There are really only two things I love about Halloween: the
candy and the scary movies.
The candy doesn't need an explanation, I mean, come on: Candy corn, Peppermint Patties?
Paleeze!
Paleeze!
The fact that I like scary movies – and the scarier the
better - is one of the top 10 things you need to know about me that I have
listed on my blog bio. And when I say scary, I’m not talking about all the
blood and gore crap and the torture porn that passes as scary these days.
Movies like Saw, versions 1-10,000,000 and the Texas Chain Saw massacre
franchise. Those movies are meant to shock you, not really scare you.
When I say scary I mean those movies that make you drop down
into your seat at the movie theater, pull your legs up to your chest, make you
heart pound, your ears ring, and make you cover your eyes with fingers you can
peek through because you just know something’s gonna happen. You know it; you
feel it; you sense it. Your adrenaline goes haywire; your hormones kick in with
either a flight or fight or paralyze reaction; a scream gets lodged in the back
of your throat, or alternately, pierces the air around you like an air raid
warning. Your lips tingle, your toes wiggle and you can’t keep still in your
seat.
I love those reactions!!
When I was a kid and my parents worked late into the
evening, I was usually alone in our apartment. Back then there was a station on
regular TV ( no cable back then, kids!) called CREATURE FEATURES that played
nightly. I watched that damn channel every single night, alone in our apartment,
a blanket pulled up over me and every single light in the house on full blast.
My mother could never understand why our electric bills were so high.
My scary movie watching wasn’t only relegated to old black
and white movies of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s though, with Boris Karloff, Bela
Lugosi, and Lon Chaney. Every weekend I took my meager allowance money and went
to the actual movies, which cost $0.75 for a Saturday matinee. Lord, I loved those days and those movies.
Nothing really compares nowadays for plot, star power, or scare factor for me.
Some of my favorite scary movies of all time, the ones I can
watch over and over again and really enjoy, run the gamut from sublimely scary
to ridiculously uproarious.
In the scary scary group, I’ve got:
Halloween (the first one only. The rest were just dumb)
The Exorcist (I went to church every day for two months
after seeing this the first time! – I was 11)
Scream (One of the best beginnings of any scary movie out
there! The rest of the franchise wasn't scary.)
In the fun and funny group, I’ve got:
Practical Magic ( love Sandra Bullock!)
Young Frankenstein (I-gor not ee-gor)
Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein ( I went my pants every
single time when Costello tries to tell Abbot about Dracula!)
It’s the great pumpkin Charlie Brown ( Because it’s Charlie
Brown)
Hocus Pocus ( Bette Midler is a superstar and Kathy Najimi
flying on a Hoover is side splitting).
So, want to be my BFF? Go to a scary movie with me and watch
the whole thing. Heehee
Because it’s October, the Gems are doing something a little
different in the giveaway department this month:
OCTOBER 2019 PROMOTION
No Tricks—Just Treats
Every Day is Treat Day in October. To be entered in the
random drawing for an ecopy of FIRST IMPRESSIONS,
leave a comment and tell me what your NUMBER 1 SCARIEST MOVIE ever was, with your email address written out (not as a hot link). The
deadline for doing this is 2 days from now. I’ll draw the winners name on 10/29/19
and notify the winner by email and by leaving a comment on this post.
F
By the way, in case you wonder why Authors give away books,
it’s simple. We give away books to introduce new Readers to our writing. The
best way to thank an Author who gives you a book is to post a review of the
book. Just a few sentences saying why you liked the book is all that is needed!
Do this, and we’ll adore you!
Click here to enter our No Tricks—Just
Treats Rafflecopter today for a chance to win Amazon Gift Cards. Enter
often and tell your friends! (You can also click Monthly
Giveaways on the Menu Bar of the blog to see details of the current
month’s Rafflecopter and to enter it.)
SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES!!!
