Fear Friday ~ That Sounds Like Fun???

Welcome all to another Fear Friday at the Lounge. Tonight's selection is a lesser known movie from the early 2000's. A fun mind teaser with lots of twisty twists. Give it a shot and have fun trying to figure it out. Enjoy!

Every Friday at the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is Fear Friday. Fear Fridays are a celebration of all films spooky. Horror is a very broad genre and the Lounge loves it all. Each Friday you will find a review of a different film. These can range from Classic Horror (black and white and cheesy), Thrillers (suspense, jumps and a good mystery), outright Horror (chop chop, slash slash, die die) and anything else in between.

So pop some popcorn, kill the lights and enjoy tonight's selection. And please, share your comments on the film. Bad or good let me know what you thought of it. And now, my little ghouls and dolls, the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is proud to present this week's film.


Fear Friday - The Hole

Tagline - Once you get in, you can't get out.
               Desperate To Get In. Dying To Get Out.
               School is out, Terror has begun.


Directed by Nick Hamm (Godsend) and released on April 20, 2001 by Impact Pictures (Rated R). Four teenagers, at a British private school, decide to skip the school field trip and spend the weekend in an old abandoned war bunker. Hmmmmm... that sounds like... fun? But what happens when their friend does not return to unlock the door and let them out? Ooops!

When I watched this movie I was not expecting much but it ended up a pleasant surprise. It started out and before long I thought I had it all figured out. Ha! Not so quickly! This movie was a real surprise. I found it interesting to watch the story unfold through a series of flashbacks. But be careful. Not all is as it first appears.

Not real gory or frightening but creepy and fun to follow. It was a straight to DVD here in the states but opened in the theater in other countries. Go find it and give it a try. Let me know what you thought.

Take a look at the original trailer.



Some trivia about the movie.
1. The first significant film role for Keira Knightley.   
2. Thora Birch was paid a highly publicized seven-figure salary, due to her recent acclaimed appearance in American Beauty.   
3. Guy Burt wrote the novel the film is based upon at the age of 18, not long after he left school.
4. Nick Hamm wanted to make the film seven years before he actually did.

Fear Friday ~ It's Always Funny Until The Joke Is On You

As the Lounge starts it's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale, fills waiting orders and gears up for the 2nd annual Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway, here is a Fear Friday from last year. A fun favorite of this Vixen and a good cautionary tale about playing tricks on others. Enjoy!

Every Friday at the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is Fear Friday. Fear Fridays are a celebration of all films spooky. Horror is a very broad genre and the Lounge loves it all. Each Friday you will find a review of a different film. These can range from Classic Horror (black and white and cheesy), Thrillers (suspense, jumps and a good mystery), outright Horror (chop chop, slash slash, die die) and anything else in between.

So pop some popcorn, kill the lights and enjoy tonight's selection. And please, share your comments on the film. Bad or good let me know what you thought of it. And now, my little ghouls and dolls, the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is proud to present this week's film.


Fear Friday - Joy Ride

Tagline - It started as a joke. Now the joke is on them.
              How much fun can you have... when the joke is on you?
              Don't play with strangers


Directed by John Dahl (Red Rock West and Rounders) and released on October 5, 2001 by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (Rated R). Lewis (Paul Walker) is excited to head off on a road trip home from college so he can pick up Venna (Leelee Sobieski) to ride along with him. Unfortunately his brother Fuller (Steve Zahn), who needs to be bailed out of jail, comes along for the ride too. Bored, Fuller convinces Lewis to pull a prank on a trucker over their CB radio. Big mistake!

This movie is always a fun watch. A road trip is a great setting for a horror film. There is so much unknown when you are driving somewhere you are not familiar with. The villain is great even though you do not ever really see him. You just hear his voice over the CB radio. And what a voice it is! Truly creepy. The phrase Candy Cane will never be the same again.

Yes it is a bit silly and over the top but that just makes for a fun movie. And having Steve Zahn in it is always a plus in my book. If you have not seen it give it a try. Plus, the DVD copy I have has alternate endings included. One of which is completely different than what went into theaters. Very interesting.


Take a look at the original trailer.



