Yet More Pumpkin Beers Reviewed!

      Yes, it's the same post once again, kind of.  This is the 4th time I've posted this basic article.  But, there is slightly more content, as I tried and reviewed 6 new pumpkin beers.  The new reviews are marked with an asterisk (*) in front of them.

     Since it’s the Halloween season I thought I’d do a post about the brew of the season—pumpkin beers.  By doing so I may be risking alienating (or boring) any non-American readers, because pumpkin beers appear to be a nearly exclusive American beverage.  Also, these beers are probably pushing the “exotic” title, as due to their type’s popularity explosion in the past decade or so they’re probably more like “slightly unusual.”  But what the hell—I want to post about at least one food or beverage with a tie to Halloween this month, so let’s get on with it.

     In researching pumpkin beers, I was surprised to learn that their history is extensive.  Like before the U.S. was even a country.  One website I consulted noted that America’s first folk song, written in 1643, was a satire about eating (and drinking, in the form of pumpkin ales) nothing but pumpkins and parsnips.  The lyrics I viewed weren’t that funny to me, but humor can be culturally and time period bound, and this song is over 350 years old, so I’ll give it a break, and not mock it.  During this period, evidently malt was hard to come by, so early European colonists looking to brew beer turned to a local plant that was a good source of fermentable sugars, the humble pumpkin.  As a result, pumpkin ale was quite popular, especially in the 1700’s, along with regular porters and ales.  A recipe for making it survives from 1771, even.  However, this popularity took a major hit in the early 1800’s.  Pumpkin ale was seen as passé, and apparently malt sources weren’t such a problem to easily locate anymore.  Regular grain ales, porters, and then lagers especially came to dominate the U.S. beer scene in the mid to late 1800’s, and up until the present day.

     However, in the early days of the craft, microbrewing movement, in the late 1980’s, a brewer decided to experiment, and reintroduce the pumpkin beer.  This brewer, Buffalo Bill’s Brewery (out of the Pacific Northwest) even used one of founding father George Washington’s personal recipes for their prototype (although the commercial version was apparently different, and used pumpkin pie spices in place of actual pumpkin to make it).  Over the next couple of decades pumpkin beers steadily grew in popularity, and now hundreds of U.S. breweries offer them.

     And this in itself produced surprising information.  I didn’t realize how polarizing an issue pumpkin beer is.  People seem to mostly love it or hate.  I read a particularly vicious quote about the style from a Washington City Times beer writer, Orr Stuhl:  “Even picking a favorite is like picking a favorite airborne disease.”  Looking through some comments in the websites and blogs I looked at, I saw some similar opinions—how much they hated pumpkin beers, and in some cases, how they hated that they were sold, and how those that enjoy them are not “real” beer drinkers, etc.  These were balanced by comments defending pumpkin beers, many of whom extolled (or at least appreciated) the style.

     I myself, not shockingly, love to try new types of beer (and meat, organs, cheeses, vegetables, fruit—you get the idea), and I’m not adverse to all the fruit-flavored beer types, either, like lambics, krieks, winter seasonals—some are quite tasty.  Although I have to say that even the good ones, like decent ciders, are usually so sweet that I can only have one or two in a sitting, and can’t drink them all night.  But as a switch up, I can appreciate them from time to time.  Over the years I’ve tried the occasional pumpkin beer, and recall liking some, so I went into this project with enthusiasm.  But enough history and chatter, let’s get to the rankings.  I deliberately chose a mix of larger, macrobrewery offering, and smaller, local microbrews.  And these are listed, worst to best, using the school A(excellent) through F (failure) rankings.

Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale:  D-.  Orange-yellow color, no real odor.  Odd taste, not good.  Much too boozy (it's 9% alcohol), and kind of overly sweet/sour-y.  Full disclosure--it's possible it might have been an expired bottle, or completely stale.  I couldn't read the "born on/drink by" date on the container.  Overall it was terrible, and very difficult to finish.  Maybe I'll try another one if I can find a container with a legible date, so I know it's still fresh enough.

New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin:  D-.  Orange-yellow hue, no real odor.  Starts off okay but ends badly.  Spicy, in a bad way.  Unpleasantly bitter and astringent.  Peppery, also in a negative way.  Drinkable, but just barely.  Kind of surprising, since I like most New Belgium offerings in general, and their other Voodoo Ranger kinds in particular.

 

Southampton Pumpkin Ale (New York State): D.  Very nasty, and astringent.  Not good at all.

 

Starr Hill Boxcar Pumpkin Porter (Virginia): D.  I like that they tried a different beer style—most pumpkin beers are ales or lagers—but the result was tremendously disappointing.  It was tasteless, like water.  Akin to a light beer—that’s how watery it was.

 

Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale (Colorado): D.  Thin, tasteless, and not worth it.

 

Long Trail Unfiltered Pumpkin Ale (Vermont): D.  Bad.  Metallic-tasting.  Not pumpkin-y at all.  What happened?  Long Trail is usually a quality brewery—a rare miss.

