Steering Wheel Cozies

Sometime around Winter last year I made some steering wheel cozies:

Pour Moi

Pour Pere

Pour Soeur

Twilight Zombies? NO!!!

I was scanning through some upcoming movies on imdb and I came across Warm Bodies (2013).  What the hey, man?  Is this for real?  Twilight zombies that fall in love and have feelings?

Apparently, the movie is based on a book.  Thus saith the Wikipedia:

"After eating the brains of a suicidal teen, R is overcome with love for the teen's companion, Julie Grigio. R rescues Julie from his zombie pack and takes her back to his lair. She eventually leaves, and R follows her back to Citi Stadium, the largest remaining human refuge."

Zombies have lair's?  Do they have a mortgage and car payments too?  This is just.. ARGHHHHHHHH!!!

Vampire Flicks

I've seen more Stallone movies than movies about vampires so this post will probably be short!

Recommended Vampire Flicks

• Nosferatu (1922):  This movie is incredible.  It is so frightening and really well made.  I notice a lot of silent films are really effective at moving the viewer.  Maybe it is because we are forced to engage by filling in the gaps where the dialogue should be.  Whatever it is, what a really great movie!  It is not exactly a black and white movie because the movie is tinted in different colours depending on the time of day (e.g. yellow during the day, green during the night, red at sunrise, etc.).  The vampire, Count Orlock, might look a bit funny in pictures but he is pretty scary in the movie.  This is probably the best vampire movie out there right now.
• Interview With The Vampire (1994):  This is a pretty cool vampire movie.  Chances are, you have probably seen it already.  If you have not seen it yet, definitely give it a go.  It has got some big-name celebrities like:  Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Dunst, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, etc.  The movie is about a reporter who winds up interviewing a vampire.  The vampire played by Brad Pitt, reflects on his life and the relationships he had with other vampires and humans alike, etc.  Tom Cruise, as vampire Lestat, steals the show though.  He plays a pretty evil guy but he also brings a lot of humour to the movie.  If you have got 123mins to spare and you are in the mood for some quality entertainment, you should consider watching this movie.
• Let The Right One In (2008):   I forgot to add this movie with original post.  It is a Swedish movie (title comes from a Morrissey song) about vampires and there is a bit of a twist in it so I will try not to give too much away.  It is a unique movie because it centers around a child vampire, Eli, and their budding friendship with Oskar, a boy who does not have very many friends and gets picked on a lot.  This movie is careful not to add gore for gore's sake but only when it makes sense, and when is most effective.  I believe they made an English version called Let Me In (2010) but like Nosferatu, why bother with the cheap remake when the original did such a great job?
• The Lost Boys (1987):  This is another late add after this post was initially published because I only just saw this movie a few days ago, and folks, what a great movie!  It is not all about staying gold, pony boy, but in many ways, it is.. (what!)  The Lost Boys is a great 80's movie about 2 brothers who move to Santa Carla and discover vampires!  There are a lot of classic lines in there, especially during exchanges between the two Corey's (Haim and Feldman).  Amidst the cheese and teen angst, there is a really entertaining movie with memorable characters.  It seems like one of those movies you could watch over again when you are bored and still find refreshing.  Definitely recommending!
• Thirst (2009):  This was the other movie I forgot to mention when I first published this post.  It is a Korean movie made by an incredibly good Director, Chan-Wook Park (responsible for the very popular -- and highly recommended-- Vengeance Trilogy).  This movie is about a priest who becomes a vampire and suddenly develops all these urges due to his newly acquired heightened senses.  I like this movie because the vampires are not glamorous and over-the-top, it is literally a priest who is grappling with his morality and his desires.  There is even a scientific explanation for his vampiric condition to try to make this scenario appear realistic.  I should not say too much more, except, I consider myself to have a pretty high level of tolerance for gore but I did fast-forward through some scenes because the sucking sounds when they would feed on someone kind of made me shiver a bit.  Hardcore vampire fans will probably really dig this movie if it is not the costumes they are enamored with but the vampire itself.

