No better time than Halloween week to visit the ‘island of misfit dolls’
It’s a real place in Mexico that lots of people every year seek out. I would imagine being there during the creepy week we’re in would be among the best times to acquaint yourselves with the statues of strangeness..
The story of the island:
A half century ago, a little girl drowned off a small island hidden deep among the canals of Xochimico. The island’s only permanent inhabitant was a hermit named Don Julián Santana Barrera, who despite having a wife and family, chose to live alone on the island. Soon after the girl’s death Barrera fished out one doll after another from the canals. Convinced that this was a sign from the evil spirit, Don Julian Santana began hanging them on trees to protect himself from evil and calm the spirit of the dead girl. Soon Don Julián had made the entire island into a shrine.
Santana did not clean up the dolls or attempt to fix them, but rather put them up with missing eyes and limbs, covered in dirt. Even when dolls arrived in good shape, the wind and weather naturally decomposed them over time creating a gallery of eerie and ghoulish faces. Don Julian Santana lived on the island for 50 years before his death in 2001. He was found drowned in the same area in which he believed the little girl had died.
And the creation still exists.
Sun-damaged and all.. Creepy dolls across the land.
An artist in Ukraine uses the placeholder the statue of Lenin used to be on to showcase Darth Vader..
The point: In April, Ukraine ordered all Soviet era statues and ‘stuff’ to be destroyed or removed. Or both.
Oleksandr Milov, the sculptor of the new statue, said this to the AFP news agency:
“Honestly, I did not like the idea of destroying it, so we decided on a more flexible solution,” he said, adding that they were planning to install a Wi-fi router on the statue’s head so that he can “communicate with the other Siths.”
“The main candidate of the Internet Party of Ukraine, named after the legendary Star Wars villain Darth Vader, is campaigning in Odessa, cruising through the town on a black van to the sound of the Imperial March from the saga. The Sith Lord often seen flanked by his loyal storm troopers and Chewbacca is the official candidate of the party which has become known for its theatrical public stunts.Vader and storm troopers were recently seen waving at passers-by from atop the van as flames shot up at the helm of the vehicle. “When I am appointed to my position, I will distribute free accommodation as a first policy,” the man dressed as Darth Vader said.”
Otherwise, check out http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/11b-x-1371, the site I go to when I need to get on top of the current MEMES floating around the net. While there is not much on there I did not know at this point, there certainly is a good bit of information for newcomers to this topic..
One point that is new information for me from only a few days ago:
On October 21st, Twitter user @Exen pointed to the now-abandoned Zofiowka Sanitarium near Otwock, Poland as the location where the video was filmed.
Debate continues.. what is the video? A threat? a test? a terrorist? or a movie/game ad?
Time will tell..
Maybe depending on what the conclusion it, we don’t want to know.
The week before Halloween, and all through the box, not a horror flick was stirring, and it took a knock.
The makers of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 238947, or whatever one we’re on now, had some high expectations. Those hopes fell flat after real box office numbers potentially showed Paramount/Blumhouse that it could very well be time to move on in horror.. The full weekend take for the GHOST DIMENSION could be around $6-7 mil–rough when the studios were publicly saying $12 mil with private hopes of more.
The STEVE JOBS biopic also seems to be flopping..
ROCK THE KASBAH never took off.
But what did take off for weeks: THE MARTIAN, a clear dominant factor in this seasonal box office and potentially one of the best films (if not the best) of the year, according to many people.
As usual, I am late for the party. I did not see the MARTIAN yet, but plan to today .. if that doesn’t work out, I will simply take a day off of work and see if alone! Not only do I want to, but I got extremely excited when Art Bell said that they chose to use his bumper music in the soundtrack.. Picture an astronaut stuck on Mars with ABBA’s WATERLOO playing? That is excitement only a theater can provide..
And you thought CENTRALIA was a big story!? That town only had a little around 2,000 people when the government forced all to move because of an underground mine fire–mine included.
And with the personal history I can pen about a town on fire, it’s with particular interest that I read this story from the LATIMES written by Matt Pearce..
Giving all credit to Pearce for his words describing the troubling situation, this:
A fire is smoldering beneath a landfill in a densely populated suburb of St. Louis — and it has been there for five years.
Underground landfill fires, or “smoldering events” as some officials call them, aren’t rare. What makes the fire at the landfill in Bridgeton, Mo., so unusual is that it’s less than a quarter of a mile from a large deposit of nuclear waste — with no barrier in its way.
