Random Xmas movie part 1

movie:  The Grinch
starring:  Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones
genre: Comedy, Cartoon
year: 2018
format: Crave

plot: When the holiday hits the town of Whoville, everyone gets a little bit crazy, as the mayor has informed them to make everything three times larger than previous years. This is bad news for the Grinch, who just wants a quiet holiday. Deciding he must stop the festival, he hatches a plan to steal everyone's xmas related things. Meanwhile, a local group of kids decide to stay up late and capture Santa. Unknown to them, they accidentally trap the Grinch instead.

Okay, so if you've been following me for any amount of time, you know I don't celebrate winter holidays, so for me to sit down and watch an xmas movie something is going on. In this case I was looking for something for the upcoming Foodn'Flix.  I actually ended up liking this new version of the story.

The characters in this new version of The Grinch have more depth and they are fleshed out a lot more than previous versions. You get to know the kids in the neighbourhood as characters this time around with personalities which is something previous versions didn't really do.  And the addition of the reindeer buddy was cute.  I found myself giggling at the scenes of the Grinch, his dog and the reindeer thinking they'd make a great buddy comedy.  Which, is basically what this boils down to be. An animated buddy comedy with some over the top slapstick gags. Which, are actually funny.

I think this version is smart, witty and likeable.   Though, ironically, I decided not to go with this for Foodn'Flix, it's got a ton of food scenes.

The moral of the story hasn't really changed, the Grinch unwittingly reminds everyone the lesson that having tons of stuff isn't the point of the holidays, or the point of anything really. The rest of the town seem to bounce back from their "loss" easily as if it never happened.

I will say this about the film though, you almost get a sense that the producers/directors wanted to give the Grinch a romance because they point out more than a few times that the lady down the road is a single mom.  That would have been an interesting twist I think.

13 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 11

Day 11

movie: Wishmaster 2 Evil Never Dies
starring: Andrew Divoff, Holly Fields
genre: Horror, Comedy
year: 1999
format: TV Edit

plot: When an art thief accidentally releases a centuries old djinn, she finds herself in the middle of a prophecy trying to return him to his prison.

This is a made for tv/straight to video sequel.

This is suppose to be a horror film, but like so many movies that were released between 1997 and 2012, it plays more like a comedy. The moments it hits the horror is sadly with too much of the gore factor and not really what I consider horror. The story itself is pretty much been done to death and I actually found myself cheering on the djinn played by Divoff.

Honestly, the idea is there, I just felt it was lost under the typical religion vs the world thing that horror films have fallen prey to so often.

Divoff is about the only bright spot in this. He plays the villain as the straight man in what feels like a bad comedy duo. The fact the djinn begins paling around with a Russian mobster begins to make the audience believe he's softened, as the movie begins to dip into buddy comedy territory. Which, plays better than the rest of the plot of bringing on the end of days.

I'm going to bury this here in the graveyard. I'll be back tomorrow with another treat for your Hallowe'en displeasure.

13 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 10

Day 10

movie: Sheep Skin
starring: Michael Schantz, Laurence Mullaney
genre: Crime, Thriller
year: 2013
format: TV Edit

plot: After his sister is killed, a drug addict and his friends kidnap the ex-boyfriend, believing he's a werewolf.

Not really a horror film, not really a thriller either, but a decent drama. Except for the first five minutes, everything happens within one room, and the character's paranoia pits everyone against each other. I think that's what brilliant about this story. It plays on the claustrophobia and mistrust created by the fear and prejudice the main characters already have. You've got a great metaphor happening for 90% of this film, the other 10% is ...well a werewolf movie.

The pay off in the last 2 minutes, you can see coming a mile away, but it works. I found myself smirking and nodding to the last scene as the screen went black. It takes a long time to get to the point, but the rest of the movie is actually good. You don't mind how long it takes to get to it.

And yes, there is a werewolf transformation, even though it ends up more of a man in a gorilla suite which makes you laugh out loud. I don't know if the intention was just to straight up do a werewolf movie, or if the intention was more to explore the metaphor of fear? I felt it did one better than the other. Through most of the movie you are watching the lead character lose his mind more and more as he's trying to prove he's right and coming up empty. The fact that midway the character is caught taking a handful of pills, causing his credibility to be questioned helps to put more doubt in the viewer's mind.

As a movie about fear and paranoia, this is pretty decent.

Okay, I'm going to bury this here in the graveyard. I'll be back tomorrow with another treat for your Hallowe'en displeasure.

13 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 3

Day 3

movie: Dead Cert
starring: Janet Montgomery, Steven Berkoff
genre: Crime, Action
year: 2010
format: TV Edit

plot: A club owner makes a bet with a drug lord named The Wolf, and loses his club. Before long, a vampire hunter arrives and informs him that the drug lord is really one of the most powerful vampires in the world.

I've seen more vampire movies than most, and have to say this was decent enough. The baseline is good, a small time underground fighter turned businessman gets conned by a mobster into giving up his property, only to find out these mobsters are centuries old vampires. It's very much in the same vein as From Dusk Till Dawn.  The idea of using a strip club as a vampire front is even older than Dusk was,(Vamp, To Sleep with a Vampire) but it's a plot device that works. It makes sense and fits the metaphor of it being a feeding ground for all sorts of desires.

There's a few things going on here, from the idea of an old fashioned turf war, to what's the braking point for loyalty. I liked the fact there is a strong Renfield element going on for both sides of the story with the one club employee who betrays everyone,(sells out to Wolf) and the one who stands firm till the end. (stays with Cert)

There's this semi-inside joke with the naming of the strip club going from "Paradise" when Cert first opens it to "Inferno" after Wolf takes control. In fact, they emphasis this with a short scene where the heroes try to collect their broken sign after the club has been taken. I saw that as being a nod to the fact everything can shift so quickly from good to bad or bad to good. The place itself is neutral grounds, holy to both men for very different reasons.  It comes down to the main idea that each of them - The Wolf and Cert- are doing their best to protect their "homes and family" at all costs.

 I'm going to bury this one here, under this tombstone and I'll be back tomorrow with some more treats for your Hallowe'en displeasure.

2019 FoodnFlix Announcement

Spudguns! it's that time in the season again, where I get to host Foodn'Flix.  Yes, I know, last year I said that was my last time hosting, but I just couldn't pass up a chance to do this one.  I chose both The Addams Family and Addams Family Values. With the new version of the Addams Family animated movie coming out this month (October 2019) my timing couldn't be kookier.

If you want to join just pick one or both of the movies, watch it/them, and cook/bake something inspired by a scene/character or other dish you might see in it. Then post about it on your blog with a link back to this announcement post and a link to Foodn'Flix site.  Your post must be of the current month, in this case October 2019.
Email your submissions to me at  domesticanddamned(at)gmail(dot)com as well as Heather  at "heather@foodnflixclub.com"   Include your name, the name of your recipe, the link to your blog post, and a photo of the recipe. Or, give us permission to pull a photo from your post.
If you decide to share on Instagram tag myself  "ardethblood"  as well as #FoodnFlix.  And if you would like to share on Facebook,  tag both myself   GhoulNextDoorCanadian, and FoodnFlix.
Deadline is Wednesday October 30th 6pm EST.  I will be doing the round up within 48 hours of that.

Okay, if you haven't seen these movies, well to sum it up, we follow the Addams as they deal with long lost relatives, con-artists, a serial killer out to get their fortune, and summer camp.

