Night 3 of the Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway

Welcome to night 2 of the 4th annual Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway. Stop by our MAIN GIVEAWAY POST and enter to win a $250+ Prize Pack full of frightfully good treats from 7 spooktacular shops. In this post you will find our next Featured Shop ~ Minou Bazaar, details on how to earn EXTRA ENTRIES with our Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt & Halloween Movie Marathon and test your movie knowledge with the Guess the Movie Game. Make sure to visit us each day during the giveaway so you do not miss out on any of the fun!

Hemlock and Moonbeams Charm Bracelet or Necklace

Purchase any item(s) from Laughing Vixen Lounge through October 31st and get 10% off your order. Use code OCTOBER10 at checkout.

$1 from each sale at Laughing Vixen Lounge goes to support the Joy Cinema. A single screen theater in Tigard, Oregon that has been in operation since 1939. Purchase from LVL and help keep the classic cinema experience alive. See full fundraising details and the Joy's story HERE.

Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt
Our scavenger hunt works like a game of Clue. Every day you will be looking for clues to a different part of the mystery ~ Settings, Suspects, Rooms, Weapons and Escapes. They will be hidden (at the top of the description) in a listing inside one of our participating shops. On each daily post you will be given a hint as to where the clues are hiding. Once you find a clue go to the MAIN GIVEAWAY POST and take the daily entry on the Rafflecopter widget. Today's entry will be at the top of the entry list while all past entries will be at the bottom of the list.
*Make sure you are finding today's clue! Submit the wrong clue and it will not count. They have dates. Shops have more than one set of clues hiding there so pay attention. 
*You may start the Scavenger Hunt at anytime during the giveaway and find past clues.
*You can earn 5 extra entries in the giveaway for each set of clues found.
*Please only post clues on the Rafflecopter widget. Anywhere else and they will be deleted.

Scavenger Hunt Special Giveaway!
Keep a list of the clues you find. On October 31st and November 1st you will be able to use the clues you found and submit your guess of how the murder happened. 1 random winner from any correct guesses will win a $50 Gift Certificate to Laughing Vixen Lounge and a $30 Gift Certificate to Deep Midnight Perfumes. If no one guesses correctly then 1 random winner from all submitted guesses will win their choice of Photo Pendant/Keychain from Laughing Vixen Lounge ($15) and a $15 Perfume Sampler Set (your choice of scents) from Deep Midnight Perfumes. Full details on how to submit your guess will be listed on October 31st. You do not need to find all of the clues to submit a guess but the more you find the better your guess.

Clue for October 20th
A murder has been committed! The body of Miss Death has been found at Raven's Perch Manor. Detective Heathmoor needs your help collecting the clues of the crime. Can you solve the mystery?

Night 3 ~ You will be collecting clues to the suspects of the crime.

Tonight's clue is hiding in Laughing Vixen Lounge.
Need a little help finding the clue? A Vampire's favorite "spot".

There seems to be some confusion.

***The clue is in the shop listed above. It will be in one of the listings.
***The hint above is to help you find which listing the clue is in. DO NOT answer the above clue. Your entry will not count.
***The clue is not on this page.


Featured Shop ~ Minou Bazaar
Minou Bazaar is owned by Meenoo from Alexandria, Virginia. With Indian inspired vintage and handcrafted jewelry her shop is filled with beautiful colors and shapes.

Black Bollywood Jhumka Earrings

How did you choose your shop name?
"There is a famous clothing store in India called Meena Bazaar. I wanted a twist on that name using my own name, Meenoo. Minou is a cute spelling of my real name. Also, it means “kitten” in French (as I found out freshman year in high school), and as a certified cat lady, I couldn’t resist that!"

Moon and Stars Necklace

Why did you choose to make/sell what you do?
"I take Indian themes and design and simplify them for the modern woman to create jewelry you can wear every day. I make jewelry for women who are curious, romantic, and have a passion for other cultures, beauty, history, mythology, and art. I love using vintage Indian bits and pieces of neglected components and findings and combining them with vintage Lucite, crystals, and gemstones to create something new. I take great care and time in choosing shapes, patterns, and colors that remind me of India and South Asia and its endless source of inspiration."

Indian Art Pendant with Lotus

What inspires the designs/creations you make?
"I am inspired by color, nature, history, mythology, literature, and of course the shiny and sparkly. Additionally, I enjoy upcycling vintage Indian-inspired findings into new jewelry!"

Labradorite Leaf Earrings

What new designs/creations would you like to add to your shop in the future?
"I am working on my holiday earring collection. I would like to add more bracelets and more luxury jewelry for special occasions."

Witchy Moon Necklace

100% of the profits from Minou Bazaar's Elephant Necklaces are donated to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Dedicated to the protection and preservation of Africa's Wilderness and its denizens, particularly endangered species such as elephants and the Black Rhino. View the entire collection of Elephant Necklaces here.

Elephant Necklace Collection

You'll have a chance to win a $30 Gift Certificate from Minou Bazaar. Enter now on the MAIN GIVEAWAY POST.

