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Night 19 of #30nightsofhorror - Cenobites and The Babysitter 

Ghoulish greetings, Halloween fiends! 

Well, tonight is a big night. We play our second show at Universal Bar and Grill in North Hollywood at 11:00 pm! If you are in Los Angeles, come party with us at 11:00 pm. 

We had a busy night last night, between practicing for the show tonight, trying to use the new moon power to figure out Wizard's magick issue and keeping up with my #30nightsofhorror movie viewing. The first movie I watched, which is one of my all-time favorites, is Hellraiser! No matter how many times I see this, the Cenobites still creep me out. 

I always enjoy seeing Star Trek actors in other roles, and if you are a Deep Space Nine fan you will notice that Andrew Robinson , aka mischievous Cardassian Elim Garak, plays the unfortunate Larry Cotton. If you haven't watched Star Trek Deep Space Nine and you like Trek, go do that now! It's on Netflix and Amazon Prime, I believe. I'll wait.

Okay, did you get through all 7 seasons? Good, welcome back. On to the other movie I watched last night- The Babysitter!! I loved this movie so much. It was campy, the acting was good, and the little kid in it was relatable. This film was released on Netflix a week ago and it was fun to find another new one that I enjoyed so much.

Can we talk about how gorgeous and mesmerizing Samara Weaving is? She captured the "dream girl" perfectly. Judah Lewis as Cole was sympathetic and endearing, and it was fun to see him evolve throughout the movie. He kind of reminded me of a young River Phoenix. I won't be posting spoilers for this one because I really think everyone should check it out. I know that makes for a crappy review, but damn it Jim, I'm a musician, not a movie reviewer!

I'm so excited about our next three shows. We are playing a two hour set on Halloween (eek!) so we are trying to get our new songs ready for public consumption. We have so much fun stuff going on! It's busy being a modern working witch.

Love you guys! I can't tell you how much your support inspires us. 

Stay spooky,

Nancy

New Moon, New Beginnings 

Ghoulish greetings, my horrifying fiends! I apologize for my lack of blog posts for the past week. I'm sure you've all been waiting for new posts with bated breath! Okay, maybe not, but I've been slacking nonetheless.

I had intended to write about every horror movie that I watched this month, but frankly I've been watching so many that it got away from me. The most exciting thing that happened in the past week was... WE RELEASED AN ALBUM! We are so excited about it. This was the very first collection of songs we have ever recorded, so it was a wonderful adventure and learning experience. We are very happy with how it turned out. Our good friend Kenwood Anderson co-produced the album with us and programmed the drums and keyboards. Wizard played drums and bass, and I did all of the vocals. Check it out on our Music Page

We have also been happily busy with shows and with preparing for our big Halloween show at Pike Restaurant in Long Beach. We have a few Halloween shows coming up, so make she you check out our Shows Page if you are in  the Los Angeles area. 

Our most recent show was at Blood Moon University's Undead Prom. What a fantastic event! Everyone was dressed up in their spooky best and there was a murder mystery and a DJ. We closed out the night with a really fun set. Here we are pictures with Principal Lorde' Desdemona and Derrick Munoz, the vampire DJ.

So, that's what we've been up to. I've also noticed that Wizard appears to be losing energy. His spells haven't been working recently and I'm very concerned. I think his age may finally be catching up to him. We are trying to think of ways that we can magick him back to full energy, so stay tuned for more about that this month. 

On to the horror!!

Where do I even start? I think the last film I wrote about was Re-Animator. Since then I have watched at least 5 movies and a season of the TV show The Exorcist.To see all of the movies I have watched, check out our Twitter @nightwizmusic. Here are some highlights:

A Girl Walks Alone at Night- Highly recommended! If you like vampires, acting cats and bad ass women, this is a good movie for you. It does have subtitles, so be aware of that. The cat kind of stole the show, but the lead actors were purrfectly good too. Really, please give this movie a chance. You won't regret it!

The Witch- I honestly did not expect to like this film. I heard that it was slow and that you couldn't understand what anyone was saying. Shockingly, this ended up being my favorite new movie of the season so far! While I didn't find it scary, it was haunting and disturbing. It helps to have a basic grasp of colonial American history, some knowledge of the Puritans and a working knowledge of Christianity and the occult. If you have all of those things and don't find a slow build, you might love this film as much as I do. It's fancy, so I have to call it a "film," not a "movie."

