Halloween Addict

Cubee Craft Halloween

2012-10-31T15:04:00.003-07:00

The good folks at Cubee Craft have compiled all their creepy characters in one place under a "Halloween Cubee Craft"-specific page.

Not only do you get jack o' lanterns, werewolves, ghosts and other things that go bump in the night to print, fold and build, but horror icons like Cenobites from Hellraiser, Sam from Trick 'r Treat and Ghostface from Scream are there as well.

If you're looking for a quick, fun Halloween project during your movie marathon tonight, head over to Cubee Craft and get buildin' your army.
Be careful.
Paper cuts sting.

Top 10 List of Horror Movie Lists

2012-10-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

The Halloween Horror Movie list.
It's a staple of pretty much every website in October, and rather than make my own I figured I'd just cultivate the links in one place of some of the more noteworthy ones.
If anything, reading these lists might jump-start your brain into remembering something different you've been meaning to watch, or inspire you to try something new this Halloween night.

I did one of these last year (you can go check it out HERE) and after seeing a bunch of these float past my digital inbox, I thought it was worth posting a new list... of, er-- "lists."

Why do I do it? Well we all know some of the best horror movies of all time (Night of the Living Dead, The Exorcist, to name a few...) but if you've seen the already maybe you're looking for a little inspiration... something that you haven't seen before or haven't THOUGHT to see.
Enter the lists.

I've called out some of the more interesting picks on each list, but click through to see what the fans and websites are picking in 2012. Some of them may surprise you...

1) SHOCK TILL YOU DROP'S 10 NEW HALLOWEEN CLASSICS
INSPIRED CHOICE: Cabin in the Woods.
Cabin is a heck of a good time and Shock's description of it as a "perfect last horror movie" is spot on. A great night-closer.

2) SQUIDOO'S 20 GREAT SUPERNATURAL HORROR MOVIES FOR HALLOWEEN
INSPIRED CHOICE: Night of the Living Dead (1990)
I just rewatched the '90 version of NOTL myself after about 20 years, and was so impressed by how good it is. Not only does it change some of the original for the better but it was written by George Romero himself so a remake couldn't have a better blessing.

3) SCREENRANT'S 10 RIDICULOUSLY FUN HORROR FILMS FOR HALLOWEEN
INSPIRED CHOICE: Zombieland.
A crowd pleaser. Even people who don't like horror movies, like Zombieland.

4) RELUCTANT TOWNIE: SOME HALLOWEEN HORROR FILM SELECTIONS
INSPIRED CHOICE: Trick or Treat (1986)
I mentioned this film HERE in a previous post. More a great '80s campy horror movie (with NO BLOOD) with a great hair-band rock soundtrack, than a Halloween-themed film.

5) FORBES TOP 10 BEST CULT CLASSIC HORROR MOVIES OF ALL TIME
INSPIRED CHOICE: In the Mouth of Madness
If you love John Carpenter for The Thing, Halloween and Escape from New York, go back and check out In the Mouth of Madness. Some genuinely creepy stuff going on in this movie and Sam Neil is basically playing Stephen King (Sutter Kane... Stephen King. Get it?).

6) FORBES TO 10 MONSTER HORROR MOVIES OF ALL TIME
INSPIRED CHOICE: Trollhunter.
Forbes cranked out a number of these lists this month so I picked from two. I still haven't seen Trollhunter myself, but I've heard good things and as it's a newer film and on an "of all time" list, that's saying something.

7) BOSTON TOP 50 SCARIEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME
INSPIRED CHOICE: The Mothman Prophecies.
Ohhhhhhh yeah. The Mothman Prophecies. I saw that when it came out. I think I liked it.
Huh. Have to check that out again...

8) RHINO'S HALLOWEEN HORROR MOVIE GUIDE
INSPIRED CHOICE: Fright Night (1985)
A great cast. A fun film and a love-letter to the old Hammer films and the aging actors from them, to boot.

9) JACK FM HORROR MOVIES BURN CALORIES
INSPIRED CHOICE: [REC]
This is info floating around the 'net, but here's what you need to know--- there was a study. The study suggests that watching horror movies burns calories. Period. So Jack FM threw together a post on what they think were the top 10 'calorie burners.' [REC] is newer and is well made with good scares.
So, y'know, have that Philly Cheesesteak while you watch...

10) THE DAILY CLOG HORROR MOVIE MARATHON
INSPIRED CHOICE: Session 9.
A really great, moody, atmospheric film that I still feel doesn't get the attention it deserves.
Shot in an actual abandoned haunted asylum in Massachusetts this movie oozes production value.
Fun fact: the asylum was eventually renovated into... luxury apartments.
Any second now there should be poltergeists in the pool.

So after the kids are to bed. The candy is eaten. The lights are out. And you've got about an hour and a half before midnight... pop one of these in the streaming machine or off the shelf and settle in for a jolt or two.
After all, it's Halloween. I guess everyone's entitled to one good scare, eh?

Amazon.com Widgets

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2012!

2012-10-31T08:53:00.003-07:00

In case the day gets busy for you or me, let me say it now:

Anticipation of the moment can sometimes be better than the moment itself.
So enjoy the day, relish the night and...
HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Last Minute Halloween Masks from Thrillist

2012-10-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

For all those who didn't plan ahead for Halloween with a costume, Thrillist is to the rescue this year with a plethora (big word!) of print-your-own Halloween masks.

