Fear Friday ~ Don't Answer That Phone!!!

Before we get to this week's Fear Friday I want to share the last few holiday recipes that were submitted during the Christmas A Go-Go Giveaway last week. Some tasty treats to have with your Christmas "fear".

This recipe was submitted by Lori.

Peanut Butter Balls

"Here is my favorite holiday recipe. It is very special to me because it brings back memories of my Nana and I making them every year at Christmas time (and they are soooo delicious!!!)!!"

Ingredients

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups of rice krispies cereal                                                            
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 54 mini-muffin paper cups                               

Directions

1. In large electric mixer bowl, beat peanut butter, margarine and sugar on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Add rice krispies cereal, mixing thoroughly. Portion mixture, using rounded teaspoon. Shape into balls. Place each ball in paper cup. Refrigerate.

2. Melt chocolate morsels and shortening in small saucepan, over low heat, stirring constantly. Spoon 1 teaspoon melted chocolate over each peanut butter ball. Refrigerate until firm. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

This recipe was submitted by Krista.

Popcorn Garland

My favorite is stringing popcorn and cranberry as I did as a child. My family has added. We also use cinnamon sticks, dried orange peels and hang them wrapped with the lights. The warmth of the lights makes the house smell great. I also drop a few drops of warm vanilla oil that smell is fantastic and the kids love doing it.

Fear Friday ~ The Christmas Edition Pt. 3

It's Friday and time for another Fear Friday at Laughing Vixen Lounge. This week we continue with the Christmas theme with a very dark classic from the director that also brought us A Christmas Story. A lesson in why you should always go home for Christmas and never stay behind at your Sorority house. And if you do, do not pick up that phone!!! Enjoy!

Every Friday at the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is Fear Friday. Fear Fridays are a celebration of all films spooky. Horror is a very broad genre and the Lounge loves it all. Each Friday you will find a review of a different film. These can range from Classic Horror (black and white and cheesy), Thrillers (suspense, jumps and a good mystery), outright Horror (chop chop, slash slash, die die) and anything else in between.

So pop some popcorn, kill the lights and enjoy tonight's selection. And please, share your comments on the film. Bad or good let me know what you thought of it. And now, my little ghouls and dolls, the Laughing Vixen Lounge Blog is proud to present this week's film.

Fear Friday ~ Black Christmas (1974)

Tagline - If this movie doesn't make your skin crawl... It's On Too Tight!

             The sort of Christmas you don't dream of.

             He Knows When You're Sleeping, He Knows if You're Awake, He
             KNOWS...

Directed by Bob Clark (Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things, Porky's and A Christmas Story) and released on December 20, 1974 by Warner Brothers (Rated R). When a few sorority sisters stay behind for Christmas break they start receiving disturbing phone calls. As the phone calls continue so does the body count!!!

This is a truly creepy movie. Four years before Halloween, Bob Clark released this very dark and disturbing horror film. It really did start the trend of horror films in the late 70's and early 80's. Funny enough, Bob Clark would go on to release A Christmas Story nine years later in 1983. Talk about two very different Christmas tales!!!

The phone calls alone should make your skin crawl in this. They are not very pleasant. The film works. Something about pairing the innocents of Christmas time with the brutality of a horror film works very well. I suggest turning out the lights one night and giving this a try. Just hope the electricity does not go out after it's done like when I watched it!!! Talk about scaring yourself to death!!! Ha!!!

There was a remake in 2006. As with most modern remakes it was more focused on the gore than on what truly makes it scary. And they always feel the need to give way too much back story. It's not needed and neither was this remake.

Take a look at the original trailer.

Some trivia about the movie.

1. Upon initial release in the US the films title was changed to "Silent Night, Evil Night" because the American distributor feared the title "Black Christmas" might cause the film to be mistaken for a 'blaxploitation' flick. However the film didn't do well under the new title and it was changed back to the original "Black Christmas" title, under which it was a success.
2. Reportedly, writer Roy Moore took inspiration for the story from an actual series of murders that took place in Montreal, Quebec around the Christmas season.
3. The film is regarded as being one of the first slasher films. It set the layout for films such as John Carpenter Halloween (1978). However, director Bob Clark considered it to be more of a psychological horror film than a slasher film.
4. The role of Mrs. Mac was offered to Bette Davis
5. The role of Peter was originally offered to Malcolm McDowell, but he turned it down.
6. The role of Lieutenant Fuller was originally supposed to be played by Edmond O'Brien, but due to failing health he had to be replaced. John Saxon was brought in at the last minute.
7. According to director Bob Clark, there were three voices used for the frightening phone calls, including actor Nick Mancuso, an unnamed actress, and himself.
8. The original title of the films script was "Stop Me". It was director Bob Clark who came up with the title "Black Christmas" saying that he liked the irony of something dark occurring during such a festive holiday.

9. Actress Lynne Griffin revealed that for the scenes where she's wrapped in the plastic bag she would rip a hole in the bag, stuffing the opening into her open mouth so she could breathe during filming.

10. Composer Carl Zittrer said in an interview that he created the bizarre music score for the film by tying forks, combs, and knives to the strings of his piano so the sound would warp as he struck the keys. Zittrer also said he would distort the sound further by recording audio tape while putting pressure on the reels of the machine to make it turn slower.

11. The audio for the demented phones calls was edited into the film during post-production. While shooting the footage for the phone call scenes the actresses were actually just reacting to threatening dialog being spoken from director Bob Clark from off-camera.

12. The snow seen outside of the sorority house was actually fake, because there had been surprisingly little snow fall during the filming. A foam material that was provided by the local fire department was used for snow on the lawn and according to cinematographer Albert J. Dunk the substance actually caused the grass on the lawn to grow greener than ever the following spring.

13. According to director Bob Clark the original script for the film featured murder scenes that were more graphic. Clark however felt that it would be more effective if the murders were toned down and made more subtle on screen. Writer Roy Moore liked the idea as well.

14. Minimal vulgarity from the phone calls were initially scripted, director Bob Clark read out rather tame dialogue for the actors to react to. However stronger coarse language was later looped in post-production for a stronger reaction.

15. Keir Dullea worked only for a week on this film, never meeting Margot Kidder and barely meeting John Saxon, but the film is edited in such a way that he appears to be present throughout.

16. Gilda Radner was offered the role of Phyllis Carlson. She was attached, but dropped out one month before filming began owing to Saturday Night Live (1975) commitments.

17. When NBC showed the film during prime time (under the title "Stranger in the House"), it was deemed 'too scary' for network television and was pulled off the air.

18. Star Margot Kidder admitted in an interview that she never thought that the film would become a hit and was surprised to learn that it had gained such a large cult following over the years.