Dark Animes: Requiem Of The Darkness

The Story:

It's the end of the Edo period and the darkness means fearing real monsters.
Momosuke Yamaoka is an aspiring author workink on a book called "The 100 Stories".
He ends up meeting a misterious trio of scoundrels, known as the Mataichi gang, who judge criminals for karmic debts "in the name of the Ongyo...".

It has 13 (so far?) episodes of gore, horror and supernatural feelings.

The Trailer:



The Characters:

• Momosuke, "The Riddler"
  
  He wanders from place to place, seeking tales of ghosts and the supernatural to write in his book "The 100 Stories".
  His title, the Riddler, refers to the childish riddles he thinks up.


• Ogin, "The Pupeteer"
  A lonesome woman with a bright personality with seemingly no bad points.
  The term Puppeteer refers to how she will manipulate a puppet on one hand while she recites Gidayu ballads.


• Mataichi, "The Karmic Enforcer"
  He is the leader of the gang, named after him.
  A faithless man who dresses as a priest, enjoys the wild bohemian life - women, alcohol, gambling and all its vices.
  No one knows anything about his past.


• Nagamimi, "The Bird Caller"
  The old trusty partner of Mataichi who possess many powers.
  A wise gentle-hearted giant, master of the disguise.
  The term Bird Caller refers to his ability to call birds by means of a
  whistle which mimics their song.

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Good Links:

Official Websites
Requiem From The Darkness
Madman's Official Website
Kosetsu Hyaku Monogatari Official Website

Reviews:
T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews
Anime On DVD Review
Anime News Network Review

Info Websites:
Anime Network
Anime Nfo

Buy it at Amazon.com

Family Bones #5

Chapter 5 of Family Bones - the real story of the older serial killers couple of America (Ray and Faye Copeland) is now available for preview.

This fifth chapter begins Sean’s slide into madness. Beaten senseless by Ray, Sean’s only hope is the help of the neighbor farm girl, Wendy. But she can’t save him from the monsters when the lights go out under the patchwork quilt. By his fingernails Sean holds to the edge of his humanity while Ray continues to try and bring him deeper into the family.

They have dropped the price of the comics to only $2.75.
If you liked the other chapters, you can't miss this one.

Check out King Tractor Films' webpage to get some page samples: Family Bones #5: The Great Race.

Unicorn driving!

A true story:

A man told police not to blame him for crashing his truck into a light post — it was that unicorn behind the wheel

weird...

According to physics' laws vampires cannot exist

Physics scientists Costas J. Efthimiou and Sohang Gandhi have discovered a mathematical theory that proves that vampires, zombies, ghosts and such things can't possibly exists in this current universe.

Their theory is based on the reduction to the absurd. In short, they prooved that, according to mathematical calculations, the way the vampire population would increase as time passed by, would dramatically reduce the human population to almost zero in a matter of months...

They also try to proove why is it a nonsense believing that ghosts can go through walls.

You can find the paper here: "Cinema Fiction vs Physics Reality" (PDF).

Of course, this had to upset vampire fans an believers. So, different opinions had to rise eventually as the paper came out.

A "counter-opinion" has been released based on a "vampire-slayer" perspective (involving mathematics and such): "Math proves that the Buffy universe harbors no more than 512 vampires".

Javier Pazos has given another opinion to refute this paper in his blog: Ghosts, Vampires and Zombies. A good one that presents the humourous side of this matter.

As for me I think these scientists are missing the simple fact that justify the mere existence of "paranormal effects": THEY ARE MEANT TO CONTRADICT PHYSICS!!!
Or else... they wouldn't be "paranormal" and "behind human understanding".

And since even physics change over time to reveal strange and bizarre theories such as quantum mechanics that contradict the common sense, why should we trust that there are such things as "the-ones-that-cannot-exist"?

A mistery unveiled

The author of the horror thriller "Heart-Shaped Box" was finnaly uncovered as the older son of the famous Stephen King - Joseph Hillstrom King...

The identity of "Joe Hill" has been kept a mistery for quite a long until his novel became a huge success...

Read it all here: "Secret of horror writer's lineage broken".

Family Bones' author autograph session

Nephew of Serial Killers Promotes Comic About Family This Weekend.

Shawn Granger, author of a comic book about his own family - "Family Bones" - will be signing copies of it at the Wizard World Comic Book Convention at the Los Angeles Convention Center this weekend (March 16-18).
He will be at table 2208 A&B - 2212 A&B.

The comics were a huge success at the New York Convention.

Volume #4 of the comics will be out in April '2007.

