Rob Zombie's "The Lords of Salem"

THE LORDS OF SALEM is Rob Zombie's latest entry in the horror genre, after his less than successful remake of HALLOWEEN and its sequel. This film is about a radio DJ who triggers a curse on the town of Salem created by four real witches that were secretly killed back in 1692 at the same time many innocents lost their lives for claims of witchcraft. Check out the trailer below, along with some more info-- I especially recommend reading the review from TIFF.

"Where the living relax among the dead"

This article from an African news aggregator popped up in my special "Librarian of the Dead" section in Google News. It's an opinion piece someone wrote about a cemetery in Aberdeen, Scotland. It's not exactly well-written, but it thankfully says something many cemetery enthusiasts, myself included, have been saying for a long, long time.

"Graveyard Where the Living Relax Among the Dead"

Supernatural Sleuths from NERDIST

Today Nerdist put out a list of supernatural detectives from comics, if you're looking for something new to read in that genre I'd have a look. I've read many, but not all of the HELLBLAZER trades and love them. I really should read HELLBOY, since the movies already made me a fan. I'm not familiar with the other three, so they are fertile ground for new Librarian of the Dead reading material.

Merlin

Okay, this may a little bit of a stretch for my theme. But this is Arthurian legend, and Le Morte D'Arthur is a major piece of literature in that realm. So there is some twisty side logic that creates a link. Besides, the reason I started watching MERLIN in the first place was because I had read somewhere that it was similar to Buffy The Vampire Slayer. And BUFFY is highly relevant here, I will eventually talk about it a great deal.

Death Watch

I've really enjoyed some of the books and series coming out of YA Fiction these past few years, Twilight aside. I'm never touching that one. A couple of my personal favorites have been The Hunger Games and Beautiful Creatures, the former of course already made into a film and the latter well on its way. This book, Death Watch, came out last year but I'm only hearing about it for the first time:

"Critically acclaimed folklorist Ari Berk explores the worlds of the living and the dead, and the relationships between parents and children in an novel steeped in lore, mystery, and magic." Barnesandnoble.com

Sounds right up my alley, but check out the review in Publisher's Weekly to help you decide for yourself.

Bronswood Cemetery

I belong to a special category of nerd that has an affinity for cemeteries and gravestone art. No, the word you're looking for isn't "goth." Don't let my predilections fool you, I'm far too much of a Poindexter to belong to that subculture. In my case the correct term would be a "taphophile."

The appeal of a cemetery to a taphophile has nothing to do with image, being morbid, or the idea of a burial ground as Spooksville USA. I don't visit them to lie around on top of graves in tragic poses or commune with the spirits of the departed. As fascinating as I do find ghost stories, I mostly go for the same reasons I would go to a museum. For the art, history and a large helping of philosophical reflection. Cemeteries do not make me feel the least bit morbid. In fact, I find them soothing and inspiring. I feel connected to something bigger while walking among the dead. Take from that what you will.

Top 5 Horror 30-Second Bunny Cartoons

I've been a big fan of Angry Alien Productions' "30 Second Bunnies Theatre" for a long time. If you've never seen one before, they boil down movies into a 30 second, bunny-starring cartoon, often with hilarious results. Lucky for me, quite a few of the films they've tackled have been horror movies. In no particular order, my top five are:

Sales from the Crypt

 Ever since Halloween I've been on a bit of a Simpsons bender. After watching a few Treehouse of Horrors in celebration of the holiday I remembered why I love the show so much. I've even been listening to a bunch of commentaries, which I highly recommend if you're a fan. It's interesting and informative to be sure, but what makes them so good is how entertaining they are. Watch for ones that include special guests! I've been using the TV Audio Commentary Database to pick and choose which commentaries I listen to.

Film Review: THE DIVIDE

Given my attraction to all things scary, it may come as little surprise that I’ve suffered from nightmares all of my life. A relative few have been what I refer to as “apocalypse dreams.” They started when I was in grade school, and while they don’t come often, they are the most vivid, realistic and terrifying dreams I’ve ever had. Once in college, I refused to leave my room for the entire next day because the physical panic of that dream would not let go of me.

Despite that fear, I’m a sucker for apocalypse stories. This speaks volumes about my pattern of fascination with the things that scare me the most.

Good Evening...

It only took me twenty-something years of being a creepy weirdo and five years of being a degree-carrying librarian to come up with this one.

Simply put, I love all things dark and scary plus a few things that I don’t think are dark and scary but may sound a bit odd without a proper explanation. Especially in light of all the dark and scary.

So welcome to a collection from beyond the grave, all that which fires my synapses and puts a chill down my spine. As your host on this ghastly exploration of the macabre, just call me: Librarian of the Dead!