Welcome to this year’s SWS Halloween Countdown! I thought I’d get things going with a fantastic IMDB list of the Top 100 Classic Horror Movies.
This list covers some excellent classic AND obscure titles, many of which I hope to re-watch this season (I’ve seen about 95 out of 100 on this list, which I’m not sure should be a point of pride or embarrassment…so we’ll call it “alignment with my own passions.”).
How many have you seen? What are your favorites?
Moths & Milk is the work of young Irish artist Darragh Mallon.
The work is a combination of pencil, ink and digital, often depicting somber, ghostly girls.
He has also done album art:
See more strange, wan creatures in his portfolio…
Did anyone have the Haunted Mansion Board Game released by Lakeside Games in 1972?
Unfortunately, my source image doesn’t enlarge enough to really read the text…but look at that backdrop!
I’m (surprisingly) not very into board games, but this would be especially great for the Halloween season. I’d love to take my plastic Doom Buggy way through this board.
Apologies for skipping a couple days this week, but between huge health setbacks and mold remediation in the SWS house, things are a bit hectic.
What happened on this beach to necessitate a sign like this (well, I guess that’s self-explanatory).
What question did someone ask him to warrant this answer? Ideas?
I’m assuming this is a gag product (the source where I found it said it’s unironic, which was perhaps more entertaining than the ad itself).
Facing the shadow…
I had to look up where this fellow came from. Now I must see Ultraman Tarou. Has anyone seen it?
Well, that’s supportive.
Careful, parents, it could happen to you.
Answer: don’t.
Now THIS cat is a work of art.
“Hey, you’ll never believe where I’m calling from.”
I rarely post so many excerpts from an article, but this is just too great.
Scientists in Mongolia are examining a 200-year mummified monk who some Buddhists believe is still alive because he is in a deep meditative trance.
Gankhüügiin Pürevbat, the founder of the Mongolian Institute of Buddhist Art at Ulan Bator Buddhist University, told the Siberian Times, a news website: “The lama is sitting in the lotus position vajra, the left hand is opened, and the right hand symbolises of the preaching Sutra.
“This is a sign that the lama is not dead, but is in a very deep meditation according to the ancient tradition of Buddhist lamas”. Some experts on Buddhism said the monk could be in “tukdam”, a kind of deep meditative state that crosses over between life and death.
Dr Barry Kerzin, a monk and a physician to the Dalai Lama, told the website: “If the person is able to remain in this state for more than three weeks – which rarely happens – his body gradually shrinks, and in the end all that remains from the person is his hair, nails, and clothes.”
Local media said a 45-old-man had been arrested because the monk’s body had been stolen from a cave with the intention of selling it off. It was unclear in what circumstances it was originally found.
The mummified monk is generally thought to have died in the 19th century. His identity is unknown.
And Everything Else Too posted a bizarre nursery rhyme that, if not the easiest to say, is most certainly memorable. I adore the accompanying illustration.
Whew…say that one three times fast.
Welcome boils and ghouls…
Something about this sculpture appeals to me.
Why is Super Toast so bloody adorable?
I could actually use some of these for myself.
Lefties like me were once treated for their “disorder.”
This is one of the greatest Halloween costumes I’ve ever seen.
Skulltacular vintage pulp horror!
The hazy glow of this photo is perfect for a fortune teller subject.
For rent.
Or you could go get your haunting license.
I love this idea for a bridal photograph! But that’s because a forest full of books is pretty much paradise to me.
Over the weekend I received the most amazing book
If you’re not familiar with diableries, have a look at the book description:
In France, around 1860, from the loins of a traditional national fascination with all things diabolical, was born a new sensation – a series of visionary dioramas depicting life in a strange parallel universe called ENFER – Hell – communicated to an eager audience by means of stereoscopic cards, to be viewed in the stereoscopes which had already become popular in the 1850s.
This 3-D phenomenon, which fascinated a nation for 40 years, is now yours to share. This book, the fruit of half a lifetime’s study by three impassioned authors, brings every one of the published Diableries into the 21st century for the very first time. Some of them are so rare that at the time of writing there is no known complete collection of the originals of these masterpieces.
The book comes with a viewer called The Owl (invented by Queen guitarist Brian May. Who knew?), and every time I glimpsed an image through it, I gasped. These dioramas, in remarkable 3D, are truly a sight to behold. There are endless details to drink in; incredibly entertaining and well crafted. There is also a great deal of interesting supplementary information to read.
Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell
Thank you, my dear GD, for bringing these wondrous displays into my life!
I’m in a rush today, and unfortunately do not have time to write the image commentary (which I so thoroughly enjoy) so feel free to chime in!
I’m keeping the vintage theme going today with an amazing series of screenshots put together by My Monster Memories.
I might make a lot of enemies by saying this, but I’m rather tired of zombies (I even stopped watching The Walking Dead!). However, the original Night of the Living Dead is a classic film. Barbara certainly has her melodramatic moments, and the following images display a single brief emotional meltdown (as she recounts how she and her brother were attacked by zombies).
I want to make a flip book out of these. Scrolling through, I’m enjoying this old favorite in a brand new way!
Excellent job, My Monster Memories!
SheWalksSoftly 