#good horror/mystery/supernatural/crime show

[teafiend]

#ocn the guest #kdrama #the guest #sohn the guest #kang gil young #choi yoon #Yoon Hwa Pyeong #jung eun chae #kim jae wook #Kim Jae Uck #kim dong wook #The Guest deserves more viewers #good horror/mystery/supernatural/crime show #trying to relive feels

[anemoiashifts]

100 places to shift to.

♡ 100 places to shift to from tv & movie (some of these you could consider books too). organized into categories to the best of my ability.

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚.

fantasy.

✦ harry potter.

✦ merlin.

✦ his dark materials.

✦ narnia.

✦ good omens.

✦ percy jackson.

apocalyptic.

✦ hunger games.

✦ divergent.

✦ the walking dead.

supernatural.

✦ sabrina the teenage witch.

✦ the chilling adventures of sabrina.

✦ stranger things.

✦ supernatural.

✦ lucifer.

✦ ghostbusters.

✦ buffy the vampire slayer.

✦ angel the series.

✦ teen wolf.

✦ wolf pack.

sci-fy.

✦ doctor who.

✦ star wars.

✦ star trek.

✦ roswell.

✦ avatar.

cartoon.

✦ barbie life in the dream house.

✦ gravity falls.

✦ amphibia.

✦ the owl house.

✦ hazbin hotel.

✦ monster high.

✦ ever after high.

✦ miraculous ladybug.

✦ phineas & ferb.

✦ rick & morty.

✦ my little pony.

✦ care bears.

✦ strawberry shortcake.

✦ adventure time.

✦ star vs the forces of evil.

✦ total drama island.

✦ scooby doo.

✦ bojack horseman.

✦ fairly odd parents.

anime.

✦ hunter x hunter.

✦ sailor moon.

✦ the legend of kora.

✦ saiki k.

✦ naruto.

✦ demon slayer.

✦ cowboy beebop.

✦ little witch academia.

✦ my hero academia.

✦ pokemon.

✦ death note.

crime / mystery.

✦ bones.

✦ criminal minds.

✦ only murders in the building.

✦ sherlock.

thriller / horror.

✦ american horror story.

✦ scream.

✦ scream queens.

✦ locke & key.

drama

✦ euphoria.

✦ shadow hunters.

✦ k12.

✦ the vampire diaries.

✦ the originals.

✦ twilight.

✦ never have i ever.

✦ h2o.

✦ wednesday.

✦ glee.

✦ gossip girl.

✦ pretty little liars.

✦ grey’s anatomy.

✦ skins.

✦ riverdale.

✦ once upon a time.

✦ emily in paris.

✦ victorious.

✦ the umbrella academy.

✦ mean girls.

✦ clueless.

✦ shameless.

✦ the guilded age.

✦ bridgeton.

✦ castle.

✦ law & order.

✦ my babysitters a vampire.

action

✦ maze runner.

✦ spiderverse.

✦ cobra kai.

✦ outer banks.

✦ jurassic park.

slice of life.

✦ gilmore girls.

✦ friends.

✦ that 70’s show.

✦ boy meets world.

✦ full house.

⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚.

♡ whew this took forever to format & find shows considering im not a big tv / movie person at all. hope this helped a few people find some new dr’s !! bye bye :)

#desired reality #reality shifting #shiftblr #shifting #shifting motivation

[piratekenway]

my idea for an adult R-rated Scooby-Doo reboot is this:

the gang meets in college, but Daphne and Velma start out as exes—they broke up bc Velma got too busy and Daphne felt neglected, so Daphne ended up moving on with the nice traps guy Fred from her Chemistry class and Velma’s still a little hung up on her. their relationship development arc is about them still caring deeply about each other and reconciling their friendship.

keep the murder mystery angle, maybe even add some creeping supernatural horror—we’re not using the R-rating for sex, we’re using it to show grisly crime scenes, a la Hannibal. the show operates on a case of the week format that follows the conceit that the culprit is ultimately some asshole in a costume, but there’s an overarching plotline of something deeply amiss: why are these disparate characters doing this in costume? maybe there’s a common link between all the crime scenes that the gang is trying to understand.

Shaggy meets Scooby in the very first episode and takes him home, and when Scooby talks, he immediately is like oh!! cool!! guys, our dog talks!! like Mystery Inc, this could be a link to the overarching mystery of the show.

Scrappy Doo is a shih-tzu named Scrapper who belongs to Daphne and she adores him. he doesn’t talk but he reveals a loyal fighty bastard personality when Scooby translates for him. he WILL kill for the gang, do not test him.

make it very, VERY clear that the gang really likes each other. they want to hang out together and solve mysteries! maybe there’s interpersonal conflict sometimes, sure, but they’re not being forced to solve mysteries together. Shaggy comes over to the girls’ dorm all the time, Fred likes to show Velma what he’s working on and get her advice bc she can provide a fresh perspective, Daphne paints Shaggy’s nails while Scooby and Scrapper socialize.

the jokes are NOT mean-spirited. this has to be said. if there are any insults, they’re the kind of insults you get from a friend you’ve known forever, when it’s more of an in-joke than anything. the exception to this is the police: the cops tell mean jokes like in the Velma show. this is deliberate, bc the gang stands as a sharp contrast to the cops, who are generally mean, incompetent, and mostly just interested in filling a daily quota, and also their pockets. it also provides a good reason why the gang wouldn’t just call the police—the police are at best incompetent, at worst actively corrupt and shameless about it. (also it’s a way to take a potshot at the Velma show’s very small-minded brand of comedy.)

#scooby doo #everyone and their mom is doing it! #scrapper is based off my dog now.

[thatfragilecapricorn30]

I like The X-Files, should I watch Fringe?

I decided to watch Fringe because it was frequently recommended as a show for fans of TXF. I was really curious how similar it would be and would I actually enjoy it? I'm only on S2 E5, so this post will be my impressions of the first season. I'll probably write another post after watching more of the show. I'll also try to make this as spoiler free as possible so anyone can read it!

What is Fringe about? The main character is FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham. We meet her when she's assigned to a case in which everyone on board a plane dies from a mysterious illness. The plane lands successfully at Boston Logan (due to some auto-landing feature - not sure if this is even real) and this is where we find out that Boston (aka Vancouver) is our setting for the show. Dunham traces the mysterious illness back to the research of a former Harvard professor (Dr. Walter Bishop), who is currently in a psychiatric institution, and she needs his son (Peter Bishop) to get him out. By the end of the episode, the three of them form the core of the Fringe division, a cohort of agents and consultants working on unexplained cases (sound familiar??).

How are Fringe and TXF similar?

Both shows center on a special division within the FBI that involve unexplained phenonomen.

Both are filmed in Vancouver.

Both feature monster of the week and mythology episodes.

Both have a strong female lead.

Both have the potential for romance between the two leads (Olivia and Peter).

How are the two shows different?

Fringe features an ensemble cast, whereas TXF was really only Mulder and Scully. I enjoy the relationships between the characters (like Peter and his father, and Walter and Astrid), but the show hasn't done a great job of fleshing out characters aside from the core three. Poor Astrid has pretty much no personality aside from performing lab work with Walter.

The show does not have the same atmosphere as TXF seasons 1-5, even though they're both filmed in the same locale. It might be because of film vs. digital, but the cinematography on Fringe is lacking compared to the beautiful forests we're used to seeing on TXF.

Fringe does a great job of tying a majority of their monster of the week episodes back to the main mythology. The problem with this is that it's hard to watch these episodes independently as they don't have a truly self-contained story.

The mythology storyline is well-developed and I heard that there's actually a plan for the plot (unlike TXF).

Fringe is sci-fi. There are no paranormal, supernatural, or horror elements.

