Thursday, December 31, 2009

End of Year Meme

Electronic Cerebrectomy posted this, and I am following suit:

~~~~~

1.What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?

Went to Halloween Horror Nights.

HHN09

~~~~~

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Well, if you are asking if I lost the weight I wanted to lose, then no. If you are asking if I am gonna try again, then yes.

Weight

~~~~~

3.Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nope.

~~~~~

4.Did anyone close to you die?

Nope.

~~~~~

5.What countries did you visit?

Zip.

~~~~~

6.What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

More willpower to get up and walk.

~~~~~

7.What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory and why?

Was pretty shocked the week we lost a buttload of celebrities. Halloween was memorable, too. And Christmas is always a great memory.

Jackson

~~~~~

8.What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Wrote another novel.

NaNoWriMo09c

~~~~~

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not losing the weight I wanted to.

~~~~~

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Threw out my back twice, but it isn't anything extraordinary.

~~~~~

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Hmmm... The Trick 'r Treat DVD!

TTUnicef

~~~~~

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Well, I am pretty proud of our oldest and his wife. They found and purchased and moved into a home of their own that is just awesome!

~~~~~

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Appalled? Tiger Woods or Jon & Kate, I suppose. Depressed? Rob Zombie and his Halloween 2 crapfest.

~~~~~

14. Where did most of your money go?

Mortgage, bills, food, the usual suspects.

~~~~~

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The new Friday the 13th movie, which wasn't earth-shattering awesome, but was pretty good. I liked it!

Camp Crystal Lake 6

~~~~~

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?

That movie mash, The Golden Age of Video, a YouTube video/song.

~~~~~

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier, without a doubt.
b) thinner or fatter? Fatter, but working on it.
c) richer or poorer? Richer, in more ways than one.

~~~~~

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Walking. Writing.

~~~~~

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Eating! And worrying.

~~~~~

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Well, I SPENT Christmas 2009 with my family and I plan on doing the same in 2010.

~~~~~

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

Already deep in love.

~~~~~

22. How many one-night stands?

None.

~~~~~

23. What was your favorite TV program?

Modern Family is great. Also love Sanctuary.

~~~~~

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Not really. Annoyed, yes, but not hatin'.

~~~~~

25. What was the best book you read?

Enjoying the Alfred Hitchcock compilation I am reading right now.

~~~~~

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Feist. Love her!

~~~~~

27. What did you want and get?

The Trick 'r Treat DVD. And a set up for a couple of pet rats, which was a surprise, since I wasn't planning on doing it yet. Exciting!

~~~~~

28. What did you want and not get?

Another season of LIFE or My Name is Earl.

~~~~~

29. What was your favorite film of this year?

Trick 'r Treat. Also liked the new Friday the 13th.

Sam

~~~~~

30. What did you do on your birthday?

Spent the day with my wife and kids, just chilling out. Think we may have eaten at Chili's or something.

~~~~~

31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

A lottery win? I dunno, not complaining here.

~~~~~

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Hah! Jeans, t-shirts and a much-worn hoodie.

~~~~~

33. What kept you sane?

My wife. Watching my kids grow and change. Coffee. Writing.

~~~~~

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Kristen Chenoweth. :)

Olive

~~~~~

35. What political issue stirred you the most?

Health reform, I suppose. I tend not to get too political.

~~~~~

36. Who did you miss?

My little brother, I suppose. We don't get to spend too much time together.

~~~~~

37. Who was the best new person you met?

Tie, I suppose, between Cal and Dr. Monkey.

~~~~~

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:

"Sometimes you just need to unsubscribe."

~~~~~

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

"We came, we saw, we kicked its ass."

~~~~~

NewYear

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Holiday Musings

Just wanted to mention a couple of things I saw on the Net yesterday.

First, the Friendly Atheist showcased this display by The Triangle Freethought Society Raleigh, North Carolina.


click to enlarge

I like it. As Hemant says: "It's positive without being disparaging."

The Triangle Freethought Society site.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AlterNet had the a great column by Greta Christina:

7 Reasons for Atheists to Celebrate the Holidays

A great list and I agree with many of her choices. Last year, I did a similar post. If you want to read it, click here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UPDATE: Dr. Monkey over at Monkey Muck had a very similar post today. Check it out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, December 21, 2009

Movie Monday - A Stocking Full of Christmas Films

Lots more holiday viewing this week:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holiday Inn (1942)

[Bing Crosby; Fred Astaire; Marjorie Reynolds; Virginia Dale; Walter Abel; Louise Beavers]

Plot: Tired of the bright lights of showbiz, Jim Hardy retires to the countryside to become a farmer. He converts the farm into the Holiday Inn, open only on holidays, then competes against his pal for a singer-dancer's affection.

This was my very first viewing of this classic, and I shouldn't have waited so long. Musicals aren't really my favorite kind of flick, but this one is fun and the songs are great. All are great in their roles, especially Crosby and Astaire. Great combination.

This film was also the first appearance of the perennial Christmas classic song "White Christmas". Great song, great film.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

White Christmas (1954)

[Bing Crosby; Danny Kaye; Rosemary Clooney; Vera-Ellen; Dean Jagger; Mary Wickes]

Plot: Crosby and Kaye play war buddies turned entertainers who fall for a pair of sisters. The boys follow the girls to a resort, which is owned by their former commanding officer, and he's in danger of losing the place. What better reason to stage a show than to keep the resort out of hock?

Another classic I had always missed, this year I made a point of watching it. And I like it, even more so than "Holiday Inn". Crosby and Kaye make a great team, and paired with Clooney and Ellen, they really shine. Music is great throughout, including the title track.

Also love seeing Wickes, she has been a favorite character actress of mine for years. Always fun seeing her in anything, and I probably would have watched this one years ago, had I realized she had a part in it.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas (1996)

[Sam McMurray; Ann Magnuson; Bug Hall; Sandy Baron; Mary Woronov]

Grandpa has accidentally captured Santa Claus and two of his elves, while Lily is trying to win the local neighborhood Christmas home decorating competition, and Marilyn has invited family and friends from the "old country" to stay for Christmas. And Eddie is sad, and nothing seems to cheer him up.

Hoo-boy. Sometimes, I just wonder how movies get made. This flick is just bad. Not funny, at all, ever. The plot is thin, at best. And the actors barely work to bring the Munster family to life. Just not good, at all. Bleh!

Couldn't find a trailer, and you are better off for it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Very Brady Christmas (1988)

[Florence Henderson; Robert Reed; Ann B. Davis; Maureen McCormick; Eve Plumb; Barry Williams; Christopher Knight; Mike Lookinland; Jennifer Runyon]

Plot: The entire Brady family manages to overcome personal obstacles to spend a happy holiday together.

I will be the firs to admit that this movie is schmaltzy. It is a guilty pleasure flick if ever there was one.

That said, I like it. It is goofy, moralistic, cheesy. But it is what the Bradys were always all about and stays true to the family I (and many of us) grew up on. The only major "flaw" I have with it is the fact that the actress who originally played Cindy (Susan Olsen) was unavailable for this reunion, so Cindy is played by the 80s cutie Jennifer Runyon. Having Olsen would have made this movie near-perfect.

I realize some of you may be shaking your heads, but I stand by this flick. It is just a good old holiday visit with some old friends. Recommended.



This is part one, but the whole movie (I believe) is available to watch on YouTube!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Black Christmas (1974)

[Olivia Hussey; Keir Dullea; Margot Kidder; John Saxon; Marian Waldman; Andrea Martin]

Plot: Terror reigns inside a sorority house a few days before Christmas break as a series of menacing phone calls -- and the discovery of a dead girl's body -- transform yuletide cheer into fear. This 1970s horror gem comes from director Robert Clark, who told a much happier holiday tale with his 1983 classic, A Christmas Story.

This is my favorite holiday-horror flick, it is just so well done and so damn creepy! The killer is SO freaking crazy, we are left scared for the characters and ourselves. And we are left wondering so much more about this madman. Great early 70s stuff.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

[James Stewart; Donna Reed; Lionel Barrymore; Thomas Mitchell; Henry Travers]

Plot: Frank Capra's inverted take on A Christmas Carol stars Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, a good man who's spent a lifetime giving up on his dreams in order to keep life in his small town humming. When a guardian angel named Clarence finds a despondent George poised to jump off a bridge, he shows George what life would've been like had he never been born.

I don't really need to say much about this one, it is a classic, and deservedly so. The unrealized ambitions of a small town man lead him to believe his life has been meaningless. But he soon comes to see otherwise.

The ending of this flick always gets to me. I know what is coming, I have seen it before. But when you watch the movie from the beginning, by the time you reach that final scene you are just wrapped up in the whole story. Moving, indeed.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Theme Thursday - History

The History of the Universe in 200 Words or Less

Quantum fluctuation. Inflation. Expansion. Strong nuclear interaction. Particle-antiparticle annihilation. Deuterium and helium production. Density perturbations. Recombination. Blackbody radiation. Local contraction. Cluster formation. Reionization? Violent relaxation. Virialization. Biased galaxy formation? Turbulent fragmentation. Contraction. Ionization. Compression. Opaque hydrogen. Massive star formation. Deuterium ignition. Hydrogen fusion. Hydrogen depletion. Core contraction. Envelope expansion. Helium fusion. Carbon, oxygen, and silicon fusion. Iron production. Implosion. Supernova explosion. Metals injection. Star formation. Supernova explosions. Star formation. Condensation. Planetesimal accretion. Planetary differentiation. Crust solidification. Volatile gas expulsion. Water condensation. Water dissociation. Ozone production. Ultraviolet absorption. Photosynthetic unicellular organisms. Oxidation. Mutation. Natural selection and evolution. Respiration. Cell differentiation. Sexual reproduction. Fossilization. Land exploration. Dinosaur extinction. Mammal expansion. Glaciation. Homo sapiens manifestation. Animal domestication. Food surplus production. Civilization! Innovation. Exploration. Religion. Warring nations. Empire creation and destruction. Exploration. Colonization. Taxation without representation. Revolution. Constitution. Election. Expansion. Industrialization. Rebellion. Emancipation Proclamation. Invention. Mass production. Urbanization. Immigration. World conflagration. League of Nations. Suffrage extension. Depression. World conflagration. Fission explosions. United Nations. Space exploration. Assassinations. Lunar excursions. Resignation. Computerization. World Trade Organization. Terrorism. Internet expansion. Reunification. Dissolution. World-Wide Web creation. Composition. Extrapolation?

Copyright 1996-1997 by Eric Schulman.

Original post here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry for the 'cut and paste' post. Had nothing original for the theme and having a cough/cold didn't help with thinking creatively.

I am sure there are much better takes on the theme at the site:

Theme Thursday ---> History

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Monday, December 14, 2009

Movie Monday - Christmas Flicks

Been watching lots of Christmas specials and movies with the family.

