Top 5: Scary Moments from Kids Movies

Hello, all!

So, sticking to the Halloween vibe, I decided to dedicate this Top 5 to scary moments from movies. And not just any movies—kids movies. Normally, kids movies are light-hearted and fun, but every so often you get one that just straight up traumatizes you. Here are some moments that scared the bajeezus outta me when I was younger:

1. The Tunnel Scene- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Who didn’t get freaked out by this scene, that’s what I wanna know. The background whizzing by, the flashes of light, Gene Wilder’s voice growing more and more manic as he deadpans “There’s no earthly way of knowing, which direction we are going.” It’s like, “Hey kids, hope you’re enjoying my lovely chocolate factory where everything is edible and fun, now let’s take a ride on this boat of nightmares that’ll make you feel like you’re having a bad acid trip!” Keep your Golden Ticket, I don’t want it.

2. The Dip- Who Framed Roger Rabbit?: You would think an entire movie based around cartoon characters would be super family friendly, but lemme tell you, that ain’t the case. I never thought that I would get so upset over the death of a cartoon shoe, but I did and still do. Poor little guy. And Christopher Lloyd is terrifying as Judge Doom, I was so glad when he and his little gangster weasel squad got their comeuppance.

3. Artax’s Death- The NeverEnding Story: If an animal dies in ANY movie, I’m gonna be heartbroken, but this one hits harder than most because of the way Artax dies. His handler, Atreyu’s, quest took them through the Swamps of Sadness, and while they’re trudging through the muck, Artax ends up succumbing to the swamp. So basically, the horse got way too sad and then got sucked into the swamp forever. No, I’m not crying, I just have something in my eye.

4. Large Marge- Pee-wee’s Big Adventure: If you’re a parent and you want to teach your kids the dangers of hitchhiking, just show them this scene. They’ll be convinced that every strange person in a car will tell them a creepy story and then turn into a shriveled head with large bulbous eyes.

5. Skeksis- The Dark Crystal: Usually, when you think of Jim Henson, you think of cuddly, cute Muppets like Fozzy Bear or Beaker, but what The Dark Crystal gives you is nightmare fuel.  The Skeksis are a race of shuffling, heavy robe clad, bony bird lookin’ things. Seriously, they look like a cross between a baby bird and a snapping turtle. I was actually a bit older when I first saw this movie and if the Skeksis could creep me out when I was in my teens, just imagine what it could do to children.

Are there any scenes from films that creep you out? Lemme know!

Top 5: Spooky Stories

Hello, all!

Halloween is my favorite time of the year. Christmas time is a close second, but for me, nothing quite beats the crisp spooky feelings October brings. I can never get enough of the shows about ghost hunting or haunted places, and don't even get me started on Halloween decorations. If my roommates would let me, I'd keep our howling skeletal animals and projector lights that make our house look like it's on fire out all year round.

I figured I would dedicate this Top 5 to two of my favorite things: Halloween time and books. So, here are just a few stories that'll help get you into the spooky vibe.


1. Frankenstein- Mary Shelley: First and foremost, we have to start out with this classic, widely considered to be one of the first works of science fiction. I've always loved Frankenstein ever since I was young. Something about the story always drew me in, and out of all monster stories, this has always been one of my favorites. Also, I kinda hate to say it, but I am one of those people who fight the urge to correct people when they call the monster "Frankenstein" when that was the doctor. And great writing aside, Mary Shelley kept her dead husband's heart wrapped in silk in her desk drawer, and I just think that's badass.

2. Dracula- Bram Stoker: I feel like you can't have Frankenstein without Dracula. For me, both of these stories just go hand in hand. There's been a lot of great takes on Dracula throughout the years (one of my favorites being The Monster Squad and the ever underestimated Dracula: Dead and Loving It), but no one has ever encapsulated the feeling of the story as well as the iconic Bela Lugosi. If you're looking for a vampire story to really get you into the spirit of Halloween, this is definitely it.

3. Annabel Lee- Edgar Allan Poe: Sure, you could argue that there are other works that are a bit more nail bitting than this one, but nothing makes me think of Poe quicker than this poem. Anytime I read it, I can vividly picture it playing out; a man grieving over the loss of the woman he loved so dear in a kingdom by the sea.

4. The Call of Cthulhu- H.P. Lovecraft: Everyone loves a good sci-fi monster, and what better than the octopus faced Old One. This was one of the first horror/sci-fi stories I ever read and it creeped me out so much. It also made it impossible for me to eat any sort of noodles without pretending that I'm Cthulhu, Elder God of the Noodle.

5. The Witches of BlackBrook- Tish Thawer: Everyone loves a good witch story around Halloween, and this is one of my recent favorites. It's a story of three sisters during the Salem Witch Trials and in order to escape persecution, the eldest sister casts a spell which flings them forward in time and they have to find one another and defeat an evil from their past.


Do any of you have a certain book you like to read to get into the Halloween spirit? Lemme know!

NY Comic Con 2017

Hello, all!

It's that wonderful time of year when all the nerds and geeks descend on the Javits Center in the city for four days and rejoice in all that Comic Con has to offer. I've been to a few smaller cons, but this was only my second time going to the NYC one, and man, was I in my glory the entire time.

I opted out of going to the panels this year, only because there wasn't too many yesterday that I wanted to see, and to be honest, the whole to-do of even getting into the panels is enough to make my head spin. I had just as much fun going around to all the booths all day as I would've sitting in one of the panel rooms anyways, so it didn't matter much to me.

One of my favorite parts of Comic Con is that at any given moment anywhere you look, there's something to do or something to see. Whether it's someone in a ridiculously amazing cosplay or a chance to win crazy prizes. All the artists and exhibitors are always so nice and friendly whenever you go up to their booths, and seem genuinely excited that you took the time to stop by. I got to see Chris Claremont, who created some of my favorite X-Men, just signing comic books; I got Scott C., who does the cutest pop culture drawings, to draw a portrait of me and he didn't even charge me for it; I got to see some of my other favorite comic book artists just hanging out; I got to take a picture with BB-8 and see tons of movie props; I even found a booth that sold tea based on Hogwarts and Doctor Who and so much more; I got some really great art prints and shirts. All in all, it was a great day.

Like the last time I went, I didn't take too many pictures because I just walk around in awe most of the time and forget to, haha, but here are a few. Enjoy!