Happy Halloween!

This is Niamhy, hoping you have a frighteningly spooktacular Halloween! 

(Jeepers, that sounds so cheesy! Not done intentionally!) 

MWAHAHAHAHA!

Quote Of The Day!

One from The King Of Awesome Creepiness With His Wonderfully Ghoulish Voice And Laugh, Mr. Vincent Price!

'It's as much fun to scare as to be scared.'

This is pretty awesome

 

Creepy Movies To Watch At Halloween: And Then There Were None!

I love, love, LOVE this movie! And I'm not sure if it can possibly be deemed creepy, but it has an amazing Halloween-like atmosphere!

This is an adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel-need I say more? It was written by freakin' Agatha Christie-it was bound to be awesome! And it lives up to it's expectations. The cast is just fantastic-they compliment each other really well and they are all wonderful character actors (I mean, Judith Anderson? She is the queen of character actors!).

That little ornament FREAKS THE HELL OUTTA ME!

And the story-oh, what can I say about the story? Simply not enough! It's just too perfect for words! I'm amazed Mr. Hitchcock himself didn't jump at the chance to direct it! I remember watching it, and afterwards when I was trying to explain to people the amazingness of it I had no words. That's how amazing it was-I never have no words (as all my poor dears know-they all can't wait to get rid of me to give their ears a rest)!

I'm so curious as to what she was knitting...

Honestly, if this movie was a male I would probably marry it-that just proves how perfect I think it is! Do I even need to say I recommend you watch it?!

Quote Of The Day!

This one from Vera Miles is coincidental considering the final line in Psycho, don't you think?

'I couldn't kill a fly.'

 

Creepy Movies To Watch At Halloween: Vertigo

This is one of the creepiest movies I have ever seen, if not THE creepiest. I saw it for the first time when I was about eight, and it has scarred me for LIFE!

Everything about it creeps me out-seriously, what is not creepy about this movie? Bell towers are creepy. Hanging from a rooftop is creepy. Jimmy Stewart is creepy. Kim Novak is creepy. And this...THIS IS THE CREEPIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN AND PROBABLY EVER WILL SEE IN MY LIFE:

Carlotta Valdes is the single spookiest thing ever (you can imagine my initial reaction when Carlotta followed me on Twitter! I love you Carlotta, really!). And that final scene! Woah! Little Eight-Year-Old Niamhy was so terrified she started crying. Yes, that nun made me cry. Like a baby. I still feel like crying sometimes when I watch-even when I think about that scene (but I hold it in for fear of what we would call 'slegging' or 'heckling').

Did I mention that this is one of my brother's favourite movies? He thinks it is sheer brilliance! And I think it is quite brilliant too, even if it is OUT OF THE ORDINARY, EXTREMELY, UNBELIEVABLY, FATALLY CREEPY!

Quote Of The Day!

One from Vlad himself, Mr. Bela Lugosi!

'I have never met a vampire personally, but I don't know what might happen tomorrow.'

 

Creepy Series To Watch At Halloween: The Twilight Zone!

I know I said I was going to blog about movies, but how can I exclude The Twilight Zone? It is the epitome of creepiness!

The Twilight Zone is the best TV show ever. No doubt about it. Don't even question this statement, because it is the truth.

It is just so awesome! The stories are excellent-some of the writing is just wonderful (check out season 1, episode 2-The One For The Angels-it's so gorgeous yet creepy; it made me cry!). Also, the acting is pretty great (even if somewhat animated!), and Rod Serling's narration is easily recognisable (and slightly unnerving...darn it, I used the ellipses again!).

Kind of reminds you of the dream sequence in Spellbound, doesn't it?

Really, you can watch The Twilight Zone all year round, but watching it at Halloween multiplies the shivers by about ten million-I would love to watch a Twilight Zone marathon on Halloween night!

(PS-strangely, a guy on a politics show my dad is watching just mentioned The Twilight Zone. Weird...)

Quote Of The Day!

One from the gorgeous Mia Farrow!