 

Buffalo Bill’s Brewery American Original Pumpkin Ale (Pacific Northwest): D+. You may recall from above, this was the one that reintroduced the style back in the late 1980’s.  So I expected it to be exceptional, since so many copied it, or at least the idea.  But no, for me.  I found it only slightly pumpkin-y, and a lot astringent. 

* Big Muddy Brewing Pumpkin Smasher (Illinois):  C-.  Yellow-brown color, malty/vanilla-y odor.  Thin, kind of weak.  Spice bite at end.  But needs to be much stronger.  It's disappointing how mundane this was, especially given its title.

* Evil Twin Milkshake Style IPA with Pumpkin and Spices (Connecticut):  C-.  Yellow.  Lemon-y odor.  Was sour, and not sweet.  Some pumpkin spices.  But not strong.  Not a good sour or Berliner Weisse.  Don't know what this was, but it wasn't great.  Weird, innovative take on pumpkin spice beer, but not good as a sour, either.  So points for the idea, but the execution wasn't there.   

 

Lakefront Pumpkin Lager (Wisconsin): C-.  Disappointing.  Only a hint of pumpkin flavor.  Watery and weak.

* Glasstown Brewing Company, Clash of the Pumpkins (New Jersey):  C.  Dark brownish-red color, malty/vanilla-y odor.  Kind of thin.  Some spice bite, but should be more potent.  Hides its alcohol content (7.2%) well.  Disappointing.  Not terrific, but bland.  Cool movie-tie can painting on the label, though.

* Southern Tier Caramel Pumking Imperial Ale (New York):  C.  Amber colored, sugary/malty odor.  Almost overwhelmingly sweet, but ends bitter somehow.  Hides alcohol content (8.6%) well.  Hard to rate.

 

Post Road Pumpkin Ale (Brooklyn Brewery, NY):  C.  Okay, not great.  Slightly bitter in an unpleasant way.

Ship Bottom Imperial Pumpkin Ale:  C.  Orange-brown hue.  Not much of an odor.  Kind of mediocre.  Not great, not terrible.  Not extremely pumpkin-y, but not bland.  Okay, I suppose.  Hides its alcohol content (9.4%!) well, at least.

Shocktop Pumpkin Wheat (Missouri):  C.  Mediocre.  Had slight cinnamon taste.

 

Shipyard Brewing Pumpkinhead (Maine):  C.  Drinkable.  Not very pumpkin-y.  Rather bland and inoffensive.

 

Wolaver’s Pumpkin Ale (Vermont): C.  Just average.  Kind of bland-ish.  Not bad, just not a very compelling flavor.

* Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery Paranormal Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Canada):  C+.  Brownish red hue, malty odor.  A little thin at first, but ends better, with a spice bite.  Hides enormous alcohol content (10%!) well.  Would have liked a more consistently stronger flavor.  Not what I expected from its odor.

Lancaster Baked Pumpkin Pie Ale:  C+.  Orange-brown color, slight pumpkin-y odor.  Pumpkin-y taste.  A little thin.  But better than average.  Hides alcohol content (7.5%) well.  I would have liked a bolder flavor.

Dogfish Head Punkin Brown Ale:  C+.  Orange-brown color, slight pumpkin-y odor.  Okay.  Kind of like the Lancaster one--some pumpkin flavors, but not the strongest taste.  A little bland.  Once again, I was surprised, because Dogfish Head is one of my favorite breweries.  I guess even the great ones make mediocre beers once in a while.

  

Ithaca Country Pumpkin (NY):  C+.  Okay, weakish.  Not great.

 

Great South Bay Splashing Pumpkin Ale (Long Island, NY): C+.  Pumpkin-y at first, but ends a little weakly.

 

Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale (Massachussetts):  C+.  Slightly better than average, but still not very special.

 

The Traveler Beer Company Jack-o Shandy (Vermont)  C+.  Really different—it’s a shandy (lemon peel) mixed with pumpkin.  Weird.  Flavor pairing is a little off-putting and strange, but somehow is not terrible, and is oddly drinkable.

Two Roads Roadsmary's Baby Ale:  B-.  Orange-brown hue, slight pumpkin-y odor.  Pretty good.  A little stronger than most.  Maybe a tad chalky.  But decent overall.

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale:  B-.  Orange-brown color, slight pumpkin-y odor.  Again, pretty good.  Starts off promisingly, ends a little off.  But still good for the style.  Hides its alcohol content (8%) well.  Not great, but alright to good.

 

Uinta Punk’n Harvest Pumpkin Ale (Utah):  B-.  Nice odor.  Okay, a tad blandish.  Still a marked improvement over most of the others.

 

Harpoon Pumpkin UFO Unfiltered Ale (New England): B-.  A bit weak, but better than average.  Slightly more pumpkin-y.

* New Jersey Beer Company Hypnotic Pumpkin Ale (New Jersey, of course):  B.  Brownish-red hue, slight vanilla odor.  Overly carbonated.  Odd flavor.  Tasted kind of sour rather than sweet.  Strange, but not without its charms.  Pretty good.

