Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Night 8 of the Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway


Welcome to night 8 of the 5th annual Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway. Stop by our MAIN GIVEAWAY POST and enter to win a Prize Pack full of goodies worth $300+ donated by 11 wickedly fabulous shops. In this post you will find our first Featured Shop ~ The Green Meadow, 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!

Cute 'n Spooky Halloween Small Photo Pendant - Style K

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 to which listing the clues are hiding in. Once you find a clue go to the MAIN GIVEAWAY POST and take the daily entry on the giveaway widget. Today's entry will be at the top of the list while all past entries will be at the bottom of the list.
*Make sure you are finding today's clue. Each clue has a date. Shops have more than one set of clues hiding there so pay attention. Submit the wrong clue and it will not count.
*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 giveaway 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 have found and submit your guess of how the murder happened. 1 random winner from any correct guesses will win a $60 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 1 item from Laughing Vixen Lounge (up to $20 value) and a 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 25th
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 8 ~ You will be collecting clues to the setting of the crime.
*You will be finding 2 clues today.

Clue #1 is hiding in Laughing Vixen Lounge.
Need a little help finding the clue? Click your heels three times.

Clue #2 is hiding in Heart 2 Handbags.
Need a little help finding the clue? Enjoy a "Ghastlie night".

*The clue is in the shop listed above. It will be in one of the listings.
*Make sure you are finding today's clue. It will have a date.
*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 ~ The Green Meadow.
The Green Meadow is run by Saloni from Gurgaon, India. Her shop is filled with luxurious herbal bath and body products.

Indian Neem Soap

How did you choose your shop name?
" I wanted to use a name which represents nature or mother Earth as my whole shop is dedicated to making skincare products from naturally grown herbs. So, I used the word Meadow as it does not represent one single herb or flower. It represents whole bunch of them and so is my shop. It isn't about just soaps or about one single herb either. It is about whole range of skincare products and about the best herbs found throughout the world."

Ayurvedic Herbal Hair Mask

Why did you choose to make/sell what you do?
"I have always been a skincare junkie and always wanted to look the best. But at the same time my mum always taught us the benefits of natural, organic skincare products and how harmful commercial products are. I left my 9 hours boring office job to do something creative, something I really love. And the first thing that came into my mind was handmade skincare products. It was a match made in heaven."

DIY Henna Kit

What new designs/creations would you like to add to your shop in the future?
"Oh! I want to add my full range of face serums. I just simply love the fact that how much goodness these cute little bottle of face serums have. Just the few drops of these serums work wonders for your skin. Other than that I want to add some new soaps and body scrubs in my shop."

Rose Garden Bath Salt

You'll have a chance to win a $10 Gift Certificate and choice of Body Scrub or Body Oil. from The Green Meadow. Enter now on the MAIN GIVEAWAY POST.

Carrot Rice Face and Body Scrub


Kaaya Bath and Body Oil

Since it's Halloween I asked the shops to share their favorite spooky movies.
"My favorite horror movie is Shutter. It is a Thai movie and trust me on this Thai movies are the best horror movies like in the whole world."


Visit The Green Meadow during the giveaway and use coupon code HAPPY10 at checkout for 10% off your order.
Follow on Etsy ~ Facebook ~ Instagram




Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Movie Marathon.
Follow along with us for 2 full weeks of spooky movies. This year we feature personal favorites of Laughing Vixen Lounge. Find some new movies to watch this season, or maybe relive some old favorites, 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 giveaway 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 giveaway widget 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 game and receive EXTRA ENTRIES just for guessing. Each daily post will have a hint to the next night's movie. Leave your guess on the giveaway 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 hint to receive the entry. Guessing for a past hint will not count and will be deleted.
*Entry will reset 24hrs after your last guess.
*Please only post guesses on the giveaway widget.


Tonight's Clue ~ Not the Dawn. Not the Day.
  

Halloween Movie Marathon

Night 8 ~ The Amityville Horror


Tagline - "For God's Sake, Get Out!"


Directed by Stuart Rosenberg (Cool Hand Luke and Brubaker) and released on July 27, 1979 by American International Pictures (rated R). When the Lutz family (James Brolin and Margot Kidder) moves in to their dream house they have no idea the Hell that awaits them. As strange events start to happen the family is desperate to save their house and their sanity.

When something seems too good to be true it probably is. So when George and Kathy Lutz are offered their dream house at a huge discount something is probably wrong. And there is! The family before them was brutally murdered in the house. The Lutzes decided they can live with the history and purchase the house. It does not take long before they regret their decision. The Lutz family lived in the house, also known as "High Hopes", for only 28 days. Their experiences there will become the stuff of horror legend.

