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Blood-n-Guts

Halloween Movie Checklist

I don’t know why I didn’t do this before, but I’m making a check list of all the movies I want to watch! I’ll update and check things off as I go. At least I’m putting it up with more than a week to go before Halloween. Some of these are ones I’ve seen before and just like to watch around Halloween, but a handful are movies I haven’t seen and want to take the opportunity to watch while it’s spooky season (even though all seasons are spooky for me).

  • Friday the 13th
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas
  • Rosemary’s Baby ✔︎
  • The Nightmare on Elm Street
  • Saw ✔︎
  • Cam ✔︎
  • Hellraiser
  • Little Monsters ✔︎
  • The Evil Dead 1&2
  • The Ghost and Mr. Chicken ✔︎
  • A Quiet Place
  • The Haunting
  • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
  • Hell House LLC 3
  • The Haunting of Deborah Logan
  • Night of the Living Dead
  • Dawn of the Dead
  • Day of the Dead
  • Halloween
  • Scream ✔︎
  • Mother
  • The Changeling
  • House on Haunted Hill
  • Halloweentown
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Blood-n-Guts Female Horror Netflix Original Psychological Scares Shudder Exclusive

Is Revenge Sweet? My Thoughts on Rape Revenge Horror

I’ve talked about my feelings towards rape revenge films in previous posts (Revenge, The Perfection). It’s not a genre I’m exactly well-versed in since sexual assault and rape is something that I can’t really handle in film. There are exceptions (such as the posts I linked above), but overall it’s a genre I try to avoid. Recently, my sister watched I Spit on Your Grave which she thought I had recommended to her.

I can assure you, I never recommended I Spit on Your Grave.

I’ve never even seen I Spit on Your Grave.

I remember so vividly being in Family Video (which shout out to FV for holding on through all the streaming services, honestly) and seeing the cover of I Spit on Your Grave and having a gut reaction to it. If you’re unfamiliar let me paint you a word picture: a woman stands with her back to the camera, wearing a ripped and dirty t-shirt that is falling off one shoulder. She is not wearing anything on her bottom half aside from underwear which expose half her butt cheeks. We see only a quarter of the bottom half of her profile, and she holds a butcher knife with blood dripping off the blade. (You can also Google it if my word picture isn’t clear enough)

Even if you needed to head to Google for a clear idea of what this poster looks like, I hope that you at least were able to understand the issues with just that poster. The woman’s face is not even part of it. The primary focal point of the photo is her ass. The bloody knife is only there to let you know that at some point she will get inflict a little bit of pain. However, compare that to the Revenge poster. Let me paint another word picture: a young woman pointing a gun directly at the camera. She’s dirty, yes, and looks like she’s been through a lot…but she is not an object. She is the powerhouse of the picture, demanding all the attention and sending a pretty clear message that she is here to mess you up.

I don’t want to sit here and pit two films against each other. There are many people who love I Spit on Your Grave and I’m sure would argue that it, too, is a feminist revenge saga…but is it?

I know you’re probably wondering how on earth I can sit here and talk about rape revenge if I’ve seen such a small amount of the content out there, but rape in horror isn’t exclusive to just rape revenge films. There is a lot of sexual assault used in horror films, particularly the slasher/killer genres.

I’ve never liked to watch any media where rape is a major factor. There are films where rape is a side factor, or a backstory, but either isn’t on screen at all, or is done in a way that doesn’t make you feel gross. I’ve read the full synopsis of many movies to decide whether I can stomach the assault…with movies like I Spit on Your Grave or The Last House on the Left I have decided that I don’t want to put myself through the anxiety and the stomach ache just for a movie.

Basically I just want to address the issue with women and horror.

I’ve volleyed back and forth between whether or not horror is actually a feminist overall, or if it really is a female hating genre. I’ve done research, written papers, and presented paper at the Pop Culture Association 2019 conference all about women and their place in horror. So let me do some breaking down of my findings, my thoughts, and how those are contributing to my struggle with the rape revenge sub-genre.

The Virgin, The Whore, and The Crone

If you’re less aware of the tropes and the terms assigned to horror in academic study then this is the best place to start. There are three molds that women in horror tend to be put into:

The Virgin: I think this goes without explanation. In movies like Halloween, The Nightmare on Elm Street, or Prom Night the young girl who becomes the target of the masked killer is the girl that would be considered the “good-two-shoes”. Usually an actual virgin with friends who spend a decent amount of time in the movie having sex with no discretion. This girl tends to be the “final girl” which is another concept that could get it’s own post.
Basically, these movies equate virginity to value.

The Whore: Again, probably goes without saying. This is the best friend in The Nightmare on Elm Street who just wants to have sex with her high school boyfriend but instead ends up on the ceiling, bleeding out from her belly. You can take everything I said about the virgin and just flip it on it’s head, and that applies to the idea of the whore. Now, can you be a whore and survive?
Well…maybe in 2019? In classic horror there’s really no chance. The film The Cabin in the Woods even plays off of this trope. The character who was set assigned as “the virgin” wasn’t exactly a virgin, but as Sigourney Weaver says they had to “take what we can get”. Whore or slut or whatever term you want to use here is equated to wrongness. The virgin deserves to live…but the whore?

The Crone: This is a little bit of a wider birth of women. This is a woman who is no longer in her “prime” who is probably single, haggard, and usually in line with the old school ideas of Disney stepmothers or ugly witches in the woods. Usually she is bitter, waiting for some sort of revenge for something that happened long ago. Sometimes the crone is pitted against the virgin.

So, what am I saying by laying all this theory out?

Traditional rape revenge films usually position the woman as more innocent (*the virgin*), and we see her transform into a revenge seeking machine (*the crone*). To me, this all just demonizes sex and women’s sexuality. I mean it’s great to see a woman get revenge for what has happened to her, but typically there’s an hour of horrific torture the woman endures and then there’s 20-30 (or maybe less) of her getting her actual revenge. These movies tend to be written and directed by men…but you see a major shift when you look at a movie like Revenge or American Mary.

Revenge, which was directed by Coralie Fargeat, was the first rape revenge film I watched that didn’t leave me feeling sick and abysmal. Where movies like I Spit on Your Grave spend the majority of the movie torturing the woman, Revenge’s first 20-30 minutes is the set up, and the rape is only a short scene. Jenn’s, the woman who is raped, big conflict starts after the rape when her lover wants to pay her off so she won’t go to the police and turn in the man (a friend of his) who did the actual raping. There’s a chase through the gorgeous dessert where the film was shot where they try and take Jenn down, but that’s just the beginning.

The rest of the film is the saga of Jenn turning into, essentially, a superhero who survives being impaled on a rotting tree, the harsh dessert conditions, and various other physical traumas. Jenn’s fight isn’t just for revenge, but for survival.

