Movie Quote of the Week

I met him, fifteen years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding; and even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil.
--Donald Pleasence, Halloween (1978)

TV Quote of the Week

Well, that's one of the luxuries of hunting down aliens and genetic mutants. You rarely get to press charges.
--David Duchovny, The X-Files, “Fire”

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Mi Prima Favorita!

It's my favorite cousin's birthday today.

I hope you all are as happy as she should be.

Favorite Halloween Videos from Years Past

Repost

1. “Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)” -- Concrete Blonde.

A musical foray into Anne Rice territory.



2. “Dracula's Tango” -- Toto Coelo.

The one video from the 1980s few of my generation have ever heard of. And to think we make fun of Twilight movies.



3. “Hammer Horror” -- Kate Bush.

Not only can Kate sing but she really knows how to make an entrance as well.



4. “Swingin' at the Seance” -- The Moon Rays.

An obscure video which deserves more publicity than it got.



Plus as a special bonus:

5. “Monster Mash” -- The Monster Club Soundtrack.

“Maestro... Our song.”

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Les Daniels!

AKA Leslie Noel Daniels III.

Born October 27, 1943. Died November 5, 2011.

He was the creator of everyone's favorite fictional Spanish vampire Don Sebastian de Villanueva, better known in some quarters as "the vampire horrified by man". Unfortunately, he passed away before he could finish the series.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Juan Seguín!



AKA Juan Nepomuceno Seguín.

Born October 27, 1806. Died August 27, 1890.

He was one of the most famous Texans of Mexican descent to join the Texas Revolution on the winning side. Unfortunately, his story is rarely told by most traditional historians.

Quote of the Week

You guys know about vampires?… You know, vampires have no reflections in a mirror? There’s this idea that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. And what I’ve always thought isn’t that monsters don’t have reflections in a mirror. It’s that if you want to make a human being into a monster, deny them, at the cultural level, any reflection of themselves. And growing up, I felt like a monster in some ways. I didn’t see myself reflected at all. I was like, “Yo, is something wrong with me? That the whole society seems to think that people like me don’t exist?" And part of what inspired me, was this deep desire that before I died, I would make a couple of mirrors. That I would make some mirrors so that kids like me might see themselves reflected back and might not feel so monstrous for it.
--Junot Díaz

French Halloween Words

1. cercueil -- coffin; casket.
2. citrouille -- pumpkin.
3. danse des esprits -- ghost dance.
4. danse macabre -- dance of death.
5. esprit -- spirit.
6. esprit frappeur -- spirit-rapper; poltergeist.
7. fantôme -- phantom; ghost.
8. goule -- ghoul.
9. loup-garou -- werewolf.
10. monde des esprits -- spirit world; ghost world.
11. mort -- dead; death; dead person.
12. mort-vivant -- undead.
13. potiron --pumpkin.
14. revenant -- a corpse that has returned from the dead to terrorize the living.
15. train fantôme -- ghost train.
16. vaisseau fantôme -- ghost ship.
17. ville fantôme -- ghost town.
18. ville morte -- ghost town; dead town.

Movie Quote of the Week

See, it's okay. He saw it on the television.
--Jack Nicholson, The Shining (1980)

TV Quote of the Week

Sherman Duffy of the New York Herald once said, "A newspaperman is the loneliest guy on earth. Socially he ranks somewhere between a hooker and a bartender. Spiritually he stands with Galileo, because he knows the world is round." Not that it matters much, when his editor knows it's flat.
--Darren McGavin, The Night Stalker (1972) (TV Movie)

Spanish New Halloween Movie Titles (2000-Present)

(All titles are direct translations unless marked by an asterisk, in which case they are the Mexican, Latin American or Castilian Spanish version of a particular title.)

Arrástrame al Infierno -- Drag Me to Hell (2009).
Despues de la Vida -- After.Life (2009).*
El Cadáver de la Novia -- Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005).*
El Despertar del Miedo -- High Tension (2003).*
El Hombre Lobo 2010 -- The Wolfman (2010).
Gritos en la Oscuridad -- Black Christmas (2006).*
Juan de los Muertos -- Juan of the Dead (2011).
Los Otros -- The Others (2001).
Llena Luna -- Dog Soldiers (2002).*
Muñeca Diabolica -- May (2002).*
Sombras Tenebrosas 2012 -- Dark Shadows (2012).
Soy Leyenda -- I Am Legend (2007).
Un Fantasma Fastidioso -- Ghost Town (2008).*
Verano Bizarro -- Psycho Beach Party (2000).*

Spanish Neoclassical Halloween Movie Titles (1970-1999)

(All titles are direct translations unless marked by an asterisk, in which case they are the Mexican, Latin American or Castilian Spanish version of a particular title.)

