What Halloween Means To Me Day 4: Eric King

This week on the countdown, I’ m featuring some of my buddies, who also just happen to be some of the best, most entertaining horror bloggers on the planet.  Today, we’re gonna hear from Eric King, aka Brobocop.  Eric writes the incredibly entertaining blog Back Online Back On Duty.  Check it out HERE.  In addition to horror, Eric has a particular soft (hard?) spot for action flicks.  In fact, he just concluded “Yeah!  Guns n’ Shit! 80’s Action Week” on his blog, which I was supposed to participate in, but absolutely flaked due to personal stuff going down.  I suck.  Anyway, he may dig some action, but the dude is all about the horror, and that’s why he’s perfect as a part of this project.  Oh, and did I mention that he consistently has the best profile pics in all of Facebook?  So Eric, tell us what Halloween means to you…

”I could sit here and pour out my love for Halloween all day long. Like so many other fans of horror films or just creepy shit in general, it is my Christmas. Additionally, it's always been more capable of bringing out the kid in me, as well. What I want to do here is talk about some random things that are responsible for why I love October 31^st so damn much. Here we go!

~Vintage Decorations~

These are some of the exact ones I remember Momps and Pops hanging up when I was a kid. This vintage stuff can be purchased online, but it's very rare to just see people using them anymore, at least in the town I live in. Maybe I'm one of those pretentious nostalgic dudes, but I'm just not as into the newer shit.

 ~Vintage Costumes~

This is the very first costume I remember having. These old school plastic jobs were honestly not the best, but when you are 5 years old and slip one of them on, you truly felt like you were the character. So, lemme tell ya how devastating it is when you go to someone's door for candy and you get mistaken for this:

I got called E.T. several times on Halloween of 1982, when I was actually f**king Yoda. And not just from real old folks who are trying to be nice but don't know any better; young parents, teenagers, even a few kids my age thought I was E.T. How the shit is that possible? In their defense, I guess, it was 1982, the year of E.T. rage, but how do you not know who Yoda is? Don't get me wrong, I love the Extra Terrestrial, but damn.

 ~Funniest Halloween Memory~

I don't remember which year this was, but Creature From the Black Lagoon was being shown on a local channel in 3D on Halloween night. It actually may have been the same year I was Yoda. All I know for certain was that I was excited as shit to get home from Trick or Treating and watch it. The entire town seemed mega excited about this, matter of fact. 3D glasses were being given out at the local convenience store for the event. Well, guess what folks, I didn't even make it five minutes into the fucking movie, because I got sent to bed. No, no, no, not because the movie was too scary... but because I threw a football into the family bowl of popcorn. Yep, bedtime for bonzo after that shit! I still have no idea why I did that. I'm not even quite sure why the hell I had a football, as I was never into that kind of stuff. I guess a lot of parents buy their kids shit trying to subliminally get them into things they show no interest in. So yeah, Creature From the Black Lagoon was kind of my first horror movie. But until maybe 7 or 8 years later I thought of it as a short film. When I look back on this happening now, I kinda think my Dad should have praised me instead of sent me to bed, because I'm sure I enhanced the hell out of the 3D experience by causing a bowl of popcorn to fly off the center table directly in front of the couch.

 ~Sepultura, Helmet, and Ministry~

Yep, these bands forever remind me of Halloween. Ministry has a song called Everyday is Halloween, but that's really not a factor. 1992 was the year I moved from Lexington, Kentucky to Orlando, Florida. And on Halloween of 92 me and two other friends bought tickets to see Sepultura, Helmet, and Ministry in concert. Even just getting the tickets was awesome, especially doing so on October 31st! Lexington at the time did not have shows like this. If you wanted to go see a band like Helmet you would have to travel to Cincinnati to a place called Bogart's. Thing is, that's a nearly impossible feat when you are 15 years old. So, in that respect, I liked Orlando. Anyway, that is why these three mentioned bands remind me of Halloween. Hope that makes sense.

