Carrie (1976)

While the Dodgers fought a good battle in St. Louis and the Seahawks won over the Washington Redskins I was watching the classic horror movie Carrie on the big screen at Arclight in Sherman Oaks. This really was classic '70s horror but it hasn't lost its edge. 

I haven't read the book by Stephen King and really the only thing I knew of the film was the scene at prom when she gets covered in blood. The music reminded me at times of Psycho with that high pitched noise. 

What first hit me was how nasty the girls are to Carrie. Come on high school seniors shouldn't be acting like children and still picking on other people. There comes a time when everyone grows up. Sure it might happen in high school but by the time you're a senior you're expected to be somewhat of an adult. It also made me glad that we never had to shower after gym in high school. I mean really the first five to ten minutes rate as high as a good '70s porn. 

Scary as fuck crucifix. Not kidding.

Then we got to meet Carrie's overly protective ultra  religious mother. The woman  beats her own daughter with a book making her say things like, "And the raven was called sin!" and "The first sin was intercourse." Yelling at Carrie while all she is trying for is some sympathy from a mother who never told her about her period. I mean seriously the woman is convinced that Carrie had sex and if she hadn't she would have had, ". . . this curse of blood." And of course the best cure is to lock the girl in a closet with the scariest as fuck crucifix I have ever seen. That's going to really help her. 

There of course has to be one hero and while I would have hoped it would have been the gym teacher to me it was Sue Snell. Sue asks her hunky star athlete boyfriend, Tommy, to ask Carrie to the prom. Of course he obliges but Carrie of course turns him down or more to her character runs away because holy crap a guy just talked to her, mom better not catch wind of that. Tommy doesn't give up and finally Carrie says yes. What happens at the prom is a cute little love arc of the star jock realizing that sometimes the shy girls are the most interesting. Too bad that never worked for me in high school. 

From prom queen to red queen

Then prom the best time of senior year. Carrie is just in awe of everything and Tommy is drinking up her innocence and lost in her childlike wonder of what he has known all along. And we couldn't have prom without a king and queen. Carrie honestly looked beautiful in her dress with her makeup and hair. She looked beautiful standing there next to Tommy but one girl, Chris, got a burr up her butt and decided to teach Carrie a lesson because you know if you are the biggest bitch and are told you can't do something then by all means torture who you think is to be blamed. I'm sure many are familiar with what happens next with Carrie's rage and such. 

And no Stephen King movie would be complete without a total crazy ending. I mean really there was nothing that jumped out and nothing that made me want to cover my eyes. It was just a horrific series of events that happened to be the one person you probably shouldn't have messed with. Oh and the messed up survivor of the whole ordeal, Sue, well she'll never have a normal life after that I don't see how she could. 

Overall, I felt that it was a lot of build up to a  moment that I've seen numerous times depicted in multiple ways which was wonderful to see in its original glory but at the same time kind of a let down. The fanatical mother was just . . . I have no idea. She was there and she would have scared the hell out of me. It was good and I enjoyed it. I'm happy I got to see it on the big screen because the ending wouldn't have looked the same watching it on TV. 

I guess my evening ended on a positive note because two out of three things went good. Seahawks won and I saw a good movie. On the down side, the Dodgers dropped another game to St. Louis. I'm hoping for a Dodgers win tomorrow so they can come back to LA and win a spot in the NLCS. 

Welcome October

It's October and I'm super excited. This is the first October that I can remember being this excited. Arclight is showing all kinds of scary movies during the month. We have decorations to decorate the house. Now if only the California weather would cooperate and realize that it is fall and not summer. 

I know I have lacked in my writing but hey we all get lazy sometimes or drift to other things but I'm back. At least I hope to be back. I want to pick up my blogging again. I did a post but didn't share it and it might never get shared as it is really personal and I just don't think I'm ready to share that yet. 

I'll be posting again soon, I'm seeing a good movie tonight so I will definitely want to share that with my readers. 

Here's to fall and October or perhaps summer and October. Hopefully the weather will figure out what time of year it is. 

In Love With AMC Story Notes

AMC does some pretty awesome stuff. They have great original programming, my favorite is The Walking Dead. They also do some pretty neat things with movies, and I have been falling head over heels for Story Notes. Check out the website for more information and upcoming programming. 

It's quite elegant in nature. AMC picks a film and then at the bottom of the screen pops up random trivia about the film. The trivia ranges from nonsense to comparisons of the film to the book if it is based on a book. 

I came home and found Tony watching The Green Mile on AMC Story Notes and was instantly drawn in. Notes on acting choices, director's choices, the design of the set all made the film that much cooler because it was stuff I didn't know. I know I can watch movies on DVD or Blu-Ray and watch them with commentary but this is just different. There's no voices interrupting the movie since they pop up on the screen, much like Pop Up Video. 

The next night, we watched Blazing Saddles. Very funny and some fun trivia, things you can't find on IMDb. At least this movie wasn't as long as The Green Mile so I was able to finish watching it. I sadly went to bed before The Green Mile was over. 

You can check out the full schedule on their website and see what is coming up. For instance in the next week they will be screening Meet the Fockers, The Mummy, and Ghostbusters. Ghostbusters will definitely be interesting. 

