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Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Happy Halloween!!!

Have a happy Halloween from Laughing Vixen Lounge ~ Now go forth and do a little Monster Mashin'.

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop ~ $32 Prize

Welcome to the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog. Halloween is almost here and as part of the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, we have a new giveaway for you. One lucky winner will receive a $32 Gift Certificate from Laughing Vixen Lounge. Giveaway is open worldwide and ends October 31st.

Book Lovers Charmed Necklace

 

Vintage Books Photo Charm - Style C

Laughing Vixen Lounge ~ Bangles, Baubles and Other Needful Things for the modern Vixen. Pop Culture, Retro, Horror and Custom Designed Jewelry and Accessories. 480+ designs to choose from.

Toil And Trouble Bracelet Or Necklace

 

Vintage Books Compact - Style A

Laughing Vixen Lounge offers Charm Bracelets, Necklaces, Compacts and Photo Pendants. Pop Culture designs with a flair for Retro, Horror and Custom Designs. This year we'll be adding lots more Pendants styles, Bracelets styles and new Ring and Locket styles. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or the Blog to keep up on the many giveaways we'll be having! Shop Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Frankenstein Charm Bracelet

Toe Of Frog Compact

Laughing Vixen Lounge will be donating $1 from all sales and $3 from each item from the Hep Cat Collection to sponsor Kujo the Bobcat from Wildcat Haven. It takes $500 to sponsor one animal for a year. From Since November 2013 Laughing Vixen Lounge has sponsored DJ the Cougar, Cha~Cha the Serval and Carrie the Caracal. Now it is Kujo's turn. Click here to read Kujo's story and more about the fundraising project.

 

Hep Cat Compact - Style A

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 giveaways.

Vintage Books Photo Pendant - Style F

Love Cheat Photo Pendant

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.

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The Fine Print...
Giveaway will run from 12:00am (EDT) October 15th, 2014 through 12:00am (EDT) November 1st. 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.




Alice In Wonderland Charm Bracelet

Fear Friday ~ Never Eat BBQ From A Gas Station!

It's time for another Fear Friday here at the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog. All October is Classic Scares. This week's selection is a gritty, creepy and disturbing film from the early 70's that taught us so many lessons. Do not pick up hitchhikers. Do not run out of gas. Do not enter a stranger's house. And, to be on the safe side, just stay out of Texas!!! Grab some BBQ and 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 now 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.


October - Classic Scares

Fear Friday - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Tagline - Who will survive and what will be left of them?
              Can you survive ...it happened


Directed by Tobe Hooper (Salem's Lot, Venom and Invaders from Mars) and released on October 1, 1974 by Bryanston Distributing. A group of teens are traveling the back roads of Texas wanting to visit the old home two of them grew up in. Running low on gas they try the local gas station but they are out. When they reach the house they decide to visit the neighbors to see if they have any gas they can borrow. Bad idea!

The movie opens with a narrator telling of happenings in a small Texas town in the summer of 1973. Graves at the local cemetery have been opened, bodies removed and missing and one disturbing display left. Many people are making their way to the graveyard to check on their family members. It is made to play as if this is an actual incident and the film is an account of the horrific events that followed.

A group of teens are driving to visit the cemetery to check on two of the teens grandfather's grave. They also plan to stop by and check out the old family home. On the way to the house they pick up a hitchhiker. Then very quickly get rid of the hitchhiker!!! They then stop for gas at the local gas station. The station is out of gas. Tanks won't be filled 'til later. Why don't they come on in for some BBQ?!! They decide to go to the house since it is not far away. When they arrive at the house they notice the neighbors have a generator running which means they should have some gasoline. Let's go see if they will share. *I have a very bad feeling about this idea*

The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre still holds up as one of the truly great horror films. One of the main reasons is that it is simple yet very effective. The look of the film is gritty and very low key. There is no glitz and glamor of today's slick looking horror films. While there is blood and violence it is actually pretty tame compared to today's R rated films. It is all there, it is all implied but you do not really see anyone being gutted or chopped to pieces. It is not needed. What you do see if plenty creepy.

