Halloweened

I'm not a huge Halloween fan.

This is a surprise to you, isn't it? After all, aren't I the one who dresses up and goes to the Comic conventions with my grandchildren? Aren't I the one who takes advantage of a passing resemblence to a certain someone who held a writer hostage and made him write a sequel her way?

Okay...yes.

But it's the truth. Not a fan of the Halloween holiday.

I was the oldest child, and therefore obligated to go trick-or-treating with the younger siblings. I'd stand on the sidewalk and shove them up to the doors to knock and say "Trick or treat!" by themselves.

Of course, no one in their right mind would pass on going to Hazel Pauly's house, not even me. That woman did it up right--apple bobbing, hot apple cider, popcorn balls and homemade lollipops. Besides, she was a terrific woman. I love her forever.

Plus, she was a neighbor and I knew her every day.

That was the big thing for me. I didn't want to talk to strangers.

But anyone who loves chocolate like I do should have been out there with their sack held out, too, right?

Not so much. I was more likely to raid the bowl of goodies Mom had at home. She got the good stuff.

My siblings had no such qualms, so we'd be out for a while, unless there was a blizzard. In case you're wondering, that was not unusual. In case of horrible weather, Mom and Dad drove them around.

I stayed home to get an early start on MY Halloween fun.

You see, for me, Halloween began when I herded the younger ones back into the house and I settled in for a night of horror movies.

But horror, for me, began with an old song on the radio. It was so creepy that I have never forgotten it, or how it kind of gave me nightmares. Who was he talking to? Was it a dog? (He says "ASPCA, you mangy mutt") I swear I remember hearing a version that mentioned bones in a drawer, but I can't find that. Maybe it was just my crazy kid imagination.

Let's just say I'm glad there wasn't a movie:

As a pre-teen I discovered the original Alice Cooper band. When Alice went solo I went right along with him.

Until Alice, I had never thought much about rock concerts and how standard they were. Alice's shows were all about the theatrics. This was true of the original band, and went even further when Alice went solo.

A television special, "The Nightmare" aired in 1975 and featured the wonderful Vincent Price leading Alice through a nightmare. The road show concerts presented in much the same way.

I was hooked.

This scene from the special isn't of the greatest quality and doesn't include any music, but you can see why it was fun Halloween viewing:

I mean--Vincent Price! He figured largely in the horror industry when I was a youngster. That voice! Amazing.

As a Halloween horror movie aficionado, I have always been delighted with campy movies that feature fun musical numbers.

As a non-fan of trips to the dentist, this hits all the scary notes:

I mean, it is pretty horrifying that there's a man-eating plant out there, but this guy is the true horror. Yikes!

Back in 1980, a movie no one expected to blossom into a franchise introduced us to a horror icon. It was no surprise to me that Alice Cooper finally got in on the act:

Halloween is a great time to take a good look at the anti-hero, the possible future of mankind, the monsters who are manufactured--you're never sure if they were meant to be the good guys or the bad guys.

A modern Frankenstein? You decide:

Along my lifepath, I became a mother. Now it was up to me to do the costuming and the escorting for trick-or-treats again. Halloween parties at school were a thing. And my parents suddenly got on the bandwagon, since they now belonged to the Fraternal Order of Eagles and hosted kid parties for different holidays.

I was much more on board as a mother than I was as a kid, but I still preferred a good scary movie fest over going out.

Halloween movies for kids were pretty--what can I say?--awful. I mean, did you ever have the misfortune to watch 1986's "The Worst Witch"? I love Tim Curry, but...oh, my God. Awful.

My kids loved it. They watched it over and over. And so, I have to include this song, however cheesy it may be, because it was such a part of my children's Halloween.

It was so funny watching them see the movie again when they were in their 30s. They were so excited to see it again, and then...

The looks on their faces--where was my camera when I needed it?

After enduring that fiasco of a movie, it was so refreshing to have a movie come out that was everything good about Halloween--an old town's myth about evil witches cursed to oblivion forever unless...

Not to mention Bette Midler!

Here's a Halloween tradition I can get on board with!

Of course I would be remiss if I didn't end this little playlist with a Halloween classic. But I have to share this rendition, because Vincent Price. Enjoy.

Happy Halloween, Spooks! Check your candy before eating.

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