Knock, Knock: Folk Horror and Family Secrets

Even though the Halloween season has concluded, you might still be in the mood for a well-written horror tale to curl up with as the weather gets colder. If that's the case, look no further than Neil Sharpson's spellbinding Knock Knock, Open Wide. This chilling novel is a deftly conceived combination of Celtic folklore and Lovecraftian horror. It's also a sweetly affecting love story, and a tale about family secrets, featuring well developed characters who are dealing with the emotional toll the choices they've made has taken on their lives.

 

The book begins with the story of Etain Larkin, who finds a corpse in the road while driving home one night in the Irish countryside, after spending the evening with her boyfriend Barry. This discovery leads to a terrifying encounter at a creepy farmhouse. Etain disappears, and is presumed dead, and Barry becomes the chief suspect. Much to everyone's relief, she is discovered alive some time later, but whatever she experienced that fateful night has changed her forever.

The story then fast forwards to a pair of Dublin-based college students, Ashling Mallen and Betty Fitzpatrick, who are in drama society together. They become friends, and later lovers. It turns out Ashling has a troubled home life. When Betty tries to help her with her family issues, she learns that Ashling is Etain's daughter. Ashling's childhood was scarred by a horrifying incident, and the evil events that have beset her family appear to be tied to a long-running children's show which features a mysterious puppet who lives in a box.

 

Knock Knock, Open Wide is an atmospheric horror story that benefits from Sharpson's skillful use of Irish folklore and myth. He uses the Irish setting (which becomes almost a supporting character) to weave the folk horror and supernatural elements into an emotionally rich love story and intense family drama. The suspense, horror and sense of dread builds slowly throughout the novel. Just when you think you might have figured out the mystery, there's another terrifying revelation about the true nature of the evil at the heart of the tale. Highly recommended for horror fans.

Salem's Lot on The Big (and Small) Screen

'Salem's Lot is one of Stephen King's most popular tales. First published in 1975, the novel tells the story of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, a town with a very dark history. King also penned a pair of short stories set in the town, "Jerusalem's Lot" and "One For The Road," which were included in his 1978 short story collection, Night Shift. In the novel, an antiques dealer named Straker, and his partner, a mysterious man named Mr. Barlow, move into Salem's Lot, and suddenly people start dying (and coming back) in mysterious fashion. It turns out Barlow is a vampire, and he's been feeding on the residents of the town, thereby creating more vampires. 'Salem's Lot quickly became a bestseller, and the book has inspired three film adaptations, an unrelated sequel, and a prequel TV series. Here's a brief look at them. 

Salem's Lot (1978): If you're a horror fan of a certain age, you probably recall being frightened by this eerie two-part television version of the novel, directed by Tobe Hooper of Poltergeist fame. The cast for the mini-series includes David Soul, Bonnie Bedelia, James Mason, and Lance Kerwin, with Reggie Nalder as a very creepy Barlow. Thanks to the extra running time allowed by the format, it's a solid version of the novel. Screenwriter Paul Monash made a few changes to the overall story, but retains much of the novel's dark tone and scary moments. Hooper's direction is excellent, and this atmospheric mini-series still stands out as one of the better adaptations of King's work. There's also a shorter version of the film, running about two hours, with more explicit violence, which was made for European theatrical release. Here's a look at the trailer for this terrifying mini-series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f27iJTxhPX0.

 

A Return To Salem's Lot (1987): A theatrical release and in-name only sequel which stars Michael Moriarty as an anthropologist who visits the town of Salem's Lot with his son, and encounters a group of vampires. Directed and co-scripted by Larry Cohen, who's probably best known for It's Alive, Q and The Stuff. This so-so film has a more comedic tone than the films covered here, and is an original story that doesn't include any of the characters from the novel. The cast also includes Andrew Duggan and Ronee Blakely. Here's the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImfWpDwE9sk.

