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aion-rsa · 4 years

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The 20 Best Horror Movies on Netflix UK – Scary Films to Watch Right Now

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Netflix is an ever-changing, constantly growing treasure trove of hidden gems and secret delights (here’s everything new on Netflix UK this month). Sometimes, a teeny bit too secret though.

Who hasn’t sat down to watch a horror movie and found themselves scrolling endlessly, either not being able to find something they’re in the mood for, or not really knowing what half the titles are, or if they’re any good?

We’ve scoured the full current catalogue available to watch in the UK now and picked out the best scary movies. It’s a mix of classic and new, and a range of slashers, horror-coms, mumblegore, monster movies and more to hopefully scratch that itch with ease.

We’ll keep this updated as and when titles drop in and out of the service.

Hereditary (2018)

If you haven’t seen this slice of trauma, the feature debut of Ari Aster, you probably should. If you have seen it, you probably won’t want to again. Toni Collette stars as a woman whose controlling mother has just passed away setting of a series of horrible events. Aster says the film was partly inspired by his own sense of his family being cursed – this a movie absolutely drenched in grief and pain with astonishing performances all round. It’s tough going, but it’s a masterpiece. Read our review.

The Platform (2019)

This existential Spanish horror made a splash at the start of lockdown with it’s tale of prisoner trapped in an enormous vertical prison with a platform at it’s centre which delivers food to the inmate floor by floor starting at the top, so that each floor only gets what the floor above has left over. It’s political, allegorical, it’s clever and it’s very violent.

The Endless (2017)

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s gorgeous sci-fi horror stars the two as brother who escaped from a cult ten years ago and are drawn back in in search of answers when a strange videotape arrives. This is their third movie after Resolution and Spring and the two are only growing in strength as directors – The Endless is rammed with indelible imagery and deeply unsettling moments within a plot that is a joy to unpick.

What Keeps You Alive (2018)

Couple Jackie and Jules head to a remote woodland cabin to celebrate their first wedding anniversary but things go bad… Ok this sounds like the most generic slasher in the world but trust us it’s not. Twists hit early on (that we’d hate to spoil) and the tension ramps up fast in a very effective cat and mouse chase with a female bent. This comes from Colin Minihan who made Grave Encounters – this isn’t similar but both have a disorientating sense of place. Read our review.

Orphan (2009)

Released during the heyday of Dark Castle’s mid-budget horror splurge, Orphan is one of those genre films with an absolutely ludicrous (and therefore thoroughly enjoyable) twist, which we will not spoil for you. Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga star as a couple mourning the loss of their baby, who decided to adopt a little Russian girl called Esther from the local orphanage. Things quickly start to go very, very wrong as the pair start to suspect that wee Esther – who insists on dressing like a spooky doll – isn’t all she appears to be. Check out our review.

Insidious (2010)

The many sequels may have yielded diminishing returns but the first of this franchise, about a couple (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) whose comatose son appeared to be trapped in another realm by a evil spirit, is a very effective chiller. Horror genius James Wan directs, and the first half of this movie at least is pretty much guaranteed to make you jump out of your skin.

Annihilation (2018)

An all star cast including Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tessa Thompson, plus the quality direction of Alex Garland wasn’t enough to secure this horror sci-fi based on Jeff Vandermeer’s novel a theatrical release in the UK. Nevermind, that just means you can watch it for free on Netflix. Portman joins a crew of women exploring the mysterious Area X where he husband ventured some time before and came back changed. It’s a weird, unfamiliar landscape of beautiful flora and terrifying fauna defying explanation until the strange, indelible finale (not sure what it means? Have a read of this explainer). And you can check out our review, too if you like.

Daybreakers (2009)

You’ll get a little bit of everything with this Spierig Brothers curio. It was the film that really got the directing team noticed and it’s not hard to see why. Set in a dystopian world where basically everyone has been turned into a vampire, one corporation thinks it’d be a bloody (sorry) good idea to track down all the surviving humans and…well, basically milk them. Ethan Hawke stars as a vampire haematologist who starts to think there might be another way for this story to go after he’s collared by a former vampire (Willem Dafoe), who can cure everyone. (Living) dead good. Check out our review.

The Bar (2017)

Slightly bonkers Spanish horror thriller which sees a bunch of strangers stuck in a busy Madrid cafe when snipers begin shooting anyone who tries to leave. Confusion and personality clashes abound in this economical single location chiller with a dark sense of human as the inhabitants slowly discover what’s going on, who’s responsible and try to work out if and how they will survive.

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The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s love/hate letter to the horror genre felt like something of a game changer when it finally arrived (it was shelved for several years because of financial issue with original distributor MGM). Chris Hemsworth and Haley Bennett star in a double layer story about ordinary kids vacationing in a woodland cabin, with Bradley Whitford and Richard Jenkins as very particular kinds of bureaucrats up to something in the background. No spoilers, just watch. Here’s our review.

Cargo (2017)

Martin Freeman stars in this Netflix original developed from a short directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke. Set in the Australian outback, Freeman is a father trying to find someone to protect his child in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. More wistful and emotional than that sounds on paper, there’s a fascinating subplot about an Aboriginal girl mourning her father and the final set piece is unforgettable. Check out our review.

Lifeforce (1985)

A Cannon Films classic directed by late Texas Chain Saw legend Tobe Hooper, people are still discovering the ’80s madness that is Lifeforce. Originally entitled Space Vampires, it’s exactly what you’d expect, and so much more. Nude, energy sucking bat creatures are brought back to Earth after an interstellar mission finds a gaggle of them lying dormant in Halley’s Comet, and it all goes very badly for the planet. You can expect a scenery-chewing Patrick Stewart to pop up in between the tits and gore. Not literally! Although, sometimes literally.

Creep (2014)

No, not the one set on the tube, this ‘mumblegore’ horror is far weirder than that. Director Patrice Brice plays Aaron, a videographer hired by Mark Duplass’s Josef to make a video for his kid to watch after he’s died of a terminal illness. Or does he? Playing on the power of politeness and the awkwardness of male relationships this is a highly original, itchily uncomfortable watch. Creep 2 is also on Netflix, and also good!

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By Mark Harrison and 1 other

Hush (2016)

Another smart sensory-based horror, this time from Oculus and Doctor Sleep man Mike Flanagan. This home invasioner sees deaf writer Maddie (Kate Siegel) attacked in her woodland retreat by a masked stranger. He uses her inability to hear to sneak around and terrorise her, but she has tricks of her own up her sleeve. Check out our review.

The Invitation (2015)

Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body, Destroyer) just keeps knocking it out of the park (and she’s recently been attached to a Dracula movie from Blumhouse Productions), and with The Invitation she continued to secure her place as one of the best directors around. Here, Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend go to a party held by his formerly suicidal ex-wife, and discover that she seems to be happier than she ever was, but Will starts to suspect that rather than healthily coping with her mental illness, she may well have joined a doomsday cult instead, and be planning to kill them all. Paranoia and tension are at the max in this bad boy. Here’s our review.

Little Evil (2017)

Comedy horror from Eli Craig who made the wonderful Tucker and Dale Vs Evil. This time he’s playing on creepy kid tropes, particular those from The Omen movies. Adam Scott plays a man who discovers his new wife’s (Evangeline Lilly) son might actually be the anti-christ. And because it’s Eli Craig, of course it’s funny and very good natured as well as playing with the genre.

Gerald’s Game (2017)

Another Mike Flanagan offering here – what can we say? he’s damn good! – as Jessie (a spectacular Carla Guigino) and her husband Gerald drive to a remote house to try and spice up their marriage with a bit of gentle BDSM. One problem: Jessie is not into it. At all. Two problems: Gerald carks it, leaving her tied up with only her cunning to help her free herself from her prone, handcuffed predicament. Three problems: a mythical, supernatural killer may be in the house. Stephen King, you’ve done it again. Read our review.

Ravenous (2017)

Unusual Canadian zombie movie (in French) which sees remaining stragglers after an outbreak of the infected band together in disparate groups travelling to find other survivors. Ravenous sets up its infected as worshipping a sort of new religion of found items (chairs, TVs etc.) making comment on the zombification of society. It’s also funny and quite scary, so there’s that.

Veronica (2017)

Loosely based on a true story, Veronica is set in Madrid in 1991 and follows a young woman who messes with a Ouija board who thinks she’s accidentally summoned an evil spirit. Director by Paco Plaza, one of the two directors behind [REC], the movie gained minor notoriety when it first landed on Netflix because of a few viewers finding it overly scary. It’s true there are some seriously creepy bits (but you’ll be fine!).

The Perfection (2018)

Get Out‘s Allison Williams and Dear White People‘s Logan Browning star in this twisty, trashy but nonetheless enjoyable tale of two musical prodigies hothoused at a mysterious academy. It’s lurid and lavish (and it’s got some fairly dodgy sexual politics, we’d warn you) but great lead performances and a tricksy three act structure that keeps you guessing, make this an entertaining and unusual Friday night pick. Read our review.

Want more horror? Here’s our list of 81 genuinely creepy horror movies. Here are some horror movies it’s safe to watch with your kids. And here are some underappreciated Scream-inspired horror movies of the 90s.

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lombax-lombardi · 4 years

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Marking~

Summary: When lighting crashes, it means a coming storm. When a creature of the night is without her food source, she will truly lose herself to the blood lust.

Genre: Character building, slight steamy content???? maybe??. Hehehe.

Character: Madilyn Ambrosia.

The loud evil cackle filled the halls of the empty cathedral.

A fight had ensued here, corpses piled upon corpses. Blood pools everywhere, littering the cracked cobblestone.

“Ahahahahahahaha!” Our heroes stared upon their enemy. An Ancient Dragon by the name of Diera.

Diear.

The Blood Dragon.

Progenitor of the Diera Crest.

Along with its curse.

“Fools! You cannot stop my quest for vengence!’ She cackled, tossing Hilda across the room her body slamming against the cool marble.

“Mother why?” The one called Desiree cried out, the woman turned her head as if to actually look as to where that sound was coming from.

“Oh? You have lost the right to call me Mother child.” Her eyes were cold.

Uninnviting.

“Why art thou using thine children to exact thy revenge? Oh whom? On whom Mother has mine dear Lady suffer for you?” She asked, dagger in hand.

That’s who they came here for.

Byleth got a distressing message from the Ambrosia household, that their daughter was kidnapped by hodded figures and taken to this place.

This place was the nest of the Blood Dragon.

Diear, hair ratty and eyes turned to slits, like the reptile she is. “Seiros. SEIROS! I EXACT MY VENGENCE UPON THAT WHORE! SHE CAST ME OUT FOR WHAT I WAS!” Her voice boomed across the giant hall.

“Ambrosia is the FIRST if my new SPAWN to truly become what she was meant to be!” Her clawed hand seemed to reach for said noble who was across the room.

Trying to fight off the call of her hunger.

The call for blood.

The call for feeding.

“You Desiree, are a failure! You could never become a pure blooded creature of the night.” She declared as a sluggish Hilda returned to the rest of the group.

Two blondes, who are Madilyn’s dearest friends, Minette and Sae were staring at the brunette at her place from across the room.

Minette knows the feeling of being cursed. Her arm itself is a curse. As for Sae she was the one who knew about Madilyn’s condition the longest and it crushed her soul seeing her, back into a dark, dank corner.

Like some wounded animal.

The two women weren’t the only ones who are staring at the scurrying noble.

Two others.

Two men of different backgrounds, while being both nobles, it seems this little dainty creature had caught their hearts.

They were aware of each other yes.

But only one could claim her heart for their own.

Diera, leaning against her delapidated throne, scoffing, nails tapping against the cool stone. It seems the Professor and their students were disturbing her.

She points a long nailed finger towards the brunette who was now aware of the Ancient Dragons presence. “By my Crest, I turn you-”

Her speech was interrupted by a dagger being thrown near her neck, her eyes went from the dagger to the one who threw it.

