Horror

Get ready to cuddle up close and watch some great movies during those cold winter nights with Dish Network Satellite TV. Even though it is so much more expensive, it’s nice to venture out to the theater every now and then. The winter season will soon be upon us and many people will decide to head to the movies with their loved ones and friends. Here is a preview of what you can expect in theaters for the holidays!

Old Dogs
Release Date: 11/25/09
This movie stars Robin Williams and John Travolta and it looks absolutely adorable! The two actors have been favorites of movie fans everywhere for years and it looks like they’re going to make a hilarious pair in this comedy. One is a bachelor and one a divorcee, Travolta and Williams are about to land a huge business deal but are suddenly given the responsibility of taking care of 7-year-old twins!

The Road
Release Date: 11/25/09
I’m not sure what to make of this film just yet since I’ve only seen one trailer but it seems very interesting. This film hasn’t picked up much buzz but there’s still time. I can say that the acting is guaranteed to be of great quality. It stars Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron and Robert Duvall. The plot is based on post apocalyptic times where a man and his child need to fight to stay alive, keeping themselves safe from starving cannibals. This sounds dramatic with a little splash of horror- just the way I like it.

Everybody’s Fine
Release Date: 12/4/09
Robert De Niro stars in this heart-warming holiday drama that is sure to please a wide variety of viewers. He has already won Best Actor at the Hollywood Film Festival for his role in this film and his acting has also been noted as Oscar worthy. DeNiro’s character makes an attempt to reclaim his relationship with his adult children played by Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell.

The Lovely Bones
Release Date: 12/11/09
This movie looks unique to say the least and it’s difficult to tell what type of message, if any, it will deliver. It seems very depressing as a young girl is murdered and is watching over her family from Heaven. She is also keeping an eye on her killer. She needs to make a difficult decision in the spirit world- allow her family to move on or take revenge on the person who took her life. This film could be troublesome to watch for parents but if done carefully could possibly become a blockbuster hit. The cinematography looks beautiful. This film stars Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon (one of my favorites) and more.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squekuel
Release Date: December 25
Here’s an adorable flick for the whole family. These tiny-voiced creatures are sure to keep the kids entertained with a fun story, music and dancing. The original Alvin & the Chipmunks released in December 2007 won Favorite movie at The Kids’ Choice Awards, USA and the BMI Film Music Award and made $44,307,417 at the box office.

It’s Complicated
Release Date: 12/25/09
Meryl Streep is on a role once again. She’ll be starring in this drama with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Streep is a restaurant owner and the mother of three grown kids who has been divorced from her husband for many years. She and her ex-husband embark on a trip that unexpectedly reunites their passion for each other and Meryl’s character becomes “the other woman”.

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Who is your favorite actress? I know it is very difficult to choose who you like the best since there are so many variations of talented women to choose from. I know that I cannot decide on just one but can certainly state that Kathy Bates would be in the top five. She is probably one of the most versatile and consistent actresses around and has proven her talent with her many characters in movies of every genre.

Bates has starred in over 60 movies since she made her big-screen acting debut in the film Taking Off released in 1971. Her stage performance in the play ‘night Mother earned her a Tony award nomination in 1983 and she was just getting warmed up. She also starred in the Off-Broadway hit Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. The play lasted through 533 performances. The reason why this may sound familiar is because it was adapted into the movie Frankie & Johnny starring Michelle Pfeifer and Al Pacino. Bates was a huge hit on stage and her career in film was about to explode when she starred in the classic horror smash Misery (1990) as the psycho Annie Wilkes! This performance landed her the Academy Award for Best Actress that year.

Kathy Bates went from one hit film to the next when she took the role of Evelyn Couch, an unhappy housewife, in Fried Green Tomatoes. She was able to make audiences everywhere put aside their fear and, alongside Jessica Tandy, melted the hearts of all her fans. She went from a horror film to a drama and came back to Stephen King once again for Dolores Claiborne. This film was very slow moving and certainly did not have as many followers as Misery, but as far as character studies are concerned, they couldn’t have picked a better actress for the role because without Bates, the film would not be half as good.

Bates stole our hearts again as “Molly” Brown in Titanic (1997). I’ve talked to plenty people about this film because it was such a huge success. Everyone I’ve spoken with seems to have similar opinions of the movie in that the topic was suspenseful and breathtaking but that DiCaprio’s and Winslet’s performances were completely overacted and almost laughable at times, but we like their characters so it was enough to make it work. Bates, on the other hand, played her part to the tee. You would swear she wasn’t acting since she was so comfortable and her lines just rolled off her tongue as if she was completely improvising. She made us laugh and cheer with her astounding performance. I am shocked that Winslet was nominated and Bates was not. Winslet is now a decent actress (most notably in the film Little Children) but she was simply getting her feet wet when she made her mediocre debut in Titanic.

