So little words are needed. I think you get the picture.Happy Halloween!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Halloween Blog#3-Girls are scary
One thing that I have picked up on in recent years especially when I worked at Blockbuster is that girls love slasher/horror movies. One would think that movies about a usually male psycho chopping up naked girls would appeal to weird, horny boys. Well, you thought wrong my friend! Many girls love it too. Not all girls fit my female slasher lover criteria but if you do this what you are....
The question is why are so many girls attracted to horror movies? I thought I was the only one who had noticed this until my boyfriend and I watched a documentary called Going To Pieces:The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film where some the point was brought up. According to the documentary (and me) girls enjoy these films because most of the time a female is the hero. Look back at movies like Rear Window where Grace Kelly is hell bent to solve the mystery of the missing neighbor all while looking fabulous and saving the day. (I have a theory that Grace Kelly was the prototype for the last surviving smart girls in horror movies).
In every horror movie now there is that last remaining girl who either gets away, kills the bad guy or is left to come back for the sequel such as Nancy aka Heather Langenkamp in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies who finally gets rid of Freddy even though I love him and want him to kill all those stupid teenagers.
Then you have the heroines who do some serious ass kicking such as in 1980s I Spit on Your Grave which was the first female revenge movies and has some of the most disgusting scenes ever put on celluloid. It's a good cautionary tale and allowed girls to seek justice on those who did them wrong. Note to girls:this is not a good date movie. Watch this one alone or with your friends. I was actually told by a guy I dated in high school to watch this one alone. YIKES!
While there are the girls who save the day there are also some great horror female villains even though they are very hard to come by. Girls cheer on the heroines but we also love a good nasty, female villain. Society frowns upon women being bad which is why we are so drawn to them such as The Bride of Frankenstein. Even though we only see her for about 5 minutes in the actual Bride of Frankenstein film she is the most popular Classic Universal monster. Why? Because she a monster with boobs. What's not to love?
Some other great female villains include that awful Japanese girl in Audition, Glenn Close as the infamous Alex Forrester in Fatal Attraction, Sherri Moon as Baby in Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses, and Shawnee Smith as Amanda in the Saw movies.
Another reason why I think girls are drawn to these movies is that they teach us that bad girls and whores die first. If you are a girl who has sex in a horror movie you will die! I think there is a fascination with wanting to see girls that remind us of the ones we hated in high school get hacked up. Also consider the fact that us girls bleed for five days every month gives us a higher tolerance for blood. Sorry to be gross but it's true. If men had periods they would all kill themselves. Like I said, girls are scary!
Happy Halloween!
- Aged 13-45
- Attractive
- Usually in a committed relationship
The question is why are so many girls attracted to horror movies? I thought I was the only one who had noticed this until my boyfriend and I watched a documentary called Going To Pieces:The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film where some the point was brought up. According to the documentary (and me) girls enjoy these films because most of the time a female is the hero. Look back at movies like Rear Window where Grace Kelly is hell bent to solve the mystery of the missing neighbor all while looking fabulous and saving the day. (I have a theory that Grace Kelly was the prototype for the last surviving smart girls in horror movies).
In every horror movie now there is that last remaining girl who either gets away, kills the bad guy or is left to come back for the sequel such as Nancy aka Heather Langenkamp in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies who finally gets rid of Freddy even though I love him and want him to kill all those stupid teenagers.
Then you have the heroines who do some serious ass kicking such as in 1980s I Spit on Your Grave which was the first female revenge movies and has some of the most disgusting scenes ever put on celluloid. It's a good cautionary tale and allowed girls to seek justice on those who did them wrong. Note to girls:this is not a good date movie. Watch this one alone or with your friends. I was actually told by a guy I dated in high school to watch this one alone. YIKES!
While there are the girls who save the day there are also some great horror female villains even though they are very hard to come by. Girls cheer on the heroines but we also love a good nasty, female villain. Society frowns upon women being bad which is why we are so drawn to them such as The Bride of Frankenstein. Even though we only see her for about 5 minutes in the actual Bride of Frankenstein film she is the most popular Classic Universal monster. Why? Because she a monster with boobs. What's not to love?
