Fall Offerings - Halloween Style! - Veda Rains

As some of you know (if you're one of the few - nay, the PROUD- who read this blog), I love autumn. The cool weather, the gloomy skies, colorful leaves covering the ground... I could go on and on. Yes, it is still August, but I knew it was time to get excited for Fall when I got an email from Bath & Body Works telling its mailing list that yes, it's true! Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin (my fave Fall scent) is back in stock and ready for purchase! Oh, and, uh... all of the awesome (arguably) Halloween-themed movies coming out!
Yes, I love my horror films. In high school, I went through a period where I bought a ton of cheap horror film VHS's (remember those? Well, ya better. I was still purchasing them up til 2006) every other week during the Fall season. But it's not those films I'm talking about. Blame it on the kid at heart that lies within me, but I'm super excited about all of the kid-centric movies this year! Here are the trailers for the 3 that caught my eye. What do you think? Will you go see any of them? Be honest now...

ParaNorman - Out Now!
If your partial to Coraline (the film adaptation), you may like ParaNorman. It's by the same people! And you're just in time, because it comes out in theaters this weekend!

Hotel Transylvania - September 28th
It's a cute premise. Where do all the monsters and creatures go to get away from ordinary people? And what happens when an average Joe winds up there and falls for Dracula's daughter?

Frankenweenie - October 5th
We showed you the trailer the instant it came out! When Victor loses his dog, he finds a way to bring him back to life! I loved the original, and I'm excited to see how they expand the world of Frankenweenie.

Getting into The Biz: First Steps (FILM)

Okay, back in September I promised to start sharing tips and info wonderful mentors/friends have bestowed upon me regarding the elusive film world of LA. Whether you just want to dip your toes in the water, or take the plunge, here are a few things you have to do right away! Today, we'll cover...

Getting to Know The Trade Magazines - Research
Your go-to sources for everything film/industry related, these magazines will help you not only better your understanding of what's going on (deals being made, industry peeps stepping into CEO/important roles, others getting signed to agencies, what scripts/ideas are making the rounds through studios, studio problems, etc), but will also make your more knowledgeable about the industry as a whole.


The Hollywood Reporter
The price of this mag is fairly high, but the website is chock-full of much of the same information you can get on the newsstand. AKA: Start checking out their website daily NOW: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/

Below The Line
Want to be a part of the crew? Below The Line publishes articles and production listings whose primary audience is the film crew. So if you're wondering where a good place to start getting involved and finding out who's looking for crew members, working on what, etc., subscribe!
Check out their website: http://www.btlnews.com/

Variety
Somewhat similar to The Hollywood Reporter, Variety has been around since 1905! It offers industry news and the latest reviews. There are several different versions of this mag:
Variety - weekly edition
Daily Broadway - daily Los Angeles & Broadway edition
Daily Variety Gotham - daily East Coast edition
Variety.com - yep, it's subscription-based too
Variety On-The-Go - App version of the mag
See their website to decide what version you think best suits you (maybe all?):
http://www.variety.com/Home/

Veda's Fave Halloween Films

The leaves are changing, the temperature is cooling...and it's almost Halloween! Autumn (or Fall) has always been my favorite time of year. I don't know what it is that brings a sense of magic to the air, but here is a mix of a few of my favorite Halloween/Autumn/Scary films to share with you!

Children's Films
I will never get too old to enjoy these classic films. And neither should you!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
Bing Crosby's whimsical baritone voice narrates this Disney gem about a school teacher who falls for the wrong girl and gets scared out of his wits as he attempts to head home one creepy night.
This film not only keeps children's attention because of its subject matter, but because it's less than 40 minutes long! And adults will love the classic songs.

Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of The Were-Rabbit (2005)
Wallace and Gromit are at it again as they set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest! Another enjoyable film for the whole family, the animation, bright colors and semi-scary setting has all the makings of a classic.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
True, this film ends with Christmas, but it begins with Halloween! What's great about this film, is that you can watch it starting at the end of September through the beginning of January and it just "feels right" (of course, you can watch it whenever you want, too). Follow Jack Skellington as he finds new joy in Christmas! Unfortunately, he doesn't fully understand and misinterprets its meaning.

More Films:
The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile
Monster House
The Corpse Bride
Blackbeard's Ghost (1968)
The Canterville Ghost (There's quite a few versions, I like the John Gielgud 1987 version)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (I'd include it. The colors really bring to mind Halloween and that Halloween feast looks so good-tiny parts of an all-around good film)

PG-13 and Up

Trick 'r' Treat (2007)
It's a shame this film didn't receive the proper attention it deserved. Taking place in one night, the film follows four interwoven stories: Each has more to them than what meets the eye. Sure, there's the usual horror film gags: gore & brief nudity, but their only a tiny bit of a great well-made and well-written film.

Halloween (1978)
The one horror film series that completely creeped me out as a junior high kid: Halloween. A vacant, silent, strong, psychotic man with a horrifying refashioned William Shatner mask (yes, that's right) terrorizes the town of Haddonfield, IL and his unsuspecting SPOILER! This is a great film for a horror film marathon.

The Craft (1996)
This would have been a great film to watch at a sleepover when I was younger ("in my day..."). True, the film is very representative of the time it was made (the soundtrack is a little silly looking back), but it's an entertaining story about a new girl at a Catholic High School who falls in with a few teen witches and what happens when she decides to leave the coven.

More Films:
Scream (It brought back the horror film genre!)
Urban Legend
The Shining
Nightmare on Elm Street
Halloween II (An excellent follow-up)
Carrie
Night of the Living Dead

True Timeless Classics
These will never get old...

The Body Snatcher (1945)
Not to be confused with Invasion of the Body Snatchers, this black and white film follows a doctor and his student and the creepy man who supplies them illegal cadavers. The ending of this film alone, creeps me out! And it will creep you out too! "Never get rid of me" "Never get rid of me"... That's all you need know.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
Who said ghost-oriented films had to be scary? This somewhat romantic film follows newly widowed Lucy Muir as she moves into a home occupied by a rather-annoyed ghost. In time, they form a caring bond and let's just say, the end will have you happily tearing up!

More Films:
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) - never has technicolor been used in such a dramatic way (save for The Wizard of Oz, of course)
Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Phantom of the Opera (1925)