Other Vampire Flicks

• Blade Series:  I have seen all three Blade (1998)/(2002)/(2004) movies but the trouble is, they are not necessarily memorable.  I remember disliking the third one because I thought Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds ruined it.  The first two were very entertaining but they are also kind of like dance music or jogging, you kind of have to be in the mood for it.  If you are looking for lots of action and want to see Wesley Snipes kick some serious vampire butt, these movies are your medicine and by all means, enjoy.
• Underworld Series:  In the same vein as the Blade Series, the Underworld Series (2003)/(2006)/(2009) is so great if you are in the mood for a fast-paced action hero type movie.  Although, between the two series, I would recommend Blade because it is has rougher edges and feels less contaminated by the Hollywood goo.
• Dracula (1992):  I saw Bram Stoker's Dracula and hated it.  Maybe it is because I saw Nosferatu first and Dracula follows the exact same storyline.  When one movie executes a storyline perfectly, all other movies that attempt to depict the same story will indubitably fail!  I am being so harsh so I will throw in a few good things I did like about the movie, for good measure.  (1) It was neat to finally get the Simpsons reference of Dracula when Mr. Burns had the same heart-shaped beehive hairdo that Gary Oldman had in the movie; (2) I liked that Bram Stoker tried to give the Count a bit of a back story because they do not do that in Nosferatu (although I would argue that the mysteriousness of the Count made him even more frightening); (3) I liked that.. oh, I do not think I can play this game any more!  Keanu Reeves speaks with the worst British accent I have ever heard in my life, it was like needles on a chalkboard throughout this movie!  Avoid!  Avoid!

Zombie Flicks

Okay so it's been all knits and no movie talk so far, so here is my first movie post.  I decided to cover some zombie flicks since zombies have really "come alive" (snort snort) with huge credit to the hit TV show, The Walking Dead!

Tangent
Obviously, I think AMC's The Walking Dead is brilliant so if you have not had the opportunity to watch it yet, PLEASE WATCH IT!  It's one of those shows that just keeps getting better.  I'm so impressed with it not just because of the zombie genre but because the writing is so incredibly well done!

