Inspired By Sept 28th 2019

Spudguns!, I've got another dish for you inspired by challenge.  Once again, I joined up with my friend Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, for a Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the tv series) inspired post.

With seven seasons of the show to pull from, I had fun having a mini BtVS marathon, and of course, there are two food centered episodes - Pangs (season 4 episode 8) and Double Meat Palace (season 6 episode 12)  that popped into my mind right away.   In Pangs, Buffy is feeling homesick on Thanksgiving, and decides to take the role of making a family dinner for everyone. In Double Meat Palace, Buffy finds herself needing to get a job and ends up working in the fast food place.

Notes for Pangs:  hot dogs on a stick (mentioned) corn (mentioned), pie, cow, chocolate (print), yams (mentioned) roast turkey, pop, chips, jam, canned food, cereal, bread, carrots, stuffing, cranberries, celery, red peppers, potatoes, wine, spices, whipped cream, salt, pepper, coffee, fries, ketchup, mustard, frozen peas, green beans, squash, sage, onions, butter, brandy, condensed milk, gravy, brown sugar

Notes for Double Meat Palace: popcorn, burgers, pop, fries, shakes, cow, chicken, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, buns, onion rings, pickles, mustard, ketchup, sauce, chicken nuggets, coffee, pie, ice cream, cherries (print) lemonade, potluck (mentioned) turkey (mentioned) tea, cookies, nuts (mentioned)

But, I was drawn to my favourite episode Lover's Walk (season 3 episode 8) and a line spoken by Spike.  In Lover's Walk,  Willow is trying to make an anti-love spell in order to keep her and Xander's feelings at bay. But when Spike returns to town heartbroken over his own breakup, he kidnaps them both forcing Willow to create a major love spell so he can win his true love back.

Notes for Lover's Walk: vodka, bourbon, beer, pez candy, coffee, nuts, spices, popcorn, salt, pepper, water, herbs, tea, cereal, flour, hot chocolate, marshmallows (mentioned) peaches (mentioned) cloves (mentioned) candy machines (in background) baby food (mentioned) muffins, juice, pop, cheesecake, peas, potatoes, pudding

There is a scene where Spike is crying to Willow and says "A Chaos demon. Have you ever seen a Chaos demon, they're all slime and antlers."   This has been one of my all time favourite lines from the entire series, so of course I had to try to do something that would represent it.  What I ended up doing was a version of a cake I've seen on Food Network Canada website. The Poke Cake.  Only, I made cupcakes.  Why am I calling it a dish and not a recipe? Because I used a cheat through the whole thing, with cake mix, store bought frosting, store bought pudding and pretzles. So really can not call it a recipe.

I followed the directions on the box, and divided it into a muffin tin. While that was in the oven, I mixed some vanilla pudding with green food colouring.

 As the cupcakes cooled, I then went ahead and mixed together the white frosting with red food colouring.  Once the cupcakes were cool enough to handle, I dug a small well in the center of each, filling it with the green pudding and replacing the dug out pieces.

I then frosted them with the now red/pink frosting. From here, I simply stuck a few pieces of the pretzels into the tops, and poured a bit more of the green pudding over that.

This was intended to represent the "slime and antlers" that inspired the whole idea. The intention of the poke cake, is that because you've "poked holes" into it and filled it, that when you bite into it, the cupcake should ooze. Sadly, I didn't have enough filling, so mine just sort of clumped.

Delicious in it's sticky gory-glory. That's all I've got this time for you, don't forget to head over to All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, and see which episode inspired Heather.  Till late.

October 2017 FnF Randomness

Spudguns!  This would be my offering for this month's Food n'Flix, of which I'm hosting.  In case you forgot; I picked the remake of Ghostbusters. (here is my announcement )

I've talked about this movie in year 5 of the blog when it first came out, but the run down goes like this... (and made a Slimmer Soup inspired by the first two films {here})

Plot:  After Prof Abby Yates, learns that a book she'd co-written years before; that she thought had been destroyed ends up online for sale, she tracks down her former best friend Dr. Erin Gilbert in order to ask her to stop selling it. While there, Abby gets roped into joining Erin and her coworker Jillian Holtzmann as they investigate a local haunting. This leads to them being invited by Patty, a subway worker, into also investigating what she believes is a ghost, that has started to terrorize people on the subway system. Before long, the foursome are in need of a new office, a new secretary and new ride; as they begin to clean up the city's latest mess. The gang discover that a crazed fanboy, Rowan, a janitor for a local hotel; has been studying the same source material they have. Only, he's out to use the knowledge to open a portal between the living and the dead.

One of the things about this film I really dug, was that 90% of the effects were done practically in-camera. All the slime we see through out was actually cooked up in the props kitchen, the one scene at the opening which has a character is running up stairs that break away; which was done with pullies; a comical scene near the end of the film with the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man who has the ghostbusters trapped was done with them against glass. It's good to know that movies are starting to return to the "old ways" more and more. 

Notes: Chinese food, wonton soup, carrots, potato chips, toast (mentioned), cotton candy (mentioned), hard candy (seen on desk) beer, coffee, shrimp, water chestnuts, hot dogs, sugar, Vienna sausages (mentioned) pizza, pop, goat (mentioned) chicken (mentioned) salad, bologna (mentioned) sandwiches, wine, sushi, mustard, ketchup, fries, popcorn, hot pretzels, marshmallows, twinkie (sign in street) rum (sign in street) ice cream (mentioned), potatoes (mentioned) tomatoes (mentioned) steak, nachos, fruit plate, flap jacks (mentioned) walnuts (mentioned end credits)

One of my favourite lines in the film comes from Patty when they are at the heavy metal concert hunting the demon ghost. She shakes her head saying that the music is making the creature angry and "To Play Something Gentle!".  I decided to combine that line with the fact we see hot dogs a couple of times in the film, along with Patty mentioning that she has a cousin who will "work for Vienna Sausages", and of course one of the earlier scenes in the film when Holtzmann is eating potato chips during their first hunt.

I decided to make a "Heavy Metal Hot Dog Casserole"



Ingredients:

half a package of pasta
1 can cheddar soup
4 Yves veggie dogs
onion chopped
chopped green pepper
half a package of shredded cheese (I used a nacho blend)
1/2 bag of nacho cheese flavoured chips






Boil your pasta one minute underdone, drain MOST of the liquid leaving about a tablespoon,

transfer to your casserole dish,

add the soup to your pasta and mix well

Cook your hot dogs to package instructions (in this case boiled for 3 minutes), then chop up into smaller pieces,

Layer hot dogs and green peppers and onions on top of pasta

Crumble nacho chips over top,

Add shredded cheese

Bake for 20 minutes at 250 degrees or until cheese has melted

This is the part where you say "oh my god! She actually made a casserole!!!!"  Yeah, I know I know, they have been few and far between.

