Rebecca Rossi's Blog, page 9

My 5 Favourite Horror Movies Of 2024!

Hi all!

What a spooky year it has been! Thank you to everybody that has continued to support me and shown my posts some love. I appreciate each and every one of you! Today I will be sharing my five favourite horror movies of the year. 2024 delivered some excellent and terrifying films and let me tell you, the results were quite surprising. Today I’m sharing the best of the best – in my opinion. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

1.) Speak No Evil  

Speak No Evil is 100% my favourite horror movie of the year and the biggest, unexpected surprise. My main issue with the original from 2022 was the extremely dark and bleak ending. When I saw the 2024 remake had completely changed the ending, I was thrilled. It was executed perfectly and so satisfying to the viewer – a feeling you do not get in the original film. In fact, the final scene made me sob in the cinema. Sadly, you had to have had a dark upbringing to understand. It was beyond cathartic. Furthermore, James McAvoy’s performance was phenomenal. He was the right amount of charming and creepy. I got everything I needed from this reboot and then some. I walked out of the cinema knowing I had just seen a winner. 

2.) The Substance

The Substance is THE movie of the year! It has a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason. My jaw was on the floor the entire time. Just when I thought they couldn’t push the boundaries any further, they went there. This film isn’t afraid to shed light on the dark sides of Hollywood and the unrealistic expectations placed on female celebrities. It’s confronting and completely in your face. Not since John Carpenter’s The Thing have I seen body horror displayed in such a phenomenal way. Also, can we talk about the way Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley completely stole the show?! It may be over 2+ hours but not a single second is wasted. I would recommend this to anyone. It needs to be seen to be believed! 

3.) Smile 2 

 I am thrilled to announce that Smile 2 was on the same level as Smile. The sequel pushed the boundaries and then some. There was so much unexpected gore, body horror and violence. I was gagged! It was also unbelievably scary. It wasn’t just the jump scares that got me. It was the camera angles, panning shots and of course, the damn smiles. They were so unnerving. There was also an overall theme of helplessness, mental illness and despair. You couldn’t help but feel dragged down into this world, desperate for the protagonist to succeed. Speaking of, Naomi Scott’s performance as Skye Riley was phenomenal. We have had two concert horror movies released this year: Smile 2 and Trap. Films like these are so fun to see on the big screen for the production alone. You feel like a genuine audience member. I really enjoyed the sequel. It exceeded my expectations. 

4.) Late Night With The Devil 

Late Night With The Devil is a completely original film that stayed with me long after it ended. I loved the way it was formatted. It felt like we were part of the audience. They really tried to give their viewers an authentic experience by making it a fully immersive talk-show experience from the 1970’s. I appreciated each and every stylistic choice made. I still can’t believe it was filmed in a warehouse in Melbourne, where I’m originally from. David Dastmalchian won Best Actor for his performance as Jack Delroy at the 2024 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. So well deserved. He nailed this role! You need to add this one to your watch list if you haven’t already. 

5.) Baghead

Baghead had everything I look for in scary film. The moody atmosphere was perfection. Not to mention, Freya Allan’s performance as Iris was a standout. She was perfectly cast for this role. I’m a huge fan of the ‘be careful what you wish for’ trope or any sort of storyline that involves a curse. Baghead as an entity was both captivating and terrifying. She made you question who the real evil in the story was. The lore that accompanied her power, shifted the way we as an audience viewed her. There were so many avenues I wanted this movie to go down and to my delight, it went there every single time. It had a shocking ending, plenty of twists and a scene with an elongated neck that I won’t forget in a hurry!

Thank you so much for reading! What were your favourite horror movies of the year? I hope you all have a safe and happy new year! See you in 2025!

Peace & Love xoxo

Seasonal Splendour Part 1: Spring

Hi all! 

Welcome to a new four-part series on my blog titled: Seasonal Splendour. My daughter and I started a tradition of making bucket lists per season and ticking off the prompts as we met them. It’s been such a fun bonding experience but it has also allowed us to romanticise the different times of the year. We started in Spring – with Summer, Autumn and Winter to follow. Below is the bucket list we made and a photo diary of our adventures. The only one we didn’t get to was ‘Ride Bikes In The Countryside.’ Without further ado, here is how we spent the last three months in beautiful Spring…

Seasonal Splendour Part 1: Spring

1.) Attend Maryborough Open Gardens 

To learn more and see my dedicated photo diary for this event, please click here. 

