Nobody Leaves, or: Three Alices in Wonderland

It’s a sad day today, the last of official spooky season – which in fairness is never really that far away around these parts or on the blog. I’ve spent the evening carving a pumpkin in front of the documentary Room 237 and you can’t get more on brand than that – and I’ve decided to leave October gracefully and with a positive attitude.

We’re not sure what next month with bring to the collab but hopefully it will be something good.

This month’s film is visually pleasing and is also a real thinker, which I appreciate. It also has not one but apparently two alternative names – for Jill in the US she knows the movies as ‘Braid’, while IMDB also has it referenced as ‘Dying to Play’, which is lame if you ask me. To me in the UK it is Nobody Leaves. Just thought that was interesting – it always tickles me when films have different names for different audiences.

Slaxx, or: It’s all in the jeans

We trip solidly into B-movie territory this week with a story about haunted jeans. There’s not an awful lot I can add to that statement, apart from the fact that perhaps this is the anti-Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (2005) and maybe they’d make a cute double bill. Maybe.

Blogtober so far, an update

An update today which probably won’t be that thrilling honestly, since all I want to do is gaze lovingly at the dog and nap. I realised on Monday evening, when I popped out to catch Halloween Kills, that I hadn’t actually left the house for almost two weeks – when Gypsy arrived. This was evidenced by the fact that she went nuts as soon as I put my shoes on and then escaped through the front door as I left and didn’t stop until she was almost at the main road, a few blocks up. Luckily she’s fine and no real harm done but it was a real heart in the mouth moment.

Goodnight Mommy, or: YOU’RE NOT MY REAL MUM!

This month on the blog collab we’re doing psychologically chilling horror with a feminist slant – and what better to represent our theme than this sinister little number? Put these boys on the top ten horror twin list alongside the Grady girls, STAT.

Comfort horror: a top five list

Comfort movie is a term thrown around often. Unsurprisingly, it refers to a film a person may watch over and over again to bring comfort and peace. The Pandemic has exacerbated this phrase in many ways as most of us have found ourselves revisiting entertainment we’ve seen before in a bid to spend time with the familiar. Personally, I’ve rewatched many of my favourite shows because they nourish something deep within me and have grounded me during uncertain, and frankly, incredibly anxious times.

Bad Hair, or: Girl, weave got to do something about that ‘do

Horror month is in full swing on the blog and it seems Netflix is fully aware of this too as it’s slapped on some pretty good titles for October. While these are usually hit-and-miss, this film is one I’ve had my eye on for a while. A no-brainer for this week then.

Written by Dear White People‘s Justin Simien I went into this with high expectations about what it had to say about black women versus the Euro-ccentric beauty ideal, appropriation of black culture, folklore and much more. Did it deliver? Let’s have a little look shall we?

In 1989 an ambitious young woman gets a weave in order to succeed in the image-obsessed world of music television. However, her flourishing career may come at a great cost when she realizes that her new hair may have a mind of its own.

Film: Bad Hair (2020)

*Spoilers*

In the 70’s, young Anna ropes her older cousin into helping her relax her Afro hair. Unfortunately, she suffers a bad reaction to the chemical product they use and ends up permanently scarred on the back of her head. Fast forward to 1989 and Anna (Elle Lorraine) prefers to wear her hair natural.

An aspiring video jockey, Anna works as an assistant at Culture, an MTV-style channel dedicated to African-American music and – culture. One day she comes into work to find her mentor and head of programming – Edna – has been ousted from her position by the station’s owner, Grant Madison (James Van Der Beek). Grant – a white affluent man – has grand ideas about vamping up the station (naturally) and replaces Edna with former-supermodel Zora (Vanessa Williams).

Initially outraged at the replacement of Edna (Judith Scott), Anna and her colleagues swear to follow her when she starts her own rival business – but this changes when Zora tells Anna she likes her ideas about diversifying the channel’s presenters and incorporating a live chart countdown. Zora takes her on as an assistant producer but makes it clear that Anna has to do something about her hair first – for the sake of the channel’s new image and her career both.

Anna turns up at Zora’s salon – Virgie’s – to get her new weave but is dismayed to learn the waiting list means she won’t be looking fresh come Monday morning. She appeals to Virgie personally however and soon enough she’s sitting in the chair. The process is painful and long (and shot verrry graphically) but at the end of it, Anna can barely recognise herself. Virgie gives her a pink bottle of product and warns her – much like Gremlins – never to get her hair wet.

