Curse of the Gypsy -- The Dead Walk Among Us!

Lon Chaney, Jr with Gypsy in The Wolf Man, 1941

"You must understand that those who return from the abyss will not be exactly as they were before they departed." As Vladimir spoke his eyes flickered like living things from another dimension.

Thus are readers introduced to the evil powers and potential of the mysterious stranger from Europe, the enigmatic Vladimir Buchinsky, in I Know Why the Dogwoods Blush. For those who have read the book, you know what happens next. For those who have not read, don't worry ... I won't spoil it for you. Gypsies have been a standard villain in horror movies and pop culture for decades. With promises ranging from good health to love potions to messages from the dead, the lure of a glimpse into "the other side" always seems to be too much for many of us to pass up. But darn those pesky consequences! The 2010 remake of The Wolf Man, now playing in theaters, is the most recent horror film to take gypsies center stage. Just as the 1941 original starring Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi warned:

Even a man who is pure in heart
and says his prayers by night,
may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
and the autumn moon burns bright!

This great line was largely believed to be from an ancient gypsy poem but was revealed later to be from the creative mind of original Wolf Man screen writer Curt Siodmak. As Lon Chaney Jr. attempts to find a cure to his curse through the gypsies, he learns that the devil himself may be in the solution! This creepiness associated with gypsy magic and curses can actually be traced to the Bible. The act of "magic" and learning secrets from the dead can be linked to old pagan beliefs and witchcraft. Exodus 22:18 states, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Deuteronomy 18:10 strictly forbids association with an "enchanter, one who uses divination, an observer of times, a witch." Check out the story in I Samuel 28 when King Saul goes to a sorceress, the scary "Witch of Endor," with the request to raise the spirit of Samuel for guidance. That didn't work out well for anyone involved! In 2009, Sam Raimi released the highly successful Drag Me To Hell, another gypsy curse film loosely based on the 1950's classic Curse of the Demon. Even horror icon Stephen King used gypsy lore with his hit book and movie from the 80's, Thinner. With such a rich history in the horror genre, how could I not use such power in Dogwoods Blush? So when Vladimir offers power to the perennial loser, Purvis Hartly in Dogwoods Blush, he makes a promise that seems too good to be true:

You are now a god among men! You can have any woman you desire, punish any man who opposes you, and rise to heights of power that most men never even dream of!

Of course, then there's the pesky "catch" that Purvis never saw coming. What was the catch? In order to bring about Vladimir's longstanding, decades long feud with the township of Timmonsville, he had to perfect the most powerful spell in the history of the black arts. In retrospect, Vladimir's anger stemmed not only from his lust for revenge against Timmonsville but against God and the natural order of the universe dating from the creation of Adam and Eve. Standing with Purvis in the dead of night at the excavated gravesite of the most notorious killer in Georgia history, Vladimir's gypsy curse evoked a change:

And then ... something moved!

As is usually the case when making a deal with the devil, the price of the favor turns out to be more than one can pay. Don't believe me? Ask Purvis Hartly ... if you can find what's left of him! This was only one of the ways I debated bringing back the evil Roscoe Parker from the depths of Hell. For a look at another possibility I considered, check back later for my next post! Enjoy life ... and stay away from gypsy fortune tellers! And as the mysterious Night Terror said to Reverend Spindola in Dogwoods Blush:

Stay away tomorrow night, Reverend. You have been warned!

Rise of the Roman Empire - Good vs. Evil

"I know why the dogwoods blush!" Those were basically the final words of "Father" Roman Spindola, the "good and right"reverend who shares his compassion and waits for a supernatural sign in my recent fictional novel by the same name. It is these words, and Roman's interpretation of them, that form the overall message of the book as I explored my philosophy on good vs. evil and love vs. hate. With that said, a friend recently asked me, "Who is the hero of Dogwoods Blush?" Until he asked I thought the answer was obvious ... Jerry Bronson is the hero. Who could think otherwise? Jerry is the one who crossed the realms from "the other side" to return to his hometown, track down the evil doers who committed murder from coast to coast, stand alone against the evil of the BROKEN BONES biker gang and face his own sins in the Dove of Peace Assisted Living Home as death finally makes its way to those inside (yes, I'm being vague ... if you need clarification, check out the book on Amazon.com ... I don't want to ruin anything for those who have not read the book yet). But as I began putting pen to paper, I realized that Roman Spindola, a character designed to be little more than a supporting character and mentor to Jerry, suddenly rose to the top. As another friend told me later, "Dogwoods Blush is Roman's story." How did that happen? First of all, none of us who have ever made any significant contribution in life did it all alone. We all have someone who stood behind us, encouraged us, counseled us, believed in us. All throughout my formative years, I had the loving guidance of my mother, father, community leaders, teachers, and friends who looked out for me and did their best to prop me up when I stumbled. Upon entering the Army in 1980 I was blessed to have senior ranking officers and trusted NCOs to guide me and advise me on the path to take, a practice that continued to serve me well as I progressed through the ranks over the years. I have attempted to repay those gentle souls by doing the same for those younger than me who followed similar paths. I recall an episode of Star Trek (the original series from the 60's) where an alien entity kidnapped Kirk and Spock and allied them with Abe Lincoln (Kirk's idol) and Surak (Spock's idol, who conceived of the concept of "logic" practiced by all Vulcans). This team of four was forced to battle a team of four "evil" entities ... Ghengis Kahn and three fictional baddies, including a Klingon. Surak was tricked and murdered as he tried to broker a "logical" peace treaty with the villains who all met their ends at the hands of Kirk and Spock (sadly, Lincoln didn't make it, either). The purpose of the battle, according to the alien, was to determine which was stronger ... good or evil. In the course of the episode, Kirk says to Spock,
"Surak is an amazing man." And Spock replies, "Men of peace usually are, Captain." Or something to that effect. It was this example of Surak and real life men of peace (Ghandi, King, Dalai Lama, Jesus Himself) who laid the foundation for my fictional hero, Roman Spindola. In the end, which truly is stronger ... good or evil? While our violent planet requires men of strong character and muscle to stand against those who would terrorize the weak, we always turn to those who espouse peace to lead us through the dark times. And it is that vision ... the hope of peace ... that inspires the lesser among us to take arms when peace fails. In the 1957 classic, Ben-Hur, the Arabian Sheik reminds our hero that peace-loving Balthazar "is a good man, but until all men are like him, we must keep our swords sharp!" So in the end of Dogwoods Blush, was it the powerful and violent Jerry who saved the day? Or was it gentle Roman, who lived his 80-years as a man of peace, gently providing love and compassion to his neighbors and those in need? Only you can decide. If you have an opinion, let me know. Until then, remember the words of the Dalai Lama: "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." Or as Roman might say, death will never win so long as we continue to love one another. And the dogwoods? Roman had an opinion on why they blush. His secret might change the world!