Ghost Upon the Floor

 And now for something new. From 1988. Narrated by Glenn Close, this version of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” is part storybook, part narrated moving painting. With gorgeous images and narration that are both accurate to the original text, this version of the tale is a spellbinding autumn treat. 

 I hadn’t even heard of this before a friend turned me on to it. Clocking in at under 40 minutes, this is long enough to take its time to adapt the tale fully, and short enough to not fill itself with too much unnecessary filler. And I thought I’d seen them all. 

 The illustrations and paintings are lush, gorgeously detailed and real in a way many— possibly all?— adaptations of America’s preeminent ghost story are not. The bright orange crisp fall of early American autumn, the harvest, the local lore of the superstitious and Ichabod’s ride home. Just gorgeous and spooky and everything this tale needs to be told. This is now a permanent fixture on my fall film list. 

 Last night, with all the orange lights up in my living room, looking out on my neighbor’s across the street with orange and flame lights adorning their house, during a wind filled thunderstorm, I took a break from the classics, and watched something new. The brand new “Hellraiser” remake/reboot/sequel on Hulu. 

 As a fan of the original film, and a bigger fan of the uber disturbing novel by Clive Barker, I found this film a mixed bag. The good is the casting, especially of Pinhead. Jamie Clayton is a perfect actor for this character; her presence on screen, and her voice work is amazing, and actually terrifying. The rest of the cenobites are perfect as well, being truly original and scary. The rest of the cast is very capable as well, and I loved seeing Goran Vinsjic in another Halloween/horror film so soon after watching “Practical Magic.” The direction is also super strong.

 The not so good is the script. I was expecting a remake, or some variation on the original’s characters; their marriage, their desires and their traumas that lead them to the box. This film deals with none of that, and is more a straight up horror film that seems to not understand why Barker wrote the novel, or why the original film was so successful. The end result is not a bad film. It is extremely watchable; I just wish, given the huge opportunity and great talent involved with this, that they had done more, and more in line with the original Barker work. 

Last night was one of my favorite nights of the year. The night, in October, when I watch one of my favorite movies— one that I watch several times a year— “Practical Magic.” Released to success in 1998, the film has since on home video and streaming become an autumnal cult classic among those who love magic and witches. 

 Based on the Alice Hoffman novel of the same name, the film takes several liberties from the novel, and they all work beautifully. “Practical Magic” is a beauty story of sisterhood, love, family and being different, told in only the way that witchcraft can. In more recent years, Hoffman has written now three sequel novels: “The Rules of Magic,” a prequel about the aunts Jet and Frannie and their backstory; “Magic Lessons,” the Owens’ family ancestor Maria’s backstory, and “The Book of Magic” and sequel that follows our beloved characters after the events of “Practical Magic.” For the few years, a series adaptation of “The Rules of Magic” has been in the works at HBO, and I sincerely hope it happens, as it is my favorite novel in the series, and one of my all time favorites. They also need to make it, so that a proper adaptation of “The Book of Magic” can be done; a story that practically begs for Bullock, Kidman, Weist and Channing to reunite and tell.

 Back to the magic of the film at hand. The story is beautiful. The lines I know by heart. The comfort is all around, and I will never tire of watching it. For plot points so fantastical, so much is said so aptly about human relationships, how we survive and the family we keep along the way. 

 Things that struck me on this viewing. The chemistry between all our actors; especially Kidman and Bullock and Channing and Weist. Also, the young actors who play Bullock’s daughters are so good. The house, oh goodness the house. Few houses on film, gorgeous and old and sprawling and covered with cats and books and plants and love— and a greenhouse— make me want to live in them more. Part of me always will live, however, in the house with rosemary planted by the garden gate. And where I fall in love as often as I can. 

Last night it was time for another newer (to me) Halloween classic: 1967’s “Mad Monster Party?” Rankin and Bass, of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and other stop-motion animation Christmas classics fame, made this lesser known special as their answer to Halloween.

  Part love letter to the Universal Monster movies, part 1960s music extravaganza, “Mad Monster Party?” is an all that and the kitchen sink special that is incredibly endearing. Perhaps the program’s biggest claim to fame— and arguably best feature— is the get of having Boris Karloff himself voice, and sing, the part of Baron von Frankenstein, our Dr. Frankenstein character who’s discovery brings together our gallery of monsters— from Dracula, the Werewolf, the Creature (from the Black Lagoon) and others. And, of course, the Mummy. It’s the Mummy. It’s the Mummy.

 The first time I watched this, the songs didn’t make much of an impression of me, but, with their zany cheer they, they enchanted me. And that happens all the more so with each viewing.  On this viewing, I also realized that one of the things I love most about this is the incredible, gorgeous and painstakingly made and designed sets. The creepy ship, Frankenstein’s Castle, the island and the lagoon. This is art made by people who love the classic monster movies, and it shows.