Well, they often depict hair as the source of a woman’s power and Anna’s new weave certainly gets her noticed, where before she was completely ignored. Her old flame, Julius (Jay Pharoah) starts noticing her again, despite seeing somebody else. She manages to convince the show’s VJs to change their hair to weaves too. It looks like things are falling into place for Anna and her dream of becoming a presenter when she learns a couple of disappointing things about her new boss.

First, Zora’s the mystery lady shagging Julius, and secondly, she’s decided to make herself a presenter instead. All this and Anna has noticed some untoward occurrences since her new ‘do was installed. Intense hunger pangs, bad nightmares and er, her hair seems to drink blood. With vengeance in her soul, Anna’s hair takes her down a worrying path where nobody is safe, not her disgusting racist landlord, Julius or even her work friends.

And what’s the connection to the folk story told to her by her uncle, a Black studies professor? The Moss Haired Girl tells tale of a slave who fashions a wig from tree moss to replicate the straight hair of her employer. The moss turns out to be the hair of dead witches, which possesses the woman and… Coincidence?

Will Anna succumb to the curse of her beautiful hair – or can she find a way to free herself? What of Zora and her own follicle foibles? Where the hell are these demonic tendrils coming from?

So many flipping questions, not enough hair puns in my repertoire.

Thoughts

I did enjoy this one, not least because of the absolutely banging cast. It has what I generally want from my horror – B-movie aesthetics, revenge, folklore. To the first point though, some of the characters weren’t given enough to do – looking at you, Lena Waithe‘s Brook-Lynne and cousin Linda (Chanté Adams). See also the rest of Anna’s family.

I also think there are times the horror outweighs some of the elements I wanted more of, like the relationships between the women and more about their relationship with their own hair choices. There is a lot to unpack to be honest and I keep thinking about threads that I wanted to pull at and explore in a deeper sense but didn’t get a chance to.

Perhaps this would have worked better as a TV show so we could explore those areas – such as why historically white people poo poo the folklore of different cultures in order to erase them – and spend more time with our favourite side characters.

Maybe I need a re-watch but I want to know more about why Anna is singled out for her natural hair while VJ Sista Soul (Yaani King Mondschein) – arguably ‘higher profile’ than our protagonist – is allowed to wear hers in a similar style. All this said, I’m a white woman so not everything is going to resonate with my experiences.

All in all I had a good time here. I liked the cartoonish gore – and the climax and its commentary about the cyclical nature of things. The big reveal about how and where the hair came from was intriguing, if not exactly a surprise. I really enjoyed the camp tone though it does take a little while to warm up and is a bit confusing at times.

I’m really interested to see what Justin (may I call you Justin, Justin?) does next and would be very open to more horror. Please.

MY RATING: 3.5/5

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What are Jill’s thoughts on this one? Would she pay top dollar to buy it a weave or request a short back and sides? Find out here.

Four creepy longform stories

Lazy I know to let other writers do my work for me today, but who doesn’t love a spooky long form article every now and again? Just me? 

 

I often find myself slipping down a rabbit-hole of something unsavoury just before bed – and then having serious trouble sleeping. Who knew, eh? That said, last year I sourced five absolute bangers and I thought I’d reprise this series by delivering some more. 

 

Only 22 days until Halloween my spooky pals!

 

The Blood House at Fountain Drive

When human blood overtakes a house amid racial turmoil in 1987 Atlanta, terrifying the family inside, a mystery opens up that persists to this day. The untold true story brought to life through a trove of interviews, official records, and rare documents.

 

This story, respectfully, is bonkers. It is wild and unsettling, not least because nobody seems to have any idea what caused it – and as far as I know – has ever come up with a definitive answer all these years later. 

 

Framed against the shocking racial violence running through the country, and specifically Atlanta, from the early 1900’s into the late eighties, this is a fascinating examination of a community still hurting decades later. I’ll let you dig a little deeper if you’re interested in the details but it’s really interesting and touching too. 

 

As for a house that bleeds from its very foundations? Straight out of the Hammer house of horror.

