Movies

The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook

March 22, 2023 by Administrator, posted in Books, Food/Drink, Movies, Reviews

Who doesn’t love the “The Princess Bride”? Even if not everyone is obsessed with the film, I’ve never met anyone who hated it. However, I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a person so captivated, so enchanted, so driven by obsession with “The Princess Bride” until I read “The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook: 50 Delightfully Delicious Recipes for Fans of the Cult Classic” by Cassandra Reeder, aka The Geeky Chef.

With its cast of wonderful characters, fun fantasy setting, and loads of memorable quotes, creating a cookbook full of themed titles recipes wouldn’t be too difficult. But Reeder didn’t phone this in for a quick buck, they dove deep. The author referenced the film, the book, read autobiographies of actors involved in the film, watched documentaries, and more, to come up with 50 thoughtfully crafted recipes.

“The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook” is divided into 6 main sections: Drinks and Cocktails (Booze!), Soups and Stews (Are you ladling around with me or what?), Appetizers and Accompaniments (Do you always begin meals this way?), Main Courses (Prepare to dine!), Cakes, Pies, and Tarts (I’ll eat you both apart! I’ll bake you both together!), and Other Desserts and Candies (Skip to the end…). There is also a section highlighting vegan, vegetarian, and kosher replacements and another dedicated to party planning where the author put together themed meals such as Storming the Castle Banquet and Buttercup’s Farmhouse Supper.

The recipes range from surprisingly simple to dizzyingly complex, with most of the ingredients being readily available at the local grocery store. When it came to choosing a recipe to try, you KNOW it had to be a cocktail. AND, if you know me, you also know it HAD to be a rum cocktail! I’ve had a long love affair with the classic rum cocktail Dark n’ Stormy, so I was intrigued with Reeder’s “Princess Bride” version, The Sea After the Storm Dark and Stormy.

The traditional Dark n’ Stormy is very simple, ginger beer with a dark rum floating on top. Sometimes with a little lime and/or bitters. Reeder’s version is upgraded to make it prettier while maintaining the overall original taste of the original.

If you’re looking for some food and drink “Princess Bride” related fun, I highly recommend “The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook”. You can learn more here.

Get your own copy here. (This is an affiliate link to my Bookshop, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

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Favorite Things 2022

December 1, 2022 by Administrator, posted in Books, Events, Magic/Occult, Messages from Rebecca, Movies, Mythology, Religion, Tarot, Wiccan/Pagan

If this is your first time checking out The Magical Buffet’s Favorite Things list, welcome! I started doing the list as a response to the overwhelming popularity of Oprah’s Favorite Things that she does each year. I started with the argument that I’m far more relatable than Oprah, with the whole me being broke as opposed to a multi-millionaire. That evolved into The List as you see it today, which is 10 things that have been featured on The Magical Buffet website since the previous year’s list was published. So, although many of these items were published this year, you’ll find slightly older ones too.

Every year the list gets harder to make because each year I seem to gain access to more publishers, authors, and publicists, and all of them keep getting better at curating wonderful works. As I typed up last year’s list, I was already dreading the 2022 list, and this time is no different. I already have books in my “to read” pile that I feel certain are Favorite Things worthy.

With no further explainers or excuses, I present to you (in no particular order) The Magical Buffet’s Favorite Things 2022.

1. Lights, Camera, Witchcraft: A Critical History of Witches in American Film and Television by Heather Greene.
I started the year with a fun interview with Heather Greene about this book. The intersection of popular culture with witchcraft has always been a subject of interest to me and her work definitely did the work. It’s one part academic study, one part witchy media guide. Almost anyone would enjoy this book. You can read the interview here.