I decided to go with the nacho flavour theme here, because veggie dogs are known for having zero taste to them. (unless you use a spicy veggie sausage) So I thought, instead of trying to "doctor up the dog" I'd just take the easier route, and pick a flavour profile that I know would work.  No guess work needed, just nacho cheese all around. And other than salting the pasta water, there is NO extra salt/pepper, as I find canned soups no matter what the flavour, to be very salt.

Don't forget to check back in a few weeks (I think I said the 2nd of November) to find out what the rest of the gang were inspired to make when I post the round up.  And also, if you want to join in with us next month, the selection will be Planes Trains and Automobiles  and hosted by Amy at Amy's Cooking Adventures 

Random movie May 26st 2017 (Food n Flix )

Spudguns! It's that time of month, when I offer you up my dinner and a movie, for the blogging group Food n'Flix. This month is being hosted by Debbi at  Kahakai Kitchen  .... and it's Princess Bride.

movie: The Princess Bride
starring: Cary Elwes, Chris Sarandon
genre: Comedy, Adventure
year: 1987
format: DVD

plot: When a young boy's grandfather shows up to read to him, his imagination is sparked with a story about pirates, true love, evil murder plots, revenge, and things that are not always what they seem. We follow the characters in the fairy tale - Westley and Buttercup- as their adventure unfolds. Buttercup believing Westley is dead at the hands of the Dread Pirate Roberts, agrees to marry the prince. The prince is trying to start a war with the next kingdom, and plans on doing so by killing Buttercup and blaming it on the neighbouring kingdom. But his plans are foiled when Westley who is not only alive but in fact the Dread Pirate Roberts shows up to rescue her.

Based on the 1973 novel.

This is one of those stories everyone loves. It's got something for all tastes.  My favourite scenes are Westley sword fighting with Inigo Montoya; who has like the coolest line in all of moviedom  "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you have killed my father prepare to die".  I mean, who hasn't at some point in time quoted that like for no other reason then it's damn cool!  My other favourite scene is when Inigo and Fezzik take Westley half dead, to see Miracle Max. The comedy timing of Carol Kane and Billy Crystal is as perfect as the sword fight is earlier.

Notes:  cheesies, cow, chicken, pig, apples, garlic, leeks, bread, carrots, dough, celery, water, herbs, goats, buttercup (her name) brandy (mentioned) peanut (mentioned) cheese, eel, wine, "cinnamon" (the sand made me think of it) "swordfish" (the fencing made me think of it) sandwich, juice, coffee, sliced ham, pears, rabbit, soup/stew, lemon juice (mentioned) mutton-lettuce-tomato sandwich (mentioned) chocolate, muffin (mentioned) potatoes, wheat, onions, walnuts, mango, grapes, pineapple

I have to confess something. My recipe didn't work. And I did not have a back up plan. I had said in another post, I'd be back that week with this, but my recipe failed and I wasn't sure I was going to do this at all. And if you've been following this for any length of time, you know I like to think outside the box as much as I can.  What I ended up doing, was going with the obvious. I ended up making a soup.  My inspiration scene being where Inigo is drunk and falls face first into his soup/stew.  And it used more than half the ingredients from my notes.

 Ingredients for mom's beef soup

1 package stew beef
2 large potatoes or 3 small ones
1 cup chopped carrots
2 stalks celery chopped
half onion chopped
1 cup instant rice
1 can tomato soup
1 can veggie soup
1 container beef broth
half a turnip chopped
salt to taste





Rinse the beef in cold water until most of the colour is out.  Then put it on to simmer for about an hour, at which point you remove any scum from the top. Let simmer for another half hour,

Chop all the vegetables, adding in the celery and onion first.
Stir in the beef broth

Let simmer for another fifteen minutes, before adding remaining ingredients

With the lid half way on, let simmer for another 45 minutes, so that the rice can plump up.

First off, yeah I did a meat dish. Which of course I did not eat. But mom seemed happy with it so... And second, it ironically fit. This was one of those weird situations, where I was banging my head against the wall with lack of inspiration, and was literally walking around the apartment with the damned dvd in hand when mom called asking me to go to the grocery for her. When I saw how the shopping list was turning out;  it made perfect sense. And yes, I walked around the grocery with the movie in my purse cause I'm spiffy like that.

That's it for this month. If you try this one, let me know what you think cause this is one recipe I didn't taste myself.    Next month the group will be doing the movie Volver and is being hosted by Evelyne at  CulturEatz

Random movie Jan 14th

Movie: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
starring: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings
genre: Comedy
year: 2008
format: TV EDIT

plot: After learning that a band is playing an after hours gig, a group of teens spend the night following clues as to where the band will be, while dealing with the reality of their relationships being less then desired.

Based on the book.

Okay, so I was flipping the channels and saw this listed, hit the description for it and saw Jay Baruchel listed as being in it, and that was the only reason I bothered to sit down and watch it. Sadly, he only had four minutes of air time.

You've got a guy who is head over heels with his ex, who burned him, and the chick who has been secretly crushing on him for awhile finally spending time together, and the only thing getting in the way of them is themselves; their friends and two jealous exes.
I kept waiting for it to get funny. I could have done without the puking in the airport bathroom scene. It just seemed like there was nothing happening, just one long ramble of a game of tag.

I have to say, there was one line that was almost the redeeming quality for the whole movie, when the character of Norah is looking through Nick's music collection and says "you are literally like my musical soulmate". That line got my attention and just stuck with me for the last few hours. 

Night Bleeds December

The last combo of the all vampire movie book club for 2016, is Dracula  and the 1992 movie version Bram Stoker's Dracula. 

movie:  Starring Gary Oldman and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
plot:  1462, and there is a war between the lands of Vlad Tempes and the Ottoman Empire. Vlad manages to turn the Turks back away from his lands, but not before is wife is tricked into believing that he was killed. She then commits suicide, damning her soul in the eyes of the church. Vlad Dracula, then in a violent fit of depression vows to return from the dead to take revenge.  1897, London and we see Johnathan Harker, who has just been given an assignment by his new boss of traveling to Transylvania to meet with a Count Dracula, in order to deliver deeds to his new properties. Harker, leaves behind a new fiancee; Mina, to make the trip where he is kept prisoner by the Count. Mina, meanwhile, is staying with her childhood friend, Lucy for the summer. Lucy, agrees to marry Lord Arthur Holmwood (after turning down his two best friends Dr. Jack Seward and Quincey Morris) After a letter arrives from Harker, Mina wonders if he's in fact alright, but her attention soon is taken completely by a Prince Vlad who has arrived in London. Meanwhile, next door to Lucy's house, is Dr. Seward's insane asylum where R.N. Renfield; the lawyer who had Harker's job before him, is being kept. Seward has a close friendship with Renfield, which proves interesting as the story progresses. Lucy, while sleepwalking one night is attacked by a werewolf-like creature and begins to act out. Dr. Seward then requests help from Professor Van Helsing. He preforms three blood transfusions on Lucy, but she ends up the victim of the Prince after Mina leaves for Transylvania to be with Harker.  The men (Van Helsing, Seward, Morris and Holmwood) then proceed to track and destroy Lucy once they learn she has become a vampire herself. When Mina and Harker return to London, they learn that the Count is a vampire, and Mina his original choice of victim as she is the reincarnation of Vlad's dead wife. The group try to save Mina, by hiding her in the asylum, only to cause Renfield's violent death by Vlad, and then chase him from London back to Transylvania for a final showdown.

