Day 05 - Your favourite monster movie.

 

     I was a bit confused at this question because I needed some specifics. "Monster" did not refer to the Universal Classic Monsters because we were asked what our favorite werewolf movie was. When I think of monster films I think of either giant, destructive monsters or films like "The Fly". "The Fog", even. Does "Gremlins" count, or would that be like a holiday horror film? Too many choices, not enough specifics.

    So, to satiate my racing thoughts, I've decided to choose from my giant monster catalog. Because, if I'm being honest with you, I don't think I could choose just one "monster" film. Monster as in "creature". That would be very hard. It will make me sick, I physically can't do it. So, I am gonna have to choose "Cloverfield" (2008).

    I was a bit too young to pay attention to how this movie was marketed, so I wasn't aware of the hype it was generating. I wasn't able to watch it until it was available on DVD. And when I watched it... Man it was so cool and scary. Usually, I wouldn't have been so intimidated by a giant monster movie, but there were certain elements to the film that made it a lot scarier.

    It remains one of my favorite films after all this time because of how neat this film is. I already adore "The Blair Witch Project", so a found footage horror film isn't a turn-off for me. It's when they're done all shitty for quick cash-grabs. However, I don't recommend it if you get motion sickness very easily.

    Things are always scarier when it takes place during nighttime. I love chaos. I love the feeling of impeding doom when I'm watching a movie, it excites me like a roller coaster. Everybody's running and screaming, "AHHHH!!!". And then people die. BOOM! One of the main characters gets slammed by the giant creature. What the fuck happened!!??

    The most unnerving thing about the movie was not the monster itself, but the parasites that came off of it. Those things were freaky, they looked like giant fleas. They were abnormally fast and sounded creepy as hell, and if they got you, they would bite you. I'm assuming they eat people, because why else would they come after people. But here's the thing, once you've been bitten, you get infected and you fucking blow UP! The military has this pop-up quarantine station in an abandoned Bloomingdale's. I've never heard of that store before, I always assumed it was a mall. lol. But that shit is what actually scared me, more than the giant juvenile creature bumbling around New York.

    One of the coolest shots of the movie is when Hud, the most annoying character in the film that just so happens to be the one holding the camera, is eaten alive by the monster. It's pretty gnarly listening to Hud be chewed up, the sound of his limbs being crushed under the monsters teeth. Probably one of the most satisfying scenes out of the whole film, lol.

    The movie ends on a bleak note, intertwining footage of the main couple enjoying a day out with their last words. They weren't able to evacuate Manhattan in time before the military drops a fucking bomb on the creature. They both say "I love you", under the rubble, as the sirens blare. The camera stops recording as there is one last explosion while the creature roars out in fear. So when you think about it, the film's like a tragic romance.

    Then the credits begin to roll, playing the only piece of music that was made for the film. If you were able to stay through the credits, you can hear a voice say "Help us". Apparently, if you play it backwards, it says, "It's still alive". Very chilling and very cool!!! I'm happy to have had this film on DVD from when we originally bought it, it's currently on my bookshelf.

    I did enjoy 2014's "Godzilla" when it came out, even though I'm not the biggest Godzilla fan. That would be my younger brothers, who are the only reasons why I even watched the film in the first place. I'm more of a giant robot fan, "Pacific Rim" was badass. I find the film more enjoyable when it is rooted in realism, I get taken out of a film easily when it isn't. I know, I'm a killjoy, lol. The 2014 film did so well with the suspense; My favorite shot is when the soldiers jump out of the plane, breaching the clouds where the sun still shines, into the darkness of a burning city. And the score? Spooky.

    That's all I got for this post! I do need to watch some classic films like "Attack of the 50 foot Woman". I have beed trying to watch The Blob (1988) since last year. Low and behold, I found it streaming for free through Pluto! I finally watched it and... it was okay. lol. The first couple of kills were pretty gnarly, especially Paul's! Oh and Shawnee Smith is in it? Didn't know!

freakkyy

Day 04 - Your favourite werewolf film.

 

    I've seen a couple of werewolf films, especially the classics, but Ginger Snaps (2000) will always remain my favorite. Unless an even cooler film comes out, or I find an older one I haven't seen!

    Werewolves, full moons, periods, all of those subjects go extremely well together in this film. It's quite perfect, really; You track your period as a werewolf would track the phases of the moon. And for one week, every month, you become this creature that bleeds!!! ARRROOOOOOO!!!!!

