SPECHTREUM
~ IV ~
By Draconis Blackthorne
The Addams Family
Uncle Fester has been lost for years. The Addams brood has held yearly senaces on the
anniversary of his dissappearance, in the hopes of divulging his whereabouts. Amidst Lurch's
dramatic strains upon the family's organ, Grandmama calls forth the spirit of Fester to
commune. With the dramatic knocking, Thing races to the fromt door through the halls of the
gloriously gloomy manse, to reveal a drenched Fester, "Come back from the dead".
A warm welcome regails him. but with him, an unexpetced caller, a "Dr. Pinderschlaus".
From here on, a malicious plan unfolds to take over the manse, which has been attempted again, & again, &
again.
The actor are perfectly cast, thus necromancing the delightful Addams tale once again to sublimemlt entertain
us.
Yet for most of us, the Addams Family Legact becomes much more than mere stories. ver & over again, I
see "The Addams Mentality" as remarkably reflective of the Satanic viewpoint.
For instance, the joyful glee in which the Addams deal with the herd; naturally "dark" in thought, attracted to
that which is arcane & occult. Obviously, the aesthetics are indicative of what many of us are comfortable
with.
Even Karla mentioned on the "Speak of the Devil" segment, how the LaVey family was very much like the
characterizations portrayed in Addams lore. I concurr. My own Noctuary Chambre is filled with the
Satanic Aesthetic ----- skulls, trapezoidal angles, My preference for exotic pets, dim lighting, various
diabolical knick-knacks, & even My attraction to women who carry the "Vampyric" type. All this, or course,
with the additional artifacts of Pentagrams, gargoyle paraphernalia, obscure books, music, & movies. Mostly
Satanic, &/or "Gothic in content or appearance. Unto My style of dress, which happens to be mostly black,
with some jewelry displaying various skulls, snakes, bats, dragons, spiders, & wolves. It;s a natural
gravitation. I just se something I like, & I include it in My diabolically Draconian collection. Even the pen
with which I Am writing this review / essay is cast in the images of tristing serpants!
And so Our lairs come to resemble a scene out of the Addams Family, or Dracula, or sometimes even
Beetlejuice ----- or, these portrayals come to resemble our Lairs. Could it be that Charles Addams
expressed his own Jungian "Shadowside" proclivities? Indeed, he has stated that the characters are
products of a degree of exaggeration based upon his own family's traits. Although societal "norms" may have
stifled full expression. Persoanlly, I hold the belief that being a Satanist is genetic.
The Addams Family tales are frought with decorous imagination & artistic expression.
I say, aesthetically speaking, let all Hell break loose! Repress not what is natural, in Our own lairs & total
environments, yet employ wisdom & appropriation, so as to survive, indulge, & excel.
Addams Family Values
Yet again, emerges some rotten scoundrel to attempt to disrupt the Addmas household, &
to trick them out of their fortune. Will they ever learn?
This time, a buxom blonde bombshell appears, to gain Fester's amorous attention, & thereby
manipulate her way to the family jewels. But this erzatz Addams is a black widow in disguise.
She employs wile & guile to get her bratty way, yet is thwarted by the Addams mentality at
every turn. Sometimes, it seems the Addams Family is under the sovereignity of some Dark
Force. Hmmmm, could it be ----- SATAN?!
Yes, seemingly effortlessly, The Addams Brood, gleefully morbid as they are, always come out on top.
In both movies, the romantic scenes between Gomez & Morticia always makes Me cast a loving &
appreciatove glance at My beloved.
The musical scores are always evocative & beautifully inspirational.
The Addams Family & Addams Family Values definitely receives the Draconian Seal of Approval.
DRAGONHEART
"What bewitching creatures are these, which dwell beyond the glade?
'Cross ferns & groves, in cavernous lairs, hidden from the eyes of common men?>br> They who
romp in fields of full bloom, under the enchanted eye of the full moon?
