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spaceeoddity · 2 years

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As a verdict is possibly hours away, a sense of dread has been building in my stomach for what it will mean for Amber’s future, as well as all victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), particularly as women’s basic rights continue to be under attack in the United States. Like many people who are following the case, I have personal experiences with abuse. Much of my research focuses on IPV, specifically, the disparities in resources and services that are available for survivors to leave their abusers, such as economic, social, geographical barriers. It’s a topic which is deeply tied to my own personal experiences and academic career.

I initially was ambivalent to Amber Heard. Before I began to research the case, I was firmly in the "they both suck" camp, having only briefly glanced through articles. I started to pay more attention to the media coverage over the past six weeks and was really staggered by how Heard was being portrayed as a lying, crazy, gold-digging woman through narratives that were not only going unchallenged, but were heavily perpetuated in the public discourse. Even worse, that the abuse she experienced had been capitalized on by "true crime" junkies and mocked in TikTok videos and Youtube compilations. So I began watching the trial live and found that there was far more evidence and far more substantial evidence which shows that JD was the perpetrator of abuse within their relationship.

The evidence collected through JD's personal texts and emails show an early pattern of abuse. He exerted control over the clothes Amber wore and would become angry when she didn't dress "conservatively". He would consistently accuse her of having affairs with acquaintances, friends, and various co-stars, even with an openly gay director, Clive Barker. He didn't like that she was ambitious and would scorn her when she took opportunities to advance her career. He would constantly refer to her with misogynistic language. He also referred to Amber, an openly bisexual woman, as a “lesbian camp counsellor”. He messaged other men to discuss killing her through drowning and burning her, and then raping her burnt corpse to prove that she was truly dead. This all occurred while they were still dating. She was in her early 20s and he was in 50s. All of these coercive, paranoid, jealous, controlling behaviours are deeply and unequivocally abusive.

None of this includes the evidence which shows physical and sexual abuse. There are audio tapes in which he admits to headbutting her, so hard that she was concerned her nose was broken. In another recording, they discuss how her family and friends have seen her bruises, broken blood vessels, and bald spots from her hair being torn out of her scalp. Another shows him stating “I will smack the ugly c**t before I let her in.” A video shows him aggressively breaking and smashing furniture near her. One interaction reveals that Stephen Deuters, his assistant, begged her to come back to him after her assaulted her on a plane in front of his bodyguards, pleading to her that JD was remorseful for his actions. Heard also has stated he sexually assaulted her multiple times. Remember, he previously discussed violently raping her in those infamous messages to Paul Bettany.

As for witnesses, several testified to seeing bruises on her numerous times, including JD's witnesses, such as their marriage counsellor. A makeup artist, Melanie Inglessis, testified to covering swelling on her lip and two black eyes. Raquel Pennington saw several injuries, including bloodied bald spots on her head, a swollen nose, and cut lip. She expressed fear JD would eventually kill Amber if she didn't leave. Josh Drew also testified to seeing her with injuries, including black eyes, a swollen cheek, and a busted lip. iO Tillet Wright (who Depp misgenders throughout his testimony) recalled hearing JD assault Amber and scream “oh, you think I hit you? You think I fucking hit you? What if I peel your fucking hair back". iO then called 911. This was the incident which led Heard to file for a divorce and a restraining order, two days afterwards. It is worth noting that Pennington, Drew, and Wright all corroborated this incident in their depositions, as did iO’s 2016 essay.

Is she guilty of fighting back? Absolutely. She never lied about doing so, even dating back to her 2016 deposition. However, fighting back against a man who has beaten you, sexually assaulted you, controlled your career, finances, and who you can associate with does not equate to being an abuser. It’s simply surviving. And yes, I’ve heard those audio tapes, the in which she’s expresses her incredulity at him for stating their fights were fair when she feared he would kill her.

His case has relied upon deeply misogynistic narratives to discredit both her claims and her character. She was after his money all along, even though she refused the 30 million dollar fortune she was legally entitled to, as there was no prenup. She painted on bruises, even though a makeup artist testified to covering up her swollen lip and two black eyes. She cut off his finger, even though multiple texts and even an audio recording showcase him admitting to doing it in the midst of a bender. She didn't donate her money, even though she and the organization created a 10 year plan for her to make yearly payments (in my personal opinion, what she does with her money either way is nobody's fucking business). Also worth noting, an ACLU representative testified to her being ahead of schedule until Depp began suing her. She made up a hoax, because she documented her abuse - as we advise all people who are in abusive situations to do. She's a liar, because women are inherently deceitful liars.

None of the evidence that JD's attorneys presented has proven that she defamed him through her op-ed piece. That's likely because their goal was never to prove that her article - which never explicitly references him or their relationship - impacted his career. Those who watched the trial will know, Tracy Jacobs, his agent of 30 years stated that it was his drug and alcohol abuse, anger issues, chronic lateness (7 or 8 hours late to set each day), and unprofessionalism that led to his career decline. Film crews grew tired of working around these problems, and eventually, so did Hollywood. Tina Newman, a Disney Corporate Representative who worked on POTC stated no one knew of Amber’s op-ed until Depp sued her.

The trial was always meant to humiliate, shame, and terrorize her. We are witnessing in a powerful man terrorize his ex-wife through the legal system, all while the world makes TikToks of her sexual assault testimony. JD has a documented history of violence and is due for another court date after assaulting a crew member of the set of City of Lies. To quote his own words, “If I’m angry and I’ve got to lash out or hit somebody, I’m going to do it and I don’t care what the repercussions are. Anger doesn’t pay rent, it’s gotta go. It’s gotta be evicted.”

I don't know whether Amber Heard will win her case. We’re witnessing a radical right-wing political swing to control and criminalize women’s bodies with Roe v. Wade under attack right now. To be blunt, I have very little faith in the justice system and that a jury - in Virginia of all places - will rule in favour of an abused woman over her charismatic, powerful ex-husband. However, I think it's important to remember that Amber did everything right, that is, everything we tell women to do. She documented her abuse, left her abusive partner, and was granted a restraining order - and she's continuing to be punished for doing so. If Amber, a privileged white woman with access to economic resources, is still struggling to escape her abuser, how can we expect women without those privileges to?

