Michelle Scott's Blog, page 2

Five Reasons to Love Alien (1979)

Would you pick Alien as a comfort movie? I didn’t realize that I would until last weekend. I had a long day, and I wanted to watch one of my favorite horror movies to relax. My mind immediately went to Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic, Alien. Why, you ask? Let me share with you five reasons why Alien has become one of my favorite comfort movies, even though it’s also among my top favorite horror movies of all time.

#1 – Ridley is a Badass Final Girl

When I first saw Alien, I was 15 years old, at that age where you look for strong characters in movies. Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ripley was a revelation—she was a badass without being overly harsh. She made tough decisions, even when they went against the advice of the men around her. Ripley was my first introduction to the “final girl” trope, and she remains one of my favorite characters in horror movies. The way she fought against one of the toughest monsters in the universe is truly inspiring.

#2 – The Haunting Score Makes the Tension Unbearable

The music in Alien adds an extra layer of terror to the movie. Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score is one of the reasons why this horror film is so effective. The use of silence punctuated by sudden musical cues makes the tension even more intense. Watching Alien again, I was reminded of how the sparse use of music creates a sense of dread that is hard to shake. It adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere, keeping you on edge throughout.

#3 – The Crew’s Dynamics Reflect Realistic Relationships

What makes Alien so unique among horror movies is the way the crew interacts. Each member has a distinct personality, which creates believable group dynamics. Whether it’s Brett and Parker worrying about their pay, Lambert’s nervousness, or Ash’s eerie calmness, the crew feels like a real group of co-workers dealing with an extraordinary situation. This makes their encounters with the alien all the more intense, as they struggle with their own fears and conflicts while trying to survive.

#4 – Alien is Still Scary after All these Years

Despite its age, Alien remains one of the scariest horror movies ever made. The chest-bursting scene and the scenes involving the alien itself are just as shocking today as they were decades ago. Even though I know what’s coming, the buildup to these moments keeps me on the edge of my seat. The corporation’s ruthlessness, highlighted by the tagline “In Space No One Can Hear You Scream,” adds a sense of existential dread that makes this film timeless in its horror.

#5 – Jones the Cat: The Unsung Hero

One aspect of Alien that brings me comfort is Jones the cat. In a time when animals in horror movies often met tragic ends, Jones survived and even made it to the sequel, Aliens. Jones adds a touch of humanity to the starship “Nostromo,” showing that even in the midst of terror, the crew still cared for their furry companion. Ripley’s bond with Jones is one of the warmest parts of the film, and I can’t help but smile when he emerges unscathed.

For all these reasons, Alien is my favorite comfort movie. It’s the perfect blend of horror and humanity, with one of the best final girls in film history. Whether it’s the haunting score, the relatable crew dynamics, or Jones the cat, there’s something about Alien that makes it a horror movie I can watch again and again. Would you consider it a comfort movie? If so, let me know why!

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Straight to Hell FREE this Week

The moment Lilith Straight dies, the Devil appears to claim her soul and cash in on a longtime family curse. Now, Lilith has no choice but to work for him as a succubus. The job is bad, the boss is worse, and she can’t imagine how she’ll explain her new reincarnation to her eight-year-old daughter. But then an arrogant, yet oh so yummy, incubus shows up…and hell heats up just a little more.

Get your free copy of Straight to Hell this week: February 12 – 16 on Amazon.

Get your FREE copy

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Down the Writing Rabbit Hole

2023 has been a crazy year, and it’s not even July! Other than influenza and a case of Covid back in January, the insanity has come from a variety of good things.

First off, my husband and I adopted a border collie puppy named Xena. She’s sweet as pie and thinks everyone wants to be her friend. She’s also as destructive as a mini demon and lets her wants be known to one and all. She’s becoming my best buddy, and I’m so glad we got her.

Then there’s the writing…

I haven’t posted much about my writing this year, but trust me, I’ve been working hard. As you can see from the meme, I keep my desk very clean, but there’s not much I can do about the creative chaos in my mind.