Here are a few of the holiday-themed films I have laid my eyes on:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

[Barbara Stanwyck; Dennis Morgan; Sydney Greenstreet; Reginald Gardiner; S.Z. Sakall; Robert Shayne; Una O'Connor]

Plot: Stanwyck plays Elizabeth Lane, a magazine columnist who touts herself as a blissful wife, mother and expert homemaker living on an idyllic Connecticut farm. Trouble is, it's all a lie. When her publisher cooks up a scheme to boost circulation by having Elizabeth entertain a war veteran on Christmas Eve, will her charade unravel?

I love this old flick! Stanwyck and Greenstreet are great, as usual, but Sakall and O'Connor shine in their "minor" parts, as a good-hearted chef and a harried housekeeper, respectively.

Just a great, ultimately heartwarming tale about how far people will go to conceal the truth.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holiday Affair (1949)

[Robert Mitchum; Janet Leigh; Wendell Corey; Gordon Gebert]

Plot: Leigh stars as Connie Ennis, a young widowed mother who has an unfortunate first encounter with department store clerk Steve Mason, inadvertently causing him to get fired just before Christmas. Despite the mishap, Steve takes Connie on a date, much to the chagrin of her better-established suitor, Carl, but much to the delight of her young son, Timmy, who would much prefer Steve to Carl as a stepdad.

This is a great movie that seems small, due to the focus on the few main cast members. All are great in their roles, and it is fun to see Mitchum in a part that is so different from his usual tough guy roles.

Great movie, a tale that reminds us that sometimes, the heart just wants what it wants.

Click here for a clip.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

O. Henry's Full House (1952)

[Fred Allen; Anne Baxter; Jeanne Crain; Farley Granger; Charles Laughton; Marilyn Monroe; Richard Widmark]

Top movie talents lend their gifts to this 1952 anthology of O. Henry short-story adaptations, introduced and narrated by Nobel laureate John Steinbeck. "The Gift of the Magi," "The Clarion Call," "The Cop and the Anthem," "The Last Leaf" and "The Ransom of Red Chief" come to life, thanks to an impressive roster including directors Howard Hawks and Henry Hathaway.

A great film, the five segments here are fun and moving, a tribute to the great writing O. Henry is famous for. It aired around the holidays mainly due to the final segment, the oft-imitated "Gift of the Magi".

Great film!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Snow

Theme Thursday posted "Snow" as the topic this week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Snow may bring to mind the onset of winter,

Tiring hours of scraping and shoveling.

Or a Christmas wonderland of white,

Exciting days spent sledding and skiing.

To me, snow recalls a late December afternoon,

Magical moments with my baby girl, snowflakes swirling.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My daughter was born four days before Christmas.

That night, as I held her in my arms, I looked out the window and saw snow falling.

My nickname for her was born in that moment.

She is so much older now, a young woman I am constantly amazed by and proud of.

But she will always be my little Snowflake.



Love you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more Theme Thursday, click here ---> Snow

And Happy Birthday, Ravyn!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Great Masterpieces in Coffee

Cup o' Joe this week:

Artsy Spot showcased the world's greatest masterpieces in coffee.

Since it is Christmastime, I chose this one as an example:

Coffee Art

To view the site, go to Coffee Creations. Many incredible works of art done in coffee/espresso there!

You can also learn more the artist, click ---> Karen.

Here is what she had to say about her creations:

"Coffee art is a truly unique art form. It requires a thoughtful and delicate touch. Capturing the depth of these classic works is only possible through a slow and sophisticated process of building layers upon layers of espresso.

I first thought of the idea of painting with coffee while watching rich, red-brown espresso pouring perfectly into my cup. As I enjoyed my hot latte, it occured to me that perhaps I could take my passion for coffee to a deeper level. So I dipped my brush and began painting, and to my delight, it worked beautifully.

Painting with coffee is a completely enjoyable experience…Most often I paint in the coffee shop immersed in the delicious aroma of freshly ground coffee and sounds of low conversation, steam, and grind, which continue to inspire me as I watch my brush add new dimensions to the painting.

I hope that each painting brings you into the same warm atmosphere."


Beautiful & interesting art!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Theme Thursday - Friend

Theme Thursday posted "Friend" as the topic this week.

I thought it would be a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on some of the people I have met online, people who have become more than just a weird name or a funny avatar. People who have become true friends.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ravyn (@ Ravyn's World)

I was going to limit this list to just friends, but I couldn't do it. I had to start with the one person, above all others, who has become not only my best friend but also my love - my wife, Ravyn.

We met way back in 1994, when this online world was still so new. We bonded as friends before we ever met, and fell in love when we did. We have been through so much since then, including raising all of our amazing children together.

We are coming up on 15 years since that first, 'real-life' meeting, and I wouldn't change one thing about any of it. She has shown me not only that there are good, caring, loving people in the world, but that I deserve all that for myself, as well. I only hope I have done the same for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff (JeffScape @ Irreverent Irrelevance)

I have known Jeff the longest, in terms of online friends (well, 2nd longest, if you count my Ravyn). We met a long time ago in a comic book chat or forum, I can't recall now.

Our mutual love for, and frustration with, the comic book world was a basis for a friendship that has withstood distance, overcome differences (me = settled family man/him = nomadic soldier) and grown with a shared passion for writing.

Jeff is as loyal and honest (and frustrating) as you can ask for in a friend, and even if he doesn't like to get all mushy about, I am thankful to know him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cal (@ Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness)

I met Cal after stumbling across his blog a year ago. I was shocked and amused to find someone posting some many photos, links and anecdotes that I loved and identified with.

Over this past year, I have come to also know Cal as a great guy with a big heart, an eye for the beautifully strange and unusual and a prolific love for blogging that keeps me inspired.

Cal is also always vigilant in the war against the cephalopods, and we will be thanking him for it one day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve (Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein @ Monkey Muck & Dr. Monkey's Retro Blog)

I met Dr. Monkey earlier this year, we had a crossing interest in different blogs, and I soon came to appreciate the strange mix of content he offers daily.

His blogs can be a source of wonderful inanity, with posts featuring creative replacement dialogue mixed with cheesy photos or vintage pics. And the next day it can be a heartfelt post about something dear to him, or a rant about something that just inflames his sense of what is right.

Dr. Monkey is a man who has learned to love and enjoy life while still holding accountable those who need a good kick in the rear. Thanks for saying what some of us find hard to articulate, Doc!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hector (Curious George @ tvandcelluloid)

I met Hector about a year ago, on a forum for the show we both have a deep-seated love for, "Friday the 13th: The Series". It is a show that has an enduring appeal that goes much deeper than the 80s look it sports.

Hector and I agree on so many points regarding the show, it is amazing sometimes. But I was also taken by the good nature, laid back attitude and generosity that is just who he is.

He has had quite a roller coaster year, but he has maintained quite a positive outlook and a sense of humor about it all. I applaud him for always being able to look on the bright side, and wish him tons of luck in the new chapter he has just begun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laura (@ The Aquaman Website and Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog)

Laura is another old friend, er... I mean long-time friend! We met when I surfed on over to her amazing, comprehensive site for all things Aquaman. I was as astounded by the work she put into the site as I was by the fact that there was another fan so fanatical about the King of the Seas. Back then, it seemed like we were few and far between.

I have known Laura throughout the ups and downs of our hero, and he has had plenty of those, but also through the ups and downs of normal life. She hasn't always had an easy voyage herself, but she keeps on keeping on, and I am always rooting for her.

I also owe the creation of this blog to her. Back in the Fall of '08, when she posted about one of her Blog-anniversaries, I was inspired to start this one myself. So, thanks Laura!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I could go on and on, really. I have met so many great people here.

Jason Soto (@ Invasion of the B Movies), who shares a love for films that don't always deserve it, and those that deserve more attention than they get.

wiec? (@ when is evil cool?), who is not only quite prolific in his blogging, but also shares a passion for the pop culture world and horror flicks that makes me feel less alone in my weird tastes.

Otin (@ Wizard of Otin), a man with a talent for writing that is always surprising and engrossing. His twisted tales always entertain.

Brian Miller (@ WaystationOne), a man who has a love and appreciation for family and friends that is constantly expressed in great prose and poetry.

Mr. Beautiful (@ The Leroy Lockhorn Appreciation Society), who has a shared love for the wacky and weird comic The Lockhorns. There must be something wrong with both of us.

Gilligan (@ retrospace), a blogger who has an eye and heart for the cheesy, out-dated and always wonderful stuff from our pop culture past. He is an archivist of our groovy memories.

Rob (@ The Aquaman Shrine & namtab.com), a man who continues to amaze and inspire with the sheer amount he is able to accomplish each and every day. I wish I had half his energy.

Jon (@ Random Acts of Geekery, Saturday Morning Superstars, Dracula's Crypt of Collectibles and many more!), who entertains every day with his multitude of blogs, and inspires with his wonderful family.

George (@ Macabre Drive-In Theater), who spotlights the odd and obscure in the horror world we both love.

Carl (@ I Like Horror Movies), who has his finger on the pulse of the horror flicks, both old and new, good and bad, that I connect with.

Johnny (@ Freddy in Space & Win Free Horror Shit!), who has such a love for the horror world that he goes above and beyond to share it with the rest of us. Thank you for all your work and passion, man!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If I missed anyone, it was not intentional. Like I said, I could go on and on.

Thank you all for making life entertaining, exciting, funny, strange and unusual.

I hope to always be your friend.

Joe

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more Theme Thursday, click here ---> Family

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

NaNoWriMo 2009 - Whew!

Another November has come and gone, and with it another NaNoWriMo.

And I won - I finished my novel, just over 50,000 words, about noon yesterday!

NaNoWriMo09a

It was stressful, at times. Some days, the words were right there and my count rose steadily. Other days, not so much.

But I am done. I have now written three novels.

Big thanks to my wife, the lovely Ravyn. Thank you for all the support, advice and enthusiasm. I appreciate it all!

And I had to laugh when I looked at my blog post from last year regarding the 2008 NaNoWriMo. I mentioned possibly doing another novel on my own in January. Yeah, that didn't happen.

But heck, there's always this January!

And if not, I will be back for NaNoWriMo 2010 next November.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Karloff: Giving Thanks to a Legend

This week, Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog has been hosting The Boris Karloff Blogathon

I planned to take part, but I have been trying to write and complete a novel for this year's NaNoWriMo.

