I was so fortunate to get some photos of tonight's full moon! It looked like it was going to be too overcast out there to get a shot of it.
I was all prepared to show a pic I took of the nearly full moon last night. But tonight's moon popped out for maybe 30 seconds tops, and then went back under a cloud. I was lucky to have my camera ready.
Going...
Going...
Gone!
I took those photos in succession. Click, click, click. So that shows how fast the moon was being covered!
July's full moon is called the "Thunder Moon". If you're wondering, this moon got its name because there are more frequent thunderstorms in July than in other months. For those who'd like to get into the nitty gritty of what else is going on in the sky alongside that moon, space.com has an informative page: July Full Moon 2017: When to See the 'Thunder Moon'
Because I didn't think I was going to get a photo of the moon tonight, I took a number of photos of the neighborhood. That way, I thought I'd have something to share. I'll still include two of my favorites here. I love the look of this yard at night. It's like a happy little campground or festival with those lights. And the silhouette of the fence and trees frames the light so perfectly. There's something so old fashioned about it.
So, onto those ghost stories! I discovered a few new ghost shows on YouTube recently. New to me, anyway. I think they'd been filmed sometime back. I was searching on there for "haunted pubs" because sometimes I'm in the mood for British ghost shows. First I found this one:
Most haunted pubs & Inns in Britain With Richard Felix
It just occurred to me that this is the same Richard Felix who is on the Most Haunted TV series.
After watching that show, I read a conversation in the comment section where people were talking about a man named Chris Halton who made similar videos. So I looked him up and enjoyed this episode of his show very much. Here it is:
England's Most Haunted Villages: A Day and Night Investigation of Pluckley, Kent
For those who get my blog posts in email form, I know the videos don't come through. So here are some links to them:
These are like "ghost show comfort food", because you're not going to get scared. It's more like someone is giving you a tour around town, teaching you history, and sharing a few local stories. There are some interviews too. It's pleasant ghost show viewing. It's dare I say, relaxing viewing. So enjoy these ghost stories. It's a perfect night to watch them with that full moon out there!
Midnight Syndicate has a new Christmas album out this year! I was very excited to hear this news and even more thrilled to receive a copy of it to review. I wondered which direction Midnight Syndicate might go with a Christmas album. I knew I would like it, but I wondered how they would strike that balance of Christmas themes and spooky music. It can be tricky to do a spooky take on Christmas, because you wouldn't want to hear too scary of a version of the beloved carols. That doesn't happen at all here. This album struck the perfect balance for me!
You know the way the ghosts are presented in A Christmas Carol? In that way where Christmas is seen as a magical time when the ghosts and memories of Christmas past can come alive. The ghosts in A Christmas Carol are at times beautiful, at times jolly, and times truly haunting. Well, that's the way Christmas is handled on Midnight Syndicate's Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering. The music is beautiful and strikes an eerie chord while remaining respectful to the Christmas classics.
I am a big fan of Christmas themed albums. I might have more Christmas CDs than Halloween CDs and I'm at the point where I thought I had nearly every style of Christmas music out there - Cajun, Country, Jazz, everything. Trust me! But I didn't have anything like this in my collection.
When I chatted with Edward Douglas from Midnight Syndicate about this album, he said they weren't working with an overall story line on this one. Still, I heard a story through this album. So this will be my interpretation of the songs and how they piece together into a story in my mind. What I heard on this album were the spirits of holiday past, always present and haunting a beautiful Victorian house. The CD cover art and album title definitely started me thinking in that direction. Check out that fireplace!
Also on the back cover was this description:
As fierce winter winds cut across the frozen landscape, a welcoming golden glow beckons from the windows of a venerable country mansion. Decorated in the festive trappings of Yule, its stately walls seem to offer a much-needed respite for the weary traveler. But the holiday spirits are restless and eager for company this night, as the haunting strains of melodies old and new call forth from the shadows.
Once I started picturing the house in that illustration and what might be happening in it during the Christmas season, all of the songs fit together with that setting. For this telling, the great Pabst Mansion will be playing the role of the stately home:
And these will be the spirits of Christmas past that you will encounter:
I just saw this and thought how the scene fit perfectly with what I pictured as far as who would be haunting this house at Christmas. Thanks to Dex for letting me know that this painting is titled "The Ball" and that the artist is Julius L. Stewart.
Each song stands strongly on its own, but I enjoyed fitting them together into one long Christmas Eve story format. So here are my descriptions of the tracks along with my personal photos to illustrate the story.
