FnF Round Up

Spudguns!, it's that time of the time, when we offer up a potluck of groovy goodies. As I mentioned beginning of the month, I hosted Foodn'Flix once again, and my selection was not one movie but a whole genre of movies. Your choice of anything by Tim Burton.

Our first submission was Camilla, from Culinary Adventures with Camilla. She picked the movie Mars Attacks!  and made Blue Gummy Brains.

Next up, Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm,  gave us a Lebanese Salad inspired by the movie Big Fish. 

We then had an offering from Tina over at Squirrel Head Manor.  She pulled inspiration as well from the movie Big Fish, and made Pepin's Chicken and Mushrooms.

And then we had Pumpkin Apple Donuts from Debra at Elioteats. Inspired by the movie Sleepy Hollow.    

Up next we have  a Strawberry Moscow Mule from Amy over at Amy's Cooking Adventures. She was inspired by the live action version of Alice in Wonderland.

And next up is Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. She was inspired by Sweeney Todd to make a Peppered Shepherd's Pie.

And finally, my own offering. I went with the movie Dark Shadows, and made my vegetarian version of Mock Fish (Tofu) and Chips.

All in all, a fabulous potluck of ideas, treats, and movies. Don't forget you can join in next month as the Foodn'Flix group watches The Biggest Little Farm, hosted by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm.

That's about all I've got for you this month. Until later.

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.

Random movie - Addams Family (2019)

 
SPOILER ALERT
 
movie: The Addams Family
starring: Charlize Theron, Allison Janney
genre: Comedy, Cartoon
year: 2019
format: Cinema

plot: On their wedding night, Gomez and Morticia are forced to flee their homeland by the hands of an angry mob. The two newlyweds end up in America ready for a fresh start where they hope to be left alone. While driving down a long patch of road, they hit an escaped mental patient. After learning that Lurch is alright, they decide to take him with them as they move into the abandoned asylum.  Thirteen years later, while planning Pugsley's birthday party, a tradition called the Mazurka, Gomez invites his mother and brother Fester to come a few weeks early to help. Meanwhile, Wednesday feeling the weight of being a teenager alone, has begged Morticia to allow her to go to the local high school. Here, she makes her first real friend, Parker.  Parker's mother is a famous designer who is single handedly remodeling the entire neighbourhood live on her show. Unfortunately, the fact the entire Addams clan is arriving on the same day as her show's big season finale, causes Parker's mother to worry and begins to plot a way to destroy the family.

The big theme here is acceptance. The entire Addams clan are forced to separate because the town where they live are afraid of them. They are called monsters, and chased away in the middle of the night. Fast forward thirteen years, and you have both Morticia and Gomez holding their kids back from being completely who they are by not allowing the kids to be part of the rest of the community. Pugsley is feeling the pressure from his dad to follow the family tradition of the great sword dance, while Wednesday is being trained in the family business of witchery.  Neither of them are completely happy. While this is going on, Parker a local girl from school,  is being repressed by her mother who expects Parker to be just like her. The town itself is called Assimilation; and everyone is happy pastel pink wearing people.

There is an inside joke, where Wednesday calls Parker's mom Plastic. Parker's mom is the embodiment of both the ultimate control freak, and minor-celebrity. And we're given a big tongue in cheek dose of how reality tv really works. 

I have to admit, there was so much more potential that could have been explored here than what ended up on the screen. As it takes a bit too long to set up who's who and what's what, to the point we lose out on some of the dark humour the original movies gave.  I feel this is only the first chapter in the new version of the franchise and can't wait to see what will come of it. 

Random movie- Holmes and Watson

Spudguns!,  it's just after 9am EST where I am, and I should have posted this last week.  I saw the movie Holmes and Watson last weekend, but the week really got in the way of me sitting down and doing this post. In a way, I'm sort of glad it did.

movie:  Holmes and Watson
starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly
genre: Comedy, Crime,
year: 2018
format: Crave

plot: Holmes and Watson are hired to solve a string of murders after Queen Victoria's life has been threatened.  Watson, who's not yet a detective, has a lot to prove if he's ever going to get the promotion he's looking for. Meanwhile, the emotionally frozen Holmes has fallen in love for the first time. This clouds his judgment as he lets Watson be sent to jail.

Okay. So, I love anything related to Sherlock Holmes, but this was just crap.  John C. Reilly normally spins pure gold, but this movie left me scratching my head as to why he decided to be in it?  Hugh Laurie plays the part of  Mycroft Holmes but even that couldn't save this movie. (Stephen Fry who is Laurie's comedy partner played the character in the Robert Downey Jr movies)

I need to rant about Will Ferrell for a moment.  His last few movies Zoolander 2, The House, Daddy's Home 2, Holmes and Watson;  have just been terrible. I have to say, if he's writing his own stuff then he should get someone else to write for him for a few films. If he has someone writing for him then he should take back control and write his own stuff. Either way, he's just been down hill the last couple of years. I really think he needs to step out of that buddy comedy comfort zone for a bit and do a serious drama or horror or something.

There's just nothing nice to say about this movie.

Foodn'Flix July 2019

Spudguns!, it's that time of the time again, when  I offer you up something for Foodn'Flix.  This month's selection is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and it's being hosted by Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

plot: A young writer looking to switch genres, is asked by her publishers to write about how literature is affecting people. At the same time, a strange letter arrives for her from a man who has inherited one of her old childhood books. He explains his situation, that he's started a book club, and is in need of more books asking if she'd mail him something. Not only does she mail him a few titles, she decides to travel there herself to do her essay on the book club. The night before she's set to leave, her boyfriend asks her to marry him. Unsure if that's really what she wants, she ends up staying more than a month with the book club finding out more and more about the people of the small community.

