Children of the Night – a Halloween playlist

My Halloween playlist is meant for atmosphere, not dancing.

I call it Children of the Night.  See?  You had to finish the quotation didn’t you?

I didn’t put in Thriller or Monster Mash, although I like those songs. I did put in Steven Wonder’s Superstitious ’cause it’s too good not to.  Here’s hoping you’ll find at least one new song to add to your own playlist.

Welcome to My Nightmare – Alice Cooper.

Cooper offers a charming invitation and kind of a nice way to ease into the seasonal mood.  Earworm:  “A nocturnal vacation/unnecessary sedation”

All You Zombies – The Hooters

Not about Halloween but it’s a catchy anti-zombie anthem.  Earworm:  “holy Moses on the mountain/high above the golden calf”

Wolf Moon – Type O Negative

Creepy song with spooky lyrics.  Earworm:  “unholy water/sanguine addiction”

Bloodletting – Concrete Blonde

It just sounds so jaded.  Earworm: ” you were a vampire/and baby I’m walking dead”

Whispers in the Dark – Skillet

Not about Halloween but I like it and the lyrics sound a little creepy if you are perverse about it.  Mostly I like the NOOOOO! part.  Earworm: “my love is a burning/consuming fire”

Blood, Milk and Sky – White Zombies

Excellent disturbing  song. Earworm:  [I can't figure out what they're saying.]

This is Halloween – Marilyn Manson

Even you’re a purist, you’ve got to like this version a bit.  It’s so jolly.  Earworm:  [whole thing]

Vampire with a Healthy Appetite – Steve Hackett

I’m puzzled by this song.  Does serial killing make him sleepy?  Anyway, the gravely refrain is fine holiday fun. Earworm: “You stay awake half the night”

Shivers Down My Spine – King Khan and the Shrines

Goofy -    Earworm: “She bites me square on the back waaaaooh!/I said hey baby what the hell”

I Put a Spell on You – Jay Hawkins

I got the 2 minute version where he does this growling, snorting thing at the end.  It cracks me up.  Earworm: “And I don’t care/If you don’t want me/I’m yours/right now”

Superstition – Stevie Wonder

A classic. Earworm: “Very superstitious/wash your face and hands”

Whistlin’ Past the Graveyard – Tom Waits

Gleefully obscure.  Earworm:  “and i busted up a chifforobe/way out by the cocomo”

Bad Moon Rising – Credence Clearwater Revival

Real life horror never sounded so great.  Earworm: “Hope you got your things together/hope you are prepared to die”

Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo

Featured in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Chuck.  Good stuff.  Earworm: “Walkin’ with a dead man/Waitin’ for an invitation to arrive”

Witchy Woman – The Eagles

Pretty song and quite misogynistic. Earworm:  “let me tell you brother/she’s been sleeping in the Devil’s bed”

Rain on the Scarecrow – John Mellencamp

Not Halloweeny but I imagine a rustic horror story with the scarecrow’s rain-tears and the bloody plow.  Earworm: “well there’s 97 crosses planted in the courthouse yard/97 families who lost 97 farms”

O Death – Ralph Stanley

This is really too eerie for a party but at this point, you should be having too much fun to notice.  Earworm: “Time and mercy is out of your reach”

P. S.  Are there songs I should add to this list?

Halloween Lights/Party Rock Anthem

Halloween Light Show – Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO.

Found via boredish.com

Return of the Not-Too-Scary Halloween Movies

First of the Not-Too-Scary Halloween Movies lists.

Second of the Not-Too-Scary Halloween Movies lists.

Max and Ruby’s Perfect Pumpkin (2008)  The title episode has Ruby fuss-budgeting over finding the perfect pumpkin.  But my favorite episode is the one in which Ruby insists that Max dress like prince and he keeps slipping on his fangs to be a vampire.
Note: From Rosemary Well’s picture book series.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (2001) Follows a sweet witch in her coming of age story.
Note: Animated feature from Ghibli studios.

Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolteacher, encounters the headless horseman.
Note:  From Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Hold That Ghost (1941) Two hapless men inherit a house that is filled with treasure-hunting gangsters and what they believe are ghosts.  Quick-paced, frothy fun.
Note:  Abbot & Costello comedy.

Charade (1963)  A young widow finds out that her husband had stolen treasure during World War II, and dangerous men think she has it.
Note:  Often compared to Hitchcock’s films.

What Dreams May Come (1998)  A dead man tries to help his widow cope with the loss of her entire family.  Not a traditional horror movie but the exploration of the afterlife fits the bill.
Note: From Richard Matheson’s novel.