 

Harpoon Imperial Pumpkin (New England): B.  This was a surprise, as I usually do not like stouts at all.  Tastes very heavy and strong (it’s 10.5% alcohol!).  Slightly spicy.  Weird.  Has sweetish, vanilla-y burn at end.  Really grew on me.

 

Southern Tier Pumking (NY): B.  Sweet, vanilla-y.  Good.  Hides alcohol content (8.6%) well.  To be fair, it didn’t taste very pumpkin-y, but it was tasty all the same.

 

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale (New Hampshire): B+.  Nice odor, very good.  Spicey.  Tastes normal at first, than pumpkin flavor really kicks in nicely.

 

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale (Pennsylvania): A-.  Very good.  Blend of spices was well done.

 

    In conclusion, looking at my rankings, I’m struck that I’m apparently an exception to the “love it or hate it” dichotomy.  Slightly over  half (17) I found to be mediocre and average (“C” rating), and I disliked (“D”)  7, and really enjoyed (“B to A”) 9.  And even the 7 lowest ranked ones weren’t terrible, weren’t drain pours or anything.  So it appears, if I generalize, that I kind of like the style, but only slightly.

     * Furthermore, I’ve been a little puzzled, and amused, by the recent furor over “pumpkin spice.”  It appears that some people are really upset over this flavor being added to coffee/lattes, doughnuts, cakes, candy, candles, etc.  I get that many people don’t like pumpkin spice flavoring, or are a little annoyed that it’s being offered in tons of products, and you see the words everywhere, but it still seems like an overreaction.  It seems pretty easy to just not order the offending flavor, and just ignore the fad for a few weeks.

      Happy Halloween everyone!  Hope you've enjoyed this Spooky Season as much as I have.  And yes, you'll probably be seeing this same post in the future.  But I promise I'll at least add a few more ratings and reviews.  I'm also curious about how high I can get--50 brands of pumpkin beer?  100?  More?

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "The Evil Dead 2" (1987)

      Previously, on October 29, 2022, I did a trivia quiz about the classic "The Evil Dead" (1982).  Well, today it's the first sequel's turn.  "The Evil Dead 2" (or "The Evil Dead II," for those that prefer Roman numerals) is a classic in its own right--many people even prefer it to the original.  The major difference between the two is tone, as part 2 is much more overtly humorous.  Granted, much of this humor is of the dark, messed-up variety, but most viewers really get a kick out of it.  Personally, I prefer the original, but this one is awesome as well.  Anyway, let's get to it.  It's the usual layout, and as always there are many SPOILERS ahead.

Questions:

1)    According to the opening narration, when did The Book of the Dead disappear?

2)    What is Professor Knowby's first name?

3)    What number log entry does Ash play on the tape recorder?

4)    What is the surname of Associate Professor Ed (who's also Annie's boyfriend)?

5)    What is unusual about Linda's grave?

6)    What ends Ash's first possession?

7)    How many spans does the bridge to the cabin have?

8)    We see Annie arrive on an airplane.  From what airline?

9)    What is the plane's identification number?

10)   How did Annie first inform Ed about the discovery of the additional pages to The Book of the Dead?

11)   How old, at least, are the pages of The Book of the Dead?

12)   How long has it been since Ed has had contact with Annie's mom and dad (the Knowbys)?

13)   How much does Jake initially ask for in exchange for leading Ed and Annie to the cabin via the hiking trail, and how much does he eventually ask for?

14)   How many shots does Ash take at his severed hand, eventually causing the torrent of blood?

15)   There's a framed sewn message by the front door.  What does it read?

16)   Ash accidently shots Bobby Joe with his shotgun.  Where is this wound?

17)   Jake insults Ash using the title of another 1980's movie.  What is this movie's name?

18)   On what date did Professor Knowby record the entry discussing Henrietta's possession, and death?

19)   What song does Henrietta sing to convince Annie that she's not possessed anymore?

20)   What is Annie's exact birthdate?  (I'm looking for the day, month, and year.)

21)   What helps Henrietta remember this date so well?

22)   According to Annie, what does recitation of the first passage in the Book do?

23)  And what does recitation of the second passage do?

24)   What ends Ash's second, more prolonged possession?

25)   When Ash is fighting possessed Henrietta, Annie helps by distracting her.  How?

26)   Where is Castle Kandar located?

27)   As in the first movie, producer Rob Tapert and writer/director Sam Raimi once again played small acting roles in this film.  Name these roles.

28)   What kind of shotgun is used in this move?  (Hint, it's a different one from the first movie.)

29)   Which character, or characters, are stabbed with the Kandarian Dagger?

30)   Of the 8 named characters in the movie (Ash, Linda, Professor Knowby, Henrietta, Annie, Ed, Jake, and Bobby Joe) how many are not possessed at any time in the movie?

31)   What characters eat something during the film?

32)   Is this a sequel to the first movie, or a remake?