Kathy Bates displayed her confidence and agreed to appear naked in the film About Schmidt (2002), also starring Jack Nicholson. The scene consisted of Bates undressing and entering the bathtub. I’m not quite sure why everyone claims how disgusting this part was. Perhaps it’s because many young people may see her as a mother figure. As a grown woman all I could think was, Go, girl! Bates’ body was obviously not stick thin, but if my skin looks like that with no spider veins or cellulite when I am 55 years old, I certainly will not be wearing a moo-moo at the beach!

Kathy Bates has earned every award that has come her way and deserved so much more. She is one of the most accomplished actresses of our time. Not only has she proven her perseverance in the world of film she has also made a huge personal achievement. Bates was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in 2003 but has since beaten the disease. She kept her disease a secret from the press and went to chemotherapy appointments on her own. She said that she needed to deal with the disease without any distractions. Bates is grateful that she was diagnosed right at the beginning stages and wants others to know that early detection is the best step toward fighting cancer. Bates has now joined the Ovarian Cancer Foundation to speak out for early detection and cancer treatment. read more »

Have you ever been such a fan of one particular TV actor that you wish you could see more of that star in the movies? I was watching House as I do every Monday night and I was trying to figure out why Omar Epps is not in more movies. He is very good-looking, talented, and his fame seems to be on the rise at least on TV. He plays a major role on the hit television show House as Doctor Eric Foreman. He starred in the other hit hospital TV show ER as Dr. Dennis Gant from 1996-1997. We’ve seen a great deal of Omar Epps throughout the years on television and many of us feel like we know him and are waiting to see him on the big screen again!

Epps has been in many movies, the most notable ones being The Program and Higher Learning when he played the role of Malik Williams. He was a track star at Colombia University having a difficult time with his studies. He befriended the beautiful Tyra Banks who became his tutor and his girlfriend. This movie was a shocking look at racism, sexism and more. It was surprising because it takes place at a University where most people would assume these issues would not be common. The movie reminded us that acts of hatred like these are still happening whether they are on the streets or in an educational setting.

Omar also starred in Alfie and Against the Ropes both of which were released back in 2004. I didn’t find either of these two movies interesting but it had nothing to do with Epps’ performance- the films just weren’t that great. His most recent work on the big screen is A Day in the Life released this past summer. This film focuses on a typical day for rapper Sticky Fingaz and the actors rap their dialogue throughout the rap-musical. What is going on with Omar’s choices in movies? I’d like to see him take on another impressive role in a blockbuster hit and I guarantee he will be one of the most talked about actors out there. Omar Epps is more than capable of delivering an award-winning performance. He gained the interest of the NAACP when he won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, an Image Award for his effective performance on House. He received this award both in 2007 and 2008.

Epps’ became interested in acting at a very young age and actually began writing screenplays at the young age of ten! He attended Fiorello H. La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan, the school that is famous for helping to shape the talents of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and many actors, artists, musicians, writers and much more. Epps has an ear for music as well. He and his brother started the rap group Wolfpak in 1991, before the launch of Epps’ acting career. Epps has been keeping up with his music and his CD titled The Get Back was released in 2004.

I would like to see Omar Epps in a positive leading role. He has taken on many characters that find themselves on the wrong side of the law. It is unlike me to crave a good romantic comedy since I’m much more horror oriented but I would pay to see one with Omar Epps. I think he would do wonderfully in a heart-warming film similar to One Fine Day or one of the great Tyler Perry films. America will fall in love with him all over again and Epps career in film many take off to new levels!

For blockbuster hits including your favorite actors in award-winning performances, check out Starz InBlack and 5StarMax for built-in entertainment! read more »

Looking forward to heading to the theaters for some excitement? There are a few interesting upcoming movies set to arrive within the next few weeks so I decided to take a closer look at what we can expect to see at the movies before the end of the month. This is a great season for those of you who love thrillers. It seems that the Halloween spirit is lasting a little longer this year. We usually get bombarded with horror movies and mysteries during the month of October but it didn’t seem like we had too many choices this year. Not to worry there is plenty more horrifying fun to come!

The Fourth Kind opens this weekend (November 6) starring Milla Jovovich. This film looks creepy and mysterious. Jovovich plays a psychologist conducting a sleep study on a group of people in Nome, Alaska. She comes across an unexpected challenge when she discovers that her patients believe aliens abducted them. When I watched the trailer I was taken aback by the way they captured the patients while they were being hypnotized. They looked possessed and petrified. The directing is similar to Paranormal Activity with the home video type deal. This style of filming is really making a comeback. It’s very daring for directors to take on a project like this because this style can make or break a movie. Let’s hope it adds character to the film. The acting in this movie looks decent and it is supposedly based on a true unsolved mystery. I’m in!

This isn’t the only thriller coming to town this week. The Box with Cameron Diaz is also scheduled for release on Friday the 6th. This movie could go either way. It might be an average film glamorized by the inclusion of popular actors or it could make us question our own moral beliefs leading to a very interesting film. The plot sounds appealing but it appears to be laid out on the table and I’m not sure where the suspense will come from unless the story takes a turn and surprises us. Basically, Diaz is a teacher married to a NASA engineer and they have a son. One day, she finds a disfigured stranger at her door with “The Box” in hand along with a proposition. She can press the button and receive a million dollars (somehow) but someone she doesn’t know will die. I think we can guess what she decides to do. The question is, will the punishment be limited to the death of a person unknown to her if she presses the button, or will there be harsher consequences? I’m a Cameron Diaz fan so I’m hoping this flick is much better than anticipated.

