Alex Ludwig
@celexo.bsky.social
“Dies Irae Guru” • Liberal Arts @BerkleeCollege • Author, "Hearing Death at the Movies” https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-78795-9
Co-editor, “Woodstock Then & Now” https://libraries.clemson.edu/press/books/woodstock-then-and-now/
Co-editor, “Woodstock Then & Now” https://libraries.clemson.edu/press/books/woodstock-then-and-now/
As I spell out in the 1st chapter of my book, Kubrick asked for music about "graves, death and ghosts," & Carlos suggested the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique...although she appears to have had it on her mind too. A handful of tracks exists that quote the Dies Irae, none of which appear in the film.
November 14, 2025 at 3:48 PM
As I spell out in the 1st chapter of my book, Kubrick asked for music about "graves, death and ghosts," & Carlos suggested the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique...although she appears to have had it on her mind too. A handful of tracks exists that quote the Dies Irae, none of which appear in the film.
Sad to miss AMS/SMT this year, but hope that you all swing by the Palgrave table to thumb through my book "Hearing Death at the Movies"!
November 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Sad to miss AMS/SMT this year, but hope that you all swing by the Palgrave table to thumb through my book "Hearing Death at the Movies"!
Will the decorations survive the 40mph gusts tonight? We shall see.
October 31, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Will the decorations survive the 40mph gusts tonight? We shall see.
This is based on my 200+ hours viewing spooky films dating back to August. I challenge you to name a film that doesn't fit within at least one of these categories!
October 29, 2025 at 11:51 PM
This is based on my 200+ hours viewing spooky films dating back to August. I challenge you to name a film that doesn't fit within at least one of these categories!
Halloween is my favorite holiday, so obvious reasons...none more so than I get to re-post this version of the "You can't handle the truth" scene that I repurposed into a vignette about me buying too much Halloween candy.
October 29, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Halloween is my favorite holiday, so obvious reasons...none more so than I get to re-post this version of the "You can't handle the truth" scene that I repurposed into a vignette about me buying too much Halloween candy.
23 films in the last 13 days...really turning up the heat here as we approach Halloween. I've been checking a few foreign (not yet seen by me) films off my list, too.
October 28, 2025 at 1:46 AM
23 films in the last 13 days...really turning up the heat here as we approach Halloween. I've been checking a few foreign (not yet seen by me) films off my list, too.
🚨 Exciting news to share for my Boston followers 🚨
I'll be giving a Lectures on Tap talk in two weeks...if you ever wanted to hear me wax philosophical on the Dies Irae while getting drunk, now's the time!
Tuesday November 4th at Portico Brewing in Somerville...I"ll post the link once it's live.
I'll be giving a Lectures on Tap talk in two weeks...if you ever wanted to hear me wax philosophical on the Dies Irae while getting drunk, now's the time!
Tuesday November 4th at Portico Brewing in Somerville...I"ll post the link once it's live.
October 21, 2025 at 2:49 PM
🚨 Exciting news to share for my Boston followers 🚨
I'll be giving a Lectures on Tap talk in two weeks...if you ever wanted to hear me wax philosophical on the Dies Irae while getting drunk, now's the time!
Tuesday November 4th at Portico Brewing in Somerville...I"ll post the link once it's live.
I'll be giving a Lectures on Tap talk in two weeks...if you ever wanted to hear me wax philosophical on the Dies Irae while getting drunk, now's the time!
Tuesday November 4th at Portico Brewing in Somerville...I"ll post the link once it's live.
a little bit of everything this week!
October 14, 2025 at 6:48 PM
a little bit of everything this week!
Not gonna lie: Jigoku (1960) is a tremendously slow burn, but once that candle is lit, it does not hold back.
October 10, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Not gonna lie: Jigoku (1960) is a tremendously slow burn, but once that candle is lit, it does not hold back.
It's been a good week!
