Nature Witches

Lately, I think we’ve all heard a lot about witches in pop culture and main stream media a little more than usual. This got me to digging up my books and various other materials related to the subject of witches.

The modern “witch” is mostly rooted in ancient European culture (like ancient pagan religions for example) and predominately these beliefs were tied in with nature and “mother earth”. This concept of the binding of religion & nature is not unique to European cultures, however, and here in Japan there is a unique religion called Shinto. In this religion, there are spirits in everything natural; rivers, mountains, forests, etc. From this, it can be said that it is similar to European old religions and even more ancient religions from around the world. Looking at the world around us and trying to find a deep understanding in nature is a very, well, natural thing to do as humans. Because of this, millions of stories have been made and types of spirits/creatures/gods were born from our imaginations. Here are a few notable types.

Alraune
The Alraune is related to the mandrake root because the name in German also translates to “mandrake”. It is also called a kobold which is sometimes translated into “sprite”. These spirits/witches were often kept in the home by families. The Alraune at her best was dressed in elegant silks and velvets, bathed in wine and had regular meals of milk and cookies. It is thought that she might have originally been a household goddess or ancestral spirit because her shrines were oft found in cupboards of homes. Alraunes had the power to tell fortunes and also reveal the location of treasures but if not taken care of, could also bring the downfall of the family. It often appears in pop culture as well. There is the notable Alraune (German novel by  Hanns Heinz Ewers) and the Alraune also appears as enemies in the video games Final Fantasy IV and Shin Megami Tensei IV

Bilwis
While not necessarily a witch, according to some accounts the Bilwis is said to be everything from a witch to an elf. Originally a benevolent spirit, she was probably made frightening to keep children from ruining the grain fields outside. Also referred to as a kind of corn spirit from German lore, of sometimes demonic or human origin.

Chervioburgium
This actually translates to “cauldron carrier” and refers to a man who carried a cauldron for a witch.

Drude
A drude a female spirit or witch that starts trouble for sleeping people and livestock. Particular women are just destined to be Druden, departing their bodies at night to fly around the countryside giving people nightmares.

Elder Mother
A wood-spirit that inhabits elder bushes who vehemently protects them.

Weathermakers
They could raise storms by trapping spiders under pots, shaking wet brooms and other methods. Related to Valkyries.

Wolf Crones
Swedish witches who have the power to control wolves. They are called Vargamor and were old women who lived deep in the forest.

That’s all for now. With more research may come more information about these and other witches in folklore from around the world.

Biohazard: A Theory

Let’s talk about Resident Evil — and not the movie series.

The name Resident Evil is very recognizable among gamers especially since it is a widely popular and ongoing series to this day. The critically acclaimed Resident Evil 7 was just released in January 2017 and there are a few more rumored to be in the works, including a remake of the classic Resident Evil 2 which was originally released for the first PlayStation home console.

Resident Evil (which, truth be told, is kind of a strange name when you think about it) is actually known as Biohazard in Japan, where the series was born. In 1996 when the first game in the series was released, there was a band in the U.S. by the name Biohazard and game developer and publisher Capcom called for a name change to avoid confusion or copyright issues. That band is no where to be found now and in retrospect the name change was probably not needed — but the series is now known as Resident Evil in the west.

For those who may not know, Resident Evil is about a pharmaceutical corporation named Umbrella Corp. that experiments on humans and other animal subjects. Their infamous legacy began by creating deadly viruses that end up getting out of hand and spreading across the fictional city of Raccoon. The viruses kill and mutate their hosts into zombie-like creatures and other monsters.

Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of the viruses unleashed on the public is how highly contagious they are. One bite or scratch can lead to infection which leaves you with a countdown until you become a zombie-like creature yourself. This virus concept is of course fictional but many fear for their lives everyday due to all sorts of viruses and diseases that exist in the real world. There are even viruses that are air-borne and the fact that we cannot see them is frightening all on its own.

As human beings, our lives are very fragile on this planet and many things that threaten our species have been caused by our own invention. There are many corporations out there that have caused much damage to the earth and the living creatures that reside here. Even with good intentions, we have produced negative effects. One example is CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) which was manufactured in an attempt to discover a chemical that was not harmful to humans, household materials and did not attract insects. It couldn’t be foreseen at the time, but now this compound is eating away at the thin veil which is our Ozone layer that protects this planet from harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. We can partly thank the usage of this chemical for the ongoing global warming.

Conspiracy theories aside, most corporations do not manufacture their products with the intention of harming others. Freak accidents on the other hand have inevitably occurred over the past decades as well as decisions made my companies that in retrospect seem very neglectful. We can bring up numerous example from around the world but we are going to discuss Japan and some of the diseases that were caused by past ignorance and negligence.

