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Andy K (10823 KP) rated Lords of Chaos (2018) in Movies
Dec 14, 2019
ANARCHY!
Every once and a while a film comes along that truly surprises you (I love it when that happens) and Lords of Chaos did that for me tonight. I was thinking going in was going to be a metal version of This is Spinal Tap maybe or an anti version of Bohemian Rhapsody, or definitely a film I would have to keep the volume turned down as not to annoy my wife with the extremely booming soundtrack, but none of those were true.
Instead we get a supposedly true, or mostly true, story of the 90s Norwegian Black Metal band, Mayhem, its members, its music, its tragedy. I knew there would be horror and it delivered on that for sure. There are some truly graphic scenes which are not for the squeamish or for those who get offended easily. Having said that, it is also about friendship, mental illness, bullying, fitting in, being different than the rest, anarchy, paganism, relationships and how true (or fake) are your convictions.
For those that enjoy the out of the ordinary, I would highly recommend.
Instead we get a supposedly true, or mostly true, story of the 90s Norwegian Black Metal band, Mayhem, its members, its music, its tragedy. I knew there would be horror and it delivered on that for sure. There are some truly graphic scenes which are not for the squeamish or for those who get offended easily. Having said that, it is also about friendship, mental illness, bullying, fitting in, being different than the rest, anarchy, paganism, relationships and how true (or fake) are your convictions.
For those that enjoy the out of the ordinary, I would highly recommend.
The Price of Monotheism
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Nothing has so radically transformed the world as the distinction between true and false religion....
IA
Idolatry and the Colonial Idea of India: Visions of Horror, Allegories of Enlightenment
Book
This book explores literary and scholarly representations of India from the 18th to the early 20th...
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Häxan (1922) in Movies
Oct 6, 2019
Very strange...
This collection of 7 silent film shorts are put together in this film Haxan. It's hard to give a plot description in a silent film collection like these. They mostly have to do with witches and the belief in witchcraft through the middle ages up through the time this movie was made. There were also elements of devils and devil worship, paganism, and the occult.
The film tried to make the point some of these people and practices were strange at the time maybe due to not a great understanding of mental illness or psychological problems of those involved.
The way the movie was divided was interesting at times and boring at other times. I definitely enjoyed the sections where there were actual moving images with dialogue cards or subtitles rather than those with still images only.
Since there was no dialogue per say, it was difficult to follow at some points; however, several of the visuals were striking and even a little scary considering this movie is almost 100 years old.
I still rather enjoyed it.
The film tried to make the point some of these people and practices were strange at the time maybe due to not a great understanding of mental illness or psychological problems of those involved.
The way the movie was divided was interesting at times and boring at other times. I definitely enjoyed the sections where there were actual moving images with dialogue cards or subtitles rather than those with still images only.
Since there was no dialogue per say, it was difficult to follow at some points; however, several of the visuals were striking and even a little scary considering this movie is almost 100 years old.
I still rather enjoyed it.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Wicker Man (1973) in Movies
Oct 26, 2019
A decent classic
I have to confess to never having seen this film until today, and I can really see why it’s such a classic. And we won’t mention the horror that was the Nic Cage remake from a few years ago.
This is a rather low budget film, and whilst I appreciate it was made in the 70s, you can really tell it’s quite low budget. It’s quite funny watching some of the extras in some scenes where they’re blatantly not doing what they should be doing. However the plot is an interesting one and the audience is as confused as Edward Woodward’s sergeant watching him trying to figure out what’s going on. But this is a good thing and means it’s quite a pleasant surprise and twist when you get to the end. Edward Woodward does a wonderful job as the devout Christian sergeant and is a complete opposite Christopher Lee’s pagan Lord Summerisle. Whilst I appreciate this is a film about paganism, this film does get a little too weird and bizarre at times and I wasn’t a huge fan of this. However the ending does make up for it a little and definitely makes it a classic worth watching.
This is a rather low budget film, and whilst I appreciate it was made in the 70s, you can really tell it’s quite low budget. It’s quite funny watching some of the extras in some scenes where they’re blatantly not doing what they should be doing. However the plot is an interesting one and the audience is as confused as Edward Woodward’s sergeant watching him trying to figure out what’s going on. But this is a good thing and means it’s quite a pleasant surprise and twist when you get to the end. Edward Woodward does a wonderful job as the devout Christian sergeant and is a complete opposite Christopher Lee’s pagan Lord Summerisle. Whilst I appreciate this is a film about paganism, this film does get a little too weird and bizarre at times and I wasn’t a huge fan of this. However the ending does make up for it a little and definitely makes it a classic worth watching.
Gods and Worshippers in the Viking and Germanic World
Book
What was paganism really like? Who were the gods and how were they worshipped? These are the...
Paul Morrissey recommended The White Sheik (1952) in Movies (curated)
Merissa (13816 KP) rated A Very Witchy Yuletide in Books
Nov 5, 2020 (Updated Aug 14, 2023)
A VERY WITCHY YULETIDE is a seasonal standalone romance that involves Pagans. It isn't all about paganism and rituals. If you are looking for that then I can suggest a multitude of other books but this isn't one of them. Saying that, I enjoyed how it was incorporated into the story. It is something they feel/do every day but the Sabbats are special, as are Naming Days, etc.
