Saturday

Week 30: Text: Extract from the preface to Mircea Bough's "Infernal Dreams: The Occult in Silent Cinema", p. iv..

Indeed, one cannot begin to imagine the emergence of cinema without taking into consideration the cultural context it appeared in, namely widespread belief in spiritualism, spirit mediums, the practice of seances, ghost photography and mass attendance at fairground houses of horror. The silver screen parted the veil polite society was so desperate to see beyond. The subject of the film need not be macabre, but the very act of sitting together in the dark to witness these flickering apparitions was imbued with an undercurrent of danger palpable (to the point of intoxication) to the highly strained Christian sensibilities of Western audiences.
Yet more thrilling to us now, cinematically, historically, politically and metaphysically, were those tentative excursions into overt depictions of the occult made by pioneering filmmakers like Andre LeBeouff, Gunther Hundertgrass and Theodore String. Accused of everything from fraud and treason to sorcery, their work was either banned by conservative provincial governments or canned by nervous distributors, yet theirs is a legacy that reaches down to us in what today are considered some of the pinnacles of cinematic achievement: Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, Ghost.
In this book I have endeavoured to recreate the times in which these men made their subliminal mark. Our story traces through the lodges of German Rosicrucianism, the Court of Tsar Nicholas, the diplomatic salons of Paris and the universities of England, weaving together the numerous threads that formed occult cinema's (in)visible cloak.

Thursday

Week 30 : Illustration Fragment : 'In The House of Fortune'

Rejected Artwork for the original theatrical Poster. At the time it was felt more focus should be put on the starlets of the feature rather than on the dark arts that underpin its storyline.

Tuesday

Week 30 : Music Fragment : 'In the House of Fortune'




Listen to In the House of Fortune...



Monday

Week 30 : Film Fragment : 'In The House of Fortune'



A partially restored scene that begins the third chapter of the the film. It is difficult to determine if the color distortion at the end of this fragment was an intentional manipulation effect by used by the director, or was simply a flaw in the film stock.

Tuesday

Week 29 : Christmas Break


The Ghostlight team will be taking this week off from their endeavours, but will be back after Christmas.

Friday

Week 28: text: Extract from St Francis' Church Mass Book.


Director Alvin Marsh shot much of "In Good Faith" at The Blessed Congregation in Melbourne where he himself underwent catechism as a boy. He incorporated many aspects of the liturgical services he had experienced there into the film.

Wednesday

Week 28: Photography Fragment: 'In Good Faith'

Found piece no.5: 'The floorboard scene'

Tuesday

Week 28 : Music Fragment : 'In Good Faith'




Listen to In Good Faith...



Monday

Week 28 : Film Fragment : 'In Good Faith'



A small restored snippet from the silent film 'In Good Faith'.