stephen king

The Horror of Marianne.

Published on 16/10/201915/10/2019 by Debbie Johansson7 Comments

Recently, I watched the Netflix horror series Marianne. It has proven to be a much talked-about series on the internet, as well as garnering good reviews.

Famous French horror writer, Emma Larsimon, has decided to put an end to her series with her character Marianne. However, she is soon forced to return to her hometown after an absence of fifteen years. Here, she is confronted with the knowledge that the nightmares from her stories are coming to life.

I like the fact that in this series, the main character of Emma, is a writer. Yes, it has been done in horror before, but part of this attraction comes from the character herself. When we first meet Emma, she comes across as an obnoxious, rude and at times, childish character. However, we do get to see another side to her, so that we start to feel for her.

Like Emma, the rest of the cast of characters is compelling and well-developed. Emma gets to meet her old school friends and we become engaged in their secrets and histories and we get to care about them. There are some dark and disturbing moments throughout this series, which can at times be hard to watch, and it’s because of these relationships between the characters that we remain invested.

Located on a coastal town, the scares are maintained throughout the entire series. There were moments when even I was gripped and wondered what to expect next, but such tension is released with humour. This series even met with Stephen King’s seal of approval (and yes, I’m one of those sickos 😉 )

The cinematography and imagery are wonderful to look at and there is also a great musical score. During one scene, the music reminded me of Halloween and in another scene, the imagery reminded me of It, so there is homage to the classics of the horror genre. And yet, it does have its own unique style. The narrator has a suitably eerie voice and I really like the use of flipped pages of a book to illustrate flashbacks, for example.

Of-course, there is one character above all that really stands out and that is Madame Daugeron, the mother of one of Emma’s schoolfriends. This woman is seriously creepy and is played so well by Mireille Herbstmyer; her facial expressions, combined with the dubbed voice and laugh create some scary scenes. Yes, this show is dubbed in English, although I have heard some people have managed to watch it in original French. I would have loved to have seen that version. Not only do I love the French language, but it would help to get another feel for the series.

The twist ending may come as a surprise however, the narrator does hint at what’s to come. Such an ending means that there is scope for a second season. Given the positive reception, one can hope that we shall see that soon.

Have you watched Marianne? Did you find it scary or did it not grab your attention? What have you been watching recently?

Do You Dislike Clowns?

Published on 19/09/201718/09/2017 by Debbie Johansson2 Comments

Why do some people dislike clowns? Clowns are supposed to make people laugh, yet in others (myself included) they can provide the opposite effect. A fear of clowns has been termed coulrophobia and as recently as 2016, there was a creepy clown epidemic, where some cities in the United States experienced menacing looking clowns, and eventually would become sighted world-wide.

With the remake of Stephen King’s ‘It’, I wonder if this was the reason behind last year’s clown epidemic. I read the book back in the 1980s and naturally, the only part that stayed in my mind was Pennywise. How could you not be afraid of a clown carrying red balloons and trying to lure small children down sewers? Watching the telemovie only heightened my dislike. I’m still debating whether to go see this new version.

Recently I read an article that Nevada’s Haunted Clown Motel is for sale. A haunted clown motel situated on a deserted highway, next to a cemetery and I instantly had images of ‘Psycho’ in my head, amongst other things. My muse turned to overdrive with the possibilities and I wondered why on earth anyone would want to own a clown motel. Each to their own, I guess, but despite the possibility of it being haunted, I’ll keep my distance thanks! 😉

A dislike of clowns are only heightened (as least for me) when it comes to John Wayne Gacy. It wasn’t until the 1980s that I learned about him, and perhaps he was Stephen King’s inspiration for Pennywise, but either way, he only cemented my dislike of clowns ever since. Dressing up as ‘Pogo the Clown’, performing at parties, charitable events and children’s hospitals was all part of his act in being a valuable member of society. This would eventually earn him the name the ‘Killer Clown’. In the telemovie ‘To Catch a Killer’, Brian Dennehy did such a wonderful job as John Wayne Gacy, that I will always picture him in that role. It was so creepy; I’m not surprised he was nominated for an award for his performance.

I can only speak for myself, but I think one of the reasons for my dislike of clowns is their faces. With their entire faces painted, one cannot see the real person behind them and in the cases of John Wayne Gacy and Pennywise, what lies behind is not good. It can be the same with people wearing masks and why they tend to appear in horror movies. Such things can either frighten or deceive. For me, that’s what makes clowns so scary.

Do you dislike clowns or do you rather like them? Are you going to watch ‘It’? If you’ve already seen ‘It’, what did you think? Would you stay in a haunted clown motel? Did John Wayne Gacy make you dislike clowns or was it Pennywise or perhaps another clown entirely? What do you think makes clowns so scary?

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What Writers Can Learn from ‘Misery’.

Published on 22/04/201513/03/2016 by Debbie Johansson4 Comments

Recently, I watched the movie Misery, starring Kathy Bates in her award winning role as Annie Wilkes. It’s a film I have not seen in quite some time and it has been even longer since I read the book, yet it is undoubtedly a story that stays with you. Stephen King not only demonstrates his skills as a writer by building up the suspense while focusing on two main characters in a confined space, but he also plays upon the fears of writers.

By the end of the film, I couldn’t help but think of what writers can learn from Misery.

1. Routine

Author Paul Sheldon had the luxury of staying in a hotel whenever he needed to finish writing a novel. He would also celebrate typing ‘the end’ with a cigarette and a glass of champagne. Writers need to have some kind of routine in order to produce the words on a regular basis, however, a change every once in a while can also be beneficial. Write in a different location (like a coffee shop or find your own writer’s retreat) and treat yourself to something different with each milestone you make, like some chocolate, a new book or a night out. Routines are necessary, but they can make us stale. Add some spice to your writing life.

2. Keep a Backup

Annie Wilkes insisted that Paul set fire to his latest manuscript. He tried to make out it was no big deal, as he had other copies, but Annie Wilkes being the obsessed fan that she was, knew better. Keep backup copies of all your writing projects. Hard copies, hard drives, external drives and flash drives; it all might sound excessive, but it pays to be cautious. There is nothing worse than losing your documents to a virus or computer problem and having to write everything again; a great waste of your most precious asset – time.

3. Keep Your Readers Happy

Killing off the main character in a series? That’s where it all went downhill for Paul – he did not keep one particular fan happy. If we don’t keep our readers happy, then quite simply, they will stop reading our stories and look to other writers to help fill that void. Readers bring a level of expectation they want from us, with regards to both our stories and ourselves as writers. Don’t disappoint them.

4. Motivation

With an obsessive fan like Annie Wilkes who has control over you, as well as threatening you with a hammer, you would learn to type pretty quickly. No time to worry about writer’s doubt, writer’s block or procrastination. You would make sure you got the words down in order to try and save your own life. Thankfully, we’re not in Paul Sheldon’s shoes, so for the rest of us we have such things as deadlines, a timer and a great deal of persistence, hard work and determination.

One final piece of advice when it comes to writing:- if you ever become successful in this field, just be careful of anyone who tells you that they’re your No.1 fan. 😉

Have you read the book and/or watched the movie Misery? What do you remember most about the story? What did you think of Kathy Bates’ performance? What motivates you to write?

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