Mocata's Den of Horror

 For decades, one of the top selling authors in the U.K. was a man called Dennis Wheatley.  His books were published in many countries around the world and translated into numerous different languages.  A handful of his novels were even adapted into films.  Wheatley's novels, by and large, were thrillers in the purest sense-- they thrilled his audience.  His books contained things such as adventure, romance, espionage, war, and, probably most famously, the occult.  Out of the fifty-plus novels he wrote, there are a total of nine which are typically categorized as "black magic stories".  These books are not a series really (although some of the included novels are part of various series he wrote), just a general topic that these books were lumped under by the publisher.  The truth is that some of the novels in that group contain little or no black magic.  Others, however, certainly are stories of black magic. The first of these books was 1934'...

Finally, the 1968 Hammer Films classic, The Devil Rides Out , has gotten a Blu-ray release in the U.S.  This release is courtesy of the folks at Shout Factory/Scream Factory. U.S. Blu-Ray release from Scream Factory There are two versions of the film included on the disc: the original version as released in the U.S. (including the alternate title of The Devil's Bride ) and there is also the revamped version Hammer released in the U.K. with the modified special effects.  Obviously, making changes to an old movie is a contentious issue, so it is a good move to have both versions, rather than just choosing one or the other.  For those who are curious to see the enhanced effects, it is there, but at the same time, you aren't stuck with it if you don't like it.  There is still the regular version to watch. Much of the bonus stuff is carried over from some previous releases, such as the audio commentary featuring Christopher Lee, plus some featurettes from the Ha...

Hammer's classic adaptation of Dennis Wheatley's novel, The Devil Rides Out , is now 50 years old.  Both the book and film tell the story of a group of old friends who deal with a Satanic cult. The novel, first published in 1934, is part of a series based around the character the Duc de Richleau.  The earlier novels in this series deal with an elderly Duc and his adventures with the group of friends featured in The Devil Rides Out , while later on, the novels told about his younger days. Hammer would later adapt another of Wheatley's black magic-themed novels, To the Devil-- a Daughter , with the film differing so far greatly from the source novel that the two are virtually unrelated.  There do still remain a few elements that the film has in common with the novel, but to call this one an adaptation is using the term extremely loosely.  Hammer also adapted one of Wheatley's non-occult oriented tales, Uncharted Seas , as The Lost Continent , but I am focusing on his...