Recommended Zombie Flicks

• Night Of The Living Dead:  Okay so there are two versions of this movie, one is the (1968) version directed by George A. Romero (literally responsible for the Dead Series), and the other is the (1990) version directed by Tom Savini (arguably the godfather of SFX).  While the Romero version is pretty amazing (in the pioneer-of-the-zombie-movies-genre kind of way!), I personally prefer Savini's movie.  There is only one reason why I have this preference and it due to the depiction of women in the latter's movie.  In Romero's version, Barbara played by Judith O'Dea, is so docile (the movie tries to express how this zombie apocalypse can shock someone to the point of immobility) it gets really trying.  By contrast in Savini's version, the role of Barbara played by Patricia Tallman, is someone you can root for.  She characterizes pure survival instinct.  She also says one of the funniest lines in the movie, "they (referring to the zombies) are SO SLOW we could walk right past them!".  Anyway, watch both if you can, if you only have time to watch one, I would suggest Savini's.
• Dawn Of The Dead:  Like above, there are also two versions of this movie, there is a (1978) version and a (2004) version.  I recommend both because they are totally different movies.  Unlike Night Of The Living Dead where the storyline and characters are basically the same (save for Barbara), the Dawn Of The Dead storylines are completely different from eachother.  Personally, I prefer the 1978 version because it just feels more authentic.  The newer version feels like a movie packaged to entertain you; it is action packed, the zombies RUN, it is sexier for the lack of a better word--I mean, you see a pregnant zombie give birth for chrissakes!  The older version is different; it takes its time with character development, the zombies are slow as heck, you even see some stereotypical hillbilly rednecks have a great time shooting at zombies on a field like it is a firing range and having a laugh at it.  Definitely watch both but if you had to pick, the older version is what I consider to be one of the greatest zombie movies ever made.
• The Dead (2010):  I do not know why but I really like this movie.  It is set in Africa and follows the lives of two people, an American Air Force Engineer and an African Army Sargeant, who work together towards their respective goals.  The American wants to find a jet to fix so he can fly back home to his family.  The African wants to be reunited with his last surviving family member, his son.  It is pretty slow paced and the gore is fantastic.  Pure character development.  It was a joy to watch the two leads.  You might not like this movie.  It is like green tea, a bit of an acquired taste.  Warning:  It is VERY slow paced!
• Shaun Of The Dead (2004):  The reason this movie is great is because it is very accessible, characters are likeable, the jokes are super funny, and finally, there are zombies!  Yay!  Anyone can watch this comedy and like it, it is very entertaining.
• Dead Snow (2009):  Like Shaun, this movie seems like one of those movies it is difficult to dislike.  It is a German movie about Nazi zombies that will come after you if you have Nazi gold.. or something great like that.  The zombies are VERY quick and there is a tonne of tasty tasty gore!  There is even a self-amputation in this one!  It is fast-paced, lots of thrills and chills, peppered with the right amount of humour!  Very entertaining.
• Fido (2007):  This is the girlie zombie movie of the bunch.  The movie features some big-name movie stars such as; Billy Connolly, Carrie-Anne Moss and Dylan Baker.  It is an offbeat movie about scientists discovering how to socialize zombies so instead of running from them, we can place collars on them so they can be our slaves.  Yay!  It is a cutesy feel-good movie.  If you are looking for gore, there is none here.  Just a different take on the genre.
• Dead Girl (2008):  This is a weird movie.  It is not that great but it is kind of unique so I am recommending it.  It is a disturbing movie about two teenagers who find a girl in an abandoned insane asylum.  The girl is non-verbal and is tied up to a bed.  They eventually discover that she cannot be killed so they do terrible things to her.  It is one of those weird, uncomfortable flicks.

Other Zombie Flicks

• Quarantine (2008):  I enjoyed this movie a great deal but I may be alone in this.  I can see why many people did not like it (namely because of the the "found footage" filming-style like Cloverfield).  Also, this movie DOES start out slow so it is a bit frustrating, I mean we do not see a "zombie" until 1/3 of the movie in.  Also, zombie is in quotation marks because I think they explained the infection as some advanced form of rabies so the infected are not necessarily dead.  I could be wrong, my memory of this movie is not crystal clear.  Anyway, good movie to watch if you are looking for a few good jolts!
• 28 Days Later (2002):  This movie provides a lot of information about the zombie infection and transmission which not a lot of other movies do because they like to play up the 'real-timeliness' of the situation (i.e. the zombie apocalypse spun out of control and happened so fast, the average person could not possibly know how it all went down).  Zombies in this one run pretty fast too. This movie is not as good as the first three listed above but it is not bad either!
• Day Of The Dead (1985):  This movie was not terrible.  It is part of George A. Romero's Dead Series.  In fact, Romero plays around with the idea of zombie sentience in this movie.  There is a mad scientist who works closely with a zombie named Bub trying to trigger Bub's memory.  Over time, Bub stops trying to attack the mad scientist and becomes his friend almost.  Anyway, anyway, it is an okay movie.  It is not a bad movie to watch if you are looking to veg out.
• Land Of The Dead (2005):  Again, this movie is not terrible either, its downfall is that it is just "too Hollywood".  Part of the Dead Series, it covers the zombie movies formula, same deal; zombie apocalypse, people try to maintain security in a fenced off area but zombie troubles ensue.  The best part of this movie is the scene where you see the zombies walk under water to get to the island where the humans are.  This movie also plays with the idea of zombie sentience.  Again, not a horrible waste of time but definitely not a classic either.
• Survival Of The Dead (2004):  So this movie just sucks.  I think it is supposed to be a quirky movie but it felt really poorly executed.  This is a definitely-don't-bother.  Basically, there is an island with zombies but the human inhabitants do not want to kill the zombies because some of the humans believe that the zombies can be trained to eat animals and stop eating humans.  Ugh I really did not like this movie.  The acting sucks, the dialogue sucks, the story sucks, everything sucks about this movie except for the SFX.  It is part of Romero's Dead Series sadly.
• 28 Weeks Later (2007):  This movie is not bad at all, it is kind of like 28 Days Later but of the two, I would recommend the 28 Days.  The gore is great and there is lots of good action but feels like it is missing something quality-wise.  Like Land Of The Dead, it is too formulaic but the formula it uses has running zombies and more zombie-chase action unlike most of Romero's zombies that cannot run.  Not half bad but not quality.
• Resident Evil:  I have seen Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3 but it is kind of a whole different breed on its own because it deals a lot with infection and mutation.  It is not a zombie flick in the purest sense, rather it is more video-gamey than anything.  I enjoyed watching them but I am not sure I would recommend them to a person looking for good pure zombie movies.  Wow that sounds stupid.  Anyway, you know what I mean, right?

