YOU PASSED IT, YOU PASSED ME THE PARCHMENT!

Yes, as WOTAN reminds us, its SAMHAIN, ALL HALLOWS EVE OR HALLOWEEN. Love it or loathe it, its's hear to stay and getting bigger than Bonfire night. When I was a wee lad my older brothers Steve and Eugene spent the evening donning wolfman masks and scaring the living daylights out of anyone they could find, which usually meant baby brother Woodsy! Much reading of Creepy and Eerie comics went on, as did the telling of scary stories. We may have squeezed in a game of spooky hide and seek (never get in a chest!) before Mum called us all for tea. My Dad usually let off  a couple of roman candles or snowstorms from the firework box for a the following week's Bommy Night. Best of all was watching a scary film on the telly on one of the 3 channels we had - what luxury, 3 channels! There were some excellent runs of films in the late Sixties and Seventies like Midnight Movie and Appointment with Fear. With WOTAN's message in mind, celebrating the departed, here are a few of my favourite old things - that go bump in the telly. If you are of nervous disposition do not watch the clips and certainly not the full thing! You have been warned!

1. Creepy and Eerie Comics - not TV to start with but it's why I love monsters!

2. Dead of Night - classic British spooky film in black and white. Famous final story about a ventriloquist's dummy!

3. A Warning to the Curious - one of the Christmas Ghost Stories - avoid buried crowns!

4. Thriller - the scariest TV series ever - even the theme music gives me the willies!

5. Whistle and I will come to you - another very eerie Christmas ghost story about a buried whisltle.

6. The Stone Tape - arguabley the scariest TV programme ever on British screens - Jane Asher screams.

7. Night of the Demon - based on M.R.Jame's clasic short story Casting the Runes, this black and white film about parchments, Julian Karswell, clouds of demonic smoke in the woods and THE best monster ever on film, is without doubt one of the best two creepy movies made in Britain. Its in the Trees!

8. The Haunting - forget the duff colour remake with Liam Neeson, this black and white ghost story is the real deal. With full-on sound effects that will scare you stiff, it is like Night of the Demon, simply terrifying.

I could go on but I want you to be able to sleep again!

Enjoy! Howwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwl! Woodsmonster