Hello all,

It's been a few months since I've said anything bloggish. Most of the time, I'm so deep into facebook that there's nothing left to talk about here. That's still the case, really. I just felt like updating. So if you're curious about my latest neighbor woes, facebook is still the best place to find that information. For those who are unaware and are simultaneously curious, I do have a few new projects that I can tell you about.

Recently I have joined another show and started yet another. The different aspect of  these shows is that they are both LIVE. That means I am working without a net (no editing). The odd thing is, I tend to screw up less knowing I'm live. Who knew?

The first is Direct to Video Connoisseur. This show was started by Matt Poirer of the already established (and awesome) DtVC site which can be found at MattMovieGuy.com. Matt discusses mostly action films. He started his live show and invited me to be his first guest. We clicked so well and I had so much fun that I was thrilled to accept when he asked me join him full time. The exciting thing about this is that it gives me the opportunity to do a number of things that my previous shows never allowed. For one, I can interact with listeners while the show is going. Since it's live, listeners have the opportunity to drop comments in the chat room during the show. Also, it's because of this show that my appreciation for direct to video action films (okay, there really was none before) has grown. It also helped me find my newest movie crush and favorite action guy, Scott Adkins. (Thank you, Matt, for choosing Ninja 2). You can catch DtVC every Wednesday night at 8 PM Eastern as part of the 2nd Unit Broadcast Network on Mixlr.com.

The second, The Insomniac's Playlist, is a show that I've had in my mind for a little while, even before I dived into the world of live Internet broadcasting on a regular basis. This is basically a music show that allows me to spin some records of my choosing based on what my little heart desires to hear at the time. So far, I've only had one episode, but folks seemed to get a kick out of it. I certainly did. It was horror themed and whole lot of fun to put together. That show is scheduled to air Tuesday nights at 11 PM Eastern and you can catch the archived episodes at LegionPodcasts.com. (see below)

Other than that, I can now make the announcement that I have a story being published in an anthology, coming soon from Chaosium, Inc., called The Summer of Lovecraft. That book is a collection of Mythos tales which take place during the 1960s. I'm so excited for this book to be released and I'm anticipating it to hit sometime after the new year. The Summer of Lovecraft was co-edited by Brian M. Sammons and Glynn Owen Barass and it promises to be incredible. Every book they put out is nothing less. I cannot express how wonderful it is to be a part of something that I respect so much.

Also, Devour the Podcast recently celebrated its 100th episode with an interactive Google hangout, complete with alcohol. Oh yes, the drinks were flying that night, It was an amazing celebration. We had a much larger turnout than I expected and I was overjoyed to find that our listeners care so much to spend time with us even if we (okay, mostly me) were being that chick who hangs all over you at the party proclaiming her love. I mean, a few more and I would have been Hasselhoffing a cheeseburger on YouTube before you know it. But it was fun and full of love and laughs and I'm happy to report that I was quite hangover free the next day. Yeah, I still got it.

Lastly, The Skeleton Crew is moving into its final episodes. We've been saying for a while that we'll be quitting once the show hits 100. The plan is for that to happen in October, coinciding with Halloween. As much as I enjoy that show, and truly love and adore all of our devoted listeners, I guess it was just time. That show has been a troubled youth from the beginning. It's that kid that just won't stay out of detention: the class clown. As charming and entertaining as it can be, sometimes you're ready to promote the son of a bitch so he can be someone else's problem next year. Honestly, I'd love to keep going. I really have fun with the irreverent, sometimes sophomoric content of that show. It's different from anything else I do. So it's with a heavy heart that I accept that the end is near. But I know that we will never lose each other. We'll work together again. And I can't wait for that.

