Mark Taylor's "Strange" Review

Hello again, ghosts and ghouls!
It feels like it's been quite some time since I've done a book review, doesn't it?! I'm glad to be back on the bookworm wagon and reading like I used to. I have to say, as much as I enjoy watching horror films, something about reading horror is so satisfying. I think it's the fact that you get to conjure up the stories in your head, and it's like a little nightmare while you're awake. No? No one else enjoys having nightmares? Well, that's awkward.

Anyway, on to the review!

I was very generously sent two works by horror author Mark Taylor, and I'll be honest with you, with the holidays happening and life's natural craziness taking place, I was only able to read one so far. That just means that we'll be getting two reviews, so maybe it's not a bad thing!

I read Strange first, which is a collection of short stories. I have a novel, Shutter Speed, waiting for me when I have a hot second to sit down and get really immersed.
With that being said, that takes me into my first favorite part about Strange- few things make me happier than a nice book of short stories. There's something about being able to read a full story start-to-finish in a day that's just so...gratifying.

The second thing I enjoyed about Strange is that there are a few different types of stories! There are the more psychological types ("Networking"), down to the downright horrifying ("Dead Game").

Typically when it comes to book reviews, I try desperately to not give too much away, which is what I'll do here. My favorite in the book is definitely "Dead Game"; it's weird, disturbing, and definitely my type of story. It involves death, so it's kind of a given.

As far as the book itself, the stories are quick and fun reads, so for someone in a rush or someone that's impatient with letting a story unfold, you're in luck! These stories average around 40 pages each.

There's something for everyone, as I said previously, from sci-fi to horror. Strange delivers a fun alternative to sticking to one long story that you may not feel connected to- instead you have the choice to read the stories out of order (because each story is totally different), though I read them in order for the sake of ease.

Thank you again to Mark Taylor who generously sent me such a fun read! If you'd like a copy for yourself, you can get it at http://www.amazon.com/Strange-A-Dark-Surreal-Collection-ebook/dp/B017MIFPRK.

I can't wait to get started on my copy of Shutter Speed!

Until next time, ghosts and ghouls,
Stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

New Year, New Horror!

With 2016 right around the corner (when you all read this, it will be December 22nd or later), we're all beginning to make our New Year's resolutions. Mine include going to the gym more (this is my resolution literally every single year and I do really well up until about May or June...you know, bathing suit season), learning to de-clutter my life, my house (you guys, I own a house! WHAT?!), and most important, get into some new horror!

I have quite a few things up my sleeve for the next few weeks and content to ring in the new year that I'm SO excited about. While I've said before that things will be crazy for me for a bit, I'm going to try to keep you all as updated as possible. I have one more video on my YouTube channel that will be going up as soon as it's all cut together and edited, but in the meantime, I have a few things I'd like to get around to.

My plan is to bring in some paranormal investigation to my channel, so while it's not necessarily about the horror industry, it's something I'm interested in and I hope you guys are able to have as much fun with it as I do! I plan on making that its own series, so hopefully every 2-3 weeks I'll be able to introduce all of you to equipment that I have and use, places I've gone to investigate, etc. It'll be a good time, I promise.

I was very generously sent a copy of Zach Bohannon's Empty Bodies: Open Roads (the fourth installment in the Empty Bodies series) that I need to get around to reading, and I was also sent two books by author Mark Taylor, an author from the UK that got in touch with me. When I finish those, I'll be doing reviews of all of them (potentially in one post) as I've gotten quite a few requests to do more book reviews.

Other than that....The Forest hits theaters January 8th, and you'd better believe that I'll be seeing the earliest viewing possible! There's been some controversy surrounding the content in the film, as people are finding it offensive...but what don't people find offensive these days?
After The Forest comes The Boy, and I'm beyond excited for that one. You all know how much I love myself some creepy dolls.

With that being said, that's the track that I'm on right now! I'm so, so sorry if it feels like things have been hectic or lacking in content lately. Between moving from my apartment back home temporarily and working on ripping walls out and putting new walls in the new house, painting, and working two jobs, I haven't had nearly as much time as I would have liked to focus on this blog, my channel and my all-around horror obsession. It's been neglected. It's heartbreaking. My dark little soul is not happy about it, trust me.

If you have anything you'd like me to review, the best place to let me know would be my Facebook page. I've had some great people interact with me on there, and I'd love to hear from all of you! I'd also love to do a giveaway once my channel hits 200 subscribers. I'm at almost 100 now, so tell your friends!

If you do read this on the 22nd (or any time before the holiday), I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas. My gift from all of you has been your love and support and I appreciate it every single day. Have a happy and safe holiday!

Until next time, stay spooky,
Taylor Terrible <3

American Horror Story: Hotel...WHAT WAS THAT?!

Hello again, my ghosts and ghouls.
Today, I'd like to talk to you all about the first episode of American Horror Story: Hotel, because I feel like some images from this season are permanently burned into my brain and I will never be able to unsee them.

I know a ton of people are disappointed that the fabulous Jessica Lange did not return to star in this season (I specifically say "did not return to star" because there are talks of her potentially taking on a small role at some point in the season, though it's not confirmed). HOWEVER, from the looks of this first episode, this cast looks pretty stellar.
I'm not going to lie, I loved Kathy Bates because she's amazing and calm as always, but Dennis O'Hare completely stole the show as Elizabeth Taylor. Werk, honey.
I'm also not going to lie: I'm not convinced on Lady Gaga's character. I'm not sure if it's intentional or not that she's entirely monotonous and predictable. Part of me feels slightly biased because I typically don't enjoy her in general, but her character annoyed me and I found myself wishing her off-screen.

Other than the weirdness that is this crazy cast, can we talk about the insanity that was this storyline?Spoilers ahead! If you haven't seen it yet, don't be mad!

