9.26.2011

Count Down To Monster Movie Month

Back when tv had no Netflix, Blockbuster, Cable, DVRs, the Ratajczyk cousins would sit in the livingroom with Peter as he read through the TV Guide telling what movies were coming up the first weekend of October.  Each week when the Guide came, Peter would scan through it and announce what movies we were going to stay up and watch with his mother, Nettie.



Usually, we could catch a good monster movie on Channel 11 WPIX in New York and on occasion, Channel 13 PBS would show a classic horror flick in black and white.

Some of Peter's (and our) favorites:

The Blog (the original 1958 version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhyRpvgm03g
(Peter would stuff his mouth with grape jelly then squish it through his teeth and down his chin to portray "the blob" coming out of his mouth. Grossed us out every time)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 & 1978 versions) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTSR6bu0Nq0

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (1972) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm8elaYH7c4

Night of the Living Dead (1968) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pElSu_ECJGM

The Exorcist (1973) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGw1MTEe9k
(of course Peter recreated the "pea soup" segment for Tara, Marie, Michelle, Nancy and I one night. We tried pea soup and tomato soup - we all agreed that the tomato soup was way more disgusting)

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Oh, wanted to share. Interesting "memorial piece" combo for Peter and Bela Lugosi:


 





17 comments:

  1. Horror movies have been my favourite since I was a kid. I remember finding the safest place to sit in the lounge room (so monsters couldnt get me) while watching all the horror movies when they were on tv. The old movies are great and have an atmosphere that could never be reproduced.They scared the shit out of me being a kid. I think this is why I am still scared of the dark! Of course they are totally lame when you look at the special effects that can be done now. The old zombies are so funny....dumb and slow. I must admit The Exorcist still scares me and I never watch it anymore. Thank god for dvd players now I can watch any horror movie when ever I want. They are so much fun to watch with friends especially when you all start trying to scare each other. As you have told us before, this was one of Peters favourite things to do...boys love scaring girls. Zombie movies are my favourite and on the 23rd of October is our yearly zombie walk. This year the Guinness World Record are coming to Brisbane to make it official that we have the largest group of Zombies for the walk in the world! Something I am very proud of. Darcie do you have one over there? Have the Ratajczyk family ever done it?

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  2. They're coming to get you Barbara!
    Your mother sucks cocks in hell!

    Sorry someone had to say it!!!

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  3. Awesome ... There is nothing better than sitting around with the ones you love and hanging out watching horror movies..Love it!! Thank you for sharing! :)

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  4. oh yes, horror movies are the best. Love them, and the old horror movies are scary, funny and even sometimes really interesting. Sometimes I get so tired of the new ones, but actually a lot of the new horrormovies come from the old.
    And october really is "horrormovieseason", looking forward to the month of horror to began. =)

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  5. I never knew how much of a horror-freek I was until I read Steven King's book, Danse Macabre, where he discusses every horror book & movie... I had read or seen every one of them! Didn't know I was part of a cult, I just knew what I liked!
    Thanks for another great story.

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  6. For those who can't tell ... that is Peter's giant rosary he is holding in this picture. Yet another of his possessions missing from his home when he died. ... Pat

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  7. This is so funny the timing of this because over the weekend I watched "From Dusk Till Dawn," for the first time and about 3/4th the way through the movie the thought popped in my head that Peter would love this movie. I bet watching a horror film with Peter was quite the experience. :)

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  8. Hi all--

    Oh geez--is it THAT time of the year already?!?
    I also remember when channel 7 (here in the NY metro area) would do the "Movie of the Week," and there was always at least one week devoted to horror movies. (Alas, Ch. 7 hasn't done this for a VERY long time--talk about the good ol' days!) The above-mentioned movies are among my faves, and I own them all. Although, lately I have been wanting to watch "Halloween," which I just might do this weekend.
    ...@Pat--I thought that's what that might be. (Peter's rosary). I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but the whole situation--his 'living arrangements,' his being sick, THE phone call, possessions missing--seems very suspicious to me; I don't trust any of it. And it sounds like somebody took advantage of it and lifted some things that they shouldn't have. It's almost like they were waiting for something (bad) to happen so they could walk off with Peter's stuff. On purpose. I don't know--it's just my feeling, and it's not a good one.
    Anyway, thanks for this Darcie. It was fun to read this after all that heavy stuff you threw at us last week!
    Love & Gratitude--Patty P

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  9. Peter & I had a couple of hysterical talks about Dusk Till Dawn ... he was especially cracked up by the "guitar" the vampire was playing when all hell broke loose.

