Blessed Samhain...Happy Halloween!

The 2022 Miller family jack-o'-lantern.

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My thoughts on Old People (2022)

The elderly are sick of everyone's shit.

What would happen if something (a virus, something in the air a la The Happening) started affecting the elderly and turned them into murderous, super human beings? That is what is explored here in this German horror film. Honestly, I was not prepared for the gore and violence, but it was certainly effective in portraying the rage. It was definitely unsettling. The characters were understandably shocked. I mean no one really expects a bunch of old people to go on violent rampages. In all, a pretty decent Netflix offering. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat, and I might have screamed a couple of times too.

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The Devil in Silver Read-Along - Discussion Three

Spoiler Warning: If you are not reading along with us, the below discussion post and comments may contain spoilers.

Well, the start of this section escalated quickly. Poor Kofi...and the revelation by Dorry. Is the "Devil" really her child? And what/who exactly is this animal/person/thing they call the "Devil?" We still don't know! And sadly, no more Scooby gang. 

I think what I liked most about this section of the reading was the focus on mental health, and how easily people who are mentally ill can be swept under the rug. The articles and death notices the three late night lounge ladies work on collecting, as a kind of war memorial (as Pepper put it) to all those lost who were also mentally ill. Rarely do their stories make front page news and that's sad. We still have a long way to go in this country in regards to the issue of mental health.

The romance between Pepper and Sue was sweet, but I wondered if it really added anything to the story. Sue knows she is being taken away by immigration sooner than what she told Pepper. So when Pepper discovers she's gone, he feels more urgency to try to contact her sister. But...was Sue really taken by immigration? After the "Devil" tried to take Japanese Freddie Mercury (Glenn), only to be foiled by Pepper and Sue, he/it could quite possibly have a vendetta against them (if a creature like him is capable of that). I guess we will find out.

What happened at the end of this section was a tragedy. Why did she do it? Guilt over Kofi? The inevitability of the demise of her "child?" We may never know. Poor Dorry.

I'm looking forward to finishing and finding out the truth. I'm hoping for a spectacular ending. I hope we are not disappointed.

Share your thoughts on this week's section in the comments, or leave a link to a post. We'll be back for the final discussion on October 30 (or thereabouts). If you need the reading schedule, find it here.

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Horror Stories Master Post 2022 #SomethingWickedFall

This is the master post for horror books or short stories read during Something Wicked Fall. I will be updating this post with my thoughts on stories I've read during the event.

Please share what you've read/your thoughts on what you've read in the comments. I think this will make for some hearty conversation!

There's a tab in the menu for easy access to this post.

If you're still reading Gothic stories in October, the Gothic stories master post is still a available in the menu.

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I Read Horror Year-Round Reading Challenge 2022 - Third Quarter Check-in

Three quarters have flown by! I apologize for not having an update at the end of the second quarter. I was going on vacation in early July so I was working, and getting prepared for the trip. Completely slipped my mind!

I'm not doing too bad. My progress is below. Still not sure if I'm going to make it or not. Fingers crossed!

Full challenge details here...you can still join in.

What I've read so far: 

Book by a BIPOC (female): Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Book by a BIPOC (male): The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle (currently reading)

Purple, orange, or green on the cover: The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

Vampires: Impact Winter by Travis Beacham

Folk Horror: Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham

A modern Gothic tale: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Gothic horror classic: Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake (currently reading)

So, how's it going for you with the horror reading? Share your progress in the comments (update, links to posts/reviews, etc.).

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The Devil in Silver Read-Along - Discussion Two

Spoiler Warning: If you are not reading along with us, the below discussion post and comments may contain spoilers.

Well, shit got real in this section of our reading! I don't know about you, but I could honestly feel Pepper's fear when that "thing," or whatever it is, lowered itself down from the ceiling, and then the attack. What the hell IS it?! And why does the staff seem to be complicit? The real horror story is that mental ward and how the patients are treated. 

I'm also enjoying the occasional social commentary. Coffee (Kofi): I am trying to reach the Black President...

Pepper: "...I don't care who the Big Boss is. I don't care if someday it's a Big Lady! The whole game is fixed. Top to bottom. Left to Right. The Black President is just like the White President. 'Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.' "

This is something I hear from (some) people all the time. "It doesn't matter. They're all corrupt." Man that irritates me! Call me naive, but I just don't believe it. I like what Coffee then says, "Dorry was right. You think all those things you say make you sound smarter, but I think you sound like a fool." 
Exactly my sentiments, Coffee.

Also, the part where Pepper refuses his medicine and the nurse tells him if he had nothing to hide, he wouldn't say no. Pepper thinks back to conversations with his black friends when they mentioned the stop-and-frisk from the NYPD. Pepper asked them why they care about being searched if they have nothing to hide. But now, he finds himself in a situation of disenfranchisement, and he realizes that "certain types of people must be overseen" and he hadn't thought of it as a problem until he became one of those types. What's the old adage? Walk a mile in my shoes.

So, what will happen next? The Scooby gang (as I like to call them) have decided to take a stand and confront the problem who lives in Northwest 4. Right at the end of this section, Loochie lets him (it) out. I have to admit, I'm kinda scared. lol

Share your thoughts on this week's section in the comments, or leave a link to a post. We'll be back for the next discussion on October 16 (or thereabouts). If you need the reading schedule, find it here.

I apologize for some of the broken images on my site. I'm having an issue with my hosting. Hopefully, it will be fixed soon.

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