Best of Halloween: Movies and Songs

Halloween wouldn't be the same without the horror movies and catchy songs. Some of my favorite movies of all time are of the horror genre. Of course, horror movies can range from the really spooky to the slightly amusing. I get a kick out of watching both, and have my favorites from the decades in which I have been viewing them. Halloween songs are usually played by the radio stations on the day itself, but one generally doesn't hear most of these songs again until the next Halloween. I actually have a Spotify Halloween list that I will play during October, so that I can listen for the whole month. So, because I am a "best list" type of person, I am going to give lists of my favorite horror movies, and Halloween type songs.

My top movies are not listed in any order. I tend to prefer the older ones in black and white, but here goes the list.

Halloween (1978, 2007)- The slasher movies about psycho Michael Myers are now a Halloween staple. I like the original because it introduces a young Jamie Lee Curtis. The fact that you never hear Michael Myers' voice gives the movie a terrifying realism not seen in most horror movies.

Phantom of the Opera (1925) - Speaking of not hearing the villain's voice, that certainly is the case with this first version of the movie, starring Lon Chaney. This is a silent movie, but Chaney's make up is so good, that you don't even miss the sound. I recently saw the re-mastered version in a silent film class, and it was amazing for its time. One interesting fact is that Chaney's parents were deaf mutes. This helps to explain his being able to act with his hands and facial expressions so well.

The Invisible Man (1933), and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) - I put these two early classics about scientists gone mad together because both were made in the "pre-code" Hollywood era. The censorship guidelines were developed in 1934, so that prior to that, there was actually more violent and sexually suggestive material than in movies from 1934 to 1960's. Claude Rains is great as the scientist who terrorizes a town by being invisible.  Fredric March won an Oscar for his performance in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and this movie is surprisingly difficult to watch in places because of Hyde's violence toward the female character.

Psycho (1960)- Alfred Hitchcock, Norman Bates, shower scene. And Jamie Lee Curtis's mother, Janet Leigh.

Night of the Living Dead (1968) - This movie really creeped me out the first time that I saw it as a college student at UNC. I remember being rather scared walking back to my dorm in the dark. The movie about zombies was controversial for its time because of the "explicit gore" noted by film critics. It is black and white, but even so, seeing a 13 year girl eating a mutilated arm is some pretty gross stuff. Everyone who likes horror should see this movie once. (did not see the re-make)

Honorable mentions: Carrie (1976) - Sissy Spacek in prom that goes bad and House of Wax (1953), with Vincent Price at his best.

Songs- Of course Michael Jackson's "Thriller" wins hands down for best ever Halloween song and amazing video. But there are a few other good ones.
"Season of the Witch" - Donovan - good song any time of the year
"Werewolves of London" - Warren Zevon - absolutely perfect Halloween song
"I Wanna do Bad Things With You" - Brian 'Hacksaw" Williams - theme song from vampire television show True Blood- great Halloween and my favorite TV theme song of all time
 "Ghosterbusters" - best goofy Halloween song

Halloween Thriller

Yesterday may have been my most fun Halloween experience ever. My Zumba class, led by the great Natalie at the Reuter YMCA, did a flash mob version of Michael Jackson's Thriller in the lobby. Saying that dancing in a Halloween costume to Thriller with one of my dance groups had been a life long dream is an understatement. Every time that I watch the Thriller video, I have been obsessed with dancing it myself. So when Natalie announced last week that our class was going to do this, I was beside myself. I practiced all last week to the video that was taken in class last week. We were encouraged to wear costumes for our performance so I also spent some time deciding what to wear. I had wanted to put on my last year's flip flop dress from the movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Unfortunately, this was not going to work, as I could not dance very well in it. I figured that if I was finally getting my chance to dance to MJ, I certainly wanted to dance my best, so my old flapper costume worked much better.

When I arrived for class yesterday, it was evident that all class members had gotten into the spirit of performing Thriller. Everyone was decked out in their favorite costume. There was a bat, a Daisy Duke type with boots, Davy Crockett, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and many colorful Halloween shirts and skirts. Our fearless leader wore a cat costume with whiskers and a tail. It was great to see such enthusiasm! While waiting for class to start, I talked to a class member who said the dancing in a Thriller flash mob had always been on her bucket list. I echoed that sentiment, and overheard other dance mates saying similar things. If you dance, you just want to try to dance like MJ one time!

