November 28TH, 2019
Wishing all our neighbours to the south, and those that celebrate it, a wonderful and fulfilling Thanksgiving.
National Theatre Live: A Midsummer Night's Dream
By LANA CARBON
NOVEMBER 16TH, 2019
October is, and always has been, our busiest month of the year. We always do our 31 Movies for 31 Days of Hallowe’en (one of which we make sure to see in the cinema). We also try to get in some kind of Hallowe’en type of spooky activity; this changes from year to year but has often consisted of going on a haunted tour, taking a drive to view decorations, and visiting family for our annual pumpkin carve. Add all of this to our regular schedule and it doesn’t leave much time for anything else. So, of course, here is an article of our night at the theatre, on October 17th, to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Pretty random, right?
Photo I took of the promotional poster while in the lobby at the Cineplex.
In a month filled with thoughts of blood and gore, you may not see the immediate connection to National Theatre Live’s production of one of Shakespeare’s most well known comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With tricks aplenty, the performance is a treat that will have you laughing so hard your sides will hurt as surely as having eaten too much candy on Hallowe’en night.
As the lights dimmed to begin the show, I was a little surprised by the lack of attendance in our theatre. I was expecting a nearly full house but there was hardly anyone there. When we went to see the replay of Hamlet at the same cinema, there were barely any seats available.
Much like that performance of Hamlet that we watched four years ago (Really? It was that long ago?), this was a more modern take on the play while still using the “Olde English” that can be a little difficult to grasp at times. For me, there were two stand-outs in this particular director’s vision; the first of which was the decision to use aerialists to give the illusion of the fairy folk flying in any scenes taking place in their fantastical world. This looked amazing on screen and I can only imagine how much better it must have been in person. The play was presented in-the-round at the Bridge Theatre, so the silks the actors hung from would, at times, be directly over the audience’s heads. On this topic of using aerialists, special praise should go to David Moorst, playing Puck, who was not an aerialist before this production and yet appeared just as accomplished than the others, if not more so. He continued to act brilliantly, delivering his lines while doing tricks in the air on silks, after only three months of training.
The second stand-out for me was the notable change that director, Nicholas Hytner, made by switching some of Oberon and Titania’s lines which lead to some interesting results, especially in today’s world. Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Hunger Games) is the big draw as Queen of the Fairies and did an excellent job playing off her rivalry with Oliver Chris’ (Motherland) Oberon. The young lovers were all performed excellently by Paul Adeyefa (Demetrius), Tessa Bonham Jones (Helena), Isis Hainsworth (Hermia) and Kit Young (Lysander).
A real comical treat came by way of the Rude Mechanicals; the theatre troupe which performed the play within the play. Each member (Flute – Jermaine Freeman, Starveling – Francis Lovehall, Snout – Ami Metcalf, Snug – Jamie-Rose Park, and Quince – Felicity Montagu) was hilarious in their own way. In my opinion, the standout of the group, and perhaps the whole show, was Hammed Animashaun’s Bottom. This was the funniest interpretation of the role I had ever seen and I apparently wasn’t alone in my enjoyment of what was taking place on the screen. The entire theatre crowd (yes, all 15 of us) were laughing hysterically. I glanced over to John and saw her wiping the tears from her eyes since she had been laughing so hard - she later told me that as quickly as she wiped away the tears, more were streaming down her face and she couldn’t keep up. I, myself, was wincing as I held my side and tried to catch my breath. It had been years since I had laughed so exuberantly at anything. This was serendipity… the perfect person in the perfect place at the perfect time in the perfect role. We couldn’t ask for anything better.
Now, like waking from a very pleasant dream, with that euphoric feeling having slowly faded as our minds have slipped back into reality, a smile crosses our faces as we think back and relate to you this wonderful show. If you get the chance, we strongly advise catching one of the replays at your local cinema. You will not be sorry.
Remembrance Day 2019
By JOHN LILIES
NOVEMBER 11TH, 2019
As we do every year, we attended Remembrance Day services today and we thought we would share a little bit of our experience.
For those who leave never to return, for those who return but are never the same, we remember.
Our Excursion Through the Shield - Day 10
By JOHN LILIES & LANA CARBON
NOVEMBER 10TH, 2019
[John] We knew we would be in Thunder Bay for only a few days but that did not make it any easier to leave. Each time I leave this place, a part of my heart stays behind. I love being able to visit but it is always so hard to leave this place and these people behind. Kim, Tina, Nia, and Sia are such important people in our lives that it was particularly difficult to drive away on this day, having so enjoyed our stay and exploring so much with Kim.
Alas, our time came to depart and our first stop was only five-to-seven minutes from the hotel. Sia had insisted that we stop at a little coffee shop called The Persian Man, to experience a seriously sweet treat called a Persian. I suspect that for most people this pastry would taste sweet but as Lana and I have cut out 95% of processed sugar and desserts from our lives, this novelty was extra intense for us. The Persian is a sweet cinnamon pastry doughnut with a sort of strawberry flavoured cream icing.
It kind of tastes like a pumped up soft cinnamon bun. It was really yummy but it was oh so sugary. Lana managed two or three bites and left me to handle the rest.
[Lana] WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! THAT WAS REALLY GOOD! THAT WAS REALLY GOOD! THAT WAS REALLY GOOD!! MIGHT BE A BIT SWEET BUT IT’S TASTY! IT WAS A GOOD CALL TO STOP HERE! I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE MORE! I THINK I'M DONE! Okay I Think I'm Crashing Now. Okay I'm just gonna... I'm just gonna... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
[John] Yeah. That. I finished it, but not without the sugar sweats after. I was grateful for the super strong coffee to counteract the sweet taste. Having said all of that, when in the Thunder Bay area, if you enjoy a sweet treat, we highly recommend visiting The Persian Man and tasting this unique dessert. This is so coveted in the area, I was amazed that despite my previous visits no one had told me about it until this trip. It was worth the sugar rush and I do wish that we could have them in the city so we could share the experience.
With sugar and caffeine speeding through our veins, we pulled out and began our trip back across the province; our final destination for this day was Cochrane, Ontario. Originally, the plan had been to drive to Kapuskasing (approximately six-and-a-half to seven hours east of Thunder Bay) but due to serious flooding in some of the remote First Nations communities north of Kapuskasing, the residents from those towns had been flown into Kapuskasing and surrounding areas to stay indefinitely. Hence, while in Thunder Bay we had received a call from our Kapuskasing hotel, telling us they had cancelled our reservation because they could no longer accommodate us. They helped us find the last room available in the area, but shortly after booking it we decided to cancel and instead we moved our overnight plans slightly further east to Cochrane (about another hour-and-a-half east of Kapuskasing), where there was a little more availability. A little, not much.
[Lana] I did feel bad for the victims of the flooding and it also showed us how fortunate we could be to find a room with only a couple of days' notice.
[John] Yes, this was definitely not something we had anticipated but we were grateful to find a room and know we would have a safe and secure roof over our heads for a night after a long drive. I could only imagine what it would be like to be forced from my town for an indefinite time and have to live in a hotel hundreds of kilometres away - and on average it happens every year.
So, upon leaving Thunder Bay our original plan had been to stop at Ouimet Canyon - a place that Kim had introduced me to some years ago and I instantly fell in love with it. However, as we mentioned in our previous installment, road construction and an unreliable detour forced us to defer this plan to our next trip. Instead, we made our way towards Nipigon, enjoying the ride and keeping a lookout for interesting things along the way.
[John] One of the roadside attractions we were specifically looking for before reaching Nipigon, was a wildlife mural in Dorion. We didn't know exactly where to find it, which should not surprise you by now, so we turned onto the one road (we think it was the main road) where we thought we may find it but guess what?!? No mural.
While finalizing this article, we happened upon this notice from the Dorion website. We were actually looking for something completely unrelated, so we laughed a bit when we saw this.
[John] So, we decided to continue on to Nipigon to revisit La Luna Café and hopefully show them our sassy deer photos.
La Luna was closed.
[Lana] Probably for the best - I would have made him pay an exorbitant fee for our sassy deer photos and he never would have sold that original sassy deer photo again. (Just teasing!)
