local seeker west end edition issue 21

cont. p4

Vo l u m e 2 , I s s u e 2 1 , O c t 2 8 , 2 0 1 1

Gutsy Maule marks almost 20 years with MSOPA,

helms Halloween production

TAKE ONE - We’re different!

The We s t E n d Community paper

So I’m standing in a room-full of actors of various ages, just prior to their rehearsalfor an upcoming play, hustling an acting school’s founder and president. I am trying to get her

ready for the cover shot I will be taking of her and her niece, one of her youngest actors. “Josa, you’ve got to wearsomething bright… we’ve got colour covers now. And you must have a skull prop somewhere. This is for the Halloweenissue!”

I have known Josa Maule for decades now, since we both worked at The Suburban in the late 1980s and she made mylife miserable whenever possible. I was an editor and Josa was in sales and, although many papers don’t mix sales andeditorial, she didn’t care. “Come on…. write something on MY client,” she’d insist almost every issue. She never, evertook “no” for an answer, so when I heard not long after I left that she was opening the Montreal School of PerformingArts, I knew she’d make it. Question is, as she’s poised to celebrate her 20th year: Why acting school? I know most salespeople are inherently actors, because they’re so full of it, but who’s GOT this sort of chutzpah?

Local S hrieker

In this spooky issue

• Fiction by acclaimed horror scribes

Jack Ketchum and Nancy Kilpatrick

• Q & A with actress Judith O'Dea, Barbra from the

1968 classic Night of the Living Dead

• Debut of Travelogue of Terror

• Plus plenty of Halloween hijinks, exclusively

in the special, annual Local Shrieker

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Story and photos Bram D. Eisenthal

hard-working director of Playhouse of the Damned, to pose with one of her keythespians for our cover feature. The spooky romp is ideal for the occasion and Iwanted to give her group some well-deservedexposure because, honestly, I should do so muchmore often.

I hope you enjoy this issue on my all-timefavourite festival. I suppose someday I will growout of it and not burden the overly-seriousamong you with my childish preoccupations.But, as Albert Einstein – certainly notconsidered a fool – stated, “Imagination ismore important than knowledge.” When myimagination dies, I think it is likewise time forme to disappear as well. Let our annual LocalShrieker therefore pay tribute toimagination… and so much more.

THE LOCAL SEEKER, OCT 28 (pg. 2) FREE CLASSIFIED ADS: 514-975-7745 www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

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The Local Seeker, West End Montreal EditionVolume 2, Number 21, October 28 2011Founded by Julia Lucio and Mai-Liis Renaud 2010Published by Local Seeker Media Group, Cornwall, Ontario

The Local Seeker does not accept responsibility for errors, misprints or inaccuracies

published within. The opinions and statements of our columnists are not to be presumed as

the statements and opinions of The Local Seeker.

There are several postulations regardingwhy I love Halloween so much: One, myadoption, the fact my origins arecompletely obscure, the deepeningmystery causing my mind to naturallyhallucinate from time to time, conjuringunnatural images; recurring, vividnightmares I had as a young child,

featuring our garage door opening lateat night and some particularly nasty, otherworldly creaturesdragging me inside and, finally; a fondness I developed forhorror literature and cinema very early on. Blame the latteron the West End’s fantabulous Monkland Theatre, where, fora mere buck, I eagerly anticipated the weekly Saturdaymatinees… two movies and a few cartoons, popcorn and adrink, too. They often showed science-fiction and horrorclassics and I was in sheer heaven every single time.

As a kid, I certainly went trick-or-treating with my parentsannually, when that time-honoured practise was stillcompletely safe, dragging home at least 3-4 largeSteinberg’s paper bag-loads of candy. Who cared that I woresome cheesy home-made costume, like a ghostly sheet witheye-holes poked into it? It was all about the candy, man. Ihaven’t gone out this way in many decades and it’s probablya good thing. Both my gut and the neighbourhood wouldhave protested. But the love of Halloween endures.

Many of you might think it’s a waste of space to dedicate somuch of this paper – we have dubbed it The Local Shriekerfor this second consecutive Halloween in honour of Samhainand its history – but for me, it’s a chance to be silly andcreative and just have FUN, which, as you get older, seems tobe waylaid far too often. But The Local Shrieker is also quitefortunate to have attracted some major creative talent thatmakes us quite exclusive… pre-eminent, even. Last year, Imanaged to convince two horror icons, American writer,Vermont Public Radio host and occult researcher Joseph A.Citro and actress Judith O’Dea, who played Barbra in 1968’sseminal zombie film, Night of the Living Dead, to contributea historic Quebec-based non-fiction tale and a true-to-lifespectral reminiscence respectively.