Re-Animator (1985) Review

I need to preface this review by saying: the fact that none of you have suggested this film to me is actually slightly offensive. I'm actually bitter about the fact that no one has ever said "you should probably watch Re-Animator" to me. I'm so disappointed in you all. -sigh-

Now that my sentiments are out in the open...I went into this film totally blind. I've heard people talk about it, but as some of you know, I'm typically the last to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to "classic" horror films, for some reason. Most of the films that I fall in love with are the ones I'm the last to know about. I don't know why it happens that way, but it does...and I think I'm okay with it.

Anyway, all I knew about this film was that it's based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft (insert swoon here), and that Jeffery Combs is a psychotic medical student that brings dead things back to life. For those of you that have never seen the film, there's the synopsis for you! To be honest, I would typically give a little more, but there are so many things about this film that I don't want to give away by giving you a full play-by-play of how the film goes. You really just need to watch it for yourself.

I'm truly a gore-hound. I am in love with watching people get torn apart. I think it's awesome when someone's head explodes. Re-Animator does not skimp on the pure beauty that is insane amounts of gore.

It also does not skimp on attractive men. Herbert West, will you marry me?

This is also one of the strangest films I think I've ever seen. Once you get past the fact that the film is paying homage to the horror classic Psycho by using the same music, and you get past the fact that it's a cheesy 80's horror, it's really strange, disturbing, and actually pretty gross. There are some scenes that made me cringe big-time (and you'll cringe through the whole film if you don't like needles), and there are copious amounts of laughable weirdness.

While the film is noticeably 80's (it's fun, campy, and the VFX are slightly derpy), the storyline is great and really doesn't leave much to be desired. As far as rewatchability goes for this film, I would watch it again tomorrow! It's AWESOME. So much awesome.

As for a number rating, I give this one an 7/10! I'd watch it again (see above), it fills my requirements for a good horror film (slightly cringeworthy, good story, fun characters and gross deaths), the only change I would make would be some of the actors. At times they were just totally not believable.

Have YOU seen Re-Animator? What did you think?

The Green Inferno: Review

I wanted to post this earlier, but I'm trying to keep my Tuesday posting schedule straight...but I was given the opportunity to see The Green Inferno on September 21st, and it was CRAZY, you guys.
Here's the trailer if you haven't already seen it:

I got the invite through Moviepilot.com, so I had the chance to go in as press, which was awesome in itself. We were checked in and sent up to the top floor of the Regal theater on Broadway in Union Square- the final stop on the Green Inferno fan appreciation tour.

Upon arrival, we were greeted with wine, soda, beers...the whole ordeal was kind of surreal. I felt like a modern-day-creepy-female-Gatsby. I was handed a glass of white wine and I was excited to mingle around with other horror lovers...and then Eli Roth walked out.

Roth and Lorenza Izzo (the star of the film) sat at a table to sign posters for fans and screeners. Naturally, I made a fool out of myself by standing there and staring, and making a joke about how the Red Band trailer made me need to stop eating my bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel. But really, if your film can stop me from eating, it's intense. I eat a lot.

We were slowly filtered into the theater, and once everyone was seated, we were introduced to Eli and Lorenza again, along with the producer of the film, Nicolás López.
The film was deliciously disgusting, incredibly gory, and at one point I felt the wine roiling in my stomach, trying to make its way back out of my throat. BUT I persevered and held it down, and from the particular scene (eye-gauging, tongue-extracting and bone-cutting) on, I was okay. Mostly.
I did have to tell myself to breathe quite a few times because I caught myself holding my breath. I also started craving chicken tenders at one point, so I don't know what kind of person that makes me.

It's incredibly graphic, though. Roth told us at the beginning of the screening that he was trying to make the most violent film ever created. I think he succeeded...and surpassed anything that will be made for a long, long time. 
Also, fun fact, the tribe that he filmed with had no idea what electricity was, so the crew brought a television and a generator and showed the tribe Cannibal Holocaust and they though it was some kind of hilarious joke, and that's when they agreed to portray greedy, crazy cannibal people. 

Anyway, I don't want to give too much away, but the film is insane and beautiful and awesome. I highly, highly suggest it for anyone looking to be grossed out, thrilled, horrified, or all of the above.

Giving this film a rating out of 10, I give it an 8.5!! Make sure you check it out; it'll be in theaters on September 25th!

Welcome to the Toy Chest!

Hi, my creepy ghosts and ghouls!

I'm noticing lots of new traffic to my blog, and I assume it's because many of you have seen my new web show, titled after my blog!

This is such a huge deal for me- I'm so excited that I have all of you here as part of the Terrible Toy Chest, and I'm glad you liked the video enough to make your way over here!

For those of you that are readers but didn't know that I had a webshow, follow the link here!
The show will also be posted on YouTube on the Lucky Six Productions page.

For those of you that are viewers that are just stumbling across this page now- hello! I'm so happy you're here, and I love you already!

Some things will be cross-posted- sometimes I'll be doing videos of my posts, and sometimes I'll be doing posts related to my videos. But most of the time, I'll just be doing my thing, talking about horror and loving every second of it...regardless of where I'm doing it!

Alright, creeps, this was just a quick post to get you all acquainted with each other...and with me! I'll be posting again on Tuesday, so I'll see you then.

Until next time, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible <3

The Horror Shelves

If you've been here from the very beginning, I did a really brief post on some of the cool horror stuff I have laying around my bedroom. Since then, what I call the "horror shelves" as it's my entire desk, have grown exponentially.
In the original post detailing my shelves, I had room to keep the bottom shelf totally open to use for my computer. I had a few of my MoodyVoodies dolls there, but that was it...
The shelves now look like this (and this is the view from my bed, which is amazing to wake up to in the morning):

The photo is from my Instagram: @taylorterrible ...go follow me!!

