Let's dance Thriller... It's halloween!!!

Hey, you!

Straddling the line between fall and winter, plenty and paucity, life and death, Halloween is a time of celebration and superstition. It is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints and martyrs; the holiday, All Saints’ Day, incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. In a number of countries around the world, as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder, people continue to usher in the winter season with gatherings, costumes and sweet treats.




Hope you enjoy!
Teacher Jô Piantavinha

 

A palavra Halloween  tem origem na Igreja católica. Vem de uma corrupção contraída do dia 1 de novembro, "All Hallo Even" (ou "Véspera do Dia de Todos os Santos"), é um dia católico de observância em honra de santos. Mas, no século V DC, na Irlanda Céltica, o verão oficialmente se concluía em 31 de outubro. O feriado era Samhain, o Ano novo céltico.
Alguns bruxos acreditam que a origem do nome vem da palavra hallowinas  - nome dado às guardiãs femininas do saber oculto das terras do norte (Escandinávia).

O Halloween marca o fim oficial do verão e o início do ano-novo. Celebra também o final da terceira e última colheita do ano, o início do armazenamento de provisões para o inverno, o início do período de retorno dos rebanhos do pasto e a renovação de suas leis. Era uma festa com vários nomes: Samhain (fim de verão), Samhein, La Samon, ou ainda, Festa do Sol. Mas o que ficou mesmo foi o escocês Hallowe'en.

Uma das lendas de origem celta fala que os espíritos de todos que morreram ao longo daquele ano voltariam à procura de corpos vivos para possuir e usar pelo próximo ano. Os celtas acreditavam ser a única chance de vida após a morte. Os celtas acreditaram em todas as leis de espaço e tempo, o que permitia que o mundo dos espíritos se misturassem com o dos vivos.

Como os vivos não queriam ser possuídos, na noite do dia 31 de outubro, apagavam as tochas e fogueiras de suas casa, para que elas se tornassem frias e desagradáveis, colocavam fantasias e ruidosamente desfilavam em torno do bairro, sendo tão destrutivos quanto possível, a fim de assustar os que procuravam corpos para possuir, (Panati).

Os Romanos adotaram as práticas célticas, mas no primeiro século depois de Cristo, eles as abandonaram.

O Halloween foi levado para os Estados Unidos em 1840, por imigrantes irlandeses que fugiam da fome pela qual seu país passava e passa ser conhecido como o Dia das Bruxas.

  

Trick-or-treat (Travessuras ou Gostosuras?)

A brincadeira de "doces ou travessuras" é originária de um costume europeu do século IX, chamado de "souling" (almejar). No dia 2 de novembro, Dia de Todas as Almas, os cristãos iam de vila em vila pedindo "soul cakes" (bolos de alma), que eram feitos de pequenos quadrados de pão com groselha.

Para cada bolo que ganhasse, a pessoa deveria fazer uma oração por um parente morto do doador. Acreditava-se que as almas permaneciam no limbo por um certo tempo após sua morte e que as orações ajudavam-na a ir para o céu.

Abóboras e velas: Jack O'Lantern (Jack da Lanterna)

A vela na abóbora provavelmente tem sua origem no folclore irlandês. Um homem chamado Jack, um alcoólatra grosseiro, em um 31 de outubro bebeu excessivamente e o diabo veio levar sua alma. Desesperado, Jack implora por mais um copo de bebida e o diabo concede. Jack estava sem dinheiro para o último trago e pede ao Diabo que se transforme em uma moeda. O Diabo concorda. Mal vê a moeda sobre a mesa, Jack guarda-a na carteira, que tem um fecho em forma de cruz. Desesperado, o Diabo implora para sair e Jack propõe um trato: libertá-lo em troca de ficar na Terra por mais um ano inteiro. Sem opção, o Diabo concorda. Feliz com a oportunidade, Jack resolve mudar seu modo de agir e começa a tratar bem a esposa e os filhos, vai à igreja e faz até caridade. Mas a mudança não dura muito tempo, não.

