The Countdown to Halloween: You need to watch this-Trick 'r Treat

Here is another little goody, Trick 'r Treat.

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It happened to be the first summer out of high school before I was to head off to BSU. My group was all bored, and had nothing to do. We were hanging out over at Kurama's house out in Caldwell.

"Anybody up for a horror movie?" "Sure!"

I don't remember exactly what movie we ended up watching, as that day was super blurry for me due to staying up the night before (I blame Rock Band and tons of Mountain Dew), but I do remember seeing the preview for Trick 'r Treat.

"Whoa! I want to see that!" (that was the general consensus in the room)

I was mostly worried for Anna Pacquin's character, whom they brilliantly made out to be a victim in the trailer.

Due to the falling out with my old group later on, I wasn't able to see this movie with them...

...it wasn't until Ian had Netflix (when it wasn't being lame and getting rid of shows for the hell of it) streaming in our living space that I was finally able to see this little gem. It was nearly Halloween, and I was just looking through the options shown. BINGO.

The first time I watched it, I didn't know what to expect. I ended up loving this movie quite a bit, to the point that I watched it three times that morning alone.

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Trick 'r Treat is a movie that is comprised of five major stories taking place around the same time on Halloween night. These stories interweave with each other, mostly with the characters involved. This horror anthology was inspired by a short film called Season's Greetings, which was also made by Michael Dougherty.

The main character of this series of events is Sam. This tiny character wears an orange jumpsuit and burlap sack over his head. The burlap sack is embroidered to the effect to look like a cross between a scarecrow's and jack o' lantern's face. He appears when people break rules on Halloween.

The opening of the movie is supposed to throw you off. You don't know it at the time, but it basically gives away what will happen in the whole movie.

The first story deals with a woman named Emma who hates Halloween altogether. She is married to a Halloween loving husband named Henry.

The second story deals with a principal named Mr. Wilkins and his son, Billy. They share a dark Halloween tradition together.

The third story deals with five kids. Their names are Macy, Schrader, Sara, Chip, and Rhonda. Rhonda is a this poor kid who is constantly picked on. Macy particularly doesn't like her. In this story, Macy decides to tell this group about a school bus massacre that took place down the hill.

The fourth story deals with a virgin named Laurie who is getting ready for a Halloween party with her sister, Danielle, and their two friends, Janet and Maria. Being the black sheep of the group, she decides to meet up at the party later on in the night.

The final story deals with another Halloween hater named Kregg. The only thing he loves is his dog. He also has a dark secret.

The conclusion is basically the opening with a lot more detail. If I gave away any more, it would spoil everything for you.

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I can watch this movie again and again without getting sick of it. It's quite refreshing to watch a movie that revamps Halloween tales in a tasteful manner. It seems to capture the spirit of Halloween itself.

After waiting a couple of more years (and a few wishlist requests later), Ian finally bought me a Blu-Ray copy of Trick 'r Treat recently when it was on sale. I plan on watching it tonight and at the Halloween party I'm throwing (which was moved to the 18th). ^w^

They say a sequel is in the works. I can't wait to watch it when it's finally released!

Have you heard of Trick 'r Treat? Would you give this movie a chance? Have you read the comic books or watched the shorts inspired by this? Comment below!

Oh, and here's what inspired this movie in the first place. Enjoy! ^w^

The Countdown to Halloween: You need to watch this-Ginger Snaps

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Time to talk to you all about one of my all-time favorite indie horror movies, Ginger Snaps.

I blame Kelly for exposing me to this movie. Thank you.

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It was 2009. I remember when this was the time when Ian and I were still pretty much hush-hush about our relationship, since we didn't want to cause drama in the group we were in at the time. I was planning another Halloween party. The theme was a slumber party. I had told everyone to bring their sleeping bag, some candy, and their favorite scary or Halloween horror movies. Little did I know, this would be the last Halloween party I was throwing over at my parents house, as I was to be married to Ian the next year.

I remember when everyone was on good terms with one another. It seems surreal to even think about that time now. It will be forever engraved into my mind.

I remember nearly everyone but two people had to leave the party and couldn't spend the night due to familial obligations or work. One of the people that had to leave was Kelly.

