HIPPIELUVN'S HALLOWEEN HORRORTHON 2011

[Murfreesboro]

I have that Haunted History of Halloween on DVD. It is part of a set I got, and one of the better DVDs in the set, I think. (The set also included a History Channel special about vampires, which I like, and one about poltergeists, and the Salem Witch Trials, and something else I can't recall.)

I think the one I like the least in that set may be the one about the Salem Witch Trials, because it neglects an angle that I learned from a Nova special a few years ago. The Nova theory was that the people in Salem were poisoned by some kind of fungus that grew on their rye crop after a rainy season. Apparently the fungus produces a toxin that cannot be eliminated even after baking bread, and it can cause hallucinations. It sounded like a very plausible theory to me and even helped explain why a dog or two were thought to be bewitched (if the dogs had eaten the bread as left-overs, they would have been poisoned, too).

Most theories about the Salem Witch Trials suggest simply mass hysteria, or perhaps greed (one faction in town after another faction's land). But the Nova theory gave some credence to the belief that something weird was happening there. The people of that time just didn't understand what it was.

[Pumpkin56]

That's very interesting Murf. I haven't heard that before. Did it specify whether the accusers were probably affected by the toxin or the accused? Or was it most likely everyone? It seems if an entire crop was poisoned by this fungus, it would affect more than just a handful of people. I'm really intrigued right now. I'm going to try and find this show

[Murfreesboro]

I think it's called ergot poisoning. Yes, I should think anyone in the community who ate the contaminated bread would have been affected. I Googled it a little. Apparently ergot is similar to LSD, may be the source of the first LSD.

[Pumpkin56]

That's very interesting. It seems like it would reasonable to say that most people would have eaten bread then so quite a few would have been affected. If the whole area was 'poisoned' with this primitive LSD, everyone would have appeared to be a suspect!

[Murfreesboro]

You're right. I don't know exactly how it works--if some fields of grain were more affected than others, perhaps, or if some people were more sensitive than others, etc.

[Jack Skellington]

I've seen that show too Murf. It was indeed very interesting.

I'll look out for 'The Haunted History of Halloween' on the History Channel over here. Hopefully they'll show it. They normally show documentaries relating to Halloween around this time of year. I've watched a few on there, can't remember their names but I watched one on Vampires last year.

[hippieluvn]

i went to salem once while visiting a sister who lived in boston



that reminds me: this weekend would be a great time to watch...



this movie scared the bejesus out of me as a kid



now it's one of my all-time favs and a must-watch at halloween

[Pumpkin56]

i went to salem once while visiting a sister who lived in boston



that reminds me: this weekend would be a great time to watch...



this movie scared the bejesus out of me as a kid



now it's one of my all-time favs and a must-watch at halloween

I liked that movie too! I LOVED the book--it was so creepy!

[Jack Skellington]

What was Salem like then hippieluvn? I've always wanted to visit.

[hippieluvn]

I liked that movie too! I LOVED the book--it was so creepy!

oh i love the book too and re-read it like every other october
i love the chase scene where barlow leaves the vampire hunters a note to tease them



rutger hauer's portrayal of barlow the vampire in the more recent tnt mini-series
is definitely a more accurate interpretation of king's original character





but reggie nalder's version of barlow in the first mini-series is by far one of my all-time favorite film vampires - best on-screen vampire since nosferatu - just because of the sheer awesomeness of his performance and the great vampiric look created by the makeup team assembled by tobe hooper

[hippieluvn]

What was Salem like then hippieluvn?

well i was a kid so i don't remember too much - but since i've been into halloween, monsters, and horror since childhood i do recall it being fun

[hippieluvn]

3 days & nights of stephen king on amc leading up to fearfest
this morning i've watched graveyard shift and pet sematary

[hippieluvn]

now not only am i a fan of halloween and horror films
but i also love a good comedy and i'm a huge parrothead
fan of jimmy buffett's music and tropical lifestyle so it only
makes sense that i add the following horror-comedy to my
annual horrorthon down here in the big easy caribbean

[hippieluvn]

tonight i'm watching another gem from my childhood which i've managed to secure on dvd
a 1989 tv special hosted by george hamilton and titled dracula: live from transylvania

[hippieluvn]

tonight i'm watching the 1922 b&w silent horror classic nosferatu