No próximo ano, na noite de 31 de outubro, Jack está indo para casa quando o Diabo aparece. Jack, esperto como sempre, convence o diabo a pegar uma maçã de uma árvore. O diabo aceita e quando sobe no primeiro galho, Jack pega um canivete em seu bolso e desenha uma cruz no tronco. O diabo promete partir por mais dez anos. Sem aceitar a proposta, Jack ordena que o diabo nunca mais o aborreça. O diabo aceita e Jack o liberta da árvore.
Para seu azar, um ano mais tarde, Jack morre. Tenta entrar no céu, mas sua entrada é negada. Sem alternativa, vai para o inferno. O diabo, ainda desconfiado e se sentindo humilhado, também não permite sua entrada. Mas, com pena da alma perdida, o diabo joga uma brasa para que Jack possa iluminar seu caminho pelo limbo. Jack põe a brasa dentro de um nabo para que dure mais tempo e sai perambulando. Os nabos na Irlanda eram usados como seu "lanternas do Jack" originalmente. Mas quando os imigrantes vieram para a América, eles acharam que as abóboras eram muito mais abundantes que nabos. Então Jack O'Lantern (Jack da Lanterna). na América passa a ser uma abóbora, iluminada com uma brasa.

Sua alma penada passa a ser conhecida como Jack O'Lantern (Jack da Lanterna). Quem presta atenção vê uma luzinha fraca na noite de 31 de outubro. É Jack, procurando um lugar.
enganara Satã ao subir uma árvore. Jack então esculpiu uma imagem de uma cruz no tronco da árvore, prendendo o diabo para cima a árvore. Jack fez um acordo com o diabo, se ele nunca mais o tentasse novamente, ele o deixaria árvore abaixo.
De acordo com o conto de povo, depois de Jack morrer, ele a entrada dele foi negada no Céu, por causa de seus modos de malvado, mas ele teve acesso também negado ao Inferno, porque ele enganou o diabo. Ao invés, o diabo deu a ele uma brasa única para iluminar sua passagem para a escuridão frígida. A brasa era colocada dentro de um nabo para manter por mais tempo.
Os nabos na Irlanda eram usados como seu "lanternas do Jack" originalmente. Mas quando os imigrantes vieram para a América, eles acharam que as abóboras eram muito mais abundantes que nabos. Então o Jack O'Lantern (Jack da Lanterna), na América, era em uma abóbora, iluminada com uma brasa.

Bruxas

As bruxas têm papel importantíssimo no Halloween. Não é à toa que ela é conhecida como "Dia das Bruxas" em português. Segundo várias lendas, as bruxas se reuniam duas vezes por ano, durante a mudança das estações: no dia 30 de abril e no dia 31 de outubro. Chegando em vassouras voadoras, as bruxas participavam de uma festa chefiada pelo próprio Diabo. Elas jogavam maldições e feitiços em qualquer pessoa, transformavam-se em várias coisas e causavam todo tipo de transtorno.

Diz-se também que para encontrar uma bruxa era preciso colocar suas roupas do avesso e andar de costas durante a noite de Halloween. Então, à meia-noite, você veria uma bruxa!

A crença em bruxas chegou aos Estados Unidos com os primeiros colonizadores. Lá, elas se espalharam e misturaram-se com as histórias de bruxas contadas pelos índios norte-americanos e, mais tarde, com as crenças na magia negra trazidas pelos escravos africanos.

O gato preto é constantemente associado às bruxas. Lendas dizem que bruxas podem transformar-se em gatos. Algumas pessoas acreditavam que os gatos eram os espíritos dos mortos. Muitas superstições estão associadas aos gatos pretos. Uma das mais conhecidas é a de que se um gato preto cruzar seu caminho, você deve voltar pelo caminho de onde veio, pois se não o fizer, é azar na certa.

Halloween pelo mundo

A festa de Halloween, na verdade, equivale ao Dia de Todos os Santos e o Dia de Finados, como foi absorvido pela Igreja Católica para apagar os vínculos pagãos, origem da festa. Os países de origem hispânica comemoram o Dia dos Mortos e não o Halloween. No Oriente, a tradição é ligada às crenças populares de cada país.

Espanha
Como no Brasil, comemora-se o Dia de Todos os Santos em 1º de novembro e Finados no dia seguinte. As pessoas usam as datas para relembrar os mortos, decorando túmulos e lápides de pessoas que já faleceram.