33)   Why didn't possessed Henrietta destroy the pages of the Book of the Dead, to prevent Annie from reciting the passage to send it (and the dark spirit and the other demons) to another plane of existence?

34)   What kind of alcohol were Ash and Linda just about to drink, before she got possessed?

35)   When Ash's possessed hand is dragging his unconscious body across the kitchen floor, we briefly see a label for a bottle of beer.  What brand is it?

36)   In the shed scene, where we briefly see another clock, what brand of repair kit do we also see?

37)   In the same scene, we see a six ounce glass beverage bottle.  What brand is this?

38)   Sam Raimi continued his call and response challenge to famous director Wes Craven in this movie.  Name it.

39)   In a (futile) effort to stave off the ratings board, the crew used different colored blood a few times.  Which character is shown having green blood?

40)   On the same note, which character bleeds blue blood?

41)   What two kinds of real, regular human food do we see in the kitchen?

42)   In the first movie we learn that Kandar is an ancient city in Sumeria.  But in this movie Kandar is the name of a castle in another area of the world (Question #26).  What gives?

43)   What are the final fates of Bobby Joe and Professor Knowby?

Answers:

1)    1300 A.D.

2)    Raymond.

3)    2.

4)    Getley.

5)    She appears to have been buried in a pile of coal, not dirt.

6)    The sun.

7)    3.

8)    Huntley.  One of the real life property owners of one of the movie locations used was named Huntley, so this is presumably a tribute to them.

9)    N90INC.

10)   By using the incredibly outdated communication method of sending a telegram.

11)   3000 years.

12)   A week.

13)   $45, and then after being nudged by Bobby Joe, $100.

14)   3 times.

15)   Home Sweet Home.

16)  Her left shoulder.

17)   He says, "That crazy buck's gone blood simple."  Which is a nod to the Coen brothers' 1985 movie "Blood Simple."  The Coens were friends of Sam Raimi, and were even involved in "The Evil Dead."

18)   October 1st.

19)   "Hush Little Baby Don't Say a Word."  This song's origins are cloudy, but it appears to have started by at least the 1920's in the American South.

20)  September 2nd, 1962.

21)   Because, strangely, it snowed that day.

22)   It causes the dark spirit to manifest itself in the flesh.

23)   It creates a kind of rift in time and space through which the physical manifestation of the dark spirit can be forced through.

24)   He catches sight of, and holds the necklace that he gave Linda.

25)   She repeats the same song that Henrietta sang to her ("Hush Little Baby Don't Say a Word").

26)   England.  All the knights at the end speak English.

27)   Rob Tapert is the airline worker who opens the plane door (with a lot of difficulty), and Sam is one of the knights at the end of the movie.

28)   According to online gun enthusiasts, it's now a Stevens 311-C, 12 gauge double-barreled shotgun, made by Savage Arms.

29)   Annie accidently stabs Jake, and she in turn is fatally stabbed by Ash's severed and possessed right hand.

30)   At least 3, maybe 4.  Annie, Jake, and Bobby Joe are definitely not possessed, and it's unclear if Professor Knowby ever was.  Ash, Linda, Ed, and Henrietta all definitely were possessed.

31)   Bobby Joe accidently eats possessed Henrietta's right eye, possessed Ed eats a hank of Bobby Joe's hair, and possessed Henrietta evidently eats most of Jake, as we see he's only a skeleton afterwards.

32)   This is admittedly confusing.  Some viewers don't understand why Ash would go back to the cabin after the events of the first movie.  There is an explanation, though.  It's definitely a sequel--it even says so in the end credits.  The first part of the movie, with Linda getting possessed, is a recap of the first movie.  Unfortunately, because of the complicated distribution of the first movie, Sam Raimi didn't have the rights to include footage of it in the second one.  Therefore, they had to shoot those scenes again.  In doing so, they used a different actress to play Linda, and didn't show the characters of Shelly, Cheryl and Scott.  So, in essence, the events of Evil Dead 2 actually start with Ash being propelled by the Force through the trees.

33)   This is a definite plot hole, when you think about it.  She definitely could pick up the pages, since she's the only one who could have moved the pages from the area under the cellar steps to the rear rooms of the cellar.  Even if the Book's magic or something prevented her from ripping them up, or eating them, surely she could have hidden them securely, or buried them in the puddle right next to where a stack of them is eventually found.  Unless possessed Henrietta doesn't know what the recitations would do?  Unlikely, since she could have heard Annie discussing that, and she presumably heard her husband discussing the Book and its powers when she was alive.

34)   A bottle of champagne.

35)   Coors.

36)   A Fix-Tite Rubber Repair kit.

37)   Coca-Cola.  Which is kind of weird, since Coke competitor Pepsi is credited with co-financing this movie.

38)   Freddie Kruegers's bladed glove is (barely) visible in some of the shed scenes, above the door.

39)   Possessed Ed.

40)   The giant head of the dark spirit manifested in the flesh, known as the Rotten Apple Head by the cast and crew.

41)   Beans in a bowl, and a box of saltine crackers on the kitchen floor.