George Clooney has managed to star in yet another bizarre film. Only Clooney can make wacky choices like this and walk away from it unscathed. As if the movies Leatherheads and Oh Brother Where Art Thou weren’t enough, he does it again with The Men Who Stare at Goats! If the cast wasn’t completely star-studded I’m sure that this film wouldn’t gain half the popularity it has received thus far. I’m thinking that Clooney as well as costars Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges will carry the weight of the movie and at least offer us some great acting and funny moments. It’s based on the true story of the military trying to train Special Forces agents to have paranormal abilities. They practice by staring at goats and concentrating on them until the goats drop dead. They practice this as well as reading people’s minds to eventually use their gifts in the war. The guys get a little too confident in their ability thinking they can use it with everything. One of them disappears and the others go searching for him, attempting to use their gifts along the way and taking the audience for a comical ride in the process. This is a dark comedy that, in spite of its wacky name, may be worth a glance.

The release of 2012 is set for next weekend (November 13). Let the terror continue- at least until the holiday season! This big budget sci-fi adventure stars John Cusack and takes us into the future to the time of the apocalypse. We’ve watched movies with similar plots before but this one is unique since it was taken from predictions in the ancient Mayan calendar. The effects look tremendous and the acting should be favorable. I’m hoping that the effects don’t take up the whole movie. I prefer for the plot to build and to get to know the characters before the madness begins. This film will be awesome if it was done right. Let’s hope the events don’t start right from the get-go and lose their flair toward the end of the movie. I want to be drawn in and completely concerned for the characters before they are faced with the danger of losing their lives. The thing that holds my interest the most is the fact that I am very curious as to how it will end. Will it really be the end of the world and will the characters die in the end? Will they be the last people on earth once the rest of human kind becomes extinct? Can there be a stop to what looks to be irreparable damage to the earth? I’m going to have to see this right away because I don’t want anyone to blow it and tell me what happens in the end!

Needless to say, it looks like the next few weeks will be huge for the box office with a collage of different movies to choose from. You will have access to everything from horror to Disney's A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey. It certainly looks like there will be something for everyone. I will be at the theater Friday night to catch The Fourth Kind because, if you’ve read my blogs, you’d know that I couldn’t pass up a decent thriller! If you love horror movies as much as I do, then there is no better television service to have than Dish Network Satellite TV! Dish has Showtime Beyond, a huge seller for me because it’s all horror all the time! You don’t need to go to the movies every week to have the best entertainment. Movie fans have many premium channels to choose from including Encore. The Encore premium channels have movies of every genre and you don’t even need to pay extra for them when you have the Classic Gold 250 package! Have fun at the movies and be sure to check out Dish for built-in theater style entertainment in the comfort of your own home!

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a ghost hunter? Imagine camping out in an empty house in the dark just waiting for something paranormal to happen. This is a bizarre profession and maybe even a dangerous one. The Syfy channel on Dish Network Satellite TV offers the show Ghost Hunters. You can go along for the ride with the ghost hunters as they investigate homes that are reportedly haunted by ghosts.

I was listening to the radio this morning when the DJ’s were interviewing another group of ghost hunters who visit people’s haunted homes for free. They were recently working on an investigation in a Nashua, New Hampshire apartment for a family that was tormented by ghostly occurrences. Their 13-year-old daughter has visions of blood dripping from the walls in her room and she hears things and sees full body apparitions. She will also start writing randomly in handwriting not characteristic of her own. The investigators did not see anything when they were at the home but they did hear growling unlike an animal that they attribute to something demonic.

The apartment is new so it is rare that a place like this would be haunted. The ghost hunters recommended that the family move somewhere else but they also recommended a demonologist to help them rid of the demon. Ghost hunters are out to learn more about the paranormal but they are not qualified to perform an exorcism. They claim that a demonic haunting usually stems from a curse or something that their ancestors were guilty of in the past that was carried down to them. They would need to consult the church to find a demonologist who would be able to conduct an exorcism. The demonologist is an informed and very religious person who has a faith so strong that it cannot be overpowered by the demon. Demonic hauntings are said to follow their victims no matter where they move- not unlike the story in Paranormal Activity. The family decided not to move but there’s no word yet of whether they will seek out a demonologist.

A demon is characterized by a non-human entity that has a soul but never had a body, perhaps an angel that was cast down from Heaven. It is not seen but can be heard and felt. The demon enjoys wreaking havoc and can be very dangerous. They are jealous of our lives, they smell foul and they are intelligent but have no inhibitions. There are plenty of people who do not believe that this can be possible but there are also a few accounts of people experiencing this phenomenon. I’m sure there are cases that can be attributed to mental illness. I question whether or not it’s possible to be haunted by an evil unseen force but at the same time I’m curious about it on an entertainment level.

