Category Archives: Log

Log, Random Thought, Thinking Out Loud

Car Thought…#1?

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Stupid car thought on my way to work this morning.

I was thinking about weird couples in storytelling and not necessarily the ones you think I’m thinking of. And I was thinking about this particular coupling because…well, to be honest, because what else does one think about in California traffic?

This isn’t going to be a very well researched discussion. But it may get….odd. So, I should just get right to it, right?

Have you ever noticed how there are a lot of relationships between giant women and small men in fiction? An Elvish woman and a dwarven man, a giant woman and a human man, Amazonian women and human men (though to be fair that’s because there aren’t Amazonian men…but I think is still fair to include), Dragon and Donkey (Didn’t forget about you Shrek films), Ocean Goddess and crazy water scientist (At least, I think that’s who Ponyo’s parents were…I haven’t watched it in a while), and so on.

It’s an interesting, recurring coupling. I mean, I get it…anatomically, which, don’t worry, I will not go into details of. It’s even found in nature. Females being far larger than males like angler fish, spiders, and others that aren’t as creepy looking.

I’m sure there are articles, podcasts, or YouTube videos discussing this topic as either a misogynistic fantasy or an empowering feminist statement. I don’t care about those conversations because if I’m honest…it’s probably both depending on which story the coupling appears in…OR it’s just all in good fun.

But where are the examples in reverse? The only ones that freely and quickly come to my mind are…

Also, before y’all come for me…there probably are examples of the reverse coupling. Giant man and small woman in fiction. I also feel the need to emphasize I am only talking about FICTION. Like I said, this isn’t a highly researched discussion.

It was a thought I had in the car. Like shower thoughts…but dumber.

It Just Got Personal, Log

Products of Our Family

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We are the products of our parents is the more common phrase, but I think it’s safe to assume, or maybe a disservice to deny, there are influences beyond the immediate familial category.

When I think of my own family, of course I can identify the traits, faults, positives, etc. I learned from my parents. But then there are others that I can firmly claim are from others.

I could list some self-identifying faults I’ve learned from my parents…the manic episodes of depression from my father, the differing versions of anger from both my mother and father, and even the fear of relationships due to seeing my parents constantly fighting and hearing how they talk about each other to me.

But it would be strange not to include the artistic joy I gained from my grandmother and my aunt. The notion that silence is okay, not every second has to be filled with speaking from my uncles.

It isn’t missed by me that I listed negatives for my parents and positives from my distant relatives…and that wasn’t intentional. I’ve learned many positives from my parents (attention to detail, time management…sort of, etc.) and plenty of negatives from my relatives (paranoia about being alone, keeping emotions bottled up until they explode, etc.). But these were the most obvious things at the moment.

What brought on this strange line of thought?

For those who don’t know/those who forgot, I work in theater off and on (i.e. contract to contract with varying lengths of breaks between each gig) and I’m currently in the rehearsal process of a new show.

Working in theater really is like holding a mirror up to your life. Discussions of character development can sometimes lead to triggers of memory. Which happened, reminding me of a specific relationship in my own life.

The relationship between myself and my brother. My mom and her brother is almost exactly the same. We don’t talk, except on the rarest of occasions, and when we are in the same room…it’s a little awkward.

Of course, it wasn’t this way when we were children. We were much closer…but there was also always a line of tension beneath the surface. I didn’t recognize it as a child, but it influenced me and I’m sure him as we grew into adulthood.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love my brother. But it doesn’t feel like we…like each other. I can only speak from my perspective and I feel like he doesn’t like me. I know he loves me…but I don’t think he likes me.

Of course, I’m probably wrong and my anxiety is getting the better of me. And to clarify…I like my brother. And I will love him until the day we die…it was just a strange flash of memory brought on by my work.

Fun.

Log, Random Thought

Life Soundtrack

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Do you ever just get random songs stuck in your head? Or better yet, random parts of songs just playing over and over?

I did an experiment when I was in college. Every time one of these moments occurred, I would write the song down. Every time. I literally had pages of random songs written down.

