Blog
-
Daily Prompt
If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why?
Source: Wikipedia He just sounds like an interesting guy. Might be nice to hang out with him for a bit.
-
Review and Haiku: Frankenstein (2025)
One word sums up this whole movie – Beautiful. This movie looked amazing from the sets to the lighting to the costumes to the colors to the shadows – simply beautiful to look at and to see. Eye candy from start to finish and it’s one of my favorites of 2025, up there with Sinners and Weapons for great movies I’ve seen this year.
I was afraid having Netflix put this out and to be the engine behind the machine, so to speak, would be a death curse for it. Thankfully it wasn’t because that has happened many times before. So much so that when I see Netflix original I’m hesitant, but in Guillermo del Toro I trust and will continue to trust because his direction is amazing and captivating. His shot selections and the way he moves and weaves the camera throughout these scenes in this movie and these landscapes and the way he holds the tension and the suspense just by using that camera like only a pro can do – loved that aspect of Frankenstein and the story too, which Del Toro adapted for the screen. I was gripped by the story and the conflict the whole time and felt strong emotions and feelings for all these characters on screen.
Oscar Isaac did an amazing job in the lead role, very convincing as Victor Frankenstein. You felt his pain, you felt his torment, you felt his joy, you felt his passion, you felt his struggles. He did an amazing job in that role. Mia Goth, strong as she always is in whatever she does, but for me, the true star in this movie, the person that had the heaviest load to bare – Jacob Elordi – who played Frankenstein’s monster. He put so much heart and soul and emotion into this character that I found myself rooting for him most of the time throughout the movie. I felt all of his compassion and sorrow and grief and everything else this monster endured because Jacob nailed it and if he hadn’t this movie wouldn’t be the movie it is. Kudos to him for stepping up to that challenge and the rest of the cast was solid too. No complaints in that department. Might be some Oscar buzz for this one next year. It wouldn’t surprise me.
Moving beyond direction, story, and acting, the effects are top notch. Money went into this one because the effects worked. There might have been a few wonky CGI animal moments but that’s not really an issue. Doesn’t condemn the movie because when effects were needed they always looked great. Especially liked the look of the monster in this one. Very human like but also very monstrous at the same time. It could almost blend in with society but there was enough off about it that it couldn’t. That led to a lot of great moments throughout this film.
Score was also powerful and strong. Some decent gore at times too and on and on it goes. Needless to say, goodness abounds in this film and I will probably give this one another watch sometime soon.
Have you seen Frankenstein? Let me know your thoughts about it.
-
Daily Prompt
Do you trust your instincts?
I try too because they usually are right. I have regretted it many times when I haven’t.
-
Daily Prompt
What’s your favorite month of the year? Why?
October.
Halloween is my favorite holiday.
Horror is my genre of choice.
I love that in the month of October the stores and the commercials and the local neighborhoods are all covered in horrific things.
Plus the leaves are changing and the weather is getting better. Summer is brutal in NC so October is a nice change of pace.
-
Daily Prompt
What is your favorite place to go in your city?
There’s a lake nearby that I like to go to from time to time. I prefer the ocean and the overall beach vibe but sitting by the lake, listening to the soft waves, is very relaxing.
If I can’t get to the coast then I at least have this option for time by the water.
Shameless plug. I shot this video there.
A Cup of Haiku: Poetry by the Lake
https://youtu.be/Yu99Olwo9BM -
Daily Prompt
What’s the first impression you want to give people?
Kindness and positivity. I try to put those things out into the world when I encounter people or meet someone for the first time. I feel like this world needs more of both of them especially now.
-
Daily Prompt
What book are you reading right now?
I have become an Agatha Christie fan as of late and have been reading a lot of her work. Her books are page turners that are hard to put down. I understand now why she’s so popular.
-
Daily Prompt
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
If you’d asked me twenty years ago, before I aged, it would have been somewhere warm and tropical like Tahiti or Bora Bora and part of me still loves that idea. A small shack in the sand with endless warm days.
However.
These days I am also starting to think about living in a little more Northern climate on the coast. A place you can take strolls on the beach or long hikes. Not sure where that is. Maine or Oregon or maybe Canada or maybe somewhere overseas.
Those are my places. What are yours?
-
Review and Haiku: Thunderbolts
Spoilers so proceed with caution.
This movie got one thing truly right. The ending. Up until that end I was kind of mid on the movie. I liked it and was enjoying it, as much as I enjoy any of these later Marvel movies that have become formulaic. Not to say that there hasn’t been some good ones as of late, but you kind of know what to expect when you watch one. Good guy must overcome his or her demons, bad guy or girl develops a bad guy or girl plot, good guy or girl punches said bad guy or girl while CGI things go boom and good guy or girl mostly wins with a few blemishes when it’s all said and done.