Alarido -- Suspiria (1977).*
Alucinaciones del Pasado -- Jacob's Ladder (1990).*
Aullido -- The Howling (1981).*
Beetlejuice el Super Fantasma -- Beetlejuice (1988).*
Capitán Kronos, Cazador de Vampiros -- Captain Kronos -- Vampire Hunter (1974).
Carrie: Extraño Presentimiento -- Carrie (1976).
Cuando Cae la Oscuridad -- Near Dark (1987).*
Cuentos de Ultratumba -- Tales from the Crypt (1972).
Del Crepúsculo al Amanecer -- From Dusk Till Dawn (1996).
Doctor Jekyll y su Hermana Hyde -- Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971).
El Amanecer de los Muertos Vivientes -- Dawn of the Dead (1978).*
El Culto Siniestro -- The Wicker Man.*
El Desperatar del Diablo -- The Evil Dead (1981).*
El Duende Maldito -- Leprechaun (1993).*
El Engrendo del Diablo -- The Brood (1979).*
El Exorcista -- The Exorcist (1973).
El Extraño Mundo de Jack -- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).*
El Resplandor -- The Shining (1980).
El Show de Terror de Rocky -- The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).*
Fantasma -- Phantasm (1979).
Historia Macabra -- Ghost Story (1981).*
La Facultad -- The Faculty (1998).
La Generación de Proteo -- Demon Seed (1977).*
La Leyenda del Jinete Sin Cabeza -- Sleepy Hollow (1999).*
La Maldición de los Bishop -- Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971).*
La Marca de la Pantera -- Cat People (1982).*
La Niebla 1980 -- The Fog.
La Noche de Halloween -- Halloween.*
La Novia -- The Bride (1985).
La Profecía 1976 -- The Omen (1976).*
Las Mutaciones -- The Mutations (1974).
Lemora: Un Cuento Sobrenatural -- Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (1973).*
Lobo -- Wolf (1994).
Lobos Humanos -- Wolfen (1981).
Macabras Historias de Horror -- Creepshow (1982).
Muertos de Miedo -- The Frighteners (1996).*
Navidad Sangrienta -- Black Christmas (1974).*
Pesadilla en la Calle del Infierno -- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).*
Refugio Macabro -- Asylum (1972).*
Sangre en la Carretera -- Road Games.*
Teatro de Sangre -- Theatre of Blood (1973).
Telépatas Mentes Destructoras -- Scanners (1981).*
Tiburón -- Jaws (1975).*
Viernes 13 1980 -- Friday the 13th (1980).

Spanish Classical Halloween Movie Titles (1900-1969)

(All titles are direct translations unless marked by an asterisk, in which case they are the Mexican, Latin American or Castilian Spanish version of a particular title.)

Abbott y Costello Contra los Fantasmas -- Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).*
Amor Loco -- Mad Love (1935).
Ángel a mi Espalda -- Angel on My Shoulder (1946).
Drácula (1931) -- Dracula (1931).
El Caserón de las Sombras -- The Old Dark House (1932).*
El Cuervo 1963 -- The Raven (1963).
El Fantasma y el Señor Pollito -- The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966).
El Gato y el Canario -- The Cat and the Canary (1939).
El Hombre Invisible -- The Invisible Man (1933).
El Hombre Leopardo -- The Leopard Man (1943).
El Hombre Lobo 1941 -- The Wolf Man (1941).
El Increíble Hombre Menguante -- The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).
El Mundo en Peligro -- Them! (1954).*
El Pueblo de los Malditos -- Village of the Damned (1960).
La Dama y El Fantasma -- The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947).*
La Danza de los Vampiros -- The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967).*
La Maldición de Frankenstein -- The Curse of Frankenstein (1957).
La Maldición del Hombre Lobo -- The Curse of the Werewolf (1961).
La Mujer Invisible -- The Invisible Woman (1940).
La Noche de los Muertos Vivientes -- Night of the Living Dead (1968).
La Rebelión de los Muñecos -- Attack of the Puppet People (1958).*
La Serpiente Voladora 1946 -- The Flying Serpent (1946).
La Vieja Casa Oscura 1963 -- The Old Dark House (1963).
Los Pájaros -- The Birds (1963).
Llegarón de Otro Mundo -- It Came from Outer Space (1953).*
Me Casé con un Monstruo del Espacio Sideral -- I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958).*
Me Casé con una Bruja -- I Married a Witch (1942).
Muñecas Infernales -- The Devil-Doll (1936).*
Museo de Cera -- Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933).*
Planeta Prohibido -- Forbidden Planet (1956).
¿Qué Sucedió Entonces? -- Quatermass and the Pit (1967).*

Spanish Halloween TV Titles

(All titles are direct translations unless marked by an asterisk, in which case they are the Mexican, Latin American or Castilian Spanish version of a particular title.)

Alfred Hitchcock Presenta -- Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Ángel -- Angel.
Boris Karloff Presenta -- Thriller.*
Buffy la Cazavampiros -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer.*
Galería Nocturna -- Night Gallery.
Hechizada -- Bewitched.*
Kolchak: El Cazador Nocturno -- Kolchak: The Night Stalker.
La Dimensión Desconocida -- The Twilight Zone.*
La Loba de Londres -- She-Wolf of London.
Los Expedientes Secretos X -- The X-Files.*
Los Locos Addams -- The Addams Family.*
Los Munsters -- The Munsters.*
Maestros de Horror -- Masters of Horror.
Sangre Verdadera -- True Blood.*
Ser Humano -- Being Human.
Sombras Tenebrosas -- Dark Shadows.

German Halloween Words

1. Dämon -- demon.
2. Der große Kürbis -- The Great Pumpkin.
3. Geist -- ghost.
4. Geisterbahn -- ghost train.
5. Geisterbeschwörung -- necromancy.
6. Geistererscheinung -- apparition.
7. Geistergeschichte -- ghost story.
8. Geisterglaube -- belief in ghosts.
9. geisterhaft -- ghostly; spooky.
10. Geisterhaus -- haunted house.
11. Geisterreich -- realm of spirits; spirit world.
12. Geisterschiff -- ghost ship.
13. Geisterschloss -- haunted castle.
14. Geisterstadt -- ghost town.
15. Geisterstimme -- spooky voice.
16. Geisterstunde -- witching hour.
17. Geisterwelt -- realm of the supernatural.
18. Gespenst -- ghost.
19. Gespenstergeschichte -- ghost story.
20. Ghul -- ghoul.
21. Hexe -- witch.
22. Hexenglaube -- belief in witches.
23. Hexenkunst -- witchcraft.
24. Hexenmeister -- wizard; sorcerer.
25. Hexensabbat -- witches' sabbath.
26. Kürbis -- pumpkin.
27. Liebestod -- love death.
28. Poltergeist -- literally, "noisy spirit"; unseen ghost that makes noises and causes objects to fly around.
29. Schattenreich -- realm of the shades.
30. Teufel -- devil.
31. Tod -- death.
32. Totenkopf -- death's head; skull.
33. Totenkult -- cult of the dead.
34. Totenreich -- realm of the dead; underworld.
35. Totentanz -- dance of death.
36. Unterwelt -- underworld.

