I have been so busy. I know that is always my excuse but it is truer than true! Plus, October was a difficult month for me. I had a lot of difficult situations and people I needed to face and honestly needed a break from social media.
Anyway, I watched a lot of things this month and hardly read anything! It’s funny because if I watch a bunch I miss out on books. Adversely, if I read a bunch I don’t watch many things. Perhaps I’ll find a happy balance between the two!
Here is how I generally rate things.
- No redeeming qualities whatsoever visually, aesthetically, or as a story.
- It was so boring I could barely pay attention or it frustrated me SO much I couldn’t finish.
- I had a headache, but somehow made it through. This is also a category for when I absolutely DESPISE something I’ve watched or read.
- I could make fun of it. . . because of how bad it is or it lacked anything of real merit of substance.
- It’s not good, it’s not bad. It’s just blah.
- There were various interesting aspects but nothing to really gush about.
- A solid story. Good characters, plot, and visuals. However, it’s not amazing.
- I genuinely enjoyed watching/reading it. I could see/read it again with friends.
- A great experience! As a film/show it is visually stunning and has an incredible story I could go back to multiple times. As a book, I could do the same.
- Near Perfect (nothing is perfect.) It has become one of my favorites. I could also write entire articles on it.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Books
Whispering Pines Infestation (2021), 10/10
Caden’s brother Aiden is many clever, powerful, vindictive. Unforgiving. And now, he’s also mysteriously free from the hellish dimensional prison that Caden had trapped him in. Caden is sure that Aiden is out for revenge, but since his parents refuse to see the danger when it comes to his brother, he’ll have to find a way to survive on his own.
Meanwhile, Rae, freed from the threat of the eye-snatching, monstrous Unseeing, has once again turned all her focus toward finding her missing father. She believes the town’s shady alternative energy company, Green On!, might have the information she seeks, so she joins their internship program to get answers. Unfortunately, this means sacrificing her friendship with Caden, who wants nothing to do with Green On! or anyone associated with it.
When a special assignment from Rae’s internship leads her to uncover an infestation of giant, flesh-eating centipedes that may be alien in nature, she needs to convince Caden to help her get rid of them. The two friends must learn to work together again, because this time, it’s not just Whispering Pines’ fate that hangs in the balance, but the world’s.
Synopsis via Goodreads
Listening to the first two books in this series has been a great experience! James Fouhey is a great narrator and the story is exciting! Unfortunately, I will have to read the last two books physically because they haven’t recorded any other books as audiobooks. 😦
What Lives in the Woods (2021), 5/10
Welcome to the decrepit Woodmoor Manor…where something in the woods is always watching. From the author of Scritch Scratch comes a chilling middle grade story about a creepy mansion and sinister creatures in the woods
All Ginny Anderson wants from her summer is to relax. But when Ginny’s father—a respected restoration expert in Chicago—surprises the family with a month-long trip to Michigan, everything changes. They aren’t staying in a hotel like most families would. No, they’re staying in a mansion. A twenty-six room, century-old building surrounded by dense forest. Woodmoor Manor.
Locals claim the surrounding woods are inhabited by mutated creatures that escaped a mad scientist over a hundred years ago. And some say campers routinely disappear never to be seen again.
When the creaky floors and shadowy corners of the mansion seem to take on a life of their own, Ginny uncovers the wildest mystery of all: there’s more than one legend roaming Saugatuck, Michigan, and they definitely aren’t after campers.
Synopsis via Goodreads
This is the perfect book for girls 9-12. If I had read it at that age I would have eaten up. However, I’m an adult who thinks the main character complains too much. This wasn’t a spooky story really. Maybe I was expecting the house or sasquatch to start kidnapping and eating people. . .
Oh well, it ended well enough and I don’t hate myself for reading it.
Charlie Bone and the Beast (2007), 8/10 (Normal 10/10)
Things are never simple for Charlie Bone. His parents have been reunited but Charlie can’t resist the call of danger when the parents of a kidnapped classmate plead for help. Asa, the missing student, is being held by Manfred in a cave. To free his former enemy and escape capture himself, Charlie must enlist the help of the Flames. An exciting fantasy adventure for boys and girls.