1st volume release: "Uncle And Aunt Serial Killers"
2nd volume release: "The Elders Strike Again"
4th volume preview: Family Bones #4 Available in March Previews


Shawn talks about the issue of dealing with family problems:

When you try to tell a story that hits so close to home, such as 'Family Bones', its hard not to get conflicted about it [...] There are so many sides to life and I didn't want to sensationalize anything. Reality can be scary enough. I worked really hard to give the readers an insight to the hidden horrors that you can't see behind the curtains. When the lights go out, what really happens in the darkness of your neighbors' homes? Do you even know what's happening right now in your own family?

All about Shawn's Granger presence at the Convention: Serial Killers' Nephew Writes Family Bones Comic Book, Signing At Los Angeles Wizard World This Weekend (Booth 2208).

Dante's Inferno - "The Divine Comedy"

A few months ago I found a book from Matthew Pearl called "The Dante Club" while wandering around my usual book store.

I thought «well, that's something different... maybe I'll enjoy this 'Dante's Hell'-like murdering stuff somewhat»...
I was bored about the type of books I usually find and I kind of liked it! A little bit too "literary" and not very easy to read but enjoyable.

Anyway... this isn't supposed to be a book review so I'm missing the subject.

Although I haven't finished reading it yet I was rather curious about the contents of Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy", wich is used as a reference for the book's gruesome murders.
Since I even read a bit of Sir Thomas More "Utopia" («De Optimo Reipublicae Statu deque Nova Insula Utopia» in it's original Italian (?) title) no harm would be done to make some research about Dante's "Divine Comedy".

Dante's "Divine Comedy" was originally written in Italian, in the Middle Ages (between 1308 and 1321).
It is composed of 3 canticles, each one with 33 cantos:

• Inferno (Hell), which represents Sin
• Purgatorio (Purgatory) , which represents Penitence
• Paradiso (Paradise), which represents Salvation

The hero in the book - Dante himself - travels through those three realms of the dead with 2 guides:

• Latin poet Virgil - author of the Aeneid - guides him through Hell and the Purgatory
• Beatrice Portinari - Dante's childhood love - is his guide through Paradise (as Virgil, being a pagan, cannot enter Paradise). She is also the personification of beatific love.

The poem starts in Good Friday (1300) with Dante close to suicide (as most interpretations state) and surrounded by the beasts of sin - lion, leopard and she-wolf - when Virgil came to him.

Hell
"Abandon all hope, you who enter here"

In the shores of the Acheron, before entering the gates of Hell, he finds souls that are not in Hell nor in Heaven - the Opportunists (people who did nothing in life) and the Outcasts - stinged by wasps and hornets (that symbolize the sting of the conscience), and surrounded by maggots who drink their blood (symbolizing the pestilence of sin).

The souls in Hell are those who justify their sins and have knowledge of the Past and the Future but not of the Present - therefore... they know nothing as time stops after Judgement Day.

Hell has 9 concentric circles, each one being successively more evil than the outer one.

The innermost circle is where Satan is. Each circle has it's punishment.

Satan is in the center of Hell, with a black, a red and a yellow face chewing traitors - Brutus, Cassius and Judas Iscariot - a giant beast deep covered in ice, weeping and beating its wings trying to escape - but instead ensuring its imprisonment.