Greek Halloween Words

1. Demeroi--Demeter's children; the dead.
2. eidola -- apparitions; ghosts.
3. eidolon -- apparition; spirit-image of a living or dead person.
4. erebos -- darkness.
5. moros -- doom.
6. nyx -- night.
7. Potnia Theron -- literally, "Mistress of the Animals"; epithet for Artemis or any other goddess associated with animals.
8. satyroi -- satyrs.
9. thanatos -- death.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Curly Howard!

AKA Jerome Lester "Jerry" Horwitz.

Born October 22, 1903. Died January 18, 1952.

He was everyone's favorite stooge of the original Three Stooges yet ironically he was the first of them to pass away. He has been missed.

Spanish Horror Book Titles**

(All titles are direct translations unless marked by a single asterisk, in which case they are the Mexican, Latin American or Castilian Spanish version of a particular title.)

Carnaval Oscuro -- Dark Carnival.
Ceremonias Macabras -- The Ceremonies.*
Celular -- Cell.
Desteñido -- Fade.
Dioses Oscuros -- Dark Gods.
El Castillo Negro -- The Black Castle.
El Club de los Muertos -- Club Dead.
El Cráneo de Plata -- The Silver Skull.
El Exorcista -- The Exorcist.
El Hombre Invisible -- The Invisible Man.
El Hombre Lobo de París -- The Werewolf of Paris.
El Hombre Menguante -- The Shrinking Man.
El País de Octubre -- The October Country.
El Tapiz del Vampiro -- The Vampire Tapestry.
Engendro Mecánico -- Demon Seed.*
Entrevista con el Vampiro -- Interview with the Vampire.
Esposa Hechicera -- Conjure Wife.
Infante Perdido -- The Lost Prince aka The Godforsaken.
La Danza de la Muerte -- The Stand.*
La Feria de las Tinieblas -- Something Wicked This Way Comes.*
La Imagen de la Bestia -- The Image of the Beast.
La Tierra Oscura -- The Dark Country.
La Zona Muerta -- The Dead Zone.
Más Oscuro de Lo Que Pensáis -- Darker Than You Think.
Melmoth el Errabundo -- Melmoth the Wanderer.
Niebla Amarilla -- Yellow Fog.
Nuestra Señora de la Oscuridad -- Our Lady of Darkness.
Sangre para un Vampiro -- The Black Castle.*
Soy Leyenda -- I Am Legend.
Una Noche en el Octubre Solitario -- A Night in the Lonesome October.
Vivir y Morir en Dallas -- Living Dead in Dallas.*

** Titles of novels, anthologies and short story collections.

Spanish Horror Short Story Titles**

(All titles are direct translations unless marked by a single asterisk, in which case they are the Mexican, Latin American or Castilian Spanish version of a particular title.)

“Aire Frío” -- “Cool Air”.
“Dios Quiera Que Descanse en Paz” -- “God Grante That She Lye Stille”.
“El Dios de Nadelman” -- “Nadelman's God”.
“El Extraño” -- “The Outsider”.
“El Gato Negro” -- “The Black Cat”.
“El Gran Dios Pan” -- “The Great God Pan”.
“El Horror de Dunwich” -- “The Dunwich Horror”.
“El Joven Goodman Brown” -- “Young Goodman Brown”.
“El Modelo de Pickman” -- “Pickman's Model”.
“El Negro del Cuerno” -- “Black Man with a Horn”.
“El Pozo y el Péndulo” -- “The Pit and the Pendulum”.
“El Pueblo Blanco” -- “The White People”.
“El Río de la Ensoñación Nocturna” -- “The River of Night's Dreaming”.
“Fantasma de Humo” -- “Smoke Ghost”.
“Hijo de Sangre” -- “Blood Son”.
“La Caída de la Casa Usher” -- “The Fall of the House of Usher”.
“La Ciénaga-Luna” -- “The Moon-Bog”.
“La Cosa Maldita” -- “The Damned Thing”.
“La Llamada de Cthulhu” -- “The Call of Cthulhu”.
“La Logia Roja” -- “The Red Lodge”.
“La Musa Oscura” -- “The Dark Muse”.
“La Pata de Mono” -- “The Monkey's Paw”.
“La Pistola Automática” -- “The Automatic Pistol”.
“La Sombra Fuera del Tiempo” -- “The Shadow Out of Time”.
“La Sombra sobre Innsmouth” -- “The Shadow over Innsmouth”.
“La Tierra Oscura” -- “The Dark Country”.
“La Tumba” -- “The Tomb”.
“Los Amados Muertos” -- “The Loved Dead”.
“Los Chicos del Reino” -- “Children of the Kingdom”.
“Los Sucesos en Poroth Farm” -- “The Events at Poroth Farm”.
“Los Sueños en la Casa de la Bruja” -- “Dreams in the Witch House”.
“Nacido de Hombre y Mujer” -- “Born of Man and Woman”.
“No Perturben Mi Hermoso Sueño” -- “Disturb Not My Slumbering Fair”.
“Una Rosa para Emily” -- “A Rose for Emily”.