#amber heard #i stand with amber heard #justice for amber heard #johnny depp #anti johnny depp #johnny depp is an abuser

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bitterkarella · 4 months

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Midnight Pals: 2 Fisted Tales

Stephen King: hey patricia is it true you used to write comics? Patricia Highsmith: [long cigarette drag] Highsmith: who told you that

King: well, i just heard- Highsmith: was it stan lee? Highsmith: musta been stan lee Highsmith: never met a cat who talked so much Highsmith: might as well be a dame with all the yap yap yappin

Dean Koontz: wowwwww did you really meet stan lee, patricia? Highsmith: yeah Koontz: wowwww! what was that like? [flashback] Stan Lee: hey there comics fans its me, stan lee Lee: how bout a date? Highsmith: no dice

Poe: steve King: i just thought she'd like to tell us about her Poe: steve Poe: just no Poe: no King: ok fine Barker: i'm gonna hear the comic story Poe: CLIVE NO

King: ah but patricia i think we'd all like to hear a comics story Patricia Highsmith: i ain't gonna tell no comic story King: well maybe I can't convince you King: but I bet I know someone who can! Alan Moore: [appearing in a flash] who dares summon the arch magus? King: the arch magus! Poe: the arch magus! Koontz: the arch magus!

Moore: speak! what boon ask ye of the arch magus? King: hey alan you've worked in comics King: how about you tell patricia that comics aren't stupid Moore: Moore: i cannot tell her that

Moore: comics are the bane of my existence! a curse upon them! Highsmith: now this guy, this guy i like Highsmith: he's got a real noodle in his noggin Moore: the arch magus would do well to hear your counsel, mortal Highsmith: sure, we could jaw a bit

Highsmith: how you feel about snails, archmagus? Moore: be these your familiars? Highsmith: "familiars" Highsmith: listen to this cat

Highsmith: ok fine you mooks wanna hear about my comics Highsmith: i'll tell ya Highsmith: but only cuz i'm here among bros Highsmith: long as its just dudes Highsmith: cuz these stories Highsmith: they get a little rough Highsmith: and you know how dames are

Highsmith: so this story's just for us dudes Highsmith: so franz Franz Kafka: what? Highsmith: you gotta go Kafka: huh? what? Kafka: why? Highsmith: you just gotta go Kafka: i don't understand Barker: oh my god franz get a clue Poe: clive

Highsmith: submitted for the approval of the midnight pals Highsmith: i call this the tale of the crime puncher Highsmith: it's about this real swole square headed guy who punches criminals Highsmith: pow! punch! bam! Highsmith: that's what comics are all about

Highsmith: so there're these 2 palookas who fight crime Highsmith: named steve and ploopie Barker: i'm sorry what Highsmith: steve and ploopie Barker: steve and WHAT Highsmith: what, you got cabbage in your ears? ploopie Barker: Barker: i'm sorry WHAT

Highsmith: anyway steve and ploopie gotta do some punching Barker: there's a lot of punching in these stories Highsmith: that's what kids want in comics Barker: huh sure yeah Barker: Barker: i'm sorry steve and WHAT Poe: let it go, clive

Highsmith: so this world war i playing ace crashes into a polish swamp Highsmith: when he dies, it creates a big mud monster Highsmith: who goes to america to harass some kid for his model air plane Barker: i'm starting to see why you didn't want to tell these stories Poe: CLIVE

Highsmith: i didn't just do action comics tho Highsmith: i wrote educational ones too Highsmith: like the two-fisted tales of oliver cromwell Highsmith: or don't mess with galileo Highsmith: or catherine the great takes out the trash

King: why didn't you stick with comics, patricia? Patricia Highsmith: eh you know how the comics biz is King: but I've heard its actually a growth industry Highsmith: is that so King: yeah they tell me that there's lots of opportunities in comics for girls Highsmith: ugh pass

#midnight pals #the midnight society #midnight society #stephen king #clive barker #edgar allan poe #dean koontz #patricia highsmith #alan moore #franz kafka #stan lee

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orkbutch · 4 months

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i am a butch now but i don’t know whether that’s true or not anymore. i want to take T, but at what point am i actually just a trans man? have you question that line in the sand at all yet?

Oh boy.

I can only talk from my perspective on this, others may differ, and thats because "whats the difference between a butch on T and a trans man" is such a new sociological concept that its basically in the very beginnings of its infancy. its SO new, and neither Butch nor Trans Man nor Trans Masc have secure, well established roots as social identities or concepts. It may seem like they do and it may seem like there are rules or lines that are firm, but when you step back, zoom out, and consider them in the context of broader society (and especially compared to the idea of a Man and Woman), they do not. These are social contructs that are actually very early in their construction, and we are doing the constructing like, right now, within this ask.

That said, I can tell you why I don't identify as a trans man fairly easily: I don't care about men or the idea of a man. "Man" as a static concept is like... I don't know what that is. Its almost alien to me.

Now, to ramble that point out:

I have considered if I'm a man throughout my life. The closest I've been to identifying as a man was when I was in a period in my life when I considered that there was at least an aspect of me that was drawn to Manhood. Also, as I came to be read as a man in my public life, i supposed that in social situations when I was being treated as a man and I didn't correct people because I didn't care to, and I even enjoyed it somewhat and leaned into that role, I was essentially Being a Man (socially). So Man came to be a role I found myself in occasionally, and Manhood came to be a vaguely defined something that was intriguing to me.

But these moments of Man Feeling ended up being more like exceptions that proved the rule. Anyone can feel a bit like a man in the right circumstance, because gender isn't static; its something we can and often do play with, and phase through. I feel like music puts me in some heavily gendered spaces, like Everyone has a part of them thats a woman when they're belting along to "I'm Every Woman", yknow. Anyway.

I didn't feel like a man that much. I didn't feel like a woman that much either. I felt like a butch more frequently, because when I do things that indulged my masculinity, when I'm consumed by my love and attraction to femininity, when I think about the queers that I admire most, I felt butch, and was drawn to butches and interesting queer women. Leslie Feinberg, Frida Kahlo, Nancy Grossman, Patricia Highsmith, leather dykes and femme pro-doms, transgender queens... I've just never been that drawn to the experience of being a man. I've never been interested in men, frankly. Every man I've admired has been very much despite being men. Sufjan Stevens, Clive Barker, David Lynch, David Cronenberg, John Waters... great and usually queer artists whose gender is irrelevant because I like their work. The only man in that list who I have some personal affection for is Sufjan Stevens. He is an angel.