In the 1950s-60s, the Japanese economy was on the up and up with many successful firms and corporations firmly taking root. Among these were Chisso Corp. and Showa Denko. They are both chemical manufacturers that played large roles in the chemical scares that began in the 50s and went on for many years. The highly toxic chemical methyl-mercury was the main cause of disease and death that brought tragedy to so many Japanese families across Japan, from Kumamoto prefecture to Niigata.

In Chisso‘s case (who only have themselves to blame), they are still well known for this event among Japanese households. For about thirty-six years (1932-1968) they released contaminated industrial wastewater that was consumed by sea life that in turn was consumed by the people in the area around Kumamoto. Japan is well known for its consumption of seafood, especially sushi and sashimi, so it is unsurprising to hear that thousands were infected by the disease now called Minamata disease with more than half of those affected perishing due to the complications that stemmed from it. The corporation ended up paying $86 million in compensation to the families that it affected but are perhaps still unforgiven for causing the loss of many priceless lives. To make matters worse, Chisso chairman Yutaka Egashira used Japanese mobsters called yakuza to threaten the patients of Minamata disease and their supporters. Even American journalists were battered by yakuza goons for publishing photographs and writing articles about their discoveries. Indeed, these events naturally led to much criticism and a dark association with corporations and how they affect the public.

Showa Denko caused a second outbreak of Minamata disease in Niigata prefecture around the mid 1960s. Again, this neurological disease was caused mainly by methyl-mercury and affected hundreds of Japanese citizens. Showa Denko responded by trying to discredit scientists and offer their own explanations for the disease. (This was also done by Chisso) The jig was up when the chemical was finally discovered in contaminated moss near the Showa Denko factory.

Minamata disease causes many distressing symptoms to occur in humans. In the worst of cases, insanity arrives before death approaches the victim. The disease not only affects humans but animals as well. There are several witness accounts of the neurological symptoms taking hold of other living things including cats near the water sources.

“…one cat ran into a small clay cooking stove containing burning charcoal. With the pupils of its eyes dilated, salivating, convulsing and uttering a strange cry, the cat breathed its last breath.”

For an eye-witness, the tight grip the disease can have on the brain of both humans and animals could be absolutely terrifying. Who or whatever was once there is now hijacked by the disease and they do not act like themselves anymore. Add to that the symptoms of ataxia, loss of peripheral vision, and damage to hearing and speech and the concoction is not only frightening but ultimately fatal. The death of cats and some dogs and pigs were so severe that before it was known as Minamata disease their apparent symptoms were called “dancing cat fever”.  Even crows were affected which were seen falling from the sky and running into trees and buildings. Insects appeared larger than they were, due to the contamination contorting them which led to implosion.

Due to these ghastly recordings of how these areas were disturbed and the issues of contamination remaining an important issue in Japan to this day is why I theorize that the team behind Biohazard was influenced by these events. These regions of Japan lived in fear for so long for their loved ones, their environment and the food they chose to consume — a true biohazard. The companies used shady tactics to silence the public and conceal just how badly they messed up which led to the distrust and rebellion against companies that had developed hazardous materials. While no experimenting on animals or humans took place (from what we know, anyway) Showa Denko did apply genetic engineering to the bacteria it used for fermentation. This also led to a contamination of tryptophan (an amino acid used in the biosynthesis of proteins) in the 1980s.

While there were no walking dead taking over Japan during these outbreaks, some of these symptoms gave you a dash of the look and feel. Involuntary muscle spasms, especially of the head and eyes, are both for the sufferer and anyone nearby quite alarming. Gait abnormality was also caused by the disease which causes the victim to deviate from a normal walking stance (gait). This was one of the most common symptoms since a neurological disorder could be most apparent in the way someone walks which could appear as a scissor walk, stumbling and dragging of the feet and sudden starts and stops. Peculiar slurs of speech and hand-writing also manifest themselves which reveal distorted thoughts and are recorded in uneven letters and even underlining.

Patients also became unable to judge distances and ranges of movement which appeared as they were reaching out to nothing in particular or swinging their arms without any perceived order or reason. Along with these motions, dazed eyes and twisted hands and feet caused by this awful disease, I think the parallels to “zombification” are self-explanatory.

Along with Itai-Itai disease and Yokkaichi asthma these four illnesses (including the two mentioned above) are known as the four big pollution diseases of Japan. These diseases and tragic events live on from generation to current generation in Japan and you better believe the elderly which make up a vast amount of the population have never forgotten about Chisso or Minamata disease especially. With this err to caution in regards to such corporations being passed down, the creation and connection to the fictional Umbrella Corp. in the Biohazard series could have its groundwork based on Chisso. 