Village of the Damned (1960)  Women in a small village give birth to affectless children with psychic powers.  While little to nothing is shown of the violence, the implications are disturbing.  The first real horror movie on this list.
Note: From John Wyndham’s Midwich Cuckoos.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) Two boys disregard an aging father’s warning about a mysterious traveling circus. The father is a kind of Atticus Finch for horror films.
Note: From Ray Bradbury’s novel.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Apprentice (2009)   A teen boy goes to see a “freak show” despite all the adults warning him against it.  There he becomes obsessed with a clever spider and not much good comes of it.  It’s a fun, if underrated movie.  I think the performance of John C. Reilly as Crepsley is outstanding.
Note: Based on Dareen Shan’s young adult book series.

Practical Magic (1998)  Two witch sisters deal with a supernatural menace from their recent past.  I love the house and all the female relationships!  But I warn you that there are jump scares and really scary parts.
Note: From Alice Hoffman’s novel. Both it and Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells are more charming than the movie.

Phone  (2002) A journalist discovers that everyone who has owned her cell phone has died in mysterious ways.   This is downright scary.  But, in essence, it’ is a supernatural mystery rather than an horror film.
Note: Korean language.

Related articles

• Family Friendly Halloween Movies (wdok.radio.com)
• 15 Halloween Movies for Teens (connectwithyourteens.net)

Movies I watched in October 2009

Cover of Carnival Of Souls (1962 Film)

I watched a lot of documentaries about horror movies to not disturb my housemates.  It was a satisfying experiment, I think.  I might try it again next year.  I was most pleased by Heroes of Horror which was on Peter Lorre and Vincent Price.  I plan to get the first volume in the series.  I also enjoyed Fantastic Flesh which was on film makeup in various movies.  Dark Dreamers was poorly constructed and dull.

The spooky movies I watched were Trick r Treat, Kakurenbo, and Carnival of Souls.  Kakurenbo looked beautiful but the story was too thin for me.  I could only watch Trick r Treat in short bursts and while I liked it, I want to watch it again in one piece next time.  Carnival was surprisingly entertaining though it fell apart at the very end.  Beautiful location shot of carnival/spa and lovely black and white photography.

I’m watching a number of TV series:  No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is pure pleasure.  Cadfael was not to my taste.  Castle is enjoyable fluff.  I enjoyed MST3K’s version of Touch of Satan but Zombie Nightmare was less enjoyable.

Laura’s Star and Kakurenbo were well-animated.  Laura’s Star was especially beautiful, and worth seeing for the visuals alone.  Both movies had rather thin stories.

Finally saw Trip to the Moon in its entirety.

1. No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency 1:1
2. Laura’s Star (2004)
3. Help! (1965)
4. Haunted History of Halloween (1997)
5. Kakurenbo: Hide and Seek (2005)
6. Cadfael: One Corpse too Many (1994)
7. Dark Dreamers 1:1
8. Trip to the Moon (1902)
9. Heroes of Horror 2
10. Twitches (2005)
11. No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency 1:2
12. Trick r Treat (2009)
13. Harryhausen Chronicles (1998)
14. Bride of Monster Mania (2000)
15. Bloodsucking Cinema (2007)
16. MST3K: Touch of Satan (1971)
17. Fantastic Flesh (2008)
18. Carnival of Souls (1962)
    
19. Labyrinth (1986)
    
20. Monster Mania (1997)
    
21. MST3K: Zombie Nightmare (1986)

The final days of Edgar Allan Poe

Image via Wikipedia

Here’s an interesting theory as to Poe’s final days.  It is depressing but fascinating.

13 Feminine Horror Movies

Christine Spines wrote an article for Entertainment Weekly on men watching horror movies in their teens and women continuing to watch them into their 30s. After that, I read posts and comments to effect of “heaven forbid, not more Twilight!”

I disagree with categorizing Twilight as a horror film: it fits better in the family of the Gothic romance. Gothic romance defined as, “Weird place! Is my boyfriend going to kill me?” Examples might be Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Beauty and the Beast and so on.

After mulling this over, I decided to make a list of horror movies that I considered “feminine.”   They feature women protagonists dealing with issues such as childbirth, menstruation, sisters, and romantic relationships. I didn’t put the women from Alien/Resident Evil/Silence of the Lambs on the list because I was selecting characters who fit the type of the “angel in the house”or “fairy tale princess.”

Disclaimer: This is not suggest that any person of any gender should feel included or excluded from identifying with the issues raised or the characters depicted in these movies.

My list doesn’t include movies I haven’t seen. Or, Dark Water.