While the chasing and killing is tense and creepy the part of the movie that really stands out, and makes this a chilling experience that will not soon leave you, is the mentality of "the family". These people are just so wrong. The big dinner scene at the end is disturbing, horrifying and wrong. Wrong, wrong and wrong! It is the effectiveness of these characters that make the movie more than the average slasher film. It may make you wonder why one would watch this but it does what most horror films fall short of... leaving you with a lasting impression that will creep you out every time it crosses your mind. Hmmm... maybe that is not such a great thing. Oh well, to late for this Vixen. 

It was possibly the first real slasher film. It certainly started a long string of movies in the 1970's which featured a very distinctive style of brutality and realism. This movie is in no way a true story but it did borrow from real life serial killer Ed Gein. Mr. Gein, like Leather Face, did make furniture out of human skin and sold what the locals considered the best sausage around. Knowing things like this only add to the creepiness of the film.

The film spawned 3 sequels and 3 remakes/re-imaginings. While none of them are very good number 2 has Denis Hopper, number 3 has Viggo Mortensen and number 4 has Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger. The first remake is fun enough and follows the original fairly well.

Fun facts -
The narrators voice at the beginning is actor John Larroquette who is well known for his role in the TV show Night Court.

The house that was used in the movie is a functioning restaurant. As of this review it is open as the Grand Central Cafe and is part of The Antlers historic hotel in Kingsland, Texas. Eating dinner in the actual room the dinner scene took place? Yep, no sound stage here. It was all filmed right in the house. It is so wrong and yet I have to go!!! This is now on my bucket list. Find the cafe here and the hotel here.

I have also included a short video below that is a fun look at the actual shooting locations.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is currently available to stream from Amazon, Vudu and Blockbuster and should be available from most DVD services.


Take a look at the original trailer.



An interesting video showing the filming locations.




Some trivia about the movie.
1. The movie wasn't released in Australia until the early 1980s.
2. When it was first released, the film was so horrifying that people actually walked out on sneak previews for it.
3. The film was rejected by the British film censors in 1975, but it did get a limited cinema release in the London area thanks to the GLC (Greater London Council). It was banned again in 1977, when the censors' attempts to cut it were unsuccessful, (for the purposes of a wider release), then it was banned again in 1984, due to the growing controversy involving 'video nasties'. In 1999, after the censors finally changed their policy, they took the plunge, and passed it uncut, for the cinema and video, after 25 years, since they first banned it.
4. The film was originally entitled "Headcheese", but was filmed as "Leatherface", then changed again at the last minute to "Texas Chain Saw Massacre".
5. Due to the low budget, Gunnar Hansen had only one shirt to wear as Leatherface. The shirt had been dyed, so it could not be washed; Hansen had to wear it for four straight weeks of filming in the Texas summer. By the end of the shoot no one wanted to eat lunch with Hansen because his clothing smelled so bad.
6. Tobe Hooper intended to make the movie for a "PG" rating, by keeping violence moderate and language mild, but despite cutting and repeated submissions, the Ratings Board insisted on the "R" rating for the effectiveness of what is onscreen and what is implied offscreen. Hooper had a similar ratings problem with the sequel.
7. According to John Larroquette, his payment for doing the opening narration was a marijuana joint.
8. Some urban legends say that the the "real" Texas Chainsaw Massacre took place near Poth, (a small town about 50 miles south of San Antonio). This is false. The film is fictional and based loosely on the life of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein (as is the classic Psycho (1960).

Fear Friday ~ 3:15am Will Never Be The Same Again!

Welcome to another Fear Friday here at the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog. All of the films in October will be some of the best Classic Scares in movie history. This week's selection is a 70's favorite based on a bestselling book that claimed to be true. True or not, 35 years later it's still a great example of a classic horror tale. 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 now 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.


October - Classic Scares

Fear Friday - The Amityville Horror

Tagline - "For God's Sake, Get Out!"


Directed by Stuart Rosenberg (Cool Hand Luke and Brubaker) and released on July 27, 1979 by American International Pictures (rated R). When the Lutz family (James Brolin and Margot Kidder) moves in to their dream house they have no idea the Hell that awaits them. As strange events start to happen the family is desperate to save their house and their sanity.

When something seems too good to be true it probably is. So when George and Kathy Lutz are offered their dream house at a huge discount something is probably wrong. And there is! The family before them was brutally murdered in the house. The Lutzes decided they can live with the history and purchase the house. It does not take long before they regret their decision. The Lutz family lived in the house, also known as "High Hopes", for only 28 days. Their experiences there will become the stuff of horror legend.

