Of How about World Goth Week, our famous trio of terror~~~

Hello  Darklings,

Well my brother and his family are now south in the Santa Cruz area enjoying their Memorial weekend vacation, one of many that they are planning to take.   In a way I’m a little jealous, it would be nice to have a Gypsy Wagon to travel here and there, but we also have to be realistic.   But we know they arrived safely Thursday evening after taking the long route there to avoid the steep climb of Highway 17 which has destroyed more than one vehicle’s transmission.

I swear I think May should be World Goth Month or have at least World Goth Week from May 22 (which is World Goth Day) through the traditional Memorial Day May 31,  that way we can also encompass the three birthdays of our Three Gentlemen of Terror Peter Cushing, Vincent Prince and Christopher Lee as well as the date when “Dracula” was published for the first time and saw the ‘light of day’ in print.

It seems to make sense to me to do that.

I mean look at it May 22 World Goth Day

                         May 26 Peter Cushing’s Birthday

                            

 May 26  Dracula published 1897

                             

May 27  Vincent Price’s Birthday

                           

May 27  Christopher Lee’s Birthday

Followed by Memorial Day in the United States to remember those who fought for Freedom.

Of course Dracula by Stoker was not the first Vampire novel, that goes to John Polidori who wrote “The Vampyre”  based upon notes by Lord Byron although it was Polidori who introduced the concept of charm being deadly,  this was followed in the 1850’s by “Varney the Vampire or the Feast of Blood”  then in 1871 by Le Fanu’s “Carmilla”. but it was Stoker’s Dracula who  defined its modern form, and the novel has spawned numerous theatrical, film, and television interpretations.

            This is the 1899 American edition of Dracula.

The novel ends 7 years later with Jonathan and Mina’s son listening to them recounting their adventures but a small section was removed from the original final chapter, in which Dracula's castle falls apart as he dies, hiding the fact that vampires were ever there.

It went as follows:

    “As we looked there came a terrible convulsion of the earth so that we seemed to rock to and fro and fell to our knees. At the same moment with a roar which seemed to shake the very heavens the whole castle and the rock and even the hill on which it stood seemed to rise into the air and scatter in fragments while a mighty cloud of black and yellow smoke volume on volume in rolling grandeur was shot upwards with inconceivable rapidity.

    Then there was a stillness in nature as the echoes of that thunderous report seemed to come as with the hollow boom of a thunder-clap - the long reverberating roll which seems as though the floors of heaven shook. Then down in a mighty ruin falling whence they rose came the fragments that had been tossed skywards in the cataclysm.

 

  From where we stood it seemed as though the one fierce volcano burst had satisfied the need of nature and that the castle and the structure of the hill had sunk again into the void. We were so appalled with the suddenness and the grandeur that we forgot to think of ourselves.”

    — Deleted excerpt from the original Dracula manuscript

Stoker was even considering giving the title of his manuscript “The Undead” but instead changed it to the name of his anti-hero.

                         Original manuscript by Stoker with original title.

 A nephew of Stoker did write a sequel to the original story, but it was not well received.    So it is fitting that the last full week of May at least should be considered at least World Goth Week and have some sort of celebration,  after all the First of May is kicked off with Walpurgis Night which is the 30^th of April or May Eve and that is when Witches and Evil things wander the land.

Sis, Doyle, Brian and I did our mini-celebration watching films that featured our favorite trio of Terror, and we are finishing it tonight with 3 movies tonight, Horror of Dracula, Madhouse and that sendup “House of the Long Shadows” which also includes John Carradine who also played Dracula at least twice.   Although this film was considered a disappointment by critics, it doesn’t matter to us, we are in it for the enjoyment and on this very warm evening we are going to watch it outside on the screen enclosed back porch while we are having ice cream for dessert.   But I also have on hand extra ice cream as well as soft drinks because I know our other neighbors are going to be peeking over the fence and want to join us and why not, the more the merrier I always say.

 

But next year I am going to carefully mark that week on my next Calendar perhaps even plan on doing a “Black Feast” for it and invited a few friends to dress up in their vampire or Goth best.   It is something worth planning for.  

And now I must go,  I have to make sure that Doyle and Brian place the T.V. screen in the right place.

Later Darklings 

       But I must confess Darklings my Heart belongs to Christopher Lee.  

Of Happy Birthday Christopher Lee and memories of him~~~~

Dear Darklings,

My sister and I spent yesterday evening celebrating the 91st birthday of film actor Christopher Lee, best known for his portrayal of Dracula  and many other roles as well as being innovative.  Just see this brief list.

And besides being a Bond villian he is directly decended from Charlemane and is a cousin to Ian Flemming who originally wanted Lee to play the part of "Dr. No".  He was in the group picture of the album cover for Wing's "Band on the Run" album and many other things that are too numerous to list.

