As you may already know, dear reader, I am a HUGE fan of Stephen King’s extraordinary storytelling. The “Master of Horror” made an indeliable impression on me way back in the 8th grade when my Uncle Robert’s girlfriend at the time gave me her paperback copy of The Stand. Stephen King caught my attention and captured my heart with his character-driven story set in a post-apocalyptic world. Since then, I have read at least 40 of his novels (some of them more than once) and several of his short stories.
Therefore, it should be no surprise that Kelsi and I decided to spend each month of 2022 exploring King’s extensive body of work by reading a novel, a novella, or short stories written by him, then watching the screen adaptation of it afterwards. Subsequently, we will host a monthly livestream on Kelsi’s YouTube channel to discuss our thoughts on both the written work and the movie. Back in October, Kelsi and I had one of these chats where we discussed Cycle of the Werewolf and Silver Bullet. We had a blast!
Our January selection is Misery. I am more than halfway through reading this incredible novel and will be watching the movie later this week. Our livestream for Misery is scheduled for Sunday, 23 January at 2:00 pm CT on Slime and Slashers – A Nostalgia & Horror Channel.
For those of you who are interested in joining Kelsi and me on our journey through Stephen King’s universe throughout 2022, I have created a list of our selections for the entire year. We will encounter fanatical fans, menacing monsters, ghastly ghosts, the devil, and so much more, making this year frightfully fun.
Year of King Schedule
January: Misery
February: Gerald’s Game
March: “Langoliers” (Four Past Midnight)
April: The Dark Half
May: Pet Sematary
June: “The Mist” (Skeleton Crew) and “1408” (Everything’s Eventual)
July: It
August: Cujo
September: “Lawnmower Man,” “The Mangler,” and “Graveyard Shift” (Night Shift)
October: Needful Things
November: Dead Zone
December: The Shining
Needless to say, dear reader, #13 on my22 for 2022 list is not going to be difficult to accomplish this year. Let me know if you are a Stephen King fan or may consider joining us on this literary adventure. Happiness!
“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.” ~ Stephen King
The Halloween season would not be complete without watching horror movies. I chose 20 films this year for my Halloween Movie Marathon. This post is Part 1 of my movie discussion and only mentions eight of the films that I watched during October. Three of them were kid-friendly Halloween movies and new watches for me. They included The Monster Squad, The Halloween Tree, and Halloweentown. The Monster Squad is campy and a bit more appropriate for teenagers. Of these three movies, it was my least favorite despite featuring the Universal Monsters, a horror movie club run by kids, and a friendship between a precious little girl and Frankenstein. Surprisingly, I adored Halloweentown, a Disney originalstarring the wonderful Debbie Reynolds. It is a heartwarming story featuring friendly monsters and a young girl who discovers her magical powers as a witch. Another pleasant surprise was the delightful animated film The Halloween Tree narrated by Ray Bradbury, who is the author of the book of the same name. The film is a magical journey through the history of the spooky season. Halloweentown and The Halloween Tree will definitely be rewatches for me in the future during the Halloween season.
There were two more campy movies on my list, House on Haunted Hill and The People Under the Stairs. I chose to watch House on Haunted Hill because of the play I was in at The Columbia Theatre during the spooky season. I enjoyed it immensely for its plot twists, spookiness in addition to its campiness, and Vincent Price. The People Under the Stairs was not one of my favorites on this year’s list. It is supposed to be horror satire and does have a few redeeming qualities. After reading an article about Jordan Peele’s thoughts on the film and potentially spearheading a remake, along with Kelsi’s thoughts in our chat about the movie, I plan to rewatch this film before making any final judgements. I would LOVE to see a remake of this movie, especially if Jordan Peele is at the helm.
Of the 20 movies that I watched, only two were rewatches. Kelsi and I watched Silver Bullet together and had a lively discussion on her YouTube channel comparing it to the novella it is based on, Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King. It was wonderful revisiting this film, and even more wonderful experiencing it with Kelsi as she watched it for the first time. Nightbreed was my other rewatch, but this time around, I watched the director’s cut which was much better than the theatrical version. Admittedly, I was somewhat disappointed with the film after reading Cabal, the novella written by Clive Barker and the basis for the film. Cabal is darker and the characters are more fleshed out than in the film. I would have liked to have seen more of the character, Dr. Decker, also known as the sadistic serial killer Button Face. The critically acclaimed director, David Cronenberg, plays the role of Dr. Decker and nails the dreadfully creepy character. Coincidentally, one of Cronenberg’s films, The Brood, made our movie list for this year’s marathon. One merit of the film was the visually appealing monsters or Nighbreed that reside in Midian. Kelsi and I both agree that Clive Barker is a master of horror; however, if you have not discovered his work, we do not recommend starting with Cabal or Nightbreed. They are enjoyable but not where we suggest you start with exploring the fantastical worlds of Clive Barker. I would recommend The Hellbound Heart, Books of Blood (short stories), or Weaveworld for first reads and Hellraiser for a first watch. You will get a taste of his brillance as a horror writer and want to discover more of his work on the page and in film.
