Sherlock Holmes Crosses Over Into...Hell?

Sherlock Holmes has faced all manner of challenges in his long career, but it’s safe to say he’s never encountered enemies quite like the ones he meets in Sherlock Holmes and the Servants of Hell. In this frightening tale, the consulting detective encounters the Cenobites, originally introduced in author Clive Barker’s novella The Hellbound Heart, and later featured in the Hellraiser film series. The story takes place after Holmes’ defeat of his arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty. The great detective has grown bored and needs a new challenge. Watson is concerned for his friend, as the detective's keen mind and laser focused intellect seem to be going astray. Holmes needs a new challenge. When our heroes are engaged to investigate a man’s mysterious disappearance, it leads them to a sinister organization known as the Order of the Gash. The trail also leads to a mysterious puzzle box with supernatural properties, which may open a portal to other dimensions, and perhaps the gates of Hell.

The Holmes of this story is as obsessed with solving a mystery as he’s always been, and his quest leads him down a more twisted road than he’s ever taken. But will Holmes triumph over the dark forces he’s facing, or be overcome by them? The first half of the novel (like many of the duo’s adventures) is narrated by Watson, but the good doctor and the great detective himself alternately tell the second half of the adventure, when their journey takes them to the very depths of Hell, where they meet a legion of eerie beings who could consume their very souls. Once the true face of the leader of these demonic forces is revealed, it turns out to be someone well known to our heroes. That familiar face is now in command of these evil creatures, and plans to use them to conquer and control multiple worlds.

At first glance, combining Arthur Conan Doyle’s intrepid Holmes and Watson and the shadowy denizens of Clive Barker’s fiendish Cenobite universe might seem like an odd pairing, but author Paul Kane melds the two worlds brilliantly. He creates an atmospheric and shudder inducing tale that manages to stay true to the hallmarks of both fictional universes. The novel is peppered with easter eggs and subtle nods to both franchises. Kane is a leading expert on the horrifying world of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, and is a bona fide Holmes fan to boot. While some traditional Holmes fans may find Sherlock Homes and the Servants of Hell strays a bit too much into the horrific for their tastes, those who enjoy a ripping good yarn will be very glad they went along on this terrifying adventure with Holmes and Watson. The book was originally published in 2016, and is available online and at local retailers such as Barnes & Noble.

Visiting the "House on Haunted Hill"

Have you ever been invited to a (haunted) house party? That's the plot of House on Haunted Hill, a delightfully spooky fright fest from 1959. Produced and directed by William Castle, the movie stars Vincent Price as millionaire Frederick Loren, who invites five people to spend the night at a supposedly haunted house. If you survive the night in this terrifying place, you get $10,000. All of the attendees need the money Loren's offering for one reason or another. He hands out fun party favors such as handguns that are stored in little coffins! One of the guests is Watson Pritchard, who knows a great deal about the shall we say, colorful history of the house. He warns everyone that it's a very bad idea to stay the night. In addition to Price, the cast includes veteran character actor Elisha Cook, Jr. as Pritchard, Richard Long (of TV’s The Big Valley & Nanny and The Professor), and Julie Mitchum, sister of actor Robert Mitchum.

Director Castle was well known as a flamboyant showman who often used unique gimmicks to sell his films. During screenings of The Tingler (1959), there were vibrators installed under the seats that induced shocks when the title creature was on screen; when audiences went to see 13 Ghosts (1960), they were given special ghost viewers to see (or remove) the spirits from the screen. For House on Haunted Hill's theatrical showings, a skeleton seemed to float right out of the film into the audience in a process called Emergo. These ideas worked like a charm for Castle, who had a tremendous amount of financial success with his films. These movies were aimed primarily at teenagers, who ate them up like the candy sold at the theatre's concessions stand. Castle's autobiography was appropriately titled Step Right Up! I’m Gonna Scare The Pants Off America. 

A gathering of guests at the House on Haunted Hill

House on Haunted Hill is truly the kind of B film they don’t make anymore. The movie features ghosts, blood dripping from the ceiling, secret rooms, skeletons in the basement, and heads with no bodies as part of the scares and shocks. But is there a non- supernatural reason for some of the weird goings on in the house....could our suave host know more than he's telling? Price is at his witty, menacing best and gets most of the film’s choice dialogue, though Cook also gets to deliver some, like "Only the ghosts in this house are happy we're here" and the film’s memorable closing line. This is a matinee movie for the ten year old in all of us; it sounds kind of old fashioned and goofy in the age of "found footage" horror films and endless sequels to movies like Saw, but that's exactly why it's such great fun. 

The film was remade in gorier fashion in 1999 with Geoffrey Rush, but that version can’t hold a candle to the original. The movie is available in various DVD and Blu-ray editions (including a colorized version) and for digital download as well. So warm up the popcorn, and settle in for some silly, scary fun. And here’s another piece of suggested viewing: The 1993 Joe Dante (Gremlins) film Matinee is a story about a B movie producer (played by John Goodman) who premieres one of his monster films in a small Florida town during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Goodman's character is an affectionate homage to Castle. Matinee is also worth a look, especially for fans of classic 50s and 60s sci-fi, horror and fantasy films. Here’s a link to the trailer for House on Haunted Hill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFtLw4lbgP8.

And the "Alternate Oscar" Goes to.....

Film fans, critics, and writers all have their opinions about the Oscars. In the days leading up to the Academy Awards ceremony, there are endless debates about who will win, and after the awards are handed out, there’s a lot more discussion about who did win, and who should have; it’s a favorite activity among movie lovers. There have been many books written about the Academy Awards, but one of the most unique is 1993’s Alternate Oscars, by veteran film scribe Danny Peary. The book details Peary’s choices for the categories of Best Picture, Actor and Actress from the years 1927 thru 1991. Peary also details his own list of “Award Worthy Runners Up” in place of the other nominees in each category. 

Sometimes, Peary agrees with the Academy’s choices, but more often than not he doesn’t. That’s where things get really interesting. For example, for the year 1958, the musical Gigi won Best Picture. Peary’s winner is Touch of Evil, the classic noir directed by Orson Welles. For the year 1977, he chooses Sissy Spacek for Best Actress in Carrie over the Academy’s choice, Faye Dunaway in Network. It’s no surprise that Peary celebrates a number of often neglected genre films among his Oscar picks, as he’s the author of the acclaimed Cult Movies books, which celebrate the weird, wild and wonderful world of genre cinema. Some of his choices even address infamous snubs by the Academy: the alternate Oscar for 1982's Best Picture goes to Steven Spielberg’s E.T. over director Richard Attenborough's epic biography Gandhi, which was the Academy's choice.

Peary’s insightful commentary regarding the performers and the films he’s selected as the winners makes for fascinating reading. Many of his choices may open your eyes to some excellent films and performances you haven’t seen, or remind you of old favorites that you’ll want to rediscover. I do wish Peary would publish an updated edition of the book, as it would be wonderful to see his own choices for some of the more recent Oscar winners. One thing’s for sure, after you finish reading Alternate Oscars, it will probably open up a whole new series of discussions with your fellow movie fans. The book is currently out of print, but affordable used copies can easily be found at online retailers such as Amazon. Seek out Danny Peary’s Alternate Oscars, and let the debates and discourses begin!