Okay, so back in October I went down to Coney Island to take some photos. The problem was that with the time change, by time I could get down there after work it was much too dark to take any decent photos :(

Well, I finally finally went back there on thursday and took some new pictures.

The deserted area wasn't nearly as eerie in the day as it had been that evening in October, but it is still a little strange to see a place that is so full and lively in the summer, so completely abandoned.

Anyway, here are a few of the photos I took:

You can check out the other photos here.

Anyways, let me know what you think :)

This is pretty self explanitory. You get tagged, you have to write a blog with 10 weird or random things, facts, or habits about yourself. Then choose some friends to tag next, leave a comment on their profile and ask them to read your blog. If nothing else, at least it will give you something to do if you're bored.

Here goes: 

1. I am an extremely picky eater. To the point that I will not try anything new unless I know what's in it.

2. Since I was ten I have had a strange obsession with keychains. I would have well over 100 by now if I hadn't lost so many when I was younger.

3. I love to shop, but prefer to do it all online, even if that means spending more for shipping.

4. I have never been in love

5. My first memory is of looking out the window at the Pacific Ocean

6. All of my fingers are double jointed. It's hard to describe but I can hyper-extend them (that's Dean's word) or bend them strangely

7. I can't drive a car and have no desire to learn

8. When I was young, I loved scavenger hunts and Indiana Jones enough that I wanted to be an archaeologist. I still love scavenger hunts and Indiana Jones

9. I hate to be dependent on anyone, and if possible, I will do more work than really necessary if it means doing it myself

10. I think the most daring thing I have done was jumping off a 25 foot cliff into a pool of water when I was 12. If I could find that cliff I would do it again just to prove I still can.

Have I ever mentioned that I love New York? LOL

I was messing around on google last week, and stumbled upon this theater in the city called Film Forum. Apparently they play all the artsy and documentary type movies that no other theater will carry aaaand (this is the part I love) they play old movies.

What caught my attention initially was that they were actually playing The Untouchables. Can you imagine seeing that movie on the big screen?? Unfortunately I missed out on that one, but I was just in time for something even more special. Apparently Turner Classic Movies has been going through their dusty old archives, and managed to find six 30's films that were thought lost (and apparently haven't been seen since 1959). They were all restored and set up, and Film Forum decided to do a week long two-for-one deal for each of them.

Anyway, apparently they went through a whole ordeal to find these things and fully restore them and get permission from the right people and so on. I was going to post the whole article about it but you can check it out here if you're interested. They will be showing them on TCM in April, so it's definitely worth looking at :)

Anyways, I got the chance to see four of the six films and it was definitely worth it. This is what I thought of each:

Rafter Romance

(1933, WILLIAM SEITER) Their rent late again, artist/night watchman Norman Foster (then Mr. Claudette Colbert, later director of the Wellesian Journey into Fear) and telemarketer [sic] Ginger Rogers get an ultimatum: time share the attic or out. But as the war of notes on the fridge escalates between the strangers, guess who meets cute outside the building, even as each suffers from admirer overload?

This one was really cute.  It kinda had the charm of Shop Around the Corner and was well worth the time. The entire cast was excellent and it was one of those feel-good romance movies that you can't help but love. The notes and pranks between the two were great, and it was fun to watch the whole thing play itself out as each finally realized who the other actually was.

Double Harness

(1933, JOHN CROMWELL) "Marriage is the business of women." Matrimony ensues when Ann Harding lets herself get caught at spendthrift playboy William Powell's pad ("Oops!") by old-school dad Henry Stephenson — but as she turns Powell into a successful businessman, does love...? Pre- Code romantic comedy highlighted by top star teamwork and cuckoo Dinner-Party-from-Hell climax.

James Cromwell (the son of the director) came and introduced this one. Apparently he hadn't even heard of it until TCM approached him with it, which is very cool. Anyway, this one was…interesting LOL. The dialogue was great. It was very funny at times and Ann Harding and William Powell were great together but…it was almost like it was two different movies. It was partly a cute, funny romance, but it covered things like deceit and manipulation, making it much more real, and much more serious. It made the whole thing a little … disconcerting, but it was still decent and something I would definitely want to see again.