But no excuses. I wanted to post something, and what better day than Thanksgiving to give thanks for the great body of work left to us by such a versatile, talented actor as Boris Karloff!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



From the site: From the Official Jack Pierce DVD, this is the excerpt from the November 20, 1957 episode of THIS IS YOUR LIFE featuring Pierce coming on the show to meet his friend and colleague, Boris Karloff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



From the site: A vintage TV commercial from the late 1960's with a gleefully menacing Boris Karloff applying various torture techniques to his Ronson Comet lighter! If only Bela Lugosi had survived to co-star and have Boris light his cigar!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The trailer for one of my favorite Karloff pics, "The Body Snatcher". Boris is GREAT as Cabman Gray. Such an awesome actor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Karloff as Cabman John Gray

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Karloff not only gave us great film roles, he also narrated this holiday masterpiece!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Halloween Month, I showcased the eerie uploads at the YouTube channel of "monster4josh" - Tales of the Frightened with Karloff!



Check out more HERE!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Click the pic below for more Karloff!





and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, November 23, 2009

Movie Monday - Land of the Lost

Land of the Lost (2009)

[Will Ferrell; Anna Friel; Danny McBride; Jorma Taccone; John Boylan; Matt Lauer]

Plot: On his latest expedition, Dr. Rick Marshall is sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant and a redneck survivalist. In this alternate universe, the trio make friends with a primate named Chaka, their only ally in a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures.

My take: Ugh. This movie was just bad. There are a few funny parts and I am sure you saw them in the trailer. Everything else is just blah and boring.

I am a fan of the original show (my review of it is here). And I would have been a fan of a remake that was done well. This changed things that didn't need to be changed and tried to force humor in where it just did not work. Will Ferrel was great as Buddy the Elf, but since then, I have just not found the dude funny.

The sad thing is that the higher budget and the modern effects could have made a Land of the Lost flick that was both true to the original and awesome for today. Sadly, they went and blew the whole thing.

Don't rent it, don't buy it, just avoid it.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Stacking Mugs & Too Much Coffee???

This week's Cup o' Joe:

A cool item you can order as a gift for the holidays (or for yourself):




click pic to go to site

I like them! Well organized and space-saving at the same time.

Even better, they are only $9.99 a set!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My daughter sent me this list:

SIGNS YOU ARE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE

-You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.

-You sleep with your eyes open.

-You have to watch videos in fast-forward.

-The only time you're standing still is during an earthquake.

-You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away without using the timer.

-You've worn out your third pair of tennis shoes this week.

-Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.

-You chew on other people's fingernails.

-The nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse.

-You're so jittery that people use your hands to blend their margaritas.

-You can type sixty words per minute with your feet.

-You can jump-start your car without cables.

-You don't sweat, you percolate.

-You walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize it's not plugged in.

-You forget to unwrap candy bars before eating them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Fun & Easy Music Meme

Electronic Cerebrectomy posted this meme on Thursday.

I thought it was fun and didn't take too much brain power, since I am still trying to write for NaNoWriMo!

RULES:
1. Put Your iTunes/iPod, Windows Media Player (etc…) on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button, and the title of that song is your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS
4. Put any comments in [brackets] after the song name

Are you male or female?
Crazy for You

Describe yourself!
Freedom

What do people feel when they’re around you?
Beat It

Describe your current relationship.
Sooner or Later

Where would you like to be now?
Just You and Me

How do you feel about love?
One More Chance

What’s your life like?
Satin Sheets

What would you wish for if you had only one wish?
Lonely Comin' Down

Say something wise.
All Apologies

If someone says “Is this okay?” You say,
Bubbly

How would you describe yourself?
Applejack

What do you look for in a guy/girl?
I Will Survive

How do you feel today?
Backwoods Barbie

What is your life’s purpose?
The Best of Me

What is your motto?
Bad

What do your friends think of you?
One Night In Bangkok

What do you think of your parents?
I Just Can't Stop Loving You

What do you think about very often?
La Isla Bonita

What is 2 + 2?
Closing Credits

What do you think of your best friend?
Not Gonna Be The One

What do you think of the person you like?
Rave On

What is your life story?
In My Life

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Manic Monday

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Deeper Than The Night

What will you dance to at your wedding?
Dirty Diana

What will they play at your funeral?
Endless Summer Nights

What is your hobby/interest?
Love Is Like A Butterfly

What is your biggest fear?
Wild Night

What is your biggest secret?
You Rock My World

What do you think of your friends?
This Used To Be My Playground

Friday, November 20, 2009

“Don’t Label Me” Billboard Campaign

The British Humanist Association has been running various billboards to raise money.

They are unveiling a new campaign tomorrow, to coincide with Universal Children's Day.


click to enlarge

I like it, a lot.

Simple and cute, yet it still gets the point across.

To view their campaign click here.

Other blogs featuring this billboard:

ALPHAVILLE
The Atheist Blogger
Friendly Atheist.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Late

For the man and his wife life is going according to plan. At least, as much as they could plan how life went.

Their oldest child is 25 now, with a good head on his shoulders. He is married to a wonderful woman, moving up the ladder at work and moving into the first home he has to pay the mortgage on.

Their middle child is almost 14, smart, beautiful, funny and infinitely caring. High school is next on her already busy agenda.

Their youngest child is 11 (and a half, don't forget), bright, athletic, with a wacky sense of humor and an empathy for others beyond his years.

Their parents are proud of them all. And also content with their decision to stop at three children.

Unexpectedly, the wife announces to the husband she is late.

How could this be, they wonder. They had long ago taken permanent precautions. This plan was written in pen, not pencil. No erasing. No editing.

Patience, they counsel each other. A fluke. We will wait and see.

The wife doesn't think it is possible anyway, and doesn't want to think about it.

Her husband is surprised to find his mind wandering. The kids are so much older now, they don't need him, at least not in the way little kids need a parent. Independence is what we teach them to strive for, but once they are on that path, we see them walking further and further ahead. And they no longer hold our hands for guidance or safety.

A week passes. Still late.

The wife assumes it is the onset of menopause, not an unplanned pregnancy. We will wait and see, no cause for alarm. She doesn't really want to start all over again, so late in the game. They should be having grandchildren, not more children.

Her husband remembers the good times from the past. Little hands eager to grasp and explore. Little minds eager to learn and expand. Times spent teaching them to speak and walk, not to hush up and sit still. He warms to the thought of a little one. Just one more.

Another week passes. Still late. A test is taken. Negative.

The wife is relieved, of course it is negative. No way it could happen. That time has passed.

Her husband is torn. Part of him is relieved. No more colicky babies, no more teething, no piles of dirty diapers. That time has passed.

No more little ones holding tight to Daddy.

That time has passed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Click here for other Theme Thursday posts ---> LATE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Whodunnit?

Last week, Dan Florien over at Unreasonable Faith posted this video.

Watch it one time through, at least.



So, how observant were you?

I failed, miserably!

Pretty cool, though.

Check out this site - DOTHETEST - for another observation short!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Movie Monday - The Hills Run Red

The Hills Run Red (2009)

[Sophie Monk; Tad Hilgenbrink; William Sadler; Janet Montgomery; Alex Wyndham; Ewan Bailey]

Plot: A group of young horror fans go searching for a film that mysteriously vanished years ago but instead find that the demented killer from the movie is real, and he's thrilled to meet fans who will die gruesomely for his art.

I wanted to like this movie. And, rough acting aside, it was an okay film for the most part. But the twists just weighed the whole thing down, too much in my opinion.

An interesting idea, an okay movie. Recommended for horror fans, mainly.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

15 (ish) Things Worth Knowing About Coffee

The Oatmeal had a great post this week:




click the pic to go to the site

They have some interesting and fun facts, presented in a very cool way.

Also at The Oatmeal: The 5 Phases of Caffeine Intake

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Short Film: Pencil Face

Aunt John over at the great KinderTrauma posted this 3-minute short film, submitted by a reader named Gary B.



How bizarre. I don't know what to make of that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is information I found:

Director: Christian Simmons

Synopsis: He’ll help you draw, he’ll help you erase; waste not want not… he’s Pencil Face.

Official Selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday, November 13, 2009

Friday the 13th - Modernized Trailers

Hey all...

Still attempting to write for NaNoWriMo (at 17,109... behind, but not too far), but I wanted to do something today to celebrate Friday the 13th!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Friday the 13th Blog is celebrating all day today with posts on various F13-related subjects. Head on over and check it out!

Here are some modernized trailers they posted, very cool:









Check out more trailers here
or at the YouTube site of the creators, From the Morgue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And last, Mamma Voorhees and her little boy.

Mrs. Voorhees & Jason

That is Betsy Palmer (aka Pamela Voorhees) posing with Wickedbeard, a fan in an awesome Jason costume. Very cool!

It is photoshopped (more info here), using a picture taken at a horror convention.

Happy Friday the 13th!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Theme Thursday - Telephone

When a Stranger Calls

When a Stranger Calls (1979)

[Charles Durning; Carol Kane; Colleen Dewhurst; Tony Beckley; Ron O'Neal]

Plot: A petrified baby-sitter, a relentlessly ringing telephone and whispered threats set the stage for this suspense-packed, hair-raising chiller. A string of menacing phone calls unnerves baby-sitter Jill, until a compulsive shamus enters the scene to nab the caller -- a deranged killer. Fast-forward seven years … the homicidal maniac returns to ruthlessly torment Jill, who's now a wife and mother herself.

This movie is often remembered for the opening, where the babysitter is terrorized by the menacing phone calls from a stranger. These scenes are intense and hit home, at the time, for lots of young girls and women who had fears of something similar happening for real. And Kane was well cast as a nervous, scared teenage babysitter. Her big eyes can act all by themselves!

It is definitely 'of its time', due to the changes with telephones in the past 30 years. Back then, a line like "the calls are coming from inside the house" was damn scary stuff! Now, not so much.

The middle section of the film is not as well remembered and is really pretty sluggish. Dewhurst, Durning and Beckley are great actors, but the whole thing is just slow and almost boring. Yet it does do its part in showing just how dememented the stranger is, instead of making him a one dimensional killer.

The film picks up once more at the end, seven years later, with the babysitter a mother now herself. I was freaked out the first time I saw it. Good way to end a horror flick!

The film had a sequel, "When a Stranger Calls Back", a 1993 made-for-TV movie. Kane and Durning are back in their roles, this time helping another woman who is going through a somewhat similar experience. Not as great as the original, but it has its own positives, as well.

The original film itself was remade in 2006 as "When a Stranger Calls". This film dumps the slow moving middle section of the original, instead having the entire film focus on babysitter Jill and her night of terror. It was not well received. And, as I said, "the calls coming from inside the house" doesn't have the same scare value when everyone and their stalker uncle has a cell phone!

Here is the trailer for the original film:



I still have a hard time grasping the fact that the movie just celebrated its 30th anniversary!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you checked the children?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more Theme Thursday posts, click here ---> Telephone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

xkcd: Organ Donation

Hemant @ The Friendly Atheist posted this panel from xkcd:



I like it.

We can all make a difference when we are gone. I won't need my parts, so why not let them go back in 'the bin' for others to use?