    I am quite partial to 90's and 2000's horror films, as I grew up watching them. Ginger Snaps is probably one of the best examples! It's a moody indie film that's perfect to watch during the Fall, especially during Halloween time. It stars Emily Perkins and Katherine Isabelle as the main sisters, Bridgette and Ginger. You can also see them play sisters again in Another Cinderella Story (2008), lol!

    I just love moody, quirky films about women and girlhood. Especially horror films. I like to watch Ginger Snaps alongside films like May (2002) and Secretary (2002). They just feel so intimate to me, personable. These films really speak to my soul. Ginger Snaps resonates with me because of my own experiences with the menstrual cycle. I have to see a doctor or something to diagnose me, but I feel very intensely the week before it begins. The film does a great job expressing those feelings, lol.

    Ginger Snaps is streaming for free on Tubi, as are the 2 sequels! I think the sequels are okay, I don't like them as much as the first one. But, don't let my opinion deter you from watching them yourself. The Witches of Eastwick is streaming too, watch that one. Very camp.

I Guess I'm Not Done With the Pastels

 

What does this even mean?? Overdose?

    I found this gif while browsing through inactive grunge Tumblr blogs. Very random! I thought this was funny because of how often I used to throw up. Anywaysss!!

    As mentioned in the title, I guess I'm not done with pastels!! As I was looking through the Tumblr Grunge aesthetic of the 2012's, I was seeing a lot more neon and pastel colors. I challenged myself to not wear anymore pink for the rest of Autumn, but after looking through these blogs, it's getting a bit hard not to wear pastels! To be fair, I did just say pink...

    Let's reflect... Why would I force myself to wear things that I don't want to wear? Why would I refuse to wear the clothes I like the most? That would not be very inauthentic of me. Don't get me wrong, I do love my jewel tone pieces, I've just found that I love cool-tone colors the most! However, that doesn't mean I'm going to get rid of my pieces, or not wear them ever! I just like to bring them out during the Fall. I want to wear them during the Fall.

    So, I'm going to try and balance my pastel pieces with my warmer pieces. I think when I say "pastel", I just mean mostly purple, pink, seafoam green, and white. I've already made a couple of outfits with my warmer pieces! There were 2 outfits that I feel the best in, but the rest were a bit lackluster. I have these really pretty statement pieces, just not a lot of clothes that could go with it. I have a lot of clothes, yet not a lot? lol.

    I don't really have a lot of clothes? I can't match a lot of my items with my jewel tone clothes. As I've mentioned on my blog before, I've been on a health journey. I have lost a lot of weight since last year, so I had to get rid of a lot of clothes. I also have been hesitant to purchase any more clothes since I'm still losing weight. But, I think I'm at a point where I can at least thrift some more clothes. I think if I had more prettier pieces to match with my other pretty pieces, I would feel more secure with my outfits.

    I think that's it, lmao. I got rid of everything but my basics! So, I guess I'm on the hunt for more statement pieces to go with my nicer clothes. Cuzzz I'm trying to make cute outfits and they look fucking stupid!! They aren't turning out the way I had hoped they would! Booooo!!! >:((((( There are only so many times I can wear the only pair of high-waisted jeans shorts with tights, lol.

    In the meantime, I'm just gonna make due with what I got! Honestly, I don't get out of the house much, so what would be the point of getting more clothes if I can't wear them. Still, it wouldn't hurt to go out and look :/ It's fun to grab a coffee and browse! I don't do anything else, man :((( And I don't buy things frivolously, even though it's second hand. I'm a smart shopper ;)

    With that being said, I'm going to provide some more images to add to my "2012 Tumblr Grunge" mood board. It's also going to act as a wishlist of items that I hope to find at the thrift!

I'm looking for more purple of any shade! I particularly love lilac, but any shade of purple is good to me! Surprisingly, even though purple is my favorite color, I don't have a lot of purple clothes. It's a really hard color to find at the thrift store for me, due to my size and preferences. I think if I had more purple pieces, it would probably be the color I wear all year round.

I have about 5 crushed velvet/velvet pieces? 3 of them are dresses, lol! Velvet is a warm material to wear, and 3 of my velvet pieces have long sleeves. I guess I would like more variety? I would love more pastel velvet pieces, that's for sure. I would probably wear velvet shorts or a skirt year round as well.

Flouncy shorts! I used to have a couple, but I wore the crap out of them and donated them. I don't know if they'd even fit me now. I'm looking for flouncy shorts that are lacey, ruffley, or floral printed! I want to be able to pair them with tee's, tanks, tights and thigh highs. I don't have the best luck finding shorts at the thrift either, so this will be challenging! 

