Movies I Watched In October....

This year, I decided not to talk about most of the movies I watched in October. It would have been redundant, mainly because they’re pretty typical for the month: think Hocus Pocus, Corpse Bride, and other Halloween classics. That is to say, that wasn’t all I watched, and today I want to talk about two of Netflix’s recent releases. 

The first is A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting (released on October 15, 2020). The movie was, overall, a really enjoyable one to watch. It’s essentially about babysitting, monsters, and what those two have to do with each other—as experienced by Kelly Ferguson, who was reluctantly recruited into watching the son of her mother’s boss. The story may have been simple but it sure was entertaining, due in part to how good the characters were (hats-off to the actors on this one) as well as how well the special effects worked. Right away, the opening scene introduced Kelly, some of her backstory, and the lore that would play a bigger role later on. The pacing was effective here, as it felt like enough time was spent on each scene to really build a solid starting point. So when the movie picked up and the reveals started happening, there was solid footing to stand on.

The second movie was one I was looking forward to since I first heard about it, which was Vampires vs. The Bronx (released on October 2, 2020). I enjoyed this one as well. We don’t often get vampire movies that step outside of the norm in terms of characters—one of the few I can think of is the Blade series. Vampires vs. The Bronx felt, at times, like a timely narrative (with gentrification being a focal issue in the story) with a paranormal edge. I liked all the characters, as well as how the paranormal side of the story was handled. The setting also afforded for some spooky ambiance, and there were a few comedic moments. Like A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting, I had a lot of fun watching this movie.

So what do these movies have in common? They may be vastly different, but man they were fun. It was the kind of campiness in the same vein as older films like Disney’s Halloweentown: quirky, kind of cheesy, but still an excellent viewing experience.

What have you been watching recently? If you have any recommendations, leave them in the comments.

Music Monday (137): SZA, The O'Jays, Lone, Grace Jones

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I took a break last week. I really just needed it. Now I'm back, and my pick this week is Anything by SZA. Its one of my favorite songs by this artist. 

Adri: I've been focusing on drawing a lot, which means I haven't been listening to new artists at all. So here's some of the music I've been listening to from Grace Jones and Lone. Sinning and Don't Mess With The Messer by Grace Jones, and Not Seeing Is A Flower by Lone.

 

 

Andrea: This week, I'm listening to A Brand New Day by Diana Ross and Love Train by The Ojays. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

Pencil {October 2020} #4: Happy Halloween!

  

Comments: And, we made it to the end of the month. Happy Halloween! I know it looks a lot different this year, with Covid-19 and all, but I still hope to have a fun day anyway and I wish the same for everyone else. For today’s artwork, I was influenced by an old painting I did a few years back, which I’m certain I referred to as the “spider bride.” I wanted to redraw this character, and I finally got around to doing it. I tried to exaggerate the proportions of the character a little, because I wanted her to appear a little more ghostly (hence there are no feet).

Short Stories I Read in September

 

It’s the 29th of October, so it’s time to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in September.

Metal Like Blood In the Dark by T. Kingfisher (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Thirty-Six, September/October)

The only short story I read last month was Metal Like Blood In The Dark. This was a lovely and engrossing story about a man who built enormous machines, who he named Brother and Sister and programmed to be intelligent. From the very first line of this story, I was intrigued and invested in the characters. I have to commend the author there, because the machines were such vivid characters, full of personality and a bit of naivety. One thing that stood out about them was their needs—for metal as nourishment, for company, and their care for the person who created them—and that aspect of the story was developed quite well. At times a harrowing journey across the vast reaches of space and part coming-of-age tale as told by sentient machines, Metal Like Blood In The Dark was a fantastic story.

From Around The Web…

• Print Run Podcast episode # 135
• Our Opinions Are Correct episode # 65
• Sleeps With Monsters: Into the Wood With Emily Tesh and Carrie Vaughn (Liz Bourke; Tor.com, August 25, 2020)
• Print Run Podcast episode # 136

Review: The Case Study of Vanitas volume 5 by Jun Mochizuki

 Title: The Case Study of Vanitas

Series: The Case Study of Vanitas #5

Author: Jun Mochizuki
Source/Format: Gift; Paperback
More Details: Altenative History; Fantasy; Manga
Publisher/Publication Date: Yen Press; January 22, 2019

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Long ago, France was terrorized by The Beast of Gévaudan, who indiscriminately murdered hundreds. Before the creature could be stopped, the Beast vanished into thin air. Now, on the streets of nineteenth century Paris, news breaks of the Beast's gruesome return. As Noé and Vanitas rush to learn more about the Beast and its connection to vampirekind, none other than the Holy Knight, Astolfo, and Jeanne, the Hellfire Witch, stand in their way...

I’m steadily working my way through the current volumes of The Case Study of Vanitas. I’m on to number five, and it is a bit of a departure from the calmer chapters at the end of the previous volume. I guess you could say that it was the calm before the storm. The story takes on a darker tone, as the plot takes the main characters out of Paris. A lot of backstory is revealed for characters like Noe. There was even a little more about Jeanne (the Hellfire Witch), as some of her backstory is revealed through the exploration of her connection to the beast stalking Gévaudan.

The events of volume five once again demonstrated the murky morality in play with the characters of the series. Most of them are secretive and morally ambiguous, and so the lines between right and wrong are often blurred. It’s one of the strong suits of The Case Study of Vanitas. They’re characters you can care about and get invested in, who sometimes mean well, who think they’re doing right—and sometimes have the justification for it—but their secrets, motivations, and methods by which they get to that conclusion makes for situations that rarely have simple explanations or solutions.

There was plenty of action and mystery in this volume, which I greatly enjoyed. I also liked how Mochizuki incorporated real-world influences here. Such as how the Beast of Gévaudan was incorporated into the story so that it fit with the overall lore established in previous volumes—and as I was reading I thought the name sounded somewhat familiar, so I did google it.

Overall, this was another great volume, and I’m looking forward to the next one.