Spechtreum VI

~ VI ~

DARK SHADOWS
~ Special Edition ~
An MPI Home Video release of a Dan Curtis Production / DVD - 3 1/2 hrs.

Starring: Jonathan Frid, Joan Bennett, David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Louis Edmonds, Nancy Barrett, John Karlen, Lara Parker, Alexandra Moltke.
Includes: Inside The Shadows, DS Nightmares & Dreams, DS On Location, DS Behind The Scenes, plus more.
I recently had the opportunity, by certain Satanic Machinations, to possess this relatively rare copy which was staring at Me in the face, and being that I Am a fantom of this dark series, I just had to take it back the Lair with Me. The familiar and classically menacing face was a welcomed evocation, conjuring forboding and eerie visions of the charming and dapper vampire who for centuries has held an enchanted grasp on the Collinswood Estate, presiding from his darkened abode at The Old House.
Twists and turns in the ingenious plots, literary and aesthetic innovations, compelling characters, a repletion of The Occult, covering subjects such as witches, demons, mad scientists, zombies, crazed parsons, werewolves, ghosts, cultists, seances, time travel, dream curses, parapsychologists, all encompassed in the world of Dark Shadows.
I have always found the resident vampire Barnabas Collins to be far more interesting than most of the likes of what is popularly presented to the masses as the ideal, who are rather one-dimensional characters with blood-dripping gore. Barnabas enjoyed being a vampire, at first struggling with the transition, expressing a varying degree of emotions such as love, compassion, and sadness, yet always remaining the gentleman, the model of deportment and grace - a true role-model of etiquette.
This DVD is divided into three sections - Programs, Additional Material, and subtitles in the Main Menu, which then also contain subdivisions. The infamous fanged rictus leers from the foggy shadows amidst the unforgettable theme song which has since been replicated time and time again by many a horror flick. It is also this pervasive musick which has settled into the culture's subconcious as that which is indicative of the supernatural. As an example, when around a campfire, or in a candle-lit room relating ghost stories, and other paranormal events, there always seems to be a joker in the group who orally duplicates the song {"ooo-wee-ooo"} to attempt to lighten up the atmosphere. This is the original source of that gesture.
As one is choosing a destination from the Main Menu, you notice that Barnabas' ring gleams, and his eyes are moving, beckoning you on to a choice.

PROGRAMS
* Behind The Scenes
See extremely rare footage of the first ever episode of Dark Shadows, which aired on 6/27\1966, but was originally filmed on 6/13\1966, the Spring of Year One, Walpurgisnacht Season.
Here we are regailed with many interesting little anecdotes about the goings-on when the cameras were turned aside, and in some cases, while they were still on. A couple of humorous "bloopers" are shown, and just some of the fumbled lines which occurred, but being that this series was done completely live {except, of course, for the afore-mentioned promos}, the show fairs extremely well considering all factors. Some explanations of the construction and placing of the sets, and some other accidental occurrences are discussed.
* Nightmares & Dreams
Twenty or so more magnificent blissful minutes of the many dream sequences spread throughout the series, which every character experienced, most of them were obviously comprised of the "Dream Curse" cast by Angelique the Witch, each becoming more horriffic until the etheric wave was to strike Barnabas - and such is the love/hate dynamic factor underlying the entire series.
Mesmerizing transitions in fog and softly glittering kaleidoscopic light.
* On Location
Nancy Barrett hosts this segment, which is a wonderful documentary on the house itself, otherwise known as Seaview Terrace in Maine, a beautiful and sprawling estate which faces the Atlantic Ocean from the opposite view of the infamous one covered in sea mist we are used to seeing during the introduction of every show. as well as a couple of other locations, which are also steeped in rich history.
A couple of taverns are looked into as well, one of which the DS fantom will recognize as The Blue Whale.
* Inside The Shadows
Series producer Dan Curtis comments on the origins, personalities and motivations of the characters within this dark universe of romance and terror, as well as the actors themselves, and relates a few anecdotes on some of the goings-on in the storylines and public appearences. In the beginning, it was only intended as a Gothic romance soap-opera, but eventually evolved into a far more fascinating series which has since become a classic of supernatural horror. It all began with the introduction of the vampire, who took on a life all his own {pun intended}. He brought in the iconoclastic notion that the vampire did not completely lose his humanity, or other reasoning functions, including more of a plethora of emotional expressions - the audience actually began feeling empathy for the villain, as it were, who can be as intensely and heartlessly cruel to his enemies, as well as administering draconian justice to the deserving rotten {quite Satanic}, serving as the balancing factor, but is also capable of expressing intense undying love for his beloved, even beyond the grave, and searches tragically through the centuries for his Josette, who finally seemingly reincarnates in the 20th century.
Along with Dan Curtis, several of the actors comment on their take on playing their roles, & what they brought to the character.
Included herein is also a Spanish episode rarely seen.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
* Commercials
A really remarkable collection of commercials showcasing what the actors were promoting for Dark Shadows, before, and after the series. Includes House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows - in this reviewer's opinion, the first is a classic, while the second has its moments, but ends up becoming a rather laborious watch. These are presented in that certain shock quality reminiscent of the 70's genre - great fun to watch. Included also is a piece on The Dark Shadows board game, a commercial for Right Guard anti-persperant {Rev. Trask}, Jergen's lotion {Louis Edmonds}, and Brut aftershave {David Selby}. True gems for the video collector.
* Promotional Spots
These are original highly dramatic black & white commercials for the series, enticing the viewer to find out "the secret of the chain". Johnathan Frid makes a more recent appearence on a Public access program from New Jersey promoting the station, and advertising a mug {filled with......coffee}, a Dark Shadows T-Shirt worn by him, and a picture of "the handsome devil" in return for viewer support. Quite a deal!
* Photo Gallery and Music Montage
Wonderful and memorable stills accompanied with selections from the Dark Shadows soundtrack. Would make a very nice screensaver. Shots include that of the haunted Victoria Winters, the noble Mr. & Mrs. Collins-Stoddard, the effervescent little David Collins, a diabolically fanged Barnabas, the sniveling Willie Loomis, a nubile Caroline Collins, and the ever-wicked Angelique DuPres. A great collection of images.
* Program History
Glamor photographs arranged in a collage, detailing the origin and plot of this momentously sinister entertainment.
* Outside The Shadows
Relates the subsequent careers of the actors, who have gone on to appear in such myriad films {to name but a few}, as 'Mark of The Vampire', 'Amityville 3-D: The Demon', 'This House Possessed', 'The Passion of Dracula', 'Exorcist II: The Heretic', 'Dead of Night', episodes of 'The Twilight Zone', 'Curse of The Living Corpse', 'The Devil's Daughter' {recommended}, 'The Exorcist' {recommended}, 'Gargoyles' {recommended}, episodes of 'Night Gallery', 'Satan's School For Girls', 'The Lost Boys' {recommended}, 'Daughters of Darkness' {recommended}, 'Bloodbath' {recommended}, 'Salem's Lot' {recommended}, 'The Night Stalker', 'Race With The Devil', 'Turn of The Screw', 'Witch's Brew', 'Silent Night, Bloody Night' {recommended}, 'Tales From The Darkside' {recommended}, & 'The Addams Family' {recommended}.
* Subtitles
This entire presentation is also available in bilingual English and Spanish translations.
So pull up a chair, prepare some tea or coffee, turn down the lights, ignite the candles and/or fireplace, let the monitor be your creaking doorway, and step into the timeless terror and bewitching amusement awaiting you deep within the Dark Shadows...

