Oct 09 2017

It Came From Amazon IX

Why is a Lego Minifigure version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde called “Mr. Good and Evil?” Were they afraid people would get confused and expect two separate figures? Speaking of questions about Lego Minifigures, is “Horror Rocker” an excuse to depict the coolness of Frankenstein’s monster playing the guitar or is it a secret reference to Rock and Roll Frankenstein by one of the designers?

The Imaginext line of kids’ toys also caught my attention, and not just because it includes a “Headless Horseman” toy who clearly has a head underneath the pumpkin. Let’s look at the “Halloween” pack of monsters. The decision to give a zombie a weed whacker and mask accessories seems bewildering at first. Then you notice how it’s a burlap sack mask and some of the damage to the zombie’s body seems to indicate this is a Jason Voorhees homage! The decision to reuse the bat from Hordak’s staff as an accessory for Dracula appears be a combination of a cost-cutting decision and inside joke. Another He-Man and the Masters of the Universe connection is how a reworked version of King Hiss is included as part of the “Mummy Guards” collection.

Speaking of mummies, I wish mummy excavation kits had existed when I was a child. Unearthing mummies and dead pirates is so much cooler than the dinosaur skeletons kits which clogged the shelves back then.

Which is toy is cooler, “Phantom of the Opera” version of Eddie the Head or the Somewhere in Time version? I can’t decide. Other cool items which caught my eye are the Nosferatu marionette, the plate cover which lets you turn a light switch into a working throw switch from a mad scientist’s laboratory and Psycho Swami’s “Dr. Brainbender and the Killbots” poster.

How the hell did I not hear about the official DVD release of Dark Intruder sooner? An old Lovecraftian movie is great, but one with a dead serious performance by Leslie Nielsen is even better!

McFarlane Toys making Five Nights at Freddy’s toys doesn’t surprise me. What does surprise me, however, is the sheer number of Five Nights at Freddy’s books for sale! Especially the fan fiction ones marked “unofficial.”

The decision to make the cover art for My Best Friend’s Exorcism look like box art from an old VHS might seem like an attempt to cash in on 80’s nostalgia to some, but I think it makes perfect sense given the artwork used for book covers of the time. I’m not just saying that since the author also wrote Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ’70s and ’80s Horror Fiction, either. Covers to horror paperbacks used to be painted and sometimes featured gimmicks like holograms and foil embossed text to help them stand out from the others, just like many VHS releases. Although horror paperbacks did have their own unique gimmick: Die-cut covers!

Speaking of old horror paperbacks, I found some leads on books with especially interesting covers thanks to a trip to Too Much Horror Fiction (who aided in the creation of Paperbacks from Hell). Vampire Junction and Vanitas: Escape from Vampire Junction depict the awesome sight of an old school vampire rocking out. Sadly the third installment of the trilogy, Valentine, breaks the pattern and has a rather bland cover. The photo cover for Baxter is less “sociopathic dog” and more “Spuds MacKenzie with heat vision” and merely words cannot describe the hilariousness of Crabs: The Human Sacrifice.

Holy crap, Zazz Blammymatazz is real! I wonder if last year’s creepy clown sightings were due to this band’s former roadies?

Oct 08 2017

Creepy Cocktails and Devious Drinks V

Now that we’re well into the season of pumpkin spice, let’s cook up some of My Ghoul Friday’s “Pumpkin Spice Latte.”

Girl Loves Glam found a way to make lemonade glow under a black light!

I had to take a trip in the Wayback Machine to get the recipe for Chef Ron Lock’s “Pumpkin Rot” cocktail, but the trip was well worth it! It’s sometimes referred to as a “Rotten Pumpkin,” but please don’t confuse it with Sasaki Time’s “Rotting Pumpkin Martini.”

But that isn’t the only martini recipe I have for you! There’s also Haunted Bay’s selection of recipes for various pumpkin martinis. They also have recipes for drinks like “Creepy Crawler Punch,” “Pina Ghouladas” and more! The “Pina Ghouladas” make me think of summer and that in turn makes me think of Mr. and Mrs. Halloween’s “Jack-O’-Melon Cocktails.” You’ll understand once you read the recipe.

Kathy Kalmar submitted her frosty “Witch’s Smoothie” recipe to The Giant Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities for Children 3 to 6 and I can think of no better companions than a small life’s “Slimer Smoothie,” Allrecipes.com’s “Green Slime Smoothie” variation and Food Network’s spinach-free “Slime Smoothie.” Yesterday’s collection of Ghostbusters recipes also inspired me to seek out recipes for Food.com’s “Slime Shake” and onthebar’s “Slimer” cocktail.

Jane Rocca’s “Venus Fly Trap” is an interesting concoction, as is DrinksMixer’s “Green Lizard.” Some of you might remember how I discovered this particular cocktail was used as the base for the “Godzilla” cocktail which was supposedly made as a promotional tie-in for Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster. That information being on Yahoo Answers initially made me unsure of its accuracy. But considering what 1001 Cocktails has to say about the effects of the “Green Lizard” and how it compares with description of how the “Godzilla” cocktail “clears that five o’clock smog from your brain” from the American pressbook for Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster, I’m now completely convinced that bit of trivia is correct.

But that isn’t the only cocktail promoting a movie I have for you! MacGuffins Bar and Lounge at AMC Theatres is offering a drink called “The Pennywise” to promote the new It adaptation. I have yet to find an actual recipe, but do know its a combination of pureed strawberries, club soda, Finest Call lime sour and Ciroc Red Berry. It also turns out another chain has created their own cocktail called “Carnival Chaos.” You won’t find a recipe at the link, but you can find a list of ingredients. Until either recipe shows up online, you can make due with the Bangor Daily News‘s collection of cocktails inspired by the works of Stephen King. If you make the the “Pennywise” cocktail, you can also use DrinkWire’s “Clown Mouth Garnish” to make it extra creepy. Horror Freak News has some cocktails inspired by American Horror Story and Spirit Cocktails’ “Indominus Rex” is inspired by Jurassic World.

To make up for the missing recipes for the It-inspired cocktails I noted earlier, I want to share some special bonuses with you! Pillsbury Halloween Fun has some tips on setting up a “Boo Bar” for your Halloween party and The Alcohol Professor’s “Night of the Booooozy Tales” has the man behind Teleport City pairing certain cocktails with famous scary stories. Teleport City was a major influence of mine and I hope you’ll all enjoy his article (and the Teleport City spin-off MEZZANOTTE) as much as I did.

Special thanks to My Ghoul Friday for use of the image!

Please drink responsibly!

Oct 07 2017

Freaky Food IV

That witch looks good enough to eat. And with good reason, as it’s a “Witch Lollipop Doll” from Children’s Occupations by Mrs. Maude Cushing Nash. But it’s not just a lollipop dressed up to look like a witch. It’s actually a edible marshmallow head stuck on the opposite end of a lollipop which has been decorated to look like a witch! But if that doesn’t seem like enough of a recipe for you, then try combining it with one of the following recipes: Taste of Home’s “Old-Fashioned Lollipops,” Snappy Living’s “Homemade Lollipops” (made without corn syrup) or Hoosier Homemade’s “Homemade Jolly Rancher Lollipops.”

Halloween Museum Wordcraft.net’s Halloween Museum includes a tempting recipe for orange and black gelatin sculptures which look like vintage Halloween decorations. Other sweet treats include The Novice Chef’s “Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins,” Delish.com’s “Cereal Killer Bars” and Staying Close to Home’s “Chocolate Covered Pretzel Monsters.”

Better Homes and Gardens’ Halloween Tricks & Treats has recipes for goodies like “Eyeball Pie” and “Tombstone Brownies” (among several others). One of these other recipes which impressed me the most was the “Kooky Cauldron Sundae,” which only narrowly beat out “Scary Cerebrum.”

Speaking of ice cream, the October 1915 issue of Candy and Ice Cream has lots of Halloween ideas, including (but not limited to) the “Black Cat Sundae” and “Witches’ Dream.” The December 1919 issue of Pacific Pharmacist has recipes for a “Hallowe’en Sundae” and “Hallowe’en Sauce!”

Seeing as how Campfire Marshmallows’ Ghostbusters marshmallows are back in stores, let’s celebrate with their recipes for “Slimer S’mores Sundaes” and “Slimer Marshmallow Fondue.” If these marshmallows aren’t available in your area, you can try using Nerdy Mamma’s “Dyed Marshmallows” as a substitute. Speaking of slime, check out these recipes for Babble’s “Ghostbusters Green Slimed Popcorn” and Here Comes The Sun’s “Green Slime Popcorn Balls.”

Writing all those sugary recipes is starting to make my teeth hurt. Let’s move on to some savory items instead. Oh My Veggies’ “Pumpkin Cheddar Stuffing” sounds delicious, as does SheKnows’ “Spooky Ghost Pizza.” Woman’s Day has a recipe for “Dead Man’s Dip” and Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons’ Halloween archives are filled with recipes for “Feet Loaf” and other monstrous meals. Halloween is Here also has quite a selection of spooky snacks you should definitely check out!

Oct 07 2017

6’+ Episode 210 is Up!

2013 Logo IconTo quote the description given at the new listing:

“We’re going MAD over October, and we’re not alone. All your favorites are here — THE BRICKBATS, THE THEATRE ZOMBIES, MISTER MONSTER, SYD ZILLA and more. Monstermatt Patterson spikes the punch in the MONSTERMATT MINUTE and we play ‘Musical Chairs’ with Kraig Khaos’s KILLER KUT. We’ve got all the monster party music you need!”

Remember to email 6′+ (contact at 6ftplus.com) or leave a comment below about the show, whether you liked it or not. Tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, but above all – enjoy.

You can find all episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes and Stitcher. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Oct 06 2017

Haunted Attraction Tour Videos

I’ve decided to reboot my “Haunted Attraction Walkthroughs” article series. Why? Because it was an absolute mess. It featured videos of walking by yard haunts and riding through haunted hayrides despite the use of the word “walkthrough” in its name and I was constantly having to replace videos that got taken down. This led to some editions featuring videos of multiple versions of the same haunt and it just made more sense to scrap it and start from scratch. To avoid videos getting taken down (and since it’s the right thing to do), I’m focusing exclusively on videos which have the okay to use the backing music on YouTube (either through direct permission or through a Creative Commons license) and will avoid anything which obviously wasn’t filmed with the approval of the attraction owner.

Sadly it turned out that tracking down this sort of video was a task in and of itself. Some only noted they have approval on their websites and others used original audio but only mentioned it in the comments for a different video. Factor in how most people seem to assume they can just use whatever they want and put it on YouTube and the thorny issue of situations where the attraction owner might not actually have the authority to allow use of music from an attraction on YouTube (despite being allowed to use it in the haunt), and you have the recipe for one giant headache. I even had to use one which doesn’t use any music or prerecorded sound effects at all!

Oh, and it turns out my new standards for selecting resulted in me using videos which feature much more intense content than I’ve used in years past. Please keep in mind that strobes and other flashing lights might be present in the following:

Continue reading

Oct 05 2017

Revolting Reads (But in a Good Way)

If you guessed this image has something to do with H.P. Lovecraft, you’re absolutely correct. It’s an illustration for “They Wait” by Jason Virgadamo (who also goes by the name Renfield Rasputin), a Lovecraftian tale which was chosen by readers of The Providence Journal as the winner of the H.P. Lovecraft Writing Contest!

Speaking of Lovecraft, William Meikle is another author who has received praise for his horror tales, both Lovecraftian and otherwise. His website has a fine selection of free tales, with Lovecraft-inspired works like “The Dark Island” in addition to regular horror stories like “Bait and Switch” and “Double or Nothing.”

Speaking of “double,” Robert Jackson Bennett and David Liss teamed up for an interesting take on soul selling called “Hollow Choices.” Of the numerous stories available at Deadman’s Tome, “Cry Baby” by Al Edwards and “Route 44” by David John Wing stood out the most to me.

“Interpretation of a Dream” by Gary Morton, “Dreams” by Paul F. Wilson and “Don’t Wake The Dead” by Drac Von Stoller all share a common theme. Can you guess what it is?

Pen of the Damned is home to many tales. It took a lot of time and thought, but I whittled my list down to a triple threat of stories to share with you. “Gus” by Nina D’Arcangela shows just how far some people will go to protect their Halloween display from vandals, Tyr Kieran’s “Secret Pain” offers a must-needed twist on the surprisingly popular abuse tale and “Carnival” by A.F. Stewart gives the standard creepy clown story a break while finding new ways to wring terror out of a carnival setting.

S.E. Casey has penned many existential horror stories, including “A Broken Oath.” But that’s not the only interesting new twist on horror stories for you! Remember Creepy magazine? It had many reader submitted prose works to compliment its horror comics. “Monster” by J.C. Bartholomew Galzo, “Image in a Puddle” by Paul G. Ellis, “A Very Lovely Ghost” by Randall Holmberg and “Him” by L.R. Slater all offer something different from the norm. Similarly, “The Undead” by Austin Sirkin has a steampunk take on zombies.

But sometimes more traditional horror stories are the way to go. “The Pumpkin Man” by Karpov Kinrade doesn’t try to hide the sort of story it is and it’s very enjoyable as a result. Speaking of traditional, Maria Leach offers her take on a campfire favorite in “The Thing at the Foot of the Bed.”

Readers of this site (and those who listen to our podcast) might be familiar with Chris Lambert’s audio work. But the man behind “Music For Zombies” is just as handy with the written word as he is with music. The Amazon preview for his book Tales from the Black Meadow includes “The Rag and Bone Man,” a story which has the feel of being an old folktale despite being a modern creation.

Both “What The Dark Does” Graham Masterton and “The Doll Wagon” by Daniel G. Keohane show the dark side of toys.

Ghosts aren’t always limited to old mansions and castles. As “The Gray People” by John Campbell Haywood shows, they can even be found on golf courses! Think of this as a pleasant palate cleanser for all of the horror you have just experienced.

Special thanks to angel f. matamoros for use of the image!

Oct 04 2017

Tricks and Treats VIII

Want to make your own “Electric Jack O’Lantern” for Halloween? As you can see, it’s all too easy!

William J. Le Petomane is offering downloads of “Johann Sebastian Bunsen Burner (in D minor)” and “I Lost My Heart and Soul (at the Monster’s Ball)” on a “Name Your Price” basis. But act quickly, because this is a limited time deal!

We can learn how to make “Halloween Shirts,” “Pumpkin Puffy Paint,” “Halloween Owls,” “Ghost Windsocks,” “Moving Spirits” and “Wooden Spoon Scarecrows” (among many other activities) thanks to Google Books.

In Napkins with a Twist: Fabulous Folds with Flair for Every Occasion, David Stark shows how to decorate a table for Halloween. He also provides a tutorial on making napkin ghosts to put on said table. Similarly, Chris Kullstroem provides Halloween decorating tips and a coffin tutorial in Making a Monstrous Halloween: Themed Parties, Activities and Events.

Ralph Masiello has some great advice about drawing a skeleton. Those who prefer their artwork in pumpkin form will definitely enjoy the selection of free pumpkin carving stencils available at Orange and Black Pumpkins.

Halloween Forum shows how easy it is to make things like a grandfather clock, fireplace and a haunted radio out of cardboard and other inexpensive items. They might not always be full tutorials, but they all get the basic idea across when it comes to how to make one.

Other great Halloween projects include “Decorative “Stone” Columns,” a “Halloween Garland,” “Floating Witch Hat Luminaries,” and “Glowing Eyes.” I’ve made this kind of glowing eyes before and I recommend using cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls. Stuffing the ends with wads of newspaper after inserting the glow stick helps keep light from spilling out of the sides. Darkening the eye area with a black marker or paint also helps the illusion.

Speaking of photos you need to check out, I found an amazing Flickr gallery of rare and unreleased Trendmasters toys, including numerous Halloween decorations and monster action figures!

Dracula: Lord of the Vampires is a theatrical production that’s both great for the Halloween season and available for royalty free use! You can contact the author for further details.

Halloween Comic Fest is a festive spin-off of Free Comic Book Day which happens every October. Not only can you score free comics at participating stores, but you can also purchase packages of miniature comic books to hand out on Halloween. It’s perfect for those participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project to help children with food allergies have wonderful Halloweens!

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 discretion.

Oct 03 2017

Unique Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

Those who already checked out my past articles on pumpkin carving tips and pumpkin stencils might find themselves thinking they have exhausted all of the possible ways to decorate their Jack O’ Lanterns for Halloween. As the above image demonstrates, those people would be very wrong. The Pinhead pumpkin is only tip of the iceberg of pumpkins created by Jared von Hindman. In addition to new spins on old favorites like the “Large pumpkin eating a smaller pumpkin,” he also has Frankenpumpkins and Halloween decorations made from various fruits and vegetables (in addition to some carving tips). Not only is that link full of great ideas, but it also touches on many of the tips I’m going to share with you. For example, 1,001 Old-Time Household Hints from Yankee magazine discusses how to carve both sides of a pumpkin. Wikimedia Commons has lots of great ideas on display in its “Wikimedia Pumpkin decorating contest” category, including another approach on making a Pinhead pumpkin! Surprisingly, I did not see the classic “pins and plastic fangs” (or “googly eyes and plastic fangs”) method there.

Kelley Taylor’s Holiday Decorating For Dummies has some nice basic advice on carving and painting pumpkins while Halloween: The Best of Martha Stewart Living shows how certain tools and metal cookie cutters can make carving easier. The October 1972 issue of Boys’ Life recommends carving the lid of your Jack O’ Lantern on the bottom so as to make it easier to light the candle. To prevent the candle from falling over, carefully insert a short length of wire into the bottom of the unlit candle and then pushing down into the lid so the remaining part of the wire becomes embedded. Similarly, Pumpkin Chic: Decorating with Pumpkins and Gourds by Mary Caldwell has some great advice about making access hatches and vents for your Jack O’ Lantern. She also has some great ideas involving pumpkin stems. The “stem as a nose” style can be combined with other carving techniques to great effect.

The October 1962 issue of Popular Mechanics also has tips on using vegetables to decorate pumpkins, along with other interesting ideas. The winking pumpkin idea is intriguing although I suspect modern battery-powered light sources will be safer than the method the author suggested. Create a Bewitched Fall-o-ween: 45 Projects for Decorating and Entertaining by Kasey Rogers and Mark Wood demonstrates how a pumpkin can be easily turned into a little house. Home For Halloween on Facebook shows an alternate method of making pumpkin houses (along with many other carving ideas). The Home Haunters Facebook page has plenty of ideas (complete with links to tutorials). Everyday Is Halloween brings us ideas for pumpkins like “Homer o’ Lantern,” “Face Your Fear” (a nifty projection pumpkin variation), “Decaying Pumpkin,” “Pennywise the Dancing Clown” “Jack Skellington” and other creative ideas. I Love Halloween has an example of the classic “mooning pumpkin” display, along with some brilliantly simple bat pumpkins.

Finally, no discussion of creative Jack O’ Lantern ideas would be complete without a link to ExtremePumpkins.com. It also wouldn’t be complete without a few quick safety tips (in addition to the ones given above). Be sure to use proper precautions when decorating your pumpkins and never leave Jack O’ Lanterns lit by candles unchecked for long periods of time. Extra precautions will be needed for some of the more extreme ideas linked to here, so please keep that in mind as well.

Special thanks to Jared von Hindman for use of the image!

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 discretion.

Oct 02 2017

Spawn of Horror Trivia

Have you ever wondered why the character design for the Crypt Keeper in Tales from the Cryptkeeper looks so different from his appearance in the live action Tales from the Crypt series? It’s because Nelvana felt using the mechanical puppet from the HBO series would be too scary for small children and thought a redesigned cartoon version would be more appropriate. The puppet was later used for Secrets of the Cryptkeeper’s Haunted House in 1996 and for “Kids’ WB” promotions in 2001 and 2002 without seeming to cause any major outcry.

Tobe Hooper’s idea for what eventually became The Texas Chain Saw Massacre originally involved trolls living under a bridge!

The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini was filmed under the title Bikini Party in a Haunted House. Why was the title changed? Well, the producers thought the film was unfit for release and had new material featuring Susan Heart and Boris Karloff filmed in order to justify what they thought would be a more marketable title. Sadly this title change also resulted in the film’s original opening musical number to be cut from the film.

Anyone who’s seen Godzilla’s Revenge should remember the monster Gabara. When the character returned for an appearance in the television series Go! Godman (complete with a newly constructed costume), it was quickly realized that his existing only in the imagination of a young boy wouldn’t be a good fit for the show. So he was given a new origin as a toad who was exposed to radiation (presumably to explain the monster’s warty skin). This Gabara costume was also used for an appearance on Go! Greenman.

Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster is often considered to be an unintentional comedy due to the movie’s sheer awfulness. But the thing is, it was originally written as an intentional comedy! Rather than have a damaged android “Frankenstein” like the film used, the script had an astronaut made from various corpse parts. For example, his legs would have come from a tap dancer and would uncontrollably dance whenever “Sweet Georgia Brown” was heard. But the producers were dead set against mixing humor with horror and had the script reworked.

Similarly, Count Yorga, Vampire originally started filming as a softcore porn movie called The Loves of Count Iorga but was became a horror movie after actor Robert Quarry appealed to the producer.

Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House was made as a lark after the recording of Learning to Tell Time is Fun had completed and all of its sound effects were taken from old Disney productions.

Lucio Fulci’s “Gates of Hell” film series includes City of the Living Dead, The Beyond and The House by the Cemetery and is often referred to as a trilogy. But there’s actually one other film of his which has a connection to this “trilogy,” Conquest. In it, the Mark of Eibon from The Beyond appears on a character’s forehead.

The script for The Terror is infamous for having been written over the course of filming. Naturally this resulted in a plot which is hard to follow and many viewers wonder whether or not the character Helene is supposed to be a supernatural being. According to the film’s pressbook, she is a will-of-the-wisp.

Tex Hex from the animated series BraveStarr was initially designed for use in Filmation’s Ghostbusters series. But after the head of the company became taken with the character, he ordered the development of a new show for Tex Hex to appear in.

A television station once accidentally aired Squirm in black and white. To their surprise, the film’s director contacted them about it to say how much he enjoyed seeing the film that way! He even prefers people to watch the film that way by turning down the color on their televisions. But that isn’t the only horror movie with fans who watch it that way! Some watch Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives in black and white because the director shot it like an old Universal horror movie and others watch Sleepy Hollow that way since Tim Burton had originally wanted to film it in black and white. The director of The Mist had similar plans, although he was able to get a black and white version included on the movie’s “Two Disc Collector’s Edition” DVD. Similarly, an official black and white version of Mad Max: Fury Road was prepared and screened theatrically in some countries as Mad Max: Fury Road. Black & Chrome.

Oct 01 2017

Spooky

October is finally here and I want to celebrate by sharing a song which I’ve always associated with the Halloween season. It’s a called “Spooky” and it’s available on YouTube thanks to Classics IV – Topic:

It might surprise you to learn how its name and Halloween references aren’t why I associate it with the holiday. Back when I was growing up, it was one of the few seasonal songs local radio stations would play in October. I recall that Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “The Monster Mash” was always popular and occasionally “Martian Hop” by the Ran-Dells would get a spin or two. But that was it. Thankfully “Spooky” got just as much airtime as “The Monster Mash” did. It might gotten a little more airtime now that I think about it! I don’t know why the selection was limited to those songs. Perhaps I would have heard more festive music on other stations (or at other times on the radio stations my family usually listened to). Maybe the radio stations in the area ditched most Halloween-related albums in favor of more general listening music. Whatever the reason was, that’s all I heard every year and I was always thrilled to hear them. But the guitar riffs and saxophone solo of “Spooky” would have made it a personal favorite even if I had heard more Halloween songs back then. Most of my memories of this song come from riding in my father’s van while running errands and the like. “Spooky” almost always played at night and at many times it would be playing while we traveled down a certain heavily forested (and sparsely populated) part of the road. Houses in that direction of the road either didn’t decorate or were too hidden by trees to see anything. Hearing “Spooky” was the only thing to remind travelers that Halloween was approaching.

But moving to another state meant different radio stations and different playlists. It also meant more densely populated roads with plenty of decorated houses. But that somehow only made my occasionally hearing it even more special. I could close my eyes and be instantly transported back into that blue Chevy van traveling down a dark road. Maybe if I had paid more attention to the disc jockey, it wouldn’t have taken me an embarrassing amount of time to figure out the song’s name and the band responsible for it!

Putting together this article inspired me to do a little extra research about “Spooky,” along with the people behind it. Given its use of the word “groovy,” I had always assumed it was made in the 1970’s. But it turns out it was from the late 1960’s. “Spooky” was originally an instrumental written by Mike Shapiro and Harry Middlebrooks and was performed by Shapiro under his stage name “Mike Sharpe” in 1967. It wasn’t until J. R. Cobb (guitarist) and Buddy Buie (producer/manager) of the Classics IV created their own lyrics for a recording made the following year that the song got really popular. In case you’re wondering about the band’s name, they started out as a cover group called “The Classics.” The name wasn’t a reference to their choice of material to cover; it was just a reference to the drum set owned by singer Dennis Yost. They were forced to change their name after being contacted by another band called “The Classics.” By adding the number of the band’s (then) total members at the time, they became the “Four Classics’ and later the Classics IV. Or simply “Classics IV,” differing reference material makes it difficult to determine with exact certainty. I opt for “The Classics IV” since that’s the spelling used on the band’s official website. Looking at the song’s Wikipedia entry revealed the existence of other takes on the song. I’ve actually heard the Dusty Springfield version it mentions and was disappointed to find out it wasn’t being sung from the girlfriend’s perspective. Instead it’s about a woman singing about her spooky boyfriend. The only major difference between the two versions is how neither party proposes in the Springfield version.

That’s about it for my memories about this particular song. Well, except for how my younger brother and I would sometimes joke about the male vocalist singing about loving a “little girl.” Having compared reprints of old comic books to (then) modern comics, we both were fully aware of how things had changed over the decades. But a little thing like that didn’t stop us. Well, that’s it for this little trip down memory lane. I hope this helps you get as pumped for the Halloween season as “Spooky” does for me. We’ve got plenty of great material for this year’s countdown and you definitely don’t want to miss it!

Sep 20 2017

6’+ Episode 209 is Up!

2013 Logo IconTo quote the description given at the new listing:

“We honor George A. Romero, Tobe Hooper and Haruo Nakajima, three legends who passed away in the past few months. It’s a memorial featuring music from THE HALLINGTONS, SAVAGE REMAINS, THE MOANS, THE BOMBORAS, CALABRESE and more. Monstermatt Patterson shows up and well…zombies occur.”

Remember to email 6′+ (contact at 6ftplus.com) or leave a comment below about the show, whether you liked it or not. Tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, but above all – enjoy.

You can find all episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes and Stitcher. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sep 13 2017

Deep One Dave

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos are a very popular genre on YouTube. Such videos are usually filmed from a first person perspective in order to make it seem like you are interacting with the subject of the video you are watching. At first I assumed these were made to help people deal with their social anxieties, but that turned out not to be the case. It turns out they’re supposed to induce a kind of tingling sensation that’s supposed to be pleasant. Since any reference to a tingling scalp immediately makes me want to make a Denorex joke, I’ll let the blog which originally introduced me to these videos explain further.

Once you’re done reading that, I’m sure you’ll be just as eager to check out some Lovecraftian and often comedic ASMR videos from Ephemeral Rift:

Fans of Sticks and 3D Horror-Fi will undoubtedly appreciate the use of binaural sound (also known as “3D Audio”) in that last video. Grab your headphones if you want to experience the full effect!

Sep 08 2017

6’+ Episode 208 is Up!

2013 Logo IconTo quote the description given at the new listing:

“Grab some cake. Gravediggers Local 16 turns 9 years old on Sept. 8, so join in the celebration with GHOUL SQUAD, THE DIECASTS, THE EVIL STREAKS, HORROR SECTION and more. Monstermatt Patterson winds up on the wrong end of Pin The Tail On The Donkey in a MONSTERMATT MINUTE, while Kraig Khaos whacks the pinata to unleash another KILLER KUT.”

Remember to email 6′+ (contact at 6ftplus.com) or leave a comment below about the show, whether you liked it or not. Tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, but above all – enjoy.

You can find all episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes and Stitcher. They’re also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sep 05 2017

The House with Laughing Windows (1976) An Overlooked Giallo

The House With Laughing Windows - 3

Zombos Says: Very Good

This review was written for the upcoming Unsung Horrors, an anthology of horror movies you should watch, written by the fiends at We Belong Dead magazine. The book should be available at the end of this month.

 

The House with Laughing Windows (La casa dale finestre che ridono) is a neglected giallo.

Directed by Pupi Avati with music composed by Amedeo Tommasi, and a screenplay by Avati, Gianni Cavina, Antonio Avati, and Maurizio Costanzo, you would be hard pressed to find much written about this slowly building suspense movie, shot in Lido degli Scacchi, in the Ferrara province of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. Yet, with its mounting dread, a longstanding mystery in a way-too-quiet town where tourists are never seen, and an undercurrent of old evils that may still be walking around, there should be more attention paid to this little gem of terror that builds to a deliberately arguable climax.

The opening credits hint at the madness and horror that have transpired in the town where Stefano (Lino Capolicchio) arrives by ferry. He is greeted by the short Mayor Solmi (Bob Tonelli) and the taller Coppola (Gianni Cavina), providing an odd contrast as the two wait near a red car for his ferry to dock. He has come to restore a fresco in the local church, a painting depicting the martyring of St. Sebastian, at the request of a very nervous friend who is conducting water tests for the mayor.

With a budget that needed to stay lean, Avati uses his camera wisely. There are no flourishy or overtly stylized frames, but three instances, each involving Stefano, are worth noting. Two involve seeing Stefano through an open door, with him standing in the light of the room, but darkness outside that room. This impresses by implying he is surrounded by the unknown and the unseen, a strong foreshadowing element created by his position within the room, the open doorway, and the darkness leading to the camera watching him from a distance.

The third instance is either an aberration of the camera lens or a brilliant toss-away, which, either way, comes at the right moment in the movie to show the uneasiness slowly mounting in Stefano, and the shaky hold he has on the unknown and unseen that is closing in around him. As he slowly walks up a narrow stairway, the camera appears to remain immobile as the walls jiggle around Stefano’s ascent. Perhaps a camera anomaly due to the need for a handheld camera in such a tight space, or maybe it is an artifact from duping the film to DVD. A discussion on IMDb is not conclusive. You will need to decide for yourself. However it happened, it still leaves a strong impression.

The stairway leads Stefano to a large, mostly empty room, where Legnani, the painter who committed suicide, who tortured and murdered local villagers in the pursuit of his madness, mixed his palette with paints and blood. The painter was aided by his two sisters, who shared in and inflamed his insanity. All this ties to the fresco in the church that Stefano is restoring, and as he slowly uncovers more and more of the painting, he begins to delve deeper into the life and death of Legnani and the secret of the house with laughing windows. The priest in the church is non-committal: he can take or leave the restoration. But why? The assistant to the priest is an oddball who does nasty things and is allowed to. But why? Stefano’s nervous friend, who involved him in the restoration, is desperate to tell him something important about the painting, but will he be able to since no one else wants Stefano to know?

Sound and silence help build the mystery and the sense of foreboding throughout the movie. An old wire recorder comes to life as power fuses are blown. The recording is Legnani’s voice describing his ecstasy experienced through the agony of others and his visions from tortured madness. The effect is as chilling and telling as the recordings heard in The Exorcist and The Evil Dead. Threatening phone calls are made to Stefano, warning him to give up and get out; deep-voiced, throaty calls that mean business. And Tommasi’s score provides the convincing atmosphere of danger and oppressiveness, while the silence of townspeople and the quiet countryside establishes a sense of collusion and indifference.

Coppola, bothered by his conscience, decides to help Stefano. How long both of them will live to find the answers is questionable. While the body count is low and people are not murdered in the usual graphic giallo style, House with the Laughing Windows compensates and goes one better, by relying on the slow burn, the unsettling painter of agony’s legacy, and a twisted ending that leaves you with hope or despair, depending on how you want to paint this picture.

 

Lost Sounds and Soundtracks. Pupi Avati's "The House with the Laughing Windows"

This article originally appeared at From Zombos’ Closet.

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Aug 29 2017

Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: The Creepy Creeps

The Creepy Creeps
Official Site
The Creepy Creeps, Dionysus Records 2016 (Original release date: 2006)

Back when I looked at the music of Creepxotica, I provided a few details about the Creepy Creeps since the two bands are interconnected (more on that later). But to help all you new readers catch up, here’s what I know: The Creepy Creeps were founded in 1999 and played their first show in 2000. Combining their musical talents with go-go dancers, hype men and wearing different masks in various appearances, the Creepy Creeps made a huge splash. Rock legend Robert Plant took notice of them in 2011 and asked them to open for his revived Band of Joy in certain California performances. They won “Best Live Show” and “Best Band” in the 2013 San Diego Music Awards and have played at Tiki Oasis numerous times. On top of that, one of the Creeps (and one of their hype men) even made an appearance in IDW’s Godzilla: Rulers of Earth comic book series! To say they’re a big deal would be grossly understating things.

Who are the Creepy Creeps? I’m actually still trying to figure that out. The profile page from Dionysus Records which I linked to above credits the following:

Dr. Creepenstein: Guitar (electric & acoustic), keyboards and vocals
Creepula: Guitar (electric & acoustic) and vocals
Dia de los Creep: Bass guitar

But in the same page, the band’s founder Creepture is noted separately and I had to look at a different website to see what instrument he plays! On top of that, a group member named Gatos Locos is noted several times on their Facebook page, but I can’t determine if he’s a new member or if he just changed his stage name. Adding to the confusion is how it turns out Creepxotica has 5 members while the Creepy Creeps have 4 (according to publicity images and album covers for both bands), despite many websites treating the two as the same band performing under a different name! I did find some information about the members of Creepxotica, but no stage names are given and some of the names differ from the members tagged in various photographs on the Creepy Creeps’ Facebook page! So although I can’t say who performed on this particular album, I can confidently say they did an excellent job.

“Biffins Bridge” shows the band knows the importance of a good first impression. In this very catchy track, fast and heavy percussion is expertly blended with guitars. You also get to enjoy lyrics about a fight at the most unfortunately named bridge in the world. Seriously, don’t look up that name online if you’re not at home alone. It’s also worth noting how the back cover of Creepxotica’s Haunted Bossa Nova refers to a platform they performed on as “Biffins Bridge.” Since only a handful of tracks don’t have lyrics, I think I’ll only bring up when a track is instrumental from now on. Drums and reverb usher us into “Cleto.” It’s heavy yet bouncy and I also enjoyed how the well the cymbals melded with the tambourine and organ work. “Creepin Round” will blow you away with its classic surf opening and use of percussion. An organ and guitar blend opens the short ‘n sweet “Drop In.” There aren’t any actual lyrics, but there is a chant of “drop in” mixed in with the drums and cymbals. Although clapping joins the mix in “Here We Come,” thunderous reverb and jaw-dropping guitar variations are the stars of this particular song. Guitars blast off and never slow down in “Log Boss.” There are plenty of classic surf touches to be found in this, along with plenty of organ work.

“You Must Fight to Live on the Planet of the Apes” is perfect “get up and dance” music. Not only are there group vocals in this, but there’ also all the profanity you wished Charlton Heston used back in 1967! The instrumental track “Shindig on the 13th Floor” changes things up a bit with its kooky, spooky organ beat. There’s a great powerful end buildup, but sadly the ending is rather abrupt. Perhaps it was meant to blend into the opening of “Solid Ghoul Stomp.” Although it removes the organ work heard in the previous track, it retains the use of drums and guitars. It also has some of the reverbiest reverb I’ve ever heard. I enjoyed the percussion in “Spider Zombie,” but the guitar work made it a personal favorite of mine. The organ backing helps keeps this instrumental number appropriately creepy. “The Wheel” features a Deliverance-style duel between a guitar and banjo at the beginning, but does own thing once the drums join in. The “heys” and howls from singers are great touches as well. finally, things come to a close with “Tiki Mug Shot.” Things start off a bit bouncy thanks to the percussion and organ work, but the cool and creeptastic part about a minute in really livens things up. This instrumental track also features some pretty pickin’ work on the guitar. You know what this means: great song, great closing and great album.

