Here's the link to the short story written and probably set in 1959: The Landlady.
Mrs Hilary
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
The Landlady (3)
The Landlady used to "stuff" her own animals once dead.
There are two ways of doing it: Taxidermy and embalming.
Read the document linked to get more info and do the 1 exercise (instead, for the 2nd, read and comprehend the text).
Can you add any other pice of news?
Mrs Hilary
The Landlady (2)
In the past there have been famous poisoners, especially women.
Read the following document and do the final exercises as homework, then feel free to add any other relevant persons related to the topic.
Do you know other killers who used poisons?
Write a post and add pictures!
Mrs Hilary
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
THE RING
I have never seen a more frightenining film!
The story starts with some people who watch a video on the tv and receve a call. When they answer the phone, they listen a voice that tell them they will die in 7 days. And after 7 days these people really die!
The story starts with some people who watch a video on the tv and receve a call. When they answer the phone, they listen a voice that tell them they will die in 7 days. And after 7 days these people really die!
The protagonist is Rachel who (with her child Aidan and her ex boyfriend Noah) starts to investigate about these strange and troubling facts.
At the end, she discovers that all is caused by a horrific child that was imprisoned, killed and put into a well by her mother, because she unintentionally caused misfortune to people around her. But the poor girl wasn’t dead when she was put into the well, so she agonised 7 days before dying, and the last thing she saw was the ring of light of the well’s cover.
This film is really scary. I don’t watch many horror films, but I think this is one of the most frightening.
Every scene terrifies you and leaves you without air, completely paralysed with fear.
Up to the end, you stay petrified on the armchaitr!. And after the vision, the first time you hear a phone ringing, your heart stops beating and you remain still, with no courage to pressthe green button of your phone.
You have to watch this video, now...
Monday, 23 February 2009
Adverts: Marmite and the Polo Singing Dog
Look at the videos: they're controversial adverts:
1) "MARMITE/THE BLOB"
2)"THE POLO SINGING DOG ADVERT"
Here are the words to the song the dog is singing, the song is called "I'm a man" by the Spencer Davis Group!
CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLES:
1)Giant brown blob is not to children's taste
A GIANT “blob” of Marmite spread, which featured in a television advertisement, left children terrified and having nightmares. The advertisement centred around a large brown amorphous object, described as reminiscent of the monster from the 1958 science fiction film The Blob. In one advertisement, a couple are seen running away from the blob before the woman, realising what it is, smiles and walks towards it. Then a crowd is shown either running from the blob or diving into it.
The second advertisement is similar, but includes a man with a sandwich who dives into the blob. Both commercials end with the slogan “You either love it or hate it”.
Six viewers lodged complaints with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). They said that the advertisements had caused distress to their children, aged 2 and 3, after being broadcast around programmes for children.
The advertising watchdog said: “All the viewers said that their children had been terrified by the advertisements; four said that their children refused to watch television after seeing it and a further two said their children had nightmares as a result.”
Unilever Bestfoods, which makes Marmite, said that it would change the scheduling of the advertisements, but it argued against an “ex-kids restriction” on when they could be shown. The company said that the restriction would be “unnecessarily prescriptive” as only very young children had been affected.
However, the ASA decided there was enough concern to impose the restriction. The watchdog said: “It was clear from the complaints that the advertisements had caused distress to very young children.”
2) Volkswagen defends singing dog advertisement
By Laura Clout
Last Updated: 1:14AM GMT 28 Mar 2008
The motoring giant Volkswagen has defended a controversial television advertisement which shows a dog cowering and shaking.
The 30-second advertisement features a Jack Russell happily "singing" in the front seat of a car with apparent "Polo confidence".
It then cuts to shots of the same dog shyly cowering by his owner's legs, while quietly mumbling the song under its breath.
The RSPCA is investigating the commercial after 286 viewers complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the dog appeared to have been mistreated.
Others expressed their concern on internet message boards, with one saying: "It made me uncomfortable... I don't know any way of making a dog shiver like that if it's living a happy life."
Volkswagen UK claims no animal was harmed in the making of the advertisement, and says the two dogs used were "highly trained".
The ASA investigated the complaints but said the commercial did not breach any of its rules.
However, the RSPCA said it remained "very concerned".
