With the upcoming release of my debut YA mystery novel, Football Sweetheart, I thought it would be fun to use this week’s Friday FabOoolousness post to share a few of my favorite movies about high school.
It all started for me when I was a little girl. The movie may have been released when I was a baby, but it wasn’t long before I was singing along with Sandy and Danny…
And while many have agreed the sequel didn’t hold a candle to the original, I’m not ashamed to admit that I liked it too and can still remember the musical numbers. Just ask my guy…
And then in 1984, John Hughes’ movies came into my life, some even stole my heart. Yes, I said movies—plural. I still watch every single one of these every opportunity I get. If I still had a working VCR, I could watch them whenever I wanted…
And let’s not forget the non-John Hughes films…
As I got a little older, I turned to the more mature themed high school movies…
And I wouldn’t be myself without adding at least one slasher to the list…
And let’s not forget about the football movies…
Now as an adult, I appreciate one particular older film just as much as any of the above. I can see why it’s a classic…
What are some of your favorite movies about high school? What makes them so special? I’d love to hear from you!
Come back next week when I share a few of my more recent favorites… you know, high school movies that have come out since the ’90s…
Welcome to the first edition of 2012’s MarvelOoous Mashups. We spent the last few months of the year keeping to holiday themes, but now we’re back to sharing the writing and entertainment links that stood out and provided us with great information.
A few of these posts were published months ago, but we held onto them here at the Ooo Factor because the content of these bloggers is definitely worth the wait. Be sure to click on these fabOoolous links featured today in the January edition of MarvelOoous Mashups!
PART I: FabOoolous Writerly Posts
E-Book pricing is a heated debate right now. We’ve seen multiple blogs discussing whether or not free is a good thing, but these publications didn’t really help the rest of us looking to self-publish who want to know exactly how to price our work. Not until we read E-Book Pricing by Ruth Harris and another E-Book Pricing post by Dean Wesley Smith. Finally, some food for thought.
Before writing, many of us would question whether or not writer’s block is an actual disease. Well, maybe it’s not a disease, but it does happen. Heidi Cohen helps writers Fight the Writing Demons with challenges we can overcome.
One demon I wouldn’t mind battling while writing…okay, so he’s not a “writing” demon.
Show, Don’t Tell. Speak to the Reader. These are all things important to our manuscripts that we’ve heard as writers. But how does a writer add psychological power to his or her writing, or speak to the reader’s subconscious? Margie Lawson tells us how and provides fabOoolous examples in her guest post over at Jenny Hansen’s Cowbell.
Feel like getting to know a New York Times Best Selling Author? Piper Bayard takes us one-on-one with Sandra Brown in this fantastic interview. Sixty of her books have made it onto the NYT Best Selling List!?! Oh, to dream…
With Sandra Brown at DFWcon 2011
What makes a story a mystery? A thriller? A romance? Genre is a very important aspect of all writing; it’s actually the first question anyone asks when we announce that we are writing a story – What are you writing? Learn what makes up a few of the different genres here in Genre Matters by Kristen Lamb.
Another hot topic in the world of writing involves the different publishing methods available to writers today. Will self-publishing phase out the traditional publishing houses? What does the future have in store for us?Lynn Kelley takes a look at her Publishing Choices and includes a couple of great blurbs and links from other writers and agents for the rest of us worried about taking that next big step.
As if the perils of writing, e-book pricing, and publishing aren’t stressful enough, where would writers be without the important step of editing – and editing correctly? Girls with Pens (the great Marcy Kennedy and Lisa Hall-Wilson) share 6 Steps for the Final Edit and the ever important 5 Ways to Show and Not Tell. Seriously. Read these.
PART II: FabOoolous Recipes and Crafts
Who doesn’t like to order Bread Pudding when dining out at a nice restaurant? Well, now we don’t have to wait for that special date night! Instead, Amber West cooks up this homemade dessert for our very own private recipe list!
Looks good to me!
Ever enjoyed a Cupcake Martini? Jillian Dodd shares this delicious recipe, including a rim of icing. Seriously. Yum.
Looking to fill the day with something other than work? Why not get crafty and creative with Custom Coasters like these man-cave favorites designed by Amber West.
Amazing!
Part III: FabOoolous True Crime Stories
Comics about Jeffrey Dahmer? Songs about Charles Manson? Yes, they do exist. Catie Rhodes shares a few shocking true stories about Murder and Pop Culture adaptations, including the actual crime that inspired the movie Scream.
We always hear about all the open cold cases that have never been solved. We even watch television shows including A&E’s Cold Case Files and the former CBS series Cold Case to see authorities working diligently years later to find closure for these victims. So why not celebrate a few Solved Cold Cases, courtesy of Stacy Green.
Part IV: Just Because They’re fabOoolous
There has been a lot of Buffy talk on Twitter lately, and for good reason – Buffy rocks. Luckily for those who haven’t watched the fabOoolous vampire slayer kick some serious butt and fall in love with multiple bad boys with bite (awe, Angel and Spike – how we miss thee!), Lyn Midnight takes the time to Break Down Buffy for us.