So far this year, I’ve started three novels, along with several novellas and short stories. My mind is far from organized, which makes this messy process typical (for me) but also very confusing. I’ve been jumping from project to project without a plan for the past six months. BUT don’t worry readers, I’m nearly at the finish line for my upcoming horror novel, The Veil of Shadows. (More to come about that later.) Also, I’m compiling my serial novel, You Don’t Know Me, into a novel which will be on sale soon.

My little Xena…the cute destroyer of offices.

As you can see, the creative bug has bit me, and I’ve been putting in long hours. I’m so excited about the rest of the year that I don’t even mind that Xena destroyed my office. Again.

If you’re interested in keeping up with my writing journey, sign up for my newsletter.

Also, let me remind you that The Book of Lost Souls is on sale this month (June) for only $.99. It’s also free on KU.

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Movie Review – Picnic at Hanging Rock

After finishing my book review of Joan Lindsay’s Picnic at Hanging Rock, I knew that I had to watch the 1975 movie of the same name. I love these book versus movie comparisons, especially when the movie remains so true to the original text.

If I had to pick one word to describe the movie, I’d go with ‘dreamy’. The movie seems to move like a dream, slowly and atmospherically. There’s a dreamlike quality to every frame, from the way the students receive their Valentines to the way they nap in the shadow of Hanging Rock. Sometimes, it’s beautiful. At others, it’s a nightmare. The hauntingly beautiful flute music in the soundtrack echos this. The ethereal theme makes the movie magical.

I give a lot of credit to Peter Weir for remaining so true to the original story. He paid close attention to the details of the novel, making sure that even the costumes echoed what had been presented in the book. The actors looked exactly how I’d pictured the characters in the novel. The school setting also worked well.

The theme in Hanging Rock is definitely one of humans versus nature, in particular the passage of time. It shows that time (and sticking to a schedule) is a human invention, and nature holds to timelessness. Time is frequently mentioned in the novel, and in the movie there is a lot of attention on clocks and watches. In the presence of Hanging Rock, however, time becomes meaningless and everyone’s watch stops.

There’s also tension between the humans’ carefully-built school and curated gardens versus the wilderness of the outback and its animals and insects. Hanging Rock is wild and untamed, unlike the gardens at Mrs. Appleyard’s college.

I loved the movie as much as I did the book, and that’s saying something. I highly recommend both. Each one is haunting and beautiful and, at times, awful as well. Neither book nor movie offers an explanation of what happened at the rock, which makes the stories all the more chilling.

I love the flute music so much that I’ve included a link to it here. Let me know what you think of it in the comments!

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Book Review – Picnic at Hanging Rock

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay might have been published in 1967, but it is Victorian from head to toe. Several times while reading it, Ichecked the publication date just to make sure it was written in the 60s. Everything about the novel, including the language and what the author chooses to describe (as well as what she chooses to leave out) speaks of a gentler, more pastoral time. Which is what makes this classic horror novel a must-read for those who love historical fiction.

The story takes place on a summer day in Australia, when the students of Appleyard College for Young Ladies and their chaperones take a holiday to a local site of interest: Hanging Rock. Things go as planned until a small group of them take off for a stroll and are never heard from again. This tragedy leads to a series of others, and like toppling dominoes, the pastoral life at the college falls apart.

The Real Hanging Rock https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/no-picnic-at-hanging-rock-australian-beauty-spot-which-was-setting-for-famed-seventies-film-under-threat-from-hotel-developers-9069627.html

Hanging Rock might be a horror novel, but unlike The Little Stranger, it is the gentlest horror I’ve ever read. Everything is couched in old-world language. Words like ‘suicide’ aren’t mentioned. Instead, the author refers to ‘tragedies.’ Even the most colorful of the characters, a groomsman with mermaid tattoos across his arms, speaks deferentially. When I read this, all I could think about was all the pain the students were in after their friends went missing, yet how everyone was bound tight as a corset by their Victorian-era manners. This is a book that deserves a careful read because while the surface of things looks calm, underneath is tumultuous.