 ~Movie Marathons~

I watch horror films all year long, as I am sure many of you do, but October is a fucking onslaught of carnage. But on the actual day, October 31st, I have a set of films that are traditional. Makes no difference how many goddamn times I have seen them, I gotta watch the same ones every year. Halloween 1 & 2 back to back, Halloween III, and Night of the Living Dead '68. HIII came into the mix once I hit my twenties, but Halloween 1 & 2 and NOTLD had been tradition since I was probably around 14. More recently, I have added House of 1000 Corpses, Trick 'r Treat (which is really one movie that perfectly sums up why I like Halloween so much from all eras of life), and The Blair Witch Project into this mix. For the last few years, some of the more recent additions gets switched out with Rob Zombie's Halloween 1 & 2 -yep, they are guilty pleasures for me... what of it? Of course, like I said, all month long it's Trick or Treat (Sammi Curr!), Night of the Demons 1 & 2, and many more. But Halloween 1-3 and NOTLD will always be on a TV in my house on October 31st, and a drinking game for each has been implemented.

~Friends~

There's absolutely nothing more fun than a group of friends getting together for some drunken Halloween Shenanigans. And my girlfriend had the best makeshift ghetto Sharktopus costume of all time. I was some goofy plastic face pumpkin headed dude. It was scary after a few Rum & Cokes, I assure you.

 ~My Daughter~

This is the main reason of why I now love Halloween. I think I was twelve the last time I Trick or Treated. Several houses I went to that year shut me and some friends down because "Halloween is just for young kids!" Well, what the fuck's wrong with never not wanting to be a little kid at heart? Anyway, I was crushed. But now I can re-live the magic of going door to door to get candy with my daughter, Judith, and it's seriously just as good as every memory I have of my Dad taking me.

Halloween 08 - I went as Spock who had rescued a bee girl and her daughter from a dying Bee Girl Planet

Halloween 09 - Can't even tell ya how much of a hit the little peanut costume was!

Halloween 2010 - Judith as Foofa. During her Yo! Gabba Gabba phase.

Halloween 2011 - I guess being a couple who are heavy into horror films, it is inevitable that it will eventually wear off on your daughter. I lit up like a bulb when she told me she wanted to be a werewolf directly after watching the Uni classic, The Wolf Man. This year she is leaning towards a clown, which fascinates and scares the shit out of me at the same time! 

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to do something like this, Nathan. Greatly appreciated. Happy Halloween! Grab your masks, pop some popcorn and turn out the lights, and don't forget the big giveaway at 9!"

Is that picture of his little girl as a werewolf not just about the cutest thing you've ever seen in your life? Anyway, 22 days 'til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.  22 days 'til Halloween, Silver Shamrock.

What Halloween Mand To Me Day 3: Elizabeth Katheryn Gray

Facebook is always a place of sheer madness.  I’m not even talking about the political and religious zealotry running rampant.  I’m not even necessarily even talking about the madness that comes over me when I see so many people who have no concept of how to use their native language correctly.  No, the true indicator is that only in a truly mad place could Honey Boo Boo, that Gangnam Style dude, “That moment when…”, and every other idiotic meme that comes down the pipe become full blown phenomena!  Every October, however, a new kind of MADNESS takes over.  A MADNESS born of a love for horror movies and Halloween.  A MADNESS that rewards geekery.  A MADNESS that I am currently a judge of.  A MADNESS worthy of being typed in all caps.  Yes, the HALLOWEEN HORROR MOVIE MARATHON MADNESS is in full swing, and it’s the brainchild of the Head Hauntress herself, Elizabeth Katheryn Gray.

