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Vampire Ghost
Huluween 2

Huluween 2

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I was super happy to see the return of the Huluween Film Fest this year. This years seven entries ran the gambit from spooky and creepy, to just kind of silly. Its also worth noting that five out of the seven entries this year were directed by women, proving that horror creators can [and should] transcend gender.

This year, I would have to say my top pick is “Flagged” written and directed by Chelsea Lupkin. Though the dialogue was a little clunky in parts [mostly during that short “job training” sequence], it was successful in ramping up the tension. All in all, it did an overall good job of telling a compelling story in under ten minutes.

Though it may not be perfect, there is also something very relevant and timely about this short, with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg being questioned just this week by Representative Katie Porter regarding mental health and contractors working as content flaggers.

My second favorite would have to be “Ride” written and directed by Meredith Alloway. All though this one is a bit more satire at its core than horror, the story kept me interested in the “what exactly is happening” sort of way. Shot with a frantic energy as the character Brit is physically worn down, in the literal sense, and essentially brain washed into joining the cult of spin class. Let’s be real here, we’ve all encountered that spin cultist at some point in our lives.

I would put the rest of them in the order below, with “Undo” rounding out the list.

  • The Dunes
  • Hidden Mother
  • Swiped to Death
  • The Ripper
  • Undo

Check out the full Huluween 2 playlist on their YouTube channel or read my review of last years Huluween Film Fest here, and let’s talk about your favorite one in the comments below.

Queen Mary
The Queen

The Queen

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The other week, a group of us went to the 10th Annual Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary, because, you know… Halloween. The RMS Queen Mary has quite a history, so a quick backstory for those out of the loop: maiden voyage May 1936, converted to a troop ship during World War II, flipped back to a transatlantic cruise ship and eventually retired to Long Beach, California in 1967, where she’s been ever since, supposedly haunted AF.

Since becoming a permanent fixture at the port, she has become a bit of an icon for Long Beach. I remember taking the tour of the ship with my family when I was kid [and like many people, being completely traumatized by the “propeller room”… and yes it still creeps me out].

Back to Dark Harbor… last year they added “secret bars” as part of the haunted mazes. In order to get into the bar, you need a token, which gives a clue of where to find the bar in the maze. This year, we happened to get a token for the “Lullaby” maze, which of course plays on the story of the ghost that haunts the pool area of the ship. I wont tell you what the clue was, but we did find the “Six Fathoms Below” secret bar.

Queen Mary Six Fathoms Down
Queen Mary Six Fathoms Down

Honestly, the best part of this secret bar was that it took us down into the gutted bowels of the ship. A massive open space of rust covered walls that once held the machinery that ran the ship.

Queen Mary Textures in Rust
Queen Mary Textures in Rust

There were so many gorgeous textures below deck. A place where time has been allowed to run unchecked.

Queen Mary Below Deck
Queen Mary Below Deck

I can’t explain why, but I’ve always loved rich textures of rust and time. I find it to be quite beautiful while simultaneously leaving me feeling a bit melancholic.

Anywho, thanks for entertaining my random tangent, let me know what you think in the comments below… in the mean time, here is a bit of Catherine Wheel that sorta hits to tone on the head.