You'll find a little bit of everything: extremely artistic skulls, zombie versions of the Presidential racers and (my personal fav) an animated version of Sloth from The Goonies complete with a second page of accessories like a pirate hat and eaten/uneaten versions of the Baby Ruth bar. You can hear it in your head can't you? ("Baby RUTH!")
Sure you can.

Ok, Dr. Lazy... get over HERE to Thrillist and check out what to print and wear. Rubber band not included.

P.S.
Check out my Free Mask Round Up from way back HERE for more even more options.

Candy Review: Peanuts Snoopy Gummy Candies

2012-10-30T01:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for fancy packaging and bright, shiny colors.

It's a weakness.

I'm aware of it.

But I can't stop myself.

As the header at the top of this page will tell you... I'm a Halloween Addict.

So when I'm trolling the aisles of Target every October, and I see something out of the ordinary (like this or this) in the candy aisle, I can't help but drop a few bucks and take it home to review it.

So here we are again... with Peanuts Snoopy Gummy candies.

We all know how it played out in my brain, but I'll detail it anyway:

Me in my brain: "Hmmm... same old, same old candy. What's on this end-cap here? Hey Snoopy gummies! I like It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. It's got a cool package. But hmmm... Snoopy gummies? What does Snoopy (or "Gallerie") know about gummies? Is that green in there? Hm."

But the package was pretty.

Yep.

The package was pretty.

Let's talk about that: the full-color package features Snoopy popping his head out of a jack o' lantern with fluttering bats and a full moon and with two Woodstocks looking out of the eye sockets. The back is full color also, with a "To" and "From" as if you could use this as a postcard. Perhaps that's an experiment for next year: can I slap a stamp on Snoopy gummies and mail them to someone.

As for the gummies themselves, you get three kinds: purple (grape), green (apple) and orange (orange). All three colors are simply: Snoopy.

Not Snoopy in a jack o' lantern.

Not Snoopy dressed in a Halloween costume.

Not other Peanuts characters or even Woodstock.

Just Snoopy.

And the flavors?

Not bad, just average, nondescript versions of grape, apple and orange.

Overall: a very pretty package to put in a Halloween gift bag. It's one of those "filler" gifts: you throw it in to make the prize package look like more than it is. It's certainly not useless though. The gummies do taste better than you'd think... just not enough to buy again as just a Halloween candy snack.

Have I learned my lesson?

Nope.

I will continue to be taken in by the pretty Halloween packaging because SOMEDAY, it will pay off.

Cereal Killers Trading Card Halloween Contest!

2012-10-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Since their debut a year ago, I've been a big fan of the Cereal Killer trading card sets.

As a kid, who was very much into "gross parodies" like Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids, these card and sticker sets mash-up cereal packaging parodies with famous horror films.

They're a fun collectible and something different to slip into trick or treat bags on Halloween night.

Series 2 is now out and until Wednesday October 31st, HALLOWEEN (duh), you can get 50% off on Series 1 and Series 2 3-Packs and Hobby Boxes! Just use promo code “TRIXORTREAT” at wax-eye.com's checkout! This coupon expires at midnight, Hallows Eve so ORDER NOW!

CONTEST INFO:

On top of that, the good folks at Wax Eye gave me a sweet prize pack consisting of card sets, posters, stickers AND MORE. And it's all for you if you do this one... simple... thing:

In the comments on this post below, list who your favorite Cereal Killers character is.

I'll accept posts through midnight Pacific Time on Halloween... that is to say, when the clock strikes 12:01am on November 1st... comments are closed.

Also to clarify: Anonymous comments will not be counted, you have to have some way for me to contact you.

That's it.

I'll pick one winner from the comments using Random.org and they'll get the whole prize pack.

Easy right?

Ready, set GO!

Gross Halloween Recipe: Pork Dumplings with Chile Sesame Sauce

2012-10-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

I may not like to eat gross recipes on Halloween, but I respect a gross-looking recipe when it shows up on my screen and probably tastes delicious.
I don't even seek them out, they come to ME!
Like lost souls looking for a house to haunt...

This particular recipe is from FoodandWine.com and is a gourmet concoction from fellow Halloween addict Neil Patrick Harris and his partner David Burtka (and Molly Hanisee).

Though this recipe calls for making the dumplings yourself from scratch, I think it can be done on the quick by buying pre-made frozen or chilled dumplings and just adding a red sauce to them (one is provided in the FnW recipe HERE) once heated up.

The key to selling it as "gross" is serving them in a beaker or other specimen-jar-type dinner-ware. You can buy them on Amazon HERE.

Lastly: the name "Pork Dumplings with Chile Sesame Sauce" doesn't sound gross or scary enough so I'm going to propose making a label (a piece of white tape with legible Sharpie scrawl on the beaker will work) with one of the following:

Bats Brains.
Heated Monkey Brains (not to be confused with "Chilled Monkey Brains" from that film you all know...).
Fresh Organs.

Or the last alliterative one I can think of:
"Tasty Tumors."

That last one really got me.
Yuck to the name.
Yum to the recipe.

Check out the other most-grossest (a term I just made up) Halloween recipes I've found across the 'net like the Scary Cerebrum Shrimp and Meat Hand.

Snickers Horseless Headsman Commercial

2012-10-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it was TWO years ago that Snickers caused a little internet sensation with their charmingly creepy commercial "Grocery Store Lady."
Don't know what I'm talking about? Go HERE to watch, I'll wait.
Back?
Fantastic right? It's what Halloween should be: fun and creepy at the same time. (Something about that awkward caress of Mrs. Jensen that cracks me up every time.)

