#old school evil vampires with a modern twist
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i do not allow reuploads, reposts, or translations of my works. i cross-post to ao3 and wattpad. i do not take requests. i write for fun and for free. feedback is of course welcome and greatly appreciated, please feel free to send me an ask, reblog, or comment!
if you're looking for a fic and can't find it, check my archive masterlist
PLEASE READ/INCLUSIVITY: unless explicitly stated otherwise in the genre tags, all of my reader-inserts use she/her pronouns, and are commonly referred to with gendered language such as girl, woman, etc. i do not make references to the reader's skin tone. i tend to avoid describing how the reader-insert takes up space (height or size) but if i do, the only members that i may explicitly depict as taller than the reader-insert are those that are 180cm or above (johnny, jaehyun, jungwoo, sungchan, jisung, and maybe sicheng if i'm feeling extra nice)
recent work | recommended work
word count 2024: 121.2k | blog word count: 935.8k
KEY
f - fluff
a - angst
m - mature/heavy themes (i do not write smut, but not everything here will be appropriate for all ages, proceed with caution and read all warnings provided at the beginning of fics)
h - humor/crack fic
✦ - author favorite
the starlightkuniverses
➺ series of multiple fics that take place in the same universe. pick your favorite member or read them all
➺ the strawberry sunday anthology (f, m, h, ✦)
modern magical creatures au, modern fantasy au, college au ── fairy!jungwoo, vampire!kun, werewolf!jeno, dragon!jisung, werewolf!sungchan, human!renjun, and basilisk!mark
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ the ayakashi series (f, a, m)
based off the otome game 'ayakashi romance reborn,' modern yokai au ── tengu!jeno, oni!kun, human!jaehyun, and snow spirit!doyoung
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ sleepless cinderella (f, a, m)
based off wayv's dream launch plan videos and the otome game 'sleepless cinderella' ── pilot!kun, surgeon!ten, actor!sicheng, director!dejun, robotics engineer!kunhang, and f1 racer!yangyang
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
special events
➺ 2023 hallmark movie marathon (f, a)
christmas-themed, new years-themed ── three (and a half) fics with very cheesy hallmark movie-esque premises and tropes for the holiday season, all starring kun
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
qian kun
➺ [NEW] frankenstein complex (f, m) ── 67.9k
sci-fi, near-ish future, black op mission captain kun, ?????? reader, humans and aliens and robots ── in which the crew of the vision finds you as the sole survivor of a classified research facility and there's more gaps in your memory than memories themselves. on top of that, you've got this weird feeling that the captain of the crew you've found yourself with isn't exactly what he seems...
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ sweet girl (f, m, ✦) ── 53.9k
from the ayakashi series, oni!kun, onmyoji!reader ── in which you have to juggle love, friends, school, and a great evil that could destroy your city
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ romance is dead (f, m, h, ✦) ── 19.4k + 10.3k sequel
part of the strawberry sunday universe, vampire!kun, human!reader, "uh-oh one of us drank a love potion" but with a twist, strangers(ish) to lovers ── in which there’s a mix-up with a love potion, and you're suddenly being courted by a several-hundred-year-old vampire. it's not all sonnets and bouquets, though, as you're keenly aware that kun's love could turn to thirst. and maybe you wouldn't mind if it did
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here | sequel
➺ sleepless cinderella (f, a) ── 11.4k
from the sleepless cinderella series, pilot!kun, journalist!reader ── in which you become your own cinderella one night, with six prince charmings to choose from
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ much mistletoeing about nothing (a, f) ── 7.6k + 1.9k sequel
exes to lovers, christmas-themed, getting snowed in trope, cuddling to share warmth trope ── in which your first mistake was saying yes to christmas dinner with your ex. your second mistake was being late to said christmas dinner. and your third...
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here | sequel
➺ hopeless for the holidays (f) ── 8.7k
strangers to lovers, new years-themed, attorney kun, wedding planner reader, aged up kun & reader (mid/late thirties) ── in which your friend drags you to a singles mixer being thrown by the local bar association, and you're less than thrilled. in between betting her coworker that he won't find someone to kiss by midnight and helping her avoid her ex from law school, you hardly expect to meet someone like qian kun
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ hold my red heart (f) ── 3.4k
christmas-themed, fake dating trope, f2l ── in which you need some help getting rid of a very persistent coworker, and what better way than bringing your boyfriend to the office christmas party? only problem, you don't have a boyfriend. enter kun.
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ [WIP...] the bite (f, a, m)
single dad!kun, single mom!reader, e2l ── in which kun's son bites yours at preschool, and you want nothing to do with this 'mr. qian'
kim doyoung
➺ snowflake (f, a, m) ── 75.3k
from the ayakashi series, snow spirit!doyoung, onmyoji!reader ── in which you experience both great love and great loss, and learn how to battle hypothermia
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
ten
➺ sleepless cinderella (f, a, m) ── 13.8k
from the sleepless cinderella series, surgeon!ten, journalist!reader ── in which you become your own cinderella one night, with six prince charmings to choose from
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
jeong jaehyun
➺ s.c.s. (f, m) ── 66.2k
from the ayakashi series, human!jaehyun, onmyoji!reader, childhood friends to lovers ── in which jaehyun's just always been a family friend, the son of your dad's friend. so why are you so nervous around him now? why are you thinking about kissing him so much? and oh yeah, what's up with all those evil wraiths?
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ valentine boy (f) ── 5.0k
rich kid!au, childhood friends to lovers ── in which you’re reunited with your childhood friend and refuse to let him go this time
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
dong sicheng
➺ sleepless cinderella (f) ── 13.5k
from the sleepless cinderella series, actor!sicheng, journalist!reader, fake dating, e2l ── in which you become your own cinderella one night, with six prince charmings to choose from
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
kim jungwoo
➺ strawberry sunday (f, ✦) ── 28.4k
part of the strawberry sunday universe, fairy!jungwoo, human!reader, f2l, one (1) tease and one (1) idiot to lovers, slow burn ── in which you, all your friends, and your stupid massive crush on jungwoo go stay in one beach house together for spring break. you're determined to make it out with your secret in tact. but... has jungwoo always looked at you like that? touched you this much? like that? he can't be... flirting with you?
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ second first kiss (f) ── 2.0k
new year's-themed, model!jungwoo, childhood f2l, drabble, gn!reader ── in which you spend every new year's with your best friend jungwoo. except the past couple years he's missed the target on his friendly new year's peck on the cheek, and you can't get him out of your head now
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ [WIP...] finders keepers (f, m)
sci-fi, alien!jungwoo, human!reader, soulmate au but make it aliens ── in which you've never been good at keeping your nose out of trouble, and a spaceship crashing a few meters away from you is right up your alley. the alien inside claiming that you're his soulmate might finally put you out of your depth, though
mark lee
➺ [COMING SOON] baby fangs (f) ── 27.0k
part of the strawberry sunday universe, basilisk!mark, sphinx!reader, strangers to lovers, age gap (older reader) ── in which a desperate mark knocks on your door one night when he gets locked out of his friends' apartment, and you get way more than you bargained for in return. you hardly expect that the cute infatuation he displays for you immediately would be anything more; nor that you'd ever find yourself falling for the basilisk and his baby fangs too
➺ invested (a, f) ── 23.1k
ft. donghyuck, love triangle, matching tattoo soulmate au ── in which you're convinced that you don't have a tattoo, and that you're in love with lee donghyuck
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
xiao dejun
➺ sleepless cinderella (f) ── 14.4k
from the sleepless cinderella series, director!dejun, journalist!reader, childhood friends to lovers ── in which you become your own cinderella one night, with six prince charmings to choose from
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
wong kunhang
➺ savior (f, h, ✦) ── 24.3k
royal au, prince!kunhang, princess!reader, "you saved me, so now i'm your problem" ── in which you really should've read up on the customs of your neighboring kingdom before visiting
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ sleepless cinderella (f) ── 11.1k
from the sleepless cinderella series, robotics engineer!kunhang, journalist!reader, e2l ── in which you become your own cinderella one night, with six prince charmings to choose from
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
huang renjun
➺ dr_magic2303 (f, h, m) ── 18.3k
part of the strawberry sunday universe, human!renjun, siren!reader, academic rivals to lovers ── in which a mysterious user by the pseudonym of dr_magic2303 starts popping up on your university’s online forums. you’re determined to get to the bottom of their identity, so you decide to enlist the help of your academic rival for the past four years, huang renjun
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
lee jeno
➺ featherbrain (f, m) ── 48.3k
from the ayakashi series, tengu!jeno, onmyoji!reader ── in which you can't believe you've fallen for this stupid, stupid tengu
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ tongue-tied (f) ── 17.4k
strangers to lovers, model!jeno, journalist!reader, reworked version of old sleepless cinderella route ── in which you find yourself getting sucked deeper and deeper into an article in order to ignore the scarily personal part that won't seem to leave you alone
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ pupsick (f, m) ── 11.8k + 8.8k sequel
part of the strawberry sunday universe, werewolf!jeno, human!reader, f2l, bakery au ── in which jeno's sick and insists that you're the only one that can take care of him. but according to your only other werewolf friend, you're also what's making him sick
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here | sequel
lee donghyuck
➺ invested (f, a) ── 23.1k
ft. mark, love triangle, matching tattoo soulmate au ── in which you're convinced that you don't have a tattoo, and that you're in love with lee donghyuck
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
na jaemin
➺ the golden fruit duology (f) ── 32.0k
nades au, hades!jaemin, human!reader, persephone allegory ── in which you think you're trading away a third of your life for your dream job but get much, much more
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
liu yangyang
➺ speedometer (f, ✦) ── 14.1k
street racer!yangyang, college au ── in which you meet someone who sends your heart racing
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ sleepless cinderella (f, a) ── 12.9k
from the sleepless cinderella series, f1 racer!yangyang, journalist!reader ── in which you become your own cinderella one night, with six prince charmings to choose from
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
jung sungchan
➺ [FINAL PART COMING SOON] buzzer beater series (f, m, ✦) ── 61.6k posted, ongoing series
college au (and after), hockey captain!sungchan, chronically ill!reader (migraines) ── in which you swear you’re only going to the joint halloween party being hosted by the hockey team and nu chi tau for a few minutes just to say hi to sungchan, but as can be expected with your life, something goes horribly, horribly wrong
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ the soulmate factory (f, a, ✦) ── 28.9k
science fantasy au, soulmate au (red string), star crossed lovers, mystery ── in which you work at The Soulmate Factory, pressing all the buttons when you’re supposed to, changing strangers’ fates. until one day a red string appears on your finger, and you know something has gone horribly wrong. employees of The Soulmate Factory are explicitly barred from participating in the program. on top of hiding it from your coworkers and bosses, you also have to investigate how this even happened and undo it, before you lose your job and before you meet your soulmate
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
➺ changer (f, a) ── 22.3k + 25.5k sequel
part of the strawberry sunday universe, werewolf!sungchan, human!reader, slowish burn, blind date ── in which you and sungchan are set up on a blind date, and it goes terribly. but a chance second meeting could reignite the spark of... friendship? well shit.
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here | sequel
➺ [COMING SOON] filler episodes (f) ── 16.6k
band au, drummer!sungchan, normie!reader, badboy x good girl but make it loserboy x girlfail ── in which your whole life has felt like filler episodes, and you're tired of living like that. enter jung sungchan, part-time bookstore worker, part-time tea shop employee, and part-time drummer for a local underground punk band. he's everything you're not, and as soon as he's wedged himself into your life, you find that you don't want him to go
➺ tourist trapped (f) ── 2.4k
enemies to lovers (or are they...) ── in which your day out at the fair with your friends somehow ends up with you stuck at the top of the ferris wheel with the one person you'd been avoiding, sungchan. but you're not avoiding him for the reason that all your friends think you are...
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
park jisung
➺ the dragon's happily ever after (f, h) ── 17.4k
part of the strawberry sunday universe, dragon!jisung, human!reader, f2l, secret relationship/fake not dating trope ── in which you and jisung sort of forgot to tell your nosy friends that you're dating, but realize it's the perfect opportunity to give them a little taste of their own medicine. they're trying to set you two up, while you're trying to see how long it takes them to notice that you're already dating. cue the shenanigans
* :✧˚ ·♡. ─── read here
#masterlist#nav#mine#text#updated: 06/01/24#recent: frankenstein complex pt 3#next: fc pt 4/final#*100
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ten books to get to know me
Thanks for the tag @wolfpants!! And @consistentsquash!! :D
Tagging: @perverse-idyll, @writcraft, @lizzy0305, @arrisha-ao3, @liladiurne, @bluesundaycake, @cindle-writes, @ripeteeth, @givereadersahug, @broomsticks, @charlotterhea, @ashesandhackles, @teacup-tai, @sugareey-makes-stuff, @mrviran, @yletylyf ....no pressure! Apologies if you've already been tagged or done this! And if you've not been tagged and want to play along, go ahead and consider yourself tagged!
Under the cut cuz LONG. (Y'all know I like to talk.)
