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Halloween Books & Movies For The Faint of Heart

Good morning!

So, do you remember last week when I said that we were going to have a costume idea contest? We actually ended up picking a costume and it wasn't one suggested, so that contest is ova! 

BUT here's the thing: I still really, really want to have a costume contest! So, new rules! 

You have until midnight on October 31 (aka All Hallows' Eve) to send in pictures of your favorite costumes from years' past or this year's costumes! Spouse Unit and I will pick a winner and someone will for sure win a prize! We will announce the winner on Tuesday November 1 in the AM.

Yay? Yay. Yay!

Carrying along with the Halloween theme: I love Halloween but I'm a scaredy cat with a weak stomach. For example: when I was a kid, my big sister, B-Train, would try to scare me by blasting the "Phantom of the Opera" soundtrack while she cornered me. She was successful. It was terrifying. 

Anyway, I don't really like scary movies, scary costumes, gory stuff, corn mazes, or anything like that. They're not that fun. But I do love dressing up, candy, and decorations! 

I do like a little bit of spookiness to an extent (a very small extent), so today I'm sharing my list of "Halloween Books & Movies For The Faint Of Heart" with you!




Books
 
What Was I Scared Of? by Doctor Seuss

Excellent rhyming (obviously) and a pair of pale green pants with nobody inside them! This is the first spooky story I remember.

The Witches by Roald Dahl 

After going to live with his super cool grandmother, a boy named Luke goes head to head with the Grand High Witch. That's a random synopsis, but it's true.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

I just finished listening to the audiobook this week after my good friend Courtney from Avonlea Way recommended it. It's scary, but I could handle it!

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Classic. This is one we read last year for book club and I'm listening to it on audiobook this year! I think I'm probably going to read Frankenstein every year from now on.


Movies

The Witches

See above. Also, Anjelica Huston is terrifying in it. 

Troll 2

Voted the Best Worst Movie of all time and directed by an Italian who still thinks he made a truly great movie, it's definitely a trick and a real treat. You just need to see it for yourself.

Teen Witch

"Supersonic, idiotic, disconnected, not respected, who would ever really wanna go and top that?" You can't. It's an awesome 80's movie and I want all of her clothes that she wears when she turns popular. 

Hocus Pocus

One of the best Halloween movies of all time, ESPECIALLY if you're watching it on VHS like a true 90's kid.

The Prestige

Spouse Unit and I love this one! It's definitely dark, but it's just sooooo gooood. The story is really intriguing and it has some great actors in it: Michael Caine, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and the one and only David Bowie. Speaking of David Bowie...

The Labyrinth

I wasn't planning on putting this one in here, but it's gonna stay. By the way, you remind me of the babe...

Last but not least:

Disney's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
  
This is a childhood favorite! We watched it last night for Family Home Evening while we stuffed our faces with Red Vines, homemade kettle corn, and Oreos! It's only about 30 minutes long, it's so cute, just the right amount of scary, and has excellent music (Bing Crosby is the narrator). 


The end. You probably disagree with some of my picks or think, "she forgot about this one!" Now is the time to tell me what's up! What are your favorite Halloween books and movies? 

Don't forget to send me pictures of your Halloween costumes! I'm super duper excited to see 'em!


Thanks for reading, and hasta la pasta, ya'll!

Comments

  1. I have a very faint heart. Witches scared the heck out of me as a kid and I have no intentions of reliving it (same goes for Gremlins).
    I like to watch the Harry Potter movies around this time of year.
    I'm still waiting to unlock the secret to loving Hocus Pocus.
    I remember liking the Halloweentown movies on the Disney channel, but I'm sure they're super dumb now...lol
    Shawn liked Young Frankenstein, which is super inappropriate (which he forgot about until after he showed it to me lol).
    Hotel Transylvania is one we both love and could watch several times a year.
    My sisters LOVE Practical Magic, but I don't remember anything about it. Maybe we'll watch it this year...
    L likes Curious George: BooFest or whatever it's called.
    I can't imagine reading a spooky book (outside of the Harry Potter books). I'm such a baby!

    I'm hoping I can unearth some old childhood Halloween pictures while living 780 miles away from the photo albums cause I had some favorites back then. Now I want to do a post showcasing them all. I had some winners and my mom was a champ!

    When are you going to reveal what you guys are doing??? I'm excited. I knew all of my ideas were too normal and tame for you guys! Can't wait to see what you've come up with!

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    1. I don't think I've seen Gremlins all the way through, but I don't really want to haha. Harry Potter, always. Halloweentown was one that I used to love, too, and then I watched it recently and thought, "man that was bad. Not worth the brain space." Young Frankenstein has some funny parts, but is definitely inappropriate. Practical Magic is good! And Hotel Transylvania has a special place in my heart! Thanks for reminding me! :)

      Spooky books are easier to read than watch scary movies in my opinion. You need to enter the contest! We will reveal on November 1 ;)

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  2. Yay! The Haunting of Hill House made it! You should read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson--it is the creepiest book I've ever read. I LOVE it! Starvation Heights by Gregg Olson is also excellent--it's horrible that it's a true story, but nonetheless captivating. The town that Dr. Hazzard ran her clinic is in the county I live in. Our two favorite Halloween movies are Beetlejuice and Poltergeist. Fun fact: The pool scene in Poltergeist with the dead bodies are real cadavers. The actors were not informed until after the scene was shot. We watched the cartoon Coraline last year, which was really good. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is a classic, but so scary I don't think I'd watch it again. Fun fact:The famous blood scene in the shower is filmed with chocolate syrup. Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and Rear Window are also classics. I like Shia Labouf's Disturbia. It's a good mix of horror and humor. It's actually based on Rear Window. Heck! Maybe I should write a Halloween post. ;)

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    1. You should write your own Halloween post, you have great taste! Now I'm going to listen to the other Shirley Jackson book that you recommended. That is terrifying about Poltergeist! I haven't seen it all the way through. Rear Window is good, that's one of Spouse Unit's other favorites!

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    2. And you need to submit your costumes for my contest!

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  3. I forgot to add a few things!
    -Teeny Tiny and The Witch Woman (Movie, Spouse Unit's favorite to watch and imitate)
    -Goosebumps--any of them, but I haven't seen the movie so I can't recommend that.
    -Hotel Transylvania 1 & 2 (Thank you, Morgan!). We laughed our pants clean off. They are some of the funniest movies I've seen in a while.

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