:)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Trick 'r Treat

Okay, I know this is over a week past Halloween, but I FINALLY found a copy of "Trick 'r Treat", so here is my delayed review:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trick 'r Treat (2008)

Sam

[Dylan Baker; Rochelle Aytes; Quinn Lord; Lauren Lee Smith; Moneca Delain]

The plot: Stories that overlap and occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life; a college virgin might have just met the guy for her; a group of pre-teens pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband and a man with a secret past meets up a Halloween demon.

I was very careful not to read too much about it, which was hard due to all of the horror/movie bloggers who posted about it and raved over it.

I am happy to say I loved it, too. It is a great potpourri of Halloween goodness. Some of the tales are darker than others, so more humorous, but all are just fun and together they embody what a Halloween night is all about.

TTUnicef

Little Sam, the burlap-masked little kid/demon, is a great addition to the ranks of Halloween icons.

Definitely recommended, for more than just horror movie fans, it is a great flick all around.

So glad I finally got to see it and I can't wait to watch it next October - BEFORE Halloween!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday, November 9, 2009

Moon - A Tenth Daughter of Memory Post

This post is my submission for the current Tenth Daughter of Memory topic, which is 'Moon'.

It is also chapter seven of the novel I am writing for NanNoWriMo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Back in his kitchen, Jake tossed the photo down on the table and walked over to the refrigerator. Had he not been so upset, he would have laughed at how cliche the contents of the appliance were.

Inside the door stood a bottle of ketchup, a bottle of mustard and a small glass jar of relish, all cheap, store brand items. Jake couldn't recall the last time he had touched one of them.

Beer made up the majority of items in the rest of the fridge. Two six-packs of the only brand he drank took up the entire top shelf. Below, a small tub of margarine and half a loaf of bread. Below that, a container from the Chinese place. He couldn't recall what was in it or when he had shoved it in here.

Next to it was a bottle of wine, laying on its side.

His eyes stayed on the wine as his hand reached for a beer. Sara had bought it and he could never bring himself to drink it. In fact, he had never even touched it. He let it lay, unopened, undisturbed, aging slowly, waiting.

With a beer in hand, he shut the door.

After using the edge of the counter to knock the cap off the bottle, he turned back to the small table. The sight of the picture he had dropped brought up the anger he had come home with, so instead he walked to the back door and out into the night.

A small set of five stairs led from the door to the walkway in his back yard. He sat on the top step and took a sip. The beer was cold and made him realize how unseasonably warm the air out here was. Much warmer than an early November night ought to be, he thought. Looking into the small yard, he realized it was much brighter than it should be, too.

He could barely make out the grass, which he knew needed mowing. The fallen leaves had covered almost the entire yard. He hadn't thought about raking them up. He mentally added them to his chore list, but wondered if they would still be here come Spring.

Further back, where Sara's old vegetable garden had been, tall weeds stood, dry and dying. They looked odd, he thought, creepy. He turned his gaze slowly upward, searching for the source of this midnight light.

He found it quickly, hovering above the skeletal trees, watching him. The moon, round and full and remarkably huge, with an orange glow that reminded Jake of fire. He sat, sipping his beer, staring at the moon as it stared back.

For so long he had felt alone.

His mother, his friends... They all meant well, but they really didn't understand what he was going through. He had taken to acting when he was with them, to play a role instead of just being himself. Always feeling more alone after spending time with any of them than he did before.

So, he avoided them.

And Gramps was gone. Until Sara came along, Gramps was the one person Jake could talk to, about anything. And even after Sara, he was the only one Jake could talk to about certain things. But Gramps was gone, and Jake still didn't know how to feel about his disappearance from his life.

And then there was Sara. Damn, how he missed her. The guilt rose up inside him, so he sipped the beer to quell it. It didn't help.

He looked up at the moon again. It just hung there, silently watching him. And for a moment, Jake didn't feel so alone.

Then a breeze picked up, causing the dry leaves to dance around the yard. There was a chill in the with the wind, a gentle reminder that this was November, after all.

Jake stood and, holding his beer out in front of him, looked up at the moon once more.

"Thanks for listening." he said. tipping the bottle a bit. Then he downed what was left and placed the empty bottle along the porch ledge, lining it up with all the others.

He stepped back in to his empty home. Alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more Tenth Daughter of Memory posts, click here ---> Moon

For my page at the NaNoWriMo site, click here ---> Wings1295

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Cup o' Joe

Out of funnies to share on Sundays, so I am starting something new today.

Since I have a deep love for coffee, I will share something java-related with each "Cup o' Joe" post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To kick this feature off:

A Hull coffee mug

Hull Mug

Anyone else remember these?

My parents had a set and I thought they were pretty cool and were (when I was a kid at least) the epitome of "a cup of coffee".

I didn't realize they also made kettles:

Hull Kettle

and pitchers:

Hull Pitcher

Cool, old-world style.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Theme Thursday - Castle

Wanted to write something for this week's Theme Thursday, which is "Castle"

However, I am taking part in the NaNoWriMo again this year, and have been trying to keep my word count up. Still behind, but doing okay.

Here are some pics, at least.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



This is from our 2005 vacation to York Beach, Maine.
Me and my two youngest, having fun building castles in the sand.



A better pic of the kids.
Amazing to me how much older they look today, four short years later.



The castles that came from our time in the sand.
Fun memories.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I remember the end of one vacation there, sitting in the sand with the castles done, the prospect of heading home and leaving the beach behind for a year looming.

My kids were sad that their creations would be lost forever. I told them not to think of it that way. Think of the the castles as being dissolved back into the sand, patiently waiting for next year. When we returned, we could pull them back up, rebuilding them to stand in the sun once more.

It helped them smile and feel a little better, before the waves came and erased their artwork from the beach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For more Theme Thursday posts, click here ---> Castle

For my page at the NaNoWriMo site, click here ---> Wings1295

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween Horror Classics Megamix

Today's the day! It's Halloween!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the last post of the month, here is one truly awesome video:



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now go and enjoy the day!

And remember, it's Halloween...

Everyone's entitled to one good scare!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday, October 30, 2009

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Theme Thursday - Halloween

'Halloween' is on tap for this week's Theme Thursday

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So many ways I could take this theme, but I am going with John Carpenter and Debra Hill's classic "Halloween"

Halloween poster

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In case you haven't seen it before (although why I can't imagine), here is a quick plot synopsis:

On Halloween night in 1963, a young Michael Myers brutally stabs his sister to death. 15 years later, Myers escapes from the sanitarium and makes his way back to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois. Another Halloween night arrives, Myers sets his sights on a teenage girl and her friends.

The terror is unleashed once more.

young michael
Young Michael

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My love for this film began, I suppose, the first time I saw it. I was 7 when it premiered, too young to see it then. But when I finally did watch it, I was probably only 11 or 12. I had known about the movie for awhile, and had a sense that it was something really scary, something that was just not good for someone so young. But I had to see it. Once I finally did, it scared the heebie-jeebies out of me. And I was hooked.

Carpenter and Hill created a film that embodies that uneasiness and fear of the unknown, the unexplainable. Michael Myers didn't have a reason for what he did. And he wasn't to be reasoned with. He just was, and he just did.

Photobucket

Sure, the film has a few bumps, but they are minor technical/acting issues, the film itself is a masterpiece of suspense and scares. The 'shape', lurking behind bushes and unseen peering in windows, is a spine-chilling thing. The boogeyman made real, our nightmares walking in the shadows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have seen this movie over and over again since that first time. And I have never tired of it. It strikes a cord in the young, anxious, scared kid in me. After viewing it, I still get the eerie feeling of fear, of unease. And each time I hear the iconic music, that simple yet creepy instrumental tune, I get goosebumps. Those are signs of good stuff, indeed.

Halloween Theme


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of the things to remember when watching this film is that it was made with no thought of a sequel, of a continuation of the story. Here, Michael wasn't Laurie's brother. She was just the girl he fixated on upon his return to Haddonfield. Halloween morning, when she walked up to his old home to place the key under the mat, he saw her and decided she was 'the one'. Simple, scary and nothing more to it than that.

Michael Myers

The addition to the plot of Laurie being Michael's little sister was added in the sequel, and a scene of a young Laurie visiting Michael in an instituion was filmed to be added into the edited-for-TV version of the first film, not only to add some run time, but to make the revelation of their relationship less out-of-the-blue in the sequel.

Laurie waiting

I think Michael is scarier without this 'motivation'. Just a 'shape' bent on destruction and death. But, we also wouldn't have the ongoing story of Michael vs Laurie in some of the sequels without it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Original Movie Trailer


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have no love for Rob Zombie's Halloween remake, as I have said before. He took the simple, unexplainable (with no need for explanation) Michael Myers and gave him a backstory and childhood that turned him into just another abused and misunderstood kid who went off-the-rails. Nothing creepy about that. Just sad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lynda, Annie, Laurie

If you are looking for a good, scary, Halloween flick to watch, without much blood or gore, but with tons of suspsense and chills, look no further.

Halloween is the film for you. I will be watching, scared as always.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will end with some pics & quotes from the film:

after Michael escapes:
Dr. Terence Wynn: Now, for God's sake, he can't even drive a car!
Dr. Sam Loomis: He was doing very well last night! Maybe someone around here gave him lessons!

********************

Sheriff Leigh Brackett: It's Halloween, everyone's entitled to one good scare.

********************

Photobucket

Dr. Sam Loomis: I met him, fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, no conscience, no understanding; even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and, the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil.

********************

Tommy, Laurie, Lindsay

Tommy: Laurie, what's the boogeyman?
Laurie: There's no such thing.

********************

later...
Laurie: It *was* the boogeyman.
Dr. Sam Loomis: As a matter of fact, it was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Myers Ghost

Halloween... The Night HE Came Home!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Halloween Month: 160 Trivial Tricks or Treats

Since 2000, I have run a small (100+ players) daily email trivia game. The questions aren't too difficult, and I try to cover many topics.

Each October, I do a month of Halloween or horror related trivia questions.

Here are those questions, all 160 of them. Answers below.

Monsters

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HALLOWEEN TRIVIA QUESTIONS

1) Is the pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?

2) What famous horror film was shot at Camp NoBeBoSco in Blairstown, New Jersey?

3) Who was the only movie actor to play The Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, the mummy and a vampire in different films?

4) What was the only film (not counting documentaries or retrospectives) to feature the talents the three horror greats Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr. and Vincent Price?

5) Serial killer known as, 'The Damsel Of Death,' she raped and shot to death 6 men in 1989/90 in the town of Deland, Florida. She was a roadside prostitute with a hatred of men. Who was she?

6) How many rooms to rent were there at the Bates Motel in PSYCHO?

7) The narrator at the beginning of the film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" later received a co-starring role in a t.v. series entitled, 'Night Court.' Who was he?

8) In June 1692, Bridget Bishop was the first of many to die for what reason?

9) What is the Romanian Language word for "son of the devil" or "son of the dragon"?