When we finally arrived in the lobby for our performance, I noticed that there were a number of spectators, several of them holding cameras or phones to make a video of our dance routine. My husband was one of them, as I had bribed him to come along and take pictures and video on his phone. Once the music started, it was evident that everyone was having a fantastic time dancing to this Halloween classic, in true MJ style. I enjoyed every minute, and loved seeing all the zumba lovers laughing out loud with the moves. What a "thrill"!

My husband took a video of most of our performance - will try to send a link to this later. What a fabulous zumba class!! Thank you, Natalie, for allowing me to check off one thing on my bucket list! You rock!!

The Halloween Costume Party: Winning is Everything

The Halloween costume party has always been the highlight of Halloween for me. As I stated before, I love dressing up as something or someone else. How amazing that I can play a role that is different from my everyday self. Almost as fun as being in my own special costume is seeing what everyone else has decided to be for a day. Having gone to costume parties for several decades now, I am still surprised every year by the variety of ideas, and how these ideas are executed and turned into awesome costumes.

I like to consider the process of how one comes up with a costume idea. Traditionally, of course, is the horror character, either a Halloween character or one from the scary movies. Speaking of movies, numerous costumes through the years have been characters from movies. Last year for example, 5 different movies were represented. Television and cartoon characters are also big, as well as inanimate objects. Sometimes I have gone as characters that I have always wanted to be, while other times, I get a last minute idea. One important element in wearing a Halloween costume is how practical it is. That is, can you actually get to the front door, can you sit down, or can you drive a car? Some participants have solved these issues by removing their costume after everyone has seen them, and then putting on street clothes for comfort during the rest of the evening. Probably the one costume that I remember for its total impracticality was the year that my brother-in-law, Fred, dressed as the Invisible Man. It was a fantastic costume and he nailed it, except that because of his wrapped up face, he was unable to eat!

And now comes the really important part of the costume party: the prize for best costume. Some people say that winning this prize really doesn't matter to them, as it is simply fun just to be in costume. I would say that this is bull...t, ah, I mean, simply not true. Everyone that puts effort into a Halloween costume wants to win the prize. What the prize is doesn't matter - it is just that you have been voted the best of everyone at the party. And losing does hurt, particularly when you really feel that you had the best costume and didn't win, something that we refer to as being "robbed".  A blood relative of mine, who is not my sister, recently expressed distress at being robbed at the party one year. I had to agree with this family member, who is not my sister, that the costume was particularly good. Unfortunately, this incident left the family member scarred, and this member has never attended another party! Oh yes, excuses were made for not attending but I can't help but think that being robbed that year left a permanent scar. Oh, the pain of losing!

We vote on paper ballots every year, and they are turned in to our hostess, Brenda, who counts the votes, announces the winner, and gives the prize. There have occasionally been concerns of voter irregularity, alliances, and bribes. However, Brenda will not allow herself to get the prize, so we generally trust that she is fair and honest. Actually, it is a shame that Brenda doesn't count herself, as she has had some of the most incredible costumes through the years, excluding, perhaps, her Captain X-ray costume. (will be discussed another time).

So, I am waiting with anticipation at seeing everyone in costume on Saturday. We all keep a secret about what our costumes will be until the party. What will be perpetual great costume team, Elaine and Fred, come up with this year? What creative ideas will be seen for the first time? And most important, who will win the prize? I am going to stick out my neck and go ahead and make a prediction:  I was robbed!

Halloween: The Celebration of Fantasies

Since I started this blog back in February, I have wanted to write about my favorite holiday/celebration: Halloween. And this brings up a question that you may be thinking: what does Halloween have to do with exercise or pie? My answer is: absolutely nothing, but I want to blog about it anyway! I love Halloween and always have. Halloween was a fun event in my family, with trick or treating and costumes always encouraged.

Probably my earliest memory was dressing up like a gypsy and trick or treating in our small neighborhood with my sister and our friend, Lorena. We only went to houses where we knew our neighbors. Eating the candy was certainly great - I always appreciated the candy bars more than the lollipops. And forget healthy snacks like fruit - they simply have no place in a trick or treat bag! As we got a little older, we went to our church Halloween parties and did trick or treating for UNICEF.  We were still allowed to get candy, however. We always wore costumes. Back then, I don't remember really thinking seriously about what costume I would wear; I think we just wore whatever old clothes were around the house. But my Dad loved to wear a scary mask for Halloween. Once he wore a really scary mask and went to his mother's house to surprise her. She did not recognize him, and told us that she thought he was too old to be trick or treating!