Finding a Best Friend as an Adult

I'm not sure why, but the thought of best friends has been on my mind lately. Many adults have had their best friend (s) for years often through friendships formed in grade school, high school, college, and even beyond. But how do those friends become a best friend? And what happens when you lose that best friend? 

When I was little, I went to a private school, I met the girl that would be my best friend through about third grade when I was in pre-school. Her name was Jennifer. We seemed to do everything together and I have lots of pictures of us at school events with big smiles, arms around each other, and having fun. There were lots of sleepovers, birthday parties, and things we did together. By about second grade that had started to change. The summer between first and second grades, something happened between me and my classmates, and I have never been sure what. All I know is that by the third grade, I was the one everyone seemed to pick on, call names, and make fun of. Kids would come up to me, touch me, and then run touching their friends saying things like that I had given them cooties or worse AIDS. Yeah, AIDS, I have no idea where it came from but there it was in school. So Jennifer faded away and started hanging out with the other kids and we didn't spend as much time together. 

About that time, I met Amber, she was an outcast kind of like me. I think kids didn't like her because she was very different. She squeaked, constantly was twitching, and always turning. I never saw her as anything but a friend, she and I were friends until she left the school, I think. My memory of those years is starting to fade somewhat. As an adult, I often wondered if she had turrets as many of the things she did were similar to things I read about children with the affliction. But Amber and I were never as close as Jennifer and I were. 

Junior high, I was pretty much a loner. I had a core group of friends, but none that I remember considering a best friend. At least by then the name calling and bullying had stopped. It made interacting with my fellow students easier. I'm not sure what I did during those two years except take typing and photography classes as my electives. 

When it came time to think about high school, I wanted to go to a private school. I'm not sure how many of my junior high classmates took the entrance exam to Catholic school, but I know there were quite a few. I was the only girl from my junior high class to attend the high school I selected. A fresh start, a new opportunity to meet new people, and make new friends.

My first friend in high school that was a really good friend was Dominique. She and I got dropped off at generally the same time in the morning, which was early, so we had lots of time to talk and get to know each other. I met the girl who would become my best friend through high school and for some time beyond when I was a sophomore and she was a freshman. I had many good friends in high school, but I always called her my best friend. I felt I could tell her everything because she understood me and it was easy to talk to her. She was my sponsor when I went through the RCIA to convert to the Catholic church after my boyfriend who was dropped me. She was always there for me and I was there for her. That all changed a few years ago.

I got married five years ago and she was my maid of honor, because that's what I had always planned, she was my best friend, and we were going to be friends forever. That's what I thought. She and my sorority sister helped out so much with my wedding, it wouldn't have happened without them. I was stressed, but trying to hold it together as it came down to the big day. My wedding day went off without a hitch, well except for a couple of decisions that were made that I now regret, but overall, it was perfect. My best friend was my made of honor and I was blessed that my sorority big sister was our officiant. Two very important people to me. The day after turned out to be not so great. 

My husband and I returned to get everything from her house, which is where the wedding was held. She and my sorority sister had already started cleaning up and doing stuff when we arrived. I was tired and not very enthusiastic of being there the day after. I had asked for help to take stuff out to the car including wedding gifts, left over favors, and anything else that we were keeping. Instead of helping, she was busy putting flowers into vases that were left over and that I didn't really want. In the process of taking things out to the car, I dropped a bag and heard a crash, things were broken, and I saw red. I stormed into the house angry and we had a fight. When Tony heard things and came in I left. He came out and told me I was being childish (which was true) and that I should apologize. I did, finished packing up the car, said my goodbyes, and left. I thought that everything was OK. It wasn't. It took me a while to get the hint, but I got it, she didn't want to talk to me anymore, we were no longer best friends. I hadn't seen or spoken to her after that day until about two years ago, when I was in a restaurant in Santa Barbara and she walked right past me. I touched her arm and said hi, and all she did was look down at me like she didn't know who I was and told me that she was there for a work party and didn't have time to talk. That was the last time I saw her. I lost her the day after my wedding and I think at the same time I lost my big sister from sorority as over the years she has faded and we no longer talk or see each other. I think it might be because of the same fight. 

This July that will have been 6 years ago. Since then I haven't really had what I would call a best friend. I have close friends, but not a best friend. And maybe it is my definition of what I think a best friend is, but also possibly because I don't feel that kind of connection with anyone. I don't want all my close friends to get upset, they all mean so much to me, but I miss having a best friend. I miss having someone that I could call on a boring day and say lets do something and we do. Or someone to go out and have dinner with, someone that's willing to see the movies that Tony won't. I miss having a friend that I feel comfortable confiding in that won't use it against me later (that's another issue that arose after the fight). But how as an adult do I find that person? The one that I can give this lame title best friend to?

As an adult, if that bond isn't there, I think it is harder. Many of my friends are married and have children. And many of my friends have had their best friend for years already. I'm also busier now then when I was a student. Building that relationship takes more work. I'm fortunate to have has many friends as I do, even if we don't talk or see each other often. Indeed some of my girl friends I see once a year at convention because we became friends through our belong to the same insurance industry association. I just miss having that best friend who I could call and have be there for me at an instant if necessary.  But how do I find that relationship? Build that bond? It seems ridiculous sometimes, but like I said, its been on my mind. I thought I would throw it out there to the world and universe to see what happens. 

