Halloween has been my favorite movie ever since I was laying in the floor of my grandparents' living room watching the edited version on a VHS. It’s the scariest movie ever made. Though I do like the majority of the sequels/reboots (even Halloween III), I still love the original best. 


This 1985 TV-movie seems to be completely forgotten by horror fans, but I have fond memories of watching it as a child (I was four when it first aired). It was briefly released to DVD several years ago, but it is out-of-print. I dubbed my parent's recorded VHS copy (from the original airing) onto a DVD a few years ago, and I watch the movie every year. I do wish it would get a proper DVD/Blu-Ray release. Read my post on the movie from last Halloween.

Let's face it, we all love lists. We want great lists of top movies, books, albums, and so on that we can check and compare to what we love and help us discover hidden gems that we may have never uncovered on our own. The other thing about these lists is that they are based on opinion and of course we all have them and sometimes you agree and completely disagree with the choices. What I'm hoping not to do with this list is give you the obvious choices. We all know about John Carpenter's Halloween score, the score to the Exorcist (Tubular Bells), and the theme music to Friday the 13th and how iconic they are and yes they are amazing and I love them dearly. But I don't want to give you the obvious, I'm hoping to open your ears to something perfect for not only the Halloween season, but those times when you may want to listen to something that truly holds up as music on its own. And they are five scores that I can't live without...



Not only is this one of my favorite horror films, it also ranks up there in my favorite films of all time. It is a great and beautiful movie. It is a love story, coming of age story and a horror story. It combines so many wonderful things that I can stand it. It is beautifully shot and what really makes it so amazing is the score. The composer, Johan Söderqvist, manages to capture such gut wrenching beauty in this music it elevates the movie (as if it needed the help). It takes you on the journey through its dark soundscape and melodies that transcend the average horror score. I listen to this one over and over and it inspires my writing.

Christopher Young, in my opinion, constantly delivers some of the best horror scores around. His Hellraiser score is a work of art. And if you listen to scores and collect them like I do, you better have Hellraiser in your collection or we can longer be friends. DMTH is one of those scores that comes at you like heavy dark ocean waves. It crashes down with great scope and then pulls back to subtle moments of haunting voices over a single droning note of violin. It is grand and haunting and one great aural ride.

The Halloween season is nearly over, which means people will begin their holiday gift shopping, grocery shopping for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners or parties. Plus, they'll be decorating their houses with nifty decorations. Yes, everybody is busy during this time, but you should take sometime and give back to our US troops, who are overseas keeping our country safe.

There are many things you can send overseas to our troops. Do you have any left over Halloween candy? You can drop off your extra candy at an organization that will send them overseas.

Books would make a great gift for a solider. If you have any books piled up in your home collecting dust, you could easily dust them off and donate them to an organization that supports our troops. Also, you can keep an eye out for great books at thrift shops or your local library (they occasionally have book sales) to send to our soldiers.

Other great items/gifts to send overseas are movies (DVDs, no VHSs), music CDs, magazines (recently published), shaving razors & shaving cream, tee shirts, Kindles, laptops, hot chocolate packets and ground coffee.

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

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My favorite horror books are The Shining & Doctor Sleep by Stephen King and The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.

Linky List:

Last Light
A Restoration Novel, Book One
By Terri Blackstock
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub. Date: September 3, 2013 (Reprint)
ISBN: 978-0310337782
Pages: 400

Review:

First published in 2005, the first book in the Restoration series, Last Light, was re-released last month. In a cross between the Left Behind book series and the television series Revolution, author Terri Blackstock brings her own take on the "end of the world" plot when Birmingham, Alabama loses all power, jamming the streets with vehicles because the engines won't start. Airplanes shut down and fall from the sky. All technology no longer works, as cell phones, computers, televisions and radios go completely silent.

Has an alien invasion occurred? Is terrorist responsible? 

The people who depended on high-technology are now facing the most dangerous crises the planet has ever had - darkness.

Morgan Kane: Without Mercy
By Louis Masterson
Publisher: WR Films Entertainment Group, Inc
Pub. Date: November 7, 2011
ASIN: B0064GMRSW
Pages: 126

Review:

From the dime novels of the late 1800s to the Louis L'Amour paperbacks of the 1950s - 1980s, the wild west novels (and movies) were extremely popular, but over the years the genre has been slowly disappearing, though you can occasionally find a new western release, but not as many as there use to be.

Recently I received a limited edition paperback (for reviewers only) of Morgan Kane: Without Mercy from the publisher. The book was first published in 1966 in Norway by Louis Masterson (real name is Kjell Hallbing), the first of a 41 book series. In 2011, WR Films Entertainment Group, Inc. bought the rights and began releasing the series as eBooks in America. There is also a feature film adaptation in the works based on the franchise with the working title Morgan Kane: The Legend Begins.

