Dahlia DeWinters - Author

Quirky Heroines, Happy Endings

Blogtoberfest – 10 Scary Movies in Black and White

Let’s be honest.  Given the huge number of gross-out, slash ‘em up films that are under “horror movie” genre, watching someone get stabbed, or hung or cut apart gets a little tedious. Blood and guts can be scary, yes, but the real “horror” is sometimes only in our minds:  the stuff we can’t see, or even worse, the stuff we imagine we see.

 

Following this, and based upon a comment from one of my Facebook friends, I compiled a list of horror/scary movies in black and white that you may enjoy.  Where possible, I’ve placed the date and time it’s on the air, but otherwise, I’m sure you can find them on either a streaming service or even on YouTube.

 

When I was a seventies child, these movies were perfect for a rainy Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and were scary enough to keep you awake with some nightmares for sure!  So without further ado, here’s my list.

 

  1. The Thing from Another World (1951) – I actually didn’t see this movie until I was an adult, and while it wasn’t super scary, it really creeped me out.  James Arness is the “Thing” and at his height of 6’6” he was able to tower menacingly over the rest of the cast. A must watch for classic movie lovers. Available on archive.org.

  2. The Invisible Man (1933) – Long before Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon, there was Claude Rains as the Invisible Man.  This was Rains’s American film debut. Available on vimeo.

  3. Cat People (1942) – Built around a woman who is cursed to turn into a panther, this movie is said to be the origin of the “jump scare”.  It’s a moody, atmospheric piece that is both well-acted and well-written.

  4. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) –  The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson, based upon his novel of the same name.  Exposed to both pesticides and radiation (poor fellow), the title character begins shrinking and no one can help him.  I remember the battle with the cat as well as another “monster” that I won’t mention here.

  5. House on Haunted Hill (1959) – The setup is simple. A millionaire offers 10k to be locked in a haunted house (presumably also located on a haunted hill) overnight.  Seems simple right? But the house may have other plaaaaaans. It stars Vincent Price, which should be enough to compel you to watch it. Available on TubiTv.

  6. Them! (1954) – Ants affected by none other than atomic testing, invade a New Mexico town with disastrous results. Great giant monster movie!

  7. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) – Starring Frederic March. You know the drill. Available on archive.org.

  8. The Uninvited (1944) – If you’re a fan of haunted house/ghost stories, then this film starring Ray Milland (of Dial M for Murder) is for you. Slow, creeping horror.

  9. The Night of the Hunter (1955) – More Gothic horror than supernatural horror, The Night of the Hunter is full of dread and gloom, enhanced by its stark black and white presentation.  Robert Mitchum is the supposedly “God-fearing” preacher with LOVE and HATE tattooed on his knuckles. Scary and picturesque.

  10. Night of the Living Dead (1968) – No B&W horror movie list would be complete this super classic.  Watch online here.

Blogtoberfest – Crypt TV: The Look-See

Crypt TV : Look – See

Genre : Horror

Director, Writer, DP, Producer, Editor, VFX, SFX, Colorist, Composer, Wardrobe, Makeup: Landon Stahmer
PA: Gabe Hohreiter
Cast: Jenni: Belinda Gosbee – Daniel, Monster: Sean Brison

Rating – 10/10

Crypt TV’s THE LOOK-SEE is a  remarkable, well put together horror web-series on YouTube. The first season surpassed my expectations, as the series as a whole was downright amazing. The monster by itself was already terrifying, but the music, atmosphere, and acting just took it to a whole new level. Typically, online tv shows don’t fare too well, as they are usually sloppily thrown together, with little to no thought put into them. They are un-enjoyable to the point where you can’t even sit down and make fun of it, because of how horrible it is. That’s not the case with these short films.

 

To begin, the Look-See’s main objective is to force people to let go of the past. This monster targets unsuspecting victims, and uses the phrase “If you yourself cannot release, then it will come and take a piece”, meaning if they are not able to let go of a traumatic event, he will come and take of piece of them that is connected to that occurrence. It might sound a little bit confusing, but as the season goes on, you can tell why he takes the parts that he does. 

SPOILER AFTER VIDEO

 

SPOILER AHEAD :

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For example in the first episode of season one, a woman was not able to let go of her failing marriage, and didn’t get rid of her wedding ring in time. The Look-See monster confronted her, and took away her hand. Her hand was the thing that was holding her back from moving on and starting fresh, so he took a piece of her. The idea, alongside the circumstances and the monster is one of the most creative things I have seen in awhile.