“Desiree!” The exasperated voice of Flayn breathed out, the white haired female stareddaggers at the one she called her Mother.

“Do NOT finish the write! DO NOT! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!” The female dragon lunged at the other, pulling her off her throne and into the crumbling floor.

And she threw a punch at her face, fangs bared. “Thou shan’t recite the write! I will take your tongue for mine own!”

Diear just laughed. “Oh now THATS the daughter I know! Fight me daughter! Prove you are stronger!”

In an explosion of light and dust, two large dragons appeared in the ladies places. Diera was large, covered in whote and red scales to excentuate her status of a Blood Dragon.

Her daughter was different. Despite her white hair, her scales were a deep blue/purple colour, blending together to make her look like a mystical creature.

Well she was one.

The Professor moved their students away from the two dragons fighting as so no one could get injured. But the group had another problem on their hands.

“hey ummm....did anyone see where Maddi went?” Hilda quiered loudly, hooing to get an answer. The group has lost sight of the damsel they were supposed to be rescuing.

The large group of students, former students, slowly sukled around the large cathedral.

Ingrid noticed something. As she was standing next to Sylvain, a dear and close friend but a damn flirt and skirtchaser, he seemed. Stoic.

Uneasy.

Yes war in uneasy but this was a different unease.

As the two dragons continued to fight, a scream pierced the darkness. Blood curling.

Bone chilling.

In the darkness they could see a pair of glowing yellow irises, staring right at them. Byleth stood ready to defend the students when Minette stood in front of them.

She had seen this before.

As did Sae.

As did Sylvain.

As did Balthus.

Byleth only heard the rumors of Madilyn’s predicament.

According to Hanamen and Madilyn herself plus Desiree, the Crest of Diera demands blood every three months, to keep the curse at bay. Without feeding, the curse will begin to take control.

That’s what was happening now.

The darkness lunged at the cursed one, sounds of muffled cries and hissing filled the air, until the Aevis was thrown across the room at superhuman speed.

There was a loud crack against the stone.

The shadows dispersed revealing Lady Ambrosia, hands clawed, wings protruding from her back, the glowing Crest in the middle of her back.

Glowing dark red.

The two dragons who were fighting paused.

As if time itself stopped.

“No! Lady Madilyn! No!” the sea dragon cried out. Her Mother did get the last laugh after all.

The woman she spent years protecting had become what she dreaded.

----------

Darkness. All there was was darkness.

An inner carnal desire.

The hunger for blood.

but there was something.

Something else.

Filling the ringing in her ears.

She could see what she was doing, throwing her comrades aside but she could not stop herself! She didn’t want to hurt her friends.

Didn;t matter what house they used to belong too.

They were food for her now.

The ground rumbled as the two dragons continued to fight, the vampire threw more of her comrades to the floor, arrows pierced her sking but that did not matter.

She healed quickly.

In the back of her mind she was fighting with herself.

The one who wanted to feed and the one who didn’t want to hurt the people she loved.

The voice back in her mind was Diera, talling her to Feed on the Fell Star.

Fell...Star....

Byleth....Sothis.....

If she couldn’t find Serios. She’d take the next best thing.

The Professor realised that the brunette’s gaze fell upon them, they knew what to expect next. Sword at the ready, they would cut her down if need be.

But it seems that was not the case as a blur of red and armor dashed past on horseback to knock the vampire across the floor.

Buried under rubble.

The flapping of Pegasus wings filled the air. It was Ingrid. “Sylvain!”

It was Sylvain, who was on that horse who sent Ambrosia flying.

The rubble wouldn’t hold her long. “Ingrid. You and the Professor and the others need to help Desiree. I can do this myself”

The blonde was tempted to hit him in the face. What an idiot. “That sounds stupid! You could die!”

“What she needs is blood....” The raspy voice of Minette called out, being supported by the ever lovely Yuri, who kept whispering to her.

“Blood? Minette what do you know?” Ingrid asked the Aevis, the white haired blue eyed female ran her hand through her hair.

“She’s....not fully a vampire....” she expained through raspy breaths as the pile of rubble began to stir.

“She’s fighting with herself. On the inside I believe. If she just...just had enough blood she’d go back to normal.....”

“That’s your theory!?” Ingrid snapped. “She could kill one of us! Who do you think is going to offer themselves to her?”

The group fell quiet.

That’s when the sound of a horse filled the quiet and headed away.

“I guess that answered your question...Ingrid....Owch...Maddi did a number on me....” Minette grumbled as the sound of hooves faded away.

----------

Hands gripped the rubble throwing old stones away. As if he was looking for something he lost.

Well he kind of did.

Sylvain wouldn’t admit it but since those days in the Acadamey, while he was indeed chasing other women, when Madilyn arrived, he was kind of shocked.

He knew the Ambrosia house was a small house in the Kingdom, he didn’t expect such a beauty inside that house.

He wanted the girl whow would yell at him but laugh at him.

He wanted her back.

Not this snarling creature he is now face to face with.

She was clawing at his skin. Trying to maim him or blind him!

This isn’t the girl he remembered.

The one he secretly yearned for.

All those years.

Sure there was another for her heart.

He didn’t care. He was going to do this for her.

“Madilyn listen to me! This isn’t who you are!” his voice was like the point of a knife, digging into the skin.

He got a loud snarl in response.

He knew in those golden dark eyes the one he cared about was in there, so he had to get her attention some how before she either killed him or else. He lost a piece of his armor in the fight with the dragon Diera, exposing some skin.

That caught the vampires attention, fangs beared.

Until she froze in place.

Froze for a long time.

The golden amber hues in her eyes faded, returning to the earth brown that was warm and inviting.

her hands shook. Who knew how long she’d be left like this before the snarling hungry beast came back out?

“W-Where am I...?? What’s going on?” her eyes wandered nervously,feeling armored hands cup her cheeks, here earth toned eyes meeting the eyes of the infamous skirt chaser.

“Madilyn. Listen to me. You’re about to turn into a full vampire and if you don’t drink human blood you’ll be lost forever!”

This information was new to her. But she knew the hunger inside of her was rising. A loud ringing pain rang through her head which only worried the male more.

“B-But...I can’t...I don’t want to hurt humans anymore...I don’t want anymore blood....” she whimpered.

She looks so small. So fragile there. Which crushed his heart.

Cupping her chin, he lifted her head for her teary eyes to face him.

“Why? You could die....”

Those words cut deep. very deep. “There is a chance I could kill my prey which is why I rendered them unconcious before I fed...Live victims struggle and that makes me scared, I’d hurt them...Drinking blood is a.....”

Her face turned bright pink.

“Is a.......what?”

“It’s an...intimate process” she mumbled out.

Intimate?

Is that why she fed on common thugs and hoodlums?

She couldn’t do this to someone she loved. But at this point she had no choice.

Madilyn was staring at her bloodied hands, from the blood pools she was sitting in, not even aware of the shifting of armor and body weight. When she lifted her head, she was shocked.

Shocked by lips against hers.

Her eyes squeezed shut, allowing herself to sink herself deeper into his body, lips molding together. His tongue prodded her lips as if asking for enterance, she obliged roaming around her mouth, dipping around her fangs.

She could have bit him there but she didn’t.

Her body felt warm, for the first time in a long while, fingers curled into those loose red locks.

A fire started low in her belly, she couldn’t act on it no. Not now.

Breaking apart, shallowed breaths between the pair, eyes glazed over.

“S-Sylvain...I-I can’t! Please don’t make me!” She breathed out. She didn’t want to hurt him. What if she killed him?!?!?!

Her eye widened when she saw his exposed neck before her, she swallowed hard.

“Don’t.....please” Tears filled her eyes, he gave her a soft hearted smile. Oh his boyish charm shines through despite the hard 5 years.

“I trust you. You won’t hurt me. I know it.” He voiced dripped with confidence, warmth and love.

“You need to do it....I’d rather die then lose you to your curse” He said it with such vigor that’s when her eyes turned back into that golden black.

She pulled him close, breath fanning against the skin. It caused his breath to hitch. This was going to be painful.

“I’m sorry....” She whispered before her fangs sunk deep into his neck, quickly. Blood slowly dripped from the wound, more then she anticipated.

His haand was in her hair, curling tightly at the searing pain flowing through his burning body he kept her close however. He tugged on her locks slightly as if to pull her back to reality.

Her lips hungryily sucked, drawing more blood from the small punctures.

“Easy there...easy...easy...” his voice was ragged, breathless as if this was some pre-initmate encounter making out.

her eyes flickered, the golden flecks slowly turning back into those earthy brown hues, her hunger gradually slowed.

“There....There we go...that’s my girl....”

Her face flushed, retracting her fangs from his neck. He was pale. Paler then normal.

But...he didn’t die!

“A-A-Are you alright...Are you alright?” She fell into his arms, holding his face with her hands.

He gave her a small smile, thumb rubbing the front of her hand.

“yeah....yeah I’m fine....You...you think you’re strong enough to fight?” he quiered, motioning to the two dragons still fighting each other.

“I think so.But you’re too weak....Feeding...makes prey weak”

“Oh nah I’m fine” he said confidently, only when he stood up he fell down. Madilyn sighed.

“You stay here and recover, I’ll go fight.” She said, placcing a hand on his shoulder as she whistled for her horse.

To take her into the fight.

Sykvain watched her ride off to the others, running his fingers over the punctures in his neck. They seemed to be healing quickly.

Wow.

It seems she’s amazing. As always.

He’s gonna have to tell her that.

He also doesn’t mind being marked for the time being. It saved her life.

#Maddi writes #ugh this is awful but yeah #enjoy #HNNNN #vamire shenangians #dunks myself into a river

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aadhiskanmani · 5 years

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As the title suggests this is my movie rec list.These are the films across industries and stuff i feel needs more recognition and love. It is all a mixed Bag, Mixed Genres, Mixed reasons to suggest them right from the quality to acting to cinematography to story etc.. to critical acclaim Etc you get the picture. Now not all of them are like Blockbusters or like wah wah highly acclaimed though majority are but still i feel more people need to see them so do give a try. I love these films and i am proud of them so here it goes in no particular order.

p.s These are more recent films say last 2,3 yrs and the list doesn’t include films that are still in theatre like Uyaare, super deluxe,athrian,lucifer etc

Template is as follows the Titles include links with subs. Now they are msotly links for well known streaming giants so should not be an issue with majority but i will try to find and add alternate links too. Also will be adding lil synopsis detail of film and then in italics what i thought of it and why one should watch it just random thoughts kind of thing. we will see how far this will go because i have 30 titles approx to add LOL so i will have to break this post in parts and i might get lazy and forget to add my thoughts. we will see LOL

So Let’s Begin :)))

Part 1:( will break it in 10′s caz otherwise it is too much to post in one post )

Vikram Vedha |Tam | *R.Madhavan,Vijay Sethupathi: Police officer Vikram is on the hunt to capture Vedha, a gangster. But when Vedha voluntarily surrenders himself, it challenges Vikram's perception of good and evil. [you should watch this one for it’s smart writing, superb characterization and wonderful performances, the intrigue factor keeps you hooked till the end and Not a trace of Maddy and Vijay in the Cgaracters of vikram and vedha they are truly those characters., Also i heard this one is in the process of getting remade in bollywood so watch it before it is ruined forever. IYKWIM... i will leave it at that because this isn’t the post for details on remake hehe

Geetha Govindham|Tel| *Vijay Devrakonda, Rashmika Mandanna: (the drive link will not open in the app from phones, use a PC): A 25-year-old virgin searches for love. Super cute rom com and a feel good film. Music is really nice and basically a laugh riot or well i laughed a lot lol.

