Thank you, Louis, for recommending five movies to watch this summer! If you like to know about Louis Smith, the following contact information is below:
Email: lrsmith1400@ladycultblog
Here is the list:
We just came out of the movies. He walked a little ahead of me to open the theater door to the street. When I passed him, I could smell his deodorant which had a clean scent with a light musk. As we moved further away from the theater towards the hotel, he lit a cigarette. We walked side by side, and that is when he took my hand and held it. It was a memory ingrained in my heart and mind. A memory never lost but never returned after that day. Whenever I smell that mixture, I look around and hope to see you. I never do, but I still reconnect with that feeling of when you took my hand and smiled.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, has a hotel called the Crescent Hotel. It is considered to be one of the most haunted hotels in America.
The Hotel was built in 1886 and was the place for the rich and well-known to vacation there. A couple of years after its opening, the Hotel became disrepair, and no one could manage it. In 1908 the vacant place was turned into the Cresent College and Conservatory for Women. The college ran until 1923 and finally closed in 1924 for reasons unknown. It was rebought in 1930, became a smaller college with a short life, and closed in 1934. Every summer after that, it was a hotel. However, the Hotel’s haunted history started in 1937, when Norman G. Baker bought the place to turn it into a hospital and health resort. In hopes of saving those with cancer, that would be the go-to hospital in the United States. There was a massive issue though Norman was not a doctor. Nor did he have any experience in medical care, let alone help those with cancer.
Norman G. Baker had many different jobs throughout his lifetime. He was a radio broadcaster in Iowa, a vaudeville performer, an inventor, and a fake healer because he claimed he invented a cure for cancer.
He boasted claims of being a doctor in person and on the radio, and he was run out of Iowa because he was practicing medicine without a license. However, patients who truly believed he was a doctor followed him to Arkansas to his hospital and health resort, believing Baker could cure them. As a result, the Hotel was renamed the Baker Hospital. In addition, he claimed drinking the natural springs around the resort cured their terminal illness. Various amount of people passed away in the hospital, which caused Baker to create a makeshift morgue. And that area is known to be the most haunted place in the hotel.
In 1940, Norman G. Baker was arrested and had federal charges for mail fraud. He spent four years in jail, which left the place without an owner. In 1946 it was bought by four men, and on March 1967, the Hotel was almost burnt to a crisp. The only living owner of the four was a man named Dwight Nichols.
Marty and Elise Roenigk bought the hotel in 1997, and it went on a significant six-year restoration to return it to its original state. The hotel has over 60 guest rooms, and you can stay in one of the numerous cottages on the property. It also has a spa, various bellmen, suites, and a huge dining room called the Crystal Dining Room.
There are various reports sightings of ghosts in the hotel since the hotel went through various phases of life within it’s over hundred year career. There is no surprise that the hotel offers ghost tours, unique Halloween tours, as well as tours about the history of the hotel..
If you would like to book a room. There website is below:
Would you ever book a night at a haunted hotel? Comment below!
Here is a PBS show called Exploring Arkanas. Which discusses the haunted places of the state:
Until next time!
Sources: youtube, Wikipedia, https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/the-most-haunted-places-in-america
I want to share some of my favorite podcasts this rainy Sunday. Some are series, while others are weekly podcasts. I decided to backtrack and listen to the first episode of the podcast.
Seven deadly sinners podcast by host Rachael O’Brien. This podcast is about the dark history of cult leaders and televangelists. This is a podcast I backtracked and started to listen to the first episode, and I have been totally absorbed with it ever since!
Instagram: @sevendeadlysinnerpodcast
Molly Lambert takes us on a deep dive into the world of Heidi Fleiss. I had the day off two weeks ago and listened to all the episodes in one day.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heidiworld-the-heidi-fleiss-story/id1615634639
Christopher & Eric Podcast:: Christopher Rice and Eric Shaw Quinn are my new favorite people! This is another podcast I started at episode one. This is a weekly podcast that does not disappoint! They discuss actual crime shows; however, they explain the shows so much that you do not have to watch episodes beforehand, but they do such a good job that I end up watching the show anyways, so I see the sometimes bad reenactments on the shows. They share their opinions on them with a blend of humor, and they switch the episodes between discussions of true crime and excellent life advice shows.
The link for more information is here: http://thedinnerpartyshow.com/christopherandericpodcast/
Finding Cleo is about a missing person hitchhiking home to Saskatchewan and has not been seen since the 1970s. Her family believes something horrible happened to her while trying to get back home. Host Connie Walker searches for answers for Cleo’s family in hopes of finally getting a response.
The link is here: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/148-missing-murdered-finding-cleo
Host Reness Roberson discusses the missing people in the Carolinas. Every episode absorbs you into realizing that people go missing daily, leaving family and loved ones to what happened to them.
