Michaela's Musings

"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me" - Mary Shelley, Frankenstein Growing up,  Frankenstein  was my favorite novel. The story of a mad scientist playing God is both bone-chilling and thought-provoking in its exploration of humanity's often violating curiosity. Victor Frankenstein's attempts to defy death delineate a sort of womb envy that bypasses women entirely. A theme I find extremely fascinating. Over the past few months, I've watched a handful of Frankenstein adaptations and riffs (thank you Tubi!). Of these films were  The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) , Re-Animator , and Frankenhooker . These were a hoot to watch. Absolute cult classics. While they err more on the comedic side, I found myself drawn to the subtle themes about female autonomy and the male gaze. The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) "I told you to let me die" - Jan Compton The defining feature of ...

  Hello everyone! The year is flying by! We had the first flurries of the season today on campus, so that was exciting! I recently finished a short story that originally started as a writing exercise. I was originally aiming for it to be less than 500 words, but it grew beyond that scope. I'm quite happy with the finished product though. Hope you enjoy! Ol' Low Bone Parish In Low Bone Parish, the water don’t knock. It barrages in like an angry father, ready to dole out a whoopin’.  It started when Old Julie White had had one of her visions, putting everyone on edge. Nothing good comes from one of her visions.  A brave few ventured up to her porch and asked what she had seen. In a voice that crackled like fire, this is what she saw. Her homegoing was coming, and with it, a storm unlike anything Low Bone had ever seen. Winds fast enough to snap a child’s neck. Swamp water high enough to claim anything in its path, including the trees. Hungry, hungry gators roaming for fresh...

 Hi everyone! I hope you had a happy Halloween 🎃. This semester, I've been taking a fiction writing class and it's fantastic! We mostly focus on short form writings: short stories, flash fiction, etc. These assignments have really gotten my creative juices flowing and I've been producing some interesting pieces. Surprisingly enough, I've been writing mostly horror.  As you probably already picked up on, horror is my favorite genre. However, I was always hesitant to write it because I wasn't sure how to evoke the same terror my favorite horror media have instilled in me. But!  I've been having very vivid dreams which have acted as the inspirations for my stories. This piece wasn't inspired by a dream, but a French show from the early 2000s: Petit Vampire (2004). I hope you enjoy it! Evocation of the Spirit She didn’t think it’d actually work. Claudia had found the worn grimoire in the attic. Filled to the brim with rituals and spells, she wanted to see if th...

 Hello everyone! This is another very short horror piece. I was inspired by another dream, in which I was stuck in a snow storm and fierce werewolves were on the prowl. I tried to focus more on tension building and imagery to accentuate the rising dread in the narrator. Hope you enjoy! prowl There’s a dog outside. Not small and cute like a pomeranian. Not imposing like a husky. It was bigger. Much bigger. There shouldn’t be a dog outside.  Or any animal for that matter. It’s the middle of winter. Snow spat out from the sky, turning the neighborhood into a frozen wasteland. Howling wind whipping anyone who dared to venture out with icy lashes. A blinding sea of white as far as the eye could see. Except for the strange animal outside. The dog is closer. I can now make out distinct features. Thick, shaggy jet black fur and red eyes. Crimson pools glowing amid the blizzard. They were fixated on me. All I could see were its teeth. It is not a dog. The creature’s maw is lined with i...

Hello everyone! This was a small piece I conjured based on a dream I had a few weeks ago. I've always had a fascination with wild women who are allowed to go apeshit. I think women are held to a morally pure standard in both fiction and real-life. An aspect of gender equality is allowing women to be fully fledged individuals. This includes the morally gray, righteous, and evil. Content Warning: Graphic description of blood and insides Blood tastes sweeter than you’d think. Alongside the tang of iron, there’s a tart sweetness—like freshly squeezed strawberries. If I close my eyes and block out the smell, it’d taste just like one of those strawberry refreshers on a hot summer day. Or maybe it’s just because Charlie was sweet. Charlie always had a softness about him. Full, cherubic cheeks dusted with a delicate pink. Soft brown waves my fingers always got tangled in. Hazel eyes that sparkled in the sunlight, caressing me with adoration. Those same eyes glazed over and stuck in permane...

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115963/?ref_=mv_close   Hi all! Today, we're diving into the renowned cult classic The Craft . I LOVED this film! It captures the awkwardness of teenage girlhood and the euphoria of finding community. It's aesthetically gorgeous and unearths a myriad of ideas about power, revenge, and women finding an avenue to exercise power .  Synopsis: After transferring to a Los Angeles high school, Sarah finds that her telekinetic gift appeals to a group of three wannabe witches, who happen to be seeking a fourth member for their rituals. Nancy, Rochelle, and Bonnie, like Sarah herself, all have troubled backgrounds, which combined with their nascent powers lead to dangerous consequences. When a minor spell causes a fellow student to lose her hair, the girls grow power-mad. Set in the 90s, the film centers on Sarah Bailey, a troubled teen with psychic powers. As the new girl at her private Catholic school in LA, Sarah soon attracts the attention of po...

  Hello everyone!  Today, I will be reviewing and analyzing a cult classic (and recent favorite), Tales from the Hood (1995) . The film is a black horror anthology with the stories presented within a frame story of three young drug dealers purchasing drugs from an eccentric and story-prone funeral director.  Synop sis: Creepy mortician Mr. Simms attempts to scare teenage drug dealers straight by telling them four horrifying stories. One is about a guilt-riddled cop who goes crazy after ignoring his corrupt colleagues. He also tells of a meek schoolboy with terrifying supernatural powers. Although the young thugs want to take their drugs and escape Mr. Simms, he still has two more tales to tell. While campy, the film is able to deftly analyze domestic violence, police brutality, and gang violence through supernatural and scientific happenings. We enter the story as three young drug dealers–Stack, Ball, and Bulldog–arrive at Simms’ Funeral Home to purchase drugs from its ec...

  Hello everyone! I'm back with a personal favorite, and in my opinion, potential cult classic: Lisa Frankenstein . I adored this film! Beneath its teen romance intertwined with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein , this film explores grief, social isolation, the female gaze, and the subsequent aberrancy thrust upon those who subvert the status quo. Warning: slight spoilers ahead! Synopsis: A misunderstood teenager and a reanimated Victorian corpse embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness, and a few missing body parts. Set in 1989, the film follows teen Lisa Swallows as she still struggles with the violent murder of her mother that she witnessed two years prior. Since then, her father has remarried Janet, a narcissistic woman, who has a daughter named Taffy, and they have moved to a picture-perfect suburb. It is immediately established that Lisa’s grief “others” from her new family dynamic. Taffy is a former beauty pageant winner and cheerleader. While kind, Taffy views Lisa’...