Tag Archives: halloween

October Hits List!

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When I said this past October was insanely busy, I wasn’t kidding. My days were so packed, in fact- that I’m only just now getting around to sharing a few of my favorite products/items/odds & ends from the past few weeks before I go and do my part as an American citizen and vote in this year’s election and then spend the next few hours fighting nausea as I wait for the results to come in. I’ve honestly never been more terrified of politics than I have been this past year- and it all comes to a head tonight.

I fully plan to talk about this bizarre, ugly and embarrassing Presidential race and election for my end of the year wrap-up post- but for now I want to focus on the good things I liked throughout last month while I try to avoid the sobering realization that my country could very well be heading into an actual apocalypse within the next few hours.

As always, to start things off- here’s the things I was able to photograph, first:

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The first two items are those accidental finds we’ve all come across when we’re on the road or away from home and realize a little too late that we forgot to pack something. In this instance, it was makeup remover and concealer- which resulted in a pit-stop at a local pharmacy to see what I could scrounge up on short notice. The first things I picked up were these black-colored charcoal wipes from Yes To! I love this makeup remover- because it takes everything off with  couple of swipes and purifies my skin without drying me out or feeling too harsh. My skin is left feeling super clean and really refreshed.

Next, I snatched up this full-coverage, but lightweight in texture “Age Rewind” concealer from Maybelline. I know, I know- the sponge applicator is kind of gross after a few uses- but I typically dab this stuff onto my ring fingers and gently tap it around and under my eyes to give myself a more “I actually got some sleep last night” look. This stuff blends with my skin tone perfectly (no discoloration or creasing!) and lasts all day. What I like most, though- is that it hydrates my eye area so they stay soft and smooth even after I remove this at the end of the day.

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October marked another year at my hometown’s ‘Rock & Shock’ convention- where I spent the weekend with friends stocking up on all sorts of horror gear and getting the opportunity to meet and talk to some of my favorite horror actors/actresses- including the talented, funny, and very kind Matthew Lillard (Scream, 13 Ghosts). I also got to see one of my all-time favorite actors/artists again for the first time in a few years- the always amazing Malcolm McDowell.

Naturally, I got a signed photo and picked up the cutest “A Clockwork Orange’ figurine from FUNKO while I was there, too. I couldn’t resist. I’m a sucker for those toys and Alex DeLarge is the character I adopted my pen name since he is one of the worst villains in literature and cinematic history (and doesn’t have to do anything supernatural or magical to pull that off.)

He’s currently sitting proudly and deviously on my desk.

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And finally- Halloween night is hit-or-miss in my neighborhood when it comes to Trick Or Treating. Some years, I get a CRAZY amount of kids at my door, to the point where I worry that I’m going to run out of candy and will have to hand out random things like staplers or Yankee Candles I have around my home- and then other years my street is like a post-apocalyptic wasteland where there isn’t a soul in sight.

Regardless of the outcome, I always stock up on candy in case it’s the former so I won’t be caught off guard- but this year was pretty quiet. Whether it’s because it was chilly, a little damp out from the previous days’ rain- or because Halloween fell on the much dreaded Monday night this time around- I’m not sure. All I know if I have a bunch of leftover candy and it’s been pretty awesome because I have an undeniable sweet tooth.

I’m running low on peanut butter cups, though- which is cause for concern.

And now, onto the other random things!

– MUSIC/MOVIES/TELEVISION –

  • “The Walking Dead” – This one goes without saying. This season started off BRUTALLY and it’s just been picking up momentum and intensity ever since. I’ve been loving it. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was the perfect casting choice for Negan and the recent introduction to King Ezekiel and his Kingdom had me so moved that I’m just waiting on edge for more episodes featuring him. There are still so many unanswered questions from the premiere, of course- like where the hell is Maggie and is she okay- but I’m looking forward to the coming confrontations between the different groups and communities.
  • “HarmonQuest” – Sean got me into this one-season-so-far show from Amazon that I’ve nearly finished watching. The premise is simple and silly- three comedians and a weekly guest star play ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ in front of a live audience. Their story is animated as it unfolds. Think “Drunk History”meets an intricate dice game and the results are golden. I’ve never played ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ before but honestly this show has me tempted to give it a try. It’s really funny.