The link to listen is here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/missing-in-the-carolinas/id1511309373
What podcasts have you been listening to? Comment below to talk about it!
Until next time!!!
Hello all!
Just a quick post that I am looking for one-time contributors for May! If you would like to know more please dm my Instagram account! @lady.cult for more details!
thank you!!!
In 1987 in Hamburg, Germany, there was the first ever art amusement park. Artists such as Dali, Haring, and Basquiat create art pieces that work of art in the shape of carousels, Ferris wheels, and a fun house. It only lasted one summer outside a park in Hamburg, Germany, but it had over 250.000 patrons visit it.
The idea came from artist Andre Heller. He received an enormous grant from a German magazine, and he went to scout the most influential artists of that time to see if they wanted to participate in this park idea. The park had 30 different pieces from 30 other artists. Heller wanted the art world to come together for this once in the lifetime experience of making art and play come together.
Keith Karing Carousel (1987)
However, Heller wanted to take the park on a European tour, but that idea fell through. Next, he tried to make the park a staple fixture in Vienna, but the city rejected it.
The entrance to Luna Luna Park was created by Sonia Delaunay (1987)
During the fall of 1987, with nowhere to go, Heller broke down the park and put it into storage. In 1990, Heller tried to sell the park due to financial hardship, but there were still a lot of lawsuits from the previous years, and that deal did not go far. For the next 15 years, the attractions and rides have been in a storage space in Texas.
In 2019, Drake and his production company DreamCrew, and other investors decided to buy and start to restore the park to its full glory.
Currently, pieces of the park are in a massive workshop in Los Angles and are being restored. The future of what Luna Luna will be is still unanswered, but I am excited to see what they will do with it!
If you would like more information about the new Luna Luna Park. The following contact information is below:
Here is a video if you want more of a visual:
Sources:
Until next time!!!
As you know one of my main loves in my life are the Muppets. So today I will talk about 5 lesser known Muppets:
Yolanda- Yolanda first’s appearance in the muppet universe was in one of my favorite movies The Muppets Take Manhattan. (the wedding scene makes me cry every time! )
In the movie she takes a job as a waitress at Pete’s Luncheonette and hangs out with Rizzo and his friends throughout the movie. After the movie Yolanda shows up sporadically in other Muppets specials such as The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 years. Yolanda is usually part of Miss Piggy’s close group of friends whenever she needs a girls night or a shoulder to cry on.
Skeeter is Scooter’s twin sister and made her debut on the Muppet Babies(1984). I remember her being bold, very sporty and sometimes she argue with her brother.
Harry the Hipster:
Harry was one of the original Jim Henson muppets and has a fondness for jazz music. Although he made several appearances when Jim Henson first started he wasn’t a regular muppet. Although he did make an appearance in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986). For those interested in seeing the special. There is a youtube video below:
Annie Sue Pig:
She sings and dance in the Muppet Show and see Miss Piggy as one of her idols. Kermit tries to put Annie Sue in less dancing and singing roles and in more dramatic roles. However she backs out and just prefers to show up in dancing or singing parts throughout the Muppet universe.
Taminella Grinderfall:
Not much is known about Taminell. Although she was part of pilot by Jerry Juhl called Tales of the Tinkerdee. She was the star of the pilot but it was never aired however she did appear on Sesame Street to talk about the letter O:
I might do another part of this series. Is there a muppet I have not discussed yet but would like to be featured? Comment below!
Until next time!!!
Source: muppet. wiki and youtube.com
This week’s movie of the day is 1975’s The Stepford Wives. Starring Katherine Ross, Paula Prentiss, and Peter Masteron. This is one of my favorite movies and books. I have discussed the book by Ira Levin in previous blog posts, so if you want to go on a deep dive into my blog. Then I totally suggest going for it!!!
I prefer the 1975 movie version of this book rather than the 2004 version because the later version was more of a comedy. I am more of a horror fan, and the 1975 version delivers that better.
It is also no shock to anyone that Ira Levin is one of my favorite authors. He also wrote two other of my favorite books. One is called Rosemary’s Baby:
And the other book is called The Boys from Brazil:
The movie centers around the Eberhart family. Joanne Eberhart and her family move out of the busy city into a quiet town in Stepford, Connecticut. But when Joanne gets to know the wives of Stepford, she realizes everything is not what it seems.
I came to learn about the movie by chance when I realized that Ira Levin wrote numerous novels. I first read Rosemary’s Baby and enjoyed it so much that I went deep into the author’s list of novels and short stories.
Here are some fun facts about the movie:
Director Byran Forbes also wrote other screenplays, such as “Of Human Bondage” and “Seance on a Wet Afternoon.”
Ira Levin’s original plan was to make a play instead of a book. However, his final decision to create the book was due to an overflow of characters.