The 9 Circles Of Hell

1. «Limbo» - home of the unbaptized and the virtuous pagans - which only sinned for not recognizing Christ.
2. Souls possessed by lust are punished here being blown about to and fro by a violent storm (symbolizing e power of lust to blow one about needlessly and aimlessly).
3. Here the gluttons are guarded by Cerberus, forced to lie in the mud in the violent rain eating their excrements.
4. In this circle are punished the avaricious and the prodigal, whose concern for material goods deviated from the desired mean. They are guarded by Plutus, pushing heavy weights against each other over and over again.
5. Here those consumed by wrath fight each other in the muddy river Styx, while the ones who are consumed by sloth lie beneath the water.
6. The Heretics are here, trapped in flaming tombs.
7. Here, the Minotaur guard the violent. It is divided in 3 rings:
1. The Centaurs, commanded by Chiron, patrol the river of boiling blood (Phlegethon) in which are submersed the violent against people and property
2. The people who commited suicide are thorny trees in this circle torn at by the Harpies. The profligates - who destroyed their lives by destroying money and property - are chased by raging dogs.
3. Here are the blasphemers, the sodomites and the usurers, in a desert of flaming sand in a rain of fiery flakes.
8. «Malebolge» - The punished here are the fraudulent, divided into 10 ditches:
1. Panderers and seducers - whipped by deamons walking in opposite directions
2. Flatterers are steeped in human excrement
3. Those who committed simony are placed head-first in holes in the rock, with flames burning on the soles of their feet
4. Sorcerers and false prophets have their heads twisted around on their bodies backward, so they can only see what is behind them
5. Corrupt politicians (barrators) are immersed in a lake of boiling pitch, guarded by devils, the Malebranche
6. the Hypocrites walk along wearing gold-gilded lead cloaks
7. Thieves, guarded by Cacus, are pursued and bitten by snakes, which makes them resurrecte after being turned to ashes, mutate into new creatures, or become that chase the other thieves
8. Fraudulent advisors are encased in individual flames
9. A sword-wielding devil hacks at the sowers of discord, as wounds heal the devil tears apart their bodies again
10. Groups of various sorts of falsifiers (alchemists, counterfeiters, perjurers, and impersonators) are afflicted with different types of diseases
9. Traitors are frozen in a lake of ice - Cocytus. The circle is divided into 4 concentric zones:
1. Caïna, named for Cain, is home to traitors to their kindred
2. Antenora is named for Antenor of Troy, traitors to political entities, such as party, city, or country, are located here
3. Ptolomæa is probably named for Ptolemy, the captain of Jericho, who invited Simon Maccabaeus and his sons to a banquet and there killed them. Traitors to their guests are punished here
4. Judecca is for traitors to their lords and benefactors. All of the sinners punished within are completely encapsulated in ice, distorted to all conceivable positions

Purgatory
"... wash you those wounds within"

Mount Purgatory is located on an island guarded by Cato.
On the slopes of the mountain are (from the bottom to the top):

1. the excommunicates - waiting for a period 30 times as long as their contumacy
2. Those who only repented shortly before death
3. Those who suffered violent deaths due to sinful lifes

The Purgatory has 7 terraces - purging each one of the 7 deadly sins - which function as a honors system, leading souls to ascend into God and Heaven:

1. «Pride» - purged by carrying giant stones unable to stand straight (symbolyzing the weight of pride on the soul).
2. «Envy» - purged by sewing the eyes shut and wearing cloth indistinguishable from the ground - God is a falconer who teachs the blinded souls not to envy others
3. «Wrath» - purged by walking around in acrid smoke - symbol of how this sin blind the vision.
4. «Sloth» - purged by continuously running - thus being zealous in their desire for petinence
5. «Avarice» - purged by laying face down on the ground unable to move - representing excessive concern for earthly things
6. «Glutony» - purged by abstinence from any food or drink. They are forced to pass by cascades of cool water without being able to drink.
7. «Lust» - purged by burning in a wall of flames, being purified by the fire

At the summit there's the Garden of Eden, that returns one to the innocence that existed before the sin of Adam and Eve.
Dante meets Beatrice here, as Virgil vanishes because his pagan nature does not allow him to enter Heaven.

He drinks from Lethe - which causes the soul to forget past sins - and from Eunoë - renews the memories good deeds.

Paradiso
The 9 spheres of Heaven are concentrical and respect a certain hierachy of Love.
Although all levels are accessible to all the souls, there are different states of spiritual development that restricts what each soul can experience - determined by only the soul's proximity to God.

1. «Moon» - home of the souls that abandoned their sacred vows.
2. «Mercury» - home for those who did good for fame
3. «Venus» - home for those who did good for love
4. «Sun» - home of the souls of the wise
5. «Mars» - home of the souls who fought for Christianity. They form a huge cross.
6. «Jupiter» - home of those who personified justice
7. «Saturn» - home of the contemplative, such as monks
8. «Fixed Stars» - home of the blessed, where Dante is tested on faith, hope and love.
9. «Primum Mobile» - the home of the angels

Beatrice leaves Dante, who is allowed to see Jesus and Mary. From here he ascends to something out of physical existence, where he faces God - 3 circles representing The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit - and gathers the understanding of the Divine and of human nature.

If you would like to know more about this work and all its significance in politics, arts and moral values, the best article I found was on Wikipedia.

There is a very good description and a English translation of the work in this site - "The Inferno of Dante Alighieri", A Rhymed Translation by Seth Zimmerman.

The Italian text and its translation into English, along with an deep analysis of the work's symbolism can be found in the Princeton Dante Project.

The Dartmouth Dante Project features several commentaries in Italian, Latin and English ,from 1322 to 2000.

A diagram of the punishments and circles of the inferno can be found here: The Inferno.

A picture gallery inspired by Dante: An Artist's Journey Through The Divine Comedy.

A stake through Milosevic's heart

The latest edition of the "Sunday Herald" features a rather bizarre story.