Elizabeth, or EKG as I call her, began the MADNESS.  It’s a contest that goes down every October.  Contestants earn points for watching horror movies.  How perfect is that?  Each year there is a theme, and bonus points are given for certain things based on that theme.  For example, this year the theme is Classic Creatures and Vamp Features.  It’s all about classic monsters and giant beasties, so bonus points are given for on screen transformations, a giant monster attacking a city, underground lairs, different kinds of ghoulish creatures, an insane asylum, etc.  You get the picture?  It’s like a scavenger hunt through great fright flicks.  It’s a hell of a lot of fun, and even yours truly always gets turned on to some new flicks I haven’t seen.  This years competitors have been chosen, but as the judge for Team Sharktopi, I cordially invite all of you to get in on the fun HERE. 

Anyway, my horror buddy EKG is responsible for the whole thing.  She’s also one of the anchors of our corner of the Facebook horror scene, as in addition to founding the MADNESS, she runs the FB Film Geek Circle where so many of the Horror Blogger All-Stars you’ll be hearing from this week hang out.  She is also a fellow contributor to filmarcade.com as Cavepearl.  EKG, Duckboy, and the evil genius came rolling through town earlier this year on their way to Mardi gras, and we got to hang out for a while.  We endured the unholy abomination that is Beverly, and discovered the horrifying secret of Coca-Cola.  Hint: it’s the same as the horrifying secret of Soilent Green.  So Elizabeth, round out this weekend featuring some of the lovely ladies of the horror world by telling us what Halloween means to you…

“Let’s face it, all Halloween means to the young is dressing up and getting free candy…but honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. Despite living in a very bad neighborhood growing up, the immediate blocks around me had many of the original owners still living there. My hood was relatively safe. I Trick or Treated up to my 9^th grade year, but still enjoy cosplay now and again.

However, in my 7^th grade year, a very unusual thing happened. Halloween was suddenly not just about candy and costumes. My mother, who up to this point was raising me as an odd fusion of Evangelical Christian and Southern Baptist, suddenly converted to Paganism (a loose version of what we call Wicca).  Now Halloween became an actual religious holiday in my household.

I was worried for my mother’s soul. It scared me, this sudden change, and I even thought for a short period of time that my mother may go to Hell. After all, this is what the church had been teaching me up to this point. But when my father, who is very conservative for a man living in the San Francisco Bay Area, bought my mother a pagan book to show he was okay with the change, I knew that maybe things were alright after all.

In fact, I had always been drawn to the fantastical and the occult myself. While most children were watching Smurfs, I was watching old Universal Horror films on Saturdays (Channel 44 represent!) and the works of Ray Harryhausen as often as possible. Late night we had Creature Feature with the immortal Horror Host Bob Wilkins on KTVU. The first “real” book I ever read was The Hobbit. It was my mother who introduced this book to me, so maybe Wicca was a better fit for her after all.

I had always been drawn to Mythology as well, hence my love for Harryhausen. So later in life, I started to study Wiccan, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other non–Christian religions. I was really surprised to find that there was truth in these older systems of worship. They were no more piles of hooey than any other religion. I even learned that modern Christianity is one of the only religions to be formed in a boardroom (see the Council of Nicea). Then, in college, I too came to realize that I am not a Christian either. I do not align myself with an organized religion but I could no longer say that I follow the teachings of any church that preaches from the King James Bible.

So, Halloween was no longer Halloween, but now a holiday called Samhain (pronounced Sow-in). It is a time when the veils of the earth world and the spiritual realm are thinnest. A time when it’s allowed to contact your loved ones who have passed on. It’s a time of endings, rebirth, healing, and closure. But my love for the secular Halloween never really waned either. I should have known that it had never really for my mother either. In fact shortly after her conversion she would dress up all in black on our front porch to give out candy as a witchy manikin. When someone would take more than allowed, she would simply say “Just one” and scare the crap out of everyone. Well, everyone except this one little girl who looked at her father and said “She is a REAL witch Daddy.” And indeed she was.

