Facing Fears In Gloves

I have always been rather indifferent to Valentine’s Day. There is no particular reason or catastrophe that I experienced to cause this. Instead, it is a mere fact. For those that are new to these parts, I am a Halloween gal - always have and always will be. In arriving on this planet on October 13, I truly believe it was my calling to simply exist as a spooky being. However, this year for the first time in many years I actually had plans on the annual day of love. And where did I spend it? At the cinema of corpse.

In partnership with Girls Like Horror, MovieJawn participated in Philadelphia Film Society’s 4th annual screening of Possession. Not only did the event sell out, but it was a major success for MovieJawn. Pictured above was our setup for the evening. I am so thankful that my partner in crime and forever Valentine, Benjamin was there to assist me. This dude. Wow. I could not do the majority of what I do without him. He ensures that I am clothed, don’t stink (washes all my clothes and often folds them too), fed (he not only cooks, he makes gourmet meals and without him, I would subsist solely on noodles) and consistently is there for me/my dreams. On this particular day, he had rose from his slumber at 3:30 am due to having to work during the Eagles parade (in case you were wondering… I am happy for those that love football, it is however, not my cup of tea in the slightest) and still showed up for me at the theater. I am so thankful to have him in my life.

Something that truly thrilled me about the event on Friday was learning how many people were there due to MovieJawn. As attendees approached the table I would ask, “Are you familiar with MovieJawn?” and it was amazing to hear “YES!”. There were several that said they subscribe! One person even told us they had one of our issues framed in their living room. I truly believe my heart grew several sizes that night.

A very special friend in my life, Frances founded this little magazine ten years ago and when they decided to move on, the torch was passed to me. Working on a creative project such as this is not only a labor of love but it is all consuming… especially in the days when I was working a full time job in Human Resources. I had many moments where I felt suffocated by MovieJawn. There have been times when I have thought about throwing in the towel. However, there was always this nagging feeling I had, a tiny voice that said: keep going. Thoughts of quitting MovieJawn has always led me to a contemplation period - I am not one to make rash decisions. Not to get all woo woo, but it was these specific moments where I feel I would be transported to an island where I would see within a crystal ball my life with and without MovieJawn. So far, these trips have led me to see the importance of the work we do collectively. The joy it brings into people’s lives - not only those that read the publication, but those that are part of it. I truly believe what sets MovieJawn apart from other outlets or magazines is our ability to give our readers the feeling that they are chatting with a friend. Simply put: we make movies accessible. MovieJawn is a platform for those that may not otherwise have one. It brings all of us weirdo cinephiles together. After ten years, to finally have people taking notice to the work we do, well… it feels pretty damn great.

In partnering with Girls Like Horror, I have taken on a crafty role by providing either a themed activity or treat for the club members at each event. At our Valentine’s Day soiree, I created a DIY Valentine station which was a huge hit.

Attendees were invited to make their own Valentine to their favorite final girl. If you’re not much a horror fan, the final girl refers to the last woman to confront the killer in a slasher flick. Pictured above are a couple of the Valentines I made to my favorite final girls: Ginny from Friday The 13th Part II and Laurie Strode from Halloween. Also pictured are club members designing theirs. To see how excited people got about their creations made me so happy. I am already looking forward to the next event with Girls Like Horror taking place this Saturday, details here.

Isn’t this photo booth Christina and her pals created perfectly splendid? (new phrase: perfectly splendid - for those that know, YEP I watched The Haunting of Bly Manor and well I loved it) I am grateful that my pals Kimberly and Christina are always making sure that I take a moment to get in front of the camera. Shout out to my best friend forever, Katie for my pink locks - don’t they look amazing with this color scheme?

This week I am proud of… two things

My latest episode of my podcast Cinematic Crypt is available to listen to here or wherever you snag pods. In episode 041, I uncover the corpse of Bette Davis and perform a post watch examination of The Disappearance of Aimee in celebration of my Preacher Creature series.

This episode marked my last trip to the graveyard for a bit, as I will be taking a brief hiatus and hope to return to the cemetery this summer. In terms of writing, recording and editing episodes, I have struggled a bit with my time management. I want the Cinematic Crypt to be a priority, but often it ends up last on my task list, which is cause for much fret and despair. I do not appreciate the feeling of being late or rushed. I also never want to share an episode that do not find is up to snuff. In taking the role of being my own boss, I am learning that when there is a problem - there is no one that is able to fix it but me. I call the shots. Which is why I decided that I am going to shut myself in the crypt alone for the next few months to pursue personal writing projects and most importantly record (bank) some episodes.

This way, my listeners won’t be disappointed by an inconsistent schedule and most importantly I won’t disappoint myself when I am unable to deliver a corpse on time. It took me a bit to get to this decision, but I believe it is the right one and for that I am proud.

The second thing I am proud of is…

I am not one for public speaking or frankly talking about myself. It makes me feel extremely peculiar. Some additional fun I experience is that when I am nervous about something my hands start to profusely sweat. I am talking Creature of The Black Lagoon level of drippiness. It has been an issue for me as far back as I can remember. Second grade was the first time, I was alerted of my uniqueness when a teacher asked if I had spilled a bottle of water on my test paper. Nope, it was just my own perspiration.

Here’s the thing… for seventeen years, I would put myself out there for an occupation that was in no way shape or form my passion. I would get up in front of people to host trainings or meetings all while sweating profusely. Why would I not do this for my own benefit? With some encouragement from my new found friends, Christina (Girls Like Horror founder) and Trey Shields (from Philadelphia Film Society) they continue to push me on stage, encouraging me to speak the good word about MovieJawn. I am thankful for this. Each time I go up on stage I find it to be a easier than the previous time and I am not going to lie… I am starting to enjoy the thrill of being in the spotlight. Also might as well work out the kinks now if my plan is to be a minister at the Cinematic Church (ICYMI read about that here) As for the problem of my creature hands, I found a solution: gloves. They kinda add a mystique to my overall appearance, don’t you think?

This week I recommend… seeking out the film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Benjamin and I were fortunate enough to catch this motion picture at The Colonial Theatre a couple weeks ago and I am still thinking about it. Maggie Smith stars as Miss Jean Brodie a school teacher in 1930s Edinburgh that utilizes her place as a teacher to influence a gaggle of twelve year old girls with her romanticized views of the world.

This is one of those movies that I am shocked more people are not speaking about as the story took me on roller coaster of emotions and was absolutely riveting. When I have a moment, I need to sit down and write an essay about this picture. Until then, I recommend checking it out as Maggie Smith and Pamela Franklin (who I only just realized was also in one of my favorite films, The Innocents) are both tremendous. After watching this film, I am thankful I never became a teacher as the amount of responsibility on their shoulders is well… heavy. Apparently, this film is can be hard to find but with the help of the world wide web, I tracked it down here. Watch it and afterwards shoot me a note with your thoughts, I would love to chat more about it.

Happy you are here.xx.goodbye.

Tell a friend.