Every year I think about the movie Picnic at Hanging Rock, I get a terrible dread. The first time I saw it, I was so creeped out because I felt that the movie events happened in real life.
However, I did a quick Google search and saw that it was a novel by Joan Lindsay that was published in 1967:
The movie was later released in 1975 and directed by Peter Weir. It starred Helen Morse, Jacki Weaver, and Dominic Guard. It is about a girl’s private school in Australia who went on a field trip near a set of rocks called Hanging Rock and just disappeared in the rocks.
Some fun facts about the movie:
Park rangers at Hanging Rock claimed that all the actors from the movie have visited the formation since the film was made.
Writer Joan Lindsay said the novel’s publisher claimed the book was based on actual events, but that was untrue.
Producers of the movie said in interviews that the film is creeped out about the Hanging Rock formation. One of the executive producers, Patricia Lovell, visited Hanging Rock in 1985 but did not stay long because she was genuinely freaked out by the location and has never made any returning visits since.
Sofia Coppola was influenced by this film when she made The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette.
The film was shot in South Australia and took six weeks to shoot.
Have you seen this movie? If so, what are your thoughts on it?
I love my birthday, reading books, and listening to books. So it’s no surprise that friends ask me, “Clarissa, what do you want for your birthday?” I usually reply, “Books or money for books or gift cards… to buy books!” So, since my birthday is near the end of the month. Here are five books that are currently on my birthday wish list
The Brooklyn Crime Novel by Jonathan Lethem is set in the 1970s and in the New York City backdrop filled with violence, unwritten but well-known rules of the streets, and chaos.
Death Valley: A Novel by Melissa Broder. I read her book Milk Fed last year and thought it was interesting. It is a tale about a woman’s enormous grief set in a desert. When she runs away to a Best Western and takes a hike, she realizes this is more than she wants to take on.
Every man For Himself and God Against: A memoir by Werner Herzog. I am a fan of this director’s earlier movies but have never read his books. But with a book title like this, I should dive head-on into this writing.
Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford. Comedian Maria Bamford writes about everything in her life and the craziness of her shows, mental health, and the struggles of childhood that never entirely leave you even if you grow up.
Happy October 1st to those who celebrate! This is my favorite month because it ties two events together that are my favorite. My birthday is on October 28th!
And also Halloween!!!
Some scary things I like to do is, of course, watch scary movies!
Some great movie recommendations are
Phantom of the Paradise, directed by Brian DePalma. Part musical, love story, and the rest horror. This movie will leave you dancing and singing to the songs on the screen.
Black Sabbath, directed by Mario Bava. It is three movies rolled into one with a Boris Karloff introduction!
Mad Monster Party (1967) directed by Jules Bass because Halloween can be cute too!
Also, I am an avid reader. Here are some book recommendations to read this month:
This is one of the first books I ever read in kindergarten, and it’s a collection of short stories centered around the strange and scary.
What scary things get you in the mood to celebrate the month of October? Comment below!!!
Banned Book Week is a week that is celebrated in late September or mid-October in libraries and yearly in my home. The week is used to celebrate and discuss books and other content that has been banned or completely removed from public school and library shelves. Here are some examples of books that have been challenged:
This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman Reason it was challenged or banned: LGBT content.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherin Paterson, the reason it was banned or challenged, encouraged occultism and satanism.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews reason it was banned or challenged. Contains sexual graphic content.
The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby by George Beard and Harold Hutchins- the reason why it was banned or challenged: it promoted terrible grammar and spelling.
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner: the reason it was banned or challenged: topics of death and abortion.
Deenie by Judy Blume: content regarding mastrubation.
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George: the reason it was challenged or banned: acts of violence.
Mick Hartic was here by Baraba Park. The reason it was banned or challenged: topics about death and profanity.
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher. The reason why it was banned or challenged was profanity and sexual content.
Here is the video about one of the most frequently banned books on the list: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.
I tend to use this month and most of October, reading banned books. This is my list of books to read:
Scary Stories to Read in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
In the early 1990s, kids in the Chicago area reported seeing a clown driving in a white van and trying to lure children into the white with free candy. They nicknamed the clown “Homey the Clown” after the famous character created by Damon Wayans due to the clown dress’s similarity to the outfit worn on TV.
While numerous reports were made to the police from parents and concerned citizens in the Chicago area. The police never found any evidence or caught the person who was behind the clown costume. However, the police cautioned parents to tell the kids in the area to stay away and run to the nearest adult to report the sighting if they had seen the clown nearby. In addition, the police also caution parents to ensure that they know where their children are and to stay with them.
What I found interesting about this urban legend is that it happened before the time of cell phones and the internet. Kids who reported the clown mostly described a similar person who terrorized them when walking. After some time the police dismissed the sightings as a hoax and felt like it was more of an urban legend than a real threat. Although there were numerous reports throughout various areas for about a solid year about the clown.
Have you heard about this urban legend? Do you think it was real or fake? Comment below!