If I'm going to be a gender, its going to be the gender I admire. That I aspire to. I don't aspire to any man. Perhaps I aspire to a kind of body or a kind of masculinity, and sometimes men do that, but thats just a lack of other non-man representations of the thing I like. When I see in butches, it feels like a depiction of Me. Also WOW do I So Not feel like a man when I'm with my lovers. Sometimes I feel a bit like a man when I'm in a certain headspace while domming or if I'm having the rare T4T(masc) dalliance, but I feel very dyky when I'm with femmes. I just don't FEEL manhood. And I don't really care for man. Edit: I will say, there is a kind of Queer Man Masculinity that I definitely admire and aspire to, like that depicted by Tom of Finland or various other usually kinky gay art. But again, I don't see the Man part as important - its the masculinity. Btw, imo, there is no line in the sand as far as transition stuff. I'm very dysphoric about my body and that's never been about how I'm seen by others; it's my comfort in my own skin, and doesn't change my indifference to men or manhood. and that is my butch vs trans man ramble

#ask #trans things

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smalltownghosts · 1 year

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Hi:) what are your favorite movies, shows, and books? Pls give as many recommendations as you wish, I’m trying to find things to watch/read and I think you’d have good taste 🤍

Thank you, that is so nice of you to say! I always feel really nervous answering questions like these because my favorites change constantly, but I will do my best to come up with something somewhat definitive.

Books I already answered here with my absolute favorites, but here are some more: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski Foxfire by Joyce Carol Oates Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter The Doll Collection by Ellen Datlow Observatory Mansions by Edward Carey The Thief of Always by Clive Barker Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule (anyone into true crime needs to read Ann Rule)

And for some contemporary favorites that I've read recently: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones and In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

TV Twin Peaks Carnivale My So-Called Life Six Feet Under True Detective season 1 Friday Night Lights Movies Mulholland Drive Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me Badlands Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (I adore the films too of course, but if you're looking for a four hour deep dive on something definitely check this doc out it's fantastic) Blade Runner Něco z Alenky (Alice) Millennium Actress Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Close Encounters of the Third Kind The Virgin Suicides The Devil and Daniel Johnston And I made a list of all the terrible horror B movies (and some good ones) I like to watch here I hope you find something new to enjoy!

#answered

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hrodvitnon · 3 months

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*Near the end of the mission- the Titans have pulled off the impossible. They found Gigan, Abraxas bested him in combat, got from him the necessary failsafe they knew he had, and now they were trying to escape. Unfortunately- one of the groups was trapped. Godzilla, Rodan, Abraxas, Barb, and Tiamat were stuck in a room that had caught fire- likely from one of Abraxas's lightning attacks. The door was blocked by debris from the other side- and Godzilla banged on the door to get it to open while the fires licked at their backsides.*

Rodan: We're all gonna die, we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die, we're all gonna die...

Godzilla, Abraxas, and Tiamat: WOULD YOU QUIT IT?!

Rodan: IT'S TRUE! THIS WAS AN AWFUL IDEA! WHY DID I LET MYSELF BE TALKED INTO THIS??? God I'll never get to see the Sun again- feel the wind rushing past me in flight- never *mate* with anyone again! This is the end...

Godzilla: STOP BEING A DRAMA QUEEN AND HELP ME ALREADY!

Rodan: It's curtain call- requiem's playing- fat lady singing... Quick- I gotta get some stuff off my chest, guys.

Tiamat: Fucks sake.

Rodan: Abraxas- Vivienne- San- whatever the fuck you go by- I love you. Despite all the snipping and teasing and rudeness- we go together great and I love being around you and I really really really wanted to have more time with you.

Rodan: Barb- I was just being an asshole when I called you a bug that one time. I'm sorry- you looked really sad when I said it and I felt like I couldn't say sorry because that would make my tough guy masquerade come crumbling down and everyone would see me for the glorified hatchling I was- putting up a front and deflecting everything with humor and wit so I didn't have to feel things.

Rodan: Tiamat- you don't deserve all the shit people say about you behind your back. Yeah, you're kind of a slut; but that's cool- y'know? You don't give a shit and I think that's really respectable and I wish I could be like you and not have such a fragile ego. You're also funny and fun to be around- and I feel like no one ever tells you that, y'know?

Rodan: And Godzilla- I've always sorta thought you were hot.

Godzilla: ...what-

Rodan: FUCK, your roar, your body, DID I MENTION HOW GOOD YOU LOOK IN THE PINK?? I got on your ass for it, I know, I'm sorry- but god, you look good. You're also just real quiet and sweet when you wanna be and super calm most of the time and JESUS CHRIST, YOUR VOICE-

Barb: Uh- Rodan?

Rodan: -I tell ya, if you ever showed interest I would've bent over. In. A. Heartbeat. But... I never knew how to tell you this. You're just really intimidating all the time and whenever I talk to you I feel like you tune me out and never really listen as you just have that stone-cold look all the time and y'know me: Rodan, King of The Skies who needs nobody but himself to keep him company. But you seem like a cool guy... and I wanted to be better friends with you before...

Mothra: What the fuck.

Rodan: what-

*The rubble had been cleared and the door was open. On the other side was Dagon, Shimo, Mothra, Behemoth, and Kong; and they were all staring at Rodan with agape maws- along with everyone else.*

Rodan: ...shit.

Mothra: Got one for me in there?

Rodan: You guys just leave me here- I'll be dying of-

Godzilla/Abraxas/Tiamat/Barb: Absolutely not!

*Godzilla grabs Rodan and throws him over his shoulder as the gang runs down the now open hall, reunited with their friends.*

Oh, Rodan, you drama queen.

Dagon: Honestly, this is going much better than I expected, but how did you get the fail safe from Gigan?

Abraxas: Classified.

*five minutes earlier*

Abraxas: Give me the fail safe or I'll never let you record me being carved open like a turkey again.

