Manic Monday

Every Monday, I like to put up a little post on real life people who, in their time, created true horror around them.  What's more horrible than a killer?  The answer, for me at least, and a good many of us, I think-is a child who kills.  We always want to know the motivation behind murder.  But what could prompt or motivate a child to do something heinous.

We think of children as innocents.  And in many ways they are, because they are usually at the mercy of the adults around them.  They learn a good deal of their behavior from the people around them.  When a child goes wrong, we look to their caretakers.  Where were they?  What did they do to bring up a monster?

Brenda Ann Spencer

I DON'T LIKE MONDAYS

I think we all pretty much agree that events such as the Columbine Massacre are horrific.  Unfortunately, this event wasn' t the first, and it probably won't be the last.

One of the first that made a media impact was on January 29th, 1979.  16 year old Brenda Ann Spencer opened fire on children arriving at Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego from her house across the street, killing two men and wounding eight students and a police officer.  She fired 36 rounds from a semi-automatic rifle through her bedroom window.Principal Burton Wragg was attempting to rescue children in the line of fire when he was shot and killed, and custodian Mike Suchar was killed while attempting to help Wragg.

The rifle was a Christmas present from her father.  If you google Brenda Ann Spencer, every story always mentions that the rifle she used was a Christmas present.  I believe that is done to show how a 16 year old girl took a gift, and yes, although, it was a gun, she took something given to her out of love and twisted it for her own morbid amusement.  She enjoyed shooting, and her father gave her something she wanted.  Isn't that what parents do for their children?

She had a standoff with police for six and a half hours.  She barricaded herself in her home, telling the police that "she would come out shooting."When she was asked why she did it--she replied, "I don't like Mondays.  This livens up the day."   She told them, "There was no reason for it, and it was just a lot of fun; It was like shooting ducks in a pond, and they looked like a herd of cows standing around, it was really easy pickings."  She eventually surrendered.

She pled guilty to two counts of murder and assault with deadly weapon and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.  She has been up for parole 5 times, and has been denied each time.

I wonder how often Brenda Spencer stared out of her bedroom window at the elementary school across the street?  Did she envision herself shooting them?  Taking them out one by one?  Or did the idea come to her when she got her Christmas present-her own father an unwitting accessory to murders she would commit?  Luckily, no children died that day, not for lack of trying.

The callousness of her crimes is clear--her guilt is obvious.  But what happened to Brenda Ann Spencer to try to kill innocent children and murder two men who were trying to save them?   She expressed no remorse when arrested.  She seemed to take pleasure in what she did.  At her first parole hearing she said that she believed that the victims were hit by police shots and not hers.  She claimed that she'd been under the influence of alcohol and hallucinogenic drugs.  At a later parole hearing she admitted her guilt and expressed remorse, but that she had been under the influence.  She also claimed the old standby excuse--sexual abuse by her father.  She refuses to take full blame for her actions, shifting some of that blame on anything else.

She is eligible to reapply for parole in 2019.  She is still in the Big House--where she should stay till the day she dies.

MEDIA IMPACT

"I Don't Like Mondays" is a song by the Boomtown Rats that was a UK number one single for four weeks during the summer of 1979. Written by Bob Geldolf.  

The song was first performed less than a month later. Geldof explained how he wrote the song:

"I was doing a radio interview in Atlanta with Fingers and there was a telex machine beside me. I read it as it came out. Not liking Mondays as a reason for doing somebody in, is a bit strange. I was thinking about it on the way back to the hotel, and I just said 'Silicone (sic) chip inside her head had switched to overload'. I wrote that down. And the journalists interviewing her said, 'Tell me why?' It was such a senseless act. It was the perfect senseless act and this was the perfect senseless reason for doing it. So perhaps I wrote the perfect senseless song to illustrate it. It wasn't an attempt to exploit tragedy."

Check out the video on Youtube...sorry I couldn't imbed it.  There is also covers of the song by Bon Jovi and Tori Amos

and the lyrics:

The silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload.
And nobody's gonna go to school today,
She's going to make them stay at home.
And daddy doesn't understand it,
He always said she was as good as gold.
And he can see no reason
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?

Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.

The telex machine is kept so clean
As it types to a waiting world.
And mother feels so shocked,
Father's world is rocked,
And their thoughts turn to
Their own little girl.
Sweet 16 ain't so peachy keen,
No, it ain't so neat to admit defeat.
They can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?

Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?

I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.

All the playing's stopped in the playground now
She wants to play with her toys a while.
And school's out early and soon we'll be learning
And the lesson today is how to die.
And then the bullhorn crackles,
And the captain crackles,
With the problems and the how's and why's.
And he can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to die?

Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.

In the popular film The Breakfast Club, it can be seen written in chalk on a blue wall as the film begins.

In " 20 Hours in American, Part II", the second episode of season 4 of The West Wing, the song (covered by Tori Amos) was featured during the aftermath of a fictional bombing at a university, the story behind the song having been told in the previous episode: "20 Hours in American Part I".

The song appeared in the television series Hous in the episode "Half-Wit. Dr. House played the elegant piano introduction to the song for a patient, a musical savant with dystonia, who then repeated it perfectly (with House adding the distinctive hand claps between the last two phrases).

The melody of the song also serves as the basis for the F. C. Copenhagen football team's song.

In Home Room (a film about a high school shooting), the song is playing when the father of one of the main characters is flipping through radio channels.

In 2006 while presenting the NME Awards, Russell Brand made the joke, "Really, it's no surprise he's (Geldof) such an expert on famine, he has after all been dining out on 'I Don't Like Mondays' for thirty years". This was a response to Geldof calling him a "cunt".

In the film  The Commitments (1991), the character of Mickah Wallace (Dave Finnegan) sings the chorus as part of a microphone test before the band's first concert.

In a Phineas and Ferb episode, Dr. Doofenshmirtz makes an homage to this song singing "I Really Don't Hate Christmas".

Manic Monday

Ed Gein

A MONSTER IS BORN

Edward Theodore Gein was born on August 27, 1906, to Augusta and George Gein in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Eddie was the second of two boys born to the couple. The first born was Henry, who was seven years older than Eddie.  Augusta was a strong willed religious woman, intolerant of her weak-willed husband, George, to whom he deferred in all things, especially, in the raising of their boys.  Augusta kept a tight reign over her boys, making sure they were aware of the outside evils of the world.  She was especially harsh on sexual matters, expounding the evils of sex and women to her boys.  She even went so far as to punish the boys for trying to make friends.  She kept them as socially isolated as possible.

It's said that Ed Gein was especially close his mother.  His older brother Henry worried about how his attachment to his mother was affecting Ed.

In 1940 George died as a result of his alcoholism.  The only outside influence he really had was now his brother Henry.  Both of them did odd jobs as handy men.  They were reliable and trustworthy.  Ed Gein was even trusted to babysit, as he did for his neighbors quite often.  Henry did what he could to protect his brother, defying their mother when he could. Unfortunately, Henry passed away just four years after their father's death, dead in a brush fire.

Unusual Circumstances

On May 16, 1944, Ed and Henry were fighting a brush fire on their land, they separated and, according to Ed, lost sight of one another.  When the blaze was out, Ed contacted the police, concerned for his missing brother.  Yet when police arrived, Ed led them right to the "lost" Henry, who lying dead on unburned ground, bruises on his head.  Did Henry get disoriented in the fire, fall and bump his head?  Or did Ed take advantage of a situation to get rid of the brother that defied his beloved mother?  Despite the unusual circumstances of Henry Gein's death, it was ruled death by asphyxiation.  No one could believe that shy and kind Ed would harm Henry.

Augusta died a short time later, after a series of strokes.  Ed Gein was now alone in the world.  He was a 39 year old bachelor who had lived through his mother's tyranny all his life.  He supported himself by doing odd jobs.  The farm quickly deteriorated.  He boarded off most of the house keeping the rooms just the way his mother left them.  He only kept the kitchen and a bedroom open for his use.  The lone Gein spent his time reading pulp magazines and anatomy books.  Ed was fascinated by exotic stories about head shrinking, anatomy, and grave robbing.  At some point, Ed began visiting cemeteries and stealing women's bodies. Ed was fond of peeling their skin from their bodies and wearing it. He was curious to know what it was like to have breasts and a vagina and he often dreamed of being a woman. He was fascinated with women because of the power and hold they had over men.  Ed was trying to fashion himself a "woman suit".  Ed added quite a bit to his odd "collection"  over the years.