What can I say? I love this series! I gave it an 8/10 this time only because the new narrator for this book was awful. I don’t understand why they got someone new! The narrator reminded me of those codgery colonels in Agatha Christie’s novels who have only one type of accent and volume. I could even see his bushy mustache.
Oh well, I finished it physically and am still alive.
The Skeleton Man (2001), 6/10
Ever since the morning Molly woke up to find that her parents had vanished, her life has become filled with terrible questions. Where have her parents gone? Who is this spooky old man who’s taken her to live with him, claiming to be her great-uncle? Why does he never eat, and why does he lock her in her room at night? What are her dreams of the Skeleton Man trying to tell her? There’s one thing Molly does know. She needs to find some answers before it’s too late.
Synopsis via Goodreads
This story was okay. Given the old Native American tales the author based it on, I was expecting more. Those stories can get freaky! I wonder if I would enjoy reading this out loud more. . .
I, Coriander (2005), 10/10
In this exceptionally well-crafted tale, Coriander tells the story of her childhood in seventeenth-century London, and of her discovery that she has inherited magical powers from her mother, who was a fairy princess. But her mother’s sudden death brings on a dark time for Coriander, and after mourning her beloved mother and dealing with the disappearance of her father and the wrath of her evil stepmother, Coriander finds herself locked in a chest with no hope of escape and no will to survive. But when a bright light beckons to her, it is then that Coriander’s journey truly begins. Beautifully written, this magical and luminous story is destined to become a children’s classic.
Synopsis via Goodreads
Great book! I’ve talked about it over and over again so I’ll just leave it at.
Comics
W Two Worlds (2021), 5/10
Who knew I’d wake up as a comic book character?
Yeonjoo, the daughter of a famous cartoonist, is a student studying medicine at Hanguk University. On her birthday, after wishing for a man like her favorite comic character, Kang Chul, Yeonjoo wakes up in Kang Chul’s world. Will Yeonjoo be able to find her way out of her father’s cartoon universe?
Synopsis via Manta Comics
The idea for this comic was solid enough but its execution and characters were watery. I had to really push myself to remember this story at all.
Yeo Woons Innocence (2020), 6/10
Yeon Woo possesses such a delicate appearance that he could be mistaken as a female student. However, he has a secret crush on the school idol, Kang Haesol. But the shy and timid Yeon Woo has never said a word to her…
Sysnopsis via Mangadex
The writing isn’t bad. What bothers me is how the characters handle their trauma. Their abusive experiences are graphic, making the story uncomfortable to read. As an adult, I now want them to get help instead of hurting themselves by internalizing their toxic feelings.
I’m still following the story but I’m worried the “love” they’ll portray between the characters will be unhealthy.
Roots of the Heart (2024), 8/10
William is a city boy who has just turned 18. He’s finally old enough to do everything he wants, right? But his life is turned upside down when his family moves to the country, putting the brakes on all his big plans. Will he resist his new life, or will he let new relationships in?
Synopsis via Webtoon
It’s funny how I fall in love with the Webtoons that aren’t really mainstream! (I’m talking about YOU Spaceboy and Spirit Fingers! You deserve more love!) I like the characters in this comic and find their situations relatable. It doesn’t justify bad behavior and advocates for healing relationships.
Show
It’s Okay Not to be Okay (2020), 9/10
A road to emotional healing opens up for an antisocial children’s book author and an employee in a psychiatric hospital.
Synopsis via Google Search
I go back to this show every once in a while. I still think it’s a good story but I wonder about the toxic behaviors the main actress especially does. (In other words, if it was a man doing those behaviors it would be BAD. But since its a woman it’s fine?)
Scooby-Doo Where Are You? (1969) 10/10
A group of teenage friends and their Great Dane (Scooby-Doo) travel in a bright green van solving strange and hilarious mysteries, while returning from or going to a regular teenage function.