'Life is about losing and about doing it as gracefully as possible...and enjoying everything in between.' 

I'll probably never watch this movie-I'm a scaredy-ba!

Happy Birthday, Teresa Wright!

Happy birthday to Teresa Wright, aka the lovely Young Charlie in Shadow of a Doubt! I've been in a very Charlie mood today, haven't I?!

LOVE what she's wearing!

Creepy Movies To Watch At Halloween: Gaslight (1944)!

All this week I will be reviewing (well, trying to review!) some great (not exactly horror) movies to watch at Halloween. The first movie in this series is Gaslight (1944). 

Whoever painted these faces really needs to get their eyes checked!

Gaslight (or Murder In Thornton Square) tells the story of Paula Alquist, a young woman who moves into the house her aunt was murdered in ten years beforehand with her husband to begin a new life. However, she begins to hear strange noises in the night and the gaslights keep darkening. She soon begins to go insane...(over use of elipses, I know!)

The acting in this movie is simply superb, with Ingrid Bergman's wonderful interpretation of a woman plummeting into the pits of insanity earning her an Oscar, and Angela Lansbury's debut turn as a sly, immature housemaid getting her her first nomination. But who really stands out for me is the ever-consistent Mr. Joseph Cotten.

I mean, seriously, is this man ever not brilliant? He's brilliant in Shadow of a Doubt, he's brilliant in Citizen Kane (so brilliant that I didn't even realise Uncle Charlie and Jedediah Leland were the same person!), and he's brilliant in this. The man is just consistently brilliant! (I've used the word brilliant so much that it doesn't mean anything anymore...but that's the best word to describe Joseph Cotten!)

The set is cleverly cluttered with bric-a-brac and bits-and-bobs to symbolise Paula's claustrophobia and need to escape. It's extremely effective-I started to feel claustrophobic just watching it! I actually started to feel myself go insane!

This movie is perfect for anyone who is terrified at the thought of sitting through a horror movie...or for anyone who is trying to get a friend or family member to sit through a creepy movie this Halloween. Simply tell them it's a film noir!

Quote Of The Day!

All this week I'm going to be posting quotes by people famous for being in horror movies. This first one is from Anthony Perkins (and it's oh so very sweet!):

'[part of his last letter, given to his sons after his death] Boys, don`t try to find a woman as wonderful as your mother to marry because if you do, you`ll stay single your whole lives.' 

....AAAAAAWWWWWW! 

Oh, and all the images are going to be of the characters they play in the movies!

Quote Of The Day!

This one from Rosalind Russell!

'Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death.'

 

To All Lovers Of Jamaica Inn (1939): There's A New Fan In Town!

I have been informed by Millie over at Classic Forever that there are approximately four fans of Alfred Hitchcock's 1939 adaptation of Jamaica Inn on this earth. Well, all four of you will be excited to hear there is now a fifth!

This movie has been voted one of the worst movies ever made. I honestly don't see how it can come to that! Yes, the movie has its flaws but it isn't 'one of the worst movies ever made'! Sheesh! (;-D)

Maureen O'Hara is wonderful in what is her first starring role under the name of 'Maureen O'Hara' (she was in a movie called The Irish Molly credited as Maureen Fitzsimons). I think she portrays Mary Yellan excellently, alternating between many different emotions smoothly all in one scene. Charles Laughton is the very comical villain, Sir Humphrey Pengallan. I couldn't help but laugh each time he appeared on screen, yet feel slightly terrified of him also (yes, I'm a bit of a scaredy-ba. And this is an Irish word which no-one will probably understand.)! I also liked how Joss was portrayed-you loathed him, but you could also sympathise with him. I didn't feel like this at all when I read the book (I was just terrified of him!).