Army of Darkness
Directed by Sam Raimi

"Klatu Barata Nikto" - the entirety of the plot depends upon those magic words {which ironically are not actually in Necronomicon}, to whether or not "the dead shall arise to devour the living" - yet that last phrase is in Necronomicon. Just remember, when attempting to possess the book, utter those words exactly, lest you release the dead & invoke all manner of chaos.
Ash {Bruce Campbell} returns in this part three film of the Evil Dead series. But where the first two films focused primarily on insanity, which is entertaining or disturbing, depending upon who is viewing the presentation, part three lapses into much more of a comedic vein, likened very much the Hercules / Xena brand of humor, which may have actually derived from these films.
3 immediately resumes where 2 left off, transporting Ashe through the portal from the present into the past, circa mideival Ireland, complete with car, rifle, & the chainsaw which replaces the hand he amputated to be rid of the "evil" possessing it, which in itself made for quite a hilarious scene.
He is made a prisoner of war when he virtually "falls from the sky", & despite the recognition of the resident wise man as the one prophesied as the deliverer / savior of their people, is instead identified as being a member of the opposing army's membership, & is placed in chains & shackles along with a leader of the enemy, to meet their fate in "The Pit", an abyss containing several monsters who mutilate & kill whomever is thrown down into it - a veritable sacrificial pit. So poor Ash is forced to do his first battle with a couple of ghouls, until the wise man, who resembles Merlin, tosses in the chainsaw. Ash makes quick work of them, decapitating one, blasting another with his "boom stick", as he explained to the bloodthirsty peasants. And finally, he is acknowledged as the prophesied deliverer of the people.
He must acquire The Necronomicon from a cemetery, but is admonished to speak the afore-mentioned binding words of spell, but unfortunately, at the last moment, forgets the last word, eventually causing the dead, an army of darkness, to arise to do battle with mortals, but not before he must divulge the correct book from the three set upon an altar in the graveyard, experiencing the plights that each false one presents.
Subsequently, Ash has run-ins with impish clones of himself, a demon who flies off with a sweet damsel, who becomes possessed by the nefarious gloom besetting the land, but she is eventually released of the influence of the King of The Dead, who multiplied himself himself from the flesh of Ash during that scene with the miniature imp-clones which became reminiscent of Gulliver's Travels.
Ash teaches the mortal army a few new tricks, & prepares for the arrival of the excarnate nemesis in skeletal form. The remainder of the movie consists of Xena-esque battles until the book is preserved, victory is hailed, & Ash is returned to the present, where he regales the apathetic S-Mart co-workers with tales of his exploits. But again, he did not utter the words of Spell completely, & the results are made evident when a she-demon in the form of a hideous hag attacks his girlfriend {*There is another scene earlier in the movie when another hag appeared to kill anyone who woild deem to possess the book*}, to which the warrior Ash surfaces once more, to battle another denizen of the dark.
Overall, Army of Darkness is a comedy, not really something that would give you a fright, but will tickle your funny "bone'. Personally, I prefer the first two over this version, for the more occultic references, focusing on the mythology of Necronomicon lore, & some of the more horrific scenes.
The FX are remarkable however; well-hewn demonic creatures, the skeletal army is superbly done, & the environments are crafted quite appropriately, especially the cemetery. A classic Horror-Comedy.

Halloween With The New Addams Family
1977 C.E. / XI Anno Satanas
~ The Legend of Cousin Shy ~
{From Halloween with the Addams Family, XI A.S.}
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, in a little village, there was this tiny little boy named Deetlemo, a very good boy, and he knew the Legend of Cousin Shy.
Cousin Shy is the Spirit of Halloween. The spirit who carves happy smiles on a specially hidden pumpkin, and leaves beautiful gifts at the feet of the Halloween Scarecrow.
And then there was one day when Deetlemo wanted to find out if Cousin Shy was real. And so this little boy carved a mouth on the great pumpkin. And guess what happened?
{"It talked! It talked!"}
{"Yes, that's right."}
He said, "...I------Am the spirit of Cousin Shyyyyyy... I belong to the whole world... you will never see Me, but if children are very good, I will pay them a visit every Halloween. And if you leave a pumpkin in a very special place, I will carve it for you and leave gifts under your scarecrowwwwww..."
{"And that is the legend of Cousin Shy."}
{At the insistence of Fester: "...And they lived happily ever after."}

Gomez has to temporarily leave for Tombstone, Arizona for a day, but finds it quite painstaking to be without his total environment, much like the vampire, thus leaving affairs in the hands of his younger brother Poncho, who is also absolutely enthralled by the ever-lovely Morticia, & harbors the same amorous inclinations inspired by French enunciation.
The house is a bit different, set in a residential neighborhood in suburbia, rather than in a palacial mansion - more of a large house. Yet still, erstwhile crooks again attempt to leach from the Addams' wealth. This time, by crashing the Halloween party {a monster mash, really}, dressed & identified as the "Boston branch of the family" - one cross-dressing as Little Bo-Peep, another as John Quincy Addams, accompanied by two bodybuilders, who are extremely poor actors, who from time to time abduct Gomez, attempting to contain him tied up in various locations throughout the house, to which, by his ingenuity, releases himself with the help of Wednesday Sr., who herself has returned from conservatory, enchantingly developed both in talent & physique. They communicate in morse code, thus releasing Gomez from various predicaments, much to the chagrin & frustration of the so-called "John Quincy Addams". Along with them, Gomez & Morticia assimilates sneak into the house with no-one the wiser, as it is assumed they are the actual ones, as their clonage is assumed to be so great, which upon observation, is not the case.
Earlier on, the spying crooks sent an agent posing as an inspector tax man who is eventually driven insane, unto a complete blubbering & blabbering idiot by the Addams' lifestyle, particularly Thing, & Uncle Fester's "Playroom", which includes The Rack {looks to be quite a stress-reliever}, & the noble & adorable lion "Kitty-cat", the family pet. A reminder of Togare is readily apparent.
Lurch takes a fancy to Little Bo-Peep, & dances the night away with the ersatz lady. He even shares his passion with her/it - pterradaktyl-hunting, but instead, manages to net Mother Frump who was out for a night broom ride, until later in the film, when he realizes the true state, lets forth a moan of disappointment.
One by one, the interlopers are eliminated, by reasons of insanity &/or fear.
Eventually, as most of them are subjected to Fester's relaxation machines, & confess their intentions, & are finally apprehended by law-enforcement. Good riddance to such flotsam.
This obscure presentation provides for select family values - it could be described as an "after-school special", as it were, for Infernal Progeny. I found "The Legend of Cousin Shy" to be both useful & motivational, & as a matter of fact, inspired in part My own XXVII Nights of Halloween; The Addams Halloween Hymn "Merry, Shhh, Creepy Halloween" is an eternal memoriam, & an ode to various spooks of the subconscious; idealizations & archetypes we hold near & dear to Our Black Hearts.
One factor stands solid throughout The Addams Family lore - The Addams Family is a functional family characterization, very poignantly demonstrated in the warm, wholesome ending scene, where each member of the family grasps a black candle, & pace single-file up the stairs singing the Halloween Hymn, up to the attic, where Cousin Shy parts the cobwebs & carves the pumpkin atop the shoulders of the scarecrow, as they all look on in awe, then to open the presents wrapped in black & red, happily uncovering new possessions.
The element of tribalism is always present, loyal to one another, preserving the pack with etiquette, & surrounded in chosen fineries. An ideal of a family to emulate, which in many cases, has already been naturally in practice. Comparisons are inevitably drawn between the Satanic Family & the prototypal Addams Family. Such a dynamic occurred with Dr. LaVey & Family. I believe this film, as well as all the others, including the original series, will humorously supplement the overall Satanic Family. Hail Infernal Progeny! HAIL SATAN.

Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone

The wondrous world of Harry Potter opens up through the enchanted pages of J.K. Rowling's books, as veritable grimoires masked in fictional charicatures, but demonstrating subtle magical principles. The books come to life in a veritable bibliomancy - the words vibrate, a Magical glow emminates therefrom, & the pictures come to brilliant life, jumping forth from the pages in dynamic enchanted exhuberence. And thus it has been for those who have enjoyed these wonderful works. * Satan's Scroll Review
These have served to stimulate, & sometimes even enhance the child-like Magic residing within - that charm personified in animals & children, & preserved by The Magician.
I have found this film a marvel to behold, although I feel it could have been twice the production had it been a tad darker, as the books have tended to be. Unfortunately, producers felt that the initial more gothicesque aesthetics would frighten children, to whom the film is primarily directed towards. But I question the excessive over-sheltering of children would only raise a populace of mollycoddles. Speaking for Myself on the left hand, I have always been attracted to the darkest subject matter since I was a very young child. The pervasive fascination for blood & gore in western society is due to the lack of real-life bloodletting spectacles, practices, & traditions in modern culture. In many societies, a boy was not considered a man until until he had killed his first prey in the hunt, or slain an enemy. Western Society compensates for this natural bloodlust with horror movies & documentaries, to stimulate that latently essential primal part of the psyche which remains far too under-stimulated.
The first half of the movie seemed aesthetically darker, whereas the second half was a bit 'lighter', probably as a result of the puscillanimousness of Chris Columbus {who also directed "Home Alone" as an indication}. I believe a film of this callibre would have been better directed by the likes of Tim Burton, who has consistently brought forth the dark sides of the characters he has worked with, & created films of magnificent & gloriously gothic proportions, as Batman would be a major example; with a musickal score conducted instead by Danny Elfman, considering the current score unfortunately sounds rather tired & redundant - not one of John William's better works. It just seemed that he did not place too much effort into it, yet it still remains memorable, but so much more could have been done with it.
I found the effects to be quite well done, concurrent with the descriptions in the book. There were several scnes which were curtailed for time, but I have a feeling the release of the video / DVD wil divulge many deleted scenes.
A most poignant scene was towards the end, when Potter comes face to face with Voldemort, in which he states, "There is no good or evil, only Power & those who seek it. Those who do not, are weak." Quite a Satanic statement!
The release of this movie will probably inspire some children to gain an interest in The Occult, & will create A.C.I.'s in many, & just may serve to open the door to self-realization in true infernal progeny yet unknown. A movie of this type I feel is timely, & necessitates "popularity" in this select case, to help contribute to that societal shift in the Satanic direction.
Besides that one moment of the stating of Satanic fact, there is no weakan sanctimony, no xian drivel, just plain fun "witchcraft" for the whole family.
The idea of a "School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" does sound rather appealing {notice the distinction between the genders} - the closest thing we have to that is the homeschooling initiative which is espoused by most Satanists. Speaking for Myself, I have schooled Myself in The Dark Arts, incorperating & experimenting with what I will to determine My own personal philosophies & rites {Draconian Satanism}, & I do consider Dr. LaVey My Daemon-Mentor. And now, as "grownup" Witches & Warlocks, Our Infernal Progeny may have the benefit of Our tutoring.
Overall, I found the film to be visually stunning, relevant to the book, & it displayed a higher class of diction & politeness, serving as a good example to the more bereft & vulgar infesting the current populace. Recommended.

