text:
New treatments for neurological disorders
Tuesday 1 November 2005
Otago research points to new
treatments for neurological disorders
-University researchers discover new mechanism protecting motor neurons -
A major discovery about a protein’s previously unsuspected role in maintaining vital nerve cells in the brain may lead to new treatments for a range of debilitating neurological conditions, according to University of Otago researchers.
The Otago researchers’ findings, published today in one of the world’s leading science journals, may also offer new clues to gender-specific differences in such conditions and in male and female brains generally.
Until now, the only important role the protein, known as MIS, had been thought to play was in the development of the reproductive anatomy of male embryos, says Associate Professor Ian McLennan, who leads the University’s Neuromuscular Research Group in collaboration with Dr Kyoko Koishi.
“Our finding that the adult motor neurons of both sexes produce MIS, as well as the proteins that enable its use, indicates that it plays an important role in regulating these vital brain cells, without which we couldn’t move or breathe,” says Associate Professor McLennan.
The discovery that mature neurons respond to MIS raises the possibility that it can be used as a drug to treat some neurological conditions which are currently incurable, he says.
The University’s commercialisation company, Otago Innovation Ltd (OIL), has now filed a number of patents in areas relating to the discovery and is currently looking for industry partners to pursue possible treatments.
OIL Commercialisation Manager Hamish Findlay says “this is exciting technology with potential to bring huge clinical benefits”.
“There are, however, many years of research and trials to go before a treatment is available for any neurological disorder,” he added.
The research may also cause a rethink of current understandings on the different structure of male and female brains, says Associate Professor McLennan.
“We also discovered that MIS prevents embryonic motor neurons from dying, indicating that it could affect embryonic brain development. As only male embryos’ brains are exposed to the substance, this raises the possibility that some aspects of the male brain are a by-product of MIS, rather than of androgens such as testosterone,” he says.
The exploration of sexual differences in the brain is important, both to fully appreciate our biology and because there are unexplained differences in the ways that many neurological and psychiatric conditions affect males and females, he says.
The research, which was supported by the “blue-skies” Marsden Fund, appears in the November 1 issue of the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (US) journal.
Background Notes to release
During the 1st week of November 2005, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) will publish a paper from the Neuromuscular Research Group. The Proceedings is one of the most prestigious scientific journals, and one of the few to publish papers from all scientific disciplines.
The paper is entitled “Mullerian Inhibiting Substance Acts as a Novel Motor Neuron Survival Factor in vitro” and is authored by Pei-Yu Wang1, Kyoko Koishi1, Andrew B. McGeachie1, Michael Kimber1, David T. MacLaughlin2, Patricia K. Donahoe2 & Ian S. McLennan1. 1Neuromuscular Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, University of Otago and 2Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School.
Motor neurons are the neurons that activate skeletal muscles, enabling us to move and to breathe.
Müllerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) is a protein that belongs to the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily of proteins. Cells use this family of proteins to signal to each other, enabling them to co-operate to form tissues and/or to regulate the activities of spatially-separated portions of the body. Their roles are similar to protein hormones such as insulin.
MIS is a “famous” protein whose actions were thought to be limited to the reproductive system. Male and female embryos are initially morphologically identical. Male embryos have all of the precursors of female-specific tissues whereas females initially produce the precursors of male-specific structures. The development of male features is under the control of MIS and testosterone.
The brain is structurally the most complex tissue in the body. Its structure and function are created and regulated by inter-cellular regulators. The majority of the regulators have been identified and are being extensively studied due to their role in brain diseases. At least some of them are potential therapeutic agents for degenerative conditions of the brain and/or psychiatric conditions.
What have we
We have discovered that motor neurons in adult mice of both sexes produce MIS, as well as the proteins that enable them to respond to MIS. This implicates MIS as a new regulator of the adult brain, whose function possibly includes stimulating co-operation between neighbouring motor neurons.
We have also shown that MIS can prevent embryonic motor neurons from dying in vitro. This suggests that MIS is part of the mechanism that maintains the motor portions of the brain.
Why is this important.
The discovery that mature neurons may be responsive to MIS raises the possibility that MIS can be used as a drug to treat certain neurological conditions.
The role of MIS was thought to be limited to triggering the degeneration of the precursor of the uterus (womb), with all of the other male features being created under the control of testosterone. Our demonstration that MIS supports the survival of embryonic motor neurons (nerve cells) makes us wonder whether some aspects of the male brain are a by-product of MIS, rather than androgens such as testosterone.
The exploration of sexual differences in the brain is important, both to fully appreciate our biology and because there are unexplained gender-specific difference in the incidences of many neurological and psychiatric conditions.


text:
A Blog by Jill Adams: A Study in Refining Self through Creativity, Faith, Reflection, Writing, & Sharing.
November 13, 2013
In the Kitchen at Eidolon: Fruity Chicken Salad
Joseph and I have been in the mood for fresh and delicious sandwiches lately; and whenever I crave fresh sandwiches I crave chicken salad! I have perfected my recipe for chicken salad and I want to share my recipe with you!

domain: food


text:
Ceramic Cup White Publish by Ninda in Category Ceramic Cup at 14/10/2018. Ceramic Cup White have 24 pictures of Ceramic Cup White , it's including images like: 1. stunning i u a lawyer not magician white ceramic mug products of site com cup popular and inspiration 2. astonishing drose angels walk on four paws fantasy winged cat art white image of site com ceramic cup style and trend 3. shocking egg cup pink rose white ceramic pottery brown wood base vintage pic of site com and style 4. incredible s u bone mug gifts for mom gorgeous site com ceramic cup white ideas and style 5. astonishing white ceramic cup oz adorned with black glaze squares make a image of site com styles and ideas
Ceramic Cup White picture is in category Ceramic Cup that can use for individual and noncommercial purpose because Most trademarks referenced here in are the properties of their respective owners. You may browse other picture of Ceramic Cup White inside our galleries below. If you want to see other picture, you can surf our other category. Having problem with Ceramic Cup White picture copyright? you can read our DMCA page in here and let us know at here with give to us any detail info you happen to be an owner for Ceramic Cup White picture.

domain: design


text:
Lisbon-based artist Zengxrl is warming up for the Summer Dock festival, skilfully juggling between the genres she loves through a flamboyant PAM club infused with contagious energy!
Based in Lisbon, the DJ of Angolese descent Zngxrl possesses a peculiar style. She focuses on amapiano, afrobeats, hip hop and baile funk in her sets. In just a year on the stage, her all-in-one performances have led her to share the bill with big names such as Branko, Major League DJz and Pedro Da Linha. Despite her young age in this industry, she has been personifying Lisbon’s new sound coming from the African diaspora and has nothing to envy to her peers, as she combines her refined selection with irresistible bangers and galvanising transitions, just like in this PAM Club. Modelling on the side, Zengxrl has worked for the likes of Calvin Klein, Obey or Fred Perry, reconciling the two worlds together as she sometimes plays in the after-parties of fashion events.
This self-accomplished artist will be one of the headliners at the Summer Dock festival that will take place Saturday 23 July at Dock B in Pantin, near Paris. For the occasion, she graces us with a soft rhythmic voyage throughout her current favourites “in the way of her brightly-coloured potpourri”. In this mashup-lile PAM Club, she cheerfully switches between a amapiano banger and a Kendrick Lamar song, making gqom and baile funk collide in the ring, and introducing batida/UK funky fusions, before catching us off-guard with a dancehall hit. Some heavy stuff!
1. Base de Samba (Surdo + Pandeiro + Tamborim)
2. Austin Marc – Chi Flip
3. Major League Djz – Straata
4. Caltonic SA feat. Sje Konka – Bambelela
5. MFR Souls feat. Major League Djz, Kamo Mphela & Bontle Smith – Amanikiniki
6. Theology HD – Mamas Love
7. Kendrick Lamar feat. Baby Keem – Family Ties
8. Family Ties (Frizzo edit)
9. Needed Loyalty (DJ Baysik remix)
10. Deekapz – Menina 2.0
11. DJ Cndo feat. Dj Lusiman – Yamnandi Into
12. DJ2 – Fire Song
13. Mina – Humpz
14. Jowaa – Okwe
15. Nídia – Melodie Glaçe
16. [FDT] – [N] – Pantera Cor de Rosa
17. Aminé & Mr Bim – Reel It In (Deekapz remix)
18. Murder He Wrote – Girl Riddim vs. Temperature
19. Mina – Meet Her Front Left
20. Kingdom feat. MS Mavy – My neck my back (baile remix)
21. Cajmere feat. JL O Único – Brighter Days (Deekapz edit)
22. Megabaile Do Areias feat. DJ Nardini, Clip DJ & MC GW – Pump up the Ritmo
23. Soulely – Satisfaction (baile edit)
24. Tokyo Drift (Larria remix)
25. Pinkpantheress – Just for me (Vandalized edit)
26. TNGHT feat. M.I.A. – Bad Goooorls (BAVR remix)
27. Upset – Tô Irado (Sango mix)
Zengxrl will be present at the summer festival “SUMMER DOCK” at the DOCK B (Pantin) on Saturday 23 July from 2pm to 12:30am, as part of a line-up of the most cutting edge Afro-electronic collectives right now. Info and tickets here.

domain: artistic


text:
Standing right in front of you,
Right where I used to be.
Memories all I can see,
Drifting in the sky.
And now you have to go,
But I’ll need you to know,
I love too much and so,
I have to say goodbye.
But it’s better to have loved and lost,
Than never to be loved at all.
I wish I could believe these words
While my lonely, oh so lonely, teardrops fall.
I wish I could believe these words,
While my lonely teardrops fall.


|Bali Arts Festival - Opening Ceremony|
|News - Cultural Events|
|Sunday, 17 June 2012 23:04|
Photos by Aryo Adhianto
On June 10 2012, the island of Bali celebrating the “Pesta Kesenian Bali”—or what we call "Bali Arts Festival"— for the 34th time since starting in 1978. Took place in The Monumen Perjuangan Rakyat Bali, at Renon, Denpasar, the Bali Arts Festival was opened by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and attended by thousands of people of Bali, as well as tourists, who enthusiastically welcomed a parade of various cultures from around the region on the island of Bali.