So some of my favourite scenes are the shaving scene when Dracula breaks the mirror, the seduction of Harker in the castle by the three brides, Lucy running down the garden stairs screaming "I love him, I love him",  Van Helsing asking Seward for the knives, the love scene between Mina and Dracula, and Lucy's werewolf rape scene.

Van Helsing  - "Jack, I need for you to get for me before nightfall, a set of post-mortem knives."

Seward - "An autopsy, Lucy?"

Van Helsing- "No, no no, not exactly, I just want to cut off her head and take out her heart...Jack Jack!"

The themes in the movie, are forbidden love, lost love, reincarnation, trust, faith, mental illness, domination, sexual repression, drug abuse.

I like the parallel going on in this. We have Lucy with her three "husbands" Arthur Holmwood, Quincey Morris and Jack Seward; while Harker has the three "brides" who are actually un-namned. Both are being "seduced" in their own way.  Then, tipping the scales, we have Mina with her three love interests as well in the form of Harker, Dracula and to a level Van Helsing.

Both the movie and the book bring up the idea that by exchanging blood, a form of marriage has occurred. Arthur Holmwood is the one who mentions it in regard to himself and Lucy, unaware (in the book anyways) that Van Helsing, Morris and Seward have also "fed her" their blood by medical means. You then see the sire bond beginning to take shape between Dracula and Lucy, and later Dracula and Mina. With the emphasis on the psychic/empathic connection. (a big trait in folklore on the proof of vampires)
The movie drops a lot of the folklore, such as the fact vampires can not cross running water (the book deals with this element - no pun intended- by having low tides and running boats aground)

The book:  Johnathan Harker sets off across Europe, to meet a Count Dracula, in order to hand over the deeds to a series of properties around England. The Count, at first is pleasant but after awhile, begins to become shifty. He even goes so far as to steal Harker's clothes locking him in a high tower room. After escaping his rooms, Harker wanders the castle and discovers what at first seems like three ghosts, but are in fact vampire women. They attempt to trap him by seduction, only to have the Count threaten them for it. Harker then witnesses their true nature when he sees them devour a child. Again, he tries to escape only to find the vaults where the Count has begun collecting dirt in large boxes, and the Count himself sleeping in one. Meanwhile, back in England, Mina and Lucy are on a trip to Whitby. Lucy's mother is gravely ill and the two girls are doing their best to keep calm but it's wearing Lucy down causing her to sleepwalk. One night, she sleepwalks out to their favourite spot, while a storm has happened just the night before, causing a ship to run aground. Lucy is then attacked unawares to herself and Mina. Lucy, then starts to become sick herself and they return to London. Here, we meet the three men who are in love with Lucy, Dr. Seward, Arthur Holmood (Lord Godalming) and Quincey Morris. She quickly becomes engaged to Holmwood.  Mina is then pulled way from England by a letter from a convent in Romania, letting her know that Harker was found wandering with a brain fever. Meanwhile, Dr. Seward who is self medicating over his depression, is giving special attention to one of his lunatics, R.N. Renfield. Renfield keeps escaping his cell and running to the empty house next door. Seward ends up having to ask his friend Van Helsing to come help out with Lucy. Within two weeks, Lucy's mother dies of a heart attack, as does Holmwood's father. Lucy then dies of extreme blood loss. This causing the men to follow stories of  'the white lady' and the fact a sudden rise in children disappearing only days after Lucy's death. They soon learn she is a vampire and destroy her. Mina and Harker then return to London, to learn of all this. From the many letters and diary entries that everyone has kept in the long five months, Van Helsing pieces together what has happened and that they are looking for a real vampire. Tracking the Count down to the building next to the asylum, they begin to purify the boxes of dirt. While this is going on, Renfield is murdered in his cell, and Mina is attacked in her bedroom. The group then travel to Transylvania chasing the Count for the final showdown.


There are a lot of differences between the 1992 movie version and the original 1897 story. Such as, the movie has added much more of the idea of Vlad Tempes, where the book just touches at it. The movie added the entire reincarnation idea, the vampires have less weaknesses in the movie than they do in the book.  In the book, Renfield as far as we know, was never a lawyer or in Transylvania; in fact he doesn't meet Dracula until near the end of the book when he's killed.
The movie has Mina still in London when Lucy becomes gravely ill and meets Van Helsing just before she goes off to rescue Harker, where as the book does not.  Dracula himself, has very little scenes in the original novel, as Seward and Van Helsing are the real main characters.

The book, though is a classic gothic novel, it's also a bit of a crime story which were becoming popular at that time. A lot of the story has the group making plans over breakfast or dinner, or having the characters tracking down information/leads; which drags the story out for nearly nine months. 

Something I have always wondered about the novel, is if it was meant to be a serious book or a bit more comical? There are paragraphs where Van Helsing is babbling in what seems like complete sarcasm. Not too mention Mina's constantly commenting on "brave men...men's work" etc. You almost wonder if Stoker wrote it tongue in cheek or if he was serious about his social concerns?
The men in the novel are appalled by the fact that the women are more aggressive, voluptuous, and calmly confident when death/near death after having been in contact with the Count. At certain points, all of them physically turn away disgusted by the sight of their beloved in the "trances", when they are more "live"; and calmer when both Mina and Lucy return to a more compliant frame. 

Some of the themes in the novel are fear of foreigners/foreign lands, mental illness, equality, sexual repression, religion/superstition, status, plagues.

Okay, I have to admit, given the hundreds upon hundreds of essays and literary studies done on this novel, I don't know if anything else I have to say right now, will measure up?  So this is my end for this topic. I must admit, because I've referenced Dracula all year in comparisons/examples of the other book club selections, I feel like I've covered all I can at this point.

Doing Night Bleeds this past year has been an exercise for me in my biggest obsession/hobby/studies. I'm grateful for anyone who joined in with me, who read what I had to say, who might have picked up the movies and book reading/watching along with me and Heather (I think she's got a take on this coming? I will post a round up if/when she does)   I am still tossing around ideas for doing Night Bleeds in 2017, so if anyone is interested...

