Quote of the Month – Topic: Writing

“Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.” (Unknown)

I don’t know who said this, but it inspires me. It follows along the same lines as another post I made a few weeks ago about writing because you have something to say. I write what makes me feel alive. I write or else the crazy cast of characters I carry around will slowly drive me insane. I write so I don’t drive my family nuts with yet another conspiracy theory or new twist on what really happened to the neighbor’s husband. I write because my voice is never more clear, never more true, than when it’s on paper. My words and my stories are part of me, revealed to the world, vulnerable to everyone who dares read them. I write because I have to.

Why do you write? What’s the craziest theme you’ve explored in your writing? How about the silliest?

Ew, I Feel So Naughty

I am not one to support rating systems like that of the MPAA so I definitely wouldn’t be on board for any sort of serious rating system for books or blogs. Parents, if you want to pre-screen your children’s movies, games or books, then I suggest you watch it, play it or read it before they do. Pretty simple, at least in my mind. After all, parents are the only ones who truly know their children enough to decide what they are or are not ready to process. Why does everyone think the MPAA knows what’s best? *shakes head* Anywho, rambling.

While browsing blogs this evening, I found a post that mentioned the “What’s My Blog Rated” quiz. After you follow this link, type in your website URL, then click “Rate It.” Simply click in the lower right-hand corner to “skip the ad.”

So, what’s Unleash the Flying Monkeys! rated?

Isn’t that hilarious? Do you want to know why they rated my blog NC-17? For my repeated use of words like porn, zombies, torture, and sex. I don’t know why, but that cracks me up.

If you want to check out a few other fun quizzes offered by OnePlusYou, how about:

What Would Your Body Taste Like To a Cannibal?

Apparently, I “would most likely taste like barbequed chicken.”

How Many Five Year Olds Could You Take in a Fight?

17

Isn’t this ridonkulous? But it’s funny and I always enjoy a good laugh. The questions are the best part of these quizzes. “Could you use a child as a weapon…” Woo boy, good stuff.

What Are Your Chances of Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse?

59%

I don’t agree with the 59% chance; I guess I shouldn’t have said I would try to save a stranger before abandoning them? Or that I would find a weapon before fortifying entrances/exits? Hmm, something to think about next time I daydream.

Have fun! And be sure to leave a comment with your scores. I don’t think you can post the images but the scores would be fun to know.

‘This Life Has Been a Test…’

This life has been a test. If it had been an actual life, you would have received instructions on where to go and what to do.

That is still one of my favorite quotes from Angela (Claire Danes’ character) in My So-Called Life. I can’t believe I don’t own the complete series yet. Slackin’ I suppose. Insert hint for Christmas gift idea here. *grins* Anywho, this originally aired in season one, episode seven, Why Jordan Can’t Read.

Follow this link to watch the full episode. Or you can fast forward to around the 35 minute mark to hear just the quote.

Need more to feed your MSCL addiction? Then check out the two websites below.

My So-Called Life fan site (everything you’d ever want to know about MSCL) http://www.mscl.com/

My So-Called Life on Hulu (full episodes, hells yeah!)
http://www.hulu.com/my-so-called-life

Halloween Horror Nights 2009-Chiller Scary Good Film Competition

Hurry! The voting for this competition closes on Friday, September 25, 2009.

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.

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* Chiller, the recently-launched channel from NBC Universal, is the only network devoted to delivering viewers round-the-clock scares. Chiller’s eclectic slate of adrenaline-fueled, soul-stirring entertainment includes classic drama and anthology series (Tales from the Darkside, Twin Peaks, Nightmare Cafe), international programming (Spine Chillers, Strange) and a broad offering of films, including feature-length premieres on the first Friday of each month. Chiller is currently available in nearly 34 million homes. To learn more, visit: www.chillertv.com. (source: HHN press release)

Bassetfest 2009 – Will You Help Us?

Please help spread the word! These hounds need our help.

You CAN Make a Difference!

Saturday, October 10, 2009
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
CHAMPION CLUB DOG PARK
6306 Home Road
Delaware, OH 43015
(740) 881-2000
www.columbusdogpark.com

Join us for a day of Basset fun and games!

Raffles, Basset merchandise, and a costume contest for the hounds.

Prizes for the top three hound costumes, food and refreshments available.

Help us help the hounds by collecting pledges. The top pledge getters will win prizes.

Rooms available at:

Drury Inn and Suites
6170 Parkcenter Circle
Dublin, OH 43017,
(800) 325-0402

Tell them you’re with the Ohio Basset Rescue Group to receive the group rate, good until September 20th.