The Harry Potter series
....I'm in the HP fandom, so that's probably 0 surprise. Also feels icky due to being written by Terf McTerfington. Buuuuuut. Well. The universe needs balance and HP's power was so great it could only be stopped by Great Evil, or so I like to tell myself.
The series was published in the U.S. when I was 7. I was already a big reader. I was a big reader from the moment I could read at all. But HP was the first series I fell well and truly in love with. I discovered fanfiction at 11, and started writing it at 13. The story and this fandom were there through the worst moments of my life. I'm not sure it will ever not be important to me.
The Percy Jackson series (Rick Riordan)
Honestly, I can't lie, I'm a big sucker for kids' books. They're just fun, dang it. Great literature? No. But I don't read to impress, I read to have a good time, and Percy Jackson is a good time. Also all the related series. Magnus Chase? Trials of Apollo? The Kane Chronicles? Yes yes yes BRING THEM TO ME.
There's a Potter-esque feel to the PJO series. Dark haired green eyed hero who didn't know he had magical abilities? Also the Cabins make me think of the Houses, even though it's more parentage than traits. It's a vibe, okay? And on top of that...mythology???? I'm a big ole mythology nerd, especially for Greek mythology. And let me tell you, I inhaled those books. And I still love them a lot, actually.
The Twilight series (Stephenie Meyer)
To round out the list of "stories Little Danni loved" is Twilight. Yes, I was a Twi-hard in junior high and high school. What's funny is all the modern "this is problematic because Edward is stalking Bella, and also he's a vampire and immortal and there's an age gap!" jabbering is probably what sold me on the story to begin with. Listen: I like what I like, okay? Also: vampire + human? Does that count as monsterfucking? Idk but it's at least different species which ticks some boxes, okay?
Honestly everyone talking about how effed up Twilight is was just a lightbulb moment for me of like "oh. No wonder I was so into it."
Twilight also played a role in my writing journey! In high school I joined a Twilight themed RPG site on proboards. I created a mega evil vampire named Danna Deville, whose face cast was Hayden Panettierre. This weirdly made me super popular because no one else was creating/playing villainous characters. Let me tell you, it did loads for my self esteem. Also it's funny to think about all those old friendships born of "hey let's RP together. I really want your character to torture my character."
Mistborn (Brandon Sanderson)
This one I have big opinions on. On the one hand, I really enjoy Brandon Sanderson's stories. On the other hand, while his magic systems are often highly praised, I hate them. Hate, loathe, and despise them. I'll not say more than that. I don't like to hate on things. And my partner really loves Brandon Sanderson and his magic systems. (I'm just over here muttering about "they eat metal" and have to actively not think about it.) It's just not my jam. I much prefer softer magic systems. Hard magic systems tend to throw me a bit. But Brandon Sanderson sure knows how to tell a story, dang it. He's super creative and smart and has these big sweeping ideas, with all these twists and turns! His worldbuilding is also insanely good.
Mistborn (Era 1) is probably my favorite of his works. One as an overall story (Vin, my love!) But also the connection to my Eddie.
You see, when my partner and I first met, it was in the book section of an entertainment store. Where we stood in the aisles and talked for hours. My very first impression was "who is this goofy man?" and I left the interaction fully smitten. And anxious, awkward lady that I am, my grand plan was to read the books he'd been raving about to have something to talk about. Idle chit chat? No can do. Book talk? That I can do! So I read Mistborn, for a start. Then worked my way through other book recommendations. And now that goofy nerd is mine. All's well that ends well!
The Wheel of Time series (Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson)
Once I worked my way through Brandon Sanderson's books, I moved onto The Wheel of Time, which was much more up my alley! I could not put those books down. (At least until I hit The Slog, at which point I still couldn't put them down, but I was mostly charging through waiting for it to get good again.) This was also the first time I tried to not look up spoilers before reading a book. (Blasphemy, I know, blah blah. Look: I have anxiety. Spoilers make my life easier and happier, okay?) Eddie is very staunchly anti-spoiler, so I did my best to try a spoiler-free experience. I made it most of the way through. Towards the end I accidentally spoiled myself on a big event. It was a bit foolishly done but I'd consulted google to refresh my memory on an event from an earlier book, and my Google excursions warned me of a few deaths ahead of time. Whoops. On the whole, though, me making it 10+ books with no spoilers was pretty dang impressive.
Also the book series is great. And I'm side-eying the show a bit. Just a little bit.
(Bonus: the band Blind Guardian has a song called "Wheel of Time" about the books and it's 10/10. At least if you like symphonic metal, which I do.) (Oh, "Ride Into Obsession" from the same album is also WoT inspired.)
Flowers in the Attic series (V. C. Andrews)
The fact that I read this series as a child might explain a lot. Also you should know my mother gave me these books to read. Child abuse, forced imprisonment, murder, and incest? Sign me up! It's all sortsa messed up and dark and to this day it's still my # 1 guilty pleasure series. I like...just don't care. You can tell me how badly written it is or how problematic it is, I don't care. This is the book equivalent to eating a whole bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos while watching true crime videos. This is indulgence, my friends. I'm having a great time, please leave me in peace.
Till We Have Faces (C. S. Lewis)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Idk what to say other than this book is perfect, I will hear no slander against it, and I really need to reread it, like, ASAP. Another link to Greek mythology this one. Also: I really love Orual.
(Does anyone wanna read/reread it with me? Lmk.)
The Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller)
Gorgeous, amazing, perfect, wonderful. Patroclus/Achilles forever. Ouch my heart. God it's beautiful. MORE GREEK MYTHOLOGY OF COURSE. Also all of Madeline Miller's stuff is stellar. (Circe and Galatea!!!! Read those, too!!!!) I have every feeling on planet earth about this one.
Widecare trilogy (Phillippa Gregory)
Beatrice Lacey is wonderful and amazing and also really messed up in the head. Historical fiction. Little Beatrice is in love with her family's land, Wideacre. And is HORRIFIED and OFFENDED when she realizes that, as a girl, she will not only not inherit, but will have to leave one day???? Cuz as a lady it is her purpose in life to get married and pop out babies???? But Beatrice is ambitious, clever, manipulative, and passionate and she doesn't let lady parts or the patriarchy keep her down!! And by that, she goes to rather dark and taboo extremes. Which I admire and respect. (I grew up watching horror films and reading darkfic. Trust me, I was having a great time with this story.)
Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
I stg this book gets no respect. Is this a really toxic, dysfunctional romance? Absolutely. What else do you want in a story???? Oh OBSESSIVE, PASSIONATE, UNDYING LOVE??? GOT THAT, TOO. This book lives in my heart and soul. I can fully quote Heathcliff's speech to Catherine ("I cannot life without my life, I cannot live without my soul") on demand. I have read this book to death, through resurrection, and back to death.
...also it's hella Snarry, isn't it? That explains a lot.
(Also shoutout to other teenage obsessions: The Hunger Games and Divergent. Also the Three Dark Crowns series???? Loved that. Hannibal???? Yes please. Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series??? MORE! Oh and R.L. Stein's The Nightmare Room were the books of my childhood. Oh! Oh oh! And another thing! The Wonder by Emma Donoghue????? Incredible. Blow my mind. Oh and She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb is another case of "this is a very dark messed up story that a family member gave me that I inhaled because I really liked messed up stuff, actually.") (Is this cheating? Probably. But I've been a major bookworm since words even made sense to me, please cut a gal some slack.) (Please don't judge me.)
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To Hold the Bridge: Tales from the Old Kingdom and beyond (2015)
I'm mainly here for the Old Kingdom short story in the title, but I enjoyed reading this selection of short stories since I haven't read anything by Garth Nix outside the Old Kingdom series. It was interesting seeing what kind of themes he generally likes/returns to repeatedly. Reading this, I would summarize them with:
Characters in the military (or military-esque structures). Apparently Garth Nix served in the Australian Army Reserve, so I'm guessing that's why this is a feature. In countries where military service isn't mandatory, it seems somewhat uncommon for people to be both writers and to have served in the military, which is kind of interesting.
Horror themes (undead creatures, violence, etc.). Not surprising for those familiar with Old Kingdom because that whole series is fantasy-horror.
Fantasy/sci-fi elements, often embedded within the modern/real world. I think all but one of the stories here features at least some kind of supernatural element.
Custom magic systems - not everywhere, but appear frequently enough that I get the feeling that Garth Nix enjoys designing them/thinking about how to embed magic in various settings.
Thoughts on individual stories (some minor spoilers for the premise of the stories):
To Hold the Bridge: A fun short story (I guess maybe more like a novella at ~60 pages long) set in the northern border of the Old Kingdom that get threatened by various Free Magic sorcerers every so often? Kind of what was featured in Clariel, except all the characters here are normies. I talked about this above, but this story is pretty heavy on the fantasy military-like command structure.
Vampire Weather: A world where vampires exist, but a vaccine was developed to immunize against vampirism, but there are Amish-like communities that exist that provide hunting grounds for vampires. Kind of mixes themes of vampirism, antivaxx communities, and sexual repression. A nice horror story with a bit of a twist.
Strange Fishing in the Western Highlands: I did not look at the list of where these stories were originally published so was surprised that this is a Hellboy story. It didn't start that way. I was wondering what kind of anthology published Hellboy short stories -- apparently Hellboy: Oddest Jobs (2008) ed. Christopher Golden.
Old Friends: I didn't have much to say about this one other than it's got that ex-military, "old war buddies" vibe, which is present in several of the stories here. I didn't really understand much what was going on in this one other than that is mixes the mundane modern world with a mix of mythology/fantasy and sci-fi.
The Quiet Knight: I was going to say that all the stories in this book have some kind of supernatural element to them, but then I remembered that this one doesn't? Although when I read it, not knowing how much two tons of firewood is, I thought maybe the kid in this story was supernatural. But no! It's just about a shy kid who likes to LARP as a chivalrous knight.
You Won't Feel a Thing: This one I really liked -- it was probably within my top three favorite stories of the collection. It's a very mysterious post-apocalyptic world where only children/teens are left and they're being turned into animals for some purpose(?). The story doesn't really explain what's going on, but it felt like an intriguing world.
A Handful of Ashes: This is apparently a prequel story(?) to one of Garth Nix's novels, Shade's Children, which I haven't read. But it's a very standalone story, and I enjoyed it a lot. It's probably the best story in the collection with an interesting, tense, race-against-the-clock sort of plot and some interesting magic worldbuilding layered on top of school bylaws, and evil witches layered on top of high school bullying and class dynamics. The whole vibe (witches/magical girls at an English boarding school) is kind of similar to that of Terciel & Elinor.
The Big Question: This one is kind of fairy tale-like, with the passage of time and the strange adventures. I didn't really get it, though. I kept on thinking there might be a time loop or something where the boy becomes the old woman/sage (/was always the woman/sage). But I don't think it's a time loop -- seems more just a coming-of-age story set in some kind of prehistoric time.
Stop!: This one I got so confused on. I spent like half the story thinking that this was some alternative universe of our own where hyper-radioactive walkers that are immune to bullets was just part of the background worldbuilding of the setting, but then it turns out that this particular walker is just one of a kind, a scientific curiosity that... isn't actually explained...? I don't know, maybe I missed something, like that the characters here are historical figures or preexisting characters from some other piece of fiction. The nice thing about this story is that it mentioned a song in the middle of the story, Puccini's "E lucevan le stelle." I forgot to look this up until I was toward the end of the story, and had it playing on the phone as I finished reading the story and the song indeed does match the Mood of the story's ending. I kind of wonder if reading books in the modern age is a fundamentally different experience, when you have phones and Wikipedia and its creative commons that allows you to just experience a referenced song on demand. I think about how I used to keep a big dictionary by the side of my bed so that I could look up unfamiliar words when reading books in bed at night, and now I just have my phone with me everywhere that allows me to not only look up unfamiliar words but also unfamiliar cultural references, like the multiple times this author has mentioned a particular brand of clothing or model of car to establish something about the characters. I can just pull it up on my phone and see what he's conveying. I don't know, it's kind of wild.
Infestation: This is another vampire story except the vampires are sci-fi (alien AI weapons in some intergalactic war or whatever). Reading this kinda made me realize I don't actually like vampires. This is just like the time when the zombie craze tricked me into thinking I think zombies are intrinsically cool. But I don't actually think that! I apparently don't think vampires are intrinsically cool either! I loved the original Dracula by Bram Stoker and thought vampires worked really well embedded in the larger story there, but yeah, I think maybe people like the aesthetic of vampires and enjoy them whenever they show up, like seeing an old friend again, and I only just realized of myself I am not actually attached to them and so didn't really care about them here (as opposed to the first vampire story which I did enjoy because vampires were being used as a metaphor for something else). Basically, I don't think I like common monsters intrinsically, but I like when the whole story revolves around the themes represented by a monster. I did like the minor side character here who was, like, Insecure Masculinity Personified.
The Heart of the City: This is a story that's like... an alternate timeline France under Henri IV (16th/17th century)? IDK, I don't know or get European history despite trying to study it multiple times. I wasn't super invested in the plot or the political stuff going on in the background here, but I liked the angelic magic system. Magic systems seem to be one of Garth Nix's strengths.