We are using the Invoice starter solution as our database for entering our PO's in the Payment info Popover, I want to modified to suit our needs.
I want to put in the choices "All items received" & "Forwarded to Accounting". How can I put my choices in the below formula:
IsEmpty ( Method ) ; "Set Payment Status" ;
$$PLATFORM = "Desktop" ; TextStyleAdd ( Status & " " & Date Payment ; Bold ) & ¶ & TextSize ( Method ; 12 ) ;
Status & " " & Date Payment & ¶ & TextSize ( " " & Method ; 16 )
Any Help is highly appreciated.
Thank you so much.


text:
What will be the best way to play new champion Akshan in LoL?
Jul 10, 2021
A new Sentinel of Light will soon enter League of Legends and he is already heavily debated in the community because of his unique mechanics.
Akshan will be the first marksman designed for the mid lane and will play a big role in the ongoing clash between the Sentinels of Light and the Black Mist. With the big in-game event Rise of the Sentinels coming up, Akshan will enter the game at the best possible time. Akshan’s abilities were recently revealed and put up for testing on the Public Beta Environment (PBE). This has gotten players to the keyboards in a hurry to try out the Rogue Sentinel and figure out how he works.
Here is an early look at how Akshan might end up being played when he gets released.
Akshan has a lot of damage but can he escape?
By the first glance of Akshan, it’s clear that he has a lot of damage in his kit and will be dangerous in team fights if he isn’t targeted. The way his Heroic Swing (E) will reset its cooldown when Akshan takes down an enemy champion makes him really dangerous if he gets to finish off squishy targets. On top of that, Akshan players will be very focused on killing enemies with the Scoundrel tag, to revive his own allies and enable his team to get big macro advantages.
To pop off in a team fight, it seems that Akshan will rely a lot on his abilities. His auto-attack range is fairly low and his attack speed ratio is even worse. Akshan won’t be one of those hyper carries that can fire off several shots each second in the late game. Instead, he will be relying on finding the right angles with his Heroic Swing and Comeuppance (R).
The consistent damage from Akshan will come from his Avengerang (Q), which will slice through targets if hit from a good angle. Akshan can also make use of his passive Dirty Fighting, but will in general be very reliant on abilities. If Akshan doesn’t hit his abilities, then he might be punished very hard in fights and skirmishes.
While many players are concerned that Akshan will be very overpowered, this might only be the case if he gets to snowball. The fact that Akshan has no crowd control or reliable mobility can be a problem. His Heroic Swing will help him get to safety in some cases but it won’t work anywhere on the map. Because of its interaction with terrain, Heroic Swing can easily be canceled if used in narrow paths. This makes Akshan extra valuable in the jungle, so Akshan players will have to choose fights carefully.
Could Akshan be viable in other roles?
Even though Akshan is designed to play in the mid lane, there’s no guarantee that it will end up that way. With recent champions like Viego and Gwen being played in three different roles than previously expected, there’s always a chance that players figure out how to utilize new champions in a completely different setting than first intended.
For Akshan, there’s no doubt that he will be viable as a mid laner and strong in certain matchups. With that said, there’s already a chance that players will be experimenting with the Rogue Sentinel in the top lane. In previous years, several marksmen have played in the top lane to deal with tanks and bruisers. These are champions like Vayne, Quinn, and Lucian, who have all been strong picks for the most confident individual players out there.
The same could be the case for Akshan, who can utilize his range to bully out champions in certain matchups. Akshan won’t be the marksman with the longest range or highest attack speed, so playing in top could be a good fit for Akshan as he can stay out of danger against certain melee champions.
If Akshan will be viable in top is still way too early to say, especially in a meta where mobile bullies like Gwen are often played in top. For Akshan to function in top, players might need to wait for a new tank or bruiser meta where immobile top laners are prioritized.
When does Akshan release in League of Legends?
As Akshan is currently being tested on the PBE for bugs and balancing issues, players can expect him to go live during patch 11.15. This will be the next LoL patch and it’s currently scheduled for Wednesday, July 21. Since Akshan is a brand new champion, it might take a few days after the patch hits before he will pop up in the store and be ready to play.
GTA 6 trailer accumulates over 60M views in less than a day
GTA 6 influencers are hooked on TikTok!
Dec 5, 2023

domain: game


text:
Need assistance? We hope you can find it right on our site. If not, no worries. Just fill in your information Contact Us
Get Frisky in the dark with this deluxe padded blindfold. Once you slide it over peering eyes, you will not believe how soft and comfortable it is! Made of durable Neoprene material so it will last for numerous play sessions. The ergonomic design is contoured to accommodate the natural curvature of the face and will not mess up make up. Being in the dark has never been this much fun!
Measurements: One size fits most
Material: Neoprene, Velcro
|Dimensions||7 x 3 in|
Molded front, perfect for sensory deprivation, can be used as a sleep mask


Disan Galiwango will stay at Express FC despite interest from KCCA if his and the club’s words are anything to trust.
The defender had earned interest from the Kasasiro and viewed as a direct replacement for Mustafa Kizza who is likely to exit Lugogo.
Despite KCCA being confident of acquiring the left back, he says he will stay at Wankulukuku.
“Success comes to those who are honest and confident in their endeavour. Am to stay at EXPRESS FOOTBALL CLUB
THANK YOU ALL,” Galiwango posted on his socials.
The confirmation was given ground by Express CEO Isaac Mwesigwa who revealed the player is still contracted at the club until 2022.
“I assure you Galiwango is not a free agent,” Mwesigwa told Daily Monitor yesterday, “He is our player contracted up to 2022. He is not going anywhere.”


text:
Credit cards and credit images containing "online"
Showing 6 free photos tagged with online
Computer keyboard with green credit report key and blue credit card concept for online credit reports
Keywords for these images
amazon angle app blue button buy cards cart computer concept credit dark green icon iphone key keyboard laptop now online padlock purchase report reports screen secure shopping visible
Clicking keywords will search within the current credit cards and credit category only. If you want to search all image galleries at once, please visit the image search page.

domain: finance


text:
During the 22-year term of prime minister mahathir bin mohamad (1981-2003), malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to the development of manufacturing, services, and tourism. Agenda 21 contents chapter paragraphs partners for sustainable development 271 - 2713 28 local authorities' initiatives in support of agenda 21 281 - 287. Free essays, research papers, term papers, and other writings on literature, science, history, politics, and more. On 17 july 2018, local2030 and the global taskforce of local and regional governments will co-host the second local action for global commitments event at the high-level political forum on sustainable development (hlpf. The prevailing film censorship laws in malaysia not only deal with all imported films, trailers and documentaries, but they also encompass the production and exhibition of local malay films a film censorship board was established to censor or ban films infringing any religious, cultural and moral values of the malaysian society, prior to.
The impact of new media on traditional mainstream mass media major newspapers have declared bankruptcy as several big city papers shut down, the malaysian. The latest news and headlines from yahoo news get breaking news stories and in-depth coverage with videos and photos yahoo movies uk we didn't recognize 'full scope' of russian. Essay on the impact of mass media on people the development of mass media was boosted mass media like films, television and press have particular glamour. Media, popular culture, and the american century influential essay takes stock of the market value of classic hollywood and changes in the development of.
See that the local newspaper carries a column on train timings so he we read papers in the morning, write on note books introduction to print media. The main advantage of mass media is its ability to reach a large population across many demographics, while the high cost to utilize it for messaging is a disadvantage millions of people receive news and entertainment from some form of mass media including television, radio and newspapers mass. Aeon is a magazine of ideas and culture we publish in-depth essays, incisive articles, and a mix of original and curated videos — free to all.
Mass media are distinguished from local media by the notion films are produced by world trends in freedom of expression and media development global. Essayoneday provides students with professionally written essays, research papers, term papers, reviews, theses, dissertations and more once you use essayoneday for your paper writing needs, you won't need to try any other services. A study on factors affecting the performance of smes there is successful historical evidence regarding the development of smes in malaysia, the development of the. The media and social problems douglas kellner hybridization of global and local cultures, with an expanding literature exploring the ways foundation to.
I - history and development of mass communications - lauriethomas lee in some cases, the media have become more global, local, interactive and personal in. Community development programme plays a very important role in rural reconstruction following are the main importance of community development project i) role in agricultural expansion: community development project has put a number of workers in form of grain sevaks and extension officers in each. Media or mass media encompasses a wide range of media technologies such as television, radio, film, newspapers, magazines and the internet to name a few. 14 advertising and media argumentative essay topics news, movies, magazines, social media, etc) affects society there's a ton of research on child.
Picturing a story: photo essay about a community, event or issue students shoot one roll of film for their photo essay integrate and evaluate content. Learn more about swm, a global company known for its product engineering, development, and manufacturing capabilities in engineered papers, films, nets, nonwovens, and more. Importance of freedom of press and media category: essays, paragraphs and articles , important india on august 31, 2013 by anurag roy freedom refers to the state of liberty, or right and privileged to speak and act according to one's own will. 20 important reasons to study the media by chris worsnop like history, because the media interpret the past to us show us what has gone into making us the way we are.
Children's book and media review (all journals) and local folks talk story about events in local lds history (all journals) selected papers in asian. Women and development, gender and technology, gender and media, psychology of sex and gender, gender equity, social policy, reproductive rights and technology, gender and sexual identity characteristics of global female leaders in the 21st century. Later sound was added to the films another major development was the radio evolution of mass media essay media towards mass audience has taken several leaps.

