Halloween Addict

Santa's Last Stand Holiday Greeting Card

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

On the heels of yesterday's free holiday greeting cards, today's cards cost a paltry $3 apiece, but are no less awesome.

Whereas yesterday's cards featured Santa fighting zombies, today's card features Santa taking on a new war by battling a horde of angry snowmen... with a flamethrower.
The inside of the card?

"Wishing you a warm holiday season."

Wonderful.

Order HERE from SeventhInk.com and save some money by ordering 5 for $12.

FREE ZOMBIE Christmas Cards!

2011-12-08T22:42:00.000-08:00

You want Zombie-themed holiday cards?
Check.
You want Zombie-themed holiday gift tags?
Check.
You want a Zombie-themed Santa ornament?
CHECK, I say.
You want all this for Super cheap? How about free?
Check, sir.

Head on over to RiseAgaintheNovel.com and you will find all these things and more. Just download the PDFs, print and go.

The cards are great as each one is in a different style.
A parody of a New Yorker cover; a wide-eyed cute-Santa hacking up a zombie in a '50s-era style; a zombie snowman that would make Calvin & Hobbes proud... and more.

You say, "Sure the cards and holiday stuff is free. But what's the catch?"
The catch is: they're on a website advertising a pretty well-rated zombie book.
"Ah HA!" you exclaim. "Wait... no, that's pretty cool. "
Indeed it is. Clever advertising.

Buy the zombie novel Rise Again HERE on Amazon or in the link below.
See that?
Come for the free holiday swag... stay for the zombie novel.

FIVE Scary Snowflake Patterns

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

One of my fondest memories of elementary school was being taught how to cut snowflake patterns out of folded white paper.

The first time I made one I thought I was freakin' Merlin.
"MAGIC! I have performed magic using only these scissors and this plain piece of white paper! Voila! Look at my craft and bow down before me!" I thought... in my head, not aloud. Tsk. As if. They would have locked me up had I bellowed that like Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes...

The thought I had soon after cutting out a few, and I swear this is true, was, "Hmmm... I wonder how I can make scary stuff using the same trick."
Well YEARS later, and thanks to the wide wide world o' webs, people have been doing that very thing.

So here are links to 5 different SCARY SNOWFLAKES you can make to scarify your tree, decorate your place, or to just give a little Halloween twist to the holiday.

1) ZOMBIE SNOWFLAKE

Thanks to the good folks at PizzaBytheSlice.com you can download a free PDF template for your own zombie snowflake.

I like the alternating zombie head and hand. And, hey, if one head or hand is accidentally torn off... well all the better.
That's what we call a "happy accident."

Click HERE to go to PizzaBytheSlice.com and download the template.

2) BAT AND GHOST SNOWFLAKE

This is a little different as it can be made with two different paper colors and can be modified to make three different flakes.

The one pictured is just bats and ghosts the link within a link takes you to a choice of three: ghost and bat, cat and bat, jack and bat.

Go to Extremecards.Blogspot.com HERE to get the how-to and the link to a template.

3) STAR WARS AHSOKA TANO

While looking for "scary snowflakes" I found a pic of this particular character and thought it was some sort of witch. Imagine my surprise when I clicked through and found out that this snowflake is based on a Star Wars character called Ahsoka Tano.
Jeez... when I don't know a Star Wars character... I'm gettin' old.

SO you can take it as a Star Wars character, or put your blinders on and pretend it's a witch or zombie woman. Shhh... don't worry... I won't tell.

Get the template HERE at AnthonyHerreraDesigns.com.

4) JACK SKELLINGTON SPIDER SNOWFLAKE

Leave it to The Nightmare Before Christmas to inspire this one.

Our good friends who like to teach stuff, Instructables.com, have cracked the code to making your very own spider snowflake just like the one Jack Skellington makes in N.B.C.

Click HERE for a link with visual how-to at Instructables.com.

5) JACK O' LANTERN SNOWFLAKE WREATH

What kind of list of Scary Snowflakes list would this be if I didn't at least have a jack o' lantern-centric one?
Well the good news is that this jack o' lantern wreath/snowflake is awesome.
The bad news is that there's no information on how to make your own. No instructions, no templates.
Just a few pictures of the beautiful work.

If you've got the time or know of how to do such a thing, let me know.
Otherwise, we'll just all have to gaze at its awesomeness HERE at THS.Gardenweb.com.

So get cuttin', Merlin.

Holiday Gift Guide: VIDEOGAMES for a Halloween Addict 2011

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

In some ways video games have the ability to immerse us in a scary world better than any movie ever could.

As the holidays usually give us time away from our jobs, and duties, why not use some of that downtime to turn down the lights and immerse yourself in one of the scary picks below.

1) COSTUME QUEST

I've raved about this little fun gem HERE but here's the gist:
your brother (or sister depending on how you play) gets kidnapped by monsters on Halloween. You and your friends get together to save her/him. Your costume has different fighting abilities depending on what you're wearing. Example: a cardboard robot costume becomes a giant mech capable of delivering a missile assault... a homemade knight costume (complete with trash can lid 'shield') becomes a giant broadsword, etc.
You fight in turn-based combat all the while collecting stickers (which give powerups), complete mini-games (like bobbing for apples) to gain candy (which acts as currency), and collect new costumes with new powers.

Also: There's a 2nd downloadable level "Grubbins on Ice" that pits the kids against the evil grubbins in an ice and snow environment. It even has three new costumes with new powers to acquire and use.

Bottom line: this game is super-cute but totally fun. It's virtual trick-or-treating with an adventure story and clever funny writing. Available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.

2) ANGRY BIRDS: SEASONS

For the casual gamer with a smart phone or iPad, I can't recommend Angry Birds: Seasons enough (see my previous post HERE).

You get constant holiday updates (Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, etc.) for FREE after getting the app and the Halloween 2012 update is already available with new black exploding pumpkins and a new orange bird that inflates like a puffer fish.
Angry Birds is addicting and whole lot of fun.
I don't mind waiting in holiday lines now because I get to play a 60 second level or two before I reach the register. In fact... I'm starting to seek out lines to stand in just so I can play.
I have a problem.

3) ALAN WAKE

You play as Alan Wake, a best-selling horror novelist (-cough- Stephen King -cough), who ventures to a small lake-side town.
As he works on his new book, Alan realizes that what's being put on paper is starting to happen in real life.

A completely atmospheric sandbox game that has scares and an unraveling mystery.

Available for Xbox on Amazon HERE.

4) PINBALL FX2

Though arcades and pinball are sadly fading into the past, current generation video game systems are embracing them in realistic play with virtual bells and whistles that would make a physical table impossible. Pinball FX2 is the best pinball you're going to find at home.
The program itself is a free download that allows you test-play certain tables. Then you pay for what tables you want to play.

For tables with eerie themes, check out the Ouija board-themed Paranormal (mentioned HERE), Nightmare Mansion (with spooky ghost bumpers and glowing eye-ramps), and even Marvel Comics-themed tables featuring darker characters Ghost Rider, Blade and Moon Knight.

5) MORTAL KOMBAT

Why Mortal Kombat?
Well if you like your fighters gory, this is the place. Not only are there the series-defining fatalities, but you also get X-Ray moves that deliver bone-crunching blows in see-through cut-scenes.

But in a licensing stroke of brilliance, you can now pay to download extra fighters including --drum roll please-- FREDDY KRUEGER.
That's right, Mr. Nightmare on Elm Street himself sports TWO bladed gloves (hey, why not?) and will face off against the other ninjas, robots and monsters the MK world has to offer.

I can say that, as a guy who's been playing this series for over 20 years now (seriously?!), this reboot of the franchise is one of the best fighting games ever made.

Available for both Xbox and PS3 HERE on Amazon.

6) RED DEAD REDEMPTION: UNDEAD NIGHTMARE

Red Dead Redemption was hailed as video game triumph last year. Rockstar Games (makers of the Grand Theft Auto series) delivered a sandbox game in an old west setting and not only was it loads of fun to play, but it delivered an experience that gamers still talk about today.

But if fighting bandits and train robbers ain't enough how about turning that world on its head... and making it alllll DEAD.
Undead Nightmare puts zombies squarely in the same world and gives you new tasks and goals.

Available for either Xbox or PS3 as a download or as a stand-alone game through Amazon HERE.

