Laughing Vixen Lounge

Fear Friday - Is it time yet???

2012-01-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

This week's Fear Friday will be short and sweet as we are working hard on getting everything ready to go for The 14 Nights of Valentine's Day Movie Marathon Giveaway. So here is a little reminder of what is to come this summer with just a little patience. So hard!!!!!

New Season Countdown

Are you a Sookie and Bill girl?

Or a Sookie and Eric girl?

Or are you like this Vixen and are a proud Sam girl?

Either way I'm sure you're just dying for the new season to start and the withdrawl pains to stop!

Now go and watch a few of your favorite episodes to take the edge off 8)

Wayback Wednesday - A little tune from the 80's

2012-01-25T16:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a little trip down memory lane. I loved this video and back in 1984 this was a pretty cool video! Still looks pretty good to me 8)

A-Ha "Take On Me"

Manic Monday - Valentine Giveaway Movie List and Early Entries

2012-01-23T02:24:00.000-08:00

Laughing Vixen Lounge is getting ready for our big "14 Nights of Valentine's Day Giveaway" starting February 1st. As anyone who has seen one of our group giveaways before knows these are worth stopping in for! We've called on some of our favorite "partners in crime" as well as some new shops to help us out. So far we have prizes donated from 13 different amazing shops. One winner will walk away with one heck of a fabulous goodie bag. There will be jewelry, bath and body, perfume, candles, crafting supplies, fashion accessories and even a little something for your favorite kitty. You can see a list of all participating shops over on the sidebar.

Looking for some movies to watch this Valentine's Day season? The Lounge has put together a movie watching list to fill your nights with love, laughs and maybe a few tears. You can follow along on a nightly basis with us or pick and choose a few of your favorites. Each day during our "14 Nights of Valentine's Day Giveaway" we will post a review of that night's movie. Make sure to leave a comment to let us know what you thought of that night's choice. Anyone who leaves a comment for each of the 14 movies, with their opinion on the movie, will get an extra 10 entries in our giveaway. A little reward for giving our movies posts some love. After you finish commenting on all 14 movies you need only leave 1 comment on the main giveaway page that says "I made it through the 14 Nights of Valentine's Day Movie Marathon with my heart intact!" That 1 comment will count for 10 entries.

With so many movie it's hard to pick just 14. I tried to think outside the box on some of these to give a little variety to the list. Many of the movies are just my personal favorites.

Valentine Love Story Movie List

Starting February 1st...
1. Raintree County
2. Dangerous Liaisons
3. King Kong
4. An Affair to Remember
5. Moulin Rouge
6. Truly, Madly, Deeply
7. Wuthering Heights
8. Brokeback Mountain
9. Never Been Kissed
10. The Lake House
11. Indian Summer
12. Waitress
13. A Life Less Ordinary
14. Say Anything

Here's your chance to get a couple extra entries in the giveaway before it starts! Just post the button below on your blog, Facebook or anywhere else you like. Make sure to link it back to this post or copy and paste the code and it will do everything for you. Then leave a comment below with a link to where you posted it and you will get 2 extra entries. And a big Thank You from The Lounge for helping us spread the word.

Wayback Wednesday - Who was your first?

2012-01-18T03:58:00.000-08:00

So today I present you with the question "Who was your first concert experience?". Were you lucky enough to have seen someone who's still cool or are you like most of us who have to cringe a bit before we answer? Leave a comment below and share with us that great moment in time.

This Vixen's first was The Power Station in August of 1985. I was 14 and a huge Duran Duran fan and this was as close to them as you could get at the time. The band was originally made up of John and Andy Taylor from DD and Robert Palmer. Though for the tour Mr. Palmer was replaced with Michael Des Barres. Their hit songs were a cover of T Rex's "Bang A Gong" and "Some Like It Hot". The opening band was OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark) who's big song was "If You Leave" from Pretty in Pink fame.

Oh that hair! Ha!

Manic Monday - New Designs

2012-01-16T11:27:00.000-08:00

Today you'll get a little peak at some new Valentine's Day designs from Laughing Vixen Lounge. You can find all of these and more in the shop now.

You Make My Heart Spin Necklace $18

Valentine Candy Heart Charm Bracelet $45

All My Love Necklace $16

Key To My Heart Necklace $16

We're also working hard on our next big giveaway. It will start the 1st of February and have a Valentine theme. As always there will be lots of great shops donating fabulous finds for the big goodie bag. Stay tuned! We'll have more info soon 8)

Fear Friday - It's that time again

2012-01-13T23:13:00.000-08:00

Before we get to today's Fear Friday here is the update on my last project. I've been working on getting all of my beads put away in their new home on the Wall O' Beads. Here is the before picture of the beads over taking my chair. There are 3 large boxes, 1 medium box and many plastic bags full of beads in that chair (and floor)!

and here is the after picture. Aaaah... I have a chair again.

And here are all of the beads in their nice new home on the Wall O' Beads. All of the overstock that could not fit is nicely put away in organized boxes on the bookshelf.

Next up is to tackle the big bookshelf of jewelry findings and such that has become overgrown. And now for this weeks Fear Friday. To honor today's date here is our tribute to one of the classics.

Fear Friday - The Friday The 13th Collection

May 9th 1980 a low budget slasher film is released and helps shape the face of the horror genre. The setup is simple, a group of kids out in the woods with one shadowy figure out for revenge. Just the right amount of blood with a creepy atmosphere makes for a fun ride and start one of the most successful franchises in horror history. The people behind Friday The 13th, looking to cash in on the success of "Halloween", shopped the movie around strictly on the title alone. They had no story yet just a great title. 12 movies later it's still a favorite of many horror fans.

I remember back in the sixth grade my friend Mary and I begging my mom to let us rent it. We wanted the original because Kevin Bacon was in it and Footloose was all the rage at the time. In those days the local video store rarely had more than one copy of a title so we had to settle for chapter 3. Problem was it had been filmed in 3D, as was the craze at the time, but looked a bit silly on a regular TV. Lots of holding things out close to the camera for extended periods of time. Not that Mary or I would have noticed much as we spent most of the time with our heads hidden behind the afghan. And yes, we made my mom watch it with us. It truly scared me and is why these movies, especially the old ones, still creep me out completely.

Being a teen in the late 80's I remember going to the theater to see many of the later ones. At one point I believe they were going to release one a year until they hit 13. Unfortunately the story was worn thin and the chapters became increasingly silly to the point of unwatchable. I mean really, "Jason Takes Manhattan"? In 1993 "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday" was released. It's one of the few times I thought about walking out of a movie. A once scary feel had turned into a laughable parody of itself.

Then, in 2002, came a revamp of the series with "Jason X". OK, so Jason in space sounds absurd but I actually quite enjoyed it. It was something different for the series and Jason was back in fine killing form. Long gone was the truly creepy feeling of the originals, but this was a fun slasher film none the less. Then, in 2003, came "Freddy vs. Jason". This made me sad at first but my nephews where old enough to see horror films and they begged me to take them. It was fun. Just a bit sad to see these two franchises go from scary to completely campy.

In 2009 a new modern "Friday The 13th" was released. Not really a remake since they acknowledged the happenings of the original movie. I like to think of it as the next chapter in the series. Lots of people didn't think much of this one. I went and saw it at a midnight showing and really liked it. It had a creepy atmosphere, classic "stupid pretty people in the woods" setting and was just fun. One thing I really liked was down in Jason's creepy underground dwelling he had mementos of his killings. There are camp councilor's whistles hanging on the wall. A wheelchair is noticeable in one scene which recalls one councilor in chapter 2. It gave an extra creepy feel to the character.

Jason was not even in the first chapter. It was his mother, Mrs. Voorhees, seeking revenge for her son who drowned in Crystal Lake while councilors where not watching him. Jason appears, all grown up, in the second chapter as the killer but does not sport his infamous hockey mask until the end of chapter 3. For the first part of the movie he wears an old gunny sack on this head. Blaaah ick yuck! That was way creepier to me and I was happy when he traded it in for the hockey mask. He is killed in chapter 4 by a machete.
Chapter 5 leads us to believe Jason's back but ends up not really being him (rip off). He is zapped back to life by a bolt of lightening in chapter 6 and is pretty much invincible after that. Just goes to show you can't keep a good man down!

Stars that appeared in the series...
Kevin Bacon (ch 1), Corey Feldman (ch 4), Crispin Glover (ch 4), Tony Goldwyn (ch 6), Steven Williams (ch 9), Erin Gray (ch 9), Jason Ritter (FvsJ) and Jared Padalecki (ch 12).

Some interesting tid bits...
1) Composer Harry Manfredini has said that contrary to popular belief, the famous "chi chi chi, ha ha ha" in the film's score is actually "ki ki kiVoorhees seems to be possessed by Jason and chants "Get her mommy....kill her!" Manfredini created the effect by speaking the syllables "Ki" and "Ma" into a microphone running through a delay effect.
2) The movie was filmed at Camp Nobebosco in New Jersey. The camp is still in operation to date, and they have a wall of Friday the 13th paraphernalia to honor the fact that the movie was set there.

So let us all know what your favorite Friday The 13th memory is. Favorite chapter, favorite scene or favorite memory that goes along with the movies. Leave a comment below and voice your opinion. I'm old school and will go with the original and Kevin Bacon's death scene as favorite kill. Here's a collection of kills to give your Friday a little scare! Enjoy 8)

Wayback Wednesday - The Cherry 7up guy!

2012-01-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

For today's Wayback post I offer you a classic little gem from the 80's. In 1987 7Up released Cherry 7Up and this was the commercial that ran on TV. Not only was the colorized pink cool on the black and white print but look at that cute boy! I referred to him for many many years as the Cherry 7Up guy. Long before he finally had a hit show. Take a look and enjoy.

And yes, I'll have photos of my clean up task from last Monday posted on Friday. It's pretty much done. Yay!

Wayback Wednesday - Dig that swing!

2012-01-04T05:35:00.000-08:00

So Brian Setzer came to town just before Christmas and it is the first time I have missed his concert since the first time I saw him my senior year in high school (that would be '89). Such a bummer!!! Always my favorite to see in concert.

For today's Wayback Wednesday I have a little video of Mr Setzer and his orchestra singing one of my favorites "Americano". Remember Jude Law singing that in "The Talented Mr. Ripley"? Mmmm... good stuff. Not sure the date on this but pause the Lounge Jukebox on the right sidebar then enjoy this little bit of feel good music.

Manic Monday - I Know There's A Chair Under There!

2012-01-02T05:17:00.000-08:00

Well, a new year is here and the mad rush of the holidays has come to an end. The Lounge has decided to take this slowed down time to get a few neglected jobs done. First up is putting away the massive amount of beads that are running wild around the shop.

This is where they have decided to claim as their home... my chair! There are 3 of those large white boxes and a random assortment of plastic bags.

This is where they should be. All nice and neat in their little boxes. So far I'm about half way done putting them in the little boxes. Then all the overstock will go on a couple of bookshelf shelves. By next Monday I'll have the finished pictures to show and I will be a happy camper!!! 8)

Winner of the Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway

2011-12-28T21:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks again to everyone for joining in our Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway! And the winner is...

Kristina

Here is everything she will receive...

From Laughing Vixen Lounge

True Blood Inspired Charm Bracelet - Deluxe Edition

Pinup Necklace

From Junkmill

Hardboiled Heroines

Faerie Folk

Matchbox Pinups

Siren Song

Retro pinups

From Hell In A Handbag

Yellow gingham half apron

From Deep Midnight Perfume Oils

Choice of 5 samples pack:
Coco Violette
french chocolate macaroon
Sleepy hollow
Tea room cookie
Silver bells

From Miss Bohemia

From JFrancy

Custom Word Necklace - Faith

From Bloodcurdling Baubles

Gingerdead Man Necklace

Let's give her a big congrats! Thanks again and hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday season. We'll be back again in February for our Valentine Giveaway and lots of new designs coming this new year to the shop.

Fear Friday - The Worst Christmas Movie Ever???

2011-12-23T18:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining us for Fear Friday. Our weekly review of anything and everything horror/thriller/spooky/B movie classics. This month all of our picks will have a Christmas theme.

Fear Friday - Santa Claus Conquers The Martians

Tagline - Santa Claus saves Christmas for the Children of the World!

Directed by Nicolas Webster and released on November 14, 1964 by Embassy Pictures Corporation. A spaceship full of Martians land in the North Pole and kidnap Santa and two Earth children. Who will save Santa in time for Christmas? Does anyone really care?

I am a huge fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000 so this is a yearly tradition at my house. If you haven't experience this gem yet I would recommend watching the MST3K version instead of the movie on it's own. It is bad, stupid and quite painful when watched on it's own but makes for a truly delightful experience when accompanied by priceless riffing and silly snarking. Besides, how could it be Christmas without Joel and the Bots singing "Let's have a Patrick Swayze Christmas"??? 8)

Some trivia on the movie...
1. The Martian guns are actually painted Whammo Air Blasters.
2.This was Pia Zadora's debut.
3. This film is listed among The 100 Most Amusingly Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE.
4.When Santa starts making toys, one of the Martians is fascinated by a toy that's "a coiled spring that walks down stairs." The year this film was released (1964) was a huge year for Slinky, which had a resurgence in the early 1960s
5.Most of the film was shot in an abandoned aircraft hangar on Long Island, New York.

Manic Monday - Manic Indeed!!!

2011-12-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

Hello again. It's Manic Monday and boy does it feel like it! The Christmas rush is in full swing and this Vixen is about worn out 8) Today we have our last shop feature and one more recipe from our Lounge Vixens. Enjoy!

Now, if you haven't checked out our Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway yet make sure to go enter. It has been extended through Friday! There is a goodie bag filled with fabulous gifts from Laughing Vixen Lounge and 6 more great shops. We'll be doing shop features each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each shop has given Christmas recipes and they will be posted in their features. There will also be recipes from some of our Lounge Vixens. Do you have something to share? You'll find out how to on the giveaway page and you'll get yourself an extra 10 entries!

Our next shop feature is Bloodcurdling Baubles.
Bloodcurdling Baubles is run by Amber from Aurora, Colorado. Amber has some of the cutest designs I have seen in a long time.

Jar of Candy Canes Pendant

Bloodcurdling Baubles has many whimsical pieces along side a nice assortment of darker designs. From snowflakes to floating brains there is a little something for everyone inside.

Bloody Cute Brains and Skull Earrings

You'll have a chance to win to a Gingerdead Man Necklace from Bloodcurdling Baubles. Enter now on the giveaway page. I mean really, how adorable is he?

Gingerdead Man Necklace

So make sure to take a moment and stop by Bloodcurdling Baubles. You just might find a little something for yourself.

Each shop was asked what their favorite holiday movie or special is. Amber said "My favorite holiday movie has to be a tie between "White Christmas" and "A Christmas Story" . I grew up watching both and have great memories associated with them, so they hold a soft spot in my heart."

Oh, I agree!! I usually wrap gifts to White Christmas and it would not be Christmas without watching A Christmas Story. Love it!

Super Easy Christmas Cookies

Amber sent us this yummy recipe for some quick and easy cookies.

"Since everyone is going to be busy, busy, busy this holiday season, I"ll include a super easy recipe."

Ingredients
store bought, regular sized tube of cookie dough
package of dried cherries or cranberries (whichever you prefer)
package of shelled pistachios.

Mix dough with 1 cup each of dried cherries/cranberries and pistachios. Once it's mixed thoroughly, roll back into a log and portion and cook according to directions on dough packaging.

And one more Lounge Vixen recipe.

Kourabiedes "Christmas Cookies" from Artemis

"My name is Artemis and I'm from Greece. I will try to give you the recipe for Kourabiedes. Kourabiedes are our Christmas cookies.

Ingredients:

1 pound flour

600 gr butter milk

2 egg yolks

Half cup of sugar

2 vanilla

2 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoon rosewater

2 tablespoon cognac or brandy

almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped (as many as you want)

powdered sugar for sprinkling

In a deep bowl or mixer beat well the butter with the sugar until they are whitewashed and then put the remaining ingredients and leave the flour for last.

Begin adding the flour gradually until you achieve a dough soft and pliable.

Knead the dough in any shape you like.

Place them on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 175-180 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

When you get them from the oven, allow to cool slightly and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

Fear Friday - The Christmas A Go-Go Edition Part 2

2011-12-16T23:53:00.000-08:00

Tagline - Spreading Holiday Fear This Christmas.

