Spooky Halloween Movie Favorites

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My sister is a movie connoisseur and horror movie aficionado, so I asked her to share with us her top 10 Halloween/horror movies. Here they are, in no particular order.

Cabin in the Woods

A group of college students go on a vacation to a cabin in the woods, while unbeknownst to them, they are part of a bigger plot in a sacrificial game. This movie plays off typical horror tropes without making your eyes roll when the characters do the complete opposite of logical reason. It’s a fun watch, especially with friends, but beware the end if you are especially sensitive to body horror.

Rosemary’s Baby

I had to add this one to the list, not only because it is a great movie, but I am going as Rosemary for Halloween! Set in 1960’s New York, Rosemary and her husband move into a new apartment with peculiar neighbors. When Rosemary becomes pregnant, she finds her neighbors interfering with her activities and it leads her to suspect there is something not quite right about her baby. Mia Farrow puts on a great performance, which was especially impacted by her being served with divorce papers on set. If you have ever had creepy neighbors, this one will resonate with you.

Beetlejuice

I rewatched this recently and forgot how delightful it is! The story is simple: A couple who die in a car accident find themselves confined to haunting their former home. When an outlandish family from New York moves in, the couple is determined to scare them away but are unsuccessful. A mischievous spirit offers to help but it soon turns out he is more harm than good! The costume and set designs are whimsical and quintessential Tim Burton (before the weird CGI phase). I think this is an easy watch even if you generally avoid scary movies.

Halloween (1974)

What’s an October movie list without a good ol’ fashioned Halloween movie? This classic is set in Haddonfield in 1978 where the infamous Micheal Myers escapes from a mental asylum and returns to his hometown to scare the pants off teenagers and babysitters combined. What makes this John Carpenter film so great is his use of music, which he writes himself. If you live in the suburbs, prepare to get goosebumps when any leaves rustle or there’s a noise outside in the bushes.

Veronica (Spanish, 2017)

One of two films on this list that uses a Ouija board as a way to talk to a father on the other side, Veronica is a teen scream set in 1990’s Spain. During a solar eclipse, Veronica and her friends use a Ouija board which leads to an evil spirit following Veronica home. The visuals will creep you out, but this sleeper hit will definitely be enjoyable during Halloween time.

The Thing

Another John Carpenter film! Hooray! Set on a remote scientific research base in Antartica, a team of scientists are interrupted when a mysterious dog shows up and is most certainly not what it seems. After attacking the other dogs and two humans, the camp figures out the dog can assume the form of its victims. A younger but still bearded Kurt Russell leads the crew of men who try to figure out who is human and who has become… The Thing! The special effects combined with the music will definitely wig you out, especially after the transformation scene.

Alien

This is one of my favorite horror movies! While answering a distress call from an alien ship, the crew of the Nostromo discover a nest of eggs. After one of the eggs opens and a creature attaches itself to one of the crew members, the rest of the crew realize there is something much more sinister on board. The famous breakfast scene will definitely make you jump back in disgust, but the film is a classic that influenced numerous horror movies in years to come.

Hush

A women living in an isolated house in the woods is visited by a masked man who plans to play a murderous game of cat and mouse. The most intriguing part? The women is deaf and mute. This film might lean more towards the thriller category, but it will leave you on the edge of your seat regardless. This is a Mike Flannigan film, who I feel came out of no where and is making a name for himself in the horror movie scene.

REC

I am not a big fan of found footage films, but REC is by far one of the best of the sub-genre. Another Spanish film, but this time we follow Angela, a news caster who is shadowing the fire department for the night. When they answer a call for a disturbance at an apartment building, they are quarantined inside because there just so happens to be a woman infected by a virus that gives you murderous tendencies. You might remember the shot for shot American remake, Quarantine, but please feel free to skip that version.

Ouija: Origin of Evil

Another Mike Flannigan film, I also think this movie is a lot of fun with a few scares that really spook the pants off of ya. Set in 1960’s LA, a widowed mother works as a fake spiritual medium out of her home. Trying to add more potency to her act, she inadvertently invites a demonic spirit who takes hold of her younger daughter Doris. The original Ouija film was garbage, but this prequel is definitely worth a watch!

I’m adding a few of these to my list for a weekend movie night with Dylan. Do you have a favorite Halloween movie? Would you add anything to this list?

November in a Nutshell

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November came and went quicker than a flash around here. I wanted to share a little update before it gets too far into the holiday season.

November 1 came with a tired but happy little bat who did not want to take his Halloween costume off. Finn had such a fun time passing out candy to all the kiddos who came to our door. He would happily greet them with “Happy Halloween” and give them candy and comment on their costume. He said to a few, “I really like your costume.” Then he would say, “Thanks for coming.” It was just the sweetest thing ever. He has looked forward to Halloween since last year when he realized kids come to the door for candy, and I think it lived up to all his hopes.

Penelope turned 7 months old at the beginning of November. She has been rolling and scooting all around and was in the height of the stuck against/under something stage. She has gotten much more mobile at the end of the month here and can push herself up onto all fours and is a bit smoother at pulling herself around.

At the beginning of the month we got Finn’s school pictures, and Dylan and I got a good laugh about them. They could not reflect his personality any less. It’s almost strange to see him so straight-faced. He is usually so silly and smiley. (I won’t post them here to save him later embarrassment.)