42)   I think the real answer is that Raimi and company wanted to switch the action to medieval England, so just reused the name.  For an in-universe explanation, maybe the castle was named after the Sumerian city, maybe after the Book was transported from the Middle East to England.

43)   Bobby Joe is seen being grabbed by vines and pulled into a tree, and is never seen again.  So she's presumed dead (and not possessed).  Professor Knowby clearly died, as we see and hear his spirit talk to Annie and the others.  But we don't learn how he died.  Henrietta tried to kill him when she became possessed, but he then killed or at least subdued her, and then buried her in the cellar, without dismembering her body.  We never see him in a possessed state in either movie, so apparently he wasn't ever possessed.  But we never see his body, or any remains, or blood, or anything.  So his demise is a mystery.

   

    

  

 

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Wonderfully Repulsive Gummy Candy

      Since it's October, I've naturally been seeing a better selection of candy on the grocery store shelves in the past few weeks.  (Or really, maybe even the past couple of months.)  A lot of these are just your basic candy fare, only in "fun size" or "bite-sized" pieces, often as an assortment in a bag of 100 or 200 total pieces.  But, happily, some confections get into the Halloween spirit more extensively, and make their concoctions more spooky and scary in theme.  And no one did a better job of this than the Frankford Candy company, out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  I picked up two large bags of their Body Parts gummy candies.

     I wasn't able to find out much about the history of the Frankford company.  The official website, and other online sources were quite limited on this topic.  That said, Frankford was founded in 1947 by a man named Sam Himmelstein.  Initially the business specialized in making chocolate, but over the decades it's branched out.  Currently, Frankford makes chocolates, cookies, hot cocoa, hot chocolate BOMBS, jelly beans, marshmallows, hard candy, and, of course, gummies.  In 2000 the company started licensing popular television and movie characters, and other notable toys.  Thus, now you can buy confections featuring characters from Marvel, Nickelodeon, Disney, Baby Shark, Sponge Bob, and the Elf on the Shelf.  Frankford also partners with other famous brands to make candy versions of their food and drinks.  Meaning you can get Oscar Mayer "bacon" and "hot dogs" made out of gummy, candy "Lunchables," fake Kraft Mac & Cheese, Dunkin Donuts products in candy form, etc.  Additionally, and not surprisingly, Frankford has several holiday-themed candy lines.  Clearly Halloween, since that's the type of candy I sampled, but also ones with Valentine's Day, Easter, and Christmas themes.  They even sell a turkey make out of chocolate for around Thanksgiving.  Finally, the Frankford company is based out of Philadelphia, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, but some of their candy, like the kind I tried, is actually made in China.

     The Frankford Body Parts gummies come in five different pieces.  I'll describe each one below.  Each piece was about an inch to an inch and a half (or about 2.5 to 3.5 cm.) in length.  Each also came singly, in its own tiny plastic bag.

1)  Foot:  Considering it's made of gummy candy, the artistry of this was impressive.  There were visible toes, an ankle "bone," and blood and bruising on the sawed off foot.  The flavor of the candy was good too--this one had a strawberry-like flavor, perhaps from the pseudo-blood.

2)  Ear:  As with the foot, there was good, gory detail, with realistic-looking ear folds.  The "cut off" side was a purple-red.  Again, this one tasted good as well, with probably a cherry flavor.

3)  Finger tip:  Had the real-looking folds and lines of "skin" near the joint, and a molded nail.  Where it had been severed it was bloody.  Like the previous two, it had a cherry or strawberry taste to it.

4)  Brain:  It was cut in half, with the cut side red, and the intact side blue, with visible brain folds and all.  Apparently the blue gummy was a different flavor, too, as this one tasted more like blueberry.  And also again, tasty to eat.

5)  Eye:  This was an eyeball cut in half.  Unlike the others, the "cut" side was not bloody red--it was just white, giving the whole thing a look like a sunny side up fried egg.  The "iris" of the eye was green, and the pupil was black.  Probably from the green iris, this piece had a lime flavor.

  

     Overall these were all great.  Really artistic and realistic.  Gross, in a fun way.  I think kids will love how morbid they are.  (Actually, I think adults will have the same reaction.)  Plus, the candy itself was consistently tasty as well.  Awesome idea and execution.  Top marks!  Extreme recommend.  If you get a chance, snap them up, and satisfy trick-or-treaters hungry for candy and scares all at once.  The website included a fun adult thing to do with them, too.  They have some eyeballs impaled on toothpicks, sticking out of a cocktail as a ghoulish garnish.  Drinks taste better when they're staring back at you accusingly!

 

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "An American Werewolf in London" (1981)

      As I mentioned previously, I think "An American Werewolf in London" is one of the very best werewolf movies ever, and an excellent movie across the board.  Comedy in horror is often tricky to get right, but this movie manages to do so very effectively.  It even is able to have a cute romantic subplot that seems earned, and not tacked-on.  But, critically, the tension and scares are handled well too, aided by the awesome, gooey gore and transformation special effects of maestro Rick Baker, who deservedly won the Oscar for Best Makeup for this film, and many others.  So, let's get into the finer details about this movie.  Questions are first, followed by the answers.  Many SPOILERS ahead, obviously.

