Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Are You Scared?

Now that October is here, I'm feeling that creepy feeling again. And I mean creepy in a Halloweenie sense. For some reason, every year, when the air gets cooler and trees start to look barer, I'm more interested in spooky things. Our satellite television also starts to show more horror movies. It seems a dozen or more channels are running Hitchcock marathons. That's fine with me since I do not usually watch horror films, but I love Hitchcock movies. Along with Hitchcock films, I can choose from one of the Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th sequels. If you add up all of the movies in those three series I think you come up with seventy-three or so. Or maybe it just seems like that many.

Anyway, it's a great time to catch up on horror classics as well. Nosferatu is a great silent vampire film. Plus, any movie with Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff is worth trying out. I also like the cheesy vampire movies from the seventies. The Captain Kronos, vampire hunter, series is campy enough for all. As you can see, I don't require actual fright when choosing my horror films. I like suspense and old castles. And I can even live without the suspense, as long a film has a crumbling, ancient, dusty, castle on a cliff with constant lightning in the background. Some creepy 'Phantom of the Opera' organ music is a must too. I am not a big fan of slasher movies. I don't care much for the gore, torture or rape. I'm pretty sure that I will never watch Saw. That is why I watch more of the older films. The first Halloween movie now seems tame enough for me after twenty plus years.

I am also drawn to reading more horror stories in October. There is nothing better than reading the Tell-Tale Heart by Poe on a chilly, drizzly day. Again, I like the classics better than more modern tales. Among my favorites are Frankenstein by Shelly, because it has a castle in it, and The Halloween Tree by Bradbury. Ray Bradbury has a whole list of good October stories. I usually lean more toward stories with bleak, depressing settings to match the weather. I just seem to get more out of them. This fall I decided to re-read Bram Stoker's Dracula. (Wow! Another rocking castle) I'm reading it slowly this time to really get into it.

This is the only time of year that I feel this way. I don't seem to enjoy spookiness (or castles) as much during the rest of the year. Once October is over, I have to start looking forward to Thanksgiving and then on to Christmas. By then, all of the macabre has left me. So now is the time get your Halloween fix, before the 'Happy' holidays start. Put out your pumpkins and 'bring out yer dead'.

7 comments:

SciFi Dad said...

A hollow weenie?

Now that frightens me!

The Father of Five said...

Hey Dad Stuff...

Great posting...

So great in fact that as I was writing a comment, I got so long winded, and so detailed - that I thought what I had was more appropriate as a post for FOF!

So, giving credit where credit is due, I want to thank you for your inspiring "Are you Scared?" post and read The Horror in my Life - which was inteneded to be a "Comment and Stuff" for you!

Thanks again!

Darren said...

I usually watch all the real life ghost stories that show up on TV this month. I watch them late at night after everyone is in bed. Then I run real fast up to bed before the ghosts can get me.

Did you change the pictures in your sidebar?

Dad Stuff said...

Scifi dad: If's that's what you got out of my post, then I'm scared too.

FOF: Thanks for the compliment. I'll be checking yours out for sure.

Darren:Yes, they are new pics. Same kids though.

crazymumma said...

mmmm. I loves me some halloween fear.

time to dust off the John Carpenter.

11111111 said...

I don't like gore either. Two of my favourite scary movies are Evil Dead, and The Descent. I love Hitchcock, too.

By the way, Thanksgiving is already over.

Casdok said...

I love gore.......

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I'm a 40 year old dad of two. My wonderful wife, Lady Di, and I try to keep the kids from blowing things up here in central Minnesota.