The radioactive legacy of St. Louis’ role in the World War II atomic weapons program has unleashed Cold War-style nuclear paranoia in the area, as some residents debate what kind of gas masks to buy or whether to move away.
When you read more on the subject, you realize that state, local, and federal officials are not in agreement whatsoever about what type of threat this would hold for St. Louis and if it even poses a threat at all.. Sort of like Centralia’s story, scientists and residents are arguing over whether the underground fire is even moving..
More from Pearce:
Even if the underground fire eventually burns out without any problems, the radioactive dump could cause trouble, according to Ed Smith, the safe-energy director for the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.
“Either the government puts together a plan for the removal of the radioactive material in a way that is done as safely as possible,” Smith said, “or at some point in the future, I can say with some confidence that a flood, fire, earthquake, tornado, what have you, is going to move this radioactive material and other contaminants at the landfill in a way we cannot control.”
I am not an expert. Never claimed to be. But I will say this: The fire will not burn out. History of underground fires sort of showcase that.
And this fire, so close to radioactive materials, needs broad attention in a quick manner.
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Lawn chairs, blankets and water bottles were strewn in the street and bodies remained at the scene as Oklahoma State University fans walked past an intersection where a woman had plowed her car into a homecoming parade crowd hours earlier and killed four people.
Some lingered Saturday to look at the aftermath that also included a gray car with a smashed side and shattered windshield, and a crumpled motorcycle. Dozens more were injured in the collision that sent some spectators flying through the air.
The driver is suspected of being under the influence, and investigators were awaiting results of blood tests to determine if she was impaired by drugs or alcohol.
And this:
Three adults died at the scene and a 2-year-old boy died later, Stillwater police Capt. Kyle Gibbs said. He said 44 people were injured.
Adacia Chambers, a 25-year-old Stillwater resident, was arrested on the DUI charge after the morning crash
x x x
Not to take anything away from the victims of this tragedy, but I remember one that was narrowly averted when I was a younger child.. Around the age of 8 or 9, I remember being at the Ashland PA ‘ABA parade’ on a cool September night, standing at the top of town in rows of people near the May’s Restaurant. I have a vivid memory of a car going too fast in the parade–it was actually one of the cars IN the parade.. the car was coming straight for the crowd that I was standing in but made a sharp turn to the right at the last minute.. It was later found out that the man driving the car had a heart attack and someone who was a passenger took over at exactly the right moment. So right that if it did not occur, I may not have been typing this blog post right now..
I can only imagine the suffering that these families are going through–especially when a 2-year-old passes away from the moronic choice a drunk driver made by getting into a car and plowing into a crowd of people. It’s disgusting..
May the collective consciousnesses of all who are thinking or praying for them shine on them.
Actress Maureen O’Hara dead at 95..
xxx
She appeared in five of director John Ford’s films including How Green Was My Valley, Rio Grande and The Quiet Man, has died. Awarded an honorary Oscar last year, O’Hara was 95 and died at her home in Boise, Idaho
More from her movie past:
She appeared opposite John Wayne in the aforementioned Ford pictures Rio Grande and The Quiet Man (Steven Spielberg replicated their famous kiss in E.T. The Extra Terrestrial ) as well as The Wings of Eagles, McLintock! and Big Jake. She also starred in the original 1947 Christmas classic Miracle On 34th Street
Although several of the movies O’Hara starred in were nominated for or won multiple Academy Awards, she was never nominated. The Academy rectified that oversight with the honorary Oscar presented to her at the 2014 Governors Awards ceremony in November. She made her final major public appearance then to accept the long overdue honor. It was a night to remember.
The 40-second cellphone video, released Thursday by the Nevada Department of Public Safety two days after the Las Vegas Review-Journal had requested it, was taken from a berm atop Trench No. 11 overlooking the soil cap of Trench No. 14.
Trench No. 14 is where containers of low-level radioactive waste were buried in part of a pit the size of a football stadium in the 1970s.
Think about this for a second before reading on..
And now some more words from Rogers’ excellent newspaper reporting on the subject:
State Fire Marshal Chief Peter Mulvihill said Tuesday investigators don’t know yet what caused the “energetic burning” in that pit Sunday but whatever caught fire below the surface of the unlined, clay terrain “definitely burned very hot.”
The state’s public safety team decided to allow the fire to burn itself out instead of trying to douse it because they didn’t want to put water on any material that might be reactive to water, fearing that could potentially exacerbate the problem.
But as usual.. Nothing to see here. Go about your business. IT’s all under control.
Of course it wasn’t going to be released until an information request from a newspaper made it happen.
