How We Met

Back in 1999, I made the error of jumping on a strange boy’s back, mistaking him for my neighbor. After discovering I was terribly wrong, I was certain I wouldn’t be hearing from this kid “Danny” ever, ever – did I mention ever? – again. Instead, this embarrassing encounter was just the beginning of the rest of my life.

Oddly Enough…

Danny was a grade older than me and had just switched from Lu-Hi to my alma mater, West Hempstead High School. He had become friendly with my neighbor and was walking from his house the day I went airborne  We started hanging out as a group on weekends and by the time summer rolled around we were inseparable. We had become really good friends and, from there, this friendship blossomed into a teenage crush.  We would date, then go back to “just friends” then date again, etc. This was pretty consistent throughout high school.

We Parted Ways

When Danny graduated we were both dating other people, but continued to stay friendly for another year until we lost touch. He moved to Florida and I went off to college. A friendly conversation via MySpace or Facebook, would occur on occasion but we didn’t reconnect until 2008 when I graduated college and he moved back to New York. He asked me out to dinner to celebrate my graduating and promised he would be around more. This didn’t exactly happen. We both started dating different people again and never managed to get together for that coffee or beer like planned.

…and Reconnected!

Time went by, our lives went on and it seemed like we would never be crossing paths again… but that was not the case, at all. In March 2010, Dan resurfaced one day by commenting on one of my Facebook pictures (thank you, social media!). After hours of catching up over the computer and phone, we decided to finally meet up with some mutual friends in Rockville Centre. By May 2010, we were officially dating again. Someone who I always held close to my heart became the most important person in my life. I always say – and anyone who knows me can vouch for this – everything happens for a reason.  It may not have made sense then but 14 years later, it couldn’t be more perfect…or could it?

When I Said Yes…

On Friday, December 14, 2012, Danny planned a fun winter outing to the Empire State Building. Neither of us had ever been there and felt it was necessary as a New Yorker. We took the train into the city after work and grabbed a bite to eat. Danny had purchased tickets ahead of time so we didn’t have to wait on line. It was surprisingly empty and the weather was abnormally warm…an awesome night to be 102 stories up such a monumental building. We walked around on the observation deck for a while and Danny decided we needed someone to take our picture. He stopped a woman and she began snapping away. The next thing I knew, Danny was on his knee telling me how much he loved me and how he couldn’t imagine a life with anyone else. I was completely shocked! I knew down the road we would get married but I did not see it coming that night. Our photographer friend was shocked as well and really got into her task of documenting this occasion. Thanks to her, we have about 20 pictures (not all of them are very attractive – nobody really cries pretty!) to remind us of this amazing night.

…Oh – by the way, I said yes!

A mere week after Castle-meets-Thriller, we get Castle-meets-Horror… and it’s just hilarious enough to raise our spirits after the tense and emotionally stressful two-parter we just got through. Thoroughly drying our tears post-Alexis-kidnapping and post-Castle’s-Dad, “Scared to Death” proved to be a The Ring­-esque laughathon.

The episode itself, aside from making us laugh with every scene, was solid – the case was unusual and fresh, the characters were perfectly cast, and the killer remained a mystery right up until the final moments. It even managed to squeeze in some clever horror satire, in the vein of Cabin in the Woods.

We wish we had more to say, but we don’t. We feel like the episode was almost too good. If there had been more wrong with it, we would have had a lot more to write about. A+ Castle. A+.

– B+K

Quoteworthy: “Castle’s death would be sad and all, but his Ferrari sure would lessen my grief.” – Esposito 

courtesy of wikipedia

I usually enjoy a lot of the films Clint Eastwood has directed in his career from Million Dollar Baby and even Gran Torino which is still one of my favorites. This biographical pic of the most bizarre figure in American History is not one of my favorites from him.  The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio (Shutter Island) as the title character J. Edgar Hoover, the famous first ever director and creator of the FBI and the film is about all the trials and tribulations he went through to get the Federal Bureau of Investigation to be taken serious by the supreme court and the  government. The movie also looks at the other side of the man that the public was not allowed to see and that was the side of him that had a relationship with fellow agent Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer). The movie also stars Naomi Watts (The Ring) as Helen Gandy, Josh Lucas (American Psycho) as Charles Lindbergh,  Judi Dench (Skyfall) as Anne Marie Hoover, Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice) as Robert F. Kennedy, Stephen Root (Office Space) as Arthur Koehler, and Christopher Shyer (Along Came A Spider) as Richard Nixon.

It’s amazing to hear how many Presidents J. Edgar served under during his time as director of the FBI. He was actually a brilliant man that was mocked in the beginning, but he had a dark side to him as well. Leonardo DiCaprio was absolutely brilliant and believable as the most controversial man and Armie Hammer was phenomenal in the film as well. That is why I chose them to be Co-MVP’s of the film because I couldn’t think of any one else filling those roles. The make up team deserves a round of applause as well for making me believe that Leo was an old man. My only problem with the film is the speed of it, I felt it dragged a little, but that shouldn’t defer you from watching because it is interesting. I won’t give it way, but the most interesting part of the film is at the end when Clyde confronts J.Edgar for the last time. What is said is just groundbreaking as you are led to believe what a great and brave man J. Edgar was. My final grade for the film is an A- only because the acting was top notch and the make up team deserves the grade as well.

WHEN A “HAUNTED” DVD APPEARS TO BE KILLING ITS VIEWERS, CASTLE WORRIES HE MAY BE NEXT, ON ABC’S “CASTLE”

I love horror films!  Call me psycho or weird, but I am really entertained by watching those horror flicks, especially those bloody, massacre, gory types of movies … Some can’t handle them but I sure can!  One of my favorites is the American remake of a Japanese horror film ”The Ring”.

Now when it comes to TV series, there are only 2 of them that I have watched from the first Season til the last.  They are Sex and the City and 24.  Both are my ultimate favorites and I still watch them from time to time. 

So what are your favorites?

The Vampire Bat’s desire for horror has been getting stronger and stronger every day. The procedure of watching Murder 3 actually accelerated it to the maximum and therefore 3G was not to be missed. Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, The Cabin in the Woods, House at the End of the Street or The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia never came to the theatres here. There was no question of The Woman in Black. For Paranormal Activity 4, they might have had an early heart attack. But unfortunately, Piranha 3DD did arrive as pseudo-horror. The only hope was to adjust with the Resident Evil and the Underworld series as horror even as they could no longer fit into that category. This ridiculous attitude towards horror might be the worst thing about the theatres and malls around here, as they don’t really mind the local language horror movies, not checking if they are any good. At least 3G made it to most of the theatres around here, even if it is no material of Silent Hill quality. The silence of depression which every horror fan faces around here needs to be treated, and therefore, this review is going to be quite lenient – there will be no hard measures taken on this movie and it will be given a free pass in many departments.

