Rating The Horror Movies I Have Watched.

Hey! 

Surprise! It's been a while since I have done this, but I think it's time to share some unsolicited horror movie opinions! Doesn't that sound so very fun! During my attempts to watch horror movies every day for the past few Marches and Octobers, I have watched quite a few horror films. Like there have been a lot. And those are just the ones that I have watched during those months. 

I figured that if I really needed a way to generate content for a blog I really like writing, I could write about things I know. Horror is something I like and I love recommending movies to other people. So, why the hell not. 

I am going to be picking ten movies that I have seen, and rating them from one to ten (with one being the worst, and ten being the best.) These are just going to be general ratings that combine how I felt about different aspects of the movie. These are just opinions though. Don't take my word for anything here. I will just tell you how I felt about it. 

Vampires vs The Bronx -- 8/10

Vampires vs. The Bronx was the first movie I watched during the first go-through of trying to watch one horror film a day. It's currently on Netflix (as far as I know?) and it stars a group of three boys who discover that vampires have infiltrated the Bronx. This movie has a likeable main cast in the three boys, and most of the other side characters. It also features SNL's Chris Redd (I always love it when he pops up in horror movies!) Camp, vampires, and the likeable cast really push this movie up for me. However there are certain story elements that kinda seemed abrupt? I could be wrong. This is totally worth a rewatch soon. And it actually might be a good horror movie for the family.

Pitchfork -- 2/10

Have you ever been drawn in by a movie's description and thought, "Wow! This sounds so promising!" only for it to somehow... what's the opposite of exceed? Yeah. This movie lures you in with a premise of a young man returning to his country home with a group of his friends, to come out to his family as a gay man. However, it does very little with this plot, and the resolution of said plot is... really underwhelming? The most notable thing about this movie, outside the convoluted plot (especially in those last twenty minutes because what the actual fuck,) was that there was a dance sequence that lasted about three to five minutes. Three to five minutes. There were two characters in the movie I actually cared enough about to root for. And even then, it wasn't by much. This movie confused me. So very much. The only reason it's not lower is because I liked those two characters, and the dance sequence was okay. If you dare to try and watch, the movie is on Tubi. Just know I did warn you.

Kristy -- 9/10

For fans of the Strangers movies, Kristy is a 2014 film (also on Tubi) about a college co-ed spending the holidays on campus who is forced into a battle for her life when armed intruders invade campus with murderous intent. This was recommended on Horror Twitter, and I am so glad I tried it out, because I was so impressed by this movie. The story was good, the main character was someone who you were able to watch adapt and grow through the film, and the villains were all very chilling. I strongly recommend this one for any slasher fans. I feel like this counts. 

Tell Me How I Die -- 6/10

Don't mistake this lover rating as me not enjoying this movie. I thought it was a good movie with a good concept, and a strong cast. It features a group of college students who take part in a drug trial. However the drug has a negative effect and shows them ways that they'll die, and they attempt to prevent them. Cool concept right? Unfortunately, some parts of the plot didn't do it for me, especially near the end. But with a cast featuring Virginia Gardner, Nathan Kress, and Youtube's Ryan Higa (which is actually how I learned about this movie) I found it easy to overlook some of the flaws and I still mostly enjoyed the movie. (Yes, this is also from Tubi. Sue me.)

Dog Soldiers -- 10/10

This may be the recency bias talking here, but I genuinely cannot think of a single thing I didn't like about this film. This movie follows a squad of soldiers that comes under attack from werewolves during an exercise. This movie was recommended to me by quite a few members of the Furry Writer's Guild. And let me tell you, those guys know how to pick a good horror movie. It had a strong cast, a good story, and the gore was so... I was gonna say gory, which seems silly but it was exactly what you'd expect from a werewolf movie. Messy blood and guts. (This is available to watch on Hulu.)

Willy's Wonderland -- 9/10

9/10 feels like a huge disservice to this movie, because despite that rating, I fucking loved this movie. Willy's Wonderland seems like it's made in the same vibe of the popular Five Nights at Freddy's franchise, and in a way it kind of is. People getting murdered by animatronics/robots. However, this movie features Nicolas Cage. Nicolas Cage fighting animatronics. And he doesn't say a word the whole movie. I feel like it's important to say that this movie should be experienced knowing as little as possible. Sure, the story of the movie isn't great, but Nic Cage and his performance literally makes it impossible for me to put this lower than a nine. (This is also available to watch on Hulu.)

Alien -- 9/10

Anyway, back to realistic ratings with this movie. Alien is a classic. Most people who know sci-fi and horror, know Ridley Scott's Alien. It's famous for so many scenes and characters. (i.e one of John Hurt's most iconic scenes ever) But I think one of the best parts of this movie is the suspense. Given that the Xenomorph is such a big part of the plot, it's only on-screen for like five minutes. And Ellen Ripley is one of the best final girls in cinematic history. (Available to watch on, yep! Hulu!)

Barbarian -- 8.5/10

A woman arrives to her Airbnb to find that someone else is staying there, and it is Bill Skarsgard. But wait, it's not actually what you think! This movie was pretty well done. Great acting from the main cast of Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, and Justin Long. The movie's story is a puzzle, and not in a bad way. Because it gives you the pieces. The less you know about this movie going in, the better the exprience. It's something I recommend for sure.

Slash/Back -- 7/10

This movie is in a similar vein as Vampires vs. The Bronx. It takes place in a small village south of the Arctic Circle, and features a group of teenage girls who have to fight off an alien invasion with makeshift weapons and their horror movie knowledge. It's very clear this movie is made by people who love the horror genre, especially with the love it gives to John Carpenter's The Thing. The teenage cast actually felt very realistic, especially with the way they talked to each other, and their parents. (I know this from being a substitute teacher.) The main characters were certainly standouts. I'm definitely planning on rewatching this at some point in the near future. 

The Babadook -- 6.5/10

This is going to be a hard opinion to share. But I wasn't a huge fan of the Babadook. Now you're probably wondering, "Vinnie? Why isn't it rated lower then?" The Babadook is a well-made, well-acted movie! That's why. Even if I didn't enjoy it, I can still acknowledge that something is well-made, and the scares were real and genuine. But this movie was not my cup of tea.

Well. That's ten. I may do more soon if I feel like it! ^-^ If you watch any of these movies and have different opinions. Let me know here, or on my tumblr (@scaredycatscreeches). 

Updates

 Hey all! 

Update time! For anyone out there who sees this, Hey! I know I am barely around anywhere unless you can find me on discord or telegram, but I am in fact (somehow) still alive! Ain't that great?

