3 Vacation Horror Movies

Vacation! Hurray, right? Who doesn’t love going on vacation? it’s a time to relax, have a good time, and drink fruity drinks on the beach or beside the pool. Traveling to a different country, a different atmosphere, it’s enough to give anyone peace of mind, right?

But….things can go horribly wrong, even on a wonderful vacation. You only have to check out these films to see what could possibly happen.

Aftershock:

A film starring Eli Roth, the mastermind behind the wonderfully gross Cabin Fever. Here, he and his friends take a vacation to Chile, where of course they want to party and drink. All the fun goes to hell, however, when there’s an earthquake and the physical infrastructure of the city falls apart around them.

Not a great movie, but it’s a different enough disaster film to keep you interested. I was brought up on disaster movies like Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, and the (original) Poseidon Adventure that I was able to enjoy this effort with “the young folks”. Get some popcorn and have some fun.

Turistas:

I’ve seen this film titled also as Turistas: Go Home, so don’t be put off if you see either title. Again, a group of young people go on vacation to Brazil on what was supposed be a fun vacation. Instead a bus accident maroons them somewhere and well, bad things happen. Again, the premise is interesting, the setting of the jungles of Brazil is lush and beautiful, and of course some of those friends on vacation don’t make it out alive.

Fun fact: The director of this movie, John Stockwell, played the “best friend” in the movie “Christine” based on a Stephen King novel.

The Ruins:

Ah, The Ruins. One of the creepiest, crawliest movies I’ve ever seen. I might be extra squeamish, but I really can’t watch every scene of the film: some of the sequences are too much for me. Take from that what you will. However, this film, which is based on a book by Scott Smith (who also wrote the book A Simple Plan), centers around, you guessed it, a group of friends on vacation. They leave a perfectly good resort to go into some jungle to see some Mayan ruins. And, well, they got ruined.

The Horror Movie Tag

It’s almost that time of year. We’re creeping up on Halloween, which seems to be fast becoming the most popular holiday out of the year! Being a lover of horror movies (in the bright light of morning and afternoon, that is), Halloween is a fun time of the year for me too. Although my children have now outgrown the need to dress up for the holiday–well, except for my youngest, who requested a gas mask to complete his costume–I still enjoy the spirit of the holiday.

I like to keep up with my horror movie watching with this cool journal I created… keeps all your horror movie reviews in a safe place:

As I mentioned, I do love horror movies during the day, so I found a YouTube Tag online that feeds my habit but good. I present to you the Horror Movie Tag.

1. What is the First horror movie you remember watching?

2. What is your favorite horror movie?

3. What is your favorite horror movie genre?

4. What genre scares you the most?

5. What is the last horror movie you watched that actually scared you?

6. Who is your ultimate scream queen?

7. What’s a concept that you’d like to see in horror?

8. What is your favorite on screen kill?

9. What’s your favorite horror franchise?

10. Who’s your favorite horror director?

(Bonus Question) 11. What famous horror movie have you never seen?

Blogtoberfest 2019 – We’re Back!

Welcome to BlogtoberFest 2019!

Even though I consider myself mainly a romance writer, there’s nothing like being scared every once in a while. I’ve done Blogtoberfest for quite a few years now, and I look forward to it every season.

For those unfamiliar with the tradition, BlogtoberFest is my way of celebrating the Halloween season with all things scary, creepy, and that go bump in the night. Everybody loves a good scare, right? Well, hold on for the ride because you’re going to exactly what you clicked here for.

Stay tuned for a month of horror movies, scary stories, urban legends and folklore. You’ll get horror movie reviews, music recommendations as well as recipes, makeup ideas and decor ideas. Oh yes, I try to cover it all. If one post doesn’t do it for you, stay tuned because I’m sure there will be a post that you’ll like. I promise!

So grab yourself a Bloody Mary or a Vampire Cocktail and settle in for the ride. If there’s something you want to see, don’t be afraid to leave a comment or send me a message.

Enjoy!

Dahlia

Three Scary Stories to Read Online

There is a lot of horror out there, to be sure. Movies, short films, novels, two-sentence horror stories, flash fiction, etc. I’ve realized that my favorite medium of horror on the printed pages is the short story. I absolutely loved Stephen King’s Nightshift anthology, and I am always on the lookout for those older, “classic” stories that were innovative for their time.

Thus, I have three scary stories for you that you can read online at your leisure. Shall we begin?

‘At the Mountains of Madness’ – H.P. Lovecraft – 1931

If you’re a fan of science fiction horror in the vein of The Thing from Another World, the Alien series and the Blog, etc, you will like where this story is coming from .

Briefly put, it’s the story of a group of explorers in the Antarctic, who discover the remains of a civilization that came from space, plus alien bodies. Now that you know what direction the story is going, go read it now. You won’t be sorry.

‘They Bite’ – Anthony Boucher – 1943

So you like weird westerns? Odd events in the wide expanse of the desert, where there is nothing but cacti and the sounds of your screams for miles? Then “They Bite” is for you. I first read this story in an Alfred Hitchcock magazine as a teenager. I will say, this story has stuck with me through the years, and even as I read it again, it’s still scary.

Such a simple premise: how greed and killing can lead to a very odd end.

Check it out here.

‘Patient Zero’ – Tananarive Due

I absolutely love stories like these. The premise is a little boy who is in the hospital. He’s also in isolation and those that deal with him have to wear what he calls “hot suits”. To say anymore would give the story away, so check it out here.

So there you are, three stories you can read online right now that are perfect for the spooky month of Halloween or anytime.

Enjoy!

Dahlia

Decorate for Halloween – Family Friendly Inflatables

Yes. It’s barely fall. It’s 75 degrees outside. I realize all that. But also realize, even as we still sip iced lemonade and eat salad for a dinner, the cool season of Halloween is right around the corner. Don’t get caught out. Even with one or two day shipping, some places might just run out of inventory by the time you’re wearing that awesome orange scarf and sipping mulled apple cider.

What I’m trying to say is the time to prepare is now!

What I like about inflatables is that they not only make a great impact on a lawn, but they are also easy to store for the next years. Deflate, pop it into a bin, and you’re done. I also like the ease of setup. Two or three inflatable can make your house look Halloween with a minimum of effort. They also range in scare factor; you can have a cute Halloween setup, or you can go full out scary.

Let’s take a look of some of my favorite Halloween decorations: inflatable edition.

Haunted Tree

I am partial to owls, and this is cute little decoration. Scary on a cartoon level, but nothing that may deter a little one from approaching your house. If you like kid friendly decorations, this is definitely one to start with.

Stack of Pumpkins with Cute Ghost

How cute is this? I have a picture of my daughter when she was only about six or seven at a Halloween party with this particular inflatable, so I suppose I’m partial to it. Click the picture to purchase!

Inflatable Spooky Cat

How cute is this? This will certainly be a great centerpiece for your front lawn Halloween decorations. Again, not too scary, so it’s family friendly. Click below to purchase.