Reasons I love Autumn

Ok, so I have a confession to make. I used to really not like autumn as a season up until a couple of years ago. In fact, I used to not like it for some of the reasons I now love it. Just shows how a person's tastes can change. So here's why I now like Autumn.

1. The colours of the leaves
Man I used to hate this. I like pastel colours and the oranges and reds were just bleh to me. But I've found an appreciation for it. I love it as much as the green grass after a drought or the green leaves on trees in spring.

2. Cooler weather
I love pyjamas. I love my duvet. I do not like having to sleep without my duvet because it's too hot. Just don't like getting hot when I'm trying to sleep full stop. So I find peace in the fact that I can cosy up at night as the weather gets cooler.

3. Spooky season
I've enjoyed Halloween ever since I was a child trick or treating. But I have an appreciation now for all the nuances and characteristics. Music, themed food, foggy weather, dark evenings etc.

4. Hot food
Ok, so we eat hot food all year round but in autumn it starts getting to the point where the heat in the food is warming and relaxing. I get cravings for something hot to eat.

5. Pumpkins
They look awesome. I like the pumpkin themed foods and pumpkin spice but pumpkins themselves just look amazing. I drove past a pumpkin patch being harvested the other day and it look so fun.

6. Nuts
I have fond memories of going on walks with my dad's family foraging for chestnuts and beech nuts. I love eating nuts so these were and are a highlight for me when I go for a walk at the right time for harvesting.

7. Window displays
I think autumn window displays (and other displays) come second to Christmas. Places go all out with the colours associated with autumn whereas other season don't have that so much. You recognise an autumn display from a mile off.

What are the reasons that make you like autumn?

Lotty
xx

Creepy reads

October being spooky season is a great opportunity to read books that are scary or creepy. Here's a list of some books I've read that are like this.

Blood Sinister by Celia Rees
I remember in year 9 one of my friends going on about getting this book in our school library. I later won it in a competition with the library and started reading it but took it with me to Germany on my first German exchange. I remember being chilled by the book and devouring it once I got to Germany. I started reading it again as soon as I'd finished.

One For Sorrow/Two For Joy/Seven For A Secret by Clive Woodall
This is a dystopia but not as you know it. A dystopia set in the bird world. Magpies and other corvids (crow family) are top of the pecking order and killed all the smaller birds except for one robin. The first book is that robins quest for survival. To tell you any more would be spoilers but these stories are, to be honest, quite graphic and horrifying. It's also why I don't care for magpies as much as other birds.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Ok so I haven't read this book yet, but I just know it's going to be terrifying after seeing the stage play.

Dracula by Bram Stoker and Dracula the Un-Dead by Dacre Stoker
Well Dracula was always going to be in this list. One of the original horrors/monsters. There are lots of nail biting scenes when Dracula is involved. You never quite know what he is going to do. The other book is the official sequel written by his great grand nephew. This story turns the tables and introduces Countess Bathory. It is also quite the bloodbath.

Once Upon A Dream by Liz Braswell
I'm loving fairytale reimaginings but did not expect a Disney licensed book to be this dark. I would call this book a psychological horror and I honestly felt I had to read a non fantasy book after I read it. I'm curious as to how the other Twisted Tales are and whether they go as dark as this one.

The Spiderwick Chronicles and Beyond The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
These are great fantasy books but there are spooky, tense moments that give it a slightly darker tone to other children's books. The authors constantly hint that the faeries live among us too and they are not all friendly either.

The Power of Dark by Robin Jarvis
Set in Whitby, this story is the first of a trilogy and involves dark, unsettling magic. For example, under the influence of a magical object, one of the main characters creates an amusement machine of an executioners chair and when it is used it transports the user to a scene as if they are actually in the chair about to be executed. I can't wait to read what happens in the rest of the series.

Disney Villains series by Serena Valentino
You can read my full review of the series here, but I wanted to put these in here as I believe they are creepy in the way that you read about psychological trauma characters go through. Also being Disney Villains, they're perfect Halloween reading.

Have you read any of these books? Have I inspired you to read them?

Lotty
xx

My favourite portrayals of Dracula characters

I really couldn't think of a title to describe this post but basically I'm going to list my favourite portrayals of Dracula characters e.g. my favourite Mina Harker was Zoe Tapper in Demons. Hopefully you'll get it and enjoy it. It's a bit of a dream cast, although some aren't what I would call perfect and are just the better ones, so from what I've seen of these portrayals I'd want most of these people to play these characters in one movie or tv show rather than being split up as they are.