Here is the list:

• Cat People (1942)
• It’s Alive (1973)
• Carrie (1976)
• Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• Heathers (1989)
• Perfect Blue (1992)
• Boxing Helena (1993)
• The Craft (1996)
• Practical Magic (1998)
• Ginger Snaps (2000)
• The Others (2001)
• The Ring (2002) and Ringu (1998)
• The Orphanage (2007)

The Orphanage. My review is in an earlier post. Feminine Themes: motherhood, losing a child, inquisitive women (women are actively discouraged from trying to learn things.)

The Ring. Feminine Themes: motherhood, inquisitive women. Ringu. (1998) Feminine Themes: motherhood, magical female power.

The Others. Feminine Themes: motherhood, single parenting, running a household.

Ginger Snaps. Feminine Themes: sisterhood, puberty, menses, female sexuality.

Practical Magic. Feminine Themes: widowhood, sisterhood, abusive relationships, being stalked and threatened, magical female power, healthy female bonding.

The Craft. Feminine Themes: magical female power, toxic female bonding, puberty.

Boxing Helena. Feminine Themes: abusive relationships.

Perfect Blue. Feminine Themes: self image, career choices, being stalked and threatened.

Heathers. Feminine Themes: self image, toxic female bonding, abusive relationships.

Nightmare on Elm Street: Feminine Themes: being stalked and threatened, female craftiness, mother/daughter relationships.

Carrie: Feminine Themes: puberty, menses, magical female power, mother/daughter relationships, toxic female bonding .

It’s Alive. Feminine Themes: pregnancy, giving birth, motherhood.

Cat People. My description here. Feminine Themes: female sexuality, being stalked and threatened.

Terror on the Hill

I went to the haunted house attraction at Waverly Hills that I posted on before.

Beginning to arrival

The people who went were Mark – the husband of my best friend; Stephen and Alice – recently married; and me. Another person had agreed to come but she didn’t realize that there would be actors.

I made everyone take flashlights, which took some time to accomplish since people needed batteries and so forth. I refused an offer of gloves or a hat. I did visit the restroom before we left. (This is all pertinent information.)

Mark’s GPS had a skeletal hand pointing the way and a Vincent Price voice giving directions. We liked it and then forgot about it. Stephen, Alice and I were startled when the voice said, “pay no attention to the noises in the trunk.” Alice and I shared ghost stories.

Parking to Ticket

The parking lot was unlit ($2 parking) and we were glad we had flashlights. When we reached the gate, a woman told us to go to the front of the line to buy tickets and then return to the end of the line.

On our way up the line, we saw a couple of concessions stands and a tent with golf carts and a sound system. The music was blaring “Thriller.” One of the workers came over to us and tried to convey something. We could tell he was angry but we couldn’t hear him. It turned out that we were in the way of dancers whom we hadn’t seen. That was dispiriting so we trudged up the hill to buy our tickets.

The woman I bought my ticket from had strange white contacts on – creepy and effective.

Later, in line, we saw that the dancers were wearing dark clothing and they were in the corner without any lighting.

I read some wrong information on the website: You can buy tickets at 7:30PM and the gates open at 8PM. It did cost $20 for a ticket so that part was right. It also turned out that we couldn’t use our flashlights. I carried a mag light in my pocket through the tour for nothing.

Beginning of the line to entrance

At one point, Mark and I had to use the rental potties. Mark figured that even if he managed to sneak into the woods, he might pee on the dancers. So we went to the row of rental potties that was at the head of the line. When I entered it, I discovered it had been placed on a slight rise that tilted the front of it toward the asphalt. When seated, I realized that I had closed but not latched the door. I reached to pull the latch. Because it was leaning downward, it started to open. I almost exposed myself in front of the ticket holders, the concessions workers, the camouflaged dancers, and two cops. That was a couple of seconds of terror. But I grabbed the door in time.

Mark reported that the tilted potties made the urinal a challenge.

We were bored waiting.  Some of us claim it took 45 minutes and others an hour and 10 minutes to reach the head of the line. The weather was clear but chilly, and we were shivering. I regretted not accepting the hat. Mark played some songs on his cell phone and then Stephen played some on his. Finally, the others started telling dead baby jokes, which helped pass the time. Then, we reached the head of the line, and it was too noisy to talk. Stephen started dancing to “Crazy Train.”

Alice and I tried to look at the building itself which was impressively large, although we could see very little of it. It looked abandoned still. I tried to imagine what it might have felt like to arrive as a TB patient, look up at the building, and know that I might not leave.

