From the Crusades, which we’re sanctioned by the Papacy to the White Lotus Rebellion, wars between good and evil have been waging for years, or what was thought to be a good side and an evil side. In all reality neither side was good or evil; they simply had a different view on what life was about.

With all the wars waging even today, this is the only time of the year where Angels and Demons, Cops and Criminals and every type of person who should normally fight against each other can come together and fight for one greater purpose: who will get the most candy and of course to egg the occasional house that decides to hand out a Healthy Alternative; like a Banana.

So keep this in mind, it will save you hours of scrapping dried egg and silly string off of your windows; the next time you’re about to grab a sack of apples instead of that delicious 50 pack of mini chocolate bars, remember that this is the one night of the year that you can help a Lion and a Goat come together to fight for the same thing: good candy, good fun and lots of memories that do not end in bloodshed, unless you decide to come to my Halloween party, but I promise it won’t hurt….much.

Director Sam Raimi and good friend Bruce Campbell set out to make a real scary movie…although filmed on 16mm, The Evil Dead is good enough to be your next nightmare and a hell of a lot better than your run of the mill slice and dice. Campbell plays Ash Williams, one of five college friends set out to have a wild weekend in the woods. Two guys…three girls journey to a remote cabin, of course in the middle of the woods. And the woods whisper “Join Us”. The group stumbles upon a book and a tape recorder belonging to the previous inhabitants, warning of evil spirits lurking in the woods. When the dead come out to play, the newest victims turn into horrid ghouls. Ash, who at heart is a cowardly pansy, turns out to be the macho, macho man to the rescue. It takes courage, a shotgun and a chainsaw.

When the flesh-eating demons start their attack, the blood doesn’t just ooze; it splatters, gushes and flows by the bucketful. And there is the scene where one of the girls is beckoned into the woods only to be attacked and raped by a…tree?! Cheap special effects galore decorate this vacation to a little north of Hell. The comedy was unintentional. It is a product of bad acting by actors with little or no experience. But still, Raimi as writer and director has stumbled upon something here. The Evil Dead more than deserves its youth restricted rating.

Vampires are notable one of the most popular villains of all time and one of the most popular Halloween costumes; Nosferatu, a 1930’s vampire film is of particular interest because of it’s history and the differences between it’s version of a vampire and the more mainstream vamp.

It was also a film nearly lost in time when the court ordered all existing prints of Nosferatu destroyed due to losing a law-suit against Stoker’s estate, but copies of the film had already been distributed around the world. These prints were then copied over the years, helping Nosferatu gain its current reputation as one of the greatest movie adaptations of the vampire legend.

Count Orlok is the main chracter in the film and is model for a style of fictional vampire not often seen. Although based upon Count Dracula, Orlok possesses none of his predecessor’s aristocratic charm or seductiveness. He resembles something between a rat and a spider and is much more analogous to historical folklore accounts of vampires.

He sleeps in soil infected with the Black Death, and brings plague and disease with him. He is followed everywhere by rats, traditional carriers of the feared Black Death. In terms of horror movie stereotypes, other vampires based upon this character are creatures bordering between a vampire and a mutant.

If you consider yourself a vampire fan, do watch Nosferatu, it’s worth your time and it’s a wonderful chance to see where our beloved vampires came from.