Essential Halloween movies

Since last night was Halloween, hopefully everyone got candy, dressed up, and good and drunk. I spent the day lying in bed watching my movies before getting ready to dress up as Cinderella. When I came home I finished my movie watching and decided to list some of what I think are the best scary movies to watch on Halloween.

1) Halloween- It is the quintessential Halloween movie since it is one of the most popular slasher flicks that hello! takes place on the holiday. It's a classic for a reason-has all the horror movie staples: topless women, people who have sex dying, Jamie Lee Curtis, and a crazy killer with no real rhyme or reason to his killings. The film still holds up with scaring you and tension, mostly due to the score. The sequels all sucked, with possible exception being H20, for tying up loose ends and bring Jamie Lee Curtis back.

2) The Exorcist- Almost all adults over thirty and people with good cinematic tastes will tell you this is the best horror movie ever made. Watching it now, there are still parts, especially in the climax, that freak me out. Linda Blair turns in a expectational creepy performance with a couple scenes still burned in my mind. I never saw any of the sequels, but this should have always been a stand alone flick.

3) Scream- This is my all time favorite scary movie. I love the series, it ended perfectly with a trilogy where the story came together. Sidney Prescott is the best horror movie heroine since Laurie Strode, and I'd say she is better because she fought back and outsmarted the killer. The series never really lost it's ground, but nothing beats the first one. That opening scene with Drew Barrymore and the conversation is such a scary scene in that it is sort of realistic. I still get chills when Drew is trying to get out of the house and sees the killer running in the hallway. Scream actually gave us a killer with motive, ones who were human and would die when they were shot. The series also started off the new slasher pics of the late 90's. It also helped Dimension establish themselves as promising film company.

4) Hocus Pocus- Who said Halloween movies have to be scary? You can have a nice family movie about witches and teens and a young Thora Birch. The movie has some adult humor in it for the parentals, mainly provided by our three witches: Bette Midler as the ringleader, a pre-Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker, and comic relief Kathy Najimy. Maybe I love it because I remember seeing it in theaters as a child, and it holds up because of nostalgia.

5) A Nightmare on Elm Street- Freddy Krueger is my favorite of the 80's slasher series character. Jason just walks around with a hockey mask. Michael Meyers just walks fast and is human yet unkillable. Never saw Pinhead or Candyman. Freddy gets to talk, uses humor when he's on his way to kill people. He has personality, which is why most Freddy fans root for him in the series. Watching this one all the years later, it's not that scary, but I remember how scared I was as a kid especially because of the premise that he would get you in your dreams. Pretty ingenious. The scene where an sleep deprived Nancy dozes off in the tub and wakes up with a tub of blood, still gives me a chill. Plus, it's the beginning of Johnny Depp's career!

6) Carrie- I think every high schooler needs to watch this movie. Maybe if we could all understand and empathize with the pain of our tortured heroine Carrie, we could all be a little more accepting of the outcasts in our schools. Or at least be warned that karma will get you and the outcast may end up exacting her revenge at the prom after you dump pigs blood on her. I think besides the horror of Carrie when she turns or her awfully creepy mother (played to perfection by Piper Laurie), this movie brings the heebie geebies. Plus there is a young John Travolta and a big haired Amy Irving. It also has complexity to the terror Carrie exacts, because she was really just a victim of her environment and powers beyond her control. The words "They are all gonna laugh at you!" have to hurt anyone who ever felt left out growing up.

7) Friday the 13th- What produces probably the most sequels for any horror movie, this series did get worse and worse, sillier and pitiful as they went on. The first one still holds some chills, as is the pattern with these. Jason doesn't even appear in this one but no matter, we get his creepy mom Mrs. Voohres, who even kills a young Kevin Bacon by slitting his throat from under the bed.

8) Saw- I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of these movies. The first one was pretty inventive. You got the kind of killer who had a reason for his crimes, more than just revenge. It was a sadistic and twisted reasoning, but the killer is trying to do something good. The series has captured the attention of my generation and started off the whole torture porn genre, which seems to finally be on the way out. The Saw films do benefit that they actually have a fulfilled storyline that continues through each movie, and hopefully wraps itself up before we get to a tenth film.