Irlanda
A Irlanda é considerada como o país de origem do Halloween. Nas áreas rurais, as pessoas acedem fogueiras, como os celtas faziam nas origens da festa e as crianças passeiam pelas ruas dizendo o famoso “tricks or treats” (doces ou travessuras).

México
No dia 1º comemora-se o Dia dos Anjinhos, ou Dia dos Santos Inocentes, quando as crianças mortas antes do batismo são relembradas.
O Dia dos Mortos (El Dia de los Muertos), 2 de novembro, é bastante comemorado no México. As pessoas oferecem aos mortos aquilo que eles mais gostavam: pratos, bebidas, flores. Na véspera de Finados, família e amigos enfeitam os túmulos dos cemitérios e as pessoas comem, bebem e conversam, esperando a chegada dos mortos na madrugada.
Uma tradição bem popular são as caveiras doces, feitas com chocolate, marzipã e açúcar.

Tailândia
Nesse país, existe o festival Phi Ta Khon, comemorado com música e desfiles de máscaras acompanhados pela imagem de Buda. Segundo a lenda, fantasmas e espíritos andam entre os homens. A festividade acontece no primeiro dia das festas budistas.

Alguns significados simbólicos 

a abóbora: simboliza a fertilidade e a sabedoria

a vela: indica os caminhos para os espíritos do outro plano astral.

o caldeirão: fazia parte da cultura - como mandaria a tradição. Dentro dele, os convidados devem atirar moedas e mensagens escritas com pedidos dirigidos aos espíritos.

a vassoura: simboliza o poder feminino que pode efetuar a limpeza da eletricidade negativa. Equivocadamente, pensa-se que ela servia para transporte das bruxas.

as moedas: devem ser recolhidas no final da festa para serem doadas aos necessitados.

os bilhetes com os pedidos, devem ser incinerados para que os pedidos sejam mais rapidamente atendidos, pois se elevarão através da fumaça.

a aranha - simboliza o destino e o fio que tecem suas teias, o meio, o suporte para seguir em frente.

o morcego - simbolizam a clarividência, pois que vêem além das formas e das aparências, sem necessidades da visão ocular. Captam os campos magnéticos pela força da própria energia e sensibilidade.

o sapo - está ligado à simbologia do poder da sabedoria feminina, símbolo lunar e atributo dos mortos e de magia feminina.

gato preto - símbolo da capacidade de meditação e recolhimento espiritual, autoconfiança, independência e liberdade. Plena harmonia com o Unirverso

Cores:

Laranja - cor da vitalidade e da energia que gera força. Os druidas acreditavam que nesta noite, passagem para o Ano Novo, espíritos de outros planos se aproximavam dos vivos para vampirizar a energia vital encontrada na cor laranja.

Preto - cor sacerdotal das vestes de muitos magos, bruxas, feiticeiras e sacerdotes em geral. Cor do mestre.

 

Edição e formatação: Lilian Russo - http://www.ilove.com.br/lili/palavrasesentimentos/

Fontes de Referência:

Folha de São Paulo

Estadinho (30/10/1999)

Guia dos curiosos http://www.guiadoscuriosos.com.br/

 

Os Fantasmas se Divertem - Beetlejuice: Day-o (Banana Boat Song)

Hello, guys and gals!
Here you have a hilarious scene from Beetlejuice. For me it is one of the funniest ghost movies scene of all time!!!
Hope you enjoy it!
Teacher Jô Piantavinha

It's Halloween Time!

Hey!
Os Estados Unidos são o país mais conhecido por comemorar o Halloween. Lá, esta data é muito mais representativa do que no Brasil, e se destaca do resto das festividades que acontecem no decorrer do ano. No entanto, apesar de o Halloween ter ficado conhecido como uma festa tradicional norte-america, não foi lá que ele teve origem, mas sim na sociedade Celta.
No Brasil, o Halloween é popularmente chamado de "Dia das Bruxas" e sua comemoração é recente. Geralmente as escolas de inglês é que promovem festas para comemorar a data, como forma de vivenciar com os estudantes a cultura norte-americana.
Há quem defenda que o Halloween não tem nada a ver com a nossa cultura e que a data não deveria ser comemorada aqui. Para essas pessoas, o Brasil tem um folclore muito rico e isso deveria ser mais valorizado. Devido a essa reivindicação, em 2005 o governo brasileiro criou o Dia do Saci, também comemorado em 31 de outubro.
Nos Estados Unidos o Halloween é caracterizado por histórias assustadoras de fantasmas, fantasias elaboradas e brincadeiras bizarras.
O Halloween também se destaca por causa de sua mistura única de elementos religiosos e seculares. Nos últimos anos, a festa tem provocado muitas controvérsias, pois ofende certos grupos cristãos, que reagem perturbando os Wiccanos e Druidas de hoje.
Se você alguma vez quis saber de onde vêm todas essas práticas peculiares do Halloween, esse artigo vai colocar você a par de tudo. Vamos verificar as origens Celtas e cristãs do Halloween, examinar todas as tradições favoritas e esmiuçar um pouco de sua controvérsia.

