halloween Archives

October Update: The Shining, Halloween, and My Novel

October 20, 2019April 3, 2022 Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

October has flown by and with less than two weeks left there isn’t much left to do but wait for November.

The famous line from the movie, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” was nowhere in the book. A creative add-on by Kubrick.

The Shining

Yesterday, I finished reading Stephen King’s classic THE SHINING. At about four-hundred-something pages this novel took me on the ups and downs of the Torrance family at The Overlook Hotel. What I loved about the book that was different from the movie (directed by Stanley Kubrick) was the building of tension between the characters through their POV’s. Seeing The Overlook from the perspectives of all the important characters added to the sheer terror of their situation while emphasizing how malicious the hotel really is. Plus the character of Danny Torrance is captivating, a clever little boy born with second-sight who has to fight evil forces to try and keep his mom and dad alive. This was a quick read for me and now I am planning on devouring DOCTOR SLEEP before the movie comes out at the end of the month, or at least before I see it.

Halloween

This year I haven’t done any ‘Halloween’ themed posts. To be honest, it is because I haven’t had any time. A little over a week ago, I finally quit my internship as an Intern for SG BOOK SCOUTING. After a month of working (unpaid) some 25-30 hours a week, I was worn out, irritated, and found myself with little to no time for my own writing or reading. Initially, the internship was for three months but I barely made it over one month. I found myself doing anywhere from 2-8 hours of work a day as an intern. On Fridays I would be given an assignment due on Monday morning, usually, this was to read an entire book (around 50,000 words or more) and write an extensive review. This weekend assignment wasn’t too bad except that I usually do doubles on the weekends at my job working 9-12 hour shifts, leaving me with little time to do the assignment. Since quitting, I’m less stressed out and I have had time to catch up on my daily writing and read whatever I want. I have been incredibly happy, enjoying my freedom again and I have decided that for the future any internships I apply to will have to be paid. My time is too precious for me to work for free.

I’m not sure if I’m going to have any time to write a few Halloween themed posts before the end of the month but if I do, chances are they will be centered around movies (of course).

My Novel

The last time I took a look at my novel it was September 9th, according to my google docs. Now I’m going to take another crack at it. Whenever I approach my novel, again and again, I do a read through from start to finish. Doing my best not to edit or change anything. I want to read it just to read it. When I go back over it to start the second reading, I will edit part by part (so far it’s three parts). I want to get a good portion of this done before November because I think I’m going to try to write another book (totally unrelated to the one I’ve been working on) for NaNoWriMo this year. I have a few story ideas and weird plot lines shifting around in my head and I think what I’d work on would be realistic fiction. A change of pace, something different, from the weird supernatural stories that are always floating around in my head.

I will keep you all updated and expect a new post soon in MY FIRST NOVEL series.

Thank you for reading!

-Alina

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Review of HAUNTED NIGHTS (A Horror Writers Association Anthology)

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

On Halloween, I finished Haunted Nights an anthology of short horror stories put together by the Horror Writers Association. It is full of all kinds of spooky stories that revolve around Halloween. There are sixteen short stories total, all of which range from an Irish Halloween with the good folk to grisly psychological thrillers of man and monsters.

Writer’s featured in this anthology include Seanan McGuire, Jonathan Maberry, Garth Nix, Jeffrey Ford, Kelley Armstrong, Brian Evenson, Eric J. Guignard, Pat Cadigan, and John R. Litte. My favorite stories in this anthology were “With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfsbane Seeds”, “A Small Taste of the Old Country”, “The Seventeen-Year Itch”, “Nos Galan Gaeaf”, “Sisters”, “The Turn”, “Jack” and “Lost in the Dark”.

A Brief Synopsis of My Favorites

“With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfsbane Seeds” by Seanan McGuire – a haunted house full of ghosts and a group of troublemaker teenagers bent on vandalism and fun, the night is Halloween and there will be plenty of fun and death for all.

“A Small Taste of the Old Country” by Jonathan Maberry – In Argentina after the end of World War Two, the dead return with vengeance on one fateful night with the aid of a man and some delicious food.

“The Seventeen-Year Itch” by Garth Nix – Locked up in an institution for the criminally insane an inmate with a secret will make Halloween a bloody special one.

“Nos Galan Gaeaf” by Kelley Armstrong – A town that still celebrates Halloween the old ways, two kids play with each others fates with hellish consequences.

“Sisters” by Brian Evenson – A family trying to blend in? A family of what? Curious about Halloween two mischievous sisters set out for some fun but return home with an extra treat.

“The Turn” by Paul Kane – Listen to your grandparents, is it just superstitions or something more? A man walks alone on Halloween night and encounters something terrifyingly familiar, man or monster?

“Jack” by Pat Cadigan – The dead, a cemetery, and good ol’ Jack, a trickster with something fresh up his sleeve.

“Lost in the Dark” by John Langan – Spinning horror films, documentaries and folklore all together in a modern tale. A writer researches the origins of a horror film with the help of a key interview leaving him disturbed and curious.

I would recommend this anthology for horror lovers that want a little slice of this and that, a box of chocolates with unknown fillings full of surprise, each different from the last. A few of these stories do contain gore, disturbing imagery, violence, and peril so be warned.

