La Phantom Manor
Happy Halloween!
Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion is my favorite Disney ride. Will its movie adaptation, Haunted Mansion, be any good? Well, my friend, it isn’t bad. It is somewhat good in its own way. It definitely is a fun, summer flick worthy of an afternoon out of the hot summer sun. I liked it. I wish we had more movies like this — mid-level films out to entertain us. Popcorn Movies!
With Hollywood being broken and only wanting to produce blockbuster films, the mid-level movies suffer. They get bloated or get more pressure to make money. Haunted Mansion isn’t any indie flick, but it shouldn’t have to have been an blockbuster. I know we needed more CG and more spectacle but Haunted Mansion could’ve worked without it. I guess it’s higher cost meant that it had to make more money, but then it didn’t. It should have.
3 of 5 stars.
“If I believed in fairy tales I wouldn’t have dropped out of kindergarten.”
Here’s to 29 years of The X-Files goodness. It’s always great to hear that opening riff. I miss the simpler times when conspiracy minded people were truly crackpots.
Fourth of July
On this the 100th anniversary of this photo, everyone have a wonderful and safe July 4th!
And It Follows You
Went for a walk this afternoon. The usual place — the park behind my house. It was a former road converted to a walking area which is right next to a stream. It’s also in a valley with woods surrounding the walkway. It was a nice afternoon for a walk. It was a bit cool and overcast, but still beats the rain we’ve had the last few days.
Usually, I don’t wear my earbuds while walking. Music is a distraction, but this time I wore them. I wasn’t out for a walk for exercise. I was just trying to make my steps. Chasing the streak! Since the walk wasn’t for exercise, I was dressed casually in khakis and sweater. A hat on and a neck gaiter just in case I run into a lot of people using the walkway.
I didn’t. It was quiet for a weekend, especially on Halloween.
As I walked, under the eaves of the trees, I kicked up the fallen leaves. I was crunching through them just oblivious to the world listening to my music. After a few minutes, I was alone.
Enjoying the woods, I didn’t hear the other noises with the earbuds in. I didn’t hear the other footsteps trudging through the fallen leaves. When I did, I didn’t see anyone else around.
I peered across the stream, and see no one there. Is it just me? Am I alone in these woods? I didn’t want to find out. I quickened my pace on the turnaround and practically was jogging back the way I came from. The leaves moving was just me and my follower.
I rounded a corner and there was a family coming my way. My follower immediately disappeared. I didn’t let up my pace. I passed the people with a rigid smile. I did not hear my follower on the way home. Welp, that’s just how it goes on the spookiest day of the year.
Bookstore Haul 2: Vol 10 It’s A Birthday Party
Plenty of birthdays in October. While in the bookstore, I bought cards. A couple of birthday cards. And a Halloween card. One for the nephew. One for the sister-in-law. One for the niece. Nice.
Also, an issue of Monocle.
Monocle Issue 107
Halloween Card for the niece
“Matthew couldn’t even go to the bathroom by himself.” “Yes, he could.” “No, he couldn’t” “He couldn’t?” “No.”
Spooks are coming. It’s getting closer to Halloween and the decorations are starting to show up at your local place of shopping and retail. I was walking into one said place and happened to see this little adorable spook. It’s no Annabelle, but it still spooked me. That’s why I took a picture: so I can treasure it in the dark nights of autumn.
Boo!
“Hey Dave, last chance for Chock.”
It is not a horror movie. It is more an adventure with horror overtones — sort of a “Goonies” with Sloth being a very scary, creepy clown. The merry band of kids go on this adventure to rid the town of frightening Pennywise. They lived happily ever after. End Part One. Afterwards, I wasn’t scared to go to sleep with the lights off.
I’ve never seen “Stranger Things,” but one of the casts of It is from there. This film had a feel of that television show. First, because of the setting in the 80s. Next, because it seems to find kids who are free to roam around their town. Finally, because I have a feeling that It was modeled after the show. I’m sure I’m wrong, but in other ways I’m sure I’m right.
Not a bad film. Over the weekend I also caught the 90s version of It on television. Very, very different. Now I know what to look forward to in the second part.
3 of 5 stars.