Diane Keaton turned down the lead role in the film. Claiming that the script gave her “bad vibes.”
This movie greatly inspired Jordon Peele when creating his film “Get Out.”
Brian DePalma was approached to direct The Stepford Wives but was making another movie called “Obsession.”
Tuesday Weld was initially offered the lead role in this movie but turned it down. Instead, several actresses like Susan Sarandon, Jane Fonda, and Natalie Wood were offered this role.
The acting debut of Dee Wallace:
Have you seen this movie? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Comment below!
Until next time!
Sources: Internet Movie Database, Youtube
The image above is painter Bruno Amdio (1911-1981) (who also uses the pen name of Giovanni Bragolin). Amadio made a series of paintings in the 1950s called “Crying Boys.” These paintings were trendy in the UK, and numerous of these paintings were made into prints and sold all over the world.
A UK tabloid newspaper in 1985 called The Sun ran a piece claiming that a couple named May and Ron Hall had a terrible housefire that ended up destroying everything in their home but the print they had of one of Amdio’s Crying Boys. The story also quoted a firefighter who fought 15 fires throughout his career. Those fires destroyed everything in people’s residents, and the only thing that was not destroyed was those paintings that had them.
That story from The Sun ceased Amdio’s popularity in his Crying Boys series. Future reports are populated about those who own the paintings. They shared similarities in house fires. One story had a pair of sisters experiencing horrible luck after they bought the image. Both had house fires, and one claimed to see the picture sway back and forth in the fire. Another woman tried to burn her copy of the painting and had no luck destroying it. The end result was a series of misfortunes that happened to her.
The Sun also ran an article to readers about sending their prints or paintings of the Crying Boy. About 2,500 paintings and prints were mailed to the sun and they ended up having a bonfire destroying more copies of the prints of the paintings:
Why are the Crying Boy series by Bruno Amdio considered haunted or cursed? No one really knows the answer to this. Although there are a lot of theories surrounding this question. Such as one of the little boys’ parents put a curse on these paintings. Another is a child who died in a house fire and had his spirit contained in one of the paintings. The more talked about theory is a crying boy mistakenly set fire to Amdio’s art studio, and anywhere the little boy went somehow, a fire would shortly follow wherever he would go.
In September or October 2010, a BBC show called Punt PI, a comedy and radio series. It is about the host, Steve Punt, discussing Britain’s greatest mysteries. In series 3, he talks about the Crying Boy series of paintings. Punt decided to dissect the legendary curse and found some of the people who experienced those house fires. Punt also bought the image and put it on fire to see what would happen. Here is a video below of the experience:
Punt concluded that the varnish used in the pictures could be a possible reason for the painting’s last power after a house fire. Which was a fire-retardent kind of vanish.
What are your thoughts on this series of paintings? Could they really be cursed? Comment your thoughts below!!!
Until next time!
Sources: Youtube. atlas Obscura, the sun
Spring is near, and so is the end of my classes. So I have a bit of a break until my following two types and would like to finish some reading. I often read for enjoyment, but life happens, and my pile of to-read books gets more prominent daily. So here are five books that I am planning to read this spring:
But have you Read the Book? by Kristen Lopez. Lopez discusses 52 books that were adapted for film. The movies ranged from Clueless to One’s Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I am interested in reading why she picked these and how well the book was adapted for the screen.
The Link to buy is here: https://www.runningpress.com/titles/kristen-lopez/but-have-you-read-the-book/9780762480975/#
American Mother: The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood, and the Cyanide Poisonings that Shook the World. This book was selected as part of my True Crime book club. I am an avid reader of this genre and was excited to be part of this book club. This is our first book club selection, which is a strong one! I started the audiobook version of this and planned to finish it by the end of March.
The Link to buy is here: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/gregg-olsen/american-mother/9781538724859/
The Ghost Club by Kate Winkler Dawson Did you know that Arthur Conan Doyle and William Bulter Yeats would meet monthly in London to discuss ghosts? They formed a club called The Ghost club, founded by Harry Prince, a well-known ghost hunter.
The Link to buy is here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714301/the-ghost-club-by-kate-winkler-dawson/
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan: A man from a tiny town in mid-1980s Ireland comes to terms with a challenging situation on Christmas that affects and rocks the small town he lives in. This book has Peyton Place town vibes, and I am here for it!!
The Link to buy Is here: https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9780802158741
“Don’t Fall off The Mountain” by Shirley Maclaine: I was aware that actress Shirley Maclaine was a writer, but I was not aware of the number of books she has written over 50 years. So I decided, why not start reading her books in the spring? She is an exciting writer and is very immersed in knowledge about other forms of life.
The Link to buy is here: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Fall-Mountain-Shirley-MacLaine/dp/0393331342
What books are on your to-read list for the upcoming new season? Comment below!!!
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