Off the Bloody Path: Andrew Koenig & Depression

I'm going to venture off the path here and post something that's not in line with our other posts, but I feel it's important enough to do so.  If you don't like it, screw you, we never liked you anyway.

After several days of relentless media coverage and tireless searching by friends and family, former Growing Pains actor Andrew Koenig was found dead.  No official cause has yet been released, but it appears to be at his own hand, a result of suffering severe depression.

I heard this comment made: “What does he have to be depressed about?”  He grew up a popular child actor on a highly rated TV show, his father is Star Trek actor Walter Koenig (who played Chekov) and he seemed to have a large group of friends and family who loved him.  Well, here’s the thing, you can have all the fame, all the money and all the love in the world, but clinical depression doesn’t care.  It’s not logical and it makes no sense.

My name is Kelly and I suffer from depression.  And I hate it.  I truly have no reason to be depressed.  I have a loving husband that makes me laugh daily and a baby on the way.  I have a fantastic group of friends who would do anything and everything for me and I have the most wonderful family that ever existed, period.  I have a good job, make good money and have plenty of hobbies and interests that I love and that keep me on my feet.  I want for nothing, and yet, I am depressed.  It’s not something that ever really goes away, though luckily for me, it’s not all-encompassing.  I have better moments and I have worse moments, but it’s something that’s always there.  I can speak from experience that when you get so very down, you have that moment where you go “what do I have to be depressed about”, and then you just feel worse about yourself, because for some stupid reason, you can’t fully appreciate how great your life is, so you must be a bad person, and the spiral just continues.

My heart absolutely broke when I heard about Andrew.  I’d be willing to bet he had those same thoughts, but when you’re sick, those thoughts don’t necessarily help.   In the end, I’m hoping that the media exposure related to Andrew’s battle will help those who still struggle.  He didn’t win his fight, but perhaps his life can inspire others to fight to win theirs.

Depression can affect anyone.  Even if you don’t suffer from depression, it’s important to try to understand those that do.  It’s not just a matter of feeling the blues or being a little down.  It’s a totally different experience, and if you do not suffer from it, I don’t know that I can adequately explain what it feels like.  It’s important not to judge, but to be sympathetic to those who struggle with this.  I’m including this link to a website with information on identifying depression, getting help and coping.  Even if you can’t immediately think of someone in your life that suffers from depression, I suggest you read up on the subject anyhow.  If you think you might be suffering from depression, don’t worry about stigmas or any of that nonsense, go talk to your doctor; it’s an illness like any other.

I hope this post helps someone.  There’s a great big wonderful world out there and I want us all to be able to enjoy it fully!

If you're tough enough to sit through this scary movie, you might get $10K!

This may end up being the crappiest movie ever made, but you have to give the filmmaker credit for having huge balls and laying down this challenge.  The challenge sounds easy enough on the surface, but let's be honest, even the bravest person has to flinch at a perfectly timed scare in a movie, it can't be helped.   Because this is somewhat unique, I'd be interested to see how it pans out. (Trailer below release)

FROM REUTERS:

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A Bollywood filmmaker has issued a lucrative challenge to horror movie fans: a $10,000 reward for anyone who can watch his latest supernatural thriller, alone, in a cinema until the closing credits.
Ram Gopal Varma's "Phoonk 2," a sequel to his 2008 film of the same name, is about an evil spirit that traumatizes a family. "Anyone who says the movie cannot scare him is going to be put in a theater by himself," Varma told reporters in Mumbai at an event to promote the movie.
Varma said the film fan who steps up to the challenge will be wired up to a heart monitoring machine as well as a camera that ensures they keep their eyes open during the whole movie.
Readings from the machines will be shown live on a screen outside the cinema, Varma said, and if the contestant succeeds, they will win 500,000 rupees (approximately $10,850).
Varma issued a similar challenge ahead of the release of the original "Phoonk" but the promotional contest was withdrawn after allegations the selection process was rigged.
Varma said the contest winner ran out 30 minutes after the film started, but newspaper reports said a film fan in the southern Indian city of Bangalore booked an entire cinema to prove the director wrong and watched the film alone with a doctor on call and security personnel stationed outside.