My sister and I nearly swooned when he told Johnny Depp in "Dark Shadows" to take a long walk off a short pier in his perfect precise diction.  His body of film work is so numerous that he could easily walk circles around other actors.  At one of the awards programs he was given a standing ovation.  And he was in not only the "Dark Shadows" movie but also the headless horseman one (title I can't remember) with Johnny Depp.  He's been in murder mysteries, Science Fiction, Westerns, horror films, spy adventures, documentaries, and he was a good friend of Peter Cushing.

Years ago, when I and my sister were finally given permission to date boys, Mother and Dad always had reservations about where we were going on our dates, and would give us a long litany of what to be careful about, a long, long litany of all the tricks and ruses boys would do to try and get even near "3rd base". 

BUT for some reason we never got it if we were going to a movie that was starring Christopher Lee.  WHY??  Well let me give you an example:

One of the young boys that I was dating was old enough to own and drive a car, which for our parents was scary enough, so I was warned about underage drinking and if my date started drinking strong spirits I was to find a telephone and call Dad immediately and Dad would come and get me.   Only once did I have to resort to that, and I never dated that boy again.   Mother also made sure that I had pinned to my bra, coins for a telephone call and money for a taxi and tokens for bus fare (yes Darklings we use to have special bus tolkens, if we found one on the street that was like finding a dollar for us), so we never were stranded and if a boy was going to drive us to a "necking spot" we'd say we were hungry and ask to stop at an "A & W driven in" for a hamburger and then I'd pretend I'd have to go to the bathroom and instead call Dad.

Once I had a very determined young date who insisted on going to the "necking spot" first and then eat, I wasn't having any of that, I told him to first pull over and park the car I needed a light to see to get something out of my purse, I was fortunate that he did that on a well-lighted street; when he did I quickly reached over, turned off the engine and pulled out the key and threw it out of the car.  I then got out and dashed to a house with a porch light on and called my Dad.  I was very greatful for the elderly couple that understood my situation and to the husband that chased off my agressive date and called the police who had a very serious talking to that young man.

Needless to say both my sister and I didn't have many dates so we were not part of the so-called "popular" crowd, but we both made important contacts and became friends with young men and women who were not part of that group and whose peers thought they were "nerds".  Many of these "nerds"  in their later years became very influential and made money and my sister and I were very grateful for their friendship.

But back to Christopher Lee----

I did on serveral occasions have young men take me to a drive-in movie but I'd always ask first what was showing, and check to see who was in the film.

I was selective about which films and more often than not say no.

When my date would pick me up Mother and Dad would ask where we were going and I'd tell them where and what movie, they'd ask who was in the movie and if I said "Christopher Lee" they would just say "O.K. have fun" and nothing more was said.

Why?

Because Christopher Lee would be in the movie, when my date would make like an 8 to 10 arm octopuss I'd always say "Wait Christopher Lee is on screen" and push my date away and be totally mesmerized by Mr. Lee.

I'd have to say that the gentleman saved mine and my sister's virtue more than once.

So we had last night a Christopher Lee Film Festival with first "Horror of Dracula" followed by "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" and then with Lee being a good guy pair with Peter Cushing in "Horror Train" with Telly Savalas in a fun role.

And Peter Cushing, also an elegant man who could play villians and heros equally well.

I mean who else besides Christopher Lee, could verbally "bitch-slap" Darth Vadar.

I wept when I heard he had passed on.

Both Lee and Cushing were in Laurence Oliver's "Hamlet"  Lee as a guard with a speaking role who first see's the ghost and Cushing as the fop, "Osric".   Although not in the same scene, in the same movie.

They both can, as my brother (who is also a Lee/Cushing Fan) "kick butt".

But let us not forget Vincent Price, and his accomplishments, actor, art conissure, gourmet cook, author, lecturer, and scary voice in Michael Jackson's "Thriller".

What, my Darklings, do all three of these gentlemen have?

Class, elegance, knowledge, and More Class

Something that I wish more of our young people had.

And that is also another thing that young Goths, whether they are heavy metal, steampunk, Victorian, or Corporate should always, ALWAYS have no matter at what age, is Class, Courtesy,and Compassion, what I call the "Three C's"

So with this final image, Remember my Dear Darklings, the Three C's.

Their birthdays were very close together, (Vincent Price May 27, 1911, Peter Cushing May 26, 1913, Christopher Lee May 27, 1922) so I propose that the last weekend in May be Lee, Cushing and Price weekend---plan on Gothic Horror Film Festivals in the evening starting at 6 p.m., with costume contests, and O.K. BBQ's during the day and Gothic items for sale (O.K. that is a bit commercial) but also to display one's hearse or Goth car as well as lectures about the Horror films and novels, and about the history of monsters, and how they creep into our subconsious mind and what do they represent and WHY DO WE LOVE THEM SO!!!

As a matter of fact, I am going to propose this to my sister, brother and Doyle that we plan on something of this sort---Halloween in May!! as well as October----Do you think that would "fly" my Darklings???

Later Darklings