Here, Hunger Games, and Hellraiser

I am grammatical shit-tastic. I notice this as I browse old entries on my blog. Yes, I look through old entries because I get curious about what I could have been ranting about in the year 2009. I've been debating with myself if I should stop posting in this blog. It feels like a choice that really only matters to me since no one provides any feedback and, mostly I word vomit random stuff on my mind. I chose to just leave it be. There is always a chance I'll post again and I just like having my blog here, a minuet spot in the vast world wide web.

I've been reading The Hunger Games trilogy. I read the first book a while back and enjoyed it, saw the film in theaters which was a close match to the book and enjoyable too. I bought the entire series and decided to not only re-read the first novel but read it's two sequels. Currently, I am making my way through book two, Catching Fire, and never a dull moment. That's my mantra for the series in general because there is never a dull moment (or dull character for that matter) in the books. Not to mention the female lead does not whimper or swoon or somehow becomes ten times more flat on the silver screen (or that may be Jennifer Lawrence's actual talent there).

I've taken on a interest in the Hellraiser movies too. I've seen some of the sequels, possibly before I ever saw the first film that began the decade-spanning series. I read the short story "The Hellbound Heart" by Clive Barker which is the basis for Hellraiser then I watched both Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 and so on with the series. I read the story in high school and liked it but I wasn't aware of how it fit in with the films. There is loads of backstory to this series I had no idea about, but naturally being the horror fan I am try to soak up as much knowledge as I can because I want to know every detail I could be missing. I continue on watching the films until I stumble upon that dreaded new one released last year or something. I've heard terrible things about it and saw a clip so I'm a little reluctant to spend my time watching it. But I will because I have to know how horrible it actually is compared to what everyone else says. I feel bad that I can't even remember what it's called and that's most likely an omen to its shit-tastic quality. (I'm starting to think that word is my "word of the day".)

Hellraiser and Hellbound are good movies - the first is an enclosed, tight-knit story while the other is an expansive one exploring other ideas in the mythos of the series. Hell on Earth was OK, but I didn't feel it bring much to the series. Bloodline was good, I thought all the back story on the lament configuration was cool. My only drawback to it was it felt like a "Pinhead in Space" movie, but really its 20% in space or the future. Inferno was OK, but it lags a lot in the middle. It had an intense ending which I suppose the slow start built up to it and the idea that hell was the fomration created in the cop's mind was great. That's as far as I've gone. Next is Deader which I saw years ago and didn't understand but I hope to not have that probably this time around. I should be able to make sense of what's going on because of understanding the history of L'Merchant and the lament configuration and the cenobites and how everything ties together.

One thing my brother told me was they make "Pinhead" into a bad guy as the films go on and on, I've noticed this to be true. It doesn't makes sense if you watch the first two films but in Hell on Earth all of a sudden he wants to take over earth and reek hell on it hence the subtitle. I liked when he was just the head of the Order that butchered and bloodied up the folks that tampered with the box. They made him a villain when he was just a victim that became something else to be. He was merely a man doing his job which doesn't make him any different from any other man (well, except the pins in the head deal). I felt him becoming the bad guy was a crap move to serve the horror genre. In the first film, Frank and Julia were the monsters for being selfish and killing people - very deserving to their ends in the films. I liked that side very much instead of the "outsider-type turned evil just because" crap.  Oh well, can't win them all I suppose.

Morganville Vampires & Final Destinations

I've been reading the "Morganville Vampires" series by Rachael Caine and it is fantastic. It's the kind of fiction I long to read when it comes to YA supernatural literature. Unfortunately, they have the worse book covers ever. Why does every cover have to have Abercrombie models on them? I understand it's a book directed at young females, but the actual text does not mirror the silly covers. I would love it if they would place stock images instead of the models, it would suit the material and make it look less campy. I've read and watched enough vampire shtick to figure out it's all about selling sex when it comes to "vampire material goods", but I'm more interested in the darker, morbid part that most general public does not see. If "Twilight" hasn't dismissed classic images of vampires and other supernatural beings, crappy book covers are the next step. (Side note: Meyers' book covers are simple stock images however the material inside is debatable. I recommend "The Host" over her other series, written a little better and the characters are very likable. Not a new story in the land of science fiction but a book I will re-read when reading supplies are low.) Really though...if I wasn't renting each MV series book separately from my local library because they are constantly checked out, I could sit and read the whole series. My favorite character is Myrnin, every time he comes around I can never figure if he is a good guy or a bad one. Love his personality quirks, makes for an interesting dialogue when things get very serious ("boring", "lull-ish") in the books.