Mom passed on in 2009, almost exactly nine months from the birth of my little girl.  Now I get to Trick or Treat again. It still get pleasure from watching all the people all dress up and enjoy themselves with their bags full of candy, but I also know that it’s a time when sometimes, just sometimes, I can say hello to my mother.  The veil is thinning right now as I write. My mother has only visited me once since her death, but every Samhain I hope that I may still get to glimpse my mother, who by the way is very happy and at peace.

So What Does Halloween mean to me?  Well…it means everything.”

 
23 days ‘til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.  23 days ‘til Halloween, Silver Shamrock.

What Halloween Means To Me Day 2: Laura Jorgensen

I met today’s contributor standing outside of the historic Plaza Theater after taking in hours upon hours of fright flicks at last years Buried Alive Film Festival.  We bonded over our mutual love of horror.  Well…that and out mutual love of making fun of steampunks.  Ladies and gentlemen, meet Laura Jorgensen.
In addition to her modeling work, Laura is one of the premier writers covering the Atlanta scene.  She writes for The Backstage Beat, a local entertainment website and magazine, but her heart clearly belongs to the undead.  Her passion for the Atlanta horror scene definitely makes her a kindred spirit.  She was featured, alongside yours truly, in the inaugural Atlanta Ghoul Guide.  Her trademark Zombie Marilyn Monroe character is an undead fixture in this city, and can be found at just about every horror event ATL has to offer.  Best of all, this year she becomes an official Halloweiner as she joins SOC, Leah, and Renee Lila Thirdeye For SOC's Halloween Adventure; our record breaking Halloween Night quest to hit 6 haunted attractions in one night!  Lets see what the blood-soaked bombshell has to say…

“Just trying to pin down one reason or a handful of reasons why Halloween rocks is such a daunting task. Where do I start – the abundance of horror movies on tv, Halloween stores popping up all over the place, haunted houses, horror punk music, (fake) blood, zombie walks, or costume parties? I guess it is all of the above, but really, truly, it is the freedom to be whoever or whatever you want to be for the whole month of October. You want to be a zombie? Right on! You always wanted to be a cross-dressing fairytale princess? Cool! You need to let it all hang out and flaunt it? Get yo’ freak on!

October is the only time of year that people will truly appreciate your costume craftiness and character acting. It’s also the only time your freaky, geeky habits will rank as cool with the general public (not that you or I care, but quite frankly I hate dealing with judgmental people) and you can be absolutely anything your brain imagines and heart desires! For me, that is Zombie Marilyn Monroe – combining my love of zombies with the most iconic beautiful blonde bombshell. I love the ultimate freedom that Halloween gives me and other people to be who or whatever they want, and mostly, I just love monsters and gore!

I love Halloween and all of October because it is a 31-day celebration of all things macabre. Whereas with all other 11 months, you have to hunt down your favorite costumes, special effects merch, and makeup, Halloween month offers it up to you on a silver platter. Being an avid horror fanatic, this is the best opportunity to stock up on new gear and meet new fiend friends. The camaraderie and enthusiasm of horror fans is simply electrifying!

Another reason I love Halloween month is that Atlanta has a ton of Halloween events. In Atlanta alone, we have three of the best gruesome haunts – (1) Netherworld – where you can find a chainsaw wielding Son of Celluloid and the best special-effects make-up artistry and animatronics around! Hell, their main SPFX guy, Roy Wooley is kicking some serious ass on SyFy channel’s SPFX reality show Face Off right now; (2) Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse – a real-life zombie apocalypse simulation that includes a special zombie shooting range; and (3) Chamber of Horrors – torture porn at its sickest. We have a big Little 5 Points Halloween Parade and zombie walks or pub crawls all over town. Almost every weekend there are different costume contests in bars, clubs, and/or other venues for prizes. 

