I know it's still early, but I am sooo ready for my favorite season to get here. Friday night I watched John Carpenter's original Halloween and Shaun of the Dead. Sunday morning I got up early and watched the 2010 remake of Night of the Demons before anybody else in the house awoke. (Night of the Demons, by the way, was an okay movie. It was scary, had some great gore, but was a bit formulaic - right down to the horny teens and sole female survivor. That said, it was about a group of people who go to a kick ass Halloween party, so it only added to my longing for Halloween to get here).
I've straightened and re-alphabetized my horror DVD collection so that I have quick, immediate access to it should I get a sudden urge to pull out a horror movie at random. I'm getting set to rewatch The Walking Dead Season 1 in anticipation of its return next month, and I've got Trick 'R Treat lined up (with several other, select Halloween watching necessities).
Speaking of Trick 'R Treat, make sure you check out Fearnet's website. They've been periodiocally issuing short Trick 'R Treat themed holiday message from the iconic Sam character. Creepy, weird, oddly poignant... I'm sooo goddamned excited for Trick 'R Treat 2 and the return of old pumpkin-headed Sam.
Speaking of movies that fully capture the awesome feeling of Halloween, I came to the realization this weekend that I don't own Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. This seems like a tragic oversight on my part. I will rectify it soon, though.
So what else has me feeling so Halloween-y? There's a million things. Obviously the cooler weather and the falling leaves are starting to get me in the mood. Also, this week began the age old, time-honored return of haunted attraction commercials to the radio. Ohio still has a vibrant haunted attraction community and there are some kick ass ones out there in the creepy corn fields of rural Ohio, or the dingy, decaying urban factories of our cities. I haven't been to a haunted attraction in about 13 or 14 years (which, if one does the math, is about as long as I've been married. Odd that.) I plan to rectify that this year. I've heard great things about the Haunted Mansfield Reformatory haunt and I think I'll make the trip in the next couple of weeks.
If any of my friends who are regular readers are interested in going with me, shoot me an email. It'll be a blast... kooky, creepy, and all together spooky!
Halloween is here because of something else too. Two weeks ago, I bought and consumed the first of the annual pumpkin brews. wOOt! Dear, dark Pagan gods - how I LOVE pumpkin beer! It was some Blue Moon Pumpkin Brew, which is quite tasty for a commercial, mass produced beer. I also cracked open a Great Lakes Nosferatu whilst watching my beloved Browns kick the hell out of the Dolphins yesterday.
In that same vein (no pun intended!) - this weekend, I'm planning on bugging Mrs. Zombie to buy some New Holland Ichabod, which was my favorite pumpkin brew by the end of last year. It's soooo tasty!
I also get to indulge one of my guilty pleasures at this time of the year, and the stores are replete with them. What I'm talking about is my fascination with vintage and vintage-style Halloween decorations. I love classic, 1920's and 1930's postcards and greeting cards, I love Biestle classic Halloween cutout decorations from the 60's and 70's. Believe me when I say you'd recognize them if you saw them. They're the classic, brightly-colored cardboard decorations that all of our moms hung up at Halloween, or that decorated our classrooms growing up. I someday plan on finishing my mancave and will decorate it in vintage Halloween items because, in Doctor Zombie's world - and in his dark, black, undead heart - EVERYDAY SHOULD BE HALLOWEEN!
Some final links before I leave you for the time being. Again, make sure you check out Eric Pigor's site - Toxic Toons. No other artist I know of fully captures the quintessential horror elements of halloween better. I just ordered my 3rd shirt from him - his limited edition Pumpkin Witch shirt and I should receive it this week sometime. Just in time for Halloween!
For information and purchase-able Vintage Halloween items, make sure you check out Halloween Town. They have a great selection that makes me wish I was independently wealthy so I could but it all! By the by, if you're looking for a Christmas or Halloween gift for old Dr. Z... this is a good place to start!
Also - I just purchased Midnight Syndicate's newest CD release - Carnival Arcane. This is so fucking appropriate to the Halloween season and I'm absolutely loving it. It's deliciously creepy, and downright spooky. Watch for a review to follow soon and, please, check out the link to their site at the bottom of the page. If you haven't experienced Midnight Syndicate, you're definitely in for a treat.
Finally - keep an eye on The Midnight Theater of Terror this weekend. Doctor Zombie, Mrs. Zombie, WolfGirl, and Zombie Boy are going on a roadtrip that is so damned appropriate considering the season that it's got Dr. Z quivering in undead anticipation. Pictures, a writeup, and - hopefully - some incredible video will follow! I promise you won't be disappointed, dear ghouls!
Now, before I leave you, I wanted to point you to the video below. I was at Toxic Toons and was surprised to find this song playing in the background. It was goosebump inducing because I, honestly, had totally forgotten about this song until I heard it again on Unkle Pigor's site. Does anybody else remember singing this song in elementary school?? Like I said, I hadn't heard of or even thought of this song in probably 30 years, but as soon as I heard it I was suddenly in Mrs. Cutler's 3rd grade class again, excited because it was Halloween and so proud of my Darth Vader costume because, although Luke was cool - I knew even then that the Dark Side was much, much more fun!
This song reminds me of candy corn, caramel apples, those plastic Halloween costumes with the plastic masks with elastic bands, falling leaves, and Beistle Halloween decorations.
Geez... I need Halloween to be here NOW!
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