Well Snickers is back this year with an all new Halloween-specific commercial called "The Horseless Headsman" and it deserves to be watched and enjoyed.

Click over to the official Snickers site HERE or you can also find it on Vimeo HERE to give it a watch.
To a Halloween Addict, this is a perfect commercial:

It's for the Halloween season, specifically.
It features kids in costume, trick or treating.
It features an iconic Halloween "villain" (the Headless Horseman... eventually).
It's funny.
It's got a little creepy to it (the scary Headless Horseman does show up eventually).
It ends with a scary jack o' lantern.

It is perfection.
Between the Grocery Lady commercial, this year's commercial and the Snickers Pumpkins in stores, Snickers has left THIS Halloween Addict with exactly what their end card says: Halloween Satisfaction.

MIke and Ike Halloween Jeepers Peepers T-Shirt

2012-10-27T13:45:00.003-07:00

As a follow up to my previous post on Mike and Ikes Mummy Mix, I was checking the Just Born website to see if they had any Halloween fun like some wallpapers or downloadable posters or something featuring that super-cool mummy.
Turns out they don't have any of that stuff, BUT they have something better: if you go HERE through the just born website you can buy a Halloween-themed t-shirt featuring both Halloween marshmallow Peeps AND the nifty new Mummy's Mix zombie.
The t-shirt says --are you ready?-- "Jeepers Peepers." Fantastic.

Both in a kid's size and an adult, you can order 'em HERE through the Just Born website.

Mike and Ike Mummy's Mix

2012-10-27T02:00:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for new Halloween candy.
The usual suspects of the so-called "good" candy (your Snickers, your Reeses, etc.) rest on their laurels knowing that they're the standard. They've got nothing to prove.

But sometimes candy that's not an immediate go-to, but still good, will throw their hat in the Halloween ring.

Mike and Ikes are swinging for the fences this Halloween season and they hit it out of the park.

There I was scanning the shelves of the Walgreens looking for that something different this Halloween, when my eyes fell upon a stylized cartoon mummy.

I was surprised and excited to find out it was Mike and Ike candies. It had all the makings of a great Halloween package: a black box, a white logo outlined in orange, a freaking mummy on the package! Let's dwell on that for a second: the mummy is usually the last picked for the classic monster dodge-ball games. Especially in this time of the in-fashion zombie, the mummy has become an antiquated gift-wrapped zombie (in a way).

But there he was on the box: with a glowing green eye and two gnarly teeth. Had it just been an average box of Mike and Ikes with new packaging, I would have been happy. But when I looked at the flavors and saw that it was a special Halloween mix: a "Mummy's Mix" I was ecstatic.

For those not in the know: regular Mike and Ikes (in a green box) have the flavors of cherry (red), lime (green), lemon (yellow), orange (er, orange), and strawberry (pink).
The Mummy's Mix (black box) has lemon (yellow), orange (er, orange... again), grape (purple), lime (green), and raspberry (red).

I welcome this flavor mix to the Halloween fray, as it incorporates grape (one of my favorite Halloween flavors) and thereby purple into the Halloween color scheme.

You get quite a few in the box, too. The above scan is a full box of Mummy's Mix, all 5.0 oz of it. In case you were curious, the regular Mike and Ike "theater box" is that same ounce-age. So you're not getting cheated out of any candy for the holiday.

At approximately $1.50 a box (though mine was on sale for 3 for $3), it's a costly giveaway if you have a number of trick or treaters hitting your door. BUT it IS a great thing to slide into a Halloween gift bag for that special son/daughter, nephew/niece, friend/loved-one, werewolf/ghoul, yin/yang, flotsam/jetsam... I can type slashes from here to eternity so you get the idea.

Kudos to Just Born for the new Mike and Ike Mummy's Mix.
If I may add my two cents: bring it back with a sibling box... say... "Pumpkins Pack," or "Jack's Jubilee" or something.
I'm just spit ballin' here, they're not all gold.

Fun Size: Halloween Teen Comedy in Theaters Today

2012-10-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween Addict wouldn't live up to its promise to "celebrate the season's influence in popular culture" without mentioning FUN SIZE, hitting theaters today.

You may remember me mentioning this film going into production back in March 2011 (if not, you can read it HERE) and now here we are over a year and a half later with Fun Size now complete and showing up in the multiplex.

Watching the trailer, I can't help but feel like it's Adventures in Babysitting for 2012, but set on Halloween... that's not a bad thing (I fully admit to my Elisabeth Shue crush starting with that film). In fact I can't help but notice a striking resemblance to Ms. Shue's look on the Babysitting poster and Jane Levy's look on the Fun Size poster... minus the cat costume.
Hmmmm...

Speaking of Jane Levy, she'll be showing a very non-cute side of herself in the Evil Dead remake next year, so maybe check this film out for a range comparison?

I feel like I should go check out the film if only to telegraph the message to Hollywood that we want our Halloween films in October.
Maybe I should send a letter?

Dear Hollywood,

Good job!
I want to commend you on your Halloween-themed movie at the end of October.
Keep up the good work!

Signed,
AllHallowSteve
Halloween Addict

Now where should I address it to? The letter H at the Hollywood sign?
No!
I got it!
Grauman's Chinese Theater.
Perfect.

Candy Review: Scary Skeletons Vs. Mr. Bones

2012-10-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I was enamored with Fleer's Mr. Bones candy: a small plastic coffin with tart fruity bones inside that you can assemble to make a FULL SKELETON. Mr. Bones is long gone, but a new contender has risen from the grave in an effort to take his crown as King of the Undead --er, Candy: Scary Skeleton.