Can the cases be true that led to such movies as The Entity, The Amityville Horror, The Exorcist and The Exorcism of Emily Rose? There are many skeptics that do not believe these stories are valid and many investigations uncovered a few loopholes in the stories. For example The Amityville Horror story implied that there were hoof prints found outside the home in the snow that possibly belonged to the demon but it was confirmed that it did not even snow that day where the house is located in New York and it would be rare that the demon would have a visible form. I haven’t heard of any arguments concerning the story in The Entity so perhaps there was nothing to argue. The woman portrayed in the film was raped at night by an unseen force. She moved from the home and hasn’t been touched but she claims that there is still a presence.

Can just anyone be haunted by a demon? Investigators claim that demonic hauntings start off quietly and gradually build in intensity. Families that are under high stress are considered to be more vulnerable. Stressors can include anything from marital problems to mental illness. Demons have an outlet when people are at their weakest psychologically. Using objects that invoke spirits can bring more into your life than you bargained for. Ouija boards, crystals and Tarot cards seem like simple entertainment but according to some professionals can also bring in unwanted spirits and demons. There is also the curse factor. Demonic hauntings are very rare but when they occur they are impossible to rid of without the help of a professional demonologist and they can still return after they’ve been expelled. It is important for families who have had a demon expelled to attend counseling and repair their personal problems so they can maintain a positive mental state. This will make it difficult for the demon to return.

It is difficult to know what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to something as delicate and unseen as the paranormal. I would like to believe that demons do not exist and these occurrences can be attributed to something else- anything else. Like many people I would like to believe that angels are real and they are watching over us and protecting us. There may be more reliable measurements in the future to test the validity of the paranormal but perhaps it is better to use our imagination than know the truth. read more »

This is a long blog, but it is well worth the read if you love horror, food, drinks, friends and a good story. I was searching the DISH Network Satellite TV channel guide to see what suspenseful movies will be on for the remainder of October. Now that October is here after a very short summer, it is time to prepare for fall festivities and scary movies. I look forward to going apple picking and attending fall fairs, going to the Christmas Tree Shoppe to stock up on fall decor and, of course, curling up on cold weekend nights for some good horror movies!
I started to think about how I can start the Halloween experience early, so I decided that I’m going to invite a few friends over this weekend for a fun night of horror! I'm not going crazy on creepy decorations this year, but we'll certainly light a few candles to set the ambiance. I was thinking of preparing a delicious dinner, followed by two horror movies then a little good night story for my friends before they leave for the evening. I should mention that my daughter is going to be at her grandmother’s house while this is happening! So far, I have found some great recipes from Food Network to share with you for the dinner and treats.

Appetizers
To add some Halloween color into the mix, I’m going to make this appetizer that includes a witch green color.

Roasted Chile Guacamole with Baked Tortilla Chips
Baked Tortilla Chips:
· Cooking spray
· 3 sun-dried tomato basil tortilla wraps
· 3 garden spinach herb tortilla wraps
· Olive oil
· Salt and pepper
Guacamole:
· 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion, thawed
· 2 cups frozen no-salt added petite peas, thawed
· 1/3 cup water
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 1 (1-ounce) packet guacamole seasoning mix
· 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
· 1/2 cup diced tomatoes with no-salt added
· 1 cup chopped avocado
· 1 (7-ounce) can fire roasted diced green chiles
For tortillas chips:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
On a cutting board, stack 3 tortillas and using a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges (like a pie). Repeat with remaining tortillas. Separate any that may stick together. Place on baking sheet, evenly spaced. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and let cool.
For Guacamole:
In a medium saucepan combine onions, peas, water, lemon juice, guacamole seasoning, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes until ingredients are soft.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Pour cooled pea mixture into a large bowl. Add avocado and mash with a fork or potato masher. Strain tomatoes and add to bowl with green chilies. Mix until blended.
Serve with baked chips.

Since my good little doobie will be at her grandmother’s house, I can also make a few drinks to accompany our appetizers!

Emeril’s Tin Can Margaritas
Ingredients:
· 1 lime, cut in wedges
· Coarse salt, for glasses
· 1 large can frozen limeade
· 1 full can good-quality tequila
· 1/2 can triple-sec
· 1/2 can lemon juice
· Ice
Directions:
Rub rims of glasses with a lime wedge; place salt in a saucer and dip rims. In a pitcher combine remaining ingredients, stir well and fill up with ice. Serve in salt-rimmed glasses with lime wedges.

And now…for the main course…Pumpkin-Peanut Curry Noodles with Five-Spice Seared Scallops and Shrimp, which only takes 20 minutes to cook (believe it or not)!

