Remember when HBO was free on weekends? All you had to do was grab a blank VHS tape, hit record & that movie was yours forever (or until you wore the tape out). Little did I know that's how I'd be introduced to one of my favorite Halloween movies of all time. This movie introduced me to the legendary Dame Diana Rigg as well as the incredible Tim Curry. It's also what started my love of bats after seeing the main character's best friend with one hanging off her finger. I loved everything about this movie & couldn't get enough. Chances were if I wasn't in the house I could be found outside "making potions" in the birdbath (sorry birds, your bath was my makeshift cauldron).
When most people hear the words magic school their minds go to Hogwarts but before Hogwarts we had Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches. Based on the books by Jill Murphy, Worst Witch tells the story of Mildred Hubble, a sweet yet awkward girl that's trying her best to get through school & remember what ingredients she needs for potion class. If only some of the teachers & the school hot shot would leave her alone it would be so much easier. They'd soon be surprised to find out sometimes the witch with the lowest marks in class can be the only one capable of saving them all.
Shot at St. Michael's in Tenbury Wells, England the Gothic Revival architecture combined with a fabulous cast adds up to be the perfect family friendly Halloween movie.
If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea at least go to YouTube & search Anything Can Happen on Halloween & that just mind change your mind.
**Melanie Here - I even saved you all the search - here is the video!!! - Also there is a BBC version of the series on Netflix which I just discovered - so you should check that out too!**
** Disclosure**
Any Links To Buy On Amazon in this page may be Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do) Ashley Brilinski is the queen of Halloween and can loves everything to do with it. She regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways AND sends in amazing items for Melanie and Greg. Her attention to detail is second to none. This is her first guest article for Melanie's Muses but we hope there are many more to come!
And Now Your Chance To Win A Witchy Prize Including The Original Worst Witch DVD Featuring Tim Curry! 
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a Witchy Prize Pack Including a DVD of The Worst Witch with Tim Curry which was sent in by Ashley! (Shannon beat her sending me a copy of the DVD earlier this year and it is one of my prized possessions- so you are very lucky about that lol!) For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - Telling us What Movie Gets You In The Halloween Spirit? And do you watch it year round or save it for Halloween? The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Winner will be announced during the Live show on October 4th (and then posted here on the blog as well on the 5th). Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
When I look back at Xena, I can’t believe it’s been twenty five years since it first aired, time does fly! Don’t believe me? Well I’m about to explain why you should check it out if you’ve never watched before.
Xena gave women a character that they could look up to, one that never needed a man to come save her, but instead saved herself along with others. A character that made you believe that no matter what, you could make a difference, if you just fought for what you believed in. I’m not saying she’s perfect, because of course she’s not. She struggled with things, but along with her friend and traveling companion Gabrielle, she always seemed too find a way.
Xena and Gabrielle also showcased that women could be more than just friends, something that today wouldn’t be so unusual, but back then it was huge! I am sure it gave women who might of been afraid to come out, the courage to do so, and the knowledge they were not alone. I was younger when it aired and I never really put them together, but trust me you definitely saw their love for each other, and watching it now the subtle way they portray it on screen carries a huge message.
This wasn’t just a show you watched and then forgot about later, but one you replayed in your head later or maybe you just kept it on rewatch. I know I always did. Seasons 1 – 6 have recently been uploaded to the NBCU library so are available online via SyFy.Com (which you do need a cable subscription for – or the episodes / seasons are available to buy separately).
One episode in particular stays with me whenever I think about what Gabriel and Xena shared. Soul Possession (Season 6 Episode 20 so it is near the end). It takes place right after Xena thought she had lost Gabrielle but then finds out she’s not dead. Xena will do whatever it takes to get her back, (spoiler alert), even almost marrying Aries, God of War. The one person she hates more than anyone else, a hate we as fans got to see grow throughout the seasons. In this episode you get to see a more human side of Xena, feelings that we could relate to, how she struggles with the thought of going on without Gabrielle, but in the end she sees the truth, that being without her would be impossible, something so many of us can still relate to.
I could go on and on with reasons why Xena will always hold a special place in my heart but I’ll stop with just one more thought. Good shows leave us with memories and there’s nothing wrong with that, but great shows leave us always wanting more and even though it’s been twenty five years that’s exactly what Xena has done. Left fans wanting more!
** Disclosure**
Any Links To Buy On Amazon in this page may be Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do) Jennifer Rhodes Cleere met Melanie back when True Blood was popular and they have been friends ever since. She loves TV (especially things that make you smile), Doctor Who, Finding new shows, and regularly provides awesome fandom items for Muser Giveaways. This is her first guest article for Melanie's Muses but we hope there are many more to come! And Now Your Chance To Win A Xena Funko Pop! 