This is based on the novel, and stars Lily James and Michiel Huisman.

Notes: pork, gin, potato peel pie, tea, beer, water, alcohol, bread, lamb (someone's name) roast pig, potato, soup/broth, carrots, asparagus, gravy, candy, tomatoes, scones, cake, chicken, butter, toast, lobster, onion, fish, parsnips, lettuce, nectarines, dried herbs, clams/mussels, cow, whiskey, milk, stew, cookies, olives, celery, cabbage, flour, corn, petit four, hors  d'oeuvres, 

So I saw this a few months back, and loved it. But when watching it a second time around for the FnF group, I had little idea how to do anything out of the ordinary for it. I ended up going with a fairly basic idea.  

A potato bread. My inspiration was both the main food of potatoes, which is about all the people in the community have left to eat after the German soldiers pretty much take all the supplies; and a scene where one of the characters asks for the last slice of bread to help prove a point.

I decided to use a can of potatoes for this, simply because I had them on hand.  I drained them, and boiled them in salt water for about 15 minutes, then mashed them.  This I set aside to cool.

 While that was cooling, I got the rest of my ingredients together.  1 and a half cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 Tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon butter softened, 1/2 cup water.

 Add this to the mashed potato, and then kneed the dough as you would a normal bread.

 Bake at 350degrees for about an hour depending on your oven.

I have to admit, this didn't turn out as I had expected. And I think that has to do with the fact I used a canned potato instead of a bakers potato. The canned potatoes were mushier to begin with. If you are going to use a canned potato, then you should cut the water called for in half.

That's about all I have for you this time around, don't forget to join in next month when we are covering the Star Wars franchise and it's being hosted by Simply Inspired Meals.

What that Movie Inspired July 2019

Spudguns!, it's been a long while since I did any of these. This one came about because of a conversation with my friend Heather over at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen.  We ended up both feeling nostalgic over a few situations, and movies. The conversation took a weird side road into certain foods, rice being one of them. That lead to this challenge...our Rice and Ramen and $5 Challenge.   Yes, you read that long arsed title right. This movie inspired foodie moment had to have Rice, Ramen and be under $5 total.

Any movie we wanted. But, the rest of the rules had to be followed. I have to say, this was actually one of the hardest ones to manage. Just from a budget point of view.  I instantly knew what movie I was going to use, and had half an idea for the recipe.  Ironically, I ended up using one of the movies I had been failing at recipes for in the last few months. But the second I decided to pair the movie with this challenge, well the "recipe" worked so smoothly.

Okay, so what movie you are asking?  The 1997 comedy The Pest starring John Leguizamo and Jeffrey Jones.

plot:  Pest is a street smart con artist who is in debt with the Scottish mob, and when a German millionaire offers him Fifty-Thousand dollars to be hunted for 24 hours, he says yes. Before long Pest drags his buddies into the mix and still manages to impress his girlfriend's parents.

This is based on the 1924 story The Most Dangerous Game.

I have to admit, I know this is a comedy on the surface, but when you actually get down to it, it's one of the scariest stories out there. When I first saw this movie back in 1997, I couldn't get the original story out of my mind. There's been dozens of versions of this story's main plot over the last hundred years, but Pest is one of my favourites.  This could have easily been a straight up horror film. I know as a comedy it was given a lighter rating, but with the amount of crude jokes and the fact it is not in any way a politically correct film, you would think otherwise. And let's face it, this film would never stand a chance at getting made today.

Notes:  cereal, eggs, toast, coffee, juice, cheesies, chicken grease (mentioned) milk, Lucky Charms (mentioned) potato chips, pizza, pop, pineapple, coconuts, mango, banana, Chinese food, tea, rice, bok choy, duck, oranges, cabbage, MSG (mentioned), stir-fry, soy sauce, whiskey, apple, martini, plum sauce, olives, noodles, dumplings (mentioned) deer, goose, lobster, beer, salt, pepper, Cuban food, ice cream (fabric print) cookies, grapes, burgers

So what did I end up making?   Pest's Bestest Ninja Roll.  There is no way you can call this dish a "recipe".

I started out by making the ramen, removing them from the liquid, and cooking the rice in the ramen liquid.

Chopped up some of the onion, black olives, and cucumber.  And a handful of the pre-made cole slaw (carrot, green cabbage and red cabbage)

Following the instructions on the package of rice paper, I soaked it in water before laying out on a flat surface.

Then proceeded to roll the noodles, cucumber, onions, olives, and cole slaw. 

I served the rice on the side.

So the scenes that inspired this were when Pest is working as a driver for a Chinese restaurant, and is eating both rice and later in another scene noodles. As well, the fact the character of the German hunter; Shank is constantly with olives in his martini.  And the title of it came from a line where Pest has to pick between his friends Chubby and Ninja when asked who his best friend is. The character of Pest tends to add a lot of  extra "s" to his words. (You`re my bestestsssests friend)

When you hear rice and ramen, you think "okay, keeping it under $5 will be easy." Well, it wasn't. Lest not the way I was calculating up the prices.   $2.27 for a bag of rice, $1.97 for the pre made cole slaw, $1.67 a pound for a onion, .47 cents for the ramen package, $2.99 for the container of rice paper, $1.49 for a container of olives, .88cent for a cucumber.  Total = $11.74

Here`s where my brains sort of got stuck. I was thinking in the sense of the total price instead of the fact I`ll only be using a small portion of most the ingredients. All but the ramen which I used the whole package of.  I actually had everything already in my kitchen. Didn't even need to make a trip to the grocery. How cool is that?  I used a cup of the rice and only a handful of the premade cole slaw. (I tend to get 4 to 5 meals out of a bag of the slaw) and only a few slices of the onion and cucumber. And only four of the olives, and one of the riced paper.  Works out roughly to $5 a person.