American Mary is another rape revenge film that breaks the mold of the traditional framework. The film follows Mary, a medical student who is invited to a part by a surgeon she is doing her residency under where she is raped and the men film the horrible act. Before the entire party and rape even happens Mary tries to get a job stripped in order to help pay for her schooling, but when she is at the club the owner offers her $5,000 to sew up a man with a wound that clearly came from some sort of illegal activity. After that Mary is found by a stripper from the club and asked to perform an extreme body modification on a friend of hers.

After Mary is raped, she drops out of her surgical residency and starts doing illegal and extreme body modification surgeries. She kidnaps the man surgeon who raped her and keeps him alive in a storage unit where she practices her surgeries. The revenge part of this movie is less important to the story than Mary’s descent into crime and the brutal surgeries she performs. Mary doesn’t start doing the body modification surgeries because of the rape – she has that inside of her the whole time. The film is written and directed by sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska, showing that female led rape revenge tends to be less brutal towards the woman, and deeper than just brutalizing a poor defenseless woman.

The final film I want to talk about as an example of rape revenge done right is The Perfection. Now I just put up a whole post about this film, so I don’t want to spend too much time on it, but it does break the thread of female directed rape revenge. It was directed by Richard Shepherd, but one of the three writers that worked on the script was a woman (Nicole Snyder). There is no actual on-screen rape in The Perfection and the only actual on screen sex scene is between Allison Williams and Logan Browning who play Charlotte and Lizzie, respectively. It surrounds a school for young and promising cellists where the headmaster and teachers have, essentially, a sex cult. The elite students at the school are allowed to play in the acoustically perfect “chapel”…but if they make mistakes, they are raped or sexually abused as penance by the men of the school.

Charlotte wants to save Lizzie, and by the end of the film you realize the entire plot has been leading up to the torture of the headmaster. This film focuses so little on the actual rape, and yet is a rape revenge film. It’s a wild ride, but will leave you feeling much more empowered than sympathetic.

So what is my point in all of this?

Basically – be more critical of the rape revenge that is being put out. Look at it carefully and determine whether or not the purpose is to empower the female characters and show the women as warriors…or is it just a way for men to hide their objectification and their brutalization of women? Personally I think rape is the lowest hanging fruit when it comes to scaring people. Of course every woman is automatically scared when rape is involved because it is something we all have to worry about it our day-to-day life.

Of course, it is up to each individual person to determine their feelings towards any given movie. Just because I think movies like I Spit on Your Grave or The Last House on the Left are exploitative and too brutal to be feminist doesn’t mean that everyone will or has to have that same opinion. It is just something I have taken the time to sit and think about. This is totally my thoughts and opinions coupled with the basic research I have done thus far. My goal is to do some farther academic research and see what is out there, but for now I’ll leave you with these thoughts and feelings.

What do you think about rape revenge as a sub genre?

 

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Blood-n-Guts Female Horror Netflix Original Psychological Scares

The Perfection – Revenge Done Right (SPOILERS)

*Trigger warning for sexual assault and rape*

On May 24, 2019 Netflix added it’s newest horror thriller, The Perfection, starring Allison Williams and Logan Browning as prodigy cellists who are now adults and dealing with trauma. I know more and more of my reviews are requiring some spoilers, but honestly I think that says a lot about the sophistication of horror right now. The more intricate the storytelling is, the more difficult it is to discuss without some spoilers; and this is a movie that requires some spoilers to discuss.

So, if you want to go watch the film before reading my review I will say this: it is not what you are expecting, and that’s all I can say without giving things away.

And spoilers in…

3…

2…

1….

So if you’re still here I’m assuming you’ve already watched it, or you don’t mind spoilers, so here we go:

Charlotte was a student at the Bachoff school for promising young cellists who had to leave school when her mother became terminally ill. Now a grown woman, Charlotte reaches back out to the head of the school to re-join them after her mother dies. When she meets Anton and his wife Paloma in Shanghai where they are recruiting new students, Charlotte meets the newest pride of Bachoff, Lizzie. The two instantly have sexual chemistry as well as immense professional respect for each other, and their night ends in a sexual encounter….and that’s when things get really insane.

When they wake up after their night together, Lizzie is visibly ill and tells Charlotte how bad she feels. Charlotte and Lizzie both chalk it up to a bad hangover, but as their day progresses and they begin the trip Lizzie planned things get progressively worse. Lizzie throws up what appears to be bugs, and they are kicked off the bus, and once off the bus Lizzie hallucinates bugs underneath her skin. Charlotte gives her a cleaver, and Lizzie chops off her own hand in order to save herself from what’s inside of her.

AND THAT’S ONLY LIKE THE FIRST 30 MINUTES OF THE MOVIE.

I would absolutely categorize this movie as a psychological rape revenge horror film. I know that sounds like a lot of descriptors, but it all works together so well. I’ve said before that I don’t tend to do well with rape in films (check out my post about the film Revenge), but this is no typical rape revenge film. It slowly is revealed that the men who work and run Bachoff have been using their students to fulfill their twisted sexual desires…and yes, when they are children.

Quickly (or maybe not actually so quickly, but it FEELS like break neck speed) we’re thrown into what we think is going to be revenge against Charlotte, but what really ends up being a plot to take down the monster that runs the school. Charlotte is brought back to the school and put in the “sanctuary” where the men make their “star students” play extremely complex pieces for them, and then rape them if they make mistakes. There is a “religious” implication to what the headmaster says in Charlotte’s flashbacks – that playing perfectly honors the gods, and in lieu of perfect playing sex fills that role.

Fucked up right?

Well, the film then does a total 180 again and we find out that Lizzie is working with Charlotte who had drugged Lizzie with a hallucinogen so she would cut off her hand and no longer be able to play the cello…effectively breaking her ties to the school. Lizzie and Charlotte appear to be in love, and by the end of the film they have totally destroyed the man who tried to destroy them.

So let’s chat about the actual mechanics of the movie:

First of all, it’s NUTS. It is absolutely buck wild and there’s no ifs, ands, or buts about that. Objectively, I don’t think it’s a very good movie when it comes to the actual technical side of the movie, and even the pacing is a little weird…but by golly if it’s not absolutely enamoring, then I am a field mouse. The appeal of the film is the utter absurdity and mayhem caused by two (queer) women, one of whom is a WOC and they’re taking down the patriarchy in their life. It is really beautifully shot, and both Logan Browning (Lizzie) and Allison Williams (Charlotte) give incredible performances. It is the type of psychological horror that you think about for weeks afterwards.

Be careful, it isn’t for the faint of heart.

