I suffer from occasional insomnia. Despite my best efforts, there are some nights I can't fall asleep. Sundays are the worst because I have to go to work on Monday. Or, otherwise I wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back asleep. On most nights, I get up and write in my journal, complaining about not being able to sleep.
One night last week, when journaling at 2 a.m., I made a list of things that I myself need to be mindful of. This is not a list of rules to live by, I can't tell you what you should put into action. I don't pretend to be a teacher or trail guide. I hope. however, you might consider them. They are just insomnia thoughts that I want to share.
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I woke up this morning determined to establish a morning routine, and not just for the weekend. I feel the need for this and am determined to make it happen. Last night I had an epiphany of sorts, that when I accomplish anything creative, I tend to get more quality sleep. So why not endeavor to start a morning routine in this light, to see how much I can improve the rest of the day?
Oh sure, it always sounds good in theory, right? I acknowledge here and now that it will take some effort on my part, however minimal. I will say that I still have a daily job where I have to go every day. And I tend to wake with a lack of motivation to go, even though I am required, so that leads to sleeping in the last possible moment before I have to get up and get ready. The rest of the day I feel rushed and out of sorts. I'm sure I'm not alone in this feeling. This leads to coming home exhausted and not feeling like doing anything and it's all a vicious spiral into ennui. And that has to stop. Seriously. I'm not getting any younger and I'm too old to feel this miserably unproductive. On most days I have to be ready and out the door by 8 a.m. or so. So, here goes: 1) Wake up by 5:30 a.m. Yes, this will be the most difficult. I think, though, once I get used to it, everything else will fall into place. 2) Shower. The warm water in the morning brings me around. I get some of my best writing ideas in the morning shower. This is second to getting ideas just as I'm falling asleep and then hoping I will remember by the next morning. It usually never happens. Maybe I should keep a notepad on my bedside table? 3) Make coffee. My usual, at least to start the day, is a double espresso. It is the minimum daily requirement. Since I will be getting up early, a second cup may be standard operating procedure. 4) Sit my ass down at my desk and allot 30 minutes for writing and 30 minutes for reading. Reading books, mind you, not the news on the internet or my Facebook feed. I have all day to do that, even when I am at work. 5) By now it's close to 7 in the morning. Start breakfast for Valerie and myself, and wake Valerie about 20 minutes later. That gives me 30-40 minutes for us to have breakfast together and, yes, most likely have another cup of coffee. It sounds so simple, so easy to do, doesn't it? Like I said, the first one, getting up earlier, will be the most difficult. I can only hope that the morning auto-pilot kicks in. I mean, I can shower and (most times) make coffee without being completely awake. That's it. I always have more faith in my ideas on a Sunday morning when I didn't have to suffer through an alarm. I'm always like Yeah! let's get this done! I rock! Monday morning might be a completely different story The following post has been edited and adapted from the Coffee Before Pants Podcast dated Jun 12, 2024. Before I begin, I might mention that I do not wish to cast aspersions to any of my pagan readers. I know what witchcraft really is and know it has nothing to do with Satan. But I also cannot deny that the following movies are, well, really good movies that deal with the “Hollywood” version of witches. I have loved horror movies since I was a very young kid. Vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein’s monster, Creature from the Black Lagoon. All of them. Except movies about witchcraft, devil worship. My parents were not exceptionally Christian, but I was instilled with the concept of Heaven and Hell. The devil scared the shit out of me. The other monsters I knew were not real. As a 10 year old with an overactive imagination, Satan caused me some concern. Safe to say I have outgrown this fear. I don’t worry about being led into Satan’s midst. The movie witches