Okay so that's my movie pick and my dish (yeah don't feel right calling it a recipe) Don't forget to head on over to All Roads Lead to the Kitchen to see what Heather picked and was inspired to make.

Night Bleeds Summer 2019

Spudguns!, how's it where you are?  Spiffy news good to hear that...anyways, it's time to talk about this month's Night Bleeds selection.  The selection this time around, is The Stand by Stephen King.  And it's a super long one, so that's why it's not due till the end of August.

So, if you want to join in here's what you need to know.    You must have a blog to join the online part. Read the novel, (watching movie this time around is optional bonus) and if it inspires you to cook/bake/craft something then add that to your blog post. Your blog post must be within the current month, in this case August 2019.   As always, it's due the last Sunday of the month, in this current case that will be Sunday August 25th 2019.  With a link to my post on the day of, and a comment letting me know you actually joined in.

If you are in the Thunder Bay area and would like to join the physical book club, let me know.

June book report

It's that time again, where I tell you my thoughts on this month's book club selection.  The book in question was Gerald's Game by Stephen King. I know there is a movie version too, but I decided not to watch it.

plot:  After being talked into an afternoon of S/M style sex, a woman is left alone when her husband dies suddenly of a heart attack. She then starts to doubt everything she sees while waiting for help.

I liked the majority of this novel, up to the last couple of chapters. The introduction of the Boogieman/Joubert sort of put me off the rest of the story.  Which, I think might have been the whole idea of the character.  Up to that point in the story, you are dealing with the lead Jessie, and a stray dog named Prince.

I was expecting a completely different ending than what we are actually given. The story itself takes place over about 72 hours, as we sit with the lead character in her isolated misery. She is faced with the realization that no one is coming to help her, and she needs to help herself. While this is happening, she starts to hallucinate and hear voices. The voices are what gets her through and reveals why she's there in the first place. We learn that she had been abused as a child, and her way of dealing is by not dealing.

The stray dog, which I thought was a brilliant point of view to have, helps to break up the interior dialog. He's the grounding point in the little bit of reality Jessie has left to hold on to. And again, here is another character that has survived a form of abuse.

One of the voices Jessie hears is that of Ruth, her best friend from college. It's hinted at one point that she was actually hearing the voice of Ruth shortly after the original abuse happens. I was fully expecting Ruth to be a split personality, but it didn't seem to play out that way in the final chapters.

Which brings me to the Boogieman/Joubert character. He turns out to be a deformed serial killer/cannibal. Again, another character who suffered abuse as a child.  When the character is first introduced, we are made to believe along with the lead, that he's not real. That he's part of Jessie's hallucinations. Which, made that point of the story creepy as hell. When we finally discover his piece of the story, it just degrades into such a disturbing sub-plot.

This twist ending with the Joubert character ruined the whole first half of the book for me. It grounded it, and took away all the "what if's" that surrounded Jessie's state of mind up to that point. 

Honestly, it was the ending that made me decide I did not want to sit through the movie.

I don't have much insight on this one. I loved the psychological elements with the isolation and the self-loathing confessions, but beyond that, the story itself almost felt like the ending belonged to a different book.

I'm going to end this here. I'll be back later in the week with the official announcement for the next book selection.

Talking about the book club

Spudguns!, we are a few days into June and currently 150 days till Hallowe'en.

This would be the official monthly announcement for Night Bleeds Book and Movie Club.  I really should have thought of a shorter title, but zombie eaten brains. Anyways, the June selection is Gerald's Game by Stephen King. 

Rules are simple, read the book (watching the movie version as a bonus is optional this month) and blog about it. You must have a blog to join in. Then if it inspires you to cook/bake/craft anything, add that to your blog post. If you do join in, leave me a comment either on this post or on the day of post. Don't forget to link back to either this post or the day of post. 
Blog post must be current; which means in this case June 2019. Deadline is the last Sunday of the month : Sunday June 30th 2019.

And as always, if you are in the Thunder Bay area and would like to join me for the physical book club, just drop me a message.

May Book Club Day

This month the selection was the novel Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice.  I decided this time around to skip the movie version, as I've talked about it a few times before on here. (last year when I covered The Vampire Lestat in book club I talked about the movie version of Queen of the Damned)

plot:  It's a week until the big rock concert by the Vampire Lestat. Everyone in the world, be it human or supernatural is planning to attend. Some are going to experience the show, others are out to kill Lestat. As the week progresses, we learn that Akasha, the oldest living vampire, has awoken after thousands of years. She makes her way towards the gathering, destroying all in her path. We also learn of a common nightmare all the vampires, and many of the human psychics have been having repeatedly. They keep seeing two red haired twins and a burnt body. No one is certain what the meaning of the nightmare is? It isn't until after Lestat is kidnapped by Akasha, and turned into her personal steward, forced to kill for her, that the remaining vampires come together under one roof to learn the truth of the nightmares and their origins. Akasha feeling affronted by the remaining vampires, gives them an ultimatum.  They refuse, and a final showdown between them and Akasha begins.

Okay, so first off, this is one of those novels that has been studied in university courses and by professionals countless times in the last 30 years since the novel was written. I don't know how much I can actually add to it?

This book, which is book 3 of The Vampire Chronicles, is told through the eyes of many characters. From the main characters like Lestat, Jesse, and Maharet, down to minor "extras" like Baby Jenks. Keeping with a bit of a theme, it's like from Royalty down to the Commoner.
It's also the first major depart from a straightly solid vampire story into witchcraft and the outlining areas of other paranormal issues; with the story of the Twins and the Great Family. (something Anne Rice would expand on in other novels)

For me, the characters of Jesse, The Talamasca and the Twins -Maharet and Mekare, were the most interesting.  These are the witches and the paranormal researchers in the story. And the core of the two major family lines.

