Happy Halloween-10 Scary Movies

Halloween is just around the corner so I thought I would share some of my favorite scary movies (in no particular order). I added a warning for most of them in case some of you are squeamish.


1. Seven-Oh Gwyneth Paltrow...you will never be the same! Seven is the story of a NYPD detective (Morgan Freeman) who is retiring in a week. He is partnered up with Brad Pitt and they are searching for a serial killer who is committing murders based on the seven deadly sins. I remember seeing this movie with a friend when it first came out. I considered walking out after the first murder, Gluttony, but my curiosity got the better of me and I stayed for the whole film. The relationship between Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt is interesting to watch. Warning: The movie does not show the actual killings only the aftermath which is quite gruesome.


2. Blair Witch Project-This movie scared the crap out of me!! It is true that what you don't see will scare you the most. Three film students go to the woods in Burkittsville, Maryland to document the legend of the Blair Witch. They disappear (of course) but their film footage is found. I remember when I first saw the poster for this film a month before it came out-very clever advertising campaign because the poster made you think that this was a true story and when I finally saw the movie, it played out like a real documentary. The three students are chased by something but you never know by who or what exactly...is it a crazy person? the blair witch? Ted Kosinski? Warning: If you don't like jerky camera movement, especially if it makes you nauseous, please don't see this movie. Also, you probably will never camp in the woods again after seeing this film.


3. The Exorcist-This list wouldn't be complete without this classic. You either love it or hate or you laugh all the way through it (as my brother did when it first came out). Everyone knows the story of poor 13-year old Regan who gets possessed by the the big, bad, awful devil. My favorite scene is when Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) arrives at Regan's house in Washington DC (see image)-this is a great movie moment. The last time I was in DC I actually went to the famous stairs where Father Karras falls down after the exorcism. I fist saw this movie on television many years after it first came out. I watch it every once in awhile and it still disturbs me 30+ years after it was made. Check out the special DVD edition and see Regan do the spider walk-extremely creepy! Warning: Gross pea soup scene and inappropriate usage of religious objects-need i say more?


4. Alien-I remember when I was very young and having to stay home while my brothers and sisters went to see Alien. I remember how excited they all were to be seeing this movie and how pissed I was that I was too young to go see it too! The idea that no one can hear you scream in space and the fact that you never really see the Alien until the last scene keeps you on the edge of your seat. Again, what you don't see will scare you the most (see Blair Witch Project above). Yaphet Kotto is in this movie! Warning: Alien comes out of of John Hurt's stomach.


5. The Ring-This movie makes no sense-creepy little girls coming out of television sets and videos that when watched causes people to die but still loads of fun. Warning: Creepy little girl.


6. The Shining-Jack Nicholson makes this movie horrific-actually I take that back. I think Shelley Duvall is the scariest thing in this movie. Redrum redrum redrum REdrUM. Warning: Shelley Duvall.


7. Identity: A new twist on a classic, 10 Little Indians. Great twists and turns. I was going to give a warning but I'm afraid that would spoil the ending so rent this movie for John Cusack who is very cute!


8. Picnic at Hanging Rock-This one seems out of left field, I know, however, it's definitely unsettling and raises more questions than answers when it's over. I saw this in a film class and when it ended I was like "whaaat?" Warning: No answer, conclusion to the plot line is given. So if you don't like movies where you don't find out who did it than you won't want to see this.


9. Wait Until Dark-One of the great thrillers. Audrey Hepburn plays Suzy Hendrix, a blind woman who is terrorized by Alan Arkin. Warning: To this day, the ending still pisses me off. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it but it has to do with Suzy's husband and what he makes her do. Warning: Creepy teenage girl wearing go-go boots.


10. Vertigo-I had to include a film from the master of suspense. I could have gone with Psycho but Vertigo is my favorite Hitchcock movie. I saw the restored version in the late 1990s in San Francisco and it was gorgeous. James Stewart following Kim Novak around San Francisco and the Bay Area-the imagery is just fantastic. Of all the films on this list-this is the one to see. I'm not going to say anything about the film because the less you know the better experience you will have.

Hope you had as much fun reading my list as I had writing it. Please tell me your favorite movies in the comment section (and you thought this was going to be a list of slasher movies!).

Art for the Animal Rights Activist

I visited el Museo del Barrio last Saturday. The above image is what I chose to write about for my museum class. Here is a little blurb from my response paper:

I am an animal advocate so there were several pieces in the El Museo’s Bienal: The (S) Files 007 exhibit at el Museo del Barrio that I connected with. If I see something in the art world that depicts animals in distress I usually stay far away from them but Andrés García-Peña and Oscar Oiwa were two artists I enjoyed studying.