When I went away to college, I attended Halloween parties held in my ex-husband's (then boyfriend's) dorm. We were space aliens at our first party, using aluminum foil for antennas! Out of these experiences came annual parties with friends from college and our families. The location of our parties changed from Chapel Hill, then to Charlotte, and now to Shelby, NC, where it has been held for a number of years at the home of my college friend, Brenda. The party now includes our children as well. (who are now adults).

Although I always enjoyed the scary movies, jack- o- lanterns and the sugary treats of Halloween, my favorite part by far is the costumes. How fun is it to be absolutely anything that you want to be for one day of the year? Former costumes of mine have included Wonder Woman, Tonto, a chicken (Kentucky Fried), and King Kong (the monster, not the girl), among numerous others. To me, Halloween is the chance to become something or someone that is different from myself, and to really enjoy being that character. I get to be in my fantasy world for one day each year.

This week being "Halloween week", with the real day occurring this Saturday, Oct. 31, I will write about some of my favorite Halloween costumes, movies, songs, parties, and activities. I will share a lot of "scary" photos as well. So, if you are as excited about Halloween as I am, you may want to check into my blog this week. Maybe you will see a fantasy costume that you want to experience in your future Halloweens. So stay tuned for some fun!

Walks and Destinations

It is Fall in the mountains and everyone wants to go on a hike. Nothing is quite so lovely as the golds, reds, and oranges of the trees against a bright blue sky. It is one of those special seasonal treats that you only get to experience a few weeks out of every year. I find it intriguing that there are so many people on the hiking trails - all types of people. There are the folks that walk regularly, trail runners, the leaf season tourists, hiking groups, and people who never consider doing exercise except for hikes during autumn. I am always excited about seeing this mixture of people.

I have written before about exercise and motivation. Whether it is a passion that one has for a certain physical activity, a desire to be healthier, or vanity, almost everyone has to be motivated to make exercise a priority in their everyday lives. I believe one of the appealing things about hiking is that you can get a good workout and also reach a beautiful destination. If you are going to sweat, experience aching muscles, or miss the football game, there better be something that you can look forward to while hiking up that steep mountain trail. Few people are disappointed when they reach the top and look out at those spectacular views, or hear that roaring waterfall.

I believe that walking is one of the best, if not the best, lifetime exercise. It is not generally considered a dangerous sport in which you can seriously hurt yourself. But it helps keep your heart healthy, and is great for emotional and mental health. If just taking a walk in your neighborhood is boring to you, and you can't make yourself do it regularly, try taking walks where you will reach a desirable destination. Whether it be a scenic view, a cafe for lunch, or a cup of coffee, you will have something to keep you walking toward that goal, and to look forward to.

I took several hikes with my husband recently, and enjoyed the leaf colors, rushing river, and peacefulness of the woods. These hikes brought me to great destinations. I also went on a solo walk to my downtown hair cut appointment this week. It was great exercise, and I didn't have to find a parking place, since I walked from my house. I walked a total of 7 miles, and my destination also included grabbing lunch at Tupelo Honey. The thought of mac and cheese certainly motivated me to keep walking. The next time you are having trouble taking a walk or hike, just try to anticipate the amazing sights you will see. And keep walking to the end, particularly if the end includes an unforgettable mountain sight or a doughnut!

The Joy of Hip Hop

Although I enjoy many forms of exercise, my favorite is still dancing. The combination of music and movement does wonders for my body and soul. I honestly love a variety of dance rhythms, including Latin, blues, and swing. But I have begun to really enjoy dancing to hip hop music. I appreciate the energy of the music and the freedom of movement that I have when I dance to hip hop. My love for hip hop prompted me to get up early last Saturday to attend a "hip hop burn" class at a gym on the other side of town. Not only was it on the other side of town, but it was a gym that I had never been to.