Some trivia about the movie
1. The speaking voice for 'Rusty Nail' was provided by Ted Levine, most famous for portraying 'Buffalo Bill' in The Silence of the Lambs.   
2. Three different versions of the ending were shot.   
3. Eric Stoltz and Eric Roberts auditioned for the role of "Rusty Nail".   
4. As Lewis is looking at his map in the car, his finger follows the road from Red Rock past Green River and down SW. Director John Dahl's earlier motel based thriller was Red Rock West.   
5. In one scene, a seemingly maniacal ICE truck pulls up to a gas station that the brothers have pulled up to. In Duel, a likewise maniacal truck pulls up to our hero (David Mann) and a small billboard for ICE is visible in the background.
6. During the course of the movie, watch the LED signal strength indicator lights on the brothers' CB radio. The first four indicator lights change colors in nearly every scene, including bright green, dark green, yellow, red, and crimson. This is obviously intentional and not a series of continuity errors.
7. Was renamed 'Road Kill' in the UK, since taking a 'Joy Ride' is not the pleasant journey it is in the states, rather the name for when youths steal cars and race each other or the cops and eventually total and dump the car.    
8. The car they are driving is a 1971 Chrysler Newport.   
9. Leelee Sobieski ended up filming two different romantic interludes, one with Steve Zahn and one with Paul Walker during the shooting and re-shooting of the film. Both scenes ended up getting cut.
10. Although Ted Levine provides Rusty Nail's voice, he actually wasn't brought in until post-production, and, physically, Rusty Nail is played by the hulking actor Matthew Kimbrough.

Sneak Peek ~ Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals

Like it or not Christmas is just around the corner and it is time to start thinking about buying gifts. Laughing Vixen Lounge is here to offer you some fabulous deals on gifts for those on your list or just to pamper yourself. No need to stand out in the cold at unthinkable hours of the morning to get these deals. You can take advantage of any of these offers starting November 15th through December 1st. You will find full details in the shop once the sale starts but here is a little peek.

*10% off your order.
*Free shipping (US only).
*Buy 2 get 1 free on Compact Mirrors.
*Buy 2 get 1 free on Photo Pendants.
*Free Photo Pendant with any bracelet purchase of $32 or more.
And maybe a few other goodies.

And I hope to be able to announce a new fundraising project I am very excited about in time for it to start with the sale. Stay tuned!!!

Retro Christmas Small Pendant - Style D  $15

Fear Friday ~ Is Maine Really That Creepy?

This week we are taking a little trip back to the 1970's for Fear Friday. And yes, those bell bottoms and perms were frightening but that is a different story! Tonight it is all about one little town in Maine, a creepy old house and the creatures of the night that seem to be multiplying like rabbits. Enjoy!

Every Friday at the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is Fear Friday. Fear Fridays are a celebration of all films spooky. Horror is a very broad genre and the Lounge loves it all. Each Friday you will find a review of a different film. These can range from Classic Horror (black and white and cheesy), Thrillers (suspense, jumps and a good mystery), outright Horror (chop chop, slash slash, die die) and anything else in between.

So pop some popcorn, kill the lights and enjoy tonight's selection. And please, share your comments on the film. Bad or good let me know what you thought of it. And now, my little ghouls and dolls, the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is proud to present this week's film.


Fear Friday - Salem's Lot

Tagline - The ultimate in terror!

Directed by Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist) and released on November 17, 1979 by Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). Ben (David Soul) returns to his hometown to write his latest novel but quickly becomes obsessed with the old creepy house up on the hill. Oddly enough, strange things have started to happen since the house has acquired new owners. Ben must find out just what is happening in Salem's Lot.

This was a mini series for television based on a short story by Stephen King. It stares David Soul from "Starsky and Hutch" fame, for those of use old enough to remember! The Vampire in this one is in true Nosferatu fashion. Bald head, long fingers and pointy front teeth. Ick! The movie is not real scary or gory, as it was made for long ago TV so it looks dated, but I always find it an interesting watch.

A sequel, Return to Salem's Lot, was made as another mini series in 1987. I have not seen this one. There was a remake of Salem's Lot in 2004 again as a mini series with Rob Lowe as the title character. From what I remember it was OK but nothing to brag about. You can also read Jerusalem's Lot, a short story in Stephen King's collection "Night Shift", which is a prequel that tells of the early days of Salem's Lot and it's evilness.

Take a look at the original trailer.