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about his Father is directed by Kurt Kuenne and released in 2008. It is a documentary about Dr. Andrew Bagby. Who was a dear friend of the director who was murdered by his ex-girlfriend Shirley Turner. After the murder, Turner announced that she was pregnant with Dr. Bagdy’s baby, and from there, a whole bunch of chaotic events happened as if the killing of Dr. Badgy was not the most horrific thing that occurred to Dr. Badgy’s parents and his friends. More tragic events soon followed from the lack of justice from the Canadian government.
I went through my Instagram over the weekend, looked at my feed, and stopped at a post about this documentary. It struck my interest, and I looked up where to watch it. Luckily, I was able to watch it through Tubi. This whole documentary left me with two feelings when I finished watching it. The first is how slowly the law worked in Canada and how preventable the events after the murder of Andrew Badgy could have been stopped. I do not want to give too much away about the documentary. So, I’ll leave it up to you to watch or learn more about this case.
If you are into documentaries, I highly recommend giving this a watch. It left me in tears for Andrew’s friends and family.
Have you watched this documentary? If so, share your comments below about it. Until next time!
Are you There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume- I must admit I never read this book growing up or many of Judy Blume books but made up for it during the summer. This endearing short read should be read at least once.
Red Clay Suzie- this coming of age story in the south. Philbet who is gay struggles with his physically appearance, his family and friends all during this young teenage years. The author of this book paints a perfect picture of Philbet’s struggles against Southern backdrop.
Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. I have read this books so many times and it was on my mind and was about to pull out my over read physical copy of this book. When I came across this youtube channel called the The Cozy Cult Storyteller. He does a fantastic job reading the book! The whole book is available to listen to. He is currently reading Deliverance and I am excited to dive and listen to that one!
What books have you read this summer? Comment below!
I signed up for Netflix in 2006 because I loved silent movies, especially the films of Buster Keaton. I was checking out movies at the public library but ran out of options, and I had to rush to watch the films I checked out because there was a shorter checkout timeframe for movies versus books.
American comedian and filmmaker Buster Keaton (1895 – 1966) in a promotional still for ‘The Cameraman,’ directed by Edward Sedgwick, 1928. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images).
So, when I ran out of options and did not want to pay any more fines for turning the DVDs late to the library, I decided to look online for movie rental options. That is when I learned about Netflix and decided to take a chance and try the service out.
I was excited about my first rental, which was The Love Nest (1923), directed by Buster Keaton.
From then on, I was a devoted fan of seeing a red envelope in my mail for the next 17 years. It opened my mind to Italian cinema, where I went deep and expanded my knowledge of the Criterion Collection. And it gave me nostalgia because I rented movies I haven’t watched in years.
So I was devasted when I heard that Netflix decided to terminate its DVD program this year. I guess it makes sense that most media is on streaming apps, but I will dearly miss seeing that red envelope in my mail. I opted into getting ten discs mailed out to me, but I feel it won’t be the same. I feel like am one of the very few groups of movie fans that was still part of the service, but at least I hung on until the end. Fortunately, I subscribe to many streaming services to feed my movie mind, but I will still miss this part of Netflix.
What do you think about this service ending? Comment below!!!
I’m Tamara Marra, the jewelry designer behind Bo Barra, and to me, summer is all about fun, action-packed adventures. Here are some oldies and some newer movies that I think you’ll get a kick out of.
Hard to Kill
Hard to Kill follows police detective Mason Storm (Steven Seagal) after he awakes from a 7 year coma looking for REVENGE.
If you want to laugh your freaking pants off, this is the movie for you. It’s like The Room of action movies. Everything from Steven Seagal’s floppy-armed run, to the most cringe sex scenes you’ll ever see in your life, it’s got something for everyone. After you watch this you’re going to want to Google Kelly LeBrock and wonder how they were ever married. Watch it. Just don’t forget to wear an adult diaper.
The Stuff
Oh The Stuff. What a great movie. I am a HUGE fan of practical effects and puppetry and this has tons of it. Also tons of white stuff that resembles yogurt but it comes from the GROUND. Can you imagine finding a hole in the ground oozing with white stuff and your first instinct is to eat it, and then capitalize off of it? No? Well then you don’t have the right capitalist spirit.
The Stuff is about a unknown yogurt-like substance being mass marketed to people; unbeknownst to the world, it takes over your body and eats you from the inside out. The advertising in this movie is killer, kinda makes you want to go out and buy some yogurt…
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
If you’re like me, it’s never too early to start watching scary movies leading up to Halloween. Summer is a good time to start. Hellraiser II to me is really a fantasy movie. It follows Kirsty Cotton’s journey to the labyrinthian world of the Cenobite’s, which is Hell. The matte paintings in this are phenomenal, like I said, I love practical effects and there are loads in this one. It really captures the disturbing beauty of Clive Barker’s world, where pain is pleasure and pleasure is pain.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle & Jumanji: Next Level
Okay, so these are two movies crammed into one, but I love these movies! They’re just straight up fun action-adventure movies. Welcome to the Jungle and Next Level follow a group of teens/college kids that get sucked into the game. The cast is stellar, and Jack Black, The Rock and Kevin Hart will have you laughing. I watched the second one purely by accident and got hooked! Remakes and sequels these days are usually utter garbage, but these are their own thing and are just the perfect mix of comedy and adventure.
