31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Eighteen

 Day Eighteen: Leprechauns 

  This post is not about the films, I just want to clarify that to start. I have not seen any of the Leprechaun films and I don't intend to. It may be one day that I am at a friend's and they decide to subject me to it but, so far, I have never seen them. I do however, intend to talk about Leprechauns and how scary they actually are.

  

   Leprechauns have gone a similar way to unicorns and become, happy cartoony parodies of themselves. Original stories of leprechauns were not quite as pleasant as we have ben led to believe. I do remember an episode of the Ghostbusters animated series that featured a Leprechaun, I quite enjoyed that one. 

   Leprechaun myth actually started off quite innocently. Leprechauns were solitary Irish fairies that liked making shoes and sometimes causing mischief. Not necessarily malevolent or evil creatures, they liked to mess with people a little and play their pranks. Similar to many early folk characters. As time passed, they became a lot more sinister. 

  These days, leprechauns are rather ugly creatures, wizened, old and bent over, they are grotesque litle creatures who are not to be trusted. Leprechauns offer people gold. Leprechauns like gold and often have a cauldron of it. Often they will ask a question, sometimes a riddle and the way the people answer determines their fate. If you accept the leprechaun's challenge you have to answer, you have no choice. Answer incorrectly (or refuse and/or try to back out) and the leprechaun takes it's revenge. It is unclear what happens to some people. Some are cursed to spend the rest of their lives in poverty, some simply disappear. Whether the ones who disappear are dead or simply somewhere else is rarely revealed. As stories of malevolent and mischievous fairies often have them stealing people away to the fairy world, it is fair to assume this may be the fate of some of the leprechauns' victims. 

  One thing about leprechauns is that you don't want to mess with them. Any attempt to trick a leprechaun or steal it's gold will not end well. Some leprechauns guard the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, if you steal it, it will take it's revenge. If not on you, it will take it's revenge on your descendants. In the Ghostbusters episode I watched, the leprechaun appeared to people asking "Where's me gold?" Even though some people tried to repay the leprechaun, as they didn't have the original gold and did not know where it was, the leprechaun took it's revenge and the people disappeared. I didn't watch the whole episode so I don't know how the Leprechaun was defeated (if he was) and what became of the people he had already taken. By all means enlighten me.

  While I have not seen the films, as I understand it, it focuses on a malevolent and murderous leprechaun called Luban, who is after his gold. In the first film he targets a family whom he believes has stolen his pot of gold. That's pretty much all I know and I learned most of that from Wikipedia. 

 All in all there are two kind of leprechauns, the overdone, overused sweet Irish little men who seem to be constantly celebrating St Patrick's Day and the evil, scheming little creatures it is probably best to avoid. Either way, they have become part of popular culture. Of course Artemis Fowl fans are familiar with the Lep-Recons, but other than that, they're pretty run of the mill fairies of today.

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Nineteen

 Day19: Disney's Grim Grinning Ghosts

When the crypt door creaks and the tombstones quake

Spooks come out for a swinging wake

Happy haunts materialize

And begin to vocalize

Grim Grinning ghosts come out to socialize

  Whether Phantom Manor or the Haunted Mansion, Disney's haunted house ride is one of it's scarier offerings. While comical in many ways, not least due to the singing busts introducing us to Grim Grinning Ghosts, the storyline is a sad one turned disturbing. As I have never been to America, I will be talking about Phantom Manor prior to it's 2019 refurbishment.

  Henry Ravenswood was a Western settler who struck gold in Big Thunder Mountain and founded the Big Thunder Mining Company, thus creating the city of Thunder Mesa. Ravenswood became rich and built himself a Victorian manor high on Boot Hill overlooking Big Thunder Mountain, where he lived with his wife Martha and his daughter, Melanie Ravenswood (born 1842).

  Big Thunder Mountain was rumoured by natives to be home to the Thunder Bird, a powerful spirit possessing a treasure. According to the legend, its wrath could be materialized into a terrible earthquake. However, Ravenswood would not believe such stories. Years went by and the gold in Big Thunder Mountain became scarce, making miners dig deeper into the mountain.

  Melanie grew from a young girl into a beautiful young woman and became drawn to several suitors who planned to take her far away from Thunder Mesa, much to the dismay of Henry. Henry did everything he could to stop this, with the first four being subjected to various cruel fates. Sawyer Bottom was sawed in half by a saw blade, Captain Rowan D. Falls fell off of a waterfall, Ignatius "Iggy" Knight was blown up by dynamite and Barry Claude was mauled to death by a bear. With Bottom, Falls, Knight and Claude all dead, Henry's attempts became useless in order to stop Melanie in the midst of being engaged to a train engineer named Jake. When a terrible earthquake killed him and Martha in 1860. It seemed the Thunder Bird had been awakened and the family was never heard of again. After several years, the story of what really happened came out from underneath the rubble:

  On Melanie's wedding day, a mysterious Phantom unknown to anyone appeared in the house. Unbeknownst to anyone, this was the spirit of Henry himself, seeking vengeance on Jake for his defiance of him. While Melanie was preparing in her room, Henry lured Jake up to the attic where he hanged him by the neck from the rafters.