Can Scary Skeletons be as good or, dare I say, BETTER than Mr. Bones was?
It's on.
Let's do this.

This is a face-off I've been meaning to do for a long time, comparing a candy skeleton army against, well... another candy skeleton army.

We'll compare the two on a number of criteria: packaging, taste, functionality and overall.

PACKAGING:
Scary Skeletons come in a box shrink-wrapped to keep the coffins in.
If you remove the wrap, the display is designed to show-off three coffins at a time in the front, with the rest contained under the box flap.

The coffins themselves are a translucent plastic allowing you to see the bones inside. Coffins come in purple, orange and green with a sticker of a skeleton on the front of each.

The box artwork is a unique "scratchy" style featuring skeletons dressed in a purple suit ("Gentleman Skeleton?"), a red shoulder-padded outfit with orange sash ("Dictator Skeleton?" or "Michael Jackson Skeleton?") and a basketball jersey and shorts holding a jack o' lantern instead of a ball ("Sporty Skeleton?").

Though the art style isn't my preference, I have to give props to the incorporation of the perennial Halloween moniker: the jack o' lantern, not to mention fluttering bats and there's even a "how to put the skeleton together" diagram on the front of the box. The artwork is also ALL OVER the box, front, sides and even the back! Who looks at the back of the box? Me, sure. But on a shelf? Nobody. A for effort.

As for the coffins themselves, Scary Skeletons coffins are bigger and brighter than the Mr. Bones coffins. But the smaller Mr. Bones coffins worked well in holding G.I. Joe or Star Wars figure weapons as the Bones coffins had two small snap-latches. Scary Skeletons lids come off completely which can allow for unwanted opening when sitting in your bookbag.
I'm channeling my 8 year old self, here. Go with me.

The coffin of both Bones and Scary have a diagram of what the assembled skeleton looks like. A cheat sheet, if you will.

Mr. Bones packaging sports an art style that was big in the late '70s. Let's call it "spooky friendly." The box was designed to have the lid lifted and tucked into the back, thereby making a backboard or billboard displaying the coffins laying flat inside. Though I prefer this style of artwork to the Scary Skeletons packaging, Scary Skeletons has more pictures, brighter coffins, an eye-catching way of displaying AND features a jack o' lantern.

PACKAGING WINNER: Scary Skeletons.

FUNCTIONALITY:
Both Mr. Bones and Scary Skeletons boast not only being a candy, but a puzzle as well. A play function that amounts to: 'Build your skeleton before dismembering and eating him.'
I would often paraphrase the Operation board game commercial while eating mine: "Take out his spare rib for 100 dollars." Nom nom nom...

The candy Scary Skeletons come in a small plastic baggie INSIDE the coffin. I'm not sure if this is a sign-of-the-times tamper-proof feature or a way of keeping the candy fresher longer, but it seems redundant.
I have to get the shrink wrap off my coffin... then open the coffin, THEN open ANOTHER baggie?
Pshoo.
If I wanted to work, I'd have made my own candy.
I'm practically breaking a sweat here.

Once the candy is open you get one of each kind of bone. In other words: there's a complete skeleton in every coffin. To some, I'm sure this was a godsend. To me, this was a bit of a letdown.
Why? Well, part of the fun of Mr. Bones was that you were buying a blind-pack. You had no idea if you had a complete skeleton in there or not. Sometimes you'd have three feet and one hand. Sometimes you had a whole skeleton and extra bones. It was the thrill of the hunt.
Sometimes, if I didn't have a full skeleton, I'd build what I had, but save it in its coffin until I --guess what--- bought ANOTHER Mr. Bones.

FYI: The Scary Skeleton is too big when assembled to fit in the coffin should you want to not eat him immediately. Mr. Bones was the same way, so no points lost or gained on either brand for this fact.

Lastly: The Scary Skeleton flavors and colors are consistent with their piece. That is to say that the skull head is ALWAYS going to be white, the legs are ALWAYS going to be red, the torso ALWAYS blue, etc.

With Mr. Bones, this wasn't the case. Should you want to build a completely grape/purple skeleton, you'd have to buy a lot of containers and slowly build your creature of the night. Like Dr. Frankenstein.

FUNCTIONALITY WINNER: I'm going to go with Mr. Bones on this one.
Maybe it's a personal preference (and I'm trying to be objective) but the ability to get extra pieces, and pieces in different flavors trumps the complete skeleton in every box.
Put simply: I don't think everybody should get a trophy for trying.
You want to build a full skeleton? You gotta work for it.

TASTE:

Packaging and playing with your food aside, nothing beats a great tasting skeleton. As I'm certainly not eating 30+ year-old candy, I'll have to go from memory on the Mr. Bones flavors.
Mr. Bones had lemon, orange, cherry and grape flavored pieces. They were a light almost pastel hue in the way that a Smarties grape disc is a light purple.
The consistency was somewhere between the soft crunch of a Smarties and the hard crunch of a Sweetart (is it Sweet Tart or Sweetart? I'm not going to type SweeTART like on the official website) as was the consistency of all the Fleer/Topps candy-in-a-plastic-container candies.

As for Scary Skeletons? The flavors break down like this:
Red - Cherry.
Green - No distinct flavor. Not lime nor sour apple. Just... sweet.
White - Not sure. But it's almost a faint licorice flavor.
Yellow - Lemon furniture polish. Seriously, spray some Pledge on a table and smell it... THAT'S what yellow tastes like.
Blue - Also no distinct flavor. Not blue raspberry or bubblegum or berry (the usual blue flavors). Just--- sweet.