Ambrose and the Ancient Spirits of East and West: This is like if the secret service had a magic spy division. I liked the Bond-pastiche super posh public-school-educated British public servants featured here (contrasted with the main character). The story kind of gives off this "this is just one story/adventure among many" kind of vibe, so didn't feel particularly satisfying, but I liked the magical therapy aspect. Another story featuring a character who is ex-military.
Holly and Iron: This one was fun. It's kind of pseudo-Arthurian, pseudo-Robin Hood, set in a fantasy version of the British isles where various ruling groups in Britain have different types of incompatible magic -- the Saxons(?) have plant-based magic vs. the Normans who have iron-based magic. I liked the main character here, who is very inexperienced and impulsive and fucks up massively, partly because she is kind of over-compensating in her loyalty toward the Inglish rebels because she knows she has Norman blood. Like with the Old Kingdom series, magic in this story is super hereditary and tied to monarch dynasties, which might be kind of an irritating element. Overall, though, I quite liked this story and its magic and interesting heroine who comes into her own after being a bit useless.
The Curious Case of the Moondawn Daffodils Murder As Experienced by Sir Magnus Holmes and Almost-Doctor Susan Shrike: This is set in the Sherlock Holmes world but with a relative of Holmes who specializes in the occult. Kind of predictable given the recurring theme of supernatural elements overlaid on mundane settings. I'm not sure this concept particularly interests me, to be honest -- I kind of just enjoy the normal (mostly) mysteries of Sherlock Holmes. This collection splits up its stories into different sections, and this story is in the "Light-hearted tales" section. And while there are some humorous elements to it, I am not sure I would call a character unwittingly turned into a murdery eldritch horror while being deceived/manipulated by his handler a particularly light-hearted tale! Again, horror elements are a feature.
An Unwelcome Guest: I'm not really sure how to describe this one. It's got some kind of fractured fairy tale / fairy tale parody vibes, with this being a Rapunzel retelling with a weird mix of fairy tale elements (like shepherds and gnomes) and modern world elements (like ice cream and soccer). Except also there's some more ancient eldritch horrors going on here too, which seems a bit incongruous. I don't know, this one was weird and I'm not sure what it was going for!
The Highest Justice: The little girl in me who loved reading unicorn stories very much enjoyed this one. I love the little self-contained adventure here. Like with all of the stories in the "Light-hearted tales" section, this has... some humorous elements (I liked that you never hear the unicorn speak but only hear what the main character is saying to her -- it's kind of humorous to only get one side of a conversation like that, while also keeping the unicorn somewhat mysterious) but is also quite macabre/features horror elements prominently. I see from the list of where these stories were originally published that this was published in an anthology called Zombies vs. Unicorns, which is appropriate.
Master Haddad's Holiday: While I ended up enjoying this story toward the end, it kind of reminds me why I never liked sci-fi stories as a kid. The aesthetic of sci-fi technology can be quite cold, and unlike fantasy where you can generally understand the power level of various elements like monarchies and swords and horses, when a sci-fi story says a character chose to equip handguns that fire low-velocity Bitek projectiles or that the last Psitek scan showed that it would take hours for a spytracker to destroy the spy-speck bugs in a room, I'm just kind of like, "Cool, I guess." Anyway, the first part of this story is entirely this sci-fi assassin competently setting a trap for his mark using his various sci-fi gadgets and I was just like "Okay :|" but it got more interesting once the confrontation actually happened. (I did like the whole Space Silk Road aesthetic to the characters/setting of the story.)
A Sidekick of Mars: A John Carter of Mars fanfic, basically, where the narrator is a guy who also got sucked up to Mars and was temporarily a Sancho-like sidekick to John Carter. I haven't actually read any of the John Carter books but my osmosis tells me that it's a self-indulgent power fantasy isekai kinda story, and so I enjoyed reading this outsider POV of John Carter where the sidekick guy is like, "Man, this John Carter guy sure liked waging his wars and always got mad at me for needing to be rescued, but didn't seem to mind when his princess needed to be rescued, which was a lot, let me tell you." I enjoyed it.
Peace in Our Time: An interesting steampunk story that gradually takes some weird, dark turns as its narrator remembers some events from the past he's tried to forget about.
Overall, an interesting mix of stories. This took me forever to read because there are so many stories packed in here. I enjoyed them, but main draws here are probably the Old Kingdom tale, the Shade's Children tale, and a couple of others -- I liked "Holly and Iron" and "The Highest Justice," both of which feature a somewhat inexperienced young heroine on a quest for justice, and the weird "You Won't Feel a Thing" story.
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After an altercation with Lord William Holward, while defending her brother, Cora is sentenced to die the next day. But that night a stranger appears with a job offer for her.
#nonbinary#non-binary vampires#books#fiction#fantasy#novel#reading#writers on tumblr#writing#funny#vampires don't sparkle#old school evil vampires with a modern twist
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FEATURE: Japanese Myths And How They're Depicted In Horror Anime
No matter the time or place, the folklore and myths of the past always persist. The same can also be said for anime, especially when it comes to horror. Certain franchises, such as Shigeru Mizuki’s classic GeGeGe no Kitaro, have solidified the omnipresent status of traditional Japanese folk monsters in popular culture. Other series, such as Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo interpret traditional folklore in relation to historical periods and changing attitudes toward religion. More recently, series from the 2010s and 2000s, such as Bakemonogatari and Ghost Stories, interpret the classics with modern sensibilities. When it comes to stories with a penchant for horror, it would be far more surprising if they didn’t allude to a shared supernatural mythology — the ubiquity is the point.
Neko-Musume on her smartphone
The best horror always tries to do something new. While creatures like yōkai (a wide umbrella of supernatural entities) are well-known among English-speaking fans today thanks to series like Yokai Watch, these re-imaginings always tend to play fast and loose with fidelity. Wouldn’t it be boring if every vampire movie started and ended with Dracula? In a 2016 interview with The Comics Journal, veteran manga translator Zack Davisson emphasizes this important tendency to re-contextualize old folklore:
“It’s a tricky question, as it is impossible to say what is ‘actual folklore.’ Vampires bursting into flame is considered ‘authentic,’ but that actually comes from the films, not folkloric sources. Folklore evolves and [Shigeru] Mizuki is an important part of that evolution. If you trace them back, most yokai we know come from Toriyama Sekien, who also just made things up. In fact, I would say that making up yokai is part of the grand tradition of yokai! If you are a writer/artist working with yokai and not making up at least a few of your own, you are missing the point!”
The original spirit gun
So that’s all to say — there really is no such thing as a definitive, one-to-one story based on centuries of tradition. Yōkai, as endearing as they are, are also just one part of the equation. Long-running anime such as Folktales from Japan and fantasy series Inuyasha-continuation Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon either re-tell or draw inspiration from that folklore. But that’s beyond the scope of this piece. Whether it be adaptations of urban legends about school bathrooms or vengeful spirits, I hope this round-up helps any casual or long-time anime fan appreciate how these series reimagine supernatural traditions.
Fantastic Folklore: GeGeGe no Kitaro & Mononoke
The late Shigeru Mizuki’s most influential character, Kitaro, hardly needs any introduction. In his book Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, translator Matt Alt describes yōkai as “the attempts of the fertile human imagination to impose meaning and rationality on a chaotic, unpredictable, often difficult-to-explain world.” Many yōkai are quite strange and sometimes even comedic. Scholar-artists, such as the previously mentioned Toriyama Sekien, are largely credited with inspiring their uncanny visual representations, making them the perfect subject matter for an accessible series.
The tanuki plot world domination
The titular Kitaro himself is a half-human, half-yōkai one-eyed boy who travels between the human and spirit world to resolve monster-of-the-day conflicts with his friends. Although Mizuki’s Kitaro as we know it began serialization in 1960, Mizuki originally received permission to re-imagine the character from Masami Itō, who first created Kitaro in the 1930s in pre-war Japan. The most recent 2018 anime series re-establishes Kitaro in a modern setting, yet still adapts many of the most iconic stories. Characters such as Neko-Musume, based on volatile cat spirits called bakeneko, are updated with new designs while Kitaro mostly remains the same. Mizuki’s older creations, such as the jubokko (vampire tree) yōkai, are still featured alongside a new re-imagining of the “wall monster” nurikabe — inspired by the discovery of an Edo manuscript in 2007. The appeal of Kitaro isn’t so much the meticulous adherence to yōkai mythos, but rather Mizuki’s continual improvisation of the folklore-informed monster-making tradition.
The Medicine Seller
Beyond Kitaro, other series, such as 2006’s Mononoke, dedicate entire storylines to a wider category of ayakashi (sea-bound yōkai) and funayūrei (boat spirits) written by none other than Chiaki J. Konaka. Later episodes feature bakeneko and nue (chimera monsters), but with a twist. The term mononoke itself refers to a variety of yōkai specifically referring to vengeful spirits possessing people or things. When it comes to series taking a more “fantastical” approach to folklore, both Mononoke and Kitaro thankfully never dissolve into simple rogue galleries of monsters — their (mostly) human protagonists largely remain the heart of their chilling saga.
Horror-Historical: Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo
Lord Kagemitsu Daigo makes a pact with the demons (Source: Amazon)
In Anime and Its Roots in Early Japanese Monster Art scholar Zília Papp comments Mizuki’s “Kitaro characters became synonymous with yōkai in the postwar period, continuing to the present time” compared to his peers like Tezuka. But if Kitaro made yōkai big in comedic manga, then Tezuka’s short-lived Dororo manga drove this interest toward the historical context of the Sengoku Period, or the “warring states” era of feudal Japan.
Rather than depicting spirits as purely whimsical mischief-makers, Dororo’s inciting event is a feudal lord of the fictional Daigo clan forging a pact with 48 demons, who persist to hunt his son long after the pact is forged. In his feature The History Behind Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo, Marco Oliveros comments that by depicting yōkai during this period, Dororo draws inspiration from actual shifts in changing Buddhist attitudes toward these entities:
“One of the foremost examples of this change to yokai is the tengu. Wrathful and demonic, the avian creature tricked and assaulted Buddhist clerics and civilians alike, becoming characterized as the sworn enemy of Buddhism. The apparent hostility of these yokai to Buddhism makes their dark deals with Dororo's Daigo an unsurprising turn of events for the Sengoku Jidai era.”
The Amanojaku is captured and sealed inside a Buddhist temple (Source: Amazon)
Matt Alt’s 2016 translation of Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien describes the tengu (mask-wearing entities usually depicted as half-man half-bird) as “deeply associated with the religion of Shugendō,” which originated during the Heian period; however they were depicted very differently in major Buddhist sects of the same era. Unlike solely “fantastical” stories of the supernatural without much acknowledgment to historical context, Dororo is interested in this context regarding capricious attitudes of spirits of people alike. Impressive malevolent entities such as kyūbi (nine-tailed foxes) also fight against Dororo’s protagonist, Hyakkimaru, typical of supernatural jidaigeki (period drama) horror stories set in feudal Japan.
However, Dororo also features lesser entities such as amanojaku (tiny, goblin-like demons). According to the influential illustrated encyclopedia Wakan Sansai Zue compiled by Sekien-predecessor Terajima Ryōan, amanojaku and tengu were described as paired descendants of the evil goddess Amanozako (literally "tengu god"). According to scholar Haruko Wakabayashi in The Seven Tengu Scrolls: Evil and the Rhetoric of Legitimacy in Medieval Japanese Buddhism, tengu were symbolically invoked in inter-personal and religious feuds amongst Buddhist sects during the Heian period. The amanojaku depicted in Dororo is minor. But with a (simplified) understanding of its affiliation with tengu’s pre-Heian origins and its subsequent disavowal by influential Buddhist sects, Dororo's amanojaku cameo is an undeniable nod toward its theme of “old ways” impacted by a "new" institutionalized status quo.
Hyakkimaru battles the nine-tailed fox spirit in its spectral form (Source: Amazon)
While the nine-tailed fox spirit is flashy, Dororo’s amanojaku ends up pathetically sealed inside a Buddhist temple. Ironically, the amanojaku trapping scene pans from the top of a Buddhist statue, ending with the cartoonish amanojaku crushed underneath to visually imply its irrelevancy. Dororo is a story about the cultural and religious tensions brewing during this violent episode in history — making Hyakkimaru’s journey one that doesn’t simply depict supernatural folkloric tradition in stasis, but as something always under complicated socio-political stakes.
Modern Ghoul School: Ghost Stories & Bakemonogatari
What do you do if you can’t solve your evil spirit problems with a sword? For the most part, classics like Kitaro and Dororo take place in the past, or at least worlds very unlike our own. A traveling demon slayer never has to deal with student council or smartphones.
In a previous article, From Bakeneko to Bakemonogatari, I discussed all the possible lineages of the catgirl character archetype. In that piece, I claimed one of the more accurate representations of the bakeneko today was Bakemonogatari’s Tsubasa Hanekawa’s cat spirit-possessed alter-ego. It’s not simply because she is a supernatural catgirl, but rather her portrayal was obviously informed by the wider context of pre-existing bakeneko mythos. Is it possible for a “modern-day” series to tackle yesterday’s folktales while still preserving the uncanniness of the past?