A spokeswoman said: "We have asked how it was filmed and have been told the dog was acting. But we are very disappointed that Volkswagen feel it necessary to portray a dog suffering to sell cars, whether it was genuine or staged."
She added that the dog should be wearing a harness while it is in the car, and should be travelling in the back of the vehicle.
The car firm, which also received around 60 complaints, has no plans to withdraw the commercial. "The dogs are highly trained. They can do almost anything. They can shake if they are happy or excited - they were not scared," a spokeswoman said.
"There is a fantasy element to the advert. We would hope that just as when people see the dog singing, they know it's not real, when they see it shaking, they know it is not really scared."
1) "MARMITE/THE BLOB"
2)"THE POLO SINGING DOG ADVERT"
Here are the words to the song the dog is singing, the song is called "I'm a man" by the Spencer Davis Group!
Well my pad is very messy
And there's whiskers on my chin
And I'm all hung up on music
And I always play to win
I ain't got no time for lovin'
Cause my time is all used up
Just to sit around creatin'
All that groovy kind of stuff.
I'm a man
Yes I am
And I can't help
But love you so
I'm a man
Yes I am
And I can't help
But love you so.
And there's whiskers on my chin
And I'm all hung up on music
And I always play to win
I ain't got no time for lovin'
Cause my time is all used up
Just to sit around creatin'
All that groovy kind of stuff.
I'm a man
Yes I am
And I can't help
But love you so
I'm a man
Yes I am
And I can't help
But love you so.
CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLES:
1)Giant brown blob is not to children's taste
A GIANT “blob” of Marmite spread, which featured in a television advertisement, left children terrified and having nightmares. The advertisement centred around a large brown amorphous object, described as reminiscent of the monster from the 1958 science fiction film The Blob. In one advertisement, a couple are seen running away from the blob before the woman, realising what it is, smiles and walks towards it. Then a crowd is shown either running from the blob or diving into it.
The second advertisement is similar, but includes a man with a sandwich who dives into the blob. Both commercials end with the slogan “You either love it or hate it”.
Six viewers lodged complaints with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). They said that the advertisements had caused distress to their children, aged 2 and 3, after being broadcast around programmes for children.
The advertising watchdog said: “All the viewers said that their children had been terrified by the advertisements; four said that their children refused to watch television after seeing it and a further two said their children had nightmares as a result.”
Unilever Bestfoods, which makes Marmite, said that it would change the scheduling of the advertisements, but it argued against an “ex-kids restriction” on when they could be shown. The company said that the restriction would be “unnecessarily prescriptive” as only very young children had been affected.
However, the ASA decided there was enough concern to impose the restriction. The watchdog said: “It was clear from the complaints that the advertisements had caused distress to very young children.”
2) Volkswagen defends singing dog advertisement
By Laura Clout
Last Updated: 1:14AM GMT 28 Mar 2008
The motoring giant Volkswagen has defended a controversial television advertisement which shows a dog cowering and shaking.
The 30-second advertisement features a Jack Russell happily "singing" in the front seat of a car with apparent "Polo confidence".
It then cuts to shots of the same dog shyly cowering by his owner's legs, while quietly mumbling the song under its breath.
The RSPCA is investigating the commercial after 286 viewers complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the dog appeared to have been mistreated.
Others expressed their concern on internet message boards, with one saying: "It made me uncomfortable... I don't know any way of making a dog shiver like that if it's living a happy life."
Volkswagen UK claims no animal was harmed in the making of the advertisement, and says the two dogs used were "highly trained".
The ASA investigated the complaints but said the commercial did not breach any of its rules.
However, the RSPCA said it remained "very concerned".
A spokeswoman said: "We have asked how it was filmed and have been told the dog was acting. But we are very disappointed that Volkswagen feel it necessary to portray a dog suffering to sell cars, whether it was genuine or staged."
She added that the dog should be wearing a harness while it is in the car, and should be travelling in the back of the vehicle.
The car firm, which also received around 60 complaints, has no plans to withdraw the commercial. "The dogs are highly trained. They can do almost anything. They can shake if they are happy or excited - they were not scared," a spokeswoman said.
"There is a fantasy element to the advert. We would hope that just as when people see the dog singing, they know it's not real, when they see it shaking, they know it is not really scared."
