Macbeth (or The Tragedy of Macbeth) by Roman Polanski.
A most powerful, vital adaptation of The Scottish Play.
An epic, inventive, and heart-breaking story of ambition.
"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes..."
- The Weird Sisters
Fun fact:
There is a good reason why TMNT is one of the most successful franchises of all time, because it got off to a really good start. It was produced independently by Eastman and Laird using money from a tax refund and a loan from Eastman's uncle. The original Ninja Turtles comic remains one of the grittiest, striking, and memorable comics I have ever read. Before the turtles became pop culture reference spewing goofballs, they were badass, red bandana wearing, merciless ninjas who eliminated their enemies often swiftly and quietly. In the original run, the turtles killed Shredder at least three times.
The comic was a huge eye opener for me. It was the first time I ever realized how different adaptations can be from their source material. That comic encouraged me to go back and read all the books and comics that all of my favorite movies and tv shows were based on (a pursuit I have continued to this very day).
True scary story:
In 1800s London, a surgeon named Robert Liston became somewhat of a local celebrity through his use of brute force and speed when performing operations, skills that were vital to the survival of a patient before anesthesia was discovered. Liston could remove your leg in less than 30 seconds and to keep both his hands free, he would hold the bloody knife between his teeth while working (tasty).
But just because Liston was good didn't mean he was perfect. One time, he accidentally sliced off his patient's bollock along with the leg he was amputating. Legends say his biggest mess up though happened when he worked so quickly, he cut off three of his assistant's fingers and while switching blades sliced through a spectator's coat. Both the assistant and the patient later died of gangrene and the unfortunate bystander died on the spot from fright. If the stories are true, that would mean this is the only surgery in history with reported 300% fatality rate.
So yeah, this surgeon killed three people in one operation.
Where you can go on the ride of your afterlife.
"Conan Man-Ape" by Frank Frazetta.
Satanism and Witchcraft: The Classic Study of Medieval Superstition by Jules Michelet.
Originally published in Paris as "La Sorcière ("The Sorceress"): The Witch of the Middle Ages" in 1862.
A turning point on the 19th century politics and perception surrounding witchcraft.
Fun Fact:
Before Victor Frankenstein created his infamous monster and sparked the debate over man's right to create artificial life, a 16th century Jewish mystic called the Maharal invoked the names of God to give life to clay. This created a golem with superhuman strength and loyalty that guarded the mystic's community from persecution in medieval Prague. The golem also wore an amulet that gave it the power to turn invisible and summon dead witnesses whose testimonies were considered totally valid in Prague's court and used to prove the innocence of people who judges were biased against. The problem with the golem is that although it was animated, it couldn't speak, had no free will and took instructions way too literally, causing it to do things like chop down entire forests when asked to get firewood. And one night, the golem was feeling lonely and neglected, so it rampaged through town, attacking the innocent people it was supposed to protect. This forced the mystic to remove one letter from the Hebrew inscription of "emét", changing the meaning from "truth" to "death" and rendering his creation lifeless.
The story started so positive too...
Girlhood (French: Bande de filles, lit. "Group of Girls") by Céline Sciamma.
Sleeping Beauty (1959).
Based loosely on Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale with a number of elements from Peter Tchaikovsky's ballet, including the title, "Sleeping Beauty", the entire musical score, as well as the princess's name, Aurora.
One of my all-time favorite Disney films (along with Fantasia). Sleeping Beauty is a great movie. It's a really simple story, but the art direction and music are really amazing. I mean the art is so unique and beautiful, I can't overstate that enough. No other Disney production really mimics it. The Forbidden Mountain feels like a real place, they totally nailed the mood with this one.
Best character in the movie would have to be Maleficent, the Mistress of All Evil. She looks pretty much like most goth girls. In fact, there's strong evidence to suggest that Maila Nurmi, more commonly known as "Vampira", was used as a live-action reference for the animation. The character is just so sinister and Eleanor Audley's voice is so expressive. She even has a pet raven named "Diablo" (the Spanish word for "devil"), I mean, how much more goth can she be?
L'Homme qui rit, The Man Who Laughs: A Romance of English History (or By Order of the King/On the King's Command) by Victor Hugo.
A poignant, profound and tragic story.
One of my top ten.
Donkey Skin (French: Peau d'Âne; also known in English as Once Upon a Time and The Magic Donkey) by Jacques Demy.
Based on "Donkeyskin", a 1695 fairy tale by Charles Perrault.
This film has the gentle magic and unforgettable images of the classical fairy tales.
20s. A young tachrán who has dedicated his life to becoming a filmmaker and comic artist/writer. This website is a mystery to me...
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