In work news, I left my job as a substitute teacher. Yes. I know. Shocking. Sad even. But necessary. And I am much happier in my new job as a Publix Deli Associate. 

That's right. I went from being a sub, to building subs. I don't know if that's irony, but it is certainly something. 

But yeah, I work there now. It's been about two and a half months -- at the time I am writing this -- and I feel like my mental health has improved quite a bit. Though my free time has kinda tanked. But, hey. That's just progress! (Right?)

On the writing side of things, I have had a few exciting developments! 

First and foremost, we're getting pretty close to the release of the next anthology I edited (and wrote for!) So make sure you keep an eye out for Night of the Howling Dead. I mean, come on, it's furry zombies! Seriously though, as someone who really likes horror, I am so excited that this anthology is getting made. There are some fantastic authors, with some fantastic stories that I can't wait for people to read. 

I am also involved in editing an anthology for the Furry Writer's Guild, which is just about to start the editing phase! I am excited for that as well, though I don't have much else to share about it yet. As we're still in the beginning phase of everything. 

The last writing update, and the one I am the most excited about, is that my collection is done! It has been beta-read, editing, rewritten in parts, and has been sent to be considered by a publishing company! I am super excited to see what comes of it, and more excited to share the stories! 

OH! And before I forget, I am excited to inform everyone that Happy Howlidays was nominated for a Coyotl award! While we didn't win, being nominated was such an amazing thing, and I am so proud of everyone that wrote for it!

But yeeeeah. That's how it is with me. ^-^ When will I post again? Don't worry about it. ;D 

31 Days of Horror Results. (I Drop Several F-Bombs. For Emphasis! I'm Not Sorry! Okay, maybe a little sorry...)

 It's not thirty-one days. I do know how to count. I just was not in a great place mentally to follow a schedule for something that was supposed to be fun. ^-^ And I stand by that decision.

This month I watched fourteen movies, one youtube musical, and two (almost two) shows. 

1. The Midnight Club (Netflix)
2. Howl (Shudder)
3. Saw (Hulu)
4. Werewolf By Night (Hulu)
5. Ginger Snaps (Shudder)
6. StageFright (Shudder)
7. Stage Fright (2014) (Tubi)
8. Hell House LLC (Shudder)
9. Alien (Hulu)
10. The Babadook (Hulu)
11. Bloody Hell (Shudder)
12. Dog Soldiers (Shudder)
13. Slotherhouse (Hulu)
14. One Cut of the Dead (Shudder)
15. The Angry Black Girl and her Monster (Shudder)
16. Goosebumps (2023) (Hulu)
17. Nerdy Prudes Must Die (Youtube. Team Starkid)

WARNING: Some of these movies contain material that is not suitable for younger audience, or certain triggers. I would suggest using your discretion and the internet when deciding whether or not you will be watching these movies.

How am I going to rank them?

Similarly to last year, I will be ranking things based on a point system and judging on different categories. The choices I make are based only on my taste. This year I will be using some of the same ones from last year, along with some new ones. I will be using the following categories here.

• Most Enjoyable
• The Protagonist(s)
• The Final Girl/Guy
• The Supporting Characters
• The Antagonist(s) 
• The Killers 
• The Story
• The Kills 
• The Most Painful Deaths (to me)
• Most Satisfying Death
• Best Performance
• Scariest 
• Best Scream
• Funniest
• Best Ensemble Cast

Points will be assigned as follows. (I will probably change this for one or two categories today, and I will make sure to make it clear how many slots I am doing for each category if I am not doing five.

1.  First: 5 points
2.  Second: 4 points
3.  Third: 3 points
4.  Fourth: 2 points
5.  Fifth: 1 point
6.  Honorable Mention: Half a point. Because some of these movies had great qualities. 

Yeah. So how I handed out the points is listed, and I will show how many points each got, but other than that, I will only be sharing some general thoughts about each category. I am sticking to only the highlights! 

Spoilers Abound Below!
Read on at your own risk! 

• Most Enjoyable -- Slotherhouse 
• I had so many good options for this category, like Nerdy Prudes Must Die and Dog Soldiers! However, I went with Slotherhouse because there wasn't a moment where I didn't have a smile on my face. It was absurd and silly and I absolutely loved it. 
• Best Protagonists -- Isaiah, Margot, James, Isabella, Lucas (Goosebumps)
• This was an easier decision, as I had my top three choices as the two tv shows, and the one stage musical. However, these five are all main characters who I actually enjoy despite any misgivings about their characters. I love the Midnight Club and Steph and Peter, but these five are a good group and they jive well together. 
• Best Final Girl -- Ellen Ripley (Alien)
• This is the correct choice out of all of the final girls on my list. She is the best. It says something that they movie would have been much shorter if the other characters had listened to her. I will say, the only strong competition she would have had on my list were the Final Guy and Brigette from Ginger Snaps. 
• Best Final Guy -- Cooper (Dog Soldiers)
• I am very partial to final guys (see previous attempts where Dwayne from Death Drop Gorgeous has made my list.) But Cooper really takes the reins in the fight against the werewolves, proving himself to be more than capable as a soldier and as a final guy. 
• Best Supporting Character -- Ms. Mayflower (Slotherhouse)
• There was no contest here. Never have I laughed more than when Ms. Mayflower was on screen in Slotherhouse. She was a hoot and a half, and really made me smile. 
• Best Antagonists -- Those Fucking Clowns (Hell House LLC)
• Another category where there wasn't much of a contest. I mean, yeah Slappy the Dummy and the Babadook are iconic and bone-chilling antagonists. But fucking clowns!? The clowns were the worst. 
• Best Killer -- Ginger (Ginger Snaps)
• Jennifer Check could never kill the way Ginger did. Ginger was cunning, ruthless, and just sympathic enough where she could lull you into a sense of security before she rips your throat out. The Xenomorph and Irving Wallace from Stagefright were on my list as well. 
• Best Story -- Hell House LLC 
• There were quite a few amazing movies as far as stories go. The Babadook, Midnight Club, and The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster were both well-told stories that made me think and feel things. But Hell House LLC mashed the story with so many well placed scares that I just had to pick this movie. 
• Best Death -- Any major character in Dog Soldiers. 
• The practical effects in this movie were something else. Each kill was remarkably bloody and gory, to the point that I was in awe of the filmmakers genius. The practical effects mixed with how well-developed some of the characters ended up made each death hit a lot harder. Sam from Ginger Snaps and Kane from Alien were also on this list. 
• Most Painful Death (For Me) -- Anya (Midnight Club)
• Ruth Codd is one of my favorite actors that I got to watch do their work in October. Anya was sympathetic and likeable, despite being a stone-cold bitch. The idea of death in this show is always looming in the background for these terminally ill young adults, but the way she goes is just so tragic and the show tries to pull some strings to make it hurt more when you realize what is going on. 
• Most Satisfying Death -- Artie (Stage Fright 2014)
• Hey. Musical Theater people. This guy deserved the way he died because he tried exploiting an actress to sleep with him so she could get a role! Fuck Artie. 
• Best Performance (Lead) -- Ruth Codd (Midnight Club)
• Ruth Codd. I have already said how much I liked her and Anya. She beat out Sigourney Weaver.
• Best Performance (Supporting) -- Tiff Stevenson (Slotherhouse)
• I have also shared my love for the character Ms. Mayflower. This character was such a delight! Angela Giarratana of Smosh and Starkid is  also on this list for her role as Grace Chastity, as is Sean Pertwee for his role in Dog Soldiers.
• Scariest -- Hell House LLC
• This movie was very scary. Easily the most scary on this list. 
• Best Scream -- Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell (Saw) 
• A good scream in a horror movie will be remembered forever, just like the scene in Saw where Doctor Gordon saws his own leg off. The screams from both actors in that bathroom were just so good. 
• Funniest -- Slotherhouse
• Dude. I already mentioned how much this movie had me dying of laughter. The two horror musicals were pretty funny, but this one was the funniest. 
• Best Cast -- Nerdy Prudes Must Die
• Team Starkid is wonderful. I have already started watching the other Hatchetfield musicals (plus the Nightmare Time content on Youtube) and the cast does such an amazing job. It still baffles me how multiple cast member are able to play more than one character. Every member of the cast plays at least two or three characters, and it's astounding. Plus, they're all really funny and great performers. 

