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Tag Archives: Carnival of Souls

Not Late, Just Lame

Posted on March 11, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I’d try something different: making my Lame Post Friday post ON Friday.  Of course here I sit with not much to say, but when has that ever stopped me?

Tangentially related illustration.

I wanted to throw in a picture to, you know, pep things up.  I just spent a ridiculous amount of time searching my Media Library for pictures I was sure I used at some point relating to this evening’s cheesy viewing.  Alas, they were not to be found.  So I share the above, because it is a movie in the same DVD collection as the one I am currently watching, The Atomic Brain.

Previously I watched The Vampire Bat.  I am SO in the mood for old, low budget horror these days.  Bring on the cheese!  Incidentally,  the Brain one just ended, and I put in Carnival of Souls.  This one is low budget but not really cheesy.  It is almost a masterpiece of atmosphere, creepy and weird.

Found the right picture!

I cannot remember what I shared about my television trials and tribulations.  I know I talked about getting rid of cable, but did I mention that I could not even watch DVDs?  Well I couldn’t, but now I can.  Unfortunately,  it is not the ideal DVD situation.  All I can do is put the DVD in and hit Play.  So I can’t arrow over when, for example, there are two movies on the same DVD. No pause or rewind either.  I KNOW!  First world problems!

Ah, here is a bit of half-baked philosophy,  in which I like to indulge on Lame Post Friday:  why are all my problems either of the first world variety or operator error?   Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

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Once Again, I Make with the Monsters

Posted on November 29, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I guess it’s time to make my Monstrous Monday Post.  Past time, actually.  I read where you should not be on your device too soon before bedtime or you’ll have trouble sleeping.  I would actually like to go to sleep right now.  However, I also want to make a blog post, and I most likely will not be able to sleep anyways.  So let’s make with the monsters, shall we?

It’s a shadow of a doubt, I mean a shadow of a count!

Here is a particularly evocative shot from my beloved Nosferatu, the silent masterpiece from 1922.  Regular readers know he is my favorite guy.  They made great use of shadows in older horror movies.  Unfortunately,  I was just looking and could not find any more.  Isn’t that annoying?  I could have had a whole theme going on here.

Eerie, yes?

Since I could not find shadows, how about a reflection?  This is from Carnival of Souls, a creepy low budget delight from 1962.  When I say low budget, I do not mean a schlock-fest (although I love some of those, too).  I mean they created a deliciously unsettling movie using very little in the area of special effects.  Atmosphere for days!

I think something bad is about to happen.

I searched my Media Library for another shadow or reflection or anything I could relate to the previous two pictures and found nothing.  So I close with a mysterious bull’s eye.  I have no idea what this picture is from.  I don’t even know if I knew when I first downloaded it, and I am far too lazy to research the matter.

On the brighter side,  I am over 250 words.  Score!  I wonder if I will be able to sleep.

 

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Souls, Swoon, Snapped, It’s Sunday

Posted on October 17, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

There I was, so proud of myself for making my Friday post on Friday, then I did not post at all on Saturday and here I am on Sunday, no blog post and very little brain to come up with one.  How dreadfully irresponsible of me.  I guess it is a Wrist to Forehead Sunday,  because I do feel rather inclined to swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, onto a handy chaise lounge.  Why do I not have a chaise lounge?

An evocative poster, no?

My husband, Steve, and I did watch a couple of movies, one of my favorite things to do on a Sunday.  I wanted to see Carnival of Souls.  It is so unsettling with very few special effects, a testimony to what can be accomplished on a small budget.

A haunting image.

I throw in another image for good measure.  When this moment happened in the movie, I drew Steve’s attention to it.  I knew I had seen a still of it.  I got these images, by the way, from a Carnival of Souls Facebbok fan page.

We are now looking at an episode of Snapped.  Sunday’s are for Snapped, according to the Oxygen Facebook page, but I don’t mind catching an episode or two any day of the week.

Luckily I have not reached mine yet.

I see I am over 200 words.  Score!  I guess I don’t have to swoon after all.