7) DEADSPACE 2

Take Event Horizon and cross it with Alien, with some The Thing (1982) sauce. Then sprinkle some Doom (the game, not the movie) in there for good measure... then start changing your pants.

Deadspace 2 puts you in the shoes of Isaac Clarke one more time, in space... where necromorphs (they're as horrible as they sound) are out to get you.

This game scared me. It literally made me jump and vocalize "AGH!"
For Xbox or PS3 on Amazon HERE.

8) F3AR (FEAR 3)

I hate typing out titles with numbers "cleverly" used as letters. FEAR 3 takes the first-person shooter and adds a layer of survival horror to it and overall it works pretty well.

Also worth noting is that horror-movie maestro John Carpenter acted as a consultant on F3AR (see? corny with the number).
Available on Xbox and PS3 HERE.

9) DEAD ISLAND

Zombies aren't going away anytime soon and here's the latest incarnation in video game form: DEAD ISLAND.

After a beautiful trailer (which you can and SHOULD watch HERE) it's almost as if the game couldn't live up to the hype.
Quick and dirty: you're on an island. There are zombies. You'll fight to live. You can make weapons from various things.
SUPER PLUS: a friend can join in your game AT ANY TIME so you can both battle to survive together.

But seriously, that original trailer was really something.
Even if you're not a video game player, watch the thing HERE. It's freakin' art. It'll make you cry.

Buy the game for Xbox and PS3 HERE on Amazon.

10) ALICE MADNESS RETURNS

This ain't yo' daddy's Alice in Wonderland.
Nightmarish. Demented. Twisted.
Alice carries a kitchen knife.
The minions of the Red Queen are out to get you.
The Cheshire Cat is not to be trusted.

Available for PC, Xbox and PS3. Go HERE to purchase.

Holiday Gift Guide: BOOKS for a Halloween Addict 2011

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

To me, the holidays are a time to slow down and take a breather.
Like running a marathon, crossing December 24th is akin to crossing the finish line and taking a moment to rest from a year's hard run.

Christmas Day usually finds me unwrapping a new book, throwing some wood on the fire, shutting off the TV and delving in to page after page of quiet wonder.

Sometimes that book comes in the "coffee table" variety: oversized, hardcovers with tons of glossy photos to pore over. Other-times, it's solid print on a genre dear to me: things that go bump in the night. Nothing like giving yourself a chill while the fireplace crackles.

Following are ten tomes that run the gamut from collections, to kids books, to coffee-table varieties.
All would be perfect for the Halloween Addict in your life, perhaps even yourself...

1) HALLOWEEN

As I've mentioned in the past, one of my favorite books is the Halloween-themed compendium October Dreams.

As that book is long out-of-print, thank the Great Pumpkin there are publishers who still believe in a solid Halloween-themed short-story collection from time to time.

Released this year, and titled simply Halloween, the book overlaps some of October Dreams' titles slightly (like Ray Bradbury's classic The October Game and Thomas Liggotti's Conversations in a Dead Language) and even some authors (William F. Nolan, Bradbury) but still manages to bring new enough new stories to the collection to warrant a purchase.
A fitting addition to any Halloween fan's library.
Only $10 and available through Amazon HERE.

2) THE HALLOWEEN KID

For a kid or a kid at heart, Rhode Montijo's tale of a cowboy-dressed kid who has to round up the monsters in town is drawn in a vintage style with a classic color scheme of black, orange and cream.

Fans of a classic Halloween look will love flipping through the pages and kids will love the fun bedtime story.
Click HERE for the Amazon link.

3) MAD MONSTER PARTY

If you're a fan of holiday-time Rankin-Bass stop motion (and who isn't?), then you're probably also a fan of the pseudo-Halloween RB special Mad Monster Party.

Well the Rankin-Bass historian, Rick Goldschmidt, has released this tome which is supposed to give lots of behind the scenes info, photos and more.
Downside: it's not available 'til December 25th.
But, hey, who doesn't like getting gifts AFTER Christmas?
Click HERE for the Amazon link to pre-order.

4) TRICK 'R TREAT: TALES OF MAYHEM, MYSTERY AND MICHIEF

You may cry "CHEATER!" But wait, listen:
Sure I've mentioned this in the past (see HERE), but I finally acquired a copy this past October and realize that it's so much more than I originally thought.
I thought the book was a typical film-companion "coffee-table book." But oh no. Not at all.
Though the book is full of info on the making of, what I consider to be, the quintessential Halloween movie, Trick 'r Treat. It's also a tribute to the Halloween holiday in general.
There's a quick write-up on the origin of the term "trick or treat."

Another quick history of the "jack o' lantern."
Jack o' Lantern stencils that you can remove from an envelope and use on your own pumpkins.
An explanation on the '70s and '80s urban legend of 'tainted candy.'
A history of black cats and their relation to the holiday.
A brief history of Hallowe'en and October 31st.
Trick 'r Treat stickers of Sam, fictitious candybars and more.
A quick essay on Halloween costumes.
A paper mask of Sam to wear.
A comic book adaptation of Mike Dougherty's "Seasons Greetings" short.
And on top of all that, tons of pictures from the film and anecdotes from the cast and crew involved.

As I read it, it felt like trick or treating for me: an adult who hasn't had that opportunity in decades. I never knew what new goodies I would discover as I turned each page.
A must for Halloween fans (and, of course, fans of the film).
Click HERE to get this hardcover, slip-cased tome from Amazon.

5) HALLOWEEN IN CHRISTMAS HILLS

This book looks great.
And when I say "looks" I mean I watched the book "trailer" HERE on YouTube.
Go watch, I'll wait.
See?
Neat, right?

Here's the bad thing: I can't find it.
The link I had found a few months ago is now dead and it's not on Amazon soooooooo if you happen to find where it can be purchased, DO let me know in the comments below.

6) AFTER HALLOWEEN

Another one for the kid in us all. After Halloween is actually an Alphabet Book that tells the tales of what monsters do --duh-- after Halloween... in poetry.
Like this:
E is for Ealwatte
A Mage of the Dead.
Now he crafts hats
To adorn your bald head.
Clever text and fun illustrations from the folks at SteamCrow.com.
Also available on Amazon HERE.

7) COMPLETE HISTORY OF RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD

Thank goodness we have horror movie fans with passion.
Seriously, if it weren't for the passion of certain horror franchises we wouldn't have such all-knowing compendiums such as Crystal Lake Memories, The Evil Dead Companion and now this: The Complete History of Return of the Living Dead.

Released this year, the book not only exhaustively chronicles and interviews all those involved with the classic horror-comedy Return of the Living Dead, but also goes on to dissect the sequels too.
A must have for a fan of the series (or just the original).
Click HERE to get it at Amazon.

8) JAWS: MEMORIES FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD

Also released this year: Jaws: Memories from Martha's Vineyard gives the perspective of the Universal film crew descending on the small seaside town from the perspective of those who lived there.

Tons of never-before-seen pictures with stories and anecdotes from those who were there witnessing history.
Even people who don't like scary movies like Jaws.
Buy it from Amazon HERE.

9) MONSTERS IN THE MOVIES

Wait, there's a book on monsters from the Director of An American Werewolf in London?
Yes, please I'll take two. One for the house and one for the car.

Monsters in the Movies gives John Landis a platform to give commentary on all sorts of creepy beasties: from teenage werewolves to psychotics in haunted hotels.
Also included are interviews with some of Landis' partners in crime: from Rick Baker to Sam Raimi.

Click HERE to get it on Amazon.

10) DRESSED FOR THRILLS: 100 YEARS OF HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AND MASQUERADE

This book has its fans and haters. Less a readable book and more of visual reference material of costumes through the ages, focusing on pre-'60's but dabbles in early costumes all the way to the '80s.

If you're looking to flesh out your Halloween library with go-to inspiration or reference, pick this up. Plus, look at that awesome cover.
Out of print but super cheap (under $10) and available through certain Amazon sellers HERE.

Holiday Gift Guide: WINES for a Halloween Addict

2011-12-04T20:49:00.000-08:00

The holidays are a festive time for food, friends and libations.
Why just settle for a grocery-store-bought "red" when you can inject a little scary into your wine selection. To guests who don't care, it's still wine in a glass. To yourself and other Halloween Addicts, it's injecting a little scary into your ho-ho-ho.