  In the ballroom, the bride sat alone. Hours went by with no sign of the groom. Guests slowly filed away, leaving Melanie alone in the house with the staff of maids and butlers. "Some day", she told herself, "he will come". And so, having never taken off her wedding dress or dropped her flower bouquet, in preparation for her loved one's return, she wandered the house aimlessly, singing melancholy songs of lost love.

  But Henry was still in the house, laughing at his daughter's devotion to her intended husband. One after one, Henry invited his dead, demonic friends from the afterlife to fill the house in an eternal party. A dark curse fell upon the house and the shape of the house was slowly transformed by the evil forces. No one ever set foot in the house ever since.

  Inside and outside, the house was decaying with age. Dusty cobwebs covered every inch, the disheartened staff not caring, for it was rumoured that Melanie had lost her mind. She wandered the house for years and years, singing softly to her groom, while all around her demons and ghosts revelled and danced. Everywhere she went she was reminded of the wedding. Her father's eternal laughter still carried through the walls of the house. Outside, the once beautiful grounds were falling apart and crumbling. The gilded staircase and structure were dotted with mould and trees and every plant on the grounds died. As if sensing the evil inherent in the house, nothing living ever trod there. Even so, Melanie kept her hopes, waiting for her love's return and never figured why he didn't show up at the wedding.

  The earthquake that killed her parents all those years ago cut a huge gouge in the west half of the property and in the crumbling ghost town of the old Thunder Mesa. The deserted buildings were rumoured to be called Phantom Canyon, the dark supernatural version of the town and anyone who entered the ghastly old town at night never came back.

  If Melanie Ravenswood is still alive in that old house on the hill she is well over 100 years old. Her beautiful voice still carries over the town at night though, through the walls of the house and night air. And sometimes, people still see lights in the house.

  Some nights, when the moon is full and the sky is clear of clouds, one can still hear the lonely mourning of the bride, the maniacal laughter of Henry, and the faint tinkle of glass and the laughter of party guests. Whether she is alive or not, what is well known is that poor Melanie never really left the crumbling mansion. She waits for a groom until Judgment Day.

  A tragic story with a Miss Havisham feel to it, some who don't know the story came up with a slightly more sinister one of their own. They said the skeleton is actually the Bride's groom, actually not human and leaving her alone on her wedding day the dancing ghosts are the guests she never let leave. A decaying wedding feat is visible in the ballroom and they say "the food went bad and she went rotten". Her heart broken by her false fiancé she was driven mad but kept her hope that she would still have her wedding day and therefore never took off her dress, never let the guests leave and never cleared away the rotting wedding feast, essentially keeping everything ready for when her groom would come and fulfil her dreams. The section of the ride with a broken down town is the remains of Henry Ravenswood's once affluent town now derelict with only a few residents who have no where else to go remaining. Essentially passing the time the only way they know how until they die. They are trapped by their way of life.

   Even in the day light, Phantom Manor is an eerie sight, really a perfect looking haunted house. What has become cliché works for Disney.

    One part of Phantom Manor that has always stuck with me is the lift (elevator). While I have since learnt that if I had looked up before leaving it I would have seen Jake, Melanie's unfortunate fiancé, hanging from the rafters, I'm both glad and sorry to say I never did that. What stuck with me was the stretching portraits. Seemingly pleasant paintings stretch to show the horror just beneath the frame.

  A couple (Melanie and one of her suitors, possibly Jake)enjoying a picnic becomes creatures, including snakes and spiders, descending to eat their food. Melanie paddling in a river becomes her about to be dragged under by a green monster. Melanie in a rose garden then shows a zombie climbing out of the grave beyond. Melanie enjoying a boat ride becomes her about to plunge over a waterfall. The corridor we next walk down shows pictures that change as you pass them. A pretty woman becomes a were-panther, a ship becomes a ghost ship with shredded sails, a young woman becomes a stony gorgon and a knight on horseback becomes a skeletal knight on a skeletal horse. I actually thought these were pretty cool when I first saw them as they change back and forth as you walk along the corridor.

   As it has been over twenty years since I last enjoyed this ride, there is a lot of it I can't remember. Watching a ride through via Youtube did jog my memory a little but there are some parts I don't remember. I do remember the graveyard and Melanie's ghostly singing from the house. 

   The Graveyard has it's share of dark and comical tombstones. There are the graves of Henry and Martha Ravenswood and an unnamed grave in which a beating heart can be heard which is probably Melanie's. The Graveyard does give a bit of humour to the end of the ride. If you don't want to read all these (or get bored) scroll down to the next (graveyard) photo.

Henry (1795 - 1860) and Martha's graves (1802-1860)  : Quarrelled And Fought As Man And Wife, Now Silent Together Beyond This Life

Jasper Jones, Loyal Manservant, Died 1866 'Kept The Master Happy'

Anna Jones, Faithful Chambermaid, Died 1867 'Kept The Master Happier'

Mary Murphy 1837-1858 "'Til death..."