If I can find one I’ll post a pic here.

EDIT: I could not find one…womp womp

Anybut, the reason I’m bringing this up is for two reasons. The first, because I woke up this morning with a song repeating in my head. (Secret by The Pierces if you were wondering)

The second reason I decided to bring this up is because when I first did it in college I joked about how it was a real life soundtrack. And that got me wondering a stupid thought.

Do you know that fun fact about dreams? Before TV was in color people used to dream in black and white…or something like that? I always thought that was ridiculous. Why would TV have such an impression when, you know, the world is in color (unless of course you are one of the millions who suffer from a version of color blindness, but even then the TV would still appear the same as the world around you…or something).

I thought since music is so readily available and used in films and ads and tv shows and as ambience, is that why songs get stuck in our heads? I know one of the major pulls of music is to be catchy so people want to buy it, but did people back in the times before music was so readily available get songs stuck in their heads in the same way?

Has the idea of soundtracks for storytelling created this part of the brain that feels like emphasizing our actual lives with music?

Just a thought…as I also sit here listening to the same 40 seconds of a song over and over…Roxanne from the stage musical version of Moulin Rouge with Aaron Tveit…

….if you were wondering.

Log, Random Update

She rises from the depths….

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Vampire Rising From Coffin GIFs | Tenor

It may be cliche…..It may have been done before….especially on this site….but I rise from the depths of the pit I’ve been skulking around in for the past….

Well, maybe we don’t count the days…….

………Okay, 16 months, 12 days, and whatever hours, minutes, and seconds….as of the writing of this post.

Surely, I was busy with so many amazing things. Surely, I wasn’t just staring at my computer screen contemplating what has become of and will become of existence and the world and the universe and everything.

Surely, not….

……….Okay, maybe not mostly that. But I was working. I was DOING things.

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I worked on my first theater production after two years of being dark (closed in theater terms). Disney’s Newsies, if you were curious. It was amazing and weird being back doing what I love.

Amazing to be back doing theater….but weird because we had to wear masks every day and take Covid tests multiple times a week. We even had a couple actors and our choreographer test positive during the rehearsals, but luckily we were able to make it through without a wave of positive tests moving through the cast and crew.

We made it through our three weeks of performances and it was amazing. The cast was amazing, the crew was amazing, and it was amazing to be working.

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And that was the last show the theater company planned for the year…hooray.

I worked on my writing and am still working on my third book…the rush of creativity and excitement at being published quickly wore off as I realized my theater career was, essentially, over (more on this in a moment). Thank the gods my publisher is very patient and forgiving and is giving me the time I need to get back into my writing zone…for now.

Surprisingly, it’s very hard to write a fantasy book when your real life feels like it’s tumbling down all around you and there’s nothing you can do about it because you tried to be loyal to a company you truly believed in and turned down other opportunities to be fully available and then the company you tried to be loyal to cancels the rest of their season.

It’s also weird because this is the second theater company I’ve been apart of, put a lot of my time and energy into…and now it’s gone. Well, it’s not ACTUALLY gone…it’s just not doing any shows…and there are rumors it may be bought by another theater company I’ve done a little work with but will probably not want to hire me for future shows cause they don’t KNOW me, but that’s a whole other rabbit hole to go down at another time.

Enough of this. Let’s talk about something positive………

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I tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, September 6th, 2022. That’s right, the RONA got me!! I’m actually surprised it took this long. Really, I had symptoms beginning Sunday, September 4th but I was in denial…and out of state.

Full disclosure. I was in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma from September 1-5 for a writer’s conference. Now, I can neither confirm nor deny, prove or disprove whether I went to the conference ALREADY infected or if I was infected AT the conference….or on the plane TO the conference…but it doesn’t matter now. I wore my mask on the planes like a good little girl and made the choice to take it off AT the conference.

Though it didn’t help to have my flight from Phoenix, AZ to Cali cancelled at 8pm at night and having to spend a surprise evening in Phoenix until the next available flight home the following day at 3pm. Fun fact, the reason the flight was cancelled was because the airport we were planning on flying into has a curfew…and our plane was delayed two hours….past the curfew…so they cancelled it…cool.