So here are ten scary reds to give as gifts or to hide amongst the red and green on your table. (Be sure to check my earlier post HERE to get yourself edu-ma-cated on some other tricks to make your wine taste better.)

1) ELVIRA'S MACABRENET

The Mistress of the Dark is now the Maven of the Macabre.
Elvira has just released her first wine: a cabernet sauvignon entitled "Macabrenet."
See what she did there? Wordplay!
The batch is limited to 500 cases so pick up a bottle or more before it vanishes into that good night.

For an extra A Christmas Story-ish fun, pay attention to the cork in your bottle. Black corks are standard but unique RED corks can be sent in to the Elvira Fan Club for "... something special in return."
I just hope it's not a message saying "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine."
Click HERE to order yours.

2) CRYSTAL LAKE WINES - SURVIVOR SYRAH

Adrienne King who played Alice Hardy, the only survivor from the original classic Friday the 13th film, is in league with Valley View Winery to bring you: Survivor Syrah.

Not only is the title of the Syrah a wink to her well-known horror pedigree bu the bottles themselves feature paintings by Adrienne herself depicting that magic tranquil moment her character had before the final scare of the film.

There's more than just a Syrah, CLW puts out a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon too but the Syrah is the only one with a clever title.

A must have for any Jason Voorhees (yes, I know he didn't show up 'til Part 2) and Friday the 13th fan.
Order your bottle HERE from CrystalLakeWines.com.

3) TWISTED OAK - RIVER OF SKULLS

River of Skulls is what's called a "blend." In this case it's a blend of Syrah and Mourvedre.

According to the description it's peppery with blackberry and tobacco notes. Translation: it's a spicier wine for those who like a lot of flavor in their reds.

The label features a blood-red, er... "holiday"-red skull.
Pick it up from the Twisted Oak Winery website HERE.

4) POIZIN RESERVE ZINFANDEL

Speaking of red skulls on bottles, I can't NOT mention Poizin Zinfandel.
This is the Reserve Zin (the regular is sold out on the site) which features the same Zin with the melted wax coating on the cork and sold in an actual WOODEN COFFIN.

You can't really go wrong with a Zinfandel and the accoutrements really make this gift worthy.
Be sure to check out their new 'Antidote' Pinot Gris for a white to pair alongside your Poizin.
Both are available through Poizin.com HERE.

5) RED HEAD STUDIOS RETURN OF THE LIVING RED

This zombie-themed blend comes from New Zealand so they must be friends with Peter Jackson.
You'll have to get it in the states from websites like this, and it looks like it'll go for around $60 per bottle.

6) GRAVEYARD VINEYARDS

A bunch of clever titles to choose from from this Paso Robles vineyard.

With wines like "Tombstone Red," "Dark Phantom" and "Mortal Zin," these guys know how to name a wine. And their several silver medals demonstrate that they know how to MAKE a wine too.
Be sure to check out their "Graveyard Goods and Gadgets" part of the site where you can buy black skull and tombstone wine stoppers, and a "Drink in Peace" coffin gift box.

Go HERE to get the goods.

7) BOGLE PETITE SYRAH

This is an old-standby for me and the good news is that it's pretty easily found in liquor stores, packys and groceries.

"Bogle" in Scottish means "Phantom."
If you drop this little trivia nugget of info to your partygoers as you fill their glasses, you'll look like you know what you're talking about. And after reading this... you DO know what you're talking about.

8) CASTLE ROCK PINOT NOIR

Another stand-by for me.
It's easy to find and it's a solid Pinot Noir... and at a very palatable price point of under $20.

Though the wine has nothing to do with this next factoid: any Stephen King fan worth his/her weight in horror knowledge can tell you that Castle Rock is the fictional New England town where King has set many a story including such gems as Cujo, The Dead Zone and Needful Things... it's still delicious.

9) HALLOWINE

Mulled wine is a holiday staple, so what if there's a jack o' lantern apple on the bottle.

Sweet apple wine seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. Scented candles be damned.
Heat and serve.

Buy it from the vintner HERE.

10) ANYTHING YOU WANT

This is a bit of a cheat, but why not put your creative talents to the test and design your own label to slap on a bottle of your favorite vino?
A Snowman with a jack o' lantern head called "Jack Frost." Slap it on a bottle of white.
A Rudolph pic with a glowing orange jack o' lantern nose. Called "Rudolph's Scary New Year."
The Hitchhiking Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion singing carols. The label's called "Scarol Syrah."
You get the idea.
I'm just spitballin' here.
So get creatin', orderin', givin', drinkin' and enjoyin'.

Holiday Gift Guide: ORNAMENTS for a Halloween Addict

2011-12-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here's the issue: Halloween ornaments are generally released in October but Christmas trees go up in December. If you don't plan ahead, you could be coloring snowflakes with black sharpies, painting jack o' lantern heads on your snowmen and hanging tinsel while pretending it's silver "spider webs."

Thank goodness we have the internet.

No matter what your shrubbery of choice is: Christmas Tree, Chanukah Bush, Halloween Tree, you gotta decorate that thing so that it's the most sincere. Not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.

1) PEANUTS "I GOT A ROCK"

I was trying to find an ornament that encapsulates the classic It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Hallmark has done a great job over the past 5 years in releasing various tie-ins to the TV classic, but I think this particular one does it best.

You've got the kids trick-or-treating and Charlie Brown's awful discovery with the quote right on the bottom.
Magic.
Click HERE to get it on Amazon.

2) GLASS SKULL ORNAMENTS

I always find that a tree needs some "filler" ornaments. You can't just have a media blitz of different styles and themes. There has to be some constants sprinkled throughout to tie it all together.

I think THESE glass ball skull and crossbones in gold will do the trick.
Just the right amount of holiday glitz with Halloween fun.

3) GLIMLINGS FUNFLECTORS

Though not ACTUALLY an ornament, the twisted little jack o' lantern Funflector looks like it belongs hanging from a branch.

Plus, the reflective material will probably kick the light from your tree strands nicely adding a little orange flicker to your holiday corner.

Read up on 'em HERE in a past post with links on where to buy.

4) JACK SKELLINGTON HEAD

If ever there's a time to integrate The Nightmare Before Christmas characters into your decorating, it's in ornaments.

There's a million different ones out there, but I like the classic simplicity of THIS Jack Skellington head. The round skull with black glittery eyes and a black and white ribbon as a hanger makes this a welcome addition to any tree without being overly gawdy or kitchy.
I like using words that end in "y" apparently.

5) GHOSTBUSTERS ECTO-1

Halloween has ghosts.
And when you have ghosts... who you gonna call?
Ghostbusters! They're ready to believe you.

Hallmark released the Ghostbusters Ecto-1 back in 2009 and I deem it worthy of any tree decoration.
As it was released a couple years ago and is now out of production, it's a little pricey on Amazon HERE, but you can also find it on eBay.

6) THE GREAT SANTA PUMPKIN ORNAMENT

I'm always looking for a glowing jack to add to the tree. But show me a glowing jack with a Santa hat? Sold.

Fellow Halloween website Cult of the Great Pumpkin has a Zazzle store HERE with a few different Halloween ornaments, but this one is my pick.

7) MOONHALLOW MUMMY WITCH BALL

While skipping through the internet pansies, I stumbled upon THIS website for MoonHallowVintage.com and its "Witch Ball" line of ornaments.

They're a bit bigger than normal ball ornaments (3 1/2" across) so consider that before buying one or forty.
I liked the look and feel of these: sort of like a cross between Christmas Ornaments and toy Madballs. The Mummy was my favorite with the Skull in a close second.

Handmade of Paper Mache and available HERE.

8) FRIGHTFUL SPOOKS ORNAMENT SET

I'm really picky about my vintage Halloween decorations. They can't be too googly-eyed and the colors should stick to a classic black, orange and cream and then poof--- there was a set.

This "Frightful Spooks" 6 pack features slightly scary, not too googly and certainly spooky ornaments of iconic Halloween imagery: black cat, witch, skull and various ghosts.

I found a set for the low-low price of $15.99 HERE at ChristmasTraditions.com of all places.
The internet is a crazy place. Black is white. Steak is soup. Christmas is Halloween.
Nuts.