Gigan: Oh, sweetheart, you'll have to do better than that.

Abraxas:

Abraxas: Hey, you know all those grotesque leather family tree things you have hung up in that hallway, like Clive Barker Bayeux Tapestries From Hell? The ones your followers made out of their skin and gave to you as offerings that will be added to with every generation?

Gigan: ...you didn't.

Abraxas: I did.

Gigan: No.

Abraxas: It was easy.

Gigan: You MONSTER, THE AMOUNT OF HISTORY IN THOSE TAPESTRIES! THE BLOOD AND SWEAT AND TEARS THAT WENT INTO FLAYING AND TANNING THEM!

Abraxas: And now they're all tilted.

Gigan: THAT FUCKING HALLWAY IS GOING TO GIVE ME SUCH A GODDAMN HEADACHE, YOU CARRION SPAWN FROM THE DARKEST PIT OF EVIL!!

#frostbite814 #abraxasverse #monarch shenanigans

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thefingerfuckingfemalefury · 6 months

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Thirty One Days of Horror Movies! Day Thirty :D

Nightbreed!

A man having recurring dreams of a hidden city called Midian, populated by strange beings seen as monsters by the world becomes implicated in a number of brutal murders....but as he learns that the city in his dreams is very real he also learns that the monster he should fear is not the cities inhabitants but a monster in human form... and that he might well be safer among the "monsters" of Midian than with the humans

Some Clive Barker goodness for the Halloween season here, Nightbreed might not be as well known as some of his other stuff like Hellraiser but it's definitely worth checking out

The movie has some fantastic practical effects for Midian's supernatural inhabitants, and it also boasts a quirky and unusual plot that makes for a fun watch

The movie has a neat cast and the inhabitants of Midian, the hidden city of "monsters" all have neat and inventive designs and the clear hella queer energy of this society of outcasts being persecuted and blamed for the crimes of an outwardly respectable attractive cishet white man gives the movie a strong theme

Speaking of the killer, David Cronenberg, more known for being behind the camera than in front of it delivers a truly chilling performance as the wonderfully creepy serial killer who is responsible for the crimes the main character is being framed for and the fact that the movies true "monster" is someone who blends in so well with what society dubs "normal" feels more timely with each passing year.

This cult classic is well worth a watch this spooky month...though I'd advise to check out the Directors Cut rather than the studio one which is definitely the better version

#Halloween #Sfw

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cyanide-latte · 2 months

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TURNABOUTS FAIR PLAY what are your top five horror movies??

Aaahhh, I've been uno reversed~. Touché, darling!

The last three are in no particular order and they're all trilogies I'm counting as a set. Second place is usually subject to change at any given point in time, it just fluctuates depending on my mood.

1: Candyman (1992) - Not just my favorite horror movie, but my favorite movie of all time, period. Taking the mythology from "The Forbidden" and turning it into the story that they did? The shots, the symbolism, the casting, the sheer power of how seductive the relationship is between Helen and Candyman, the tragedy. Truly a movie for all disaster bi's out there. Helen's story and the way it's handled! This movie gave me such a triumph out of tragedy, and it's so beautiful. It holds up brilliantly, it's high art, it's everything. The 2021 sequel was also excellent.

2: Malignant (2021) - Absolutely bonkers in the fucking yonkers. This movie was made for fun and that one specific fight sequence in the police station. It's wild, it's not taking itself seriously, and yet it's fascinating to analyze and comb through. Periodically I just get hit with the need to reassess and think about elements of this movie. Maybe one day I'll get back to that fic trilogy I had planned for it. An excuse to pour my analysis into a written narrative? Perhaps...

3: Hellraiser original trilogy (1987-1992) - Is that the religious trauma talking? Maybe a little. These movies grabbed me by the throat. The first was a near-perfect adaptation of "The Hellbound Heart" and an interesting look at Clive Barker doing directorial work. I actually adore the second one to pieces. It dives beautifully into its own mythology, into revenge, into the horror of medical malpractice as well as the body horror and sexuality. Kirsty Cotton is, imo, perhaps the Final Girl of all time. I also appreciate Tiffany, she's a very good example of a positive neurodivergent deuteragonist in that movie. The third one is...WOOF~. In all seriousness though, I'd always been curious about the films since childhood (the posters and box art of the Hell Priest and the other Cenobites used to grab my attention whenever we went to the video store, Mom used to have to come find me and pull me away from "my staredowns with Pinhead") but I'd been anxious for so long to try them because I hadn't had much exposure to body horror in films. Finally gave them a shot, went "oh, huh, this isn't that bad," and then got sucked in by the movies' approach to the topics they tackle.

4: Scream original trilogy (1996-2000) - My gateway to horror, as I saw the first one when I was seven. My uncles were babysitting me and they never really worried about whatever I saw them watching. They've stuck with me my entire life and honestly they're just so damn fun. The writing is solid and while 2 and 3 have their flaws, I'll defend them to the death, they're still fun and they still work well. Sidney Prescott was my first Final Girl and she'll always hold a special place in my heart.

5: The Shining 3-part TV film (1997) - it's the superior adaptation. Full stop. Kubrick's adaptation has some gorgeous camera work, a few memorable tracks in its score and some iconic lines but it's so lacking. It misses the true heart and strength and point of the story because Kubrick went and did his own thing. The 90s made-for-tv adaptation is brilliant. It has its weak points and there's a few things that visually aged in a clunky way, but the heart is there. The catharsis and the hope is there. It moved me to tears and it gave me everything I could have asked for and more.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Fear Street trilogy (2021) - They were fun, a lot of fun, and for someone who's never been a fan of R.L. Stine, these were still easy to enjoy. I heard about the trilogy being released and it felt like the kind of thing I remembered from childhood as far as gimmicky releases went, so each weekend, I dove onto the couch and watched them drop on Netflix one by one. I still have a lot of issues and complaints with them, dgmw, but they're a solid summer watch, they really played around with popular subgenres and I think Janiak and her cast and crew did well. One day I'll get back to my fics for this trilogy too. Justice for my girl Ruby Lane.

Us (2019) - ngl this one sat in my brain for weeks afterwards. I need to rewatch it, it's such a good psychological horror.

