left behind. They remembered because they either were of the elite who chose to create their society, or they were caught up in the gradual changes before they realized the ramifications, and it was too late. Although the changes the elite made were destructive to American ideals and society, there is an under girth of hope that things will change because they remember that life used to be different. Atwood makes a case for people choosing to take an active role in government to make life better for everyone.

Alisha Upwall is a writer and editor living in Riverton, Utah. She works when she should be sleeping, and spends her days reading, entertaining her daughter (with the help of caffeine), and making gourmet food for herself when everyone else is away.

The Handmaid's Tale is available on Amazon (link).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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