Category: Lists

My Top Ten Favorite Horror Movies

10/28/2013

I love romance, but have to admit more often than not I prefer spine-tingling horror movies over chick flicks. With Halloween upon us, I decided, ah heck, why not put together a top ten?

So here they are with the disclaimer that horror, not necessarily gore, is what captures my imagination and keeps me enthralled. Psychological thrillers? Yes please! Blood, guts, and other squishy bits? Sure, upon occasion, but there better be a story with substance backing them up, or ... err, splattering them. You know what I mean.

Without further ado, my top ten:

#10 Drag Me to Hell
Hubby and I were lucky enough to go to Hawaii a few years back. Our days were jam-packed with beaches, hiking, and snorkeling ... but there's not much of a night life on the "Big" Island. We found ourselves catching a flick one evening, and man, we were not disappointed. This dark karmic tale will pull you in and have you squealing like a girly-girl.

#9 Let the Right One In (2008)
Can't have a horror top ten without at least one vampire flick- but darn, I'll be the first to admit decent vampire films are few and far between. This Swedish masterpiece will chip at your heart and chill your soul.

#8 Dawn of the Dead
Zombies. Nothing freaks me out like zombies. Essentially, fear exists to help us avoid death, or to at least prolong the moments, days, and years until we face the inevitable. Being afraid is a survival mechanism. But zombies are death, and they're also us. Our ultimate fear realized and lurching around our front yards. Gah. Dawn of the Dead delivers this terror like no other.

#7 The Cabin in the Woods
It's probably messed up to say a horror film is a breath of fresh air, but this one takes the oft-done teens out in the woods and puts an innovative, shocking spin on the cliched plot line. Horror meets fantasy and science fiction. I wanna watch this one again. Right now.

#6 Saw
I've seen this movie once and don't really have a desire to see it again, but holy severed body parts Batman, that single viewing rocked my socks. Intelligent. Groundbreaking.
Terrifying.
Every horror aficionado should see it once. Probably not more than once, unless you can afford therapy.

#5 The Fall of the House of Usher
Going old school here, but tribute to Edgar Allen Poe and Vincent Price must be paid. I first watched this film in middle school. A frazzled substitute teacher popped it in the VCR, and it's held me captive ever since.

#4 The Others
I love it when a movie's ending truly surprises me. This is a quiet film, dark and artful, that slams into you at unexpected moments. Beautifully frightening.

#3 The Devil's Backbone
This one is a recent discovery for me, and I'm finding my thoughts returning to the characters' motivations and the why of things-- always a sign of a kick-ass movie. Be prepared to read subtitles as this is a Spanish film and delightfully un-Hollywood.

#2 Se7en
I'm a sucker for anything Morgan Freeman, but Se7en's entire cast delivers. The scariest stories don't rely on supernatural creatures to entertain and titillate, no, they take the plunge and dare to explore humankind's capacity for evil.

#1 The Silence of the Lambs
Hands down, not only my favorite horror film of all time, but my favorite movie EVER. In just over 16 minutes of screen time, I believe Anthony Hopkins delivers the most compelling face of evil ever portrayed. And I cheer him on ...maybe I should see a therapist along with those folks who've viewed Saw multiple times. Good thing Dr. Lecter is a psychiatrist.

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10 YA Reads You Should Try

7/13/2013

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I have a confession to make ... I adore YA books. Books written for a younger audience often have a purity of theme that appeals to my optimistic heart. What the heck does that mean? Simple. Many YA books carry on the grand tradition established by fairy tales and children's books-- they have life lessons embedded within the story. You may or may not be a Twilight fan, I ask you to put aside your fangirl squee or your derisive smirk, whichever the case may be, and look at the themes present in the story. Ms. Meyer gives us a reimagined version of "The ugly duckling becomes a swan." Literally Bella Swan, ha, I quack (or honk) myself up. Bella is an awkward, shy youth who transforms into a powerful and unique vampire, and eventually saves her coven from destruction.

Enriching themes aside, YA is written toward an audience that is in the grips of self-discovery. Anything and everything is possible, and authors embrace that freedom, often creating innovative worlds and characters unlike those found in any other genre.

