Week 7, Spirit Novels

Remy Tost, October 3

Just to get this out of the way, I am an ENORMOUS fan of the Harry Potter book series. Also I have not read the Cursed Child…. partly because a good friend of mine and just as big of a fan read it and warned me not to in my best interest. Plus J.K. didn’t write the whole thing…. feels fishy.

One of my fondest memories as a child was listening to the audiobook for Harry Potter with my family. I remember like it was yesterday a night when my three brothers, mom, dad and myself where all on my parents bed listening to Jim Dale describe the shrieking shack and the drama that occurred during Remus and Sirius’s years at Hogwarts with fond memories as it played on our big cassette player. And after more than 10 years I STILL listen to Jim Dale recite the Harry Potter series. He always amazes me with his impressive and magical array of voices and the different range of emotion he brings to them.

 As a matter of fact on my last birthday I got some money from my parents and I decided to buy something I thought I’d really enjoy: the audiobook for the Night Circus read by none other than Jim Dale. Now I’m not gonna lie, when my childhood buddy Jim said “Fuck” in the first scene of the Night Circus I almost had a heart attack. After all this man used to tell me about Harry’s adventures while I sat in the back of my mom’s white suburban eating McDonalds on the way home from elementary school. But after getting over the “fuck” bit I listened to more of the story until about the fifth chapter, but again I had to stop. Not because Jim said another bad word but because the story didn’t keep me going. It wasn’t getting to a point where I seemed emotionally attached to any of the characters. It lacked personality from the characters and the plot, although slightly suspenseful and mysterious it was overall weak. Especially if we’re comparing Erin Morgenstern‘s plot to J.K.’s.

I think my favorite elements in the Harry Potter series have to be the colorful range of characters, the plot and just how far she planned for it. I remember listing to I think the second book near the end when Voldemart is discussing contents that would later be brought up again with more significance in the fourth and fifth book. And those characters….I firmly believe her characters have been goals for writers since she released the first book. And just how much they have evolved. Especially Harry. His development was so believable to me and looking back as an adult now I can remember how I myself was like Harry in the second book, slightly scarred about another new year but prepared enough to continue along side his friends. That was me my sophomore year at high school. And his rebellion and negative stage during the Order of the Phoenix…so much angst (not that I blame him). I went through that too, especially my senior an freshman year of high school. But like Harry I grew up. I grew up with him.

So I re-watched Time Bandits, which I remember seeing once when I was a kid and I liked it until the ending but had forgotten why. Then I watched it again and remembered why: that god-awful ending. Kind of like the ending in Cirque du Freak, it’s as if Kevin never went on the journey at all or learned ANYTHING after going through different time periods with his dwarf companions. I felt like I got slapped in the face and punished for watching a good adventure movie. Reminds me also of the ending in The Adventure of Baron Munchausen. And the rest of the movie. A great movie, plot, and all-star cast. But that ending made me sick. I mean yeah, not all endings are happy ones. But comparing Kevin’s adventure to Harry’s it just seemed so wrong and incomplete. And I don’t mean it would have better if had 6 sequels; it just felt like what Kevin did was for nothing. And after listing Jim reciting the scene when Harry says goodbye to Hagrid before gets on the Hogwarts express you feel as if Harry kicked ass, saved the day and is now eating the fruits of his labor. Of course he had help, but a lot of it was him. Still an enjoyable movie though.

Week 6, Heroic Jounrey

Remy Tost, September 26

I remember when The Hobbit movie was about to come out. James, a good friend of mine at the time invited me to his apartment with some more friends to watch the LotR trilogy in preparation for the movie’s release. But I asked him if he had ever read the book to which he replied he did and told me about it, with its songs/poems (which sounded strange to me at the time) and the adventurous plot. When we saw the first movie together he was appreciative about the two songs that got included but the film overall didn’t feel as “child-like” to him like the book was. I’m sure if we still talked he’d tell me all about his feelings towards the last two movies and how unhappy he was that they didn’t include any more of the songs/poems and how it got so serious and so focused on the war which didn’t even last that long in the book. And since the Hobbit by JRR Tolkien was the book I chose to read this week, I can honesty say if he had had this conversation with me I’d agree with him.

Another friend of mine from my hometown used to talk about JJR Tolkien’s writing as long, sometimes dragged. I used to love hearing him say how he had “over 100 ways to describe walking” since apparently that’s a thing they do a lot in the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But in The Hobbit, The writing to me was not as grueling as say the LotR series. It felt like a children’s book although it wasn’t “dumbed down”. It still had some intense scenes…like that spider in the woods scene. I’m glad Bilbo broke the ice for me though and sang a song to one f the spider’s to trick him though. Made it easier to bear (I have arachnophobia). Also the scene with Gollum was a bit daunting seeing that if Bilbo didn’t answer the riddles correctly he’d get EATEN. But again, Tolkien manages to make the intense less so with riddles. I think that’s my favorite part about the book honestly. That and the part when Bilbo sings the final song before he goes back to his home…. It really set the mood and made me feel in the moment with him. Almost made me wish Tolkien wrote a musical; that would have been AMAZING.