With this being October, I can safely say, these two films will be available on tv in heavy rotation for the Hallowe'en season.

Cinema Files s1 p19

The Cinema Files
page 19, chapter 19

Gumshoe Intermission

I heard Vincent's door creek open just before 7am  and him humming as he started the coffeemaker.   "So what do you think about the Wetworks Killer?"

"Is that what we're calling him?" I asked. Vincent nodded a grunt.

"I am." he smiled. I told him a few more details about what I'd seen at the latest crime scene. "Okay so we're thinking then this maid saw something and the killer is just covering his tracks?" he started loading bread into the toaster.

"Makes sense. If he was having an affair with GoGoBoots chick and they were regulars at the motel..." I started to fold the blanket returning it to the closet.

"The killer might be freaked with her death showing up in the paper. He'd want any witnesses that could tie him to her gone." the toaster jammed sending smoke into the kitchen forcing Vincent to unplug it. "Breakfast at the cafe it is."

"I'd still like to know how our first victim Puddle Guy fits into it?" I had shuffled then towards the kitchen myself.

"Yeah, that's a clue and a half all on it's own." he remarked as he headed back towards the bathroom.  I heard him rattling his toothbrush and the tap running. Vincent returned a moment later a faint scent of mint clinging to him.


I stood in the middle of the store just after 8:30am, a shipment of blu-rays had come in early and I still needed to unbox them, code them, and price them. It was the last thing I wanted to do. What I wanted was to take a few home and just plant myself in front of the tv for the next few days. But that just wasn't going to fly.  I was more than starting to feel overwhelmed, totally in over my head. Deadlines suddenly looming over me like a non stop hamster wheel with a hammer banging into it like a gong. Maybe my mental cage should have been more rattled than it actually was, but I could see nothing but this brazen and bizarre love triangle I currently found myself in. Torn between Ryan and Rudolph. I should have been focusing on other things like the fact there was a killer running around town.  I tore off the packaging tape of one of the larger boxes, to be greeted by the top layer of order forms. The distributor was pushing anniversary editions of old mob stories.  I think I grunted to the box as I saw my own reflection in the glossy plastic wrap of the first row of films. My pale skin distorted in the square edges of the makeshift mirror. Like staring into a puddle.

That's when the idea hit me. What if Puddle Guy had been trailing the killer? What if Puddle Guy had been a private investigator? Or even an informant?  What if this went deeper than just some wealthy guy not wanting an affair to surface?

I shook my head trying to clear my sudden anxiety and conspiracy theory, trying not to over react when the phone rang. A small scream began to escape my throat as I  jumped laying my palm flat on my chest, I scolded myself for such an overactive imagination.  I heard the distant voice of one of my distributors letting me know my next order would be late as they were having issues with their factory.   The rest of the morning continued with me jumping at every noise, seeing danger at every turn.  Lunch didn't make me feel any better.  I went to the cafe to find Vincent's normally beautiful face marked with stress. He nodded at me to take a tray and help as he tried his best to keep clam and not kick out a table of loud teenagers. They were a community service group on break from picking up trash in the area. All ten of them in their orange vests, talking over each other, laughing into their phones, snapping way too may selfies. The noise levels just seemed to increase second by second in the tiny cafe.  It was clear from his body language of shoulders that he was having a hard time from slumping, and the edge of his jaw that was clinched, that he was dealing with a headache and overdue for his break.  Fifteen minutes later, the teenagers magickally got up in a herd and shuffled out leaving one person to pay for everything.  The quiet was almost deafening as a slight ringing in my ears was all the evidence they left. Vincent leaned onto the counter his eyes closed, fingertips pressed into his temples.

"Can you switch the open sign to back in 10 minutes please." He shuffled over to a table, pulling out a chair. The scrapping sound causing him to wince. "Sorry Desdemona short handed today. Bobby never came in."   I poured us each a coffee and sat down across the table from him.

"What if Puddle Guy was killed cause he was like us?" I said reaching into my purse for a bottle of aspirin handing it to him.

"Worked in a mini mall dealing with snotty teens?"

"No. Investigating the scandal."


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me (straight up story.  I know, it's turning into a proper crime story...for now)

Cinema Files s1 p18

Cinema Files
page 18, chapter 18

Gumshoe Intermission

"Detective."  I nearly giggled as I walked across the street. Rudolph was still down the block beyond the crime scene tape paying the cab driver.

"No." Ryan said pointing at me. "Back behind the line Desdemona." he was over to me, his fingertips digging into my shoulders as he guided me back ten feet to the do not cross barrier. The smirk on his face letting me know it was all he could do not to light up. Oh trust me Detective Whitechapel, the feeling was mutual.

"Is it another drowning?" I asked searching every inch of his face before falling into his not really green not really blue eyes.

"How'd you even hear about this?" he shook his head blinking in disbelief crossing his arms. He was still holding his pen in his right hand as he began to fiddle with it. The pen nothing more than a blue streak teeter-tattering in the air by his shoulder.

"Is it?"

"Not discussing this with you now." he replied as the pen fell hurdling to the ground, him needing to pick it up. This of course gave me a full view of the victim. Which of course he'd known. It was by the looks of it, another drowning. A motel maid was laying on the ground beside her cleaning cart, her hair wet, the bucket knocked off the bottom of the cart, rolls of toilet paper muddy and crumpled, a few sets of rubber cleaning gloves stuck to the middle shelf of the cart frozen in mid-fall. "Serious. Unless you're a witness or police, you can't be here right now."

"We will talk about it later." I said as Detective Ryan Whitechapel gave me another of his smirks.

"Oh indeed we will." his tone was smoky and playful. I blushed as he winked before his attention was taken again. Rudolph had finally caught up to the scene. I left Rudolph trying to get access to the witnesses, his press id only slightly the magick key he'd expected.  Even though it was late, nearly 1am, I didn't feel like going all the way home again, so I headed to Vincent's.  His house is a two story five bedroom tucked in the north end of town. Did I forget to mention Vincent came from a wealthy family. Not rich by today's standards, but comfortable enough to not have to worry for the next few decades. Taking my glasses off I brushed a stray bug that had smashed into them as I rang the doorbell.

"Dessie?"  Vincent looked curious to see me at that hour.

"You alone?"

"Lucky for you I am." he side stepped for me to enter. "Everything okay? There's nothing wrong at the mini mall is there? "

"Everything's fine. The cafe is fine, the store is fine. I was just at another crime scene with Rudolph and Ryan." I answered as I took my shoes off before even thinking about crossing the hallway to the livingroom.

"There is a bad joke in there somewhere. I'm just too tired to come up with it. Wait, another crime scene?" he locked the door behind me. "You want a drink?"

"I'm good. Did I wake you?" I dropped my purse on the edge of the large chair nearest the livingroom door, my jacket on top of that. I noticed Vincent was wearing his grey pajama bottoms and t-shirt he favoured. He ran his hand through his short dark hair yawning.

"Not yet. I was just heading there now. Was just about to lock up. " He leaned against the back of the sofa. "How did you end up at another crime scene?"

"Was with Rudolph when his boss at the paper called told him to cover it." I sat down then on the sofa turning to look at Vincent. "Just an odd evening. First, Rudolph stalked me at the grocery store, then we started to have dinner where he proceeded to con me into doing his job for him next two weeks, then he dragged me to the crime scene where he just forgot about me. Okay, he didn't really drag me there, I wanted to go but..."

