Ten Horror Movies To Get You in the Festive Spirit

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Let’s be honest, sometimes the happiest season of the year can be rather downright scary. Stores overrun with people, last minute gift-shopping, having to deal with problematic relatives, trying to avoid cringe-worthy office parties, I could go on and on. These movies explore the horrors of the Christmas season, packing a scary punch!

BLACK CHRISTMAS

Forget about the remakes, they all suck. The original with Olivia Hussey (best known for her role as Juliet) is the one to watch. As winter break begins, a group of sorority sisters, including Jess (Olivia Hussey) and the often inebriated Barb (Margot Kidder), begin to receive anonymous, lascivious phone calls. Initially, Barb eggs the caller on, but stops when he responds threateningly. Soon, Barb’s friend Claire (Lynne Griffin) goes missing from the sorority house, and a local adolescent girl is murdered, leading the girls to suspect a serial killer is on the loose. But no one realizes just how near the culprit is.

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT

An orphan raised by nuns (Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick) grows up to be a killer toy-store Santa Claus. At the time, this movie was a box office hit, earning 2.5 million out of a $250,000 budget.

THE LODGE

Not gonna lie, this is probably one of my favorite Christmas themed movies out there. During a family retreat to a remote winter cabin over the holidays, the father is forced to abruptly depart for work, leaving his two children in the care of his new girlfriend, Grace. Isolated and alone, a blizzard traps them inside the lodge as terrifying events summon specters from Grace’s dark past.

THE ADVENT CALENDAR

This was so creepy and twisty, I watched it for the first time last year and was left wanting more. When Eva receives an antique wooden advent calendar, it seems at first that it only guarantees a countdown to Christmas filled with sweets. However, with the calendar comes a set of rules and the promise of wish fulfillment for those who follow them.

WIND CHILL

If you want suspense with a dash of creepy then you might want to check this one out.

Just before their university campus goes quiet for the winter break, a young woman (Emily Blunt) asks a classmate (Ashton Holmes) for a lift home. The two students set off on their trip and begin to get to know each other. But, when a reckless motorist drives them off the road, they find themselves stranded in the snow on a remote highway. As the night grows colder, the two are confronted by a horde of menacing apparitions — and struggle to escape with their lives.

INSIDE

I don’t know what it is about the French when it comes to horror, but they really go above and beyond. This may fall in the category of “torture porn” but it’s still worth the watch. A scissor-wielding psychopath (Béatrice Dalle) terrorizes a pregnant widow (Alysson Paradis) on Christmas Eve.

SILENT NIGHT

Watch this for the ensemble cast alone, as it’s got some of the best Brit actors. A couple invites their closest friends to join their family for Christmas dinner at their idyllic home in the English countryside. As the group comes together, it feels like old times — but behind all of the laughter and merriment, something isn’t quite right. The world outside is facing impending doom, and no amount of gifts, games or wine can make mankind’s imminent destruction go away. Surviving the holidays just got a lot more complicated.

KRAMPUS

More of a horror comedy than full-on horror. While the holiday season represents the most magical time of year, ancient European folklore warns of Krampus, a horned beast who punishes naughty children at Christmastime. When dysfunctional family squabbling causes young Max (Emjay Anthony) to lose his festive spirit, it unleashes the wrath of the fearsome demon. As Krampus lays siege to the Engel home, mom (Toni Collette), pop (Adam Scott), sister (Stefania LaVie Owen) and brother must band together to save one another from a monstrous fate.

P2

Who doesn’t like to see Wes Bentley being creepy? Just me? Angela (Rachel Nichols) is working late on Christmas Eve. When she finally decides to leave, she goes down to the parking garage to get her car, but it won’t start. Thomas (Wes Bentley), the garage’s security guard, offers to help. He also invites Angela to dinner, but she refuses. Thomas, crazed, knocks her out. She wakes up in Thomas’ office, chained to a chair and in different clothes. Now Angela must fight for her life in order the escape from the garage.

