Amy SF
October 25th, 2007, 10:58 PM
The Veggieboards Halloween Party!
Come one, come all and welcome to the VB Halloween Party!
Come on in
take off your skin
and sit around in your bones!
Come on in
take off your skin
and sit around in your bones!
*The door slowly creaks open*
*A maniacal laugh is heard in the background*
Wait, is that Vincent Price? But he’s dddddead!
*the cheesy sound of chains rattling is heard*
hehe I never tire of that Halloween sounds effect audio tape I found at Pic-N-Save!
*hands out generous glasses of pumpkin juice to all ghosts*
Good evening, boos and ghouls! :hi:
*cranks up the volume on the stereo, and JS Bach’s Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor booms out of the speakers*
http://www.midicenter.com/midi/midi_files/classical/Tocatta_Fugue.mid
Now, discussion of All Hallow’s Eve will naturally lead to a discussion of which horror movies one likes best. I’m going to get the eyeball rolling and state that the original “Halloween” with Jamie Lee Curtis, naturally, is my #1 choice. But of course, there are others. Since I prefer psychological horror as opposed to gorefests, the list will include the classic 1930's films from Universal, such as The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy and Dracula. I also admire such recent classics as the 1985 film Re-Animator and the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London, especially since both films have plenty of humor to spare. As a matter of fact, Re-Animator is based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft.
Now, with horror literature, this is a genre that dates back centuries and is well represesented. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker (who wrote Dracula), Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, etc. all have a prodigious output that is well worth reading. King, in particular, wrote Carrie and The Shining, which also inspired popular film adaptations. More about The Shining in a minute.
There was one particular ghost story that I read when I was young and stayed with me for quite a while. Unfortunately, over the years, life intervened and I finally forgot about it, until recently, when it suddenly popped back into my head (coincidence?). I couldn’t remember the title or the author’s name, so I started searching the internet, and found it on Amazon. It is Jane-Emily, by Patricia Clapp. It had fallen out of print a long time ago, but I was pleased to learn it was due to be reissued this year, and it is now available as a new edition: Jane-Emily (http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0061245011/ref=s9_asin_title_1/002-0287746-6338425?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1XXXDAB2218T9RHBGPVG&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=288448401&pf_rd_i=507846)
Now, in regards to The Shining, the story is that Stephen King was inspired to write the novel while staying at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. The neoclassical design, as well as the hotel’s ghost lore (and what respectable hotel doesn’t have at least one ghost floating around?) were the inspirations for the hotel he described in his book. From Wikipedia:
“The Stanley Hotel is a majestic 138-room Georgian hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Located within sight of the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Stanley offers panoramic views of the Rockies. It was built in 1909 by Freelan O. Stanley of Stanley Steamer fame and catered to the rich and famous. The hotel and its surrounding lands are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Stanley has hosted many famous guests, including Unsinkable Molly Brown, John Philip Sousa, Theodore Roosevelt, the Emperor and Empress of Japan, and a variety of Hollywood personalities. The Stanley Hotel also hosted Stephen King for five months while he wrote The Shining.
In addition to its regular guests, the hotel is reported to play host to a number of otherworldly visitors. The most notable is F.O. Stanley himself who is most often seen in the lobby and the Billiard Room, which was his favorite room when he was still alive. On one such occasion, he was said to have appeared during a tour group’s visit to the Billiard Room, materializing behind a member of the tour. Bartenders at the old hotel also report having seen F.O. stroll through the bar, disappearing when they try to cut him off at the kitchen. Flora Stanley purportedly haunts the hotel as well, continuing to entertain guests with her piano playing in the Music room. Employees and guests have reported hearing music coming from the room, and when they take a peek into the room they can see the piano keys moving. However, as soon as someone walks across the thresh-hold to investigate further, the music stops and no more movement can be seen upon the keys of the piano.”