It's a very global thinking story. One that tackles the issues that were being faced in the 1980's when it was originally written. Issues we are only now really years later dealing with. A conscious thought that pointed out the flaws. The vampires gathered at the end; the survivors, are almost like a small version of the united nations. Each representing a "nation" so to speak. (Egypt, Rome, Iceland etc) and take on the responsibilities and perspective of such an enclave. A ruling factor advising the monarch.

It's almost visionary in the way Anne Rice describes the way Akasha sits undisturbed in front of screen after screen, connecting to the rest of the world without participating in it. Much like we do now with endless hours of internetting. It's hard to believe it was written 30 years ago before this was the norm. And Akasha's initial response to the images she sees, is equal to a child acting out on impulse learning that the information isn't always as it first appears.  Akasha is trapped not just physically as a statue for thousands of years, but emotionally in her stubbornness. Her need to be right even when she knows just how wrong she is; is one of her only driving desires for so much of the story.

Where as the second novel in the series, The Vampire Lestat, was a clear metaphor for paganism, this seems to be a note on feminism and what one would consider extremism.
It's very female centric. Parallel in the fact Akasha begins killing all the men in the areas she visits, while Maharet ignores all the male family members basically stating that they are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Choosing to focus her attention and wealth on the females of her family.
The story is about evolution as much as it is about political boundaries. It parallels the idea of evolution itself with "two great families", both coming from one root. The human descendants and the surviving vampires. Proving that everyone is connected and all is one. We are given a clearer version of this metaphoric truth through the eyes of Baby Jenks as she sees the webbing of souls upon her final death. The same webbing Akasha claims to have seen when she was turned in the beginning.

Unlike the first two novels, the male perspective is down played to the point Lestat is afraid to use his powers. To test just how strong he truly is. As we're reminded time and again in the story that history can repeat itself. It's almost as if he's not sure he wants to admit he could be capable of falling into the queen's viewpoint/actions on his own. Even the most powerful of the male vampires, seem to be in a more docile role. Khayman being forced to rape the twins by the King's order, while the King being controlled by Akasha. Marius, being trapped in ice and completely unable to help himself as he waits for Pandora to rescue him. Daniel the newly turned vampire, who is addicted to Armand's blood.

Okay, I'm going to end this here. I think I've said all I can without a degree in anything.

May Night Bleeds Book

Spudguns!, it's a new month and that means a new selection for book club/movie club. This month's selection is Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice. The third novel in the Vampire Chronicles. 

It's simple, read the book, blog about it, and if you're inspired to cook/bake/craft etc something because of it, add that to your post. You must have a blog to join in. If you do, let me know by leaving a comment with your post link to either this post or on the actual day's post.  The blog post must be current - in this case May 2019.

The deadline is as always, the last Sunday of the month, in this case Sunday May 26th 2019.

Since there is a movie version of this as well, watching the movie is optional. But, the movie version of Queen of the Damned, only covers half the novel.

And as always, if you are in the Thunder Bay area and would like to join me for the physical book club, just let me know.

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.

2018 October Foodn'Flix

Spudguns!, it's time again for another Foodn'Flix recipe. This month's selection was hosted by our fearless leader Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen; and her pick was Princess and the Frog.  Now, if you've been following this blog much at all, you might remember I talked about this back in Year One of the blog. (Day 292)

plot: A young woman -Tiana, has a dream of opening her own restaurant in the heart of New Orleans in the 1920's. But it seems, every time she gets a step closer, something gets in her way. When a young prince comes to the area, her best friend's dad throws a grand ball for him, in hopes the prince will marry his daughter. Unknown to anyone, the prince has become cursed and turned into a frog. Tiana who has borrowed her friends clothes, is mistaken for a princess, and the frog prince talks her into kissing him. Only, instead of saving him, it turns her into a frog as well. The two then end up going to the local Hoodoo Priestess to help reverse the spell originally cast by the Voudon Bokor. When nothing seems to work, the two admit they have fallen in love and are willing to stay frogs as long as they can stay together. As frogs, they get married and are suddenly transformed back to humans.

notes: tea, gumbo, apples, salt, ground black pepper, hush puppies, cake, rum, eggs, bacon, ketchup, fruit, waffles, rice, coffee, honey, toast, bagels, pancakes, hot sauce, donuts, sugar, wine, soup, carrots, red peppers, mushrooms, chicken, pumpkin, crawfish, bananas foster, okra, strawberries, jelly beans, candy, garlic, herbs, flour, walnuts.

I ended up pulling my inspiration from a short scene midway through the film. The main characters are in the middle of a swamp and decide to make a gumbo from the ingredients they can forage for, which included a pumpkin.  I ended up making my Pumpkin Sludge Cake.

Ingredients

2 1/2 c flour
1/2 c butter softened
1/2 c white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 c water
1/3 c spice mix (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice)
2 c pumpkin shredded or pureed

Mix butter, sugar and salt
then add in flour, baking powder and eggs
add spice mix and water mix well
add the pumpkin

Bake at 325 degrees depending on your oven for 75 to 90 minutes

The name came from the colour the batter took on. I also topped it with a few pumpkin seeds I had roasted in salt and pumpkin spice mix.
 

And that's about all I've got for you today.  Don't forget, you can join in next month with Foodn'Flix for  A Man Called Ove, which will be hosted by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm.

Sept 2018 Food n Flix

This is going to be the most informal Food n'Flix post I've ever done.