BETTER WATCH OUT

Another dark comedy with a psychological horror twist. Ashley travels to the suburban home of the Lerners to babysit their 12-year-old son Luke during the holidays. She must soon defend herself and the young boy when unwelcome intruders announce their arrival.

Which ones are you going to be checking out?

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Review: Byroe Rose Tea Eye Cream

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What It Is: A detoxifying eye cream that helps visibly plump and tighten, fill fine lines, and restore clarity to tired eyes.

Active Ingredients: Rose and Vegan Collagen

Verdict: I love how this eye cream feels both applying the cream and how it feels on my skin. This is why I’m conflicted – I love how it makes my skin feel – it dries fast – and yet I don’t feel like it hydrates as much as it should. Maybe it’s best suited for humid summers when you need a lighter cream, but as far as dry winters go, I don’t feel that it’s as hydrating as maybe one needs for this time of year. However, I do love how luxurious it feels and will probably use it during the warmer season for sure.

Price: $76

Where To Buy It: https://byroe.com/

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Spotlight: Factory Girls by Michelle Gallan

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It’s the summer of 1994, and all smart-mouthed Maeve Murray wants are good final exam results so she can earn her ticket out of the wee Northern Irish town she has grown up in during the Troubles. She hopes she will soon be in London studying journalism—away from her crowded home, the silence and sadness surrounding her sister’s death, and most of all, away from the violence of her divided community.

As a first step, Maeve’s taken a job in a shirt factory working alongside Protestants with her best friends. But getting the right exam results is only part of Maeve’s problem—she’s got to survive a tit-for-tat paramilitary campaign, iron 100 shirts an hour all day every day, and deal with the attentions of Handy Andy Strawbridge, her slick and untrustworthy English boss. Then, as the British loyalist marching season raises tensions among the Catholic and Protestant workforce, Maeve realizes something is going on behind the scenes at the factory. What seems to be a great opportunity to earn money turns out to be a crucible in which Maeve faces the test of a lifetime. Seeking justice for herself and her fellow workers may just be Maeve’s one-way ticket out of town.

Bitingly hilarious, clear-eyed, and steeped in the vernacular of its time and place, Factory Girls tackles questions of wealth and power, religion and nationalism, and how young women maintain hope for themselves and the future during divided, violent times.

PURCHASE BOOK HERE!

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Comic-Con LA: Where Fandoms Unite!

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This was my third time going to Comic-Con LA and I had a blast! It’s definitely the place to be if you love comics, artists, fandoms, and just want to have a fun weekend. There were so many incredible booths and amazing costumes! I even spied a Lady Oscar cosplay, but unfortunately didn’t manage to capture it in a photo. Hands down the best, costume for me was the girl who dressed as Dani in Ari Aster’s Midsommar. It was gorgeous and the girl herself gave me total Elle Fanning vibes (she should totally do a cosplay of Neon Demon or The Great!).

Hot Topic had the best Photo Op section, transforming a good portion of the Con into Nightmare Before Christmas graveyard. It was cute and very Tim Burton-like. However, I really missed Crypt TV being there! I really loved their promo materials and photo Op in the past. In fact, it seemed like this time there weren’t as many or as creative Photo Op areas in the Con, although I did think they had a lot more awesome shops and brands there. There was even a massage section where the masseuse was dressed as Geralt from The Witcher.

I also enjoyed the variety of food trucks they had at the Con. I ate lunch at Love Bird Fried Chicken, and I’m not joking when I say it was hands down the best fried chicken sandwich I ate in my life, ever. So props for that.

This time I stayed a lot longer at the Con than the previous years, so much so, that I ended up racking up 12,189 steps! Yes, I was completely dead the following day, just so ya know.

I didn’t find many comics I was interested in, and a lot of the horror comics were on the pricier side (maybe because they were vintage originals from the 70’s). But I was excited to have found the comic version of A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, because I am a HUGE fan of the movie and its vibes. I also was excited that I found a Candyman mug (not even a bad price $10!) and Emily the Strange Lipstick in Rebel Red.

All in all, it was a fun time, but I really hope that next year Crypt TV will be back, because there were very few horror peeps otherwise. But I’m looking forward to next year’s Comic-Con (by then I’ll be ready to walk another 12k steps!).