Thanks for reading the ramble, because truly, I rambled.

Laziness or Fear No One Really Cares

Looking at my history, it has been over a month since I wrote a new post. I can't figure out if it is just plain laziness on my end or the idea that no one really cares what I write on my blog since I share so much of it on Facebook. Perhaps even a bit of both. Either way, here's another, maybe not so epic, post on my blog. 

Let's start with the job. It is going great and I have officially been there 90 days now. I once again have medical, dental, and vision insurance. I have the ability to invest in a 401(k). It is good to be a producing member of society. Can't go wrong there, really, working for me is so important. I'm happy with my job, my coworkers, and my mentors. It is going to be a good place for me. 

Movies, I've seen a few both in the theater and at home. I probably can't remember the ones I've watched at home except for Hellraiser, and I still don't quite understand the fascination with Pinhead since he isn't in the movie for very long. But those things in general, Cenobites, are just fucking scary and weird. At the theater, I've seen The Other Woman, Godzilla, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. 

The Other Woman was a bit surprising as the movie wasn't what I expected it to be and found myself teary eyed at one point. To me it is a story about what brings women together and the friendship bonds that develop even in the worst circumstances. Also men beware if you have any idea to cheat on your wife with an attorney and a swimsuit model. Because the attorney will get the other two in line and the three of them will become your worst nightmare. 

I got to see Godzilla on Thursday night, a day before it opened, at 8 pm. Talk about a great time. I can't remember the last time I saw a new movie on opening weekend. It has been that long. I loved this though. I admit I'm not familiar with the comic books or early movies, so this was a fresh, brand new, out of the package experience for me. The story was good, the special effects were good, the movie in whole was fantastic. At one point you see the female Muto's egg sack as she walks over a train truss and it was just an amazing special effect with the glowing and movement. Precision computer graphics. Godzilla isn't a monster so much as he is a paleolithic peace keeper. Once the situation with the Mutos was fixed, he went back into the depths of the water. The designers did a fantastic job with his facial expressions, his eyes showed so much depth and emotion, I wanted to have him for a pet. 

Last night, Tony and I went to see The Grand Budapest Hotel at Arclight. It was great to still find it playing in a theater since it has been out so long, but the ticket guy at the theater says they still manage to sell out the two shows they have. That was no lie, we ended up sitting in the third row of the movie theater. There were moments of humor, drama, and sadness in the film. The overall tone was reverie Zero has for his mentor, the love of his life, and the adventures he had. The scenery and set decoration were amazing from whimsical to grand scale audacity. If you haven't seen it, and chances are good you haven't, I recommend you check it out. It has something for everyone in it I think. 

In recent weeks, Tony and I have taken in a stray kitten. A lady I work with had it at her home and wanted to find a home for him. He's a bundle of energy right now which is keeping all the dogs and the other two cats on their toes. But he's adorable. So far his eyes are blue and I hope they will stay blue. His body is white except for the tan and grey patches he has. His tail is black. He looks like a cat that was cobbled together from various bits and pieces. We have been calling him Sinatra, but I think that may change, we are finding it cumbersome to say and it really is too much for a cat name. Plus if his eyes change from blue the name doesn't make sense. He goes to the vet for the first time Tuesday so we'll see what she says. 

That's been it for the last month. Exciting or not it is what I have been up to. I'm hoping to stay with this regardless of who does or doesn't read it. I find that I like Facebook and to some degree Instagram, but I've grown tired of Twitter. Life continues on its complicated path to the next day and we'll see what it brings. 

Oculus - A Surprise in Horror (May Contain Spoilers)

I got up yesterday morning and checked the time. 9:30 am, still early I thought, more I think hoped. Checked my cell phone, went to my apps, and pulled by the AMC app. I had checked it previously in the middle of the night, but couldn't remember what time the movie started. Was it 9:50 am or 10:50 am? The AMC app finally comes up and I check, 10:50 am, enough time to get up and go see the movie Oculus. 

I had seen a trailer for the film on IMDb, then started seeing the usual bus stop ads, billboards, and a few commercials on TV. It looked like a good movie, certainly had to be better than Devil's Due, at least I hoped. My scary movie experience in January was rather disappointing. But it had recently been redeemed when I finally saw Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. That movie was pretty tame and I only screamed out loud once, scaring everything in site with my shriek. 


Oculus didn't produce any loud shrieks but it did make me squeamish. This isn't a blood and gore movie, it's a cerebral movie, it makes you think, and scares you in the process. The film takes place in two realms, current time and 11 years prior. While the film slowly descends into the two worlds, the momentum begins to collide them and when we see Kaylie and Tim they are interacting with each other as they were 11 years ago and as they are now in their 20s. You could get lost if you don't keep up because you will at some point find yourself going, wait, what just happened there. 

The acting from everyone is amazing! Some will recognize Katee Sackhoff who was on Battlestar Galactica and has appeared on a couple of episodes of Big Bang Theory. Karen Gillan from Doctor Who, does an incredible job as Kaylie. The two younger actors playing Kaylie and Tim as children are phenomenal. I was just honestly blown away by everyone including the two other stars Brenton Thwaites and Rory Cochrane. 