Though the red/cherry is the best of the bunch, overall these flavors are lackluster. The chalky consistency is a hard crunch, but unlike a Sweetart, you don't get a tart burst of flavor for the chewing effort on any of these pieces.
Plus, I'm always going to get a licorice flavored skull? Blech.

TASTE WINNER: Even from memory, Mr. Bones wins hands down. The actual FRUITY flavors of the past trump anything in the Scary Skeletons flavor camp of today. Brightness of color can't fix blandness of flavor.

OVERALL WINNER: Mr. Bones.
Seems that '70s/'80s candy technology was superior. Though Scary Skeletons put up a good fight and has it in the looks department, that can't make up for the fact that in the end, these skeletons are made for eatin'.
And if they're not fun to eat... then I'll just get a skeleton puzzle.

So I hold out hope that someday, SOMEDAY someone will resurrect Mr. Bones for the kids of today to enjoy. I cry out into the night like Linus in the pumpkin patch "Oh great Mr. Bones, where are you?!"

Should you want to buy a box and decide for yourself, click HERE to go to Amazon (where I got mine) and order up a box.

Mystery of the Bendy Skeleton

2012-10-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

See the skeleton?
He's my favorite.
I picked him up on a road trip a few years ago and I've never seen one like him ever again.
Maybe his rarity is what makes him special?
If I found another one would I lose my love for him?
I don't know. But I'm going to go down the rabbit hole and see what happens.
Here's the story...

A few years ago I was wine tasting in the Central Coast wine region near Santa Cruz (hey that's where they shot The Lost Boys!).

It was a foggy, misty day in October which really made the fact that I was being driven in a white van from winery to winery that much more, oh I don't know: SPOOKY.

Every winery we stopped at had some sort of Halloween decorations up whether it be pumpkins and dried gourds, a dish of spooky Halloween candy or paper decorations strung across the mantel of their simmering fireplace.

One particular winery-stop had a small display: a couple of hay bales, with a mix of straw and various sized pumpkins, a live cat (sleeping) and--- this is the point of the post--- 4 colored bendy skeletons: green, red, orange and yellow.

I walked up to pet the cat (he was having a good day, lazing amongst the pumpkins) and I couldn't take my eyes off the skeletons. They were about 4" high, made from black rubbery plastic, with a wire frame inside that you could pose.
I tasted some wine... then I walked over and eye-balled the skeletons.
Then I walked outside to look at the garden and vineyard, then I walked back to the skeletons.

I asked a woman working there where she got them (as I had never seen them before) and she said she couldn't remember. I pried (I'm a Halloween Addict after all) and she thought they came in a pack of four.

Well before we left the woman pulled me aside and said "If you'd like to take one home, you can."
I smiled broadly and picked---- the yellow one.
It was the high point of my trip.

Unpacking my Halloween decorations this year, I found Ol' Bendy (a name I never call him) and started wondering if his friends were locatable.

A few Google and eBay searches later here's what I've gleaned:

Written on the side of the skeleton is "Dakin 1989."

Photo from GasolineAntiques.com

According to GasolineAntiques.com HERE the skeleton was part of a "Monster Bendy" set which included Frankenstein's monster, The Mummy and Dracula.
This fact was also confirmed HERE at ToyFanatic.com which included a slightly better pic HERE.

But the skeleton in these sets was WHITE and the woman I spoke with had multi-colored skeletons ONLY and not a white one in the bunch. So though I don't doubt that this "monster" set existed, I have seen NO such evidence that an all-skeletons pack exists anywhere.

So I call upon you, again, dear readers: have any of you ever heard or seen such a set of Dakin bendy multi-colored skeletons?

I'd hate to think I was in a wine-induced haze in which I imagined multi-colored skeletons, a sleeping cat and, in the end, I slinked off with one in the thick of the fog...
But, hey, stranger things have happened.

Fright Rags Silver Shamrock T-Shirt!

2012-10-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

From the "how the hell did I miss this pile" (a pile that is ever-growing), I just found this fantastic Silver Shamrock t-shirt from Fright Rags!

Even if you're not a fan of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, you can wear this shirt with blind ignorance and still love this nod to all things Halloween from TV commercials to a skeleton, witch and jack o' lantern.

As everything wonderful and good is these days, the run is Limited so get yours while the gettin''s good.

Click HERE to go to Fright-Rags.com.

Great Arrow Halloween Cards

2012-10-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

You know I love Halloween cards, right?
I buy 'em.
Sometimes I send 'em.
Sometimes I keep 'em.
I just found some keepers.

Wandering through a Papyrus store recently (they lured me in with their great Halloween window-display), I stumbled on some of the fantastic silk-screened cards from Great Arrow.

Repeating the words "Great Arrow greatarrowgreatarrowgreatarrow..." all the way home so I'd remember, I found their website and discovered that I love the work of Scott Church.
He has a few card designs through the company and turns out I love 'em all: a sign of Halloween kismet.

What you're not getting by looking at his work on-line is that the silk-screened cards are rich in saturated colors and soft-silky-smooth printing and crisp lines--- so much better than plain old cards.
Seriously, if they came in poster size, I'd buy one.
As it is I don't even want to mail them.
I'll just send plain postcards to people saying "To see the Halloween card I was going to send you, come visit me."

Check out the Halloween cards on Great Arrow HERE.

eBay's Halloween Pinterest Contest - Win $250 eBay Gift Card!