9) The Shining- Let me preface by saying I love Jack Nicholson. Love him, adore him, think he is one of the most charismatic actors ever. Everyone I know thinks of Jack as a good actor, but creepy. This movie is a huge reason why. I can refute it, but whenever I actually watch this, I have to agree. He still has his sexy charm, but between him chasing his family, the naked old woman, and the redrum twins, this is a freaky flick.

10) It- Nothing is scarier than a clown. Well expect for Chucky, but that is a childhood fear. The opening scene with Pennywise still freaks me out. The rest of the movie does not hold up once you are over ten years old. However, it is pretty funny to watch and laugh at, especially at the end when the clown turns into a big bug. I don't think Stephen King wanted it to look as laughable as it turned out.

Can a rape victim fall in love with her attacker-Even on a Soap?

Backstory to this post: When I grew up, I watched soaps, mostly ABC soaps. Later on I got into Days of Our Lives and later some CBS ones. But the ABC Soaps are my bread and butter. I was about three when I started watching them with my dad who would always fall asleep leaving me to be enamored with stories that were way over my head.

One Life to Live , one of my soaps, did a groundbreaking and Emmy winning story about gang rape back in 1993. The story revolved around a young college student being raped by three frat brothers. The show portrayed a pretty graphic scene by network and daytime standards, followed the aftermath of the rape and its effect on the victim Marty, and her accusers, most pivotal the sadistic Todd. He tormented her and stalked her following the rape. Todd eventually became a fan favorite and was redeemed slowly over the years. All the time he and Marty ever interacted, Todd would treat her with a distant remorse while Marty always had the underlying disgust and contempt.

Now the characters are back in each other's orbit, Marty has lost her memory, and Todd is taking care of her, not telling of her life or the rape, and they are falling in love. The show is seriously selling this as a love story. Is a rapist and victim love story ever a good idea, even in daytime TV?

Looking back in history, soaps most famous couple started with rape. Luke and Laura, the 80's pop culture icons who put soaps on the map had a rocky start when Luke raped Laura at the campus disco. What was later called a "seduction" and piled under the rug in the 80's, was revisited in the 90's with amazing writing and acting by General Hospital. It was a story linking generations together as Luke and Laura's son was dealing with his best friend's rape, and repulsed to discover that was part of his parent's history, leading to a confrontation and first real conversation about the rape between daytime's supercouple.

So it might have worked for Luke and Laura, but that was the 80's, rape wasn't as publicized. That rape wasn't even dealt with onscreen. Todd was convicted of this rape, it haunted both characters for years. I guess viewer response is mixed as younger and newer viewers are positive and liking the romance, while longtime fans are outraged.

If a shows legacy in the past twenty years is most associated with this social conscious story, which was told so amazing the first time, now wants to go back and destroy it for ratings, what does that tell us about the state of television, and more specifically soaps?

Also, what message is the show sending to viewers, it's ok women, you get brutally raped and taunted about it afterwards, give them fifteen years, they have changed and just didn't know how to express their love then?

Religulous- Ridiculous, Brilliant, or both?

The new documentary by Bill Maher hasn't quite made the impact I was expecting it would, or the controversy I thought it would either. The film came out a few weeks ago and maybe with the Presidential election taking up all the media's time it is being overlooked.

The film defintitley has a point of view, one that it takes no time expressing. Maher's attack on religion is both hilarious and devious. Anyone who knows the comedian/political pundits humor will not be suprised with the verocity in which he attacks not only Christianity (although it is his prime target) but also Judaisism, Islam, and Scientology even gets a mention.

Part of what suprised me about the film is that they even got acsess to go to some of the locales they visited. Sure, Bill was kicked out of the Vatican and only got to stand outside a Mormon church in Utah for about a minute before the camera crew were shut down, but he stil got that far.

When Bill goes to visit the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, it is what I can only describe as Jesus Land. They have an actor who plays Jesus, who daily performs the last days. Maher's conversation with "Jesus" is lighthearted and comical untill, a PR person finally freaks out her actor is talking to heathen Maher. Funny that Maher and crew were there for so long before a PR person got wind of it.

