Halloween Playlist

Goooood Eeeeeevening. (Said in creepy Vincent Price-voice)

It's behind me, isn't it?

Last night I set myself the task of compiling a Halloween playlist for the shop in which I work. For me, Halloween is about cheesy and spooky fun. I'm very much an Evil Dead 2 type person; meaning Halloween is equally goofy and creepy for me. So I wanted my playlist to reflect this. I also needed to make it long enough so that I would be stuck with the same ten songs on repeat for an entire day. Things might just have gotten scary then.

This face means it's all gone wrong for me.

I also wanted a wide variety of music, again, some creepy some fun. So I came up with an extensive list of songs, so hopefully there is something for everyone; young and old, living and dead.

Not gonna lie, some of these are pushing it ever so slightly... but it's my playlist so NYAH! to anyone who objects. I'll put the full list first, and then some categories for convenient perusing.

If anyone reads this and has some suggestions, do comment and tell me. You don't have to, but I'd like if you did. And if you were looking for some choons for your Halloween shindigs and shenanigans, I hope you find some cool ideas here.

CAT! SCARY!!! Wooooo!!!

Halloweenie Playlist -FULL LIST (Running time c. 4h 25mins)

Click on title to go to youtube vids of each song.

1. Kate Bush —"Mother Stands for Comfort"

2. The Misfits/Bobby 'Boris' Pickett — "Monster Mash"

3. KidneyThieves — "Before I'm Dead"(Queen of the Damned)

4. Kate Bush —"Get Out of My House"

5. Disney —"Who's Afraid of The Big Bad Wolf" (Three Little Pigs)

6. Bach — Toccata and Fugue in Dmin (Version from Disney's Fantasia)

7. Casper the Friendly Ghost theme

8. Queen —"Killer Queen"

9. Michael Jackson —"Thriller"

10. Roy Orbison —"Devil Doll"

11. Annie Lennox —"Love Song for a Vampire" (Bram Stoker's Dracula)

12. Addams' Family Theme

13. Backstreet Boys —"Backstreet's Back"

14. Imogen Heap/The Puppini Sisters —"Spooky"

15. Bjork —"Play Dead"

16. Emilie Autumn —"4 O'Clock Reprise"

17. Florence and the Machine —"Howl"

18. Rob Zombie —"Dragula"

19. Amy Studt —"Paper Made Man"

20. Kate Bush —"Hounds of Love"

21. Yann Tiersen —"La Valse des Monstres"(Amelie)

22. Danny Elfman —"Oogie Boogie's Song" (Nightmare Before Christmas)

23. Disney/Keith David —"Friends on the Other Side" (Princess and the Frog)

24. Imogen Heap —"Aha"

25. Koop —"Forces...Darling"

26. Michael Jackson —"Smooth Criminal"

27. Screamin' Jay Hawkins/Hocus Pocus —"I Put a Spell on You"

28. Rihanna —"Disturbia"

29. Marina & the Diamonds —"Living Dead"

30. Alexandre Desplat —"Lily's Theme"(Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt II)

31. Kate Bush —"Hammer Horror"

32. Hocus Pocus —"Come Little Children"

33. Disney —"Cruella de Vil" (101 Dalmatians)

34. David Bowie —"Magic Dance" (Labyrinth)

35. Frank Sinatra —"Bewitched"

36. B.O.B. & Rivers Cuomo —"Magic"

37. Kate Bush —"Coffee Homeground"

38. Scooby Doo Theme

39. Rocky Horror Picture Show —"Time Warp"

40. Sugababes —"Freak Like Me"

41. Mike Oldfield —"Tubular Bells" (The Exorcist)

42. Biffy Clyro —"Many of Horror"

43. The Cranberries —"Zombie"

44. Danny Elfman —"Bonus Theme Montage" (Nightmare Before Christmas) no video available

45. Alice Cooper —"Poison"

46. Oh Land —"Voodoo"

47. Stevie Wonder —"Superstition"

48. Camile Saint-Saens —"Aquarium"(Carnival of the Animals)

49. Danny Elfman —"This is Halloween" (Nightmare Before Christmas)

50. Kate Bush —"Wuthering Heights"

51. Rockabye Baby! —"Lithium" (Nirvana Cover)

52. Alice Cooper —"Feed My Frankenstein"

53. Danny Elfman —"Remains of the Day" (Corpse Bride)

54. Disney —"Higitus Figitus" (Sword in the Stone)

55. Disney —"Poor Unfortunate Souls" (Little Mermaid)

56. Jen Titus/Ralph Stanley —"O Death"

57. Kate Bush —"The Wedding List"