Harry Potter & The Chambre of Secrets
Harry Potter returns to Hogwart's for his second year in Magical-Scholastic training. And now he is pretty well settled to begin afresh on a new adventure. He is sprung from his room {he actually is granted a room, probably at the behest of Magical intervention}, away from the muggles who despirately try to keep him as their virtual slave; released by the Weasley Brothers in a flying car to which they affix a chain to Harry's barred window and make away back to school, his true home in this case; with Privet Drive being more like a tower of imprisonment holding many bad memories.
They run into The Whomping Willow, a burly tree who beats the car about unmercifully, instead of weeping. When they finally meet the ground, the car, a living being in itself, becomes understandably annoyed and races off.
Arachnophobes beware! Arachnophiles delight! Another remarkable moment occurred when their adventures lead them into the enchanted forest, followng clues by a vision, deep into a cave to speak with a huge spider creature, a wise monster indeed, who would not allow them to leave without providing sustainance for his young:

"I cannot deny them fresh meat which comes so willingly into our midst. Farewell, friend of Hagrid..."

And the chase is on. They unbelievably make it out into the forest where they are rescued by the car, squashing a few spiders along the way, until they finally reach the safety of the castle. So the mystery monster has yet to be divulged, until the very end, Voldemort makes an appearence as his preferred manifestation of youth, aspiration, and vigor - along with an impressive serpantime basilisk at this bidding, which he orders to kill Potter, but is eventually thwarted by Dumbledore's phoenix who plucks out his eyes.
Draco Malfoy's father plays a role in the film, along wth Gilderoy Lockheart, a popinjay-poseur opportunist par excellance, which does speak to the faux "magician" type who frequently takes credit for others' accomplishments, as well as natural occurrences; jumping in at the last moment pretending it to be their own - he may fool the muggles, but a true Magician can spot this type outright. He has the audacity to engage Snape in a wand-sparring competition, of which his knowledge and experience is virtually null, and is forthwish humiliated by the Dark Potions instructor. His rottenness reveals itself in a subsequent in which, behind the fanciful facade of a rather weakan exterior in aesthetic and shallow personality, deems to take credit for the exploits of Harry's innovation, but through circumstance loses his memory by a well-deserved blow to the head by Ron Weasley.
Overall, it is analyzed that the film should be seen three or more times in order to appreciate all of the quick scenes which run by far too fast, as there is so much to the books, that each one could quite easily fit into two films at a time, but for expedience, was compressed into a little more than two hours. Viewing this film in the theatre is amusing for an entertaining "night out", but I believe it would be far more appreciated in one's own Lair. Still, to experience this series to the fullest, the highest resommendation is to read the books themselves, and this the films will be far more vibrant.
Another element that was noted was in the instance when introduced to "Dobby" the house elf, who appeared just as I imagined him, who is a masochistic character practicing self-flagellation for the smallest infraction in slave conduct who, through all of his efforts, attempts to prevent Potter from attending another year at Hogwarts, for the apparent reason that he fears for his safety. although it is later divulged that he has another Master, who himself does not wish Potter to return.
In one scene involving the house elf, Potter frees him from his cruel master's rule by actually bestowing him an article of clothing, thereby liberating him from slavery, which did receive a few hand claps of approval from the audience, particularly from a negro woman who obviously connected this as a metaphor for ancestor oppression... but the question remains, "what does Dobby do now?" For it is known, that the slave-type encompasses most of humanity, who are in the majority followers, necessitating a leader, a ruler, a master, whether it be a so-called "God", messiah, television, trends, etc. Although in this day and age, they still want to be told what to do, but without the use of the word "slavery" - so instead, PC terminology has been invented such as "team player", "church group", "congregation", etc., that it may be more palatable - yet drones they remain, no matter which connotation is used.
Overall, if one has been well entertained by the premiere film "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone", then "The Chambre of Secrets" is well worth the watching.
VI/I\XXXVI
Weird Worlds - Rites of Passage

Review by Draconis Blackthorne

TLC presented a program on the coming of age & initiation, & included therein, Satan's Cheerleaders as well as "The First Church of Satan".

First off, a new initiate is being introduced into 'Satan's Cheerladers', a diabolically enthusiastic for-hire team who shake their pom-poms for the KIng of Hell. With huge red vinyl 666's emblazoned on their small shiny black uniforms, & each one sporting a pentagram, &/or inverted cross, these six lovely & lively young ladies state "we want to give bad girls a good name". Sinisterly fetishistic outfits & all, which they claim to never remove {that's dedication!}, "Trixi Stix" leads the girls in a ceremony to welcome a new daughter of darkness into the fold - "Ruby Lamb" {who is also the webmistress for their site}, a hellfire red-haired cutie donned in a pink initiatory outfit, who will soon replace that bunnyish attire for the trademark 'hell wear' of SC. Parts of the ceremony include 'drinking the blood of a virgin boy & virgin girl' from a chalice, sanguine-erotically dripping from the lips of another cheerleader into the neophyte's; taking in the fires of Hell {"the fires of 'Our Father'" (sic)}, via flaming marsh mellows skewered on a makeshift pitchfork; & the anointing with her first 666 insignia in blood {collected from "one of the corrupted brothers" - a tribally-adorned / tattooed "modern-primitive" type with a split tongue blood lets into a receptacle} on her chest; all before a podium/altar complete with vampire skull. Towards the conclusion of the rite, the girls synchronistically gyrate to what sounds like a song from "The Cramps", then let forth a mighty yell, which is the cue for Ruby Lamb to arise & join in the fun. And that is what SC is about after all - having fun.
As an addition, I would have enjoyed seeing a common variation of the cheerleader, preferably a blonde one, to keep in the legendary, satanistic "blonde virgin" depiction of a "sacrifice" chained down to a platform - perhaps this theatrical concept could be used in a subsequent video.
In a white room rendered pinkish by lighting in his apartment, FCoS founder Egan conducts the baptism rite recited verbatum from Dr. LaVey's Satanic Mass recording. All in attendance are frocked in black robes, & standing before him is a mother with her daughter, also in a black robe, in her arms. The ceremony is enunciated rather effeminately complete with facial expressions to match. The small Baphomet is on red background, & a small white & gold dragonesque dagger is used for the modified invocation. On the red altar is a pentagram tile, upon which rests a triple-lunar stand with crystal ball, a satyr statuette surrounded by black candles, & a skull incensor sold at Hot Topic.
Also included, a weakanesque belly-dancing group affirms the female stages of life of "maiden, mother, crone." Although I would have to say that these are some of the more attractive ones I've seen, as most Belly-dancers tend to be.
The rest of the program deals with secular "rites of passage" in varying avenues, including the armed forces.
V/XXVI\XXXVI
VH1 - The 100 Most Shocking Moments in Rock 'N' Roll - #83: Marilyn Manson Becomes Priest In The Church of Satan
Commentary by Draconis Blackthorne.

For the past week, VH1 has presented the so-called "most shocking moments in Rock & Roll", hosted by a "Mark McGraff" - who appears to be another trendoid stinker, whom MM shot in the rump with a BB Gun, because, as MM stated, he makes it alright for the sheeple to dress in wife-beaters & baggy pants {essentially, what appears to be underwear} - as I have written before, most of this whole presentation displayed nothing really of pertinence except for the segment on Rev. Marilyn Manson. I received a notification of this program via an email - My eyes were automatically drawn to the words "Church of Satan" as part of the list. I thought it rather amusing that it was so far back in the list, considering it mentioned a modern-day major musical icon as connected with our organization - almost like they're trying to 'hide' the fact that someone the herd listens to, even if for only the music, could be seriously connected to Satanism. Indeed, several programs have tried to hide the topic of Satanism by rescheduling certain presentations without notice, & sometimes not even mentioning it when a certain program will be on {such as the Discovery Channel's "Weird Worlds" airing of 'Cults', in which Mgr. Rex Church & HP Barton were shown participating in a ritual at the AOS}. In this, however, I have been fortunate, in that I seem to catch most of the documentaries by 'chance', or shall we say, "Diabolical Machinations", or "Satanic Synchronicity".

