October 2018

Halloween Movies (part 2): Must-See Classics

October 12, 2018April 2, 2022 Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Here are six classic horror films that are must-sees in my opinion. I always pick out one or two of these and rewatch them during the month of October. This year I will probably do The Wolf Man and The Mummy.

Category: Sci-fi

Frankenstein (1931)

It’s hard not to have compassion for the Frankenstein monster. Boris Karloff does an amazing job working with his platform shoes and makeup. A scene that will always stick out for me is when he throws the little girl in the water. Heart-wrenching yet still terrifying, there will always be a special spot for Frankenstein for years to come.

Category: Vampires

Dracula (1931)

The vampire movie that started it all, well the most popular early vampire movie that influenced a lot of stuff later. This classic Tod Browning film cemented the sexy vampire in horror films. Bela Lugosi with his mysterious eyes and foreign accent drew the audience in and never let them go. Still today we feel the wrath of the ‘sexy’ vampires in cinema. It has become so customary that vampires are regarded as sexually alluring in movies that it’s hard to find any truly terrifying (and not ‘woe is me’) vampires. Regardless of the legacy, nothing compares to the creepy castle Dracula and of course Dracula’s assistant Renfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7C7pX17aDs

Category: Supernatural/Curses

The Mummy (1932)

I love The Mummy, what a truly strange and scary movie. There is something alluring and yet disturbing about this story. To see a Mummy come to life, to know that curses have real power. The Mummy can be wrapped up with westerners fascination with Ancient Egypt and the mysterious Curse of King Tut’s Tomb 1923.

Category: Werewolves

The Wolf Man (1941)

One of my all-time favorite stories is The Wolf Man. I adore all things werewolf, they are one of my favorite creepy creatures. I really enjoy watching The Wolf Man and The Wolfman (2010) close to each other so I can analyze their similarities. It strikes me how each movie tells the story in their own way and of course in the style of their time. All in all, definitely prefer the complicated character of the werewolf to Dracula any day.

Compare to The Wolfman (2010)

Category: Creatures

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Oh yes, I bet some of the people who saw The Shape of Water (2017) last year decided to watch the 1954 Creature from the Black Lagoon. This creature is a whole lot of weird and I think has been unfairly neglected until last year. This water creature, mannish looking and frightening, pops up here and there (Hellboy’s Abe) but has never truly gotten a good amount of spotlight until now. What I do love about Creature from the Black Lagoon is that he is not afraid of coming aboard.

Category: Sci-fi/Aliens

The Blob (1958)

I probably watch this movie about three or five times a year. I love this one because I think it is truly frightening, plus the Steve McQueen/Car stuff is pretty cool. What’s creepy about the blob is how it looks, not a monster with fangs, fur or glowing eyes but a mass of goo that will swallow you whole. The Blob’s blobbiness makes it an unsettling fright that is both entertaining and disturbing.

Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave comments/suggestions below!

Coming up next: Review of Haunted Nights (A Horror Writers Association Anthology)

Halloween Movies (part 1): My Favorite Yearly Re-Watches

October 8, 2018April 2, 2022 Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

During the month of October, I watch as many Halloween movies as I can. Here are six of my favorite movies that I love to rewatch.

Category: Zombies

28 Days Later (2002)

A modern classic, 28 Days Later is about Jim (Cillian Murphy) waking up in the hospital only to discover the UK in a full apocalypse-like state after a virus outbreak. I consider this movie a modern classic for a number of reasons but the main two are the acting and the cinematography. I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves a good zombie film.

Category: Witches

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015) — imdb.com

The Witch (2015)

What a thriller, this movie gets down into the bloody, gritty works of witches in the great era of settling protestants hundreds of years ago. The synopsis: A young girl finds herself under the inevitable sway of evil forces after her family moves to a desolate area near the edge of a creepy forest. I love this movie because I felt like it took those strange stories about witchcraft and the devil from this time in history and made them a literal “what if?” scenario. Yeah, what if the devil does take the shape of a black goat and recruits young girls into witchcraft? what if there were actual witches who that stole babies? A great scary movie and it will keep you on your toes. The only recommendation that I can think of that has a similar witchy vein would be The Witches (1990) but this one is actually kid-friendly…kinda.

Category: Psycho Killers

Halloween (1978)

The beginning of one of the most iconic classic horror movies, the first Halloween is a treat worthy of having over and over again. It’s a great family film that gets into the disturbing relationship between Michael and his sister. The story continues still to this day (40 years later) Halloween 2018 and I am stoked! I recommend this movie to those that love a good slasher flick, nothing’s scarier than a psychopath on a killing frenzy.

