Pumpkin Carving and Poe - Muppet Style

Thought the Halloween Countdown was a good time to go 'back in time' and visit the The Muppets on Halloween!   

First up is the Muppet Halloween short... 

"Zero Mostel reads Poe"...in honor of today's Winners of The Halloween Tree, Edgar Allan Poe Book Give-Away!   

Laugh along as the comedian's fears are "counted and compelled", so they can "quickly be dispelled"! 

And next up is the Swedish Chef who's looking to carve himself up some Jack O'Lanterns and turn them into tasty Pumpkin Pies....but the Jacks have a plan to stave off the massacre.  See who claims victory in this Halloween themed retro short...viewer discretion is advised.

"Swedish Chef Carves Pumpkins"!

Salem....There Be Witches

 

So this year, a new witch show "Salem" made its way to television.  I love things set in earlier time periods, so this looked intriguing, and since I am always excited to watch most shows about Witches, I eagerly set the DVR to record the series.  The inaugural episode was quite dark and explicit to put it mildly.  I was not expecting it to be so extreme. This is NOT a show for children and impressionable teens to be viewing in my opinion, definitely adult material.  Prior to the airing of the show itself, there was a documentary aired about the making of the show, how it came into being, and the cast and creators of the show.  It explained the premise behind the telling of the now infamous story of the 'Witch Trials of Salem'.  It explained how they decided to tell the story from an alternate perspective to what we are accustomed to hearing.  This "Salem" offers a different take on the traditional, in regards to the Witch Trials and the witches themselves.  With that being said, it likewise does not claim to be historically accurate, so before anyone gets too upset about that, it should be known that it is not being presented as a historical documentary.  Some might say it even offers up an abject, and controversial take on the subject.  But is it one that could have any validity at all, or is it just pure made for TV sensationalism?

Theirs is a premise that the 'Olde World Witches' came to America to establish witchcraft in the 'New World', when a sudden influx of young 'New World Witches' began rising to power in Salem.  The writers of this show do not maintain the age old notion that there were no real 'witches' in Salem, only those unjustly accused of 'witchcraft'.  

In fact, "Salem's" storyline centers around the belief that contrary to those antiquated beliefs....the Witches of Salem and the New World of America were very real indeed, and quite capable of horrific malevolence in their lust for power.  And for the sake of equality I assume, they also negatively paint the religious citizens of Salem as lascivious, hypocritical and hysterical. Instead of the 'real witches' being the falsely accused....it was in fact, they themselves who were often pinning the accusations onto other innocent townspeople for the sinister purpose of obtaining their innocent souls for a grand rite.  And this 'grand rite' of the devil would thus usher witchcraft into the new world where it would successfully manifest and hold power for the next 238 years and counting. 

So what do you make of all this "Salem" hocus pocus?  Could there be any kernels of truth in there somewhere, or is it just callous and erroneous exploitation of our early ancestors and benign alternate religions?  Did witches really migrate across the pond from England to colonize the 'New World of America'?  And is the seemingly negative portrayal harmful to 'Witches', or just innocent, albeit sensationalized, television entertainment? 

Must be the Season of the Witch!

Well it seems that Twilight has now finally faded away into the darkness...both literally and figuratively, and thank goodness for that!  Those pesky, angsty, sparkling wannabes they call 'Vampires' are finally out of our hair for good, and just in time for the 'Damsels of Darkness' to begin their reign.  Yep, there has most definitely been something brewin' the last few years with a noticeable increase this past year specifically....must be the 'Season of the Witch!  The last few years we've slowly witnessed a changing of the 'Occult Guard', so to speak.  Has anyone else noticed the unusual uptick in all things 'Witchy' this past year?  Well I have, and I do believe that Witches and Wizards are not only on trend this year specifically....but they are manifesting in the public psyche everywhere.  Yeah, Vampires are so yesterday....

