October is always been a bad time of year for my family this one is no exception, for some strange reason a lot of my family has died in the month of October. I usually go into a depressive funk this time of year because of those I have lost in this month. This year has been an exception and I'm glad to say that even though things haven't gone my way this year and October hasn't been any better I have had a pleasant October this year.

My favorite holiday has always been Halloween

it's not just because Candy is dandy even though it truly is. I have always loved the replaying of old comical horror movies from the 30s 40s 50s and even the 60s I have made it a tradition of sitting and watching such classics as Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein and even newer classics such as Halloween town, the ghost and Mr. chicken and so many more mixed in with some of my really scary favorite such as, the uninvited, the thing from another world and forbidden planet just to mention a few of my favorites. It's hard to make a good movie that people consider classics but just consider trying to make a scary comedy movie that makes it into the classic arena. One of the unsung heroes of my scary but comical movies was one of the movies that helped inspire the more modern of the genre’s the Ghostbusters they even had somewhat similar names.

Ghost Breakers with Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard who also starred in The Cat and the Canary which help boost the popularity of funny old dark house movies.

There are so many of these movies to choose from that are good but don't have that special spark that makes them classics Abbott and Costello were truly gifted in making this kind of movie they not only made Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein but also Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy and the invisible man which I consider to be three of the best horror comedy classics.

Not all of the comedy classics were from the horror genre, a  science-fiction picture that I put alongside of these that was created for American international pictures that not only reaches a comedy classic horror movie pinnacle it happened when they were trying to make a serious sci-fi movie and something happened during the production that made it one of the funniest movies ever made by American international pictures and it too is one of my classic picks for Halloween.

I have always been drawn to the comical movies and even the comedy television shows. W am talking to you about comedy Halloween movies so now let's talk about those that were television series that also fit within the genre the two favorites of everyone will be the Munsters and the Addams family.

I too was also a huge fan of these two television shows their campy but unique take on the horror genre was absolutely hilarious. Some of the greatest comedic actors from television and movies made guest appearances along with the talented stars such as Yvonne De Carlo, Fred Gwynne, Howell Lewis, Butch Patrick, John Astin Caroline Jones Ted Cassidy Jackie Coogan Lisa Lauren can Weatherwax Blossom Rock and Felix Sila. Not only did the comedy stars take to the genre but such great horror stars as Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff starred in these parties of their alter egos Dracula and Frankenstein.

I know I have told you before that I felt a kinship to Frankenstein's monster because I felt that way from the sixth grade till about the eighth grade because I was so much taller and bigger than all of the other kids that I went to school with. I did not understand that being different than meant being special until I grew up and as we said in the 60s found myself.

These and other classic movies were an escape from being made fun of and being bullied because of my size I to because I was bullied started bullied others to make myself feel better. I grew quickly out of that phase because I did not like making anyone feel pain be it mental or physical. I had way too much pain growing up to dish out the same things that I was feeling I grew empathetic toward others and their pain which made me feel what they felt and I never liked pain.

Even today these strange but funny movies are a haven for me to release my anguish and problems and let them fly away with the laughter and the happiness that they bring me. I once tried to tell a friend of mine Daniel Roebuck who is an actor what their work meant to me he didn't understand and I didn't know how to put it into words. He thought that I meant I put them on a different level than I do normal people and he explained to me that they were just normal people making a living and raising a family. He didn't understand that I know that and I respect that as much as I do their acting careers. I wish I could tell him and others what it means to be able to sink yourself into a movie to the point that you forget about your daily troubles and white troubles might come my way tomorrow and just have a laugh or two with friends or family in the theater or at home, when the pressures of the world are weighing you down. The gift that they gave me during my childhood by doing their jobs was immense.

I never saw Frankenstein's monster as a monster, I saw him as a misunderstood creature that because of the circumstances of his birth was put up on and finally destroyed by those that did not understand him. So many times in life I have been misunderstood and people have taken my words or actions as to mean harm or distress to them and believe me that is the furthers of my intentions toward anyone or anything.

I don't want anyone to think that the only thing that I watch horror movies are comedies it is not the movies that I watch are from all genres but I do have a habit of watching seasonal movies at holiday times such as Christmas movies during Christmas and Halloween movies during Halloween. That doesn't mean that I don't watch the occasional movie out of its seasonal sequence because I do. I do however like the occasional romantic comedy in the wintertime rather than the Springtime just because a young man's fancy seeks romance not only in the spring of the year and I have also been known to watch a movie about a

winter wonderland during the summer because it's just so stinking hot sometimes.