– TECH/APPS/GAMES –

  • “7 Days To Die” – This is another thing Sean got me into when he failed to entice me into playing MineCraft with him since this is essentially MineCraft with better graphics and zombies. We’ve been playing this on PS4 lately and as frustrating as I find most first-person-anything- I’ve been enjoying this. The story is easy enough to follow: the world is overrun with zombies and every 7 days they hunt and attack you in hordes. In-between those attacks- you have to find food, sew clothing/armor, and build shelter and weapons to defend yourself. It includes a fair amount of tree-punching to pick up wood like it’s blockier and less-zombie-filled counterpart- but it’s still fun.

– MISCELLANEOUS –

  • MY NEW CAR!!! – Have I mentioned how much I love my new car? Because I really, really love it. It’s sleek and clean and quiet and beautiful and I absolutely adore driving it. Definitely a highlight of my October and in 2016 in general.

And that, I think- was it for the month of October. Short and sweet! I’m already putting things together for November now that I’ve had some time to stop and breathe for a bit while I catch up on everything I’d inadvertently fell behind with- but we’ll get to that when it’s closer to the end of the month.

I’m off to vote. Good luck, America! I think we’re gonna’ need it.

xx

October 2016: In a Nutshell.

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The Many Looks of Halloween 2016

The Many Looks of Halloween 2016

Good Morning and Happy Halloween, boils and ghouls (I’m going to miss typing that until next October!) I can’t believe my favorite month is coming to a close and the holiday season is upon us. I’ve been anxiously waiting for Halloween to get here for a while now, watching horror movies and dressing up in costumes- which isn’t really all that different than how I spend any other month out of the year, but still- in order to prepare for taking my niece Trick-Or-Treating when I get out of work and tonight’s last spooky hurrah with friends shortly after that.

In just a couple of weeks I’ll be getting ready for Thanksgiving, and then- Yikes– Christmas and New Years. Where does the time go?

While October is almost always a pretty busy month for me, anyway- these past few weeks have been nothing short of crazy. For starters, I hit the ground running- kicking off things in Vegas and then San Diego for a few days before I headed back home and immediately dove head-first into work and preparing for/budgeting a potential move to the West Coast in early-to-mid-2017. Also around that time, I began putting things into place for my annual Halloween giveaway while simultaneously adding the finishing touches on a series of Halloween costumes for multiple parties I’d been invited to near the end of this month.

DeLarge Family Reunion! Malcolm McDowell and I at Rock & Shock 2016.

DeLarge Family Reunion! Malcolm McDowell and I at Rock & Shock 2016.

Then, there was the Rock & Shock Horror Convention in my hometown a couple of weeks ago, getting things in order for the last Comic-Con I’ll be attending for 2017 in Rhode Island in early November, recovering from the psychological torture and despair from the recent season premiere of “The Walking Dead”- and fighting off both food poisoning and a relentless cold I’d picked up during a layover in Chicago on my way home from San Diego within mere days of each other.

And then, of course- there was my car. My 2010 Kia- which has been experiencing a multitude of issues for the better part of two years now due to the shoddy work and negligence of a local mechanic I won’t name publicly- finally died for good early last week- prompting me to take some time off in order to find a new vehicle in order to go about my daily routine and get me where I need to be at any given point. I finally decided on a 2016 Elantra which I’m scheduled to pick up either later on today or tomorrow. It’s my first brand new car that I’ve purchased entirely on my own- which was both a stressful and kind of terrifying experience- but I’m really excited to get it on the road and to have something I can drive where I WON’T feel like I’m constantly risking my life by simply starting the engine.

My new ride! I named it Glenn.

My new ride! I named it Glenn.

Such an unexpected and abrupt change definitely delayed things for me a bit. While I focused on finalizing details with the dealership, my agency, my insurance company, and the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (a daunting task if there ever was one)– I fell behind on my blogging. My “Horrors of Netflix” series was short and bitterly sweet this year- which left me feeling rather disappointed in myself since I love writing those posts so much- and recipes/reviews/eerie photography trips I had every intention to take and make were postponed if not cancelled outright due to my schedule being jam packed while I had to travel to sign papers and make calls to push things along.