Until next time ~ Peg
Hey, I watched Creature Feature. On Fridays I used to go to my best friend's house and stay over. They were night owls so it was normal to be up late. Those movies scared me so much, I had to sit right beside my friend while we watched. I was still scared but sure we were having the best time. Would never have thought of turning off the TV or going to bed..
ReplyDeleteNora - me, either!!!
DeleteI LOVE scary movies, Peggy! And I was a huge fan of Creature Feature growing up! I'm with you on the scary vs. gory. A couple of modern scare favorites - I guess you'd call them Gothic Horror - are Crimson Peak and The Woman In Black. I also never turn off Dracula with Frank Langella, Lost Boys, Salem's Lot, Fright Night (1) and Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp. I think I have a vamp thing going! LOL Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeleteOMG FRANK LANGELLA!!!!! the best Dracula EVAH!!!!!!
DeleteI don't do scary movies! At All! Call me a wimp but the few I've seen leave me with nightmares for YEARS! Not my idea of fun. Can I still be your best friend??
ReplyDeleteWell......let me think..... OF COURSE
DeleteI cannot not watch Tremors if it’s on. I love that ovie and those giant worms in the desert.
ReplyDeleteOOOO> I like that one too . It;s scary and campy.
DeleteThe first time I watched a scary movie, it was Damien and I was terrified. Even the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz still gives me nightmares.
ReplyDeleteOMG< OZ is like, my favorite movie next to gone with the wind of all time!!! It's funny, but i never look at it as scary - just campy!
DeleteWizard of Oz is about as scary as I'll watch. I prefer sunshine and HEA. Guess that's why I love romance.
ReplyDeleteYOu're with Jennifer above!!! hahaha..
ReplyDeleteSee you at the movies, but I'll be at the musical next door. Want to meet for coffee after? :-)
ReplyDeleteLIz, ahahahahahahaahahhaa!!!!
DeleteThe most scariest movie for me was the original IT! I love Hocus Pocus, but I don't watch really scary movies anymore.
ReplyDeletePurpleunicorn019 (at) gmail (dot) com
The original IT was amazeballs!!! I can't wait to see part ii when it releases on video!
DeleteI love Practical Magic and Young Frankenstein. I watch Practical Magic and Arsenic and Old Lace (which was a spoof scary movie by Hitchcock himself) each Halloween. I just watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown tonight while I worked I think the psychological movies are so much better. Don't care for gore. And the Exorcist scared the fool out of me when I was a kid! I watched The Shining at midnight on Halloween night in a theater one year. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteOMG I Forgot about Arsenic and old lace. Lovelvoleovleo Cary Grant. Now see, the Shining to me was just a movie that started Jack Nickolson being...Jack Nickolson, hee hee.
DeleteNope not me, I can't do scary movies. The Exorcist messed me up for Life!
ReplyDeleteThat movie was evil ... pure and simple. By today's standards, probably not that scary but when it first came out it was terrifying.
DeleteMsredk - messed me up too, but after a daily dose of mass for a month, I was okay again. But it was one scary movie, too be sure!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was little the scariest movie for me was the Wizard of Oz. I remember hiding behind my mother's arm and peeking at the tv screen. Now I enjoy more Alfred Hitchcock type suspenseful movies. clarksuzannah at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteSuzannah - it seems so many people are or have been scaredof, that movie! YOu'r ein good company
DeleteI can't believe anyone other than me knows about Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein! Yes, I watched the old black and white scary movies too. Today's horror? Not so much since special effects makes it too real. I like to sleep at night. *g* Last scary movie that made me jump in my seat at the movies was Alien, the first one, but I guess that's SF, not horror, even though that scene was totally memorable, shocking, and horrifying.
ReplyDeleteI love those old Abbot and COstello movies. I used to watch them every sunday morning on our local tv station, WPIX. So funny.
DeleteCOngratulations SUZANNAH CLARK! You are my winner. Look for an email for me about how to claim your book! Thanks to everyone who commented. I love a scary movie and hope you do too!
ReplyDelete