Vada Chennai |Tam| *Dhanush, Andrea Jeremiah,Aishwariya Rajesh |alt link | A proficient carrom player sets foot in the world of crime and joins forces with local gangsters to settle their feuds. However, he decides to take them down when they plan to wipe out his locality. A perfect beginning to the triology,Truly enthralling, Truly an epic Gangster drama, it is built layer by layer and sucks you into the world of anbu and company right away. Dhanush is in his best form and andrea in her grey character is also surprsingly good. this gangster drama i actually loved like anything and this genre is really not something i enjoy mostly it has to be really good for me to enjoy it

Njan Prakashan |Mal| *Fahadh Faasil,Sreenivasan |alt link| Prakashan aka PR Akash is a typical Malayali man who aspires to lead a luxurious life without too much effort. As he tries to achieve this aim, a few insignificant figures walks into his life.

holds up a mirror to Society, simple,cynical, skeptical, thoroughly entertaining and teh one that makes you smile, also Fahadh plays the role of the guy we love to hate and then love so perfectly. but hey that is hardly a surprise i mean when is he not Excellent?.

Sairat| Marathi|* Rinku Rajguru, akash Thosar: {on netflix as well} Upper class Archie falls in love with a lower caste son of a fisherman, Parshya. Watch this one for it’s realistic approach and rawness. this one deals with a wide range of themes right from class system to the struggles of a young couple when they try to settle into a daily life to more dark themes such as honor killings but an epic film. it is so hard to explain in words how good it is and why one must watch this one. Just the honesty the passion of filmmaker shines + the music. one big thing about this film was how normal looking everyone was they had realistic locations average looking cast but MAN THIS one makes you smile, laugh,cry, be sad, feel the pain like anything .the usp is the innocence of leads and the love story is so endearing Unfortunately this is also the original of dhadhak which isn’t even a speck of dust in terms of quality and basically rips everything that made sairat what it is from it and is a glossy totally non practical remake and devoid of any emotions + with terrible casting Loll. Also this is my only Marathi entry on this list.

Ente Ummante Peru |Mal| Tovino thomas,Urvashi:| Alt link The life and journey of Hameed to find his biological mother and how his life changes when Aisha comes into his life. Just Heartwarming would be my comment on it. this is again something one has to watch and experience to know why this one made it to the list. it is hilarious at times yet has some very tender moments. Tovino is a sweetheart as hameed and aisha amma is Lovesuper lovable and warm. this one just kinda engulfs you into it’s warmth.

Majili |tel| *naga chaitanya, Samantha: A former cricket player nursing his wounds of a failed relationship takes up the task of training his ex-lover's daughter and in the process discovers his feelings towards his wife and her unrequited love for him. I personally didn’t care for the first love story as it is very typical and clice But it is post the entry of sam where the film becomes worth making it to this list , simple and the one that makes you count your blessings and just be thankful to have someone who loves and supports you like sravani does for purna.. Chay and Sam’s chemistry is off he hook and they make it worth it totally.

Arjun reddy| tel| shalini, VIjay devrakonda : alt link Arjun Reddy (Vijay Deverakonda) is a Surgeon and the topper of the college. He falls in love with his junior, a Tulu girl (Shalini), who is four years younger to him. Due to some unfortunate incidents, they break up. How life takes them forward forms the rest of the story. A gamechanger in Telugu industry no wonder it has reached the cult status. it’s not like i haven’t been raving about it from past 3 days even more than before because the butchering in form of the remake hurts But wow What a revelation Mr Derakonda was in this and He rightfully won a Best actor award. Just Like sairat this one rises way above the script due to the acting of vijay and that honesty in the script and film making. idk it is hard to put in words for me but when you see these films you see how passionate the makers were while making them and the heart and soul they have put in the film just shows and touches you so hard.Now this one is 18+ so TW drugs, alcoholism and a lot on innuendos and banging hehe. BUT and i can’t emphasize enough IT IS WORTH EXPERIENCING IF YOU ARE A FILM LOVER. This is the one which leaves you in the undecided category or well it had left me in that do i love it? do i hate it? i was so confused until my rewatch and i have finally came to conclusion that i love it. this is like you can love me hate me but you can’t ignore me and it stays on your mind a lot longer then the 3 hrs runtime after you are done because you are in that wait what is my actual verdict hehe. Also i haven;t seen a more accurate depiction of a toxic relationship on desi screen where one is so obsessed and self centered that it becomes really hard to survive around him

Thadam|tam| Arun vijay The murder of a youngster creates confusion among a few cops when they find out that the one accused in the crime has a look-alike!. Thadam has an intriguingly written flow of events that begin from the pre-interval point and the film maintains the suspense factor till the end. The lead actor is fab in his dual role it is hard to tell which one is which and who has actually done the crime but mind you int he beginning it is a little confusing as it keeps goign back and forth between the bg stories of 2 guys but the viewer isn’t told that it is actually dual role so i was like wait how come one min he is rich and in love with oen persona and next he is in slums doing thefts lol. anyway...

Peranbu\Tam/Mal |*Mamooty A story about a father who tries to understand the struggles of his disabled daughter Paapa. The plot highlights the journey of how he becomes a better man while he comes to terms with his child and her special needs. This one is Just purely about a father’s love for the child and how far a father can go for his child.

An Honorable mention to BAAHUBALI2 which requires no intro or anything from me to persuade one into watching it It is SELF EXPLANATORY.

Phew OK i am calling it a day..... Part 2 will be posted soon... I am more then excited to hear from you guys and your thoughts on these films plz do tag me if you post your reviews and your thoughts. i worked really hard on this so i will be more than excited to know if it was worth or no... I have so much more quality content in the queue and am super excited to share that with ya fellas..... it gives me great Joy to share the love for movies and a lot of satisfaction that all this FIlm nerd thing is coming to some use to others and i take a lot of pride in the fact that i am kind of is a film nerd hehe. Happy Viewing,,,,,,,

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purpleillusn · 5 years

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Shadowed Heart

Phic Phight attack 4

Prompt: “Start and end the fic with the same sentence, the first time it's positive and happy. The second time it's chilling and foreboding.” - @quishaphantom

Genre: Angst

Words: 910

Warnings: Character death

‘Broke the sissy boy's teeny toy heart in two.’ The sounds of the Birthday Massacre blasted in Sam’s ears as she annihilated yet another enemy in Doomed. Lasers shot out from her gun and she annihilated FriarTuck again. Ha, she thought triumphantly. She stole a glance at the clock, which told her it was more morning than it was night at that point. Oh, well, it was a Sunday anyway now, she could always sleep in.

She took out one more enemy before logging off for the night. It was late, even for her standards and what had become her new normal since the incident.

Sam ran a hand through her hair and grimaced at the greasy feel. Making a mental note to wash her hair in the morning, or afternoon, or really whenever she woke up, she threw on her pyjamas, chucking her day clothes into the corner.

She wished she’d fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, but life was never that easy. A shiver ran down her spine and green and blue light poured in through her eyelids. Tears welled up in Sam’s eyes and she cowered under the duvet, goosebumps prickling over her skin.

She didn’t know how long she lay there before she fell asleep, and to be completely honest she couldn’t recall when exactly she’d fallen asleep - some time between the time the time the eerie whispers and wails started and her mother throwing open her curtains to let the sunlight stream into her room.

“Come on, get up Samantha!” Pamela Manson screeched, like a deranged canary, ripping the covers off Sam’s head. “I won’t have you sleeping through the day like this!”

Sam groaned and shot her a glare, rolling out of bed. “Fine! I’m up!”

Pamela huffed and left the room, but not without telling Sam to wash her hair - like she needed to be told that.

Sam was half-tempted to go back to going back to playing Doomed, but the pile of homework on her desk convinced her otherwise. Mr Lancer may understand her sudden decline in work recently, but her parents definitely didn’t, and she really didn’t want to fail this year.

Working on homework only went so well. Before long her eyes became unfocused and she gazed blankly at the mess of words on the page, pen tapping against the largely blank piece of lined paper she’d intended to write on.

Sighing, she pushed herself up from the desk, catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure in her peripheral vision, and went to shower, spending extra time on the bird’s nest that had become of her hair. At least she didn’t see the figure here - apparently this ghost respected privacy to an extent. That was just like him really - barging into her bedroom, but still being mindful of the fact that he couldn’t follow her everywhere. Sam was tempted to spend the rest of her life in the bathroom if it made the figure leave her alone, but there was no way she could justify that in any sane manner. This was really her fault, so she might as well live with the consequences.

Sam left the house for a walk, clad in a puffy coat, concluding that homework was not going to happen. Baby blues glimmered from the dark alleyways and storm drains. If this spirit was trying to communicate with her it was doing a pretty shit job of it - she still had no more idea of why it was tormenting her than the day she first saw it, the day of the accident. Sam really tried not to think about that. Her mother was talking about getting her a therapist to talk about it with, but Sam highly doubted it could help to talk about something like that. Or rather, she didn’t want to talk about it. She could take the trauma to her grave for all she cared, no one would hear a word about it from her.

Sam stopped abruptly once she realised where she’d been walking towards, the neon of the Fenton Works sign towering over her, taunting her. Of course she’d unconsciously walked here, it was just fitting.

The Fenton household had never felt so empty, the sign the only reminder that it was supposed to be a madhouse. Jack Fenton had lost his usual cheer on that day, and Maddie and Jazz both grieved in less obvious, but still noticeable ways, drawing away from the outside world and focusing on their respective studies. Sam had half a mind to tell them that Danny’s ghost had been following her ever since the accident, but it could just as easily be a hallucination born from guilt as an actual ghost.

She’d just wanted to look at the portal, it was truly teenage stupidity. She got her goddamn photo of him in the portal, but at what cost? His soul shaking screams, pure agony and anguish continued for minutes, and still rang in her head, not unlike the cries that tormented her at night. Then the corpse, oh God the corpse. It looked like something from one of Junji Ito’s horror illustrations, the skin flaking and scorched, the jumpsuit melted and burnt. The worst part of all was what the medical examination at the hospital revealed - his heart had beat erratically in the start of the shock, the muscles tearing from the strain.

‘Broke the sissy boy's teeny toy heart in two.’

#my writing #danny phantom #phic phight #phic phight 19

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hoodiehan · 6 years

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Late Night Snacks - Kim Woojin Imagine

Synopsis: You loved to sleep, but if Kim Woojin wakes you up in the middle of the night saying, "I'm hungry, let's go" then you'd follow him anywhere and wouldn't let out a single whine.

Genre: Fluff

Pairing: WoojinxReader

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: J ( @versekiller ) brought up the idea of doing a drabble where Woojin and the reader go out to get chicken at night because we all know that, that boy loves his chicken... So, here goes :))

After having stayed up late to complete multiple homework assignments, your three hour sleep was rudely interrupted by the loud, blaring ring tone of your phone. Groaning, you rolled over to grab the annoying device, and answered it without looking at the caller identification.

"Hello," your voice was low and raspy due to having just woken up.

"Y/N? I'm right in front of your house. Let's go," automatically perking up at the sound of the caller's voice, you immediately agreed and said that you only needed 5 minutes.

Rushing out of bed, you began to sprint through your house looking for an appropriate attire for the cold morning, but eventually you gave up and sprinted out of the house in your pajamas. You didn't care about what the person calling you wanted. If they wanted you to go out with them at this ungodly hour, then you sure as heck were going to leave with them.

Running out of the house while putting your hair up into a messy ponytail, you quickly spotted the parked car that was in front of your yard and scrambled into the passenger seat.

"I missed you!" The driver cooed placing a sloppy kiss on your lips.

You giggled as you pulled away, "I just saw you earlier today."

"I know, but I still missed you," Your boyfriend said placing kisses all around your face. Your scrunched your nose up and smiled. He was so clingy but it was too cute.

"Woojin, stop," you said pushing him away from you even though you didn't really want him to stop. Woojin chuckled and took your left hand in his, only to bring it up to his lips and lay a small, delicate kiss on the back of your hand, all the while maintaining eye contact with you. Your cheeks blushed and your heart began to swell at the simple action.