It seems that Serbian vampire hunters had made a "vampire killing" ritual on the former dictator Milosevic dead body to prevent him form returning from the dead.


You can read it all about this crazy event here: Vampire slayer impales Milosevic to stop return.

Maybe we should do it to all of those who were on "death row"... Just in case...

"Blood Ties" series coming on March 11

The "Blood Ties" Canadian-series, based on the novels of lesbian fantasy writer Tanya Huff, is about to be released to the screen in the United States on March 11.

You have more details on «Behind the Scenes of "Blood Ties"» on AfterEllen.
And there's a review of it from the same website: «Review of "Blood Ties"»

Here's another article about it on another blog : "Behind the Blood Ties".

For those not familiar with the life and work of Tanya Huff you can gather a lot of information about her on Wikipedia.

World Horror Convention '2007

For the first time in its seventeen-year history, THE WORLD HORROR CONVENTION is being held outside the United States.
With a theme exploring "The Diversity of Horror", WORLD HORROR CONVENTION 2007 will take place over MARCH 29-APRIL 1 at the four-star Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre, located in the heart of TORONTO, CANADA.
www.whc2007.org

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The key guests' list feature: [UPDATED!!! - thanks to an anonymous comment!]

• GAHAN WILSON - SPECIAL HWA GUEST
  

  previous winner of the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

  Best known for his macabre cartoons in PLAYBOY and THE NEW YORKER.

  His work has been collected in GAHAN WILSON'S GRAVESIDE MANNER, THE MAN IN THE CANNIBAL POT, I PAINT WHAT I SEE, IS NOTHING SACRED?, . . . AND THEN WE'LL GET HIM, THE WEIRD WORLD OF GAHAN WILSON, GAHAN WILSON'S CRACKED COSMOS, STILL WEIRD, EVEN WEIRDER, GAHAN WILSON'S GRAVEDIGGER'S PARTY, GAHAN WILSON'S MONSTER PARTY and THE BEST OF GAHAN WILSON.

  Some of his short stories were collected in THE CLEFT AND OTHER ODD TALES

  Wrote 2 unusual mistery novels - EDDY DECO'S LAST CAPER and EVERYBODY'S FAVOURITE DUCK - and some children's books.

  Edited the anthologies FIRST WORLD FANTASY AWARDS and GAHAN WILSON'S FAVORITE TALES OF HORROR.

• MICHAEL MARSHALL SMITH - Guest Of Honour
  

  Author of SPARES, ONLY FORWARD, ONE OF US and the international best-selling THE STRAW MEN trilogy (under the byline "Michael Marshall").

• NANCY KILPATRICK - Guest Of Honour
  

  Author of "The Power of Blood" vampire series (comprising the novels NEAR DEATH, CHILD OF THE NIGHT, REBORN, BLOODLOVER and TRANSFORMATION).

  Winner of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for short fiction.

  Co-editer of the horror anthology OUTSIDERS (with Nancy Holder).

  Compiled THE GOTH BIBLE: A COMPENDIUM FOR THE DARKLY INCLINED.

• JOHN PICACIO - Artist Guest Of Honour
  

  Cover artist for works by Michael Marshall Smith, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Graham Joyce, Lucius Shepard, Charles De Lint, and others.

  Winner of the International Horror Guild Award (Best Artist), the Chesley Award (Best Paperback Cover) and the World Fantasy Award (Best Artist).

  COVER STORY: THE ART OF JOHN PICACIO is a new retrospective collection of his work.

• DON HUTCHISON - SPECIAL PUBLISHER GUEST OF HONOUR
  

  Author of the non-fiction study THE GREAT PULP HEROES - nominated for the Bram Stoker Award.

  Author of the Aurora Award-winning series of the landmark NORTHERN FRIGHTS anthologies (6 volumes).

  In 1990 he received The Lamont Award "for outstanding effort in keeping alive the memory and spirit of the pulp magazine era".



• PETER ATKINS - SPECIAL MEDIA GUEST OF HONOUR
  

  Has scripted HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II, HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH (1992) and HELLRAISER: BLOODLINE (1996).

  The following he wrote WISHMASTER.

  The 1st movie of WISHMASTER was adapted by Atkins himself to the stage musical THE DJINN (2001), complete with cockney Vaudevillians and Commedia dell'Arte clowns with electric guitars.

• JOE R. LANSDALE - WHC 2007 GRAND MASTER WINNER
  

  Author of more than 30 novels, including ACT OF LOVE, THE NIGHTRUNNERS, COLD IN JULY, THE BOTTOMS and THE DRIVE-IN series.

