Last night was fun ....

Ended up at a party at Riff's. I don't think he meant to have a party -- that's just what happened. He invited me and a couple of friends over to play some Cheapass Games, and the friends brought friends ....

Fun evening. I haven't been that damn perky in quite a while. (But then, I haven't consumed that much sugar and alchohol in quite a while, either.)

It was also nice to finally get to spend some time with windbourne, whom I'd only known as a friendly face behind the counter at one of my favorite local comics stores. I'd known for a while that she was friends with wendolen, but I still hadn't had a chance to actually really meet her yet. She seems neat. This was also the first chance I've had to spend time with Elric, another friend-of-a-friend, who I've known for a while but not well. He's just as nice as he's always seemed.

I'm really glad I went. I nearly didn't, since wendolen had told me that she probably wasn't going to make it. And hey, I only got moody and antisocial once, and it passed fairly quickly.

Hey, cool.

Looks like treebyleaf has made it onto LiveJournal now, too. Excellent. The meme is spreading.

Children's movies.

Caught a glimpse of a couple children's movies while I was out running errands today.

The first was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, playing on a television in the electronics section at Costco. I nearly turned around and walked right back out of the store.

No, I'm not exaggerating. Almost anyone who knows me can tell you of my aversions and phobias of this movie. Everyone seems to regard this as a harmless little classic that every child should see, but Jesus this movie creeped me out as a child and still does to this day.

Yes, yes, the horror writer is scared of Willy Wonka. I'll pause a moment while you finish laughing. Go ahead, I'm quite used to it.

So this time, I see the movie on the screen and freeze, ready to bolt away, but I make myself stay and watch it for a moment; I keep meaning to make myself sit and watch the whole thing someday, as a means of facing my fears. (I have read the book, at treebyleaf's instigation, and found it very comforting -- the book actually shows you, at the end, that the children who have been punished by their own greed and Wonka's machinations are, at the very least, still alive, a trivial little detail the movie neglects to mention.)

Anyway. So I try to make myself stand there for a minute and watch the damn thing. What's that he's singing? I step a little closer to listen:

Not a speck of light is showing
So the danger must be growing
Are the fires of Hell a-glowing?
Is the grisly reaper mowing?

Yes, the danger must be growing
For the rowers keep on rowing
And they're certainly not showing
Any signs that they are slowing

Charming! A wholesome and delightful film for children of any age! Jesus! No wonder this movie scarred me for life!

I quickly wandered away when I noticed that the door the characters were about to step through had a sign that mentioned "Oompa-Loompas." No way was I about to subject myself to those creepy little fuckers.

(Wow, I'd forgotten from last night -- I was cheerfully consuming Pixy Sticks when I noticed that the package said they were made by Wonka. Now, I know, you see, I know that Wonka brand candy is just a corporate name, a gimmick, but I sure as hell superstitiously avoid eating it -- but now here I was, caught. In a split second of absolute terror, I was sure that I was claimed, now. That I was his, and I would shortly be spirited away to that goddamn factory. It wasn't anything quite as bad as the fear I felt months ago when wendolen purchased a Wonka chocolate bar -- whose wrapper claimed it contained a freakin' Golden Ticket, no less -- but close.)

Anyway. That's more than enough of that.

Later, while wandering through my local Hollywood Video, I noticed that they were starting to play Labyrinth.

God, I love this movie. It started my fascination with David Bowie. Jareth has been a role model for me ever since I first saw it. The creatures, the world, the music, the fun -- I had to force myself not to just stand there in the store and watch the entire thing.

Since there wasn't anything else I wanted to watch, and since I couldn't see paying good money to rent it when I've seen it a hundred times, I walked out empty handed. But happy.