Scared to Death: The Thrill of Horror Film Exhibit

This past weekend I was lucky enough to check out Scared to Death, a horror exhibit at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington. This installation at MoPop features over 50 props and costumes from horror shows and movies like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Walking Dead, The Shining, Pet Sematary, Frankenstein, Hostel, Blair Witch, and many more. I was so incredibly excited to get to see this exhibit, and it didn't disappoint! I got to geek out over the props and costumes from some of my favorite horror films, watch video clips of well-known creators talk about notable horror films, and immerse myself in the delightfully macabre atmosphere of the exhibit.

So, you start the exhibit (which is tucked into the back corners of the Museum of Pop Culture), by descending down a staircase bathed in red, wallpapered with faces of people screaming. You enter into the exhibit and are immediately met with a body-bag maze to your right and a zombie quarantine zone to your left. Around every corner you may come face-to-face with a xenomorph, or Jason, or a bloody severed head, or a nook to sit down and watch short interviews with notable horror creators discussing the influence of specific films. You can enter into a cathedral dripping with blood highlighting vampire lore and props, holler your heart out in the sound-proofed Scream Box (which will take a photo of you as you scream), and of course take advantage of the interactive photo-ops.

Take a virtual walk through of the Scared to Death horror exhibit below:

Recap: Delusion 2016 - His Crimson Queen

Delusion's His Crimson Queen

This past weekend I attended the immersive, interactive play Delusion in its 2016 incarnation, titled "His Crimson Queen." Delusion is unlike anything I have experienced, an interactive play where you become characters as well as interact with others to solve a mystery while walking through elaborate sets in an actual mansion. It is an entirely unique entity that has incredible production value, phenomenal acting, thrilling mystery, and just enough scary moments to keep you on your toes! Keep reading about this year's production below and why it is one of the most-anticipated Halloween season events in Southern California!

Top 10 Horror Movies of 2015

When I started making my list of the best horror movies of 2015, I remember thinking that it would be a tough task, as 2015 didn't really stand out for me as a banner year for horror movies. I felt like there just weren't that many new releases and it would be hard to come up with 10 horror movies I adored this year. However, as I started making my list, I realized that this year it was about quality over quantity, and that there were several stellar horror releases in 2015.

This year (and as usual), indie horror reigned supreme, and while I already had most of the horror movies mentioned below on my radar, there were a few pleasant surprises! Another surprise was how varied my favorite horror movies were, from comedies to romance to gothic to artsy to gory to holiday horrors! Lots of different sub-genres this year, which I always count as a good thing!

I did find a pattern for many of the horror films I did end up enjoying. While some of the best horror movies of 2015 were raucous, fun affairs, I found that the majority of the ones I liked best were actually understated and subtle, films that really stuck with me long after I finished watching them. There were also several challenging horror titles, which I had to watch multiple times to decide whether I loved or loathed them (and at least one of my picks I'm still conflicted about).

So below, please find my top 10 horror movies of 2015!

Vincent the Vegetable Vampire

Why yes, that is vampire Morgan Freeman about to sink his 

fangs into a delicious cucumber (or zucchini)!

Um, found my spirit animal via the She Walks Softly blog who posted an old skit from a '70s TV show called Electric Company (according to IMBD, it's "a comedy variety show that teaches basic phonetic and grammar concepts using live-action sketches, cartoons, songs, and Spider-Man episodes."). The skit features Morgan Freeman dressed as a vampire singing about draining veggies and "creeping in the garden of your dreams." COULD THAT BE ANY MORE PERFECT?! No, I didn't think so, and you can check out this fellow spooky vegan from way back in the day below:

Vegan vampires rule.

Watch Now on Netflix: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

I have been DYING to see A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, billed as the "first Iranian vampire Western ever made", and it was one of my most-anticipated horror films of 2015, so I was basically counting the days until it showed up on Netflix streaming! And it finally premiered a few days ago so I rushed home from work to see it...

