Once bitten, twice damned: 2006

Sunday, December 31, 2006

New Year's Superstitions

Since today is New Year's Eve where I come from (that's Portugal by the way...) and many other countries around the globe, I decided to post some of my favourites superstitions, customs and historic facts that surround this mistic night. I hope I don't get any of you readers scared enough to take precautions ;)

Make as much noise as possible at midnight to scare away evil spirits.

Children born on New Year's Day bring great fortune and prosperity to all the household.

Wear something new on January 1 to increase the likelihood of your receiving more new garments during the year to follow.

Kissing at midnight: To ensure that those affections and ties will continue throughout the next twelve months. To not do this would be to set the stage for a year of coldness.

Taken from © OldSuperstitions.Com

In the Philippines children jump up and down at midnight to make sure they will grow tall.

German's drop melted lead into cold water and take turns interpreting the results.

Taken from © ChiFF.Com

Recognition of Jan. 1 as the first day of the new year dates back to 153 B.C. in Rome, when the date was moved from March 1.

The Babylonians are credited with being the first to make New Year's resolutions. Many people still believe the new year is a good time to reflect on mistakes and vow to do better.

In many places, a Polar Bear Plunge has participants testing their mettle by plunging into freezing water on New Year's Day.

Taken from © DelmarvaNow!Com

It was an old Saxon belief that 2nd January was one of the unluckiest days of the whole year. Those unfortunate enough to be born on this day could expect to dies an unpleasant death.

It is said that if you look through a silk handkerchief at the new moon, which has never been washed, the number of moons you see will be the number of years which will pass until you're married. But it is unlucky to see the new moon through a window.

Taken from © Woodlands Junior School

Don't use scissors on New Year's day or you'll "cut" off any fortune that might have been heading your way.

Taken from © AssociatedContent.com

Friday, December 15, 2006

The Darkness Compendium

"Mafia hit-man Jackie Estacado thought he had it all figured out. After he did his first "job" for the family at 16 years old he knew that, although short, his life would be filled with money, sex, and power. But on his 21st birthday, Jackie inherited the family secret?an unholy power known only as The Darkness--that would change his life forever. Now virtually unstoppable at night or in the shadows, he is master of his dark domain. Little does he know, that the Darkness now has plans of it's own for Jackie.

The Darkness is a bd novel by Top Cow Productions, Inc. created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis and David Whol.
Now they have made a Compendium out of it!

You can read/preview some of its pages here: The Darkness Compendium.

Graphically is very good and the story seems really good.

You can also buy the original issues here: The Darkness - Top Cow Productions.

Helsing Ultimate: The Interview

Anime News Network has published a very good interview with the three artists who did the english dubs for the Hellsing TV Series. The theme is the 2006 OVA "Hellsing Ultimate".

"Years ago, director Taliesin Jaffe, voice actor Crispin Freeman, and producer Jonathan Klein collaborated on the first English language track for the TV version of what would become one of the premiere anime franchises in America - Hellsing - and produced one of the most celebrated English dubs in the history of the medium. Now, in 2006, these three artists - along with the entire original cast - have come together to once more bring the series to life. We sat down with them for a candid chat about diving in to Hellsing Ultimate."

Check out the complete interview here: » Hellsing Ultimate: The Interview «

Early Horror Writings

If you are interested on a bit of history concerning gothic literature, old horror fiction and ancient ghost stories, you should check out this article - Early Horror Writings - which was posted on a blog called Horror Mania.

Here's a preview:

"Horrific situations are found in the earliest recorded tales. Many myths and legends feature scenarios and archetypes used by later horror writers. Tales of demons and vampires in ancient Babylonian, Indian, Chinese and Japanese folklore, and tales collected by the Grimm Brothers, were often quite horrific. [...]"

It talks about the roots of modern horror fiction, mentioning some well known writers (at least for those of us who really enjoy this kind of literature as our bedside reading) dated from the 1700's to the present day.

Although is not really an extensive article it gives a pretty neat perspective and grounds for more research for the ones who are new to this kind of thing.

Hope you like it.

Friday, November 10, 2006

"Devil Water" #2 and "Family Bones" #2

Remember the "Family Bones" comics I told you about some months ago? The one with the elder serial killers? No? Really?? You have not been paying attention!

Ok now, don't worry, it's still here: Uncle and Aunt Serial Killers and here: "The Elders Strike Again".

Now you can get them with "Devil Water" #2, also from King Tractor Films, a Western Horror Comedy, with excellent offers.

You can find more info on this promotion here: Devil Water #2 and Family Bones #2.

Something To Be Desired (STBD) Halloween Special

Just imagine this... You are throwing a halloween party right?! And all of the suddenly... ZOMBIES COME IN!!
You can run, you can TRY to hide, but eventually THEY WILL KILL YOU with laughter!
Zombies who know Karate (or Kung Fu?!?)! A vegetarian zombie! Women who rock at killing zombies! The doubt and the question of what man should be left alive for the end of the world! Ok ok... I won't spoil it anymore!