Anybut, the point is I’m no longer a Covid ninja, a Covid avoider, a lucky bitch who managed to avoid the virus by sheer stubbornness to ever take my mask off and wash my hands after someone even LOOKS at them.

My fever didn’t break until Friday, I still have a nasty cough that won’t leave me alone, and once my fever broke I lost my taste. Which losing taste is the strangest ting of all. I didn’t even realize it had happened until I took the first bite of my favorite meal and the realization that I couldn’t taste it slowly dawned on me.

I’m vaccinated and have one booster. So it could’ve been worse and I’m thankful my symptoms weren’t worse or that I ended up in the hospital.

I’m also EXTREMELY thankful it happened now and not in a few weeks.

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Remember how I talked about my theater job essentially being…over? Well, I guess my notorious indifferent luck decided it would do me a solid and I received a message from one of my close friends. They wanted to call me.

Now, this is a frightening message to an introvert like me. Call? Like talking on the phone? Why can’t we text? I didn’t have as many of my crazy thoughts as I usually do when someone asks to talk on the phone, mostly because I know my friend KNOWS I’m not a phone talker. So I, more quickly than normal, say hell yeah.

We talk and she offers me a job on a show for the Holiday season. A show with a Stage Manager who I had just finished working with on Newsies.

So of course I say, Hell Yeah! Okay, not those words cause it was technically a professional call so I was a lot more appropriate even though I know my friend wouldn’t have cared if I said hell yeah, but I am a professional and she’s a professional and we….are…PROFESSIONAL!

Luckily, the show doesn’t begin rehearsals until end of October which gives me plenty of time to clear out the Covid coursing through my body and lord knows the mask will never leave my face again…in public. Cause in theater world you’re basically out for a week and for rehearsals…that’s a lot of missed work that is very difficult to catch back up on.

I’m excited to be given the opportunity to work on a show. I know how difficult it becomes to get work in this industry when those who were your links into the industry no longer participate in the industry…or are no longer with us. But I’m not ready to discuss that latter part. Maybe I will be someday…but not today.

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Wow, that was a lot and yet not everything but I know no one wants to read anything this long let alone longer. I’m sure I’ll find time to discuss the other things that happened since my last…check in? post? glimpse behind the curtain?

Does this mean I’m back for a consistent posting schedule. No. But I will do my best to maybe check in every now and then…especially with some interesting ideas rattling around in my brain.

I for sure want to talk about the writers conference I went to because I think it’s interesting and I’m sure other folks would think it’s interesting, too. Especially if there are any aspiring writers out there. So, I guess, if you’re interested, keep an eye out for that? Though I’m not sure when that will materialize.

If you’ve made it this far…thank you. I had so many plans for this blog when I started it. I had so many ideas. Depression is a hell of a thing. Don’t recommend it personally. But I’m also not ready to talk about that today.

Thank you for reading.

OH! I also am still on Twitch. If you’re interested. My channel is Twitch.tv/luddiewig

Log, Serious Note, That's My Job

Welp…

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Just found out today that my theater job won’t be back until next YEAR (2022) at the earliest…and I’m gonna have to be okay with that.

However, that most likely means that by the time it comes back…I may not be able to do it…since I’ll probably be working full time somewhere that won’t let me take the time off to work on a theater show…

And I’m gonna have to be okay with that.

I’ll keep working on my book series (Book 2 is now available for pre-order btw…I’ve been dropping the ball on promotion because losing my job and still being unable to get scheduled for a vaccine and searching for a new job and realizing that I’ve wasted so much time spiraling deeper and deeper into anxiety and depression…make it VERY difficult to get excited for pretty much everything).

I’ve started randomly streaming on Twitch trying to distract myself from the aforementioned spiral…though I can only handle 2 hours and not every day streaming. (If you’re curious, I play Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, not well, because I’m obsessed with that game since Monster Hunter World is done with new monsters and Monster Hunter Rise is releasing later this month)

But overall…I’m just trying to hold up the small bit of positivity I can find.

