Episode 79 - Christmas Gifts: Are you a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?

Just click your heels together, my dear, and say 'there's not podcast like this' three times, and you'll find your way home. In the first of our 'Christmas gift exchange' episodes, Corey reviews girl power witch epic 'Practical Magic', while Maddy explores the demented psyche of an evil ancient coven in 'Lords of Salem'.

Check out this episode!

More Superstitions, Bad Omens, and Old Wives Tales for Halloween

Halfway through the spook month already, and my how time flies. Let's get a bit more into the spirit with some superstitious safety tips to keep you safe from ghosts, umbrellas, witches, vampires, and moths.

C'mon, bra! Let me in...

- Close a dead man or woman's eyes immediately, or they'll find someone to take with them.

- Keep moths out of the house if it looks like they want in, and keep them in if they want out...they're looking for a soul to steal.

- Never take a photo with only 3 people, and if you do...make sure you're not the one in the middle, because you may di-...uh-oh...

- Poirot probably would have known this little tidbit, but keep an eye on all umbrellas in the house. If one of them falls, there very well may be a murder!

Don't let those innocent smiles fool you. Nose eaters, every last one of them!

- Ancient Romans believed witches and vampires liked to come into dead people's homes to do funny things with their bodies (like robbing, mutilating, and especially nose-eating.)

- A rooster crowing during the day, and not the appointed 'too early for any normal human being to wake up' time, is a sign of terrible luck. Maybe even approaching death.

- Numbers really piss ghosts off. Walk around one of them 9 times to get rid of the jerks.

Halloween Playlist 2014

Digging in the digital closet for a few tunes to liven up an otherwise dead party? Well, don't worry. The 2014 playlist is finally ready, with 13 tracks old and new. Spooky and fun enough to get the bones rattling.

Horror Flick of the Week: Suspiria (1977)

Back in the 60s, there was an intriguing artist who had come into the world of directing. Inspired by Mario Bava in his art, Dario Argento created some very interesting...and very striking films. Three films of his focused on witched, the 'Three Mothers' trilogy. Suspiria is my favorite of these movies, if not my favorite Argento picture in general....with The Bird With the Crystal Plumage as a close second.

It takes place in a bizarre (and prestigious) dance academy where some of the more curious students seem to be dying in very strange and mysterious ways, by the hands of something living...or perhaps dead? It's an absolute visual feast, a movie that demands full attention if it is to be appreciated. I had put off watching Suspiria for a long time because of the hype, and that generally kills a movie for me. I really wish I hadn't, but I'm also glad I did, because seeing this as an adult really helped me to appreciate the brilliant cinematic qualities of this movie.

If you like witches. If you like magic. If you like horror. Faerie tales. Creative murder scenes. Creepy children. Weird tall men with ugly teeth. Intriguing camera techniques. Beautiful architecture. Intense lighting design. Any of this...you need to watch Suspiria as soon as possible.

2014 Vintage Halloween Hotties

Ahhhh, October at last. I already feel that last breath of warm Texas air submitting to the cooling rush of Autumn. It's hard to believe that 12 months ago we had our last daily posting challenge. But here we are again. Today I decided to start it off with a little special treat for all of you, and a very witchy delight it is. Time again for vintage Halloween pin-ups of actresses and models from yester-year...

Hallow-Holics Podcast, Ep. 2: Children's Horror Films

Bringing you another episode this week of our little podcast. This week we tackled a few darker children's films, or at least family-friendly.

Here's the archived video of the episode:

Here is the video we mention in the episode:

Halloween Hotties: Vintage Pinups for October

Halloween isn't just a time for...y'know, doing all that stuff I talk about all the time. It's also a great time for awesome photography. Spooky trees, interesting tombstones, ghosts...and Bombshells. From Betty Davis to Dusty Anderson, and everyone in-between. Chances are, if there's a beautiful model or actress from the golden age out there, she's had her own little October photo shoot. The following are a selection of my favorites.

Drive-in Trailers: Spelling Errors and Crazy Curses

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely. I don’t think this phrase generally refers to literal power, like what a witch or warlock would have, but I think it can be applied. Kind of. Usually they’re corrupt already, and the magic bit just kind of makes them a little worse. How often do you see a witch on a broomstick that isn’t out to cause trouble for local farmers? Okay, maybe Kiki. But Kiki doesn’t count, because she negates my point, and I’d rather believe everything I say is the truth. So sit back, relax, and develop a healthy paranoia for that girl or guy in mascara who always seems to stare at you when you cut in line at the coffee shop.

If you've noticed a theme of 70s film in this entry, it's because they were obsessed with witches and cults. If you didn't already know that, well...----* The more you know...