We had a really yummy meat and cheese platter one night for dinner. We had to hunt down the french bread at 3 stores, and you better believe we enjoyed it. Ha! I’ve also decided that Chipotle Mayo is my favorite condiment (behind Ketchup, obviously).

Finn wanted me to take his picture. :) He recently got a haircut so it’s funny to see his hair so long in this photo.

Speaking of hair, Penelope has started eating solids. She has liked most everything, but she does not care for cottage cheese. She makes a terrible face. Sometimes I think she gets more in her hair than in her mouth.

Our fall was pretty cold and rainy around here, so when we had a sunny day in the 40s, we decided to take advantage of it with a quick trip to the park down the street. Finn obviously needed the fresh air and exercise because he pretended to be a police car and ran around the perimeter of the park 3 times when we got there. He and Penelope then spent some time swinging. She enjoyed the swings, but mostly enjoyed watching Finn, which is definitely her favorite pastime.

We had our annual Friendsgiving gathering the Saturday before Thanksgiving. When our friends began to arrive, Finn said, “Mama, I will help set up for the party.” And then he grabbed plates and bowls from his drawer of plastic plates and bowls. He diligently set one at each place setting and then called me in, “Look, mama, it’s all ready!” I wish I had taken a photo because he was so proud, and it was so precious.

In terms of food, this year we made the turkey, mashed potatoes, and cheesecake and asked our friends to each bring something. It made the day much easier, and it was fun to have different sides than what I usually make.

To round out the month, we got to visit the new exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art—Egypt’s Sunken Cities. The basis of the exhibit are artifacts that have been excavated from two cities that fell into the Mediterranean Sea more than 1200 years ago. It also includes a lot of information about their life and religious practices. I didn’t realize how much influence the Greeks had on the area. It was a really well done exhibit, and both Dylan and I commented on how the lighting and the way they had painted the walls in moody blues really accented it all and reminded you that these items had been under the sea for so long. It was amazing how well preserved some of the items were. If you get a chance to go, I would recommend it. It runs until April 2019.

I hope your November was fully of lovely moments and time spent with loved ones, and of course good food. Here’s to December and the holly jolly of Christmastime!

A Visit to the Apple Orchard

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This past weekend we took our annual trip to the apple orchard. We went back to our favorite, Carlson’s Apple Orchard, for it’s quaint atmosphere and tasty restaurant. As of this year’s trip, Finn is 3 years old, and Penelope is 5 months old. (You can see last year when Finn was 2 years old, and when Finn was 6 months old.)

It was a perfectly crisp, fall morning, and I was definitely glad I brought coats and hats because the wind was chilly. Finn was so excited!

The orchard had Honeycrisps for picking that weekend. Honeycrisp apples are my favorite type of apple, and these ones were perfectly juicy and sweet.

Penelope got woken up from her nap and was a bit disappointed about it.

She only has eyes for her brother. :)

Finn thought it was so cool to pick the apples right off the trees. He would carefully select one, pick it, and set it in our bag.

In true 3 year old fashion, Finn didn’t want to leave and then promptly fell asleep on the way home. Signs of a good time, indeed!

Happy Fall! I’d love to know if you have any fall traditions!

Finn's Fall Wardrobe Wishlist

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Fall is here! And between the cooling weather and Finn starting school, I have been on the look-out for some new items for his wardrobe.

He is on the border between 3T and moving up to 4T, so I am slowly picking up new pieces in 4T to add to his closet. Since he started going to school three times a week, it would be nice to have a few more shirts and pants to add to his rotation, thus making laundry less pressing. Also, all of his sweaters and sweatshirts are getting too small, and we will definitely need those come winter. So, I pulled together some shirts, sweatshirts, and pants that I would gladly add to his wardrobe.

11. Thermal U-Shape Joggers in Olive Through This // 12. Thermal U-Shape Joggers in Lost at Sea Navy // 13. Relaxed Fleece Cargo Joggers in Clove // 14. Monster Critter Socks // 15. Harrison Casual Sneakers

What are your favorite stores for kids clothes? Any pieces you are eying for your kid’s closet?

Currently...

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What are you up to these days? Here's a snapshot of what is keeping me occupied this month.

Working on

Putting up art in Penelope's room and building an ikea cabinet for our living room.

Watching

Indiana Jones. The Minnesota Orchestra hosts a few Music & Movie nights each year where they show a movie and the orchestra plays the music live. It sounds very cool, and we are hoping to go for the first time this year. While trying to find the schedule for this upcoming fall, I saw they had done Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark last year. We found the films on Amazon and hope to watch the third one soon. 

P.S. I highly recommend GLOW, seasons 1 and 2, on Netflix. It is a bit crass, but overall the storyline is well done, the dialogue is articulate as well as funny, and the characters are endearing. I laughed so hard throughout the series and was definitely sad when we got through all the episodes.

Making

Felt food for Finn's play kitchen. I previously made fried eggs and a bacon cheeseburger, and now I would like to make cupcakes and ice cream.

Reading

A Praying Life by Paul Miller. Our small group from church is reading this together. I've read it once before but am enjoying a second reading. It is a very down-to-earth book about praying to God in the context of a relationship with him. Once I finish it, I will write a longer book review to publish here.

Planning

Our 8th wedding anniversary, which is coming up at the beginning of August. We had hoped to take a weekend away, but the timing isn't right, so we are trying to figure out what to do instead. If all else fails, we will probably go out for dinner at Wildfire or The Cheesecake Factory, our two favorites. 

Graphic designed by my lovely sister, Veronica Wudi Klas.