While the human accounts of what was experienced by some as a dive into insanity might be enough to draw a connection, the contamination of other wildlife also seem like an inspiration to the Biohazard series. Throughout the games, the player faces infected crows, cockroaches, spiders, dogs and even sea-dwellers like sharks and gators. Just like how methyl-mercury destroyed precious ecosystems and went up the food chain, the game’s T-Virus spread itself around with no limits. There was enough to go around Raccoon city and beyond.

Raccoon city was a fictional city set in the west and I would interpret this as a choice as to not be culturally insensitive. A Japanese corporation developing something that contaminated and killed dozens in a concentrated area could potentially be seen as a creation in bad taste. Setting it in the U.S. would disconnect it from reality for a Japanese audience which led to even more opportunities. Like the creation of S.T.A.R.S., reminiscent of American style squads of soldiers. Throw a heaping spoonful of the 1989 video game Sweet Home into the mix and you get what is now Biohazard. This survival horror series has gone on to inspire many more and has had elements of psychological horror and action over the years.

While Biohazard is a work of fiction, the Minamata outbreak was real, complex and some of its effects still live on. The losses were not only physical, but social and psychological as well and caused a ripple effect of fear that coursed through the victims and into the people around them, tragically far-reaching.

TV: Bates Motel (2013)

Bates Motel has just aired its finale with high acclaim following it by fans and critics alike. Even though it has only been a five season long affair the series has wrapped up at a point where it felt most natural.  If you want to avoid spoilers, I’d avoid reading any further.

Bates Motel is somewhat of a re-imagining of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho which in turn is based on the Robert Bloch novel of the same name which was published in 1959. Horror fans should already know the in and outs of the Norman Bates mythos, who is played brilliantly by Freddie Highmore, pretty well. At the very least, most know that Norman’s victims are usually female and that he has a mommy complex that manifests itself in a way that has him dressing up as her after her death. In fact, he sometimes believes that he is her. Upon shallow judgement many would sum him up as “crazy” or incorrectly as a “schizophrenic”.

The Norman Bates legend has been the great-great-grandfather of horror stories for decades and we all knew where Bates Motel was heading by the end of it all. What makes this show, which also stars Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates, so successful then? Could it be the fantastic cast and grim atmosphere surrounding the characters and the motel itself? The new direction and additions to the original story are also worth noting. At the very core, though, is the psychological explorations of what makes these characters who they are. They are not just depicted as bad people or with simple intentions. These are complicated, multi-layered characters you can sympathize with before and even after they commit murder during the progression of the story.

Mental illness is complex and situational. While being an effectively creepy horror/suspense show, Bates Motel is also indirectly teaching its viewers about mental illness. Even if slightly exaggerated, it does a great job at depicting behaviors and traits that are atypical of people with different mental illnesses and personality disorders. A couple of specific ones do come to mind when watching Norman, and Norma especially, but I don’t want to mention them to avoid labeling. After all, they’re just my own speculation.

Norma’s childhood demons were tragically unraveled as the series went on revealing that she was sexually abused by her brother. Many sufferers of various disorders and mental illnesses end up developing these issues due to abuse, which they can sometimes pass on to their own children. This happens through their own form of abuse. Norma didn’t physically or sexually abuse Norman but she unhealthily smothered him with love that teetered on the line of incest. As stated before, many fans already knew that the nature of their relationship would be quite unorthodox. What the show did was carefully map out the cause and effects of this relationship and instead of displaying it as in-your-face creepy, they made the characters unsettlingly real. By giving us this background on Norma, we start to put the pieces together. Many victims of childhood abuse fear abandonment even as adults, and giving Norman this intense smothering was a way to keep him close. In Norma’s mind, there is no relationship as close as one between a mother and son and the lines are blurred for her. She often goes to Norman for counseling and to unload her feelings, even those regarding her romantic situations, and goes as far as physical intimacy (cuddling & sleeping together). This type of interaction is normally provided by other adults  for most people. In this way, she actually conditions Norman into feeling as though he absolutely needs her close to him as well. This is sometimes called covert (or emotional) incest.

A trait that Norma and Norman both maintain throughout the show is their aura of charisma. Indeed, many people who suffer from a disorder can function quite well in society and even be well-liked by many. For anyone who has a family member, friend or someone else close to them with an illness this trait often rings true pertaining to their own experience. For some it is a positive trait when their loved one comes to mind but for many this effortless charisma haunts them. In fact, I’d go as far to say that it could be a quite triggering reminder for some at how real these characters are. Norma and Norman both have several men and women that grow to like them during the show’s progression. They’re quite charming and more often than not are easily liked by the people in White Pine Bay, Oregon.

