Tag Archives: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

I Need More Monsters

I feel so ill-used when I oversleep and still feel so tired when I wake up.  I was dreadfully tired when I went to bed last night, too, but managed to put on coffee for the morning, so I can be mildly functional now.  But enough whining from me, on with my late Monstrous Monday post.

You can’t see the monsters, but it is a scary shot nonetheless.

In a previous post I used a shot from Invasion of the Body Snatchers but foolishly did not identify it.  I remedy the omission with another shot from that movie.   It is a pretty good flick, but I confess my favorite scenes are early on, when the menace threatens in an undefined manner, and the characters are drinking martinis.  I like martinis.

Watch your head!

Here is a monster of the human variety, Joan Crawford in StraitJacket.  That is one of my go-to movies.  William Castle was a highly entertaining producer and director.  I love his stuff.

Why is she so horrified? I forgot.

I continue this rather disjointed post (Non-Sequitur Monsters?) with a shot from a silent movie that doesn’t get a lot of attention, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.  I have not seen it in a while but remember liking it.  I will have to watch it one day while running in place on the mini-tramp.  That is my usual way of watching silent movies.  Otherwise I want to knit and crochet while I watch, and you really need to keep both eyes on a silent movie.

Now I am over 250 words, so that is enough trolling my Media Library for today.  I hope to get some new monsters to share one day soon, but you know me: No promises.

 

What Could Be Better Than Monsters?

So my goals were to find something to enjoy on Monday and to make a better blog post, but I think we all knew I was more likely to revert to Monstrous Monday.  My day at work was not bad at all.  My worst moment was getting myself out of bed.  Oh, did I want to sleep in!  But coffee worked its magic, and my day improved from there.

This is how cheerful I am after coffee.

After work things got a little dicey as I struggled with my checkbook and fretted over bills.  I did not go running as I had intended, and I almost forgot to take out the trash.  However, I had walked for 30 minutes this morning, and the trash and recyclables are now waiting by the curb.  Additionally, the dishes are washed, and tomorrow’s lunch is packed.

The happy smile I get after doing a few chores.

I seem to always be listing every little thing I get done, either in this blog, in one of my journals, or just in my head.  It is to keep from beating myself up over all the things that I have left undone.  For heavens’ sakes, I can’t do everything!  Or so I comfort myselg

Maybe if I had three friends behind me and a pitchfork!

I guess this last picture doesn’t show a monster, but it is from a pretty scary movie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.   As messed up as my life can be, I would not want some pod growing into a duplicate of me and taking over my body.  Now that I think about it, that movie is also pretty sad.  All the characters I like turn into beings with no warmth or feelings.

On that rather melancholy note,  I see I am approaching 300 words.  Perhaps it is not a better blog post, but at least I tried.

 

Depression is Monstrous

I started a blog post last night but did not finish it (obviously).  I tried to finish it this morning but got bogged down in a morass of words about being depressed.  It felt whiny and pointless, so I stopped (although I did save it for possible future use).  I want to publish something, so I am going to throw in a few monster pictures and call this a Monstrous Blogger’s Sick Day (depression is an illness, although I feel somewhat fraudulent using it as an excuse) (never mind that, on with the post).

“You cannot escape!”

This is from Carnival of Souls, an excellent example of how a movie can be quite unsettling on a low budget and minimum of special effects (you know, it is much easier to italicize words with a mouse than on a Tablet) (just to throw in a little computer chatter).

My depression looming over me? Only I do not look that good in a bathing suit.

A little Creature from the Black Lagoon never hurt anybody.  Some people find it helpful to picture their depression as an animal that follows them around.  I wonder if a mind trick like that would help me.  I could picture it as a monster and make friends with it.

“Hi, Depression. Nice suit. Green suits you.”

Maybe not.

Invasion of the Happiness Snatchers?

Or I could fight my depression with a pitchfork, and a little help from my friends.  The pitchfork only provided temporary relief in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but it certainly made for a dramatic moment.  Regular readers know I love drama.  I wonder if the pod people could be worked up to a full metaphor for depression.  That might be something to play with sometime.

And now I see I am approaching 300 words, with very little effort and only a minimum of whining.  I will make a greater effort toward even less whining, and as always try for a better blog post next time.  Once again, thank you for tuning in.

 

Ah, the Holiday Weekend!

I have been on vacation (or shut down as we call it in the factory game) for the whole week, yet, as usual, I will take advantage of Lame Post Friday.  For one reason, it is a holiday weekend and I have had a few libations.  Judge me if you are so inclined.

I am ashamed to admit he has better teeth than I do!

Since it is 4th of July weekend, I suggested we begin the movie watching portion of our day with JAWS.  Even if JAWS was not so admirable as a movie, which it totally is, it would be  noteworthy as the first of the real summer blockbusters.  If I am mistaken about this (Hell, I’m no film scholar;  I just like to watch movies), please let me know about previously released summer blockbusters, because I would love to check them out.

OK, I just spent a goodly amount of time looking for a photo I thought I had of Fatal Attraction.  I had no luck.  Such is my lack of skill on the Tablet.  I suppose I will just have to mention that we saw it without benefit of illustration.

I had batter luck with our next feature, Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  It is playing as I type this (one letter at a time with the stylus, of course).  This is really a depressing movie when I think about it. Spoiler alert:  We’re all doomed.

A dramatic moment!

I don’t know what movie we will watch next, so I will close with an appropriate image I came across in my searches.