The night starts off in track 1 with magical, wintery sounds, followed by horsewhip noises and some bits of classic Christmas carols in minor off key spooky tones. The horses are hurriedly transporting you to your destination. The carriage whips through the snow and trees on its way to the old Victorian house.
Meanwhile, in track 2, the ghosts are floating through the hallways, waiting for the guests to arrive. A large grandfather clock chimes in the grand hall. This is a variation of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".
"Carol of the Bells" is my favorite Christmas song, and that's number 3. I'm not sure why this has always been my favorite carol, but it probably has something to do with the mysterious and magical tone of the song. I love whatever version I hear of it. In this case, there's a slow build up to the familiar music with what sounds to me like monks chanting. Then there is some soft string music and light little bells.
I was really looking forward to hearing the fourth track: "Night of the Krampus". How could I not? Has there ever been a Krampus song before this? Maybe something in German. We all have an idea of what Krampus looks like and this music fit perfectly with my vision of him. The song conjures up images of Krampus sneaking into town and then cracking his whip/switch at those who have been naughty. So fitting with the story line, your horse-drawn carriage is now passing quickly through a little European town - very quickly! Your driver is careful to avoid that scary furry guy with the whip. As you make it quickly out of town, you hear manic giggling and the sound of bells behind you... I really liked the Old World feel to this one.
Next you pass by a pretty little church where you hear organ music and then a harpsichord. Track 5 is "Angels We Have Heard on High" and I can picture the old house coming to life as it plays. The lights are slowly flickering on as the ghostly music begins. The fireplace lights up and the memories of the past become the present.
"Greensleeves" is Track 6. Beautiful guitar playing is followed by the heavy old doors of the gate opening. Your carriage approaches the old mansion and makes its way to the entrance. This is one of the more traditional songs on the album, but there are still some eerie little undertones. They're subtle.
You make your way inside the old house and Clump, clump, clump. What's that noise above your head? "Up on the Housetop" is next. I thought this was a pretty clever use of the title and song. What is up on the roof in this case? It doesn't sound like Santa, that's for sure. Did Krampus get a ladder? Whatever it is, it has heavy footsteps and isn't feeling too jolly. I think I heard a deep "HOHOHO" in the mix. Maybe Santa's had a rough night?
There are some pretty church-like bells in Track 8 "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen". There's a slight churning darkness under the surface, but for the most part the song is angelic. After hearing Santa or Krampus or whoever stomping around on the roof, it's nice to hear the angelic singing outside the house. I like the way there's a variation of light and dark through this album.
"Coventry Carol" is number 9. There are slightly ominous bells and then some fairy-like music box type music in this one. I can imagine the little toys coming to life in the house as I listen to this song.
I love Track number 10 "Little Helpers"! This one reminds me a bit of some of the songs on Carnival Arcane. That sort of slide whistle mischievous music. Santa's helpers are more like little gremlins taking time away from the carnival here. Or pointy-eared little elves who are sort of a mix of naughty and nice. I picture some green little critters running around. This is one of my favorites on the album.
"Sing We Now of Christmas" is almost a waltz. I think people could waltz slowly to this beat. There's an interesting percussion on this one that I can't quite figure out. It's a pretty song and back to the haunted mansion, I can imagine the ghosts appearing and slowly dancing around the great hall to this music.
The next song "Winter Storm" makes me think of what will probably be one of the best times to listen to this album - during a winter storm. There's always that spooky side to the winter season, especially with the snow storms we have here. I know there will be some time when I'm snowed in and in the mood to listen to this. There's a heck of a storm in this song! It's like listening to an avalanche, from which emerges the abominable snowman, charging at the old house. The wind is hitting the house from all sides, the windows are clattering, the snow is spinning in the strong air, and the beast is out there.
A sort of peace falls over the house in track 13 "Into the Stillness". You'll recognize the first part "Still, still, still..." from the classic carol. Then you'll hear the voices of a beautiful choir. I liked how the album is pieced together with that innocent sounding singing tucked into some of the songs. It keeps the music just light enough. The way I see it, you and the rest of the visitors decide to leave the old mansion after the storm clears, and head out "Into the Stillness" of the dark winter's night.
Everyone rides along in the horse-drawn carriage into the old streets of the village. There's merriment as people celebrate and also that threatening Krampus lurking around every dark corner. "Little Toy Soldiers" plays as people shop in the market, but every now and then you hear the heavy footsteps... Better stay in the carriage!