**Spoilers**I have to be honest and say I was happy for the young girl (Thomasin) at the end. I know that is messed up, but can you imagine living the life that she was living with those stick-in-the-mud crazy parents and those annoying little siblings? She needed her freedom. No more shame, no more hunger, no more oppression! She now runs free with her sisters under the light of the moon! I did feel bad for her brother, as he seemed like a solid little dude. These are not witches that I would like to spend time with, but at least they are up front about their dirty deeds. 

Her father's pride was everyone's downfall. He got himself kicked out of the community because he thought he was holier than everyone. He basically led his family to misery and starvation to prove a point! I imagine they left England in the first place because his big mouth and pride was alienating everyone. He even stole his wife's silver cup and let her blame it on his poor daughter! Who is evil here? 

Those were the two films that stood out the most to me. I also watched a lot of classics that I watch every year. I'm going to try to keep up watching at least one movie a night until Halloween!

Anyway, the new moon is upon us! It's a time of new beginnings and Wizard and I will be harnessing that power to figure out what to do about his magick issue. I tried telling him that he isn't any less of a Wizard, but he seems down.

Until next time, stay spooky!

Nancy

Don't Lose Your Head! It's Re-animator for Night 11 

Ghoulish greeting, my fiends! For night 11 of #30nightsofhorror I am staying in the 80's with Re-animator. 

I didn't see this movie until very recently, but I feel like it still holds up today. The 80's feel just adds to the fun! I'm a massive Star Trek fan, so it's hard for me to look at Jeffrey Combs and not see Weyoun from DS9 or Shran from ENT. That being said, he is incredible in this film, just as he has been in his other roles. He plays a terrifyingly believable sociopathic scientist with a dark obsessions.

No one appreciates Herbert West. Not only is he a genius, he is a benevolent god. He gives people life and no one has the decency to even thank him. I know that some of them can’t form coherent sentences after they are re-animated, but they could at least give him a pleasant grunt. 

Truly, the only things that bother me in horror movies are animal deaths. I know it probably says something terrible about me that I care more about animals than people, but humans just aren't as cute. Poor Rufus! The fact that I was able to laugh about his death shows how truly funny and enjoyable this movie is. Normally a dead cat would make a scene unwatchable for me. Human dismemberment, though? Bring it on! 

Why won't the world just accept his genius and thank him for gracing it with his presence? Sure, he often kills with no remorse, but come on guys, it’s for the greater good! 

I love this movie, in all of its campy glory. The bright green “re-animator juice” is iconic, as is this film. Two paws up. 

Until next time, stay spooky! 

Nancy

Cult of Chucky, Ladies' Night  

Good mourning, my ghoulish fiends! Last night's film selection was a real treat on so many levels. I watched Cult of Chucky! I will warn you, there are spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution.

While I enjoyed Curse of Chucky quite a bit, I think I loved Cult of Chucky even more! What's better than one Chucky? Four! Three dolls and one possessed Human. I didn't have many warm and fuzzy feelings about any of the staff or residents of the mental institution that our friend Nica was housed in, so I was rooting for our little friends throughout the movie. Is there anything cuter than seeing those little sneakers sneak up on someone before their demise?

I do have to say that I am a little disappointed about one thing. As I was doing my research for this blog post (as serious journalists like myself do), I discovered that the Netflix version is missing some unrated footage and a post-credits scene! I will have to buy the Blue-ray or DVD to see what that is. There were a couple of pretty brutal death scenes in this film (it's fine cinema, so I will refer to it as a "film," as opposed to a mere "movie). I can't imagine what they left off of the Netflix version. Is it boobs? Extreme violence? If the scene features Jennifer Tilly in any way I am buying it immediately. She was glamorous and fantastic in this film, just as she always is.

I was also extremely impressed with Nica (Fiona Dourif) in this film. When Chucky took over her body, the change in her was incredible! Her facial expressions were on point and I thought she really captured the essence of Charles Lee Ray. I definitely prefer possessed, Chuck-ified Nica to sad, confused Nica. When she drove off into the sunset with Tiffany and little Tiffany, it was the happy ending I was hoping for. Just look at these fabulous ladies! 