As being reported in several publications including the linked USA TODAY story:
A Pleasant Valley man has been accused of strangling his mother, and then keeping her remains in a Pleasant Valley motel for seven weeks before moving her body to a small town in South Carolina.
The gruesome details came to light during a state police press conference Saturday at the Troop K headquarters in Millbrook.
Police are alleging that the crime occurred on August 16..
“I find it hard to imagine,” state police Capt. John Ryan said, “the circumstances that would lead a son to strangle his mother, but also to live with the body in a motel room and then travel several states away and dump her like trash.”
More .. Earth may be in great danger as the sun’s path through the galaxy sends comet flying towards our planet, scientists have warned. Researchers have identified a 26 million-year cycle of meteor impacts that coincides with the timing of mass extinctions over the past 260 million years.
There is a close shave on Halloween set by an asteroid .. And now days before that hopeful non event, this news about how eventually a comet accident could kill us all..
“I think if she killed someone, I would literally be like, ‘I got it, where do you want me to help you bury the body?’ ” the actress says. “I wouldn’t even question it, and I can’t say that about anybody else in my life.”
And there you get the headline.. reported over and over again by entertainment rags that proclaim journalistic integrity.
That is my problem with these types of publications. It would go without saying..
Lay off Kunis.
She’s a mom and the voice of Meg.
And I don’t think she deserves headlines in NEW YORK MAGAZINE proclaiming:
The same thing that has always been wrong, I would say. As said before, horror is an elementary education of the pop culture of the time. The fears presented in horror are the fears of the age they appear it. When a movie comes a little too early, or a little too late, they flop. You have to strike while the iron is hot. UNFRIENDED would not work two years from now. It works now. BLAIR WITCH worked when it did, and began a series of unfortunate “found” stories..all of which are becoming quickly hackneyed under the weight of time.
The SAW films? Enough already.. ROB ZOMBIE? I never could stomach it.. REMAKES? I never appreciated them to begin with.
The website BLOODY-DISGUSTING’S Brad Miska wrote up a story about what is wrong with the genre.. a few valid points presented:
For me, the biggest thing he nails is that modern horror is littered with fake jump-scares. I often cite the use of authentic scares in reviews of films I love – most notably ones directed by James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring). Many studio films fatigue the audience with bullshit jump-scares that utilize loud sound design to make the audience jolt out of their seat. They aren’t being scared, they’re being yelled at. That’s not horror. He relates it to having sex – films are blowing their load and releasing tension too early, leaving the film’s climax to have little to no effect.
Graphic description .. but I see the point. Horror is slow and methodical.. it brings you to a point where you realize the conclusion is awfully scary.. Deep and disturbing .. that was the success of this autumn’s M NIGHT film THE VISIT. It took a while. You got to enjoy it.. and you got surprised at the end.
Lastly, he [
Chris Stuckmann] points to expectations vs reality as a major issue. Marketing of The Village is his prime example, in which he points out that even M. Night Shyamalan regrets the false advertising. Studios need to get asses in the seats and will do so by any means necessary (For example, much of the footage in The Gallows trailers and TV spots weren’t actually in the movie).
I agree.. Another good example of advertising to seduce is this past week’s failure CRIMSON PEAK. It was a romance horror.. And it failed, because as people found out it was not the ‘scariest movie of the year’ that was promised, they shunned like an Amish sinner in Lancaster county.
Fans vote with wallets, for sure. But sadly they vote for what is heaped on them by studios that just want quick bucks off of horror flicks.
A few horrors that were good, and not because of profit, exist in the past few years.. THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT, IT FOLLOWS, and the BABADOOK.
You can find a lot more gems on Netflix. Lower budget gems. I talk about them often on this website. And you should search them out as well..
Rummage through the pile of studio-produced garbage and find the things that matter.. the prizes in the puzzle of horror.
There are truly really scary things out there. Sadly in the way we’re given films, you have to search them out yourself. They certainly will not be handed to you.
I would love to hear feedback.
What do you, reader, say is good and bad about modern horror?
THE HALLOWEEN LEGEND: THE STORY OF STINGY JACK
We are days away from my favorite day of the year, Halloween.. the history and amazing aura of culture that has been passed down through the ages leading to Samhain, All Hallow’s Eve, or Hallo’ween is amazing. You can pick your name. Some would say you’re picking a poison. I say you’re taking part in a celebration and festival that dates back centuries.. The Celts. The Romans.. Bobbing for apples even has a history. The skimpy sexy outfits of today’s Halloween look different than what was done prior .. but that’s just the natural pop culture evolution of a populace.