"He stalked you?" the tone in Vincent's voice was I think shock, as it was interrupted by more yawning.

"Sort of. He told me at dinner he likes me. That's weird right?" I bit my lip trying to process the whole evening.

"Life is weird."  he relied. "You get a good look at the victim?"  I nodded as I watched him scratch his stomach.

"Same killer I'm more than sure of it. Get this, drowned in a bucket."  I stood again to put my jacket back on.

"Na. Just stay. It's 1am already."  he turned to get me a blanket from the hall closet.

"You sure?"  he nodded another yawn.

"Just know the alarm is set for 7am."


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story. Weird is as weird does.)

Random movie - Happytime Murders

Movie:  Happytime Murders
starring: Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph
genre: comedy, crime,
year: 2018
format: Netflix Canada

plot: When the former members of a beloved sitcom start to turn up dead, an ex-cop turned detective is forced to team up with his old partner to solve them and figure out who's framing him.

This is a buddy-cop movie plain and simple. The classic odd-couple styling slapstick this time between a human and a puppet. It plays as expected as far as the crime-story goes. As far as the storyline goes, there's nothing new to it.

The theme is clear that it's about prejudice. You can switch out the puppets for any minority and the basic theme would still play the same.

I have to admit, when I first heard about this last year, I was looking forward to it, but this felt like such a let down. The characters are a bit thin and one dimensional. (The tv show Angel did a puppet episode back in it's 5th season called Smile Time that was more thought out.)

Here's hoping the company have a few more films in the works, because the idea was there, with this new sub-genre of puppetry, it just wasn't fleshed out as well as it should have been.

The Cinema Files s1 p17

The Cinema Files

page 17, chapter 17

Gumshoe Intermission

"Ever notice how the building's cleaning lady always sounds like she's breaking the doors down when she vacuums the hallway?"

"No." Rudolph said without thinking. "But I have noticed the neighbour on the other side of me seems to always wait till he's right in front of my door before he coughs. Like he's hacking up a lung."

"Oh yeah, I've heard him too. So, you mentioned the store. What's on your mind?" I was already standing in front of his crime board. My eyes were stuck on the photo at the far right of it, a blurry black and white print out from a 1950's newspaper clipping. Rudolph had marked it with a green sticky note.

"Not why I brought you here." his hands were on my shoulders gently guiding me towards the kitchen table. There was a chickpea salad, mushroom risotto, grilled beets and peppers with roasted cauliflower. All sitting around an unlit candle in a very pretty short vase. "This is." he gestured towards the meal before taking his phone out of his pocket. I had to lean back slightly as the phone was under my nose before I could think, Rudolph was scrolling through shots of not just this meal, but two others in a blur.

"Hold up." I snatched the little contraption out of his hand. "Explain with words."

"My boss decided to dump the Lifestyle section on my lap while the regular girl is off on her honeymoon."  he wrapped his arms around my shoulders, leaning on my right one. He smelled like cantaloupe and limes. "He's got me doing that on top of my regular columns. I'm over my head. I don't know a thing about this stuff."

"And you thought I would why?" I took another deep breath, just breathing him in.

"Your aunt wrote that sort of column. I saw a few of them in the archives."

"So translate that for me. Are you asking for my advice and input or are you asking more?"

"For you to cover it for me. Please? It's just for two weeks, just two articles on any topic." his left hand was now down to my elbow as he moved around to face me. Bringing both hands then up together in a begging gesture. "Please Desdemona. I'm begging and I will make it up to you." He looked so helpless all of a sudden. "Starting with dinner."

"Fine. But something tells me I'm going to regret it."  We sat down to eat, a look of relief washing over his beautiful grey eyes. "So you still haven't told me why you were thinking about the store from this morning?"  I watched as Rudolph lowered his face, slumping his shoulders tight as he leaned over his plate.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. I just want to have a pleasant dinner." he sighed then stuffing a large amount of food into his mouth, nearly biting the fork in frustration. He chewed noisily for a long moment before dropping his fork  to his plate. "You don't have any girlfriends." Rudolph shook his head. "The group today was all men."   I found myself unable to stop a smile suddenly at his jealously.

"No I don't have any female friends. But I don't see why that matters?"

"Because." he didn't continue, just stared at his plate wide eyed pushing a single chickpea around. "I like you. I need to know if  I am going to have to work for your attention? What kind of walls am I up against?"

"I'm not sure I really know the answer to that?" I was blushing at this point, unable to catch my breath. There was no way I could tell him the true about my last 24 hours with Detective Whitechapel.  I was brought back to the moment by the sound of Rudolph's phone buzzing wildly.

"It's the newspaper." he mumbled as he moved from the table to answer. I didn't hear him say much beyond a few 'okays' and 'are you sure'; but he did grab a pen and jot something down on an envelope. Hanging up he copied the info then into his phone.


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story. Emotional boy)

The Cinema Files s1 p16

The Cinema Files
page 16, chapter 16

Gumshoe Intermission

"Mons get ready all your vids wit' the words shoes and feet in ther' title. I just delivered a few vases to a podiatry convention." Blake's voice cut through the length of the video store as the bell jangled.

"What is wrong with you?" I stomped through the store from the far left side, having just restocked the horror and sci-fi dvds. I moved back towards the check out counter, angrily opening dvd after dvd not paying any attention to it; as I attempted to make sure the right ones were in the cases.

"What 'ya mean? What's wrong wi't me? What ya talk'n about?" he replied his face ducked down as he began to shuffle through the pile.

"This morning. Your behaviour. What was that?" I picked up the already checked pile and started to shelve them.

"What?" Blake's voice trailed behind me as I slammed the cases onto the shelf.

"Uh how you reacted to both Ryan and Rudolph."

"Oh I'm sorry Mons if I ruined your little attempt at a scooby gang there." He said sarcastically. I made a face as I moved around him watching him duck his one shoulder to keep me from slamming into him, as I hit the play button on the answering machine. A female's voice came through the little speaker asking for a copy of  In Her Shoes, followed by a man looking for the movie Red Shoe Diaries. "See warned ya."  I didn't get a chance to argue as the bell over the door chimed announcing the arrival of a customer.

"Do you have a copy of the Man with One Red Shoe?"  the drag queen asked as he stood towering over us at nearly seven feet.  I pointed towards the comedies as I stared watching him touching the beehive wig making sure it hadn't been damaged on the top of the doorway, desperately wanting to ask him where he found the black pumps he was wearing.

It was after 9:30pm, and I decided closing the store half hour early would be fine. The winds began to bit a little as they picked up  forcing me to tug my coat closed. The fancy grey trenchcoat I was wearing wasn't actually designed for real weather. Turning the corner, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by ducking into the grocery store. I'd be able to pick up something for dinner, and steal a few moments of weatherless warmth. I found myself without thinking standing then in the frozen food section as a hand tapped my shoulder. I looked up to see Rudolph, a sad distracted look in his beautiful grey eyes.

"Hello you."

"Rudolph hey." I sighed as I grabbed a frozen pizza from the freezer. He took it from my hand, tossing it back in. "I wanted that."

"I've been thinking about the video store this morning."

"So you felt the need to deny me dinner?"

"No. I'm going to make you dinner."  I still couldn't figure out his accent.

"Are you making pizza for dinner?" 

"No." he shrugged as he tilted his head to the side licking his lips. I waited for him to say something else but he just stood there for a long moment ping ponging between duck faces and furrowed brows. I grabbed the frozen pizza again holding it tight to me like a shield. "You didn't come home last night."  he repeated this information from this morning.

"Were you spying on me?" I wasn't sure if I should be flattered or freaked out?

"Not spying no." his reply was staggered through his teeth that distant look in his eyes. "There was a fire alarm just after midnight. I didn't see you in the crowd of people the parking lot." his voice became soft. "When the fire department let us back in, I tried knocking but...the guy with the small dog in the apartment at the end of the hall said he saw you leave hours before with someone."  Shoppers were starting to bump into us, reaching around my shoulders for the freezer doors. We moved onward then towards the check out. "Then I got your text and at lest I knew you were safe."

"Uhm yeah. I was out with Ryan...er Detective Whitechapel. He was working a case needed some help."


Nothing seemed real. I stood about an hour later in my bathroom fresh form a long over due shower as the steam escaped through the not completely closed door. Rudolph's behaviour I wanted desperately to say was caused at lest in part by jealously, but his body language suggested otherwise. He had seemed genuinely worried, lost in his own memories of the night before. My gut was telling me his motives were pure even if they weren't transparent. Blake on the other hand, he was a pickle. Blake just hated loosing. Hated the idea he couldn't charm his way out of or into a situation. Crossing into my bedroom, I slithered into a fresh pair of underwear, some comfy yoga pants and an over sized t-shirt. And then I took a look at myself in the mirror, sighed removed the shirt and declared to the reflection that a bra was needed. Then scolded myself for my lack of enthusiasm. Whatever Rudolph was wanting over dinner, seduction wasn't part of it.  I barely got my apartment door locked when Rudolph had popped his torso out the door of his own place as quick as a rabbit; the click of his own door echoing in the too empty hallway. I jumped dropping my keys.

"Finally all my furniture has arrived."

Letting out a short sigh, I closed my eyes telling myself it was exactly what I knew it was. Not a date. He was excited for a housewarming party and there were most likely already people from the newspaper waiting. It had been a week since he'd moved in and by now with his looks I was more than sure he'd enchanted half his co-workers. I crossed the threshold to an empty apartment. Crickets empty. There were no other guests, no friendly drunk co-workers or anything of the party sort. His apartment mirrored mine in the lay out, as well as the fact he brought his case files home. Boxes of them. The only difference here was his version of the crime board was front and center in the living room taking up half the wall over his desk.


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story.  He's up to something...)

Feb 24th Night Bleeds Bookclub

This month's selection was the 1989 novel The Dark Half by Stephen King.

plot: Thad Beaumont is a successful writer, only most of his fans had no idea who he was as he wrote under the name George Stark. That is until he decides to do a tell all in a national magazine. Before long, Beaumont finds himself not just the center of attention but the center of a series of brutal murders. The local police attempt to arrest him after the first death occurs, but find he was nowhere near the actual crime scene when it happened. Before long, it's revealed that someone believing themselves to be the alter ego Stark, is in fact committing the murders and framing Beaumont. While this is happening, Beaumont starts to experience headaches and black outs that he had thought were long buried in his past. As the local police begin to investigate, the sheriff uncovers more that a few linking factors to Beaumont's current situation and his past. The key elements being a strange swarm of sparrows that only seem to have appeared in Beaumont's life at the time of his brain surgery. The sheriff has to then disregard his own belief system if he's to get to the bottom of the mystery that is Stark.

I have to admit, I'm not too sure where to start with this one given there have been actual classes taught on the themes and subject matter in every inch of King's works.

The topic of twins comes up -pardon the pun- more than once. We have the characters of Beaumont and Stark having been twins who come from a long family that's had twins in multiple generations. Beaumont admits that his wife had miscarried twins at the start of their marriage before finally having a second set of twin children.
The idea of an alter ego is brought up commenting on the Jekyll and Hyde aspect nearly all writers carry in them in order to work. As well as the comparison to Frankenstein; with a mention of the fact if the Stark character can't create he will uncreate, much like the comments made in the novel Frankenstein.
The Stark character because it is a "twin", is a Doppelganger. He calls himself a vampire more than once, reveling in the idea that his capacity to take "life" in order to create it in story form makes him a psychic vampire. This lends itself to the deep rooted psychic link the two "writers" have. This also leads him to being the best version of a Tulpa you can come up with. A thoughtform believed in so strongly it manifests in the physical.
The character of Beaumont at one point calls Stark a ghost, leading to the fact he's not suppose to be a physical reality. I find it interesting that the character of Stark only manifests in the beginning as a result of grief and addiction.
And then of course we have the addiction theme running strong here. Like any vampire in mythology, Stark is addicted to his violent nature and Beaumont is addicted to the freedom Stark allows him to have. Stark is the freedom of desire that Beaumont would otherwise be denied. He's the permission slip of bad behaviour.

The addiction leads to the doubt of sanity in what clearly is a fractured reality. The imagery of windows and mirrors are used when the character of Stark's existence is threatened, like when he's examining himself while layering make-up to hide his flaws, or when the two are finally sitting side by side in the windowless room with the mirrored door.

The bulk of the story takes place in a 2 week timeframe, with flashbacks to Beaumont's childhood. I loved the weaknesses that the main character of Beaumont had with his addiction and self doubt. There is a complete scene where he's actually comparing himself to a character in a story, talking about how in a perfectly pictured novel the heroes and villains never need a bathroom break or a moment to rethink their last decision.
One of my favourite elements of this story, is the other professor. The character of  Rawlie DeLesseps, who ends up being the token supernatural expert and I'm assuming based a bit on Hunter S. Thompson. It's the first time we are given an real explanation to what the sparrows might mean.

There is this nearly delicious moment of pure uncertainty near the end of the novel where you start to see the two halves blending into each other, and you're left thinking the Stark side is about to come out on top. You soon realize that as the character of Stark relaxes into his personal victory, the character of Beaumont has sacrificed his own version of reality in order to end the addiction. He gives up so much in order to just hang on to what he's currently got.

Okay, and I think I'll end it here. I will be back later in the week with the official announcement for next month's book selection.

Random movie - Get Out

movie: Get Out
starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Catherine Keener
genre: Thriller, Drama,
year: 2017
format: Crave

plot: After dating for a few months, Chris agrees to meet his girlfriend Rose's parents. He finds it a bit nerve racking given her entire neighbourhood is white, and he's not. They arrive just as her parents are having their annual BBQ, and Chris feels less comfortable with each passing moment, that is until he sees another young black adult. When their conversation becomes extremely awkward, Chris begins to suspect something isn't right in the neighbourhood and relays his fears to his best friend over the phone. While trying to quit smoking, he allows his girlfriend's mother to hypnotize him. This only adds to his already growing paranoia. As the weekend is about to end and Chris prepares to return home, he finds himself the victim of a kidnapping by Rose's family members and quickly learns he's not the only one. In fact, the entire neighbourhood is not just in on it, but have been doing it for the last few years. Stealing the identities of the young people Rose has been baiting in.

I know this is an award winning film, but I've got to admit, I didn't really care for it. No, let me rephrase that, I loved it the first time around when it was the Skeleton Key.  This film is just a remake of the Skeleton Key but with science instead of Hoodoo and just enough of the Stepford Wives thrown in for good measure.