Horror punk bands like Gwar, The Casket Creatures, and The Misfits tend to roll through town during October too! For those days you just want to chill, The Walking Dead and American Horror Story will be back on tv. To celebrate the fact that zombies have infiltrated nighttime television – there are The Walking Dead viewing parties and trivia nights at Diesel Filling Station bar/restaurant. For those looking for a bit more culture, Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts has an adult-themed, macabre puppet show, The Ghastly Dreadfuls. On the PG-13 side, Six Flags, roller coaster park, has its “Fright Night” month. Also PG-13, the Georgia Aquarium and Fernbank Museum of Natural History get in on the spooky events too. It’s a magical, wonderful time of year – like Christmas for horror kids and outcasts!   

During all of October, I can be who or whatever I want and it is praised, photographed, and loved. There is no other time of year where I feel this much excitement, pride, appreciation, and love like I do when I am rockin’ my Zombie Marilyn. Horror is my outlet from a horrible, dreary life as a day walking outcast. Horror takes away all the pain and replaces it with the endorphins of fear. Horror makes real life tolerable. I love October and Halloween because it brings me closer to horror, zombies, and the sexiest monsters imaginable. So go on and feed your inner Frankenstein this month, boils and ghouls! Happy haunting!!! xoxo -Zombie Marilyn Monroe”

 24 days ‘til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.  24 days ‘til Halloween, Silver Shamrock.

What Halloween Means To Me Day 1: Brinke Stevens

Lets start this here countdown right.  Today we’re gonna hear from one of my favorite actresses, and one of the ladies that the term “Scream Queen” was coined for.  Brinke Stevens has been a fixture in my horror movie experience since the beginning.  Many of my favorites from my early VHS collecting days, like Sorority House Massacre, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Haunting Fear, and Nightmare Sisters were graced by her charm, beauty, and talent.  I always dug her because she always came across onscreen as “the smart one.”  She was hot as all hell, but she always seemed like she had more depth than a lot of the other slasher fodder.  Since the “Golden Age of the Scream Queen,” she's remained active in the genre, doing flicks like Summer of Massacre, The Boneyard Collection, and a personal favorite of mine…Delta, Delta, Die!   Recently, she and her scream queen contemporaries Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer were the subject of a great documentary called Screaming in High Heels, which is available HERE.  She's also been a busy lady as of late, with multiple upcoming releases you should be keeping an eyeball out for, including Disciples, Safe Inside, Axeman at Cutter's Creek, and The Trouble with Barry.

In addition to being one of the first ladies of horror, unleashing her great scream in starring roles in classic flicks, providing us with eye candy in those “girl in shower” roles, and her extensive modeling career, she is also known as one of the friendliest and most approachable celebrities on the convention circuit.  What’s not to love?  So, without further ado, the first participant in the What Halloween Means To Me” countdown, the one and only Brinke Stevens.

"What Halloween Means To Me", by Brinke Stevens:

"When I was a child in the early-1960's (growing up in a small rural town near San Diego CA), I had to wear store-bought masks & costumes. It was so very hard to see out of -- and so uncomfortable to breathe through -- those plastic "Cinderella" or "Malificent" faces. Little did I know that playing "Malificent" would eventually build a firm foundation for my Scream Queen future!
Flash forward decades later... In 2002, I bought a new condo and moved in on Halloween night. Now, I celebrate the holiday by handing out candy to my neighborhood's costumed kids in the early evening, while I've invited my own dear friends over to watch scary movies late at night!"

Oh, what the hell...one more picture.

You're welcome.

  25 day ‘til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.  25 days ‘til Halloween, Silver Shamrock.

Random Halloween Stuff Day 2: The Art of the Halloween Mix CD

People often ask for my advice about their Halloween music playlists for some reason.  Actually, it’s not hard to figure out why.  Any of you who either know me in real life or have received one of my annual XXX-Mas Mixes are already aware that I am the Undisputed Lord and Master of the Mix CD.  Hell, I was Master of the Mixtape before that.  You think I’m just bragging?  You think I made that up?  Here, ask my friends…

“Nathan makes the best mixes of all time.  He is Lord and Master of the Mix CD!” – All of Nathan’s Friends

See?  I told you.  That’s a direct quote.   