Questions:

1)    The werewolf attack in the opening scenes take place in the (fictional) Yorkshire village of East Proctor.  According to the sign, what are the two closest communities to East Proctor?

2)    England is first in Jack and David's travel itinerary.  What country are they headed to next?

3)    How long was their vacation scheduled to be in total?

4)    Who is the woman that Jack is currently pursuing romantically?

5)    According to the barmaid, what are the only three things The Slaughtered Lamb sells?

6)    What (non-werewolf themed) movie do Jack and David discuss with the pub denizens?

7)    When they hear the howling of the werewolf out on the moors, Jack and David speculate on what is making the noise.  What six things do they mention?

8)    What is the name of the nurse that says she had a look at the comatose David's genitals?

9)    What is the name of the American embassy man who visits David in the hospital?

10)   According to this man, where in London is the hospital located?

11)   What is the name of the London hospital where David heals up in?

12)   How long has David been unconscious in this hospital?

13)   Dr. Hirsch dreads spending another evening with a family friend.  Who is this?

14)   One of nurse Alex's patients is a child who only says, "no."  Name this child.

15)   We also see this patient reading a comic book.  Which comic book?

16)   What room number is David in?

17)   What book does Alex read to David?

18)   During one of David's dreams, we see him at home in the U.S.  How many people are in his immediate family?

19)   What television show is his family watching in this dream?

20)   During Jack's first visit to David as an undead ghost/zombie, what does Jack eat?

21)   According to Jack, the woman he was after romantically pursuing cried at his funeral, but then promptly slept with another guy.  Who is this man?

22)   What is the address number of Alex's apartment?  (Or should I say, her "flat," I guess.)

23)   What toy does Jack pick up and joke with during his next visit to David, at Alex's place?

24)   Where did (or does) David attend college/university, according to his t-shirt?

25)   While investigating David and Jack's attack, Dr. Hirsch visits The Slaughtered Lamb.  What drink does he initially ask for?  (Which they don't have.)

26)   And what drink does Hirsch settle for?

27)   How long has the pentangle (pentagram) been on the pub's wall, according to the barmaid?

28)   While channel surfing on Alex's television, David briefly watches a "News of the World" program segment about someone.  Who?

29)   What is the number of Sean's house, according to the couple who are David's first victims?

30)   Near what London landmark does werewolf David attack the homeless men?

31)   In what London Underground station does werewolf David attack the lone businessman?

32)   What is the phone number of David's family home back in the U.S.?  (Hint, it's not given with the usual movie fake "555" exchange, it's a real 10 digit phone number.)

33)   Where do David and his family live, specifically?  As in, what state, and what part of this state?

34)   What are the names of David's siblings?

35)   How old is the sister he's speaking to on the phone?

36)   David attempts suicide right after this phone call home.  By what method?

37)   In what famous London area does David meet up with Jack and the other victims?

38)   In what porn theater does this meeting take place?

39)   And what movie is playing during this meeting?

40)   What are the names of the six people who David killed in werewolf form?  (Up to this point in the movie.)

41)   What six methods of suicide do David and his victims discuss?

42)   How many total people does David directly kill while in werewolf form?

43)   Did writer/director John Landis overdo it with playing songs with "Moon" in them during the movie?

44)   What movie poster is visible on the wall in Alex's flat/apartment?

Answers:

1)    Leshire and Erwood.

2)    Italy.

3)    3 months.

4)    Debbie Klein.

5)    Spirits, beer, and (somewhat grudgingly offered) tea.

6)    "The Alamo," the 1960 version, featuring John Wayne and Laurence Harvey.

7)    In order, a coyote, the Hound of the Baskervilles, Pecos Bill, Heathcliff, a dog, and then, more specifically, a sheepdog.

8)    Susan Gallagher.

9)    Mr. Collins, played by puppeteer/director Frank Oz.

10)   Grosvenor Square, a real place.

11)   St. Martin's.

12)   3 weeks.

13)   Roger Matheson.

14)   Benjamin.

15)   It's a Laurel & Hardy Winter Special, which costs 40p.

16)   21.

17)   "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," by Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain).

18)   Five, including him.  We see his mother, father, and a younger sister and brother.

19)   "The Muppets," including a scene with Miss Piggy, who's voiced by.....Frank Oz.

20)   Some toast dipped in egg, which was part of David's breakfast.

21)   Mark Levine.

22)   #64, and she's in the first floor flat, or "B."

23)   A small Mickey Mouse doll.

24)   New York University, or abbreviated, NYU.

25)   A Campari soda, evidently a cocktail drink.

26)   A small glass of Guinness beer.

27)   200 years.

28)   Nina Carter, a real life model/singer.

29)   #39.

30)   The Tower Bridge.

31)   Tottenham Court Road Station, which is real.

32)   516-472-3402.  Please don't call, though.

