He Done Her Wrong. He Had to Die: Lamb to the Slaughter, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958)

I love Alfred Hitchock movies, so of course after I watched them I had to watch his TV show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents. They were told as an anthology, each episode its own separate story featuring drama, mysteries, thrillers, suspense, etc.

They all had this amazing intro:

My favorite episode came from from Season 3 episode 28. This story and episode is called Lamb to Slaughter and was written by Roald Dahl.

I know you are all thinking, this Roald Dahl?

The Rold Dahl who wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, George’s Marvelous Medicine, and more? This Roald Dahl?

Yes.

I know, it blew my mind too. It’s like when you were a kid and you found out your teacher actually went home and had a life outside of school. I felt the same way when I found out tht Dahl wrote other books besides kids books.

Yes, so this was the first of six that were actually adapted to Alfred Hitchcock Presents. So I couldn’t find a way to watch this with my streaming services and online-I’m going off memory.

So on to the episode. It starts off with the very pregnant wife of Police Chief Patrick Maloney calling her friend to say they won’t be joining them after all. Her name is Mary Maloney (Barbara Bel Geddes), and for Hitchcock fans you’ll recognize her as Midge Woods in Vertigo, (the artist who liked Scotty).

Anyways, her husband comes home grumpy, aloof, mean, and cruel. He’s been drinking and starts drinking more.

That’s not good.

Mary is the kindest soul, and says that she will head to the store and get some veggies while the lamb shank is cooking.

Patrick tells her to stop, stop everything. It’s over. They are over. He fell for someone else and he’s leaving Mary.

WHAT??!!!!!!!

Yes, he is leaving his very pregnant wife. He promises she’ll be take care of, but she doesn’t want to be taken care of! She wants her husband!!!!!!

She pleads with him! But he refuses and pushes her. She becomes so angry!!

She grabs he lamb shank and smacks him over the head-killing him.

You jerk!

She becomes distraught, heartbroken, and in shock! She sits and cries.

But then she gets an idea. An wonderful idea, A wonderfully awful idea.

She dries herself off and sticks the lamb in the oven, puts on her coat and heads out to the store. She comes home, drops her groceries, screams and calls 911.

All the the police come. They console her and are intent at finding out who killed their chief! Their brother in blue. They question Mary who tells the story (minus her husband wanting to leave her and killing him). This is great as they search everywhere for the weapon and all the while it is cooking in the oven.

They don’t suspect Mary at all as there is no way she could have done anything, she’s pregnant. And they weren’t even supposed to be home-they were going to be out that night, of course it must have been a burglar.

The best part is the end when she feeds them the lamb-and one guy even takes the bone home. And little Mary gets away scot free.

I can’t help but feel good as her husband was a serious jerk. Screwing around with another girl while your wife is PREGNANT!! And planning on leaving her as she is going to have a baby!!! JERK!

He had it coming!

To start Horrorfest VIII from the beginning, go to Count Dracula the Propagator of This Unspeakable Evil Has Disappeared. He Must Be Found and Destroyed!: Horror of Dracula (1958)

For more Alfred Hitchcock, go to It’s the End of the World: The Birds (1963)

For more Roald Dahl, go to For All You Know, A Witch Might Be Living Next Door to You: The Witches (1990)

For more husbands who cheat on their wives and get what’s coming to them, go to It’s Mrs. Archer. She’s on a Rampage!: Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

Come With Me and You’ll Be in a World of Pure Imagination: Happy 100th Birthday Roald Dahl

So today marks the 100th Birthday of Roald Dahl.

Yay!

He was such a big part of my childhood. I mean…how do I explain?

I mean Matilda was the anthem for kids everywhere who loved to read a lot, and were misunderstood by others

.

Then there was the wonderful magic and adventure of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. I mean who didn’t want to visit Wonka’s and get a glimpse at all the wonder inside?

And you might think it weird that I did a pic from the film, but Roald Dahl actually wrote the script for most of it. The parts were rewritten later as the director thought that it was too much like the book, but the heart of the piece is him.

The sequel, Charlie & the Great Glass Elevator wasn’t as good as The Chocolate Factory, but still extremely fun. They go into outer space, save astronauts, and have to fight Vermicious Knids.

The B.F.G. was such a great book about finding a family, as orphan and outcast Sophie finds a kindred soul in the runt of the litter and always picked on, B.F.G. (Big Friendly Giant).

In James & the Giant Peach; dreamer James finds himself the owner of a gigantic peach and sets off to New York City with a crew of insects that range from a spider, to a grasshopper, to a centipede, and more. They have to fight countless obstacles and outwit his cruel aunts.

