Of Love of Horror 2.0

I am staring to write this blogpost while waiting for someone at 7Eleven at South Station Alabang. On my way here, I saw some vendors peddling Christmasy stuff. Although it is sunny, the heat isn't as brutal as it was last month. October is upon us and Christmas is less than three months away.

But first comes my favorite holiday: Halloween. This pagan holiday is a time for remembering the dead, for candles and solemn prayers (for some), for out of town trips, and, of course, for spooks.

As many of you know, I'm a horror fan. While other girls devour romance stories, I am always eager to read or watch stuff that are terrifically fantastic, or just plain terrifying. Here is my 2014 recommendations of horror finds: short films, creepypastas, make-up tutorials.

Short Films

I love horror movies, especially well-made ones. Here are some of my the recommendations for Halloween night. These are short-films and full-length ones. Warning: I won't be featuring mainstreamed stuff, since they have enough marketing and advertising 

1. Camera Obscura by Daywalt Horror. This is a short film series that follows the "adventure" of a girl who finds her demon hunter grandfather's camera obscura. The costumes here are the best part. I have always appreciated fantasy/horror make-up. Plus, the story is well-executed. This is quite a challenge to do, since short films don't have hours to build up a story - only minutes. Check out the series through the link. 

2. Still Life by Jon Knautz. I watched with my best friend while pigging out on donut and popcorn, but despite the sugar rush, I would still say that this is one of the best short films I've watched. This is not really horror, but it is horrifying. The dreary atmosphere of the film slowly brings in the creeps, but it is really the plot twist which got to me. 

3. X for XXL (from the ABCs of Death series). Let's just say that whenever I feel desperate to lose weight fast I just go back to this film. Gory and a slap-in-the-face statement against fat shaming, this is one of shorts from the series which really got to me. 

4. Mockingbird by FEWDIO Horror. This has got to be the shortest of the shorts I will be featuring. Simply-made, but with a plot twist that is a kick in the gut, this  film is real life horror at its finest.

Creepypastas

As many horror junkies probably know, creepypastas are short internet horror stories. Some of the more popular ones are Jeff the Killer, Slenderman, Squidwart's Suicide and Pokemon-themed pastas. Of course, I won't talk about these anymore. I'll be sharing to you some of my favorites. They may be less popular, but they are definitely worth the read.

1. The Harlequin Series. Horror fans may be familiar with Stephen King's penchant for small town horror. This is exactly what the Harlequin series is about. It kind of reminds me of King's The Tommyknockers and Dreamcatcher. A mix of an almost alien foe and amazing characterization, The Harlequin Series is one of the more satisfying pastas I've ever had the pleasure to sample.

Excerpt: "I knew that he knew something but I didn’t know what he knew. Had I figured out what it was earlier, I would have murdered him right there in the Burnswick lobby."

2. You're Not Afraid. This one is a ritual pasta, which means it's more of a series of instructions intertwined with a narrative. I love that the pasta starts in a relatively relaxed pace. At least, as relaxed as a character in a creepypasta can be. In the beginning, character is given a sense of false safety, an uneasy stillness. The action picks up the pace in the middle of the pasta, making the reader pick up the pace of reading. The pasta ends satisfyingly, with a nice little plot twist and, if you're like me, a hammering heart.

Excerpt: "At the corner of Winter and Broad there is an abandoned house. Go into that house. The front door is closed but unlocked. Nobody lives inside, not even homeless people would dare stay in a place like that for more than a night." 

3. Survival Guide. I'm not a fan of comedy-horror, but I enjoyed this one so much that I couldn't stop laughing even when I've finished it. I love it when stories  overlap, one of the reasons why I enjoy King's work so much. The number references to other pastas in The Survival Guide is too damn high! Warning: People new to creepypasta may not completely appreciate this.

Excerpt: "With the help of this guide you too can be the catatonic, traumatised wreck as opposed to the guy currently being worn as a coat by some dude who roams a lot."

4. "Higher Powers" Addiction to drugs or is it to power? I really love this pasta, 

Excerpt: They joke about how people get addicted to meetings instead of drugs. Langston didn’t mind the trade off. At least meetings didn’t send you to the emergency room with abscesses. Or into jail for the weekend, sick and detoxing. They don’t kill you and swallow you whole like addictions do.