Lots of standouts, especially "Good Boy."**
"Sleepy Hollow" & "The VVitch" are stone-cold "fall" classics: cold, foggy New England vibes that are perfect for the holidays.
Argento films and "The Descent" are always good, bloody fun.
(**spoiler alert: the dog lives!!**)
Lots of standouts, especially "Good Boy."**
"Sleepy Hollow" & "The VVitch" are stone-cold "fall" classics: cold, foggy New England vibes that are perfect for the holidays.
Argento films and "The Descent" are always good, bloody fun.
(**spoiler alert: the dog lives!!**)
October 8, 2025 at 7:58 PM
It's been a good week!
Lots of standouts, especially "Good Boy."**
"Sleepy Hollow" & "The VVitch" are stone-cold "fall" classics: cold, foggy New England vibes that are perfect for the holidays.
Argento films and "The Descent" are always good, bloody fun.
(**spoiler alert: the dog lives!!**)
Lots of standouts, especially "Good Boy."**
"Sleepy Hollow" & "The VVitch" are stone-cold "fall" classics: cold, foggy New England vibes that are perfect for the holidays.
Argento films and "The Descent" are always good, bloody fun.
(**spoiler alert: the dog lives!!**)
I'm up to 70 horror(ish) films in 61 days..at least 1 a day since August 1st. The last week has seen some real ups ("Hellraiser," "Rocky Horror,") and downs ("M3GAN 2.0," "Neon Demon"). Looking forward to re-visiting some classics as we round into October proper!
September 30, 2025 at 1:18 AM
I'm up to 70 horror(ish) films in 61 days..at least 1 a day since August 1st. The last week has seen some real ups ("Hellraiser," "Rocky Horror,") and downs ("M3GAN 2.0," "Neon Demon"). Looking forward to re-visiting some classics as we round into October proper!
Me in August, September, and October
September 28, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Me in August, September, and October
60 scary-ish films in 53 days.
34 were first time watches.
101.7 spooky hours spent.
34 were first time watches.
101.7 spooky hours spent.
September 23, 2025 at 1:31 AM
60 scary-ish films in 53 days.
34 were first time watches.
101.7 spooky hours spent.
34 were first time watches.
101.7 spooky hours spent.
34* films in 30 days. 22 were first time watches for me. Letterboxd says it was 56.9 hours.
*Candyman (2019) and Knives Out were left off the pictures due the sake of symmetry.
Please see my Letterboxd here: boxd.it/NgFXW
*Candyman (2019) and Knives Out were left off the pictures due the sake of symmetry.
Please see my Letterboxd here: boxd.it/NgFXW
August 31, 2025 at 11:33 AM
34* films in 30 days. 22 were first time watches for me. Letterboxd says it was 56.9 hours.
*Candyman (2019) and Knives Out were left off the pictures due the sake of symmetry.
Please see my Letterboxd here: boxd.it/NgFXW
*Candyman (2019) and Knives Out were left off the pictures due the sake of symmetry.
Please see my Letterboxd here: boxd.it/NgFXW
Halloween25 continues unabatedly!
August 29, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Halloween25 continues unabatedly!
Just a reminder that to some of your fellow humans, this picture just shows a bunch of randomly sized and colored dots.*
*so I went to the eye doctor today and they made me confirm that I am still color blind.
*so I went to the eye doctor today and they made me confirm that I am still color blind.
August 26, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Just a reminder that to some of your fellow humans, this picture just shows a bunch of randomly sized and colored dots.*
*so I went to the eye doctor today and they made me confirm that I am still color blind.
*so I went to the eye doctor today and they made me confirm that I am still color blind.
