Movies to watch this Halloween - Part 1: Seasonal Delights

The weather outside has dipped below 90 degrees here in Virginia, so you know that Fall is here. College football games? Done it. Fall Festivals? Been there. Now, the real fun begins, because the greatest holiday in the world is two weeks away. Bring on Halloween! Candy, costumes, decorations, haunted houses, and old horror movies on television all combine to make this the best season of the year. I can already hear the Christmas apologists lining up to espouse the virtues of America's most celebrated holiday, but you can shut your pie hole, because you are defending a bloated and misunderstood debt fest. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Christmas (and it's my wife's favorite), but there is something so delightfully unnecessary about Halloween. And plus, Christmas is about birth, peace, and family. Halloween is about ghosts, murder, pranks, and candy.

OK, so we have 13 days until Halloween, which gives you an opportunity to watch, in my opinion, about 25 horror movies. with so many quality scary movies worthy of your viewing time, I thought I would suggest 25 horror movies that will help set the mood this holiday season. While not a ranking of he 25 best ever - that's for another day, this is 25 that will motivate you to kidnap children, slip razor blades into apples, and throw toilet paper in your neighbors' yard.

I'll start with 5 Halloween themed films:

1. Halloween

The classic. John Carpenter's masterpiece excels on so many levels. The score is tense, the violence is realistic, and this movie is still capable of creeping me out 25 years and dozens of viewings later.

2. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Not scary, but great for the whole family. Usually they replay this one on IMAX this time of year, you should totally check it out. The wife has never seen this one, so I can pass it off as a Christmas movie. This one is a lot of fun and a perfect of example of the genius of Tim Burton.

3. Trick R Treat

This long-delayed new release (now available on DVD) is a Halloween-themed anthology that is quite entertaining.

4. Night of the Demons

A 1980's guilty pleasure dying to be discovered by you this Halloween. WARNING: boobies all over the trailer. Which to me, doesn't say WARNING, it says WATCH ME.

5. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch

Yes, its another Halloween franchise movie, but this is the one without Michael Myers. And you know what kids, that is not a bad thing. Check this one out, its creepy, funny, has melting heads, and a star with a great mustache!

And sing along with me: "Thirteen days til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. Thirteen days til Halloween, Silver Shamrock!"

Truckers For Jesus

This past week, on my way home from beautiful Ferrum, Virginia (near Ferrum, it's an absolute crazy drive along the Crooked Road), I had to make a necessary stop at "a little boys room" in a Travel Center near Staunton on I-64.

After finishing my business and buying some Giant Chewy Sweet Tarts, I headed for the door, a pound or two lighter and whistling a happy "almost home" song.  On my way out, I noticed a box filled with cassette tapes and labeled "free."  In spite of not owning a cassette player, I rummaged through the offerings to see what "free" bought you these days.  Here is what I came away with:

Apparently, eternal salvation can be found not only at a truck stop, but for free.  

Now if I only had a cassette player.....

Billy Drago needs to listen to those cassettes

The Gas Station

Gospel Sunrise, Inc.

The Worst Truck Driver Jokes Ever

Billy Drago Fan Club

A Video Tribute to Billy Drago

18 Wheels of Steel

Convoy: The Movie

Random Thoughts From Kidjite: Week of May 18th (plus a top-ten list!!)

• Not being much of a drinker, I rarely frequent liquor stores.  In fact, it took me until today to fully grasp the liquor laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.  For 75 years, all liquor sales in Virginia have been made by the Virginia Bureau of Alcoholic Beverage Control, currently operating 300+ stores throughout the Commonwealth.  For those interested, ABC has a very informative website.  I am not exactly sure how I feel about the whole enterprise.  Next thing you know, the state will want to be involved in gambling.  Oh yeah, the lottery.....
  

• The Chicago Cubs are struggling, having lost 7 straight games, including an 0-6 road trip.  Milton Bradley, the poster child for a misguided Cubs off-season, is once again making an ass of himself.  Always an injury risk, often a hot-head, Milton is currently hitting an astounding .182.
  

• I am currently reading book #348 of 'The Executioner" series, a masterpiece called "Carnage Code."  Expect a review soon.
  

• A horror movie made for $70 grabbed a lot of attention at Cannes.  The trailer makes it look like a $70 movie, but you have to admire the makers of the film and their fulfilled ambition.  Check out the trailer for "Colin."
  

• Speaking of horror movies, here are my Top Ten favorites.  My apologies to the hundreds of horror movies that did not make the list.  It's like I said one time to Leon Newsome (although I think I said it about sci-fi movies), "even bad horror movies are better than most non-horror movies, 'cause at least they are 'horror'."
  

10.  "Nightmare on Elm Street"

9.  "Saw"

8.  "Scream"

7.  "Evil Dead 2"

6.  "Frankenstein"

5.  "Hellraiser"

4.  "Halloween"

3.  "Friday the 13th Part 2"

2.  "The Shining"

1.  "Psycho"

Ladies and Gentleman, Nicolas Cage

OK, I'm gonna have to be honest with you, I like Nicolas Cage.  Every since 1983's "Valley Girl," I have had a man-crush on this brilliant thespian.  Seriously, think about the sweet movies that this Academy Award winner (!!!) has been in.  Whether he's dazzling us with the dual role of Caster Troy/Sean Archer (shared with the clearly inferior John Travolta) in "Face/Off" or lying in a pile of terrorist rubble (with a mustache!!!!) in "World Trade Center," Nicolas has portrayed the human spirit unlike any other actor working today.

Some other career highlights?  Where do I start?

• "Wicker Man."  Not only did he sport a bear suit, but he produced this damn good film.
  
• Winning the Academy Award playing a dumb drunk and failed Hollywood script writer (imagine that) in "Leaving Las Vegas."
• Saving the world in "Con Air," "Ghost Rider," "Fire Birds," "Face/Off," "The Rock," and many others.
• Anyone seen "Honeymoon in Vegas?"

Not only is Mr. Cage one of Hollywood's top actors, but he has had an interesting personal life as well.  Some highlights include:

• He owns a Lamborghini that used to belong to the former Shah of Iran.
• Has a tattoo of a monitor lizard with a top hat.
• He is a big fan of Elvis Presley.  In fact, he dated, married, and divorced Lisa Marie Presley.  For the record, Nic is on his third wife.
• Made $20 million to star in "National Treasure."  TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS!

Some things to look forward to:

• An action-comedy called "Kick Ass!"
• A remake/sequel to "Bad Lieutenant."
• "Knowing" on DVD.
• A 2nd "Ghost Rider."
• A third "National Treasure" movie?  Maybe he can find a hidden secret on the back of the "Contract With America."  

But, when it comes down to it, the highlight of Nicolas Cage is his hair.  Below are a few highlights (no pun intended).  Let me "plug" away!

Con Air

Raising Arizona

Adaptation

Ghost Rider

I could keep going, but honestly, people have documented the hairstyles of Nicolas Cage far better than I could imagine.  My favorite is here.

Other Great Nicolas Cage Stuff:

How To Tell If You Are Watching A Bad Nicolas Cage Movie (WHAT??????)

Hilarious "Cracked" Magazine recap of Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage Virus

The most complete Nicolas Cage website

Another sweet fan site

"The economics is crazy." Nic had to sell his Bavarian Castle!

Bear Suit Video