Why are monsters good? Probably because life would be pretty boring without them. At least, a lot of old sci-fi movies are in great need of monsters. I mean, what else would the characters have going on in their lives if there wasn't something to run away from?
Monsters, or whatever lurks in the shadows, are one of the more fascinating parts of life. Why is the darkness so fascinating? I have no idea. There's probably some basic part of human nature explaining why I am addicted to true crime TV shows and books. It's probably the same reason that we're fascinated by the villains in fairy tales as much as we're horrified by them. I do have to wonder why I (and most of you) have so much fun blogging about sinister characters and the darker side of the supernatural. If you have any insight as to why you enjoy focusing on darker subject matter, I'd love it if you'd leave me a comment sharing your thoughts.
Speaking of things that are enjoyably dark, yesterday I received a fun package in the mail! It was a set of pins that I won in a giveaway from Goblin Haus. The pins were produced by a company named Monsters are Good. (Hence the title for this post) Both companies' web sites are fun to page through. There are a wide array of horror related items on the Goblin Haus site and plenty more pins and clothing on the Monsters are Good site. Here's the generous prize I received:
See Vlad peeking out? :)
This was the pin I wanted most out of the whole bunch! This one will be going directly onto my black hoodie, and the rest will reside on the bulletin board in my studio. (Next to my other spooky pins)
Goblin Haus also tossed in some nice, large stickers printed with their logo. I love the logo's old school German design! It sets the perfect tone for their business, because let's be honest, we Germans really know how to do it up with the scary stuff...
...and because monsters are so good, here's a treat for everyone: A wonderful monster montage set to "The Imperial March." Enjoy!
My wife loves VP too.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteI am a big Vincent fan - so I completely understand.
I think I was drawn to the the scary movies because as a kid they were so different and interesting. Saturday morning cartoons never did it for me....give me a black & white Universal monster movie and I was in heaven.
To this day I still love watching the original Frankenstein. Those movies are the reason my yard is only black and gray - just trying to create that feeling in my own little world.
Cheers!
Hey those pins are really awesome, congrats!
ReplyDeleteMy allure to the darkside would have to be a whole perfect storm of elements really. Like many of us, for the first half of my life I was saturated with family oriented shows and movies by the media, but my parents never had any rules as to what I could or could not watch either which allowed me to delve in to such genre's like horror. This added to the fact that my real life back then was quite dark in itself. Themes that a lot of us took as "fantasy" or "extreme" in horror films were quite common-place not just in my own life but those I grew up with. So for a while it just seemed like horror movies were a bit more realistic or relate-able to me.
But then there's just the normal part about it too, to a young boy things like ninja weapons, Rambo, medieval armor, mutants, and superhuman strength and abilities are just too cool and horror movies seem to role with these ideas too.
I also feel like there are festive undertones to horror movies. Things like colorful flashing lights, fog, and a whole lot of running and screaming just seem like a bloody good time!
For me, it's the idea of the extraordinary lurking amongst the ordinary that stops life from ever becoming bland. Plus, the darkness is somehow reassuring because it must be balanced by the light. Without the bad, how can we appreciate the good?
ReplyDeleteThe Vincent Price pin is fantastic, by the way. I'm very glad I discovered your blog!
Copyboy ~ I've been surprised lately to learn just how many women are into Vincent! It's one of those things where I assume I'm the only one with a weird interest, but then it turns out that other people have good taste too. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe Frog Queen ~ Oh, how cool! I didn't know that your entire backyard was done in black and white. Do you mean the yard accessories, or black and white plants? You know what would finish off your look? A fog machine!
L ~ Thanks! Congrats to you too. I saw today that you won yet another prize. :) Hmm...your comment makes it sound like you've got a whole interesting can of worms in your past. I wouldn't be surprised if there are other people with our interests who had similar childhoods. I think that watching scary movies and sometimes developing a morbid sense of humor is a way of dealing with some life situations. So, I find your comment relatable. And yes, of course those are all fun things for younger boys too. (and some of us girls!)