In general I don’t tend to watch rape revenge films. Recently, my sister watched I Spit on Your Grave and was convinced I’d been the one who recommended it to her…but I’ve never seen the film, nor do I intend on watching it. A friend had Last House on the Left on a list of horror movies to watch this October and I told her that, while it was totally fine if she and other friends in our group wanted to watch it, but I didn’t think I could watch it with them. Rape and sexual assault is one of the few things I can’t stomach in horror, not to mention I think it’s truly the lowest hanging fruit to scare women…but both The Perfection and Revenge focus on the women turning into superheroes and taking down the men who hurt them quickly and brutally within the first 30 minutes or so. Movies like I Spit on Your Grave or Last House on the Left focus primarily on the brutality against the women for the majority of the movie and their revenger for the LAST 30 minutes or less, and that is why I choose to not watch them.

If I’m going to watch a movie in which women are brutalized, then I want the majority of the film to focus on them becoming badasses that cut off dicks and murder the men that did it.

This film doesn’t have actual on-screen rape scenes, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing…especially when you consider the fact that both Charlotte and Lizzie have been at Bachoff since they were small girls, and they both were seen as “special” when they were between 10 and 13 years old. Charlotte’s character is unbelievably resilient, and the fact that she was able to break free of the hold the school had on her and then help Lizzie break free of them as well shows that the writers were concerned with building strong female characters. Unlike a lot of movies where a man saves a woman…not only is a woman the one doing the saving, but a queer woman saving the woman she has fallen in love with.

Is it a little damsel in distress-y? Yes.

Do I care? No.

I love a good lesbian relationship that’s not just there for the benefit of the straight men in the film or audience. Lizzie and Charlotte fall in love (granted, over shared trauma), and help save each other.

This movie just helps further prove the lack of queer representation in horror, and honestly the lack of feminism in the genre as well. We need more characters like Charlotte and Lizzie, and preferably not only in rape revenge.

Have you seen The Perfection? What were your thoughts? Were you as obsessed with it as I was?

The Perfection IMDB

The Perfection Wiki

The Perfection Trailer 

Logan Browning IMDB

Allison Williams IMDB

 

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Blood-n-Guts Box Office Bangs Bumps in the Night Creepy Critters Old vs. New

IT: Chapter Two and the problem with reviews (Mild Spoilers)

Yes, you read that correctly.

I want to talk both about the genius that was It: Chapter Two and the issue with movie reviews – and trust me, the irony is not lost on me. To be perfectly candid, I don’t necessarily consider what I do here to be “reviews”. This started out as a “horror review blog” for a class my freshman year of college, but honestly I view it more as a place for me to gush about the horror movies I love without annoying everyone in my life. It’s an outlet for me to ruminate on horror and the genre and all things surrounding it, and all three people who read any of these posts (hi Dad) get to choose whether they listen to my nonsense.

Film critics are a totally different animal to me. I have never listened to film critics…I don’t even read reviews unless I have already seen the movie and want to hear another perspective. Personally, I think that most people making their living on reviews are jaded and impossible to impress as it is let alone when it comes to a genre that is already extremely polarizing.

Which brings me to It: Chapter Two…

I thought it was brilliant. Do I love the Native American lore being use for a story written by a white man? No. But Stephen King also seemed to have an obsession with using Native American lore/legend/land in his stories. (Let’s not forget that Pet Semetary which also just got a remake is ALL ABOUT A NATIVE AMERICAN PIECE OF LAND). Granted, the 80’s in general had an obsession with using Native American land as a copout *coughcough* Poltergeist *cough*.

BUT aside from the obvious cultural appropriation, and some qualms with how Bev was written which I will get into later, I really have no complaints about the film.

Lets start with the casting:

The detail they put into casting the adult versions of the characters was absolutely mind boggling. I was impressed by the cast when they released the initial photos, but it was nothing compared to seeing them in character.

Bill Hader was definitely a stand out in this film, and it was only enhanced by the fact that Richie is very obviously a closeted gay man and Hader  Granted, I wish they could have given us an actual coming out scene (even if it was just  small moment of admitting it to the Losers) but when diversity in horror is so low when it comes to sexuality I am happy to take any and all we are given.

James McAvoy was also great as Bill, but I’ve never been as head-over-heels for him the way 80% of the female population seems to be so while he was great (because he’s just a great actor) I wasn’t overly excited about him the way a lot of fans were.

Honestly, I was surprised by how much I loved James Ransone as Eddie. I saw Ransone in the Sinister films where he played a deputy (and an ex-deputy in the second one), and I wasn’t sure how confident I was in his acting chops. Partially because I haven’t seen the Sinister films in a long time and partly because he wasn’t memorable enough for me to automatically be excited about his casting. However, the combination of Hader as Richie and Ransone as Eddie was a comedy duo that enhanced the film and didn’t override the horror. Personally, I’d pay to watch a film of just those two actors in those two roles sitting in a room and just bantering for 2 hours. I realize calling Ransone unmemorable is not the kindest, but honestly those movies in general weren’t the most memorable so it wasn’t Ransone’s acting, but the character he played.

The rest of the cast was great and definitely shined, but going person by person seems like a bit of overkill…but let’s talk about Bev.

Bev in the first movie is a firecracker who stands up for herself, is more than just the token girl of the friend group, and actually is her own person. Bev in the second movie is…well..a prop. Granted, years of abuse by both her father and her husband are probably enough to make anyone timid and boring, but the character was just very disappointing as a whole to me. I feel like she existed just to be the object of Bill and Ben’s affection rather than being written as an actual human being. If I recall, it was very much the same thing in the mini-series from the 90’s but worse because Bev had sexual tension with all of the men and not just the two.

BUT I DIGRESS

Aside from the aforementioned issues I had – I really loved it. I think that one of the things people disliked was the CGI (the giant statue chasing Richie, the leper that attacks Eddie, the old woman in Bev’s old apartment). It is the type of thing that we aren’t used to seeing in modern horror. There’s this idea that the less you see if a villain the scarier they are, and in a lot of cases that’s true, however the way that It: Chapter Two was crafted feels like a love letter to horror movies of the 80’s. The terror of Pennywise and all the evil that comes along with him is how along each person is with their fear. Nobody can see the giant statue come to life and chase Richie through the park, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous to him.

I’m enjoying the shift we’re seeing in horror, and I think we’re entering a new era of horror films. This can also be seen, on a smaller scale, in films like Insidious and The Conjuring. Without spending too much time on films that aren’t It in this post, Insidious was one of the first modern horror movies I remember moving away from the idea that the monster should never be fully seen or in view (the demon at the end of the first film, or the ghost of the mother in the second one who confronts them flat out) and the The Conjuring 2 used the same type of CGi for the Crooked Man.

From someone who does not have a degree in horror or film (whatup English majors), but spends 80% of her time ingesting horror content I think we are on the brink of the newest era of horror. In the early 2000’s slasher films/teen horror had their moment (Saw, Hostel, remakes of House of Wax and Friday the 13th), the 2010’s brought back a lot of haunted house content (Insidious, The Conjuring, Annabel) and I think we are starting to see another shift to horror that confronts the viewer more directly.