Urban Legend (1998) - I have a fuckoff weird relationship with this movie. Like, that deserves its own post, probably. But because I have such a weird relationship with it, I felt the need to give it an honorable mention.

Halloween (2018) - I'm here for senior citizen final girl Grandma Laurie Strode kicking ass, I love seeing a survivor reach that age and still be willing to do what it takes to survive and protect those she loves.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) - this is a weird one because I wouldn't say I enjoy watching it like most other movies. But it's a really interesting study piece, especially the more I read nonfiction books that go into depth and detail about the film and the time period it's contemporary to. I don't watch this movie for fun, I watch it to study, to analyze, to self-inform and to then improve my ability to apply those skills to other horror movies I watch.

#there's more there's always more and my horror movie watchlist grows ever larger all the time #answered asks #blithesharem #thoughts on horror #Cyanide speaks

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madame-mortician · 2 months

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Key differences between the Hellraiser book and movie!

So I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I’ve read the original novel the Hellraiser film was based on, and it has a lot of key differences from the film. It’s not that the film was supposed to be upgrading the original story, just telling a slightly different one but both are written by Clive Barker so it’s not like the film purposefully changed things due to different staff, anyways to the list.

In the film, Kirsty is the teenage daughter of Larry Cotton, and the stepdaughter of Julia, though she isn’t that close to her due to them being wed after Kirsty was already grown. In the novel, Kirsty is the same age as Rory (Larry’s original name) and is not related to him, or Julia. In the original story, it’s shown she had a crush on Rory, hence her close relationship with him, but she never shoots her shot because he married Julia, who she also isn’t close with, in the novel.

In the novel, the Cenobites are more morally good than in the film. In the film's opening, once Frank opens the Lament Configuration, he is instantly torn apart and dragged to Hell, with the Cenobites being very willing to take Kirsty as well. In the novel, when Frank uses the Lemarchand Box (another name change) the Cenobites appear before him and talk with him, asking repeatedly if he consents and explaining vaguely that he’s not going to get what he thinks. Only after he consents do they begin to torture him. In the film, after Kirsty gives Frank to the Cenobites, they betray her and go after her, in the novel they tell her to leave when they go after Frank, and they never pursue her after Frank’s taken, not going back on their deal.

The film ends with the Eremite grabbing the Lament Configuration and preparing to sell it to a new victim, however, the book ends differently. In the book, he doesn’t appear until the very last scene, where he gives Kirsty the box and she comes to the conclusion that she is now the keeper of the box, and takes this role wearily. Whether this implies Kirsty herself became an Eremite or she’s just supposed to protect the box from curious fingers, it’s up to your interpretation.

Speaking of the Eremite, his lack of appearance in the novel means the film and novel start with different contexts. In the film, the Eremite sold the box to Frank, designed as a trick which he falls for, making him out to be a rather villainous figure. In the novel, Frank heard of the box through word of mouth and presumed the box brought pleasure, which was half true. Then he specifically sought out the box and was told exactly what would happen. So the film starts with Frank having no clue what awaits him and being killed for it, whilst the novel starts with Frank having literally set up a shrine for the Cenobite's arrival. That said, the Eremite does appear briefly at the end of the book, though in the novel he is implied to be the Engineer.

In the movie the Lament Configuration is a puzzle box with golden designs etched into it, making it rather regal-looking and not too hard to solve. In the novel, Lemarchand’s Box was pitch black and in its default form it had no shadow or light reflections, and thus you couldn’t really see anything on it to help with solving it. When she completes the first step to open it, she sees weird reflections on the box’s face, showing presumably lost souls, Kirsty recognises Julia and Frank's faces, but notes she can't find Rory's. The novel box was so hard to solve that it took hours for both Kirsty and Frank to solve it.

The Cenobites were described differently than they appear in the film. In the film, there was Hell Preist, with the pins in his head, Deep Throat, with the fucked-up throat, Butterball, the fat one, and Chatterer, the one with the weird teeth. (Also the Engineer but he’s not that important.) In the novel, only really two of them are described, with it being rather vague. There’s one with jewelled pins in their head, and bells in their neck that sound like Church bells when they approach, which is obviously the novel version of Pinhead. There’s also a female Cenobite who, like all the other Cenobites, appears androgynous and sexless, however, she can be recognised as a female because she opens her coat to reveal her p_ssy. She’s essentially the original Deep Throat. Butterball and Chatterer could very well be here, but the other Cenobites are described only as sexless, androgynous, things with disfigured flesh strewn about and fixed as oddly fashionable. This means if you want an accurate depiction of the book Cenobites, the 2022 film designs are the most accurate. In the film it was obvious Pinhead was a male, along with Butterball and Chatterer whilst Deep Throat was female, which is another difference since again, the novel had them all be genderless, except for the female one.

Since Kirsty is not related to Larry/Rory, she also isn’t related to Frank. In the film, she recognises him as her sleazy Uncle, and it’s implied he might’ve been predatory towards her, but in the novel she barely knew him but was always attracted to his brother Rory. The line "Come to Daddy" is said in both, but the context is again, different. In the film, Frank said it to trick Kirsty into thinking he was her dad, Larry, but in the novel, since they have no relation, he was just being a creep.

In the film when Kirsty escapes Frank and Julia, she wakes up in the hospital and after solving the box she walks into Hell and is tormented by the Cenobites. In the book, she also wakes up in the hospital, but after solving the box, one of the Cenobites (I believe it was Pinhead) appears before her, and she strikes the trade, with it being calmer than in the film scene. Also, it is shown that only she can see the Cenobite, as a staff member enters and doesn’t see the Cenobite, which implies only people who solved the box can see Cenobites, meaning Julia never saw them.

Back to that Cenobite I failed to discuss earlier, the Engineer is rather different in both stories. In the film, it’s a weird, grotesque monster thing, which appears very briefly but in the novel it appears in a wedding dress and veil, which Kirsty mistakes for Julia’s corpse, implying it looks humanoid, however when it unveils it is shown to be a blinding light, so it's true form is unknown. It’s also implied that the Eremite who appears in the novel's last scene is actually the Engineer, which is very possible.

A small one is the novel takes place in England whilst the film is set in America. This was mostly done to boost sales, though they went even further as to dub over some of the British accents.