The story centers around a mirror that is known as the Lasser glass and the haunted history that follows it over the years. It has been in areas of strange deaths including one owner who was found dead from dehydration in a bath tub full of water. Seriously some creepy deaths have occurred where the mirror has been present. The mirror is alive, it defends itself from attack, and people in the vicinity don't realize what they are doing. A great instance of this occurs when Kaylie and Tim are in their old house and being video taped during their night with the mirror. The glass controls the environment and people around it with dismissal consequences. 

I enjoyed this film very much. It was a surprise as I went in thinking it would be a bit silly. So if I can change your mind to see it, I recommend you see you it. If you want to wait until it hits Netflix or Redbox, that's cool too. This is one of those movies, that while it is enjoyable, can wait if you don't want to spend the money on a big theater. I did just learn yesterday that the first movie at AMC is no longer $6 but is $7.50. It was cheaper to get in then it was for the popcorn, drinks, and red vines which was around $22. Sometimes a movie at home is better then one out in the theater. 

Getting Back to the Letters

Since starting work on February 10, my personal life took a big dip. No longer was I sitting at home with a ton of free time on my hands. What I did with my free time varied day to day, but I had lots of time to sit and write letters and postcards. Getting back to work meant less time for something I enjoy doing. 

My letter writing wasn't the only thing, but it seems to have had a big impact on me. I have fallen behind on replying to letters and cards from A Month of Letters challenge, and I was doing so well. I know that my recipients are patient so getting something at any time is good. We all share the same passion for receiving a real piece of mail with a stamp and processed through the mail system. I even got some cards and letters from other countries and the stamps are amazing. 

Slowly but surely I'm getting back to my letter writing. I sent three postcards this week for Postcrossing. If you aren't familiar with Postcrossing you should check out their website, www.postcrossing.com. It is a really neat way to "see" the world. I get awesome cards and stamps from all over and it is neat. 

With this said, I'm going to hit my letter writing desk and get out some more mail. I have a fondness for the USPS and stamps. 

It's Been Awhile

After an extensive discussion with Tony on the word "awhile" and "it's" I can now start my actual blog post. 

I noticed that I haven't posted since February 18, that's over a month ago. Where have I been?! What have I done?! Well simply, not too much.

I started my new job on February 10. It feels good to be working again. I'm happy and enjoying my job. I like all the people I work with, but then again, I have known many of them for a long time. I'm back working at an insurance agency that I worked at when I first got out of high school for two years. So starting back to work was like going to a second home that has just been waiting for me to return. I'm happy, relaxed, and able to be myself. That's all good stuff.

Sometime in the last few weeks, Tony and I went out to a movie. Arclight is once again showing old films (by old I mean anything that isn't a current release). I got to see Blue Velvet and I can honestly say I loved it. The story was interesting, the characters were all fascinating, and I just enjoy the twisted David Lynch. For a few days after I was telling anyone and everyone about my experience because that's truly what it was, an experience.

I haven't been keeping up with my reading as much as I would like, but maybe I can get back into the swing of things. Starting work threw me for a loop on a lot of my usual activities. Even my letter writing has taken a hit. My blog took it the worst as you can tell. But it is all about adapting and then things will fall back into a normal pattern.

What else? I passed my second CIC class that I took at the beginning of February. I have three left to complete for the designation. I'm hoping to take another one this fall on commercial casualty. I work with that on a daily basis so a class on it should prove interesting and challenging. 

I guess the last thing was that I went to the IBA I-Day in Los Angeles, well Universal City. It was a great day and I got to  meet many new people and see old friends. The highlight of the  day was the keynote speaker at lunch, Steve Garvey. He  shared personal stories of his time as a youngster and getting  to meet such Dodgers legends as Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. Being a bat boy when they played ball in his  hometown in Florida. His growing up and rise to being signed  by the Dodgers. The message that I got was to always be  positive and focus on the goal. Afterwards he stayed to sign  autographs and take pictures. I have my autographed photo up  on my cubicle at work. That was definitely a great day for me. 

 I lied that wasn't it. I also got a  new tattoo, bringing my total  count to nine. It is a tribute to my  parents. It has the state flowers f  for California (my mom's birth  state) and South Carolina (my    dad's birth state). The flowers are tied to together with a purple bow (purple is my favorite color) and the ends of the ribbon say Mom and Dad. I love it. It hurt like hell in some spots, but as always the end result is so worth the pain. 

My new tattoo. 

The Greatest Invention . . .

Yesterday while I sat home enjoying my day off from work (hooray for having a job) I watched a lot of TV. Then something hit me, in a small way, I've inherited a part of my maternal grandpa, Chris. I love my grandpa in many ways including all the time when I was little and I would sit watching TV with him. Mostly I remember watching a lot of M*A*S*H but I'm sure there were other shows.

