Mod Podge Coffee Table

I pride myself on 'planning' to do things. I always 'plan' to decorate for the holidays (Christmas and Halloween being the big ones), but always finding a reason to put it off until the big day is gone--and why would I be decorating for Halloween in November? This isn't a holiday themed post, however, it's a project I've been meaning to get to since I was 23. Buying a crappy coffee table and mod podging the hell out of it with horror lobby cards.

Not to worry. The cards were re-prints. I'm not a monster. Below is the table in question, a chipped piece of pressed wood junk I got from Goodwill for 5 bucks. Cleaned the surface and prepped my paint in a Halloween-themed paper plate.

Started by sloppily giving the edge of the tabletop a black coat just to cover up the worst of the scratches.

After that, because I had a crap-ton of paint leftover, figured I might as well use what I could just in case there were spaces in-between the lobby cards--or I gave up and decided I would just have a weird painted monster instead of a mod podge masterpiece.

Hey, those bits there kinda look like bats! Totally intentional.

Rounded edges on the table, so I had to use a hobby knife to trim the corners of the cards. Then globbed on the mod podge glue like there was no tomorrow. Quick tip - - an 8 oz bottle is never enough. Lesson learned.

Not gonna lie, halfway through I stopped caring about precision, and more about just finishing it. So I dumped half the bottle out.

 

Finished layering the cards. Wiped off the top to brighten up the pictures a bit. Sprayed some sealant and BOOM!

Close-ups...

Featured Fear: Acrophobia (Fear of Heights)

I do not fear heights. I love them. Roller coasters. Sky drops. Winding bridges. You name it, I love it. There's a certain adrenaline rush a person can get from scaling heights (that's probably why so many people love climbing hills and mountains.) All of that being said, this scene right here? Anxiety. Sheer painful (albeit comedic) anxiety. Every time I see someone dangling out of a window or over a roof in a movie, even one that reaches the very height of silly, I get incredibly anxious for the main character.

Jimmy Stewart gets it. Acrophobia is probably one of the most reasonable, and almost primal phobias a person can have. When you're afraid of the dark, it's the unknown that scares you the most. But heights? It's because your brain can probably play out a hundred thousand scenarios of just how brutal and grisly an accident could be if you fell. No matter how safe you may actually be.

It doesn't just stop with panic attacks. Acrophobia can be so intense, that a person becomes paralyzed, or stricken by extreme vertigo. The danger of this fear is that in some cases, being unable to control your body or force yourself to move may very well get you killed (say you're walking on a narrow perch or driving around an old road on a steep hill. Panicking isn't going to help.) Luckily, as with all phobias, psychotherapy, medication, exposure, and even meditation can help to ease the worst of your fears. Just remember. Don't look down.

Vintage Comics - Black Magic, Issue #2: The Cloak, Out of Your Mind (Pg. 18 - 26)

I get the impression this first story might have been influenced by a disgruntled tailor with a fussy customer. People, for the last time, if you turn around and find a store or building that you knew wasn't there the last time you looked--and there's an eery fog surrounding it, complete with appropriately perched blackbirds and wind chimes--do not go in, and do not buy anything. Or at least don't accept packages from mysterious gentlemen with sinister smiles.

Episode 41 - The Halloween Spook-Tacular, Part 3

In this episode, we discuss parts 5 and 6, in which Donald Pleasence plays his final roles in the Halloween series, and Michael gets multiple make-overs. But first, Maddy and Corey discuss the latest horror pack and do a dramatic re-enactment of a questionable fan fiction crossover.

Check out this episode!

Drive-In Trailers: Slash and Trash

With the Halloween-crazy trend this month, I decided it might be time to tackle slasher movie trailers. What better way to pay tribute to the movie that started it all than to look at some of the many, many, many great and campy movies it inspired? Okay, I admit the Sledgehammer clip isn't a trailer, but it would be a crime against humanity NOT to share at least a small clip of the 'masterpiece' that it was.

A Tribute to Robert Z'Dar

I don't think there is any actor with a more distinctive face than the late Robert Z'Dar. My first recollection of him wasn't his melodramatic bit role in Tango and Cash, nor was it his most famous part of all as the titular character of Maniac Cop. It wasn't even the super villain samurai in Samurai Cop (huh, just noticed a theme there.) It was an oddly-voiced side character in the MST3K take on Soultaker. Other than the forgotten Estevez (Joe), Robert just stood out. He always did. No matter the size of the role.

Robert J. Zdarsky acted in 121 films before his unfortunate and sudden passing at the age of 64 from cardiac arrest shortly before he was supposed to appear at Pensacon, a multi-genre convention in Pensacola, Florida. He was a man of many faces (especially the large-chinned variety), a college football player, a musician (singer/keyboardist/guitarist), a Chippendales dancer, a police officer, and most importantly--an actor.

He took his genetic condition (cherubism) and used it to his advantage. It didn't hold him back in the least as a character actor, and in fact added something really fun to his roles. Robert could never be mistaken for the good guy or the typical henchman (even when he was), and he had such a fantastic voice. He fought and beat throat cancer, which changed his voice irreversibly, but there was still something about his delivery despite this when he spoke, and his enthusiasm in his interviews was truly charming. I haven't found even one negative comment about Robert as a person, and I'm pretty sure he was probably a fun person to be around. Mister Z'Dar, you were one of a kind, and villain or not--you deserve to be remembered. Credit for the following tribute video goes to Vernon Williams.

Horror Flick of the Week: Vampire Party/Le Dents de la Nuit (2008)

I'm not going to lie. This movie is incredibly silly. It's also quite fun. What could be better than a hodge podge of strangers going to an exclusive late night party on an island out in the middle of nowhere? What if I told you Tchéky Karyo plays an evil vampiric count with the most glorious hair you'll ever see? Still not impressed? How about a magical spell-book that not only binds souls to Hell, but can also conveniently disguise you like a mariachi player or something else equally as ridiculous and fantastical?

Listen, it's just a fun movie. It's great for the Halloween season, and it's dark with enough of a light-hearted twist to leave you with only very mild nightmares at best.