Ingredients:
· 1 pound spaghetti
· Salt
· 5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
· 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
· 2 inches ginger root, minced or grated
· 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
· 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
· 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
· 1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari dark soy sauce, eyeball it
· 1 (15-ounce) can cooked pumpkin
· 2 rounded tablespoonfuls mild or hot curry paste (recommended: Patak's) found on international foods aisle
· 3 tablespoons five-spice powder
· 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
· 12 diver scallops, trimmed and patted dry
· 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, then thinly sliced lengthwise into matchsticks
Directions:
Heat a large pot of water for noodles. When water boils, salt it and add pasta to cook to al dente or with a bite to it.
While pasta cooks, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil. Add garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, and pepper flakes to the pan and cook together a couple of minutes, then add peanut butter and melt it. Whisk soy into peanut butter, then stir in pumpkin and curry paste. The sauce will be very thick. Turn down the heat to low. Add a ladle or 2 of pasta cooking water to thin sauce a bit and simmer over low heat. Adjust salt, to taste.
Heat a small to medium skillet over high heat. Pour the five-spice powder onto a plate with some salt. Press both sides of the shrimp and scallops into the powder. Add 3 tablespoons of remaining oil to hot skillet. Place the shrimp in the pan and cook 1 minute, flip and sear the other side until just opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside. Add another 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat back up to smoking. Add the scallops and sear on both sides until opaque. Remove scallops and add to the plate of shrimp.
Drain pasta and return pasta to the pot. Add the curry-pumpkin sauce and toss thoroughly. Serve noodles on 4 plated and top with scallions and seafood.

All I have to say is YUM!

And now for dessert…Dirt Pudding! This literally takes 5 minutes!
Have some pudding prepared from the night before, crack open a package of Oreos and crumble the cookies into the pudding. It’s delectable and easy.

It is now time for the feature presentation:

Movie number 1: Scream

Intermission: Coffee with Baileys Irish Cream, Amaretto and Frangelico

Movie number 2: From Dusk Till Dawn

Good night story:
This woman was doing laundry on a Saturday morning while her husband was at work. For some reason every time she pushes her clothes into the washing machine, she gets the feeling that someone is behind her, but she keeps going, admitting the thought is ridiculous. The basement never bothered her before. It isn’t musty as there’s a dehumidifier down there. It hasn’t been emptied for a while but the air is still dry. The cobwebs are always dusted and swept away as she is not fond of spiders, so the basement is fairly clean minus a few bags and it’s bright enough so there are no unlit corners. She hears her son rummaging through something in the living room upstairs, so she quickly goes back upstairs to be sure he is being safe.
Her son decided to try out his new roller-skates while mom was downstairs. The lady reminded her son that he needs to wear a helmet and knee pads if he wants to roller-skate then he can join her in the basement while she washes clothes. There is more room to skate in the large space downstairs. The husband had just recently finished ripping the rug off the basement stairs so he can replace it and there are small nails sticking out of the front of a few of the stairs. The mom tells her son that she’ll carry him downstairs because he’s already wearing his skates and she doesn’t want him to get hurt on the nails. The son complies.
Once the son’s helmet and knee pads are on, the mom sets him free to skate about the basement. Then she gets this horrible chill down her spine and a sick feeling in her stomach so she takes a minute to lean up against the table where she folds her clean clothes. She can’t figure out what the problem is, but her father is in the hospital so she decides to call her mom from the cell phone she has in her sweatshirt pocket to be sure everything is okay with him. Her mom said that everything is good and that her dad will be coming home the next day. Her dad fell and one of his toenails was caught on something and had been ripped off completely. He is a heavy man and any fall he takes is sure to cause some damage, but hooking his toenail on something made it even worse.
“He’s fine”, she thought, “so what can this horrible feeling be?” Her son is skating as fast as he can while holding onto the basement wall. She covers her face with her hands trying to think of what the problem could be. All of a sudden her son catches one of his skates in the grate of the basement drain. His skate stays there and his body goes flying forward. He luckily landed on a trash bag that was full of clothes the mom put down there a week ago for the Salvation Army.
She dashes to her son who is crying out of shock from falling with his new skates. She comforts him and walks over to retrieve his skate, still stuck in the grate of the drain. “These crazy plastic roller-skates. We’ll get you a new pair today, baby”. She looks back down at the skate and notices something hairy sticking out of the drain along with a foul odor.
She calls her husband to come home from work on his break to check this out. She puts on a movie upstairs for her son who is ready for a nap. Her husband gets home shortly after and hurries with her to the basement to see what she was talking about. He grabs a crow bar that was stashed behind the dryer and pries open the drain, catching a bunch of hair along the way and flinging the object across the room once the grate breaks free. It thumps against the wall and falls behind the trash bags full of clothes. They notice that whatever it is, it’s bleeding because there is a splat of blood on the wall. “I wish I had my father check that drain when he was down here last weekend. You know how I like to keep that clean”.
They tiptoe over to where the object had thumped to the ground and peeked behind the bags. They scream and jump back when they realize it’s a human head with skin that is falling off from spending so much time in the drain water. They panic and the husband takes a good look to make sure they didn’t miss anything else down there. He noticed her father’s pocketknife under the basement stairs with blood on it. He does not pick it up. As he examines the stairs for further evidence, he sees what he originally thought was a leftover piece of the carpet he had ripped up and notices that it’s a toenail. “Get upstairs and call the police!”
The wife calls the police who eventually get there and investigate her basement. They observe the head and ask them what is in the bags that are on the floor. The lady tells them that they’re stuffed with clothes. They open the bag and notice body parts that have been hacked up and stuffed in quilts. They take the toenail as evidence.