I'm looking for more babydoll or collared dresses. I would love to find some to wear casually, you know? With some sandals or boots. It's one of those items I daydream about! I just love mixing hard and soft things together.

I would love more baggy t-shirts. I don't have any more baggy tee's, unfortunately. They all got old and  ratty, quick. Or! They have been designated as sleeping shirts! I don't have a lot of them either, lol. I used to live in t-shirts, so I try not to buy them any more. I also used to wear them big, so I also forced myself to buy more form-fitting shirts. I used to be self-conscious about my body. But, alas! I need them to layer over dresses or to wear with midi/maxi skirts. I'm looking for cool prints and band tees, man.

Floral Prints!!! I used to hate floral print because I wore it so much in high school! As I got older, I began to think floral prints were dated. Now that I'm an adult, and I haven't worn floral print in a long time, I am finding myself more attracted to it. Especially in this color palette! I love pink. I love purple. We get iiittttt, pastels!!!

    This kind of leans more into the "pastel goth" aesthetic, which I don't have a problem with. I think I'll throw that aesthetic onto the moodboard as well. "Kawaii Grunge", as they would call it. I like it. And please, do not conflate this with actual "grunge". I am not grunge, I am a goth who likes to reference old internet fashion in her wardrobe. :3

    I don't want to stop wearing all of my pastels, so I won't force myself. I just want to make sure I wear the clothes I designated for this particular season. I also need to find more nice clothes in silhouettes that feel good to me. I don't want to feel stupid in an outfit I don't feel confident in, or authentic to me. Wish me luck!

Day 03 - Your favourite slasher.

     I'm going to be honest with you, the Slasher genre is one of my least favorite subgenres of Horror. A lot of the older films tend to be sexist and exploitative, very much a product of its time. They don't really excite me, you know? I don't have a whole lot of fun watching them.

    I did try to watch a bunch of slashers, besides the most popular films, to prepare for this post. I didn't really care for them. Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and Child's Play (1988) are fine. I understand their cultural significance. I honestly don't care for Scream (1996), I apologize. I get it, but I'm not a fan.

    I could get down with a slasher film if it was really fun. American Psycho is pretty entertaining, Christian Bale is extremely fun to watch. It's not my favorite though! I would love to see a version of that film, but with a woman who's into BDSM or something. She's gorgeous, the top CEO, makes lots of money, but she also like to beat the fuck out of men and kill them. And she's like batshit crazy. That would be fun. "What about Pearl?". I did like that film! Granted, I didn't watch it all the way, lol. I keep catching the end. It's just not my personal favorite. 

    When it comes to certain horror genres, I like to suspend some of my logic and my beliefs. Just because we consume "problematic" media, doesn't mean it reflects our true morals. These "things" are happening in a fake world, in a fake movie, with fake people. Horror can be used a lot of ways, including shallow, exploitative, gorey films. And that's not everyone's bag, baby. I don't have an issue with blood and violence, I just want to see the playing field get equal. More female serial killers killing naked, sexy men with big tits and asses. Bimbo men running from psycho chicks. I'm not asking for much.

    With that being said, if you had asked me this question last year, I would have said the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). I still like this film above every other classic slasher. A dude wearing a mask made out of human flesh, wielding a chainsaw to saw you into pieces? And his family is full of cannibals? And his name is fucking "Leatherface"? And sometimes, Leatherface likes to throw on a little rogue and a dress? That's badass, man.

    However, I just watched Sleepaway Camp (1983) and it blew me away. It was really entertaining to me, I have to watch it again. It's campy, wacky, and slightly homoerotic. When I first saw Ronnie Angelo, the camp counselor, the first thing I noticed were his stems and jumbo tits. Good Lord! That dude had some jugs on him!! And some tiny shorts!! This is what I like to see.

In the yellow...

    Felissa Rose is pretty phenomenal as Angela, she has these big eyes that stare right through you. She just switches on and off so easily, going from expressionless to joyous. The practical and make-up effects were pretty gnarly as well! Kenny and Billy's corpses were fricking creepy, man. The bee infested corpse was crazy. And that bastard cook in the beginning had it coming.

    I can understand some of the modern criticisms of this film, some I can't really comment on since I am not transgender. Some people argue that Angela isn't actually transgender, but a victim of circumstance, as she was forced to live as a girl due to her aunt. I did have an issue with how Angela's fathers were portrayed, like being gay was weird or disturbing? The film made it seem like Angela witnessing her fathers being intimate played a part in her murderous intent. I mean, seeing your parents, regardless of any sexual orientation, being intimate can scar any young child. I have to watch the film again!

