Classic Monsters

Picture from stock xchnge

Only a few days to Halloween.  So I thought I’d do a quick monster post.  Just to be clear, I’m talking about these monsters in a horror kind of way, not in a paranormal romance kind of way.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good paranormal romance, but around Halloween, monsters need to be monsters, and not emo, tortured souls that glitter in the sunlight.

So here is the ranking of my top five most favorite monsters.

5.  Frankenstein’s monster—This is one of my least favorite, and I think that is mostly due to the way Frankenstein has been portrayed by Hollywood as a dim, almost mindless creature.  The original story by Mary Shelly was far more interesting with a highly intelligent monster who was rejected by his maker.  I love the themes of being held accountable for one’s creations whatever they may be.

Want more information on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein?  You could read the book or link here for an indepth summary.

4.  Zombies—I’m not really a fan of mindlessness in monsters, and you don’t get much more mindless than zombies.  Also, zombies tend to be slow, and I’ve always wondered why people have so much trouble outrunning or outthinking them.  However, I do think zombies can be interesting metaphors for disease since being turned into a zombie is a big part of the horror in zombie stories.  I’m not sure people today fear disease as much as people used to since there hasn’t been a major, virulent outbreak in my life-time, but the 1918 flu pandemic killed 20 to 40 million people in one year.   Even with all our technology, other than vaccinations which take time to develop, I’m not sure if we are better equipped to handle a similar outbreak today.  Now that is scary. 

Want a fresh take on zombies?  I suggest going back to the source for inspiration.  Here is an article on the origin of the zombie myth to get you started.

3.  Ghosts—I think what I love the most about ghosts from a writers’ stand point is the flexibility.  A ghost story can have very active ghosts like in the movie Poltergeist where they have that creepy clown and a tree attack a kid while sucking another child into a vortex, or very subtle hauntings like in The Others or Sixth Sense where you have creepy instances without a lot of direct interaction with the characters. Personally, I find ghost stories the most eerie.

I think the origins of ghosts is fairly obvious, but here is a list of supposedly true ghost stories and hauntings that might get those creative juices flowing.

2.  Werewolves—While the animalistic side to the classic werewolf is more or less mindless, it’s the human side that interests me.  The potential internal conflicts are goldmines.   There’s the conflict of the infected individual learning that he/she is a werewolf and potentially committing murders and possibly hurting loved ones without his/her knowledge or ability to stop it.   Additionally, the conflict of the characters trying to stop the werewolf can also be full of internal conflict since they have to kill the innocent side in order to also kill the rampaging beast.  This can be especially heart-wrenching  if the infected individual is someone close to the hunter.  So much built in conflict to explore.  I love it.

Here is a brief history of werewolf myths.  Did you know there were werewolf trials just like witch trials? Fascinating.

 1.   Vampires—Vampires to me are the ultimate monster.  I read Dracula in college, and some of those early scenes are so freaky.  I like vampires who are truly devoid of humanity (unredeemable), and yet highly intelligent and alluring.  In fact, it probably is how vampires essentially seduce their victims which I find most appealing.  I’m not sure what that says about me, but I’m okay with not analyzing it.  I do realize the sexual aspects of vampirism, the blood lust, the penetration, how modest, upstanding women are turned into wanton, freely sexualized beings.  But I think it goes beyond the sexual aspects.  Vampirism is about abandoning all social constraints, good and bad, a complete lack of morality in all sense of the word.  I see vampirism as an elevation of self to the detriment of all others.

Origins of the vampire myth is discussed here.  If you want to write a story about an evil and twisted female character, you need to read the part about Elizabeth Bathory.  Truly disturbing.

Anyway, that is the order of my favorite monsters, and the reasons I still find them interesting even though they have been done to death.  I think that there will always be some room to breathe new life into these classic monsters.

So what is your favorite monster?

~MaryAnn

Happy Halloween!

found at: http://twitpic.com/b7h88q

Boo! Scared you! 

Happy Halloween!

Okay, that squirrel really is about as much scary as I can handle. As I mentioned in MaryAnn's excellent post yesterday about supernatural movies - I can't do horror. At all.

So, for today's spooky post, let me present to you my top three favorite non-scary (and very family friendly) Halloween movies:

# 3 

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

(Disney Edition)

Alright, I'll admit, this one did scare me as a kid. But as an adult, I can see the charm. And, better yet, it looks like you can watch the whole thing on YouTube!*
(*brief perusal of titles only, so ymmv)


#2

 It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Well, of course this is in the top three! One thing I miss about only having Netflix and not real TV, is that there's not the anticipation I had as a kid of waiting for these classics to come on the network channels. You had one, maybe two chances to watch, and then, poof, they were gone, so you made the most of it.