58. Meatloaf —"Bat Out of Hell"

59. The Munsters' Theme

60. Spiderman Theme

61. Disney —"Substitutiary Locomotion" (Bedknobs and Broomsticks)

62. The Specials —"Ghost Town"

63. Danny Elfman —"End Title" (Nightmare Before Christmas)

64. Bing Crosby/Disney —"The Headless Horseman"

65. Tom Waits —"Little Drop of Poison"

66. The Black Ghosts —"Full Moon"

67. Disney —"Opening Titles" (Gargoyles)

68. Lady Gaga —"Monster"

69. Ray parker Jr. —"Ghostbusters"

70. John Carpenter —"Halloween Theme" (Halloween)

Well, that was exhausting. 

Rock/Pop Songs

There are a great number of pop and rock songs on this list, some of them are stretching the premise a wee bit, but hey, if you've got a party it won't really matter, Lady Gaga repeatedly saying "Monster" or Marina chanting out "Dead, Dead, Dead!" will do the trick I'm sure. Kate Bush has lots of sinister/haunting songs, so she gets a few slots. "Spooky" is in there a couple of times, as well as classics like "Thriller", "Bat Out of Hell", "Superstition" and a few Alice Cooper bits. Queen also get a look in because, well, QUEEN. "Devil Doll"is slightly less well know but SUCH a good song that should listen to it. There's lots of songs to pick from. HOORAY!

TV Themes/Kids Songs

Scooby Doo, Munsters, Addams Family, Casper. Classics, all. I threw in the Gargoyles theme just because I love it so very much. And Gargoyles would make very interesting costumes... They're all just quick little gems that make you go "Oh my God! I remember that programme!". Can't really go wrong. A few Disney villain songs don't go amiss, especially "Friend on the Other Side" from Princess and the Frog. Non-Villain Disney songs are also there, from Sword and the Stone, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Basically these songs are more to appease those who don't look out of place trick or treating.

Instrumental/Soundtracks

Classic Halloween bits, like "Tubular Bells"from the Exorcist and John Carpenter's "Halloween theme". "Aquarium" from Carnival of the Animals is a very haunted house style piece, and Emilie Autumn's "4 o'clock" is lovely and dark spirited. You can't have a Halloween soundtrack without the Ghostbuster song. It's like, illegal I think. "La Valse des Monstres" from Amelie is there purely for the name. That, and it sounds really cute. 

I hope that this playlist is enjoyable and/or helpful to someone out there. 

Don't go too crazy, guys. 

NOTE: All of these songs were purchased by me via itunes or various cds, collected over time or bought specifically for this list. The only songs not purchased are things such as the Munsters or Scooby Doo themes, which weren't available for me to purchase. I don't condone nicking music, so please don't so it. :)

X

BIG absence from the blog, I'm afraid. Though no one reads this anyway Very sorry. But unfortunately we've lost three grandparents in just over a week (Bad luck, I know). But I'll post something good soon hopefully. Right now, I'll just leave you with a really great peom by Edna St. Vincent Millay. It sums up everything, pretty much.


Dirge without Music

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.

Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains, --- but the best is lost.

The answers quick & keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love,
They are gone. They have gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.

—Enda St. Vincent Millay

It's Peanut Butter Telly time! (I'm so sorry)

I haven't blogged in a wee while, but here's my excuse: It's been haaaaaaaaaaaard to think of something I could write about at length. But I suppose it takes practice to write regularly and well. It doesn't help that I've just decided to let this blog be about anything and everything, instead of giving myself some healthy 'artistic' boundaries, like music or beauty or books or sumfink.

