The Winter Solstice, also known as Yule, is a pagan holiday that celebrates the shortest day and longest night of the year. It marks the transition from darkness to light, as the days gradually become longer after the solstice. This ancient celebration has been observed by different cultures throughout history and is still honored by many pagans today. During the Winter Solstice, pagans perform various rituals and customs to embrace the changing of seasons and honor the cycles of nature. Food plays an essential role in these celebrations, as it symbolizes abundance, warmth, and sustenance during the cold and dark winter months. Traditional Winter Solstice recipes often incorporate ingredients that are readily available during this time of year.
Federico Prosperi delivers a lot of silly effects – a very faux voyeuristic scene where the snake creeps up on Jill Schoelen as she takes a shower and emerges in a towel. There is a lameness to the drama – like trying to drum up suspense and excitement from crosscutting to Jamie Farr back at the motel, or trying to create a cross-state chase via CB radio. Not to mention the flimsiness of the premise – Jamie Farr gives J. Eddie Peck the wrong snakebite serum after he is bitten by a snake from an atomic test site and the bite somehow mutates into a giant snake that takes over and possesses the whole of Peck’s arm. At this point, the film sort of turns into a bizarre melding of a 1980s Makeup Effects Vehicle and a possessed hand film a la The Hands of Orlac (1925) and Mad Love (1935).
Curse II The Bite has largely been predicated around the makeup effects provided by Screaming Mad George, who became a cult figure of sorts around this period and contributed effects to various Elm Street films and even co-directed The Guyver 1991. But like the sweet promise of my parents divorce after too many years of them interrupting me watching The Love Boat with their fights, Lisa s vacation had its good times as well.
Traditional Winter Solstice recipes often incorporate ingredients that are readily available during this time of year. Root vegetables, hearty grains, nuts, and fruits are commonly used in these dishes. Some traditional recipes include: 1.
Curse II: The Bite (1989)
Vacations are a funny thing. Depending on the circumstances they can go from awesome to disaster and back again with little warning. For example, when I was a kid in Chicago, my parents threatened each other with divorce while we stayed in some flea bag motel, but then my sister had to ruin all those good vibes when she threw a tantrum at the Field Museum.
Likewise, for Lisa (Jill Schoelen only two years removed from The Stepfather and her greatest success) there are break ups and screaming that mark her cross country holiday with her boyfriend Clark (soap opera legend J. Eddie Peck). Of course those involve Clark mutating into a snake, eating her pet birds, and worst of all, going on a murderous rampage and not killing Jamie Farr’s character.
But like the sweet promise of my parents’ divorce after too many years of them interrupting me watching The Love Boat with their fights, Lisa’s vacation had its good times as well.
How could Lisa not enjoy Clark fingerbanging her in the car with his mutated snake hand? It’s a hand with a forked tongue after all! And that time she was squatting to take a piss by the side of the road and Clark blasted an evil snake who was trying to slither where the sun don’t shine with his trusty rifle was positively romantic!
Somewhat less romantic had to be that time in the motel room when Lisa discovered the panties she left laying around were positively soaked with snake jizz! She was justifiably repulsed and even I have to admit to being a bit grossed out which really says something since I usually don’t mind a pair of soaked panties!
Things turn around for the viewer immediately though when she uses her guitar to smash a snake hiding in her bed. The horror of her plucking on that thing and singing again in the movie was finally ended!
Digital penetration and drenched intimates aside, is there anything else that elevates this above all the other “guys with mutant snake hand” movies? Uh, yeah, everything else!
How about Jamie Farr’s serious turn as traveling salesman Harry who carries around a suitcase full of snake anti-venom? And who uses his skills on the CB to rally a bunch of truckers (including his bulldog-faced girlfriend Flo) to try and find Lisa and Clark after Jamie realizes he misdiagnosed what snake Clark was bitten by and thus gave him the wrong antidote? (Harry is worried about being sued by Clark!)
And then there’s very special guest star Bo Svenson as the Sheriff! Like any sheriff who pointlessly harasses our obviously infected protaganist, Bo only makes matters worse when he isn’t being completely ineffectual!
After arresting Clark on a trumped up drug charge simply because Clark won’t show the Sheriff his magic snake arm, the Sheriff stops off by the side of the road to take a piss. That’s right! This movie features two important urinating scenes! Combined with the soiled undergarments and snake sodomy by Clark of Lisa in their Jeep and this puts much more expensive fetish films to shame!
Proving that no last second piss goes unpunished, the Sheriff’s deputy gets himself killed by the bloodthirsty serpent living where Clark’s arm used to be! Don’t worry though, the Sheriff isn’t competent enough to put a stop to Clark’s slimy spree.