5. The Sandman. This is one creepypasta with a heart. Many people commented that this wasn't even really scary. It certainly gave me the creeps, but really, it's more sad than terrifying. When a father starts losing his son bit by bit and has to battle a repulsive  creature haunting their home, sanity seems slip away so easily.

Excerpt: "He was losing his mind, he knew. The only thing that helped him cling to sanity was that Daniel seemed undisturbed. Other than his muteness, his behavior was perfectly normal. And whenever he seemed to sense that his father was troubled he would hug him, or squeeze his hand, or even smile. Sometimes, when he left the room, James cried."

I've read The Sandman in creepypasta.com (click on the link) but you may want to listen to the story instead. 

Make-up Tutorials

1. Double Face Clown Makeup Tutorial from MadeYewLook. MadeYewLook is definitely one of my new favorite make-up artist and face-painter. What I love about her is that she can make awesome looks with just paint and with very little prosthetic. Although minimalist in materials, her creations are still quite intricate. 

One of my favorite looks is this Double Face Clown Make-up, particularly because clowns scare the heck out of me (I still remember the sleepless nights when I was reading Stephen King's It). This look is a cross of funny and disturbing, especially since there's another clown face on the side, like a parasitic evil twin. 

Freeaaky. 

2. Leather Face and Texas Chainsaw Massacre Make-up by Pinkstylist. Oh Charlie aka Pinkstylist, you're so fabulous, I love you <3 nbsp="">

One of his best looks is this Leather Face make-up from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. If you're a horror fan, you'd know that Leather Face stitches together facial skin from his victims and uses this as a mask. You can imagine the work that went on this look, which I absolutely appreciate and enjoy. This look was made with a combination of prosthetic, liquid latex and tissue paper, paint and fake blood, and pure and simple awesomeness. 

A couple of my other faves:

• The Smiler. This look reminds me of an insane inmate in a mental asylum. 
• Burned Alive. The personification of my fear of heat and fire. 

3. Four Horseman: Death by Klairedelys. Of course, Klaire is going to be here. She has always been one of my favorite artists. This year, she's gone for more wearable look (check out her Real Life Disney series), but my favorite will always be her artistic make-up. This look is from her Four Horseman series. A very different interpretation of Death, this elegant is characteristic of Klair's simple, clean, and elegant make-up.

Isn't this beautiful? 

And just because I was inspired (and I had time to kill), I made a couple of looks for Halloween as well. 

 This first look was inspired by the Joker. Unfortunately, I only had Johnson;s Baby Powder to make the white base, and a cheap eye shadow pallet and a rarely-used red lipstick. I think it's still cool though, but I wish I had better make-up. 

This second look is something I've been dying to try - the sugar skull. I blocked out my eyebrows using a glue stick. Again, I lack the kind of make-up to make this look work, but in making this look, I think learned something: Beauty UK pallets are more pigmented than Elf. I'm so glad I got hold of one of their eye shadow pallets ^_^.

I hope you enjoy my recommendations. Happy Halloween!

Wrapping Papers and Writing (Why Blogging About Health can be as Sari-Saring Kalamay as Possible)

Codswallop means nonsense, and I chose this name for my blog because when I started writing, I knew that I would never be confined to just one topic, that this blog is meant to be a combination of all things I feel strongly for. 

Codswallop is a niche-less blog, which is probably why it's not popular. Or perhaps people just don't enjoy my writing? I honestly don't care much (but thank you, dear Reader for staying through my insane ranting...much love!). I write because I have something to say and because I don't I will literally turn psycho. That is enough for me. Despite being niche-less, I tend to focus on several topics that I hold close to my heart: advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights, women empowerment, and social and political trends and change. Occasionally, though, you'll find that I've gone insane and I've written about make-up and the arts (literature, my short stories, craft and the like). If I've really gone over the edge, I'd probably post something about my love life (or the lack thereof). Hey, it's my blog.

I've been blogging for four years, but have only seriously done it for 2 years. I've been writing since I realized that you don't become a writer - you work your arse to be one. That was when I was in Grade 4, about 15 years ago (damn I'm old). This post is merely to share my insights about writing.