domain: sociology


text:
Walk PortlandOld Stone Cottage, Easton, Porltnad
Tel: Click Here for Phone Number
Discover the wonderful Isle of Portland with Walk Portland! Are you visiting Portland or the nearby areas this year? Book a Walk Portland Tour Guide to help you explore and enjoy this unique part of England. See Portland''s breathtaking sights, explore the rich past and present on the tour of your choice led by one of our local tour guides. All our walks can be booked on any day and our marine tours run on every weekend throughout the year. Our walking tours include the Portland Castles, our world famous stone quarries and two of the Islands'' prisons. What about our award winning Herbal Walk, or our Railway Walk following one of the most beautiful coastal rail routes in the UK?
Travel and Tourism Dorchester, Travel and Tourism DorsetTo add your free business listings see our Free Advertising page.
Walk Portland are listed in; Travel and Tourism Directory : Travel and Tourism in Dorset : Travel and Tourism in Dorchester : Dorset Business Directory : Dorchester Business Directory : Travel and Tourism Listings
Search for Travel and Tourism by Town - search for Travel and Tourism by County
Business Category Search, UK County Search and UK Post Town Search

domain: geography


text:
From Our Editors
Yerba Buena Collective supplies the best specialists in alternative medicine at their practice in San Jose. The alternative services offered at this clinic will help improve both your health and vitality. Curious about acupuncture? Try a professional service at Yerba Buena Collective and reap the benefits.
This clinic accepts walk-ins so that you never have to put your beauty emergencies on hold. The alternative methods at Yerba Buena Collective have left many patients satisfied with their care and recovery.

domain: health


text:
Unfortunately not much diving around Guiuan, Philippines… Too much dynamite fishing destroyed most of the coral and then the typhoon did the rest. Here’s a nice post on diving around Pearl Island.
Pearl Island before destruction from Typhoon Yolanda. Photo credits to http://www.fotocommunity.de von Herr Martin Schaublin. Danke viel mals!
An off-beaten site, I haven’t even heard or read about the spot and we only knew we were going there when we were already on the boat for our scheduled dives.
“Where do we go today? Asking in wonder our DM, whom we just met that morning.
“To Pearl Island!” He blurted briefly with no further description about the mysterious island.
It is just one of the islets off Guiuan, Eastern Samar and coming to this town was just a detour when Biliran province was just hit by typhoon. The lone dive shop in the province cancelled our weekend dives accordingly.
The morning skies was down cast and I was crossing my fingers the waters would be considerate enough for the dives. We were fortunate, Angel found a DM on the web…
View original post 575 more words

domain: hobby


text:
Recaptured elegance is displayed in homes from the original Phoenix town site. Located within the Heritage & Science Park are ... More
Historic Heritage Square
Recaptured elegance is displayed in homes from the original Phoenix town site. Located within the Heritage & Science Park are eight fully-restored residences listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Included is the Rosson House and Salt River Project's Silva House, a quaint 1900s bungalow. Both offer tours. Also featured is the Stevens House, built in 1901 and now better known as the Arizona Doll & Toy Museum. A farmers market is available seasonally on Thursdays. Credit cards are not accepted.
The best place to learn the history of the 48th state of the United States. Arizona Capitol Museum has permanent
exhibits that traces Arizona's roots as a territory and its transition to statehood. Some of the interesting sections to ...
Downtown Phoenix's hottest sports fixture is this immense masterpiece of engineering. Home to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the facility seats more
than 49,000 guests. It features a retractable roof that exposes the natural turf to sunlight. During the intense heat ...
Drive through one of largest parks in the United States that covers a staggering 16,500 acres (6677.3131 hectares). With many
lookout points, South Mountain Park, offers fantastic views of Phoenix and the surrounding valley. Summit Lookout is at 2,330 ...


text:
CBC Going Postal Floral Envelope Stamp Set. This clear mount stamp set contains 18 stamp images. This set does not contain dies but we do have matching die for this set. You can find the Going Postal Floral Envelope Die set on our website here.
This stamp set has been designed to work with our Pop Up Typewriter Die, our Postal Edge Die, our Just a note stamp, and our typed background stamp.
133 West Depot Street Suite 100, Perrysville, IN 47974
Sign up to get interesting news and updates delivered to your inbox.