10) In "Halloween", Michael Myers tries to kill his younger sister, Laurie Strode. What is the name of the sister he did kill?

11) How many movies was Jason NOT the killer in the Friday the 13th films?

12) Johnny Depp has done alot of Horror Movie related films. He starred in "Edward Scissorhands", "Ed Wood" and recently in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". What horror movie featured Depp's acting debut?

13) What does one suffering from LYCANTHROPIC DISORDER think that they become?

14) What was the name of the ancient Celtic (or druidic) festival for the "end of summer" that eventually became the basis of Halloween?

15) In the 1979 movie Alien, the only two survivors at the end of the movie were:
(A) Ripley and the Ash
(B) Ripley and Jones
(C) Just Ripley -- there was no one else

16) What future Hollywood mega-star was one of the cast members of "Critters 3"?

17) What future co-star of a 70's hit sitcom had an uncredited role as a prison guard in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho"?

18) What future sitcom star/Hollywood starlet was in the cast of the horror flick "Leprechaun"?

19) Which co-star of "The Matrix" was in "Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors"?

20) In the television show "The Addams Family" what was the name of Wednesday's headless doll?

21) What famous actor/voice-over artist's father appears in the low-budget 80s horror flick "Sleepaway Camp"?

22) What famous rock and roll singer's sister appears in the cheesy "Sleepaway Camp II"?

23) What co-star of "Critters 4" went on to success in the 90s in roles playing famous African-American women?

24) Who played the young Norman Bates in flashbacks in "Psycho II"?

25) What future "Saturday Night Live" regular had a bit part in "Halloween II"?

26) What member of the cast of "Welcome Back, Kotter" also had a small roll in "Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives"?

27) Who has an uncredited cameo as Freddy Kreuger's father in "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare"?

28) Ehrich Weiss died on Halloween. What was he better known to the world as?

29) Believe it or not, the fear of Halloween actually has a name. What is this phobia called?

30) For what horror film was Mercedes McCambridge supposedly fed raw eggs and alcohol, then smoked cigarettes and was strapped to a chair to do a "special" voice?

31) When this horror legend passed away, chiropractor Tom Mason took over his role and a "classic" film was created. Name the actor who died and the film.

32) On "The Addams Family", they had a sign outside their home cautioning passers-by to "Beware of .... " What?

33) What 1970's horror/sci-fi classic has as a subtitle "The 8th Passenger" in non-English versions?

34) What horror movie great voiced the character of cartoon villain Ratigan in Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective"?

35) Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Jeremy Irons and Brian Cox were all either offered or considered for the role of what horror movie psychopath?

36) Which costume does Frederick's of Hollywood consider the all-time best selling costume for women?
(A) Nurse's costume
(B) French maid's outfit
(C) Harem dancer

37) Who filed the "copyright" lawsuit against German expressionist F. W. Murnau because of his 1922 film "Nosferatu - a Symphony of Horror"?

38) What is the name of Broom-Hilda's buzzard buddy?
(A) Griffin
(B) Gaylord
(C) Gunther

39) Actors Harry Crosby, Kevin Bacon, Corey Feldman, Crispin Glover, Kelly Rowland and Erin Gray all have what in common?

40) Captain Elliot Spencer of the English army found a small black box called the Lament Configuration. He then made a bargain that turned him into what?

41) In Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, what is Dr. Jekyll's first name?

42) During filming, this movie was referred to as "Production 9401" or "Wimpy". What was this movie eventually called?

43) In 1970, Baskin-Robbins created an ice cream that was a blend of vanilla ice cream with orange pieces and licorice bits. For what television show was this flavor a promotion for?

44) This little Halloween favorite has 3.57 calories per piece, and comes in different varieties for other holidays, like Reindeer (for Christmas), Indian (for Thanksgiving), Cupid (for Valentine's) and Bunny (for Easter). But 75% of the annual production goes towards Halloween. What is this trick-or-treat classic?

45) Actress Janet Leigh is famous for starring in Hitchcock's "Psycho" and for being the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis. Name one of the two films Leigh and her daughter both had roles in.

46) "Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality. But, there is, unseen by most, an underworld. A place that is just as real, but not as brightly lit... " This is the opening intro to what spooky television anthology series?

47) For a cartoon short, Mel Torme recorded the song "Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives." What character was the star of this short?
(A) Donald Duck
(B) Daffy Duck
(C) Fred Flintstone
(D) Casper, the Friendly Ghost

48) Name the film where comedic legend Rodney Dangerfield played Lucifer, father of Satan.

49) Shortly before Christopher Reeve's paralyzing accident, he starred in a remake of what horror film?

50) Barnabas Collins, Quinn Blackwood, Lestat de Lioncourt, Carmilla and Spike are all what?
(A) Zombies
(B) Werewolves
(C) Aliens
(D) Vampires

51) In the film "Gremlins," once you get the little creatures wet, they become the horrible and destructive Gremlins. But what are they called BEFORE they get wet, when they are cute and cuddly?

52) In ancient England, October was once called "Winmonath", which meant:
(A) Wine Month
(B) King William's Month
(C) Monarch's Month
(D) Women's Month

53) Which country celebrates "The Day of the Dead" instead of Halloween?

54) Which of these is NOT a real Abbott and Costello film?
(A) "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"
(B) "Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man"
(C) "Abbott and Costello Meet The Vampire"
(D) "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy"

55) What then-famous singer held a Halloween seance in 1988 to try and summon the spirits of Liberace and Sid Vicious?

56) Which company runs a Flavor Graveyard on their website?
(A) M&Ms
(B) Ben & Jerry's
(C) J-ELLO
(D) Coca-Cola

57) I have had a long and varied acting career in nearly 220 films, including many horror roles. I have played Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, Kharis the Mummy, Dr. Fu Manchu, Rasputin, Saruman and Count Dooku. I regret turning down the role of Dr. Loomis in "Halloween." I was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. I am also listed as the "Center of the Hollywood Universe." Oh, and I celebrated my 82nd birthday this year. Who am I?

58) What horror movie series features the line "It's Halloween, everyone's entitled to one good scare."?

59) A year after directing the horror classic "Dracula," Tod Browning made another film that was a shock to audiences and banned for many years in the US and other countries. What is this unsettling film?

60) With a new Halloween show, which cartoon character got a new Guinness World Record for Most Episodes of a Cartoon Comedy Series, going past "The Simpsons"?

61) What Arthur Miller play has the 1692 Salem witch trials as its setting?

62) Which Disney film features a character named Beauty --- who's a villain?
(Hint: One of the words in the title is a color.)

63) What is anthropophagy?

64) Brian Warner created his rock-n-roll stage name by combining a film legend and a criminal legend. Who is Brian Warner better known as?

65) What reluctant horror-story hero was enamored with the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel?

66) What horror film series features a serial killer known as "the Jigsaw killer"?

67) What classic horror novel begins:
"3 May. Bistritz. - Left Munich at 8:35 P.M., on 1st May, arriving at Vienna early next morning; should have arrived at 6:46, but the train was an hour late. Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place, from the glimpse which I got from the train and the little I could walk through the streets."

68) DC Comics had horror anthology comics, two of which were called "House of Mystery" and "House of Secrets". Each series had their own long-running "host", who would introduce the tales. Can you give me their names?

69) In the classic 1974 horror movie "Black Christmas", where did the killer hide for much of the time?

70) On "The Addams Family", what was the name of Wednesday's pet spider?
(A) Fungus
(B) Melancholia
(C) Nanook
(D) Homer

71) In "The Nightmare Before Christmas", what was the name of Jack's ghostly, dead pet dog?

72) Taphephobia is a fear of:
(A) Being videotaped
(B) Being buried alive
(C) Being burned by fire
(D) Skeletons

73) Freddy Kreuger served as host of the anthology series "Freddy's Nightmares". What role did Jason Voorhess serve to the show "Friday the 13th: The Series"?

74) Elphaba is the name given to this famous character in the 1990's, but for close to 100 years she was known as what?

75) What horror movie classic had a brother taunting his sister in the beginning with the line "They're coming to get you, Barbara!"?

76) Which of the below characters is the most performed horror villain in motion picture history?
(A) Count Dracula
(B) Jason Voorhees
(C) The Frankenstein Monster
(D) The Wolfman

77) What Halloween-associated creature belongs to the mammalian order Chiroptera?

78) In Edgar Allan Poe's classic "The Tell-Tale Heart", who's heart does he hear beating:
(A) The young woman
(B) The old woman
(C) The old man
(D) His uncle from Sheboygan

79) Who are we talking about in this old 19th-century children's rhyme:
_____________, born on a Monday, christened on Tuesday, married on Wednesday, took ill on Thursday, worse on Friday, died on Saturday, buried on Sunday. This is the end of _____________.

80) "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" was the sequel which did not feature Michael Myers as the killer. Instead, a corporation implanted computer chips in their Halloween masks, to be activated when their jingle is played on television. Can you give me the name of this corporation?

81) In Disney's "Hercules", who were Hades two sidekicks:
(A) Evil and Vile
(B) Death and Destruction
(C) Pain and Panic

82) Why does Frankenstein's assistant Fritz steal an abnormal brain from the university?
(A) There were only abnormal brains there
(B) He dropped the only normal brain
(C) All the normal brains were dissected

83) Which character faced enemies with names such as Faceless Redrum, Gruesome, Karpse, The Mole, Mumbles, Pruneface, Tiger Lily and Trigger Doom?