** Titles of novellas and novelettes to be found in this section as well.

R.I.P. Ed Lauter

American actor Ed Lauter, best known for such movies as Family Plot and The Longest Yard, took his last bow on October 16 at age 74.

He will be missed.

R.I.P. Oscar Hijuelos

Cuban-American author Oscar Hijuelos, most famous for his novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (the first novel by a Latino to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction), finished his final chapter on October 12 at age 62.

He will be missed.

R.I.P. Cal Smith

American country singer Cal Smith, best known for such songs as "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking" and "Country Bumpkin", ended his last tour on October 10 at age 81.

He will be missed.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Rita Hayworth!

AKA Margarita Carmen Cansino Hayworth.

Born October 17, 1918. Died May 14, 1987.

She was one of the most famous Latina stars of her time even though few audience members in her time probably knew she was Latina. She was born the daughter of a Spanish flamenco dancer and a showgirl of Irish and English descent.

As a brunette, she played some minor roles but she did not become a real star until after she became a redhead for the title role of the 1941 movie The Strawberry Blonde. Ironically one of her most famous roles after that involved being the second most famous pin-up girls of World War II, this despite her photo being shot in such a way that she might easily look either brunette or auburn depending on one's bias. Then again, her most famous role -- her title role in Gilda (pictured above) -- was that of a redhead. Fortunately, actresses no longer have to dye their hair to get such recognition today. Just ask Winona Ryder and Zooey Deschanel.

Movie Quote of the Week

I should've killed myself when he put it in me. After the first time, before we were married, Ralph promised never again. He promised, and I believed him. But sin never dies. Sin never dies. At first, it was all right. We lived sinlessly. We slept in the same bed, but we never did it. And then, that night, I saw him looking down at me that way. We got down on our knees to pray for strength. I smelled the whiskey on his breath. Then he took me. He took me, with the stink of filthy roadhouse whiskey on his breath, and I liked it. I liked it! With all that dirty touching of his hands all over me. I should've given you to God when you were born, but I was weak and backsliding, and now the devil has come home.
--Piper Laurie, Carrie (1976)

TV Quote of the Week

Know your history, because it's coming back to haunt you.
--Anderson Knight, She-Wolf of London, “The Juggler”

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Mi Hermano!

It is my middle brother's birthday today. I hope he has a good day despite last night's cold front.

Greek Mythological Terms in Spanish

1. Amazonas -- Amazons.
2. amazonomaquia -- literally, Amazon battle; portrayal of the mythical battle between the Greeks and the Amazons.
3. arimaspos -- Arimaspi.
4. basilisco -- basilisk.
5. caballo alado -- winged horse.
6. Caja de Pandora -- Pandora's Box.
7. centauro -- centaur.
8. cíclope -- cyclops.
9. descenso al inframundo -- descent into the underworld.
10. diosa -- goddess.
11. Diosa Madre -- Mother Goddess.
12. esfinge -- sphinx.
13. fénix -- phoenix.
14. furia -- fury.
15. gigante -- giant.
16. Gigantomaquia -- war of the Giants.
17. gorgona -- gorgon.
18. grifo -- griffin.
19. hado -- fate.
20. harpía -- harpy.
21. hidra -- hydra.
22. inframundo -- underworld.
23. lamia -- lamia.
24. loto -- lotus.
25. lotófagos -- lotus-eaters.
26. ménade -- maenad.
27. ménades -- maenads.
28. Minotauro -- Minotaur.
29. musa -- muse.
30. ninfa -- nymph.
31. quimera -- chimera.
32. salamandra -- salamander.
33. sátiro -- satyr.
34. sirena -- siren; mermaid.
35. titán -- titan.
36. titanes -- male titans.
37. titánides -- female titans.
38. Titanomaquia -- war of the Titans.
39. tritón -- merman.
40. uróboros -- ouroboros.

Fantasy Quote of the Week

A book. It must be a wonderful thing to have written a book.
--Christopher Columbus in Les Daniels' The Black Castle

Science Fiction Quote of the Week

"Peace" is a condition in which no civilian pays any attention to military casualties which do not achieve page-one, lead-story prominence -- unless that civilian is a close relative of one of the casualties. But, if there ever was a time in history when "peace" meant that there was no fighting going on, I have been unable to find out about it.
--Juan Rico in Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers

Spanish Mythological Female Names

1. Artemisa -- Artemis.
2. Astarté -- Astarte.
3. Casandra -- Cassandra.
4. Cibeles -- Cybele.
5. Dafne -- Daphne.
6. Deméter -- Demeter.
7. Diana -- Diana.
8. Elena -- Ellen; Helen.
9. Eurídice -- Eurydice.
10. Hécate -- Hecate.
11. Helena -- Helen.
12. Mnemósine --Mnemosyne.
13. Penélope -- Penelope.
14. Perséfone -- Persephone.
15. Yocasta -- Jocasta.

Spanish Mythological Male Names

1. Apolo -- Apollo.
2. Caronte -- Charon.
3. Licaón -- Lycaon.
4. Narciso -- Narcissus.
5. Odiseo -- Odysseus.
6. Orfeo -- Orpheus.