Here are a few points:

1. There are no original stories, only original angles.This is something I've learned from attending several writing workshops. Whether the kind of writing I'm learning is literary or journalistic, this always comes up. The story you're writing is the same story another writing is writing. The plot you've thought of might have been used already. Just think of the parallels of The Hunger Games and Battle Royale. And if you're covering a story, you can be sure that someone else is covering it as well. When it gets published, it's quite possible that what you've written mirrors what somebody else has. 


There are no original stories. In literature, we try and go around this little unpleasantness by turning to a plot-driven and/or character-driven technique. The way a character reacts to a kaskas plot makes the story more interesting. For instance, a husband and wife having difficulty getting pregnant is a typical story. We've seen it a thousand times. A man and a mananaggal wife having difficulty getting pregnant is a different story all together. And then of course there is putting a spin to an old plot by devising some sort of twist in the end. 

So how do we make an unoriginal story our own? By attacking it in a different angle. We see this in many feature stories. If, for instance, we're writing about Lito Atienza's contraceptive ban in Manila, we will probably find stories containing the 5Ws and 1H - a typical straight news. We will also probably find a story of a woman with 9 children who doesn't want to have more but is once again pregnant because she can't afford to buy a condom. Same story, different angle.

2. Health is an interdependent issue. As a nurse, this is something I know in theory and practice to be true. Nurses are everywhere, and those who believe that we are only meant for the hospital are in serious need of a re-education. Health is so intertwined with the many aspects of human life that to talk about health effectively, you must be willing to touch those which affect it.

Last year, I was lucky to have been part of the volunteer team of the Forum for Family Planning Development. The Forum staged a play at Greenhills called The Vagina Monologue (in Filipino). This play is well known all over the world. The play told different stories of vaginas, but ultimately pinpointed the disgust, the hesitation, the the refusal of saying the word vagina and talking about the issues connected to it. This is in particular importance because in the world of sexual and reproductive health and rights, patient education is one of the most important elements. Unfortunately, in a culture which propagates malice in uttering names of body parts related to sex, patient education becomes ineffective.

This year, I was lucky enough to have finished a 9-week course on AIDS. The first three weeks were hardcore science, but we eventually came to lessons on changing ideologies and action as a form of preventive measure against HIV. One of the things we discussed was Scenarios from Africa, a group which makes films. Yes, I was taking an AIDS course and we talked about film making. We even watched some and wrote reflections on it. The films made by Scenarios from Africa relate to the many aspects of HIV/AIS - from preventive actions to surviving the disease psychologically. You see, tapping the arts is quite important in information dissemination and health.

 If you're interested in reading more about what I learned from the AIDS course, you can also check up my write-ups here, here, and here. The second link will lead you to our discussion on Scenarios from Africa.

I have always been vocal about my criticisms regarding various religion. This is because religion has got its hands deep in the culture of a society - which means it affects the way of thinking of people, specifically by the ruling class, the legislators, the executive power. This is true particularlyin the Philippines. The RH Bill was dragged through congress for 16 years, contraceptive budget was all but abolished in Arroyo's time (Arroyo is a well-known ally of the CBCP), and now the RH Law is still under Status Quo Ante due to roughly 16 petitions, most of which filed by religious groups.

Kenneth Keng of Filipino Freethinkers in a bishop outfit. This satirical protest is both about secularism and the RH Law.

Literature is one of the driving forces of society. Don't believe me? Just how many kids have read the Harry Potter series? On the other end of the pole, just how many hormonal 13 year olds have read Twilight (excuse me while I suppress a shudder)? I am a fan of Filipino literature an, and if you rummage around my little Codswallop, you'll find some reviews of local books which I love. Recently, I wrote a review for Wakasang Wasak, which is a collection of novellas. One of the stories there puts emphasis on secularism and the RH Law. Talk about a badass social commentary.

When I was in high school and college, I went through what adults would call "period of teenage angst". I was a complete emotional wreck and parasuewed up suicidal stuff wasn't far from the surface of my head (along with pathophysiology of heart diseases and the suspicion that God had a screwed up sense of pretty). I turned to art: painting, doing stuff with my hands, beading, writing. It saved me from spiraling into complete depression. 

During my 4th year, I took up Mental Health Nursing and was quite lucky to go on duty at ethe Philippine Center for Mental Health. One of the first things we did with our patients was to give them paper and crayons. Apparently art therapy is pretty damn real. (So excuse me if I post gift wrapping stuff here. That is apparently a healthy thing to do. It keeps me mentally fit, which, according to the WHO is part of being healthy.)