9) WOODEN JACK O' LANTERN

There's a whole line of Halloween wooden ornaments HERE at AdventOrnaments.com. All are really wonderful with all the classic characters like ghosts, witches and skulls represented, but there's also some original choices like buzzards, scarecrows and a haunted house silhouette.
I like the classic lines of this wood-cut jack o' lantern ornament.
At only $5 per ornament you can get the whole set quite quickly and cheaply.

10) HALLMARK THE GREAT PUMPKIN'S VISIT

I thought I could do it.
I thought I could narrow my pick down to only one Peanuts ornament, but I can't.
Though my first choice was "I got a rock." my close second is this 2011 ornament released by Hallmark of Sally and Linus in the pumpkin patch.

It's even got an action feature that allows Snoopy to rise up.
C'mon, how can I pass that up right?
That's worth breaking my own rules.

Holiday Gift Guide: POSTERS AND ART for a Halloween Addict

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

If there's one way to keep a Halloween decoration up year 'round without --ahem-- "normal" people thinking twice about it it's through ART. Or if you live in Boston: AHHHT.
Here are ten posters I've found that you may want to pick up for that special Halloween Addict in your life. They range from super-cheap to super-pricey but in the end, it's a gift most won't be expecting and most won't do for themselves.

Be sure to take it to your local Frames-Frames-Frames-And-More (they sell frames) and get it professionally er, framed as it's much more fun to open a gift shaped like a giant rectangle than it is to open something looking like a wrapped rocket launcher.

And now... ahhhhhht:

1) TOM WHALEN'S IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN CHARLIE BROWN

I posted a heads up about this back HERE in early October.
I love Tom's work and his sense of dynamic design (so much so, I had him design the logo at the top of this very website).

The good news is that his take on the Peanuts classic is gorgeous and is a perfect tribute to one of the best animated Halloween specials ever made.
The bad news is that the poster is sold out.
The good news is that you can still find the poster on eBay.
The bad news is that it usually goes for around $150-$300.
But if you have the ultimate Great Pumpkin fan and Halloween Addict, money may be no object.
So get your auction biddn't finger ready and go snag one of these limited edition prints.

2) SOCIETY 6's FAMOUS CAPSULES

I mentioned Greg Guillemin's minimalistic "Famous Capsules" line HERE. Take a movie and enCAPSULATE (see?) it one little pill.
Though I have the multiple horror movie poster pictured, you can also get one of just the Halloween capsule too.

Cost is only $48 for movie-poster-size, or get a tiny 8"x9" for less then twenty bucks.
Available HERE st Society6.com.

3) i-MOCKERY's HALLOWEEN PIXEL POSTER

For the low-low price of 10 smackeroos, you can have the ultimate Seek-and-Find for Halloween, Horror and Videogame geeks.

I talked about it HERE but as a reminder: this 34"x13.5" marvel is packed to the gills with so many film and nostalgia references, you'll spend large chunks of your life staring into its cluttered madness.

Click over to i-Mockery HERE to get yours.

4) MONDO's LIMITED EDITION POSTERS

The great thing about Mondo posters is that they're almost always awesome.
The bad thing about Mondo posters is that they sell out in 2.6 blinks.
But like the Peanuts poster above, you can find most of what you seek on the bay that is "e."

Check out the archive HERE first to find out what you want to try and find and then head over to eBay being sure to bring your non-maxed-out credit card.
Mondo posters are HIGHLY collectible and sought after so you're going to need to pay for the privilege of owning one.

Example: THIS immaculate Drew Struzan Frankenstein is currently going for upwards of $900.
Also check out THIS Halloween which just sold for around $315 on the auction site.

5) RED BUBBLE

I just recently discovered RedBubble.com and all the artists who post their work on it.
Like THIS art print called "Keep Out" by Rouble Rust.
She's charging a little over a $100 for a poster print from her original painting. That can go up more depending on if you want an archival paper stock or the print delivered framed.

A great place to discover artists and a plethora of Halloween-related material.
Go to RedBubble.com HERE.

6) LEW LEHRMAN'S THE HAUNTED STUDIO PRINTS

I interviewed Lew back in March HERE, about what he does and how he does it. Though it may be too late to get your house haunted by Lew in time for the holidays, you can certainly order up some prints of his various haunted abodes and locations.

Signed Premiere Limited Edition prints will run you upwards of $150 but you can also purchase Medium Format prints for a more budget-conscious $59.
Head over to HauntedStudio.com HERE.

7) 149 ICONS OF HORROR

Measuring 14" x 36" and filled with 149 tiny white silhouettes of various baddies from horror, legends, videogames and comics THIS poster from SuperMarketHQ.com will certainly be a conversation starter.
"Who's the 3rd one down, 6th over?"
"Oh that's Shiva."
"Ohhhh..."

A slight investment at $48 but it's printed on "Black French Muscletone Paper" which sounds faaaaancy.

8) HOW WOULD YOU EAT PEZ PRINT by 42BRUSHES

When I think of PEZ candy and dispensers, I think of Halloween.
So when I found 42Brushes' 11" x 14" print called "How Would You Eat PEZ" I thought it was pretty great.

You've got a full moon, a vampire, a PEZ dispenser.
Heck if PEZ wanted to amp up their ad campaign at Halloweentime, this would be a perfect print ad.

It's only $6 HERE on Etsy which Mad Magazine would call "Cheap."

9) BOB LIZARRAGA

With a style that fluctuates between cartoony and tawdry, Bob Lizarraga's art is certainly fun to look at.

Pictured left is a print called "Zeke's Mask" but be sure to check out other fun and scary twists on The Three Stooges, Bettie Page, The Haunted Mansion and more.

Prints are generally under $20 but originals will run up to $200.
Head over to BobLizarraga.com HERE.

10) SPOOKSHOWS.COM

I've always loved Spookshows.com's collection of vintage Halloween and Spook Show advertisement art.

Though most of the artwork is only available as mousepads and t-shirts, there are a few (like the classy "At Midnight..." to the left) which are available through Zazzle as posters and prints.
Costs are low too, only $25 for movie poster size and less for smaller. Plus Zazzle let's you see what a hanging version looks like in a virtual living room.
Heyyyy, how'd Zazzle know I have pink striped couch?

I only had 10 slots to fill, but Google around and you can find tons more Halloween-inspired imagery to hang in your office, living room, apartment or home.
Now get going.
The holiday clock is ticking.

13 Days of Creepmas BEGINS!

2011-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

For such a beloved holiday, Halloween seems to get the shorter and shorter end of the stick.

Though Halloween Addicts got Halloween wares in stores earlier than usual this year, we conversely had jolly old Saint Nick moving in on our shelf territory by mid-October.

So when I heard about some Countdown to Halloween bloggers who were raging against the red and green machine in a little stunt called "Creepmas," I gladly partook in another excuse to spread the jack o' lantern smile into the first two weeks of December.
What is Creepmas?
The website describes it thusly:

"A reaction to the continuing incursion of Christmas into Autumn and Halloween, CREEPMAS is a good-natured chance for Halloween lovers to exact revenge by bringing some spooky good cheer into the holidays or, more appropriately, the Hallowdays."

I couldn't have said it better myself. And I'm more than happy to participate.

As Halloween Addict has been around for over 4 years now, and has gathered a lot of new readers and subscribers this year---for Day 1 of Creepmas I've linked to some festive holiday posts and gift lists from years past below.
After all, we can't move into the future without learning from the past first, right?
Somebody important said that.
Roosevelt or Churchill... or The Great Pumpkin or something.

2009 Holiday Gift Guide: Books for a Halloween Addict

2009 Holiday Gift Guide: Boardgames for a Halloween Addict

2009 Holiday Gift Guide: DVDs for a Halloween Addict

2008 DIY Christmas Halloween Stocking Project

2008 DIY Frosted Halloween Ornaments

2008 Halloween Christmas Music Podcast

2007 How To Make Your Christmas More Halloweeny

Halloween Cubeecraft: Pop Culture Papercraft

2011-11-14T21:58:00.001-08:00

The days are shorter, the nights are longer and Halloween is over which means YOU need something to do to stave off boredom and the Halloween DTs.

I bring you CUBEECRAFT!

