Well thank God, that whole little scenario is over! I mean the Christmas season, in case anybody might not have guessed!
Sorry, don’t want to offend anybody, but its one time of the year that I really cannot stand, with all its pomp and commercialised hypocrisy. People only give presents to each other – or remember each other with silly greeting cards and all that sort of thing – while millions of others around the world are starving in poverty with little or nothing to eat or sustain them. While we are remembering our friends or relatives; I wonder just how many give those people a thought?
Not that there’s anything wrong in being thoughtful or kind to people; but why on only a few days of the year? out of an almost compulsive obligation? The Churches just tell you to ‘pray’ for them. And many do – at least, pay ‘lip service’ in ‘prayers’ in the particular Church they might happen to be attending; if, in fact, they happen to attend one at all!
And ‘no’. I am not ‘playing the hypocrite! I recently made a film titled “The Christmas Quarrel” which involved Christmas decorations being displayed in the background of my home. But that was just for the set of that particular film to reflect the ‘Christmas spirit’. If Hollywood insists on its props . . . well, at least I was only doing it for a film: not out of heart-felt sincerity for the ‘invented occasion’! I think its what you really feel inside – not what people just pretend to feel for the sake of show.
For example, I recently saw a message board in which one proclaimed ‘Christian person’ published pictures of himself and his partner enjoying a lavish Christmas dinner. All lavishly cooked (for the sake of the cameras) and which, by all standards, could only have increased his dangerously increasing weight! And what about the millions of people who might have had nothing to eat at Christmas (or any other time of the year)? Well, no mention of them!
But getting away from that; I see the Press and other media sources are still interested in the strange case of the Highgate ‘Vampire’ (in which this author played a central part).
We are now told, that one Asa Bailey is bringing out a book and ‘fictional film’ about the activities of this so-called ‘vampire’. The local Highgate newspaper, the Hampstead and Highgate Express, picked up the story and decided to do a review. I have reproduced this here (above) for the sake of all those who may still retain some interest in this 40-year-plus saga. Some people do – indeed, still appear to do so – maybe trying to create a modern day legend upon facts which were really non-existant all those years ago. But that’s Hollywood for you!
That’s all for now everyone. Have a good New Year,
David (Farrant)
2 responses
Hi David,
Blimey,two posts in as many days,I must be getting brave!Was just reading the article about the taxi driver who was a stone mason at Highgate.I would like to think that he was working there in 1975-6 when I used to mess about in there as an eleven year old.
Although by then,I assume the ‘Highgate vampire’story had long gone cold. I also remember stepping over the odd skeleton or two strewn across the catacombs!Strange that he had to leave the cemetry before sunset,wonderful stuff!
Whilst on the subject of the’vampire’ I seem to remember reading,a few years ago,that either you or someone else saw a film made by a certain person who shall remain nameless,confirming that the whole’Highgate vampire’ case was indeed an hoax.I’m sure I read this somewhere online whilst reading up on the subject but,for the life of me,can’t remember who said what.I know yourself David have never believed in a’vampire’ in the true sense and you have stated this for the past forty years.
I’m pretty sure that this person made this film and that only a select few were invited and that you or someone else saw this film,unless I’m dreaming it all up! Can you shed any light on this? Any memories?
By the way,I’ve just been studying the’vampire’ photographs over the past couple of days and I’ve come to the conclusion that they bear a striking resemblance to a certain individual,just my opinion of course!
Take care
David
Thanks for that David,
Yes, you are right, There certainly was a film made in 1969 by a certain individual based on the unexplained phenomenom that reputedly haunted Highgate Cemetery. In his home-made 8mm film, he chose to turn this unexplained entity into a ‘vampire’, and even had his (then) live-in girlfriend and himself playing the ‘star roles’ in this. In this film he was disguised as a ‘decomposing vampire’; and, as you have apparently noticed, the subsequent ‘stills’ from this amateur production (which he actually produced on television programmes in the late 1990’s into 2000) really portray himself adourned in make-up trying to ‘pass himself off’ as the Highgate Vampire! The whole thing was cleverly faked, but it did not fool many people: including yourself it seems!
David Farrant.