Some other great female villains include that awful Japanese girl in Audition, Glenn Close as the infamous Alex Forrester in Fatal Attraction, Sherri Moon as Baby in Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses, and Shawnee Smith as Amanda in the Saw movies.
Another reason why I think girls are drawn to these movies is that they teach us that bad girls and whores die first. If you are a girl who has sex in a horror movie you will die! I think there is a fascination with wanting to see girls that remind us of the ones we hated in high school get hacked up. Also consider the fact that us girls bleed for five days every month gives us a higher tolerance for blood. Sorry to be gross but it's true. If men had periods they would all kill themselves. Like I said, girls are scary!
Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Halloween Blog #2: Halloween Food
Halloween is a time for lots of yummy/bad for you treats. Now that I think about that so is Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, News Year Eve, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and so on. Not only do I get all the classic Halloween treats I also get some form of cake and presents (YAY!).
Here is a breakdown of all my favorite Halloween goodies. Nom nom!
Caramel/Candy Apples
Who doesn't love a good sugary covered apple this time of year? Has anyone else noticed that caramel/candy apples are getting a little fancier each year? Besides the classic, plain caramel and candy I have also seen some with nuts, rainbow sprinkles, M&Ms, marshmallows, and this summer I saw one at a gourmet candy shop by Cincinnati covered in peanut butter and Reese's Pieces!
Candy Corn
Not my favorite but I do enjoy a nice, healthy handful of candy corn every now and then. I think that candy corn is more cute than tasty and it is symbolic of the season.
Popcorn Balls
These are great as long as you don't break a tooth! They are way better when they are homemade. Since popcorn balls are a royal pain in the ass to make I can settle with packaged ones.
Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale
I just learned to appreciate the joys of beer this year. Oh, and I am glad I did! The Blue Moon Brewing Co. comes out with special seasonal brews and my favorite is the Autumn Pumpkin Ale. It's a little weird at first and I was apprehensive at first. It doesn't taste like a piece of pumpkin pie smashed up in a beer like one would think. It's more of a darker beer with an occasional taste of pumpkin. Bottoms up!!
Caramel Apple Pops
These are my absolute favorite candy! I couldn't find them for a few years and my Halloween season was just not the same. I found some at Meijer a few weeks and I snapped and bought 4 bags!
Halloween Cupcakes
I usually end up with cupcakes on Halloween. Last year for my birthday, I ended up ordering way too many from the bakery. When my mom went to pick them up there was a lady next to her who was also picking up Halloween cupcakes. The lady said "Do you have a Halloween baby, too?"
"Yes."
"How old is yours?"- the lady asked
"She is 21."
"Mine is 1 today."
FAIL!
This year I am making my own damn cake (even though those bakery cupcakes are super cute).
Here is a breakdown of all my favorite Halloween goodies. Nom nom!
Caramel/Candy Apples
Who doesn't love a good sugary covered apple this time of year? Has anyone else noticed that caramel/candy apples are getting a little fancier each year? Besides the classic, plain caramel and candy I have also seen some with nuts, rainbow sprinkles, M&Ms, marshmallows, and this summer I saw one at a gourmet candy shop by Cincinnati covered in peanut butter and Reese's Pieces!
Candy Corn
Not my favorite but I do enjoy a nice, healthy handful of candy corn every now and then. I think that candy corn is more cute than tasty and it is symbolic of the season.
Popcorn Balls
These are great as long as you don't break a tooth! They are way better when they are homemade. Since popcorn balls are a royal pain in the ass to make I can settle with packaged ones.
Blue Moon Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale
I just learned to appreciate the joys of beer this year. Oh, and I am glad I did! The Blue Moon Brewing Co. comes out with special seasonal brews and my favorite is the Autumn Pumpkin Ale. It's a little weird at first and I was apprehensive at first. It doesn't taste like a piece of pumpkin pie smashed up in a beer like one would think. It's more of a darker beer with an occasional taste of pumpkin. Bottoms up!!