I’m hoping that now that the dust has settled and everything is sorted out for the time being- I can catch up on posts and be more prepared for next October- where I have every intention of going above and beyond with my blogging and horror movie reviews to make up for this year’s unplanned lapse in activity!

For November, prior to the usual holiday craziness- I’m hoping I can take a moment to just relax and catch my breath. I’d like to get caught up with everything: from something as small as personal e-mails all the way to the more important stuff like my workload at the office. I want to get organized and ready before things start getting a little more festive around here. I have plenty of posts planned that I’m looking forward to sharing and more than enough food I look forward to eating once Thanksgiving rolls around.

Thanks to everyone who regularly reads this blog for your patience while I dealt with a LOT this past month! It’s truly appreciated! Here’s hoping the last leg of 2016 is a bit more calm and forgiving for all of us!

Have a Spooky (2SPOOPY) Halloween!

xx

Horrors of Netflix: “The Chosen”

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thechosenposterWhat would a season of “Horrors of Netflix” be without the obligatory creepy kid/creepy possessed child film? It’s a horror movie tradition that has been done in every conceivable way and in every possible fashion- leaving little to no room for unique or innovative storytelling. Nevertheless, people keep at it and continue trying to freak audiences out with this done to death plot- and I am here to sit through it and rip it apart.

With one star (just the way I like ’em,) 2015’s “The Chosen” has the expected synopsis:

“To save a young girl from a child-stealing demon, her mother and 19-year-old-uncle must select six other blood relatives for a deadly sacrifice.”

Although I don’t really know why the uncle’s age is pertinent to the description of the plot- I mean, it really doesn’t matter- I would like to say that given the circumstances presented- I would have absolutely no trouble naming six blood relatives I’d sacrifice to a demon. I’d probably sacrifice more of my less-likable family members just to play it safe and make sure the demon was thoroughly appeased.

I’m (half) kidding, of course.

Anyway, let’s get to it. At an hour and twenty eight minutes- which I’m sure will feel like an eternity- I’ll be reviewing and spoiling “The Chosen” at length. If you do not wish to know the details of this movie, including it’s ending- DO NOT CLICK THE “READ MORE/CONTINUE READING” TAB.

Proceed at your own risk!

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Nightmare on WordPress: A Halloween Giveaway!

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Well hello there, boys & ghouls (that’s my first and last corny Crypt-Keeper pun, I swear!) It’s time to post the details of my annual Halloween-themed giveaway here at “Legally Redhead”. I know I usually start the giveaway earlier in the month,- but given how insanely busy these past couple of weeks have been- I thought I’d save the goods for when it actually got a little closer to Halloween.

This year’s giveaway includes four pictured items- but I have a few more tricks (and treats) up my sleeve for the lucky winner: including lots of candy of their choosing and a 3-month subscription to HORROR BLOCK– a monthly subscription box for, you guessed it- horror fans. All expenses, shipping & handling of the prize pack, and the Horror Block subscription will be paid for by me- all you have to do is enter!

Best of all? This giveaway is open to everyone outside the United States, as well (Horror Block delivers to the following countries: Australia, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. Should anyone outside those areas win this giveaway- I’ll be more than happy to find a comparable bonus for you.)

But before we get to the most important part: the rules/details- let’s see what’s inside, shall we?

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There’s so many great and memorable locations in horror movies- the Amityville house, Bates Motel, Camp Crystal Lake- but my favorite is by far the Overlook Hotel from ‘The Shining’. Perhaps one of the most unsettling horror flicks of all time- I’m so excited to include this plastic replica key holder/keychain from the hotel (for room 237, of course.)

Use it to keep your keys in one place while simultaneously creeping out your friends!