 

The True Twisted Story of Amityville Horror

 

There were haunted houses before Amityville, of course, but no one place has made as deep an impression on American pop culture in the past half century or so as the notorious Long Island home, the site of a terrible murder and then the basis of scores of books and movies. Words by Michelle Dean

 

I guess most of us have a rough recollection of the Amityville story from various film adaptations and books. I have spent a little bit too much of my year working through the film series, including Amityville Dollhouse (1996) and one about a haunted clock from the original Amityville house (Amityville: It’s About Time (1992)).

While quite a lot of it is pure guff, there’s no denying that the (allege story of what happened in that house is interesting enough on its own merit. Including the rumours by naysayers who don’t believe a word of it. This article examines why Amityville has had such an effect on our consciousness and continues to be one of the most haunted locations in popular culture today. 

Hot for Creature

Thirteen years ago, William Dranginis saw Bigfoot. Fifty grand, a van, and a camera in a log later, the quest continues.

Who doesn’t love Bigfoot, maybe one of our lesser represented ooglie booglies? The poor guy just seems to be living his best life far away from civilisation and we just can’t let him be. The mystique is just too much to bear, I guess but are the people that search for him just one sandwich short of a picnic or is there more to it than that?

I realise I write this as though I’ve already accepted the existence of Sasquatch and you know what? I stand by it. I wholeheartedly believe he’s out there in the trees, minding his own beeswax. And this is a story about a guy who went on a great pilgrimage to find him. 

How Scary Are Ghost Stories in This Pandemic Year of Wildfires, Hurricanes, and Police Violence?

M. Dressler on What Gothic Novels and Speculative Literature Can Teach Us About Life Right Now

I think quite often about how satire doesn’t really work anymore and I suppose this is a similar conversation. Have we all seen way too much this year to be shocked or terrified anymore? I suspect there’s always room to be surprised but this is an interesting topic to explore, especially as we enter into Gothic novel reading season. 

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Here are the stories I shared last year. The Watcher is especially terrifying. 

What are you reading?

Letter from the Editor – October’s kiss

My vow to do a regular newsletter/Letter from the Editor really stood up, didn’t it? Seems I’ve had no news to share since April. Which is kind of true but not really – is everyone else feeling like the last two years have blurred and everything’s exactly the same YET completely different?

Yeah. Me neither.

Anyway, let me try and fill you in on a few bits.

Hi gang,

While life has returned to a semblance of normal for many of us, I think it’s going to take a lot more to actually relax back into it. I’m feeling less stressed the more I make my way outside but it can be a lot sometimes – all those sounds and colours and PEOPLE. I think the majority of us are just taking it at our own pace and that’s completely fine.

I keep expecting this time of year to bring another lockdown with it but I’m not sure. In the back of my mind I’ve already started planning my own, it’s quite a comforting feeling, especially now we have A DOG. A real life dog to cuddle up with! I’ll tell you more about her in just a moment.

Work is what it is, I don’t really relish talking about it at the best of times. I do a split role which is basically communications and now I’m also helping out on a huge modernisation project. I’m only seconded into these roles but it’s been almost two years and I’m hoping at some point they’ll figure out where to slot me more permanently. I hold out hope while also scouring the job boards in case something new and exciting pops up.

The house is great but I forever despair that I’m such a lame homemaker. I wish I was more on top of everything that needs doing but the truth is, I’m not that interested. The house gets tidied when it gets too much and that’s that. As for Gypsy, well she’s finally home and it’s been 48 hours now – which is the longest she’s ever been away from the kennels since she arrived there in March. She was fostered a couple of times and returned due to her emotional needs – girl is an anxious Annie just like her mum.

Here she is:

I mean:

So far she’s settling in well. We’ll need to pick up her training again shortly and it will be a while before we can take her on proper long walks, but day by day and all that. Mittens is not sure but has been mostly inquisitive so hopefully that’s a good sign. Dogs really are the most precious, aren’t they?

In other news everyone else is doing okay. My nephew is six months old now and a total darling. I just wish we lived nearer so we could pop round all the time. One day hopefully that will be the case but for now we’ve got weekends, Zoom calls and all our best intentions. Of course we’re currently kicking back in the best month of all, the one by which I base most of my personality and I am loving it. Shitty weather and all.

What better conditions to snuggle up with Uncle Stephen and the very best horror movies?

As for how I’m feeling in myself, I don’t really know. I feel like I’ve lost a lot of who I was and I’m not sure when she’s coming back. If she’ll ever come back. Maybe that’s a good thing ultimately – maybe what’s left is the true measure of who I am? Maybe I am an uncomplicated, boring old woman who enjoys her creature comforts and the simple life. Maybe that’s okay.