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a Xena Warrior Princess Funko Pop sent in by Jennifer Rhodes Cleere to go with her article! For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - Telling us if you watched Xena! The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Winner will be announced during the Live show on October 4th (and then posted here on the blog as well on the 5th). Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Take your quarters out of your pocket and line them up on the machine. Insert coin and get ready to play.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World was released to the movie world in summer 2010. A genuine box office flop, it only made half of the budget back in returns. Why are we talking about it? Because it is an absolute gem!!! Now, I know I have a unique taste in movies. Every time I mention some movies I love, other people are confused having either never heard of them, or wondering if we watched the same movie because they hated it. I will be the first to admit that when I first heard about it, I was a little hesitant because I knew it sounded much like a "gamer movie" and I'm not much of a gamer anymore. I'm more of an old school gamer; give me Pac Man, Mario Bros, etc and I'm content. If you give me some of this newer stuff they come up with, I'll be lost. So, I was an afraid that some of the references would be lost on me.
The movie is filled with video game style sound effects and on-screen graphics often show in background or corner. Scott is dating Knives Chau, but pursuing punk haired, Amazon delivery girl, Ramona Flowers. But in order to reach his goal, he must go through levels like in a video game, and defeat each of Ramona's seven evil exes.
Matthew Patel - As soon he wants Ramona, he gets an email from Matthew informing him of their impending duel to the death, which Scott deletes. Matthew shows up at the battle of the bands that bassist Scott's band, Sex Bob-Omb, is performing at and attacks. On screen, battle hits in a similar style of "pow" and "zap" as seen in the 1966 Batman tv series. Gaining points for combo hits and eventual defeat, Scott gets a 1000-point bonus and $2.40 in change as Ramona grabs him and they leave together.
Lucas Lee - Skateboarder turned action movie star filming a movie nearby. Scott's roommate is kinda stalking the actor when Scott and Ramona meet up on the film set, where it is revealed Ramona dated him. Lucas starts tossing Scott around like a rag doll before handing things over to his stunt team to take care of his light work. Scott deals with them as Lucas is walking away, but Scott calls him back and tricks him into a doing grind on some tricky steps leading to his defeat and a 3000-point bonus for the win. Ramona disappears without a trace.
Todd Ingram -Bassist for The Clash at Demonhead, in a band with Scott's ex, Envy Adams. Envy enlists Sex Bomb-Omb to open a secret show for them. Envy dumped Scott a year before. As Clash takes the stage, Todd makes eye contact with Scott and the revelation of the next fight occurs as the lyrics are aimed at him "hello again, friend of a friend, I knew you well". Using his vegan powers -yes, vegan powers! You didn’t know being a vegan gives you special powers? - Todd is swiping Scott away without physical contact being made. A bass battle commences as Scott picks up his bass and starts to riff. Scott is nearly defeated until he gives Todd a coffee with half and half in it, and the Vegan Police show up to remove his vegan powers. 3000-point bonus.
Roxie Richter - After walking home from the Todd battle, we meet Roxie. Ramona was a little bi-curious, Roxie is bi-furious. Roxie is about to throw a punch that Ramona blocks as they pull weapons out and the fight begins. A few exchanges of blows don’t really count since technically Scott has to defeat her with his own hands so Ramona takes control of Scott and swings for him. 4000-point bonus after she defeated.
Kyle and Ken Katayanagi - Twins and the next band in the Battle of the Bands that Sex Bob-Omb has to face. Both bands on stage at the same time, the twins with a wall of amps, literally blow the roof off. A musical fight enlists animalic notes taking shape to do the fighting for them. At the climax of battle, Scott earns an extra life (a "1 Up" graphic comes up on screen as he grabs it). But Ramona leaves with Gideon, the record producer and head of the League of Evil Exes.
Gideon Gordon Graves. -After presumably winning over Ramona, Gideon invites Scott and Sex Bomb-Omb to open his new Chaos Theatre so there is no bad blood between them. Ramona is less than pleased sitting by his side. Showing up at the theatre, Scott levels up by proclaiming his love for Ramona and pulls a flaming sword out of his chest! (Burning love, from the heart. Very visual!)
The band starts to play as Gideon's minions come at Scott from every angle and he fights them off, earning points at every hit. Knives shows up. Not to help Scott, but to fight Ramona! Simultaneous fighting between the four of them until Scott tries to come between the girls and is plunged from behind by Gideon. Game over for Scott.
Or is it?
Remember the Extra Life? Chaos Theatre: Take 2. After a quick rewind, we are dealt a reverse. Scott takes the initiative and phones Gideon to inform him that he is coming for him. Bonus points for taking charge. This time, instead of fighting for Ramona, he fights for himself. Queue the music and Gideon's minions again. A quick knock down before Knives re-enters the game. Scott is learning though. He stops before the girls can fight and makes amends so Scott and Knives and double team to take down Gideon. 7,000,000,000 point bonus!
Amazing cast. Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno, and another person favorite, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist-- trust me, look it up), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Final Destination 3, Birds of Prey), 3 superheroes-- Chris Evans (Human Torch and Captain America), Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), and Brandon Routh (Superman, The Atom). Not to mention, the impeccable Aubrey Plaza is an absolute show-stealer! She only in it sporadically, but is one of the best parts. In order to keep a PG 13 rating, they bleeped (or buzzed out) all of her expletive laden remarks.