And O’Dea had so much fun last time she is back, this timein a Q&A segment. I also asked internationally-renownedhorror authors Jack Ketchum and Nancy Kilpatrick to loanme exclusive pieces. Kilpatrick’s contribution has a truly localflavour, because, though American-born, Nancy has been aproud Montrealer for many years. She is goth and writes aLOT of best-selling fiction dealing with vampires, so she’s gota stake in Halloween year-in-and-out. Jack’s one of THEhottest horror scribes around, the author of extremelydisturbing fiction such as The Girl Next Door… and, no, I amnot referring to the ridiculous adolescent comedy film. ReadJack once and suffer nightmares forevermore. I am VERYproud of the contributions I have managed to attract to thishumblest of publications. I also convinced Josa Maule, the impossibly devoted and

Managing Editor: Bram Eisenthal Creative Design: Julia Lucio

OUR CONTACT INFORMATIONFree Classifieds and Advertising: 514-975-7745

EMAIL: [email protected]

Mailing Address: 327 2nd Street E. Cornwall, On. K6H 1Y8

The Property Seeker

A regular feature of The Local Seeker West End Montreal EditionProfessional Consultant - Anita Benabou Rozenblat

*Cannot be combined with any other offer, valid until November 2, 2011

Shrieking your way for the second consecutive Halloween

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For Pete's sakeThe first time I met Pete was on a cold winter night at adoughnut shop on Sherbrooke St. West. Seated at thecounter, several stools apart, we got into conversation.He was in his thirties, unemployed, but donating his timeand skills to help in a project building homes for theneedy in St. Henri. Over the next while, I often ran intohim. He appeared to be a well-balanced young manwho enjoyed composing songs on his guitar and at onetime had envisioned a career in music. He owned a littlered truck, which was old but was his pride and joy. He

talked about happy memories of trips to Cape Cod with hisDad. He talked about a beautiful apartment that his Mom lived in.

When he learned that, by profession, I worked in prevention andtreatment of problem gambling he confessed that he used to have aproblem with Video Lottery Terminals. He said he hadn’t played themin more than two months. I congratulated him and told him that if theurge to play recurred, he should phone me and we’d meet for coffeeinstead. He did call me on two occasions, but both times it was after hegambled. He said he hadn’t lost much, but he had played and thoughtit important that he admit it to me. On one of his visits to my office Iloaned him a book that was written by a VLT addict, herself two and ahalf years into recovery. I told him that we sell this book, but I didn’twant him to buy it. I just wanted him to read it. He phoned the next dayto say that he had finished the book but insisted on buying it, so thathe could refer back to it in times of need.

For a long time after that our paths didn’t cross. Then, about twoweeks ago, Pete called me in search of advice. He had sold his little redtruck and not reported it on his social assistance statement. They hadfound out through his bank records and he now feared seriousreprisals. I suggested that he contact a legal-aid lawyer and get adviceon how to handle the situation. I told him that surely, it would involvelittle more than repayment of monies that he was not entitled to forthat period. The signal that I missed was the fact that he had sold histruck, his prized possession.

I left the country several days after that to attend an internationalconference on Gambling and Risk-Taking. Upon my return toMontreal, while still unwinding from a week of lectures and jet lag, ona hot summer afternoon in the park, the news came to me. Pete, nolonger able to cope with the albatross of VLT addiction, had made theultimate decision: To commit suicide.

I never really knew Pete, but I lost a friend this week.

In Contrast

Manny Gotlieb passed away last week at the age of 90. Manny was thefather of my friend Bernard. At his funeral eulogies were read byBernard and his sister as well as by his grand-children. Their love anddevotion to this man was immeasurable. This was a man who onlyknew how to do for others. He was honoured by the presence of hisCanadian Legion comrades, the Black Watch and by representatives ofthe Cote St. Luc V-Cops for which he had trained successfully only twoyears ago. I was reminded of the poem The Dash by Linda Ellis, whereshe points out that the years 1921-2011 are not important. It is thedash between the digits that tell what the person did during thoseyears on earth. God bless Manny Gotlieb.

It’s closing time!

Sol Boxenbaum (CEO)VIVA CONSULTING(514) 486-6226

(ED. NOTE: I went through V-COP training with Mannyand he was the first one to come over and welcome meto the classes. I then met him at the Jewish GeneralHospital, where he spoke to me about wishing tobecome a volunteer there…. at 88! This was a seriouslyhumble, selfless and friendly “mensch” and we need farmore like him, not less. We will all miss you, Manny.)

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The South Shore-raised Maule developed alove for theatre while quiteyoung, in school, church, at theNegro Community Centre andshe also participated insummer acting workshops inBrooklyn, New York and withCreation des Enfants. “I alwayswanted to do my own thing inthe arts,” she admitted. “So

while still working at TheSuburban, I opened the MSOPA in February1992, continuing my work at the paper untilDecember 1999.”

She then rattles off a lengthy missionstatement on her beloved MSOPA, which,boiled down considerably, is “a learninginstitution offeringprofessional training foraspiring actors of allages. The school is mainlyself-financed on studentenrolments. We havesuccessfully producedmany productions in thelast nineteen years whichhas allowed us toshowcase our actors whileproviding affordabletheatre to the community.

“MSOPA works tirelessly topromote and assist newartists in various ways. Weprovide a platform foraspiring playwrights tosee their work brought tothe stage. We make everyeffort to include originalMSOPA student plays ineach of our theatreseasons.”

So, in essence, the MSOPAgives many young, localtalents their start, aidedby the experience andresources of the school and instructors withtalents hones from working in the industry. Itis also sometimes a feeder for the local filmindustry and Maule has many contacts amongthe milieu of casting professionals, both insideand outside of this city.

What’s cool – besides the fact she runs MSOPAwith NO government assistance whatsoever -is that her students hail from all walks of lifeand not all are necessarily looking forprofessional stardom. “Many of our actors arecommitted to the craft, taking everyopportunity to develop and hone their skills,”Maule added. “Others simply enjoy the artisticoutlet, taking advantage of the variety ofclasses we have to offer theatre and filmenthusiasts. Younger students develop lifeskills, learning how to think both creativelyand independently to use art as a means toconquer fears.”

And, even cooler are the older kids. “We haveone student who is 88,” Maule stated proudlyand with no small amount of reverence.

What the MSOPA also fosters is a sense of

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community, no small feat for its community-minded founder. “We encourage people to findtheir voice within a safe and nurturing spacewhere they can explore and realize theirdreams. Every student who walks through ourdoors is considered a member of ourorganization for life. We aim to inspire ourstudents and audiences, resulting in a positiveinfluence on the Montreal community.”

Meanwhile, merely existing in the communityhasn’t always been a piece of cake and Maulehas had to deal with the good, bad and ugly ofMontreal’s bureaucracy.

While renting space from the Korean GospelChurch in NDG initially, Maule was shocked toreceive a tax bill for three years, without any

prior notification from either the city or thechurch. In court, after being told by the femalejudge that ignorance of the law was no excuse,she threatened to close down. “The Judgelooked at me and said ’Miss Maule, you strikeme as a very passionate and determinedwoman. I don’t really see you closing yourdoors.’ She got that right,” Maule said.” She iscurrently in the midst of paying off the accruedtaxes.

“Now that we have been in our current locationin St. Henri, with a very humane andunderstanding landlord, we have receivedsupport from various sponsors and advertisers.The sponsors who have been really true blueare QualitiFruits, Chalet BBQ, La Louisiane,Esposito, Hype Energy, Moishe Zucker (MyGrandma of New England Coffee Cake), IGAMarche Topetta, Burgundy Lion, Café Marianna,Portugalia and others far too many tomention…. Every little bit counts.” The MSOPA produces a stunning NINEproductions a year under the banner Express OTheatre and Maule helms two of them annually.“I usually direct one in February in celebrationof Black History Month and then one in either

October or November… and directing isnever easy for me because I always seem totake on the biggest challenges. I wear manyhats at MSOPA: administrator, sales rep,advertiser, graphic designer, casting director,agent, consultant, producer, businessmanager, and, of course, psychiatrist (ED.NOTE: I’ve always maintained that you haveto be nuts to be an actor).

“This year’s Halloween play, Playhouse of theDamned, by Richard Nathan, has Gus theGhoul taking us along on some ofHalloween’s scariest, most gruesomestories… but it’s all lots of fun. We areperforming nine short ‘playlets’ and onelonger, 45-minute play. We have 17 castmembers aged 9 – 70something.” And, yes,

the youngest isMaule’s niece,

Over its 19years, theMSOPA hasmounted over130 stageproductions, ane n v i a b l enumber for anyacting troupe,a n y w h e r e .Getting cast isnot a piece ofcake, either, butif you have theacting bug, arecommitted toeverything youundertake andwant to give it atry, Maule isready to meetand encourageyou anytime.

Just rememberher mantra,“Failure is not

an option,” and you will be okay.

The Montreal School of Performing Arts islocated at 975 Rue Notre-Dame W., MontrealH4C 1R2. Tel: (514) 483-5526. Their website is atwww.msopa.com. Playhouse of the Damned isbeing performed Saturday, Oct. 29 and SundayOct. 30 at 8:00 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at3:00 p.m. Tickets are just $10 and include coffeeand cake. Purchase tickets at the door (seatingfor this small venue is extremely limited) orreserve by calling 514-483-5526.

.


“Better than Astrology orNumerology”I was dusting my bookcase the other day when I cameupon a ratty, worn-out dilapidated edition; a fadedblue hardcover easily distinguishable from the othertitles in my collection. I pulled it off the top shelf andexamined it carefully for the first time in years.

The book, Self Mastery and Fate with the Cycles of Lifeby H. Spencer Lewis, F.R.C., and Ph.D., (who apparently

is the “former Imperator of the Rosicrucian Order for North andSouth America” whatever that is), claims to contain a system that is “betterthan astrology and numerology”. I could tell by an old sticker inside thefront cover that it was purchased decades ago at the Aquarian Book Centreon 26 Van Der Merwe Street in Johannesburg, South Africa. The only thingstranger than the book is the story of how it came to be in my possession.

A few years ago during a visit with my father, he gave me a manila envelopecontaining the book, sent to him a few weeks earlier by his ailing brotherKosta, who had since died. Dad told me that he sent it to him with specificinstructions it be given to me, which I found odd because I had never met,spoken to, or even corresponded with Kosta. Most of my life my ne’er-do-well uncle lived abroad surviving off get-rich-quick schemes and gambling.The diminutive, slick and charismatic carpetbagger first sought his fortunein Brazil, but after that failed he moved to South Africa at the pinnacle ofApartheid, without much luck.

My father explained that Kosta always wanted to meet me because he wasa firm believer in astrology and numerology and I was the only relative hehad that shared the same astrological sign (Aquarius, which was probablywhat attracted him to the aforementioned store) and apparently we hadsome other kind of numerological connection as well.

So my uncle Kosta died broke, childless, penniless and alone in Greece, andthe object which he held most dear, the philosophy by which he lived hislife, was left to me, a nephew he never really known. I can’t help but feel alittle flattered, as well as a little guilty for not even reading the book, andjust shoving it on my shelf.