“Wherever you go i am there: Gadha Jam” said Mohanlal in the 1989 Malayalam movie Vandanam. Here, it is a mobile phone which says the same. It is an advanced phone for a spirit to try and infect, with touch screen and 3G facility. The movie begins with a guy murdering his girlfriend stabbing her through the right eye right after proposing to her in an abandoned area. Then the screen shifts to a stylish opening credits shown in a very innovative way in the beginning. There is the mention of the billions of phone users in the world. It also talks about the large number of phantom calls which are received worldwide which cannot be traced. Here, these calls are related to spirits of the other world trying to connect to this world. That did sound a little overreaching for me, but that also gave a push both to the expectations and the scepticism. This is the beginning of an ambitious plot and we might be talking more about its ambiguity later, but for now lets get on with it.

The 3rd generation of mobile telecommunications technology makes way for Sheena (Sonal Chauhan) who comes out of the saline water of Fiji in a red bikini; was she Eos, the Greek goddess of the dawn rising in the early day light from the sea? there is the tendency to support this argument with that statuesque beauty, but still a thing much debatable – that much talked-about scene which ends after a not-so-happy conversation with her lover Sam (Neil Nitin Mukesh). But all the minute problems are solved as he comes to Fiji to be with her, losing his mobile in the process and initiating the “Kaise Bataaoon” song. There are surely in love, but are always interrupted, first by Sam’s own hallucinations which makes him see demonic faces not only on others, but also as a ghost – something which interferes with their relationship. The second stage makes him near-possessed and almost makes him strangle Sheena in her bath tub and also to take his own life by hanging. Then the spirit seems to take over him completely. To add to it, there is a video of a girl getting murdered inside the phone while strange sights and voices happen on the outside. The attempt to get rid of the phone has already failed, as it came back from being deposited in the sea as well as being broken into pieces. That should have been expected when there are dead people involved.

Neil’s territory is divided into two, one of a passionate lover and the other of the possessed. His performance as the former is never under doubt and the as the latter is incredible at times and okay on the other occasions. One of those moments is when he is seen possessed over the bath tub of his lover and the other when he asks a priest, “Have you forgiven yourself?”. There is also a scene of bloody murder which is strange, but still powered by his thrilling performance. Sonal has the supporting role, looking gorgeous and playing the character who hesitates to leave her lover despite of the haunting that happens around him and inside his mind. She never looks less than stunning throughout the movie. Every horror movie needs an eye candy (or may be even two or three), hence proven. Compared to Neil, her role is limited and so are the clothes. Forgetting the individuals, that is Neil Nitin Mukesh with his biceps, Sonal Chauhan with her multiple appearances in different bikinis and their combined efforts which are lip-locks – not avoiding the fact that they have created the much needed hype for the movie and has mixed well enough into the movie, what should be looked at the most, is the horror element. Everything else should just count as add-ons or bonus.

This movie is less of a thriller and more of a horror flick, and in that case, this one is far ahead of any of the movies in Bollywood. I would not deny that Murder 2 and Murder 3 were better in wholeness, but the fact remains that 3G better in parts. But, the problem is that this lack of wholeness makes this one inferior to the other two I mentioned. Still, the advantages of 3G includes its ability and its use of that ability to successfully generate the visual & audible fear supported by good use of sound effects & camera, in a much spookier way compared to its predecessors. The creepy environment is successfully created even in the presence of two of the best looking people on the screen, and the attention successfully shifts more to the horror elements than them. The fact that things get kind of absurd and fails to make much sense as a movie with its weaker logic still makes it good in parts. 3G certainly has its moments of horror glory, but there also those of extreme stupidity creating moments of unintentional comedy. This is more of a minor oasis in the desert of romantic comedies and mindless action for the starving horror fans in India.

There was a lot of scope for this movie, but the ghost who tries to be Miss India and a grown-up version of The Ring girl at the same time, along with the fluctuations in the story has left the audience with more to ask for. There is a certain absence of intellect as well as the presence of ambiguity throughout the movie, even as the first half rarely explains anything. The best not-so-hot, not-so-intimate scene in the movie still came in the first half, when our hero is playing a game of car race in a taxi in the mobile and with a crash in the game comes a car crash in real life, as they land in the hospital with the spirit mobile which is left unscratched. Well, watch it for Neil Nitin Mukesh’s depiction of two personalities, the possessed and the unpossessed, the dazzling beauty that is Sonal Chauhan and the interesting concept of horror which hasn’t been tried this effectively in Indian movies. There is also a message against porn in the movie, and the presence of a hidden message against the effect of technology in our lives, especially that of the mobile phones. I hope you can recollect that much remembered scene from The Ring when Samara crawls from the tv and kills Noah with fear. Nobody crawls out of the mobile though, as the ghost is both inside and outside; but keep that in mind.

The need for horror has reached its highest point right now. Unless, the multiplexes and regular theatres do not hesitate to show the bloody movies of International horror standards, there will be no satisfaction for the common horror fan. The movies like 3G, Murder 3 and Table No.21 might serve as satisfactory thrillers or sources of horror which might give a small, but certain amount of relief. If one thinks about Dracula 2012 3D in Malayalam, no lets just leave the literary works alone; for they are to be more classics than just horror and the vampire life would just be like a random Twilight unless the soul of the work makes it way to the screen. Well, how can you reach the heart even when you cut incredibly deep if there is none? How can you influence the brain if it is already frozen and unavailable? 3G doesn’t really appeal to the brain, but for the heart, it is another story. It won’t really matter how this one would turn out to be, but there will be no stopping the horror genre. If the best horror movies are brought to the theatres, that would be incredibly satisfying, or otherwise there is 3G.

Release date: 15th March 2013
Running time: 120 minutes (estimate)
Directed by: Sheershak Anand-Shantanu Ray Chibber
Starring: Neil Nitin Mukesh, Sonal Chauhan, Mrinalini Sharma, Asheesh Kapur

@ Cemetery Watch
✠The Vampire Bat.

I have a confession. There are a few (well, many) horror tropes that I just cannot stomach at all. Not because they’re cliché – although, of course, they are – but because there’s something about them that’s actually, fundamentally, terrifying.

The first involves revenants, namely the twitchy-jittery and/or fast-moving variety. True, this is one of the most hackneyed techniques used in horror movies nowadays – but still. Logically I can figure out how the twitchy-fast effect is achieved. Most likely, it’s a combination of camerawork and post-production trickery. The film is sped up; actors’ movements are edited so they seem to randomly jump across the screen; filters or dark obscuring layers are added so the creatures are blurred, and hard to get a fix on. I know this, I can work this out, logically.

But, alas, fear isn’t necessarily controlled by logic.

Read the rest of this article (in which I am a whimpering puppy) here.

(Honestly, I can hardly stand to look at this image from The Ring. FREAKS ME OUT.)