Or maybe I still have some work to do on figuring out what I want from this next phase of life. Kind of exciting to daydream about, isn’t it?

How are you doing?

What’s your favourite scary book?

When I was a teen I read this book over and over, and even now think of it as one of the scariest books I’ve ever read. Sure it introduced me to Hannibal Lecter, even before I’d seen The Silence of the Lambs (1991) but for me the terror was in the fact that our main antagonist (long before I knew what that meant) also had good qualities and a sympathetic backstory.

Not that his horrifying crimes can be excused or explained, but it felt intriguing to me that even terrible monsters were kids once with the same ideas as us.

Title: Red Dragon
Author: Thomas Harris

*No intentional spoilers*

TW for death and torture

Will Graham was a brilliant profiler of criminals for the FBI – until he suffered terrible injuries in the process of capturing Dr Hannibal ‘the Cannibal’ Lecter.

Years later, a serial killer nicknamed ‘the Tooth Fairy’ is massacring entire families each full moon. With the FBI desperate for progress, Will reluctantly agrees to consult. But he soon realises that he alone can’t crack the case; he needs the help of the only mind even better than his own at understanding the mentalities of psychopaths. The mind of Hannibal Lecter.

Will Graham is a retired FBI profiler infamous for the capture of one Hannibal ‘the cannibal’ Lecter, a vicious serial killer. After sustaining very near-fatal injuries from the encounter, Will has retired from the force and lives quietly by the beach with his wife and child.

Five years pass and Will is called back into the fold when it becomes clear there’s another serial killer at work. Nicknamed ‘The Tooth Fairy’ , this individual stalks and then slaughters his victims – whole families – in their homes. Very reluctantly, Will agrees to consult for Jack Crawford, his mentor.

Unfortunately for Will, they soon realise they’re going to have to get some inside knowledge on what makes a killer like this tick, before he strikes again. With time against them – he carries out his horrific acts on a full moon – there’s only one person they can call on… will he be open to a little co-operation?

Well, this is a story old as time so you probably know how it turns out but if not, as the tale unspools we meet Francis Dolarhyde, a disturbed sociopath with sadistic ideas about the William Blake painting The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun (he believes the more he kills, the closer he’ll get to an alternative personality called the Great Red Dragon).

On Will’s case is slimy tabloid hack Freddy Lounds, who’ll do anything to squeeze details out of the FBI to leak to his readers. Would be a real shame if he attracted the attentions of the Great Dragon himself, wouldn’t it?

Of course there are now a couple of film adaptations of this book – Manhunter (1986) and Red Dragon (2002) – the former with a lesser known Dr Lecter (Brian Cox) and I love them both but they could never come close to the book and how it made me feel. Maybe you could credit this with igniting my interest in the darkness, at least in part.

As mentioned above, obviously Francis is a heinous beast capable of the most abhorrent acts but there are moments in which he shows great compassion and tenderness toward his blind co-worker Reba that gave me pause. Add into that the great cruelty shown towards him as a child by his own family and you’ve got a very complex and layered character. I guess like any sociopath integrated into real life.

The killings are horrifying and home invasions have long been triggering to me so that’s part of why this is just the absolute worst, but its written so well and the characters are so good that I can’t resist its pull. I actually just purchased it again on the Kindle – for the princely sum of £1.99 – because it’s been a few years and I’m due a revisit.

One of my all-time favourites.

So, go on, what’s yours?

Three macabre podcasts

Sometimes only a podcast episode can hit the spot, am I right? I particularly like having one to hand when I’m doing something mundane at work, it makes me feel like I’m somewhere else. Given the content of some of these though, actually being where I am doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.

Here’s what I’ve been listening to.

TW: Death, sexual assault and very explicit murder detail

Morbid: A true crime podcast

At this point Ash and Alaina feel like old friends. I’ve listened to so much Morbid over the last year that the sound of their voices is now more familiar to me that the sound of the sea or the wind in the trees. And I’m good with it.

I like this one because the hosts feel like women I’d be friends with and the shows are so well researched. There can be a bit of waffle sometimes but if I like the presenters then this doesn’t bother me too much, it actually makes me feel more connected.