So let's talk about some of the new additions to that bottom shelf...
That little guy laying back on my other Voodies is a Bughuul doll from Sinister! He was, of course, made by MoodyVoodies, and is signed by Nick King! I believe I talked about that in my post about Haunt Faire.
I had to move my POP!s to the bottom shelf as well to make room for the resin Puppet Master statues on the top shelf, so they've all been lined up on the bottom. Since I took that picture, I added Pinhead to my POP collection as well (of course, are you surprised?) :)
I got a gorgeous case to put my horror mystery minis in from The Container Store, so those are the little shelves you're seeing front and center with those minis on them.
The Pinhead canvas you see on the far right came from my final Horror Block. I miss getting Horror Blocks every month, but adult life says you can't have nice things so my plan is to go back and subscribe again eventually, but until then, I'm just trying to pay my bills. -sigh- The cool t-shirts were awesome.
I've also acquired one of my new favorites: it's behind the Puppet Master collection so it's probably near-impossible to see, but my other half's mom (might as well be my mother-in-law) gifted me her Rocky Horror Picture Show original record from when the film came out!
I had a Bughuul mask made that I'll be wearing for Halloween and that's what you see on the far right, and not pictured is a canvas painting of Bughuul so basically my Sinister collection is exploding.

That's what I've got so far! Maybe one day I'll do a full overview...but who knows when the collecting is going to stop (the answer is probably never)?

This post is queued before the video is set to go up, so I'll edit it when it's released: if you haven't seen it already (I post about it on the Terrible Toy Chest Facebook page) some of my articles are being turned into a little web show so you guys have a better opportunity to connect with me!
If you don't already follow the Facebook page, I'll link it here so you guys can follow along and connect with me more personally there as well!


Until next time, loves, stay spooky!

Interview with Zach Bohannon

Hi there, my ghosts and ghouls!
It's September! Do you know what that means? We're one month closer to Halloween, and we are officially entering the month that puts us in FALL!!!!
This week's post is going to be a little bit different than what I normally put up; it's going to take you to another website.
I was given the opportunity by my good friend Shannon over at Nightmarish Conjurings to interview another friend of mine, author Zach Bohannon (Empty Bodies, The Witness). Instead of essentially copying and pasting the interview I wrote for her to here, I'll just link you guys on over to the interview, if you're interested!
http://nightmarishconjurings.tumblr.com/post/127794140323/zach-bohannon-interview

If you get a chance, check out Zach's work. He's incredibly talented and an all-around awesome guy.
Let me know what you think in the comments!!
Until next time, stay spooky <3

Paranormal Investigation Day and Life Update

It's been a long, horror-filled week for me this week. I screened Sinister 2 exactly a week ago, I've been reading Clive Barker's Books of Blood every chance I get at work, my awesome horror author friend Zach Bohannon sent me a copy of Empty Bodies 3 to read...I've basically been running around like a chicken without a head.
I also found out that someone is posing as me on Tinder! For those of you that know me personally, you know I wouldn't use Tinder if you paid me. For those of you that don't know me personally, my boyfriend and I have been together 2 and a half years, and cheating makes me feel so angry I can't even explain it. The moral of that story is: if someone contacts you saying that they're me, this person has been using my pictures, they're saying that they work at my day job, and they'll talk to you about horror. If someone contacts you, please do not hesitate to contact me. Twitter is probably the fastest way that I'll see it, so you can find me at https://twitter.com/taylorterriible. If you don't have Twitter, comment below and I'll get in touch with you.
BUT amongst all of the craziness, I need to be able to find some time for myself and my friends. I spent some time with one of my best childhood friends on Sunday, and she had never seen Sinister before so I watched it with her...I think it was my 6th or 7th time. I don't mind, it's easily one of my favorites.
Afterwards, we were feeling inspired to conjure up some Pagan deities so we ran over to the local abandoned asylum to do some ghost hunting! I was gifted a P-SB7 by my boyfriend for Christmas last year, and it's been getting a ton of action.
In the pouring rain, we drove to the Kings Park Psychiatric Center. Of course, I didn't record any of the session that we had because I literally always forget to record, but we caught some really cool EVPs (electronic voice phenomena).
We found a building with a few broken windows and an open door so we sat in front (I really, REALLY don't want to go inside these buildings- I consider myself sensitive to energy and I was getting awful feelings even being around there) and talked.
We caught a little girl who was saying that she didn't want to be inside, and we caught a man saying "it's summer" and I said "did you just ask if it's summer?" and we got "it's hot".
They were some of the clearest voices I've ever gotten and I'm SO sad I didn't record them. If you guys know of any fun, haunted places I should check out, let me know!!
Until next time, stay spooky! <3

Sinister 2 Review

Hello, ghosts and ghouls! See?! I told you I'd be posting my Sinister 2 review! There's a method to my madness.

I was very generously sent to see the film on Monday, and today is the day of the release, so I went about 4 days early. I was sent to a teeny tiny theater in the middle of Manhattan, where I sat amongst some really cool people in horror, one of which was a writer for Fangoria. If you're reading this, I didn't catch your name, but hello!

Now let me tell you a little about Sinister 2; it's very different from the first one. If you enjoyed the first one, and you would like me to be honest with you, the sequel is fun but you shouldn't go in with incredibly high expectations.

Bughuul is scary, as always. He's easily one of my favorite horror villains...we're talking like top 3. They show him a ton in this one (a little too much for my taste) and it ends up making him look a little bit silly, but the scares are very much welcomed amongst what's going on with the rest of the storyline.

Deputy So and So is back and he's blander than the last film...it kind of just feels like his heart isn't in it. Then we have the rest of the film from the perspective of the most annoying group of children to ever grace the big screen. Their dialogue and acting is mediocre which makes the film feel of the same caliber, because they literally never go away. They're everywhere. Constantly.

That brings me to my favorite part: the deaths in the film. They're great. If you loved the Super 8, gruesome films from the first movie, you're in luck because these do not skimp on the gross-out factor. They involve some of my biggest fears this time, too...alligators, and dentists. NOPE. They also include that great, horrifying music that almost forced me to turn off the first film.

I honestly wish there were more that I could say about the film. I have really mixed feelings because Sinister is a film that I consider a big part of what shapes me as a horror fan- it made me realize what truly makes me feel scared and uneasy. I expected this film to do the same and while I still absolutely adore Bughuul more than anything, this one felt like a cop-out. My feeling about why this film was made was: "well, the first one did well, so let's capitalize on it". Listen, guys, I'm all about you making money on your movie! Just...how come it wasn't up to the standards of the first?

