Thanksgiving of Horror

I loved this special Thanksgiving edition of Treehouse of Horror,

in which the Simpsons are forced to face various Thanksgiving nightmares.

Including the first Thanksgiving, an A.I. mishap and sentient cranberry sauce.

Speaking of cranberry sauce, I dig the design on this tee:

It's based on the line "it's not cranberry sauce" from this movie:

Blood Rage (1987)

During their childhoods, Todd is institutionalized for a murder his twin Terry committed.
10 years later, on Thanksgiving, Todd escapes and Terry goes on a killing spree.

This movie is also about a mental patient who escapes on Thanksgiving:

Home Sweet Home (1981)

Blood Rage is way better, but I got a kick out of seeing Body by Jake as a crazy killer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ocular Obsession

When I was a kid I told my little sister if she was bad,

The Eyeball Police would come take one of her eyes.

I'm surprised I concocted something so creepy,

since my mom didn't let me watch horror movies.

She did let me watch The Birds (1963) though,

and this scene from it still haunts me:

The ending of this Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode The Glass Eye,

(coincidentally, Jessica Tandy is in it and The Birds),

left a lasting impression on me too:

So I blame Hitchcock for my preoccupation with peepers, which is still going strong.

That's why I loved the two stories involving eviscerated eyes in this issue of Excuse Me:

My favorite was End Of The Line by A.M. Metivier.

It inspired me to write this poem, which sort of sums up the story:

Love At Soul Sight

In line at the store Afterlife,

He met his future wife

Her eyes were gone like his, but their souls saw everything

He remarked "you look lovely in your wedding dress. Where's your ring?"

She replied "my husband took it back after I died.

Now I'm nobody's bride"

He asked "will you be mine? We'll make a perfect team"

She answered "yes! We no longer sleep, but we can still dream."

The title of the magazine and the story also reminded me of this song:

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

This is the first flesh eating zombie movie.

It's also the first one I saw and my favorite.
I love it so much, I even have these:

I know many of you love this movie too. 

So to celebrate Day of the Dead, I invite you to share your thoughts on it.

In a comment, social media message, or email and I'll add it to this post.

I was a little child when my Dad took our family to see this movie at the drive in. I remember him saying "MMM -Bar-B-Que" when the truck blew up and the Zombies had a meal. We all slept on my parents bedroom floor that night.

- Lady M

Yes, a classic! I didn't see it until I was older and just beginning to develop a taste for horror. I think this is still among the best.

- Divers and Sundry

If you have a minute, I invite you to read my quick retrospective on this amazing film that started the modern Zombie craze and was so good, that it's featured in both the Library of Congress and the Criterion Collection!

George A. Romero's 1968 horror masterpiece 'Night of the Living Dead' is not only an utterly terrifying film, but also a brilliant commentary on the state of mid-20th Century America.

At the time the film was made and released, the United States of America was already well into the Vietnam War—a war responsible for the highest death toll of U.S. soldiers off American soil—and the Cold War—a terrifying series of espionage & propaganda-fueled arms and spaces races between the U.S.S.R. and America that repeatedly forced the world to stand still in gripping fear of nuclear destruction.

So, not only was America still reeling from the Red Scare of the prior decade and dealing with a devastating 20-year-long war, but it was also dealing with the hardships of integration and the quickly approaching sexual revolution, both of which are tragically evident in the characters of Ben and Barbara, respectively. Without going into too much detail and thus risk spoiling the film, Ben effectively challenges many of America's racist preconceived notions about African Africans and Barbara both subtly and not-so-subtly attempts to challenge various conventions surrounding of how women should sound, dress and act.

So, if you're interested in learning more about this film, then please watch (or re-watch) it, because it's so much more than just a smart "zombie flick" or even the "first real good zombie flick", but rather, simply put, "a very smart zombie flick".

- Greg Stallion

It has been a few years since I last watched "Night of the Living Dead." I thoroughly enjoyed the film and...well, what a surprise ending! Maybe I should watch it again soon.

- Nightwind

I was young when I watched it on late night tv right after a night of trick or treating. Everyone was asleep so I tuned in. I loved it so much I could not help myself the next morning to tell my parents all about it! My mom gave me the best answer "If you think that is good lets watch the Birds" It was the only movie that scared her and well I love that one too!

- Bob Johns