Frank Ballard 1829 -1859 "...do us part"

Ma Ballard 1800-1859 "Over my dead body"

B Arnold "Cold Is My Bed But Oh, I Love It, For Colder Are My Friends Above It"

Here lies Leadfoot Fred "Danced Too Slow And Now He's Dead" 1802-1866

Rest In Peace Barroom Benny "Seems He Took One Drink Too Many"

"Shorty" Smith 1862

Red Hot Harry "He Was Hot But He Was Slow So He Got Put Six Feet Below"

Valentin "dit le Desosé Ici reposent les miettes d'un homme brisé" ("the boneless" Here lie the pieces of a broken man)

Dakota Dick "Pendu le 17 octobre 1867 Descendu le 18 janvier 1868 Poignardé le 18 décembre 1868 Empoissonné le 21 mai 1869 Il Reviendra" (Hanged 17th October 1867, Shot 18th January 1868, Stabbed 18th December 1868, Poisoned 21st May 1869 He'll Be Back)

Jacques Shrillman "Lynché par une poignée de melomanes Une fause note l'aua tue le 9 mai 1865" (Lynced by a bunch of music lovers A wrong not was his end 9th May 1865)

These Miners Were Told About Digging Too Fast They Lost All Their Gold In A Dynamite Blast

Peg Leg McBrogue the River Rogue Walked the Plank and Sank.

(squirrel tombstone) November 13, 1865 - Breakfast time

(Cougar tombstone) November 13, 1865 – Lunch time

(Hunter tombstone) November 13, 1865 – Dinner time

(Bear tombstone) November 13, 1885 – Hibernating in Happiness

After Years of Hearty Hunting

  Whether Phantom Manor or The Haunted Mansion (I honestly thing Phantom Manor sounds better) Disney's haunted house mixes humour, horror and tragedy to bring us a spooky ride that has lasted for over 50 years. If you choose to visit this attraction ant time of the year, there is one important message Melanie has for you.

Hurry back, be sure to bring your death certificate. We've been...dying to have you.

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Seventeen

Day 17: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

  Type the title of Victor Hugo's 1831 gothic novel into google and you get the 1996 Disney version. You can guess this film has a happier ending than the novel, even the 1939 film has a happier ending then the novel. It is one of those novels that has been adapted for stage and screen many times. Lon Chaney took on the role in 1923. It has also been turned into a ballet, several times. Practically every type of media has adapted this novel. There have been comics, films, tv series, plays, musicals, radio plays, even a video game. 

 

  The main protagonists in the novel are Quasimodo, the hunchback, a 20 year old deformed man who was abandoned as a baby, Archdeacon Claude Frollo, Quasimodo's master who adopted him when he was abandoned and Esmerelda, a 16 year old, beautiful gypsy Quasimodo falls in love with. The whole novel is pretty dark. I don't want to give too much away but Esmerelda's love interest, Phoebus is not a likeable character. In the Disney film he is of course the dashing hero. In the novel he is engaged when he meets Esmerelda and does not love her, as she is beautiful however he has no problem with trying to get her into bed. He still wants to marry his fiancée who is, of course, a noblewoman. Esmerelda is just a fling for him, a bit of fun. Her friendship with Quasimodo begins when she gives him water after he has been flogged in public for attempting to kidnap her (on the orders of Frollo) and develops when he saves her from being hanged on a false charge. In the end four men fall for Esmerelda; Phoebus, Captain of the King's Archers who attempts to seduce her before going back to his fiancée, Quasimodo, the mostly deaf bell ringer to whom she shows kindness and forgiveness, something rare to him, Claude Frollo, who struggles with his lust for Esmerelda and the rules he follows in his job and Pierre Gringoire, a young man who Esmerelda saves from hanging by a group of beggars by agreeing to be his wife for four years. This is following his unintentionally discovering the Court of Miracles where beggars and gypsies live hiding from the law. To preserve the secret he stumbles upon, he must either die or marry one of them. Esmerelda pities him but is infatuated with Phoebus, even though Pierre does truly care for her.

   In the novel after trying and failing to win Esmerelda's heart, Frollo ultimately betrays her. Quasimodo is left heartbroken and, without giving too much away, no-one gets their happy ending. Many aspects had to be changed or completely removed for this story to be a suitable Disney film. With clearer villains and heroes than the novel, it had a fairy-tale feel to it and loose ends were tied up in the straight to DVD sequel (or so I hear, I do not plan to watch it, it sounds awful).

  The novel itself centres very much on the cathedral of Notre Dame (Notre Dame is French for Our Lady). The gothic design and the beauty of the cathedral was something Victor Hugo was trying to promote. So many beautiful historic buildings were being demolished, replaced and /or changed. He didn't want it to happen to the cathedral. It's design and architecture being so beautiful. Although this has been lost in some adaptations, Disney animators went to Paris and drew the cathedral to ensure they did it justice in the film.

   I have no problem with disneyfied stories, I love Disney. I just want people to know a little about the original...I have no regard for people's childhood I really don't. The only reason I haven't said more about the story is that I don't want to ruin it for people who may want to read it in the future. People shouldn't expect a happy ending, it is a gothic novel after all. Of course the Disney version had the moral of appearances not meaning anything and all that, it had to have something of a happy ending, it is Disney after all. Since Snow White awoke to the arms of her prince we have come to accept it. By all means have some family friendly fun and watch it, I will. Starts off with  nice bit of murder. 