Gold Filigree Bracelet with Vintage Jewels

Since it's Halloween I asked the shops to share their favorite spooky movies.
"My favorite spooky movie is Coraline. Not a typical scary movie, but the mother is truly chilling."

Visit Minou Bazaar and use coupon code VIXEN at checkout for 15% off your order.
Follow on Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Website

Opal Lotus Necklace

Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Movie Marathon.
Follow along with us for 2 full weeks of classic spooky movies. This year we celebrate "Classic Thrills Through the Years". Watch the face of horror as it changes from one decade to the next. Find some great watches for the season and receive EXTRA ENTRIES at the same time! On each daily post there will be a review of the next movie in our movie marathon. Leave a comment on the post with your opinion of that movie. Once you have posted go to the MAIN GIVEAWAY POST and take the daily entry on the Rafflecopter widget. Today's entry will be at the top of the entry list while all past entries will be at the bottom of the list. Comment on all movies in the marathon and receive an EXTRA 20 ENTRIES at the end of the giveaway.
*You may start following the Movie Marathon at any time during the giveaway and post comments on past daily posts.
*Each comment will earn you an EXTRA 5 ENTRIES.
*Comment on each movie to earn an EXTRA 20 ENTRIES at the end of the giveaway.
*On October 31st or November 1st you must use the Magic Phrase (revealed on October 31st) and use it to unlock the entry on the Rafflecopter to receive the 20 entries. You must have commented on each movie.

Guess The Movie Game
Think you know your scary movies? Try your luck with this fun little game and receive EXTRA ENTRIES just for guessing. Each daily post will have a clue to the next night's movie. Leave your guess on the Rafflecopter widget, on the MAIN GIVEAWAY POST, for an EXTRA 5 ENTRIES in the giveaway. You do not need to be right just give it an honest try.
*Guesses must be made the same day as their clue to receive the entry.
*Entry will reset 24hrs after your last guess.
*Make sure you are leaving a guess for that day's clue. Guessing for a past clue that has already been posted will be deleted.
* Please only post guesses on the Rafflecopter widget.

Tonight's Clue 10/20 ~ A boy and his mother.


Classic Thrills Through the Years ~ 1950's

Night 3 ~ House on Haunted Hill and The Tingler
A tribute to the Drive-In Double Feature and movie maker William Castle.

Main Feature ~ House On Haunted Hill

 

Tagline - The 13 greatest shocks of all time!
              First Film With the Amazing New Wonder EMERGO: The Thrills
             Fly Right Into The Audience!


Directed by William Castle (Thirteen Ghosts and I Saw What You Did) and released on February 17, 1959 by Allied Artist Pictures (Not rated). 5 guests are invited to a supposed haunted house for a party. Anyone who can stay until dawn will receive 10,000 dollars. But as the night progresses everyone begins to wonder if they will make it out alive.

Tonight's double feature honors two greats in horror history, William Castle and Vincent Price. First we will start with Mr. Castle. If you are not familiar with this name you are really missing out on a piece of cinema history. William Castle was the king of using shameless promotion and crazy gimmicks to promote his low budget horror films. House on Haunted Hill promoted "Emergo". This was a skeleton flying over the audience at just the right time during the movie. The 1993 movie, Matinee, was a loving tribute to the career of William Castle with John Goodman playing a fictional version of him. I remember seeing it when it was in the theaters but now that I am much more familiar with the real man I would love to see it again.

All silliness aside, House on Haunted Hill is actually a pretty good movie. Great spooky atmosphere, twisty plot and wonderful performances by Vincent Price and Carol Ohmart. Vincent Price was a very talented actor who could have easily made a career out of much better movies. But, as is the way in Hollywood, sometimes the movies pick you. And for those of us that enjoy horror movies we are lucky to have had him in so many of them. 

There was a modern remake in 1999 and, while there are some elements I liked, overall it just did not work well enough for me. Definitely not a bad movie but it could have been so much better. 

House on Haunted Hill is currently available to stream on Hulu and Amazon, to rent from MGo and Vudu and should be available on most DVD services. The 1999 remake is available to rent from Amazon, MGo and Vudu and should be available on most DVD services.

Take a look at the original trailer.