20 horror(ish) films in 21 days*
14 were first time watches, and only 2 were viewed in a theater (“Together” and “Weapons”)
*I skipped a day to celebrate my sons birthday but I will make it up with a double feature soon
14 were first time watches, and only 2 were viewed in a theater (“Together” and “Weapons”)
*I skipped a day to celebrate my sons birthday but I will make it up with a double feature soon
August 22, 2025 at 2:02 AM
20 horror(ish) films in 21 days*
14 were first time watches, and only 2 were viewed in a theater (“Together” and “Weapons”)
*I skipped a day to celebrate my sons birthday but I will make it up with a double feature soon
14 were first time watches, and only 2 were viewed in a theater (“Together” and “Weapons”)
*I skipped a day to celebrate my sons birthday but I will make it up with a double feature soon
You're working on your syllabus, right? Why not assign some of my book on the Dies Irae?? Chapters that might be of interest:
*Ch 2 traces the Dies Irae from Berlioz to Wendy Carlos & onward to an episode of Psych
* Ch 3 looks at Silent Film, scores by Dimitri Tiomkin, & Hammer's vampire films
*Ch 2 traces the Dies Irae from Berlioz to Wendy Carlos & onward to an episode of Psych
* Ch 3 looks at Silent Film, scores by Dimitri Tiomkin, & Hammer's vampire films
August 21, 2025 at 1:12 AM
You're working on your syllabus, right? Why not assign some of my book on the Dies Irae?? Chapters that might be of interest:
*Ch 2 traces the Dies Irae from Berlioz to Wendy Carlos & onward to an episode of Psych
* Ch 3 looks at Silent Film, scores by Dimitri Tiomkin, & Hammer's vampire films
*Ch 2 traces the Dies Irae from Berlioz to Wendy Carlos & onward to an episode of Psych
* Ch 3 looks at Silent Film, scores by Dimitri Tiomkin, & Hammer's vampire films
The second ("Last Night in Soho" dir. by Edgar Wright in 2021) was Stamp's final film role. In it, he sings w/the jukebox as it plays the '68 song "Eloise," which just so happens to end w/a Type 2 Dies Irae.
Check it out here (w/a 20% discount code of PALAUT):
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Check it out here (w/a 20% discount code of PALAUT):
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
August 19, 2025 at 12:17 AM
The second ("Last Night in Soho" dir. by Edgar Wright in 2021) was Stamp's final film role. In it, he sings w/the jukebox as it plays the '68 song "Eloise," which just so happens to end w/a Type 2 Dies Irae.
Check it out here (w/a 20% discount code of PALAUT):
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Check it out here (w/a 20% discount code of PALAUT):
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Terence Stamp appeared in two different films with prominent quotations of the Dies Irae (both of which appear in my book). The first ("The Collector" dir. by William Wyler and scored by Maurice Jarre in 1965) is a proper Type 1 full statement.
August 19, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Terence Stamp appeared in two different films with prominent quotations of the Dies Irae (both of which appear in my book). The first ("The Collector" dir. by William Wyler and scored by Maurice Jarre in 1965) is a proper Type 1 full statement.
Sometimes you've got to soften the blows of the horror films with some comedies!
**by the way, you <have> to see "Weapons" in a theater.
**by the way, you <have> to see "Weapons" in a theater.
August 11, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Sometimes you've got to soften the blows of the horror films with some comedies!
**by the way, you <have> to see "Weapons" in a theater.
**by the way, you <have> to see "Weapons" in a theater.
Did so much hiking in Acadia this week. All the classics (Beehive and the Bubbles), plus a few new ones to us, Dorr Mountain and the Bass Harbor Lighthouse.
August 9, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Did so much hiking in Acadia this week. All the classics (Beehive and the Bubbles), plus a few new ones to us, Dorr Mountain and the Bass Harbor Lighthouse.
The trolls at the botanical garden in Boothbay Harbor, as well as the garden itself, should not be missed!
August 6, 2025 at 12:15 AM
The trolls at the botanical garden in Boothbay Harbor, as well as the garden itself, should not be missed!
Portland Head Lighthouse
August 4, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Portland Head Lighthouse