I applaud Crypt TV for their ability to come up with such an amazing web-series, as every episode is so engaging and intriguing. I highly recommend this show, words cannot explain how much I enjoyed the first season, and how delighted I am that there will be a second!

Blogtoberfest -Swallow that Sweet Fear: Halloween Cookie Recipe

Photo Courtesy of Domino Sugar

It’s cookie recipe day! 

If you’re like me,  you plan way ahead for any type of party or treat fest because you’ve just GOT to be sure that everything is going to go right. 

I worked with my daughter this summer in perfecting her cupcake and frosting recipe so she would have the most lovely cupcakes to take to school for her birthday.

Mind you, I can’t stand everyday cooking, but baking is my thing.  I like the fact that it’s fun, short and you get a sweet treat at the end.

Now, I’m giving you this cookie recipe early enough so you have time to experiment with it, mess it up and start again. 

 

Halloween Bat Sugar Cookies – Recipe courtesy of Domino Sugar

YIELDS

3 to 4 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

Cookies

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed Domino® Light Brown Sugar
  • 3/4 cup Domino® Granulated Sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Icing

  • 3 3/4 cups (1-lb pkg.) Domino® Confectioners Sugar
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 6 tablespoons warm water
  • purple food coloring
  • 1 tube black decorator gel icing

Click HERE for the rest of the recipe.

 

Happy Baking

 

Dahlia

Blogtoberfest – Five Scary Movies – Mya Lairis

My top five scary movies are: 

 

1. Trilogy of Terror– is my all time scary movie. There is just something about that damn doll, like maybe it gnawed my ankles off in a past life or something but I have only watched this film once. Trying to get up the nerve to do it again, but…that doll!

2. Squirm– I have no issue with snakes, at all…they are tasty in fact but earthworms, shrieking, no-eyes having, able to be cut into pieces and still live, burrowing under the skin…Hell naw.

3. Event Horizon– When I first saw this film it scared the crap out of me. Dimensional terrors usually hit home with the terror mark in me and that the space ship had breached the dimension to Hell and was inescapable…yeah. I have been able to watch this a few times however and still, its a shitty deal for those on board.

4. Evil Dead Remake– This was an excellent remake and one that I winced a couple of times at but enjoyed all the same. That razor blade though….

5. Beloved– Yup, actually now that I think about it, this could be one of the scariest films I’ve ever seen. The notion of slavery is frightening enough but this film did emotional damage to me as it made me question the notions of anger, vengeance, and self. Creatures are scary and all but the human psyche can be far worse.

Bio: Mya Lairis is a monster and kaiju  fanatic who writes paranormal romance and erotica but who reads mostly extreme horror and heart racing cyber punk sci fi.

Website: www.myalairis.com

 

 

Horror Movie Review: Paranormal Activity

Title:  Paranormal Activity (2007)

Genre:  Horror, Drama, Not so bad after all

Summary: After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence. (from IMDB)

Yes.  The film is over ten years old, but I wanted to include some of the horror movies that made a splash in more recent times. Also, I rather liked Paranormal Activity. It’s a charming little film that doles out the scares just enough to keep the you interested.  There are two main characters, Katie and Micah, a couple who have a cute little home except for the issue of what may or may not be an issue with haunting.

The film is shot in POV style, which is a fancy way of saying one of the characters has a camera and makes it their business to film any and everything thing.  In this case, it goes with the plot, since Katie and Micah want to see what’s happening while they’re asleep.

 

I won’t give away the movie on the off chance that you haven’t seen it by now, but suffice it to say I did enjoy this movie, although I feel the characters made some questionable choices.  I also felt that Micah was kind of a jerk at some points, as he deliberately went against Katie’s wishes in a few instances. And I think that in doing that, he was the cause of the final events.  

But if he followed all the rules, there wouldn’t be a movie, now would there?

I’d also like to note that I’ve seen both endings, and personally, I can see the value in both. I can also see why they did the modified ending, to open up that sequel door!

I recommend Paranormal Activity, if you haven’t seen it already.  It’s worth it to see what all the fuss was about.

 

Grade:  B