Miami Connection
I’m going to take this straight from IMDB because it sums it up beautifully, the caps are from me for emphasis because I just can’t deal: “A MARTIAL ARTS ROCK BAND goes up against a band of MOTORCYCLE NINJAS who have tightened their grip on FLORIDA’S NARCOTICS TRADE.”
Like… what?!? I was sold at martial arts rock band, the rest is just compounded goodness.
If you love martial arts, laughing til you cry, and ridiculously catchy tunes that sound like they were written by a kindergarten class, then this movie is for you!
About Bo Barra
Bo Barra is a jewelry brand that’s all about the weird and wacky imagery of the 90s. Using gems and vintage Japanese glass, we turn our 90s nostalgia into unique jewelry pieces.
“Summer or year-round, these films have managed to entertain yours truly time and time again…
1) “AT THE DRIVE-IN” (2017)
Nothing says summertime cinematically better than a drive-in movie. Director Alexander Monelli and company document the continuing legacy of a Lehighton, Pennsylvania-based drive-in theater: The Mahoning Drive-In, with its noble crew and their hunger to thrive in this digital world.
Warm, inviting and essential viewing for lovers of the drive-in movie-going experience. It makes me wish that I had a Mahoning in my neck of the woods.
2) “FAST BREAK” (1979)
I’m not one for sports, but I do love a good sports movie. Along with “The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh” (also ’79), this basketball flick has been an unsung favorite of mine since I was a kid.
Directed by Jack Smight, this Gabe Kaplan vehicle tells the story of a delicatessen manager getting a chance to live his dream of coaching basketball at a university. The catch is, it’s a university that no one has heard of. Will Kaplan jump to the occasion and lead his team to victory? I’ll never tell!
Also on hand is a great supporting cast, which includes Randee Heller, Harold Sylvester, Bert Remsen and Reb “YOR SSSSSSSister Is A Werewolf” Brown! Also, this film is definite drinking game material. Just take a swig every time your hear the name, “Cadwallader.”
3) “THE METEOR MAN” (1993)
Imagine an era where superhero movies were a novelty: few and far between, unpretentious and definitely not computer generated. Once upon a time, just 30 years ago, such an era did exist!
From Robert Townsend, the brilliant mind behind “Hollywood Shuffle” and “The Five Heartbeats,” comes this lighthearted and endearingly comedic superhero origin story (written, directed by and starring Townsend).
All in all, it’s a film with a lot of heart, an epic soundtrack and a truly impressive cast. (The rogue gallery alone consists of Tiny Lister, Another Bad Creation, Luther Vandross AND Frank Gorshin!) With an initial lukewarm reception, the movie has since garnered a bit of a cult following and, I say, it’s ripe for rediscovery.
4) “MIKE’S MURDER” (1984)
A noir-ish mystery from director James Bridges, which has nearly been forgotten over time. Debra Winger, the breakout star of Bridges’ previous film, “Urban Cowboy,” portrays Betty Parrish, a rather together young woman who finds herself in a fling-type relationship with the far-from-together Mike (portrayed by Mark Keyloun).
As Mike reappears in and out of her life, the more Betty learns of his troubles, which eventually result in his murder. (OOPS… spoiler alert!) Betty’s anguish turns to obsession as she delves into Mike’s world to satiate her curiosity. And, as one might guess, antics ensue.
Bridges’ film suffered its share of post-production quarrels, leading to the studio’s insistence that the film be put together in a linear fashion, rather than the backward approach that Bridges intended. (The studio may have been right here, as I’m not quite sure how Bridges’ approach would have worked as a rewarding narrative.) Also, Joe Jackson initially composed all the music for the film, which, for the most part, was replaced by a score from the great John Barry.
The end result is an absorbing and underrated slow burn, with Winger in top form (as always) alongside a superb supporting cast including Paul Winfield, Darrell Larson, Brooke Alderson, Dan Shor and William Ostrander.
5) “PIRANHA, PART TWO: THE SPAWNING” (1981)
Yep, I’m going there. Since @yetihideout previously highlighted Joe Dante’s original, I’m here to croon the praises of its overachiever sequel! James Cameron’s directorial debut about the perils of unleashing hordes of genetically engineered nibble fish (by sea AND by air) on unsuspecting attendees of a Caribbean resort.
The film boasts a great score from Stelvio Cipriani and a cast headed by the underrated Tricia O’Neil, Steve Marachuk and the always reliable Lance Henriksen (who broke his hand, yet soldiered on, whilst shooting the film’s helicopter finale).
Cameron’s difficulties with producer Ovidio G. Assonitis are the stuff of legend (and some would argue more fun than the film itself)! I’ll take this early “way of water” from Cameron any day.
Well, there you have it, gang. Thanks for reading!
Happy viewings & Happy trails…
-Nathan Martin
If you would like more information about Nathan. The following contact information is below:
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