Personally, I think that’s very exciting.

I had someone tell me once that classic horror movies didn’t scare them because they “Didn’t know what was scary back then”, and while there are many layers to pull apart and discuss in that sentiment the main thing to talk about is the phases horror has been through. To be fair, horror is a rather new genre compared to genres like drama, comedy, or even fantasy. Gothic literature is really the mother of the modern horror genre, and it is still a genre that doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Films like It and It: Chapter Two are pushing back on people’s understanding of how horror works and what makes a movie scary. Let’s all just be happy that we’re finally getting a break from first person camera and zombie films for now.

My point in telling you what this person said is not to say they’re dumb or make fun of them, but simply to say that we are living in a generation that doesn’t understand or appreciate the classics. Yes Friday the 13th can be cheesy, but watching that arrow go through Kevin Bacon’s throat still gives me nervous tummy! In 20 years (assuming the world hasn’t burned by then) our kids will be telling us that directors working now “didn’t know what was scary”. People disliking it didn’t seem to come from anything more than misunderstanding the genre, and when people don’t like something their automatic response is that it’s bad…but just because you don’t like something doesn’t make it “bad”, it just means it’s not for you!

If you haven’t seen It: Chapter Two yet I highly recommend it. I was extremely excited, and not  disappointed (other than maybe Bev). It is worth the outrageous cost of movie tickets, and I’m honestly just curious what people’s thoughts are on the shift we’re starting to see in modern horror films. If you have any thoughts my email will be down below and you’re welcome to send them to me!

I realize that most of my rambling in this post wasn’t about the movie itself, but honestly I feel like it’s one you just have to see for yourself.

It IMDB

It Wiki

It Trailer

It: Chapter Two IMDB

It: Chapter Two Wiki

It: Chapter Two Trailer 

It (1990) Wiki

Send me your thoughts to wickedlittleblog@gmail.com

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Blood-n-Guts

Mini Post 3: Nicky Brendon Runs Amok!

Hello friends!

It’s been awhile since I’ve sat down to write, and part of that is because I haven’t seen a movie recently that I’m excited enough about to write a whole post on. I’m thinking about writing up something about the 3rd season of Channel Zero on Shudder, because let me tell you it’s a wild and disturbing ride! HOWEVER, that’s not why we’re here.

We’re here because I met Nicholas Brendon on 7/6/19 (Saturday), and if that isn’t something that the internet needs to know about, I don’t know what is!

So, here’s the deal: if you aren’t a Buffy or Criminal Minds fan you may not know who I’m talking about, but that’s okay. I shall explain.

Nicholas (or Nicky as he goes by now!) played one of the main characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xander Harris. If you are a Buffy fan you know that over the last several year Nicky has struggled with substance abuse, depression, and has been in trouble with the law. When I initially heard that he had been arrested on domestic abuse charges I had pretty much made up my mind I was done with him.

However, I was unaware that he is now clean and sober and has made one of his primary goals to share his struggles with fans and help raise awareness about depression and mental health struggles. The “cancel” culture we live in is so dangerous and leaves no room for people to make mistakes, and then make up for those mistakes. I’m going to try to keep my soapbox short – but all I’m saying is, there are some things that warrant cancelling, however, a man who struggled with the disease of addiction and is now using his struggles to help other people is not one of those that deserves cancellation.

BUT NOW FOR INFO ON THE ACTUAL EVENT!

So Nicky has been doing the “Happiness Runs Amok” tour for awhile now, and I have to be honest when my mom first asked if I wanted to go while I was home over the weekend, I was rather ambivalent. I love Buffy, but when she first asked me I basically felt like I could take or leave it. But I am SO SO glad that I went. Nicky is one of the kindest people I have met, and he was so genuinely happy and appreciative that we were all there.

At the beginning of the event his PA/girlfriend, Sarah (and spelled the CORRECT way with an H!), ran through the list of everyone who was supposed to be there. She kept saying she wanted to be done before Nicky got there, and mentioned that he liked to learn the names of everyone at his events. I assumed he would just go through and ask names and that would be that.

BUT NO

Nicky took a good 20-30 minutes to go around the room, ask everyone’s name, connect it to someone that he knew, and continued to repeat all the names until he remembered them all. It was really amazing that he cares so much to, not just ask names, but LEARN ALL OF THEM. There were at least 40 people there, and he managed to remember every single person. (I’ll put up a video on my Instagram! @wickedlittleblog).

They then screened the musical episode of Buffy, “Once More With Feeling”, and he continued to mingle throughout the whole episode. He would quote his favorite lines, pop out to talk to the waitresses at the bar, tell little anecdotes about filming the episode, and he sang along to the entirety of Xander and Anya’s song “I’ll Never Tell”. After the episode he then spent about 15 minutes talking to us, and that’s when he was very honest with us about his struggles. I so admire people who use their past struggles to help other people, and not just to garner sympathy.

We got the lowest tier ticket because I’m a broke new graduate, my mom is in nursing school, and my sister has a 2 year old to worry about; so that meant autographs and selfies were $30 for us. I didn’t have the money to pay for a selfie, but my sister went ahead and got a selfie with him which I will also post on Instagram! However, when my sister was waiting to selfie with him my mom (sweet sweet Julie!) went up to him and, like a good momma does, told him one of the reasons she came was to support him and his recovery.

And you know what he did?

He put a hand on my mom’s back and said:”Let’s go outside and chat!”

He then proceeded to spend a solid 10 minutes outside with the three of us just talking about his past, and his career, and was just so sweet and friendly! It was better than any selfie.

So,  I encourage you to check out what Nicky is doing now, and if he comes to your city or a city near by I would suggest going ahead and getting a ticket! Even the lowest tier ticket is worth it, and you won’t be sorry.

I’m going to stop rambling before this mini-post becomes a full post! Check out my Instagram for a some of the videos I took of the event!

Nicky’s Wikipedia 

Nicky’s IMDB

Nicky’s Facebook Page

 

Categories
Blood-n-Guts

Pride Month Horror Movie List

Jennifer’s Body

Megan-Fox-Jennifers-Body

This 2009 supernatural horror about girl who is nearly sacrificed to the devil, but instead is turned into a succubus who literally feeds off men doesn’t get the credit it deserves a film rife with lesbian tension and drama. Plus, as a bonus, it was written and directed by women!

Stars: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons
Written by Diablo Cody; Directed by Karyn Kusama

The Haunting (1963)

MV5BODEzNmQ1MGUtNDFlOS00ZWY4LTg4NDQtYzM1MTViOGU4ODNiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzI4Nzk0NjY@._V1_

One of the many adaptations of Shirley Jackson’s novel, The Haunting of Hill House, this film is not only one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen, but also one of the gayest. Protagonists Theo and Eleanor are brought to Hill House for an experiment that may extend past science.

