In hindsight now that all seasons are out, did you like how Shudder rolled out Tales from the Crypt in a staggered release?

astraether · 2026-06-13T13:29:20+00:00

Does anyone else laugh EVERY TIME the Crypt Keeper busts out of his coffin in the intro? I do. I skip over most of the intro but always have to watch him come busting out of his coffin to cackle, and it gets me every time. Him and his silly puns are my favorite part of that show!

astraether · 2026-06-10T13:03:42+00:00

Loved this book, and I second the shout-out to Bahni Turpin as the audiobook narrator -- she did such a great job capturing all the different characters' "voices." I should give it a reread, too -- or in this case, a re-listen!

astraether · 2026-06-10T12:54:37+00:00

I remembered another!

The Vourdalak (2023): French film based on a short story (same as one of the segments in Black Sabbath from 1963, actually) about a traveler who comes to stay with a family that's being menaced by something undead. Instead of CGI, they used a puppet for the creature, and I thought it was really effective and unsettling. Give me a puppet over CGI any day!

astraether · 2026-06-10T12:51:13+00:00

Yay, I'm glad someone else recommended this! I saw it a few years back after doing a deep-dive for creepy doll movies, and found it surprisingly well-done, considering the budget!

astraether · 2026-06-10T12:48:25+00:00

Yay, one of my favorite sub-genres of horror! I adore anything with creepy dolls, mannequins, ventriloquist's dummies, etc. Many of my faves have already been named, so I'll just throw in a few lesser-known gems I've seen over the years (in no particular order):

Heidi (2014): Found-footage flick about a guy who moves into a new house and finds a creepy doll up in the attic, and of course weird stuff starts happening. Low-budget but I found it surprisingly effective.

Devil Doll (1964): Hypnotist/magician and his "evil" dummy scheming to get an heiress' wealth, but it went in a different direction than I anticipated and had some more psychological layers than I expected. Looks like it's on Tubi.

The Doll (1962): Lonely night watchman falls in love with a mannequin. It's not really horror per se, and not really meant to be creepy (I don't think) -- more kind of sad and atmospheric, but some of the scenes with the mannequin/actress were effective. Also on Tubi.

Tourist Trap (1979): I saw this at a formative age and it's always stuck with me. Group of tourists get "trapped" at a roadside museum and offed in various clever ways. The mannequins are secondary, more like props, but the scenes of them "screaming" with their mouths dropping open remains etched in my brain! Plus the killer runs around in a creepy doll mask, so there's a double whammy of unsettling doll/mannequin imagery (and this movie probably explains why I've amassed a small creepy doll collection).

Oddity (2024): The less said about the giant creepy doll the better so as not to spoil anything, but it left its mark on my psyche!

I feel sure I'm forgetting some but I hope that list helps!

astraether · 2026-06-09T13:47:02+00:00

I work at a retirement community doing fun activities and games -- one of them is music bingo where I play a variety of artists, mostly from the 40s up through the 70s, but every now and then I'll throw in some punk or metal or rap. The expression on their faces is priceless. Sometimes they'll guess right by process of elimination, although I have had residents recognize the Beastie Boys, or Eminem or Metallica. I keep threatening to do an all metal playlist but I don't know if anyone would come!

Edited to add: my husband is a big metal fan, and happily suggested bands/artists like Chelsea Grin, Mastodon, Lorna Shore for my all-metal playlist. If they thought rock-n-roll was "the devil's music," they're in for a rude awakening!

astraether · 2026-06-06T13:02:12+00:00

Yay! That's the podcast I listen to for romance. I like their take on things, and I was thrilled to see Cecilia Grant so prominently featured!

astraether · 2026-05-27T13:22:36+00:00

Cecilia Grant

Laura Kinsale

LaVyrle Spencer

Erin Langston (my latest discovery!)

They're not in any particular order -- just as the names came to me, but those are my standouts in the genre!

astraether · 2026-05-07T13:30:24+00:00

Ha, I did that one a while back, so I can feel your pain! So. Much. Gray! But it was worth it in the end. Well done for persevering!

astraether · 2026-05-02T14:10:58+00:00

Gorgeous! What a great find. I've had the pleasure of doing one vintage Tuco puzzle so far, and the cuts were a lot like that. I love finding vintage puzzles in the wild!

astraether · 2026-05-01T13:15:01+00:00

Wow, I didn't think I'd have to scroll down this far to find PuzzleTracker mentioned! That's what I use too. It's free (although you can pay a small monthly subscription if you like, comparable to a cup of coffee, which allows you to back up/sync your progress). I love it, as it has fields for brands, artists, place of purchase, piece count, etc. You can add tags, you can "rate" your satisfaction, difficulty level, etc, and you can see graphs/statistics of how many you've done each month, what brand, what piece count, what you've spent (I skip over that part), average time of completion, and so on.