So, here’s a link if you’re interested in pre-ordering my new book (CLICK HERE)…but if you aren’t that’s fine, too. If you want to check out the FIRST book in the series here’s a link to that, too (CLICK HERE).

And if you care/know about Twitch and are tempted to see someone play a game poorly with meh commentary…you can check out my stream HERE. As of right now I stream Monday & Wednesday at 2pm pst and Friday & Saturday at 7pm pst. Since I learned of my job’s fate…I may start streaming more in hopes to maybe make it a viable way to make some side money….just depends on what happens with the work situation.

ANYBUT!!! Sorry for a not interesting/funny post…but I needed to get this out to help me process that even though everything ELSE is going back to normal….my entire career path has been basically blown to smithereens…but again…..it’s mostly my own fault.

BUT I’ll survive. I’ll find a new job and I’ll keep trucking along.

31 Days of Holiday Memories!, Log

Whale of a Birthday

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My birthday is in January…I know, I know. That doesn’t really count as a “Holiday memory”…but I’m going to include this story because it was the end of an era.

When I left Indiana for college in California, my parents retired and moved to Maui, HI. When I could, I would visit for Christmas (the only times I didn’t when I had to work).

Anybut, in 2016, my parents moved back to the mainland. So, for the last time I’d visit before their move, we went whale watching. We’ve done it many times throughout the years, but this was special.

Not only was it the last whale watching we’d probably ever do in Maui, it was the last time I’d probably ever visit the island…it’s expensive to fly out there and stay in a hotel.

I really loved whale watching because even if you didn’t see a lot of whales, you always saw SOMETHING. We didn’t expect anything like what we witnessed.

The boat we were on easily found a whale and we followed it, thinking we’d lose track of it in no time.

Then we got SURROUNDED! I mean there were four or five whales that appeared from outta nowhere. The captain had to shut off the engine (humpbacks are an endangered species and large boats are required to turn their engines off when within a certain distance).

Long story short…I got a selfie with a whale.

My parents like to joke that this was Hawaii giving them a farewell gift.

Before I show video, I should preface with this: I’ve gone whale watching many times in Maui…but this was the first time this EVER happened to us. Even the captain of the boat stopped what he was doing to get some pictures.

Here are videos of how close these buggers got (I apologize for any weird sounds as I adjust my grip on my phone so it doesn’t fall into the ocean):

“What is happening?!” one of the guides on the boat.
This is the whale in my selfie checking out the boat.

Also, apologies if I’ve already posted about this…but it’s still one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced.

31 Days of Holiday Memories!, Log

Holiday Time!!

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It’s December and it’s time for some random Holiday-ness.

I’m not 100% sure what to do this year so I thought I’d attempt, keyword attempt, to do something every day until January 1st…I make no promises, but I will do my best.

And to make this something besides an announcement/introduction post…here’s a random fact:

Every year for the past 3 years I helped prepare and fix props for touring productions of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer the Musical.

That’s not the fun fact. The fun fact is that if you’ve ever seen this randomly touring show in the US, I want you to know that means you are one degree of separation from me…creepy, right?

Anybut, needless to say this year the touring shows have been cancelled and therefore I didn’t have the honor of repainting two dozen chairs, two large tables, so many ladders, toys, tools, repairing tinsel jumpropes (yes, really), a number of instruments, or re-wrapping HUNDREDS (okay, not hundreds…but a LOT) of presents.

I’m sad…but also a little relieved. Nothing makes you want to never see another piece of wrapping paper like wrapping over four dozen empty boxes every year before December.

I’m sad for the performers, technicians, and production personnel who look forward to this touring show and hopefully, it will be back next year…hopefully.

Halloween, Log

Top 10 Horror Movies I Watch Every Year

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I love horror movies. I really do.

I have a tradition every Halloween (whether I’m invited to parties or not) to watch the same horror movies.

I intersperse new horror movies every year, but there are always a few that I HAVE to watch every year.