To us all!

Alas, I only have one Christopher Lee movie in my collection, and it does not include vampires.

Happy Friday and Happy Holiday Weekend!  And if you are obligated to work the weekend, don’t hate, please.  I’ve been there and may be there again.

 

Sick Day with Movies

My Blogger’s Sick Day continues.  I helped Steven get our deck cleared off and I even raked some leaves in our front yard, uncovering the peonies, which I cut back to hopefully encourage them to come back next spring.

Other than that, I gave lounged on the couch saying, “Shit! Why do I still feel so crapoy?”  I intend to make a doctor appointment tomorrow, not that I feel much confidence in that.  Never mind, I need to make a blog post right now.

Watch out! It’s the pod people!

I was hoping to find a picture to, as I usually say, pep things up.  We are watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers.  I am not too ill to watch movies, as I was last night.

A shared drink, a look at a lighter…

I could not find another picture of Invasion,  nor yet of the other two movies we watched, but here is one of another good flick, Strangers on a Train.  I don’t imagine we will watch this one next, because it is not one of Steven’s favorites,  but we may watch it one day soon.

“Pleased to meet you… bitch!”

Ooh, here is a movie I did not even think of when Steven and I were trying to pick a black and white movie to watch next, Sudden Fear, with Joan Crawford,  Jack Palance, and Gloria Grahams.  But it is a thought for later!

 

Alien Invasion on Wrist to Forehead Sunday?

I am in the midst of  perfectly enjoyable Sunday afternoon of my anniversary weekend, and I pause to make a Sunday Cinema post, just so I don’t have to make two posts tomorrow.

I don’t remember this scene in the movie.

We began the movie watching portion of the day with Day of the Triffids (1962), which I just purchased on VHS at a rummage sale yesterday (Saturday).  I saw the tail end of this movie many years ago and thought it was STUPID, laughed my head off at it, thought it was a cheesy movie and that was before I was particularly into cheesy movies.  As it happens, the stuff leading up to the end is less than cheesy and pretty entertaining, although as with many movies of this era, it takes a while to get to the good stuff.

Check out Carolyn Jones, in the back with the blonde hair!

After Triffids, we went to Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), a different kind of alien invasion story.  It is a bit serious, with the interesting philosophical question of whether it is better to feel and to love than otherwise.  I don’t pay too much attention to such things during Sunday afternoon movie viewing.

“Wait a minute! This scene was never in the movie!”

After Body Snatchers, Steven suggested The Birds (1963).  The above was perhaps a publicity shot, although it may have been part of the party scene (don’t get your hopes up; it wasn’t that racy) (you know who you are).  What Halloween movie will we pick next? A little suspense adds interest to my afternoon.

In the meantime, I hope you are all having a lovely Sunday.

 

Murder or Monsters on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Are they plotting somebody’s demise?

I interrupt the movie-watching portion of my day for a fast blog post.  Of course I am having a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I would swoon onto a lounge if I had one, but that is not the important thing.  The important thing is to make a blog post. My husband, Steven, and I just watched Evil Under the Sun, a star-studded Agatha Christie adaptation, one of our favorites.  We are now looking at House of Wax, the 1953 version starring Vincent Price.  I said I wanted either monsters or more murder.  This is kind of both.

“As you see, my hands are not capable of great art any more.”

A Facebook friend shared the above picture, which got me thinking about House of Wax.  This movie also features Carolyn Jones, in a sadly small role.  That makes me think about watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which I would call more monster than murder, although I suppose that would be open to debate.  Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.

And before this, they were drinking martinis. Mmmm…. martinis…

Carolyn Jones doesn’t have too big a part in Body Snatchers, either.  Maybe I should invest in a couple of DVDs of the old Addams Family TV show.

In the meantime, I’m over 200 words.  I call that acceptable.  We’ll see if I can do better as the week wears on.  Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

Halloween Bonafides on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

I let another movie run while I make my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post.  We usually watch True Crime television on Sunday, notably episode after episode of Snapped, but it is autumn, and that means it is time for Halloween movies!  Of course, I like horror movies all year long, particularly the cheesy variety, but there is an especial feeling of comfort in watching them as the weather begins to turn cool, as it did today.

We began our movie watching with Return of the Body Snatchers, which is not cheesy but something of a classic.  Mostly I like the classic cars.  It is a selling point to me in an old movie when the characters do a lot of driving.  I like to have a connection between the movies I watch, so we are now looking at House of Wax.  The connection is that both movies feature Carolyn Jones, most famous for portraying Morticia Adams.

Our other potential choice was The Birds, because of bit parts in both movies played by that guy that was on The Dick Van Dyke Show.  Steven had to look up his name for this blog post:  Richard Deacon.  I never would have remembered that, if I ever knew it to begin with (I am not at all sure I did).  I felt Wax was a better movie to go with, because an actor famous for Morticia clearly has better Halloween bonafides than one who played some random guy opposite Dick Van Dyke (YES, I love Dick Van Dyke, no he is not a Halloween guy, shut up).

I would really like to write some more posts about cheesy horror movies.  We have watched a couple, but I just can’t seem to put pen to paper about them.  I’ll have to work on that.  In the meantime, I sit here, poised with one wrist to my forehead, watching what we’re watching and lamenting my lack of a better blog post. You would think I would be used to it by now.  Never mind.  The largest room in the world is the room for improvement.  That gives me plenty of space to maneuver.