Starring: Julie Harris and Claire Bloom
Written by Nelson Gidding; Directed by Robert Wise

You’re Killing Me

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This underrated indie horror comedy came out in 2015 and I have yet to see it on any lists of must see queer horror films. Joe is a serial killer who just wants to be honest with his new boyfriend George…but George just thinks Joe is as funny as can be. I watched this movie on Hulu where it is still available to stream.

Starring: Jeffree Self and Matthew McKelligon
Written by Jeffree Self and Jim Hansen; Directed by Jim Hansen

Carmilla (2017)

the-carmilla-movie-2017

In 2014 the Carmilla web series took queer women by storm. A modern adaptation of the 1872 gothic novel (which predated Bram Stoker, thank you very much) followed Laura Hollis who just started her freshman year of college at Silas University in Austria. Laura’s roommate goes missing within the first few days of school, plunging the journalism major into a mystery that all comes back to her new roommate: the hot, mysterious, and very gay vampire Carmilla.

Starring: Natasha Negovanlis and Elise Bauman
Written by Jordan Hall; Directed by Spencer Maybee

Sleepaway Camp (1983)

Sleepaway Camp Mom

There’s no denying there’s some problems with the way they portray trans people in this movie, but none-the-less it has become a cult classic that true horror fans must see. However, please be aware going in that it is considered problematic by many people. It does feature the mean girls of all mean girls, Judy, and death by curling iron (and if those don’t pull you in I don’t know what will)

Starring: Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, and Karen Fields
Written and directed by Robert Hiltzik

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge

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This movie in the definition of (supposedly) an unintentional queer film. The story follows Jesse five years after the tragedy of the first Nightmare on Elm Street film as he faces off with everyone’s favorite dream dropper – Freddy. The homo-erotic undertones are so blatant at times that even the most heterosexual audience will notice there is something more going on underneath the surface.

Starring: Mark Patton, Kim Myers, and Robert Englund
Written by David Chaskin; Directed by Jack Sholder

The Lost Boys

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While not explicitly a queer movie, the homoerotic undertones are undeniable in this vampire flick. A boy moves to a small town in California and meets a group of attractive, well dressed vampires? How could that NOT lead to something sexy?

Starring: Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, and Ed Hermann
Written by Jan Fischer; Directed by Joe Schumacher

The Silence of the Lambs

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Again we have a film that has a controversial portrayal of trans people. However, this film is the only horror movie to ever win an Oscar, has Jodie Foster *coughcough* a lesbian *cough* playing a bad-ass female FBI agent, and Anthony Hopkins. For me Anthony Hopkins is enough of a reason to watch this movie if you haven’t, and to revisit it even if you have. This is definitely my favorite movie, horror or otherwise, and it has had a big impact on me.

Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Ted Levine
Written by Thomas Harris; Directed by Jonathan Demme

Hellraiser 1&2

hellraiser

The Hellraiser franchise is one that seems to go on and on and on and on…and on. But the first two films are the reason the series will go down in horror film infamy. Split between two realms: ours and a bizarre hellscape that uses horrifying BDSM to torture (and also kind of pleasure?) their victims. And how do you get there? Through a puzzle box! It’s honestly go a lot of homoerotic threads, and in a strange way shines a spotlight on king culture (if not in the best way). Be warned there is extreme gore and some implied sexual violence! The first two films follow the same protagonist as she tries to deal with family tragedy and escape the Cenobites.

Starring: Doug Bradley, Ashley Laurence, and Clare Higgins
Written and directed by Clive Barker

Interview With a Vampire

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I know, I know: “Sarah, what’s with all the vampires?” Well, if you’re asking that question you clearly do not understand the nuances of vampires and sexuality. This adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel stars two of the 90’s biggest male stars as long term vampire companions who are caring for Claudia: a female vampire, turned when she was still a pre-teen. So basically, it’s about a same-sex couple raising a bratty pre-teen who is too mature for her own good. If that’s not gay enough for you, I don’t know what you’re doing here.

Starring: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kirsten Dunst
Written by Anne Rice; Directed by Neil Jordan

Mulholland Drive

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While you can argue that this is not a horror movie, I think the bizarre darkness of all of David Lynch’s work earns him a spot as a “horror director”. This is one of my favorite movies, and requires more than one watch if you want to fully appreciate it. Two women embark on a journey to recover the memory of one of them. The storytelling is non-linear, the lesbian sex has very long acrylic nails, and it’s very 90’s: but it’s an incredible example of how psychological horror should be donw.

Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, and Justin Theroux
Written and directed by David Lynch

Let the Right One In (Swedish) / Let Me In (US)

lettherightonein

Confession! I haven’t actually seen Let the Right One In. I’ve seen the US version, Let Me In, but have yet to watch the original Swedish film. The bittersweet story of a young, lonely boy who befriends a (you guessed it) vampire who was turned as a pre-teen girl is a commentary on bullying, loneliness, and co-dependency. It’s dark and haunting, and definitely the most emotional of all the vampire films on this list.

Let the Right One In
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson
Written by John Ajvide Lindqvist; Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Let Me In
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Grace Moretz
Written and directed by Matt Reeves

Stranger by the Lake

Stranger by the lake

So another quick confession: I haven’t seen this film either. This was suggested to me by a friend, and I’ve seen it on other lists of LGBT+ horror films. It’s a French film about a man name Franck who frequents a nude beach that also happens to be a cruising spot for gay men. He meets a man named Michel, and let’s just say this is not a romantic comedy and therefore this will not be a happy ending (pun intended).

Starring: Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, and Patrick d’Assumçao
Written and directed by Alain Guiraudie

The Neon Demon

The Neon Demon 2

 

Have you ever seen a movie that you need to watch again to decide how you feel about it, but you’re not sure you can handle watching it again? Yeah, that was how I felt about The Neon Demon. It follows a young girl from the midwest who catches a bus out to LA to become a model. She meets three girls – two models and one makeup artist – who take her under their wing, but their motives aren’t entirely pure. There’s a storyline of unrequited lesbian feelings, landing it on this list. Trigger warning: there is a scene in which the main character listens to her hotel manager rape another young girl in the room next to hers. It’s hard to stomach, and I just want you to be aware before you sit down to watch.

Starring: Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, and Keanu Reeves
Written by Mary Laws; Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Raw

Raw

Another French film that made the list! I was so hesitant to watch Raw even though everyone I know (including my mothers) was telling me to watch it. It’s about a girl who is starting vet school. She’s been a life-long vegetarian along with her parents and older sister, but during a hazing ritual she is forced to eat meat: and it awakens her craving for human flesh. To explain why this is on a list of LGBT+ plus movies would probably give too much away, so I’d say just watch it and see for yourself.