But I have rediscovered telly in the past while, which I had neglected for my college years. And while that might not seem like a bad thing -TV often being a tool used to scrape thoughts out of heads -I had forgotten how good and not mind-numbing television CAN be. That's not to say I've been stocking up on Attenborough and QI only, and I do like my fair share of tosh like anyone else. What reconnected me with TV was ultimately Sherlock, the most gloriously well written, well acted and well executed programme that has been made in a veeeeeeery long time, but also Downton Abbey, which despite it's sentimentality is also beautifully performed and written. Don't like Downton? Well, then get off my train, I say. I like that show more than I do most people. Let me have my Downton and I'll let you have The Wire, ok?

Oh yeah, baby. That's the stuff.

Yeah, yeah, I know. The Wire is amazing and I'd totally love it if I watched it. Fair enough, that's probably true, but I don't have time to make that commitment, guys. I don't stream or download series, I watch them on TV or DVD like a pleb. Unless I can't find them and must resort to Youtube.

I am no saint.

But here are a few shows I've discovered/re-discovered, and think you'd like. (Downton and Sherlock aren't mentioned here because I literally could not express how much I love them. It is an achey type of love.) :

Dead Like Me
This series originally came out in 2003, when I was but a young, impressionable lass and it has coloured my life ever since. I think it was the first 'grown-up' tv show I really liked. After Sabrina the Teenage Witch came Dead Like Me, basically. I re-discovered this quite randomly on Youtube and watched both seasons of it in a week. The basic premise is that an eighteen year old girl named George is killed by a falling toilet seat from a space station (Hilariously dark, no) only to learn that after her death she is joining the ranks of the undead as a Grim Reaper of the souls of those about to die. It's quite a dark premise, but the series is actually a comedy with occasional dramatic bits. It's just so good, that I'm quite proud that thirteen year old me liked it. Go mini-me! The best part of the series of the cast, especially the lead actress Ellen Muth (despite being a bit... anorexic-y) and Callum Blue as Mason. Mason is one of those wonderful characters that just isn't pulled off well enough that often. He's a hilarious fuck up. Sweet, but a bit of a shit too. Callum Blue should have done A LOT better off of this character. What a wonderful, wonderful show whose time with us was all to brief.

Mason, Mason, Mason. 

Moone Boy
Everyone likes this show. It's just come out and everyone seems to love it. And they're right. It's a comedy that's not only funny, but it's also warm and life-affirming for reasons you can't quite understand. This show just makes you feel good. Everyone is nuts in their own special way, and life is much better because of it. It has that silliness rooted in real life that Father Ted had, which is probably why it's been hailed as the Second Coming of Ted. Chris O'Dowd is the man, pure and simple. Have I RAVED ENOUGH YET?! The second episode about the Mary Robinson election campaign is pretty much the funniest thing I've ever seen. And the character of Padraig, best friend to the lead character Martin, is the most beautiful little lad I've ever seen. What a legend. You will struggle to find anything quite as delightful as his Pat Shortt shtick as he gets his hair cut in episode two. Lad! God bless us Irish.  We are simply mad craic.

Hunderby
Julia Davis. Where have you been all this time, you mad 'wan? Anyone anywhere ever who says women can't be funny needs to be pointed swiftly in the direction of Ms Davis. She's dark and twisted and utterly hilarious. Basically this show is a fairly brutal satire of po-faced BBC period dramas (which I also love madly, by the way). A young woman named Helene with a dodgy past arrives in a puritanical village called Hunderby and promptly marries the truly awful vicar. She inconveniently then falls in love with the local doctor Graham. Julia Davis plays an amazingly evil housekeeper too. The whole this takes the piss fantastically of period dramas that always take themselves so seriously; gurning angst, gasping passion, jaw-dropping insults towards women said in a blasé way. You feel so guilty about laughing at so much of this, that you get quite the thrill of being naughty somehow.

