The VVitch

Not sure whether to be excited (because this looks amazing as hell), or to be mad since I've been writing a story somewhat similar to this for years now... Damn it, it looks so good though!

Silhouettes by Jordan

Speaking of silhouettes...

I met Jordan Monsell, an extremely nice guy and incredibly talented artist, at Scare LA back in August and I absolutely love his work!

Keep updated with new silhouettes, events, and more when you "Like" his Facebook page, Silhouettes by Jordan

And don't forget to check out Silhouette's by Jordan on Etsy and purchase your favorites.

Here's one of the silhouettes I just couldn't resist!

While at Scare LA, my friend Angela (obsessed with the Scream series) spoke with Jordan and mentioned that Ghost Face would be an awesome silhouette to have. A little while later, I checked my Facebook updates on my phone. Being a fan of Jordan's Facebook page already, this happened to be the first thing I saw when I logged on:

Of course, Angela and I dashed back to Jordan's booth to purchase Ghost Face!

The Pact (2012)

Just finished The Pact (directed by Nicholas McCarthy) on Netflix. I found it to be extremely suspenseful, interesting, and actually very scary! Check it out!

Watch the trailer: 

Halloween Movie Countdown: "Shutter Island"

"Personally, Doctor, I'd have to say 'screw their sense of calm...'"

I have decided to save the Halloween Movie countdown for the last 13 days of Halloween (like ABC Family, I know...). This is purely due to the fact that I have been busy working on several theatre productions lately as well as some film projects and of course, Halloween! I thought it would be great to start this years countdown with one of my all-time favorites, Shutter Island.

To me, this film is a masterpiece. While directing the movie, Martin Scorsese made sure that all vital elements to a great production were there: plot, spectacle, character, theme, language, and music. Shutter Island explores arguably several themes, but the main one being presented in one simple question "Which would be worse, to live as a monster or die as a good man?"

Now, I don't want to give anything away because I am one of those people who never spoils the secrets of a great film in hopes that people will just watch it for themselves, but I will say this: it is the ultimate psych-thriller and it keeps you on the edge of your seat literally throughout the entire movie. Trust me it's definitely worth seeing and will probably require multiple viewings as most people feel mind-boggled after watching it for the first time... which Martin Scorsese would only have done to us intentionally. Hey, it takes place in a mental institution... we should feel crazy by the end of it, right?

Soundtrack Selection: On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter

Movie Trailer:

The Hand That Bends The Spoon

My latest short! I just finished this film last week for my film final. I am mostly happy with the way it came out. Of course there are a few things that did not work exactly as I wanted, but I think, on the whole, I accomplished a lot this time around. Special thanks to Britney Arcadio, my best friend, who originally came up with plot, and for starring in the movie. Thanks also to Brent Perkins for acting along side her, and thank you Marshall Murr for being a great production assistant. PS, forgive the crappy lighting in the last few shots, we were racing daylight and had technical difficulties on top of that. Anyway, Enjoy!

Buried

I just saw this film a few days ago with my friends, and I can't get over how good it was.

Here is Director, Rodrigo Cortés
speaking about the film:

Halloween Movie Countdown: "The Others"

If you're looking for a thriller that is suspenseful, beautiful, eerie, and has a shocking surprise ending, The Others is just the right flick.

Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan and both children in the film (Alakina Mann and James Bently) give some truly great performances in a story that is intriguing the entire time.

Something I really enjoy about this movie is that it is made so well. The story itself is brilliant, but the technical aspects of the film are stunning. The lighting is spooky and beautiful and director Alejandro Amenadar makes some smart choices with the camera.

The art direction is also perfect for such a creepy film. Just seeing an old spooky house (that does not use electricity), a hidden graveyard, and rooms that are rich in elegance, but also rich in 'the unknown' makes this an ultimate classic for Halloween.

The Others is a classic haunting/ghost story with quite the twist, great atmosphere, and some very good acting as well. We ended up watching this on Halloween two years ago, many of my party guests had not seen it before... they were in for quite a surprise...

Here's the trailer:

Halloween Movie Countdown: "The Skeleton Key"

I can't even think of where to begin! This film has become one of my all-time favorite thrillers over the years. It's not only scary, but it really embraces it's setting and theme and leaves you with one of the best surprise endings of all time.

This totally kept me on the edge of my seat when I first saw it, in fact it was the first really scary movie I saw in theaters, I used to be quite a scardy-cat...

Anyway, The Skeleton Key not only has great direction and an awesome look and feel, but it also has a really great story, definitely a must for Halloween time.

Click on the picture below to watch one of the best scenes in the film, it's really disturbing, but very well filmed... sends chills up my spine every time.

Here's the Trailer:

The Body Snatcher (1945)

"You will never be rid of me..."

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A great film with quite a plot twist...

The Lodger (1927)

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"To-Nite Golden Curls, To-Nite Golden Curls!"

Keys

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"In this house, no door must be opened without the previous one being closed first- it is vital that you remember this."

-The Others

Thriller!

       If I danced as good as anyone in this music video, I would make it a tradition to do the dance every Halloween.

View the classic music video here.

"I slept with the light on..."

       It's true. After seeing "Paranormal Activity" with my friends on Saturday night, I came home and felt the way the director of the film wanted me to feel: scared. For those who know me, they know that I don't get that scared when I watch spooky films or TV shows, but Paranormal Activity was a whole other story. I had said in a previous post that it seemed like it was the type of film I have always wanted to make, and it definitely was. To me this film succeeded in creating a very suspenseful and eerie film that needed no music, big budget, major special effects, or huge groups of actors. It proved that these factors were not really needed to produce a great and terrifying film. When you see this film, you will know why I was afraid of my own bedroom, why my friend only got one hour of sleep that whole night, and why my other friend slept in her mother's bed. Yeah... it's that good.

Demand It!

       The film "Paranormal Activity" looks down-right scary. My type of film! When I first saw the trailer, I was almost jealous because it looked just like the sort of film I have always dreamed of making... it looks that good. Anyway the only way it can have a nation-wide release is if people demand it here. View the trailer here.