Night Bleeds November

The Oxford Canadian Dictionary 's definition of vampire : a ghost or reanimated corpse supposed to leave its grave at night to suck the blood of the living,
their definition of a zombie: a corpse said to be revived by witchcraft, a dull or exceedingly tired person,
the definition of a revenant : a visible ghost or animated corpse believed to return from the grave to terrorize the living, a zombie.
 
movie: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)  starring Kenneth Branagh and Robert De Niro.
plot: When an explorer finds his ship trapped in ice at the northest point of the then known world, he is startled to discover a man half frozen. When he takes him aboard, he learns the man's history.  Victor Frankenstein having lost his mother in childbirth when she had his younger brother, becomes obsessed with the idea of cheating death at all costs. He begins studying the works of both modern medicine and the known occult philosophies. He hides himself away in his lab, at first reanimating dead tissue in small animals, but eventually moving on to the idea of reanimating the recently dead. (this comes after yet another lost love one) His single minded obsession leads way to him becoming sick, and taken away from the university by his best friend and his step-sister; Elizabeth. Unknown to them, Victor had been successful in creating a new lifeform, which he's run in fear from. We then see the world through the eyes of the creature, as he learns to survive on his own while having to hide his injuries. Before long, the creature demands that Victor create a mate for him, and swears that he will not rest until either he is allowed to have what Victor has or takes it all away from Victor in rage. When Victor tries to outsmart the creature by secretly marrying Elizabeth, the creature retaliates by killing Elizabeth. He then demands that Elizabeth be used to create his own mate. Succeeding in this against his will, Victor claims the newly reanimated Elizabeth for his own, but she understands what has happened to her and kills herself. The two men are then left running from each other in a battle of wills.

I have to say, one of my favourite scenes has always been the creature's revenge when he rips the heart out of Elizabeth.  Another is when Clerval introduces himself in the street after the lecture, complimenting the coat and Victor says "I am not mad". There is just something so perfect in the comedic timing between the two.  Is it wrong to admit that Clerval is one of my favourite characters in the movie version?  He's the perfect combination of silly sidekick and serious conscience. ("Dear diary why does no one understand me? P.S. I am not mad!") 
You also have the stairs scene, where Victor is carrying the dead Elizabeth up this winding staricase in this blood red robe (a toss to the fact they used the same set from Dracula) It puts you in mind of some demonic-angel ascending from hell.  This is his big F-U to everyone, throwing all logic and ethics out the window by brazenly admitting to what he's been doing. No longer even trying to hid the fact he's been messing around with stuff he maybe shouldn't have.

Besides wanting the trenchcoat he wears in the beginning (and later worn by the creature) I always wanted the journal Victor keeps. There is something about the idea of a book of all knowlegdgefullness...

Here is a man who is caught between the knowledge he's gathered of the occult and the modern Christian concepts of God. His desperation leads to first his faith in extending life, then to his obsession of "gathering the raw materials" to prove it can be done. He bucks the limits of the then modern medicine when he knowingly says that to grant pain free/death free life was a risk worth any consequence.

It's interesting that they set the movie during the time of a plague, given that vampires were often "blamed" for many of the plagues that happened.  The use of birthing fluid and electricity is brilliantly used here to help "kickstart" the reanimation. Electricity, although connected to the Frankenstein movies, was never really touched upon in the book. (there is one scene in the book where Victor is transfixed by a thunder storm and a dead tree)
We see how Victor's single minded obsession also leads to his illness and depression. He's fallen to his own madness and half wasted away. (visually putting you in mind of a vampire) 

Right off, I'm having issues with the photo and I have no clue how to flip it in the post here so yeah it's sideways...

Book: After the death of his mother, Victor Frankenstein, goes off to university where he quickly becomes obsessed with the idea of the "natural sciences". After devoting nearly four years of his life to the study of what some would consider metaphysics, he begins to question the reality of heaven, hell, lifeforce and creation. Consumed with the idea of a stronger man created not from the natural connection of sexual relationships, but from the idea of expanding on the evolution of what is already, he begins to reanimate life into dead tissue. When faced with his creation, the truth of what he has done, of what human nature is capable of, he flees in fear. When his best friend Clerval arrives at the university, he finds Victor near death from illness and exhaustion. The evidence of Victor's addictions long since disappeared. When they decide to take a trip back home, to visit the family, they learn that Victor's youngest brother has been murdered, and their adopted sister Justine is accused of the crime, Victor knows without a doubt that his creature has done this for revenge. Meeting with the creature on a remote mountain top, the creature asks one thing of Victor, to end his suffering and create a female for him. When Victor refuses, the creature begins to kill off each of the family members till there is no one left to protect.

It's been a few years since I last read this, and I have to admit I had completely forgotten about the side story midway regarding the "French family and the Arabian wife", that the creature tells.  It shows a lot about the types of stories that were popular at the time of the author's writing (such as 1001 Nights,  where the anthology style was becoming popular. Where you would have one storyteller giving you different tales)

Frankenstein is a story of obsession, vice, fear, faith, disillusion, and ego.  While the character of Frankenstein sets out to explore the inner world of humankind, the character of the creature sets out by no fault of his own to discover the outer world. Each as lost and disgusted by what they find. 

I always saw the relationship between the two leads as that of a sire bond. There is actually a scene in the book where Victor refers to the creature as his own vampire, when he realizes that the creature is trying to destroy everything he loves. The story refers to them as Father-Son, God-Adam, God-Satan,  style relationships. But, in it's own way, it's as if we are looking at a split personality, one of innocence gone wrong. Each is left struggling with their need for family and a place to fit, neither finding it. That is, until it's too late. It isn't till faced with their own deaths, that each seems to realize how much they are devoted to the other.

The level of manipulation going on between the two, is much like that of Dracula and Renfield, or even Dracula and Harker. The creature puts the worst fears into Victor, knowing his threats are the only thing holding any sway over him. The only difference here is that the creature doesn't do what he does out of ego, he does it out of grief.  There are moments in the story, where Victor has lost all reason, all hope. He's emotionally and physically weak, drained having put all his time, effort, energy into either making the creature or running from his fear of the creature. This is one of the biggest examples of the classic folklore vampiric relationship. The totally absorption of self into the ego of another. (there is also the nod to the fact the creature mostly only moves around by night)

Besides the fact the story deals with having a god-complex, the metaphors for loneliness and self-destruction are two of the most common we see in vampire stories. The two main characters, Victor and his creature, are both dealing with an extreme level of isolation. Neither being able to accept fully that they invited it themselves. Victor by his obsession to recreate life and the creature by his obsession to fit in.


Okay, so I'm going to shut up now and point you to Heather's blog All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, so you can see what she has to offer on the topic.

Next month, we're rounding out the year with Dracula both the book and the 1992 movie version Bram Stoker's Dracula. But I'll be back later in the week with the official post on that.

year 5 day 151

movie: Cuban Fury
starring; Nick Frost, Rory Kinnear
genre; Comedy
year: 2013/2014
format: Netflix Canada

plot: A once promising salsa dancer, tries to recapture his passion for the sport after finding out his new crush is taking classes.

This is little bit Footloose little bit Dirty Dancing.  You've got what I would love to say is a new twist on the romantic comedy, but it sadly is not. The idea of dance competitions as a way to get the guy/girl is a good one, but overdone in the last few years.