Below is a picture of one of the paintings I did when  was in 4th year. It's Charles Mason inspired, with lots of rage and teenage agony in between. Mom had me throw it away because it looked demonic, according to her. Given the emotions I pulled it out from, I don't blame her for seeing it that way. Still, I'm quite glad I made it. It's called Eve.

 

3. Monotony is codswallop. If we're all going to write about the same thing, using the same style, the same language, and the same angle, then we, as writers, are destroying creativity. We don't need to exist as writers, only as someone who mimics the ideas of one main source. 

To fail to seek how to creatively tell the same stories - that, to me, is nonsense if you dare to call yourself a writer.

Keel blogging everyone.

Wakasang Wasak: Horror, Tentacle Porn, and Badass Social Commentary

Some people would call him vain. The nicer ones would refer to his social media antics as "strongly opinionated" whereas others would just say he is "panira ng trip". One thing is for sure: Siege Malvar has got to be one of the bitchiest persons in my Facebook friends list.  I love him.

Siege Malvar is also the author of one of the books I've enjoyed most this year. A definite jump from his previous books, Wakasang Wasak is, much like Sir Siege himself, a dare to what is conventionally defined as good literature. I think literary purist would frown upon his tabloid-style literature. I think he makes it a point to piss off a lot of people just because it's fun. He certainly stepped on a lot of toes, particularly when he killed off a sparkly pedophile vampire in one of the bonus stories. I could almost here the fan girls screaming.

Wakasang Wasak is a collection of three novellas focusing on three lady protagonists who are, in their own right, strong women. One is a woman of the world, a successful, beautiful woman who can't seem to find true love outside the many good (and not-so-good) lays she's having (Kama ni Stella). Another is a probinsyana-turned- call center girl who is determined to win her town's most prestigious pageant (Mutya ng San Isidro). And of course there's the character that I really love - the demon arse-kicking, sparkly-vampire-killing witch (Where Angels Fear to Dance).To top it all off, the genre is horror. You can see why I've gone gaga about this. 

WARNING! There may be spoilers.

Kama ni Stella makes me want to read Lovecraft. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have yet to be introduced to the Mythos (yet I have the gall to call myself a horror fan - somebody give me a Lovecraft book!). Kama ni Stella tells of a story of an independent, beautiful, strong-willed woman who - surprise - has difficulty finding true love. Of course, there's the occasional romp in the haystack, but after the sex, she gets left behind. Sounds familiar? The story also touches on the delicate issue of rape. Then, of course, there are the more titillating aspects of the story, such as tentacle porn. Not familiar with it? Google and...erm... enjoy, if you're in to those stuff, 

My favorite in the collection is Mutya ng San Isidro. Don't get me wrong. I'm no pageant junkie. When Philippine reps kept landing on the op spots of international beauty contest, I thought it was cool, then immediately turned my attention to what I thought were more progressive thoughts... like the lunch menu. Mutya ng San isidro is not your typical beauty pageant story, however. Written with a biting humor and an unapologetic the penchant for cuss, this novella tells of a probinsyana who asks her fabulous baklang best friend to help her train for the most prestigious beauty contest in her home town. And so comes the bitchy/witty side comments about goody-goody pageant rival, the tormenting practice of how to walk in high heels, the occasional lusting-over-that-hot-probinsyano-boy moments, and a bit of discussion about the cult of the Flying Spaghetti monster. And of course there's the mystery of why some people in town are very much against their daughters entering the contest to be the town's next Mutya. 

Mutya ng San Isidro is a nod to Stephen King's common theme of the horrors of a small town. It also touches heavily on the issues of superstitious beliefs (which we Filipinos are quite prone to) as well as secularism and some religion's obvious interference with Philippine governance. I think it's these issues that make Mutya ng San Isidro terrifying - that superstitious beliefs can have such a hold in a person (or in a town, in this case) that it can affect the lives of people - or the lack thereof. Quite fitting, since something like this is still happening today in what is supposedly a sane, logical society.

