The Writing on the Wall

On this great day of all things creepy, many of us will be preparing to enjoy a haunted evening. As the Midnight hour approaches, many others will be preparing for something just as terrifying: NANOWRIMO.

Each year, starting on November first, tens of thousands of writers strive to achieve a frightening goal. They hope to pen a short novel (50,000 words) in only 30 days. Many horror writers can be found within this brave legion.

And so, as 12:01 approaches, I'd like to salute the fine men and women of NANOWRIMO. They do quite a lot to keep the future of literature bright--and the light of literacy is one thing that should never go dark.

Why not visit them, even if you don't have an author inside you trying to claw its way out. They appreciate the attention to their cause, and a donation is always welcome.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat

Here we have a little gem from 1990 or so. The writing and acting might make you chuckle now and then, but that's fine. It was intended as a comedy.

The humor is corny at times, and I've seen soap operas with better drama. I don't think Director Anthony Hickox considers this his best work, but the cast probably stands out in his memory. Some of the best cult film thespians, like Bruce Campbell and David Carradine, do their best to lift this tale out of low budget stagnation. I would go so far as to say the recently departed David Carradine would have made his equally famous father John proud. John Carradine, like David, took on all sorts of roles, but did his best work adding a touch of class to an otherwise common film.

The concept is simple, the leader of the vampires (Carradine) has purchased an old ghost town and fixed the place up. Here, he hopes to keep his brethren away from most of mankind while they work on a blood substitute. Before he can perfect his plan and stop being such a leech on society, the blood serum refinery experiences some troubles. Complicating matters, about half of his followers have decided they miss the thrill of hunting for their own food.

I can't tell you much more without giving away what few surprises the movie contains. You'll have to see things for yourself, and you should. Especially take note of the speech Carradine makes near the middle of the film. Go into it knowing the whole thing was done in a single take. That might not seem like much to the average viewer, but the folks in movieland know better.

In this Spectator's opinion, Sundown is a cult classic that deserved a bigger audience. It was, perhaps, overshadowed by other films during the original release, but I expect it will find new life on DVD.

Farewell, David. Say hello to your father for me. You are both missed.