Bloody Excited!

Just bought Mr. Jones, featuring scarecrows made by none other than the incredibly talented Pumpkin Rot! Can't wait to watch it! Got my copy at Target and it was only around $10, definitely check it out if you can. To find more information on Rot's work on Mr. Jones, check out his blog; Pumpkin Rot: What's Brewing / Mr. Jones

Pumpkin Rot and Mr. Jones

   I just wanted to congratulate one of my favorite haunters and designers, PumpkinRot, on his opportunity to get to work with the crew of Mr. Jones. I happened to take a look on his blog today and realized there was a great link that showed all of his posts about his journey so far. Such amazing and impressive stuff, so proud!

"We used tracking boards and chat rooms, and we kept hearing the same name, Pumpkinrot."

View Here

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Ok I know I'm posting too many things about Disney, but I just have to share this amazing new trailer for Saving Mr. Banks. So cool to see where I work in a film with such an amazing cast!

Click to view trailer!

The Conjuring (2013) Trailer

Saw the full trailer for The Conjuring last night. Not only does it look pretty awesome, but I have to hand it to Vera Farmiga for really getting down Lorraine Warren. Can't wait to see her full performance! 

Watch the Trailer: 

Scotland/England Vacation Photos on Flickr!

   So one of the many reasons I've been posting so little is because I was away in Scotland for some time during the end of 2012.

   Scotland has to be one of the most inspirational places to me. Not only is it incredibly old and beautiful, it is haunting and full of bloody history that can still be sensed as you walk the grand streets of Edinburgh and drive through the Scottish Highlands.

   Mostly I spent my time in Edinburgh, which I must say is one of my favorite places in the world. This city is full of friendly and interesting people. It's a fairly diverse city with all of its university students so I didn't feel like an odd ball out as "the only American girl" in town. Like other great cities, it's got amazing shopping and restaurants, but UNLIKE other great cities... it's Edinburgh. It's got some of the bloodiest, darkest, spookiest history known to us all. Home to the most notoriously haunted cemetery in the world, home to the most infamous body snatchers Burke and Hare, and home to the famous underground vaults... Edinburgh is creepy, beautiful, and macabre. My kind of place!

   The underground vaults tour was so eerie and amazing, nothing but a few candles down there. But even in the small amount of light that was in there, I swear I saw a dark shadow pass through one of the vaults. No wind or anything can get down there, so... maybe it was a ghost! I don't know, but I sure would like to think so. Our tour guide decided to scare the crap out of us, by putting our tiny group into the most haunted vault (which had no candles) and then blow out his tiny candle that he was holding. And then unfortunately, my embarrassing SoCal-Girl instincts kicked in and I said "Um, you did not just do that!" like I was straight out of OC (which I am)... kinda lame I know. But hey, I will admit: I was spooked! You could definitely feel something in these vaults, the air felt so thick, and there was a constant feeling that something was watching us from around every corner...

   I took a few strolls the beautiful and spooky Greyfriars and I must say that it also felt as spooky as they say. The famous Black Mausoleum (home to the Mackenzie Poltergeist) was definitely distinguishable from the rest of the cemetery. I truly wish I had taken a night tour, but I had no close friends with me on this trip and I knew I'd be pretty scared to go on my own, but even so I know I'll get another chance to go back someday and I will definitely bring my cowardly friends along.

   Another must-see in Edinburgh is, of course, Edinburgh Castle. I could go on and on about the history of Edinburgh Castle, but something you may not always hear about are the prison doors they have on display. Most visit the castle because of its royal history, but something that really stuck out to me where these old prison doors, and how they still had the original carvings in them, done by the prisoners themselves. For some reason these carvings really drew me in; I suppose it is because they were done by people who were anything but royal, and they did these in the cells where all they had were the darkness and each other.

   I took a day trip to the Highlands and as our tour guide told us old tales about the pagans and celts who lived there centuries ago, I got to thinking... is this there Halloween began? Am I really in the areas of Europe where All Hallow's Eve first started by the druids and pagans that lived in these hills? It was definitely an area that felt heavy, in a good way. In a historical and natural way. The Highlands are stunning to look at, but being there and feeling the crisp air is really what makes is special.