2. Qabalah for Wiccans: Ceremonial Magic on the Pagan Path by Jack Chanek. I cannot stress how envious I am of Chanek. His intelligence, his insights, and his ability to just explain things in a way that I can understand are all what makes him one of my new favorite authors. Not only does Qabalah for Wiccans show pagans ways to incorporate ceremonial magic traditions into their spirituality, but it also finally explained Qabalah in a way that I fully understood. I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that I also reviewed and loved his next book, Tarot for Real Life: Use the Cards to Find Answers to Everyday Questions, that was also featured on my site this year. You can see my review of Qabalah for Wiccans here and Tarot for Real Life here.

3. King Solomon the Magus: Master of the Djinns and Occult Traditions of East & West by Claude Lecouteux. Anyone who has read The Magical Buffet for any length of time knows that I love Lecouteux, and when I found out he wrote about Solomon, I may have actually yelped out loud. You can read my review here.

4. The Weiser Tarot. Weiser took on the challenge of updating the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, keeping it as true to its original form while attempting to update the representation. It could have been a lazy cash grab, but instead Weiser created the new traditional tarot deck. Read my review here.

5. Secrets of Santa Muerte: A Guide to the Prayers, Spells, Rituals, and Hexes” by Cressida Stone. Stone discusses a frequently misrepresented deity that is experiencing rapid growth. Her book does an excellent job highlighting the diversity and versatility of the goddess and the ways She is worshipped. You can read my review here.

6. The Other Side of Nothing: The Zen Ethics of Time, Space, and Being by Brad Warner. Magical Buffet readers know that Warner is one of my favorite authors on the subject of Zen Buddhism. The Other Side of Nothing is the book I had been waiting for, where Warner takes his informal voice to explain the formal intricacies of Zen Buddhist ethics. It just might overtake Sit Down and Shut Up as the most essential Zen Buddhist text. You can read my review here.

7. The Bavarian Illuminati: The Rise and Fall of the World’s Most Secret Society by Rene Le Forestier and translated by Jon E. Graham. From my review, “This is 912 pages of pulse pounding intrigue and yawn inducing bureaucracy that was originally published in 1915 and hasn’t been available in English until now.” Yes, it is a pricey spend, but if you’re interested in occult societies, this is an interesting look at the OG of societies. You can read my full review here.

8. Paganism for Prisoners: Connecting to the Magic Within by Awyn Dawn. This is an important work that is well past due. Frequently, Pagan authors tell me that inmates reach out to them for resources and they don’t know what to say or do. Awyn Dawn’s book is an excellent resource. If I had the funds, I’d try to get a copy into every prison in the United States. Until then, get a copy and examine Pagan practice from a new perspective. You can read the review here.

9. Goddess Magic: A Handbook of Spells, Charms, and Rituals Divine in Origin by Aurora Kane. I like goddesses. This book has goddesses. Honestly, sometimes it doesn’t take more than that for me to get excited about a book, however, Kane’s curation of goddesses and the litany of ideas offered to work with them makes this a stand out in the collection of goddesses genre. You can read my review here.

10. The Watkins Tarot Handbook: A Practical System of Self-Discovery” by Naomi Ozaniec. I’m no stranger to books about tarot, but I’ll be damned if this one did not exceed all expectations. As I said in my review, “I was expecting a vaguely new age, self-help book that utilized tarot. What I got was a jaw dropping, initiatory experience.” This book is not to be missed. You can read my review here.

Shop my Favorite Things 2022 Here! (This is an affiliate link to my Bookshop, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

Each State’s Most Searched Studio Ghibli Film

November 7, 2022 by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Movies

Okay America, I’m ready to throw hands because we have strayed SO FAR from the light. I’m obviously referring to Get Windstream’s report on the most searched Studio Ghibli film by state. It’s hard not to love films from Studio Ghibli, they feature beautiful animation (being particularly well-known for amazing looking food) and touching coming of age stories. All Ghibli is good Ghibli, and with that statement out of the way, WTF America? How is it that “Spirited Away” is only number one in Hawaii?