Bad Sugar
Again, Julia Davis. Oh Julia, you wicked woman, you. This was just a pilot, again a pisstake of certain tv series, but by God, I really would love to more. This time poking fun at Dynasty-style rich family intrigue shows. I can't say too much about it, as it was only a pilot episode, but even the castlist would probably convince you to watch it: Julia Davis, Peter Serafinowicz, Sharon Horgan, Olivia Colman, Reece Shearsmith. Guys, that is a funny bunch. A really funny bunch.

The Tudors
Yeah, it was trashy, but God I do love a sleazy period drama. In my defense, it's mainly the first two series that I enjoy, particularly Natalie Dormer's Anne Boleyn. She is a frighteningly good actress with a totally hypnotic-looking face. This is the most in-depth and multi-faceted version of Anne Boleyn I've ever seen. Natalie Portman's Other Boleyn Girl can bugger right off. And for all it's trash, there's tons of politic and religious upheaval to prevent it from being all about wench-bothering. There is always a sense of momentum and direction, and I'll admit I looked up way more about the Tudor dynasty than I probably would have otherwise. As much of an idiot Jonathan Rhys-Meyer's seems to be, he is just the right person to play a fairly awful man, but with some redeeming qualities. I've only really bothered with the first two seasons, as I said, but I caved and got the boxset and will investigate the Dormer-less seasons with a fair eye.

So there you have it: The TV I've been loving lately.

Honourable mentions go to: Sinbad, Castle, Friends and the Big Bang Theory.

x

Skincare: SPF, Hygiene and Diet

Hello

My first couple of posts have been on more artsy (sorta) things, but I thought I'd share a little bit of my 'skin experience' with you also, as I do love make up and beauty blogs and all manner of frivolous things.

I especially love this.

For me, skincare is a relatively new thing. Since I started wearing make up at around age 17 or 18 (late bloomer, I know), I thought that I just had to remove the make up and my skin would be okay. I always had fairly good skin as a teenager, with only the odd spot or two at the most inconvenient times to prove to me that I am in fact mortal, but since getting out of my teens my skin has been waaaaaaaaay more reactionary than before to foods, environment, monthly hormones etc, and my make up wipe lifestyle just couldn't continue.


Earlier this year, someone took a picture of me at a party and then for a laugh, decided to zoom in on my nose. I was wearing make up (It was a party, after all), but the red bumps covering my nose were still visible thanks to that evil HD zoom. The power a lens can have on our lives must never be underestimated. I decided to change my ways.

This is that photograph.

I have normal/dry skin with some oily bits (my chin and around my nose) just so you know, so if you have super dry/oily skin some of the things I use might not be for you, but there will stuff you can benefit from, I pwomise! Because I was a latecomer to make up I think the damage I've done isn't so bad and can be fixed, but I've had to reform my wicked ways nonetheless. So here are a few things I've come across that have helped me improve my skin tenfold.

SPF

The Sun -Because screw you!

Listen, I live in Ireland where we pine after the sun all year long. It's not my fault that I thought SPF was only for when it was sunny, and therefore not important. I might have inherited slow tanning/generally-not-burny South African skin, but I gradually came to realise that while we Irish don't get the best of the sun, we do still get the worst of it: UV. Evil, bad, nasty UV Rays all day every day. Wearing a moisturiser/foundation/BB Cream with an SPF won't immediately and dramatically change your skin and as a result YOUR LIFE. But it does keep your skin healthy and helps slow down the auld aging process a teensy bit. So do make sure you wear it, even on no make up days. Most of the moisturisers I have have SPF in them now, and I especially like my Nivea Daily Essentials with SPF 15. Some moisturisers have SPF 20 (Avon, just so you know) or even 30 (A lot of BB Creams). Some foundations have SPFs too, which is great, but I'd recommend having SPF at moisturiser level also, because it sinks into your skin more and means you'll be protected even if you're not wearing any slap that day.