 

 It was strange to some people that the film didn't get a PG rating, it deals with some pretty heavy stuff. Murder, abuse, lust and Esmerelda does essentially pole dance in one scene. Frollo's character was changed to a judge so as not to offend people. Who wants their kids to watch an archdeacon lust after a woman he then tries to kill? For a darker film but still with a happier ending than the novel, watch the 1939 film. l don't know how the 1923 one ends, but by all means have a silent movie night, I totally want to do that but don't think I have any friends who'd be up for it. Whatever you choose, even if you seek out another film, another adaptation or if you just read the book I will tell you something. Watch the 1996 Disney film to catch a couple of cameos. Look out for Belle wandering through the streets of Paris with her nose in a book, a trader shaking out Aladdin's carpet and Pumbaa cooking on a spit. Enjoy!

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Sixteen

 Day 16: The Phantom of the Opera

  Probably best known as the hugely successful Andrew Lloyd Webber musical (the longest running show on Broadway) The Phantom of the Opera is actually a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. Gaston Leroux was famous for detective novels and in 1909, Le Fantome De L'Opera was published as a serialisation. In 1910, it was published as a book. A mere 15 years later, Hollywood turned it into a film starring Lon Chaney, the man of a thousand faces. Since then, it has been adapted many times for stage and screen. There are about films that at least keep important elements of the original plot. There are other films that reference some of the characters or use them in a complete different story. There are also stage, television, stage, radio and literary adaptations. There have been quite a few sequels, most are literary works but in 2010 Andrew Lloyd Webber released the sequel Love Never Dies which was inspired by the 1999 Frederick Forsyth novel Phantom of Manhattan.

   The original novel follows the characters Christine Daaé, a Swedish singer who is part of the Opera Garnier's ballet company who dreams of being a Prima Donna. Christine receives free singing lessons from a disembodied voice who she believes is The Angel of Music, sent to her from heaven by her father. The Phantom who's name is Erik, is a disfigured lonely genius who lives in the cellars of the opera house and is referred to as the Opera Ghost. He receives a salary for being the ghost and uses box 5 to watch the opera productions and sends notes to the management suggesting improvements. Erik teaches Christine to sing and gradually falls in love with her, hoping she may one day come to love him. He is possessive and obsessive. He was disfigured from birth and wears a mask to hide his face and lacks a nose. His face is described as looking like that of a corpse with thin yellow skin. Raoul is the Vicomte De Chagny who, with his brother the Comte, is a patron of the Opera House. He and Christine knew each other as children and he is Christine's love interest. Although the ages of the characters is never revealed in the book it is estimated that Christine is between 18 and 21 Raoul is a similar age but probably 20-25. At one point in the novel  both Christine and Raoul are referred to as children but it means they are young and perhaps not quite seen as adults by society yet which would make them in their early 20s at most. The Phantom is about 50.  

   The Phantom teaches Christine to improve her singing under the guise of being the Angel her father promised to send her. When Christine's old friend Raoul arrives and threatens Christine's budding career and her relationship with the Phantom, he reveals who he really is and when Christine removes his mask against his wishes and reveals his deformity, their relationship is so damaged that his love turns to obsession, his genius tips towards madness and Christine finds herself caught between two men in a violent battle for her heart.

  In adaptations the age of the characters can vary depending on the story. Most adaptations have the main story of an outcast falling in love with a beautiful young singer and doing what he can to advance her career. He often has a rival and can sometimes love the female lead in a platonic but no less intense way. Probably the best known adaptations are the following.

1943

  A film starring Claude Rains and Susanna Foster. In this film the character Erique Claudin is a violinist employed at the Paris Opera House. He is secretly devoted to young soprano Christine DuBois. In this version Erique becomes the Phantom after acid is thrown in his face. Christine has two love interests, Anatole, a tenor who sings in the Opera and Raoul, a police officer investigating the strange goings on at the Opera House. Originally, Enrique Claudin was revealed to be Christine's father and that is why he is so devoted to her. However, creators of the film were concerned that it may lead to Christine and Claudin's relationship to appear incestuous, despite there being no love story between them in the film. Consequently, the scene in which Christine's guardian reveals the truth to Anatole who promises to keep it a secret, was cut. This is the first adaptation in which the Phantom's disfigurement is inflicted rather than a birth defect.

1962

   Hammer Horror's take on the Phantom moved the location to England and London's Opera House. Similar in many ways to the 1943 film, the Phantom is a sympathetic character who's deformity is caused by an accident in which nitric acid is splashed on his face. While there seems again to be lack of a romantic relationship between the Phantom and Christine, she is still the focus of his attentions and he teaches her to sing.

1974

   The rock version focused more on Faustian aspects and parodied multiple films and pop culture references. While the Phantom in this version does fall for Phoenix, the beautiful singer, their relationship is short and seemingly his love is largely unrequited. Christine's potential love interest in this film is a corrupt, producer who has made a deal with the devil. A darker and more tragic take on the story, the Phantom's disfigurement is again, the result of an accident.  