Directed by David Steimen and releaded on October 25, 2005 by Media 8 Entertainment (rated R). Santa turns out to really be the son of Satan (get it, switch the letters around) who has lost a bet with an Angel and is forced to be a holly jolly gift giver for the next 1,000 years. Uh oh!!! Looks like the 1,000 years is up and Santa is tired of being nice!

I wanted to watch something I had not seen before and this is the gem I chose. While there is some blood and violence this movie is mainly cheese! It's a humorous take on Santa and Christmas. Santa is a big creepy looking guy who goes around killing everyone in the little town of Hell. Of course not all the residents are ready to go so easily.

If you like comedy, silly comedy, with your horror this it a fun watch. Just don't expect anything great from it! It is what it is... silly. But I was completely amazed at how many recognizable faces are in it. If you watch lots of TV you should recognize most of the cast.

Sorry, no trivia listed for this one 8)
*******

Now, if you haven't checked out our Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway yet make sure to go enter. There is a goodie bag filled with fabulous gifts from Laughing Vixen Lounge and 6 more great shops. We'll be doing shop features each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each shop has given Christmas recipes and they will be posted in their features. There will also be recipes from some of our Lounge Vixens. Do you have something to share? You'll find out how to on the giveaway page and you'll get yourself an extra 10 entries!

Our next shop feature is Hell In A Handbag.
Hell In A Handbag come to us by way of Erin from Nowheresville, California. Hell In A Handbag has been a permanent fixture in our giveaways since the first one we had a couple years back. Erin is great fun to work with and has collected an amazing selection of vintage goodies in her various shops.

Vintage Gold Owl Necklace

Erin also does some fabulous custom painting. You can get rockabilly/retro style wedding toppers painted to look like you and your groom. She also does these great custom busts in a variety of styles, Zombies and Bride of Frankenstein, or yourself.

Custom Painted Head Vase

You'll have a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to any of Erin's shops. Enter now on the giveaway page.

Skeleton Hand Sweater Guard

Take a minute to stop by Hell In A Handbag on the Web, Etsy or Ebay and find yourself a little something special. Go ahead, you deserve it!

Each shop was asked what their favorite holiday movie or special is. Erin said "One of my favorite holiday treats is to watch the second episode of Tales From The Crypt... And All Through The House about an escaped mental patient in a Santa suit."

I love this selection! I remeber watching it when it originally aired on HBO back in '89 and it left a lasting impression on me. Anything horror with an escaped mental patient or an asylum for the criminally insane is always very creepy to me. Mix that with a Santa suit and it's just wrong!

The original short appeared in the 1972 movie Vault of Horror also know as Tales From the Crypt. Both are well worth a watch.

Macadamia Rocky Road Bars

Erin sent us a recipe for Macadamia Rocky Road Bars. These look so yummy they just might have to be made.

"I’ve made different versions of these for the last few years, now. They’ve been a crowd pleaser at potlucks and would be a fab treat to leave out for Santa. Not for the weak of sweet tooth."

1 stick of butter, plus a little more for the pan
1/2 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 Cup flour
1/2 Cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1+ Cup mini marshmallows
1+ Cup chunky chopped Macadamia nuts
1+ Cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Butter an 8 inch square pan, and set aside.
Place the butter and cocoa in a saucepan, heat over low, stirring constantly until butter is melted and mixture is nice and smooth.
Remove from heat, stir in the brown sugar, egg, flour, milk and vanilla.
Spread in your buttered pan and get cookin’. Bake 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cover the top evenly (and don’t be shy, now) with marshmallows, chocolate chips and nuts.
Bake for 3-5 minutes more, until the marshmallows are puffy and just a teeny bit golden.
Cool in the pan on a rack for about an hour, then in the fridge for 30-60 minutes more.

What you'll get is a fudgy, brownie-like base topped with textured awesomeness. Rich enough to be cut into about 12 pieces, but Santa and I like ‘em a little bigger.

Here is an extra craft how-to from Lounge Vixen Sarah.

Visit her blog Cheshire Cat Crafts for full how-to on these cute Christmas decorations. I really like the blue and white pom poms! There are more ideas on Sarah's blog so take a moment to stop by.

Pom Pom "Snowballs and Icicles"

Holiday Wreath

Scented Christmas Baubles

Wayback Wednesday - Christmas Recipes

2011-12-15T00:50:00.000-08:00

OK, so this is going to be more like Wayback Thursday without much wayback. Ha! Yes, the Christmas season is a crazy busy time at the Lounge and we are just a bit behind. Just a bit 8) Hohoho! Today we have some more recipes from our Lounge Vixens to help you with your holiday baking.

First up though is our next shop feature. Now, if you haven't checked out our Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway yet make sure to go enter. There is a goodie bag filled with fabulous gifts from Laughing Vixen Lounge and 6 more great shops. We'll be doing shop features each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each shop has given Christmas recipes and they will be posted in their features. Do you have a recipe to share? You'll find out how to on the giveaway page and you'll get yourself an extra 10 entries!

Our next shop feature is Deep Midnight Perfume Oils..
Deep Midnight Perfume Oils is the creation of Cat from Minneapolis, Minnesota. I met Cat on our last giveaway and she is great fun to have along. Her shop is filled with amazing smelling perfumes with a dark, mysterious feel.

Roll On Perfume Oil

She has some great new Christmas Sample Sets. With scents like Comfort And Joy, Silver Bells, Victorian Sleigh Ride, The Holly And The Ivy and Yule Log. Aaah, you'll smell like Christmas all season long.

I have tried some of Cat's signature scents and my personal favorite is Goblin in the Gears. Licorice, yum! You'll have a chance to win a sample set of 5 scents of your choice. Enter now on the giveaway page.

Sample Set of 5 Vials

Stop by Deep Midnight Perfume Oils and take a look around. You might find a scent you can't live without!

Each shop was asked what their favorite holiday movie or special is. Cat said "NO laughing, but it's the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer cartoon. :) My Mom used to tell me I would watch this every year as a baby and just be entranced. I still can't help but love the cute songs and the line.."let's be independent together."

I have to agree. These old shows are still such fun to watch. And I absolutely adore The Bumble. Just look at that face!

Victorian Sugar Plums

1 C chopped pecans or walnuts
1 C dried apricots
1 C pitted dates
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C golden raisins
3 Tbsp orange juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 tsp orange zest
1/4 C raw honey
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, ¼ tsp cinnamon—the spices are optional
½ cup white sugar ( for rolling the sugarplums in)

In a food processor, pulse the nuts until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Combine the apricots and dates in the food processor. Pulse briefly until roughly chopped.

Add the cranberries and raisins, and continue pulsing until the fruit is evenly chopped and begins to clump.
Return the nuts to the food processor and add the orange juice, orange zest, honey. Add spices if you so choose. Pulse until well mixed.

Shape into one-inch balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Roll balls in granulated white sugar. Makes about three dozen sugar plums.

My family has loved these for years and I love making them. Try them with or without the added spices, either way they taste great! It's also best to keep them refrigerated in an air tight container until ready to set on the table for eating.

And now for a few recipes from a couple of our Lounge Vixens.

Santa's Whiskers from Petoskystone

This is my favorite Christmas cookie recipe as it's easy, it's pretty and it kind of gives me a retro vibe.

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup finely chopped candied red or green cherries

1/3 cup finely-chopped pecans
1/4 cup shredded coconut (1/2 cup if you're a touch freaked, like me, that there won't be enough to cover)

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffed, approximately 2 mins.

Add sugar & mix until combined.

Beat in milk & vanilla until combined.

Beat in flour with mixer, when dough gets thick, add in flour with a wooden spoon (or your hands, which is my preference).

Add in cherries & pecans.

Shape into two 8-inch rolls. Roll in coconut. Wrap in plastic wrap, chill 2-24 hours.

Cut into 1/4 thick slices (I use my tomato knife for its' thin blade). Place on ungreased cookie sheets (I can't bear the thought of placing dough on my older metal, so I line my sheet with parchment paper).

Bake at 375F oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack & let cool.

Yield: 40-60, depending on how well you slice

Adobo from France Irish

Adobo (a famous filipino dish cooked in vinegar and soy sauce) is a filipino food favorite. May the recipe be done with pork, chicken or a combination of both. It could be also good with beef.

1-1/2 lb. pork, cut into serving pieces
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup vinegar
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper or 1 tsp. peppercorns
1 tbsp. sugar (optional)
1/2 cup water
oil, for frying

1. Combine all ingredients in a big pot except the oil and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

2. Place pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.

3. Lower the heat and simmer covered until meat is tender for about an hour (checking occasionally

4. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the meat until lightly brown on all sides. Set aside and keep warm.

5. Pour off all remaining oil from the pan. Pour back in the meat and reserve sauce. Mix for about a few minutes while scraping up the bits on the bottom of pan.

6. Remove from heat. Serve hot.

Manic Monday - Christmas Recipes

2011-12-12T05:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our first Manic Monday post. Manic Monday will be a random assortment of whatever strikes my fancy. So today, to get everyone in the Christmas spirit, we're going to share some of our Lounge Vixen's favorite holiday recipes. We'll have more on Wednesday so stop back in and take a look.

First up though is our next shop feature. Now, if you haven't checked out our Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway yet make sure to go enter. There is a goodie bag filled with fabulous gifts from Laughing Vixen Lounge and 6 more great shops. We'll be doing shop features each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each shop has given Christmas recipes and they will be posted in their features. Do you have a recipe to share? You'll find out how to on the giveaway page and you'll get yourself an extra 10 entries!

Our next shop feature is Miss Bohemia.
Miss Bohemia is run by Jen from the UK. I first came across Jen's shop on Twitter and just loved her Vampire, Gothic and Fairytale themes.

Vampire Fangs Blood Drops Bracelet

She also has lots of Alice in Wonderland designs and these amazing Phantom of the Opera necklaces.

Phantom Of The Opera Pendant - Special Edition

You have a chance to win a great Winter themed gift from Miss Bohemia. Enter now on the giveaway page.

Once In A While....Fairytale Quote Magical Keepsake Box

Ice Queen Heart Of Glass Earrings

Stop by Miss Bohemia and take a look at more of Jen's beautiful designs. You might just find something you can't resist.

Each shop was asked what their favorite holiday movie or special is. Jen said Miracle on 34th Street and I agree. The original, in black and white, with Maureen O'Hara and little Natalie Wood is one of the best! I also like the remake from '94 with Elizabeth Perkins and Dylan McDermott.

Festive Salt Dough Decorations

Jen sent this fun recipe for making salt dough decorations. These really take me back as I remember them being very popular when I was growing up. They definitely remind me of Christmas long long ago 8)

These decorations are made from basic ingredients and easy to make!

Ingredients
2 cups of Plain Flour
1 cup of table salt
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Decorations
Acrylic paints
Glitter
Ribbon
Mod podge (optional)
Embellishments (optional)
Cotton wool (optional)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 120°C.

Add the flour and salt and then the oil to a mixing bowl and gradually add the water, mixing with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough.

Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and knead dough for 10 minutes into a smooth ball. Leave for 10 to 20 minutes.

Roll out dough (approx 0.5 to 1 cm high) and use Christmas cutters to make festive shapes or cut out circular shapes etc. Make a small hole near the top (so you can feed the hanging ribbon through later on) with the tip of a chopstick or similar object.

Line a tray with baking paper and transfer the decorations to the tray and bake until dry and firm (usually takes around 3 to 4 hours at 120°C (Gas Mark ¼).
Leave to cool.

Add a layer of acrylic paint and allow to dry. Add a second coat and sprinkle glitter on top. I usually add a layer of mod podge and then add the glitter and gems to the decorations. For Santa's hat I added some cotton wool! Feed ribbons through holes and voila they're ready to hang or display!

And now for a few recipes from a couple of our Lounge Vixens.

Easy Fruit Cobbler from BeWitchy

My favorite recipe is my Easy Fruit Cobbler that my grandma gave me.. it truly is very simple.

Need:
1 Cup Sugar (or Splenda), 1 TSP Baking Powder, 29 oz can of fruit, 1 stick margarine, 1 cup of flour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Heat the 20 oz fruit can (whatever flavor cobbler you want - I often make peach).Melt 1 stick of margarine Make batter of the flour, sugar, baking powder (mix dry ingredients first) then mix in 1 cup of water.

Pour butter in dish (I use one of those glass baking dishes), Pour in batter (I pour 3/4 in first then pour in the hot fruit and then put the last 1/4 of butter on top). Bake for about an hour, but keep an eye on it. It may be finished before the hour is up.

Classic Betty Crocker Stuffing from R.E.B.

My Classic Betty Crocker Stuffing Recipe, we make this for Thanksgiving every year, but I lessen the butter to just enough to saute in, only use poultry seasoning for herbs, add chicken broth for moisture/sticking together, and toast the bread before turning it into cubes.

From the Betty Crocker website

3/4 cup butter or margarine

2 large stalks celery (with leaves), chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
9 cups soft bread cubes (about 15 slices bread)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In 4-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook celery and onion in butter, stirring occasionally, until tender; remove from heat.

In large bowl, toss celery mixture and remaining ingredients. Use to stuff one 10- to 12-pound turkey.

Fear Friday - The Christmas A Go-Go Edition

2011-12-09T04:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks for joining us for the return of Fear Fridays. A weekly review of anything and everything horror/thriller/spooky/B movie classics. This month all of our picks will have a Christmas theme. Stick around after the movie review as we have our next shop feature from our Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway.

Fear Friday - Gremlins

Tagline - Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent.
               Dangerous
               They didn't obey the rules

Directed by Joe Dante (The Howling and Twilight Zone: The Movie) and released on June 8, 1984 by Warner Brothers Pictures (PG). A cute and cuddly Christmas gift with three simple rules. Don't get him wet, keep him out of bright light, and never feed him after midnight. Ooops! Soon mayhem ensues when the cute and cuddly Gizmo multiplies into lots of not so cute and cuddly Gremlins.

OK, so it's not very scary but if you saw it as a younger kid it could be a bit creepy. Now it's just a fun nostalgic watch. The Christmas season makes the perfect background for all the mischief and mayhem these little critters get up to. If you haven't seen it for awhile give it a go. It's a nice stroll down memory lane.

Some trivia on the movie...
1. Generally credited (along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) to influence the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating, as many felt the scenes of violence in both movies were too much for a PG rating, but not enough for an R rating. The first movie to have the new rating was Red Dawn.
2. In Cantonese Chinese, mogwai means devil, demon or gremlin. The Mandarin pronunciation is mogui.
3. Both Judd Nelson and Emilio Estevez were considered for the role of Billy.
4. Although it is not clearly visible, "Four Magic Moves to Winning Golf", by Joe Dante (senior) is on Billy's nightstand. Joe Dante Junior said his father criticized him for not making the title more visible.
5. The set for Kingston Falls is the same one used for Back to the Future. Both movies were filmed in the Universal Studios backlot.
6. In addition to restoring the classic Warner Brothers logo to the opening of the movie, it was hoped to release the film along with the classic Looney Tunes short, Falling Hare, where Bugs Bunny is harassed by a plane gremlin during WW II. This fell through, but, highlights from the short do appear as part of the Behind the Scenes featurette, that has also been included on the Special Edition DVD.
7. At least one of Phoebe Cates's screams in the scene at Dorry's Tavern is genuine. An enormous cockroach crawled out in front of her during one take.
8. After watching his earlier short films, Steven Spielberg considered Tim Burton to direct the film. But decided against it because at the time Burton had never directed a full feature length film.
9. The theater that blows up was subsequently involved in another accident when Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) in Back to the Future, smashes into the front entrance at the end of the film. The theater then burned down with the rest of the buildings in the fire that happened right after the filming of Back to the Future Part II.
10. In this film, the Amblin Entertainment logo makes its first on-screen appearance.
11. Howie Mandel does the voice of Gizmo.

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Now, if you haven't checked out our Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway yet make sure to go enter. There is a goodie bag filled with fabulous gifts from Laughing Vixen Lounge and 6 more great shops. We'll be doing shop features each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each shop has given Christmas recipes and they will be posted in their features. There will also be recipes from some of our Lounge Vixens. Do you have something to share? You'll find out how to on the giveaway page and you'll get yourself an extra 10 entries!

Our next shop feature is Junkmill.
Junkmill is the brain child of Chandra from Rockford, Michigan. Chandra makes amazing digital collage sheets to use in all your crafting adventures. I first found her shop on Etsy when I was looking for someone to create some customs Zombie Pinups for me. Not only did she do an incredible job but she was great to work with. You can purchase your own set of Zombie Gals from her shop in a variety of sizes.