The workshop, called The Ring Screenwriting Intensive, was developed and taught by Michael St. John Smith of McIlroy & Associates of Vancouver, an experienced actor and screenwriter. The three day workshop covered both the basics and many unique, in depth techniques for screenwriters to learn and hone their craft. Scenes written during the workshop were then cast and read by actors also participating in training workshops. Bringing together these two groups is both innovative and extremely valuable. As I mentioned, they don’t often work together, and yet there is so much to benefit both when they can begin to see how the others think and work, not the least of which is a larger understanding and respect for the skills and discipline of each group. Working face to face with actors and having them bring your written words to life, all in the matter of a couple of days, is at once terrifying, validating, exhilarating and humbling. A writer immediately realizes that locked away in their solitary writing studio, they cannot achieve a completely realized project without a deeper understanding of what others with talent and specialized skills will bring to it once it leaves their hands. One is left with a sense of both renewed confidence and also humility.

Energy levels were very  high all weekend, and although drained by the end, I felt an almost euphoric energy both within myself and in the room as this collection of creative, talented and passionate writers worked through exercises, viewed film clips, shared ideas, sharpened their pencils and immersed themselves in storytelling. It was electrifying. Afterwards, as the workshop wound down, it was clear we were already feeling a sense of withdrawal from the intimate community of minds and personalities that we’d forged in such a short time.

Fortunately, The Ring workshop is new, and so its developers, Michael and Andrew, are very open to input regarding improvements, further developments and platforms to allow this fledgling community of writers to be sustained. Walking away at the end of the weekend, I can say I have a healthy appetite for more of the same, and a strong desire to ensure this community lives on and thrives. There is no excuse for sitting in your writing studio alone and cut off from the world when a community of writers and others can so energize and empower your work. Besides that it’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I strongly recommend The Ring workshop for those in the Vancouver area, but regardless go out and find like-minded individuals with whom to share your ideas and passion. There’s nothing better.

Have you had a similarly empowering experience? In the comment section below, tell me about your experiences working with other writers or actors to develop your craft, or a similar experience in a different field.

ShirtRater is now reviewing the t-shirt “Ring Bearers Anonymous”.

Come and tell us what you think!

I compiled images from twitter trend lists, then made a narrative from the images.

The Ring of Solomon is the last book in the Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud and the prequel to the trilogy.

Plot:

Bartimaeus is enslaved by a dark magician who serves the great king Solomon in Jerusalem. He hates his service but knows there is nothing to be done. After all: Solomon has the Ring. And this Rings gives him great and terrible powers one can only dream of. If you were a magician, anyway. But then he saves a girl from Sheba, who changes his life in both good and bad ways.

Opinion:

I was pleasantly surprised when this novel came out, mainly because though it I learned so much about Batimaeus. More about his relationships with humans, kings and other djinni. He’s still as witty and sarcastic as ever, even though he is now enslaved by a magician who is so cruel to his servants, they just obey him without any lip. And that isn’t how I know Bartimaeus.

Through The Ring of Solomon you also get more insight about Bartimaeus’ history and his ‘frenemy’ Farqual who is also heavily featured in the trilogy. It surprised me that they were working together in this novel, though their reasons were clear. They both hated and loathed their service and the magician and there was nothing else they could do.

Asmira, guard of the Queen of Sheba, and religious zealot is an interesting character. Everything she does, she does for Sheba and her Queen. It’s refreshing to see someone who hasn’t a thought about their own gain and worries only about others. She’s incredibly hard-headed and is slow to put preconceived notions aside, when it comes to Bartimaeus and when it comes to king Solomon.

Solomon himself also was a very interesting character. In the beginning and middle of the book, we don’t see much of him and get to know more about him through others. But when he does actually appear, he does so with a twist I didn’t see coming. King Solomon isn’t the man you think he is.

It was a refreshing novel which allowed me to better understand Bartimaeus. And for that, I am really grateful, because he is such a joy to read.

Rating:

10/10

gambar diambil dari sini

Now Playing: DJ Shadow – The Private Press – Six Days

Over the past 4 years that post has been seen by 59, 780 people (as of press time) and received 190 comments. (I will take this opportunity to note that I do not confirm all comments submitted to this blog. Hateful comments directed at another poster, a group of people, or religion, or myself are not posted.) One of these posters asked if I would be writing more on the topic of endometriosis staging in the near future. Seeing as March was around the corner, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to expand the Stages of Endometriosis topic with a second post.

Enjoy, and thank you for your continued visits, e-mails and comments! (And for trudging through my non-endometriosis related health posts lately.) Happy Endometriosis Awareness Month! Together we are stronger! 

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind, each person’s personal pain threshold and response to symptoms are different, regardless the disease staging. How you may feel with Stage I or Stage II may be the same as how someone else feel with Stage III or Stage IV. The “mild” implants and adhesions of Stage I and II may send you to countless doctor appointments, or your surgeon may coincidentally discover Stage IV severe — and symptom free — endometriosis while performing an exploratory laparoscopy for infertility. Each symptom section is meant for general knowledge, and is no way a reflection for how you may feel or how you should feel while in that particular stage of the disease. If you have questions regarding which stage you are in, or how you should fee, please consult your personal physician. 

Stage I

Severity: Stage I is classified by a “dusting” of endometriosis that’s only on the pelvic organ surfaces. Endometrial implants may be found — in small amounts — on the outside of the uterus, the ovaries and fallopian tubes or the walls of the pelvic cavity (or cul-de-sac). Implants will be few in number, are small in size and are present on one ovary. Those on the pelvic walls or peritoneum will be less than 3 centimeters, and any on the ovary will always be under 1 centimeter in size. If adhesions are present, they are thin, transparent and few in quantity.

Diagnosing & Treatment: Unless you are experiencing unusually heavy menstruation (menorrhagia), unusually painful periods (dysmenorrhea) or pain during intercourse (dyspareunia), your doctor may take the 1) wait and see approach or 2) prescribe hormonal birth control.

Hormonal birth control is now available in varying doses and delivery methods, and has become a useful non-surgical tool if your doctor suspects endometriosis. Although, it is not fool-proof and in no way replaces a diagnostic laparoscopy.

Whether you’re on “the pill,” “the ring,” “the patch,” or “the shot,” hormonal birth controls are designed to produce the same biological result: to stop your menstrual cycle. This does not always equate to stopping your period. Some pills taken non-stop, meaning you skip the weekly dose of sugar pills and continue taking the hormonal pills for four months — like Seasonique — can stop your menstrual cycle.

The Mirena is a hormonal releasing intrauterine birth control device doctors use to halt the progression of endometriosis, as well. Unlike the pill, patch or ring, a trained doctor, midwife or nurse practitioner must insert Mirena. Because the cervix is dilated,  Mirena is best used in women who have already had children, or at least been pregnant. Some women’s menstrual cycles are stopped with the Mirena, but without the menopausal side effects that come with medications like Lupron (which will be discussed later). It’s important to note, though, that not all women get this response. Others report heavy bleeding and cramping with Mirena. This can be so bad that the device is removed way before its 5 year expiration. Some women experience side effects that are worse than their endometriosis complaints. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, some 30 to 40% of the estimated 5.5 million women in North America who have endometriosis experience infertility. In the past, women with suspected endometriosis — especially in an early stage — were advised to have children. Women with the disease were encouraged to have children as early in the disease progression as possible. It was and still unknown exactly why infertility is so common among women with endometriosis. Current research is exploring possible endometriosis related causes that effect infertility, but science has yet to prove the myth that pregnant cures endometriosis. In fact, there is ample evidence — from the millions of women who still have endometriosis after delivering children — that pregnancy doesn’t cure the disease.

