Thursday, September 12, 2013

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril / VIII

***Challenge completed***

Dates: September 1 through October 31, 2013
Hosted by: Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings

Guidelines:

✸ There are several different levels of participation:
  • Peril the First: Read four books of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
  • Peril the Second: Read two books of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
  • Peril the Third: Read one book of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
  • Peril of the Short Story: An extra option, for those who want to read shorter works.
  • Peril on the Screen: Another extra option, for those who like to watch scary or suspenseful fare on the large or small screen.
  • Peril of the Group Read: A third extra -- there will be several group reads during the challenge. See announcement page for info.
✸ Choose your books from the following subgenres:
  • Mystery
  • Suspense
  • Thriller
  • Dark Fantasy
  • Gothic
  • Horror
  • Supernatural
See my original post about the Challenge here.
See my wrap-up post here.
See the Challenge announcement page here.
See the Challenge review page here.
See the Challenge wrap-up page here.

I signed up at the Peril the First level (four books), and I'll be combining that with Peril on the Screen.

MY BOOK LIST (books read; with links to reviews):
  1. Night Film. Marisha Pessl
  2. The Small Hand and Dolly. Susan Hill  
  3. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. H.P. Lovecraft

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part I (Movies):
  1. The Baby's Room (2006) Spanish horror film, apparently made for TV.  Altogether a fairly mediocre movie, but the shtick of ghostly happenings recorded on baby monitors was good and creepy.
  2. Badlands (1973) Very disturbing film about a couple of very disturbed individuals.  And who does disturbed-and-disturbing better than Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek?
  3. Cat People (1942) Simone Simon is fascinatingly feline in this original version directed by Jacques Tourneur.
  4. The Devil Doll (1936) Lionel Barrymore in drag! Who wouldn't love that?
  5. Diary of a Madman (1963) Vincent Price screamer set in France; from a story by Guy de Maupassant.
  6. The Fall of the House of Usher (1960) Vincent Price OWNS Edgar Allan Poe, doesn't he?  I've always loved the way the house sinks into the bog at the end - wonderfully cheesy.  (Oops! spoiler alert!)
  7. The Haunted Palace (1963) More Vincent Price; this time in a film version of H.P. Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" - with a title borrowed from Edgar Poe.
  8. Horror Castle (1963) Italian horror flick with Christopher Lee. Women being tortured and killed by a deformed, hooded, holocaust survivor.  Felt like taking a shower after this one.
  9. Horror of Dracula (1958) One of the best versions of Bram Stoker's tale; probably my favorite, although I do love Frank Langella as the Count.
  10. The Legend of Lucy Keyes (2005) Evil real estate developers? Now that's scary.
  11. Mary Reilly (1996) I'm not a Julia Roberts fan, but she's actually pretty good in this. Love Malkovich, though, and he makes a great Hyde.
  12. The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) Boris Karloff as the evil Dr. FM. Can't believe I'd never seen this one before.
  13. Mirrors (2008) Another one of those stories with mirrors as a gateway for ghosts and spirits. Actually a pretty watchable film, but the ending was a little confusing.
  14. The Mummy (1932) The "original" version with Boris Karloff and Zita Johann - still the best and the scariest.
  15. The Ninth Gate (1999) One of my all-time favorite films, by one of my all-time favorite directors, based on one of my all-time favorite books. What could be better?
  16. Nosferatu (1922) A creepy classic. 
  17. The Reeds (2010)  What the....?  Have no idea what was going on in this one.  In the running for worst horror film ever made.
  18. Sea of Love (1989) Love Pacino. Love cop movies. Pacino + cop movie = perfection.
  19. The Seventh Victim (1943) Satanic cults in Greenwich Village. Yeah, I can buy that. Kim Hunter in her very first film.
  20. 007 - I also watched a handful of James Bond movies.  Not spooky, but I suppose they do qualify in the suspense/mystery/thriller category.  The list:
    Dr. No (1962)
    From Russia With Love (1963)
    The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
    The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
    For Your Eyes Only (1981)
    Licence To Kill (1989)

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part II (TV shows):
  1. The Blacklist (2013; pilot episode)
  2. Broadchurch (2013; mini-series)
  3. Doctor Who: The Power of Three (2012; Season 7/Episode 4)
  4. Doctor Who: The Angels Take Manhattan (2012; 7/5)
  5. Doctor Who: The Snowmen (2012; 7/6)
  6. Doctor Who: The Bells of St. John (2013; 7/7)
  7. Doctor Who: The Rings of Akhaten (2013; 7/8)
  8. Doctor Who: Cold War (2013; 7/9)
  9. Doctor Who: Hide (2013; 7/10)
  10. Inspector George Gently: Gently Northern Soul (2012; Season 5/Episode 1)
  11. Midsomer Murders: The Electric Vendetta (2001; Season 4 / Episode 3)
  12. Midsomer Murders: Who Killed Cock Robin? (2001; 4/4)
  13. Midsomer Murders: Dark Autumn (2001; 4/5)
  14. Midsomer Murders: Tainted Fruit (2001; 4/6)
  15. Midsomer Murders: Market for Murder (2002; 5/1)
  16. Midsomer Murders: A Worm in the Bud (2002; 5/2)
  17. Midsomer Murders: Ring Out Your Dead (2002; 5/3)
  18. Midsomer Murders: Murder on St. Malley's Day (2002; 5/4)
  19. Midsomer Murders: A Talent for Life (2003; 6/1)
  20. Midsomer Murders: Death and Dreams (2003; 6/2)
  21. Midsomer Murders: Painted in Blood (2003; 6/3)
  22. Midsomer Murders: A Tale of Two Hamlets (2003; 6/4)
  23. Midsomer Murders: Birds of Prey (2003; 6/5)
  24. Midsomer Murders: The Green Man (2003; 7/1)
  25. Midsomer Murders: Bad Tidings (2004; 7/2)
  26. Midsomer Murders: The Fisher King (2004; 7/3)
  27. Midsomer Murders: Sins of Commission (2004; 7/4)
  28. Midsomer Murders: The Maid in Splendour (2004; 7/5)
  29. Midsomer Murders: The Straw Woman (2004; 7/6)
  30. Midsomer Murders: Ghosts of Christmas Past (2004; 7/7)
  31. Midsomer Murders: Things That Go Bump in the Night (2004; 8/1)