My Favorite Things: October

My Favorite Things” is a monthly segment where I share my personal and current favorites in seasonal products, health & beauty, food, decor, movies, TV, and more. Hope you enjoy these personal picks!

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TV

Young Dracula – Season One

Synopsis: Single dad Count Dracula moves to modern-day Britain from Transylvania with his two children, Vlad and Ingrid. To his father’s horror, Vlad – the show’s eponymous hero – wants not to bite, but rather to fit in with his new-found British friends, but it’s not easy when you are one of the undead.

During the month of October I was looking for some spooky fun TV to watch and happened upon this BBC Show. I found it on a whim and I was not disappointed at all! It’s actually based on a children’s book series (which I’m unfamiliar with) and it’s a entertaining watch for all ages. I like the twist of Dracula wanting to be a human and the lengths he’ll go to try not to be like a vampire. It’s also funny to watch the vampire’s nemesis Van Helsing come up with all kinds of schemes to get rid of Dracula’s family. It’s a very funny show and a recommended watch if you like TV that’s lighthearted.

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Movies

Better Watch Out

Synopsis: Ashley travels to the suburban home of the Lerners to babysit their 12-year-old son Luke during the holidays. She must soon defend herself and the young boy when unwelcome intruders announce their arrival

Because of Halloween I also binge-watched some horror movies when I had the time. This one is a mashup of a Christmas and horror movies with many thriller elements (and it can get gory at times, beware!). I went into the film blind and when I thought the movie would be predictable, it threw for a loop. I thought the writing was done so well and it really keeps the viewer hooked into the narrative while keeping the plot twists hidden. It was an intense film!

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Train to Busan

Synopsis: A man, his estranged daughter and other passengers become trapped on a speeding train during a zombie outbreak in South Korea.

I’m late to the party on this movie, but I can finally say that I saw this Blockbuster film. I’m a fan of Gong Yoo as an actor (leading role), plus I wanted to see what the hype was about. As a person who enjoys zombie films, I will say that this film goes into my top 10 zombie movies. Because the story is much more about a outbreak of a virus, it’s more about humankind and the bond between a father and daughter. I thought the pacing was done smoothly even though things move fast. It still gives us time to get connected to the other supporting characters and wonder what will happen next. A must watch!

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The Whispering

Synopsis: After the death of her best friend, Yeo Eun-Ha has been haunted by nightmares. Because of this, she gets a low score on her college entrance exam and becomes even more stressed out. Yeo Eun-Ha and five of her classmates decided to take a road trip out to the beach, The students soon become lost and take a wrong turn on a mountain road. They come upon an abandoned amusement park and enter the haunted house.

This scary movie was a predictable at times, but I still liked it nonetheless. It had many jump scare moments and I appreciated the creepy atmosphere of a haunted amusement park. Especially since the film is set an a rundown haunted house filled with numerous frightful ghosts. The only thing I would say about this film is that the characters weren’t too memorable at all. But the special effects and horror aspects were very good!

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Music

Alien by Lee Suhyun

This is Suhyun’s first solo song and I love it so much. I’m a big fan of AKMU and I like how fun and retro-esque this song is. It’s so different from things she’s sung in the past. Her melodic vocals, the chorus of “I’m Alien”, and the upbeat tempo gets me to dance instantly.

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Take Your Time (Do It Right) – The S.O.S Band

I’ve been jamming out to a lot of 80s music lately and this is a song that’s been on repeat. I grew up listening to this song in my home and at family picnics. It’s pretty much engrained in me, lol. But it’s such a funky song and I love the bass line.

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Everything by Fefe Dobson

When I was in middle school, I was introduced to Fefe’s music. I still listen to it today. It was such a big deal since I was into pop-punk music and I didn’t really see any Black female singers in this genre at the time. This is my favorite ballad of hers and I can’t wait to hear more new music from her.

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Podcast

Back Issue

Synopsis: Back Issue tells the stories behind formative moments in pop culture. In each episode, we look back at some of the moments that shook us, that changed us. Join Tracy Clayton (host of Netflix’s Strong Black Legends, Mailchimp’s Going Through It) and Pineapple Street Studios Producer Josh Gwynn as they reckon with some of culture’s biggest questions, from “How did we let this happen?” to ‘Why do we still love this?” Nostalgia is more than just a feeling.

I, like many others, love the feeling of nostalgia and Back Issue is one of the podcasts that does it well. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of pop culture and makes me go back down memory lane. I love hearing the behind the scenes aspects and learning more about the things I grew up with. Plus they sometimes interview some guests for the topics that are featured. It also makes me realize how nostalgia/pop culture can be so monumental in one’s life.

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Haunted Places

Synopsis: You’ve heard of haunted houses, haunted cemeteries, haunted islands…but do you know how a normal place can become paranormal minefield? Every haunted place on earth has a frightening, real backstory. Greg (Co-Host of Serial Killers and Cults) takes you on an audio tour of a new haunted place, and it’s haunted history, every episode. Spooky legends, weird histories, and tales of the supernatural… Listen at your own risk.

I love Parcast’s podcasts and I was excited to find this one for Halloween season. It’s a mashup of ghost stories, urban legends, and the histories behind the places mentioned in the podcasts. I like that they take the time to set the scene for each place mentioned and go over it’s history and lore in depth. Plus the episodes are 30 minutes so it’s a quick listen.

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What are some of your favorite things from October? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 

*This post is in no way sponsored