Other impressions:

It took me about halfway through season 1 to start getting into the show, and it seems like that might be some others' experience (and why they may have stopped).

I find it hard to follow the cases sometimes, because they involve technology that is extremely advanced or currently doesn't exist at all, and it seems like the writers don't really understand it either.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing a romantic relationship between Olivia and Peter at some point and I think the show is doing a good job of slowly developing their bond. I've also heard that Anna Torv and Joshua Jackson did not get along on set (sound familiar??) but they have decent chemistry - not as good as David and Gillian but as we all know, there's not a fair comparison.

There's random things that rub me the wrong way, like Walter performing autopsies (someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think he's an MD, just has several PhDs), how every single case relates back to Walter's research (this man is like 10 Einsteins because he was conducting experiments in every field and all of it beyond the realm of known science), Walter touching dead bodies at crime scenes without gloves (I know this happens in TXF but it's so egregious in Fringe). Despite all this, I do like Walter's character and I think John Noble gives an excellent performance.

Olivia Dunham is a well-rounded character and Anna Torv is great. I really enjoy the relationship she has with her sister and niece.

So far, I enjoy the mythology episodes more than the monster of the week, which is the opposite of my opinion for TXF.

It's funny that there are 15 years between the premiere of TXF (1993) and Fringe (2008) and about another 15 years to present day (2024). But Fringe seems so modern compared to TXF. You can barely tell it's 15 years old, except for the lack of iPhones and I'm sure even that will change in the next few seasons.

Should I watch it??

If you really enjoy sci-fi, I would say definitely check it out. If you're on the fence, or don't like sci-fi at all, I would skip this one.

It probably sounds like I don't enjoy Fringe based on my above points. I think part of it is that I am comparing it to TXF, even while watching, and TXF is definitely better (imo). I also enjoy horror more than sci fi. But, Fringe is holding my interest for now and I've heard that it improves throughout the seasons, so I'm going to keep watching.

I'll definitely write an update post at some point - if I finish the show or stop watching it.

I'm so curious to hear the thoughts of others who have watched Fringe! Do you agree with my assessments so far? What are your opinions and how does it compare to The X-Files for you?

#fringe #the x-files #txf #my.txf

[pxper-cranes]

Meddling Kids Redesigns

It took a while, but I finally finished all four designs of the main gang. There are still some tings I would change if I were to redesign them again, just by seeing all the other ones on tumblr.

I'll do some headcannons here, and maybe draw them again with plot ideas for a fictionalised series I would make with them.

Fist of all, they would start out as high schoolers, then go into univertity after. either way they would all be adults when the film starts

None of these guys are cishet or neurotypical sorry slays but you cant tell me otherwise

Thirdly, these guys are FRIENDS. they CARE about each other. some have been besties for years others were hard and fast ride or dies but they all really care for one another

They would initially start out unmasking people in monster costumes, but there would definitely be an overarching plot that is defiantly supernatural. by midway through season two, the monsters of the week would be real more often than not, and the gang has to turn to more spooky ways of dealing with them

Aight so

FRED

This man HAS to be nice, and reasonably stupid. He was a himbo Blueprint and we must make sure he stays that way

I want to make him into theatre tech and stuff, which he uses to debunk the monsters and point out all the techniques in the 80s horror movies he likes to watch with the gang.

I'd also say he was a prolific camper and scoutgoer as a child, and intends to work as a camp counsellor once he graduates for a little while

because of this hes pretty much a survival expert and gets pretty intense whenever they find themselves in the woods.

while he is strange himself he still is a leader for the group, and plans a lot of their moves on cases.

He and Daphne start the show dating and they are madly in love with each other, and are the bestest of friends. Fred is the more puttogether in the group though, and regularly has to stop daphne from comitting crimes like breaking and entering or simply trying to beat the monster over the head with a bat

DAPHNE

This version of Daphen would just be a pretty unhinged girlboss. she is the part of the gang who is just itching for a fight half the time, so shes been designated team muscle.

Her family is extremely rich, and while they don't really like her pastimes of going out and solving mysteries, but those funds are the thing keeping the gang going, and funding their trips, as well as bail when they get caught investigating some abandoned house or something.

She is really into fashion, specifically 70s style clothes, and spends a lot of time at home making her own clothes and things for others.

alongside that she is really into journalism, so much so that she practically runs the school newsletter when in high school, and runs it through her brilliant people skills. she intends to go to university to do a media and communications degree.

but shes also regularly unhinged and the fisrt one in the gang who would get into a brawl with a monster if given the chance. shes like a black belt in karate at least, and can definitely ride a motorbike.

I think she would encourage Fred's traps in their cases but if she was left alone she would just use a crowbar to solve her problems.

VELMA

This Velma is a todal dork. she is such a nerd its funny, bun in a way ehre the audience laughs with her. let her talk endlessly about her academic interests and cut back to everyone else dumbfounded.

Also my version of Velma isn't mean in any way. While she can be dry, witty or packed with smart comebacks, she is rarely intentionally cruel.

She doesn't believe in the supernatural at the beginning of the series, but she desperately wants to believe in everything. Cryptids, monsters, aliens etc (She was one of the kids that cried when they made Pluto not a planet anymore)

because of her eagerness to investigate she is practically uncarable, and more interested in anything spooky than she is frightful, which could be used for some good gags, especially since she never realises that she is ever out of her element

Velma brings out the nerdier side of all her friends too. she gets Fred talking about traps and survival skills, Daphne on about fashion and law, and Shaggy talking about food and films.

SHAGGY & SCOOB

Scooby doo is Shaggy's assistance dog, and that's how he is allowed to go wherever the gang does.

I've got some lore ideas about how he talks and stuff, which is basically the same as mystery inc plus some inspiration from the Magnus Archives but I'll probably talk about it another time.

I was thinking it might be funny if he talked kinda like puppycat from Bee and Puppycat, but that's just a thought, all I'm going to say is that's not a normal dog.

Shaggy also comes from a wealthier family but nowhere near as rich as Daphne. His parents really tried to shelter him as a kid after something happened in his childhood (IDK what but it was spooky) and ever since he's craved the independence that he gets with the gang

He has been friends with everyone the longest. I assume he went to a summer camp with Fred when they were little, met Velma at some kind of convention and lived close to Daphne.

He has tons of random skills and knowledge about pretty much anything. hes a trivia god and there could e a running gag that he went to a bunch of summer camps too, but for weird and niche things. he's also the kind to binge read wikipedia articles at 3am

I think we would be really into films, specifically horror and pulp films from the 70s - 90s. He probably has an interesting relationship with horror, scaring easily but still doing it for the thrill.

He also implores that in their mysteries, pointing out a bunch of the technical clues with Fred. He probably really likes mystery solving because it gives him that reassurance and control when they finally unmask them. I'm sure he starts to crack a little once they start going up against real monsters.

Hes also a really good cook and makes great playlists.

#scooby doo reboot #scooby doo #scooby doo fanart #shaggy rogers #fred jones #velma dinkley #daphne blake #scooby doo redesign #scooby gang #these took so long frfr #i really want to do a hex girls set like this tho so look out for that #if people are interested ill talk about my lore ideas #my art

[wickedsrest-rp]

Name: Otis Querta Species: Bugbear Occupation: Podcast Host / Firefighter Age: 29 Years Old Played By: Lou Face Claim: Kiowa Gordon

"Remember dear listeners, the only difference between you and the monsters is motive."

Tummy troubles aren't just a human thing. Picky kids come in all shapes and sizes, even bear shaped. Though, in Otis’s case, it wasn't so much about what he ate but rather how he ate it. Other Bugbears reveled in the act of causing fear and consuming it. Even from a young age, most were gifted pranksters and powerful mischief makers. But not Otis. 