 Without a doubt, one of the most important ingredients in the adult celebration of Halloween is the music.  A good Halloween mix CD or a stocked mp3 player is an absolute necessity.  There are so many songs out there that are appropriately Halloweenie though; it’s hard to know what to put on the perfect mix.  Google “Halloween music,” and you’ll find countless lists of songs that the author says absolutely MUST be included in your ghoultide selections.  Screw them.  What do they know.  Play what you like.

One thing that you should  take into account, however, is what the mix is for.  If it’s to create a spooky atmosphere on the porch for trick or treaters or just some mood music, you might want to go heavy on the horror movie scores and themes.  If it’s for a party, you have to keep in mind the range of people there, so include something for all tastes.  Party mixes should also keep in mind the rising and falling action of a party.  It’s like the plot to a movie.  If you employ the right psychology in the mix, you can almost dictate the way the party will play out through the tunes.  Try it sometime.  It’s fun, and you’ll feel a little like a mad scientist.  If it’s for fun driving from haunt to haunt or to play around the house, pick your favorites and forget those “mandatory” Halloween songs.  Do you just want songs specifically about Halloween itself, or will anything with macabre subject matter do?  Are there personal songs that remind you of certain Halloween memories?  Do you want to include quotes or dialog snippets from your favorite fright flicks to break the songs up?  There’s a lot to consider.  You may want different Halloween mixes for different purposes.  Or maybe I’m just crazy and put way too much thought into my music selection.  Hmmm.  Yeah, that's a thought.

Anyway, I have three Halloween mixes that I made for the specific purpose of listening to on the way to work at Netherworld.  Leah, Renee, and I drive together to the haunt every night, and sometimes after a long day we need something to jack us up for a long night of scaring the hell out of the masses.  You’ll notice that it’s almost all upbeat, “rocking out” type music.  Well, it’s made to get the old monster juices flowing.  These three discs play on constant loop for the month of October, and they never fail to put us in the mood.  This may not be up your alley, as it reflects a lot of our personal taste in music, but you might find some stuff here that you would like in your own musical bag of treats. 

I had thought about uploading these for you to download, but with the way the government has been pissing their panties over file sharing lately, I’ll let you find these songs yourself.  They’re all pretty easy to locate.  A tip, there are quite a few sites out there that convert youtube videos to mp3s.  They are your friends.  And just in case Big Brother is watching…”Son of Celluloid does not support music piracy.”  So, here are my Ultimate Halloween Haunting Playlists Vol. 1-3.  I hope you find something you like.  I also hope you see something you’ve never heard before, get curious, and explore.  If I turn you on to something new, comment and tell me.  If there’s something you think I need to hear, comment and tell me.  If you think my taste in music blows, comment and tell me.  If you wanna share your playlist, comment and tell me.  But whatever you do Cellmates, make sure you have some great horrific tunes to rock out to in October.    There are no rules to this except to have fun and pick whatever gets you in the Halloween spirit.  Oh, and The Misfits have to be in there somewhere.  That's definitely a rule.