Imagine this: a whole website of pop-culture characters that you print, cut, fold and make collectible fun out of.

It really couldn't be easier: all the characters are made to be printed on regular 8 1/2 x 11" pieces of paper and don't even require tape or glue as they're all built with an interlocking tab system.

For Halloween Addicts you've got the usual "Classic Monsters" of Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Wolfman, a ghost and jack o' lanterns with various faces. Not to mention horror movie icons like Jason, Freddy, Ghostface, Kane (from Alien) complete with chestburster and even Sam from Trick 'r Treat.

Still not enough?

What about Ghostbusters? All of 'em.
Jack Skellington, The Joker, Rorschach... you know what? I'm not gonna list the entire catalog.
Just go HERE to Cubeecraft.com and see for yourself.

And then... get those idle hands busy.
They're the devil's something somethings...

Society 6: Minimalist Posters, Cases and More...

2011-11-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for minimalist design.
And I'm a pushover for Halloween stuff.

So imagine my delight at finding Society6.com's line of minimalist design posters, iPhone cases, laptop sleeves and more.

The poster to the left is from their "Famous Capsules" series and this one is called "Halloween Series."

Basically they enCAPSULATE a film or character in one CAPSULE. Get it?

I think part of the fun is figuring out who's who. Freddy Krueger is easy (hat and burn marks on the capsule), same with Jason's hockey mask, but who is the far right, middle row supposed to be?
I got nothin'.

The posters come in multiple sizes and you can even get certain prints in hoodies, framed prints, iPhone skins and more.
Be sure to check out their take on Alien, Scream, Legend, Hellboy and a bunch of band tributes and superheroes too. It's all fantastic.

(Now if I can just convince Society6 to make a line-up of a new brand of "Monster Vitamins." I'd buy that for a dollar.)

Check it all out at Society6.com HERE.

LEGO Halloween Advent Calendars

2011-11-06T22:59:00.000-08:00

Recently I discovered THIS totally awesome but very much NOT Halloween-related Star Wars LEGO Advent calendar.
Go HERE to see it.
Wanna buy one?
ME TOO.

But what I'd like to buy MORE is a LEGO HALLOWEEN Advent Calendar.

Turns out... LEGO doesn't make one.

BUT, I found a guy who made a virtual one 2 years in a row.
And it's pretty great.

Head over to Morgan190's Flickr page HERE for the 2011 version.

What he/she has done is created an original LEGO figure, in some scary guise, photographed it, Photoshopped it, titled each figure AND --on top of all that-- put a little quote, or poem or song lyric below each for every day of October.

It's the most professional-looking fan-made virtual Halloween LEGO Advent Calendar I've ever seen........ and that's coming from a guy who has seen all of two of said-type-calendars.

Check out Morgan190's 2011 calendar HERE and the 2010 calendar HERE.

And if you still want to buy that super cool Star Wars LEGO Advent calendar from that OTHER impending holiday, you can do so with the links at the top or bottom of this post.
Shhh... I won't tell.

Halloween Addict Flickr Page: Ye Olde Repository for Reference and Research

2011-11-05T22:29:00.000-07:00

I've been talking about doing this for some time now, but it took the post-October slowdown for me to have time to do it.

I made a Halloween Addict Flickr page.

"Zippadeedoodaa" say many a straight-faced lot of you.
As always, there is a method to my madness.
So let me explain...

As a Halloween Addict, I always appreciate when Halloween shows up in all forms: from advertisements and packaging variants, to banners, e-mail blasts, circulars and other forms of Halloween merriment.

Sometimes these things are included on the site to be preserved for all eternity (or until I stop paying the hosting bill). But many times these things don't make it on Halloween Addict and it's a shame to see them disappear into that good night.

So I made a Flickr page mainly to serve as a museum of imagery, saving these items from the digital and meatspace trash bins and preserving them for research and reference purposes.

To say that the page is in its infancy is an understatement (it's got a whopping 7 images on it currently), but keep checking back, or stumble on it in your Google Image Searches and hopefully you'll eventually find a treasure trove of Halloween stuff to flip through for nostalgia, reference or just plain fun.

Click HERE for the Official Halloween Addict Flickr page.

Glimlings Funflectors: Safety That Looks Cool Too

2011-11-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

No matter how many times I watched the Halloween safety films as kid, the last thing I wanted to do was put reflective safety tape on my Darth Vader costume. Nothing says "lame" louder than "shiny reflecto-Vader."

BUT... had Glimlings been around, you probably could have tricked me into being safe while having a cool ghost or jack o' lantern dangling from my costume.

What are Glimlings?
No not the creatures the Skeksis were chasing in The Dark Crystal. (Anyone? Anyone?)
Glimlings are safety reflectors that have all sorts of cool shapes and make you more visible to traffic headlights at night. Simple, right?

Normally I'd pass right over something like this but I really liked the look of the Glimling jack o' lantern and ghost.

In fact the Glimling line has embraced Halloween with a cat, pumpkin, ghost (two kinds, regular and "running") and skull with nail in its head (wha--?).
They could make responsible treats to drop in the kids' bags amongst the fun size candy bars or even decorations for your Halloween Tree. Just sayin'. I'm an idea man.

Check out all the shapes (including pawprints, peace symbols, etc.) at the Glimling.com website HERE. (Warning: do not stare too long at the 1997 twinkling star background.)

Petco's 2011 Halloween Merch: Favorites

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

You know what the difference is between Halloween decorations that are for humans and Halloween decorations that are for pets?

Squeakers.

While shopping in the month of October for the coolest Halloween wares, I was surprised to find a few cool things at PETCO of all places.

Seems that you can take a perfectly good Halloween decoration, add a squeaker noise-maker inside and suddenly it's a "Chew Toy." Amazing.

Though the post didn't make it in my 2011 Merch posts in October, I can at least tip you off now to what I thought was cool and maybe it'll turn up on eBay if you're interested.

Take that first image for example: a stack of four jack o' lanterns in totem-pole formation with the top of the heap sporting a witch's hat. If I saw that decoration in Target, I would have thought "Hey, that's kinda neat. Simple. Classic. Black and orange, just like I like it."
But I picked it up in Petco and found out it's a dog chew toy.

Same with this one.
I thought this line of skulls was pretty awesome. They're some sinister looking skulls. No silly-faced, googly-eyes here.
Plus the ones done in red stitching look like they've got bleeding mouths which is sort of sinister too.
Best of all: the bottom skull is a Scream-like Ghostface.
Seems a shame to have a pet rip it to shreds.

Next I was drawn to this very Burton-esque skull guy.
Again I say to you, check out the skull guy offered at Hallmark in my post HERE. Now compare it to the stuffed guy to the left.
Same look, right?
The difference?
This guy's got a squeaker.

I also took a liking to this furry friend. I'm not sure why. I think it's because you usually find skeletons with pumpkin heads, but rarely do you find a pumpkin with a skeleton head.
It looks like a scary Muppet.
Like it's Elmo's Halloween-cousin... er... "Hellmo."
Oh and in case you thought I forgot to mention it: has a squeaker.

Lastly, but certainly not leastly, were these multicolored rubber skull and crossbones. I must have picked these up 6 or 7 times. I don't know if it was the matte finish to the rubber, the bright monster colors, or the classic skull shape and face but I liked these a lot.
About the size of a tennis ball, their purpose is to hide a treat in them and then your dog chews the heck out of it trying to get the treat inside. It's like giving a dog a Rubik's cube. They love it.
Best of all: NO SQUEAKER.

These would look great sitting on your desk as a paperweight. (Side note: Do we even NEED paperweights anymore? Are there big gusts of wind coming through climate controlled, non-window-opening office buildings taking your unfiled papers into a swirling floor mess? Who are we kidding with this paperweight nonsense?)

I'll say this: the skulls were certainly popular. After hemming and hawing for 4 days, I went back to Petco to snag a skull (this is the middle of October mind you) and the skulls were gone. Sold out.

Good run this year Petco. I liked your Halloween wares this year.
Oh, and Petco---one note though: don't put squeakers in everything.

For one: they're dangerous. Dogs chew through the item and then choke on the plastic squeaker.
For another: just call them "tug toys" or "pull toys."

Dogs will still chew 'em and do their thing and those of us who want to use them as Halloween decorations won't have to explain why there's a squeaker in the middle of our hanging decorations.