But pumpkins.. Now that is one interesting topic.
I told a few folk this week of where Jack O Lanterns actually came from. They looked at my like I was crazy–literally. They rolled their eyes, raised their brows, and dismissed my brief history lesson about the origins of one of the coolest Halloween traditions that humans still keep.
With that said, here is the legend of Stingy Jack..
Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who loved playing tricks on anyone and everyone. One dark, Halloween night, Jack ran into the Devil himself in a local public house. Jack tricked the Devil by offering his soul in exchange for one last drink. The Devil quickly turned himself into a sixpence to pay the bartender, but Jack immediately snatched the coin and deposited it into his pocket, next to a silver cross that he was carrying. Thus, the Devil could not change himself back and Jack refused to allow the Devil to go free until the Devil had promised not to claim Jack’s soul for ten years.
The Devil agreed, and ten years later Jack again came across the Devil while out walking on a country road. The Devil tried collecting what he was due, but Jack thinking quickly, said, “I’ll go, but before I do, will you get me an apple from that tree?”
The Devil, thinking he had nothing to lose, jumped up into the tree to retrieve an apple. As soon as he did, Jack placed crosses all around the trunk of the tree, thus trapping the Devil once again. This time, Jack made the Devil promise that he would not take his soul when he finally died. Seeing no way around his predicament, the Devil grudgingly agreed.
When Stingy Jack eventually passed away several years later, he went to the Gates of Heaven, but was refused entrance because of his life of drinking and because he had been so tight-fisted and deceitful. So, Jack then went down to Hell to see the Devil and find out whether it were possible to gain entrance into the depths of Hell, but the Devil kept the promise that had been made to Jack years earlier, and would not let him enter.
“But where can I go?” asked Jack.
“Back to where you came from!” replied the Devil.
The way back was windy and very dark. Stingy Jack pleaded with the Devil to at least provide him with a light to help find his way. The Devil, as a final gesture, tossed Jack an ember straight from the fires of Hell. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed-out turnip…one of Jack’s favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. From that day forward, Stingy Jack has been doomed to roam the earth without a resting place and with only his lit turnip to light the way in the darkness.
And now you know.
The pumpkin you carve has a brilliant history .. filled with paranormal tales of long, long ago.
For those who fear the mystery and ghoulish days to come before HALLOWEEN, you may not want to let your guard down. Halloween begins it all. And the paranormal tales and ghost stories will continue all the way through Christmas–perhaps one of the most paranormal holidays of all..
It wouold appear that despite the fact Patricia was the strongest storm for a time on the planet earth ni history, her devastation may not of been as widespread as some feared..
MORE..
Reporting from USA TODAY:
MONTERREY, Mexico — Early reports on the aftermath of Hurricane Patricia — one of the biggest storms to ever make landfall — were cautiously optimistic: No deaths reported and no signs of major damage along Mexico’s Pacific seaboard.
TV stations in Mexico broadcast news on Hurricane Patricia throughout the night, showing bright-red satellite images of the monster storm’s landfall on the Pacific Coast and its slow trudge northeast and interviews with residents and officials near the impacted area.
Landslides and flash floods were reported, but the mass evacuations that occurred prior to the hurricane’s landing appeared to have worked in saving lives. There were no deaths initially reported or major infrastructure damage, according to early TV reports. Residents from Colima to Puerto Vallarta heeded the warnings and evacuated out of dangerous areas or stayed indoors.
Whatever they did worked well. It would seem.
And whatever storm punch that was packed appears not to have been as deadly as feared. As quickly as the storm strengthened, it just as rapidly decreased in intensity.
It will now, however, be a dramatic rain storm for Texas..
It will not be razor blades in apples–kids don’t eat them anymore.. not it’s ecstasy in the candy..
From CBS NEWS:
Parents across the country may have been spooked by warnings spread through social media in recent days, raising fears that Ecstasy tablets could be mistaken for brightly colored Halloween candy – potentially putting children at risk.
Police in Jackson, Mississippi, posted about it on their Facebook page, and the warning went viral.
“If your kids get these for Halloween candy, they ARE NOT CANDY,” the post said. “They are the new shapes of Ecstasy and can kill kids through overdoses!!!”
But don’t panic.
This is yet another baseless fear for Halloween–one spread by rumor and now helped by social networking.
It twas always thus and always thus shall be.
I can see the scares of the future: There may be nanotechnology in your Butterfinger.