In the film, Kirsty has a boyfriend who assists her, though he’s a very one-dimensional character and not very memorable. He’s just kinda… there. In the novel, he doesn’t exist because half of Kirsty’s character is that she had a crush on Rory.

The movie got a load of sequels, most being shitty slasher flicks, with only like… 3 of them being decent. The direct sequel, Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 is a direct follow-up to the film, continuing Kirsty and Pinhead’s story and not being based on an existing novel. In 2015, however, a sequel to the original novel was released, nothing like the films before. The basic gist of the sequel novel is that Pinhead wants power and becomes like, a horrible villain more akin to fucking Thanos than to movie Pinhead, but is stopped by another Clive Barker character, a detective named Harry D’Amour. Honestly, the book (titled The Scarlet Gospels) doesn’t sound the best, it gets super religious and I mean SUPER religious, but hey, whatever, it’s unique I guess.

#horror #slasher #fun facts #Hellraiser #the hellbound heart #pinhead #Kirsty cotton #hell priest

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solomanta · 11 months

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Demonology for Beginners: Part 1

I have several hundred books in my library, so this is a very brief selection, aimed at beginners.

Most of these can be found on kindle. (With one or two exceptions)

On Demons

Ars Goetia

The Devil’s Grimoire: A System of Psychic Attack by Moribus Mortlock (On how to use Devils for magical purposes)

Demons, the Devil, and Fallen Angels by Marie D. Jones & Larry Flaxman

Liber Asmodeus by Diablito Ordo Al-Ghoul (A Newer edition named Asmodeus exists, but not on Kindle. I recommend getting both, as the information covers different grounds, for all that the newer edition is more comprehensive.)

Demonality: Incubi & Succubi by Sinistrari of Ameno (17th Century) (New Ed. by Tarl Warwick)

A Brief History of Angels and Demons by Sarah Bartlett

Demonology: Sorting Facts from Fiction: A field guide of Demons in cristianity by Riley Star (The most basic beginner book of Demons and Demonology possible. HIGHLY recommended reading for a beginner. Oversimplified, but a great place to start. Comes with a list of some of the better known demons.)

On the Darkness, Hell, and the Left-Handed Path

Lords of the Left-Handed Path: Forbidden Practices and Spiritual Heresies by Stephen E. Flowers (Recommended by the Temple of Set)

Pacts With the Devil by Black (In all fairness a history lesson with a number of magical principles that are useful to know on top.)

The Penguin Book of Hell (Penguin Classics)

Novels that Portray Demons More or Less Accurately

(Take it with a pinch of salt. It’s still fiction. But rather good fiction.)

Mr. B. Gone by Clive Barker

The Devil’s Mistress by J.W. Brodie-Innes (Based on a true story dating back to the witch trials. True to real events as far as can be documented.)

The Magus by Alex Sumner (VERY Accurate...for the specific demons and magic involved. Be aware many other demons are far less dangerous.)

YouTube Videos:

Example of Working With a Demon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csom7YmpdzY

Working With Demons, Playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKvSCFogl6M&list=PLITSa3x4sSXnjgEBXinH1560Sdeupcb-X

Tarot/Oracle Decks

Decent deck:

Best Deck:

Notes

Some people would recommend the works of S. Connolly, but I personally find that person a bit too quixotic when it comes to demons. They are good for ideas, but following everything in them could prove...risky.

Demons are not friendly spirits or deities. They are not nice or benevolent just to be kind. They want something, even if that something is to seduce you to join the dark delights of Hell. Or offerings you may give them.

I realize this can seem a bit scary at first glance. And perhaps I do go a bit deep into the Darker aspects of Demon and Demonology.

But keep in mind that Demons are not your enemies. They are your Allies and Friends.

At least that is what you hope to achieve.

Hell can seem like a bad place to those who are not at home with Darkness, Wickedness, Cruelty, and Suffering.

But those who have known these things, who accept them, will find it a very nice and inviting home.

Working with Demons are not for the squeamish. It’s not some fashion fad to follow and then discard. And it’s not for those who cannot take it seriously and do the work you need to do.

But do it right, and you can have all the Wealth, Wisdom, Secrets, and Power in the world laid at your feet.

And in the end, you will find out if you are one of the few whom will find a Home in Hell... or if it’s simply not for you.

--Belial

#demonology

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jaydee1818 · 2 years

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Long post about a movie up ahead…

You know what it was for me about the new Hellraiser? There was no romance in it.

There was no passion. No sweat. No grime. The desperation rang hollow. There was no dirt. There was no seduction. There was no appreciation for the beauty of filth and ugliness. It was just beautiful.

I feel like, nowadays, people are so concerned about people taking horror ‘seriously’ that any love that might have gone into it falls to the wayside. There used to be a visceral love for horror- not just the heightened aesthetics, but for the grossness. The getting dirty. The true disturbing quality of the human body as an object. The wetness, the juiciness, the blood, the grease, the fat, the flesh. People falling apart, hair undone, eyes wild, covered in sweat and tears. There’s a romance in that. A romance in the base form of humanity. In desperation. In fear.

No amount of beautifully made, consistency-accurate, color-accurate fake blood will match the way Kirsty looks in 1987 screaming “You want it? Fucking have it!” She is raw. She is frightened. She is angry and undone and she wants to fight. She looks like an animal.

That is the franchise. That. The human animal. When you watch Hellraiser 1987, it’s so clear that the people making the movie understood what they were making. Understood the beauty of the horrific. And yeah, that’s probably not a fair comparison, as the literal author Clive Barker was at the helm of the project. But that does even further disservice to 2022. And even with all the beauty 2022 captured, a clean, modern, painfully clinical beauty though it may be, there is nothing luscious or lurid about it. Nothing about the Cenobites seems particularly ‘forbidden,’ because they look like pieces of modern art. They have no enticement. I felt like I observed them with the same appraising eye one might cast upon a particularly lovely sculpture. I didn’t want to take a closer look, a grave and fatal feeling for a franchise like Hellraiser. I mean my god, when people talk about ‘sexy’ horror, Candyman and Hellraiser are often the first two names that get called out. This movie was not sexy. Not at all.