If you're into reading about a girl kick arse both with her fists and with magic, then you'd probably enjoy Where Angels Fear to Dance. Our protaginist here is kind of klike Alexanda Trese, except with a great deal more bitchiness. Where Angels Fear to Dance has a great deal of magic and action, plus some celestial orgasm. It also pokes fun at some of pop culture's more dubious 2013 creations, such as Gangnam Style. 

For many people, Wakasang Wasak may be a joke. I think it partially is. After all, jokes are always funny and I've spent quite a lot of time laughing at the characters' interactions and how the author wove the story into life (and in all the most inappropriate places as well - like the van from Ayala to Paranaque). I have also been intensely terrified by the reflection of the real world intertwined with man-eating beds and gays lusting over hot men. The fear of empowered women, the intervention of religion on politics and legislation, the power of superstition, especially on uneducated people, and a peak at the industry which capitalizes on women's desire to complement what society thinks is beautiful. 

It is the writing style and the themes of the book which makes Wakasang Wasak something to take seriously - while having a good laugh at the same time. 

P.S.: I would have taken a photo of me reading it, but I can't find my damned book T_T

Something Silly: Effie Trinket-Inspired Make-Up Experiment

 

A few weeks ago, I met up with some of my advocacy friends Sir Alvin, Kuya Dave, and Raim, for a meeting, but just like any advocacy meeting, we started out with some fun first. We watched the first half of The Hunger Games (the first movie), mainly for my benefit, because I have yet to see it. 

We ended up with a dare: I do Effie Trinket's make-up look and Raim will give me PHP300.00. He said he's raise it to PHP500.00 if he sees creativity. Because I really want to raise the money (and because I don't know when to say no to a dare), I accepted. The money would be of great help because I've been trying to raise funds to donate to Yolanda survivors. 

(By the way, people, I'm still SELLING MY BOOKS! Shameless advertising time!)

The make-up itself is pretty simple - white face and lots of pink. The tricky part is the lips. In the movie, Effie's lips are much smaller than her real ones. A little concealer did the trick. Here are some pictures of the prep: 

The first things I did was to clean my face, moisturize and block my eye brows. Yes, people, that is Elmer's Glue Stick I'm holding, and yes I'm putting that over my brows. In the pictures, Effie has very light eye brows, and since I have full, dark brows, blocking them before applying concealer/foundation makes life easier. Excuse the harassed looking face.

As for the face, the aim is to make it as white as possible. I did this by using my cream concealer as foundation. I then set it with my regular face powder then used a kabuki brush to buff it in. 

For the eyes, which are a deep pink color, I first used a cream-based make-up as base, then followed it with a combination of a purple and hot pink eye shadow. I simply swept everything on my lids. If you don't have a cream-based make-up, whip out your pink lipstick and dab some on your peepers.

The lips were a bit of a challenge. After erasing my natural lip color with concealer, I used a pink lip pencil to sketch the shape I wanted - which meant small, almost pouty. I used the pinkest lipstick I could find and dusted it with the same purple-pink eye shadow combination earlier. I cleaned the edge of the lips with concealer.

The last thing I did was to put on false lashes. In the picture, Effie is wearing these gorgeous paper lashes which I would really want to get my hands on. Unfortunately they cost 12.5 pounds, WITHOUT shipping fee. (If you want to give me a gift, a pair of those falsies would be amazing!) So I decided to make my own simple ones. I got a pair of falsies at ATC last week. They cost me PHP80.00. Not bad, right? To make it more interesting, I sketched out a couple of butterflies on black paper, cut these out using an ordinary cutter, then glued them to the lashes.

I ended up with this: 

Not bad, if I say so myself. 

The only problem with this look is that I didn't have a wig, so it's not complete, really. I do have some kind of flower but I didn't use it. I ended up with this as the complete look: 

Not really an exact copy, but the idea is to be inspired by the make-up, not copy it. I guess I should have contoured a bit - after all, Effie has a narrower nose than I do. And next time I should have more props, like a costume and a wig, But it was fun doing this. In fact, it was so much fun that I made a video afterwards. I'm no longer posting that though. I get allergic when I see my face on my blog too much. 

I'd also have to admit that I look silly, sporting this look. In fact, it would take a lot more persuasion if I am dared to wear this look in public. But looking silly is a small thing compared to the cause. What does it take to put on make up? Not much, just time and a bit of patience. What does it take to extend your hands to help? Nothing much, just compassion. I'd like to do something more, if I can, to help those who have so little, simply because I have so much more than they do right now. 

