'I Have Come Here to Chew Bubblegum and Pump Gas ...And I'll all out of Bubblegum'

There are fewer things I hate more than going to the gas station. I seem to have a penchant for attracting male characters that missed the memo that I'm a single woman only there to fuel Colt, my car, as quickly as possible. No, I won't drive you to Walmart or buy you a meal at Red Lobster. Read about one of my past experiences here. So you can imagine I do NOT go to gas stations at night if random encounters are occurring during the middle of the day. The freaks come out at night, you know. Today a man who was approaching me made it a point to first advise me to smile, despite the fact he was a strange man - with no car in sight - approaching a lone woman. I had noticed him before and saw his approach that included everywhere but inside to the clerk or to a male customer.

I thought I'd provide some helpful tips, if you're not already using them, for women to stay safe during trips to the gas station. It might seem silly, but the gas station is one stop where people, most often women, are vulnerable.

1. Leave your purse in your car.
2. Keep your keys with you and lock your car whether you're using a debit/credit card or going in to prepay with cash.
3. If you crack your windows, make sure there's not enough space to reach in and grab your belongings.
4. Keep your money hidden as you're walking if you're paying in cash.
5. Keep your back to your car and observe your surroundings, or who may be approaching from the sides, as you're pumping gas.
6. Be prepared to utilize your keys or a kubaton as a possible weapon (nothing that can cause a spark or you'll blow everyone's butt off).

Are you as apprehensive about the gas station as I am? What safety precautions, if any, do you take when you go get gas?

Make it a Demon Knight

Wondering what to watch on this dreary, yet spooky Halloween? Why not make it a Demon Knight?

Demon Knight was a 1995 Tales From the Crypt film. It starred my 1990's crush, Billy Zane, William Sadler, a pre-Smith Jada Pinkett, CCH Pounder, and Thomas Haden Church, rounding out a cast of some pretty stellar actors.

Demon Knight

Sadler plays Brayker, a 100+ year old Demon Knight, (who looks relatively good for his age) who is a guardian of one of the seven keys that can open the gates of hell. When demons tried to use all seven keys for power before the Earth was formed, God scattered the demons and keys throughout the universe. The film revolves around the demon Collector's (Zane) quest to retrieve the seventh and final key and unleash hell upon earth. The key was originally filled with the blood of Jesus Christ, but can be passed down and refilled with the blood of a deceased guardian. The Collector's search for the key and Brayker's protection detail and search for the next Demon Knight lead them to a boarding house with the fellow characters. All hell breaks loose (pun oh so intended) as the Collector erects an array of demons, that look like they've stayed in tanning bed too long, to take down Brayker and retrieve the key.

Mojo

But what's a Tales From the Crypt horror movie without some gore, a sprinkle of cheesy comedy, violence, and death? CCH Pounder's character, Irene loses an arm and after a few swigs of whiskey, turns into the female version of Rambo, Zane's the Collector proceeds to punch through and wear the sheriff's face like a mitten, and the boarding house 'harlot' turns into what looks like Mojo from the X-Men. Despite Brayker's tough wits and the blood of the key serving as an impenetrable barrier from the demons, the good guy numbers dwindle and Ms. Pinkett-Smith stands strong to become the next Demon Knight. Zane does a fine job of playing a charming, cunning demon and evil leader. However, bad things start happening when he has a mood swing, illustrated by the glowy, urination light show towards the end of the film.

Awkward.

Interestingly enough, there were two initial script plans and the demon-free version had Bible selling, black suit and sunglasses wearing baddies, which made the studio nervous but sounds very reminiscent of the 1988 John Carpenter sci-fi horror classic, They Live. Check out Demon Knight and you will definitely get your Halloween horror-worth.
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