2.) Bake/Make Halloween Treats 

My daughter and I made Peanut Butter Spiders and Candy Apples for Halloween. Both were delicious! 

3.) Visit Splitters Farm

This is such a wonderful farm for families to visit not too far from our home. If you’re ever in the Fraser Coast, I highly recommend a day trip to Splitters Farm. 

4.) Go On A Hike

My daughter and I went on a short hike to Burnett Heads Lighthouse in Bundaberg. There was a lovely view to reward us at the end of the trail.  

5.) Make Homemade Iced Tea 

Our homemade iced tea came out beautifully! Here is the recipe we used.

6.) Buy Fruits & Veggies From The Farmer’s Market

We went to the Nikenbah Farmer’s Market one Sunday and bought some green beans, garlic alfalfa mix, berries and apples. So delicious and a fraction of the regular cost! 

7.) Have A Scary Movie Marathon

This one I did without my daughter! One weekend, when I was quite ill, I binged the entire Conjuring trilogy. I love these films! 

8.) Have A Picnic

At Splitters Farm (see above) you can organise to have a picnic on their grounds, entirely provided by them. My daughter and I got dressed up in Spring frocks and enjoyed a delicious plant-based picnic near the beautiful farm animals. This is a day I’ll never forget spending with her. It was so special. 

9.) Go Bowling 

When Spring showers arise, it’s time for some indoor bowling! Abigail had a blast!  

10.) Eat Lunch At The Country Club

We ate at the Craignish Country Club in November and I ordered the Coconut Prawn Mango Salad. It was divine! 

11.) Visit A Lavender Farm

We went to visit the beautiful Amandine Lavender Farm and got to pick our own fresh sprigs! 

12.) Fly A Kite

Abigail and I flew a rainbow kite on the beach during the Spring school holidays. We weren’t overly successful but we still had a fun time trying! 

13.) Read Outside In Nature 

One morning I decided to take my book to the beach and start the day off right. It was a very relaxing experience.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of my new series. I’ll be back in March to recap our Summer of fun! 

Peace & Love xoxo

Ranking Every Season Of Dragula!

Hello Uglies! 

Dragula 666 has just come to an end, so I thought what better time than to rank every single season from this epic franchise? A huge congratulations to the winner by the way! If you didn’t know, this Shudder AMC series combines horror and drag to create the ultimate reality competition, where contestants fight to become the next Drag Supermonster. In the past, I’ve ranked the winners (check that out here) and provided 10 reasons to watch this glorious show, which you can check out here. Without further ado, from best to worst, let’s get into my ranking!

Sidenote: I will not be including Resurrection, as it is not an actual season. It is a 90+ minute special. Also, a spoiler warning is in full effect! 

1.) Season 4 

It might sound controversial but I am yet to watch a season I love more than the fourth one. This was Dragula at its peak. At this stage of the franchise, the monsters were indoctrinated into a new and improved haunted house as their base, with a completely revamped lab – as you see it today. Resurrection had just ended and with it, we saw the return of two familiar faces – Saint and eventual winner of the season, Dahli. Little did we know, we would be introduced to some of the biggest heavy-hitters Dragula has ever seen: HoSo Terra Toma, Sigourney Beaver, Koco Caine, La Zavaleta, Astrud Aurelia to name a few. With strong personalities came epic drama. Nothing will ever beat the Cauldron fight from that season. You need to see it, to believe it. Additionally, the floorshows provided some of the most creative and jaw-dropping moments of the season. I’ve included a favourite of mine below. The entire fourth instalment felt completely removed from the three that came before it. It demanded to be taken seriously and people took notice. It’s my most rewatched season for a reason and if you only get a chance to check out one, let it be 4. 