And plus... It is completely FREE! All in Something To Be Desired Halloween Special!

Really!! These guys are great!!

And the good news is: It's not all about zombies! It's an entire series online!

I advise you to start with their "First Time" video so you can understant the whole thing in less than 5 minutes.

I hope you like it as much as I did!

Thursday, November 09, 2006

"Slayer" on DVD

For those vampire lovers out there, here's another promising release from Anchor Bay Entertainment.

The first look tells me it's going to have lots of blood and action, some known faces, like Jennifer O'Dell (from the "CSI: Miami" TV series), Casper Van Dien (from the "Sleepy Hollow" movie), Kevin Grevioux (from "Underworld"), Danny Trejo (from "The Devil's Rejects") and others that are not so known but nonetheless great actors.

It was written and directed by Kevin VanHook.
Funny thing is... The director's son, Cameron, plays one of the vampires!

The story brings back the old and always current topic of the battle for land. But this time humans fight against those who are not human. In this case, a new breed of ugly and famined vampires imune to daylight.

And if you think you can take them out with common garlic, holy watter and crosses... Well... Think again! "They don't know what God is"!. What works? Hum... Let's see... Stakes and Heads-Off only!
The only problem is, they have all a human doesn't have: inhuman strength, inhuman intelligence, and all the vampire requirements.

Apart from the morbid story we have the wonderful scenario of Puerto Rico, which can even make us feel "at home" within all that horror.

Make sure you don't miss it!

Here's the press-release:

Dear Journalist:

The jungle. Beautiful. Lush. Dangerous. Every year, new species of creatures are discovered within the world's jungles, just as others become extinct. On November 21st, Anchor Bay Entertainment will release Slayer , a story of a company of soldiers sent on a mission into the South American jungle where they discover a new breed of vampire, deadly by day as well as by night! Written and directed by Kevin VanHook (Voodoo Moon , The Fallen Ones , The Damned) and starring Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers, Sleepy Hollow ) and Jennifer O'Dell (“CSI: Miami,” “The Closer,” “Nip/Tuck”), Slayer is a terrifying update on the vampire legend and with an SRP of $19.98, it won't drain you. Pre-book is October 11, 2006.

Slayer begins when a peace-keeping army is dispatched to a remote jungle in South America to investigate a series of horrific attacks. Headed by Captain Tom ‘Hawk' Hawkins (Van Dien) and his second-in-command Grieves (Kevin Grevioux – Underworld , “Angel”, Bowfinger), the squad finds itself in a deadly confrontation with a nest of vampires impervious to daylight. And these vampires are growing in number, for they have gone beyond preying on the local villagers. Now they are directing their thirst towards Hawk's fellow officers, intent on absorbing their military knowledge for their own bloody campaign!

Slayer co-stars Lynda Carter (“Wonder Woman”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Sky High ), cult movie favorite Danny Trejo ( The Devil's Rejects , All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos ) and former Miss Puerto Rico Joyce Giraud (“Joey”, Dude, Where's My Car? ) – and look for Kevin VanHook's son, Cameron, as one of the vampires!

The Slayer DVD also hosts a slew of sinister supplements including:

Widescreen presentation (1.78:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions
Audio commentary by Writer/Director Kevin VanHook and Star Casper Van Dien
Photo and concept art gallery
Script ( DVD -ROM)

Filmed on location in Puerto Rico, including the famous Rio Camuy Caves , Slayer presents an epic battle between the living and the undead against a suitably savage landscape. With its unique interpretation of one of horror's most popular legends, anyone with a stake in vampires will want to take a bite out of Slayer !

SLAYER
Street Date: November 21, 2006
Pre-Book: October 11, 2006
Catalog #: N9000
UPC: 0-1313-89000-8 1
Run Time: 87 Minutes
Rating: Horror
SRP : $19.98

Some useful links:

IMDB: "Slayer (2006)"
Buy On Amazon
"Slayer" Trailer on YouTube
Rent "Slayer" at CafeDVD

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Vampire Myths Around the World: Babylon (Ancient)

Ekimmu
Lilitu
Utukku

People who suffered a premature or violent death, were unfulfilled in love or simply had an improper burial were destined to become one of the most feared vampires in Assyria and Babylon.

This ancient spirit was the result of the soul of the recently deceased being trapped in limbo unable to find peace.

It would therefore wander the earth and attack those unfortunate enough to cross its path.

Source: VampGirl.Com

Also called 'Lilith'.

This vampire, found in Jewish/Babylonian myth, drank the blood of babies and young children.

Source: VampGirl.Com

This vampire spirit is another instance of a 'trapped soul', in that the 'Utukku' was thought to be the spirit of someone who had recently died but had returned from the grave unable to find rest.

There are, however, some instances in which this 'vampire' is described as a demon so I unfortunately I cannot be more precise on this one.

