So I took advantage of the solar-powered motivation to:

• catch up on three baskets of laundry;
• finish the first draft of a short story;
• outline 15 blog posts;
• troubleshoot the missed schedule problem on my blog – none of the solutions have worked…yet;
• begin the inventory of my personal library that I’ve wanted to do for two years;
• begin a painting project with my daughter – I’m no painter but it’s still fun;
• discuss classic literature with my daughter and order our first set of “complete book with study guide” for such gems as Frankenstein and Great Expectations. She also wants to read Shakespeare and she selected Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream to get started there. Oh, and she begged for H.G. Wells and Jules Verne so, of course, I caved and ordered a box set and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, respectively.

Plus, there was time for movies – yay!

• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) – Jake Gyllenhaal can do no wrong in my eyes! But I’d put this movie off for a very long time because I just wasn’t expecting much. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least. Great entertainment and, for its genre, did everything it was supposed to.
• The Disappeared (2008) – I found the pace just a tad slow but Harry Treadaway’s performance kept me connected. And while the story’s been done before, I wasn’t bored. Oh, and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter films) did a fine job; although, it caught me a little off guard to hear him drop the f-bomb. It’s still hard to believe he’s an adult.
• Blackout (2008) – The less you read about this one, the better. It’s a psychological thriller with some splashes of horror that will probably leave you in the middle of the road as far as overall rating. I’ve seen many “people trapped in an elevator” or “people locked in a room” type flicks so I walked away from this one feeling just okay about it. I’m curious if the book on which it’s based, by Gianluca Morozzi, is better.

Overall, a peaceful yet productive weekend. The time sucks I’ve allowed to creep in the last six months are being eliminated. (Turn off your cable or satellite and you’ll see just how much you’re capable of getting done!) And progress is being made on my goal to finish one story before going on to the next. Good times!

Are you feeling the effects of winter?

Do you find you have [more, less, the same] productivity in the winter?

Photo credit: Sergey Soldatov

I’m sorry to toss in my two cents so late in the contest with only two days left to cast your vote. I wanted to write about the Halloween Horror Nights 2009-Chiller Scary Good Film Competition* as soon as I watched all of the Top 10 films on September 17th, but I just haven’t been able to get to this post until today.

Please enjoy my recap of the Top 10 finalists, in the order in which I’d award prizes. I rate on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 1 star being the worst and 5 stars being the best. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite!

# 10 – CHINESE CHILLER (Directed by Christopher Baker)

And they tell us not to believe fortune cookies. Welp, I stayed awake through Chinese Chiller, but I wouldn’t say I was into it…at all. First off, I didn’t like the guy. I’ve worked in the food service industry and his type is quite common. Second, the delivery girl telegraphed the twist. And third, did I mention I didn’t like the main character? Lastly, I also had issues with the sound quality. More info. Therefore, I generously award Chinese Chiller 2 stars.

# 9 – SHADOW PUPPET (Written and directed by David Schneider)

I watched Shadow Puppet and I was reminded how much pugs rock! Seriously though, shadows have always been creepy to me…all that darkness following you everywhere *shivers*. I wonder, was the score meant to give it a comedic feel? Or was that an accident? More info. I rate Shadow Puppet 2.5 stars.

# 8 – DO NO HARM (Written and directed by John Gehrke)

It took watching Do No Harm four times before I knew for sure what I thought about it. And to be honest, I’m still slightly confused. Is Carrie a med student or a new surgeon? Did she kill someone during surgery? Or, is she just over-worked and sleep deprived, and this film is a nightmare from which she can’t escape? *shrugs*

I do know one thing for sure: I haven’t known a single person who, when startled by something whilst in their bed, didn’t switch on the lamp immediately. Why in the world would you open a drawer, search for a mini-flashlight and shine its quarter-sized beam on an unidentified liquid, when you could just turn on the light? I guess I’m a little nit picky with such small universal details. I get the motivation and the intent behind that shot, I just don’t agree with its use in this case. More info. I rate Do No Harm 2.5 stars.

# 7 – STRANGER DANGER (Written and directed by Luke Nelson)

I thought Stranger Danger was good but it would’ve definitely been better had it run a smidge longer. Extra minutes would’ve allowed the filmmaker time to build adequate suspense and anticipation. I knew too much, too fast. Oh yeah, I did not like the flashlight under the face lighting technique used on the stranger during the bedroom scene. Actually, there were a number of lighting issues, for me anyway. There’s plenty of potential here though. 3 stars for Stranger Danger.

# 6 – SAMARITAN (Directed by Charles C. Wills)

I found that Samaritan improved as the film progressed. I’m not sure the editing was the best it could’ve been. But I do love me some zombies! Even the kiddie-munchin’ kind :-) More info. 3 stars.

