Return to The Enfield Haunting - episodes two and three

EPISODE TWO

Things are heating up in the Hodgson household. The activity is getting more and more intense and now that Playfair is a believer, things are moving along quickly. Grosse is starting to experience violent hallucinations and they're done very cleverly where every time you believe he's really committing these acts, only to be pulled back into reality.
Playfair pays a visit to the Grosse household and we learn more about Grosse's wife and what happened to their daughter Janet. She died tragically in a motorcycle incident and Grosse and his wife believe she's been trying to contact them.

Playfair invites a medium couple to visit the Hodgson house and are treated to a real possession. The woman advises our team of investigators to not contact the spirit, that the house is a "house of death". Grosse doesn't believe her and believes she's a fake, but Playfair and the Hodgson family believe everything.

Grosse does a little investigating about the spirit from some clues given during the possession. He learns that an old man named Joe died in the house and he was a horrible and cruel old man. Playfair decides they should make contact with the spirit, despite the warnings from the medium. Joe uses Janet as a voice box and things start to get very intense.

Playfair and Grosse invite the SPR to come visit so they can prove to them it's really happening and get some proper help. When Joe remains quite, Grosse oversteps his boundaries and asks Janet to fill her mouth with water and then tapes her mouth shut. Joe's voice still comes through, convincing SPR that Joe is real, but causing Janet to lose trust in Grosse.

Janet runs away in anger but Grosse manages to find her and make amends, only to find out when he gets back to the Hodgson house that Peggy doesn't want him there anymore.

Another absolutely brilliant episode. Grosse is a character so deep and rich with emotion and backstory that I could cry, I feel for him and love him dearly. And little Janet remains so innocent yet so adult at the same time. She is fully aware of all that is going on and terrified, but she can also banter with the adults like she's one of them. I commend the actress that plays her.

I forgot to mention in the last post that the opening credits for this show are a terrifying joy to watch! 

EPISODE THREE

The SPR is now involved and they are extremely skeptical. Now that Grosse isn't allowed to be involved the SPR is performing tests and being overly critical of the two young girls. The girls then decide to go to the newspapers and claim they were faking the whole thing so that SPR would go away.

They show up at Grosse's house and let him know they lied about faking it and then show him bruises and bites that have come from Joe. Grosse and his wife remain believers and so does Playfair. They all head back to the house and decide to perform a type of exorcism to rid the house of Joe.

But of course, like any horror film, the first exorcism never holds. Joe comes back with a vengeance and this time he's brought some friends. Janet is put in the hospital but the nurses and doctors believe she's doing it to herself so they keep her under watch and perform electro-therapy on her. Grosse and his wife meanwhile are starting to show some cracks, she needs him home with her while she continues to deal with her grief, but Grosse has put all his grief into the Hodgson family and needs to be with them.

To get Janet out of the hospital, Peggy lies to the hospital administrators and says she's been making the whole thing up. Janet is released and put back in her house. Immediately the poltergeist goes nuts only this time it looks like there's multiple spirits, they've counted 35 separate voices.

After taking Janet out of the house and showing her the original Janet's grave, Janet realizes that Grosse is the reason the poltergeist isn't leaving. They call back the medium woman and she allows all the voices to come through. Janet's voice finally makes it through and tells Grosse that she doesn't forgive him, because there's nothing to forgive him for. Aka, stop blaming yourself for her death Grosse! She then passes on and takes all the spirits with her leaving the Hodgson house free at last.

The ending copies The Omen, allowing Janet to break the fourth wall and smile directly into the camera.

Absolutely brilliant show, enjoyed every moment of it. Perfect length, perfect cast, gorgeous scenery, and scares that are subtle but stick with you.

GO WATCH IT YOU MANIACS! 

Stay spooky!

The Enfield Poltergiest - real or not?

Hello everyone!
I took a little break there, no horror movies, just a lot of Bob's Burgers and New Girl. Also a whole lot of Star Wars ya'll, but that's not surprising (we're just over a month away and I don't even give a shit about Christmas - just give me some of that force awakens).

Anyway, I'm back. And I'm watching The Enfield Haunting. And oh boy, this show is wonderful.

But let's delve into the history of the famous case first:

Back in 1977 a small family in Brimsdown, Enfield, England began to experience a haunting. The family consisted of single mother Peggy Hodgson, her two daughters - Margaret and Janet, and her two boys Johnny and Billy. In August of 1977, Peggy called the police after her children claimed furniture was moving on its own and there were knocking sounds coming from the walls.
When the police arrived, a constable saw a chair slide across the floor but could not say whether it moved by itself or was pushed.