Whose breath of flame can scorch & mame, but also purify?
A creature of such awesome grace, from whence of shadow of God's Black Earth, of Heav'n or
Hell have you come?
By what Sorcery have you come to be?
One thing is certain, of this Dark Angel sublime, it has a soul & a heart, & a passion for life
These are dragons.........bourne from you & from I."
--------- Draconis Blackthorne.
First of all, I will begin by saying that "Draco" is awesome. The computer graphics
of the Infernal Machine truly breathes LIFE into this most magnificent dragon.
However, animation of this style & callibre clashes with the personality ascribed to this
character. There is an incongruency between the wonderous spectacle of the creature,
& the rather goofball & inappropriate sense of humor. Plus, the voice leaves much to
be desired as well. It simply sounds too "human".
A better depiction could have created, had the dragon spoke telepathically, with an echoing voice, thus
preserving the awe & the fearsomeness. The mismatched personality is the major factor that prevents this
movie from becoming a classic. The director should have taken lessons from DRAGONSLAYER, &
studying the marvellous dragon therein. Compared to THAT dragon, this one's demeanour is that of a
puppy's. Now, if the two could be combined, then THERE you would have something TRULY
remarkable!
Besides the disturbingly dissilusioning character miss, which is comparitavely akin to hearing a "meow"
coming out from a pitbull, there's the coitus interruptus mentalis of many of the scenes. That is, some of the
more impressive events & astonishing visuals are cut short, just as the heart begins to soar. One is left with
mouth agape, as the next scene jumps in before its time. Quite frustrating.
The anti-hero is pathetic. Basically, a zit on two legs, who is not quite cruel enough, dynamic enough, creative
enough, aesthetic enough. Although the all-white attire is appropriate, in this case.
One particularly annoying storyline in the movie, deals with Draco & the dragonhunter making a pact with
eachother, to make money. They scam villagers {which is fine by Me}, by faking his death, as the
dragonhunter collects treasure & fame. One would naturally think, that if two foes came together, after one
has killed off the others ENTIRE race, that the fury of revenge would predominate. But after a mere
scuffle, in which the dragonhunter gets comically stuck in the dragon's mouth, they strike the ridiculous deal, &
it's all "forgive & forget" after that. What infuriating nonsense! The battle should have been to the death!
Unfortunately, Dragonheart is disappointing. I sympathize with all you fantasy-adventure enthusiasts, for
such Am I too. This movie is overrated. But if you wish to observe where new computer graphics technology
ig going, this, along with Jurassic Park, are the flicks to pick.
Also disappointing, I must say, is the lack of maidens. The one that is there, however, did not reveal any
cleavage, so one's more epicurian interests were left unstimulated. For this could have made for a more
interesting movie. It could have made up for the other deficiencies, instead of becominf a deficiency itself.
Indeed, an "R" rating could have done wonders for this movie.
If you wish to see a truly GREAT dragon movie, rent DRAGONSLAYER. Here's a
well-rounded movie with perfect persective, incredible special effects, bewitching panoramas,
wonderful aesthetics, many pretty damsels, a fantastic dragon, an omnipotent Wizard, a
likeable, though sometimes annoying apprentice, & a solid, highly Imaginative plot.
DRAGONSLAYER fills the gaps that Dragonheart leaves open.
Perhaps a better dragon movie with a Draco-esque dragon will be made. If so, that would be truly special!
"Dragon, dragon, o` shiny scale
Dragon, dragon, 'neath the dale
Leathern wings, black as Night
Hades' flames, thine eyes shine bright
Sharp of tooth, long of claw
Thine beauty reigns above all law
Lovely is thine mystery
Dragon, I am part of thee!"
L E G E N D
"You're an animal!"
"We are all animals, My dear....."
----- Conversation between Lily & Darkness
Into the world of myths & legends. Indeed, this movie incorperates a myriad of legends into
the wonderfully imaginative plot ----- from devils & demons of xian lore, to unicorns, faeries,
& elves. Surprisingly, this character actually speaks rather philosophically Satanic at times, considering the
above introductory quote.
