Halloween & Movies

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.
– Edgar Allan Poe

For those of you who aren’t aware, I’m a bit of a fan of Halloween. Every year I decorate my house (if you follow me on Facebook you can find some photos of my place that attest to that effect – and here is a taste of of the sounds being used to scare the kiddies – and yes, that’s me), and beyond my desire to scare the neighbors I also find myself frequently watching my fancy plasma television (still better picture than LCD’s) trying to scare myself during the Halloween season. If you’re looking for a few films to fright I might be able to help you. Turning away from baseball, just for a day mind you (still basking in the glow of World Championship two in three years, thanks Giants), I thought I’d list for you my ten favorite horror films. They may not be the best scares ever put on celluloid, but they all bring something eerie that will cause you to make sure that your nightlight is turned on.

The list won’t include…

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Solid movie, spectacular idea).
Dracula / The Wolf Man (Classics but not really scary).
Freaks (Oddly entertaining but not really a horror movie until the magnificent ending).
Underworld (I really wanted to list the beautiful Kate Beckinsale in her leather).
Silent Night, Deadly Night (Yes, a killer Santa Claus).
Black Christmas (One of the first slasher films. Disturbingly interesting premise).
Friday the 13th (Derivative. I’m not about slasher films).

What is on the list? Here we go.

10 – Dog Soldiers (2002)
Before CGI was all the rage movies actually dressed people up in suits. This flick doesn’t exactly sport the best looking werewolves ever put on film but they are solid, and the fact that they could interact, hand to hand style, with the actors gives this film a realism many of the newer flicks miss. A platoon of soldiers taking on some  werewolves – what an interesting premise, right? Don’t watch this one if you are staying in a cabin in the woods.

9 – Scream (1996)
If you know what to expect with the twists and turns the movies does lose some of it’s punch, but if you don’t have a good memory and can watch it again as if it was new, you’ll enjoy this one. Pokes fun of the horror genre but in a deferential type way versus some of those craptasic parodies like Scary Movie.

8 – Night of the Living Dead (1968)
A social commentary (even if unintended), this film was made for just over $100,000 and launched the career of George A. Romero (estimates put the the return on the film to be well over $30 million). One of the first films to have an African American lead, the film uses black and white photography to great effect as it does sound and Bosco (the chocolate syrup was used for blood). This is the “mother” of all the Zombie flicks you like to watch now, so if you enjoy that sub-genre you had better add this puppy to your watchlist.

7 – Nosferatu (1922)
The story of Dracula that had the names and places changed to avoid having to pay the estate of Bram Stoker for the rights to the story. Eventually Prana Films of Germany was run out of business and nearly all copies of the film were destroyed by court order (since the company couldn’t pay Stoker’s widow, the courts ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed – luckily they failed and some copies made it down to us today). Not for everyone since it’s a silent film, but it has an eerie feel to it highlighted by the scary, animal like appearance of the title character that is vastly different than the portrayals of Dracula you are used to seeing today. A true masterpiece of the horror genre.

6 – Trick R’ Treat (2007)
A slick anthology that features a few things every horror film should have. (1) A sexy striptease by a female who turns into a werewolf. (B) A psychotic pumpkin who inflicts pain on those who forget Halloween traditions. (C) A group of friends who pay the ultimate price for tying to play a “trick” on their friend. (D) A father who passes on to his son some rather interesting skills that probably shouldn’t have been shared. A real treat that doesn’t get as much love as it should.

5 – The Exorcist (1973)
People fainted and vomited in the aisles when seeing the film upon initial release. Literally. One of the most influential horror films every made, it was actually still playing in theaters two years after it was released. The Catholic Church was besieged by requests for exorcisms after the film that was loosely based on a true story. Famous for the special effects including the spinning head, the pea soup green vomit (there is a lot of it), and the still shocking uses of a crucifix in a sexual way.

4 – Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
So indelible is the image of Boris Karloff as the Monster that it’s impossible to think about the Monster without picturing him (please, don’t call him Frankenstein either. The man who created him was Dr. Frankenstein, so Karloff’s character is either the Monster or the Frankenstein Monster, though no one seems to remember that today). The original Frankenstein, along with Dracula, helped to make Universal Studios the king of horror in the 1930′s and ’40′s. One of the rare sequels to outdo the original, Bride has an amazing mad scientist feel to it including the wondrous creation scene of the  Bride with her iconic hair. This was one of the first horror movies to make such ample use of music (for effect) and humor, two staples of the genre today. As fine an example of movie making as you will find from a film produced prior to World War II.

