Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Addiction Leads to the Strange and Unusual

Hi. My name is Sara and I am addicted to Netflix. I do not take any responsibility of this addiction what so ever! In fact, I blame my fiance. He is the one with the X box, the X box live subscription, the Netflix subscription, and is also the silly person that taught me how to use all of these things for my own personal use. I have something on constantly! While I eat a meal, while I craft, while I fold laundry, while I clean, while I use the computer, while I am getting ready for bed, and even while I read. I think you get the point. It's amazing! 

One of my favorite features is the recommendations Netflix gives you based on movies you have watched. Last week one of the movies that was recommended was something called Santa Sangre. I sort of bypassed it without thinking twice, mainly because it looked strange and like there might be subtitles. I don't mind subtitles, but when you need glasses and don't own a pair these movies aren't that enjoyable, especially if you are practically sitting on the coffee table just to see what the heck is being said! Yesterday, while at work, I was looking at the latest issue of Rue Morgue and noticed that there was a article on the movie so I read it. 

Santa Sangre is about a young man who was traumatized as a child by the violence within his family. The movie starts off showing his current living situation in a mental institution where he lives like he is a bird. You soon find out that he comes from a family of circus folk. His mother is a trapeze artist and a leader/psycho fanatic of some crazy religion and his father is a ring master/mc kind of fellow. The mother finds out that her husband is cheating on her and pours acid on him as revenge. Soon after the husband cuts off both of her arms (she survives) and then kills himself. When the son is older he helps his mother get a new act underway so she can still perform, by attaching him self to her back so he can be her arms. This movie gets even more bizarre than this! but I will just leave it at that as to not give anything else away. Sadly, what i described is only the first half of the film! There is so much more! it's one of those movies that gets weirder as it goes on just when you think it can't get any more stranger. I am not sure why Netflix recommended this to me... I must watch some seriously screwed up films because I am pretty sure people that watch romantic comedies and Disney films do not get this type of film recommended to them! 

The only warnings I have about this film are not to show it to a small child, do not watch it with a headache (lots of Mexican music since it takes place in Mexico), and if you do not like older films that seem like they have bad film quality, well, this may not be for you. Also, the first half, as entertaining and climax filled as it may be, is the half that drags on forever.  Otherwise, have fun! You were warned!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Day of the Woman

In 1978 one of the most notorious revenge films ever made came to theaters and has forever traumatized any man that has ever seen it. This film is, of course, I Spit On Your Grave, also known as Day of the Woman. In the film, a young woman named Jennifer goes to a riverside cabin to work on her novel. Unfortunately, she has attracted the attention of some local men (if you can call them that) who later follow her, strip her, and rape her one by one. Jennifer survives, barely and turns the tables when she goes after the four men that attacked her one by one until she has had her revenge.... and boy does she ever get her revenge! 

Most of the publicity this film received was negative. It was first released, uncut, in Australia under "Day of the Woman" and was soon banned. It was later re-released as "I Spit on your Grave" and did a heck of a lot better, but still received negatively publicity from film critics Siskel and Ebert because of the violence towards the female lead. However, publicity is still publicity and the film soon became a cult and horror classic. Camille Keaton (the actress playing Jennifer), whom I had the pleasure of meeting last year, still attends horror conventions and is an absolute peach if I do say so myself.

Recently, the film has gotten a lot of heat again in large part to it's remake that came out last year. It has recently hit stores and has received slightly more positive publicity than the original had. Roger Ebert still gave the film zero out of five stars as he did the original, but that has yet to stop the public from watching it. While the film was waiting to get an MPAA rating the association told the film maker that they could give the movie an NC-17 rating, but they would have to take out a lot of scenes that would make the movie have less of an impact on viewers. In the end the film went unrated. There are some differences in this film and hidden goodies in this film... like when Jennifer is pumping gas and her total is $19.78 (1978 is the year the first one was released) and that there are five male attackers now instead of four. 

I'm going to say it, watch this film! Watch both films! Watch them if you are a bad ass chick that doesn't put up with bullshit! Watch it if a guy has ever hurt you and you wanted to hurt them back! Watch it if you think you can stomach it! Whatever you do, don't watch it alone, no matter how much you think the person you are watching it with will judge you. Just Watch It!!!!!!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Getting Ready!

For the past month I have been working my butt off preparing for an amazing event! This event is The Jim Thorpe Burlesque Festival in PA! It kicks off April 1st and runs through the 3rd. I am registered to be a vendor at this amazing festival and honestly I am so completely tickled at just the thought of being there that I could outsell that damn Tickle Me Elmo doll! Take that Elmo! 

This festival has so much to offer! There are classes people can sign up for during the day as well as a vendor room filled with goodies to purchase! There will be all sorts of fun goods and services from corsets to hair accessories! There will even be people giving pin up style make overs. In the evening the classes will end and the vendor rooms will close and this is when the shows begin. I have tickets for Saturday nights festivities, "The Big Reveal". A group called "Black Tassel Boolesque" has a few talented ladies performing on Friday and Saturday as well as one selling things during the day. 

Now to get down to business..... for anyone that is interested, I will have a table at the festival and will be handing out lots of fun goodies! I will have info on friends that make and sell awesome things on etsy, business cards, and for those that happen by and get one of my business cards, they will get a 20% off discount code to use at my shop!!!!!!!! So please feel free to stop by if you are in the neighborhood!

Jim Thorpe Burlesque Festival Site 

My Shop: A Ghouls Best Friend 

Etsy Massacre Team, Check my team out! 

Black Tassel Boolesque on Facebook