Thankfully, this is a comedy and doesn't take itself so serious as most of the dance movies in the last decade have been.   Nick Frost plays the lonely nerd to perfection.
I loved all the little 80's references that pop up in this.  "It's Goonie Time. You know what Goonie Time is?" has to be one of the coolest quotes I've heard in ages.
There is a scene between Frost and Chris O'Dowd that plays like something you would have expected from Steve Martin and Chevy Chase back in the day. A dance off that ran a bit longer than needed but reminds you that this movie is for fun and not to get too wrapped up in the "competition" of things.

The big theme here is just be yourself and do what you are passionate about, not letting anyone bully you or mock you out of it.  We see our lead being taken slight advantage of by his co-worker who is just that bit sleazy on all sides. Which of course, is because he himself is insecure.

what did I learn? Don't give up on something you truly love and don't stop believing.

year 5 day 74

movie: Robin and Marion
starring:Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn
genre:Adventure
year:1976
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: After spending 20 years fighting in the crusades, Robin Hood returns to find everything has changed, including the fact Marion is now a nun.

There is a great line in the first few minutes when Robin learns the big treasure he was sent to collect from a broken down castle isn't real "I'm fighting for a rock."  And then it's pretty much down hill from there.
I was expecting more of a traditional Robin Hood story, and was bit let down. Robin makes this grand return to England only to find that nothing is how he remembered, no one is waiting around for them, in fact everyone has moved on with their lives. He then acts like he barely remembers Marion, all the while asking about her first change he gets. And eventually tracking her down at an abbey.
He then tries to save her against her will, as she's about to be arrested because the current king isn't religious. Not too mention the old grudge with the Sheriff, which ends bloody.

For the first fifteen minutes this is a comedy, then for the next hour it's a romance, and the last twenty minutes it's one long fight scene. All the time pointing out the fact everyone has gotten old. Even the big battle at the end, the Sheriff is practically begging Robin just to given in for both their sakes. Kinda makes you wonder who's really out to prove what?

I do however, like the idea that true love never dies. That there can be that one person who you just never shake and who never quite shakes you.

what did I learn?: There is a fine line between stubbornness and honor.

year 5 Day 73

movie: Deadpool
starring:Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein
genre:Action
year: 2016
format: Cinema

plot:A brute for hire, finds out he has cancer. He gets a visit from a guy claiming he can fix him, and turn him into a superhero. Agreeing to the experimental surgeries, he finds himself tortured and disfigured which triggers a mutation. The mutation leaves him unable to die, and he then sets out on revenge on the scientist who created him.

Based on the comic/graphic novels.

The first 10 seconds I knew I was going to dig this movie, the opening credits even had a sense of humour (starring -The World's Most Perfect Idiot, A Moody Teen, A CGI Character, A British Villain)

This is not your typical superhero movie, and I think that's why it works. More then once, you see him get a ton of weapons together to take into a big shoot out, only to loose the bag of guns. I thought it was both funny, and added to the idea that there was more to the design of the character.
I also loved the fact they tossed in as many references to so many of Reynolds previous works as they could, in such a tongue-in-cheek way. And since this character wears a mask, there were voice overs. I like when a movie you wouldn't normally expect to have dialogue, actually has dialogue. Because of the voice overs, they were able to fit dialogue into almost every corner of the action scenes.

Yes, the violence is jam packed wall to wall, but it's done in a tone that lets you know it's a comic book film. It's not too gory in other words. It's a revenge film, but and I love getting to say this, it's a Frankenstein film! He's kind of this lost soul to begin with, and once all the experiments are done to him, he becomes something else. This unstoppable creature that, thirsts for revenge. Humanity pretty much left the building.

what did I learn? This might be a "guy's movie" with the raw sex scenes, extreme violence and extreme swearing, but I've never seen an audience filled with so many other women since I went to see the first Sex and the City movie.  Ryan Reynold's naked arse might have something to do with it.

13 Days of Hallowe'en Day 5

My Boyfriend's Back

plot: While trying to get up the courage to ask out the girl he's in love with, Johnny Dingle gets shot when a robbery goes wrong. Seeing him bleeding to death, the girl agrees to go with him to the prom. Three days later, after his funeral, Johnny rises from his grave not aware he's really dead, with only one thing on his mind, getting to the prom on time. He's warned that if he leaves the graveyard he'll start to decompose but doesn't believe the cemetery guard. Before long, Johnny finds himself fighting not just the usual teenaged fears, but the urge to eat the flesh of the living.

This is the 1993 comedy starring Andrew Lowery and Traci Lind

This is a very slapstick, goofy over the top movie that never really got the cult status it could have. Very much a product of it's generation, it's comedy factor sanitizes it to the point of almost being too tongue in cheek.

I haven't watched this in twenty years, and honestly had forgotten how quick some of the one liners are, such as Johnny's dad saying "Your mother and I, and the ambulance driver and the embalmer were all pretty much convinced you were dead"  or  his mother having gotten him a dead body to eat; "I got it at the morgue. They were practically giving them away."
This movie almost; should have taken itself a bit more seriously. I do however love the nod to Frankenstein, with the insane doctor looking out his apartment building window down at the angry mob of townspeople, as they are demanding the zombie/the dead kid with torches. The angle that it is shot makes it nearly black and white, with the dark skyline giving away to the idea of the castle on the hill.

Okay, and I have to say it...the list of actors in this that have done vampire films include the two leads Lowery (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Lind (Fright Night 2) Edward Herrmann (Lost Boys, Here Comes the Munsters {yeah Herrmann played Herman})

The big theme that gets the most notice is the metaphor of teenaged sexual tension, but the bigger theme is prejudice in all forms.

Coffee Talk Aug 9th 2015

Spudguns!  How are you this Sunday?  We're sitting at a +23C with a +28C humidex, so this for me is a day to hide in the darkest corner of the apartment. Cause, me and the sun/heat don't get along. I break out in migraine headaches and hideous disgusting freckles and sweat. No sir, I don't like it.  That and the whole "I don't tan, I don't burn, I implode." part of things.  I already use SPF-50 when I go out; just one step away from being some cliche from a Tim Burton film carrying an umbrella when it's not raining.

I would use something stronger, but I haven't seen anything with a higher label here in town.  No joke, I'm like that scene in Blade when Frost and his crew of vamps are holding the kid captive in the park and Blade's all "Your mascara is running."  because the sun is so hot the titanium uber sunblock is melting off.  (mmmm Stephen Dorff)

This has been a bit of a slow week for blogging, cause I've been busy in the physical world doing tarot readings. And this upcoming week will be slow for blogging, cause I'll still be busy in the physical world doing tarot readings.
But, with that said, I 'll try to get the next installment of the Nosferatu Adventures up this week.

And if you are in the Thunder Bay area and are interested in a tarot reading, you can leave a comment here or on either my facebook page (yes I broke down and rejoined the rest of the world...here) or on the Bliss Cafe Thunder Bay facebook page.