Zombie Pinups Collage Sheet

She also whipped up some great Christmas sheets for me this year. Just perfect for what I needed. You have a chance to win 5 collage sheets of your choice. Enter now on the giveaway page.

Retro Holiday Christmas Collage Sheets

12 Days of Christmas Collage Sheet

This is only a small sampling of what Junkmill has to offer. Take a look at the shop and pick up something for your next craft project.

Each shop was asked what their favorite holiday movie or special is. Chandra said "Die Hard. Nothing captures the holiday spirit quite like Bruce Willis battling terrorists at an executive Christmas party. Give me a big cozy blanket, a cup of my Insane Hot Chocolate and surround sound set to eleven and I'm set."

This is an inspired choice! I would have never thought of Die Hard for the Christmas movie list but it's great. Death, destruction and Christmas music. Too fun! And I just love Alan Rickman as the head honcho bad guy.

Insane Hot Chocolate

Chandra sent us the recipe for her signature Insane Hot Chocolate. I bought everything to make it now to stop for a moment and whip some up.

"This rich cinnamon hot chocolate is great for getting all sugared up and trimming the tree or wrapping packages. It’s my take on classic hot chocolate, amped up with a little cappuccino mix and tons of super-sweet toppings."

2 Tbsp. Instant hot chocolate

1 Tbsp. Maxwell House International Café Cinnamon Dolce Cappuccino (the powder mix that comes in the little rectangular tins)

Handful Miniature marshmallows

Handful miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Reddi-wip whipped cream

Mix powder hot chocolate and powder cappuccino in a large mug. For super-smooth, no lumps hot chocolate, add just enough boiling hot water to cover the powder, stir until blended and lump-free. Place marshmallows in mug then add 8 oz. boiling water. As the water hits the marshmallows, they melt into the hot chocolate forming an ooey-gooey layer of deliciousness. Top with a generous portion of Reddi-wip whipped cream. Sprinkle Cinnamon Dolce Cappuccino mix on top of the whipped cream and garnish with miniature chocolate chips. Delicious!

Wayback Wednesday - Christmas

2011-12-07T04:21:00.000-08:00

For out first Wayback Wednesday I couldn't resist dragging out a few old photos from Christmas Past. I just love old photos. They are little pieces of life frozen in time to make us smile, make us happy and... well let's face it, just plain laugh at!

The mid 60's in my parent's first apartment in Portland. That's my sister and brother and behind them is Buddy Holly... oops I mean my dad.

And here they are again with my mother.

Then the 70's came along and they now had their first house and me. Here's me, mom and the Christmas box of chocolates.

Oh my! The 70's were not very kind where they? That's some snazzy outfits there 8)

Now, if you haven't checked out our Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway yet make sure to go enter. There is a goodie bag filled with fabulous gifts from Laughing Vixen Lounge and 6 more great shops. We'll be doing shop features each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each shop has given Christmas recipes and they will be posted in their features. There will also be recipes from some of our Lounge Vixens. Do you have something to share? You'll find out how to on the giveaway page and you'll get yourself an extra 10 entries!

Our first shop is JFrancy.
JFrancy is the work of Judi from Milbank, South Dakota. Her shop caught my eye because of these great wire rings. She can make them in a variety of words and in initials. I bought the Love one and can't wait for it to arrive.

Judi also does these amazing wire necklaces that can be custom made to your choice of word. When I wanted to buy a Love necklace but had a bit different look in mind, Judi whipped up a sketch for me and it was just perfect!

You have the chance to win your own wire necklace from JFrancy in your choice of Love, Peace, Hope or Faith. Enter on the giveaway page.

Make sure to take a moment and stop by JFrancy and have a look around. Judi has other styles of jewelry too and there is still time before Christmas.

Each shop was asked what their favorite holiday movie or special is. Judi said "White Christmas. The message is timeless and the music is beautiful and fun. I've watched it many many times and will continue to do so."

I would have to agree. It's one of the Christmas standards around here. I just love the "Sisters" musical number. Too fun but it will be stuck in your head forever.

Green Bean Casserole

Judi sent us a great recipe for Green Bean Casserole that she came upon by accident.
"My favorite dish is Green Bean Casserole and we recently tried making it with cheesy alfredo sauce because we forgot the soup. It was yummy!"

One jar (15oz.) cheesy alfredo sauce (we used Barilla)
Pepper to personal taste
2 cans green beans (cut or french cut)
One container of French's french fried onions

Pour alfredo sauce into casserole dish. Add pepper. Stir.
Stir in green beans and 3/4 of the container of onions.
Bake at recommended temperature on back of French's onions until bubbly (approx 15-20 mins). Then add remainder of onions and finish baking for about 5 minutes to brown the onions.

Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

***Contest Closed***

Welcome all you hip dolls and cool ghouls to Laughing Vixen Lounge. Our "Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway" is running now through December 20th. Enter for your chance to win a fabulous goodie bag filled with treats from us and 6 other amazing shops. It's easy to enter, lots of extra entries and a chance to check out some great ideas for your holiday shopping.

Make sure to stop back in for some holiday fun during the giveaway. We will be starting our weekly features - Manic Mondays (random posts about pretty much anything), Wayback Wednesdays (retro themed posts) and the return of Fear Fridays ( horror/thriller movie reviews). And since it's December everything will have a Christmas theme.

Each shop will also have a feature during the giveaway. Everyone will be sharing their favorite holiday recipes and movies. Look for them posted along with their features. We would also like to invite you to share your holiday recipes with everyone. Yes, you'll get extra entries!!! All the info will be listed below.

So grab some cocoa, curl up beside the fire, let our jukebox set a Christmas mood and have fun!

So what's in the goodie bag?

Laughing Vixen Lounge

A $50 gift certificate to the shop - Bangles, Baubles and Other Needful Things.

12 Days of Christmas Bracelet $55

Eiffel Tower Necklace $16

Retro Christmas Charm Bracelet $45

Skull and Bird Cocktail Ring $12

Retro Santa Charm Bracelet $45

Retro Santa Silver Pendant - Style B $12

Shop Laughing Vixen Lounge

Junkmill

Your choice of 5 digital collage sheets

Retro Holiday Digital Collage Sheet $2.95

Pulp Pin-Ups Digital Collage Sheet $2.95

Victorian Santa Digital Collage Sheet $2.50

Shop Junkmill

Hell In A Handbag

A $15 gift certificate to any of her 3 shops

Retro Anchor and Stars Purse $15

1970's Owl Wall Hanging $8.50

Custom Bride of Frankenstein Head Vase $70

Shop Hell In A Handbag at Website, Etsy and Ebay

Deep Midnight Perfume Oils

Choice of 1 1/3oz bottle of perfume or 5 vial sample pack

1/3 oz Perfume Oil $12

5 Vial Sample Pack $10

Shop Deep Midnight Perfume Oils

Miss Bohemia

Winner will receive - Once In A While....Fairytale Quote Magical Keepsake Box
Features the quote "Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale"

Fairytale Keepsake Box $10.20

and Ice Queen Heart Of Glass Earrings

Ice Queen Fairytale Heart Earrings $7.83

Shop Miss Bohemia

JFrancy Jewelry

Wire necklace in your choice of word. Choose from "Love", "Faith", "Peace" or "Hope".

Love Silver Wire Necklace $20

Custom Silver Wire Necklace $20

Shop JFrancy

Bloodcurdling Baubles

Receive a Gingerdead Man Necklace

Gingerdead Man $12

Shop Bloodcurdling Baubles

How Do I Enter?

Well that's easy! Listed below are all the ways you can get entries in the giveaway. You must do the required entries but everything else is up to you.

***Please Note*** You must leave a separate comment for each entry. For example, if you follow on Twitter, visit a shop and tweet you must leave a comment for each one. If you list everything you did in one comment you will only get 1 entry!

***Make sure to include your email on each comment! You can't win if I can't find you 8)

Required Entries

1 Entry - Visit Laughing Vixen Lounge and post here what your favorite item is.
1 Entry - Visit another participating shop and post here what your favorite item is.

Extra Entries

Visit The Shops

1 Entry - Visit Hell In A Handbag and tell us your favorite item.

1 Entry - Visit Junkmill and tell us your favorite item.

1 Entry - Visit Deep Midnight Perfume Oils and tell us your favorite item.

1 Entry - Visit Miss Bohemia and tell us your favorite item.

1 Entry - Visit JFrancy and tell us your favorite item.

1 Entry - Visit Bloodcurdling Baubles and tell us your favorite item.

Favorite The Shops On Etsy

1 Entry - Favorite Laughing Vixen Lounge on Etsy.

1 Entry - Favorite Hell In A Handbag on Etsy.

1 Entry - Favorite Junkmill on Etsy.

1 Entry - Favorite Deep Midnight Perfume Oils on Etsy.

1 Entry - Favorite Miss Bohemia on Etsy.

1 Entry - Favorite JFrancy on Etsy.

1 Entry - Favorite Bloodcurdling Baubles on Etsy.

Blogs
1 Entry - Become a Lounge Vixen and follow this blog.
1 Entry - Follow Junkmill's blog.
1 Entry - Follow Deep Midnight Perfume Oils' blog.

1 Entry - Follow Miss Bohemia's blog.

Twitter

1 Entry - Follow Laughing Vixen Lounge on Twitter.

1 Entry - Follow Hell In A Handbag on Twitter.

1 Entry - Follow Miss Bohemia on Twitter.

Facebook

1 Entry - Follow Laughing Vixen Lounge on Facebook.

1 Entry - Follow Junkmill on Facebook.

1 Entry - Follow Hell In A Handbag on Facebook.

1 Entry - Follow Deep Midnight Perfume Oils on Facebook.

1 Entry - Follow Miss Bohemia on Facebook.

1 Entry - Follow JFrancy on Facebook.

1 Entry - Follow Bloodcurdling Baubles on Facebook.

Tumblr

1 Entry - Follow Laughing Vixen Lounge on Tumblr.

1 Entry - Put up our giveaway button on your site or Facebook page. Button is located on right sidebar. Leave a comment with a link to your blog.

1 Entry - Tweet the following message. 1 Entry per tweet. 3 tweets per day max. No more than 1 tweet an hour.

Enter to win a goodie bag filled with fabulous treats from 7 shops in our "Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway" http://bit.ly/u5NdA7

1 Entry - Blog about the giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your post.

10 Entries - Share with us your favorite holiday recipe. Any food/drink recipe or any holiday craft how-to. Simply email the recipe/how-to to dizzykmk at msn . com and I will post them on the blog for everyone to enjoy. If you have a photo of the finished product please send that along too. Also, any memories you'd like to share that go along with the recipe. After you send all the info I will post your 10 entries for you.

*If you have a shop and would like to join in on a future giveaway contact me through my Etsy shop or send me a tweet on Twitter.

*Giveaway is open worldwide.

*Winners of previous giveaways are more than welcome to enter again.

The Fine Print

Giveaway will run from 12:00 Midnight December 1st, 2011 to 8:00 pm December 23rd 2011 (PST). Winner(s) will be picked randomly from all 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 2 days a new winner(s) will be chosen. All decisions made final by Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Winners of our Halloween Giveaway

2011-11-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to everyone who stopped by and entered the Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween GIANT Giveaway. Hopefully you enjoyed all the Halloween fun. And now to the lucky winners...

Second Place Winner - Choice of Silver Pendant

JillHogan

She chose the Black Cat on Red Silver Pendant from Laughing Vixen Lounge

Grand Prize Winner - Giant Goodie Bag from 17 Shops

Sus

Here is what she chose...

From Laughing Vixen Lounge

Ocean Blue Charm Bracelet

From Hell in a Handbag

Black Rose Hair Clips

From Junkmill

Zombie Pinups

Tiny Tarot

Matchbox Girls

Rockabilly

Macabre Minis

From Funky Chunkies

Day of the Dead Bracelet

From Zombee Candles

8 oz Tin Candles in Tea du Vampire, Hocus Pocus and Scaren Crow

From Deep Midnight Perfume

Ancient Yule 5 Vial Sample Pack

From Stalker Ink

Red Heart Earrings

From Blood Bath

Haunted Hotel Sampler - Body Lotions in Petrifying Pomegranate, Creepy Colada, Zombie Zen, Death By Chocolate and Cleopatra's Curse

Lip Embalm in Morgue-A-Rita

From Miss Bohemia

Halloween Creepy Bracelet

From Calaveras Y Diablitos

Dia De Los Muertos Sugar Skull & Vibrant Flowers Throw Pillow

From Punkrock Pinup

Octopus Earrings

From A'dor Beauty Supplies

Creature of the Night Eye Shadow Collection

From Sideshow Soap Co

Gibbous Moon Pumpkin Carrot Butternut Squash Clove Sensational Scrub

From Sweet Sensations

Coconut Lime Moisturizing Cocoa Butter Bath Bomb Fizzy

Moisturizing Tinted Lip Gloss Nude

From Spooky Bones Company

BAD MOONLIGHT Franken Polish

From Washable Art

Honey Buttons Soap

From Moonsteam Alchemy

Cinnamon Candy and TECHNOPHILE Buttercream Lip Balms

Wild Child Damask Digital Scrapbook Papers

Whew! That's a lot of stuff!! Let's all give Sus a big "Congrats"!

Thanks again to everyone for joining us for Halloween. Stay tuned as The Lounge is already working on our next big giveaway. HoHoHo! You won't want to miss it 8)

Night 31 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-31T00:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 31 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have the final movie on our Halloween Movie List. This is the last day to enter our GIANT Giveaway so make sure to stop by for your chance to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Items - Bride of the Monster Necklaces and Classic Monster Mash Charm Bracelet

Classic Monster Mash Charm Bracelet (Special Order) $45

Bride of the Monster Necklace $22

Bride of the Monster Necklace $23

Purchase this, or any other featured item, from Laughing Vixen Lounge through November 6th and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Happy Halloween From Laughing Vixen Lounge

My Halloween Workers
Skeleton Monkey, Frankengerbil and Flyin' Purple People Eater

Night 31 - B Movie Monsters and Young Frankenstein

Well, my lovely ghouls, we have made it to the end of our Halloween Movie List. Hope you had fun reminiscing about some favorites and maybe found a few new ones. If you have followed along, and left a comment on each movie post, make sure to leave a comment on the main giveaway page that says "I survived the Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". That 1 comment will count for 10 entries in the giveaway!

Make sure to stop by each Friday for our Fear Fridays. We will review a different horror/thriller movie each week for your viewing pleasure.

While watching the movies on our list I couldn't help but think about...
What have we learned from watching horror films?
1. Only the skinny survive! If you can't fit through small openings you will never escape.
2. If you leave your window/doors unlocked or open then you should not be surprised when the killer appears in your house.
3. If you hear something outside at night don't go out and offer yourself up to it.
4. Never trust the local sheriff, gas attendants, doctor, etc. They are part of it!
5. Hit him again.
6. Don't sit with your back to the killer with your eyes shut thinking "It all OK now". It's not. You only hit him once and now he's standing up.
7. After the third time #6 happens...learn from it!

A bonus to our list tonight is a loving tribute to
B Movie Monsters

I love old black and white monster movies. Any and all of them. Atomic bugs, Woman that change into insects, The Universal Monsters, Critters from Outer space, Ghost, Zombies and just about anything that happens to grow really big! I'm a huge Mystery Science Theater 3000 lover so all the better if they're MST'd. Anyway and every way they are wonderful and make me laugh. Laughing Vixen Lounge will have many of these coming to our designs early next year.

The trailers were great too. "It leaps! It Crawls! It takes over the world! Run!" I love this style and it show in the posters too. I couldn't think of anything better than to let their great artwork speak for them. This is just a sampling of the heaps of them out there.

And now our final feature... Young Frankenstein

Tagline - The scariest comedy of all time!
*******

Directed by Mel Brooks (The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Dracula: Dead and Loving It) and released on December 15, 1974 by Twentieth Century Fox (rated PG). Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) inherits his grandfathers castle and all it's possessions. Despite his resistance to his grandfather's ideas he quickly changes his mind when he stumbles upon some hidden journals in his grandfather's secret library. With the help of his assistants Igor (Marty Feldman) and Inga (Terri Garr) Dr. Frankenstein will attempt to bring his grandfather's dream to life.
*******

This is the best of the best. The comedy is so silly it's stupid but at the same time it's really rather brilliant. Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder are at their finest here and it's a treat to watch them. The sets and atmosphere are beautiful and Peter Boyle is such fun as the monster. This is a yearly Halloween staple at my house and I can't wait to watch it tonight!