Source: VampGirl.Com

Vampire Myths Around the World: Australia

Yara-Ma-Yha-Who : This vampirelike creature is found in aboriginal culture. The 'Yara-Ma-Yha-Who' has the appearance of a four foot tall red man with an exceptionally large head and mouth. Having no teeth, this creature swallows its food whole and uses suckers on the ends of its toes and fingers to drain its victim of blood. This vampire, like the 'Asasabonsam' of Africa, hides in fig trees and attacks people as they walk underneath. According to Legend if you were unlucky enough to be attacked more than once by this creature you might gradually become shorter and eventually become a 'Yara-Ma-Yha-Who' yourself.

Source: VampGirl.Com

Vampire Myths Around the World: Albania

Lugat : The 'Lugat' does not kill its victims, it will only feed briefly on them and, as such, is relatively harmless.

Source: VampGirl.Com

Vampire Myths Around the World: Armenia

Dakhanavar : (also called 'Dashnavar') This mountain spirit attacks travellers in the night, sucking blood from the soles of their feet as they sleep. Legend tells that it was outwitted by two men who slept with their feet under each others head. The vampire was then confused and ran away never to be seen again.

Source: VampGirl.Com

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Horror Comedy: "Freak Out", The Movie

Another classic has been brought to life again! This time to laugh a bit (or a LOT)!

Horror cult comedy "Freak Out" is now on DVD for you to enjoy... and laugh about! It includes a lot of new features to stand up to the fantasies of the horror-comedy movies fans!

This time a crazy homicidal idiot has been let loose!!! You can't miss it!!! You could be the next victim of his killing spree... You may laugh yourself to death!

Winner of many prizes from movie festivals all over the world, it pr0mises to be a success!

Check Out the press release:

Freak Out

So chilling… you'll laugh yourself to death.

Anchor Bay Entertainment, an IDT Entertainment company, gives cult film fans yet another treat with the November 7 th DVD premiere of Freak Out , director Christian James's first excursion into stomach-clutching, bloodcurdling and drop-dead hilarious horror. Winner of numerous accolades including the “Commendation Award” for Feature Films at Manchester's Festival of Fantastic Films, “Best Genre Cross-Over” Award at the Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival, and an official selection at the Montreal Fantasia Festival, Freak Out is set up to please both “serious” and “spoof” horror fans alike. SRP for the 2-disc Special Edition DVD is $19.98 and pre-book is September 27 th 2006 .

Turning the great horror movie clichés on their severed ears, Freak Out opens like all great slasher films -- with a flashback of an incidental character. Young Cliff is being dropped off at school by his alcoholic mother, only to be tormented by his teacher and peers. Thirteen years later, Cliff escapes from a mental institution to find that the school that he vowed revenge on is no longer standing. Disappointed and with nowhere to go, Cliff wanders onto the doorstep of horror film addicts Merv and his best friend Onkey. With visions of slashers and maniacs and box-office grosses (oh my!) dancing in their heads, wannabe schlock kings Merv and Onkey fit Cliff with a potato sack on his head and cover his face with a hockey mask, transforming him into the ultimate homicidal filmaniac. Things soon take a turn for the worst after the killer “finds his groove,” dispatching shoppers and employees alike in a supermarket. With their Frankenstein officially out of control – killing everyone in sight -- Marv and Onkey start to have second thoughts. Can they stop their own creation or are they – and the town -- doomed?

Freak Out has already created a buzz among comedy and horror aficionados. The film has been critically acclaimed by Rue Morgue, calling Freak Out “one of the finest indie horror-comedies of the year,” All Things Zombie who raved “a winner, destined to be a fan favorite,” and Arrow-in-the-Head who dubbed the film “A high-rolling, non-stop laugh fest.”

Freak Out is stuffed with an asylum-full of bonus features including:
Two audio commentaries with Director/Writer/Producer Christian James, Actor/Writer Dan Palmer and Actor/Producer Yazz Fetto (#1); Christian James, Dan Palmer and Actors James Heathcote, Nicola Connell and Chilli Gold, moderated by BBC Radio 1 movie critic James King (#2)

“Making Out” Behind The Scenes Featurette
“Geek Out” Featurette – Internet movie critics expressing their views on the movie
“Bum-Feeling 101” Sketch featuring the characters of Freak Out
“5 Minute Film School” Humorous and informative film school-type tips
“Honey, I Blew Up The Looney” Featurette
“The Video Store” Spoof films
17 Deleted Scenes
Zaniac Music Video

Just for you to get the taste, here's an hilarious preview:

Some useful links:

Official Website: FreakOutMovie.com
Freak Out @ Myspace.com
Buy it on Amazon: Freak Out (DVD)

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Sorcerers amongst the 'Ewe' tribe in southeastern Ghana and southern Togo in Africa were often thought by the tribesfolk to be possessed by a vampire spirit known as an 'Adze'.

This vampire has the appearance of a firefly and flies around preying on young children, drinking their blood but also drinks coconut water and palm oil.

If caught it will revert to human form.

Source: VampGirl.Com

This vampire originates from the Ashanti people of Southern Ghana and is also found in Togo and the Ivory Coast.

These vampire creatures hide in trees in dense forests and attacks and kills anyone who walks underneath.

