With Halloween upon us, everyone thinks about treat-or-treat, costume parties, haunted houses, and things that go bump in the night. And some people take in the latest horror movie showing at the cinema. If there is not a movie of interest showing at the theater, there is always renting a video. Everyone I talk to always has a top ten list of movies, albums, etc...

So I decided to make a list of my favorite horror films, which are available on DVD. Just something to share with you if you are wondering what to rent for Halloween.

1.)The Exorcist, 1973. This William Friedkin masterpiece is in my opinion, the scariest movie ever made. My opinion, but how many times do you see a new horror film come out that promotes itself as being as scary as The Exorcist? Yea, right! I don't think anyone will ever remake this story about a teen-age girl (Linda Blair) possessed by demons.

2.)Psycho, 1960. Raise your hand if you still take a shower with one eye open after watching this Alfred Hitchcock classic with Anthony Perkins playing Norman Bates.

3.)Frankenstein, 1931. There have been many versions made, but the original directed by James Whale is my favorite. And Boris Karloff's monster is the best. His performance, with no dialogue, is amazing. And the closeup of Karloff's eyes when he first enters the room still sends a chill up my spine.

4.)Dawn of the Dead, 1978. "When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." This is George Romero's follow up to Night of the Living Dead, which follows the story of four people who take refuge from flesh eating zombies by staying in a mall. What would you do if you had a whole mall to yourself?

The movie is extremely gory in parts, but there are some parts that are quite funny. Tom Savini had a small role as a biker, and also did the make up effects for the film. He later went on to work on make up effects for several horror films.

5.)Night of the Living Dead, 1968. George Romero's classic of a group of people taking refuge in a farm house from flesh eating zombies. "They're coming to get you Barbara!"

6.)Hellraiser, 1987. Clive Barker's horror story about a sado-masochistic Hell and a group of cenobites that are after a man that escaped that hell. This is one of the more original horror films I have seen. A great story, but very gory. Not for the squeamish.

7.)Evil Dead, 1981. I remember watching this with some friends one night, and it scared the hell out of everyone! I later was able to see this on the big screen for a midnight show, and I still found it to be scary, although some things were over the top. This is Sam Raimi's story of four people staying in a cabin in the mountains and find a book which happens to be the Book of the Dead. After playing a tape of translations, the evil spirits awaken and start to possess everyone.

The movie introduces us to Ashley, or "Ash", played by Bruce Campbell. He would later play Ash in the sequels, which were just as good.

8.)Dracula, 1931. Tod Browning's classic version of the Bram Stoker novel, starring the man who would define the role of Dracula, Bela Lugosi. When Jonathan Harker visits Dracula at the beginning of the movie has to be the scariest part of the film. The way Browning uses black and white film to capture light and shadows is creepy.

If you want to see another film of Tod Browning that will get under your skin, check out "Freaks". As for Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola directed a version with Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins that was really good and worth checking out.

9.)Theater of Blood, 1973. I love this one! Vicent Price plays a Shakespearean actor who seeks revenge on several London theater critics. His methods of doing away with the critics who deprived him of an award he coveted are from deaths in Shakespeare plays. This one is bloody, but also has plenty of laughs. Diana Rigg is also in this one.

10.) The Abominable Dr. Phibes, 1971. This is another Vincent Price film in which the title character seeks revenge. This time, it is after several doctors who failed to save his wife in surgery. His method of revenge is the plagues of the Pharoh. The film is campy, and some of the dialogue is terrible. The film is set in the early 1920's, however, and the settings, costumes, and the music is wonderful. It is something of a love story as well that actually carries on to the...er, well....I can't give away any ending.

Hey folks!

I have not had a chance to get down to Victoria's Secret yet since I am watching Game 4 of the World Series. Doing manly things!

Anyway, I just wanted to update you on a few things I mentioned in earlier blogs. I had mentioned that the 1978 horror classic Halloween will be re-released for Halloween. Here's the deal. It will be showing in 150 theaters across the United States. Showings will be on October 30-31. Time for the showing is at 8:00 p.m. To find out if this will be playing at a theater near you, go to www.bigscreenboxoffice.com.

As for my Cleveland Browns, the offensive coordinator, Maurice Carthon, resigned a few days after the loss to the Denver Broncos. Many players on the team were unsure of Carthon's play selection, as well as the fans and the media. It will be interesting to see what offense the Browns come up with.