The spirits possessing Bakemonogatari’s cast, referred to as “oddities,” all nearly function like vengeful mononoke spirits. For example, Bakemonogatari’s first arc, Hitagi Crab, features a crab “oddity” haunting classmate Hitagi Senjougahara. The existence of heikekani (face-shaped crabs allegedly the spirits of drowned Heike warriors from the Sengoku Period), might be a parallel, considering the arc’s theme of unresolved conflict. Another arc, Suruga Monkey, features an “oddity” taking the form of a beastly paw growing on classmate Kanbaru Suruga’s arm. Senjougahara and Suruga's crab/monkey relationship can be read as alluding to the well-known Buddhist tale “The Monkey and the Crab.” According to The National Gallery of Art on its 2019 The Life of Animals in Japanese Art exhibit, the monkey and crab are usually depicted as friends, then compete until they either make amends or resolve their conflict. Often the subject of artistic interpretation, it’s no surprise this tale found its way into anime as a metaphor for teen drama.
The kids scan a talisman and e-mail it to exorcise internet demons. Yes, this really happens.
In comparison, the 2000 series Ghost Stories is best known to English-speaking audiences for being an edgy comedy. However, its original source material, a book series titled Gakkō no Kaidan (School Ghost Stories), is more akin to a heavily researched Goose Bumps. Written by folklore scholar Toru Tsunametsu, the series showcases various urban myths and monsters, most famously “Hanako” a ghost girl who haunts school bathrooms. A 2014 NPR piece describes the most popular version of Hanako being a schoolgirl in WWII “using the bathroom when a bomb fell on top of the building.” Although Hanako gained enough popularity from the books to warrant her own spin-off anime series in 1994, she only makes a handful of cameos in the 2000 series. Entities like the previously mentioned amanojaku also appear, alongside shinigami (death gods) depicted in many other anime.
How to channel your ghost powers for success (Source: Funimation)
Hanako, because of her relatively modern backstory, is just as ubiquitous. Versions of Hanako appear in an episode of the 2018 Kitaro and most recently in the 2020 series Toilet Bound Hanako-kun. Tsunametsu currently edits the Folklore Society of Japan’s official academic journal, no doubt a testament to his priceless contributions to folklore representation in anime.
Who You Gonna Call?
There’s no way to tell the same ghost story twice. With such a layered history, contemporary anime have a nearly endless well of folkloric material to pull from. Recent series like the hit Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Toilet Bound Hanako-kun prove that fans will never get enough of the supernatural, just as long as things stay fresh.
Hanako politely warns the ghost-hunting kids
Long live artistic liberty and specters trying to watch you pee.
Blake P. is a weekly columnist for Crunchyroll Features. His twitter is @_dispossessed. His bylines include Fanbyte, VRV, Unwinnable, and more. He'd like a tiny yōkai cat.
Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!
By: Blake Planty
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Count-Down: Number 21
Welcome to Count-Down! All throughout the month of October, I’m counting down my Top 31 favorite portrayals and reimaginings of the King of the Vampires, Count Dracula!
For today’s Dracula, the old phrase “Next time, get it in writing” comes to mind.
Number 21 is…The Version from “Return of Evil.”
Today’s entry is special for a couple of reasons. First of all, this is the only NOVEL to make it into the actual countdown; we had “Anno Dracula” in the Honorable Mentions, of course, but this is the only book – a non-illustrated, normal, paperback book – to make it to the actual Top 31. Obviously, this book has to be pretty interesting, right?
Well, that leads to the second reason: the main reason this book is of interest to me isn’t even the book itself. It’s my relationship with it. Believe it or not, this is what I consider to be my “official” introduction to Dracula. How is that so? Well…I’ll get to that in a bit. First, let’s discuss the book proper, which won’t take long. “Return of Evil” was part of a series of teenager-oriented books simply called “Universal Monsters.” (How original.) The series focused on various popular characters from the titular franchise ending up in the modern, real world, and the havoc they would then wreak. Fittingly, Dracula – being the first of the Monsters to show up in sound, and the King of the Vampires – was chosen to spearhead this takeover in the very first book of the series.
I’ve only read two books from the series; namely, the first two. (“Return of Evil” and “Bad Moon Rising,” the latter of which features the Wolfman. That’s another story for another time.) I read these back when I was in Junior High School; at the time, I actually didn’t have that much experience with Dracula, unless you counted things like Scooby-Doo, The Count from Sesame Street, and Count Chocula. I knew who Dracula was, so to speak, but I didn’t know the story or how the Count could be taken as a serious character. Still, when I saw “Return of Evil” – with its blood red cover depicting the Count’s unearthly face – I became interested. What I read in its pages was one of the scariest books I had read up to that young age, and – I kid you not – I IMMEDIATELY went and rented the original Bram Stoker novel from my school library on the next visit. I HAD to know more about this character, I HAD to see what the original story was like. And it wasn’t too long after that I started looking at different film versions of Dracula…serious (or, you know, “serious”) film versions, that is – actual adaptations of the story. I would not have even met Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee if it weren’t for this book. So my adoration of Dracula – who I had previously seen as a fanciful figure of fun – can be COMPLETELY blamed on this story.
Now, the thing is, after I left middle school…I never saw the book again. It wasn’t until I was planning to make this list that I decided, “You know, I should see if I can track that book down; maybe it’s not as good as I remember…or, perhaps, it’s even better than I remember!” So, I did exactly that, and re-read it. And, quite honestly? I think the book is…EXACTLY as good as I remember it. Neither more nor less. Which was probably the result I was least expecting. XD
The teenaged protagonists of the story are nothing too special; they aren’t bad characters, but they’re not particularly unique among the crowd of similar types. The plot is also pretty standard: Dracula arrives, kills and turns a few people, and our heroes have to stop him before he enacts his ultimate plan. However, there are a few twists to the formula – a vampire cult, for instance; not something you’ll see in most short novels like this – but where the story TRULY succeeds is the way it handles Dracula himself, and, tied to that, the TONE of the piece. These books wanted to prove something: that the Universal Monsters can be just as scary today as they were back in their own time, provided you realize how that works. Keep in mind, a lot of what makes the Monsters “hokey” by today’s standards in so many people’s eyes is movie magic: in the reality of the story, Dracula turns into a bat, but what we perceive is a rubber bat on a string. If Dracula, as played by Lugosi, came into our world, he wouldn’t simply be an over-the-top ham, as so many like to joke. He’d be a real threat.
The novel does its job well: the book is legitimately scary and more gory than one would anticipate. Dracula’s physical description matches Lugosi, but the character is something new: he is a paradox, a villain who will kill innocent people seemingly for sport and thoroughly enjoy it…but also a tragic immortal whose greatest goal is to be reunited with the person he believes to be his long-lost love. He is a monster, but he is a monster with a heart, shriveled and blackened as it is. The result is a unique interpretation, paying homage to the classic version but also taking new twists and modernizing the character in a way that allows him to be more terrifying. Part of this, too, comes with the descriptions of the character, which always manage to make him sound quite impressive and sinister: that’s the power of writing.
However, much like Lederer, the OVERALL product is…okay. It’s not a BRILLIANT novel, but it achieves what it sets out to do, and I have a lot of nostalgia here; I think it does its job better than “Return of Dracula,” despite being from a different medium, but it’s not enough to nail it a slot in the Top 20, possibly because novels – by their very nature – have a more subjective way of being interpreted. Still, it’s a version very close to my heart, and, if only because of what it’s done for me, I feel it deserves at least a little bit of credit.
Tomorrow, the countdown continues!
Hint: “Shall We Dance?”
#count-down#top 31 draculas#dracula#count dracula#halloween advent calendar#october special#universal monsters#return of evil#book#literature#novel#larry mike garmon
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okay, as far as questions go, why exactly does Vlad want to eat Pat? I'm a little murky on why he's thinking "oh yeah, that would be a good option here."
Okay, so this kind of stems from my (cringy high-school) research into vampire folklore and what it means. While, yes, vampirism in legend is a reflection of the sexual fears of its time, etc, there are also aspects of other capital sins besides lust in traditional and modern vampires alike: narcissism, often brought on by age; quickness to anger; gluttony (duh); envy of the living; greed, hoarding, or miserliness (most vampires in modern stories are wealthy); bringing food to themselves instead of 'wasting energy' hunting, or sleeping during the day and going out at night.
So instead of going with traditional "I hate sunlight and garlic, haha i'm so sexy" vampires, Unseelie are people badly corrupted by mortal sin in such a way that it physically effects them. In an earlier post (the one linked in my pinned post, actually), I describe the moral quandary that is an Unseelie:
An Unseelie is an extreme of some kind of void - they are overwhelmed with a desire that can't be filled properly. This is drawing from the Platonic concept of evil as a vacuum, a lack of the good, although "evil" here is more just "something that's bad for people" than an overwhelming wickedness/sin. The void tends to manifest physically as bloodthirst, hence the vampire comparison. An Unseelie has a need they want to fill, and this varies between them like character flaws between people. As they age their flaws become more exaggerated until it almost completely consumes them.
And in Vlad specifically:
His desires manifest mostly in excessive consumption. However, there's a side of him that has an aching need for company. This gets twisted up and around sometimes and manifest, for lack of a better term, as playing with his food. Patrisia fits into this in two ways: she has no idea who he is, and she likes talking about and listening to the things he likes to talk about. At first she's an easy target, and then she turns out to be good company, which puts his driving desires into conflict with each other. In the inciting incident for the story, he actually does want to let her go and talk again, hence the twisted offer he gives her to live at somebody else's expense. He's let his hunger reach the point here that it's either eat now, or...well, in his mind there isn't one. But when she does get away he goes back to an otherwise lonely lifestyle and decides it's a good idea to rake up relatively recent traumas just to have someone who can talk/listen to him for a while again.
The bloodthirst is a side effect of the other desires- it's a symptom, not the disease, and if you give in to it, it becomes an addiction. And, like with many addictions, it eventually develops into a physical necessity.
I might not have said this specifically, but Vlad is an old Unseelie. 5+ centuries old. And he doesn't have a good sense of self-control. Erik is his brakes, but when Erik gets caught up in whatever his latest political scheme is, Vlad is left to his own devices, which often includes eating people. In this case it's been just a little too long since his last hit, and he's not thinking clearly. So there goes the offer, and when Pat refuses (read: accidentally exposes him to blood so he goes full Bruce from Finding Nemo for a minute), he slips into an animal state. After he kills somebody else, he comes out of it, addiction sated, and it's not a problem again for a while.
If this doesn't clear things up let me know! And even if it does feel free to ask more questions! This was actually really helpful.
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“The only thing “boring af” here is apparently you. God, I can’t believe I have to properly explain and defend the right to explore and write villains and truly evil acts on a topic as this... but I won’t leave behind any darkly written muse.
Look, just because you won’t write it nor associate with anyone who does write it, doesn’t mean you get to pretend that there isn’t a single reason out there about this topic that would be attractive to another writer. You’re just being a dickhead for the sake of being a dickhead, acting as if preying on children is literally the only thing that can be written about a pedophile.
Here are some good reasons, at the drop of hat, because that how easy it is when you choose to think critically, not emotionally:
1. Writing the pedophile as NOT a villain, but as someone struggling to overcome their sickness, which certainly acknowledges the whole point of the OG OP’s point: That they’re human beings, too, but living with a serious, perhaps even dangerous, mental illness. They still live normal human lives in the public eye - they still go to school; have jobs, friends, family, even adult lovers; have enemies and troubles that have nothing to do with their illness; have hobbies and interests that have nothing to do with their illness. And then even exploring how their illness fucks with any or all of these normal aspects in their life.
2. Writing them 100% a villain - someone who has embraced their evil. They don’t care about the harm they cause; they’re selfish and they want what they want. But it can’t be easy to take what you want without getting caught, right? So, the writer explores the psychological aspect of deception, manipulation, secrecy, and intimidation all the while portraying their character as someone wholesome, charming, and a productive member of society. Like serial killers, both fictional (Dexter? Hannibal?) and real (John Wayne Gacy? Ted Bundy?).
3. Exploring the extreme psychological element behind grooming a child. How will the pedophile go about it? How do they keep the secret between them and the child? How does the relationship develop between them and the child? How do they interact together outside of the act of sexual abuse? Does the pedophile fall in love? Does the child grow up with a twisted sense of love and devotion? Very much exploring the lasting impact, much like what happened in Lolita.
4. Why does the child have to be human? Why can’t they be an immortal of some sort, forever trapped in the body of a child, but with the mind of an adult? If that’s the case, then the writer can also easily explore the aspect of the CHILD being the sexual predator, luring in an adult human who may not be a pedophile, but has no choice but to be their lover. Or what if both the child and adult are both immortals? (Claudia and Louis from Interview with the Vampire? Anyone?)