Hygiene

The importance of hygiene cannot be understated, pretty much ever. Thanks to what we know about hygiene these days we no longer have to die because of grubby doctors and nurses, or because we have outdoor toilets right beside our source of drinking water (although in many parts of the world that is still killing thousands -heavy, I know. But that's how important hygiene is). But it is the little extra hygienic things that also help to keep our skin nice. Our hands touch nearly a bazillion (roughly) things all day every day, so touching your face or picking your spots -admit it, we all do it - means you pass on whatever bacteria you've picked up along the way. This can aggravate your skin causing spots and irritation, so before you apply moisturiser, make up, lip balm or ANYTHING to your face, clean your damn hands.  You don't have to scrub them, just a quick wash in the loos or dollop of hand sanitising gel will get the job done. If you're prone to spots this will help a lot. Believe me. Even if you just lean your face on your hand in class/at work, having clean hands will save you so much bother.
Also, if you're having a particularly bad time with your skin make sure you change your pillow case every 2-4 nights. This might sound extreme, but because of dead skin cells and teeny tiny terrifying things that live in all our pillows, this will also help clear up things. Obviously if you only get the odd spot, you don't have to change the linens every 2 days, but if things are particularly bad at some point you'd best get that wash on.

Also, no one likes smelly people.

Diet

Drink lots of water yadda yadda yadda. We know we should drink more water, and in all fairness I do try to do this, but sometimes I don't drink enough at all. I promise I'll try to be better because it really does help. If your skin is troubling you: get glugging some water and it will help flush out toxins and the evil acne elves that live in your pores. Basically water is just good for you in practically every way -unless it's drowning you, of course. You can have a bottle/flask and sip it as you go through the day, or have a glass in the morning and with each meal if that's easier. Just find a way and you will reap the benefits.
Also you should eat FRUIT! Nature's sweet, sweet candy. We're always told to get 5-a-day of fruit and veg anyway, but most people find it easier to eat veggies because they go with meals, whereas fruits are generally 'snacks'. Some people even avoid fruit because of the naturally occurring sugars within fruits, because SUGAR IS THE DEVIL. But naturally occurring sugars are perfectly fine, so don't be afraid of them. Also many, many fruits have anti-oxidants in them that help give you a clear complexion. And no, I'm not just saying this because I read it somewhere one day, I'm saying it because when I started eating more fruit my skin genuinely started looking better. I noticed this and looked it up, and hey, turns out there's something to it after all. So get them apples, pears, grapes, oranges, nectarines, pineapples, whatever in t'ya!

Just don't look them in the eye before you do...

I'd also recommend drinking lemon juice (from a real lemon not a bottle) and honey together in warm water. It actually does taste nice (make it as sour or sweet as you'd like), and it does clear my skin of bumps and blocked pores if taken for a few days. Honey is also practically perfect in every way, so it's very good for you in terms of digestion. Win win!

 :)

Thanks for reading!

Irish Bollywood!!!

Last year all us Trinners (attendees of Trinity College Dublin) were informed that a big Bollywood blockbuster called 'Ek Tha Tiger' would be filming in Dublin, and that whole scenes and sequences would be filmed on our campus. I don't have a lot of experience with Bollywood movies, but any songs I've come across from that genre have always been a lot of fun to listen to and oddly beautiful in a way. So I was quite pleased that this was going on.

Here's a trailer for the film.

They blew up a Luas! How exciting is that?!

Quite action adventurey looking, isn't it? Needless to say I'm definitely gonna try to check this one out if it appears in cinemas in Dublin (which I'm fairly sure it will being that a chunk of it was filmed there).

As I traipsed around campus, panicked about enjoying my final year, I managed to catch a few glimpses of the filming, as well as spotting them a few times on Grafton St and other places. My clearest memory of it was thinking "God, she must be frozen", as I saw the beautiful lead actress walking around in a mini skirt and no tights. This is Ireland after all, so that poor woman is lucky to be alive after that. Tights save lives, people.

I was also in my music tech lecture as they filmed a song and dance number (which I later learned was entitled 'Banjaara'). The music dept in Trinity faces into the Front Square of the campus so we had a birds-eye view of what was going on, and yes, we all had a good look, lecturer included. We witnessed a mass gathering of students, faculty, bag-pipers (which is Scottish, not Irish but the way Bollywood fans), Kilkenny hurlers (my personal highlight), people in novelty Leprechaun hats, gardai and firemen.