But why Witches?  And why now?  In fact, all things of a supernatural bent seem to be gaining traction in America, and abroad.  But what of Witches in particular?  As an example of just how mainstream Witches and Wizards, (both good and bad) have become....
I present the sudden uptick of recent Witch/Wizard related TV programming:
1.)  Witches of East End
2.)  American Horror Story - Coven
3.)  Salem
4.)  Sleepy Hollow
5.)  The Originals
6.)  Vikings
7.)  The Good Witch's Charm (Hallmark Channel 2012)
8.)  The Good Witch's Destiny (Hallmark Channel 2013)
9.)  The Good Witch's Wonder (Hallmark Channel 2014)
10.)  The Good Witch Television Series (Hallmark Channel Debut 2015)

The Witches of Salem

American Horror Story - Coven

The Good Witch - Cassie Nightingale

The Beauchamp Family - The Witches of East End

And Witch themed Movies or Movies featuring Witches / Sorcery:
1.)  Harry Potter Series (Obviously, although not recent)
2.)  Oz the Great and Powerful - 2013
3.)  Brave (Disney - 2012)
4.)  Hansel and Gretel - Witch Hunters - 2013
5.)  The Lords of Salem (Rob Zombie - 2012)
6.)  Frozen (Disney - 2013)
7.)  Maleficent (Disney - 2014)
8.)  The Hobbit (2012, 2013, 2014)
9.)  The Conjuring - 2013
10.) Into the Woods - 2014
11.) The Bell Witch - 2013

Evanora, The Wicked Witch of the West - Oz the Great and Powerful

Maleficent

Gandalf the Grey - Lord of the Rings

And as if the Witches weren't already flying mainstream enough, it seems they've sparked a fashion trend as well. On the runways for 2014 you'll find a decidedly Witchy influence in the fashion offerings of designers such as:
1.)  Gareth Pugh
2.)  Anne Demeulemeester
3.)  Cushnie Et Ochs
4.)  Elie Saab
5.)  Yves St. Laurent

 

So what do you make of all of this Hocus Pocus? Do we find ourselves here in America, in the midst of a bonafide uprising of Witchcraft?  Or is the archetypal Witch just the Occult Symbol du Jour, destined to soon be replaced in the mainstream consciousness with the next Supernatural Superstar?  And if Vampires are just 'so yesterday', and Witches begin flying off our cultural radar again....what will be next to capture our fascination....could the 'Zombie Apocalypse' be just around the corner?
(Copyrights for all photos belong to their respective film studios, all rights reserved.)

Spooky MAY-hem in Florida!

Time for some SPOOKY MAY-HEM!

Well it's almost the end of May, and you know what that means right?  It means it's time for Spooky Empire's MAY-hem Convention in Orlando, Florida.  How dreadfully delightful that the Ghoulies have come to town.  They kicked off the 3-day event last night with a Day of the Dead Poolside Opener Party, complete with eats,drinks, music and make-up!  A most frighteningly festive way to get the party rolling and start getting in the mood for the upcoming Halloween season.  The Convention rolls back into O-town in October, just in time for the Halloween happenings, adding a Zombie Walk and Hearse & Creepy Car Show! 

 

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be a variety of spooky events happening, including horror movie film festivals, live shows and events, costume contest, horror art, and lots of macabre merchandise to procure for this year's Halloween Yard Haunts.  There will also be autograph signings and photo ops with some of your horror movie favorites, such as "Halloween" Director John Carpenter, Robert Englund aka Freddy Kreuger, Lana Parrilla the Evil 'Snow White' Queen from TV's "Once Upon a Time", Pat Carroll, the voice of Ursula in Disney's "Little Mermaid", and Nick Castle aka Michael Meyers from "Halloween"....just to name a few. You can check out the full list of attendees here!

