When It Grows on Its Own

Found him on Pinterest.

I realized in retrospect how dirty the title sounded, and I almost stopped to change it. Almost. Then I remembered who my friends and readers are. 

Last year for National Novel Writing Month, I wrote up a vampire novel. I'm currently in the process of polishing the end, resolving a few threads, and editing (OW! the EDITING!) the darn thing. At the time, it was a nebulous probably kinda maybe sort of thought that I'd eventually turn it into a series. Well, this year's NaNoWriMo will see me making that a reality. 

Yep, I'm officially going to be one of those random chicks writing vampire romance. If helps, it's hot dudes making out, not whiny high school girls. Does that help? If you didn't run screaming when you read that, I have high hopes that you'll enjoy Tales from the Last Drop once I actually get my stuff together and get one or two (or three) of these puppies done and ready to a point where I'm comfortable sharing them with the world.

All this is to say that thanks to a chat with Tera Shanley and my friend Chad who's the reason I'm writing this series in the first place (the Last Drop itself happens to be his creation - yes, using it with credit and permission, folks, no worries here), I've got my direction for NaNo. I've also got some real, concrete direction on my fiction writing for original stuff. I feel like I'm finding solid ground on that for the first time since high school, and it's a fantastic sensation.

Beth's Wordless Wednesday

I murdered the Fail Whale!, originally uploaded by nickbilton.

Evil Dead 2013

Let me apologize for taking so long to get this up. Hubby and I actually got the chance to see an early screening of the Evil Dead remake last Thursday. As excited as I always get when seeing a new movie (especially a new horror movie), I had reservations. I love the original Evil Dead trilogy. It's campy and fun and silly. It's got Bruce Campbell. When I originally heard they were doing a remake, I was horrified. When Bruce nicely asked fans to give it a shot before judging... oh, come on, like YOU could say no to Bruce Campbell.

I'm glad he paved the way for an attitude change on my part because I have to say I was pleased. While I find some of the movie's intro to be a bit slow (some of the acting is, as in the original, a bit iffy, so being asked to do nothing but watch it...), but once things heat up, they stay that way. The horror unfolds quickly, and there are plenty of squeamish "I can't look!" moments, which is saying something since I hardly had to glance away during the Saw franchise.

What I found most heartening is that the movie's sense of playful, dark humor is fully intact. While this is definitely not a slapstick romp like much of the original trilogy, there are definitely moments that will make you chuckle. Old school fans will appreciate all the nods to the original. There's respect here. Despite being a remake, this isn't a movie asking you to forget the past and pretend it never happened - and I'm cool with that. If you're a horror fan who enjoys a bit of darkness, blood, and offbeat humor, do yourself a favor and check this out when it hits theaters in April.

Movie Review: Apartment 1303

This movie started out really, really well. Yes, standard horror - and even more standard Asian horror - in a lot of ways, but the acting was strong, and, let's face it, when all the chicks who move into a particular apartment start offing themselves, it's interesting. Y'know, in movies. Stay with me, people.

Truthfully this movie stays strong and interesting up until the climax. Then suddenly things fall apart a bit. I don't know if they suddenly changed directors or if their director went on a bender and lost the script or... what. It flat out got messy. There were suddenly beach bunnies in maid costumes and a chick who looked like a hair monster and a conclusion that was both unsatisfying and poorly written.

So while the first 3/4 of this film is fun to watch, I can't *quite* say I would put it on my list of films to run out and get. Unfortunately it's a bit messy in its ending for that. But if you just want some Asian horror and have already exhausted most of what else Netflix has to offer on instant view (precisely my issue) in that vein, give it a shot... but consider turning it off when you see the beach bunnies and just making up your own ending. I promise it'll be better than what they came up with.

Pin

This is one weird movie. I don't remember what originally led me to throw it on the ol' Netflix queue, but I'm kind of glad I did. While it had some typically 80s awful background music, fluffy hair, etc, it's a genuinely creepy story.

The basic premise is that these super white bread kids grow up in a super spic 'n' span household with their super repressed parents. The dad uses an anatomical dummy of his to speak to the kids about difficult subjects. The girl eventually catches on that he's using ventriloquism, but the boy... he's nuts. He thinks Pin (the dummy) is a real, living being.

One thing leads to another and their parents die in a car crash.... but crazy boy? He's not ready to give Pin up. This isn't a gory film, though there is a little violence (not explicitly shown). Great when you're in the mood for a "whoah, that's fucked up" factor without any gore.

Sick Nurses

Yes, more Asian horror. This time it's a supernatural Thai horror flick about some sexy nurses and a screwed up doctor who kill people and sell their bodies on the black market.

I always appreciate a horror film that doesn't have a lot of pretensions. Sick Nurses gets right down to business and starts in on the action right away. Rather than an hour of preamble before anything happens, any backstory needed is shown through flashbacks between gory bursts of revenge.

The imagery for the vengeful spirit hits on some of the usual cliches (yep, the hair), but I have to say that the make-up and overall look were unusual. Every culture has its crutches, so it's nice when a film that chooses to use them tries to at least tweak the visual or delivery.

Naturally there are love triangles and dark secrets and all that good stuff. And in this case? The spirit in question isn't just a put upon victim who is killing off the people who wronged her. Okay, she IS that... but she also smirks and leers and seems to be enjoying the HELL out of tormenting the ditzy, oversexed chicks who screwed her over. The extra little bit of bite in the form of humor on the part of the spirit and the movie itself definitely bumps this one up as something different from the norm and very entertaining. Death by hair, cat's literally getting your tongue, and killer embalmed embryos - this film truly does have it all ;)

It's strange, violent, almost slapsticky at times, and I definitely recommend it to the horror fans out there.