RECIPE: Dracula's Dentures - Cookie Sandwich

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'll tell ya one thing about Halloween recipes, if you're not going to go the "gross-ipe" route, then you really need to have some style in the presentation. Add a little humor too and you've got a winner.

The following recipe entitled "Dracula's Dentures" hits all the marks.

Sweet, delicious, simple, looks good and has a wink of funny.

It's also a recipe you can toy with and get different looks with the same concept. For instance, I might even see if it would work with a darker cookie (like a chocolate or dark gingersnap), with less marshmallows and more almond "teeth" and call them "Werewolf Bites."
Or maybe try a white cookie with black frosting and knock out a few marshmallow "teeth" and call it a "Skull Bite." Or a "Bone Bite." Or a "Skeleton Snack."
I'm just spitballin' here.
It takes time for a good title.

Take a look at the full recipe HERE at VeryBestBaking.com.

Post-Halloween Purchases - Nov. 1st Clearance Sales

2011-11-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

If your local Halloween store hasn't already started marking stuff down (and frankly most of them have and moved on to that red and green holiday), today's the first day they will.

November 1st is a great day to take advantage of post-holiday sales at savings of 50% - 70% off. Considering that many of these stores jack up their prices, the "after-holiday clearance"s brings the costs back down to a deal.

But what to buy?
Here are a few tips from your Uncle Steve of what I, personally, look for.

1) Weapons.
Weapons tend to be an accoutrement to most scary costumes and I've gotten many items for a steal.
Plastic axes. Chainsaws. Shotguns. Pistols. Machetes. Bandoliers of bullets.

2) Bagged costumes.
These tend to be WAY overpriced before Halloween. ($60 for a Spider-Man costume??! Seriously??!!) BUT, after Halloween nobody wants it.
That Spider-Man drops down to a very affordable $24.99.
If you're an avid reader of the site you've heard me rage against the machine that is an out-of-the-bag costume. So why suggest them now?

I'll tell ya why. Because it's not what it IS... it's what it CAN BE. A Spider-Man costume that you paid less than 25 bucks for is very easy to cut up and create a ZOMBIE SPIDER-MAN costume. A little planning... a little foresight... and you can look awesome.

Also: if you buy appropriately you can get a good deal on a timely costume. Example: Captain America will probably still be a hot property next year because The Avengers is coming out.
Angry Birds... MIGHT be next years Furby or Tickle Me Elmo. Just sayin'.
Skeletor? (pictured) Well for kids from the '80s... always cool.
Buy now and save the dough.

3) Tableware.
Plates. Napkins. Black and orange tablecloths... cheap, cheap, cheap. No reason to pay a lot for something you're going to throw in the garbage after one night.

4) Decoration basics.
What are decoration basics? Cob webs. Fake stone plastic rolls. Funkins (fake pumpkins).
Skeletons! You can't have too many. You can disassemble them for various uses (a skull on a tabletop)
These are the staples.
The decorations that go with any theme whether it be The Shining or Sleepy Hollow.

5) Fog juice.
Got a fog machine? Use it every year? You need to fuel that beast. Why pay 80 bucks a jug? Stock up now.

6) Pieces for Next Year's Costume
If you can take a few minutes to figure out what you're going to be next year you can get the pieces necessary to assemble your Voltron of costume awesome.
A wig here, a battle axe there, a muscle-suit and some liquid latex and you can be on your way to your 'Conan of the Dead' for a fraction of what you would have paid next October.

So get out there (or get online) and see what's gettable.

End of Another Season...

2011-11-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well here we are.
Another Halloween Season has wrapped up.

You may wonder what a Halloween Addict does on November 1st?
Well I'll tell ya...

First I take an early morning stroll. This morning was a bit foggy and cool which helped with the mood of the day.
As I stroll the streets, enjoying the Halloween decorations that have yet to be taken down, I look for that one signal that Halloween's over.

The empty candy wrapper.

I've made it a bit of a ritual to take a photo of said wrapper. This year I actually found an empty "goody bag." You can see it in the photo there. A classy black and white bag with a skull and crossbones on it. the top was still tied and the side ripped open so there must have been some good stuff inside. Not only could the trick-or-treater not wait to get the bag home, but they couldn't even be bothered to untie it.
Good stuff, indeed.

In years' past, I could usually milk another week out of Halloween knowing that, due to baseball, the annual The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode would be broadcast on the following Sunday but this year, due to Halloween being on a Monday, the episode aired on the 30th.
I'll still manage to get a couple days of Halloween fun in this week though.

I'll have to put the Halloween decorations away, which I sort of enjoy. Slipping the Beistle Skeleton back in his original cellophane bag to be stored. Wrapping my Target Jack o' Lantern Cookie jar up in bubble wrap and burping the lids on my giant Rubbermaid orange and black tubs.

One of the pros and cons of running Halloween Addict is that I get to immerse myself in Halloween year-'round but don't get to take a breath through the month of October.

So I'll be catching up on the missed TV Halloween episodes via streaming through the networks' websites.
Right now I'm watching the two-part American Horror Story Halloween episode while eating the last of my pumpkin chocolate cupcakes. Homemade.
Yep, that's how I roll.

I also have half a bag of candy corn left.
A second bag.
That was a mistake.
I shouldn't have gone for two this year.

There are a ton of prime-real-estate posts that didn't make it on the site in October. As I'll be keeping Halloween alive 3-6-5, I'll just continue to post them as I always do.

I've got a lot of new readers and followers this year, so stick around through the holidays as there are gift guides galore coming in addition to a 2011 Season Wrap-Up with a post of my Favorites of the Year and as always 'regular' posts about the awesome Halloween stuff that's out there.

See you 'round the jack o' lantern...

Halloween 2011 - Web Site Banner Decorating Round Up!

2011-10-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

It's time for the 2011 Halloween Web Site Banner Decorating Round Up!

I've done this both in 2008 and 2009 and regret not having been able to do it last year.

It works like this: I visit a bunch of well-traveled search engines to see not only who has decorated their normal web header to celebrate Halloween, but also to find out who's doing it the best.
For example: Google is known for their ever-changing "Google Doodles" but will they take the crown this Halloween?
Let's take a look and see...

AMERICA ONLINE
As one of the few people left on this once-titan, I still feel the obligation to cover this site.
AOL went with a very classy realistic full moon in the upper left corner.
It looks good but if I checked the site on any other day I would have thought that there was some NASA anniversary or an eclipse coming.
GRADE: C+

YAHOO
Yahoo has always kept their own logo small in the upper left corner and any Halloween decorations have been to that same scale.
This year is no different.
BUT, as opposed to past years, they added added some animation to it. A silhoutted witch flies by a full moon a couple times, then with a waive of her wand, puts the Yahoo "Y" on the moon and flies away.
GRADE: B-

YOUTUBE
YouTube usually does something--- albeit a 'reserved' something.
This year?
NOTHING.
GRADE: F+

PANDORA
A new entry on this year's list is Pandora: the streaming make-your-own-radio-station site.
Not only do they have multiple Halloween music channels to choose from like "Kids Halloween music" and "Spooky Soundtracks," but they also went and put a little Halloween splash at the top of their player bar. Just a few jack o' lanterns and some bats but it's a nice touch.
GRADE: B+

MSN
MSN represents the little website that could. I almost always forget to profile it, but when I visit I'm always surprised that they've decorated for Halloween. This year is just the Halloween standards, but that's ok. Bats, a full moon, trick or treaters, a jack o' lantern and a ghost and a house in shadow.
MSN is like the kid who builds the solar system for the science fair. It may not be original but it's a solid showing.
GRADE: B+

FLICKR
Flickr is such a photosharing powerhouse, I would be remiss not mention it.
Though it decorated in theme with its own usefulness (it used a user photo), and though it's Halloween "technically" (a dog in costume), it's a little too cute for my taste.

GRADE: C+

THINK GEEK
I normally wouldn't have profiled Think Geek, but knowing their awesomeness, and seeing that they put in some Halloween goodness, I feel the need to mention them.

The TG team turned their monkey mascot into a variety of classic movie monsters like Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolfman and the The Creature. They also gave the site an classic black and white makeover complete with a noir-ish streetlamp. It's a nice touch and I would totally buy stickers or a t-shirt with the monster monkey on them.