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Every year I always include a horror genre POP! Vinyl Figurine in my giveaway. Although there are just so many fantastic ones to choose from- this Regan (from ‘The Exorcist’) figurine had me both cringing and laughing when I first saw it. I’m pretty sure you can make the head on this thing spin all the way around- but the extra vomit on the inside of the packaging would make me want to leave it preserved in there, personally.

Even the scariest characters can look adorable once Funko gets their hands on them.

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If you feel like you’re having déjà vu- don’t worry. A similar version of this “Nightmare on Elm Street” compilation was included in last Halloween’s giveaway, too. When determining which horror movie series/franchise people wanted to see incorporated in this year’s installment- a brief poll I posted on social media resulted in an overwhelming need for more Freddy Krueger. This 8-disc collection features all the movies- from start to finish.

Next year, I’m hoping there’s a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” compilation I can include! The more Leatherface, the better!

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And finally, I wanted to include a fun shirt in this year’s giveaway- and this Jason Voorhees deli tee was one of my favorites that I found. This shirt is made of soft cotton and is sized medium- but it does run a little bigger for those who like a looser fit or don’t mind shrinking it a bit in the dryer to accommodate their sizing needs.

Now, the part everyone has been waiting for- how exactly does this giveaway work?

Real quick, here’s a couple of ground rules:

The giveaway is running from now through 11:59 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, October 26th, after which time a winner will be selected at random through Rafflecopter and contacted directly via e-mail to obtain additional information to process shipping. If selected, you’ll have 48 hours to respond to the confirmation e-mail. If I don’t receive a response in that time, I’ll unfortunately have to select another winner, instead!

Nothing in this giveaway can be traded or swapped for something else. What you see is what you’ll be receiving if you win!

HOW TO ENTER:

First and foremost- please visit the Rafflecopter page for the giveaway by CLICKING HERE to make sure your entry is properly counted!

1. Comment on this post with your name and e-mail address. Please keep in mind that I have comment moderation turned on to avoid spambots- so if your comment doesn’t appear right away- don’t panic! I’ll put it through as soon as I’m able!

2. You can tweet about the giveaway and link back directly to this post or to my homepage: legallyredhead.com

And that’s it! Just two easy steps and you’ve entered yourself into the raffle! It’s so simple, right?

And with all that being said- good luck to all the entrants!

xx

Horrors of Netflix: “Fairlane Road”

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fairlaneroadposterHave you ever thought to yourself (or maybe you thought it out loud) “there aren’t enough horror movies out there that paint Native Americans in a negative, forever vengeful, bloodthirsty and offensive light?” Well buckle up- because I have good/horrible news for you. I stumbled across one.

At just over an hour and with one star on the usually accurate Netflix rating system, 2016’s “Fairlane Road” repeats the same trite, predictable mistakes it’s desert-based/inspired predecessors have made: the twist(s) can be spotted a mile away, there’s a ton of loose ends that get absolutely no resolution whatsoever and are included purely just to keep this movie from being a measly 30-45 minutes long, instead- and it perpetuates some pretty bad stereotypes about indigenous people that we really, really could have done without.

Worst of all? Unlike the character of Nathan in my recent “Comforting Skin” review- this movie has no redeemable characters. They’re all grating, horrible and over-acted. I know I’m essentially pointing out and picking on the obvious in what I’m sure could be considered an easy target here- but for a movie that doesn’t even try to be different (or scary)– it’s actually irritating by the time you’re minutes away from the ending and praying the credits will start to roll.

I digress! I watched “Fairlane Road” in it’s entirety and gave it the “Horrors of Netflix” treatment it so rightfully deserves. As usual, full spoilers lay beyond the “READ MORE/CONTINUE READING” tab- so if you don’t want to be spoiled and want to see this movie for yourself- DO NOT PROCEED.

You’ve been warned!

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Horrors of Netflix: “Comforting Skin”

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comfortingskinposterOh.. Oh, God no. We’re back to this. We’re back to my finding the worst-of-the-worst, lowest possibly rated horror films on Netflix, watching them in their entirety- and then thoroughly reviewing (and spoiling) them here throughout the month of October on “Legally Redhead”. Long story short: we’re back for the fourth year of my annual “Horrors of Netflix” series.