5. Why would it ever have to take place in today’s modern world? Why couldn’t it take place in a dystopian-type era, where there are no laws? Do you seriously believe that in a world where there is only survival, everything BUT child rape happens? What if it’s a different species? Or an alien culture?
6. Why does it have to be a MALE pedophile?? (Because I noticed that immediately, using male pronouns, acting as if there has never been an instance where a woman sexually abuses a child.) Why does it even have to be an adult as a pedophile? There are absolutely child and teenage pedophiles.
7. Why does it even have to be a pedophile, someone who is sexually attracted to minors under the age of eleven years old? Why not a hebephile (attracted to minors between the ages of eleven and fourteen)? Why not an ephebophile (attracted to minors between the ages of fifteen and nineteen)? Female sexual predators are DEFINITELY prolific with these age groups, specifically teachers.
I don’t write pedophilia, and I don’t foresee a circumstance where I might consider it, but I can see SO many perspectives as to why someone else would, because the shit is no different from writing anything else dark, ESPECIALLY if it has a sexual aspect to it. Because for whatever goddamn reason with you people, you can write about a child slowly cannibalizing another child, or someone brutally murdering a woman and carving out her eyes for a trophy, or someone sadistically torturing a man by slowly cutting out his intestines and wrenching out his teeth one by one... But if you have that character touch their genitals in ANY WAY, then suddenly it’s too much.
“You’ve gone TOO FAR, my dude, adding a sexual element prior to that horrific, violent BEATING act you just had your character bestow that child. Why, yes, of course you can starve that child. Force it to sit at the table and endure the rest of the family eat a steak and potato dinner! Yes, let the child be denied a bed or blanket; let it sleep on the floor, using sheets of paper towel as a way to keep warm! ...H-hey, what? Whoa, whoa, WHOA! What are you doing? Are you writing about your character SEXUALLY abusing the child? What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you LIKE that kind of shit or something? Wow, you’re a creep. That shit’s illegal for a reason! THINK ABOUT THE REAL VICTIMS YOU’RE HURTING!”
It’s just ignorant and absurd, and I won’t have it. I will side with someone who wants to explore the dark themes of a pedophile before I ever side with the fucking hypocrisy and insufferable moral grandstanding of those who make exceptions for everything... as long as it doesn’t involve a dreaded sex crime. You don’t have to fucking write it; no one is even saying you have to fucking like it or agree with it.
But don’t fucking pretend to be morally superior because you won’t write it, and don’t be so insulting as to imply that there is nothing creatively interesting to be explored.”
RE: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33
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Why The Lost Boys Made Us Want to be Vampires - 05/16/2020
The Lost Boys is one of the most classic and well-known vampire movies ever made. It is also what I feel to be the first representation of the modern vampire. The tagline of the movie says everything you need to know about these vampires: “Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It’s fun to be a vampire.”
These aren’t your classic vampires that you’ve seen in movies from years before. More than anything, The Lost Boys shows just how cool it is to be a vampire. You go where you want. Do what you want. Wear what you want and take what you want. Not to mention, you get to ride motorcycles with a pack of friends right off the beach boardwalk. If you were a teenager watching this movie for the first time, there were no cooler vampires than the Lost Boys.
Released in July of 1987 and directed by Joel Schumacher, The Lost Boys tells the tale of two brothers and their newly divorced mom moving in with their grandpa near the fictional beach town of Santa Carla, California; the so called “Murder Capital of the World.” The older brother Michael, played by Jason Patric, soon becomes smitten with the beautiful Star, played by Jami Gertz. Star just so happens to be a part of the local boardwalk motorcycle gang lead by David, played by Keifer Sutherland, and Michael soon finds himself embroiled with the antics of the boys as they make plans to initiate him into their club. Unknown to Michael, it just so happens to be a club of vampires.
Meanwhile, Michael’s younger brother Sam, played by Corey Haim, befriends two local comic book geeks named the Frog Brothers, played by Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander, who try to warn him about the vampires, and that his brother is in danger of becoming one of them. Michael and Sam’s mom, played by Dianne Wiest, also starts a relationship with the mysterious Max, played by Edward Herrmann, who may have a history with the gang of vampires.
While Sam and the Frog Brothers hunting of the vampires drive the plot forward through most of the final act, it is our first interactions with the Lost Boys that really make the film memorable, and the classic that it has become. When a security guard kicks them off the merry-go-round at the start of the movie, the vampires retaliate by attacking and feasting on him later when he’s alone. The motorcycle ride on the beach with Michael shows the joy that the vampires express by doing whatever they want. They show their complete fearlessness and carefree attitude by hanging off a train bridge as a train goes by, all while trying to entice Michael to join them.
The most iconic scene has to be when they first take Michael to their underground lair, where they offer Michael to join in on having some Chinese food. David then plays some vampire mind games with Michael by making him believe that he’s eating maggots instead of rice, and worms instead of noodles. This is actually a very nice setup that David is playing on Michael, since when he offers him a bottle filled with the blood of their master vampire to drink to start Michael’s transformation into becoming a vampire, Michael then scoffs at Star’s warning that the bottle is filled with blood, believing that it’s just another mind game like with the maggots and worms. He then drinks it thinking it’s probably only just some wine. This whole scene is absolutely great and gets referenced many other times in other media. Most notably recently in the 2014 vampire movie What We Do in the Shadows.
The design of the Lost Boys is also a great influence for future vampire characters and stories. The distinct monstrous brow over their eyes that they develop when they transform their faces right before they feed is a technique also used again most notably in the movie From Dusk ‘Till Dawn, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. The popular bleached-blonde trench-coat-wearing bad boy vampire Spike from the Buffy series is also quite clearly highly influenced by the character of David from The Lost Boys. Spike was created in the 90’s though, so that glorious mullet that David had was left back in the 80’s where it probably most belongs.
The Lost Boys also has one of the best movie soundtracks ever. The signature song of the movie titled Cry Little Sister has been covered by many different artists and sets the perfect mood for the entire movie, starting with the opening title, and then later with Michael and Star’s sexy love scene. The song Lost in the Shadows that plays during the bike ride on the beach is also another fantastic mood setting song that really makes you want to hop on a motorbike yourself and ride alongside them. Also, no mention of this movie’s soundtrack can go without the truly iconic 80’s performance on the beach of I Still Believe by Tim Capello, who will forever be known to fans as the shirtless greased up muscled sax guy. I got to see Tim Capello perform I Still Believe as well as other songs at a convention recently, and the man still puts on a fantastic show.
The film also offers the viewer a visual lens of becoming a vampire through two different character perspectives. The older brother Michael seeks acceptance with the new crowd and longs for a relationship with Star. The younger brother Sam, influenced by the Frog Brothers and his comic books, sees the vampires as an evil corrupting force against Michael, and sets out to destroy them and the master vampire who may be controlling them. This allows viewers of differing ages to also enjoy the movie in different ways. When I was younger, I viewed the movie through the lens of Sam and wanted him and the Frog Brothers to successfully hunt and slay the evil vampires. Once I reached high school age, I was definitely starting to view the movie through the lens of Michael, and I would want to become the cool and sexy vampire and get the beautiful girl. I also suspect that once I get to the age of the Grandpa, I’ll probably be viewing the movie through his eyes as well. These lenses do a lot to help the viewer enjoy the movie at any age and helped to make the movie the classic that it has become.
It’s interesting to view the movie this way, since the characters of Michael and the vampire gang were supposed to be younger than they were portrayed in the final film. The initial concept of the movie was for it to be a sort of retelling of Peter Pan, only with the twist being that Peter and the rest of the Lost Boys were vampires, which is why they never grow old. Hence the title of the movie. Coming off the success of the Goonies, producers wanted another movie adventure with kids around the same age. It was when Joel Schumacher got directing duties that the decision was then made to age up the vampires and one of the brothers in order to make the movie sexier and to sell better to teens. The reasoning being that vampires are supposed to be creatures and metaphors for sex, and those themes would not play well with preteen characters. This change worked for the movie, since we still have that younger kid adventure story going on with Sam and the Frog Brothers, but we also now get the sexy part of the story with the older brother Michael and the gang of vampire Lost Boys.
The older content provided by the aged-up characters also presents us with some pretty fun and creative vampire death scenes. The scene where the vampires show their fangs for the first time to Michael gives us an intense moment where the vampires feast on a group of punks, with the punks basically being torn apart. The vampire deaths also get graphic with the Frog Brothers taking one of the Lost Boys out with a tub full of holy water. The most iconic death though without a doubt is the “Death by stereo” sequence. It is a moment and line so iconic that it has even inspired a song written about it. The Lost Boys certainly provides the viewer with a great deal of vampire slayage in the final act.
The death of David hits the audience differently though, since he is a very likable and charismatic character. He doesn’t explode when he dies like other vampires, and we’re meant to sympathize with him more. The character was so popular, he was even magically brought back in a comic book sequel to the movie. There’s a reason why the character of Spike from the Buffy series drew a lot of influence from the character of David. David is the absolute essence of cool when it comes to the Lost Boys and being a vampire. He’s the one character who makes us most want to be a vampire, and his death signifies a metaphoric death of that dream of becoming just like one of the Lost Boys.
The Lost Boys would eventually go on to spawn two direct-to-video sequel releases featuring the Frog Brothers in the later 2000’s, about 20 years after the original movie. They’re not bad sequels to watch for fans of the original and can still be entertaining at certain points, but they still come nowhere near to competing with the quality of filmmaking that the original film produced. That original film from the 80’s has continued to stand to test of time as being one of the true classics of the vampire genre. Many other great vampire films have been made since then and will continue to be made, but I doubt that any will quite make us want to become a vampire just as much as that motorcycle gang taking joyrides off a California boardwalk from 1987.
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Buffy: Season 1
I’m finally getting around to that Buffy the Vampire Slayer rewatch. And I considered posting about it, but then I decided a seasonal summary would be more fun, especially since the seasons - the individual episodes - tend to blend together because I always watch all of it. So, I’ve decided to make round-up posts after every season!
1. Favorite character of this season?
Buffy. The first season so perfectly sets her up as a complex character – so often, female leads get shoehorned into one box, one archetype. They also either get to be a Tough Girl, or a Girly Girl. But Buffy is so... perfectly both. She is a total badass but she is also a giggly girl talking about boys and hoping about school dances and cheerleading. Yet at the same time, she also has these... very, very human vulnerabilities. Her fear of abandonment when it comes to her father, her fear in the finale about her death. Yet she remains standing strong and true to her ideals and her duties.
She is an amazing character all on her own, but especially groundbreaking as a female lead character – and she will always be that, because even right now, twenty something years later, Hollywood is still struggling with writing fully fleshed out female leads without just shoehorning them into The Lover, The Badass or The Mother role like they can't have more complexity.
2. Outstanding minor character (positive or negative)?
Jesse. Look, yes, he is only in the first two episodes but I am still not over this. Him, Willow and Xan were friends, were a trio, prior to Buffy coming to this school. They must have been friends for years and just... for these normal 16 year olds who never really encountered Hellmouth-ish things before to lose one of their best and longest friends? There is an impact there that sadly doesn't stick. Like, he's just dead, no one talks about him or mourns him again even though this would have been a cutting event for Xander and Willow. And then there is the potential of an alternate reality where he would have absolutely become a Scooby had he survived. I don't know, I think about this a lot.
3. Favorite character dynamic?
Willow and Buffy. I love the way their friendship stands out, even among the Scoobies – though naturally I love the whole Scooby dynamic. But just, from the first episode on when Buffy had the chance to join the Popular Mean Girls and saw the way Cordelia treated Willow, she chose to instead spend time with Willow and from thereon out, their dynamic just grew closer and cooler.
The shy nerd and the cool cheerleader (well, only for one episode but you know what I mean – the pretty blonde who had the potential to be a Cool Girl). It's especially outstanding because in her interactions with Willow, Buffy truly gets to be the teenage girl. The girly kind of teenage girl who giggles and talks about boys and gets to be carefree, even just for a few moments.
4. Favorite canon romantic ship?
Angel and Buffy. David and Sarah have such great chemistry, the way they play off each other, how they put the longing into their performance, just how tragic this set-up is for them, the weird mystery to it all. Best Romeo and Juliet, really.
5. Least favorite canon romantic ship?
Angel and Buffy.
Look, I know that tumblr only deals in black and white, in “pure, healthy ship that can be loved” and “unhealthy, problematic ship that needs to be condemned”, but personally I like nuances and I like applying some critical thinking even to the things I love.
So I can absolutely love the way this is played out, the actors' chemistry, the tragic of it all and still also acknowledge just how creepy and frankly uncomfortable it is that this 240 year old dude has the hots for a sixteen year old kid.
6. Favorite episode?
The finale, “Prophecy Girl”. It is such a good pay-off of the season and it is also so... painful. When Buffy realizes she's going to die, when she decides to go despite knowing her fate. Giles' act of defiance, his first time clearly stepping out of his role as the Watcher as he decides to go and face the Master himself to avoid Buffy's death. How Angel and Xander, of all people, team up to go and help Buffy out. It also marks Cordelia's first proper participation with the Scoobies, as unwilling as it may be (I can't quite count the whole 'invisible girl trying to kill Cordy' as Cordelia actually joining them). A lot of good stuff and good pain.