For reservations, call 1-800-976-1377 or visit their website at
http://www.stanleyhotel.com
If your cultural tastes run to cartoons, there are at least two cartoonists that I know of whose ghoulishly humorous cartoons have delighted fans for decades: the late Charles Addams, who mostly drew for New Yorker magazine, and Gahan Wilson, who has also drawn for The New Yorker, in addition to other publications and has been compared to Charles Addams. The ghoulish but unnamed “family” which appeared frequently in Addams’ cartoons ultimately inspired the TV series “The Addams Family”, a favorite of my childhood and still one of my favorite television programs. Addams was married for the third time in 1980 in a pet cemetery; his bride stated that “Charles thought it would be romantic.”
Now, if you are interested in television horror, I recommend buying or renting the DVD sets of HBO’s Tales from the Crypt. It ran for seven seasons, from 1989 to 1996, and features plenty of genuine scares and chills along with a generous helping of devishly good humor. And you gotta admit, that cryptkeeper is hot!
If you are the type of person who likes hanging out in cemeteries, especially on All Hallow’s Eve, here are some with a strong reputation for being haunted:
http://genealogy.about.com/od/haunted_graveyards/a/cemeteries.htm
Now, Charles Addams was not the only person who chose to get married in a cemetery, whether for pet or human. Since the dead are thought to rise and walk amongst the living on Halloween anyway, October 31st is considered an ideal time to conduct weddings among the gravestones. So, whether you are a member of a cemetery wedding party or simply one of the invited guests, be aware of your surroundings; you never know who else might turn up, uninvited...
What should you expect if you attend a cemetery wedding at Halloween? This description is taken from the 1999 book Multicultural Celebrations: Today’s Rules of Etiquette For Life’s Special Occasions by folklorist Noreen Dresser. In the main chapter on Marrying, in the subsection titled Emerging Traditions, this one is called “Vampire Weddings”:
“Here comes the bride, all dressed in black.” That’s what happens at vampire weddings. An unforgettable one occurred in a small cemetery on Halloween night, 1992. The bride wore an elaborate satin wedding gown in black with purple accents that she herself had fashioned. She carried a purple floral bouquet with black ribbons. The groom and his attendants wore black leather jackets. The only member of the wedding party not dressed in black was the tearful flower ghoul, a five-year-old dressed in white. Even the six-tiered devil’s-food wedding cake continued the theme, its chocolate frosting trimmed with black roses and spider-webs. Atop the uppermost layer reigned a skeleton bride and groom.
Costumes and fangs were de rigueur for the over one hundred wedding guests, who had carefully followed the dress code noted in the black and purple wedding invitations along with the warning “Bring your own flashlight.” The cemetery was alive with black capes and stand-ins for Dracula, Marie Antoinette, the Energizer rabbit, nuns, witches, cadavers, ghosts, and the grim reaper with scythe.
Members of a local hearse club added a macabre touch with eight parked hearses alongside the road next to the tombstones, some carrying open caskets and candelabra. Their president, Catrina Coffin, ensured that members left lasting impressions, such as the man costumed as a car-accident victim with blood, gore, and maggots oozing from his fake wounds.
At eleven-thirty a hearse carrying the bride and groom pulled into the eerily lit cemetery where carved, glittering jack-o’-lanterns set atop tall tombstones illuminated the way to the makeshift altar in front of a tall tombstone with a six-foot-high candelabrum holding purple candles and decorated with a black floral wreath and purple ribbons. Paper ghosts strung in trees and bats hanging from branches added to the spooky atmosphere.
With a live violinist dressed as the Phantom of the Opera playing the theme song from that musical, the bride and groom slowly followed their attendants and flower ghoul down an aisle created by luminarias [loo-mee-nar-ee-oz] (paper bags placed on the ground holding flickering candles). They arrived in front of a minister from the Secular Church of Humanistic Agnosticism, who wore a black top hat, black tuxedo jacket, and white T-shirt. Following a brief sermon, he asked the couple, “Do you promise to love each other and be cool until doomsday?” They replied affirmatively, to which he responded, “Excellent, very excellent.” When he pronounced the couple husband and wife, an enthusiastic guest called out, “Bite her!” After the crowd’s cheers died down, the bride shouted, “Let them eat cake!” And they did.
Gifts: Candles, candelabra, stake (steak) knives.