I've had a crappy week my lovely Spudguns!. I really hope your's has been decent.  September 2018 marks the 8th anniversary of Foodn'Flix. The first year I joined in; which was 2015, when September rolled around we were allowed to do a viewer's choice. And at that point, I did a 4 movie combo with a common theme. I also went with 4 different recipes. So of course, the second our fearless leader Heather said that this month would once again be a viewer's choice month and hosted by the official Food n'Flix blog, allowing us to pick any of the previously viewed months' movies; I knew I wanted to do something like that again. So I quickly picked my four dvds Eat Pray Love, Under the Tuscan Sun, Ramen Girl and Julie/Julia. I had a common theme - starting over. In Julie/Julia, the characters move for their husband's jobs. In Under the Tuscan Sun and Eat Pray Love, the characters move because of a divorce. In Ramen Girl, she moves for her boyfriend's job only to end up getting dumped and stranded. I even had a common food link this time...eggs.  What I didn't really have was the recipe.

I knew that the movie Eat Pray Love, had a scene where the lead character is shown making herself a simple plate of food on a lazy Sunday morning, that included olives, cheese, bread with olive oil, grapes, prosciutto, asparagus and a hard boiled egg.  The movie Ramen Girl, has a quick shot of a bowl of ramen containing noodles, broth, greens, pork and a soft boiled egg being placed in front of the Master for his approval. The movie Julie/Julia has a scene where our lead character is hovering over a large pot trying to get one perfect poached egg while arguing with her best friend. And the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, has an egg shaped  blue vase that the lead character clings to for her sanity. Each scene represented a major turning point for the characters involved.

Now, normally, when I do a Food n'Flix post, I give you a detailed account of the food throughout the entire film. I can't this time. Even had I chosen one of the movies and not the whole lot, there is just too much food to keep up with in each. From chocolate cake, wine, grapes, garlic, cheese, fish, noodles, bruschetta, onions, duck, stew, breads, leeks, pizza, tea, olives, ice cream, to tomatoes, peppers, pork, rice, and of course the eggs; these films were jam packed. And that's just naming a few.

But it was the eggs that stood out in my mind. Each egg scene -seen, came with a lesson for the character.

"Eat Pray Love"- The egg is seen as part of the basic meal our lead character makes for herself. It represents her accepting solitude. The character had been looking at a fancy nightgown while out with friends, and when her friend tells her to buy it, she as "For whom?" her friend replies "For you." We then see the lead character sitting on the floor in the fancy nightgown with her egg plate, having for the first time accepted that she's going to be okay single. She's finally accepted the company of herself as being enough. Up to this point, she's never been without a relationship. It's also the first time in the film we see her cook. Up till then, all her meals have been out at restaurants or at other people's houses.

"Julie/Julia" - The character of Julie has stated near the beginning of the film, that she's never eaten an egg as is. The eggs are done as a bit of a group effort. We see her, her husband and best friend standing in their tiny kitchen, sweating over the idea of making the perfect poached eggs. Which they seem to do. This is the big learning curve moment of truth for our lead as she admits to her desires and envies. It's the first moment she has any real confidence. It's also the first meal she's cooked we see her share with her friends, as well as the first time we see her really being taught by the cookbook. It represents her confidence and what would end up being her celebrity.

"Ramen Girl" - The egg is delivered here two separate ways. The physical egg is shown in a bowl of ramen but not by our lead. Instead, it's a minor male character whom serves the Grand Master Chef in order to get his approval. When it's the lead character's turn to serve her bowl of ramen, she's gone off recipe. The Master then tells her she's yet to learn what she needs to know. The lead character's struggle throughout the film is learning to make order out of chaos. It isn't until the day she leaves town, and is handed a large red egg shaped lantern, that she finally gets the approval she's been waiting for. And has discovered the balance within the design/plating of the ramen bowl. Up to that point, she managed to learn technique but without soul.  For her, it was representing restraint and balance.

 

"Under the Tuscan Sun" - Still hurting from her divorce, our lead character grabs an egg shaped blue glass vase as she moves out. She chooses to let her ex husband have everything else, but for some odd reason of defiance, she dumps out the contents of the vase and takes it with her. She keeps it for the first few years as she moves from a rundown apartment to her villa in Italy. Later on, she grabs it throwing it against the wall shattering it. Releasing herself from her hate, desperation and pain. The egg vase in this case represents the cycles of relationships. She first takes it when depressed at the end of her marriage, and breaks it at the beginning of her neighbours' marriage. The egg lesson here is healing and love.

Eggs have always represented beginnings and endings, fertility and protection.

So after all that what did I make?  I had made deviled eggs, (basic egg yolk, mayo, salt, pepper and paprika) but they were just so ugly. Then I remembered the line from Julie/Julia, where the character is taking about how she decided to tackle the poached eggs on a day when nothing in her life seemed to be going well.

So, I ended up making poached eggs. Which, were far far less than perfect.  And paired it with a quick instant ramen and green veggies. So, not really a recipe this time around, but just what the day needed. Ugly eggs to comfort at the end of a bad week. 

That's all I've got for you this time. Yes, I know, not the usual way I like to do Food n'Flix, but it's what I have to offer this time around.  Don't forget to join us next month, when once again, Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, will be hosting. The selection will be the Disney movie Princess and the Frog.

Round Up FnF May 2018

"I bid you welcome to my home, please enter freely and leave some of the happiness you bring "- Dracula

Spudguns! It's that time again, the round up for Foodn'Flix. And my selection this month was the 1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula. Let's see what was dug up...

First up, is Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla, who made Corpse Reviver and  her Stakes through the heart Sanguinaccio  She was inspired by the scene between Dracula and Mina when they are out for dinner and he serves her absinthe.

Next up, is Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm, with her Vant Your Blood Martini
She went with a classic vampire go to, lets make everything bloody good. 

