25 dawn~to~dark days of a creepingelm hallowe'en: sounds to make you shiver

1. dust off that record player
2. stick speakers in your windows
3. go find those eerie haunting sound effects records from your attic or your local used vinyl shop

now you are prepared for your hallowe'en bash and/or scaring the kiddos on hallowe'en night!

sounds to make you shiver!
bloodcurdling! terror! horror! madness!
listen in terror to count dracula!
scream along with his victim!
go mad in the haunted house!
hear frankenstein break loose!
horrific sounds for halloween fun!
listen to this horror if you dare!

26 dawn~to~dark days of a creepingelm hallowe'en: an enjoyably bad fractured fairytale of a film night

hex is an enjoyably bad film from 1973. it was set in 1919 in the fictional town of bingo, nebraska, during the years immediately after the first world war. a posse of motorcyclists blows into town and mess with two sisters with psychic powers. one by one each gets a hex cast on them by one of the sisters, whose father was a native american shaman. the bikers soon depart this world in not so natural ways.



just knowing that it's a biker meets western meets supernatural horror film should make you want to watch and laugh.
and how about the character names: whizzer, golly, jimbang, giblets, chupo, china, oriole, & acacia...

originally titled grasslands, HEX was filmed in 1971, but not released until 1973. HEX was released as THE SHRIEKING on videotape and laserdisc. in 2006, it was released on dvd under the title CHARMS, and under that same title the film is available for rental or purchase as a download from amazon.

starring actors: gary busey, scott glenn and keith carradine






i love these photos from the set:

27 dawn~to~dark days of a creepingelm hallowe'en: beautifully eerie foreign films

time to watch 2 more beautifully eerie subtitled films.

here are two of my favorite spine chilling yet beautiful foreign films. each has a heart and is intelligently smart. they stay with you long after your spine has stopped tingling. i highly recommend watching the following films...

1. the orphanage {2007} {foreign film: spanish} is a stunningly creepy, atmospheric, and shocking film. this film shows the darker sides of humanity through frightening fantasies.



2. let the right one in {2008} {foreign film: swedish} {not to be mistaken for the remake of the american version.} this is a vampire film like you have never seen before. it's artistic, poetic, and in many ways a very profound movie exploring the nature of good and evil.




a tune to share by pink mountaintops ~ vampire
you blew fire in my heart when i was found
oh you leant me coffins oh and laced them with doubt
oh and how i did lick oh that spot on your neck
that sent shivers up under your dress
and moved light of the sun and suck up life from my love

so kiss me please kiss me i’m done turning blue
oh and i’m headed to the darkness i’m on the loose
oh lover oh simply wont lay down and die

ohhhh vampires you can suck out the blood
but you can't kill the heart of my love

oh creatures in flight
let's be creatures of the night
creatures in flight
let's be creatures of the night
creatures in flight
let's be creatures of the night

you can suck out the blood
but you can't kill the heart of my love

28 dawn~to~dark days of a creepingelm hallowe'en: pumpkin cupcakes

it's hallowe'en... let's make treats.






ingredients
pumpkin cupcakes:
3/4 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 cup milk

maple buttercream frosting:
3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar
3 tablespoons real maple syrup or 2 teaspoons maple extract

directions
preheat the oven to 325 degrees. prepare 2 muffin pans with paper liners.

pumpkin cupcake:
in the bowl, stir the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. next, add vanilla and eggs while stirring. add pumpkin and combine well.

in a separate bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices and mix them all together. add half of the flour mixture to the batter, and then half of the milk. combine completely and then add the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk. mix the batter until it is completely combined.

scoop the batter into the liners and bake them for 22 minutes.
remove cupcakes from the oven and let cool on a rack.

maple butter cream frosting:
combine butter and milk and stir them together. add powdered sugar gradually and mix until the butter, milk and powdered sugar take on a frosting texture. add maple syrup or maple extract and combine well.
spread with a butter knife onto the top of your cooled cupcakes. top it off with black colored sugar. try to share them.



these treats were a birthday surprise for my 86 year old neighbor cyril, or as the neighborhood calls him, "bud." he was thrilled and loved them!