"Do you read Sutter Cane?"

Turns out reading in the dark isn't good for your eyes after all – that, or mind-warping horror novels inspired by the Old Ones, either. (Note to self: remove Sutter Cane from summer reading list.)

hiatus happenings

Ouch. *cringes* It's been just shy of a year since our last post, here on the Darkley Niche. Been kept busy dredging away at work like a blue collar zombie. Apologies all around, readers. Without further ado let's get the reagent, because we're about to bring this blog back to life!

Although we've been absent for a considerable length of time from the blog scene, we've been keeping at it with watching and reading horror in both film and literature, respectively. And of course there's still oh so plenty on our to-do list. Here's an abridged rundown of what we've viewed in the more recent months during our hiatus. – We'll try to come back to these later on and write more in-depth reviews or commentaries. Consider this the first entree, so dig in.

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MOVIES

 'The Cabin in the Woods' (2012)

When you think you've seen all that horror has to offer, 'The Cabin in the Woods' takes many of the tried and tired subgenres and then turns them on their ear, like your ol' Nanna did when she caught you swearing. I had some inkling of what the premise was, but had only guessed at the tip of the iceberg. This is one film that we can confidently feel safe to say you won't be able to predict. Also, kudos to the filmmaker's nods to 'The Evil Dead' movies and guest cameo, albeit brief, with Sigourney Weaver. This was a fun ride, and it was apparently so for those making it.

'Creature from the Black Lagoon' (1954)

We've been meaning to see this Universal Studios classic for some time, but it wasn't until reading Gary Myers' "Understudy" in the 'Shadows Over Innsmouth' anthology that gave us just the right push. The creature itself, that is, the Gill-man, was an impressive costume, both in its appearance and functionality underwater. Not too many made during the fifties can make that claim. And we've been on a serious H.P. Lovecraft kick with all things Innsmouth, so this really hit the sweet spot. In certain respects, we would even favor this film over 'Dagon' (2001).

'Mary Shelley's Frankenstein' (1994)

Speaking of creatures, here is another movie that features one of its own. This little gem took us by surprise, as we had heard very little about it. And while the names Kenneth Branagh ('Hamlet') and Robert De Niro ('Taxi Driver') don't instantly bring "horror" to mind, it was all pulled off rather well. And there was a rather impressive line-up of actors, ranging from Tom Hulce ('Amadeus') to Ian Holm ('From Hell'). Our only real complaint is that Helena Bonham Carter's ('Sweeney Todd' and 'The Corpse Bride') physical appearance as the Bride was rather disappointing.

'The Thing' (2011)

Having been fans of John Carpenter's 'The Thing', we awaited this prequel with an equal measure of anticipation and trepidation. Admittedly, animatronics and movie make-up will almost always trump CGI in our book. But it wasn't too cumbersome with the latter, which was a relief. And speaking personally, I had to smile when seeing the inclusion of the alien spaceship deep in the Antarctic ice. That hails back to 'The Thing from Another World' (1952) and actually included a number of other bits that I recognized, which were also carried over. It adapted much of what made its two predecessors good movies.

'The Woman in Black' (2012)

When we come back to this film, we'll have to make an attempt at watching the 1989 adaptation, albeit both are based on Susan Hill's novel, much in the same way that both 'The Thing's and likewise 'The Thing from Another World' are with John W. Campbell's novella, "Who Goes There?" Surprisingly, it wasn't hard to watch Daniel Radcliffe without thinking Harry Potter. (If anything, Elijah Woods kept coming to mind.) While his performance was certainly noteworthy, hands down the best part of the film had to be the Eel Marsh House itself. If you've seen it yourself, you'll understand why.

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TELEVISION

AMC's 'The Walking Dead' (2010-present)

'The Walking Dead' has been a mixed bag for most, and while friends of ours have found plenty at fault with it, we still enjoy the series. Could certain changes have been made for the better? Sure. But as far as comic book adaptations goes, this sure beats the hell out of a lot of them. (Seriously. Look at 'Spider-Man's Green Goblin and ask how they go from the illustrated designs to a sorry, Power Ranger knock-off. With a little make up, Willem Dafoe's face would've been fine.) We're still working our way through season two, so it's always possible our opinion might change. We'll see.

John Carpenter's "Cigarette Burns" (2005)

Eighth episode of 'Masters of Horror's second season, "Cigarette Burns" made us think of Robert W. Chambers' 'The King in Yellow' stories, in certain respects. Instead of a play, however, we have a rare film that drives its audience mad. It could also be said that "Cigarette Burns" resembles Carpenter's 'In The Mouth of Madness' (1995), which we loved due to its obvious Lovecraft overtones. Lastly, while Udo Kier makes an appearance his screen time is regrettably kept short. (Coincidentally, this episode happens to star Norman Reedus, who plays a regular on AMC's 'The Walking Dead'.)