This one had a span of about 3 minutes, but in that time, the images of Dr. LaVey {as mentioned in "The Secret Life Of A Satanist" by Blanche Barton as "The Devil's High Priest", the cover image of same, & the picture of Dr. LaVey standing with Manson from his book "The Long Hard Road Out of Hell"} were presented, accompanied by what sounded like a recorder, along with a smoke-explosion manifestation of Dr. LaVey's face when mention of his meeting with Manson was briefly recounted, when LaVey just "appeared". Again, the details of this are related in Manson's book.
A couple of commentators attempted to downplay Satanism with their shallow misperception of the philosophy {indeed, they were probably not even aware that there is one, as they were absolutely clueless, as their 'understanding' probably goes no further than a comic-book perception as presented by christianity} - a female commentator was visibly disturbed, & attempted to giggle away her obvious confusion by stating that it was "so...1975", in that certain floppy-headed bunnyish manner - yes, The Church of Satan was around in 1975, & is still alive & thriving today. There is actually a book called "The Satanic Bible" which was also in publication in 1975, & continues to be a best-seller today! A poopstar named "Moby" stated that "what would the Prince of Darkness be doing with a bunch of goth-kids in the basement?" I think the answer to that is blatantly obvious - Marilyn Manson as an individual & as a band went on to become a world-impacting entity, just as Dr. LaVey predicted. Only one of the commentators did not go on to embarrassingly show herself to be so ignorantly visceral, as she actually did accurately state in a round-about way that MM did not desire to 'worship' a guy with horns, but essentially resonated with a largely anti-christian viewpoint, countering the hypocrisy, repressive strictures, & mind-numbing foolosophy that christianity espouses.
So, I say at least VH1 had the testicular fortitude to present this segment, but the commentaries made by fluffballs only further demonstrated that people essentially hate &/or critique Satanism based upon what they do not know, nor comprehend, instead of stating an educated opinion based upon fact. These are mediocre hacks & marginally-talented, assembly-line pseudo-'musicians', not intellectuals, who should not be taken in any way seriously. Do yourselves a favor - before making yourselves look like complete idiots again in the future, read a little about the subject at hand before regurgitating common ignorant assumptions.

Other interesting manifestations of Satanic expression as seen in the secular media were present in the events of Sinead O'Connor's denunciation of Pope John Paul II, in that infamous tearing-apart of his picture on SNL {a Black Mass moment}, which gained her quite a bit of infamy - the drones were shown booing her at a Bob Dylan tribute concert {which only sadly displays the sheeple's mass brainwashing by the Catholic Church - it is far better to allow them to adhere to their slave religions, than to attempt to enlighten them, as they will most likely remain the rotten organisms they are}, her heart may have been in the correct place, but her humanitarian efforts were lost on the contagion of ingrates, who will continue to subject themselves to the cross, & other various blindlight faiths.

Madonna's daring & blasphemous portrayal of a nubile girl who falls in love with St. Martin DePorres, who comes alive & copulates with her, amidst scenes of burning crosses. And not to mention her early 90's release of her Sex book, which explored various taboos which helped shock the populace onto some evolution of human sexuality & awareness. Even though I do not personally care for the music, as it is rather bland & feeds into mass trendoid-mentality, her very name does display a rather sacraligeous suggestion that the name of a religious icon of erzatz virginity can be taken by an oversexed performer.

Ozzy Osbourne's infamous mastication-decapitation of a dove, then later a bat, which earned him the carnivorous madman nomenclature.

Alice Cooper's chicken massacre, in which someone had tossed a live chicken onto the stage, Cooper threw it back, not realizing that chickens do in fact not fly, as it plummeted into the audience, was torn apart, & its pieces thrown back onto the stage. This was the event that launched him onto the world scene. After which, he was playing at huge venues.

This all goes to show that the iconoclast, in whatever original & individualistic artistic expression who goes beyond the commonly accepted ground, will cause an evolutionary vibration, incrementally modifying culture & society. It is known that "'Evil', that is to say, all that is attributed to The Devil, or expressions of revolution or blasphemy, by whatever name, remains a catalyst for change.
III/XI\XXXVI
Review of Fear: Camp Spirit Lake

Ah, what can be said about the Fear series? Not too much, except that the premise involves depositing desperate, college-aged panzies in a desolate location, allowing their own fears to torture & consume them. Quite shadowmantic, actually. It actually is quite entertaining, as the assimilates are placed into a situation of distress, & forced to both confront their own 'demons', & those which the writers {the puppet-masters} create for them. This writer would enjoy creating horror-based scenarios for these spineless, greedy, impressionable simpletons. Like mice in a puzzle do they amble to & fro, ironically motivated by that which has been called "the root of all evil" {the 'root of most pleasures', actually} - in this case, $5,000 - to possess notes marked with Masonic symbols. One hilarious part of this episode was when one of the members was whipering 'the lord's prayer' to himself, while apologizing & asking forgiveness for his greediness. "Forgive me, but I really need the money" {human nature wills-out} - indeed - while tracing a pentagram into the earth. Hypocritically ridiculous to say the least, but it did make for an amusing spectacle.

So these typically money-grubbing 'christians' {or conveniently so, as everybody suddenly becomes a devout 'christian' when a Satanist is present} utter their prayers, with a weakan bent, the whole way through the darkness of the woods. Such as one of the members sniveling in the coffin while one of the others shovels dirt upon it, while unbeknownst to her, one of her team-mates lies therein. I must say, kudos to the writers for that one. He undergoes the distress of clausterphobia, while she may have experienced the fright of her life had he decided to quit the dare & arise therefrom. Some of the psychological manipulations are remarkable. That stunt was certainly more torturous than the so-called "mental-endurance test" one of them was subjected to - please. Inserting his head into a cage while cute fuzzy rats critter outside its perimeters. Why not allow the rats to crawl directly onto his head while in the cage? That may have proved to be more effective in inciting a more dramatic reaction. Slathering his head with hot melted cheese, or containing a portion in his mouth, that would have been even more amusing. [insert head cheese reference here]

The coffin scene alludes to "L'Air Epais", Our Templar ritual, but they only just barely scratch the surface when it comes to experiencing the Satanic ritual environment, as in the symbolic death & rebirth references.

One girl decided to leave the scene entirely {there is always one}, instead of having to be subjected to the "psychomanthium chamber" {sic}, a mirrored necromantic enclosure designed to "communicate with the dead", which in most cases, are the reflections of the darkside of the mind.

A suggestion is made, no matter how outlandish, when placed in an ideal environment, such as a strange location, creates a momentum which takes on a domino effect, each brain unto itself, until others conform in the paranoia. The erzatz story-line follows in the line of the Necronomicon {from whence much of the urban legend was developed}, or what I would call the "satanistic bible" - the folklore, rather than the factualities of actual Satanic philosophy.

A notable inconsistency was demonstrated during the "mental-endurance test" portion of the dares - namely, the erronious mentioning that we practice this. Not true. The very mention of C/S during this presentation opens up a whole Pandora's Box of manipulative possibilities, similar to the effect Columbine had upon those who wear black trenchcoats. These types of presentations increase fear in the populace, which is always empowering.
Prole: "Do you guys practice this stuff like I saw on Fear?" {raping & sacrificing virgins, etc.}
Satanist: "No, of course not." Would come the undefiled response.
But why waste the time & energy explaining what is so blatantly obvious within the pages of The Satanic Bible? The sheeple will always assume the Satanist is lying anyway, so why not just have fun with it?

Just keep in mind that the Satanist has become just as much of a horror icon as Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, or Michael Meyers, in the collective subconscious of the herd - the Hollywood portrayals, the devil-worship variety of hooded figures gathering 'round a balefire chopping up babies, goats, virgins, & cats, & about as present as Bigfoot or the Lochness monster - enigmas, mysteries.

Anton LaVey wrote The Satanic Bible for truly Satanic Individuals, whereas Hollywood wrote the 'satanistic bible' for the masses, with every devil-cult movie, every sensationalistic talk show 'special', & demonic horror-novel.
So just use these portrayals upon the ignorantly stubborn & weak-minded, to enchant & terrify, while knowing & feeling the truth all along. To those who wish to know the truth {if they can handle it}, Satanic philosophy will educate & edify. To those determined to preserve their eustress-filled presumptions, the fantasies will continue to sustain them, psychic vampires that they are, in their own created lies, as ignorance is indeed bliss for the lower man, upon which they masochistically imbibe.

HAIL SATAN.
The Grinch

I have long since enjoyed this little tale about a hermit living high up on mountaintop overlooking Whoville in disgust. I recently accompanied a young cousin, & had the opportunity to view this latest presentation, & though it is rather slow in the beginning, it really picks up after Little Sarah Loohoo invites The Grinch to receive an award down in town. A request made by the Mayor triggers a memory sequence in which the Grinch experienced some rather traumatic events in his childhood, & all Hell breaks loose after that. He serves in his capacity as villain, as revealing the programmed habits of the townspeople who celebrate xmas, motivated by nothing more than greed. The Grinch asks the question, "is that all xmas means to you?" This sheds a luciferic light on them all, revealing them for the money & gift-hungry drones that the are. In a particularly memorable scene, The Grinch acts as accuser, then proceeds to lay waste their town.
I can already hear someone saying to Me, "you think too much". To which I would answer, "no, you think too little". There are subtleties that can be picked up if one only wishes to see them. The "Evil" character in most any presentation, serves in his or her capacity as a catalyst. Indeed, in most cases, "evil" serves as a catalyst for change. In this respect, it serves as a positive & cleansing element that instructs in harsh lessons for the commoner.
However, since I Am acquainted with the original story, the outcome was predictable, although the pervasive question remained: "What does xmas have to with having a 'big heart'? Or the ability to show compassion towards those who deserve it?" Personally, I do not celebrate this xian holiday, but may participate in certain activities for the gift factor. The Winter Solstice is My Yuletide. It is all relative.
So, when The Grinch removes all of their precious little holy-day decorations, the whos begin to realize their erronious materialistic activities, & realize the root of their holiday. They consequently gather together in a large cluster, & celebrate the "true spirit" of xmas. "Evil" has once again purified the lies & deceptions.
Even through this quaint Seuss tale, the necessity of catastrophe proves itself evident, as pain is indeed a harsh, though sometimes necessary element. In its own way, this film speaks to the efficacy of The 9th Satanic Statement.

There is one female member amongst the whos who is just entranced by The Grinch, as she practically has orgasms as he displays his misanthropy. The "bad guy" lure. There's always at least one.

It would have been nice to preclude or follow this film with the original animation. Carey makes for quite an appropriate Grinch character, & the costuming was very sufficient. Hail The Grinch!
House on Haunted Hill

Vincent Price plays a Satanic MIllionaire {not too far from the truth}, who invited 7 people into his home, rumoured to be haunted by 7 ghosts. Each will be payed $10,000 if they manage to make it through the nigtht sane & alive. After the toll of the Witching hour, no one can leave, as all the windows are barred, & the front door is locked like a vault.
Immediately, ghostly manifestations occur. The first, blood dripping from the ceiling, thus "marking" one of the female guests.
The guests consist of a young entrepreneur, a dashing type, a young skiddish lady, an older lady, a stuporstitious & slightly fearful little man who is learned on the subject of ghosts {you may also have seen this actor portraying the real-estate agent granting Rosemary & Guy Woodhouse a tour of their new apartment}; an investigator, rather like a P.I., Vincent Price's character, & his lovely wife {whom he abuses from time to time}.
He creates a veritable "spookhouse" environment employing doors opening & closing, chills of air, apparitions {the most remarkable being that of a floating hag}, a severed head, a haunted rope, & even a walking skeleton! {At the time of the movie's release, (1957), during the scene when the skeleton appears, one was actually brought out to hover above the heads of the audience members to accentuate the experience - however, true to herd style, popcorn & other miscellanious objects were thrown at the hapless skeleton. Once, it detached from its invisible wire, falling into the audience, was treated like a beachball at a KISS concert.

So the Vincent Price character arms his guests with guns kept in seven black coffins {nice containers, by the way}.
In the end, it was all planned for the beginning, much like the "Let Me Entertain You" chapter from The Devil's Notebook taken to another degree.
"House on Haunted Hill" is classic spookshow fare, definitely deserving of one's collection.

The Haunted Palace

An American couple travel abroad to haunted olde England to claim an inheritance, which is a strikingly beautiful castle high up on a hill overlooking a gloomy peasant village.

When entering the town pub for some directions, the resident drunken peasants are rude, fearful, & stuporstitious, when finally, a doctor explains the peasants' actions, & guides them to their inheritance.

The castle carries a nefarious connotation, a veritable "place that god forsook", where a Warlock bearing a frightening resemblence to the visiting American once resided, & who in fact, is the ancestor, whose dark magic left freakish anomeles upon the descendants of those who murdered him by the stake's flame. And indeed, his "generational curse" is plainly evident upon the deformed peasants to this day, who ironically, resemble zombies themselves.
Arkham Palace is a magnificent lair, filled with what you would expect to see in a Warlock's abode - ornate furnishings, frescoes, tapestries, stark gothesque chambres, lit with candles, torches, fireplaces, & to add to its charm, veiled in cobwebs.
He is fixated - veritably mesmerized by the portrait of the excarnate Lord of the castle, which hangs {where else?}, above the main fireplace.Slowly but surely, the essence of the warlock takes possession of his mind, until he fully gains carnate composition again within the body of his descendant. Then he goes about to summon up 'The Old Ones' {from Lovecraftian Lore}, taking up the 'forbidden rites' of The Necronomicon, that he may resurrect his beloved wife, long since in necrotic catatonia. Of course, she is eventually revived, his companion sorceress, to aid him in his diabolical experimentations.
David's initial companion becomes very disturbed by his personality fluctuations, that she seeks out the doctor who helped them before - eventually, they both become prisoners, she is subsequently scheduled for sacrifice. A pit leading directly to Hell is opened, revealing a growling, demonic spechtre awaiting to take his prize.

The film concludes in the ubiquitous D.P. manner, as the peasants, drunken with liquid courage & fear, form a mob, eventually setting the castle ablaze, although David is spared the fate of his ancestor.

However, at the very ende, that sinister gleam returns once again to his eyes - the warlock prevails.

A&E: American Justice - Richard Ramirez

A wrap-up of The Nightstalker case. From his humble beginnings in El Paso, TX, where as a teenager would take refuge in a local cemetary from an abusive father, was teased by classmates becasue of his difference in looks, when one day he hopped aboard a bus for Los Angeles, where he thieved homes for money for whores & drugs {particularly cocaine, which he used introveinously}, resided in seedy hotels. After dropping out of highschool, he eventualy became an atheist until his crimes eventually landed him in jail, where he, unlike many other inmates, found 'Satan' instead of 'Jesus' through another inmate. From there on out, he vowed to be the most devout devil-worshipper he could be, & thus, to please his 'master', decided to go on his now infamous killing spree after having made a pact with 'the devil', in exchange for hellish protection from the Police force.

For much of his homicidal galavanting, it seemed to have been working, primarily due to police incompetence, lack of cooperation with other law enforcement agencies {counter-productive pride}, & the chattering idiocy of San Francisco mayor {at the time} Feinstein, who completely undermined the investigation when she mentioned crucial information on evidence & facts about the case out over the public airwaves, thus tipping off Ramirez, who forthwith eliminated relics on his person {Avia shoes & his gun} that could have led to an earlier capture - both of which he threw off the Golden Gate bridge, never to be recovered. Could it have been... Satan!?
Even when he went to visit with his uncle in Colorado, who was the one who initially taught him how to kill, deriving from his Vietnam training; he could not contact him, on his way back, Police had set up a stake-out operation looking for anyone seeking to leave L.A., but they were not expecting The Nightstalker to be entering the city. So he just exited stage left, as it were, when he noticed the Police presence. Again, he had eluded capture. Perhaps even more remarkable was the instance in which he was stopped for running a red light - he was asked to step to the rear of the vehicle, placing his hands on the car. While doing so, he decided to draw a pentagram on it.

Finally, an acquaintance of Ramirez's was intensely questioned until he finally gave up the name. Now the Police had a mugshot, instead of the misleading drawings thusfar.
While he searched out another brother in the L.A. area, he was recognized; more & more people recognized him. He panicked, ran for two miles, until he saught to steal a car from some ghetto woman, to which her husband took a pipe to Ramirez - ironically, it was the Police who saved him. The rest is history - he currently awaits execution in San Quentin.

Since his capture, he has granted interviews, submitted artwork to underground pubications, to websites, was visited by Zeena Schreck, has been the subject of several biographies, got married, & enjoys conjugal visits. This goes to show that if you murder, & have a gimmick, you can reach celebrity status.
One time, the Nightstalker was incarcerated next cell over from one Sean Penn {big whoop} for his photograper-beating incident, when Ramirez asked for his autograph, he wrote back that as an inmate, he could not help but feel some kind on affinity for others also incarcerated, but he could not feel any for Ramirez. To which he confidently answered, "Dear Sean, keep in touch, & hit 'em again." Agreed.

All this reminds Me of My own experience with the Nightstalker case. My father was a court interpreter for the county, & on this particular occasion, I accompanied him to the Downtown Courthouse. He was working in the chamber several doors down from where Ramirez was to attend another court date. So I decided to sit in. All were patted down at the door. News cameras were left & right. I had gotten to talking with a cute girl sitting beside Me, when the bailiff called out for standing for the entrance of the Judge, soon followed by the emergence of The Nightstalker. At one point he looked back at the crowd, when our gazes met for all about three seconds. It is interesting how in the subsequent courtroom appearance, he spoke about "Legions of the Night, repeat not the errors of The Nightstalker... show no mercy."

There was no mention of Dr. LaVey's comment on Ramirez. For those who are unaware, while in San Francisco, he sought to speak to the Doktor while checking his P.O. Box, to which Doc responded, "I don't do business on the street. Mail Me at My P.O. Box." To which Ramirez resinded politely. Later, as relayed by HP Barton, in her book "The Secret Life of A Satanist", LaVey wonders that if he had granted a few more words with Ramirez, if he may taken a more productive path.

Also not mentioned in the presentation {Circa XXXII A.S.}, is Sgt. Randy Emon, "Satan Sleuth" {who appeared on "Inside Edition", & Pace Setters" displaying My artwork & poetry without M u permission. It was featured on channels 7 & 9.}. He worked on the Nightstalker case, serving in the capacity of "occult investigator/advisor" - a so-called "expert" - I AM a Satanist - I AM the "expert"! He thought to squelch some cultish "information" from Me, probably secretly wishing he could gain a 'scoop', about ritual sacrifi8ces up in the hills. Well, I decided to give him an earful of bogus "information", about some nefarious goings-on in "The Valley", whose ceremonial grounds were guarded by "Gate Keepers". I also learned these fictional tales were being used at his "Occult Seminars", one of which I attended incignito. It was entertaining.