So there I stood, with the crumbling book in my hand, thinking I should atleast take a look inside. Then I had an eerie feeling come over me; anirrational fear that if I read the book I might fall under its spell and practiceits teachings, and something horrific would happen to me (kind of like thatmovie The Ring). So I gently placed it back on the shelf and continued mydusting, lest I suffer the same fate as my uncle.

Read on! www.essaysbyandreas.com

ED. NOTE: The Rosicrucian order is similar to the Knights Templar and theFreemasons, a secret society of noble intent.

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SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND... IN OUR CLASSIFIEDS


You’ve waited all year:

The Shrieker’s Exclusive

Haunted Halloweenliterary Section

GRAVEYARD GHOULASHby Braam Bones

Leon Mahrs leaned against a headstone, pondered life and wondered if this was all there was.There has to be something else. Things have become far too routine, he thought. He enjoyednature, its scents, colors…. the trees, birds, squirrels and red foxes that made Pleasant ValleyCemetery their home. Life, in all its glory.

But why did he love cemeteries so much? He’d been to many in his day. While some people foundthem ghastly places, spurred on, no doubt, by the filmmakers who produced rubbish about thehorrors found at these hallowed spots, he felt the opposite. Leon thought they were peaceful. Perhapsthat’s why he was here so often, why the memories came back in droves.

He recalled a conversation he once had here with his good friend Barry. They were strolling betweenthe gravestones on their way to a funeral service and Leon blurted out “It’s too bad they don’t burypeople in alphabetical order.”

Barry had replied “They don’t die alphabetically, I guess.”

That was a good point, he had to admit. He wished they did in fact die alphabetically, though. Itwould be so much easier to find family, old friends…. then again, the name Mahrs being in themiddle of the alphabet meant your time would be up much sooner than Dave Sanders’s. So, maybeit WAS better this way.

Barry was gone now. Many of his old friends were. Maybe that’s why he was here so often, to visit the beloved dead who were such an important part of his life “back in the day.”

He thought that maybe he should take a walk over to the town center and visit some of the shopshe liked, say hello to the staff that enjoyed his conversations. When you’re a popular columnist for

the local paper, you seemed to bring the best out in people. They always had opinions. So, it might befun to go over and say hi, have a coffee, hang out a while. He decided against it. Things had gotten veryviolent lately, totally out of control, and you never knew when you’d be attacked by a gang of thugs.

It was getting darker, Leon noticed suddenly, his mind roused from its mental meanderings. Damn, Ipromised Claire and the kids I’d pick up some supper. I completely forgot.

Then he heard the sound of footsteps crashing through the underbrush of the forested area nearby.He saw dim shapes approaching and realized they were coming for him. He stood erect and preparedhimself for the onslaught. He may be a bit older, but he remembered a thing or two about fightingthat he’d learned as a mercenary. Bring it on!

The ensuing brawl was messy, to say the least, far from a fair contest. Limbs were broken, veinsopened, blood and guts everywhere. When it was over and anyone left standing had shambled off intothe night, a shadowy figure was left carrying the bag, literally. He dragged a large sack behind him,oozing thick fluids, and went up to the mausoleum. M-A-H-R-S, read the lettering atop the structure’spolished gray facade. Leon heard the moaning and scratching of his wife and family inside, eagerlyanticipating the evening’s supply of fresh human meat.

There were benefits to their being zombies. They rarely complained about the food he brought home,anymore.

(Graveyard Ghoulash - Copyright 2007)

Montreal writer Braam Bones makes his Local Shrieker debut this issue. Fiction under another nomme de plum has been published in other

periodicals. His 2005 chapbook, Hard Night, was published by Georgia’s Biting Dog Publications as a sold-out limited edition illustrated by

Keith Minnion. The character of Barry in this story is based upon a real life person and an actual conversation was the impetus for this tale.


MY FAVORITE HALLOWEEN STORYby Jack Ketchum

When Halloween 1970 rolled around I was twenty-four years old and still very much a hippie and crashingwith my friend John Wexo in sunny Laguna Beach,California (Remember crashing?).

I have notes on this so it’s easy to recall. That night I gotthe notion that what we should do was to reverse theorder of things trick-or-treat-wise. So Paula and Johnand I went out and bought fresh-cut flowers and saltedmixed nuts and bagged the nuts in plastic-wrap along withthin-cut strips of typed paper (remember typing?) onwhich we’d written quotes from Camus and AbbieHoffman and Mark Twain and a bunch of other people.Myself included. Sort of a home-made fortune-cookietype thing.

Then we put on masks -- mine was a da-glo skeleton -- andwent door-to-door handing out the flowers and the nuts.

Wouldn’t accept a thing.

We pretty much upset everybody one way or another.John is six-two and that sure didn’t help any. Butmostly we upset them in good ways. Most were smilingby the time we left and some even seemed touched bythe gesture. One old woman, whose husband almostclosed the door on us when we first told him we werethere to give him something, actually blessed us.Teenagers goofed on the whole thing. Only one guyseemed really scared. And he was bigger than John.But the best thing was that on three occasions childrenanswered the door, truly astounded by this weird adultdeparture from the rules and delighted by it. One boy’seyes went wide as we handed him his flower and when hesaid thank you, all three of us had the feeling that as heclosed the door, that little fella was thinking about it. Hard.That he’d remember it.