Salem's Lot (2004): This two-part mini-series adaptation of the novel first aired on TNT, and stars Rob Lowe (who also co-starred in the mini-series version of King's The Stand), Samantha Mathis, Donald Sutherland, and Rutger Hauer. This mini-series, scripted by Peter Filardi and directed by Mikeal Solomon, updates the story to the 2000s, and while it's not quite as good as the 1978 version, it features solid performances by a good cast, and some scary moments. Here's the trailer for this 2004 mini-series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJLTggoINtM.

Chapelwaite (2021): A prequel to the original novel, this MGM+ cable series, set in the 1800s, stars Adrian Brody as Captain Charles Boone, who returns to Maine with his children following the death of his wife, and encounters some strange events, which seem to be supernatural in origin. The show is largely based on King's prequel story "Jerusalem's Lot." It's a well-produced, slow burn horror tale that is worth checking out if you're a fan of King's work. Here's the trailer for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO-722xS9hg.

Salem's Lot (2024): The latest version of King's novel, written and directed by Gary Dauberman, was originally produced for theatrical distribution, and was shot in 2021 and 2022. The release of the film was delayed several times, and it finally premiered on the MAX cable channel in October 2024. This adaptation of the book stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, William Sadler, Bill Camp, and Alfre Woodard. The film is well-acted and directed, and features a couple of neat twists on the story, but the two-hour running time makes things feel a bit rushed. There's really not as much time for development of the characters. Still worth checking out, and it's a great-looking film as well. Follow this link to view the trailer for the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtVzKkv03ic.

Piunti's Latest Shines with Power Pop Brilliance

Nick Piunti is a maestro when it comes to crafting catchy, hook-laden songs that embrace the aura of classic power pop, while also providing a fresh take on the genre. He and his band, The Complicated Men, delighted and impressed fans with their last two remarkable full-length releases, Downtime and Heart Inside Your Head. Their latest album, Up and Out of It, is yet another exceptional collection of scintillating tunes that you'll without a doubt add to your list of power pop favorites. If you dig melodic, guitar-centric rock and roll, this fabulous record will definitely have you smiling from ear to ear.

Up and Out of It kicks off with the one-two punch of “Seasick" and “Bottle It,” a pair of fantastic tracks which are effervescent expressions of the band’s love for pop-infused rock, which is also evident on songs like “Get The Feeling” and “Rejection Letter.” There are also several excellent tracks on the album which offer a slightly different vibe, including the edgy “Above Water” and the reflective “Long Way Down.” These terrific tunes sound just as compelling as the group’s signature pop/rock tunes. As usual, Piunti composed the lion’s share of the songs on the record, but guitarist Joe Daksiewicz co-wrote the rocking  “I’m Ready” and the pop-tastic “Mind Reader,” both of which are highlights of the album.

Piunti's marvelous lead vocals and guitar are complimented by the superb work of The Complicated Men, whose all-star lineup consists of the aforementioned Daksiewicz on lead guitar, Jeff Hupp on bass, Kevin Darnall on keyboards and Ron Vensko on drums. The band obviously loves playing together, and their top-notch talents and undeniable chemistry are fully on display throughout the album. By the time you get to enjoying “Eyelids” and “On The Ropes,” the scintillating tracks which close out the record, you'll absolutely be reaching for that replay button so you can listen to this incredible record again.

The excellent songs on Up and Put of It amply display Piunti's growth as an artist and songwriter. He has found a way to evoke the classic power pop and modern rock sounds of the 80s while also creating earworm-laden tunes that sound fresh and original. These songs will absolutely get stuck in your head, and touch your heart. If you're already a fan, or even if you're new to Piunti and The Complicated Men, you owe it to yourself to check out this brilliant record. Up and Out of It will be released on JEM Records on Friday, October 18. For more info go to: https://jemrecordings.com/ and https://www.nickpiunti.com/. Here are links to "Bottle It" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gahDSxsfEP0 and “Get The Feeling” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PCsM0ih-fE.

