Risky Reading

What’s your favorite MacGuffin? Is it a book? Arcane or possessed books drive horror film plots more often than cinephiles might realize. While everyone knows about the Necronomicon in The Evil Dead (1981) and the ensuing sequels, there are more books to watch out for in the world of horror. Here are a few books you should avoid opening if you happen to come across them!

The Alexis Machine Books – The Dark Half

The Dark Half is a horror film based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. In the George A. Romero-directed film, Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) has made a career by writing commercially viable genre fiction even though his heart was devoted to more academic writing. To keep these two crafts separate, Thad created his alter ego, George Stark (also played by Hutton).

As George Stark, Thad writes the Alexis Machine books, which focus on an antihero who is everything Thad is not. Without spoiling too much of the story, a fluke medical issue re-emerges in a way that brings George Stark to life. A battle between the good Thad Beaumont and the evil George Stark ensues.

You are disturbing the peaceful mood I'm in. You are disturbing the peaceful frame of mind I'm in. You are disturbing my peaceful frame of mind. – George Stark, The Dark Half

While the Alexis Machine books only play a minor role in the plot, they are the catalyst for the story. An interesting side note is that King has said the story is partially autobiographical, citing his experiences writing as Richard Bachman. Some online rumors suggest there are actually Alexis Machine stories stored away in King’s archives. What do you think? Will we see these stories come to life one day?

The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows - The Ninth Gate

In The Ninth Gate, a wealthy book collector and Satanist by the name of Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) hires rare book dealer Dean Corso (Johnny Depp). The task is to obtain two of three copies of The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows. The book contains rituals that should summon Satan and grant dark powers to the practitioner. Since Balkan can’t summon the darkness, he assumes his copy is a forgery. He thinks one of the other two copies is the only genuine book.

Look around you, all of you, what do you see? A bunch of buffoons, in fancy dress. You think the prince of Darkness would actually deign to manifest himself before the likes of you? He never has and he never will. Never! – Boris Balkan, The Ninth Gate

The film takes Corso on an adventure filled with mystery, intrigue, travel, and more danger than he cares to experience. Along the way, he befriends a mysterious woman (Emmanuelle Seigner) and she assists him in his quest. Is she Balkan’s agent? A demon doing the devil’s work? Or something else entirely?

While Corso doesn’t start out as a believer, he finds his lack of faith tested. The film never answers the question of whether or not the book actually holds powerful magick, but it does seem to attract dark forces to the lives of those involved.

The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows is an entirely fictitious work created by Arturo Pérez-Reverte (author of the source novel). However, there is a real book in the film. The mystery woman is seen reading How to Make Friends and Influence People at one point. Cult leader Charles Manson was rumored to have read the same book prior to the Tate-LaBianca killings. Sharon Tate, who lost her life in those crimes, was married to the director of The Ninth Gate, Roman Polanski.

Necronomicon – Necronomicon: Book of the Dead

Jeffrey Combs fans will have this film in their collection. The film is an anthology with Combs playing H.P. Lovecraft in search of the famed Necronomicon. He smooth-talks a religious order and tricks them into giving him access to the book. Lovecraft’s fate bookends the three separate stories in the film.

In The Drowned, a dilapidated home on the sea is the setting for a man (Richard Lynch) eager to reunite with his dead wife. The being that returns from the sea might resemble his wife, but he soon learns that she’s something else entirely.

In The Cold, a journalist (Dennis Christopher) believes a woman (Bess Meyer) has discovered the key to immortality. The truth is far more disturbing. Will this prolific tabloid writer live long enough to tell the world about his discovery.

In Whispers, a policewoman (Signy Coleman) discovers an odd couple (Don Calfa & Judith Drake) living in the sewers. Their otherworldly origins are just the start of the secrets that this officer is about to unravel.

There is one thing I have always maintained. If a man's shoe is dirty, you got to wonder about his sole. – Mr. Benedict, Whispers

Diary of Emilio Vargas – The Evil

If you love movies about haunted houses, don’t pass up 1978’s The Evil. This film starts out with a couple renting a large and old home for their rehab facility. To get the property ready for guests, a group of friends arrives to clean and update the property.

Richard Crenna plays the no-nonsense doctor heading up the project. His wife, played by Joanna Pettet, is a little less conservative with her views and beliefs. She begins seeing things that she tries to dismiss as a trick of the light or her own overactive imagination.

Things change with the discovery of a diary written by the home’s former owner, Emilio Vargas. Shortly thereafter, a basement crypt gets opened and chaos ensues. The middle part of the film maintains a creepy atmosphere with the spirits in the home keeping the visitors from fleeing. One by one, they each suffer paranormal attacks.

The diary, along with Emilio’s supernatural presence, help the living guests escape the home. Unfortunately, there is a third act that derails the haunting vibe the rest of the film works so hard to create. In this part, the group comes upon the devil lurking in the basement crypt. The confrontation is mildly entertaining, but gets resolved far too quickly.

You denied the warnings, you opened the door, and still you cannot accept or understand what you've done. You pondered the deeper meaning of a universal power for good. Sound familiar? – Devil, The Evil

The Arcanum - Thir13en Ghosts

In the remake of the 1960 film, Thir13en Ghosts centers around Cyrus Kriticos (F. Murray Abraham) and his fascination with capturing ghosts. His motivation is that he needs 13 specific spirits to power the Oculus Infernum, a machine that will open the portal to Hell and grant him supernatural power.

To this end, Cyrus fakes his death in an attempt to draw his nephew, Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) into his home and the Oculus Infernum. Cyrus former employee, Dennis Rafkin (Matthew Lillard) arrives to help Arthur and his family. Among the spirits trapped in the house is Arthur’s wife, Jean (Kathryn Anderson), who previously died in a house fire.

Did I say there's a petting zoo downstairs? No! There are ghosts downstairs, Arthur! – Rafkin, Thir13en Ghosts

A selfless act helps to save the Kriticos family and free the spirits in the house. On that note, the film ends with a heartwarming conclusion, but not before the family goes through a series of dangers at the hands of some of the more evil ghosts.

There were five movies with books that should never be read or opened. Can you think of another film with a book that drives the plot? How about real books? If you come across an ancient or suspicious book, it’s always best to avoid reading the passages aloud.