aren’t real either. They are basically a play by parents to scare children into behaving, just like the Devil. I grew up in a town full of fearmongers. They were horrified (no pun intended) that a 10 year old child would be so into horror films. Nothing they did changed my mind, fortunately. I’m sure they thought I was, in fact, in league with the devil. I did nothing, in turn, to change their minds, either. So, with that, I would like to present some of my favorite movies about witchcraft. These are some films I think that are great movies for what they are. Most are low-budget, with one or two exceptions. So, presented in no particular order, are movies from the 50s and 60s about witches and witchcraft. First off, the movie Witchcraft is from 1964 and was directed by Don Sharp, with a script by Harry Spaulding. The basic story is that a witch named Vanessa Whitlock, buried in the Whitlock family cemetery, comes back to life when you grave is disturbed by construction equipment. It stars Lon Chaney as Morgan Whitlock, a descendent of Vanessa, Jack Hedley, and Jill Dixon. It is not necessarily a well-known film. Despite its low budget, it is still a fairly gripping and effective little horror film. I enjoyed this movie, which, of course is why it made it on the list! If you have streaming service such as Roku, it’s available on Tubi. At one point it was also available on DVD as part of 20th Century Fox’s “Midnite Movie” series. The DVD is a double-feature with 1965’s Devils of Darkness. By the way, Devils of Darkness is part-vampire, part black magic film which might come up in a future episode or blog post. Next on the list is 1962’s Burn, Witch, Burn, also known by its British title Night of the Eagle. It was directed by Sidney Hayers with a screenplay by Fritz Leiber Jr., Charles Beaumont, and Richard Matheson. The screenplay is based on the novel Conjure Wife, by Fritz Leiber. It stars Peter Wyngarde and Janet Blair. Wyngard plays Norman Taylor, a psychology professor who lectures on superstition and belief systems. He discovers his wife Tansy, played by Janet Blair, is a practitioner of “conjure magic.” Since this goes against everything he teaches, he makes Tansy destroy all of her magic trinkets and paraphernalia. Once this happens, a lot of things go terribly, terribly wrong. No spoilers! You need to watch this movie if you haven’t already. If you have, then maybe you should watch it again. Now, one of my favorite films. I mean I like all the films that I am featuring here, but this one, well, it’s a great film. I am referring to 1957’s Curse of the Demon aka Night of the Demon, directed by the great Jacques Tourneur. Based of a short story, “Casting the Runes” by M.R. James, it stars Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummings, and Niall MacGinniss. Andrews plays Dr. John Holden, who comes to England to attend a convention on parapsychology. He runs afoul of Dr Julian Karswell, the leader of a local black magic cult. In all likelihood, Karswell was inspired by real-life practitioner Aleister Crowley. Curse of the Demon initially was filmed without any demon that you could see. The producers of the film added a animatronic demon, a very effective monster if I may say, after the initial filming was wrapped. I will also note that the demon is obviously inspired by the engravings of William Blake. Apparently, this was without director Tourneur’s knowledge, since he was outspokenly against it. I have watched this film countless times, and own the DVD. As far as I know, it is still available for purchase. The next film is one of Hammer Studio’s lesser known films. Nevertheless, it is a well-made, effective movie. The Witches from 1966, directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Joan Fontaine. The script was by Nigel Kneale, adapted from the 1960 novel The Devil’s Own by Norah Lofts under the pseudonym Peter Curtis. It tells the story of Schoolteacher Gwen Mayfield, played by Joan Fontaine, who comes back to England after suffering a nervous breakdown caused by an attack by witch-doctors while working in a mission in Africa. She soon finds out that the town itself has some dark goings-on involving witchcraft and pagan rituals. This was Joan Fontaine’s last theatrical film, possibly due to the movie’s poor reception at the box office. The next two films have Christopher Lee, so you’ll have to go with me on this. I will watch almost anything with Christopher