Satanic Panic!
My post about that Pagan Invasion video has been one of the 2016 Countdown’s most popular. I’ve heard from a whole bunch of readers who watched the whole damn thing, and who were just as weirdly enthralled as I was.
I’m still enthralled, by the way. I’ve watched the tape two more times since posting that review. Can’t get enough of it. It may very well become something I watch during every Halloween season.
…and maybe this can join it!
Devil Worship: The Rise of Satanism was made by the same folks who did The Pagan Invasion, and it looks to be every bit as good/bad. I’ve only given it a brief scan so far, but I’ve noticed some familiar faces (our pal Glenn is back, complete with a misspelled name card) AND some shade thrown at “demonic” He-Man figures.
Oh, this is gonna be a treat!
I can’t get enough of these vids. It’s like Unsolved Mysteries meets The Weekly World News. So good. (And so stupid.)
Enjoy!
PS: If you missed it on the main site, a new episode of The Purple Stuff Podcast has dropped. This week, we’re covering another batch of things that are way scarier than they should be. (Like that poor little shoe’s death from Roger Rabbit.)
Between this weird devil video and the new podcast, you have all the ammunition you need for one long spooky night!
The Worst Witch!
I’m short on time tonight, so I thought I’d pick a movie that speaks for itself!
Yup. The Worst Witch.
Now, you should watch the whole thing, because it’s full of charm, cheese, and shots of Mrs. Garrett wearing a hot pink wig. But if you’re as short on time as I am, at least skip to the end so you can see Tim Curry’s famously infamous music video, which very well may be the best Halloween thing ever created.
(I’ll be honest and say that everything that comes before Curry isn’t exactly fast-paced entertainment, but I still think The Worst Witch would have cult cred even without him. Just, you know, a LOT less.)
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark!
Tonight’s movie is Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. I love this one to pieces.
The film debuted in 1988 and feels like it debuted in 1988. It’s a weird blend of that era’s creature features and romantic comedies, but better because Elvira is in 98% of the shots.
If you’ve only paid cursory attention to Elvira and have doubts about her ability to carry a movie, trust me, she KILLS it here. She’s positively magnetic. Mistress of the Dark is funny and sappy and loaded with cheese, but since Elvira’s wit was so ahead of the curve, it still “plays hip” today. She may be surrounded by dopey stuff, but Elvira is never dopey.
Bonus points: The film also stars Edie McClurg (Mrs. Poole!) and Ira Heiden (The Wizard Master!), so it kind of inadvertently became this amazing tribute to the late ‘80s even if it didn’t at all mean to be.
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark can put anyone in a good mood, so if you need a pick-me-up tonight, look no further!
Tales from the Crypt, 1972.
I got a heavy one for ya, tonight. Tales from the Crypt, from 1972.
It’s one of the few horror that really got under my skin, thanks largely to the fact that I saw it as a small child. It randomly came on television on some long ago Saturday afternoon, and I just couldn’t look away. I’m glad I didn’t now, but at the time, it definitely fueled a few nightmares.
The anthology film is full of eerie shit, but of particular interest to me was the Wish You Were Here segment, a spin on the famous Monkey’s Paw story.
Between the shot shown above (watch the movie if you want context) and the gory, unbelievably unsettling ending, Wish You Were Here has been stuck in my brain for literally decades. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever even watched Tales from the Crypt again after that first time. That’s how much of an impression it made.
Tales from the Crypt is much more appropriate for a stormy Sunday afternoon, but I think it’ll do okay on a Monday night, too.
Enjoy the movie… if you dare.