Now, I'm sure there was some editing being done here, but you can't create soundbites out of nothing. Senator Pryor, of Arkansas, set himself up while after talking about his Christian faith and listening to Maher question how a smart, rationale person can believe in such nonsense and still be Senator, Pryor responds:"Well, you don't have to pass an IQ test to be Senator." Really?

Maher and director Larry Charles are masterminds and interjecting funny clips from old films and for Maher's ability to flow the interview and prod while also seemingly playing along with the interviewee. My favorite example of this is when talking to reformed gay minister, all the while making quips about his attractiveness and subtly flirting while Brokeback Mountain's theme song plays.

Maher is smarmy and arrogant sure, but he is sharp, lets his counterparts make fools of themselves, and keeps us laughing along at them.

Big Bang Theory- Season 2

The Big Bang Theory is a show I took on in the summer while I was bored and only watched a couple episodes of.

This season I have decided to add it to my routine of shows, and I usually hate multi-camera comedies, yet I find myself watching and enjoying the program.

The jokes are witty, albeit usually referencing genius level like humor, but there is a great Ross-Rachel dichotomy in the characters of Penny and Leonard. When sitcoms are a dying breed, rooting and actively wanting to continue watching a sitcom about opposites attracting is rare nowadays.

The addition of Sara Gilbert as recurring character Leslie, is what made me decide this would be a show I focused on in the fall season.

Gilbert is not only an accomplished actress, but she has proven to have amazing chemistry with Galecki.

Who Should Host the Oscar's?

After last weeks Emmy debacle, everyone is saying (as I did), that Ricky Gervais was the saving grace of the night. Now, there are reports that he is in talks to host the next Academy Awards. I want to take a look at potential hosts and weigh in on who might be best for the job.

Ricky Gervais
Plusses: He's pretty hilarious, unconventional, and his brand of humor would be a refreshing change from other stale hosts.
Minuses: Sometimes British humor doesn't translate well to middle Americans.

Jon Stewart
Plusses: He is consistently witty and sharp on The Daily Show. He did a good job hosting last year, and this year is going to certainly have political themed jokes given the historical election occurring in November.
Minuses: Not everyone agreed with me on how well Stewart did. Also, Oscar might want to mix it up and not serve up the same host back to back.

Ellen Degeneres
Plusses: Everyone loves her, she panders to the Hollywood crowd so no one would have to worry about controversy, and she would do some fun dancing.
Minuses: Ellen panders to the Hollywood crowd, which can get kind of boring. Audiences like to see them getting made fun of.

Whoopi Goldberg
Plusses: She is now the host of The View, on ABC, which is the same network as the Oscars. And who doesn't love corporate synergy. Plus she's a seasoned vet at this.
Minuses: Whoopi's hosting gigs always get mixed reaction, and since joining The View, she has become a bit boring.

Billy Crystal:
Plusses: Producers ask Billy every year to host the Oscars and he refuses. Some of his hosting years have been among the highest rated ceremonies, so audience seem to respond to him as host
Minuses: Crystal will probably refuse, and maybe the era of him as host has passed.

Kathy Griffin
Plusses: No one can rock the show like my Kathy. People would be talking about something the next day. She is not afraid to offend, or to piss off celebs.
Minuses: Would writers and ABC let her say what she wanted? Would the celeb backlash be too great? Would anyone actually have the balls to give her this gig?

Stephen Colbert
Plusses: Since last year Stewart got the gig, maybe he can pass it along to Colbert. His character hosting a show like this would have many potential gags.
Minuses: I can't really think of any, maybe the Academy should give Colbert the rub.

RIP Paul Newman

Paul Newman died yesterday at the age of 83. He was a film legend, philanthropist, and political activist.

I always loved the relationship that he and Joanne Woodward had, they were a true amazing Hollywood couple.

Newman was such an amazing performer, from The Hustler, to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, to Cool Hand Luke.

He will be missed.

So I was wrong about some of the winners. Specifically the supporting actresses, whatever it's not an art predicting this stuff. Jeff Probst and his dimples beat Seacrest, so all is good. And like I predicted my beloved 30 Rock walked away with all the major awards.

Steve Carrell and Ricky Gervais had the funniest moment of the show with runner up going to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's prune joke.

Otherwise, I'm glad I watched this on my DVR.