Brenda and Patti found the bundle of fuzz and genuinely thought he was a weird little dog right up until he turned into a human baby. The two women felt a little out of their depths, but they loved their strange son. Because that’s what he was from the moment they found him on the ranch. The two of them did research, not finding much but finding enough to know what a bugbear was. It was odd. But so were they, Brenda was a horror writer, and Patti sold curios online. He fit right in.

Otis didn’t talk much throughout his adolescence. Finding his words only ever expressed on the page, or in a script. Loving the literary world his mothers had opened up to him. The podcast started as a way to fill his stomach. Human food worked well enough, but fear was the only thing that kept him sated. Kept the bear in line. Otis wanted to be a good kid, a good son. His mothers loved him no matter what. Even if it was difficult at times to figure out what he needed. 

The good news was, the podcast did a wonderful job keeping him fed. 

Tales from Beyond was a near instant success. At first just in small circles, then spread out far and wide. It was years before Otis ran into any issues, nearly a (or two depending on age) decade. The anthology series was set in a fake town with a seedy underbelly of supernatural crime. It covered the stories of all who lived there, all who suffered under the strange and horrific nightmares that plagued everyone within its hallowed borders. No one outside of Otis’s adoptive moms knew who the author was, which created a mystery and fear all its own. ARG style. Otis loved it. 

Until writers block hit. 

First thought was to get out of the house. Find inspiration with a bit of distance. Much to his moms’ chagrin, Otis set out to find a place of his own. Across the map, to a place that had originally inspired the strange town of his podcast. Only, instead of a vast city called Beyond, it was a sleepy New England town called ‘Wicked’s Rest’. Whisperings of this place had hit Reddit years ago, stories about how no one could quite remember what they experienced inside. But the horrors were beyond comprehension, the monsters unreal. Otis figured it would be perfect even if the stories were exaggerated but when he found them to be quite true? Well, that was even better. 

Strangely, writer's block persisted. Even immersed in such an unnatural place. Otis couldn’t figure it out. His stash of money was running low, and getting sponsors on the show meant giving up his anonymity. So, he figured, why not get a job? There wasn’t much that he was really qualified for. Didn’t have much experience in anything but writing, and a very niche style at that. One thing he did have going for him was a near lack of fear. Something that would serve him well in the job he did find. 

Firefighter. 

Noble, exciting, would put him right in the heart of big emotional tales. Perfect, right? Even had a schedule that afforded him lots of time to write and lots of time to sleep. Except… shit, he still couldn’t bring himself to put words on the page. Half the things he wrote he hated, the other half was derivative and boring. He couldn’t stand to read them in his head, let alone to record and publish them. With the podcast still on hiatus, Otis was in dire need of a miracle. They could subside on the little bits of fear people gave off while being rescued but it still turned his stomach like sour milk. Fires were the best, as the helmet put at least some distance between the bear and the fear. But– But it wasn’t enough, and it wasn’t good. 

The answer was born of a very, very, very dumb idea.

A little research into one of the stores downtown said they had something called a gossip stone. It had stories. He needed stories. Otis had grown desperate, and while the price tag was too much to pay, it was too perfect to not take. He wasn’t a thief. Not really. Had a penchant for sleight of hand magic cause of a childhood hobby, but this was different. It was necessary. Or at least that’s what he convinced himself. The store owner had a clear “NO HAGGLING” sign so it didn’t seem like a discount could possibly be ordained. So he stole it. Otis used the stories, just changed the names and locations a bit. No one would notice, how could they? It wasn’t like the podcast police were eyeing every strange stone found in a curiosities store. And it wasn’t like the stories could possibly be real. But it came with a price, as most things did.

The stone craved sentimentality. 

At first Otis didn’t have a clue where to find it. But the stone had answers, because of course it did. Trinkets, little items, kitsch. Things people loved but wouldn’t necessarily notice if they were gone. The idea was planted, and Wicked’s Rest got its newest and probably strangest cat burglar, or, bear burglar as it were. Pockets went a little lighter, houses that left any doors or windows open found knickknack shaped holes in the dust on their shelves. 

Otis wasn’t very good at it at first, but it had to be done, right? A bear’s gotta eat… 

Character Facts:

Personality: Empathetic, gentle, patient, sweet, absentminded, shortsighted, possessive, timid, escapist, ritualistic

Has always gotten sick eating fear in person, doesn’t know why.

Was briefly in the running for Fat Bear Week a few years back.

Terrible at making illusions, but really good with words!! Unless it's in person…

Bear form is a Kodiak Bear, very huggable.

The only nice room in his apartment is the recording room. Everything else is barebones. 

Is VERY particular about his routines, especially tea routines and pre-recording things.

Otis stole a strange artifact (that he calls a ‘Gossip Stone’) that gives stories in exchange for sentimental objects.

#bio #taken #taken bugbear #bugbear #shifter #taken shifter #kiowa gordon

[innbetween]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! There are a bunch of amazing shows fundraising right now, so if you have a few extra bucks, come with me and I’ll show you the best places to send ‘em!

Hi Nay is an amazing horror podcast by a Filipino crew, telling stories inspired by folklore and set in a very spooky iteration of Toronto. The show is incredible, and they deserve every dollar they’re asking for.

Speaking of horror: is there anything scarier than working a service job? There is in Echor City, where organized crime, corporations, and the return of magic make things very tricky for a guy just trying to make a true crime podcast. It’s Night Shift: An Urban Fantasy Audio Drama!

You know Marisol, right? Yeah, Marisol, she had to go to rehab but she’s clean now. Well, I mean, what is okay, really? Yeah she got a little stabbed. Like a little. So she doesn’t make great choices! It’s fine. Support Small Victories!

Since time immemorial, the people of the internet have asked: what if Supernatural was good? And if also there were lesbians? Where the Stars Fell is here to answer that question, assuming they can fund season three!

With Feminist Fairy Tales, you’re getting exactly what’s on the tin. This season they’ll be exploring lesser known stories from fairy tales and folklore and personally I can’t wait.

Support indie fiction and toss a coin to these fine shows!

#audio drama #audio fiction #fiction podcast

[heavensmortuary]

hi! what is twin peaks? you've got me interested now 👀

hi hi hi!

I’d describe twin peaks as a surreal, supernatural crime show? It’s about a dead girl named Laura, and all the many mysteries surrounding her death. As the mystery unfolds, Special Agent Cooper must walk between dreams to find her killer.

It’s my favorite show. It’s weird, it’s scary, it’s funny, and good gosh it’s unlike most anything I’ve seen, despite it inspiring a lot of things, like Silent Hill 1 & 2, The X Files, and The Evil Within. It’s very…nightmare like I think? PNW forests, liminal rooms, a soap opera playing out right above cosmic horror, ghosts, and a whole lotta cherry pie.

There’s the show that was made in 1990 to 1991, and then the prequel movie, Fire Walk With Me. I haven’t seen the 2017 show yet. I really recommend the OG show and the movie; I don’t wanna give too much stuff away considering it’s a mystery. Season 2 gets a bit weird plot wise? but it’s so worth watching the entire show for the bits of surrealism woven inside it. that last episode might be one of the scariest things I’ve ever watched. anyway yea! It’s great.

#asks #ethaneldrich #krakens croaks #also the soundtrack. man it’s good #shows I won’t stop thinking about lmao #twin peaks

[jdeanmorgan]

Inspired by @wh0re-behavi0r to share a list of shows I recommend (from someone who also watches too much television) to watch during the strike.

I also won't put 911 or 911LS cause i'm assuming most of you have already watched that.

Disclaimer: some shows span two genres and I'll try to mark them down!