Movie Quote of the Week

From thy wedding with the creature who touches heaven, lady, God preserve thee.
--Jeff Bridges, King Kong (1976)

TV Quote of the Week

There is a legend that tells of an eldritch race, more foul and loathsome than the putrid slime that clings to the walls of hell -- twisted creatures, half man, half beast, who move with the rustling sound of predatory rats, carrying with them the stench of the charnel house. Wretched mutations who live deep beneath the earth in dark tunnels, surfacing in the dead of night and returning before dawn to practice their unspeakable acts, and breed their filthy spawn, until the day arrives when their swollen numbers will finally emerge and ravish the earth like a noxious plague.
--Bradford Dillman, Night Gallery, "Pickman's Model"

Latin Halloween Words

1. arcana -- secrets; mysteries.
2. bestia -- beast.
3. carpe noctem -- seize the night.
4. castrum doloris -- castle of grief.
5. corvus -- raven.
6. Felicem Samonium! -- Happy Halloween; Happy Samhain!
7. hic sunt dracones -- here be dragons.
8. Homo Ferus -- Wild Man.
9. larva -- ghost; evil spirit.
10. legenda -- things to be read.
11. lemures -- shades or spirits of the restless dead.
12. lupus -- wolf.
13. manes -- souls or spirits of dead ancestors.
14. Mater Lachrymarum -- Our Mother of Tears.
15. Mater Suspiriorum -- Our Mother of Sighs.
16. Mater Tenebrarum -- Our Mother of Darkness.
17. mors -- death.
18. mors osculi -- the death of the kiss.
19. mors vincit omnia -- death conquers all.
20. nox -- night.
21. Pallida Mors -- Pale Death.
22. Pax Cthulhiana -- Cthulhian Peace.
23. pilosus -- hairy; shaggy; hairy one.
24. Samonios -- Samhain.
25. strix -- owl.
26. umbra -- shade; shadow; ghost
27. versipellis -- werewolf.
28. vires malorum -- powers of evil.
29. vires tenebrarum -- powers of darkness.

2013

Austenland (2013)
Carrie (2013)
Despicable Me 2 (2013)
Frozen (2013)
In a World (2013)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
Man of Steel (2013)
Oz, the Great and Powerful (2013)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
The Purge (2013)
The To Do List (2013)
The World's End (2013)
Warm Bodies (2013)

Fangs for Nothing

After not just one but two Dark Shadows movies plus an attempt at a syndicated television reboot, one could argue that the old Dan Curtis Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows was long overdue for a less serious approach if for no other reason that yet another serious attempt did not seem likely to succeed. And yet there was something so pathetic about the humor in the recent Tim Burton movie version of the classic program that I can not help but wonder why he bothered.

Part of the problem is that both Burton and his humble scribe Seth Grahame-Smith seemed to think that no one other than them had ever tried to find any humor in the vampire movie genre. As far as they were concerned, movies like The Fearless Vampire Killers and Love at First Bite never existed. Neither did Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. And, of course, TV shows like Buffy and Angel were unthinkable as far as Burton and Grahame-Smith were concerned.

Nor were Burton and Grahame-Smith especially prone to raising the bar in regard to said humor. For example, Grahame-Smith's idea of wittily satirizing the 1970s -- the decade in which the movie's vampiric protagonist Barnabas Collins awoke -- seemed to consist of heroically ridiculing the same things comedy shows in the 1970s poked fun at way back then -- the only difference between then and now being that, instead of giving us the wit of a M.A.S.H. or an All in the Family, the screenwriter gave us repetitive bad jokes about Love Story and the Carpenters. The movie even managed to make the same hippie culture that inspired Taxi's Reverend Jim character and Doonesbury's Zonker Harris seem unfunny -- though admittedly there have been a lot of bad hippie jokes since 1979.

If the movie had any point to make with such humor, such gags could easily be forgiven but it did not. Indeed, the whole film seemed to be rather purposeless. Was it about family? Not really. The contrast between the 1970s and the 2010s? Not really. Burton and Grahame-Smith had a chance to go that route early in the movie but instead they chose to include more jokes about bad songs and fast food restaurants. There was one nifty visual sequence in which Burton used a series of portraits to show the various incarnations of an exceptionally long-lived character but that alone was not enough to save this movie. And please don't get me started on the movie's various plot twists.

Even the romantic triangle that was at the heart of the original Dark Shadows (the one that involved Barnabas, his bride-to-be Josette, and his would-be lover/servant/witch Angelique) proved less than satisfying. On one hand, Burton and Grahame-Smith did a good job of summing up the back story of Barnabas Collins in an efficient manner. On the other hand, they seemed at a loss as to what to do with it when the scene switched to the modern day. And Grahame-Smith's decision to play Angelique's side of the triangle for laughes did not help matters.

In short, Dark Shadows tried to be a comedy, a romance and a horror movie all at once, only to fail at all three. I guess it was a good thing that Burton was less ambitious or the movie would have been even more terrible. Or at least longer.