The first TV I remember my grandpa having was the kind with bunny ears and a manual dial. It looked kind of like this one. I would jump up and change the channel when he asked but most the time he was doing the changing of the channel and then adjusting the antennae to make the picture come in better. It was better then what I'm sure he had when he was little and it was cutting edge when I was a kid. But like everything else, new technology came and changed how people would watch TV. This technology would be, in my opinion, the greatest invention for my grandpa Chris.

Before I tell you about this great, ground breaking invention, you have to understand something about grandpa. From a young age I remember him watching TV and always telling certain commercials to be quiet or simply he would say shut up. It wasn't every commercial but there was one very specific one I remember. Do you remember when there was a supermarket called Lucky? Stephanie Edwards did those commercials, and if you don't remember or have never heard of the chain, Edwards also has done commentary for the Rose Parade for I don't know how many years. My grandpa couldn't stand her or her voice.

The ground breaking invention that I think was the greatest thing for my grandpa . . . the remote control.

One button alone is what I think saved my grandpa's sanity anytime Stephanie Edwards came on the TV, the mute button. Once he got his first TV with a remote he could shut the Lucky's lady up anytime he wanted to. Of course he always added a good shut up to her as he would push the mute button.

Yesterday, I realized that I have taken up the mantel and continue his legacy. My remote control might be more advanced and have way too many buttons, but it still has a mute button. I used it a lot yesterday to quiet many annoying ads that I just can't tolerate anymore. The first time I did it I realized that grandpa had left his mark on me and taught me how to use the mute button really well.









Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d'Art by Christopher Moore

I picked up this book because I enjoy Christopher Moore, but this was unlike any other book of his I have read. I found myself lost in the world he created, enjoying a small part of France that felt so real (and probably is if I knew anything about French geography).

The characters were interesting and kept evolving once you thought you knew them. Even more interesting was his use of real painters as characters in this novel. Supplemented with pictures of actual artwork, it sparked my curiosity to look for more. I cared about Lucien, Juliette, and everyone else, finding out what was happening to them was just as important to me as them. There's a love story even buried within the words that is truly magical.

Then there's the blue. In the author's notes at the back of the book Moore states that he set out to write a book about the color blue. In my opinion he did that and more. The fascination with the Colorman's specific blue is what leads all these painters to him, with the assistance of the muse Bleu (to tell you about the muse would give too much away).

The color blue comes to life and carries its own life force. It dates back in the novel to the times of the cave paintings, to the Picts using it for battle, the glassworkers using it for stained glass in the beautiful cathedrals that are known for such work, and finally to the painters that give it new life in their artwork. Blue is a living character in Moore's book with such an interesting past it delves you into finding out about its future.

This is a book I would read again. Having read it once, reading it again would allow me to look at things that happen differently and see the little bits of information I missed along the away originally. It is a well-crafted story with a fury of emotions running through it. Yes, I definitely will be reading it again in the future.

One 2014 Goal Accomplished & the End of January

Yes! I have accomplished one of my goals for 2014. It came in January and will start in February. I got a job. I am super excited about it. I can't tell much at this point, but I have a job, finally. I know this will be a great experience for me and I will grow a lot from the opportunity.

January is over and we are four days into February. Seems crazy that one month of the year is already gone. I've been posting as much as I can in my blog, and I feel really good about it. I enjoy doing this even if I don't do it everyday.

I did see a movie recently, Movie 43, I was visiting a friend and they wanted to show me just one scene and we ended up watching the whole thing. The movie is full of well known celebrities. It is a movie of comedic sketches but mange to mold together to form a story as well. Greg Kinnear was fun to watch, so were Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, and Dennis Quaid. I enjoyed a few of the sketches more than others but I laughed through the whole movie. I will say that the sketch involving Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet, the one that my friend wanted to show me was the best one. Yes, that was by far my favorite of the entire film. So I appreciate that I was able to watch this movie.

What else is happening . . . I have started the 2014 Month of Letters Challenge and I'm off to a strong start. I have tried to get ahead since I'm going to be in San Diego for a class the next few days and may not have a chance to mail anything. I have mailed a couple postcards to a friend's children and think I will do a few more of those. I wrote my first letter to another participant and I'm excited to try and make some new friends that I converse with by mail.

I am almost done with my third book of the year too! That will be a post for another time. I can tell you it has been an interesting read and I have enjoyed it very much. I'm also trying to figure what I want to read next, I have so many choices. This personal challenge has been good for me. It has rekindle my love for reading which was just waiting to burst forward again.

I think that is everything so far. I'm off to my first CIC class of the year, but second one towards my designation. I'll be in San Diego for a few days but not outside much of a hotel ballroom. I am excited and nervous but know that I will pass. I have to think positive. So send me your positive thoughts too.

Devil's Due Not

January is not a normal month for scary movies to come out. By scary I mean horror or thriller films. So when I saw previews for Devil's Due coming out in January I got excited. It was coming out right before my birthday and I went cool, a scary movie in January. I can't wait to see it. Yeah, I should have just waited for it to come out on DVD or better yet streaming on Netflix.

I convinced a friend of mine to go with me to see it and I owe that friend a movie refund for torturing them with something so terrible. It was filmed to look like all home video footage, not found video footage, but happening in the present video footage. About thirty minutes in, I leaned over to my friend and said I'm getting motion sickness. The constant moving of the camera was not making it fun to watch. Both of us breathed a sigh of relief when people snuck into the couple's home and put in stationary cameras to watch them. At least those parts of the movie were static. Then finally, the douche husband started putting the camera down on surfaces to film his conversations.


