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Reviews tagging 'Body horror'
Crimson Peak the Art of Darkness by Guillermo del Toro, Mark Salisbury
1 review
arianappstrg's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
5,0: I want to pop this book on the most elaborate bookstand out there, open on a favorite page and surround it with blown-out dripping candles on brass holders thereby creating a very aesthetically pleasing shrine to express both my admiration and my obsession. The only thing that's stopping me is the possibility of my flatmates and landlady raising an eyebrow.
Starting with a foreword from Del Toro and a short introduction, this book will give you all the juicy insights into the four main characters, the beastly Allerdale Hall, and the mesmerizing ghosts. You also get interviews from almost everyone involved in production. From the director to the actors to the special effects team to the guy who found all these incredible vintage props to the genius who crafted the moth chairs. This movie was so obsessively detailed and aesthetically harmonious that it really makes you think just how many people poured their souls and their knowledge into the project. I was glad to see that everyone got the recognition they deserved. Likewise, this book is so balanced and carefully put together that it speaks to the ability of the author to synthesize complex information in a way that may attract more mainstream audiences as well as hardcore fans. There is also a movie poster/print hidden in a little pocket at the end of the book which I cannot wait to get framed. If I can't have my flashy morbid shrine at least I'll have my poster/print. On the floor. Probably behind dangerously high stacks of books. Now that I think of it I don't think tenants are allowed to hang anything on the walls. Damn it. The dream was good while it lasted.
I appreciated the fact Lucille's chapter is one the longest. She is such a complicated woman, wouldn't say villainous though she does some very gruesome things. Her chapter was enlightening and sad and I was both looking forward to it and dreading it. I was fully engrossed in the parts that talked about her embodying and 'wearing' the house. It is something I noticed the first time I watched the film and was curious to know more about. The spikes, the keys, the lace, and the moths, and even the texture of the fabric, she is dressed to kill, pun intended.
Surprisingly, we learn a lot about McMichael too, details that aren't as easily noticeable in the film. He represents that one safe, sane, and secure guy you have in your life that you, unfortunately, take for granted, and knowing that made me appreciate him more. I also felt a little bit embarrassed that I spent the better part of the film being entranced by the tall, dark, mysterious, Bluebeardesque Sharpe and totally forgot that McMichael has such great qualities. But even though he has the purest and brightest type of love for Edith, he takes second place thereby proving that a little bit of spice and a little bit of danger is also needed in life. But not as much spice as Sharpe provides. That's... overkill. Sends you to the hospital. And if his sister had anything to do with the administration of the spice, you go to the hospital with a cleaver on your head.
Three small warnings. Firstly, two of the character biographies eventually fell out. To read the back you have to gently peel them off the page but the glue with which they were attached was either really light or of poor quality so you can't stick them back on. I'm not sure what kind of material you can use to stick them back on. My first thought was to cut a tiny piece of clear tape but I didn't attempt it because I was afraid that if the tape comes off the color peels off too. If you have any tips, feel welcome to share them <3 Secondly, this might be painfully obvious to some but I'm a numpty dumpty and struggled a little until I cracked the code. Shift the angle of page 101 against the light because the font is silver-toned on a page that's already incredibly light and warm-colored. And lastly, if you're like me and you get distracted by shiny pretty things and vibrant pictures then you'll find this a very challenging read!
In brief, I was left with the need to buy more movie books. It was so beautifully made, with such attention to detail, good quality pictures, and complete with detachable character biographies, dress design and concept art sketches, daguerreotypes, and more. As a child, I would love books that would open up to reveal little treasures, bits, and pieces that you could take out and put back in without fearing you'd lose them or damage them terribly. Leafing through this book gave me some of that childlike delight.
Starting with a foreword from Del Toro and a short introduction, this book will give you all the juicy insights into the four main characters, the beastly Allerdale Hall, and the mesmerizing ghosts. You also get interviews from almost everyone involved in production. From the director to the actors to the special effects team to the guy who found all these incredible vintage props to the genius who crafted the moth chairs. This movie was so obsessively detailed and aesthetically harmonious that it really makes you think just how many people poured their souls and their knowledge into the project. I was glad to see that everyone got the recognition they deserved. Likewise, this book is so balanced and carefully put together that it speaks to the ability of the author to synthesize complex information in a way that may attract more mainstream audiences as well as hardcore fans. There is also a movie poster/print hidden in a little pocket at the end of the book which I cannot wait to get framed. If I can't have my flashy morbid shrine at least I'll have my poster/print. On the floor. Probably behind dangerously high stacks of books. Now that I think of it I don't think tenants are allowed to hang anything on the walls. Damn it. The dream was good while it lasted.
I appreciated the fact Lucille's chapter is one the longest. She is such a complicated woman, wouldn't say villainous though she does some very gruesome things. Her chapter was enlightening and sad and I was both looking forward to it and dreading it. I was fully engrossed in the parts that talked about her embodying and 'wearing' the house. It is something I noticed the first time I watched the film and was curious to know more about. The spikes, the keys, the lace, and the moths, and even the texture of the fabric, she is dressed to kill, pun intended.
Surprisingly, we learn a lot about McMichael too, details that aren't as easily noticeable in the film. He represents that one safe, sane, and secure guy you have in your life that you, unfortunately, take for granted, and knowing that made me appreciate him more. I also felt a little bit embarrassed that I spent the better part of the film being entranced by the tall, dark, mysterious, Bluebeardesque Sharpe and totally forgot that McMichael has such great qualities. But even though he has the purest and brightest type of love for Edith, he takes second place thereby proving that a little bit of spice and a little bit of danger is also needed in life. But not as much spice as Sharpe provides. That's... overkill. Sends you to the hospital. And if his sister had anything to do with the administration of the spice, you go to the hospital with a cleaver on your head.
Three small warnings. Firstly, two of the character biographies eventually fell out. To read the back you have to gently peel them off the page but the glue with which they were attached was either really light or of poor quality so you can't stick them back on. I'm not sure what kind of material you can use to stick them back on. My first thought was to cut a tiny piece of clear tape but I didn't attempt it because I was afraid that if the tape comes off the color peels off too. If you have any tips, feel welcome to share them <3 Secondly, this might be painfully obvious to some but I'm a numpty dumpty and struggled a little until I cracked the code. Shift the angle of page 101 against the light because the font is silver-toned on a page that's already incredibly light and warm-colored. And lastly, if you're like me and you get distracted by shiny pretty things and vibrant pictures then you'll find this a very challenging read!
In brief, I was left with the need to buy more movie books. It was so beautifully made, with such attention to detail, good quality pictures, and complete with detachable character biographies, dress design and concept art sketches, daguerreotypes, and more. As a child, I would love books that would open up to reveal little treasures, bits, and pieces that you could take out and put back in without fearing you'd lose them or damage them terribly. Leafing through this book gave me some of that childlike delight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
I have put a warning for graphic body horror because the last chapter gives a detailed account of the creation of the ghosts in the film. However, I doubt that anyone will be picking this book if they haven't already seen the movie or if they are not a horror fan. In that case, I think we're all good to go.
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