Dracula is so big in pop culture and there's so many adaptations, some are trying to do the original story and others just take the characters and put them something new. I'll start by listing what adaptations I have seen so you know this list doesn't include every single one but it means you can recommend another one. I'd love to watch them all no matter how bad it might be (some of them are really bad). Also I'm not including Nosferatu as it's not official but also no one from that is in this list so I guess it doesn't matter.

Adaptations I've seen:
Dracula (BBC, 1977)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (Columbia, 1992)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Buffy vs. Dracula" (2000)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (20th Century Fox, 2003)
Van Helsing (Universal, 2004)
Dracula (BBC, 2006)
Demons (ITV, 2009)
Dracula Untold (Universal, 2014)
Dracula (NBC, 2014)

Dracula - Richard Roxburgh
Richard's Dracula is an example of the character being lifted from the original story and planted into a new one. This Dracula comes from Van Helsing and fights against the titular character (although this is Gabriel Van Helsing and a monster hunter as is often misconstrued). Dracula is trying to create a whole army of vampires with his bride but needs a lot of energy to hatch them, which he planned to get from Frankenstein's monster but uses a werewolf as the monster is thought dead. The reason I love Richard's portrayal of Dracula is he appears how I imagined him to in his young form (the older form is so often ommited): unconventually attractive. Now Richard is good looking but you don't hear about women or men crushing on him. I think the make up truly gives him an undead look. But at the same time he is attractive and seductive. I believe Dracula should be not very attractive in appearance but his words and actions seduce you. Also Richard gets the anger correct. In the novel, Dracula has a calm demeanour but occasionally goes into a full blown rage which Richard nails.

Mina Harker - Zoe Tapper
Mina is a very hard character to pick a favourite as I think so many adaptations get her right. She is my favourite character from Dracula and probably my favourite literary heroine. Peta Wilson in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was my first Mina but I only saw her as a vampire lady at the time as I didn't know the Dracula story. Zoe in Demons was my second Mina and the character was pretty close to fully explained thanks to an episode centred around she and her son, Quincy. It also highlighted chapter 21 in the novel so I never forget that number and what happens within. Mina is a headstrong character, feminine yet fits in well with the band of men who are her heroes. They value her and she holds her own against their opinions of keeping her out of the action. Mina in Demons at first appears as a blind pianist with psychic abilities. But when we get the episode focussed on her we learn that she IS Mina Harker, which is astonishing as the story is set in present day, and she is still a vampire. The vampiric characteristics are subdued by dialysis which renders her blind, but when she ingests her own blood they come back to the surface. I've picked Zoe because she is still a vampire (mostly), headstrong, but also displays the vulnerability that the character had in the novel. While Peta's Mina is similar, I believe that she is too studious and determined. Judi Bowker from the BBC adaptation and Jessica De Gouw from the NBC adaptation also come pretty close.

Jonathan Harker - Oliver Jackson-Cohen
Choosing a favourite Jonathan is hard as he is a character that is sidelined in favour of a Dracula/Mina romance and portayed as a wet blanket. I feel this isn't how the character was written in the novel but is just a hard one to translate into media without falling into that trap. While Oliver's Jonathan wasn't in an accurate adaptation, I believe he is the strongest portrayal. He maintains composure and you can truly see the fight in his eyes against Dracula. That is about all I can say really, bless him.

Dr. Seward - Tom Burke
The 2006 BBC dracula was a very recent watch as I knew it was accessible to me and I wanted my list to be as inclusive as I could make it. I was going to pick Mark Burns as my favourite Dr Seward from the older BBC Dracula but even though i preferred him to Richard E. Grant's portrayal, I didn't feel he stood out. However, even though the 2006 version wasn't great, Tom Burke really stood out. This was a Seward who really exuded confidence and appeared heroic. Watching him I just knew he was my favourite in the whole adaptation.

Quincy Morris - Billy Campbell
There are only two Quincy's to choose from, but technically only one as one of them was an amalgamation with Holmwood. I also like Billy Campbell so I guess it was always going to be him I chose. He embodies the American cowboy really well. The only negative in would say it that Quincy in the novel seems to be more muscled and tough when the situation calls for it. Billy's Quincy is still a gentleman to the ladies though.