'Psych'  (2006-present)

Season six of USA's 'Psych' has included some comical homages to horror films, specifically episodes "This Episode Sucks" and "Hereeeee's Lassie". If James Roday and Dule Hill in full costume as 'Interview with the Vampire's Lestat and Blacula isn't enough for fang fans, it also guest stars Corey Feldman ('The Lost Boys'). And while "Hereeeee's Lassie" is essentially a parody of Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining', there are additional little Easter eggs slipped into the episode, like pregnant neighbor Rosemary ('Rosemary's Baby').

Stephen King's 'Bag of Bones' (2011)

Ugh... Firstly, we're definite fans of Stephen King stories, so make no mistake. 'IT' (1990) the mini-series still ranks among our top horror favorites. But 'Bag of Bones' was nothing if not predictable, as much as we wanted to like it. (SPOILER ALERT) It didn't take much foresight to predict Pierce Brosnan's character was related to the cursed men, for starters. And let's be honest folks, having an author protagonist is a tiresome trend that occurs pretty regularly in King's work. Yes, it was integral to the plot, but come on. Enough with the writer characters, King.

'Adventure Time' (2010-present)

Cartoon Network's series 'Adventure Time' started with an outbreak of candy people zombies, so it was fun to see this idea brought back to life in 3x07a, "From Bad to Worse." Together with the murder mystery in 3x06b, "The Creeps," these two episodes comprised part of Cartoon Network's 2011 Halloween specials. – Speaking for myself, I particularly enjoyed these episodes as they're the closest I can get to watching horror films with my girlfriend.

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READING

 'Shadows Over Innsmouth'

Published by Del Rey Books and editted by Stephen Jones, this anthology includes seventeen stories all inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," along with that as well. Some are hits, others are misses. But that's to be expected, really, and the hits really make this book worthwhile. "The Big Fish," "Daoine Domhain," and "The Innsmouth Heritage," were among my personal favorites. Be assured that a detailed Darkley Niche review will be in the works.

'Tales Out of Innsmouth'

As mentioned earlier in our two cents on 'Creature from the Black Lagoon', we've been indulging in Innsmouth-inspired stories. And while we haven't yet finished this anthology, shorts such as Gary Myers' "Understudy" have already made this read a worthwhile venture. Additionally, "The Weird Shadow over Innsmouth," which begins the book, was made from fragments of early drafts and reworked into a cohesive narrative by John Glasby. It's offers an interesting insight, although the story itself is a little repetitive, as is to be expected.

'The Whisperer and Other Stories' by Brian Lumley

Referring back to the previous book, this particular anthology is the reason why we put a pause on 'Tales Out of Innsmouth'. If it was to take a vacation from Innsmouth, guess again. "The Return of the Deep Ones," similar to most of those told in 'Shadows Over Innsmouth', spreads their tainted influence over to the shores of Britain. So far, so good. However, we may soon be swapping this for another of Lumley's anthologies, 'Return of the Deep Ones and Other Mythos Tales', and resume reading from there.

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That's all for now, our Darkley Niche faithful, but we hope it is enough to rekindle the embers of those followers who have been patiently awaiting this long-overdue post – like Cthulhu in his deathless sleep. We'll aim to keep this weekly to biweekly, if able. A film or book review may well be in order, come next time we write again. Until then, dream darkly readers.

Black History Month, part I

While the recent hype is Women in Horror Month amongst bloggers, February is remembered here in the States, and Canada, as Black History Month. With that in mind, the Niche recognizes the talents of a select handful of the many black men and women who have contributed to the genre with a particular dignity, generally not perpetuating the negative racial archetypes seen, unfortunately, in numerous horror films. (I'm not just referring to blaxploitation flicks, I'm talking to the likes of the Wayans, too, with films such as 'Scary Movie'.) Here are half of a dozen individuals who will be acknowledged this time around. The remaining six will be accredited in a second post. It should be noted that they are not listed in any particular order.

DUANE JONES
(1936-1988)

No respectable list would be complete without Duane Jones, the lead in Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968) with Judith O'Dea. Jones later went on to star in a lesser known horror film called 'Vampires'/'Abandon' (1986), though I haven't seen this one, myself. Still, this one-hit wonder would be immortalized in zombie horror cinema as the predecessor to the "survivor" role seen regularly in such films.