Till later.

Theme Week- Werewolves

Full Eclipse

plot: After witnessing his partner kill himself, detective Max Dire is offered a chance to join a special unit called the Pack. On their first mission, where he believes the others are using a designer drug to ramp up their adrenaline, he starts to investigate their chief Garou. Max soon learns his new boss is a werewolf, and is running out of time before not only the next full moon, but a total lunar eclipse, where Garou will become unstoppable.

This is a 1993 made for tv crime drama starring Mario Van Peeples and Bruce Payne.

I remember seeing this twenty years ago on vhs rental. I had no idea it was a made for tv movie. With that in mind, it would explain why there are a few scenes that feel rushed. Otherwise, this is one of the more original werewolf movies to come out of the 1990's.

There is one scene when we learn what the "drug" really is and Garou utters the line "this is my brain, this is you on my brain any questions?"  Which is funny for the simple fact the anti-drug campaign back in the 1990's was "this is your brain this is your brain on drugs any questions" with the eggs frying.

Bruce Payne is the star of this, even though he's the big bad, and only in half the movie, you end up rooting for him.  His character does all the bad stuff, all the wrong things for all the right reasons with completely good intentions.

Now, this version I watched online and was the 93 minute R-rated, which is edited just a bit. What I saw 20 years ago on vhs was an uncut version which came in a few minutes longer, and I seem to remember there being more story to do with the lead character's wife, and more with the mob.

Theme Week part 3- Corey Feldman

Bordello of Blood

plot: After her brother Caleb goes missing, Catherine hires a private investigator to find him. What he finds, is that Caleb and his buddies have fallen victim to a group of vampires when they went to a brothel. Which as it turns out is run by the vampire goddess Lilith.

This is a 1996 comedy horror starring Corey Feldman and Dennis Miller.

This was when Feldman seemed to be making a major name for himself as a "vampire actor". He was showing up in movies and tv shows where he either played a vampire or a hunter.  This film was also a major nod to the genre in general, having Chris Sarandon (Fright Night and it's remake) Erika Eleniak (Blob remake, Dracula 3000) and Corey Feldman at the time.

It is a Tales from the Crypt movie, second in what was suppose to be a trilogy. (don't know if the third ever did get made?)  And some of the jokes are directed to that fact.
Some of my favourite scenes have just the vampire Lilith delivering one liners like "this bloods for you" when she hands over a still beating heart, or "love a man who gives you head and let's you keep it." when she decapitates one of her victims.

This is another one of those stories that goes over the top at times to make it's point, setting what could be very serious situations into an extremely silly setting, like the preacher who co-owns the brothel and strip club, or the fact it's being hidden in a funeral home and what they're doing to the bodies of the victims.  Had this been a straight up horror, it might have played better.

May Food n Flix/ Theme Week

I will never betray my goon dock friends
We'll stick together till the whole world ends
Through heaven or hell or nuclear war
Good pals like us will stick like tar
In the city or country or forest or boonies
I'm proudly declared a fellow goonie.

30 years later and I still remember it. Scary right!  GirliChef is hosting Food n Flix this month, and if you haven't figured it out yet, her pick is the Goonies.  You might remember the first year of the blog (Sept 10th 2012) I did the Goonies as the quote of the day. I also mentioned it on my top 5 Corey Feldman movies, and top 5 movie nerds.

Normally, I give a heads up few days or so before I post the actual  post for it, but...it's the Goonies!   I'm sure I'll think of another dish or two and wish I had waited but...I sort of wanted this to kick off my theme week as well.

This should have been the easiest Food n Flix selection for me. And anyone who knows me, or even knew me 30 years ago, knows how obsessed I've been with this movie over the decades. I mean O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D! to the point of wearing out a couple vhs copies, a couple of dvd copies, reenacting scenes in drama class (when I was 12) to collecting everything I could get my hands on back in the day when it first came out in cinemas.  I ate more goonies chocolate bars then any person should ever admit to. (which I recently learned was just a Canadian thing! And basically just a Baby Ruth in a "Sloth" wrapper)
So, this is part of both Food n Flix series of posts, and my personal theme week; which this week is Corey Feldman movies.

Now, I said this "should have been the easiest" Food n Flix selection for me, but it was the hardest so far, this movie being what it is to me.

Plot: About to loose their homes, a group of kids- Mikey, Brand, Mouth, Data, Steph, Andy and Chunk- find a treasure map in Mikey's attic. The excitement leads to them believing they can save their homes if they find a 300 year old buried treasure that no one else was able to. As they follow the map and begin their adventure, they stumble upon a family of ex-cons-the Fratellis- who are running a counterfeiting scheme.  They also find a dead body in the ice-cream freezer. The kids realize the basement of the hideout is the entrance to the treasure. Chunk gets left behind to inform the police, but is kidnapped by the Fratellis, and stuck into a room with Sloth, the youngest Fratelli son who is deformed.  The Fratellis then decide to track down the rest of the gang in the underground tunnels. Before long, everyone ends up finding out "x" really does mark the spot as a fight for the treasure begins.


Okay...little excited here, but here's my notes for the classic 1985 adventure starring Corey Feldman and Sean Astin...

Baby Ruth bars, pizza, "turkey" (the opening scene the cop says turkey) "hangman's bluff" (same opening scene where we see Jake faking his own death) crackers, crab, strawberry milkshakes, chips, "vegan sausage" (the statue that Chunk breaks) pop, corn (hanging as a wall decoration on the outside of Mikey's house) "gumballs"(there are a few booby traps that have canon balls) chicken/eggs, tongue, "truffle shuffle", "fondue" (hearing Copperpot over and over just made me think of it) whipped cream, coffee, "that's what I said salad" (Mikey and his mom constantly say "that's what I said" whenever they get a sentence wrong) matzo balls, "shut up chunk cake" (they tell him constantly to shut up) twinkies, veal scallopini, wine, fettuccine, ice-cream, "Sloth's platter" (hard to see on my screen, but I always thought it meant to look like it was leftovers of potatoes, cabbage, eggs and beets...) "cobweb soup" (there's a few scenes where they are in the tunnels with both spiderwebs and water which never made sense cause wouldn't that much water melt the webs?) chocolate sauce, "counterfeit confetti cake", water (it's everywhere!) tomatoes, "nuts and bolts" (the scene where Andy goes crazy in the tunnels talking about her body) "skeleton keys", "fried bat wings" (the bats fly out of the tunnels into the hideout) "salt water taffy",  "shish kabob" (Data falling with his pinchers of peril onto the spikes) "organ meat", "mudslides" (the drink because of the waterfall scene) "peanut brittle" (Data falling through the ships deck) rum, "Captain Chunk's Brownies"(Chunk has a lot of chocolate related scenes and he does wear the captain's hat) sushi (Data mentions an octopus in the scene where they are rescued, plus the old music video has one plus if you are a freaky-geek like me and watch the deleted scenes there's an octopus)


And with so much water, all I could think was soup. I also couldn't get the shot of the character Steph fishing for crab out of my head. I thought of chowder. But, since I'm vegetarian, I was struggling to figure out how to make a vegetarian one...then remembered the corn decoration on the house. So I decided to make "Chunky" corn chowder and biscuits. 