[John] So, we walked around and took a couple of more photos and then hopped back in the car to top up Lucy's fuel tank and get ourselves some caffeine from the local Tim Horton's. We will visit La Luna again another time.
Our next goal was Beardmore. On the way, we passed Orient Bay / Lake Helen and the scenery was magnificent. It was hard to consider that we were driving east again, to make our way south and would be back in Toronto in just three more days.
[John] Arriving in Beardmore, our goal was to find the Giant Snowman. The Giant Snowman was really easy to find on the main strip and we even found a bonus Sasquatch! Ten points for Beardmore!
[Lana] At least! I'd give them 100! It is Sasquatch, after all.
[John] Moving on to Longlac, we went searching for the Coureurs de Bois (Canoe) which we found relatively easily, and a large horse statue which we did not locate (surprise!).
[John] From Longlac we travelled to Hearst. We briefly stopped for a stretch at the Pitopiko River rest stop and not long after continuing east from there... BEAR!
As we were driving along, I was noticing just how many uprooted trees there were on the north side of the road and just how dark the soil/root combination was. Suddenly, I saw a large, dark formation that I noted to be much darker and realized it was moving. "Bear!! There's a bear! It's a bear! Baby, there's a bear!"
Just west of Nagagami River, there was a large black bear grazing on the grassy narrow north of the highway - not right next to the road but close enough for us to take some zoomed-in photos from the car... until it noticed us and took a couple of steps towards the highway. The last thing we wanted was to be responsible for harm to an animal and/or human, so instead of risking harm to the bear should it continue to the road, we moved on and expressed our gratitude, wishing the bear a happy day as we headed to Hearst.
[Lana] This was the closest I'd ever been to a wild, free bear. Um... it was big... and I was glad for the distance between us. But it was very cool to see.
[John] When we sent the pictures to our TBay family, Kim and Tina both exclaimed that it looked like a very healthy bear. As they are familiar with bears up there, I understood this to mean we had an encounter with a significant fellow.
In Hearst we were searching for a display of two massive moose statues with two giant wolf statues. These were relatively easy to find as they were on the property of the tourist information centre. We first became aware of these sculptures a handful of years ago, when Ma, Pa, and Brother Carbon did a road trip through the area. Sadly, years later when we made it there, the wolves were gone. From the vague details we were able to gain from one of the employees at the centre, the wolves had possibly been removed for maintenance and repair but the employee wasn't too sure about them so it seemed to really be just a guess.
[Lana] I did email the town afterwards and the wolves were definitely out for regular maintenance at the time.
[John] We also found the giant saw we were looking for, and the big tin man. The tin man was not what I was expecting... it was a large tin man to be sure, but was really just a big tin hockey player on a store front.
[John] We had planned to check out Naja Trading Post Plus but you should know us well enough by now to know that the shop was closed when we got there. Like La Luna Café in Nipigon, the Naja Trading Post in Hearst is closed on Mondays.
After our little exploration of Hearst, we drove on to Kapuskasing. On the way, we stopped in Mattice to see the Voyageur of Mattice. Then we stopped in Opasatika for the big walleye statue.
[Lana] This will be a big shock for everybody... we found them both!!!
[John] Arriving in Kapuskasing, we were trying to locate Muskwa, the big bear statue. From our research, we were certain it was supposed to be at the information centre but we didn't find it there. We did, however, find the Passage Through Time display at the information centre. Kapuskasing was busy and there was a fair bit of road construction, which made driving around a bit awkward. Between that and fighting the clock to make another few finds before landing in Cochrane, we decided to push on and abandon the Kapuskasing exploration.
[John] We drove on to Moonbeam to find the UFO monument we were determined to visit. We happily found it easily, though sadly but not surprisingly, the information centre/gift shop was closed. Lana was so upset because he so badly wanted to get a proper Moonbeam UFO souvenir but he had to be satisfied with pictures looking in through the windows.
[Lana] This was supposed to be the highlight of the trip for all roadside attractions! And, while yes, the attraction itself was awesome, not one plush alien stuffed toy... not one extraterrestrial key chain... not one baseball cap with antennae... not even a UFO postcard... damn you, gift shop!!
Wait... do you think they were abducted?
[John] Probably.
Leaving behind the flying saucer, we made our way to Fauquier to find the giant groundhog, which looked a bit scary. We know it's supposed to be a groundhog but, well, maybe one of nightmares?
[Lana] Are you sure that was a groundhog? That looked like something that got hit by a nuclear attack!
[John] Well I wouldn't go quite that far...
[Lana] You should!
[John] From the groundhog of your deepest and scariest rodent night terrors, we travelled to Smooth Rock Falls to find the moose at the Moose Motel. We found it fairly easily but it had seen better days; it only had one antler. Smooth Rock must be a tough place to exist.
[John] And on to Cochrane, where we didn't realize we had booked a room at a wee motel. Not a big deal at all, it just wasn't what we'd expected. The motel was clean enough but the other guests were all seemingly a group and were chilling loudly with a lot of beer - for the entire evening. They were quite a rambunctious lot and not at all what we had thought we'd signed up for.
But, it was only one night and they did quiet down at a decent enough time. Though, it was a little unnerving when they were pounding around so loudly that we thought a couple of them would end up through our wall or into a window of our car. They were neither a coordinated nor graceful group of drunken men.
Closing out our day of (mis)adventures, we watched hockey as we settled for the night - me falling asleep relatively quickly from sheer exhaustion and Lana working furiously away on the laptop, uploading and organizing the many photos from the day. We were quite excited for our planned morning adventure.
Thanks for coming along with us, friends! Stay tuned for Day 11!
Our Excursion Through the Shield - Days 8 & 9
By JOHN LILIES & LANA CARBON
NOVEMBER 9TH, 2019
We're well delayed on getting this one out - we hope you can forgive us... 31 movies seems to take up a fair bit of time. But, now here's another installment from our May 2019 roadtrip series...
Day 8 - Thunder Bay, May 25/19
[John] This was another great day of roaming around the area with Kim Gnarl as our personal chauffeur.
[Lana] And no... he wouldn't let me stop anyone to ask if they had any Grey Poupon.
[John] Ha. Poor you.
[Lana] That's okay... I don't like it anyway.
[John] Oy.
After meeting up at Kim's house and starting the day with a nice coffee, we headed to the Mount McKay (Animikii-wajiw) Scenic Lookout to take in another spectacular view.
[John] Situated on Fort William First Nation land, Animikii-wajiw is approximately 1,000 feet tall and half-way up is a wonderful viewing area. Here, we took in an incredible view of Thunder Bay, Lake Superior, and of course Sleeping Giant. We had an amazing view of clouds rolling in from the lake and honestly, I could have stood there for hours just breathing in the scenery. The energy and history in this area is palpable and it was really hard to leave. If we'd had time, I'd have loved a good hike on one of the trails here but after some time to take in the view and learn some of the history, we had to move on. I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that while this is a beautiful tourist lookout, it is truly a spiritual centre for the Ojibwe of Fort William First Nation.
[John] From Animikii-wajiw, we moved on to Chippewa Park which had a zoo that closed in 2017. Kim just wanted to show us the park and he pulled into where the zoo entrance still exists, while telling us about it closing down. The zoo was unable to get the necessary funding to keep the animals in a healthy state; city officials felt a zoo wasn't necessary for displaying caged animals, when it was already in northern Ontario where they were surrounded by wildlife one could see quite easily just by looking around. Thus, they felt that funding a zoo was not in the best interest of citizens or animals.
[Lana] There were some cool polar bear statues at the gate that were showing the wear of time and neglect. It's always sad to see an attraction fall by the way side. Hopefully there will still be places in this physical world for our youth to be able to see animals beyond the world of the media.
[John] This is where I disagree. I'm not a fan of zoos and I don't think they're really that necessary, especially because of the age of the internet. I think we can survive just fine by watching and researching online footage of animals anywhere in the world and if we want or need to experience them in person, we can travel to do so. I agree with the Thunder Bay officials who stated that there isn't a reason to keep bears and moose in a cage on the same land where they roam free.
After Chippewa Park we went to Fort William. This is a heritage museum, such as a pioneer village. We knew it was closed at the time, as a result of Mother Nature having had a rough spring. The museum management had to delay the season opening because the property wasn't yet safe for the public to visit. But, Kim drove us down to the gate so Lana could get whatever pictures might have been possible from there.