The 'Asasabonsam' is of human form except for its iron teeth and hooklike legs which it uses to trap its victims.

Source: VampGirl.Com

Witches in the eastern Cape region keep these vampire creatures as servants which they use to attack their enemies.

The 'Impundulu' is passed down from mother to daughter in the Witch's family and, rather like the 'Incubus', is able to transform into handsome male and seduce its witch mistress.

This vampire is thought to possess an insatiatable appetite for blood and will drain its victim to the point of death if allowed to do so.

Source: VampGirl.Com

This vampire originates amongst the Ashanti tribes living on the Gold Coast although it does reappear under different names amongst neighbouring tribes.
For example, In Dahomean folklore it is called the 'Asiman'.

The 'Obayifo' is another example of witchraft as this 'living vampire' is the spirit of a male or female witch that is able to leave its body and flies around at night feeding on young children.

This vampire, which has the appearance of a glowing ball of light, is also said to cause blight in crops: as well as drinking blood, the 'Obayifo' is partial to the juice of some fruit and vegetables and will destroy whole fields if it drinks too much of this.

Source: VampGirl.Com

History of Vampires

For those who are interested in the origins of the vampire myth (amongst some other curiosities!) here's a very good page: "Vampires in Myth and History - by Beverley Richardson"

It pretty much covers it all, from the Slavic Vampires to legends involving Bats, mentioning the Gypsie lore and the Romanian roots of vampirism.

I liked it and I thought it was interesting without being boring to read. Hope you enjoy it.

Here's a little introduction to what the article is:

" Vampire myths go back thousands of years and occur in almost every culture around the world. Their variety is almost endless; from red eyed monsters with green or pink hair in China to the Greek Lamia which has the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a winged serpent; from vampire foxes in Japan to a head with trailing entrails known as the Penanggalang in Malaysia.

However, the vampires we are familiar with today, although mutated by fiction and film, are largely based on Eastern European myths. The vampire myths of Europe originated in the far East, and were transported from places like China, Tibet and India with the trade caravans along the silk route to the Mediterranean. Here they spread out along the Black Sea coast to Greece, the Balkans and of course the Carpathian mountains, including Hungary and Transylvania.

Our modern concept of the vampire still retains threads, such as blood drinking, return from death, preying on humans at night, etc in common with the Eastern European myths. However many things we are familiar with; the wearing of evening clothes, capes with tall collars, turning into bats, etc are much more recent inventions.

On the other hand, many features of the old myths such as the placing of millet or poppy seeds at the gravesite in order to keep the vampire occupied all night counting seeds rather than preying on relatives, have all but disappeared from modern fiction and film.

Even among the Eastern European countries there is a large variety of vampires."

Continuining with the topic of vampires in history, we also have one article about it in Wikipedia => Vampire

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Horror Movie: The Tooth Fairy

It looks like the next best thing is ripping off our childhood fantasies.
And this movie seems to promise that and a lot more.
Lots of blood and agonizing screams from little and innocent children...
Oh well... Ok ok... You're right! I'm overreacting I guess!

Here's the picture... Remember that childhood myth we had about the tooth fairy?
Almost all kids picture her as a gentle and beautiful fairy who would come in the night to get your teeth and leave some money to replace it...

What if the truth wasn't quite so? What if she is not as beautiful as you imagine
her, and not so young? What if she is already dead?

"Amid the idyllic splendor of the Northern California woods, a quaint country

inn offers respite for the weary traveler.
It also harbors a dark secret.
Almost sixty years earlier, it was the crumbling home of a malevolent witch who lured in children, stole their teeth, butchered their bodies, and cursed their souls to wander the earth forever.
Now, the witch's slumber has been disturbed, and her vengeful spirit seeks the slaughter of all who stay there.
And for one eleven -year-old girl with a loose molar and an active imagination, the ultimate horror begins with a visit from The Tooth Fairy..."

You can watch a preview on youtube.com

Here's the complete press-release:

"Cavities can be the Root of all Evil!

Dear Journalist:

Remember the innocence of putting a tooth under a pillow at night and finding it mysteriously transformed into a reward the next morning? My, how times have changed…Anchor Bay Entertainment, an IDT Entertainment Company, extracts the dark side of a beloved childhood ritual with The Tooth Fairy ! Co-written and produced by legendary producer Stephen J. Cannell (“The A Team”, “Hunter”, “Profit”, “21 Jump Street”) and featuring such horror alums as P.J. Soles ( Halloween, The Devil's Rejects ) and Jesse Hutch ( Freddy Vs. Jason ) , The Tooth Fairy turns the innocent fairy tale into the ultimate nightmare! Presented uncut with never-before-seen footage, The Tooth Fairy also offers bonus features, including an audio commentary and behind-the-scenes interviews, that viewers can really sink their teeth into! Open wide for The Tooth Fairy on August 8, 2006 , with an SRP of $19.98. Pre-book date is June 28th.