2.) Season 666

Maybe it’s recency bias, but in second place, we have the latest season – Dragula 666. This was something special and I truly attribute that to the cast. Normally, I can take or leave a couple of cast members but this season, I loved them all. They were all so unique and different to one another. We had the epic return of Majesty (see Season 2 below) and Yuri, who had formerly competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. There was an uncensored feeling to this season that I had sorely missed from the franchise. The monsters weren’t afraid to have it out or fear what the toxic fandom would say once the episodes aired. They also brought the filth like never before. The past couple of years, the filth had been far too tame but not this time around! In particular, the winner – Asia Consent – pushed the boundaries and then some in her floorshow performances. At this stage of the show’s success, the guest-judge lineup was insane. We had big names like Jennifer Tilly, Mike Flanagan, David Dastmalchian, Violet Chachki, Joe Bob Briggs and more. The concepts for the floorshows were unique (see my favourite below), the Fright Feats disgusting and the extermination challenges, positively terrifying. I also feel this was the strongest and best top 3 we have had in so long. It was anybody’s game. Do yourself a favour and check it out on Shudder. 

3.) Titans

In third place, we have Titans, which is Dragula’s take on All Stars. 10 fierce monsters returned to battle it out for the title and boy, we were in for a treat! It worked so well, in my opinion, because the majority of my favourites were cast. I was so excited to watch Victoria Elizabeth Black, HoSo, Astrud, Yovska, Koco, Evah Destruction, Melissa Befierce and more compete again. Gagula! This season had many many twists and turns. They kept it interesting right up until the very end, which was the most controversial part. The winner was correct but the way it was announced was very off-putting to fans. We didn’t get to see Victoria get crowned. All we saw was a picture of her hanging in the Hall of Fame. That was the biggest downfall of Titans, alongside the love-triangle storyline between HoSo, Astrud and Abhora. Apart from that, it fired on all cylinders, giving us some of the most gag-worthy floorshow performances, drama and Fright Feats. I cannot wait for Titans 2, which should be airing in 2025. 

4.) Season 5  

In fourth place, we have the fifth season, which aired last year. This instalment introduced the rotating platform on the main stage (see example below). I loved that addition but I also missed the dramatic, more theatrical floorshows from before. What this season did very well was casting diverse artists. We had not one, but two Drag Kings and multiple trans queens of colour. I guess the main issue was its predictability. By the end, there really was only one viable winner in Niohuru X. We all saw that coming from the very first episode but nevertheless, it was an enjoyable ride. I would say this is a very middle-of-the-road season. It didn’t offend but it didn’t really stand out either. 

5.) Season 2 

Coming in third last, we have the second season. I know this is a favourite in the fandom but it isn’t mine. For starters, I wanted James Majesty or Victoria Elizabeth Black to win over Biqtch Puddin. I’ve since become a big fan but it took me a while to come around. To be even more truthful, a few members of the cast were quite unlikeable. They rubbed me the wrong way and the drama was a lot. I also prefer the new version of Dahli, is that weird? Having said all that, what I loved were the challenges. The Hellraiser one in particular was my favourite (see below) and the apocalyptic desert challenge toward the end. The second season wasn’t afraid to push boundaries and take risks. It was messy but that was part of its charm. 

6.) Season 1

In second last place, we have the very first season. Back to where it all began! Despite the low-budget grittiness, I find the first season very enjoyable to rewatch. It is far less produced, with hardly any focus on building storylines. It also doesn’t concern itself with aesthetics. There is a raw, real energy to it that we never saw again in the franchise. However, the biggest reason why I could never put it last is because of the winner, Vander Von Odd, who I have actually met. This is the most iconic first winner Dragula could ever produce. Don’t believe me? Check out all of their looks below from start to finish. 

7.) Season 3

In very last place, we have the third season. Unfortunately, this instalment is very forgettable, which hurts to say because it has the best outcome. The very first Drag King winner – Landon Cider. I truly feel like Landon was the highlight of that season because the rest was quite underwhelming. I was bored by a lot of it. The drama was more irritating than juicy. I got tired of the whole Dollya vs Maddelynn vs Hollow Eve thing pretty early on. Furthermore, the chemistry between the cast in general was lacking. The editing was also a hot mess. You couldn’t see the monsters during the floorshow due to poor lighting and they didn’t get enough time on screen. I wish I had nicer things to say but it’s my least favourite for a reason. Love Yovska though. Yovska forever!   

 Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know how you would rank the seasons of Dragula. 

Peace & Love xoxo

We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer – The You’ll Read Too Bookclub: NOVEMBER 2024

Hi all! 

Welcome back! In November, we read We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! If you wish to access all of the latest updates/information, click here. Spoilers ahead!

Quick Reminder: This month we are reading  ‘The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’  by Stephen King.

Today I’m going to discuss the book in the same way I normally do my Instagram stories. You can find all of my thoughts + join the club on my Instagram page. I’ll give a quick plot summary, plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post, so if you wish to guess without being spoiled, do not scroll to the end until you’re ready. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

WE USED TO LIVE HERE BY MARCUS KLIEWER – NOVEMBER 2024

 PLOT SUMMARY

As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighbourhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in. As soon as the strangers enter their home, uncanny and inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materialising in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. When Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family – or is Eve just imagining things?

OVERALL STAR RATING 

5/5 stars! This is absolutely one of my favourite reads of 2024. It has been such a long time since I picked up a book that filled me with so much anxiety. I was screaming at the pages, hoping the lead character would hear and make different choices. Talk about a captivating read that hooked me from the very first page! If you didn’t know, this story was picked up to be adapted into a Netflix movie before it was even released. I can confidently say, it will make the perfect horror film. It was terrifying beyond belief. The ending was so bleak and hopeless, you couldn’t help but take that feeling away after the last page turned. I will be reading everything Marcus puts out moving forward. For a debut novel, this is a masterpiece. 

OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING

I gave it a scare-factor rating of 5/5 stars. As mentioned above, this book is downright horrifying. I felt so full of dread the entire time I was reading it. I kept expecting the worst and rightfully so, given what ended up happening! There was a scene where the lead character visits her neighbour and nothing really happens, but it’s implied that if she stays any longer, things will get real very quickly, and that alone got me. An implied scene scared me, so can you imagine what the actual horrors did? If nothing frightens you anymore, I am certain this novel will. 

DISCUSSION TOPICS 

1.)  Who was the real evil in this story? The house or the child of Thomas Faust? Explain

This is a question that has stayed with me long after the book ended. It’s sort of a chicken or the egg situation. Did Thomas infuse the house with his evil or was the house already evil, causing Thomas to become the same? If I had to choose, I would say it was the child that was the real big bad. He had an inherent darkness within him that bled throughout the rooms of the house and the people that lived there over the years. 

2.)  Could Eve have avoided becoming Emma or was she doomed the minute she moved in? Explain.

I think the only way she could’ve avoided everything was to never have moved in to begin with! I believe she was doomed long before Thomas arrived. It was her presence in the house that called him to pay a visit and by then, it was all over for her. 

3.)  At what point did the real Charlie become the fake Charlie? 

My belief is she became the fake Charlie the minute she left the house the morning after Thomas arrived. She claimed she had to go into town but clearly that never happened. She was already long gone by then. There is also a theory that she became the fake Charlie when she went into the house one last time to gather her things but I’m saying it goes back farther than that. 

TRIVIA QUESTIONS 

Easy: What was the name of Eve and Charlie’s dog?

Medium: What part of the house does Eve notice changes first?

Hard: What was the name of Elijah Faust’s metal band? 

I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion in this post and on Instagram. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the book club, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love xoxo

TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy : Shylo.  Medium : Window.  Hard : Ring of Eyes.

Heretic – New Release Horror Movie Review!

Hi all! 

Today I am reviewing new-release, horror movie: Heretic. It hit cinemas in Australia this month, giving me the opportunity to check it out. Two young missionaries become ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they knock on the door of the diabolical Mr. Reed. Trapped in his home, they must turn to their faith if they want to make it out alive. Without further ado, here are my honest thoughts!

WHAT WORKED:

I have never seen a horror movie quite like this one before. It has a completely original concept that was very well-executed. There were layers to this story and metaphors upon metaphors. I loved that I never quite knew where it was going. The real stand-out however was Hugh Grant’s performance. He really needs to do more horror because he fits perfectly with the genre. He didn’t have to do or say much to be unsettling. Like any A24 feature, expect the bizarre and unexpected. It pushes the boundaries between belief and disbelief, all the while questioning what is the one true religion. Heretic provides a lot of food for thought and no matter what you practice or place your faith in, it will leave you questioning. That is the mark of an excellent film. 

