Behind the Zombie-- Doug Jones

Zombie Thursdays is a weekly feature with guest blogger, Miranda. You can read more about her here.

Hello! And welcome to another edition of Zombie Thursday! Today I want to profile another cool actor. He's not especially famous for playing a zombie, but he is incredibly famous. He's been in over 90 films and television shows, and even though you have most definitely seen him, you may not even know or realize who he is!

Around my birthday back in February, I was watching the Disney Channel. I'm a huge Disney fan and watch it rather frequently. I'm not embarrassed by this fact. It just so happened that one of my favorite movies of all time was on, and one that features a zombie! A zombie in a Disney movie? On the Disney Channel? Not as strange or out of place as you might think (Disney has produced some f@*ked up movies... I love them! But they are messed up. Something Wicked this Way Comes, anyone? But I digress...) Anyway! The movie I'm referring to is Hocus Pocus! But, Miranda, that movie had witches and a cat. I don't remember a zombie...

Enter the character Billy Butcherson! The dead ex-lover of Winifred (Bette Midler) who is brought back to "life" through some black voodoo magic and chases around the poor children. But he changes sides and at one point is referred to as a "nice zombie." Great character, fantastic makeup job (Billy has his lips sewn shut by Winifred; he eventually rips them open as have the thread still hanging there), and wonderfully portrayed by actor Doug Jones.

Doug Jones is an incredibly talented actor and body contortionist. While he does play characters that are very human and normal looking, more often than not he is hidden behind layers of makeup and prosthetics. Some of his more notable roles have been Abe Sapien in the Hellboy movies, the Faun in Pan's Labyrinth, and roles in Mystery Men, Men in Black II, Tales from the Crypt, The Fantastic Four (the Silver Surfer), and so many, many more! In fact, one of my absolute favorite roles he has protrayed, and one that still freaks me out *every time* I see it... He plays the lead "Gentleman" in the silent (and Emmy winning) episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 'Hush.'

Just like our character actor last week, I've heard nothing but amazing things about Doug Jones' personality and attitude toward his fans. He is a regular at fan conventions and is always there to give an autograph or hug (lots of hugs, or so I've been told). If you're a fan of Mr. Jones, what movies have you seen him in and which are your favorites? I'm also going to have to throw Tank Girl out there, as well. Love that movie and I love the Rippers!

A Hiatus, of Sorts

Dear Blog,

This is to let you know that you and I won't be seeing each other as much over the next few weeks. Please know this has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with revisions. I'm five weeks behind my self-inflicted revision schedule. (My original plan was to use EdMo to revise my NaNoWriMo '11 project.)

Don't worry, Blog. This isn't goodbye and I'll come back when something inspiring strikes. Most likely this will be when I have more brain power to do so.

Love,
Alicia

Today's Revision Angst Fueled by Diet Cherry Coke

If you've been following me on Twitter or have seen my life via Facebook, you know the following things: I'm still unemployed, I'm still revising, and I've developed an unhealthy addiction to several Facebook games.

The first thing isn't related to the last two things, though I'm using my unemployment-ness to my advantage. Example: A revision that would have taken me several months of nights only took a month and a half to complete. True, it could've taken less time if I didn't play as many rounds of Tetris humanly possible, but revisions are hard.

Let me repeat: revisions are hard.

Now that I've completed revisions on my contemporary, it's time for me to put my focus back on my urban fantasy. This is harder to do than I originally thought, partially because I'm approaching revision burnout. The other reason is shifting gears from one world to another is a challenge.

The thing that sucks is that I have to revise: the urban fantasy will not revise itself. Also, I'm one of the administrators and regional coordinators for NaNoEdMo; it would look horrible if I couldn't complete fifty hours of revision. These factors don't change the fact that I don't know how to begin this revision.

How do you change revision gears from one project to another? I'm desperate for suggestions.

Rest in Peace, Bill Hinzman

Zombie Thursdays is a weekly feature with guest blogger, Miranda. You can read more about her here.

Writer's Block. Terrible, horrible writer's block. I've been plagued for weeks. Have you ever had so much stuff going on in your mind that you feel like you creatively have room for no more stuff? That's how I felt all last month. I'm still on a bit of a block. And as someone who loves writing, it really sucks. Since most people who read this blog are writerly types, what do you guys do to get past writer's block and periods of non-creation? This problem is a real first for me. Thank you for your patience with my absence!

I've been thinking of things to write for weeks, and it hasn't been easy. I've had some pretty long and heated Walking Dead debates at work, but unfortunately those topics would be so riddled with spoilers that they're something I couldn't even talk about here on the blog (although contact me privately for some good old fashion debate/show talk).

So today, I took a step back and decided on something that I don't think I've ever put in the spotlight before, not officially. I've spoken a lot about good zombie stories and the awesome special effects artists and directors that bring these horrific characters to life. It's too easy to just think that any type of actor can get some blood and gore and prosthetics put on them and shamble along to make a convincing zombie, but it's so much more than that. It takes an amazing actor to really bring these creatures to life...er, death?

Recently, the actor who portrayed one of the most famous zombies of all time passed away from cancer. Bill Hinzman played the very first zombie seen in the cemetery in the original Night of the Living Dead. He was 75 years old. And while his name may not have stood out amongst the films stars, what an iconic character! There are a lot of memorable scenes from that film, but when asked, I bet most people will recall with absolute clarity the moment the old man in a beat up suit comes walking toward the heroes of the film. At first the audience doesn't know it is a zombie, but then he attacks! I know that moment always frightens me, no matter how many times I've seen it!