2012-10-22T02:30:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season of not only all things black and orange but CONTESTS.
This time eBay is dipping its toe into the Contest pool with a Pinterest tie-in.
"Pin to Win!" with a chance at a $250 eBay gift card!
Here's how it works:

Register for the sweepstakes HERE.

Follow eBay at www.pinterest.com/ebay
Create a pin board titled "Halloween" on Pinterest.
Pin 10 Halloween-item-images from the list below from ebay.com

A baby costume.
A costume of your pet.
A celebrity costume.
A colorful costume.
A scary costume.
A cute costume.
A funny wig.
A trick or treating accessory.
Something to spook up the front lawn.
A pumpkin.

The sweepstakes ends on October 30, 2012 so get pinnin' and sleep well knowing your digital scrapbooking had absolutely no chance of you accidentally pricking your finger.
Unless you had your hand in a jar full of pins.

Official Facebook registration page and complete rules can be found HERE.

The competition is being run, promoted and fulfilled by eBay. HalloweenAddict.com and any of its subsidiaries and affiliates are in no way a sponsor of the sweepstakes and is not responsible for any obligations in connection with the sweepstakes.

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror COLLECTION 3 is out!

2012-10-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Holy nuggets and cheese.

I tell ya, a Halloween Addict really has to keep on top of things or they blow right by.
Like this!
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Collection III is out!

You heard me laud the wonderfulness of the digital world bringing the very first Collection of The Simpsons Halloween specials to your digital hootenanny HERE.

Then the second Collection snuck up on me, and I praised it HERE.

Well here we are again.
Collection 3 of The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror is OUT NOW and brings us the following:

Treehouse of Horror 3:
In "Clown Without Pity," a Krusty the Clown doll goes berserk in the Simpson home. In "King Homer," Marge is wooed by a giant ape. In "Dial 'Z for Zombies," Lisa's attempt to bring back her dead cat turns the town of Springfield into a pack of zombies.

Treehouse of Horror 6:
In this annual Halloween-themed trilogy, advertising logos attack Springfield, Groundskeeper Willie terrorizes Springfield schoolchildren in their dreams, and Homer enters a terrifying three-dimensional world.

Treehouse of Horror 9:
In "Hell Toupee," the hairpiece of a condemned man wreaks havoc on Springfield. Bart and Lisa enter an Itchy & Scratchy cartoon in "The Terror of Tiny Toon." And the Simpsons learn the surprising truth about who fathered Maggie in "Starship Poopers."

Treehouse of Horror 12:
In "Hex and the City," a gypsy curses Homer, bringing misery to everyone he loves. In "House of Whacks," a computer takes over the Simpson house and attempts to kill Homer for Marge's love. And in "Wiz Kids," Bart and Lisa are students at a wizard school.

Treehouse of Horror 15:
In this fifteenth annual frightfest, Ned Flanders foresees a terrible future in "The Ned Zone", Lisa must overcome the police of Edwardian London in "Four Beheadings and a Funeral" and the Simpsons take a fantastic voyage "In The Belly of the Boss".

Treehouse of Horror 18:
An unwelcome alien crashes with the Simpsons in "E.T. Go Home", Homer and Marge are paid assassins who nearly kill each other in "Mr. And Mrs. Simpson" and Ned Flanders tries to frighten the fun out of Halloween in "Heck House".

So there's six more to enjoy on your iPhone, Xbox, PS3, Zune, carrier pigeon, abacus, what have you.
My fav of the batch?
Number 3. For the immortal line: "Here's your problem. Someone set this thing to EVIL."
Click HERE to get 'em on Amazon.

Just in case you were curious (because *I* was), if you buy Collection 1, 2 and 3 you'll have Treehouse episodes one through eighteen solid with NO MISSING EPISODES.

Not sure why they were spaced out the way they were (maybe just to keep us coming back?) but I'm totally thankful that I have them.
That's 9 hours of Simpsons Halloween Specials. That's like... a full workday.
Now to figure out how to make my job were to watch Halloween Specials all day.

Myers House NC: Costume Box T-Shirt and Poster!

2012-10-20T02:00:00.000-07:00

The Myers House, NC has a new piece of merch up that I can't help but gush over.

A mash-up of imagery from the first three Halloween films (and yes, I'm including the Michael Myers-less but still very Halloweeny Halloween III: Season of the Witch) all spelled out over a Ben Cooper-inspired boxed costume.
The artwork is from artist Matt Tobin, and can be either worn on a t-shirt or framed and posted to your wall (actual, physical wall, not them-there-Facebook) as a poster.

Like all good things, they're a Limited Edition so get them before they disappear. Check out all the merch HERE at MyersHouseNC.com.

To read my full interview with Kenny Caperton, the man who built a life-size replica of the house from John Carpenter's Halloween go HERE.
Seriously.
He's a definite Halloween addict.

REVIEW: Skittles Halloween Ghost and Pumpkin Twist and Pour

2012-10-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

Part toy, part decoration, part candy--- the Skittles Ghost and Pumpkin Twist and Pour trick or treat containers are a fun way to give out a handful of skittles.

I couldn't help myself.

I walked past these Skittles containers last year.
I walked by them this year.
I told myself: you don't need that.
But I found myself continually drawn to the container.

Now here I am... at home... with a Skittles Ghost Twist and Pour.
And you know what?
I'm happy with it.
My three nagging questions have been answered...