It seems we’re always watching movies about teen rebellion. But when Catie Rhodes mentions that Over the Edge is the 1970’s version of Rebel Without a Cause, how can we resist watching? Better yet, Catie explains that the story is inspired by actual events AND that the Nirvana hit “Smells like Teen Spirit” was based on the tale. Interesting, right?
Time for the Sci-Fi Battle Royale: Who would win – Captain Kirk or Captain Picard? Jen L. Kirchner places the two Star Trek captains side by side and offers her opinion on the matter. Who do you think would win?
Who read the Choose Your Own Adventure stories growing up? We did, which is only one reason why we love Zombies over at Mark Lidstone’s blog. Each week, Mark posts another chapter in Victoria’s attempt to escape the post zombie apocalyptic world, and our votes help guide him through to the next week’s story. Vote now!
What blogs have you read lately that have really stood out? Have any good blog posts for writers regarding self-publishing or e-books that you’d like to share? How about a favorite true crime story that inspired Hollywood to make a movie? We’d love to hear from you!
Answering this very question incorrectly cost Drew Barrymore’s character her life in Scream.
It all started in 1980, when innocent camp counselors worked to open an old camp site; a camp that had been closed after a young boy, Jason Voorhees, drowned in the lake. How did Jason drown? Two camp counselors that were supposed to watch him decided to have sex instead. Devastated by her son’s death, Jason’s mother, Mrs. Voorhees took matters into her own hands to ensure the camp didn’t open again — to protect other children from counselors who were more interested in their summer shenanigans than watching the children. One by one, she stalked the unaware teenagers, placing blame on each of them for her son’s death. Mrs. Voorhees managed to brutally murder each counselor — all except for one. Alice managed to escape Mrs. Voorhees’ murderous rampage and turned the tables on the crazed mother. In what began the true Friday the 13th style, Alice decapitated Mrs. Voorhees’ with a machete.
And then begins the Curse of Camp Crystal Lake.
In Part II, the supposed dead son of Mrs. Voorhees, is actually an adult, and very much alive. Following in his mother’s footsteps, Jason slaughters Alice, his mother’s murderer, and returns to Camp Crystal Lake. He lives in peace, until years later more teenagers arrive to open the camp — BIG mistake.
Part III picks up right where II ended, and is crucial to the series. Why? Jason finds a hockey mask, the hockey mask, to cover his disfigured face. Jason continues to slice through dozens of teenagers over the years, proving he’s invincible along the way.
The series continues with: Part IV: The Final Chapter, Part V: A New Beginning, Part VI: Jason Lives, Part VII: The New Blood, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Part IX: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, and Part X: Jason X. With twelve feature films and a television series, Friday the 13th is considered one of the most successful franchises in movie history.
Twenty-three years later, the franchise continued with a match-up that fans had been talking about for years: Freddy vs. Jason. The battle of the century takes place in both Freddy’s dream world, and Jason’s home, Camp Crystal Lake, with only one victor. Or was there?
In 2009, Friday the 13th was reborn again. The newest installment featured popular television stars for the new teenage audience: Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester, Supernatural), Amanda Righetti (Grace Van Pelt, The Mentalist), and Danielle Panabaker (Julie Stark, Shark). The film didn’t disappoint this Friday fan, and had classic elements of the older versions — most recognizably, Jason’s resurrection after being buried in the water, from which he rises and grabs a survivor before the screen fades to black. Did you jump?
In addition to the machete and the hockey mask, what is the other most famous element of Friday the 13th and Jason Voorhees?
“Ki ki ki, ma ma ma” – The dreadful, eerie, creepy music. There have been many debates over what the actual sounds of the Jason music are. The ‘ki’ sound comes from the word ‘kill’ and the ‘ma’ sound from “mommy’; a line in the original movie spoken by Mrs. Voorhees in her child’s voice, “Kill her mommy!”
Unknown actors are often cast in slasher films early in their careers. The Friday franchise is no different. Who are two very famous Friday alums today?
Kevin Bacon (I)
Corey Feldman (IV and V)
Jason Voorhees remains one of the most frightening characters today. He’s gigantic, has super strength, obtains supernatural abilities, and isn’t afraid to kill. He always has his machete, but he will also never shy away from bows and arrows, spears, pitchforks or chainsaws: anything that will cut right through his victims.
Despite all the death, someone always manages to escape Jason’s clutches. Wanna know the secret, kids? I’ll give you a hint – the same rules apply from the movie Scream. Don’t believe me? Watch & see!
Do you think of Jason when you go camping? Will you ever send your child to a summer camp on Crystal Lake? Who do you think is stronger and more dangerous – Jason or Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise? Which Friday movie was your favorite & why? I’d love to hear from you!
Who doesn’t like scary movies? Jumping in their seats? Covering their eyes?