Spanish Halloween Words

1. araña -- spider.
2. ataúd - coffin.
3. autoestopista fantasma -- phantom hitchhiker.
4. barco fantasma -- ghost ship.
5. bruja -- witch.
6. brujo -- warlock.
7. buque fantasma -- ghost ship.
8. calabaza -- pumpkin.
9. casa embrujada -- haunted house.
10. casa encantada -- haunted house.
11. cazafantasmas -- ghost hunter.
12. cementerio -- cemetery.
13. chupacabras -- literally, "goat sucker"; Mexican being that preys on goats.
14. ciudad fantasma -- ghost city.
15. cráneo -- skull.
16. criatura -- creature.
17. cripta -- crypt.
18. cuento de fantasmas -- ghost story.
19. dama oscura -- dark lady.
20. damisela en apuros -- damsel in distress.
21. Danza de la Muerte -- Dance of Death; Danse Macabre.
22. demonio -- demon.
23. diablo -- devil.
24. duende -- sprite; goblin.
25. El Holandés Errante -- The Flying Dutchman.
26. El Holandés Volador -- The Flying Dutchman.
27. espectro -- specter.
28. espíritu familiar -- familiar spirit; witch's familiar.
29. esqueleto -- skeleton.
30. fantasma -- ghost; phantom.
31. fiesta de disfraces -- costume party.
32. gárgola -- gargoyle.
33. gato negro -- black cat.
34. genio malvado -- evil genius.
35. godo -- Goth.
36. gótica -- gothic; Gothic.
37. grimorio -- grimoire.
38. gul -- ghoul.
39. hombre de saco -- sack man; bogeyman.
40. hombre lobo -- werewolf.
41. hombre salvaje -- wild man.
42. inframundo -- underworld.
43. jinete sin cabeza -- headless horseman.
44. La Gran Calabaza -- The Great Pumpkin.
45. la otra vida -- the hereafter.
46. lamia -- lamia.
47. Llorona -- literally, "crying woman"; female spirit that mourns for dead child.
48. lovecraftiano -- Lovecraftian.
49. maldición -- curse.
50. mago -- magician; wizard.
51. momia -- mummy.
52. monstruo -- monster.
53. monstruoso -- monstruous.
54. máscara -- mask.
55. nigromante -- necromancer.
56. no muerto -- undead.
57. pesadilla -- nightmare.
58. señor oscuro -- dark lord.
59. sobrenatural -- supernatural.
60. sombra -- shadow.
61. subcultura gótica -- gothic subculture.
62. súcubo -- succubus.
63. tela de araña -- spider web.
64. telaraña -- cobweb; spider web.
65. tren fantasma -- ghost train.
66. truco o trato -- trick or treat.
67. tumba -- tomb; grave.
68. vampiro -- vampire.
69. Víspera de Todos los Santos -- All Hallows' Eve; Halloween.
70. zombi -- zombie.
71. íncubo -- incubus.

2012

Dark Shadows (2012)
Flight (2012)
Frankenweenie (2012)
Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
One for the Money (2012)
ParaNorman (2012)
Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Skyfall (2012)
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Hunger Games (2012)
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
The Three Stooges (2012)
21 Jump Street (2012)
V/H/S (2012)
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

Night Gallery: “A Matter of Semantics”

At long last it's Cuban-American actor Cesar Romero in the role he was born to play.

Then again he was pretty good when he played the Joker on TV's Batman.

Quote of the Week

I felt like Casper the Friendly Ghost. If I was brown in September, beige in October, and white in November, then would I be transparent by December?
--Ruben Navarrette, Jr., A Darker Shade of Crimson: Odyssey of a Harvard Chicano

Spanish Cities

Ciudad Capital--Capital City.
Ciudad Central--Central City.
Ciudad Costera--Coast City.
Ciudad del Pecado--Sin City.
Ciudad Gótica--Gotham City.
El Valle del Sol--Sunnydale.
Metrópolis--Metropolis.
Nueva York--New York.
Patoburgo--Duckburg.
Valle Asoleado--Sunnydale.
Villa Chica--Smallville.

Spanish Female Names

1. Alejandra -- Alexandra.
2. Alicia -- Alice.
3. Ana -- Ann.
4. Asenat -- Asenath.
5. Beatriz -- Beatrice.
6. Blanca -- Blanche.
7. Bonita -- Bonita.
8. Carlota -- Carlotta; Carly.
9. Carmen -- Carmen.
10. Carolina -- Carolyn; Carolina; Carol; Coraline.
11. Catalina -- Catherine; Katherine; Katheryn; Karen.
12. Cristal -- Crystal.
13. Cristina -- Christina; Christine.
14. Dolores -- Dolores.
15. Dorotea -- Dorothy.
16. Elvira -- Elvira.
17. Emilia -- Emily.
18. Evelina -- Evelyn.
19. Friné -- Phryne.
20. Inés -- Agnes.
21. Isabel -- Elizabeth.
22. Jimena -- Simone.
23. Juana -- Jane.
24. Julia -- Julia.
25. Laura -- Laura.
26. Leonor -- Lenore.
27. Linda -- Linda.
28. Lola -- Lola; short for "Dolores".
29. Lorena -- Lorraine.
30. Lucrecia -- Lucrezia.
31. Luisa -- Louise.
32. Magdalena -- Magdalene.
33. Margarita -- Margaret.
34. María -- Mary.
35. Mariana -- Mary Ann; Marianne.
36. Mesalina -- Messalina.
37. Ofelia -- Ophelia.
38. Patricia -- Patricia.
39. Paula -- Paula.
40. Raquel -- Rachel.
41. Rosa -- Rose.
42. Safo -- Sappho.
43. Salomé -- Salome.
44. Tais -- Thais.
45. Thais -- Thais.
46. Teodora -- Theodora.
47. Victoria -- Victoria.
48. Viola -- Viola
49. Virginia -- Virginia.
50. Yolanda -- Yolanda; Violet.