1983

  Michael York (ten years after he played d'Artangan in The Three Musketeers), Jane Seymour (Fresh from The scarlet Pimpernel and still famous for the role of Solitaire in Live and Let Die) and  Maximilian Schell starred in  a TV movie version of the story. In  this story, Jane Seymour's character resembles the Phantom's wife who killed herself after a bad review. 

1986

   Andrew Lloyd Webber adapted the story into an award winning musical starring Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. The longest running show on Broadway has enjoyed success in cities all over the world including an adapted version in Las Vegas and touring production.  One of the most famous adaptations it gave the Phantom a half-mask and wig instead of a full face mask. There were concerns that a full face mask would make it harder for emotion to be seen. The full face mask remains on the poster and promotional material.

1990

   Charles Dance and Teri Polo starred in this TV miniseries. In this version The Phantom is born disfigured. The character of Raoul is replaced by his older brother Phillipe though his and Christine's shared childhood is revealed. More of a love story, it's tragic elements make for a tearjerker. 

1989

  A rather gory and supernatural version of the story, this Phantom is the victim of a curse which causes his deformity and pursues Christine over time. The film starts in modern times in Manhattan, an accident leads Christine to wake in 1885 London where she encounters the Phantom for the first time. eventually she returns to her own time and meets a man who resembles the Phantom the producer of a play she has the lead in .It stars Robert Englund (famous for his role as Freddy Kruegar in Nightmare on Elm Street) and Jill Schoelen.

1998

  Dario Argento made Il Fantasma Dell'Opera, strangely, in English. This is a film in which the Phantom doesn't actually have a deformity. Also his feelings for Christine seem requited and their relationship does become sexual. It bears little to no resemblance to Leroux's novel including little but character's names. A very strange and violent version from the Italian master of horror, it stars Julian Sands and Asia Argento, the director's daughter.

2004

   Joel Schumacher directed the long anticipated film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical which added and edited scenes which left some fans disappointed as it changed the story slightly. It starred Gerard Butler, real-life opera singer Emmy Rossum and Broadway actor Patrick Wilson. It boasted many stars including Miranda Richardson (Madame Giry), Simon Callow (André), Ciaran Hinds (Firman), Kevin McNally (Buquet) and Jennifer Ellison (Meg). Minnie Driver was cast as Carlotta but, controversially, did not do her own singing and was dubbed by Margaret Preece.

2011

   The Andrew Lloyd stage musical was adapted slightly and performed at The Royal Albert Hall for the shows 25th anniversary. It was filmed for home media release. Ramin Karimloo (who was the picture of Christine's father Gustave Daaé in the 2004 film), Sierra Boggess and Hadley Fraser reprised the roles of The Phantom, Christine and Raoul that they played in the original production of Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.

  Even people who don't know the story of The Phantom have heard of the story. The character has been referenced and parodied so often that a lot of the original story  often becomes lost. He is often the victim of an event that causes his disfigurement. He is also often portrayed in the half-mask from the musical rather than the full mask from the book. He has appeared in Woody Woodpecker, The Simpsons, Family Guy and is referenced in literally hundreds of ways. The character has become a part of pop culture which, with the number and scope of adaptations of the original story, is unsurprising. 

  

  The book itself has been described as a 'confused' book because it doesn't have a clear genre. It has horror, drama, comedy, romance and the supernatural. It also has smatterings of Leroux's speciality, the detective novel. All these elements make for lots of different kinds of adaptations which is probably why there are so many adaptations that fit into different genres. 

   An adaptation that seeks to answer a lot of the questions of the Phantom (Erik) and his past is the book Phantom by Susan Kay. It starts in 1831 and chronicles the Phantom's life from birth to his death and concludes in 1897, approximately 16 years after his death. The book is written in sections which show the events from different peoples point of view. From 1831-40 it is from the perspective of Madeleine, Erik's mother. From  1840-43 it is Erik's. 1844-6 it is Giovanni, a stone mason who teaches Erik his craft. There is then a gap and then 1850-53 it is Nadir (The Persian in the novel). From 1856-81 it is Erik again and then in 1881 it is both Erik and Christine. This section is essentially a view of the novel from a first person narrative rather than third. The last section is from the perspective of Raoul and essentially picks up where the novel left off and describes what happens to the characters following the events in the novel. For fans, this book gives a backstory only hinted at in the novel and explains what Erik went through to become the Phantom. 

For a book over 100 years old it has done well. It has inspired many things and still is a well-loved story. Yes the musical may have overtaken the book in both fame and popularity but it all started with Leroux's masterpiece. It is a long book and a lot happens but it is easy to follow and is a fascinating story. There really is a lake under the opera house, and there was an accident one year in which the chandelier fell. There is a rumour that if you enter box 5, the Phantom's box and knock on a pillar you will find it hollow. That is how the Phantom watched the performances and entered and left the box without being seen.

  Whether you are new to the Phandom or not and whichever version you enjoy, sing for your Angel, wrap yourself in a cape and keep your hand at the level of your eyes.