Universal's Monster Legacy

Here's a great site to play around on, especially if you're into nostalgic Hollywood back-lot horror.  Universal's Monster Legacy site opens with a great video intro, which you can skip if you so choose, but I recommend watching it.

As you move through the site, you can view the synopsis, images and theater art of some of your favorite horror films.  I've included a few of my favorites below.  I love the music playing on the site (I think it may be from the new Wolfman movie, which is part of the inspiration for this site.)

The Alien Symbiote Cometh...

Went to the doctor today & it's official: I'M HAVING A GIRL! An Itty Bitty Bloody Blonde to add to the mix.

She's kind of freaky looking, ain't she?

Now, don't for a second expect me to start lavishing her with uber-frilly garments and lots of nauseatingly girly-cute stuff.  Oh no no no, my little girl will be raised properly!  I'm already shopping for the appropriate garb as we type.

Women in Horror posted on their Facebook page a link to an Etsy seller, AngryBaby.  This will be my first stop.

If you tell me this isn't freaking adorable I will punch you in the skull.

When I put my sweet little shnookums in this next get up, I have a feeling most of my family will be scratching their heads:

And no little girls toy collection would be complete without her very own Ugly Dolls!

This guy, Big Toe, is my fav!

So this is where I'm starting, but I need so much more than this.  This little one has a grandmother that will no doubt be buying all sorts of ridiculous lacey dresses, so I have stock up on the good stuff myself.  If you have any suggestions on great places to shop for horror/scifi themed baby gear, please let me know!

Andrew Koenig Missing (scary in a non-fun way)

From TMZ.com:


Andrew Koenig, who played Boner on the show "Growing Pains," has been reported missing, the Vancouver Police tells TMZ.

He was reportedly last seen a week ago. Koenig was supposed to be on a flight back to the United States on February 16, but didn't make it.

The family is asking that anyone with information contact Detective Raymond Payette of the Vancouver Police Department at 604-717-2534.

You should 'check out' Jennifer's Body

We are not professionals.  We don't aim to go into full-regurgitation mode here in our reviews - if you want to know the storyline, you can read it for yourself, so we're not going to break down the whole plot. It really doesn't matter all that much what the damn story is supposed to be anyway. What you know is going on and what you are watching is the cat and mouse between the character of Jennifer and her best friend Needy and the boys who orbit Jennifer like love-starved satellites. And there you have it.

JENNIFER'S BODY

KELLY:  So, Jennifer's Body. I really liked this movie, although I half expected to not like it because of the poor reviews after it came out.  People seemed very excited about it and then all of sudden it was as though the movie was only mediocre at best. 

PATRICE: Critics really hated it. I think because of Diablo Cody, not the movie itself.  I fully expected this movie to be just an overhyped teenage hormone fest that would ultimately leave me unsatisfied, and maybe even a little disgusted. After all, the marketing for this film concentrated on the sexy bimbo hotness of Megan Fox and what would appear to be a need to eat or at least make out with everyone who wanders within six feet of her. 

KELLY: I need to go back and look at the reviews, but I'll bet you anything most of the so-so reviews were done by men, because they just didn't relate to it or get it.  I think that's why I enjoyed it so much, I could relate to so many of the scenes and dialogue, even given it's about diabolical possession!

PATRICE: Well just being a woman I think we can both relate to diabolical possession sometimes.  The character of Jennifer seemed to be as much a victim of her teenage sexual desires and hormones as she was a murderous demon possessed biatch.

KELLY: Both of whom I've met at some point in high school.

PATRICE: I liked the fact that when she was low on bitchfuel, she got uglier.  It was satisfying!

KELLY: Bitchfuel, I like it. Kind of appropriate that it was the boys that made her bitchy, don't you think? Very appropriate indeed...

PATRICE: Yeah this was definitely the perspective of a woman, no doubt.  Sort of the man-eater stereotype ramped up.

KELLY: There were so many teenage girl parallels to be drawn in this movie: boys make her be bitchy, man-eater, best friends who secretly want to kill each other.  The list goes on and on...