Some trivia about the movie.
1. The Ennis Brown House in Los Angeles, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1924, and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was used for the exterior shots of the haunted house during the film's opening sequence.
2. William Castle had related the story of meeting Vincent Price on a day when Price had learned that he had been passed over for a part. Over coffee, Castle described the premise of this picture. Price liked the idea and it led to a two-picture collaboration, this and The Tingler.
3. The popular theme music originally had haunting lyrics by Richard Kayne, but only the orchestral version was used in the final film. For the record, the lyrics went as follows: There's a house on Haunted Hill / Where ev'rything's lonely and still / Lonely and still / And the ghost of a sigh / When we whispered good-bye / Lingers on / And each night gives a heart broken cry / There's a house on Haunted Hill / Where love walked there's a strange silent chill / Strange silent chill / There are mem'ries that yearn / For our hearts to return / And a promise we failed to fulfill / But we'll never go back / No, we'll never go back / To the house on Haunted Hill!
4. The failure of the original copyright holder to renew the film's copyright resulted in it falling into public domain, meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film. Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely (and usually badly) edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duped from second- or third-generation (or more) copies of the film.
5. William Castle used a gimmick called "Emergo" in theaters. When the skeleton rises from the acid vat in the film, a lighted plastic skeleton on a wire appeared from a black box next to the screen to swoop over the heads of the audience. The skeleton would then be pulled back into the box as the skeleton in the film is "reeled in". Many theaters soon stopped using this "effect" because when the local boys heard about it, they would bring slingshots to the theater; when the skeleton started its journey, they would pull out their slingshots and fire at it with stones, BBs, ball bearings and whatever else they could find.
6. The Cadillac funeral cars in procession at the beginning of the film are various model years. In the next scene when they pull up in front of the house they are all the same year.
7. After Lance pulls Nora out of the way of the falling chandelier his arm alternates back and forth, from being around her shoulders to being around her waist.
8. After Nora throws everyone out of her room and the others are talking in the hall, someone's hand comes into the shot in the lower left corner of the screen.
9. The large grosses for this film were noticed by Alfred Hitchcock. This led him to create his own low-budget horror film Psycho.

Second Feature ~ The Tingler

Tagline - When the screen screams you'll scream too...if you value your
              life!
              Can You Take PERCEPTO? 
              Amazing NEW TERROR Device Makes You A Living Participant in the 
              FLESH-CRAWLING ACTION! PERCEPTO!


Directed by William Castle (Straight Jacket and Macabre) and released on July 29, 1959 by Columbia Pictures (Not rated). A scientist discovers that "fear" is actually a creature that lives inside us all and ends up releasing the creature. The only thing that can save you now is to Scream! Scream for your life!

Unlike our first Castle feature, The Tingler is a big cheesy mess of a movie. It is bad in such a fabulous way you can not help but love it. I laughed so much the last time I watched this it was so much fun. If you can appreciate a fun bad movie I highly recommend The Tingler.

The big promotion on this film was Percepto. This involved placing buzzers under some of the seats so at the right moment you would feel a "tingle". The movie guaranteed that The Tingler would be released in the theater during your movie. They would also place people in the theater that would scream and then faint at appropriate moments to help spread panic. There were fake nurses to carry them out and an ambulance waiting outside the theater to take them away only to return for the next showing.
This style of showmanship and movie promoting was so great! The passion they had is greatly missing in an era where Hollywood churns out so many over budgeted movies that disappear after a week from the theater and our memory. No one ever claimed these old movies were Academy Award winners but they put the effort and creativity into trying to make them a entertaining movie going experience. How fun would it be to have the chance to see these movies in their full Castle-ized glory!

There is a 2007 documentary called "Spine Tingler - The William Castle Story".

The Tingler is currently available to rent from Amazon, Vudu and MGo and should be available on most DVD services.

Take a look at the original trailer.



Some trivia about the movie.
1. William Castle toyed with other ideas to frighten audience members, in addition to 'percepto'; among them: rolling bean bags to brush against the legs of audience members, speakers mounted at different areas that would give a 'screech' when the tingler appeared, and possibly even using 'shills' to operate some type of mechanical device to tickle the legs of the audience members; but the only viable way of doing it was by attaching buzzers in select seats to coincide with the appearance of the tingler- 'percepto'.
2. In Oct. 1959, Columbia Pictures distributed this film on a double bill with Juke Box Rhythm.
3. The Tingler is a large scale model of velvet worm, also called peripatus. It has its own phylum - Onychophora. It is about half way between and earthworm and an arthropod.
4. Co-stars Vincent Price and Judith Evelyn previously starred on stage together in 1941 during the Broadway performance of "Angel Street", based on Patrick Hamilton's play "Gaslight".
5. This film is listed among The 100 Most Amusingly Bad Movies Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE.
6. Whenever blood-curdling screams occurred in the movie, hidden buzzers vibrated the seats. (This feature was called "Percepto.") Shills planted in the audience let out their own screams.
7. The earliest film to depict an LSD trip.
8. In almost every scene in which the Tingler appears, the wires maneuvering it are visible.
9. When the Tingler is breaking out of the cage you can see a wire at the bottom pulling it open.
10. Originally had a short sequence filmed partially in color. It was the scene when the deaf-mute Mrs. Higgins, terrified by unknown forces, runs into a bathroom to hide and sees blood coming from the faucets of her sink and her bathtub filled with blood. Everything else in the scene is black and white except for the blood, which appears in garish red color - a typical William Castle gimmick. The USA home video release and the Turner Classic Movies print shown on Oct. 31, 2008 include the restored partial-color sequence. The short sequence is grainy and appears to have been inserted from an old deteriorated copy, or possibly a 16 mm print, as the rest of the movie's quality is crisp and sharp. 
11. Columbia provided a slightly revised version for drive-ins. The black-out sequence with Vincent Price saying the The Tingler is loose in the theatre, is replaced with black footage with William Castle saying that The Tingler is loose in the drive-in and actors screaming that The Tingler is in the back seat. The Columbia exchanges could simply splice in the replacement footage to make an existing print suitable for drive-in bookings.

Beast From Haunted Cave Compact