Starring: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, and Rabah Nait Oufella
Written and directed by Julia Ducournau

Black Swan

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Now if you don’t know why this is on the list, I’m not sure why you’re here at all! Just kidding, please stay. Black Swan is about a ballerina who is getting the opportunity to dance the lead in Swan Lake, only to be threatened by an understudy. There is a steamy scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis and if that isn’t enough of a reason for this to be part of the list then I don’t know is.

Starring: Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis
Written by Mark Heyman; Directed by Daren Aronofsky

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

The-Rocky-Horror-Picture-Show

Duh. Does this even need any explanation? Well, I’ll give you one anyway. This cult classic musical is about two young and upstanding citizens that wind up at Dr. Frank N. Furter’s castle where they are pulled into his world of song and dance and science and sex. If you’ve never seen this movie you’re in for a treat – and probably a lot of confusion and questions about what you’re watching.

Starring: Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and Tim Curry
Written by Richard O’Brien; Directed by Jim Sharman

Monster

Charlize-Theron

This is not necessarily a horror movie, but it is about infamous murderer Ilene Warnoss and the woman she started a relationship with. Of course, there are liberties taken and from what I can tell they definitely romanticize the relationship, but for the purposes of this list we’re only worried with what’s in the film, NOT REALITY!

Starring: Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci
Written and directed by Patty Jenkins

Categories
Creative Work

Recalculating

 

*Note: This story was published with The NoSleep podcast in season 12 ep. 12. Please go give them support and love! They are a wonderful outlet for horror writers and voice actors, and has created a community and space for those of us who enjoy writing the dark things. This story happened to be read by Addison Peacock who is one of the co-hosts from The Cryptid Keeper Podcast which I wrote my first mini-post about!

“Recalculating.”

I hit my steering wheel and let out a groan of frustration as my GPS once again desperately searched for the proper path to lead me down.

“Come on!”  I yelled at it, refraining from smacking the small machine mounted on my dash.  “What the hell?”

I was driving back to school after a spring break spent at home, and for some reason I had the bright idea to choose the “faster route available” my GPS had told me about.  Now, I was driving down a country road with cornfields on both sides of me and not another car in sight.

“Recalculating, recalculating.”  My GPS’s fake British voice said again.  

I took a deep breath, gripping my steering wheel harder and trying to calm myself down.  In moments like this it was easy for me to get too worked up, and I knew that wouldn’t get me less lost.  The small arrow that represented me on the GPS screen was spinning around, and I groaned again in frustration. I took a deep breath and grabbed my phone, using speed dial to call my roommate.  The phone rang, and rang. Julia never answered her phone the first time; she sucked at having a phone all together, really. I let the first call go through to her voicemail before dialing again and waiting patiently.

The phone picked up, and Julia sounded out of breath and hurried.

“Yes, hello, hi, what’s up?”

“Hey…so…I’m lost.”  I said, fearing the onslaught of teasing I knew what coming.

“You’re lost?  What the fuck dude, how are you lost!?  You make this drive all the time!” I heard the humor in her voice and she laughed.  

“I don’t know…my GPS said there was a way to “save ten minutes” but then it started freaking out and it keeps recalculating and I’ll drive two blocks one way and then it recalculates again, and then again and I’m gonna throw it out the window!”  

“Wow, Jackie, calm down sweetie.”  Julia laughed lightly. “Can you like…pull over somewhere and try sending me your location?  I can google map you and maybe we can figure out where you are.”

I took a deep breath and looked around me, trying to determine the best place to pull over.

“Okay, okay, yeah I’ll try that…”
 There was a small gravel area up the road a ways, and to the right side of the pavement where I imagined police would lie in wait for unsuspecting teens racing down the dark country roads at night.  I pulled over and I heard the sound of gravel underneath my tires. I threw my car in to park and sighed.

“Okay, hang on.”  I put the phone on speaker and went in to Julia’s contact.  

“Okay, yeah just try and dr-…pe–..get–..ho-“

Static started to overtake Julia’s voice and I felt my forehead crease.

“Jules?  Jules, hello?”  I took the phone off speaker and pressed it against my ear.  

“J– ck-“  

The line went dead and a message popped up, accompanied by a beep, alerting me to the loss of my cell service.  I let out a groan of frustration, throwing my phone down on the passenger seat and hitting my steering wheel again.  The small arrow on my GPS that represented me spun around one last time and stopped dead, the line that stretched out in front of it on the screen lit up blue and I gasped in anticipation.

“Proceed to the route.”  

“Alright, listen up.”  I glared at the screen inlaid in the dash of my car.  “You gotta stop being such an ass and get me home already, alright?  I’ll stop cussing at you if you start doing your job.”

I closed my eyes, trying to let all the negative energy out of my body and calm myself before getting back on to the road.  I followed the blue line on the map, and let out a sigh of relief when it didn’t start to once again recalculate.
“In one mile, turn left.”  

A stop sign was approaching, and I rolled to a stop.  There were no other cars around, so I sat there for a moment and took in my unfamiliar surroundings to try and shake the feeling of uneasiness I had in my stomach.  

“Turn left.”

I flicked on my turn signal and turned my car on to what was now a dirt road.  My GPS seemed happy with the way we were going.

“Continue for three point five miles.”

I took a deep breath, settling against the back of my seat and relaxing a little bit.  This was the first time it hadn’t recalculated after thirty seconds of driving. My shoulder muscles relaxed, and I actually let myself flip on the CD player in my car.  Show tunes filled my car and I sang along softly, glancing down at my GPS screen every now and then to ensure that it was still working. When I reached the end of the 3.5 miles it instructed me to turn right, and I drove between two cornfields for another two miles.  Then I came to a small tunnel. It was one of those industrial tunnels made of solid concrete where people definitely came to shoot up at night, and where you wouldn’t want to be caught dead as a woman when the sun went down.

The flat, dingy concrete that stretched out on either side of the tunnel opening was covered in spray paint, and as I approached I involuntarily slowed my car till I was sitting completely still about 10 yards back from the tunnel.  There was something that made me uneasy about the path that my GPS was leading me down. The tunnel must have taken a turn somewhere, because I couldn’t quite see what was on the other side.

“Proceed on the route.”  My GPS said to me.

I turned down my show tunes a tad, and tried to rid myself of the feeling in my chest.

“Come on, Jackie…it’s literally a fucking tunnel.”

I looked at the graffiti that adorned the concrete, and I saw faint etchings above the mouth of the tunnel that I tried to make out, letting my car roll forward a few feet.  All I could see were the vague etchings of unfamiliar figures. The figured were hidden in places by spray paint, and I shook my head to clear it before taking a deep breath and pressing on the gas.  My car moved forward, and into the tunnel.

It was dark.