For a pledge sheet, to volunteer or for general information, contact Cathy Rice at (614) 530-1429 or cathy.rice1@att.net

To donate food or an item for the raffle, contact Andrea Tannreuther andrearnc1@yahoo.com

***ALL DOGS MUST BE CURRENT ON VACCINES, FLEA PREVENTION, SPAYED OR NEUTERED***

P.S. Don’t make Copper give you her sad face!

"Gawd! She's pointing that flashy thing at me again."

P.P.S. We rescued Copper from the Union County Humane Society in February of 2008. She’s the sweetest dog I know and she’s the best guard dog ever! She can spot a spider in the dark from 20 feet away and howls to notify us of the eight-legged intruder. If one of our cats is getting into trouble, she’ll bark for us. Yeah, we’re pretty much screwed against serious intruders, but you can’t beat insect protection/cat sitter in the form of a four-legged, floppy-eared, drool box, now can ya?

I Need Help, the Mental Kind

Okay, this is going to be one of the most personal situations I’ve ever shared on my blog. But I’m seriously unable to come to my own conclusion and I need feedback from both men and women. I’ve been reading articles and forums and blogs on the subject in an effort to find something close to personal truth. Alas, here I am, hoping someone out there will be able to explain things in a way I can accept and apply to my life so I can move past this issue.

First, a little background. Dimples (the nickname I gave my boyfriend for blogging purposes) hasn’t had too many serious relationships. Ours is only his second. He’s 34 years old, never married, no children. He told me on our third date he’s never been in love, and he’s never told a woman he loves her, other than his mum and dog. So in his defense, I knew from the beginning he had some sort of issue with relationships and love. But who doesn’t, right? He once told me he didn’t think love was necessary for a successful marriage. He said respect was more important.

We’ve dated for a year. We did have a three week “break” in there when we agreed to split because things felt off between us. I initiated the break up. It was mainly because…well, that’s not really relevant right now. After three weeks, we talked and we decided to give it another try. My point is, we’ve been dating for nearly a year. His actions, for the most part, probably about 75% of the time, show me he cares a lot about me.

For instance, my daughter and I stay over at his house a few nights a week and he stays with us once a week. I’ve met his family and he’s met mine (a little more than just met them, eh, Dimples? *winks*). He’s dropped “when we live together…” during our conversations. He’s also told me before that he sees no reason why we’d break up. He left work to take me to the hospital when I was sick in March (Who knew? Vertigo isn’t just a movie.) and he stayed with me 90% of the time I was in there. When we’re laying on the couch watching a movie, he’ll notice my bare feet and cover them up with his blanket. He offers to help me with everything, even to the point of driving me crazy, but I love that about him, and I appreciate it every time he helps me with something despite my protests not to.

Neither of us is really romantic or anything. I appreciate romance but I don’t require it in a relationship. I think romance is just an easy way to show someone how much they mean to you. When you’re the recipient of romantic gestures, it feels fabulous! But we’ve never been like that with each other. Unless you count the numerous times he’s surprised me with Susie Qs? Simple pleasures :-) I know I restrain my romantic side with him simply because I know he’s not a romantic person. I’m stalling. What was I saying? Oh yeah, I see signs that he does in fact care about me and my daughter. They’re not usually huge, flashing signs, but they are there. Or am I assigning meaning where there isn’t any?

Right. Moving along then to the reason I’m writing today–I told Dimples I loved him on Saturday for the first time. Should I include the date? Or would that girlify me too much? HA!

We’d had a fabulous weekend together. Lots of fun activities, lots of laughter, and lots of mind-blowing . . . conversation. Double HA! It was about 3:00 AM, he gave me a good night kiss, and I perpetuated a private joke we had going that night. He laughed. I felt very content and in the moment so I went with my heart and said, “Hey, just for the record, I love you.” Where the eff my head was at, I have no idea, but it’s lucky I can’t fire its ass for letting my heart fly solo at that particular moment. I thought I’d vomit as soon as the last word was out of my mouth, but luckily, I didn’t.

He responded with “Awww!” and kissed me. We snuggled together.

Everything was cool for about 90 seconds then, breaking the heaviest silence I’d ever felt,  he dropped a bomb. “I feel like such an ass.”

“Why?” I asked even though I knew exactly where he was going.

“Because I can’t say it back.”

