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LE GRAND GUIGNOL: 19TH CENTURY PARIS THEATER OF GORY HORROR.

Grand Guignol posters, Paris horror macabre Goth theater.Lately, I’ve had gore on the brain. (The other day, I offered to gouge out Count D’s eyes as a means of circumventing affirmative action… it’s a long story.) Too bad I’m not living in the late 19th century, or I’d easily find catharsis through the Grand Guignol. The Parisian theater, which ran from 1897 to 1962, specialized in macabre plays that would put Alice Cooper to shame. No performance was complete without eye-poking, hand-chopping, flesh-tearing, or some other gory excuse to release a river of fake blood.

Although the Grand Guignol has fallen into obscurity since closing its doors, it has made a profound impact on horror films and modern special effects. Vestiges remain in the Dark Marchen’s Victorian-meets-vaudeville act, a favorite of the Goth Loli Heaven club nights. San Francisco’s Thrillpeddlers still perform plays in this tradition, and a troupe in Portland, Oregon stages a show every Halloween.

Above are some vintage posters for the original Grand Guignol. Pretty juicy, huh? (I think I need help…)

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11 Comments

  1. Putre-fashion
    Posted June 6, 2008 at 1:04 pm | Permalink

    OMG!

    I don't know how the church react about those posters!

    ''GAI GAI Pendons nous!'' Pretty creepy? Too much creepy? lol

  2. Putre-fashion
    Posted June 6, 2008 at 8:04 pm | Permalink

    OMG!

    I don’t know how the church react about those posters!

    ”GAI GAI Pendons nous!” Pretty creepy? Too much creepy? lol

  3. Wendy
    Posted June 6, 2008 at 3:19 pm | Permalink

    Wonderful! I need help too! Love ya!

  4. Wendy
    Posted June 6, 2008 at 10:19 pm | Permalink

    Wonderful! I need help too! Love ya!

  5. Minako
    Posted June 8, 2008 at 4:04 pm | Permalink

    Hello,
    Thanx for finding me. I like the way you dress.
    Greetz from Tokyo, Japan.

  6. Saraswaty
    Posted June 8, 2008 at 4:05 pm | Permalink

    wow
    I wanna have a time machine just for see the shows
    ^^
    great post
    bisous de sang
    muaha
    =)

  7. Minako
    Posted June 8, 2008 at 11:04 pm | Permalink

    Hello,
    Thanx for finding me. I like the way you dress.
    Greetz from Tokyo, Japan.

  8. Saraswaty
    Posted June 8, 2008 at 11:05 pm | Permalink

    wow
    I wanna have a time machine just for see the shows
    ^^
    great post
    bisous de sang
    muaha
    =)

  9. Dave
    Posted June 8, 2009 at 10:51 am | Permalink

    http://www.artfact.com/catalog/searchLots.cfm?s

    Click the link to view Grand Guignol theatre posters at auction!

  10. Dave
    Posted June 8, 2009 at 5:51 pm | Permalink
  11. Dave
    Posted June 8, 2009 at 5:51 pm | Permalink

    http://www.artfact.com/catalog/searchLots.cfm?s

    Click the link to view Grand Guignol theatre posters at auction!