Vol 1

1. (Movie Quote) Intro to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
2. Me First and the Gimme-Gimmes – Science Fiction Double Feature (Rocky Horror cover)
3. Marilyn Manson – This is Halloween
4. (Movie Quote) Beavis -  “Trick or treat, son of a bitch!”
5. Southern Culture on the Skids – Zombiefied
6. 45 Grave – Partytime (Single Version)
7. Reverend Horton Heat – The Halloween Dance
8. The Ghastly Ones featuring Rob Zombie – Halloween (That’s When She Gets So Mean)
9. The Bloodsucking Zombies from Outer Space – The Most Beautiful Corpse
10. (TV Quote) Charlie Brown  -  “I got a rock.”
11. Bauhaus – Stigmata Martyr
12. 37 seconds of a chainsaw revving.  Yes, I’m serious.  Don’t you judge me!
13. Dropkick Murphys – Halloween (Misfits Cover)
14. Ghoultown – Elvira, Mistress of the Dark
15. The Cramps – Goo-Goo Muck
16. Alice Cooper – Keepin’ Halloween Alive
17. (Movie Quote) Regan (Linda Blair)  -  “What an excellent day for an exorcism.”
18. Alkaline Trio – There’s a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place) (Rocky Horror cover)
19. The Crimson Ghosts – Somewhere in a Casket
20. Johnny (Russ Streiner)  -  “They’re coming to get you Barbara.”
21. Oingo Boingo – Dead Man’s Party
22. The Ramones – Pet Sematary
23. Rob Zombie – Superbeast
24. Stephen Lynch – Halloween
25. (Movie Quote) Pinhead (Doug Bradley) – “We have such sights to show you.”
26. Greenskeepers – Lotion
27. Evan Dando – Skulls (Misfits cover)
28. Vincent Price Laughing
29. The Deep Eynde – Devil Child
30. Twiztid – Waited ‘til Halloween
31. Halloween III Silver Shamrock Jingle
32. Bobby “Boris” Pickett – The Monster Mash

Vol. 2

1. The Astrovamps – Every Day is Halloween (with Alfred Hitchcock intro)
2. The Misfits – Halloween
3. The Mutilators – I F**ked a Zombie
4. The American Werewolves – For Your Blood
5. The Creepshow – Take My Hand
6. White Zombie – I’m Your Boogieman
7. Shadow Reichenstein – It’s Halloween
8. The Ghastly Ones – Hangman Hang-ten
9. The Swingin’ Neckbreakers – No Costume No Candy
10. Roky Erikson – Night of the Vampire
11. Up Syndrome – I Wanna Get Some On Halloween
12. Cradle of Filth – Halloween II (Misfits/Samhain cover)
13. The Dead Kennedys – Halloween
14. The Classics IV – Spooky
15. The Other – Hallows Eve
16. Type O Negative – Hallows Eve

Vol. 3

1. 45 Grave – Riboflavin
2. Rezurex – Every Day is Halloween
3. Southern Culture on the Skids – She’s My Witch
4. The Misfits – Dig Up Her Bones
5. Blitzkid – Pumpkin Patch Murders
6. Reverend Hellbastard – Every Halloween
7. Seasons After – Cry Little Sister
8. The Toys – Monster Hash
9. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – I Put a Spell on You
10. The Mutilators – Thriller (Michael Jackson cover)
11. Warmen – Somebody’s Watching Me (Rockwell cover)
12. “Scaredy Cat” from Garfield’s Halloween Adventure
13. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Red Right Hand
14. The Misfits – I Turned Into a Martian
15. Alice Cooper – He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask)
16. King Diamond – Halloween
17. Twiztid – High on Halloween
18. The Blood Junkies – All Hallows Eve
19. The Nekromantix – Trick or Treat
20. Weird Al Yankovic – Nature Trail to Hell (in 3-D)

27 day ‘til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.  27 days ‘til Halloween, Silver Shamrock.

Random Halloween Stuff Day 1: Meet Butch from Chopping Block

One thing I really dig that I don't end up talking a lot about is the one panel comic.  When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was read the comics in the newspaper.  I read them every day.   They were yet another realm that, like TV shows, advertisements, and store shelves, became more and more obsessed with Halloween the closer it got.   I dug the strips like Garfield, Fox Trot, Calvin and Hobbs, etc, but I also loved the one panel comics like Far Side (which I rarely understood back then) and Family Circus.  As I grew older, I came to really respect the art form.  It's one thing to develop a joke over the course of a strip, but to convey the joke with just one image and one caption is a whole other art form.  That's one of the reasons I love Chopping Block.