I'm going to give this film a 4.5/10 because it could have been worse, but could have been better.
 I desperately wish that they would have left the perspective the same, and I understand why that didn't happen...but it really ruined it for me.

Let me know what you guys think when you go to see the film! I actually went to see it for a second time last night...don't laugh at me! Little Bughuul came with me and he loved it...understandably so.

Until next time, stay spooky <3

A Post is Coming

Hello, my spooks. I know, I missed a post on Tuesday, but with good reason! I'll be releasing a post tomorrow instead. I was lucky enough to be sent to screen Sinister 2  early, but I wasn't allowed to post about it until yesterday.
There is already a post up on my Moviepilot about it (they sent me to go see it so I wanted to make sure they got a post ASAP) but it's not a complete review of the film.
My review will be released tomorrow! I'll update you on my Facebook page as to when it goes live. If you don't follow my Facebook page already but you're a reader, I would LOVE to be able to interact with all of you so head on over to https://www.facebook.com/TerribleToyChest and say hello!
I'll see you all tomorrow for my Sinister 2 review!

I Went to Haunt Faire!

Over the past few weeks, things have been super busy. Between working one job full-time and working another casually, sometimes it's hard for me to sit back and really appreciate a day. I've been thinking a lot about how I haven't really had much time to myself...so I said "hey, I'm going to treat myself to one day of awesome spooky weirdness".
I ended up at Haunt Faire here in New York where I live. It's not often that a horror convention comes anywhere near here; typically things take place in NYC or New Jersey. I don't know why, it's just where the horror scene settled, I guess.
I hadn't done much research on Haunt Faire prior to buying tickets because I had a family party later in the day and didn't think I'd have time to go...but then I found out Nick King was going. If you don't know Nick King, you will know him as Bughuul from Sinister, and the sequel (which comes out August 21st and I'm counting the hours).

I saw Sinister a few months ago at a friend's house, and it was one of the few horror films where I had to close my eyes and check behind me to be sure that there were no crazy demon children. I was really, truly horrified at the death scenes, and I loved every second of it. Minus when I got home and was walking around the house in the dark. So naturally, when I found out the actor behind one of the most horrifying characters to ever grace the screen in a horror film was going to be at this convention, I said "you know what? Screw it. I'm buying tickets, and I'm going."

Cut to that Sunday (I work Saturdays, but took Sunday off). I loaded baby Bughuul that I got from MoodyVoodies into the car, and I was off (and incredibly determined to get him signed. Here's a picture of all of the Voodie babies:

I walked around for a bit inside and checked out who was around at the tables before heading over to meet Nick King. I realized right away that this was less of a horror convention and more of a job fair of sorts for people that wanted to work in haunted houses around the tri-state area. There were very few vendors, but there were plenty of fun haunts!
The vendors that were there had a lot of fun hand-painted dolls, magnets, makeup, etc. I somehow ended up with a huge painting of Bughuul, but I have no regrets about it...

The painting in back is the one I got at Haunt Faire, though I don't have the artist's name. I don't think it's even signed, to be honest. The mask on the left is part of my cosplay/Halloween costume in progress from JD Morgan Studios, and there's baby Bughuul on the right (after signing!).

When I tell you guys I think I was there for an hour total, I spent 30 of those minutes with Nick King talking about his upcoming projects and other conventions he'd be at, I spent 10 talking to Philip Friedman who is the Bride in Black from Insidious, and the other 20 minutes were spent wandering around looking at vendors.
All in all, it was a cute convention. What I'm really looking forward to (as always) is Bizarre AC in October. It's a few days before my birthday this year, so I'm going to be spending that weekend scared, dressed up, and probably drunk/hungover. If any of you will be joining me at Bizarre AC, let me know in a comment! I'd love to hang out!

I'll sign off with a photo of me hanging out with Nick King after he signed my little Bughuul:

He isn't nearly as scary in person! :)

Until next time, stay spooky!
Taylor Terrible

My Moviepilot!

Hello ghoulies,
For those of you that don't know, I don't only write here, I also write for moviepilot.com. If you want to go directly to my articles, you can find me at: Taylor Terrible.
Those articles include "more fun", less personal posts, more along the lines of quizzes and such. I would love if you checked those out as well!
For my blog, I like to stick to reviews and more personal things as this is a place that I created on my own. I also write reviews for NightmarishConjurings.com every other Friday, so sometimes my reviews are cross-posted.
I never thought that I would be able to say that my little horror family has grown so much, and I want to thank everyone that has been here for the Terrible Toy Chest since the beginning. Your support in my writing means more than you know, even if you've only read a few posts.
I love you all so much! Thank you for being here with me for this!
Love always,
Taylor Terrible

Grave Encounters (2011) Review

As someone who has been into the paranormal from a young age, I’m always interested in watching horror films that showcase paranormal activity (well). After some experiences that I consider to be potentially paranormal, I wanted to be able to prove or disprove the existence of a life apart from what we have here in the “mortal” realm.While I still have yet to be able to prove or disprove this theory, I’ve spent lots and lots of time brushing up on my share of mediocre ghost hunting, as well as watching all of the shows I can get my hands on that are about paranormal investigation (my guilty pleasure is watching marathons of Ghost Adventures, eating popcorn and giggling at Zak Bagans).So with that being said, when it comes to films about paranormal investigation, I tend to have my reservations. I worry that they won’t do the field the justice it deserves (it’s not easy!) but I try to keep myself current in terms of horror films, so I watch all of the cheesy ones, and I also try to watch all of the good ones.Therefore, today, I’ll be reviewing Grave Encounters. 