Grave Robbing and Murder

An investigation to the whereabouts of Bernice Worden began after her son Frank, a deputy sheriff, returned late in the afternoon from an early morning hunting trip and discovered his mother was missing and blood was on the floor of the store. A review of the store receipts included the purchase of a half of gallon of antifreeze.  Worden thought about any suspicious activity that he could recall, and one thing came to mind. He remembered that Gein had been in and out of the store the previous week and also at closing time the night before. He remembered Gein saying he'd be back in the morning for antifreeze and that Gein questioned Worden about going hunting the next day. Although Gein had never been involved in any known criminal activity, the sheriff felt it was time to pay the odd loner a visit.

 House of Horrors

The police found Ed Gein in a store near his home.  They then went to his home to begin their search.  They began in the shed.  In the shed they found a body hanging upside down, disemboweled. It was Bernice Worden.    After the discovery of Bernice Worden's headless corpse and other gruesome artifacts in Eddie's house, police began an exhaustive search of the remaining parts of the farm and surrounding land. They believed Eddie may have been involved in more murders and that the bodies might be buried on his land.  His home was filled with junk and newspapers.  And body parts, many body parts.  Some used as regular household items:  skulls were made into bowls, jewelry made from human skin.  Chairs upholstered in human skin.  Masks that were once human faces.  The majority of parts came from 15 different women.  Bernice Worden's heart was found in a pan on the stove.  Ed Gein swore up and down that he did not engage in necrophilia with the corpses, because of the smell.  He also denied any cannibalism, despite having gutted Bernice.  When Searching his house, authorities found a number of items:

* Four noses
* Whole human bones and fragments
* Nine masks of human skin
* Bowls made from human skulls
* Ten female heads with the tops sawed off
* Human skin covering several chair seats
* Mary Hogan's head in a paper bag
* Bernice Worden's head in a burlap sack
* Nine vulvas in a shoe box
* Skulls on his bedposts
* Organs in the refrigerator
* A pair of lips on a draw string for a window shade

Ed swore that the body parts were all from corpses he robbed from their graves.  Police were skeptical.  After much controversy and red tape, the police were able to exhume the graves Ed claimed he tampered with.

A Psychopath

Gein's sanity was in question and it was suggested that during trial he plead not guilty, by reason of insanity, or rather diminished responsibility. Gein underwent a battery of psychological tests, which later concluded that he was indeed emotionally impaired. Psychologists and psychiatrists who interviewed him asserted that he was schizophrenic and a "sexual psychopath." His condition was attributed to the unhealthy relationship he had with his mother. Gein apparently suffered from conflicting feelings about women, his natural sexual attraction to them and the unnatural attitudes that his mother had instilled in him. This love-hate feeling towards women became exaggerated and eventually developed in to a full-blown psychosis.

The only murders that could actually be attributed to Ed Gein was that of Bernice Worden and a Mary Hogan.

Ed Gein was deemed mentally incompetent and could not stand trial.  He spent the remainder of his days at a hospital for the criminally insane.

He died of heart failure attributed to cancer on July 26, 1984

Ed Gein and his House of Horrors became the stuff of legend.  His story has inspired many a horror tale.  The most well known media inspired by the atrocities committed by Ed Gein are:

Psycho

In Psycho, Norman Bates is a Gein-like character who has an unnatural attachment to his deceased mother. He keeps her corpse in the house, and often personifies her by wearing a wig and dresses.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a blend of several different murders and serial killers. Leatherface, who also wears a masks made of human skin, was doubtlessly inspired by Ed Gein. However, Gein never killed his victims with a chainsaw.

The Silence of The Lambs

In Silence of the Lambs, another purely fictional movie, serial killer Buffalo Bill is patterned after Gein in that he murders women and uses their skins as human masks.