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TONY TODD

(1954-present)

Portraying the only black, supernatural slasher among the likes of Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees in the 'Candyman' trilogy, Tony Todd also cameos in the first three 'Final Destination' films as well as playing Duane Jones' part in the 1990 remake of Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead'. Say "Tony Todd" in front of the mirror five times. Go on, we double-dog dare you.

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KEN FOREE
(1948-present)

"... When there is no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the earth."

'Dawn of the Dead' (2004 remake) was one of the first real zombie films that I had seen early on, aside from 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004) and 'Resident Evil' (2002). Something between the background music and Ken Foree's televangelist message gave me a sense of legitimate dread. Probably just the very notion of a zombie outbreak as something more than an infection, rather a form of apocalyptic punishment in the likes of Revelation. While Foree will always bring the remake to mind first for myself, he is better known in the original '78 film by George A. Romero. Some additional film appearances by Foree include: 'From Beyond' (1986), Rob Zombie's 'Halloween' (2007), and 'Zone of the Dead' (2009), among others.

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KEITH DAVID (WILLIAMS)
(1956-present)

Personally, I'm more familiar with Keith David's talents as a voice actor than a physically present one. Voicing Goliath from Disney's 'Gargoyles' ('94-'97) and Al Simmons, a.k.a. Spawn, from HBO's 'Spawn' ('97-'99) television series, his rich and deep vocals are easy to recognize. However, David has acted live in such films as John Carpenter's 'The Thing' (1982) and 'They Live' (1988), as well as 'The Puppet Masters' (1994) and 'Pitch Black' (2000).

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BENJAMIN "SCATMAN" CROTHERS
(1910-1986)

A regular jack of all trades, "Scatman" Crothers was an actor, dancer, musician, and singer. To horror fans he is best remembered as the Overlook Hotel's cook, chef Dick Hallorann, in Kubrick's 'The Shining' (1980). Crother's character is the whole reason behind the title of the story, telling Danny Torrence, "I can remember when I was a little boy. My grandmother and I could hold conversations entirely without ever opening our mouths. She called it 'shining'..." Crothers also appears in 'Twilight Zone: The Movie' (1983) in the second segment of the film, a remake of the episode "Kick the Can".

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TIM REID
(1944-present)

Much for the same reason that Ms. O'Toole earned a place in the Niche's "Women in Horror Month" part II, Tim Reid is recognized for his role in the film adaptation of Stephen King's 'IT' (1990). Mike Hanlon (Reid) is key to the story, serving as watchman by remaining in his hometown of Derry, Maine to keep vigil for Pennywise's reemergence and calls the other "Losers Club" members together. Granted, while this is his main contribution to horror, Reid proves himself more than capable of adapting to the genre.

Women in Horror Month, part II

After last night, I couldn't help but be reminded of other women that I wanted to include in the roster. Instead of tacking them haphazardly onto the end of the previous post, it seemed more appropriate to give these ladies one of their own. So, without further ado, the Niche presents "Women in Horror Month" part II.

JULIANNE MOORE
(1960-present)

This is rather embarrassing on my part, since it never really registered that agent Clarice Starling was played by two different women, with Ms. Moore in 'Hannibal' (2001). Maybe that's not such a bad thing, really, since the changeover was pretty seamless. Well done.

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JAMIE LEE CURTIS
(1958-present)

Requested by Carla of Nakamura's Place, Jamie Lee Curtis is more than memorable as Laurie Strode, Michael Myers' younger sister, in the 'Halloween' franchise. If that wasn't enough, Ms. Curtis was cast in another John Carpenter film, 'The Fog' (1980), as well as 'Prom Night' (1980), 'Terror Train' (1980), and 'Virus' (1999), among others. Now, I haven't seen the third or fourth movie that was mentioned just before, but I certainly intend to.

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MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ
(1978-present)

Step aside, Milla Jovovich, because while you may be the crux of the 'Resident Evil' films, Michelle Rodriguez was the woman that earned my admiration. Also appearing in 'The Breed' (2006) and apparently will be in the upcoming 'Machete' movie (scheduled for 2010), Ms. Rodriguez is a lady that I would like beside me in a hard situation, especially during a zombie outbreak.

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SIGOURNEY WEAVER
(1949-present)

Anyone familiar with science fiction films knows that Sigourney Weaver ranks among the top actresses in this genre, appearing more recently in 'Avatar' (2010), but more memorably in the sci-fi/horror 'Alien' franchise as Ellen Ripley. To simply put it, Weaver is to an alien attack as Rodriguez is to a zombie outbreak. Personally, and I may get some guff for it, Ms. Weaver was my favorite in 'Alien Resurrection' (1997). Why? Because she plays as a tough-as-nails clone with xenomorphic blood and mannerisms, bordering on creepy and sensual at times.