Category: Psychological Suspense/Thriller

Split (2016)

I was initially surprised by this movie because it was actually good. I kept waiting for the cheesiness to creep in and take over the film but it didn’t happen (for me). I think this has to do with the A+ acting of James McAvoy who plays a man with multiple personalities (9 in total). The synopsis: A young girl and her friends are abducted by a stranger who is more terrifying than he actually seems. I thought this movie was a great ‘scary’ movie because it remained suspenseful throughout and kept my attention the entire time. If you like the classic Psyscho (1960) you should love this.

Category: Sci-fi

Annihilation (2018)

A great freaky sci-fi movie that is definitely disturbing enough to watch as a Halloween flick. The synopsis: Lena, played by Natalie Portman, signs up for a suicide mission after her husband returns strangely messed up after a secret mission he disappeared on. The ways in which reality is torn apart and mushed back together again is truly unsettling. I would recommend this film to anyone that loves a gory sci-fi movie. Note: I felt like Annihilation was the exact opposite of Arrival (2016) but with a similar feel.

Category: Vampires

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) — imdb.com

Nosferatu (1922)

This is an oldie but in my opinion, it really could never be replaced. The gist of it, Nosferatu is a German retelling of Dracula. It is actually scary, compared to the 1931 American version, and contains the most disturbing vampire I have ever encountered in cinema to this day. Count Orlok has pointy ears, two huge fangs instead of buck teeth, and fingers than taper off into six-inch-ish looking talons. Same as Dracula, Count Orlok decides to move and leaves a path of destruction and death on his journey. Truly disturbing, I doubt anyone could forget the imagery from this movie even if they tried. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves the type of vampires along the lines of 30 Days of Night (2007).

Thanks for reading! If you like this list or think it’s lacking or have a suggestion please feel free to leave a comment below!

Coming up next: Halloween Movies (part 2): The Classics

Gray Clouds (poem #319)

October 5, 2018April 2, 2022 Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Gray clouds lathered thickly over the blue sky. Today

I cannot see the sun, today the trees, the road, the city

are dark and quiet waiting for the approaching storm.

A roll of thunder, a flash in the distance and the growing

pattering of rain dancing on the roof.

Thank you for reading! please follow or subscribe to read more poems!

-Alina

A Brief History of Halloween (Samhain)

October 3, 2018April 2, 2022 Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Image result for vintage halloween — flickr

I’m three days late but here is my first post about Halloween! For me, the entire month of October consists of celebrating Halloween (Samhain) whether by building an altar, watching scary movies or carving pumpkins. This is a great time of year to celebrate the changing of seasons and have a bit of fun!

Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, Samhain, October 31st and November 1st mark a turn in the seasons, a time of year for harvest and awareness for the thinning of the veil between this world and the next. Ghosts, ghouls, goblins, everyone comes out to celebrate this special time of year.

A little bit of history about Halloween,

Halloween originally comes from The Celts annual celebration of Samhain, a time of harvest as well as the start of winter. The Celts lived in Europe around two millennia ago. The Celts, druids, would have bonfires and sacrifice animals to the gods.

With the spread of Christianity, the ancient druid religious practices were absorbed and ultimately synthesized with Christian practices. This synthesis includes All Saints Day, which historically changed dates until finally settling on November 1st. This holiday is one of respect and worship towards the Saints and Martyrs of the past.

Finally, for Americans (U.S.), Halloween didn’t fully take off until after Irish Immigrants fled Ireland due to the Potato Famine (a.k.a Great Famine) that happened in the mid-1800’s. This famine was responsible for an estimated one million deaths and the incredible decline in Irelands population (Britannica.com).

Halloween, Vintage, Kids, Card, Happy, Holiday, Girl — pixabay

Halloween really became more of a “community” celebration in the 1800’s that included costumes and neighborhood parties (history.com). Celebrating Samhain, then All Hallow’s Eve toned down the ancient traditions of sacrifice and bonfires into a more family-friendly holiday. By the 1900’s Halloween became a more established “mainstream” holiday that became increasingly geared towards youths. Finally around the 1940’s the “Trick or Treat” phrase would be born (deliriumsrealm.com).

Thank you for reading!

Coming up next:

My Halloween (Movie/Tv Shows) Recommendations In Progress

Sun Bends (poem #318)

October 3, 2018April 2, 2022 Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Sun bends under the weight of the ocean,

sinking low into the grey waves. A pale star

glimmering over the horizon. The light swallowed

up by the darkness.

Thank you for reading! Please follow or subscribe to read more poems!

-Alina