"So why did you call me out here?" You asked, reclining back in your chair.

"I was hungry," Woojin said turning the keys in the ignition and starting the car.

"Now? At this time? It's nearly," you turned on your phone to check the time. "12 AM!"

"Yes. It's 12 AM and it's the perfect time for some chicken!" Woojin exclaimed while driving down the street.

"Are there even any chicken places open at this time?"

"I have no idea, but let's find out!"

For the next few minutes, the two of you sat holding hands whilst talking about everything and nothing. The sounds of the radio played in the background as the street lights lit the way for the two of you. You didn't mind staying out late with Woojin, and you definitely did not mind all of the late night drives that the two of you went on. It was like a stress reliever to drive out in the empty streets of Seoul with him.

However, after an hour of driving, you were beginning to doubt that any chicken-serving restaurants were open.

"Woojin, I don't think that there are any places open. Let's just head home or-"

"No!" Woojin cut you off while pointing ahead. "It's open!" He cried out.

Straight ahead was a building named "Kentucky Fried Chicken". Despite the late time, the lights were still on inside and quite a few people were in the restaurant eating.

"Wow, that's really convenient," you said as Woojin pulled into the parking lot.

"Come, let's go!" Woojin excitedly tugged you out of the car and scampered into the building. The second that he opened the door, the smell of fried chicken wafted through the entrance of the building and hit you in the face. Woojin gasped in excitement, and his stomach rumbled out loud. Embarrassed, he tried to cover it up with a laugh but the sound was loud and clear.

"Let's just go eat chicken," Woojin mumbled as the two of you walked to the cashier.

Upon first glance, it was very visible that the cashier was judging the sight of the both of you. You were a bit taken aback by her judgemental stare, until you looked at Woojin, and then you looked down at yourself. Gasping, you tugged Woojin's arm and stepped backwards.

"Woojin, look at what you're wearing," You whispered. Woojin looked down at his outfit only to laugh out loud. His oversized hoodie largely contrasted the blue heart stamped pants and striped flip flops that he was wearing. But when he took a glance at you, his laughter rang out even louder.

"Okay, but look at you," Woojin wheezed through his laughter. His outfit might have been normal compared to your ensemble of a graphic t-shirt paired with bright purple leggings and fuzzy sandals. You were embarrassed, but in honestly, the leggings were the most comfortable pair of pants you owned.

"We did not think this through," You muttered as you put a hand to your face in shame.

"No, but it's fine. It's the chicken that matters. Let's order!" Woojin cried out as he dragged you towards the cashier. By the time Woojin was done ordering food, you could have practically fed all of Stray Kids plus their entire crew.

Woojin sat across from you, his feet eagerly shaking underneath the table and the smile on his face never leaving.

"Are you really that hungry?"

"No. I'm really excited about the chicken," Woojin said, his eye widening.

"I knew you loved chicken, but I didn't think that you liked it that much. I'm starting to think that you love chicken more than you love me," You teased him.

Woojin froze in his seat and eyed you for a couple of seconds. "Is that an rhetorical question or do you want me to actually answer that?"

"Woojin!" You gasped offendedly.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding! You know that I love you with all my heart," the boy said reaching across the table to grasp your hands. "I love love love you," your boyfriend said, placing a kiss on your hands in between every 'love'.

"You better," You joked while softly rubbing your thumb across the back of his hand. Of course you knew that he loved you, but you also questioned Woojin's love for chicken.

Your soft moment was interrupted by the server placing the large box of fried chicken on your table, to which Woojin reacted with a very delighted jump that nearly knocked over the table. Grabbing the box, he ran through to the entrance of the door while you strolled along behind him.

"Babe! Come on, let's go! The chicken will be cold by the time we eat it!" Woojin shouted causing the remaining people inside the building to give you odd looks. Embarrassed, you put your head down and quickened your pace in order to appease your overly-excited boyfriend.

Sliding into the car seats, Woojin decided that he was too eager to wait until the both of you got home. Opening the box, the smell of the food floated throughout the car causing your mouth to water.

"This is the most beautiful thing that I've seen in my life," Woojin sighed in awe.

"You're the most beautiful thing that I've seen in my life, but this... It might just beat you," You said as you gazed down upon food.

"I should be offended, but I can't be, because I agree," Woojin responded. Becoming impatient, Woojin grabbed a piece of chicken and quickly dug in not even waiting for you.

The rest of the night went something like this; Woojin practically inhaled the entirety of the food that he had bought for the two of you, then after that Woojin opened the sunroof of his car. Laying back in the chairs, the both of you gazed at the night sky while holding each others hands and listening to the new CD that Woojin had bought. And although the seats were incredibly small, you both somehow ended up in the back seat holding each other. The next morning, you woke up still in the back seat of the car, still wrapped up in each others arms, and still in the parking lot of the KFC.

A/N: This is not proofed. I am sorry. It's also 1:30 AM on a school night and I wrote this. Honestly, I just had to give some love to my boy Woojin. He's so adorable and he's sO UNDERAPPRECIATED. LOVE HIM YOU COWARDS. Anyways, I hope that you all enjoyed this! Thank you for reading, it means a lot!

-Maddy 💕

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connorrichardson-bth-blog · 6 years

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Narrative structure:

Todorov’s Narrative Theory:

Tzvetan Todorov's narrative theory suggests that all narratives follow a three part structure where they begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored.

Most of Todorov's theory can be used during all types of genres. For example ‘Hush’ which is a horror, crime:

Equilibrium: The story starts of calm and collective where the characters are introduced to let the audience know what is happening and the relationship between them.

Disruption: The ‘man’ murders Maddie's best friend in front of her house which would introduce a new character.

Resolution: Maddie finds a way to kill the man while being in the house.

New equilibrium: Maddie calls the police while sitting on her porch covered in blood while stroking her cat.

Barthes’ Theory:

Roland Gérard Barthes was a French literary theorist, he explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory including semiotics and anthropology. Barthes suggested there will be more than one of five codes that describe the meaning of a text.

Barthes’ theory can be seen in the film ‘Die hard’:

1-There is a call from an unknown caller, it makes the audience wonder who is on the other side of the call and why are they calling

2-There is a explosion at the substation, it makes the audience wonder who placed the bomb and why did they place the bomb

Plot devices:

Plot devices are one of the main reasons why films are successful. It makes sure that the audience doesn't get bored and makes them want to watch more. This will help the director get to a certain plot he wants to let the audience see what is happening.

Plot Twist:

A plot twist is a literary technique that introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction. When it happens near the end of a story, it is known as a twist or surprise ending

The MacGuffin:

The MacGuffin is a plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or another motivator that the character pursues, often with little or no narrative explanation.

Duex Ex Machina:

Unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel. It is mostly by an electronic device.

Red Herring:

When the character is presented as a villain but at the end of the film or play the character ends up being good. This is because the main characters describe him in a bad way so it makes the audience think that the character is bad

In Media Res:

The middle of the story is shown at the start, we are then shown the actual start and the events that lead to the middle.

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ghostxtoast-is-lyf · 7 years

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Assumed Announcements

Requested By: Friend Without Tumblr

Title: Assumed Announcements Paring: Ghost x Toast Words: 1,000+ Genre: Fluff AU/Reality: Reality Relationship Status: Together Rating: PG TW; None Summary: Ghost And Toast Invite The Acachalla’s Over Saying They Have A Big Announcement. The Acachalla’s Think They’re Breaking Up But In Reality They’re Getting Married.

“Billy! Get the phone!” A gravely voice screamed over the ringing sound which echoed through the house. “Got it papa!” A high pitched male voice yelled back. The black haired man-child picked up the old phone and held it to his ear. “Hello!” He yelled into the device causing the person on the other end to recoil.

“Hey Billy, it’s Ghost” The brunette said into his phone. “Oh hey Mr. Ghost! What’s up?” Billy asked brightly. “Can me and Toast come over? We have a rather important announcement” Ghost told him. “Lemme ask papa!” Billy said before moving the phone away from his face. “AHHHHH!” He shrieked at the top of his lungs.

The entire Acachalla family rushed into the room, all except for Spencer who didn’t care at all. “Boy what are you screaming for! I was watching the game!” Papa said annoyed. Gertrude glared at Papa “What’s wrong?” She asked rushing to Billy’s side in a panic. “Ghost said he and Toast wanted to come over because an important announcement or something” Billy said smiling.

“I thought there was a problem! Gertrude when can we get rid of these kids?” Papa asked angrily. “Honey! Don’t say that!” Gertrude scolded him. Papa rolled his eyes at her. “What’s the announcement about!?” Sally asked excitedly. “Dunno!” Billy replied smiling.

Muffled voices came from the phone, Gertrude swore she heard one saying “maybe they left?”. She took the phone from Billy and put it up to her ear. “Hey Ghost! You and Toast can come over” she said kindly. “Thanks Gertrude, we’ll be over soon” he responded. “Yep” Gertrude replied before clicking the bright red ‘end call’ button.

The household got ready for their arrival, and by getting ready I mean they all sat on the couch and entertained themselves. Sue braided Sally’s hair, Papa watched the game, and Gertrude played with Billy. That was, until the door rang.

The sound echoed through the house along with Sally screaming “I’ll get it!”. The young girl rushed to the door, her pigtails flowing as she did so. She threw the door open with a wide smile on her face. “Hi guys!” She greeted the two males at the door.

The brunette smiled back at her as did the raven haired man who was slightly taller then his partner. “Hey Sally!” Ghost replied. Sally waved them in and they followed her into the living room. Everyone looked at them as they came in, curiosity etched on their faces.

Papa muted the TV and faced them as well. “What’s the announcement?” He asked curiously. Ghost looked at Toast who nodded at him in reassurance. They both sat down on the couch, everyone facing them.

“So it’s got to do with our relationship” Ghost said awkwardly, looking at his hands “something’s happened and we, well, we don’t want you to look at us differently. It’s kind of important and a big change and we hope you’ll support our decision-” Ghost was cut off when Sally broke down crying.

Ghost and Toast looked up, everyone seemed to look a bit upset, Sally was the worst of them. She was crying into her moms shirt and sniffing. “What?” Toast asked confused “why’s everyone look sad?”. Sally sniffed before looking up.

“We do-n’t want you t-to break up” she choked out, sniffing in between words and a bit when saying some words. Toast and Ghost exchanged a surprised look before bursting out laughing. Everyone looked at them confused “what’s so funny?” Sue asked, mad that they made Sally cry.

When they stopped they looked up and grinned “we aren’t breaking up!” Ghost said still laughing a bit. “You aren’t?” Sally asked confused, not sniffing as much. “No” Toast said shaking his head “quite the opposite actually”.

He entwined his and Ghost’s hands and lifted them up. There on their fingers, were diamond rings, they looked really expensive. Everyone gasped in surprise. Finally, Gertrude realized what was happening. She started tearing up and clapping.

Billy, and Sue did the same, Papa wolf whistled and Sally ran up to them and hugged them. They smiled and hugged her back. She pulled away from the hug and grabbed their hands, looking at the pure diamond and gold rings on their fingers before looking up at them and smiling.

“Can I be the flower girl?” She asked, her eyes lighting up. Ghost smiled at her “we’ll see, we actually need a bit of help” he said scratching the back of his neck. “I can help!” Gertrude said volunteering “you need help with the wedding I’m guessing”. They nodded embarrassedly.

“I can help!” A shriek was heard along with the awful noise of glass shattering. There on the ground was Maddie-friend. She looked up at them and grinned. “I have tons of ideas! They were going to be for me and Billy’s wedding but you need them more then me right now” she said getting up.

“Did you just break through my window?” Papa asked in surprise. Billy shrieked and ran into the backyard. Maddie laughed “duh” she replied. Papa got up and left while repeating “nope, nope” and saying something like “I hate these crazy kids, I’ll sell ‘em”.