Madeline Kahn is great as Elizabeth/The Bride of Frankenstein. The best quote of hers...
"Oh. Where you going?... Oh, you men are all alike. Seven or eight quick ones and then you're out with the boys to boast and brag. You better keep your mouth shut. Oh... I think I love him."
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. The film was shot with many of the same props and lab equipment as the original Frankenstein (1931).
2. The howling wolf sound on the ride to the castle was made by director Mel Brooks.
3. The idea of Frederick's dart hitting a cat was ad-libbed on set. When Gene Wilder threw his dart off camera, director Mel Brooks quickly screamed like a cat to create the illusion.
4. The scene in which the creature contemplates throwing the little girl into the lake ("No more flowers. What shall we throw in now?"), is a homage to a scene in Frankenstein (1931). That scene was cut and not restored to the original until its video release 50 years later.
5. Gene Wilder conceived the "Puttin' on the Ritz" scene, while Mel Brooks was resistant to it, feeling it detracted from the fidelity to Universal horror films in the rest of the film. It was only when he saw it with a howling audience that Brooks was confident about the sequence.
6. Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman appear together in this film by virtue of the fact that their mutual agent had a deal with the movie studio.
7. The shifting hump on Igor's back was an ad-libbed gag of Marty Feldman's. He had surreptitiously been shifting the hump back and forth for several days when cast members finally noticed. It was then added to the script.
8. Rock band Aerosmith took a break from a long night of recording to see "Young Frankenstein" in 1974. Steven Tyler wrote the band's hit "Walk This Way" the morning after seeing the movie, inspired by Marty Feldman's first scene, the "walk this way... this way" scene.
9. When Mel Brooks was preparing "Young Frankenstein," he found that Ken Strickfaden, who had made the elaborate electrical machinery for the lab sequences in the Universal Frankenstein films, was still alive in the Los Angeles area. He visited Strickfaden and found that Strickfaden had saved all the equipment and had it stored in his garage. Brooks made a deal to rent the equipment for his film and gave Strickfaden the screen credit he'd deserved, but hadn't gotten, for the original films.

Night 30 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-30T06:19:00.000-07:00

A special welcome to everyone from The Witches Tea Party blog party hosted by Frosted Petunias. We hope you enjoy tonight's movie with your tea.

Welcome to night 30 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Evil Eye Necklace

Evil Eye Necklace $25

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Night 30 - An American Werewolf in London

Tagline - Beware the Moon

              A masterpiece of terror

              The Monster Movie

              From the director of Animal House -- a
             different kind of animal
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Written and directed by John Landis (Animal House, The Blues Brothers and Thriller) and released on August 21, 1981 by Universal Pictures (rated R). David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are on a backpacking trip around Europe. While hiking through rural England they stop at a little pub called "The Slaughtered Lamb". After pissing off the locals they are sent out into the cold wet night with one caution..."Beware the moon and stick to the roads." Oooops! Yah, our boys aren't too bright and are strolling across the moors in no time flat. They soon find out what the locals were warning them about. Werewolves!!!
*******

This is darn close if not my favorite horror film ever. The blend of humor and horror is spot on here. The effects were cutting edge and won an Oscar. I still prefer them to many overdone CGI effects. And the use of moon related songs is fun and effective. I could never hear "Bad Moon Rising" by Credence and not think of this movie. This is one of my yearly "must see" on Halloween.

Creepiest scene is the man being stalked in the subway terminal. Even though you hardly see the beast it's filmed so well that it gives an uneasy feeling.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. John Landis originally wanted three other songs to add to the soundtrack: Cat Stevens wouldn't allow "Moonshadow" to be used because he had stopped allowing his secular music to be licensed for films following his conversion to Islam; Bob Dylan wouldn't allow his version of "Blue Moon" to be used in an R-rated film, as he had just begun his brief conversion to Christianity; and Elvis Presley's version of "Blue Moon" proved unavailable due to the ongoing lawsuits involving his estate.
2. The legal disclaimer in the closing credits reads, "Any resemblance to any persons living, dead, or undead is coincidental". This was also placed at the end of another John Landis project: Thriller (1983) (TV), which was reportedly inspired by this film.
3. David Naughton was reportedly cast because John Landis had seen him in a television commercial for Dr. Pepper. I remember this commercial! He also had a top 40 hit song!! He was on a TV show in '79 called "Makin' It" and he sang the theme song. 8)
4. In 1997, the movie was re-recorded as a Radio drama by Audio Movies Limited for BBC Radio 1 in England. It was broadcast during Halloween that year, in short snippets throughout the day. Brian Glover, John Woodvine and Jenny Agutter reprised their roles from the movie.
5. Studio executives hoped John Landis would cast Dan Aykroyd in the role of David and John Belushi as Jack. John Landis refused.
6. John Landis came up with a film following an incident while shooting Kelly's Heroes (1970) in the countryside of Yugoslavia. While driving along a country road with a colleague, Landis encountered a gypsy funeral. The body was being buried in a massively deep grave, feet first, while wrapped in garlic, so as he would not rise from the dead.
7. Director Cameo: [John Landis] appears briefly near the end of the film. He is the bearded man who gets hit by a car and thrown through the plate glass window in Piccadilly Circus.
8. When trying to call home, the telephone number that David Kessler gives the operator (516-472-3402) contains a Long Island, New York area code. It is also an unusual case where an actual phone number is used.
9. At the very end of the film, an advertisement for Universal Studios is shown along with a suggestion to "Ask for Babs". This is a reference to a "Where are they Now" item featured towards the end of Animal House (1978), another film by John Landis.
10. This is the first film to earn the Academy Award for Best Makeup. That category was created in 1981.
11. The final look of the werewolf beast was based on make-up creator Rick Baker's dog Bosko.
12. The Werewolf Howl that was used for the film, was a combination of a actual wolf and an elephant, it was also said it was played backwards by the producer 'George Folsey Jr'. in the "Beware The Moon" documentary. Director John Landis also stated on the "Beware The Moon" Documentary that the Howl was a combination of 7 or 8 different animals.
13. Frank Oz, who's know for voicing Fozzy Bear and Yoda, plays Mr. Collins of the American embassy, who attempts to console David. His voice is also heard later, during the Muppet Show.

Night 29 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

A special welcome to everyone from The Witches Tea Party blog party hosted by Frosted Petunias. We hope you enjoy tonight's movie with your tea.

Welcome to night 29 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Items - Black Cat on Orange Silver Pendant, Black Cat on Red Silver Pendant and Black Cat on Orange Retro Ring

Black Cat on Orange Silver Pendant $12

Black Cat on Red Silver Pendant $12

Black Cat on Orange Retro Ring $12

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 29 - Christine

Tagline - Body by Plymouth. Soul by Satan.

              She'll possess you. Then destroy you. She's
              death on wheels. She's...

              Once she lures you behind her
              wheel...You're all hers.

              Hell hath no Fury...like a 1958 Plymouth.

              How do you kill something that can't
              possibly be alive?
*******

John Carpenter (In the Mouth of Madness, Vampires and Ghost of Mars) directed this film version of a Stephen King novel. Released on December 9, 1983 by Columbia Pictures (rated R). Arnie (Keith Gordon) is a loser until he meets Christine. Despite his best friend Dennis' (John Stockwell) attempts to stop him, Arnie buys the broken down Plymouth Fury and falls in love. Unfortunately, Christine is a jealous lover and Arnie's world quickly spins out of control.
*******

This is one of my favorite movies. It's not too scary and the blood factor is very low. It's just a great little story. I know it varies greatly from the novel, but if you haven't read it then you're none the wiser. The nostalgia level is very high and probably one of the main reasons it appeals to me. Being a big fan of the 50's I love the Fury and all the great music she plays. Plus it's also a great look back at the late 70's. The cars they drive and the music they use (mostly 70's remakes of 50's songs) are all great. And John Stockwell was just so cute! Some of you might remember him from a few movies around this time (North and South miniseries, My Science Project and Top Gun). Now he directs movies and every now and then pops up in them. The movie is a bygone era on a few levels and I love it.

Arnie's transformation from nerd to obsession is very effective and interesting to watch. My favorite part is when Arnie says to Christine "Show me" and she proceeds to fix herself. Too cool.
*******

1. Scott Baio was considered to play Arnie Cunningham and Brooke Shields was considered for Leigh Cabot. But the film makers involved all felt the movie would be better served by casting "unknowns". (Thank goodness!!!)
2. Although over 5300 Furys were built in 1958 they have since become very rare and are now collector's items. About 13 of the 25 Furys used were smashed in the making of the movie upsetting many Plymouth lovers!
3. Arnie's nemesis, Detective Rudolph Junkins, also drives a Plymouth Fury. The car Detective Rudolph Junkins is driving when he meets Arnie in the high-school parking lot is a 1977 or 1978 Plymouth Fury - a popular police car of the late 1970s.
4. Stephen King's popularity was such at the time that the film went into production before the book was even published.
5. To simulate the car regenerating itself, hydraulic pumps were installed on the inside of some of the film's numerous Plymouth Fury "stunt doubles", a mock-up in plastic that looked more like metal on camera than actual metal as it bent and deformed. These pumps were attached to cables, which were in turn attached to the cars' bodywork and when they compressed, they would "suck" the paneling inwards. Footage of the inward crumpling body was then reversed, giving the appearance of the car spontaneously retaking form.
6. Kevin Bacon was offered the lead role but ended up choosing Footloose (1984) instead.
7. According to Bill Phillips on the DVD Documentary, the movie technically didn't have enough violence to justify an "R" rating. But they were afraid that if the movie went out with a PG rating (PG-13 didn't exist yet), then nobody would go to see the movie. So he purposely inserted the word "f#*k" and all its derivatives in order to get the "R" rating. He then commented that they were criticized at the time for their use of the word in the film.
8. As a joke, 'Alexandra Paul (I)''s twin sister, Caroline Paul, stood in for her during some scenes, most notably the ride on the bulldozer.
9. Stephen King suffered a near fatal car collision in 1999. In an example of life imitating art, King bought the van that struck him and personally beat it with a baseball bat before sending it to the junkyard to be destroyed.
10. After reading over the book, actor Keith Gordon (Arnie) and the costume designer came up with a visual way to show Arnie being possessed by Christine. As the movie progresses, Arnie begins to wear clothes that reflect the era of Christine's make. At various points, especially when Arnie is yelling at Leigh on the phone, Arnie is seen wearing button up shirts open with black t-shirts, black pants, and boots like a 1950's "greaser". When he's talking to Junkins (both times), he's wearing a leather vest over a button up shirt (a nod to western TV shows which were popular in the 50's), and he even starts to wear a red suede jacket similar to James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955).
11. In the original novel, the car had four doors but was changed to a two-door model when it was realized that there never was a four-door 1958 Plymouth Fury.

Night 28 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 28 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Cute 'n Spooky Halloween Charm Bracelet

Cute 'n Spooky Charm Bracelet $45

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 28 - Halloween

Tagline - The Night he came home
He's come back
The trick was to stay alive
*******

Written and Directed by John Carpenter (The Fog, Starman and Big Trouble in Little China) and released on October 25, 1978 by Compass International Pictures (rated R). In 1963 little Mikey chops up his sister on Halloween for no apparent reason. Now it's 15 years later and Michael has come home to Haddenfeild, IL for another round. Escaping from the institution he had been living in, Michael Myers (Nick Castle) returns to his home town to reek havoc on a group on teenagers. Our leading teen, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), is great at ignoring all the obvious signs that something is wrong and just going about her day. The little boy she is babysitting keep telling her he sees the boogieman outside but he's told to shut up. As all of Laurie's friends start to die around her she starts to realize that indeed the boogieman does exist. And he doesn't die very easily!
*******

This film just works. Slightly dated which adds to the creepiness, a very scary villain and a bunch of dumb teenagers. I mean really, if they weren't dumb we wouldn't have much of a movie would we?

The music is great and completely creepy. The atmosphere is perfect and the suspense is high (unless you've seen it too many times and know where everything happens). I love the way Michael just appears out of the dark. Sometimes you don't even realize he's there right away. It really is one of the only characters that truly scares me. While I wonder why I would continue to watch something that bothers me on a certain level, I always find myself coming back to it year after year. I guess we need that healthy dose of fear and preferably on the screen where it can't actually hurt us!

The original and it's sequel are both great. You can skip part 3 as it has nothing to do with any of the characters from the original. Part 4 was the first one I ever saw and I still like that one. Part 5 and 6 get pretty darn bad but part 6 was Paul Rudd's first movie so that's fun. Part 7 or H2O was to be the final chapter of the series. I love this one and it's a fun and great end to everything. But it was too much of a success that Hollywood had to make Part 9. Watch it once if you haven't seen it so you can say you saw them all then forget about it!
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. This was Jamie Lee Curtis' film debut.
2. The movie was on such a tight budget that they used the cheapest Halloween mask they could buy. It happened to be a Captain Kirk mask that they spray painted, teased up the hair and readjusted the eye holes. Somehow it makes me feel a little less scared if I just remember it's William Shatner's face there. How can that not make you giggle?
3. The movie the kid's are watching on TV is 1951's The Thing which John Carpenter would remake in 1982.
4. The character of Laurie Strode was named after John Carpenter's first girlfriend.
5. There are some names that are taken from Psycho in this movie. Dr. Loomis shares the same last name as Marion's boyfriend in Psycho. There is a character here named Marion Chambers a combination of two Psycho characters. And of course, Jamie Lee Curtis is Janet Leighs' daughter.
6. Halloween was shot in 21 days in April of 1978. Made on a budget of $320,000, it became the highest-grossing independent movie ever made at that time.
7. According to screenwriter/producer Debra Hill, the character of Laurie Strode was named after John Carpenter's first girlfriend.

Night 27 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-27T02:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 27 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Vintage Bats Silver Pendant

Vintage Bats Silver Pendant $12

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 27 - Shadow of the Vampire

Tagline - An Unspeakable Horror. A Creative Genius.
Captured For Eternity.
*******

Directed by E. Elias Merhige (Suspect Zero) and released on January 26, 2001 by Lions Gate Films (rated R). Was the reason that the 1922 film Nosferatu was so effective because actor Max Schreck really was a Vampire? Hmmmmmm....
*******

Willem Dafoe, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated actors around. This movie shows how amazing he can be. It's an interesting take on the filming of the classic "Nosferatu". What if the movie was so convincing because the lead actor really was a Vampire? If you haven't seen it, do! It's a great piece of work. Willem Dafoe is almost unrecognisable as Max Schreck.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. The locomotive that conveys the film crew to Czechoslovakia is named "Charon". In Greek myth, Charon was the ferryman who conveyed the souls of the dead across the river Styx.
2. The part of Max Schreck was written specifically for Willem Dafoe
3. Udo Kier, who appears as Albin Grau, played the Count himself in Blood for Dracula (a.k.a. Blood for Dracula) and Vampire Elder Dragonetti in Blade
4. Willem Dafoe was hired as The Green Goblin in Spider-Man after the producers watched his performance in this film.
5. The music played on the phonograph to set the mood for the actors in some of the scenes is the soundtrack of Dracula written by John Williams.
6. Based in part upon a legend that Max Schreck was in reality a vampire which is why he played the role of Orlock/Dracula so well. Some variations of the legend suggest that Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens was the only film Schreck made, though in reality he was already a stage and screen veteran by the time Nosferatu was shot, and would appear in many non-Vampiric roles before his death in 1936.

Night 26 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-26T01:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 26 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Ultimate Zombie Charm Bracelet

Ultimate Zombie Charm Bracelet $65

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 26 - The 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 reek 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. Make sure to check him out on USA channel's Burn Notice.
*******

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.

Night 25 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 25 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Bride of Frankenstein Necklace

Bride of the Monster Necklace Style A $22

Bride of the Monster Necklace Style B $23

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 25 - May

Tagline - If you can't find a friend... make one.

Be Careful... She Just Might Take Your
Heart.
*******

Directed by Lucky McKee (The Woods and Red) and released on June 6, 2003 by Lions Gate Films (rated R). May (Angela Bettis) has always been "different" and has trouble finding friends. Her best friend is Suzy a creepy old doll kept inside a glass box. May tries so hard to connect with the people around her like Adam (Jeremy Sisto) the boy she likes and Polly (Anna Faris) the girl she works with. But no one seems to understand May and no one sticks around for long. As May's mother once told her "If you can't find a friend make one".
*******

This is a wonderful movie. It's so much more than a horror film. Angela Bettis is so good in her role as May that you can't help feeling for this character. We can all see a little bit of ourselves in her. The wanting to be accepted, trying to get the attention of a certain boy, wanting someone to like you for who you are and all the other insecure feelings we all have. May just happens to be a little closer to the edge of sanity then most. It's both sad and scary to watch her slide into madness.