The synopsis of Grave Encounters from IMDB:“For their ghost hunting reality show, a production crew locks themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that’s supposedly haunted- and it might prove to be all too true.”I wish there was more to it than this, so I’m going to give you the synopsis I think you all deserve:“For their hilariously realistic, slightly cheesy ghost hunting reality show, a production crew full of cocky jerks lock themselves inside an abandoned mental hospital that’s supposedly haunted- and shit gets real.”
Basically, this group of “paranormal investigators” (I put it in quotes because they don’t actually truly believe in the paranormal, as far as they let on in the film) decides to go to one of the most haunted places they can find, assuming it’s a hoax as they’ve found it normally is, and starts to find that maybe they’ve been wrong about the paranormal this whole time.The building moves around within itself, doors disappear, they find ghosts of the people that died in the hospital.
As far as how scary the film is, I never really felt terrified per say, however I did experience a few moments when I was really freaked out. I have to say, one of my biggest fears in the world is hospitals (abandoned or not). There’s something about the smell of functioning hospitals, the way the fluorescent lights make everyone look sick, the sounds of the beeping monitors…it all makes me so uncomfortable. So seeing this group in a sad, dilapidated, abandoned hospital made me feelexceptionally uncomfortable.
There really weren’t many jump scares, which I very much appreciated. Lately I’ve been on a real hate-streak of films that rely on jump scares for the “horror” of the film, and this one was more about the horror of the situation. I like that. That’s a very good thing.
I’ve also been very against found-footage-style films, and this one absolutely is. I don’t really know what it is about this one, to be honest, that makes it seem so much more real than all the others. I think they don’t play so much off of the fact that they’re filming through one entity and they make an effort to change shots every once in a while so you aren’t watching exclusively through one camera. I don’t know, all I can say is that this one looks better than all the others and I didn’t despise it.

But, all in all, if you’re interested in movies about ghosts, found-footage films, films about paranormal investigation…I really like this one! I didn’t expect much going in, and I was pleasantly surprised when it ended and I wasn’t miserable!
Let me know what you thought of Grave Encounters, creepies!

Until next time,

Taylor Terrible
PS: I just found out there’s a sequel! I’m going to have to look into that soon! 

Can We Stop With the Found-Footage Films Already?!

Alright, this is something that's been on my mind for quite some time now. Typically, when I hear about the release of a new horror film, I get really excited. I usually get pretty elated, actually, because it's always nice to hear about something new within the horror community.

You know, American Horror Story only comes around once a year, and seldom are there horror films that are actually scary these days. Most are remakes. Even more are found footage.
Pardon my French here, but WHAT THE FUCK is going on with all of these found-footage-style films?! Can we cut it out already?!

Let it be known that when I talk about found-footage films, I mean anything handheld. That kind of changes the game for some, because many people see a difference between found-footage and handheld. I guess the best way for me to describe the kind of horror films I'm complaining about is: anything filmed by something like a camcorder, so anything handheld and seen through the POV of a camera. (Just stop it already. STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP.)

Found footage dates back all the way to the 1980's with Cannibal Holocaust which was an absolutely disgusting film and I loved every second of it. However, the progression of these films has gone from gory, interesting and scary (think Blair Witch) to cheesy, overdone, and stupid.

If we're speaking honestly, I think many horror films today are not made to scare horror fans, I think they are typically made to attract an audience that pretends to like horror films. I don't know, maybe it's just me, and maybe people will be angry at me for that statement. Do I believe that horror films deserve the exposure and the money? Yeah, absolutely. With all of the cinematic universes like Marvel and DC taking over, I wish horror got a little bit more love because it tends to be overshadowed.

However, lately, they have been relying entirely on jump scares...and to put it nicely, it's really sad. Where are the Nightmare on Elm Streets? Where are the Hellraisers? Instead, horror fans are put through the atrocities of The Gallows and Paranormal Activity 100000000.

Let's just talk about these awful found-footage films:
As Above So Below is one of the more recent ones I've watched. I don't think I've ever been so bored by a horror film because it's dark, shaky, and all-around not entertaining. There's no substance. Blah.
The Bay. Scary in concept, but the shakiness made me nauseous. I have to say, I kind of enjoyed this one because bacteria terrifies me, but the making was boring.
VHS (the first) was pretty good, but VHS 2: please go away.
Anything Paranormal Activity: I hate you.

But the list goes on. The list is SO LONG, and it seems to be that every film that's been released in the last two years has been something found-footage, and they're all the same story. Does anyone else feel this way? Like they're watching the same horror film every time a new one comes out? No? Alright, well, then I'm a crab.

Maybe I'm just saying bah humbug because I've never really enjoyed found-footage films, yet I keep watching them in an attempt to stay current. Maybe I've never found one that satisfies my taste (besides Grave Encounters, which I love because it sees the humor in those types of films).
I would love to find a found-footage film that makes me want to cry (in the good, horror-loving way, not the bad "I can't take this anymore" way). I want to be scared out of my wits by something that isn't cheesy!

Please, everyone, if you share this sentiment, please let me know. If you love found-footage, please recommend one that is substantial that I may like.
If you want to help me out here, I really enjoy: Hellraiser, anything with creepy dolls, possessions, hospitals. Anything with those topics, or that kind of idea. Just...help me out.

I really just hate this sub-genre. Why does everyone like it so much.

/endrant/

I love y'all,
Taylor Terrible

PS: ugh.

The Gallows (2015) Review

Assuming the best, I purchased my ticket early and made the decision to go see The Gallows with a group of friends on the night of its release.
Sitting in a theater full of too-young-kids that probably snuck in, and guys yelling about how many girls they got laid by that week, I realized the kind of group that this film attracted: "I think I like horror so I came to see this lame movie".
I guess I gave away on my opinion in that last sentence, but we'll get into that.

The Gallows is a story of a group of high schoolers that get trapped inside their school one night while trying to dismantle the set of the school's play, because the lead (a football player) doesn't want to be a part of the play anymore. While they're inside the school, the play's previous lead (who died in a freak accident during the show- he was hanged on stage) comes back to haunt them.