Much has been debated about the accounts of what happened at the house at 112 Ocean Ave in Amityville, NY as told by the Lutz family. What is true? Unfortunately the brutal murders were real. 13 months before, Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family in the house. His defense was an insanity plea saying he heard voices. Yes, the Lutz family was a real family who purchased the house in 1975 after the DeFeo's. In 1977 the book The Amityville Horror, written by Jay Anson and based on the recorded accounts told by George and Kathy Lutz, was published and become a huge bestseller. George and Kathy maintained their story, changed on some accounts for the book and movie, was true and did happen to them. They both took a lie detector test and both passed. Their son, Daniel, was interview for the documentary "My Amityville Horror" and insist that it all happened.

The Real Amityville House -1974

Now days the consensus is that the story was fictional. One of the most damning accusations came from William Weber, the defense attorney for Ronald DeFeo Jr., who claimed in a People Magazine article in 1979 to have had a meeting with the Lutzes where they "created" the story over many bottles of wine. According to the Lutzes they met with Weber hoping to find out more about the events that had happened in their house. They agreed to tell him their story thinking that their experiences in the house may help his client receive the medical help he needed if, in fact, he had been under the influence of the presence in the house. But when Weber wanted to enter into a book deal with them that included part of the profits going the Ronald DeFeo Jr., the Lutzes declined. Could it just be hard feelings and greed that led to the claims that it was all a hoax?

There is an interesting site that has tried to show an accurate account of what happened to the Lutzes and sort out what did not take place. If you are curious you can find it here. It does provide some interesting information. What sticks in my mind is how even the children, now grown, have never waived from the events being true. And for both George and Kathy to pass the lie detector test if it was a hoax is pretty impressive.

The Real Amityville House - 2005

Whether or not the story is true it made for one heck of a good horror story. The movie may be a bit dated by today's standards and might not be as action packed as people are used to but do not let that fool you. It is a great haunted house story with all the chills needed to give you the creeps. But if you really want to get the full freaked out experience then you have to read the book. It ranks right up there with the Shining as a story to not be read at night!!!

The movie spawned many sequels but none of them are really worth the watch. In 2005 there was a big budget remake with Ryan Reynolds and Mellisa George. At the time the makers of the film were boasting how they were going to be faithful to the book in their adaption. While Reynolds and George were great in the roles, and the movie had a good retro look, it varied greatly from the book. Sometimes so much it just made you shake your head in disbelief. Hollywood needs to remember that simple can be more effective than over the top.

The Amityville Horror is currently available to rent on Amazon and Vudu and should be available on most DVD services.


Take a look at the original trailer.




Some trivia about the movie.
1. Due to all the unwanted fame the book and film had brought upon the real house in Amityville, the current owners have replaced the "evil eyes" windows with normal rectangle-shaped windows.   
2. At the time of its release the film was one of the highest grossing independent films of all time and American International Pictures' biggest hit.   
3. While shooting the scene where Kathy is startled by the red eyes in the window, director Stuart Rosenberg wasn't impressed by Margot Kidder's reaction. According to Kidder, Rosenberg then tried to hold up a "a day-glo orange stuffed velour pig with glass eyes" in an attempt to startle Kidder. She said the result was only hysterical laughter, not fear.   
4. Stars James Brolin and Margot Kidder visited the real Amityville house as part of a publicity junket.   
5. Contrary to popular belief, Lalo Schifrin's score for this film was not the legendary rejected score composed for The Exorcist. The rejected Exorcist score has subsequently been released on CD and is completely different in every respect.
6. The outdoor scenes of the movie were not filmed in Amityville, Long Island, but rather Toms River, New Jersey. Local police and ambulance workers played extras.   
7. This film's theatrical success was followed by two theatrically released sequels - Amityville II: The Possession an official sequel/prequel; Amityville 3-D, not an official sequel; and five direct-to-video low-budget sequels released from 1989 to 1996. Then there's The Amityville Horror, based on the book written by Jay Anson.   
8. Jay Anson who wrote the book "The Amityville Horror" actually wrote out a screenplay for this film only for the producers to turn it down. Eventually they found Sandor Stern and liked his take on it so he was hired for the job.
9.  The Toms River, New Jersey volunteer Fire Company Number One was used to provide the "rain" during one of the exterior scenes. If you look closely, you can see that it is sunny and not "raining" in the background, the next street over.
10. Even though James Brolin became friendly with George Lutz and his children, he was highly doubtful of their story.
11.   James Brolin said he didn't get a job for two years after doing this movie because of the cruelty of his character.
12. Shot in seven weeks.   
13. In hopes of creating more publicity for the film the studio would concoct stories of "weird" occurrences on the set of the film.   
14. Honey was rubbed on Rod Steiger's head to draw the flies to him.   
15. James Brolin's brother was actually used for the image of the bearded man seen appearing from the 'red room' in the cellar. The studio wanted someone who bore a close resemblance to James Brolin and discovered he had a brother who shared a strong resemblance to the star. Brolin's brother was applied with a fake beard for the bit part.   
16. The film was originally planned to be a made-for-TV production for the CBS network, until executive producer Sam Arkoff bought the rights after reading Jay Anson's book in one sitting.   