 

 I visited Loch Ness that day and had myself some delicious whisky in hot chocolate on our little boat ride... but as relaxed as I was, still, I was on the look out for Nessy!

I believe the spec in the top left corner is Nessy, so... case closed!

   My aunt, who I was staying with, took me down to London for a weekend, where I saw three of the most amazing exhibits.

The first was a Tim Walker Exhibit in Somerset House.

His photos captivated me not only for their direction and beauty, but for their sinister, macabre, and eerie moods. 

Read more about it and view more pictures on "Avery Sweet Blog"

   The second exhibit was a Hollywood Costume exhibit at the V&A.

This exhibit was truly emotional for me as I have grown up on cinema and aspire to make movies of my own. Getting to see some of the most iconic original costumes from the movies that have inspired me throughout my life was unforgettable and moving. I don't know if the rest of the audience enjoyed it as much as I did, however. We as Americans tend to look up to movie stars as our own version of royalty, not sure if the Brits quite get that, but regardless of the other patrons, I enjoyed this exhibit with all my heart. 

View the Gallery Here

   The Third exhibit was called "Death: A Self-Portrait" at the Wellcome Center.

This exhibit showed how death was viewed throughout history and among different cultures, by placing dozens of works of art inspired by death all in one exhibit. 

Check out videos and Images Here.

Also while I was in London, I got to have lunch and tea at the Laduree in Harrods, a girly dream come true!

And of course, what's London without stopping into 221 B Baker St to see our good old chap Sherlock Holmes...

To view the rest of my vacation photos, check out my Flickr here!

The Horrors of Stephen King

    This has become one of my favorite documentaries about film and horror.  Aired last year on TCM, The Horrors of Stephen King provides insight into Stephen King's take on the horror genre with a general and personal view. I recommend giving it a watch, great way to get into the upcoming Halloween season!

Let's Remember the Parties

Titanic 4/15/1912

Frankenweenie 2012

Tim brings Frankenweenie back, this time in stop-animation... looking forward to it!

Haunted Fridays: "The Book of the Dead"

From The Others:

Retaliation

What was the cause of the 1961 event that inspired The Birds?

CNN

The Raven

Can't wait to see this...

Halloween Movie Countdown: "The Prestige"

"Making something disappear isn't enough... you have to bring it back."

Another great film with an amazing plot twist to continue this year's Halloween Movie Countdown. The element of surprise gets a whole new meaning in this movie about two magicians in the ultimate rivalry.

Set in the late 1800's, the film focuses on one of the popular forms of entertainment at the time, magic... and the tricks that come with it. (Sorry for the pun.) One of the things I love about this Christopher Nolan work of genius, is how the story is actually told. Not only is the story itself so intricate and clever, but with the use of non-linear story-telling, you are kept at the edge of you seat.

The turn of the century style, mysterious plot twists, and overall direction keep you intrigued and curious while watching making this another great film to add on to our Halloween Movie Countdown.

Soudtrack Selection: Are You Watching Closely? by David Julyan

Fear Her Curse

All new trailer for The Woman in Black

Click to Watch:

Halloween Movie Countdown: "Shutter Island"

"Personally, Doctor, I'd have to say 'screw their sense of calm...'"

I have decided to save the Halloween Movie countdown for the last 13 days of Halloween (like ABC Family, I know...). This is purely due to the fact that I have been busy working on several theatre productions lately as well as some film projects and of course, Halloween! I thought it would be great to start this years countdown with one of my all-time favorites, Shutter Island.

To me, this film is a masterpiece. While directing the movie, Martin Scorsese made sure that all vital elements to a great production were there: plot, spectacle, character, theme, language, and music. Shutter Island explores arguably several themes, but the main one being presented in one simple question "Which would be worse, to live as a monster or die as a good man?"

Now, I don't want to give anything away because I am one of those people who never spoils the secrets of a great film in hopes that people will just watch it for themselves, but I will say this: it is the ultimate psych-thriller and it keeps you on the edge of your seat literally throughout the entire movie. Trust me it's definitely worth seeing and will probably require multiple viewings as most people feel mind-boggled after watching it for the first time... which Martin Scorsese would only have done to us intentionally. Hey, it takes place in a mental institution... we should feel crazy by the end of it, right?

Soundtrack Selection: On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter

Movie Trailer: