All Hail the King

My memory can be as rusty as an old shovelhead sometimes so forgive me if I retread old ground here.

Metal.

Ah, Metal.  Metal Documentaries have covered why metal is the music most likely to lend itself to darker themes (tuning, the perfect fifth, Black Sabbath etc.) and I encourage you to seek them out on your own for further explanation. Metal is the music that I listen to when I want to feel like I am made up of broken glass, atomic explosions and righteousness. It appeals to a different chemical balance.

I haven’t covered much metal on site. Partially due to that I don’t listen to much metal on a regular basis, partially because a lot of that I listened to during my metal wasn’t spooky. Spooky music like The Crimson Ghosts, Lugosi’s Morphine and The Cramps are of a different flavor of fun than Iron Maiden. 

And, I don’t listen to that much metal all that often. Even when my hair was at its longest, I was never that deep into the Metal sphere. I was the casually dressed at the headbanger ball while my teenage friends blasted out the heavy from car stereos and bedrooms alike. I picked up two albums that I sincerely enjoyed: the live Emperor release and ‘Beneath the Remains,’ by Sepultura (which I find appropriate for a gravedigger, no?) 

Emperor is as black metal as I go. I try to keep to the Americas and the classic UK bands if I ever listen to them now. Mastadon. Strapping Young Lad.  Sabbath. Call it some hometown pride.

But, if there’s someone who I can say is king of spooky metal, it’s the great Dane himself, King Diamond.

From my novice perspective, Metal takes its horror seriously. A lot of bad metal takes its horror way too seriously.  But for my tastes, Diamond gets the balance of sincere horror, spooky and theatrics down right in his music. From his opus ‘Abigail,’ to 2007’s ‘Give Me Your Soul…Please?”, Diamond’s flair for dramatic storytelling in his music makes him a good  addition to your spooky library.

Problems I can immediately see with having him as an addition to your Halloween mixer: No singles and his falsetto. Chances are that King Diamond album you just bought is a concept album, each track a different piece of a longer story. The first Diamond record is more like the traditional album, home

Plus, though he has relied less on it over the later releases, Diamond is known for one of the stronger falsettos in Metal.  King can hit a high pitch.

Can’t say I know him personally, but from posted interviews and interaction, he comes off as a humble and gracious person. It’s a strange life to live when you make your living wearing make-up. I get the impression that he knows that. There’s a visible gratitude for each and every fan that helps him continue with his art.

Throwing on a King Diamond record in between the Misfits or your Psychobilly comp is a nice way to keep your ears feeling fresh. I highly recommend it.   ‘Abigail,’ ‘Them’ and ‘Give Me Your Soul…Please?’ are my suggestions for this season. ‘The Puppet Master’ is a good album but it’s more for Christmas. Seriously.

If you have any metal recommendations, post a comment.

Son of Shameless Cross-Promotion

As was the case last year, our friends at URBMN have put together a humorous article devoted to oddball costumes and masks. I’m bringing this up both to let readers know that “Costume Crazyness” wasn’t a one-off article and that the series is continuing despite URBMN’s shift of focus toward television reviews.

Speaking of cross-promotion, I want to give credit to some sites that have given our readership a boost as of late:

Monster Rally
Countdown to Halloween
Secret Mountain Laboratory

Thanks for all of your help!

Tales of Uncialle

Back when I originally started looking for Halloween stuff online, Uncialle’s Halloween Darksite was one of the first few of my discoveries. I was both intrigued and amazed by her instructions on making a homemade pond monster and mummy and faithfully visited the site every month hoping for new prop instructions. But one day, the updates stopped coming. Disappointed, I eventually moved on and mostly forgot about the site.

Years later, I was thrilled to find that Uncialle had merely switched over from Geocities to her own hosted domain rather than abandon the site and that all of the my favorite how-tos were still there.

To celebrate my rediscovery, I thought I’d share Uncialle’s “Tips for Fast Haunting” and some directions on making two fairly easy props with you all. They’re perfect for any “Oh no, Halloween is almost here and I haven’t done anything to prepare” moments you might experience in the week to come. Happy haunting!

Headstone City

http://www.headstonecity.com/gravediggers.html

Gravedigger’s Local 552:
n. Based in North Carolina, Local 552 was first formed in 1826. Originally consisting of 5 members, the union has reached over 50 members throughout the 19th and 20th century. Gravedigger’s Local 552 is responsible for all graves that are dug in and around Kill Devil Hills. In 1926, Local 552 celebrated its centennial. To mark the occasion, the members held an anniversary party at the first cemetery the union first dug, back in 1826. The members drew straws and whoever drew the short straw would spend the night in the cemetery alone. Henry Walker was the unlucky winner and slept on the grave that was first dug 100 years prior. The following morning, the other members arrived at the cemetery and found no sign of their friend. Instead, Henry Walker’s name was carved on the tombstone and Henry was never seen or heard from again. There have been claims that Henry’s ghost still haunts the local cemetery and you can hear him laughing among the tombstones.

Great shirts on their main site.

Don’t discount these deals!

GdL favorite Barrett’s Haunted Mansion is once again offering a discount admission coupon on their official website. However, some restrictions apply (see coupon for details).

Visit Borders is the official coupon site of Borders Booksellers. The coupons change regularly, so don’t fret if the coupon you see today doesn’t suit your needs. I was at Borders a few weeks ago and they had some markdowns on many horror DVDs, including Phantasm for $8.99. Slap a coupon on top of that and you’ve got an even better deal!

Speaking of Halloween sales, Amazon has an entire section of their website devoted to their various Halloween promotions.

For any New Englanders reading this, I highly recommend subscribing to the various Newbury Comics online newsletters if you haven’t done so already. Not only will you get a lot of cool news and contests, but they often throw in some handy coupons. Of particular interest is the “20% off any Halloween item” they sent out this week. Well, 20% of any Halloween item that isn’t on sale and isn’t a CD or DVD. See coupon for further details.

Finally, Union Fellow Halloween Forum has an entire folder devoted to various sales, discounts and coupons. Check it out!

Home Sweet Home

Sometimes, I just love my town.

The Grove Street Cemetery has a wonderful entrance, with the words “The Dead Will Be Raised” carved across the gate. It adds a little spooky to the town, which can be kind of a bore. 

Of course, the locals also contribute. This is a husk of bark that bears a resemblance to a horned demon (or you could see your favorite uncle) that one of the locals decided would look great hanging off of a steel bolt from a telephone pole.

Fantastic.

Mask-Making 101

maskmaking

Ah, latex masks. Halloween and horror movies simply wouldn’t be the same if they didn’t exist. In fact, it was once thought that such masks could replace makeup entirely! But although many of us drool over such masks, sometimes the price of one is scarier than the creature it depicts.

So why not make on yourself? If you (or someone you know) can make a good-looking clay sculpture, you’re already part of the way there. Although the initial investment in obtaining all the necessary materials might seem expensive now, the end results could potentially save you money normally spent on masks in the long run. To learn more, please visit the mask-making tutorials at the following linked sites:

Haunters Hangout Mask Making
Spooky Blue’s Halloween Haunt Projects
The MonsterMakers: How to Make a Monster!

Pages 14-21 of the Google Books preview for The Monster Makers Mask Makers Handbook by Arnold Goldman also give some great mask-making tips.

After you finish making your own latex masks, you’re going to need to know how to store and care for them. Thankfully, the Mask Dr has a handy online guide available.

Or if all that seems too complicated and time-consuming for you, there’s always paper masks.

As noted in yesterday’s “How-To” post, Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for the content on or anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of visiting any links on those sites (or constructing a project that’s detailed on them). Attempt at your own risk.

How to Make a Monster

No, this isn’t a review of the classic AIP film of the same name. Instead, this blog entry is intended to point you in the direction of some handy how-tos in case you need something extra special for your Halloween display, haunted attraction or costume party.