Goodie Bags to Take Home:

Some fun trinkets from iParty along with some cool Halloween lollipops!

Ingredients:
· 6 or 8-inch wooden pop sticks
· Gummy worms, as needed
· 2 cups sugar
· 2/3 cup corn syrup
· 2/3 cup water
· 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1/4 teaspoon orange, lemon or cherry extract
· Few drops orange food coloring
Directions
Lay a silicone sheet on a baking pan, place the sticks on the pan and place 3 pieces of gummy Worms above the tip of each stick to form a gummy worm triangle.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a clean, dry small saucepan. (It is best to use a heavy gauge pan and preferably with a pour spout.) Bring to a boil over high heat and cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 305 degrees F or "hard crack" stage on a candy thermometer. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a clean pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals that are clinging to the sides of the pan.
When the mixture reaches 305 degrees F, remove the pan from heat and dip the bottom of the pan into an ice bath for a few seconds to stop the candy from cooking. Add the extracts and food coloring and stir very gently with a wooden spoon so the color is evenly distributed.
Pour the syrup over the gummy worms and just over the stick. Cool the candy for at least 20 minutes.
Lift the lollipops off the silicone and either serve immediately or wrap in an airtight container.

Now, tell me I can’t plan an awesome night of fun with a few close friends!

This is a long blog, but it is well worth the read if you love horror, food, drinks, friends and a good story. I was searching the DISH Network Satellite TV channel guide to see what suspenseful movies will be on for the remainder of October. Now that October is here after a very short summer, it is time to prepare for fall festivities and scary movies. I look forward to going apple picking and attending fall fairs, going to the Christmas Tree Shoppe to stock up on fall decor and, of course, curling up on cold weekend nights for some good horror movies!
I started to think about how I can start the Halloween experience early, so I decided that I’m going to invite a few friends over this weekend for a fun night of horror! I'm not going crazy on creepy decorations this year, but we'll certainly light a few candles to set the ambiance. I was thinking of preparing a delicious dinner, followed by two horror movies then a little good night story for my friends before they leave for the evening. I should mention that my daughter is going to be at her grandmother’s house while this is happening! So far, I have found some great recipes from Food Network to share with you for the dinner and treats.

Appetizers
To add some Halloween color into the mix, I’m going to make this appetizer that includes a witch green color.

Roasted Chile Guacamole with Baked Tortilla Chips
Baked Tortilla Chips:
· Cooking spray
· 3 sun-dried tomato basil tortilla wraps
· 3 garden spinach herb tortilla wraps
· Olive oil
· Salt and pepper
Guacamole:
· 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion, thawed
· 2 cups frozen no-salt added petite peas, thawed
· 1/3 cup water
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 1 (1-ounce) packet guacamole seasoning mix
· 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
· 1/2 cup diced tomatoes with no-salt added
· 1 cup chopped avocado
· 1 (7-ounce) can fire roasted diced green chiles
For tortillas chips:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
On a cutting board, stack 3 tortillas and using a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges (like a pie). Repeat with remaining tortillas. Separate any that may stick together. Place on baking sheet, evenly spaced. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and let cool.
For Guacamole:
In a medium saucepan combine onions, peas, water, lemon juice, guacamole seasoning, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes until ingredients are soft.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Pour cooled pea mixture into a large bowl. Add avocado and mash with a fork or potato masher. Strain tomatoes and add to bowl with green chilies. Mix until blended.
Serve with baked chips.

Since my good little doobie will be at her grandmother’s house, I can also make a few drinks to accompany our appetizers!

Emeril’s Tin Can Margaritas
Ingredients:
· 1 lime, cut in wedges
· Coarse salt, for glasses
· 1 large can frozen limeade
· 1 full can good-quality tequila
· 1/2 can triple-sec
· 1/2 can lemon juice
· Ice
Directions:
Rub rims of glasses with a lime wedge; place salt in a saucer and dip rims. In a pitcher combine remaining ingredients, stir well and fill up with ice. Serve in salt-rimmed glasses with lime wedges.

And now…for the main course…Pumpkin-Peanut Curry Noodles with Five-Spice Seared Scallops and Shrimp, which only takes 20 minutes to cook (believe it or not)!