So here are my TOP 10 Horror Movies I have to watch EVERY YEAR!!!
(In no particular order)

10. Children of the Corn
Consider this the necessary Stephen King entry. It could be ANY Stephen King film, but Children of the Corn has a special place in my heart. It’s the one I love watching over and over. I love the cheese, I love the effects, and I LOVE when Malachi yells “OUTLANDER! WE HAVE YOUR WOMAN!” Don’t go into this necessarily expecting scares, but it’s definitely a fun watch.

9. A Tale of Two Sisters
This film still terrifies me. It’s a Korean film from 2003 and it still holds up to horror films coming out now. There is an American remake of it….but we’re going to pretend that doesn’t exist. If you aren’t used to Asian films this may not be the one for you. There are terrifying images, frightening twists, and an ending that if you aren’t prepared for literally BLOWS your mind!

8. Delicatessen
French films in horror are masterclasses. They basically invented the torture porn genre…this film isn’t that. But it IS a fun blend of Sci-fi, horror, and comedy. It takes place in an apocalyptic future where meat is rare and a former clown takes a job in an apartment complex above a Delicatessen (a butcher shop). I mean that description alone should be enough. I love this film, but be prepared for subtitles and a bit of violence.

7. Rec
ANOTHER movie from outside of America?! You bet your ass! This time we’re heading to Spain (Barcelona in fact) for a found footage style film that also had an American remake…..and again we’re going to pretend it doesn’t exist. This one offers an English dub over the original Spanish actors so if subtitles scare you away, now there’s no excuse. The premise is a news team is following a group of fire men on night calls when they get trapped inside a building with a rare disease that turns people into zombies. Highly recommended.

6. Evil Dead
All right, I’m cheating a little bit. This entry is for all of the Evil Dead movies (not including the 2013 remake though that IS a good movie, too). I can’t get through Halloween without some Ash Williams. It’s campy, it’s gory, it’s all around FUN!! I love these movies!!

5. The Thing
This movie terrified me as a child. But now it holds a special place in my heart since I got to see John Carpenter talk about the making of this film at my college. The practical effects are still some of the best ever put to film and still hold up against modern day CGI…BETTER even! I love this film and it’s always a must-watch every season.

4. Friday the 13th
The first one. I love the fun kills from the entire series, but the original Friday the 13th still, in my opinion, is the best one. See where it all began with a series that will NEVER die.

3. Splinter
This film is definitely one of those, ‘you either love it or hate it’, deals. I love it. The “creature” is never explained, but it is VERY cool, in my opinion. The effects are gross and the story is meh, but it grows on you and it’s become a definite must watch for me.

2. Halloween
What’s a Halloween horror movie list without Halloween, eh? Like Friday the 13th, I’m sticking with the original all the way. Others in the series and a number of remakes have added a lot to this story, but the simplicity of the original is close to perfection.

1. Hellraiser
Another master of horror graces this list. Clive Barker is another filmmaker who knows what he’s doing. Hellraiser is another classic with amazing effects. Who else would think of rebuilding a human body one meaty, boney bit at a time? Seriously the scene where a man starts as a little bloody splotch and regrows into a skinless body is so gruesomely beautiful.

This is the part of the list where I mention some Honorable Mentions. These films are modern classics that have been added to my must-watch list. I have five for you:

1. Cabin in the Woods
I mean it’s like Scream. It takes all the cliches and tropes of horror films and puts them all through a comedic, yet still terrifying, lens.

2. Paranormal Activity
Okay, hear me out. Sometimes you just want to watch ghosts messing around with people. Did it go a little crazy as more came out in the series? Yes, but I still think the ghost in the sheet in the second film was the scariest part of the entire franchise.

3. The Ritual
A British film that I understand can drag a little. But I love the idea of it and the monster at the center of the terror is so cool!!

4. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
It all takes place in a coroner’s office. And there’s a mystery to be solved!! Such a fantastic film that will definitely be a classic.