So back to my review of the film: it was awful. It was so bad. If I could take back that hour and 20 minutes of my life, I would gladly do it. I'll explain...
It was an almost-found-footage kind of film. It was all shown through the video camera that one of the characters is carrying around, conveniently documenting everything that goes on. I guess to keep with the theme of having an irresponsible kid holding the camera, the shots are awful, shaky, and nauseating. The camera is CONSTANTLY moving and blurring and cutting in and out, to the point where I actually had to cover my eyes to keep from feeling like I had vertigo. In relation to it being found footage: I am so tired of found footage horror films. It seems like that's all there is lately; it's a cop-out in my opinion because rather than making things truly scary, you minimize what the audience sees by using a video camera. It's lame. It's so, so lame.
Anyway, the acting is fine, I never really felt like the acting was cheesy at any point, however the characters were pretty bad. There was the jock, the theater nerd, the cheerleader, and the football-player-turned-lead-in-school-play. Cliche. Nothing special about a single one of them.

As for the film itself: it was an hour and 20 minutes of awful, unnecessary jump scares and loud noises. I was playing with my melted chocolate bar in the wrapper more than I was watching the film because I was so bored (and nauseous because of the camera). Some jump scares didn't even have anything to do with the "scarier" parts of the film, they were literally just fillers.
The twist at the end was pretty okay- I'll give it that much. I enjoyed how unexpected it was, but even that wasn't done well.

So I guess that was my awful, scathing review of The Gallows. If you want to save yourself some money and time, don't go watch this film. If you have nothing to do and you really want to torture yourself, hey, feel free.

...but really, don't see it.

Until next time, guys! Sorry this review sounded so angry, it was just honestly one of the worst films I've ever seen. :P

My Own Writing!

Hi ghosts and ghouls!
This is going to be a special kind of post, because I'll be letting you read some of my own writing. Not a review, not a quick post, this is a full-blown short story that I wrote a few years ago but never had the courage to share.
So now, here it is, my very own short story that I wrote all by myself like a real writing adult!

Hard Candy

Allison swung her feet to the beat of the rock music she had blaring through the speakers of her computer. Her bed vibrated with the bass, and she bobbed her head mindlessly as her legs kicked. The sound of knocking on her window jolted her out of her stupor, causing her to jump out of her skin.

“I told you not to fucking do that, asshole! I could have had a heart attack!” She looked to her window and saw Jack, who was climbing the siding as usual. His warm eyes and sparkling smile stopped her heart on their own, calming the thumping in her chest and helped her breathing return to normal.

“Sorry, babe, I couldn’t get your attention. Your music was too loud.” He yelled over the music, but his voice poured out of his mouth like silk, causing Allison’s heart to skip again. She sighed deeply and slid across her bed to her window. He grabbed her by her hair and kissed her. Smiling into her mouth, he whispered her name.

“Are you finally ready to do this, Jack?” Allison pulled away and smoothed her hair away from her face, blushing fiercely. He shook his head at her and pressed his index finger to his lips, then pointed to her door. Footsteps echoed down the hallway, then stopped outside Allison’s door.

“Hon? Who are you talking to?” Her mother. The bane of her existence. The woman had stifled Allison’s creativity from the time she was a child, constantly giving her candy to keep her quiet. She distinctly remembered the odd taste- it was medicinal and melted in her mouth, then she felt nothing. Allison rolled her eyes and punched Jack in the arm. “I’m talking to you, answer me,” she said from outside the door.

“I’m not, mom, I’m doing homework. I think it’s just my music you’re hearing.” She lifted the remote from her mattress and pressed pause. The room went silent, and Jack giggled. She elbowed him hard in the ribs. He gasped and let the laughs come in waves. “Shut up!” she hissed, holding a hand over her mouth. He stuck his tongue through her fingers, and she pulled them away in disgust.

“I can hear you whispering, I’m going to get the skeleton key to open the door.” Her mother’s footsteps scurried away, and Allison looked to Jack, then to the window, then back to Jack. She motioned with her head. He shook his, smiling. He crawled across the bed towards the window, threw his legs over, and dropped down onto the roof just as the lock popped open. The door swung, and Allison’s mother stood in the doorway.

The woman was disheveled. She was tired-looking, with horrible bags under her eyes. Her once auburn hair was now streaked with white, and her roots had grown in since her last dye-job, leaving her looking old and worn. She was a rag doll standing in the hall, ungroomed, slippers hanging off, her robe old and covered in holes. She brought a hard hand to her wrinkled forehead and sighed.

“Was Jack here again?” She asked abruptly, like she smelled him in the room. She inspected the furniture, checked under the bed, even checked the garbage can next to the desk. “Oh good, no cigarettes this time.”

“Mom, I’m all by myself, I don’t know why you would think Jack was here,” Allison started. Her breath hitched when she realized his jacket was draped over her desk chair. She desperately hoped her mother would think it was hers. After all, it was a leather jacket…very similar to one she already had. She was misunderstood and dressed that way, with fire-engine-red hair that hung in her face, thick liner around glittering green eyes, and combat boots that clicked when she walked. She liked drawing attention to herself, but would never say it out loud.

“Okay,” her mother sighed. “I believe you. Listen, I need to give you your candy, okay? It’s 2 o’clock.”

“I don’t want it,” she argued.

“Well I’m not asking you, I’m telling you.” Her mother reached for the end-table in the hall and produced two pieces of the dreaded “candy” that was so often the source of Allison’s disdain. The two round white candies sat in her mother’s palm. She cupped a glass of water in the other hand. She approached her daughter cautiously, almost sluggishly slow.

Allison shook her head and slapped a hand to her mouth. She slid under the covers and pulled them up over her head, and the struggle began. She tugged one way, her mother tugged the other. Eventually, she felt chilled air hit her cheeks as her mother tugged the blanket free. She removed the hand from her mouth, groaned loudly, and dropped her jaw. She closed her eyes and felt the candies hit her tongue. She knocked them back with a sip of water, then sat. And sat. And waited.