Ingredients:
· 1 pound spaghetti
· Salt
· 5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
· 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
· 2 inches ginger root, minced or grated
· 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
· 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
· 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
· 1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari dark soy sauce, eyeball it
· 1 (15-ounce) can cooked pumpkin
· 2 rounded tablespoonfuls mild or hot curry paste (recommended: Patak's) found on international foods aisle
· 3 tablespoons five-spice powder
· 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
· 12 diver scallops, trimmed and patted dry
· 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, then thinly sliced lengthwise into matchsticks
Directions:
Heat a large pot of water for noodles. When water boils, salt it and add pasta to cook to al dente or with a bite to it.
While pasta cooks, heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil. Add garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, and pepper flakes to the pan and cook together a couple of minutes, then add peanut butter and melt it. Whisk soy into peanut butter, then stir in pumpkin and curry paste. The sauce will be very thick. Turn down the heat to low. Add a ladle or 2 of pasta cooking water to thin sauce a bit and simmer over low heat. Adjust salt, to taste.
Heat a small to medium skillet over high heat. Pour the five-spice powder onto a plate with some salt. Press both sides of the shrimp and scallops into the powder. Add 3 tablespoons of remaining oil to hot skillet. Place the shrimp in the pan and cook 1 minute, flip and sear the other side until just opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate and set aside. Add another 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat back up to smoking. Add the scallops and sear on both sides until opaque. Remove scallops and add to the plate of shrimp.
Drain pasta and return pasta to the pot. Add the curry-pumpkin sauce and toss thoroughly. Serve noodles on 4 plated and top with scallions and seafood.

All I have to say is YUM!

And now for dessert…Dirt Pudding! This literally takes 5 minutes!
Have some pudding prepared from the night before, crack open a package of Oreos and crumble the cookies into the pudding. It’s delectable and easy.

It is now time for the feature presentation:

Movie number 1: Scream

Intermission: Coffee with Baileys Irish Cream, Amaretto and Frangelico

Movie number 2: From Dusk Till Dawn

Good night story:
This woman was doing laundry on a Saturday morning while her husband was at work. For some reason every time she pushes her clothes into the washing machine, she gets the feeling that someone is behind her, but she keeps going, admitting the thought is ridiculous. The basement never bothered her before. It isn’t musty as there’s a dehumidifier down there. It hasn’t been emptied for a while but the air is still dry. The cobwebs are always dusted and swept away as she is not fond of spiders, so the basement is fairly clean minus a few bags and it’s bright enough so there are no unlit corners. She hears her son rummaging through something in the living room upstairs, so she quickly goes back upstairs to be sure he is being safe.
Her son decided to try out his new roller-skates while mom was downstairs. The lady reminded her son that he needs to wear a helmet and knee pads if he wants to roller-skate then he can join her in the basement while she washes clothes. There is more room to skate in the large space downstairs. The husband had just recently finished ripping the rug off the basement stairs so he can replace it and there are small nails sticking out of the front of a few of the stairs. The mom tells her son that she’ll carry him downstairs because he’s already wearing his skates and she doesn’t want him to get hurt on the nails. The son complies.
Once the son’s helmet and knee pads are on, the mom sets him free to skate about the basement. Then she gets this horrible chill down her spine and a sick feeling in her stomach so she takes a minute to lean up against the table where she folds her clean clothes. She can’t figure out what the problem is, but her father is in the hospital so she decides to call her mom from the cell phone she has in her sweatshirt pocket to be sure everything is okay with him. Her mom said that everything is good and that her dad will be coming home the next day. Her dad fell and one of his toenails was caught on something and had been ripped off completely. He is a heavy man and any fall he takes is sure to cause some damage, but hooking his toenail on something made it even worse.
“He’s fine”, she thought, “so what can this horrible feeling be?” Her son is skating as fast as he can while holding onto the basement wall. She covers her face with her hands trying to think of what the problem could be. All of a sudden her son catches one of his skates in the grate of the basement drain. His skate stays there and his body goes flying forward. He luckily landed on a trash bag that was full of clothes the mom put down there a week ago for the Salvation Army.
She dashes to her son who is crying out of shock from falling with his new skates. She comforts him and walks over to retrieve his skate, still stuck in the grate of the drain. “These crazy plastic roller-skates. We’ll get you a new pair today, baby”. She looks back down at the skate and notices something hairy sticking out of the drain along with a foul odor.
She calls her husband to come home from work on his break to check this out. She puts on a movie upstairs for her son who is ready for a nap. Her husband gets home shortly after and hurries with her to the basement to see what she was talking about. He grabs a crow bar that was stashed behind the dryer and pries open the drain, catching a bunch of hair along the way and flinging the object across the room once the grate breaks free. It thumps against the wall and falls behind the trash bags full of clothes. They notice that whatever it is, it’s bleeding because there is a splat of blood on the wall. “I wish I had my father check that drain when he was down here last weekend. You know how I like to keep that clean”.
They tiptoe over to where the object had thumped to the ground and peeked behind the bags. They scream and jump back when they realize it’s a human head with skin that is falling off from spending so much time in the drain water. They panic and the husband takes a good look to make sure they didn’t miss anything else down there. He noticed her father’s pocketknife under the basement stairs with blood on it. He does not pick it up. As he examines the stairs for further evidence, he sees what he originally thought was a leftover piece of the carpet he had ripped up and notices that it’s a toenail. “Get upstairs and call the police!”
The wife calls the police who eventually get there and investigate her basement. They observe the head and ask them what is in the bags that are on the floor. The lady tells them that they’re stuffed with clothes. They open the bag and notice body parts that have been hacked up and stuffed in quilts. They take the toenail as evidence.