It's a social statement to what's happening in society sadly, but as a movie, it's just not original. Given the topic, it should have you as the viewer, feeling queasy with a slight touch of claustrophobia; but it just falls a little short. 

Cinema Files s1 p15

Cinema Files
page 15, chapter 15

Rancid Romance

Vincent was standing in the doorway of the cafe when we pulled up to the mini mall. He was once again wearing dark jeans that were like a second skin, the silver plated belt buckle in the shape of a 'V', and a grey long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pushed up to the elbows. His skin ripe olives, his deep brown eyes sparkling as he smirked at us. His short dark hair seemed to be just a touch greyer. Closing the door to the cafe, Vincent brought the tray of coffees as he followed us into the video store. "It's about time."

"What was that?" Detective Ryan Whitechapel asked a half step behind him.

"Nothing. Minding my own business." Vincent replied handing him one of the coffees in the same movement that he grabbed me by the waist leading me into the far left corner of the store, into the far far little room that had the dramas and the crime dvds. "So?" he was still smirking.

"So back." I reached for one of the coffee cups but Vincent pulled the tray out of my reach.

"No no no. No treat till you tell me how his tricks were?"

"You're worse than a teenaged girl."

"Possibly." he tilted his head to the side. "As happy as I am to see you with him... look at you  you're just glowing...be careful. You've been alone too long and the last thing you need right now is to fall in love. It's called rebounding for a reason."

"Mons. Girl, I see the cops are here. You getting arrested there?" Blake's voice was loud as he shouted over the sound of the small bell, announcing his arrival. He giggled at the idea or out of nervousness, hard to say as he closed the door behind him. "Where are ya?" he unzipped his jacket tossing it onto the counter before noticing Ryan was standing a few feet behind him in the doorway to the room on the far right. Ryan had been wandering through the musicals and kids section. "What's he doin' here? His name was not in the email thing rights." Blake commented then as he leaned his elbows behind himself on the counter, staring down Detective Whitechapel. "I gots the text rights here. His name is not on the invitation. See, it's got Vincent right, your wee little puppet man, then it's got that Rudolph character that may or may not be the murder; which I'm leaning towards may. But I still have to prove it. And then there's me. My name. Where on here does it say Detective Whitechapel? Where does it say his name? If he's not parts of tha' group text, it must mean he's just not parts of the group. Mons. How did he know if he didn't get the text? Didn't get the call on the bat phone?"

"Wow you are so jealous." Vincent said walking up to the edge of the counter handing Blake one of the coffees.

"Me? Why would I be jealous? Jealous of him?" he gestured towards Ryan. "What with his perfect hair and sparkly eyes?" Blake then ran his hand through his own short hair feeling a slight bit insecure. "I got nothin' to be jealous for. Can we just get on with this now?"  his voice became pinched. "What no danish for this coffee?" his attention was then taken by the door jingling once again, as Rudolph walked in. "Good now the gangs t'all present and account'ed for. Let's get this over wit'." Blake nodded slurping the contents of his cup noisily. "S'uppose tis' is all about the case she's been working on. With us. Behind your back." Blake gestured once again to himself then Ryan.

"I'm late by the looks of it." Rudolph remarked as he crossed the length of the shop to lean on the edge of the counter. "You didn't come home last night." he spoke softly to me as I walked back into the main part of the store, having finally gotten a coffee from Vincent. Rudolph's beautiful grey eyes looking up at me from under his lashes, as he licked his lips both arms crossed on the counter top, staring at me for a long pause.

"This is all off the record." Whitechapel said suddenly crossing to close the gap between himself and Rudolph. "I will arrest you for interfering with an investigation if any of what we talk about today ends up in the paper."    Rudolph sighed nodding towards him.


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me (straight up story. Yes, I know I'm over a week late once again.)

Cinema Files s1 p14

The Cinema Files
page 14, chapter 14

Rancid Romance

The bed squeaked every time we moved. I'm sure the people in the next suite were jealous thinking we were hot and heavy for hours. I know that would have been my automatic thoughts with each creek and moan. Sadly, for me it wasn't the case.

"Hand me the page again about that CEO fellow." Detective Whitechapel said mindlessly as he wandered slowly across the room, having just ordered our second pot of coffee from room service. Leaning over, I plucked a bad photocopy of the report from it's position on the pillow, causing another round of squeaks and creeks. I followed this with a yawn. "You getting bored?" he asked.

"No just haven't slept much this week. I'm thinking I'm going to have to bail on you soon." I replied, daring to finally glance at the bedside clock. It was already after midnight.

"Oh? Should I be jealous?" he poured what would be my fourth cup of coffee handing it to me. "After all, you are my fake wife." he winked causing his blue-green eyes to shimmer in the lamp light.

"The only thing I'm cheating on is the box of identical files I have waiting for me at home."  my cell phone started to ring suddenly causing my purse to vibrate slightly on the arm of the sofa.

"You sure about that? That's the fifth time in the last hour your phone's gone off."  Getting up from my cozy corner of the bed, I finally checked my messages. Rudolph had called twice, there was a text from Blake and another two from Vincent. "Popular girl."

"You boys are all the same. Only want me when there is a crime wave happening." I snorted shaking my head fighting back a few tears my throat having tightened. I had to bite my lip to keep it together. Sighing, I made a decision. "Fine. Let's get this ganger banger over with shall we?" Another sigh as I sent off a group text telling them all to meet me at the video store before it opened in the morning. Ryan looking over my right shoulder the whole time. I felt the air change around me then as he seemed to process this information. His breath hitting the back of my neck, lighting up my flesh with steam.

"Huh." the detective tossed the pages he was holding onto the sofa. "Well in that case..." he scratched the edge of his thumb against the corner of his mouth licking his lips. "Since you're already here Desdemona, you might as well stay."  There was a sudden awkwardness between us as I blushed beyond control. I felt so unsure of myself then, like I was fourteen again.

"For?" I closed my hazel eyes unable to control my stomach as butterflies took possession of it. I needed to hear him actually say it. So there was no mistaking his motive, no chance I misread the tension between us. Ryan Whitechapel flirted like most people breathed. It was so normal so part of his moment to moment dna that he'd accidentally led on so many; I could not risk ruining our friendship over my own one sided attraction.

"Ah for the love of Odin!" he swore under his breath running his left hand over his neck before proceeding to undo his belt and the buttons on his shirt cuffs. "Stay find out."


I was not dressed for work. It was 9am and I was still wearing the outfit, though more professional than my usual t-shirt and jeans; that I had been wearing the night before. I could not pass up the invitation, I had to stay. And to be honest, I don't think he was prepared for me to. I had agreed, tossing my purse back down on the sofa, sitting back down on the bed. Ryan stood in the dimly lit room frozen for a half heartbeat before removing his shirt and joining me on the bed. For a man who was normally as smooth as silk and in total control of every situation, he became quiet. One would almost say nervous. I had called his bluff and he was scattered by it. The awkwardness filled every pore around us. Every breathable molecule of air in the room. That clumsy embarrassing first time with someone you just met at a drunken bar moment.  Only worse because neither of us were drunk and we'd known each other for the last four years. The uncomfortable weirdness didn't stop there though. The good detective Whitechapel, got called into the station around 2am, and asked me to go with him. "Just in case." he said as he struggled with his underwear. The man could dress faster than he could undress. It was painfully obvious he'd been in the situation many many times before.
I ended up waiting for almost an hour for him. Just pacing back and forth between his desk and the front lobby vending machines. I was about to call a taxi to go home when Ryan darted out of one of the little closed doors, his jacket clutched in hand the biggest grin in his face I think I'd ever seen. Startling me, he planted a kiss on the side of my mouth as he leaned around me to open the lobby door. "We've still got a few hours before we have to meet your friends."   I was expecting the next sentence to be that he'd drop me off at home, but instead he just smiled at me kissing me again. "That means you're still my fake wife for another few hours at lest. I still owe you breakfast. Why don't we go work up a real appetite?"