Stingaree

(1934, WILLIAM A. WELLMAN) A Down-Under "Western," as Richard Dix's Aussie outlaw Stingaree masquerades as an importer, London composer, and as the governor general, while aiding maid Irene Dunne's rise to international opera stardom. "One of the more unbelievable musicals ever to emanate from RKO — not to mention one of Wellman's stranger directorial efforts."

This was wasn't bad; it was a little unbelievable in that it was one of those films that have a couple instantly falling in love, but it was still cute and had some really funny parts with the music. Not one I would look for again but I am glad I got the chance to see it.

A Man to Remember

Around August I get a notice from one of the horror pages I have on my friends list that a new show is coming to New York. You hear stuff like this all the time, but this time, it was something big. Evil Dead: The Musical. Naturally, I freaked…Evil Dead…that wonderful bloody movie, with all the classic lines we all know and love…on stage…with music? And it has a Blood Splatter Zone?! I knew instantly that I just had to check it out. So I talk to my friends, who normally go to see all sorts of stuff with me, but they had no interest (I still don't get it, but never mind) So just when I decide I will go by myself, I start talking with someone on my friends list (Hi Dean! *waves*) and find out that he plans to go too! Soooo we decide, what the hell? I will just join him and his friends!

After much planning, and adjusting and tweaking, we finally get the tickets (front row center, SPLATTER ZONE! wohoo) and we're all set to go. He and his friends get the day off and then we wait anxiously for the day to come. Wednesday it finally did :)

I get off a little early and we all meet up…but not at the theater…no we want to have a little pre-bloody fun, fun, so we meet at the Museum of Sex

The museum was tons of fun. Lots of cartoons (I am still curious about that angry chicken), some…interesting anime (one of them was just….wrong LOL) some videos including a cartoon that really needed the Mario Brother's theme song, and of course, various toys (I hope that thing with the chair is working next time we go!) then wandered the gift shop until it was time to eat.

And of course, the perfect precursor to any show is Ellen's Stardust Diner. (Home of the Singing Waitstaff) were we had good food, messy milkshakes, lots of singing, a tangled t-shirt and shared a couple scars ;)

Finally (finally!!) it is time for the show! We go to the very industrial looking theater and have lots of fun with a…(I guess you could call it a holographic display thingy)they had projected on the floor, until we could take out seats. The lights go down and the fun begins…and oh boy was it fun. If you enjoyed the movies, this is a total must-see. They had the story exactly right, blended the first two movies perfectly, and even worked in most of Ash's classic lines (they have cast the perfect Ash for this show). The dancing was great, and the music…oh my god. I just can't wait for them to release the CD. It would be so much fun to learn "Do the Necronomicon" or "What the Fuck Was That" (yes that is a song! LOL) even "Bit-Part Demon" would be fun to learn. *g* 

And of course, the night would not be complete without mention of the blood…

We all wore white on purpose (of course!) and got out shirts signed after the show was over. Sadly, the fun had to end at some point, but at least all the looks we got walking to (and through) Penn Station added to the fun.

Lots of blood, lots of fun, and made some new friends. Was definitely a night to remember and this is definitely one I will want to see again. :)

Please ignore how blurry these photos came out. I swear I was not as drunk as these make me seem. ;)

As always, the Halloween Parade was a blast. My friends and I, as our version of the Addams family and a vampire met up at Penn Station around 6...

Then headed down to the parade. We stood around in the crowds for a while, admiring the various costumes.

These are just some of my favorites...

A King and Queen

Various undead creatures

Some costumes made us a little hungry...

A nun, some priests and their pimp...

a whole camping trip (the one on the far right is dressed as s'mores!)...

and a wedding party...

You can see the rest of my photos here.