I guess that wraps up what's new for the moment. I'll toss some link in here if you'd like to keep up with my various projects. Until next time, let's keep the gore gushing.

xxx
Jamie

Creator/Co-host Lycan It! Podcast

Co-host Devour the Podcast

Co-host Evil Episodes Podcast

Co-host The Skeleton Crew Podcast

Co-host Direct to Video Connoisseur

Creator/Host The Insomniac's Playlist

Contact Me Via twitter or facebook

It's Never Too Late

Today is the day after I got the news I was being published. To many of you out there, it would be no big deal, old hat, nothing new. For me, it's the thing I've been working toward my whole life. The problem, however, is that I've been working toward it only in my head.  I've been a writer for ages, most of my life. I was always throwing something down on paper or typing. I would write about nonsensical things, I would write non-fiction, I would write stories that would never be seen by anyone other than the one holding the pages in their hands, which usually meant me. All of these things I would do, with the silent hope that I would, one day, see my name on a book jacket. Well, it's pretty hard to do that if you never submit anything for consideration.

I suppose a part of me was okay with that failure (which it was) because I never did anything to change the circumstances. Instead, I pushed the author in me down, told her to stifle it, and settled on being a writer. And that's okay. There is nothing wrong with writing for yourself, as long as it makes you happy. But I wasn't happy with that. On occasion I'd feel a twinge of guilt. Perhaps I'd pick up Stephen King's On Writing, one of my favorite books, and it would send me spiraling into a depression when I realized I'd failed myself, again. It could be something as simple as watching a film about an author, like Misery. That always got me.

Since I was a child I had wanted to be an author, to see my name on a book that was on my shelf. In the many years since childhood, I've done everything else. I have written and directed my own film, I've acted in others' films, I've acted on stage, I've sung on stage, I have written editorials, interviewed some of my favorite people in the industry, reviewed more films than I care to count, worked on a film festival, lectured to a film class, worked on four regular podcasts (still do), recorded audio stories, voice acted, edited two websites (wrangling other writers), painted, sculpted, knitted, crocheted, played competitive darts and won trophies (hey, it's a thing), but this continued to hang over my head. This one accomplishment that I'd, at this point, assumed would never come to fruition, mocked me.

Then I met Brian. Brian is an author. He saw something in me that he thought was being wasted. He couldn't understand why I'd never pursued the one thing I'd craved more than anything. When asked, I had no answer. I had no idea. Even now I have no idea what I was doing. I was content to put my energy into everything else under the sun, why not into getting published? All I had to do was submit something somewhere. Even if I was rejected, at least I was doing something. You can't complain about not accomplishing your goal if you never attempt it. To be fair, I didn't complain. I don't even think people were aware this was a desire that I harbored. But I was sad on the inside. If I died anytime soon, my epitaph would read "Well, she almost did what she wanted." As much as I am proud of my other accomplishments, they are all a part of me, let's face it, at eight years old I never said, "when I grow up I want to talk about vaginas on stage." I wanted to write.

Receiving the news yesterday that something I had written would appear in print, on paper, in a BOOK, was one of the biggest bits of news I've ever received. Like I said, to some of you it will be no big deal, and that's okay. But to me, it means that the one thing I've chastised myself for not completing my whole life, is now done. Of course I'd like to do it more.  But even if I never get accepted again, my epitaph can now read, "Whew!"

The moral of this story is simple.  Go after what you want. It won't come to you. And even if you feel that point has passed you by, if you think you've missed the opportunity, do it anyway. If you never attempt anything, you'll never achieve anything. That's not me being proverbial, that's freakin' Science. Live so you can punctuate your epitaph with an exclamation point.

There Will Be Blood (WARNING: not for the squeamish or uptight)

Hello Everyone!  I'm still feeling rather drained and crappy from whatever my deal is currently but I wanted to share some photos with those interested parties who were curious as to why I felt it important enough to visit the ER over something as trivial as a nosebleed.  Common, they are.  However I've never seen one this prolific.  Some of you may also be wondering how I managed to take these photos if my affliction was as serious as I report.  To that, I respond "are you new?"  If you know me at all then this will come as no surprise.  I'm not about to miss a photo op like this.  I attempted to get some of my face, neck and chest but my gloves were slippery with blood and I kept dropping the phone rendering those pics useless.

I'm posting them here is my blog as opposed to Facebook because the powers that be at FB are pussified and FB itself is full of pussies who would complain over something as natural as blood.  I've had special effects photos removed so I can only imagine the reaction to this amount of real blood.