Remember, regardless the stage, there is no cure for endometriosis.

Stage II

Severity: Stage II is classified by the presence of deeper endometrial implants, along with the superficial implants seen with Stage I. Also present may be the thin, filmy adhesions on the ovaries, fallopian tubes cul-de-sac and uterus. Adhesions should be thin enough to measure under a 1/3 of an inch. If they are thicker, you may be progressing into Stage III moderate disease. Deep endometriosis implants will be over 3 centimeters in-depth, and contained to the peritoneum. There will be signs of superficial endometriosis on both ovaries, with implants being at least 1 centimeter. And there will be thin adhesions noted on one ovary.

Diagnosing & Treatment: 

Because of Stage II is still considered a mild form of the disease, doctors may be hesitant to perform diagnostic laparoscopies in women who have not had children or may want children in the near future. This is because any pelvic or abdominal surgery can create adhesions, which can bind to the ovaries and may interfere with fertility.

Treatments are the same for Stage I and may include Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory medications, such as Ibuprofen. Using heat and ice during your menstrual cycle, or when cramping is present, can also relax the pelvic nerves and muscles. Some women have found pain relief through meditation and biofeedback, though this does not resolve issues with bleeding or halt implants growth.

During your cycle, your ovaries produce estrogen and progesterone. Endometrial implants feed off the estrogen, using this hormone to spread and grow in size. Hormonal treatments meant to halt the ovaries estrogen production are aimed at the later, more sever stages of endometriosis. Stage I and Stage II are considered mild enough — at least clinically — to be treated with surgical excision or removal of implants via laser, and hormonal birth control.

Some doctors will offer estrogen-suppressing medication to Stage II patients once all other medication and surgical options have failed; however, due to the cost insurance company’s bear, doctors must often prove the patient has exhausted all other options. Be warned: Some insurance must have documented proof of this. Your doctor’s testimony may not be enough to get that expensive monthly Lupron shot if you’re Stage II.

Stage III

Severity: There is a marked difference between Stage III and Stage II endometriosis. With this stage, there can be both superficial and deep implants in the peritoneum, along with a partial obliteration of the cul-de-sac. Often, there will be deep endometrial implants on one ovary. The presence of chocolate cysts are common with both this stage and Stage IV. Adhesions will vary between thin, filmy, dense and massive, and cover the ovary — or ovaries — and fallopian tubes.

Diagnosing & Treatment: 

Often, but not always, by this stage, women seek medical help for their endometriosis symptoms. Pelvic pain, urinary urgency, sexual discomfort and/or excessive menstrual bleeding or bleeding in between periods causes concern. When this stage causes discomfort, it can be a mind-numbing, isolating pain that leaves the sufferer bed bound for days out of each month.

Evidence, such as extensive adhesions, chocolate cysts and an abnormally thickened endometrial layer may be seen on an ultrasound, MRI or CT scan, and can point your physician toward a diagnosis. While these signs are likely to be endometriosis, a diagnosis of endometriosis cannot be made without a diagnostic laparoscopy. A doctor should make visual, and preferably histological, confirmation of endometriosis through laparoscopy.

Stage IV 

Severity: 

Stage IV presents with a range of superficial and deep implants scattered across the peritoneum. The cul-de-sac is completely obliterated by this stage of the disease and at least one ovary will have deep implants that are at least 1 to 3 centimeters in width. At least one ovary and/or fallopian tube will be covered in a thick blanket of adhesions.

Diagnosing & Treatment:

Some women have Stage IV endometriosis and have absolutely no symptoms. Other only experience mild cramping or unusually heavy periods.

For women with surgically confirmed Stage III or IV endometriosis, though, doctor’s have medicinal and surgical options for treating the disease.

Remember, there is no cure for endometriosis. Any treatment or surgery’s goal is to temporarily alleviate pain or disease progression.

Medicinal Options Often Reserved for Stage III & IV: 

Due to their long and short-term side effects and insurance costs, doctors are not likely to turn to these medications as a first line defense. 

Estrogen Suppressing Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Agonists:

• Zoladex – this medication comes in pellet form, which is then placed under your skin by injection. A nurse or physician must inject a new Zoladex pellet into your subcutaneous belly fat every 28 days. 
• Lupron - A common medication that’s available in month or three-month injections. You must see your physician for this shot, as well.
• Synarel - Harder to control, but easier to stop if you experience unwanted side effects, Synarel is a twice daily nasal spray you self-administer.

Purpose & Side Effects: 

GnRH agonists shut down estrogen production, which in turn, slows down the growth of endometriosis. Abruptly withdrawing estrogen mimics  an immediate menopause — complete with hot flashes and mood swings. Unfortunately, your body’s estrogen levels don’t experience a gradual decline but a sudden plummet. This can negatively affect both your bone and mental health. As it stops estrogen, though, GnRH medications will stop your period. For women with excessive bleeding and pain, this may be a welcome change.

Be cautious: GnRH antagonists are not to be used for an extended period. And consider getting a second opinion if a doctor is a) too eager to prescribe GnRH medications (look for medication freebies littering the exam room that advertise a particular drug),  b) doesn’t suggest trying other options first or c) hasn’t confirmed your diagnosis via a surgical laparoscopy.

Progestin Treatment: 

Progestin mimics the progesterone your ovaries naturally create; fooling the body into thinking it is pregnant. For women with endometriosis, this is an ideal state (hence. why gynecologists once told women to get pregnant) because progesterone reduces the endometrial lining. Since it reduces the endometrial lining in the uterus, it also reduces any endometriosis implants contained in the pelvic cavity.

Progestin is available in several pills, by a 90-day Depo-Provera injection and the 5-year, slow releasing Mirena intrauterine device. Progestin treatments can stop your monthly period due to their ability to thin the endometrial lining and slow ovulation.

Surgical Options: 

Besides laser or excision removal during a laparoscopy, some women opt for a hysterectomy to ease their endometriosis symptoms. Unfortunately, many women experience a resurgence of their disease despite the removal of their ovaries and uterus.

In order to starve endometrial implants, you must remove estrogen from the body for a minimum of 6 months. I’ve heard this includes even estrogen from plant and food sources, but this may be going to the extreme.

If you are close to menopause, or already entering into a natural menopause, then surgical menopause — which includes the abrupt removal of estrogen producing organs — may not be too severe. If, however, you are young and have a high pre-op estrogen level, this sudden drop can cause drastic mental and physical side effects.

Unlike GnRH antagonists, pills and UIDs, a hysterectomy is a surgical remedy that holds no guarantees and you cannot reverse. On that note, though, if you have severe bleeding that does not abate with other medical interventions, a hysterectomy may be your best bet. As always, a hysterectomy — or whether to take a pill or use a patch — is a purely personal decision. I do not endorse one treatment over the other. Speak with your doctor and make an informed decision concerning your personal medical history, diagnosis, estimated progression and personal preference.  