The surreal and fantastical were left to the wayside in favor of brutalism and realism. It leaves wonder behind, supplanting it with rote fear. The character’s lack of understanding is devoid of genuine curiosity. It seems the filmmakers fundamentally misunderstood that you can be filled with awe and wonder both in a positive way, and in a negative way. There’s no temptation. There are no trances. No dreams. You’ll never see anything like the premonition Kirsty had in 1987. Or the flashback romance scenes between Frank and Julia. That visual style of storytelling is gone.

The concepts behind 2022 were good. They had an interesting take on the lore, and to include a ritual to the Configuration was smart, and well done. But that eventually served only in detriment as well, as the entirety of the movie then rang like a ‘deal with the devil’ morality tale. It’s confusing in that way, as one of the iconic lines spoken by the original Priest (Pinhead) when asked who the Cenobites are is “Demons to some; Angels to others.” There’s an attractiveness to that. To them.

How is it possible, then, that the filmmakers seemed to forgo the angelic part of that quote? The 2022 Cenobites were beautifully designed, meticulously created creatures. The were beautiful. But the christian bible, and indeed many faiths across time all understand that to see something beautiful can be terrifying and frightening. One of the most commonly known snippets of the Bible, at least in the western world, comes from Luke 2:10, “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid […]’.” An angel, and the first words spoken are “Do not be afraid.” If one cast their eyes upon the unobstructed form of Zeus’ beauty, they would die. If one saw Anubis walk into a room, jackal head and all, it would be impossible to look away, but also frightening to the core. To see a god, any god, in the flesh is to be both terrified and excited. Those two feelings are inextricable.

Why is it, then, that no one is seeking the Cenobites out? Why does not one hunt for the Configuration? The very promise of the appearance of the Cenobites is the promise to take you to the furthest reaches of experience and sensation, when pleasure and pain can no longer be separated. To experience that which you could never dream of. To push the boundaries to breaking, until you exist only as a being of feeling, beyond and above even consciousness. So why does no one want to see the Cenobites?

The issue falls to the framing device, which needn’t have been used to such ill effect. When you reduce those claimed by the Cenobites to sacrifices, you reduce the Cenobites to nothing more than pretty weapons. The lives the Cenobites take are offerings, stepping stones to an end goal. While the Cenobites may enjoy in their activities, there is no one seeking out to touch them. To reach them. Not the entity behind them. Those who wish to receive a gift from the Cenobites never truly interact with them. The gift is no longer the visit in and of itself. What sights have they to show us, when they are nothing but glorified weapons of their god, instead of gods in their own right?

And don’t even get me started on the coloring. Look, I know it’s very en vogue for things to be monochromatic and dark in movies these days, but my god where was the color?! Where was it!! The glimpses we got were not enough when 1987 is just so bright. And then, to make things worse, the Cenobites were shown almost entirely without obstruction. Just out there in the open, for the most part, albeit in the distance and shown briefly. No illusory quality to them. I know I don’t want a closer look when I can see every detail of them the first time. That’s a person with pins in her head, that one doesn’t have eyes or a face, that one’s neck is one huge gash, that one’s in a skin straight jacket. I know because I can see it. I’d surely run if I could see that right off the top. Gone is the sense of ‘oh my god, oh my god, what was that?’ I get your designs are strong, and really very well made, but don’t just give it to me. Let me want it a bit first. Tease me with it. With them.

On top of that, the reds aren’t as red. The blues aren’t as blue. The color shift felt virtually nonexistent between the Hellworld and the real one, and neither reality is particularly vibrant. You’ll never see as intense a contrast as you hope to see. People being stabbed, ripped apart, torn by chains, flayed, all these things look wonderful, but just too real. Why do I care if your red is tone-accurate when your reference looks like a technicolor nightmare in the best possible way?

The drama! The unrealism! The intensity! The Cenobites are not of this earth. We call their realm ‘hell,’ but you could just as easily call it a parallel or alternate dimension. They simply exist. There are so few properties with a strong enough foundation for the only limit to be your imagination, and unfortunately it felt like this new Hellraiser was want of any. I don’t want your anatomically correct muscles and perfectly researched disfigurements, I want unreality. Give me fantasy, or don’t bother.

I say all this with the heaviest of hearts. The Priest was well designed. The Cenobites, and there were quite a few of them, all had potential to induce desire. They just…didn’t. It just felt like no one understood. Like no one would think twice about whether they wanted to see the Priest- of course the wouldn’t! And god, did that show. I think at least someone working on a Hellraiser property should be able to see the desirability of the Cenobites, the tantalizing nature of the taboo, the socially outcast.

Clive Barker was a gay man who released The Hellbound Heart in the 1986, and the original Hellraiser film in 1987. This was the height of the AIDS epidemic, when gay men were seen as disease, not just carrying disease. Monsters. Predators. Animals. They were laughed at and scorned, and treated as so much less than human. Treated like they deserved their fate. Their tragedy was the butt of everyone’s joke. Yet, those very people were still wanted under the cover of night. Still desired. How is it possible this new team missed the mark so entirely? How could they not understand that when one’s very desires are deemed deviant, when your nature is seen as repugnant, unnatural, criminal, one eventually comes to a place where those words become badges of pride? Of a way to differentiate yourself from those who would wish you dead? That idea didn’t make its way to Hellraiser 2022.

We never got to a place that said, Yes. Yes they are deviant, and repugnant, and criminal and damned. They will drag you down with them into endless agonies. Not a single person will be able to save you. You think even touching them will kill you. And you still want them.

All the makings of an excellent new Hellraiser were there, but nothing was enough. Colors, editing, acting, story, beauty, fear, dirtiness, sexiness (jesus god there was no sexiness), it all came up short. They weren’t brave enough to explore the further regions of experience.