The story goes like this.  Around 2 PM on Monday I was tooling around the lab at work (oddly enough processing blood samples) when all of a sudden my own blood was pouring from my nose.  I was surprised as I'd never had a nosebleed in my life but I did not panic.  My coworkers rushed over to help me contain the spill before we had a biological incident on our hands.  I sat down with lab wipes to catch the spillage as I attempted to pinch it into submission while simultaneously attempting not to swallow more blood than Ed Norton warned me was acceptable in Fight Club.    After about 20 mins with no luck on my own, my boss (the good doctor) advised me to lean forward, pinch it hard for five minutes (for this I set a lab timer) then check to see if it had stopped.  That did not work.  She advised me to do it again for ten minutes and then another ten, neither of which worked.  At this point, my nose had been gushing constantly for forty-five minutes and I was feeling light-headed and nauseated.  A clot had also formed in my throat attempting to choke me once already.  That had to be coughed up and expelled which did wonders for the nosebleed.  We called my doctor at the advice of an EMT and my doctor instructed me to go to the emergency room right away.  One of my coworkers rushed me straightaway to the hospital.  By the time we reached the hospital, my nose had been going for about an hour and had not slowed down in the least.  I was feeling even more lightheaded, dizzy and nauseated and had swallowed much more blood than anyone should sans those of a vampiric nature.

I sat in the ER with my nose going for another 1.5  hours including one more murderous clot that when coughed up, made its way back through the nasal passages forcing removal through the nostril.  Then I sat for another half hour or so after it finally stopped.  When it stopped, I stumbled to the restroom and attempted to clear away some of the blood spatter from the apparent murder scene that was my body and clothing.  I then returned to my seat to wait for the doctor. 

I was finally called back.  The doctor popped in, proceeded to be dismissive as all hell and proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that he hadn't bothered to read my chart beyond the words "nose bleed"  with such phrases as, "Soooo this has been going on for about 15-20 mins, right?" and "what happened?  Did you get punched?" and "well I'm not familiar with the name of that medication but I'm sure it does [blah, blah...]" (which it does not, BTW). Then he shooed me away.  At this point, I was tired, sick, had been in the hospital for 2.5 hours, my blood pressure was severely elevated eliciting this quizzical response, "are you stressed?" and wanted nothing more than to go home to bed.  I bled again that night, being awakened by the gusher at 9:30 PM.  I got that one to stop in about ten minutes so I just cleaned up and went back to bed. 

I am still rather exhausted after taking the day off yesterday and want nothing more than to get more rest now.  I do not believe it is blood loss that is keeping me down, rather whatever the impetus of the nose bleed must be the culprit.  However it was still a fair amount. 

The pictures I am posting below are the culmination of the 25 mins of pinching time I was doing before calling the doctor.  During this time, it never stopped once.  Then add the amount I swallowed, the amount before I started catching it (20 mins or so into the bleed) and the amount at the hospital. 

Visceral Reflections

Fresh from California, this is my celebration of Viscera the event as well as the experience. Feel free to follow me in my journey as I make my first trip West.

I am fortunate enough to have been involved in one of the most selfless, supportive and inspirational projects of my lifetime. When Shannon Lark approached me to join the staff of the 2011 Viscera Awards, I was flattered and appreciative but I had no way of knowing how my own life would be enriched. I've had my share of involvement with charitable organizations and I work for a non-profit but Viscera is something special. Blah, blah I know. Of course I think it's special. But this is not a product of loyalty or ass-kissing. I refer to a fact that was proven to many this past Sunday night. That is the event.

Now put all of that together with my first trip to California and you have the experience. Yes, I am from Georgia but it's not that I was blown away by “Big City Life.” On the contrary. I didn't really experience the city, for one, and secondly, I'm from Atlanta. I get how the city works and I'm not impressed. That's why I live in Athens. While it can be lovely to visit (New York is one of my favorite places on Earth), the adage exists for a reason. I wouldn't want to live there. Plop me just outside so I can go at my leisure and we have a deal. Think the relation of Athens to Atlanta. Sold. 