33)   According to the info we get, and the area code mentioned in the previous question, his family home is in New York state, in Nassau County, which is on Long Island just to the east of Queens and Brooklyn.

34)   Rachel and Max.

35)   10 (and a half, as she reminds him.)

36)   Cutting his wrist with his small penknife blade.  He doesn't follow through, clearly.

37)   Piccadilly Circus.

38)   Eros Cinema.

39)   "See You Next Wednesday."  This is a bit of dialogue from "2001:  A Space Odyssey" (1968).  Writer John Landis liked it, and used it as a fictional movie title in this movie, "Kentucky Fried Movie" (1977), "Trading Places" (1983), "Coming to America" (1988) and probably others.

40)   The couple are Harry Berman and Judith Browns, the guy in the underground is Gerald Bringsley, and the homeless guys are Alf, Ted, and Joseph.

41)   Sleeping pills, hanging, a gun (silver bullets not needed), a knife, an electric shock, and a car crash.

42)   I say "directly" because clearly several additional people were presumably killed in the traffic accidents in Piccadilly Circus that David the werewolf caused.  But, directly, at least 9 people.  The 6 just mentioned in Question #40, then at least 2 in the porno theater, and Inspector Villiers.  There may have been another person or two killed in the theater, but we only see the two bodies.

43)   You can make that case.  In all, there are 5 songs played with "Moon" in their titles--3 versions of "Blue Moon," as well as "Moondance," and "Bad Moon Rising."

44)   "Casablanca" (1942).  Which surprisingly has nothing to do with moons, or werewolves.

     Also, for the Halloween holiday I'm planning to change up my post schedule a little.  Tune in for posts on Saturday, October 21st and October 28th as usual, but there'll be a bonus one on the day itself, Tuesday, October 31st.

   

 

 

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Hellraiser" (1987)

      It's October again, the scariest of months!  As such, I'm going to help celebrate it in the same way as in the past couple of years--lots of posts about horror-related things, such as movie trivia quizzes about famous and great films.  (Although at least one post will be about a terror-related food.)  Today's test will be about "Hellraiser," the original 1987 film that started off a series that's lasted, to date, 11 total movies, with one coming out as recently as a year ago.  "Hellraiser" was a lot of folks' introduction to horror author/director/painter/etc. Clive Barker.  It's a nice compendium of some of his favorite themes--strange worlds and dimensions, terrifying villains, bizarre body horror, and, of course, a healthy dose of, shall we say, alternative sex.  So let's get into it.  The usual drill--questions first, followed by the answers.  Unless noted, all of these questions will be from the movie itself, not from alternate media like the sequels, novel, comics, etc.  And many SPOILERS ahead, obviously.

Questions:

1)    In the opening scene, when Frank is buying the puzzle box (aka The Lament Configuration or LeMarchard's Box), what kind of drinks are on the table?

2)    What country's currency does Frank use to pay for the Box?

3)    When Frank opens the Box in the house, he's sitting in a square of candles.  How many candles make up this box shape?

4)    Of the four Cenobites, which is the first one seen in the film?

5)    Pinhead is seen wearing unusual black gloves on his hands.  What fingers do they cover?

6)    According to Larry, how long has it been since he's set foot in the house?

7)    Who owned the house, before it passed to Frank and Larry Cotton?

8)    Where did Larry and Julia live previously, in a place that neither speaks of positively?

9)    What day of the week do Larry and Julia move into the house?

10)   What brand of beer does Larry give to the movers?

11)   What famous doctor does Larry compare the physician who stitched up his hand wound to?

12)   At Larry and Julia's dinner party, aside from the two of them, and Kirsty and her boyfriend, who are the three other guests?

13)   Larry announces that the dinner is a celebration of something.  What?

14)   What is the name of Kirsty's boyfriend?  (It's only mentioned once, near the end.)

15)   A weird homeless guy seems to be following Kirsty throughout the film.  Where is he first seen?

16)   What three negative qualities does Kirsty say her boyfriend has?

17)   What weapon does Julia use to kill, or at least severely wound the victims she brings home for Frank?

18)   How many victims does Julia bring back for Frank?

19)   Where does Kirsty work?

20)   What is the house's address number?

21)   After Kirsty collapses out in public after attaining the Box, several people stand over her to see if she's okay.  One of them is wearing a hat with the logo of a pro sports team.  Name this team.

22)   Who is the first Cenobite to appear to Kirsty?

23)   Who are the only two Cenobites we see touching Frank?  (Usually they use their telekinetic powers to send hooks on chains into their victims' flesh, so this is rare.)

24)   Who is the only Cenobite we see actually touch Kirsty?

25)   Not counting the flying hooks and chains, we only see two Cenobites wielding weapons in their hands.  Name them, and when it happens.

26)   How many of the Cenobites can see?

27)   True or False?  Of the Cenobites only Pinhead actually speaks.

28)   Pinhead didn't get his famous nickname until later in the series, as the fans liked it (but Clive Barker doesn't).  How is he billed in the credits for this movie?