Supernatural/Fantasy/Sci-Fi shows:

Smallville (10 seasons) True Blood (7 seasons) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (7 seasons) Angel (5 seasons) The Magicians (5 seasons) Ghost Whisperer (5 seasons) The Man in the High Castle (4 seasons) Nancy Drew (4 seasons) Preacher (4 seasons) Shadow & Bone (2 seasons) Timeless (2 seasons) Touch (2 seasons) Katla (1 season) House of the Dragon (1 season)

Mystery/Crime/Thriller shows:

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (24 seasons) Criminal Minds (17 seasons) The X Files (11 seasons) Dexter (8 seasons) Riverdale (7 seasons) Sons of Anarchy (7 seasons) Medium (7 seasons) Elementary (7 seasons) How to Get Away with Murder (6 seasons) Money Heist (5 seasons) The Rookie (5 seasons) Gotham (5 seasons) Orphan Black (5 seasons) Leverage (5 seasons) Person of Interest (5 seasons) Mr. Robot (4 seasons) Banshee (4 seasons) Sneaky Pete (3 seasons) Another Life (2 seasons) Twin Peaks (2 seasons) Sense8 (2 seasons) Mindhunter (2 seasons) Black Bird (1 season) Sharp Objects (1 season) Dexter: New Blood (1 season) The Devil's Hour (1 season) Panic (1 season) Kinnporsche (1 season)

Horror shows:

American Horror Story (13 seasons) Supernatural (15 seasons) The Walking Dead (11 seasons) Hannibal (3 seasons) Hemlock Grove (3 seasons) Chucky (2 seasons) Yellowjackets (2 seasons) The Exorcist (2 seasons) From (2 seasons) Interview With the Vampire (1 season) Midnight Mass (1 season) All of Us Are Dead (1 season) Kingdom Hospital (1 season)

Political/War/History shows:

The Good Wife (7 seasons) The Handmaid's Tale (5 seasons) Boardwalk Empire (5 seasons) Charité (4 seasons) X Company (3 seasons) World on Fire (2 seasons) Hunters (2 seasons) Dopesick (1 season) It's a Sin (1 season) Unbelievable (1 season)

Drama/Coming-of-age shows:

Grey's Anatomy (19 seasons) Degrassi: The New Generation (14 seasons) Shameless (11 seasons) Orange is the New Black (7 seasons) Station 19 (6 seasons) Nip/Tuck (6 seasons) The Fosters (5 seasons) Queer as Folk (5 seasons) Degrassi: Next Class (4 seasons) Reign (4 seasons) Skam (4 seasons) Pose (3 seasons) Make It or Break It (3 seasons) H2O: Just Add Water (3 seasons) Love, Victor (3 seasons) Fleabag (2 seasons) The Wilds (2 seasons) The United States of Tara (3 seasons)

Musical Shows:

Glee (6 seasons) Empire (6 seasons) Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (4 seasons) Smash (2 seasons) Schmigadoon! (2 seasons) Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (2 seasons) The Get Down (1 season)

Comedy shows:

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (8 seasons) Malcolm in the Middle (7 seasons) Parks & Recreation (7 seasons) What We Do in the Shadows (5 seasons) Misfits (5 seasons) Jane the Virgin (5 seasons) iZombie (5 seasons) My Name is Earl (4 seasons) Raising Hope (4 seasons) Please Like Me (4 seasons) The Boys (4 seasons) Doom Patrol (4 seasons) Faking It (3 seasons) Sex Education (3 seasons) Ted Lasso (3 seasons) Derry Girls (3 seasons) Santa Clarita Diet (3 seasons) Insatiable (2 seasons) The White Lotus (2 seasons) Trial & Error (2 seasons) Bonding (2 seasons) American Vandal (2 seasons) Special (2 seasons) Scream Queens (2 seasons) Abbott Elementary (2 seasons) Crashing (1 season) Our Flag Means Death (1 season) Now Apocalypse (1 season) Minx (1 season) Blood Drive (1 Season)

#show recommendations

[mangoslixes]

hello my darling, hope everything is going well 🧡 ok now let’s talk business: could you give me a list of your 5 top favorite podcast, with a little description and your impressions? Please and thank you I’m super curious 🧡

Hello my love! I'm so sorry for disappearing, I've been drowning in finals season. But I'm finally free and here to talk about podcasts with you!

My current top 5 favourites are:

Arden: A fictional podcast about people making a true crime podcast. And it's modern Shakespearean retellings! I didn't know that bit when I started the show and after a while I connected the dots and it was all so interesting. An investigative journalist gets stuck making a podcast with an ex private detective, and they "hate" each other, so for the better half of the episode initially, it's just them arguing over small things. So if you like enemies to lovers, Shakespeare, true crime and a bite at capitalism with the most weirdest ad breaks I've ever heard, I'd highly recommend.

Mabel: it's a horror podcast, and it's about my favourite trope too, i.e, a fucked up house. It's about a carer leaving messages to her client's estranged granddaughter, Mabel. The narrative is so beautiful and haunting, I love it and the house too! I love the idea of houses that are haunting rather than haunted, abandoned houses rejecting humanity, houses that love or hate you to a destructive degree, houses that give too much to the point that they stifle you, houses that take too much until there's nothing left of you but a forgotten carcass at the mercy of time, just fucked up houses in general.

The Silt Verses: do you like the horror around Gods? Yes, the idea of gods existing is about mercy and humanity and generosity etc etc, but there's also the horror of Gods. Gods that are everywhere, within everything, but they're hungry and they need to be fed, they need to feed. They're always hungry, always starving. Gods whose ideas of generosity and miracles and gifts are so far from our own morals and ideas that it's just monstrous. Gods are everywhere and they're hungry. Good existential horror, makes me feel like this 🧍🏽‍♀️ when I listen to it.

Out of Sight: this!! This one's a bit hard to explain, but it's basically about this supernatural investigator and his partner Lazari. Each episode has a different supernatural mystery but they have Lazari's own troubles connecting them all. It's all about creepy legends, ghosts and two people trying to fix those problems while making a podcast out of it.

The White Vault: See I got attached to all of the characters, and that's what I'd recommend you not do because this is a found-footage style podcast. Now that we've got that covered, it's got five seasons, and I'll tell you how it starts and why it's terrifying. It starts with a repair team being sent to an arctic outpost, where they get stuck and are isolated for a while. Here things go south, because this is a horror podcast, so yes, things go down south incredibly fast. The voice cast is amazing, the sounds are amazing, and the details are gory. Then when we come to season 3, it gets worse, because we realize the monster was the least of our worries. Me and @queridaz lost our minds over this and I've still not finished season 5.

#asks #cat 🌝 #podcasts #arden #mabel #the silt verses #the white vault #out of sight #I'm so sorry for the late reply #ive been all over the place and my uni wanted me ded #its been a fun month #but hiii #finally here

[buldakdrama]

Revenant - Watch or Pass?

Check out the trailer!

Read on! Minor spoilers from the first two episodes.

Synopsis: When the door to another world opens, demons exist there. Ku San Young is possessed by one of those demons. Yeom Hae Sang can see the demon which has possessed Ku San Young. They try to figure out the truth behind the mysterious deaths related to the five sacred objects. Ku San Young is busy working part-time during the day and studying to become a low-ranking public officer at night. One day, she receives some articles left behind by her late father. Since then, mysterious deaths take place around her. She also finds herself slowly changing. Yeom Hae Sang comes from a rich background. He teaches Korean folklore at a university. Since he was a child, he has had the special ability to see demons in this world. He even saw his mother killed by a demon in front of him when he was young. Yeom Hae Sang meets Ku San Young and he faces the demon which killed his mother. Lee Hong Sae is a lieutenant in the violent crimes investigation team. He only cares about advancing his career in the police department. Due to Ku San Young and Yeom Hae Sang, he gets involved in mysterious cases - By AsianWiki

What do we think?