Biscuits

1/2 pound butter
4 and a half teaspoon baking powder
4 cup flour
3 tablespoon sugar
vanilla
1 egg
half cup milk

Form dough, roll out and shape, bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes depending on your oven.

Being the ghoul that I am, having  Hallowe'en cookie cutters, I tried to make the biscuits shaped like skulls...only they didn't really turn out looking like that as much as just thick.

"Chunky" Corn Chowder

1 medium onion chopped
2 large potatoes peeled and cut
1 stalk of celery chopped
1 tablespoon butter
salt water
4 cups milk
1 large can of corn
black pepper
2 tablespoon flour

Boil potato in salt water for about 10 minutes until it starts to become tender, drain,

add milk to cover them, simmer for 5 minutes,
add corn, onions, celery, black pepper and cover simmering for another 15 minutes. 

Take off of the heat, and add butter and flour stirring till blended.





The original recipe called for corn on the cob to be added and boiled in the soup, letting the corn fall off naturally, but I took the easy route on the corn, plus I had canned corn in the kitchen and wanted to use it up.





You will notice, some of my Goonies collectables here.

The magazine which has been taped back together more then once, half the lining from the soundtrack, the spoken script on 45 record...I couldn't find my actual soundtrack which was a record as well or my novelizations, of which I have two. One is the "movie tie-in" and the other is the full "script novelization".  Somewhere in the amount of stuff I own, I also have a few of the collectors cards, the 6 poster set, the old case to the worn out vhs copy and one single wrapper from the chocolate bar.





Told you I was...er I suppose I have to admit still slightly am obsessed with this movie...Okay a lot obsessed with it still all these years later.

And you can see I made one biscuit with raisins to try to make it more "skeleton" like and represent the key they use to unlock some of the tunnels, but...One Eyed Willie he's not. 

That's my take on a Goonies' dinner, and don't forget it's Corey Feldman theme week here.

And as I always say, not the prettiest dish on the table but "good enough for me"

till later...

Theme Week part 6-SATC

The final season of the show was split into two separate DVDs Season 6 part One and Season 6 part Two; and that's how I'm tackling it...

Sex and the City
Season 6 Episode 12 (#86 for the series)
"ONE"

plot: Charlotte and Carrie go to see a performance artist and meet Aleksandr Petrovsky. Miranda's new boyfriend tells her he loves her with a cookie, which freaks her out. Samantha deals with finding a few grey hairs. Charlotte finds out she's pregnant but miscarries. Miranda and Steve's son has his first birthday,

Quote of the Week- "When will waiting for the one...be done?"

Favourite quote- "Yes I need glasses and I'm not ashamed. I have a sexy young man who loves to f*** me and I'm fabulous." -Samantha
"Have you considered putting that on a t-shirt?" -Miranda

Favourite outfit- the purple-blue scarf dress that Carrie is wearing at the beginning of the episode.

The big gag in this episode is how many times they put the word/number "one" into things, from Brady turning one year old, to Carrie's date being at 1am upon her showing up a few minutes late at 1:03am, to their date ending at 3:01am, to the one single grey hair Samantha finds, to the one giant cookie given to Miranda, to the one shaped birthday candle.  Even in Carrie's question of the week, she talks about waiting for the one guy, one thing, one apartment, one job that people believe will make everything in their life better.

Sex and the City
Season 6 Episode 20 (#94 of the series)
"An American Girl in Paris part Deux"

plot: Carrie has moved to Paris with Aleksandr, and finds herself spending too much time by herself. Charlotte and Harry adopt a baby. Samantha finally starts to feel normal after her battle with cancer. Miranda finds herself running through the streets looking for Steve's mother after she has a stroke. Mr. Big freaks out and runs to Paris to win Carrie back. The girls end up celebrating Samantha's birthday back in New York.

Quote of the Week-   this is the only episode there is no question of the week.

Favourite quote- "Oh did you want to come up?" -Carrie
"Absof***inglutely." -Mr. Big  sitting in his car, this is mirrored to the end scene in the pilot episode.

Favourite outfit- I have to say, I loved the hairdo they give Samantha in this, a short bleached out crop cut.
I also love the fur coat Carrie wears on one of her walks in Paris, and the fur coat Samantha wears when she gets the flowers.

It's the first time in the entire series we learn Mr. Big's name in the final scene. It had been a running gag throughout the series that his name is never mentioned. Names actually become a theme in this episode, we see the gallery where Aleksandr's name is in giant letters giving a hint of how his ego is, then Carrie finds her lost necklace with her nameplate in the bottom of her purse giving her back her own identity, and the caller id which says John reveling Big's name.
I love the in joke they have with the character Samantha talking about Canada, given the actress is Canadian. And the ballerina style tutu they put Carrie in for her party scene, which is a mimic of the classic opening credits tutu used the whole series.

And after 11 years, I still cry every time I watch this episode.

I'm not covering the two movies cause I did talked about them year one of the blog. 

Theme Week part 4 and 5-SATC

SSHHHHSSH!  I was out all day yesterday so I didn't feel like doing this and making dinner when I got home, so you're getting two in one today...

Sex and the City
Season 4 Episode 15 (#63 for the series)
"Change of a Dress"

 plot: Newly divorced Charlotte finds herself filling her schedule with classes just to keep her mind off the situation. Carrie is having second thoughts about marrying Aidan. Samantha is in a relationship with her boss Richard Wright, and afraid he's cheating on her. Miranda finds out she's having a boy and has to fake being happy about it. While trying on wedding dresses with Miranda, Carrie has a panic attack, adding to the fact she's not ready to marry Aidan. The girls then talk about why society pushes marriage as the ideal situation.


Quote of the week: "Are we just programmed?"

Favourite quote - "Once you get a rash from a guy, it's time to heave ho." Samantha's reaction to seeing the rash Carrie has after her panic attack.

"I think I have monogamy, I must have caught it from you people."-Samantha
 "Now it's airborne."  -Carrie  
 
Favourite outfit - the white ball gown/wedding dress that Carrie is wearing at the end of the episode for the Black and White Ball.

This episode does bring up the topic of do we get married/have babies/buy a house because these are the things we as individuals want or because it's what's expected of us to want? 
This episode really puts the spotlight on the idea that it's not all a woman's desire to rush into marriage, really tackling the topic that there is a breed of male who is just as much out to marry; sometimes just for the sake of it. 