I'm happy to share my top ten favorite YA reads with you today, and would love to hear recommendations.

#10~ Lizzy Ford's Dark Summer: The Witchling Series Book One
-Just finished this story earlier in the week. Captivating and edgy, love it when I find a book that blurs the lines of good and evil. Currently digging into the sequel.

#9~ Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn
-Haters look away, I've re-read Book Four a time or three.

#8~ Kresley Cole's Poison Princess: The Archana Chronicles
- If you are a fan of Ms. Cole's IAD series, Poison Princess is sure to delight and entice.

# 7~ Margaret Peterson Haddix's Among the Hidden
- Third-born beware, what can I say, I'm a sucker for a thought-provoking dystopian.

#6~ Louise Rennison's Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging
- Think teenage Bridget Jones. Why? For giggles and snorts. But really folks, a fun, well-written read that will brighten the bleakest day.

#5~ Christopher Paolini's Eragon
- The tale of a boy and his dragon. Please, please, please-- don't judge this book by its movie.

#4~ Walter Dean Myers' Monster
- Written as a screenplay, as this story's movie plays out in your mind, you'll question your own beliefs as much as the protagonist does his.

#3~ Chris Crutcher's Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
- I don't cry much in real life, but for whatever reason I'm often moved to tears by books and film. I've yet to finish even one Chris Crutcher book without a soggy meltdown. His stuff is intense, and this one is my fave by him.

#2~ Markus Zusak's The Book Thief
- A book that will dwell in your heart and mind long after you've turned the last page. A must-read for anyone with a particular interest in The Holocaust.

#1~ Lois Lowry's The Giver
- My third grade teacher read this aloud to us when I was eight years old. I truly believe my love of reading and books was kindled then. I've re-read it many times since, and each time there is a sense of new discovery and understanding. I think everyone, everywhere, should read this book at least once.

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5 Things I've Learned About Climbing

5/10/2013

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My hubby amazes me daily. He's been on a weight loss journey; in the last ten months he's lost eighty pounds. Eighty. So when he approached me with his plan to get out of the gym and go out and do something, and oh-by-the-way-would-I be-his-climbing-partner, I smiled and said, "Of course." I wanted to support my spouse. I didn't realize how much fun I was going to have in the process. Climbing is fabulous. And, it turns out, educational.

We're two weeks into an annual membership at a local indoor gym, and this is what I've learned from my first six climbing sessions:

#1 Pedicures are a thing of the past ... at least while I'm actively pursuing this hobby. I'm a frugal-ish person, but blinged out painted toes are an indulgance--an indulgence that makes no sense when I'm cramming my bare feet into tight climbing shoes several times a week. That's right, I said "bare." Most climbers choose to forego socks. Socks add an unwanted layer of slipperiness inside the shoe and take away sensitivity as climbers search for footholds. Shoes tend to run a size smaller as well; your toes should extend to the very tip of the shoe, and actually curl slightly. It hurts. There will be chafing and possibly blood the first few climbs. And--if you happen to have purple sparkly nail polish on your toes--it will be sanded off by the end of the day and be uncomfortable grit in your shoe. Word to the wise ;o)

#2 Your junk and everybody else's is on display. The good news? Nobody cares. You look around the gym and you see folks focused on ropes and belaying and safety, on getting to the top and having a good time. Nobody's checking out your butt. Well, much anyways.

#3 It's good to have a theme song for motivation. Hubby has had to endure my off-key humming of "It's a Long Way to the Top If You Want to Rock and Roll" for an hour or three on several occasions.

#4 It's okay to fall. It feels wrong, so very wrong, the moment you feel your fingers slipping and you know you're about to lose it. But it's okay. You're safe. You're secured to your partner, and it's just part of the process. Take a moment, give those strained forearms a rest, then get a new grip on that sucker and keep on trying.

#5 It feels dang good to reach your goal. It's perhaps the second best thing next to the communication and camaraderie you'll share with your partner.

We're still noobs, and the indoor gym is more than enough for us right now, but it would be very cool to someday pursue rock climbing in the great outdoors. Especially since the Southwest has so many glorious locations for it.

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My Top Ten Favorite Horror Movies

10 YA Reads You Should Try

5 Things I've Learned About Climbing

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