Lee in it. Except maybe The Howling II Your Sister’s a Werewolf. Even Lee is quoted as saying he wasn’t sure what he was thinking. The first Christopher Lee movie listed here is 1968’s The Devil Rides Out, made by Hammer Studios. It was directed by the inimitable Terence Fisher. Richard Matheson wrote the screenplay, adapted from a novel by Dennis Wheatley. It stars, as I said, Christopher Lee in a rare “good guy” role as Duc De Richelieu, an expert in the Black Arts. Charles Gray, who you may know from Diamonds Are Forever and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (it’s just a jump to the left) plays Mocata, the leader of a Satan worshipping cult. And boy Gray makes for a very engaging villain. Maybe it’s his incredibly blue eyes. Terence Fisher, who also directed The Horror of Dracula and the Curse of Frankenstein, has been quoted as saying this was his favorite film as a director. Given his past credits, I would think that would convince anyone who loves horror films to watch, The Devil Rides Out. It is available on DVD and Blu-Ray Eight years prior, Lee starred in another under-appreciated horror film titled Horror Hotel, otherwise known as City of the Dead. It was released in 1960, directed by John Llewellen Moxey, with a screenplay by Milton Subotsky and George Baxt. It’s the story of Nan Barlow, a graduate student who is working on her thesis about witchcraft, but is about to go on her winter break. Her professor, Alan Driscoll, played by Christopher Lee, encourages her to go to the small town of Whitehead, his hometown. Once she arrives she senses some very morbid and strange goings on. This film is apparently in the public domain and is very easy to find on DVD or some streaming services. It’s a definitely low budget yet well made film. The next film, well, I wasn’t sure, still not sure, it’s a out and out witch movie. Yes the main character is found guilty and executed as a witch AND a vampire. No spoilers here, this happens at the very opening of the movie. The movie is none other that Black Sunday, directed by Italian director Mario Bava, starring Barbara Steele, John Richardson. The screenplay was loosely adapted from the Nicholai Gogol story The Viy. This was Mario Bava’s directorial debut, as well as Barbara Steele’s first horror films. The dubbing on most editions of this movie is substandard, I am pretty sure there is a subtitled version available. If you have AMC+ or Shudder, it’s on there. I encourage to seek out this film. It’s atmospheric, and pretty scary. I have definitely watched it several times, Despite its flawed script and psychedelic imagery, I felt Dunwich Horror needed to be on the list. It was released in 1970, directed by Corman protégé Daniel Haller with a script by Curtis Hanson, loosely based on the H.P Lovecraft novella of the same name. It stars Dean Stockwell and, in her first role portraying an adult, Sandra Dee of Gidget fame. Supporting cast includes Ed Begley Sr. and Sam Jaffe. Stockwell portrays Wilbur Whately, who travels to Miskatonic University in Arkham MA to borrow the infamous and dreaded Necronomicon for use in a dark ritual. Nancy Wagner (played by Sandra Dee) becomes Wilbur’s focus of this ritual. He kidnaps her under the influence of hypnotism and drugs. Professor Henry Armitage, played by Begley, comes to her rescue. Or so he thinks. The next film on my list is Cry of the Banshee, starring Vincent Price. Price plays (or overplays, as it were) Lord Edmund Whitman, a cruel witch-hunting magistrate, who often tortures innocent villagers for his entertainment, runs afoul of a witch who conjures a banshee (or Sidhe) to kill the magistrate and his family. It was directed by Gordon Hessler and released in 1970. This film is one of my guilty pleasure films. I admit it’s not a great film. Gordon Hessler is all over the place with this one, much like he was with Scream and Scream Again. Price, despite how incredibly sadistic his character is, looks like he’s enjoying himself. I was around nine when I saw this film, my parents took me and my brother to see in at The Egyptian Drive-In in Herrin, Illinois. Another highlight of the film is the opening credits, done by a pre-Monty Python Terry Gilliam! You didn’t really think I was not going to mention Rosemary’s Baby, did you? That would be remiss of me, given that it’s one of the best movies about witchcraft and Satan worship? After 56 years it is still an incredibly powerful movie.
