Clive Barker on 5 October 1952.

Barker is amazing in one way, especially. He makes visually interesting films even though he’s really a novelist. Of course, I think the same about William Peter Blatty.

I’ve never seen a Clive Barker film that I didn’t think wasn’t worth making. Unfortunately, I also rarely enjoy his films. Of course, he has only directed three feature films. It seems like more. That’s branding, I’m afraid.

Barker is able to create a general feeling of dread. He does this in part by creating memorable, grotesque images. Pinhead is a good example of this. But it also highlights why I don’t connect with his films. His images are so outside my experience that I can’t relate.

But I can see why people love his work. And he deserves to be admired. There are a lot of filmmakers I love who make crap. It stands to reason that it would work the other way around.

But now I have a problem. Should I choose Hellraiser, Nightbreed, or Lord of Illusions? The second two are weaker. But hasn’t everyone seen the first?

If I had my druthers, I’d pick Candyman. But he didn’t direct it; he wrote the story it is based on. So I don’t think it matters. I would like to see Hellraiser again. So that’s what we get!

5 October Anniversaries

Filmmakers

• John Hoyt (1904-1991): Actor known for When Worlds Collide and Attack of the Puppet People.
• Donald Pleasence (1919-1995): Actor who worked all the time — including a long collaboration with John Carpenter in films like THX 1138 and Halloween.
• Gail Davis (1925-1997): Actor known for the title role in the 1950s TV show Annie Oakley.
• Karen Allen (1951-): Actor known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Starman, and more.
• Bernie Mac (1957-2008): Comedian who appeared in some interesting films like Bad Santa and Soul Men.
• Guy Pearce (1967-): Actor known for many films including LA Confidential and Spinning Man.
• Ti West (1980-): Writer-director known for The House of the Devil and V/H/S.
• Jesse Eisenberg (1983-): Actor known for Adventureland and Zombieland.

Films

• Blood of Dracula’s Castle (1969): Vampires are involved in a real estate deal.
• Shakma (1990): A lab animal harasses medical students.
• Embrace the Darkness (1999): Vampires in Los Angeles.
• Joy Ride (2001): Young people on a road trip are attacked by a trucker.
• Zombie Nation (2004): Female zombies rise to get revenge against a psychotic cop.
• The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising (2007): A boy learns that he is a great warrior against the forces of darkness.
• House of Horrors: The Movie (2009): Things go wrong at a hanted house exhibit.
• Frankenweenie (2012): Animated feature with a little boy who brings his dead dog back to life.

Image cropped from Clive Barker by Steven Friederich under CC BY 2.0.