 

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Just a Few Mid-Week Monsters

Posted on September 29, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

Once again I wussed out on Wednesday.  Once again I have no good excuse so will not attempt to offer one.  However, since I did not make a Monstrous Monday post, I will indulge in some Mid-Week Monsters.  I do like monsters.

“You’re late with your blog post? I’ll get you for that!”

Here is the creepy guy from Carnival of Souls, one of my favorites.  So unsettling with a minimum of special effects, so scary with no blood and gore.  I know, most horror fans love the blood and gore.  I confess to being squeamish.

If it’s blood and gore you want…

 

Some bloody, gory movies I enjoy were made by Hammer Films in the 1960’s and ’70’s.  I just loves me some Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

Not monsters, but monstrously talented.

I was looking for a picture of Peter Cushing and found this one, including Vincent Price.  Price was not in any of the Hammer horrors, but he gave delightful performances in several produced by William Castle and Roger Corman, two more of my favorites.

Ah, there’s Cushing in action.

There! I found one with Lee and Cushing!  I guess I can use a picture of a mummy to wrap things up (couldn’t resist a pun; I rarely can).

 

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Depression is Monstrous

Posted on September 13, 2022 by mohawkvalleygirl

I started a blog post last night but did not finish it (obviously).  I tried to finish it this morning but got bogged down in a morass of words about being depressed.  It felt whiny and pointless, so I stopped (although I did save it for possible future use).  I want to publish something, so I am going to throw in a few monster pictures and call this a Monstrous Blogger’s Sick Day (depression is an illness, although I feel somewhat fraudulent using it as an excuse) (never mind that, on with the post).

“You cannot escape!”

This is from Carnival of Souls, an excellent example of how a movie can be quite unsettling on a low budget and minimum of special effects (you know, it is much easier to italicize words with a mouse than on a Tablet) (just to throw in a little computer chatter).

My depression looming over me? Only I do not look that good in a bathing suit.

A little Creature from the Black Lagoon never hurt anybody.  Some people find it helpful to picture their depression as an animal that follows them around.  I wonder if a mind trick like that would help me.  I could picture it as a monster and make friends with it.

“Hi, Depression. Nice suit. Green suits you.”

Maybe not.

Invasion of the Happiness Snatchers?

Or I could fight my depression with a pitchfork, and a little help from my friends.  The pitchfork only provided temporary relief in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but it certainly made for a dramatic moment.  Regular readers know I love drama.  I wonder if the pod people could be worked up to a full metaphor for depression.  That might be something to play with sometime.

And now I see I am approaching 300 words, with very little effort and only a minimum of whining.  I will make a greater effort toward even less whining, and as always try for a better blog post next time.  Once again, thank you for tuning in.

 

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Why DON’T I Have a Chaise Lounge?

Posted on October 7, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

Yes, it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday,  and once again, I got nothin’.  We had a rehearsal for Fabulous and Fatal, our latest, and perhaps last, murder mystery.  We got some dinner at The Happen Inn in Little Falls.  Now I am home and, quite frankly, looking forward to bedtime.  But I do not want to be making my Sunday post early Monday morning, so here we are.

Some people may ask (and you know who you are), what reason have I to swoon, dramatically posed with the back of one wrist to my forehead, on a chaise lounge or otherwise (regular readers may remember that I have no chaise lounge)?  I suppose I must confess, very little reason indeed.

I will not reiterate here all the good things in my life.  Nor yet will I make a list of the bad.  Who keeps score of these things anyways?  Oh, I suppose YOU do (once again, you know who you are). One feels the way one feels.  That is all.

I will feel happier once I reach 200 words and hit Publish.  For one reason, Steven is on board with my plan to watch Carnival of Souls, one of my favorite Halloween movies (I like it the rest of the year as well).  I hope to see you all again on Monstrous Monday.

 

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I Can Run, But I Can’t Blog

Posted on September 25, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

So I went running this afternoon, specifically so I could make a Running Commentary post.  Well, I guess that was not the only reason.  I also want to get back into shape (that is, a shape other than round and puffy), lose weight, be able to run a 5K and better.  And I thought some exercise would help my mood.  I sure could use some of them there endorphins.

