What would a Lighthouse know about Halloween?

So here I am, forever branded as a Lighthouse. Next time, I’ll try to put more thought into these kinds of things.

The thought for the moment, however, is movies appropriate for Halloween. I think. I mean, I THINK this is a write-off about that… or is it movies that have Halloween as a theme.

Oy! I just looked back at the write-off guidelines. You see, I first found this write-off by checking out DrDevience’s W/O, which happened to be top 10 Halloween movies… so I just ASSUMED that was the subject of the write-off. I see now, however, that it’s about anything Halloween-oriented. Pooh. I think I need more rules… too much freedom… feeling a little agoraphobic suddenly.

Here (as my write-off entry) are my responses to the options for the write-off:
- A product review of your favorite scary movie.
Hm. I tend to be a wuss, but still watch scary movies (particularly since I live with Mr. Horror himself). So pretty much ALL these movies work well on me. Instead of a review of my favorite, I’ll list a half-dozen or so, meaning if it comes to mind now, it must be one that I found particularly scary. Keeping in mind I’m trying to think of SCARY movies, which is different from horror movies that I think are awesome. So… movies that frightened Laura include:
Halloween
Alien
The Thing
Black Christmas
Suspiria
Poltergeist
The Blair Witch Project
Session 9

(And while we’re here… movies I was told to watch and apparently “didn’t get” include: Don’t Look Now and The Wickerman

- How about that scary book you have recently read?
I wish! I’m way behind on my reading. Okay, here’s one that I thought was scary, but remember… that doesn’t equate with totally awesome. And I’ve never found anyone else who agrees with me, but I liked Stephen King’s Insomnia. Maybe it scared me because it’s so on the edge of reality versus surrealism. A place we rarely like to find ourselves.

- A Writer's Corner piece about your childhood memories of Halloween....or perhaps your family traditions today!
Hm. We did the usual. Dress up and canvas the neighborhood for goodies. I remember most houses were stingy, but there was always one or two who’d have either boxes of Cracker Jacks or full-size candy bars. I remember that, and I now try to BE that house with the cool stuff.

- Your own piece of original 'Halloween' writing in the Writer's Corner.
Since I’m a horror writer (when life isn’t getting in the way), you’d think I could come up with something here. I had a couple pieces published that I think would be appropriate, but I don’t even remember if they were “Halloween” or not… maybe just scary, but not particularly Halloween. I’ll see if I can dig one up and if so… I’ll post it to Epinions.

- That Halloween related CD you remember hearing recently.
Easy. I have (or had… my car was broken into twice last year and I have yet to see what was taken, music-wise) an awesome Halloween CD called Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Halloween. The tracks on it include:
ˇ Time Warp
ˇ Everyday Is Halloween - Ministry
ˇ Devil in My Car - The B-52's
ˇ Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo
ˇ Pet Sematary - The Ramones
ˇ Theme from Halloween - MX-80 Sound
ˇ Munsters Theme - Comateens
ˇ Creature from the Black Lagoon - Dave Edmunds
ˇ Halloween - Siouxsie & the Banshees
ˇ Halloween - Dream Syndicate
ˇ Halloween - Sonic Youth
ˇ Halloween - Dead Kennedys
ˇ Halloween - The Misfits
ˇ Halloween - Mudhoney
ˇ Creature With the Atom Brain – Aliens

- Anything scary, anything spooky. Let your imagination run wild!

When I was a kid, I saw a movie about a severed hand. For years and years, that was a recurring nightmare for me. Also, that movie about the guy with two heads… that became a recurring childhood nightmare for me too as I’d dream I’d find a finger growing out the top of my head or an eyeball starting to appear on my shoulder.

Nowadays what scares me are maybe serial killers. I don’t think movies or stories about supernatural things scare me as much as when I was younger, but also being older you start to realize all the truly frightening things that are part of reality. And since serial killers often pick their victims randomly (or at least not for personal vendetta-type reasons), it’s like… yes, it COULD be you.

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