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story. At some point, everyone has those awkward butterflies.)

The Cinema Files s1 p13

The Cinema Files
page 13 chapter 13

Drive-In Drama

I found myself checking my phone just after 7:30pm. I'd missed a text from Vincent. Hitting the forward button on the cd player, I had commandeered the music on the ride back as a Doors song blasted into the interior of the vehicle.

"So, you got what you need?" I asked noticing a chipped nail.  Detective Whitechapel said no as his eyes darted back and forth from the rear view mirror to the windows and back again.

"The detectives running the case found nothing in the warehouse. They think someone tipped the Hosts off." he cleared his throat as he turned the corner. "I need to get invited to another event."

"A lot of work for a decoy. Come on, tell me the truth. This is your case isn't it? Not just a decoy but full on your case."

"I owe you dinner." he said trying to change the topic.  I leaned back in the seat shaking my head.

"Huh. I don't understand why you can't admit when I'm right?"

"At lest I know that anything I tell you won't end up in the morning edition."

"That why you're so..." I gestured towards him. "You? My aunt's job.?"

"I was serious Desdemona, when I said the other day about not wanting to start with you now she's gone. The less I have to ban you from my crime scene coattails, the better for us both." he punctuated his point by changing the song on the cd player, letting Johnny Cash slither around us.

"Talk about your mixed messages."

"What's that suppose to mean?" he never took his eyes off the road.

"You ask me to join you on a case and scold me in the same second about not hanging around your cases."

"Totally different situations." He looked at me in the sideways way again in the rear view; his eyes sparkling under the passing streetlights. He pulled into the parking lot of the Ruthven causing me to have to catch my breath. Unbuckling his seat belt, Ryan moved in his seat just enough to have to reach over my lap for the glove compartment. The heat of his breath on my knee made me jump. Not finding what he was searching for within it's depths, he slammed it closed again. "There a keycard in the pocket there?" he nodded towards the cup holder in the door. I held up the plastic rectangle just as the driver side door slammed and I found myself in an otherwise empty car. Detective Whitechapel already standing in the parking lot. "Come on then." he gestured in that slow way of his that ironically made you feel rushed. I got out of the car as the sound of the lock beeped in my wake. "I do believe I still owe you breakfast."

"Uh dinner. It's dinner time."

"That's what I said." his eyebrows rose double time as he took the keycard from me, his free arm at my elbow. Just as we entered the hotel lobby his phone started to ring. "Oh it's the station I've got to take it."  Ryan moved a few feet talking into the contraption before turning right back handing me the room key mouthing the words room 333.  I found myself shaking slightly as I got off the elevator my breathing ragged knowing I was blushing. "Sorry." I felt more than heard Whitechapel as he arrived a moment later behind me from the second elevator. "Well Mrs Whitechapel." he said barely holding the smirk as he tapped the fake wedding rings we'd worn for the undercover job. "Any thoughts to what you'd like for breakfast?"

"Dinner." I said without thinking.

"Yeah, what I said."

"You do realize the restaurant is back downstairs. Yonder." the sarcasm was the only thing holding me in check keeping me from just throwing myself at him as I hooked my thumb over my shoulder.

"Haven't we had enough crowds tonight?" he replied unlocking the door to his room hitting the light switch. I watched as the room began to glow in the semi spotlights that began to flood the space in the delayed seconds. The sofa was in the middle of the room dividing it, the bed to the front of us and a table and dresser behind the sofa; the bathroom beyond that. A small styrofoam board was sitting on the sofa covered in notes and photos, two large case files beside it in place of the throw pillows. "I said I can't have you at my crime scenes. I didn't say I wouldn't let you into my briefs." Whitechapel stood between myself and the sofa hands now in his pockets. "Your instincts as good as your aunt's?"  My turn to raise an eyebrow.  "Officially, your aunt Jackie was the biggest pain in my arse. Unofficially my best partner."   I felt the deflation of my ego as a woman at the same time an excitement traveled down my spine. I should have known better. The good detective only wanted me for my mind.


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story. Well, that's one way to get into a man's briefs.)
 

Random movie- Crimson Peak

movie: Crimson Peak
starring: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston
genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller, Paranormal,
year: 2015
format: Netflix Canada

plot: A young writer, who has the ability to see ghosts, is swept up in a wild romance when she meets a young man and his sister. Having arrived in town to ask her father for a partnership on his invention, the English baronet begins courting her. Much to the quiet disapproval of his sister. After her father dies, the young writer, Edith, marries quickly only to run off to the English countryside with her new husband, Thomas, to live with him and his sister, Lucille. Edith's romantic notions are soon destroyed as the house is falling apart around them, and the fortune has long been lost on Thomas's inventions. As winter sets in, Edith finds herself isolated from the town, and begins to uncover the secrets the family are hiding. Namely, that she's not the first wife. Her ability to see and communicate with ghosts is heightened as she finds them in every corner of the house. Intent on figuring out why they were killed and by who, she realizes no one can be trusted.

I have to admit, I wasn't too sure on this one when I first sat down to watch. I'm not a fan of the lead female actor, and it took a few minutes to get past that fact. But, the story itself was completely worth it.

You get that feeling of isolation; not just from the sets but from the coldness of winter, the loss of her father and friends. It's just the right level of eerie madness. And you can't help but compare it to the Shinning from start to finish.  There's this great sense of uneasiness just in the love story itself. You're given a hint from the first scene between the characters of Thomas and his sister Lucille, that they are plotting something. Then as the film progresses, you're swayed away from Thomas and back again on whether or not to trust him.

The addition of the family dog appearing, which seems to irritate both siblings, is a wonderful little hint that they're not who they seem to be. 

Cinema Files s1 p 12

Cinema Files
page 12, chapter 12

Drive-In Drama

I stood on the middle of the parking lot just before 4pm, smoothing down the edge of the grey trenchcoat nervously. Honestly, I don't know what was causing the butterflies more; the fact I was on an official case or that I didn't want Ryan to bump into Rudolph. Or Rudolph to bump into Ryan for that matter. It was becoming very clear, that none of the men in my life really seemed to want me hanging around any of the others. All for different reasons of course, but still.  My jitters were intensified when the sleek black car drove up; letting the sounds of the overly motorized window fill the air as it was opened. Detective Whitechapel smiled his too wicked smirk as he nodded for me to get in.

"You look nice." the words were spoken without a hint of sarcasm. "So our cover story is really basic. We've been together four years, we met when I came into your video store."

"We did meet when you came into the video store." I commented without thinking.  Ryan winked at me. I swear, even his facial ticks had a British accent. "And what do you do for a living? Should anyone ask. As I'm assuming you're undercover."