The family was visited by some members of the Society of Psychical Research including Maurice Grosse who was an inventor and Guy Lyon Playfair, a writer. Both men believed the haunting to be a genuine poltergeist. Interestingly enough, two professors of psychology claimed the young girls had faked the incidents and some members of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry believed it was all a hoax.

This bizarre story attracted a lot of attention especially from British Newspapers like the Daily Mail and the Daily Mirror and has been turned into books, documentaries and inspired horror films.

Aside from the knocking sounds and the moving furniture, there were also claims of demonic voices, rocks and toys being thrown and the children levitating. Maurice Gross and Guy Lyon Playfair also reported whistling and barking noises coming from Janet. Playfair wrote a book about this whole haunting titled This House is Haunted: The True Story of a Poltergeist and in it he doubted some of the events, thinking perhaps the children were exaggerating or playing tricks. This was proved when Janet was caught on tape (a video camera had been set up in the house) bending spoons and banging a broom handle against the ceiling. Both men do believe that even though the children played tricks, parts of the haunting were genuine.

Obviously this was all a long time ago but it's a case as old as time, and something that still happens today - was it truly a haunting? Do poltergeists exist? And when children are involved, how much faith should we put in their stories?

There's some great documentaries on this case which I encourage you all to watch and to form your own opinion on. Let me know where you stand!

In May of this year we were given the mini series; The Enfield Haunting, directed by Kristoffer Nyholm (The Killing) which comes in three parts. The series is based on Playfair's book. Matthew Macfadyen (Ripper Street) plays Playfair and Timothy Spall (Harry Potter) plays Maurice Grosse.

I've just finished episode one and it was absolutely stunning! Timothy Spall remains an incredibly talented actor, playing Grosse with emotion and charm. Grosse's daughter passed away a year before these events and Grosse and his wife are clearly still struggling with the grief. When Grosse receives the call to investigate the Hodgson family his wife practically shoves him out the door.

The Hodgson family are so real and adorable, Janet is the lead in this story and is an absolute spit fire. I'm obsessed with her. Grosse begins to experience the haunting and becomes a solid believer when he sees a teapot go flying off the kitchen counter. Him and Janet bond very quickly and the two of them become extremely fond of one another.

When Playfair arrives unexpectedly he throws off the dynamic - a non-believer, he is there simply to prove this is all set up by the kids. But at the end of episode one, he is forced into believing.

Episode one is flawlessly put together with some very subtle scares. It treats the haunting realistically and spends a perfect amount of time showing us the every day side of these poor kids as they deal with the fact that not only is their house haunted, it's now filled with gawking strangers looking to prove or disprove the poltergeist.

I'm going to delve into episode two right now and I suggest ya'll get binge watching with this show because it is amazing so far!

In other haunting news - me and Mitch know for sure our house is haunted. I've known since the first night we moved in but Mitch is finally a believer. We used a spirit box and got some very interesting voices come through. Most notably, when we stepped into Mitch's office where he brews his beer the box instantly said "beer", and when we were up on the landing the voice said "basket" right when Mitch was waving the box over our wicker basket. Spooky shit ya'll. Spooky shit. I'm thrilled, Mitch is terrified.

'Till next time....

Stay spooky!

October horror block arrived! Let's unbox it and freakkkkk outttttt

MY HORROR BLOCK ARRIVED!!!

And you know how much I love that thing! This month was not a disappointment, not that any month has been. Seriously, I want to marry horror block.

LETS LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF!!!

We've got an awesome Ouija board mouse pad so I can summon demons at work. Had to replace my Poltergeist one which was a real Sophie's choice let me tell you. 

A gorgeous print by Paul Hanley which I could spend forever looking at and naming everyone. So great! Running out of space on my walls though so not sure where this bad boy is going.

This movie got 14% on rotten tomatoes....so.....

My Queen Leanna Vamp's pick remains flawless. Plush Chuckyyyyyy!!!!!!!! 

I love him so much.

A special edition of Rue Morgue - Cryptic Collectibles. Aka I read through this and cry about all the toys I can't have.

And the t-shirt this month, courtesty of ShirtPunch! is my spirit animal; Jason. 

As always, I am in no way affiliated with horror block, just a giant fan. You can subscribe yourself here

Stay Spooky!

