Movie Spotlight: Case 39

Case 39 is a 2010 movie starring Renee Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper, Callum Keith Rennie, and Kerry O'Malley. Social worker Emily Jenkins (Renee Zellweger) saves Lilith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland) when her parents try to kill her, and she gets permission to temporarily take the child in (which, of course, is a bad idea since this is a horror movie). She soon discovers that Lily is not what she seems...she's something far more sinister.

I really enjoyed Case 39...it was entertaining and creepy, just the way I like my horror movies. All of the performances were great, and Jodelle Ferland did an impressive job of playing sweet, scared, manipulative, and evil. Also, there's a disturbing scene with Bradley Cooper and a bunch of hornets that just might give you nightmares...I can handle almost anything most horror movies throw at me, but this scene freaked me out enough that I had to close my eyes, and I don't want to see another hornet for the rest of my life. ; )

My rating: 8/10

Hollyweird Paranormal

If you're in search of a paranormal podcast to listen to, check out HollyweirdParanormal, which
combines true crime and the paranormal. I love both of those things, so I listened to the latest episode...it was informative and entertaining, and I really enjoyed it. The podcast is hosted by Tammie Merheb-Chavez and Brice Mitchell Williams, and they've done four episodes so far: "The True Crime and Paranormal Aftermath of The Sharon Tate & Manson Family Murders," "The True Crime and Paranormal Aftermath of The Cecil Hotel," "The True Crime and Paranormal Aftermath of Superman, George Reeves," and "Famous Haunted Hollywood Apartments." I'm glad I found out about this podcast, and I'm definitely going to listen to more episodes. : )

Hollyweird Paranormal

Happy Peculiar People Day!

In case you didn't know, January 10th is Peculiar People Day. I pride myself on being peculiar and weird, and if you read this blog on a regular basis, you might be pretty peculiar too, so Happy Peculiar People Day to you! If you'd like to know more about this holiday celebrating those of us who are peculiar and proud of it, you can find out more here:

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/peculiar-people-day/

Krampus Presents: Day Cares, Nurseries, and Playgrounds

I've been a fan of Conan O'Brien since high school (he's actually the person who made me realize I wanted to devote my life to making people laugh), and lately he's been doing some bits about Krampus on his show, so I thought I would share the latest one here. This is Krampus Presents: Day Cares, Nurseries, and Playgrounds. : )

http://teamcoco.com/video/krampus-presents-day-cares-nurseries-playgrounds

HJ’s Holiday 2017 Ghoulish Gift Guide

Got some fans of horror and the paranormal to buy for this Christmas? Haunt Jaunts has got you covered! Check out their awesome gift guide, and you're sure to find the perfect gift...you'll probably find something for yourself too. : )

HJ’s Holiday 2017 Ghoulish Gift Guide

Book Review: The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theater by Alex Matsuo

When I went to AtomaCon in 2015, I attended Alex Matsuo's haunted theaters and demonology panels, and they were so interesting that I decided to read a few of her books. I wrote about More Than Ghosts: A Guide to Working Residential Cases in the Paranormal Field on the blog last year, and now it's The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theater's turn. The Tenth Avenue Theater is located in San Diego and used to be a church; Matsuo, who is a playwright and actress as well as the founder and director of the Association of Paranormal Study (APS), has been involved with a few productions there. Jeff Cotta bought the building from the First Baptist Church of San Diego in 1997 and agreed to let APS investigate the allegedly haunted space a few years ago. The theater is rumored to be haunted by a young girl named Missy who died when she fell down the stairs at the church, a pastor who felt guilty about Missy's death and committed suicide in the chapel's cloakroom, and a British lieutenant who temporarily possessed the doctor who tried to save him and apparently decided to make the building his new home when the doctor came to the sanctuary to pray.

I don't want to say too much about what happened during APS's investigations of the theater because I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who might read the book, but I will say that Matsuo described the investigations so effectively that I felt like I was there. The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theater is a fascinating read, and Matsuo definitely knows her stuff when it comes to the paranormal. I've enjoyed both of the books I've read by her, and I hope she'll write many more in the future. : )

My rating: 10/10

Halloween 2017

Another Halloween has passed, so it's time to post pictures of my costume. I dressed as Madonna this year, and I feel like I should start dressing like this all the time. ; )