The most important aspect of this display of charisma by both mother and son is the dispelling of myths that surround sufferers of mental illness. Firstly, it is thought that these people have difficulty functioning in society and are easily spotted by how “weird” they are. While Norma is quite volatile, the expectation is that she should be expressing erratic emotion constantly. Quite the contrary, she manages to hold a lot of it in throughout the progression of the series. Norman also just comes off as a quiet (and geeky?) teenager in school and to the people that get to know him, and his faults are just chalked up to him having a difficult time adjusting. Furthermore, another misconception about sufferers and their charisma is that it is all manipulative and pre-meditated. This comes from a difficulty understanding the many layers that a human being could have. Norma and Norman are at times very genuinely nice to people and there doesn’t seem to be any hidden agenda for most of their positive interactions with others. When Norman tries to encourage and cheer up his friend Emma, viewers can undoubtedly see the genuine nature of his actions. Norma, too, also seems to express concern for others even if she does have a hard time ultimately connecting with them.

If you’re looking — or are just familiar with some of these traits — you’ll notice that Vera Farmiga’s tragic portrayal of Norma Bates is masterfully done. She plays the flawed mother of two struggling with her inner demons simultaneously with her lack of self-awareness looming behind her brilliantly. There is a vacancy to her expressions during her interactions with others that I would peg as some of the best acting I’ve seen. Farmiga surely knows all the inner workings of her character and must have done her homework. She manages to stay true to Norma’s brand while at the same time making her very real and even relatable. This is not just some fictional character from a novel, but a carefully crafted one that could be found in day to day life.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that Bates Motel is a highly recommended show for fans of psychological horror. It elevates the genre to the highest peak and gives us a literal but refreshing take on the word psychological. It also stands firmly as a drama, because calling it a horror series is a bit strange even if there are aspects about it that are very unsettling. Some people I know who have tried watching complained that the show was too dark for them and they felt uneasy watching Norma and Norman’s life unfold. Indeed, I think the scariest aspect of Bates Motel is the atmosphere and just how close to home Norma’s personality might be for many viewers.

If you want to share your own thoughts on the show, please feel free to comment!

The Parks of Hachioji: Part 1

 

In West Tokyo, there are not only many different towns that are sprawled across the landscape filling the space between Fuji and Tokyo, but many of them are very unique neighborhoods. You have Nakano which has a mall that contains so many nerdy collectibles that it is often called the secret Akihabara. Koenji is not far from Nakano which is a neighborhood full of thrift stores and boutiques with hipster-esque coffee shops.

Further out, we have Hachioji. Hachioji is actually quite large and most of the area is not conveniently accessible by train. It has great shopping malls and plenty of culinary options — but these are all near the station. Most of the city is actually pretty quiet full of residential areas, parks and schools. In addition, the city also has tons of hot spots for paranormal energy — more than any other city in west Tokyo. Hachioji also has an area of 72 square miles, making it the largest city in west Tokyo with a population of over half a million.

I teamed up again with my friend Merry who records our excursions which you can find on her channel here. With her behind the wheel, we headed to a few spots I had done some research on on the internet. It had already gotten dark and it was a beautiful night; it wasn’t too cold or windy. There were many parks in Hachioji that were considered haunted (as well as tunnels, bridges, and more…) but we narrowed it down to just a couple for our first trip.

The first location was Yarimizu park and it is rumored that a professor murdered a student he was having an affair with back in 1973 and buried her somewhere in the area. Depending on who you ask, the area of the incident differs but many will agree upon Yarimizu park because of what goes on around the bathrooms. Evidently, a woman’s voice and cries can be heard near the bathrooms (in particularly the women’s) so for many this must be the victim of the merciless professor.

While we didn’t hear or see anything, we did find the bathroom to be creepy. It is always open with the lights on even in the middle of the night. I guess that was convenient for us and anyone else who might go off to venture into the park at that time. The most curious item we found was this poster inside the men’s bathroom stall. Anyone care to make sense of what it was, or why it was there? We didn’t have a clue.

After that, we head over to Kamiyugi Park where a string of suicides took place in the early 2000s. Not much is known about what else had occurred in the park and depending on which investigators you ask spirit activity runs from low to very high. Kamiyugi is a very large park that contains a baseball stadium, tennis court, a small bridge and a parking lot. We walked at least half of it and took some shots. My favorite spot had to be the bridge, where I felt the most unease. I wondered if anyone had possibly jumped from this bridge?

There isn’t much more to report besides that. For our next venture to more parks in Hachioji, we have a few on the list with a bit more story to them that will hopefully prove to be even more interesting.

“The Exorcist” (1974) by Kazuo Umezu

Recently I discovered a special comic that filled my horror-loving heart with joy. Not only is it something that I would call a rare find and become a mini-translation project for myself, but it blends some of my favorite interests together. If you’re a fellow fan of these, I hope that it brings you the same kind of joy after finishing this post.