Hinzman wasn't originally supposed to be an actor in the film. He was an assistant cameraman and when George Romero needed a zombie in the cemetery, Bill was old enough, thin, and had his own beat up suit (a film producer stated in an interview with Reuters). I have a few friends who were lucky enough to meet Bill Hinzman at some fan conventions and they said he was a very nice man and always happy to sign autographs and take pictures. From such humble beginnings to a horror and pop-culture legend!

A director, designer, or makeup artist can only do so much. At the end of the day, it's the actor's movements that really make or break a character. Kudos to the late Bill Hinzman for accomplishing what so few can do-- create a character that will live on forever in the minds of filmgoers!

Best Book of February

Every Wednesday, YA Highway asks their readership a simple question to answer on your blog. Once you answer, you link your blog in the comments for other readers to hop on board. This is Road Trip Wednesday.

Today's topic: What was the best book you read in February?

I didn't have many books to choose from this month and I totally blame John Green. The Fault in Our Stars totally destroyed me and all I wanted to do afterwards was read something that wouldn't leave me a weepy mess.

Sixteen, edited by Megan McCafferty took care of this for me.

Blurb from Goodreads:
Remember what it was like to be sixteen? Whether it was the year your teeth were finally free of braces or the year you were discovered by the opposite sex, that magical, mystical age is something you will never forget. Edited by Megan McCafferty, author of the runaway hit novels Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings, Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday is a compilation of short stories inspired by all the angst, melodrama, and wonderment of being sixteen.

Sarah Dessen’s “Infinity” is about a girl confronting two major milestones: getting her driver’s license and losing her virginity. The Dead Girls in Jacqueline Woodson’s “Nebraska 99” have already decided to “do it” and must now cope with being teenage mothers. And Carolyn Mackler’s “Mona Lisa, Jesus, Chad, and Me” explores whether friendship can survive when partying and prayer clash. Also included is a new Jessica Darling story by Megan McCafferty about the last fifteen minutes Jessica spends—or rather, doesn’t spend—with her best friend, Hope, who is leaving Pineville.

Featuring stories by Steve Almond, M. T. Anderson, Julianna Baggott, Cat Bauer, Emma Forrest, Tanuja Desai Hidier, David Levithan, Sarah Mlynowski, Sonya Sones, Zoe Trope, Ned Vizzini, and Joseph Weisberg, these hilarious, poignant, and touching tales are perfect for both those who have yet to reach that milestone and those who want to reminisce about their “sweetest” year.

What I Liked About It: I've been trying to write short stories for years, but never can manage to do short. Yep, I just admitted that I like that the stories were short. Shoot me. Also, Steve Almond was in here. You know how much I love Steve Almond's writing. A few of my favorite stories were "Infinity" by Sarah Dessen, "The Alumni Interview" by David Levithan, and "The Perfect Kiss" by Sarah Mlynowski.


What You Should Know: Not every short story is created equal. The stories that pulled away from the standard narrative flow were harder to follow than, say, the story by Sarah Dessen. Also, if you loved Sloppy Firsts, you'll probably want it on hand to read immediately after you read "Fifteen Going On..." which is like the prologue to Sloppy Firsts.


What was the best thing you read this month?

MARCHing Forward

Yep, that is a horrible pun for the fact we're approaching March* and I don't care. The last several months for yours truly has epically been made of suck and I'm looking forward to all the things that happen once March 1 arrives. I just need to make it through one extra day of February**. Since blogging at The Pie has been spastic and not terribly brilliant as of late, I want to share with you what I'm looking forward to.

Movies
Even though there's more hype about the Hunger Games movie, the one I'm more than ready to see comes out in a week and a half. John Carter stars Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins to most of you) which means a lot of ogling. I have no shame and am proud to admit it.

Don't think I'm not looking forward to seeing Hunger Games because I am. There's talk about a movie date with Bestie Danielle and that alone is a good reason.

Editing and Revision
For something different, I'll be revising in March. This time it will be a different WIP (thank goodness) and it's for NaNoEdMo.That it's NaNoEdMo is the main reason why I'm looking forward to it. This year I was in charge of gathering articles and we have some great pep talks for the month: Elana Johnson, Jeff Somers, and agent Vickie Motter to name a few. Keep your eye on my Twitter feed over the month so you'll know when these go live.

Spring and Daylight Savings Time!
Though it's hard to complain with the winter we've had, spring is my favorite season. (Probably because of the flowers.) We also gain an hour of daylight. I love daylight a little bit more than sleep, so this is awesome.

These are the main things I'm excited about in the upcoming month. What are you looking forward to?



* There's a reason why Hubby's the comedian and I'm not.
** February is usually the coldest month in New England, IMO. That most of the month has been in the 40s has been the only good thing.

YA Book Club: The Fault in Our Stars

This month's selection for the YA Book Club was John's Green's The Fault in Our Stars.When I found this out, I twitter-yelled at YA Book Club's brainchild, Tracey Neithercott. That conversation sounded a lot like this:

Me: Why are you making this happen NOW? I'd like to get through a month without crying.
Tracey: I wish I could send tissues through Twitter.

I'm not sure if it's hormones or age or my mortality is showing, but my eyes began watering on page one and did not stop until the end. TFIOS is one of those books where you just know it's going to end badly. You're reading about teens with cancer--of course it's not going to end well.

But this isn't a cancer book. It just happens that the characters have cancer. It also just happens that I still can't think about it without getting misty-eyed. In fact, I'm still processing it.

What I liked best about TFIOS is that, despite the sad factor, it was a very uplifting book. I found myself comparing it to Madeleine L'Engle's A Ring of Endless Light a lot. It gives off that same comfort factor that L'Engle gives me.

If you want to hear what others are saying about TFIOS this month, check out Tracey's list here.