Released in 1968, directed by Roman Polanski with a screenplay by Polansky and Ira Levin, based on Levin’s novel of the same name. It stars Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon. It was the inspiration for countless other films, including those made-for-TV. I’m pretty sure you all know the basic plot, but in case, it’s about Rosemary Woodhouse, who is chosen by a Satanic cult to become the mother of Satan’s child on Earth. If by some slim chance you have never seen this movie, you are missing out. I hope I have possibly introduced you to one or two films you may have not heard of before. Have I omitted any witchcraft movies that you think should be on the list? Please let me know by sending me a message on the Contact form. This essay was adapted from a recent episode of the Coffee Before Pants podcast H.P. Lovecraft. You may not have even heard of him or read any of his fiction, but I’m sure you have encountered books or movies that were inspired by him. Although denied any notoriety or recognition while he was still alive, he has over the last 80 or so years become a great influence on literature. Horror literature, specifically. He has inspired many writers, artists, and filmmakers. Yes, H.P. Lovecraft. He is one of my favorite writers of the horror genre. In fact, I am in the process of reading his complete fiction. And trust me, that is no small feat. He was an incredibly prolific writer, especially given his short time on this Earth. Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American writer of weird, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Lovecraft spent most of his life in New England. After his father's institutionalization in 1893, he lived affluently until his family's wealth dissipated after the death of his grandfather. Lovecraft then lived with his mother, in reduced financial security, until her institutionalization in 1919. He began to write essays for the United Amateur Press Association, and in 1913 wrote a critical letter to a pulp magazine that ultimately led to his involvement in pulp fiction. He became active in the speculative fiction community and was published in several pulp magazines. Lovecraft moved to New York City, marrying Sonia Greene in 1924, and later became the center of a wider group of authors known as the "Lovecraft Circle". They introduced him to Weird Tales, which became his most prominent publisher. Lovecraft's time in New York took a toll on his mental state and financial conditions. He returned to Providence in 1926 and produced some of his most popular works, including The Call of Cthulhu, At the Mountains of Madness, The Shadow over Innsmouth, and The Shadow Out of Time. He remained active as a writer for 11 years until his death from intestinal cancer at the age of 46. Lovecraft's literary corpus is rooted in cosmicism, which was simultaneously his personal philosophy and the main theme of his fiction. Cosmicism posits that humanity is an insignificant part of the cosmos and could be swept away at any moment. He incorporated fantasy and science fiction elements into his stories, representing the perceived fragility of anthropocentrism. This was tied to his ambivalent views on knowledge. His works were largely set in a fictionalized version of New England. Civilizational decline also plays a major role in his works, as he believed that the West was in decline during his lifetime. Lovecraft's early political views were conservative and traditionalist; additionally, he held a number of racist views for much of his adult life. Following the Great Depression, Lovecraft's political views became more socialist while still remaining elitist and aristocratic. Throughout his adult life, Lovecraft was never able to support himself from his earnings as an author and editor. He was virtually unknown during his lifetime and was almost exclusively published in pulp magazines before his death. A scholarly revival of Lovecraft's work began in the 1970s, and he is now regarded as one of the most significant 20th-century authors of supernatural horror fiction. Many direct adaptations and spiritual successors followed. Works inspired by Lovecraft, adaptations or original works, began to form the basis of the Cthulhu Mythos, which utilizes Lovecraft's characters, setting, and themes. Lovecraft and other writers of weird fiction brought horror into more modern times and settings. Prior to this, most horror was Gothic (like Dracula, Frankenstein, Carmilla with it’s castles and foreboding landscapes. Lovecraft and his contemporaries set their stories in early 20th century, contemporary to when they were alive. That being said, Lovecraft’s stories did display some influence from Poe, Folk Horror, and Gothic horror, but brought it to his time. As I mentioned before, Lovecraft would have never imagined his post mortem popularity with readers and the influence he had over later writers. His fiction was, in all likelihood, hard to accept by many general readers. His writing could be wordy and dry, to be honest. Still, his influence on many writers and other creators cannot be denied. Horror author Stephen King cites Lovecraft as a major influence on his own work. The short story “Jerusalem’s Lot” a prequel of sorts to King’s second novel Salem’s Lot, was definitely an homage to Lovecraft. King’ story The Mist, with its creatures from another dimension not usually seen my mortals, was also