They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Jeremy C. Shipp, who — if you haven’t heard — is our featured author for February. We’re reading The Atrocities for the book club this month, and we thought it’d be wonderful to have him join us and share his favorites!
What does Jeremy love when he’s not writing haunting, gothic fantasies? Spoiler alert: embracing the all of the silence, a creature that permeates dreams and visions and is like a dog or something, a podcast to make even the most bitter of ghosts chuckle. Curious? Read on to learn more!
Ghosts in white dresses with tattered blue sashes, ectoplasm that grows from my nose and eyelashes, silver-white demons that eat metal springs, these are a few of my favorite things. But enough about the phenomena in my home that I find particularly delightful. I’m here to talk about movies and books and such.
As far as movies go, I’m currently on a blood-tingling quest to watch every silent horror film in existence. If you’re wondering what inspired me to take on such a mountainous endeavor, then you’re not the only one, because I’m pondering the same thing. I can’t recall why I’m doing this. Anyway, I love old horror films and their slow burns and their bizarre, fantastical imagery. If I could find a way to liquefy these images and inject them directly into my occipital lobe, I probably wouldn’t, as I don’t like needles. But I’d certainly feel tempted to go through with it.
One of the best silent horror films I have experienced so far is Häxan AKA The Witches AKA Witchcraft Through the Ages. Häxan is a documentary of sorts that’s one part information about the history of witchcraft, and ten parts bizarre vignettes featuring a convent of dancing, possessed nuns and a demon furiously churning butter and witches waiting in line to kiss Satan’s naked buttocks. If you’re already familiar with the history of witchcraft and witch hunts, you might not learn anything new, but that won’t matter in the least.
I could go on and on about silent horror films, so I suppose I will. Another silent film that floats my boat is Vampyr. This is the perfect vampire movie for people who find Nosferatu to be a bit too conventional. In Vampyr, the protagonist wanders through a desolate nightmarescape full of shadows and spirits and reflections. The plot is confusing, in the best possible way. More than anything, the movie reminds me of David Lynch’s Eraserhead, which is a colossal compliment, coming from me. Some other silent films that I’ve enjoyed as of late are The Phantom Carriage (the version with music by Matti Bye is marvelous), Faust (Faust and Mephisto fly around the world together on a magic cloak like Aladdin and Jasmine, which is quite sweet), The Golem, The Phantom of the Opera (it could have used more singing though), The Hands of Orlac, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Nosferatu (I’m sorry I wrote “a bit too conventional” earlier, OK? I love this movie. I don’t know what I was thinking).
Now let’s fast forward a hundred years from the silent era so that I can talk about something a little more neoteric. On December 20th of last year, comedian Chris Fleming posted a video on YouTube entitled “DePiglio,” and he changed my life forever. I don’t want to give too much away about DePiglio, but I will say that the titular character is kind of like a dog or something. After watching the video, DePiglio started appearing to me in various dreams and visions, and sometimes he phases through my wall at night and screams the secrets of the universe. Anyway, DePiglio is a silly video that’s worth a watch or four. I could go on and on about DePiglio, but if I write out his name more than five times in one guest post, I’ll summon him and he’ll want to eat all my cheese. I need that cheese.
Thanks to Speculative Chic for giving me the opportunity to gush, and thanks to you, dear reader, for reading. Now go watch “DePiglio.”
Arg, my cheese!
Jeremy C. Shipp is the Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of Cursed, The Atrocities, and Bedfellow. His shorter tales have appeared in over 70 publications, including Cemetery Dance, Pseudopod and Apex Magazine. Jeremy lives in Southern California in a moderately haunted Victorian farmhouse.Would you like to write about YOUR favorite things for Speculative Chic? Check out our guidelines and fill out the form here.
I’ve watched “DePiglio” twice, and he’s already invaded my dreams.
Hello from the Magic Tavern sounds fun! I’ll have to check it out.