The look of the film and the music work well. There is some blood but it's not over the top. It's just used effectively. The scene with the blind children, Suzy and May it just hard for me to watch but wonderfully done. The best scene here will come at the very end of the last scene. The first time I saw it I was creeped out. It is so unexpected and so wrong on so many levels!!! It's subtle but very effective. You should really go check this one out.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Director Cameo: [Lucky McKee] The man with his girlfriend in the elevator, both times.
2. Originally the film opened with a lengthy introduction to May as a child. But when the film appeared to be taking too long to get to its point, most of those scenes were cut. The opening with the adult May, specifically the first scene with her and her doll, were shot quickly and only to make the point that May was lonely as quickly as possible.
3. The scene where Blank and May meet was a re-shoot. In the original scene, May was not cold and vague, but angry, and insulted people as they walked by on the street. The scene ended with the two of them in the park. That scene is still in the film but entirely replaced and reedited. It is now the scene where Adam and May meet and have there final talk in the park. The scene is told only through close ups, with both May and Adam glancing off camera. They were originally looking at Blank who was sitting beside her. But he was edited out of the scene completely.
4. There is a movie called "Roman" which is directed by Angela Bettis and stars Lucky McKee. A reversal of roles.
5. The teenage girl who asks May "got any cold ones in there" is dressed up as a zombie cheerleader in the exact same costume and makeup from Lucky McKee's very first movie, _All Cheerleaders Must Die (2001) (V).

Night 24 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-24T01:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 24 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Werewolves Make Better Boyfriends Silver Pendant

Werewolves Make Better Boyfriends Silver Pendant $12

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 24 - The Howling

Tagline - Imagine your worst fear a reality
*******

Joe Dante (Piranha, Gremlins I/II and Explorers ) directs this film version of the novel by Gary Brandner. Released on April 10, 1981 by AVCO Embassy Pictures (rated R). A TV reporter, Karen White (Dee Wallace), is traumatized by an attack from a mass murderer. She can not remember what happened that night but is haunted by nightmares of it. At the suggestion of her doctor, Karen and her husband Bill (Christopher Stone) take a vacation to The Colony. A little retreat for those who need to relax and heal. Maybe here she can get her memory back. Does she really want it back? Does she really want to know the truth about The Colony? Does she really have any choice? We know better.
*******

I really enjoy this movie. It plays out like a traditional scary movie. Spooky woods, creepy music, strange natives and big furry villains. The effects still hold up and when Eddie changes into a big werewolf standing on two legs, well that's just good stuff! This film did get overshadowed a bit by "An American Werewolf in London" being released, with a bigger budget, around the same time.

While I love AAWIL it takes nothing away from this film. The Howling is scary and fun and a must for the Halloween season.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Many of the character names are named after Werewolf movie directors.
2. There is a book placed near a phone during one scene: Allen Ginsberg's "Howl".
3. A photo of Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolfman for Universal Pictures) is seen on the wall in the doctor's office when Terri calls Christopher.
4. The book Bill is reading in bed is "You Can't Go Home Again" by Thomas Wolfe.
5. One character is seen eating from a can of Wolf brand chili.
6. There is a picture of a wolf attacking a flock of sheep above Karen and Bill's bed.
7. The art director had previously worked on "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and many of the set dressings were used here in "The Howling". Most noticeable is the corpse sitting in the arm chair at the bookstore.

Night 23 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-23T01:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 23 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Halloween Time Charm Bracelet

Halloween Time Charm Bracelet $45

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 23 - The Shining

Tagline - A Masterpiece Of Modern Horror

The Horror is driving him crazy
*******

Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket) directed this film version of Stephen King's best selling novel. Released May 23, 1980 by Warner Brothers Pictures (rated R). Recovering alcoholic, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) has accepted a job as winter caretaker of the grand Overlook Hotel in an attempt to put his life back on track. The hotel manager warns him of the long and lonely winter ahead as he and his family will be alone there for the five month off-season. Jack assures him it's just what he needs to work on his writing. The manager also informs him of a little "mishap" that happened to the last winter caretaker and his family. Jack laughs this off and is sure his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) will find it fascinating.

As the snow sets in and the months start to pass Jack finds himself feeling more at home in the Overlook then he expected. Wendy quickly realize that something is not right with Jack. Their son Danny (Danny Lloyd), born with the gift of "shining", is learning that something is very wrong with the Overlook and it's "guests" that still reside there.
*******

Being a fan of the book there are some aspects of this movie version that I don't care for. Jack seems to not like his family from the start and he almost changes into a crazy man overnight. A little more of a transition into madness would have been nice.
That being said I really do like this movie. It's creepy, creepy and then a bit more creepy! What really makes this movie creepy is the time period. I never could put my finger on it when I was a teenager as to why it left me with an unpleasant feeling. As I got older I began to realize it's the late 70's look of it. The colors and the patterns of the floors, walls and furniture. The color and the style of the clothing. And the fact that the film used makes the colors look a little off or maybe too vivid.

I liken it to when you were younger and you went to visit your grandparents. The ones that still lived in that old house with the furniture from many decades past. The one where you open the door and an instant musty smell filled your nose. That's how I think the Overlook would feel like now. While grand in it's day, now it's outdated and needs to be aired out. The dated wall paper would be pealing around the edges and the bathroom tiles would be old an worn looking. While it was high fashion when the movie was made now it just adds to the uneasiness of it.

I also love the mini series they made in 1997. It stared Steven Weber (Wings (tv) and Single White Female), a personal favorite of mine, and was very faithful to the novel. If you're a fan of the book this version should appeal to you. I thought it was great.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon stood in for the exterior shots of the Overlook. Being from Portland I take great pride in seeing Timberline up there on the screen. It should be noted though that all interior shots of the hotel were filmed on a sound stage in London. So if you should visit Timberline don't expect the inside to look the same and don't expect to find room 237. Afraid that no one would want to stay in the room after the film came out, the management asked that the original room number, 217, be changed to something else. 237 was picked as there was no existing room with that number.
2. The opening scene of the Volkswagen driving is shot in Glacier National Park, Montana. The road is know as the "Going-to-the-sun" road.
3. The area that the set for the Colorado Lounge, where Jack does his typing, was built was also used as the Well of the Souls in Raiders of the lost ark.
4. The interior of the Overlook was made to look like bits and pieces of real hotels. The Colorado Lounge was modeled on the lounge at the Ahwanee Hotel in Yosemite Valley. It resembled it so well that people entering the Ahwanee often asked "is this the Shining hotel?"
5. The US version had Jack typing the same line "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over. In the Italian version it's "He who wakes up early meets a golden day". In the German version it's "Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today". The Spanish version has "Rising early will not make dawn sooner". The French went with "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".
6. Stephen King has said that the name was inspired by the John Lennon song "Instant Karma" which features the chorus "We all shine on".

Night 22 of "The Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-22T01:39:00.000-07:00

A special welcome to everyone from the Fanciful Twist Halloween Blog Party. We hope you enjoy the Halloween fun we've been having here at Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Welcome to night 22 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Haunted House Charm Bracelet

Haunted House Charm Bracelet $48

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10

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Night 22 - The 'Burbs

Tagline - Life In The Burbs Will Never Be The Same
              Again!

              He's a stranger in an even stranger land...
              Suburbia
*******

Joe Dante (The Howling and Gremlins) directed this comedy-thriller released on February 17, 1989 by Universal Studios. Suburbanite Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) is setting in for a week long vacation of relaxing at home. That is until strange things start to happen in the house next door. The Klopek family, a very "private" people, have just moved in and they don't take kindly to their nosey neighbors. Ray starts to suspect something is not right when the neighborhood grouch goes missing. Despite his wife Carol's (Carrie Fisher) insistence that he needs to leave the house and take a real vacation, Ray is determined to stay at home and solve the mystery. With the help of Art (Rick Ducommun), the neighbor who helps himself to the contents of every one's fridge, and Rumsfeild (Bruce Dern), the over-excited ex-soldier, Ray will set out to find out just what is really going on next door.
*******

This movie is a great example of when comedies were slightly silly but very funny and Tom Hanks was goofy and made you laugh. The scene where he eats the anchovy just makes me laugh so hard I about cry. The sound effects are priceless and just add to the unpleasantness of it.

Yes, it's a bygone era that is very much missed. OK, so maybe I don't miss Corey Feldman too much (yep, he's in there too). It's always nice to have comedy mixed with a little spookiness. If you haven't seen it you should.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. The back lot at Universal where they filmed "The Burbs" has been used for many TV shows and movies. It was the street for "Leave it to Beaver" and most recently it is Wisteria Lane for "Desperate Housewives". Keep an eye open for the Munster's house. I believe it's the house Corey Feldman's character lives in. I know you can see it at the beginning when the camera pans the street. It's was a light blue at that point in time.
2. When the Peterson's son Dave is eating breakfast you can see a box of "Gremlins" cereal on the counter in the background. Joe Dante directed Gremlins in 1984 and Corey Feldman was also in it. Did they really have a Gremlins cereal? Wow, how did I miss that?
3. When Ray and Art break into Walter's house, a picture of Walter (Gale Gordon) and Lucille Ball is on the table. Ball and Gordon co-starred in the 1948 radio show "My Favorite Husband" and TV's The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy, and Life with Lucy.
4. In the Klopek basement there is a sled with the name Rosebud - a reference to Citizen Kane.
5. The movies that Ray watches while lying down are Race with the Devil, _The Excorcist (1973)_, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
6. This is the only Universal film to include the Universal logo at the end of the film.
7. Prop master Mark Jameson was charged with making fake dog poop when the actors complained that they didn't want to step in the real thing. He made a mixture of canned dog food, bean dip, and other items. It was loaded into caulking tubes and squeezed out where needed.

Night 21 of the "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-21T00:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 21 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Halloween at Midnight Charm Bracelet

Halloween at Midnight Charm Bracelet $45

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 21 - Near Dark

Tagline - Killing you would be easy, they'd rather
terrify you...forever.

Vampires can only kill you once, but they
can terrify you forever.

...pray for daylight.
*******

Directed by Kathryn Biglow (The Hurt Locker and Point Break) and released on October 2, 1987 by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (rated R). Cowboy (Adrian Pasdar) meets girl. Girl bites boy. Boy doesn't want to become Vampire. Ain't life rough?

*******

This is a darkly fun little film about a cowboy who ends up part of a wicked and nasty Vampire family. Bill Paxton, a long time favorite here, steals the show. His "finger lickin' good" line is classic and he sports his best Jim Morrison look when he's hitchin' a ride.

Lance Henriksen also plays one of the family. If you follow horror you'll know him from Aliens, Pumpkin Head, Millennium (tv show) and lots more!

*******

Some trivia about the movie...

1. Unusual for a vampire movie, the word "vampire" is never mentioned.

2. The writer and director both were intent on making a Western but realized that the interest in the Western genre at the time was almost non-existent, so it was recommended that they mix genres. Since the horror genre was in vogue at the time, the two decided to make a Horror Western.
3. As Caleb staggers through town, just before the bus stop scene - the cinema behind him in showing Aliens which also featured Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen and Jenette Goldstein.
4. Was the last movie produced and released by DEG (DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group) as the studio went bankrupt. As a result, the film did not receive much publicity during its release in the fall of 1987 which lead, in turn, to its box office failure.
5. Both Johnny Depp and D.B. Sweeney auditioned for the role of Caleb.
6. Michael Biehn (Aliens) was offered the role of Jesse Hooker but turned it down because he was not satisfied with the script.
7. According to the Making of Near Dark that appears on the DVD, the fog under Adrian Pasdar's shirt was caused by a complicated series of tubes leading to five lit cigars under his shirt.

Night 20 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-20T00:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 20 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Vintage Witch Charm Bracelet

Vintage Witch Charm Bracelet $45

Purchase this items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 20 - Rosemary's Baby

Tagline - Pray for Rosemary's Baby
*******

Roman Polanski directed this film adaptation of Ira Levin's bestselling horror novel. Released on June 12 1968 by Paramount Studios. Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her not-so-successful actor husband, Guy (John Cassavetes), move into a Gothic apartment building in New York called The Bramford. Of course, they were told of The Bramford's reputation for odd going-ons but they happily ignore it. After an unfortunate "accident" happens their neighbors, Roman and Minnie Castevet (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon), soon invade their lives. After Guy starts spending far too much time with the Castevets he begins to land acting roles. When Rosemary becomes pregnant she starts to become suspicious of her surroundings and the people who inhabit it.
*******

This is one of my favorite thrillers. And yes, my mother's name is Rosemary. Muuhaahaa

Everything works here. The mood is one of uneasiness and paranoia as we watch Rosemary fall deeper and deeper into the world of The Bramford. Mia Farrow does such a great job that you can't help but feel everything she's feeling right along with her. Adding to the look of the film are the colorful outfits and home decor of the era. A great treat.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...

1. The building used for The Bramford is the famous Dakota building in New York City. Many will remember it as the place John Lennon was living and was shot in front of.
2. Vidal Sassoon created the now famous "Pixie" cut for Mia Farrow to wear in the movie.
3. William Castle (famously know for his low budget movies such as "House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler and I Saw What You Did") owned the movie rights to the novel but Paramount would only agree to green-light the movie if he agreed not to direct it. He did however have a cameo in the film as "The man near the phone booth".
4. Mia Farrow does the vocals on the title-sequence lullaby.
5. Mia Farrow received divorce papers while filming. She was married to Frank Sinatra at the time.
6. Ruth Gordon won a well deserved Oscar for her role as the over friendly neighbor "Minnie".
7. Oscar-nominated editor Sam O'Steen would later direct the sequel, Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby.
8. This was Roman Polanski's very first adaptation, and it is very faithful to the novel. Pieces of dialog, color schemes and clothes are taken verbatim.
9. Mia Farrow actually ate raw liver for a scene in the movie.
10. Rosemary's baby was born in June 1966 (6/66).
11. Tony Curtis is the voice on the phone of the actor who is struck blind by a witch's curse so that Rosemary's husband can get an acting job.

Night 19 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-19T01:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 19 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Cute Monsters Charm Bracelet

Cute Monsters Charm Bracelet $45

Purchase either of these items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 19 - The Thing

Tagline - What you fear most... is among you.

Man is The Warmest Place to Hide.

The ultimate in alien terror.
*******

Directed by John Carpenter (Halloween, Christine and Escape from New York) and released on June 25, 1982 by Universal Pictures (rated R). A group of American scientists up in the Antarctic have their day interrupted by a helicopter trying to shoot a dog. The helicopter crashes and no is left to explain just what the heck was going on. Strange, but not enough to make any of these guys worry much. Head honcho MacReady (Kurt Russell) takes a couple others over to the base camp the helicopter came from to see what they can find out. Meanwhile the dog is left to roam around unattended. Surely there's nothing to worry about there!

It doesn't take long for strange things to start happening around camp and soon there is enough blood and guts flying to make an ooey goey mess.
*******

This film is a fairly faithful remake of the 1951 "The Thing from Another World". Both film versions are based on a short story called "Who Goes There" by John W. Campbell Jr. I remember getting my parents to take me to see "Blade Runner" at the Drive In (I was a huge Harrison Ford fan) and "The Thing" was the second bill. Horror films were too scary for me at that point in life so I went to sleep in the back seat when it started. My parents stuck it out for about 30 minutes before they shook their heads and left.

This is a very bloody movie and I wouldn't suggest trying to eat while watching it. While the special effects are a bit outdated by today's standards it still works. I'd rather have these effects than some poorly done CGI.