Then we have Evelyne at CulturEatz with her Transylvanian Sour Cherry Margarita
She was inspired by not just the area of Transylvania, but of the sweet fruits and summer memories connected to it.

And lastly, Mine I made a trio of  hors d'oeuvres. An Impaled Tofu, homemade garlic flatbread and mushroom Tartare.  I was inspired by the character of Renfield.

With that nailing the coffin shut on this month, remember you can always join next month along with Simply Inspired Meals, and their selection The Incredibles.  

May FnF 2018 -Bram Stoker's Dracula

Spudguns! It's recipe time again. And this month, I'm hosting one of my all time favourite movies, the 1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula for Foodn' Flix.  Now, I've talked about this movie more than I should care to admit to, over the decades, so I'll skip the massive review (as I've done one on this few years ago here) and just give you the basics.

plot: After returning from the crusades, Vlad Dracula learns of his wife's suicide. Vowing revenge, he swears in a blood spell/oath, that he will return from his own death. Four hundred years later, he is visited by Johnathan Harker, whom he learns is about to marry Mina, the reincarnation of his own wife. Imprisoning Harker, Dracula travels to London with the plan to seduce Mina for himself. Dracula ends up having to seduce and destroy the friends and family of Mina in order to do so. When Harker returns to London, he joins forces with those friends still alive and they chase Dracula back to Transylvania for one last showdown.

This version of Dracula, is by far the closest to the novel that exists today, even with the addition of the connection to the real life Vlad Tempes. Who did in fact fight for the christian church in the 1400's.
 
Notes: whiskey, tea, wine, roast chicken, tomatoes, apples, bread, salad, canapes (mentioned) hors d'oeuvres (mentioned) coffee, champagne, meat (a butcher stall is seen behind Mina and Dracula on the street), fruit, bag of peanuts (during cinema scene) cake, absinthe and sugar cube, garlic, roast beef, cabbage, carrots, peas, beer, salt, pepper, roasted potatoes, stew

I find this movie to be such a lush tapestry of texture. From the richly done ball gowns both Mina and Lucy wear, to the sunset showdown, to the characters themselves.  Whenever I see the scene of Lucy talking to Dr. Seward in that over the top wedding dress, I can think of nothing but a three tier cake. Or how Renfield's hair makes me think of a cream puff, or the armor Dracula wears in the opening scene how it makes me crave manicotti or chocolate sea shells.

But it's my beloved Renfield who got my vote this time around. Played by Tom Waits, the iconic lunatic who offers a plate of bugs to his favourite doctor. It's a shame, most television edits cut his scenes.

"Would you care for an hors d'oeuvres, or a canape?" 

I ended up making a trio of offerings.  My Impaled Tofu,  homemade Garlic flatbread, and mushroom Tartare.

Ingredients

Half a package of firm tofu
Half a jar of pickled beets with juice
salt
pepper
1 can of chickpeas
1 can mushroom
1 green onion
1 green pepper
1 package beet crackers
oil
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 package cherry tomatoes
Shredded cheese
2 cup flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup water

I started by marinading the tofu in salt, pepper and about a half cup of the pickled beet juice for about an hour and a half. Turning the tofu every so often.

Pan fry the tofu until at lest two of the sides are resembling a crust.  This will help the tofu from falling apart. Cut into cubes.

Cut some of the green peppers and beets into smaller pieces. I pan fried them as well for a couple of minutes, just to let them soften enough to impale.
Assemble the kabob with a few of the cherry tomatoes.

I then made a simple flatbread.

Mix the 2 cups of flour, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1/2 Tablespoon salt, 1/2 cup oil and the 1/2 cup water.

Mix into a dough, roll out to desired thickness.

Coat the dough in oil and garlic, baking for 45 minutes at 350 degrees depending on your oven.
Remove from oven, let cool for a bit before cutting into bit size pieces.

Add the shredded cheese and rest of the cherry tomatoes and return to oven for another 10 minutes at 250 degrees. This is just to melt the cheese.

Drain the chickpeas, and cook them for a few minutes until you are able to mash them.
Chop the mushrooms,
Mix chickpeas and mushrooms with a bit of the salt and pepper and oil.

Arrange mixture on the beet crackers, and garnish with the green onions.

I used a store bought cracker for this step.

I mentioned I did this as a trio. In the story, the number 3 is a common element. We have the 3 Brides of Dracula who hold Harker captive, the 3 Suitors of Lucy (Holmwood, Morris and Seward) and the 3 Suitors of Mina (Harker, Dracula and in a sense Van Helsing)
As well, I picked the green peppers and green onion to represent the lush green Lucy wears a few times in her ball gowns; as well as the garden scenes. The beets were the perfect shade of red to represent the vampire aspect of the blood as well as the mile long robes Dracula wears in his castle and the nightgown Lucy wears when she sleepwalks.

I have something to admit. I picked this for the look of it. The creativity and feel of this movie.  In fact, I said to Heather more than once, "there is only one food scene in this film."  Well, I was wrong actually, as there was more food in this movie than I had thought.
I had mentioned in my announcement post (here), that this movie is the last movie to be done completely without CGI effects. From the opening scene when Elizabeta falls to her death which is done with puppets, to the invisible footsteps of the Brides which were foam risers, to Dracula in smoke form which was layered onto the film, to the water dripping upward which was done with rewinding the film etc. It's a very beautiful piece of artistry that is nearly lost in the modern age of movies.

Come back at the end of the month for the round-up.  Don't forget to join Foodn'Flix next month for the movie The Incredibles, being hosted by Simply Inspired Meals. 