I have Final Destination 5 here, and arguing in my head on whether its worth a watch or will I be distracted by all the CGI effects and Tony Todd's looming yet death-like voice. I didn't watch the fourth one, but I have seen the first three. I like each for their own reasons, but as they go on, they lose their quality overall. After a while it feels like I'm watching the same scenario from the original film but with interchangeable and uselessly blank characters that audiences stereotype upon the immediacy of watching it. Well, I guess it's better than thinking about the shit storm that is my life...

Putting it out there...

I'm starting to think there should be a cable channel dedicated to any horror movie made before 1990. The 90s ushered in the realism of horror, and as much as I enjoy Scream, it ruined some of the fun in horror. I liked when a horror movie didn't take itself seriously and had a basic formula attached to it. I love the predictable as much as I love the unexpected, but it's nice to just watch something you know the ending to as well.

I've been watching older horror movies on NetFlix, at least ones on instant streaming. IS doesn't carry the best selection as to what you get in the mail on DVD, but to keep one occupied for an hour and a half, most available isn't bad. I used to think any horror movie that wasn't made in the 80s wasn't worth my time, but I've seen a few 70s horror movies that were good. 70s horror has a serious nature to most of the films, and a odd darkness too. There have been some things in the 70s ones I've watched that really scared me so I'm going to continue looking for others to watch. Any suggestions are welcome if anyone wants to offer some up.

I'm really trying to open myself up to different horror movies I've never watched before. Still wondering if I should try Asian horror. The genre makes a big deal about how Asian horror is the best there is now. It's not like I doubt that there aren't ones I'd like if I gave some of them my time, but I don't think they carry the camp I need in my horror. Watching more serious horror is interesting, but it does reach its apex and I just want laugh at something macabre but over-the-top.

old xangas, bad shows & 3 ninjas

Through one sneaky reminder from a former classmate, I discovered an old Xanga journal I had - the one even older from the last one I looked at. And boy, was I unfiltered on it. Everything I was reading was something I had forgot about but it's nice to be reminded of better times. I do complain, quite too much I might add but typically it's just about how I hate school and that I'm tired. That's still going on, I just try not to mention it in every entry I bother to post.

Everyone in my house is sick or half-sick as it is. There seems to be some bugs going around but I hope not to contract anything. I hate being sick even if it's just a runny nose and a sore throat. Although laying in bed for countless hours to rest feels good, that's probably the only upside. Day time television used to be amusing, but you can't even count on it these days when you have a sick day. I used to watch awful programming like soaps and Jenny Jones. What the hell happened to Jenny Jones? I watched that all the time as a kid, my favorite episodes were when the tweens were sent off to boot camp to modify their behavior and stop pushing their wheel-chaired mothers down the steps. It surprised me how vulgar kids who've barely reached puberty can be. Well, that's nature versus nurture for you.

At this very moment, I wish I had someone to talk to. Or at least a damned e-mail or forum discussion to reply to. I'm ACTUALLY in a mood to type out or express my feelings however they are. I haven't watched the 3 Ninjas series in a while. I only count the first three so it's a trilogy in my terms, the High Noon one doesn't count on it does not have any of the original boys or much of a plot for that matter. I know, they are just kid films and they don't ever have very original ideas, but come on...that last one was farfetched and released way after the last one. By then, they should have tried to not sell the 3 Ninjas hype so far down the road, it was almost ten years since the first one came out when they released High Noon in 1998. Ugh, must go look up these films on IMDB...

Old Buffy Fiction, Vamp Flicks & Revisits

Aw, Alison you found my blog and did not inform me of this. You sneaky weasel...took me a few seconds after responding to your comment to figure out it was you.

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I unearthed a notebook I bought when I was in middle school just for writing Buffy fan fiction and I decided I'm going to start typing up all the lame stories I attempted to write about on my computer. Some ideas aren't too pathetic but my writing is bland and I have no style at all. It's mostly short sentences with lack of details, I can't believe I wrote any of it at all it's that bad. But it is a good idea to revisit early work because it's the one way to make yourself feel better about your writing. You may think you write for shit, but go read something you did ten years ago, you'll realized you learned a few things between now and then. I know I have several different notebooks with stories in them; some are fan fiction and some of them are original pieces I made up. I used to have an affinity for writing all the time, sitting in class when I should be taking notes or paying attention instead of deciding what mystical doosy Buffy Summers would be getting up to.

Tonight, I watched a OK vampire film on FearNet called "Midnight Son". It seemed low-budget but the story was tolerable. I like when some writes a vampire script with a realistic mythos behind how the vampire got to be a vampire. I know real and myth don't belong in the same sentence but vampire tales get too "fantasy" for me. The movie was about a guy that suffered from a skin condition since he was a young boy and as an adult he works as a security guard. At this time, he starts feeling off, he keeps eating but nothing fills his stomach. He gets worried and sees his doctor who thinks he may have a rare form of being anemic because physically he is malnourished even if he just ate six frozen dinners. Slowly, the guy starts craving blood, first he makes his daily run to the butcher shop for his bucket o' blood. Then, he accidentally gets a taste of human blood and he turns full blown vampire. There its twists and turns of trying to have a relationship with a coke-addled chick and skeezy, drug-runner that supplies blood to the vampire dude before ultimately being turned into one. OOPS, SPOILER ALERT...guess I should have warned ya, huh? It's good for its hour and half run so if you see it somewhere (for free) just check it out. Also, check out FearNet, that's a pretty awesome site and so is Rue Morgue. I listen to their radio podcast once and a while, thanks to my brother Nick for exposing me to it.

I'm going to start revisiting shows I haven't seen in a long time...

• Farscape - My dad and I would watch this show when I was a kid and it's been a really long time, probably a decade since I last seen an episode.
  
• Roswell - I haven't watched this show all the way through since I got in DVD a few years back. I started re-watching it last week and I'll try to continue soon.
• Battlestar Galactica - I have never watched this show before but I'd probably like it if I did. The seasons are watchable on Netflix so I'm considering it.
  
• Witchblade - I started re-watching the first season months back and I need to continue on to the second season too.
• Freddy's Nightmares - So I got a hold of this crappy TV series based off A Nightmare on Elm Street series, I watched the pilot which was boring but I need to watch the rest. It may have it's entertaining moments.
  

And I will continue watching all the stuff I am all ready and what's on air. I was going to mention on the vampire movie which vampire movies I particularly like: The Lost Boys, Subspecies Series & Vampire Journals, Vamp - I just saw this for the first time not long ago and was impressed by it, not a horrible 80s cheesy romp full of gore, it actually had substance - Interview with a Vampire and Queen of the Damned - both really different versions of Anne Rice books but I like them both. I've never read an Anne Rice novel, ever and I'm a little surprised by that. In fact, I haven't even read Bram Stoker's Dracula yet, I should REALLY get on that. I love the 30s version with Bela Lugosi, that man has the creepiest, spindly hands I've ever watched on film.

I haven't been to sleep and my heads starting to pound so I better turn in soon. I did drink a cup of coffee today and I usually post on days I do drink coffee...hence the title of my blog.

Good night, viral land of nightmarish propensity. P.S. I dare you to go to dictionary.com and see what the word of the day is. It's nice to widen the brim to your vocabulary.

My New Forum!

I created a character studies and discussions forum -

http://beneathcs.proboards.com/index.cgi

Check it out and feel free to join if any of it interests you. I'm looking for a few good posters.

Vamps are bad, bad, bad!

It's a weird place to be trapped, half way through books. I read the first three books in the Morganville Vampires series and it's a really good. I've seen people have it on their favorite list often so I decided to start reading them. The main character is a bright and smart young woman who I was excited in reading about because she isn't some meek waif that dominate loads of supernatural YA fiction. We need more Claire Danvers in the world then Bella Swans (although there are a few strengths I liked in her but they neglected to include most in the film versions)! I rather read about a female who is capable, fearful, and logical around vampires. Not every girl should go lush over a sparkly vampire (or a blood-thirsty one either). The series blends different characters who carry lives out in different levels - ghost/vampire, goth, rebel, smart chick - and seamlessly makes it all work. I feel like I could meet them in my life and be good friends with them. I also like how vampires are just bad, bad, bad, but can have depth for humane reasons. It's a better approach then most YA fiction I've read currently. I need to finish up the series because the progression is interesting how this invisible girl from nowhere becomes intertwined with all these odd supernatural problems and still maintains a life. It reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with it's array of quirky dialogue and characters that each portray a different side of the stories of each book. Michael Glass is , by far, my favorite character in the series and I suppose I have a "thing" for the protective, nice guy.

Hoping to read through books I've left on my shelf, finish, and promptly place it back in it's holder. There are few I've read half way and then put away, forget about it, and realize it still needs to be completely read from cover to cover. Once done, I'll go back to the MV series.

Christmas is coming soon and there was light snow coverage this morning. Lucky me to go trotting through it! The tree is up and the lights are hanging on the gutter of the house. Now, if only I could think of presents to buy...if I had money. It's going to be a Tiny Tim Christmas if ever there was one in my household. I don't expect gifts and I don't care to receive them. I wish I could read people better so I know what to give, some people I know are hard to please and that pisses me off. I think I'll just make some desserts instead, I'm good at that and I enjoy the work in the kitchen.

That's all, take care.