Tag: thriller

The Horror of ‘Seven’.

Published on by Debbie Johansson2 Comments

Recently, I was prompted to revisit the film ‘Seven’. I have not watched the film in years, so had therefore forgotten how good it is.

After the opening credits with a nod to Nine Inch Nails, we are quickly introduced to the jaded Lieutenant Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and ambitious Detective Miller (Brad Pitt). The film is set in an unknown city, a place where Miller wanted to transfer to, surprising Somerset and perhaps also, the audience. The city is portrayed as a dark, miserable place full of crime and drug users. Miller and his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) having recently moved to the city, live in an apartment where trains pass and rattle their living quarters whenever they go by. The local library is seen as the only redeeming feature within the city, a place where Somerset is a frequent visitor.

The film is certainly gruesome as the killer works his way through the seven deadly sins; gluttony and sloth, in particular. It is not just the imagery of the victims themselves, but also what we learn the killer does to them, that adds to the horror and the tension.

I don’t want to give anything away in case anyone has not seen the film, but the killer (Kevin Spacey) is patient and methodical, and as Somerset points out ‘he’s not the devil, he’s just a man.’

In the final scene, where we really get to see the killer, known as John Doe, we are taken out of the city to a remote desert location. It is here, where both detectives and the viewer are transported into the unknown, that culminates into a memorable gut-wrenching scene, making John Doe a notorious on-screen villain.

What I’ve been watching this past month: –

John Wayne Gacy: Killer Clown’s Revenge (Foxtel)

I’ve always been fascinated by serial killers and John Wayne Gacy has always been high on my list. This show is in four parts, covering his childhood all the way to his arrest. It was interesting to hear tape extracts of Gacy’s interviews, as well as hearing from detectives on the case. Although the narrator’s voice and the occasional ‘clown laugh’ irritated me, I found this compelling viewing.

The Dark Crystal – Age of Resistance (Netflix)
I admit to having watched this show before; in fact, this is my third viewing. I enjoy the plot, the characters, and the little snippets of humour. I never tire of the sheer magic of the puppetry and set designs, that there are moments I get so caught up in it, I forget I’m watching puppets. I’m really looking forward to the second season (and hope there will continue to be one).

What have you been watching? Have you been preparing yourself for Halloween? Have you revisited some favourites lately?

My Sweet Imago – 2nd Campaigner Challenge.

Published on by Debbie Johansson44 Comments

Throughout the Platform Building Campaign, Rachael is holding a couple of challenges.  I didn’t partake in the first challenge, so I thought I’d try my hand at the second challenge.  And what a doozy it is!

Here are the rules:-

Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title.  It can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc.  The blog post should:

  • include the word ‘imago‘ in the title
  • include the following 4 random words: ‘miasma‘, ‘lacuna‘, ‘oscitate‘, ‘synchronicity‘

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional and included in the word count), make reference to a mirror in your post.  For those who want an even greater challenge (optional), make your post 200 words EXACTLY!

So after searching frantically in the dictionary, I came up with something using all the requirements in the challenge.  Here’s my entry:-

MY SWEET IMAGO

I struggle not to oscitate as I watch another one being wheeled in.  It has been a long night; this will be the last.

I gaze upon the face of the man in front of me and my hands become clammy.  The miasma emanating from his body fills my nostrils.  His mouth is open; a dark lacuna releasing its final scream.  That mouth had kissed me longingly; hungrily, the touch of his hands a sweet caress.

Childhood memories flitter through my mind of lazy summer days and melted ice-creams, of promises to be together forever, always.  Recent memories of drug abuse and alcohol induced stupors; promises that they would never happen again.  Tears do not form behind my eyes and cloud my better judgement.  They did not a few months ago when I last said goodbye.  They will not fail me now.

A slow smile creeps upon me; he would have loved the synchronicity of this moment.  It’s like holding up a mirror; only his choice of drug was different to mine.  Were they really the cause of all his lies, deceit and ultimate betrayal?

I take a firm grip upon the scalpel and begin to cut.

* * *

Winners of this challenge will be determined solely on the basis of your votes.  If you like my entry you can vote for it here, (I’m No.102), where you can also check out others.  Best of luck everyone!

Writing from Experience: Bringing it Home.

Published on by Debbie Johansson2 Comments

2011 is shaping up to be a personal year for me.  Events have taken place that I feel compelled to write about them and others throughout my childhood.  Writing personal essays has now become a part of my writing agenda.

I have been reading books on essays, including Writing from Personal Experience by Nancy Davidoff Kelton and Writing Articles from the Heart by Marjorie Homes.  I have found them both helpful and motivating and I have since compiled a list of possibilities to write about.  Reading these books have also helped with my novels.

My first novel begins with a hit and run accident.  I was left wondering if my writing sounded convincing enough when revealing the emotions of my characters.  It was not until I was going over my personal experiences that I discovered I must have had some kind of repressed memory.  I was in primary school when my grandfather was hit by a truck.  He died instantly.  Images and emotions of the days that followed flashed through my mind.  I did know about such an event; I know how that feels.  I feel I can now do my re-writes with more confidence.

It’s also funny how timing comes into our lives.  Through my husband’s work, he forwarded on a link to a Victorian Roads commercial.  This video is both graphic and confronting, yet it brings the message home.  It, too, has allowed me to focus on the emotions and the people who are left behind.  Since watching this video, I have discovered that looking outside the box is a helpful tool.

As Nancy Davidoff Kelton writes in her book:  ‘Writing isn’t about going far.  It’s about going far within’.

How far are you willing to travel?