I am a nomad in hunt for good thrillers/horrors/crime stories so when I first heard news of all these genres combined, that too as a kdrama - yeah, well I panicked. Not to mention I have been a fan of Kim Eun-hee since Signal so I sat down for a feast with this one. The casting also had me starry eyed and the trailer (I mean, you could call it a teaser too) was sufficiently intriguing, even border lining my restlessness to decipher what that ominous, dark hue in the cinematography was hiding.

I am two episodes in and I have more questions than answers which is obviously alright because it's only two episodes. In fact, I had no answer at all by the end of the first episode. As for the opening, it was fairly okay. We get the basic premise of what's going on – the spirits, there is something enigmatic going on with Gu Sanyeong (or Ku San Yeong) and the spirit latching onto her. There is a lot of folklore involved which is where Professor Yeom comes into play. He excels in being resigned to his cursed fate of being able to see supernaturals and he has made peace with the fact that no one would believe him. But like a true clairvoyant and a good person, he does what he could to alert the police when he foresees the shadow which tails death. He falls into a rather helpless situation too until finally, Gu Sanyeong plays her part, aware of what danger the spirit latched to her poses.

The show in itself is pretty dark, literally and cinematically. Darkness makes it way to every scene, whether through dark outfits of our leads or the significance given to mirrors and shadows, both of which things hold a certain significance in the spiritual world. There are no big jump scares as of yet, in fact, the ghost moves likes a sly shadow to its destination and doorways are a key to its entrance.

Now to the main question: is it a watch or a pass?

For audience who like thrillers, horrors mixed with crime, this is surely a watch. With the acknowledgement that my thoughts may shift after a few more episodes, I'd say give it a try because Kim Taeri and Oh Jungse do not disappoint. I only do hope with all my heart that they don't try to force a romantic angle into the story.

I'll be back with the reviews of the next few episodes soon! Till then, get that spicy chicken you're craving and relax with a drama and don't forget to follow us at Buldakdrama!

- Admin Kiara

#buldak drama #kdrama #kdramadaily #kdramagifs #kdramas #korean drama #kdramaedit #revenant #revenant review #revenant kdrama #drama review #buldak drama: reviews #asian drama #korean

[whorrorgrl]

Good for Her?

I love a good Good For Her movie. The Other Woman is one of my favorites. Gone Girl, Kill Bill, Midsommar (even though I’m now realizing that’s a white supremacist cult), Gerald’s Game, and even Ready or Not are ones I really enjoy. When it comes to horror, I have a few. These are not only about the justice the women deserve after being wronged, but it makes you deeply think if the ending is really a satisfying one. 

Trigger Warning: SA or implied SA.

GOTHIKA (2003)

Starring the iconic and beautiful Halle Berry, this 2003 film ages so beautifully. It follows a psychiatrist Miranda Grey who clocks out one night at the mental institution she works at only to wake up in psychiatric hold, her husband brutally murdered, and she the main suspect. Only, she remembers nothing of the night she supposedly killed her perfect husband and cannot even think of why she would ever do that to the man she loved. But no one believes her. She begins to suspect a vengeful spirit that haunts and torments her is connected to it all.

I’ve watched this movie multiple times and there is always something new you discover that you didn’t before.  Miranda is a very unreliable character, so what she remembers and knows is all we can really go off of...which isn’t much. Throughout the movie, she’s gaslighted by doctors and nurses she once called friends and tormented by a mysterious spirit with no real answers. But the more she digs into who would’ve wanted her husband dead, the wilder the story gets. This movie shows how psychiatric patients are viewed on both sides of the table and it’s really heartbreaking, especially with the context of sexual assault.

My favorite aspect of the movie was how Miranda’s relationship developed with Penèlope Cruz’s character Chloe Sava. As Sava’s psychiatrist, Miranda wasn’t fully able to understand the weight of the words Chloe meant and had casted her off as crazy.  But after her husband is murdered and she’s thrown into the same facility as Chloe where these women are being abused, she finally sees. She is now no different that Chloe, both women screaming for their own truths to be heard by those who won’t listen...not in the way that they should anyway. Overrall, the supernatural aspect of the move made it ten times better. It would’ve been amazing without it but it’s like the final spice in the pot to make the whole meal come together. 

SUCKER PUNCH (2011)

Suckerpunch is a gem. It’s not so hidden. It’s talked about from time to time so people know about this amazing movie. But I’m still not satisfied with the level of praise I think it deserves. I personally believe it should have the very same cult following Jennifer Body rightfully gets. Like JB, Suckerpunch was promoted to boys as a sexy action movie instead of what it truly is, a psycological/fantasy dealing with trauma. There’s some actiom of course, but Psycological. Fantasy. Not much horror but I still want to add it to the list.

Directed by Zack Snyder, it follows Baby Doll (played by Emily Browning) who is sent away to a mental asylum after her step father murdered her mother and sister and planted the crimes on a traumatized Baby Doll (there’s a pattern here, yall!). To make sure that the cops don’t question Baby Doll during the investigation, her step father pays off a grimey orderly Blue Jones (played by the sexy Oscar Issac) to forge the asylum’s psychiatrist’s signature to approve of a lobotomy. This inhumane procedure will be performed in 7 days, so that is the amount of time Baby Doll has to convince the other girls she meets at the asylum to help her escape, including perky Rocket and her reluctant sister Sweet Pea. In order to cope with the sexual abuse the girls go through in the asylum, Baby Doll builds a fantasy world where the asylum is instead a brothel and in order to get the tools she needs (a knife, fire, map, a key, and a sacrifice) has to distract whoever hold each tool. Where the doctor comes in seven days to lobotomize Baby Doll, in the fantasy world of the brothel it’s a high rolling John who’ll do some “cherry picking” on the newly orphaned, virgin Baby Doll.

This distraction of the brothel Johns and the workers lunges us into another fantasy world that mirrors the task at hand. In one, Sweet Pea has to copy the map in the office of the head of the brothel who parallels Blue in the asylum. Baby Doll dances to distract Brothel Blue who left his office. As she dances, the second world opens up. We are now behind enemy lines of World War I. Bombs detonate and magazines of bullets are released on each side of the battle as zombified men fight. Babydoll and her new friends are tasked to get behind enemy lines and retrieve a map. Whether or not they complete this mission reflects if Sweet Pea got the map from Brothel Blue’s office which definitely reflects if the map is also acquired in the asylum. My very guess is that this “dancing” she does is “sexual favors” in the asylum, the distraction needed to get the tools.

The action alone is amazing, so I see why they relied on it being the biggest thing the advertised, but it really did this movie a disservice. The story has layers so it won’t be seen on the first watch. It took me many watches to understand the complexities of the world within worlds, why they exist, and what certain things meant in parallel to each world. While I once watched it for the fun action, it became more sad, more soul-sinking. Even the ending I had to understand it was for the best of the character, despite it not being what we all expected it to. But it’s so beautifully sad, this bittersweet feeling. I might make an entire post talking the ending of it. One of my favorite movies.

SHUTTER (2012) (2003)

Shutter is very similar to Gothika. If it weren’t already a Thai remake of the same name, I would’ve assumed it was derivative of it. But it stands perfectly on its own. 

Shutter follows newly wed couple Jane and Ben, played by Rachael Taylor and Joshua Jackson, who relocate to Japan shortly after their wedding. Ben is a photographer at the school and had already worked at the school previously, so he has American friends there, Adam and Bruno. While driving, similar to Gothika, the couple a girl that walked out into the road. But when the frightened couple gets out to help the victim, she’s nowhere to be found. Over the following few days, Jane is haunted by a mysterious spirit that relentless harasses her to no end. The only way to see this spirit is to take pictures from a polaroid. This spirit has also shown up in her wedding pictures back in the states and now appears in every photo as a smudge that seemed like a printing defect. But Jane learns that these spirits show up in photos when there is an intense emotion attached to it, and the reason why is grim. 