Studio Ghibli has created numerous wonderful films: “My Neighbor Totoro”, “Princess Mononoke”, “Grave of the Fireflies”, “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, and more. However, “Spirited Away” is by far my favorite, with its beautiful art, relatable young female protagonist, and supernatural hijinks galore. Why is Hawaii the only state that gets it?

As per usual with these kinds of survey/studies, the methodology is by no means all encompassing. They used IMDb and SEMRush to compile every film from Studio Ghibli and the search volume for each movie. They then narrowed the list to the top 15 Studio Ghibli films with the highest overall volume and used Google Trends to determine which films were googled most in each state. So perhaps you’re all out there WATCHING “Spirited Away” instead of reading about it. I’m going to assume that to preserve our friendship. In case you’re curious, the top film was “Grave of the Fireflies”. I assume because Americans would rather read about that film as opposed to having their hearts torn apart by watching it.

What Studio Ghibli film was number one in your state? You can read the list here.

I would like to point out that “My Neighbor Totoro” didn’t even make the list, which is amazing considering the sheer volume of Totoro merchandise that is available, and frequently selling out. There is this adorable, squishy plush:

Or this cute puzzle:

(These two items are affiliate links to my Entertainment Earth website. By shopping through my store you save 10% on all in stock purchases and support The Magical Buffet!)

I hope this article has inspired you to watch some Studio Ghibli films, or if you’re already a fan, perhaps rewatch a favorite.

You can read the full report from Get Windstream here.

Spooky Season Shopping

October 6, 2022 by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Movies, Television

It’s October and for many of my readers “Spooky Season” is a bigger deal than the Christmas/Yule/Winter holiday season. And now that I’m an affiliate with Entertainment Earth, I thought it would be fun to showcase just a few of the diverse October themed items you can find on the site.

Entertainment Earth has been making Tiki style mugs for a while now, and they frequently sell out.

If you watched “WandaVision” you’ll remember how it was “Agatha all along!” This pin nicely captures the fun and menace of the memorable witch.

Camp Crystal Lake is an iconic slasher movie location and I thought this clock was creepy, but functional.

Maybe I’m weird, but I always thing of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as a Christmas movie, not Halloween. Either way, this fancy, high end Sally is beautiful.

I’m a fan of cuddly Cthulhu, and these slippers fit the bill!

Entertainment Earth carries a wide variety of playing cards, and “Beetlejuice” is the perfect fit for the Halloween season.

McFarlane Toys makes some of the best action figures/plastic based figurines on the market. I happen to be a big Swamp Thing fan so I couldn’t resist sharing this with you.

I’m not a huge fan of slasher movies, but even I cannot deny that this Michael Myers is ADORABLE!

I hope you enjoyed seeing a slice of what Entertainment Earth has to offer for the Halloween season. I’ll probably do themed Entertainment Earth articles like this from time to time. It’s fun to share pop culture goodies with you, and as an affiliate, you shopping based off of these recommendations helps support The Magical Buffet!

You can shop the entire website through my link: https://ee.toys/Buffet and you’ll receive 10% off any in stock purchase!

Fan Based Interior Design

August 25, 2022 by Administrator, posted in Books, Geek Stuff, Movies, Music, Television

In June 2022, Lombardo Homes surveyed 1,053 people to get their feedback about decorations for their homes. Respondents were 49% women, 48% men, 2% nonbinary, and 1% transgender. The average age of respondents was 37. 64% live in homes, 24% in apartments, 4% in townhomes, 4% in condos, 3% in mobile homes, and 1% listed other.

They also analyzed the Google search volume of more than 3,163 terms related to “nerdy house decorations” such as “Darth Vader mug,” “Mickey Mouse pancake maker,” and “Harry Potter string lights” to determine the nerdiest states. The rankings were based on states that had sufficient data available. The data they analyzed was from April 2020-April 2022 (the most recent data available at the time of this report).