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ANNETTE O'TOOLE
(1952-present)

Perhaps it's a bit of a longshot, but Ms. O'Toole earns my recognition as Beverly Marsh in the film adaptation of Stephen King's 'IT' (1990). She's more often associated with the superhero genre, playing Lana Lang in 'Superman III' (1983) and Clark Kent's mother in the television series 'Smallville'. However, 'IT' holds a significant place with myself and Annette O'Toole helped to make it special.

Night Gallery: Pickman's Model

It wasn't until recently that I had heard of the NBC '70-'73 television series 'Night Gallery', hosted by 'The Twilight Zone's own Rob Sterling, and even more recently that I watched an episode. Actually, it was during a search for artwork inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's "Pickman's Model" that I accidentally learned of the dark fantasy anthology serial. Episode eleven of the second season adapts this particular Lovecraft story, including two other stories, though not H.P.L.'s. And as fortune would have it, a limited selection of 'Night Gallery' episodes from its three seasons are available at Hulu for your viewing pleasure. Moving along, since "Pickman's Model" was what drew me to the series, this is the episode that I began with.

Night Gallery host Rob Sterling beside "Ghoul Preparing to Dine", a Pickman painting

After Sterling's introduction into the episode, it begins with Bostonians Eliot Blackman (Joshua Bryant, 'Salem's Lot' 1979) and Larry Rand (Jock Livingston, 'The Devil's Daughter' 1973) discussing the possible authenticity of a painting (above) discovered by Eliot in the cheap, North End studio that he had started rented. As the men speculate, they start to suspect that this may also be the very apartment that was used by the painter in question, Richard Upton Pickman (Bradford Dillman, 'Piranha' 1978). Cue the flashback, we're taken to a classroom where Pickman teaches a still life session to his current pupils, daughters from well-to-do families. One young lady in particular has her eye on the professor, charmed by a combination of Pickman's dark mood and handsome looks. Yes, unfortunately, this adaptation adds a romantic air where none should be found. Still, this is the only particular point that dramatically diverges from the original.

an early form of what we commonly call the "obsessive fan girl"

During the lecture, Pickman not only catches Miss Goldsmith (Louise Sorel, 'The Curse of Dracula' 1979) sketching the artificial flowers in their still life as wilted, but also himself. It's quite obvious that she is infatuated with him, though his half of the conversation is cold as he draws over the partial portrait, changing it into a bestial face. "Beware of self-portraits, ladies. At the least you may lose an ear [like Van Gogh], while at the worst you run the danger of revealing... your soul," warns Pickman as he finishes discussing his own self-discovery, which drastically changed the subject matter of his artwork and ultimately resulted in his expulsion from the Boston Art Institute. To keep afloat Pickman had taken on pupils. But a lady from the Institute, which funds these lessons and supplies the students, arrives after the session to inform him that his services are no longer required due to parental disapproval.

Pickman's improvisation on Miss Goldsmith's portrait of himself

Miss Goldsmith overhears the conversation and follows Pickman to a pub in Canbury Lane, a less than genteel part of Boston, and confronts him again. Brashly she sits down at the table with Pickman, despite his disapproval, and gleans that the rumors are true, that he is infact working on a sequence of horrifying paintings. Eagerly she presses him for more about it. Defeated by Miss Goldsmith's enthusiasm, he describes the inspiration, a legend "that tells of an eldritch race more foul and loathsome than the putrid slime that clings to the walls of Hell. Twisted creatures... half men, half beast. They move with the rostering sound of predatory rats, carrying with them the stench of the charnel house. Wretched mutations that live deep beneath the earth in dark tunnels, surfacing in the dead of night and returning before dawn. Practice their unspeakable acts... breed their filthy spawn... until the day arrives when their swollen numbers will finally emerge and ravish the earth like a noxious plague."