Caramel Apple Pops
These are my absolute favorite candy! I couldn't find them for a few years and my Halloween season was just not the same. I found some at Meijer a few weeks and I snapped and bought 4 bags!
Halloween Cupcakes
I usually end up with cupcakes on Halloween. Last year for my birthday, I ended up ordering way too many from the bakery. When my mom went to pick them up there was a lady next to her who was also picking up Halloween cupcakes. The lady said "Do you have a Halloween baby, too?"
"Yes."
"How old is yours?"- the lady asked
"She is 21."
"Mine is 1 today."
FAIL!
This year I am making my own damn cake (even though those bakery cupcakes are super cute).
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Halloween Blog #1: 80's Horror Movie Posters
October is my favorite time of year. Not only is Halloween my favorite holiday, it also happens to be my birthday. I am pretty hardcore Halloween (I have a bat tattooed on my foot in honor of the day) and I am writing a series of Halloween-related blogs.
I have always enjoyed 1980s horror movies. The 80s were the heyday for slasher and horror movies. I think many fans would agree that the best horror movies were made between 1980-1989. Humans have always enjoyed violence and horror and it wasn't until this time that Hollywood really caught on to this and decided to cash in. If it wasn't for Psycho 20 years before we wouldn't have Freddy, Jason, or Michael Myers. So thank you, Hitchcock for killing Janet Leigh in the shower!
Many of my peers have a special place in our hearts for these movies. Not because we saw them when they originally released but because we remember going to the now almost-extinct video stores with our families and friends and wandering over into the horror section knowing we weren't supposed to and looking at these VHS box covers in both fascination and terror. We wanted to watch these seemingly terrifying movies but were too afraid too. During my three year stint at Blockbuster I remember seeing kids and preteens do this as well with the same posters I did as well as the newer ones. When I got old enough to see these movies I was not disappointed although these 80s horror films are not going to win an Academy Award (some are just plain awful) but they are fun and symbolic of Halloween itself and a by-gone era in cinema.
I did some searching for some of my favorite 80s horror movie posters. They just don't make 'em like they used to!
*The Spookies poster is on the wall collage of posters at Showplace Cinemas in Somerset,KY*
*The Horror High is my favorite*
I have always enjoyed 1980s horror movies. The 80s were the heyday for slasher and horror movies. I think many fans would agree that the best horror movies were made between 1980-1989. Humans have always enjoyed violence and horror and it wasn't until this time that Hollywood really caught on to this and decided to cash in. If it wasn't for Psycho 20 years before we wouldn't have Freddy, Jason, or Michael Myers. So thank you, Hitchcock for killing Janet Leigh in the shower!
Many of my peers have a special place in our hearts for these movies. Not because we saw them when they originally released but because we remember going to the now almost-extinct video stores with our families and friends and wandering over into the horror section knowing we weren't supposed to and looking at these VHS box covers in both fascination and terror. We wanted to watch these seemingly terrifying movies but were too afraid too. During my three year stint at Blockbuster I remember seeing kids and preteens do this as well with the same posters I did as well as the newer ones. When I got old enough to see these movies I was not disappointed although these 80s horror films are not going to win an Academy Award (some are just plain awful) but they are fun and symbolic of Halloween itself and a by-gone era in cinema.
I did some searching for some of my favorite 80s horror movie posters. They just don't make 'em like they used to!
*The Spookies poster is on the wall collage of posters at Showplace Cinemas in Somerset,KY*
*The Horror High is my favorite*
Monday, October 4, 2010
"The memo is on your desk, Mr. Draper." aka Why I love Mad Men
Mad Men is not only one of my favorite new shows but it is also considered to be the best show on television. With only 2 episodes left of season 4, I thought I would share some of my favorite moments from the show (including seasons 1-3). *SPOILERS* Hint: click on the links for videos!
