Posted by It just so happens that taking the month of April off (of doing events) is working for me this year. I’m knee deep in Draft #2 of In a Corner, Darkly: Volume 3 – my third collection of short horror stories. I’ve managed to complete ten stories so far, and am in the middle of number eleven. At this rate, there shouldn’t be any reason that I won’t finish with this draft by the end of the month, if not before. If that is case (and every indication points to yes…), I’ll set the finished Draft 2 aside and come back in late May to start on Draft 3.
I’m pretty darn excited about the stories in this collection. Early on, I didn’t know if I could get ‘my head’ around another fifteen tales that were different from one another, but after going through them again, it’s looking very good. I hope people dig them.
Recently, I was interviewed by the radio station, WGLT (out of ISU here in Normal). They are doing a segment on people in the local community who do something in the arts. When it’s available, I’ll post a link/website. I’m normally not one for on camera appearances, but it should turn out groovy.
I’ve got three events VERY close together coming up in early May – all of them new to me! If you’re interested, pop over to the Events section of the blog (where I post more details about such goings on). 🙂
I also picked up some new chairs for us to use at events. I know…why are you even mentioning this boring tripe? (lol) Because for those of you who DO events/book fairs/etc., having a decent place to sit (if you need to) is a BIG DEAL. While I normally stand during all of the events, my back has been misbehaving lately (LONG nightmare story involving over two months of issues…) and I’ve needed to utilize chairs and resting places more often. I found these to be of great quality and well worth it : EVER ADVANCED Medium Tall Directors Chair Foldable : Bar Height with Side Table Cup Holder and Pocket Footrest, Supports 350LBS (Grey, Seat Height: 23.2 inches) If you are in the market, check these out. They have different heights, so you can pick and choose a bit.
Okay, so, what the heck have we been watching?
The Breach (2022) – When a mangled body with strange wounds washes up on the shores of the Porcupine River, John Hawkins is compelled to investigate one more case before retiring as the chief of police in the small town of Lone Crow. (Google) Ug. Trope-y, plot-holes, gore…sounds like someone’s idea of a good time. Not mine, though. I think I willed myself to stay awake during this, hoping that it would get better, but it never happened. I ended up giving this a 3.8 and trust me, I was being kind.
That’s Funny (2023) – A former stand-up comic who is on the edge of a midlife crisis thinks that his career will be saved by an appearance on a well-known late-night show, but he ultimately discovers that the learning journey is more fulfilling than the destination. (Google) If you are a fan of comedy, comedians, podcasts ABOUT comedians, or appreciate show biz, you’ll like this one. It IS pretty funny and poignant at the same time. I gave it a strong 8.3 and would even watch it again. Charlie came in at a 7.0, which is good for him because he claims not to have a sense of humor. (insert lol here 😀 )
American Fiction (2023) – Monk is a frustrated novelist who’s fed up with the establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain. (Google) Okay, I’m going to be very blunt here. If you are a writer, you should watch this movie. I cannot tell you how many times I was like “OMG! Yes! Truth!” This screams AUTHOR REALITY so much and so hard, it’s fantastic. I gave it a very serious 9.0 and could have gone higher, to be honest.
Poor Things (2023) – Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. (Google) I know that there’s a push for this movie to be considered “inappropriate” and “pornographic” on a number of levels and that it should be looked upon as unacceptable. I can see what they’re referencing, but I don’t agree. Yes, there is some sexual content. Yes, a mentally disturbed woman has a variety of interactions and experiences. But I NEVER took this story as “all women are presented as….” OR “women can only be seen as…” No, people. This follows ONE woman (yes, a fully grown woman who is mentally challenged, NOT a child) in a very surreal world. It’s not making blanket statements about women or children or adults or people who deal with mental illnesses. I thought it was well worth watching as did Charlie. (8.1 and 9.0, respectively)
Midnight Cowboy (1969) – Convinced of his irresistible appeal to women, Texas dishwasher Joe Buck (Jon Voight) quits his job and heads for New York City, thinking he’ll latch on to some rich dowager. New York, however, is not as hospitable as he imagined, and Joe soon finds himself living in an abandoned building with a Dickensian layabout named Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman). The two form a rough alliance, and together they kick-start Joe’s hustling career just as Ratso’s health begins to deteriorate. (Google) Yeah, I know. I’m late to the party on this one. LOL. It’s not anything that I expected (for some reason, I honestly thought this was going to be some kind of city-western. Shows how much I know about these old school movies!) Here again, if you like 60s films, you’ll fall easily for this one. The time period alone is worth the almost two hour run time.
The Old Dark House (1932) – Driving through a brutal thunderstorm in Wales, three travelers take refuge in an eerie house owned by the Femm family. Reluctantly admitted by Horace Femm (Ernest Thesiger), the three sit down to a strange dinner. Horace is neurotic; mute butler Morgan (Boris Karloff) is an alcoholic; and Horace’s sister, Rebecca (Eva Moore), raves about chastity. When the storm brings in an industrialist and chorus girl Gladys DuCane Perkins (Lilian Bond), Morgan’s lust and Rebecca’s ire are ignited. (Google) It’s in black and white, but don’t let that scare you! Made right around the time of the original Dracula and Frankenstein (and The Mummy), this is a film that features one surprise after another. Borderline creepy, borderline comedy, borderline sexual – this movie goes places that I didn’t think were acceptable back in ’32. It’s quite novel and kept my attention throughout. They threw all kinds of things at the wall and most of them stuck. If you’re in the right frame of mind to see this slightly over an hour piece, make some popcorn and enjoy. I gave it a solid 7.6, whereas Charlie wasn’t as sold, coming in at a sad-trombone level of 5.0.
Okay, that’s a wrap! The next bloggy update SHOULD have me going on about finishing Draft Two! 🙂 Let’s hope.
Sue Rovens 