Ever turn on a horror movie and the giant hulking man in the mask doesn’t scare you at all, but then you change the channel and this little kid is freaking you out like your girlfriend forget her birth control, but didn’t tell you? Children are terrifying. Absolutely. Terrifying. But, why though? Aren’t they supposed to be the last untainted beings on the planet? Aren’t they sweet and innocent and all that other lollipops and gum drops, these are a few of my favorite things, shit? Yeah, they are supposed to be. And that very word: SUPPOSED is the key. So when they are not it terrifies us. They represent purity and goodness, and when they aren’t it really sends us for one hell of a tailspin. So yeah. Here is Horror Horde’s list of the 10 Scariest Horror Children EVER.

10. Linda Blair: The Exorcist (1973)

As Regan McNeil, Blair gives a very strong performance. The movement of her body is definitely going to give you nightmares IF you are a young child when you see this. If you are not, you really won’t be too scared by The Exorcist at this time in your life. The writing and the film as a film holds up, but its scariness is somewhat lost. Points for being a classic. Points deducted for not doing your own possessed voice. God, Linda!

9. Macaulay Culkin: The Good Son (1993)

Woah, woah, woah. You’re telling me that Mac was in movies where he didn’t play a cute little kid who gets left behind when his family goes on vacation…twice, or a cute little kid who can’t see without his glasses and dies from a bee sting, or a slightly older, yet still cute little kid who doesn’t have any friends and realizes that all of the money in the Rich family can’t buy them? As Henry Evans, the sadistic child villain in this 1993 thriller, Culkin wows with how creepy the cute little kid from early 90s fame can be in the slightly later early/mid 90s. Good flick. Any word on Home Alone 3 though, Mac?

8. Kyra Schon: The Night of the Living Dead (1968)

A wise songwriter once wrote: “Kyra, oh Kyra, what are we going to with you?” Actually…on second thought I think that was an Aaron Carter song-BUT the message is still the same! As the child of two difficult humans during the zombie apocalypse, Schon shines (pun intended). The storyline pays off when the sick daughter (Schon) ends up turning into a zombie, and then stabs her mother to death with a garden tool (I know, uncharacteristic of zombies, but hey-Romero was trailblazing, brotha).

7a. & 7b. Im Soo-jung & Moon Geon Young: A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)

Forget the Japanese stalwarts like The Grudge or Ring, but turn your eyes West on the map to Korea. This gem from Korea is the basis of the American remake: The Uninvited, a still decent movie that creeps you out, but fails to capture the original’s terror. The twist at the end is nuts, and the two sisters (whose names I don’t feel like typing again) are amazing. The best in Asian horror cinema.

6. Courtney Gains: Children of the Corn (1984)

As Malachai, Courtney Gains stuns in this film. I know, I know, some people are going to be upset that I used Malachai over Isaac, but Isaac sucks. He is nowhere near the character that Mally is. Gains is genuinely scary as this strong Lt. to Isaac and when he ultimately takes over the children, the film gets truly twisted and interesting. Malachai for the win. Well, 6th place….woot…

5. Susan Swift: Audrey Rose (1977)

Playing the character, Ivy, the story follows swift as a young girl who was born, then killed in a fire, then born again. The premise today sounds kind of iffy, but in terms of the 70s, audiences ate it up, and it is still quite tasty today. The scene where Swift hits her head on the glass and is burned is one of the best 70s examples of cringe-inducing discomfort. Uncomfortable, that is the way to describe the feeling this film evokes. Almost as uncomfortable as having your father friend your brother and sister on facebook, but not you. Almost. Not quite.

4. Harvey Spencer Stephens: The Omen (1976)

As Damien, this child really brings the heat (pun intended…again). He is the son of Satan in this horror classic. The dark features of this cute little kid are totally played against the audience. The creepiness that seeps out of this film is incredible. The scene where Damien’s mother falls from a ladder and he just sits there unresponsive on his trike is mesmerizing. The ending is also nice and dramatic, like a normal non-horror movie. Gregory Peck dies trying to kill Damien and the demonic child ends up with the President-getting more and more political power in his reach. Mwahaha, Damien sucks though as a person.

3. Patty McCormack: The Bad Seed (1956)

The above picture is so sweet, isn’t it? Well, no. This girl right here be cray-in the best way possible. Rhoda is a truly haunting character, able to convey sweetness and stark creepiness all in the same film, sometimes the same scene effortlessly Let me put it to you this way: how many child actors have Academy Award nominations? How many have Academy Award nominations for a horror movie out in a time before horror was cool? Yeah. I can dig it.

2. Heather O’Rourke: Poltergeist (1982)

The iconic image. The poster for the movie. The child sitting on the ground, back to us, with her hands on a snowy television screen. This image would be enough for this adorable actress to make her way on to this list, but thankfully, she doesn’t start there. In an all around solid film, O’Rourke’s innocence plays as the driving force behind the family’s desire to save themselves. She is perfect in this film and it is one of the saddest theories in horror that the Poltergeist curse may have played a part in her premature death. RIP.

1. Lisa and Louise Burns: The Shining

I talked in number 2- the list, not poop- about the idea of an iconic image. No horror image is as haunting and iconic as the image above, the Grady twins standing in a hallway before little Danny Torrence. The shining is an absolute masterpiece of a film, lead by the flawless Jack Nicholson. The terror and dread evoked by these two little girls in such a short time on screen is brilliance from Kubrick, but also from these young children. Just standing there, holding hands. That part in itself is also creepy, they hold hands which is the universal symbol for caring and togetherness and they just want to mess things up and haunt people. Amazing. Gah. I love this film and these girls.

Oh yes. A concert, of course! It was an odd but relaxing experience to be at a concert without having to take notes down to write a report but as I rocked up at Strøm I expected a largely empty room, like when I saw them in Leeds 2 years ago. Boy was I wrong, the room was absolutely rammed and as I cooly take my place leaning on the bar the opening strains of Luke Sital-Singh’s acoustic balladry rang out. Annoyingly I was stood next to two very noisy women who couldn’t keep their voices down even when told to “shut the fuck up” by people around them. It was at times difficult to hear the music over their incessant warbling.

They were soon ejected from the venue.

An actual photo taken from the pub quiz

I have to say, I’m not really a big fan of Villagers’ new album but as a live spectacle it all seemed to make more sense, even if they didn’t play my favourite song.

Thursday saw me head north to take part in the most overly serious pub quiz I have ever known. The combination of an irish pub, alcohol and students should have resulted in a jovial, we’re-not-really-that-arsed-about-winning atmosphere but this was killed thanks to Cruella De Vil and an old Jonny Depp who were sat behind us. A friend of ours was having a quick check of Facebook on his phone (because our conversation was hugely riveting). Cruella proceeded to march straight to the Quizmaster and promptly tell on us for ‘cheating’. Remember, this is a 50-odd year old woman and this is what her life has come to.