The event looks to be a virtual Spook Fest full of all things Creepy and Cool.  For any of you Halloween-Heads living in Florida, or just visiting here on vacation.....be sure to check it out this weekend Friday-Sunday, tickets available at the door.  And be sure to catch the video below of Pat Carroll (aka Ursula) doing a reading of the famous intro dialogue from Disney's Haunted Mansion ride...you know, the one you hear when you are in the elevator waiting to go inside and the walls start stretching!!  She has one of the the best 'evil laughs' in the business!  Love her!
(All images © Spooky Empire, Halloween Extreme image © Ricky Brigante)

"The Good Witch" gets a TV Series

 

There appears to be some new hocus pocus brewing for fans of the "The Good Witch" specials on the Hallmark Channel.   First up will be the newest installment; "The Good Witch's Wonder," airing just in time for a Special Halloween Treat on October 25th at 9:00pm.  And if that's not exciting enough, no worries; as there appears to be even more magic in store. 

The crew at Hallmark have finally inked a deal to turn the popular and much loved "Good Witch" franchise into an enchanting new "Good Witch" TV Series, set to air early in 2015!  Yes, it appears that Cassie Nightingale will soon be serving up even more witchy charm at her Bell, Book and Candle shoppe in Middleton.  Hallmark has signed on for a run of 10 weekly television episodes; something they've wanted to do for a long time, and can finally bring to fruition now that Catherine Bell (Cassie) has finished up her stint on "Army Wives". 

Personally, I'll admit that the shows are a bit cheesy; and I do prefer Cassi's hair long over short....but the shows are wholesome and whimsical; and they are one of the few takes on modern day witches that portray them in a positive and healing manner, rather than evil and destructive.  Not that I mind a little of both for entertainment purposes; but "The Good Witch" is as the name implies, Good!  And I'm looking forward to the casting of her magical spell on next year's TV lineup!

The Good Witch's Halloween Charm

Wanted to mention some other upcoming Halloween Show viewing. This coming week you can enjoy the 'charm' of my favorite 'Hallmark Special' Movie Series....The Good Witch!  

All of the Good Witch episodes will be airing on the Hallmark Channel, including the newest edition to the line-up, "The Good Witch's Charm".  The Good Witch's Charm is the 5th in the series.  The Good Witch Shows in order are:

1.  The Good Witch

2.  The Good Witch's Garden

3.  The Good Witch's Family

4.  The Good Witch's Gift

5.  The Good Witch's Charm

 The Good Witch's Charm will premier on the Hallmark Channel this Saturday, October 27th at 9/8c.  But I am posting a viewing list below, because if you haven't seen all of these magical shows, they will all be airing this coming week, allowing you to set your DVR's or be at the ready to catch up on all the happenings of Middleton's favorite Good Witch, Cassie Nightingale played by Catherine Bell, and her own special brand of Magic!  I especially enjoy her urban witchy-chic style of dress, and great accessories!  
Check it out this Halloween!

The Wacky Werewolf & Haunted Halloween

I'm a big fan of Hoops & Yoyo!  Do any of you love this overly-excitable duo as much as I do?  They are those funny cartoon characters from Hallmark.  Hoops is a Pink Cat and Yoyo is a Green Rabbit.  They love coffee, cookies and most any treat, and they like to have FUN...so we have something in common right there.  But these perpetually happy lil' guys are also prone to getting overexcited, talking really fast and yelling....Ha!  I've gotten some of those talking birthday cards from friends with Hoops & Yoyo on them, and they are the funniest!  So since it's Halloween, I thought you might like to join along with them in singing "The Wacky Werewolf" song!  It's got wonderful Halloween animation to get you in the mood for some Trick or Treat.  



Also wanted to give a heads up for the Premier of their Halloween Special coming up on the Hallmark Channel.  "It's not 'normal'...it's 'PARANORMAL"!  Yes, it's "Hoops & Yoyo's Haunted Halloween", and it's sure to be a real 'not so scary treat', so set your DVR's for this Friday night, October 26th to catch the Premier at 7/6c on the Hallmark Channel.  But no worries if you miss it, as they'll be airing it again on Halloween Night, October 31st at 3/2c!  Here is a short preview clip....