Clinical and devoid of passion, Hellraiser 2022 gets a heartbreaking 1/5*

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many-bees · 6 months

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I see a lot of people claiming that Chatterer from Hellraiser is a minor and while that might be true in some ambiguously canon versions of his backstory, the most recent version which was written by Nicholas Vince (his actor in Hellraiser 2) and illustrated by Clive Barker depicts him as in his 20s when he gets turned into a cenobite

It's in Hellraiser Anthology Volume 2, here's a link to both anthologies for those who want to read it but it's Hellraiser so tw for everything

Volume 1

Volume 2

#hellraiser #chatterer #cenobite #Jim Chatterer

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ravenkings · 7 months

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Ok so someone told me you’ve read “erotica m: death and sensuality” and actually understood it. Pls give me your wisdom bc I’ve been trying to read the book and ???

yeah, i don't blame you. it's definitely not an easy read, especially since bataille is not really concerned with making his ideas particularly accessible (and, arguably, might even be actively working to make them less accessible.) also, a lot of the conclusions he comes to can seem anywhere from outlandish to downright terrifying at first glance, especially if you are not particularly receptive to them.

however, i think before i try to give you a probably inadequate explanation of my interpretation, i would direct you towards these two esoterica videos for a brief crash course in georges bataille's thought and the "death drive" (also dr. justin sledge is INFINITELY better educated and better read than i am, so he probably has a better understanding of these things than i could ever have:)

youtube

so here goes my take:

bataille sees "eroticism" and religious/spiritual experience (in his case, christian religious experience) as intimately related, if not, in some cases, almost exactly the same thing. he refers to eroticism as "assenting to life up to the point of death."

mystical religious experience often entails the feeling of becoming "one" with god/the universe and shedding our notions of our own individuality in blissful "one-ness" with everything. in some sense, one can see this as a precursor to death. (btw if you are not familiar with the freudian concept of the "death drive," bataille will not make much sense to you.)

anyway, for bataille, this idea of "one-ness" (or death, if you will) is the central preoccupation for eroticism, since the ultimate "consummation" of eroticism is, of course, the experience of orgasm, which he equates to death. (it also helps here to remember the term for orgasm "la petite mort" which translates directly to "the little death" in english.) however, for bataille, the main point of engaging in "eroticism" is not actually reaching the point of "consummation" but the moment RIGHT BEFORE, which, he believes, is when we feel most alive.

however, if we accept that all of this is true, eroticism also becomes, fundamentally, a form of violation and violence, since what it primarily constitutes is a change from one state to another (the individuated/separate/discontinuous to the one/united/continuous). eroticism, for bataille, means crossing boundaries and transgressing. also, if death and sexual consummation are somehow both equivalent experiences in some sense, the act of violence against the body can become a quasi-erotic (or explicitly erotic) act.

another way to think about this is with religious mystics and/or ascetics like medieval catholic flagellants who "mortified their own flesh" by whipping themselves to repent of their sins and thus get closer to god or just to attain mystical experience.

this also leads us into the concept of the "taboo" which bataille seems to understand (imo) as a category of things that exist primarily so that engaging in "taboo" behavior crosses some sort of boundary, which is an inherently erotic act. basically, the very FACT that the thing is taboo and forbidden is what makes it erotic and thus attractive and pleasurable.

another thing you might want to look into to understand this better is clive barker's hellraiser franchise (and the novel it is based on the hellbound heart.) the "cenobites" who feature in the franchise are really heavily influenced by bataille's ideas, and it might be helpful to see these ideas illustrated in more of a narrative format.)

also, here is a video about the connection between bataille and hellraiser which might be useful:

youtube

i don't know if any of this makes ANY sense, but i hope this helps!

#again i definitely missed some things and probably made some errors but this should be enough to get you in the right direction!#also general disclaimer that i am no expert and that i am just an enthusiast with an mfa and a comparative literature ba #georges bataille #anonymous #asks

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bitterkarella · 3 months

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Midnight Pals: Desert Planet

Stephen King: so i'm gonna go over to space coven tonight to tell a story Clive Barker: what, the sci fi nerds? good luck with that King: oh they're not so bad once you get to know them, clive Barker: i do not intend to know nerds

King: look, clive, you know mary goes over to the sci fi campfire sometimes Barker: i do not believe it King: it's true! she invented sci fi, you know Barker: mary shelley? OUR mary shelley? the queen witch? Barker: she invented being a nerd?

Barker: oh steve Barker: you can't expect me to swallow that whopper King: it's true! edgar, tell him Poe: steve's right, clive. she really did Barker: Barker: well now i just don't know what to believe

King: i know those sci fi guys are a little odd but King: if you ever want to read a prose version of a mildly confusing math problem King: i mean bam they're your guys! Barker: Barker: yeah well Barker: have fun with that

King: you know, clive a lot of science fiction actually deals with important issues in today's society? King: they really make you think [at space coven] Robert Heinlein: so once we space-stead Pinochet's Gulch on an asteroid, we'll be free from the tyranny of age of consent laws

[at space coven] King: so in this story they invent a way to travel through space King: but you have to be unconscious for it to work Frank Herbert: i have a better idea for space travel Herbert: what if you had to get really blasted

Herbert: let me explain my vision steve Herbert: In a distant time Herbert: And far away place Herbert: The planet Arrakis floats deep in space Herbert: Sky of three suns Herbert: Land of precious spice Herbert: The melange rush brought great houses at any price

Herbert: Then one day, a Muad'Dib appeared Herbert: With powers of hawk, wolf, puma and bear Herbert: Protector of peace, scion of the Bene Gesserit ladies Herbert: Champion of justice, Marshall Paul Atreides! King: King: hey how many of those mushrooms did you eat

Herbert: so the important thing about Dune, okay Herbert: is there's all this political intrigue Heinlein: and worms? Herbert: yeah yeah there's gonna be worms Herbert: let's talk about these factions though Heinlein: how big are the worms

Herbert: you're gonna love this story Herbert: though its not as great as the melodic beauty & divine truth of the 114 surahs of the Qur'an Heinlein: Herbert: inshallah Heinlein: why do you always have to put so much islam in it Herbert: i just Herbert: i just think its neat

Mary Shelley: [busting into clearing] sup fuckers Shelley: who's ready for their weekly beating? Heinlein: no! no! not mary shelley! Heinlein: have mercy!!! Heinlein: here, take all our lunch money! Heinlein: just don't punish us anymore!

King: mary! Is this what you've been doing when you come to this campfire? Shelley: [wailing on Heinlein] what? oh yeah, p much.

#midnight pals #the midnight society #midnight society #stephen king #clive barker #edgar allan poe #mary shelley #frank herbert #robert heinlein

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