No, what touched me most was the amount of generosity, hospitality and sincerity that I found everywhere I tread. Throughout the entire trip I found myself reflecting on this. Here it comes. Are you paying attention? My friends, while focused to the point of exhaustion on the workings of the coming celebration, also managed to find time to ensure that my first visit West was a pleasant one. Who the hell saw that coming? I didn't think I'd be sleeping in the bathtub and eating dropped avocado skins or anything but I damn straight didn't expect to feel so pampered. Hell, we were busy. But they did it. And here I sit hang-jawed. 

The magic really came together on the night of the festival. All the hard work, the months of planning, and the hours of lost sleep contributed by the amazing team at Viscera blossomed into a beautiful, well mannered child. Shannon's initial dream for Viscera was alive and well in front of me. And thanks to the amazing hearts and talents of Heidi Honeycutt, Stacy Hammon, Annette Slomka, Shersy Benson, James Morgart, Andrew Shearer, Matt Orsman, Irene Langholm and countless volunteers and behind-the-scenes Fairy Ghoul-Mothers/Fathers...it was perfection.

By this point in our journey you are likely wondering what hallucinogenic I have chosen this evening. Rest assured I gush by nature. It is who I am. If you have ever experienced my ravings, then this comes as no surprise (“Jack Chop” or Grace anyone?). I find beauty in passion of any sort and beauty awakens my spirit. I am the chick who cries when I watch the Jaws documentaries. Why the hell do you think I consider myself so lucky to be involved anyway? Viscera does what I think we should all do for the sake of art in general, particularly the genre we love. 

Horror has long been looked down upon, cast aside or simply ignored. That present situation is okay with many. Some feel that making the mainstream take notice of what we've known from the beginning will make it less special, perhaps sell it out. A true fan knows how much bullshit stands behind that statement. The love of horror, like any other passion, comes from within the individual. No one can take that from you regardless of how twinkly or generic it is. The creation of vapid, time-wasting, watered down entertainment does nothing to prevent Leatherface from ripping teens to shreds. And Hitchcock's pulse-pounding suspense tales will live forever no matter how different characters attempt to recreate those timeless roles.

Now is the time to prove we are more than they believe us to be. Why? Because we deserve it. I live in the fucking Bible Belt. I walk with my head high, tattoos, horror stickers, tee shirts and all but you know people still lose jobs over this stuff. That disturbing fact of life has recently hit close to home. That shit's not right. The expression of art in its many forms, no matter the audience or medium, is important to the continued growth and health of our society. In other words, you suppress artists and everything goes to Hell.

Basically, people need to get off their moral high-horses and open their tight little brains. And Viscera, with all its beauty and respect for art, is precisely my chosen avenue to make that happen.

I would like to extend a heart-felt “congratulations” to the dynamic group of filmmakers whose work was on display. Without these dedicated artists, we would have nothing to rejoice. You should all be proud of your achievements and I wish you nothing but the best in the future. Thank you, Everyone, for helping me to realize what is possible when enough like-minded individuals, gender aside, work together. 

Thank you to all the new friends who helped make my experience so enjoyable. And a special thank you to the many friends I have known for years and never had the opportunity to meet in person. And finally, thank you to my super support system on the home front.  Patrick and Jen are my rock and my hard place. 

Because of this sojourn, I have a renewed enthusiasm for my chosen form of expression and my creativity has been rejuvenated. This is only the beginning. See you all next year.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!

Wishin' you a Happy St. Patrick's Day whether you be Irish or not.   Enjoy some tunes for the holiday.  Here are two different versions of Danny Boy and the Irish National Anthem.  Whatever you do, be safe and have fun!  

Go mbeirimíd beo ar an am seo arís

 

Women in Horror - RECOGNIZE

Women in Horror Recognition Month is coming to an end.  Yes, I'm sad as well.  :(  Of course we can celebrate talented and creative women any day of the year (and certainly should) but having a month devoted to the cause is fun.  In case you have squandered your time by not using it to celebrate women of horror, I have taken the time to compile a list of horror films that were made by women.  This is not, of course, all of them but it's a solid chunk of mainstream.  That way you can easily use the remainder of the weekend to catch up.  Pop these movies in now and you can say you've done something for the good of female filmmakers.  Who knows?  Maybe some of these will surprise you.  Maybe you'll spy a flick you didn't even know was made by women.  That then falls under education and it means I've done my part.  We all win.