Ghost and Toast were a bit alarmed but brushed it off. “Thanks Maddie” Ghost said, holding the raven haired mans hand tighter. Spencer, who had heard noises upstairs, went to go check what was going on.

“What are you nerds screaming about I’m trying to play World of Warcraft” He complained with his normal lisp. “They’re getting married!” Sally screamed pointing at Ghost and Toast who waved awkwardly. “Congrats losers” Spencer said calmly, secretly he was really happy for them, he would never admit it though.

“Isn’t it adorable!?” Sally yelled. “Mhm yeah, bye dorks” He said going back into the basement, little did they all know it was to fanboy over the Paranormal Investigators marriage.

After the encounter with Spencer, Gertrude, Maddie, Sally, Ghost and Toast went upstairs. They all looked at wedding ideas, smiling. Let’s just say the wedding was a major success and Sally got to live her dream of being a flower girl (unlike the author who’s trying to live her dreams through Sally and should stop breaking the fourth wall).

#Venturiantale #Fanfic #ToastedGhost #Johnny Ghost #Johnny Toast

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grahammsheppardinc · 7 years

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Another opinionated jerk makes a top ten movies of 2016 list!

Hey everybody and welcome back to my often neglected blog. It’s been even more neglected this year due to me finally figuring out how to use Instagram. This has been a really, really, really good year for movies. Don’t let the haters bring you down, there was a lot of good stuff this year. For the first time in a long time my list isn’t heavily populated with independent genre work (although I always argue all film is genre).

My one cravat as always is that I include festival films that might not have opened wide. This year it’s only one film I think.

Anyways without further adieu:

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2016

1. CHRISTINE

written by Craig Shilowich; directed by Antonio Campos; staring Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts

This film stuck with me long after watching it. Even now I can’t really get it out of my head. Not to be confused with Kate Plays Christine which also examines the story of television journalist Christine Chubbuck who famously, or rather infamously, committed suicide live on air in 1974. This film is not an entirely joyless watch, and it’s care and craft with the tragic story is stunning.

Rebecca Hall (who I’d somehow never seen in anything before) gives a performance that is so nuanced that you completely understand the depression that hangs over her, and makes her suicide less of shocking event and more of a soft sad gradual ending.

2. NEON DEMON

written by Mary Laws, Polly Stenham, Nicholas Winding Refn; directed by Nicholas Winding Refn; staring Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Bella Heathcote

Haters are gonna hate. That’s the best way to describe the critical reaction to this movie. I don’t want all my thoughts to be about the reaction the film had at Cannes and afterwards but it definitely defined the conversation around this film.

Hopefully with time an audience will find the film and appreciate it for what it is: pure style and attitude. It’s a punk rock middle finger to the male gaze.

3. COLOSSAL

written & directed by Nacho Vigalondo; staring Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikius, Tim Blake Nelson, Dan Stevens, Austin Stowell

The single most original film I’ve seen this year. It’s a film about addiction and the effect it has on giant monsters destroying South Korea. I’m not saying anything else because that would ruin the sheer joy of watching this film.

4. HELL OR HIGH WATER

written by Taylor Sheridan; directed by David MacKenzie; staring Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, Gil Birmingham

Truly the first great modern-time western since Vanishing Point in the 70s. I’d argue it’s even a better western than No Country For Old Men. One of probably the best portraits of the current American financial landscape, it tells the tale of two brothers (Pine & Foster) who take to robbing banks in order to pay of the mortgage on their late mother’s farmland, while being pursued by two Texas Ranges (Bridges & Birmingham).

The scene that sums up terrible situation that the brothers find themselves in is when they attempt to take a bank only to find that it has been shut down due to lack of business.

It could be read as a metaphor for the current financial wasteland that millennials (Pine & Foster) have been born into and the omnipresent crush of the baby boomers and generation x (Bridges & Birmingham) that is damaging the economy beyond repair. And it has shootouts and car chases!

5. LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP

adapted & directed by Whit Stillman; staring Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny, Morfydd Clark, Xavier Samuel, Stephen Fry

Whit Stillman always took great inspiration from Jane Austen’s work. Much of his loose comedy of manners trilogy (Metropolitan, Barcelona, Last Days of Disco) would fit right alongside Pride and Prejudice or Emma and would be far more accessible to modern audiences.

This is probably the best (in my opinion only) adaptation of Austen’s work. It’s (as far as I know) the only adaptation of her short novel “Lady Susan.” Beckinsale plays the titular Lady Susan who flirts, gossips, backstabs, and snarks her way through Britain attempting to secure financial security for herself (and possibly her daughter if by accident).

Don’t let the period pedigree fool you: this is a hilarious comedy first and foremost. It succeeds where nearly all other Austen adaptations fail because Stillman embraces the terrible way the characters treat each other and minimizes the too-precious romance that sinks most other adaptations of her work.

6. BLAIR WITCH

written by Simon Barrett; directed by Adam Wingard; staring James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Brandon Scott, Corbin Reid, Wes Robinson, Valorie Curry

At some point it became trendy to crap on any film that was a long late sequel. Especially a sequel to a cultural juggernaut like The Blair Witch Project. A lot of people wrote this film off as a warmed over retread of the original. To be honest I’m sure most of those people didn’t actually see the movie. Or if they did they went in with mind made up and refused to admit that this movie is pretty damned good. And very damned scary.

I caught it at Midnight Madness at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Only the hardest of the hardcore go to those screenings and the place was terrified.

The team behind the ludicrously awesome films “You’re Next” and “The Guest” (Barrett & Wingard) made a balls-to-the-wall horror show with their Blair Witch. The audience will feel totally beaten up by the end of this movie and leave questing their safety in society.

7. THE NICE GUYS

written by Anthony Bagarozzi & Shane Black; directed by Shane Black; staring Ryan Gosling, Russel Crowe, Angourie Rice

It’s Shane Black doing a gumshoe hardboiled detective story set in grimy 1970s Los Angeles set during Christmas. If I need to say more: you guys are jerks.

8. THE WITCH

written & directed by Robert Eggers; staring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson

The genius of this movie is that there are no real twists in it; yet it’s wholly (holy?) satisfying. A family of devout Christians are exiled and isolated, and are driven to distrustful paranoia when a coven of witches and the most evilest goat ever to grace the screen target them. A satanic bunny kills a dog and a woman mistakes a crow for her infant son. It’s got everything!

Haunting, horrifying, and beautiful this film is so captivating that it was equally praised by theologians and satanists. It’s mystifying and mysterious in how good of a film it is.

9. LA LA LAND

written & directed by Damien Chazelle; staring Ryga Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend

Haters are gonna hate, but this movie is simply great.

A musical that finally breaks free of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice/jukebox musical crappola that we’ve had to deal with since the 70s. You don’t walk away remembering any songs, because the film never comes to a stop to say “here’s a song!”

The music actually is integral to the emotion and character of the story. And it’s quite good too. And maybe now I kinda like jazz?

10. HUSH

written by Kate Siegel & Mike Flanagan; directed by Mike Flanagan; staring Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Samantha Sloyan, Michael Trucco

Make no bones about it: this is a mean movie. It’s got one of the most clever concepts I’ve ever seen: how would a deaf mute woman defend herself against a home invader?

It’s gripping and tense and you just want the lead character of Maddie (Kate Siegel) to survive and defeat her assailant (John Gallagher Jr.). The movie is essentially just the two of them trying to outsmart one another while both deal with Maddie’s handicap.

It’s just scary enough while never crossing over into the hardcore horror territory the would alienate mainstream audiences.

-------------------- ------------------------ -------------------------

So, that’s it. Sorry it’s a little late. I still haven't seen everything I wanted to see that came out last year. And I should have included Everybody Wants Some!! somewhere but whatever.

Stay scared.

-G

January 2017

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templeofgeek · 4 years

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We see you, horror fans.

Sure, you can rock that Freddy Krueger T-shirt or Pennywise sweater on the weekend. But you only get to show your creepy side at work on Halloween. We get that you want to look professional. But maybe you’d also like to drop a hint you’re into slasher flicks, poltergeists, and crazed killers.

Well, someone finally feels your pain. Fun.com has added horror-themed blazers for women to their line of exclusive, officially licensed suits. Based on iconic 1980s horror flicks, the blazers — and one unforgettable suit — allow you to secretly rock your love of horror anytime, anywhere. For the dapper fan of the macabre and creepy, this is a fun, subtle way to wear your hidden fandom.

Aubrey Vigil, Xandra, and Katie Fisher in Fun.com horror-themed blazers.

Fun.com is a licensed purveyor of pop culture-themed products. They are best known for their Halloween costumes, festive Christmas sweaters, and items that “tread the line between colorful and classic, tacky and wacky,” according to their website.

The business began as a seasonal Halloween costume rental shop in a home in Mankato, Minn. The family-run company eventually went online. It now has more than 100 employees operating out of a 200,000-square foot warehouse.

Fun.com’s Fun Suits line features dressy pieces with fun, printed linings for men, women, and even kids, inspired by Marvel, DC, Doctor Who, and other fandoms.

Temple of Geek rounded up a group of geeky models to take the new horror blazers for a spin. They include Katie Fisher, cohost of @frightfriends; cosplayer Aubrey Vigil; Xandra, creator of @strangerthingsamusical ; and @portraitofafangirl co-creator Emily.

Women’s Beetlejuice Suit Blazer and Pants

Who would have thought Michael Keaton’s disheveled demon would become a fashion icon? It’s no coincidence horizontal black and white stripes are a huge trend this year.

Inspired by the 1988 comedy-horror classic, this bold, striped suit is a Tim Burton fan’s ultimate statement piece. The blazer and pants must be purchased separately. Either of them would look stunning on their own. Together, they make for an attention-grabbing ensemble you could wear to an edgier workplace or dressy event.

The blazer features sharp-looking, tuxedo-style lapels, pockets, and buttons along the cuffs. The pants are a tailored slim fit with belt loops. Slit cuffs at the ankle allow for a variety of shoe options.

For reference, Katie and Xandra modeled a size 8.

What we love about it: The stripes on this ensemble are just so daring! Our other favorite element is the bright, green lining with recognizable details from the film, including Beetlejuice, a tombstone, the Handbook for the Recently Deceased, the Sandworm, and one of Lydia’s Polaroids. This suit would make a great costume or cosplay, and not just for Beetlejuice. For instance, it would be perfect for a Jack Skellington-inspired look.

NOTE: Unfortunately, the Women’s Beetlejuice Suit Blazer is sold out in all but a few sizes for 2019. Check the website to be notified of future availability. Pants are still available in all but a couple sizes.

Gremlins Gizmo Women’s Blazer

Baby Yoda may currently be everyone’s favorite, but before him there was Gizmo. The cuddly but cursed critter is the star of this blazer, inspired by the 1984 Christmas/horror movie Gremlins.

The fawn-colored, textured look of this understated jacket is reminiscent of vintage tweed. The deceptively simple design conceals a playful, vivid blue lining with a repeating pattern of the fuzzy, big-eared Mogwai that causes all the chaos in the film.

For reference, Aubrey and Katie wore a size 14.

What we love about it: We can’t get over the fun contrast between the conservative shell of this blazer and the cute lining, showcasing tons of Gizmos in different poses. Our ‘80s nostalgia has been seriously triggered! The design feels classic. The lining is soft and satiny. And the single button closure gives it a roomy, comfortable feel. Just remember, don’t get this jacket wet or feed it after midnight!

Nightmare on Elm Street Women’s Blazer

Wes Craven’s classic slasher comes to gory life on the blood-red lining of a blazer that will haunt your dreams. Fun.com describes this jacket as “formal” and “freaky,” which is extremely accurate.

Celebrating one of the most famous horror villains of all time, this textured, black blazer has classic features, like notched lapels, a single button closure at the front, and actual pockets. On the inside, it’s another story with a surreal, satin lining that screams, “Wake me up from this nightmare!”