Directed by Chuck Bowman from a teleplay by Stephen J. Cannell, Corey Strode and Cookie Rae Brown and starring Carrie Fleming (“Masters of Horror: Dario Argento's Jenifer”), The Tooth Fairy rips to shreds the whimsical icon. Amid the idyllic splendor of the Northern California woods, a quaint country inn offers respite for the weary traveler. It also harbors a dark secret. Almost sixty years earlier, it was the crumbling home of a malevolent witch who lured in children, stole their teeth, butchered their bodies, and cursed their souls to wander the earth forever. Now, the witch's slumber has been disturbed, and her vengeful spirit seeks the slaughter of all who stay there. And for one eleven -year-old girl with a loose molar and an active imagination, the ultimate horror begins with a visit from The Tooth Fairy...

The Tooth Fairy DVD provides a full set of extras including:

* Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1), enhanced for 16x9 TVs
* Uncut Version – Never-Before-Seen Footage
* Audio Commentary with Director Chuck Bowman, Producer/Writer Stephen. J. Cannell and Actor Jesse Hutch
* Hatchet Job: The Making of The Tooth Fairy
* Cast and crew interviews
* Trailer

THE TOOTH FAIRY
Street Date: August 8, 2006
Pre-Book: June 28, 2006
Catalog #: DV14147
UPC: 0-1313-14147-9 0
Run Time: 89 Minutes
Rating: Not Rated
SRP : $19.98 "

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Horror Movie: The Garden

Another horror film that promises to be a success.
I saw the promotion movies and I liked them very much. They have really frightening images.
The plot line is very interesting. Check it out:

"Sam (Adam Taylor Gordon) is a boy with big problems: he is besieged by nightmares (sometimes religious in nature), he cuts himself and he's recently been released from a mental hospital. When he and his recovering alcoholic father (Brian Wimmer) are involved in an auto accident, they are forced to stay on a ranch owned by the enigmatic Ben Zachary (Henriksen). Soon, Sam's dark visions become frighteningly real. Even Sam's benevolent teacher (Young) gives no comfort. Amid the wheat stalks and horse trails, the dead walk, evil is everywhere and Sam fears that an apocalyptic prophecy might come to pass."

If you want to see images and videos about this movie, please visit this site: The Garden, Media Player

You can see the complete press-release »» here ««

Comes out July 11

Anime: Street Fighter II

I guess almost everyone of my generation (and older!!!) remembers the famous gaming series of "Street Fighter" from Capcom.

The success of the first game was not at once obvious as it envolved new game technics that not everyone got used to in the first place.

However, the next title, "Street Fighter II" became one of the most popular games of the 90's and it had for about 5 or 6 alternative versions. After that came "Street Fighter Alpha", and so on. You can read all about it »» here ««.

Its success turned out to be feeding Hollywood's hunger for blockbusters as the movie version of the game was released.
"Street Fighter: The ultimate battle" (1994) featuring Van Damme as Col. Guile was, however, not the success it was hoped to be.

It was about time to start a anime TV Series: »» "Street Fighter: The animated series" (1995)«« and »» "Street Fighter II: V" (1995) ««.
Still on the anime's path, but now on the animated movie versions, we find »» "Street Fighter II: The Movie" ««, »» "Street Fighter Zero" (1999) «« and »» "Street Fighter Alpha: Generations" (2005) ««.

This summer the Street Fighter fever strikes again with the new movie from "Manga Movies" and "Anchor Bay", available on July 18th.

“AN ENJOYABLE SPECTACLE AND VASTLY SUPERIOR TO ITS HOLLYWOOD COUNTERPART" ~ TIME OUT

This version comes "with additional graphic - and sexy - footage previously unseen [...] of graphic violence and nudity [...] including the notorious Chun Li shower scene", just like the UK's unrated version.

Plus, "each Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie DVD contains an exclusive, all-new Street Fighter mini-comic-book from Japan 's famous Udon Comics.".

"If You've Seen Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie Before,

You Haven't Seen Anything Yet…"

You can read the complete press-release »» here ««

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Porphyria

Today I watched an episode of the "CSI: Las Vegas" series. It was about a woman who used her dog to kill runners in the area she lived. At first our "anti-hero" Gill Grissom thought that she was doing it to sell their organs... Turned out she made "milkshakes" with them!

You may wonder "What does that got to do with the por...err...something you wrote on the title?"...
Well, Porphyria is an hereditary kind of digestive disorder (which she had...), more acurately called abhnormalitie, that is sometimes associated with vampirism... The symptons are awesomely similar! So she had to absorve human proteins to "remain a human" (or else... she would look like a monster).

From the site of the "National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC)":

"Porphyria is a group of different disorders caused by abnormalities in the chemical steps leading to the production of heme, a substance that is important in the body. [...] Multiple enzymes are needed for the body to produce heme. If any one of the enzymes is abnormal, the process cannot continue and the intermediate products, porphyrin or its precursors, may build up and be excreted in the urine and stool."

