So...today we'll bounce back to the lighter side of Horror again. (Obviously, it's a part of the spooky forest that I tend to prefer since I don't enjoy torture porn--like Saw. Nor do I handle dismemberment very well.[1]) I'd like to start with The Frighteners. It's one of my favorite Peter Jackson films, and does a fantastic job of tap-dancing on top of the border between Comedy and Horror. The acting is also pretty great. It seriously doesn't get enough love.

Oh, and bonus points for the R. Lee Ermey appearance. Ever wonder what my muse is like? That's him. :)

Next, up... another Comedy+Horror mash up, An American Werewolf in London.

Today, I'm going to list some more serious Horror films. Ghost stories are my favorite. Monsters are fun and aliens too but a good ghost story tops them all. (Of course, werewolves are a close second.) And here (in my opinion) is where Guillermo Del Toro excels. My first recommendation is a foreign film, and yes, you'll have to watch it with subtitles. Personally, I've never let that hold me back. You shouldn't either. You absolutely won't be sorry.

I've watched that film multiple times and each viewing brings with it another insight. I absolutely adore it. Bonus points for a literary reference supremely executed. The next one isn't quite as good in my opinion, but then, I'm a sucker for everything the first did...so, my opinion can be discounted. ;) The next up is The Devil's Backbone.

Last night's Halloween movie rewatch was Ginger Snaps.

It's been a long time since I've seen this movie. (Dane found it on Netflix for me. He joked that the movie is a whole new Bridgette [15yrs] old.) I remembered being blown away by it. but I'd forgotten a lot of it. Upon rewatch, it's one of the most under-rated Horror films in existence. It holds up really well better than a lot of films that people still go on about. (Much as I love the '70s version of The Thing, there's no contest as to which is a better film.) The use of lycanthropy as a metaphor for menstruation and STDs is just about perfect. And the instances of sexual harassment and bullying that the girls have to deal with in school are spot-on. (Sadly, not much seems to have changed.) One of my favorite things about the film is the girls' attitude toward menstruation--that it's gross, messy, painful and something one hopes to avoid--completely matched my own at that age. And maybe that's a big factor as to why I love the film so much. Most films about female puberty try to make it into this "beautiful, wondrous" thing. I never felt that way.

Speaking of struggles with feminine sexual maturity and metaphors...next up, Jennifer's Body.

Today is normally Feminist Monday. However, this morning...after certain events over the weekend and the week before and the week before...well...I'm feeling tired. I need a short break. So, I'm going to take it. At the same time, I'm honoring the spirit of Feminist Monday and I'm going to recommend a few Horror films that are Feminist. The first is Alien. 

Today's recommendations are Beetlejuice--yes, another Tim Burton film...oh, okay...I might as well get this out of the way...I also love Frankenweenie (1985) the original short film. Basically, this is the time of year I usually drag out all the Burton...except this year I feel conflicted about it. (Grrrr.) Okay. That's out of the way. And now...Jurassic Park.

That's not a shocker, I know. :) Next up, Interview with a Vampire.

I still love the novel, and I still recommend it. Now, my last recommendation for today. The Crow.

I actually enjoy it more for the visuals and the soundtrack than I do the plot. The plot is weak sauce and well...I'm not a huge fan of vengeance porn. But it came out during a time in my life when I was discovering the whole goth thing, and it still makes me grin for that reason. 

Hello again. So, we're almost halfway there. Yay! Need a gothy outfit for October? Check out Modcloth's Halloween Shop, try this site for some fun outfits, and here's what PinupGirlClothing.com has to offer. For some vintage spookiness, have a peek at the Dark Shadows tribute website. Thanks to Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes I always think of traveling carnivals this time of year. Interested in some history? Check this out. Also, if you're interested in different (and, IMHO, better) movie recommendations you can't go wrong by listening to what the women over at the Women In Caskets podcast have to say.

Now, for today's recommendations. First, I'll go with The World's End.

I really, really like Simon Pegg. So, any movie he's written I'll probably watch. Also, true confession time...I actually dated a guy that was quite a bit like Gary King. (Yeah. I know. We've all made bad decisions in our pasts.)

Well, I was planning on keeping up with this every day throughout October but life had other plans. My Dad had a heart attack and then...other things happened. In any case, we're back to normal around here. It's been two whole days since any family drama. Let's hope it stays this way. :)

Today, I'm going to give you an interesting link to some great Halloween decor, china that I really, really want, and tea cups that I really gotta have. You know, for my collection. (Yes. I have a tea cup collection. And I do use travel spoons for tea spoons--like Miss Havisham's does.) 

Today's movie recommendations are: Cabin in the Woods, Poltergeist (1982), The Mummy (1999), and Sleepy Hollow.

Even though Tim B. is not on my happy list...I know. I know.

There's a lot going on, and I haven't been able to keep up as well as I wanted to, but I'm still trying. :) I'm going to stick to the funnier films for a while, nonetheless.

Today's movie recommendation is Monsters Inc..

One of my favorite things about that trailer is...none of that is cut from the movie, and yet, it perfectly demonstrates what the movie is about. Oh, Pixar. I love you so much.

Today's recommendation is Something Wicked This Way Comes. Sort of.

The movie isn't anywhere near as amazing as the novel. This, in spite of the fact that the casting for the most part is stellar. The story was hacked to pieces by Disney and doesn't really make all that much sense when you watch it now. But the novel. Wow. The novel is one of the best books ever written, IMHO. It's Ray Bradbury at his best.

“A stranger is shot in the street, you hardly move to help. But if, half an hour before, you spent just ten minutes with the fellow and knew a little about him and his family, you might just jump in front of his killer and try to stop it. Really knowing is good. Not knowing, or refusing to know is bad, or amoral, at least. You can’t act if you don’t know.” 
― Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes

Some other recommendations of the literary variety: Shirley Jackson--particularly The Haunting of Hill House, The Lottery, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. If you've only got time for a short story, read The Lottery. It's amazing. 

Sorry I'm a bit late today. My Dad had a minor heart attack, and there were car problems...everyone is fine. I spoke to Dad on the phone, and he's chipper. I have a rental car and insurance. (Yay!) So, we're good, but things were a little stressful for a bit. Life happens. :)

So...movies. I'll list three today because you didn't get any Halloween goodness yesterday due to Monday.

The first is John Carpenter's The Thing.