I'm pleased to say that I've found 'Banjaara' in full on youtube so please do enjoy!

Trinty College Dublin, it's students and faculty in all their glory :)

I completely love this!

Thanks! 

x

Review: Abbey Theatre 'The Plough and the Stars'

Hello!

Here are my thoughts on the Abbey Theatre's latest production of Sean O'Casey's 'The Plough and the Stars', directed by Wayne Jordan, which has just finished up in the O'Reilly Theatre at Belvedere, but will continue on as a touring production for a little while longer across Ireland the UK. Info here: http://www.abbeytheatre.ie/.

Now, I will admit I didn't know much about Sean O'Casey or 'Plough' before seeing this, all I knew was that it was one of several plays by Irish playwrights that had incited riots and caused massive hoopla back in the day. I'm quite ashamed of that. I'm ashamed I don't know more of O'Casey's work, and that I haven't checked out more of my own country's dramatists, but I'm going to remedy that soon! Don't you worry about that now.

But on to the production. *Ahem*

First off, the cast is utterly wonderful. Honestly this the Mary Poppins of casts. Practically perfect in every way. The dynamic between each member is natural and effective, and it is by far the strongest element of this production, which is exactly as it should be. It works so well because the play allows for each of the 6 main characters to have their own time to develop, interact and shine. Joe Hanley's Fluther Good is a particular highlight; both funny and capable of a great depth of feeling. The character itself is intrinsically likable, being something of a lout with a heart of gold, but the charisma Hanley gives the character is very special. He gets ALL the best lines! What a lucky duck!

But what is especially nice about this play for me is the three beautifully written female leads: Bessie Burgess, Nora Clitheroe and Mrs Gogan. The actresses in these roles all excel, and Kelly Campbell's Nora is especially heart-breaking towards the end of the play, really shining in a character that in the wrong hands could have just become shrill and distracting. But truly, gold stars to the entire cast, from leads to supporting cast. Having seen absolutely top-notch plays in Ireland and the UK let down slightly by just one lose-end in the cast, I was really blown away by just how right the Abbey got this one. It is perfect. Even better than the SUPER cast I witnessed in this years Globe production of 'Richard III'.

The play itself was utterly engrossing, and despite my lack of knowledge I was sucked in from the very opening in which each character is introduced, to the very end in which two unfamiliar characters are left alone on stage. In my opinion, 'Plough's greatest asset is it's humour. The first half is dominated by a typically Irish sense of humour, and while politics, sad circumstances and poverty do rear their heads frequently throughout this first half, it is the humour that sets up each character and each situation. Through humour we come to know each of six leading characters, from the wonderfully dislikable Bessie, to the cheeky socialist Covey, and all the rest. By the end of the first half we have such a good idea of who these characters are that when things get far bleaker in the second act there are great emotional stakes.

The second half sees the characters attempting to weather the 1916 Rising, and while this half is overwhelmingly serious and emotional, it is the dark moments of humour that give some needed relief to the audience and to the characters. In fact, the brief moments of humour highlight the tragedy further as we realise that things cannot go back to as they were in the first half, and this is just a coping mechanism for the players in this situation.

Overall, this was a really satisfying and worthwhile production for me. I'd shied away from so much Irish theatre, and this production was exactly what I needed to see in order to show me what I was missing out on. Despite it's frequent emotional intensity, this is a very accesible play.  I laughed, I cried, and I pondered throughout. If anyone gets an opportunity to watch this production as it tours, I'd highly recommend it!

Disclaimer: I'm not a theatre critic by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love seeing plays and shows, and I think this production is thoroughly worth talking about. I hope it didn't come off as a bit wanky to anyone. At times I did feel like I sounded a bit Leaving Cert English :S

Thanks!

Ahoy-hoy!

Welcome to the blog.

Here I'll post little snippets of things from time to time. Anything and everything from music to drama to make-up to art to fashion to current events to goings on to feminism to books to poetry to cute animals to wonderful people to theatre to random thoughts that pop into my head.

I'll try to make it as interesting as possible. You never know, someone might actually read this someday!

Love,

Ellie