Ha, yeah there is a festive feeling to some scary movies. I think Tim Burton has the whole festive undertones to scary subjects theme wrapped up! Well, it depends on who's doing the running and screaming, but sure!
Little Gothic Horrors ~ I love your first sentence! Yes, I think if you can manage to notice the extraordinary that lurks in everyday life, you're one of the lucky people. How bored must those with no imagination be? I agree completely, that without the bad we cannot appreciate the good. I ironically enough, wouldn't be the happy person I am today, if I didn't know that things could be a whole heck of a lot worse. Appreciation and gratitude are wonderful things.
Isn't that pin the best? I love the phrase on there too! Thanks so much. I'm glad to have you here. :)
Thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments so far - I look far to reading more of them!
Another fun and interesting read Justine.
ReplyDeleteWe love monsters here at Goth Clothes, in fact, I (D*) am a fabulous face painter and my specialty is Monster Faces! I love turning a sweet, innocent child into a raging, horrifying monster at fetes, carnivals and birthday parties! The best thing is the kids love it too!
Monster Rock On!
I've come to realize something, how can you NOT be into Vincent? :-)
ReplyDeleteGoth Clothes ~ Thank you! Oh, I'm sure the kids love being turned into little monsters. :) How fun! I'd love to see some photos of your face painting work. My email address is on the left side of my blog, so if you have any pictures that's where you can send them!
ReplyDeleteStacey ~ Haha, well I don't know, really. He's just the right amount of funny and classy. To me the attraction makes sense. You just never know what other people are thinking!
Vincent Price was definitely one of the all time creepiest actors.
ReplyDeleteOh, I guess he had his creepy moments, but in only the most non-threatening ways! As pure creepy goes, Bela gets my vote.
ReplyDeleteHe is absolutely fantastic at acting and incredibly charismatic, you see it in The Last Man on Earth where he is primarily the only character in most of the movie. How can Hollywood get someone to watch one man talk to himself for an hour and a half? Why give us a drunken Vincent Price of course! Brilliant brilliant actor!
ReplyDeleteCharismatic is just the right word. Elegant is another good one. I've actually never seen The Last Man on Earth. A drunken Vincent Price? That does sound interesting! I suppose a lot of people would end up drunk if they were the last person on earth. That movie sounds potentially depressing, but I'm sure he was great in it!
ReplyDeleteOk so i FINALLY got the name of the chateau its 'La Citadella La Ferriere' love the way it rolls off the tongue haha imagine a guys like 'hey wanna come to my chateau i live at the La citadella la ferriere oh la la' Woooo ok that was off topic....in anycase there ya go :P
ReplyDeleteOh loving the VP pin immma try and mentally steal that from you!!
Thanks for getting that name for me! I cannot wait to google this place. Haha, Yeah I imagine any guy who's using that line is pretty slick. It's all in the "ooh lala" right? ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, you can try but you're not getting it! I've already got a complete mental hold on it, myself. :)
oh by the way i talked to my friend and he said that if your looking for a good haunted haitian building to write about then apparent the City cemetery in Port au Prince is the best pick because there is prob more info on the web about haunting there than of the chateau..so if u like you shud def check that out :)
ReplyDeleteCool! I'll be sure to check into that as well. Is your friend living in Haiti now? He might be interesting to interview for that blog entry I'm planning, because it sounds like he has some personal experiences with the spooky side of Haiti. Do you think he'd be up for adding something to this?
ReplyDeleteUhmmm im not sure if he will but will def ask him and get back to you :)
ReplyDeleteGreat! Thanks for asking him. :)
ReplyDeleteThose are such awesome pins! I'm glad I stumbled on your blog, it seems very cool.
ReplyDeleteReal Queen of Horror ~ Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you like my blog. :) Your blog looks fun too, so I'm your newest follower! Yeah, aren't those pins great? I'm sure I'll be wearing all of them by the time October rolls around...
ReplyDelete