Those who survive  Yolanda may have lived through the storm, but they are still in need of assistance. Right now they are slowly getting back on their feet, but hundreds, if not thousands, are still in need of any help they can get. Let us not stop our efforts. 

Happy holidays, everyone. I hope you enjoyed my silly little look as much as I did putting it together. 

Something Jolly: 4 Ways to Make Presents Special without Bursting your Pocket

My "I'm Crafting" look. And yes, that's a paintbrush stuck in my hair.

During the holidays, I am often faced with a huge dilemma: I am poor, but I like giving presents, especially to kids. Having grown up in a family who loves kids, I kind of taken on the role as big sister/ninang of children in the neighborhood. I also have friends whom I especially love and although you can't really wrap up "pagmamahal" (that's an idea, though), I really like showing them that they are important to me. To me, giving gifts is just as rewarding, if not more, than receiving them. 

Here are 4 ways I make presents special. Warning: This involves whipping up your paint brush and getting down and dirty.

1. Make your own wrapper and card. 

Last year, the RH Bill was turned into the RH Law and it made my Christmas that much happier. Inspired, I took some of my craft paper, placed it on the floor, took my biggest paint brush and began to paint swirls of silver and shades of purple on it. I ended up with my own wrapping paper which (in my humble opinion) was festive and symbolic at the same time. I jazzed the wrapping up with the some lovely ribbons and they were good to go.

This year, I found this really cute wrapper. I actually bought it several months ago then stuffed it into my "arts drawer" for ages. It was so in-Christmasy that I decided Christmas is the perfect time to use it! This year, I skipped making my own wrapper and did these cards instead. I used black paper, metallic pens, and my topsy-turvy imagination.

(Excuse the face and the nasty nails -_-)I made different designs and each design is unique.

2. Whip up your paint brush and get creative.

If you're the crafty kind of gal or the kind of guy who has a good hand for art, why not make presents. I'm guilty of doing this. Last year, forced by the fact that I barely had money to buy myself presents, I settled for buying a bunch of stuff instead - several pieces of small pad paper actually. I wrapped these in craft paper (my favorite) and painted on them. You can also do this using those brown paper bags they give to you at the supermarket. I got loads of those just waiting to be used.

Here's one of the pad papers I painted on. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to give this gift.

This year, I'm making a bunch of jewelry for some friends. 

My apologies for the sucky photos, but there you go. Here are some stuff I'm giving away to some of my dear friends.

 What is cool about making your own gifts is that it is both a labor of love and an expression of your creativity. I think it benefits you more than the recipient of the gift, which probably makes me somewhat selfish?... Although, of course, I hope that the people I give gifts too like the stuff I make. :P

3. Personalize your gifts.This can mean having the name of the person on your gift, or choosing/making the gift specifically for the recipient. I do both. Last year, the pad papers I painted had the recipient's names on them. If you're buying gifts for many people, personalizing them might be difficult, but if you only intend to give a few people presents, then it's easier, 

Last month, I was in a cafe somewhere in GMA Cavite. I spotted some coffee beans and did not hesitate to buy some for a friend who loves the stuff. Little things that remind you of people can be the perfect holiday gift.

4. Give your heart away.

Throwback: Me, wrapping stuff for the kids.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to have been part of this little program that gave kids in the cancer ward of a Quezon City hospital. Although I was not able to go there personally, I was blessed to have been able to contribute by mobilizing resources (read: pestering people to donate). I was so thankful that my office mates and parents were supportive of the project. Although it wasn't much, we were able to donate a bag of gifts for the kids to play with.

This year, my efforts are geared towards raising fund for the survivors of Yolanda. I haven't raised a big-enough amount to make a huge impact, but I think every little thing counts. 

Doing these things felt good. Doing this willingly - reaching out and just trying to make people feel a bit better - is probably one of the best thing I did this year.

Advertisement time! For those of you interested in helping me raise more money, please check out my other blogpost. I'm selling some pre-loved books. Everything goes to donations. You can check the books out here.

I love giving gifts. I am all for the non-material things, but I also love saying "I remember you" and "You are important" in this non-verbal manner. What's great is that you don't even have to spend much to make presents special. Whip up your creativity - and add a bit of love into it - and you got yourself something special for your special ones. 