Our current favourite board game

Safe to say we didn’t get close to troubling the scores of this unbelievably film-biased quiz and we headed onwards to an odd bar full of odd locals singing Karaoke where we stayed for about an hour. Unfortunately it had reached that awkward time of evening where the trams don’t run and I had to walk the 6km home, with the time my alarm was set for rapidly approaching. Safe to say Friday wasn’t my most productive day at work and as I got home all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. However my neighbours asked me if I wanted to join them to play board games and i can NEVER turn down a board game! We ended up playing until close to two before calling it a night. THAT’S how you should spend Friday nights; nice clean fun.

Saturday saw us head to Karin’s house for pre-drinks which descended into Thomas and I shutting ourselves in a room and serenading one another with Coldplay and Radiohead on guitar whilst Karin was forced to sit and listen to the terrible racket of Tom and Daniel’s band, which they felt was perfect for predrinks.

We then headed to Glockenbackwerkstatt near the centre of town, which turns out to be where all the goths of Munich go to play . The minimalist lighting was a nightmare after a few drinks, especially when there was a scary lady who looked like the girl from The Ring swaying to and fro on the dancefloor. It was actually a really cool place though so can’t really complain.

Sunday saw me heading to the Allianz Arena once again as I watched 1860 fail to impress YET AGAIN. I spent Sunday evening in the cinema as is the norm now, as  I went with my neighbour Remo to see Les Miserables for a second time. Still brilliant.

As a parting gift, here’s a fantastic story about a slightly heavier Batman who has been fighting crime in Bradford. God I love Yorkshire.

Patience, tenacity and explosiveness is how I would characterize shooting the regional Golden Gloves Championship. Oh…and the boxers did okay too…

Be well

#5 The Ring (2002)

US Box Office Sales = $129M

The Ring was the introduction by Hollywood of the Japanese horror film.  Pretty much done shot for shot of the original film Ring U, The Ring follows a young journalist introduced to a disturbing video that according to urban legend, leads to the mysterious death of whoever watches it after 7 days.

#4 The Blair Witch Project (1999)

US Box Office Sales = $141M

The Blair Witch Project took theaters by storm in 1999.  It was a low budget independent horror film costing a mere $35,000.  It was shot documentary style about 3 young filmmakers searching out a legendary witch in the woods and when they head into the forest to investigate strange things begin to happen to them.  The Blair Witch Project was in no way a great film, but showed that with a small budget and enough imagination, you could create a high grossing horror movie.  It later paved the way for other similar horror films like Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield.

#3 Gremlins (1984)

US Box Office Sales = $148M

Gremlins is a cross between a horror movie and a bizarre version of the muppets.  It’s in no way scary and definitely contains more comedy then horror, but it is still a great film nonetheless.  It’s a fun romp that is perfect to watch every Christmas at the very least.

#2 What Lies Beneath (2000)

US Box Office Sales = $155M

What Lies Beneath is a supernatural horror film starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as a well off couple who are experiencing all kinds of strange activity in their Vermont home.  It’s filled with suspense as it’s slowly revealed why their house is being haunted and the mystery becomes solved.

#1 Jaws (1975)

The Steven Spielberg classic Jaws made sure that no one ever wanted to go into the water ever again.  Following a police chief of a small island community investigating mysterious missing people, it’s found that a giant, psychotic killer Great White Shark is hungry for blood and eating all those who enter the ocean.  While it’s not the scariest film in the world, it kept me from going into lakes as a child even though I was assured that Sharks can’t live in fresh water.

So the moment season once concluded, I began with this. No sense in taking a break between the shows, right? Exactly how I felt about it. Plus now that Chuck has it’s hooks in me, there is not a chance in hell that I would be able to ignore it even if I wanted to, anyway. So back to watching.

*CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Synopsis: What with Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) narrowly avoiding been thrown into a deep and dark cell for protection, Major John Casey (Adam Balwin) is issued orders to eliminate Chuck now that the Intersect may be removed. The team discovered a device that is said to be the last piece of the new Intersect. Chuck is overjoyed, and goes into full swing about what he will do with his life now that he has escaped the Intersect. He asks Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) to go out on a real date with him, and is overjoyed when she accepts. He informs his sister, Ellie Bartowski (Sarah Lancaster) that he will be moving out and finishing up studies and possibly travelling the world. Could this be the beginning of something beautiful? It turns out that it is most definitely not a thing of beauty. The new Intersect device turns out to be a faulty Fulcrum device, and the Intersect is destroyed, leaving Chuck bitter and hopeless, yet saving his life when at the last minute Casey hears Sarah take a call telling them that the Intersect was a bust, and Chuck is all that they have left, hence screwing up his assassination. Chuck’s world crumbles when he realizes that the Intersect is going nowhere, and neither is his life or romance. They Buy More it is then, though he has turned down the position of Assistant Manager, and with the hot fake girlfriend, although he vows he will find a way to get back to where he was. Emmett Milbarge (Tony Hale) comes in to pull the Buy More together, and the employees are horrified when he is employed full time. Emmett is the essence of all that the Buy More staff hate, but “Big” Mike (Mark Christopher Lawrence) seems to love him. We take a look at Sarah’s past when old high school “friends” run into her at her new place of work, Orange Orange, the yogurt store. The CIA seems to have sprung for a new base, and so Castle comes to exist beneath the Buy More and Orange Orange. The life of missions and secrecy begins again. Later, Ellie is beside herself with pride because, although Chuck returned to the Buy More and did not advance on to greater things as he promised, his Stanford degree arrives. Chuck goes with the story that he has been taking online courses, and is shocked to find out from Sarah that the degree is real, and not a gimmick.

Chuck’s old flame from Stanford, Jill Roberts (Jordana Brewster) steps back into his life, and unluckily for him, he lands the job of having to strike up a relationship with her again to see if she knows anything about her boss’s activities. Surprisingly, Chuck and Jill get along wonderfully, and after the initial lies, they fall back into an easy relationship. Chuck’s best friend, Morgan Grimes (Joshua Gomez) is slightly horrified that Chuck is back with his ex and that he was the last to know. Ellie worries about Chuck making the wrong decision in leaving Sarah, and gets involved with sort of trying to fix things. Sarah and Casey get hold of a stolen Fulcrum chip that would have jeopardized all their identities, they make a terrible discovery: Jill is an undercover Fulcrum agent. They are sure that she does not know that Chuck is the Intersect, as Fulcrum have their hands full tracking down Bryce, but this all leads to unnecessary complications. Chuck’s heart is shattered when he hears, and he tries to ignore the facts. Instead they bring her in, and again she screws him over, leading to Chuck ultimately imprisoning her for life, and not even feeling too guilty about it, although he is suffering immensely.