# 5 – THE NIGHTMARE (Directed by Jeff M. Breyer)

*scratches head* Really, you just have to watch The Nightmare for yourself. I don’t even wanna attempt to wrap my brain around it. Is this The Nightmare of someone like Norman Bates or Leatherface? If so, this movie is brilliant. I felt like I was in the mind of a madman. More info. I’m not sure there’s really a ranking system for this sort of film so I’ll give it 3 stars.

# 4 – APPETENCE (Written and directed by Brian H. Robbins)

After I finished watching Appetence, I wondered which came first, the killer or the artist? I’ve read a couple of not-so-great reviews online and those reviewers felt the story was better suited for a full-length film as opposed to this short film format. I disagree.

While I almost always prefer a 90 minute film over a two minute one–simply because I like to dig into a story and really feel its world–I found Appetence worked beautifully as a short film. I think the key to its success is the score. There’s no dialogue, but that music speaks a thousand words. Without dialogue, my imagination was given full rein to mold what I watched into anything I wanted to make it. Brian H. Robbins said this is “[a] short film based off a piece of [his] writing.” I wonder if what I created in my head is anything close to what Brian envisioned showing his audience? More info. I give Appetence 3 stars.

# 3 – MOCKINGBIRD (Written by Drew Daywalt, Directed by Marichelle Daywalt)

Mockingbird is the only film of these Top 10 finalists that truly disturbed me. As soon as the front door handle started to jiggle, I felt squirmy and uncomfortable. At that moment in the movie, I realized the ending would not be happy and it would not make me feel good. Yuck. As a mom, my worst fear is something happening to my daughter. I think this deep-rooted emotional connection is the secret to Mockingbird and as such I rate it 4 stars. More info.

# 2 – LAMAZE OF THE DEAD (Written by Whitney Baltz, Directed by M. Shawn Lewallen)

Lamaze of the Dead is SOOO my sentimental favorite. My heart beats for zombies! I replayed it like 5 times…okay, you got me. It was more like 10 but in my defense the movie is only three minutes long. Should I point out that Whitney Baltz is a woman? Yes, I think so, especially after my request at the end of All Boobs, No Brains? Me Thinks Not. I proudly rate Lamaze of the Dead 4.5 stars. More info.

# 1 – BEDFELLOWS (Written and directed by Drew Daywalt)

Tagline reads, “Sometimes at night the person you are laying next to, isn’t the same person you went to bed with!” Well, I survived Bedfellows. Consequently, I wish I’d had a Depends on or something because I tinkled a little bit during the last shot. But what a surprise! This film actually scared me, and in under three minutes, not bad. From the hypnotizing tick of the clock to the jolt of the ringing cellphone to the realization on Rachel’s face after she answers the telephone…great build up and a worthy pay off. I award 5 stars to Bedfellows, my favorite of the Top 10 finalists. More info.

I guess genuine, pee-inducing scares beat zombies . . . at least this time :-)

Now what are you waiting for? Vote for your favorite and support these horror filmmakers.

I’m only kidding.

Or am I?

Anywho…

While revising my response to Bloofer Lady’s post, Rant On Horror: On Being A Female Horror Fan, I realized it was way too long to add as a comment. So I decided to post it on my blog instead of bogarting all that space in her comments section. Below is an excerpt and this is pretty much the only section of her post with which I disagreed.

Lastly, I would like speak about how women are portrayed within horror films. I realise that as a woman I am not as physically powerful as a man, but that doesn’t mean that I am a screaming bobble-head without a brain. There have been a few horror movie heroins such as Ripley from the Alien franchise, but they seem to be far and in-between. These days the female lead characters in horror films are often screaming teen chicks with fake boobies and no brain between their ears. The Descent totally broke that mold a few years back and I wish that others would realise that you don’t need to show tits constantly to make a good horror film. I don’t mind boobies, hell I own a pair, but some of the movies being made these days, such as Hostel, border on being porn.

I’ve wanted to rant about the topic of female horror fans for a long time so kudos to you for putting your two cents out there. While I agree with many of the points in your post, I have to respectfully disagree about all women, with the rare exception, being portrayed in horror films as brainless bimbos on a regular basis. I’ve noticed a substantial increase in the amount of smart heroines in horror movies. FYI: I’ve only watched foreign horror films for about four years now so I’m basing my response on a lot of American films and only a little knowledge of foreign.

How about an example from my favorite, horror movie–Halloween (1978)? Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode doesn’t make a lot of stupid choices, no screaming whilst waiting passively as the killer finishes the job, and she’s not treated like a piece of eye candy.¹

You’ve already mentioned Ellen Ripley from the Alien series, and the ladies from The Descent , who although dirty as you stated, were also all attractive women in tight-fitting clothes showing skin, but yes the sex factor was more subtle.