Now, watch this great halloween video!




It's Halloween time again! So... Let's have fun!!!

Teacher Jô Piantavinha

Thriller animation

It's Halloween time!
Have fun!!!

Halloween Movies - Scary Families: The Maintlands & Beetlejuice

Hey, people!

This one might not be suited for those too young, but it depends on the child. A family moves into a home after the horrible death of the previous owners. The dead are now stuck in the house they loved and seek the help of Beetlejuice to adjust to the afterlife. Weirdly, the daughter of the new owners can see the dead couple and attempt to help them.

This happens to be the very first Tim Burton film I ever saw. Yep, even before Batman. This film as well as its subsequent animated series hold a great deal of nostalgic value to me and it was one of the earliest instances I ever recall thinking “Wow, being dead would be awesome!” 

Adam and Barbara Maintland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis)  are a young, happily married couple living in a spooky house out in a small town. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Then they die. When they return home (at first unaware that they’re dead) they discover quite a bit of time has passed since their deaths, and a new family of weirdos have moved into their home. Lydia (Winona Ryder) is a teenage goth who wants little to do with her step mother Delia’s (Catherine O’Hara) nutty artistic redesigns or her father Charles’ (Jeffrey Jones) scheme to turn their small town into the next big real estate boom. Lydia soon meets Adam and Barbara, whom only she is capable of seeing, and the pair of ghosts want her family *out*. Well, seemingly there to help them in their endeavor is the professional “bio-exorcist”, Betelgeuse…otherwise known as “Beetlejuice” (Michael Keaton). All they have to do is say his time three times and he’ll use his paranormal powers to evict Lydia’s family from the home (as violently as possible). Adam and Barbara’s caseworker from the Neitherworld recommends they steer clear of Beetlejuice, as he is not to be trusted.

Tim Burton has a way of making the grotesque and the macabre look like as much fun as possible. Movies like Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride are proof of that. 

The Neitherworld is packed with corpses; people who have been severed in two, had their heads shrunken by voodoo priests, choked on chicken bones or died in grisley car wrecks. All these mutilated dead people are brought to life with a visual style that treads that thin boundary between “gruesome horror movie” and “humorous cartoon”. Sometimes, you don’t know whether to laugh or wince.

The act of dying is treated in the most mundane, ordinary way as possible. The dead are given a manual, a caseworker and can even spend a great deal of time in a limbo that just happens to look extremely like the waiting room at a doctor’s office. These “rules” and “procedures” seem so well thought-out and logical that one would almost expect death to happen this way. The guidelines presented in the film which rationalize the strangeness of hauntings are some of the most fun, particularly the explanation as to why the dead can’t leave the homes they haunt (otherwise they become food for hungry Sandworms).

The title villain, whom you love to hate, is characterized hilariously by Michael Keaton. He brings this manic, cartoon character-like quality to Beetlejuice, yet at the same time, a very violent and angry side as well. Everything is a big joke to him, whether it’s playing charades with Lydia or trying to kill her parents by turning into a giant monstrous snake. He’s a great villain because he doesn’t really have any alterior motives or secret agendas…he just likes messing with people.

The stop motion special effects for creatures like the Sandworms look like they jumped straight out of the Nightmare Before Christmas, which is a definite compliment. The rest of the bizarre monsters from the Nietherworld are realized through elaborate costumes: some humorous and some just plain scary.

Beetlejuice is a very fun horror comedy, which aside from a few naughty moments, is perfect for most of the family, especially if one of your kids likes scary things. 