For reference, Emily and Katie modeled sizes 4 and 20.

What we love about it: On the surface, this looks like a classic black work blazer, but on the inside it’s a gruesome dreamscape of details Elm Street fans will love. It’s clear whoever designed this pattern is a fan. From the Elm Street sign and slogans like “Come to Freddy” and “Welcome to Primetime” to the burgundy blood splatters and Freddy’s signature hat and glove, this is a love letter to Craven’s original film.

Overall:

We think it’s fabulous that Fun.com has come up with an ingenious way for horror fans to subtly express their love for some of their favorite movies. This is a great alternative to the ubiquitous horror T-shirt and a fun way to dress up the genre. The highlight of these pieces is the playful detail of the designs hidden in the linings. If you want to show them off more, roll up the jacket sleeves for a flashier look.

The blazers and suit are made of a lightweight blend of polyester and spandex, so you won’t feel over-warm or suffocated at work or dressy events. In general, the fit tends to be looser, which makes for ease of movement and comfort.

Model Aubrey had some feedback in terms of sizing. She said the blazers feel more like an overcoat than a tailored jacket. The waist sizes tend to run big and aren’t necessarily fitted in the waist. If you’re looking for something more fitted, you may need to order a size smaller or have the blazer taken in. Sizes seem accurate in the bust area.

The styling possibilities for these pieces are endless. You could wear them with jeans or a casual skirt for a night out with friends. Pair them with a dress, or slacks and a nice top, for the office and special occasions.

We also appreciate that Fun.com offers this line in a wide range of sizes, from 2 to 24, so more women can wear them.

For more information about the blazers, visit Fun.com.

Photos by Monica Duarte

Article edited by Maddie Morrow

#TempleofGeekChic shows off horror blazers that let you show your creepy side. We see you, horror fans. Sure, you can rock that Freddy Krueger T-shirt or Pennywise sweater on the weekend.

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puddygeeks · 5 years

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I’ve enjoyed trying a few products this month so I’m actually excited to do this post! I haven’t had much of a chance to get to the cinema so I haven’t got so many new movies to discuss, but I have watched more TV.

Beauty

L’Oreal Paris, Miss Baby Roll

I finally ran out of my Miss Manga mascara, and as previously promised decided it was time for a change. I wanted to stay within this range and see if I preferred any of the other styles. I read the description for a couple, and decided on the Miss Baby Roll as I have very short eyelashes. I could just use an eyelash curler, but they terrify me and I hate them. I liked the promise of curling my eyelashes up a bit more, as most of the time you can’t even see my lashes, and I liked the look of the applicator shape. Thus far I am loving it even more than my last! It does come out a little more clumpy than I’d like, but it otherwise applies wonderfully, the applicator really does help with lash curl and pushes them up nicely. It stays so well that it is actually quite difficult to get off properly at the end of the day, and it lives up to the waterproof promise wonderfully.

L’Oreal Paris Superstar Liquid Eyeliner Pen

I got this as a freebie as Boots were doing a 3 for 2 on L’Oreal products and I also need to replace my powder foundation as I’d been scraping the bottom of the pan for a while. I would otherwise probably have purchased the Kiko eyeliner again as I’ve been using them for a while. I’ve put this on my favourites as I am generally enjoying the product, the applicator size is awesome, especially for a cat eye. It reminds me of the limited edition Kiko pen that I can’t get any more, so that really make me happy. My only issue with this product is that it could not be any less waterproof if it tried. I often wipe off the wing of my eyeliner during the day, and if god forbid you cry in it, it goes everywhere. Not a fan of that, but generally it’s pretty good. I would possibly look at buying this again if they have a waterproof version.

L’Oreal Infallible Powder

I’m cheating a little by having this in here as I’ve definitely had it in previous favourite posts. I just wanted to chuck this in here to say that I loved this so much that I have repurchased it again, and it’s still one of my favourite things in my makeup bag. It rivals Mac powder but at a much more reasonable price.

Imperial Leather Marshmallow

If anyone remembers this limited edition set from Imperial Leather of sweet based scents in shower gels, these were my absolute addiction for a while. I’m gutted that I can’t get all of them any more, but I’m relieved that Marshmallow is still around. I’ve stopped buying the shower gel for now, as I feel it’s important to change your scents to keep them fresh, but I can admit I’ve got a little travel bottle filled with it for emergencies, in case they scrap the last one! I have this month discovered though that they now have the Marshmallow scent in a bubble bath and honestly it’s life changing. It is the best thing I have ever put in my bath and it smells like heaven. Give it a go!

Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm

This may seem like a really random and dull thing to have in my favourites, but I don’t care. I have constantly got cracked lips, and I keep having problems with the corners cracking and splitting. Gross I know but it’s so painful and horrid. I have tried so many lip balms, and although in most thing I love a good scent, I’ve realised I really do not enjoy that on a lip balm. It’s also a massive hassle to find a good one that is scented or tinted or some other unnecessary rubbish. I’ve been using this for a while, and it’s a god send. It’s just a good simple product that does the job.

Food

Mini Eggs

I know this makes me sound like a total pig but I am completely obsessed with these. It’s not overly surprising for anyone who knows me as I get re-obsessed with these every year as soon as the Easter supplies come into stores. The problem is that this happens a little earlier every year and so I have to try to resist for as long as possible. For me, as soon as I get that first taste of mini eggs it’s like a beast awakens inside me that can only be satiated by mini eggs. It’s no exaggeration to say that they become my primary food source. Definitely not good for the diet!

Yorkshire Tea: Bedtime Brew

It’s a bit ridiculous that I’ve had a different type of Yorkshire Tea bag in every favourites but I’m actually on the last one now. I do not usually like flavoured tea, I can’t stand any type of herbal tea bag and that’s definitely an issue as I have crap skin and trouble sleeping, so I could really do with getting some green tea and chamomile into my routine. As a compromise, I tried the breakfast brew, and although it has got a little bit of flavour, it’s actually not bad. I still prefer a plain standard brew, but having one of these before bed even a couple of nights a week has definitely helped to chill me out for bed. If you want to know a bit more about it, this is what it says online: Warm, satisfying taste of Yorkshire Tea, gently decaffeinated and blended with lemon balm and nutmeg, for a seriously snuggly hot drink. If you ask me, it smells like hot cross buns and honestly that’s my favourite thing about it.

Movies and TV

Captain Marvel

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t overly bothered about going to see this. I mostly only went because it’s the last Marvel movie before End Game so it was clearly going to be relevant, and because I was super determined to support a movie led by a female superhero. I was more than a little pleasantly surprised by this film. I absolutely loved it! It was incredible, it was funny, it showed an awesome female relationship (although I admit I feel like they copped out on adding a gay relationship there where it felt natural and not forced, but that’s a conversation for another day). I also didn’t realise how awesome it would feel to see a powerful, badass woman leading a Marvel film. We definitely need more of this.

Shadow Hunters

Honestly, this is definitely not the best thing on TV. The writing is quite predictable, unfortunately the lead actress is one of the worst actors I have ever seen in anything and the constant will they/won’t they between Jace & Clary has way too much screen time for something literally no one cares about. Having said all of that, it’s a fun show to watch, it has some pretty unique ideas and now they’ve increased the budget it’s looking a lot better. Reasons to watch this show? Magnus and Alec. Simple as that. I would watch a show entirely focused on their relationship tbh.

The Disappearance of Madeline McCann

There’s a lot of hype about this at the moment, but I think that’s honestly because there’s always a lot of hype around little Maddie. I did watch all of this, and I wouldn’t say it was amazing, but it was certainly interesting. It presented a lot of theories and that was the best part for me. Everything else was a bit mediocre.

Queer Eye

Praise the lord Queer Eye is back! It’s been a very long wait for me for some more of this and I am so glad that season three is finally here. I love these guys so much, but most of all I just want Tan and Antony to come and live with me. This is my favourite thing to watch when I just want to chill out with a cuppa in my pjs, or to have on in the background whilst I’m working on cosplay. Absolutely cannot get enough.

Music

I have been enjoying using Spotify much more this month, so I’ve actually been listening to things outside of my regular ipod lists for once, crazy I know! As per usual I’ve got a real mix of genres and artists, but then if you’re coming here for music recommendations you know that already. This is what I’ve been listening to most:

Can’t Help Falling In Love – Haley Reinhart

Just You And I – Tom Walker

Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi

You’re The Voice – The Kingdom Choir

Sunflower (Remix) – Shaun Reynolds & Esmee Denters

Why Her Not Me – Grace Carter

Back Again – You Me At Six

And that’s it for March! What are you March Favourites?

Peace

Kit xx

March Favourites! I've enjoyed trying a few products this month so I'm actually excited to do this post! I haven't had much of a chance to get to the cinema so I haven't got so many new movies to discuss, but I have watched more TV.

#beauty #captain #cosmetics #eye #favourites #imperial #leather #loreal #madeline #makeup #marvel #mccann #movies #music #netflix #nivea #queer #shadow hunters #tv

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danithebookaholic-blog · 6 years

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NEW RELEASE!

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Sisters and Brothers

By Fiona Palmer

Make sure to check back September 3rd for my review of Sisters and Brothers!

Publisher: Hachette Australia Publication Date: August 28, 2018 Genre: Women’s Fiction

Synopsis:

A poignant novel of heartbreak, adoption and a father's love by beloved bestselling Australian author, Fiona Palmer.

Bill, 72, feels left behind after the death of his adored wife. He relies heavily on his only daughter, Sarah.

Sarah, career woman and perfectionist homemaker, struggles to keep up with the Joneses. As her husband grows distant, she has no support network.

Emma, a down-to-earth nurse and busy mother of three, always dreamed of having a sister . . . But nothing prepares her for the shock results of a routine blood test.

Adam, a successful florist, was raised by his mother. As his dreams start to fall into place, he can't stop thinking about the father he never had.

Finally, Michelle is trying to build cake-making into a career. But at 46, has she left her run too late to fall in love, have children and find her birth parents?

These five very different people - all connected but separated by secrets from the past - could be facing their futures together. After all, friends will come and go but sisters and brothers are forever . . .

The new novel of heartbreak, adoption, family and a father's love by the Top Ten bestselling author of Secrets Between Friends, Fiona Palmer.

Goodreads

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Excerpt:

‘Come on, kids, move your backsides. I need to be at work yesterday!’ screamed Emma Noble as she put her phone into the pocket on her blue nurse’s uniform. The only reply she got was the echo of her voice. Just when she was about to do her crazy banshee stalk through the house – that’s what her oldest kid, Josh, called it – one child, her eldest daughter, appeared in the kitchen.

Maddison, dressed in her white school shirt, a big red R for Rockingham Senior High School written on her chest, moved slower than a turtle. She walked past the scattered clothes by the dining table, which doubled as the clean unfolded laundry pile, her feet shifting fluff and dog hair across the vinyl floor. Emma could almost hear her vacuum cleaner groan as it sat in the corner of the room, its contents well past emptying limit. Maddie’s plain dark shorts looked as if she’d slept in them; no doubt they’d fallen off the bed where Emma had left her clean, folded clothes. And Emma would bet her left leg that Maddie hadn’t run a brush through her hair in days, though it looked passable now scraped up into a loose bun on top of her head. Her fifteen-year-old daughter was a sloth in every sense. She made a little effort on school days but at home she lived in her socks and Nike sliders and whatever clothes she picked up from the floor in her messy room. Emma had told her on many occasions that there could be white-tailed spiders breeding among the clothes on her floor, but it didn’t seem to faze the teenager.

Maddie slowly picked up two slices of toast and headed towards the door without so much as a smile. It was quite possible that Maddie was still half-asleep. The only proof she was actually alive, besides the fact she was walking and breathing, was that her phone was in her hand, earphones wedged in her ears and the tinny sound of music so loud Emma could hear it. Maddie would need a hearing aid before her thirtieth birthday. The hand that held her phone had the top loop of her school bag hooked between spare fingers, and Emma wanted to tell her to stop dragging it across the floor, especially because her red school jumper was about to fall out, but she knew better than to waste her breath when Maddie wouldn’t hear her.