For starters this show is extremely clever. I feel like I learn something when I watch and it's also a show that I am not ashamed of (cough, cough, hint, hint Teen Mom). It helps to know business terminology when watching this show. Thanks to my almost completed Arts Administration degree this is not an issue. Who ever would have thought that a show about advertising in the 1960s would have been so interesting? There are masses of 1960s pop culture references (Who could forget the Bye,Bye Birdie style commercial in Season 3 or little Sally Draper going to see The Beatles at Madison Square Garden a few weeks ago? Or Peggy's Twist infused promotion party?) It also deals with real historical events, people and real products and companies. There was a whole episode dedicated to the day JFK was shot. It's clear that the writers and directors do their history homework. The agency also holds accounts with Bird's Eye, Playtex, Mountain Dew, Samsonite suitcases, Kodak, and Lucky Strike. This is a clever tactic because the audience is familiar with all of those brand names so it feels familiar and you can relate to the ads made on the show.
One thing that Mad Men does is that at the start of every season time jumps forward one year. This leads to things happening at the beginning of seasons that are never really explained. The audience just learns to accept them and move on . Also many major plot points are left unanswered and unresolved. Such as Peggy and Pete's illegitimate baby in Seasons 1 & 2 and what ever happened to Roger Sterling's daughter? I am sure we will find out eventually but for now we will just have to wait and wonder.
I think that Season 4 has been the best so far. It's a little different in the sense that Sterling Cooper is now Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce after the original agency was bought out at the end of season 3. It took a little getting used to a new set. The season is all about characters starting over in a new office as well as in life. Don Draper has finally gotten divorced from everyone's favorite bitchy housewife, Betty. Joan Holloway Harris is married with a husband (who is a complete tool and who raped her in season 3) in Vietnam. Peggy Olson is slowly rising to the top of the corporate latter and Roger is rekindling his affair with Joan all while starting the new agency.
My favorite part of the new season so far is the awkward somewhat romantic relationship between Don and Peggy. I did not see this coming at all. The more I see it the more I like it and I think that we will see them together possibly at the end of this season. I love the idea and I think it makes perfect sense because they are the male and female versions of each other and it just makes sense considering Peggy is pretty much the only regular female character besides Joan that Don Draper hasn't screwed. It would be a great plot twist and cause many troubles for the at the office. The more trouble we have at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce the better the show is!
I also love that we saw some more Joan and Roger. For those of your with penises I am sorry that this is all you get to see of Christina Hendricks ;)
Now for some other great moments from past seasons...
The lawnmower incident. This is just one of those what the f*ck moments that only this show could pull off. It's hilarious yet horrible and unlike any other scene ever put on TV. Even if you have never seen this show you know that someone got their foot cut off with a lawnmower on Mad Men.
Vomit. Yep you read that right. Vomit. For some reason this show has an excessive amount of vomit. There is no video for this because, well it's vomit and that's gross. I am not really sure why there is so much vomit on this show. It's gross yet funny at the same time. The most memorable vomit scene on this show would have to be Roger on the stairs after a lunch of martinis and oysters and before a heart attack after he and Don have sex with twin sisters. Okay moving on....
Betty VS. The Birds
This is such a great Betty moment. He truly showcases how crazy she really is. She is pretty fab. Gotta love her!
Now for some unanswered Mad Men questions...
How in the hell did AMC get away with showing a 10 year-old Sally Draper starting to masturbate? WTF?!?!? I feel a little wrong posting this. I am actually a little disturbed by this.
Why do Joan and Don randomly kiss? I fully support this but what does it mean? Is it some kind of odd brother-sister love or is it unresolved sexual tension?
I hope everyone enjoyed my thoughts on Mad Men. Please feel free to share your thoughts.
