Unholy Testament – Full Circle – review

Author: Carole Gill

Release date: 2013

Contains spoilers

The Blurb: All of the hideous secrets of Blackstone House and its inhabitants are revealed in this, the third book in The Blackstone Vampires Series.

Rose Baines continues to be held captive by the demon Eco (Unholy Testament - The Beginnings) and must read the rest of his journal which is a confession of all of his sins.

The rest of the journal focuses on the characters that have haunted Rose's living life and undead existence. But primarily, Eco's journal tells of the sick and twisted obsession he has had for Blackstone House's former mistress, evil and debauched Eve Darton.

This is gothic horror at its darkest. Eco's lustful relationship with Eve is told against the backdrop of aristocratic devil rites, both in England and France, including satanic sacrifices; continuing to the Great Fire of London 1666. Along the way there are plagues, vampire destroyers and witch hunts and of course vampires!

Human evil and supernatural evil are explored in detail. There are Resurrection men who supply a necrophile doctor. Every vice and evil is examined including the hideous truth of Rose's father and the reasons he murdered her family.

Every evil that Rose Baines was subjected to is closely examined as are those who committed the worst sins against her.

This is not light reading and although there is romance within the story, the darkness that surrounds it is relentless.

The review: First a disclaimer, Carole Gill is a friend on Facebook but, as always, I will try and be honest and balanced in my review.

This is the third book in the Blackstone series and continues on exactly where book 2 left off. The majority of the book is the testament by, and the confession of, the demonic creature Eco. A true vampire, child of a fallen angel.

This testament introduces other characters including Vlad Ţepeş (not a vampire) and Count Dracula (who is a vampire and a different person). It also looks at the events from Book 1 from a different viewpoint.

However something within the book didn’t gel for me. The testament is being read by Rose as she is held on a ship. The reasoning behind this is so that she might generate a sympathy for Eco (we are led to believe). However there is another agenda and this comes to a head at the end of the book but that ending just seemed rushed to me. We had spent so long immersed in Eco’s past that the events in the book’s present seemed to be resolved very quickly and I feel that the final section of the book needs expanding, it needs drawing out and motivations need exploring (to be fair motivations might be explored in book 4).

It is a shame but it did mar the book for me at the end. 6 out of 10.

Angel – seasons 1- 5 – review

Director: Various

First Aired: 1999-2004

Contains spoilers

The internet can be a hostile place, mainly down to the fact that people are offered a voice and can use that voice anonymously and without responsibility. I say this because some time ago I developed a case of the trolls (or, more probably, troll in the singular). Hiding behind a mask of anonymity this person attacked me for my reviews of the series Forever Knight (go check the comments, if you like, on season 2 and season 3). Now I will defend this person’s right to disagree with me but the person made some fundamental errors.

Angel, beloved of pin-sized brains?

Firstly he (his gender assumed on the basis of how he addressed me) supposed I was female (calling me a “dumb broad” and a “bitch”), secondly he attacked my spelling (there are going to be both spelling and grammatical errors on the blog but I suspect the troll was American, it wouldn’t be the first time an American commentator has failed to realise that there are internationally two primary forms of English spelling), tied in with this was the troll’s inability to spin a coherent sentence together at times and lastly he told me to “go back to watching Angel for that's all your pin sized brain can grasp”.

hang around, review coming

The last bit was amusing as I had not reviewed the Angel series at that point. I will now and explain to my more coherent readers exactly why it has taken so long. Essentially it is because I prefer to watch and review, rather than think back on a series not watched for years. We had the Angel series on VHS but recently it appeared cheaply as a five season DVD box-set and so it was purchased, duly watched and now is being reviewed.

an Orlock-a-like

Angel (David Boreanaz, Macabre Pair of Shorts), of course, was the titular character of the series and had first appeared as a recurring character in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Angel had been the evil vampire Angelus who, having fed upon a gypsy girl, was cursed to have a soul, feels guilt and is trying to make up for his past. He began this by helping Buffy but they fell in love and he experienced a moment of perfect happiness that stripped his soul away again. In the other series he was re-ensouled, killed (by Buffy) and then restored to his undeath existence. His subsequent split from Buffy saw this series begin. Essentially he becomes a champion, helping the helpless.

Gunn and Fred

Other characters from Buffy appear and disappear in guest appearances, but some have a more permanent appearance including Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter, Lost Boys: the Thirst), Wesley (Alexis Denisof) and, having made a cameo in a season 1 episode, a reformed (and also vampire with a soul) Spike (James Marsters, Smallville: Thirst). Other main good-guy characters were half-demon, and conduit to the powers-that-be, Doyle (Glenn Quinn) who was in season 1 only, musical empath Lorne (Andy Hallett), science-nerd and survivor of a Hell dimension Fred (Amy Acker) and street-wise vampire slayer Gunn (J. August Richards).

Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia

Whilst the primary “big bad” changed season on season the constant factor was evil law firm (aren’t they all) Wolfram and Hart, the senior partners of which were demons in another dimension. They were aware of a prophecy that stated the vampire with a soul was a major player in the apocalypse, though whether that was for good and evil was unknown. Of course the appearance of Spike skewed that somewhat. The machinations of Wolfram and Hart on Earth were represented (early on) by two young lawyers, Lindsey (Christian Kane) and Lilah (Stephanie Romanov).

Blood Demon form

The vampire lore had been established in Buffy but we did get visual confirmation (on at least two occasions) that the turning process involved an exchange of blood. The vampires were soulless and incorporated blood demons into their makeup. When Angel travels to the Hell dimension Pylea he finds that the laws of meta-physics have changed. The sun does not cause him to combust but when he “vamps out” he doesn’t just develop a vampire face but turns fully into a blood demon. This then is the vampire’s true form. Angel’s sire Darla (Julie Benz) is returned from the dead and she and Angel conceive a child. This is impossible for two vampires and she has to stake herself to give birth.

James Marsters as Spike

The series started in a way that seemed (on re-watch) rather cheap, in season 1 at least, but the effects did improve. Each season had a moment of meandering from time to time but overall each season became gradually stronger and stronger. On my original viewing the final season felt weaker, mainly because the team took over Wolfram and Hart and the premise felt awkward. Having looked at the season again, I realised that I rather liked what they did with it. Indeed my favourite three moments in the series came from season 1 and season 5 respectively. In season 1 we see (a still evil) Spike watching Angel and his soliloquy (or commentary of Angel’s actions) shows just why Spike was such a popular character in both series.

Puppet Angel

The first season 5 highlight saw Angel cursed and turned into a puppet, complete with removable felt nose. This was a throw-away episode but showcases the comedy that the writers were able to inject into the series (and Buffy). It is also an example of vampiric puppet – a rare occurrence – and this puppet can morph into his vampire face. The second highlight from season 5 involved Numero Cinco (Danny Mora).

Numero Cinco

We had seen the luchador walking the corridors of Wolfram and Hart delivering mail but discover that he was a hero, one of a family of luchadores who fought evil. His brothers were killed by an Aztec demon and he gave up on being a hero but the demon has returned. It was great to see a nod to the Mexican wrestling movie. Of course Angelus had to reappear at some point in the full run of 5 seasons, indeed the threat of Angel losing his soul was a factor throughout the show. In many respects I felt that Angel was much darker than its parent show but perhaps didn’t generate the same level of chemistry between the leads.

It was worth, to me, sitting through the lot again. Some of the series has failed to age that well but, overall, it still has a lot to offer. Of course, according to the troll, that just proves that I have a pin-sized brain but I’m happy whilst he is sad and twisted, so that’s okay. 6.5 out of 10 for the five seasons in total.

The imdb page is here.

Eldren: The Book of the Dark – review

Author: Willie Meikle

First published: 2007

Contains spoilers

The Blurb: Two boys in the West of Scotland awaken an ancient vampire. And the only way to stop it is in the power of a book—a bible detailing the dark religion of the Eldren. But time is running out, and the sun is getting low.

Are you afraid of the dark?

You will be.

The review: In March this year I reviewed the Vampire Bible by Willie Meikle, a reimagining and rewritten version of the old testament. The idea was that before Adam, God created Yorah and Eriah and forbade them to eat the flesh of animals. Eriah is tempted by the serpent to drink the blood of a lamb, as it is not the flesh, and then she frenziedly attacks her mate; his spilt blood creating the Eldren – or vampires.

For us, the biblical story remains the same, this is extra – rather than totally alternative – mythology and passages that would later make up parts of the Vampire Bible are also part of Eldren, though in the main it is a modern day story of the vampires.

There are actually three types of vampire – Eldren (split philosophically into those who keep the tenants of God and those who worship the serpent), and then humans who have been turned. These are sub-divided into two distinct types, intelligent ones (some of whom hunt the Eldren themselves) and other ones who are more animal than anything, tied to the will of the Eldren who created them.

Practical lore sees the vampires unaffected by religious paraphernalia (in terms of the Christian church but there is a Hebrew exorcism that seems to work), they have reflections but they must avoid sunlight and garlic. A stake through the heart, beheading and a garlic clove in the mouth (if they haven’t turned to dust) are the order of the day (a stake in the heart seems to incapacitate but when removed they come around again). They can create powerful illusions as they feed to keep the victim docile. There is a scene where a pregnant woman is fed upon, her baby is born vampiric and dies in the sun.

The book itself is a good, old fashioned horror. The prose is as you would expect for a good horror novel and the story sees the rapid fall of a town as vampirism takes over. 8 out of 10.

An Irish Vampire In Hollywood – review

Director: Pegarty Long

Release Date: 2007

Contains spoilers

Oh Lordy, Lordy… I won’t go on about how the DVD cover is not representative of the film (though I could go on about how much better the film might have been if it resembled the cover). I won’t go on about the title being pretty much at odds with the actual film – though the original title of the Irish Vampire goes West wasn’t much better. No.