I’ve loosely written about one of my favorite films before, The Exorcist, as well as my favorite Japanese horror comic writer, Kazuo Umezu. Little did I know that these two things have come together at some point in the past. After digging through many malls and shops across Tokyo with overwhelmingly large quantities of devil-knows-how-old magazines and books, I found a 1974 issue of Shonen Sunday. If you’re bizarrely skilled at quickly piecing things together you have probably realized that The Exorcist was just released the previous year, in 1973. In Japan, however, the film wasn’t released until 1974 which isn’t at all unordinary (especially since the U.S. saw the film’s release on December 26th)

To commemorate The Exorcist‘s release in Japan, then-to-be legend Kazuo Umezu was asked to create a full color spread in the July 7th issue of Shonen Sunday. At the time, Umezu was 38 years old and had a few of his most famous works of his career already behind him. These included 猫目小僧 (Nekome Kouzo, Cat Eyed Boy), おろち (Orochi, Orochi: Blood) and 漂流教室 (Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu, The Drifting Classroom) It was a natural choice to choose the already established horror master to take on this piece in honor of the film that was taking the world by pea soup slinging storm.

What is even more fascinating is the impact The Exorcist had made in cinema when it was released. It’s quite telling that after just a few months, other countries were thinking of ways to promote and commemorate its release.

While I found little information about The Exorcist by Kazuo Umezu on the internet, I didn’t find any translation of it. I was happy to take on this task and translate it all even if you could probably assume what was going on panel by panel as they depict the most famous scenes from the film.

This brilliantly done close-up of possessed Regan doubled as both the first page of the spread as well as an alternate cover for the magazine. On the top left in green font, the cover reads as follows:

“In a beautiful girl’s body, a demon took over! The horror film that’s a hot topic in the world right now, The Exorcist, impacting with a full color spread!”

At the bottom, the panels read from right to left:

“This twelve year old girl named Regan spent everyday happily together with her mother.”

“Regan’s mother saw her playing on the occult (Ouija) board.”

“Suddenly, the board (planchette) moved on it’s own! However, this went unnoticed.”

“One night…Regan’s mother heard an unsettling breathing sound coming from upstairs. But, there was no one around.”

“Regan was sleeping soundly.”

“However, an incredibly strong and cold wind poured in through an open window which left Regan’s mother with an ominous feeling.”

“A few days later, a loud scream was heard coming from Regan’s room!”

“Regan’s bed rocked tremendously and she was being shaken back and forth.”

“The force of the bed was so strong Regan’s mother could do nothing to stop it.”

“Regan was being hurt by an unseen force and her appearance changed miserably.”

“Stop it!”

“Regan was seen by a doctor, but he could not find any abnormalities.” 

“Inexplicably, Regan’s face and voice had changed — she sounded like a man and she shouted vulgar obscenities.”

“She no longer seemed like a young girl and because of her viscous actions there was no choice but to tie her to the bed.”

Geeetssch! 

“The Devil was inside Regan!”

“She became a demon. From her mouth, Regan spat foul liquids onto others in the room.”

“The furniture came to life and began attacking everyone.”

“Her head twisted around revealing a mocking expression!”

“However, letters appeared on Regan’s stomach that spelled out ‘Help me!'”

“From within her body which was now taken over by the devil, Regan was asking for help!”

“The decision was made , an exorcism was necessary in order to drive out the devil!”

“The devil jolted out and groaned in pain. It was then when Regan’s body began to float up in the air. Even for the devil, this was the last of its power.”

“The devil finally lost. Due to the exorcist’s prayer, it revealed its identity — and this false Regan once again returned to the cute, ordinary girl that she was before.”

“But the exorcist had died. The exorcist’s assistant as well had suffered a mysterious death.”

“In the end, was the devil really destroyed? Perhaps, but you may also have a demon beside you…”

Well, that’s all he wrote! Hope you enjoyed the artwork. I consider this a treasure for a fan like me. If you’re a collector, it might be available online somewhere. I would suggest Yahoo! Auctions or other Japanese re-seller websites.

As a bonus, this was the actual cover for the magazine which was immediately before the close-up shot of Regan above.

The Curiosities of California: Part 1

In a previous post I had mentioned the Golden Gate bridge and its alleged place as the world’s most popular suicide spot. Whether or not it is still at the top of that list it remains that sunny and bright California has its share of darkness. This goes for the entire state, down from San Francisco to San Diego. There are interesting and sometimes ghastly things to be found from city to city and in between. Not only is California a historically rich state  which already gives us much to explore but Hollywood and Los Angeles alone are sprinkled with enough tales to rival any other area in the U.S.