FINAL RANKING

1. Dog Soldiers                                                           28.5 Points
2. Alien                                                                       25 Points
3. Nerdy Prudes Must Die                                        22.5 Points 
4. Ginger Snaps                                                         22 Points
5. Slotherhouse                                                          21 Points
6. Saw                                                                         20 Points
7. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster            15 Points
8. Hell House LLC                                                    15 Points
9. Midnight Club                                                      14.5 Points 
10. Goosebumps                                                         12.5 Points
11. Stage Fright 2014                                                 11.5 Points
12. Stagefright                                                            10 Points
13. Howl                                                                      7 Points
14. Babadook                                                              6.5 Points
15. Werewolf By Night                                               3.5 Points
16. One Cut of The Dead                                           3 Points
17. Bloody Hell                                                           0 Points

Best take away from this ranking is that furries know what they're talking about. I loved Dog Soldiers. And there it is on top of my list. All of these movies are available to watch online. Check them out if you're in the mood for horror. (Or if you want to laugh a bit Slotherhouse, Stage Fright (2014), and Nerdy Prudes Must Die are really funny. Did I already mention that?)

Update (Featuring some Happy Howlidays promotion at the end! :D)

 Hey all! :) 

Horror Movie Month went pretty great! I have some new favorites that I will be watching over and over till I hate them. Didn't watch all thirty one because of mental health reasons. I was thinking as I was going down the list, Damn. This is starting to feel more like a chore than a fun little movie watching challenge. 

The whole purpose of the movie month was to expose myself to new horror movies and have fun. So when the fun started to dry up, I just said "Forget the list!" and started watching whatever the hell I wanted. (I got into Starkid! Nerdy Prudes Must Die is fantastic.)

That being said, you won't see a full run-down of my thoughts and rankings. You will see a final tally and the organized list based on the point rankings I come up with. But that will be at my leisure and not something I am rushing to do at this time. (I may do a small post recommending my favorites from October? Who knows?)

Besides, these next few months are going to be busy. I have my anthology slushpile and edits to start working on, and I have a collection I am working on fixing up to so I can get it published! I am also working on stories for future anthologies/collections, should they be needed. 

I am also the DM for a party of four, one of whom is guiding me on this DnD adventure! So I will be dedicating time to planning and reading.

(Lots of reading happening in December.)

Hmm, I am trying to think of any other updates I have. I am not sure there are any yet. 

However, as it is close to the holiday season, specifically the winter holiday season, why not indulge in some short, sweet holiday stories and go pick up a copy of Happy Howlidays! Happy Howlidays is the flash fiction anthology (edited by yours truly) that features stories from seventeen different authors. There are stories that feature the Christmas Holiday, Epiphany, the Winter Solstice, and even an Accidental Hanukkah! 

My story "Tinsel's Town" is featured, along with stories written by Cyrano, Field T. Mouse, Thomas "Faux" Steele, Rob MacWolf, Malina Douglas, Melissa Theys, Frances Pauli, Nenekiri Bookwyrm, Renee Carter Hall, Sarah Doeberiner, K.C. Shaw, Packwolf Lupestripe, Sofox, R.C. Capasso, Yarrow, and Ziegenbock! 

Seriously, the anthology was so fun to work on, and I loved being able to work with these authors on their stories. I highly recommend picking up a copy and reading these stories for yourself. 

https://thurstonhowlpub.storenvy.com/products/36440494-happy-howlidays-a-furry-flash-fiction-christmas-anthology

Okay! Till next time. 

31 Days of Horror (October 2023)

 It's been a hard choice, but I have gathered the intel
(And have not messed with the results at all >.> Nope. Not at all!)

Day 2: Lights Out (On Hulu)

Day 3: Saw (On Hulu)

Day 4: Werewolf By Night (On Hulu)

Day 5: Ginger Snaps (On Shudder)

Day 6: StageFright (On Shudder)

Day 7: StageFright 2014 (On Tubi)

Day 8: Hell House LLC (On Shudder)

Day 9: Alien (On Hulu)

Day 10: Aliens (On Hulu)

Day 11: Babadook (On Shudder)

Day 12: Bloody Hell (On Shudder)

Day 13: Dog Soldiers (On Hulu)

Day 14: One Cut Of The Dead (On Shudder)

Day 15: The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (On Shudder)

Day 16: Day Color Out of Space (On Shudder)

Day 17: Hatchet (On Tubi)

Day 18: The Vigil (On Shudder)

Day 19: Chopping Mall (On Tubi)

Day 20: The Gay Bed and Breakfast of Terror (On Tubi)

Day 21: Prom Night (On Shudder)

Day 22: Metamorphosis (On Shudder)

Day 23: Prey (On Hulu)

Day 24: Boys from County Hell (On Shudder)

Day 25: Bone Tomahawk (On Tubi)

Day 26: The Exorcism of Emily Rose (On Hulu)

Day 27: Mandy (On Shudder)

Day 28: Evil Dead (2013) (On Hulu)

Day 29: Werewolves Within (On Hulu)

Day 30: Watcher (On Shudder)

Day 31: The Final Rose (On Tubi)

Updates on me. ^-^

Hey everyone.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their summer. I know I am. 

