Dahlia DeWinters - Author

Quirky Heroines, Happy Endings

Music Monday – Top 5 Elton John Songs

Since I did Billy Joel last week, it’s only fair that I praise my other favorite piano man, Elton John.  I first heard of Elton John (to know he was Elton John) during the eighties. Upon further exploration of his discography, I discovered that I had been enjoying his songs for quite a while, even though I hadn’t known who he was.  This was back in the olden times of radio and DJs….

Without further ramblings, here’s my top five mix of Elton John songs. As always, they are in no particular order.

 

 

I’m Still Standing

Rollicking upbeat elton.

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Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road

The vocal riff of “Oh…oh…oh….” is what sells it.

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The One

“All I ever needed was the one……”

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Candle in the Wind

His tribute to Marilyn Monroe, and later Princess Diana, still brings a tear to my eye.

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Rocket Man

 

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Honorable Mention – Bennie and the Jets

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And there’s my faves from Elton John..  Have any Elton John favorites?  Drop them in the comments!

 

Peace, Love, Unity

Dahlia

 

Horror Movie Review – Grave Encounters 2

 

Title:  Grave Encounters 2
Genre: Horror, Found Footage
Director: John Poliquin
Writers: The Vicious Brothers
IMDB Link:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2231554/

NO SPOILERS

PLOT SYNOPSIS: (imdb.com) A film student who is obsessed with the movie Grave Encounters sets out with his friends to visit the psychiatric hospital depicted in the original film.

We’re back!

After seeing Grave Encounters, I just had to see if there were a Grave Encounters 2.  And, lo and behold, it was!  I quickly queued it up and sat back, prepared to be as scared as I was with the first one.

Alas, this was not the case.  Now, this is not to say the movie wasn’t pretty good. It just took a bit of a time to get to the point.

Don’t go into this expect a retread of Grave Encounters.  The screenwriter and director  went in a bit of a different direction, which saved the movie from being a boring retread of the first movie.

A film student who is obsessed with the movie Grave Encounters sets out with his friends to visit the psychiatric hospital depicted in the original film.

I will say the characters are a little less likable in this movie than they were in the first one.  They skewed younger and were less the “seasoned professionals” of the first movie and more snot-nosed college students.  Being a woman of a certain age, their antics grated on me a bit, but I was eager to see what the asylum would do with them.

And the haunted asylum didn’t disappoint.  

Things are not what they seem at the old homestead and the place starts acting up right away.  We, the audience, know what they’re in for, having seen the first movie, we’re just waiting to see how the asylum plays with the new crew.

There’s shouting, there’s yelling, there’s running. There’s spooky stuff afoot and a surprise.

Watch it, if just to have the story continue. Grave Encounters 2 is not as good or as chill worthy as Grave Encounters, but it’s still a pretty good ride. 

My advice:  Push through the annoying college age antics at the beginning and stay for the scary parts.  There is some lore added and maybe a door opening for Grave Encounters 3.

Here’s to watching horror movies in the morning!

Dahlia

 

Music Monday – Top 5 Billy Joel Songs

Heidi-ho, it’s music Monday and I’m here once again to thrill and wow you with my musical choices.  Today’s list comes from my piano lessons as a youth.  I began piano lessons at the age of five.  I hated them.  But then by the time I was in middle school, I’d discovered Billy Joel, and thought that I, too, could be  Piano Man.  Alas, that did not work out, thankfully, I think, but that hasn’t tarnished my love for Bill.  Take a gander at my favorite songs (at least today) from this artist. The list is in no particular order.

 

Piano Man

The song that started it all.  For some reason, I was fascinted by the fact that you could sing and play the piano.  (Bear with me,I was kinda young at the time.)

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Downeaster Alexa

The music beneath the melody just makes you feel like you’re bracing yourself against the sway of a rolling boat.

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Goodnight Saigon

A sad song about lost, broken, lives.

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River of Dreams

In the middle of the night….

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Pressure

That jabbing synthesizer rift….

“You have to learn to pace yourself.”

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And there’s my faves from the piano man.  Have any Billy Joel favorites?  Drop them in the comments!

 

Peace, Love, Unity

Dahlia