Thunderbolts, however, didn’t follow the traditional route, this movie didn’t fall into an endless CGI filled battle where’s it hard to see what’s got on half the time and it pushed us, the audience, into a psychological nightmare thriller. That went into the dream space and into people’s nightmares and explored those inner demons that haunt us all. I was floored when Sentry turned into that black mass and started turning not only people but the entire city of New York into this dark hellscape filled with shadows and demons. And Sentry looked particularly creepy at this time. When he went to his dark side. He went to his dark side. Covered in black from head to toe with these beady little red eyes that was the only thing with light in his entire face – just creepy stuff. Straight out of a horror movie and I liked how the Thunderbolts had to go into this dream world and fight their way through it. Enjoyed that a lot and seeing one of these movies truly embrace the dark side was great. I didn’t expect it and it helped to elevate this movie, for me personally, from something kind of mid and typical to one of the better movies I have seen in this MCU run of movies.
What say you? Did you enjoy Thunderbolts? Did you not? Tired of the MCU or not? I am kind of tired of it but I still have a minimal interest in it and probably only Spiderman will get my theater money from here forward, but I will continue to check them out when they drop on Disney.
See it or hear it here:
YouTube Horror Channel: Disembodied Screams
Podcast: Disembodied Screams
-
Daily Prompt
Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?
Does anyone remember Curt Gowdy? My parents have a picture of him holding me when I was a baby.
-
Review and Haiku: Predator: Badlands
Gore:
There’s plenty of green predator blood. Plenty of Predator and animal and android dismemberments. Plenty of melting androids. Plenty of gooey android blood too. There’s not much red to be seen but there is still plenty of blood spilled in various colors. If you like gore, it’s there, just not red, and I am sure that helped the rating stay PG-13.
Effects:
Obviously money went into this one. Everything looked great from the landscapes to the ships to the unique creatures and plants. Those weapons with the red lights – looked cool. The movie was also kind of Star Warsesque at times, which I really liked. All the Predators looked amazing. Lots of unique designs for their armor and weapons and faces.
Story, Script, and Directing:
Highlight and Star those three things because Dan Trachtenberg delivers once again behind the lens. His direction is flawless just like it was in Prey and Killer of Killers. I have enjoyed what he has brought to and added to the Predator lore and universe. It’s a great way to keep the Predator fresh and new without relying on the past and I also loved the world building in this movie. Seeing the Predator home planet and the Planet Genna – the death planet – enjoyed all the various creatures on this planet and the plants and things of that nature. Part of my enjoyment of this movie was just watching and waiting to see what they would come up with next. Story and script are also top notch. Patrick Aison and Dan did an amazing job crafting this story and script and making it believable.
Acting:
Top notch. Dimitrius who played Dek, the Predator we root for this time, was great in the lead role and Elle Fanning did an outstanding job playing both good and bad androids. Not a big cast but the movie is not about the cast it’s about the spectacle and there’s plenty of it.
Score:
Powerful. The sound design was crisp and clean and the explosions rattled my seat from time to time in the theater.
Bonus points to Bud:
Glad they didn’t overuse this creature and left it behind for part of the movie. Might have been a bit too much for a Predator movie if it had too much screen time.
Minor Gripe:
I will say it took me a minute to vibe with Elle’s character but once I did I was fully connected and the humor, at times, wore a bit thin. It’s okay to stay dark. A movie like this kind of demands it.
That’s it.
What are your thoughts about Predator: Badlands?
YouTube Horror Channel: Disembodied Screams
Podcast: Disembodied Screams
-
Daily Prompt
What is good about having a pet?
They provide – comfort, warmth, love, companionship, laughter, joy, smiles, etc.
And they add a positive vibe to any space you bring them into.
-
Daily Prompt
Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).
Does a plane ticket count? I have been to multiple places around the globe and I know that was always an expensive personal purchase. I also bought a video camera for one of these trips and dropped it in a lake in Italy. I was able to retrieve the camera but it was no longer working.
-
Daily Prompt
What podcasts are you listening to?
The six I listen to when I get in the mood to listen. Not as much of a Podcast junky as I used to be.
Campfire: Ghost stories and spooky stuff.
Legends: They talk about various legends from the New England states.
Both of these dive into Horror movies and related subjects.
SFN: Talking about the band Rush.
DnDnD is a Dungeons and Dragons Podcast. In case you were wondering. The other D stands for Dinner. Each episode the host tries to match a particular food to the campaign they are on.
-
Haiku: Silver Surfer
Silver surfer glides
Across the cold dark cosmos
Riding quick and smooth
Thanks: superheroes.fandom.com/wiki
A Poetry Journey 
You must be logged in to post a comment.