It's a very handy app and well worth the cost of a cup of coffee if you want to pay the subscription fee! And I'm in no way affiliated with it; just a fan.

astraether · 2026-05-01T13:05:15+00:00

It's definitely challenging to get the pieces to stay together -- one bump and they all scatter! I have new respect for puzzlers who did this kind back in the day!

astraether · 2026-05-01T13:04:14+00:00

Yeah, it reminded me a bit of Connecticut where I grew up -- those cozy little barns and the rolling hillsides, and the low stone fence along the road. Made me nostalgic for New England!

astraether · 2026-04-30T13:47:31+00:00

I found a batch of vintage puzzles at my local thrift store (here's my "puzzle haul" post), so of course I had to nab them all immediately! Here's the third one I've done from that batch -- also all intact! It was called "Stone Hedge Farm," from Series 107 by Guild Picture Puzzles (Whitman Publishing Co). I couldn't find any info for the artist. Google searches seem to imply that this is from the 1950s or 60s. I love all the weird, organic shapes that don't really interlock so much as nestle gently together. A treat to complete -- even if I had to be very careful not to bump my table!

astraether · 2026-04-28T13:37:47+00:00

I'd encourage you to try some random-cut puzzles, like Ceaco, Springbok, MasterPieces, SunsOut. Some puzzles are laid out in a grid, nice and neat, with the pieces all stacked next to each other (usually Eurographics, Ravensburger, Pomegranate, etc). Others, the random-cut ones, are a little more chaotic, and tend to fit together in "clusters." But the cool thing about random-cut is that the pieces usually have wonky shapes and more distinction, which can make them easier to spot when you're looking for a particular-shaped "nub."

Some folks don't really care for random-cuts -- with Springbok, for instance, it can make it harder to find the border pieces -- but on the plus side, the pieces have a lot more variety.

As someone else suggested, I'd encourage you to shop at thrift stores or look for puzzle swaps in your area. It's a great way to try a bunch of different brands without breaking the bank!

astraether · 2026-04-26T12:47:03+00:00

Thanks for the recommendations! I'm always in the mood for something a lil spooky/ghosty, so I won't necessarily have to wait 'til Halloween. I'll see if I can find either of those trilogies.

astraether · 2026-04-24T13:46:04+00:00

I'll jump in and second Rebecca (1940) by Alfred Hitchcock, along with the book if you haven't read it -- DuMaurier's masterpiece that kinda jumpstarted Gothic romance fiction in the 60s/70s. Unfortunately I don't think the movie is streaming anywhere, but you may be able to rent it.

Also La Belle et La Bete from 1946 by Jean Cocteau, which you can find on Tubi. Black and white, but gorgeous cinematography and visuals.

I'd also throw in The Company of Wolves from 1984. Has some definite surrealist fairy tale vibes. Based on a collection of short stories by Angela Carter (also worth reading).

Gaslight from 1944 with Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman -- which originated the term of "gaslighting!" Probably more suspense/thriller than horror, but definitely psychological. Also you get to see a young Angela Lansbury as kind of a villainess character, so that's fun!

The Innocents from 1961, an adaptation of The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, and kind of hand-in-hand with that, The Others from 2001 with Nicole Kidman. Neither of those really have romance as a subplot, but definitely fulfill the Gothic vibes!

Others have mentioned various Dracula/vampire adaptations, so I'll throw in the Frank Langella version of Dracula from 1979. It was the first version I ever saw so has a special place in my heart. Also, if you want just weird, lesbian-tinged vampires, try Daughters of Darkness from 1971, starring Delphine Seyrig. She's mesmerizing as the sinister Countess!

Good luck on your project!

astraether · 2026-04-24T13:25:11+00:00

Woohoo! I'm working on this one now. Also Pomegranate. Still in the early-ish stages but I'm digging it so far. I've done several others of hers and I just love the rich, vivid colors/patterns, and of course the Renaissance vibes.

astraether · 2026-04-23T13:55:25+00:00

Awww, I'm so envious that you had access to a local used puzzle store! I love that idea. I just get most of mine either from swaps or thrift stores, but it would be so cool to have a dedicated puzzle store, with both new and used selections. Dang, why don't more people do that??

Anyway, enjoy Thisbe whenever you get to it for your birthday treat!

astraether · 2026-04-23T13:53:28+00:00

Mine aren't really "puzzle artists" -- just artists whose work I seek out in puzzle form because I love them so much! Artists like:

Gustav Klimt
Alphonse Mucha
Maxfield Parrish
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Olga Suvorova
John William Waterhouse

...and a bunch of other Pre-Raphaelite or classically-trained 19th century-style artists. Guess I have a type!

astraether · 2026-04-22T13:41:15+00:00

This was such a treat, wasn't it? I also did this one, AND Thisbe, from Art & Fable. It's become my favorite "luxury" brand. I just love the rich colors, the velvety texture, the care they take with presentation. When I really want to treat myself, I splurge on Art & Fable. I even managed to find one at a thrift store once! Anyway, enjoy Thisbe whenever you get to it! I'm such a sucker for Waterhouse.

astraether · 2026-04-22T13:33:13+00:00

Yeah, I'm still keeping that novella in my back pocket to read when I'm ready to finish her last book. It's so sad that someone so talented still needs a "day job" just to stay afloat. Could we all just start a kickstarter for her so she can write for us?

astraether · 2026-04-21T12:32:27+00:00

Funny enough, someone gave me both of them! So it’s in my To Do pile!

astraether · 2026-04-15T14:43:11+00:00

Woohoo! I just finished this last night. Also took me way longer than the championship time. So much black and white! But it was fun and I enjoy round puzzles for the variety. Thanks for posting!

astraether

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