Hey, Gang. I’m in a puzzled mood today. I’m sitting at my favorite Starbucks sipping a silky smooth hot chocolate. (“Aahh!”) My mind begins to reflect on the past Halloween season. (I’m talking movie-wise.)

The cineplexes, television and cable outlets plus DVD rentals all seemed a bit sparse this season. There wasn’t any “new” or “remastered” editions of any old horror movies in the Hollywood Video or Blockbuster chains.

I have to say, I was really disappointed in the horror selections on cable. Turner Classic Movies, usually my go-to cable viewing, was sub-par this season. They had winners, like the Val Lewton series… “The Cat People”, “Curse of the Cat People”, “The Body Snatchers.” But they miss the boat on Vincent Price. They showed “Diary of a Mad Man”, “The Fly.” I loved the William Castle stuff… “The Tingler”, “Straight Jacket”, “Mr. Sardonicus”. American Movie Classics has let me down once again. It’s very weak, with the inferior “Halloween 4” and “…. 5,” “Halloween H2O”, “Halloween Resurrection”. Showing the shit stuff in any series is a cardinal sin.

Why, at THE moment of the horror season, are we being left out in the cold. Yeah, Yeah!! I know we got a new “Saw” movie… but gang, the “Saw” movies lost all their guts (I couldn’t resist… forgive me?) after “Saw II”.

One saving moment comes in the movie “Paranormal Activities”. (Old scares, not gore. It seems to be working.)

The big question is, why all the blunders during the Christmas season for horror fans? I was so bummed that all I got to see was “Saw VI”. The revival theaters around town were so-so. (A couple of good choices and a lot of bad.)

The “oops” is that folks who put together the viewing selections aren’t horror fans. Putting horror movies together could be great fun when done right. It seems like a lot of junk has been thrown in with a few gems. This doesn’t get my demonic grin on. Bad horror is like a bad steak… A lot of promise when looking at the cut of meat. Grave disappointment when taking that first bite and discovering… shitty flavor, tough texture and no enjoyment. Bad movies put together with one or two good still is a horror movie fan’s “Oops!”

Aisle B. Ceeing