The disease has different groups separated based on the effects it has in the body. So, as stated in the NDDIC Site:

"The cutaneous porphyrias affect the skin." (people can't stay exposed to the sun or else they'll get blisters and such) and "The acute porphyrias affect the nervous system" (which carries along all the nasty pains we have when we are in an nervous breakdown: pains in the chest and several muscles, paralysis, vomiting, constipation, personality changes, mental disorders, etc...).

It's an hereditary disease than can be passed by only one of the progenitors (autosomal dominant gene) or both (autosomal recessive gene).

As for the whys... The same site says the following:
"Attacks of porphyria can develop over hours or days and last for days or weeks. Porphyria can be triggered by drugs (barbiturates, tranquilizers, birth control pills, sedatives), chemicals, fasting, smoking, drinking alcohol, infections, emotional and physical stress, menstrual hormones, and exposure to the sun.".

The great variety of symptoms an the fact that they are common to other variety of diseases make it's diagnosis difficult and very complex.
Porphyria can be treated directly with heme, by medicines or drawing blood.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

The Elders Strike Again!

Family Bones #2 is released in June!

"In FAMILY BONES Chapter 2, rebellious teen Sean has found himself on the
farm of his Aunt and Uncle. The city boy is trying to keep up with the
very demanding Ray. Sean has only been on the farm for a little while but
already Ray has him picking rocks from the fields and plowing under
threats of violence. How could this get any worse? A girl. Family Bones
is based on a true story about teenage angst, family secrets, and murder
on a small Midwestern farm."

You can order the book from:

King Tractor Films
Dimestore Productions

Here's some previews for your delight:

You have more information about the book on the King Tractor Film's Site

Monday, April 17, 2006

Uncle and Aunt Serial Killers

"Bizarre Comic Book Based On True Life Elderly Serial Killers Released

King Tractor Press is releasing the first issue of Family Bones in May 2006. The first in an on-going series based on the Copeland murders."

Promo by © Erik Wilson

The story of the comics book tells us about a city teen named Sean who ends up having to live in the country with his uncles for a whole summer... And those two are Ray and Faye Copeland, the famous elderly serial killers!
Here is the complete press release for this: PRWeb

Seams like a good idea! Look they give us a page to enjoy from the 1st volume (the page #4):

You can see other pages in the King Tractor Films page (the first set of links I give you below...).

Useful Links:

King Tractor Films Press: here and here
Paperback Readers Review
Review on The Wall Street Journal Editorial Page
Silver Bullett Comics Review
The Mistery Of The Haunted Vampire - Living with serial killers

If you care to read about the true story behind the comics here are some useful links:

Crime Library - Rare Breed
Blog Of Death - Faye Copeland
Serial Killers A-Z - Ray Copeland
Bizarre Magazine - OAP Killers

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Dark Animes: Karas

This appears to be one hell of a release! Hope you like the sneaks as well as I did...

For now I'll have to leave you with some previews. I promise I'll write something about it after I see it!

Some press comments about this anime:

"Top 5 most anticipated anime of 2006" - Anime Insider

"... Impossible to tear yourself away" - Newtype USA

"Anime's Batman Begins" - Anime Insider

You can download a PDF version of the press release here: Karas' Press Release

Interesting Links About This Anime:

For the DVD / OVA (6 Episodes):

Official Site (English)
Official Site From The OVA (Japanese)

AnimeDB - Karas, OVA
Anime News Network - Karas, The OVA
Anime Web Turnpike - Review on the release announcement
A review on Eat My Brains

For the Mini-Comics version:

Dark Horse Site (with preview)
IComics Review

I guess it will turn out to be really something!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Elizabeth Bathory

Some call her the queen of blood. Others call her the first true vampire. Whatever her label, Elizabeth Bathory has gone down into the history books as a sadistic woman, and whose horrific crimes have made her one of the most infamous women in vampire lore.

Elizabeth Bathory was born a noblewoman in 1560. Her family held lands throughout Transylvania, and were considered one of the most powerful families in the country. When she was teenager, she was betrothed and married to an equally powerful nobleman by the name of Count Ferencz Nadasdy. Throughout their marriage she took many lovers.

At age 25, Bathory began to be terrified of growing old and losing the beauty that she had come to depend on so greatly. After Count Nadasdy's death in 1604, she moved to her family's lands in Vienna, where her obsession would quickly grow dark and evil. Bathory had by this point in her life, according to some accounts, begun to dabble in some forms of sorcery, attending rituals that would include the sacrifice of horses and other animals.

Bathory's personal obsession with blood started quite harmlessly, by all accounts. One of her servant girls had not been performing to her standards, so Countess Bathory struck the young servant girl in the face with scissors. The servant girl's blood sprayed across Bathory's hands. When the Countess went to rinse off the blood, she felt her skin looked smoother and younger than it had in years. The tenuous connection between blood and youth had been made, and it was from here that she began her bloody descent into evil.

Convinced that blood, particularly the blood of young girls, was the secret to eternal youth and beauty, Countess Elizabeth Bathory began to devise scheme after scheme to provide herself with the blood, and therefore the youth, she so desperately sought. During her reign of terror, which lasted several years, some accounts of her murders number in the 600 region or more. Some of these six hundred women killed were noblewomen like Bathory, albeit of a lower station, that she persuaded to come and work for her.