    And you must imagine his comments about the beautiful Selma Hyack. ... Pat

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  10. I remember watching the old black and white horror movies when I was younger and there was a vampire movie that was out in the 70s that my brother and I watched at my grandmas one night and ya know the scene from the Exorcist? well later on that night my brother got sick and threw up alll over me was like the scene in that movie..lol. we were in bed at the time my gramma peeks in the door and asked my brother if he was ok and after she asked that he got sick all over me..and I think ya could hear me screaming Johnyyyy!! about a block away...lol. I remember we both had to re take a bath that night too. he said the movie made him sick cause of all the blood and gore that was in it. could be why he really doesnt watch horror movies much...lol. me on the other hand watched quite a few. I liked the vampire ones and a few of the zombie ones were funny to watch..lol. my dad was good at scaring the bejesus out of us every now and then while we were watching a horror movie..he'd do the sneak up behind ya and scream thing..lol. my mom hated that..she was not one to watch the horror movies cause they'd give her nightmares which we understood so it was basically us kids and my dad watching that stuff.I also like the funny kinds of horror movies the ones with the weird,sick and freakish sense of humor in them.wonder if Peter ever watched those..hmmmmmmmmm. did he ever watch The Rocky Horror Picture show when it was out? that seems to have been the it movie of that time.I like when they ate Meatloaf..lol..err ya had to have seen the movie...lol. there was another horror flick that I watched with a friend of mine that had to do with the devils wife Lilith? cant remember the name of it but was a interesting movie. I know the Exorcist, The Omen and the Amitiville(excuse spelling forgot how to spell it..ya know ya getting old when ya forget how to spell certain words..lol.) horror movie really scared the crap outta me.lol.
    anyways another good blog..looking forward to next month, Im gonna put some halloween stuff on my profiles and some good song vids too in honor of Peter since it was his favorite time of year. did you guys ever go to haunted houses?I could so see Peter enjoying doing that...lol.

    everybody have a great week. stay safe and take care.forever peace and blessings.

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  11. @ Pat

    That is so funny...the "guitar" part is when the thought popped into my head about Peter probably loving "Dusk Till Dawn." I can just imagine his comments on Selma...... I never knew the man personally, nor had I ever had a chance to meet him, but (not to sound weird..even though this probably is weird) I swear I hear him in my head sometimes...usually cracking a joke about something. Thanks for sharing that tidbit with me. :) Oh and that scene had be laughing my a$$ off as well.

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  12. Who the #@%&* takes a dead-man's rosary?!!! That's the lowest, most despicable, foulest, most disgusting, underhanded... (Cue Lenny and Squiggy to burst in the door without knocking. "Hello!!!")

    ...but I digress...
    Leafing through the TV Guide with Pete at the helm, choosing October horror films for the week, priceless, and watching Dusk 'til Dawn with Pete had to be unique! Thanks for sharing, Darcie and Pat!

    My hometown had a local-channel TV-show with all B&W old horror classic movies, year round. My parents were not TV owners during my childhood and my siblings and I were forbidden to view TV without supervision, so I snuck over to the neighbors' to see it. Not sure which was campier, that late-night horror-feature show or Dark Shadows. You can judge for yourselves.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjIO7jV8tvY&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL1F1722118EB549B0

    The host, known as Sammy Terry, owned and ran a music store during the week and taught my brother to play trombone. Any musician will attest to the strong connection between music and the macabre. I always feel it while playing the antique (possibly haunted) piano.

    It's almost October... muahahahahahaha!!!

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  13. Horror movies are great fun to watch together - back in my childhood I can remember that 'The Exorcist' has scared me really - now I love to watch it when it is on TV again - somehow for sentimental reasons :-) & laughing .. LOL - can imagine so well the recreation of the pea soup segment by Pete :-)Also I was impressed by 'Nightmare on ElmStreet' - I was a little older already so it was more fun but still I was scared to the bones when someone near me started to scratch his nails over something like Freddy :-) btw few days ago I watched the remake and it was pretty good ;-) 'From Dusk till Dawn' - thx for throwing this in - love the movie - many great scenes :-) Pete's comments on Salma Hayek - well I could almost hear them ;-) & it would have surprised if there were no comments by Pete on this ;-) The movie that scared me the most was Stephen King's 'IT' - I had nightmares over weeks from the grinning clown & even watching it now goes under my skin ;-)
    Pat - thx for the info on the rosary. It's so sad to hear all these disappointing, suspect things - really sad. How people aren't able to respect each other - even in situations ...(can't find words) - well truly sad.
    Much love & respect
    -Sabine-

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  14. Horror movies are good anytime of the year, but yeah it's tradition to watch Halloween at the stroke of midnight halloween night. I know I can't wait for the series Walking Dead to start up, I bet Pete would've dug this show. (-)
    @Pat and family. I'm really sorry to hear about the whole situation surrounding Peter's death, it does seem suspicious how it all unfolded and whomever it was that took advantage of the situation...I wish them nothing but misery for the rest of their days!

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  15. Luke and I buy old b/w horror and sit and watch them together. They are just unmistakably cool.

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  16. Oh geez, I REFUSE to watch the Exorcist ever again. I've only watched it twice. The last time I saw it was when it came out again in theaters in 2000 (I think). I went to go see it with my sister and her friends and that (added) scene of her parading down the stairs with blood protruding from her mouth messed me up nicely! That night I had to have my mother sit in the bathroom while I showered. I can take gory films like Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, etc... but I CAN'T handle little demonic children with their head spinning around. Just can't do it...
    -Heather

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  17. The Blog?

    LOL! :) :) :)

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