Author: Sara Embrey

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Happy International Aura Awareness Day!

 

November 22nd is International Aura Awareness Day, a day to help create awareness of the vital role auras have in our lives. Auras exist as an energy field around living things, and there are different types of auras depending on your emotional, or physical state. Many people are still skeptical about auras, which maybe why this holiday was first celebrated in 2002. Aura’s have been a part religions for hundreds of years. In Christianity, auras have been depicted in paintings as a gold halo around an individual's head, like in portraits of Jesus, above. There are many examples of the “holy halo” in the Bible; mostly it is referred to as a light. "The Lord is the source of my light and my safety, so whom shall I fear?" Psalm 26:1 In India, scholars of the Buddhist and Hindu religions think that there’s a link between Auras and Chakras and Kundalini energy. These are specific point on the body that energy flows through and to. There are seven Chakra points on the human body from the The Crown Centre, which is above the head to the Muladhara or Base Centre, at the base of the spine.

Aura’s come in many different colors that mean different things. For example, dark auras are an indication of physical, emotional or psychological problems and trauma. British occultist W.E Butler found that clairvoyant individuals can see and accurately diagnose a person's state of mind, and well being, by the color of their auras. Each color has a positive and negative aspect, for example a red positive aura indicates good health or good circulations, while a negative red aura means anger, anxiety, and/or fear. A positive blue aura means the individual is at peace, and spiritually open, and a negative blue aura is a fear of telling the truth. An orange positive aura signifies a perfectionist, while a negative one means you have a lack of ambition. Getting an accurate reading takes a trained seer and an openness to the spiritual energies. If you are interested about this subject you should watch the documentary Inspired by Angels, which goes into more detail on the angels and auras, distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation.

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Veteran’s Day : Citizen Soldier

 

Veteran’s Day is coming up and what better way to spend it than climbing on the couch with a loved one to watch a movie? Dean Stockwell stars in “Citizen Soldier,” a compassionate tale about a Vietnam veteran who learns to deal with his past and gains hope for his future.  If you’re looking for something less dramatic and bit more surreal, catch Stockwell, along with Michael Cera and John C. Reilly in their new film, “Entertainment,” following the life of an old and aging comedian looking to revamp his career. While it won’t teach you much about compassion, it’s sure to entertain. Each movie follows the protagonist in a crucial point in his life, one just returning from war and feeling suicidal, and the other at the end of his career and feeling lost. Despite their prickly pasts and bleak futures, each looks for some sort of change and with the help of family and friends, they may just do that.

Enjoy your Veteran's day, and thank a Veteran!

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Dia de Los Muertos

 

Halloween is over, but don’t put those candles out just quite yet, because November 1st is the beginning of the two-day Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos. A ritual that dates back 3000 years.

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a day to remember, honor, and celebrate the lives of lost loved ones.

Day one is dedicated to, and honors the lives of children who have died. It is known as, Dia de los Inocentes. Friends and family members decorate the graves of children who they have lost with white orchids.

Day two is Dia de los Muertos, and it honors adults by decorating their graves with bright orange marigolds.

Along with decorating graves, friends and families put out ofrendas, which are personal altars that honor a person. People put out flowers, candles, food, drinks, photos, and personal mementos of the person  being remembered.

It is a celebration of life festival that pays respect to the deceased. Much like the Chinese film, “The Nightingale.”

In China’s 2015 submission to the Academy awards, “The Nightingale” tells the story of a grandfather and granddaughter on a journey through China with a bird that they want to set free at the grandmother's grave to honor a promise that the grandfather made to the grandmother before she passed away.

“The Nightingale” is set to release in select US theaters on Friday, November 6th.

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Five Family Friendly Halloween Films to Watch (And Five Not So Family Friendly Movies)

 

It’s that spooky time of year again, and are you having trouble deciding what movies to watch with your family and loved ones during Halloween? There’s fun, wacky, happy (sometimes even magical) Halloween films out there that make us feel good about the holiday season. But then there are some films that are just filled with too much terror, death, and are way too gross to watch for the young ones. Here are five must watch movies on the list, as well as five movies to avoid viewing with your children, listed in no particular order.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

This movie really proves that any demonic entity (witches, goblins, ghouls etc.) can be portrayed as lovable protagonists.There isn't too much violence, and the witches' magic that takes place is more mischievous and good natured than it is malicious or diabolical. This film is not too creepy for the scaredy cat of the family. Fire this movie up, and cast a magical spell on the little ones with this enthralling tale.

Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

Ernest is about as goofy as it gets. This movie is so vanilla, even grandma can watch it without being offended by any of Ernest's eccentric antics. This movie is a good tool to get hyperactive children to sit down and watch a character who is more spazzed out than they are.

The Monster Squad (1987)

This 80's film captures what it really was like to grow up during Dracula's rise back into power, which was easily thwarted by a group of Goonies wannabes. The whole family can enjoy this film, especially when the fat kid kicks the Wolfman in the "nards". Nards was probably the first slang word some people learned that described a certain part of the human anatomy. This film was as educational as it was entertaining. Try to watch it at least once with a little brother or cousin!

Casper: The Friendly Ghost (1995)

Casper: the Friendly Ghost. What could possibly be scary in this film, knowing that Casper is friendly right off the bat? Ghosts usually are pretty angry over something they can’t let go of, but not Casper! I don't know, but that fact alone makes this an easy watch with the rest of the family. The audience probably won't remember the plot of it a week later, but it is good harmless fun for the viewers during the month of October.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

If you can't trust Disney to get a family cartoon about Halloween right, who can you trust?Jack Skellington is as lovable as Rocky Balboa, and I really can't think of a character who has cleanly gotten away with ruining Christmas for everyone around him besides the Grinch. There is no reason why families shouldn't watch this with their loved ones. Even if all the clay monsters makes them feel a bit uneasy at first.