#1

Arsenic and Old Lace

Okay, all you Prosers have to have seen this, right? The best Cary Grant movie ever?

For you deprived few, here's a little background on the clip:

Confirmed (and vocal) bachelor, Mortimer Brewster, has just gotten married to the girl next door. While she's picking up a few things at her house for the honeymoon, Mortimer goes back to visit his dear, sweet Aunts who raised him. Also living in the house is Teddy, who is more than a little off his rocker (he thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt and is always going to Panama (in the cellar) to dig more locks for the canal). 

The visit takes a decidedly macabre turn when Mortimer finds a body in the window seat and comes to realize that maybe it isn't just Teddy who should be donning a straight jacket.

Add in an excellent 'Boris Carloff' performance by Raymond Massey as Mortimer's terrifyingly reprobate brother, Jonathan, and this is a real winner.


Alright, Prosers, so what are some of your favorite Halloween movies (scary or not)?

~Susan

Ghost Stories-or Ghost Movies to be more specific

Before I had kids, I used to spend Halloween eating pizza and watching a good horror flick while passing out candy to the five or six Trick or Treaters that stopped by.  Now I’m out Trick or Treating with my kids.  Which of course is so much fun, but I do miss my pre-kid Halloweens a little. 

Ghost stories have always been my favorite of the horror genre.  I enjoy more eeriness and mystery to shock and gore, and a good creepy ghost story can scare me a little more than a vampire or werewolf mostly because, I hate to admit it, but part of me believes that ghosts might exist.  Embarrassing confession aside, ghost stories have always been my favorite Halloween picks.  So I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you.

I haven’t watched very many horror movies since I had kids (partly because I have to wait until the kids are in bed to watch anything scary and partly because for some reason my mommy brain has a hard time with the horror elements, especially when they involve children which surprisingly so many do), so this list is going to be a little dated.

Anyway, in no particular order, here are my favorite ghost movies.

Sixth Sense (1999)-I love a good, big twist, and a while back I wrote this post on how perfectly this twist is pulled off.   This is one of my all-time favorite movies.  The story is amazing and while it isn’t really scary, there are some truly creepy moments, but it is the characters that make this film so compelling.  

Every character int he movie is in so much pain.  Malcolm feels like he failed a former patient and needs to help someone to redeem himself.     Cole can see ghosts which not only terrifies him but makes him different than everyone else, and he is afraid that if other people know, they will see him as a freak.   It is the great characterization that makes this movie.

The Others (2001)-This movie also has a great twist ending.  This movie centers around two mysteries of who are the intruders and what the mother did to the children that caused the rift between her and her daughter.  Both of these mysteries are really compelling and kept me riveted throughout the movie even though it had a slower pace.  Although like with Sixth Sense, this movie isn’t really scary, there are some very creepy moments, and the house itself and the darkness they must live in because of the children’s condition add to the eeriness of the movie.  But once again it is the characterization that really makes this movie.  

The mother is very conflicted, highly devoted to her children, there is no doubt that she loves them, but their condition has trapped her and isolated her.  There is great pain there, and this all leads to a really compelling and heart breaking story that I thought was amazing.  This story would have never worked without the complex characterization of the Mother and her children.

Poltergeist (1982)-This movie really freaked me out when I first saw it.  I still remember it.  I was about eight or nine at a slumber party, and I remember being so terrified once it was over that I couldn’t sleep.  All my friends had fallen asleep, and I just kept staring at the dark stairs, and I swear I saw the scene where the white spirits descend the stairs.  Maybe not, but I always had a way too active imagination.  

But I think this was the first movie that every really scared me.  I know it is a little old now, but I think it holds up pretty well as a scary story.  There were a lot of freaky moments:  like the clown attack and the vortex in the closet and the little girl talking to the static on the TV.  I thought overall it was a good story although the house disappearing may have been a little over the top.  Still I think it is a classic.   

The Ring (2002)-This movie was pretty freaky, and I was in college when I first watched it.  It had a creepy concept and lots of eerie imagery.  But ultimately it was the mystery of what happened to the girl that kept me watching, and it did have a nice twist in the ending that wasn’t as big as The Sixth Sense or The Others, but still I liked it.