See clip: (Clip courtesy of Fandango movie clips on YouTube - No Rights Held Or Implied By Melanie's Muses)
It may have been a disappointment in the theatrical release, but has gained some level of notoriety over the years to start the recognition it deserves as a cult classic.
Victory theme. Game over. Roll credits. End scene.
Any Links To Buy On Amazon in this page may be Amazon Affiliate Links
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do) Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now also writes guest articles for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features - watch for the upcoming "31 Days Of Halloween Movies" 
Over the years, there have been many attempts to make King's stories into movies and miniseries. Tommyknockers, Golden Years, Sleepwalkers, Misery, Langoliers, and countless others. Some have been made more than once. For instance, The Stand was made in 1994 and now they are redoing that for CBS All Access in December. Today, we will be focusing on 2 other stories that have been told twice. "It", and "The Shining".
First, we will discuss The Shining. It was a 1977 novel, made into a movie in 1980 by Stanley Kubrick. The stories surrounding this film are legendary. King was displeased with a lot of the changes from the book to film. Nonetheless, the movie remains a classic that is referenced in tons of pop culture shows and movies. Even if it’s not mentioned by name, the references to Room 237 in "Ready Player One" is instantly recognizable.
In 1997, King had a chance to rectify the problems he had with the 1980 version when ABC offered him a miniseries deal to rewrite himself. Steven Weber took over the Jack Nicholson role of Jack Torrance. King was able to reinsert parts of the original ending that Kubrick had changed. Even though this is the ending King wanted, some still prefer the Kubrick version. Everyone will have their preferences.
Next up, we have the 1986 novel, "It". Everyone knows the story of Pennywise or at least as much as he will let us learn about him. Although, the 1100+ page book has a lot of info, they couldn’t possibly fit all that into the movies no matter how many versions they made.
The 1990 miniseries had featured some top talent of the day-- Harry Anderson, John Ritter, and the wonderful Tim Curry as Pennywise. Since it was made for tv, it had to take on a different tone completely. The horror, language, and violence was turned down some to be a little more palatable. The 2-part movie was done really well. Well, maybe. The ending always seems to be a problem in many of King's films, a point they actually referenced in "It - Chapter 2" "I didn’t like the ending", a shop owner said to Bill Denborough asking about his book.
In 2017 and 2019, they tried to improve and make it more like the original. By making them theatrical films, they were able to up the horror, language and gore content and turned it up to 11. The 2 versions were done quite differently.
The 1990 miniseries, essentially kept them split. The first half had them primarily as kids and the second half as adults. While It - Chapter 1 kept them as kids, Chapter 2 still had a significant amount of flashbacks into their childhood and untold moments from the first film. One thing remains is that this entry also kept the same level of star power getting some big names like James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, and Bill Skarsgard taking over the role of Pennywise this time around. One complaint from a lot of people about this movie is that it was too long. I didn’t mind it though.
But for a movie that has a gag which includes not liking the ending of a something, they still didn’t seem to know what to do with this one. It’s the problem with a powerful being; you need a way to kill it or get rid of it, and that needs something really good. Unless you come up with something spectacular, it will fall flat and leave you sitting there going "Huh? Is that it?"
But never fear! You can buy yourself a Steven King Funko and pretend he will write the ending you want - Like Misery! (Sledgehammer not included)
** Disclosure**
Any Links To Buy On Amazon in this page may be Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do) Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now also writes guest articles for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features - watch for the upcoming "31 Days Of Halloween Movies" 
1980. The year no one wanted to go to camp anymore.
Friday the 13th was born and was on everyone lips. For a bit of a mystery/horror/slasher film made on a budget of $550k, it grossed nearly $60 million worldwide. Fans loved it, and the studio saw dollar signs. So of course, they wanted a sequel. Producer Sean S. Cunningham was confused. "How? It’s a mystery. The killer was revealed. She is dead. Who is gonna be the killer?" The studio said "The boy. Jason." "He's dead. There was no boy found." So, against all logic, the little boy that was a figment of Alice's imagination is back and is a grown man in the 1981 sequel a year later.
For Part 2, they doubled the budget, but only brought in about half the domestic returns as the original. Still a hefty profit margin, nonetheless. At first it was going to be an anthology story - a mistake the Halloween franchise would make a year later. (Whew! That was a near miss!)
Jason running around with a burlap sack over his head proved to be profitable. So, a third instalment was in development rather quickly. This time they went for the 3D approach in 1982. Seeing it in theatres must have a real trip with all the effects. Watching it at home, in standard 2D looks a little cheesy, but that’s ok. This is also the film where he gets his famous mask that is associated with Jason the most.
They took a little more time for Part 4: The Final Chapter. Released in 1984 and picking up right where Part 3 leaves off, it was actually supposed to be the end. Jason was dead.