There's a definite regal feeling to track 15 "Everywhere, Everywhere, Christmas Tonight". This gives a warm, bold ending to the album. This is the kind of music to toast a mug of warm cider to. Think of this song as the Ghost of Christmas Present. It's warm and celebratory with just a hint of ghostliness. I imagine the ghosts sitting around a warm fireplace in the old house and wishing one another a Merry Christmas.
There is a bonus track after this one called "Christmas at Midnight". It is a sweet and quiet song. The bells in the mansion chime 12:00 and the ghosts wave goodbye, wishing you a Merry Christmas! An angelic choir finishes the song.
I think Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering would make an awesome Christmas present, especially for Midnight Syndicate fans. It would also be good for people who like that more magical side of Christmas or for those who feel (like I did) that they have every type of holiday music already. They don't have anything like this!
And now for a special treat - an interview with Edward Douglas about the new Christmas album! It was fun for me to read his answers to my questions. How many times do you get the chance to discuss what you were wondering about a piece of music with the person who created it?
My interview with Edward Douglas
When is the perfect time to listen to this album? During all of December, leading up to Christmas or maybe during those cold, windy winter nights? Sometimes I wonder what the perfect time is for spooky Christmas entertainment. Like with A Nightmare Before Christmas, it's hard for me to decide if I should watch it for Halloween or Christmas. I've personally been enjoying your album through November, but I'm wondering what time you had in mind when you composed these songs.
>> This album has a very winter feel to it for me. One thing we found was that as we took these classic holiday carols and started putting our own spin on them, they became more like Midnight Syndicate tracks and less associated with any particular time of year. I found myself listening to it in October and even September (which is something I never do with holiday music). If we created a holiday-themed album that can transcend the season for some of our listeners, I think that would make us both very happy.
Looking at the back cover of your CD, you guys are standing in front of a sort of stone archway. I see a bit of what I think is a European city between you and behind the arch. Do you know where those buildings are located?
>> That's actually a picture of Gavin and I taken by photographer Steven Franczek in front of Squire's Castle in Cleveland, Ohio. There's a lot of wonderful architecture in Cleveland. As for the buildings through the archway, those came courtesy of Topher Adam of Dark Beauty Magazine who's done additional photo design work for us on our past two albums.
I assumed that the setting for this album was in Europe, maybe because of those buildings and the Old World flavor of the Krampus song. I mean, the setting we might imagine while listening to this. Did you have a sort of European Christmas theme in mind?
>> We saw this album existing in the same world as all of our other albums. Although it's not specific to any particular place in the real world, there's definitely a European flavor to this album. I think that's because most of the songs we chose are centuries-old European carols or classical compositions written by European composers.
It's pretty heavily implied that part of this album involves the ghosts who haunt an old mansion around Christmastime. Who do you think the ghosts are or who had once lived in the old house?
>> As always, we want to leave that up to the listener... ;)
What kind of bells were you using on this album? Like when we hear what would maybe be a horse carriage, reindeer, or Krampus jingling. And the whip noises for that matter. Are you actually back behind the mic with bells and a whip?
>> Sometimes yes. We got to use a lot of bells, woodwinds, and crazy percussion on this disc. It was great. Lots of sleigh bells (which I think is what you are referencing).
In "Sing We Now of Christmas" I heard some interesting percussion in the background. What instrument am I hearing? Maybe it's even a cowbell? That little popping sound.
>> Christopher Walken would not be pleased as there is definitely no cowbell in that song. It's actually a type of traditional European hand drum.
What kind of elves did you picture in "Little Helpers"? I'm assuming you were thinking of elves... Because I was visualizing some creepy little critters running around.
>> All sorts. When I told my kids we were doing a Christmas album, one of my daughters said that we had to do an "evil elves" song, so that's how that one started. I don't know if they're necessarily "evil," but mischievous? Most definitely.
In "Up On the Housetop" Is Santa the one who is on the roof? Traditionally I would think so, and I think I heard a HOHOHO, but that song is pretty ominous!
>> That was a fun track to do. We didn't want to make an entire album where we were just taking happy light songs and turning them all dark and ominous but there were a few songs we wanted to do that to and this is one that Gavin heard in his head from the very beginning.
What is your favorite classic Christmas carol?
>> Sleigh Ride is both of our favorites but I also love O Holy Night.
So now that you've read quite a bit about Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering, you'll want to hear some of the songs and watch the slideshows of antique imagery that accompany them. The first eight videos on this playlist are from the Christmas album.
Recently I ran across a storyteller on YouTube that I really enjoy listening to. I'm not sure what the magic ingredient in his voice is or why I prefer listening to him vs. many of the voices on YouTube. I think part of it is that he genuinely sounds like he is telling you these things firsthand. He's probably reading these stories unless he has a photographic memory but they're told in a way that sounds like a friend is talking to you. He gets the emotions and the timing right.