1.  American Psycho was adapted for the screen by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner.  It was directed by Mary Harron. Fun fact:  Mary Harron was also the only woman to direct an episode of "Masters of Horror"/ "Fear Itself".

2.  Stephen King wrote his own screenplay for Pet Sematary but it was directed by Mary Lambert.  It then went on to be one of the most memorable and oft-quoted horror films of the last two decades. She also went on to direct the sequel.

3.  Ravenous is an amazing film. It's creative, funny, twisted, and gut wrenching.  The actors (such an incredible cast, too) pull off some memorable performances as they are directed by Antonia Bird.  If you've missed this gem, you must fix that pronto.

4. The Slumber Party Massacre was written by feminist Rita Mae Brown and directed by Amy Holden Jones.  With this film they took hold of the slasher and proved that women know how to do it, too.  So there.

5. It's true that those above have all been modern films but that doesn't mean women were soft before then.  Ida Lupino directed The Hitch Hiker (1953) which was based on real life multiple murderer Billy Cook.  She had to change the death count to three from five to appease the censors so she could take more than they could. 
BAM!

6.  Rachel Talalay directed the fifth sequel in the ever popular A Nightmare on Elm Street series.  Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare.

7.  Kathryn Bigelow (before taking home the Oscar) dipped her brush into the horror palette as well with the western/horror hybrid Near Dark that she co-wrote and directed.  It didn't make much money upon release but has reached cult status now.

8.  I'm wrestling with myself over whether or not the following film is actual horror but it's one of my favorites so I'm sticking it in because I want to.  The IMDb categorizes it as a thriller so that's close e-damn-nough.  Therefore I give you Boxing Helena, directed by Jennifer Chambers Lynch and starring Sherilyn Fenn, one of the sexiest women ever created.

9.  For those who think women can't stomach gore or can't handle something really bloody, I give you Blood Diner directed by Jackie Kong.

10. Now you can feel what you wish about Claire Denis' French horror Trouble Every Day.  Truthfully it received a lot of harsh criticisms but no one can say that's it not an example of just how twisted women can be.  If you need proof positive that we can attack disturbing themes, this is it.  Adding Vincent Gallo to any film accomplishes that much.  lol  You can also spot Beatrice Dalle from Inside.

Okay, that's ten.  It's a good, round number and plenty enough to get you started.  But that's just the tip of the iceberg.  I named mostly films you might know by heart and tossed in a couple that are more obscure to tweak your brain but women are working hard in the industry every day.  A fantastic way to see what indie women filmmakers are up to is to go to viscerafilmfestival.com.  Seriously, go there. 
Viscera was created by independent champion Shannon Lark to promote and encourage female filmmakers in the genre.  Submission ends on the 28, February for this year but if you're hankering to get your work out there, there's always next year.  And if you don't fancy yourself a filmmaker, you can still support.  Go there to see how.

Just a Few Who've Helped Me Be - Part 1

In honor of Black History Month I'd like to highlight some inspiring people who helped make me who I am today for one reason or another.  I am not of African descent (to my knowledge) but the lessons we learn from those who go before us are universal.  Thank you for helping me be who I am. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. taught me that even the most difficult of dreams can be realized if you stand up for what you believe and refuse to take "no" for an answer.

Harriet Tubman taught me that the right way is usually not the easy way and that sometimes you have to go through a lot of heartache when you're on the right track.  Hmm unintentional pun there but I'll take it.

Richard Pryor taught me that laughing at yourself is sometimes the best thing you can do.  He also taught me not to play with matches.

 

Eddie Murphy taught me that who you are in your twenties has fuck all to do with who you are for the rest of your life.  By that, I mean never say never, basically, 'cause you just don't know.

 

Pam Grier taught me that beauty is timeless.  When you're truly beautiful, age is not a factor.

As a horror fan as well as a human being, Blacula taught me not to judge anything by its cover.  As a child I always thought it looked campy and cheesy.  Then when I got around to watching it I realized that Blacula is freakin' scary stuff.  Dig it.

 

Redd Foxx taught me that you can find humor in most anything.  His was one of my favorite shows growing up and I still watch it every day (TV Land at 7PM).  You should, too, ya big dummy!