Phantoms Playing Poker- Raphael2054

Left to right - Phantom of the Paradise, ALW Phantom (Michael Crawford), Lon Chaney(1925 film) , Phantom of the Mall, Charles Dance (1990 Tv miniseries) 

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Fifteen

 Day 15: Glamis Castle

    Scotland's most beautiful castle, Glamis has a dark history. Called the most haunted place in the UK, the legends of Glamis include many ghosts, a vampire and even a monster. The residence of the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, and the birthplace of the late Princess Margaret, the Queen's sister, the castle claims as many ghosts as royal visitors, some apparently seen by the Queen Mother herself.

  The ghost stories are easy to imagine as fact. Many shady things went on in the castles and stately homes in the past. in Glamis, there was a serving maid who stumbled upon a terrible secret that involved the Earl. When the silly girl threatened to expose the secret, the Earl ordered her tongue cut out so she could never reveal it. Seen in the windows at times, she is often seen wandering the grounds gesturing to her injured face, blood pouring from her mouth. She is known as the Tongueless Woman.

  

The Grey Lady is believed to be Janet Douglas. who was Lady Glamis in the early 16th Century. Janet was accused of poisoning her first husband, John Lyons, in 1528. However she was cleared of the crime and married again. In July 1537 she was accused of planning to poison King James V of Scotland and communicating with her brothers, who were part of several conspiracies towards the King.  Despite there being no evidence she was imprisoned and her family and servants were tortured to 'find the truth'. Janet was convicted and burned as a witch. She now haunts the family chapel and clock tower.

 

 The Hanged Butler is the ghost of a butler who hanged himself. The room in which he committed suicide is The Hangman's Chamber and has not been used since.

  

The African Servant Boy is believed to be a mistreated servant from the 18th century. He has been seen many times sitting on the stone seat by the door of the Queen Mum's bedroom. The story goes he was often made to sit on a stone seat and think about what he had done whenever he did anything wrong. One cold winter's night, everyone went to bed and no-one dismissed him. He was found still on the seat the next morning, frozen to death. He is mischievous and trips people walking by the room and rips the bed clothes off people who slept in the dressing room. The dressing room has since been converted into a bathroom.

 

 The haunted chamber is a room that at one times was walled up. In 1486 the Ogilvy clan sought shelter from their enemies the Lindsays, unaware the Lindsay family were friends of Lord Glamis. They were imprisoned in the room by Lord Glamis who had the room bricked up and left the to die of starvation. It was reopened when strange noises were heard to be coming from the room and it was opened. Inside were skeletons which lay twisted and contorted form the agony of starvation. It is believed that some had resorted to cannibalism while starving in the room. Even today the room is said to bring unease to some people. There is even a rumour that the room was actually bricked up again and the skeletons are still in there. The chamber we are told is the room they died in is the scene of other crimes of the family.

  

The most infamous ghost that haunts Glamis is Earl Beardie. The two men he has been identified as are Alexander Lyons. 2nd Earl Glamis and Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford. Most believe Alexander Lindsay is the more likely culprit. The story says that Lord Lindsay was a cruel and twisted alcoholic who did many horrible things. He once had a black servant strip and run through the ground as the Earl, his guests and their hunting dogs, chased the young man until he was caught and torn apart. Some believe this unfortunate young man is a ghost himself who can be seen wandering the corridors.The legend says that when the Earl visited the castle one Sunday he expressed a wish to play cards with someone. As no-one would join him, as it was the Sabbath, he furiously claimed that if none of them would play he would challenge the devil himself. There was a knock at the door and a stranger in black arrived and agreed to play cards with the Earl. They disappered in a room together where much shouting and swearing could be heard. When a servant looked through the keyhole to find out what was going on he was blinded by a bright light. It is said the stranger was the devil who won the earl's soul in a game and as punishment for playing on the sabbath, the Earl is condemned to play cards until Doomsday. The west tower of the castle, the alleged sight of the card game, is plagued by shouting, swearing, stomping feet and banging doors. The most chilling sounds people hear is the rattling of dice as the earl gambles away his soul. There have also been reports of children waking to find a dark figure looming over them, people seeing a bearded man wandering he castle And some even claim to have had physical contact with the condemned Earl.

Alongside the ghosts of Glamis there is also the story of a vampire, a monster and other unlucky and supernatural forces at work.

  The haunted cup is a silver cup in the shape of a lion. The cup can hold nearly a whole bottle of wine and visitors were often made to drain the cup in one go before they left. It is supposed to bring bad luck to both the castle and the family but no-one knows where it came from or why it has such a sinister reputation.

  The River Dean is a stream that runs through the grounds of Glamis. Locals call it the Dowie Dean, dowie meaning 'doleful' or 'sinister'. While there are no confirmed accounts of anything bad happening there, it has a dark rhyme attached to it.

"The Dowie Dean it runs it's leane (alone), and ilka year it taks eane"

Some say the stream takes a life every year, others say every other year and others say every seven years. It is unclear why, it does not seem to have the water kelpies other Scottish rivers claim. However many people believe that it's best to avoid it, lest the stories are true and you drown.

  The vampire legend says that a vampiric child is born to every generation of the family.

The Monster of Glamis

   The monster of Glamis is a tale all it's own. Some believe it is an actual monster concealed in the vaults that roams about at night. Some people believe it's just another spook tale connected to Glamis but many these days believe that the monster was actually Thomas Lyon-Bowes. 