PATRICE:  …the jealousy, the envy, the boys who wanted to be close to Jennifer, the best friend who marveled at her…

KELLY:  This could have just as easily been another John Hughes movie about teenage friendships if you took out the whole demonic possession bit.

PATRICE:  Exactly that - if John Hughes and Quentin Tarantino teamed up.

KELLY: Ooh, that would have been awesome for sure...

So, should we knock out the bit about the girl-on-girl scene?  It didn’t do anything for me one way or the other, definitely just a ploy to get guys to agree to go to the movie with their girlfriend for a chick-centered film.

PATRICE: It was the one scene you couldn't possibly avoid knowing about ahead of time was the much-hinted at bedroom omg-they're-kissing scene Jennifer and Needy. Turns out, that scene isn't any more exciting than what you would see on a Girls Gone Wild commercial, assuming you're old enough to stay up and watch Comedy Central unsupervised. 

KELLY:  I saw an interview with Amanda Seyfried where she said she and Megan Fox just rolled their eyes at that scene and were like, whatever.

PATRICE: I really have nothing more to add about it. I think it was completely unnecessary and any attempt by other reviewers to work it into the whole teenaged finding yourself phase is full of shit.

KELLY: Agreed.

PATRICE:  So there was also the relationship between Needy and her boyfriend Chip.  I wasn't sure exactly how much of that was pertinent to the rest of the story other than to illustrate the stark contrast between the two girls and maybe to create that triangle that ultimately led to Needy attacking Jennifer.

KELLY: Side note: I want to say that I appreciate that high school age kids (or those pretty close) were used for this movie. Made it much more realistic to see them talking the way they did.

PATRICE:  Oh, yeah and I love that boy who played the goth kid -the one from Haunting in Connecticut.

KELLY:  Back on track: yeah, I kept wondering if Needy losing her virginity would somehow play a role, but I don't think it ever really did. I went back through and thought about that, but could never find anything that jumped out at me.

PATRICE: I think it was just to show the contrast - her sweetness and innocence compared to how Jennifer just used boys to her advantage, like the soon-to-be cop boy from the bar.

KELLY: Do you think there was any significance in the teacher having a claw for a hand? I wasn't sure if it was just there simply because they had it in props and thought "hey, this is neat" or if there was something we were supposed to take from it.  It was very random.

PATRICE: I think it might have been just an odd bit they threw in there, random.

KELLY: For me, the best scene in the movie would have to be the fight at the abandoned swimming pool on prom night.  That whole scene had me laughing 1) because the action was fun but more importantly 2) because of the argument the two girls were having.  Here you have Jennifer trying to eat Needy's boyfriend alive and in the end they end up bitching about each other's flaws as a friend.

PATRICE: I told you the line that really cracked me up, when Needy has jammed the big pole thru Jennifer and J is like “Got a tampon?  I thought you might be pluggin’.”  It was almost like she was saying, ‘I thought that's why you might be getting all worked up over me trying to eat your boyfriend,’ like you wouldn’t otherwise.  I liked how it seemed almost ridiculous “Oh, now you're floating?” or something like that.  For some reason that was so ludicrous and so funny to me. 

KELLY: Yes, the floating line!  Chip says something like "she's levitating" and Needy says "she's just floating, it's not that impressive" or something like that.   Just super bitchiness!

This scene alone made me love this movie. The rest was good enough to get a good review, but that sealed the deal for me. Was the dialogue cheesy? Yes. But have I been in a similar situation where you start bitching at each other over nonsense that is totally unrelated to the situation at hand? Absolutely!

PATRICE: It's that particular element that made it so much more resonant for women. We’ve all had friends that we were super close to, but given a stressful situation would scratch each other's eyes out.  Men would never do that. Wouldn't even understand why we would.

KELLY:  Exactly!  And let's be honest, no matter how much we love our friends, at some point we've wanted to just shove a pole through them and tell them to just Go To Hell. I love my best friend to death, but on more than a few occasions I'm pretty sure we could have killed each other were it not for silly laws making it illegal.