After leaving the parade we decided to look for a bar (of course!). Went past a few before deciding on one, then we all started digging out out ids...and of course we find out that the oldest member of our group forgot her drivers license! We are never proofed on halloween. Never. So of course the year we don't spend an hour trying to find the bars, we find out we can't even get in! But that didn't stop us, of course. We wandered around some more until we found a comedy club that wasn't proofing and would let in anyone with a costume for free. However, we were starving at this point and they don't serve food! Sooo we wander some more, found a deli with a guy who didn't know how to make a sandwich (took him 15 minutes for one!) and went back to the comedy club. The comics were all great (okay, not all, there was one guy that completely bombed, but the rest were good!) and watched the show till closing. Very entertaining. We ended the night, as always, at the Jekyll and Hyde Club (come to the city and I promise to take you! You'll love it.) then headed back to the train station around 3 am.

We got some McDonalds and waited around for various trains, then finally, at 4:30 in the morning, it was time to go home.

As always the sleep deprivation was well worth it :)

Let the bodies hit the floor..

Part 2 of my journey into the world of Film Festivals was a lot more subdued than the night before. I don't know if it is just that there weren't as many people waiting around, since there were no showings before mine, or if everyone was just sleepy from the night before, but it was quieter.

As a side note, they do a trivia thing at the beginning of each showing, if you know the answer and happen to be the one called you can win a prize, and I won a t-shirt and a video, woohoo…but considering a quote on the case calls it an "adult vampire movie"…well I am a little scared to watch it LOL

Moving on…lol. Here again are the films I saw and my impressions.

Where's Julie?

directed by Stephen J. Hadden - 10 minutes

Stuart finds himself at the mercy of a deranged woman who has invaded his home. She is delusional, temperamental...and armed with a razor sharp meat cleaver! The nightmare scenario grows more and more disturbing as the true identity of this mysterious intruder slowly becomes apparent.

This one wasn't bad. Very creative story, and…well, a great reason to never have a one night stand lol. I loved the part in the credits where the director gave special thanks to all the exes in his life.

Oculus

directed by Mike Flanagan - 32 minutes

This acclaimed short stars Scott Graham as a man who locks himself in a small room with three video cameras, alarm clocks, and an antique mirror that he believes is haunted.

This was the one I was most looking forward to, and I wasn't let down. The photography wasn't as great as some of the others they showed here, but the acting made up for it completely. This was a very tense film about obsession, insanity and of course, ghosts.

Binding Silence

directed by Ray Zablocki - 22 minutes

William works at his uncle's bookstore. They've had a close relationship over the years. But when financial matters threaten the business, and a sudden unnatural obsession takes hold of William, the fate of the store and their very lives are now at risk.

I think this was my favorite of the night. It moved a little slow but it was done really well. About the…power of the written word and the obsession that can come with it. Anyone who has ever found themselves completely (and I mean completely) lost in a book would be able to appreciate this one.

The Entrance

directed by Damon Vignale - 1 hour 21 min

A police detective is swept into a web of deception and in search of truth, finds herself in a contest with forces of the occult.

I need to see this one again because truthfully, I am still not sure what to think about it. On the surface it seems like a mix of a bunch of movies we have all seen already (most notably Prophecy and Saw) but, I think there was more to it than that. The acting was very well done, as was the photography but…well as I said, I need to see it again before I can really decide (but I do actually want to see it again to try to get it, so that says something for it)

Can't wait until next year.

Last night I went to the New York City Horror Film Festival. I have been wanting to go to this, and the Tribeca Film Festival for years now, so it's probably appropriate that this one was my first. :) I enjoyed this so much that it will definitely become something I do every year.  The people there were all really great, I got to talk to some of the people behind it and other fans, got to see some of the directors including Mick Garris at the Q & A's (got to meet Tony Todd!) It was a really great experience.

These are the films I got to see and my opinion of each :)

For a while now I have been wanting to go out and shoot some more photos, because like anything the only way I am gonna get any better is by doing it (well..and cause I love it). I even had a place I wanted to go, but with all of that, I hadn't really felt inspired. And of course, the days I did feel inspired it was raining.