I wanted to give some updates on how things are here. Keep in mind, I am super scatterbrained. This was written over the span of two weeks. 

I have not had a job since the end of the school year. Fortunately, things are still pretty good. I applied to be a real teacher at the local high school and did not get either job. (More news on this further down in the post! :D) I am excited to see if this next work season (the school year) will bring anything new for me.

Speaking of new things for me, I am working on a personal project that I am almost ready to put through the grinds of publishing. I am working on editing a selection of some of the short stories I have written over the past five or six years. I am hoping I can gather these stories and publish them as a collection. It will hopefully include some of the work I have published, with some major modifications to reflect my original intentions and my current writing style, and some newer work.  

It's a huge step I want to take to share more of my stories with my audience. As of right now, I am still determining what the collection would be called. But I am always thinking about it.

I have a prospective list of stories I want to include in the collection. 

• "Nightmare at Elmwood College" (Originally published in "Slashers)
• "Sacrifice" (Originally published in "Awoo, Who's This?")
• "The Manager Bites Back" (Originally published as "Zombies (And Werewolves) Hate Karens" in "The Howling Dead")
• "Werewolf Therapy"
• "Shut Up! The Movie's Starting."
• "Zombies Hate To See You Cry"
• "Covet Thy Neighbor's Garden"
• And possibly one or two others that I am not done with.

I also have been watching a few horror movies/shows here and there. I have seen some hits and misses. But I did watch them still. I'll probably use them again in a "31 Days of Horror" post.

Other than writing, editing, and straight-up chilling I have had a pretty good summer. I spent a week in New York, saw so many family members, and went to a showing of the Barbie movie. (Yes, I loved it!) There were some bittersweet moments, but I really had a good week there. But that's really everything major that I did. 

Luckily for me, going into the fall months and the new school year, I do have a job lined up for a long-term substitute position that could last me the whole year. I am very excited and have my fingers crossed that it will go so well for me.

Anyway, that's all for now. With Twitter's fiery descent into madness, I may be doing stuff here more often! :D So yay!

Results of my horror watch-a-thon! :D (THERE WILL BE SPOILERS HERE. AVOID IF YOU WISH TO NOT BE SPOILED.

31 Scary Movies in March has come to an end. Out of the thirty-one days in March, I watched a total of twenty-one films. While this is still not quite the magic thirty-one I was looking for, I am proud to say that I watched ten more movies than I did back in October. (Eleven if you count the unfinished watch I did of The Sadness.) I am not too upset about being ten off from my goal. This month-long endeavor, and this post, is just for fun. 

Since March was the month of my birthday, I decided to mix my watches between films I have not yet seen, and films I have seen. I think doing this helped me quite a bit with keeping up with all of the movies on my list. Now the list I had made at the beginning of the month is way different than the list I have right now, and not all of the movies I watched were on either list. 

The Movies I Watched This Month!

1. Grave Encounters (Watched on Shudder)
2. It Follows (Watched on Netflix) *
3. Prom Night (2008 Remake) (Watched on HBO Max)
4. Piggy (Watched on Hulu) *
5. Triangle (Watched on Shudder)
6. Deadstream (Watched on Shudder)
   
7. Train to Busan (Watched on Shudder)
8. Death Drop Gorgeous (Watched on Shudder) *
9. Scream VI (Watched in theatres upon release!) 
10. Barbarian (Watched on HBO Max)
11. The Menu (Watched on HBO Max)
12. Open 24 Hours (Watched on Shudder)
13. The Cleansing Hour (Watched on Shudder) *
14. Glorious (Watched on Shudder) *
15. Pure (Of Hulu's Into the Dark series) (Watched on Hulu)
16. Jennifer's Body (Watched on HBO Max) *
17. Slash/Back (Watched on Shudder)
18. Scare Me (Watched on Shudder)
19. Superhost (Watched on Shudder) 
20. Nope (Watched on Amazon Prime)
21. Night of the Living Dead (The 1968 Original) (Watched on Shudder)

WARNING: Some of these movies contain material that is not suitable for younger audience, or certain triggers. I would suggest using your discretion and the internet when deciding whether or not you will be watching these movies. Asterisks will be by ones that are explicitly 18+ in the area of sexual/sensual content. If I miss any, let me know. These are just the ones I remember. 

How am I going to rank them?

Similarly to last year, I will be ranking things based on a point system and judging on different categories. The choices I make are based only on my taste. This year I will be using some of the same ones from last year, along with some new ones. I will be using the following categories here.

• Most Enjoyable First Watch
• Most Enjoyable Rewatch
• The Protagonist(s)
• The Final Girl/Guy
• The Supporting Characters
• The Antagonist(s) 
• The Killers 
• The Story
• The Kills 
• The Most Painful Deaths (to me)
• Most Satisfying Death
• Best Performance
• Scariest 
• Best Scream

Points will be assigned as follows. (I will probably change this for one or two categories today, and I will make sure to make it clear how many slots I am doing for each category if I am not doing five.

•  First: 5 points
•  Second: 4 points
•  Third: 3 points
•  Fourth: 2 points
•  Fifth: 1 point
•  Honorable Mention: Half a point. Because some of these movies had great qualities. 

If you choose to proceed, there will be spoilers for these movies! If you wish to watch some of them and come back later, this would be a wonderful place to stop. 

Most Enjoyable First Watch

While I always love watching movies I have seen over and over again, but there's nothing wrong with watching new movies. It's a harrowing, sometimes scary experience that is elevated when you do not know what you're getting yourself into. These are the movies I most enjoyed watching for the first time. This one was VERY hard to pick. 

1. Deadstream - Youtube celebrity tries to face fears and faces the consequences.
2. Scream VI - This Ghostface was something different, for sure!
3. Jennifer's Body - High school teenager becomes a literal demonic maneater. 
4. Train to Busan - The zombie apocalypse brings out the best and the worst of the passengers of a train in Korea. 
5. Grave Encounters - A mockumentary film showing a tv show's crew spending the night locked in a very haunted asylum. 
6. Honorable Mention: Scare Me - Two authors, both on a retreat, come together after the power fails to tell scary stories.

These were all such great movies. It really hurt to cut some of the other choices I had in this category. And the placements themselves were pretty hard too. But I made the decision and I am pretty confident in my choices.

Most Enjoyable Rewatch

Rewatching movies is something I do all of the time. Some of these movies on my list, I have seen four or five times already! These are movies that I watched, that I still enjoy just as much as the first time I watched them.

