Season of Spooky

[thedeadlyhook]

Gorgeous weather outside today, the air all crisp and autumnal, but not too cold, full of spicy smells. And Halloween coming. Oh, Halloween, the San Francisco holiday of holidays, how I love it so.... and I even have a costume this year. Go, me!

I wonder, though, why only a couple of the TV channels ever seem to get in on the holiday spirit and show scary movies? Of the slim pickings of those that do, it must be said that AMC's really leading the pack - this morning they were showing The Beast Must Die, one of those not-by-Hammer-Studios-but-it's-got-Peter-Cushing weirdo classics of funktastic '70s cinema. You get the aforementioned Cushing, Charles Gray (best known by me from The Rocky Horror Picture Show as the "The Criminologst"), Michael Gambon (hey there, Dumbledore Mk. II!) and Calvin Lockhart running around in a leather outfit that apparently, guys just used to wear in those days if they were SuperFly TNT Badasses. Hunting a werewolf. Get this - it's a whodunit, but instead of who's the killer (ptsh - how pedestrian!), it's who's the werewolf? There's even a Clue-style break in the film where the suspects are all presented for your approval and you're given thirty seconds, complete with ticking clock, to formulate your theories about who's-got-a-hairy-secret before the movie resumes again. And it has one of those bow-chicka-wow soundtracks you only hear in '70s films. Dude. This picture practically screams for party viewing. Unfortunately, I can't find it for rent. (sobs)

In other news, still behind on my flist (although whenever I skim it, people generally seem to be kind of miserable, which is awful, and makes me wish I could just do something for everyone... but what?), The Project still kicking my ass (writer's block SUX, and this particular case is reaching ludicrous, despairing heights, gaaaahhh), I'm watching almost nothing on TV that anyone else on my flist is talking about or would be even faintly interested in, and... well, I guess there's still Halloween. Costumes, candy, colored lights, and cobwebs. And I do have my seasonal_spuffy story mostly written in my head, so... well, there's that. But just thinking about seasonal_spuffy made me lonely for Buffy stories (I don't belong to many fic communities - why is that? I can't even remember my reasoning there, other than maybe there was TOO much traffic at one time?), so I ended up re-reading Smoke & Mirrors, which I can't remember how I orginally found the first time, and don't know if I ever gave feedback, for which I Am Bad, but... oooohh. Oh, yeah. There's some nice Spike/Buffy. At a carnival. On a Ferris wheel. In a house of mirrors. Yesssss.

On the topic of carnivals, another film rec - Blood Moon, aka Wolf Girl. Best use of Tim Curry I've seen in awhile, and one of those rare, unique takes on the carnival life (specifically the freak show), and a girl suffering from acute hirsutism getting experimental injections to help her lose the hair... but there are side effects. Better than you'd expect, and it's got Iceman from the X-Men movies as an overcompensating juvenile delinquent.

toysdream's birthday is soon. I'm debating whether he needs Halloween III: Season of the Witch on DVD. Little known trivia: that movie was written by an uncredited Nigel "Quatermass" Kneale, and honestly? That really does explain everything.

Comments

[calliopes_pen]

I searched for The Beast Must Die for years, and never managed to locate a copy. I assume it's simply the movie equivalent of out of print.

I was definitely pleased that it was shown on AMC, though.

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

Squee! I actually did manage to find a rental copy today - I had one last store to check, and they had it, on some fly-by-night VHS label. (It's recorded on EP speed, OMG, cheap.) I doubt it's uncut, and looks to have been in circulation for longer than tapes usually last, but we'll see what kind of condition it's in tonight.

According to Amazon, a DVD version just came out this summer. And it has commentary!

[kassto.livejournal.com]

Oh, thankyou. I shall go and look at Smoke and Mirrors.

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

It's my pleasure to recommend it. Hope it brightens your day a little. I certainly felt good after re-reading it. : )

[kassto.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that was a sexy little number. It caught the Giles-Buffy and Giles-Spike relationships just right for that time too.

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

Didn't it just? I felt such nostalgia for Season 4, reading that. Ah, those were the days of banter and seething tension. Good times.

[kitmarlowescot2.livejournal.com]

Disney, Family ABC channel and cartoon network have had their Halloween stuff up all this week. You gotta love bad horror movies, my favorite is the bad seed, lol. Thanks for the recs.

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw that Disney and ABC Family were running films too, but most of their choices really weren't up my alley. Sci-Fi Channel should be ashamed of their lineup - the same old damn monster movies they always show! Tsk.

[willowgreen.livejournal.com]

Oh my, I hadn't thought about Halloween III in years... since I saw it in the theater. I never go to horror movies and have never seen any of the other "Halloween" movies, but a college friend was in town and talked me into it. I don't remember much about it except for the two protagonists having sex in a cheesy motel room for no particular reason, but as best I can recall, it was pretty hilarious overall.

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

Oh, I would've loved seeing that movie in a theater. Or even better, a drive-in. It seems like such a perfect drive-in movie. All chattiness and weirdness and then sudden, jump-in-your-seat shocks. They really don't make 'em like that anymore, sigh...

That motel scene was a hoot. Yes of course, a girl's who's been concerned about her father being missing and presumed dead would develop hot pants all of a sudden. Sure! (eyeroll)

[rikki-oko.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is so overwhelming and sweet. And after having the opportunity to meet you and hear you speak at Writercon, it's even nicer. Thanks so much!

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

My pleasure! When I ran into this story again, from a rec on buffyversetop5, I was all like, "did I ever leave feedback for this/tell the author how cool it was?" Wonderful read, and so nice meeting you at Writercon too!

[fyrebryhte.livejournal.com]

Fun party! Sorry I was so sleepy. I haven't had the requisite energy for life, lately.
Warren Ellis complimented one of your photos. Seriously. http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=21111610&imageID=1045372669