Arthur Holmwood - Carey Elwes
While I think Carey's Holmwood doesn't have a lot of character, he embodies the rich lord who throws his money at their quest to kill the beast that killed his fiancee. You can also see how much he cares for Lucy behind his stiff upper lip. Dan Stevens' portrayal was too changed, selfish and violent for me to choose his.

Lucy Westenra - Susan Penhaligon
Lucy is a character interpreted in many ways. Her curiosity and sensuality when a vampire blurs lines in different portrayal such as Sadie Frost's more sexual version. As much as it was a great idea to have Lucy portrayed as a lesbian in the NBC adaptation, it deviates from the fact that Lucy attracted three suitors. Sophia Myles, while brilliant, just seemed too mature for my liking. That leaves Susan Penhaligon. Susan plays Lucy as the innocent young girl she is, full of curiosity and adventure. Declining in health but hypnotised by Dracula, you really feel for her and feel the same emotions as the friends in her life and death.

Renfield - Jack Shepherd
Renfield is an often forgotten, insignificant or changed character in adaptations. For me there were only two contenders for this which were Jack Shepherd and Tom Waits. I felt that Tom Waits portrayal was too crazy. I know that's a weird thing to say considering he's a lunatic. But this is an ordinary man driven to lunacy by Dracula. Jack Shepherd shows this much more and you can sympathise with the character more.

Dr. Abraham Van Helsing - Frank Finlay
Let's get things straight. Van Helsing is not a vampire/monster hunter. Frank's Van Helsing is a doctor who has an amazing bedside manner, as he should be. I would love to have this cuddly old man look after me if I was unwell but I can also see him hunting down Dracula with the same passion (but not too much) as it was written in the novel. Anthony Hopkins' starts well but they turn him into a hunter and almost a fanatic which I don't like. I found David Suchet's portrayal deviated too far from the original to choose him but I believe if he was playing Van Helsing as written I might have chosen him.

What do you think? Do you agree with my choices? I hope I didn't ramble too much.

Lotty

xx

October TBR

As part of Blogtober I'd like to share with you my October TBR (whether I get to read them all or not is something else).

My first choice is Mother Knows Best. I'm up to date with Serena Valentino's series and this one has recently been released so I can't wait to find out how Mother Gothel fits into the world she has created.

The next choices were because it is spooky season so I wanted some supernatural/horror elements included. The second one I will read is The Woman in Black. I studied it a little in English year 9 for gothic horror and a lot for GCSE Drama as we studied the play and saw it on stage. I have also seen the movie. I've had the book since school but neglected to read it. I know it will be thrilling and it is short so I'm sure to get it read now.

I won The Hazel Wood in a competition when it was released and have seen people on social media talking about reading it this month as it is spooky, so I thought I would too.


The Cruel Prince is probably classed as a darker fantasy and I've loved Holly Black's Spiderwick books. I met her at a book event for The Cruel Prince earlier this year which was amazing as I'm sure 12 year old me wouldn't believe they were going to meet her. I might not get to read it this month but I will definitely read it in November.

What are you reading this month?

Lotty

xx

Whitby Wishlist

Whitby is a charming seaside town that I have been fortunate to stay in twice now. I'm always looking out for articles and TV shows featuring Whitby to reminisce. Certainly since my last stay, in September 2016 with my brother, I have learnt a lot more about activities and places I wasn't sure about trying. Here is my wishlist of activities to do next time I visit.

Whale spotting and fishing trip

These has been featured on a few TV shows I've seen. I was not sure about going on a whale spotting one in case it was just a money grabbing thing and you'd never see whales but seeing it featured on TV with sightings makes me feel like I will try in next time. Whales or no Whales. Also I found out that you can go out on fishing trips where you can handle the rods which I didn't realise when I saw them advertised. I miss fishing with my dad (he moved to Sweden and I haven't been over for 10 years) so it would be great to go fishing supervised again.

Bothams Bakery
A family run bakery. I have eaten their croissants before but they are famous for their lemon buns. I hear the best way to eat them is to pull them apart then sandwich the lemon surface in the middle.

Pannet Park Museum
I have been tempted to visit mainly just because it has the only known hand of glory in existence. I'll make time for it next time especially as Pannet Park is a lovely park too.

Ghost walk with Dr. Crank
Last time I visited I went on his Dracula walk which was very good value (£5 for 45 mins) and he clearly knew his subject. He made it interesting and funny for new fans and knowledgeable fans like myself. He does a ghost walk too so I want to do this next time.