The online preview of Dan Reeder’s Papier-Māché Monsters: Turn Trinkets and Trash Into Magnificent Monstrosities is a great place to start. The materials are fairly inexpensive (and easy) to come by and the results look really neat. Sadly, said preview doesn’t contain any information about creating fake eyeballs. Thank goodness Haunters Hangout has a tutorial on the matter (along with other cool Halloween projects). Similarly, the Monster Page of Halloween Project Links has a wealth of information about creating your own monsters (and other cool Halloween props). Who says you need to be a mad scientist to make your own monsters?

Like Haunters Hangout and the Monsterlist, Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for the content on or anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of visiting any links on those sites (or constructing a project that’s detailed on them). Attempt at your own risk.

Linger Longer III: Legion

Depending on your sense of humor, the following is either the greatest or worst Linda Blair interview ever recorded:

For those of you that would prefer a horror-related Opie and Anthony video with just a bit more substance:

Surprisingly, only the first one is NSFW. And if that “imbalance” bothers you, well, just look through the rest of the videos on the uploader’s channel. You won’t be disappointed.

No tricks, just a treat

Back when I reviewed Pieces for GdL, I wasn’t very annoyed with how it was hard to remove the overlapping DVDs from the case since I could just switch them (along with the cover art) over to a new case. Seems kind of odd, right? After all, wouldn’t that mean I’d have to spend extra money on an empty DVD case?

Not necessarily.

Continue reading

“Eddie, what kind of movie is this?”

 

Got to give it up for capturing a mood. Right from the start, ‘End of the Beginning,’ the newest album from Lugosi’s Morphine sets the tone. ‘The Year Without a Halloween,’ a title invoking the Rankin-Bass specials from a different holiday, perfectly expresses a bad case to any spooky/scary aficionado – horror fatigue.

“Not feeling like dressing up/and I don’t mean to be rude/ I’ve got a mountain of eggs and toilet paper/but I’m just not in the mood.”

Been there, done that – horror fatigue gets the best of us. Singer D.F Lazarus doesn’t try to rationalize it. It just is. A ghoul can’t see black everyday without getting the blues. But what follows, the “I Like It Spooky,” is an anthem for any spook-show citizen. The pairing of the unenthusiastic in ‘Year Without’ with the affirmation cry in ‘Like It Spooky’ indicates the intelligence behind this band.

The whole record is fantastic. ‘Evil Urge,’ ‘Bucket of Blood’ –hell, ‘Graves’ might as well be the theme song for us here at the Local. This record has fun and aggression; there’s a party in the guitar work and the thud control in the bass and drums keeps things rocking forward.

The music on this album is so good it pisses me off. In the same vein how Lemmy took umbrage at anyone tacking on the qualifier “for a girl band” whenever talking about Girlschool, I’d get pissed if someone said, “You know, this band is good for a horror punk band.” I’m not surrounded by anyone who would, but to think that someone might pass up this record without giving it a fair shake–that’s a damned shame.  Lugosi’s Morphine is a good band. The music on could should reward them a greater notice. If it has, good. They’ve earned it.  But damned  be the ignorant masses that dismiss any band as a comedy act or a seasonal flavor to be played once on a October broadcast at a college radio station.  

It’s not like that they decided to not suck one day. Lugosi’s Morphine has always been on top of the ball. Their release ‘5 Shots to the Head’ shows they know their shots and allow you to experience both their influences (They cover Roky Erickson’s “Bermuda” and “Night of the Vampire”) and their live set. If you need evidence why to check this band out, get a hold of that release or sleep with someone who does. Make use of your body’s heat while it’s still warm. When you’re done, introduce yourself to Lugosi’s Morphine and be happy.

 

Transylvania TV: ON THE AIR

One of the related YouTube videos to Spook House Dave’s channel led to ‘Transylvania TV’ (or TVTV), a puppet show from Minneapolis. More adult themed in nature (language, content, nothing too graphic) it’s not for kids despite being very similar to your Sesame Street/Muppet fare.

They have a DVD of their first season out (as well as t-shirts, which run rather cheap for some designs) but you can view the whole season for free on their You Tube account. Season Two is on their site, though it’s a continual process. Subscribe to their newsletter to stay in touch. 

First Episode Below.

Creepy Cocktails

Double, double toil and trouble.

Since we covered food and non-alcoholic punches last time, I thought it would be a good idea to devote today’s entry to “hard” drinks not suitable for minors.