Zombies and Coffee

Isn't that a cute Zombie image? Okay, I will get to Zombies momentarily, but first things first. I can now officially report that my Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Truffle Cinnamon Vanilla Nut Witch's Brew Coffee was positively delightful, and went perfectly with my new Fall/Halloween magazines. (Boy, what a mouthful that name is huh? HA...get it?.....Mouthful.....Coffee.....mouthful of coffee.....hee hee......yeah okay, moving on.) So anyway....for anyone interested in the 'Secret Recipe' for my Witch's Brew Coffee.....well too bad, it's a secret! Ha....just teasing! Actually it's any brand you can find of Pumpkin flavored coffee, along with Folger's Gourmet Collection Chocolate Truffle Coffee, and Archer Farms brand Cinnamon Vanilla Nut Coffee from Target. I realize this is 3 separate bags of Coffee, but it does last a lot longer than just one.
SO.....to make 4 cups I use 2 heaping Tbsp. of Chocolate Truffle, 1 heaping Tbsp. of Cinnamon Vanilla Nut and 1 Tbsp. of Pumpkin Spice all mixed together in the coffee filter. I like this ratio because any more Pumpkin is too 'Pumpkiny' for my taste, any less Chocolate would not be 'Chocolatey' enough for my taste, and the Cinnamon Vanilla Nut just brings it all together. And once it's brewed, I add 2 packets of Splenda and 2 Tbsp. of Coffee Mate Sugar Free Hazelnut Creamer. (Be sure to use Coffee Mate Pumpkin Creamer when it's seasonally available.) I consider this to be one 'Tasty Cup of Autumn Yumminess'! But what makes it even more wonderful is that this scrumptious concoction has almost no calories and no carbs, but does have plenty of Caffeine to wake my sleepy butt up in the morning! Ahhh....so grateful for the small pleasures in life! :o)
Okay, so I know I've been saying that I am not a 'blood, guts and gore' kind of gal when it comes to my Halloween tastes....but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate a good Zombie every now and then. So my kids watch this show on the Disney Channel called "So Random", where the young actors do a variety of different comedy skits. And I just had to share my favorite skit on the show with you, because Halloween lovers are usually the first to appreciate things like Zombies and Ghosts....even in a juvenile show such as this. The skit is called "Zombie Man", and the premise of it is that one of the kids in the high school class is a Zombie who eats his class mates. Sounds tasty so far doesn't it? (pun intended, har har)But Zombie Man does have one friend at school, and together they tackle the standard teen problems such as finding a date to the dance, and getting good grades on their tests. I just love the kid who plays the Zombie because even though he is devouring his classmates, he still manages to come off sweet and innocent. And yes, I realize that I'm easily amused by juvenile things.....but for some reason this makes me smile. Maybe it will make you smile too....and if not....well then go drink some more coffee until it does! :o)

"Obscure" Oddities

Wow...it's been awhile since I last posted. Yes, that is what always happens right after I realize that I actually survived the feat of posting a blog every single day for a solid month as part of the Halloween Countdown. I feel a huge sense of relief and then hide away from the computer for a couple of weeks to many months depending on what kind of mood I'm in and how busy I've been. So I do apologize for my longer than normal hiatus, and I also remind you all that Oct - Dec is my busiest time, so I may not post frequently or comment as often. But it doesn't mean that I'm not out here lurking in the shadows.

So what brought me out of quasi-retirement so soon? Well I'll tell you because I think this was a hideously fascinating discovery on my part and I thought there might be others of the 'Halloween Variety' that might also dig it. Last Thursday night I was channel surfing on the TV, which if you know me at all, you'd know that is actually a rarity since I hardly ever watch television. But as I was scrolling through the channels something strange and unusual caught my eye and shortly thereafter, my attention.....and by the end of the hour, I was a full blown fan.