While reading this I thought about all the other adventure books that have come after this. But not just adventure, the kind that involve a not-so-heroic character who kind of has the choice to go on a journey/quest and learns a lot about himself along the way. Harry Potter of course came to mind. Like Gandalf, Albus, Hermione and pretty much everyone helped figure out who and what he was and at the end of the journey Harry seemed complete, content and satisfied with himself, just like Bilbo. Another story I wanna mention that reminded me of this was Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan. Loved the series, hated the ending. But what made the connection was again Darren (the main character) and how he saved his friend, Steve from death by basically sacrificing his life to be a vampire’s apprentice. At first it doesn’t seem the same as The Hobbit or Harry Potter, but after Darren and the vampire, Larten get a long and the plot and world expands, Darren too sets on a quest and meets a lot of people who help change him and he too changes and finds out about himself.

Legend, one of my favorite movies in the fantasy realm was the one I chose to watch for this week. Such a lush world, and believable too; especially when it changes from beautiful and sunny to gloomy and snowy. Also loved the practical effects. Cant even begin to explain why….then again practical effects at during that time in cinema where such on point. The cast was amazing and the soundtrack by Tangerine was super magical. (Funny too though since around the time this movie was released Tom Cruise was in Risky Business and the soundtrack for that film was also done by Tangerine Dream. Long story short I’m a big Tangerine Dream fan).

Week 5, Witches

Remy Tost, September 19

Witches, like all well-known creepies, have had their evolutions many, many years. Some of the oldest ones that dwell in German Folk tales are nasty, horrible, and revengeful. As times have changed witches have had the opportunity to be good, decent, and wise.  I really thought about these two “types” of witches as I re-read one of my all time favorite books from middle school: “Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones (one of my favorite authors) and re-watched Practical Magic, directed by Griffin Dune. Because as I emerged myself in these two some-what campy witch stories of adventure and the magic of sisterhood, I realized it’s not always the witch-way to be the “good type”.

I remember watching the Crucible’s movie adaptation with my brother when I was little and I gotta tell you that movie freaked me the hell out. I couldn’t believe those young girls could stir so much shit and cause so much pain and misery to innocent people just to save their necks, or worse; fulfill their own dark fantasies. Sure in Practical Magic Sally and Gillian put themselves over their Aunts (and Sally’s children) and used dark magic to bring Jimmy back from the dead. But it was done to help Gillian and in the end everyone helped get rid of Jimmy’s evil spirit.

I think what really through me off was that in the Crucible the bad guys won; in this case the witches. Being so used to seeing a good, campy ending in the past, this one took me by complete shock. I also remember watching a bit of Haxan because it was on cable and my dad watches weird movies when it’s late sometimes. And what I saw again freaked me out. It was weird, creepy, and grotesque and portrayed witches in the most satanic fashion.

And coming from someone who grew up with fun happy magical movies involving witches and books; this version of witches made me remember where they come from; where the deep roots of witch history started.

After I had watched The Crucible and Haxan and more movies that involved unhappy, creepy endings I now can say I’ve grown not numb to them but it definitely doesn’t affect me as much. I can also appreciate the other elements involved in these kinds of films; Suspiria being one of them (Sure, the mean the protagonist does not die; Suzy lives. But it was still a creepy ending.). I mean the movie is basically a beautiful gothic rainbow in terms of visuals and the music was different and bewitchingly haunting, even weird, a work of art.

Like Vampires from last week, Witches have been portrayed in all forms such as the classic evil and ugly to the campy and funny. It’s funny though how I myself almost forgot about that.

Week 4, Weird Horror

Remy Tost, September 12

Zombies have never been a favorite creepy monster of mine to be honest. Much preferred witches, wizards, and vampires, even ghosts. I think they’re grotesque look always turned me off. It’s funny though, if there’s anyone I know who has a big issue with them its my dad. He has a tomahawk under his bead and lots of canned food in the pantry in case the zombie apocalypse becomes a reality.

I read a good chunk of David Wellington’s Monster Island and instantly thought about the survival game “The Last of Us” and the movie “Warm Bodies” directed by Jonathan Levine. In case you aren’t aware of the game, “The Last if Us” about Joel, who lives in a similar world like Monster Island where the world is full of human creatures (in this case they are humans with a virus caused by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus). And instead of zombies they are called clickers). He finds this girl who although got bitten by one survived and potentially has the cure to the virus. But unlike Joel, Dekalb who is trying to find the cure for AIDS to save her daughter who is taken hostage. Both stories however share a lot of similar themes: survival, sanity, trust, and the apocalypse as we know it.