Ashley Laurence as Kirsty in Hellraiser (1987²) is another tough chick who wasn’t sexified or dumbed down. She was maybe a little more weepy and hysterical than other heroines, but she escaped Pinhead, didn’t she? Plus, what’s better than a realistic heroine? A heroine who freaks the eff out when it’s appropriate but fights through the fear to outwit and survive. I appreciate a strong female character who doesn’t have to sacrifice her femininity to embrace that strength.

Camilla Belle’s character, Jill Johnson, in When a Stranger Calls (2006). Perhaps more thriller than horror, it still showed us a strong, teenage girl, who fought non-stop to survive, and did so in smart ways. I really liked Jill for those qualities.

Oh, what about Cassandra Magrath’s character, Liz, in Wolf Creek? She was so proactive and so strong, that I never doubted she’d get away. Yeah, mucho props to Greg McLean for that bit of trickery.

My favorite recent example is Lauren German’s character, Beth, in Hostel Part II. Not only did Eli Roth make her the sole survivor, but he allowed her to murder the villain’s manhood in front of everyone. [Side note: I know a lot of people are upset with Eli Roth over Hostel's first 30 or so minutes. Personally, I have no issue with nudity or sex (simulated or unsimulated) onscreen when it serves a purpose in the film. I will continue to stick by Hostel as a great horror movie. And I shun all use of the phrase "torture porn" . . . except for right now when I have to convey my dislike of such a silly label. If you're going to call something "torture porn," on top of the non-stop, in-your-face gorefest, I expect to see several male actors completely naked, unsimulated sex, and mind-numbingly awful acting. Then, and only then, I might concede to the existence of such a sub-genre.]

Heather Langenkamp as Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)³, Manuela Velasco as Angela in [REC] (2007), Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott in the Scream trilogy, and I could probably come up with a few more if I dug deeper in the memory vault. My point is, I really think times have changed for women in horror movies.

Now, I’m not saying they’re not making a large amount of horror flicks with a bunch of tits and no brains. I’ve just noticed a wider selection of movies starring sexy, smart, and strong female characters. Psst! Briana Evigan is an actress I hope to see in more horror films because I really think she’s a good heroine.

So, in closing, let’s face it–movies have to make money. I think, as in any genre of film, women’s roles are at the mercy of the person writing the script and forking out the dough⁴. And horror movies, which are already difficult enough to make and distribute, are geared toward a very specific audience⁵ so we’re gonna have to deal with the “dumb, naked chick” factor for as long as sex sells and men like boobies.

¹ Remember, film is steeped in current events, issues, culture, and so forth. Women weren’t always empowered. Women were viewed as the weaker, inferior sex; thus, the films made at the time portray woman as she was generalized and stereotyped by the masses. Take a look at Jamie’s mum 18 years earlier in Psycho (1960).

² Isn’t it sad that we almost have to put the year in which a film as classic as Hellraiser was made because everything’s getting remade? Geesh.

³ Any Freddy fans out there? Well, I am. It was THE very first horror movie I ever saw and it scared the bejeebers outta me. I’ve been a dedicated Elm Street fan ever since. As such, I was extremely jealous of all you Jason fans when they made a special documentary all about the Friday the 13th series. But wait no longer. They’re currently working on Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, which should be out in 2010. More info.

⁴ Yes, this person tends to have a penis.

⁵ Yes, these people tend to have penises as well. See the trend?

So thank Baby Jesus for giving us those special men who know how to write strong female characters and who aren’t afraid of breaking the paint-by-numbers style of some movies in the horror genre. My dream come true would be an increased number of successful female filmmakers with a passion for making scary ass movies because certainly then we’d get a different perspective or at least a fresh one. If you think I’m missing out on a great horror movie by a woman, please share it with me! The movie’s title and director are all I need to get started.

I don’t care if it’s a man or a woman, but we need some new blood to shake things up in horror. I feel like all we see in the U.S. nowadays are remakes or reboots. I’ve turned to foreign cinema a lot more the past four years and it rarely disappoints me and it almost always surprises me with something new. I’ll stop there. I could rant on that topic for hours and it’s already 1:30 AM.

For the most part though, it was so heartfelt, so genuine and so close to home that I knew I’d love it as soon as I saw the opening scene. The music helped. The songs used were perfect for the scenes within which they played. But it’s really the chemistry between Jonah and Dakota that makes this movie work. *sigh* I think Juno might be bumped out of my number one slot of all-time favorite feel good movies…maybe *smiles*.

Jonah’s response to Dakota is my favorite scene from the movie. Enjoy the clip below.