Synopsis via IMBD
If you have not heard of this show before, welcome back from the rock you’ve been living under! Anyway, joking aside, I really do like watching this show. Its animation is hilariously choppy and its characters are altogether charming. I watch it every year in October.
Fleischer Cartoons (1920s), ???8/10
So, this isn’t a show per se. It’s a compilation of old cartoons Fleischer Studios made in the 1920s. I enjoy watching these and studying their awesome rubber limb animation. Honestly, my brother and I watched a bunch of 1910s and 1920s cartoons from Disney, Fleischer Studios, and others. These just stood out the most.
Why did they stand out? They are WIERD. And racist. VERY racist at times. As a historian who likes studying old films, it’s a treasure trove for my eyes!
Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated (2010), 6/10
This incarnation finds Scooby and the gang living in Crystal Cove, a small town with a long history of ghost sightings, monster tales and other mysteries ripe for the sleuths to solve once and for all.
Synopsis via IMBD
I’ll give this show a try again someday. . . but honestly this show did the characters dirty. Fred is an idiot obsessed with traps, Daphne is a SIMP trying to get Fred to notice her, and Velma is a controlling sarcastic brat trying to change Shaggy into her ideal man. . . sigh. Shaggy is fine. I just feel bad about his dating choices.
The animation and premise are good though so I’ll get to it again in a while.
Spongebob Halloween Special (2024), 2/10
While at Kamp Koral for a reunion, SpongeBob and the gang are stalked by a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows as campers start disappearing one by one.
Synopsis via IMBD
This was abysmal. I had heard Spongebob went downhill but I didn’t know it was this bad! How can children even watch this garbage? The only reason why it isn’t a 1/10 is because the jokes with the blowing up bridges was funny.
The Magical Girl and the Evil Lieutenant Used to be Archenemies (2024), 4/10
An evil organization invades and destroys everything in its path. The brains of the brutal operation is the king’s right-hand man, an evil lieutenant named Mira. Everything changes when a magical girl named Byakuya Mimori tries to stop the evil group in their tracks. When Mira confronts her, he knows it’s love at first sight. What will become of Mira and Byakuya, stuck between orders and love?
Synopsis via Crunchroll
This show was trying to be modern and funny. It was just awkward. The animation was sort of bland and the sensual jokes made me gag. At least the main characters were okay. My one thought watching this was . . . why did someone decide it was okay to adapt this story?
A Sign of Affection (2024), 7/10
Yuki Itose is just a typical student dealing with the pressures of college. She is struggling one day on the train when an upperclassman named Itsuomi Nagi helps her out. As he gradually opens a new world to her, Yuki develops feelings for Itsuomi. A pure love story begins to grow.
Synopsis via Crunchroll
This was an alright adaptation. I’ve been a fan of this story for a while and was happy they decided to make an anime. It was done relatively well. I won’t go back and rewatch it any time soon but I recommend it to those who like watching shows rather than reading.
Ghost Brothers Lights Out (2023), 7.5/10
The Ghost Brothers ‘Dalen Spratt, Juwan Mass and Marcus Harvey’ are the dopest brothers on television hunting ghosts. These candid and unorthodox paranormal investigators explore disturbed hotspots across the country, checking out and sizing up local legends and supernatural stories. They are ready to expose the haunted holdouts still hanging around these locations – and why they don’t leave.
Synopsis via IMBD
This is a fun show to watch if you are into ghost-hunting shows. The hosts are funny and many times I believe they are in haunted locations. I’m a bit skeptical about TV ghost hunters in general but I enjoy seeing the historical locations and thinking about those who have died.
Movies
The Pagemaster (1994), 6.5/10
A cowardly boy, who buries himself in accident statistics, enters a library to escape a storm, only to be transformed into an animated illustration by the Pagemaster. He has to work through obstacles from classic books to return to real-life.
Synopsis via IMBD
Here is one of my child movies! It isn’t that impressive, but I like what it’s trying to do. The idea of falling into the fictional world seems fantastic to me as a bibliophile.
The best part of this movie was the scene with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Oh, and Abish trying to kill the whale! Everything else was okay. . .