I don’t know if the musical style of the Creepy Creeps can best be described as “horror surf with some punk mixed in” or “surf with horror punk mixed in,” but I do know they give the Ghastly Ones a serious run for their money! Listening to The Creepy Creeps makes me regret putting off listening to the band for so long. It’s not like they haven’t been active since this album originally came out. Fink About It! was released in 2009 and Last to Leave was a 2016 release! I definitely have some catching up to do. The band’s 2017 plans seem to be a split between live performances and Creepxotica. Said side project just released Swinging Sounds From Beyond the Nether Regions on vinyl and Creepxotica Featuring Rachel DeShon on both digital and vinyl. I’ll be checking out both for next year’s Freaky Tiki Surf-ari, so stay tuned!

Special thanks to Dionysus Records for use of the image!

Aug 24 2017

Freaky Tiki Surf-ari: Music From The 6th Floor

Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited
Official Site (Label)
Music From The 6th Floor, Dionysus Records 2016

It’s been ages since I last reviewed something by Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited and the group seems as mysterious as ever. In fact, I hadn’t heard anything from them in so long that I had assumed they had quietly disbanded! So imagine my pleasant surprise when I found out about the release of Music From The 6th Floor. Do they still have wait it takes after taking so long to put out a new release? Let’s find out!

Chimes and a 70’s style funk groove take us down “35 Falcon Street.” As was the case when I first heard “Sitar Jerk” upon playing The Spooky Sound Sessions for the first time, hearing it made me realize that I was going to love this album. The drums blend in well and I’m wild about the group’s very different take on guitar reverb in music. “808.7” has both a science fiction and video game feel to its opening. The use of feedback adds to said feel, along with the catchy drum machine beat and interesting little bursts of reverb. A phrase like “energetic relaxation” might seem contradictory to some, but I think it describes this track perfectly. In “Green Bluebird Fly,” the overall feel is closer to traditional exotica than the other tracks. This is thanks to its mellow tone, percussion and tambourine usage. The guitars do pick up the pace a bit, but it doesn’t have same feel as the last track. Piano work makes a surprise (but welcome) appearance as well. “Blues from Pluto” is bouncy neo-exotica featuring impressive guitar work and bubbling notes. “Night Boat to Antalya” seems to be a reference to a populous city in Turkey. Perhaps that’s why bells and bongos are used to create a “Middle Eastern” feel? This track conjures up a sense excitement and intrigue, which is aided by “spy-fi surf” feel of the guitars. “Take Me to Another World” lives up to its name with a peppy, sci-fi synth beat. There’s plenty of chimes sprinkled throughout, along with maracas and soft touches of bongos. I also love tune out effect at the end.

“The Teacher and the Preist” (which is not a typo on my part) features plenty o’ percussion and piano. Its use of comparatively heavy reverb and less relaxed feel must be heard to be appreciated. The title track, “Music from the 6th Floor,” is a reference to the album being recorded in a high-rise building. But let’s get back to the song itself. Its brief heavy and ominous musical build yields to varied drum machine beats. Bongos shine here, while the piano work, touches of reverb and guitars add to the feel. Fans of synth and clapping hands should be sure to seek this out! Those elements can also be found in “Aimez-Vouz Henri?” The name is inspired by the French term “Aimez-Vous” and the title roughly translates as “Do you like to, Henry?” The track itself is an interesting fusion of 80’s synthpop and neo-exotica with a side of surf. In other words, you can expect speedy synth beats, reverb riffs and bongos. “Night of the Jaguar” takes us back to the traditional exotica feel thanks to its steel guitars, maracas and bongos. But there’s still plenty of SSSU touches to keep this in realm of neo-exotica, like the kooky organ work. Heavy and somewhat ominous piano leads us into “Minigolf and Butter Chicken,” but the bongos and other percussion lighten the mood considerably. The organ solos are simply incredible. In contrast, “Spacechild” softer, slower and much more mellow thanks to its bongos and maracas layered over synth work. “Psisurf” combines guitars, bongos, etc. over steady synth tones. I love its touches of bells and dueling guitars, one surf and the other which can only be described as being pure Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited. Things close out with “Don’t Worry I’m Fine.” It has great reverb and a most relaxing percussive beat. It would be a fantastic closing track even if it didn’t have such a variety of instruments on display.

Music From The 6th Floor is proof positive Stereophonic Space Sound Unlimited hasn’t lost a step. So, yeah, this was well worth the wait. In addition to being available on factory-pressed CD and as a digital download, there’s also a vinyl version. I have the CD version, partly because getting my hands on a record player would inevitably result in my turning it into the guts of a motorized Halloween prop. I also like how the music being on a shiny metallic disc compliments the band’s futuristic sound. This is the first time I’ve encountered a Dionysus release in a cardboard digipack rather than a jewel case. No matter what sort of packaging (or formats) their next album will be available in, here’s hoping we don’t have to wait very long for it.

Special thanks to Dionysus Records for the review copy!

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