D-E-A-D. The almighty dollar changed a few minds though and a year later he was back in Part 5: A New Beginning. Well, not really back. The dude in a hockey mask killing people wasn’t Jason. Kind of a rip off. Had some nice kills but still falls a little short for me. Time for redemption. 1986. Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (for real this time). This is wasn’t one of my personal faves. I have said it before and I'll say it again, I like some humor in my horror and this has plenty of it. From the opening theme that is a James Bond parody, to the jokes and gags throughout, it’s all great! This is also the beginning of the zombified Jason. Up until now, he was pretty much human. Seemed almost unstoppable, but still supposed to be human.
Jason vs telekinesis was the theme in 1988's Part 7: The New Blood. But Jason soldiers on. He was determined to get out of Crystal Lake for his next adventure.
1989's Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan. Now this is where the story gets (a little more) convoluted. Ya see, at the end, he is in the sewer, being drowned in toxic waste, everything rotting off and is turned back into the little boy that drowned again. (Huh?) And this is how they left it for 4 years. This was going to be the ending, again? Then I guess they wanted a proper send off. 1993 brought Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. Now things go a little further. The thing I didn’t like about this one is they try to explain the Jason myth. Instead of just being Jason Voorhees, unstoppable killing machine, he is this alien-type being, jumping from body to body and has to inhabit the only living Voorhees left to stay alive! Ummm, yeah, ok, whatever dude. The finale is the birth of the Freddy vs Jason story when Freddy's hand comes up and pulls Jason's mask down to hell. But it would be another 10 years before that happens. The Friday franchise was done until someone came up with the idea to put Jason in space! Yes, in space!
Jason X saw several delays, but finally saw the light of day in 2002 to poor reviews. It remains the lowest grossing film in the franchise, just under Part 8 and 9. Personally, I didn’t think it was that bad. It is a fun flick. Yes, its corny and cheesy, but so what? Horror is supposed to be fun! It wasn’t the best in the series but certainly wasn’t the worst. A year later, we would see the much-anticipated Freddy vs Jason, which is will be the last Friday film, at least in this timeline.
We aren’t done yet folks, we still have 3 more points of topic to discuss:
1) The remake -2009. Now, much boohooing can be said about remakes and they aren’t needed, they change things, or keep them the same. There’s always something. One thing this remake did was take what we know, and what fans want, and incorporated it from the beginning. Some people complained that Mrs. Voorhees was the original killer and she should have been the main focus of this one too. It’s been done. Jason is the face of the franchise. Mrs. Voorhees is in the first few minutes and we actually see Jason witness his mother being killed. Also, instead of waiting 3 more movies to get mask he is known for, he finds it in this one as well. Everything is accounted for.
2) The documentary - Crystal Lake Memories. Over 6 hours of interviews!!! A must for any fan! It is incredible! A must watch! 3) The TV series -1987. I was a little confused by this when I first heard about it in TVGuide. Friday the 13th: The Series. Huh? Is Jason stalking people every week? Will he get killed every week and brought back to life? No. He isn’t even in the series. Not even a cameo. It’s about an antique store that sells cursed objects. Side note: actor John D. LeMay is the only actor to appear in the both the movie (Part 9) and tv series-- different characters though.
Hope you enjoyed this class of Jason 101. There will be quiz next week. Study hard, and sharpen those machetes.
Any Links To Buy On Amazon in this page may be Amazon Affiliate Links
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do) Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now also writes guest articles for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features - watch for the upcoming "31 Days Of Halloween Movies" 
** Intro From Melanie - Just stick with me for a minute before I hand the stage back to Dave. Those who watched the live Sunday 20th on Facebook will have seen how excited I was to open my Funko Halloween Calendar and get a Vamped out David pop. Lost Boys is and will always be a favorite of mine. Scroll down to the end of the feature for your chance to win a Lost Boys Prize Pack! OK on with the show ..... **
Thanks Mel ......
The year was 1988. I was about 16 since it took longer for movies to come out on VHS back then. At 15 when it hit theaters, I was still too young to see The Lost Boys at the movies but I was dying to see it. I kept going to the local video store (remember those?) but it was always rented out. I caught sneak peeks on Pay Per View a few times. Remember, they used to let you watch the first 10-15 minutes without actually buying it? It looked great but I had no other way to see it until one day I am checking the video store and the clerk talks to me. "Even though you don't ask them to, sometimes your local video store will hold a movie for you because they know you want to see it" (or something like that). He pulls a copy of The Lost Boys from behind the counter for me. I've loved it ever since.
This classic tale was almost very different. It was going to be a loose adaptation of Peter Pan but as vampires. "Never grow old. Never die." David's name was originally Peter. Michael and Sam were Michael and John. Their mother's name was originally going to be Wendy before it was changed to Lucy. And one of the most dramatic changes is that it was originally a story closer to The Goonies where the vampires were 5th and 6th graders and the Frog Brothers were 8 year olds. As much as I love The Goonies, I don't know if that would have worked for this story. Luckily Joel Schumacher hated that idea and took the job under the condition he could change the characters to teenagers to make it more interesting. We also owe a huge thank you to the studio for letting him do it. Most of the stars were just starting out so the execs hadn't heard of them.
