Halloween 2024

The Scariest Song EVER

/ animar64 / 1 Comment

AI Artwork: VEX

A few weeks ago I saw a deceptively easy Halloween prompt: make a list of scary Halloween songs.

Easy peasy I thought.

I went to my lap top. I went into my files and chose a header image for my response.
I typed “1” and like every year when I attempted to do this prompt, I got stuck.

I know myself. My writer’s self that is. When I get stuck on the first line, it’s because my brain says write one thing and my Writing Brain says something else.

My Writing Brain has the power to shut the works down, so that page will never hold a single word the my brain wants.

The fact is when I think of a song that truly makes my blood run cold, it’s the song “I Don’t Like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats.

” I Don’t Like Mondays” isn’t a Halloween song. It’s a harbinger that was released to the world via The Top 40 and MTV in 1979.

The incident, from the comments under the video show that a lot of people thought the song was about hating Mondays or that that it wasn’t about a real shooting.

The results based on that misconception were quips that were intended to look clever, but were pathetic and idiotic.

Here are the bones of this song:
On January 29, 1979 a 16 year old girl shot her rifle into an elementary school playground. She killed 2 people and injured 8 children.

When she was asked why she did it, she replied ” I don’t like Mondays”
Before Columbine, before Sandyhook we had this school yard killer.

Unlike the other monsters who followed her we got a glimpse into the monster’s brain and that one phrase that was born there painted a dark portrait of true evil.

This murderer didn’t wear a special outfit. She didn’t style herself as a soldier or a misguided Patriot with a manifesto written on college ruled notebook paper with a nifty logo.

She had long hair, she wore wire rimmed glasses. She was a teenage girl.
She terrifying in her simplicity.

The most haunting parts of this song, and it gets more haunting with each tragedy that gun violence brings comes in two parts:

Instead of using a snare drum to represent gunshots, they use a simple set of hand claps.

The second is when the grim faced haunted looking children seated in what looks like a school auditorium but feels like a chapel, sing back
” Tell me why ”

This song is the scariest song I can think of:

On My Way

/ animar64 / 2 Comments

My #1Priority tomorrow is to be ready to post Halloween stories and poems here on my blog for the entire month of October.

I struggled this year to do it earlier( I normally  start in July) but the US Presidential election in full swing and  it’s been a distraction,

However, my dark little Muses are chomping at the bit and let me tell you, their teeth are sharp and they are ready to fly,

I should not stand in their way.

 

Pucker Up Baby

/ animar64 / 1 Comment

RDP Thursday: LIPS

When I think about the Vampire’s kiss I think of:

kissing a toilet seat-

cold sores that pop and fester

having dental work done

without novocaine.

Given those less then savory images,

if I had to chose between being kissed by a vampire

or slamming my own fingers in a car door

I’m sure I’d choose the car door

every single time.

Vampire
Edvard Munch1895

H’ween Movie Recommendation

/ animar64 / 5 Comments

When I visit Haunted Houses for Halloween, I rate my experience on one thing and one thing alone.

How much FUN did I have?

That’s right. I want to have fun. I want to have Roller Coaster fun. I don’t care how hi-tech the props are. I don’t care if the actors bought their costumes or made them up themselves. Same goes for the makeup- I don’t care if it was applied by a makeup artist or an actor who is so into the character that they go with the vibe.

I feel the same way about horror or suspense movies.

I watch them for fun and the more fun I have the better.

Sometimes I come across a ” haunted house ” movie that tickles my funny bone and gives the chills AND the feels and this movie did exactly that- it’s called

” For Sale ”

” For Sale ” hit the right notes- I liked the plot, I liked  the special effects- no they weren’t fancy and hi-tech. They added a  little spice to the scenes, and I’m good with that. I also loved the humor- it sort of snuck up on you and said boo. I liked that.

I also loved the characters- even the sketchy ones. In this movie some of the characters had the chance to redeem themselves after they have done some pretty awful things. Some of them reached for redemption  and some of the didn’t. No spoilers. You’ll want to make that call yourself.

So this Halloween if you want to watch a good old Ghost Story, then give this horror/comedy a shot.