The surroundings are quote stunning, truly reminiscent of a dreamworld, or, should I say, this world at its
finest. No cut & dried patches of nature & sparse trees, but repleat with the over-abundance of wilderness,
which is, as earth-children ourselves, is inherantly Magical.
We are met with extremely likeable characters at every turn, & exciting adventures spawned from storybook
fane. I believe Joseph Campbell, Mytho-Anthropologist extraordinare, would appreciate this movie for its
weavings of pagan fare.
The musical score is quite entertaining & moving, particularly the piece, "Darkness", which sounds like the
manifestation of Satan Himself.
As always, there's the naive maiden who gets in over her pretty little head, stupidly not adhering to the
unwritten "laws" of the forest, which casts all of nature in upheaval, & it is up to her suitor to set things
straight. However, Darkness desires her, & cunningly manipulates her to come to him through the use of
charm & glamour, appealing to her greedy fancies, & with the wise advice of "Father". Before she realizes
it, she is transformed into his counterpart, dancing in effervescent abandon in her newfound form, whirling
about in a beautiful black dress. But sadly, she is an ingrate.
Towards the end, the predictable D.P. occurs, ending in the classic binary style of conclusion. As a whole,
however, this movie is very entertaining, pleasing to the senses, & brilliantly arranged. Recommended.
Discriminate with care.
Exposing Satan's Underground
'The Geraldo Rivera Specials'
NBC / October 1988 / 2 Hours
Guests: Zeena LaVey {pre-estrangement}, Michael Aquino, Fr. James LeBarr {Catholic Priest &
"Exorcist"}, Ted Gunderson {Retired FBI agent}, Ozzy Osbourne, Sean Sellers {convicted
devil-worshipping murderer turned Christian}, Tom Wedge {author of 'The Satan Hunter'}.
First off, a dire WARNING arrays the screen.
...."this program deals with devil-worship & Satanism.....occult practices.....parental discretion
is advised....."
So right away, this assures that all eyes are glued. Like those stimulating "warning labels" on CD's.
Indeed, the 80's Satanophobic hysteria culminated with this program. Speakers explode with "Looks That
Kill" from Motley Crue's "Shout At The Devil" album.
From out of mist, a nebulous pentagram forms on the screen, cracked soil reveals layers of molten colors
beneath. In a trumpet-laden fanfare, the words, "Exposing Satan's Underground" form. Looking closer,
however, one notices that this is a reversed Baphomet, Geraldo's attempt at blaspheming the Satanic
Religion, no doubt. Either that, or someone on staff was really stupid, not able to recognize the head of the
Goat of Mendes within the pentagram. Whether human error or out of antgonism, the attempts are pathetic.
As always, Rivera's introductions are dramatic, & often misinformed. Perhaps not wanting to compromise
the shock effect for factual accuracy. We wouldn't want to have actual Journalism, now would we?
Rivera does not much better in this presentation as he did with his attempted unearthment of Al Capone's
"Vaults", which turned out to be a resounding embarrassment. He only succeeds in granting air-time to those
who truly recognize what true Satanism is all about. I must say, for one rejected & dejected from The
Church of Satan, Aquino had his facts straight on this one.
Zeena spoke little, barely outlining the basics, but the manner in which she was dressed, she was the
personafication of The Satanic Witch. She no doubt caused many E.C.I.'s that night!
The especially produced segments were obviously designed as nerve-tappers, antagonizing the alreadly
unstable perceptions of the audience members, & the millions of viewers experiencing eustress at home. This
was better than any horror-movie. Here, you had real practitioners. A Setian & a.....Satanist? Two distinct
species, of course.
What was the audience expecting? What Rivera attempted to portray. That is, blood & guts rituals. Instead,
Zeena & Aquino presented a codified philosophy devoid of the expected trappings. As a matter of fact, Aquino
sounded more like a spokesperson for the Church than he did for his own temple.