Come one, come all and welcome to the VB Halloween Party!
Come on in
take off your skin
and sit around in your bones!
Come on in
take off your skin
and sit around in your bones!
*The door slowly creaks open*
*A maniacal laugh is heard in the background*
Wait, is that Vincent Price? But he’s dddddead!
*the cheesy sound of chains rattling is heard*
hehe I never tire of that Halloween sounds effect audio tape I found at Pic-N-Save!
*hands out generous glasses of pumpkin juice to all ghosts*
Good evening, boos and ghouls! :hi:
*cranks up the volume on the stereo, and JS Bach’s Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor booms out of the speakers*
http://www.midicenter.com/midi/midi_files/classical/Tocatta_Fugue.mid
Now, discussion of All Hallow’s Eve will naturally lead to a discussion of which horror movies one likes best. I’m going to get the eyeball rolling and state that the original “Halloween” with Jamie Lee Curtis, naturally, is my #1 choice. But of course, there are others. Since I prefer psychological horror as opposed to gorefests, the list will include the classic 1930's films from Universal, such as The Wolf Man, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Mummy and Dracula. I also admire such recent classics as the 1985 film Re-Animator and the 1981 film An American Werewolf in London, especially since both films have plenty of humor to spare. As a matter of fact, Re-Animator is based on a story by H.P. Lovecraft.
Now, with horror literature, this is a genre that dates back centuries and is well represesented. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker (who wrote Dracula), Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, etc. all have a prodigious output that is well worth reading. King, in particular, wrote Carrie and The Shining, which also inspired popular film adaptations. More about The Shining in a minute.
There was one particular ghost story that I read when I was young and stayed with me for quite a while. Unfortunately, over the years, life intervened and I finally forgot about it, until recently, when it suddenly popped back into my head (coincidence?). I couldn’t remember the title or the author’s name, so I started searching the internet, and found it on Amazon. It is Jane-Emily, by Patricia Clapp. It had fallen out of print a long time ago, but I was pleased to learn it was due to be reissued this year, and it is now available as a new edition: Jane-Emily (http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0061245011/ref=s9_asin_title_1/002-0287746-6338425?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1XXXDAB2218T9RHBGPVG&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=288448401&pf_rd_i=507846)
Now, in regards to The Shining, the story is that Stephen King was inspired to write the novel while staying at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. The neoclassical design, as well as the hotel’s ghost lore (and what respectable hotel doesn’t have at least one ghost floating around?) were the inspirations for the hotel he described in his book. From Wikipedia:
“The Stanley Hotel is a majestic 138-room Georgian hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Located within sight of the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Stanley offers panoramic views of the Rockies. It was built in 1909 by Freelan O. Stanley of Stanley Steamer fame and catered to the rich and famous. The hotel and its surrounding lands are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Stanley has hosted many famous guests, including Unsinkable Molly Brown, John Philip Sousa, Theodore Roosevelt, the Emperor and Empress of Japan, and a variety of Hollywood personalities. The Stanley Hotel also hosted Stephen King for five months while he wrote The Shining.
In addition to its regular guests, the hotel is reported to play host to a number of otherworldly visitors. The most notable is F.O. Stanley himself who is most often seen in the lobby and the Billiard Room, which was his favorite room when he was still alive. On one such occasion, he was said to have appeared during a tour group’s visit to the Billiard Room, materializing behind a member of the tour. Bartenders at the old hotel also report having seen F.O. stroll through the bar, disappearing when they try to cut him off at the kitchen. Flora Stanley purportedly haunts the hotel as well, continuing to entertain guests with her piano playing in the Music room. Employees and guests have reported hearing music coming from the room, and when they take a peek into the room they can see the piano keys moving. However, as soon as someone walks across the thresh-hold to investigate further, the music stops and no more movement can be seen upon the keys of the piano.”