WH AT DIDN’T WORK:

My main critique of this movie – and why I think it might not work for everyone – is it’s very slow-paced. There are a lot of philosophical/theistic monologues that build to a terrifying climax. I implore viewers to hang in there because the pay-off is worth it. I would also caution that the ending is quite ambiguous. It is open to interpretation. Some enjoy this style of film-making but I must admit, I had to do some internet research afterward for clarification.  

OVERALL STAR RATING: 

I gave it 4/5 stars.You need to add this one to your watch-list, if you haven’t already. 

Peace & Love xoxo

The Ultimate Reading Challenge #23 – Try A New Genre Of Book!

Hi all!

Welcome back to The Ultimate Reading Challenge! I outlined in 2022 how the new series will work here, so check that out before progressing further. For my 23rd challenge, the task was to read from a new genre. I decided to go with a Historical Mystery, selecting The Only One Left by Riley Sager. Today I am going to share my thoughts on the book, plus my prize for completing the prompt. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Plot: ‘The Only One Left’ by Riley Sager:

A woman takes a job caring for elderly invalid, Lenora Hope, who was accused decades ago of murdering her parents and younger sister. As Lenora opens up about the past, her carer starts to wonder if her patient is actually innocent or more dangerous than she thought. 

Review: ‘The Only One Left’ by Riley Sager:

My aim for 2025 is to read and rank all of Riley Sager’s works. I have to say, I think The Only One Left may be my favourite thus far. The moody setting, the cast of characters, the mystery – all of it had me captivated from start to finish. What really got me though were the shocking twists. They were one after the other, hitting me right between the eyes each and every time. This was a perfectly told story with several layers to it. It’s one that deserves a re-read because once you know the truth, your entire perspective changes. I highly recommend it! 

Prize For Completing The Challenge:

As you can see below, my prize for completing the prompt was this teacup paperclip. It’s cute, but nothing to write home about. 

Thank you so much for reading! I will see you next month for a new bookish challenge!

Peace & Love xoxo

Daddy’s Head – Shudder Movie Review!

Hi all! 

Today I am going to be reviewing Daddy’s Head. As mentioned previously, I really want to make better use of my Shudder subscription, so I have decided to try and watch/review one film per month from the aforementioned spooky streaming service. A boy and his widowed stepmother find themselves fearing for their lives, after they are visited by an unexplainable creature, which appears to mimic the boy’s recently deceased father. Without further ado, let’s get into my honest thoughts!

WHAT WORKED:

This movie was CREEPY! The concept and title alone sound terrifying, but to witness the film in action was something else. It was also painfully cruel. The idea that a creature can exploit a child’s grief over their parents’ death is unfathomable. Daddy’s Head is very scary. The voice it used to target the boy gave me chills. Not to mention, the movements in the dark and the faces it warped into. Ugh! Be prepared to feel uneasy to the core. Furthermore, I found the acting to be excellent. Both the child and his step-mother were exceptional. They gave their roles everything they possibly had. It was a complex subject they tackled perfectly. Definitely one of the better features added to Shudder this year. 

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

This movie is a very slow burn. It’s fair to say the pacing won’t work for everyone. It’s a story about grief and coming to terms with what’s left in the wake of somebody’s death. It takes its time, building to a horrifying climax. I would also caution that the movie is extremely dark – visually. I am guessing this was an intentional decision, because the creature lives in the shadows, but I do recommend turning the brightness up on your screen. I had to in order to grasp what I was meant to be seeing. Finally, I will admit I found the ending confusing. I had to look it up on Wikipedia to understand it. 

OVERALL STAR RATING: 

I gave it 3.5/5 stars. It’s one I can safely recommend. 

Thank you so much for reading! Have you seen Daddy’s Head? What did you think of it? I’ll be back to review another Shudder feature soon!

Peace & Love xoxo

My 5 Favourite How I Met Your Mother Episodes!