And what did Lombardo’s survey reveal? Essentially that EVERYONE is a nerd for something. That my home state of New York isn’t even in the top 20 of nerdiest states based on their methodology and that Nebraska is number one. Apparently, 35% of the respondents say they like to decorate their home with “nerdy décor” and 43% own decorations or furniture based on popular television shows, movies, and games.

It is an interesting read, and I encourage you to read the whole report on the Lombardo Homes blog.

If you know me personally, or follow myself or The Magical Buffet on social media, you know I’m a fan of a lot of different genres and types of media. I have decorative figures and action figures of characters ranging from Penelope Pitstop to Osamu Dazai to Rick Sanchez. I have a standee of Mushu from Disney’s animated film Mulan, and a Dark Crystal lunch box. I’m absolutely a collector. Not necessarily of anything of value, or that will appreciate in value, but of things that remind me of things I love. Almost like souvenirs of the experience of interacting with a piece of media I enjoyed.

People will often ask me where I source my fangirl stuff, and more often than not, the answer is a website called Entertainment Earth. They cater to fans of just about anything by selling licensed merchandise in the form of nearly anything you can imagine.

A D&D slow cooker? Entertainment Earth.

An adorable Funko Pop of Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory? Entertainment Earth.

A Batman Beyond replica Red Batarang? I think you’re getting the picture.

I’m a fan of things, and I know many of you are too. That’s why I’m excited to tell you there is a new way to support The Magical Buffet, and it’s by shopping at Entertainment Earth! That’s right! Your girl is an affiliate for her favorite fan site! When you shop at Entertainment Earth through my link, I make a small commission at no additional cost to you! And until the end of the year, orders placed this way will automatically receive 10% off any in-stock purchase and free domestic shipping on orders $39 and up.

According to Lombardo Homes, “People are willing to spend a lot of money on fandom items to prove they’re the biggest fan in town. In our survey, Americans admitted to spending up to $10,000 on a nerdy item for their home!

On average, fans are willing to drop about $103 for an item, but if there is something they’d really want, they’d be willing to spend an average of $160. The top decorations fans own are stuffed animals/figurines, wall decor, mugs, blankets, and Christmas ornaments.”

If you’re going to do that, why not support The Magical Buffet while you’re at it?

You can shop The Magical Buffet’s Entertainment Earth site via this link.

President

July 28, 2022 by Administrator, posted in Movies, Politics

Long time readers of The Magical Buffet know that I have been an ineffective advocate for Zimbabwe since 2008. At the time I was able to watch BBC World News on BBC America and that happened to be during one of many tumultuous times in the country. I wrote letters, A LOT of letters, hoping to hear back from any of my elected officials. I won’t bore you with all of that. I mention it at all to say, I care about Zimbabwe and have for quite a long time now considering that I’m a middle-aged white woman born and raised in middle America and has never met someone from Zimbabwe or traveled there.

I wish I could say it’s because I’m so well known for my advocacy for the country that PBS reached out to me about the upcoming broadcast debut of the documentary “President” for the POV series. I suspect that I just got lucky. Regardless, I was given the opportunity to watch the 2021 film “President”, which follows the turbulent 2018 presidential election in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is at a crossroads. After eight years of oppression under the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) regime, president Robert Mugabe is forcibly ousted from power in the military coup of November 2017. When Mugabe was removed from power, Zimbabwean military leaders promised they would not seize control for themselves, but rather ensure democracy in a national general election. In the context of an economic crisis, food shortages and political violence, the stakes could not be higher.

Nelson Chamisa, the new, young and charismatic leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance is challenging the old guard ZANU-PF represented by the acting president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is determined to remain in power. Chamisa, is a 40-year-old lawyer who fought against President Mugabe’s regime while he was a student activist. The more popular candidate, Chamisa draws enormous crowds while Mnangagwa is unable to fill a stadium after bussing in alleged supporters. When the election results come in, it is no surprise when Mnangagwa insists that he won, despite that the numbers never add up in his favor. When asked how sixteen counties could’ve possibly reported identical election results, the ZANU-PF’s lawyer argues that only a behavioral scientist could account for how such an amazing coincidence could occur.

Can a free, fair and transparent election that reflects the will of the people proceed?

“President” won an award at Sundance and is an Oscar shortlisted documentary, and I can see why. The film is riveting and tense. I believe a critic somewhere referred to it as a docu-thriller, and they’re not wrong, Hollywood WISHES they could write a thriller as intense as this real-life drama. The director (Camilla Nielsson) and her crew had a real knack for capturing emotion in real time, whether it was a slow blooming look of horror as a campaign leader for Chamisa watches the staff in their office rounded up by police, the eyes of the Chairperson for the Zimbabwe Election Commission glass over with tears just about to drop at a trial, or the look of shame on a judge at the presidential inauguration, the camera is there.

If you’re interested in politics, Zimbabwean or otherwise, care about democracy, or honestly, just love a good legal thriller, I cannot recommend “President” enough.

President makes its national broadcast premiere on POV on Monday, August 8, 2022 (check local listings) and is available to stream free until September 8, 2022 at pbs.org, and the PBS Video app.

Marvel vs. DC: Who Prevails in Your State?

May 30, 2022 by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Movies, Television

Travis Petersen and USDish wanted to try and figure out who the most popular superhero was in each state in the United States, but also the most popular superhero universe. To identify each state’s most popular superheroes, they used SEMRush keyword volume data. Once they had their list of 20 superheroes total (10 for DC Universe and 10 for Marvel Universe), they used Google Trends to see which state googled which superhero the most. For each state’s most popular comic book universe, they analyzed each state on Google Trends to find out which of the comic book universes they googled the most.

I don’t know if the results are surprising or not. Obviously some searching comes from buzz around upcoming releases. So, is Flash a true state favorite, or are just a lot of residents curious about the upcoming movie? I mean, is Morbius really Alaska’s favorite superhero, or did a lot of Alaskans just not believe anyone was going to make a Morbius film so they hit Google to find out? See what I’m saying.

Okay, no more stalling. Here’s what you want to know.

State     Most Searched Superhero     Most Searched Universe
Alabama               Flash               Marvel Universe
Alaska                Morbius	          Marvel Universe
Arizona	              Deadpool	          Marvel Universe
Arkansas	      Flash	          DC Universe
California	      Captain America	  Marvel Universe
Colorado	      Deadpool	          DC Universe
Connecticut	      Flash	          DC Universe
Delaware	      Flash	          DC Universe
District of Columbia  Green Lantern	  Marvel Universe
Florida	              Superman	          DC Universe
Georgia	              Black Panther	  DC Universe
Hawaii	              Aquaman	          Marvel Universe
Idaho	              Deadpool	          Marvel Universe
Illinois	      Superman	          Marvel Universe
Indiana	              Deadpool	          Marvel Universe
Iowa	              Hawkeye	          Marvel Universe
Kansas	              Flash	          DC Universe
Kentucky	      Batman	          Marvel Universe
Louisiana	      Flash	          DC Universe
Maine	              Deadpool	          DC Universe
Maryland	      Black Panther	  DC Universe
Massachusetts	      Captain America	  Marvel Universe
Michigan	      Superman	          DC Universe
Minnesota	      Deadpool	          Marvel Universe
Mississippi	      Flash	          DC Universe
Missouri	      Superman	          Marvel Universe
Montana	              Deadpool	          Marvel Universe
Nebraska	      Deadpool	          DC Universe
Nevada	              Batman	          Marvel Universe
New Hampshire	      Flash	          Marvel Universe
New Jersey	      Flash	          Marvel Universe
New Mexico	      Harley Quinn	  DC Universe
New York	      Superman	          DC Universe
North Carolina	      Superman	          DC Universe
North Dakota	      Deadpool	          Marvel Universe
Ohio	              Deadpool	          DC Universe
Oklahoma	      Batman	          Marvel Universe
Oregon	              Flash	          DC Universe
Pennsylvania	      Captain America	  Marvel Universe
Rhode Island	      Superman	          Marvel Universe
South Carolina	      Superman	          Marvel Universe
South Dakota	      Deadpool	          DC Universe
Tennessee	      Superman	          DC Universe
Texas	              Harley Quinn	  DC Universe
Utah	              Black Widow	  Marvel Universe
Vermont	              Captain America	  Marvel Universe
Virginia	      Flash	          Marvel Universe
Washington	      Captain America	  Marvel Universe
West Virginia	      Harley Quinn	  Marvel Universe
Wisconsin	      Deadpool	          Marvel Universe
Wyoming	              Deadpool	          DC Universe