The murders were not as simple nor as straightforward as you might think. Bathory did not deal in simpicities like slitting the throats of the young girls she killed. Most of these servant girls were tortured by Bathory for weeks or even months before they were killed. They were cut with scissors, pricked with pins, even prodded with burning irons onto sharp spikes in a cage hung from the ceiling to provide Bathory with a "blood shower".

No one, not even a noblewoman, can continue these types of crimes indefinitely without questions being raised. The year 1610 marked the first of the inquiries into her crimes. By December of 1610, she was put on trial for her crimes. It has been speculated that the trial was brought about so speedily not only to bring quick justice for the murdered girls, but also (and primarily) to allow the local government to confiscate her family's not inconsiderable land holdings. Many believe the main reason the noblewoman was put to trial at all was for this reason.

No one can accomplish such a venerable feat as six hundred murders alone. Erzsi Majorova, the widow of a local tenant farmer, has long believed to be both the instigator and the brains behind the procuring and the disposal of the murdered girls. Many other accomplices, not named, were also put to trial, and found guilty. All accomplices, including Majorova, were put to death, each by different methods depending on the roles they played in the crimes.

Due to her nobility, Bathory was not allowed by law to be sentenced to death. She was sentenced to life imprisonment at the top of her castle in Cachtice. Her small room had no windows, no doors, and only a small opening in the wall to allow food to be passed through. There were few slits for air, and that was the total of her contact with the outside world. Elizabeth Bathory died in that room in August of 1614.

Her reputuation as a vampire grew not only from her greed for blood to bathe in to maintain her youth, but also for rumours that surfaced during the trial. It was said she bit the young girls and drank their blood outright. Evidence of this was difficult to come by as her court documents were sealed after the trial due to their scandalous nature. They resurfaced later, but were never found in intact form.

Bathory's reputation as a vampire has been celebrated numerous times in film. The movies Daughters of Darkness (1970), Countess Dracula (1971), Blood Castle (1972), Ceremonia Sangrienta (1972) and La Noche de Walpurgis (1972) all have brought Countess Elizabeth Bathory's story to the big screen.

The Vampire of Croglin Grange

Late in the 17th century, there was a town called Croglin Grange (in Cumberland County, England). It's been said by some that the town was visited by a vampire... and the young lady in the tale barely escaped with her life.

A one-story home in Croglin Grange was rented to a two brothers and their sister. One summer night, when the heat from the day still clung to the air, the sister was looking out her window at the stars. It was too hot to sleep. Suddenly, she noticed two lights that flickered in and out of the group of trees that lay beyond her window.

She watched the lights as they emerged from the trees. She had a sense of something dark and foreboding. Frightened, she ran to the door.

As she unlocked the door, she heard scratching at the window, and then pecking, as though someone were trying to get inside. With a start she realized that fingers were unpicking the lead from the window. The window glass crashed crashed into the room and the creature climbed in.

Long bony fingers twisted in her hair as she felt teeth pierce her neck. She screamed aloud. Her scream woke her brothers and they scrambled to break down the locked door to her bedroom to come to her aid. By the time the brothers got through the door, the sister was already unconscious on the bed, and the creature had fled. Although one brother gave chase, the creature eluded him.

The family moved away to help the sister to heal; seven years later they returned to face their demons. That March, the sister heard scratching again at the bedroom window. She screamed as loudly as she could.

One brother managed to wound the creature in the foreleg with a pistol but the creature still escaped into an old family crypt that had been in Croglin Grange for centuries.

The next day one of the brothers summoned everyone in Croglin Grange to the crypt and opened the vault. Inside, all coffins but one had been broken. One was intact with only the lid skewed to one side. Within, the townspeople found a withered, mummified corpse with a fresh bullet wound in the foreleg.

Disturbed, the villagers removed the corpse and burnt it atop a pyre; and the vampire of Croglin Grange was no more.

The Story of Arnold Paole

This story is a very curious myth about a man who became a vampire after having had encounters with one of thos undead beings.

It tells the tale of a 18th century man named Arnold Paole that returned to his hometown near Belgrade after having a troubled incident with an undead being while stationed during his military service. In this point I Angie McKain's version states that it was in Greece, while on Wikipedia they mention a place name Gossowa which they suppose is Kosovo.

After having sustained severe injuries from a fall while working he eventually died.

The problems began with reports from locals about having seen Arnold Paole alive after he had been buried a month before. And those locals turned up dead for unknown reasons some time later.

So, a group of experts decided to digg him up. What they found then were clear marks of what they believed was a vampire - no skin decomposition, fresh skin and nail growth, fresh blood on the , etc.

Upon such evidence they took the necessary measures to "kill the beast" - with the traditional stake and garlic. Wikipedia states also that they did the same to all the villagers that had died after having seen Paole.

The solution worked for some years, but then it started hapenning again - the misterious deaths and reports of dead people walking the village.