Instead I will go on to ask whether filmmakers think the public are terminally stupid or whether they actually believe the crap they write. A little brutal? Not when you read the three (at time of this review) user reviews on IMDb (and the similar reviews on Amazon). Now, I fully accept that everyone has different tastes but the three 10 point reviews on IMDb are clearly by people associated with the film and no one with an ounce of honesty could give it 10 points – no matter how generous.

what big nails you have

The reviews liken it to The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, or suggest it contains the magic of poetry or that it is a film of humour and mystery. The filmmakers are either seriously deluded or dishonest as they sell this. My thoughts are drawn to Ed Wood but the charm of his films were in the fact that he genuinely believed in them. I hope that it is the case with this despite the distinct lack of charm.

feed

What is it about. A legend informs us, “When Dr. O’Nosital (Vincent Coppola), a scientist who had dedicated his life to destroying vampires, accidentally developed a serum that would allow the Vampire to walk the day and rule the world, the Vampire decided to take the doctor’s most precious gifts… his daughters, to use as leverage for the serum. And so Vanquo (Chris Payne Gilbert, Pearblossom & Moonlight), Irish Vampire, poet-sucking artist sucking Creature of the night, travelled in the cloak of darkness to America.” The first meeting we have with Dr. O’Nosital tells us much of what we need to know about the film; it is a god-awful moment of film-making best forgotten.

the party

Vanquo goes to America and gate crashes a dinner party hosted by sisters Manananaan (Philomene Long) and Mara (Pegarty Long). We are treated to the most God-awful poem about Ireland and then Manananaan is kidnapped… though we would be hard pushed to realise so as the film vanishes into its own pretentious faux-art film mode. Essentially, thereafter, Mara goes to Ireland to rescue her sister and wanders around fairly aimlessly plaintively calling Manananaan as her sister screeches Mara (she’s been turned, or half turned, or whatever).Occasionally fairies warn of vampires and generally little happens.

Manananaan

Now, I am not being ageist but assuming this was filmed in 2007 the sisters were 67. This makes them possibly older than their on screen father and one has to wonder at the two vampires (as there is also good vampire, and brother to Vanquo, Malachi (Declan Geraghty)) who seem to romantically fall for the sisters. Of course they did, this is undoubtedly a vanity project on their part. Badly shot and badly acted – except for Chris Payne Gilbert who tries to make a silk purse from the sow’s ear of a script. There is little story (snippets of events such as the mad scientist father making a creature occur but, in that case, it is more Rocky Horror – sans comedy and genius – than Mary Shelley), little happens and I can’t really go on as there is nothing to commend this film.

1 out of 10 is a much more honest score than the reviews on IMDb but, should you want to read them the imdb page is here.

Honourable Mentions: Revenants

The Blurb: “When the damned calls out to the avenger;
“When the Stone missing from the Tomb of Tanneguy is found again;
“Treguern, three times dead, will be resurrected.

“The Prophecy of Treguern.”

1800, On the windswept moors of Brittany, renegade priest Gabriel Le Brec and Fihol de Treguern embark on a scheme to defraud an insurance company by faking the death of the latter. This sets in motion a danse macabre of murders, betrayals, people who change their names, lost birth certificates, false testimonies an Ann Radcliffe romance, a Miltonian struggle between Good and Evil and an impossible phantasmagoria of living men who pretend to be dead and dead men who return to claim vengeance.

The Mention: This is a novel, originally printed piecemeal in 1852, by French author Paul Féval, who is a favourite of Taliesin Meets the Vampires. Other works by Féval that we have looked at are The Vampire Countess, Knightshade and Vampire City . Now, all those books had (at least the belief in) vampires.

Revenants are the restless dead. Arguably they are another form of vampire (or the vampire is a sub-group of revenant), however the primary trait of the vampire (from the 18th century Vampire Panics) was the sucking of blood – an assumption as many of the attacks actually focused on asphyxiation but the presence of blood at the mouth etcetera, when the vampire was exhumed, was taken as proof of blood drinking. Conversely revenant myths would often not mention blood drinking (though there are exceptions where blood is mentioned in myth).

In this case the revenant seems to be simply restless dead, indeed the first occurrence in text is actually one who was still alive but had faked his death. Later in the book (as the time frame jumps to the 1820s) there are several revenants who may be fakes or may be the restless dead. Translator Brian Stableford, in his notes, suggests that there is only one instance of a definitely (or probably) real revenant.

The revenant aspect might be of genre interest enough to earn a honourable mention in its own right. However vampires are mentioned in passing as well. Commander Malo, a warrior priest, is said to be familiar with vampires from Poland, Hungary, Moravia and Silesia.

Also interesting is a discussion about the play The Vampire, referring to the play by Nodier based on Polidori’s The Vampyre. It was a runaway success in 1820, as the story suggests, but Stableford points out that it was having revived success in 1852 too. The character Gabriel de Feuillans is likened in text to the vampire of the play. In truth he is a man who will kill for money, rather than blood.

I enjoyed the book, despite some holes born out of the piecemeal writing style, and it deserves to be looked at as, at least, something of genre interest.