Some trivia about the movie...
1. Director George A. Romero was originally approached to direct a feature film version, but after the announcements of John Badham's Dracula and Werner Herzog's Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht, Warner Bros. decided to turn Salem's Lot into a TV mini-series. Romero dropped out, feeling he wouldn't be able to make the film the way he wanted to with the restrictions of network television.
2. The exterior for the Marsten House, the film's icon, was actually a full-scale facade built upon a smaller preexisting hill-top house. In total the facade cost the production an estimated $100,000 dollars to build.
3. Some of the foreign titles chosen for the films theatrical release overseas included 'Blood Thirst', and 'Phantasma II'.
4. After the mini-series aired on CBS with excellent ratings there was talk of continuing it as a regular television series for a while. The idea of making Salem's Lot a TV show never materialized though.
5. This was the first television mini-series (and the second film) to be based on the writings of author Stephen King.
6. The title of the novel 'Salem's Lot includes an apostrophe in front of the word Salem because the title is suppose to be short for "Jerusalem's Lot"; the actual name of the town where the story is set. To avoid confusion for the mini-series adaptation though the town is mostly referred to as "Salem's Lot" and the first apostrophe was dropped from the film's title.
7. Though 'Salem's Lot' was only Stephen King's second published novel, like many of his subsequent novels, it has connections to his 'Dark Tower' series. In this case, the character of Father Donald Callaghan appears in the later books of the series.
8. When it was released in Spain they called it "Phantasma II", being a supposed sequel to Phantasm. But the two movies have nothing in common.
9. Stephen King was inspired to write the book when he had his English class read 'Dracula', and became curious about what would happen if vampires came to America, specifically in a small town.
10. Stephen King has said he based the town of Salem's Lot on the town he grew up in, Durham, Maine. The was even a real Marsten House, an abandoned house with the same name which he and his friends explored as kids.

Great Gifts Giveaway Hop Giveaway ~ $65+ Prize Pack

Welcome to the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog. As part of the Great Gifts Giveaway Hop, hosted by Planet Weidknecht and LeahSay's Views, we have a new giveaway for you. One winner will receive a holiday themed Custom Mystery Grab Bag from Laughing Vixen Lounge. These grab bags are custom made to suit your style and have been very popular prizes! If you win I will ask you to give me an idea of your favorite holiday things and I will create some fun designs just for you (or we can do something non holiday related too if you so choose). Bags have at least a $50 value and can include bracelets, necklaces, earrings, compact mirrors, purse holders and more. If you love fun and unique fashion this will definitely be a great prize.

Retro Christmas Charm Bracelet  $50

You will also receive a $15 Christmas Dark and Light Perfume Sampler Set from Deep Midnight Perfume Oils. This set includes 5 scents that recall "the things that shed light and warmth in the cold, dark places in the world, the promise of the hearth on cold winter evenings, and the spirit of warmth and charity". Scents include Aurora Borealis, Dark Winter's Tale, Kissing Ball, The Holly King and Wenceslas. Bring a bit of magic to your holidays with these perfumes!

Christmas Dark and Light Sample Set  $15

After you enter our giveaway make sure to visit the other blogs, via the Linky List below, and enter to win lots of other fabulous holiday themed giveaways. Follow the event on Twitter with the Official Event Hashtag #GreatGifts. This event will end on November 17th. Our giveaway is open worldwide. Good Luck!

Take a quick peek at some of the holiday themed designs from Laughing Vixen Lounge and Deep Midnight Perfume Oils.

Retro Santa Photo Pendant ~ Style A  $15

Yule Log Perfume Oil  $15

Laughing Vixen Lounge ~ Bangles, Baubles and Other Needful Things for the modern Vixen. Pop Culture, Retro, Horror and Custom Designed Jewelry and Accessories. Over 380 designs.

Retro Santa Charm Bracelet  $50

Deep Midnight Perfume Oils ~ Bringing History, Fantasy, Legends and Lore alive to tantalize your senses! 130 unique artisan crafted perfume oils to choose from.

Isabella Perfume Oil  $15

Laughing Vixen Lounge offers Charm Bracelets, Necklaces, Compacts and Silver Pendants. Pop Culture designs with a flair for Retro, Horror and Custom Designs. In the new year we'll be adding lots more Pendants styles, Bracelets styles and new Ring and Locket styles. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or the Blog to keep up on the many giveaways we'll be having including our BIG 2nd annual Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway starting December 1st! 14 shops (and counting) will be donating prizes to the main Prize Pack. Visit Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Vintage Snowman Postcard Compact ~ Style A  $16

Deep Midnight Perfume Oils offers Vegan, Cruelty-Free, and Preservative Free Perfume Oils. 130 original scents inspired by mystery, magic, myths, legends, and romance topped off with the darkly gothic, the sweet and enchanting, and the stuff of our dreamings. You can follow Deep Midnight Perfume Oils on Facebook, Twitter, the Blog and Pinterest. Visit Deep Midnight Perfume Oils.

THE HOBBIT Inspired Perfume Sampler Set  $15 

How to enter the giveaway ~ It's easy!