[Lana] We couldn't see much from where we sat, though I really appreciate Kim trying to get us there. We got some shots of the main building but without getting through the gate, there wasn't much we could do.
[John] Two of our roadside attractions were located here - a polar bear statue and a bald eagle statue. Kim had hoped that taking us to the gate would give us an opportunity to see them but alas, no such luck. These are two attractions we have to postpone until our next visit.
Moving on to Kakabeka Falls (Niagara of the North), we were able to enjoy an open dam that allowed the water to flow at full force. I had been there a couple of times before but the water was never flowing this freely, so this was a nice treat for us. We spent some time here, walking around and taking a lot of pictures. I have to say that I was really enjoying my time with my guy and my chosen brother. This day was truly a happy one for me.
[Lana] I love waterfalls and this was one of my favourites on the whole trip. They had a nice set-up so that you could view the falls and where you could take good pictures. As the water flowed around a huge rock protrusion, it made me forget about the people around me and allowed me to feel like I was alone and a part of nature.
[John] Um... gee... thanks? So happy we could help you forget about us being there with you.
[Lana] I did say I appreciated it...
[John] Ha, yes you did.
Here’s John taking in the beauty of Kakabeka.
[John] We continued on to a little pharmacy store gift shop for a couple of souvenirs for our loved ones and we helped Kim pick out a jacket on sale. (The jacket looked really cool on him and was such a good price!) Then, we drove up to a natural spring that Kim used to go to for water. He hadn't been there in ages, but it was still ready for us to fill our bottles with yummy, cold spring water. This was a real treat for me and Lana and saved us from having to buy another jug of water for the remainder of our trip.
[Lana] You don't realize how good water is until you drink some without a chemical taste in it.
[John] It was a bit nerve-wracking watching Kim and Lana navigate a rickety wooden plank path from the rough roadside over the tiny creek. It was only a few feet long but it wasn't stable and I just kept hoping that no one would roll an ankle or twist a knee in the process. I was so grateful when the guys finished up unscathed.
[Lana] I really don't know what John was worried about. We were all safe and sound and all was just fine.
[John] Guaranteed, if you and I had switched places, you would have been worrying about me on those planks.
[Lana] What's good for the goose is not always good for the gander.
[John] Yeah, yeah.
[Lana] *wink and a gun pose*
[John] Oh boy.
We returned Kim to his house so he could chill out for a bit and we went back to the hotel for a wee nap. I hadn't been feeling well and Lana was fighting a bad migraine so we decided on some rest before returning to the house for the Raptors game. When we woke up from our nap, sadly Lana was no better and had to opt for staying at the hotel while I went back to Kim's house for the game. This was an exciting night for our Raptors and ended up being the night that put them through to the finals. Kim's awesome wife, Tina, joined us for most of the game after she finished her work shift. Tina and Kim both do shift work and this week was one that Kim was off but Tina was working a lot, so we didn't get to see her too much. Enjoying the game with them was really fun and via text we were able to share our thoughts and excited proclamations with Lana (who was trying to watch what he could manage at the hotel), the bonus mommy who was watching back at home, and Kim's nephew in Toronto who was also intent on watching our Raps take the game.
[Lana] I was so sad! I so badly wanted to go and watch the game with everybody! I had never been a basketball fan and this year our Raps were changing this for me. (Yep... I jumped on the bandwagon.) But, I could barely keep my eyes open. The smallest amount of light just hurt so much, so I had to settle for laying there listening to the game, and trying to read the texts as they came in. I was texting back super brief answers which mostly consisted of, "Yay!" because the team was winning. Our Raps took that series that night.
[John] I, too, jumped on the Raptors bandwagon and that night, discovered a love for basketball - not just the Raptors - but basketball as a whole. I was looking forward to the finals and returned to the hotel flying high from the excitement. Poor Lana was feeling so out of it from his migraine but was so happy from the game that he was struggling... trying to contain his excitement so as not to worsen the pain but wanting so badly to celebrate the win that he couldn't settle properly. It took us a while, but we eventually fell into a good sleep for the night, looking forward to what our final day in Thunder Bay would bring but sad it would be our last day.
Day 9 - May 26/19
[John] Though Lana still wasn't at 100%, he pushed himself to join in on our last day with Kim and the gang.
Kim took us to the Botanical Conservatory where we got to check out some pretty plants and flowers. We had some fun goofing off there, and it was nice to see how much amethyst is incorporated into the rock structures. For those of you who may not know, the Thunder Bay region is well known for its amethyst; it is actually considered the heart of amethyst country up here. There is a significant amount of amethyst in Thunder Bay and along the north shore of Lake Superior. There are many amethyst mines in the area and backyards are not a bad place to find your gems when you live there. I love seeing it everywhere and in the Conservatory it added a special feeling to the place.
[Lana] Although my thumb is not exactly green - it is, in fact, more of a withered brown - I did find that the plants were very interesting and cool to look at. All the diverse species almost gave me a feeling as though I was walking through an ancient time just from the sheer size of some of the flora. In my head, I was totally hearing Pa Lilies explaining each one and how best to landscape them in his yard... "This type of soil... this type of lighting... oh it's way too cold for this one... I'm surprised this can grow here!"...
[John] Oh my gosh, he totally would have done that!! Love you, Dad!
[Lana] Love you too, Pa Lilies!
[John] This place was cool and we got to take some neat pictures of the different shapes and textures found in the plants. Maybe we also took some goofy pictures of each other.
[Lana] We wouldn't do that, would we?
[John] No, you're right. We took completely ridiculous pictures of each other.
We really did have a nice, relaxing time. There was a couple sitting on a bench in the Conservatory, that we came across as we were leaving, and it was the first time I realized how free some people feel now that marijuana is legal in Canada. Now, smoking weed is still illegal in non-smoking areas so they shouldn't have been enjoying their substance inside where they were, but they were not concerned about it and wow was it strong! It was nice to see them having a good time.
After our time at the Bontanical Conservatory, Kim drove us around town looking for our standard souvenir requirements. Unfortunately, Sundays in Thunder Bay mean that not much is open and so we were unable to find anything to carry home with us. However, we struck a deal with Kim - he was wanting a Toronto Raptors hat and so we agreed that we would send Raps gear for the family after we arrived back at home, and Kim would send us the Thunder Bay souvenirs we were looking for.
[Lana] Thinking that Thunder Bay is a hub of the north, I didn't think that it would be so difficult to find souvenirs even on a Sunday. Apparently, I was mistaken.
[John] Yes, I'm so accustomed to living in a city where everything is open all the time, I hadn't even considered that shops would be closed on a Sunday. Definitely a learning experience for me.
So, empty-handed but with a plan in place, we made our way back to Kim's house to meet up with the rest of the family for the remainder of the day.
Kim, Tina, Nia, and Sia were all around for our final afternoon and so we were able to have a little bit of down time with them. This was a nice way to end our time there, though it was the day that the black flies decided to emerge and thus some bites were received before we made it back to the hotel. Bites that lasted for quite a few weeks after, I might add... darn black flies.
Knowing we would have another early morning and a long, extended day of driving back across the province, we bid an early goodnight and settled in for a decent rest. It was really difficult for me to say our "see ya laters" to the gang but it is something I have come to accept.
While writing up these two days of travels, we realized that we neglected to mention a couple of the roadside attractions we saw on Day 7, so here is a little run-down of those...
There was a stone fence that Lana really wanted to see - a small stone wall that had animals built into it. Despite the fact that Kim doesn't get to travel much around the city because of his schedule, he still knew precisely where the wall was and took us straight there. Sure enough, it was what Lana was looking for and he took his pictures, though it was a struggle. We had to situate ourselves in the parking lot where the fence can be found, which meant facing the road to take photos and so, the pictures were not the best or easiest to manage.
Also, while driving to Mission Island Marsh, we crossed a little bridge that had on both sides of the bridge railing, hand-crafted iron fish. These were also tough to take pictures of but Kim did his best to slow down and safely give Lana time to get some shots. (Lana tends to do the majority of picture-taking, as I usually wait until the mood strikes me and I can get up close to the subject.)
[John] Some of the things we missed out on during this trip were Trowbridge Falls (the location made it tough on our way out of town with our timing, so that will be on the list for our next trip in), Ouimet Canyon (the main road was under construction and Kim advised us against the detour with our little car and not knowing the roads, so that one will definitely need to happen on our next trip), and we didn't find the Moose Hunters sculpture we had also been wanting.
[Lana] Maybe next time we go, the Sleeping Giant will be awake! The guy slept the entire time we were there!
[John] Judging from the stories, you wouldn’t want him awake.
Writing this article made us realize that we really don’t know the tales of Sleeping Giant, so Lana decided to do some research on it and other attractions in the area. Please click here to read that supplemental article.
Well friends… that’s it for this one. Stay tuned for when we leave Thunder Bay. Thank you for joining us!
[Lana] Nia made a quick visit to Toronto in August and brought with him the collectible goodies that Kim had promised us. We are thoroughly happy with them. Thanks TBay family!
Natural Wonders and the Ojibwe Legends Behind Them
Researched by LANA CARBON
NOVEMBER 9TH, 2019
[Lana] While we didn’t get to personally visit all of these unique land formations in person, the ones that we did manage to find our way to, were incredible:
The roaring waters at Kakabeka Falls were breathtaking from a close range, which personally surprised me that they allowed on-lookers to approach so closely;
We only went as high as the platform on Mt. McKay and, even from that vantage point, we could see everything in Thunder Bay without the need to continue climbing any higher;
Of course, the Sleeping Giant was ever present, seen from any position in the city with even a modicum of height and view of Lake Superior. It is no wonder that the Indigenous communities have held such deeply felt legends of these wondrous places.
Nanabijou – The Sleeping Giant, as quoted directly from Northern Ontario Travel
“Visible from many places in Thunder Bay, the Sleeping Giant is the city's most well-known natural wonder. The landmass itself is an Ontario Park with hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails and campsites to enjoy.
Thousands of locals and visitors alike marvel at the wonder of the Sleeping Giant each year, but what is the legend surrounding this Giant?
The legend goes as follows...
Standing on the shores of Thunder Bay at the head of the great Lake Superior, one can perceive, on looking out across the waters of Thunder Bay, a great land formation situated directly in the mouth of the Bay.
It requires no imagination whatever to see that this form resembles the sleeping body of a giant, arms folded across his massive chest as in the majesty of death.
Mystery and legend surround the origin of this strange phenomenon of nature and down through the ages the following story seems to have survived.
On an island just outside Thunder Bay, now known as "Isle Royale," once lived a great tribe of Ojibway Natives.
Because of their loyalty to their Gods, and their peaceful and industrious mode of living, Nanabijou, the Spirit of the Deep Sea Water, decided to reward them.
One day he called their Chief to his great Thunder Temple on the mountain and warned him that if he told the secret to the white man, that he, Nanabijou would be turned to stone and the Ojibway tribe perish.
The Chief gave his promise, and Nanabijou told him of the rich silver mine, now known as "Silver Islet." The Great Spirit told him to go to the highest point on Thunder Cape, and here he would find the entrance to a tunnel that would lead him to the centre of the mine.
Apparently the Chief and his people found the mine, for the Ojibway became famous for their beautiful silver ornaments. So beautiful indeed were they, that the Sioux warriors on seeing them upon their wounded enemies, strove to wrest their secret from them.
However, torture and even death failed to make the gallant Ojibway divulge their secret and the Sioux chieftains had to devise another scheme to find the source of the Ojibway silver.
One day they summoned their most cunning scout to a pow-wow and a plan was formed. The scout was to enter the Ojibway camp disguised as one of them. This he did and in a few days succeeded in learning the secret of the island of silver.
Going to the mine at night he took several large pieces of the precious metal in order to prove to his chieftain that he had fulfilled his mission.
The scout however never returned to his camp, for on his way back he stopped at a white traders post to purchase some food. Having no furs or money with which to pay for the goods, he used a piece of the silver.
Upon seeing such a large piece of the gleaming metal, two white men sought to obtain the whereabouts of its source, in order to make themselves fabulously rich. After filling the Sioux scout with liquor they persuaded him to show them the way to the mine.
When almost in sight of "Silver Islet" a terrific storm broke over the Cape. The white men were drowned and the Native was found in a crazed condition floating aimlessly in his canoe, but the most extraordinary thing that had happened during the storm, was that where once was a wide opening to the bay, now lay what appeared to be a great sleeping figure of a man. The Great Spirit's warning had been fulfilled and he had been turned to stone.
On a little island at the foot of the Sleeping Giant, can still be seen the partly submerged shafts of what was once the richest silver mine in the northwest. White men have tried again and again to pump out the water that keeps flooding it from Lake Superior but without success. Is it still under the curse of Nanabijou, Spirit of the Deep Sea Water... perhaps... who can tell?
There are numerous versions of the Legend of the Sleeping Giant and one is not necessarily more valid than another. This particular one was published in a booklet entitled Tales of The Tom Tom, written probably in the 1950s or 1960s, by Hubert Limbrick, a former Fort William City Councillor (1951-58 and '60-65).”
[Lana] John is eager to spend some time actually setting foot on Sleeping Giant, hiking some of the many trails. It looks like we will be having another visit in the not too distant future.
Greenmantle & Kakabeka Falls, as quoted directly from Northern Ontario Travel
“Known as the “Niagara of the North,” the massive falls at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park is a must-stop for any cross-Canada traveller. Located right on the Trans-Canada Highway, the mighty Kaministiquia River plunges down creating the massive Kakabeka Falls and the famous mist that arises from the pounding water.
During your visit, if you stand on the viewing pod and look into the mist you just might see the face of the enchanting native princess, Green Mantle. Just who was this maiden?
The legend goes as follows…
Chieftain White Bear, the peace-loving grand old leader of the Ojibway tribe was interested only in the welfare of his people. One day Chief White Bear was greatly vexed to learn that large numbers of the fierce warlike Sioux were approaching his tribe's encampment at the mouth of the Kaministiquia River, bent upon the destruction of his tribe.
Being too old to go to battle himself and not knowing how to ward off the enemy, the old Chief was greatly distressed. Seeing her father's dilemma, Princess Green Mantle devised a plan.
Bidding her father farewell she hurriedly left the camp and paddled swiftly up the Kaministiquia River. Many times before she had gone for long canoe rides with her brother and she well knew of the Great White Falls. Leaving her canoe at the foot of the falls, she ran swiftly along the bank until she reached a point well above the waterfall.
She soon came within sight of the Sioux Camp. Boldly the young maiden walked into the camp of her bitterest enemies. At once they pounced upon her and captured her. Pretending to have lost her way, she led them to believe she was very frightened. Green Mantle was taken before the Sioux Chieftains and they decided to put her to death. Bargaining with them she followed through with her plan and told them that if they would spare her life she would lead them to her father's camp. The Sioux Chiefs were elated, thinking that they had indeed been blessed by the Gods.
The following morning the young Princess was placed in the lead canoe and the great band, in their war canoes followed, tied as Green Mantle suggested, one behind the other so that they would not get lost. However, she did not tell them about the falls and as they swiftly turned the bend of the river, they plunged headlong into the great gorge, killing all.
Princess Green Mantle of course lost her life also but all of her tribe were saved from the torturous hands of the most dreaded of all Native tribesmen.
The Great Manitou looked kindly upon the brave little Native maiden, and if one takes the trouble to walk down the viewing pods, the figure of Green Mantle can be observed in the mist, standing as a monument to the memory of the Princess who gave her life for her people.”
[Lana] I also saw in some of my readings that Green Mantle lives on in the form of the rainbow that is caused by the water of the falls. Either way, it is nice to know the legend, and spirit, of this brave warrior princess will continue to live on.
Mount McKay – Home of the Thunderbird, as quoted directly from Northern Wilds Magazine
“According to Ojibwe Thunderbird Mythology, the legendary mythical giant birds known as thunderbirds (Animikii) once called the top of Thunder Bay’s Mount McKay their home. Located on the Fort William First Nation, and known as Animiki-waajiw in Anishinaabe, the towering 1,000-foot mountain—a sacred site to the Ojibwe—looks over the city and Lake Superior. But the mountain welcomes visitors. At the 500-foot level, there’s a scenic lookout and skywalk boardwalk that delivers an amazing panoramic view stretching out into the horizon, and there’s a hiking trail to the mountain top where the mythical thunderbirds once lived.
The thunderbirds are supernatural, powerful Manitous (spirits), and can create rain, wind and violent thunderstorms with their wings and eyes. There’s a story set back in the 1880s on Minnesota Point in Duluth about an Ojibwe mother telling her son that the thunder was the animikig [thunderbirds] striking their wings against the hills, and the lightning was the flashing of animikig’s eyes. And in the book Norval Morrisseau (National Gallery of Canada 2006), author Greg A. Hill describes thunderbirds as:
Gigantic birds who protect the Anishnabek [Ojibway]. They have the ability to cause thunderstorms. They make thunder by heating their brilliantly coloured wings and light the skies with their lightning bolts that shoot from their eyes. They are said to take their storms south in the autumn and return with them in the spring.
There’s also stories about thunderbirds and violent thunderstorms at Thunder Cape, located at the ‘toe’ of the Sleeping Giant Peninsula. And credit goes to the thunderbirds for the name of the largest city on Lake Superior. In the book Thunderbirds: America’s Living Legendary Great Birds, the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario is said to be named after a translation of Animike Wekwed, “Thunder Bird Bay.”
While regional variations differ somewhat in the details surrounding thunderbird mythology, in the Ojibwe version the thunderbird was created by Nanabozho—a spirit in Anishinaabe creation storytelling—to fight underwater creatures and to protect humans against evil spirits. They arrived in spring and headed south in the fall. As ‘spirits of the sky realm,’ thunderbirds were believed to be links between the spirit and physical world; they are revered and considered sacred.”
Article written by Elle Andra-Warner
[Lana] The shape of Mt. McKay is definitely that of a giant nest with its flat top and I could certainly see how a legendary bird could use it as its home, undisturbed by the humans far below. Even though we never made it all the way to the top of Mt. McKay, I understood how the mighty creatures could look out over all they saw as guardians and protectors of their land far below.
Ouimet Canyon – Omett & Naiomi, as quoted directly from Northern Ontario Travel
“Featuring unique vegetation and a handicapped accessible hiking trail, Ouimet is a must see when in the area. But how did this massive gorge originate?
Well, according to the legend…
A long time ago there were giants. One called Omett was a good giant and helped Nanabijou when he wished to raise a mountain or make a new lake.
Omett fell in love with Naiomi, Nanabijou's daughter. Naiomi liked Omett and encouraged him to display his strength. One day Omett was moving a mountain when a peak broke off, struck Naiomi and killed her. Greatly frightened of the wrath of Nanabijou, Omett hid Naiomi's body in a shallow lake and covered it with a rock shield.
Searching for Naiomi, Nanabijou was striding over the great shield when he felt vibrations from under the rocks. Reaching into the sky, he grasped a thunderbolt and drove it into the rocks, splitting them open. In the wide canyon he discovered his daughter's body.
Nanabijou buried Naiomi in the bottom of the canyon. From her grave grew the rare and beautiful flowers found only there.
To punish Omett, Nanabijou turned him to stone and placed him on the canyon wall to watch over the grave for all eternity.”
[Lana] John has been wanting to take me to this place since shortly after we met. Although it was on our plans to peruse Ouimet Canyon, construction prohibited the normal route into the park. Being in a small car not designed for the rigors of off-road travel, Kim advised us not to use the alternate route that had been laid out for visitors to follow as a detour.
Photos of Ouimet Canyon courtesy of https://www.northernontario.travel/thunder-bay/legend-of-ouimet-canyon-and-welcome-islands
Pie Island – Wife of Nanabijou, as quoted directly from Northern Ontario Travel
“For those who are able to travel the waters of Lake Superior by boat, there is a unique phenomenon at Pie Island, just off the shores of the city of Thunder Bay.
As the boat passes Pie Island, heading towards the Sleeping Giant a glance to the west will offer a brief glimpse of Nanabijou’s wife. Her face only appears for a moment, so don’t blink or you will miss her before she vanishes and goes back into hiding.
The legend of Nanabijou's Wife goes like this…
Greatly resenting the influx of the white man upon the territories of his people, Nanabijou, the Native Spirit of the Deep Sea Water, sought to frighten them away. Taking his giant Thunder Bird with him, he swept up and down the shores of the Great Lake causing havoc with his terrible thunderstorms wherever the white man's camps appeared.
As the number of these camps grew, Nanabijou spent more and more time away from his temple on the mountain, and soon his good wife became tired of not having her husband with her. To pass the many long days away, she would take her bow and arrows and hunt, for she was known to be a great huntress.
While his wife was away on one of these hunting trips, Nanabijou returned, tired and hungry. He found his home cold and his table empty.
Already filled with anger at the white man, the Great Spirit flew into a terrible fit of temper and went in search of his wife. Finding her at last, he raged at her for her neglect of him. When his wife angrily upbraided him for leaving her, he raised his great hands and struck her down.
When his anger had subsided, he was filled with grief and went out to try and find his wife, but Manitou, the greatest of all Native Gods had turned her to stone and placed her upon Pie Island so that Nanabijou would not harm her again.
There she can be seen peeping out at everyone that approaches hoping it is her beloved husband.
Some day if Nanabijou should come again and the Manitou forgives him, legend say she will disappear and if she does, she will never leave his side again.”
[Lana] We had not heard the legend about Pie Island and therefore had not even considered taking a boat out onto Lake Superior. Perhaps an adventure for another visit.
Photo by John Hamill
Welcome Islands – The Three Sisters, as quoted directly from Northern Ontario Travel
“The Welcome Islands have long provided refuge for mariners trying to withstand the incredible force of the waves on Lake Superior.
Located just off the shores of Thunder Bay, this trio of islands have their own indigenous legend…
Many years ago, there lived a great Ojibway Chieftain, loved and respected by his people for his kindness and love of children. Besides two fine sons, the Chief had four daughters.
The three older girls were cruel and haughty, but the fourth and youngest was tender and of a dreaming nature. She loved to roam the forest and talk to the birds and little animals and would sometimes tell her family of strange conversations she had with the spirits of the forest. Her sisters would deride her but her father, understanding her better, loved her all the more for her kind simplicity.
One day, when the young maiden was out for a walk in the woods, she heard a great and kindly voice call her name. Not seeing any person she realized that it must be a spirit. Sitting down upon a fallen tree, she listened intently to the voice. It was the great Nanabijou!
He told her how much he loved her gentleness and that he had chosen her to be the bride of his son, North Star. Instructing her to come to this place in the forest on a certain day, Nanabijou departed, leaving the young girl very happy.
That evening when all of her family were sitting around the campfire, the young daughter told them of her meeting with Nanabijou. The three elder sisters laughed mockingly at her and told her to drink herb medicine because she might be sick in the head. At this, the chief grew very angry and taking a long strip of deerhide, gave them a sound thrashing.
The older girls, now full of hate for the sister that had been the cause of their punishment, planned to kill her. Remembering the day and place Nanabijou told their sister to meet him again in the woods, they followed her and hid in the low bushes, each armed with a bow and arrow.
Soon North Star came to the spot and the young girl gently embraced him for she had fallen in love with him at first sight.
North Star however, was a spirit and the elder sisters could not see him. Thinking their sister alone they drew their bow strings and shot their arrows right through the young maiden's heart. The arrows had pierced both North Star and the young girl, but instead of falling to the earth, she was borne gently upwards by her lover, to the sky.
The three sisters became very frightened and ran swiftly towards their camp.
Nanabijou, furious at what had happened to the young girl came down in the midst of a terrible storm, and catching them up as they ran, turned them into stone and cast them into the water of Thunder Bay.”
[Lana] Again, another legend that we had not known before our trip. If we do decide to take a boat out for Pie Island next time, we will surely not miss out on the Three Sisters while we are on the water.
Photo courtesy of http://www.thunderbay.ca/
31 Movies for 31 Days of Hallowe'en 2019
By JOHN LILIES & LANA CARBON
NOVEMBER 1ST, 2019
[Lana] That time of year is once more upon us. John and I have spent the entirety of the month of October watching a movie per day for our annual 31 Movies for the 31 Days of Hallowe’en list. Our chosen theme this year was movies from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. So, without further ado, let’s get right to the list.
[John] (Quick side note - a number of people have asked where these movies can be found. We have access to an extensive film library but some of these can be found on Netflix, Prime, and other servers. Beyond that, you may need to do some digging.)
1. The Autopsy of Jane Doe, 2016 - England
[John] When it started, we saw that it takes in place in Virginia and so we wondered what makes it an English film. It has a Norwegian director, not English. It was filmed in parts of the UK, so we suppose that it's the filming location that makes it an "English" film. Actors range from Scottish, English, Irish, to American. So, with at least part of the cast originally hailing from across the pond, that adds to the origin merit, I guess.
The cast includes Brian Cox (Good Omens, Penny Dreadful, Shetland), Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild, Milk, Lords of Dogtown), Ophelia Lovibond (Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: The Dark World), and Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones, The Fall, The Hallow).
My thoughts… Not a bad movie, actually. It had thriller-type elements, which I enjoy. The story of the central character was intriguing. I definitely will have "Let the sunshine in" going through my mind for a while.
[Lana] I had actually seen this one before so I was very curious as to what John would think of it. I quite enjoyed the path of discovery of who this dead woman was. Not bad chill moments for those who scare easily.
2. Gwen, 2018 - England, Wales
The cast includes Eleanor Worthington Cox (The Enfield Haunting), Richard Harrington (Hinterland, Coronation Street, Requiem), Mark Lewis Jones (Chernobyl, Carnival Row, Apostle), and Richard Elfyn (Apostle, Doctor Who, The Crown, Hinterland).
[John] I won't really describe this one because it ended up not really fitting the bill for us. We don't know how this landed in a list marked as horror, when really it's more of a dark story. I'd barely call it a thriller, even. So... we are adding movie 2a to make sure we have a proper one that more meets our criteria.
[Lana] This was a graphic, dark drama with some bloody moments. It definitely was not a horror or thriller.
2a. The Lodgers, 2017 - Ireland - filmed at Loftus Hall (and other locations)
The cast includes Charlotte Vega (Another Me, The Refugees), Bill Milner (X-Men: First Class, Apostle), Eugene Simon (Game of Thrones, Ben Hur), and David Bradley (Harry Potter, Hot Fuzz, After Life).
[John] I was curious about whether anything strange was experienced by the cast and crew while filming this movie, so I did a bit of reading and didn’t find much. You can click here to read one bit that I read and you can click here to read another bit.
While watching this one, these were the thoughts I had:
-Disturbing incest 'family requirements'.
-Silly 'you aren't very smart' moments.
-Weird water people.
So, I don't think I really got that into this one. Definitely not scary, but incest - even in theme and mention - is always stomach-churning. At the end of this movie, Lana’s only response was, "Well then." I suppose that's about all I've got for it, too.
3. Wake Wood, 2009 - Ireland
The cast includes Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, Bohemian Rhapsody), Eva Birthistle (Brooklyn, The Last Kingdom), and Timothy Spall (Secrets & Lies, Vanilla Sky, The Enfield Haunting).
[John] This one had some moments of brutal gore - I couldn't watch those parts… too much violence and gore for me. However, it made me wonder, if you had an opportunity to bring back a loved-one, if only for a short time, would you consider it? How far would you go to see your child again? Also, I'm always surprised by how many people can be aware of and involved with these rituals, etc. and yet they're such 'back-alley' or 'black market' things - you know, the whole town knows about it but it’s all a secret? I also always wonder who designs these rituals. Who decides or creates these details?
I feel like I keep seeing aspects of other movies in all of the new movies we watch now. This one had aspects of Pet Sematary and there was a scene that made me think of Carrie, too. The one thing that keeps coming to my mind is, "When will people learn?"
[Lana] Never. If they did, we would never have these movies. If these people had common sense, we wouldn’t want to watch.
4. Eat Locals, 2017 - England
The cast includes Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who, Law & Order: UK, Sense8), Adrian Bower (The Last Kingdom, Jude), and Charlie Cox (Daredevil, Stardust, The Defenders).
[John] Many of these actors are quite recognizable and this is really a great vampire movie. I don't usually enjoy vampire movies but this one was funny and well worth the time.
[Lana] Some of the best vampire movies blend in an element of humour and don’t overdo the blood and gore. You have to expect some blood… they are vampires after all, but this wasn’t too bad.
5. The Unkindness of Ravens, 2016 - Scottish
The cast includes Michael Brewster (no acting credits), Ross Campbell (no acting credits)... it seems like much of the cast are relatively unknown actors.
[John] This one is really more of an art, indie film. It’s more about showing the horrors of PTSD and is definitely not what would be considered a typical horror movie for today. Refreshingly different, though at times quite violent and gory, so of course I averted my eyes and, well, wrote these notes. I also watched some Tasty recipe videos on Facebook. Those are great when trying to avoid bloody violence on the TV, in case you need an avoidance activity. Lana struggled in this one too actually, because of the number of scenes featuring eyeballs. He has a thing with eyes - he can't even handle me putting drops in my own eyes. So, those scenes were rough for him. Overall, a nice change from the horror movies we've become accustomed to.
[Lana] It was the best that I've seen in quite a while, for the story. Outside of the gore, and eyeball scenes, I couldn't really stop watching it.
[John] Eyeballs.
[Lana] Pffffffffffffffffffft!
[John] Eyeballs.
6. Don't Knock Twice, 2016 - Wales
The cast includes Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, Riddick, Oculus), Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody, Miss Potter, Apostle), and Nick Moran (Harry Potter, Eat Locals).
[John] This one involves a witch and an abandoned house. If you don’t want to invite the witch into your life, don’t knock on the door twice. This was a fairly typical story of a mother being desperate to reconnect with her distanced daughter, going to extreme lengths to maintain their relationship. Maybe I've become desensitized to horrors and thrillers, but honestly all I want is a movie that sincerely scares me right off the start, drawing me in and holding me there. Only a few minutes in and I was able to say this movie was definitely not accomplishing that. Lana’s comment was, "So dumb."
[Lana] Yep. Bad movie. Not worth the time.
7. The Mirror, 2014 - England
The cast includes Jemma Dallender (Alter Ego, The Executioners), Joshua Dickinson (Redcon-1, Ransom), and Nate Fallows (Coronation Street, An American Exorcism).
[John] Meh. Nothing at all fantastic here. Three friends purchase a supposedly haunted mirror and begin filming their lives in the hope of gaining evidence of the existence of ghosts, for the James Randi million-dollar contest. It’s filmed in a documentary/found footage style, which I sometimes enjoy.
[Lana] The concept of proving the paranormal and using the James Randi contest is a solid one but it just didn’t reach its potential in this film.
BONUS MOVIE - IT Chapter 2
The cast includes James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Bill Skarsgård, and Jessica Chastain.
[John] This one was not within our theme this year, but we couldn't resist watching it because it is IT, and it was mostly shot in one of our favourite little towns here. Also, some of my relatives were on the crew, assisting with all kinds of filming needs and, maybe a relative's car might have been used in some scenes… maybe. So, we really needed to go to this one. Sadly, I feel like they shouldn't have bothered finishing the story in the remake and they should have just left it with Chapter 1. The original film with Mr. Curry will always be my preference and though I did get some good laughs out of this Chapter 2, I feel like I could have better used those three hours of my life. I don’t think I was expecting greatness out of this but I was expecting more than I felt I received.
[Lana] There were okay moments and Bill Hader did an excellent job as an adult Ritchie. I almost feel like they were stuck between the 90’s mini-series and the book version, and this film got muddled up in itself somewhere in between.
8. Altar, 2014 - England
The cast includes Olivia Williams (The Ghost Writer, The Sixth Sense), Matthew Modine (47 Meters Down, Stranger Things), Antonia Clarke (Anna, Skins), and Steve Oram (Good Omens, Urban Myths).
[John} Not much originality here. Typical story. Nothing new or exciting. I’m starting to wonder if it's the movies that aren't intriguing me or if I'm just so desensitized to "horror" now that very little can actually excite me.
[Lana] Yes John, I think you are becoming desensitized a bit to the genre but, in this case, there was nothing new or inventive.
9. The Green Marker Scare, 2012 - Ireland
Animated - the majority of actors have few acting credits to their names.
[John] I think if we had known more about this before watching it, we would not have included it. It’s a cool idea, as the whole movie is drawn by kids aged 9-11 and none of them knew the full story so as not to damage their young minds in any way. The plot is about a young woman who loses her father and she thinks he was murdered and begins her own investigation. I would not call this a horror. It's a super cool concept and done well, but I'm having a hard time seeing the horror aspect to it. We may have misread this one.
[Lana] It was labelled as a horror when I chose it and I thought by the description that it would, at least, be different and refreshing. I will be honest… I totally lost interest and couldn’t even tell you how it ended.
[John] Yes, I think we probably should have added in a 9a to replace this one, but the concept of adding yet another movie to our long list was just well beyond my capacity.
10. Fear in the Night, 1972 - England
The cast includes Judy Geeson (To Sir With Love, The Lords of Salem, Gilmore Girls), Joan Collins (Dynasty, Land of the Pharaohs), and Peter Cushing (Star Wars, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Hound of the Baskervilles).
[John] I always feel like a children's choir (boys choir, at that) singing at the beginning of a movie - any movie at all - is an indication that all Hell is about to break loose. Place that movie in the 50's-70's and I feel like it's practically guaranteed. This movie was certainly no different.
A man with an artificial arm strangles a woman and there you have the setting… is the woman mentally unwell? Is she truly experiencing what she claims to be? I love it when these old stories mess with the character in a way that it's really sanity that comes into question. To me, that's the scariest type of horror.
[Lana] Older horror is still the better horror if you ask me. They relied more heavily on the psychological aspect instead of CGI or blood and guts (in a lot of cases). That is how I enjoy my chills and thrills.
11. Cry of the Banshee, 1970 - England
The cast includes Vincent Price (do you need acting credits here?), Hilary Heath (Wuthering Heights, The Oblong Box), and Stephan Chase (Maleficent, Macbeth).
[John] Immediately, this provides a look at how barbaric people were (1500's) and sadly, can still be. It made me think about how certain we are today, that some things are real and some are not. We laugh at people and call them crazy for believing particular things and talking to themselves and behaving differently, yet we also feel other occurrences are definite and we swear by them. So many people suffer as a result. This movie is not so thought provoking but that is where my head went while watching it. What this movie is actually about is witches and "devil hounds", banshees, and a town’s reaction. And, with all of that said... my feeling about the movie was “meh”.
[Lana] I believe this is one of the few in a series where Vincent Price plays this Witch Hunter General type character but don’t quote me on that. Price certainly knew how to play the cruelty in a character. This was not one of my favourites of his films, however.
12. The Canal, 2014 - Ireland
The cast includes Rupert Evans (The Boy, The Man in the High Castle), Antonia Campbell-Hughes (3096 Days, Rare Beasts), and Hannah Hoekstra (The Fury, App).
[John ] A film archivist is given an old 16mm film reel with footage from a horrific murder that occurred in the early 1900's in his house. Things happen…
This one gets violent and gory quickly - in a flash. There are some really disturbing scenes. In this movie, you will find influences from Asian horror (think The Ring, The Grudge, etc.). It isn’t a bad movie, really. There are a couple of cheesy moments but generally a it’s decent enough movie.
[Lana] This is another movie that slides into the “just okay” category for me. Nothing particularly stood out as original or with an intriguing twist that hooks you in to the story. It was fine.
13. Grabbers, 2012 - Ireland
The cast includes Stuart Graham (Hunger, The Whistleblower), Michael Hough (Game of Thrones, Damaged, Murdoch Mysteries), and Richard Coyle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Fall).
[John] An island off the coast of Ireland, with bloodsucking aliens and mass citizen intoxication... stay drunk, stay alive. This was actually fantastic - a horror comedy. I’m hard to please when it comes to ‘funny’ but for this, I don’t have much more to say but that it was thoroughly enjoyable.
[Lana] This was quite good. I was laughing throughout.
14. Aura, 2018 - England
The cast includes Shane Taylor (Bad of Brothers, The Day of the Triffids), Rula Lenska (Coronation Street, Casualty), and Denise Moreno (Raw, My Life in Ruins).
[John] Kirlian Photography apparatus is found by a couple in their new house. They begin playing around with it and of course, they release ancient evil. This was not the worst movie we've seen but most certainly not the greatest.
[Lana] Honestly, I just love the fact that they were using Kirlian Photography in a movie. Could the movie have been better? Sure. It will still earn a thumbs up from me though, simply for using such unique equipment.
15. Lord of Tears, 2013 - Scotland - filmed at Ardgour House
The cast includes David Schofield (Gladiator, The Last Kingdom), Alexandra Hulme (The Devil's Machine), and Jamie Scott Gordon (The Unkindness of Ravens)
[John] There is cross-over actor involvement and style with The Unkindness of Ravens (Lord of Tears came first). Very much an indie art psychological horror. There is potential here - it is a good movie for what it is.
[Lana] I don’t know what it is about Scotland and birds… first crows, now owls. I enjoy it though.
16. Another Me, 2013 - Wales
The cast includes Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Vikings, The Tudors, Gormenghast), and Claire Forlani (Meet Joe Black, NCIS: Los Angeles).
[John] This is more of a teen thriller, but generally and all around, one of the better movies we watched in this theme. Not scary… twins in the womb, one survives - you can likely guess the rest.
[Lana] The talented cast went a long way in helping save this movie from being the disaster it could have been.
17. Urban Ghost Story, 1998 - Scotland
The cast includes Jason Connery (General Hospital, The Line), Stephanie Buttle (Silent Cry, Crimetime), Heather Ann Foster (Taggart, The Key), and James Cosmo (Braveheart, Highlander, Troy).
[John] A girl dies in a car accident but is revived by doctors - did something come back with her? This was... really not great.
[Lana] What do you mean? This was wonderful. You put it on, climb into bed when you are having trouble sleeping, and you will be dozing within minutes.
[John] So true. So very true.
18. Whistle & I'll Come to You, 1968 - England / UK
The cast includes Michael Hordern (Watership Down, Middlemarch, Paddington Bear) and Ambrose Coghill (Doctor Faustus, Canterbury Tales).
[John] A university professor blows a whistle and unleashes a Hell.
Okay, I had high hopes for this but I’m really not sure about it. It's a short film and I love old black and white films but this one felt like it was really taking a long time to get to the story and then it ended. I think it's worth the watch if you can find it and I don't know that I'd want to see the 2010 remake, but this was definitely not scary or creepy. It was different, though, so I'll give it points for that.
[Lana] I understand that, but not all of the movies we watch for Hallowe’en are actually horror movies. Although we do mostly pick horror movies, we have previously picked some that have just fit a “Hallowe’en” bill and not necessarily horror. The movies don’t all have to be scary.
[John] True dat. I think I just keep aching to find that movie that will get under my skin… because I am just that disturbed. I think what threw me off from this one was the effects, because even for the time period, they just seemed ridiculous.
[Lana] I really liked this one but maybe that is because I know its origin. The story is by famous ghost story writer M.R. James and nothing says Halloween more than ghost stories. Though, I must admit that it is an incredibly slow burn and the “special F/X” don’t exactly hold up in today’s landscape.
19. The Passing, 2015 - Wales
The cast includes Dyfan Dwyfor (Requiem, The Library Suicides), Annes Elwy (Little Women, Electric Dreams), and Mark Lewis Jones (Chernobyl, Carnival Row, Apostle, Gwen).
[John] A man lives in a remote area of Wales, as though time hasn't touched his property and technical advances haven't reached him. A young couple crashes their car near his home and he saves them and takes them in until they heal.
This was rough. I had a hard time with this one.
[Lana] This is a disturbing film for many reasons, none of which had anything to do with typical horror fare.
20. Apostle, 2018 - UK / Wales- filmed in Wales
The cast includes Dan Stevens (Legion, Downton Abbey), Richard Elfyn (Gwen, The Passing, Hinterland), and Paul Higgins (Line of Duty, Silent Witness).