In Without Mercy, Morgan Kane was once known as the gunfighter "El Gringo" when he rode with the gang lead by “El Coyote," but he left the gang and became a Texas Ranger in 1881. Now, Morgan finds himself in St. Louis playing one of his favorite past times - poker. Despite having a natural talent for gambling, he loses several thousands of dollars and suspects the three other players might be cheating, but without any evidence there is nothing for him to do.

Besides gambling, Morgan's other weakness is women and he happens to meet a beautiful woman, Alison, while on a train headed to Springfield, where he is to report back to Fort Worth. He works his charms and the woman notices his handsomeness, but she isn't who she says she is, as lurking in the shadows of the train are the three poker players and they ambush Morgan.

Writing Fight Scenes
By Rayne Hall
Publisher: Scimitar Press
Pub. Date: September 11, 2011
ASIN: B005MJFVS0
Pages: 173

Review:

Every aspiring or amateur writer have probably wondered how to write a perfect fight scene like in your favorite adventure novel or in the latest James Bond film, but not unless you are born with natural talents of writing fight scenes, you may need some help. Author Rayne Hall has written an entire book on Writing Fight Scenes.

Did you know there are two basic fight scenes? Gritty (example: Horror) and entertaining (example: Harlequin romance).

The author gives wonderful advice and tips on what to use and what to avoid when writing the best fighting scene, which the scenes can be written in a few sentences or a full chapter. There are several chapters on different weapons and the correct way to have your characters use them, such as swords, knives, daggers, staffs, spears, polearms, clubs, maces, axes, slings, arrows, firearms, and magical weapons.

Of course readers love characters (male or female) that can defend themselves without the use of a weapon. There are a few chapters on unarmed combat and self-defense. You'll also learn the difference between the way men and women fight and their psychological barriers.

Evil Dead 
Director: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 16, 2013
Retail: $30.99
ASIN: B008JFUNYG
Running Time: 91mins.
Rating: R

Review:

On a summer afternoon in the mid-90s, I found myself bored to death, so I started flipping through the channels, and I came upon a newly added channel, Sci Fi Channel (now known as SyFy), which was airing a campy movie with Bruce Campbell fighting demons with a shotgun and a chainsaw. I checked the TV Guide (yep, back then they actually had a listing for the daytime) and I learned the name of the movie - Army of Darkness. While visiting the city, I found a VHS copy of Army of Darkness at a Best Buy. I read the back of the box-cover and learned something else - the movie was the third part of a trilogy called Evil Dead. Of course this got me excited, so I hunted through the horror shelves and found Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn. I bought both the VHSs (well my parents did since I was underage at the time). Weeks later I rented the first movie at a video store and I later bought it on VHS the following year. That being said, I watched the Evil Dead trilogy backwards!

Due to a family emergency, I missed out in seeing the remake/reboot/sequel (or whatever you want to call it) on the big screens this past spring, but I did buy it on DVD this summer and my expectations were pretty high.

In the 2013 version, Mia (played by Jane Levy) is a heroine addict trying one last time to become free of her demons with the aid of her friends, Eric (played by (Lou Taylor Pucci), Olivia (played by Jessica Lucas), her brother David (played by Shiloh Fernandez) and his girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore), at her family's remote cabin deep in the woods.

Soon after arriving, a foul smell leads them to the cellar, where they come across rotten animal carcasses, a shotgun and a strange book titled Naturom Demonto, AKA  the Book of the Dead. Eric makes the deadly mistake of reading a passage from it, which summons a horrifying demon.

Everyone wants a car that is efficient with fuel. However, there are many important factors to consider when you need a new vehicle. Many people suffer from buyer’s remorse immediately after purchasing a new vehicle. As a buyer it is your responsibility to make sure your new vehicle has everything that you want and need. A new car is not a purchase that you want to make hastily. Take your time and consider every detail down to the smallest minutiae and you will end up a happy car owner. You would be wise to consider the amount of passengers you will have normally. This information can narrow down your choices substantially. Test ride your vehicle with all of your regular passengers before you make the big decision. Make sure the ride is just as comfortable for your passengers as it is for yourself. If you’re looking for a vehicle that can be fuel efficient, and perform truck duties while having enough space for luggage and passengers, you may want to check out a GMC Acadia in Kansas City.

Looks Are More Important than You Think

Another seemingly less important factor to consider when searching for a new car is aesthetics. Many people claim to care only about their vehicle getting them from place to place without problems.