In Fantastic Mr. Fox, a hardworking father tries to care for his family and the forest creatures; all the while trying to outwit the farmers of their wares.

Sometimes he’s “got this” and other times he really doesn’t.

In George’s Marvelous Medicine, George is constantly tired of his grandmother’s abusive remarks. So he cooks her up a “special medicine” to release his anger, one that she actually drinks! It causes her to grow 20 times her size! Will George be able to change her back? And will he be able to remake the recipe to be sold?

Boy: Tales of Childhood is a memoir and a great read. Dahl sure was a little scallion when he was growing up. These tales are extremely entertaining, especially the rat story.

Happy Birthday Dahl and thank you for all the wonderful memories and moments you gave me.

Such an amazing imagination was an inspiration to us all.

Read a Dahl book today!

For more on Roald Dahl, go to A Book Only a Reader Could Write

For more book-filled posts, go to It’s Always Tea Time

A Book Only a Reader Could Write

So I wanted to publish this post yesterday, but my computer and I weren’t on the best speaking terms. We have since resolved that issue.

And the computer has since then come along to my way of thinking. So sorry if I’m a day behind, but better late than never!

Some books you read and you just know that there was no way this book could ever exist unless the author grew up as a huge fan of reading.

Such as Matilda by Roald Dahl. Only someone who grew up reading could create a character that gave a voice to all us bibliophiles out there.

Or Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Only someone who truly loved to read could create the most dismal future, a time when books are outlawed and destroyed. The book is full of glimpses into what might actually happen, unless we take the time to read and value the thoughts and creations found between the pages.

Well The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende, is definitely one of those books.

The book was first published in 1979 and then translated into English in 1983. As this is it anniversary, thankfully pointed out by Google, I thought it deserved no less than a post by me.

The story was such a big part of my childhood, with book and film.

So the book begins with young Bastian Balthazar Bux; a shy, awkward, introvert:

Who has been grieving over the loss of his mother and feels disconnected from his father.

Aw.

He doesn’t really have any friends and is bullied at school. The one thing that Bastian does have is his books.

With their help he is able to escape reality:

And here is reason number one why this book is awesome and proof, author Ende must have been a reader; he just understands us so well. I mean even today I still like to escape my reality with a good book:

Anyways, so Bastian is being chased by bullies when he runs into a bookstore owned by Carl Conrad Coreander. While hiding out, he spots the book The Neverending Story.

Bastian just has to have the book, but the ornery shop owner doesn’t seem interested in the idea of selling, and such a book that would be far too expensive. So Bastian does something he has never done before, he steals it.

He runs up to school, deciding to hide away in the attic, reading the story and being thrust into the world of Fantastica (Fantasia in the film).

Fantastica is falling apart. The dark nothing is destroying it, piece by piece until it will fade away and there will be nothing left. Only one thing can save them; the childlike empress has chosen Atreyu, a native of the plains, to search throughout Fantastica to discover what can be done. As Bastian reads, he becomes more and more involved with the characters. So wrapped up in the book he stays throughout all his periods, in the cold, all the while starving.

Or class. Or lunch. Or anything!

But that’s silly. They aren’t real people.

But yet, the characters do seem real. And it almost seems as if they know he exists and is part of the journey with them.

When Atreyu is traveling he hears what the salvation of Fantastica is:

Born of the Word, the children of man,

Or humans, as they’re sometimes called,

Have had the gift of giving names

Ever since the worlds began,

In every age it’s they who gave

The Childlike Empress life,

For wondrous new names have the power to save.

But now for many and many a day,

No human has visited Fantastica,

For they no longer know the way.

They have forgotten how real we are,

They don’t believe in us anymore.

Oh, if only one child of man would come,

Oh, then at last the thing would be done.”

But where to find such a human child?

Atreyu continues on his journeys, getting help from Falkor, the luck dragon.

One of the best parts of the book, at least I think so, is when Atreyu faces Gmork, the werewolf. Gmork has become an agent of the Nothing, trying to destroy Fantastica and along with it the human world. Without Fantastica, the world is filled with lies instead of truth, despair instead of hope, destruction instead of creation; pretty much containing nothing.

I love this part as it shows why stories and books are so important. They help us create, they give us hope, dreams, ideas, etc. We need stories, we need hope, we need it as much as we need life.

And we need to start reading at a young age; so we can have the foundations to fight against all the darkness we will face as we grew older.

So Atreyu returns to the Empress, defeated. He has no way to stop the nothing. He has failed.