Thursdays, on the Discovery Channel is a new show called "Oddities". The show is sort of a hybrid between the History Channel's "American Pickers" and the "Obscura Antiques and Oddities" store/web site/blog. The intro says this..."If you have an interest in the macabre, be sure to tune in Thursday at 9:30 PM E/P for the premiere of ODDITIES, and delve into the weird world of strange and extraordinary science artifacts and the characters that buy and sell them at New York's Obscura Antiques & Oddities."

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am enthralled with the odd and unusual. I could spend hours in an antique store looking through old apothecary items, medical instruments, occult items etc. And I love it even more when there is someone available who has a story to tell about the items or who is knowledgeable as to their history and previous uses. So this show was a macabre little piece of TV entertainment that also provides some interesting facts on all sorts of curious objects. And the characters who come into the shop to purchase and/or sell the items are every bit as eclectic, bizarre and morose as any of the fantastic merchandise the store has to offer. And if any of you saw the movie "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" you may remember the store in the movie called the "Arcana Cabana"....well Obscura Antiques & Oddities is basically the same thing. And it is a real store located in New York city at 280 East 10th Street (Between 1st Avenue & Avenue A).

Check out the trailer below, and be sure to get your 'Odd' on every Thursday night!
Image © Obscura Antiques & Oddities

Haunted Easter!

I have a busy weekend coming up, so this may be my last post until next week, depends on how the weekend goes. So I wanted to get in at least one "Easter" post, so here it is. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

When I saw these 'Hallowe'en Eggs' I couldn't help but recollect my favorite Easter cartoon from childhood that I love every bit as much today as I did back then. And that would be the old 1971 stop-motion TV special, "Here Comes Peter Cottontail". What is funny to me about that particular cartoon is the very reason I loved it so much. In case you don't remember it, Peter lost the Easter Bunny competition to old January Q. Irontail. A dastardly evil rabbit with an iron tail, who was voiced by none other than the great Vincent Price. Irontail lived in a creepy cave with his sidekick Montresor the bat, and was comrades with the ghouls that populated Halloweentown. In order for Peter to go back in time and deliver the most eggs so he could win...he had to travel in a time machine with Antoine the caterpillar serving as pilot.

What was so captivating to me, was how they would crash land through the calendar pages every month that had a holiday to celebrate. And of course October was Peter's trip into Halloween town where he painted the eggs similar to those above, in order to get the inhabitants of Halloween town to take them. There he encountered a Witch among other Ghosts and Goblins. And THAT is the part that always stuck in my memory bank. Not the Easter scenes of jellybeans and bonnets...but Old Irontail and the Hauntingly Happy Halloweentown. I've included Part 4 from YouTube as it is the part that has Peter landing in October at Halloween time! I think we will paint our eggs like this tomorrow for Easter and see if we can find any takers!

The New Witches of Eastwick!

I admit that I am sucker for anything having to do with the supernatural, especially if it centers around Witches. So last night marked a definitive change in my TV viewing habits for awhile. I officially went from watching very little television at all.....to being excited to tune in each week for another magical episode of my new favorite show...."Eastwick"! Yes...."Eastwick," as in the movie "The Witches of Eastwick"! This series is based loosely on the movie that starred Jack Nicholson as the Devilish Darryl Van Horne. Now nothing can replace the casting of the original movie which was superb, but this is TV and although not a brain buster, it is still fun. The characters are basically the same, but they do switch them around a bit. I personally identify somewhat with Roxie, the artistic bohemian witch, in many ways. We have the same kind of hair, wear the same kind of clothes and jewelery and our houses are decorated very similar. However I am married, so I am not the 'cougar' that she is...ha! The show itself is set in the New England town of Eastwick in the Fall, and supernatural elements and magic are dominant in the recipe. In fact the set looks quite similar to the set used for the Gilmore Girls.

