Halloween Countdown, Day 8

[eldritchhobbit]

I have a couple of Halloween-related links to share with you today:[Poll #1468124]

Spooky Text of the Day: Today's text is the poem "The Phantom-Wooer" by Thomas Lovell Beddoes (1803-1849).

A ghost, that loved a lady fair,
Ever in the starry air
Of midnight at her pillow stood;
And, with a sweetness skies above
The luring words of human love,
Her soul the phantom wooed.
Sweet and sweet is their poisoned note,
The little snakes' of silver throat,
In mossy skulls that nest and lie,
Ever singing "die, oh! die."

Young soul put off your flesh, and come
With me into the quiet tomb,
Our bed is lovely, dark, and sweet;
The earth will swing us, as she goes,
Beneath our coverlid of snows,
And the warm leaden sheet.
Dear and dear is their poisoned note,
The little snakes' of silver throat,
In mossy skulls that nest and lie,
Ever singing "die, oh! die."

Comments

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

I never saw the Twilight Zone version of "It's a Good Life", but I read the short story it was based on, and it FREAKED ME THE HECK OUT.

[peadarog.livejournal.com]

I think my poll answer has been unfairly influenced by the picture you posted!

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I's have to go with Rhonda Penmark because she didn't need any sort of special powers or mutation to be creepy...she just was!

[sittingduck1313.livejournal.com]

Jamie of course. Small wonder all the Hugos Doctor Who has won were for episodes written by Steven Moffat, the Master of Mindf*** (for proof of that title, check out his miniseries Jekyll, particularly the epilogue).

As regards Harry Potter and Gothic literature, I found that certain parts of Chamber of Secrets bore a striking resemblance to the H.P. Lovecraft short story The Rats in the Walls.

[euclase.livejournal.com]

The little boy from The Devil's Backbone!

Wow, your poll is really great. Except some of them are just plain sad as opposed to creepy. And Anne and Nicholas were adorable.

[groovekittie.livejournal.com]

"Are you my mummy?"

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Freaked me out!

And the Ring! *trembles* That movie gave me the heebie jeebies like you wouldn't believe!

[mamomo.livejournal.com]

Some of the scariest horror movies, to me, are the ones with creepy kids. I'd add The Unborn the list - there's a scene with the dybbuk (demon) child and a mirror that freaked me out.

I love that poem. It was creepy but also really pretty.

[xanath.livejournal.com]

I read the story before I saw the Twilight Zone episode. Trust me--it's very faithful to the text, and it is CREEPY.

[cookiefleck.livejournal.com]

I rest my case. ;o)

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=eraserhead%20baby&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

[vyrdolak.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was ever adapted for television, but have you ever read Orson Scott Card's "Eumenides in the Fifth-Floor Lavatory"? Those were some scary babies. Supposedly the editor it was originally submitted to was unable to finish reading it.

[mackiedockie.livejournal.com]

Kenny from Highlander was pretty creepy, but technically not a child, I suppose, just frozen in that body.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

I agree - it's very faithful to the story. And creepy!!! Anthony (in both eps) is played beautifully by Billy Mumy, Will Robinson of Lost in Space fame.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh no! I've been accused of vote-tampering with my own poll! \0/

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Excellent point!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Ack! How could I forget Santi?!?! Augh.

Except some of them are just plain sad as opposed to creepy.

I see your point.

Poor Anne and Nicholas... :(

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

"Are you my mummy?"
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Freaked me out!

Me, too! And no matter how many times I watch it, it still freaks me out.

And the Ring! *trembles*

When she started crawling out of the TV screen? Oh yeah.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the recommendation - you're quite right, The Unborn should've been on the list. Good catch.

I'm so glad you liked the poem, too!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Ack! I'm totally convinced. \0/

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I haven't read that one. Clearly that needs to go on my "must read" list.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, good point! He should've been on the list.

Not Lavatory Reading

[vyrdolak.livejournal.com]

I know it's in one of the Marvin Kaye-edited anthologies. I thought I had it but I can't find it on the shelf.

[cookiefleck.livejournal.com]

I love Eraserhead. *sighs*

I just thought of another creepy movie child, although it's not really the child's fault. The hallucination of the baby crawling on the ceiling in Trainspotting. Another favorite film. OMG, that baby, though...

[peadarog.livejournal.com]

I think we need to call in the supreme court here...

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

That's his name! I couldn't remember, to put in the text box. Santi = very creepy.