"Alien: Romulus" Explores Familiar Territory

Not many cinematic franchises have taken the kind of wild stylistic swings throughout their existence as the Alien series. Starting with 1979's eponymous original, the films have shifted gears from visceral horror to action-oriented sci-fi and on to cyberpunk, and explored concepts like cloning and genetic experimentation, tossing in a bit of philosophical and religious discourse along the way. Acclaimed directors such as Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher and Jean-Pierre Jeunet have put their stamp on the series, some more successfully than others. Throughout all of its iterations, those menacing (and very agile) xenomorphs have loomed large in the center of the Alien universe. Alien: Romulus, the latest entry in the saga, takes a deep dive into the body horror and weird science angles of the franchise. The movie also features quite a few homages and callbacks to previous films in the series.

Directed and co-written by Fede Alvarez, Alien: Romulus tells the story of a young woman named Rain, who's stuck in a dead-end job on a mining colony. When the Weyland-Yutani Corporation (remember them?) unfairly extends her work contract, she gets involved with a group of co-workers who have hatched a plan to salvage cryogenic pods from a derelict ship in orbit around their planet. The idea is to use the pods to put themselves in cryo-sleep, and travel to a planet where they have a chance at a better life. Rain brings along her adopted brother Andy, who’s an android the group will need to interface with the ship's computer systems. There are just a couple of obstacles standing (or slithering) in their way.  The ship, whose orbit is decaying, turns out to be a space station, and it’s infested with some deadly (and very familiar) creatures. There's also an artificial crew-member aboard the station who clearly doesn't have the group's best interests in mind.

Alvarez proved with his Evil Dead remake and the offbeat thriller Don't Breathe that he knows how to build suspense and amp up the onscreen tension. He and co-writer Rodo Sayaguez have created a story that leans heavily into the body horror aspects of the series, and they do introduce a couple of cool ideas into the mythology. Alien: Romulus features several exciting set pieces, but there's a sense of deja vu to the movie, as some of these sequences echo things we’ve seen in earlier entries in the series. There’s also a CGI recreation of a character from the original film that some viewers may find distracting. On the plus side, the movie is undeniably well-crafted, and the cinematography, production design and the special effects (many of which were achieved in old school practical fashion) are quite impressive.

Cailee Spenny as Rain and David Jonsson as Andy are quite good, but the rest of the cast doesn’t get to make much of an impression in their roles before they’re killed by the aliens. Alien: Romulus is exciting and well-produced, and in addition to the visual callbacks to other films, the score by Benjamin Wallfisch does an excellent job of quoting some of the musical motifs from previous composers such as Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner. The movie, which takes place between the first and second films in the series, is worth checking out, though it doesn’t quite propel the saga as far forward into new territory as it could have. The next chapter of the Alien story will be Alien: Earth, a TV show from Noah Hawley, the guiding light of the Fargo TV series. Here’s the trailer for Alien: Romulus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzY2r2JXsDM.

Rule Britannia Blogathon: Moore is "Haunted"

Roger Moore is The Man Who Haunted Himself

 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be plagued by your doppelganger, a mysterious double that not only intrudes upon your life, but tries to take it over? That's the premise of The Man Who Haunted Himself, an offbeat thriller starring Roger Moore, which was originally released in 1970 by EMI Films.  Moore plays Harold Pelham, a London-based executive who has an accident while heading home from work. The circumstances of the accident are somewhat strange, as Pelham's personality seems to change during the drive. He starts speeding, ultimately running his car off the road. While Pelham's being treated for his injuries at the hospital, a monitor briefly shows two heartbeats side by side, before the readings return to normal.

Following his release from the hospital and return to work, Pelham is approached by friends and colleagues who claim to have seen him in places he hasn't been, and had conversations and interactions with him which he doesn't remember. Tensions are running high in both his professional and personal lives, as his company is involved in discussions regarding a high-profile merger, and his relationship with his wife has become strained and distant. Meanwhile, an attractive woman Pelham barely knows claims he's been having an affair with her. Is he going mad, or is someone impersonating him?