Although my recommendations/suggestions list was only recently starting to recover after continually streaming quality shows like “Stranger Things”, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” or re-watching the most recent season of “The Walking Dead” in preparation for this month’s premiere- I’m once again readying myself to destroy my queue for the sake of comedy, cheap scares and over-the-top gore.

However, the biggest challenge this year (and every year, really-) is selecting the first egg to crack in what will undoubtedly be a shitty omelette. Last year saw the series begin with a terrible Val Kilmer movie (we actually had two movies that predominantly featured him last October, go figure-) so I made sure to avoid that as much as possible while browsing Netflix and watching the star rating decrease more and more as I scrolled through title after title.

I was finally near the bottom of what Netflix had to offer when I spotted the poster for “Comforting Skin”. With a one star rating and clocking in at just over an hour and forty minutes- the premise piqued my interest:

“An insecure young woman gets a tattoo, hoping it will boost her confidence. But the design comes to life- taking over her body and mind.”

I can’t say I’ve ever seen a horror movie about a tattoo possessing anyone before- so I knew this would be a good (see: awful) place to start.

As always, I’ll be spoiling this film at length and in detail- so if you don’t want it to be ruined for you or for any reason feel the need to watch this for yourself- DO NOT click on the “Read More/Continue Reading” button.

You’ve been warned.

Welcome to “Horrors of Netflix: 2016”, everyone!

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October 2015: In a Nutshell.

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I just love this costume so much.

Good Afternoon, but most importantly- Happy Halloween!

I’ve been getting a lot of wear out of my slightly modified Daryl Dixon costume in recent days- having teamed up with my friend Stef (who dressed as Carol) for a costume party in Reading last night. I’ll once again be wielding my crossbow for tonight’s festivities before I pack it away until the next comic-convention or ‘Walking Dead’-themed event I attend.

I can’t believe that it’s the last day of my favorite month of the year (and also my favorite Holiday!) and that tomorrow begins the treacherous descent into turkey dinners, premature Christmas music, and sub-zero New England winter temperatures. Please, October- can’t you stay with me just a little bit longer?

But before I prepare myself for the impending holiday madness and end-of-the-year-chaos that usually unfolds at the firm- I have to take a look back at the month that was, and this past October sure was something, alright!

October is typically one of the busiest months for me, and not just because I spend a lot of time watching and reviewing bad horror movies on Netflix and visiting haunted houses, pumpkin patches, cemeteries and overall creepy abandoned buildings, etc., but also because things typically (and inexplicably) pick up at work this time of year and I frequently pull in some overtime in my office to stay a couple steps ahead. By the time November rolls around- I’m ready to hibernate for the winter, myself.

Thankfully- this past October gave me the rare opportunity to take a mini-vacation to the West Coast for a few days where I had the absolute BEST TIME catching up with longtime friends in Las Vegas and San Diego. Attending my dear friend Kelsey’s wedding was such a wonderful and beautiful occasion, and being able to experience my best friend Sean’s first time in Vegas with him was so unbelievably fun. I’d love to go back with him again someday. There’s still so much we didn’t get to see!

Las Vegas, October 2015.

Las Vegas, October 2015.

And of course, the trip once again reignited the fire- and desire- within me to eventually make my way out to Southern California to live there once and for all, especially with winter swiftly approaching- but all in due time. I have to patient and finish planning and preparing, first.

So what’s in store for November? Well, apart from the aforementioned pre-holiday craziness- I do have a few fun Fall things planned before my beloved season kicks the bucket for another year- including a couple of stops in NYC and Vermont, dishing out plenty of recipes (just in time for Thanksgiving!) that I’ve been hoarding in recent weeks and haven’t got around to posting just yet, finally sharing some photo sessions I began working on at the very beginning of Fall and have nearly finished editing and organizing- for all your Urban Explorers out there- and just trying to stay motivated and focused for when December shows itself.