5. Shudder & Crypt TV
All right, all right, this is 100% a cheat and a little bit of a, not paid, promotion. Shudder is a streaming service that is ALL about horror. From the classics (Cannibal Holocaust, Fall of the House of Usher, etc.) to original movies and TV shows (Cursed Films, Host, etc.), Shudder has a large collection of horror to get anyone through Halloween. Crypt TV is free and you can check out their stuff on YouTube as well as their website. They are masters of creating new monsters and horrors including The Birch and The Look-See. Definitely one to check out!!

Again, not paid to promote, I just really enjoy Shudder and Crypt TV.

There it is. My Must Watch Horror Movies for Halloween. If there were movies missing that are must-watches for you every year make sure to comment!!!

Halloween, Log

Top 25 Horror Movies of the Past 10 Years

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You could argue Horror is in a renaissance in recent years…or you could argue it’s in a second or third renaissance…whatever.

Though no one can deny the past 10 years have given rise to many spectacular horror films that are going to be classics for years to come. This Halloween Eve I shall list 25 in order of release year.

We’ve got a lot of films to get through so here we go:

25. Black Swan (2010)
This is more of a psychological thriller, but there are some crazy horror-like moments. Therefore, it ABSOLUTELY belongs on this list. Who knew the world of ballet could be so brutal? Actual ballerinas knew…that’s who.

24. Insidious (2010)
The commercials for this movie were scary. Like legit scary. So you knew this was gonna be a good one. And if you had any doubts, they were scared away when red man appeared behind Patrick Wilson…if that didn’t make you piss yourself…then you’re an adult and I’m a baby.

23. Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Not since Scream had a meta horror film really garner as much critical and popular praise. You knew this was going to be a wild ride during that opening scene…especially when the title card ended up being the first jump scare.

22. Kill List (2011)
All I have to say is…that ending. But since I should say more, this British psychological horror keeps you guessing at what the hell is going the whole movie…and then that ending hits you across the head with a club.

21. Sinister (2012)
To be fair, there are parts of this film that aren’t that great. But I’d argue everyone leapt out of their skin when that lawn mower was on the screen…even if in retrospect it was a bit of a cop out jump scare.

20. The Conjuring (2013)
Another Patrick Wilson horror film? Yes, please! Portraying a “real” life ghost hunter? SURE!! Though this was the film that started the Conjuring Universe (Annabelle, Nun, etc.), it was a brilliant entry into a new era of horror.

19. The Babadook (2014)
A creepy man in a black coat and hat? Spooky. Crippling depression that could actually be the true form of the creepy man in a black coat and hat? Terrifying. Add a splash of annoying child? Perfection.

18. What We Do In The Shadows (2014)
The Office meets Dracula. Sign me up! This is the brainchild of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement and if you don’t know who those two are…I…I don’t think we can be friends…JUST KIDDING!! We’ll just have to watch this mockumentary about vampires living in modern day Wellington.

17. It Follows (2014)
A sexually transmitted demon that hunts you down and kills you…I’m listening. But really, this film is actually very well written and the characters are interesting…though I’m still not a fan of the girl in the opening who put on stilettos first thing in the morning…do you…do you not have flip flops? Tennis shoes? SLIPPERS?! No? Only stilettos….weird.

16. As Above, So Below (2014)
The catacombs below Paris is one of those places that’s a PERFECT setting for a horror movie. Thousands of bones, darkness, the chance of the walls caving in at any moment…perfect! Add in an entrance to Hell and you get this found footage style film that has you questioning everything.

15. The Witch (2015)
A slow burn that rewards those willing to hang in until the end. A brilliant period piece that shows a family breaking down and struggling to find God’s purpose for them. And then there’s a witch causing a little trouble. You may not understand what the characters are saying…but you don’t need to once the screams start.

14. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
I knew John Goodman could be scary…if you’ve ever seen him in O, Brother Where Art Thou? (not a horror movie, I know) you know he can be a real terrifying presence. And this film definitely amplified it by turning him into a more reserved conspirator who “saves” a young man and woman from an apocalypse…or DID he?

13. Train to Busan (2016)
If you’re sick of zombie movies….you should still see this one. Korean horror films are still some of the most chilling movies. Maybe it’s because they’re not afraid to go where American studios hesitate. But also, it takes place mostly on a train and I don’t think I’ve ever looked at the subway the same again.

12. Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
This is a movie I stumbled upon on Netflix one night and immediately fell in love with. I don’t know what it is about morgues that naturally make them great settings for horror films…I’M KIDDING!! I know it’s because of the whole dead bodies thing…but what if one of those bodies…was a witch?

11. The Babysitter (2017)
The humor of this movie is its defining feature. Who knew selling your soul for immortality could be such a fun time? Oh yeah, when a scaredy cat kid catches you in the act and you have to kill him…

10. IT (2017)
I was a fan of the original TV movie with Tim Curry playing the killer clown. Was it cheesy? Yes. But we expect that from most Stephen King adaptations….but the 2017 IT film (and its subsequent part II) were definitely a major improvement. Though the first film was the stronger of the two.

9. The Ritual (2017)
Another film I found late at night on Netflix…and I was pleasantly surprised. The acting is superb and the design of the monster/forest god is one of my favorite in the past decade.

8. Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele’s film debut! AND HE KILLED IT!! This is such an intelligently written horror film with some of the most terrifying sequences I’ve ever seen. And the messaging hidden in every scene still blows me away.

7. A Quiet Place (2018)
Creatures that attack anything that makes a sound…speaking as a naturally clumsy human being…that’s the scariest thing in the world. Of course, the John Krasinski directed film is also filled to the brim with tense scares and brilliant sound design. Horror films are really showing they deserve more recognition than they get.

6. Hereditary (2018)
This was my pick for scariest horror film of 2018. If I was prone to nightmares after watching scary movies this one would have kept me up for weeks…instead I got scared by every shadow and every time I heard anyone click their tongue…seriously…

5. Us (2019)
Jordan Peele knocks it out of the park AGAIN!! This film really makes you question…are your really you? And I think red jumpsuits are now terrifying…and kids…kids are still terrifying…

4. Parasite (2019)
Okay, this is more thriller/comedy, but there are horror elements so I’m including it because we need to acknowledge Korean films…especially in the horror genre (and if I could I’d include A Tale of Two Sisters, but that came out in 2003…though I guess I kind of just did include it…). Parasite deserves all the praise it received including the Oscar win.

3. Midsommar (2019)
Horror in the daylight…hard to do, but Ari Aster knows how to get it done. The sound design and setting work in perfect tandem to keep you on the edge of horrified and invested in the story. Balancing a line you didn’t even know could be balanced.

2. Underwater (2020)
I don’t think enough people gave this one a chance…the timing of its release also didn’t do it any favors. BUT! I actually really enjoyed this film. There are some pretty gnarly kills in it and…I’ll say it: Kristen Stewart was fantastic. I recommend this film especially if there are any other humans who liked Sphere…they’re not similar story-wise, but I’m a sucker for bottom of the ocean horror.

1. Invisible Man (2020)
This ain’t the classic invisible man…this man is technological advanced and a vengeful son of a bitch. Giving any woman who’s been in an abusive relationship something to worry about, this film is paranoia personified. With some pretty good scares and an interesting story, this is definitely a worthwhile watch.

Of course there are far more horror films from the past ten years I couldn’t include on this list…but here are 6 more.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

6. Oculus (2013)
A killer mirror and no clue what’s real or not…this film is a mind bend in the best kind of way.

5. Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
If art could kill…plus Jake Gyllenhaal being a snooty art critic is worth the watch alone.

4. Bird Box (2018)
The best decision made in regards to this movie? Not showing the evil things causing the shenanigans…seriously look up what they were going to look like.

3. Veronica (2017)
Deemed the scariest movie of all time…debatable. But it is a well made possession film.

2. Raw (2016)
There were rumors people couldn’t get through this movie…okay. I had no trouble…what does that say about me?

1. You’re Next (2011)
A female lead who is the most dangerous thing in the movie…like really…scream queen she is not.

I KNOW I’ve missed so many horror films. Make sure to comment your favorite I forgot to include in the comments below!!