text:
With millions of memes scattered across social media pages, there is one that shows up from time to time. All that consists of the meme is a photo of a logger truck making its way down a highway. The meme has been reused and edited multiple times, but the message being conveyed in it is the same. You’ve seen Final Destination 2 and know exactly what to do in this situation. You are going to keep your distance so that maybe you’re not a part of deaths plan today.
Death – The Ultimate Villain
It’s been twenty years since the opening scene of this film terrorized audiences’ psyche and made them more scared than ever to travel long distances down a highway. Final Destination 2 did for logging trucks what Jaws did for going to the beach. No matter where you rank the films in the franchise, the message they all give to the audience always hits well, you never know when Death is going to strike; it’s never clear who’s next and how you’re going to go out.
Building off of the original installment to the franchise. Final Destination 2 takes place a year after the events of the first one. Ushering in a new batch of survivors who cheated death. The formula is the same as the first. The main character, this time played by A.J. Cook, has the premonition of all her friends dying horribly in a freak highway car pile-up so she makes the choice to hold off on her trip down to Daytona Beach. The formula furthers itself as it gives you kill after kill of all who thought they could cheat death.
The film is composed of building block of near death experiences, and just when you look away and then look back at the screen is when death strikes.
Stacking up to the original
Of course, a sequel would try to outdo its predecessor in scale and overall cinematic experience; sometimes bigger isn’t always better and that is the case here. There are a lot more characters in the film than the first film. With a run time of only ninety minutes, it crams some of these characters into the story making their deaths not as impactful. You don’t get as emotionally invested in them. Some of the supporting role performances are lacking, and it is hard to tell if the actors are missing their mark or if the lines and direction they’re being given is just falling short.
The film’s leads do deliver, A.J. Cook, Michael Landes, and reprising her role from the original film, Ali Larter, all put the film on their backs and carry the exposition to make you feel the high stakes. It also needs to be acknowledged that the great Tony Todd is back in his cameo appearance. It’s a shame to say this time around it feels like he is there for fan service and just there to cram more exposition.
It still packs a punch, or rather a log through the windshield
With all that’s wrong with some of the film, there are still a lot of moments that deliver. The Final Destination franchise did for us what Saw would eventually do in the years to come. Nobody paid a ticket to see these movies for character arcs, and plot twists. As morbid as this sounds, audiences want to see somebody die in creative ways. The kill scenes all have a formula to them. You see multiple red herrings as the scene starts of what is eventually gonna do this person in and you try to add up how all of it is going to come together. The film aims high on that and does in fact deliver. The opening premonition scene is iconic and could be argued that it trumps the original and other films that followed.
20 years later it still delivers
Final Destination 2 delivers on entertainment, which genre fans can get behind. And still holds up as a fun popcorn flick. It needs to be mentioned what draws us to a film like this though. Whether we like it or not, it’s the concept of death. Death being the villain of the movie, as a force of sorts that we can’t escape. Despite all the big set pieces and moments that make you look away, it is that simple idea that we can never escape death, one day it is going to happen to all of us, and the scary thing about it is, we don’t know how or when. That frightens audiences and also invites them to want to learn more about their own fears.It’s this reason alone why we’re still talking about Final Destination 2 and all the other films in that canon, twenty years later.
This year, The Exorcist (1973) celebrates its 50th anniversary. For many, it is the most seminal horror movie ever made. To others, it transcends the horror genre to become something akin to a shrine, or idol. You should all know the story. Pre-teen Regan McNeil (Linda Blair), the most unpopular girl in all of Georgetown judging by the dearth of friends, is so bored that the only joy she gets is going into the basement to conjure up demons via a Ouija board. One said demon by the name of Pazuzu, resident paedophile of the underworld who sports a rock-hard erection 24/7, decides angelic looking Regan is just his cup o’ tea.
A quick change of name to Mr. Howdy, because apparently demons think kids love a cowboy (clearly they’ve not watched Jack Palance in City Slickers), and Pazuzu ends up possessing the young guileless Regan. What follows is two hours of Regan’s mother, Chris McNeil (Ellen Burstyn), watching her daughter turn into a typical teenager, one who pisses themselves in public, leaves their room a shit-tip, masturbates excessively, and vomits on some hapless bystander.
Okay, that’s a glib synopsis, but whatever your interpretation or opinion, The Exorcist has withstood its 50 years doggedly, enduring bans, controversy, and condemnation from the church, and proving to Hollywood naysayers that horror isn’t just for drive-ins and weirdos by gleaning a whopping ten nominations at the 1974 Oscars, including Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
All Hell Breaks Loose
Following the success of William Peter Blatty’s book, Warner Bros approached several directors to help transpose the story of a possessed young girl to the screen. The Graduate (1967) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) director Mike Nichols was one, but Nichols felt it would be near impossible to find the right child to carry the narrative successfully, so bowed out. Warner Bros even reached out to The Shining (1980) and A Clockwork Orange (1971) auteur, Stanley Kubrick.
Despite confessing that he wanted to make the world’s scariest movie, involving a series of episodes that would play upon the nightmare fears of the audience, Kubrick ultimately turned down the project to focus on the story of Barry Lyndon (1975), a young rapscallion who makes good in 18th century Europe. Maybe it was for the best. The question of God’s existence, the power of faith, the horror of humanity, all threads that bind the fabric of Blatty’s book together, may have been diluted, pulled apart, or overlooked (pun intended) in Kubrick’s version.
No, this project needed a gutsy, agnostic director with brass balls and a terrible infliction that makes them sound like Donald Trump; a director prepared to do everything to make their movies authentic; one not averse to slapping a real priest in the face (who doesn’t have that one on their bucket list?), and enjoys discharging a firearm to scare the bejesus out of his actors in order to elicit a genuine look of shock. Yes, that’s right folks, The Exorcist needed William-Fricking-Friedkin.
The story goes that William Friedkin got The Exorcist gig after Hollywood legend, Blake Edwards (producer of the Pink Panther series and Breakfast at Tiffany’s), invited him to adapt his hit show Peter Gunn into a feature-length movie. Friedkin, not one to beat out the bush, informed Edwards at his office that the script was a piece of shit, and would need rewriting completely if he took the job on. Unacquainted with such candour, especially from a relatively unknown director, Edwards issued a tirade of foul language on Friedkin that would have made Pazuzu blush.
In the room at the time, another man was sitting quietly in the corner. As Friedkin left the lot, that man chased after Friedkin and thanked him for his honesty. He, like Friedkin, knew the script was poor, but no one was willing to tell Edwards how bad it was. When Friedkin asked who the man was, he said he was the writer of the Peter Gunn screenplay, and his name was William Peter Blatty. Blatty always remembered that encounter, and when it came around to looking for a director with chutzpah, Friedkin was the obvious choice for him.
It took a little longer to convince Warner Bros, but thankfully, Friedkin’s French Connection win at the Oscars helped, and what followed was a marriage of such creative talent it changed the way the world perceived horror movies.
What an Excellent Day for an Exorcism
Having cut his teeth in the world of documentary filmmaking, Friedkin’s vision of The Exorcist was always going to be gritty and uncompromising. But the legacy of what happened on set is just as notorious as the movie itself, with Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn sustaining lifelong injuries, to hiring radiology technician Paul Bateson, later sentenced to twenty years in prison for dismembering six men, and who ironically ended up inspiring Friedkin’s next movie Cruising (1980) about a serial killer murdering gay men in the West Village during the 1970s.
There was a fire that burnt down the entire set, except Regan’s room, and nine people associated with the movie died, something Max von Sydow disregarded as just the consequence of a long shoot, not the influence of some demonic tomfoolery.
Regardless, it makes for a good headline, and helped bolster ticket sales, so much so that when Warner Bros released The Exorcist on December 26th 1973, people waited in freezing temperatures to be the first to see the movie. Many suffered adverse reactions like vomiting and fainting, with some cinemas later claiming of miscarriages and heart attacks, events that lead to one psychiatric journal publishing a paper on “cinematic neurosis” solely on the reaction of audience members who went to see The Exorcist. Friedkin had done it. For all his unethical practices, cavalier direction, and vainglorious exploits, he had created a cultural phenomenon that would ripple across the world for fifty years.
A Leap of Faith
By today’s standards, many horror hounds will sniff out The Exorcist and struggle to understand why it keeps the coveted title of the scariest movie ever made. A cinemagoer holding a barf bag in one hand, and a set of clean underwear in the other, may conclude the opening sequence in Iraq is confusing, slow, and hardly worth the two Imodium they dropped prior to entering the theatre.
Regan’s head turning 360 degrees may solicit more sniggers now, where before it left mouths agape. That the BBFC banned all home video sales, making it illegal to own a copy in U.K. until 1999, adds to its mythology as a movie so dark it will forever corrupt your mind and heart, something many now consider an accolade more befitting Terrifier 2 (2022). But The Exorcist’s reputation as the quintessential horror is unfair. What Friedkin and Blatty offered the world was more than horror.
A better logline would be, “One of the best movies ever made where horror is merely a backcloth to the struggles of humanity”. But I get that doesn’t scan well. For me, you get from a movie what you take to a movie. If you go into The Exorcist expecting to be scared shitless, you may end up disappointed. But if you take a leap of faith, interwoven among talk of male genitalia, your momma, and how she sucks them in Hell, are themes of hope and existentialism.
Beyond the visceral medical scenes where blood spurts from a cannula in Regan’s neck during an angiogram, you’ll find characters doing all they can to save not just a girl, but themselves. For every crucifix employed as a sex aid, there is symbolic parallelism to a lack of positive male role models and God in the McNeil household. For every gallon of pea soup expelled from Regan’s mouth, there are reams of dialogue pertaining to faith.
In one scene Friedkin cut from the original movie, Father Karras (Jason Miller) and Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) take a respite from the exorcism. Karras asks Merrin, “Why this girl? It makes no sense.” Merrin replies dully, “I think the point is to make us despair. To see ourselves as animal and ugly. To reject the possibility that God will love us.” Blatty’s message was to have the audience leave the theatres packed to the gunwales with hope, and that good things will happen if you have faith. Without faith, the Devil wins.
That Friedkin felt this was a little too on the nose is understandable, but it’s this message what underpins the spiritual and theological core of the movie. Sure, it’s disturbing watching a child become consumed by evil, but to see The Exorcist as only horror is myopic. As I say, you get from a movie what you take to a movie, and whether you revel in the film’s acting, makeup effects, narrative or direction, it will remain with you, and for many, continues to possess the soul 50 years after its birth.
Lest we forget that this movie ushered in a cacophony of imitators, many of which spawned in Europe. Make sure to check out this review on the Italian possession horror film, Beyond the Door (1974). Paul Lewis’ epic exposé #NineTenthsOfTheLaw covering an entire pea soup drenched decade of international possession horror!
Whether we see a 4k edition of this movie in 2023 is still uncertain. Warner Bros has made no official announcement at the time of writing this, but with fans the world over champing at the bit for a new print, and a reboot in the offing under the helm of David Gordon Green, I’d be surprised if Friedkin didn’t return to his magnum opus one final time. Until then, you can find out more about the making of the movie, Blatty’s influence behind the book, and much more in Session 10’s podcast episode dedicated to the greatest horror movie of all time, The Exorcist.
We are taking an early look at Tom Devlin’s debut at the directing helm of his new feature film, Teddy Told me To. Tom Devlin is no newcomer to the horror genre. He much experience providing the special effects for many movies such as, Freakshow (2007), Someone’s Knocking at the Door (2009), and Puppet Master X (2012) as well as many other Full Moon Feature films. You’ll no doubt recognize Tom from the SyFy series Face Off and his work shows up in the Haunted Attractions Industry all around the country. The writing credits for Teddy Told Me To go to Lola Devlin and Vincent Cusimano.
The film is being released by Devlin’s production company, Plan 10 Pictures. It also unsurprisingly features effects from Devlin’s 1313FX.
Teddy Told Me To begins the film with a person recording what seems to be a live stream of himself in an abandoned Haunted attraction in Boulder City, Nevada. He states that this place holds stories that go back all the way to the 1990s (Tom, thank you for making me feel old…). Will this social media star make it to the conclusion of his video or will something or someone be waiting in the old haunt?
The action shifts to two people were watching this video on their phone. Danny (Topher Hansson, 60 Seconds to Die) and Zoe (Kamarra Cole, Times Up) roll up to the front of said Haunted attraction with the intent to purchase it. Their middling realtor, Jan(Lisa Wilcox, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4&5), greets our two characters and says a few not so reassuring things. Danny falls in love with the building, but Zoe eventually falls in line. Of course they love it. Who wouldn’t? They purchase the property and start the process of starting up their own haunted attraction.