After this haunting telling, which has chilled even her normally sunny demeanor, Miss Goldsmith insists on accompanying Pickman to his studio and seeing his work. Even a confession of love, which does take him somewhat off guard, is not enough to to sway Pickman and promptly leaves the pub. However, in his haste Pickman accidentally leaves behind his painting "Ghoul Preparing to Dine". Back home, Miss Goldsmith talks with her Uncle George (Donald Moffat, 'The Thing' 1982), who relates a near century old myth circulating around about North End, about an alleged breed of creatures that had tunneled beneath that part of Boston, linking them with the burial grounds and the sea from whence they came. "To some," Uncle George adds, "it became a fanatical obsession [to prove that these creatures existed], particularly to those whose womenfolk had disappeared in the dead of night. It was believed that these creatures had carried them off to their subterranean dwellings for purposes of... erm, procreation." Traps failed as did attempts to smoke them out. In desperation, they sealed off every underground opening that they could find.

Using the painting depicting North End that Miss Goldsmith had purchased, she deduces that it is from the vantage point of Pickman's studio and tracks it down. Meaning to return his other painting, she calls and knocks at the dilapidated building's door only to receive no answer. Inside though, a clawed hand gently pulls a curtain aside to view Miss Goldsmith, unnoticed. Something in the shadows quickly scurries up the stairs when Miss Goldsmith enters, again eluding her detection. A little frightened when the gas lights inside snuff out, she hastens herself upstairs, still calling for Richard to no avail as a pair of red eyes watch from the dark. Miss Goldsmith rushes into a room and closes the door behind. There she finds Pickman's ghastly drawings with both incomplete and completed paintings of these "ghouls".


In timely fashion, Pickman arrives at his studio apartment and is surprised to find Miss Goldsmith in it. Despite her protests, Richard pleads with her to leave immediately and never to return. However their argument is interrupted when a scratching sound is heard coming from outside. "Oh my God, it's too late..." Richard gasps breathlessly, then retreats to the back of his studio to fetch an iron poker. "Wait here. Do not leave this room..." he instructs, then adds when Miss Goldsmith persists, "Did you not hear me when I said I had no need of human company?! And could you not understand why?!" Shut in the room, Miss Goldsmith glances down at the painting (above) in her hand, the truth finally dawning on her as a guttural growl is heard beyond the door. She finds another painting (below) and props it up on an easel, the words her uncle spoke about these beasts breeding with human women echoing in her head as she looks in horror.

Pickman's painting, likely of a mother and her son

behind the boy, whose facial features are slightly feral, is a ghoul -- this implies
that the boy is their combined offspring, and possibly a portrait of Pickman himself

Only Richard's cry draws her from the terrible reverie, his voice commanding some unseen thing back down to the cellar. A crash from the hallway, the studio gas light goes out, then the door slowly creaks open, revealing a clawed hand. Miss Goldsmith runs in terror from the ghoul that chases her through the small studio, faints, and is carried out. Richard, though wounded, leaps to her rescue and struggles with the ghoul as a revived Miss Goldsmith watches, frozen in fear. Amidst the fight, Richard's glove is removed, exposing a clawed, grayed hand similar to the ghoul's. Pickman is revealed to be an offspring of human and ghoul breeding.

The fight grows so violent that Richard and the ghoul both fall over the railing along the second floor, landing hard on the first. Knocked unconscious, Richard is carried down into the cellar as Miss Goldsmith flees North End. Later, dressed in mourning, Miss Goldsmith returns to the studio with her uncle to collect Richard's work. Remarking that Pickman must have been mad as they leave, she corrects her uncle, saying, "No... He painted what he saw... and what he was."

the ghoul

Fading back to the present time, Larry asks if they might look around, hoping to unearth another lost Pickman painting. Their search leads Eliot and Larry down into the cellar where they find a large, cylindrical object protruding from the floor. Possibly a large sewer pipe from their guess with a brick covering. Eliot expresses a lighthearted concern that something might be down there, but Larry encourages him. After all, there might be more paintings sealed away. Using a nearby pickax, Eliot chips away at the brickwork. As the sound of the pickax reverberates, a pair of red eyes glimmer in the gloom beneath.

Maybe it's just my own affinity for art, but I found this to be a remarkable episode. You can rest assured that I will watch more of the 'Night Gallery' series. Even the romantic spiel, which I am generally disdainful of, was done well and did not conflict with the overall macabre theme. As I understand it, there are a handful of other "Pickman's Model" film adaptations. But I will be surprised if any of these are executed nearly as well as this one was. I give it four-and-a-half out of five painted ghouls.
On a side note, if anyone can tell me the name of the artist who painted these, I would be grateful. Most likely these were done by Tom Wright, the series artist, but I'm not certain. But more than that, I would be very, very grateful if someone was able to help me ascertain either information about the original's owner, acquiring a physical print, or at the very least a high-resolution digital image of the last painting (mother, son, and ghoul portrait). I would love to feature it in the Darkley comic as part of storyteller Damien's collection.