    However, I still enjoyed this film. I can view this film through the lens of someone who isn't transphobic or homophobic, because I am not either of those things. I'm not going to make any rash judgments about gay or transgender people because of this film. Anyways, seeing Angela standing buck naked with that crazy ass expression on her face unnerved me! I already knew of the film's plot twist, as I've seen plenty of horror film ranking lists on YouTube. So, as a result, the ending wasn't a surprise to me! It was still chilling to witness.

    So far, Sleepaway Camp is my favorite slasher, with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre following right after! I should watch more films under the subgenre to broaden my mental library. I gotta see if there are more films with female slasher villains in them.

Day 02 - Your horror film that you relate most to.

 

    My grandmother passed away in 2020. If you can recall, this was during the COVID 19 lockdown. My family and I could not visit her in the hospital due to the restrictions, but we were able to bring her home on hospice. It was a very rough time for me personally, I hit another all time low in my life after she passed.

    Relic (2020) was available on streaming services during July, a couple months after she passed. I remember sitting down with my mother in the living room and watching it. We watched the film all the way through and I was devastated.

    You see, before my grandma passed, she was already well into her dementia. She never "acted" up with us, never got aggressive. She was just really funny! She made a lot of quips and jokes and the best thing we did was go along with it. However, with other people, she would get triggered and act out of character. All I can tell you was that she remembered me, after everything she had been through. 

    This film hit me like a ton of bricks. It ripped my heart apart! lol. The film is basically a metaphor for dementia, expressed through the lens of horror. That's why horror is one of my favorite film genres, it's very flexible, multi-faceted. It can be as deep or as shallow as you want it to be! And the fact that I watched this film so soon after my grandmother's death... ugh.

    The ending is what really took me out. The film's main characters are a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter. The grandmother is suffering with dementia, turning into this "creature" of some sort. The mother and daughter are running away from the grandmother, but the mother can't just leave her own mother like that. So, the mom goes back into the house and lays down with her mother. The daughter comes in after, climbing onto the bed to cradle her mother. As she hugs her mother, the audience can see how the mother is beginning to turn into a creature like her grandmother.

    My mom was right next to me, watching the movie, by the way :')  My mom will eventually succumb to dementia, just like my grandmother. Then I will be next. That's the way life goes, you know? It hurts so much to think about, it breaks my heart. Life can be so cruel sometimes. But, I still have at least 20 more years before my mom starts getting symptoms. And I have double that time soooooo...

Me and Gramma

    It's a really good film, I definitely recommend it! I don't know if I have it in me to watch it again, but if you're into films like The Babadook (2014) or Hereditary (2018), then you should check Relic (2020) out.

Day 01 - A horror film that no one would expect you to love, but you do.

 

    It is officially September! Let the 30 Day Horror Tag commence! So, the first day of the challenge asks you, "What is a horror film that no one would expect you to love, but you do". I am not a religious person in the sense that I go to church, but I am a spiritual one that experiences blind faith. Going into Signs (2002), one would expect it to be a horror film about aliens, not about a priest regaining his faith after becoming a widow. I cannot believe I was tricked into watching a film about faith disguised as an alien invasion film.

    I was only 4 when the film came out, but I believe I was a bit older when the movie was available on VHS and DVD. That transition from the theater to physical media took a long time back then, no straight to online streaming service! I just remember my paternal grandmother talking about the "little girl dancing" and her laughing about it.

    Obviously, everything seems a lot scarier when you're younger. I remember the opening credits playing in the living room of our first house and getting anxiety from the score. It almost sounds like the score of the second Jeepers Creepers film, scary stuff! The film gave off this aura of mystery and uneasiness, with a bit of awkwardness. I can barely remember watching the cornfield scene.

    I don't think I saw it all the way through again until I was in my early adulthood. All the hazy details of your youth begin to make sense in your fuller developed brain, and I began to acquire a newfound appreciation for the film. I began to fall in love with the atmosphere of the movie, as it provided me the same kind of comfort that I had in Silent Hill (2006). The uneasiness that plagues the film is similar to Silent Hill, in the sense that there is incoming dread. A threat. That feeling excites me.

    I don't know why I love the way chaos and impending doom makes me feel. I love Cloverfield for the same reasons, as well as Resident Evil. I guess because my life is so boring, I relish in the thought of something extremely drastic happening. But, why does one find comfort in that feeling? Like a comforting thunderstorm.

