Today’s INktober is the 3rd in the Dungeon Tours theme. This is the elven tech-runner who’s resposible for greasing the wheels. He is the member who is never seen by outsiders; if you never see him, he’s done his job right. He has a rogue’s training and dresses in black. He’s silent, unflappable and has a never-ending supply of various tapes, for securing, fabricating, repairing, and helping actors hit their marks. I present: The Shadow.
The Shadow, by Monica Marier 2015
Happy Future Day, Hill Vallians! We didn’t get hover-boards, but I think being able to stream movies via internet is a pretty awesome feature. So today on Netflix, I watched The Others, and now I will use future technology to tell more than my kids about it!
The Others, 2001, Warner Brothers
I had never seen this movie before, but sadly I’d had the ending spoiled for me about 10 years ago. And the scariest seen was already given away in the freaking trailer.
*siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh*
That being said, it was really entertaining to watch with the twist in mind. I could actually follow the second story very well and I liked the characters a lot. It made it definitely less-scary, but no less interesting. I’m not a huge Nichole Kidman fan either, and I found her captivating in this.
Nitpicking:I did flinch a few times at inaccuracies. The weird not-at-all-doctrinal views of supposedly Catholic teachings made a few scenes really groan-worthy. And memorial photos to “preserve souls?” Please. Memorial photos were mementos and nothing more, usually taken because family photos cost a tidy sum and there were very few occasions other than a birth or a wedding that people would gladly plonk down money for them. Also, I like Christopher Eccleston, but I really don’t know why his character was even in it. His brief appearance didn’t give us any new information and it was sort of pointless and confusing
It would take a lot for me to say “no thanks” to this.
But the cinematography and great story-telling made this a great movie. I’ll add it to my yearly roster from now on.
Quick one today. Playing with a chisel-tip giant sharpie. It came out Bamboo so I made a bamboo grove and the moon with the rabbit in it. Cheers.
Usagi by Monica Marier 2015, Sharpie Chisel
Real quick today, because I got a date with the Mythgard institute tonight. Today I watched a brilliant horror pick based on a short story by Stephen King: Children of the Corn
Children of the Corn, 1984, New World Pictures
This was a movie I was always consciously aware of when I was a kid. I knew a few kids who had seen it, and more than a few grown-ups had used the phrase “children of the corn” to describe my generation. I only saw this film for the first time last year. Mostly I could never make it past the scene with the deli-slicer at the beginning, but thankfully, that was really the most graphic part of the film. The rest of the movie makes it’s bank on delicious world-building and story-telling of a town of Satan worshiping children led by the charismatic mystery-child Isaac.
“Slap-bracelets and Dunk-a-roos for all!”
(Fun fact: the actor playing Isaac, John Franklin, was 25 at the time. He suffers from growth hormone deficiency, which casting agents felt added to the “otherworldly” feel of Isaac’s character and helped him to sound more “grown-up.”)
The rest is your typical formula of two outsiders stumbling on this towns secrets and trying to get away, but the characterization and the awesome execution make this a goose-pimply ride. Also surprising that this guy is still considered one of the most terrifying of movie villains:
I blame this movie for the current rash of anti-ginger sentiment.
I’m bone tired today, so I decided to draw the REASON I’m too tired to do a fancy picture today. This is “actual” depiction of me trying to cram a rowing machine, a step machine, and a step-glider into a minivan by me onesies. WOof.
Rise of the Machines, by Monica Marier 2015, pen and ink (faber-castell)
Today I watch a great remake of a classic film: The Mummy
The Mummy, 1999 Universal Pictures
The 90’s is when Hollywood looked at the classic monster movies and over the course of a decade, tried to revamp them all (they also liked to slap the author’s name over the title despite the fact that the 90’s versions are all the LEAST faithful adaptations of the books—excluding The Mummy and the Wolf Man which were movies first) . I think The Mummy was their most successful endeavor because, in part, it had WAY more fun and is actually more entertaining than the Karloff original which is slow-paced and very disjointed. The Mummy is more of a classic 30’s-style screwball adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones. I think Sommers looked at the old Karloff movie, said, “You know Universal was just making stuff up about Egyptian history and mythology. Let’s just make no bones about the fact that we’re making crap up and just tell a nutty story people can enjoy.”
In fact, the characters are so funny and lovable that my research nut that’s screaming, “Why would they MUMMIFY someone they wanted to be cursed? Mummification wasn’t a punishment it was a privilege to ensure immortality! They would have tossed him on the sand to “rot” and be condemned to wander the earth as a ghost!” is actually pretty happy.
We’re condemning a murderer to have his body prepared free of charge and a large beautiful coffin to ensure his spirit will have a place to rest for all eternity. Take that, Jerkface!
So apart from the whole “white people saving the day” trope that gets a little flinchy in places, this is a pretty cool horror/fantasy flick with an awesome baddy. My only complaints are that a) Brendan Fraser is just too Canadian to be a bad-boy we’re supposed to believe he is. His face always looks like he’s about to say “sorry,” after every nasty line.
“Um, I’m uncomfortable with the amount of times I say ‘damn’?”
b) Rachel Weiss was not in the 3rd movie in this franchise. I still get mad about that.
She was having her baby! You couldn’t WAIT??
Here’s Inktober Day 18. I’ve wanted to do this for a while: Here’s Cinderaptor. I wrote a short story about her ages ago, and I haven’t drawn her yet. For added fun, I used orange construction paper. You can read the short story here.
Cinderaptor, by Monica Marier 2015, pen and gel pen on construction paper.
Today I watch a brilliant horror movie from the 80’s, Warlock
Warlock, 1989 New World Pictures
First of all, this movie wins all the kudos for how much research went into this. Everything from the thumb pillories to the use of salt, the hex symbols of the barns, holy churchyard. All of these little touches made my nerd heart squeal with delight. I could go on, but that’d just spoil the magic. It’s freaking magic.
Oh and Julian Sands.
Y’all ready fer some Footbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall?
He pretty much steals the show from Richard E. Grant and the rest of the supporting cast. BEST horrific wizard villian ever. This guy was Luscious Malfoy before there WAS a Luscious Malfoy.
“That’s LUCIUS!”
So, yeah. If you’re craving Harry Potter fantasy with more tongues being bitten out and no Harry set in 1986 USA, this is the gore-flick for you.
Today’s offering for Inktober is a half-elf bard code name: THE FACE. She’s studying her script for the next Dungeon Tour. She has to be both the victim and the villain so she has a quick-change costume that will adapt. Sorry for the weird angle I shot it with, but my hands keep shaking and I’m tired.
The Face by Monica Marier
Today’s fare is a cheesy little fun flick called Zombie Nightmare.
Zombie Nightmare, 1986 New World Pictures
And there’s only really 2 reasons to watch this movie.
1.Adam
2. West
DAT STACHE.
The makeup is terrible, the characters and plot are really kind of weak and cliched, the main protagonist is just… really hard to look at. It’s baffling.
I don’t get it, so your nipples are too warm, but your neck is cold? Why is this shirt the way it is?
But for all that, this is a really a hilariously so-bad-it’s-good that’s a joy to watch and heckle. Watch with beer and buds with a case of the late-night sillies. Bonus: it has an AWESOME soundtrack of made of metal all-stars from the mid-80s.
Monica Marier Author 