As for the content, it’s a mixture of notorious and lesser known true crime cases, survivor stories and supernatural tales. It does veer heavily on the serial killer side and that’s A-okay with me as it’s relevant to my interests – but there’s enough other stuff to dip into if you need a break. I know, I know – true crime? Groundbreaking.

I just think this is done particularly well and is a good alternative to MFM which is fine but not my favourite.

My highlight episodes:

• Episode 265: Tragedy & True Crime at the Jean Harlow House (old Hollywood is always fascinating)
• Episode 27: The Survival Story of Mary Vincent (this one is horrific but completely awe-inspiring)
• Episode 18: Katherine Knight (terrifying)

Films to be Buried With

We are born. We die. In between we watch a lot of films. And some of these films shape the people we are. This is a podcast about those films. (And a bit about death.)

Probably the most cheerful show on this list but it does take a poke at death with guests talking about the films that made their lives before they ‘died’. Each guest chooses their own fictitious way to go and then answers a set of questions posed by host Brett Goldstein (comedian, actor, hot piece).

This podcast is so funny and the mix of guests is really pleasing. It’s really good to get an insight into certain film makers and actors that you wouldn’t expect to be as entertaining as they are. And to ruminate on the questions for yourself is really fun – I find myself wishing I could be a guest one day just so I can think deeply about my own answers.

As it is I spend a lot of my time shouting into the ether in agreement with people’s choices.

My highlight episodes:

• Episode 162: Nia DaCosta (really loved Nia and found some of her influences for Candyman 2021 fascinating)
• Episode 151: Maisie Williams (ARYA!)
• Episode 131: Julian Barratt (HOWARD MOON!)

Crime Junkie Podcast

I’m relatively new to this one but have been listening to its host Ashley Flowers on her other podcast Supernatural for a while (also v. good). CJ is really good to listen and covers infamous  crime cases, missing persons cases and out and out murder – and while that’s not anything strictly new, I do think it’s done particularly sensitively in this case.

I really enjoy both hosts – Ashley and her co-host Brit – they have a calming quality that really helps when they’re going in deep on something mind-bogglingly awful. Brit asks really thoughtful questions and I like how that pads out a lot of the cases and puts them in layman’s terms for the listener (me).

The podcast also does a lot of good helping heaps of organisations, like the DNA Doe Project and the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, as well as advocating and supporting the families of victims of crime with money, resources and time.

My highlight episodes:

• INFAMOUS: The Setagaya Family Murders
• MURDERED: Lisa Au
• MURDERED: The Hendricks Family

True crime as entertainment is a weird one isn’t it? On the one hand, some of us seek it out because it’s interesting and something we’d like to know more about, in terms I suppose of what makes people commit these heinous crimes – but on the other, there’s something unsavoury about wanting all the salacious details. We always need to remember that there are victims in all this (including the families/loved ones left behind) and I prefer podcasts that acknowledge who they were as people (Morbid is great at this).

What are you listening to?

I Wish I Knew How To Quit Boo – King-a-long

A bit of a cheat today, I thought I’d repost from 2019’s Blogtober archive (below) – with new comments and a King-flavoured update. Because this time of year belongs to Stephen King and Stephen King alone. Who’s with me?

FYI, I finished – and loved – The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (review here), Bag of Bones and I got half way through Christine before stopping but only ‘cos I wasn’t in the mood at the time. Also after Christine I switched to a Kindle because Mr King’s books tend to be so flipping heavy and I like to read in the bath.

This Autumn/Winter I’m doing a King-a-long challenge with Helen and Matt – we unanimously chose Needful Things after a brief short-listing exercise – and so far so good. At the end of October we’re gathering to discuss our thoughts – and to celebrate Halloween together. I’ve had this week off work so in between preparing the house for a very special visitor and watching a horror movie a day, I’ve been spending time with Leland Gaunt. 

I read this book when I was a kid/tween and it was the only King I’d ever read until adulthood so it holds a special place in my heart. I remember King describing a character very specifically with a phrase that’s stuck with me all my life – something along the lines of “his attic wasn’t fully furnished” (AKA, a few sandwiches short of a picnic). I haven’t found it again but I’m excited for it to pop up. Evidence I’ve really been there before I guess. 

I’ll review at some point no doubt so watch this space. 

In the meantime, what are you reading?