Andrés García-Peña Cojida en el Cielo de los Toros depicts a bullfight but from the bull’s perspective. The bull is finally getting his revenge on the matador while his fellow spirit or angel bulls cheer him on from the stands. The spirits are drinking, smoking, laughing and celebrating, enjoying every minute of the matador’s demise. It’s a different take on the hero myth with the bull as the hero and the human as the beast. I also liked the style that García-Peña used in his paintings. The matador and bull are painted realistically while the spirits take an almost cartoon look, yet another example of humans anthropomorphizing animals. It is interesting to look at García-Peña’s entire bull collection at http://andresgarciapena.com/bulls.html. When the bull finally kills the matador dead he stands on his hind legs and lifts his front legs up similar to what a fighter in boxing match would do when he achieved victory. I find bull fighting horrific so this piece put me in such a good mood!

Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire!

From a Santa Clarita, California neighborhood where my famous sister lives!

Beyond the Green Zone

Tonight I heard Dahr Jamail talk about his new book, Beyond the Green Zone. Jamail spent time in Iraq as an unembedded reporter in 2003 meaning he didn't travel with the troups and therefore was putting his life in great danger. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a more truthful account of what is going on in Iraq.

Update on "Will someone shut that couple up!"

I've figured out who the mysterious, extremely loud screwing couple is...unfortunately it's my neighbors above me. My landlord came over yesterday to cover my air conditioner (this is what they do in NYC when the cold weather comes-the air conditioner is to big to be taken out so they cover it with a sort of plastic film to keep the draft out). Anyways, he mentioned to me that my windows in my bedroom were open on the top (I thought they only opened at the bottom but evidently they open at the top as well). This is one of the reasons I thought the couple were across from me in the opposite building. So now that my windows are all shut tightly I now know that the sound is coming directly above me. Last night at 1am for about 45 minutes and this morning around 7:30...-I never knew Asians could be this loud (I can make fun of Asians because I am one-well, actually I'm not technically Asian anymore. I'm now a Pacific Islander but you know, we all look alike!).

Subway Stories #1

This is the first installment of subway stories. One of my favorite things about living in NYC are the subways even though I curse the system on a daily basis. It's still the best public transportation I've ever experienced.

The image above is the 1 line on 168th street and Broadway about 1.5 blocks from my apartment. I take this everyday. I can also take the A or C lines which also stop at this station but I prefer the 1 line because it goes right to FIT (27th @ 7th Avenue) whereas the A or C lines stop at 34th Street and I have to walk about 7 blocks which isn't bad but when you have a lot to carry it can be a bit of a pain.

When I first visited NYC I used to find it amusing when I saw people fall asleep on the trains. I often wondered how they immediately woke themselves up when it was their stop-the train operator usually announces the stops but when you're dozing you can sometimes miss those announcements. I am now one of those people who fall asleep on the subway!! My commute time is 30-40 minutes and I always start dozing whenever I leave whether it be 8:15 or 10:30 in the morning and I always doze off when I come home in the evening.

My first week living here in mid-August, a local firefighter died on the job. I remember seeing many firefighters the day of the funeral at the Grand Central Station at 42nd street. There were several on one of the trains with me and then a Mexican Mariachi band boarded and started playing. There is at least one person(s) on every train trip you take that either 1) asks for money (sometimes they go into great detail of their woes-homeless, Vietnam vet, cancer etc) or 2)performers who then ask for money. I've seen brake dancers several times who use the pole and handles in the train that commuters hold on to during the train rides. I often think that one of these kids is going to fall and break their neck during one of their acts. They usually make maybe up to $50.00 each performance on the subway. And they know the trains well because they can only perform on the express trains because that allows them the time to perform.

I usually leave school around 5:00 or 6:00pm. 5:00pm isn't bad at 28th street station-you can usually get a seat or a comfortable place to stand but at 6:00 you are packed in the trains like sardines. Sometimes you have to wait for another train because there is no room to get on. Also, you have to be careful because if the train is heavily packed then sometimes you can't get off at your stop. Tonight I was on the Q line from 59th street and Lexington and I arrived at Times Square station to take the 1 uptown. I went down the stairs and the platform was literally packed with people-from one end to the other lengthwise and from side to side and a train was just leaving fully packed. It was about 6:30. When this happens (like tonight) I hike from within the Times Square station to Port Authority and I take the A express to Washington Heights. Less crowded.

About a month ago I was getting off at Lincoln Square at 66th street. It was about 3:00. I was just about to exit the train when a group of loud, tall, and big African American teenage boys literally shoved me back on the train (and shoving everyone else around me). I did get off thankfully but was pissed off...yeah-real funny guys.

This concludes Subway Stories 1. More to come!