The movie is set in the fictional town of Santa Carla, where a mother of 2 teenage boys is moving in with her dad after her divorce. A small problem with that is the town is known as the Murder Capital of the World. That may be due to all the vampires. But hey, vamps need to eat too, right? Boardwalk at night, music playing, beautiful girl dancing is all Michael needs to be introduced to this motorcycle gang that he would later find to be vampires. Another new concept at the time was mixing horror and comedy. It may be common now but back then, it was a relatively new concept. No one quite knew how it would go over. In that essence, you could say that The Lost Boys helped break new ground in the horror genre.
For a few years after the film's release, a sequel kept trying to get off the ground with no success. The idea to bring David back was always on the table since his chest was pierced with antlers instead of the usual stake, and also saying it missed his heart. He makes an appearance in the comic book mini series Lost Boys : Reign of Frogs.
Two straight to video sequels did eventually arrive 20 years after the original movie. 2008 brought Lost Boys:The Tribe. 2010 brought Lost Boys:The Thirst. Most fans agree that the original magic could not be duplicated though.
Many of us believe that July 31, 1987 will be a day that lives on in hearts for us to remember fondly. That was day we were introduced to The Lost Boys. ** Disclosure** Any Links To Buy On Amazon in this page may be Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do) Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now also writes guest articles for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features - watch for the upcoming "31 Days Of Halloween Movies" And Now Your Chance To Win A Lost Boys Prize Pack! 
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away the Lost Boys Prize Pack Pictured Above Featuring The Lost Boys DVD, Michael Funko Pop, and Vamp Swag complete with Day of the Dead Bag! Huge thank you to Ashley, Vicky, and Susan, for the prizes you see here! (Note if any of you win - I have other prizes you can choose from lol) For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - Telling us if you like Vampires! The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Winner will be announced during the Live show on September 27th (and then posted here on the blog as well on the 28th). Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
It all started in 1978, the night he came home. John Carpenter brought his vision of Michael Myers to the silver screen. The first slasher icon was born into greatness and into our homes. Everyone knows his story so I won’t bore you with details. The instant success spawned a sequel 3 years later in 1981.
After that is where the story gets a little tricky. As a youngster getting into horror for the first time and seeing 3 Halloween movies in the video store, I rent all 3 expecting to have a full day of Michael Myers mayhem. Well, about 5 hours worth anyway. I quickly watch the first 2, getting caught up and then I put in the 3rd installment, Halloween III Season of the Witch. My first thought is "that’s an odd title. Is Michael Myers a witch?" I start watching it. "Umm that’s a mask but not a Michael mask". "When is Michael appearing?' "Where the hell is he?" "Did they give me the right movie?" "Why is this even called Halloween III?" Remember, this is the days of VHS. No making of featurette, no commentary, no documentary, no internet to find out that happened. It wasn’t until years later upon Blu-ray releases and special editions, etc that the concept was going to be a series of Halloween anthology films and the Myers storyline was supposed to be finished. Because of this error in judgement, this film is often treated like the redheaded stepchild. If they had released it simply as Season of the Witch, it could have stood on its own. But the Halloween brand was owned and identified with Michael Myers, like Jason Voorhees is associated with the Friday films even though he wasn’t the original killer in the first installment.
This had to be reconciled. So enter Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers in 1988, 5 full years after the fiasco of part 3. This gives the fans what the want. A little more slashing and dashing. A quick return a year later for part 5 Revenge of Michael Myers, a direct sequel, picking up exactly where part 4 left off. We would have to wait until 1995 for Part 6 Curse of Michael Myers. That is an extended story and needs its own section.
The first version you would see in 1995 would be pretty straight forward. Then, years later, thanks to the internet rumors and stories circulate demanding what the fans call the Producers Cut of the film with about 45 minutes of alternate footage. Color me intrigued. The hunt begins and eventually I track one of these down and watch it. They try and add a lot of depth into the backstory and reasoning, and the whole Cult of Thorn, and runes, etc. Just a touch of that was hinted at in the original cut. Then the whole ending takes a huge left turn and the last 30 minutes is completely different. It’s much easier to track down now since it finally got an official release in 2014. With all the stories and changes made from production, edits, different cuts, etc, this movie seriously needs its own full length documentary! The whole franchise does too. Much like Elm Street did with Never Sleep Again, and Friday did with Crystal Lake Memories, this needs the same kind of treatment! C'mon guys, somebody get on it!
