Thursday, November 14, 2013

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril / VIII: The (Very Late) Wrap-up


I know, I know - the RIP/VIII reading event actually ended with the month of October.  Well, the month of October sort of got away from me this year, folks - so, I'm just now getting around to writing my wrap-up.  Yeah, it's been that kind of year.

I do love this challenge and I seriously regret making such a hash of it this year.  Will try to do better with Number IX, if Carl decides to treat us all to another go-round next year.   (Fingers crossed!)

Anyway, I read three books for the challenge/event.  Haven't posted any reviews yet, but I am working on that (still playing catch-up on all my reviews for 2013).  Since I signed up for Peril the First, I was aiming for four books, but didn't quite make it.  I did much better with Peril on the Screen: managed to watch lots and lots of scary stuff (Turner Classic Movies always comes through this time of year).  Didn't do separate reviews of those either, but I've gone ahead and listed them here for your list-reading pleasure (I LOVE a good list). 

MY BOOK LIST:
  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)
So, that's it. My thanks to Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings for hosting this wonderful annual event. I can't resist it, and I'm already making my list for 2014. (Did I mention that I LOVE a good list?)

1 comment:

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