But I still have a few more hours of precious Halloween time- so I’m going to go get my costume back on, enjoy the last horror movie marathons of the season- and get ready for the Trick-Or-Treaters!

xx

Horrors of Netflix: “The Ouija Experiment”

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TheOuijaExperimentPosterOctober is pretty much over, and- unfortunately- so is another season of Legally Redhead’s “Horrors of Netflix” series. It’s been a fun ride this past month, briefly interrupted while I traveled to the West Coast for nearly a week- but I feel like I picked some real winners to watch and review this time around (I use the term “winners” very, very loosely of course.)– and I hope those who have been reading my summaries and my suffering have enjoyed the posts as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

Of course, I plan on resurrecting “Horrors of Netflix” again in October 2016. By then, I’m sure Netflix will have added a fresh new crop of bad, cheesy, and nonsensical scary movies. I’m looking forward to it!

To close out this year’s assortment of one-star rated travesties, I opted for 2011’s ‘The Ouija Experiment’. Since Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, I’ll be making the rounds around different events and parties without fear of heading to work the following morning- and I do believe one of my friends mentioned breaking out her own Ouija board for fun.

What could go wrong?

The synopsis, via Netflix:

“Film student Brandon and four friends play with a Ouija board, unwittingly opening a portal to the spirit world and a drowned girl’s deadly mystery.”

Oh, this is going to be fun.

AS USUAL- SPOILERS AHEAD. If you don’t want to know the ins and outs of ‘The Ouija Experiment’ (and why wouldn’t you?) DO NOT PROCEED. DO NOT CLICK THE “CONTINUE READING” TAB.

But if you do click it- enjoy!

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Horrors of Netflix: “Black Forest”

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BlackForestPosterOh, “Horrors of Netflix”, how I missed you while I was away on vacation! It’s so nice to be back and browsing all the awful, terrible, and ridiculous selections you have for me to choose from.

With just a few days left until Halloween (this month went by too quickly! Nooooo!) I wanted to get a couple more movies in this year’s series before HoN signs off until next October. I’ve covered ghosts, vampires, Val Kilmer, and hillbilly-eating-pits-in-the-ground- so I thought I’d choose something a little different this time around and check out 2012’s ‘Black Forest’, a sci-fi/fantasy/fairy tale horror movie with a 1 1/2 star rating.

Awesome.

The synopsis, via Netflix:

“When tourists visit a European village and agree to observe a pagan ritual in the forest, they become trapped in an alternate fairy tale dimension.”

This sounds like it’s going to be filled with terrible decision making and even more terrible special effects. Let’s get into it, shall we?

And- of course- there are spoilers ahead! If, for whatever reason, you want to watch “Black Forest” for yourself (and why wouldn’t you?) THEN DO NOT CLICK THE “CONTINUE READING” TAB. I REPEAT. DO NOT PROCEED.

You’ve been warned!

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Horrors of Netflix: “Jug Face”

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JugFaceMoviePosterGood morning! I’ve queued up yet another play-by-play of yet another one of Netflix’s poorly rated horror offerings to post on here prior to my cross-country flight to Las Vegas! Does that mean “Horrors of Netflix” is over? Unfortunately not, silly. Don’t be ridiculous! It just means that for the next few days- I won’t have much time to sit down and really watch or concentrate on a movie (apart from any in-flight ones I happen to catch) while I enjoy a mini-vacation filled with some gambling, a little boozin’, plenty of sight-seeing- and attending my lovely friend Kelsey’s wedding in Sin City! From there, I make my way out to San Diego for a couple of days- and then head back home to the East Coast.

“Horrors of Netflix” will be back when I return next week!

Until then, I recently sat through ‘Jug Face’, a one-star rated flick from 2013 that should not be confused with the character Jughead Jones from the Archie Comics series.

The synopsis, via Netflix:

“A pregnant teen tries to flee her backwoods community when she learns she’s to be sacrificed to a monstrous beast that lives in a pit near her town.”

Teenage pregnancy? Backwoods communities? A PIT? This sounds delightfully awful!

And as always- my review (see: suffering) through this movie will be placed behind a “CONTINUE READING” cut for those who would rather see ‘Jug Face’ for themselves, for whatever reason. If you do not want to be spoiled- DO NOT CONTINUE.

You’ve been warned!

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