Hope you have fun!
See you,
Teacher Jô Piantavinha

It Must Be Halloween with Jack O'Lantern

Hey, you!
Every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. The practice of decorating “jack-o’-lanterns”—the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack—originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities.

The Legend of "Stingy Jack"

People have been making jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed "Stingy Jack." According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn't want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree's bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years.
Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as "Jack of the Lantern," and then, simply "Jack O'Lantern."
In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o'lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack-o'-lanterns.

Did You Know?

The original jack-o'-lanterns were carved from turnips, potatoes or beets.
See you,
Teacher Jô Piantavinha

Halloween Movies - Scary Families: Casper The Friendly Ghost & The Ghostly Trio

Hello, everyone!

Have you seen Casper the Ghost? If not, I recommend it. It's a great movie!

Here you have a short review from this 1995 movie: James Harvey is a ghost doctor hired by Carrigan Crittendon to rid Whipstaff Manor of spirits so she can find a treasure trove rumored to be hidden there. But her plan backfires when James's daughter Kat befriends Casper, the friendly phantom who inhabits the place along with The Ghostly Trio (his "scary family"), who disdain humans.

The Ghostly Trio evolved from a group of housemates Casper lived with. Casper lived in a haunted house occupied by many ghosts, who, like in the paramount cartoons, scared people without Casper, but soon the house got smaller, and the number of housemates shrunk to four generic ghosts. When Alfred Harvey acquired the rights to Casper and other paramount cartoon characters, he settled on 3 older housemates for Casper, loosely based on the 3 older ghosts from the paramount Casper short "Fright From Wrong" where a trio of ghosts led by a fat one, who appear to be Casper's caretakers, force Casper to take mean pills to make him more ghost-like, but the plan backfires with hilarious consequences.

Fatso was the only distinguishable one for many years in the comic until the other two eventually got personalities and names, Fusso, the mid-sized fussbudget, and Lazo, the tall lazy one.

The comic never made it clear if the Trio were housemates or relatives.

In one story when Casper and Wendy run away because they don't feel like they fit in in their households, the Trio get worried sick and frantically search for him, while the Witch Sisters, who are Wendy's aunts (not by blood but they did raise her) do the same for her. When they find them the Trio apologize to him and behave like the Witch Sisters toward their young charge.

In another, Casper wishes on a magic balloon for all his best friends to be in one place and the Trio are among the first there. I'm not sure if they're uncles or his friends, but he's never called them anything besides 'The Trio' or by name.

Whatever the case, the Trio are in charge of the house and treat Casper like a slave sometimes which is more like older brother or big bully behavior, yet they care deeply for him (but not for his friendliness)

In the 1995 Casper movie the Trio were given a makeover to make them more interesting, and given ghostly "powers". Lazo was changed to Stretch and Fusso to Stinky. Fatso kept his name but was made less intelligent so Stretch became the leader, and they were considered Casper's uncles. Again, it's not clear if they're his guardians or relatives, but they are older and in charge of the house. Only Casper is given a backstory as a dead child, his "uncles" are never explained, like you said. They're either the dead brothers of one of his parents or just three ghosts who moved into his house and take care of him. Just like in the comic, they torture Casper yet treat him like a nephew, and Casper respects them as uncles. But Enough of this, If Casper says they're his uncles then they're his uncles and that's good enough for us. 

Every movie and tv series that followed deviated from the movie story, but in 'Casper's Scare School' they're clearly his uncles.

In the 'Casper and the Spectrals' comic the Trio are given their original names back but retain their "movie look" and are outright Casper's uncles.

Hope you enjoy this blockbuster!

See you,

Teacher Jô

Halloween Movies - Scary Families: Addams Family

Hello, guys ans gals!
It's halloween time... Let's remember some scary families we used to watch on tv. Do you remember The Addams Family?

Halloween Movies: Edward Scissorhands

Hey, folks!

Once upon a time in a castle high on a hill lived an inventor whose greatest creation was named Edward. Although Edward had an irresistible charm, he wasn't quite perfect. The inventor's sudden death left him unfinished, with sharp shears of metal for hands. Edward lived alone in the darkness until one day a kind Avon lady took him home to live with her family. And so began Edward's fantastical adventures in a pastel paradise known as Suburbia. 