    I've also had a lot of trouble with religion and faith while I was growing up. I resent a lot of Christianity, although, not as much as I did when I was younger. I used to pray every night to God to help protect my family, help me sleep, to give me good dreams, and to let me have a good day when I woke up. I related to the scene when Graham had his son, gasping for air, in his arms. His head laid back and he spat through gritted teeth, "I hate you. I hate you!". I cannot remember the first time I ever told God that I hated him, but I remember the feeling. It burned in my chest and I was choking through tears.

    I had a lot of animosity weighing heavy in my heart. I felt betrayed and lied to. I felt abandoned. Movies like Signs, The Exorcist, and Jacob's Ladder helped me move through a lot of my anger and hopelessness. They helped me believe in something again. That is the beauty of film. While I do not identify as a Christian today, I have regained a sense of faith. I believe in higher powers. I believe that energy cannot be created, nor can it be destroyed. I believe the physical form is limiting and that I will not truly be free until I leave this realm. Then, I will fly over clouds and fight dragons on the other side. For now, I'm trying to live my life to the fullest!

    The film holds up tremendously well these days. I don't get tired of watching it, same with The Sixth Sense. There are numerous video essays on YouTube discussing how clever M. Night Shyamalan is as a writer/director, specifically his work in Signs and The Sixth Sense. I love rewatching it with newfound information and seeing just how well the whole film ties together. I especially love seeing the dynamics of the two brothers.

    I think my favorite scenes would be: The Baby Monitor scene, The Cornfield scene, and The Miracles or Coincidence scene being my top favorite of the movie. Here is where you can see Joaquin Phoenix's character really shine, besides the end of the film. You can see how different the brothers are and how much Merrill looks up to his brother. Merrill seeks comfort in Graham, not as a priest, but as his sibling. While Graham delivers him an almost sermon-like speech, Merrill was able to give a speech of his own. It's hilarious and just as impactful as Graham's speech about miracles and coincidences.

    The only thing that sucks is the CGI, lol! That didn't hold up too well, but I am willing to overlook it. The film did a great job hiding the aliens by showing them in the shadows, through fuzzy t.v. screens, and camouflage. Their designs are okay, I think what made them so scary was the fact that you could only hear them and not see them. And they sounded scary, what with the whale-like moaning and clicking through the baby monitor.

    Well, that's day 1! I'm excited for this challenge :) This is also acting as a countdown to the first day of October! Woo hoo!

Revisiting the Daiso Journal Pouch!

 

    As I mentioned in the previous post, I went to Daiso and picked up a couple of things! I went to Daiso like, a month ago? I was searching for the PEVA pouch to make the journal pouch everyone was making, but I couldn't find a cute color. However, during this trip, I found the pouches in size A4, in the colors purple and pink! I had a hard time choosing between the 2 colors, but ultimately pink won!

    I also grabbed some Sanrio stickers (new stock!), a couple of washi tape, a mini pouch, and some snacks. I did manage to find the sewing section with all of the elastic! I couldn't find any pink elastic, but the white will suffice. I should've grabbed a coil keychain to wrap around the journal, but I totally blanked on that! I'm gonna have to visit the dollar store tomorrow!

    I enjoy making these pouches because they're relatively easy! You just poke some holes, string elastic through, and bam! It's done! The fun part is decorating the pouch cover ;) Since I'm going to be using basically loose leaf paper, I needed something to make the cover sturdy. I used some leftover cardboard from a stationary set I got at DD's! The packaging was cute, so I thought I'd save it, rather than just throw it away! I made a good call, it fits great inside the pouch!

Before...

Putting in stationery and cardboard...

After!

    I also mentioned before that I typically can't find a multimedia sketchbook small enough to fit the measurements of the journal pouch. Instead of ordering another sketchbook, and spending more money, I have decided to use the bristol board I have at home! I have a ton of it, so I measured out the pages and used an X-Acto knife to cut them out.

    The process is very tedious and it puts a lot of strain on my wrist! I know we have a guillotine paper cutter around the house, I just have to find it! That would make the whole process so much easier and faster. I plan filling the whole thing up, nice and thick. I can't do that without the extra help of the guillotine.

    This pouch cover is different from my other ones because it has 2 pockets with 2 zippers. I was able to insert stationary into the front pocket, unlike the other journal pouches. It looks really cute with all my stuff in it! I had also stuck a mini journal in the back of the pouch, so I can pull that out whenever I need to take some notes. I'm excited to start working in it, as well as my other one!

 

    I'll finish this post off with a picture of my blogging buddy, my special girl!! She fell asleep on my desk while I was editing this post <333 I love my girl!!! :3