3 – Psycho (1960)
A groundbreaking film at the time it was released. Paid the ultimate compliment in that nearly every horror/thriller film made today borrows at least something from this classic. It’s hard to understand the impact this film had at the time since today we can get porn on our cell phones, but at the time this film was released it broke a myriad of taboos including: (1) Killing the star of the film a third of the way in. (2) Showing the star of the film in her underwear. (3) Having a nude scene in the famous shower killing (even though you can’t make anything out – unfortunately). (4) Having a psychotic cross dresser in a lead role. A must see for any horror fan, an absolute must.

2 – Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Rarely do films evoke a visceral response. You may find yourself  reacting that way a couple of times if the filmmaker really is on his/her game, but no film ever made can match the intensity of TCM that literally, from start to finish, makes your skin crawl. Repulsion, revulsion, despair, hopelessness… they are all here in spades. This film not only scares you, it’s relentless depravity seeps into your pores and stays with you long after you turn the television off. Much less violent/bloody than it’s reputation, Tobe Hooper’s classic take on dementia and murder hasn’t lost one iota of it’s impact since it was released – it will still make even the most hardened of you descend into the world of insanity that it portrays.

1 – Halloween (1978)
Like Psycho, this film has been repeated so many times – from it’s camera work to it’s subject matter – that it’s astounding that watching it still makes such an impact. Michael Myers, the original killer without a face (he is simply listed as The Shape in the credits), is the personification of evil. He’s insane. He wants to kill you. Period. There is no reason behind the mask, and the little back story we receive allows you to fill in the blanks with your own mind (almost always better than having everything explained – the unknown has a powerful effect). John Carpenter’s classic literally spawned the genre of slasher films, even though like TCM there is relatively little blood in the movie. Everyone has tried to imitate Halloween, including remakes of Halloween I and II by Rob Zombie in recent years, but no one has ever been able to recapture the simple but terrifying work of Carpenter.

Finally, a taste of Halloween at my home…

By Ray Flowers

Halloween & Cardinals World Champs

  Today is the day that the veil between the living the dead is the thinnest, it’s All Hallow’s Eve. There’s candy for the kids an eye candy for the adults, but generally people are unaware just what they are celebrating on Halloween. One of the best authors on the subject, David Skal, can be seen here giving a little rundown on the history of the holiday. Hopefully you will get a chance to explore the wonderful holiday that allows you to be someone else (at different points on my weekend long celebration, I was Night Owl of Watchmen fame, The Dark Knight and Captain America – I rocked it with the shield).

Here are a few movie selections if you’re looking for something to watch tonight.

Frankenstein – The iconic Universal film starring Boris Karloff as the Monster. The definitive version of the Mary Shelley’s masterpiece is timeless even though it’s from 1931. The 1935 sequel, Bride of Frankenstein, is equally interesting with plenty of dark humor, and some even consider it the superior film.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre – It’s never been equaled for the raw emotional intensity that it evokes. Tobe Hooper’s classic is as creepy an unsettling as any story that’s ever been put to celluloid.

Trick R’ Treat – A wonderful compilation of stories that include a psychotic pumpkin, a female werewolf striptease, and just a little bit of the history of the holiday’s traditions mixed in.

Halloween – Often imitated by never duplicated, this 1978 classic from John Carpenter is “the father” of slasher films. Virtually every horror movie you have ever seen borrows something from this classic about the unstoppable force that is Michael Myers.

Now to baseball…

The Cardinals won their 11th World Series title, the second most in baseball history to the Yankees who have a whopping total of 27 championships. Here are some other facts from the Cardinals improbable run.

The Cards are only the second team to be one strike from elimination who were able to win the title. The other time it happened was the Mets in 1986.

There have only been six teams since 1969 to be 10 or more games out of the playoffs on August 1st and still make the playoffs. The only other team from this group to win the title, other than the Cardinals of course who were at one point 10.5 games behind the Braves, was the Mets’ miracle bunch from 1969.

Lance Berkman finished off his first season in St. Louis in grand style. Berkman hit .432 in the Series, an in the playoffs he batted .312 with a .413 OBP for the Cards (his regular season numbers were eerily close at .301 and .412).

Chris Carpenter won Game 7 and is now 7-0 in his career in home starts in the playoffs. He was 4-0 overall in the 2011 playoffs and his nine career playoff wins are the most of any active hurler.