Edward lives alone in a ruined Gothic castle that just happens to be perched above a pastel-colored suburb inhabited by breadwinning husbands and frustrated housewives straight out of the 1950s. One day, Peg (Dianne Wiest), the local Avon lady, comes calling. Finding Edward alone, she kindly invites him to come home with her, where she hopes to help him with his pasty complexion and those nasty nicks he's given himself with his razor-sharp fingers. Soon Edward's skill with topiary sculpture and hair design make him popular in the neighborhood--but the mood turns just as swiftly against the outsider when he starts to feel his own desires, particularly for Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman) are visual spectacles with elements of fantasy, but Edward Scissorhands is more tender and personal than the others. Edward's wild black hair is much like Burton's, suggesting that the character represents the director's own feelings of estrangement and co-option. Johnny Depp, making his first successful leap from TV to film, captures Edward's childlike vulnerability even while his physical posture evokes horror icons like the vampire in Nosferatu and the sleepwalker in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Classic horror films, at their heart, feel a deep sympathy for the monsters they portray; simply and affectingly, Edward Scissorhands lays that heart bare. 

Burton mixes classic fairytale themes to create an original and touching character in Edward. Taken from his gothic castle to a colourful and romanticised suburban neighbourhood he changes the lives of the townsfolk forever. The first half of the film is very funny, full of subtle physical comedy and gentle satire on suburban life. Edward brings his artistic skill to the town and the people almost ignore his bizarre appearance. Then he begins a longing romance for Kim, the girl he lives with but who seems to want nothing to do with him. He eventually wins her love, but is exploited by and then violently rejected by the townspeople.

The film is made with a skill far exceeding Burton's previous works. The unforgettable images and Elfman's haunting score make this one of the all-time fantasy greats. Every performance is perfect. Johnny Depp brings a feeling of tortured emotion to his almost silent character that lingers long in the memory. I literally forgot who's playing the part. Dianne Wiest and Alan Arkin are, respectively, touchingly real and hilariously blank as the parents who adopt him. Winona Ryder brings warmth and beauty (in a blonde wig) to her supporting role as the object of Edward's affectations, who comes to love him for his artistic vision. Anthony Michael Hall is suitably menacing as the jealous jock who eventually gets his come-uppance, and Kathy Baker funny as the sex-starved, Tom Jones-listening housewife. Finally, Vincent Price, in his last feature film role, brings extra resonance as Edward's inventor.

Watch the video!

Edward Scissorhands is Burton's masterpiece. It's the story of an uncommonly gentle man (Johnny Depp, in what may still be his finest role) who finds fame, love, and then rejection in the heart of suburbia. Like the best fairytales, the story can be read many ways, from a plea for tolerance for handicapped people, to an exploration of the tortured artist at work.

Scissorhands is arguably Burton’s most personal film, a moving portrait of an artistic outsider who cannot touch what he desires without destroying it. While he may have made more technically adept films since, none of his other work comes close to the emotion of this deceptively simple story. The stunning visuals and heartbreakingly beautiful score by Danny Elfman have also added to this film's status as an all-time classic.

To sum up, I believe Burton will never make anything approaching the depth and emotion of this wonderful film again. It's funny, sad and visually striking. What more could anyone want from a movie?

"Before he came down here, it never snowed. And afterwards, it did. If he weren't
up there now, I don't think it would be snowing. Sometimes you can still
catch me dancing in it.

See you,

Teacher Jô Piantavinha

Halloween Movies - Scary Families: The Munsters

The Munsters is a 1960s American television comedy depicting the home life of a family of rather gothic monsters. The show was a great hit as a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era. It ran concurrently with The Addams Family.

The show aired at night once a week in black-and-white on the CBS Television Network from September 24, 1964 to May 12, 1966, for 70 episodes. It was cancelled after ratings dropped to an all-time low due to the premiere of ABCs Batman, which was in full color. Though ratings were low during its initial two-year run, the show grew in popularity during decades of syndication. This popularity warranted a spin-off series and several movies and the show is now a cult hit as are the movies.

Eddie Munster recently got married to a fan who started writing to him in the 60s.

Munsters Tv page stats: viewed 7648 times | created 30 Jul 2010 | rated Good (66) by 649 users.

Halloween Movies - Scary Families:

Hey, boys and girls!