DAY THIRTY-ONE - Halloween (horror movie challenge - 31 days of horror)

DAY THIRTY-ONE – HALLOWEEN (1978)

The movie that re-invented the slasher genre and cast a very long influential shadow over the horror genre we know and love. Directed and scored by the wonderful and talented John Carpenter, and co-written along with Debra Hill, it tells the terrifying story of a six year old Michael Myers who murders his sister and is then put into a psychiatric hospital. 15 years later he escapes and returns home, stalking through the neighborhood and killing anyone that gets in their way. Michael’s doctor, Sam Loomis is chasing after him, while Laurie Strode is in the middle of it all, fighting for her life and the lives of the small children she is babysitting on Halloween night.

This is the first film in the Halloween franchise which includes 7 films and stars Jamie Lee Curtis in her debut movie role. Halloween is sort of the first time we experience clean cut youth being sexually promiscuous and drinking, only to be killed by the monster, whereas our main girl is pure and innocent and manages to survive. This is copied to this day whether it was on purpose or not.

Filmed on a smaller budget, it’s a well-known fact that Halloween was in fact filmed during the spring in California instead of on Halloween in Haddonfield where it’s set. To save money, they re-used the fake fall leaves, picking them up after every shot and re-scattering them the next day. The iconic Michael Myers mask was in fact a Captain Kirk mask that cost them $1.98 back in the day. They widened the eye holes and spray painted the skin to make it what we know today. Even the costumes weren’t safe from the small budget – most of the cast wore their own clothes and Curtis’ clothes were purchased for less than $100.

In 2007 Rob Zombie re-booted the franchise, while not for everyone, I think he did a great job and gave us a deeper and richer background of who Michael Myers is and why he does what he does.

Carpenter's Halloween is an absolutely stunning film that’s carefully put together. Michael Myers is simultaneously everywhere and nowhere, causing you to be checking behind every door and in every closet. There’s not a lot of gore, but a scary amount of unnerving moments. Michael Myers is impossible to kill and a silent, deadly force ready to haunt your nightmares.

Always a 10/10 and a must-watch for any budding horror fan.

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!
I watched 31 horror movies in 31 days. I can take it easy for the rest of my life now. I've finally managed to achieve a goal.

So obviously you won't be hearing from me every single day going forward, but I've gained so many new viewers and that's kind of amazing. I will continue to share and update like I always do - horror movie reviews and news!

Stay spooky!

DAY THIRTY - Psycho (horror movie challenge - 31 days of horror)

DAY THIRTY - PSYCHO (1960)

In 1960 a movie came out that changed the way the public viewed horror - that film was Psycho. No longer were your beautiful lead actresses safe, no more were directors listening to the censors. Rules were broken and a director had cemented his place at the top of Hollywood. Psycho set new levels of acceptability for violence and sexuality, and is widely considered to be the first slasher film.

Psycho, based on the novel by Robert Bloch, was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starred Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Janet Leigh. It tells the story of a secretary who steals money from one of her clients and escapes to a lonely motel off of a main highway. Bates Motel is run by a disturbed young man, Norman Bates, and once the secretary goes missing her sister and boyfriend come looking. But of course, they get more than they bargained more.

Anthony Perkins was typecast after this film but he never regretted playing Norman Bates. Janet Leigh, after starring in this film, received strange, threatening phone calls and letters explaining what they would do to her character. 

Psycho was filmed on a very small budget, Hitchock had a TV show at the time and borrowed the film crew from that show to film Psycho. At first the film received mixed reviews but after outstanding box office returns the film was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Support Actress and became critically acclaimed. After Hitchock's death in 1980 the studio began producing three sequels, a remake and a TV series. All of them failed.

 

There are so many great things about Psycho and it has a rich, fascinating history which is too much to get into here. Watch Psycho to round out your horror history and enjoy Norman Bates because damn if he isn't the most handsome serial killer - 10/10.

 

Stay Spooky!

DAY TWENTY-NINE - The Purge (horror movie challenge - 31 days of horror)

DAY TWENTY-NINE - THE PURGE (2013)

This movie gets me so excited! Such a damn original and awesome idea. In 2010 "The New Founding Fathers of America" established a new government and police state. They use the 28th amendment that establishes one night a year a purge will occur. This means all crime is legal and all emergency services are unavailable for 12 hours. So from 7pm until 7am there are no rules regarding the general public. The purge has caused crime and unemployment rates to plummet to 1% and created a strong economy.