Blue Velvet

A fantastic, action-filled intense Noir thriller about a "joe citizen" named "Jeffrey Beaumont" {"well, howdie neighbor"} is pushed to the brink of insanity, as he stumbles across the nightcreatures inhabiting the underside of a Norman Rockwellian North Carolina suburb. The counter-culture; the flipside.

He comes upon a human ear decomposing in a field as he walks to & from from visiting his elderly relative in the hospital, who was seemingly attacked by his waterhose as he was watering the lawn one bright sunshiney day. The denizens lurking in the black earth are always prepared to take their due.

This film really manages to present the polarities between seemingly "wholesome" Americana & "unwholesome" Americana, as it were {the Dream & the Nightmare}.

Dennis Hopper portrays a most convincing sadistic crime boss addicted to nitrus oxide, who takes long, deep inhalations to magnify the thrill of the kill &/or sensual indulgence {often, one in the same}, which is always very graphic. He literally stuffs blue velvet in his victims' mouths as a calling card. Of his murders, the most notable was the execution of two Police officials - one with the material crammed in his mouth, & the other, standing dead with an electrical current running through the corpse. Now THAT'S creative! It rivals even Hannibal Lechter's imaginative killings.

Isabella Rosallini plays a tasty nightclub {'The Slow Bar'} dish whose prime number is, not surprisingly, "Blue Velvet" - which, after you learn more of the character's traumatic personal life, becomes much more haunting, as she is indeed a tortured soul.

She & "Jeffrey Beaumont" {MacLachlan} enjoy a tryst together, after she rapes him at knife-point, but he soon learns to compensate for his normalcy by indulging her fetish - sex & violence.

Interspersing the more dramatic/climactic moments in the movie {there are many}, are telling appearances of a dancing flame vigorously flickering upon a black candle accompanied by magnified infernal sounds {the black flame of life}, the protagonist growling beastially in dream sequences, a raging wall of lustful fire igniting the kundalini. Very Satanic. Thus is director David Lynch's style, as can be seen in favorites such as "Twin Peaks" & "Lost Highway" {which includes a cameo by Rev. Manson}.

Well, the villain discovers Jeffrey exiting from {Rossellini's} residence, after some particularly passionate sex, & takes them both for "a ride" {a Noir term meaning "swimming with the fishes", i.e., death}, but not before stepping by a favorite bar {what a sport!}. Of note, one of this author's favorite artists' song "In Dreams" by Roy Orbison is used as a prelude to the frivolity with Jeff. Jeffrey is subjected to mental as well as physical torture for a few hours, until beaten unconcious {not without good reason, of course}, & left in some desolate industrial section in the outskirts - he is truly fortunate to have not been executed.

Also keep in mind that he was deceiving a hometown girl {sort of an inconsequential foo (played by Laura Dern)}, but he could not fool the experienced fox, who makes them both pay for their lies.
{Dern}, a foo for sure, remains with him through the ordeal {that's true love!}. She represents the love interest / the "angel", whereas {Rossellini} represents the she-devil / succubus, or "lust interest", if you will. Between them both, is an amalgam of the "Madonna / Whore" dynamic analyzed by Freud.

Two worlds collide, & he walks the fine line between them, experiencing the pains & the pleasures of both.
The Witching Time

This is a great big stinking limburger of a British B-movie flick. But such is the charm which established Elvira, Mistress of The Dark as an icon. As a very young Satanist, I always enjoyed this raven-haired buxom beauty's "Movie Macabre" presentations. She was an E.C.I. of Mine. Indeed, it was on her show that I first saw "The Devil's Rain" accompanied by her lighthearted {or should that be 'dark-hearted'} smart-ass {& what an ass it was!} commentaries.

Much later, after the show was sadly placed in its respective video=coffin, I was delighted to find more of the episodes at the local library through 'Thriller Video'. Amongst them, were such titles as "The Crawling Eye" & "The Carpathian Eagle". European low-budget films no one alse would show. Segments such as the Mailbag, & characters like 'Breather', a greasy obsessed fan, the stereotypical pervert, who would call up Elvira from a local payphone wheezingly exhaling into the receiver, always managing to disgust the hostess.

Well, after having recorded them for My personal collection, I saw neither succulent hide nor long, shiny, silky black hair {it didn't matter that it was a wig} of her other shows, until this past weekend, when a friend of Mine unearthed "Two! Two! Ah-Ah!" {in the Count's accent} Elvira presentations!

The first, called "The Witching Time" {to add to the effect, it should have been arcanely spelled "tyme", but I digress}, but like I said, a real limburger.

There she was, the Gothic Goddess that she is, strewn out luxuriously sedictive on that opulent Victorian dais, like a feline succubus stretched out ever so alluringly.

"The Witching Time" is about a witch who escapes the stake by transporting herself through time. Haggard, ragged, dazed & confused, she is overwhelmed by the progression of technology, after being found by the owner of the estate.

When he locks her in a room while he calls a psychiatrist, she feels betrayed, & accuses him of summoning the Magistrate to see her burn. When he returns with the shrink, she is gone from out of a completely sealed room, which brings into question his own sanity to the doctor. A bit later, she re-appears to indignate him scathingly. From here on, she causes mayhem, causing the owner & his girlfiend into madness until they have a talk with a priest, who, I believe should have had a major role in the movie as an exorcist --- here, he is merely a brief & transitory chracter who may have just as well been cut out. Speaking of editing, a recurring disappoinment was some of the more dramatic highlights being rudely censored, curtailed, probably in order to remain within the one hour timeframe, which was a pity.

There was one scene in which the girlfriend lit but two of the three red candles on the candlearium she was carrying, but at least there was continuity, as a subsequent scene showed only the same two candles lit.

In the end, the witch is dowsed in a horse trough, disappears again, materializing by by a blazing balefire ignited by the crazed owner of the estate.

Another irrelevant storyline was in that the witch had fashioned an effigie of herself, which came into possession of the girlfriend, who finally ended the witch's havoc by throwing it into the fire. Now, why did she fashion a doll in her own image? Bad script-writing.

Overall, "The Witching Time" is predictable, cheesy, but a great laugh at parties.
The Silent Scream
Starring Peter Cushing

Of the two, this was much the better. So much so, that I will even add it to My Recommendations List. And no, this is not the anti-abortion propaganda. There are definite traces of 'The Island of Dr. Moureu' here, but the main influence is most definitely the experimentations of Russian Scientist, Ivan Pavlov, who proved the existence of habitual responses. He experimented with dogs who came to salivate upon hearing a bell which they knew would be followed by food, instead of waiting to see the ration itself. Thus was born the understanding of "conditioned response." Which, in the long run, opened up the whole world of commercialism to programmed human response {the 'Ping' is the thing!}. As a matter of fact, as I write this, it is his birthday - he was born on this date {IX/XIV} in 1849 c.e.

A quiet, unassuming older gentleman hides a secret life & alter-ego. He is the owner of a pet shoppe & caretaker of the resident animals. Up front, what one might expect to occupy a pet store - cats, birds, lizards, snakes, tarantulas, rabbits, hamsters, etcetera. But hidden behind secret doors, beneath the establishment, he keeps lions, tigers, & a beautiful black panther fro the eyes of the world. Well, besides it being illegal, as he kept these beautiful & wild creatures incarcerated 9in small cages, he has formulated a sick plan. An unnatural & cruel obsessive technique of "discipline", which would be pure unbalanced sadism, if it weren;t for him being so deranged. Indeed, some of the world's greatest 'evils' were done in the name of 'good'. And I paraphrase:

"Imagine a zoo without bars, where you can roam amongst the animals freely without fear of attack or misbehaviour."
He is a veritable 'evil' Dr. Dolittle. The procedure goes as follows: If you hear a buzz, do not touch the bars - they are electrified. If you hear the bell, proceed to poke your head out through the bars to eat your supper.

Probably the type of scenario the ASPCA people would imagine occurring in laboratories, but no, in reality, they are much worse.

Sadly, one of the great cats is electrocuted - accident or suicide? I believe it was the latter. It seems she just became sick & tired of being forced to live under such conditions.

Besides this disgusting display of needless cruelty, which bears echoes of "the lamb laying beside the lion" christian drivel, the actualy eventually arises a Satanic precept in the manner he dealt with thieves . The owner {Cushing} needs someone to look after the store & mind the animals while he is away for a time. A young zoologist answers his query, someone the owner could trust with the secret of not only the animals, but the safe as well. After the initial shock wears off, he agrees. After the owner departs, he hatches a plan to rob the elderly storekeeper - but lo behold, a trap door opens beneath him, sendin him plunging into a cell - a perfect cage created for human habitation.
It was planned all along.
"All it takes is the right bait."
On this, I fully agree.

Now he has a human animal to experiment upon & train. He gets the buzz & bell treatment, & it works marvellously.