The movie plays out like a traditional scary movie and has lots of jumps and scares. Everyone is paranoid and suspicious which makes it all the more hard to figure out who is the next to go. Best of all Kurt Russell is looking young, cute and sporting his best Grizzly Addams look. How bad could it be?
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. This is one of the few Universal movies that do not start with the Universal logo.
2. This is the first movie that John Carpenter did not score himself. Though it would be hard to tell as it sounds almost identical to that signature John Carpenter sound.
3. The opening title exactly duplicates the original 1951 film. To create the effect of the title, an animation cell with "The Thing" written on it was placed behind a fish tank filled with smoke that was covered with a plastic garbage bag. The garbage bag was ignited, creating the effect of the title burning onto the screen.
4. The original movie, The Thing from Another World, took place at the North Pole. This version takes place at the South Pole.
5. Donald Pleasence was the original choice for the character of Blair. Pleasence was unable to perform the role due to a scheduling conflict.
6. To give the illusion of icy Antarctic conditions, interior sets on the Los Angeles sound stages were refrigerated down to 40 F while it was well over 100 F outside.
7. This film is considered a benchmark in the field of special makeup effects. These effects were created by Rob Bottin, who was only 22 when he started the project.
8. While discussing the character of MacReady, director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell discussed having MacReady be a former Vietnam chopper pilot who had felt displaced by his service in Vietnam. This ultimately did not make it into the finished film.
9. In August 2003 a couple of hard-core fans, Todd Cameron and Steve Crawford, ventured to the remote filming location in Stewart, British Columbia and, after 21 years, found remains of Outpost #31 and the Norwegian helicopter. The rotor blade from the chopper now belongs to Todd and rests in his collection of memorabilia from the film.
10. There are no female characters in the film. The only female presence in the movie is in the voice of MacReady's chess computer and the contestants seen on the game show that Palmer watches. A scene containing a blow-up doll was filmed and then left on the cutting room floor. According to John Carpenter, only one crew member was female but she was pregnant and this forced her to leave the shoot; she was replaced by a male.
11. There is a character name "Mac" and another named "Windows"; since the film was made in 1982, this is purely coincidental.
12. Nick Nolte turned down the role of MacReady, as did Jeff Bridges.

Night 18 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 18 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Zombie Necklace and Zombie Pinup Retro Ring.

Zombie Necklace $28

Zombie Pinup Retro Ring $12

Purchase either of these items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 18 - Return of the Living Dead

Tagline - They're Back From The Grave and Ready To
Party!
*******

Directed by Dan O'Bannon and released on August 16, 1985 by Orion Pictures Corporation (rated R). While working his first day at a medical warehouse, Freddy (Thom Mathews) learns about the top secret toxic bodies down in the basement from co-worker Frank (James Karen). What else is there to do but go look at them and oops...accidentally set them and the toxins free. Meanwhile, Freddy's wannabe punk rocker friends are waiting for him across the street in the graveyard. Bad place to be when the toxins hit those bodies and well, you know the story.
*******

This has been a long time favorite of mine. I loved it when I saw it on video way back when and was pleasantly surprised that it has held up over the years. Yes, this is a big slice of stinky cheese. The acting is bad, the writing is bad and the outfits....eeeh! The 80's! But if you are a fan of the Living Dead movies, and you can appreciate a great bad movie, then you have to give this a try. It makes me laugh and the soundtrack is great.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Tobe Hooper was originally slated to direct and it was supposed to be filmed in 3-D. Aaah! I did not know this. That would have been soooo cool!!!
2. The eye-test poster (seen most clearly after Frank and Freddy run into Burt's office after hearing the first re-animated cadaver) in Burt's office actually reads "Burt is a slave driver and a cheap son of a b*#ch who's got you and me here" if you put the letters together.
3. Some of the zombie extras were paid more to eat real calf brains in the film. Dan O'Bannon didn't want the actors to do anything he wasn't willing to do and ate some raw calf brains first in front of them.
4. After the "rabid weasels" are brought into the Resurrection Funeral Home and the tarp is removed, what is actually in the bags are those motorized toy monkeys that have the cymbals. The cymbals were removed for obvious reasons.
5. The film's German title is "Verdammt, die Zombies kommen", which is roughly "Oh Crap, the Zombies Are Coming" and the Danish title is "Ligene er ligeglade" which is roughly "The Dead Don't Care" - playing up the comical aspect of the film.
6. On the back of Freddy's jacket, in the theatrical version, the words "F#&k You" are displayed. After realizing that the shot could not be used in case it was ever shown on TV, a second jacket was made that says "Television Version" and can be seen in the TV version of the movie.

Night 17 of "The Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 17 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - I Heart Werewolves Silver Pendant.

I Heart Werewolves Silver Pendant $12

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 17 - Cursed

Tagline - What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Have you ever felt like you're not human
anymore?
*******

Directed by Wes Craven (Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream) and released on February 25, 2005 by Dimension Films (rated PG-13 and released on video as unrated). Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jimmy (Jesse Eisenberg) are attacked one night while trying to rescue a woman from a car accident. Strange feeling are starting to happen to them both since that night. Could that possibly have been a werewolf that attacked them? Hmmmmm... what do you think?
*******

I expected a lot more from this the first time seeing it since it had Wes Craven's name on it. But on a second viewing, where there were no expectations of it, I actually found it fun to watch. It has hummor and lots of furry werewolves running around. While werewolves don't fair too well with the new computer graphics effects there are plenty of non computerized effects too curtisey of Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London).

And it has Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) from Smallville in it with a pretty bad wig as he was still clean shaven for Smallville. Hehehe. A personal favorite of mine.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Plagued by production problems and script issues, this film's release was delayed for over a year. Over half of the movie had to be re-shot with many cast members being replaced due to scheduling conflicts.
2. Mandy Moore was originally cast as Jenny and even filmed her scenes, but was replaced by Mya when the production was halted so the script could be rewritten.
3. When the production was stalled, many cast members were cut, including Illeana Douglas, Heather Langenkamp, Scott Foley, Omar Epps, Robert Forster, James Brolin and Corey Feldman. All of these actors even filmed their scenes which were cut when the movie was re-written and re-shot.
4. Skeet Ulrich originally had a role as the third lead, Christina Ricci's love interest, however when the film was re-scripted and preparing to re-shoot, he was unsatisfied with his characters changes and chose to drop out of the film. His character was then written out altogether.
5. Props of Freddy Krueger and the Elm Street house from Wes Craven's earlier film _Nightmare On Elm Street, A (1984)_ can be seen in the background at Tinseltown during the first scene.
6. The original plot line had three strangers brought together by a car accident in the Hollywood Hills and the subsequent attack of a werewolf. The three characters were named Ellie Hudson (Christina Ricci), Vince Winston (Skeet Ulrich) and Jimmy Myers (Jesse Eisenberg). When the script was re-written, the plot changed and focused on two estranged siblings who had to fight a curse after a werewolf attack. Skeet Ulrich's character was totally re-written and renamed Jake. Since Ellie and Jimmy became brother and sister, Ellie's surname was deleted and became Myers.
7. The cane on display in the beginning of the movie is the same one used in Storm of the Century by Stephen King.
8. In the beginning of the film, Jake shows Ellie a prop iron maiden. The prop is an exact replica of the iron maiden used in the 1960's The Addams Family TV show. Coincidentally, Christina Ricci was in The Addams Family.
9. After the first scene at Tinsel with Ellie (Christina Ricci) and Jake, there's a slow pan of the city. The lights clearly form a pentagram.

Night 16 of "The Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-16T00:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 16 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Vampire Smile Necklace.

Vampire Smile Neckace $16

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 16 - 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 aquried 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, but I always find it an interesting watch.
*******

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','Phantasma II', and 'Le Notti di Salem'.
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.

Night 15 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-15T00:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 15 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Supernatural Protection Charm Bracelet.

Supernatural Protection Charm Bracelet $22

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 15 - Constantine

Tagline - Hell wants him. Heaven won't take him.
              Earth needs him.

              The wager between heaven and hell is on
              Earth
*******

Directed by Francis Lawrence (I am Legend and Water for Elephants) and released on February 18, 2005 by Warner Brothers Pictures (rated R).  Detective John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a man who has literaly been to Hell and back, fights a war against an army of Demons on Earth in the hopes of getting a second chance at life.
*******

First off, it's only fair that I admit "I am a Keanu fan and I don't care who knows!" so that may explain this selection to anyone who is wondering why it made the list 8)

It's not the greatest movie ever made but I always enjoy it. It has lots of dark atmosphere and plenty of creepy little demon things running around. If you like the Haven and Hell theme to your spooky movies this one has it all. It was a graphic novel first and many fans of that where not pleased with the movie. But if you are like me and have never read the graphic novel then it doesn't much matter.

If you take it for what it is, a fun movie that doesn't require much thinking, it's a good watch. And if you like Mr. Reeves, well... need I say more?
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1.Originally, Tarsem Singh was attached to direct with Nicolas Cage to star. However, the director said that "with Cage, I cannot make the film I had wanted to". Soon after Singh left the picture, Cage did as well.
2. In the comic book "Hellblazer" on which the movie is based, the character of John Constantine is from Liverpool, and is drawn to look like the singer Sting. In the movie, the character is from Los Angeles. It is widely believed that the change was made specifically for Keanu Reeves. The truth is the original script retained his nationality but got no response from producers. So the writer changed him to an American and the script quickly gained attention.
3. The original title, Hellblazer, was changed because it was too similar to Hellboy. The movies were scheduled to be released within a short space of time between them and it was decided that having such similar titles would hurt the sales of tickets. Therefore Hellblazer was changed to Constantine.
4. The look of Hell was based on old footage of nuclear tests, specifically the sudden shock wave immediately after the blast that disintegrated anything in its path, hence the crumbling landscape.
5. The tattoo on Constantine's arms is the alchemical symbol of the Red King, which was worn (by him) for protection. It is "the fire triangle with three radiating arrows below represents the 'Perfect Red King,' the Sulfur of the Philosophers."
6. The character of John Constantine was originally created by Alan Moore, during his run on DC Comics' "Swamp Thing". However, following his negative experience with From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Moore decided to reject all money and credit from Hollywood on any adaptations of his work. Thus, he gave all the money he would've gotten to the artist who drew the character with him, and rejected his own "created by" credit from the film.
7. The cigarettes that Constantine smokes in the movie are not real Chinese made cigarettes. The name means "Yangtse River" and the package was a special design for the film.
8. The "Holy Hand Grenades" were actually Christmas ornaments filled with water.
9. In the lower right-hand corner of Isabel's toe tag, there's the number 616. Whilst some people interpret the Mark of the Beast to be 666, others interpret it to be 616, hence its appearance on the toe tag.
10. Keep watching after the end credits for an extra scene.

Night 14 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 14 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have a review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. Make sure to stop by our GIANT Giveaway and enter to win a goodie bag full of frightfully good treats from 17 different shops! But first lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Vampire Bite Choker and Vampire Fangs Necklace

Vampire Bite Choker $15

Vampire Fangs Necklace $16

Purchase either of these items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Night 14 - Fright Night

Tagline - There are some very good reasons to be
              afraid...of the dark.

              If you love being scared, it'll be the night of
              your life.
*******

Written and directed by Tom Holland (Child's Play, The Temp and Thinner) and released on August 2, 1985 by Columbia Pictures (rated R). Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) is a huge horror fan and loves to watch a little late night show called "Fright Night". So when he starts to insist that his new neighbor is a Vampire it's no wonder that no one believes him. Poor crazy Charley.

Of course Charley isn't crazy and his new neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) is a blood sucker. With the help of Peter Vincent "Vampire Killer" (Roddy McDowall), host of "Fright Night", Charley's two friends Amy (Amanda Bearse) and Evil (Stephen) set out to convince Charley that everything is just fine. They fail miserably and must spend the rest of the movie fighting the creatures of the dark.
*******

Yes, the effects are little on the dated side again with this one but a lot of it is still quite good and the rest will make you giggle. If you old enough to remember the 80's you'll find lots to cringe about while watching the outfits go by.

This plays out like a good old fashion horror film. The teenagers run around with no one believing them. The Vampire lives in the big spooky old house next door. They use all the classic Vampire lore in telling the story. It's a fun and slightly creepy ride. Oh, and Charley drives one heck of a nice old Mustang that no regular teenager could actually afford.

What makes me so fond of this movie is Peter Vincent and Fright Night. I wish there was a late night show on just like it. I would so watch that! It may not be Roddy McDowall's best acting roll or movie but it is my favorite to watch. He plays Peter Vincent so well as a unhappy and scared man living behind his alter ego. As the movie progresses he finds the strength to live up to the name "Vampire Killer".

And I have this thing about the extra long fingers that Vampires sport in the movies. It creeps me out to no end. Why? I don't know. It just isn't right! They have got them close to perfect in this movie. Eeeeew!
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. The character Peter Vincent is named for two well know horror actors Peter Cushing and Vincent Price.
2. Chris Sarandon is also known for voicing the character Jack Skellington in "A Nightmare Before Christmas".
3. A puppet that was created for, but not used in, another Columbia Pictures production, Ghost Busters, is visible in Fright Night.
4. The most successful horror film financially of the 1985 Summer season. Also the second highest grossing horror film of 1985. The first was A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge.
5. The fact that Amy resembles a lost love of Dandridge's was Chris Sarandon's idea. He wanted Dandridge to have added dimensions - and not just be some evil bad guy.
6. The film's genesis came in Tom Holland wanting to do a vampire story crossbred with The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Avoiding using special effects at the expense of good acting, Holland included plenty of humour, warmth and relationships. He also wanted to make it valid to a modern audience by rooting it in reality - hence the suburbia setting.
7. Although William Ragsdale and Amanda Bearse are playing teenagers, in reality Ragsdale was 24 and Bearse was 27 during filming.
8. When playing Peter Vincent, Roddy McDowall based his character on some bad actors from the films he used to watch as a child.

Night 13 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 13 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have our next featured shop from our GIANT Giveaway. We also have the review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. First off lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Skull and Bird Silver Pendant

Skull and Bird Silver Pendant $12

Purchase this item from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween Shop Feature - Moonsteam Alchemy/Geek Bliss/Moonsteam Design Studio

Our last featured shop is Moonsteam Alchemy, Geek Bliss and Moonsteam Design Studio run by Sara from Tampa, FL. Moonsteam Alchemy and Geek Bliss are filled with lots of fun lip balms and Moonsteam Design Studio has great digital paper designs.

Black Cat Lip Balm

How did you come up with your shop name? ""Moonsteam" is a word I came up with one day while thinking about my passion for all of my creative projects; it's about working late into the night on projects (as in "often working way too much because I love what I'm doing too much to stop when I should"), working by the light of the moon or just being inspired by it, and working with the power, the "steam" of my own hands & ideas."

""Geek Bliss" was just a fun name I came up with for the first balms I made that were all geek-themed. I first made them for my DragonCon friends...yes, I am a con-going geek. :)"

Absinthe Lip Balm

What inspires Sara's designs? "For Moonsteam stuff, the designs and aesthetics of the 19th - early 20th centuries; for Geek Bliss stuff, whatever TV show or movie I love. :)"

The Matrix Inspired Lip Balms

Why did you choose to open your shop and make what you do? "For fun. Now it's for fun & profit. I first started making lip balms for fun; they were simple to make, I loved designing and theme-ing them, and friends loved them. I still love making them! I started with the geek-themed balms, but my vintage-loving side is much larger than my geek side, so the vintage-themed Moonsteam shop came to be. I love planning new themes and flavors. I plan to eventually expand the balm shops to offer body balms, solid perfumes, and maybe candles."

"I started making digital paper because I could not find what I wanted (I've always been a designer, so if I can't find something, I make it), and because when I did find digital paper I liked, the terms of use were so restricting that it often was not worth buying. The papers I liked never allowed commercial use, and so all the ideas I'd get for using the papers could never be. So I decided to make & sell my own papers and offer very generous terms of use--you can use Moonsteam Design Studio papers for anything except for making scrapbook kits or other paper packs. That means you can use them to create things to sell on Etsy or anywhere else! I want people to be inspired by the papers and create gorgeous stuff and be able to sell their creations & make money!"

Since it's Halloween I had to ask the shops what their favorite horror film is. "I'm not a big fan of scary movies! I like "lightly" scary, haha, such as The Others. My favorite Halloween movies are fun, not scary: Love At First Bite (George Hamilton FTW!), Beetlejuice, and Corpse Bride. :)"

A big thanks to Sara and Moonsteam Alchemy, Geek Bliss and Moonsteam Design Studio for joining in the giveaway. Make sure to stop by see what treats you can find.
*******

Night 13 - The Hitcher

Tagline - The terror starts the moment he stops.

              Never Pick Up A Stranger.

              He came from hell. Don't ask him where he
              wants to go.

             Out on the desert highway, the rule of
             thumb has a different meaning...
*******

Directed by Robert Harmon (They) and released in Febuary 21, 1986 by TriStar Pictures (rated R). A young man, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell), is delivering a car from Chicago to San Diego. Unable to keep his eyes open, he decides to pick up a hitch hiker, John Ryder (Rutger Hauer), standing on the side of the road so he could have someone to talk to. As the passenger door opens Jim utters the infamous line "My mother always told me not to do this". We the viewer know that mom was right but Jim has to learn the hard way.
*******

I used to love Tommy Howell. The I grew up and realized a cute boy does not a good actor make! That aside, this movie is still creepy and fun.