Happy holidays, everyone. Stay creative.

Of Love of Horror

(A.N.: I'm sorry! This should have been posted yesterday at around 12MN, but I was so lazy, I slept instead. Anyway, here we go, enjoy!)

Did you now that Halloween is actually a pagan tradition? It comes from the celebration of the "thinning of the veil" in which those who have already passed on to the afterlife are able to come back to the plane of the living and walk the earth once more. I love Halloween. It's the only time of the year when goth make-up is an actual must, and the fact that I am a horror fan only adds to my love of the season. 

In celebration of Halloween, or Samhain as my neo-Pagan friends call it, and in celebration of "fantastic terrors" which I utterly enjoy, this post is about sharing the awesome, scary stuff that make normal people scream and not-so-normal people (like me) cackle with glee.

Move over, Sparkly Vampires. No room for faux pas monsters here. Only real ones will do. 

Fantastic Short Horror and Macabre Stories  by Local Authors

 

Because I have declared myself as the Gabriela Silang of Philippine horror and fantasy writers, I have decided to share some of my top picks. All of these are short stories/novellas and I've included the books where they can be found. 

These stories are not all about monsters and blood, because after all, horror is about the unexplained, the unknown.
 

1. December by Eliza Victoria (Unseen Moon)

This is not really  horror, but it does have some horror elements. December is a story of two somewhat people finding friendship in each other. We might even say that the story is pre-romance, May-December affair. Typical plot line, if you think about it. But what makes December different is the fact that the two people involved are, gently put, psychotic.






2. Mutya ng San Isidro by Siege Malvar(Wakasang Wasak)

Mutya ng San Isidro is  my favorite novella in Siege Malvar's Wakasang Wasak. This story made me laugh (I believe, with conviction, Siege Malvar is one of the bitchiest authors in Philippine literature - the good kind), cringe, and want to burn people up for idiocy. Mutya ng San Isidro is horrifying because it is the plot and subplots are so reminiscent of what is happening right now. I shall be reviewing this in full detail in future posts.

3. Lily, Faith and Disease by Karl De Mesa (Damaged People: Tales of Gothic Punk)

Of course Karl de Mesa is going to be here, what did you expect?

Lily, Faith and Disease is about a girl who makes a pact with the devil in order to take care of her dying mother. It is also about exploitation by a person who should have been trusted.

What is scary is this: Despite the supernatural nature of the pact, and the creepy stuff described in the book that often happens when you summon the devil, did Lily really summoned something supernatural to aid her, or was it simply her succumbing to oppression? 

Whichever the answer is, it is horrifying.




There ought to be more of these, but if I write about all the great horror shorties  Filipinos wrote, I'd be consuming an entire blogpost (and more) and have no space for other stuff on this list. Some other time, then.

The Tastiest Creepypastas (IMHO)

Creepypastas are basically internet horror stories. Whenever I feel the intense craving for quickie horror, I go to two websites: creepypasta.wikia.com and creepypasta.com. These are damn good sources of quick and free fixes of horror. Although not all stories are well-written, there are some exceptionally good ones. Here are some of my faves.

Jeff the Killer is one of the more well-known Creepypastas.

1. Holder Series
 Each story begins with this: 

"In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house (/hospital) you can get yourself to."

I came across the Holder Series during random Pasta browsing. There are actually about 200 stories in the series, each one following an almost repetitive pattern. Two things I love about the series: (1) stories are well-written and (2) there is a quest-like feel to the story - which make sense given that the entire Holder series is about a huge quest.

2. Psychosis

One of the longer pastas I've read, Psychosis is about a guy whose paranoia about not having seen anyone in days. The pasta chronicles the guy's reaction to the situation, finally culminating with our protagonist being thrown in the loony bin. This pasta keeps you guessing: is protagonist really going crazy, or is everyone really not anyone anymore?

 3. The Scuttler
Though not as popular as the Slenderman or the Jeff the Killer pastas, The Scuttler is a well-written story. It was written from a 1st person point of view. The story starts with an urban legend, progresses to a dare, and ends with a twist that was both unexpected and refreshing. 