Ouch! Yep, my worst fear realized. We talked a little more. He tried to explain his position, “It’s not that I don’t love you…I just want to be really sure before I say it…I care a lot about you,” and so on. Then he fell asleep. I couldn’t sleep. [CORRECTION on 9/17/09 at 12:57 AM: Dimples informed me that he was, in fact, not asleep, but awake and unable to sleep just like me. In my loyalty to accuracy, I felt compelled to add this tidbit of information.]

When he woke up the next day, there was something different between us. We both sensed it. I felt so . . . alone and very stupid. I tend to over-think things and all I kept asking myself was, “How can he not know if he loves me or not? If he’s unsure how he feels about me, then there’s really no stability in our relationship, right?” He had plans to go to a soccer game that day, which he kept. I was a wreck all day long. I cried for the majority of it, wondering if I’d wasted my time (and heart) on someone who didn’t love me. By the end of Sunday night, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to have some answers. I called him and I requested he come over so we could talk.

The talk went well. I was able to hold back most of my tears. I don’t know if our talk was productive but I felt like we were both hearing the other person’s position and caring what the other person had to say. I love that he’s a calm listener. I asked him direct questions to which he responded with direct answers. I asked him:

• If he was serious about me
• If he wanted to live together someday in the near future
• If he had strong feelings for me

All of which he answered “yes” and his face looked so genuine and sincere. His body language told me he wasn’t lying. He apologized over and over for hurting me. He said he wished he could say it back. I believed him and I told him so. There was one thing he said though that is still confusing me. When I asked him if he wants to be with me or break up, he replied, “I don’t want to hurt you. I want to be with you but I don’t want you to be hurting all the time.” Does that mean he never expects to be able to tell me he loves me?

I told him I forgave him for the hurt. I told him I would do my best to look forward and not concentrate on the fact that he can’t tell me he loves me. Gawd, writing that feels like someone’s pinching my heart and at the same time covering my mouth so I can’t breathe. He agreed to give me the reassurance I need in other ways since the whole “I love you” thing is off the table. But I haven’t seen him since Monday morning. I haven’t talked to him since then either. We’ve only texted and nothing from him that gives me the impression he misses me or wants to see me. I had to ask him yesterday if he wanted to get together before Friday. He said he was thinking Thursday but he didn’t give me anything concrete.

It feels like I’m getting the cold shoulder and I don’t know if he’s distancing himself or what. Yep, I might drown in all this reassurance. Sorry. I get sarcastic when I’m hurt. It’s a flaw, one of many. Perhaps I’m just over-thinking again since the pain is so near the surface. *sighs*

How do I get past this?

Is it okay that he cannot tell me he loves me?

Do I have to hear the words “I love you” to know someone loves me? Or do I only have to pay attention to their actions in order to determine their true feelings and intentions?

Which of the following is true?

If a guy is doing one thing and saying another, always believe what he’s doing.

OR

If a guy says he can’t tell you he loves you, it’s because he doesn’t love you.

I guess if I knew he loved me, and he just couldn’t vocalize it, then I would feel pretty damn secure in our relationship. But if he absolutely does not love me, I want to freakin’ know. I’m afraid he won’t tell me the truth about his feelings until he’s ready to break up with me. You know, have his cake and eat it too type of situation.

Welp, I did it. I wrote it all out for the world (and Dimples) to read. Thank you to anyone who actually read my entire post. And an extra special “thank you” to anyone who not only read it but didn’t point and laugh. I hope I didn’t sound irrational or unreasonable. I just needed to vent. I have no idea what to do.

The fact is I do love him.

So what would you do?

Favors Mean You Care, Truly Care

The following is inspired by Film School Rejects‘ blog post, “Why Josh Olson is an Asshole.”

I think being polite, doing favors, and helping others are rare commodities in today’s society. It’s definitely not limited to celebrity types or people in high profile jobs. Nope, rudeness and selfishness are rising epidemics, in my humble opinion.

An example: last Christmas, I walked out of a department store into 20 degree temperatures and a heavy windstorm. As luck would have it, one of my shopping bags blew out of my hand. The contents spilled onto the pavement and the empty bag continued blowing further and further away. Forgive me Earth for not carrying my resusable bags at the time.

Smack dab in front of the store’s entrance, in the middle of traffic with my hands full, I attempted to pick up the bag’s contents–one of my daughter’s gifts–but then I started to drop all the other bags. I kid you not, at least 30 people walked by me. Not one person stopped to help.  Even better, one dude watched the whole incident from beginning to end and never moved a muscle to assist me. WTF?!?

Being the badass that I am, I wrangled those bags with my Samsonesque strength, I squinted hard to see through the cyclone of hair, and I stumbled my way to the car as fast as the wind would push me. However, once in the warm, windless safety of my car, I realized I looked like I’d been raped by a tornado and I felt almost as traumatized.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Dropping my bags and not one person helping me aren’t the end of the world. I know a lot of people, including myself, suffer worse on a regular basis. But, it seriously traumatized me. Since then it’s been really hard for me to look at people the same. I examine everyone and everything around me, and over and over again I see repeated acts of rudeness, selfishness, and total disregard for other people.

If the situation were reversed, I would feel like such an ass if I didn’t have the common decency to help that person in whatever way I could. I feel it’s the least I can do to hold a door open for the person behind me or to pick up the penny the old lady in front of me dropped but can’t seem to reach or to answer the question, “How did you get started in virtual assistance,” for the 1,000th time; basically, to treat other people how I want to be treated.

I have issues with people so I might be torn between chasing after the plastic bag or helping the person who dropped their stuff. Help the Earth? Or help the human? It’s a difficult decision when one is destroying the other. But, at least I would choose action not apathy. [If you're new to my blog and my sense of humor, please let me express that I most definitely would help a person before an inanimate object like a plastic bag, but sometimes, people really disappoint me.]

So mainly, I focus on the polite and caring people I know. They do exist. You just have to look a little longer and a little harder to spot them in the crowd. I don’t watch the news and I don’t read the newspaper. The only media I’m interested in is the one with the best coverage of movies, music and books. And if I’m looking for something about politics or charitable causes or what not, I go directly to the source. I work from home and some days I can almost forget that my tiny little world isn’t actually representative of the real world :-) Most days I just don’t give a crap if I’m living in the “real” world. Life’s too short to get hung up on technicalities like reality.

The bottom line is, helping people isn’t always easy. It isn’t always fun and it most certainly takes time away from whatever it is you are doing when presented with the opportunity to help another person. Thus, helping loses its appeal for the majority. Anything that requires sacrifice deters most people. But it is so worth the sacrifice to see another person’s spirits lifted by your simple gesture. I get surprised looks a lot, which makes me a little sad, but for the most part, I get a big smile, and sometimes even a “Thank you.” Whether they’re standing in front of you or they’re thousands of miles away, it just plain feels good to help people.

You’re never too famous or too important or too legally bound to do a favor or help unless you want to be. Some people are simply more selfish than others, but they can’t admit it to themselves, so they justify their choices like crazy. Justifying something is a little too close to making excuses for my tastes.

Personally, I support “pay it forward,” and I wholeheartedly appreciate every single person who does also. Helping another person means you truly care about humanity. Why does it mean that? Because, when you help another person, you are taking action without expecting to gain anything in return for your assistance. You aren’t sitting comfortably at your Starbucks table, sippin’ on your favorite liquid caffeine, watching a frantic soccer mom search for her missing money, and daydreaming over how embarrassing that situation must be. Nope, not you. You care, remember? So you give the woman the few dollars she needs to get her latte fix and you go about your day.

Wouldn’t you want someone to help you or one of your loved ones? Well then, don’t wait for the day when you need help to start helping others. Start now. It’s always better to be proactive with your giving and helping.

All Boobs, No Brains? Me Thinks Not

Or, in my case: all brains, no boobs.

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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.

Jason Mraz – ‘If It Kills Me’

Good gawd! I can’t stop playing this song. Seriously, I need help. Is there a hotline I can call with someone to talk me down from pressing the “replay” button again? Jason’s voice covers my skin in goosebumps. I feel this song every time I listen to it. Thank you to the song gods for this beautiful tune . . . and Jason’s talent.

Side note: now this means my daughter’s favorite song, “I’m Yours,” is getting bumped from our regular playlist for a while. Have a listen below.

10 Years – ‘So Long, Good-bye’

I discovered this song last night on YouTube. Wow! I can definitely see its healing power for the broken-hearted. I don’t know, maybe it’s more empowering than healing. After someone hurts you, having the ability to close that chapter on your life is really, really difficult. A song like this one could definitely give you the mental and emotional support to stay away from the one who caused you so much pain. I’m happy whenever there’s a song written so perfectly for certain situations that you cannot believe it’s from the mind and heart and soul of a total stranger. Anywho, the song really hit me in a place deep down inside, buried, and locked away. It’s haunting me now, playing over and over again in my head. Check it out and let me know what y’all think. The band is 10 Years and it’s off their CD, Division. If you like the song, be sure to support the band by purchasing it from iTunes or Amazon.