This is how prisons should be - by their crimes, felons have forfeited their rights, not only teir freedom, but any luxuries as well. It is apalling to see the accomodations these lowlifes enjoy. They certainlt have more resources within the prison that without - it has gotten so that they do not mind returning to their "home away from home". This is utterly ridiculous.
By their crimes, they have become second class citizens {perhaps even third class - a new classification?}, if they even are citizens at all, that is!

I propose a simular technique of behavioral correction be applied, to coincide with the Legis Draconum of Graffitti & Gangs: The Satanic Solution. Electrify the doors / cellbars {just enough for a good strong shock that will send them reeling backwards}, that they may not wish, & even dread returning to such a miserable environment, & at the same time forewarning them of the deadly consequences which will follow {i.e., the electric chair}, if they kill some innocent in the process of the commission if their crime. They should be given immunity if they kill one their own kind {again, see Graffitti & Gangs: The Satanic Solution}.

Back to the review. Subsequently, young man's girlfriend finds him down in the cage, & is soon also outsmarted by the shopkeeper, & she gets pushed in as well. Then they are both subjected to psychological tests & manipulations --- he is the puppetmaster.

In the final test, a section of wall slides open - beyond, freedom. They take the bait. They rush home only to find the entre house has been rigged into one huge electric cage.

But the true horror may rest deeper, as the shopkeeper himself was pushed into the human cage by the black panther. Ergo, the Silent Scream.
History's Mysteries: Cults - VIII/XIV\XXXV - The History Channel - 8pm

A nicely made documentary on the development of religious movements. The introductory animations show Dr. LaVey speaking on sexual freedom with a blended spliced screen from scenes of Satanis. The left hand scene speaking, the right-hand screen performing a ceremony from therein.

Presented in this program, are the histories of blindlight cults, who grow in membership until eventually regarded as religions. ALL religions start out as cults. If you gather a large enough flock of sheep, you have a conventional religion.

A segment starts it all off on the Dionysian societies of ancient Greece, from which some of our Satanic roots can be traced. These were people who loved life in a decadent, luxurious, & indulgent manner, giving full vent to natural erotic desires. These were a pure people, in & of themselves, unaffected by the whiteplague that was to come.

An analysis of "The Assassins" {segment introduction by HP Barton}, an early Islamic sect, is elucidated upon, explaining the definition of that group, as being derived from its membership injesting hallucinogens {hashish} to be "receptive" to "God". However, the definition sprung from the homicidal actions, rather than the "spiritual" practices of the group.

The "Gnostics", definition derived from "revealed knowledge", are studied, & identified as the first heretics from the christian religion. Where the common christians believed in revelations straight from "god". The Gnostics asserted "God" dispensed wisdom from the heavens straight to them. They, like the conventional christians, identified eachother with cryptic symbols. Where the christians had their fish, the gnostics identified eachother by their tattoos.

The Puritan cults are studied next, & their expulsion from England to the Americas. But even amongst their society, there arose their own heretics, called the "shakers", who were completely asexual, who derived their name by their practice of "shaking" during ceremonial expressions of "communication" with "god", accompanied by the "speaking in tongues" babble, much like the fundies of the day.

The People's Temple, Jim Jones' Christian death-cult, is portrayed herein, as well as David Koresh's "Branch Davidians" --- both of which ended in genocide. The former, by poisonous strawberry cool-aid {a friend commented he received the impression of the Cool-aid man with crosses for eyes}, & the latter, by immolation. Also, a segment about "Heaven's Gate" --- that xoid-newage cult who aimed to meet an alien named "jesus" on a space-ship, as heralded by the Hale-Bopp comet. All three manifested their doomsday. Good riddance!

Then the Mormons are discussed, with their roots in polygamy. Only in Utah are they regarded as a mainstream religion. The denominations which still practice polygamy are now regarded as outcasts from the majority.

A brief history of the Christian fantasy of devil-worship from the Spanish Inquisition to the "witch-burnings" begins the segment on Satanism. I was pleased to see there was no mention of weaka. From there, some biographical information on Aleister Crowley, featuring some rare, & some classic photographs. The formation of the O.T.O., & the press' dubbing him "the wickedest man in the world".

Then on to The Church of Satan, with an interview with HP Barton, looking very sultry, relating the Magic Circle genesis of CoS, & proudly reading The Nine Satanic Statements from her book, "The Church of Satan", in a rather seductive tone. Behind her, The Baphomet sigil lighted by a candlearium of black candles. Besides "Satanis: The Devil's Mass", scenes from "Speak of The Devil: The Canon of Anton LaVey" are shown, recounting Dr.'s diabolical evilution. Obviously, the difference between blindlight scripture & foolosophy, & Satanic text is undefiled wisdom. During the segment break, the host did manage to mention, in a noticeably disturbed manner, CoS as an officially recognized RELIGION by the government & the Army.

Following this, an overview of "The Unification Church/The Moonies" & the "Hare Krishnas" - other blindlight cults of servile lemmings.

Overall, the program accurately portrayed the subjects at hand. Truthfully displaying the blindlighters as unbalanced, rotten, & psychotic. The representation of Satanism was accurate, allowing the Satanic viewpoint expression without hackjobs & underhanded intent. Actors were even employed to dramatically portray the rite of The Black Mass. The guest Theologians & "experts" presented a relatively objective view on the subject, devoid of satanophobic symptoms.

From what I have seen thusfar, besides actual documentaries produced by Satanists, this is the most factual exemplification of Satanic philosophy by the secular media to date. A must for collectors of Church of Satan history.

Obtain your copy by clicking H E R E.
- From "Noctuary" -
Review Circa IX/XXIII\XXXII

Untermencht-fest on The Jerry Springer show! This past Wednesday, The topic of sensationalization was "My Teen Worships Satan!" This was one of those times when I sensed something pertaining to the Satanic will be presented. Well, in one word, it was atrocious. Every devil-worship stereotype came out in blaring idiocy, thus feeding the herd's misconceptions, & reducing the arguementation to nothing more than a scream-fest, a yelling competition, as is the habit on such pulp-pop consumer Letharginator programming. It was not surprising, but it was truly disgusting.

It would have been the typical metalhead vs. parents scenario, except that throughout the show, clips of the resident "devil-worshippers" {NOT true Satanists!} were shown acting out Satanic rites out of The Satanic Bible & The Satanic Rituals! A baptism was shown, & a Destruction Ritual levelled against xianity. Seems that a Black Mass would have been more appropriate. Something that these wannabe's are in serious need of, IF they were who they claimed to be, that is! I detected a general undertone of falsehood to the whole thing. More & more, it appears as if The Jerry Springer show is turning into 'Night Stand with Dick Dietrick'! Could this be the revenge of dick? Turning talk-show hosts into other dicks?

The whole thing appeared staged. From the forced "tears" of the mother, to the "preacher" in prop costume {who appeared very much like a rabbi, but nonetheless, castigated the devil-worshippers in the name of jeezwiz}, to the "ritual", which looked like it was performed on a set, & even unto the fake black wig the {ahem} "high priestess" {sic} was wearing.

The actors, as I Am convinced they were, portrayed these erstwhile "Satanists" as nothing more than rednecks, just like those hillbilly racists Springer brings on for fun & ratings, although I believe those are actually REAL.

Perhaps to start out with, the producers of the show wanted to have something weird on, to get the leg-up on Halloween, & boost some ratings, but after attempting to get REAL Satanists to come on the show, & failing miserably, perhaps with heir egos bruised by the emphatic rejection of Satanists not wanting to be caught dead or alive on that sub-journalistic travesty, finally resorted to hiring some actors to dress up in black, bought a couple of brand-new LaVey books, planted a couple of actors in the audience as well, & went on with it. But we caught it. Seems that Springer wants to portray Satanism as a joke. If that is the case, then he must be punished. We cannot tolerate such mockery & de-evolution. We've come a long way, & cannot allow the likes of this Springer to stunt our growth. The fact is, we will evolve with or without him around, but we could do without the extra hassle.

At the conclusion of the program, the rudimentary & boring segment of Jerry's 2 cents came on, who summed up these people's lives as being a series of traumas which led to their feelings of alienation, thus attracting them to the devil-worship activity. I must say, that in the majority of cases dealing with such black sheep, the prognosis holds validity. But to generalize devil - worshippers {who are reverse xians} with actual Satanists, is a repetition of the erronious "thinking" of Geraldo Rivera on his "Exposing Satan's Underground" program. These types repeat the mistakes of the past, because they are so afraid to face the truth of the future, which is in Our hands, like it or not.

The whole hour was basically the black sheep vs. the white sheep, who are all within the same pen, covered in mire. There were no wolves present. They were all pretty much on the same intellectual level. All lowlifes. No self-respecting Satanist would lower themself to the level of those inferior life-forms. It was like an imploded, reverse circus maximus, & all the so-called xians demonstrated their brain-damage & hypocrisy most resplendantly, I will add. Releasing their repressed xian hatred towards convenient villains - the classic faerie-tale duality of 'good' vs. 'evil'. But the truth is, they are all just rotten.

After viewing this freakshow, I came away having a bit more of an elevated respect for Bob Larson, who at least has the alacrity to face Satanists.