Cleveland trail
Last time my brother and I walked to Robin Hood's Bay but he wanted us to walk the cinder trail which was the old railway line. I didn't want to walk too much so we got the bus back after a lovely lunch. This time I want to do the same again but walk the Cleveland trail back to Whitby.

Scavenge for jet on the beach
Watching one TV show, it was explaining how jet was mined in Whitby. They said that while jet isn't mined anymore, jet does fall off the cliffs onto the beach with erosion and you can scavenge for it. I have a pair of earrings with jet in and have got a scrap from a shop for a friend but would love to find some myself.


Are there any activities you think I should do that are missing from this list?


Lotty
xx

My thoughts on Universal's Dark Universe

When Universal Studios announced they were reviving their classic monster movies, I thought it was an alright idea as I liked the selection of monsters they had even though the stories were far from their source material. When they announced it was going to be a shared universe mainly set in present day, I was ready to slam it.

Everyone seems to want to get in on the success of shared universes, the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Arrowverse on TV which are hugely popular, and I just thought Universal was doomed to failure.

This was until I actually watched The Mummy (2017).

I had watched Dracula Untold (because Dracula, I love Dracula) last year, which was meant to be the first in the Dark Universe but due to its box office results it was removed and The Mummy was then slated to be the first in the series. I didnt like how they finished the movie in a modern setting with the inkling that they were going to play the novel story in modern day. I also fine that portraying Dracula as hero, although it really worked and was written well for the film, is getting to be unoriginal.

So, The Mummy. I really enjoyed it myself. I thought the ending took a long time but there were a lot of things to like. One act of the film is set at an English church and for this they really upped the gothic horror. I loved it. Although, again, I was ready to slam Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I actually thought he played it really well. I really liked Ahmanet and her story although her chasing of Tom Cruise's character was a bit cringeworthy sometimes. I also whooped when I saw Mesopotamia appear on the screen then transition into Iraq at the beginning of the film when they were there.

Upon reflection, I find that Dracula Untold and The Mummy are more similar than they first seem in that both female protagonists are very weak and damsels in distress and they are also the reason for the male protagonists becoming what they do.

After watching The Mummy, I am now of the opinion that I want the Dark Universe to work. I also want Dracula Untold to be reinstated in the series. Don't get me wrong, I miss the previous Mummy series like most people seem to, but I really think that this could work. They do need to get rid of Johnny Depp though, as he was planned to be the Invisible Man, the uproar with Fantastic Beasts should inform Universal that it would be the best idea.

I'm not sure how everything is going to fit into present day. The monsters were scary for their times which is why modern films with them don't work as well as their powers were suited for a more powerless time. We have nuclear weapons now. Maybe that's why Dracula and Ahmanet had power over their own 'armies' and they were created in the past.

It's a shame it looks like the Dark Universe is going in the direction I had anticipated - down the drain. The problem is that Universal are always going to try and find ways of monopolizing on their old monsters so I think they need to take the risk and stick with an idea otherwise people will soon get bored with the constant remakes. Looking for more original ideas to fit into the Dark Universe may also be the way forward. I also think maybe they marketed the series the wrong way. Now I'm no expert on marketing at all but something makes me think neither Dracula Untold or The Mummy will end up as cult classics because of it.

I would like to see the series progress but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. What do you think?

I hope you enjoyed reading.

Lotty
xx

My thoughts after rewatching 'The Ark in Space'

The other day I rewatched The Ark in Space which is a phenomenal Doctor Who story. It was a story that I took a long while to get to because I remembered seeing the larvae when I was about 3 or something and getting scares by it. I probably first watched it when I was 10 and watched it a couple more times before my dad moved with the videos to Sweden. My brother bought the DVD for us last year so we can watch it again.

I had a lot of thoughts watching it again and thought I'd share them in a blog post as I've seen others do this sort of thing and it's probably nicer than a Twitter thread. So here we go and I'll try to keep them chronological. THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD.

1. This opens with an intro to the monster of the story. Another story which does that which scared me into not watching it for years was The Claws of Axos.
2. Harry Sullivan is my favourite male companion but I would not be touching buttons if I didn't know exactly what they did.
3. I really don't like how the Fourth Doctor totally shrugs off the lack of oxygen until it's almost too late.