What I don't understand is why Mr. Hitchcock didn't stay true to the novel. There were many HUGE differences between the book and the movie-and one which really confused me was why Jem Merlyn suddenly became Jem Trehearne! Okay, maybe not the most important thing in the story, but I love how Daphne Du Maurier wrote the scenes between Mary and him. It was quite awkward, as she could see her Uncle Joss in him, yet was helplessly falling in love with him all the same (darn it, my romantic side has been coming out a lot this week!). There were lots more differences, but I don't want to ruin the book for anyone (which I recommend you read, like, now!).

No-one else find it rather ironic that Robert would go on the play Long John Silver?!

Overall, I rather loved Jamaica Inn, and found it a very enjoyable viewing. Now, I'm going to come out of movie-reviewer mode and say, 'THIS MOVIE ROCKS! DON'T DISMISS IT!' That is all.

Quote Of The Day!

This is from the uber-talented Oscar Levant!

'I envy people who drink-at least they know what to blame everything on.'

That's two alcohol related quotes...hmm...

Quote Of The Day!

Courtesy of Joan Crawford! 

'Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell.'

 

Quote Of The Day!

One from (I apologise in advance, Millie!) Marlon Brando:

'Never confuse the size of your paycheck with the size of your talent.'

I love this quote, because it is very true!

  

Do Not Follow The Yellow Brick Road: It's A Trap!

I want to begin by apologising to both my in-the-flesh friends and my Twitter friends. These wonderful people have endured my rants and ravings for the past three months and attempted (and most of the time succeeded!) in making me feel better. You have been very supportive-thank you!

Now, for the reason why I have been acting like Demon Niamhy, we have to go way, way back to 1900 to meet a man called L. Frank Baum. This is him:

Now, L here was a very imaginative person. He had a pretty crazy mind. And here's how I know:

Yes, this man wrote The Wizard Of Oz (or The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, which is the title of the children's novel)-now you know why I believe he is crazy! We can now make a connection between him and my rant.

In June, my school auditioned people for roles in their production of The Wizard Of Oz, and me, being a member of the choir, having music lessons, and being interested in drama, decided to try out. I became a munchkin. And no, not just any old munchkin. I became a member of the Lullaby League. Remember these little girlies here?

Sorry, bad picture!

Well, I was one of these guys. For three months. Practically 24/7. I eventually lost the plot. And looked a lot like this most of the time:

It was very hard work, and a lot of it! And at the time, I bloomin' hated it. I was EXHAUSTED! Then came the actual week of the show...

It was the final night, and we were all hanging around in the wings, waiting to hear the overture to signal the beginning of the show. It was eventually played, and I realised that this may be the last time I'm skipping down the non-existent yellow brick road, wearing my ridiculous costume, laughing idiotically. By the end of the night, I looked like this:

Another bad picture. Sorry!

I couldn't quit bawlin' (said like Clark Gable in It Happened One Night-OBVIOUSLY!)! It just goes to show you...actually, I don't know what this goes to show you. This was actually a really pointless post, but I needed to get it off my chest. Thank you for reading it anyway, and listening to my problems. Oh, and look forward to more regular, non-quote posts in the future!

P.S-I'm not depressed anymore-I'm back to my usual happy self!

Quote Of The Day (and Happy Birthday, Joan Fontaine)!

Happy 93rd birthday to the delightful Joan Fontaine! Here's a quote from her:

'I hope I`ll die on stage at the age at 105, playing Peter Pan.'

What a way to go, eh? 

What a fantastic hat!

Quote Of The Day!

There has been a lot of conversation about Gone With The Wind on Twitter lately, and so Vivien Leigh has been in my head. So here's one from her:

'Life is too short to work so hard.'

I say we all practice what Vivien preaches! (I kind of want to watch Streetcar now...)

 

Quote Of The Day!

Seeing as everyone on Twitter at the moment seems completely head over heels in love with him, here is a quote from Errol Flynn:

'It isn't what they say about you, it's what they whisper.'

  
Answer me this (I'm not very up-to-date with my Errol facts!), did the guy have an extremely bad reputation?! 

 

Quote Of The Day!

One from the queen of shower scenes-Janet Leigh (dammit, I should have left this for next week, huh? Ah well!)!