It seemed like the minute the tail end of my car entered the tunnel, I was swallowed in complete darkness.  I hesitated for a moment, car barely rolling forward, until my automatic lights flicked on. The inside of the tunnel was bizarrely devoid of graffiti, but about fifty feet in the walls had giant cracks running down them.  There were gouges as though someone had used a scythe to and scraped it down the concrete. The foreboding feeling in my chest was growing stronger, and I anxiously checked my gas gage to make sure I wasn’t in danger of running out.  I still had half a tank, which made me feel better…if only slightly.

My CD started to skip, and the display screen on the stereo blinked.  I felt my forehead scrunch, and I tapped the screen. There was no reason for my stereo to be affected by my environment…in a tunnel or not.  I turned it off and on, and when it came back on the CD played just fine again. I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the ever growing anxiety.

When I saw the small circle of light up ahead I pressed on the gas, watching my speed go from thirty five to nearly fifty to get out of the tunnel as quickly as possible. My reliable little compact emerged from the tunnel, and in to a suddenly gray day.  It looked like I was driving through a remote little town, but there seemed to be little to no evidence of human activity. To my left was an extensive, empty field of yellowed grass. Up to the right hand side there was a small gas station with a singular pump that looked like it may have never been used.  Shoebox sized houses lined each side of the road. A couple of the houses had bikes leaning against their sides. Each house, however, almost seemed to have never been lived in…or at least not lived in for several decades.

Rain drops started to splash on my windshield; big, fat, heavy drops.  

“Continue five hundred feet.”  My GPS said.

I came to a stop at a stop sign, and looked around.  There wasn’t a single car in sight: not in a driveway, not parked on the street…there wasn’t a car anywhere.  The anxiety in my chest spiked, and I turned on to the street my GPS indicated. At the end of the road there was a large, looming building that looked like it might be a school building.  

“In four hundred feet, arrive at your destination.”  

My throat tightened, and I stopped my car just before the parking lot.  There, twenty feet from my car, was a small huddled figure. When it moved, I saw a glimpse of pigtails and I realized in horror that it was a little girl.  For a brief moment, my anxiety dissipated and the deep down maternal instinct that I was pretty sure every woman had kicked in. I quickly got out of my car, leaving my door open and the engine running.  The rain was slowing down, and through the soft drops I heard soft sobbing. I pulled the cardigan I was wearing closer around me, and walked slowly toward the little girl.

“Sweetie..?  Are you okay?”  I stopped two yards back from her to make sure I didn’t startle her, a small girl our in the rain crying was clearly in a lot of trouble and I wanted to make sure that she knew I was safe.  She wore what looked like a school uniform, a white polo shirt that was wet from the rain and a pleated black skirt. “Sweetheart, where are your parents? Do you need help?”

The girl said nothing, continuing to cry softly.

I felt my stomach tighten slight, the anxiety of before returning slowly, but it fought with my instincts to help this small girl.  Slowly, I closed the gap between us and gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Honey, let me take you home…I can help-”

My words caught in my throat as she, no it, turned to look at me.

The thing didn’t have a face.  There were flesh covered, empty eye sockets and no nose.  Its mouth was too big, filled with needle like rows of teeth.  What should have been lips were nothing more than ragged flaps of flesh that oozed something black and tar-like.  I stumbled back several steps, nearly falling but managing to keep my feet underneath me. The things maw opened, its jaw stretching farther than should ever be possible for anything human or otherwise.  I watched in horror, frozen to the spot as its jaw unhinged and a horrifying, guttural scream filled the air. The scream was deep, but high pitched at the same time. The noise sent waves of nausea over me.  It was unlike anything, anything I had ever heard.  It was worse than sounds from my worst nightmares, a sound that should never exist in our world.  

It drew a disgusting, flem covered breath and screamed again.  

Underneath me the earth shuttered, and the side of the building up ahead exploded.  From within emerged a creature like something out of the darkest, most disturbing mythology I’d ever read.  It had arms that were boney and ragged strips of flesh hung from exposed bone, and they ended in huge claws.  I now knew what made those giant gouges in the cement of the tunnel. It didn’t have eyes, but somehow it knew where I was and angled it’s huge skeletal body toward me.  Its body had too many angles and joints, and its whole body oozed the same black goo that came from the girl like creature’s mouth.

It felt like things were moving in slow motion, but then everything snapped in to sharp clear focus and I turned and ran back to my car.

The big creature was as tall as the school building, and it started skittering toward me like a cross between a lizard and a spider in the way it moved.  It screeched in the same way that the girl like creature had, but louder…so much louder.  It was deafening, and before I got in to my car my body betrayed me and I heaved onto the pavement.  Bile burned my nose and my throat was raw, but I wasted no time as I threw myself in to the car.

I threw my car into reverse and shot backwards toward the main road.  My tires screeched as I whipped around and pointed my car back towards the tunnel.  I slammed the gear shift back to drive and stomped on the gas, the pedal hitting the floor.  I heard the scream of the creature again and I tried to hold back vomit as my brain rattled in my skull. My eyes flicked to my rearview mirror and the creature was too close; it flung itself down the road, destroying houses as it went.  It felt like the tunnel was farther away than it had been when I entered the horrible place. Now, as I flew down the street, it wasn’t empty anymore. From the houses that weren’t destroyed yet emerged creatures like the girl like one I had first seen.  They were various sizes, all of them with the same horrible mouths and eyeball-less sockets.

I heard the screech of metal, and a scream tore out of me as I saw the creatures clow scrape my trunk in the back window.  

“COME ON, COME ON!”  I screamed at my car, slamming my hands on the steering wheel.  “What the fuck, what the FUCK!?” With one last ditch effort I pulled my foot back and slammed on to the gas pedal.  My little car shuttered, but the speedometer needle finally reached the 120 mark.

The tunnel was in sight, and I felt myself explode in to tears as I sobbed and screamed and beat the steering wheel.  I looked back into the rearview mirror and I saw it’s bony, dripping arm reach out and make contact with my car once again.  I saw my speedometer dropping fast and I screamed.

“NO NO NO!”

I turned my wheel violently to one side and with the most horrible shriek from the creature I freed my car from its grasp, but I couldn’t hold down the bile anymore and I vomited down my front.  It didn’t even phase me, my car flew into the tunnel and my headlights flipped on. I couldn’t see behind me, but I could hear the thing behind me. I heard it’s claws on the concrete walls, and the sound of giant chunks being torn from the walls.  I heard its disgusting shrieking and I vomited again. The scrapes on the wall were getting less and less deep as I went, and suddenly the walls were smooth again, merely cracked with age. I heard the shrieking of the creature fading in to the distance.

My car burst out of the tunnel.

I kept driving.

I drove until my car ran out of gas and then I got out of my car and I ran until I couldn’t run anymore.

 

I woke up in the back of an ambulance.  My skin was cracked from sunburn, my throat was dry from dehydration.  The paramedics were poking and prodding me, and I passed out again. The next time I woke up I was in a hospital bed and Julia was asleep in the chair in the corner, and my mom and dad were coming back in to the room.