But also shout-out to episode 9 “The Puppet Show” - I like the creep-factor of this episode, the set up for the twist, the certain low-key pain linked with Syd. Also I am very afraid of creepy dolls so the whole thing is even more of a creepy episode for me.
7. Least favorite episode?
I don't like episode 4 “Teacher's Pet” because it's really gross overall – I mean, it's a giant insect posing as a teacher to perv on students so they'll fertilize her eggs. So many levels of eeew.
But episode 5 “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date” is incredibly bland and forgettable, like... really forgettable, as much as I appreciate the 'Buffy attempts to Regular Date' angle. So kind of a tie.
8. Favorite Monster Of The Week?
Fear, from episode 10 “Nightmares”, if that counts. Because it's not a demon, or vampire, or monster. It's... well, fear itself. It also presented such a fascinating insight into Buffy as a character, to show her fears, but to also show Giles' fear of failing her, of having her die on him. I love how with all the monsters and things she has to face, her biggest fear is that her dad doesn't love her. It's so surprisingly deep – surprising in the sense that we get to see that Buffy is a complex character, not just the girly cheerleader-type girl, not just The Chosen One, but rather that she is very much also just... a girl, with family issues, with very real and human fears.
9. Least favorite Monster Of The Week?
Mh, it depends, because for the most part I don't find the Monsters of the Week overly memorable this season. “The Puppet Show” has a very weak and forgettable actual villain, however he only takes a backseat because the other plot stands more in the forefront and the focus is deliberately elsewhere and that is what makes me like the episode so much.
10. Rate the overarching villain!
The Master always seemed to me like a... not very fleshed out villain. Vaguely archetypical ancient evil demonic overlord. But that's kind of just... it. Why is he so important? What really makes him so special? And he very much is the Thanos of the Buffyverse – just sitting on his throne, waiting, occasionally standing up. He's a good enough opening act for the show, I'll give you that – because he checks the boxes. And, admittedly, the main focus is on establishing the Scoobies and their dynamics and their individual personalities, so it checks out.
Bonus: Other thoughts?
As above mentioned, I find the whole centuries old being lusting after a sixteen year old really questionable and this season went hard for it – because it's not just the main romantic plotline of the season, it's episode 4 “Teacher's Pet” with the praying mantis who poses as a teacher and seduces her students, it's episode 8 “I Robot, You Jane” with the ancient demon catfishing Willow, it's episode 9 “The Puppet Show” with the adult-turned-puppet who is perving on Buffy and any other girl he can lay his eyes on.
Having it only be the main romantic plotline would be one thing, but if you have that and additionally three out of thirteen episodes that have a focus on the theme, then it becomes... questionable, in my opinion.
In other news, I absolutely love Cordelia and I love that even season one already gave a tiny bit of insight into her being more than just the shallow bully she pretended to be.
I also love the unorthodox/modern interpretations of things – the demon who got scanned into the internet, the prophecy about Buffy's death that was then just kind of canceled out by the existence of CPR to revive her, the 'techno paganism', the white bus as stand-in for Death's pale horse.
It also establishes the Scoobies really well already, both as individual characters and in their dynamics among themselves. I will always love the Found Family trope of this show. Always.
So, yeah, overall slightly weak individually speaking, but a rather good overall start for the show!
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A Top 30 Horror Movies
This is Halloween! This is Halloween!
There are a lot of awesome horror movies, but I picked just 30 that qualify as my favorites.
#30 - The Conjuring
So this movie isn’t perfect. The last 20-30 minutes kinda turn into a mess as the demon gets more confrontational. But, the first 90 minutes are a near perfect slow build of tension and smart visual storytelling. All the actors do a good job, even the kids. This movie has insured I never play Hide and Clap.
#29 - Paranormal Activity 2
In my opinion superior to the (still pretty good) original, PA2 moves faster than its predecessor and uses the audience’s curiosity against them in interesting ways. You’re always looking to the edges of the screen for something or someone out of place, and as the movie progresses, that curiosity rattles the nerves more and more.
#28 - The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
One of the only modern horror remakes that improves and expands on the original. The Hills Have Eyes hit when I was a junior in high school. It is gleefully gorey and deranged. People die in awful ways, and the protagonist (seen above) spends most of the last half hour drenched in blood. It’s a lot of fun if you’re into that sort of thing.
#27 - Event Horizon
Space Horror is a hard genre to get right. Event Horizon knocks it out of the park by getting the slow build right. There are gruesome and bloody images from time to time, but the majority of the movie is built on tension and dread. Having Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne leading the cast adds some dramatic weight to the proceedings.
#26 - The VVitch
The GOAT 17th Century rural horror movie. This movie gets real weird and leaves a lot up to the audience’s imagination. The less said about it the better if you haven’t seen it. But, even for the 2010s renaissance of horror, this one stands out.
#25 - Hereditary
This is a list of my favorite horror movies, not the scariest. If it were “scariest” this would be top 10, maybe top 5. The second half of this movie is some of the most uncomfortable and relentlessly horrifying storytelling I’ve ever seen. Across just two feature films, Director Ari Aster has proved himself a master of the horror genre. We’re all worse off for it.
#24 - Return of the Living Dead
The first movie on this list that is more funny than scary, Return of the Living Dead is laugh out loud hilarious at times. Somehow, it still manages to be a more effective zombie movie than most serious ones. Great punk rock soundtrack and highly quotable, this is great for people who scare a little too easily.
#23 - Friday the 13th Part 2
Basically improving on the original in every way, Friday the 13th Part 2 is iconic even without Jason’s hockey mask making an appearance. The killer instead keeps a lumpy bag over his head the whole time. The movie lets you know early on that its going to be ridiculous, when the Part 2 logo literally smashes through the Friday the 13th title card. Great representation of the slasher genre.
#22 - Suspiria (2018)
I’m a sucker for lore in movies, and Suspiria is full to the brim with details that expand on the world. Led by great performances from Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson, the movie is highly intelligent and occasionally brutally violent. The fact that the director’s prior movie was “Call Me By Your Name” shows that he’s a talented filmmaker no matter the genre.
#21 - Halloween (1978)
Michael Myers is iconic. The music is iconic. Jamie Lee Curtis is an all-time great horror leading lady. Halloween is a must watch for horror genre fans.
#20 - Get Out
This movie is so well written it won an Oscar. Get Out is both hilarious and brutally tense. The acting is awesome across the board. Who knew Jordan Peele would use his comedy talent to make a career in scary movies?
#19 - Shaun of the Dead
A classic comedy filled with so many jokes that it takes about 3 watches to catch them all. Not scary in the least, but uniquely playful in the genre. Also made Simon Pegg a star. Nothing but greatness here.
#18 - The Descent
I’ll always remember my first watch of this movie. It slaps you in the face with trauma in the first 5 minutes. Then spends three quarters of an hour building tension and claustrophobia before suddenly becoming a solid monster feature. Though it fizzles a little at the end with some wtf moments, the first 3/4ths are very effecting.
#17 - Nightmare on Elm Street
Nightmare on Elm Street is just a cool as hell idea for a horror movie. It takes the occasional predictability of Halloween or Friday the 13th and flips it. The kills are inventive and visually interesting, the effects are very cool, and you get to see Johnny Depp get brutally murdered. win-win-win.
#16 - Saw
Saw came out at a perfect age for me. Seeing this movie at 16 was a great experience. Even as the sequels got worse and worse, the whodunnit nature of the original held up. People were literally drowning in gore by Saw 3, but this is a solid movie that knows when to tone things down. Great watch.
#15 - Evil Dead 2
By turns hilarious and unsettling, watching Evil Dead 2 allows the viewer to marvel at the special effects done on a shoestring budget. Bruce Campbell is an absurd and talented physical actor, and singlehandedly carries this movie into the hall of fame.
#14 - IT Chapter 1
Chopping the 1,000 page Stephen King book in half allowed the first half of the IT saga to thrive. Bill Skarsgard is a fantastic Pennywise, and the child actors all do well. A slightly repetitive series of scares keeps this one from perfection (and would be the downfall of Part 2), but its still an amazing peak of the genre.
#13 - Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Fast zombies. Zack Snyder directing before his head got too big. Hilarious musical cues. Apocalyptic imagery. This movie is one of the best of the zombie genre.
#12 - Fright Night (1985)
One of the most simply fun movies on this list, Fright Night is straight out of the mid 80s. It never takes itself too seriously, but it still has some good scares sprinkled in. An essential vampire movie, and the remake with Colin Farrell wasn’t half bad either.
#11 - The Omen (1976)
One of my early favorites, The Omen is another lore filled film that gradually ramps up the twists until the dramatic finale. Probably one of the least scary films on my list, its built on Gregory Peck being a great actor and a few pretty messed up deaths.
#10 - An American Werewolf in London
Another favorite from childhood, this is the best the werewolf genre has to offer. Made by John Landis who also did Animal House and Blues Brothers, American Werewolf balances 80s level of gore with award winning special effects and clever music (every song featured has moon in the title).
#9 - It Follows
One of the newest (and most original) movies on the list, It Follows is one of a kind. It’s terrifying, has great cinematography and halfway through the movie you have absolutely no clue how it will end. Must see.
#8 - Midsommar
This is absolute newest film on the list, and one I’m anxious to rewatch. Midsommar sets itself apart by being 95% in broad daylight and providing a wealth of backstory to the “bad guys”. Also Florence Pugh shows that she is an amazingly skilled actress, particularly in the final 10 minutes.
#7 - The Exorcist
^That guy is scary. He’s also only in the movie for like 3 seconds. Obviously this is a classic. If you haven’t seen it and like horror at all, it will still amaze you, almost 50 years later. I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall when it was in theaters watching people lose their minds. Still a masterpiece of the genre.
#6 - The Blair Witch Project
I watched The Blair Witch Project for the first time alone in my room at age...I believe 14. That was a mistake. While the mistakes of the hikers become a bit hilarious on multiple rewatches, the night scenes are still tense af. The last 15 minutes are uniquely terror-inducing. Everybody’s seen this one, but if you haven’t, maybe watch it with the lights on?
#5 - The Evil Dead (2013)
This movie is one of the most intense and relentless horror movies ever. Nail guns, rusty knives, a turkey carver, a chainsaw, a machete: people get literally ripped apart in this movie. But, here’s the thing, its really really fun to watch. You’ll be out of breath when its over, but still.
#4 - Cabin in the Woods
Cabin in the Woods isn’t THAT scary. It flirts with scary. It has some shocking and frightening moments But mostly its a shitload of fun that plays on every trope of the horror genre. It also has one of my favorite final moments of any film on this list.
#3 - The Thing
Underappreciated upon its release, The Thing has become the standard by which body horror is measured. Its delightfully paranoid and lets the audience sit and think as gruesome deaths pile up.
#2 - Alien
One of the first movies to terrify me, Alien is one of the greatest horror movies ever made. The monster design is iconic. The kills and set pieces are one of a kind. It has a kick ass female heroine played by Sigourney Weaver. What more do you want?
and finally
#1 - The Shining
YEAHHHHHHH
Here’s a brief list of iconic Shining scenes:
- An elevator full of blood
- The old woman in room 237
- All work and no play make Jack a dull boy
- The snowy hedge maze
- Here’s Johnny
- Danny’s vision of the twins
- The house of horrors finale featuring the man in bear costume featured above
and of course
- REDRUM
This movie is a masterpiece, made by one of the greatest directors of all time, starring one of the greatest actors of all time and based on one of the scariest books by the defining horror author of our time. Its damn near perfect.
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「 you think yourself above the wolves, above the makers and the destroyers of the world, above the gods. and yet, little lion, you have so far to go before you are above yourself.」
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what’s up, what’s up ladies n gents n everybody in between! my name’s skye, mun here of the lovely not apollo choi (fc. jackson wang)! i’m very excited to be here, i’ve been eyeing this roleplay for about a month now I believe (??) and have been wanting to join tenfold, which I finally decided to go through with! below the cut you’ll find out some more of my boy here ― if you would like to plot, my discord user is sunnyburst#8001 or you can hit me up in tumblr PM’s! can’t wait to get to know you all, MWUAH 💗💗
( JACKSON WANG. MALE. ) Aleksander’s coven is intimately familiar with ( APOLLO CHOI, ) a dedicate Death Dealer for the coven. ( HE) is a ( 622 ) year old vampire known throughout the New World Coven for being ( CLEVER + STEADFAST. ) However, those who are familiar with them also know that they are very ( MANIPULATIVE + CRUEL. ) They’re known for being the ( LION. ) Though they are technically disbanded, they are still dedicated to their cause.