The Shining (1980)-Just the premise of this movie was freaky enough.  The idea of spending a winter trapped in a huge, empty hotel in the middle of the wilderness is creepy all on its own.  But there were some really disturbing elements in the movie like the little boy saying “redrum” in that creepy voice and the ghost twin girls in the hallway.  And the father, who are supposed to protect their families, turning on the mother and the little boy in a murderous rampage truly made this story horrifying. 

So there you have my top picks.  Did I miss any good ones?  Let me know, I’m in the mood for a good ghost story.

Happy Halloween,

~MaryAnn

The Ghost of Christmas Past

Last year, I wrote a letter to myself on Christmas Eve, giving myself some advice about how to minimize the side effects of this crazy time of year, since I knew I'd have blocked it all out of my mind by now. Whether you find yourself about to embark on an adventure of the novel writing sort, or whether you are hitting the holiday season with some trepidation, I hope you enjoy this letter from Christmas past.

(Yes, I'm cheating. This is a reposting of the letter I wrote last year. But the advice is good, so read it again)

December 24, 2011

Dear Melanie, 

When you open this, it will be October 31, 2012. Halloween. A little early to be thinking about Christmas, I suppose, but if I know you, and I know I do, you're starting to think about it--maybe even to dread it a little. You know what's coming--the exhaustion, the aches and pains, even the panic...it's all part of the Nanowrimo/Christmas deluxe package, right? 

I don't think so. This year can be different. You can give yourself something special for Christmas this year, but you need to start TODAY. Are you with me? Here's the plan. 

October 31, 2012: This is the make it or break it day, right here. Somehow you always manage to push it out of your mind, but you have a serious sugar addiction, and if you aren't tough today, you'll spend the rest of the year with your blood sugar soaring like a kite. So, as a gift to yourself for Christmas this year, make Halloween a sugar free day. DO NOT buy candy until moments before the Trick or Treaters arrive, and let someone else pass it out. Or give out pencils. 

November 1, 2012: Nanowrimo, Day 1!!!! I smile just to think about it. You've been training for this for months, and I know you've got a lot to say. Give yourself an early Christmas present: DO NOT buy candy when it's marked down 75% and tell yourself you'll save it for Christmas. You won't. Besides, if you're not in the store, you'll have more time to write.  

Throughout the month of November: 

Exercise. I'm serious. I know what you've got to give up in order to find time to write a novel in November. Trust me. I've been there, done that. But exercise. In the morning. It doesn't have to be a ton. In fact, I'd say that 10 minutes 6 days a week ought to cover it. 3 days of strength training, 3 days of running a mile or doing Zumba or jumping rope. Just break a sweat. You try for any more than this, and you'll probably decide to skip it altogether. 

When you're in a writer's haze, you won't even notice whether it's carrots you're chomping on or Laffy Taffy. For some reason you never remember this until the last week of November. Instead of stocking up on bargain priced candy, stock up on healthy foods. Whatever's easy to grab--that's what you'll eat.

And a month of eating green salad with chicken and walnuts for lunch never hurt anyone. If you get sick of it, Italian Peasant Stew is always a pleasant alternative, though I recommend leaving out the Italian Peasants. They are awfully expensive this time of year, and you'll hardly miss them. 

Moderation has never been your strong suit. It may look like one candy bar to you, but it's really two months of swirling in a vortex of bad health choices until you are spit out onto the rocky shores of exhaustion. You're not a spring chicken anymore, you know, and those days of trekking back where you belong are getting tougher. 

 

November 26, 2012: Cyber Monday. No matter how far behind on your novel you think you are, stop what you're doing and order Christmas presents. You'll be glad you did. Remember how long the World Soccer Shop and Deseret Book take to fill your orders? 

December 1, 2012: Time for another early Christmas present. Finish that book. Even if the last half of the book is encapsulated in two pages, get to the words "The End" and leave it alone. You've got the rest of the winter to edit and tinker and add to your book. That's why you write a novel in November in the first place. But December is for family, and trying to add novel writing into the mix is a well-known recipe for transforming yourself into Scrooge! Everybody needs an occasional vacation from writing, and December is yours. Let the guilt go.  

Merry Christmas, my future self! If all went the way it was supposed to, your back didn't go out on you the day before Thanksgiving, your Christmas preparations didn't exhaust  you, you didn't gain lots of weight between Halloween and now, and you spent more time enjoying the things that really matter.

January 1, 2013: Go on, open up that novel and start editing. You know you want to. 

With love,  

Melanie

(All photos from http://www.sxc.hu/home)