FoodnFlix May 2018 Announcement

Spudguns! It's that time again, I am hosting Foodn'Flix one last time, (it is #5 for me as host) and my selection is the 1992 version of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

If you've never seen this, I have to say that it is one of, if not the closest movie versions to the original novel. With a nod to the real Vlad Tepes, this makes for a spellbinding story.
This is literally the last of the "golden age of movies" film. All the effects were done physically in-camera with film layering, wire workings, shadow play, reversing film speed, puppets,etc. 

Brief plot:  After returning from the crusades, Dracula learns of his wife's suicide. Centuries later, he arrives in London, and begins the search for the reincarnation of his dead wife. He manipulates and seduces those closest to her, stopping at nothing to get what he desires most.

This movie is Rated-R  for sexuality, nudity and violence.

The rules are simple:
you watch the movie, head to the kitchen baking/cooking anything that it inspires you to. Post your inspiration to your blog with a link to both this post, and the Foodn'Flix website. The post must be current, in this case the month of May 2018.

Send me a copy of your link with your name, the name of your blog, your recipe and a photo of it. Or give me permission to pull a photo.  domesticanddamned (at) gmail (dot) com   With the email title of  "Foodn'Flix Submisson"
Don't forget to send a copy to our fearless leader Heather at  heather@foodnflixclub.com

Deadline is Wednesday May 30th 2018 6pm EST.  I plan to post round up the next day. 

If you decide to share your post to twitter you can tag me at  @coffinscookies and send me a message to let me know, as well as the group @foodnflixclub

If you decide to share your post to instagram you can tag me at  @ardethblood  and send me a message to let me know. If you do post to instagram, you must include in your caption - short intro, recipe, #FoodnFlix,

If you decide to share your post to facebook you can tag me at  @GhoulNextDoorCanadian   and send me a message to let me know. As well, you can tag Heather or the group as @FoodnFlix

And feel free to join us again next month when we'll be watching The Incredibles  hosted by Simply Inspired Meals. 

Don't forget to hang out with me all month long on facebook, as I'm making my countdown theme all things vampires.

Themed Day p5

Spudguns!, yes a few days late but as promised...

Movie:  Frankenstein Reborn
starring: Rhett Giles, Joel Hebner
genre: Horror, Thriller, Crime
year:2005/06
format: DVD

plot:While being evaluated to see if he's sane enough to stand trial for murder, Dr. Victor Franks, tells how he managed to regenerate a dead body.

This is done in a series of flashbacks-within flashbacks. And not always successfully either. It's a low-budget/no budget production that could have taken the first 45 minutes and condensed it down to about fifteen. The idea is there, as it takes the core of the original Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and tries to bring it forward to modern times. That's also where it gets muddled.

The doctor has been arrested for multiple murders, and is telling a therapist his story. (much like how Victor tells his story to the Captain in the original novel) We then learn that Franks and his team, were trying to create a system to help accident victims, who had been paralyzed. Their most successful patient is Bryce, a young man who has volunteered to undergo their experimental procedure. He ends up having a series of microbes injected into him. They manage to work to restore the use of his legs, but unknown to him, something else has come along with it. The doctor, who has been experimenting on himself, has managed to copy parts of his own personality, and that now effects Bryce, as the "donor" samples  retained emotions/memories. Bryce begins having these visions/nightmares about killing members of the medical staff. Unable to handle them, he gets into a fight with Franks, who then kills him. Franks learns he's about to lose his company's funding, and in a panic, begins upping his experiments. Bryce then becomes the canvas for which he experiments on.

This is one of those movies that halfway makes sense, and halfway just doesn't connect at all.  Like for example, the character of Bryce, once he becomes the creature. I am not sure why, but the doctor decides he needs to take apart a perfectly functioning body and rebuild it from scratch, mutilating the face and features in the process.  He goes from being an average man, to the Castle Freak.  And then later on, when he creates his female creature, there's only one small scare on her. I didn't get the point of that?

The two are emotionally connected by the experiment, which is why the creature is able to anticipate Franks whereabouts and just arrive there. For half the story, you get the idea the creature is doing his bidding, then it turns on him.  You have to assume that in his madness, the doctor loses the bond.

I know this is a low budget/no budget film from Asylum, but my biggest complaint is the sound. I wish they had put some extra time and effort into having a smoother soundtrack, as the quality cuts in and out every few minutes.

This is shown only from the character of Victor's point of view. So it's only the drive to make the creature, the madness, and the addiction that are explored. Oddly enough, the addiction is shown in a few different ways. From his pursuit of his experiments, to the drugs and money he prizes.  That is no depth to this, it's  a gory version of a serial killer story, with no hints at all to the moral dilemmas that made the original what it is.

And I'm going to end this here.

283 Days till Hallowe'en

Themed Thursday p4

Spudguns!  It's Thursday, and yeah I know I missed last week's. But, it's a new month, so we're moving on to the next theme which is...Frankenstein.

Movie: Rocky Horror Picture Show
starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon
genre: Musical, Comedy, Sci-fi,
year: 1975
format: DVD

plot: When young couple Brad and Janet find themselves stranded on one rainy night, they have no choice but to seek shelter in the old castle on the hill. To their fear and slight disgust, they find themselves in the middle of a party being thrown by Dr. Frank n Furter. He's celebrating the birth of his new creation. Before the night is over, our couple find they've faced all kinds of personal and moral dilemmas.

I've talked about this movie a few times over the years, but I just could not do a Frankenstein pack without it. (I'm going to just focus on the Frankenstein element.)

