Tag Archives: the Raven

My Rules on Monstrous Monday

Posted on March 21, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have often said that writing begets writing, and I have been writing several things this evening, yet here I sit, looking at a blank space on my “Add New Post” screen. Maybe I was writing the wrong things. I wrote a couple journal entries and finished a letter to a friend. By my rule of Any Writing Counts, that should help. Then again, why do I think that my rule made up by me has to always be true?

“Why oh whyyyyy can’t I make a blog post?”

I throw in a picture of a monster, because it is Monday. Regular readers know how I love my Monstrous Monday Posts.

Is this the formula for a decent blog post?

If I continue to add pictures of monsters, I’m sure I can get to 200 words. I realize making blog posts of at least 200 words is just another one of My Rules For Me. What is it with me and rules?

Are they pondering the rules of magic?

I wonder if I think something magic is going to happen if I follow these rules. For example, when I started this blog, I decided I was going to make a post every day for one year. I did pretty good for the first year, and not bad off and on for the subsequent years (it’s been almost 12). I don’t know that anything magic happened. I don’t make up the rules about what counts as magic.

Wrist to Stomach

Posted on January 9, 2023 by mohawkvalleygirl

It was going to be such a productive Sunday. I even made a list of everything I wanted to get done. I didn’t think I would get everything on the list done, but one’s reach often exceeds one’s grasp. Now I am remembering a few more things I really ought to have put on the list. I guess I am not going to get those done either.

I am lounged in my bed with a perfectly dreadful upset stomach. I think I ate a few too many bad things for my age. It is too early to go to sleep for the night (although I tried a nap while the upset was at its worst) (here’s hoping the worst has past), so I will try a Wrist to Forehead Sunday Post.

I was having such a fun Sunday, too. My husband, Steve, and I watched The Raven on Svengoolie, which we DVR’d last night. I love that movie!

I love Sven, too!

After The Raven, which we did not delete, we put in Columbo again. When the DVD player messed up, I remembered I had not gone for a walk this morning. My stomach was starting to quease (I don’t know if that is actually a verb, but it should be), but I hoped for the best. Isn’t fresh air and exercise supposed to be healthy? It turns out not so much.

So that is my sad Sunday story. At least I got a blog post out of it. Now please excuse me while I swoon.

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Posted in humor, personal, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged blog post, bloggers sick day, blogging, Columbo, health, husband Steven, Svengoolie, the Raven, upset stomach, walking. Bookmark the permalink.

Cheerful Monsters?

Posted on July 27, 2021 by mohawkvalleygirl

I feel I ought not make another whiny Monday post, as some of my Monstrous Monday Posts turn out to be. Yet, I am feeling monstrous. Perhaps I could be monstrous but cheerful.

Who could be uncheered by William Castle, Vincent Price, and friends? I could get into watching a Castle/Price collaboration about now. However, I would probably want to go to bed before the end. I am on overtime so get up unreasonably early and get very tired by the end of the day (NOT whining! Merely explaining why I am not watching a movie) (It also explains why this post is turning out to be kind of dumb).

The above is from The Terror, a Roger Corman romp, starring Jack Nicholson and Boris Karloff. I like a Corman/Karloff collaboration, too. Plus, it has the charm of alliteration. Regular readers know I love alliteration.

And here is a Price/Karloff collaboration, with Peter Lorre and Jack Nicholson thrown in for good measure, The Raven. I must get that one on DVD for my collection.

Well, now I am feeling quite cheerful, thinking about these movies I love. Additionally, I am approaching 200 words. Regular readers (I think I still have some) know I call that respectable. At any rate, I made it through another Monstrous Monday. I hope to see you all again on Tired Tuesday, as I fear it will be (not whining now either, just predicting).

Monsters on Monday, What’s Not to Like?

Posted on June 5, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had a couple of authentic Mohawk Valley adventures I was going to write about, but I’m tired. Sorry, folks, I’ve had a rough weekend and a tough Monday — oh, I KNOW other people work much harder than I do and have a much harder time. I’ll stop whining, I really will. My point is, as I was idly scrolling down Facebook, trying to work up some ambition, I came across an awesome still from The Invisible Man, and, well, you know me and monster movies. We are having another Monstrous Monday.

“But, Darling, I never loved you for your looks!”

Claude Rains and Gloria Stuart, what’s not to like? Naturally I kept scrolling to see if I could get lucky and find a couple of more pictures.

They don’t do newspaper ads like this any more!

I LOOOOVE The Raven! I only recently saw it for the first time, having DVR’d it from TCM. I feel certain my husband will give me the DVD for my birthday or Christmas sometime. Maybe on a boxed set of Roger Corman movies. I like Roger Corman almost as much as I like William Castle.

I think this also works as a depiction of the popular conception of Monday.

This is one out of my Media Library. Since I mentioned William Castle, I just had to include a picture of House on Haunted Hill (the 1959 original, of course), one of our go-to movies. So entertaining!

Alas, one cannot enjoy Percepto while watching this on DVD!

Oh, how silly of me. I went looking in my Library for William Castle, completely forgetting that I had just downloaded a movie poster from one of his flicks! It just goes to show how truly tired I am. I’m leaving the other picture in, though, because who couldn’t like to see a scary ghost and a screaming woman on Monstrous Monday? No promises, but I’ll try not to be so tired on Tuesday.

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Posted in humor, Monstrous Monday, personal and tagged blog post, blogging, cheesy horror movies, Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, House on Haunted Hill, monster movies, movies, not writing, Roger Corman, the Invisible Man, the Raven, The Tingler, tired, William Castle, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

But What Would Poe Think?

Posted on November 19, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

Spoiler Alert! I’m going to tell the plot and I may give away a couple of the best jokes.

I thought The Raven (1963) had it all: Vincent Price, Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre star. Roger Corman directed. And it’s based, or rather “inspired by” Edgar Allen Poe. This movie is going to rock! I thought, as I set my DVR.

Well, the movie does rock, but not quite in the way I expected it to. It starts out creepy enough: the camera pans through a gloomy castle while Price’s inimitable voice intones the poem “The Raven” by Poe. A big, scary black bird appears on cue. When Price dramatically asks will he ever see his dear Lenore again and we are waiting for — come on, you know this — Quote the Raven, “Nevermore!” instead we hear a rather testy Peter Lorre answer, “How should I know?”

And it goes on from there.

It is a very silly movie. Boris Karloff is responsible for Lorre’s feathered state. He is the evil head magician. Price’s father used to be the (not evil) head magician, but Price lives retired with his beautiful daughter and the body of his dead wife.

Lorre’s son is played by Jack Nicholson. I think it is delightful that Nicholson got his start in cheesy horror movies. So far I’ve seen him in Little Shop of Horrors, The Terror and now The Raven. Unfortunately, in The Raven, he is merely a handsome young man and doesn’t get much to do.

The highlight of the picture is the showdown between Karloff and Price. This is a scene they love to show clips of in Price or Corman retrospectives. Price counters Karloff’s zaps with panache and a sweet smile.

I laughed heartily at The Raven and recommend it to lovers of horror with a sense of humor.

Mohawk Valley Girl