The storyteller is Otis Jiry and he reads stories that are anywhere from a few minutes to an hour long as well as some dark poetry. A lot of the stories he reads are those "Creepypasta" stories. For those who don't know, Creepypastas are short scary/shocking stories posted online. They're usually written in way that sounds like they really happened, even if what's being described is pretty wacky.
So I thought I'd post a few of my favorite readings from Otis Jiry. Those of you who get my blog by email will probably have to come read my actual blog because I know these videos don't generally show up for you.
The first one is called "Ash Hollow: The Odd Little Well" and was written by R.J. Wills. This story isn't too scary, it's more mystifying. It would be good for a discussion group where everyone could share what they think it means. I thought it was descriptive in the way where there are just enough personal details to make it sound real.
This next story "Birthday at Freddy's" will seem extra spooky and familiar for people who remember Chuck E. Cheese's. It's a little scarier than the last story.
I always thought those animatronic critters were creepy!
If you'd like to listen to more of Otis Jiry's storytelling, here is his YouTube channel: Otis Jiry's Creepypasta Crypt
There are a variety of different types of stories on his channel. Some are pretty morbid.
While listening to Otis' channel, I saw a recommended video on the side of my screen. I clicked on it and really enjoyed what I heard. Listen to this one in a dark, quiet room. The lady who reads this has a whispery, haunted tone to her voice. It's a story from the point of view of a babysitter but it's different from most scary babysitter stories. This is another one worth discussing, because there would probably be a lot of different opinions about what happened. "My Last Night Babysitting" by Jeanna Saccomano:
After many recommendations, I have finally watched Insidious! I don't even know how many people have asked me if I've seen this. After a point, I started thinking there must really be something to this movie. There is!
Matt, From Spooky Halloween Arts, was generous enough to send me the movie. I'll try not to give any crucial pieces of the plot away, but you might not want to read this if you haven't seen Insidious yet.
I felt like Insidious paid tribute to some classic movie genres while still bringing something new. We've all seen enough haunted house and possession movies and those subjects are both represented here. What's new is the idea of Astral Projection.
Overall, I think the movie was artistically done. There appeared to be a greenish-bluish lens over most of the film, which gave it a bleak look. The first house in the movie is a large, Arts and Crafts style house that was built in 1909.
The characters who live in this house are a couple and their three children. The mom stays home with her kids through the day and gets to hear every shift and creak the old house makes. Sometimes she's also treated to the sight of shadowy figures wandering about. One particularly creepy moment happens when she hears something on the baby monitor that is not at all a baby.
After enough of these high jinks, the mother is convinced her new house is haunted. To make matters worse, her young son has had an apparent fall in the attic and is now in a coma. She convinces her husband to move the family to a new house. Their new place is light and airy, the total opposite of the last house. However, it's not long until the activity starts up again.
A priest is brought in, and we are eventually introduced to a psychic and duo of paranormal investigators. The paranormal investigators have sort of a Mormon missionary look to them. They're dressed more formally than any paranormal investigators I've ever seen. They add whatever levity is in the film. The psychic reminded me of the little woman who comes in to help the family in Poltergeist. She was sweet, soft spoken, trying to help a child, and a conduit for the other side.
One of the dressed up investigators with the psychic
The psychic makes contact with a series of paranormal entities. In a scene which is probably open to interpretation, I watched what I think was a residual haunting of the first house. Then there are other random ghosts wandering about and something that very closely resembles a devil/demon/the worst old Krampus postcard images you've ever seen.
I happened across a makeup tutorial for anyone who would like to recreate the creature's look:
Whether you find Insidious scary will depend on what scares you. There's not a whole lot of stuff leaping out at you, despite what the trailer leads you to believe. Watching that, you'd think this movie is just a bunch of nonstop jump scares. It's much more subtle and artistic than that.
In fact, Insidious reminded me a little of The Woman in Black. I was reminded because of the movie's timing and build up to scares. That and one of the characters looks nearly identical to her. Maybe there have been lots of black veiled women in Victorian mourning dresses in Horror movies, and I've missed them. The veiled character in this movie was sort of a Woman in Black/Baby Jane mashup.
The same makeup artist you saw in the first video also created a version of that old lady ghost:
Isn't it funny to hear him sounding like a nice person under all this creepy makeup? Not that this is at all related to Insidious, but he does a killer Beetlejuice makeup tutorial too.