PATRICE: Exactly.  So let me ask you about something else:  the band that slips into town to find a victim to sacrifice to make themselves famous, Low Shoulder.  When they roll into this little town in the middle of nowhere, they are there for a reason - which of course we find out later.  They're going to find a virgin to sacrifice so they can basically sell their souls to the devil for fame, etc.

Okay, what I thought about after the fact was...what was the purpose of the club burning down and killing so many people?  Could they not have just played a show, found a girl to lure into their van and gone on with their plan? Did they need a diversion that big? Or am I just missing something?  I realize that the whole "healing" process and the song that becomes tattooed on their brains was tied into that. I get that.

KELLY: I wondered about that as well and finally decided it was to illustrate how 'low' Low Shoulder really was. They are that depraved that they simply don't care.  Because honestly, they didn't make any attempt to try to save Jennifer, so I don't think they did it to have a distraction so they could get to her. I think they just capitalized on her being safe after the fact. They were just assholes, plain and simple.

PATRICE: I also wondered how they even pulled the fire off from the stage. It seemed supernatural, but they didn't have any powers - they were just dorks who were going to try to conjure up some demons.

KELLY:  I can't quite remember how it started.

PATRICE: The fire seemed to start out of nowhere, running up a pole or a beam, wasn't sure what it was, but they were on stage at the time, just starting to play, so they really didn't even get to perform.  And then there was the rumor that they were heroes, helping people... I suppose that's how they elevated themselves.

KELLY: I also kind of felt it was making a statement about how people are so quick to deify celebrities, just as easily as they vilify them. Low Shoulder's music wasn't that great, but they were seen as gods by Jennifer, which led to her demise. And then all the students fell into hero worship for something the band didn't actually do (saving people) and were willing to fight for them.  It was commentary on the cult of celebrity.

PATRICE: Yeah that was definitely meant to be the statement, I agree.  The conversation in the classroom when the nameless girl defends them as having been the freaking saviors come to earth or something.

KELLY: Hmm, wonder if Diablo Cody was fashioning this band after any group in particular?

PATRICE:  They were actually gonna have Pete Wentz or Joel Madden.

KELLY:  I loved the dialogue during the Low Shoulder sacrifice scene. It was ridiculous and nonsense, but it worked. It wasn't overplayed, it wasn't acted as if I'm supposed to take it seriously. It was simply tongue-in-cheek and dumb and worked perfectly.

PATRICE: Oh yeah, and bursting into 867-5309 (Jenny) may have actually been my favorite part of the movie.  I nearly wet myself!

KELLY: Yeah, that scene could have easily made me roll my eyes, but instead, I was laughing and loving it.  That's something else about the movie that I enjoyed: it was campy and schlocky at times and non-sensical but it all worked together perfectly. I feel like this would be a perfect movie to watch with a bunch of girlfriends at a sleepover.  It was just a fun damn movie. 

PATRICE: It was and I thought the special fx were good. 

KELLY: Agreed, the fx were good partly because they were simple and not over the top, so there was little opportunity to screw them up, so you could easily buy everything that happened.

PATRICE:  I mean, just look what they did for Megan Fox's thumbs...

KELLY:  What about her thumbs?

PATRICE: OMG you haven't heard the flap? She's got some kind of malfunction that makes her thumbs look like a caveman’s - so they had a double do the scene with the closeup of her hands, and they 'shopped in the double's thumbs.

KELLY: Huh. Well, hmm, there you go. Caveman thumbs eliminated thanks to the magic of movies.

PATRICE: Actually it wasn't in this movie, it was her Superbowl Ad with the photo-shopped thumbs, but still it is pretty funny.  Just google Megan Fox thumbs and you'll get the idea of the magnitude of it.

KELLY:  What were some of your favorite lines from the movie? I loved loved loved the final fight between Needy and Jennifer when Needy says "Know what this is? It's a BOX cutter!" I about died!