Hi all! 

Today I am going to share the five best episodes from one of my favourite television sitcoms: How I Met Your Mother. If you didn’t know, the show follows Ted Mosby, an architect and hopeless romantic. He recounts to his future children – through a series of flashbacks – the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother. I have watched the entire thing from start to finish more than I can count and each time, I discover a new layer. Full disclosure, I HATE the ending of this series. It is actually the worst ending to ever exist. Having said that, I try to ignore it.  Without further ado, let’s get into it!

1.) The Pineapple Incident (Season 1) 

My favourite How I Met Your Mother episode of all time is The Pineapple Incident from the first season. It is one giant mystery that is never truly solved. Our protagonist, Ted, is told by his best friend Barney that he needs to stop thinking and start doing. This leads Ted to down five shots in a rapid succession, resulting in a blackout. When he wakes up, there is a stranger asleep in his bed and a pineapple on his dresser. With the help of his friends, he pieces together what happened the night before. It has excellent pacing, laughs and surprising character development. Early on, we witness Ted’s true feelings for Robin slip through the cracks of his inebriated mind. What we never learn however, is how or why the pineapple ended up in his room. It was this episode that made me fall in love with the show.

2.) Swarley (Season 2) 

Swarley from the second season is pure hilarity, but it also has a lot of depth. When Barney is accidentally called Swarley, his friends continue to use that name in as many ways as possible, aggravating him to no end. They get so creative, it’s actually impressive. Watch the compilation video below for examples. The cherry on top of this episode though, is witnessing Marshall and Lily finally get back together after a long break. We, as fans, had been waiting and it didn’t disappoint. How I Met Your Mother is made up of relationship theorems and concepts. In this one, the friends discuss what it means to have the ‘Crazy Eyes.’ According to Ted and Barney, men can spot if a woman is mentally unstable by looking in her eyes. The twist revealed at the end, is that Lily is also a possessor of the ‘Crazy Eyes’ but Marshall doesn’t care. She is his crazy and he loves her. Awww! 

3.) Slap Bet (Season 2) 

If Slap Bet isn’t in your top 5 favourite episodes, I’m revoking your How I Met Your Mother fan card! There are so many iconic and lore-building moments in this one episode. Whilst Robin and Ted are dating, he learns that she has a big secret. He tries to respect her privacy, but the not-knowing drives him crazy. In their speculation, Barney slap-bets Marshall that Robin used to do pornography. A slap-bet basically means if you’re wrong, you get slapped in the face as hard as possible. However, the reveal is far more shocking than adult films. Enter Robin Sparkles, the Canadian teenage pop star with her one major hit, Let’s Go To The Mall. As the series progresses, Robin’s younger self continues to haunt her, but that’s not the only thing that returns. Because Barney lost the slap-bet, Marshall is allowed to slap him five times whenever he chooses. The slaps are spread out across the entire show. When the show first aired, it was so fun never quite knowing when the next one was coming. It’s a testament to the show’s excellent writing (until the ending…). 

4.) Spoiler Alert (Season 3) 

Spoiler Alert from the third season is one of the most relatable, relationship concepts the show introduced. Ted begins dating a woman his friends can’t stand. When the group finally reveals why she is so irritating, the glass shatters and suddenly, Ted can’t unsee her most obvious flaw. This leads the gang to share each other’s bad habits, thus wiping the ignorance they were living in before. At the same time, Marshall is frustrated because he cannot remember the password to his computer, which holds the answer to whether he passed the bar or not. Only through their arguing, is he able to recall what it is and the result overrides everything else. Have you ever had someone point something out about a person that changed your entire perception of them? That’s this episode, and it’s excellent. 

5.) Blitzgiving (Season 6)   

Last but certainly not least, we have Blitzgiving from the sixth season. To understand why I love this one so much, you must first know that Lost is my favourite television show ever. I’ve ranked all the characters here and shared my top five favourite episodes here. The special guest star in Blitzgiving is the one and only Jorge Garcia, who plays Hugo “Hurley” Reyes. Not only is he one of my favourite characters (check my ranking above to see where he lands) but he makes multiple Lost references in this episode. I always lose my mind when two of my favourite things merge. Furthermore, I love the concept of this one. The Blitz is a person who always misses out on epic moments. Nobody wants to be the Blitz! When Jorge’s character passes the curse onto Ted, he does everything possible to break it. THE GENTLEMAN!