Alina’s Rating: 4.5 coffins out of 5 coffins

Thank you for reading!

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Sabrina & Hill House: Perfect for a Spooky Netflix and Chill

October 29, 2018April 2, 2022 Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

Netflix and Halloween mix perfectly this year with two outstanding series that premiered this month, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and The Haunting of Hill House. What do I love about these two shows? They are deliciously dark and bloody.

Kiernan Shipka in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018) — imdb.com

Sabrina Spellman is teenage girl half-mortal and half-witch that is torn about her upcoming sweet sixteen and dark baptism, an initiation ritual into the Church of Night, a church of satanic witches and warlocks. Sabrina is full of conflict and questions. Conflict because if she signs her name in the Book of the Beast she will be giving up her mortal-side of her life including her best friends and her boyfriend Harvey. Questions because Sabrina does not seem entirely convinced that the Church of Night is good…

Sabrina makes her choice and begins navigating through the dark and light worlds she co-inhabits. Overcoming perilous obstacles and life-threatening adventures she is becoming stronger and more confident in questioning her leaders (predominately male figures) and the Church of Night.

What I love about this Sabrina is that she is not easily fooled, she follows her instincts and isn’t afraid to speak up if something is questionable. What makes me curious about the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is an underlining critique that is woven within each episode right beneath the surface. I think this critique is on patriarchy, regardless if it’s patriarchy at her mortal high school (society) or within the Church of Night (the Dark Lord himself). The portrayal of the Church of Night also has striking similarities to old school LaVey Satanism (a.k.a. Church of Satan) which has always felt to me as an outlandish inversion of Christian religions rooted in a patriarchal structure. But that’s a discussion for another time.

Alina’s Rating: 4 out of 5 Witches

I love this show and highly recommend it to anyone who also loves Salem, The Witch or Penny Dreadful.

The Haunting of Hill House follows the Crain family and their story, past and present, involving the Hill House that they lived in for a short period of time. The Hill House was undoubtedly haunted but each character has their own separate and uniquely terrifying journey coming to that conclusion.

What is refreshing and thrilling about the storyline is that each character is explored and illuminated (each character gets about one whole episode to themselves). In each episode and through the various characters the Hill House begins to appear more evil and deadly. The common theme that keeps the Crain family and Hill House connected is murder which always sparks up an array of scary happenings while ultimately luring the Crain family back home.

What I love about The Haunting of Hill House is the refreshing use of various scare tactics by the ghosts and house itself. Playing in the realms of the psychological and physical the house has a knack for slowly chipping away at the will and the soul. A few key spooks that I love, the Tall Man and Poppy. When you get to know them, you’ll know what I mean.

What could I talk about as far as a critique when it comes to Hill House? I’d probably discuss the various scare-tactics used by the ghosts. Tactics that remind me of THE RING and EVIL DEAD.

Alina’s Rating: 5 out of 5 Ghosts

I highly recommend this show for its suspense and scare factor. If you like The Haunting of Hill House try Crimson Peak.

Liked this post? Try these:

A Review that Bites: “Dark Shadows” TV Series(1966-1971)

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

Halloween Movies (part 2): Must-See Classics

Salt Lake City Cemetery

October 18, 2018April 2, 2022 Alina H. Hansen Writer & Poet

SLC Cemetery 2018 Photos by Alina Happy Hansen

Salt Lake City Cemetery is one of my favorite places (out of the very few in Utah). A few times a month I will go up and visit the cemetery and take a long leisurely walk around the grounds. I’ve been doing this for over six years now and still love it.

I think cemeteries are beautiful even when I was younger I would find books on the oldest cemeteries in America or funeral practices and spend hours reading and researching. There is an overwhelming sense of peace in a cemetery that I think may be similar to what religious people feel in places of worship. It is calming and comforting and the main reason why I visit cemeteries.

The Salt Lake City Cemetery is unique in that it contains graves and memorials of some popular Mormons like church presidents. What I think is great about the SLC Cemetery is that they have a “Person of the Month” and “Tree of the Month“. If I have spare time and I’m taking my walk in the cemetery, I usually look up the Person or Tree of the month and try to find them. Sometimes it’s pretty difficult but it’s a great way to get familiar with plot locations and the history of Salt Lake City’s past residents.

The SLC Cemetery also has its share of “Spooky Stuff” such as EMO’S GRAVE (allegedly visiting Emo’s grave and saying “Emo” over and over again you’ll see eyes looking back at you…I remember this story from high school) and Lilly Gray’s grave which states “Killed by the Beast 666” (also remember this one from high school…)

Even if you’re a resident or just passing through I would recommend visiting SLC Cemetery just for its beauty. It has a great view of the city below (it’s up on a hill a.k.a. the Avenues) and the trees are really magnificent plus there’s always plenty of deer and other wildlife.

SLC Cemetery (October 2018) Photo by Alina Happy Hansen

(Can you find the deer in this picture?)

City Cemetery Map

Utah State History Cemetery Burial Database

Salt Lake City Cemetery

200 “N” Street, SLC UT

cemetery@slcgov.com

801-596-5020

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-Alina

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)