The author’s descriptions are top-notch. She lets the reader know that, despite the fancy manners and formal dress, these people life in a rough place, the Outback. The students and teachers are neat, tidy, and prim, while nature is anything but. And I think that’s what Hanging Rock itself is all about. It’s a hulking mass of stone, dangerous and full of wildlife. It’s no surprise that a tragedy happened there. Of all the classic literature conflicts, this one is humankind versus nature.

So while Picnic at Hanging Rock isn’t a ghoulish read, I did find it unsettling. It’s a mystery that will never be solved. Reading this novel is like reading a bit of sad history, but even a week later, the story haunts me.

Have you read this book or seen the movie? Let me know in the comments what you thought.

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A Second Take on The Invitation 2015

Sometimes movies blow me away from the very first viewing. On the other hand, there are other movies that disappointed me the first time, but still deserve a second look. The 2015 film The Invitation is one of these. The movie had gotten accolades when it was released, but when I saw it back then, I found it underwhelming. Luckily, I was prompted by one of my favorite podcasts, Faculty of Horror, to give it a second chance.

The Invitation takes place on a single night. Will and his girlfriend are invited to a dinner party hosted by Will’s ex-wife Eden and her new husband David. What begins as a cozy gathering of friends turns into a recruitment session for a cult called ‘The Invitation’. As the hosts press their friends to join, one guest – a stranger within the group – takes matters into his own hands, and the simple gathering turns deadly.

I think the reason I wasn’t impressed with the first viewing of this movie was the pacing. It is a very slow-moving film, especially for horror. The story builds gradually, with a lot of discussion about grief and longing. Will and his ex-wife lost a child, and both of them are trying to cope with life. In fact, the entire movie is a discussion on the pain of grief and the lengths people will go to survive this pain.

If not for the ending (which is brutal), this could be a straight-up, slice-of-life drama. Looking back, I should have accepted the movie on its own terms rather than project my expectations onto it. Part of the reason I felt cheated after watching it was because of the hype surrounding it and my own ideas of what horror should be. I had expected a slasher and a night of terror. What I got was a strange game called ‘I want’ and a bottle of three-million dollar wine.

On the second viewing, one of the things that struck me was that there wasn’t a ‘bad guy’ in the film. Yes, some characters were willing to take the cult’s views to the extreme. However, it seems that Eden and her husband (along with the creepy and mysterious Pruitt) completely believe that what they are doing is right. In particular, Eden wants only to end Will’s pain. The cult members have bought into the cult so much that they’ll do anything to convert their friends.

I won’t say that The Invitation is my favorite horror movie. It’s not even in the top ten. However, I did appreciate it after watching it a second time. If you’re interested in watching a movie about friendship and angst with a little horror sprinkled in at the end, I suggest you watch this one.

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Horror for the End of Winter

Two ice storms in two weeks has been too much for yours truly. I am so over winter! Luckily, we never lost power, but both my husband and I have slipped and fallen. Our lawn is a skating rink. Since spring starts in two weeks, I figured a little end-of-the-season homage is in order. Hence, horror for the end of winter.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

This hidden gem caught my eye a few months ago when I was looking at Amazon Prime’s collection of horror. Set in a small Utah town, this comedy/horror movie follows a series of brutal murders that the locals blame on a werewolf. Even as he struggles with his own life challenges, the current sheriff has to remind himself that there are no such things.

I loved this movie. The wry humor was right up my alley. Jim Cummings wrote, directed, and starred in it. I’d never heard of him before, but I’ve added a few of his other movies (such as The Beta Test) to my must-watch list.