There are several other movies based on Ed Gein, a few of them are actually titled, "Ed Gein".  His House of Horrors and crimes he committed are the stuff of legend.  The type of story that people tell one another in hushed tones, that children tell one another in the dark over a campfire.  But this Boogey man was real. By day he was a quiet, shy handyman that people trusted enough to babysit their children.  By night he robbed graves and desecrated female corpses--Ed Gein, a True American Psycho.

The Bible As inspiration for Horror Films

Blasphemer, you say.  Truth, I say.  I mean the Bible is filled with horror stories.  I mean come on.  Let me cite some examples:

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

 They deserved it, you say.  Well mass murder is mass murder, even if it's in the Bible and the will of God.   First off, when the people come to try and rape the Angels that came to warn the good people, Lot offers up his virgin daughters instead.  I am pretty darn sure that was horrifying to the daughters.  Then of course, if you've read your Bible, later on Lot commits incest with his daughters. Or the daughters rape a drunken Lot (remember the story was written by men, so POV makes a difference).   And he was the one righteous enough to be saved.  Then there is the Levite's Concubine in Judges.  The Levite offers his his concubine to be raped by men.  She is raped all night long.  The next morning, she will not get up.  Is she dead?  I don't know, the Bible is unclear.  But it is possible to be raped to death.  Either way, the Levite cuts her up into twelve pieces and disposes of her body.  Then there was that time God tried to get rid of humanity by drowning us.  But that's okay, he said he was sorry with a rainbow.  And what about the time God smote the firstborns of Egypt.  And don't even get me started on Revelations.  I could go on and on.  And I probably will, in another post.

The Bible is filled with horrifying atrocities that mankind has committed against mankind, and that God has committed against mankind.  And it has been an inspiration to horror films.  Basically the Bible tells us to be good or you will be punished.  Then it goes on to tell us the many ways we are being bad.  Hell isn't a place we want to go to.  Yet most of us seem to be on the path. It's a fear that is instilled in a lot us as children in Sunday Bible School or CCD.  I remember coloring pictures of a smiling Jesus with open arms as someone told us kiddos what hell was.

Some of the best horror has been inspired by the Bible, especially Revelations.  Here is my list of the

Best Horror inspired by Theology

that I enjoyed

not in any particular order

[caption id="attachment_404" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Dad Meiks and Otis"][/caption]

Frailty-2002, Bill Paxton, Mathew McConaughey.  This underrated thriller is about the relationship between two brothers and their father.  The father, played by Bill Paxton, has been commanded by God to kill demons.  He is given three tools to help on his quest:  Gloves, a pipe, and a an Axe named Otis.  I love this movie.  It's completely underrated, and I am not going to spoil it for you.  Go rent it. Or buy it.  You'll like it. If I ever get an axe I am totally naming it Otis.

[caption id="attachment_410" align="aligncenter" width="214" caption="The Seventh Sign"][/caption]

The Seventh Sign-1988, Demi Moore.  I saw this movie back then.  I remember liking quite a bit.  Here's what I can recall:  Apocalyptic things are occurring such as the sea boiling.  And apparently there are seven of those apocalyptic signs.  Abby (Demi Moore) is a pregnant woman witnessing all these events.  The movie goes back and forth between the present with Abby and the crucifixion.  Abby is the reincarnation of someone present at the crucifixion.   I really need to re-watch this.

[caption id="attachment_415" align="aligncenter" width="355" caption="Christopher Walken is the archangel Gabriel, God's Messenger"][/caption]

The Prophecy-1995. Christopher Walken.  First off, I heart Christopher Walken.  And whoever decided to cast him as the angel Gabriel-Genius!  Also starring Eric Stolz and Virginia Madsen.  There is a war between the angels.  The bad side is trying to get the soul of a recently deceased general who committed crimes against humanity in the Korean War. The soul is hidden in a young girl.  My favorite part is when Lucifer, (Viggo Mortensen), offers his help to the side of good, "because two hells is one too many".