" Look, I want to tell you something because your very dear to me and I hope you understand it comes from the bottom of my damaged, damaged heart. You are the finest piece of ass I ever had and I don't care who knows it. I am so glad I got to roam those hillsides."-Roger Sterling
After reading the Rolling Stone article about this show I love it even more because it was pretty much self made by a bunch of Hollywood rejects. It's always great when nobodies can rise to the top :)
For starters this show is extremely clever. I feel like I learn something when I watch and it's also a show that I am not ashamed of (cough, cough, hint, hint Teen Mom). It helps to know business terminology when watching this show. Thanks to my almost completed Arts Administration degree this is not an issue. Who ever would have thought that a show about advertising in the 1960s would have been so interesting? There are masses of 1960s pop culture references (Who could forget the Bye,Bye Birdie style commercial in Season 3 or little Sally Draper going to see The Beatles at Madison Square Garden a few weeks ago? Or Peggy's Twist infused promotion party?) It also deals with real historical events, people and real products and companies. There was a whole episode dedicated to the day JFK was shot. It's clear that the writers and directors do their history homework. The agency also holds accounts with Bird's Eye, Playtex, Mountain Dew, Samsonite suitcases, Kodak, and Lucky Strike. This is a clever tactic because the audience is familiar with all of those brand names so it feels familiar and you can relate to the ads made on the show.
One thing that Mad Men does is that at the start of every season time jumps forward one year. This leads to things happening at the beginning of seasons that are never really explained. The audience just learns to accept them and move on . Also many major plot points are left unanswered and unresolved. Such as Peggy and Pete's illegitimate baby in Seasons 1 & 2 and what ever happened to Roger Sterling's daughter? I am sure we will find out eventually but for now we will just have to wait and wonder.
I think that Season 4 has been the best so far. It's a little different in the sense that Sterling Cooper is now Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce after the original agency was bought out at the end of season 3. It took a little getting used to a new set. The season is all about characters starting over in a new office as well as in life. Don Draper has finally gotten divorced from everyone's favorite bitchy housewife, Betty. Joan Holloway Harris is married with a husband (who is a complete tool and who raped her in season 3) in Vietnam. Peggy Olson is slowly rising to the top of the corporate latter and Roger is rekindling his affair with Joan all while starting the new agency.
My favorite part of the new season so far is the awkward somewhat romantic relationship between Don and Peggy. I did not see this coming at all. The more I see it the more I like it and I think that we will see them together possibly at the end of this season. I love the idea and I think it makes perfect sense because they are the male and female versions of each other and it just makes sense considering Peggy is pretty much the only regular female character besides Joan that Don Draper hasn't screwed. It would be a great plot twist and cause many troubles for the at the office. The more trouble we have at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce the better the show is!
I also love that we saw some more Joan and Roger. For those of your with penises I am sorry that this is all you get to see of Christina Hendricks ;)
Now for some other great moments from past seasons...
The lawnmower incident. This is just one of those what the f*ck moments that only this show could pull off. It's hilarious yet horrible and unlike any other scene ever put on TV. Even if you have never seen this show you know that someone got their foot cut off with a lawnmower on Mad Men.
Vomit. Yep you read that right. Vomit. For some reason this show has an excessive amount of vomit. There is no video for this because, well it's vomit and that's gross. I am not really sure why there is so much vomit on this show. It's gross yet funny at the same time. The most memorable vomit scene on this show would have to be Roger on the stairs after a lunch of martinis and oysters and before a heart attack after he and Don have sex with twin sisters. Okay moving on....
Betty VS. The Birds
This is such a great Betty moment. He truly showcases how crazy she really is. She is pretty fab. Gotta love her!
Now for some unanswered Mad Men questions...
How in the hell did AMC get away with showing a 10 year-old Sally Draper starting to masturbate? WTF?!?!? I feel a little wrong posting this. I am actually a little disturbed by this.
Why do Joan and Don randomly kiss? I fully support this but what does it mean? Is it some kind of odd brother-sister love or is it unresolved sexual tension?
I hope everyone enjoyed my thoughts on Mad Men. Please feel free to share your thoughts.
" Look, I want to tell you something because your very dear to me and I hope you understand it comes from the bottom of my damaged, damaged heart. You are the finest piece of ass I ever had and I don't care who knows it. I am so glad I got to roam those hillsides."-Roger Sterling
After reading the Rolling Stone article about this show I love it even more because it was pretty much self made by a bunch of Hollywood rejects. It's always great when nobodies can rise to the top :)
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