Today I'm going to talk about another different family:The Quileute Werewolves. They are also in Twilight saga, but they are not a scary family... In my point of view, they are a nice family with all those good-looking guys! They are better than the vampires, aren't they?! Woooowww!!!

We all first meet The Quileute Werewolves through Jacob Black. Jacob has a small but very significant part in Twilight. He basically serves as a tool, or a device to introduce Bella (and the audience) to the Quileute legends of vampires and werewolves. He also explains the ancient peace treaty between Jacob’s grandfather and Carlisle, which stated that the Cullens wouldn’t eat humans and that the two "families" would stay off each other’s turf. 

From the first time Bella meets Jacob, though, she likes to be around him, even if he is two years younger than her. She even flirts with him a bit (bad, bad manipulative Bella) to get the dirt on Edward. It works because it’s obvious that Jacob has a crush on her. Lucky Bella!!!

Getting to Know The Quileute Werewolves 

 

Jacob Black

 

 No doubt Bella really likes him. She calls him "her personal sun", her "gift from the gods", her "drug". Jacob also becomes the "rock" that saves Bella from drowning. The image of Jacob as a rock as well the name "Jacob" might also be Biblical allusions. If you're interested in that angle, be sure to check out "Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory."
Bella and Jacob meet again in New Moon because Bella needs a good mechanic to fix two dilapidated motorcycles. She’s surprised to find that Jacob has grown into a handsome young man. Hello-oh… 

Jacob is surprised as well, and from his enthusiasm and eagerness to please Bella, we can tell the guy still has a crush on her. Even when Bella tells him that she really likes him, but that she will never be able to love him the way he deserves, he says, "That’s my problem, isn’t it?". He still seems to hope that, one day, Bella will change her mind. He says, "I’ve got loads of time".

Time runs out much more quickly than both of them expected. Jacob turns into a werewolf and, soon after, Edward returns (rather, is brought back by Bella). Still, Jacob accepts his mission to protect humans from vampires, which causes trouble between him and Bella. Until the end, though, his love and dedication for Bella otherwise remains strong and he keeps to his promise to always be there for her. Once Bella has accepted his half-humanness (which, in turn, helps Jacob accept it), their relationship seems to grow even stronger.

Sam Uley

Leader of the pack, Sam is the alpha male. What he says goes. Sam was the first of the Quileute boys to transform into a werewolf once the Cullens moved back to Forks. Because of his new life and mission, he turned down a college scholarship. Sam helps the other boys deal with their transformations and their responsibility as "protectors" – that is, keeping humans from getting chomped by vampires. Sam is engaged to Emily. Emily bears a horrible scar, from a time when she witnessed Sam’s lose control as a werewolf. Yet, their love for each other is obvious.

In wolf form, Sam is black, "tall as a horse, but more muscular" with "dagger-like incisors" (10.164). Sam finds Bella in the woods after Edward breaks up with her. At first, both Bella and Jacob dislike Sam, because they believe he brainwashed Jacob’s friends (Paul, Jared, and Embry) into joining his weird gang. When Jacob becomes a werewolf, Sam forbids him to share his secret with Bella. After Bella finds out, though, and Sam learns that the vampire Victoria’s after her, he does everything in his power to protect Bella.

Embry

Along with Quil, Embry is one of Jacob Black’s best friends. He and Jacob make fun of Sam Uley’s gang, until he turns into a werewolf himself. Since Embry can’t tell Jacob what’s happening to him, he starts avoiding his friend. But once Jacob becomes a werewolf, they’re best friends again.

Paul

Paul is a werewolf with a temper. When Bella shows up to an emergency pack meeting, Paul loses control and attacks her. 

Quil 

Quil is one of Jacob’s closest friends. Quil, Jacob, and Embry all make fun of Sam’s "cult," until they all turn into werewolves too. After Jacob goes through his change and avoids Bella, it’s Quil who tells her that Jacob has joined the gang. When Bella is finally in on the whole werewolf story, she learns that Quil’s next in line to become a werewolf too.

Jared

Jared was one of the first boys to turn into a werewolf after Sam.

Emily 

Though not a werewolf herself, in many ways, Emily acts as a mother to the five werewolf boys. She cooks them huge portions of food and offers them a place where they can feel like a family. Emily is very beautiful – if it weren’t for the scar she bears from a night when Sam lost control as a werewolf.