Dear reader, you can hear more of my thoughts about these movies, Kelsi’s thoughts, and our reaction to Art the Clown in the anthology film All Hallows’ Eve in our Halloween Horror Movie Marathon Wrap Up Part 1. Art the clown is still super creepy, and the three frightening short films within an equally frightening film, which crosses the line between reality and the make-believe, make All Hallows’ Eve more terrifying than Terrifier. In addition to a more in-depth commentary on these films, this chat also includes some stats, a few overall thoughts about the marathon, as well as surprises and disappointments. It is a long video, but Kelsi does a terrific job of including time stamps in the description section. Also, like our friend Ray does, you could listen to it like a podcast. We hope you enjoy it, and please consider leaving a comment or two, as well as any suggestions because we do appreciate your feedback.
This is just Part 1 of the movies I watched during the spooky season, dear reader. My post on Part 2 will be published shortly. Feel free to comment on some of the horror movies you enjoy watching, especially during the spooky season. Happiness!
“There’ll be food and drink and ghosts…and perhaps even a few murders. You’re all invited.” ~ Frederick Loren (Vincent Price), House on Haunted Hill (1959)
Tomorrow begins a “season of sacrifice” in my life that will last for the next few weeks. It is not the first time that I have gone through a period like this, and it surely will not be the last time. Everything gets busier this week with rehearsal requiring more time, leading into an intense tech week (next week) and opening weekend.
My focus for the next two weeks and the next four weekends will mainly be on the play, The House on Haunted Hill. Being in a play is not only thrilling, invigorating, and fulfilling, but also extremely time-consuming. Therefore, many of the tasks or activities that I had planned for this period of time have either been cancelled or put on the back burner until the dust settles and my schedule opens up again. In fact, my hubby and I are no longer entertaining the idea of participating in the Zombie Run in New Orleans on Saturday morning. However, we are still planning to attend The Psychedelic Furs concert at Tipitina’s on Saturday evening. I must practice daily self-care, which includes eating well, walking at least 20 minutes per day, reading, getting enough sleep, and incorporating spiritual practice throughout the day.
This week is also October’s full moon or the Hunter’s Moon. This would be the perfect week, dear reader, to read Stephen King’s Cycle of the Werewolf or watch its movie adaptation, Silver Bullet. Kelsi and I recently chatted about both the book and movie which you can check out below or on Kelsi’s YouTube channel. We also discussed how we are both doing with our Halloween Fun Lists since hanging out together earlier in the month.
Recently, I have been thinking about my future self, specifically my future self at the start of 2022. Regrettably, I realized that I had not reflected on the third quarter of the year which is due in large part to Hurricane Ida. Briefly scanning my 21 for 2021 list, I must acknowledge that I have abandoned many of the items that I had good intentions of completing this year. We are now in the fourth quarter of 2021, and I cannot see myself completing, much less even attempting to complete, the majority of the items on my list. Therefore, I am letting my list go until I am finished with the play (November 13th). At that time, I will evaluate my list to see if any of the tasks can be completed by mid-December, moved to my 22 for 2022 list, or tossed completely. Then, I will do a year-end review of what I accomplished throughout 2021 and start planning for 2022. I feel this is realistic, and my future self will thank me. In addition, I purchased some whimsical journals (Don’t Break the Chain Habit Tracker, Know Yourself Better Journal, One-Sentence Journal) for my future self this morning from Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project that I want to use in 2022.
I have a great deal going on in my life right now, dear reader. If all goes well, I should have a new roof on my house by the first week of November. Completing the roof allows us to start repairing Andrew’s bedroom. My hope is Andrew will be back home before Christmas, our backyard will be cleared of all tree debris by the end of the year, and we can finally put Hurricane Ida behind us. Despite a hectic schedule and experiencing some overwhelming moments, I remain grateful and hopeful. My wrist seems to be healing with daily medication and wearing the brace. Having Fridays off has made a huge difference for my well-being. And, I was given the opportunity to participate in a show that allows me to explore my creative side. I may be in a “season of sacrifice,” but it is temporary, and I will navigate through it with grace and a grateful attitude. Happiness!
“Gratitude is an antidote to negative emotions, a neutralizer of envy, hostility, worry, and irritation. It is savoring, it is not taking things for granted, it is present-oriented.” ~ Sonja Lyubomirsky
"Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors. Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny." ~Gandhi
Run/Walk Schedule
Week #1: Walk 30 minutes a day, at least three times a week.
Week #2: Continue week-one workout but pick up the pace, pump your arms. Break a sweat!
Week #3: Walk 10 minutes. Run 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes (repeat this 3-minute session 5 times). Walk 10 minutes.
Week #4: Walk 10 minutes. Run 2 minutes. Walk 1 minute (repeat this 3-minute session 5 times). Walk 10 minutes.
The Kat Files 