Skull Pumpkin

One more look at the Halloween season before it winds down.  Hope you have fun!

Happy Halloween! 

Trick ‘r Treat

For our last movie of the season, I’ll review “Trick ‘r Treat”.  Four stories revolve around Halloween:

1. A man kills children and buries them in his backyard.
2. A virgin reveals a horrifying secret while attending a party.
3. After pulling a trick, youths awaken the dead.
4. A bad tempered elderly man fights a supernatural creature.

The first was gross.  My sister said that the second was “very unusual”.  I certainly didn’t expect that ending.  The third was plain scary.  In the fourth, I’d feel sorry for the imp (because he looks lonely) except that he’s evil.  Overall, this film was pretty good, considering how pictures are nowadays.

Well, that’s it for now.  Hope you enjoyed the reviews!

Damien: Omen II

Last year, I watched “The Omen”, so for Hell Night, I’m reviewing “Damien:  Omen II”.  Damien Thorn discovers who he is.  For everyone else, though, learning the truth about this boy can be hazardous to their health!

I’ve never saw this movie before, so I have to say that it's even scarier than the original first one. Maybe it’s because I glimpsed some of the original "The Omen" before I saw the whole picture.  Or perhaps the thought of Damien testing his new-found powers gives me the creeps!  I don’t know, but avoiding the sequel until now was probably a good idea.  Meanwhile, the music invokes dread in my Catholic bones.

Now I have to go lie down.  Pray for me…

The House Next Door

My last book for the Halloween season is an old favorite called “The House Next Door”, by Anne Rivers Siddons.  A couple watched as peoples’ lives are destroyed by the house next door.

I love the writing style of this author.  The descriptions of the seasons are especially great.  I also enjoy reading about the parties, as well as the island.  Unfortunately, I didn’t like a couple of situations in the book.  But what can I say?  This is horror!

A Haunting – House of the Dead

For a change of pace, we’ve seen an episode called “House of the Dead” from the series “A Haunting”.  The series has actual cases of the supernatural, with specters, devils, etc.  This episode is about a family that's terrorized by evil entities.

I felt a definite chill as I watched it, because this is a true story.  Also, it looked like a documentary, with interviews and reenactments.  The only thing is that the way they visually present it was a little disconcerting.  I got used to it, though.

On Amazon, I’ve glanced at their reviews, and it seems that this one isn’t the most frightening tale in the series.  So I plan on watching more in the future.

Halloween Decorations

Just in time for Halloween, I’ve assembled pictures of our decorations.  Some of these Halloween decorations have been around since July! 

The first pumpkin was carved in the front and back.

For the front, we carved a witch.

For the back, my brother carved a moon and swirls.

On our other jack o’ lantern, my brother carved the traditional face.

I helped my brother with the prep work and the carving.

We’ve had this jack o’ lantern for over 15 years.  Doesn’t it look evil?  Here it sits; with color-coordinated candle and candy bowl (My brother snapped this picture). 

My sister won the bear witch at the fair.  In addition, the tall scarecrow was bought at Michaels, whereas the smaller one was given as a gift for a gardening job well done. 

This is a Haunted Cabin (Lighted Building) from the Spooky Town Collection.  My sister bought it at Michaels.

Horror Double Feature

Yesterday, I saw two horror flicks. 

The first one is “He Knows You’re Alone”.  A bride-to-be and her friends are stalked by a crazed killer.

This movie is not one of my favorites.  Nevertheless, this tepid film is made more likable by its stars, among them Caitlin O’Heaney and Tom Hanks.  The villain also looks a little like a young demented Glenn Ford, especially when wielding that knife.

The second picture is “When a Stranger Calls”.  A baby-sitter receives threatening crank calls from an insane man who kills the children upstairs.  Seven years later, the killer escapes from the asylum.  Eventually, he becomes determined to finish the job.

I like Carol Kane, who reminds me of an old-time horror movie starlet.  The murderer is also scary, even when he’s “sane”.  Besides that, the camerawork is great.  Unfortunately, the middle part drags.  Colleen Dewhurst keeps it watchable, though.

About two more weeks till Halloween…the best is yet to come!

Spirit Dolls

As promised, I’ll talk about my brother’s “spooks”, or spirit dolls.  A spirit doll is the spirit of a deceased person that somehow becomes attached to a doll.  Some of them are supposed to do things such as facial changes, whispering, cold spots, etc.  According to the K-II EMF Meter, sometimes they’re active.  My brother says that you need to pay attention to the dolls to activate them.

The following are some of his dolls (from left to right):



Victoria (died in 1908), Mary (nun), and Tuleva (Romanian witch)

My brother snapped this picture.



Charlotte (Lottie), Carlie (witch), Sandra (the little one), and Annika (died in the early 1800’s)



Deidre (passed away in 1980 of leukemia)



Emma (committed to psychiatric ward in 1920’s)



Halloween

I was going to see the Rob Zombie remake, but the opening scenes disturbed me. So, while eating butterscotch pudding and popcorn, I watched the original “Halloween” instead.

Everyone knows the story – 3 friends are stalked by a psychopathic killer on the scariest night of the year. 

What can I say about it that you don’t already know?  Besides the acting, the thing I really love about this movie is the music.  From the opening notes, while the pumpkin increases in size, to the end with its eerie breathing, the music is utterly chilling.  It also serves to make the film even more terrifying. 

Anyways, I enjoyed the movie.  I doubt I would have said the same about the remake.

Here I Stay

In “Here I Stay”, by Barbara Michaels, Andrea and her brother Jim are haunted by ghosts when they move into a house that they intend on turning into a bed-and-breakfast. 

I really love this book.  I read it twice a year.  I like the descriptions of food and of the inn-keeping business.  Plus, this book is set in the fall / winter season, so it’s a great read for the holidays.  The only thing I don’t like is the sad ending.  I figure, though, that I can read a more upbeat book afterwards, so it's ok.

Book Accessories

Each fall, I venture out to buy Halloween book covers and bookmarks.  Sometimes I get lucky.  Here are my favorites:

Here are my sister’s book covers:

Witchboard

“Witchboard” opens at a party, where the spirit of a 10-year-old boy is contacted with an Ouija board.  When Linda uses that same board, murder and other scary things start to happen.  Things come to a head when the two men in her life, Jim and Brandon, must work together to save Linda from being possessed.

This gem of a horror movie has everything – it’s scary, funny, and emotional.  The bird’s-eye view of a camera angle is particularly unsettling.  Most of the film is convincingly real.