THE RING
A metropolitan legend narrates the history of one video cassette, 
containing images from incubus, whose vision door to the dead women in exactly seven days after an alarming telephone call. The Reporter Rachel Keller, skeptic at the beginnig, changes her mind when comes to know that four boys are dead exactly one week after the vision of the mysterious cassette. This upsets also the cousins of Katie (that is the first victim), Aidan, son of Rachel, and the ex boy friend Noah (father of Aidan).
Therefore it traces the cassette and he watches it: he has exactly one week in order to succeed to save himself… He discovers that all has origin from a cursed child, that had been adopted from one sterile brace. Such child, of Samara name Morgan, had the power to cause to 
disasters to those who were around.
The adoptive mother therefore decided to kill it (before removing same she the life) soffocate with a determined plastic envelope and then in order to hide the corpse to throw it within a sink, in reality but Samara it was still alive. The last image that the child saw before the absolute darkness had been exactly that one of the sink whom it came closed, that is a ring .They wanted just seven days then to us before that Samara ied.
Rachel succeeds therefore in some way to save itself duplicating the video cassette, diffusing it to other persons and breaking therefore the malediction , but therefore she does not happen for Noah , that he dies.
Comment
I think that this film is fantastic. This film is a compound between yellow film and horror. All scenes are full of tension… in fact in every moment the fear grips to you and it makes you to abbrividire with scenes, many times, little crude.il a film, according to my opinion is also much sad one. this sadness is due to the hard life that has had sopportare Samantha who to the end has poured its anger in one tremendous maledizione. this is a film of optimal invoice and that I have seen a lot gladly and the council to who still has lively not seen it…
And now, to remain in theme, two appetizing songs by Rob Zombie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ezcoy-Lz8p4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bZjMfwuBhc
THE KING VAMPIRE
Friday, 20 February 2009
Thursday, 19 February 2009
This is a very terrible story. I have to say to you, that this is not a story like the others, and this is not a story for unbrave people: so, if you are not brave enough, will be better for you to not continue to read it.
Once upon a time, there was an old woman who lived far away from the center of the town.
There were only two streets to reach the small town from her little house: the first, was a long long road made of stone, the second was a street through the wood. How you can imagine, the first road, was longer than the second. Everytime she had to reach the town, she always took the long long road, and she didn't mind if it road was longer, because there were some strange stories about the wood and she didn't want to risk anything. But a day, she received a call: suddenly,some parents were coming to visit her. The old woman realized to don't have anything to give them to eat, so she had to reach the town. She looked out of the window: the sun was coming down behind the mountains, so she decided to reach the town passing through the wood. She started to walk print by print and she arrived the wood. There was silence all around her and the darkness started to come down. She entered the wood. Suddenly also started to rain...the old woman started to think at all the stange stories about that place. She was almost at the end of the wood, when she heard something strange...than silence. The woman started to sweat and to walk faster. She looked around her everything seemed normal, when she saw the black shadow of a man. He started to follow the poor woman. She run faster and faster, while the rain was falling more than before. The woman was also crying, and now the man was really near her. Suddenly she fell down, she looked at him and she saw his terrible face:" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!! A monster!!!"
And him:"bella f**a te!!!"
Once upon a time, there was an old woman who lived far away from the center of the town.
There were only two streets to reach the small town from her little house: the first, was a long long road made of stone, the second was a street through the wood. How you can imagine, the first road, was longer than the second. Everytime she had to reach the town, she always took the long long road, and she didn't mind if it road was longer, because there were some strange stories about the wood and she didn't want to risk anything. But a day, she received a call: suddenly,some parents were coming to visit her. The old woman realized to don't have anything to give them to eat, so she had to reach the town. She looked out of the window: the sun was coming down behind the mountains, so she decided to reach the town passing through the wood. She started to walk print by print and she arrived the wood. There was silence all around her and the darkness started to come down. She entered the wood. Suddenly also started to rain...the old woman started to think at all the stange stories about that place. She was almost at the end of the wood, when she heard something strange...than silence. The woman started to sweat and to walk faster. She looked around her everything seemed normal, when she saw the black shadow of a man. He started to follow the poor woman. She run faster and faster, while the rain was falling more than before. The woman was also crying, and now the man was really near her. Suddenly she fell down, she looked at him and she saw his terrible face:" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!! A monster!!!"
