Fall Favorites 2012

It’s weird because I’ve been blogging for over a year now and I have another Fall Favorites from last year. When I was writing it, I honestly didn’t think I would make another one. I’ve come full circle. Although when I made last year’s Fall Favorites I wasn’t hated by nearly as many people. Blogging is great!

Smashing Pumpkins– No, not the band. Although the band is amazing. I think I’ve listened to Cherub Rock more than anyone I know but I digress. While walking home from a party my husband and I saw an abandoned pumpkin that was sitting on a fire hydrant. I looked at him and said, “You should smash it” and he did. He walked right into the middle of the street and smashed it. It was the most exciting thing that I’ve witnessed in a while. We bolted afterwards. No one saw it, but you can’t just casually walk away after you smash a pumpkin.

The Shining– I hadn’t seen this classic until about 3 nights ago. It was playing at this university theater so of course it attracted the worst hipster crowd I’ve ever seen. They chuckled at most of the serious parts in the movie which ruined a bit of the suspense for me, but it was still great. Such a perfect setting. The mom in the movie, Wendy, had the best clothes ever and that really made the film worthwhile for me personally. I had already known a lot of what to expect–redrum,  the twins, hereeee’s johnny!, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, etc. But it was still great to see it once and for all so I don’t have to pretend that I’ve seen it anymore.

Chai Lattes, Hot Apple Cider, and Hot Chocolate– Warm drinks are so comforting, dontcha think? Unfortunately these drinks are all pretty sugary and fattening so you have to use them as a meal replacement in order to not get fat. Or just drink them alongside a meal if you don’t mind getting fat like me.

Dexter Season 7– There are so many other new shows that I should be watching, but I can’t help being captivated by Dexter. Seasons 1,2,4,6, and 7 are awesome. Seasons 3 and 5 are my least favorites but that’s just me. And my opinion happens to be the perfect opinion on this topic.

Mario Kart Wii– I am somewhat of a master at Mario Kart N64, particularly the Koopa Troopa Beach course. However, I’ve been playing a bit of Mario Kart Wii just to mix things up a bit and it’s amazing. First of all, the wii-mote plugs into a wheel so it actually does feel like you’re driving. Secondly, there are so many new courses that are fresh to death. The old ones were getting pretttty stale.

Greek Mythology– I’m just brushing up on some of my favorite myths packed into 780 pages of goodness. It’s actually a surprisingly quick read since so much of the book is footnotes. The book itself is called The Greek Myths: Combined Edition by Robert Graves. Check it out if you like being smart and stuff.

Brisk Walks– I’m usually not a fan of cold weather or even cool weather for that matter. I can’t help but to enjoy the crisp temperatures outside. I like when my cheeks get all flushed and bundling up in sweaters and coats. Yeah I could get used to this.

Forever Traumatized

I’m a fan of scary movies. Granted, I’m always the one in the theater with my feet up on the seat, hiding behind my knees and whispering to the person next to me “Tell me when it’s over.” Afterwards, I go home and run as fast as I can to my bed because I don’t want any murders to get me. We all know blankets are the best form of protection. No one’s gonna get me if I’m safe in my bed! So realistic.

It’s funny because I can watch really gross stuff, but some of the most tame things can frighten me. Every now and then certain scenes from movies or TV shows will register with me in such a negative way that I won’t be able to ever erase them from my memory. A lot of the time they aren’t even scary. They’re just super bizarre and my brain can’t take it.

I’m going to share some music videos that have slightly disturbed me over the years. Laugh all you want, but just know that my dreams are being haunted.

Don’t Come Around Here No More – Tom Petty. This is a great song. But I simply cannot deal with a real life Alice in Wonderland turning into cake and being eaten by a Mad Hatter Tom Petty. In no way is that right. Tom Petty’s face is scary enough already. But when he’s in an oversize outfit and drinking an abnormally large tea, I just feel uncomfortable.

Land of Confusion – Genesis. Everything about this makes me want to throw up on Genesis. Why would they put these images in my head? First of all, puppets are scary as hell. Just no. The only thing I can stand puppets in is the movie The Labyrinth. Only because David Bowie’s greatness (barely) negates the atrocity of using puppets as actors. The only thing worse than one puppet, is hundreds of puppets. And that’s basically what Land of Confusion is–a lot of puppets. Which genius thought of that idea? A world full of puppets is what I imagine hell to be like. Jim Henson is clearly messed up and has absolutely no friends. Jason Segel is unfortunately following in his footsteps. I thought there was hope for him. But nope. He’s doing weird Muppet movies, so now he’s on my list of questionable people.

Tonight Tonight – The Smashing Pumpkins. There are things about this music video that I appreciate. I love the song. I also like that they’re paying homage to one of the first movies ever made, A Trip to the Moon (1902). Yeah, that’s right, I took Film Crit. The moon in both the movie and the music video is one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. Hands down. A blurry, old-fashioned Billy Corgan and crew play their instruments lethargically in the night sky, outlined by stars. There is honestly no other way to describe it.

The lead couple in the video journey to the moon and are attacked by moon imps. They end up  jumping to the bottom of the ocean where they’re attacked by a fish and eventually saved by Poseidon (or Neptune if you’re Roman). The whole thing is just too much for me to handle during this delicate stage in my life.

I’m sure there are an insane amount of creepy music videos. But these really make me cry inside. Has anything that you’ve seen freaked you out lately?