84) How does Michael Meyers surprise and kill Annie in "Halloween"?
(A) He's hiding in the backseat of the car
(B) He jumps off the roof
(C) He's hiding in the laundry room

85) In "House of Dracula" why does Talbot ask to be locked up?
(A) He knew he would turn into a vampire
(B) He knew he would turn into a werewolf
(C) He wanted to get his name in the paper

86) In Disney's "Cinderella", what is the name of the stepmother's sneaky cat?
(A) Lucifer
(B) Salem
(C) Licorice

87) In "The Mummy's Hand," what happens when the doctor feeds a serum of tanna leaves to the mummified remains of Kharis?
(A) Kharis meets his end at the hands of Dr. Petrie
(B) Kharis uses his powers for good
(C) Kharis is revived, and kills Dr. Petrie

88) In "Friday the 13th Part II," one camp counselor dresses as which of the following to scare his friends around the campfire?
(A) A vampire
(B) Mrs. Voorhees
(C) A caveman

89) Who was the only cast member of the tv show "Friday the 13th: The Series" who actually had a starring role in a "Friday the 13th" or "Jason" film?
(A) Robey
(B) John D. LeMay
(C) Chris Wiggins
(D) Steven Monarque

90) Casper the Friendly Ghost had a nemesis with the nickname "the Tuff Little Ghost". He wore a bowler hat and had a sometime girlfriend named "Poil". What was this little ghost's name?
(A) Spooky
(B) Phantom
(C) Scary

91) In "A Nightmare on Elm Street," what does Nancy bring back from her dream when she wakes up in the hospital?
(A) A piece of Freddy's sweater
(B) A blade from Freddy's glove
(C) Freddy's hat

92) Which cast member from the original "Black Christmas" (1974) had a role, albeit as a different character, in the remake?
(A) Margot Kidder
(B) Olivia Hussey
(C) John Saxon
(D) Andrea Martin

93) In "The Wolf Man", from 1941, Jenny has her palm read by a psychic. He sees the sign of the wolf as shown by the image of:
(A) A wolf's head
(B) A pentagram
(C) A silver bullet

94) This animal is said to live in Latin American countries, preying on livestock. It's Spanish name literally translates to "goat-sucker". What is this legendary creature called?
(A) Yeti
(B) Fiji mermaid
(C) Chupacabra

95) Where does the cop meet his end in "Friday the 13th Part II"?
(A) In the middle of Crystal Lake
(B) In his office
(C) In a shack in the woods

96) Which monster appeared on "The Munsters" as Uncle Gilbert?
(A) Creature from the Black Lagoon
(B) Hunchback of Notre Dame
(C) Phantom of the Opera

97) "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Old Dark House" (1932), "The Invisible Man" (1933) and "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) were all directed by what Hollywood legend?
(A) Alfred Hitchcock
(B) James Whale
(C) Tod Browning

98) This scary movie was the last big screen appearance for three Hollywood legends: Melvyn Douglas, Fred Astaire and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Which movie was it?
(A) "The Haunting"
(B) "The Legend of Hill House"
(C) "Ghost Story"

99) A "Lemarchand's box" is a fictional puzzle box appearing in stories written by or inspired by the work of which author?
(A) Wes Craven
(B) Clive Barker
(C) Dean Koontz

100) What was the name of the serial killer who, through means of voodoo, became trapped in the form of the doll known as Chucky, in the "Child's Play" films?
(A) Clarence Brown
(B) Charles Lee Ray
(C) Charles Crandall Finster III

101) Why is the first time Michael Myers kills a woman in "Halloween" different from all the others?
(A) He's not wearing a disguise
(B) It's the only time he doesn't use a knife
(C) He's just a young boy

102) Actress Alice Ghostley played Esmerelda, Samantha's maid/babysitter witch, on "Bewitched". What bodily function caused Esmerelda's already sketchy magical powers to create unforeseen, and comical, situations?

103) True or False: Casper the Friendly Ghost didn't get a name until about 4 years AFTER he debuted in the short "The Friendly Ghost" in 1945.

104) In "A Nightmare on Elm Street," how does Nancy wake herself up and escape Freddy when she falls asleep at school?
(A) Burning her arm
(B) Pinching her thigh
(C) Biting her hand

105) Bodega Bay is the setting for which classic Alfred Hitchcock thriller?

106) A planchette is most commonly used during what "supernatural" activity?

107) Taphophobia is the fear of what?

108) In a 5th season episode of "The X-Files", titled "Travelers", we find out how the unsolved cases division of the FBI got the "X" designation, with a scene from the 1950s. What was the reason they were called "X" files?
(A) "X" stood for extra-terrestrials
(B) "X" case were extremely strange
(C) "X" was just a roomy file drawer

109) What is the name of the title feline in Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Black Cat"?

110) On "Friday the 13th: The Series", after Micki and Ryan inherit their uncle's antique store, they change the name from Vendredi's Antiques to what?
(A) Curious Goods
(B) Cursed Objects
(C) Marshak's Antiques

111) What role do Beverley Owen, Pat Priest, Debbie Watson, Jo McDonnell, Mary-Ellen Dunbar, Hilary Van Dyke, Christine Taylor and Elaine Hendrix all have in common?

112) True or False:
Bela Lugosi, Peter Lorre and Boris Karloff NEVER appeared in a movie together?
(Hint: Not counting documentaries or compilations.)

113) "Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
Who is the author of this famous line, now synonymous with witches and their brews?

114) Which famous actress had one of her first directing jobs with an episode of "Tales from the Darkside" in the 1980s?
(A) Jodie Foster
(B) Penny Marshall
(C) Carrie Fisher

115) Chernabog is a demon who appears in which Disney animated feature film?

116) Which Harvey Comics character made their first appearance 50 years ago this month:
(A) Wendy the Good Little Witch
(B) Hot Stuff, the Little Devil
(C) Spooky the Tuff Little Ghost

117) "Gooble gobble, gooble gobble, we accept her, we accept her, one of us, one of us!" This is a line from what now-classic movie?

118) Robert Bloch wrote the novel Psycho, upon which the classic Hitchcock film was based. Bloch wrote a sequel in 1982, called Psycho 2.
True or False: Bloch's Psycho 2 was used as the plot for the film sequel of the same name.

119) Which star of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" made an appearance in the 2007 horror film "Kaw", which was also about an attack by birds?
(A) Tippi Hedren
(B) Rod Taylor
(C) Veronica Cartwright

120) In the 1966 classic "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" the children are invited to a Halloween party thrown by which of their friends?

121) Who said the following:
"For me, writing something in the spirit of Halloween is like Mother Teresa writing on charity and sacrifice. It's just second nature to me."
(A) Anne Rice
(B) Danny Elfman
(C) Tim Burton

122) What is unusual about Renfield's trip to Dracula's castle in the stagecoach, in 1931's "Dracula"?
(A) He stops to eat some spiders
(B) He's attacked by vampires
(C) The driver mysteriously disappears

123) After having beaten the villain in their first encounters, which of these four heroines is NOT eventually killed by the villain in a sequel?
(A) Laurie Strode (Halloween movies)
(B) Alice Hardy (Friday the 13th movies)
(C) Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare on Elm Street movies)
(D) Sidney Prescott (Scream movies)

124) In "House of Dracula" why does Baron Latos (Dracula) visit Dr. Edelman in his castle?
(A) To make a bride for him
(B) To appeal for his help in being cured of vampirism
(C) He needs someone to ship his coffin overseas

125) Which band recorded a song in the late 60s entitled "Sympathy for the Devil"?

126) In 1980's "Terror Train" who played the role of Ken, the magician?

127) What's the "dimension of imagination," according to the host of a classic TV series?

128) In the "Saw" series of movies, what is the Jigsaw character's name?
(A) Jim Langstan
(B) John Kramer
(C) John Taylor
(D) Jonathon Stratton

129) In the 1970s, actor William Marshall played Mamuwalde in two films. What sort of monster was Mamuwalde?
(A) Zombie
(B) Wolfman
(C) Vampire
(D) Mummy

130) Yesterday was the 65th birthday of writer R.L. Stine, most widely known for scaring kids around the world with his Goosebumps books. What does "R.L." stand for?

131) Which horror anthology television show had an old book called The Manifest, which cataloged all the cursed items the characters sought to retrieve?

132) Daniel Robitaille is the given name of which horror movie villan?

133) Which of these monsters does NOT appear in 1945's "House of Dracula"?
(A) Dracula
(B) Frankenstein's Monster
(C) The Wolfman
(D) The Mummy

134) In the popular series of books collectively called "Twilight", by Stephenie Meyer, a girl named Bella Swan moves to a new town, where she meets a young vampire named what?

135) In the 70s, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann played sister and brother in "Escape to Witch Mountain" and it's sequel "Return from Witch Mountain". But they also played siblings in what lesser known 1978 TV horror film?

136) "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is a classic television special from 1966. What issue does Charlie Brown have with his ghost costume?

137) Which of these horror movies was NOT nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture?
(A) "Psycho"
(B) "The Exorcist"
(C) "Jaws"
(D) "The Silence of the Lambs"
(E) "The Sixth Sense"

138) What 1981 horror movie was the feature film debut of Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens and Holly Hunter?

139) Which Disney villain do the three fairies say will never understand "love, kindness, and the joy of helping others"?

140) Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, the stars of the eerie TV series "Supernatural," are starred in seperate movies this year, movies that are remakes of old horror films. Can you name these two movies?

141) In the 2001 film "Jeepers Creepers," the Creeper rises to feast on humans and find parts to make up his body. How many years apart are his rampages?
(A) 13
(B) 23
(C) 50
(D) 99

142) Elsa Lanchester is known for playing the monster's mate in 1935's "The Bride of Frankenstein." What other role did she have in that movie?

143) What kind of creature was the Japanese sci-fi monster Gamera?
(A) A giant turtle
(B) A giant scorpion
(C) A giant squid

144) Best-selling author Dean Koontz wrote a trilogy of books based on a classic horror character. In these books, the character goes by the name "Deucalion" but what is he most famously known as?

145) Christine Daaé was the obsession of which 'horror' movie villain?

146) In Dario Argento's 1977 Italian horror classic Suspiria, which of the irises does Suzy turn to open the secret door?
(A) Yellow
(B) Red
(C) Blue

147) Who is credited with writing the first detective story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue?
(A) Edgar Allan Poe
(B) Arthur Conan Doyle
(C) Agatha Christie
(D) Raymond Chandler

148) The big, furry, red monster who chases Bugs Bunny first appears in Chuck Jones' 1946 film Hair-Raising Hare as the mad scientist's henchman. He was called "Rudolph" when he appeared next in the 1952 short Water, Water Every Hare. But his real name was finally given in the 1980 Jones' toon, Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24 1/2th Century. What is the big monster's name?

149) Who played a vampire in 1939's "Return of Dr. X"?
(A) Cary Grant
(B) Rock Hudson
(C) Spencer Tracy
(D) Humphrey Bogart

150) In what classic tale is Brom Bones the antagonist, and perhaps even the true identity of the terrifying villain?

151) In the 2000 horror film Final Destination, what is interesting about the characters' names?

152) What do you call a poker hand including the black aces and eights?
(A) Deadman Walking
(B) Ace of Darkness
(C) A Dead Man's Hand
(D) Fade to Black

153) H.H. Holmes is considered to be America's first what:
(A) Serial killer
(B) Actor to portray Count Dracula
(C) Professional Pumpkin Carver
(D) Costume Marketer

154) Which actor/stuntman has portrayed the character of Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th films the most:
(A) Ted White
(B) Kane Hodder
(C) Ari Lehman
(D) Ken Kirzinger

155) If a villain commits 'uxoricide', what has he done?

156) What is interesting about the character of Nancy Bellicec from 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the character of Valerie Shenkman from the 2005-2006 TV series "Invasion" and the character of Wendy Lenk in The Invasion, the 2007 movie remake?

157) Which actor portrayed the character Harvey Daley, who was the last person killed on the TV series "Gunsmoke", in 1975?
(A) David Carradine
(B) Gary Busey
(C) Burt Reynolds
(D) Michael Ansara

158) 11 years after the success of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a new special was made, called Halloween is Grinch Night. Since Boris Karloff had died in 1969, who took over as the new voice of The Grinch?
(A) Bela Lugosi
(B) Martin Landau
(C) Lon Chaney Jr.
(D) Hans Conried

159) In 1971, Genereal Mills released two new cereals, Count Chocula and Franken Berry. Two years later they added Boo Berry. All three cereals are still produced and available. Two other flavors were once part of the Monster Cereal line. Can you name them?