 

He meets with Dr. Harris, a psychiatrist who believes that the mysterious double is Pelham himself, and he's trying to break out of his dull and conventional lifestyle. After spending a few days at the psychiatrist's clinic, Pelham discovers that his double has been living his life while he's been away. The "other" Pelham has worked behind the scenes to finalize the merger at his company, and has also been spending time with his wife, re-energizing their relationship. He confronts his "double" at his home, culminating in a car chase down the same road where the story began; which version of Pelham will ultimately survive?

 

The Man Who Haunted Himself is an eerie, unsettling thriller which features an outstanding performance by Roger Moore as Pelham. He effectively conveys the character's increasing sense of distress and paranoia. Moore spoke in interviews throughout the years about the fact that Pelham was one of his favorite roles, since he got to stretch his acting muscles a bit, playing the two different sides of the character. There's also a fine supporting cast, full of familiar faces, featuring the wonderful Freddie Jones in a memorable turn as Dr. Harris, as well as strong work from Hildegarde Neil, Thorley Walters, Anton Rodgers and Olga Georges-Picot.

 

The film is based on "The Strange Case of Mr. Pelham," by British writer Anthony Armstrong. The story had previously been filmed by BBC Television in 1948 and 1955, and was adapted in the US for Alfred Hitchcock Presents as "The Case of Mr. Pelham," starring Tom Ewell, an episode which was helmed by Hitchcock. Production of The Man Who Haunted Himself was spearheaded by producer-director Bryan Forbes, who was head of EMI Films at the time. The movie was directed by Basil Dearden, who was also behind the camera for Sapphire, Khartoum and The Assassination Bureau. Dearden co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Relph and an uncredited Forbes. Sadly, Dearden was killed in a car accident in 1971, which occurred on the same road prominently featured in the movie.

 

While the film wasn't a huge success on its original release, it has picked up something of a cult following over the years, and has been released on both DVD and Blu-ray. I first saw it in my younger years when it aired as a Sunday afternoon movie in the New York area on Channel 9. I was captivated by its eccentric tone, the unusual visual style, courtesy of director Dearden and cinematographer Tony Spratling, and the excellent performances by Moore and Freddie Jones. If you only know Moore from his turns as The Saint or James Bond, or his roles in series like Maverick and The Persuaders, I urge you to check out The Man Who Haunted Himself. Here's a trailer for the Blu-ray release of the film from Imprint Films: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rCgP8hPXZI. This post is part of the Rule Britannia Blogathon, hosted by Terence over at A Shroud of Thoughts: I'm very happy to be part of the fun! For more info, and to check out the other posts: follow this link: https://mercurie.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-11th-annual-rule-britannia-blogathon.html.

These "Embers" Glow For A Worthy Cause

It's no surprise that musicians are often some of the first ones to step up and offer their assistance in the wake of tragedies which affect people's lives. One of the most recent examples of this is Artists for Maui – Embers of Aloha: A Maui Wildfire Benefit Project, an album which was spearheaded by Lisa Mychols and Eddie Finley. The devastating wildfires that raged in Maui last year caused significant property damage, destroying homes and businesses, leaving many residents homeless. Longtime radio host and local resident Michael McCartney, whose own home was damaged by the fires, started a GoFundMe effort to aid island residents affected by these horrible events, and he kept people informed with updates about the fires and their aftermath.

McCartney's efforts inspired Mychols and Finley to create Artists for Maui– Embers of Aloha: A Maui Wildfire Benefit Project, a 43-song digital compilation which is now available for digital download on Bandcamp. The album features a terrific roster of artists whose names will be very familiar to power pop fans, including Eytan Mirsky, Kyle Vincent, Seth Swirsky and David Myhr. The songs and sounds on the album span the spectrum of pop, rock and power pop, including all out rockers such as Danny Wilkerson's "Bye Bye" to Johnathan Pushkar's lovely acoustic tune "Isabella," and Cliff Hillis' tongue in cheek paean to "Evel Knievel."