So, there were the ubiquitous heavy metal groups, using theatrics to push their image & sell records, & the
pathetic losers carving into themselves, with lopsided tatoos & high on drugs.
A King Diamond interview & performance was briefly shown, but Rivera cut it short to deliver his
predictable low-blows & defametory comments. Twisting the words of anyone who deviated from the horror
image that sells good copy.
Others portrayed & mentioned were Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, W.A.S.P. {"We Are
Sexual Perverts", "Worship At Satan's Palace" what have you}, AC/DC {"Antichrist / Devil's
Children", blah blah blah; & Richard Ramirez's influence from this band that contributed to his murders},
Slayer, Ozzy, & Venom ----- none of them Satanists.
He quoted from Venom's "Possessed" album:
"I drink the vomit of the priests, make love to the dying whore.....I spit at the
virgin you worship, & sit at Lord Satan's left hand."
Album covers assaulted the screen, horror art flashed, accompanied by the hard-driving
strains of guitars & the pounding of furious drums. All this was to get the audience going.
When their gaze was sufficiently arrested, the "interviews", or shall we say, accusations
began. Ozzy was live from England, speaking in his customary drawl, with a lovely
backdrop of the London skyline. Rivera disallowed for guests to fully explain their views,
however, cutting them short & interrupting rudely.
Again & again, Rivera attempted to bait the panel into revealing some diabolical secret, some
confession of sinister deeds. He was visibly frustrated when his attempts were thwarted at
every turn. It was obvious he knew of the contention between Aquino & LaVey, as he
mentioned "written by Zeena's father", this & that by Zeena's father. Aquino looked
disturbed, fluttering his eyes throughout the show.
He also poked & prodded with questions about Aquino's involvement in child molestation at the Presidio
Army Base where he was stationed, where these acts allegedly occured. For the record, Aquino was
vindicated of those charges. More details of this case can be found in Carl Raschke's book, "Painted
Black."
In the second hour, scenes from 'Satanis' were displayed, & a scene from LaVey on the Johnny Carson
Show, stating, "Satanists are responsible people, moral people.....Satanists come from every walk of life"
& "We believe hate is neccessary just as much as love is necessary". Well, which did you think Rivera
focused on? Not the balanced natural emotions We Satanists express, no, but the criminalities of those in no
way connected with us. Among the mighty sounds of "Hail Satan!" Rivera stated "Hail a belief-system
dedicated to hate & cruelty.....", with scenes of mutilated corpses intermingled with scenes from LaVey
performing a Satanic Wedding. This was the undercurrent the whole program long. Ignorantly lumping the
activities of murderers using Satanism as an excuse for their homicidal proclivities, with the officially
recognized institution of The Church of Satan. It was infuriating & disgusting.
Rivera was just promoting his ratings, irrespective of those who actually practice Sorcery ----- alluding,
manipulating, presuming.
Some convicted idiot named Charles Yervais, or whatever, attempted to parrot Aquino as Aquino parroted
LaVey. Yervais had murdered someone to receive the power of "10,000 souls in Hell." When asked if he
used Satanism to receive a life-sentence instead of the death penalty, he answered "Yes".
Sean Sellers was live from Oklahoma State Prison, sitting next to Tom Wedge, author of "The Satan
Hunter", another sensationalistic tome who "evidence" of "satanic crime" was entirely based upon the
immature & drunken exploits of rebellios teenagers & new-age occultniks. He & Sellers told the story of
Sellers killing a convenience store clerk, then his mother & step-father, after "worshipping" at the altar, all
in order to break all "Ten Commandments", the last, being murder. Black Sheep alert!
Then there was the story of Tommy Sullivan, a troubled & parentally-harassed teenager who wrote a pact
with "Satan", that he would appease the dark & hoary Lord of the Underworld by "sacrificing" his own
mother & then committing suicide. All of which he did ---- with his boyscout knife, no less!