Here is the synopsis:

In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.

This black and white film is the feature debut from writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour, and I am always stoked to see a female-helmed film, especially one as unique as this one! The film isn't your typical horror movie, in fact I'm not sure I would even call it horror. It's not for everyone, but I found it stylish and engaging, blending elements from pulp cinema, Westerns, film noir, romance, and horror. It has a languid, moody tone, some killer music, gorgeous visuals, and a misfit love (?) story.

I recommend A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night if you are in the mood for a one-of-a-kind film. You can watch it streaming now on Netflix, and you can also purchase it on Amazon!

Tonight's Viewing: Vampyr (1932)

Today is apparently World Goth Day, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than to watch the spooky and nightmarish Criterion Collection restoration of Carl Dreyer's Vampyr from 1932.

The film uses shadows, eerie images and camera/editing tricks (very inventive for their time and still extremely effective today) to create visual dissonance and a strong uneasiness in the viewer. Tonight was my first viewing of the film (it has been on my must-see list for a long, long time!) and just within the first few minutes I was completely enthralled by its strange and sinister beauty.

Vampyr is often listed as one of the scariest/best horror films ever made, though in my opinion it is underrated and unfortunately overshadowed by other other surreal horror films of that era. It shouldn't be missed, though, especially fans of bizarre and artistic horror films.

Buy it on Amazon!

Tonight's Viewing: Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (2009)

Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (2009)

Settling in for an evening of crazy, over-the-top wackiness courtesy of directors Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police, Meatball Machine) and Naoyuki Tomomatsu (Zombie Self-Defense Force, Stacy)!

Book Review: The End of Church Street

A group of homeless goth kids who run the back alleys of Orlando, Florida are being targeted by a vampire slayer who thinks they are real creatures of the night. Though the kids like to wear fake fangs and don black capes to terrorize the tourists, they are pretty much harmless and the only people to bother them are the bored cops. Now, Vampire King and Queen Adam and Lucy must protect their brood of runaways from a real threat that is staking and decapitating members. Everyone is a suspect, from a detective called Duncan to the kids’ strange butler Renfield and even some of the kids themselves. Can they catch the deranged Van Helsing-wannabe before it’s too late?

Read more at Fatally Yours

Thoughts on the "Let Me In" Remake

Over at Fatally-Yours.com we received some news and a new trailer on the Let Me In remake, which prompted this post...

Ever since I heard about the remake of the jaw-droppingly awesome Swedish flick Let the Right One In (my review) I've been a little pissed. The remake is totally unnecessary (except for the money factor...hey, filmmaking is a business) and I just didn't see the point to "re-imaging" it for American audiences. However, I finally took a peek at some of the trailers and I gotta admit they don't look all THAT horrible (bonus point to the filmmakers for casting "Hit Girl" from Kick-Ass, Chloe Moretz).

It looks like it stays pretty true to the original in story, tone, setting and atmosphere. My concern with this is, am I just going to be bored with this remake? I mean, I've seen the original, so if director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) doesn't tweak anything then I'm probably NOT going to see it...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but I much prefer the original to just a carbon-copy!

Still, the new trailers have piqued my interest enough that I might actually go see this in theaters October 1st.

What do you guys think? Will you go see it October 1st? Do you think this remake was unnecessary or do you think it has some value? 

Check out the trailer below:

Tonight's Viewing: True Blood Season 2

It's been a year since I saw True Blood Season 1 on DVD (I don't have any of the fancy-smancy movie channels, so I can't watch the show on HBO) and I've been waiting to see Season 2 ever since!

Well, tonight's the night since I finally got Season 2 from Netflix (they released it like three weeks after it was available for purchase, those jerks!)!

I'm soooooooo excited!!! I may just stay up all night to watch all the episodes! Especially with Mr. Skarsgard gracing me with his GORE-geous presence! :)

Alexander Skarsgard...so tasty!