I don’t remember how I discovered the movie but I’m glad I did. It seems like the typical movie like The Ring or Drag Me To Hell where an entity haunts the main character, there’s some research done in a library or a boxy computer, and then the evil is defeated through help. However, Shutter adds the same layer I love to all these movies where nothing is how it seems. This entity isn’t just some bored spirit that wants to pick on a newly wed couples. There is a reason.

Like Gothika, I loved the supernatural addition. It don’t hurt nobody to add in a demon, a vengeful spirit, or some gremlin running around an apartment building luring your kids to impending doom. Anything out of this dimensional world gets a gold star for me. Even in serious topics that’s more than just a family moving into a haunted home. Shutter does it perfectly. But like Suckerpunch, the ending is pretty sad. It still gives that Good For Her message, but…..is it really? I don’t want to spoil much of the ending, but is that really the afterlife we would want for Megume? Attached to a person that doesn’t deserve her time instead of moving on? 

 You can tell this movie came at a time where the cut and dry Evil Has Been Defeated movies they vomited out in the 2000’s were getting predictable and directors wanted to switch it up. I’m never big on adapting foreign films, especially when the Thai one was just as good, but I’m a little biased here since the 2012 version is the one I first saw. The 2004 Thai version is amazing and should be watched along with the 2012 remake. 

#shutter #shutter2012 #shutter2004 #gothika #halle berry #gone girl #ready or not #horror movie #horror #whorrorgrlreviews #whorrorgrl #suckerpunch #sucker punch #Emily browning #good for her #goodforher #movies #movie review

[aardvaark]

oh i found what it’s called! the domestic horror subgenre. it’s a subgenre of horror, maybe a bit psychological thriller too, and it focuses on mundane things being horrifying and familial relationships and haunted houses that are also haunted by trauma or the past. the writers tend to be women

some key themes i’m seeing:

parent-child relationships: especially mother-daughter relationships that are either complicated or outright abusive or some mix of those.

family: how difficult it can be, how trauma gets passed through generations, how family can be suffocating or they can be your support but they’re usually unfortunately both.

haunted houses: or paranormal forces inside the home. sometimes it might be the kind of seemingly supernatural stuff that actually has an explanation or it’s from an unreliable narrator, but often there’s also just actual ghosts.

insular communities: often rural/regional, small towns, a lot of southern gothic or american gothic or australian gothic or [insert place here] gothic.

domestic abuse: whether in relationships or witnessed/experienced by a child.

conservatism as horror: many stories about religious trauma, purity culture, misogyny, mental illness stigma, persecuting or hateful communities, etc.

suburban life/suburbophobia: in these stories, the nuclear families hide abuse, the suburban communities are suffocating, the mundane home-to-work-to-home routine drives you mad with boredom, behind the rich white picket fences are traitors and murderers with fake smiles, and money and status often comes from crime and abuse.

i like horror and i have childhood trauma so it. it makes sense i would like this lol.

under the cut is examples in popular media. warning: since they have an explanation about what the elements of domestic horror are, it’s pretty long. whoops. also trigger warnings for mentions of: abuse, SA, death/murder, pregnancy, horror in general.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. i love Jackson’s other stories, and i’d say a lot of them fit this subgenre. it has the POV of a very strange, probably unreliable narrator, whose entire family - besides herself, her sister and her uncle - died of poisoning. the uneasiness and fears of the community, her agoraphobic sister, her mentally ill uncle, her duty to her remaining family members as the only one who can really go out for supplies, and her own peculiar personality, keep her mostly trapped in this house of death and horror. probably the best example there is of domestic horror… just everything from the gossiping town to the suffocating house to the major family problems, it’s very clearly part of the subgenre.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (and the tv show loosely adapted from this novel). the tv show is not exactly like the actual novel, but it’s still really good. the novel focuses on one woman going back to her very haunted childhood home as part of a paranormal investigation. the tv show focuses on four siblings reuniting for the funeral of their youngest sister, who has died mysteriously at their very haunted childhood home, despite them not living there for a decade or two. both focus on the haunting of a house being the haunting of a family, too, and ghosts not always being quite what they seem.

in fact The Haunting of Bly Manor (tv show), the other part of that anthology, also seems to fit. it’s about a woman who goes to work at a really fucked up and very haunted manor as a nanny for two kids whose parents have died. the horror, however, is not so much the ghosts as a concept, but what people - ghost or no - can do. and trauma and history as a ghostly influence.

also Midnight Mass. another tv show with some of the same people involved as the Haunting anthology. a strange new pastor arrives on an island with a small, insular population. they each have their own problems and more metaphorical hauntings, but this weird dude is about to introduce some much less metaphorical monsters.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. okay, maybe this isn’t totally horror, but i’m counting it because so much of it is horrifying. it’s a bit thriller, a bit crime fiction, a bit drama, a bit american gothic. a journalist returns to her hometown to pursue a story: teenage girls have been murdered in this otherwise pretty standard, apparently happy community. our protagonist is not exactly happy about coming home because her mother is abusive and her childhood home is full of memories of her sister, who died when they were both kids. plus, the town’s been gossiping about her for ages - some think she’s troubled, some just feel she’s a bad influence. now she has to deal with a community that never welcomed her, a mother who never liked her, a step father and teenage half-sister she hasn’t seen in years, her own past and mental illness, and of course the grisly murders that brought her here. the southern gothic/american gothic and purity culture really add to the suffocating atmosphere of the novel.

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin (and the film version) a woman has a baby. the devil is involved. the idea of a woman trapped in an abusive relationship, sexually assaulted, experiencing body horror related to pregnancy, and basically being told by everyone that she’s overreacting and being hysterical… domestic horror. it’s the mundane but usually ultimately beautiful experience of having a child, put in a new light as a horror, not just due to the paranormal forces but also the horror that can come out of everyday things.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. this short story was written in 1892. the narrator is an unnamed woman suffering postpartum depression whose husband and doctor decide she just needs rest, so they trap her in a small nursery in an old mansion. soon, the patterns in the room’s yellow wallpaper start to move, she has strange dreams, and becomes convinced that there’s a woman in there who wants to get out. the story focuses on abuse in the psychiatric and medical systems, mental health stigma, sexism in general and in the medical system particularly, and domestic abuse. unfortunately, 230 years later, too much of this is still relevant.

#this is about the post from deep water writing prompts btw #domestic horror #horror genre #wren speaks #tw sa mention #tw ableism #tw pregnancy #tw murder #tw death #horror

[twistedtummies2]

Top 7 Portrayals of Ichabod Crane

Recently, I made a list of my Top 5 Favorite Versions of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” I’m still on a Sleepy Hollow kick, so I decided it was time to revisit the story again by looking at a couple of its classic characters. We’ll start by looking at the main character: Ichabod Crane.

In the book, Ichabod is an…unconventional protagonist, to say the least. The interesting thing about Irving’s original story is that nobody in the story is really a fully, purely good person: all of them have flaws, faults, and vices. Brom Bones is a trickster and a bit of a bully; Katrina Van Tassel can politely be termed a coquette; Ichabod himself is arguably the worst of the bunch. He’s a glutton, he’s greedy, he only wants Katrina for her money and her looks, and he’s way too full of himself. He has his good sides to keep him likeable, but at the end of the day, he’s a bit of a jerk.