SnakeClark still has plenty of kill left in him and as anyone who’s an expert on mutant animal bites knows, as time passes, what starts out as a couple of wimpy puncture wounds on your hand turns into your head splitting open and giant snakes pouring out of your has-been human flesh!
If there isn’t much in the way of explanation for all of this (a couple of dudes in hazmat suits mess with a snake at a nuclear testing site and a doctor babbles about DNA and genetic makeup), that’s okay because this is more of an episodic road story than anything else.
SnakeClark wanders around aimlessly (much like the plot) until someone helps him, his girlfriend tracks him down, and he attacks the family with his newly empowered fifty foot long snake tongue! He undergoes a finally gooey transformation at a muddy construction site where somehow the Sheriff and Harry all show up at just the right time.
Director Frederico Prosperi (his only time directing, but he also produced his brother Franco’s Wild Beasts!) realizes what a snake movie needs: snakes! There’s an entire road full of snakes that Clark and Lisa have to drive over. Then there’s all the snakes that Clark starts puking out of his transformed mouth at the end of the movie. There’s even plenty of snake POV shots to amp up the snakey suspense! And the special effects are all pre-CGI so there’s lots of appropriately gooey props to marvel at.
Part of what makes the movie work in a “can’t stop rubbernecking at a car wreck” way is that despite the fact the movie is about a guy who has a snake growing out of his arm, no one ever cracks a smile about it once! In fact, Lisa doesn’t even seem that concerned when Clark starts sweating, holding his gauzed up hand protectively and generally acting like a guy who is in the middle of a horrible mutation. She just wants to prance around in a leather mini-skirt and dance with other dudes in a cowboy bar!
Normally, you might complain that such behavior is unrealistic and that she’s just acting like that to generate a confrontation between Clark and some redneck, but Lisa was probably just trying to put the best face on a vacation where she was violated by a radioactive snake. And who can really blame her? But next time? Probably a staycation.
But like the sweet promise of my parents’ divorce after too many years of them interrupting me watching The Love Boat with their fights, Lisa’s vacation had its good times as well.
Roasted Winter Vegetables: A medley of root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and turnips roasted with herbs, garlic, and olive oil. These warm and comforting vegetables can be served as a side dish or turned into a nourishing soup. 2. Mulled Cider: A spiced and warm apple cider infused with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. This festive drink is commonly served during Winter Solstice gatherings and offers a sense of comfort and warmth. 3. Yule Log Cake: A traditional Yule log cake, also known as a Bûche de Noël, is a festive and decorative dessert made with chocolate sponge cake rolled into a log shape and frosted with chocolate buttercream. The cake is often decorated with marzipan mushrooms, meringue mushrooms, and powdered sugar to resemble a real log. 4. Wassail: A fruity and spiced punch made with apple cider, orange juice, cinnamon, cloves, and other warming spices. Wassail is traditionally served in a large bowl and shared among family and friends during Winter Solstice celebrations. These recipes are just a few examples of the diverse and delicious dishes that can be enjoyed during the Winter Solstice. They not only provide nourishment but also evoke a sense of connection to nature and gratitude for the changing seasons. In conclusion, Winter Solstice recipes in pagan traditions reflect the customs and symbolism associated with this sacred holiday. They incorporate ingredients that are in season and represent the abundance and warmth that is sought during the darkest time of the year. These recipes offer a taste of the ancient traditions and rituals of the Winter Solstice and provide a meaningful way to celebrate this special time..
Reviews for "Pagan Potluck: Sharing Winter Solstice Recipes with Friends"
1. Emma - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to try out the recipes in "Winter Solstice Recipes Pagan" but unfortunately, I was left disappointed. While the book offered a good variety of recipes, the instructions were often confusing and lacked detail. Some of the measurements were also off, resulting in dishes that didn't turn out as expected. I also found that many of the ingredients were difficult to source, making it even more challenging to replicate the recipes. Overall, I felt let down by this book and would not recommend it to others.
2. John - 1/5 stars - "Winter Solstice Recipes Pagan" was a big disappointment for me. The book promised to provide a collection of unique and flavorful recipes for the winter solstice, but it fell short in many ways. Firstly, the ingredient lists were overwhelming and included several rare and expensive items that were not readily available. Additionally, the recipes themselves were poorly written and lacked clear instructions, making it difficult to follow along. I found myself feeling frustrated and confused throughout the entire cooking process. Overall, this book was a waste of money and I regret purchasing it.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - As someone who enjoys exploring new recipes and cooking techniques, I was eager to try "Winter Solstice Recipes Pagan." However, I was left unimpressed and dissatisfied. While the book had an interesting concept, the execution was lacking. Many of the recipes were overly complicated and required far too many ingredients, most of which were not commonly found in my pantry. Furthermore, some of the flavor combinations were odd and did not appeal to my taste buds. I would recommend looking for a different cookbook for your winter solstice cooking needs.