heavily influenced by Lovecraft. King himself has said that even Randall Flagg, the antagonist from The Stand, and Pennywise from It were based on and inspired by Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. I would venture to say that the Cthulhu Mythos is an inspiration for King’s The Dark Tower universe. Author Neil Gaiman also cites Lovecraft as a considerable influence on his own work. Gaiman is quoted saying "The interesting thing is in Lovecraft, people don't do the wrong thing in the way that you normally do in horror fiction. In horror fiction, you do the wrong thing: you go into the shop and you buy that cat-headed object you probably shouldn't, or whatever, and everything goes bad. In Lovecraft, you simply get a room in a wrong place, move to the wrong town, read the wrong story. You're just screwed." Gaiman wrote several short stories based on Lovecraft, as well as interviewed about Lovecraft’s influence, in the documentary The Eldritch Influence: The Life, Vision and Phenomenon of H.P. Lovecraft, which is available on DVD. Gaiman’s Lovecraft-inspired short fictions include Only the End of the World Again, Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar, both of which are included in Gaiman’s short story collection, Smoke and Mirrors. Brian Lumley was an incredibly prolific English author of horror fiction. He came to prominence in the 1970s writing in the Cthulhu Mythos created by American writer H. P. Lovecraft but featuring the new character Titus Crow. Lumley also created new “Elder Gods” inspired by Lovecraft’s mythos. He later went on to greater fame in the 1980s with the best-selling Necroscope series, initially centered on character Harry Keogh, who can communicate with the spirits of the dead. And now he is another author added to the Onerous and Ever Growing To Be Read List. It never ends, does it? I also have to mention Colin Wilson. Wilson was a British philosopher and author. Readers of H.P. Lovecraft are more that just slightly familiar with the book titled Necronomicon, written by the “mad Arab Abdul Ahazred.” In my years of working at different bookstores, there were often people who came searching for this book. Yes, there is a book titled Necronomicon. One will occasionally run across this title, and sure enough, it shows the author as being good old Abdul. I hope I don’t ruin anyone’s day by saying this, but the book you might find at a second-hand bookstore is not the actual Necronomicon. That’s because it never really existed. The book that one would find was written by none other than Colin Wilson as a hoax. The Necronomicon, before Colin Wilson came along, was a product of H.P. Lovecraft’s wild imagination. In case you are wondering why you have heard of Colin Wilson, he was also the author of The Space Vampires, the basis of Tobe Hooper’s abysmal 1985 film "Lifeforce.” There are also filmmakers that have been inspired by Lovecraft. In the 60’s and early 70s there were several films loosely based on Lovecraft’s writings. A few of them produced by none other than Roger Corman. The Dunwich Horror, Die,Monster,Die (based on The Colour Out of Space) and The Shuttered Room. Corman also produced The Haunted Palace, which was presented as from Edgar Allan Poe, but the story was quite loosely based on Lovecraft’s The Case of Charles Dexter Ward and The Shadow Over Innsmouth. A more contemporary director, Guillermo Del Toro is also inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. Although the source material is Mike Mignola’s, there is definitely some Lovecraft influence in at least the first film. When most people think of John Carpenter and Lovecraft’s influence on him, they usually go to In the Mouth of Madness. And they’re not wrong. I would say, although the basic story is based on John W Campbell’s short story “Who Goes There?” John Carpenter’s 1982 masterpiece, (yes, MASTERPIECE) The Thing is basically a Lovecraft movie, no less than that of Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead. And those who are old enough to remember Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, there were a few episodes that featured adaptations of Lovecraft stories, namely “Pickman’s Model” and “Cool Air,” I will have you know that Pickman’s Model gave me at least a few weeks of nightmares. It also was my first step toward being a fan of H.P. Lovecraft. Finally, I have to say this. Lovecraft’s detractors seem to focus less on his writing, which yes can be verbose, and more on his personal and political prejudices. Yes, H.P. Lovecraft was racist, anti-Semitic, and xenophobic. And yes, it does come through, albeit vaguely, in his writing. That does not negate his talent or imagination. And oh man, he was prolific. I recommend Lovecraft become part of your to-be-read list. His books are not hard to find at all. One of the reasons for this, sadly enough, is that Lovecraft’s fiction fell into the public domain some time ago. He’s everywhere…. You can find several editions of H.P. Lovecraft’s Complete Fiction, both in print and as Kindle Books. As far as the Kindle books go, read the reviews. I’ve seen some reviews that state that the book is not as complete as they say. That’s the drawback of a book being in the public domain. Want to learn more about H.P. Lovecraft? Here is a video H.P. Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown |
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