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New England Vampire
16:12 Feb 06 2008
Times Read: 1,023








I have found an interesting article about the New England vampire belief.





Bioarcheological and Biocultural Evidence for the New

England Vampire Folk Belief



by Sledzik PS, Bellantoni N.







National Museum of Health and Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC 20306-6000.



Folk beliefs associated with death and disease can impact on the bioarcheological record. Unusual postmortem actions by humans and distinctive paleopathological evidence may be clues to these beliefs. This report presents bioarcheological and paleopathological evidence in support of a 19th century New England folk belief in vampires with a particular reference to a colonial period burial. The New England folk belief in vampires revolves around the ability of a deceased tuberculosis victim to return from the dead as a vampire and cause the "wasting away" of the surviving relatives. To stop the actions of the vampire, the body of the consumptive was exhumed and disrupted in various ways. Twelve historic accounts of this activity indicate that the belief was not uncommon in 19th century New England. This creative interpretation of contagion is consistent with the etiology of tuberculosis. Three pieces of evidence are important in this case. The skeletal of a 50- to 55-year-old male from a mid-19th century Connecticut cemetery exhibiting pulmonary tuberculosis rib lesions are discussed. In addition, certain bones in the skeleton were rearranged after decomposition was complete. A historic vampire account from the same time period and geographical location place the belief within the parameters of the cemetery.



If you want to see the whole article just follow this link (an adobe pdf document).

Et mourir de plaisir
22:20 Feb 05 2008
Times Read: 1,033




RARE RECORDING WITH THE MUSIC OF THE MOVIE









English title: BLOOD AND ROSES

Production: France/Italy 1960

Director – Roger Vadim

Screenplay – Vadim & Roger Vailland

Story – Claude Brule & Claude Martin

Based on the Short Story Carmilla by J. SheridanLe Fanu

Photography – Claude Renoir

Cast:

Annette Vadim (Carmilla Von Karnstein)

Mel Ferrer (Count LeopoldoVon Karnstein)

Elsa Martinelli (Georgia Monteverdi)







"This film has three outstanding features: The spectacular location, Hadrian's Villa, Claude Renoir's ravishing color and b&w cinematography, and an exquisite score featuring the rarely-used Irish harp.

Annette Stroyberg and Elsa Martinelli are both interesting.

It's above average for Vadim."







"This was the second film made from J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s oft-filmed short story Carmilla (1872). (The first was claimedlyCarl Dreyer’s Vampyr (1932), althoughthe connection there is very slim). Blood and Roses comes from Roger Vadim, the French director of various softcore features in the 1960s such as theBrigitte Bardot breakthrough, And God CreatedWoman (1957) and the great Barbarella(1968).



Hammer Films had spurred off a substantial revival of Gothic horrorwith their twin successes The Curse of Frankenstein(1957) and Dracula/The Horror of Dracula(1958) and it seems almost certain that Blood and Roses was intended to ride that wave of success.

Hammer Films themselves later spunoff a series of Carmilla films, beginningwith The Vampire Lovers (1970), withwhich inevitable comparisons arise. (See below for the Hammer films). The one thing that the Hammer comparisonmakes one realize is how much Terence Fisher et al tied Hammer’s visionof the Gothic to a specific period and time – when Bloodand Roses updates the Le Fanu story in a modern setting onehas to consciously jolt themselves to realize that the presence of planes, sports-carsand stereos is not anachronistic.

Opposing the rich, flamboyance of Hammer’streatment, Vadim’s vampirism is a lot more soft-focus and softcorein intent. There is more eroticism than horror to the film (and Britishcensors cut out much of the softcore lesbianism anyway). In fact there is verylittle vampirism going on altogether – there is a ludicrously tame scenewhere Annette Vadim pursues a servant girl, which just fades out just asVadim closes in on her. And the plot doesn’t really do much with the possession/vampirism themes. The atmosphere Vadim creates is occasionally compulsive– there are undeniably striking shots, like the lake lit up by fireworks, and in particular the surrealistic fevre dreamthat turns black-and-white with bodies swimming upside down outside Frenchwindows and an operation where the surgeon’s gloves are all tinted bloodred.

The beautiful photography, classy music, elaborate costumes and ornatelylayed-out gardens all make for a sumptuously assembled film."











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