160) The organ located in the Disneyland Haunted Mansion's ballroom is a prop from which 1954 Disney film?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HALLOWEEN TRIVIA ANSWERS

1) Pumpkins are fruits. A pumpkin is a type of squash and is a member of the gourd family, which also includes squash, cucumbers, gherkins, and melons.

2) Friday the 13th.

3) Lon Chaney, Jr., is the only person to have played all four of the classic movie monsters: "The Wolf Man" (1941) (as Larry Talbot/Wolf Man); "The Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942) (as The Frankenstein Monster); "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942) (as Kharis, the mummy); and "Son of Dracula" (1943) (as Count Anthony Alucard, Dracula's son).

4) "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein". Bela Lugosi played Dracula, Lon Chaney Jr. played the Wolf Man, and Vincent Price did the voice of the Invisible Man uncredited.

5) Aileen Wuornos.

6) 12 rooms. "We have 12 vacancies. 12 cabins, 12 vacancies."

7) John Larroquette.

8) Bridget Bishop was the first to be hanged for practicing witchcraft in the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Following her were George Burroughs, Martha Carrier, Martha Corey, Mary Easty, Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, George Jacobs, Sr., Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse, Alice Parker, Mary Parker, John Proctor, Ann Pudeator, Wilmott Redd, Margaret Scott, Samuel Wardwell, Sarah Wildes and John Willard. Another man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death.

9) Dracula! The real person Dracula was based on was named Vlad "Dracula", that is the son of (also Vlad) "Dracul" - word meaning both "the devil" and "the dragon" in Romanian. He lived - between ca. 1431 and 1476.

10) Judith Myers, played by Sandy Johnson, the Playboy Playmate of the Month for June 1974.

11) Jason was not the killer in TWO of the movies.
Mrs. Voorhees, Jason's mother, was the killer in the original, avenging her son's death, or so she thought.
After Jason was killed in part 4, he did not reappear in part 5. The killer was instead someone pretending to be Jason. Jason was resurrected for part 6.
Part 9 features Jason being killed, then moving from person to person, killing along the way, until he reforms his own body. But all the killings are done by Jason, he is just in different bodies.
So, only parts 1 & 5 DON'T feature Jason as the killer.

12) "A Nightmare on Elm Street"

13) A werewolf!
Lycanthropic Disorder is a mental condition in which the subject (called a Lycanthrope) believes that he or she is a werewolf. The subject does not actually change shape, but is nevertheless capable of being as dangerous as an actual werewolf. Most cases of supposed werewolfry are really the works of Lycanthropic Disorder victims.

14) "Feast of Samhain."
There is no evidence that there was a Celtic death god named Samhain. There is some evidence that an obscure character named Samain or Sawan played a minor role in Celtic mythology, but he is little mentioned and was not associated with death. "Sam" and "hain" mean "end of" and "summer" to the Celts. The Celts, who only celebrated two seasons (summer and winter), believed that the veil between this world and the next was thinnest at this time of year, the end of October. They believed that the souls of dead friends and relatives returned, often inhabiting the bodies of animals, such as black cats. Samhain was also a new year's celebration, as the Celtic year stated with winter.

15) (B) Ripley and Jones the cat were the only two survivors at the end of the movie. Cats do have nine lives, after all.

16) Leonardo DiCaprio.

17) Ted Knight, who went on the television fame as Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

18) Jennifer Aniston, Rachel from "Friends".

19) Laurence Fishburne, Morpheus from "The Matrix" trilogy.

20) "Marie Antoinette." Wednesday also liked to collect spiders. Morticia had a man-eating plant named Cleopatra.

21) Robert Earl Jones, father of James Earl Jones, voice of Darth Vader and CNN.

22) Pamela Springsteen, sister of Bruce Springsteen!
Also in this movie is Renee Estevez, sister of Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez and Ramon Estevez, and daughter of Martin Sheen.

23) Angela Bassett, who played Tina Turner, Betty Shabazz, Katherine Jackson and others in the 90s.

24) Oz Perkins, son of Norman Bates portrayer Anthony Perkins.
Henry Thomas (Elliot from "E.T.") played young Norman in Psycho IV, not Psycho II.

25) Dana Carvey.
The killer in the Halloween movies WAS named Michael Myers, but Mike Myers (the actor/comedian) was NOT in Halloween II.

26) Ron Palillo, Horshak of "Welcome Back, Kotter".

27) Alice Cooper.

28) Harry Houdini, magician famed for his escape acts. Born Ehrich Weiss, he named himself after the French magician Robert-Houdin.

29) Samhainophobia.

30) The demon voice in "The Exorcist". Director William Friedkin originally wanted Linda Blair's voice. After 150 hours of work on sound recording in pre-production, Friedkin rejected it, and brought in McCambridge.

31) Bela Lugosi in "Plan 9 From Outer Space". Lugosi died four days after shooting some scenes for Ed Wood. After Lugosi's death, Wood abandoned the project and rewrote the script to accommodate all the footage shot in a cemetery and outside Tor Johnson's house in the new production. Béla Lugosi's part was taken over by Tom Mason, Wood's wife's chiropractor, who was significantly taller than Lugosi, and played the part with a cape covering his face. The movie is considered the worst of all time.

32) I had originally had as the answer "Beware of The THING". I even saw a picture of the sign! But other sources found that there was a sign that said "Beware of EVERYTHING!".

33) "Alien", from 1979. The eighth passenger being, of course, the alien.

34) Vincent Price. Shortly before his death, he said that one of his most favorite roles was the voice of Professor Ratigan in the Disney feature, especially since two original songs had been written for him.

35) Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs", the role which eventually went to Anthony Hopkins.

36) (B) French maid's outfit (in black and white).

37) Florence Stoker, the then-60 year-old widow of "Dracula" author Bram Stoker. Legally, the film is a complete unauthorized plagurization of the Stoker novel, which may not have proven a problem had the film been a failure. Unfortunately for Murnau, the film was terrific. It was soon exported internationally, Florence found out about it. Ultimately, Flo won her case. 'Nosferatu' was ordered out of circulation, and every existing print was ordered destroyed. Had it not been for a few rogue prints held over in America, the film would have been lost to the ages.

38) (B) Gaylord.

39) All had roles in various "Friday the 13th" films. Crosby (Friday the 13th); Bacon (Friday the 13th); Feldman (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter); Glover (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter); Rowland (Freddy vs. Jason) and Gray (Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday).

40) Pinhead, the leader of the Cenobites, who are tortured souls that bring pain to others in the "Hellraiser" movies.

41) Henry.

42) "Psycho", from 1960.

43) "Bewitched". The flavor sold only briefly and the only memento from this concoction are the promotional ads and displays that feature Samantha, Endora and Tabitha brewing a huge cup of this strange flavor. The actress who played Tabitha, Erin Murphy, said it was terrible.

44) Candy Corn!

45) John Carpenter's The Fog, from 1980, and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, from 1998.

46) "Tales from the Darkside", from the 80's.

47) (B) Daffy Duck. The short was "Night of The Living Duck," from the movie "Daffy Duck's Quackbusters."

48) "Little Nicky", from 2000. Dangerfield played Lucifer, father of Satan, played by Harvey Keitel. Little Nicky was the son of Satan, and was played by Adam Sandler.

49) In 1995, Reeve starred with Kirstie Alley in "Village of the Damned," a remake of the 1960 horror classic. He did star in a remake of "Rear Window," but this was in 1998, after his accident.

50) (D) Vampires. Barnabas Collins is from the TV show "Dark Shadows"; Quinn Blackwood and Lestat de Lioncourt are from the novels by Anne Rice; Carmilla is a female vampire from late 19th-century novellas and Spike is the vampire from the show "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer."

51) They were called the Mogwai. The one given as a gift in the movie was named Gizmo by it's new owner, a was voiced by Howie Mandel.

52) (A) Wine Month.

53) Mexico. It is called “El Día de los Muertos” and celebrated on November 1st.

54) (C) "Abbott and Costello Meet The Vampire" is NOT a movie made by the famous duo. Other "Meets..." movies are "Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff"; "Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein"; "Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd" and "Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops."

55) Debbie Gibson.

56) (B) Ben & Jerry's. Some of the dearly departed flavors are Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz, White Russian, Peanuts! Popcorn! and Dastardly Mash!

57) Christopher Lee. He has had a film released every year since 1948, except for 1995. His peak years were 1955 and 1970, with 9 films released in each of those years.

58) The "Halloween" series. It is featured in the first film, "Halloween" (1978), spoken by Sheriff Leigh Brackett (played by Charles Cyphers) and in "Halloween: H20" (1998), spoken by Norma Watson (played by Janet Leigh).

59) "Freaks" from 1932. A film about carnival life with real sideshow performers. It unnerved many, and was shelved by MGM. A man named Dwain Esper acquired the rights and exhibited the movie in sideshows. Many of the laws banning this film have never been repealed, so technically it is illegal to show it in some places.

60) "Scooby-Doo". The World Record was awarded to Scooby-Doo with the new 350th episode, "A Scooby-Doo Halloween".

61) The Crucible.

62) "White Fang", from 1991. The dastardly villain Beauty Smith is played by actor James Remar.

63) It's another name for cannibalism, the eating of one's own kind. "Cannibalism," by the way, is derived from the Spanish word for the Caribs, a West Indian tribe that is believed to have practiced cannibalism.

64) Brian Warner chose the name Marilyn Manson based on actress Marilyn Monroe and murderer Charles Manson. Warner says, "I picked that as the fakest stage name of all to say that this is what show business is, fake." The Spooky Kids (Marilyn's band) decided to follow his lead and they all chose famous female first names paired with serial killer last names. The band's original line-up included guitarist Daisy Berkowitz, bassist Olivia Newton-Bundy, the drummer Sara Lee Lucas and the keyboardist Zsa Zsa Speck.

65) Shy schoolmaster Ichabod Crane, from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving.

66) The "Saw" film series. Saw VI is out this year.

67) Dracula, by Bram Stoker.

68) Cain and Abel. Cain hosted the "House of Mystery", while Abel hosted the "House of Secrets".

69) In the attic of the sorority house. This movie is not as well known as "Halloween", but was clearly an inspiration for John Carpenter. An interesting tid-bit: the director of "Black Christmas" was also the director of the holiday classic "A Christmas Story".

70) (D) Homer.

71) Zero.

72) (B) Being buried alive.

73) None. The character of Jason Voorhees was not a part of the television show, which only used the name of the movies. The plot and characters were entirely separate. There was some thought about putting the hockey mask in an episode, but it was never done.