The first question I had was: exactly how many Skittles do I get in a ghost?
Answer: 32.
Thirty-two Skittles.
Taste the rainbow of fruit flavors.
It's a decent amount.
A little more than you'd find in a small trick or treat-sized snack pouch.
But not enough as a full bag.

Photo from Secret Fun Blog

The second question I had was: why am I so drawn to this ghost? What is it exactly that made me so happy and HAVE to buy it?
I figured it out.
Weebles.
One of my most prized toys when I was a kid was the Weeble Haunted House (read all about its wonderfulness HERE on Secret Fun Blog).
With the haunted house came a Ghost Weeble (see pic left).
See the resemblance?
The only difference is that Weebles wobble but they don't fall down, and my Skittles ghost has a flat bottom so he ain't goin' anywhere.

The third question I had was: is it a toy or a decoration?
I think I'm settling on 'decoration.'
It doesn't really do much but sit there. 'Doesn't glow.
And once the candy is gone, what can you use it for?
Vitamins?
Back pills?
You know what? When I get old and have to take a myriad of pills, instead of a long pill box with days of the week, I'm going to buy 7 ghosts and write a day of the week on each ghost.
Because medicating can be spooooooky.

WBShop.com has a Halloween Horror Movie Sale!

2012-10-18T03:00:00.001-07:00

Just a quickie heads-up here:
WB Shop just sent out an e-mail for a Halloween Horror Movie Sale.
Up to 60% off select DVDs and Blu-rays.

Just doing a quick perusal through the choices, I saw that the Halloween essential Trick 'r Treat DVD is only $4.49 and four-film "catch-up" discs (like A Nightmare on Elm Street 1, 2, 3, 4) are only $9.99.

Go HERE to the WBShop.com and snag some sale-action.

THEY RETURN: McDonald's Happy Meal Halloween Pails 2012

2012-10-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

Returning again for the Halloween season (and a super "HOORAY" for that) are McDonald's Happy Meal Halloween Pails! From Potato to Black Cat to Brown dog... let's see what we get this year...

First, a quick re-cap: This is my third year covering the release of these pails, and I think McDonalds nailed it this year.

In 2010 the Halloween Pails returned to McDonald's after a looooong absence (back when they were called "McBoo Pails").

The new release had a Mr. Potato Head theme, with handles that doubled as masks. The handles had traditional Halloween themes of a skull and pumpkin and the buckets came in green and orange.
Personally, I loved the handles but could care less about Mr. Potato Head even if he was in a decoratable Halloween scene complete with stickers. You can read my full write-up HERE.

In 2011, the pails returned and it was as if the McDonald's magicians had listened to me. Gone was Mr. Potato Head, and kept were the mask/handles. The buckets remained orange and green.
Downside: there was only one style of handle--- a black cat. Though the handle was either black or purple (depending on your bucket), the absence of one of the previous handles was felt. You can read about them HERE.

In 2012 we get a new licensed property, and multi-colored buckets and handles, but gone are the masks.
Let's over-analyze and talk way too much about them now.

Scooby-Doo adds "Halloween Pail" to his ---can't believe I'm going to type this--- BUCKET list (I'm dying inside) and, frankly, I think it's a perfect fit. Even as a kid I knew I was NOT into Mr. Potato Head, but Scooby-Doo was always associated with monsters and ghosts in my brain.

This year McDonald's gives us THREE buckets in white, light green and a purple-blue (which I will henceforth refer to as 'midnight blue' because it sounds Halloweeny). The green seems to be the same shade as previous pails, but perhaps it's more "Mystery Machine" green.
I don't have the paint chips to check.
As a fan of the original McBoo Pails, and especially the white ghosts, I'm happy to see the white pail appear and really, really love the midnight blue. That's my favorite. But more on that in a bit.
The "mask handles" are gone this year, replaced with a similar bat-like Scooby-Doo logo and come in black, orange and white.
I miss the novelty fun of the mask handles, but definitely think the SD logo looks appropriate over each bucket.
As I've mentioned in the past, I think the pail size is uniform from year to year, so theoretically, you could pop the skull handle off of a 2010 bucket and put it on the 2012 bucket.
I'm an idea man.

McDonald's has also gone and given each pail its own identity in the activity associated with the side. All three have sticker-sheet lids as before, but each pail is for a different purpose: the white pail has a Scooby-Doo Disguise sticker sheet. Scooby has various poses and you stick various hat, mustaches and monocles on them to 'dress him up in disguise.' Though I love the clean look of the white bucket with the black bat-like handle, and the small splashes of Halloween orange behind our lovable mutt, the activity is too close to Mr. Potato Head for me to care. Kids will probably love it.

The green bucket or "Mystery Machine" pail is made to look like a rounded version of the classic spook-chasing-mobile. You're given a sticker sheet to decorate the van complete with a Scooby to drape out the window, 60s-tastic flowers and lots of cool monster masks to post over the shoulder of the clearly zoinking Shaggy and Scooby. My definite 2nd favorite.

Last and certainly not the least is the midnight blue (I'm owning that color) "Search and Find" pail.
My 8-year-old self is ga-ga over this one. Not only do I get the midnight blue bucket, with a spooky white ghost handle, but there's a great scrolling scene of the gang with flashlight surveying the creepy night. The sticker sheet allows you to find objects and then sticker them with a very action-bubble POW! shape around them to call them out. I LOVED Seek and Finds as a kid. A+ on this one McDonald's.

As usual, there's a digital tie-in with Scooby-Doo Flash games other fun (remember McWorld?) over HERE on the official Happy Meal mini-site.