Blankets/ Throws

I really like making blankets and throws because you can put them in use almost instantly most of the time!  Here are a few blankets/ throws I've made:

Cat's Blankie:  Our cat likes to take naps every now and then so I made her this blankie!

Family Throw:  Super simple crochet pattern.  I was cold in the TV room so I decided to make a throw for that room!

Engagement Throw:  Made for friends celebrating their engagement!  Each block has different images (e.g. school where they met, engagement rings, wedding cake, and most importantly the last row with peace (dove) and love (heart) forever (infinity symbol)!).

Blankies for My Niece and Nephew:  Top one is a baby blanket for my niece that was knit with reallyyyy soft fluffy yarn.  Bottom one is a bigger blanket for my nephew made by crochet basket weave pattern!

My Blankie:  This blankie is based on the colours of my lovely yellow-sided conure!  It's not perfect by any means and was made by a lot of extra yarn I had but it's so warm and comfy!

Mom's Throw:  Improvising on the Tree of Life pattern using Trellis Stitch, this was crocheted for mom and she loves it!

Amigurumi

So after crocheting for a little while, I thought, "Why not make some toys?".  Most of the amigurumi toys here are improvised:

First Toy Ever:  I decided to improvise this pattern visually, it's my conure!  Made for friend.

Second Toy:  Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama.  Improvised from photo online.  Made for friend.

Third Toy:  Brain Slug also from Futurama.  Improvised from photo.  Made for friend.

I wanted to try an easy South Park character so I went with Towlie.  Used as a blankie for my conure.

Cat toys made for two friends with cats.  The first is Blinkie from Simpsons.  It is partially improvised (I added the third eye, and adjusted tail and fins to resemble Blinkie).  Second toy is made from a pattern.

Wedding Bunnies made for friends as engagement presents!  Partially improvised (I added bow on groom and altered bride's dress to make it look prettier)

Socks

I've only recently started knitting socks.  Here are a few of them:

First Pair Ever:  Tester Kids Socks

First Pair of Adults Socks:  Made these for my sister.  I messed up the cast off (turned out too tight/ had to reopen stitches), it was painful to say the least!

First Proper Pair of Adults Socks:  Started doing the Sewn Off Bind Off method and it worked like a charm!

A Pair for Mom

A Pair for Dad

Originally intended for me but came out a bit small so it's a fancy pair for sis!

Originally intended for me but came out a tad big but it fits mom like a glove so it's hers'!

A Pair for Me:  Fits just right too!  Hurray!

Blog Purpose: Too Much Too Little

Since not everyone I know has a Ravelry account, I decided to post some of my knit/crochet items on here.  As a bit of a movie buff, I also wanted to use this blog to discuss some really great movies I would recommend, and maybe warn against some not-so-great movies too!