I think the discussion of how dark and gloomy Hollywood is behind all the glamour has been done and run to the ground. Many celebrities have told us and their films have shown us — and there are tons of songs about it. Even celebrities who live there like to tell us how awful it is. Rock musician Marilyn Manson had once said that Los Angeles was a dark, evil place yet he still continues to live there. We’re often warned to not become like moths flying towards the Hollywood boulevard lights and vanquish our dreams of becoming a star. The theme has continued with some fairly recent films on the topic like Starry Eyes (2014) and The Neon Demon (2016) which are both worth a watch. (If you buy into any of the illuminati stuff you’ll especially get a kick out of them, which is a whole other subject on its own) So on one hand, we get it – Hollywood has some bad juju stirring in there.

On the other hand, this rhetoric still fits like a glove because Hollywood is always relevant. America is still just as fascinated as it ever was with fame and fortune. Millions who haven’t even attempted the Hollywood lifestyle have had repressed dreams of becoming models, singers and actors and it’s because it is consistently fed into our subconscious with such fervor.

Let’s start by beginning with Peg Entwistle who jumped off the “H” of the Hollywood sign back when it read “Hollywoodland” in September 1932.  She was a 24-year-old actress from Wales who went from Broadway in New York City to Hollywood hoping to make it big in the industry. From information gathered about her post-death, she was a jaded young woman and faced a few hardships which led to her succumbing to her depression. This sent an unsettling message to a few young starlets at the time and shook up Hollywood like it hadn’t been before. Certainly an industry as competitive and appearance-focused as Hollywood must be difficult to be part of and could take a chunk out of even the strongest people. That being said, like Miss Entwistle, many people with personal troubles separate from the Hollywood lifestyle are sometimes drawn to this mad world of celebrity.

Hollywood hopefuls are often on the higher range of the spectrum of narcissism and seek attention which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, this is part of the formula of what it takes to make a star. Many seek validation and acceptance from their peers or audience and are willing to do whatever it is they have to do. Hand in hand with this kind of behavior are many harmful and addictive habits. After living in a less than great little apartment in Los Angeles for a long period of time not seeing any progression in their careers many start to turn to other substances and activities to fill in the emptiness. Alcohol, drugs and sex become a replacement for that missing validation and success. It’s more likely that it is the kind of people that gather in Hollywood rather than just the nature of it alone personified as “evil” that gives it its reputation. Another film from 2016, Always Shine, portrays two young women struggling to climb up their acting careers and one more than the other is troubled emotionally. The film spirals out into a disturbing and rather ambiguous conclusion.

The Chateau Marmont

After experiencing success, many in Hollywood start to appear in some popular hang outs around town. The Chateau Marmont is a hotel located in West Hollywood which is a pretty impressive building inspired by French architecture that was completed in 1929. It is a notorious place for a plethora of reasons and like many hotels in Los Angeles, it is said to be haunted. I find the Chateau Marmont to be the most curious of all of them because of how discreet and secretive many of the stories are. The darkest and most well-known story is that of actor John Belushi who overdosed and died in Bungalow #3. It is said there has been a string of deaths and suicides inside the Chateau Marmont that have also been kept under wraps and the hotel is subject of many songs by the Grateful Dead, Lana Del Rey and more. The young actress Sharon Tate who died at the hands of the Manson murders took up short-term residency there as well as 27-Club member Jim Morrison. James Dean was said to have once jumped through one of the hotel windows and Heath Ledger was also recorded snorting cocaine within one of the rooms of the Chateau. Most celebrities have probably been to the hotel at some point, but it has a knack for drawing in some of the darkest figures in the industry.

Boris Karloff reportedly had stayed at the Chateau Marmont for a long period of time and had claimed he experienced unusual happenings and seen different apparitions, including a woman hovering over a bed. Even artists of recent years have picked up on this aura from the hotel. Hip Hop group Death Grips had stayed in the hotel for a couple of months and had told Pitchfork “There’s another energy within that building. It sounds cliché, and everybody says it’s haunted, but we felt like the building was talking to us on a minute-to-minute basis.”

‘Please bring me my wine
He said, “we haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty-nine
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say” – Hotel California, The Eagles

Past the Chateau, into the hills and beyond West Hollywood any fan of morbidity and the paranormal (or simply a fan of film) could find plenty to sink their teeth into. There’s of course Sunset Boulevard which if you follow it correctly leads you to the mansion from the 1950 film-noir of the same name starring Gloria Swanson. Mulholland Drive is also a long, winding road that twists around the Hollywood hills which is also part of the setting in the cryptic David Lynch film of the same name. Around Hollywood Boulevard is the Hollywood Tower building (originally known as La Belle Tour) and is said to be the inspiration for the architecture of the Disney theme park ride Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Even Halloween (1978) was filmed at a few of the homes on the border of Hollywood and West Hollywood near Fairfax and Sunset.