Spanish Male Names

1. Abelardo -- Abelard.
2. Abraham -- Abraham.
3. Alberto -- Albert.
4. Alejandro -- Alexander.
5. Alfonso -- Alfonse.
6. Alfredo -- Alfred.
7. Alonso -- Alfonso; Lonnie.
8. Andrés -- Andrew.
9. Antonio -- Anthony.
10. Augusto -- Augustus.
11. Bartolomé -- Bartholomew.
12. Benedicto -- Benedict.
13. Benito -- Benedict.
14. Bernabé -- Barnabas.
15. Bernardo -- Bernard.
16. Carlos -- Charles.
17. Cristóbal -- Christopher.
18. Cándido -- Candidus; Candide.
19. Damián -- Damian.
20. Diego -- Jacob; James.
21. Eduardo -- Edward.
22. Emilio -- Emil; Emile.
23. Enrique -- Henry.
24. Ernesto -- Ernest.
25. Esteban -- Stephen.
26. Felipe -- Philip.
27. Fernando -- Ferdinand.
28. Francisco -- Francis.
29. Gasparín -- Casper.
30. Gregorio -- Gregory.
31. Guillermo -- William.
32. Isidoro -- Isidore.
33. Jacobo -- Jacob.
34. Jaime -- Jacob; James.
35. Jerónimo -- Jerome.
36. Joaquín -- Joachim; Jack.
37. Jorge -- George.
38. José -- Joseph.
39. Juan -- John.
40. Juliano -- Julian.
41. Julio -- Julius; Jules.
42. Luis -- Louis.
43. Marco -- Marcus; Mark.
44. Martín -- Martin.
45. Mateo -- Matthew.
46. Maximiliano -- Maximilian.
47. Miguel -- Michael.
48. Pablo -- Paul.
49. Pedro -- Peter.
50. Porfirio -- Porphyry.
51. Ramón -- Raymond.
52. Raúl -- Ralph.
53. Ricardo -- Richard.
54. Roberto -- Robert.
55. Rodolfo -- Rudolf; Rudolph.
56. Rodrigo -- Roderick.
57. Rogelio -- Roger.
58. Sebastián -- Sebastian.
59. Simón -- Simon.
60. Tomás -- Thomas.
61. Vicente -- Vincent.
62. Víctor -- Victor.
63. Vladimiro -- Vladimir.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Kate Winslet!

AKA Kate Elizabeth Winslet.

Born October 5, 1975.

She is an English actress who made her screen debut in the 1994 movie Heavenly Creatures and who, of course, is most famous for her role in the 1997 movie Titanic. She was the youngest person to get six Academy Award nominations and received the Best Actress Oscar for her role in the 2008 film The Reader.

Movie Quote of the Week

Many have died, last week, on these streets. In the basement of this building, you will find them. I have given them the last rites, now, you do what you will. You are stronger than us... But soon, I think they be stronger than you. When the dead walk, señores, we must stop the killing -- or lose the war.
--Jesse Del Gre, Dawn of the Dead (1978)

TV Quote of the Week

Of course she won't understand, Sparky. I'm beyond her understanding. She's a girl with sugar and spice and everything useless, unless you're baking. I'm more than that. More than flesh...

More than blood. I'm -- you know, I honestly don't think there's a human word fabulous enough for me. Oh, my name will be on everyone's lips. Assuming their lips haven't been torn off. But not just yet. That's alright, though.

I can be patient. Everything is well within parameters. She's exactly where I want her to be. And so are you, Number 17. You're right where you belong.

So what'd ya thing? You'd get your soul back and everything'd be Jim-Dandy? Soul's slippery than a greased weasel. Why do you think I sold mine? Well, you probably thought that you'd be your own man, and I respect that.

But you never will. You'll always be mine. You'll always be in the dark with me. Singing our little songs. You like our little songs, don't you? You've always liked them. Right from the beginning. And that's where we're going.

Right back to the beginning. Not the bang, not the word, the true beginning. The next few months are going to be quite a ride. And I think we're all going to learn something about ourselves in the process. You'll learn you're a pathetic schmuck, if it hasn't sunk in already. Look at you, trying to do what's right. Just like her. You still don't get it. It's not about right. Not about wrong.

It's about power.
--Adam Busch, Clare Kramer, George Hertzberg, Harry Groener, Juliet Landau, Mark Metcalf, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Lessons”

R.I.P. Tom Clancy

American author Tom Clancy, most famous for such novels as The Hunt for Red October and The Sum of All Fears and especially noteworthy for being one of my mother's favorite writers, ended his last story on October 1 at age 66.

He will be missed.

R.I.P. Sir David Frost

English journalist and writer Sir David Frost, most famous for his interviews with former U.S. President Richard M. Nixon, said goodbye to his last guest on August 31 at age 74.

He will be missed.

R.I.P. Patricia Anthony

American science fiction and slipstream author Patricia Anthony, most famous for such novels as Brother Termite, The Happy Policeman and Flanders, finished her last chapter on August 2 at age 66.

She will be missed.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Cindy Margolis!

AKA Cynthia Dawn "Cindy" Margolis.

Born October 1, 1965.

She is an American model and actress who appeared in a minor role in the first Austin Powers movie and who is much more famous as an Internet glamour model. She was named "Queen of the Internet" by Yahoo Internet Magazine from 1996 to 1999 due to the number of pictures downloaded from her web site. She was especially famous for being so popular with male fans despite not posing in the nude, an accomplishment that basically ended in 2006 when she broke down and posed for a Playboy nude photo session.

Spanish Birds

1. alondra -- lark.
2. avestruz -- ostrich.
3. águila -- eagle.
4. cacatúa -- cockatoo.
5. canario -- canary.
6. cenzontle -- mockingbird.
7. cisne -- swan.
8. correcaminos -- roadrunner.
9. cucú -- cuckoo.
10. cuerporruín -- whippoorwill.
11. cuervo -- crow; raven.
12. cóndor -- condor.
13. flamenco -- flamingo.
14. gallo -- rooster.
15. ganso -- goose.
16. garza -- heron.
17. gaviota -- gull; seagull.
18. golondrina -- swallow.
19. guacamayo -- macaw; colorful parrot.
20. guajolote -- turkey (Mexican word).
21. halcón -- hawk; falcon.
22. halcón peregrino -- peregrine falcon.
23. loro -- parrot.
24. mirlo -- blackbird.
25. paloma -- pigeon; dove.
26. pato -- duck.
27. pavo real -- peacock.
28. periquito -- parakeet.
29. picaflor -- hummingbird.
30. quetzal -- quetzal.
31. ruiseñor —- nightingale.
32. tecolote -— owl (Mexican word).
33. tucán -- toucan.
34. zopilote -- buzzard; vulture; black vulture (Mexican word).