OK...this movie has lots of flaws. Mr. Howell really can't act and it does show in this movie. I don't remember him being so painful in the Outsiders but it has been a long time since I've seen it. Also, it's quite amazing how the hitcher can always be hiding right where Jim is about to show up. Maybe his character is psychic and they forgot to tell us. It's probably laying on the editing room floor.

The silliness aside, there really are some great scary and creepy elements here. It plays on all of those terrible "what could happens" of traveling, especially on your own. Driving in out of the way places, stopping at gas station and rest areas and crossing paths with lots of strangers. Usually harmless things but we all know the horrible things that do happen to people sometimes and that's what feeds the fear here.

What takes that fear and kicks it into high gear is Mr. Hauer himself. This is the first movie I really noticed Rutger Hauer in and it took a good decade to be able to separate him from this character. He is truly scary as the villain here and it shows just how talented of an act he can be.

Besides, the scene with Nash at the truck stop is just classic horror film making. Maybe you don't get to see as much as nowadays but it's horrible all the same.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1.The writer of the screenplay, Eric Red, has said the story was inspired by the Doors song "Riders on the Storm".
2. Sam Elliott was originally signed up to play the hitcher but had to back out due to a scheduling conflict.
3. Rutger Hauer knocked out one of his teeth with the shotgun he was holding during the windshield scene.

All Hallow's Grim Blog Party 2011

2011-10-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome everyone from the "All Hallow's Grim Blog Party". Here at Laughing Vixen Lounge we've been celebrating our "Attack of the 31 Night's of Halloween" with our Movie List and nightly reviews of the movies. Our GIANT Giveaway and shop features on all of the 17 shops participating. Make sure to take a moment and check them out! Tonight our special blog party post is...

Top 10 Vampire Movies

Ok, so this really should be called "9 movies and a TV series" but who's counting? These are just a handful of favorites.

10. Nosferatu - 1922

There are some things in life that truly creep you out. This is one of them for me. The long fingers and the pointy teeth....muwblah! Creeps me out to no end! I did sit down and watch this once so I could say I had actually seen it. It's a great movie, why it made the list, but it's the stuff of nightmares for this Vixen.

Vampire Fangs Necklace $16

09. The Last Man On Earth - 1964

The first movie version of the novel "I am Legend" staring Vincent Price. Later film versions of the book include "The Omega Man" 1971 with Charlton Heston and "I am Legend" 2007 with Will Smith. It's a bleak and lonely look at a man who has survived a plague and is left to fight the infected. And hey, Vincent Price, how could you go wrong?

Hearse Necklace $25

08. Near Dark - 1987

Starring Bill Paxton, Adrian Pasdar and Lance Hendrickson. This is a darkly fun little film about a cowboy who ends up part of a wicked and nasty Vampire family. Bill Paxton, a long time favorite here, steals the show.

Vampire Bite Choker $15

07. Buffy The Vampire Slayer - 1992

I remember seeing this at the Drive-In shortly after I graduated from high school. It was fun then and it's still fun now. The TV series has been the version that everyone talks about but the movie deserves it's own attention. It was a smart and funny film. If you haven't seen it for awhile give it a watch some night. It's a great guilty pleasure.

Being a huge Christian Slater fan at the time, the best line in the movie was....
"All I want to do is graduate from high school, go to Europe, marry Christian Slater and die".

I Heart Vampires Silver Pendant $12

06. Salem's Lot - 1979

Based on a short story by Stephen King and directed by Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), this was a mini series for television. It stares David Soul from "Starsky and Hutch" fame as a writer who returns to his hometown. Unfortunately so has a Vampire! And this one is in true Nosferatu fashion. Ick! The movie is not real scary or gory, as it was made for long ago TV, but I always find it an interesting watch.

Vampire Smile Necklace $16

05. The Lost Boys - 1987

This movie came out when I was in high school and we all thought it was the greatest thing ever! I'm serious, we were fanatic about this movie. Wearing jackets with the logo on the back? That's right. Calling each other by our favorite character's name? Oh yeah. And no, I won't tell you who I was. Ha!

It was the Twilight of my generation. Except it was a true outright Vampire movie. They roamed at night, killed people, terrorized the locals and then returned to their cave to hang by their creepy little bat toes. It's always a blast from the past.

Vampire Bite Choker Style B $16

04. Shadow Of The Vampire - 2000

Willem Dafoe, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated actors around. This movie shows how amazing he can be. It's an interesting take on the filming of the classic "Nosferatu". What if the movie was so convincing because the lead actor really was a Vampire? If you haven't seen it, do! It's a great piece of work. Willem Dafoe is almost unrecognisable as Max Schreck.

Am I the only one that noticed that creepy Nosferatu Vampire has popped up in three of the movies now?

Vampires Make Better Boyfriends Silver Pendant $12

03. Fright Night - 1985

OK, so the movie is a little dated looking but oh, is it lovely. This is just so much fun. Vampire moves in next door and no one will believe the one guy who happens to be paying attention. The show stealer here is Roddy McDowall as "Peter Vincent - Vampire Killer" and his show "Fright Night". As a fan of those late night shows I love this little tribute to them.

Vintage Bats Silver Pendant $12

02. True Blood - 2008 to present

Originally I had no desire to watch True Blood because another Vampire show didn't sound too exciting. They had been a bit overdone at the time. My sister in-law mentioned how much she was enjoying them and she never watches anything in that genre! So when she said she was having trouble with one of the episodes playing I set out to watch just the beginning of each episode to see which one had the problem. Ha! The little opening bit of the first episode and I was completely hooked. Then devoured the first season in a couple of days.

It's a fresh take on the usual story line. Vampire coming out of the coffin and trying to mainstream with the humans. It's adult and that's a welcome change. There is blood, there is colorful language and oh my yes, there is sex! But I like that the boys are naked much more than the girls. It's about time! And it is always a captivating story line each season. And yes, Sam is the favorite TB boy here at The Lounge. Though there are many Vampire/Were boys to hold your attention. The only downside, waiting the nine months in between each season.

True Blood Ultimate Charm Bracelet $65

01. Dracula - 1931

Number one had to be the original classic. Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula is so iconic. The movie is filmed beautifully with a great eerie atmosphere. I really love the old black and white monster movies and this is one of the greats.

I mean really, Bella Lugosi standing at the top of the long stair case delivering the line "The children of the night, what music they make", does it get much better than that?

Classic Monster Mash Charm Bracelet $45 (special order item)

Night 12 of "The Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-12T00:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 12 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have our next featured shop from our GIANT Giveaway. We also have the review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. First off lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Items - "Black Cat in Orange Retro Ring" and "Vintage Ouija Board Retro Ring"

Black Cat in Orange Retro Ring $12

Vintage Ouija Board Retro Ring $12

Purchase either of these items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween Shop Features - Junkmill and Washable Art

Tonight's first featured shop is Junkmill run by Chandra from Rockford, MI. Her shop is full of great graphic design sheets you can use for all of your crafting needs. This is the amazing designer who made all of the Zombie Pin Ups you'll find exclusively at Laughing Vixen Lounge. But don't worry, she has more of these beauties available in her shop.

Zombie Pinups Digital Collage Sheet

How did you come up with your shop name? "Junk (what we have) + mill (what we do) = Junkmill

When I’m mixing elements in Photoshop to create the collage images, I imagine a little clockwork-style mill grinding away in the back of my brain with gears and whistles and smokestacks, so when I stumbled across the term, it just stuck. I like that it hints at what the shop is about, yet it has a bit of mystery. It’s actually a mining term for a huge drill bit designed to tear through junk, concrete and metal."

The Raven Digital Collage Sheet

What inspires Chandra's designs? "I tend to follow my own interests and whims when designing collage sheets and, more recently, collecting junk embellishments for the shop. I always work from the premise that if I think an image or object is interesting, unique or inspiring, it’s likely others will too. I am consistently drawn to macabre imagery, but lately my designs have been a little more kitsch, like the zombie pin-ups, the horror-inspired dollheads and the rockabilly girls. As my significant other (aka “the guy who drives all the shop orders to the post office”) explains it when his friends ask, “It’s humorous and horrifying at the same time, not that flowery, girly stuff.”

Macabre Minis Digital Collage Sheet

Why did you choose to open your shop? "After hunting high and low for cool, creepy collage sheets and coming up empty-handed, I started collecting my own images and putting together sheets for myself and my collage artist friends. When I discovered Etsy, I thought I’d list a few of the sheets “just to see,” and Junkmill was born. It turns out that my friends and I weren’t the only ones looking for dark and moody collage images. I offer a range of subject material, but the gothic, spooky and creepy themes that started Junkmill continue to be the most popular."

Since it's Halloween I had to ask the shops what their favorite horror film is. "For sheer wide-eyed, up-all-night terror, nothing spooked me quite as like Jacob’s Ladder, though Session 9 came awfully close. But my hands-down favorite “horror” movie has to be Spider Baby. So kooky and creepy …"

A big thanks to Chandra and Junkmill for joining in the giveaway. Make sure to stop by the shop and see what creepy goodies you can find.
*******

Up next is Washable Art run by Catherine who lives in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Her shop is filled with such cute and unique soap with lots of fun Halloween designs.

Bubbling Cauldron Soap

How did you decide on your shop name? "Actually, my name is changing! Washable Art is becoming Clean Slate Bath & Body. It is significant to me in many ways, and very meaningful. It came to me at the strangest moment, and it's absolutely right."

Bubbles In Black Soap

What inspires your designs? "I am inspired by silly, beautiful, intelligent people. I am inspired by color, nature, word play and the subtle complexity of language. I am inspired by children, ridiculous coincidences, and all of the senses. Honestly, I can think of very few things that haven't sparked ideas in me."

Waiter, There's A Brain In My Soap

Why did you chose to start your shop? "I am a mad scientist: I grind potions with mortar and pestle, experiment with ratios and colloids. I am a mad artist: I combine colors and textures, shapes and scents. To my delight, others have responded to my madness. My shop is the happy result!"

Since it's Halloween I had to ask the shops what their favorite horror film is. "You know what? The Blair Witch Project still scares the crap out of me. It's not the witchy part, but rather the eventual hopelessness of the 3 characters involved. Their reactions to getting lost, staying lost, being scared, and losing hope. Human frailty and loss of control is what's REALLY scary! I also recently saw a low-rated movie called "Frozen", about 3 people getting stuck in a chair lift... I was surprised at how horribly scary I found it. Probably because there was so much focus on the psychology of the people involved."

A big thanks to Catherine and Washable Art for joining in the giveaway. Make sure to stop by the shop and find yourself a fun little treat.
*******

Now for tonight's movie. Make sure to leave a comment below. Anyone who leaves a comment, with their opinion of the movie, for each of the 31 movies will get an extra 10 entries in our GIANT Giveaway.

Night 12 - Carrie

Tagline - A chilling blend of AMERICAN GRAFFITI
              and PSYCHO.
              If You've Got A Taste For Terror... Take
              Carrie To The Prom.
              If only they knew she had the power.
*******

Directed by Brian De Palma and released on November 3, 1976 by United Artists (rated R). Carrie (Sissy Spacek) is a shy teen who has no friends. The other girls play horrible jokes on her and tease her to no end. Sue (Amy Irving) feels sorry for for Carrie and convinces her boyfriend Tommy (William Katt) to take Carrie to the prom. Carrie is happy and finally feels like she is part of the crowd. Unfortunately not everyone is happy to have her there and a cruel joke begins a night of terror!
*******

This movie is just creepy. Carrie's house with all the creepy religious statues that look not quite right. Oh yeah, and that mother! No wonder Carrie had issues. Plus a young John Travolta, Sissy Spacek and Amy Irving. It's a good cast and it's based on a good Stephen King book. Oh, don't forget the pig's blood. Eeeew! The ending really is just classic movie imagery.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Sissy Spacek wasn't considered for the role of Carrie until her husband, art director Jack Fisk, convinced director Brian De Palma to allow her to audition. Until that, De Palma was wedded to the idea of Amy Irving playing Carrie; when Spacek got the part instead, De Palma gave Irving the smaller role of Sue.
2. Betty Buckley, who plays the gym teacher in the film, went on to star as Carrie's mother in the ill-fated Pitchford/Gore musical version of Carrie. The song "When There's No One" from the show is included on Buckley's Sterling records release "Children Will Listen". No official cast album exists, although several unofficial recordings have been made.
3. The dizzying camera shot during the prom scene was achieved by placing William Katt and Sissy Spacek on a platform that was spinning in one direction, while the camera was being dollied in the opposite direction.
4. The name of the high school is Bates High, a reference to Norman Bates from Psycho. In addition, the four note violin theme from Psycho is used over and over in the film.
5. This was the first Stephen King novel adapted into a movie.
6. John Travolta drives a 1967 Chevelle SS 396 hardtop in this film, and in Pulp Fiction, he drove a 1964 Chevelle Malibu convertible.
7. Nancy Allen claims that she never realized that her character was going to be so evil until she saw the finished film, she thought that she and John Travolta were playing such self-centered, bickering morons that they were there for comic relief. Piper Laurie also thought that the character of Margaret White was so over the top that the film had to be a comedy.
8. In Carrie's house, the statue of a religious figure shot with arrows represents St. Sebastian. It is not a crucifix and does not represent Jesus Christ.
9. Amy Irving's feature film debut.
10. Amy Irving admits that she originally hated the script when she first received it. After seeing the finished film, she thought it was simply 'magic' and loved it.
11. The ring that Amy Irving wears throughout the movie was a gift to her from Stephen King the author of the book the film is based on.
12. Screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen went on to collaborate with composer Michael Gore and lyricist Dean Pitchford and create "Carrie: The Musical", which debuted with the Royal Shakespeare Company, directed by Terry Hands and choreographed by Debbie Allen in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom in 1988. Later that same year, the production was transferred to Broadway, where Betty Buckley replaced Barbara Cook as Margaret White. The Broadway run only lasted five performances, and it is considered by many to be the most spectacular flop in Broadway history. However, Linzi Hateley, who played the title role in her Broadway debut, won a Theatre World Award for her performance.
13. According to the audio commentary on the DVD, Carrie is a composite of two girls Stephen King knew, though only one of them was a classmate of his. Prior to the publication of Carrie, his first published novel, King had been an English teacher. The second girl who inspired Carrie was one of his students.

Night 11 of "The Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 11 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have our next featured shop from our GIANT Giveaway. We also have the review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. First off lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - "Cute Ghost" Silver Pendant and "The Owl and The Moon" Silver Pendant.

Cute Ghost Silver Pendant $12

The Owl and The Moon Silver Pendant $12

I thought these two designs went well with tonight's movie. Purchase either of these items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10

*******

Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween Shop Feature - Miss Bohemia

Tonight's featured shop is Miss Bohemia run by Jen from the UK. Her shop is filled with fun jewelry that echos fairytales and gothic romance.

Gothic Vampire Bat Earrings

How did you decide on your shop name? "I was drawn to the word bohemian as it is a term taken to mean 'free of rules' and unconventional, and this seemed perfect for both me as an individual and my creations, which are often seen as an eclectic mix of styles which fuses everything from dark fairytales to Victorian and vintage inspired creations."

Phantom Of The Opera Necklace

Why did you choose to open your shop? "I’ve always been creative (usually through art) but once I started making jewellery, it became an obsession and after increasing requests from friends and family I decided to set up a shop online and see where it led to. I now also create accessories and fabric based designs too."

Vampire Bite Bracelet

What inspires Jen to make her designs? "I tend to draw inspiration from everywhere and believe that beauty and magic can be drawn from almost everything. I like to combine a mix of modern and vintage elements in my work and this probably developed from my love of art, costumes and jewellery from different eras. I also love reading fairytales and scary books and especially books (and films) that merge the two together. This often influences my designs i.e. Alice In Wonderland Collection, Phantom of the Opera Jewellery as well as the more gothic and vampire designs. For me, being creative is both my dream and my passion! This is what keeps me motivated and inspired!

Since it's Halloween I had to ask the shops what their favorite horror film is. "I’m still not sure why I love watching scary movies and it’s hard for me to choose a favourite, but I would like to mention the 2 movies I never want to see again lol! They are “Halloween” and “The Omen”!"

A big thanks to Jen and Miss Bohemia for joining in the giveaway. Make sure to stop by the shop and see what gothic goodies are inside.
*******

Now for tonight's movie. Make sure to leave a comment below. Anyone who leaves a comment, with their opinion of the movie, for each of the 31 movies will get an extra 10 entries in our GIANT Giveaway.