Frozen (2010)

This literal cliffhanging survival movie plays to one of my great fears: heights. It starts off simply enough. A trio of friends goes skiing and get stuck on the chairlift after the slope closes. From there, it’s a matter of survival as they try to stay alive for five days in the sub-zero temperatures.

Whenever I watch survival horror, I constantly ask myself what I would do in that situation. (Although, I’ve never skied in my life, so this probably would never be me!) I spent the entire movie guessing what would happen next. Despite the simplicity of the cast and setting, the plot did take some unexpected turns. Definitely a must-watch horror for the end of winter.

The Retreat (2020)

This movie follows two best friends as they backpack in the Adirondacks during winter. When they decide to enhance their experience by taking peyote, things get strange. The entire movie leaves its viewers wondering if the two are really being stalked by a wendigo, or if it is merely the result of the drug.

I’ve always liked the surreal aspect of horror, especially when hallucinations come into play. I think it makes things even creepier. This tense movie kept me guessing, and even by the end I wasn’t sure what had happened.

The Retreat has been criticized for being too interpersonal at the cost of being less scary. However, I like deep dives into the human psyche and found the relationship between the two friends interesting and compelling.

Last but not least—The Thing (1982)

This, of course, is the obvious choice for horror for the end of winter. I saved it for last because this is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. Everything about it works for me. Kurt Russell has always been one of my favorite actors, and John Carpenter one of my favorite directors. The way the Arctic researchers are cut off from communications while a monster ravages them one by one makes for epic thrills. And the ending…perfection. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I suggest that you immediately stop what you’re doing and watch it. No, I’m not kidding.

So there it is—enough horror to keep you occupied until the beginning of spring (I hope). Stay warm and stay scared.

If you like tales of shifters, try my newly-released Radish serial story: The Alpha Outcast.

Grey Silverstone, a rouge shifter with a checkered past, isn’t looking for trouble when he wanders into Mason City. He also isn’t looking for love. Yet when he comes to the rescue of a young woman named Kennedy Lorde, that’s exactly what he finds. Bad boy or not, Kennedy immediately falls for Grey – both for his body and mind. And while Grey worries that an uptown professional like Kennedy would never deign to pair up with an outcast like him, he can’t stop thinking about her. As Kennedy and her friends help Grey forget his violent past and step into a promising future, Armand Hammersmith – the city’s alpha – isn’t so forgiving. When Grey and Kennedy try to prevent Armand’s plan of taking over the city, Armand declares war. A war that Grey knows he can win if Kennedy is at his side.

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Book Review – The Briardark by S.A. Harian

From the GoodReads description of The Briardark

For Dr. Siena Dupont and her ambitious team, the Alpenglow glacier expedition is a career-defining opportunity. But thirty miles into the desolate Deadswitch Wilderness, they discover a missing hiker dangling from a tree, and their satellite phone fails to call out.

Then the body vanishes without a trace.

The disappearance isn’t the only chilling anomaly. Siena’s map no longer aligns with the trail. The glacier they were supposed to study has inexplicably melted. Strange foliage overruns the mountainside, and a tunnel within a tree hollow lures Siena to a hidden cabin, and a stranger with a sinister message…

Holden Sharpe’s IT job offers little distraction from his wasted potential until he stumbles upon a decommissioned hard drive and an old audio file. Trapped on a mountain, Dr. Siena Dupont recounts an expedition in chaos and the bloody death of a colleague.

Entranced by the mystery, Holden searches for answers to Siena’s fate. But he is unprepared for the truth that will draw him to the outskirts of Deadswitch Wilderness—a place teeming with unfathomable nightmares and impossibilities.

My Thoughts on The Briardark

The Briardark took turns that I was not expecting. The creepy setting and compelling characters combined to make a book that kept me turning pages. I liked how the writer didn’t get bogged down in the details of the scientific expedition, but she does a great job of making everything seem real. Holden’s story was a bit confusing at first since I wasn’t sure how it fit into the narrative. However, I soon figured out what was going on and from there, the story took off. I hadn’t realized that this was only book one in a series, so the ending came as a disappointment. However, I will be looking forward to the other books in the series.

