Every year at this time I watch several versions of A Christmas Carol. It is my favorite show during the holidays. The period in which the story takes place has forever fascinated me. If you are like me the most glaringly obvious sign that a story is taking place in this period is the clothing. Waistcoats, triple breasted vests, high collars and of course the top hat were staples of the day. The first silk top hat, made from silk shag (a...

I don’t remember ever being disappointed waking up on xmas morning. I look back now on those frosty mornings with such great memories.  I thought it would be great to share some of the greatest presents I ever received.  Maybe some of these bring back great memories for you like they did for me! Evel Knievel Cycle Toy In 1973, New York based Ideal Toys created toys based on Butte Montana’s daredevil son, Robert...

It’s that time of year again.  The gloriously hedonistic annual jaunt through that labyrinth filled with religious land mines called XMAS.  As I get older I have noticed that I loath xmas more and more each year. I find that as soon as the turkey is all gobbled up, my mind begins an old internal struggle.  Should atheists ignore xmas or celebrate It? I know that many do generally because they always have and don’t want to change....

It was the start of the year in our old Celtic lands, and we’d be waiting… in our houses of wattles and clay. The barriers would be down, you see, between the real and the unreal, and the dead might be looking in… to sit by our fires of turf. This eerie quote from Halloween 3: Season of the witch made me wonder what wattles and clay and turf might be.  It’s always good to learn new things.  Keep reading to be...

Carving a pumpkin, wearing a costume, and collecting tasty candy are really the only things a child dreams about during the month of October. One of my absolute fondest memories of Halloween growing up was picking out my costume. I was lucky enough to have been of trick or treating age in the late seventies through the eighties. Costumes at this time, at least for budget conscious parents like mine, were usually found in cardboard boxes...

What would Halloween be without Horror movies? I wouldn’t be very fun for adults. Now let’s think a bit about what makes a Horror movie so damned scary. The story is most definitely a key element. A spooky soundtrack and good Foley adds to the experience. These aren’t the reason we go to a Horror flick. It’s the special effects for most of us. In honor of Halloween I have for you my list of the best FX artists in Horror.   Lon...