Kelly had brought over Ginger Snaps, along with several other amazing indie horror movie goodnesses.

"Can I borrow this until I see you at your Halloween party next week?" "Sure."

I will never regret that decision EVER.

I couldn't stop watching once I started. I felt like I could relate to the main characters personally for multiple reasons. I would have totally been friends with them in school if they were real. To be infected by them would be an honor. SISTERS FOREVER

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Ginger Snaps is a Canadian horror film that has a cult following for being so awesome. It deals with werewolves in a fashion that I didn't expect, but loved. The two main characters of the movie are Ginger and Brigitte. These two are blood related sisters who happen to both be late bloomers and goths at heart. They are so hardcore that they make a blood pact to die together at the same time.

One night, they decide to kidnap a dog after hearing about dogs getting attacked in their neighborhood. They go searching for the source of the attacks. Bad idea. Ginger gets bit by the creature they were looking for. Brigitte freaks, and begs Ginger to get some help. Ginger tells Brigitte that she's fine, and that there's nothing to worry about. The wound is already healing as they speak.

After the bite, Ginger starts changing both physically and mentally. She grows fur, a tail, and finally gets her period. Brigitte knows something isn't right when Ginger becomes hyper sexual and won't listen to her.

Brigitte decides to get help, and it all goes downhill from there.

I'm stopping here since basically going past this point will spoil the movie for you. Seriously go find this movie and watch it! You won't be disappointed.

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I love how this movie correlates werewolves with moon cycles, females, and the menstrual cycle. These topics blend so perfectly that it just works. The creator of this movie just seems to understand women at the core. I love how the ending to this movie was bittersweet but justified (which is super difficult to pull off, movie wise). I love the actresses picked for Ginger and Brigitte. The acting was spot on and non-cheesy (even though Kelly told me that it was).

Have you ever seen or heard about Ginger Snaps? Would you give this movie a chance? Comment below!

Bonus: I love listening to this playlist when I'm sad. It always cheers me up. ^w^

The Countdown to Halloween: Bonus of the day- Treehouse of Horror XXIV

This is just simply amazing. Guillermo del Toro really has outdone himself on this one.

On this note, I'm pretty psyched for the latest Treehouse of Horror episode that's going to premiere soon. ^w^

Did you ever watch any of the Treehouse of Horror episodes? If not, you're missing out! :P

The Countdown to Halloween: You need to read this-Uzumaki

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In the spirit of Spooky Season, I had to give my two cents on my favorite horror genre manga series of all-time.

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I first noticed this title in a Waldenbooks book store when I was in middle school. I didn't think I would like this series because the artwork threw me off. The art style alone was creepy enough.

During a Secret Santa swap in my high school's Japan Club, this title crossed paths with me once again. My friend, whose nickname was Kurama, loved spooky stuff too and was going to be the recipient of the gift I was getting. During my high school years during our free time, my friends and I would get together and marathon Asian horror movies over the weekends. I knew once I pulled her name out of the Santa hat that I had to get her something worth reading or watching. I picked up the first volume of Uzumaki without thinking about it too much. Before I gave the manga to her at the swap, I decided to read it (as horrible of a confession as that sounds).

I'm so glad I did. I was hooked on the amazing storytelling. I don't know what my middle school self was thinking before. My inner goth was heavily pleased. Since I didn't have all of the mangas on me, I searched and finished this series online without stopping.

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This series deals with a town named Kurouzu-cho. People in this town deal with supernatural things in shape of a spiral. Spirals physically appear everywhere, some in more macabre forms than others. Uzumaki literally translates into the word spiral. From the beginning, everything seems to go downhill, like a downward spiral. It's quite beautiful when you think about it that way.

The main character Kirie, is heavily affected by this spiral curse, and it shows in all of the mini stories. She is placed in the wrong place at the wrong time.

My favorite mini story arc has to be Twisted Souls. This part of Uzumaki is probably one of the lightest parts of the whole series. I'm quite a sucker for a good romantic angle, and this one delivers in the darkest sense possible. This story deals with two teens that are lovers, but their families have a huge feud between one another. It's like Romeo and Juliet. Kirie tries her best to find these two kids, as they are in hiding from their crazy families, and help them out when she does find them. Mix the story up with snakes, and it's just sensual in the creepiest possible way.