What do you think? I can’t believe that Doctor Strange and Spiderman are nowhere to be found. I get Illinois going with Superman, because Metropolis is Chicago. However, New York also went Superman? Come on New Yorkers, Gotham is New York. Also, have we as a society decided that Harley Quinn is a superhero? I love Harley Quinn, particularly the cartoon on HBO Max, but a hero? Honestly, this list creates more questions than answers!

You can read the official write up here.

10 Questions with Heather Greene

January 6, 2022 by Administrator, posted in Books, Interviews, Movies, Television, Wiccan/Pagan

Today we’re talking with editor, author, and journalist Heather Greene about her latest book, “Lights, Camera, Witchcraft: A Critical History of Witches in American Film and Television.”

1. Your latest book is “Lights, Camera, Witchcraft: A Critical History of Witches in American Film and Television.” I guess the most obvious question here is, why explore this particular facet of history?

Stories of witches and witchcraft permeate so much of our culture across time and space. It is a fascination that is made of both adoration and fear, it would seem. In this study, I examined how American pop culture, specifically Hollywood and television, told these age-old stories and defined the character of the witch.

2. Your book discusses a dizzying volume of movies and television shows. Do you have any idea how much time you spent watching movies as research?

I could do some math based on the average length of shows and movies, but no, I do not have a number. In fact, in some cases, I watched the films or shows multiple times for analysis, and I also watched a good number of films not listed or mentioned. So basically, the answer is “a whole lot.”

3. How has the role of women in American culture been reflected by the role of the witch in film?

This is actually one of the main threads in the book. In short, witchcraft is more often than not an allegory for a woman’s or girl’s power. Therefore, the witch character reflects mainstream society’s relationship with that power at any given point in time. When her innate power is feared as in mid-century, the witch is an example of what not to be. When it’s celebrated as in the 1990s, witchcraft is a symbol of feminist expression or so called ‘girl power’. This is just a taste of a complex social history.

4. Overall, how has the witch in cinema evolved?

Again, this is the main thrust of the book itself. A quick answer: the witch began as a copy of stories and lore that had come before and expanded over time with a changing society. Her stories became more involved, more focused on her as a central character, and more nuanced in the definition of magic itself. The witch evolved into a uniquely Hollywood creation and a true reflection of American society’s negotiation of religion, gender, race, ethnicity, and power.

5. Has the portrayal of men as witches been a part of your research?

Yes. While women make up most of Hollywood’s witches, there are some standout male figures, and that needs to be discussed as well. Given that witches have long been associated with women within Western society in general, it is important to examine male representations and the roles that they play. There is a distinct difference and I discuss that point in the book.

6. Do you remember the first witch you saw in American film or television?

I would guess it would be Glinda and The Wicked Witch of the West. I loved The Wizard of Oz. However, it may have been Sabrina the Teenage Witch in her cartoon form or a Disney animated witch.

7. Who’s your favorite fictional witch?

The Wicked Witch of the West, although I’m partial to Looney Tunes’ Witch Hazel and Disney’s Maleficent.