"I am a lowly office worker who pushes paperclips and counts copy ink." he said turning off the cd player. He'd been listening to a jazz cd when he'd pulled up. "You assume right. The team has been trying to get these guys for awhile now. A couple of embezzlers. No one's been able to get close enough to them yet." he guided the car onto the freeway.

"Wait. You said we were just the decoy." I replied as I squinted trying to see the scenery and cars zipping past us, but the tinted windows were too dark.

"We are." he went quiet again for a moment, unsure if he should be telling me much more of the actual case. "Look, Desdemona, all I need is for you to play the part of the doting wife. The main guy is all about family values and the whole suburban lifestyle. Smile, keep it simple like what your book club is reading..."

"I'm not in a book club."

"...talk about your favourite meatloaf recipe..."

"I'm vegetarian."

"...and whatever else wives find interesting."

"I'm not married."

"Tonight my dear, you are." Ryan winked at me again. "Since when?"

"Since when what?" I asked flipping now through the few cds he had sitting between us on the seat.

"Vegetarian?" Ryan shifted in his seat before looking at me in the rear view.

"Since college many many moons ago." I stopped flipping through the cds nearly laughing suddenly. "It's a bbq we're going to isn't it?" I watched as he blushed. "Don't worry I'm sure I won't die if I miss one meal."

I found myself staring at a painting just outside the hosts bathroom, a half glass of wine in hand as I waited for Detective Whitechapel to return. He'd been ushered into the company of half the husbands in the neighbourhood seconds after we had gotten there. I was left to awkwardly try to figure out how to fit in with the wives while Ryan traded tips on how to keep the car wax from smudging. It was like high school only with bank accounts. Not only did our hosts buy into the suburban ideal, it was like they were Stepfords. A total paint by numbers version of what suburban life looked like in movies. I immediately thought of  that scene in Edward Scissorhands where they throw the big bbq and all the horny housewives are feeding him trying to get his attention. Each one of them trying to outdo the other while not appearing like they were. That's how these neighbourhood wives seemed to be. Each had a mommy and me group they were running, each seemed to be on the council for this or that at the school making it seem way more important than it should have been. Ryan's plan to fit in failed to account for the fact I could pass as a doting wife, but there was no way in hell I could pass as a soccer mom.  I was politely snubbed the second I stepped foot over the threshold.   The sliding door to the backyard opened up suddenly, allowing not only the host husband and Ryan back into the house, but the sounds of the party itself. Detective Whitechapel was beside me in a half a heartbeat, his arm snuggly around my waist.  I had worn a basic black pants that draped in a mini flare from the knees down, and a black and white floral print sleeveless shirt. Of which I had just bought two hours before. All the other Stepford Mums were dressed in vintage style cocktail dresses. The kind that are all the rage with the rockabilly crowd.

"Did you learn anything new?" I asked still staring at the painting. It was of a goat standing in the middle of a fishing boat, the waters calm and reflective.

"Only that I could use another beer." Ryan said nodding to the host husband. We watched as he went back out to the patio getting one from the cooler nearest the pool. "I might need you to play the loving wife a bit longer. I need to get invited to another get together."


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story.  Stuck in an unfriendly group at dinner time. Talk about fresh hell.)

The Cinema Files s1 p11

The Cinema Files
page 11, chapter 11

Drive-In Drama

"Alrighty. I've got no damned idea what I'm doing." I said slapping my hands to my thighs. Blake, Vincent and myself, had just failed at trying to get information from the city's mortician. Seems she didn't care for fruit. Or us for that matter. Detective Whitechapel had already been in to visit her and informed her in no uncertain terms, if I showed up to call him and bar me from the floor.

"Desdemona calm down now." Blake said as he thumped his butt into the wall teetering under the weight of the overly large fruit basket. The thing was nearly two feet tall and must have weighed a good ten pounds. I told him not to add the pineapple but he didn't listen.

"I don't want to calm down. I want to get some results." I think I whined. Turning towards Vincent, I got an idea. He'd worn a button up shirt; which I started to unbutton the top part of, making the collar a little more peaked. "You need to seduce her. Like not doing it on the autopsy table or anything, but you know."   Vincent looked at me with a slight worry before turning back towards the morgue.

"Really Mons? Pimping out your best friend." Blake made a tisking noise before whistling. Less than two minutes caught Vincent walking back through the doors, handing me a small piece of note paper.

"See. I knew you were the secret weapon." I was nodding my head grinning widely as I took the paper. Unfolding it, I let out a deep breath discovering it was not the information we were looking for.

"Her exact words were call the top number first and then the second after 9pm." Vincent remarked buttoning back up his shirt smoothing down his collar once again.

"That's Whitechapel's number." my shoulders slumped as I felt Blake's breath at my neck as he leaned over my shoulder. The fruit basket digging into my elbow as he did.

"Who's number is under the cops?" Blake asked.

"The mortician's. Seems, I'm not her type." Vincent couldn't hold back the smile any longer. I felt Blake nudge me with his shoulder as he joined.

"I hate you both right now." 

"Well...anyone feel like fruit salad for lunch?" Blake nodded balancing the basket then on his knee.


I decided to go into the shop after the lack of leads we followed. Feeling let down and deflated, all I wanted was the familiarness of my store. To stand in the middle of the building, breathing in the scent of cardboard and plastic, the posters staring down at me from the walls. I suddenly felt a heavy longing for a vhs tape. Grabbing a well used and slightly faded dvd off the nearest shelf, I held it in my hands like a doll. It comforted me as if an old friend or pet would. The door opened causing me to blush before putting the movie back on the shelf.

"Good, you are open." It was Ryan. "Did you have fun on your little field trip to the morgue?" he looked around his right hand suddenly at his tie as he loosened it. Detective Whitechapel seemed so out of his element, which of course was all part of his tack. I'd seen him do this before more than once, assessing the situation as if he were less than sure of things, all the while letting his witness or suspect feel like they had the upper hand. Which of course, they never really did. 

"Detective." I moved around the room wanting to get a closer look at the expression on his face. I couldn't tell if I was about to get yelled at or not? "You looking for something in particular?" I saw his gaze travel over the current releases before stopping on a blu-ray for a movie about giant mutant snakes. He shook his head turning up his lips into a duck bill.

"No no." he flicked his left thumb over the very edge of his bottom lip. "What are you doing for dinner?" he smiled that devilish smirk of his, his eyes gleaming like jewels under the lights. They were looking particularly emerald like as he licked his lips tilting his head just slightly to the right, his eyes still encased in small laugh lines. "Been asked to help out on a case for the next town over. They need someone to pose as a couple for a few hours as a decoy. You game?"

"What time?" I had butterflies at the idea.

"I'll swing by your place about 4pm. Wear something elegant but comfortable. It's an outdoors party."


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story. I wish I was this popular.) 

The Cinema Files s1 p10

The Cinema Files
page 10, chapter 10

Flowerpot Fantasy

"Desdemona." Blake was hunched over the fridge his fingers tapping on the edge of the wide open door. "When are you going to give up this fad you've been on?" he asked grabbing the milk container. "This is not real milk yous knows that right? I mean, it's water flavoured with crushed nuts."

"Twenty years is not a fad, it's a life style." I replied waiting for the coffee maker.

"Life style." he snorted moving around the small kitchen back towards the table where the files were still scattered. " 'tis what you've been up ta with Vincent? Why the good detective Ryan clenches up every time I mentions ya?" he picked up a handful of the newspaper clippings waving them at me.

