Real Life Horror Movies Were A Thing in PARIS!

As we approach O'Hallows Eve, I thought I'd break out a "seasonal" post...

We've all seen "Gladiator" with Russel Crowe and know about the ancient Roman blood baths that took place at the Coliseum.  And, then there's Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus."  People have always loved blood and gore (the macabre) throughout history.  But, have you ever heard of the Le Theatre du Grand-Guignol located in Paris (circa 1897-1962)?  The name of this theatre (located in an old abandoned church) literally translates to "Theatre of the Giant Puppet."  Actors would act out the most naturalistic, amoral gruesome axe murders, torture, executions, mutilations and more horror in front of a live audience.  Apparently the special effects were WAYYYY before their time, too (like, think "Saw").  The Including fake congealing blood and weapon props, the effects were so realistic that audience members would pass out or throw up in the aisleways.

The French love torture, no?  Didn't they come up with the guillotine?  Here's the weird thing about this "horror puppet theatre" -- the graphic violence would turn people on sexually!  There were reports of people having sex and getting freaky in the box seating!  I swear, people are SICK!  It reminds me of the movie, "Hostel," where American tourists go missing and are kidnapped by a subculture of sickos who love to torture and mutilate them in front of an audience to get their rocks off.

So, anyways, the theatre finally closed down for good in the 60's.  And, the dude that ran the show, Charles Nonan, explained that: "Before the War [referring to WWII], everyone felt that what was happening onstage was impossible.  Now we know that these things, and worse, are possible in reality."  

I sure wish Americans would wake up and realize there are inherently evil people who have very bad intentions.  Because I seriously talk to people daily who are naïve (or as Pink Floyd puts it "Comfortably Numb") to the fact that sociopaths, psychopaths, and/or evil people walk amongst us daily.  And, to think none of them are power hungry and sit up in Washington DC, on school boards, in the CDC or FDA is probably the most gullible thing I've ever heard.

Merci!  Thanks for visiting!

Kimmie