In reading reviews today, they haven't been real favorable. They find it likable enough and aren't giving it the heave ho just yet...but they've basically put the series on notice that it must get some more substance if it hopes to stick around. And one reviewer who is obviously not one of us Hallowe'en fans made this snide little remark.... "Of course, the greater your tolerance for this kind of show -- and for things that go thump in the night generally -- the more likely you are to find "Eastwick" a feast of delicacies. It probably correlates with the amount of enthusiasm you have for Halloween, that horrible pagan holiday that is more than a month away, yet has already begun popping up in grocery and drug stores." Phooey on him and his opinion, he not only bashes the show, but is bashing my holiday. That just makes me want to support the show that much more!

As for me, I do not require a whole lot from it, in fact, I just want a show that is primarily supernatural in its scope, but is lighthearted and has nice set designs and clothes. I want something that lets me slip into fantasy mode for an hour without the themes forcing me to evaluate my own life or become an armchair detective. I like those kind of shows too mind you....but I guess I want this one to be more eye candy and magic, so I don't have to think too much. It's a cross between "Desperate Housewives" which I do not watch, and maybe "Charmed" which I also never watched believe it or not, but hope to one day. I am not a big TV watcher at all, but I think that is a safe comparison. So it is what it is....some fun, flirty, fantasy to escape into for an hour. I hope they keep it on. The series airs on Wednesday nights at 10:00pm on ABC. If you like light hearted fair with a bit of magic, then this is a fun way to kill an hour. Plus the girls and Van Horne himself are rather easy on the eyes! Check out some trailers and video at Eastwick's official website!

"Supernatural" Synchronicity

Okay...so much of the time, synchronous events happen in my life which I love. And last night was one of those times. You see, my dear friend Dave (aka Gill-Man) had told me about a TV series on the WB called "Supernatural". He said it would be right up my proverbial witchy little alley because it is about two brothers who travel around fighting demons and monsters etc. It's been on several seasons, so you can buy the DVD's now. I went in search of them, but cannot find them locally to rent, so I will probably have to order them off Amazon. But then we noticed that they run episodes on the WB still. So we decided to record 1 episode on the DVR, just to be certain it was something we truly would like, before buying the DVD's. So last night we sat down to watch the episode we recorded.

Well, this is when the synchronicity started to kick in. As it began, we noticed that it was in black and white and had the styling like an old classic monster movie. Then as we followed along, it turns out that was the exact premise of the show. The two brothers found themselves chasing a 'shape-shifter' who was enamored with the old classic monsters like Dracula, the Wolfman and the Mummy. And this villain would kill each new person by recreating a scene from the old monster flicks. COOL! What a FANGTASTIC episode to randomly pick to watch right?! But it gets even better.

So the Dracula character comes on, and as I was watching him...I say, "hey, that guy looks really familiar to me." Even though he was in full make-up, fangs and Dracula clothes. It was his eyes....he had the most intense, beautiful eyes and I just knew....that I knew those eyes from somewhere. Then all of a sudden it dawns on me....hey, he looks just like a guy who is an actor friend of another friend of mine named Lou. I wasn't positive yet, but the more I watched him, the more I was convinced it was him. He is on Lou's MySpace page, and they are childhood friends from Chicago. So I wait anxiously for the credits at the end....but no cigar....there were no end credits. So my husband thinks to go back to the beginning to check....and sure enough, they were there, and it was indeed Todd Stashwick, Lou's friend from Chicago, who played the villainous Dracula. I thought, wow what a funny coincidence for this to have been the one and only episode I picked to record, and not only is it a great one about classic movie monsters, but my friend's friend is the villain! And of course that made me think about my buddy Lou...who himself is a very talented voice talent, and how I haven't spoken to him in a few weeks, and really need to drop him a line.

And then the icing on my synchronicity cake came this morning as I logged onto Facebook. Almost as if receiving my vibes right on time....Lou left a comment on my page, saying hello because he hadn't talked to me in awhile. So of course I had to tell him about my "Supernatural" experience! Sometimes life is just so magically delicious! Check out a clip of the show below to see Todd as Dracula!