Goodie Bags to Take Home:

Some fun trinkets from iParty along with some cool Halloween lollipops!

Ingredients:
· 6 or 8-inch wooden pop sticks
· Gummy worms, as needed
· 2 cups sugar
· 2/3 cup corn syrup
· 2/3 cup water
· 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1/4 teaspoon orange, lemon or cherry extract
· Few drops orange food coloring
Directions
Lay a silicone sheet on a baking pan, place the sticks on the pan and place 3 pieces of gummy Worms above the tip of each stick to form a gummy worm triangle.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a clean, dry small saucepan. (It is best to use a heavy gauge pan and preferably with a pour spout.) Bring to a boil over high heat and cook without stirring until the mixture reaches 305 degrees F or "hard crack" stage on a candy thermometer. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a clean pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals that are clinging to the sides of the pan.
When the mixture reaches 305 degrees F, remove the pan from heat and dip the bottom of the pan into an ice bath for a few seconds to stop the candy from cooking. Add the extracts and food coloring and stir very gently with a wooden spoon so the color is evenly distributed.
Pour the syrup over the gummy worms and just over the stick. Cool the candy for at least 20 minutes.
Lift the lollipops off the silicone and either serve immediately or wrap in an airtight container.

Now, tell me I can’t plan an awesome night of fun with a few close friends! read more »

There are not many movies from my child hood that can be brought back by remakes and stand up to the original. Case in point Friday the 13th which can be seen on Directv,and The Amityville Horror. the Original Amityville version scared you with basic special effects and some gore. The Remake, not a bad movie, but the added special effects made it over the top.

When the baby sitter is locked n the closet, maybe it is just me, but to hear her screaming and not know what’s going on in the closet was scarier in the original version because you had to use your imagination. The new version in theory seeing the murdered little girl would scare you more. Did not work that way.

However, Halloween probably one of the scariest movies I have seen was remade by Rob Zombie. Now the original was great, so when the news came out that there was going to be a remake I was skeptical. I watched the remake, and was blown away. Finally a remake worth watching, Rob Zombie did an amazing job with this movie. From developing Michael Meyers character to give us more of an inside look as to why he was so messed up, right down to casting the little girl in Halloween 5 to play Lori’s Friend.

Needless to say on August 28th Rob Zombie once again will remake Halloween 2, BUT it will not be a remake of the original (which maybe a good thing) but a sequel to his remake of this first film. Now I have not seen many trailer for this movie so far, however I have watched them online and I cannot wait to see this film. Hopefully Zombie can do for this film what he had done for the first, and make it even better then the first Halloween 2.

One word of advice, Rob please what ever you do PLEASE do not remake the Halloween 3 Season of the witch movie with the mask’s that eat your head. Not even you could make this POS worth watching. Thank you.

Remember, August 28th Michael Meyers returns, and if Rob Zombie stays true to form, then this will prove to be another great movie that will creep you out more then most of the so called horror movies being made today that do not even carry an R Rating. How the hell can you be scary at PG 13? I am still trying to figure that one out. Wait there is one exception, The Exorcism Of Emily Rose. No over the top special effects, no horror make up just one creepy girl contorting her body and locking it that way for a while. I bet anyone who has seen that movie, when you wake up in the middle of the night you check the clock to see what time it is, and hope that it is not 3:33 am read more »

That's right people, Carrie is on Sunday night July 19th @ 8pm with Dish Newtwork Satellite TV on Universal HD.  Even if you've seen this before, you know you're going to enjoy it again.  This is when Stephen King was in his prime- when his movies were believable and haunting enough to stick with you for a couple days.  This is one of those timeless horror movies that never goes out of style.  An abusive mother, a high school prom that goes terribly wrong, revenge, fire and buckets full of blood, what more could you want?    

The digital programming provided by Dish Network Satellite TV outsurpasses other providers' service by far, but the HD just swallows you into the picture.  I can't say enough about the STARZ and Encore premiums!  There is a huge variety of movies to choose from out of the many channels offered, so you don't have to worry about repetition.  STARZ (West) is currently offerring the movie 30 Days of Night in digital and in high def. 

30 Days of Night is a horror movie released in 2007 and directed by David Slade.  Josh Hartnett stars as Eben Oleson, the sheriff in a town called Barrow located in Alaska.  There has been a series of strange occurences in his town, such as the killing of sled dogs, stolen property and burned cell phones! He is working diligently to crack this case. Meanwhile, the town's residents are expecting that time of year when there is no sunlight for one month.  They are busy getting ready for this occurrence, but nothing can prepare them for what is really about to happen.  The town's power supply strangely gets cut off right in time for everything to turn pitch black!  This frightening movie has great effects and maintains a very eery quality.   read more »