The devil-worshippers on Springer never mentioned any affiliation with The Church of Satan, & they always conveniently had their hands over Dr. LaVey's picture on the back of TSB. Plus, the Baphomet banner used on the ritual set was quite different to what is offered trough The Black Flame, which of course, is the official sigil of CoS.

In conclusion, the show was a joke {as we all know}. A complete sham put on by the producers. The audience was taken for suckers, receiving their eustress, as were all those Springer stupes in TV land.

Ironically, probably the most 'Satanic' individual was Springer himself, but it was certainly not the alleged "Satanists" on the panel, who ultimately go along with 'the program'. And the brainless proletarian herds were just being their own subhuman selves.
The Unexplained: 666 - Sign of Evil
A&E presented a three-part episode of "The Unexplained", which dealt with the sinister effects of the number of the best {no typo}, & Satanism.
6 ~ Story 1: Route 666, Cortez County, Colorado

The effects of this diabolical number upon the minds of the local residents. An obscure highway in the middle of the desert called "The Devil's Highway", or "El Camino De El Diablo".

The story centers on three fugitives who went on a GTA & shooting spree, killing one officer, & wounding a couple of others, then disappearing into the nearby canyons by Route 666, within Indian reservation limits. A month later, one of the suspects reappeeared, committing suicide.

Local Amerinds tell of "skinwalkers" {angry spirits of dead warriors/medicine men} who place curses on enemies, & those who drive on Route 666, who never received proper Navaho burials.

In addition to this, Route 666 has been plagued by a plethora of car collisions, & in the 80's over 100 people were killed, 1/3 of them pedestrians. Could it be......Satan?
6~ Story 2: The Devil Car

A Scottish gentleman acquires a Ford Escort with the license plate number of 'B666MSC'. He began experiencing a series of misfortunes almost immediately, as if the car was cursed to begin with.

One. Police begin pulling him over more often; he received tickets in the mail for traffic violations he cannot recall.

Two. His business goes belly-up.

Three. His relationship goes sour. His wife kicks him out of the house after discovering his felandering, & preoccupation with the automobile.

Four. The car is stolen. Recovered three days later in perfect condition, with nothing stolen, in front of a nearby Police station.

Five. Is arrested, spends ten hours in jail for crimes committed by the owner of his former car who did not list his own name on the ownership papers.

Six. Finally deciding that all this misfortune is because of the 'Devil car', & bending to peer-pressure, he is on his way back to the dealer when he is in a car collision, just a block away. There is no car insurance because he let it lapse. Had he gotten in the collisions merely two hours earlier, he would have been covered.

Six incidents in six months. The subconcious effects of this "evil" number, is very much like the dreaded '13' in its mental potency. Was this all due to poor judgements? A subconcious self-fulfilling prophesy & subsequent realization? Maybe the car was previously owned by a Satanist? The inevitable question arises --- why didn't he just change the number? Well, in the United Kingdom, license plate numbers cannot be legally changed after being sold the first time. What you see is what you get.

This case brings to mind another curious incident, if not a rather laughable one, of a xian mother going ballistic over her child's social security number, which included a 666. Just stuporstition......or is it?
6 ~ Story Three: Satanism

This segment included commentaries & elucidations by HP Blanche Barton, Mgr. Peter Gilmore, William & Ygraine Gidney, as well as the history of The Church of Satan & Dr. Anton LaVey.

Scenes & dialogue from Satanic ceremonies & rituals were shown, performed by Rev. Andre Schlesinger, amongst a gathering of CoS members.

An interview with Ygraine Gidney explained her Satanic realization, her meeting with the Dr., in Year XXVII A.S, with her husband, Mr. Gidney.

This program gave an accurate account of Our philosophy, & allowed for accurate portrayals, as well as generous time for explanations. A strong addition to CoS history.
God is in the TV

1. Coma White {Kennedy as the patron god of scandals, & in many ways, has taken his place on the cross beside the Nazarene, along with Elvis}.

2. Rock is Dead

3. I Don't Like the Drugs {But the Drugs Like Me} {metaphorical mockery, stratifier, & proponent of natural selection to weed out the drug-addled zombies}

4. The Dope Show {Androids showcased here; the transformation of sheeple; & the predation within the music industry}.

5. Long Hard Road Out of Hell

6. Cryptorchid {Beautiful use of fetishistic & stigmatic aesthetics}.

7. Man That You Fear {lightmarish desert oppression, & an exodus out therefrom}.

8. Tourniquet {Nicely done, & preserves an atmosphere of eerieness in sound & video}

9. The Beautiful People {a classic & metaphorical musical diatribe asserting that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as all is relative to the Individual, although the masses will follow the shallow trend of the day}.

10. Sweet Dreams {shadowmantic & evocative, theatrics delve deep into the subconcious}

11. Dope Hat {Willy Wonka from Hell! Extraordinary use of darkened imagery in this video which placed Manson amongst the Infernal Legions. See if you can spot Dr. LaVey amongst the amorphous images within the tunnel}.

12. Lunch Box {embracing the "inner child" at a roller rink; an early production}

13. Get Your Gunn

* Uncensored footage of The Dope Show

* "Plus an additional hour of live concert & backstage footage from the most talked about tour of 1999."
All of Rev. Manson's artful video productions wrapped up in this neat package. No more scrounging for empty space on your tapes! The extra footage towards the end really manages to conjure the concert experience, or shall we say, ritual.....Indeed, the overall depiction is reminiscient of a demon manifesting before covens of witches to celebrate the Sabbath. Quite impressive.
Omen 4: A New Beginning
Damien Thorn is reborn in his subsequent sister Delia, a dark-haired little girl who is adopted by a politician destined fo the presidency --- sound familiar? The Antichrist is persistent.

A nun turned prostitute then evangelical jesus-freak is tormented with the knowledge of helping to bring 'the evil' into the world; she prays to 'god' for forgiveness that she didn't kill the child when she had the chance. Mother Superior has a heart attack after slapping the holy sheizer out of the pre-nun, & a crucifix inverts during an agonizing supplication.
Very early on, she shows signs of her 'wickedness' --- scratching her mother across the cheek while still but an infant.
As might be expected, her whole childhood is filled with a series of anomeles.
While at school, a shit-disturbing little brat picks on little Delia for some undetermined reason, perhaps as an exercise in masochism. In a particularly memorable scene, the brat makes off with Delia's lunchbox, dumping the contents onto the floor, stamping on it while laughing idiotically. Well, Delia doesn't take kindly to this antagonistic gesture, & forthwith slams her lunchbox square across the brute's ugly mug --- he just sits in the corner crying his little beady eyes out, after managing to strike little Delia. But she gets her revenge --- the next day, during a break, Delia makes off with his lunch, & runs out to mount & climb a ladder leading to the roof. When she gets quite a ways up, the little pigface follows, & begins to climb, but lo & behold, he's afraid of heights!
He ends up urinating all over himself in front of the whole class. Ah, sweet revenge...
Next, babysitter selection comes along, & who manages to get the job, but a new-age flake / weakan type.
One day, Delia comes in from playing, & notices the babysitter sitting in the kitchen with her mother, with a book displayed on the table, entitled, "The Book of Light"; I paraphrase - "It's all about healing, & crystals...", "And stupid junk!" yells Delia, slamming the book on the floor. A truly wonderful scene.
Another scene involves curious Delia inspecting the weakan's crystal necklace. Guess what? It turns black. As do all of the crystals in her drawer.
Another incident involved the babysitter taking a shower, when all of a sudden, she sees an inverted cross appear in the steam on the mirror. Frightened, she finally employs one of her 'wippie' friends to 'feel the vibe' --- well, he promptly becomes quite ill, almost smashing his car into Delia's 'mother's'.
The weakan arranges to trick Delia into attending a weaker - blindlight convention, where all manner of occultnik idiocy is enacted. By & by, as Delia passes the different booths, the practitioners are horrified by her presence, much like rabbits in the face of a stalking predator, until she is finally sabotaged, & forced to take a Kirlian photograph, which develops quite predictably. Swirls of black & red paint, which denotes chaos.
Eventually, one of the flame tossers ignites himself, which catches upon the roof of a booth, & soon, the whole place is a raging inferno, with Delia smirking in its wake.
Eventually, Delia's 'mother' gets the 'xoid cooties', the paranoia bug, consulting priests & pastors about the rise of the Antichrist, the book of Revelations, etc.
Finally, with the help of the 'lambs of god', she manages to justify her paranoia, & makes up her mind for infanticide. Not surprising, actually, considering that the judeo-xian god has been guilty of this atrocity twice {jeezwiz & Ezekiel's son Abraham --- the latter, which was a cruel mind-scrambling joke}.
The Detective helping her gets demolished, amidst a chorus of spechtral dark angels.
The little nun finally finds relief by the fang, & the weaker is destoyed. The 'mother' stalks towards the bedroom, as Delia holds the infant; the 'mother' points her gun, the baby displays the characteristic 'Mark of the Beast', & then...?
Overall, Omen 4 is very entertaining, without the demoralization. Delia proves herself to be quite a demon-spawn.