But the empress is not upset at all. In fact, she says that Atreyu has fulfilled his mission. He has brought a human child here through all his adventures. And she is talking about Bastian!

The reader has been called into the story? And not just called, but the hero! How cool is that! And how awesome if that could happen. Can you just imagine if the characters started talking to you in the middle of your favorite story?

So cool, I want it to be true.

This is my favorite part of the book, the second half isn’t as strong (in my opinion) as the first half. But still one great book.

The movie was just as amazing. Now they did make changes, but I thought it kept the soul and heart of the book. I used to watch it over and over.

Even now I cannot think or say the words “Neverending Story” without singing them like in the film’s song.

I recently showed the film to my niece and realized I am not only like Bastian, but Coreander. Yes, I have the soul of an old curmudgeon who doesn’t like the youth’s fascination with technology rather than books.

The rest of the story is just as beautiful, fascinating, adventurous, and powerful. And don’t forget the end of the film when the childlike Empress is talking right to you.  Shivers run up and down my spine, it is so good.

I mean I feel like she is talking right to me!

The other movies I didn’t really enjoy, but that first one was a true winner.

So there you have it. One amazing book that I am glad existed to become a part of my childhood, in both print and on the screen.

And you can bet your boots I will most definitely be checking out the film Sunday when they rerelease it in theaters. Don’t worry childlike Empress, Fantastic/Fantasia will always exist as long as I am alive!

For more on The Neverending Story, go to The Neverending Story

For more anniversary posts, go to Here’s to Another Year

For more book-filled posts, go to A World of Teas

For more Roald Dahl, go to We Shall Rule the World!

For more Ray Bradbury, go to Baby Jane Austen

For more Ernest Hemingway, go to Fiction or Reality? I Choose Fiction

For more Markus Zusak, go to Portrait of a Fangirl

For more Richard Marek, go to Crazy Book Lady

Number Two Look Just Like You

12) Your Celebrity Look-A-Like

Now supposedly there are 6 people on the planet that look like you, your doppelgängers.

Now out of these six doppelgängers, supposedly at least one is a famous celebrity.

Now I don’t know of that is really true, but hey I guess it could be.

Anyway, here are my (supposed) celebrity look-a-likes.

1. Matilda

I’m sure almost every little girl looked like Matilda at one point in their lives. Almost every girl at one point in their lives had cut straight across bangs; one in the middle that was always a bit too long and a clump that would always split off on their own.

I know people used to say that I looked like Matilda. This was because we were both small, wore dresses, had the same hair, and of course the fact I always had a book in my hand.

For more Matilda, go to We Shall Rule the World!

2. Belle

I know what you’re thinking: A cartoon character? Really? But hey, I just said celebrity look-a-likes, I never said they had to be real people.

So as I grew, I also grew out my hair very long, always wearing it in a ponytail. As I continued to read all the time and carry books with me, I quickly was compared to Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and truth be told, I didn’t mind at all.

For more on Beauty and the Beast, go to Heaven on Earth

3. Mandy Moore

When I was in high school, people would tell me actually quite a lot that I resembled Mandy Moore. Specifically the Mandy Moore from A Walk to Remember.

I had never seen that movie, or really anything of her work (besides The Princess Diaries) so I never agreed with that idea. At least not until my junior prom. We shared a similar color of hair, mine being long and straight with bangs, but for my junior prom I curled it exactly the way she had it in A Walk to Remember, and wore a similar, but deeper blue, dress. Yep folks, I was a dead ringer.

And the funniest thing about it was that I didn’t watch this movie until a year later, so I had no idea that was what she looked like in the film.

So Mandy Moore and I are definitely look-a-likes.

For more on Mandy Moore, go to Fulfilling the List: A Walk to Remember (2002)

4. Claire Forlani

When I was in my late teens, people started telling me that I looked just like Claire Forlani. At first I was like nooooo way, she is so much prettier than me. But in an objective way, I kind of do.

We both have similar face shapes and bone structure (although my chin is smaller making me look younger). We also have similar noses and share green eyes. With my hair short like it is now, or even just pulled back, I could confidently say I can pass myself off as her look-a-like. Well her look-a-like in Meet Joe Black.

For those of you who have been wondering what I might look like, I hope this answers some of your questions.

For the rest I have a question for you. Who do you look like? Comment below as to who your celeb double is.

To start 30 Day Challenge from the beginning, go to Musical Madness

For the previous post, go to The Mysterious Triangle

For more How I Met Your Mother, go to Fandom Love

We Shall Rule the World!

This gallery contains 2 photos.

Yep we will be in charge one day! For more book filled posts, go to Fiction or Reality? I Choose Fiction