17. The church in the movie is St. Peter's church in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, about 20 miles north of the movie house in Toms River. They also used the park across the street from the church, Pleasure Park, for the priest playing basketball scene. They used local kids as players, and had to ask them to take it easy and let the priest get the ball from time to time.

Fear Friday ~ Why You Never Want To Be Sent To The Corner!!!

Welcome to another Fear Friday here at the Laughing Vixen Lounge. This week's film is the last of the "Into the Woods" theme. A truly independent movie made on a next to nothing budget that would go on to gross millions of dollars and scare the beejeebees out of people. Three filmmakers go missing and a fresh new take on the horror film was born. And a good example of why you do not want to get lost in the woods!!! 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 now 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.


September - Into The Woods

Fear Friday - The Blair Witch Project

Tagline - Everything you've heard is true.


Written and directed by Daniel Myrick (The Objective) and Eduardo Sanchez (Exists) and released on July 30, 1999 by Artisan Entertainment (rated R). Three film makers head into the Maryland woods to shoot a documentary about an urban legend. Unfortunately they will soon find out much more about their subject than they could have ever hoped for.

In October of 1994 three filmmakers entered the woods. They were never seen again but the footage of their experience lives on. Through grainy, sometimes black and white and sometimes color, hand-held film their story unfolds on the screen. Their project was simple. Film a documentary about the Blair Witch. A local urban legend from the woods of Burkitsville, Maryland. We watch as they interview the locals and hear tales of the long ago stories of the town's children going missing and of the strange things still seen today.

Leaving their car by the road the three enter the woods looking for the cabin of the woman believed to have taken the children. The Blair Witch. Their first day proceeds with little worries as they visit various spots in the woods where incidents have supposedly happened. But very soon their outing becomes a living nightmare of which there is no escape.

When The Blair Witch Project premiered it was a big thing. Shot for very little money and featuring no stars. A grainy, shaky film that presented itself a true story or, as we would come to know them, a
"found footage" film. Lots of people went to see it, myself included, and it made lots of money. Some people loved it, some people did not see what all the fuss was about and many people ended up getting sea sick from the camera moving around so much. Either way you look at it the movie definitely made a lasting impact on the movie world especially the horror genre.

The film is deceptively simple. Three people go into the woods, get lost and are never seen again. What makes this movie something worth watching is the effectiveness of it's simplicity. No need for big effects. No need for gore. Just a gradual build of distrust, desperation and anger until it overflows into terror and fear. The hand-held filming works well as it adds to the feel of being out there in the woods with the characters. Specially in the night shots where we, like the characters, are limited to what we can see.

The tension and suspense that rises through the movie comes from little elements like the growing realization that they are severely lost. The fact that their map has gone missing. The strange and bizarre rock and stick formations that appear in the woods and each morning outside their tent. The noises at night that follow them. All of the things that cause a major break down in their trust of each other, of their surroundings and of their mental well being. Building to one a major breaking point when our characters find the exact thing they set out to find. A simple ending that is creepy and chilling.