Right, that was two kids accounted for, because ten-year old Max was already waiting in the car. It would be a sad day when he too joined the moody teenagers that inhabited her house. Emma found an elastic band on the table and quickly scooped her brown wavy hair up into a ponytail and then pulled her lip balm from her pocket and coated her lips. They always got dry at work because she never had time to drink. Being a nurse, there never seemed to be any time for anything, let alone eating or toilet breaks and especially not for proper hydration.

‘I’ll drive,’ said Josh as he swept in, grabbed the last slice of toast and snatched the car keys off the table.

Emma looked up at her son. He was the giant in the family, towering over her and his father John. He’d make a great basketballer if he could be bothered, but life at the moment was all about girls and cars.

Emma searched under all the mail, school work, breakfast leftovers, a shoe and one of Josh’s stinky T-shirts for her hospital lanyard. Finally she found it in the fruit bowl – a receptacle that never seemed to hold what it was made for – at the end of the breakfast bar.

Emma picked up Josh’s forgotten bag from the floor, hoping to Christ that the dog hadn’t got to his lunch again, and headed to the door. She bent to pick up some of Max’s artwork that had fallen off the fridge and stuck it back on, holding it in place with a big magnet of an XF Ford Falcon. The knife lay on the chopping board still covered with butter and Vegemite. Emma threw it in the sink, already full of last night’s dishes, and cursed because it was Maddie’s job to stack the dishwasher and it hadn’t been done.

It was hard having John away with his fly-in-fly-out job in the mines up north. Two weeks home, two weeks away. It was a tough lifestyle to live, especially when she worked full-time. The house during those two weeks looked like a shit hole, to use John’s words when he’d come home from his last shift.

Emma grabbed the large black faux-leather bag she got on sale at Kmart for five dollars and flicked off lights on her way to the door. ‘Ah,’ she said as she spotted their Staffy curled up on the couch. ‘Snake, you cheeky boy. Outside now.’ His brown eyes shot her evil glances he must have learned from the kids but he reluctantly slid off the couch and headed for the back door, his brown tail between his legs. Once he’d gone through Emma locked the doggie door and ran back to the front.

‘Jesus Christ, why can’t I ever have a simple morning?’ When she got to the white Prado, Josh was already in the driver’s seat with his plates up. He smiled a cheesy grin and nodded to the passenger side.

‘No speeding,’ she demanded as she climbed in.

Josh was a good boy; lean and sinewy, and he was the man of the house while John was away. He’d pick up the kids from school and then come and fetch Emma from work, or if she had a late shift he’d get takeaway and feed them all. Some days he hated it, but she tried to even it up by making sure he had nights off to go out with his friends.

He raked his hand over his long dark fringe, and the little black earring in his ear glinted as he turned to check his mirrors. On his inner arm, just above where his school shirt stopped, was a tattoo he’d got a few months ago on a family holiday to Bali. It was a small anchor and chain with the word ‘Family’ along its length.

John had a whole arm sleeve, and Emma had the kids’ names on her wrists, a heart with each one. And on her foot near her ankle she also had the word ‘Family’ written between an electrocardiogram pattern. A mix of her two great loves: work and family.

Josh dropped Max off first at the local primary school.

‘Bye, darling, have a good day,’ said Emma getting out to hug and kiss him. Max had her dark chocolate eyes but John’s blond hair, which made for a very cute combination. He flicked his head to the side to shift his hair from his eyes. He’d been asked out by two girls this week.

‘See ya, Mum.’

The next stop was the local high school where the other two kids piled out and Emma hugged them all before getting behind the wheel. She couldn’t complain, really; they were hard work at times, but her kids still let her hug them – even Josh – and they waved goodbye as they walked off down the school path.

Before she could put the car in gear her phone rang. ‘Hey Mum, I’m in the car, just dropped off the kids.’ ‘Darling, your dad’s in Emergency,’ came her mum’s rushed voice through the car speakers. ‘Don’t panic, he’s okay.’

Her mum Tammy sounded like she should take her own advice, her voice high pitched and breathless.

‘What the heck happened?’ Emma pulled out into the traffic and floored it in the direction of the hospital.

‘He was pruning that damn passionfruit vine, and the ladder tipped and he fell. Landed on his collection of junk . . . Ugh, there was blood everywhere. I couldn’t move him, so I called the ambo.’

Her mum made a gurgling sound of repulsion. She wasn’t so good with blood, so growing up Emma had to tend to those situations from a young age. Probably why she became a nurse. ‘But he’s okay?’ Emma’s pulse began to relax. ‘Are you okay, Mum?’

‘He needs some stitches and a needle. And I’m fine, now. Almost passed out. I think I’m getting better at dealing with it.’

Emma stifled a chuckle; she’d been trying for sixty-eight years. ‘I’ll be there in five, Mum. See you soon.’

After parking at the hospital Emma went straight to her ward to tell her boss that she needed ten minutes to check on her dad, and then headed to Emergency. The hospital was where she felt comfortable, its chaos not far off that in her own home. Sometimes the hospital was much quieter. Especially when her three kids went down with gastro.

It wasn’t hard to find her dad: she just looked for her mum pacing outside the powder-blue curtain. Her once-brown hair had greyed and was now worn short. Her body was still fit and her beauty hadn’t faded over the years. Her posture was poised, shoulders straight. Emma wished she had her mum’s natural elegance. In that respect she was more like her dad with his easygoing nature and the bird tattoos on his arms and hands that had fascinated her growing up.

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‘Oh good, you’re here. They should be nearly done stitching him up,’ said Tammy.

‘It’s okay,’ said Emma, hugging her. Lavender engulfed her, the familiar scent of her mum. Tammy was shaking slightly but towards the end of the hug Emma could feel her mum relax a bit. Touching her hand, Emma stepped behind the curtain.

Her dad, Steve, was propped up on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, his face pale beneath his grey beard. Those blue inked tattoos of his, faded over the years so the outside line seemed blurry, stood out on his hands. His colour would come back soon.

‘There you go, Mr Noble, all set.’ The doctor leaning over his leg did a final trim of the stitches and stood up straight with a satisfied look on his face. ‘Ah, Emma, I wondered how long until you’d be here.’

‘Thanks. Nice job,’ she said to the doctor after having a quick look at his work. He left as she hugged her dad, drinking in his scent of wood chips and aftershave, and then reached for his chart on impulse. ‘How’re you feeling, Dad?’

‘Oh, I’m okay. Feeling stupid more than anything.’ His voice was soft and a little uneven.

He wouldn’t admit it but Emma knew just how much it had shaken him. She saw it in the eyes of the older folk in here, a feeling that as they got older they didn’t bounce back like they used to, and the fear that the hospital was one step closer to the grave. He reached out his hand and she took it as her mum appeared.

Steve started speaking further about his fall, the nervous edge lingering in his voice. Emma nodded as she scanned his chart, gently squeezing his hand in support, until suddenly she cocked her head to the side and then looked up at her mum. ‘Dad’s blood? Says he’s an O.’ Tammy just blinked.

Her dad cleared his throat. ‘Yes, I am.’ Colour was starting to flood back into his cheeks. ‘But you’re O as well.’ Emma shot the words at her mum.

Tammy shrugged her thin shoulders, her soft pink blouse moving slightly.

‘You can’t be.’ Emma could tell they didn’t see what she was getting at.

‘I am, last I checked,’ said Tammy. She frowned and moved closer to hold Steve’s hand.

‘But I’m AB! You can’t get AB from two O parents.’ Emma suddenly felt faint as her words registered. But she wasn’t the only one who suddenly put two and two together. Her parents’ heads snapped as they looked at each other, sharing something like fear that made her stomach churn. She swallowed hard. Surely not! A shiver cascaded down her body, disbelief and shock as she tried to put words to her thoughts.

‘Oh my god! Am I adopted?’ It was the only explanation, unless the chart was wrong. But her parents were being weird. No one was jumping up to contradict her.

‘Oh my god, I am.’ She dropped the chart to the bed and staggered back, her hand pulling away from her dad’s. Was he even her dad? His hand reached out for her, pleading, but no words came to his moving lips. Emma stopped when her back pressed against the wall. She was cornered like a scared animal and she couldn’t escape the fear and dread that was settling in her bones. What had she stumbled upon? Her brain couldn’t think straight, bombarded with so many options and possibilities, all of which made her feel sick. Her stomach was tight, her breathing shallow as her hands fisted at her side.

It was Tammy who finally spoke. ‘No, honey, you’re not adopted. You are my child, and Steve is your dad in every way that matters.’

Tammy’s last words echoed through Emma’s head, leaving a feeling of time standing still. Suddenly her body demanded she breathe, and she gasped in a breath. She looked at her parents. Her mum with her deep hazel eyes and a long nose and round face that Emma had inherited, so everyone said, and even she could see the resemblance. But her dad? She had dark hair like him, but his eyes were a greeny brown; but facially there was nothing she could say she had inherited, though they did have the same sense of humour.

‘What are you not saying, Mum?’ she croaked out. Her heart raced as she waited for a reply that never came. Pushing again, she said, ‘Is Dad not my dad?’ Her gaze darted between the two, looking for any indication that she was right or wrong.

‘Did you have an affair? What . . . how?’ she stuttered, growing frustrated at their silence.

Her parents had been married for years before she’d been born, so it wasn’t like her mum was pregnant with another man’s child before they wed. Emma dropped her head into her hand for a moment while the thoughts churned, then quickly lifted it as she realised the two people opposite her had all the answers. She focused the Don’t mess with me look that her kids saw regularly.

Tammy looked at Steve, tears now noticeable on her lower lashes. Steve reached for both her hands and squeezed them. Emma wanted to scream at them. Answer me!

‘It’s okay, Tammy. She needs to know the truth.’ Steve turned to Emma and spoke so softly she frowned as she tried to listen. ‘I’m sorry, honey. We’d been trying for years to have a child, then I got tested and found the problem was with me.’ He paused for a moment while Tammy rubbed his shoulder. ‘We didn’t have a lot of money and we thought of adopting but it was too hard and we weren’t getting any younger. Then we came up with the idea of a donor.’

‘A donor?’ Emma frowned. Where the heck was this story going?

‘We found a nice guy, and your mum became pregnant straightaway, and the rest is history. We had what we wanted most in the world – you.’ He smiled at her as if she were the baby Jesus in the flesh.

Emma was surprised to feel the wet heat of a tear slide down her cheek, followed by another one. ‘So, you’re not my biological father? Is that what you’re saying?’

Tammy was crying too and pulled out a tissue from her bag to mop her face.

Steve sighed heavily. ‘No, honey, I’m not. But that doesn’t mean anything to me. You’re my daughter in every sense of the word. I’m sorry you had to find out like this. It will never affect how I feel about you. Just understand how much your mum and I wanted a family.’ His voice cracked, and Tammy passed him a tissue.

Emma felt her heart about to burst. She hated to see him upset. The man who had carried her when she was tired, patched up her wounds while her mum tried not to look, read her stories every night and walked with her down the aisle. And yet she couldn’t shake the anger burning inside her, anger at the secret they’d kept from her, anger that she’d had to find out like this. It hurt so badly, like nothing she’d experienced before. Worse than the time she’d lost Max for an hour at the beach. It was like her life was being sucked out of her, vanishing before her eyes as everything she thought she knew was thrown upside down. Who was Emma Noble? Who was she really?

She saw his pain but couldn’t voice her thoughts. You will always be my dad, she wanted to say but the words stuck in her throat. The shock made it impossible for her to comfort him; not yet, it hurt too much. Emma wanted to storm out of the hospital, she wanted them to feel as bad as she did, but she couldn’t move. Stuck to the wall like glue. There was more she needed to know.