1. Superhost - Youtube Reviewers stay in an Airbnb with a quirky, sinister Superhost. She needs the five stars!
2. The Menu - A chef invites a group of patrons to his exclusive, expensive restaurant to experience and partake in his menu.
3. Barbarian - A young woman goes to her Airbnb in an abandoned dark neighborhood, only to find that there's already someone staying there. 
4. Open 24 Hours - A young woman, eager to escape the ghosts in her mind and of her past, takes a graveyard shift at a gas station. 
5. Triangle - After a storm capsizes their sailboat, five friends board an abandoned cruiseliner, only for them to get picked off one by one. 
   
6. Honorable Mention: Death Drop Gorgeous - A dejected bartender and an aging drag queen try to survive a corrupt city, while young gay men are turning up dead all around town, drained of all their blood. 

All of these movies are really good. I picked most of these at the beginning of the month because I knew I loved them all. And I would watch them all again!

Best Protagonists

The protagonist is the key to any good horror movie. You have an unlikeable protagonist, you will probably have a hard time getting people to care about what happens to them in the movie. There's not as much I need to say here as I did this category last year. 

1. Ben -- Night of the Living Dead -- The first ever black protagonist in a horror movie.
2. Seok-Woo -- Train to Busan -- A bad father turned self-sacrificing hero!
3. Shawn -- Deadstream
4. Jay -- It Follows -- Resourceful, smart, played by Maika Monroe. Like seriously, what else could you ask for. 
5. Teddy and Claire -- Superhost  --  Struggling Youtubers both looking to bring life back to their dead channel (and their relationship.)
6. Honorable Mention: Fred and Fanny -- Scare Me -- Two writers, both with a case of that green monster... 

These were my favorites out of the non-final girls/guys crew. They were the main characters that stuck with me the most. 

Best Final Girls/Guys

The Final Girl or Guy trope in horror usually applies to people who survive a massacre. However, there is more. Final Girls/Guys need to be able to fight back against their attackers, outsmart them in some way, or ultimately kill them. The point is, they survive.

1. Needy -- Jennifer's Body -- Cute, smart, gets her weapons from Home Depot. 
2. Margot/Erin -- The Menu --  Fast thinking, good with her words.
3. Sam and Tara -- Scream VI -- Two sisters who fought hard to get to the end credits. 
4. Mary -- Open 24 Hours -- She, in fact, did NOT like to watch, JAMES.
5. Dwayne -- Death Drop Gorgeous -- The likable bartender. Looks good splattered with blood. 
6. Honorable Mentions -- Jess -- Triangle -- A woman who shows up with no memory and a heck of a headache. Very resourceful, good at improvising.

As you can see, more spaces and different movies leave our two tops from this category in October's review at fourth and fifth respectively. (I still adore Mary and Dwayne though. One hundred percent.)

 

Best Supporting Characters

 They're around to be with the main character when things get bumpy (and if it's a slasher... they may end up cushioning the body count.) However, when done right, these characters can be likeable, loveable even. These characters are characters who are not top-billed, but they still make you feel like they should have been. At least, that's how I see it.

1. Any of the major supporting characters could fit here. -- Scream VI -- They have to be good if I can't single out one performance I loved without changing my answer twenty times. 
2. Sang-Hwa, Seong-kyeong, Soo-An, Min Yong-guk, and Jin-Hee -- Train to Busan -- Another movie with a great ensemble cast! Like seriously, I loved each of these characters so much. 
3. Paul -- It Follows -- He sacrificed his safety to make sure the girl he liked was safe. The man is a hero. 
4. Elsa -- The Menu -- Cool, collected, sharp-tongued. Like, I have always wanted to say "No" to a customer!
5. Drew -- The Cleansing Hour -- It's Kyle Gallner! But seriously, he was such a good character with a huge stake in what happened to the other characters.
6. Honorable Mention -- Bobby -- Open 24 Hours -- The emotional center for the main character in this movie. He put her, and me as the audience at ease whenever he was on-screen. 

This category was so f*cking hard. That's literally all I can say. I enjoyed so many of these side characters. It's a shame I couldn't display more of them. But it is what it is. 

Best Antagonists

This category is for the bad guys who didn't do a whole lot of killing per say. (There is one exception.) They were just evil, and sometimes not actually ghosts or monsters (in the physical appearance sense.)

1. The Demon -- The Cleansing Hour -- It did what it needed to do. (And won?)
2. Chef Slowik -- The Menu -- You know it's bad when the bad guy kinda has a point. 
3. The Spirits -- Grave Encounters -- They were ruthless to this film crew. Plus, LOBOTOMY MAN!
4. Mildred -- Deadstream -- She literally did everything she did to torture Shawn and make sure he never left. And honestly, slay. 
5. Mother -- Barbarian -- She wasn't even really evil! She's just a misunderstood person created in horrible circumstances. But she's also responsible for kidnapping and death. 
6. Honorable mention -- The Entity -- It Follows -- It's just walking there... MENACINGLY. No joke, it will kill though.

No follow-up here. I pretty much said all I needed to.

Best Killers

These are the people/monsters that slashed their way through a cast of characters! They're bloody, they're messy. But you can't just look away from the screen. 

1. Rebecca -- Superhost -- Gracie Gillam's unhinged performance makes this character that much more intense and unnerving. 
2. Jennifer -- Jennifer's Body -- Megan Fox's villain is just a teenage girl who wants to stay beautiful and relevant. And the demon wants some yummy, yummy men to munch. 
3. Gloria Hole -- Death Drop Gorgeous -- You can't grow out of style if you're young and pretty forever. Those twinks don't need their blood. 
4. Jess -- Triangle -- Melissa George's young mother has great motivation as both a final girl trying to survive a time loop, and a ruthless killer trying to end it so she can get home to her son. 
5. Ghostface -- Scream VI  -- While Ghostface was more intense this time around, there are few things that put it below these others for me. 
6. Honorable (Not) Mention -- James -- Open 24 Hours -- This man made his girlfriend watch him commit awful murders and got her put in jail as an accessory. Ew. 

Best Story

The story of the movie needs to be interesting and easy to follow, otherwise, people will have a harder time enjoying it. Here are the top six movies that had stories a furry with ADHD could easily follow!

1. Train to Busan -- Showing humanity at its best and at its worst amid disaster. 
2. It Follows -- The whole story is a metaphor. 
3. Scare Me -- Not all stories have to be complex and layered. This is just a story of two writers and some creeping jealousy starts to eat at them both as they share stories with one another. And it's camp!
4. Night of the Living Dead -- A classic story that was a turning point for the zombie genre, and put a black man in a leading role! 
5. Glorious -- A story that starts as a loose thread that slowly gets woven together as you learn more and more about the character and the situations that led him there. 
6. Honorable Mention -- Triangle -- A clever twist on a beloved trope made famous by Groundhog Day, with a devastating payoff...