74) The Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba (Thropp) is derived from L. Frank Baum's initials, LFB, or el-fa-ba. Gregory Maguire wrote a "biography", called "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West".

75) 1968's "Night of the Living Dead". Johnny taunts his sister Barbara with this line in the cemetery.

76) (A) Count Dracula. And actor Christopher Lee has played him more times than anyone else.

77) Bats, which may resemble both birds and rodents in some ways, but they are in a class by themselves. Chiroptera means "hand wing." Some recent research, in fact, suggests that bats might be more closely related to primates than to rodents.

78) (C) The old man. I know, technically, he is hearing his OWN heart beating, but I wasn't trying to be tricky!

79) Solomon Grundy. A different version of the ryhme is: Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday, christened on a stark and stormy Tuesday, married on a gray and grisly Wednesday, ill on a mild and mellow Thursday, worse on a bright and breezy Friday, died on a gay and glorious Saturday, buried on a baking, blistering Sunday. This is the end of Solomon Grundy.

80) The Silver Shamrock Corporation.

81) Pain and Panic. Bob Goldthwait voiced Pain, while Matt Frewer voiced Panic.

82) (B) He dropped the only normal brain.

83) Dick Tracy. The newspaper strip premeired 75 years ago yesterday, on October 4, 1931. Creator Chester Gould wrote and drew the strip until 1977. Later artists and writers have kept the strip running to this day.

84) (A) He's hiding in the backseat of the car. After watching Annie while she is in the laundry room, Michael later hides and waits until she gets in the car.

85) (B) He knew he would turn into a werewolf.

86) (A) Lucifer.

87) (C) Kharis is revived, and kills Dr. Petrie. He proves he's not a morning person.

88) (C) A caveman.

89) (B) John D. LeMay. He played Ryan Dallion on the tv series, and played Steven Freeman in "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday" in 1993.

90) (A) Spooky.

91) (C) Freddy's hat.

92) (D) Andrea Martin. Ms. Martin played Phyllis Carlson in the original. In the remake, she played Ms. MacHenry.

93) (B) A pentagram.

94) (C) Chupacabra.

95) (C) In a shack in the woods. But it's not just any shack, it's Jason's shack.

96) (A) Creature from the Black Lagoon.

97) (B) James Whale.

98) (C) "Ghost Story", from 1981.

99) (B) Clive Barker. The most famous of his boxes is the "Lament Configuration", which was featured in the "Hellraiser" series of movies.

100) (B) Charles Lee Ray. He was known as the notorious Lakeshore Stangler, before becoming trapped in the "Good Guys" doll. He was played by Brad Dourif.

101) (C) He's just a young boy.

102) Sneezing. Always having trouble making spells work, Esmerelda had even more problems when she sneezed. I also accepted fading from sight when nervous, as Esmerelda did this probably more often than sneeze. Alice Ghostley also played the very funny Bernice Clifton on "Designing Women".

103) My ORIGINAL answer was TRUE, that Casper didn't get a name until the debut of his comic book. However, I was sent a link to the original cartoon, and he is indeed given a name, right in his very first appearance. So, the answer is FALSE.

104) (A) Burning her arm.

105) "The Birds," starring Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor and Jessica Tandy.

106) A planchette is used with a Ouija or spirit board, sometimes called an indicator or pointer. It is usually triangular or heart-shaped and supported by casters. It moves to spell out messages or answers to questions.

107) It is the fear of being buried alive or, in general, the fear of graveyards.

108) (C) "X" was just a roomy file drawer. The woman in charge of the FBI's filing system in the 50s did file the unsolved cases under "U" for unsolved. When she ran out of room, she used the "X" file, because, as she said, there is plenty of room there.

109) Pluto.

110) (A) Curious Goods. At first, Micki convinces Ryan to sell everything off. But, when they learn of the curse, the decide to keep running the store while attempting to get all the cursed antiques back, with the help of Jack Marshak. The show premiered 20 years ago this Fall.

111) Marilyn Munster, the black sheep of the Munster family. Pat Priest is the actress most remember in the role, from the TV series "The Munsters" in the 1960s.

112) False. They appeared together in 1940's "You'll Find Out", which starred Kay Kyser. The movie is also said to be an inspiration for the premise of the "Scooby-Doo" mysteries.

113) William Shakespeare. The line is from "Macbeth".

114) (A) Jodie Foster. She directed the 1988 episode entitled "Do Not Open This Box", starring Eileen Heckart.

115) "Fantasia", from 1940. Chernabog appeared in the "Night on Bald Mountain" segment. He has made other apperances since then, such as in the game Kingdom Hearts and on Disney's animated cartoon show "House of Mouse". It is rumored that Bela Lugosi was brought in as a live-action model for the character, but that the footage was thrown out.

116) (B) Hot Stuff, the Little Devil. He first appeared in issue #1 of his self-titled comic book. Wendy first appeared in May 1954 and Spooky first appeared in June 1953, both in "Casper the Friendly Ghost" comics.

117) "Freaks", from 1932. It was directed by Tod Browning, who had done "Dracula".

118) False. Universal Pictures didn't like Bloch's story, which was a critique of the splatter film genre. The made a totally unrelated picture called Psycho 2. Bloch went on to write Psycho House (sometimes called Psycho House: Psycho III), in 1990, but again, this is not related to the film called "Psycho III".

119) (B) Rod Taylor. He played the role of Doc in "Kaw".

120) Violet Gray.

121) (B) Danny Elfman, who has composed music for movies such as "Beetlejuice", "Batman", "Edward Scissorhands", "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Sleepy Hollow". He is a frequent collaborator with director Tim Burton.

122) (C) The driver mysteriously disappears. The stagecoach arrives at the castle without a driver.

123) (D) Sidney Prescott, who was in "Scream" parts 1, 2 and 3. Laurie Strode is killed by Michael Myers in "Halloween: Resurrection" (2002), Alice Hardy is killed by Jason Voorhees in "Friday the 13th Part 2" (1981) and Nancy Thompson is killed by Freddy Kreuger in "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" (1987).

124) (B) To appeal for his help in being cured of vampirism. Larry Talbot (The Wolfman) also went to Dr. Edelman for a cure, but he was more sincere than the Count.

125) The Rolling Stones.

126) Real-life magician David Copperfield played Ken in the Jamie Lee Curtis horror film, which has been loosely remade as the movie "Train," due for release soon.

127) "The Twilight Zone".

128) (B) John Kramer.

129) (C) Vampire. He was the lead character in "Blacula" and "Scream Blacula Scream," an African prince who was transformed into a vampire in 1780 by Dracula himself.

130) Robert Lawrence. He has also been known as Jovial Bob Stine. Goosebumps books have been translated into 32 languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide.

131) "Friday the 13th: The Series". Lewis Vendredi kept track of all the antiques he sold in this book, and Micki, Ryan and Jack used it to track them all down and get them back safely. All three seasons of the show have been released on DVD.

132) Candyman, played by actor Tony Todd.

133) (D) The Mummy. The original movie poster also touted a "Mad Doctor" and a "Hunchback".

134) Edward Cullen.

135) "Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell" which also starred Richard Crenna and Yvette Mimieux as their parents. Kim Richards' sisters are Kyle Richards, who played Lindsey Wallace in "Halloween", and Kathy Richards, who is the mother of Paris Hilton.

136) Charlie cuts eye holes all over the sheet he uses for his costume. Due to this, and his general Charlie Brown-ness, he ends up getting lots of rocks instead of treats.

137) (A) "Psycho". It was nominated for 4 Oscars, including Best Director, but not for Best Picture. The only one to win the award was "The Silence of the Lambs."

138) "The Burning," a movie about a camp caretaker out for revenge.

139) Maleficent, from Disney's "Sleeping Beauty".

140) Ackles was seen in "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" in January, which is a remake of the 1981 Canadian horror film. Padalecki was seen in "Friday the 13th" in February, a remake of the 1980 classic.

141) (B) 23. He rises every 23 years to feast for 23 days on humans he finds by smelling something in them that he needs.

142) Lanchester also played Mary Shelley, author of "Frankenstein," in a prologue that shows her talking with Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron.

143) (A) A giant turtle. Gamera was created by a rival studio, to rival the success of the very popular Godzilla.

144) Frankenstein's Monster.

145) The Phantom of the Opera, also known as Erik Destler.

146) (C) Blue. "Three isirises! Turn the blue one!"

147) (A) Edgar Allan Poe.

148) Gossamer, which he is called by Marvin the Martian. Jones chose this name "because he's the opposite looking of gossamer. He's a big, hairy thing."

149) (D) Humphrey Bogart. Bogart was not happy with his role or the film, believing this was something that should have been played by Karloff or Lugosi.

150) "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. Brom Bones is the nickname of Abraham Van Brunt, the town bully and rival of Ichabod Crane for the love of Katrina Van Tassel. While not outright stated in the story, it is implied that Bones is really the Horseman.

151) Most of the characters are named in homage to directors or stars of older, black-and-white horror films: Alex Browning (Tod Browning), Billy Hitchchock (Alfred Hitchcock), Valerie Lewton (Val Lewton), Terry Chaney (Lon Chaney) , Tod Waggner (George Waggner), Agent Wiene (Robert Wiene), Agent Schreck (Max Schreck) and Larry Murnau, (after F.W. Murnau).

152) (C) A Dead Man's Hand. Legend has it that is was the hand Wild Bill Hickock held at the time of his death. What the fifth card was has been up for debate, with some saying it was the nine of diamonds, while others say something else.

153) (A) Serial killer. A contemporary of Jack The Ripper, H.H. Holmes was a wholly evil man, but will probably never capture the public's imagination quite as much as Jack because he was caught and brought to justice.

154) (B) Kane Hodder, who play Jason four times, in Parts VII through X.

155) He has killed his wife. Uxoricide is the act of murdering one's wife. The William Castle flick "I Saw What You Did" warned, on its posters,"This Movie Is About UXORICIDE!" The opposite is ‘mariticide’, which is derived from the word ‘maritus’ meaning ‘married’. ‘Mariticide’ is actually the killing of one’s married partner; it could be the husband or the wife, but the word is being used to refer to the murder of the husband by the wife.

156) They are all played by actress Veronica Cartwright. Cartwright also played the role of Felicia Alden in the 1987 film "The Witches of Eastwick" and is currently playing the role of Bun Waverly in the television version "Eastwick".

157) (B) Gary Busey. The episode was called "The Los Carnales".

158) (D) Hans Conried, who was by then a veteran character actor and voice-over artist.

159) Fruit Brute (1974-1983) and Fruity Yummy Mummy (1987-1993).

160) Captain Nemo played the same organ on his submarine in the 1954 film, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, how did you do?

If you want to check out the game or join up, visit the
Trivia of the Day page or the Trivia of the Day Blog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~