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Every year, Halloween conjures up both fun and fright with scary stories, trick-or-treating, and crazy costumes. Horror films dominate movie theaters and television in the days leading up to Oct. 31. In 2004, James Earl Jones said “we all go see a horror movie because we like being scared.”
This must be true.
The Sixth Sense, Jaws and Signs rank among the top 100 all-time grossing films in America, earning $781,472,926 combined. From Oct. 21-23, 2011, Paranormal Activity 3 made $54 million in its opening weekend, the best debut for a horror film.
But while many horror films contain gruesome creatures, jump scenes and characters facing serious danger and peril, some focus on the genre’s gentle side and humorously depict ghosts, monsters and vampires.
Frightening figures also exist in football. The Minnesota Vikings defensive linemen of the 1970s were known as the “The Purple People Eaters.” Monday Night Football commentator Jon Gruden resembles the demonic doll Chucky from Child’s Play. Oakland Raiders fans dress in fierce and haunting regalia, turning O.co Coliseum into “The Black Hole.”
In honor of the horror, humor and high jinxes of Halloween, the Week 8 predictions theme is scary, sometimes silly, movies.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4) at Minnesota Vikings (5-2)-Oct. 25-8:20 p.m.-NFL Network
Filming for Edward Scissorhands, the first collaboration between actor Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton, took place in Florida. 2012’s vampire comedy Dark Shadows is the eighth film Burton and Depp have worked together on. The Buccaneers don’t like this partnership. Tampa Bay is 1-5 in Week 8 games in years a Burton/Depp film is released.
Bryan Paul’s Pick: Minnesota
Pollock’s Pick: Minnesota
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Miami Dolphins (3-3) at New York Jets (3-4)-Oct. 28-1 p.m.-CBS
Martin Landau played horror film actor Bela Lugosi in the 1994 Burton/Depp film Ed Wood. The Dolphins won both games against the Jets that season. But Miami has swept its season series with New York only four times since 1994 and lost to the Jets in Week 3 this season.
Bryan Paul’s Pick: New York
Pollock’s Pick: New York
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San Diego Chargers (3-3) at Cleveland Browns (1-6)-Oct. 28-1 p.m.-CBS
Raúl Juliá, who died in 1994, portrayed Gomez Addams in the The Addams Family, a 1991 adaptation of The New Yorker cartoon characters and the 1960s sitcom. In years an Addams Family film has played in theaters, San Diego is 5-18 on the road. The Chargers don’t have to worry about any Addams Family member appearing on movie screens this year.
Bryan Paul’s Pick: San Diego
Pollock’s Pick: San Diego
Captain Clarky 