PATRICE: Yeah, that and the other one I already mentioned about pluggin’ were my favorites!  Gross but funny. [For more awesome quotes, click here.]  I also wanted to add that I loved that Amy Sedaris played the trailer trash mom to Needy

KELLY: I kept trying to figure out where I knew her from and then I was like "Is that Sedaris? Nah, it can't be!"  I wonder if her role was cut down from something bigger.I can't imagine casting Amy Sedaris as a narcoleptic white trash mother and then just not doing anything with that.

PATRICE: True, she's bigger than that.

KELLY: Then again, maybe she's pals with Cody and it was done as a friend thing, who knows.  Though, still, as a friend, Cody should have written more for her, so that really doesn't hold any water. Hmm, mysterious...

Okay, so I want to get your take on the beginning/ending, with Needy in the mental hospital.  Do you think she actually became possessed herself or, as she states it, she simply took on some of the powers?  I wondered, because not even Jennifer knew what was going on with her body (yet another teenage girl metaphor) and she was full on possessed, so would Needy necessarily know if she had the devil in her? 

PATRICE: She did all that research to figure out what happened to Jennifer, so yeah, she knew.

KELLY: In the end, I did end up thinking it was just pulling on the powers, not full blown possession.  The primary reason I figured it was just gaining strength was in how she murdered Low Shoulder.  She basically just went in and thrashed the shit out of them, no flesh eating.

PATRICE: I liked when she kicked that woman across the cafeteria. “Just one Toastem, huh?”

KELLY: That was damn funny. 

Something I really liked about the ending: she took revenge  for Jennifer.  BFF 4Ever and all that.  Even though things had gone to hell, literally, she busted out, risking everything, to go find those who had hurt her friend and then took revenge.  She can beat the shit out of her friend, but damnit, no one else better touch her!

PATRICE:  The revenge on the band was awesome!  After all, they were the ones who made Jennifer that way, so it makes sense.  Jennifer might have been a little bitchy, but she wasn't a demon until they came along.  Those douchbags got what they deserved.

KELLY: In the end, it was a film about friendship and the ups and downs and perhaps a little demonic possession.  It was touching in an odd way.

PATRICE: I also wondered if Cody Diablo might not be a fan of boy bands.

KELLY: What makes you say that?

PATRICE:  They were portrayed as lazy, self-centered, misogynistic assholes who would do anything to get famous even without any real talent and then they get slaughtered in the end.

KELLY: Oh, you mean bands with guys, I thought you meant 'boy bands' like Backstreet Boys and NSync and the like.  I was like, uh, what?  Does anyone really like those bands anymore? ;)

PATRICE: I actually looked at the revenge as purely revenge for everything they did to ruin the town and kill so many people and for being the ones to cause Jennifer to become what she was. 

KELLY: Oh no no no no no, dude, it's total 'Bitch is Scorned' action! Typical chick. ;)

PATRICE: Plus her boyfriend got killed in the process.

KELLY: Good ol' Chip...

PATRICE: I loved Chip.  I loved that Johnny Simmons got to play him.  Of course I kept thinking "How the hell are you gonna ignore Chip in favor of a bitchy girl friend?"  Maybe that's just me.

KELLY: Chip’s best line: "I can take care of myself, I'm using the bowflex."

This movie was fun and I enjoyed the hell out of it. I'm perplexed as to why it got only so-so reviews when it came out. I can only figure they were men who reviewed it and that they didn't just get it.

PATRICE:  I think they might have either been expecting too much out of Diablo Cody because "Juno" was so great, or if they thought it was too lightweight by comparison. That plus they just didn't get it.  I loved it, thought it had good effects, effective suspense, an original storyline, and a great cast. Oh and a good soundtrack.

KELLY: I suggest everyone rent it and watch it. If you're a chick, invite some gal pals over, eat junk food and prepare to have fun

PATRICE: Yep, agreed.

Creep Machine Featured Artist: Shain Erin

From CreepMachine.com:

Shain Erin
“I am an artist working in a variety of media including painting, digital and sculpture. In recent years I have become preoccupied with the formal/expressive possibilities of the doll as an art form. I am fascinated with the way in which dolls can function simultaneously as contrived objects and as living entities. I draw on a wide range of references including world art, art history, mythology and popular culture to inform and empower my doll sculpture.  I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the San Francisco Art Institute and have shown work throughout the US. My doll sculptures are in collections throughout the US, Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, and Norway.”
To see more of Shain’s work head to his homepage Shainerin.com.

