Welcome to The Witching Hour! Halloween, October 31, is one of my favorite holidays! You get to dress up in costumes, meet new people, and have fun. It also means that the next day, November 1, is my birthday! My maternal Grandmother was born on October 31 and my Mom was was in labor and in the hospital. Well . . . I absolutely refused to make my entrance so the doctor sent her home. I have learned that my Grandmother did not want me to be born on Halloween and probably said so many times. Well . . . This is one of those times when I listened to her. Did I mention that it was cold and snowing that year? We lived on a hill and Mom couldn't make the walk down to the car, so Dad and Grandpa carried her down the hill in a chair to the car, then drove to the hospital. *giggling* So . . . I waited until the next day and decided it was a good day to be born and made my entrance at 10:54 am. Seems a reasonable and socially respectable time of day to me. So . . . that still makes me a Scorpio, just not one born on All Hallows Eve! I was born on All Saint's Day.

The Witching Hour . . . What exactly does that mean? We have been taught that The Witching Hour should be midnight . . . and that we needed to watch out for the old crone witch. This phrase even has a meaning on Wall Street, but I can't remember what it is, except that it is the timing of certain things happening at the same time and date.

Meanwhile . . . let's just have fun with Halloween! Isabella to the right is just here to oversee this particular page. She resides at Isabella's Castle and if you visit her you will open a new window. Only the very brave visit her castle. Beware!

This picture is from Edward Scissorhands which is an off-beat love story starring Johnny Depp, the master of strange characters in film. I thoroughly enjoyed this film . . . can't even explain it. It is, however, worth renting and the time to watch. Don't miss it!

Johnny starred in Sleepy Hollow as Inspector Ichabod Crane, an eccentric investigator determined to stop the murderous Headless Horseman. Christina Ricci is Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful and mysterious girl with secret ties to the supernatural terror. It's a different take on the American classic tale of horror. I don't recommend this film for young children, but it is a fun film for a more mature audience!

Johnny Depp starred as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. An added bonus for the young ladies is Orlando Bloom (Legolas from Lord of the Rings fame) is also in this film. If you haven't seen this film, you really should. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is a bit camp with a great deal of melodrama, but a truly enjoyable film. I highly recommend Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.

Johnny Depp has many other films to his credit and I have seen several. The following films are not listed in order of the production year.

• Chocolat which was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress (Juliette Binoche), and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench). Chocolat is a beautiful and captivating comedy and nobody could have imagined the impact that the strikine Vianne (Binoche) would make when she arrived in a tranquil, old-fashioned French Town. In her very unusual chocolate shop, Vianne begins to create mouth-watering confections that almost magically inspire the straightlaced villagers to abandon themselved to temptation and happiness! But it is not until another stranger, the handsome Roux (Johnny Depp), arrives in town that Vianne is finally able to recognize her own desires! This is a delightful film. Rated PG-13
• The Ninth Gate where he stars as Dean Corso, an unscrupulous rare-book dealer who is hired to locate the last remaining copies of "The Nine Gates of the Shadow Kingdom," a demonic manuscript that can summon the Devil. Corso becomes embroiled in a conspirate involving murder, theft and satanic ritual, and ultimately finds himself confronting the devil incarnate. This is not a film for the faint-hearted and is rated R.
• From Hell . . . While Jack the Ripper ruled the streets of London, terror reigned. His crimes were unspeakable. His blood lust, unquenchable. His identity, unknown . . . until now! Johnny Depp and Heather Graham are riviting in this "engrossing, stylish thriller." Rated R
• Dead Man where Johnny Depp portrays an accountant from Cleveland, Ohio going west where he has a letter assuring employment. This is a very unusual film where he meets a Native American who begins teaching Depp. I recommend the film for people who appreciate the more mental sort of entertainment.

I understand that Johnny Depp may even star in a sequel to Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Now there is even a rumor that there will be a sequel for Captain Jack Sparrow. It was not my intention to turn this into a Johnny Depp promo . . . the images are just very appropriate.

The Matrix was an impressive film and caused us to "think." What is the Matrix? What is reality? Our day-in, day-out life is real? What if that world is a hoax? An elaborate deception spun by all-powerful machines of artificial intelligence that control us? Whoa! If that is the case . . . how many of us want to disconnect?

Then there was The Matrix, Reloaded which allowed the relationship between Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) to develop. Neo had to earn the trust of others . . . not everyone is a believer in the prophecy of "The One."

We had to wait some months to learn the fate of Neo and Trinity in Matrix Revolutions. We have now experienced all three films and have arrived at many conclusions . . . Neo is the "Savior," but whose? Zion? The Machines? Who is the Creator? Who is the Oracle? Even more importantly . . . who is Neo?

EVERYTHING THAT HAS A BEGINNING HAS AN END?

The Witching Guardian is provided courtesy Feebleminds Animated Gifs

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