Synopsis:

For as long as she could remember, Dakota Skye has been cursed with a super power. She has the ability to see the truth in any lie she hears. From small, harmless white lies, to the more devious kind, they have come from the people that she should trust the most; her family, friends and teachers. These lies have snowballed, leading to her becoming bitter and apathetic towards the world around her. Now seventeen, Dakota just watches the world happen around her, unmotivated to join it. She has a boyfriend who plays in a semi-popular local rock band and her best friend from childhood, but finds little joy in her own life. One day, Jonah comes into town. It only takes a few days before Dakota notices something about him that sets him apart from the other people in her life. He doesn’t lie. Through her friendship with Jonah, her eyes are opened to the world around her and she sees that there is something out there more than all the lies. There is a possibility of something different… something better. If only he wasn’t her boyfriend’s best friend. Now she must make a choice. Can she go back to the apathy that has dictated her life, ignoring something potentially amazing? Can she take the leap into the unknown with Jonah, ignoring all the repercussions that may come from that decision? Is he really the person that she thinks he is and wants him to be? The only thing that becomes clear is that Dakota can no longer be a spectator in her own life. She has to look at her life as it was, is and could be and make a choice for the first time. Written by director, John Humber

You may have noticed my weekly “Quote of the Week” posts have dwindled to non-existence over the past 30 days. Even my book reviews have been neglected. “Why?” you might ask. Welp, not one reason in particular really. My work schedule has been hectic with a lot of “Now!” projects on my plate. Then my personal life took an unexpected turn and then another unexpected turn and yet another one so that I’m full circle back to where I started.

Finally, I’m on my first real vacation in FOUR years! June 26th through July 5th. No “work” for 10 whole days. It’s effin awesome I tell ya. Work is so overrated. I set a goal for myself–while making my way-too-ambitious ‘to do on vacation’ list–to get the weekly quotes ready to go through August 1st, update my current WIP word count, which amazingly has gone up 1,000 words over the past two months (yay!), and to get the six book reviews I have scribbled down on paper into Flying Monkeys. All very do-able as long as I stay *gulp* focused.

So I do apologize for my AWOL-like behavior of late, but I promise, I’m still here. I’m still reading every day, sometimes two books a day. I’m still watching way too many movies for everyone else’s good as they’re subjected to my randomly spewing one-liners at them, which I find hilarious, but them, not so much. (Apparently, not enough people have watched Role Models to fully grasp the humor of hearing me tell my daughter, “I will hit a child,” without feeling like they should call in Children’s Services. I get a kick out of it though. On second thought, maybe I should stop quoting that line to strangers’ ill-mannered kids? That could be taking it a tad too far. Something to mull over later I s’pose.)

And, of course, I’m still writing. As a matter of fact, I’ve been bombarded by my muse lately. I see and hear so many stories that I can barely make note of them before I’m getting another burst of inspiration. I have so many unanswered questions that I’m dying to answer in my stories. It can be a little overwhelming sometimes. I love it!

My biggest goal continues to be implementing and maintaining a writing routine that fits into my already overfilled schedule. I read Holly’s “Write A Book With Me” post over on her blog today. Very interesting and I’m going to try it. Many of her techniques and strategies are working for me, why not try one more.

On that note, I am going to sign off for sleepy time.

Do you ever wonder how much more we could accomplish if we didn’t have to spend time on such trivial tasks as waste elimination and sleep?

Just something to ponder when you’re bored.

Toodles y’all!

Does anyone remember the MPAA rating system of yesteryear when PG and PG-13 flicks could (and often did) include swearing, drug use, nudity, and so on? I am a huge 80s movie geek and sometimes when I watch a PG-13 movie from the 80s with my daughter, I’m like, “Wait, was that in there 25 years ago?” because some of the content wouldn’t make it with a PG-13 rating nowadays. It would definitely get a hard R.

The whole rating system cracks me up really. A small group of people (not even made up of a representative sample of Americans; they’re mostly middle-upper class, white, late 40s or 50s women and men) judging what is appropriate for every age group. I’m still amazed this has worked for so many years. I mean honestly, it’s all totally subjective.

I never say I will or won’t let my daughter see something simply for its rating. I watch it then I judge whether it’s something suitable for her to watch. But then again I’m of the thinking, and I know I’m in the minority here, that my child does in fact have a brain with which she can evaluate and decide on her own the movies to watch. For the most part, she sticks with the G and PG rated flicks. However, there are other times she’ll see a movie rated PG-13 or R and love it. I catch a lot of crap from my family for this way of thinking, but it’s what I believe.

I don’t believe in blaming movies, music or the media for the problems in the world. It all comes down to good parenting. If your kid watches a movie that bothers them and doesn’t feel comfortable talking to you about it, then there’s a problem. But if my daughter sees something in a movie that scares her or disturbs her in some way, we talk about it. I feel it actually opens a lot more lines of communication than closes them as long as the parent has an open-mind and knows how to discuss topics with their children rather than dictate how their children should think or feel.

Just my two cents, as always.