I’ve decided to leave the rest of my year (and then some) open for Stephen King. Books, that is but if the man himself wanted to stop by and take me on a couple of dates I probably wouldn’t say no. Imagine the chat. Anyway, the UK is a rainy grey place right now so […]I Wish I Knew How To Quit Boo – Stephen King Edition

Censor, or: Got wood(s)

Horror month is finally here (even though we did a dry run in August)! I know this is pretty much always the caveat for a purely horror driven month, but the genre is a very accurate illustration of where my mind is currently at. Anxious for no good reason (even though I’m solidly back on the meds) and unable to deal too heavily with reality. So bring on the comforting embrace of the macabre, the ridiculous and the blood splattered, I say.

Jill and I want to structure things just a tad however so you’ll notice our next handful of picks will have a psychological/feminist slant – shouldn’t everything?

We ring in the new month with this atmospheric little number, a special treat for us both as we had to actually pay to stream it this time.

Rude.

After viewing a strangely familiar video nasty, Enid, a film censor, sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister’s disappearance, embarking on a quest that dissolves the line between fiction and reality.

Film: Censor (2021)

*Spoilers*

Enid Baines (Niamh Algar) is a young woman working for the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) during the height of the Video Nasty frenzy. The organisation classifies, recommends cuts to or outright bans violent content in movies and Enid – AKA “Little Miss Perfect” – is particularly thorough and committed to her work.

Staying late every night and combing video content to the point of obsession makes Enid a rather isolated figure, though a tragic back story may be the root cause. During a particularly bleak dinner with her parents we learn her sister Nina has been missing since they were children – and has just been declared dead. Shaken by the receipt of an official death certificate, Enid is unwilling to accept that Nina is gone and continues to believe she might still be out there somewhere.

While Enid blames herself for Nina’s disappearance – she grapples with the memory of what really happened that day. Are the few flashbacks she does have true or pure fiction?

She continues with her work but is rocked when a horrific murder is committed and the media link the actions of the “Amnesiac Killer”, the man who can’t remember the event, to a violent film called Deranged. A title passed by Enid and her colleague Sanderson (Nicholas Burns). Looking for someone to blame, the papers are relentless in their pursuit of Enid and she’s inundated by angry phone calls from the public.

But the show must go on. At work she meets Doug Smart (the wonderful Michael Smiley), a smarmy producer who tells Enid that veteran horror director Frederick North has personally requested that she screen one of his films – “Don’t Go in the Church”. When she sits down to study the film, she’s shocked to discover that it parallels the situation with Nina perfectly.

This sends our girl down a Frederick North rabbit-hole as she gets hold of some of his more extreme work and fixates on an actress who works with him regularly – Alice Lee (Sophia La Porta). A striking beauty with Nina’s signature red hair, Enid is convinced Alice is her grown up little sister, kidnapped by North as a child. And so she sets out to unravel the truth – with devastating results.

Will Enid bring Nina home to her parents once and for all? Will her memory of what happened to her sister ever become clear? All I will say to that is expect a tense ride as the lines of reality and the truth blur together like a motherfucker.

Thoughts

I love the aesthetic of this movie. It boasts an incredibly satisfying colour palette, wonderful symmetry and framing. And I really like Enid, even though there’s a very obvious darkness to her, an unspoken something bubbling beneath the prim exterior. Hence perhaps her need to protect the public from the violence of those Video Nasties. It’s her opportunity to repent, right? This makes her very interesting and layered – and Niamh Algar plays her perfectly.

I’m always going to be intrigued by anything set within the film industry, even on the fringes, and this reminds me in some ways of one of my favourite books. There’s a mystique surrounding the director Frederick North and his work – and it’s really easy to get caught up in Enid’s amateur sleuthing. Even though it’s spooky and tragic – and there’s a lot of suspicion surrounding her – I really wanted her to get the answers she was looking for. I’d also be well up for being her partner.

Otherwise, the idea of censorship and what passes the mustard or doesn’t is pretty intriguing in itself. Even though I thought a few times how great the job would be, I’ve changed my mind now. I’d crack like an ice cube on a Summer’s day after about a week and it would probably take the joy out of the genre I love so much.

Anyway, I rate this one and don’t have much criticism for it. Maybe it could have gone darker. Overall it’s gorgeous, and right up my street.

MY RATING: 4/5

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What are Jill’s thoughts on this one? Would she rate it highly or ban it outright? Find out here.