As we shall see here, many versions of Ichabod tend to soften up his rough edges, to make him a more sympathetic and pleasant character. A select few versions actually vilify him completely, making him even more nasty. Only a few really stick to the source and depict the human Ichabod Crane that is presented in the story. Which of these portrayals do I enjoy most? Read on to find out. These are My Top 7 Portrayals of Ichabod Crane! Why Top 7? Well, why not? Let’s go!

7. Rene Auberjonois, from Once Upon a Midnight Scary.

“Once Upon a Midnight Scary” was a TV special from 1979, hosted by the inimitable Vincent Price. The special featured an anthology of short adaptations of classic horror tales, among them “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The Sleepy Hollow segment only covers the latter part of the tale, starting immediately at the Halloween Party at the Van Tassel Manor, so there isn’t much time for Ichabod or the other characters to really develop to their fullest potential. However, the segment benefits greatly from its casting of Rene Auberjonois - best known for his work on Star Trek - as Ichabod. Auberjonois is one of the best casting choices for Crane in live-action I’ve ever seen, in terms of adapting the original character from the book. However, because the segment is so criminally short, I don’t think he’s deserving of a spot in the Top 5.

6. Roger L. Jackson, from The Wolf Among Us.

“The Wolf Among Us” - based on the comic series “Fables” - is a combo of fantasy and film noir. The game focuses on Sheriff Bigby Wolf, the Big Bad Wolf himself, as he tries to solve a series of baffling beheadings. His investigation ultimately uncovers a vast conspiracy at work in the city he protects. (I get the feeling this basic concept is a recurring thing for anything even peripherally related to Sleepy Hollow…huh.) Ichabod appears in this story as the acting mayor of the area. He’s depicted true to the source: Ichabod is not a truly good person, and as the story goes on his many darker qualities come more and more to the surface. However, he’s got some good sides to him, too, although none of them excuse his less savory elements. What I find most interesting about this version of Ichabod (aside from the fact he’s voiced by flipping Ghostface, how ironic is THAT casting?) is that it’s a version of Crane totally removed from the original story. He never faces the Headless Horseman, Brom Bones and Katrina are never brought up, etc. As a result, he stands up all the more as his own unique character, and fits surprisingly well with the role he plays in this twisted mystery of madness.

5. Tom Mison, from the FOX TV Series.

FOX’s “Sleepy Hollow” TV show was a supernatural crime/mystery series, similar to things like “The X Files” or “Lucifer.” In this version, Ichabod is depicted not as a selfish schoolteacher, but a dashing Revolutionary War hero, who worked personally with George Washington to try and take down a dangerous force that threatened not only the American Colonies, but the entire world. After being wounded on the battle fighting a monstrous foe (three guesses who), Katrina - Ichabod’s wife, and a witch, in this version - casts a spell on him, placing him in a state of suspended animation. He wakes up two-and-a-half centuries later in modern day Sleepy Hollow, joins forces with the local police department, and helps them with solving various baffling crimes. Throughout the show, he combats demons, witches, figures of myth…and, of course, his old arch-nemesis, the Headless Horseman. While Mison’s actual character owes almost nothing to the one from the original story, I think the actor, himself, manages to bring a feeling to the role that recalls the classic character to mind. Mison’s tall, sharp, dashing countenance mixes the attractive aspects we would expect a heroic figure of his caliber to have, while still lending itself to the rakish description Irving gives. He also conveys a sort of nervous, eccentric energy, which fits well with the quirks of the typical Ichabod Crane. They even make reference to his schoolmaster roots, as Ichabod actually was a professor at Oxford in his past life before the war. He uses that same identity as a cover story in the modern day. While incredibly changed from the source, the DNA of Ichabod Crane is still somewhere in there, and it makes the character all the more admirable.

4. Andy Mientus, from Tarrytown.

Andy Mientus is likely known to most people unfamiliar with the musical theatre scene as the Pied Piper from The Flash (pictured above). While Mientus has not (to my knowledge) actively played the role onstage yet (which he should, for the record), I still feel that his performance in the official Cast Recording for this musical warrants him high marks. “Tarrytown,” for those who don’t know, is a modern reimagining of the original story, with the big twist (aside from the present-day setting) being that Ichabod is depicted as a homosexual, who longs for Brom instead of Katrina. Aside from this, though, he’s basically still Ichabod Crane. The character is depicted as a bit more sympathetic than the Irving version, but ONLY a BIT more. He’s still got vices and faults: instead of being a glutton for food, he is a recovering drug addict who is easily swayed back into the habit. While he claims to be friends with Katrina, he shows some signs of that friendship being false, such as calling her a “babbling hyena” while fantasizing under the influence. (It should be added that he then catches himself and adds, “I exaggerate.”) It’s also hard to tell how much of his attraction to Brom is real, genuine love, and how much of it is simply lust. Nevertheless, the character is depicted as more of a victim than a villain: much more lonely and naive than the character from the story, and also much more kindhearted. There’s a sweetness and a sadness to this Ichabod that makes him infinitely more tragic than the character in the original book, while still keeping the heart of the source intact.

3. Johnny Depp, from Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow.

Much like Tom Mison, Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Ichabod is a very different character from the original legend. In Tim Burton’s chilling, Gothic reimagining, Ichabod is depicted as a detective, who comes to Sleepy Hollow to solve a mysterious series of slayings. He believes, at first, that they are the work of a mortal man who is emulating the legendary Horseman. It turns out Ichabod is only half-right: the Horseman, he learns, is indeed real, but the murdering ghost is being controlled by a mortal monster. Ichabod soon uncovers a vast conspiracy at work in the town of Sleepy Hollow, and works quickly to uncover its tangled ends, all while dealing with his budding romantic interest in the wealthy Katrina Van Tassel. While both the character and the story of the film take MASSIVE liberties with the source, when I recently revisited the picture, I was surprised at how much of the original tale actually still remained intact. Depp’s Ichabod is no exception: while Depp is by no means the definitive actor to play Ichabod, on face value, both his costume and his overall demeanor keep the ideals of Washington Irving in mind. Ichabod is much more virtuous and less superstitious than the Crane from the original story, but he’s still a quirky, panicky coward who is easily spooked, and a great deal of the humor in the film comes from Monk-like portrayal of the character. Ichabod is somehow both a complete pansy and a daring hero at the same time; a Cowardly Lion, who is scared to death of all the horror around him, but perseveres nonetheless. It’s an interesting reinterpretation, and a performance of Depp’s I’ve come to appreciate more and more over time. Depp - and I’m paraphrasing slightly, I must confess - described his Ichabod as what you would get if Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes was played by Roddy McDowall. If that’s not a great couple of inspirations, I don’t know what could be better.

2. The Disney Version.

Originally appearing in the Sleepy Hollow segment of the film “The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad,” Disney’s Crane is interesting to me because, unlike all the other versions I’ve talked about here so far, he’s actually NOT that drastically changed from the original story. His appearance is a perfect caricature based on Irving’s illustrative, exaggerative descriptions in the book, and his personality is perfectly in line with that character. Disney’s Ichabod is toonishly humorous and a little eccentric, but he’s also got all of the issues the one from the story has. In fact, the Disney version sticks REMARKABLY close to the source material. It doesn’t water down anything, and in some places expands on elements to make the characters and story come to life more than ever before. While Ichabod never really speaks in this version, so much is garnered from the animation that he still has a decided personality and character all his own. Unlike some other short versions of Sleepy Hollow that came since, which were really just tellings of the story with animation over them, so to speak, this one really works hard to bring the tale to a new level. The best example I can give is something like Tom & Jerry: the characters are silent, but they are still true, full, believable characters. The Disney take on the story is my favorite, so it stands to reason their magnificently animated Ichabod ranks highly…but he’s only second place on my list. So…who could top Disney?