All in all, I'm really digging the Halloween Pails this year. I would buy all three. I say "would" as I haven't ventured out to get mine yet. Word on the street is that they're rolling these out slowly so only one bucket per week leading up to Halloween, forcing you to return to McDonald's at least three times to collect 'em all.
Which for me, means THREE ORDERS OF CHICKEN TENDERS AND BUFFALO SAUCE.
WOO!

Get 'em before they're G-O-N-E!

Plants Vs. Zombies FREE Download Coupons for Halloween!

2012-10-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

We all know that Halloween is about, to paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, "Get Candy getcandygetcandygetcandy."
But really how much can kids (and adults) eat without exploding?
So the dilemma is: what do you hand out as treats, that's still fun, cool and makes you the go-to house this Halloween?
How about video games.
FREE video games.

FREE VIDEO GAMES????!!
Yes, seriously.

The good --no, I'm going to go one more-- the GREAT peeps at PopCap have come up with a new fun campaign with the American Dental Association this Halloween called: Stop Zombie Mouth.

From the website:

This Halloween, the ADA and PopCap Games are redefining what a Halloween “treat” can be… by giving FUN instead of candy. We’re giving away Plants vs. Zombies™ download games as a sugar-free alternative, and you can join in the fun.

Ask if your local dentist has the limited-edition, collectible Plants vs. Zombies trading cards with the code for a free Plants vs. Zombies download game. Or, download printable free-game coupons HERE.

You can also head over to StopZombieMouth.com HERE to get even more FREE Halloween treats like Plants Vs. Zombies masks, coloring pages and Desktop Wallpapers.

To go straight to the print-your-own coupons, click HERE.

What a great idea and it's for a great cause AND a great game because, really, how many mini-Snickers can you eat?
Thirty-seven?
Thirty-eight?
Frankly, I passed out around that number.

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown Airs on ABC 10/31 @ 8pm

2012-10-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

Just so I don't miss one of the most important Halloween-seasonal events, I want to make sure I get this information out there NOW...

The timeless classic It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown will be airing ACTUALLY ON HALLOWEEN, October 31st, 2012, on ABC at 8pm this year.

Some may groan, "8pm on Halloween?! What about all my other Halloween activities? I'll miss it!"
To those I say, three letters: D-V-R.

To those that will go old-school and watch it live, I'm there with you. It's like catching a song you love while flipping around on the radio. Sure you've got that same song on your iPod, but the serendipity of listening to it live makes the moment special.

For extra old-school credit, be sure to play the below CBS twirling "Special Presentation" logo and fanfare about 15 seconds before the show starts.
You'll earn brownie-points with the Great Pumpkin.

To read everything I've ever written about Charlie Brown and this special, click THIS LINK HERE and read-away!

Cool Thing We Missed: The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXIII

2012-10-16T02:00:00.000-07:00

Wow that's two strikes for me.
Not only did I miss THIS a few weeks ago but the annual The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXIII has already aired!

One more strike and I lose my exclusive Halloween Yacht Club membership.
"There's a Halloween Yacht Club?"
Whoops... I've said too much.

Yep, turns out that The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXIII (that's TWENTY-THREE to those who don't read Roman letter-thingys) aired back on Sunday October 7th.
Madness.
For years I've counted on TOH to air the week AFTER Halloween. Though the baseball delay originally upset me, I warmed to it as I realized it artificially extended the Halloween season one more week.
Take THAT Christmas!
Bam!
Sucker punch from Homer.

But not this year. Nope, the Fox Fairies waved their magic TV wands and put it weeks earlier. Be careful what you wish for... you just... might... get it.

Have no fear though (and, again, maybe I'm only consoling myself) but thanks to the slow death of television by the interwebs, you can watch it for a limited time (legally!) for FREE right HERE on Hulu.

Rite-Aid's Fang-tastic Photo Offers & CONTEST!

2012-10-15T02:00:00.000-07:00

The good folks at Ride-Aid reached out to let me know about some killer sales that are going on in their photo center.

Keep reading and I'll tell you about a quick contest to earn a FREE code getting you BOTH an 11" x 14" Photo Canvas print AND a Peanuts Photo Mug! (An over $80 value!)...

Still here?
Great!
So here's the deal: ONLY through November 10, 2012, use the following codes for all treats and no tricks:

40 digital prints for only $4.99 - promo code: MONSTERFAN
10 free greeting cards when you buy 30 - promo code: ZOMBIE
11" x 14" canvas print for only $15.99 - promo code: MUMMY
$5.00 Treats - use promo code: SPOOKTACULAR

$5 off all mugs: Magic mugs, Peanuts® mugs, colorful mugs, stainless steel travel mug
$5 off a set of three 3x4 magnets

$10 Treats - use promo code: TRICKORTREAT

$10 off: Photo Books, iPhone® Case, iPad® Folio and Single poster

$20 off all fleece photo blankets - use promo code: GHOULDROOL

Click HERE to go right to the Rite-Aid-sponsored HalloweenPhotoContest.com where you can find giveaways, recipe ideas and other fun stuff (like THESE free printable classic Monster posters).

Now for the HalloweenAddict code giveaway:

Just post a comment on this post below stating your favorite freaky monster from the choices found HERE and then I'll randomly pick a winner using Random.org to give the FREE code getting you BOTH an 11" x 14" Photo Canvas print AND a Peanuts Photo Mug!

Comments can be left starting now through Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at 12 noon PT.

I'll contact the winner Wednesday night.

Ready, set GO!