[caption id="attachment_414" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Patricia Arquette in Stigmata"][/caption]

Stigmata-1999.  Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne.  Patricia Arquette plays Frankie, and ordinary woman who ends up displaying the stigmata.  Gabriel Byrne is the priest who investigates her.  This movie got bad ratings.  Personally, I liked it.  It's a little slow, but intriguing none-the-less.

Se7en-1995.  Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman.  I will admit, I have only seen this movie once, when it came out.  I don't know why I have never watched it again.  It's a great movie.  I think this movie introduced the general public to the seven deadly sins in a way that will not easily be forgotten.  I really need to rent this one again.  I recall liking it and being grossed out by the room filled with hundreds of little pine tree air fresheners to cover up the smell of a dead sloth.

End of Days-1999.  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robin Tunney.  Robin Tunney, is Christine, a woman prophesied to bear the child of Satan.  Arnold, a retired cop, somehow gets roped into protecting her (I honestly can't remember how).  If Satan has his way, he will possess a man, impregnate Christine, and have dominion over the world.  The only thing I didn't like about this movie is Arnold's name--I mean Jericho Cane...really?  Still a good movie though.

[caption id="attachment_409" align="aligncenter" width="350" caption="Wynona Ryder, Pre-thieving days"][/caption]

Lost Souls-2000.  Wynona Ryder.  A small group of Roman Catholics believe that Satan intends to become man just as God did in the person of Jesus.  Maya (Ryder) believes that Peter is the man who is to become Satan and she is trying to convince him.  In the end, she does, but what does he do about it?  Man, I really need to rent most of these movies again.  I really want to watch them again.

[caption id="attachment_408" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Creepy Evil Stairway"][/caption]

The Exorcist-1973.  Do I really need to write a premise.  Projective vomiting.  little girl spider walking.  If you haven't seen it...do so immediately.  Then go to church.  How can you deny the power of a movie that made a stair give you the heebie jeebies.

[caption id="attachment_416" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption=""It''s all for you Damien""][/caption]

The Omen-1976.  Gregory Peck.  The anti-Christ is born to an American Ambassador to Italy.  He is given every advantage to thrive despite people trying to stop him.  My favorite part is "Look at me Damien. It's all for you", as his nanny sacrifices herself for him.  Uber creepy.  And it ruined the name Damien forever.  I will totally check for the 666 mark if ever I procreate (because I have that kind of luck).

[caption id="attachment_411" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="This is not a dream"][/caption]

Prince of Darkness-1987.  Donald Pleasance.  Academics find liquid Satan in a church and release it.  Liquid Satan--John Carpenter is a genius.  The premise is goofy and it had bad reviews.  But I, hands down, love this movie and am totally creeped out by the ending.

[caption id="attachment_406" align="aligncenter" width="451" caption="There is nothing cute and cuddly about cultish children worshipping corn"][/caption]

Children of the Corn-1984.  Linda Hamilton. and  Creepy little dude who played boy preacher.  Boy preacher makes the other kids kill all the adults in town for "He who walks behind the rows".  Made for t.v. movie.  But come on.  It's creepy as hell.  ANY boy preacher is creepy.  Anybody named Malachi is creepy.  And any god called "He who walks behind the rows"  is beau-coup creepy.  Love, love, love this movie.

There is something inherently frightening about the struggle between good and evil.  Personally, it's especially frightening if it's all pre-ordained.  Or that you have to worry about your bills, your health, AND your after life.  A small part of me wonders if it's just conceit that made up stories about a struggle for our souls. Are we really that precious?  Are God and Satan just made up stories to fan humanity's vanity?  Okay...treading deep waters.  Who cares?  They make for great tales.  

 What are your favorite religiously themed horror films?  

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Horror Mother's Day!

There is something slightly creepy in a Stepford-y way about June Cleaver cleaning with in her heels and pearls....she's evil, I tell you.  

Happy Mother's Day everyone!  Alright, so Mother's Day is the day that we choose to honor the woman that gave birth to us, fed us, and kissed our boo boos.  We think of someone who "mothers" us as being compassionate, supportive, nurturing, affectionate and caring.  But hell, this isn't a blog about all the goodness that encompasses our ideas of mothers.  This is a horror blog, so I would like to honor all those mom's whose bond between mother and child was used for evil, or led to evil.  Since moms are supposed to wholesome and good-it makes her a real good villain.