Allen Craig was a star in the playoffs, especially in the World Series. In Games 1 &2 he had pinch hit RBI singles off of Alexi Ogando to put the Cards in the lead. He also hit three homers with a 1.154 OPS in the Series.

David Freese was named the World Series MVP. He finished the 2011 playoffs with 21 RBI, the most in the history of the game. Of course the extra playoff rounds help push his numbers past some of the “old timers,” but still, you have to be impressed when anyone averages more than an RBI an outing in the playoffs.

Albert Pujols had that massive outing in Game 3 in which he had five hits (three homers), six RBI and four runs scored. In the other six games of the World Series Pujols had all of one hit in 19 at-bats. He still hit .353 with a 1.155 OPS over the course of the playoffs.

And it wouldn’t be a post season wrap up if I didn’t mention the Rangers and their woes. The club from Texas became the first team since the Braves in 1991-92 to lose in the World Series in back-to-back seasons. Oh, and one more little diddy. The Rangers dropped Games 6 & 7, the first time that they had lost back-to-back games since August.

By Ray Flowers

A Reunion of Old Friends

  I have my high school reunion this weekend. I’ll get a chance to see all the folks that I haven’t talked to in years. Will the gals from high school who weren’t that attractive have blossomed into beauties? Luckily I was nice to everyone so that scenario would work out great for me – in theory at least. Will I find out that someone had a crush on me but never told me? Will I learn that I made someone’s day at some point by doing something nice that I’ve completely forgotten about? I’d love to hear how your reunions have gone, so feel free to share in the COMMENTS section below. About all I’m certain of is that there will be much alcohol consumed, and chances are pretty good that someone, hopefully not me, will make a scene… just like in high school.

Oh wait this is supposed to be a baseball blog isn’t it? Guess it wouldn’t hurt for me to throw a few baseball anecdotes up there. Let’s see…

C.J. Wilson will be a free agent this offseason, and rumors are already swirling that the two big boys – the Red Sox and the Yankees – will be interested in bidding for his services. Given the fact that thet Sox were trying the entire last week of the season to add a hurler for game 162 you know all you need to about the state of their rotation. As for the Yankees – Freddy Garcia (25 starts) and Bartolon Colon (26) made 51 starts for the club. Do you think they could use another arm? Wilson, in just his sescond season as a starter, had an elite level effort in 2011 for the Rangers. Wilson won 16 games, one more than Jon Lester and Ricky Romero. His 2.94 ERA was seventh in the AL and better than guys like CC Sabathia (3.00) and Dan Haren (3.17). Wilson posted a total of 206 punchouts, the sixth best mark in the AL and third best amongst lefties (Sabathia had 230, David Prive 218). Wilson was also stingy in base runners allowed with a WHIP of 1.19 better than the marks of Felix Hernandez (1.22), Sabathia (1.23) and Lester (1.26). Add in that Wilson also threw 223.1 innings and the guy has proven that his transition to the rotation is complete. He’ll make a ton of money this offseason.

I’ve been prepping for Halloween by watching old episodes of the TV show Supernatural. Pretty darn good series for those of you who have never watched (I can totally see my brother and I in the two leads, and if you are wondering, I would be Dean). I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it here, but I really enjoy Halloween. In fact, I’m planning out how to lay out my front yard this weekend. Yeah, I’m that guy who decorates his house for the neighborhood. Wait, that had nothing to do with baseball again did it? I’m stuck in a weird loop today.

Eric Chavez might retire, and while some of you might be saying to yourself who cares, it would be a shame. Just 33 years old, his career has been destroyed by injury as he’s appeared in a total of 123 games the past four years. I’m gonna make a bold statement. Chavez was on his way to the Hall of Fame before injuries hit. You might think that I’ve eaten too much of my candy stash while playing how I’m going to decorate for Halloween, but hear me out.

From 2001-06 Chavez won a Gold Glove every season.

From 2000-06 Chavez hit at least 22 homers every year.
From 2000-06 Chavez knocked in at least 72 runs.
From 2000-06 Chavez scored at least 74 runs every season.

Add that all up and this is what we get.

From 2000-06 Chavez was second at the third base position in homers, first in RBI and first in runs scored. Toss in six Gold Gloves in the seven years and there is no way around the fact that, for seven years, Chavez was the best all-around third baseman in the game. A couple more years like that and he would have had a shot at Cooperstown.

By Ray Flowers