“Oh sweet Lord.”  My mom said, rushing to the side of my bed.  “Jackie, oh my God…baby…” She grabbed my hand and kissed my knuckles, and the backs of my hands, and my cheeks, and my forehead.  Her eyes were filling with tears. “Oh thank God.”

“You really had us scared, kiddo.”  My dad said, always the most stoic one in the family.  

“What…what happened?”
 I knew what had happened in that town.  I remembered it all. I had been having nightmares about it the entire time I was unconscious, trapped in a never ending loop of shrieking creatures and brain rattling pain.  

“You didn’t make it back to school…Julia called the police…”  My mom sat on the edge of my bed and my dad came to the otherside, kissing the top of my head and putting a hand on my mom’s shoulder.  “Someone from a nearby town drove by you and thankfully called 911…because Julia had called, they had a record of the report and called me and your father.”

“Sweetie, what happened?”  My dad asked. “They found your car and it…”  He trailed off and I knew it was because whatever he was going to say next would sound crazy out loud…just as my story would.

I was saved from answering when the doctor came in.

I had suffered from exposure.  They told me they didn’t know how long I was outside before I was found, but I was severely sunburned and totally dehydrated.  My mom and dad finally left to get dinner, and Julia had to get back to school. I was in the hospital for three days, and when they let me out I went home with my parents.

I haven’t driven my car since, unable to stomach the idea of going anywhere that would require guidance other than my own familiarity and memory.

At night, I could still hear the shrieks of that creature and I could hear my GPS in my dreams saying over and over again: Recalculating.

Links:

The NoSleep Podcast s12 e12

The NoSleep Twitter

The NoSleep Instagram 

Categories
Blood-n-Guts

My Most Anticipated 2019 Horror Films

 

  1. Ma
  2. IT Chapter 2
  3. Midsommar
  4. Child’s Play
  5. Zombieland: Double Tap
  6. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (we can fight about whether this is horror or not, but it stays on the list!)
  7. Annabelle 3: Annabelle Comes Home
  8. The Crooked Man

There are a lot of still untitled projects and/or projects that have very few details about them that I am optimistic about, but I’m not including on this list. I’m going to be keeping an eye on them (The Wizard of Oz horror project, for example) and I’ll update my list as things come out and as more info comes out about other projects. This list is also only big studio releases. I’m sure there will be new horror films on streaming services that will be coming out that I just don’t know about right now, and honestly some Netflix originals have been better horror films than major studio releases.

Let me know what horror movies you’re excited for! I plan to keep updating and curating lists, and I’d love for you to help me with that.

Categories
Box Office Bangs Creepy Critters Life and Horror Mini Posts Podcast Scares The Horrors of Life

Mini Post 2: Meeting Doug Jones

My mediocre picture with Doug Jones (gotta love conference room lighting!)

I had the privilege of going to the Pop Culture Association 2019 Conference in DC a couple weeks ago. I delivered a paper I wrote about The Haunting of Hill House (which let’s be honest, ended up being primarily about Theo because I’m obsessed with her) and how it is a wonderful example of feminism in horror. One of the biggest speakers they had was Doug Jones.

Do you know who Doug Jones is?

Can’t place him?

I promise you have seen him in at least 2,000 movies/TV shows. They like to refer to him as “the most famous actor you’ve never seen”. He is an actor who specializes in characters, and I’m going to include photos of some of his most famous roles below.

The first time I fully realized just how big of a Doug Jones fan I am was when he was interviewed on the Buffering the Vampire Slayer podcast. They started going through some of his biggest roles, and I was floored. Not only did he play one of the main two Gentlemen on the episode Hush of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but he has been in myriad Guillermo Del Toro movies and is now one of the main characters on Star Trek Discovery.

I was able to meet Mr. Jones, and he was one of the nicest people I have ever met. He seemed genuinely happy to be at the conference and to meet and talk to his fans. When I told him I had promised my mom I would tell him the Gentlemen are still the scariest thing she’s ever seen he seemed so sincerely touched, and he was so willing to take a photo with me. As someone hopeful of being in the horror industry, meeting someone like Mr. Jones who was so genuine and kind and down to earth gave me a lot of hope for the entertainment realm.

It is also a perfect time step back and realize that there are so many unsung and underappreciated actors and performers who are part of some of the most incredible horror/fantasy/sci-fi projects that we never take the time to fully appreciate because they are behind masks or makeup or CGI.

The slideshow below is nowhere near comprehensive of Mr. Jones’ work, but it will give you an idea of how many movies you have seen him in without ever realizing he was the same person. I’m also very aware that this post is just a moment for me to totally fan girl over meeting one of THE GENTLEMEN…but let me live a little bit.

Doug Jones IMBD

Doug Jones Wiki 

Doug Jones Twitter 

Doug Jones Instagram 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Categories
Life and Horror The Horrors of Life

A Quick Life Update

I know I’ve been MIA for the last couple of weeks!

Finals hit me pretty hard with all the studying and paper writing and procrastination. My brain was so fried that even when I sat down to write something about Pet Sematary I couldn’t form full thoughts or ideas. I was going to write a review of the movie, but I think the following conclusion: not only was my brain beyond exhausted from finals, but I am also just not excited enough about the film to write about it – and that should be all the review you need.

I graduated May 4th, 2019 (two days ago from the time I’m writing this). It hasn’t fully hit me yet that I will not be returning to college in the fall, but I’m already feeling the relief of having no homework. Now that I’m done I have an ever growing list of things I want to accomplish this summer. One of those goals is to really get this blog going. I’ve been more active on it the last few months that I had been since I first started it for class sophomore year, but I’m not doing nearly as much as I can and want to do. I want this to be a space for horror lovers, feminists, LGBT+ people, and anyone who feels like a little bit of a weirdo in their world. Right now I’ve focused mainly on horror movies/podcasts/TV shows, but I have several ideas I’m working on that I think will help better expand the horror world that I am hoping create.

I also have several other projects that I’m working on/about to start working on involving writing and creating. I would also like to start involving the any type of audience I’ve built (even if it’s just one or two people), and start curating lists: movie suggestions, podcast suggestions, book suggestions, etc. both horror and non-horror. I have ideas for Pride Month, and I’m making my first plea for audience involvement:

Send me your favorite queer/LGBT+ horror movie suggestions. You can email me at wickedlittleblog@gmail.com or DM on our Instagram account @wickedlittleblog. In the subject of emails please include “Pride Recommendations” in the subject!

I’ll be posting a review soon, and also I will be keeping you more updated on my actual life and the projects that I am working on and their progress. To anyone who is actually reading at this point in my blog’s life span, thank you so much and I would so appreciate if you would share this with any and all friends that would be interested!