Retcon 1: 1998 Halloween H20 20 Years Later. Turns out the last 4 movies never happened. This is a direct sequel to 1981's Halloween II. Ummm, ok, sure. Why not? I'll buy it and go along for the ride. Laurie Strode's character is back so all is well. Well, not for long as you can imagine. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be much of a movie. And not well for Laurie either as she ends up in a mental hospital in the next one, where Michael finally succeeds in killing her.
Enter the Rob Zombie era. Halloween 2007, the remake. Rob Zombie had the idea to delve more in the psyche of Myers with this movie. It had more about Michael's childhood and the time Loomis spent with him. Because of this, it had an added lull in the horror story pacing before picking up on his adult life and escape from the institution. I tend to keep an open mind when it comes to remakes. Instead of the usual "it’s not needed" outlook, I try to watch it independently rather than compare the two and saying it sucks. It was a fresh look at the story. A bit more gore and updated but a good addition. Two years later, he made a sequel to his story. This is another movie where the DVD release has a director’s cut and alternate ending. So buyer beware, there is a theatrical cut and a director’s cut. My person opinion is I prefer the theatrical. I usually go for the director’s cuts of films for the extra footage but when I bought this, and saw a different ending entirely, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I had to hunt down a theatrical version for the original ending. They were originally planning a 3rd movie in the Zombie trilogy but that was cancelled.
Retcon 2: Fast forward about 9 years to 2018. Another movie in the series franchise with the title Halloween. This makes the 3rd one. Come on! Please give us a real title? Can you imagine looking for this in a store or even searching a website? Search for Halloween Blu-ray and seeing 3 different movies pop up, probably with about 15 different covers for various releases and special editions. You would have scan all the info on them hoping to find the release date and make sure you buying the right one! *exhale* OK, I'll breathe again and move on. Laurie Strode is back. Didn’t she die? Well, its ok, Michael died a few times too so why not? Well, guess what? All of the other sequels never happened. This is a direct sequel to the 1978 movie it negates everything after that, even the story that Laurie is his sister. According to this, Michael has been locked up for the last 40 years after his initial killing spree in Haddonfield.
So the story of Halloween is a long one that gets a diluted, retold, erased, retold again. Watching it all play out over the years was stressful and a bit nerve-racking. In the end, its most enjoyable, except maybe a few hiccups along the way. Until next time, Musers, catch ya on the flip side.
** Disclosure**
Any Links To Buy On Amazon in this page may be Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do) Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now also writes guest articles for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features - watch for the upcoming "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
Welcome to our very first "Book Talk". In posts like this Melanie (From Melanie's Muses - just in case there was any doubt) and author Susan Harris will both read the same book and then post their thoughts. Make sure you scroll to the end for your chance to win a paperback copy Emerald Blaze!
Standalone or series?
Melanie - The publicity director says it can be read as a Standalone, so that's what I did! Susan - Series- although please ignore Melanie when she says you can read this book without reading books 1-4 and the novella. You just can’t get a feel for why the characters are the way they are unless you’ve dived in from book 1. Melanie - I managed just fine! Susan - but you would have had to manage if you had read the books from the start...it's like jumping into a show on season 2! How did we get this book? Publisher sent it to Melanie. Susan purchased via Book Depository Why did we choose to read this book: Susan was already a fan of Ilona Andrew’s Kate Daniel’s series and of the other books in the Hidden Legacy series… and had been trying to convince Melanie to start it - Melanie decided to just start here as the Publisher sent her 2 copies of this one and insisted it would work much to Susan's disapproval! And Now To The Review! First Impressions: Susan - As a continuation of the series, it’s your typical middle book- fast paced and engaging. Catalina has changed a lot since the last book, even more so from the quiet and fearful girl she was because her family kept her protected. Now, she’s a Prime in charge of the family business trying to crumble under the weight of it all. Melanie - Susan assured me there would be no wolves. On the first page there were wolves! OK so it turns out they weren't ACTUALLY wolves but when I have a magical book, and it says "Wolf in man's clothing" how was I supposed to know that this was code for "Assassin"? Why not just say Assassin? *rolls eyes* Susan -It is perfectly acceptable to describe a predator or assasin as a wolf- you just have this "Thing" about wolves...le sigh General Review Susan -For me, I’ve always loved the family dynamics in the Hidden Legacy series. You can tell that the characters love each other deeply and would do anything to protect one another. Now that Nevada has gotten married and almost ready to pop with her and Rogan’s first child, Catalina has taken over the role of being the breadwinner and defacto stalwart of the family. Dealing with a broken heart while trying to find her feet as the head of a newly formed House, for someone like Catalina, it can be lonely and heavy to bear the burden. When Alessandro comes back into the picture, Catalina has to deal with the consequences of the deal she made with her grandmother, Victoria Tremaine, one that means Catalina may never have the happily ever after her sister has. I did however find that the “Villain” of the book and the outcome was easy for me to predict, but maybe that’s because I could see the plot. I think when you had a villain like Adam Pierce from Nevada’s series…unless you have a bigger more bad-ass evil Prime then I feel kinda cheated. Highlight of the book, with all the books, has to be Bug…I bloody love that foul mouth little git and would 100% sign up to read a book based on him Melanie - OK, so obviously I didn't have any of that background info and to be honest it didn't really make that much difference to me. The magic set up is pretty standard (except the damn wolves thing), and you have Primes at the top in various houses and with their own specialties, and even rules that were unique to this story/world were easy enough for an experienced reader to follow. So I guess the question is, would I have enjoyed it more had I known the families and their history before? Personally I don't think so. The highlight of the book for me was by far a random statement about how artificial consciousness works, which I will admit was random but it was so good that it bumped the star rating up for me. I don't think any prior knowledge would have changed my thoughts, although not having read any with a true "big bad" maybe I didn't notice so much that it was missing? So maybe that worked in my favor! Final Thoughts Susan - Emerald Blaze is another fantastic read from the husband and wife duo, Ilona Andrews. I look forward to the final book in the series to see just what happens between Catalina and Alessandro and if her grandmother gets her own way. I’m mostly excited to see who may be the next member of the Baylor family to get a spin off of their own… Melanie - Emerald As my introduction to what I now know is a husband and wife duo, Ilona Andrews, I will say it improved as it went on. I don't think I will be rushing out to read any more, but I certainly didn't hate it. Rating: Susan – 4 Stars Melanie - 4 Stars (but only just) . Be sure to let us know in the comments below if you liked our "double take" on the same book and if you have a book you would like us to read just let us know!