This week I decided to just go out and do it so Wednesday, even though it was a little too overcast, I went.

These could all be a lot better, but I decided to share them anyways because I really got into it. I almost always have my mp3 player going when I am out shooting, to give me a little inspiration, and this was one of those times where I just lost myself so completely that when I did "come back" so to speak, I was shocked to hear the music still going in my ear lol

Anyways, these are all taken in downtown Manhattan along the waterfront. This is one of my favorite places to walk during my lunch break or whenever, because it is just so incredibly beautiful. I am gonna have to go back and shoot some more there one of these days because I didn't even try for some things there I have been wanting to shoot, and I kept loosing the light for things I did shoot.

These are some of my favorites from the few I decided to keep...

If you would like to see the rest of them you can check them out here.

I also had a little fun with a rose on a rainy day last month. Only got four pics I liked from that but you can see those here.

Last night I saw the incredible musical "Wicked," which is, essentially a prologue to "The Wizard of Oz." (I can't tell you how much I love Eden Espinosa's voice) 

It gives you a whole new perspective on the Wicked Witch of the East and her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West (Elphaba and Nessarose)

It is an incredible play, and puts a whole new twist on the story we all know and love, but more than that, it asks the question...

Are people born wicked, or do circumstances make them so?

I, personally, have always believed that circumstances, and choices make a person wicked or evil. There is only a very very small minority of people who are born that way.

Which is funny, considering how cynical I typically am.

Not everyone is offered a loving home and family, not everyone makes friends easily. However everyone has a breaking point. A point where too much is too much, and they do not care anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in the "Twinkie Defense." I truthfully believe that people are how they are because of choices they made, because of how they chose to react to whatever situations life puts them in. I believe that people allow things to get to their breaking point. I believe that just about everyone, at one point in their life had an option (and sometimes several) that could have put them on a different road. And option that could make them better people than however they turned out.

I know there is a minority that are born sociopaths, or other ..."paths" and the way their minds work doesn't allow for a conscience, but that isn't the majority. And (here is where they cynicism comes in) I think it is sad that the majority doesn't take the high road, and will tend to care about themselves and what life and other people can give them, than what they can do, if not to make the world a better place, just to make the one small part they occupy a little better. I myself am guilty of grumbling (and hissing and spitting and occasionally growling.)

But how much easier would life be if we all learned to be a little nicer. A little more understanding? A little more flexible? A little more considerate?

I am a short woman.

I know that isn't a bad thing, it just is. However, I am very aware of my lack of height when I am not wearing heels...so when I am not walking around barefoot at home. I am ALWAYS wearing heels. Camping, walking through the city, whatever.

I think I even wore high-heeled sandals to the beach once lol.

I don't do it to look sexy; I just don't like being so aware of my shortness. So I am used to my feet hurting.

However.

I am starting to believe that shoemakers are evil.

Seriously.

Yesterday I needed major shopping therapy, so I went to DSW, a candy store for shoe lovers. A place that has good designer shoes for really cheap (I got two pairs for $60 wohoo) but as I perused the miles of shoes, and tried a few on, I was shocked to see how much harder the material is getting. One pair I put on felt like solid wood. No padding of any sort, whatsoever.

What the hell? I can understand putting up with the pain to look good, to an extent, but if the shoe hurts to try it on in the freaking store, there is no way it will be remotely comfortable to walk any distance, and I walk literally everywhere.

The shoes I eventually got felt good in the store, but after wearing one pair for only 3 hours now, my feet are killing me, and I have three...yes three band-aids on each foot from where the freaking straps rub.

These shoes are really really cute, but man do they hurt. I am hoping that the leather will soften the more I wear them, but what I don't get, is why can't shoemakers use soft leather to start with? Why can't they use extra padding in the sole all the time?

Why do the cute shoes, have to hurt?

Growing up, we are told the story of the Elves and the Shoemaker....cute little guys, who help him make excellent shoes.

Well, the more shoes I buy, the more I am starting to believe that those little guys are not cute, helpful little elves, but Evil Minions of Hell.

Seriously.