I also like one of the 20 worst movies ever made more than anything else in the world gives called the ghost of dragstrip hollow and it has a lot of redeeming qualities but one of my favorites is when the monster in the picture removes his mask to reveal one of the best monster makers of the 1950s Paul Blaisdell. The movie is also the ending of the 1950s black and white teenage schlock movies into the 1960s beach party movies with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.

The passing of the baton from one generation of actors to another is sometimes more than just an emotional it can be extremely painful for those who are left behind Paul Blaisdell was one of those that the industry seems to abandon after American international pictures changed its direction and that was a loss to all of us who loved the monsters in our closets after watching one of his creations frighten us.

So just remember the knock on your door this Halloween isn't from some space alien wanting to suck out your brains it's most likely the kid down the street wanting his share of your candy.

He He He!

 

Most of my friends and relatives think that they know what traveling East Tennessee has to offer, but there are hidden gems that beckon the traveler that you may not have ever known. Sometimes you just want something more than theme parks or the go kart tracks of Pigeon Forge or even the shopping of Gatlinburg. You need something educational or different to engage your mind and body, exactly like the place I'm going to tell you about that my wife and I experienced today. You may or may not have heard of it but I don't think you really realize the significance of this particular tourist destination. It is both a dig site and a natural history Museum and, as a matter of fact, one of the largest archaeological dig sites east of the Mississippi River.

The museum explains in detail the work that goes on at a fossil dig site and gives the visitor a firsthand look at what happens and how fossils are found at a dig site. The dig site, like most dig sites in the U.S., is only operated during the fair weather months and must be closed down and protected from precipitation and extreme weather to preserve what has not been uncovered yet. The museum however is open year-round.

Not only is this the largest dig site that exists east of the Mississippi, it has been rumored that they may even have found a new species of mastodon never before catalogued. This dig site is from the Miocene-era and those scientists that have examined and surveyed the area for the fossils think that an underground limestone cave collapsed, created a sinkhole, and trapped such animals as saber tooth cat, tapir, alligators, rhinos, short faced bear, red pandas, and mastodons.

This is like seeing one of the natural wonders of the world when looking at the jaw of one of the mastodons that has been unearthed. The incredible size of this creature is more than half the size of a normal elephant of today. Watching the students and their professors taking great pains to put these fossils back together so that we can see whole skeletons of the animals that they have found is just remarkable.

You must find an area that is perfect for the fossil to be preserved, because there are so many factors as to why you don't find as many fossils as you would think, the acidity of the ground, the moisture content of the ground, the type of rocks and even the climate of the area can determine whether the remains of animals over 4.5 to 7,000,000 years old can last long enough to be dug up and preserved by these scientists. Only one percent of this dig site has been excavated thus far, so it is still an active site.

We even saw how they were closing down the dig site because they are preparing the dig site for winter. If you left a dig site of this importance open to the ravages of winter without preparing it, you would lose some of the fossils that you are trying to remove, so instead of keeping it open during harsh weather they close it down and cover it and prepare it for inclement weather to come. This way they are saving most, if not all, of the fossils within this remarkable dig site.

The caverns below the watering hole of these mammals that used it for food and water were also what preserved them so well for future generations to study. It seems while feeding and drinking at least one or more of these limestone caverns collapsed underneath a heard of mastodons preserving their bones and fossilized them for our scientists to study today.

Just to give you a for instance, one of the bear skeletons found in this amazing dig site, when standing on all fours, would've been 6 foot tall or over. That would dwarf the black bears of the Smoky Mountains and would've made them almost 3 times larger than our North American black bear of the Smokies. Before man had taken his first breath these animals perished and were quickly covered over with various sediments that help preserve their bones.

I'm not going to give you any more spoilers of what they have found because the size and quantity of their find will blow your socks off. I will tell you that our guide John was knowledgeable and professional and I absolutely would recommend this to anyone visiting East Tennessee.

Gray Fossil Site and Museum is located near Johnson City in upper East Tennessee at 1212 Suncrest Dr., Gray, TN 37615 and the phone number is (423)439 – 3659. Operating hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sundays from 1 PM to 5 PM.  They are closed on holidays. Prices are extremely reasonable, self-guided general admission is five dollars each, guided Museum tour and dig site tour is eight dollars. Members receive free unlimited admission for one year. You can check at the desk for membership pricing or online. Discounts can be had for groups larger than 10 with a reservation.