 

Five Not So Family Friendly Halloween Films

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

This movie seems cute and cuddly at first, but it takes a very dark turn when the clowns decide to exterminate all the earthlings. One of the most traumatic moments had to be the cotton candy cocoons the Clowns were trapping their victims inside. Films like this are the reasons why parents and their children develop severe cases of clown phobia.

Hellraiser (1987)

“Hellraiser” is one of those movies that one friend tricks another friend into viewing, just to watch them squirm. Nothing is creepier than intergalactic demons whose sadistic intentions are equally as disturbing as the cinematography and set design. The weird zombie husband protagonist is absolutely morbid. Pinhead might look funny, but there is nothing to laugh about in this film at all.

Halloween - Rob Zombie Remake (2007)

John Carpenter’s original film, "Halloween" was scary, but there was something about mega rockstar/director Rob Zombie's vision of a troubled child's mind was just really unsettling. Malcolm McDowell plays Michael Myers' criminal psychiatrist, and his character added the unusual element that even the protagonists in the film are creepy as hell. Go watch “Friday the 13th” instead.

The Thing (1982)

The fact that a shapeshifter was killing the entire cast in the Antarctic tundra wasn't the part that was disturbing about this film. It was the high quality animatronics which makes this film almost unbearable to watch for small, impressionable children. The human-spider head that runs around like a chicken on fire is a good enough reason to pass on this horror flick. It’s no doubt the most horrible scene in a film ever created with muppets.

Cube (1997)

This movie really did mess up my head growing up. The best way to describe "Cube" to those unaware is a futuristic version of the horror flick "Saw", but very little questions are answered about it. Usually films like this give some sort of closure at the end, but just thinking about it makes me feel as uneasy as the first time I remember watching it. “Cube” is a movie about a death trap filled labyrinth, which random acts of violence happen, underlined by the feeling of no hope of escaping. Family members should not watch "Cube" unless there was something more comfortable to view, like "Hostel" or "The Human Centipede". This film was more mentally exhausting than both those films combined. Don’t even think about watching it.

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Happy Make A Difference Day!

 

Hopefully we can all be inspired to make a difference in the lives of others, not just on this day but every day. A few movies that are inspirational are The Lovely Patient and Ways to Live Forever. Both these movies demonstrate how important it is to make a difference in others’ lives and to restore faith in humanity. The Lovely Patient (2014), directed by Sylvester Folks, tells the story of a young man who goes to great lengths to get a job in order to support his sick mother. As he embarks on this task, he meets a few other characters too whom he touches the hearts of and lends a helping hand. The boy, Leonard, played by Joseph Glenn is a truly lovable character who will restore your faith in humanity.

The movie Ways to Live Forever (2010) directed by Gustavo Ron, teaches that we have the power to make differences in others’ lives and they can make a difference in ours, even for just a short time. The main character Sam, played by Robbie Kay teaches us what it means to be alive and the impact we can have on others’ lives, especially our parents and friends. So, this make a difference day, show someone you care about them and make a difference in someone’s life. Or just see one of these great movies!

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The Nightingale: Qin Hao

 

Chinese actor Qin Hao is soon to appear in the Chinese-French co-production The Nightingale (distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation). Qin Hao’s plays Chongyi, father to the young protagonist Renxing, and son to the second protagonist Zhu Zhi Yen. Chong Yi’s character brought an aura of antagonism from which the family suffered a split. Qin Hao’s character, however, is given complexity through his genuine love for his daughter, and through a pending separation from his wife that he feels he needs since they spend little time together as a unit. Chong Yi, however, gives in to the transformation of his daughter that occurs during the trip with her grandpa, and hopes to make amends with his father and his wife for the benefit of the family.

The actor Qin Hao was born in 1978 in the coastal Shandong province in the people’s republic of China. In 1996 he entered China’s renown Central Academy of Drama —school to many of the country’s famous actors such as Zhang Ziyi, and Gong Li- to receive his formal training as an actor. In 2005, Qin Hao made his cinematic debut playing a local boy in Wang Xiaoshuai’s film Shanghai Dreams —a film that was an official selection for the Palme D’or at the Cannes film festival. Qin Hao continued to do small roles until 2009 when he starred as the protagonist (Jiang Cheng) in Lou Ye’s controversial film Spring Fever. This picture explores erotic curiosity found in China, a subject that is connected to Hao’s character as he plays a travel agent who does drag shows at night and ends up in an affair with a married man. The film won best-screenplay at Cannes, despite China’s attempt to bar the filmmaker from making the film. After Spring Fever, Qin Hao followed with Wang Xiaoshuai’s 2010 film Chongqing Blues —another selection to the Cannes film festival. After this film Qin Hao took a hiatus from the cinema, but made some television appearances in the series City Lover (2012) and Desert Ballad (2012).

Qin Hao reappeared on the silver screen in 2014 in Blind Massage —another Lou Ye film that’s based on a popular novel by Bi Feiyu. He followed this film with a pivotal performance in The Nightingale. This production was ultimately submitted by China as their entry for the 87th Academy Awards. Since The Nightingale, Qin Hao has continued his career with several film in 2014, and this year he has appeared in a comedy in which he plays an aged retired rockstar in the movie Rock Hero. The Nightingale will debut in select US theaters November 6, and it will be an opportunity for American audiences to see Qin Hao and the rest of the cast.