We went home and drank hot hard cider and listened tothe Song of the Humpbacked Whale.Haunting.

by Nancy Kilpatrick

“…and you being sick and all. I told you to let me drive! But no…”

Her voice pierced his skull. The sound ricocheted around his brain like something sharp and shiny, cutting, slicing,dividing; he had a vague memory of flashing silver. But more sounds were coming out of her, distracting him,sounds he couldn’t make sense of. He struggled hard to concentrate.

Memories burst open, white-light flashes. Sick. He was sick. Had been sick. Was? Had been? He didn’t know. Aface, round, fatty, funny-looking. With effort he remembered Doctor Somebody or Other at the clinic--

“You passed the mall! Stupid!”

Another violent sound! Inside his ears he felt a painful quiver. He turned to see where the sound came from.Someone sitting next to him in this space…this car… He knew it was a car. His car. She turned towards him and her face, so full,so…succulent… He opened his mouth and sound came out that to his ears was, “aaaaha.”

“What’s the matter with you? Turn around!” she snapped. “Go back.” His head swiveled away from her, away from the sounds. Suddenly, things. Coming at him. Fast.

Then he noticed something round and two pale things on each side of it. Hands. He knew they were hands. A flash of light. Hishands, skeletal. He had been sick. Off work. No more work. No more factory—

“Turn! You’re gonna get us killed!” Stabbing!

The car spun and they headed somewhere else and now things were not coming at him but he was chasing after things. Cars? Heknew that. Why did he keep forgetting? He was sick. A fever…

“Stop!”

The pulsing shriek chopped into his brain. Cleavers. Sharp wide blades struck here, there, hurting him. He remembered now.They had always hurt him. Always. “aaaaaaahhhhhhhhaaaaa.” What he said and what it sounded like and what did he mean? He forgot.

“…shopping, so you wait here for me!”

As he watched the form move away from him, something shifted. Soon he trailed her, focused on her, all parts. What he saw before him spoke of need. Hunger. His. He accepted that now. Finally,something made sense!

She looked juicy. Tasty. Tantalizing. But he did not want to be tantalized. He wanted food. Everything in him demanded food.Eat or die.

She went through a door into a room and he followed and then followed again as she went into one of the small cubicles but thatdoor hadn’t closed fully when he went in after her. Shrieking. Knives. White light flash of kitchen knives slicing meat. Red. Raw. Bloody.

All he wanted was the lips. Tasting them, sucking on them stopped the knives. And the hunger. And all the while he thought: ‘sick.’

But he didn’t feel sick. Not any more. SIC

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Nancy Kilpatrick likes writing about zombies and this story is about one. She has published many novels,

short stories and has edited anthologies, including the popular Evolve and Evolve Two anthologies.

She lives in Montreal with her cat Fedex and they both love Halloween. Check out

her website: nancykilpatrick.com and also the Evolve site:

vampires-evolve.com


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rby Bram D. Eisenthal

It’s ‘boo time’ again, that season where the child inus is reawakened once more, or when lifelongmemories are etched on the hearts and minds ofour own children. Hallowe’en is indeed a magicaltime, whether because we get to play dress-up, takeour kids throughout the neighborhood to meet ourmost generous, or frugal, town-mates, or experiencethe most delightful sugar rush and not have tomake any excuses for it. And if you’re a merchantselling costumes, cards, candles or creepy cinema,it’s ‘boom time’. Really, who doesn’t look forward toAll Hallow’s Eve?

The modern celebration of Hallowe’en is light, funfare, certainly in North America. But to trulyappreciate the significance of the day, you have togo way back, to an archaic era when nothing waslight and very little was done “just for the fun of it.”Ritual was everything during this pagan time,however, it’s hard to determine exactly when thattime was.

“Much of the history of that period is oral, so it’s hardto substantiate a time line,” said Arin Murphy, theonetime assistant manager of Melange Magique(Magical Blend), a popular downtown Montrealbookstore devoted to the native spirituality of theBritish Isles. It is here that many members of themedia congregate at Hallowe’en, seekinginformation on the holiday’s origins and truemeaning and fodder for their stories.

“Our modern Hallowe’en practices, such as dressingup and carving Jack O’ Lanterns, originate from thefolk practices of the Celts, but also come fromIreland and the British Isles,” added Murphy. “Evilspirits afoot that night would recognize a Jack O’Lantern as one of their own, for instance, and wouldnot attack a home that had them (root vegetables,like turnips, were most frequently used back then).People would also leave candles in their windows,to light the way home for the (deceased) membersof their family.”

For the Celtic people, the festival of Samhain(pronounced sah-win) also signified the beginningof winter. “Samhain is actually the Celtic word for themonth of November,” said Murphy.“In modern pagan terms, it signifies the death of

summer, when the god and goddess descend to theOtherworld.”

The honoring of ancestors plays a major part inritual today. “Additionally, you come to terms withwhat happened the previous year, forgive andforget. But the emphasis is also on education,seasonal and life cycles, and, of course, having fun.”

Murphy pointed out that the dress-up part is a greatway of unwinding. “As we get older, we become

more inhibited. On Hallowe’en, we can allowourselves to be more daring and everyone forgetsabout it the next day.” So, don’t be too shy about theBill Clinton mask you wore many years ago, or therevealing Jay-Lo dress that’s still in your closet. Youhaven’t broken any laws, unless bad taste is illegal.