Chopping Block is a web comic written and drawn by Lee Adam Herold.  You can check it out HERE.  It follows the misadventures of Butch, your average, everyday homicidal, hockey mask wearing, devil worshiping, "dead mother in the attic" maniac.  The release dates of the comics are pretty sporadic, but there's an archive going all the way back to 2000 to explore.  Sometimes Herold does Halloween theme months in October, sometimes not, but it's always ghastly fun watching Butch do his thing.  This comic was tailor made for us sick freaks, our morbid senses of humor, and out familiarity with slasher flick tropes.  I've picked out some of my particular favorite Halloween themed CB's for you today Cellmates.  After they tickle that funny bone, they'll probably chop it off.  Enjoy...

(By the way, this first one is my personal favorite.)

28 days ‘til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.  28 days ‘til Halloween.  Silver Shamrock!

Coming Up This October on Son of Celluloid...

It’s the mooooooooost wonderful tiiiiiiiiime of the yeeeeeeeeear!  Yes, Cellmates, it’s Halloween season again.  It’s finally time for pumpkin guts, greasepaint, cotton cobwebs, fright flick marathons, the Monster Mash, that horrible peanut butter whatever-the-hell-it-is in the orange and brown paper, fake (as far as you know) blood, haunted houses, and all of the other creepy fun that accompanies the changing leaves and the dying screams of summer.  That also means it’s time to celebrate here at SOC.  Last year we did the Horror Movie Darwin Awards Countdown.  If you missed it, then “Perhaps you’d better start from the beginning...HERE.”   When you’re done with that, read on to find out what I’ve got in store for you this year.

First, of all, as usual, I’ll be working at Netherworld Haunted House, one of the biggest and scariest haunted attractions in the world.  Hauntworld ranked us #2 in the nation this year.  Personally, I think they’re one off, but that’s neither here nor there.  You may find me…I mean Ralphus…terrorizing folks with chainsaws with my sister Lila; or you may find me carrying out my twisted, sadistic experiments in The Hive.  If you’re within driving distance of Atlanta, come check us out if you’ve got the guts…and the nuts.  Don’t worry; you can buy a change of underwear in the gift shop.  Check out Netherworld’s website HERE.  My advice, come early on in the season.  Those weekend lines close to Halloween are almost as terrifying as what lurks inside...almost.

Ok, on to official SOC business.  You see that symbol right there?  That says that, once again, I’m an Official Cryptkeeper, meaning that I will be providing the All Hallows Hijinks all month long as we count down to the big day.  By the way, you can click on the image in the sidebar over there to the left to see all of the sites participating this year.  Anyway, his year my Halloween event is called… heads roll, I mean drum roll please… ”What Halloween Means To Me.”  I put out the call far and wide for horror business luminaries to tell us what this most horrific of holidays means in their world.  Some impressive names answered the call; from legendary cult directors to scream queens to some killer up and coming indie directors to the best the horror blogging world has to offer to Cellmates and members of the SOC family and more.  There is a slight hiccup in the plan, however.  Through putting this project together, I’ve learned that trying to coordinate artists of any kind, particularly the eccentric weirdoes that occupy the realm of horror, is a lot like trying to herd cats.  For one reason or another, a great many of those who were supposed to be ready today aren’t.  I wanna make sure that this ghastly crazy train won’t be going off the rails once I get it cranked up and rolling, so I’m gonna have to start a little late.  Let’s say next Monday at the latest.  That will leave us a little over 3 weeks of Spooky Samhain Shenanigans. It may start a little earlier than that depending on how many come shambling in over the next few days.  Make sure you keep an eye out so you don’t miss anything.  From tomorrow until the beginning of the countdown, I’ll find some Halloween flavor to whet your appetite.  So, that’s what I’ve got going on in the House of Celluloid.  Happy Halloween Cellmates.  It’s time to get down all month.  Do you wanna party?  It’s party time!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot…  29 days ‘til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.  29 days ‘til Halloween.  Silver Shamrock!