James, who is played by Ethan Hawke, designs and sells elaborate security systems designed specifically for the Purge night. His family and himself are ready for the night of the Purge as they live in a very safe home. He has his wife Mary (Lena Headey) and his two kids. But this Purge, the son notices a wounded man outside calling for help, he makes a quick decision and allows the man inside the house. But unfortunately that wounded man was the target of a group of young adults who are wearing masks and wielding weapons, and they're pretty pissed that the family helped him escape the Purge. The leader warns them that if they don't surrender within an hour, the house will be broken into and everyone will be murdered. James then has to admit that although the house looks safe, it actually isn't any safer than the regular house, the system is used more as a deterrent than actually keeping you safe. And so the family has a tough decision to make, and 12 hours to fight for their lives.

The Purge was written and directed by James DeMonaco. Although it's not super scary as in "jump scares", it leaves you with a sense of dread that's hard to get out of a movie. There are scary moments, but they're stereotypical ones that any horror fan would spot from a mile away. The acting is on point and there's a bit of a twist at the end which I didn't see coming but enjoyed immensely.

There is a sequel, The Purge: Anarchy which I enjoyed almost even more. But the franchise is a great one, and I've heard rumblings of the third coming soon so jump onto the Purge bandwagon now! 8/10

Two more movies! Psycho and Halloween. HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!!!!!!! (I might actually go to a halloween party tonight - shocking, I know.)

Stay spooky!

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT - Sinister (horror movie challenge - 31 days of horror)

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT - SINISTER (2012)

Such a creepy and original film! I was enthralled when this movie came out because it just seemed so fresh and spooky. And boy did I get scared the first time I watched. I was jumping through the damn roof at about 4 am while I watched it on my laptop huddled under a blanket. Sinister quickly became one of my go-to horror films and I love recommending it to newbies.

Sinister was directed by Scott Derrickson (Devil's Knot and Deliver us from Evil) and stars Ethan Hawke as Ellison who is a true-crime writer. He moves his family to a new town and a new house to write about a new crime. What he doesn't mention to his family is that he's moved them into the house where the murder occurred. Shortly after moving in he finds a box of video reels in the attic and watches them, on the films are horrific murders of families. After some investigation he believes the crime he's there to investigate is in fact tied to all of these murders and that perhaps he's looking at a serial killer. Excited, he teams up with a dorky and adorable police officer who is a huge fan of Ellison, and the two of them discover that this is not some crazed serial killer...but a child stealing deity.

The pagan deity is named Bughuul and he's known for killing entire families but taking one of their children into his horrible realm in order to consume their soul. But now that Ellison has watched the movies and discovered Bughuul, the demon is after him. He's decided Ellison and his family are his next meal.

Bughuul remains incredibly creepy throughout the film because you only ever catch glimpses of him - hiding in the bushes, a smear on the computer screen etc. The scares start off subtle and progress into straight up jumpy moments by the end of the film. Hawke's portrayal of Ellison is spot on and 100% believable. His desperation to regain the fame he once had regardless of the dead families stories he is using to get there is so powerful. The struggle his own family feels as they watch him get completely absorbed in a new murder, leaving them behind. It's heartbreaking as well as terrifying.

The writer of this film C. Robert Cargill gained his inspiration from a nightmare he had where he found a film in his attic depicting a family being murdered. When creating Bughuul, Cargill wanted to re-invent the boogeyman.

What I think I enjoy most about this film is that there is a shocking lack of gore. Everything is really just left up to the imagination and it creates the most horrific scenes while watching. That's tough to pull off, but Sinister did a damn good job. Some of those murder films will haunt me forever. That lawnmower....good god, no.

I think Sinister is a great horror film. I love it dearly. Did it need a sequel? nope. Will I watch it and hate every minute of it? yes. BUT Sinister alone is fantastic and deserves a watch. 9/10

I did my presentation today! It went well I thought, everyone seemed to really enjoy it and I had a few people after come up to me for movie reccomendations and a few who were excited to watch some of the movies I talked about. Which I think is pretty great considering only two people in that room actually like horror movies. I went dressed as Jason because I'm never going to pass up a chance to wear my Jason jersey out in public. The rest of the office dressed up as French kiss which basically means you dress like a stereotypical french person but with KISS makeup. It was a great day!

Only three more movies left and then that's a wrap on October! Then only a month and some change until the new Star Wars movie.

Stay Spooky!