That should be easy enough, right?
Welcome to Boulder City
At this point in the film some who have visited Boulder City will start to recognize a few things! Tom shot this movie on location. As Zoe starts visiting different locations in the city to post flyers for auditions to work at the Haunted House. It warms my heart because I live only 45 minutes away and I spend a lot of time in Boulder City. I should add that Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum also resides in Boulder City and Devlin makes a shrewd move shooting his first film in his backyard.
Back on Task
Shortly after we see another familiar face from the horror genre, C.J. Graham. He is mostly known for his role as Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986). Graham plays the “Ralph, or rather harbinger of doom. His character, the groundskeeper Ron, is introduced as a nice man who has been with the property since the beginning. He sheds light to the new property owners about the horrible murders that were rumored to have happened at the haunt. The stage is set.
Later, Ron’s brother finishes the origin story of Teddy and his horrible crimes at a pre-open campfire…
A former haunt employee named Teddy received a stuffed Teddy Bear in 1985 (a banner year for horror) from his mother (Felissa Rose, Sleepaway Camp – 1983). That bear would become his only friend. In an appropriately wonderfully ridiculous string of events, Teddy’s father Theo becomes more and more distant from Teddy and his mother. This eventually boils over into Theo committing Teddy Bear mutilation just before cheating on his wife with a woman named Ali (Tabitha Stevens, Vampire Sex Diaries). Tensions continue to rise until one fateful day when Teddy loses everything…
As Danny and Zoe launch their haunted attraction, an old friend would return to the haunt to terrorize the team.
A Horror Film Directed by the Ultimate Horror Fan
One thing rings out for absolute certain in Teddy Told Me To, Tom Devlin is true horror fan and his passion for the art infects almost every frame of the film. He and the writers let no classic trope go unused. This trust building maneuver comforts the viewer with an assurance that they will get exactly what they came for. For example, the harbinger of doom trope plays out not only before Zoe and Danny enter the building, but then again at a boilerplate Friday the 13th Standard campfire.
Teddy Told Me To show extreme reverence to the rich history of slashers that precedes it. The examples are almost too many to mention, but a clear shout out to not only Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) with a direct reference it’s awesome sound design. Then he references its 1986 sequel and a sweet little horror gem Motel Hell (1980) in ways I’ll occlude for spoilers sake. The dayglo fluorescent color invoke the work of another horror fan and master director, Rob Zombie. More importantly, Devlin and his team integrate enough original ideas around it that it never feels derivative. Instead, it shows the utmost respect for what came before while simultaneously moving the genre forward.
They say in music that one must know the rules before they break the rules… and the best art is made by breaking the rules. Tom Devlin clearly understands not only the genre, but a very specific style of horror that came to prominence in the 80’s. His depth of understanding of what works and what doesn’t allows him to push the limits.
Brilliant Technical Execution
Great horror begins with the cinematography… and at first I hated the look of Teddy Told Me So. It felt brash and lacked a sense of depth. This type of cinematography seems to plague contemporary films. This type of filming feels bounded and staged as if the action is taking place in box, much like 80’s and 90’s serials. Then something unexpected happened when I realized exactly what was happening. Between the corny jokes, the over-acting, a montageset to a meat grinder version Loverboy’s “Everybody Working for the Weekend”, this approach creates the aura of a blood drenched night at Camp Kiawanka in Disney’s Bunk’d. It’s almost like Saved by the Bell for the sick and twisted. Upon this revelation I was able to completely immerse myself in the approach.
Still this type of shooting could get out of hand over the 89 minute runtime, but once the mayhem begins everything changes. Brilliant film editing by Caleb Emerson and visual effects by Topher Hansson (yeah that Topher Hansson) take center stage. The film shifts from flat and boring to dynamic and disorienting. Possibly, some of the techniques get overused, but not to the detriment of an otherwise remarkable changeup. The original music by John Messari and sound effects by Lola Wallace provide strong connective tissue that holds it all together.
And then comes the gore, in buckets. You may not be surprised that a film from the mind of Tom Devlin and 1313FX goes hard into realm of over the top gore. More than once did I giggle like a school girl as haunt employees get torn up in the most grotesque ways. My only regret is that I can’t speak more about it for fear of spoiling the fun. I can say this, one kill in particular came off as so unique that I am unable to remember seeing anything like it in film.
One kill that I can talk about since it made the trailer is Tabitha Stevens full-frame cheekectomy. It happens in such a ridiculously slow pace as Tabitha utters the longest scream in slasher cinema. It’s absolutely clear that Teddy Told Me So is steeped in satire and the entire filming crew is loving everything they are doing.
The production team of Teddy Told Me To filled their film to the brim with kick-ass cameos and throwbacks to time when life was simpler and slashers on needed a butcher knife. I will start by mentioning a horror legend a second time. If there ever was a star that rocked the young minds of 80’s horror fans, it was Felissa Rose in her gender bending role Sleep Away Camp. I can still hear my mother bellowing in disgust while my friends and I stared speechless at the screen.
Then sprinkle on a heaping helping of adult sexuality with the likes of Tabitha Stevens, Kiki D’Aire and Daisy Ducti. Add a pinch of former Jason Voorhees actors with Warrington Gillette and C.J. Graham. Then stir this melting pot of talent with some professional wrestling in the form of Papa Shango (aka The Soultaker and The Godfather), Wes Logan and Sinn Bohdi. This all adds brilliantly to the satire, nostalgia and mania that is Teddy Told Me To.
Tom and his wife Lola, and daughter Lily play roles in the film as well. I found Lily’s performance to be exceptionally strong considering how critical her role becomes to the story.
Bedtime for Teddy
The smile on my face betrays my ability to be taken seriously as a horror film critic. I loved this film. It checks all the boxes for a fun yet reverent romp in the old world of slasher cinema. Standard horror comedy is hard, and I am not one to gravitate towards it. However, good horror lovingly interpolated with tongue in cheek humor and clever satire works every time. As a lifelong horror fan, I know implicitly when the person feeding me is a true horror fan. Tom Devlin knows exactly what I need because he is as big a fan of horror history as I am. It’s entirely possible that someone not cut of my cloth could miss the punchline, however anyone that grew up with Madman Marz and Mr. Slauson will be smiling ear to ear after watching Teddy Told Me So.
We just got our hands on a horror short titled Down and Out in Vampire Hills (2022) directed by Craig Railsback (Dark Classics) and written by Heather Joseph-Witham (Vampires in the Big Easy) This one is currently making the rounds (and clocking major awards) at several film festivals and we wanted to give it a look. To date, we have reviewed any shorts, in then in the span of a single weekend we got three of the in quick succession. The title says it all, this is a comedy horror film.
Down and Out in Vampire Hills
The film takes a spin on the standard fish out of water trope that it not only tried but true, but never seems to waver in its infinite potential as a plot device. Penelope, The Vampire Queen (Dawna Lee Heising) finds herself on skid-row living in a homeless encampment. Not one to settle for second class, she and her intellectual familiar Harold (Ken May) break out and see the world. Penelope, one for gaudy high-fashion, channels the spirt of Eva Gabor in Green acres as she embodies the international blood-thirsty debutant that finds herself living below her means.
It could happen to anyone, really. All it takes is an ill-advised investment in a Montana Alpaca farm or going long on Dogecoin.
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, Penelope wears undead class sunscreen (SPF 2700?) that allows her to walk dogs, wash cars and pick trash. Little does she know that Ivan the Vampire Hunter (Bill Housekeeper – Sawyer Massacre).
Will Penelope and Harold survive in tent city? Can Vampire hold down a regular 9-5? Can Penelope stop eating long enough to keep a job?
Making the Grade
On a normal day, I like my horror comedy a bit more subversive, but I certainly understand the love for this type of horror fun. Growing up in the days of Saturday the 14th(1981) and Transylvania 6-5000 (1985), Down and out in Vampire Hills fills that little horror parody void that seems to have been abandoned by Hollywood. Railsback and Joseph-Witham sneak in enough humor with deep roots in horror lore. Subtle references to other Horror families (The Munsters) and even Bram Stokers work make their way into the film.
The film is shot beautifully on-location in Huntington Beach, California. Being one of my favorite haunts, it was lovely to see it unabashedly referenced on film. We especially loved the special effects. A keen eye will call out several digital tricks from spurting blood to refacing cellphones and store fronts. In grand the scheme, these tricks must have saved a ton of time and complexity that could be spent much better places. We love how technology enables modern indie horror.
Dawna Lee Heising embodies everything that Penelope is and her presence in the film evokes everything that a good fish out of water story needs. I also really enjoyed the performance of LeJon as Boris, former dog lover, reckless coffee drinker and recently converted vampire. Ken May provides the glue to hold all of the performances together with his conceited intellectual mannerisms and random facts and philosophies.
Finally, we would like to call out Bill Housekeeper. He recently played a young Drayton Sawyer in Steve Merlo’s Sawyer Massacre (2022). In this one he puts on his black cowboy hat, Yellowstone style, and hunts Penelope before getting mowed down by a really fashionable smart car.
Finally, no horror comedy should go without a bit of social commentary. The producers make the case that everything evolves. As opposed to the view from Blade that vampires are the superior race and in time will replace humanity, this one suggests that vampires struggle to find their place in the new world (and their hunters), and the modern world threatens them to extinction.
Down and Out in VampireHills fills an important niche in the horror community. Considering its current success on the film festival circuit, clearly it fills that niche extremely well. It provides ridiculous laughs set in a horror context and serves both the comedy and horror communities. It’s a cute little film that’s easy to watch. Considering the simplicity of the standard fish out of water trope, one can easily see this idea expanding to feature length or even a serial (Munsters, Mork and Mindy). We’ll see where it goes.
Upon the release of James Wan’s The Conjuring (2013), it seemed pretty clear to anyone with a pulse that its side-story about a demonically possessed doll named Annabelle would make a future appearance. New Line Cinema loves horror franchises, and as soon as the numbers for The Conjuring came in Annabelle (2014) became inevitable. Directed by John R. Leonetti, the second entry attempts to capitalize on previous success. The film released to largely negative reviews, but many of those reviews judged it in the shadow of its predecessor.
However, the film itself may not be so terrible when judged on its own merits.
The Story of Annabelle
John and Mia Form expect their first baby soon. Mia, collects porcelain dolls (a clear indicator that John should file for divorce). John bring home a rare doll that Mia had been coveting for some time. She names it Annabelle. Later that evening, just after going to bed, Mia hears a terrified scream from the next door neighbors. John runs over and finds the neighbors brutally stabbed to death. Unbeknownst to Mia, after killing their neighbors, the murderers hid in her home. The invaders stab Mia just before the male attacker is shot by the police. The other attacker, a woman, slits her own throat while holding the doll.
The Form’s eventually learn that the killers worshipped in a demonic cult. How foreboding?
Bumps in the Night
Immediately, the Forms begin experiencing supernatural events. John throws the doll out in hopes that it will help Mia settle down. Unable to overcome the trauma of the home invasions, the couple decide to move out of their house and into an apartment after the birth of their daughter. Inexplicably, John again finds the possessed doll in the moving boxes (yet another opportunity to get divorced and leave). This time Mia stops him from throwing it out again. Unsurprisingly, supernatural occurrences begin almost immediately in their new home. The situation escalates to the point that Mia fears for her and her daughter’s life.
Evelyn and Father Perez
In an interesting departure, this entry does not feature Ed and Lorraine Warren. In a future timeline, The Conjuring details how the Warren’s kept this very same doll locked in a glass case to protect visitors from its evil. Writer Gary Dauberman’s story closes the gap with this film by explaining how the Warren’s come into possession of the doll and suggests the Warren’s presence in the early frames, but they never appear in the film. The Warrens provide an important service to The Conjuring universe and without them, Annabelle lacks a simple plot device for explaining the unexplainable in terms that advance the supernatural goals of the movie. Without the Warrens, Annabelle required another approach to drive the narrative. Her name is Evelyn.
Evelyn lives in the same building as the Form’s. She also owns a bookstore. Together with Mia, they begin to uncover the truth behind the satanic cult that attacked them. The attackers worshipped in The Disciples of Ram and paid tribute to a demon named Malthus. Malthus must take a soul, and he uses any trickery necessary to make that happen. Father Perez presides over the Form’s Catholic church. He informs the Forms that sometimes demons attach themselves to inanimate object in order to provide a channel for achieving their evil goals.
Malthus must take a soul, and he uses any subterfuge necessary to make that happen.
Lacking, but Still Scary
Annabelle occasionally lands some pretty scary moments, but in the end it mostly leave the audience wanting for James Wan. While James Wan shows up in the producer list, his absence behind the camera shows. John R. Leonetti’s major triumph comes from a scene that places Mia in the dark basement of the apartment complex. Clearly something sinister hides in the darkness. She runs for the elevator, but the doors of the elevator keep opening to the basement.