'In order to dream, you need to have a springboard which is the facts... It gives it that touch of reality, and I think that's quite important... truth with fiction.'

Ah...dreaming is one of the highlights of my day...

  

Quote Of The Day!

Jack Lemmon is too cool!

'If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.'

 

Happy Birthday, Rita Hayworth and Montgomery Clift!

Happy birthday to the gorgeous Rita Hayworth (who I only discovered recently was once Mrs. Orson Welles-why was I not aware of this?!) and to the lovely Montgomery Clift (another one of my granda's favourite actors)!

This one is obviously Rita

And this one is obviously Monty

Quote Of The Day!

Oh no-a birthday boy and a birthday girl today! Okay, I think I'll go with the birthday girl-Rita Hayworth!

'We are all tied to our destiny and there is no way we can liberate ourselves.'

I don't know whether I believe in destiny or not (I think mostly I do-I'm so indecisive!)-what do you guys think?

 

Quote Of The Day!

Very clever, Mr. Sinatra, very clever!

'Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy.'

 

Quote Of The Day!

Yay!

'Above all else, deep in my soul, I'm a tough Irishwoman.'

Go, Maureen! 

Quote Of The Day (and Happy Birthday, Roger Moore)!

One from the birthday boy!

'Some are blessed with musical ability, others with good looks. Myself, I was blessed with modesty.'

Happy birthday, Mr. Templar!

  

Happy Birthday, Robert Walker!

Happy birthday to one of my favourite Hitchcock villains-ROBERT WALKER (well, Bruno Antony, but you know what I mean)! This guy is just terrific-he can be unbelievably creepy, yet you also feel so sorry for him! He is just fantastic in Strangers On A Train-one of my joint first place favourite Alfred movies!

Quote Of The Day!

A quote about quotes from Marlene Dietrich!

'I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself.'

 

Quote Of The Day!

One from witty William (oh, I love alliteration)!

'I highly recommend worrying. It is much more effective than dieting.'

This guy had some pretty fancy facial hair, huh? 

Quote Of The Day!

One from lovely Marilyn-I think this is the first time she has been mentioned on this blog!

'I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot!'

Definitely-we worship you, Mr. High-Heel Creator (my vintage-fashion side just suddenly took over...)!

My Favourite Actresses!

Once again, I can only ever think of three women when someone asks who my favourite actress is. So I'm going to make a document of them, so that the next time someone asks me I shall say, 'Check my blog!'

1. Audrey Hepburn

Style, elegance and class. Oh, and by the way, Mrs. Emma Thompson, she could so act!

2. Ingrid Bergman

Ingrid was just amazing! I honestly think she could act out a Chinese takeaway menu-and it would be Oscar-worthy!

3. Grace Kelly

 This princess had some serious acting chops!

4. Doris Day

Miss Day just lit up the screen. Plus she was versatile-she could do comedy, musicals, drama-you name it, she could do it!

5. 'Tippi' Hedren

Alfred Hitchcock's girl, Tippi made me give every bird that passed a dirty look. And made me feel sorry for horses.

6. Gene Tierney

In truth, I have only seen one Gene movie (Laura), but she was wonderful in it, and so she makes the list. But damn her overbite. 

7. Natalie Wood

(In no particular order!) I loved her in Miracle On 34th Street. I hated her in Rebel. I loved her in The Searchers. I didn't know how I felt about her in West Side Story. That's what I call acting.

8. Thelma Ritter

Thelma was one of those people who made a non-important character the most memorable in the movie. She's the first person I think of when someone mentions  'Rear Window'!

9. Lauren Bacall

When Mrs. Bogart is on screen you simply cannot take your eyes of her! She is just fantastic!

10. Celia Johnson 

Dearest Celia was in very few movies (she's best known for stage acting), but her acting in the movies she was in was just unbelievable! When you watch her your heart can't help but break into tiny little pieces!


You will be hearing from me about these wonderful ladies in the very near future! 

Oh, I just realised I didn't mention Bobby Dar...haha!