For reservations, call 1-800-976-1377 or visit their website at
http://www.stanleyhotel.com
If your cultural tastes run to cartoons, there are at least two cartoonists that I know of whose ghoulishly humorous cartoons have delighted fans for decades: the late Charles Addams, who mostly drew for New Yorker magazine, and Gahan Wilson, who has also drawn for The New Yorker, in addition to other publications and has been compared to Charles Addams. The ghoulish but unnamed “family” which appeared frequently in Addams’ cartoons ultimately inspired the TV series “The Addams Family”, a favorite of my childhood and still one of my favorite television programs. Addams was married for the third time in 1980 in a pet cemetery; his bride stated that “Charles thought it would be romantic.”
Now, if you are interested in television horror, I recommend buying or renting the DVD sets of HBO’s Tales from the Crypt. It ran for seven seasons, from 1989 to 1996, and features plenty of genuine scares and chills along with a generous helping of devishly good humor. And you gotta admit, that cryptkeeper is hot!
If you are the type of person who likes hanging out in cemeteries, especially on All Hallow’s Eve, here are some with a strong reputation for being haunted:
http://genealogy.about.com/od/haunted_graveyards/a/cemeteries.htm
Now, Charles Addams was not the only person who chose to get married in a cemetery, whether for pet or human. Since the dead are thought to rise and walk amongst the living on Halloween anyway, October 31st is considered an ideal time to conduct weddings among the gravestones. So, whether you are a member of a cemetery wedding party or simply one of the invited guests, be aware of your surroundings; you never know who else might turn up, uninvited...
What should you expect if you attend a cemetery wedding at Halloween? This description is taken from the 1999 book Multicultural Celebrations: Today’s Rules of Etiquette For Life’s Special Occasions by folklorist Noreen Dresser. In the main chapter on Marrying, in the subsection titled Emerging Traditions, this one is called “Vampire Weddings”:
“Here comes the bride, all dressed in black.” That’s what happens at vampire weddings. An unforgettable one occurred in a small cemetery on Halloween night, 1992. The bride wore an elaborate satin wedding gown in black with purple accents that she herself had fashioned. She carried a purple floral bouquet with black ribbons. The groom and his attendants wore black leather jackets. The only member of the wedding party not dressed in black was the tearful flower ghoul, a five-year-old dressed in white. Even the six-tiered devil’s-food wedding cake continued the theme, its chocolate frosting trimmed with black roses and spider-webs. Atop the uppermost layer reigned a skeleton bride and groom.
Costumes and fangs were de rigueur for the over one hundred wedding guests, who had carefully followed the dress code noted in the black and purple wedding invitations along with the warning “Bring your own flashlight.” The cemetery was alive with black capes and stand-ins for Dracula, Marie Antoinette, the Energizer rabbit, nuns, witches, cadavers, ghosts, and the grim reaper with scythe.
Members of a local hearse club added a macabre touch with eight parked hearses alongside the road next to the tombstones, some carrying open caskets and candelabra. Their president, Catrina Coffin, ensured that members left lasting impressions, such as the man costumed as a car-accident victim with blood, gore, and maggots oozing from his fake wounds.
At eleven-thirty a hearse carrying the bride and groom pulled into the eerily lit cemetery where carved, glittering jack-o’-lanterns set atop tall tombstones illuminated the way to the makeshift altar in front of a tall tombstone with a six-foot-high candelabrum holding purple candles and decorated with a black floral wreath and purple ribbons. Paper ghosts strung in trees and bats hanging from branches added to the spooky atmosphere.
With a live violinist dressed as the Phantom of the Opera playing the theme song from that musical, the bride and groom slowly followed their attendants and flower ghoul down an aisle created by luminarias [loo-mee-nar-ee-oz] (paper bags placed on the ground holding flickering candles). They arrived in front of a minister from the Secular Church of Humanistic Agnosticism, who wore a black top hat, black tuxedo jacket, and white T-shirt. Following a brief sermon, he asked the couple, “Do you promise to love each other and be cool until doomsday?” They replied affirmatively, to which he responded, “Excellent, very excellent.” When he pronounced the couple husband and wife, an enthusiastic guest called out, “Bite her!” After the crowd’s cheers died down, the bride shouted, “Let them eat cake!” And they did.
Gifts: Candles, candelabra, stake (steak) knives.