There is a good chance most of you have already seen this one but if you have not give it a try. Yes, by this point in time the whole "found footage" thing has been worn pretty thin but put that out of your mind and watch it as if you have never seen one before. It is by no means the greatest movie ever made but it is an interesting concept that works well. The one thing that makes me like this movie a bit less is the fact that they basically ripped off an existing film and beat them to the film festivals. Had the original "The Last Broadcast" made it in front of the movie studios first it could have been a whole different thing. If you are interested you can find The Last Broadcast on DVD but be warned. It is very rough and never had the chance to be fleshed out like The Blair Witch Project.

A fun side note from this movie was the Scooby Doo Project. Shown as small bits at the commercial breaks of Cartoon Networks Scooby Doo Marathon on Halloween 1999. I remember catching some of these on TV with my sister and we just cried laughing. I suppose it helps if you grew up watching Scooby Doo. I attached it below.

You can currently find The Blair Witch Project on Netflix, Amazon and Redbox streaming and on most DVD services.



Take a look at the original trailer.



The Scooby Doo Project from Cartoon Network.



Some trivia about the movie.
1. This film was in the Guinness Book Of World Records for "Top Budget:Box Office Ratio" (for a mainstream feature film). The film cost $22,000 to make and made back $240.5 million, a ratio of $1 spent for every $10,931 made.
2. The three leads believed the Blair Witch was a real legend during filming, though of course they knew the film was going to be fake. Only after the film's release did they discover that the entire mythology was made up by the film's creators.
3. It took only 8 days to shoot.
4. The actors were requested to interview the townspeople, who often, unbeknownst to the actors, were planted by the directors. As a result, the expressions on the actors' faces were unrehearsed.
5. To promote discord between actors, the directors deliberately gave them less food each day of shooting.
6. The sign for Burkittsville at the beginning of the movie has been stolen three times, and was stolen opening night of the movie.
7. The actors were given no more than a 35-page outline of the mythology behind the plot before shooting began. All lines were improvised and nearly all the events in the film were unknown to the three actors beforehand, and were often on-camera surprises to them all.
8. The film was originally of a much higher definition quality and was degraded deliberately to look more authentic to the time it was shot.
9. When promoting the film, the producers claimed it was real footage. Some people still believe it.
10. In the movie, Heather and Mike share a somewhat antagonistic attitude towards each other. In the commentary, the directors revealed it was Heather and Joshua who were arguing most of the time (and more heatedly). Almost all of the footage of their arguments was taken from the final cut after the filmmakers decided it seemed like both men were "ganging up" on Heather.
11. The directors put up posters at a local college in an attempt to recruit students to help work on this low budget production. Only one person responded to the recruitment ad, and this was Patricia DeCou, who not only portrayed Mary Brown, but also helped with the art department.
12. Heather, Mike and Josh were under strict instructions to follow trails and directions given to them by the movie crew to ensure they would reach each designated site to camp in for the night.
13. The first title for the movie was The Blair Witch Tapes.
14. Held the record for the highest-grossing independent movie of all time until October 2002, when it was surpassed by My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002).
15. The working title was "The Black Hills Project."
16. The film premiered in the midnight movie section at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival.
17. This film was one of the most pirated films of 1999 because of limited release due to its independent status. The pirated version was an unfinished leaked work-print with several plot holes and most of the initial interviews missing leading to audience confusion at final scene of the film.

Fear Friday ~ I Think I'll Pass On The Role Playing, Thanks.

Welcome and enjoy another Fear Friday here at the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog. Our September theme of "Into The Woods" continues with a lesser known British film from 2006. It is a snarky blend of horror and comedy as a company team building weekend goes horribly wrong. Just one more good reason to stay out of the woods!!! 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 now 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.


September - Into The Woods

Fear Friday - Severance

Tagline - Another bloody office outing.
             The Company Is Making Cutbacks.


Written and directed by Christopher Smith (Creep and Triangle) and released on August 25, 2006 by Pathe Distribution (rated R). On a team building weekend in Eastern Europe, a group of co workers find themselves stranded in the woods and fighting an unknown evil.

A group of co workers are sent on a team building weekend in the woods of Eastern Europe. When a fallen tree keeps the bus from their destination the team leader suggest a detour. The bus driver yells his disapproval at this idea in a language that no one understands. The team leader insist and the bus driver leaves them all on the side of the road to make it the rest of the way on their own.