And him:"bella f**a te!!!"
Boogeyman
Laura Porter, the first character of this film, has a phobia. She thinks that a demon lives in her wordrobe and during the night he goes out to harm her.
Laura is hospitalited in a psychiatrical clinic,but with many other people, she is closed in the hospital.
All the people die with their phobies. Laura escapes.
At the end we discover that the killer is Henry, Laura's brother. Henry wanted to take revenge of a doctor of the hospital who harmed him.
[●REC]
[●REC], or REC, is a Spanish horror film. I saw it with my friends at the cinema.
The main carachters are a young TV reporter, Angela Vidal, and her came
raman, Pablo, sent by a local TV program (While You Sleep) to the firemen's station for recording their work. So they follow two firemen, Alex and Manu, when they go to rescue an old woman trapped inside her flat. But when they go inside, the old lady attacks them, biting a fireman. While they are inside the apartment, the building is sealed from the outside, trapping inside the reporter, the cameraman, the firemen and all the tenants, too. They'll learn further that the old woman was infected by a virus, transmitted with saliva, that transforms people in bloodthirsty zombies. Soon all the carachters, except Angela and Pablo, become infected; the two protagonists, to save themselves, go upstairs to the penthouse: here they found that a Vatican doctor had brought researches about a virus believed to be the cause of demonic possession, studying a possessed girl. Suddenly, a door opens: the possessed girl is still alive, and kills Pablo and Angela.
raman, Pablo, sent by a local TV program (While You Sleep) to the firemen's station for recording their work. So they follow two firemen, Alex and Manu, when they go to rescue an old woman trapped inside her flat. But when they go inside, the old lady attacks them, biting a fireman. While they are inside the apartment, the building is sealed from the outside, trapping inside the reporter, the cameraman, the firemen and all the tenants, too. They'll learn further that the old woman was infected by a virus, transmitted with saliva, that transforms people in bloodthirsty zombies. Soon all the carachters, except Angela and Pablo, become infected; the two protagonists, to save themselves, go upstairs to the penthouse: here they found that a Vatican doctor had brought researches about a virus believed to be the cause of demonic possession, studying a possessed girl. Suddenly, a door opens: the possessed girl is still alive, and kills Pablo and Angela. REC seems really filmed by Pablo, and this gives an incredible realism to the film. Some of my friends were really horrified. Actually, the film didn't scare me so much, but I must admit that it was really well done, even if the shaky camera gave me some problems.
We have to tape everything, Pablo. For fuck's sake.
MINDHUNTERS (2004)
Mindhunters are a group of young FBI students who are training as profilers. They are tasked by their instructor Jake Harris to travel to a small island, used as a training facility by the FBI and the military. Harris has arranged an elaborate training scenario for his students; they have to create a profile of a serial killer who has committed a murder there.
They begin their investigation the following day. The group encounters an elaborate trap, that kills one of them via liquid nitrogen. Convinced that this wasn't an accident, the group heads to the dock to leave the island. Another trap is triggered, destroying the boat docked there. Tensions run high among the group, and they find messages from the killer, that indicate when more victims will be killed.
Several more of the profilers are killed, while the investigators use the resources at hand (including a forensics lab and computer database) to process the clues they have. Every time that results point to one of them, he (or she) dies in a few hours, so it isn't possible for the remaining investigators to find the real killer. There will be only one survivor: the killer, or the one who will kill him.
It’s not properly a horror story. Most of people would put it into the thriller genre, but I really like the way it can frighten people using only the psychological aspect. It’s not horrific or petrifying, but, especially if you watch it in the right place (dolby surrounded room with a big TV, for example), the more you watch it, the more it makes you have shivers down your spine. So at the end, when you turn the light on and the TV off, you feel less anxious. But the following night you might dream a killer under you bed!
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
I don’t like very much horror film in general, in fact I haven’t seen many films of this genre. The last Horror that I have seen is “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (non aprite quella porta ): it’s about a group of students that are crossing road in Texas. After a series of woes they run up against with a family of cannibals led by the crazy Leatherface, who will turn their trip into a nightmare. I don’t think that it is really scary, I prefer not to call it “fear” , but rather I think that it is a horrific and macabre film! This because, in my personal opinion, there isn’t “suspense” for the reason that it’s very predictable and there is too much noise because of chainsaws turned on all the time, so there isn’t any kind of tension.