Thank you so much for reading! Do you agree with my list? Let me know your favourite episodes!

Peace & Love xoxo

Azrael – Shudder Movie Review!

Hi all! 

Today I am going to be reviewing Azrael. As mentioned previously, I really want to make better use of my Shudder subscription, so I have decided to try and watch/review one film per month from the aforementioned spooky streaming service. Years after the apocalypse, a devout cult of mute zealots hunt down Azrael, a young woman who escaped her own imprisonment. Without further ado, let’s get into my honest thoughts!

WHAT WORKED:

I really want to commend this film on its originality. It is almost completely devoid of dialogue. As a viewer, this certainly enhanced the rest of my senses. I was able to focus more on the gestures, movements, sounds and horrifying story playing out before me. Furthermore, Samara Weaving’s performance was truly excellent. Our resident horror queen never disappoints. I was captivated by her acting and thought the final scene was very powerful. Sadly, my positive critiques end there.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

I need to speak my truth and admit that I found Azrael quite boring to watch. It was very slow, despite its short runtime. It felt like it started in the middle of a story and we, the audience, were just expected to keep up. I found it confusing because there was no dialogue. I went on Wikipedia afterward for the full break down. Without that summary, I’m not sure I would’ve grasped the true intricacies of the plot. I would’ve appreciated the film more if I was able to follow along. Instead, I struggled to understand it, which significantly lessened my enjoyment. 

OVERALL STAR RATING: 

I gave it 2/5 stars. Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. 

Thank you so much for reading! Have you seen Azrael? What did you think of it? I’ll be back to review another Shudder feature soon!

Peace & Love xoxo

My Makeup Journey Part 2: Primer & Foundation

Hi all! 

Today I am back to talk about Primer & Foundation. If you didn’t know, this is a new series on my blog titled: My Makeup Journey. Click here for Part 1: Face Preparation. At 35 years of age, I can confidently say I have never truly understood how to apply my makeup. In the recent months, I decided it was time to learn. I went down the rabbit-hole of TikTok beauty tutorials and to my utter amazement, I realised I had been doing SO many things wrong, for so many years. I’m not even close to being an expert now, but I am certainly wiser than I was before. I want to share everything I have learned, so without further ado, let’s get into it! 

PART 2: PRIMER & FOUNDATION  PRIMER

Once I’ve prepped my face (see Part 1) I put on a makeup headband to keep the hair away. I got mine from Kmart. The image below is my face completely free of makeup. It has only been moisturised in advance. 

I then use a hydrating primer before applying foundation. I have dry skin, so my products need to have hydrating properties to them. I got my tube from Kmart. Simply squeeze the size of a small coin onto your palm and massage into your face with fingers. You can use a beauty sponge if you want. 

 

Before applying foundation, a few beauty artists online suggested spraying your beauty sponge with setting spray. That way, the foundation will set nicely as you apply. It’s a great hack! I got mine from Kmart. 

FOUNDATION

A quick note on foundation. Once again, I have dry skin, so I need one that is hydrating. If you have oily skin, use one that is matte. To select the right shade, you want a foundation that matches the skin tone on your neck, not your face or the back of your hand. You don’t ever want to forget the neck when applying foundation, so make sure it matches the hue there above everything else. I got mine from Coles but it is the Revlon Colorstay for Dry Skin in Beige. 

Squirt your foundation into your hands and dab onto your face, but do not go near the eye area. This is for Concealer, which will be covered in Part 3. With your beauty sponge, don’t smear or rub the foundation on. You need to bounce or tap it on your face gently for smooth overall coverage. 

Your foundation is now on, nice and smooth. Notice below how the neck matches the face. The setting spray applied to the beauty sponge, keeps it on throughout the day. 

I’ll be back soon for Part 3: Concealer. I realise I’m not a makeup artist, nor a professional. Everyone does things differently. This is just what is working for me and my skin type. Thanks for reading! 

Peace & Love xoxo