Another young incarcerated killer, Pete Roland, was interviewed by Rivera in prison, who quoted some
lyrics from a Slayer song {"...ripping apart, severing flesh, gouging eyes, tearing limb from limb...!"}, &
blaming Heavy Metal music & 'the Devil' with influencing him & his cohorts into killing Steve Newberry,
the school fool, by coaxing him into the woods, then ganging up on him with baseball bats. When the victim
asked "Why?" The answer was, "Because it's fun, Steve." Some of Roland's notebook scribbles were
shown, including a dualistic depiction of "good" & "evil" / "God" & "the Devil" / "Heaven" & "Hell".
The typical christian mythological portrayals.
Also in the program, excerpts from Rivera's visit with Charles Manson at San Quentin Pentitentiary.
This interview was originally aired in full on a previous 'Geraldo Rivera Special' called simply "Murder",
with a graphic of the word imposed upon the image of the United States. Manson characteristically jumped &
joked about flailing his arms & making faces ----- generally creating a theatre for his guests. He resembles
an organ-grinders monkey during these performances. Still, he always manages to say that he is, after all,
just "playing the game", acting as a mirror to society, reflecting the inner image of their fears. Apparently,
this sits just fine with the media, as they are always assured of a good show. But are they playing him, or is
he playing them?
Nicholas Schreck {Setian / Order of The Werewolf; & now husband to "un-daughter" Zeena Schreck}
spoke briefly about his own meetings with the sinister gimp, stating his admiration for the man, & keeping a
lock of his hair in a glass case, like some "holy relic," as Rivera described it.
Father James LeBarr of the Roman Catholic Church {who also appeared with Karla LaVey on "The
Ron Reagan Show"} spoke a bit on his literal experiences as an 'exorcist', stating the usual "Satan is the
father of lies" cant. He claimed that "the Church of Satan people" are redefining Satanism. Actually, we
already have DEFINED Satanism. Better defined by actual Satanists, than propagandizing Christian
novelists!
There were bloody scenes of Voodoo rituals, beheaded chickens & goats, & paranoid christians proclaiming
their faith in "god", but still determined to keep a shotgun by their bedsides, in case those nasty cultists come
around their fields to drain their animals of their vital organs & fluids. No mention of U.F.O.'s, as that
was not the fad yet.
By far, the most disturbing stories related herein were those of the torture & abuse of children & animals at
the hands of devil-worshippers, who are just nuts masquerading as religionists. The parents of the
McMartin school children who were allegedly abused were interviewed, as well as "survivors" of S.R.A.
{Satanic Ritual Abuse}, & there was some discussion about a "worldwide Satanic Conspiracy", which Ted
Gunderson, a retired FBI official, actually supported, despite the FBI's findings that such groups in fact
do not exist, & are ultimately, an urban legend. One woman was so far gone, she could only speak in childish
sentences, relating a story about cultists "skinning babies", & such. I believe it's actually their
Psychologists & Psychiatrists who should be sued, for insinuating such fabrications, & abusing their
patients by interjecting such nightmarish scenarios.
Towards the end, Sean Sellers explained why it's okay to be considered a "jesus freak", & so forth.
Finally, Rivera begins to barely scrape the surface, as he states, pointing to Zeena & Aquino, "THEY
practice 'mysticism'", then "others practice EVIL in the Devil's name."
The program concludes with quotes from Pete Roland's mother, which may be the most poignant of the whole
show, decrying Heavy Metal music for its "evil" influences, & giving advice to other parents whose children
may be experimenting with 'The Occult'. {...ohhh, those 'poor kids' who can't think for themselves! --- bad
genes --- stratification takes effect}, amidst a scene of the high fences & barbed wire of a prison.
This presentation is virtually impossible to find on video, or even in transcript form ----- I suppose you just
had to be there.