Most of us are content with celebrating Hallowe’enby merely trick or treating, or curling up on thecouch to screen one horror movie after anotherwhile munching on bite-sized chocolate bars. Forothers, however, the living as well as the dead, thismarks a major period of celebration. The Day of theDead, or Dia de los Muertos, honors the spirits ofdead ancestors, in places like Mexico and certainparts of the U.S. Death personified is visibleeverywhere and the plethora of skull-like art, maskscalled “calacas” and figures, is more interesting andcelebratory than gruesome.

Throughout North America, Hallowe’en eventsabound. In Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake’s reputedlyhaunted Fort George packs ‘em in this usually chillytime of year. A guide takes the group around the siteafter dark, by lantern-light, and some real chills canbe experienced if you are open to the possibilitythat maybe, just maybe, something exists on the“other side.”The two-hour Ghost Tours of Niagara Hallowe’en

tour is held annually, with tickets quite affordable.They’re strictly limited to groups of 32 and usuallyvanish fast, so if you’re planning to be in the area,check out the information on their web site andreserve immediately:http://www.friendsoffortgeorge.ca/ghost.htm. 2011Hallowe'en Tours are still available October 28, 29,30 and 31. Tickets must be pre-purchased.Tel: 905-468-6621. If you think Canada is boring, let’s seehow you handle some good, old fashioned northernfrights.

New Orleans certainly knows how to titillate andterrorize a crowd, with its voodoo-inspired“Southern Noire” atmosphere. The entire weekleading up to Hallowe’en is filled with parties andevents, and local, internationally-acclaimed horrorwriter Anne Rice once helped make this a mostmemorable time. Her parties were the stuff legendsare made of. Just stay out of the cemeteries at night;While voodoo priestess Marie Laveau’s famous tombis a popular tourist attraction during the day, it canbe a testy spot once the sun dips below the horizonand self-declared vampires – no kidding on this one- roam the streets.

At the Nashville Zoo, you’ll encounter much morethan the popular elephants, Hyacinth macaws,gibbons and assorted other wildlife. The 192-yearold Grassmere Historic Farm, last owned by Elise andMargaret Croft, since-deceased spinster sisters, issmack in the middle and apparently very haunted.What an atmospheric place for a Hallowe’encelebration and that’s exactly what is done here, atthe seventh largest zoo in the U.S. This year’s 14thannual Ghouls at Grassmere features games,haunted hayrides and treats for the entire family,from 5 – 9 p.m. daily. Go to www.nashvillezoo.orgfor more information.

Not to be outdone, Nashville’s award-winningCheekwood botanical garden holds a El Dia de losMuertos family day, on the Saturday prior to Nov. 1,which attracts an astounding 30,000 members ofthe Hispanic community. It involves fun-filledentertainment and the creation of art, dance andliterary projects, all with a Day of the Dead theme.Go to http://www.cheekwood.org/Home.aspx formore information on Cheekwood and a contactaddress.

New Hampshire’s Mount Washington, located in theBretton Woods region, is said to be the stompingground of The Presence, an ageless spirit that is notquite seen, yet has terrorized many climbers andmeteorologists for decades. At its base, thevenerable Mount Washington Hotel & Resort has farmore than gourmet cuisine, stellar service and theprettiest mountain views going for it, since itsinception a century ago. From Oct. 28-29, 2011, theHotel will celebrate its Wicked Woods Weekend,with activities for children and even an adult partyawaiting you in a cave. In past years, there wereguided walks to the graves of the Crawford family ofBretton Woods, which can certainly be enquiredabout still. Look hard enough and you may find afew more skeletons at www.mtwashington.com.

Not to be missed is Mt. Washington’s historic CogRailway, which takes you up the side at a slow, 37-degree climb, to Tip Top House and the famousObservatory at the summit, the highest peak in thenortheast. The ride lasts three-hours return and is ablast for the entire family… go tohttp://www.thecog.com/).

Finally, Bristol, Connecticut has been the site of TheOriginal Witch’s Dungeon Classic Movie Museum,featured in countless feature articles, TV newsreports and even the print version of Ripley’sBelieve It or Not, since artist Cortlandt Hull started itwith his father over 45 years ago. The sculptor, whois related to late actor Henry Hull, of celluloid classicWerewolf of London fame, has put together anincredible museum of famous movie monsters,soon to be relocated and expanded into a shrine tomovies of all genres. He lovingly crafts each andevery figure and adorns many of them withauthentic props from the films each diorama isbased upon. The late great Vincent Price, as well asJune Foray (the cartoon voice of Rocky Squirrel),Mark Hamill, Sarah Karloff, Bela Lugosi Jr. andLeonard Maltin are just a few of the personalitieswho have ardently supported Hull’s efforts.Hallowe’en season, the only period when themuseum is currently open to the public, bearswitness to the countless aficionados who visit theDungeon annually and it’s well worth the trip. TheirInternet incarnation is located athttp://www.preservehollywood.org/DungeonWebNew/Home.html and tours are still availablethroughout October, including Hallowe’enweekend.

Whatever you choose to do this Hallowe’en,bear in mind that you are helping keep atimeless tradition alive for future generationsto enjoy. It’s not only about the candy, butthen again, some enthusiastic snacking oncea year won’t kill you, will it? If it does, there’sbound to be a candle burning for you in awindow, somewhere, sure as that cavity inyour tooth.

Scare off some spooks this Hallowe’en


Q & A with actress JudithO’Dea, who portrayedBarbra in the original(1968) horror classic Nightof the Living DeadQ: When you first read the script, what were yourbasic impressions? Liked it? Hated it? Best thingyou had ever read? And was it SCARY?