Much has been debated about the accounts of what happened at the house at 112 Ocean Ave in Amityville, NY as told by the Lutz family. What is true? Unfortunately the brutal murders were real. 13 months before, Ronald DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family in the house. His defense was an insanity plea saying he heard voices. Yes, the Lutz family was a real family who purchased the house in 1975 after the DeFeo's. In 1977 the book The Amityville Horror, written by Jay Anson and based on the recorded accounts told by George and Kathy Lutz, was published and become a huge bestseller. George and Kathy maintained their story, changed on some accounts for the book and movie, was true and did happen to them. They both took a lie detector test and both passed. Their son, Daniel, was interview for the documentary "My Amityville Horror" and insist that it all happened.

The Real Amityville House -1974
Now days the consensus is that the story was fictional. One of the most damning accusations came from William Weber, the defense attorney for Ronald DeFeo Jr., who claimed in a People Magazine article in 1979 to have had a meeting with the Lutzes where they "created" the story over many bottles of wine. According to the Lutzes they met with Weber hoping to find out more about the events that had happened in their house. They agreed to tell him their story thinking that their experiences in the house may help his client receive the medical help he needed if, in fact, he had been under the influence of the presence in the house. But when Weber wanted to enter into a book deal with them that included part of the profits going the Ronald DeFeo Jr., the Lutzes declined. Could it just be hard feelings and greed that led to the claims that it was all a hoax?

There is an interesting site that has tried to show an accurate account of what happened to the Lutzes and sort out what did not take place. If you are curious you can find it here. It does provide some interesting information. What sticks in my mind is how even the children, now grown, have never waived from the events being true. And for both George and Kathy to pass the lie detector test if it was a hoax is pretty impressive.

The Real Amityville House - 2005
Whether or not the story is true it made for one heck of a good horror story. The movie may be a bit dated by today's standards and might not be as action packed as people are used to but do not let that fool you. It is a great haunted house story with all the chills needed to give you the creeps. But if you really want to get the full freaked out experience then you have to read the book. It ranks right up there with the Shining as a story to not be read at night!!!

The movie spawned many sequels but none of them are really worth the watch. In 2005 there was a big budget remake with Ryan Reynolds and Mellisa George. At the time the makers of the film were boasting how they were going to be faithful to the book in their adaption. While Reynolds and George were great in the roles, and the movie had a good retro look, it varied greatly from the book. Sometimes so much it just made you shake your head in disbelief. Hollywood needs to remember that simple can be more effective than over the top.

The Amityville Horror is currently available to watch on streaming and should be available on most DVD services.

Take a look at the original trailer.



Some trivia about the movie.
1. Due to all the unwanted fame the book and film had brought upon the real house in Amityville, the current owners have replaced the "evil eyes" windows with normal rectangle-shaped windows.   
2. At the time of its release the film was one of the highest grossing independent films of all time and American International Pictures' biggest hit.   
3. While shooting the scene where Kathy is startled by the red eyes in the window, director Stuart Rosenberg wasn't impressed by Margot Kidder's reaction. According to Kidder, Rosenberg then tried to hold up a "a day-glo orange stuffed velour pig with glass eyes" in an attempt to startle Kidder. She said the result was only hysterical laughter, not fear.   
4. Stars James Brolin and Margot Kidder visited the real Amityville house as part of a publicity junket.   
5. Contrary to popular belief, Lalo Schifrin's score for this film was not the legendary rejected score composed for The Exorcist. The rejected Exorcist score has subsequently been released on CD and is completely different in every respect.
6. The outdoor scenes of the movie were not filmed in Amityville, Long Island, but rather Toms River, New Jersey. Local police and ambulance workers played extras.   
7. This film's theatrical success was followed by two theatrically released sequels - Amityville II: The Possession an official sequel/prequel; Amityville 3-D, not an official sequel; and five direct-to-video low-budget sequels released from 1989 to 1996.

House on Haunted Hill Compact

17 comments:

  1. I've seen all the Amityville ones. Some are better than others but all creep me out to think a house is evil.

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  2. I believe the story is true.Great movie!

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  3. One of the few movies I saw in the theater when it first came out and I really liked it. Haven't read the book, but I need to.

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  4. I adore this entire franchise! Own all of the older ones, need a couple of the newer ones, but this is such a great series of films!

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  5. Such an interesting and terrifying tale!! I love the movies but I hate that it happened in real life. Im so intrigued by the reasoning behind the murders. Talk about a true horror story!

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  6. I watched the original one years after it came, and it is still scary to watch.

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  7. I liked the book (been many years since I read it), but didn't really like the movie.

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  8. Nicole Carter (Weasley)October 25, 2016 at 5:43 PM

    This one really scared me as a little kid because it was (loosely) based on a true story!

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  9. Regardless of whether or not this story was really true it is a very scary movie.

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  10. That house is so creepy! Such a classic! :)

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  11. I know everyone likes this movie, but I honestly have no desire to see it.

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  12. The original was so scary and the book was even creepier!

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  13. I tend to be very skeptical of these kinds of things, but I wouldn't want to live in that house! The current owners must have nerves of steel!

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  14. the hsoue were it is i would love to go and look in side and se w what it was i love big hosunted place

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  15. I saw this as a little kid. What on earth were my parents thinking? I remember there being something about a pig and being terrified of pigs from then on!

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