Sex and the City
Season 5 Episode 8 (#74 for the series)
"I love a Charade" 

plot:The girls are invited to a wedding of two of their friends, which gets them wondering if their friends are desperate or just trying to fool themselves? Charlotte finally tells the girls about her relationship with Harry, her divorce lawyer. Samantha decides to take over her ex's- Richard's summer house for the weekend of the wedding. Miranda realizes she's got real feelings for her son's father, her ex Steve.  Carrie learns her latest crush, fellow writer Jack Berger is freshly out of a relationship himself, and invites him to the wedding. 

Quote of the week-"When it comes to saying I do, is a relationship a relationship without the zsa zsa zsu?"

Favourite quote- "I know what I did, I revealed too much too soon. I was emotionally slutty." Carrie when telling Miranda that she scared off Berger.

Favourite outfit- the light pink baby-doll dress Carrie wares to the wedding.

This was a shorter season, given they were hiding the lead actress's pregnancy. 
The big theme in this episode is what is the real key to a long lasting marriage? The girls debate back and forth through the course of the episode on if it's the friendship factor/comfort or if it's the sizzle of sex? 
This is also the first episode that tackles the topic of if two people with different spiritual paths/religions can make a relationship work; when Harry tells Charlotte he will only marry a Jewish woman. This itself becomes a major plot point in season 6.

Theme Week part 3-SATC

Sex and the City
Season 3 Episode 11 (#41 of the series)

"Running with Scissors"

plot: After Carrie starts an affair with the now married Mr. Big, she starts to feel guilty. Samantha meets a man who's just as straight forward for sex as she is, but he demands she get tested before sleeping with her. Charlotte becomes a bridezilla while planning her wedding, deciding to hire a wedding planner. Miranda becomes obsessed with the mascot who dresses as a sandwich outside a local take-out diner. After Mr. Big's wife catches Carrie in her house, she falls down the stairs and ends up in the hospital.

Quote of the Week -"Is sex ever safe?"

Favourite quote: "I can't have sex with a sandwich...can I?"  when Miranda tells Carrie about the mascot and how she can't stop thinking about him.

Favourite outfit: the beige knee length dress with the green ribbons, and sun disk necklace Carrie is wearing when Charlotte finds her and Mr. Big coming out of a hotel.

This is the episode that introduced Anthony, who would go on to be Charlotte's best gay friend, and is a key plot point for the second movie.

Theme Week part 2- SATC

Sex and the City
Season 2 Episode 18 (#30 for the series)
"Ex and the City"

plot: After Miranda spots her ex Steve on the street, the women discuss the idea of being able to be friends with an ex. When Steve confronts her, Charlotte finds herself facing a fear of horses, and Samantha picks up a man on the street. After Carrie cleans out her clothes finding a dress that's over a decade old, she calls her ex Mr. Big. They make plans for lunch, both trying to prove they are not affected by the other. Charlotte talks Carrie into going horseback riding with her, but chickens out last second. Samantha goes to sleep with her new man, and finds he's just too much to take. While Miranda and Steve end up having sex, confusing their situation.


Quote of the week- "Can you be friends with an ex?"

Favourite quote: "You know what? I broke in Big. I did I broke him in and now the idiot stick figure with no soul gets to ride him." - Carrie in a scene with Charlotte who's about to go horse back riding.

"You broke up with James because he was too small, and this guy he's too big. What are you goldiec**ks?" - Carrie to Samantha when Samantha tells her, her new man is overwhelmingly large.

Favourite outfit: the two piece camisole and skirt in peach with silver, that Samantha wears when she first sees how big Mr. C**ky is.

This is pretty much the first time you really see Mr. Big come undone. Up till this point in the series, he's been pretty much calm cool and collected. But there are a few scenes where he shows how much Carrie really means to him, and already the regrets he has.

This episode got me to watch the movie The Way We Were, for the first time because of the drinks scene where the girls compare themselves to the movie.  The final scene with Carrie and Mr. Big is a recreation from the movie.

Theme Week -SATC

As I mentioned on another post earlier this week, I've been struggling to find a theme for this month. I was thinking at one point, of movies done in 1974, but I believe I already mentioned that I couldn't even sit through the trailers for the few I found let alone the whole movies.  Then with yesterday's pizza post and all the talk of old 80's Feldman films, I started to think about things I love. The pieces of life that makes me; well me.
So since my birthday is Sunday, I've decided that the theme this week is going to be a tv show that really shaped who I am now. My ultimate can't live without, inspired big changes/A-HA! moments in my life.

And cross your parts/paws/fangs that there will be at some point cake...

Sex and the City 

Season 1 Episode 1 "Sex and the City"

plot:After another birthday that the four girls -Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha- spend single, they make a pact to have a love life without the love and just have sex like men. Because of this, Carrie makes a mistake with a former ex, where upon she meets Mr. Big.  Carrie learns she's not cut out for emotionless relationships, and starts to question if she'll be alone forever? Miranda dates a younger man who's too nice. Charlotte dates a guy who is infamous for being a playboy, who dumps her for Samantha.  Carrie bumps into Mr. Big again on her way home from a club, and they discuss the topic of loveless sex vs emotional relationships.


Quote of the week "Cupid has flown the co-op"

This episode sets the foundations for the whole series to come. The debate of hopeless romance vs sex without feelings.

Favourite quote -"Absof***inglutely."  uttered by Mr. Big in the final scene.
Favourite outfit- the animal print dress Carrie wares in the last five minutes of the episode.

I can say without any doubt, it was literally this last scene with Carrie and Mr. Big in the limo, that hooked me as a fan. The scene itself is only 2 and a half minutes, but it's the scene that always stuck out to me.
I loved the fact that this guy comes out of nowhere, and in one conversation, manages to undo all the hard work that the four women have put into motion convincing themselves and each other that they have to be colder, when it comes to men.
He, literally, with one word changes how Carrie views the power struggle between men and women. 

Random movie Dec 25th 2014

The Interview

plot: Two lowbrow reporters are given the chance to go to North Korea to interview their leader. The CIA contacts them, asking them to be part of a murder plot.

This is a 2014 slapstick comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco.

Like millions of people in the last 24 hours, I just saw the now infamous The Interview. 
I have to say, when I first heard about this film back in the summer, and saw the original trailer for it at the cinema, I thought it looked like a funny waste of time. Then all that happened happened, and I was bummed to find out Canada wasn't going to get a release for it. Dude, that sucks.
Then, hey last second we get it online. Yay!

I have to say, they had me at the line "Eminem is gay on our show!"  It was funny, like snot out your coffee funny.  This movie, for all it's hoopla, has it's fair share of moments. I kept thinking back to movies like Top Secret and Spies Like Us, pretty much the whole time. The fake fruit was nifty.

What do I think of this movie? To tell the truth, I didn't bother to think as I watched it. The scene where Seth Rogen gets his fingers bitten off was a little extreme, and the tiger was uncalled for but otherwise...it was one of countless slapstick boarding on raunchy films to be produced in the last few years. The rocket up the butt was funny for what it was worth.

This movie will go down in history as a lesson in film making, not because it was particularly good, but because it was the little engine that could. Even if it really shouldn't have.