⤹ ――――― ⤸
～ INFORMATION
full name // apollo choi [ it should be noted that his birth name is kept closely guarded ]
nickname(s) // leo, heatstroke
age // 25 622
gender // male
species // vampire
title // the lion
birthdate // august 6, 1397
birthplace // hanyang, korea (modern-day seoul)
occupation // ex-death dealer, ceo of a major movie studio
ethnicity // korean
orientation // bisexual, although he’s scared to admit it and keeps it under wraps
status // single
languages // korean, english, spanish, french, cantonese
―――
fc // jackson wang
hair // dark brown
eyes // chocolate/hazel - gold
height // 6'3" ft
weight // 183 lb
body // muscular, slim
style // suave and modern, always clean-cut, fashionable but doesn’t experiment too much
defining features // besides his canines, speckled hazel heterochromia in his left eye
tattoos // n/a
scars // n/a
―――
horoscope // leo
zodiac // ox
element // fire
moral alignment // neutral evil
type // ESTP - the entrepreneur
house // gryffindor
religion // none - atheist
fears // really only one; to have his secrets be outed without his wanting
chronic // n/a
positive // insightful, clever, reliable, articulate, charismatic, level-headed, hard-working, incisive, authoritative
neutral // determined, distinctive, passionate, romantic, complex
negative // blunt, manipulative, crafty, hot-headed, cruel, vengeful, presumptuous, twisted
⤹ ――――― ⤸
～ PAST
it’s long af whoops
[ TW: mentions of physical abuse, slight gore, death ]
apollo was born to a high-class noble family in hanyang, korea on what we know as august 6, 1397
growing up in the peak of the joseon dynasty and one of the country’s golden ages, there was not much the young boy needed, but rather everything that he wanted
his father was a high-ranking member of the city’s caste system, one of the generals that assisted in ushering in the new era
his childhood is spent alternating between school for preparation in aristocracy and basking in the social standards of the time ― while he isn’t old enough to begin more ‘dangerous’ tasks, the patriarch implements training in everything from horseback riding to whittling for apollo to enjoy
life isn’t good for him, it’s great ; he doesn’t have to worry about much, and when he does there’s people around him available to clear up any ‘misunderstandings’ in a heartbeat
still, as he grows older, a superiority complex begins to take hold of the young boy, coupled strangely with a boredom he had yet to experience before
the result? a horrible combination that begins to warp his personality in tidbits, before he fully ‘sinks in’ so to speak
by 12 his father has deemed him ready to embark on more trials outside of simple pleasantries. never mind the golden age of science and art ― apollo’s father was a militaristic man through and through, and he knew war would come one way or another
so the youth begins to learn of the knowledge of battle; how to wield a sword, proper fighting techniques, the instinct of survival ― such is beaten into him in more ways than one, excuses for failure reaching deaf ears and perfection being the only goal
this type of treatment does well to cause both vice and virtue for apollo; the once happy boy is twisted in a grasp of frost and cruelty, and yet he finds himself training ever harder and hardly taking heed to words outside of his father’s opinion
he’s 16, young and ablaze, a fire coursing through his veins despite his frigid approach. apollo’s beginning to make a name for himself, partaking in whatever challenges present themselves, discerning towards talks of a bright future when all he wanted was blood
his elders begin to take note of this and, under pleased recommendation from his father, ascend apollo to become apart of the high-ranking royal guard ordered to protect the king and his family
while he would rather be out on the battlefield (despite the age of scientific expansion, there was also trifles to be meddled in), apollo took the opportunity with steadfast determination and took his job as seriously as one could
he finds himself betrothed at age 18 on consideration by his father who is eager for a lineage, a fragile noble girl in all sense of the word being chosen as a ‘perfect fit’. apollo could hardly care, however ― if he had his way, he would be married to his sword, yet he supposed a woman would do for the time being
still, time goes on with little interruptions; the beast marries the beauty, he’s promoted to personal guard of the youngest prince, and his often-times anger is allowed to be sated on whoever is unfortunate enough to end up in chains that day
yet, soon trouble begins to brew, although not with him ― tensions between korea and japan begin to rock the state, rumors of war falling over the distant hills being drunk up by the common rabble. apollo is eager for such to arrive, hoping to take part in what he sees as ‘festivities’, despite being obviously chained to protection over the 13 year old boy all considered ‘prince’
and yet this boy was the cause for much of his frustration ― opposed to when apollo was young, the prince was futile and weak, eager to take part in more pleasantries rather than learn of his future duties to the dynasty
such often enraged the elder, forced to bite his tongue in earnest of stepping out his ‘boundaries’ despite having much to say
trouble, however, spirals downwards quickly within his life ― with the prince turning 20 and him lingering atop 25, apollo would hope that the 5-year continuation from him first being assigned would only shape up the younger. however, it seems to be quite the opposite; the prince spends his time ‘play fighting’, as apollo calls it, and dragging his guard through the forest in daily hunts that hardly often accounted for anything due to his skill. on top of that, it is found that his young wife is infertile, and despite hardly caring for any child at all, she is cast out of the marriage and lowered within society’s eyes
yet one such hunting trip results in tragedy ― after the two embark on their routine that apollo had become all-too used to, they come across a herd of wild boars the prince is eager to slaughter. after attempting to quell his lineage to no avail, an argument ensues; the prince comments on how apollo is out of line, and he likewise comments that the royal is going to get himself killed ― unfortunately, it results on the attention of the boars being caught, and apollo hardly has time to get out of the way before he’s being battered and speared through with bone
the prince, in retaliation, runs away
spine broken, bleeding out on autumn leaves, apollo shifts back and forth through consciousness enough to make out an approaching figure before everything goes dark ― such a figure, unknown to him, would change his life (and death) forever
he awakes a day later in a home hidden by the shadows of the treetops, not far from hanyang. he believes he is dead, and yet the being waiting there for him discerns otherwise ― he is alive, just not in the traditional sense.
apollo spends a month with the mysterious figure, who he comes to know as his ‘sire’, and learns of his existence. of how he was destined to die, and came by much more powerful and much stronger. of how the figure had been stalking them for the perfect moment to strike, only to find another opportunity instead. the realization of him being ‘vampire’ surprisingly comes easy to apollo; he approaches his existence as a gift more than a curse, especially considering the abilities that come along with it.
when he returns home he is met with shock, remorse, celebration, and guilt, particularly from the young prince who had abandoned him. his story is simple― after being left to die by the royal, apollo managed to crawl to a nearby stream and patch his wounds with mud and leaves, obviously leaving out the ‘broken spine’ detail. his explanation as to how he had healed completely back to his healthy self? blessings from the gods, that of which was good enough to deem him fit for society
much to apollo’s pleasure, the prince was chastised and punished in a dutiful manner for his cowardice and betrayal. becoming used to his usual bloodlust that came from not feeding went easier than he expected as well ― the ‘lepers’ cast out provided well enough sustenance for apollo, and not a single soul bat an eyelash at their deaths.
ageing, however, was a different issue ― he could not stay 25 within the city for long, and yet religion played enough of a part in hiding such a fact. years passed and apollo gave praises to the gods for his ‘youthful’ appearance even at 32, noble families falling over him in an effort to obtain being part of his lineage, and yet he hardly cared to give them a glance ― to apollo, there were better things on the horizon, and he wanted to experience it all
so, what was the best thing to do? fake his death, obviously. superstition ran high in his community, so he simply walked off into the woods one day and never returned ― they would fret, apollo knew, but overtime they would simply reason that he was ‘reclaimed’ by the deities. in truth? he returned to the home he had first woken up to, only to find it empty ― his sire was nowhere to be found.
did he break down into tears? cry out in the dark? hardly; for a newborn vampire, apollo had nerves and determination of steel, and simply ‘set up camp’ for the time being. if he couldn’t live in the city, he would live where he could be free
apollo’s world is about as interesting as it can get after that ― he alternates between staying in woods to returning to hanyang after he’s sure every other generation has died out. the same story of being a ‘newcomer’ is told regardless, and no one ever questions it because they hardly know him. this sort of ‘schedule’ he has allows him to be both separated yet still grow with the times. he admits that the future was not exactly what he expected, and yet all-too exciting for vampire. time passes in the blink of an eye for an immortal, watching as his home of hanyang shifts in the modern city of seoul ― such a sight triggers something within apollo, and he realizes he too must change with the world
new york city is not the first choice on his list; rather, the vampire changes his name and attempts to travel to london as a more ‘immediate’ deviation. however, he is not received well ― altercations involving vampire covens within the city eventually push him out, solace within the european countries not found for long. the united states is next; it’s a melting pot, and exactly what apollo is looking for, yet new york catches his eye above most. deviating from his original plan of los angeles, the vampire is pleased at the anonymity of the city and the opportunities presented with it greatly
a chance encounter with 3 lone vampires including himself results in meeting aleksander and eventually being inducted into his coven. at first, apollo is thrown off by the sudden influx of ‘sociability’ that is expected, yet he soon finds it endearing enough and something he admires, even. he is one of the first to join up as a death dealer when the role is announced ― although his seductive nature and sadism is not attributed to only one species, apollo is all-too eager to sate the never ending lust for war and blood he finds the opportunity of in hunting with his newfound brothers and sisters. even after the death dealers ‘officially’ disbanded, he still heeds the call of aleksander whenever needed, more than pleased to assist in whatever is required of him.
⤹ ――――― ⤸
～ FACTS
his birth name is not apollo choi, and has been kept a secret and on the backburner since he was turned ― he sees it as his ‘past’ self and a chain to his current identity
after arriving in nyc, he’s since found a love for film (or rather ‘entertainment’ as a whole) and began his own movie studio, that of which skyrocketed in popularity and is now among some of the top ones in the country. he keeps himself separated from the majority of his employees so that he can ‘hand down’ the company to himself ― those necessarily close to him are fellow vampires, who he knows he can trust with his immortality
sometime after he was turned he came to realization that he was bisexual rather than straight. while he is a rather romantic individual and wishes for a lot, he’s scared of dedicated love with the way he is, and keeps his sexuality under wraps for fear of someone possibly using it against him
his overall personality is very sadistic and twisted ― he finds joy in the pain he causes others, depending on who they are, and isn’t one known for mercy among the death dealers
apollo believes in ‘ability’ more than ‘possibility’. it is partially one of the reasons he no longer is religious; he finds the belief in the supernatural on earth and the immortality they possess to be far against any idea of ‘god’ or ‘gods’
he was nicknamed ‘leo’ by aleksander due to his fiery passion and his bravery in what he does. he’s attempted to get tattoos of lions on his body, but finds that they forcibly heal due to his abilities
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Night of the Living Dead (1968)
“They’re coming to get you, Barbra.”
When the bodies of the recently deceased begin coming back to life to try and kill and eat the living, a group of strangers take refuge inside an empty rural home.
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Fright: 1.7 / 5 Barbras
For me the most unsettling moments of fright are near the beginning when the attacks first start occurring. Sure, packs of the undead banging on your door is a creepy idea, but the potential for some stranger to suddenly attack you is just so much more real.
I feel like this was probably a very frightening movie when it came out, but time has dulled its blade a bit. For devotees of the genre Night of the Living Dead probably doesn’t even cause a blip on their fear radar. But for less desensitized viewers I think it probably walks a nice line between being spooky enough to creep you out a little, but tame and dated enough that it won’t keep you up all night.
It’s easy to look back on this one and not remember any big scares. But that’s probably just because the movie isn’t really into big scares. It prefers to charge the atmosphere of a scene with spooky tension. Who will live? Who will die? What’s going to happen next?
Gore: 2.3 / 5 Butcher Counter Scraps
This one is tough to measure. Old school gore gore rarely measures up to modern standards, and the whole movie is in black & white (which always makes things seem a little less visceral to me). So by modern zombie movie standards this one is pretty tame.
On one hand there certainly is a bit of gore, but on the other hand it is generally used to suggest that something rather gruesome occurred instead of actually showing it happening.
For instance, they never show anyone getting bit or pulled apart or anything like that. But they do imply that such things have happened and then show the ghouls eating “human flesh.” Yet it’s pretty obvious to an adult viewer that the actors are just creepily munching on a prop arm or some meaty bit acquired from a butcher shop.
There’s also a couple of quick shots of a slightly decomposed skull.
For the most part the only gruesome things you actually see being done to people are things like getting shot or stabbed.
Jump Scares: Very few
There are a couple of potential startle moments, but they are a bit tame by today’s standards. I didn’t notice any really aggressive jump scares to speak of.
Review:
Night of the Living Dead is a film that goes beyond the confines of its spooky premise to work as a powerful metaphor for its time. While its depiction of women is unfortunately quite bland, the way it deals with race is incredibly interesting. It’s a movie that delights in creating tension more so than going for aggressive scares. While certainly tame compared to modern zombie films, it remains a really fun movie that establishes the heart of a Romero-style zombie movie: a group of survivors who are forced to question whether the real terror is being alone outside with the zombies or inside together with the other survivors.
Thoughts:
Ah, Night of the Living Dead, one of those cinematic classics that everyone has at least heard of even if they’ve never seen.
Is it just me or is anyone else always wary of “classics?” So many of them turn out to be quite boring, or dated, or—worst of all—problematic. And sure, they might have made a big impact on the field, but that doesn’t mean they’re inherently great art, especially decades down the line.
And yet sometimes you’ll watch a so-called Classic and you totally get it.
Oh! Yes, this is why everyone keeps talking about this one.
