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How to be a cultist for dummies

1. Pick one faith and stay with it. Dilettantism is the mark of the amateur.

2. Avoid needless embarrassment. Practice the correct pronunciation of your god’s name in the privacy of your room before chanting it in public. Flash cards are often helpful.

3. Never invoke anything bigger than your head.

4. Avoid all cabalistic jewellery over 10 pounds in weight, you’re just asking for trouble.

5. Citronella candles may not be used in rituals. I cannot stress this enough. Pastel-colored candles in the shape of cute animals are like beacons to the Dark Lords.

6. Always keep your kit with you: candles, chalk, incense, silver knife, thuggee knife, service revolver, garlic, Yellow Sign, cabfare, condoms, and change.

7, Never be the cultist that goes to rough up the investigator. Ransacking hotel rooms is probably safe, but going ‘round to beat up the good guys’ is a sure route to the bottom of the Thames.

8. When the Black Mass goes awry, stay away from the cult leader. Enraged demons always go for the pompous.

9. Don’t gloat.

10. If you do gloat, never reveal your plans.

11. If you gloat and reveal your plans, never leave the investigators to die slowly. They don’t.

12. If you gloat, reveal your plans, and leave the investigators to die slowly, don’t have the audacity to look surprised when thy show up to foil you.

13. Investigators always show up at the last moment to foil you. Start a half-hour early– they hate that.

14. Select ceremonial robes that are easy to run in while still affording ample concealment.

15. Never have sex with anything whose genetic structure you do not feel absolutely comfortable about.

16. Never admit to having sex with anything whose genetic structure you didn’t feel absolutely comfortable about.

17. When a religious artefact begins emitting light, CLOSE YOUR EYES. Thousands of cultists could be saved every year if they’d just remember this simple safety tip.

18. When mutilating cattle, avoid the ones with testicles.

19. During ritual sacrificing, taking bits home for later is now generally considered bad form.

20. Blood tests are now required of all sacrificial victims before the ritual. The effects of HIV+ offerings on the average malefic deity have never been witnessed by anyone living, or even intact.

21. Contrary to historical belief, drugs and invocations do not mix. When the crap hits the fan, it is vitally necessary to be able to discern between the gibbering monstrosity to throw the holy water on and the gibbering monstrosity that will go away after a few hours, some B-complex, and a good hot bath.

22. Never play strip Tarot.

23. Piety and belief are powerful things, and few forces in nature can stand against one who is true to his faith, his god, and his soul. However, it is also true that God is on the side of the heaviest artillery, so be prepared to change sides at the drop of a hat.

24. For those situations where a fresh, living sacrifice is just not feasible or even possible, the lower ranks of demons can be fooled by microwaving a previously frozen chunk of ex-victim and cleverly jiggling it. However, a mock-victim sculpted from Spam will be all right too.

From “Bundle of Trouble vol.3″ – Knights of the Dinner Table

Some of my favorite horror films

I took my Dad to see the new Rob Zombie Halloween movie and he did not find it scary, thought they swore too much but still manged to laugh in a few parts. This got me thinking about scary movies, it is October after all, Halloween is right around the corner and horror movies are being shown all month long on various networks. So this got me thinking about my own favorite films of the genre and I decided to compile a little list.

  1. Hellraiser (1987) – “Demon to some. Angel to others.” I wasn’t scared when I saw it but I think it is one of the most intense horror films about taking this to the limit. This is about the right time of year to listen to the original Coil version of the soundtrack.
  2. Alien (1979) – Another one that was just intense when I first saw it, the chestburster, the alien, H.R. Giger was the man for the design on this film, plus Ridley Scott. I could watch this one over and over again.
  3. The Fly (1986) – “Be afriad. Be very afraid.” David Cronenberg was incredible with this movie, and it always makes me sad when I watch it.
  4. The Thing (1982) – “Man is the warmest place to hide.” This movie is disturbing on several levels and the scene where they are testing the blood is so tension filled. Sadly no one ever enjoys it as much as I do.
  5. Near Dark (1987) – “We keep odd hours” This film isn’t the greatest but has some of the best lines spoken by vampires of all time. Plus Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton are a great movie combo, not to mention a very young “Nathan Petrelli” before he could fly.
  6. Halloween (1978) – John Carpenter scaring people again with the one of the best horror films of all time. Michael Myers is relentless, he was the original terminator.
  7. Prince of Darkness (1987) – Theology students trying to use modern physics to see if The Devil is coming to earth. What’s not to love? John Carpenter again with the second film what he refers to as his Apocalypse Trilogy, along with The Thing and In The Mouth of Madness.
  8. In The Mouth Of Madness (1995) – An insurance investigator and the power of a horror writers work. Sam Neil and Jurgen Prochnow were great, another John Carpenter film.
  9. The Exorcist (1973) – This movie still scares the crap out of me.
  10. The Omen (1976) – this one was really creepy when I was younger.
  11. The Shining (1980) – there are several really scary moments in this film that still freak me out.
  12. American Werewolf in London (1981) – Funny and scary, with an undead sidekick, this film also continued my fascination with Jenny Agutter.
  13. Salem’s Lot (1979) – When I was younger this was scary, not so much now. But Danny Glick floating outside Mark Petrie’s window freaked me out.
  14. Jaws (1975) – I was scared to go in the pool after this one.

Anyone else care to name some?

Rob Zombie’s Halloween

Rob Zombie’s Halloween opens up this weekend and I’m not sure how I feel about it. As a stand alone movie it is a solid successor to The Devil’s Rejects which I thought was a really strong film. If for nothing else the film is worth seeing just for the cast, many horror film legends show up in various roles including the casting of Danielle Harris as Annie Brackett, and Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Sam Loomis.

Happy Friday the 13th

Twenty seven years ago was the first Friday the 13th movie which starred a young Kevin Bacon. There is supposed to be a sequel in 2009 which I suspect which be dependent on how well the sequel to Nightmare on Elm Street goes.

I think most of these will be moved forward if Rob Zombie’s Halloween does well.

Cool John Carpenter films

Vampires (1998)
In the Mouth of Madness (1995)
Village of the Damned (1995)
They Live (1988)
Prince of Darkness (1987)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Starman (1984)
Christine (1983)
Thing, The (1982)
Escape from New York (1981)
Halloween (1978)
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)