  Wrote 7 novels about the 2 friends Hap Collins and Leonard Pine from East Texas who solve several macabre and violent misteries. The series begun with SAVAGE SEASON in 1990 and the last one published was CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS (2001).

  His novella BUBBA HO-TEP, about an aged Elvis Presley and black John F. Kennedy battling a soul-sucking mummy, was filmed by Don Coscarelli in 2002.

  His short story, "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted as the first episode of the first season of TV's MASTERS OF HORROR series.

• SÈPHERA GIRÓN - MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES
  

  Author of HOUSE OF PAIN, THE BIRDS AND THE BEES, BORROWED FLESH and MISTRESS OF THE DARK.

  Her book HOUSE MAGIC: THE GOOD WITCH'S GUIDE TO BRINGING GRACE TO YOUR SPACE was published in 2001 under the author's tarot name, "Ariana".

• PETER CROWTHER - SPECIAL PUBLISHER GUEST OF HONOUR
  

  Award-winning author, respected anthology editor and prolific publisher.

  His short stories are all in the collection LONESOME ROADS.

  Co-writer in the novel ESCARDY GAP (with James Lovegrove).

  Driving force behind PS Publiching, winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Small Press (4 consecutive years) and of the 2004 World Fantasy Award Special Award (Professional)

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You can visit their official website »» World Horror Convention '2007 «« for all the details in how to attend and participate in this event, and for the latest news and advertisements.

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Fantasporto '2007

Another edition of the Oporto International Film Festival (Festival Internacional de Filme Fantástico do Porto) - FANTASPORTO - is being held in Oporto, Portugal for its 27th year, on FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 4.

The festival is divided into 8 sections regarding the characteristics and aim of the various films that it presents to its audience

• Official Section - Competition for Fantasy Films - feature and short films (maximum 15 minutes length) and European Fantasy Film "Méliès d"Argent" Award
  
• Directors Week - Competition for Feature Films (no thematic strings attached)
  
• Orient Express Official Section (for asiatic feature films)
  
• Panorama & Première/Films of the World (Non Competitive)
  
• Love Connection (Non Competitive)
• Anima-te (Animation Feature, Non Competitive)
  
• Porto in Shorts (Non Competitive)
• Retrospectives (Non Competitive)

This year it also features some musical features and not only the movies as it used to.

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This festival is responsible for bringing recognition to talents such as:

• David Cronenberg - "Shivers" (1981)
• Brian de Palma - "Carrie" (1981)
• John Carpenter - "Dark Star" (1981)
• Ridley Scott - "Blade Runner" (1983)
• Luc Besson - "Le Dernier Withbat" (1984)
• Joel & Ethan Cohen - "Blood Simple" (1986)
• Pedro Almodovar - "Matador" (1987)
• Freddy Krugger - "Nightmare On Elm Street" (1987)
• Stephen King - "Maximum Overdrive" (1988)
• Peter Jackson - "Bad Taste" (1990)
• Quentin Tarantino - "Reservoir Dogs" (1993)
• Guillermo Del Toro - "Cronos" (1994)
• Danny Boyle - "Shallow Grave" (1995)
• David Fincher - "Seven" / "Alien 3 " (1996)
• Takashi Miike - "Fudoh - The New Generations" (1998)
• Vincenzo Natali - "Cube" (1999)
• Bill Plympton - "I Married a Strange Person" (1999)
• Ben Hopkins - "The Nine Lives of Thomas Katz" (2000)
• Pitof - "Vidocq" (2001)
• Eli Roth - "Cabin Fever" (2004)
• Rob Zombie - "House of 1000 Corpses" (2004)
• Chan Wook Park - with "Oldboy" (2005)
• Anders Banke - "Frostbitten" (2006)
• Eric Khoo - "Be With Me" (2006)

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It also brought to my attention masterpieces like:

	"A Tale Of Two Sisters" (Janghwa, Hongryeon) by Ji-woon Kim		"28 Days Later" by Danny Boyle
	"Room 36" by Jim Groom		"Hypercube: Cube 2" by Andrzej Sekula
	"Ghost In The Shell 2" (Inosensu: Kôkaku kidôtai) by Mamoru Oshii		"Hostel" by Eli Roth
		"3 Extremes" (Saam Gaang Yi) by Fruit Chan, Takashi Miike and Chan-Wook Park

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You can see the festival's program and all other information in its »» Official Website««

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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 ;)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

"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!

"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!

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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

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Some useful links:

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

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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.

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Source: VampGirl.Com

Also called 'Lilith'.

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

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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.

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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.

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Source: VampGirl.Com