4. It's amazing how much Doctor Who would put women in leadership roles in Earth's future with a Prime Minister (then a President and then in this there was a High Minister.
5. I think I want one of those tranquillary beds.
6. Entering a sterile area and you can tell Harry sensibly fears there will be another security system but no the Doctor tells him to go first anyway. I don't know if that's the Doctor making Harry face his fear knowing there isn't a security system (or not being sure) or just being selfish really.
7. Ok, Harry has been a bit stupid but how can the Doctor shrug off Harry's claim of seeing an alien when the Doctor encounters them all the time?
8. Brilliant monologue but I actually find it not as great watching it in the story.
9. I can't believe the Doctor really just thought they couldn't revive Sarah and didn't look for something like Harry does.
10. Kudos to Harry keeping it cool and moving out of the way when the dead Wirrn falls out the cupboard. No screams from him.
11. Did they seriously not have female doctors when this episode aired because Harry is quite surprised by Vira.
12. I understand how first med-tech is woken up first to help everyone else wake up but how would have Vira woken up if Harry wasn't standing in front of her with the equipment she needed?

13. I don't understand how sometimes the Doctor keeps information about how he and his companions arrive in places when the situation doesn't seem to call for it.
14. I get the whole calling Lazar Noah as a  joke but I'm wondering if he did adopt the name Noah full time? The story seems to indicate yes but these people are so upper class that I doubt it.
15. Saying that Noah and the ark was a myth makes me wonder what happened to religion or if they even have one.
16. I wonder how this story fits in with the new series story The End of the World? Earth destroyed by solar flares but habitable again after thousands of years?
17. I think I'd like to have seen Noah/Lasar more before he was infected but I guess his actions as a Wirrn during the episode prove he was truly a good person.
18. I'm very curious about the Wirrn larvae. Was there loads roaming around the ark but budget meant we could only see one at a time or would the one we saw split into many pupae?
19. Noah is incredibly xenophobic and maybe a supremacist. The Doctor and co. are clearly passing through they weren't ever going to stay and mate with anyone lol.
20. Wouldn't it have been great to have a longer duration of Noah hiding his hand and interacting with everyone while Libri kept seeing him as a Wirrn?
21. The second Noah said "I am Dune" I'd have stunned him under grounds of insanity. I don't care who he is but anyone saying they are a dead person should then be questioned in a secure environment.
22. Why the hell did the Doctor send Libri after Noah? He clearly wasn't up for the job having been scared of Noah as he woke up and being very trusting of his leader. This is one time where the Doctor should have just done it himself especially as only he had an idea of what was going on and would have saved the loss of an innocent life.
23. That is a rousing speech by the high minister that I guess the people who had woken up needed to hear but I think everyone on the ark needed to hear it. How many times would that be replayed?
24. I like you Harry, and then you had to go and call Sarah/the High Minister a female chauvinist.
25. I think Rogin is all of us. Most relatable person we've seen on the ark.
26. I like how Noah was able to tell everyone about the Wirrn. Some characters like this keep it to themselves until it's too late.
27. This is the most human we've seen Vira when she encounters a mutating Noah.
28. Noah looks really horrific. I don't think they'd show that with updated prosthetics and effects in modern who.
29. To wake people up or not? Why not wake up soldiers because they've clearly gone for killing rather than reasoning with the Wirrn?
30. How can Rogin and Lycett not hear that larvae approaching?

31. So was Lycett absorbed? Is Lycett a Wirrn now too?
32. Harry and Rogin make a good team.
33. Have I said before I love Harry?
34. Sarah is very brave going through the vents. I've been 'caving' in concrete tunnels and the fact I couldn't be on my knees meant I wasn't confident at all.

35. Ironic how Rogin says he likes heat considering what happens to him.
36. I liked seeing the moment Rogin realises the Doctor's plan. It was something I always missed before.
37. I love Rogin's sacrifice. In fact I really like self-sacrifices as a plot device.
38. Noah's isn't as noble. I mean he kind of got himself into that mess being arrogant so high and mighty in the first place.
39. That was a very quick change for Sarah.
40. Vira laughs. She's become someone we can relate to and a doctor who cares. She's very different from the woman we first met.

Finally...

I think we need the Wirrn to make a reappearance. They would really benefit from a makeover (looking at you, bubble wrap larvae) and the horror aspect could be increased although that may exclude them from Doctor Who. They probably would have worked for a Torchwood story so I don't know if Big Finish plan on transporting them through space and/or time but that's a great idea right there.

Have you watched The Ark in Space? Do you agree with my thoughts or have any of your own you'd like to share?

Lotty
xx