She must face her fears and run into the darkness and up the dark stairs. During this pursuit, one of the most frightening scenes occurs when Mia looks down the stairs that she just traversed and sees Malthus, silent, shrouded in darkness and totally still. Malthus pursues her up the stairs until she narrowly escapes into her apartment.
Apart from that, many of the scares come in the form of simple jump scares. These scares often get the intended effect, but they lack the finesse and the impact that James Wan effortlessly achieves. From a critical perspective, the negative response seems to be born of a gap in expectations rather than a total lack of quality. Despite the poor critical reviews, Annabelle did $257M at the box office on a $6.5 budget. If anything, it scored a massive success for New Line Cinema and their fledgling franchise.
New Line Cinema thought enough of the films success to launch its own sub-franchise with two additional films: Annabelle Creation (2017) and Annabelle: Comes Home.
Still, a Decent Film
Unquestionably, Annabelle pales in comparison to its forbearer. Its plot stumbles over the clumsy cult trope. It somewhat implausibly stages much of the action in a multi-tenant apartment complex. I mean really, nobody else sees the lights flickering or hears all of the commotion? Finally, it relies on loosely stitching basic scare techniques together with little artistic connective tissue. Yet, Annabelle and her demon, Malthus, make for an unholy dynamic duo and some of jump scares payout, even if they lack the mastery of James Wan behind the camera.
I still feel that this film possesses merit, but it may be best viewed with a generous time spread between it and The Conjuring. Back to back viewing (like I did), made for a disappointing experience. Yet, with my cloak of objectivity, I tried to isolate my emotions from what I saw on screen. What was left still had enough punch to seem worthwhile. Rather than hunt it down for your collection, it might be better to catch it on one of its endless spins on streaming media.
You likely wouldn’t know this about me, probably because I’ve never said it. I have some major beef with religious horror as a subgenre. It usually feels contrived and relies heavily on prosperity gospel as a fear tactic. Normally, I would not have picked a movie like Leech (2023) up.
However, I am a Christmas horror fan, so let me tell you why this movie is a rare exception.
Simply because it was out of pocket as hell.
Directed by (Eric Pennycoff) this movie is about young priest David (Graham Skipper) who decides to take in a “lost soul,” Terry (Jermy Gardner) after his girlfriend seemingly abandons him. Opening up his home and heart, David feels elated at the prospect of a potential convert. Not so long after Terry’s arrival, his girlfriend Lexi (Taylor Zaudrke) finds her way to David’s doorstep asking for the same slice of generosity. David hesitantly agrees, but the line between hospitality and exploration is one the priest isn’t so keen on acknowledging. At least, not at first.
Boundaries and Transactions
The plot in its bare bones is a game of boundaries and transactions.
There will never be a religious horror dynamic that isn’t set up upon these two ideals. First, there is the relationship between the holy man and the mere man. Right off the bat, the transactional nature of religious-based help is laid out plainly.
David doesn’t necessarily want to take in Terry or Lexi. This is made clear the first night they are with him, when he writes in his personal blog, “this is what God’s people are called to do.” He even outright reminds them multiple times that the will of God is his reason for being so hospitable and their ideal repayment in his eyes, is conversion. religious therapy, sobriety, and modest clothing become some of the base requirements of their new life under his care.
He isn’t the only one that has to make sacrifices though. Though, admittedly, minimal coaxing he is subdued into drunken nights full of moral ambiguity, threesomes, and confessions. All to gain favor with his new projects.
You could tell that the writers had some actual experience with the ins and outs of church life. Including the pressure, guilt, and shame that come free of charge with your devotion.
Furthering into just how dangerous these parallels can be, the unyielding desire to “dirty” the pure that started as a subplot, becomes the catalyst for the climax. Terry and Lexi spend a solid chunk of the movie trying to find threads within David to unravel the Godly persona he’s presented the world with. David spends most of the movie trying to convince himself and others that he is, in fact, above secular influence.
Spoiler, David does not succeed.
Back to the plot
Leech shows the danger of absolute conversion in its beginning phases. Especially when being nurtured by someone with muddled intentions. Terry expresses his willingness to devote himself to God at a speed David wasn’t prepared for. Unfortunately for everyone involved he quickly goes full throttle into the old testament.
Lexi gets more of the brute end of this than anyone. As a woman, a pregnant woman no less, she is subjected to an unruly amount of building misogyny. Starting subtly with throw-away comments made about women’s sin “beginning in the garden of Eden,” to required modest clothing and forced birth.
She is the antithesis of why a majority of desperate people would rather suffer than fall at the mercy of religious leaders. In the beginning David is gracious with his pushback against her want for abortion. He uses key religious phrases like, “this is God’s gift to you,” and, “the life inside of you is a miracle,” he goes as far as to tell her the baby could be the push she needs to pull herself out of homelessness.
I want to mention that the pacing of Leech is phenomenal. The plot structure was set up to be tense with a slow build over time, despite ending explosively.
Aside from that, the characters weren’t just faces. Everyone had a moment to showcase the structure of their personalities giving pertinent examples of their intentions, reasonings, and resolve. We get details into their past, sex life, and secret desires in throw-away comments and subtle gestures. This is a feat that isn’t easily accomplished in an hour.
From the onslaught, Lexi and Terry seem, albeit pushy, but mostly just desperate for shelter. David on the other hand is in need of a congregation. With no one to proselytize to he is just as lost as the couple and from all sides they see a sort of salvation in each other.
Ick Value and Personal Testimony
From someone who also had strong roots in religion growing up, it was funny to see some of the elements they chose to include. Ex. Rico, the rapper/pianist, (for the lord), and the #sundaysquad and #blessed slang terms used in David’s personal blog. Personally, I think it illustrates well the disconnect between old religion’s continuous strive to win favor with a generation that has little interest in conformity, or the rigidity of spirituality.
Leech also takes on a lot of heavy topics, some of which I found particularly hard to reason with. The aforementioned, anti-abortion rhetoric and misogyny, but also, religious pedophilia, corporal or old testament-like punishments, classism and racism were a few that came up.
These are not uncommon themes and truthfully, if none of them were mentioned I’d have considered the movie unrealistic. That being said, it did come across as a forced amalgamation of religions’ worst qualities for ick value at times.
In the end, it gave you really nothing to root for, but is that a bad thing?
When done well, this can be a very useful plot device. On the one hand, I didn’t care enough about anyone to not enjoy the absolute shit show that erupted in the climax. It was psychedelic, bloody, and jaw-dropping. On the other hand, the last scene before the credits held little resolve for me, because I didn’t find anything to really root for. Lexi walked away exactly where she began. Pregnant, alone, but with significantly more trauma.
In conclusion, I mostly liked the movie despite the fact that religious horror is typically outside of my range. It was really well made cinematically, it depicted quite realistic relationship dynamics and concluded with a bang. Literally.
Leech is by Arrow Video, purveyors of fine horror cinema. Be sure to also check out their 4K restoration of Profondo Rosso (1975).
We would like to give a big thank you to the folks at Mahal Empire for the opportunity to review a pre-release of their new castaway monster movie Bermuda Island (2023) being release by Gravitas Ventures. From the perspective of fundraising, marketing and releasing high-quality content at an amazing pace, Mahal Empire’s game it real tight. The secret to their success involves keeping it simple and delivering honest horror films that cater to tried and true formulas. One of the shining examples of one of those tropes is the good old fashioned monster movie with a hint of Lovecraftian horror.
In Lovecraftian horror, the focus is on the unknown and the unknowable, often involving powerful, ancient deities or in this case an ancient esoteric tribe of monsters that are indifferent to humanity. The stories often describe characters coming into contact with these beings and being driven to madness by the experience. The settings of these stories are typically dark and oppressive, and there is often a sense of hopelessness and helplessness in the face of the overwhelming power of the entities described.
Menagerie of tourists set their sites on traveling to an island paradise in the midst of a brewing storm off-shore. In transit, the plane is struck by lightning causing it to torpedo into the ocean, killing most on board apart from a small band of survivors. The survivors make their way to the shore, but it’s not the paradise that they were looking for. Their trouble begins with infighting amongst themselves.
When night falls, their situation becomes much more dire. Behind the beautiful tropical backdrop hides an ancient tribe of bloodthirsty monsters.
Fantastic cinematography in fantastic location
The production team shot Bermuda Island on the the island of Viques just off the coast of Puerto Rico. The setting is utterly fabulous and the Director Adam Werth and Director of Photography Michael Su take full advantage of it. It start with what seems to be reoccurring theme in Mahal Empire films, towering fly over shots of vast terrain. One shot in particular creeps over the edge of a waterfall cascading into a pool below while the subject, make their way like tiny little ants.
Honestly, its more than simple photography of majestic scenery. The night shooting looks fantastic, maintaining the illusion of darkness with the subjects fully illuminated and visible. Furthermore, the use of a cinematic depth of focus draws the eyes to the critical visuals while obfuscating the rest really stands out. One shot brought back serious vibes from Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust (1980). That’s a serious accolade.
Filming at Viques did not come without its challenges. Production of Bermuda Island occurred during the height of the pandemic and strict COVID protocols triggered hazmat suits and impromptu testing. This created serious delays and undue pressure on the budget because of costly reshoots. Fortunately the production team persevered and completed the film.
Adam Werth gets some strong performances in key roles to help carry the film. It begins with Sarah French as the lead female role of Carolyn. Coming off of a strong performances in Death Count (2022) French plays another strong female character that sets the tone very early. Carolyn is a literal ball-buster.
Other strong performances come from Victor V Gelsomino as Damon, a street smart survivor and eventual apple of Carolyn’s eye. He concedes early on that he’s not a survivalist; however, his ability to navigate his environment makes him a strong character. The other is a man named Bruce played by John Wells. The survivors find Bruce already living on the island as a previous castaway. He proves to be the keystone to the plot of the film.
The supporting performances range from good enough to pretty damn interesting. It starts with Sherry Davis as the Peggy, the loud and abrasive traveler with resting bitch face. Our only lament is that name “Karen” went to another actress in the film because she is a “Karen” if I have ever seen one.
Kimberly Lynn Cole utters my favorite dark comedic line as Maleah. She screams, “It’s going to take more than you to fucking take me down” while being attacked… dies 2.5 seconds later. Lest we forget Midnight, the gothic rocker for Baphomet records played by Greg Tally.
My favorite supporting performance comes from Noel Gugliemi as the notorious gun runner, Diego Montalban. For those that know their film history, Gugliemi delivers one of the most terrifying performances while going cold on Ethan Hawke in Training Day (2001). Bermuda island, tugs on some of that street tough personality. Diego provides another outlet for dark comedy. Sadly, Diego doesn’t make to the island, but his short screen presence works really well.
Bringing it all together
Heretofore, I’ve been really high on Bermuda Island, but it’s not without its not with issue. The story feels somewhat fragmented sometimes wanders. For example, as much as we like the Diego Montalban story arc it doesn’t really fit the overall plot other than to provide a clumsy vehicle for getting some FBI agents to the island. But hey, we all know that FBI agents are delicious.
In explicably, Carolyn and Damon decided that after a night of harrowing attack by flesh eating monsters sexy time and a skinny dip alone by the waterfall is a prudent move. Furthermore, the carnivorous beasts starve for flesh, but kindly ignore a herd of wild horses.
At the end of the day, it’s horror movie and these things are not only par for the course, but they are also forgivable.
The writers, do a great job of setting up a MAJOR twist at the end that I did not see coming. That twist resolves some of the wide-open questions concerning Bruce’s strange tale of how he got to the island and how long he had been there, but I was left wanting more. For the sake of spoiling the film, we’ll leave it at that.
Mahal Empire does a great job at making honest monster movies, and Bermuda Island is another fine example of that. We loved the mystery of this monstrous civilization, but would have preferred a bit more resolution; however, Bermuda Island is beautifully shot and provides enough strong performance to keep it all together.
If you are looking for an honest indie horror movie about a lost civilization of Lovecraftian monsters craving human flesh garnished in Hawaiian shirts, Bermuda Island is the film for you.
In one last shout-out, the marketing and design department did a fantastic job with the movie poster for this one. All in one, it tells the story in an abstract enough way to create mystery. It’s both beautiful and horrifying at the same time.
The biggest buzz in horror right now is the release of if the Evil Dead Rise trailers. Directed by Lee Cornin, the story at this point is that it took 6500 gallons of the red stuff to make Evil Dead Rise, so expectations are sky high. With a scheduled release date of April 23, 2023 this thing is just around the corner. This new trailer was proceeded by a teaser trailer released just prior. This one made our skin crawl.