Three out of five stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

Check out my review of The Little Stranger here.

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Mean Girls Horror Movies

One of my favorite movie tropes is that of the mean girls. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. It usually revolves around the popular girls in high school who pick on the loner. Then the tables turn, and the loner gets her revenge on the mean girls. I started to like this trope upon my first reading of the OG mean girls horror book, Carrie by Stephen King. This led me to enjoy other mean girls horror movies.

Recently, I watched two interesting mean girls horror movies. Coincidentally, both were made outside of the U.S., which made them even more enticing. (I love movies from other countries.)

The first one, Sissy, was from Australia.

Sissy is one of those movies that I couldn’t predict. It took turns that I never expected. Not only is it humorous, it also is completely unpredictable. It started out with a reclusive influencer named Sissy whose YouTube channel is devoted to help her viewers cope with stress. It turns out that Sissy has plenty of stress of her own, especially when she’s invited to a bachelorette party at a remote house in the countryside.

I don’t want to give too much away, but what starts off as a mean girls horror movie turns into something else entirely. I really enjoyed this one, especially the unexpected ending. If you like slasher movies of a different type, I recommend it.

Piggy – Another Mean Girls Horror Movie

The next movie comes from Spain. I’d heard a lot about Piggy before I saw it, but the movie still came as a surprise.

This movie follows loner Sara who is tormented by the mean girls (and boys) of her town. It’s brutally realistic, and I honestly found the bullying hard to watch. At the same time, I didn’t find Sara someone to root for. Not that I wanted her to be bullied, but I wish she had more of a personality. I felt sorry for her, of course, but that’s it. But, of course, I wanted to watch the mean girls get their due.

Unlike Sissy, Piggy is a much more somber movie. It’s also less graphic at the beginning. (The end is quite violent.) It’s message, too, is sad: unloved people will look anywhere for love. This makes the main character that much more tragic. The movie doesn’t end on as low of a note as it could have, fortunately, but it still was grim.

Although these movies are both worth a watch, of the two I far preferred Sissy. I love dark humor, and the movie played right into this. I also found Sissy’s character to be much more sympathetic than Piggy’s.

Have you seen either of these movies? Let me know in the comments.

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One Minute Horror Stories—Eggs

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I’ve decided to start writing one minute horror stories on Fridays! I read that the average person can read 260 words of fiction a minute, so all of these stories will be 260 words or less. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

We shouldn’t have left the trail. That fact drilled into my head as Dean and I bushwacked our way through the dense greenery of the rainforest. As I swatted bugs from my eyes, I cursed myself for chasing the brightly-colored bird I’d seen a few minutes before because I’d wanted a picture for my Insta.

“We’re lost, Chelsea,” Dean said, his voice taut.

My stomach dropped. What if we never found the trail? I’d been warned of the
dangers of the jungle. Not just animals or poisonous plants, but darker things.
Curses. Black magic.

I yipped in relief when I saw trail. “There!” Just like that, the mishap
turned from a tale of terror to a hilarious anecdote. When I reached the path, a
bullet-like missile struck my neck. I touched the wound, my fingers coming back
bloody.

Dean sprinted over. “What happened?”

“I think someone shot me!”

“No, you were bit.” Dean picked a brilliant orange insect from my neck. It
looked as vivid as the bird I’d been chasing, but I brushed it away in disgust.
My life-long fascination with the rainforest was over.

Back at the Vrbo, Dean showered while I dropped onto the bed, exhausted. My
neck throbbed from the sting which had welted to the size of a golf ball, but I
was too tired to care.

Dean shook me awake. “Chelsea!” His eyes were wide with alarm.

My neck ached. Blood drenched my left side. Worst, however, were the
thousands of orange insects coursing down my body.

“Eggs,” Dean moaned. “It laid eggs.”

 

 

 

 

 

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