One of my favorite things about the Horror genre is that so much of it is built up from a foundation of independent works and passion projects. And so much about what makes this movie a classic is because it was made by a bunch of film nerds who just wanted to make a movie. The only limitation placed on them was the scope of their imagination and the confines of their budget.
And that is exactly what allowed it to work outside the usual studio box and synthesize something new.
Here is a movie that has lots of gore (unusual for the time), was shot in black and white (also quite unusual for the time), and it cast a handsome black man as the main character and definitive hero of the movie (very unusual for the time).
Now keep in mind that movie was made in late 1960s America! A time where institutionalized racism was clashing against the force of a powerfully determined and ever-growing civil rights movement. To see a black man being portrayed as the hero—let alone one who heroically fights against white bodies—was almost unheard of in the cinematic pop-culture of the time.
Romero has said that his script hadn’t called for a black man to be cast in the role of Ben, but Duane Jones was chosen for the role simply because his audition had been the best. And while it’s easy to believe that Duane Jones aced that audition (because he’s friggin’ phenomenal in this movie), it’s hard to imagine that they would have even considered casting a white dude in the role. If they had gone that route it would have fundamentally changed the nature of the story (which is just a nice way of saying that it would have ruined everything).
But luckily for us the creators were open-minded enough to cast the role without race in mind. And because of that Night of the Living Dead was able to (inadvertently) tap into the energy of its time. It’s charged with this backlash against American racism. Ben is literally surrounded by white people that want him dead. They either want to ignore his humanity and simply consume him, like the hordes of ghouls do, or they want him dead for threatening the status quo (like Mr. Cooper does inside the house). And in spite of everything he still sticks his neck out to protect the people around him.
In spite of how well it’s held up over the years, for a modern audience one part hasn’t aged especially well: its depictions of women. Now don’t get me wrong, it never goes for the overt sexism that many horror movies manage to. And yet its female characters still manage to be the most bland characters in the film.
The lack of depth is on full display in their depiction of the film leading lady: Barbra. She starts out well enough, but for the vast, vast majority of the movie she is reduced to a hollow character. She is near catatonic most of the time and even when she’s lucid she tends to just ramble on, only partially aware of reality.
If that wasn’t bad enough there are only 3 other women in the movie and their characters almost never step outside the frameworks of The Wife, The Girlfriend, and The Daughter. All the female characters seem to exist only to add depth to the male characters who are the actual movers and shakers of the movie.
(Although in her defense I will say that Mrs. Cooper’s occasional scathing remark to her idiot husband are highly enjoyable.)
The first time I saw this film was in high school and I had heard it hyped up so much that I ended up thinking it was all a bit silly when I first saw it. While I’m sure it was more shocking to see during its time, by today’s standards it is a rather quiet movie. But when I ended up giving it another try, I found that the quietness is one of my favorite things about it.
One of the little details I love is how they use cricket sounds throughout the movie. In spite of all the horror and death we witness, nature continues unabated. It’s as if to say the world doesn’t care about these people’s situation. That little sound that evokes quiet peaceful summer nights is twisted here and it adds this brilliant extra layer of creepiness.
One of the things I’ve always loved about Romero’s zombie movies is that they are always focused on the survivors, not the zombies. The ghouls are slow and stumbling, their only real threat is if they catch you unaware or you let them overpower you with their numbers. The real source of danger is always shown to be the people you’re locked up with.
After all, in these modern times what is more frightening: the masses pounding on your gates or the people you find yourself locked in with?
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Content warnings: I didn’t notice anything particularly triggering in this one, but let me know if I missed something!
After-credits Scene?: None.
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Directed by: George A. Romero
Written by: John Russo & George Romero
Country of Origin: USA
Language: English
Setting: Butler County, Pennsylvania, USA
Sequel: Dawn of the Dead (1978)
If you liked this you might also like: Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), The Last Man on Earth (1964), Shaun of the Dead (2004)
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Context Corner:
Night of the Living Dead may be the great grand-daddy of the modern zombie movie, but many might not know that plenty of zombie movies existed long before it was ever made. The first zombie movie being the 1932 film White Zombie starring Bela Lugosi as an evil witch doctor named Murder Legendre [100% serious. That really was his name].
However, these original zombie movies were very different things from what we consider zombies today. These pre-NotLD films were generally based around second-hand ideas of zombies as seen in Haitian folklore (and misattributed to the religion of voodoo). They featured dead bodies that were reanimated as mindless tools of their master or living people put into a zombie-like trance, not autonomous creatures on the hunt for living flesh.
The closest precursor to Romero’s vision of zombies was seen in the fantastic film The Last Man on Earth, a 1964 picture starring Vincent Price and based on the novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. There a plague sweeps across the country and the infected dead return to life as a type of vampire-esque zombies.
Fun Fact: In spite of its influence on the zombie genre the word “zombie” is never used in Night of the Living Dead. The undead are referred to only as “ghouls.”
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“So long as this situation remains, government spokesmen warn that dead bodies will continue to be transformed into the flesh-eating ghouls. All persons who die during this crisis, from whatever cause, will come back to life to seek human victims.”
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Hey uh ;; Feel free to ignore but I saw you did a k-drama and anime list.. I was wondering if you could do some suggestions for tv shows?? You don't have to -
Sure I can! The lists where a long while ago though so I’ll probably make a master post for them too?
1. House - The series follows the life of anti-social, pain killer addict, witty and arrogant medical doctor Gregory House with only half a muscle in his right leg. He and his team of medical doctors try to cure complex and rare diseases from very ill ordinary people in the United States of America.
2. Person of interest - An ex-assassin and a wealthy programmer saves lives via a surveillance AI named the machine that sends them the identities of civilians involved in impending crimes. However, the details of the crimes–including the civilians’ roles–are left a mystery and things take a twist when another Ai declares war against the machine. Honestly it’s amazing, and if you like the shows where the heroes aren’t always the ones to survive then it’s the one for you (and there’s a pretty darn good dog in it too).
3. New Tricks - After a hostage rescue goes wrong, superintendent Sandra Pullman is put in charge of unsolved crimes. With little resources and no back-up she decides to recruit three ex policeman. However times have changed, unlike her new recruits. Jack Halford is yet to get over the loss of his wife, Brian Lane is over obsessed and over medicated, and Gerry Standing is not quite the ladies man he used to be. They may have the experience but it’s not like the old days. Not only are they chasing criminals, but they are having to deal with a new police force which does not always appreciate their old style policing. Unsolved cases with a group of witty elderly, what’s not to love?
4. Hustle - The story of a group of elite con artists, who each week pull off a complicated scam with several twists. Mickey is the group’s leader, who comes up with the plans. Albert is a veteran con man who in his later years is a “roper,” searching out suitable victims and introducing them to his cohorts. Ash comes up with all the locations and equipment needed for the cons. Stacie steps in whenever she needs to use her feminine wiles. The group is rounded off by Danny, a young amateur grifter who Mickey takes under his wing. Honestly? Some of their plans are pretty darn good.
5. Primeval - When strange anomalies start to appear all over England, Professor Cutter and his team must track down and capture all sorts of dangerous prehistoric creatures from Earth’s distant past and near future putting their lives at risk whilst trying their best to keep it a secret from the public or possibly bribing the people who do see. Want to see people on mini bikes chasing a velociraptor in a mall? Then this is definitely the show for you-
6. Once upon a time - A story of a new world, one in which fairy-tale legends and modern life collide. Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) is comfortable in her life as a bail bonds collector when Henry – the child she gave up a decade earlier – suddenly shows up. He is convinced that she is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who sent her away before the Evil Queen could cast a spell, freezing the fairy tale world in time and bringing them to present-day Storybrooke, Maine. After taking Henry home, Emma decides to stay in the town to keep an eye on him, and she discovers he may not be wrong after all. Seriously you get really into it and root for the characters really quickly.
7. Buffy the vampire slayer - "In every generation there is a chosen one… she alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer.“ Buffy Summers knows this tale by heart, and no matter how hard she tries to be just a "normal girl”, she can not escape from her destiny… Thankfully, she is not alone in her quest to save the world, as she has the help of her friends, the hilarious evil-fighting team called “The Scooby Gang”. Together, Buffy & co. will slay their demons, survive one apocalypse after another, attend high school and college… and above all, understand that growing up can truly be Hell sometimes… literally.
8. The x files - Two FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully work in an unassigned detail of the bureau called the X-Files investigating cases dealing with unexplained paranormal phenomena (aliens). Mulder, a true believer, and Scully, a skeptic, perceive their cases from stand points of science and the paranormal. This can literally get really weird but to be honest it’s one hell of a ride.
9. Death in paradise - Scotland Yard DI Richard Poole is sent to the Caribbean island of Sainte Marie to solve a fellow policeman’s murder. Having done so, he finds himself seconded to the local police force as the dead man’s replacement. Poole proves to be a brilliant detective, solving several complex murders. He’s not quite suited to either the pace of life on the island or the heat and sand, neither of which he likes very much. He also doesn’t like seafood. That aside, the place is just great. Of course there are some changes along the road with main characters but over all this is a pretty good show
10. Brooklyn nine-nine - Captain Ray Holt takes over Brooklyn’s 99th precinct, which includes Detective Jake Peralta, a talented but carefree detective who’s used to doing whatever he wants. The other employees of the 99th precinct include Detective Amy Santiago, Jake’s over achieving and competitive partner; Detective Rosa Diaz, a tough and kept to herself coworker; Detective Charles Boyle, Jake’s best friend who also has crush on Rosa; Detective Sergeant Terry Jeffords, who was recently taken off the field after the birth of his twin girls; and Gina Linetti, the precinct’s sarcastic administrator. If you love comedy and idiotic situations this is a great show to watch
Bonus shows that are worth mentioning:
Sherlock
Doctor who
The walking dead
The passage
#tv shows#house#gregory house#person of interest#new tricks#primeval#hustle#once upon a time#buffy the vampire slayer#death in paradise#x files#brooklyn nine nine#recommendations
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If someone said they would kill for you, would you believe them? Would you want them to? In this terrifying romance, Ryane will learn how far Quinn would go for her as he drags her into a world of deep, unrelenting darkness. Lucas must confront his own past as he watches his best friend, Quinn, fall for a human and tries to navigate his own relationship with his girlfriend, Natalie.A vayer, a vampire, a zombie and a human must learn to trust each other as they battle their own inner demons.
#books#fiction#novel#reading#writers on tumblr#fantasy#writing#funny#lgbtq characters#lgbtq#pan pride#trans pride#old school evil vampires with a modern twist#vampires are sexy and evil#damn sexy vampires#the void sucks#return the fangs#buy my book#way better than twilight#trust me#i promise#paperback and e-book#damn sexy#horror romance#fantasy horror
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Trying to explain what I do in a rural community
A family friend struck up a conversation about the kind of entertainment mediums I work in (genres and story themes too). I don’t mind these conversations, I am literally the odd one out because I’m the only one who verbally says, “I am a writer, game dev, and filmmaker” for my job.
I find that depending on who asks, I end up censoring myself. How do I tell the little old lady I’ve known my whole life that the projects that I am the most invested in are about demons, vampires, sex, and sometimes characters that I do not label as straight? That the best story I ever wrote was posing the question of “who is the real demon?” and “is this single desire truly evil?” where the human character sells their soul to a demon for vengeance, which by the way both delights and surprises the demon. In that story, I gave the illusion that what she is asking to be slaughtered is the very thing that drove her to attempt suicide by freezing to death. No sugarcoating, period.
The stories I am invested the most in are twisted 95% of the time - showing that sometimes the worst monsters in the world aren’t ugly or ghastly looking. Sometimes, if I really need to unload, the biggest monster theme I write are drawn from personal experiences from growing up in a cult level of religion. If I want to mentally detach myself I write about other family demons; stuff like the greedy family member, the uncaring, and those who enjoy seeing pain for their own pleasure.
That is why I was known for my villain writing in school and consider it a forte. I pull from themes that culturally and behaviorally are becoming more and more questionable to society.
And sometimes I write stories about gods from several different cultures in the modern world in a manner that some could argue is me showing devotion to a more polytheistic lifestyle.
Also, I like writing intimate relationships. Sometimes that means writing a lot of sex scenes. For goodness sake my favorite aunt bought an ebook I wrote with sex in it and I haven’t had my ear chewed out yet. I do not see writing erotic moments shameful. Sex is a part of life, both for procreation and enjoyment.
What I write is not friendly for the rural Christian mindset. I once had a friend suggest I write for a Christian entertainment media company and that was the first time I said fuck around her. To write stuff like that in a sugarcoated way is asking way too much.
It’s intimidating when someone who has known me my whole life asks me to describe what I do, like a new book or a new media project. I suppose the intimidation is because I don’t want to hear the, “oh, but you were such a good girl” crap. I wasn’t ever good, I was a good actor and reader of people. Good is a point of view, I was just lucky at guessing it.
Someday I’ll get better at this. If I end up having to dump a ridiculous amount of Biblical material from the people who still are mentally trapped in the image of me as a kid, so be it.
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