Ultimately, I think that this film is too little original, based only on violent scenes and not on genuine fear.
Ultimately, I think that this film is too little original, based only on violent scenes and not on genuine fear.
"The Silence of the Lambs"......
"The Silence of the Lambs"(1991) is a film taken from a novel with the same name (1988) by Thomas Harris.
A young FBI recruit (J. Foster) is mandated to visit Hannibal Lecter (A. Hopkins) in jail, murderous psychiatrist, to obtain information about a psychopathic murderess that killed five women and skinning; she gradually obtained the information, but in exchange she has to tell about her past episodes.
A serial killer and a murderer psychiatrist (who helps the police), also accused of cannibalism, are the ideal ingredients for a shivery movie that interested (and scared) the viewer to the end.
This is a memorable thriller (which won 5 Oscar awards) but in my opinion it isn’t a really horror film, even if it contains several scenes that make it looks like a horror films.
Even if the film is not too frightening (compared to other films like “REC”, “The Ring”, “Saw” etc….), it is a bit chilling and full of suspense; I liked it very much because it shows how it is interesting to enter into the mind of a serial killer (the professor Hannibal Lecter) who isn’t a stupid and crazy person, but extremely intelligent and cunning.
Finally, I am writing a quote from the movie to give you an idea of our friend Hannibal:
Professor H. Lecter: “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti”......... :)
Casper...the terrible ghost!
I'm not a really brave guy, but, I've decided to talk to you about the most terrifing horror story I've ever listened to. Before starting, I have to say that this is not a story like the others; so, if you are not brave, you should have not to read it...
The story I'm going to write for you is........................"CASPER, THE LITTLE GOOD GHOST"
This is the story of a young guy's ghost that differently from the other ghosts is really sweet and friendly. He lives in a hunted big house with his three terrible uncles : CICCIA, MOLLA and PUZZA.
During his life, Casper tries to have some friends but everybody he runs across is frightned of him. But a day a young girl with his father, a strage phsicologist, starts to live in Casper's house to look for ghost and spirit. After some time Casper and the girl became friends and together start a series of really funny adventures. ..
The story I'm going to write for you is........................"CASPER, THE LITTLE GOOD GHOST"
This is the story of a young guy's ghost that differently from the other ghosts is really sweet and friendly. He lives in a hunted big house with his three terrible uncles : CICCIA, MOLLA and PUZZA.
During his life, Casper tries to have some friends but everybody he runs across is frightned of him. But a day a young girl with his father, a strage phsicologist, starts to live in Casper's house to look for ghost and spirit. After some time Casper and the girl became friends and together start a series of really funny adventures. ..
The best horror film: REC
REC is a spanish film. The reason for which this film, in my opinion, is really terrific, is that the point of wiew of audience is all into a camera, this camera is used by one of two protagonists that are journalists.
At the beginning of the film these journalists are doing a documentary about firemen. They follow two firemen in a condominium from which firemen have received a signaling.
At this point arrive problems, in fact an old woman is affected by a strange virus and starts to assault other persons and virus is transmitted by blood. The journalists, firemen, policemen and the inhabitants of the condominium are close into the building by the police to contain the expansion of virus.
A lot of scene are horrific and frightening, some of my friends are so paralysed and truly scared that they have hide head under arms.
Finally journalists remain the only two persons incontaged by virus, and they search refuge in the attic: will it be a good idea? I think not.....
At the beginning of the film these journalists are doing a documentary about firemen. They follow two firemen in a condominium from which firemen have received a signaling.
At this point arrive problems, in fact an old woman is affected by a strange virus and starts to assault other persons and virus is transmitted by blood. The journalists, firemen, policemen and the inhabitants of the condominium are close into the building by the police to contain the expansion of virus.
A lot of scene are horrific and frightening, some of my friends are so paralysed and truly scared that they have hide head under arms.
Finally journalists remain the only two persons incontaged by virus, and they search refuge in the attic: will it be a good idea? I think not.....
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Creepy stories?
Here's a short story written by Roald Dahl, The Landlady.
Read it and be ready for Thurs 26th Feb.
Mrs Hilary
Read it and be ready for Thurs 26th Feb.
Mrs Hilary