One of the homes featured in Halloween 

Sitting very close to the Hollywood walk of fame is the Museum of Death, which juxtaposes itself with the attractive consumerism of the boulevard. The museum contains mortuary records of famous stars, footage of bizarre deaths from all over and belongings & art work from famous serial killers. A brief history about the darkness of Hollywood sits nestled between all the animal skulls and photographs. The museum was originally established in 1995 by J.D. Healy and now has a second location in New Orleans, LA. This second location is being managed with the help of Mr. Healy’s brother and is much bigger than the Hollywood location. While the museum focuses on the concept of “death” as a whole and runs down human history’s relationships with torture devices and prison death penalties, famous individuals and serial killers are a huge focus. Some of the museum’s most interesting contents include handwritten letters by Richard Ramirez and John Wayne Gacy’s paintings. The museum even holds a Black Dahlia look-alike contest once a year where contestants dress up as Elizabeth Short, looks ranging from before and after her death.

Elizabeth Short was a 22-year-old woman who was murdered in Los Angeles in 1947. She was nicknamed “the Black Dahlia” and remains one of the oldest unsolved murder cases in Los Angeles history. One of the alleged final stops she made was at the Cecil Hotel, now re-branded as the Stay on Main Hotel.

The Cecil is an infamous hotel which is located in downtown Los Angeles near skid row. This is one of the city’s less fortunate areas heavily populated by homeless men and women. The hotel was opened in 1927 and has had a long history tied with tragic events that haven’t seemed to settle down. Many hotels have had their share of tragedies here and there but for the Cecil, the number is alarmingly higher and has led to some believing that the hotel is cursed. In addition to Elizabeth Short, many well-known names had checked in and out of the place. Richard Ramirez whom I mentioned as part of the showcase in the Museum of Death took up residency in the Cecil in 1985. Jack Unterweger, an Austrian serial killer, did the same in 1991. There has been around fifteen deaths at the Cecil by suicide or murder.

One of the most famous deaths is that of Canadian college student Elisa Lam who died in the hotel in 2013. More on that in the next post!

The Work of Kazuo Umezu

As of late, the name of a famous manga-ka (manga author/illustrator) has been floating around on the internet even more than before. Ever since it was revealed that the haunting work of Junji Ito was supposed to be part of Silent Hills in some way, a resurgence of his name has been popping up on YouTube channels, subreddits and Tumblr posts. Social media was abuzz at the sudden possibilities that were extinguished just as quickly as they were revealed. We’ll never know the full extent of his involvement but it sure was an exciting reveal. His work was always well known among horror fans before but it is still being introduced to many who have been hearing his name for the first time. Uzumaki  and Gyo seem to be the priority reads when his name is suggested and many are calling him the “Master of Horror” of Japan. This might be a tad ignorant and misinformed, however.

While Junji Ito is still relatively popular, the most familiar name among Japanese natives who do not even particularly enjoy horror very much is Kazuo Umezu. Not only has he preceded Junji Ito by many years (Umezu started creating manga before Ito was born) but his work is arguably more iconic and been more impactful in their native land of Japan.

The Drifting Classroom would be his most familiar work outside of Japan and even that never caught on too well with readers in America and Europe. His stories often revolve around children and his characters are put in rather unique and grotesque situations. Umezu’s work is filled with a vast cast of ghastly looking character designs and incredible amounts of gore. He gets very creative with his use of gore which makes it entertaining at the very least if you have trouble tolerating too much of the bloody stuff in your horror. One of his most iconic panels come from 神の左手悪魔の右手 (God’s Left Hand & The Devil’s Right Hand) where a young girl named Izumi has scissors pushed out from inside her skull through her eye sockets while she is screaming in pain and confusion. 

Kazuo Umezu would also be credited for Ultraman, which was a short manga published by him in 1966-1967. The character design and core of main character lived on and is still a very popular action show on television. There are countless amounts of figurines and collectible merchandise that were created for the series that can be found littered throughout used hobby shops in Japan. The show still has a large following and showcases the variety of Umezu’s work – while a master of horror he has also reinvented himself a few times and penetrated different kinds of markets and genres. This also includes a children’s comedy/gag manga Makoto-chan which was still recognizably in Umezu’s style, not only in its art but its gross humor.

For American audiences and quite possibly anywhere else outside of Japan a lot of Kazuo Umezu’s work might be considered taboo. As previously mentioned, many of his characters are children who are put through absolutely hellish situations. He has no mercy for his characters whether the remaining effect on them is an injury that permanently disables them or kills them. Even if they survive unscathed, they surely will have the shadow of post traumatic stress disorder lingering on afterwards. Maybe even without the relentless pain the children suffer in his comics, his disgusting and gruesome scenes might still only reach a niche market of horror fans.