Speaking of football, the Dallas Cowboys announced that Tony Romo will start at quarterback. This will also be interesting to see what happens.

Well, I have to go. It is the middle of the second inning, and I have a beer and a cigar waiting for me.

Manly things!

And I'm still figuring how the hell I got on that mailing list!

So I go down to the mail box to get my mail this afternoon, and I turn the key to open the mail box. As I look into the mail box, I see the words FREE PANTY. And I am thinking to myself, what the....

Anyway, I pull out the card thinking it is an ad for some men's magazine. One of those sleazy mags that are displayed with a blue plastic card over the cover, allowing only the title of the magazine to be shown. And they are displayed behind the counter of those convenience stores that look like it needs a good cleaning with ammonia.

Now how in the hell did I get on this mailing list?

I look at the card, and it has a photo of Heidi Klum. A.K.A. THE BODY! Well, Heidi looks great. I wonder how Seal is doing?

Anyway, it is an ad for Victoria's Secret. Bring the card in an get a free VS Cotton Panty and $10 off any bra. On the back of the card, it reads "As a valued customer....."

Valued customer?

I can't remember buying anything from Victoria's Secret. I have walked by the store in the mall on occasion. I may add that I slowly walked by, but I never went in and bought anything.

Now how in the hell did I get on this mailing list?

I will most likely give the card away to a female friend. I can just imagine the look I would get when I walk into Victoria's Secret, very slowly, and give the card to a sales representative and ask for my free panty.

As for the valued customer, I am eligible to receive direct mail from Victoria's Secret. And if I want to decline, I can call a phone number to have my name removed. As I think about it, if Victoria's Secret want to send me mailers with Heidi Klum on it, then I have no problem.

I'm just wondering how the hell I got on the mailing list?

And how is Seal doing?

Anyone want a free panty?

Well, it is Tuesday, and I am recovered from the weekend. The record heat is over with for now, and it is a cool day with temperatures in the mid 60s. I am still mad about the Browns losing to Denver. Or anyone other team, for that matter.

A few things from my weekend that I want to share with you. If you are looking for a good movie, go see The Departed. And if you are looking for some great music to listen to on the weekend, pick up Modern Times, the new CD from Bob Dylan.

Well, I have to go. One more tip. Halloween with Jamie Lee Curtis is being re-released to the theaters for this Halloween in HD. Can't wait to hear those screams in digital!

My friend Coach called me last night. I have not spoken to him in awhile. We both have been busy, so we have not had time to talk about sports, work, or anything else for that matter. Anyway, we started talking about baseball and the World Series. The subject soon turned from baseball to football.

"How about those Bears?", I asked Coach.

"How about those Bears! Six and 0, Baby!", Coach yelled over the phone with the excitement of a little league quarterback throwing his first touchdown pass. Coach then went on about how the Bears looked sloppy on Monday Night Football against Arizona, but were able to come back from behind to win the game. He is really happy about how the Bears are playing, especially their offense.

After talking about his team, then the tone in his voice went from happiness to sadness.

"Uh, what about your Browns?", Coach asked.

"The Browns?"



"Yea, the Browns. What's up with them?, Coach asked again, knowing that I would rather not talk about it. It seems like I have this conversation with Coach every year.

"Well, the Browns have been playing better on defense.", I told him. "As for offense, that is another story."

"The quarterback, Charlie Frye, has been doing better. He has made some mistakes in a few games, but he tries his best. The pass blocking for him is terrible. The running game is terrible. The best running back for the Browns had twelve carries for thirty-three yards against Denver."

I proceeded to tell my friend Coach about the problems concerning the Browns offensive line. The team has come back into the league in 1999, and since that first game back into the league, the offensive line has been a problem. And every year, I hear the coaches and the general manager talk about how they will address the offensive line in the draft and free agancy.

And what happens. The team signs a free agent offensive lineman who is either past his prime or has a history of injuries. And as for the draft, the majority of the offensive linemen the Browns draft are second day draft selections in the sixth or seventh rounds.

When you have a quarterback who cannot throw to his wide receivers because his pass protection is poor, and a running back who can only muster two yard a gain, there is a problem. And it starts with the offensive line. Why has this area not been addressed?

As Coach and me said our good-byes and made plans to get together for a Monday Night Football game, Coach told me to hang in there. There is always next year.

"There is always next year.", I told him. "I have been hearing about 'next year' for years now."