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I've pulled pics of some of my favorites.  These things are freaking ugly and I love it!  Go to the gallery via the Creep Machine link above to check them all out.

Like to write about scary stuff?

Do you love horror movies, scary monsters, haunted houses, Halloween, and all things creepy and nightmarish? Do you write about them, or would you like to?

Bloody Blondes Blog would love to hear from you. Movie reviews, film festival reviews, observations on actors, directors, writers, horror novels, personal experiences (do you have any good ghost stories?) or any other horrifying content that would most devilishly fit in with the "spirit" of our blog are welcome.

Please email your submissions to bloodyblondesblog@gmail.com and include your name, location, and a little background info about yourself if you'd like. Feel free to share your Twitter name as well.  Plain text is best, and if you have photos, you should send them in a compressed format such as a zip file.

We can't guarantee that everything we receive will be posted, but we will review and respond to anyone who contacts us!

Zombieland on Blu-ray, starring.....my 2006 Scion xB!

In case you don't keep up with my exciting life (and you really should, it's awesome), I blogged a long time back about the opportunity I had to be an extra in Zombieland.  Unfortunately I was not a zombie (that would have been too cool) but I did get the chance to run around like a mad woman and watch the whole filming process, which was incredibly neat.  And while I didn't get any screen time, my car sure did!  Below is a screen shot of my car's big break.  I've since traded in that 2006 Scion xB, so I can't get you any autographs (not that she would give any, she was a moody bitch.)  This zombie children scene is at the start of the film when Jesse Eisenberg's character is describing the beginning of the zombie apocalypse.  If the shot had lasted  a tiny bit longer, you would have seen me running in from the left, just behind the guy in the light blue shirt, dressed as a soccer mom.  It's probably best that no ever saw me, because I do not make a good soccer mom.  However, my Scion and her image will live on in perpetuity....

DVD Review: Carriers (2009)

Our Disclaimer:  We are not professional movie critics.  We are two mouthy broads who love to spout our opinions about horror movies.  We're not going to recap the movie, since more than likely you've already seen whatever it is we're talking about.  Instead, we've got a link to a synopsis so you can read up on the plot.  We discuss spoilers; you have been warned.

CARRIERS (2009)

PATRICE:  Is it just me, or was that the least interesting, least scary horror movie ever?

KELLY:  I wouldn't call it least interesting, I do love me some post-apocalyptic movies, but I agree that it wasn't very scary.  It was more like a post-apocalyptic TV movie of the week.

PATRICE:  It had potential but it was just dull.  I kept thinking that Zombieland did it so much better, the whole traveling to a safe place and fending off the bad guys angle, that is.

KELLY:  It sort of reminded me of The Day After,  remember that old TV cold war movie?

PATRICE: Yeah.

KELLY:  It was nice and depressing, an interesting concept, but it never really startled me or shook me or anything, just sort of makes you think, but that’s about it.  I don't know what, but something was missing.

PATRICE: I think it was little investment in the characters for me.  Then when the guy and then his girlfriend get the disease, I'm thinking, well DUH.

KELLY:  I did kind of like the fact that they just abandoned one of the main characters and then that's it, you never know what happens to her.  You don't get that too much in American horror films, they usually have to play out a story line or make it have some sort of semi-happy ending.

PATRICE: And then there's Christopher Meloni. Always nice to look at…

KELLY:  Yeah, I was thinking the same thing...

Best part of the movie...

PATRICE:  So yeah…I think the little girl portion of the story was really the only well developed part.  Then they really just let it drop at the facility where there was supposed to be a vaccine, so the doctor was losing it and planned to kill all those poor kids and then the main characters left the dad and little girl behind...

KELLY:  Damn teenagers!  Or twenty-somethings, or whatever the hell they were.