HULU
Hulu was in the Halloween game again this year, but they didn't change up their theme at all from the 2009 image of bats against a moon. It's a great image... but it's been 2 years now. Time to mix it up, Hulu.

What helps temper this is that the Huluween page features some GREAT films to stream: John Carpenter's Halloween, The Crow, the pilot for FX's American Horror Story. These aren't clips, these are the whole films! Nice.
GRADE: B-

BING
The new kid on the block in the search engine neighborhood, Bing had a great showing a couple years ago.

Bing's advantage is taking the opposite approach of Google: BIG image with the search bar in the middle as opposed to small image.
This year Bing went with a moody stormy night with lightning that illuminates a gargoyle statue in the foreground. It's a nice effect. Very spooky.
The downside is that it's not very Halloweeny. If you showed me the animated gif on a video game site I'd think it was an ad for Batman: Arkham Asylum.
GRADE: B+

GOOGLE
The king of the ever-changing logo had a lot to prove over last year's multi-panel Scooby-Doo mystery tale.
This year, the Google team trumped themselves by doing a whole video complete with time-lapse, stop-motion, giant pumpkin carving and it peaks with the nighttime lighting of the lanterns to reveal the Google name.
I'm sure it was a ton of work and it shows.
My only beef is that I wish the music was less Benny Hill and more upbeat-Halloween music.
GRADE: A-

ASK JEEVES (ASK.COM)
The winner again this year is, in my humble opinion, is Ask Jeeves!
I hate to say it, but does anyone even USE Ask.com any more?
Because for YEARS they've been knocking it out of the park with their Halloween makeovers. 2008 had trick or treaters and autumn. 2009 had a tribute to Kubrick's The Shining.
This year there's a giant smiling jack o' lantern, spooky colors, fallen leaves and the HEADLESS HORSEMAN! Not to mention the image splashes across the entire homepage.
GRADE: A+!!!

So there's the end of another season of digital banner decorating. Hope you enjoyed.
(If I missed any noteworthy ones, be sure to let me know and maybe I'll drop in an update.)

Do your part and visit your favorites as it's all we can do to support their Halloween Chutzpah.

Total Skull's Happy Halloween Video

2011-10-30T19:59:00.001-07:00

Sheri Moon Zombie's totally cool, totally sleek "Total Skull" line of clothing released a new video for the fans today called simply "Total Skull Halloween."

Written and Directed by Kenny Caperton (who we interviewed back in October 2010 HERE) the short is a 2 minute excursion of Halloween fun.

There are quite a few in-jokes such as: kids dressed as characters from Sheri's husband Rob Zombie's film The Devils Rejects; jack o' lanterns carved with the Total Skull logo, bullies wearing masks from El Superbeasto; Rob and Sheri Halloween masks; an appearance by Mr. Michael Myers himself; and lest we not forget the best set-piece ever built: Kenny's own Halloween Myers house replica abode.

It's total fun from Total Skull.
Watch the video HERE or in the embed below.
If you're not familiar with the clothing and accessories line, head over to TotalSkull.com HERE.

Final thought:
Dear Total Skull,--- PLEEEEASE make a sticker and/or t-shirt of your "Happy Halloween" header. It's... awesome.
Oh, and then send me one.

Poltergeists and the Law: The "Ghostbusters Case"

2011-10-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

If I dropped the name of a court case called Stambovsky v. Ackley you'd say "Snooooore. If I wanted to watch Law & Order I'd... watch Law & Order."

But what if I called the same case "The Ghostbusters Case?"
You might perk up and say "Hm? What's that now? Was this on Law & Order?"

So come on along and I'll tell you a little tale of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir... but Mrs. Muir was actually Mrs. Ackley... and Mrs. Ackley got sued by Mr. Stambovsky... who wasn't a ghost...
Aw, just read on...

The year was 1977, and Reader's Digest came out with their May issue which contained a story by Helen Ackley called "Our Haunted House on the Hudson." The tale told of Mrs. Ackley's run-ins by herself and her family with three ghosts that lived in her Hudson Valley, New York home along the Hudson river. (I've scanned the article for your perusal at the bottom of the post.)

The ghosts were peaceful, doing helpful and slightly mischievous things like shaking the bed every morning when it was time to wake up; and leaving gifts of coins and baby rings that would disappear later.

Fast-forward to 1989-90.
Mrs. Ackley wants to sell her house and move to Florida or Texas because the taxes are lower.
She puts the house up for sale but, and here's where the crux of the case is, never mentions to the buyer of her house that it's haunted.

No "Oh by the way, the house is haunted."
Or "Be sure to set the ghost for what time you want to wake up."
Or "Hey listen, the walls don't bleed or anything but you may get random gifts of coins and baby rings that'll disappear. From who? Oh the ghosts in the house. Didn't I mention that?"

Enter Mr. Stambovsky.
The Stambovskys from NYC put a deposit down on the house and then, as they're getting ready to close the deal, find out from a handy-man or some such local that they're buying the 'haunted house.'

Zoom to court!

The Stambovskys beef is that they weren't informed that the house is haunted and should be allowed to legally back out of the deal and recoup their deposit.

The Ackley camp said that New York state has a caveat emptor (Latin: "let the buyer beware") policy and it's not their problem that the Stambovskys didn't do their research.

Though originally the Stambovskys lost, they appealed and the case went to the New York Supreme Court.

This is where it gets interesting.

The NY State Supreme Court says that although the buyer SHOULD beware, there isn't much that can be done to discern that a house is haunted.
There was no "Googling" their address to see if a bunch of articles came up on their house being haunted.

I'm getting ahead of myself. I should back up and clarify for a moment: A judge for the New York State Supreme Court said that a house, Mrs. Ackley's house, was legally haunted.

Actually Judge Rubin said: "... having reported their presence in both a national publication and the local press, defendant is estopped to deny their existence, and, as a matter of law, the house is haunted."

This is completely awesome because a Judge said a house is LEGALLY haunted.
That's a matter of public record.
That's out there.
Forever.

To break it down a little further: the judge said what he said because he wanted to get past it and get to the real issue of the case and that was that Mrs. Ackley didn't give up all the info.

He's basically saying, "Look let's just agree that the house is haunted because the real problem here is something else."

But that's not where the fun stops.

Judges... well judges get punchy.
Think about it... they're sitting up there... listening to people talk all day... ARGUE all day. Every once in a while they get to bang a gavel. Not a heck of a lot of fun.
So this judge, when writing up his decision, went a little kooky:

"(A) very practical problem arises with respect to the discovery of a paranormal phenomenon: 'Who you gonna call?' as a title song to the movie Ghostbusters asks"

So now, on record mind you, is a Judge referencing the movie Ghostbusters AND Ray Park Jr.'s theme song.
Again to break it down into layman's terms: the Judge basically said "Sure the buyer should beware, but when someone goes to buy a house, is he/she supposed to bring a plumber, architect, Terminix guy and a freakin' psychic to make sure the house is ok? That's ridiculous."

Bottom line: The Stambovskys got their deposit back and didn't have to buy the house.
The Ackleys sold the house to someone else and moved after all.

Well that's all fine and dandy for the human beings but what about the ghosts?

Well according to THIS link Helen was contacted by some paranormal researchers in Oregon who claimed to be able to contact the ghosts remotely.

Long story short: the ghosts weren't having fun and moved on. You can read up on the long-distance ghost-talking in a book called "Sir George, The Ghost of Nyack" which you can buy HERE." Written by those involved with the whole long-distance ghost talking-thing.

The end...?

The Haunted Nyack House - ktransit.com

Just for fun, I thought I'd pop on the ol' Google Street View to see if I could see the house.
Sure enough, there it is.

It's been painted but it still has its Munsters-like Victorian roof and sits right along the beautiful Hudson river.
Interesting piece of trivia: the house is directly across the Hudson from Sleepy Hollow (Tarrytown, NY) where we all know the ghost of the Headless Horseman roams.

The bigger picture, and something to be learned from this case is this: If you live in what's called in the Real Estate biz as a "stigmatized property," and you're going to sell that property... you'd better be upfront with what happened. Not all houses are The Amityville Horror house that has a long legend and film pedigree complete with murders AND ghosts.

