The Cultural Gutter

we've seen things you people wouldn't believe

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." -- Oscar Wilde

The Empire of Crime: Mabuse vs. Wertham vs. Marston

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When humanity, subjugated by the terror of crime, has been driven insane by fear and horror, and when chaos has become supreme law, then the time will have come for the empire of crime.” –The Testament of Dr. Mabuse “[W]hatever factors come into play in the cases that we have studied, the conclusion is inescapable [...]

Let There Be Light

John Huston’s rarely seen and controversial documentary about what was called “shell shock,” “psychoneurosis,” and “neuropsychosis” among returning World War II veterans, Let There Be Light, is now available for free online viewing. Read more about the film and its history at Keyframe and view it at the National Film Preservation Foundation. (Thanks, @FOURDK)

Human Centipede 2: Say Goodnight to the Bad Guy!

This week Gutter Guest Darryl Shaw fills in for Screen Editor alex MacFadyen. “I recognize terror as the finest emotion and so I will try to terrorize the reader. But if I find that I cannot terrify, I will try to horrify, and if I find that I cannot horrify, I’ll go for the gross-out. [...]

Cthulhu on CNN

It’s not quite the way many cultists had hoped to see Cthulhu on CNN, but it’s still pretty good. Cthulhu and the Lovecraft profiled on CNN. (via Bonnie Burton)

Lovecraftian Bluegrass

Listen to French Corsican Lovecraftian bluegrass right here, if you dare.  (Madness via @Propnomicon)

The Tell-Tale Heart, 1953

The 1953 animated version of The Tell-Tale Heart, narrated by James Mason. According to Open Culture, it received an X rating in the UK and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in the US. (Thanks, Kate Laity!)

Herbert West, Re-Animator, Pt. 3

Monster Island Resort Podcast’s “Herbert West Re-Animator” reading continues with Part 3, illustrated by the Gutter’s comics editor, Carol.

Midnight Madness 2011, Updated

Here are two more trailers for films screening at this year’s Midnight Madness Program at the Toronto International Film Festival. First up, a teaser and clip from Eduardo Sánchez’ Lovely Molly. There’s also a trailer for Frederic Jardin’s thriller, Sleepless Night / Nuit Blanche. (Updated: The Incident trailer was incorrect).

Orson Scott Card’s Hamlet

Oh my stars and garters, Orson Scott Card has rewritten Hamlet and called it, Hamlet’s Father. via @houseinrlyeh and @pornokitsch)

Time Magazine’s View of Horror in 1961

The Belated Nerd reprints a 1961 Time review of Hammer and American Intertnational horror, including The Pit and The Pendulum, Curse of the Werewolf and Black Sunday.  “Those who cannot bear the tension may be grateful for the Fright Break, during which they may ‘follow the Yellow Streak to the Coward’s Corner and have the [...]

Midnight Madness 2011

The line-up for the Midnight Madness Programme at the Toronto International Film Festival has been announced and the Gutter has some trailers and images for the films! Smuggler (directed by Funky Forest‘s Katsushito Ishii); The Day; Livid (from the directors of A L’Interieur/Inside); Kill List; The Incident; God Bless America (directed by Bobcat Goldthwait); Lovely [...]

The 25 Best Horror Games of All Time

Gameranx dares name the Top 25 Best Horror Games of All Time! (via Denis at The Horror?!)

100 Years of Vincent Price, Illustrated

100 Years of Vincent illustrated on post-it’s.  One role per post-it.

A Case of Mesmerism

Mesmerism, the mystery beyond the veil and bodily decay are all rendered in delightfully cartoony style in Bahij Jaroudi’s “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.”  Cartoon Brew has an interview as well as the short.

Dealing with the R-Type Personality

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R-Type has a funny way of showing its affection. It doesn’t give you black eyes, but it still makes them red and twitchy. You don’t eat as much. You abuse caffeine and other stimulants, as if that makes much of a difference. Its benchmark of expectation keeps rising. Make no mistake: The standards presented will [...]

Scary Solstice Songs

Darken your holiday spirit with the HP Lovecraft Historical Society’s seasonal songs:  “I Saw Mommy Kissing Yog-Sothoth”,  “I’m Dreaming of a Dead City” and “Death to the World.”

Messages in Lovecraftian Horror

There are two clear messages in this Lovecraftian short film about a small bookstore clerk going mad. 1. Don’t take your job too seriously. Just do the time. 2. Don’t read old books.

Kirkbride, Castles of the Midwest.

Kirkbride Buildings are the castles of the American Midwest. They’re also 19th century State Hospitals.

Universal’s Years of Terror and Longing!

Beware the stalking half-human half beast!  Cursed with the thirst for human blood, unconscionable hubris,  and demanding a mate, the Monster Legacy site comes to life and walks among us! (as part of promotion for The Wolf Man remake). Thrills! Shock! Suspense!

Breaking into the Business by Being Really, Really Disturbing

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Disturbing as hell, an elegantly constructed first-person plunge into the mind of a maniac, a teenager who murdered kids when he was a kid (and got away with it), and now has elaborate rituals that mostly involve killing small mammals. As a first novel, that’s one way to make a splash – The Wasp Factory [...]

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  • Of Note Elsewhere

    This tumblr collects many bad jokes kids have invented.

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    “It’s easier to tell the same stories everyone else does. There’s no particular shame in it.

    It’s just that it’s lazy, which is just about the worst possible thing a spec fic writer can be.

    Oh, and it’s not true.”

    Kameron Hurley writes about lazy writing, cannibal llamas, female soldiers, and women here. (Thanks, James!)

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    Patton Oswalt’s multi-franchise super-movie described in his Star Wars filibuster from Parks and Recreation, animated.

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    Corrigan Vaughan writes an open letter to “Fans of Geek Things“: “I appreciate that you think I have a nice rack and that some of you even find my friends and I to be pretty. That’s very kind. I’m not, however, super in love with the fact that having a rack at all seems to preclude me from being considered a ‘real’ fan.”

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    The Black Girl Nerds Podcast discusses Black girls and women in the Heavy Metal industry with author and journalist Laina Dawes and Ursula “She-Wolf” Parson from Hear Evil News.

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    The Hollywood Reporter interviews director Takashi Miike about his new film, Shield of Straw: ” In Japan now, films are very safe. When I was young and went to old cinemas, they had a distinctive feel, an adult smell about them. As you got in your seat and the lights went down, there was a feeling of excitement: What if the film is scarier than I thought it’s going to be? You’re taken into that world. Nowadays, you can sit in the theater and know it’s going to be safe. That’s good for business, but not for filmmaking.”

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