Vietnamese Horror Goodness

I think it's pretty firmly established that I dig Asian horror. It's got a great, moody feel, and they tend to spend more time on characters than their American counterparts. It's nice CARING when someone gets murdered by the crazy ghost or killer or whatnot.

The Art of the Devil series is the first Vietnamese horror that I've seen, and it was interesting. I'd describe it as a marriage of traditional Asian horror flicks and Saw - so, obviously, I was sold right away. I watched the trilogy out of order. I saw the second (and strongest) film first, then watched the first (which is really unrelated to the other two except that it deals with Cambodian black magic as the evil too), and then the third (which, confusingly, is labeled as 2 in the title sequence and is actually a prequel to the second film).

The second film is probably the most interesting in terms of story, twists, and plot. That isn't to say that it doesn't have its odd moments, but overall it's a strong horror flick that's creepy and intriguing. The third film is the most gory and violent (*I* even had to look away sometimes), and while it's very interesting, I ended up finding myself confused as to how the timeline of it works with the second film. I may have to give them another viewing to piece it together. The first movie is fine. It's interesting enough, has some good creepy moments, but it captivated me a bit less than the other two.

In the market for some unusual Asian horror? This is a great place to start - though I'll caution again that it has a heavy dose of Saw or Hostel-style gore along with the creepy black magic, so if that isn't your thing, buyer beware.

The Butcher

This is another Asian horror flick - this time some torture porn out of Korea. I admit that I'm a pretty huge Saw fan, and I enjoyed the Hostel films too, so you know already that I have a fairly steady stomach when it comes to super gory horror flicks. And this one? I had to look away sometimes. This is a very short movie (it runs just over an hour), but it's a very intense hour. The pace drags sometimes, but when things start happening, they happen quickly. While this is definitely NOT a movie for everyone, folks who enjoy their horror extreme and don't get queasy easily will probably find it a very interesting entry to the genre.

Marebito

Now this is a weird Japanese horror flick. It's actually one of the more original and freaky horror flicks I've seen in awhile. It starts out Lovecraftian/sci fi and then veers into vampire territory then careens off into psychological thriller. The pace was slow at first, and it almost lost me, but I'm *really* glad that I stuck with it. Definitely worth the watch!

More Asian Horror

This is definitely a classier flick than Cinderella was. It's an intricate plot that actually requires thought even if in the end it's not the most original thing in the entire world. Very well executed and genuinely suspenseful sometimes. And, yes, it hits the biggest Asian horror cliche in the world - the woman with long hair hanging down over her face. Can't do without that one.

Cinderella

The first half of this movie fell into more of a teen scream feel than I'm used to from Asian horror, but it still had the basics. Yep, there was long hair obscuring faces and crawling across the floor. There was a creepy, off limits basement and possible human experimentation.

For most of you who watch horror often, you'll probably see a lot of what's coming before it gets there. That said, it's still an enjoyable film with some interesting imagery even if it DOES get a little confusing in the end. I'm not sure if they really lost track in the editing room or if some of what seemed to be overlapping action was done to make things feel trippier and more suspenseful. Still, worth seeing.

The Red Shoes

I watched this one on Netflix instant view over the past couple of nights, and if you're a fan of weird, creepy Asian horror? Check it out! This is a Korean feature, and I have to admit that it kept me guessing until around halfway through. I watch a lot of horror, so that's no small feat. And even once I'd gotten a feel for what was happening and why, I still wanted to watch it through to see how they played everything out.

For those who have already hit up some Japanese or Korean horror before, you'll see the standards: creepy kids, jilted lovers, stringy hair hanging in front of people's faces. This is not a ground-shakingly original flick, but it's definitely one worth seeing for horror fans.

The Wolfman

Despite the link, I'm actually talking about the newest version of the Wolfman starring Benecio Del Toro. It's a movie that I'm somewhat torn about. I enjoyed it. Let's get that out of the way first. In no way am I suggesting that it wasn't a fun film to watch.

But I find myself unable to decide whether I like that it kept some of the cliche vibe that was so much fun in old school horror movies or if I'm put out that they weren't more creative about the story. One thing that they did nail regardless is the details. The costuming, the settings, the ways people reacted to things, the scenery... it was all absolutely beautifully handled.

If you're someone who can't handle a little gore, you might be put off by this new incarnation since there is definitely some blood and guts (literally), but if you're a fan of, say, From Hell, this will be right up your alley.

The Book of Eli

We went to see The Book of Eli today, and I have to say it was one of the more original flicks I've seen in awhile. Much like District 9, it wasn't quite what I expected. It was creative, dark, interesting, and religious and spiritual without ever really being preachy. If you don't mind a little gore every now and then and are up to a somewhat intense flick, I highly recommend checking it out.

The Genetic Opera

I went to see Amber Does Dallas, the local Repo! shadowcast last night. It was really great even though we only stayed for half the show. I got to see Halo and Matt and Star and Gillian (which in and of itself is pretty much worth the drive - love you guys!). Hopefully we'll get to go back again when they perform in December and stay the full way. Maybe practice some screamer lines so we're prepared. That's how we roll.

So now I'm buzzed and completely tired all at the same time, but at least the day's almost over so soon my brain can shut down for the night. Thank god! Getting home after midnight =/= a day full of energy.