1. Brent Carver, from the 1999 Hallmark Film.

While this TV Movie version of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” certainly has its flaws - the pacing being a bit slow is probably its most noteworthy issue - it still has, in my opinion, the single greatest Ichabod Crane of any adaptation of the book. While the Disney version is absolutely marvelous, it’s still a pantomime performance from an animated character. Carver, however, truly feels like Ichabod Crane in the flesh: everything about him is EXACTLY what I would imagine Ichabod Crane to be like. His voice, his personality, and even his appearance! If one were to meet Ichabod Crane in real life, and he DIDN’T look like Carver’s version, I would be shocked. Carver almost single-handedly makes this version work; the main draw to this film really is his performance as Ichabod, who is once again depicted true to the story. He’s got likeable qualities, but he’s also hypocritical and arrogant. These elements make him in equal parts humorous and deserving of the fate he faces at the end of the story. There’s really not much to say: Carver just IS Ichabod Crane, plain and simple. When I think of the story of Sleepy Hollow, I typically think of the Disney version…but when I think of Ichabod Crane, specifically, as a character, this is who I think of. There is no doubt that Brent Carver is My Favorite Ichabod Crane.

#ichabod crane #ichabod #top 7 #list #countdown #favorites #best #actors #acting #animation #theatre #musical theatre #movies #films #tv #sleepy hollow #tim burton #fox #disney #the legend of sleepy hollow #tarrytown #the wolf among us #video games #once upon a midnight scary #halloween

[rockislandadultreads]

Suburban Horror: a reading list

Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan

Welcome to Maple Street, a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island, its residents bound by their children, their work, and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world. Arlo Wilde, a gruff has-been rock star who’s got nothing to show for his fame but track marks, is always two steps behind the other dads. His wife, beautiful ex-pageant queen Gertie, feels socially ostracized and adrift. Spunky preteen Julie curses like a sailor and her kid brother Larry is called “Robot Boy” by the kids on the block. Their next-door neighbor and Maple Street’s Queen Bee, Rhea Schroeder—a lonely community college professor repressing her own dark past—welcomes Gertie and family into the fold. Then, during one spritzer-fueled summer evening, the new best friends share too much, too soon. As tensions mount, a sinkhole opens in a nearby park, and Rhea’s daughter Shelly falls inside. The search for Shelly brings a shocking accusation against the Wildes that spins out of control. Suddenly, it is one mom’s word against the other’s in a court of public opinion that can end only in blood.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend. Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life, but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother, Patricia's life has never felt smaller. The days are long, her kids are ungrateful, her husband is distant, and her to-do list is never really done. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a group of Charleston mothers united only by their love for true-crime and suspenseful fiction. In these meetings, they're more likely to discuss the FBI's recent siege of Waco as much as the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood. But when an artistic and sensitive stranger moves into the neighborhood, the book club's meetings turn into speculation about the newcomer. Patricia is initially attracted to him, but when some local children go missing, she starts to suspect the newcomer is involved. She begins her own investigation, assuming that he's a Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What she uncovers is far more terrifying, and soon she--and her book club--are the only people standing between the monster they've invited into their homes and their unsuspecting community.

White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

Marigold is running from ghosts. The phantoms of her old life keep haunting her, but a move with her newly blended family from their small California beach town to the embattled Midwestern city of Cedarville might be the fresh start she needs. Her mom has accepted a new job with the Sterling Foundation that comes with a free house, one that Mari now has to share with her bratty ten-year-old stepsister, Piper. The renovated picture-perfect home on Maple Street, sitting between dilapidated houses, surrounded by wary neighbors has its . . . secrets. That’s only half the problem: household items vanish, doors open on their own, lights turn off, shadows walk past rooms, voices can be heard in the walls, and there’s a foul smell seeping through the vents only Mari seems to notice. Worse: Piper keeps talking about a friend who wants Mari gone. But “running from ghosts” is just a metaphor, right? As the house closes in, Mari learns that the danger isn’t limited to Maple Street. Cedarville has its secrets, too. And secrets always find their way through the cracks.

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons

Thirty-something Colquitt and Walter Kennedy live in a charming, peaceful suburb of the newly bustling Atlanta. Life is made up of enjoyable work, long, lazy weekends, and the company of good neighbors. Then, to their shock, construction starts on the vacant lot next door, a wooded hillside they'd believed would always remain undeveloped. Soon, though, they come to realize that more is wrong than their diminished privacy. Surely the house can't be "haunted," yet something about it seems to destroy the goodness of every person who comes to live in it, until the entire heart of this friendly neighborhood threatens to be torn apart.

#Horror #fiction #to read #tbr #library books #scary stories #books to read #booklr #booktok #reading recommendations #Book Recommendations #adult horror #themed reading

[booksforthegays]

Hi there! Any recs for books about gay/bi men that are written by men? Not picky on the genre (romance, horror, mystery, etc), but preferably not YA, looking for something more adult

Yes, here are a few! You may have heard of a couple but i hope this will help you find some new titles and authors.

Fantasy : - “The Last Sun” by k.D Edwards Set in a fantastical atlantis, the last priest of a fallen order is charged with finding a nobles missing son. He and his bodyguard investigate the case and find themselves pulled into a conspiracy that hits closer to home than he would like. - “The Fifth House of the Heart” by Ben Tripp A fantasy horror novel that follows an older antiques dealer that killers vampires in order to loot their priceless hoards. When his past comes back to haunt him he needs to gather a ragtag group of vampire hunters to assist him against a great evil and maybe even make some money out of it all. -”The Ragged Blade” by Christopher Ruz A mercenary goes on a quest with a wizard to overthrow an evil king, along the way the two fall in love and once their quest is done the wizard begins to rule the new kingdom. Twenty years later the mercenary realizes how corrupted the wizard has become and must find a way to leave him with his daughter in tow. - “Heart of Stone” by Johannes T. Evans A centuries old vampire takes on a human clerk into his employ, but hes like no human that the man has ever met before. Fantasy/romance set in the 18th century. Sci-Fi : - “Extracurricular Activities” by Yoon Ha Lee A sci-fi space opera and companion to Yoon Ha Lee’s main series Nine Fox Gambit. It follows an undercover spy that goes across enemy lines to recover a lost ship. Shorter novella, but if you find yourself craving more the main book in the series is sure to satisfy.

Mystery : - “The Cardigans” by Cole Mccade A contemporary crime drama series that is meant to simulate a tag team detective TV-show dynamic. Follows two homicide detectives with wildly different personalities and methods who are forced to work together to solve a different case in each novel/”episode” while having some underlying tension between them. - “The Affair of the Mysterious Letter” by Alexis Hall A queer Sherlock Holmes retelling with “Watson” as the main character and a lovecraftian setting. After just re-entering society Captain Wyndham finds himself with a strange new roommate and a case to solve. He must navigate the strange city of Khelathra-Ven whilst meeting its odd supernatural residents. - “The Ghost Finders” by Adam McOmber Follows an occult investigator in a supernatural Edwardian London as he takes ownership of a strange ghost finding firm. Comes with a fun found family dynamic and some weird horror overtones. Comics/graphic novel : - “Chefs Kiss” by Jerrett Melendez Follows a recent English graduate who pursues a new passion of cooking instead of his pre-planned career path. Has a cute cast and romance. This one just came out and I believe is classified as New Adult so toes the line a bit from ya and adult. - “The Transformers: More than meets the eye” by James Roberts Follows a group of transformers that seek to find a purpose after the great Autobot and Decepticon war. I try to push this one on everyone, all of the main couples are gay and each arc as well as the main plot line is focused on one of them. Also just a good place to start reading transformers as any need to know info is added in small blurbs so the reader isnt missing any context.

#ask #recommendations