Mother from Mother's Day. This redneck old woman not only demoralizes much like Mother Bates, but even goes so far as telling her crazy hillbilly boys to rape, torture, and murder.  In my opinion, the worst mother of the bunch, simply because she is actively teaching her children to do wrong.  I mean, come on, at least have the decency to justify it with religion or something, in the way Margaret White does.



Pam Voorhees from Friday the 13th.  Pamela Voorhees loves her special boy, Jason.  So much so, that when a bunch of idiot teens inadvertently cause his death, she has her vengeance.  She murders the two counselors she considers responsible for her boy's death.  She poisons the water and basically does everything she can to close the camp.  Mrs. Voorhees is an example of how a mother's love can turn deadly.



Madeline Matheson from Grace.  This is a movie that depicts the lengths a mother would go to in order to give her child life.  In a cringe-worthy scene, we see Madeline with bloody breasts, suffering so that little Grace can survive.  Along the way, she also kills a few people and loved ones to keep Grace's eating disorder a secret.  A good movie to watch.  Unlike Margaret White or Mrs. Bates, Madeline mothers out of love, not hate, yet her love is just as horrifying.



Margaret White from Carrie.  I'm sure all of us have, at one time or another, met with the type of religious zealotness that just makes us cringe and want to beat that person with the bible.  I say to each his own, so long as it isn't really hurting anyone.  Unfortunately, considering The Crusades, and every Jihad since the beginning of Islam, there is always a new batch of zealots ready to get their religion on, or kill you for it.  Margaret White from the movie based on the Stephen King book of the same name- Carrie, is that kind of religious creep.  She pushes her fanatic views on her daughter, Carrie.  In a memorable scene, Margaret tells Carrie, "I can see your dirty pillows.  Everyone will".  She also utters the most quoted line from the movie, "They're all gonna laugh at you".  In the end, Carrie gives Margaret her comeuppance.  In a fitting scene, she crucifies her mamma, saying, "You gave me darkness instead of love, Momma; now I'm going to give you darkness, so you can join whatever god lives there"



Mrs. Bates from Psycho.  The best thing about Mrs. Bates is that she is not actually a character in the movie.  No one plays Mrs. Bates.  Yet the affects of Mother Bates on her dear little Norman were destructive and ultimately fatal--to the women in his life.  Norman was so domineered by good ol' mom, he can't actually let her die.  I don't want to put in too many spoilers, but mothers beware--this could happen if you don't cut the apron strings.



Joan Crawford from Mommie Dearest.  Okay, first off, I love this movie.  It's technically not a horror film. Yet the relationship between the silver screen star and her adopted children is completely horrifying.  Faye Dunaway stars as the icon Joan Crawford.  Joan uses her adopted children merely as props for her press.  I watched this movie only once years ago, and was terrified by the image of the mother strapping her children down to sleep, I guess this was Joan's way of tucking in the kiddos. Naturally, this movies emblematic scene is Joan inspecting her daughter's room like the control freak she is, and finds a wire hanger.  She flogs the little girl with it, screaming, "no wire hangers".  Which, I find myself screaming any and every time I hear anyone say the word hanger.  For a non-horror movie, Faye Dunaway's depiction of Joan Crawford is spine chilling.  Show it your kids when they claim your a bad mom.

Come give us a kiss, Norman. 

Well, there are all kinds of moms.    There is this fascination with evil mother's is because the things they do is a betrayal of everything it means to be a mother.  It's especially shocking.  Unfortunately, there are some real life horrifying mothers out there.  Today, I just wanted to keep it light and focus on the t.v. screen ones.  Except for Joan Crawford.  But she's so theatrical and over the top, it's hard to remember it's supposedly based on true story.  I hope that none of you have any of the ones I just mentioned.  When you are thinking about how your mother is harping or especially nagging; remember:  it could be worse.  Happy Mother's Day.

Awwww......mother and son, reunited.

Can you think of any cringe-worthy mothers?