GIVEAWAY DETAILS & HOW TO ENTER!
Melanie's Muses will be giving away a paperback copy of Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews. For your chance to win- leave a comment ON THIS POST ON THE WEBSITE (comments left on shares around other social media WILL NOT COUNT) - Telling us if you have read any of Ilona's books before. The winner will be picked randomly from qualifying comments. Having read the books does not increase your chances of winning. Winner will be announced during the Live show on September 20th (and then posted here on the blog as well on the 21st). Full Rules Below! Good luck everyone! Rules
Whatever you do, do not fall asleep! A fateful warning from Nancy to try and keep her friends alive in the first Nightmare on Elm Street movie. Freddy Krueger has been invading our safe space since 1984 turning them into nightmares. We thought we'd be safe. It's only a dream, or is it? If you die in your dream, you die for real. With so much horror, one success already breeds pressure to make more! So a year later, Part 2: Freddy's Revenge premiered. Admittedly, it was probably my least favorite of the sequels. There's actually a very good documentary called "Scream, Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street" about the lead actor Mark Patton and how the role affected him. The gay subtext was very heavy. At the time, I didn't see it. Looking back and rewatching it now, I don't know how I missed it! I guess I was just young and naive. It was the wrong time for all this to come to light as Hollywood was not as gay-friendly as it is today. If this movie was made today, Mark probably would have been a huge star. But in the 80's, forced to hide his identity, he ended up leaving it all behind.
By this time, Freddy Krueger was ready hit the big time. The next 3 years saw 3 more movies. Dream Warriors in 87, The Dream Master in 88, and The Dream Child in 89. Each one, making Freddy more of a quip-master and adding humor and campiness to once frightful films. Personally, I like a little humor my horror. Take a little break from the ultra seriousness. Take a step back, learn to laugh a little bit. Part 5 may have went a little too far with the gags as it saw a big drop in the box office returns and didn't fair well with reviews. 1991's Freddys Dead: The Final Nightmare was intended to be the grand finale in the franchise, with the final battle in 3D. Some pretty cool effects. When Maggie goes into the dream world to fight Freddy, she puts on the 3D glasses, which was your cue to put them on in the theater. It nearly doubled the previous movie's box office. Wes Craven's A New Nightmare in 1994 took a different approach. For me, its tied with Part 2 being my least favorites. Freddy is entering the real world and it just had a different feel. Less jokey, which some people liked. I liked the less jokes in the first one but something about the execution or something I cant quite put my finger on didnt sit well with me for this one. The long awaited Freddy vs Jason came in 2003. It took a long time. Many scripts, many writers, many different drafts and revisions before they got a story that serve both characters justice. My deepest fanboy desire though was that they should have kept Kane Hodder as Jason for the role. He was linked to it for the longest time and then poof, they got someone else. 2010. This is the remake that no one really wants to talk about. I know its not a popular opinion but its not a bad movie. It wasn't the original but it wasn't bad. There, I said it. To hear some people complain about it, it makes me wonder if they actually watched it or just didn't like that it was remade. Keep an open mind and dont compare them. Some reasons they gave didn't even make sense. "The original was fresh and and new. This one isnt." Duh! Its a remake! Do you expect it to be fresh and new? If they made the same exact movie, you'd complain it was the same. If they change anything, you say they changed stuff. You can't have it both ways. My only complaint is this. On the blu ray disc, WB had something called Maximum Movie Mode, which I don't think they do anymore. It's kind of like a visual commentary. It talks about scenes and splits the picture where you can see other footage in the background, kind of like a picture in picture type thing. And parts of what they are showing were not in the movie! Behind the scenes stuff, deleted scenes, an alternate opening (which would actually explain a bit in the movie that didn't make sense!). All this is being talked over so you cant hear the dialog though, and the disc has no deleted scenes of this showing the full scene! Why are they doing this to me? They have the footage! Put it on there! I need a directors of this movie with this intro or a workprint or something! And finally, 2010 also brought something wonderful for Elm Street fans-- a 4 hour in depth documentary titled Never Sleep Again. It includes roughly about 30 minutes dedicated to each movie, except the remake which was still being filmed at the time. Interviews with most of the stars-- except a couple that went on to super stardom. I would have loved to have seen Johnny Depp in there but I guess he couldnt make it. It even tackled the 1988-90 antholgy television series. Freddy wasnt even the star of the series except for the pilot. He was more like the Cryptkeeper, playing the host of the stories.