Our group arrives at what is clearly not the "luxury lodge" they are meant to be staying at but do not seem bothered enough to worry too much. After some snooping through the place everyone starts to settle in. Around the dinner table the characters tell not 1 but 3 stories of strange things that have taken place in the woods. It does not take long until very bad things start to happen.

From the moment our group encountered the fallen tree the classic horror film setup was started. We all know that tree did not get there by itself. No one needs to understand what the bus driver is saying to know it's a warning. And we all know that the cabin is no luxury lodge! But these are the things that add to the fun of a horror film. If the people in them were smart we would not have a very long movie. This is a British movie that is full of sly, snarky humor and part of that humor is that they are a bit oblivious to what is going on around them.

Like any good horror film we also have our standard setup, back story and foreshadowing tale this time around the dinner table instead of the campfire. We get 3 different versions of what just might be lurking around out in those woods and why it wants to take out these people.

While this is a comedy horror do not be fooled. It is a full on horror film that is filled with much blood and violence. It can be a bit slow in spots but I found it overall to be an interesting watch. I found much of the humor to be funny and much of the violence and gore to be brutal. But that is what the film is going for. Think the Office meets Deliverance set somewhere in the woods of Hungary.

Severance should be available on most DVD services and currently available to rent on Amazon streaming.


Take a look at the original trailer.


Some trivia about the movie.
1. The logo for Palisades Defence - more or less a square with one corner missing - is a sly hint at the company's way of doing business: by "cutting corners".
2. The casting process lasted four months because director Christopher Smith wanted the perfect people for the parts.
3. The CRM-114 'Platoon Buster' land mine is a reference to the CRM-114 radio in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). The same song is also used at the end of both films.

Fear Friday ~ Does That Look Like A Vacation Cabin???!!!

Welcome to another Fear Friday here at the Laughing Vixen Lounge. All September long the movie selections will share a common theme... the woods. A great and creepy setting for many horror films. Tonight's movie is a B movie classic and made the woods a terrifying nightmare. A mix of cheese, gallons of fake blood and an instant horror film hero. Sit back and 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 now 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.


September - Into The Woods

Fear Friday - Evil Dead

Tagline - The Ultimate Experience In Grueling Terror
              Can They Be Stopped?

Written and directed by Sam Raimi (Darkman, The Gift and Spiderman I,II & III) and released on April 15, 1983 by New Line Cinema (original rating X, 1994 rating NC-17). A group of friends head into the woods to spend the weekend in a "rustic" cabin. After finding a book and tape recorder in the cellar they make the mistake of listening to the recorded tape. Soon they have unleashed a woods full of demons ready to wreak havoc. The only one who seems untouched by the evil is our hero Ash (Bruce Campbell). Can he save his friends and himself from the evil that surrounds them? Hmmmm...it ain't lookin' good!

The first time I watched this movie it was on SciFi channel and it made little impression on me. I just didn't see what people were making a fuss about. Over the next few years I continued to hear people talk about their love of it and their love of Bruce Campbell. Then I heard an interview with Bruce on a local radio morning show and I decided I needed to give it another shot. Being a huge horror fan I obviously just missed something the first time. So one weekend I went out and rented all three of The Evil Dead movies and watched them in a row. I was immediately under the charm of Bruce Campbell and these movies and well, the rest is history.

If you have never seen this movie before here's what you need to know. This is a low budget movie. The writing is not great nor is the acting. The effects are greatly outdated by today's standards. This is a B horror film. But, if you like your horror with a bit of cheese then I highly suggest you give this one a try. Be warned that there is blood flying, pouring, oozing and gushing all through the movie. It was billed as "The ultimate experience in grueling horror" and it is a very brutal movie. While there is plenty to make you giggle at there is also plenty to turn your stomach. If you make it to the end and feel game there are two more in the series. Evil Dead II (not really a sequel it's more like a remake. A very unique movie!) and Army of Darkness (less gore more silliness).

Not to be missed is the great style of Sam Raimi's filming. Most noticeable in the last 10 - 15 minutes of the film. The tilted camera angles, the rushing camera shots and the framing of shots using the door frames is just beautiful film making.

And Bruce Campbell is just too cute. I became a follower of his from these movies and he has remained one of my favorite. Since he lives here in Oregon, we usually get a stop on his promotional tours. It's always great fun to get to see Bruce and his latest work.