Because we spent so much time in the line, it was hard not to notice people around us. One man had apparently gotten his lip pierced recently. He said nothing but spat the whole time. There was a woman who talked loudly and bitterly to one of her parents who was divorcing the other. Then she hung up and glared around for a few minutes. Then she called some one else and quarreled with them.

Alice and I were most disturbed by the third man who was clearly on drugs. He only occasionally opened his eyes and he swayed until someone pushed him and he’d stumble a few steps ahead.

We were relieved when the worker let the four of us join the next group and separated us from ‘High Guy.’

Details of haunted house after cut.

Board Games for Halloween

Image via Wikipedia

This post is thanks to my brother who made the list and gathered the information.

Apples to Apples (Publisher: Out of the Box)

Estimated Time: 30 minutes to an hour

Ages: 12 and up

No. of Players: 4 to 10 (more if you make 2 teams)

Awards: Games 100 “party game of the year”

Mensa Select Award

Tiger Award “best American game”

Type: cards

Halloween connection: Select cards that have to do with Halloween e.g., “spooky” “scary.” Even if you don’t do this, it’s still all about apples (bobbing, Pomona, etc.)

About the game: Players submit cards on a theme to a judge who chooses the best fit. Example: the theme is cold and players submit ‘ice cream’ ‘snow’ and ‘penguins.’ The judge has to decide what he or she thinks fits best. The judge can be as whimsical and arbitrary as he or she pleases.

The game requires reading and a strong pop cultural knowledge background. I believe there is a junior version. There are a few house rules to establish such as whether you can stump for your cards or not.

The original game is the best party game we’ve played. People who have never met and people who know each other all too well can play it. It moves quickly and encourages conversation. It satisfies both casual players and game aficionados.

My brother says each player can enjoy and feel successful all the way through the game.

Games Bunny link. Debbie Pickett link.

Monsters Menace America (Publisher: Avalon Hill)

Estimated Time: 90 minutes

Ages: 12 and up

No. of Players: 2 to 4

Type: board game

Awards: none

Halloween connection: Monster Movies!

About the game: To win the game, you have to build up your monster power and defeat all rivals.

The best part of the game, other than destroying USA landmarks, is the large plastic monster pieces. Movie monsters have definitely inspired the game pieces.

The monsters include Zorb (giant eyeball); Toicor (toxic waste pile), Meca Claw (giant lobster); Tomanagi (gojira); Gargantis (giant preying mantis) and Konk (King Kong). They each have a war cry: I like Toxicor’s “squisha squisha” and Meca Claw’s “clicka clacka” best.

This game is best suited for more intense players and people who like to smash things (me!).

My brother says the end game can be a letdown – I agree with him that it’s clear who is going to win by that point. However, as my brother points out, the first part is super fun.

Gamer Dad link. Gamers Alliance link.

Flickchart pulls me in

It’s pretty basic.  Do you like this movie or that movie better?

Somehow I get drawn into playing Flickchart.com a lot longer than I had planned.  The rankings come out a little wonky for me sometimes. Here are a few top 5 lists.

Combined rankings for Best 2008 horror – 1. Let the Right One In 2. The Orphanage 3. The Midnight Meat Train 4. Diary of the Dead 5.  Teeth

My rankings for Best haunted house movies: 1. Stir of Echoes 2. The Shining 3. Monster House 4. Poltergeist 5. Dark Water – I don’t recommend Dark Water except as sleep aid.  I should have added Monster House to my own list.

Combined rankings for Best 1990s romance:  1. Edward Scissorhands 2. Titanic 3. Jerry McGuire 4. Interview with a Vampire 5. As Good as It Gets

My rankings for Best 1990s romance:  1. Romeo + Juliet 2. Strictly Ballroom 3. Edward Scissorhands 4. Clueless 5. Jane Eyre.  – at least we agree on Scissorhands.

Combined rankings for Best 1940s mystery: 1. The Third Man 2. The Maltese Falcon 3. The Big Sleep 4. Rebecca 5. Spellbound

My rankings for Best 1940s mystery: 1. Rebecca 2. Spellbound 3. The Third Man 4. The Big Sleep 5. Laura – the last kind of surprises me since I really didn’t like Laura.  The rest I have no complaints about.

Anyway, try it out if you have some time to kill.

spooky art links

Here are some more links to spooky art for Halloween.

From Deviant Art —

peachysticks link.

super-sheep link.

ruben martinez link.

dholl link.

yagak link.

from Creature Features (via TheoFantastique) —

“October Shadows” artists or gallery.

from artists past—

Fantastic Art collection link.

Grunewald link

Gustave Dore’s Divine Comedy link