Getting back to Lesley Pratt Bannatyne’s A Halloween How-To: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations from yesterday’s entry:

Spiked Halloween Punch and Blood-Red Cocktails
Spicy Bloody Mary and Halloween Schnapps

The Cocktails of the Ritz Paris by Colin Peter Field offers a pumpkin-flavored cocktail which goes by several spooky names.

Knack Bartending Basics: More Than 400 Classic and Contemporary Cocktails by Cheryl Charming and Susan Bourgoin contains the following drink recipes:

Devil’s Blood and Rotten Pumpkin
Ghost Aura and Berry Scary-tini

Moving on to Wikibooks (some scrolling may be required):

Ectoplasm (Two variations)

Hangman’s Blood

Invisible Man

Zombie

There’s also a separate entry on the Zombie that has a more detailed history of the drink, along with some alternate Zombie recipes.

Please drink responsibly!

Ghoulish Gourmet

Check it out, one of the cooks is being mugged!

What to serve at your Halloween party? It’s an age-old question. Although some take the easy way out by stocking up on pizza and chips, a true Halloween lover takes the time and effort to make some specially-made creepy cuisine. Just as we offered up printable Halloween decorations last year, here are some free recipes:

Britta Peterson, author of Eerie Elegance: How To Host A Haunt And Other Fabulous Frights offers up lots of great recipes on her website, good for both Halloween and Harry Potter-themed parties. My personal favorite is the bleeding heart recipe, as it seems like a tasty treat and great special effect.

The Google Books preview of Brekka Hervey Larrew’s Wormy Apple Croissants and Other Halloween Recipes offers up the title recipe, Witchy Wands and Edible Eyeballs.

The preview for The Halloween Handbook by Bridie Clark, Ashley Dodd and Janette Beckman offers many recipes. Said recipes include (but aren’t limited to) Meat and Vegetable Vertebrae, Witches’ Hats and Dirt and Worms Pie.

For those serving very young guests, Baby & Toddler Meals for Dummies by Dawn & Curt Simmons (along with Sallie Warren) might be a worth a look. Recipes like Frightful Brownies and Green Witch Punch await you.

Donata Maggipinto and Richard Jung offer up a recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds in Halloween Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family.

Halloween: Customs, Recipes, Spells by Silver RavenWolf has material that’s…how should I put this…a bit metaphysical. Still, one can easily ignore all the “new age” parts of the recipes to make old fashioned Samhain goodies like All Souls’ Day Bread and Divination Doughnuts, or modern goodies like Witches’ Brew and Sugar Snakes in Graveyard Dust.

For those looking for more than just sweets, Ed Morrow’s The Halloween Handbook has recipes for Jack-o’-Lantern Pizza and Witch Handwiches.

Finally, Lesley Pratt Bannatyne’s A Halloween How-To: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations provides a wealth of recipes. So much so, that I’ve decided to just link you to the first page of the recipes chapter and let readers scroll through by themselves to find stuff that interests them (but I will give a few suggestions). Although this is true for many of the other links in this entry, A Halloween How-To went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to recipe ideas. It’s got everything from variations on pumpkin seed recipes to Halloween Jell-o and Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for some Halloween cocktail recipes…

Spook House Dave

Puppets. Funny puppets. Or, so I think. Some of the jokes are corny but I like Umberto. Kind of has that ‘Edwardo’ from ‘Foster’s Home’ vibe going on.

They’re doing a full 31 Days of these short clips over at ‘Spook House Dave‘ so head over and check them out.

Kagaku no Daikaiju

My Japanese language skills are slim to nonexistent, but the title of today’s entry should roughly translate as “(The) Science of Giant Monsters.”

Anyone who’s drooled over imported official guides devoted to Godzilla, Gamera and co. should be familiar with pictures of Japanese movie monsters showing the internal structures of said beasts. Although I can’t tell you what those diagrams actually say, I can link you to some online scans of those pictures.

As if that wasn’t enough, here’s an article written by an honest-to-goodness scientist which discusses how Godzilla would function if he actually existed. How cool is that?

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