Count and his guest

"Go home, Johann — Walpurgis nacht doesn't concern Englishmen."

- The protagonist of Dracula's Guest

There is some fascinating deatels conserning Bram Stoker's novel collection Dracula's Guest and other wierd stories. Firstly, Stoker try (in deep financial distress) even in his sickbed to collect few collections for his best novels. Unfortunately he died before they were published, so his wife finnished them as according his plan.

   Secondly it shows how Stoker master all kind of horror, not just the supernatural one. For instance in Squaw doesn't have any mysterious aspects, but is still quite crusom. It can be guessed, how the story ends, but it makes it even more horrific to read.

   Thirdly the title story of the book, Dracula's Guest, has told to be a part of Dracula, which was cut off before publishing, because of the lenght of the novel. Those, who have read Dracula, can see clear similarities with the novellette and the novel's scene, where Jonathan Harcer arrive to Transylvania. The protagonist of Dracula's Guest aren't never named, but there is all reasons to believe his Jonathan. But it's obvious the scene has been cut off at the early state of writing, because it doesn't fit to the rest of the novel.

In general, Dracula's Guest is a fine peice of Gothic horror stories and Inkeri Koskinen's great translation to Finnish make it even more enjoyable.

Mark: 8

Psychology of school shootings

School shootings have in past few decade become topical all over the world. As an example, just this spring there was a school shooting in Orivesi in Finland (luckily no one didn't get killed) althought the shooter weren't a real school shooter as doctor Peter Langman defines them. Langman's definition in his book Why Kids Kill. Inside the Minds of School Shooters contains only shooters who have a clear connection to the school they're attacking (in the real world this means they're or have studied there).

   Langman has acquainted himself to the possible school shooters in his job as a children's psychologist. He have also gotten to know the school shooters who have bring off their cruel aim. Langman has divided ten American shooter to three different category: psychopathic, psychotic and traumatized shooters. He also introduce some of the patients he has had who may would have attacted their schools.

   The topic is hot and interesting and text has been popularized. Some times maybe even a bit too much. The categorizing seems slightly artificial, especially with such complex thing as this. Langman himself admit there isn't one pattern how someone become a school shooter or an easy way to identify a possible one. That is why the society should invest in supporting youngsters.

   Peter Langman's book is for people who are interested in the subject, but don't want a too scientific description.

Mark: 7-

Nazis from the dark side of the moon

The Nazis' moon forth

Yes, that's right. It's the topic of the most expensive Finnish film ever, Iron Sky. I don't got a clue, who invented the idea, but the main plot is that Nazis escaped to the dark side of the moon in 1945, and they've been waiting there since. And now they're ready to occupy the earth.
   Visually Iron Sky is moderate. It's clear that if the film would have been founded by big Hollywood money, there would have been bigger props (for instans in the UN), but there is still some pretty cool structures, like the Nazis' forth in the moon.

Hindu swastika

   What comes to the story, it's a bit thin. The hole film is basically built on jokes. Some of them, like Vivian Wagner's, the aide of President of the USA, floods of curses are too much, but there's also some good ones.

Flag of the Finnish airforce before WWII

   The film uses many clichés of the scifi films and many references to Nazi culture. Wagner is a important part of the soundtrack and Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator get its share. And I don't know if this have been taught in other countries, but in Finland history teachers make clear swastika was originally an Asian symbol for auspiciousness and so the symbol of the Finnish airforce have nothing to do with Nazis, and the filmmaker are used this small piece of information in the one of their UN jokes. There's also some references to the politics. For instans President of the USA looks amazingly like Sarah Palin.

On the left Sarah Palin, on the right President of Iron Sky

   Iron Sky is a decent movie for those nights when you doesn't care about complicated stories or artistic visual plays. It's not a memorable one, but if you're interested in Finnish films, this is the easiest one to start.

Mark: 7