From the appearances this one happens in even tighter quarters than the original. A single mother named Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) becomes a Deadite when her meddling kids find an acient tome of evil and inexplicable invoke it. The imagery looks really cool and despite their typical penchant for immediate mayhem, the trailer suggests a slower burn.
The trailer holds an assortment of interesting throwbacks and some new stuff as well. For starters, the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis as an updated look, although it mostly sticks to the important details. I will add that the corners look crisp as if this Cornin pulled off the shelves at Barnes and Noble before putting it to work. Possibly more interesting is the heretofore unexplained transfer of the Khandarian incantations from reel to reel tape to sweet 180 gram black vinyl. Hopefully they scored two copies to beat juggle.
Also we see some demonic truck shots reminiscent of every Evil Dead movie created to date. This time, instead of trucking through the Deadite forest, it rolls right up to a swanky corner apartment building. Moving this series out of the woods and into the city might be one of the smartest moves made, although Ash vs. Evil Dead beat them to that by a damn sight. Fans will demand to know how the book and the vinyl got there, but Lee Cornin will be ready for that eventuality… right?
Finally, we all know that no Evil Dead movie would not be complete without a conveniently placed chainsaw… fans will not be disappointed. With no surprise, this chainsaw and the person wielding it are covered in blood.
So far everything that Warner Brothers has offered feels legit. As far as this blogger is concerned, there is some unpaid debt left by the Fede’s 2013 remake (an unpopuiar opinion we’ve been told). We sincerely hope this has all the fun of its best predecessors. For the love of god, give a couple of characters to care about. Based on the trailer, if 6500 gallons of fake blood were used, this trailer doesn’t reveal it, but who knows a storm might be coming.
In this volume, Dave covers the 1981 Video Nasty, Nightmare, the impotent psychological horror of Session 9, Ti West’s ode to the babylonian demon Tom Noonan, Slayer’s nu metal experiement, David Cronenberg’s crimes of the present and the up and coming Evil Dead Rise!
This is editorial on all things dark and horrible. We’ll publish this hodgepodge monthly. Expect quick hits on movie opinions, horror current events and general mayhem. The lunatic is running the asylum and his brought his party hat.
I got a chance to check out the infamous 80’s film, Nightmare (1981). Some will remember this one as on of the famed UK video nasties. Quit honestly, I found a lot to like about this one. As a cohesive work of art, it struggles a bit, but the sum of its parts actually play very well. Directed by Romana Scavolini, Nightmare tells the story of George Tatum, a man traumatized by terrible events in his youth. This leads to an eventual unraveling that ends in psychopathy and murder.
All in in all, it compares favorable to other films like Maniac (1980) and Pieces (1982). Nightmare delves into the topic of trauma and childhood. It also seems to make clear that while traumatic events often adversely affect people, it doesn’t always make them a sympathetic character when weighed against their heinous acts. While it’s arguable that any film should ever be classified as a “Video Nasty”, if there ever were a film that qualifies, this one should. At least one scene borderlines on outright pornography and the kills assault the senses with their up-close and graphic nature. When coupled with some seriously psychotic episodes and haunting imagery, this one deserves a look.
Session 9 (2001)
This one directed by Brad Anderson perplexed me a bit. More than once, Session 9 has been recommended as a top sleeper pick for extreme psychological horror. It stars David Caruso, which already makes it a bit weird. Not that David Caruso is bad, but unfortunately for him he can’t stop being David Caruso even for a second. This one also stars Peter Mullen, notable for his role as Jacob Snell in Ozark and Josh Lucas doing his best asshole impersonation.
While the film succeeds in creating a creepy atmosphere in a dilapidated mental institution, it fails to tie the past sins of the institution to the current events of the film. Session 9 wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t memorable. Don’t believe the hype.
House of the Devil (2009)
2022 proved to be the year that Ti West became a household name in horror. Those familiar with the industry have been tracking his contributions to the genre since 2005. Being fully transparent, this film has been beckoning me from the shelf for some time, and I just finally reserved the time for it. The life of a horror blogger is on of ever conflicting priorities. I finally got a chance sit down with the one and immediately noticed Ti West’s inclination to recreate the grainy look and feel of the late 70s.
Ti West presents the audience with a slow burn, slowly ratcheting up the tension and foreshadowing over a long period of time… perhaps too long. Tom Noonan’s adds yet another creep to his resume. While I enjoyed the 70s patina and overall faithful recreation of that era, the film as a whole didn’t really cash all the IOUs it creates. By the time the payoff comes, it feels too little, too late.
Still, House of the Devil should make the late night watch list if shows in your streaming queue for the right price. If anything, I really like the DVD cover art for this one.
Dark Glasses (2022)
Let’s be crystal clear on something, it’s been a dreadfully long time since Dario Argento put a giallo on screen that felt inspired. Some will trumpet the narrative that Dark Glasses represents a return to form, but I assure you that it falls way short. The plot is painfully pedestrian and frankly absurd. A killer stalks a young prostitute named Diana. One evening, in pursuit of her, he causes an accident that causes her to be blind. But this is no Cat ‘o Nine Tails (1972) I assure you. Argento completists, will find something to like. For everyone else, with so much golden age Argento to behold why bother.
So as not to totally eviscerate the film, the cinematography and general professionalism of the photography seems to be a few steps beyond some 2000s stinkers like Mother of Tears (2007) and The Card Player (2004). Gone is the stark digital picture and the boxy soap opera feel of the sets. The gore and special effects also exceed expectations. Who knows, maybe he still has one hiding in recesses of his mind, but this one isn’t it.
Crimes of the Future (2022)
Needless to say, I launched over the moon when he heard that the man, David Cronenberg, would be releasing a new film called Crimes of the Future. Being a huge fan of his work, the thoughts of what madness had been percolating in that man’s head for nearly a decade were fascinating. However, the anticipation proved more compelling than the delivery. Apart from some strong imagery involving a deliberate act of filicide (killing ones own child), the movie begins to flounder almost immediately.
The big problem with this one concerns a strange, but not captivating plot. Additionally, some downright silly depictions of bio-mechanical machines helping Viggo Mortensen digest his food detract from the already weak story. The acting struggles, including that of Viggo and Kristen Stewart. At times, Cronenberg musters enough sexual depravity to make for an interesting scene here or there, but those moments are fleeting. Crime of the Future continues an increasingly long line of lackluster Cronenberger films. Maybe it’s time for the heir apparent to take the reigns.
I am here to say Slayer Diablous in Musica (1998)is a top-5 Slayer album. That pretty lofty company considering spots 1, 2 and 3 are held by South of Heaven (1988), Seasons in the Abyss (1990) and Reign in Blood (1986)… not necessarily in that order. Every time these guys try something different, the results are fantastic and their fans hate their guts for it. If you are picking up what I am laying down, you know damn well why this article is called “Stain of Mind”. What about that Diablous album cover, amiright?
For a long time, MalevolentDark.com considered including music, the supernatural and the written word. In fact we had a false start with the publishing of “The Life and times of Glen Danzig”. We eventually took those posts down, but maybe, just maybe, we’ll return to the world of dark and evil music. When wishes turn to rainbows, that’s when the unicorns appear.
Evil Dead Rise – Coming Soon!
Being totally transparent, I panned Evil Dead (2013)pretty hard. It wasn’t so much that it didn’t have any redeeming qualities. In fact, the reality is that it had some fantastic visual effects and RAINING BLOOD (shamless Slayer plug). It really boiled down to this, for a series that created one of the most loved horror icons of all time, the characters in Fede’s remake sucked terribly. To put a pin in it, I accept the contrarian opinion.
That all being said, I watched the new Evil Dead Rise mini-trailer and received the most wonderful shiver up my spine. I’m all in for another round. If your like me, nothing has replaced the hole in your heart left by the demise of Ash vs. the Evil Dead.
Written and Directed by Richard Burgin, Fang (2022) really caught us by surprise. In this particular case, the film delivers something significantly outside of initial expectations based on the plot line in IMDB. What we saw seemed to fall more in line with Darren Arnofsky’s work than standard horror fare.
It’s winter in Chicago and Billy Cochran (Dylan LaRay) can’t stop alienating the people around him. His mother Gina (Lynn Lowry) is in and out of the hospital and her mind is breaking down, caught between her glory days as a Southern belle and her current state of decay. One night, Billy gets an unexpected visitor: a rat that springs out of his bathroom and bites him. At first, everything seems okay. Billy comes home, drowsy from the tetanus shot, and bonds with Gina’s lovely new caregiver Myra (Jess Paul). Then the rat fur appears. It grows out of Billy’s skin, then goes away like it was never there. The more Billy looks in the mirror and scratches, the more he’s forced to face the unthinkable: he might be turning into a rat. Billy is plunged into a waking nightmare where he slowly discovers the truth about himself as he unleashes the ferocious depths of the human and rodent soul.
We thought this would be an ode to body horror, or even a throwback to simple days of half-man half-somethings like The Mole People (1956) or The Alligator People (1959). Instead Richard Burgin delivers a descent into madness and psychological horror. While painstakingly detailing the downward spiral of his lead character, Billy Cochran (Dylan LaRay), Burgin manages a parallel narrative on the struggles dementia and declining metal health. More importantly, he unveils a society that lacks empathy for those suffering from catastrophic mental health ailments.
Mental health as a multi-faceted horror plot
The films begins with Billy. Something is not right about Billy. He is emotionally distant and has difficulty navigating the world. His hobby is an obsessive compulsion to document a fantasy world of his own creation through art and illustration. Eventually, Burgin reveals that Billy is autistic. That’s not a spoiler. In fact, its not even extremely relevant to the plot of the movie. Billy’s condition is really just a thread in a much larger tapestry that describes a larger struggle with mental health.
In addition to his own struggles, his mother, Gina Cochran (Lynn Lowery, The Crazies – 1973) suffers from late stage Parkinson’s. Gina’s condition has progressed well beyond the point in which she requires 24/7 care. Billy, can barely take care of himself, much less his mother. Secretly he harbors a deep resentment of her and the burden in which she has become. Billy also works for a narcissistic boss that could care less about his problems or his mothers. Only one person, Gina’s caregiver Myra (Jess Paul), seems to care about Billy and Gina’s situation.
All of this pressure builds and builds on Billy until he finally cracks.
As an aside, Richard mentions in his own bio that his own struggles with mental health help to inform is work. We think that this lends itself to his ability to subtly address Billy’s state of mind without putting a sign around his neck that says autism. This delicate treatment of the matter breaths authenticity into the story.
When I first heard about Fang, I suspected that I was in for a Kafka-eqe transmutation from a man into a rat. Likewise, I expected a heaping helping of body horror as the transformation takes place. Instead, Fang uses the rat as a metaphor for all the ugliness that people try to lock deep inside themselves while they try to be what society expects them to be. Once, that hidden evil finds a seam in which to escape, it erupts with disastrous consequences.
Richard Burgin does use some body horror to illustrate Billy’s unraveling, the more impactful imagery comes from the visions in his head. These include maggot infested rodents, the ugly facets of his mother and even a personified “King” rat. The psychological window into Billy’s brains feels much more like the work of Darren Arnofsky. In fact, some of the imagery pays homage to Requiem for a Dream (2000). Anyone for a pulsating pus filled boil on the forearm? It also shows reverence to the jarring soundscapes in Arnofsky’s Pi (1998).
Burgin’s departure from the realm of physical horror into the psychological realm makes this film much more impactful than the average low-budget independent film. Brian Cunningham took a similar direction in an indie film called Wretch (2018). Psychological horror provides an infinite landscape in which produce a horror film on limited resources.
Interestingly enough, despite Billy’s obvious struggles with his mind, Richard Burgin carefully ensures that his ailments do not constitute an excuse. At the end of the film, Burgin’s intentional fence sitting allows the audience to consider Billy a victim, but at no point is the audience willing to forgive him of his eventual transgressions.
Fang does a lot of things really well. Starting with the cinematography, the film begins with an erratic (not so) steady-cam shot that trucks right through the front door and into Billy’s bedroom. The camera work by Jason Kraynek has depth and looks very professional. The scenes seem well choreographed to story boards and they provide a graphic novel style presentation. The production team also make extremely good use of light. In some scenes the lights paints a chaotic background that shows the instability of Billy’s mind.
We would recommend spending a moment with recognizing the crew on the Fang IMDB page. There are simple too many accolades to give out in this short review. Everything from the sound design, visual effects, lighting, practical effects and film editing contribute greatly to the overall quality of the film.
Fang punches way above its weight for an independent horror film. Of course, we could find some things to nitpick, but that seems petty when this team pulled together a very compelling psychological horror movie. If the story doesn’t move you, the the audio and visual landscape will. We strongly recommend Fang, especially for fans of Independent horror film.
We would also like to thank Richard Burgin for reaching out to us directly. Had he not, we might have missed this one. We’ll look forward to seeing more from him in the future.