If you're watching FX's American Horror Story, you'll notice in the pilot that the real estate woman gave "full disclosure" and told the couple that there had been a few murders there.
She didn't say HOW MANY murders and totally disturbing things that had happened there, mind you... ("Oh by the way, there's a crazy gimp ghost in the house...").
You can read an interesting little write-up on "stigmatized properties" and the duty to disclose HERE.

So all this legal turmoil aside I ask you this dear readers:
If you were buying a house would you WANT to know it was haunted BEFORE you bought it, or would you bring in Bill Murray and take your chances?

McDonalds 2011 Halloween Pails Are Back!

2011-10-28T17:35:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not revealing this information sooner. I was waiting to find the green pail so I could photograph and include both, but alas, it has so far escaped me and we're entering "Halloweekend."

McDonalds has put out --quietly-- their 2011 Halloween Pails!
When I say "quietly" I mean, there's no web presence like last year, no TV commercials and no advertising for them of any kind.
If I weren't a Halloween Addict bent on finding them this year, I would have no idea they exist.

Which is a shame because I think they got them right this year.
This year's buckets come in two styles: orange with a black handle and a light yellow-green. Or green-yellow. I'm trying to remember the difference from my Crayola box from years ago. I think it was "Spring Green."
ANYWAY, a green with a purple handle.

Like last year, the handles double as "masks" (hold 'em up to your face--poof-- a mask). There's only one style of handle this year: a cat. Think WB's Sylvester by way of Animaniacs. The cat handle DOES come in two colors though: black and purple. Get both and you can mix and match.

The buckets come with GLOW-IN-THE-DARK stickers (which instantly makes them awesome) that you can stick on the outside of the pail like a plastic jack o' lantern. Nice!

On the other side of the sticker sheet (which also fits on top like a lid) there are login instructions for getting a free "virtual treat."
Problem is: the "Haunted Hideout" is nowhere to be found on the HappyMeal.com site. It's like they ran out of time and realized they really just wanted to push Puss 'n Boots and Monopoly instead... which is probably what happened.

I REALLY like the color-schemes of the classic black/orange and purple/green.
It lends a classiness to the buckets that makes them more timeless.
The simple jack o' lantern sticker decorating is great too.

Though I didn't purchase the Mr. Potato Head versions last year, it now makes me want to acquire some on eBay so I can take the white skull handle and put it on my orange bucket and put the pumpkin handle on the new plain green bucket.
I'll let you know if they fit (my theory is that they should just snap in place).

On a side note, I never realized how small the buckets are. They're certainly not "too small" just smaller than I thought. They're actually the perfect size for tykes to use as candy trick-or-treat buckets this Halloween. At only about $2 bucks and change for the bucket sans Happy Meal food (which is how I bought mine) it's not a bad deal.

PROS: The buckets have done away with Mr. Potato Head (as I hoped for last year... which means they may be reading).
The classic colors and pumpkin decorating are classy.

CONS: The GITD stickers don't glow very brightly.
Only one mask/handle design this year (a cat).
No on-line or media support.
Though two McDonalds near me had both buckets in the display case, they only had the orange buckets in-house.

Time's a runnin' out, so get out there and buy these versions to show your support not only for the classic style of 2011's treat pails, but also to show Uncle McD that we still love the Halloween pails!

Top 10 List of Horror Movie Lists for 2011

2011-10-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

Horror movie lists.
They're the staple article for the month of October for every media portal from major newspapers and magazines to minor websites and blogs.

More often than not these "Scariest" lists cover the usual classics: Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, The Exorcist, Evil Dead, The Thing, Poltergeist, et cetera, et cetera and so fortha.
They're great films, and it's hard to believe that there are people on this planet who still haven't seen the usual suspects of Horror Movies.

As I refuse to make a list of my own this year so instead I give you THE TOP 10 LIST OF HORROR MOVIE LISTS.
These are lists I've found posted in the year 2011.
Click the title of each entry to be taken directly to the site.
I tried to highlight a title that is off-the-beaten-path in each entry.
Let them speak for themselves.

1. TIME MAGAZINE'S TOP TEN HAUNTED HOUSE MOVIES
INSPIRED CHOICE: Hausu ("House") from 1977.
I talked about this bug-nuts movie HERE.

2. ARROW IN THE HEAD'S TOP 10 MOVIES I'LL BE WATCHING THIS HALLOWEEN
INSPIRED CHOICE: Blue Velvet.

3. WIRED MAG'S GEEK DAD: TOP 10 HALLOWEEN MOVIES FOR YOUNGER KIDS
INSPIRED CHOICES: The Monster Squad and E.T.

4. COSMOPOLITAN'S TOP 10 SEXIEST, SCARIEST HALLOWEEN MOVIES
INSPIRED CHOICE: American Psycho - Uncut Version (Ballsy Cosmo!)

5. NY TIMES' ART BEAT: VHS-ERA HORROR OBSCURITIES
INSPIRED CHOICES: All of them.

6. THE ONION'S AV CLUB: 24 HOURS OF HORROR WITH EDGAR WRIGHT
INSPIRED CHOICES: The Brood; Asylum.

7. SHOCK TIL YOU DROP READER'S CHOICE HALLOWEEN MOVIE MARATHON
INSPIRED CHOICE: Trick 'r Treat

8. 365HORRORMOVIE.COM'S 50 NETFLIX INSTANT HORROR MOVIES TO WATCH THIS HALLOWEEN
INSPIRED CHOICES: Red State; The House of the Devil

9. CHICAGO TRIBUNE'S 25 SCARY HALLOWEEN MOVIES
INSPIRED CHOICE: The Descent

10. BOX OFFICE MAGAZINE'S 5 FILMS YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS HALLOWEEN
INSPIRED CHOICES: All. (they're only on Part 3 as of this writing).

UPDATED:
I added two more because they're good and weren't available before I posted this.

11. CNN's GEEK OUT: MOVIES THAT SCARE PEOPLE WHO SCARE US
INSPIRED CHOICES: Isolation from Joe Hill, but all the picks are good and different.

12. MOVIES.COM's 24 HOUR HORROR MOVIE MARATHON BY SCOTT WEINBERG
INSPIRED CHOICES: All. Weinberg knows his stuff.

TONIGHT: It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown on ABC @ 8pm

2011-10-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm going to make this quick as I've said everything I can possibly say about this eternal Halloween TV classic (do a search for "Charlie Brown" on this site and you'll see).

It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown airs TONIGHT, Thursday, October 27th at 8pm PT/ET.

It'll be followed by the not-Halloween-related You're Not Elected Charlie Brown to fill out the hour.

Seriously, ABC, we can't air ANYTHING else Halloween special-y after Great Pumpkin?
Garfield? Rankin Bass's Jack o' Lantern? Fat Albert?
Witch's Night Out?
ANYTHING?!

But I digress.
I know we all have it on DVD, Blu-Ray and can watch it streaming on 100 different on-line portals but support the 45th Anniversary (FORTY-FIVE YEARS!) airing of this classic by tuning in tonight.
Spinning CBS logo not included.

Pinball FX2 Releases FREE "Paranormal" Table in Time for Halloween!

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Halloween, the awesome Pinball FX2 has released a FREE download-able table called "Paranormal."
Don't know what Pinball FX2 is?

Available exclusively on XBox Live, the program itself is a free download and then you can pay for and download any number of pinball tables with various themes from licensed properties like Marvel Superheroes, Rocky and Bullwinkle and Street Fighter II to original themes like "Buccaneer," "Nightmare Mansion," and "Earth Defense."

I was a digital pinball skeptic 'til I played Pinball FX 2. It REALLY feels like a physical pinball machine except you get the added benefit of extra effects unencumbered by things like mechanics and physics.

For instance in the "Paranormal" table, there's a Hellraiser-type cube in the middle that spins, a haunted house on the top that the ball can ping around in, a werewolf face that can be unlocked with two balls for eyes, floating, ball-teleporting portals and more. Watch a trailer for the table HERE or in the embed below.

As Pinball FX2 is FREE and the Parnormal table download is FREE that means... um... lessee... carry the two... FREE creepy Pinball for Halloween!!!!

The Paranormal table is only free 'til November 2nd so get it while the gettin's good. Otherwise it'll cost you about 240 Microsoft Points (about $3).