8. Now that you’re done with this book, what are you watching on television?

I’ve been watching some wonderful British films that have absolutely nothing to do with witchcraft. British filmmakers have a wonderful way of telling compelling slice of life stories. The Beautiful Fantastic is one example. However, I did just start watching The Wheel of Time, which is in fact a great addition to the story of the witch on screen.

9. What’s next? Do you have any upcoming projects that my readers should be aware of?

As an acquisition’s editor at Llewellyn, I’m currently spending most of my time working with other authors on their books, which is something that I deeply enjoy. Helping authors go from idea to book-in-hand is fantastic. We like to call ourselves “book midwives.” I do post the books that I work on publicly in my photo library on Facebook. It is called My Llewellyn Book Shelf. https://www.facebook.com/heather.greene.165

I am also a religion journalist, covering predominantly witchcraft and pagan related stories. Readers can follow my work through my Twitter account @miraselena01.

For all my antics in one place, www.heathergreene.net.

10. Parting shot! Ask us at The Magical Buffet any one questions.

What is your favorite witch movie and why?

That is a really tough question. When I was young, I went through a pretty hardcore “Bell, Book, and Candle” phase. Then I had the prerequisite “The Craft” love affair. My last witch movie obsession was “Practical Magic”, and I think that may be my favorite. It’s a mature take on magic and witchcraft, with a fantastic cast (Stockard Channing for life yo!), and a Stevie Nicks heavy soundtrack.

About Heather Greene:
Heather Greene is an editor, author, and journalist living in Atlanta, Georgia. She is currently an acquisitions editor with Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd and a freelance religion journalist. She has a BA from Wesleyan University and an MA from Emory University both in Film Studies. Her work can be found at Religion News Service, Religion Unplugged, The Washington Post, Circle Magazine, and The Wild Hunt. Her book “Lights Camera Witchcraft,” tracing witches in American film and television, was released October 2021. She is a member of Covenant of the Goddess, Religion Newswriters Association, and Circle Sanctuary.

Shop your local indie bookstore <---This is an affiliate link to IndieBound, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.

US Horror Movie Death Count: How Safe Is Your State?

October 28, 2021 by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Movies

I know we just had a not entirely scientific pop culture article, but when CableTV.com reached out to me with this, I couldn’t resist sharing. “US Horror Movie Death Count: How Safe Is Your State?” Awww, yeah.

So, what is the methodology? Pretty solid. “First, we narrowed down Rotten Tomatoes’ 200 Best Horror Movies of All Time to include only movies with a US location. Then, we found the number of deaths in each film using Bodycounters.com and Fandom’s list of deaths.

With 63 films containing over 1,300 frightening fates, we totaled how many cinematic slaughters stack up in each state. (And if you’re in one of the 26 states not included, you should be safe . . . for now.)

Death totals include some non-human characters, and we did not include any deaths that weren’t shown on screen.”

Here’s the regional breakdown:
Northeast: 954 deaths
West: 225 deaths
Midwest: 108 deaths
South: 93 deaths

Apparently living near the coastline helps balance out your odds: The twenty non-coastal states accounted for nearly 59% of the horror movie deaths while the thirty coastal states accounted for just over 41% of the total kills.

Okay, no more teasing, here are the deadliest states according to horror movies:

State          Number of Deaths          Number of Movies
Pennsylvania          615                       6
New York              254                       7
California            163                       17
Maine                 60                        4
Illinois              45                        4
Ohio                  39                        4
South Carolina        36                        1
Nevada                34                        1
Missouri              16                        1
Texas                 15                        2
West Virginia         14                        1
Massachusetts         13                        1
Utah                  13                        1
Rhode Island          12                        1
Virginia              10                        1
Michigan              8                         2
Colorado              7                         2
North Carolina        7                         1
Florida               5                         1
Washington            5                         1
Tennessee             4                         1
Oregon                3                         1
Washington D.C.       2                         1

You can read the whole report by Trevor Wheelwright here.

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