Looking forward to this new experience, I walked into the class and recognized the instructor as my favorite zumba instructor at my regular gym! I was thrilled, and happy that I knew at least one person. I have been doing zumba for almost 6 years, all over town, and did not recognize one person in the class. One important point, if you have never been to a fitness dance class, is to know that regular dancers have their specific "spot" in the class. Mine is the front row, far left, in every class I attend. I can't explain why- that is just my spot. Class members get testy if a new person stands in their favorite position, so I stood in the next to last row, which is often where new people stand. The music was all hip hop, and I quickly became lost in the upbeat music and intense rhythms. I cannot help but move to hip hop - it is just so much fun!

I have attended other classes with a combination of pop music and hip hop. One time the instructors at my gym did a survey of class members to determine whether they preferred to have more pop routines or hip hop dances. The results showed that there was a 50/50 split, with the younger classmates choosing hip hop and the older choosing pop or retro music. Even though I am definitely in the older age group, I actually like a combination of both, with a slight leaning toward hip hop. (My dream dance class would be half MJ, half hip hop). I think some older folks are bothered by the rough lyrics of hip hop, and the fact that there is more jumping in the dance routines. I will admit that I usually don't hear the words of the songs when I am in class, as I am so busy trying to learn the dance moves and keep from falling down. When I hear these songs on my Spotify lists, I am a little surprised by the "explicit" lyrics. But I am not personally offended, and the beat of the music is so infectious that I get past the words. After all, I am old enough to have heard these words before.

So, my hip hop burn class rocked, and I will keep going to this class, as well as seeking out other such classes in town. The way I see it, there are really no negatives, if you enjoy pure, uninhibited fun with other like minded people. Everyone in this class looked happy, even at 9:00 on a Saturday morning. The baggy clothing is super comfortable, the workout fantastic and the exercise feels like a party. And there is nothing like dancing to Big Sean's "Naked" on a Sunday morning - try it, you will like it!

Pie for Breakfast, Anyone?: Salt Pork Apple Pie

Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis may notice that I alternate blogs about pies with exercise blogs, and throw in an occasional blog about something else, such as gardening. Since I had written about two pies in my last blog, I had planned to write about something other than food this week. But in all honesty, I am so excited about the latest pie that I made, I could not wait another week to write about it. So exercise will have to wait. Let me introduce the Salt Pork Apple Pie to you!

The first time I saw this pie and its description in the Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book, I had trouble conceiving of the pig meets apple combination in a pie. It just seemed too weird, and I resisted trying this recipe because of all of the other mouth watering recipes in the book. But I was fascinated by the idea, and finally decided to go for it, mainly because of the excited look on my husband's face when I mentioned it. The pie has the usual apples, sugar, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, allspice, cinnamon, flour, and Angostura bitters. (those Elsen sisters love to use liquor in their recipes!). But the salt pork is the key ingredient in this recipe. The recipe says that you cut it into small pieces, cook, and then drain the fat. But, in an interesting twist, you are supposed to add 4 tablespoons of the fat to the apple mixture, as well as the cooked salt pork! Being a Southerner, I was raised on pork fat added to everything, but have learned healthier habits in recent years. So, I could not in good conscience add the pork fat grease. I stuck with only the cooked salt port, which was added in two layers with the apples. By the way, I used three different kinds of apples, as I find a mix of fruit varieties works well. The crust was the usual butter crust, and I sprinkled extra demerara sugar on top to contrast with the salt pork.

I had to have a small sliver of this pie when we returned home after a late evening out. This pie was surprisingly awesome and luscious, with the salt pork, apples, and sugar complementing each other perfectly. I shared the sliver with my husband, who was also blown away with the flavor. We both agreed that it rivals the Salted Caramel Apple Pie from the pie book as our favorite pie. (closely followed by the Lavender Honey Custard). The next morning, I passed by the pie when I poured my morning coffee, and had to have a slice, My husband did the same. What an incredible way to start my morning, and every morning that week, by the way! (in my mind, it is the same idea as eating a bacon doughnut!)  And you manage to get your protein and carbs in as well. (good rationalization, I thought). The truth is, I could not pass by this pie and not cut a slice. I finally hid it in the fridge to try and control my addiction. But this pie is like none other I have made - it is seductive!

This morning, I had the last slice. I thought about sharing it with my husband, but it was a rather small piece, so I thought I might as well finish it off. I apologized to Rich, and told him that I would make him any pie in the Elsens' pie book that he wanted. (there are 58 pie recipes). His response:  he wants the salt pork apple pie next week. Need I say more?