Vampire Renee

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—
No—yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever—or else swoon to death.

— John Keats

• If the deceased has lived a good life, flowers would bloom on his grave; but if he has been evil, only weeds would grow.
• If several deaths occur in the same family, tie a black ribbon to everything left alive that enters the house, even dogs and chickens. This will protect against deaths spreading further.
• Never wear anything new to a funeral, especially shoes.
• You should always cover your mouth while yawning so your spirit doesn’t leave you and the devil never enters your body.
• It is bad luck to meet a funeral procession head on. If you see one approaching, turn around.  If this is unavoidable, hold on to a button until the funeral cortege passes.
• Large drops of rain warn that there has just been a death.
• Stop the clock in a death room or you will have bad luck.
• To lock the door of your home after a funeral procession has left the house is bad luck.
• If rain falls on a funeral procession, the deceased will go to heaven.
• If you hear a clap of thunder following a burial it indicates that the soul of the departed has reached heaven.
• If you hear 3 knocks and no one is there, it usually means someone close to you has died. The superstitious call this the 3 knocks of death. 
• If you leave something that belongs to you to the deceased, that means the person will come back to get you.
• If a firefly/lightning bug gets into your house someone will soon die.
• If you smell roses when none are around someone is going to die.
•  If you don’t hold your breath while going by a graveyard you will not be buried.
• If you see yourself in a dream, your death will follow.
• If you see an owl in the daytime, there will be a death.
• If you dream about a birth, someone you know will die.
• If it rains in an open grave then someone in the family will die within the year.
• If a bird pecks on your window or crashes into one that there has been a death.
• If a sparrow lands on a piano, someone in the home will die.
• If a picture falls off the wall, there will be a death of someone you know.
• If you spill salt, throw a pinch of the split salt over your shoulder to prevent death.
• Never speak ill of the dead because they will come back to haunt you or you will suffer misfortune.
• Two deaths in the family means that a third is sure to follow.
• The cry of a curlew or the hoot of an owl foretells a death.
• A single snowdrop growing in the garden foretells a death.
• Having only red and white flowers together in a vase (especially in hospital) means a death will soon follow.
• Dropping an umbrella on the floor or opening one in the house means that there will be a murder in the house.
• A diamond-shaped fold in clean linen portends death.
• A dog howling at night when someone in the house is sick is a bad omen. It can be reversed by reaching under the bed and turning over a shoe.

I’m very much surprised to have so many of you all here. This blog is just a collection of my likes, favorite quotes, re-cap or reviews on things and well anything of the dark gothic side of life that catches my eyes. Feel free to ask me anything or just say hi; I promise I wont bite unless you are into that kind of thing.

Be sure to come like my photography page (RenG Photography) on Facebook as well as my slowly under construction ‘The Vampire Girl’ page there as well.

Thank you again and enjoy the blog!

Had the absolute pleasure of winning tickets to an advanced screening of Tim Burton’s new film Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp before the official release this Friday, May 11^th. Actually was planning to see with a few of my friends on the Saturday but happened to see the contest on Facebook not thinking much about it at the time and then other things came up which meant rescheduling the group screening anyway so it all worked out. So when I got the email saying I got the advanced tickets I was more than excited since I’m known for my love of all things goth, dark and well of course vampires. Which we all know this is what it’s all about people but there is more to the story then you think. To me personally it didn’t disappoint, it had that mix that all Burton movies have from comedy, a little of suspense, some blood, romance and the dark side of it all. Can’t say since never had the opportunity to see the original television show if it was in tone or done justice to the inspiration but never the less Burton brings his own twist to this story. Just think of Alice in Wonderland, you never imagined it the way that is was. The setting in the 1970’s made me thinking fondly of the vintage style that was found in Edward Scissorhands. The use of the music of the times made it even more perfect and who could complain really about the cameo appearance of Alice Cooper. Also can’t go wrong with Danny Elfman as the music director most of all on a Burton film because they have that same quality and the music always a prefect accent to the moods. As always Johnny Depp makes the character come alive and like the Mad Hatter his own personality to the character and for this vampire obsessed girl couldn’t have been happier to see Depp as a vampire. The rest of the cast seemed to also fit their characters for the time period while trying to deal with a vampire unfamiliar with the free spirit of the 1970’s. Michelle Pfeiffer like her role in StarDust only seems to get better with each role most of all the ones that seem to be out of the box.  Helena Bonham Carter is such a delight as the Dr. Julia Hoffman with her love for drinking (a lot) and us of hypnoses. And the use of the vernacular of the 1700’s only seems to make the comedy aspect that much funny. Don’t think it’s all humor but also the love and scorned stories in there as well as all the twists that certainly never saw coming. Almost in similar fashion to Edward Scissorhands, shows the difference in families and that it’s the differences in the people (some not as honest or loyal) that make a complete family unit. As well as the subtle use the commercializing of the modern world compare to when it was considered the new world. For anyone that’s a fan of Burton, Depp or most of all the two of them together then make sure to check out this movie.

So just a little summery of the movie, there might be some spoilers in there so if you don’t want to know too much then stop reading now. Now for anyone still with me, the movie starts off with a brief history of the Collins family including their involvement of helping to colonize what is now known as Collionsport. Barnabas with all his charms has a continued affair with Angelique who is a notorious witch. And when he won’t protest his love for her, she gives him a curse that anyone he loves will die which leads to the death of his beloved Josette. When he tries to save her from the widow’s peak she threw herself, he finds out the real curse that Angelique put on him which the to live his life as a vampire. Then turns the town against him and locked him up in a coffin, not until it’s unearthed almost 200 years later to find that the family’s status and wealth has diminished from another fishing company in town. When finding out the witch Angelique is behind it all, Barnabas does all he can to help restore the family back to its noble place even if it means dealing with the witch again that still only wants his love. While at the same time trying to understand the time, the distant relatives with all their ‘problems’, secrets and habits as well as the possibility of having his Josette back in the form of Victoria. As well as trying to find a way to break the curse that he’s been forced to live with for so long.

Hits theatres May 11^th with some midnight screenings in selected cities, this is a movie to see this year!