Take a look at the original trailer.



Some trivia about the movie.
1. After completing principal photography in the winter of 1979-1980, most of the actors left the production. However, there was still much of the film to be completed. Most of the second half of the film features Bruce Campbell and various stand-ins (or "shemps") to replace the actors who left.
2. Director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell were friends from high school, where they made many super-8 films together. They would often collaborate with Sam's brother Ted Raimi. Campbell became the "actor" of the group, as "he was the one that girls wanted to look at." (I've seen some of these super-8 films. Great fun!)
3. The opening sequence of the evil moving over the pond, is actually Bruce Campbell pushing Sam Raimi in a dingy whilst he films the shot.
4. Was one of the first films to be labeled as a "Video Nasty" in the UK.
5. There's a ripped poster of The Hills Have Eyes (1977) visible. Ostensibly, this was in reference to a ripped poster for Jaws (1975) that appeared in that film; Sam Raimi and the others interpreted that as Wes Craven suggesting that "Hills" was much more frightening than "Jaws", thus they showed a ripped "Hills" poster because their film was to be even scarier yet.
6. A closet is opened and a T-shirt with the word "Tamakwa" is visible. Director Sam Raimi went to Camp Tamakwa as a child. The movie "Indian Summer" is a tribute to his summers at Tamakwa and is a movie well worth watching. One of my favorites! Sam plays "Stick" in it and it makes me cry laughing just thinking about the character. 8)
7. The film was given an X rating when it was finished. Not wanting the label of X on their film they went ahead and released it as unrated.
8. In 2006, The Evil Dead (1981) was turned into a Broadway musical.

4th Supernatural Cares Giveaway And Fundraiser - $80 Prize Pack

Welcome to the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog and the 4th Supernatural Cares Giveaway and Fundraiser. With the help of my partner-in-crime Cat, from Deep Midnight Perfumes, and our Co-Hosts the lovely ladies at WinchesterBros, Kelsey from Supernatural Is The Best Show On Earth and Dean Winchester is a Sexy Beast on Facebook and Gina and Suzanne from Stories From The '67 Impala on Facebook, not only can you enter to win an $96 Prize Pack but also help raise money for Wildcat Haven and Saved By A Whisker Rescue.

One lucky winner will receive a $50 Gift Certificate to Laughing Vixen Lounge where you can choose from lots of Supernatural inspired designs (plus tons of non Supernatural designs). You will also receive a $30 Gift Certificate to Deep Midnight Perfumes were you can pick from many dark and spooky scents. Plus, a full sized bottle of the new Supernatural inspired scent Black Wings!!!
















Laughing Vixen Lounge will be donating $2 from each Supernatural design and $1 from all other designs sold during the giveaway to help sponsor Carrie the Caracal from Wildcat Haven. It takes $500 to sponsor one animal for a year. Since November 2013 Laughing Vixen Lounge has sponsored DJ the Cougar and Cha~Cha the Serval. Now it's Carrie's turn. *don't you just love those ears* Read Carrie's story and all about the fundraising project here.

Laughing Vixen Lounge will also be offering this Supernatural inspired T-Shirt during the giveaway. All proceeds from the sale of the shirt will go to Wildcat Haven to help sponsor Carrie. The shirt is available in 3 styles and 4 colors. They will only be sold until September 24!!! Don't miss out on this fabulous way to show the world your Supernatural love. You can purchase the shirt here.

Deep Midnight Perfumes will be donating the entire retail price from each sale of their Charity Sampler during the giveaway to Saved By A Whisker Rescue. This organization is a small, no-kill, foster based, non-profit, cat rescue in Eagan Minnesota. Donations help with food and supplies for these cute little guys until a permanent home can be found.

Laughing Vixen Lounge ~ Bangles, Baubles and Other Needful Things for the modern Vixen. Pop Culture, Retro, Horror and Custom Designed Jewelry and Accessories. Check out the Supernatural section of the shop here.

Supernatural Premium Charm Bracelet
Customize Your Own Edition

NEW ~ Supernatural Inspired
Black Wings Perfume Oil

Deep Midnight Perfumes ~ Bringing History, Fantasy, Legends and Lore alive to tantalize your senses! 170+ unique artisan crafted perfume oils to choose from.