  Thomas was the first born son of the 11th Earl of Glamis. Officially, Thomas was born and died on 21st October 1821. Many believe however, that Thomas did not die but was so hideously deformed that the Earl and his wife decided to conceal him in the castle away from the world and give his birthright to their future son. While this may sound incredibly cruel, many families in those days that had children who were malformed or had learning difficulties, would simply send them to an asylum and forget about them. This actually happened to two of Queen Elizabeth II's cousins. With misunderstanding and prejudice (people with learning difficulties were simply called 'imbeciles') it was best that no-one knew of Thomas' existence. However, it is said that Thomas deformity was merely superficial and he was completely sound of mind. As such, he was educated and treated fairly well. It seems that the family treated Thomas, the monster, better than many families would have treated such a child in those days. He was an embarrassment yes, but he was still their son. It is believed he was concealed in a private room and taken outside for fresh air and exercise at night and allowed out on the parapets of the castle where he would be out of sight. It is believed he was sighted at times and dismissed as a ghost. It is believed a workman witnessed the sight of him in 1865 and on reporting seeing 'something' at the end of a corridor was encouraged to emigrate to Australia, his passage paid for by the Earl. There were people who visited Glamis and came back home with a secret. It is possible  Thomas was encountered by people beseeched to keep quiet. It is believed by many that Thomas was the 'monster' of Glamis. He was well brought up and cared for but spent his life concealed in his own rooms where he died at a grand old age. There is a rumour that the room was then bricked up so the secret would never be discovered. There are many stories of concealed and closed off rooms in Glamis and there is an account of towels being placed from every window and some windows being devoid of towels when people looked outside, these windows belonging to concealed rooms. This account has never been verified though and there are varying accounts of where these bare windows were and their number.

  The last story of Glamis is the terrible secret. This was a secret told to the heir of Glamis on their 21st birthday. It could have been about Glamis or the family and it will now never be known. Some think the secret was that of Thomas and, as he has died, there is no need for it anymore. There are three stories though, that say the secret itself still exists but the family no longer knows what it is. One story is that the last Earl to know it thought it too terrible to tell his son and therefore he didn't share it and he took it to the grave. Another is that the 14th Earl refused to hear it, did not want to know the terrible secret and his father, respecting his wishes, didn't share it. Another is that it was always passed from the Earl to his oldest son but when the last person to know the secret was killed in the war there was no-one to tell it to his brother. Apparently, the 13th Earl of  Glamis, possibly the last person to know th secret said once

  " If you could even guess the nature of this castle's secret, you would get down on you knees and thank God it was not yours"

  Glamis Castle has more than it's fair share of horror stories. There are ghosts I haven't mentioned as I don't know their backstory, such as the ghostly face at the window, the old woman carrying a bundle, the hammering at night, screams from empty rooms I think there's a green lady as well. By all means look into them yourself, or do what I plan to do; go to Glamis and try to spot one yourself. Even if you don't believe in ghosts it really is a beautiful place and I'm sure it would be quite the conversation starter to say you've been to the most haunted place in Britain.

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Fourteen

 Day 14: Werewolves

Even a man who is pure of heart

And says his prayers at night

May become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms

And the moon is full and bright

   Werewolves have been a part of folklore for over 1000 years. A lot of the belief and accusations of lycanthropy were related to witch-hints and witch trials. Although accusations of lycanthropy were a very small part of the witch hunt phenomena, it went hand in hand with wolf charmers and wolf riders. When the belief in the supernatural and subsequent witch trials faded in Europe, it stayed part of the folklore and staple of gothic literature. 

   While no-one is 100% on where the myth of wolf-men came from, there are several theories. As tales were told by word of mouth rather than being written down, especially in cultures and societies where the majority of people could not

 read or write, tales would often be embellished and, Chinese whispers style, change the more often they were told and when there were told by different people. Also stories of witches who are able to shape shift and also the devil taking on animal form could have led to and added to the werewolf myth, men were accused of witch craft as well as women after all. However, the first recorded story of a werewolf is from Ancient Greece, predating the medieval stories of witchcraft. There were still seen as supernatural and sometimes it's almost lost in translation. In ancient Greek text there is a story of a a tribe transforming into wolves for several months but it probably refers to a tribe that would cover themselves in wolf or other animal skin during the cold months to keep warm. In many stories, people who were turned to wolves were punished for immoral and often cannibalistic behaviour. 

  Like many supernatural beings, the Werewolf has become part of popular culture and the monster movies. The Wolfman (1941) one of the most famous. Werewolves very often feature in stories about vampires. Vampires are the aristocratic characters of the supernatural world where werewolves are more feral. It is rare that werewolves and vampires work together, more often than not they are at odds. The Underworld film series (2003-2016) details a Vampire-Lycan war that takes place over centuries. 

  One thing that separates werewolves form other supernatural beings such as vampires, is their lore. While lore can vary according to culture and country, it is usually the same or at least similar in essentials, with werewolves however, it can be very different. some say the transformation is temporary, others permanent. sometimes the individual transforms, or it is a doppelganger, or their soul detached from their body. Sometimes the individual afflicted is aware, sometimes they have no idea. sometimes the person changes both physically and personality wise, sometimes they are perfectly normal in between transformations.