If you want to piss yourself in terror, the scariest part of the series starts from Mosquitoes and ends at The Umbilical Cord. After reading this arc, I could not sleep for weeks. This story arc made me heavily afraid to get pregnant EVER, especially if I had birth at an Asian hospital. As a story, it works as a form of birth control (you may think that a funny way of putting it, but it's literal in this case. I don't say that about a lot of things). In this arc, Kirie is recovering at the hospital after what happened to her earlier on in the series. She notices these mosquitoes everywhere while in her hospital bed and as she's roaming around the hospital grounds. These obviously aren't ordinary mosquitoes, as they have weird effects on people...especially the pregnant women. The pregnant women aren't acting all that right, and become crazed once nightfall hits. It gets creepier and creepier from then on. I don't want to give away the ending, as it's that good.

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Being pregnant again (hello, little kid number two!), I still have the irrational fear that a cursed mosquito will infect me, even though I'm miles away from Japan.

One of my bucket list goals is to work up the guts to finally be able to watch the movie. The movie cover that was made for the live action Uzumaki film is terrifying and reflects the manga series quite well... almost too well. When my friend, Katrina, brought up that she would give the movie a chance due to her ex, I spit out the cider I was consuming at the time. She hates horror movies. XD

Have you ever heard of Uzumaki before? If so, what do you think of this series? Do you think this series has caught your eye? If so, you can read Uzumaki in it's full form here. ^w^

Warning: This series is just like eating Pringles-once you start, it's really difficult to stop.

The Countdown of Halloween: Living Dead Girl

This song always gets me into the Spooky Season spirit. ^w^

Note to CtH peoples: This was a short and sweet post for today. Lengthier posts will start up tomorrow.

What do you think of this song? Are you a fan of Rob Zombie? What song gets you into the Halloween spirit? Comment below!

The Countdown to Halloween: Gone batty

Even though I've never been the best at it, I have always loved origami.

When I saw this, I knew this was going to be a craft that was probably going to end up as a decoration in the living space or as a cool party favor.

Bats + origami = literally one of the best things EVER (I love bats!)

J.R., if you happen to be reading this, I'm sending one of these to you in your Halloween care package. <3

Are you any good at origami? What do you think of this tutorial? Comment below! ^w^

The Countdown to Halloween: October Wishlist

Hey everyone! Welcome to my version of Countdown to Halloween! If you're an old friend, welcome back! If you're new, then welcome to my lair!

I always try to start off October with what I'd like to see/do/make/experience during the month. Here's my wishlist in a jumbled order:

• Have a Halloween party with some of my closest friends
• Marathon scary movies/tv shows/online videos
• Make delicious treats, especially if they deal with pumpkins or apples
• Carve pumpkins
• Complete the costumes I have planned for Ian and Evelyn
• Pick up some cute Halloween themed clothes for Evelyn and myself
• Consume classic Halloween cereals that they have put on the shelves at Target
• Ditto the comment above (except with the revived Jone's holiday Sodas)
• Make some creepy collages
• Raise money for Trick or Treat For UNICEF
• Read a bunch of creepy books
• Lose sleep over more CreepyPasta stories
• Make a gothic cape from scratch
• Purchase something Toxictoons related (if someone got me the limited edition Halloween Ouija board, I would love them forever!)
• Steal peoples' souls with analogue cameras
• Play creepy video games that I have been wanting to play for quite some time now
• Read more Junji Ito mangas (Uzumaki is my favorite horror manga series of all time)
• Play with and feed the stray black cat kittens that live just down the road =^.^=
• Send a Halloween care package to my brother, J.R.
• Make awesome Halloween crafts
• Decorate the living space to its fullest extent
• Celebrate the day Ian and I first declared that we were a couple (October 12th)  Completed 10/10/2013 (We celebrated early since Ian didn't know if he was going with ward to Stake Temple Day)

That's my wishlist in a nutshell. What's your wishlist for this month? Comment below! ^w^