The Mummy (1999), 9/10
At an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hamunaptra, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion accidentally awakens a mummy who begins to wreak havoc as he searches for the reincarnation of his long-lost love.
Synopsis via IMBD
What a fantastic movie. I actually mean that. I’m not being sarcastic. I’ve explored a lot of mummy movies and believe me when I see this is one of the better ones. Plus, it has a great cast and is really funny! I thoroughly enjoyed watching my students watch this movie. They were so confused much of the time so I told them to just enjoy the campy horror.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), 10/10
A naive youth leader is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. His idealistic plans promptly collide with corruption at home and subterfuge from his hero in Washington, but he tries to forge ahead despite attacks on his character.
Synopsis via IMBD
I love this movie. Period. Every year when I show it to my students they feel the same. If you haven’t watched it before and you enjoy period pieces, definitely give it a try!
Scooby Doo (2002), 3/10
After an acrimonious break up, the Mystery Inc. gang are individually brought to an island resort to investigate strange goings on.
Synopsis via IMBD
Good golly jee. This movie is terrible! I remember not liking it as a young teenager. As an adult I absolutely hated it. We made it through 30 ish minutes before we started skipping.
The best part of this film was Mr. Bean coming out of a hole in the ground from his prison.
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998), 7.5/10
The Mystery Gang reunite and visit Moonscar Island, a remote island with a dark secret. Daphne wants more than just a villain in a costume, and they get more than they ever expected.
Synopsis via IMBD
This movie traumatized me as a kid. As an adult, I think it has a really good premise and story. I appreciated the time and work the animators took in the backgrounds and character movement.
Scooby Doo Pirates Ahoy (2006), 4/10
Arrgh. It’s horror on the high seas when Scooby-Doo and the gang take a creepy cruise into one of the world’s most mysterious places – the legendary Bermuda Triangle.
Synopsis via IMBD
This is a good movie for kids. It’s a boring movie for adults like me. The villain’s plan with the golden meteor made no sense. And the hypnosis side story was stupid. Oh well.
Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King (2008), 3/10
Scooby-Doo and Shaggy must go into the underworld ruled by the Goblin King in order to stop a mortal named The Amazing Krudsky who wants power and is a threat to their pals, Fred, Velma and Daphne.
Synopsis via IMBD
This story was basically a Dungeons and Dragon campaign made by a sad man living in his mother’s basement. Problem was, it was the kind of campaign no one wants to play because it is . . . stupid. I could barely sit through 20 minutes of this movie let alone the full hour.
The Mummy (1932), 5/10 for the movie but 10/10 for Boris Karloff
A resurrected Egyptian mummy searches Cairo for the girl he believes to be his long-lost princess.
Synopsis via IMBD
Most of this movie was dry and bland as knock-off Egyptian sand. The main characters looked like they had read their scripts minutes before going on screen. The dry mummies had more charisma than them.
However, speaking of mummies, Boris Karloff as the Mummy was awesome! I want to get the poster of his closeup as the mummy.
The Invisible Man (1932), 6/10
A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.
Synopsis via IMBD
This show could have used a bit more of “show” rather than “tell”. I enjoyed Claude Rains as The Invisible Man and the main premise but it was a bit disjointed.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1922), 8.5/10
Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.
Synopsis via IMBD
I don’t know what I enjoyed more. John Barrymore’s handsome face or its awesome cinematography. I have a soft spot for men with angular faces in old movies. My preferences aside, I was surprised I liked this movie the best out of all the old horror movies I watched on Halloween.
I’d like to go back and pick this movie apart a bit to understand the filmmaking techniques used.
I will say it was more like a combination of The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde than a true adaptation of Stevenson’s short story. But that’s okay!
The Legend of Sleep Hollow (1949), 10/10
In a small town, a brewing romantic rivalry with a local tough and a school-teacher culminates in a terrifying ride in the night.
Synopsis via IMBD
I always enjoy watching this around Halloween! There is something altogether charming about old Disney shorts like this. the Headless Horseman has a fantastic design and animation and Bing Crosby’s voice could melt butter with ease.
See you soon in November!
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 