Here and there, monsters everywhere!

It's that time of year where the forces of all things spooky are magnified more than any other time of the year! So the Pop Culture League offers this simple challenge:

Here there be Monsters. 'Tis the Halloween season!

Click the link and find out what I like that goes bump in the night.




I like scary stuff, most notably scary stories. Especially if they appear on film. Ever since I was knee high to Kowl's eye I have been a fan of chilling movies that seek to make my skin crawl with the monsters I just can't help but love. I am a lover of all things scary and horrific all year long, but there is something about October and Halloween that just magnifies the spook factor.

Growing up my favorite monsters were the big three: Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers. I used to pretend that they were buried in my backyard. I'd go to visit their grave sites where my failed garden once was, and I'd talk to them. I think it helped me to be less scared or maybe those conversations gave me permission to accept that these titans of horror were only meant to scare me but they couldn't truly hurt me. Believe me, there are real life monsters that can dish out the hurt and pain all on their own.

I had a steady diet of Nightmare on Elm Street movies filled with iconic images of Freddy Krueger and all his antics. Each death scene was a cinematic event in my world. If I felt like going back to nature I'd travel over to Crystal Lake and enjoy the camp factor of Friday the 13th. Jason freaked me out so much because he could run. And he had mommy issues. Trust me, you have to be weary of men with mommy issues.

One of my favorite Friday the 13th covers

Then there was Halloween. I felt a connection to that series. Mostly because they seemed like the most plausible. A simple white mask was also an invitation for something terrifying to occur. Throughout my life I have had instances where I've imagined that a tall figure would emerge from the darkness of night with that stark white face.

I like to go walking at night and my neighborhood is lit decently for the most part, but there are times where the shadows seem bigger. In those moments I have these visions of seeing a tall monster of a man quietly walk out into the street. He just stands there silently, looking at me. This monster blends in so well with the night except for that white face. It gives me chills, and I kinda like that.

Make no mistake, I don't want to truly come face to face with a monster. I have had my dances with a few monsters and it's not pleasant. I've had a knife held up to my throat. I've also had the fear of someone approaching me in a parking lot knowing full well they were up to trouble. There is a difference though between horror in my mind or on a screen versus the real world around me. I try to make sense of both.

My love for the big three expanded though as I got older. The maniacal chaos of Texas Chainsaw Massacre captured my interest. The imagery of that first movie pays rent and will hang out in your brain for life.

Sleepaway Camp was a nice break away from my usual camping grounds. I'm still trying to get it on Blu-Ray, it's an important one for me to own. The image above is still chilling in that film.

I even still love the renaissance of slasher films from the 90's. Some don't hold up as well today like they did back then, but I am fond of them. There are so many monsters that have touched my life. All of that fear and scariness culminates around Halloween. There's something in the air, and I'm not referring to all the candy. Halloween is a fun time of year.

Of course I feel like the biggest monster in my life right now is time. I know, I know, that sounds so predictable coming from an old broad, but it is true. I am missing out on so much because there just isn't enough time. I am hoping to have a costume to wear for Halloween, but I don't know how or when that will happen. There's toy stories galore involving Jaws 5 I have completely gotten behind on because there is so much going on with work. I have a list of horror movies I want to watch not to mention more writing I have in store.

That blasted time monster is slashing its way through my plans. I'm not trying to complain, I'm happy to be busy with work. What I am trying to say though is don't be a victim at the hands of a knife wielding monster known as time. Enjoy the holiday season. Eat tons of Halloween candy. Paint your face. Scare people (within proper legal parameters.) Embrace all the monsters that go bump in the night. Just have fun.

Check out what other people have going on for all things spooky fun!

Alexis has a great body of work for Halloween.
McDonald's is serving some fresh spooky fun at the Nerd Nook.
Fong Sam delivers quite the monster mash.

Looking for more information on the Pop Culture League? Head on over to Cool and Collected for more. See you guys and dolls around!