Growing up in the 1980s, I remember staying up late with my girlfriends and watching Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween. Here we are twenty years later, and we still have late-night watch-a-thons at least once a year and we watch those very same movies. A few of the sequels lost the original’s “Boo” factor, but that didn’t stop us from catching as many as possible. Maybe we simply like nostalgia, or maybe we simply love a great scary movie!
The scary movie genre fell a bit silent in the early 1990s, but in December of 1996, a new era began with the screenplay magnificence of Kevin Williamson, and the directing brilliance of Wes Craven with Scream.
The intensity of Scream opened immediately with Drew Barrymore’s scene, and continued throughout the entire movie – the piercing ring of the telephone, the horrifying sound of the digitized voice, the mystery behind the long, black cloak, and that creepy mask.
The mask — That Ghostface mask still frightens me to this very day. I absolutely love Halloween, and opening the door to see all the creative children; but not Ghostface! I have to force a smile while I hesitantly place yummy candy in Ghostface’s pillow case. Anyone else notice that? Ghostface always has a pillow case at Halloween, not a jack-o-lantern — why a pillow case? What’s in the pillow case? Would I be so afraid of that pillow case if Ghostface wasn’t so spooky?
What’s another of the most impressive aspects of Scream? The whodunit mystery — Billy did it! No, Principal Himbry did it! No, is Gale doing it? No, maybe it’s Cotton? It’s Randy! No, who is the killer? It’s Billy! Oh, and Stu? And, cue the Ah-Ha moment — Brilliant!
Who remembers Randy’s rules?
1) Never have sex
2) Never drink or do drugs
3) Never, ever say “I’ll be right back”
Having watched scary movie after scary movie, I absolutely loved the obvious, satirical, slap-in-the-face cliché moments in Scream. Combining the terror of the anticipation of Ghostface with the laugh-out-loud comedy, Scream left its mark in movie FaBOOolousness.
Sequels usually don’t carry the same power as the originals; however, Scream 2 sure didn’t fail Scream in terms of the whodunitmystery. It’s definitely not Billy & Stu….or is it? Is it Gale? No, is it Randy? No, it’s Derek. Nope! It is…. and Scream 3, the only installment not written by Kevin Williamson, took a different approach. While it wasn’t nearly as successful with the whodunitmystery, I still had the killer pegged wrong.
Scream paved the way for scary movies, and luckily, today the scary movie industry is still going strong. Now, here’s to you, Scream 4: Sidney’s back, Dewey’s back, and Gale’s back. I can’t wait! We’re going Saturday…are you?
What’s your favorite scary movie & why? I’d love to hear from you!
When I lost my job in 2010, I decided there would not be a better time to embark on my next journey. I immediately started my first manuscript, a story I’ve dreamed of telling since college. The writing came naturally, but then I started to ask myself – what’s next?
In November, I registered to attend DFWcon, and hoped to answer just that. My friends had always laughed at my refusal to set up a Facebook account, and one friend harped on me for years that I needed to blog. So, I faced my fears, and walked into a Branding and Social Media Introduction class led by Kristen Lamb.
Kristen Lamb
At the conference, I heard over and over again that social media leads the way, and helps aspiring authors build their community & platform. If people like you, they’re more inclined to buy your novel. Isn’t that what all writers want?
So I bit — I took a big bite for me — I enrolled in Kristen Lamb’s online workshop. For thirty days, she provided her FabOoolous insight and held my hand as I took baby steps into social media. And I mean baby steps. I think they may have coined the saying, “there’s no such thing as a stupid question,” for me; to make me feel better. At the end of the first month, I started panicking. I wasn’t ready to go out on my own! Kristen proved herself even more FabOoolous when she extended the workshop for another thirty days. Whew! That was music to my ears!
Now, thirty-six days in, I have tweeted, blogged, and Facebooked. I have officially joined the 21st century.
Kristen Lamb knows what she’s talking about.
Facebook is one thing; I found most of my old elementary, high school, and college friends, and have built my community around them. And you know what? I should have joined years ago. I’m having a blast catching up with everyone!
But Twitter? Day one, I had two followers. Two weeks later, I am just shy of 200! I have met hundreds of writers who are just like me. What a relief, I am not alone! I love reading their posts, and have found so many useful tips by simply following the writing community on Twitter.
And the blog – I was probably the most nervous about blogging. I’m not an expert in anything, so what do I blog about? Kristen recommended that I reach out to friends and family and build a list of 100 words that described me: my very own spaghetti sauce ingredients. What a fun exercise! The word that most of my dearest replied with was opinionated. I have to laugh, there’s no surprise there! With my list, I built my platform.
My Platform = My Opinion
Week one, I had over 470 visits to my blog. To me, that is amazing! And now, I’m blogging two posts a week:
Tiffany’s Tele-Tuesday – where I give my opinion based on my addiction to television
Friday FabOoolousness – where I give my opinion based on all other things fabOoolous (authors, books, movies, sports, etc.)
I didn’t know Kristen Lamb in February, but today I have the honor of saying I do.
Tiffany A White's Ooo Factor 