Autumn Leaf Of The Day #15/The Poetry Of Horror

 

“Your hair is winter fire
January embers
My heart burns there, too.”

 
~Stephen King

  It

 

That's one of my favorite quotes from movies ever! It's romantic, sweet and innocent, all at the same time. If you have never read the book, or seen the original TV mini-series, please do. The 2017 theatrical remake lacked soul in my opinion. I felt no emotional connection with the characters, but I sure did with the original. It haunted me in many ways, for a long time. Just the way a story, when told excellently, should. It's the pure poetry of horror.

Pack Up All My Cares And Woes...

"We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.

 Not until the future eats the present, anyway.

 We know when it's too late."

 

~Stephen King

 11/22/63

 

... Blackbird Bye-Bye

 

 I was in the East Bay last week on business, so I decided to stop in Castro Valley to do some photographs at Cull Canyon Park, and grab a quick bite at the College Avenue Burrito Shop. About half way down Castro Valley Boulevard, I saw this cool lady on a corner, waiting to cross the street. She was a lady of style and sense, who made me smile. I have no idea who she was, or what she found so interesting on her phone, for all I know she was taking my photo, but to see someone like her taking Covid-19 this seriously, with such style, humor and flair, made me feel better for a little while. I have rarely seen folks without their masks in the East Bay, but no fully masked human could beat the impact of this woman's statement of just how easy, and fun, masking up could be. Hey, it looks like Captain Trumps might be around for a while, one doctor recently said we will probably be wearing masks a year from now, so perhaps I need to think outside the deadly virus accessory box. Although, nothing says "out of the box" quiet like wearing a baby bonnet on your face, while shopping at Walmart! Shrug. I'd do it again! LOL!

 

~Carly

Stockton, California

December 16th 2020

Collecting Leaves

"Halloween creatures both friendly and

 gruesome peered out of the rustling leaves."

~Kevin Purdy

Alan and I ordered a ton of movies for this vacation, because we will be spending more time at home than on previous holidays. At least for the first half of the four weeks we have together. So, in addition to our old favorites like, St Elmo's Fire, The Legend of Boggy Creek, and The Changeling, we will have these great films, plus a few you don't see here. I also ordered, The World According to Garp, and Creepshow! I have been adding to my Robin Williams collection a few times a year. I miss him very much, so I am looking forward to just kicking back and enjoying Garp. And I will always need a Stephen King film in the month of October. It wouldn't be autumn without watching great films like, The Stand, The Shining or IT. IT was recently remade, which is okay, but the 1990 television adaptation will always be near and dear to my heart. I am beginning to think of our once a year, Movie-A-Palooza as collecting beautiful autumn leaves. I'm a little weird about autumn I think.

#12 Leaf Of The Day

October 4th, 2019 

Stockton, California

Nikon 

~Mood: Happy

~Me   :) 

A Face In The Crowd: Mr. Scary

"Evil was coming. I wondered whose face it would be wearing."

~Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas

While walking around Fisherman's Wharf yesterday, I spotted this face in the sidewalk, in front of Madam Tussauds Wax Museum. Yes, we had an amazing time there, and yes I have tons of pictures to share, but that will come later. For now, contemplate Mr. Scary... does he look like anyone you know? He seems somewhat familiar to me, but I just can't quite figure out who he looks like! 

All I know is this face gives me the chills!

Thoughts?

The Leaf Of The Day

Mood: Spooky

~Me :)

Rosemary's Baby Carriage

"The Shortest Horror Story...

The Last Man On Earth Sat Alone In A Room. There Was A Knock At The Door."

~Frederic Brown

Rosemary's Baby, By Ira Levin

Directed By Roman Polanski

Alan and I went on a date last night. There was a free showing of the 1968 classic, Rosemary's Baby.

I have seen this movie about 30 times, and Alan has seen it with me about 20 of those 30 times, and yet there is something about seeing it in an old fashioned theater, with old fashioned seats, and art deco designed molding and wall features, that makes it seem like one is seeing it for the first time!

 I got chills... I really did!

The lovely old Orinda theater has free movie night the second Thursday of each month. Next month, November 13th, the theater will be featuring "To Catch A Thief" by Alfred Hitchcock. I am not sure if we will be able to make it, but I know we are going to try to. And hey, if we do, we might do as well at their trivia game as we did tonight. We won two free cupcakes, for correctly answering the question... "What was the name of the name of the popular 1970's horror movie, adapted from another book by Ira Levin?" The Stepford Wives, of course! Yum... the cupcakes were delicious, if maybe a little sinister! Well, because, you see, they we the two cupcakes, of the twelve offered, that made up the wheels of

 Rosemary's baby carriage!

Ooooooh... CREEPY!

Leaf Of The Day...

 

:)

Mood: Happy


~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 173~ Got Hitchcock?

 

 "Give them pleasure. The same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare."

~Alfred Hitchcock

Bodega Bay California is a lovely place. It is one of my favorite towns along the California coast, but it does have a kind of a vibe. A spooky vibe. The town and it's people are friendly enough, and there is a lot to see and photograph, but I can't help but think about the one scene from Alfred Hitchcock's classic horrorfest, The Birds, which left the biggest impression on me, the one where Suzanne Pleshettet's bird pecked body is found on the steps of her modest house overlooking the ocean. There was no music when Mitch and Melanie found the body, only an eerie silence as they first see her legs, then her body... then her face. The mixture of despair, fear, horror and horror again left me with the kind of chills that keep me coming back, at least once a year, to feel the chills all over again. Alfred Hitchcock chose Bodega Bay because it had a comfortable, small town charm to it, oh and it has lots of birds. LOTS OF BIRDS. Sometimes... LARGE BIRDS! Hitchcock might have been a bit of a character in real life, but he was a genius about knowing what it took to scare the wits out of a person. Sometimes it's the thought, not the reality, that is scariest of all.

 

"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it."

~Alfred Hitchcock

 


 







 

~Me :)

Today's Link is from my pal JR... Go Say Hello! :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-170.html

To all my pals, and lurkers in New York, and you know who you are, my thoughts are with you! Hang in there, and don't hesitate to call me if you need to. :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 156~ Darkness And Fog Shrouding Angel Island

"Who is that trip-trapping upon my bridge?" Miss Davies spoke in the low, growling tones of the troll in the story. Some of the little ones covered their mouths and giggled, but most only watched her solemnly, accepting the voice of the troll as they accepted the voices of their dreams, and their grave eyes reflected the eternal fascination of the fairy tale. Would the monster be bested... or would it feed?"

~ Stephen King, IT.

It wouldn't be October without watching Stephen King's IT. Of all of Stephen King's magnificently written horror, IT is the story that captures my attention the most. There is a lot about it that I can identify with. Loss of a friend to an untimely death as a child. Bullies. Fighting through the fear... whatever the fear, and remembering as an adult that sometimes you have to tap into what motivated you as a child, to survive being an adult. It always amazes me when I encounter someone who carries a behavior of bullying past the age of 15. My neighbor is a bully. At least he thinks he is, but like with most bullies, he is legend in his own mind. I feel sorry for him more than anything else.


Anyway, if you haven't already saw the TV movie IT, or read the book, I highly recommend it! It's perfect for a foggy October night, with Halloween right around the corner!

"Come on back and we'll see if you remember the simplest thing of all... how it is to be children, secure in belief and thus afraid of the dark."

~Stephen King, IT.

:)

~Me

Today's Link comes by way of my pal JR. GO SAY HI! :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-154.html