Oh yeah, the husband, lives his life looking through a fucking digital home camera lens. What kind of life is that? Put the thing down and make memories you have to remember and not look at a video for. And then at some point two kids in the film end up with a video camera, it is like the whole family lives their lives looking through a lens. That kind of annoyed me, all the people living life through a camera lens.

Besides the motion sickness this film did nothing for me. I didn't flinch once, I didn't shriek once, and I didn't even have to worry about covering my eyes and ears (although I'm working on not doing that) once. What kind of scary movie is that? Too tame unless you build up your own tension. Seriously, the movie was lame and nothing to exceptional happened. OK, the end when the wife has to deliver the devil baby was kind of cool, but that was it. The rest was just boring and slow. Oh and the first communion scene was pretty cool. Overall, this not a film I would recommend if you are looking for a good scare, it won't happen. Unless I'm just desensitized but I don't think that is it. I really don't think that is it.

Save your movie money and go see something else. To my dear friend, I owe you a movie to make up for this dismal piece of work I made you see.

Alice in Wonderland or Weirdoland

Last night Tony and I settled in to watch the 1951 Walt Disney classic Alice in Wonderland. You know the movie with the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, Caterpillar, Queen of Hearts, and those seemingly lovely flowers that sing All in a Golden Afternoon. Yeah, this movie is nothing like what I remember it being as a kid.

OK, so it has been awhile since I've been a kid, but you can kind of remember what watching cartoon movies was like. They were entertaining and enjoyable and you never got the context. We didn't care, we were kids, we were entertained, we laughed at what we understood and stared with blank expressions at what we didn't. Watching Alice in Wonderland then was just a fun thing to do, laughed at Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, and for me I'm sure I ran around screaming, "Off with their head!" Last night, I was dumb founded but what I was watching.


I felt comfortable watching the beginning, Alice being a terrible kid by not listening to her sister's lesson for the day and instead daydreaming and sing some song about what her imaginary world would be like. And then that damned White Rabbit comes hopping along with the famous,
"I'm late / I'm late / For a very important date. / No time to say "Hello, Goodbye". / I'm late, I'm late, I'm late." Alice takes off after him, what the hell prompted that? He didn't invite her along and she just figures she'll tag along and then she takes that plunge down the rabbit hole and all hell and confusion breaks loose.
 

There is no story to this movie!!!! It is just a jumbled mess of some girl wandering through heaven knows what world full of weirdos. And hello, the drug references? Were we brainwashed as children to think she was just eating cakes or had our eyes just not been open to that vice yet? The Cheshire Cat makes no sense and is just plain mean. Seriously, nothing makes any sense. That Queen of Hearts is a bitch and a cheat and should have her own head removed. Then it turns out to be a whole fucking dream! Kind of like that one season of Dallas with the shower that the whole previous season was a dream. You got screwed. As an adult watching this movie I felt screwed over because it was just a clusterfuck of nonsense.

Don't go ask Alice.

There are other classic Disney movies that have stood the test of time when I watch them. Alice in Wonderland is not one of them in my opinion for me. Oh well. I'm sure it was great when I was little, but now, not so much.

**All pictures were sourced from IMDb and are the copyright property of Disney.**

2014 A Month of Letters Challenge

I don't remember when I heard about this challenge or where, but it was something right up my alley. It is similar to National Novel Writing Month which happens in November and encourages the participants to write a novel in a month. This however is A Month of Letters and it takes place during February, what better month to write letters. Basically you are challenging your self to mail one piece of snail mail, yes that is mail that is sent through the United States Postal Service with a real stamp, each day that the post runs in the month.

I'm challenging myself to this again this year. Last year, in 2013, I didn't do so hot towards the middle and end of the month. Things were overwhelming for me last year so it kind of makes sense, but still it felt like a disappointment. I got lots of great letters, postcards, and handmade items like envelopes and stationary. I'm telling you the people that participate are inventive and creative. I'm more buy cute stationary, postcards, stickers, and postage. It works. All that matters is that this a unique group of people that still like getting tangible pieces of paper in the mail.

Why am I telling you this? My hope is to share some of the unique things I get during the month from the various participants. I want to share their love of mail with you. I have a huge love for getting things in my mailbox. It is a thrill I have had since I was little. If I manage to make anything interesting I'll share it too.

If you want to try it, sign up and give it a go. You can unlock different achievements and you might even make a few new friends by putting pen to paper.

The Shining by Stephen King & Stanley Kubrick's Film (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!)

As I have mentioned in the past couple weeks I have challenged myself to read 25 books this year. I have finished my second one of the year, The Shining by Stephen King. The book was originally published in 1977 and was the source material for the Stanley Kubrick film by the same name. Since I finished the novel I decided I wanted to watch the movie again to fully talk about my experience. Then I thought I need a good way to set up my blog post and how I wanted to accomplish that. So here it is, what my brain decided was the best way to discuss the book, the film, and then both.

The Shining by Stephen King

This was my first time reading a novel by King. My only other experience with King was listening to a book on CD during a road trip to some conference. Reading King is way different then listening to it and I don't think I will ever listen to another of his books on CD. There is something enriching about reading the words King put on paper that no audio CD reader can breathe life into.

This book captured me from the very beginning and never let me go, I mean it, I was having dreams about this book for the last few weeks. It was engaging, kept me on edge, and I had to know how it was going to end for everyone involved. There were a couple times when I was reading at night before bed and Tony would come in after me and scare me because I was so wrapped up in what I was reading. I don't remember the last time a book did that to me.

I determined that there were four main characters in King's novel. Most will recognize the Torrance family unit (Jack, Wendy, and Danny) as central characters. I argue that the Overlook is also a main character. The hotel itself acts like a living and breathing entity with its own desires to quench. It inserts itself into the lives of the other three with bizarre intentions. It turns the family against each other and puts Danny in the middle of all three.

Danny is the force that connects all of the story together. Without him it wouldn't work. Jack and Wendy need him but so does the Overlook. If you take him out of the novel it crumbles. His "shine" is incredible ability and I think some people have it in real life. Those that perceive events from the past or snippets of the future to me have the "shine". Danny's is incredible and he uses it to his advantage in the book. Using it to save himself, using it to track things in the Overlook, and finally not being afraid of the gift he has.

I really enjoyed this book, every word, every detail. The story told was woven into each paragraph elegantly and flowed gently like a babbling brook. It had calm moments, intense moments, and everything in between. I felt different every time I picked it up to read and the story took me through every emotion I could possibly feel. In the end, the novel built up my tension, scared and shocked me, and in the end left me feeling relief.

I highly recommend reading this book. I am looking forward to reading King's follow up to this, Doctor Sleep.

The Shining directed by Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining came out in May of 1980, so it is almost 34 years old (like me). The screenplay was written by Kubrick and Diane Johnson, King had no part in the film adaptation. IMDb list the film in the genres of horror/mystery which seems fitting enough. In my opinion though there is very little of King's book in the film.

After viewing the film again I now see how very little of the book is in the actual film. It is more like the book was the source material and then Kubrick and Johnson kept what they wanted and discarded the rest. I know, they can't put everything in the movie, but they also don't need to rip it apart at the seams.

The film on its own stands as a great scary movie that will still scare the hell out of some people if they are sensitive enough. Jack Nicholson's character, Jack Torrance, is freaking insane from the beginning of the movie all the way through the end. It is of course hidden at the start and comes out later, but shit he gets freaky. The hotel is a freaky place with the long corridors, huge ballroom and lounge, the hedge maze, all of it makes for lots of scary turns if you had no idea where you were going.

The acting by Nicholson and Duvall is amazing. If you read through the trivia on IMDb you will find that Kubrick was a demanding director requiring numerous takes of the same scene. For them to do this had to have been exhausting and emotionally draining. The intensity is palpable from watching them on the screen. They are by far the hardest working actors in the film. 

Then there are the things that could have been left out because, well they didn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense. First the elevator with all the blood gushing out of it, just not needed at all. The scene where Wendy (Duvall's character) sees the costumed dog and man in one of the rooms, you only know about that connection if you read the book; same goes for the woman in room 267, but it was the '80s so I guess Kubrick wanted to show a naked lady. Oh and the shot of all the skeletons in either the Gold Ballroom or the Colorado Lounge, I couldn't tell, but seriously what the fuck?

Kubrick in my opinion made a movie that he wanted and loosely used the novel by King as a jumping off point. But that's Hollywood, movies get made how directors, producers, and studio executives want it made which is not always what the original author had intended.

The book vs. the film

By far I enjoyed the book if I'm going to honestly weigh one against the other. As stand alone pieces of work I enjoy them both. If you take them together, the book is far more superior. What I really want to talk about here is the differences that I feel were something that mattered to me.

The Overlook itself is much more of a player in the novel then the film. I think the film lost something because the hotel was just a building and not the living creature in the book. I feel what made the Overlook a primary player was that in the novel it kept coming to life at various points. In the film, it came to life fully once when Jack went in the Gold Room and met Grady, otherwise it was just an empty shell.

Next is the character of Wendy. In King's novel she is a very independent, strong willed, take no bullshit mother. In the film she comes off weak and someone that is easily pushed around. I like Wendy in the book because she also seems to be the one person that the Overlook can't get to. As much as I loved Duvall in the movie, the book Wendy was way cooler.

I want to burn the hedge maze and replace it with the topiary animals in the book. Those things would have been scary as hell on film. The maze doesn't have that same feeling. Plus Hallorann fighting one of the lions would have made for some amazing film especially when he sets it on fire. Alas, it was most likely monetary reasons and the fact that there is a whole back story to them would have made it impossible to include. But at the end of the day, creepy topiary beats creepy hedge maze everyday.

And by far the biggest, bad ass, incredible part of the book that the film didn't do, the ending! The film ending is flat and that's all I can really say about it. The ending in the book, is just an amazing piece of literature. It builds and pulsates the reader to the ultimate and final climax. The good battling out against evil, salvation and devastation. As I have mentioned the book brings the Overlook to life, the end kills it dead. So dead, it can't be revived and live to see another day of horror. It isn't a happy ending by any means, Wendy, Danny, and Hallorann will never be the same as they were when the book started but they aren't any weaker, just changed from having come face to face with pure evil. But it dies, the Overlook dies and doesn't take anyone good with it, the heroes for lack of a better term survive. Jack doesn't, but he was lost to the evil nature of the hotel, it took his soul over and turned it black, used his past against him, and in the end it wasn't Jack that Wendy stabs, but the Overlook, the Overlook itself killed Jack. I can not say enough about the ending of King's book it was just brilliant.

Final Thoughts

I know that there are more novels to read by King and more films that are based on his work. This was my first time delving into both on my blog. I feel I might be long winded on the topic, I hope not. I look forward to my next bout of book vs. film. It might not be King since there are many great books that have been adapted to film and many crappy books that have made the same leap. I'm sure I can find another that will get me just as excited as this one did.

 

Why Are There Seven Mattress Sizes?

As I was falling asleep last night I started to wonder about the different sizes of mattresses. I have discovered there are seven, SEVEN. Why on earth do we need seven different mattress sizes? Wouldn't three or four be enough to choose from? What people in the history of making beds determined the sizes and the names for that matter. It is all very curious.

Tony and I sleep on a standard king size bed. The bed measures 76" X 80". It is impossible to find sheets for it.  That being said, it fits us just fine along with our two cats and one dog that sleep on it with us. We seem to all have plenty of room, just kind of depends where the animals have camped out. We used to sleep on a queen size mattress which measures 60" X 80". So it is smaller width wise but not length wise. That worked fine for us too, we have our mattress in storage since we got the king size bed, but I think it is starting to wear out and might need to be changed out soon.

Dream king size bed set-up.

When we go to visit Tony's parents, we sleep on a full (a.k.a. double) size mattress. The full measures 54" X 75", much smaller than even the queen. Sleeping on that size is interesting to say the least. We both toss and turn and sleep in awkward positions that we constantly are sleep fighting over the space of the bed. It is also funny because Tony is too tall to actually fit on the full length of the bed so his feet are always falling off.

This is an awesome full size bed set-up.

My sister sleeps on a twin, at least I think that's what it is. The twin measures 39" X 75" and is perfect for just one person, or two if you don't mind squeezing in close. It works for her and that's what matters.

Isn't it cute?

The other sizes out there are the twin xl, full xl, and California king. I like the CA king, it is longer then a standard king but narrower. Most college dorms are outfitted with twin xl and oh the joy to find those sheets.

I'm just curious about all of this. Why did colleges decided that twin xl was a good size for a dorm room. Why do couples tend to sleep on queen or king size beds instead of a full or full xl. What person says yeah I want a king size bed, but it has to longer than a standard king. At some point in the history of beds, people were making these decisions and someone said, yeah I like that idea, let's do that. It just boggles my mind. Does it boggle your mind? Make you ask why? I'm not even going to go in all the other types of beds there are: captain's beds, water beds, murphy beds, trundle beds, and day beds. The mattress thing is enough for one night.

Knocked Up

No, not me. I am not knocked up. I did however see the movie last night for the first time. You know the one, with Seth Rogen.

Knocked Up on IMDb

 

It was funny, light hearted, but a very serious subject matter. Have you ever had that experience, get really drunk, meet a guy, have sex (unprotected in every way), and then get pregnant? Me neither and thank goodness I never have. There are however many who have and end up in a similar situation. What those people do is up to them, but I think the movie took a positive spin when the characters of Allison and Ben decided to try and see if things would work out with them as a couple.

 

Through the film to shadow Allison and Ben is Allison's sister's marriage. Pete and Debbie are having their own life crises to deal with. Debbie is convinced Pete is cheating and drags Allison and Ben into that. Pete is dealing with his need for space and time away from his family. I think this provides some grounding for Allison and Ben to see because eventually, even if they don't get married, that will be some of their life with a child.

 

Tony and I found parts of the film very funny. Tony's favorite though was in the bonus features of Paul Rudd saying bubbles. My favorite part was when Allison and Debbie are running through the store to find pregnancy tests and clean off the shelves buying multiples and all different kinds. I was hoping to find a clip of it, because the whole thing is hilarious. Even better is when Debbie takes one and then picks up one of Allison's and Debbie thinks she is pregnant. Seriously, I wonder if that happened to me if my sister and I would be that crazy.

 

We both agree that one of the best scenes happens between Ben and Pete when they are in Vegas and high on mushrooms. That I was able to find a clip of so you can enjoy part of what we found funny, Knocked Up - Vegas and Chairs. When watching this scene last night I realized that Pete makes a good point, hotel rooms, especially in Vegas, have many different chairs in one room. Next time I'm in Vegas I'm going to count how many different chairs are in my room.

 

Overall I really enjoyed this movie. It was a great diversion and pulled me in to the movie's reality. I would watch this again. The characters are believable, the story is believable, and in the end, Ben comes around to being an adult. We all have our growing up to do and we do it in our own time. This movie has that coming of age story, a love story (well two love stories), and those funny moments we have in life.