 4. The Russian Sleep Experiment

I first came across the Russian Sleep Experiment pasta on Facebook. It was posted by one of my fellow EYL and what attracted me to the post was the totally creepy photo which you can see on the right. The Russian Sleep Experiment is about human guinea pigs of a sleep deprivation experiment. Well, you can see how they end up. Aside from being well-written narrative, the descriptions are also quite creepy. The Russian Sleep Experiment is one pasta that will keep you awake.

Make-up Looks I'd Totally Do for Halloween (or When I Get the Chance)

Unfortunately, all I managed for Halloween was this Morticia Adams-inspired make-up:

Morticia Adams or Mary Magdalene? Anyone knows where I can wear this make-up and not freak people out?

On with the list!

1. Greed by Klairedelys

Photo from Klairedelys.com

This is part of Klaire's Seven Deadly Sins series. I love the look because it is so symbolic of what greed is - from the green eye-shadow (which I have yet to try) to the corporate outfit. Klaire is awesome in making looks like these. Recreating the look seems complicated but Klaire explains how to do it quite clearly. 

2. Gluttony by Klairedelys

Photo from Klaire's Deviant Art

You could tell that Klaire is one of my favorite make-up gurus on Youtube. She has this awesome ability to make the morbid pretty and the other way around. One of the best examples is this look which, again, is part of her Seven Deadly Sins series. You'd expect that Gluttony is all about being fat, not about colorful, extravagant colors and candies. 

3. Candy Demon by Pinkstylist

Photo by Pinkstylist

I discovered Pinkstylist while browsing around Klairdelys's Youtube channel. He quickly became one of my favorites. Pinkstylist has the tendency to create scary, creepy looks anytime of the year. This is one of my favorites - the Candy Demon look. This is the look of something sweet turned evil. You can tell why I love him. Although generally his looks are complicated, they are worth the trouble for the effects achieved. 

4. La Belle Muerte by Michelle Phan

Picture from Michelle Phan's Facebook Page

Nowadays, Michelle Phan is known for doing wearable looks, but some years ago, she was rather famous for making crazy looks that are Halloween-ish in concept. This one is one of her newer looks. The second of her sugar skull looks, the make-up is a combination of purples and blues, which is probably why it appealed to me. I love the monochromatic elegance of it all, and the bright orange and red flowers were a striking contrast to the more demure colors of the make-up. La Belle Muerte means Beautiful Death, and it is indeed a beautiful look. 

          Horror Films that are Like Kisses in the Dark

I've fallen in love with short horror films these past few days. I blame Sir Karl de Mesa's FB post. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Psycho Princess: The Little Mermaid by Vancouver Film School
I love mermaids as much as I love horror. In fact, I always say that I was a mermaid in the past life. This twisted fairytale combines both of that. Plus points to this because the mermaid looks nothing like Disney's Ariel.

2. Suckablood by Bloody Cuts Films

My penchant for twisted fairy tales is evident in this choice of short film. That is exactly what Suckablood is - a fairy tale gone wrong. Despite the rather animated feel of the movie, the Tim Burton-ish film has elements of blood, gore, and violence, including child abuse. But like any other Disney fairy tale, Suckablood has a rather happy ending. Well, as happy as you get in a horror story anyway. 

3. Don't Move by Bloody Cuts Films

 

When there's a demon in the house, what most people would do is run. A lot of horror movies are based on the chase. Don't Move destroys that premise. In this short-but-sweet horror flick, 6 friends are unfortunate enough to summon a movement-sensitive demon. Five shall die, and only one will survive. 

Blood, death, and sexy English accent. What more can you ask for?





4. The Many Doors of Albert Whale by Daywalt Horror

This short flick made me go "WTF", and in a good way.

At first it seems that it is a tale of a crazy young man who has an obsession with keeping doors closed. And then we see a young woman in his kitchen, bound to a chair and wearing a sexy green sleeping outfit that should only be worn when seducing a partner. You'd think it's only a case of bondage sex until you notice that her damned lips sewn shut with metal strings. 




There you have it, Readers. I hope you enjoyed the sneak peak of my love for horror. I hope that you find twisted happiness in the madness of blood, darkness, and fear. I hope you savor every moment of it. I hope you indulge in these little gems I have shared.

Oh, and a piece of advice: Don't forget to check under the bed before turning in tonight.

PS: Happy New Year to my Pagan Friends and Happy Birthday to Harry Potter.