A vintage cautionary tale

Had a lovely chat with a dear friend today who told me about this short video he remembered from his childhood called Dark and Lonely Water, one in a series of British public info short films created as cautionary tales for children, narrated by none other than horror icon Donald Pleasence:

 

Brilliantly done, and really plays like a short horror/suspense film. Must-watch!

Closed on Account of Rabies

The 7th of October marks the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's death.

Public domain photo, via Pixabay.com

The cause of his demise is still inconclusive. One of the possible reasons for his death was rumored to be rabies, which was the inspiration of a 1997 spoken word album entitled Closed on Account of Rabies: Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, now long out of print. I am lucky enough to own a copy of the CD and it has become one of my seasonal favorites. 

 

 

 

See the Youtube link below to listen to Iggy Pop's dramatic reading of "The Tell-Tale Heart."

Sleepy Hollow hearthside vibes

This brief video shows how to make ginger cakes similar to ones that may have appeared in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, as they would have been made in the early 1800s. They sound like the perfect sort of thing to make for autumn and winter holidays. 

Although, you should stay safe and celebrate at home this year with your quarantine companions rather than risk contacting/spreading Covid. Anyway, baking is one of those pandemic hobbies, right? Enjoy!

Spooky story for a rainy day

 Halloween itself may be over, but we're still in the thick of the darker half of the year. Cuddle up with a cozy sweater and a cup of hot coffee and enjoy this ghost story, narrated by the legendary Jackie Torrence.

Forgotten Halloween TV specials: The Teller and the Tale

 Growing up in New England in the 80s, my brothers and I had a number of favorite Halloween TV specials recorded on VHS that we watched over and over. Some of them are well known (obvious ones like Garfield's Halloween Adventure), but one I've been finding almost impossible to track down was a program from 1985 hosted by Sally Struthers called "The Teller and the Tale" (spoilers at that link, FYI), an anthology of ghost stories performed by famous storytellers, including the amazing Jackie Torrence. 

As far as I know, it only aired once, but we were lucky enough to record it on VHS. We watched it so many times, during Halloween season and throughout the year, that the video quality deteriorated rather badly and portions of it were ruined. I think it might still exist at my parent's house. 

I have searched in vain for the program in its entirety and have only found the clips featuring Jackie Torrence and Vincent Price thus far. 

I did find audio versions of two stories that are the same performers, but slightly different performances. I can't find any video at all of the Sally Struthers segments, nor the ones with paranormal investigator Hans Holzer.

Here are the stories in the order of how they would have appeared in this special - 

The Golden Arm

Wily and the Hairy Man

Old Man Daniker

Tillie

The Raven

If anyone out there has any idea where to find this entire special, please let me know!

The Teller and the Tale on IMDB

The Teller and the Tale on TCM

Spooked

     If you're in the mood to listen to some scary stories, I recommend the podcast Spooked, which describes itself as "true-life supernatural stories, told firsthand by people who can barely believe it happened themselves. Be afraid."

(click pic for link)

    Even if you don't believe in the supernatural, the stories are chilling and just plain fun to listen to. Once you start an episode, and the storyteller begins their tale, you can't wait to hear what happens next. The podcast asserts that these are true stories, so even as a skeptic you might find yourself thinking about an episode long after it ends.

    

    These stories are of the sort that you can imagine hearing while sitting around talking with friends by the campfire, or late at night after a party or gathering when most of the other guests have gone home and the conversation turns to things like "What's the craziest thing that's ever happened to you?" It seems like everyone has heard a story like this, and has one to tell of their own. 

    

    Spooked just began its 5th season about one month ago, so there's plenty of content to listen to if it's new to you.

August Heat

PHENISTONE ROAD, CLAPHAM,
August 20th, 19—. 

 

I HAVE HAD what I believe to be the most remarkable day in my life, and while the events are still fresh in my mind, I wish to put them down on paper as clearly as possible. 

(listen to the entire story below)