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Poetry: Smoke

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Photo by Denx arman on Pexels.com

Smoking with your aristocratic manner,

I gaze at your magnificence.

The world of tinted roses has become

Butterflies circle around you with divinity.

I fall into the moment

I fall into the mist

I fall into the mystery

I fall into you.

Smoking with your sophisticated manner,

I try to paint your face within my mind,

So that it remains milk fresh inside my adoring eyes.

I’m hiding beneath the smoke

That fogs this room.

I’m crawling beneath the smoke

To reach you.

I fall into this madness

I fall into the insane

I fall into you.

Smoking ever so seductively,

I’m trying to contain my runaway emotions

For I am afraid that they could harm you.

I’m hiding beneath the smoke

That fills this room.

I’m fading beneath the smoke

In order to reach you.

I fall to the ground

I fall to your feet

I keep on falling….

Falling into you.

***

Did you enjoy this poem? You can find this poem and many others in Bleed Like Me: Poems for the Broken

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Review: Kinship Mint Mud Deep Pore Detox Mask

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What It Is: Detoxifying and clarifying clay mask.

What It Does: Unclogs pores and balances oil.

Active Ingredients: Lactic Acid, Jojoba Oil Beads, and Mint.

Verdict: I’m a big fan of clay masks because having oily skin it’s the only type of mask that truly leaves my skin feeling refreshed and clean. I’ve been a recent fan of Kinship after falling in love with their Brightwave Eye Cream and I expected to love this product as well. This mask does an excellent job of unclogging and clearing pores – but also leaving one’s skin feeling refreshed but not dry. The mint really creates a pleasant sensation one that leaves skin feeling refreshed and invigorated. If you’ve been looking for a clay mask that will clear up your skin but not completely strip it away from its natural oils, then give this one a chance, you won’t regret it.

Price: $25

Where You Buy It: Ulta, Sephora, and https://lovekinship.com/

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Throwback Thursday: Cruel Intentions

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Fun fact: the first time I watched this film it was at an outdoor theatre sponsored by my local church (that year we had a hot young monk helping with the church’s fundraising and somehow got away with showing this film, The Ninth Gate, and Final Destination). Having said that, this movie was considered the hottest teen film at the time, as well as having one of the best soundtracks after Romeo + Juliet (and that one was hard to beat!).

The movie is a modern adaptation of the French novel, Dangerous Liaisons (a film was made in 1988 and now Starz recently did a series). So instead of being at a French court, Cruel Intentions bases itself on the lives of rich Manhattan kids, focusing on step-siblings Kathryn and Sebastian.

Kathryn is pissed off because her ex dumped her over the 4th of July weekend for a naive virgin, deeming her too “slutty” for him, and wants Sebastian to help her destroy her ex by corrupting his current girlfriend Cecile. But Sebastian, notorious for ruining the lives of young girls with his charm and sociopathic ways has his eyes set on virginal Annette. Kathryn wagers that he cannot seduce Annette and if she wins, she will get his retro Jaguar, however, if she were to lose, she alludes that she would be down to have anal sex – and thus the bet is made.

The movie opens with Placebo’s Every You, Every Me – and with lyrics such as, “Sucker love, I always find someone to bruise and leave behind,” it quickly captures the mood of this movie. Now, upon this second viewing (I never rewatched it after that time from the outdoor theatre) it’s pretty evident that Sarah Michelle Gellar (who played the manipulative Kathryn) essentially carried the movie with her boss girl ways, cold cruelty, and sensuality. Although every gal viewing this movie couldn’t help but to fall for Ryan Phillippe’s charming take on Sebastian. Rewatching the movie, I was quickly reminded of why at the time I didn’t find his character charming, and I soon realized upon my second viewing that the actor looked very similar to this guy from school (who yes was cute) but had this knack for always trying to pick me up or find ways to touch me that at the time I found annoying and borderline harassing.