29)   Who is the only Cenobite who isn't sent back to their version of Hell using the Box?

30)   Who is the only Cenobite who wasn't played by the same actor in "Hellraiser 2: Hellbound"?

31)   We learn that Julia is Kirsty's stepmother, not mother.  What's the situation of Kirsty's birth mother?

32)   Is "Hellraiser" set in England, or in the U.S.?

33)   How does Frank sound like Larry after he puts on Larry's skin?

34)   Of the actors playing the five main living human characters (not counting Cenobites, then)--Larry, Frank, Julia, Kirsty, and her boyfriend, how many returned for the sequel?

35)   At one point the creepy homeless guy (who we learn later on is not human, and may be an incarnation of the Engineer) is seen eating something.  What?

36)   At one point, Larry and Julia are seen watching a sporting event on television.  Which sport?  

Answers:

1)    It appears to be absinthe, since the drinks are a green color, and the seller puts a sugar cube in his.

2)    American dollars.

3)    21 total.  6 to a side, except in the rear, where there are 7 in the line.

4)    The Female Cenobite.  Yes, that's her title.

5)    Only his thumb, and pinkie finger are covered.

6)    The better part of ten years.

7)    An unidentified female relative that Larry calls "the old lady," so perhaps their mother?  Grandmother?  (In the novella she's identified as Larry and Frank's grandmother.)

8)    Brooklyn.  Or, the New York City borough in the U.S.

9)    Sunday.

10)   Budweiser.  An American brand, obviously.

11)   The infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele.

12)   Bill, Evelyn, and according to the credits, "Dinner guest."  Only Bill's name is spoken aloud.

13)   The odd, and unexplained, "Night of the Paper Hat."

14)   Steve.

15)   At the subway/underground train station, which she and her boyfriend go to after the party.

16)   He's reportedly "so damn polite, uptight, and frigid."

17)   A hammer.

18)   Three, all of whom are men.

19)   At a pet store.

20)   55.  The street is never mentioned or shown in the movie, although the novella and other media provide it as being Lodovico Street, in the Cricklewood section of London.

21)   The New York Yankees, an American Major League Baseball team.

22)   Chatterer.

23)   Chatterer shoves him away from the door when Frank tries to escape, and Pinhead gathers up and arranges the pieces of Frank's face in the beginning of the movie, as if solving a macabre puzzle.

24)   Again, Chatterer.  He grabs her the first time the Cenobites meet her, and he briefly grabs her near the end of the film.

25)   The Female Cenobite has blades with a hook that she uses to cut the wall as she ascends the staircase, and Butterball has a blade with which he tries to stab Kirsty's boyfriend with at the end.

26)   Apparently only Pinhead and the Female Cenobite.  Because no eyes are visible on Chatterer, and we later learn that Butterball's eyes are sewn shut behind his sunglasses.  I guess these two have good senses of hearing and smell which they use to track victims.  Or maybe they echolocate, like bats?

27)   False.  The Female Cenobite isn't as chatty as Pinhead, but she does say a few things.

28)   He's billed, rather boringly, as "Lead Cenobite."

29)   Butterball is overcome in the debris of the collapsing house, and is not seen being sent back, with the yellow light, as are the others.  So how did he re-join his comrades for the sequel?  I know, it's a movie, and the special effects for the sending back moments were rushed, so the filmmakers probably didn't do it because of this, or the cost, and hoped nobody would notice.  But I did!

30)   The Female Cenobite was played by Grace Kirby in the first film, and by Barbie Wilde in the second one.  Evidently the makeup process was lengthy and uncomfortable, so Kirby backed out.

31)   Larry tells the movers that Kirsty's mother is dead.  So he was either a widower, or else they divorced and then Kirsty's mom died sometime after that.

32)   "Hellraiser" was filmed in England, as is obvious from some of the locations used, and the accents of much of the cast.  However, late in production the studio decided it would be better if it was set in the U.S., so they added some American details and references, and overdubbed some of the British actors with American voices.  Which isn't very convincing--I think it was a mistake.  So technically it's set in America, but a lot of things make this kind of ridiculous.

33)   Yeah, this doesn't make much sense.  The voice box regrown in Frank was his, not his brother's.  Evidently Frank was really good at mimicking Larry's voice.  (And it's a movie, clearly.)

34)   Since it often takes place in a Hellish afterlife dimension "dead" characters can reappear, remember!  Three return, and two didn't.  Larry and Kirsty's boyfriend do not.  Andrew Robinson, who played Larry, didn't agree to appear in the second one because he felt the salary was too low.  Kirsty's boyfriend (Steve) doesn't make an appearance in "Hellraiser 2" at all.  A cop mentions him briefly in the beginning, saying he's fine, but he's never actually seen.

35)   He crunches up a bunch of insects he steals from a tank in the pet store where Kirsty works.  They look like some kind of grasshopper, or cricket.

36)   A boxing match.  I tried to discover who the boxers actually were, as it looks like real footage, but was unable to.

 

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