[John] So... cults are bad. If you aren't sure about that, watch the gory vulgarity of this movie. This one had too much violence for me. I suppose it begs the question (again)... how far would you go to save your family? There was much of this film that I couldn't watch and still, the sounds alone were enough to make me feel seriously nauseated. If you can't handle gore and violence, steer clear of this one.
[Lana] They took this further in the blood and gore category than they really needed to (if you ever really need to take that route at all), because the story was so intriguing on its own. I am a fan of Dan Stevens’ acting when he plays a character who is slightly off-kilter.
21. Shed of the Dead, 2019 - England
The cast includes Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th), Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes 1977), and Bill Moseley (House of 1000 Corpses).
[John] Here, we have nerds and zombies. Not much more needs to be said. This was hilarious and gross… honestly - kind of fantastic.
[Lana] I liked it. I liked it. I liked it. This gave me Shaun of the Dead vibes, which is definitely a good thing.
22. Nails, 2017 - Ireland
The cast includes Shauna Macdonald (The Descent), Steve Wall (Vikings), and Leah McNamara (Vikings).
[John] A woman goes for a run and is hit by a car. The rest of the movie involves her recover in a creepy hospital where she uses a computer to speak. This movie was actually fairly decent until the end. Why do they do dumb things at the end to make these movies ridiculous?
[Lana] I started singing “I Believe I Can Fly” at the scene John is talking about. Too ridiculous.
23. A Dark Song, 2016/2017 - Ireland
The cast includes Steve Oram (Good Omens, Midsomer Murders, Altar) and Catherine Walker (Shetland).
[John] Another story about a woman aching to bring back someone she lost. She meets up with an unprofessional, supposed occultist and they perform a ritual to get what they each want. It doesn't go well. Also, the occultist? Well, he's a total jerk. This movie did nothing for me.
[Lana] Meh, it was okay. The concept was kind of interesting, to put oneself through all of that. It is somewhat how I imagine a real occult ritual may occur.
24. Without Name, 2016 - Ireland
The cast includes Alan McKenna (Happy Valley, Coronation Street, Midsomer Murders), Niamh Algar (Vikings), and James Browne (Vikings).
[John] Confused. I’m not entirely sure what happened here. Is it a haunted forest? Is the forest protecting itself? Are these drug-induced hallucinations? I could not figure it out.
[Lana] It was messed up. It gave me a headache.
[John] Yes... my eyes are still seeing flashing lights. Warning... if you experience seizures or migraines / are triggered by strobe lights / flashing lights, pass on this movie.
25. The Hallow, 2017 - Ireland
The cast includes Joseph Mawle (Game of Thrones, Ripper Street, Sense8), Bojana Novakovic (Edge of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell), and Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones, The Fall, The Autopsy of Jane Doe).
[John] A young couple with a wee baby moves to a remote home in the woods... what could go wrong?
This was actually done fairly well and is different from the average, so I enjoyed it. There were some scenes I couldn't watch but I still felt it was a better movie than many of the others we watched.
[Lana] One of the nice things about watching these movies from the UK, and especially Ireland, is seeing their original interpretations of myths that have changed and softened over time. Faeries (not fairies, like Tinker Bell) were something to be feared and protected against.
26. Haunted, 1995 - England
The cast includes Aidan Quinn (Practical Magic, Benny & Joon, The Handmaid's Tale [original]), Kate Beckinsale (Underworld, Vacancy, Van Helsing), Anthony Andrews (The King's Speech, Brideshead Revisited, The Scarlet Pimpernel), and John Gielgud (Murder on the Orient Express, Julius Caesar, Gandhi).
[John] A professor lost his sister when they were children. Before she is buried, he had a moment of thinking he heard her and then he saw her corpse open her eyes. But, as an adult he tries to disprove the existence of ghosts and mediums. Of course, things happen…
What's real here? What is happening? WHAT IS WITH ALL THE INCEST IN THESE MOVIES?!?!?!?!?? Wow this was bad!
[Lana] I don't know. I just don't know. I expected better with this cast. Did I just expect too much going in? I didn’t know while we were watching that this was based on a book but I have been informed that it is quite good…maybe we should give it a try one day.
[John] You can go right ahead with that. I’m out.
27. The Company of Wolves, 1984 - England
The cast includes Sarah Patterson (Snow White), Angela Lansbury (The Manchurian Candidate, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Murder She Wrote), David Warner (Tron, The Alienist), and Stephen Rea (The Crying Game, V for Vendetta).
[John] The English countryside, a young woman, a dream, and wolves. Well, let's remind ourselves that this was the early 80's and dreams are weird. I don't know how old this girl is supposed to be, but she seems 12 or 13, yet the men she's encountering are much older and she is clearly experiencing desires... which, okay, but the men in the dream, and their actions… it all seems so wrong.
[Lana] It seemed, on the surface, like the film belongs in the family of classics like The Princess Bride, Labyrinth, and Legend, but is the black sheep of the family that didn’t get all the love and care the others did.
28. The Baylock Residence, 2019 - England
The cast include Kelly Goudie (Unholy), Sarah Wynne Kordas (Forbidden Fruit, Car Park), and Lindsay Foster (Castle Boulevard, Cry From the Heart).
[John] Estranged sisters, one dies and the other inherits the home, but something isn't right...
[Lana] Well, that was different.
[John] It was... um... yeah. That. Maybe it's just because we had watched so many at this point, but I really have nothing to say about this one.
[Lana] There is another movie out there about this place. It makes me want to watch it to compare them in the hope it may be better.
29. The Dark, 2005 - Wales
The cast includes Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, The Frankenstein Chronicles), Maria Bello (A History of Violence, Secret Window), Sophie Stuckey (The Woman in Black, Silent Witness), and Maurice Roëves (Macbeth, Judge Dredd, The Last of the Mohicans).
[John] Welsh lore leads a mother to trying to get her deceased daughter back. Not a bad movie... better than some we have watched.
[Lana] Nothing in this movie would ever have happened to me. As soon as I saw the cliffs where the husband lived, I would have been out of there. That is no place to raise a small child.
[John] Or go walking while the sheep are around…
30. Under the Skin, 2013 - Scotland
Scarlett Johansson (The Horse Whisperer, Lost in Translation, Avengers) ... essentially the only main actor.
[John] I'm just so confused. Not a bad movie... quite different, which made it more enjoyable but still... what was going on in this movie? Is she an alien murderer and the biker dudes are the cleaners? What is the alternate reality - or is it not an alternate reality? I honestly don’t know what to think about this one. I liked it but it confused me, but it was different and refreshing, but it confused me.
[Lana] I’m just picturing how they got ScarJo to be in this film… “So, we’ll pay you $3 mill for you to drive around in a van, pick up strangers, get naked, and feed those guys you seduce to your house.”
31. Byzantium, 2012 - Ireland
The cast includes Saoirse Ronan (Hanna, The Lovely Bones, Mary Queen of Scots), Gemma Arterton (Watership Down, Urban Myths, 100 Streets), Sam Riley (Control, Maleficent, On the Road), and Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men: First Class, Get Out, The Dead Don't Die).
[John] Revenants fighting to exist against the odds. This was an interesting story and maybe one of the better movies we watched, if only because the story had more to it and it had more character depth than others.
[Lana] I loved the contrast between the female leads in every aspect of their characters. It is also nearly impossible not to cheer on the relationship between Eleanor and Frank… they are just so darn lovable.
[John] Well friends… that was our 31 for 2019. I cannot believe this was our fifth go at 31 movies for Hallowe’en. We started this ridiculous endeavour in 2015 and Lana is insisting we continue for… well, in his mind there is no end. We certainly have enough theme ideas to keep us going for a while and we are already working on the plans for our 2020 installment. Not all of the movies we watch are scary, nor do they need to hold a thrill. Many are hilarious (intentionally or not) and some just - are there.
We’d love to hear from if you have watched any of these movies - or if you find them and watch them, let us know. And, while you hear from us a lot in the next year, still stay tuned to read about which 31 movies we watch for our 2020 Hallowe’en adventure. (I still can’t believe it’s already been a year since our last bout of Hallowe’en movie fever!)
Thanks for joining us on this fantastically strange journey! See you again soon!