She waited for Jack, but he didn’t come. She waited for the angel and devil that usually took their places on her shoulders to give her the solution, but they didn’t let her know they were listening. She let the tears roll down her face in hot streams, then made the decision to put her head down and go to sleep. Her thoughts were quiet that night.

The next morning, sun streamed in through the window…which was flung wide open. Allison stirred and rubbed her eyes, then shrieked when she felt the pressure of someone pressed against her. A hand flew to her mouth and covered it quickly to quiet her scream. “It’s just me, baby, it’s okay. It’s just me.” Jack’s strong arms wrapped around her, and she felt the soft heat of  his body.

Like clockwork, a knock came to her door. “What are you screaming about? Are you okay?” Her nervous mother banged on the door relentlessly. She heard the shuffling of those awful, tattered slippers against the wood flooring.

“Fine, mom, I just had a nightmare,” she called. Her breathing returned to normal as Jack sat up next to her. She shook her head and stood. Walking to her closet, she swung her hips seductively at her boyfriend. He whistled at her, and she turned quickly to throw her index finger to her lips to motion for him to silence herself. She stopped at her computer and turned on the most awe-inspiring song she could think of…Pussy Liquor by Rob Zombie.

She undressed slowly, pulling her oversized t-shirt over her head. It got caught on her chin and she giggled uncomfortably as she pulled it off quickly. She let it drop to the floor, gyrating her hips as she reached for the elastic band of her pants next. She pulled them taut and let them drop at her feet.

Yeah, I like to get fucked up too.

Yeah, I bet you do.

Her eyes met Jack’s as he raised them from her perky breasts. His jaw was to his knees, but the corners of his mouth were curled up in a ravenous grin. She walked to him, wearing nothing but her silky boy-shorts. She grabbed him by his face and kissed him hard. He pulled her onto the bed.

“Allison! Turn that damn music down!” Her mother banged on the door. “Those lyrics are disgusting!” her heart lurched as she stared down at the bed- Jack was gone. Tears welled up in her eyes as she ran to her clothing pile that sat in a heap of plaid and cotton fabric. She dressed quickly, pulling her shirt over her face so quickly that her hair came loose from its tight bun on the back of her head. It fell around her eyes messily. She glared through the strands- was she seeing red, or was that just the color it was dyed? She yanked her pajama pants back up.

The song switched to Superbeast. Her heart rate accelerated as she reached for her doorknob. She swung it open to see her mother holding the usual glass of water in one hand, and two pieces of the sugary candy in her other palm. Meg started at her nervously. She smiled and tilted her head to the side, like an innocent puppy. “Honey, I brought you your candy, you have to go to school and I know you can’t go without it.”

“I’m not taking that shit ever again!” She wailed and knocked the pills from her mother’s outstretched palm. “You scared Jack away again! I don’t need them now, I don’t need them ever! He’s never coming back anyway!”

“Allison, please, we’ve talked about this. Jack isn’t real. You see him when you don’t take your medi-“ she stopped abruptly. “Your candy.”

“Have you been telling him to be afraid of me? He’s been acting strange, you probably hurt his feelings! Why do you have to be such a bitch, mother?” She snatched the glass from her mother’s other hand, and slammed it on the ground. Water splashed in a wave around their feet, soaking her mother’s slippers and sending shards of glass bouncing around the floor.

“Are you kidding me? Allison, you are grounded!”

“Good! Maybe while you’re not bothering me, he’ll finally fuck me!”

“You watch your mouth, missy, or you’re going to be in a world of trouble.” Her mother backed out of the doorway and into the hall. Her hands were shaking, and she held them out in front of her timid frame. Her expression said I love you, please don’t hurt me, this isn’t you.

Allison reached to the floor and picked one of the larger shards of glass. The red blurring her vision only allowed her to see her mother grab the telephone off the cradle. She was going to try to send her away again. But she was so much better…why did mother want to send her back to her other room? She would never see Jack again. She would only know mediocre meals on a metal tray, ping-pong tables and moaning from down the hall. She wouldn’t let that happen. Not this time. She wanted Jack.

Her mother shrieked as Allison’s feet seemingly floated off the ground. The balls of her daughter’s feet smashed against the shards of broken glass, but she didn’t notice. Her feet bled onto the floor, leaving misshapen footprints. She finally dove at her mother, tackling her to the ground. She heard the muffled voice of someone on the other end of the phone before her mother began sobbing uncontrollably.

“Baby! Baby, please, listen to me, I’m trying to help you. Please, let me get downstairs to get your bottle of medicine, okay? Please, I’m begging you!” Allison reveled in her mother’s discomfort. The guttural laugh that escaped her throat was that of Jack. Dark, eerie and unhuman. Her mother squirmed helplessly under her daughter’s weight.

She rose the shard of glass into the air, and brought it down swiftly into her mother’s exposed neck. She tried to cry out, but all that escaped her was a bubble of blood from her mouth. It seeped out of the corner of her mouth and trickled down onto the floor. Her eyes began to glaze over as she struggled under Allison. Her irises shifted back and forth, trying to seek some last inkling of salvation. She could see her daughter’s maniacal face staring down at her before everything began fading.

“You took Jack from me. You’ll never be able to do it again.” Allison released the glass as her mother’s body went limp. She saw a shadow move from the doorway behind her. She stood up, stared down at the lifeless body beneath her, kicked it, and walked away.

She returned to her room, where Jack was sitting on their bed, applauding. “I told you that you could do it! How long have I been in your head telling you to do this,” he exclaimed. He jumped up and hugged her as tight as he could. “Look at what a great job you did! Just like how I told you!”

“Jack…what did I do…” Allison’s face went pale as she stared at her mother’s lifeless body in the hall. She turned a shade of green and vomited on her floor. She could see the lights flashing outside the window. “It’s over, Jack. I’m never going to see you again.”

She heard the bang of the door being kicked in downstairs. Her hearing was muffled- all she could hear was a loud ringing, and the slight sound of footsteps climbing the stairs. Jack was retreating towards the window, slowly fading as he reached the windowsill before vanishing into thin air. “Jack! Please don’t leave me!” the girl howled. He didn’t answer. 