One question was burning a hole in her chest. ‘So, who is my biological father?’

Tammy sucked in a deep breath, swayed a little and fixed her eyes on Emma.

Her words were said with no hint of regret. ‘His name was Bill. He was the piano tuner.’

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Before becoming an author, Fiona Palmer was a speedway driver for seven years and now spends her days writing both women's and young adult fiction, working as a farmhand and caring for her two children in the tiny rural community of Pingaring, 350km from Perth. The books Fiona's passionate readers know and love contain engaging storylines, emotions and hearty characters. She has written nine bestselling novels and her most recent book, Secrets Between Friends, was a Top Ten national bestseller.

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From one bookaholic to another, I hope I’ve helped you find your next fix. —Dani

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char27martin · 6 years

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Author Victoria Laurie on Writing Realistic Psychics, Penning a Good Mystery and Her Publishing Journey

Victoria Laurie hit the ground running with her debut novel Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye, and her career hasn’t slowed down since. She has multiple bestselling titles, and her latest novel, When, has been optioned by Warner Brothers for a TV adaptation.

When tells the story of Maddie Finn, a high-schooler with the chilling ability to see the death dates of everyone she encounters. Penning novels about extraordinary talents is second nature to Laurie, who says she herself is a psychic intuitive. We talked to Laurie about writing mysteries, writing realistic psychics, and her publishing journey:

What was your life like, pre-book?

It was sad—filled with corporate America, working for the man and really disliking that kind of a life. My brain automatically goes into story form all the time and to have to rigidly put it into spread sheets and dull boring meetings daily was a little soul-killing. It was very difficult for me.

I didn’t immediately quit my job after the first book because the advance was so tiny. It took me about three or four years before I could quit my day job and write full time.

Who were some of your favorite writers as a child?

Erma Bombeck—she wrote If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits? It was the first time I [read] satire as a kid. She’s a very dry, witty, humorous writer, who wrote about being a housewife with kids she didn’t enjoy. I loved how she wasn’t trying to make her imperfect family perfect and how she coped through humor. She influenced me more than any writer I’ve ever read.

Did the fairy tales you read as a child influence your fiction?

No. But some of my stories were inspired by actual ghost stories that I’ve heard. The majority of them just popped out of my brain: What can I come up with that is terrifying, keeps the pacing going, and can be tied to a mystery with people who are alive? The books all have a sense of justice, where someone is doing wrong and needs to be held accountable. You can’t hold a ghost accountable—someone alive needs to be held accountable. I love writing about those little moments where the hairs on your arms stand up.

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Is there a particular book that inspired you to be a writer?

Janet Evanovich’s first book, One for the Money. It was 2003. I had been laid off, and I was sad and depressed. I remember watching Janet Evanovich on a morning show, talking about her latest book. She had written about a dozen books by then. The host talked about the humor she used. I thought, I could use some humor right now. So I headed to the book store and bought the first three. The books were amazing, and her voice was very similar to mine when I wrote e-mails or letters to friends. Evanovich’s contribution to the cozy genre and the mystery genre—to mingle humor, and wit, satire and hijinks—she did a lot for the genre. [After I read her books], I called my sister to say I was going to write a book.

I am embarrassed to say that it took me days to figure out what my amateur sleuth should be. I was like, What could she do? “Oh, cool, someone wants an appointment for me to give a psychic reading.” What could she be? “Well, yeah: a psychic sleuth!”

When did you first realize you had psychic abilities, and how did you respond to that discovery?

It wasn’t just a lightbulb going off. I had to be convinced I had a talent for it. I am big on science. I love facts. Intuition can be backed up by odds, not evidence. I am right about 75 to 80 percent of the time.

There were small windows of my ability in my childhood. I remember asking my father at dinner if he was fired. The whole table looked at me, and my father was like, “No, why would you say that?” Two weeks later, he got his pink slip. I didn’t like it. There was a sense of Did I cause that? Could I have prevented that?

Now, I understand that it’s like a dial on a radio station; you pick up stuff. I met a medium who was jaw-droppingly good. She is world-renowned now. I convinced her to go professional. She was like, “I will if you will,” and we worked at a shop together… Word of mouth started to spread. People kept coming back saying everything I said was true. So, there was a slow realization of my ability, but no real lightbulb moment.

A lot of your speaking events turn into mass readings. Is that intentional, or is it just something that happens because you are a psychic?

That is totally intentional. I could talk about me—and that’s boring. I’m an introvert. I’m pretty vanilla. People love to hear about themselves. [Doing readings at events] makes it fun for me, because I get to make it fun for them. The range of questions takes me by surprise. It ends up making what could be a dull event more entertaining.

What do people usually get wrong in books about psychics?

I am so sick of reading about psychics who say something bad is going to happen—and there’s no detail—no specifics. Real intuitives are very specific. We won’t say, “Be careful at night.” We would say something like, “Have you had interaction with a man knocking on your door at night?” The client says, “No. I have not.” Then we say, “Be careful of the knock that will come in the evening. Keep your doors locked, look through the peep hole, and, if you don’t recognize him, don’t open it up.” We pick up on a detail and hone it down; sometimes we can hone it down to hair color, ethnicity, height or personality. I think that’s why [my character] Abby Cooper has worked so well—because she is very detailed while discussing things to come or things that have happened involving a crime. She gives a lot of clues, but never the answer. The tricky part of writing an intuitive-based novel is retaining the mystery while giving enough specifics to make it believable.

What tips do you have for writers on writing realistic psychics and mediums?

It’s a difficult task. It came easy to me because it’s what I know. Avoid all the stereotypes: the overly-dramatic, fainting, bangle-wearing psychics. Avoid the psychic who is always on the verge of panic in talking about difficult subjects. Intuitives have touched on difficult subjects enough not to have super huge emotions over it. Sit for a couple of readings from good intuitives. We have a similar language; we say things like, “It feels like this…” or “I have a sense of…” It’s important to discuss the physicality of how we look when we are reading someone. If you look at my videos, you can see: When I’m cued in on someone, there is a look that comes over me. When I’m giving a message, I tend to look down and to the right. Most good intuitives do this. When I did research on this, I was intrigued—looking down and to the right accesses memory. That is a telltale sign that you��re in front of a real intuitive, because they are tapping into something, energetically speaking, that feels more like a memory. It’s not something they are making up.

What tips do you have for writers who hope to pen a mystery?

I think it’s really important to get dialogue right. A lot of writing can be really stiff and formal. You want to write the way people speak and the way you speak. I think it’s so important that people read their dialogue out loud to themselves. Read every word, and try to take the stiffness out of it.

As far as tips for writing mystery, I’m a big fan of a twisty ending. I am a big fan of writing myself into a corner and seeing if I can get myself out of it. I think it’s important to make sure that you’re going in a direction that hasn’t been done ad nauseam and isn’t too obvious. Make sure you have enough dead bodies and suspects to make it interesting, and have an ending that the readers can’t see coming.

Describe your current novel, When, in your own words.

When is the story of the importance of realizing that our time here is limited. To me, it was important to get the message to young people that we have a limited number of days. I wanted readers to consider what their expiration day is and that maybe it’s closer than they think. Question the choices you’re making; if they are bad, change them.

How did you come up with the idea for the book?

My best friend’s father-in-law was dying of bone cancer. She was caring for him in her house. She called me, exhausted and depressed. She said, “This is unbearable. He is in pain.” I told her he would live through the holidays and die shortly after that. He did. He died in January. I heard a tiny bit of relief in her voice because his suffering would end. In one way, it was a cool ability in that moment to offer her a bit of peace, but it was awful to have to say, “You’re gonna lose him.”

We all know our birthdates, but not the day we die. I thought, Wouldn’t it be interesting if I had a character who could predict the exact date that someone would die? How would that affect them and the family around them? She is a young adult, so that makes it harder for her. I wanted it to be a mystery, so I threw in a serial killer, and you have When.

Mysticism, mystery and murder are essential in your fiction. Do you deliberately pursue subjects that involve these elements, or do they come to you organically?

They come organically, the path of least resistance. It’s easiest for me to write this way; it’s organic. It’s become my style. You can recognize a book from me.

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Can you describe your writing process?

I head to the library Monday through Friday, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. I take a backpack, and I treat it like going to work. I crack out 1-=0 pages in that four hours, and I have a book in six weeks.

How do you discover your characters?

Most of them come from interactions with people I know well. Cat is loosely based on my sister. Most of my villains have shades of my mother; rather than spending time on a couch [at a therapist’s office], I write.

Tell me about your publishing journey.

Abby Cooper was my first foray into publishing—and she got rejected. I sent queries to 121 agents. A couple said, “Send me the full manuscript,” and she got rejected by every single one. My current agent, whom I adore, left the door open for a rewrite. I returned it to him in 10 days. I rewrote 11 chapters. He thought, since I returned the changes so quickly, that I didn’t take him seriously. He was disappointed, so he didn’t even open it for a month. When he finally opened it, he was like, “Oh, she did make the changes.” He offered me representation. I knew, in that moment, my life had changed. Abby went on to sell 250,000 copies.

How did you cope with rejection in the querying process?

Not well. Who does? It’s terrible. There was wine—me whining with wine. Rejection physically hurts. There is a quote that gets me through: An agent who rejected me sent a pamphlet that said, “If anything can prevent you from becoming a writer, go ahead and let it. If nothing can, persevere.” If I wanted to be a writer, and I couldn’t let the rejections stop me. Writers write. It’s what we do. I learned to take in the hurt, have a pity party, and keep going.

Looking back, is there one moment that you consider the biggest in your career so far?

I’ve been very lucky. Making the New York Times Bestsellers list was lucky. Warner Brothers optioned When, [for television], so my character Maddie is heading for big things. The one moment when my life changed direction in a positive way—and the highlight of my career—was getting my agent. It was an overwhelming feeling, having an agent who got what I was trying to do. He was excited, and he was ready to be my knight. That was the biggest moment—my favorite.

Did you celebrate becoming a New York Times Bestselling Author?

The day the list came out, I went to Starbucks at 6:00 in the morning, in the pouring rain, and had the barista take a picture of me holding the list up while I’m sobbing and crying. [Later I celebrated] with a glass of champagne—I had a bottle in the fridge because I had been close. I made the extended list a few times. The bottle has been in the fridge for three years, so I drank it. I was like, “Why am I drinking this? I don’t like it.”

Any advice for new writers?

This thing is such a gamble. Not being published says nothing about your talent or ability; it just means you haven’t found the right person to fall in love with your stories. Publishing is hard. Hone your skills, and keep working at it. Write a little every day. Keep it routine.

How has your life changed since publication?

In great ways. I have been able to quit the day job, and that was wonderful. I get to do what I love. I make myself laugh every day. If I don’t, it wasn’t a good writing day. I have colleagues that I love, like my editors and my agent Jim. They have become like family to me. They have enriched my life in so many ways.

What’s up next for you?

I’m working on a spin-off from the Abby Cooper series featuring Cat and Gilly. I am really in love with that now. I am writing a YA endeavor. I’m working on a fantasy series. It has a protagonist who’s not quite bad or good—she rides that edge. It’s a fantasy-based mystery series that has a mystery within a mystery. It’s told from her point of view in addition to a man’s perspective, and they overlap. I’ve also been thinking of doing another series that’s been in my head and won’t leave, so I am thinking of developing that—a sort of adult mystery, darkly humorous series.

How can people connect with you?

On my website: victorialaurie.com or on Twitter, at @Victoria_Laurie

Thanks, Victoria. It doesn’t take any psychic ability to predict further success for your stories. Your talent and killer work ethic will continually provide entertainment for your readers.

The post Author Victoria Laurie on Writing Realistic Psychics, Penning a Good Mystery and Her Publishing Journey appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

from Writing Editor Blogs – WritersDigest.com http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-genre/mystery-thriller/victoria-laurie-mystery-author-interview

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