I know that I will be watching this one again, so I will probably just go ahead and purchase it. I am a huge fan of Jennifer Tilly, but Fiona Dourif was fantastic too, just as she was in the Curse of Chucky. I may just have to watch that one again now...

Until next time, stay spooky!

Nancy

30 Nights of Horror and Weekend Hauntings 

Hi Ghouls! I hope everyone had a spooky weekend. 

We are very proud to report that we finished our EP, This is the Nightmare Realm this weekend! Our dear friend and co-producer Kenwood Anderson worked so hard on the mixing and mastering, and we are very happy with how everything came out. There are eight songs on the EP. Who knew when we decided to put "Dead Boyfriend" up on YouTube for our friends two Halloweens ago that we would end up recording it for a real release?

As many of you know, when I'm not in the Nightmare Realm with my fellow creatures of the night, I live in Los Angeles. Halloween in Los Angeles is a strange thing. It's very difficult to be scared when it's 90 degrees out and sunny! As much as I try to maintain my spooky lifestyle, when the sun is aggressively smiling at you every day it's hard to capture that mood. Still, I persevere and try to be as gloomy as possible. It isn't easy.

I took a long bike ride along the beach on Sunday. I have only been on a bike once in the past ten years, so that was an adventure. The sun in my enemy and I was sure to use as much SPF 50 as I could get on my skin! I'm amazed that I don't incinerate living here; you wouldn't believe how much I spend on sunblock every year.

I did manage to sneak in some films for #30nightsofhorror, so let's get to that!

On Saturday night I watched George Romero's 1978 classic, Dawn of the Dead. I have seen both versions of this movie, and I have to say the original blows the remake away! Perhaps the 70's vibe adds to the feel, but i think it's because Romero directed it. 

I'm a big fan of indoor malls (don't judge!), especially if they have a vintage 70's/80's feel. I'm not really a big shopper- I just go there for the air conditioning and mall vibe. One of the local malls here allows people to bring their dogs! It's always fun to see all of the cute babies and dogs. Anyway, I am a mall fan. I think that's why this film is so special for me. Imagine spending the end of the world looting the mall and shooting zombies! As ridiculous as that is, it also sounds a little fun to go full Rambo in a deserted mall.

I spent Sunday night with my beloved Michael Myers watching Halloween II.  I watch Halloween and Halloween II every year. I always skip over Season of the Witch for obvious reasons (no Mikey!), and I will usually watch 4 and 5 too. Some years I watch the entires series! I am trying to branch out and watch some new movies this year, so I may not get to see any more of Mikey this month.

I really like that this movie picks up exactly where the last one left off. Is it as good as the original? Absolutely not. I still enjoy it, though. To be honest, I enjoy most films. I am not particularly picky. I may only watch a movie once if it is disappointing, but it's rare for me to really hate a horror film. 

Anyway, Mikey is back to torture Laurie- this time in a hospital. Mayhem ensues. Boy, I'm really quite the movie reviewer, aren't I? Perhaps it's a bad sign that I don't have more to say about this film than that, but it's still a lot of fun. The hot tub murder scene is one of my favorites. So brutal!

For night 9 of #30nightsofhorror I am planning on checking out the new Chucky movie, Cult of Chucky. I love Jennifer Tilly and little Chucky! Can't wait to watch it.

Until next time, stay spooky!

Nancy

The House of the Devil aka Why I Don't Babysit 

Ghoulish greetings, my fellow Halloween fiends! For night 4 of #30nightsofhorror I watched a fun movie about satanic ritual and murder called The House of the Devil. There's nothing like a little blood and mayhem on a Wednesday night. 

Most horror films are all about the consequences of making bad decisions that don't seem significant at the time, and The House of the Devil is no exception. Many times these decisions are motivated by greed. Our good friend Sam, the lead torture victim, found an unusually high-paying and exceptionally creepy family to babysit for to get money for rent. When she showed up to the house, things were immediately unsettling. She should have gotten back into the car with her friend and hightailed it out of there as soon as she found out that she had been lied to by the creepy man of the house. You see, there was no child to babysit in this insane Hell house. The man of the house Mr. Ulman had lied to our innocent ingénue. However, Sam was in a bind- she desperately needed this money. Against all reason, she decided that this would all work out just fine for her in the end. If only Sam had watched more horror movies she would know that babysitting gigs are one of the top causes of dramatic death scenes for women ages 16-25.