The men she knew as her fathers stopped in the hall, taking a moment to look down at Allison’s handiwork. One of them let his hand fly to his mouth, the other two stepped cautiously around. One pulled what looked like a lollipop from his back pocket, the other produced a syringe.

“Allison? Honey, are you okay?” One of them spoke to her slowly and quietly. She shook her head gravely. She stared down at the ground, her hair hanging in her face. The tips of her layers were coated in vomit. She shook her head again. She sat down on her floor, crossed her legs, and put her head in her hands.

“It’s okay, we’re here to take you home,” the one with the syringe assured. He stroked her hair as he plunged the needle into her arm. The nurse that had stopped in the hall wheeled the stretcher around the gruesome scene. Allison slowly began fading, losing consciousness. She nodded solemnly as the world started going black.

She awoke in a bright room. A woman with red lipstick, wearing all white, was hovering over her with a sponge coated in what smelled like rubbing alcohol. “You’re quite the mess down here, little lady,” she said. She walked down to Allison’s feet and pressed the sponge to her wounds. The helpless girl tried to writhe, but she was strapped down to the bed. “Don’t worry, we’re going to take good care of you here, just like last time.”

Allison never saw Jack, or anyone else, again.

Thanks for reading, guys. If you stuck it out and got through the whole thing, I don't think you know how much it means to me to have you here, reading my work. You're all amazing, and I love each and every one of you creepy little weirdos more than you'll ever know.

Thank you for being on this journey with me.

Love always,

Taylor Terrible <3

The Damned (2014) Review

Every week, I try to browse Netflix and see if I stumble upon any films that seem interesting. I love when I find a film with pretty okay reviews that I've never heard of before, and that's how I found The Damned.

When a man and his fiancee travel to Bogota, Colombia to find his rebellious daughter and get caught in a flash flood. With no car, the family treks to an old hotel that holds a disturbing secret about the owner and the basement.

The problem that I had with this film is that it was incredibly predictable. As soon as the family discovered what was going on, it was all downhill from there.
What I did enjoy, though (as most of you probably don't know) is that the film is half in Spanish and half in English. I majored in Spanish when I was in college, and I'm pretty proficient in speaking the language, so although there were subtitles, it added to the experience of the film. They make a language barrier a big part of the film to keep you on your toes, because the protagonist has no idea what the locals are trying to tell him.
Although, at the end, suddenly someone who only spoke Spanish in the beginning was fluent in English which threw me off a bit.

I really enjoy paranormal horror films, so this one was decently okay for me. While, like I said before, it was predictable, I did enjoy the storyline behind the possession (although it wasn't explained well) and I mostly enjoyed the acting. The father in the film is pretty cool, to be honest.
All in all, the film was pretty middle of the road for me. I would suggest you watch it once just to see what you think, however I'd never watch it a second time.

If you've seen The Damned, let me know what you thought! I'd love to hear other opinions about it!

We Are Still Here: Review

I recently watched the 2015 film We Are Still Here as per the recommendation of a handful of super excited people. I'd been hearing good things all week, so I told myself, "hey, I'll save this one for a rainy day and it'll be awesome!"

Cut to about two days later...there was a beautiful thunderstorm here in New York and I was so excited to snuggle up burrito-style and turn this flick on.
With the thunder and lightning in the background, I flipped this one on and got myself ready to be terrified.
The story is about a small town that a middle-aged couple moves to after the tragic death of their son. When things start to get a little weird in the house, the couple realizes that there may be someone their besides their beloved Bobby...so they call upon their "psychic" friend to check the house out with her boyfriend.

Things start to go downhill early on, giving you little bits of suspense here and there right off the bat. I feel like things are very stop-and-go; a lot of the suspense and jump scares happen very abruptly and they're kind of expected.
I have to say, the story itself is good. It's a pretty typical house-haunting-type film, but the story of the house and the history is fun.
The characters are really well-written, however the casting left a lot to be desired. I found the acting really cheesy to the point where I was having a hard time getting into the story.
The entities floating around the house getting crabby and nasty were pretty terrifying. I won't get too far into where they come from or what their deal is because it's very well-explained in the film, but what you should know is that two of them are kids, which is one of the things that freaks me out the most. Ick.

Overall, I liked the film. Maybe not enough to watch it again, but I do recommend it as a film that you check out at least once so you can join in on the conversation about it!
I give it a 6/10, a little better than halfway there but the acting really ruined it for me. The entities and the deaths are what got the rating up there for me...if you guys enjoy gore like I do, this one has PLENTY. I promise, it doesn't start off too gory, but once you get a little ways in...BAM. Body parts flying everywhere. Thumbs up on that for me.

Happy haunting, my spookies...let me know what you think of We Are Still Here!
Taylor Terrible <3

Surprise! A Giveaway!

Hi ghoulies!
This post is going to be fun...as of June 7th the Terrible Toy Chest has 842 views (and I am so thankful for each and every one of them!). So as a thank you, I'm going to be holding a giveaway when my blog hits 1,000 reads.
Do you think we can do that within the next week?! I hope so!!
Here's how it'll work: to enter, leave a comment on this post- your email included (you'll have from June 9th until June 16th, when I make another post). You'll be automatically entered, and I'll announce the winner on the 16th as long as we hit 1,000 views!
I'll also email you just in case you don't read the post on the 16th...but hey, you'll get a cool shoutout.
You'll be getting a handmade Freddy Kreuger soap from Bastian's Boutique on Etsy (orange creamsicle scented, mmm) and a horror book from my collection with a personalized note inside :)

So what do you say, my ghosts?! Are you up for the challenge? I am!
Get to commenting, get to sharing, and get to winning!

And again, all of you, thank you so much for supporting my crazy horror obsession. You've validated that I've found my niche in the world, and being in love with ghosts and gore isn't as weird as I always thought it was. I love each and every one of you very, very much.

See you on the 16th!!
Taylor Terrible <3