Somehow "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" managed to get even creepier when used in this movie. It was a surprising song choice, but it worked. I found some video of the "Tiptoe" scene with a little hidden gem. I bet those of you who watched the movie missed it. I sure did.
That's part of what's scary about ghost movies - the idea of something being able to watch you without you seeing it.
I found myself most freaked by a scene that probably wasn't supposed to be the most scary. For those who've seen the movie, you'll remember the unmoving wax-like figures in the 1950s style clothing.
I've seen this character referred to as The Doll Girl
I assumed these figures were the previous residents of the first house. Since we're viewing what I assume was a murder that took place in the home long ago, they've become yet another layer of the haunting.
The movie ended in a way that made me say "What!?" It was clearly one of those "...to be continued" endings. I wasn't aware until now that Insidious Chapter 2 came out in 2013. I need to see that! Many of the reviews I've read say that the second movie is even scarier than the first.
Last night after watching the movie, I thought to myself how it was just the right amount of scary. I laughed at myself during the movie as I jumped at a few moments, and I didn't feel traumatized after viewing it. I did, however, think of the movie a little today. Since basically all the action happens inside two homes, I noticed some household items reminding me of scary moments. Every door seemed suspicious, like it might creak open.
The ghosts were big on door opening.
The writers were saying on the DVD commentary how they thought the movie would stick with viewers, because of those everyday moments around the house. Common, uneventful moments like looking in a bathroom mirror, or reaching into a kitchen drawer, make you think twice after watching Insidious. This goes to show the movie's everyday, ordinary vibe. I really did feel like I was watching a normal family. Sometimes we're watching them from such a distance that we can assume something else is watching them too.
Insidious is a slow burn of scares. It sneaks up on you. I went from wondering when the action would occur to getting the chills. The movie has that slower pace. If you're into subtle, shadowy frights, you'll have a good time getting scared by Insidious!
The last month or so of frigid weather has made me want to take in some movies. When the temperatures are in the negatives, I just want to cover up with a bunch of blankets and bust out the DVDs! I had a certain movie on my mind lately. Some recent conversations have been reminding me of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.
The first time I saw this movie would have been around when it came out. Then about 15 years later I saw it on the big screen at one of those midnight movie nights in an old theater. It was a lot of fun. I remember people yelling out the famous lines along with Pee-Wee. Some parts, like the Large Marge scene, are experienced best on the big screen.
Good old Large Marge. That claymation moment where her face morphs scared me so much when I was a kid. That part is pure Tim Burton. Pee-Wee's Great Adventure was one of Tim Burton's earliest movies. It was also the first movie Danny Elfman wrote a score for. According to the DVD commentary, it took a lot of coaxing to get Elfman to take part in the project. Good for him that he did, because it started him on a really successful path in composing movie scores.
This third time around watching the movie turned into more of a fifth time around. I ended up watching the movie again to hear Tim Burton and Paul Reubens do their commentary. Then I played it again for the Danny Elfman commentary. I learned some fun trivia and was surprised that I was still interested in watching the same movie that many times in a row.
I have to share one piece of trivia I learned. I'm sure nearly everyone reading this is an Elvira fan. Did you know that Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) has a role in this movie? I didn't even recognize her.
She's in more of a biker babe role here. I think she looks just as cool like this! I might actually prefer her biker look. You'll see her at the end of this clip:
Back to Large Marge. There are a series of events that lead up to her scene. It starts with Pee-Wee hitchhiking to Texas. Pee-Wee has the fortune or misfortune to be picked up by Mickey who is an escaped convict. I don't think I'm doing a whole lot of plot spoiling here, considering what this movie is like and how you've very likely seen it already.
So Mickey strands Pee-Wee on the side of the road in the middle of the night and along comes...
Isn't that a classic ghost story moment?
I was surprised to find that I am far from the only person Large Marge made an impression on. In fact, I ran into several tributes to her scene on YouTube! The videos ranged from cute to confusing. (The Cutest one)
I watched Big Top Pee-Wee next, but I wouldn't bother with that one! The only funny thing about that is the series of negative reviews online... It was really missing Tim Burton's vision! OK, to be fair, Kris Kristofferson was hilarious as Mace Montana, the circus manager. I'm not sure if he was supposed to be funny, but he was to me. I think I was just amused by watching someone basically be his normal self while surrounded by a bunch of craziness.
So my advice is to skip Big Top Pee-Wee and check out Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. If you're a fan of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is definitely worth revisiting. It's interesting to watch the beginning of a film partnership and two amazing careers. And when you're done watching it, be sure to read this:
