Horror Television Intros

Hey, guys! Hope you’re ready for another horror-related post as Halloween continues to creep up on us. 😀 One of my favorite things about horror-themed television shows, has always been the spooky intros. A good intro/theme song just really sets the mood for the scares about to come. I’m making this post to give some credit where nightmare-inducing-credit is due, so let’s get this party started. In no particular order, here are some of the intros to television shows that perfectly set the tone for the creepy show to follow it. Bonus Points for those of you who get some nostalgia outta this! 😉

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Are You Afraid of the Dark?

This show may have been aimed for kids, but that intro definitely creeped many a child (and adult) out, with the eerie music and child laughter, and that ugly ass hobo clown doll. Much like the intro itself, the show was kid-friendly, but still managed to slip in some things that were bound to haunt our sweet, impressionable little minds for years to come.

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Tales From the Darkside

Things start off innocently enough in this intro, with pretty countryside views of the normal everyday world, but then the music and narration takes a sudden turn for the creepy. I loved watching this show, and whether it was daylight or not, that intro always got me ready for the chilling stories to come.

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Twilight Zone

This is probably the most iconic intro to make my list, and a prime example of an “oldie but a goodie”. It’s an intro theme known by older and younger generations alike, and with good reason.

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Tales From the Crypt

Speaking of “iconic”, this theme song was enough to have many a child running to hide under their blankets when they heard it come on. A classic through and through.

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Goosebumps

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit, this show did not age so well, but who cares? Goosebumps may be cheesy now that we’re older, but I loved it growing up, and I sure as hell loved that intro (even with that dog barking along with the tune). 😛

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So, those are MY picks for my favorite horror-themed show intros, but how about you? Do you have any you think deserve a shout out? Hope you guys had fun with this post and that each of you is enjoying your weekend. 😀

It (2017) No-Spoiler Review

Hey, guys! ❤ As promised, here is my post regarding the new film adaptation of Stephen King’s It. Please Note: There won’t be any spoilers, so any pics or gifs I post here will have already been released in the various trailers/ads. That said, let’s begin! *Cue the creepy clown music.*

Adaptations, reboots, remakes, etc can be really dividing when put to film. Especially ones concerning something like It, which traumatized so many people, either through the original novel, or Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the 1990 TV mini-series. This left some pretty big shoes to fill for the new film adaptation just recently released. (“Big shoes”, get it? Because clown shoes are big. No? Okay, then, I’ll just excuse myself and take my leave.)

Anywayyyy, getting back on track. (It’s early and I am not properly caffeinated, so please bear with me.) I really enjoyed this movie, and it surprised me in a few ways. A major surprising factor for me was just how damn funny it was. The kids that make up the legendary “Losers’ Club” were great. I was really impressed by how well all the child actors did. How many times do we see kids cast in movies who fit the bill of the adorable child, but just really can’t act? That is not a problem in this movie. Far from it, actually. Each of the young actors has talent and range that allows them to flow easily between humor and terror and back again throughout the story. Excellent casting, in my opinion. Each of the “losers” has believable chemistry with one another, and their friendship really does add to the enjoyment of this film in a major way.

 And while speaking of acting, we of course cannot forget the central antagonist of the story, Pennywise, played by Bill Skarsgård. First of all, I was really happy that he and the creators of the movie chose not to try duplicating the feel of Tim Curry’s performance in the 1990 version. They went off in a different direction with the look and feel of the character, and I think that was smart. Otherwise, everyone would have just been non-stop comparing the two, and forgetting that these projects are completely separate entities revolving around the same original story. Of course they are going to be different. But when someone like Curry manages to traumatize an entire generation with his portrayal, it can be difficult for people to not expect the same of the next person to don the clown makeup.

Bill Skarsgård, I feel, did a great job with the character. As I mentioned before, I’m not particularly scared of clowns, but I really loved what he did throughout the film as Pennywise. He was interesting to watch, and the guy has a natural calling to the horror genre, as seen in this and Hemlock Grove. Plus, I love that he is an actor that chooses not to just get by on his “pretty boy” looks, which is always a plus in my book. 🙂 Go for those weird and/or challenging roles! That is what makes an actor memorable in my humble opinion.

Bill Skarsgård pre-clown makeup and the blood and tears of children.

The movie was fun to watch, and never dull or dragging. It’s more like a coming-of-age story with horror splattered in for good measure than a straight-up horror movie, and honestly, I think it made the movie all the better. And this is coming from someone who loves horror. It’s a good one to see in the theater if you can, and definitely worth watching.

 

 

 

Sunflowers, Sweet Potatoes, Lemon Trees & Cream Puffs Galore!

Hey, guys! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was a lot of fun. My boyfriend and I went to see the new It movie, so expect a review of that to come soon. 😀 Since my previous post was about scary clowns, I thought I’d mix it up with something a little sweeter before delving back into that. 😛

Speaking of sweet, check out this growing sweet potato bush from the green house. I feel like with Fall quickly approaching I’m running outta time to share these gardening photos so pardon this random post.

We’re also growing two different types of lemon trees in the green house. They’ve been doing really well so far this Summer, but we’re going to have to move them inside pretty soon so they survive the coming winter.

So, plant business aside, I’ve been meaning to share the photos of those cream puffs I mentioned making before for my dad’s birthday. 🙂 Here’s some of the Work In Progress pics, and then the final product, topped with powdered sugar and filled with a light and fluffy cream filling.

Here they are as little dough balls, ready to go into the oven

Fresh from the oven and ready to cool on the cooling rack.

Stuffed to the max and topped with powdered sugar.

Coulrophobia: the Fear of Clowns

Coulrophobia: a lengthy word that refers to the fear of clowns.

Hey, guys! ❤ Since tonight is the premier of season 7 of American Horror Story AND this Friday is when the new film adaptation of Stephen King’s It hits theaters, it seems an appropriate time to talk about clowns and how they scare the hell out of so many of us. Plus, Halloween is fast approaching, and I’m sure we’ll have many a spooky thing to discuss in the weeks to come. 😀

Despite the many phobias I myself have, clowns are not really much of an issue for me these days. Same with dolls and ventriloquist dummies and whatnot. I know they tend to freak most people out, but I tend to be fairly indifferent to them thankfully. This, however, was not the case when I was but a wee Ignited Moth. I was very afraid of clowns. I remember going to the Fox Theatre in Detroit with my grandma in the winter and it would be so dark out and the sewer-grates would have creepy steam rising from them. I was always convinced Pennywise was down there and that he was just waiting to snatch us up.

I also have an aunt who used to keep this creepy-ass clown doll in the back seat of her car when I was younger. The thing had a mini baseball bat (no doubt for beating children to death with, because why else would a clown need a baseball bat?) But that’s about it. I never really had that lingering fear of clowns that so many people I know still do. I’m thankful for that though, because I have plenty of my own fears to keep me on edge. 😛

So, how about you? Do you (or have you ever) had a phobia of clowns? Do you remember what caused it? I’m just curious. No worries, I won’t be sending any clowns to your door or anything like that. Just wondering is all. 😉

Also, are you planning on going to see the new It movie when it opens? Or are you gonna watch this season of AHS? They’ve been teasing the hell out of clowns for this season, so that should be interesting. I know it’s supposed to have to do with this past election as well (now there’s a real horror show if I’ve ever seen one). 😛