The thing that sets this film apart from others is the careful attention that was taken with the costumes, music and the way the film was shot. I'm no movie expert, but they did a great job at capturing the feel of the era that they were trying to portray authentically. This feels like a film that would best be watched on VHS, if I were equipped for such a thing.

The mood of the film was unbelievably creepy. They did a great job of creating a sense of impending doom, which is a lot of fun for an anxious person like me. When Sam is dancing around the house trying to sooth herself with a little "One Things Leads to Another" by The Fixx, I thought that I might hyperventilate for a second. Actually, one of the best scares that I had during the film was when she knocked over the vase. Perhaps I have some forgotten childhood trauma associated with broken pottery...

Overall I really loved this movie. Was it terrifying? No, but it had its moments. It was extremely creepy and unnerving, and I think that's almost better than a relentless scare fest sometimes. I will definitely be watching this one again. The tribute to 80's horror is a keeper.

Stay spooky!

Nancy

Drag Me to Hell - A Cautionary Tale About the Mortgage Industry 

Hey there guys and ghouls! For night 3 of my #30nightsofhorror Halloween extravaganza, I watched Drag Me to Hell. I have seen this movie before and remembered liking it, but it had been long enough that I had forgotten most of the details. Having a terrible memory is actually a gift when it comes to enjoying movies- I can watch the same movie over and over again and it's like new every time.

I love moments of humor in horror films. Believe it or not, I was actually quite a wimp when it came to watching horror movies growing up! I had a very religious upbringing and didn't see my first horror movie until I was a teenager. Funny horror movies were a good gateway drug for me. Now I can watch pretty much anything, but when I was just a little Nightmare, I had to stick with the classics and with funny horror. The Raimi brothers brought a lot of humor to horror with this movie.

By far my favorite scene in the movie is the seance where they try to transfer the spirit to the goat. What is funnier than a talking demonic goat biting someone's hand? He's the cutest demonic goat I've ever seen. 

Another great moment was when Christine had that explosive nose bleed at work and her creep of a boss said, "Did I get any in my mouth?" Just the way he delivered that line made me laugh.

As for the "poor little old woman," they had already granted her two extensions on her mortgage! She was going to send this poor girl to burn in Hell for eternity just because she was doing her job. Granted, Christine deserved to die and burn in Hell for killing her cat, so I guess things worked out in the end. A real happy ending! All cat killers deserve death and eternal damnation. The end.

Stay spooky!

Nancy

 

 

30 Nights of Horror with Nancy Nightmare 

Ghoulish greetings! This year for Halloween I decided to watch one of my favorite spooky movies every night in October leading up to the big night, Halloween! I am also posting my nightly picks on Twitter @nightwizmusic. Play along with me at home as I spend time with all of my best friends- Jason, Mikey, Freddy...

For day one of #30nightsof horror I kicked things off with a movie I hadn't seen before- Ouija.

I have to say, I don't think I'll be watching this one again. I wasn't scared once! I don't have much to say about it. I've been told that Ouija: Origin of Evil is better, so I will give that one a shot at some point.

For day 2 of #30nightsofhorror I watched my all-time favorite horror movie, Halloween, The music, the mood, my beloved Mikey (Michael Myers)- it's all perfection. I often wonder what is broken in me that makes me love Michael Myer so much. "The Shape" is barely Human anymore, but I still get so happy every time he comes on the screen.

It's rare that I love a heroine in a Horror movie- I usually end up rooting for the killer. In this film, however, things are a bit different. I love and respect Laurie. She's resourceful, down-to-earth and tough.  As much as I love Mikey, I can't help but cheer her on as she takes on The Shape.

On to day 3! I haven't decided what to watch tonight. It's always hard fo me not to just stick with the classics. I hate being disappointed! Have suggestions for me? Leave a comment below.

Stay spooky!

Nancy