The experts got to the graveyard again to investigate the case and they found more than 10 corpses with the same vampiric signs as Arnold Paole had when he was dug up. This time they wrote a report an signed it. The report is still amongst various history books and you can find an English version here: http://www.dagonbytes.com/vampires/history/arnoldpaul.htm.

Nowadays, the story is refuted taking the lack of medical knowledge at the time as the basis among other inconsistencies on the report.

References:

You can find a complete version of the story on Vampyre Vineyards written by Angie McKaig.

Wikipedia has also an article on that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Paole. It is much more accurate and descriptive than the one from Angie McKain and the facts differ in many aspects. Many copies of this version are duplicated in several websites so I chose this one as the "proper one" due to the Wikipedia's reputation.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Quotes On The Vampire Lore

"Vampirism was one of the most demonic outbreaks of mass hysteria ever to sweep the world. Its origins are rooted at the beginning of time and almost all of them are founded on superstition."

- Anthony Masters, author of The Natural History of The Vampire

"The origins of the vampire myth lie in the mystery cults of oriental civilizations...the Nepalese Lord of Death, the Tibetan Devil, and the Mongolian God of Time."

- Devendra P. Varma, author of The Vampire in Legend, Lore, and Literature

"The concept of the vampire is not only firmly rooted in legends and folk-myths of antiquity, but also established by facts of history and eye-witness accounts."

- Devendra P. Varma, author of The Vampire in Legend, Lore, and Literature

"[T]he vampire (or its structural equivalent) was a universal figure in human culture, which emerged in the natural course of life. That is to say, the vampire probably emerged independently at many points in human culture. There is little evidence to suggest that the vampire emerged at one time and place, and then diffused around the world from that primal source."

- J. Gordon Melton, author of The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead

"The vampire is the night-prowling symbol of man's hunger for - and fear of - everlasting life...The mixture of attraction and repulsion...is the essence of the vampire concept."

- Margaret Carter, author of the preface to Varney the Vampire

"There are reasons for talking mummies and roaming vampires - psychological ones. Psychologists tell us that nearly every one of us has a hidden fear of being buried alive."

-Thomas Aylesworth, author of Vampires and Other Ghosts

"Whether we read books and watch films about vampires for psychological reasons or simply for entertainment, each of us keeps the vampire myth alive. While we may be able to understand rationally that vampires do not exist, who among us does not start at the shadow at the window, the squeak in the dark?"

- Daniel C. Scavone, author of Vampires

The Myth Of Cain

One of the most current and popular myths involving the vampire origin is that of the Biblical character, Cain.

Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain, a tiller of the ground, and Abel, a shepherd. Both brought offerings to God, Cain brought the fruits of the ground, and Abel, brought one of his flock as an offering. God approved of Abel’s offering, but not that of Cain’s. Cain became very angry at this. As he and Abel where in the field on day, Cain rose up and struck his brother repeatedly until he was dead. God asked Cain “Where is your brother?” and Cain answered “Am I my brothers keeper?”. God asked Cain what he had done, that his brothers blood cried to him from the earth. For his punishment in slaying his brother, Cain was cursed, the ground would not produce anything for him any longer, a fugitive and vagabond he would be. Cain told God his punishment was more than he could bear, to always be hidden from the face of God and driven out from the face of the earth. Cain also told God his concern of being killed, but God set a mark upon Cain that if any should harm him, they would suffer punishment sevenfold. Cain then left into the land of Nod.

In myth, it is said that the curse that God had set upon Cain was to be cast into a world of darkness with a continuous craving for blood, and this curse has been passed from generation to generation, all the way up to the vampires of today. It is said that when Cain went into the world of darkness, that he became acquainted with Lilith, the first wife of Adam. She had given some of her blood to Cain, which awakened him to his ability. After wandering for years in the wild, he returned to being amongst the mortals where he built a city called Enoch. There, Cain created the second generation of vampires by turning three mortals, they in turn created a third generation of vampires in vast numbers, and Cain finally forbade the creation of vampires from thence on.

After some time, the city Cain had built was destroyed by a flood. Cain ended up abandoning the city and leaving all the generations of vampires behind to do what ever they wanted, but before he left, he reminded them of his command to not create any more vampires. The vampires completely rebelled against Cain’s command and made a 4th generation of vampires, who rose up against the elder vampires of the third generation, killing all but a very few.

Over the next 1000 years, At times, it was said that a person who claimed to be Cain appeared here and there. One of his most heightened appearances is known in a story in which he appeared amongst a band of gypsies and embracing a man by the name of Ravnos, after his father had been killed by other vampires. As time went on, Ravnos was introduced to Ennoia (Ennoia was the daughter of Lilith, and half sister of Cain.)Ravnos ended up turning Ennoia into a vampire. Ennoia later betrayed Ravnos and caused death to come upon Ravnos. Because of this, Cain cursed her. Ennoia later became known as the creator of the clan Gangrel. It is said that if Cain ever makes any appearances, it is done rather speedily.