 

The wonderful artwork and graphics for the album were designed by the talented Nadja Dee, who also aided Mychols and Finley in gathering the artists who generously donated their music to the project. The trio also worked with several record labels, including JEM Records, JAM Records, and Big Stir Records, in order to make the album a reality. Artists for Maui – Embers of Aloha: A Maui Wildfire Benefit Project is truly a gift for power pop fans, and all proceeds from the sales of this fantastic record will go directly to aid victims of the Maui wildfires. Follow this link to check out the songs and order a digital download of the album: https://thetimemachine2.bandcamp.com/album/embers-of-aloha-a-maui-wildfire-benefit-project, and here's a link to a video about the project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CwW83wlDEI.

Retro TV: Irwin Allen's Land of the Giants

Before he was the producer of disaster epics like The Poseidon Adventure, Irwin Allen was the pre-eminent purveyor of prime-time TV sci-fi in the mid to late 1960s, with several shows running throughout the latter half of the decade. Recently, I've been celebrating Allen's work here at Eclectic Avenue, and this week, I'm shining the spotlight on an episode of Land of the Giants. The series was Allen's fourth and final out of this world adventure series of the 1960s. Land of the Giants ran for two seasons, from 1968-70. The show featured the adventures of the crew and passengers of the Spindrift, a sub-orbital craft which passed through a strange spatial disturbance on its way to London. The space warp transports them to a world where they're mini-sized, and everything else is well....gigantic. The cast included Gary Conway, Don Matheson, Deanna Lund, Don Marshall, Stefan Arngrim, Kurt Kaznar and Heather Young.

 

Each week our heroes would try to evade capture by the giants, while trying to repair their damaged ship and return home. In the first season entry "On A Clear Night You Can See Earth," the captain of the Spindrift, Steve Burton, is captured by a scientist named Murtrah, who's trying to create a special set of glasses that will allow him to see our miniature heroes in the dark. In the series, the giants are aware of the existence of Earth and its superior technology, and rewards are posted for the capture of the "little people."  Murtrah is a particularly mean-spirited and sadistic individual, and he's also jealous of a fellow scientist who he believes is trying to steal his work. 

Steve plays on Murtrah's insecurities, while the rest of the Spindrift crew try to rescue him. "On A Clear Night You Can See Earth" is an action-packed and exciting episode. It's somewhat unique in the canon of Irwin Allen's series, which were generally family-oriented entertainment. The denouement features our heroes rigging an explosive device to kill Murtrah and destroy his lab. They take this drastic step in order to prevent him from completing the creation of his device, so that it can't be used to reveal the Earth crew's location to the giant authorities. Rarely on any of Allen's series, including Lost In Space, Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea, and The Time Tunnel, did the heroes kill someone in cold blood, even if that person or alien being was an outright villain.

Murtrah is played by Michael Ansara, who specialized in playing villains in a plethora of television series and films from the 1960s through the 1990s. He guest starred in all of Irwin Allen's series, and had a featured role in the 1961 big-screen version of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, a film in which he appeared with his then wife Barbara Eden. Ansara is also well known for his portrayal of the Klingon Kang on Star Trek: The Original Series and Deep Space Nine, as well as his role as "Killer" Kane on the 1980s series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. 

 

"On A Clear Night You Can See Earth" was directed by Sobey Martin, who was frequently behind the camera for episodes of Allen's shows. The episode was written by Sheldon Stark and Anthony Wilson. The memorable theme music for Land of the Giants was composed by none other than John Williams of Star Wars and Superman fame, who also wrote the themes for Lost In Space and The Time Tunnel. Land of the Giants, like the rest of Allen's series and movies is entertaining, well-produced and a lot of fun. Here's a trailer for the Season One DVD release of the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oint3j4HlA.