Spanish Insects and Arachnids

1. abeja -- bee.
2. abeja melífera -- honey bee.
3. abejorro -- bumble bee.
4. alacrán -- scorpion.
5. araña -- spider.
6. araña de jardín -- garden spider.
7. araña licosa -- wolf spider.
8. araña viuda negra -- black widow spider.
9. avispa -- wasp.
10. avispón -- hornet.
11. chapulín -- Mexican word for "grasshopper".
12. cigarra -- cicada.
13. escarabajo -- scarab; beetle.
14. grillo -- cricket.
15. gusano -- worm.
16. gusano de luz -- glow worm.
17. hormiga -- ant.
18. luciérnaga -- firefly.
19. mantis -- mantis.
20. mantis religiosa -- praying mantis.
21. mariposa -- butterfly.
22. mosca -- fly.
23. polilla -- moth.
24. pulga -- flea.
25. saltamontes -- grasshopper.
26. termita -- termite.

Spanish Mammals

1. adive -- jackal.
2. antílope -- antelope.
3. ardilla -- squirrel.
4. armadillo -- armadillo.
5. ballena -- whale.
6. burro -- donkey.
7. caballo -- horse.
8. cebra -- zebra.
9. cerdo -- pig.
10. chacal -- jackal.
11. chango -- monkey (Mexican word).
12. chimpancé -- chimpanzee.
13. conejo -- rabbit.
14. conejo de cola de algodón -- cottontail rabbit.
15. delfín -- dolphin.
16. elefante -- elephant.
17. elefante africano -- African elephant.
18. elefante asiático -- Asian elephant; Indian elephant.
19. elefante blanco -- white elephant.
20. elefante marino -- elephant seal.
21. foca -- seal.
22. gato -- cat.
23. gato calicó -- calico cat.
24. glotón -- wolverine.
25. gorila -- gorilla.
26. hipopótamo -- hippopotamus.
27. jaguar -- jaguar.
28. león -- lion.
29. león de montaña -- mountain lion.
30. leopardo -- leopard.
31. leopardo de las nieves -- snow leopard.
32. lobo -- wolf.
33. mapache -- raccoon.
34. marsopa -- porpoise.
35. mofeta -- skunk.
36. mono -- monkey.
37. morsa -- walrus.
38. murciélago -- bat.
39. murciélago de fruta -- fruit bat.
40. murciélago de la fruta -- fruit bat.
41. ocelote -- ocelot.
42. oso -- bear.
43. oso polar -- polar bear.
44. pantera -- panther.
45. pantera negra -- black panther.
46. perezoso -- sloth.
47. perro -- dog.
48. puercoespín -- porcupine.
49. puma -- cougar; mountain lion.
50. rinoceronte -- rhinoceros.
51. simio -- ape; simian.
52. tigre -- tiger.
53. tigre siberiano -- Siberian tiger.
54. toro -- bull.
55 vaca -- cow.
56 zorro -- fox.
57. íbice -- ibex.

Spanish Plants

1. acebo -- holly.
2. aguacate -- avocado.
3. ajo -- garlic.
4. alcachofa -- artichoke.
5. apio -- celery.
6. arándano rojo -- cranberry.
7. batata -- yam.
8. boniato -- yam.
9. brocoli -- broccoli.
10. cactus -- cactus.
11. calabaza -- pumpkin.
12. canela -- cinnamon.
13. cebolla -- onion.
14. cereza -- cherry.
15. col -- cabbage.
16. cucurbitácea -- squash.
17. espinaca -- spinach.
18. flor de mayo -- mayflower.
19. flor de Nochebuena -- poinsettia.
20. hierbas -- herbs.
21. higo -- fig.
22. higuera -- fig tree.
23. hoja -- leaf.
24. hoja de higuera -- literally, fig leaf.
25. hoja de parra -- metaphorically, fig leaf; literally, grape leaves.
26. lechuga -- lettuce.
27. lirio -- lily.
28. loto -- lotus.
29. maíz —- corn.
30. manzana -- apple.
31. muérdago -- mistletoe.
32. ñame -- yam.
33. nochebuena -- poinsettia.
34. papa -- potato.
35. parra -- vine.
36. pepino -- cucumber.
37. pera -- pear.
38. pomelo -- grapefruit.
39. roble -- oak.
40. rosa -- rose.
41. tomate -- tomato.
42. toronja -- grapefruit (Mexican word).
43. uvas -- grapes.
44. verduras -- vegetables.
45. zanahoria -- carrot.

Spanish Reptiles and Amphibians

1. aligátor -- alligator.
2. anaconda -- anaconda.
3. axolotl -- Mexican salamander.
4. boa -- boa.
5. boa constrictor -- boa constrictor.
6. boca de algodón -- cottonmouth.
7. cabeza de cobre -- copperhead.
8. camaleón -- chameleon.
9. cobra -- cobra.
10. cocodrilo -- crocodile.
11. dragón de Komodo -- Komodo dragon.
12. geco -- gecko.
13. iguana -- iguana.
14. lagarto -- lizard.
15. pitón -- python.
16. rana -- frog.
17. rana toro -- bullfrog.
18. salamandra -- salamander.
19. sapo -- toad.
20. serpiente -- serpent; snake.
21. serpiente de cascabel -- rattlesnake.
22. tortuga -- turtle.
23. tortuga caimán -- snapping turtle.
24. tortuga de caja -- box turtle.
25. tortuga marina -- sea turtle.
26. tritón -- newt.

Spanish Sea Life

1. ballena -- whale.
2. calamar -- squid.
3. delfín -- dolphin.
4. ostra -- oyster.
5. pulpo -- octopus.
6. tortuga marina -- sea turtle.