Thanks for reading Musers! Good night, sweet dreams, & take your hypnocil so Freddy doesn't get ya!
** Disclosure**
Any Links To Buy On Amazon in this page may be Amazon Affiliate Links (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases which in turns helps support all the Muser giveaways we do)
Dave Christy loves horror, music, documentaries and more. He is also the co-runner of several fan based groups including Morningstars (THE Lucifer fan group also run by Melanie), and now also writes guest articles for Melanie's Muses. Other than "In The Spotlight" Features - watch for the upcoming "31 Days Of Halloween Movies"
About Jodi Jodi is a YA and Adult author, black belt, and registered nurse. She lives with her husband, three sons and an evolving herd of undisciplined animals in Colorado. She has a well-earned fear of bears, but tolerates the Teddy and Gummy variety. She has been obsessed with books, both reading and writing them, for most of her life and prefers the written word to having actual conversations. The most current projected completion date of her To Be Read book collection is May 17, 2176. Welcome to the Spotlight Lounge! Thanks for coming to chat with us today and let’s start with what your favorite drink would be to have while we chat. A -I have a weakness for a frosty, icy Coke. But I’d also love to sip on a steamy cup of tea. Musers hail from all around the globe – so where do you live and do you draw your inspiration from there? A- I was born in Portland, Oregon, and live in Colorado, but all my inspiration has come from traveling. The Rum Runners series is set in Louisiana and The High Crown Chronicles is the culmination of trips to Ireland, London, and two trips to Scotland. The Elyphesian gods in The High Crown Chronicles were inspired by a long-standing love for Greek mythology and a trip I took to Ephesus in Turkey. The earlier books I read from you were Historical Fiction but today come the highly anticipated release of book 1 in your new YA Fantasy series - The High Crown Chronicles! So how do you decide what you want to write?
History, and especially Royal history can be quite a rabbit hole to dive down. Do you have any favorite books, movies, or TV shows that inspired you?
Do you have a favorite character in the High Chronicles? If so who is it – and are they based on anyone in the real world?
I’m also very fond of Kennard. He’s a great, big grumbly presence who is both terrifying and intriguing. Are you a planner or a pantster? (I read this somewhere and had to steal it! Basically do you plan where your books are heading or do you write and see where the story takes you? I started The High Crown Chronicles as a pantser. I just had a vague idea where this story was going and no idea how we were getting there. The beauty of pantsing is that you get so wrapped up in the novel, that you don’t really realize where you’re heading until you’re there. There were times I gasped as I realized something had just happened that I had no idea was coming (Chapter 29, page 118!). The problem with being a pantser is that it can be chaotic during revisions and it’s hard to keep the timeline straight. I am now a “plantser” (1/2 plotter, ½ pantser). I outline an overview of where my story is going with major plot points, but it isn’t terribly detailed. It’s kind of like if I planned a trip from Colorado to Louisiana and I know I’m stopping in Albuquerque and Dallas, but how I get to each point, what I do along the way, and how long it takes will be decided on the road. What for you is the hardest part of writing a book?
Where do you get your ideas?
If you could give younger you one piece of advice what would it be?
A- I’m dying to catch up on the most recent season of Schitt’s Creek. I finally watched Little Fires Everywhere (LOVE!). I’ve been working and writing a lot though, so I haven’t been able to keep up. I need recommendations! What’s the last movie you watched and how would you rate it? A- The last movie was My Spy on Amazon. It was cute, good for family watching. Nothing too cerebral though. Being a nurse during covid has left me gravitating toward light-hearted entertainment. Jodi, thank you so much for chatting to us today! Before you leave please let the Musers know where they can stalk you! Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/JodiLGallegos Twitter - https://twitter.com/JodiGallegos_ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jodigallegos_/ Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B077WZKF4M Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17175445.Jodi_Gallegos BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jodi-gallegos Let us know what you think of Jodi's answers below and I'm sure she will be happy to jump in and answer any questions you wish I had asked! And Be Sure To Check Out The Release Day Post And Giveaway HERE! |
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