Ellie struggles to deal with Devon Woodcomb’s (Ryan McPartlin) family swooping in and attempting to take over her wedding, and she is stressed out enough without their constant “awesome” input. Chuck promises to bring his father home to walk Ellie down the aisle even though she evidently has her doubts.Sarah’s father, Jack Burton (Gary Cole), comes to town, and Chuck does a little spy work and establishes she is not dating an older man, but seeing her father. Slowly but surely he uncovers the fact that Jack is a conman of note, and soon they are all wrapped up in a crazy con that General Diane Beckman (Bonita Friedericy) has tasked them. Morgan and Anna Wu (Julia Ling) are having major upsets in their relationship as she is evidently looking for something more mature, and this results in their relationship being on-again-off-again.

Castle

On Christmas eve, a crazy man crashes his car into the Buy More and takes the store hostage, and Chuck becomes his communication man with the outside world and the negotiator. Chuck realizes that he is in trouble when he finds out the hostage taker and the negotiator are both with Fulcrum, and that they now know exactly who and what he is, and are intent on taking him away. After an escape is made and he is again saved by Casey and Sarah, he accidentally witnesses Sarah putting a bullet in the negotiators head, but fails to hear her reasoning before it when the man says he will gladly be locked up, but that Chuck’s secret and identity will forevermore be compromised. There is a distinct shift in their relationship. Chuck and Sarah are sent on a mission to the suburbs, and uncover that the cul-de-sac is actually a Fulcrum operating ground, and that they are intent in using Chuck to upload the Fulcrum Intersect. Chuck now has brand new and expansive knowledge in his brain. It seems he will never be free of being the Intersect.

In all of this, “Big” Mike has lost his wife, and Morgan is disgusted when he picks it up with his mother. Now “Big” Mike is his boss and he is at home all the time. MI-6 Agent Cole Barker (Jonathan Cake) is the first person outside of the team that knows Chuck’s real identity and secret, and is kidnapped by Fulcrum for the information. He returns, however, intent on helping Team Bartowski out as much as he can. They chase after a man that is involved in developing a new Intersect, and Chuck learns about the mysterious creator of the original Intersect, Orion. Chuck makes it his mission to find Orion himself and have him reverse engineer the Intersect.

General Beckman pops in and out of the equation all the time, and things get a little out of hand when she feels that Chuck and Sarah’s relationship may be getting to a place where it places them all in danger, and sends in another agent, a 49-B agent, Alexander Forrest (Tricia Helfer), to evaluate Sarah’s performance. She seems just like the type of woman Casey needs in his life, but the two have differences. Ellie and Devon go through some serious drama when his bachelors party is botched, what with Jeff Barnes (Scott Krinsky) and Lester Patel (Vik Sahay) taking photos of Agent Forrest playing the stripper all over Devon on a mission. Ellie is heartbroken, and furious when no one will tell her what happened, even just to ease her mind.

Sarah tracks down Chuck’s father, Stephen Bartowski (Scott Bakula), and together with Chuck they bring him home to Ellie. The reunion does not exactly go down smoothly, but Chuck is convinced it will work. However, things get crazy when Chuck is asked to take a job at Roark Industries and stop the new Roark Industries Operating System going live, as they think there is a virus embedded in it. It turns out that that is no concern of theirs when Stephen reveals himself to be Orion and Ted Roark (Chevy Chase) takes him down to build the Fulcrum Intersect. The only way this plays out is if Chuck is let free, and so he walks, but hassles Casey and Sarah to help him. Ultimately only Sarah rises to the role, and goes rogue. Casey brings them in, and Chuck hears that Casey was promoted to Colonel. He is desperate to save his father, and when they break out of Castle, they eventually convince Casey that they really need his help.

Jeffster crashing the wedding

Ellie has completely broken down thinking that both her father and brother have left her, and Devon mans up, which is so sweet. Chuck needs to save his father, and when they are there to get him, he hears that Roark is building an Intersect army. He tries to stop him, and when they are all captured, an airstrike takes the place apart after the Intersect is released. Stephen let’s Chuck know that he is free of the Intersect, and Chuck is thrilled. Chuck quits the Buy More to start his new life, and Morgan quits, too, under the horrendous seige of Emmett, leaving for Hawaii with Anna to become a Benihana chef. Chuck’s enthusiasm is short lived, however, when they return to Burbank and Ellie’s wedding is crashed by Ted Roark’s return. Just as Casey, Sarah and Chuck were all returning to their lives. Chuck turned down the opportunity to work on the new Intersect project, and Bryce Larkin (Matt Bomer) is there to take over the project. Chuck tries desperately to make it up to Ellie, and gives her the exact wedding she wanted initially. While in the courtyard having the reception, Stephen Bartowski informs them that has been captured by bad men, and they discover he has a prototype Intersect uploaded in his brain from when he created it. The team goes after the men that took Bryce, who turn out to be a new group that they know nothing about: these men are Ring operatives, and they are everywhere. Bryce is shot and killed in action, trying to destroy the Intersect. Chuck uploads the Intersect 2.0 and destroys the machine. The new Intersect has some distinct upgrades, though, and Chuck has some sweet moves to show off.

Best Episode:  Chuck versus the First Date

Worst Episode: Chuck versus the Gravitron

Rating:  8/10. I was so entertained by this season. I adored the first episode with Michael Clarke Duncan and the whole Call of Duty skit. Whoever said games can’t save your life?! I laughed so much in this season. I have managed to not really hate Bryce as much as I know I should (loyally to Chuck, that is). He has a nasty habit of showing up at the most inopportune times, but it seems that he accepts his loss of Sarah, and moves out of the picture, even though it ended with a forceful removal. My heart ached for Morgan in Chuck versus the Best Friend because I thought the things that Chuck said to Morgan were horrendously cruel. I know he was saving Morgan from being killed by the Triads and all that, but it even cut me how he ripped his dignity to shreds while he was already in a bad place from losing Anna (again). Hats off to Joshua Gomez for breathing life into that scene without trying to laugh it off. It is as though he, personally, absorbed the insults wholeheartedly. I am so glad that Chuck finally got his degree, I think that must have helped him not feel so useless all the time. Chuck made a huge sacrifice at the end by re-uploading the Intersect after tasting his freedom so briefly. I was so impressed with Morgan leaving the Buy More to follow his dreams for a change, and not run after everything everyone else always wants. If you don’t watch Chuck, I would highly recommend it. I don’t know if everyone will follow the geeky humour, but if you are one that can, then this is definitely for you! Even if the humour is not your thing, the show is put together very well.

It all started on a cool April weekend when we were planning a trip to Maine. I had purchased a spa day package for Mrs. M. at the All Seasons Salon & Spa in Kennebunkport, ME.  We picked a weekend headed to Maine early Sat. morning to make the 9AM appointment with plans of making the 2 hour trip back home that same day! I had some friends call her and tell her “that they were excited about us coming over their house later that night for a bonfire. *I had to throw her off the scent because I had a hunch that she was expecting me to pop the question. I am all about the surprise! After all, a girl needs a great story to tell, right?

