31
Oct
One of my favorite things about Halloween is the plethora of horror movies on TV. Unfortunately, this year’s offerings have been a bit of a disappointment, in my opinion (no matter what a certain network’s promos would lead you to believe).
I’m not into the slasher films like Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street or the other iconic horror flicks of their ilk, so there’ll be no marathons involving Jason or Freddie at my house. But give me a movie featuring vampires, ghosts, or werewolves, and I’m good to go! And if you can throw in a creepy kid as the villain–even better!
Now, if (like me) you’re looking for something fun to watch after the trick-or-treaters have packed it in for the night but just can’t find anything while flipping through the channels, don’t be afraid to go digging back through the decades for some oldies but goodies. Or even go out on a limb and try a foreign horror film (with subtitles, natch).
If you need some ideas, here are a few of my faves:
1) The Changeling starring George C. Scott
2) Silver Bullet starring Corey Haim
3) Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Gary Oldman
4) House of Wax starring Vincent Price
5) The Bad Seed starring Patty McCormack
6) The Omen (1976 version) starring Gregory Peck
7) Gin gwai (The Eye) starring Angelica Lee
8) House on Haunted Hill (1959 version) starring Vincent Price
9) John Carpenter’s Vampires starring James Woods
10) The Fall of the House of Usher starring Vincent Price
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive. I’m also a fan of some of the more mainstream movies like Underworld (the Director’s Cut), the Blade series, the various zombie movies (even though they seriously freak me out), and all the campy, low-budget movies that show up on cable every weekend. But if you want to watch a quality film that will give you the chills this Halloween, give one from my list a try.
And, most importantly, have a safe and happy Halloween!!
30
Nov
What kind of a paranormal romance writer would I be if I didn’t take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Halloween? This is one of my favorite holidays — just ask my day-job colleagues who are baffled by the fact that I leave my pumpkin lights up in my office all year!
I think part of the fun for me is that my youngest sister’s birthday is on October 31st, so it was always a huge party! Another aspect of Halloween that appeals to me is the fact that it’s the last hoorah before the craziness of Thanksgiving and Christmas begins. (Just thinking about the next two months makes me tense.)
But, of course, my favorite part of Halloween is the fabulous smorgasbord of monster/horror movies that inundate the airwaves today! I would do nothing but chill in front of the TV with popcorn and a Diet Coke if I could, but, alas, there’s far too much partying and trick-or-treating to be had! Thank God for DVR, that’s all I’m saying. My scary movie marathon will have to wait until tonight after the rest of the festivities and after the kiddies come crashing down from their sugar highs and eventually fall into bed. Then my big decision will be if I should numb out my brain on vampires or ghosts or werewolves or zombies… Oh, the choices!
So, here’s wishing you and all your little goblins and ghosties a wonderfully ghoulish and delightfully creepy Halloween!
Maura
(Originally posted – you guessed it! – Oct 31)