Night 11 - Poltergeist

Tagline - They're here.
It knows what scares you.
The first real ghost story.
*******

Directed by Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Salem's Lot and Body Bags), written by Steven Spielberg and released on June 4, 1982 by MGM/UA (rated PG. The Freeling family starts to experience some "odd" going ons in their house. It's interesting until their little girl goes missing. Not knowing what to do the family brings in a group of paranormal experts to help. Can they help find Carol Ann before it's too late.
*******

I enjoy watching this movie. By today's standards it wouldn't be considered very scary but I think it's a nice mix of creepy and childhood scary. Meaning it plays on lots of childhood fears. The fear of the dark, the thing under the bed and of course the monster in the closet. Plus it has good actors. And really...who doesn't think that clown is freakin' scary looking?!!

I also found myself extremely nostalgic looking at all the toys in the kid's bedroom and at all the 80's electronics/fashions/etc. If you haven't seen it for awhile it might be a nice treat.
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. The hands which pull the flesh off the investigator's face in the bathroom mirror are Steven Spielberg's.
2. As an homage to his friend George Lucas, Spielberg populated the children's bedroom with Star Wars toys. He did the same in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
3. Heather O'Rourke, who played the little girl Carol-Anne, and Dominique Dunne, who played the teenage daughter, are buried in the same cemetery: Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Dunne was strangled into brain-death by her boyfriend in 1982, the year of the film's release. Six years later, O'Rourke died of intestinal stenosis.
4. The film was originally given a R rating, but the filmmakers protested successfully and got a PG rating (the PG-13 rating did not exist at the time).
5. The sound effect for the beast that attacks the house at the end of the movie is the source for the current MGM lion roar.
6. The house used to film this movie is located in Simi Valley, California where it still stands today. The family who owned it when this movie was filmed still live there today.
7. A common translation of the German word "Poltergeist" is "rumbling spirit".
8. Stephen King was briefly approached to write the screenplay. It would have been the first written by King directly for the screen, but the parties could not agree on the terms.

Night 10 of "The Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-10T00:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 10 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have our next featured shop from our GIANT Giveaway. We also have the review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. First off lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Vampire Fangs Necklace.

Vampire Fangs Necklace $16

Purchase this necklace from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
*******

Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween Shop Feature - The Sideshow Soap Co

Tonight's featured shop is The Sideshow Soap Co run by Jessica out of New York. This shop is filled with great bath and body products all wrapped up in a fun Sideshow Carnival theme.

Human Blockhead Body Scrub

How did you decide on your shop name? "I have always loved circus sideshows and curiosities, and I myself am a bit of a "clean freak" so The Sideshow Soap Co. For Clean Freaks seemed a like a natural fit!"

Albino Alligator Luxurious Lotion

What inspires Jessica's designs? "Everything! Old movies like Tod Browning's Freaks for one, burlesque and sideshow culture, books, works of art. Almost anything can be translated into scent so the possibilities are endless."

Full Moon Soap

Why did you decide to start a shop and fill it with this type of product? "I love making soap and bath and body products so much that I wanted to share it with anyone else who appreciates my eccentric perspective. I am an indie bath and body junkie myself so I share any product that I like enough that I would buy it for myself. I am a tough critic!"

Since it's Halloween I had to ask the shops what their favorite horror film is. "The Omen. I love religious and supernatural horror."

A big thanks to Jessica and The Sideshow Soap Co for joining in the giveaway. Make sure to stop by the shop and see what freaky good treats are waiting for you inside.
*******

Now for tonight's movie. Make sure to leave a comment below. Anyone who leaves a comment, with their opinion of the movie, for each of the 31 movies will get an extra 10 entries in our GIANT Giveaway.

Night 10 - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Tagline - Sometimes it takes more than just good
              looks to kill.

              She knows a sucker when she sees one.

              Homework. Cheerleading practice. Killing
              Vampires. No one said high school would
              be easy.
*******

Directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui and released on July 31, 1992 by Twentieth Century Fox (rated PG-13). Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is your typical high school girl. She's busy with cheerleading, parties, clothes, friends, boys and stuff. And if that wasn't enough one day she finds out she is "the chosen one" who must rid her town of blood sucking Vampires. It's like so totally uncool!
*******

I remember seeing this at the Drive-In shortly after I graduated from high school. It was fun then and it's still fun now. The TV series has been the version that everyone talks about but the movie deserves it's own attention. It was a smart and funny film. If you haven't seen it for awhile give it a watch some night. It's a great guilty pleasure.

Being a huge Christian Slater fan at the time, the best line in the movie was....
"All I want to do is graduate from high school, go to Europe, marry Christian Slater and die".
*******

Some trivia about the movie...
1. Ben Affleck appears in one scene as a basketball player.
2. Seth Green and Chi Muoi Lo are the only actors to appear in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Green was cut from the feature film but still appeared on the videotape box.
3. Alyssa Milano was originally set to play Buffy.
4. Despite claiming he was cut from the movie, Seth Green does appear in it - although it are just 3 seconds and the 2 of it he is seen from behind. He is the short red haired vampire that gets kicked by Buffy outside the gym while a group of vampires, including him, taunt her. You can recognize him by his haircut alone.
5. The original script by Joss Whedon was heavily re-written to make the film "lighter". In the original script, Buffy burns down the school gym that the dance is being held in, in an effort to destroy the vampires. In the television series (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) this fact is referred to several times, as the series is seen as a spin-off of the original, unproduced screenplay rather than this film.
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Night 9 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-09T00:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to night 9 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have our next featured shop from our GIANT Giveaway. We also have the review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. First off lets get to our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge.

Tonight's Featured Item - Dexter Inspired "Killer Charm Bracelet".

Killer Charm Bracelet $32

Purchase the Dexter Inspired "Killer Charm Bracelet" from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween Shop Feature - Hell In A Handbag

Tonight's featured shop is Hell In A Handbag run by Erin from Nowheresville, California USA. Her shop is filled with vintage finds and custom artwork.

So why Hell In A Handbag? "Seemed fitting. ;)"

What inspires Erin's designs? "Tattoo art, pop art, kooky culture, movies, horror, vintage fashion."

Why did you decide to start your shop? "I needed a new outlet for my "art" & vintage goodies." And why did you choose to make what you do? "I think they choose me. I'll just see something old and it calls out to be revamped."

Since it's Halloween I had to ask the shops what their favorite horror film is."How do I pick just one?! I'm a sucker for vampires, and I dig zombies, *hardy har har* but of all time, I think I'd hafta go with the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Scared the s*#t outta me."

A big thanks to Erin and Hell In A Handbag for joining in the giveaway. Make sure to stop by the shop and see what ghastly good products are hiding there.
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Now for tonight's movie. Make sure to leave a comment below. Anyone who leaves a comment, with their opinion of the movie, for each of the 31 movies will get an extra 10 entries in our GIANT Giveaway.

Night 9 - Psycho

Taglines - No One ... BUT NO ONE ... Will Be
               Admitted To The Theatre After The Start
               Of Each Performance Of Alfred
               Hitchcock's Psycho.

               It Is Required That You See Psycho From
               The Very Beginning!

               Don't give away the ending - it's the only
               one we have!
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Alfred Hitchcock directed this film version of the novel by Robert Bloch. Released by Paramount Studios (but actually owned by and filmed at Universal Studios) on August 25, 1960. Secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) decides on a whim to steal $40,000 and run off to be with her boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin). She may have gotten away with it if she had not made one fatal error...stopping at The Bates Motel for the night. Caretaker Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his "Mother" make this an unfortunate night for Marion. Can her sister Lila Crane (Vera Miles) and Sam solve the mystery of what happened to Marion or will they fall prey to The Bates Motel too?
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I simply adore this movie. The black and white is gorgeous and the music is divine. It truly is one of the scariest scores out there. The fact that it's over 50 years old, there is no gore and not a lot of violence, and it can still scare you is a testament to how well made it is.

Anthony Perkins is brilliant as the overgrown child Norman Bates. His dialogue with Marion in the parlour is engrossing. He goes from innocent to dark and back again with ease (this probably should have been her cue to leave right then and there!). The whole scene where he cleans the bathroom just makes my skin crawl.

I know I'm probably the only one that actually liked the Gus VanSant remake of Psycho but Vince Vaughn did a great job at the role of Norman. It's always tricky stepping into an iconic role like that but I think he did good at capturing Anthony Perkins' Norman while still making it his own. Either way you look at it it's still creepy watching either of them eating those candy corns with that slightly evil smile.

And there's the house. I love it and the motel. Just plain creepy and wonderful!
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Some trivia about the movie...
1. Alfred Hitchcock bought the rights to the novel anonymously from Robert Bloch for only US$9,000. He then bought up as many copies of the novel as he could to keep the ending a secret.
2. Alfred Hitchcock's cameo is about four minutes in wearing a cowboy hat outside Marion's office.
3. Walt Disney refused to allow Alfred Hitchcock to film at Disneyland in the early 1960s because Hitchcock had made "that disgusting movie "Psycho".
4. In the opening scene, Marion Crane is wearing a white bra because Alfred Hitchcock wanted to show her as being "angelic". After she has taken the money, the following scene has her in a black bra because now she has done something wrong and evil. Similarly, before she steals the money, she has a white purse; after she's stolen the money, her purse is black.
5. Marion's white 1957 Ford sedan is the same car (owned by Universal) that the Cleaver family drove on "Leave It to Beaver" (1957).
6. First American film ever to show a toilet flushing on screen.
7. The novel "Psycho", written by Robert Bloch, was actually part of a series of pulp novels marketed in conjunction with the popular spooky radio show "Inner Sanctum".
8. To ensure the people were in the theaters at the start of the film (rather than walking in part way through) the studio provided a record to play in the foyer of the theaters. The album featured background music, occasionally interrupted by a voice saying "Ten minutes to Psycho time," "Five minutes to Psycho time," and so on.
9. The Bates house was largely modeled on an oil painting at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The canvas is called "House by the Railroad" and was painted in 1925 by American iconic artist Edward Hopper. The architectural details, viewpoint and austere sky is almost identical as seen in the film.
10. In the murder scene in the shower, we never see the knife actually touching the victim's body.
11. The last shot of Norman Bates' face has a still frame of a human skull superimposed on it, almost subliminally. The skull is that of Mother.
12. Alfred Hitchcock strictly mandated, and even wrote into theater managers' contracts, that no one arriving after the start of each showing of "Psycho" would be admitted into the theater until the beginning of the next showing.

Night 8 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween"

2011-10-08T01:38:00.000-07:00

It's Night 8 of "Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween". Tonight we have 2 new featured shops from our GIANT Giveaway. We also have the review of the next movie on our Halloween Movie List. But first off is our featured item of the night from Laughing Vixen Lounge. Enjoy!

Tonight's Featured Items - Cute Monsters Silver Pendant and Charm Bracelet.

Cute Monsters Silver Pendant $12

Cute Monsters Charm Bracelet $45

These cute little aliens and monsters go great with tonight's movie. Purchase either of these items from Laughing Vixen Lounge during October and get 10% off. Use code OCTOBER10
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Attack of the 31 Nights of Halloween Shop Feature - Zombee Candle and Spooky Bones Company

Our first featured shop is Zombee Candle which is run by Kate out of Louisiana. Her shop is filled with lots of sweet sounding candles.

So where did the name Zombee Candle come from? "I actually had a dream that I was calling my candles "little zombies" which isn't all that unusual since I love zombies and the undead in general ... the "bee" element came later when I was building my brand. Luckily it all worked out!"

What inspires Kate's designs? "I have always had a super-sensitive nose, so I'm constantly inspired by different scents. Zombee Meadow is a great example - smells like fresh cut grass, which is one of the most memory-triggering scents for most people. One of my limited edition scents, Hallowed Ground smells like burning leaves, which reminds me of autumn and the cemetery I played in as a child. It never fails, someone always has a scent memory that matches up with one of my little Zombees!"

Why did you decide to start your shop? "I've always wanted to own my own business. I'd love to eventually have a spooky gift shop, but I didn't want to go the traditional route of borrowing an obscene amount of money from the bank and then spending 2 or 3 years trying to simultaneously pay on the loan and turn a small profit until things level out. So, I started small and it turns out that I love my Zombees maybe even more than my original idea of running an actual storefront!"

Why candles? "I love candles! But, the majority of candles are made with paraffin wax which is really toxic, so I thought I'd give something organic a try. Soy wax burns beautifully and holds fragrance so well! It is also really easy to clean up so I'm able to re-use containers and do special candles in antique glass pieces."

Since it's Halloween I had to ask the shops what their favorite horror film is. "This question is nearly impossible to answer. There are so many sub-categories! But, I can definitely make some suggestions. I love slasher films, my favorite being Halloween & Halloween II [which picks up right after the first one ends], the Scream trilogy is also amazing - slashers have a perfect balance of fear, sex and humor. My other favorite scary movies include The Thing, The Shining ["REDRUM!"], Rosemary's Baby ["this isn't a dream, this is really happening!" haha], Suspiria, The Exorcist ... then there are the family movies, I suggest Hocus Pocus as my number ONE family Halloween film, Practical Magic, Halloweentown series. And then the zombie films ... Night of the Living Dead wins, surely. Romero forever!! Dawn of the Dead ... I also highly recommend Shaun of the Dead for the die-hards out there. It's a movie made for zombie nerds!! For the record: 28 Days Later is amazing, but those are not zombies, sorry. I'll save that argument for another time ..."

A big thanks to Kate and Zombee Candle for joining in the giveaway. Take a moment to peruse her shop and see what tempting treats await.
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Our second shop tonight is Spooky Bones Company run by Amber from Richmond, VA. Her shop has lots of fun sparkly nail polish with creepy spooky names.

How did you come up with your name? "I had Halloween gel window clings that said Spooky and Bones."

What inspires your colors of polish? "Horror and Comedy."

Why did you decide to open your shop and make nail polish? "I wanted a color no else made. I opened my shop so other people could have a unique polish all to themselves."

Since it's Halloween I had to ask the shops what their favorite horror film is. Amber said "Shaun of the Dead."

A big thanks to Amber and Spooky Bones Company for joining in the giveaway. Make sure to stop by the shop and see what ghastly good products are hiding there.
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Now for tonight's movie. Make sure to leave a comment below. Anyone who leaves a comment, with their opinion of the movie, for each of the 31 movies will get an extra 10 entries in our GIANT Giveaway.

Night 8 - Alien

Taglines - In space no one can hear you scream.
Sometimes the scariest things come from
within
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Directed by Ridley Scott and released on May 25, 1979 by Twentieth Century Fox (rated R). The crew of the Nostromos are awaken from hypersleep to check out a SOS signal from a nearby planet. Once they land they discover it was no SOS but a warning which has come too late! As they head back to Earth something has decided to hitch a ride with them and it doesn't like to play nice.
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This is one of the greats. It's a classic horror story but set in a Sci Fi setting. The atmosphere is dark and spooky, the suspense is good and the monster is still too cool. It may seem very slow paced by today's standards but if you like a well made movie the pace is just fine. And the little face huggers? Oh, you know they're still creepy little bug things! Eeek! Where did it go?
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Some trivia about the movie...
1. An early draft of the script had a male Ripley, making this one of at least three films where Sigourney Weaver played a character originally planned to be a man. The second is The TV Set and the third is Vantage Point.
2. Three aliens were made: a model; a suit for seven-footer Bolaji Badejo; and another suit for a trained stunt man.
3. Ridley Scott's 2003 director's cut largely came about when over 100 boxes of footage of his 1979 original were discovered in a London vault.
4. For the awakening from hypersleep segment, Veronica Cartwright and Sigourney Weaver had to wear white surgical tape over their nipples so as not to offend certain countries.
5. To get Jones the cat react fearfully to the descending Alien, a German Shepherd was placed in front of him with a screen between the two, so the cat wouldn't see it at first, and came over. The screen was then suddenly removed to make Jones stop, and start hissing.
6. The character of Ash did not appear in Dan O'Bannon's original script.
7. The original title was "Star Beast".
8. The original name for the spaceship was Snark. This was later changed to Leviathan before they finally settled for Nostromo.
9. The dead facehugger that Ash autopsies was made using fresh shellfish, four oysters and a sheep kidney to recreate the internal organs.
10. Ridley Scott reportedly said that originally he wanted a much darker ending. He planned on having the alien bite off Ripley's head in the escape shuttle, sit in her chair, and then start speaking with her voice in a message to Earth. Apparently, 20th Century Fox wasn't too pleased with such a dark ending.