Obviously I did not get any.  I suppose I did not run long enough.  You’ll have that, especially when you are trying to get back into it.  I have to remember that in middle age, one falls out of shape a whole lot quicker than when one was younger.  Also, it is harder and takes longer to get back into shape.  I hope I do not appear to be whining about these things; I merely mean to make the observations.

Not actual footage of me after my run, but close.

I thought I’d better pep things up with a picture.  This lady’s face looks like how I feel.  It is Candace Hilligoss in Carnival of Souls (1964).  I got the pic from the Facebook page of that movie.

This is where I must admit, I am too tired and brain dead to make a decent blog post.  Was it the run that tired me out?  Or just the usual Monday Malaise?  No matter.  I’ll throw in a couple more pictures and hope to think of amusing captions.

I could be the old-fashioned slow-poke kind of zombie.

Actually, I walked my cool-down alone.

As I feel like a zombie, I find two zombie pictures.  Now I am done running and blogging for the night.  Happy Monday, everybody.

 

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All Wet on Wednesday

Posted on September 6, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Feeling yet unable to write a real post and noting that I did not indulge in a Monstrous Monday, I thought I would let a few of our creepy friends cheer me up a little.  Since I adore alliteration (see what I did there?), I declare today Watery Wednesday and I search for creatures from the deep.  Or even the shallow, to match my mind.

“Oh, THAT’S where I left my lady in a bathing suit!”

Who doesn’t love Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)?  Oh, I suppose YOU don’t (you know who you are).  Julie Adams (pictured here with the green guy) (I’m guessing he’s green; the movie was black-and-white) is one of my Likes on Facebook.  She comes across as a very gracious lady.

“Am I interrupting?”

Less gracious but still all wet is the title character from JAWS (1975). I loves me some JAWS.

The alligator is off camera asking his agent why he isn’t in this shot.

This is Lake Placid (1999), a movie I really like.  I was looking for a shot of the alligator but could not find one.

My mood is, alas, not improving, so I shall close with a darker but still wet movie.  Carnival of Souls (1962) begins with a rather horrifying scene involving a muddy river.

 

The look on her face is about how I feel.

I got this shot from a Facebook page about the movie, https://www.facebook.com/carnivalofsouls1962/.  I like to give credit whenever I use it.

So it seems I am having a Wuss-out Wednesday after all.  These things happen to a daily blogger, at least to this one.  As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

 

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More Halloween, Please!

Posted on August 27, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have a LOT of stuff I need to be getting done, but, you know, I have always had the damnedest time getting anything done on a Sunday.  I went to church and got a prayer shawl blessed for the mother of a friend.  I went grocery shopping with my husband.  I made spaghetti sauce for dinner, chopped vegetables and made salad for tomorrow’s lunch, and… OK, that was it.  And I am watching Halloween movies, so I can at least make a blog post with fun pictures.  We started cheesy with Horror Hotel (1960), featuring a young, fairly hot Christopher Lee.

Not the best shot of him, but a pretty creepy pic, I thought.

The movie was in one of our DVD horror collections. House on Haunted Hill was also on that disc.  Of course we have House on Haunted Hill (1959) on a disc all by itself, seeing as it is one of our all time favorites, but I suggested we go ahead and watch it on that disc, since it was already in the machine.

 

I loves me some Vincent Price.

Next Steven suggested Carnival of Souls (1962), a really trippy, well made, low budget, high suspense horror film.

It’s scary! And far from cheesy.

I got the picture from a cool Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/carnivalofsouls1962/.

And I have missed a bit of the movie while I made this post.  It hardly matters.  I will certainly watch this movie again.  I have declared it Halloween season in my household.  I figure if my fall allergies can kick in so early (and they certainly have!), I can enjoy the fun parts of fall as well.  It makes an excellent way to get through a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

I can’t see where the poster resembles the movie, but you know I never pay much attention to these things.

Carnival of Souls ended before I hit publish, so I moved on to Night Tide (1961), which is on the same disc.

 

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