This was a hard choice to make here because I really liked a lot of them. Organizing and ranking these six was hard enough. But I did have to cut three other fantastic films.

Best Kills 

I have three categories based on the kills in these movies. The best kills in horror movies are the ones that shock you, gross you out, or leave you in awe of the film's practical/digital effects. Something that may not be a straight-up stabbing or shooting. This category will share sort of what happens to the characters without being too graphic. Maybe a catchphrase or a vague description. Because some of these were... yeah...

1. Anika -- Scream VI -- The Ladder Sequence
2. Racist Gay Homophobe -- Death Drop Gorgeous -- The Gloryhole one.  
3. El Desconocido -- Piggy -- Neck bites and gut wounds.
4. Chris -- The Cleansing Hour -- "Don't Do Drugs, Kids." The only advice I would take from a demon.
5. Max -- Grave Encounters -- A tumble down an elevator shaft.
6. Honorable Mention -- Jupiter's Claim Attendees -- Nope -- They all got eaten. The effects for this mass killing were all practical. 

Most Painful Death (For me.)

Characters die in movies, specifically horror movies. Even the ones you pray will escape. These are the characters I really wanted to get out alive, or whose death had a huge emotional impact on me.

1. Any Major Character Death that wasn't Yon-suk -- Train To Busan -- This movie really came for the audience's heartstrings. I couldn't pick between all of the huge emotional character deaths. 
2. Anika -- Scream VI -- She was clinging on for her life, and I was right there like "No. NO!"
3. Ben -- Night of the Living Dead -- A case of mistaken identity... 
4. Lacey -- Pure -- Religious and emotional trauma got the best of her... It really hurt to see her resort to her fate.
5. Lisa -- Prom Night (2008 Remake) -- That prom storyline had me rooting for her! Plus, I liked her. The movie was kinda meh, but I was rooting for her!
6. Honorable Mention -- Bobby -- Open 24 Hours -- This one hurt, because we were right there with Mary as she warmed up to him. 

It always had to come down to these six. I was too emotionally invested...

Most Satisfying Death.

This one is for the characters you really wanted to see die, and it paid off. They got what they deserved. 

1. Ethan -- Scream VI -- The Tara/Kirby combo. Also "Now die a FUCKING virgin!" 
2. All of the passengers who locked the survivors out of the train car -- Train to Busan -- Jong-gil watched as they indirectly caused her sister's death. They had it coming. 
3. Wes -- Glorious -- Even though we follow him for the whole film, I feel a sense of justice when he gets offed.
4. El Desconocido -- Piggy -- Sara went full beast mode on him. 
5. AJ -- Barbarian --  Actions have consequences, AJ.
6. Honorable Mention -- All of Low Shoulder -- Jennifer's Body -- They got to reap the benefits of starting a fire in a small bar AND killing a teenage girl for Satan. Plus, Adam Brody made them easier to hate!

Best Performance

This category will cover leads and supporting cast in separate categories. Movies will only be able to be in one category or the other. 

For Leads

1. Amanda Seyfried -- Jennifer's Body -- One of her best performances ever!
2. Duane Jones -- Night of the Living Dead -- A strong presence on-screen.
3. Melissa Barrera -- Scream VI -- She saw the fans' hatred and came back with something to prove. 
4. Anya Taylor-Joy -- The Menu -- Feminine RAGE. 
5. Ryan Kwanten -- Glorious -- Making us sympathize with him til the wool was slowly pulled from our eyes. 
6. Honorable Mention -- Joseph Winter -- Deadstream -- Had the youtuber personality down. Really sold me on his character.

For Supporting Cast

1. Gracie Gillam -- Superhost  -- Delightfully deranged as Rebecca. 
2. Alix Angelis (Physical Actor) and Tara Karsian (Voice Actor) -- The Cleansing Hour -- They were two sides of the same character. The Demon was the center of attention for most of the film.
3. Justin Long -- Barbarian -- Justin Long goes outside of his normal character range to play a dirtbag. And he does it well!
4. Keke Palmer -- Nope -- Keke's performance was fantastic. I love her energy on-screen. 
5. Chris Redd -- Scare Me -- Chris Redd was easily one of my favorite parts of this movie. He was just so silly and honestly seemed to be enjoying himself.
6. Honorable Mention: Idris Elba -- Prom Night -- What were you doing in this movie?! 

Scariest

If you are looking for chilling movies, these six take the cake for the scariest films I watched this month

1. Grave Encounters -- My first found footage film really made me want to never go to a psych ward ever. 
2. Deadstream -- Found footage is just really scary okay!
3. The Cleansing Hour -- The Demon literally did all of this because they could. That sort of power was just used to tease, torture, and ultimately manipulate Max and Drew right into their hand.
4. Pure -- Religious trauma, everyone. The scariest parts are the things that these girls experience at the hands of the dads and youth pastor. Emotional manipulation and belittling.   
5. Glorious -- Two equally not good entities meet to fill their purposes. You end the film realizing you misinterpreted who the monster was. 
6. Honorable Mention -- Scream VI -- Ghostface is intense and scary, and the kills are more unique. But he's no match for our final girls. 

Best Scream

This category was more for fun. I went through the movies looking for my favorite screams. Screams of terror, glee, and the like. 

1. Gracie Gillam  -- Superhost
2. Samara Weaving -- Scream VI
3. Joseph Winter -- Deadstream
4. Ashleigh Gryzko -- Grave Encounters
5. Megan Fox -- Jennifer’s Body
6. Honorable mention: Ryan Kwanten -- Glorious

That's the end of it all. The points took a while to count up. I don't know if anyone will see this. But doing the counting and the watching of the movies sure was a blast! I am excited to try and do this again in October.

The Point-Based Ranking

1. Scream VI
2. Train to Busan
3. Superhost
4. Jennifer's Body
5. Deadstream
6. The Menu
7. The Cleansing Hour
8. Grave Encounters
9. Night of the Living Dead
10. It Follows
11. Death Drop Gorgeous
12. Barbarian
13. Glorious
14. Open 24 Hours
15. Scare Me
16. Pure
17. Triangle 
18. Nope
19. Piggy
20. Prom Night (2008 Remake)
21. Slash/Back

There you have it! This is by no means a most favorite to least favorite list. If it was there would be a few big differences. The list is just like this because that's how the points fell. This was fun. 