Gary reminded me a lot of R in how they both were the “sane zombies” and didn’t really eat humans (or as Gary calls it “homo-mortis”). And Dekalb reminded me so much of Joel and his role to save his important girl who in the game gets attached to like a dad and his daughter. This book was intense and had some shocking moments, and I hope over winter break I’ll the time to finish. I was I’ll admit a bit wary of the constant change from 3^rd person to first person (Dekalb) but after a while I saw the importance in taking us to see the world more clearly so we understand what Dekalb goes through in finding the cure. Also the kick ass girl squad was a fun twist. Almost reminds me of girl squad in “Sucker Punch” but younger.

Shaun of the Dead from 2004 was a great movie to watch even though I never watched “Dawn of the Dead” so I didn’t pick up on the references to the original. The zombie violence parts freaked me out (that grotesque zombie angle I mentioned earlier).  The plot was no shock but the ending made me happy. Not like “Oh boy! They all survived! Hurrah!” More like, “Well shit, some died along the way which sucks, and Shaun’s friend Ed turns into a zombie but hey, they make it work. No worries…”

Also, want to watch Blood Tea and Red String so bad. Found it on YouTube and will check it out soon! The visuals I got of this when I went to Google Images reminded me vaguely of the singer and artist Emilie Autumn due the rats and violence. I recommend her music if you’re into that gothic Victorian asylum girl angle.

Week 2, Vampires

Remy Tost, August 22

Vampires were my thing in Middle School. I wasn’t really aware of YouTube at the time so I never watched documentaries on them or anything like that. But I sure read a lot of books about them. Even played one in this video game I was in to at the time. I read Dracula (more like tried, it was a bit of a tough read for me at the time) and was intrigued by the fact that the Count was so un-romantic. Not at all like the movie adaptations I’ve seen before, such as Van Hellsing or Dracula (1992). And because I was a middle schooler I wanted more of that romantic vampire stuff so I read what ever I could get my hands on at my school library. I read The Silver Kiss, Vampire Kiss (see a pattern?) and lastly, Twilight. Oh I dug that book. Yet the moment I found out it was gonna be a movie when I reached high school I didn’t like it anymore. Maybe because it was too mainstream and I was too cool for that or the actors didn’t fit the characters. Either way I definitely preferred the books.

I went to my parent’s house this past weekend and rummaged through my bookshelf and found my copy of Twilight and read as much as I could stand. Which was more than I thought if you could believe it. I felt so nostalgic as I read Bella’s thoughts throughout the book. I remember really connecting to Bella in a way I couldn’t connect to other fiction characters I’ve read. She was a teen like me. I also remember how she described Edward and his family. How the looked, acted, even how they “hunted”. It was so different compared to the average joe vampire with the garlic and crosses. Not to mention the other romantic vampire novels didn’t act like these vampires. They were more traditional. I remember this was another reason why I appreciated the twilight series. It was more than I had expected with twists on the vampire we all know. And made it sparkly, among many other things of course. But I could tell she wanted her take on vampires to break the stereotype. And as an avid reader of vampires at the time I liked the change in ideas. Even today while reading I laughed at some of the quotes and situations I remember laughing at about 8 or 9 years ago. Like the random baseball game the Cullen had or the way Bella described Edward as she ate her mushroom raviolis. It still had that quirky and dorky teen charm. And I was glad it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. Obviously not the best romance I have ever read, nor the best book for that matter. But not the worst. That would be Breaking Dawn.

As for the movie of the week, I re-watched another classic that my mom and I watched a while ago. It’s funny though because I knew about it before she told me. During high school around freshman year I still couldn’t quite let go of vampires just yet and was recently introduced to YouTube by a student friend of mine. I was looking up Phantom of the Opera videos that had the original cast and lo and behold I found Michael Crawford, the original phantom starring in another musical called “Dance of the Vampires”. This musical I later found out was based off of Roman Polanski’s “The Fearless Vampire Killers” movie from 1967. I remember watching Michael sing in the American version, then the German version with Steve Barton and honestly I liked both a lot. The set design was very impressive and the songs were nice and dramatic. Also like the comedy bits. So when I saw the original version of this story I was excited to see if it was at all like the funny, campy yet dark musical version. The movie was a bit slow, but then again I feel the pacing on a lot of films made during the late 1960s are a bit slow. But the acting was good and funny, really enjoyed Roman Polanski‘s role as Alfred and his teacher Professor Abronsius.

Also found it impressive that Polanski starred and directed the movie. Overall it was not as enjoyable as the musical in my opinion because it didn’t have as much emotion but good nonetheless.