1. Login in to the Rafflecopter widget below with either your email or Facebook.
2. You must do the first entry to qualify for this giveaway.
3. You can do as many of the extra entries as you like.
4. Please read each entry's directions carefully. If you do not do what is asked of you for each entry the entry will not count.
5. If you have any questions feel free to ask for help. You can leave your question as a comment below and I will answer as soon as I can.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
The Fine Print... Giveaway is open worldwide to anyone 18 and up. Past winners are more than welcome to enter again. Giveaway will run from 12:00 am November 7th through 12:00 am November 17th 2013 EST. Winner(s) will be picked randomly from all eligible entries. The winner(s) name and choices will be posted on this blog as soon as the winner(s) has been contacted. If selected winner(s) does not respond back within 48 hours a new winner(s) will be chosen. All decisions made final by Laughing Vixen Lounge.
***While visiting the other blogs in this Hop please remember ~ Bloggers and Hosts are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prizes.

12 Days Of Christmas Charm Bracelet  $60

Dark Winter's Tale  $15

Surprise Murder Mystery Winner

While no one solved the Murder Mystery correctly I decided to pick one random winner from all of the final guesses to win a prize! There were lots of good guesses but here is the official answer to the Murder Mystery (randomly picked by this Vixen before the game started).

"On a dark and stormy night, Captain Creepy killed Miss Death in the dining room with a rolling pin then tried to escape through the cemetery."

The randomly chosen guess is from Stacy T.
"While the wolves howled, Captain Creepy killed Miss Death in the Conservatory with a Statue and then tried to escape Down the Trap Door."

Stacy T. will win her choice of Photo Pendant from Laughing Vixen Lounge. Thanks again to everyone for playing along.

Check back tomorrow to find details on Laughing Vixen Lounge's upcoming Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale (still deciding on all the deals). It all begins November 15th!

Fear Friday ~ Why Do They Keep Going Up There???

It's Friday and we are back! Fear Fridays were gone in October during our Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween because everyday was a Fear Friday. So if you enjoyed the spooky movie reviews all of October make sure to stop by the Lounge each Friday to continue the fun. This week is another creepy outing into space. Seriously, why do they keep going up there??? This film may have been overlooked by some because of it's PG-13 rating but it really is worth a watch. Enjoy!

Every Friday at the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is Fear Friday. Fear Fridays are a celebration of all films spooky. Horror is a very broad genre and the Lounge loves it all. Each Friday you will find a review of a different film. These can range from Classic Horror (black and white and cheesy), Thrillers (suspense, jumps and a good mystery), outright Horror (chop chop, slash slash, die die) and anything else in between.

So pop some popcorn, kill the lights and enjoy tonight's selection. And please, share your comments on the film. Bad or good let me know what you thought of it. And now, my little ghouls and dolls, the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is proud to present this week's film.


Fear Friday - Apollo 18

Tagline - The reason we've never gone back


Directed by Gonzalo López-Gallego and released on September 2, 2011 by Dimension Films (Rated PG-13). In 1973 NASA sent a secret maned mission to the moon. That mission was Apollo 18. Decades later found footage from that mission reveal the real reason we never went back to the moon!

I found this movie completely effective and a fun watch. It's only a PG-13 rating and has no real gore factor. What it does have it great atmosphere and creepy suspense. Plus a good "your government is out to screw you" message. It balances the look of actual super 8 footage with real movie quality film for a great effect.

If you like a spooky movie that works on a creepy level instead of an all out horror level then give this one a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Oh, and if you like Warren Christie then that is an added bonus.

Take a look at the original trailer (beware some spoilers).




Some trivia about the movie...
1. The film was shot using old camera lenses from the 1970s.
2. The film has no score.   
3. The opening scenes introducing the three main characters was the last footage shot for the movie.   
4. The prologue text at the beginning of the movie states that the documented footage of the secret Apollo 18 mission was uploaded to the website "www.lunartruth.com". If you type that address into your browser, it redirects you to "www.lunartruth.org" and it displays a page which states that "This website was forcibly censored. It's contents can be seen in the film. DISCOVER THE TRUTH." Also on that page, very well-hidden, is a small white dot that, if clicked on, will send you to the website missioncontrolblog.org - a mock website which was created to "Uncover the truth about the Apollo missions".
5. After the first resting period the astronauts are listening to 'Cheap Day Return' by British rock band Jethro Tull. Tull's third album 'Benefit' contains the track 'For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me', a song which refers to Apollo 11's command module pilot Michael Collins. In the song vocalist Ian Anderson sings about the feelings of the command module pilot, being left alone above while others get to walk on the moon, something which is also referred to during the movie.
6. An earlier version of the movie had giant moon rock monsters in it.