Okay! Bye! See you next time I decide to post. ^^

HAPPY HOWLIDAYS!

It's been a long time coming, but I can confidently announce that Happy Howlidays: A Flash Fiction Anthology has been released! This project marks my first anthology as an editor. This means I was the person who read through the submission pile, picked the stories, and helped the authors get them ready to be put to paper. It was an exciting experience, and I cannot wait to get the chance to do it again.

And even though the winter holidays have passed us by, the stories we can tell with the feelings and symbolism of the holidays can be enjoyed year-round. The anthology features stories that tell stories of the holidays. Christmas, the Winter Solstice, Epiphany, and even an accidental Hannukah.

This anthology features stories written by Cyrano, Field T. Mouse, Thomas "Faux" Steele, Rob Macwolf, Malina Douglas, Melissa Theys, Frances Pauli, Nenekiri Bookwyrm, Renee Carter Hall, Sarah Doeberiner, K.C. Shaw, Packwolf Lupestripe, Sofox, R.C. Capasso, Yarrow, Ziegenbock, and myself.

Please make sure you check out this anthology! These authors worked really hard and wrote some amazing stories, and I can't wait for you all to read them! I updated my Works Published page on the sidebar with the name of my piece and linked the entire anthology. 

Nerdy Obsessions. October! My Attempt To Watch One Horror Film a Day! (Spoilers will abound.)

 Hey! Happy November!

If you've been following my Twitter at all, specifically in the beginning of October, you probably already know a bit of what I'll be discussing.

I attempted a sort of October movie challenge, made by myself. I would try to watch thirty-one scary, schlocky, campy horror movies in thirty-one days! And I am saddened to say, I only was able to watch eleven movies (Mostly thanks to Shudder and Netflix!) 

However, I still wanted to do a ranking on all of the movies I was able to watch. 

These are the movies I was able to watch (and where you can find them!)

• October 1st: Vampires vs The Bronx (Netflix) 
• October 2nd: Till Death (Netflix)
• October 3rd: The Sadness (Shudder) *
• October 4th: Terror Train (Shudder)
• October 5th: Open 24 Hours (Shudder)
• October 6th: The Descent (Shudder)
• October 7th: Death Drop Gorgeous (Shudder) 
• October 8th: Girls With Balls (Netflix) 
• October 9th: The Babysitter (Netflix)
• October 10th: The Babysitter: Killer Queen (Netflix)
• October 12th: Slumber Party Massacre (Shudder)

*: Sadly, I was not able to finish this movie as it was way too intense for me. But I would definitely still recommend it based on what I did watch. Unfortunately, it will not be so high on my ranking due to not finishing it. Watch with your own discretion as it is SUPER GOREY. 

How am I going to rank them?

Well, every ranking is usually decided by looking at several different categories. For this, I'll consider each movie in a few different ways, then do a small top-three ranking for each individual category. 

1. Enjoyability
2. The Protagonist(s)
3. The Final Girl/Guy
4. The Antagonist(s) 
5. The Killers 
6. The Kills 
7. The Supporting Characters
8. The Story

Points will be assigned as follows. 

1.  First: 3 points
2.  Second: 2 points
3.  Third: 1 Point
4.  Honorable Mention: Half a point. Because some of these movies had great qualities. 

If you choose to proceed, there will be spoilers for these movies! If you wish to watch some of them and come back later, this would be a wonderful place to stop. 

Enjoyability

This category represents how much I enjoyed watching a movie, and also how likely I would be to watch it again. This was both an easy category, and a hard one. Because I was able to cut out the movies I enjoyed less rather quickly. But the choices I was left with were all really good picks. So here's what I came up with. 

1. Till Death
2. Open 24 Hours 
3. Vampires vs The Bronx
4. Death Drop Gorgeous

Till Death narrowly beats out Open 24 Hours for my top spot, because I remember going into it knowing only the Netflix bio (and that Megan Fox was the lead) and it proceeded to shock and surprise me at almost every turn. It was the perfect home-invasion film that had enough tension and intrigue to keep me glued to the screen. Now while I gave Till Death my top spot, Open 24 Hours is my new favorite slasher movie. The concept is so complex, and the movie makes the reader question their perception of events with the main character. Vampires vs The Bronx was probably the most family-friendly movie on this list, and it doesn't hurt the movie at all. You actively care for the characters and their passion to protect their community. Death Drop Gorgeous beats out The Descent for an Honourable Mention because the twist towards the end of the second act makes me really excited to rewatch it over. 

The Protagonist(s)

You must be wondering "Dude! Protagonists and Final Girls/Guys are usually the same people!" And that's true. This category is for the characters who are protagonists and survived their encounters but in a genre that is not the slasher genre. (As most of the films I watched fall under the slasher genre.)

1. Emma - Til Death
2. Miguel, Bobby, and Luis - Vampires vs The Bronx
3. Sarah - The Descent
4. No Honorable Mention

As these were the only three non-slashers I was able to watch, it came down to who I liked the most. Megan Fox's Emma was a solid character. A woman in an unhappy marriage is forced into an awful situation by her cruel, demented, and very much dead-weight husband. The boys from Vampires vs The Bronx were teens who wanted to protect their community even if it meant they put themselves in danger. Sarah was a badass who suffered major trauma that was all connected to a person she trusted. All of these characters could have fallen anywhere on this list. 

The Final Girl/Guy

The Final Girl has always been a major part of the appeal of a horror movie. People want someone to root for. They want to watch them kick the killer in the butt and get revenge for all of the death they caused. Unfortunately for me, there are some fantastic choices in this category. But I think I came to a solid conclusion. 

1. Mary - Open 24 Hours
2. Dwayne - Drop Dead Gorgeous
3. Valerie - Slumber Party Massacre
4. Alana - Terror Train

I am not going to say too much here, as the first three are such good characters. I will say, that Alana from Terror Train is played by an early Jamie Lee Curtis, so if you want some classic Jamie Lee, go watch Terror Train. 

Antagonist

This is a category for characters who are not the big bad, but still manage to make themselves the bad guy in other ways. 

1. Juno - The Descent
2. Bee - The Babysitter
3. Morgane - Girls With Balls
4. Mark - Till Death

These characters are all in some way demented and twisted. Juno is the worst of the worst. Bee is for sure my favorite antagonist on this list. Samara Weaving is great at playing a cool babysitter who sometimes worships the devil! But she's so chill! And Juno is way worse. As is Morgane, but I like Bee more than Morgane. Mark is Emma's husband. He does some super F*CKED up stuff in this movie (and he's not even alive for over half of it!