The creature - Rocky- is from all we can tell; made up from not the usual "spare parts" of corpses found in the original Frankenstein, but from those closest to Frank N Furter. ( He uses half the brain of Eddie and half of Riff Raff's hair.) Rocky is then brought to life in the lab, hit with a jolt of electricity not from lightening, but from the mire hard work of Riff Raff, who is constantly turning a crank wheel.
Unlike the original Frankenstein, this version does not have the doctor abandoning his creature in self loathing, but reveling in it. Both literally and figuratively.  Frank N Furter is very proud of his creation. However, he does grow bored of Rocky quickly, leaving the creature to be first tortured by Riff Raff, (he scares it with fire) and then left alone. Rocky then "finds a friend" in Janet; which also to some extent parallels the idea in the original story. (going in search of someone to teach him and find companionship)

I always found it a little odd that even though Rocky can not seem to talk, he can sing.

The original story of Frankenstein is about pushing the boundaries of faith and science. This however, is about pushing personal boundaries of comfort and self expression. Both are stories about morality and mortality.  The original Frankenstein, has the creature as an immortal that can not be physically harmed, where as Rocky Horror, the creature is easily wounded.

The whole idea of not facing the consequences of your actions, is down played till the very end of the film. It isn't until we see Magenta and Riff Raff declare they are going back to their planet because Frank N Furter went too far with his ideas; that any kind of real issue is made. Up till this point the film, is pretty unbalanced with the "cause and effect" of the "creator's" responsibility. It's literally a case of  great party but who's going to clean up the mess?  This is the one major difference between Rocky Horror Picture Show, and pretty much every other Frankenstein version/remake.

When you strip away the other elements and look at the fact the doctor in the original story and Frank N Furter's character here, are both too prideful of their work, you see the real thread that makes the story timeless.  And both end up asking you "how far is too far?"

Well, that's about it for this week.  300 Days till Hallowe'en

Theme Day Thursday p2

movie: Twilight 2 New Moon
starring: Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart
genre: Drama
year; 2009
format: DVD

plot: Bella begins having visions of herself aged, with Edward still young. This causes her to go through a big bought of insecurity about her relationship and life. She then spends her birthday with Edward's family, and once again the reminders hit hard that she is human, while they are not. She starts to beg Edward to turn her, but he refuses, and instead breaks up with her and moves away from town. Bella can not seem to accept this, running away to the one place she feels connected the most to Edward; the woods on the edge of town. Her unconscious body is then found by one of the locals. We see her spend the next few months in a horrible depression, isolating herself from everyone, and suffering from night terrors. In a moment of pure desperation, she puts herself in a highly dangerous situation, activating a psychic link to Edward. She then becomes addicted to this psychic link, and continues to become more and more reckless. These leads her to rebuilding her relationship with Jacob. After witnessing some of the guys cliff diving at the rez, she learns from Jacob that members of the community have become divided. Meanwhile, the school is a buzz with talks of what everyone is calling a bear attack not far from the edge of town, as she plans a group "date" in which she invites Jacob along. Once there, Jacob is overcome by jealousy, which causes him to act out and threaten one of Bella's male friends. We then see Jacob join "the pack".  While this is happening, a second group of vampires move into the area having learned that Edward's family no longer live there. With the entire pack now having gone through their full transformation, they expose themselves and hunt down the second tribe of vamps. Bella has yet another vision of both Edward and Jacob facing off against each other. This forces her to confront members of the community, unaware they are werewolves. One pack member takes it too personally and tries to attack Bella, just as Jacob comes to her rescue. She confesses to Jacob that she is the reason the second tribe of vamps are hanging around, and therefore the reason the lycantrhope had been triggered in the entire pack. Once again, Bella puts herself in danger on purpose in order to have once more psychic link with Edward. Only this time, believing she's dead, Edward plans his own suicide. Alice then arrives in town to inform Bella of this, and takes her half way across the planet to save Edward. When they return, Jacob and Edward do in fact have a verbal confrontation, forcing Bella to finally choose between them.


I've talked about this film a few times over the years. One of the things being that the werewolves in this are more interesting than the vampires. That pretty much goes for the entire franchise in my mind. The werewolves characters are just more developed than the vampires.

The meat of this story is the relationship between Bella and Jacob, and how they are both keeping parts of themselves locked away from the other. Even though they both desperately want to connect. The barrier between them is loyalty. Loyalty to what Bella has made herself believe is the perfect relationship; and loyalty to family. In this case, both Jacob and Bella. As Bella has wormed her way into the Cullens lives. Both are in turn keeping themselves locked away from their own self.
Jacob has only partly accepted his own nature to this point. As if denying it will make it less so. Bella, has done the same thing with the fact she knows a "perfect" relationship doesn't exist.  There is a scene where Bella is on a dirt bike, has a small accident; and lets her guard down for a brief few seconds when she tells Jacob she's attracted to him. She quickly retracts her response down playing it.  You almost get the impression she's punishing herself for realizing there could be someone else for her.

Another big theme here is moving on. The very fact the vampire aspect of the story is based on Romeo and Juliet and how extreme the characters react when faced with difficulty, shows they aren't as mature as they think.  Here, we have Edward an immortal vampire over a hundred years old, who acts like the perpetual teenager he's suppose to be hiding as; as well as Bella who is a couple of years older than Jacob, both acting like drama queens. While Jacob, who's life really has transformed into something unwelcome and unrecognizable to him, is handling it with more grace and maturity.
For Jacob, conformity has to happen. There is no other option at first glance. But, as the story progresses, we see him stand up for himself defying his "pack" when he not only tells Bella the truth, but decides to protect her. He's forced to choose between his family or his own desires.

This is one story where the hero does not win, does not get the girl and does not die in the process. He still has to get up in the morning, face the people who hurt him the most, and he does it. I think that's why this is the most interesting of the sequels.

The subplot of lycanthropy is a perfect metaphor for growing up and dealing with the unexpected. The duality that lurks within us all and how we deal with it.

Okay folks, I'm going to keep it short and end it here. Don't forget, this is part of my Hallowe'en project and that puts us at 321 Days till Hallowe'en 2018