Now, watch a video with great scenes of these good-looking werewolves!

That's all for today!

See ya,

Teacher Jô Piantavinha

Halloween Movies - Scary Families:

Hi, guys and gals!

It's Halloween time and it's a good idea to watch scary movies. Watching movies together as a family is a great way to spend Halloween, both with those too old to trick-or-treat and those who just don't wish to spend their night out. So, why not throw in a bag of popcorn, rent a few films and grab some chips?
What about movies with the most strange and scary families? It's cool, isn't it?! I can suggest you some. Hope you enjoy them!
The first family I'm going to talk about is the Cullen Family. Who are they? The Cullens are Edward’s vampire family, in the Twilight saga, by Stephenie Meye. Family members have all been "adopted" by Carlisle Cullen, the head of the family, and include his wife Esme, Edward, and the couples Alice and Jasper, and Rosalie and Emmett.

Getting to know The Cullens 

Carlisle Cullen

Carlisle formed the only known vampire family that feeds on exclusively on animals, rather than on humans. Although he created his wife and children by transforming them into vampires, Carlisle did it to save them from dying. In fact, in Edward’s case, we learn that Edward’s mother begged Carlisle on her deathbed to "save" Edward. She apparently knew that Carlisle was a vampire.

Carlisle tells Edward’s story to Bella while he tends to her wounds after her ruined birthday. Carlisle is immune to the smell of human blood since he has been working at a hospital as a doctor for over 300 years. He loves his work because he believes that, by healing others, he’ll redeem his evil nature as a vampire.

In contrast to the rest of the family, including Edward, Carlisle thinks that there’s an afterlife for good vampires. Carlisle not only votes for Bella to become a vampire, but also promises to change her after her graduation, if Edward won’t.

Alice Cullen

Through the events that unfolded in Twilight, Alice and Bella have become close friends. They’re very comfortable around each other. It seems that, like Edward, Alice possesses considerable self-restraint when it comes to her killer instinct around humans.

Alice also has a special ability: she can see the "planned or subjective" future. After Edward breaks up with Bella, Alice keeps checking up on her through her "visions," and sees Bella jump to her apparent death. Alice accompanies Bella to Italy to save Edward’s life. Alice clearly thinks that Edward and Bella should be together, because she tells Bella that she’s been debating whether or not she should transform Bella into a vampire herself. She also votes in favor of Bella becoming a vampire in the end of the novel.

Since Alice has no memory of her human life, she shares with Bella that she researched her family and visited her own (fake) grave. Alice’s parents evidently sent her to an insane asylum the same day they declared her dead. She doesn’t know what to make of it.

Rosalie Hale

Rosalie never wanted to become a vampire, but she had no choice. That’s why she’s jealous of the human Bella from the beginning. When she learns about Bella’s alleged suicide from Alice, she goes out of her way to tell Edward. Rosalie feels horrible about it later, and asks Bella to forgive her. Her regrets about becoming a vampire lead Rosalie to vote "no" on Bella’s transformation during the Cullen family meeting.

Emmett Cullen 

Strong, big, and always in the mood for trouble, Emmett is gung-ho about saving Edward, but he listens to Alice’s advice to stay back and let Bella do the job. He genuinely likes Bella and also votes for her to become a vampire. After leaving Forks with Rosalie (partly because she doesn’t like Bella), they’ve been traveling around Europe, then return to Forks after Edward is saved.

Jasper

Poor Jasper. He evolved into a "vegetarian" vampire to become part of the Cullen family and, although he seems to try very hard, he still’s very much susceptible to the delicious smell of human blood. He’s torn up about attacking Bella on her birthday. In many ways, Jasper’s loss of control triggers Edward’s decision to break up with Bella to keep her safe.

Esme Cullen

Esme, the matriarch of the Cullen family, adopted Bella into the family from the moment she met her. Although Esme’s not Edward’s real flesh and blood mother, she looks like "she would be crying if that were possible" (22.111) when she holds Edward safe in her arms after his suicide attempt. Esme roots for Edward and Bella to be together, and also votes for Bella to become a vampire.

If you need an idea for what to watch, check out these great children-friendly and family-friendly movies.



Hope you like it!
See you,
Teacher Jô Piantavinha