If your curiosity was piqued by my Magnets de los Muertos post, but you haven't yet experienced the unique pleasures of having a macabre magnetic poetry set of your very own, then I implore you to check out the MdlM giveaway over at Creepy L.A.!
If you haven't been to one of Cinespia's famous cemetery screenings yet, I demand you go tonight. Why? Well, for two reasons, really: First and foremost, they're showing Rosemary's Baby, Roman Polanski's 1968 masterpiece of witchcraft, pregnancy and paranoia starring Mia Farrow and her notoriously short hair. In addition, this will be the last cemetery screening of the season, which means you'll have to wait until next summer if you don't get your fix now. As always, don't forget the booze and the picnic dinner!directed by Roman Polanski (1968 136 mins)Hollywood Forever Cemetery is at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., near the intersection of Santa Monica and Gower.
gates 6:30 pm movie 8:00 pm NEW TIME!!
no reservation necessary
$10 donation tickets available at gate
as a courtesy to other moviegoers: NO TALL CHAIRS!!
Terrifying, hallucinatory and brimming with dark humor, Rosemary's is nothing short of a masterpiece of suspense. Farrow is an unsuspecting wife who believes her husband has become involved with a modern day witches coven. Is she being paranoid, or do they have diabolical plans for her baby? A brilliant performance by Mia Farrow made her a superstar overnight, John Cassavettes is phenomenal as her suspicious husband, and the incomparable Ruth Gordon (Harold & Maude) is hilarious as the next door neighbor. Join us under the stars for the last screening of the season!!
dj gas lamp killer spins before and after the screening
I consider myself something of a connoisseur when it comes to haunted house movies, so it goes without saying that I am absolutely dying to see Paranormal Activity. The premise of the film is simple, even familiar: A couple thinks their house may be haunted, so they set up a video camera to film the events that take place during the course of the night. In the vein of The Blair Witch Project - which, in my opinion, is a really good film that's seen its reputation tarnished by its notoriety - the movie was made for just $11,000 and has been the talk of several film festivals, including Slamdance and Screamfest. Finally, Paranormal Activity has a distribution deal through Paramount, which means that on September 25th you'll be able to see the film that Bloody-Disgusting calls "one of the scariest movies of all time."
At 8 PM, we have the series premiere of The Vampire Diaries, which is apparently based on a popular series of books for teens. Admittedly, I don't know very much about this show, apart from the fact that its defining plot points seem to be:
Then at 9 PM, it's the fifth season premiere of Supernatural. If you've never seen this show, I highly encourage giving it a shot - it's really entertaining, and the brothers Winchester (as portrayed by Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) are cute and funny. It may not be the scariest show in the universe, but it is surprisingly addictive.
To go with my purchase, I received two more bonus imps: Malice ("A profound, complex scent that encapsulates the joy one finds in another's pain. Ylang ylang, clove, Indonesian red patchouli, and dark myrrh") and Tushnamatay ("Pure internal harmony and spiritual bliss: the perfected meditation blend"). Both are just as dark and lovely as you would expect. Consider me an official BPAL fan.
Spooky Little Girl and Creepy L.A., the Los Angeles Halloween Blog, have formed an unholy alliance: I'm happy to announce that I've been recruited to write for them, so keep an eye out for my posts over there. (Of course, SLG updates will continue unabated!)
First up is POLTERGEIST (1982), the Spielberg-produced, Tobe Hooper-directed tale of a malevolent entity that essentially kidnaps a little girl. This is one of those scary movies that I grew up watching, and I love it. There are some eerie moments (little boy is assaulted by his clown doll, omg!) and some disgusting ones (two words: bathroom sink), but what I like the most is that the suburban southern California setting reminds me of where I grew up to a T.
THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973) is up next. Based on a novel by Richard Matheson, this movie is an enjoyable riff on a familiar theme: Paranormal researchers find themselves in a genuinely haunted house. I prefer The Haunting (1963 version, of course), but this one is good as well. Bonus points for being made in the '70s. Horror films from that era always have a great look about them - I can only describe it as "deliciously unwholesome."
Fall is finally here! "But how," you ask, glancing at your calendar, "can you be so sure? Why, fall doesn't officially start until September 22nd!" No, dear reader, you are wrong. Fall officially starts the day the pumpkin spice latte returns to Starbucks - and, lo, today is the day. If you're not familiar with the magic of the PSL, it's "a delicious blend of pumpkin and traditional fall spice flavors combined with...espresso and freshly steamed milk, and topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices." I'm not a huge Starbucks fan under normal circumstances, but I'm definitely a diehard supporter of the PSL. (In fact, I'm heading out to grab one right now!) No word yet on whether the Coffee Bean will be bringing back their pumpkin pie latte, or what autumnal offerings other coffee shops will be unveiling in the weeks to come...