domain: entertainment


text:
Horace Greeley published an angry open "letter" to President Lincoln in the pages of his newspaper, the New York Tribune, on August 20, 1862. Greeley was upset that Lincoln had not yet begun enforcing the "emancipating provisions" of the new Second Confiscation Act (July 17, 1862). Lincoln responded in the pages of a rival newspaper with his own "letter" to Greeley that sternly laid out the president's policy regarding slavery. Lincoln claimed his "paramount object" in the war was to "save the Union" and not "freeing all the slaves." Yet by that point, Lincoln had already decided (in secret) that the only way he could "save the Union" was to issue an emancipation proclamation following the next major battlefield victory. (By Matthew Pinsker)
Abraham Lincoln to Horace Greeley, August 22, 1862, in Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln (8 vols., New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1953), 5: 388-389.
Transcription adapted from The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln (1953), edited by Roy P. Basler
Adapted by Don Sailer, Dickinson College

domain: history


text:
Technically Incorrect: In an interview, Google's product head, Sundar Pichai, replies to Tim Cook's criticism of Android.
The tech industry had a banner year in 2014, with sky-high valuations and acquisitions, but there's also been plenty of controversy. Here are the biggest stories from the year.
The latest figures show that sales of games on discs staggered during the holidays, continuing a trend that persisted throughout the year.
By releasing the controversial film on the Internet before it hits theaters, Sony has turned the comedy into Hollywood's first mainstream testbed for delivering movies straight to your home.
The tech giant is going full throttle with the project, but could do with the expertise of car manufacturers.
Rights holders will now be able to request the blocking of websites under new anti-piracy legislation, as the Government issues an ultimatum for industry leaders to develop a code for tackling copyright infringement.
As content distributors and ISPs tentatively welcome proposed anti-piracy regulations, consumer groups and IP experts have slammed the changes as a form of "internet filter"
After months of subsisting on strong sales of new game hardware, overall game spending plummets in November.
The games industry continues to boom while other sectors of the economy sputter, according to a new report from the Entertainment Software Association.
While the major telcos are keeping out of the crossfire, iiNet has joined a number of politicians in voicing opposition to the Government's proposed data retention laws.

domain: news


Audubon North Carolina protects our birds and the places they need
Photo: Walker Golder
The Greatest Threat Our Birds Face Today
Find a retailer near you that carries the Native Plants of the Year
Experience the last remnants of the storied Currituck Sound landscape
Part of $100 million effort to support local environmental nonprofits
A day at the beach is a vacation for most people. Residents and tourists alike travel to North Carolina beaches throughout the year to swim, fish or just stroll down the strand.
The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society with partner Bird Studies Canada. Learn about Audubon’s Great Backyard Bird Count.
Planting Little Bluestem in your yard is like planting a living bird feeder. Learn more about this plant featured on our 2016 Bird-Friendly Native Plant of the Year list.
If you have space to plant just one tree to feed your birds, you can’t go wrong with the River Birch, one of our 2016 Bird-Friendly Native Plants of the Year.
Audubon NC has submitted comments to strengthen the the state’s emissions reduction plan for power plants to better protect the birds we love.
The Audubon Sanctuary served as a site for researchers to measure the health of Black Rail populations and examine potential strongholds along the coast.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with nature and show some love for birds Valentine’s Day weekend.
The 2016 Bird-Friendly Native Plants of the Year list is here! Download it now.
January 2016 marks THREE YEARS of Bird-Friendly Communities - an initiative of Audubon working to drive growth leading to long-term conservation success for NC birds.
The Sweetbay Magnolia is among our Bird-Friendly Native Plants of the Year for 2016. Find this and other plants at your local participating retailer.
Attract Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to your yard with this bird-friendly native plant now available with participating retailers.
Birds need YOU! Get involved in helping to preserve our birds and their habitats today. There is something for everyone!
400 Silver Cedar Sourt Suite 240
Chapel Hill, NC, 27514
Phone: (919) 929-3899
Fax: (919) 929-4599
About Us »
Birds and wildlife needs YOU! 100% of your donation will be used to support the work of Audubon North Carolina.
Keep up-to-date on all that happens with Audubon North Carolina's research, events and volunteer opportunities.
Get Action Alerts when birds need you most!