Keep Calm And Love Supernatural Compact

Lilith Dreaming Perfume Oil

Stop by the shops and take a look at the 400+ designs from Laughing Vixen Lounge and the 170+ scents from Deep Midnight Perfumes.

Supernatural Protection Amulet Necklace
Customize Your Own Edition

The Devil You Say Perfume Oil

Laughing Vixen Lounge offers Charm Bracelets, Necklaces, Compacts and Photo Pendants. Pop Culture designs with a flair for Retro, Horror and Custom Designs. The Lounge also specializes in Supernatural inspired designs with lots of "Customize Your Own" options. If you're a fan of the show Laughing Vixen Lounge is your "go-to shop" for Supernatural goodies! Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and this Blog to keep up with the BIG giveaways we'll be having this year! Visit Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Supernatural Keychain
Customize Your Own Edition

Garden and Graves Perfume Oil

Deep Midnight Perfumes offers Vegan, Cruelty-Free, and Preservative Free Perfume Oils. 170+ 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 Perfumes on Facebook, Twitter, The Blog and Pinterest. Visit Deep Midnight Perfumes.

It's A Supernatural Thing Compact

 

Ghosts In The Attic Perfume Oil

$3 from each item from the new Hep Cat Collection will go to help LVL sponsor Carrie the Caracal. New items will continue to be added to this collection. Keep an eye out for other new cat themed collections that will donate the higher $3 per item.

Hep Cat Compact - Style A Compact

Charity Surprise Sample Set

Deep Midnight Perfumes offers a Charity Sample Set that donates all of the retail price to Saved By A Whisker Rescue. You will receive a random selection of 4 scents. This is a great way to try out the amazing scents offered while helping this wonderful charity.

Anti Possession Small Photo Pendant

Deep Midnight Perfumes

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 2 entries 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. Past winners are more than welcome to enter again. Giveaway will run from 12:00 am September 7th 2014 (PDT) through 12:00 am September 22st 2014 (PDT). 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.

Keep Calm And Hey, Tuesday! Compact

Fear Friday ~ Oh My Stars, I Think This Movie Is Giving Me A Panic Attack!!!

Welcome to the Laughing Vixen Lounge blog. While Fear Fridays went on a little vacation in August it's back with a vengeance for September with Into The Woods. All the movies this month will be set in, quite possibly, the most creepy and scary of all settings... the woods. This week's selection is a tale of fear which is confined to one simple location. A car. Trust me it works!!! 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 now 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.


September - Into The Woods

Fear Friday - Penny Dreadful

Tagline - Don't forget to breathe...



Directed by Richard Brandes (Dead Cold and Devil in the Flesh) and released on November 18, 2006 by After Dark Films. (rated R). To overcome her fear of cars that steams from a long ago accident, Penny and her psychiatrist head into the mountains to where it all took place. But an unfortunate incident will leave her fighting an even more frightening fear.

The first time I watched this movie it made me so anxious and nervous waiting for what was going to happen next. To me this is a good thing. It means the suspense factor is working well. So when I re watched it before writing this review I wondered if it would be able to deliver that experience again. Happily I was not disappointed!!!

Our story starts out with a psychiatrist and her patient taking a drive into the mountains. The patient is a young woman who is so traumatized by an accident that killed her parents she has major panic attacks whenever she tries to get into a car. In an attempt to conquer her fears the two set out to revisit the site where the accident happened. Never mind the fact that they are heading towards the mountains while the radio is broadcasting a massive snowstorm approaching.

Things go wrong very quickly when an unexpected incident happens and leaves the women in the company of danger. Most of the movie takes place within the car with the "danger" roaming around outside. The car is stuck in the deep woods, in the dark of night and with a variety of factors that keep anyone from escaping. The car works well as the setting as it is a false sense of security. Yes, you can lock the doors but really, with all those windows how safe are you. And with the darkness who knows what is outside or what it is doing. It all adds to the tension and suspense. 

So if you like a story that is heavy on the suspense factor instead of just gore give this one a try. No worries, there is still plenty of yuck factor here but it's really more about the feeling of just not knowing what to expect next.

You can currently find Penny Dreadful on Netflix and Amazon streaming and on most DVD services.



Take a look at the original trailer.



No trivia for this one.