A: To be honest with you, Bram, I never got toread a complete script that I recall. Therefore,there were no definite ‘liked,’ ‘hated,’ ‘best,’ or‘scary’ for me at the very beginning.

Q: Now, you were quite young when cast as Barbra– Can you tell us a bit about that casting call andwhat you remember most vividly?

A: My most vivid memory of that casting callinvolved Karl Hardman. I was living in LosAngeles at the time. Karl called to tell me thathe, Marilyn Eastman, George Romero, JackRusso, and Russ Streiner, among others, wantedto make a horror film in Pittsburgh, and did Iwant to come ‘home’ to audition for it. Withouthesitation, I flew back to Pittsburgh for thatcasting call. I believe, initially, the decisionmakers wanted Judy Ridley for the part ofBarbra, but my more extensive experience onstage, TV, and commercials seemed to work inmy favor.

Q: The film opens with you and Johnny driving tothe graveyard to drop the flowers off at yourgrandfather’s grave. Those scenes are the ones youare best remembered for, am I right? Tell us about

shooting those, especiallywhere you were attacked bythe initial zombie, BillHinzman. Were they scaryfor you, or did you totallyhave tos u s p e n dy o u rdisbeliefto get thei m p a c tacross (Iam sucha fan of the opening that I actually visited thatMunroville, PA cemetery a few years ago).

A: I was so thrilled to be in a feature film thatevery scene we shot was an exciting opportunityfor me. My imagination has always been vivid,so losing myself in the scenes came relativelyeasily. Bill Hinzman’s attack and relentlesspursuit were so real to me that ‘being’ in the fearand terror was far easier to do than ‘act’ it.

Q: Tell us a bit about each of the actors you workedwith and what you remember about them? Didany close friendships result from those workingrelationships?

A: Ah, Bram, that question would take up toomuch time, I believe. Suffice to say, myrelationship with each in the film’s cast was asprofessional as I could make it. But what is reallyfun for me NOW is how much closer I feel toeveryone as the years have gone by…especiallywith Kyra Schon who played little Karen Cooper.Kyra is one heck of a wonderful woman –sensitive, funny, and a lover of all animals! Shemakes the neatest ‘horror’ jewelry, too.

Q: What about George Romero? Was he an easydirector to work with? What were your impressions

of him as a young actress? A: Working with George came easily for me, asI recall. He never over-directed, if you knowwhat I mean. We’d briefly discuss what hewanted in each scene, and then he’d just letme ‘go for it.’ I found him to be extremelycreative and willing to help me learn both onand off set (Judy sees Romero from time totime at various festivals and says she wouldwork with him again in a heartbeat if given thechance).

Q: You regularly attend fan festivals, from what Ihave read, and you always have a great time. Whathave you enjoyed most about them? Any fondreminiscences? Any creepy ones… meaning havesome fans taken it all a bit too far?

A: You’re right! I always have a great time at thefestivals I’ve been fortunate enough to attend. Ithink what I enjoy most is the wonderful andvaried conversations that come with each fan. Ilove hearing how people felt the first time theysaw NOTLD…how the story affected them thenand now. Just GREAT conversations! I rememberyears ago asking a girl of around 12-years oldwhy she liked horror films. She said, “I like to seeall the different ways people can kill each other.”Boy, did that shake me up!

Q: Tell us what you are doing today that is film-related and whether you have anything comingup?

A: I am still working in horror films today. Someof the most recent are WOMEN’S STUDIES,OCTOBER MOON and NOVEMBERSON. Currently, there are several projects in theworks. Keep your fingers crossed that all workout.

Thanks for this opportunity to speak with you,Bram!

Of all our technological marvels,the one that is both the mostuseful and unavoidable, as well asthe most annoying and trulydangerous, has to be thetelephone. It was bad enoughthroughout the 20th century, whenits forever-morphing progressionof maddening rings was enough todisturb even the dead and sendthe living rushing off to the insaneasylum… but today, there is nodenying that the telephone haspossessed an entire world, holdingit hostage in a death grip thatappears to be tightening withevery passing technologicaladvance.

Looking back, there was actuallyone literary seer who tried towarn us of the dangers of thetelephone. We didn’t listen, did we?But George Langelaan, the Paris-born British author of the novella

that became the 1958 feature filmThe Fly - one of the first box-officesmashes, starring Vincent Price, Al(David) Hedison and featuring certainscenes shot here in Quebec - didn’twaste any time depicting HIS worstnightmare. Langelaan’s famous storyopens thus:

Telephones and telephone bells have

always made me uneasy. Years ago,

when they were mostly wall fixtures, I

disliked them, but nowadays, when they

are planted in every nook and corner,

they are a downright intrusion. We have

a saying in France that a coalman is

master in his own house; with the

telephone that is no longer true, and I

suspect that even the Englishman is no

longer king in his own castle. At the

office, the sudden ringing of the

telephone annoys me. It means that, no

matter what I am doing, in spite of the

switchboard operator in spite of my

secretary, in spite of doors and walls,

some unknown person is coming into

the room and on to my desk to talk

right into my very ear, confidentially –

whether I like it or not.

The Local Seeker attempted toreach Mr. Langelaan to request hiscomment on cell phones. But, alas,he passed away in 1972, no doubtfar from any sort of telephoneapparatus….