While I waited for her 3 hour pampering to finish up, I decided to take in some of the local sites. I am an amateur photographer and I am always looking forward to photographing new locations. Here are some photos I took while I was waiting:

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about just how important The Ring (Hideo Nakata, 1998) – and that’s it’s name, “Ringu” was devised by DreamWorks to differentiate it from the 2002 remake – is to contemporary horror. You can see its influence in all sorts of recent releases; Mama (Andreas Maschietti, 2013) is particularly steeped in J-horror tropes, The Ring especially. Everything spooky and uncanny about 2000s horror seems to come from Nakata and his fellow J-horror filmmakers. But it was also a huge shift in how people thought about horror. Non-American films have always played a pivotal role in the horror genre as a whole, but, a number of English and Italian horror classics were co-produced by American studios or distributors, and were, of course, in English. The gialli of Bava and Argento were marginal, even within the genre; drive-in and grindhouse fare in the 1970s when horror was moving into the mainstream of public consciousness, and into the multiplexes. Although Bava’s 1971 film Twitch of the Death Nerve (known under several other titles, including Bay of Blood) or Argento’s The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) seem to directly prefigure the slasher films, for example, John Carpenter, Sean Cunningham, and co. have never, to my knowledge, acknowledged an influence. (And, indeed, I spoke with one critic who had interviewed them extensively, and his report is that the Americans claim to have never seen any of the Italian films.)

The Ring  marked the first time that the center of gravity of the horror genre really moved outside of the United States, although the US took a couple years to catch on: The Ring‘s appearance coincides with the release of two of the most profitable horror movies of the last few decades, The Sixth Sense (M. Night Shyamalan, 1999) and The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, 1999), along with an influx of studio money into horror and horror-ish projects like House on Haunted Hill, The Haunting, The Mummy, Stir of Echoes, Stigmata, etc. Motivated, I can only guess, by the great success of the Scream franchise, the end of the decade saw the studios throwing a bunch of expensive, unconvincing CGI effects at big movie stars, and providing big-budget marketing campaigns to back them up. The Sixth Sense featured a big movie star, Bruce Willis, and was backed by indiewood studio Miramax. It would make an obscene amount of money. The Blair Witch seemed to open up another possible path, a horror cinema that returned to the no-budget independence that produced the now-canonized masterpieces of the genre in the 1970s. Of course, Hollywood learned from Blair Witch not that it should seek out innovative independent projects, but that it should focus more on internet marketing. Shyamalan, meanwhile, continued to make “event” movies that hang on a gimmicky premise and, although he still has his champions among critics, he is no longer the bankable name he once was. More important than that, however, is that Hollywood never figured out how to replicate The Sixth Sense‘s success. Even with such excellent Shyamalan-esque films as The Others (Alejandro Amenabar, 2001) and The Devil’s Backbone (Guillermo Del Toro, 2001), Hollywood seemed to move on quickly, growing preoccupied with importing monsters and other tropes of horror into action movies and teen-oriented movies (including supernatural romances, obviously).

The Ring provided a path away from the morass that plagued horror at the turn of the millennium, and not just because of its aesthetic value – though it is, of course, incredibly effective and quite beautiful at times. Its worldwide success was not the singular, unrepeatable event that Blair Witch was, nor was its appeal focused on the celebrity auteurship of director Hideo Nakata, as The Sixth Sense was. The Ring introduced a style, a way of conveying creepy atmospherics, that could be built on by other films from Japan. But it also made room, somehow, for films that have almost nothing to do with its style. Without Ring, Kenji Fukasaku’s Battle Royale or Takashi Miike’s Ichi the Killer and Happiness of the Katakuris probably wouldn’t have received the international attention they did. Similarly, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s surrealist horror films might have been consigned to the art house if The Ring didn’t help to create an audience for J-horror around the world.

Why did Ring burrow so deeply into the genre’s collective imaginary? I’ve been thinking through the technological aspect recently. For one thing, it was perfectly poised on the precipice of digital technology, dealing primarily with analogue – VHS, celluloid photography, telephones before the transition to cell phones had become ubiquitous – but using it to express concerns more specifically about the digital. The images on the videotape are produced not through indexical photography but are generated spontaneously by the ghost Sado. The rapid proliferation of the video’s curse, spreading like a virus (to quote the title of the South Korean remake of the film[3]), reflects not just anxiety over the digital spread of information but a geographically dispersed digital presence. The film is largely built around a traditional mystery narrative, in which the reporter Reiko attempts to decode the video’s cryptic images in order to find the originating source. Once she has discovered Sado’s identity and linked her with the videotape, the film narrows its mystery to one of location: Reiko frantically attempts to find Sado’s body so that the ghost can be put to rest and, assumedly, the vengeful spirit soothed before she falls victim to the curse. Of course, the discovery of the body does nothing to halt the curse’s deadly progression: there is no physical location to which the curse or the images on the videotape correspond. Furthermore, Reiko and her son are only spared because they participate in the continued spread of the images and the curse they bring with them; they survive because they make a copy and show it to another. Not dissimilar to another late-90s film that was initially successful but became a hit on dvd (although, course, The Matrix franchise saw considerably greater success), The Ring articulated a new set of anxieties associated with the digital age. The ghost and its threats follow a digital logic, plaguing a set of victims stuck in analogue thinking, and it is perhaps not a coincidence that The Ring would become one of the releases that established Tartan’s successful and influential “Asia Extreme” dvd label at the time that the dvd viewing and collecting was becoming widespread.

Despite what you would expect, one of the most successful viral marketing campaigns ever took place in 1999. Internet popularity was still in its infancy, YouTube, Facebook, and Myspace were not even invented yet, and Google had only been founded the year before. The campaign I am referring to is the one for the movie The Blair Witch Project. A simple website helped launch the film from small indie movie to the horror movie hall of fame.

For those of you who do not know the plot of The Blair Witch Project, it features three student filmmakers who disappear in the woods of Maryland while making a documentary about the Blair Witch. The movie is supposed to be comprised of their found footage 10 years later.  In order to make the movie scary the audience was led to believe that this was a true story and that these people actually went missing. To achieve this appearance they designed a website with fake mythology of the Blair Witch, fake police report pictures of the recovered film reels, and even fake videos of news reports from when the filmmakers went missing. To supplement the website they created rumors on online message boards and took out a full-page ad that only read “blairwitch.com: 21,222,589 hits to date”. Their strategy was simple, but incredibly effective. This small independent movie was made for only an estimated $60,000; to put that in to perspective The Shining was made for $19 million, Nightmare on Elm Street was made for $35 million, and The Ring was made for $48 million. However, this incredibly low-budget film went on to gross about $250,000,000 worldwide.

The fact that this all took place when using the Internet for promotion was relatively uncommon worked to their advantage. This would be a much more difficult task to achieve in today’s world of social media and plethora of Internet advertisements: people would find out it was fake or it would get pushed aside in a sea of other things to look at online. Fortunately, the campaign created just enough buzz and mystery around the movie for it to be a success.

If you want to check out the website it is still active and can be found at:

http://www.blairwitch.com.

Sources:

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/06/07/super-8-best-viral-marketing-movies/

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/some-best-movie-campaigns-blair-witch-hunger-games-147351?page=2