The movie was massively successful, it earned $75 million out of a $10 million budget and at the time was one of the raciest teen films. Nowadays, we’re more used to series like Euphoria, so Cruel Intentions seems very tame in comparison, but overall, it’s still a fun movie and that’s mostly because of its talented cast and cool soundtrack (the best use of Bittersweet Symphony you’ll ever see onscreen). Some things are dated (such as gay shaming), but some things still speak true today (such as Kathryn’s frustration with having to keep up a fake facade in order to be liked because women get a bad rep when they admit to liking sex). Despite all the flashy fun that the movie delivers, it goes without saying that there are problematic moments such as homophobia, racial insensitivity, and downplaying sexual assault. It was a product of its time, but we shouldn’t overlook some of its problematic issues.

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Review: Tatcha The Water Cream

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What It Is: Hydrating and pore-minimizing cream.

What It Does: Hydrates oily skin without clogging pores.

Active Ingredients: Green Tea, Rice, Algae, Leopard Lily, and Wild Rose.

Verdict: This cream has been hyped so much, and usually when there’s too much hype it goes in two ways, either it’s overrated or the product actually really is that good. Having oily skin, it’s always hard to find a moisturizer that isn’t heavy, but at the same time isn’t watery too. This hydrating cream, despite its name, isn’t watery at all. It actually is very hydrating and rich but in a non-oily or heavy way, which is perfect for all of us that deal with oily skin and breakouts. I use it at night and wake up with nourished, moisturized skin in the morning. I recommend it if you have oily to combo skin that’s prone to breakouts.

Price: $69

Where To Buy It: https://www.sephora.com/ and https://www.tatcha.com/

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3 Symbols in NOPE and What They Mean

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The upright shoe.

When child star Jupe was on set for the sitcom Gordy’s Home, the titular chimp went berserk when a balloon pops causing havoc on set, killing and mauling the actors and staff from the show. During Gordy’s violent moment, Jupe and the camera focus on a white shoe that belonged to Jupe’s TV sister, standing upright with a tiny spot of blood. Later in life, we notice that he keeps this shoe in a memorabilia room. Some have mentioned that the upright shoe could be a manifestation of a bad miracle. However, I think the upright shoe is a symbol for the saying, “Waiting for the other shoe to drop,” and in a way, Jupe has lived his whole life waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it does drop, this time he isn’t so lucky as he was in ’98.

Animal Abuse in the Film Industry.

The theme of animal abuse in Nope was extraordinarily evident from the very beginning when the movie starts with sound footage of a chimp, Gordy becoming violent during a filmed sitcom episode. Soon after, we notice the film industry being just as careless with the horse Lucky, on the set of a commercial, despite OJ basically begging the white cast and crew to be mindful of the animal and not to do anything that may startle it. But they didn’t listen to him, thus resulting in Lucky kicking out – and the director firing both the horse and his handler OJ. The film in a way wanted to show what happens when humans try to tame animals that aren’t meant to be tamed, and that in the end, their true nature will come out and the humans will suffer for their arrogance.

The Meaning behind FE1111.

Angel’s truck has a sticker with FE (standing for Fry’s Electronics) while 1111 is a reference to Jeremiah 11:11 famously referenced in Jordan Peele’s sophomore film US. The biblical reference is, “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.’” Meaning that God has no intention of saving man for something they brought upon themselves (usually caused by the human obsession with greed and power).

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Review: Popmask Starry Eyes

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What It Is: Self-heating eye mask

What It Does: Promotes relaxation and depuffs eyes.

Verdict: Cold compress masks never seem to work for me, and I always grab those that self-heat over any of those that are made to stick in the freezer. This mask not only helps you relax, but if you use it when you have a headache or head cold, it really helps alleviate the pain. I recently used this while having a headache and it really worked wonders. Not to mention that the heat was so cozy, that on a cold November day it really felt like a godsend. There isn’t a time limit for how long the warmth lasts, but for me, it actually lasted past an hour, enough time to relax and take an afternoon nap.

Bonus: Female-found and run brand, Cruelty-free, designed in London

Price: $20 (for a pack of 5)

Where To Buy It: Amazon and https://us.popmasklondon.com/

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