NOTE: Langelaan, adecorated Allied spyduring World War II,later achieved greatrenown for his memoirsand for his subsequentcontributions to war filmsand TV series. The Fly was firstpublished in the June 1957issue of Playboy magazine.

Telephone of Terror: 20th century scribe forewarned us

THE LOCAL SEEKER, OCT 28 (pg.10) PROPERTY SEEKER SECTION www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

I s s u e 1

BUY or SELL your HOME in the

Property Seeker

Don’t getspooked, but makingmortgage/financing mistakeswill cost you more than yourweight in candy!

People often look at me withfright when I tell them aboutsome of the difficultfinancings I have handled inthe past. I’ve dealt with peoplewho have had bankruptcies,consumer proposals, non-payments of municipal taxes,non-payments of governmenttaxes, days or months being

evicted out of their own home!Although there are exceptions toevery rule, these horrors usuallyhappen to good people who getinvolved with bad partners, or peoplewho give them bad advice.

Just to give a few examples of thenightmares I have experienced withclients: I recently advised a womanwho had a home free and clear with nomortgage on it whatsoever. She wasworking butcould not affordto put moneyaway for a rainyday. She was 24hours away fromthe cityrepossessing herhome for non-payment of hermunicipal taxes.Her bank was nothelping her outwith the $4,000owing, despitethe equity in herhome, showingonce again that

decision can affect your long-termfinancial future. If not, you can findyourself the victim of a trick, ratherthan a treat!!

Jason ZuckermanHypotheca Mortgage Brokers(514) 771-1352 /1-800- [email protected]

(ED. NOTE: Jason, I am very proud ofyour creativity here, although yourmessage shows us that dealing withsome unscrupulous bankers is akin tobeing sacrificed on the actual Druidfestival of Samhain!)

The West End real estate section

Mo

rtg

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att

ers

Avoid being haunted bybad mortgage decisions

your bank isn’t your businesspartner or your friend whentimes are tough. I see manypeople learning that your ownbank can sometimes wear a maskand, before you know it, the maskcomes off and you see their truecolours.

I recently dealt with a gentlemanwho went through themisfortune of losing a closefamily member. Around the sametime, he was also released from abankruptcy and was with alender that stopped lending inQuebec. When he approachedhis TD branch for a lifeline,requesting some help in his timeof need, they showed him thedoor. I managed to get himapproved with another lenderand, had I not managed to do so,the current lender would haveexercised a judgement to get itsmoney back via judicial sale, thusremoving him from his home.

If all of this is not a livingnightmare, I don’t know what is.

It is important to get solidfinancial advice when the

Late with your tax returns?

Behind by a few years?

We can help!

Call Today!

En retard à produire vos déclarations derevenus? Vous avez quelques années àrattraper? Nous pouvons vous aider!

Appelez-nous aujourd’hui!

514.461.3006

ASSISTANCE

T XAH E L P

THE LOCAL SEEKER, OCT 28 (pg.11) PROPERTY SEEKER SECTION www.westend.thelocalseeker.com

If you’ve got the bucks, havewe got the haunted palacefor you! A National Historic site, the Surgeon's House isalso said to be host to apparitions. Built in 1916for the chief surgeon of the town hospital nextdoor, this Spanish-style sanctuary became a

bed and breakfast in 1992, where not all of theguests are registered travelers.

Some visitors have encountered a ghost of a maid called Alice,who wears a blue uniform dress and is seen in the maid's quarters.

The owner of the Surgeon's Housereportedly has seen a spirit of aman wearing a suit andcarrying a doctor's bag walkinto her master bedroom. Hechanged clothes into pyjamasand then faded into thin air ashe approached her bed.

Other guests have witnessedthe spirits of a couple dancingtogether for several minutes ona moonlit night.

This 4,400-square-foot house,listed for sale at $1.2 million, hasfive master suites, each withtheir own bathroom, originalhardwood floors and an expansiveliving room with fireplace. There is a chauffeur's cottage and live-in maid's quarters. The manor also features exterior sitting areaswith pathways and ghostly gardens.H

om

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Ho

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An

ita

Be

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property

Details

Property for Sale in Arizona$1,200,000Beds: 5

Baths: 6

House Size: 4,400 Sq. Ft.

Lot Size: 0.46 Acres

This stunning property will literally take yourbreath away! There is an immense amountof documented history here and the sellerhas a couple of books with pictures of thehistory and progression over the years. TheSurgeon's House is one of the most popularB & B's in Jerome. More than a quarter of amillion people visit Jerome each year,giving it “destination point” status. Theowner has owned and run the B & B since1992 and business has steadily increasedeach year. She also recently did an additionthat is absolutely, seamlessly gorgeous.There are five master suites withbathrooms in each, original hardwoodfloors, a very private room for the

innkeeper downstairs, a wonderful kitchenwith a Wulf-brand double commercial range/oven, huge living room

with fireplace, many lush gardens, pathways and sitting areas outside, twohuge beautiful Koi ponds and a three-car garage with five approved parkingspaces.

Best,

Bram

We hope you are enjoyingthis issue of

The Local Seeker.We are already working on

our next issue, out November 11.

DeadlineFriday, November 4.

Coming NEXT

Issue

*RemembranceDay tribute to our

war vets

*It's Magic: Localmagicians on The

Craft

*Debut of our petcolumn

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local seeker west end edition issue 21

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