"You mentioned me to Whitechapel?"

"And that why yous were wi't that reporter guy I saw you out banging around town with? Eh? Your little murder club solving crimes? God woman, yous really are as bad as your aunt." he tossed the pages back down on the pile.

"Pretty much. Speaking of, I'm meeting up with Vincent." I waited for a half a heart beat unable to look him in the eye. Blake said nothing as he sat there reading the headlines of the marked newspapers.

"You sleeping with him?" the tone was both snarky and serious at the same time when he finally broke the silence. "Is it a rendezvous for sex? Or is it just a shopping date? Cause the boy's got style right? Or you just getting together for lunch? All those free meals he serves you, never does that for anyone else now does he? Na. He's fattening you up for somet'ing. That's for sures." Blake leaned back in the chair, one elbow thrown over the top of it. "Or...or is it you two are going to go look at a dead body?" he snatched up a sticky note waving it around. "Or the tattoo parlors? Track down a lead." his voice rose at the sentence but not in question. Getting up, he moved to the fridge again getting the milk once more and a bowl for cereal. 

"You done ranting?" I couldn't tell if he was just plain hurt or really jealous?

"Not in the slightest." he pulled the kitchen chair out again sitting down with authority. "What's your plan?" leaning over his nose almost touched the table as he scrutinized some of the pages before moving them enough for him to put his cereal down. "What now? You 'tink you two are just going to waltz right on ins do ya? Have the mortician great you wit' a smile and just let you ransack him for information?"

"Sure why not?" I closed my eyes breathing in the scent of him as he walked past. All stale cigarettes and whisky. It caused me to creep back a bit on my toes, pressing myself flat against the edge of the kitchen sink, afraid to breathe in the space. Afraid to let him know how much air he was sucking out of the room. Blake was the room, even when he wasn't trying to be. The coffee maker made it's last gurgle informing me it was ready, only I was unsure of my hands suddenly. Embarrassed and knowing I'd start shaking if I tried to maneuver to pour any. A dead giveaway to Blake that he still held that heated attraction for me. 

"Mons. You wants to do this you have to remember you're not your aunt. What you needs is a cover for 'tis." he gave a short half breathed laugh. "Why do ya tink your aunt bought flowers from me 'tree time a week?" he turned in the chair now to stare up at me with his eyes sparkling in their overly confident way. "Not cause she liked me that's for sure. No, she needed a way in to places. Flowers get you in, butter someone up to talk. Na, you needs me on t'is. In fact..." he ran his hand over his jaw for a second a million miles away in his thoughts. "This calls for a fruit basket."


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story. Fruit basket.)

The Cinema Files s1 p9

The Cinema Files
page 9, chapter 9

Flowerpot Fantasy

I was restocking the shelves in the drama section, when I felt someone place their hand on my back. The dvds went flying out of my grasp, and my elbow smashed into the edge of the metal rack. "Shack!" I breathed deeply, shaking. "You scared the hell out of me."  Blake's eyes brightened as he laughed with a hint of embarrassment.

"Sorry Mons. Didn't means ta."  he was still laughing as he dipped his chin down, looking up at me from under his lashes. "I'm takin' you ta dinner." he gestured then towards the door as if that was all the discussion needed. "Come on. Grabs your purse and coat. I'm totally flushed Mons. Got 'tis big account come in earlier. Dropped like 'tree gran on a delivery. Tryin' to win his girl back or somethin'. Cleaned out all me roses, every colour..." he waved his hand again towards the door before sticking both his hands in his back pockets. "Taught we could go to the restaurant in the Ruthven." his east coast accent making him sound more embarrassed than he really was.

"You want to go to a hotel for dinner? Now is that because it's the fanciest in town or because it's the restaurant in the hotel?" I bent down awkwardly trying to gather up the dvds.

"Fifty fifty on that." he answered scratching at his nose letting out a small giggle. "Would that be such a wrong 'ting?" he ducked forward his face millimeters away from mine, but never bothered to help clean up the movies. My eyes were caught on the necklace he was wearing under his shirt. A gold chain with a little shamrock swung back and forth rapidly before hitting his chest and stopping. "Besides can't remember the last time we were out...for...for dinner." he had stood back up straight, his gaze now sweeping the building. "Where are they?" his hands slapped his thighs in frustration. "Aw Mons, you did it again didn't ya?" Blake sighed in defeat. "You gave them away. Why do I bothers? Who you give 'em to 'tis time?"

"Vincent wanted them for the coffee shop." I said off handedly about the flowers.

"Vincent wanted so you just handed them to him." Blake swore as he started to move around the room. "Vincent wanted them. Figures."

"I never understood why you don't care for him?" one of the dvds slipped as I was placing it on the rack, knocking two others off with it as they crashed to the floor again.

"Cause Mona, he's had ya wrapped around his finger nearly 'tir'ty years!" Blake ran his hands through his strawberry-blonde hair before closing his ice blue eyes. "Yous jump whenever he calls. You says how high and how long? Got you at his beck and call all hours of the night." he licked his lips tilting his head to the side, his right hand now tapping on the counter. "Is that why you don't want to spend the night with me?"

"Spend the night? I thought you were taking me to dinner? Who said anything about spending the night?" I had my back turned to him now my hands out towards the shelf of movies as if telling the dvds to stop in their tracks.

"That's not what I mean! The other night when I came over you wouldn't even let me in."

"That had nothing to do with Vincent."  the door to the video store opened grabbing both our attention.  The two teenaged girls were giggling wildly over their cell phones as they entered the store.

"No, you believe it never does; does it?" Blake scratched at his ear as he stepped out of the way of the the teenagers. "I had a great day at work and I wanted to share the spoils with you." he started to head for the door, his shoulders slumping as he did. "Forget it. I'm going to the bar."

Dinner ended up being a veggie burger and fries, as I sat at my kitchen table alone two hours later. The files taunting me from the opposite chair. My mind split between the task of thinking about how I might have just lost my last opportunity for a relationship, and the guilt of wanting to beat the police to solving the murders.  Too many of my meals were eaten alone. Too many years of being a hermit had me wondering if I was even capable of being in a relationship anymore? Granted, Blake wasn't the most beautiful guy in my view point, or even the most dependable. But he was the most honest.  The phone rang causing me to jump before staring at it in shock. This foreign thing that was nearly forgotten for cobwebs. It was long after midnight and I wasn't used to hearing the sound of the ring anymore. Crossing to the living room, I answered.

"Hello. I have your friend. Please come outside and get him." the voice was unfamiliar.

"I think you have the wrong number."

"He says he forgot his keys. Please come outside and get him I have another fare waiting." the voice hung up leaving a dial tone in my ear.  Grabbing my keys I made my way out into the building's parking lot to find a cab waiting and Blake standing by the open door, a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

Blake was still snoring on the sofa when I was tip toeing around the kitchen at seven in the morning. I had decided to take the day off of work, and already left a message for Vincent to meet up with me later at my aunt's storage unit. Nothing was going to get in my way with finding tattoo chick; not even Blake's hangover.  I was gone for less than four minutes to the bathroom when he got into things. He was always as bad as a kid when it came to getting into places he shouldn't. When I returned, he was sitting at the kitchen table a coffee in hand reading the files.


Tune in again for another installment of the Cinema Files starring your heroine...me(straight up story. Well, we've all got baggage.)