"Rose Red"
aka Thornewood Castle Inn and Gardens, Lakewood, Washington, USA
Rose Red Mansion
Click here for the beautiful soundtrack
Last weekend I watched a dvd called 'Rose Red'. It's a film based on the novel, "The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer" by Ridley Pearson. Stephen King wrote the script for the film. Briefly, it's about a psychology professor who is obsessed with the house and wishes to awaken it from it's sleep and get scientific proof, at the same time, that ghosts exist. She gathers together a group of psychics, each possessing a different paranormal talent, to help her in her mission. Having been directed by Stephen King, you can imagine the scrapes they get into. And that's putting it mildly! This was right up my street... hauntingly beautiful background music, a house that makes Wuthering Heights look like a funfair attraction and a gothic garden that would turn Ozzy Osbourne green with envy.
Having enjoyed the story I was intrigued to find out where it had been filmed. The location was Thornewood Castle Inn, Washington, USA and if I had expected to happen upon a house with the same dark foreboding as Rose Red, I couldn't have been more wrong. The house, of course, is stunning and I can easily see how it could be temporarily transformed into Rose Red. I'm not sure what I expected to find when I followed the link to Thornewood.... statuary that comes to life? Triffids? Shadows with no substance? What I found was a beautiful house with glorious gardens.
The English Sunken Garden
Well I must track down this film Lesley as you've made a very good case for it here and haunted houses always interest me!
ReplyDeleteI read everything that Stephen King wrote up until about 20 years ago then decided that I had to try something else for a change! I'll get back to King one day I know it!
Talking of haunted houses and the like, I just love 'Most Haunted' to!
And thank you for your kind comments. I'm just starting my third week off work and I'm very bored! My eye-sight is improving but very slowly. I'm writing double words everywhere!!
It's not easy having to stay at home when you're used to the routine of getting up and going to work.... and it's not as if you can spend your time reading and doing lots of computer work or you'll strain your other eye. I bet Moon is enjoying the company though! :)
ReplyDeleteI've just finished Stephen King's latest novel, "Under The Dome" and it was FANTASTIC! I must have had ten times the amount of tea breaks I usually have so I could get back to the book. :O) I've decided to read something totally different just now, a book about mosses and lichens, before going on to another King novel. :D
I'm sure you'll enjoy the film Gf, but what struck me when I looked up Thornewood Castle Inn was the beauty of the place and its gardens. And clients used words such as 'peace' and 'healing'. It wasn't what I expected considering it was the location for a Stephen King film!
Lesley dear,the photos of Thornewood Castle Inn and its gardens are so beautiful, such a lovely place to wander and explore. It does look peaceful, the green of the foliage and lawn is soothing to the senses and if you had not told us otherwise I thought it would have been situated in some county in England. ♡
ReplyDeleteHello Dianne :) In the history section of Thornewood's website, it says that Chester Thorne was "fascinated by the grandeur of the old English estate" so he had the house and gardens built with that theme in mind.
ReplyDeleteThe gardens do look wonderful, don't they. I could imagine spending a lovely romantic holiday there. Maybe some day hubby and I might just do that. :)
Well if you ever make the trip to "Lakewood Washington USA" give me a little notice. Lakewood is about 40 miles from where I live. In fact I went to school in Lakewood when I was 6 years old.
ReplyDeleteOooooo, I certainly will Mr B! :D Another good reason to make the journey...... now to the saving up bit. :O)
ReplyDeleteIt was a lovely surprise to see you here this morning. :)