Awards, Zombies, and Dario Argento

Just some randomness today at FWF.

First and foremost I feel I must say a proper thank you to a few more people who have bestowed more awards on me. I have told them via comments on their blogs and such, but dammit that's just not enough. It's been a helluva January for us horror bloggers;)

To BJ-C at Day of the Woman, I thank her for the awe-inspiring 'Fantastically Frightening' award that she created and I was lucky enough to be a recipient of.



Here's what she had to say about this blog:
"The Blog that gives me a small heart attack when I leave my speakers on: FASCINATION WITH FEAR!
Chris has added this nifty thing to her blog called trailers on the sidebar. I should know by now that she has them but every time I go to her site, I forget and the sound of the trailers gives me a small heart attack. So she LITERALLY has the most frightening site:D"

Thanks, BJ-C!! And it is so true - those movie trailers on my sidebar can be deafening if you have your volume on at full-tilt. Even for me. I totally forget sometimes, and tend to forget at very inopportune times, like when my husband is trying to sleep and I'm still on the laptop. (Sorry, honey.)

And in the same vein, I must thank B-Sol of The Vault of Horror for also handing out the Fantastically Frightening accolade to me as well.
Here's what he said:
The Blogger Most Likely to Pick the Triple Crown Winner: Fascination with Fear, written by the divine C.L. Hadden, horror hound and horse handicapper extraordinaire, is a bastion of infectious commentary--now with a spiffy new header!"

Thanks!
Yes, I do love the ponies, and if I'm not watching horror, chances are I'm on drf.com, BloodHorse.com, or checking out TVG. Not that I squander money, mind you (that would take money away from my DVD fund!) - it's the actual equines I like. I love me some thoroughbreds, truly. And I did have Mine That Bird (Kentucky Derby Winner) at 50-1 last spring;)

And my blog header - that's a whole new set of thank you's as well. A while back, I called out to my fellow horror bloggers for some help on a new header and got a whole slew of responses and creative banners and headers. I love all of them, and have kept them for future use.
But BJ-C made the mistake of introducing me to the Picnik application on Facebook, and then it was all over. I've been messing around with it ever since. So what you see currently, may not always be there. I like change, so it will quite possibly change according to my mood.
(And for another blog who dares to change it up regularly, visit Hayes Hudson's House of Horror- we've been emailing and learning Picnik together. And his blog is terrific!

And now to hand this award over to another blog I'm ever so fond of. I really wanted to recognize this one cause they so deserve it.
Evil on Two Legs is one of my favorite go-to sites. The format is clean and neat, for one thing, but the content is what keeps me coming back. They have a great "Horror Community Highlights" spotlight in which they list a number of excellent posts from within the horror world, and are kind enough to feature FWF on occasion, so thanks!

I know I should hand this award out to more blogs, but I'm at a loss. Not of great blogs to give it to, but of time to root through all the fab sites to see if they've been awarded any yet. So hey, I love you all, okay?

Right after I got the Fantastically Frightening award, I was presented an equally cool 'Necronomicon Award for Outstanding Blogs of Horror' by Jeanette of Monster Land.



She said some very kind things about me and my blog, and I so here's a {{virtual hug}} for her and I have to add that if you haven't checked out her sharp and intelligent writing and her slick blog design you need to get your ass over there now. God, I love her format;)

She said: "Fascination with Fear: One of the premier female bloggers writing about the genre today, your horror host Christine writes about horror with a no nonsense attitude. Like a good gore hound, I look forward to her wonderful showcase Sunday Bloody Sunday every week and love her series of Holy Shit! Endings."

Wow, thanks Jeanette. I shall try to continue to make you proud;)
And I just love the look of that award. Makes me want to throw Evil Dead into the DVD player, you know?

And last but certainly not least is the 2009 All-Scares Blogger award given to me by Chuck over at Zombies DON'T Run.



He said: "I don't let the fact that Chris is a Steelers fan stand in the way of the fact she has a great blog. However when her gore pictures go up on Sunday I must confess I must wait til after eating to look. While I've always loved gore I've never been able to watch it and eat at the same time."

Too funny. And for Chuck, I dedicate the next Sunday Bloody Sunday to you - cause you deserve it. Just eat your English Muffin first.

And I was to give this award to two other people and to forward the rule that they were not to pass it on from there. So I award it to the aforementioned Hayes Hudson's House of Horror - and if he already has one he can just have the knowledge that I am a huge fan of his!!

Secondly, I'm passing it on to another go-to blog of interest, Gruesome Details. Another sleek WordPress format, Nicole Raymond runs a tight ship. Consise and interesting reviews and features make her site a great place to stay awhile.

**And a quick addendum: I just realized that William Malmborg over at his website also presented me with a Kreativ Blogger award, and I really don't want to forget anyone who has been kind to me, so thanks, Will. And thanks a lot for leaving all those comments on my blog- As you know, I live for that. You and James are my most frequent comment gurus. And BTW, I love your blog cause you review so many books... a rare thing on a lot of blogs.

So there you go.

And now, for other business.
Zombies.

As I first saw on Screamstress, there are plans to bring S.G. Brown's 'Breathers: A Zombie's Lament' to the big screen.



That being said, I was not psyched to see Diablo Cody's name attached to it, but breathed a sigh of relief when I saw she was only going to produce. So at least we won't have to hear about any "salty" zombies.
It's not that I really have anything against Cody - she writes fairly amusing articles for Entertainment Weekly, and hell, Juno was funny. But I think she goes a bit too far in trying to have her finger on the pulse of young America. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes you look like a 31 year old attempting to live vicariously through today's teenagers.

Anyway, the book. I'm currently reading it (a little late to the game as it was released last March) and find it hilarious yet heartwarming. Is it possible for a book about a zombie just trying to find his way in society to be touching? Yes, it is.
I'll have a review up at some point, but I feel it won't be till at least next week, as my weekend is completely tight.

With what, you ask?
Well, it's Dario Argento weekend at the Hadden residence!

I'm brushing up on my Argento because James over at Behind The Couch has been gracious enough to grant me an interview regarding his forthcoming book about the stylistic Italian horror director.



So I feel the need to pull out my copies of Suspiria, Tenebre, and a few others so I don't seem like a complete idiot. Obviously it would be prudent to refresh my memory a bit.

Besides, my husband hasn't seen any Dario Argento films like, ever. Whoa! Where to start, where to start? Probably at the beginning, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.....
I'm thinking he's going to love Phenomena (Jennifer Connelly factor). Generally, he leaves the room when I break out the Italian horror (he despises Fulci's The Beyond....yeah, I know...) - but he'll have to adapt I guess.

Hopefully I will have some respectably intelligent Q&A with James coming up soon on the blog, because I know how most of you in the horror community love Dario. I mean, how can you not?
And who better to tell us about the man and his films than someone who sat through every damn thing Argento has ever done. Yes, even Mother of Tears, people. I'm fairly psyched, and thank him in advance for agreeing to do it.

So that's all from me for now. It's possible we may start Italian weekend a little early here. I can so totally see a girl with needles in her eyes in my direct future. Whoo-hoo!



Perhaps I'll cook up a batch of pasta and make it a theme.
Ciao!