Here Kitty Kitty Kitty...

I just discovered The Horror Cats, a blog that celebrates the cats of the horror genre. Check out all your favorite felines of fright. The index is located at the bottom right.

Two of our favorites are Church & Jody from Pet Sematary and The Amityville Horror!

Nightmares: My Only Recurring Nightmare - A Tribute to Andrew Hubatsek

I rarely have nightmares and I never have the same nightmare twice. 

There is one exception.

I saw the movie Pet Sematary (1989) in the early 1990s. I was in 4th grade and a horrible babysitter thought it would be hilarious to have my little brother and I watch horror movies.

The result? Nightmares for YEARS about Zelda, the sickly bedridden sister with spinal meningitis. She was in my closet, under my bed, and around every corner lurching forward to grab me with her bony fingers.

Below is a vintage stylized clip of Pet Sematary featuring the creepiest woman to ever grace my nightmares.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV4nwwgVEc4]

Zelda still scares me. Anytime I watch Pet Sematary I cover my eyes and put my hands over my ears when she is on screen. I recently stumbled upon this terrifying bust of Zelda, who was played by Andrew Hubatsek in the 1989 film.

For me, Pet Sematary ranks as one of the scariest movies ever. The combination of terrifying things that make up this movie is mind numbing.

• Zelda is in a category all her own.
• An interstate highway of death.
• The Munsters' Fred Gwynne.
• Undead evil in cute cat and child packages.
• Horror genre children are always scary.
• Gross special effects (I'm talking about you, Victor Pascow.)
• So many 'jump out of your seat' moments that you might as well stand.

 I'm not scared of The Exorcist. I can go right to sleep after watching The Shining, but 17 years later, I am still scared of Pet Sematary.

Pet Sematary (2013)

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th

 Tomorrow is Friday the 13th. To celebrate, I plan to revisit all our friends at Camp Crystal Lake and watch the film that started it all back in 1980. 

For those more daring (and affiliated with the boy scouts), plan an actual visit to the real Camp Crystal Lake, Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco. *Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco is a boy scout camp and closed the the public.  

I've always wanted to have a Friday the 13th Film Fest on Friday the 13th and watch the entire series and serve horror themed refreshments. One of these days... it will happen.

A Response to the Film: Black Swan

Dear Black Swan,

Thank you for this fabulous dose of epic crazy. I was thrilled and on edge the entire film. I gasped out loud several times and the last 10 minutes gave me chills. You take the idiom 'the show must go on' to an entirely new level. Such drama. Twisted warped self loathing meets graceful disciplined ambition. Thank you again.

Love,

P.S. Natalie Portman, get ready to win a serious amount of awards for this performance.

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The Raven & Black Cat's Recipe for:

Black Swan (2010)

• One part Showgirls
• One part The Red Shoes 
• Generous sprinkling of Wonderland madness

 Shake well and serve over ice. Sip while reading The Bell Jar.

Click Here to buy tickets to see Black Swan at a theatre near you.

Black Swan

I cannot wait to see this.

Pumpkinhead

I really have to stop letting my fiancé choose the horror movies we watch. Our most recent cinematic treat was Pumpkinhead from 1988. This movie is about a man who goes to the local witch to conjure up a demon so that he can go all 'Pet Sematary' on his young son who was just accidentally killed by a group of teenagers passing through the area. The demon looks more like an alien and for me the scariest parts were the disgusting looking witch and the similarities to 'Pet Sematary,' both of which are over after the first part of the movie. Pumpkinhead is a bad horror flick. 

October 2010: Day 1

At midnight last night my fiancé insisted that we watch the movie, 'Drag Me to Hell.' Since it was the very first minute of October 2010, I agreed. I didn't expect to like this movie as much as I did. The first scene is kind of lame and cartoony, but that old gypsy woman, Sylvia Ganush, more than makes up for it. She is truly terrifying. The movie is worth seeing just for the scene in the parking garage.

Overall, the scariest parts of the movie are the scenes with Sylvia Ganush and the scenes where the attacker is not visible. It's always scarier when you have to use your imagination to decide what the attacker looks like or when the attacker is the creepiest most decrepit old woman ever. The biggest failure of the movie is when suddenly out of nowhere there are these campy Evil Dead-esque moments that make you laugh out loud instead of tremble with fear.

I'm actually really glad that we watched that movie last night. The theme of curses and evil spirits ties in nicely to the Nightmare: Superstitions Haunted House that we're going to tonight. 

Great Halloween Movies

These are my absolute favorite Halloween Movies. I watch them every October. They capture the spirit of Halloween and you'll be able to sleep nightmare free after you watch them.

The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

 Ghostbusters (1984)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Hocus Pocus (1993)

13 Great Horror Movies for Halloween

Here is a list of my favorite Horror Movies to watch during the Halloween season. They never fail to induce a nightmare of two. For the very brave: Can you conquer the 100 Best Horror Films? Click Here.

13. Carrie (1976)

12. Psycho (1960)

11. Poltergeist (1982)

10. Halloween (1978)

9. Friday the 13th (1980)

8. Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

7. Scream (1996)

6. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

5. The Shining (1980)

4. The Exorcist (1973) 

3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

2. Pet Sematary (1989)

1. The Ring (2002)

Preparing for the Haunting Month

I love Halloween. It is the most theatrical of all holidays and combines all of my favorite things.

Costumes ~ Candy ~ Haunted Houses ~ Horror Movies ~ My Birthday ~ Pumpkins

October is the one month when I abandon my love of all things pink to embrace a darker asthetic. The entire month is an opportunity for fun activities and make believe. I relish every moment.

In the last few weeks, I have been planning my halloween home decor for the month of October and for my birthday party on October 24th.

I am so in love with the Halloween Haven Decor from Grandin Road. The collection features halloween decor designed by Martha Stewart exclusively for Grandin Road. I recently purchased the Flickering LED Halloween Candles, Martha Stewart Set of 12 Wine Labels, Set of Two LED Halloween Candles, and a Martha Stewart Realistic Feathered Crow.   

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