Eeva and Sawyer were young star-crossed lovers - neither of them prepared to make that first step and both of them feeling let down by the other. Five years later, they get a second chance.
This is a warm and low-angst story that will melt your heart on a cold winter night. Eeva and Sawyer have a great supporting cast, including Sol who was adorable.
The descriptions are very well done and the pacing is perfect for the story. All in all, this was a great story that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 5, 2020
Eeva and Sawyer were young star-crossed lovers - neither of them prepared to make that first step and both of them feeling let down by the other. Five years later, they get a second chance.
This is a warm and low-angst story that will melt your heart on a cold winter night. Eeva and Sawyer have a great supporting cast, including Sol who was adorable.
The descriptions are very well done and the pacing is perfect for the story. All in all, this was a great story that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 5, 2020
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated The Wicker Man (1973) in Movies
Feb 18, 2019
Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man.
Though we never even lay eyes on it until the final few moments of the film, the Wicker Man, both as pagan image and classic horror flick, has become an icon of the genre.
But if you are expecting some dimly lit, slow burn slasher movie, then you will be sorely disappointed. The Wicker Man spends most of its runtime, which varies from its various versions, Theatrical, Director’s and Final Cuts, providing us with a pretty decent, if not disturbing insight into paganism.
Or more over, Paganism verses Christianity. Both spiritual, both magical, yet one is fun and the other is boring. The virgin sacrifice by the sexually liberated heathens is played out brilliantly.
The beauty here is that the final twist is so well conceived and executed throughout the entire film that even though most of us know the ending whether we have seen the film or not, it is not spoiled by that foreknowledge.
It is a kin to the previously released Planet Of The Apes (1968) or the much later Sixth Sense (1999). Both spin out complex genre tales which culminate in “that ending”. But in this case, Edward Woodward delivers a chilling performance in the finale, as he is taken to his death, locked inside the burning Wicker Man to be sacrificed in order to restore the poor harvest of the previous year.
“Don’t you see that killing me is not going to bring back your apples?”
But Woodward’s character is a devout Christian and he has only his faith and a dogged view of the world to aide him. Unable to accept the seemingly free spirited community in which his finds himself, one where sex is commonplace as he himself is still a virgin.
On the other hand there is Lord Summerisle, Christopher Lee, who steals the show as per usual as the charismatic leader of the this pagan community and the descendant of a lord who routed Christianity from the Highland Island a century before.
But whilst on the surface it may seem like a rather academic subject, the film is a trippy 1970’s sexploitation movie in many ways. Some of the sex and violence fits in well with plot but other moments, such as the nude dance by Britt Ekland, though actually doubled by Lorraine Peters is a prime example of a needless, if not memorable sequence.
Overall, The Wicker Man is low budget British movie of the 1970’s and one which has endured to earn it’s classic status, by meeting the main criteria of being smart, engaging and visually compelling, along with several standout performances throughout.
But if you are expecting some dimly lit, slow burn slasher movie, then you will be sorely disappointed. The Wicker Man spends most of its runtime, which varies from its various versions, Theatrical, Director’s and Final Cuts, providing us with a pretty decent, if not disturbing insight into paganism.
Or more over, Paganism verses Christianity. Both spiritual, both magical, yet one is fun and the other is boring. The virgin sacrifice by the sexually liberated heathens is played out brilliantly.
The beauty here is that the final twist is so well conceived and executed throughout the entire film that even though most of us know the ending whether we have seen the film or not, it is not spoiled by that foreknowledge.
It is a kin to the previously released Planet Of The Apes (1968) or the much later Sixth Sense (1999). Both spin out complex genre tales which culminate in “that ending”. But in this case, Edward Woodward delivers a chilling performance in the finale, as he is taken to his death, locked inside the burning Wicker Man to be sacrificed in order to restore the poor harvest of the previous year.
“Don’t you see that killing me is not going to bring back your apples?”
But Woodward’s character is a devout Christian and he has only his faith and a dogged view of the world to aide him. Unable to accept the seemingly free spirited community in which his finds himself, one where sex is commonplace as he himself is still a virgin.
On the other hand there is Lord Summerisle, Christopher Lee, who steals the show as per usual as the charismatic leader of the this pagan community and the descendant of a lord who routed Christianity from the Highland Island a century before.
But whilst on the surface it may seem like a rather academic subject, the film is a trippy 1970’s sexploitation movie in many ways. Some of the sex and violence fits in well with plot but other moments, such as the nude dance by Britt Ekland, though actually doubled by Lorraine Peters is a prime example of a needless, if not memorable sequence.
Overall, The Wicker Man is low budget British movie of the 1970’s and one which has endured to earn it’s classic status, by meeting the main criteria of being smart, engaging and visually compelling, along with several standout performances throughout.
Designing Identity: The Power of Textiles in Late Antiquity
Thelma K. Thomas, Jennifer L. Ball, Edward Bleiberg and Kathrin Colburn
Book
Ideals of character and beauty, and conceptions of self and society, were in flux during Late...
Andy K (10823 KP) Dec 14, 2019
Versusyours (757 KP) Dec 14, 2019