  The way people can become werewolves varies too. Sometimes it is divine punishment, sometimes the person seeks to become a werewolf by various methods, sometimes it is an ability the individual is born with and sometimes, often in popular culture, a victim is bitten by another werewolf. The 'cures' vary, as does behaviour. Some werewolves are aggressive, some are not, some devour people, others stick to livestock. There is a lack of a first werewolf or famous one that everybody has heard of. They are often secondary characters in any stories that feature them. This makes it harder to build a definitive lore.

  Essentially, as I see it, werewolves are people cursed to transform into a wolf at certain times, during this time, they retain no human memories and revert to animal behaviour. How people become werewolves, there are too many methods and theories but I like the one for weirdos who like big, creepy rituals. Getting naked at night, putting a wolf-skin belt on, rubbing wolf fat all over yourself, boiling a bid pot of herbs and chanting nice things about wolves. I want to see someone do this in a film or Tv series, mainly because I'd like to see what the writers come up with as 'nice things to chant about wolves'. I see comedy where they say thing like "wolves are jolly decent chaps".

  Werewolves are somewhat of an underused movie monster and arw not particularly popular. We see them now and again but we're not all desperate to see the latest Wolfman film, we don't trawl the horror section for books about them and while there are many films, books and TV series about vampires, werewolves seem like an afterthought mostly. Maybe you are someone who is into werewolves and can name twenty-odd films where they star (not just feature) and have a bookcase full of books about them. If you do please let me know, there is a shortage of good werewolf paraphernalia. In the meantime, watch The Wolfman and let me know if it's worth it. Alternatively go drink water out of a wolf's footprint, or go to the woods and have fun chanting, or find a wolf skin to climb into. Go be a little feral this Halloween!  

  

31 Days of Hallowe'en: Day Thirteen

 Day 13: Phantom of the Paradise

  As you may guess this 1974 film is based on 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Set in America in the 70s (the exact location is never revealed) the Phantom of the Paradise is a dark 'rock musical horror comedy' film. The main plot is a disfigured composer writes music for a woman he loves so that she will sing it. However, a record producer betrays him and steals his music to open his rock place. The composer dons a new appearance and exacts his revenge.

 In a little more detail it follows the characters Winslow Leach (The Phantom), Swan and Phoenix. Winslow is a composer who has his music stolen by producer Swan. Swan wants to use Winslow's compositions to open his new concert hall, 'The Paradise'. In a series of events, Winslow falls for Phoenix, is screwed over by Swan, and becomes the Phantom. A less predictable story than others, it is not for those easily scared, it has dark themes it isn't afraid to explore as far as a nineteen-seventies film can. It is rated with a certificate 15 in the UK and between a 12 and 18 worldwide. While I personally think it's unsuitable for anyone under sixteen due to it's violence, it also involves drug references and an explicit reference to couch casting. 

   Despite the title it only takes elements of The Phantom of the Opera and drops them into a different narrative. The character of the Phantom is only called that by those who don't know who he is, his situation is forced upon him rather than self-inflicted and, although it has been an explanation in previous and  post adaptations, he is not born disfigured, an event within the films narrative causes it.

  While The Phantom of the Opera itself seems to be based on both Beauty and the Beast and Faust, this version seems to be based on Faust and The Picture of Dorian Gray. It has the supernatural angle, an encounter with the devil, contracts signed in blood and the seduction of an innocent and beautiful young woman. The fame, fortune and lust themes dominate the characters as they are seduced into the dark world that rock so often emulates. 

  When the film was first released it was a box office failure that was negatively reviewed, however it's music was praised and the film was nominated for and Academy Award for Original Song Score and Adaptation and a Golden Globe for Best Original Score - Motion Picture. Since then the film has received a cult following as many horror films do. 

  Overall it seems to have become a forgotten film at least for mainstream film buffs and is dated due to it's subject matter and setting, but is still worth a watch for many. I have seen it but it is not a film I would watch again. That being said I am glad I watched it. By all means give it a look, it does have a feel of midnight cable channel viewing to it but sometimes that's really the kind of film you're in the mood for. A good one for a late night Halloween viewing as long as you don't take it too seriously. It is one of the darkest adaptations of Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel. If you really hate rock then you should probably skip it as that is a hug part of the film and it's music otherwise by all means give it a look. You'll either end up thinking 'well there's 91 minutes I'll never get back' or 'that was okay'. Perhaps you may become part of the cult following that loves it I really couldn't say. I thought it was okay but like I said I probably wouldn't watch it again. Maybe in the background with friends, when you watch a movie you kind of expect to be bad and talk through it while still watching it.

   This is one of many adaptations of the Phantom of the Opera so if you're looking to see as many as possible (that's the reason I watched it) go for it. If you're familiar with Faust and/or The Picture of Dorian Gray you will definitely notice the similarities. This really is little more than a cult 1970s film, so sit back with the junk food, some friends, cake yourself in halloween make-up, eat too much chocolate and enjoy!