PATRICE:  And then…oh well…nothing. I just kept waiting for it to be more…something.  I did like the brothers story, but again, it was pretty vague.  I think it could have been much better.  But hey, on paper, it probably seemed really thrilling.

KELLY:  I feel you, it felt like it might go somewhere and then it never really did. Can't put my finger on it, on what it was lacking, because on the surface it looks like a well-formed movie. However, once the movie was finished, I found myself ambivalent about the ending. Didn't hate it, didn't love it.

PATRICE: Agreed.  That's about the size of it.

KELLY: There was a lot of hubbub a while back about it not having a wide-release in theaters, and now I totally understand why it was decided to focus on the DVD rental market instead. Just doesn't have that big-screen feel.

PATRICE:  Yeah, I can see that.

KELLY:  Now, all that being said, I wouldn't call it a bad movie. If someone has it and you need to kill an afternoon, it’s got enough entertainment value to make it worth the watch, but I wouldn't recommend anyone go out of their way for it.  Which is too bad, because I love the subject matter and I love me some Chris Pine as well.  That's his name right? Who the hell cares, he's eye candy, pure and simple.

PATRICE: Nice looking cast altogether - not hard to watch!  I would love to have known more about the crew that was holed up in that hotel they broke into, they really could have done more to that scene.  I had too many questions and not enough answers.

KELLY:  Maybe that was done on purpose. You get thrown into it and know just as much about the surroundings as the protagonists do.  Perhaps that was part of the angle of the movie?

PATRICE: Too bad the protagonists weren't all that interesting.  It really only works if you're thinking "OMG this is so crazy, what is going ON?!?!" But I was thinking "That's weird. What's up with that? Huh."  Not to bash it completely, but it’s just not a heart-racer.

KELLY & PATRICE:  Final verdict – the movie basically exists.  Not bad, not great, just there.  Had great potential, but never quite reaches it.

Valentine's Gifts for the Goth in Your Life

You don't have to be a goth to dig on this jewelry, any ol' horror fan will like these pieces.  If you've got a chick in your life who claims their not into the commercialization of love but secretly expects some sort of V-Day treat, Amaltheas Attic is the site for you.  I've pulled pics of some of my favs below (you know, just in case you're feeling super giving this Valentine's season) but this is just a smattering of what is offered on the website.  From jewelry & toys to bath & beauty, it's got it all.  So get shopping, V-Day is just around the corner!

Most Comprehensive List of Zombie Films Ever

Shout out to my friend Chris who sent me a link to what has to be the most comprehensive list of zombie films ever!  I thought I was pretty well-versed in even the most obscure of zombie films, but this list puts me to shame.  Since it is Wikipedia, I'm sure there are some additions that are questionable for this genre, although it does make a point of saying it does not include anything that falls under the umbrella of 'ghost, vampire or mummy'.  You're even given the ability to click to documentary vs. short film vs. television and so on.  All told, it looks to be pretty damn good.  I'm tempted to do a "list of my favorites" but it would most likely end up looking exactly like the Wikipedia list, so why bother.  Click around and find you some new zombie films to sink your teeth into! [sorry, I had to put at least one stupid pun in this post]

Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" Scares Me Already

I've always loved the story of Alice in Wonderland, with it's classic once-upon-a-time fairytale imaginationland vibe. I always pictured the sweet old Rev. Dodgson telling this story to those sweet little girls, Edith and Alice Liddell, who were in rapt wonder, mesmerized by the land of talking rabbits and mice and playing cards that could arrange themselves. Never did I ever imagine the creatures that populated this famous tale to look anything like the nightmarish creations of Tim Burton. Then again, what did I expect, really? Burton has a way with story-telling and an unearthly talent for setting a scene that is unlike any you'll ever encounter in real life. When you think about it, Alice in Wonderland is one of the most bizarre children's stories  of all time, especially for its time. Here then are some of the strange beasts we will be seeing in Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland, arriving in theaters this month:

T

The March Hare

The Caterpillar

The Bandersnatch

Tweedledee and Tweedledum

The Dormouse

The White Rabbit

All images from Wired (a most awesome publication)