In a recent magazine published by SAN-EI SHOBO dedicated to the work of Kazuo Umezu, we were treated to an inside look on the life of the author. In addition to character rankings and beautiful full color panels we get to see the inside of his eccentric home. There are large splashes of bright, blood red all over the house which is naturally Umezu’s favorite color. It’s a very childish, nostalgic shade of red – it could remind one of a bright red children’s candy or a barber shop’s spiral pole, especially because it is usually coupled with white. His staircase is carpeted with this shade of red with pristine white railings and some Japanese figurines sitting upon an entry way in the middle where the stairs part ways. This same color combination is found in almost every room of the house;  walls, curtains and his bed frame all keep up the theme. Some other rooms stand out for their bright green and yellow walls with the former resembling the shade of the brightest matcha powder you could find and the latter mustard-like yet luminescent at the same time. He gleefully shows off his tacky-yet-somehow-still-works lampshade that sits upon human legs ordained with fishnet stockings and poses with his figurines on a colorful table in the middle of an all white room – the only walls that seems to lack color.

Now 80 years old, Kazuo Umezu relaxes while still keeping up with his colorful lifestyle. Subtlety has never been the man’s style and every room in his house is proof of that. In fact, he greets the photographers from the magazine in a bright red and white striped get up complete with dome fitting hat, the drama of Lady Gaga and the style of Where’s Waldo? swirled into one man’s display of character. He does not work on manga much at all anymore and chooses to sit comfortably upon his legacy and royalties. He does help choose designs for his merchandise which ranges from t shirts, wallets, mugs and even skateboards and are sold at Umezz World Store.

Kazuo Umezu’s work has been around for so long that most of it can be found online pretty easily. You can also purchase English translations of only a fraction of his work online, but I’d recommend the large amount of it that has never been published. If you can read Japanese you can get most of his manga for dirt cheap on the Japanese Amazon website and other used book stores. Don’t be afraid of taking a peek of his work if you’re a horror fan even if the sound of it is a bit intense. You might be pleasantly surprised with his creativity and delivery and it’s worth every squirmish, nauseating page turn

TV: The Exorcist (2016)

At first I thought about writing a little introduction to this blog; but then I realized I’m not very fond of writing introductions. Besides discussing film, games and other forms of media I will also be sharing photographs and experiences from my various visits to haunted locations, film sets and even graves.

As my very first entry, I find it appropriate that it will be dedicated to The Exorcist (1973); Not only is it one of the most acclaimed horror films of all time – but the new television show based on the film and book that was (controversially?) aired Friday night is getting some buzz right now. So with that, I’ll be jumping right in!

Any form of media associated with the original film has been set up to be under heavy scrutiny for good reason.  The Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) was panned by both critics and fans alike; I’d say Linda Blair herself found it distasteful in retrospect if her next choice of film associated with the series ended up being Repossessed (1990) If you haven’t heard of it, you aren’t missing out on too much except for maybe a chuckle or two. It also stars Leslie Nielson and could have been the basis for the parody of The Exorcist in the very beginning of Scary Movie 2 (2001)

Next we have The Exorcist III (1990) which was actually not too shabby of a horror film. There were some terrific bits and scenes that still hold up to this day but it largely fell under the radar. Despite that,  it still remained somewhat influential on the horror landscape which I will talk more about in the future. Fun fact: Jeffrey Dahmer thought this was a killer movie.

Years later, the series welcomed a few more sequels like The Beginning (2004) and Dominion (2005) which were also panned by critics and shunned by fans. William Peter Blatty, the writer of the original novel which was published in 1971, actually returned to write the script for the 2004 film but even that couldn’t save it. Hey, it had been over thirty years – you couldn’t blame him for losing touch.

This brings us to the airing of the first ever television show based on the series, The Exorcist. After all the missteps in the series many fans were skeptical before sitting down to watch the first episode. Luckily, the show seems to have potential; the script is written with a slightly different story-line with a twist on the original film. It also did not rely on jump scares, which was also a relief. With a series like The Exorcist in which a teenage girl is possessed by the devil it is easy to fall into the territory of shock and vulgarity. Fortunately, the scene in the attic where the “Regan” of our story slinks towards the priest was delightfully creepy.  Even with the show’s good direction in the premiere,  it might be difficult for the series to find its footing when horror fans are watching with critical eyes and an unfortunate Friday night time slot. We can only pray (with bible in hand!) that the rest of the series will deliver and be as effective.

If you’re a big fan of The Exorcist and want to pay a visit to a landmark from the film, the famous steep steps that father Karras took a tumble down can be found in Georgetown, Maryland. When you stand at the very top it is easy to see why director William Friedkin chose to feature them in the film. They are certainly eerie, and because of how steep they are it’s almost like you’re hovering above the near-empty lot below. With Halloween season approaching it might be a neat little location to stop by and visit.

I’ll soon be updating with some photos that my brother took from his visit there. I’m sure this won’t be my last post about The Exorcist series.