Killer

The Killers are usually the main source of trouble in a slasher movie. These are killers that purposely go out of their way to kill as many people as they can. They can also sometimes be creatures, but on this list, they are all people. 

1. Gloria - Death Drop Gorgeous
2. James - Open 24 Hours
3. Bobby Ray - Till Death
4. Russ Thorn - Slumber Party Massacre

The reveal of Gloria being the killer, made me absolutely love Death Drop Gorgeous. A tired old drag queen, killing young gay men to regain her youth? It was everything! James was a complex killer, and whether he is actually around or not, his presence is continuously felt during the movie. Bobby Ray is an interesting one. He's more like a hired killer for Emma's late husband. 

Kills

Kills make a slasher film, and creative kills are what get reactions from an audience. And damn... These are kills that got a reaction out of me.

1. Death Drop Gorgeous - A racist gay homophobe meats a grinder...
2. The Sadness - That ENTIRE TRAIN SCENE and the Hot oil. 
3. Open 24 Hours - Antlers
4. The Babysitter - Max's Deaths in both movies. Yikes.

These were just some of the ones that have really stuck with me after all this time. I know I said I didn't finish The Sadness because of how gory it was... But that scene in Death Drop Gorgeous... I had to close my eyes. 

Supporting Characters

These are not the main characters by any chance, and some might not even make it to the end of the film, but they are good characters and some of the ones I enjoyed watching.

1. Bobby (And everyone else) - Open 24 Hours
2. Max, Allison, John, and Phoebe- The Babysitter: Killer Queen
3. Tony, Rita, and Gloria - Vampires vs The Bronx
4. Tragedi - Death Drop Gorgeous. 

Bobby is my main pick from Open 24 Hours, and he's at the top because he is such an endearing character. His presence in the film is comforting to the main character, and he's played as such a likable person! Max, Allison, and Phoebe were my favorite parts about Killer Queen, with the first three being three of the demon-worshipping cultists from the first film, and Pheobe being played by Jenna Ortega as a tie to new lore of the movies. The Vampires vs The Bronx characters were great, I honestly loved Gloria the most (despite the fact that she was in it for maybe ten minutes?!) And Tragedi literally was such a funny character. I had to laugh everytime she was on screen. 

Story

Story is another part of what can make or break a horror film! And eleven films gives me quite a few stories to work with. And with those stories, I am also thinking about how I enjoyed them, if I cared about what happened to the characters, and how I felt about the overall plot.

1. Vampires vs The Bronx
2. Open 24 Hours
3. Till Death
4. The Sadness

The story of Vampires vs The Bronx is an engaging one. It's setting and plot revolves around the future of the Bronx and how much the characters are willing to risk for their homes. Open 24 Hours, again, is my favorite slasher-esque movie! The backstory of Mary and James sets up this plot where you do not know for sure who or what is real! Till Death had me screaming as Emma had to overcome stairs, snow, and two men coming for her neck all while dragging around her dead husband. 

I looked up the ending of The Sadness, as I was so upset I couldn't stomach the rest... And I am so glad I did. It's a good story. A great story even. But the rest of the movie is a complete dive into chaos and tragedy. Again... not for the faint of heart. 

With all that, I can now give a rough ranking from one to eleven for these movies! 

1. Open 24 Hours
2. Death Drop Gorgeous 
3. Till Death
4. Vampires vs The Bronx
5. The Descent
6. The Babysitter
7. The Babysitter: Killer Queen
8. The Sadness
9. Slumber Party Massacre
10. Girls with Balls
11. Terror Train

No surprises there for me.

I would totally love to do this again next year, and if you have any suggestions for movies I could watch, let me know! 

Okay?

Well! Time for me to hide for a few days or so! I'll be back soon though for a self-promotion post! YAY!

Updates.

I am still alive. I have not died. 

Is that a good thing?

Still trying to figure that out. 

Hello! 

Happy Summer of 2022! Work is mostly done for me for the year, unless I hear something different. Other than those developments, summer is going to be a bit slower this year. 

Me? I am mostly enjoying the slow pace of the hot, Hot, HOT summer days by doing anything besides going outside. Pride Month is going nicely, and pretty chill. There are a lot of cool things having to do with the LGBTQ+ community I am specifically excited about that have come out recently. Netflix has "First Kill" and "Dead End: Paranormal Park," two shows that feature LGBTQ+ lead characters and horror. (A great combination, if I am honest) Notable comment for certain friends of mine who like Broadway, the latter includes the vocal talents of Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice himself) as a talking dog named Puggsley. And yes. He does sing. I will be trying to watch them both at some point

I watched almost all of the episodes in Vol. 1 of Stranger Things Season Four. For those of you who are wondering how it is, I had to stop watching once or twice because certain parts are that intense. And I currently have an alarm made from one of the most traumatizing parts of the season. I am both excited for and actively dreading Vol. 2. 

Other than that, the only major things happening this summer is a wonderful meetup with my bestie, and the constant desire to continue writing. If I am able to find a publishing home for a few of my finished stories, I should have some personal publishing projects coming out soon. 

After summer ends, specifically after September 8th, I will be starting work on editing for my first anthology! It's a furry, winter holiday-themed anthology for stories that are one thousand words or less. (If anyone is curious and would like to try and write for it, here is the link.)

Other than that. Nothing new to report. Just business as usual. 

See you all the next time I decide to post.

What's up?

At this point, this is more of a leisurely blog where I only post things when and if I feel like posting.

And that is one-hundred percent okay. If that's where my mental health is, then that is what I am going to do. It's been a good while since my last post, so let me catch you guys up on what I have been doing with my spare time.

The reason I haven't done so many things like the next Character Interview, updates on my Nerdy Obsessions, or any stories is because I have been going through mental gymnastics with myself. Imposter syndrome, depression, the ghosts of past trauma... It just combines to become one big mess of mental disarray...

I have however done some pretty cool things. Nothing close to "I'm published again" but I am sure I will cross that bridge when I get to it. January saw the release of Scream twenty-five years after the original's release. I was very excited for this as I have done extensive research into the slasher genre. Scream was always a series I wanted to get into. Let me tell you, there is nothing like watching a movie like that in theaters. The experience was fantastic. It was a great film. I watched all of the films after seeing that. I definitely recommend them.

I had my birthday five days prior to writing this update post. Turning twenty-four is pretty nice, I guess. I am a year older. So that's positive as long as you don't think about your birthday bringing you one year closer to the inevitable embrace of the afterlife. 

Other than that, it's been substitute teaching, editing, and Pokemon for me. I have tons of projects I need to catch up on. So I will be doing those. Hopefully, I will be slowly returning to publishing online content soon. Who knows? :) 

In the meantime, thanks for sticking around.