Tricks and Treats IX

If the above lantern strikes your fancy, you can learn how to make one in Volume 14 of School Arts magazine. While we’re on the subject of vintage reading material, let’s check out The Anchora of Delta Gamma to learn about a haunted attraction from 1968 called the “Mystic Mansion.”

The October 1985 issue of Boys’ Life has an interesting interview with Garfield (and Jim Davis) which foreshadows the events of Garfield’s Halloween Adventure without actually mentioning the special by name!

The name “Zioptis Foundation” might be familiar to those of you who read last year’s collection of links to haunted attraction review websites. But what you probably didn’t know is how that particular haunt reviewer has a free “Dial-A-Trip” phone number which gives bizarre messages to callers! You can learn more about the phone number’s long history at the Zioptis DeviantArt page.

Dr. TerrorEyes has loads of great stuff available on his Facebook page, with everything from informative lectures he’s given at haunted attraction conventions to prop ideas!

Danny Seo’s Upcycling Celebrations has some great instructions on how to turn burnt-out floodlight bulbs into potion bottles. This is a huge boon to haunters who use such lights in their displays. The only problem is how the online version doesn’t have any pictures. Thankfully Organized31 does!

Sew a Modern Halloween: Make 15 Spooky Projects for Your Home by Riel Nason shows how to make a fabric “Scrappy Jack block” which can be used to make festive quilts and pillows.

Melody Hall’s Ultimate Halloween has instructions for a “Batty Clothespin Bat Pin,” “Goofy Gourds Centerpiece Baskets” and decorating your cubicle at work for Halloween. People of all ages can enjoy making the “Paper Bag Pumpkin” from The Toddler’s Busy Book by Trish Kuffner.

Do you have any spare egg cartons? If so, How To Make Your Own Spooky Halloween Crafts by Jeannine Hill will show you how to make bats and spiders out of said cartons. She also discusses how to make ghosts using your choice of balloons or trash bags.

Speaking of ghosts, Mary Meinking’s Spooky Haunted House: DIY Cobwebs, Coffins, and More demonstrates how to make “Glowing Ghosts” you can hang from the ceiling and I Love Halloween shows how a tomato cage can be used to make a different kind of glowing ghost.

Some “Bone Candlesticks” would be a great match for creepy homemade candles. Those who prefer to avoid open flames should enjoy creating an “EEK Wreath” or one of these other Halloween projects.

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.

It Came From Amazon X

The Horror Crossover Encyclopedia by Robert E. Wronski Jr. looks like an amazing reference guide for the numerous crossovers and inside jokes in works of horror. It’s a shame he apparently also tries to argue they all take place in the same universe!

Jeff Rovin arguably had more success connecting various Universal monster movies in Return of the Wolf Man. I’ve heard the sequels by David Jacobs, The Devil’s Brood and The Devil’s Night, tried to carry over the references to other films and general atmosphere Rovin created. But then I’ve also heard the results were more “splatterpunk” than “classic horror.”

Wait, Larry Buchanan wrote an autobiography about the making of Curse of the Swamp Creature and other infamous low budget movies? Consider it added to my list of books I absolutely have to read one day.

The original cover for The Slime Beast ripped off the design of The She Creature. The first edition cover of Yellow Fog took things a step further using Germán Robles’ face as the model for its vampire!

The Werewolf vs. Vampire Woman is not a novelization of the famed Paul Naschy film. Yes, it was released to promote its US release and even uses a few aspects of the movie’s plot. But it’s mostly just an original comedic story! A gory novelization of X the Unknown was released a couple of years ago and I have no idea why. While we’re on the subject of British horror movie novelizations, Plasmid is a novelization for a film that never got made. Cameron’s Closet actually predates the cult 80’s horror movie of the same name. The same can also be said for The Monster Club. I remain convinced these plastic fang whistles would be marketed as “Shadmock Fangs” had that film been a smash successful.

I don’t know whether I love or hate the cover art on Flying Frog Productions games. It’s either awesomely low budget or painfully cheesy depending on when I look at it. I feel similarly about Funko’s line of horror figures with a He-Man and the Masters of the Universe twist.

Remember the “Silent Screamers” figure I discussed back in the first installment of “It Came From Amazon” back in 2010? I found another figure from the same toy line depicting “Graf Orlok” from Nosferatu, along with a comic book tie-in! The figure’s ability to turn purple when exposed to direct sunlight is an interesting touch. But given what happens to material that changes colors after a decade or so, they’ll all permanently turn purple at some point.

Who can forget those classic model kits from Aurora? Or their numerous reissues from Monogram, Polar Lights, Moebius and Dencomm and over the years? But how many of you knew of Polar Lights’ resculpted Godzilla model or completely original Headless Horseman kit? Did you know about Moebius’s Aurora-style Grim Reaper, Invisible Man, Martian, Creature from The Black Lagoon or “The Mighty Kogar” kits? Monarch also got into the Fauxrora game with a glowing Nosferatu kit. Sadly Amazon doesn’t have Dark Horse’s “Horrora” “Space Thing” available at this time.

Make Your Own Man-Eating Plant

The term “man-eating plant” is kind of misleading. Pop culture has shown time and time again how these fictional plants are more than happy to eat women. Come to think of it, they often snack on animals much larger than what your standard Venus Flytrap, sundew or pitcher plant could ever hope to digest. I guess that means calling them “carnivorous plants” would be misleading as well. The term “cannibal plant” has sometimes been used, but an actual cannibal plant would eat other plants. Whatever you want to call them, these vicious plants would be perfect for your next Halloween display or haunted attraction. Since not everyone has novelty banks or old toys they can reuse as static props, I decided to look up some handy tutorials.

Our first video on the subject comes from Hollywood Haunter:

However, you have to read the video’s description to get a list of materials and instructions. Thankfully this is not the case in our next video, which was created by tommy36597:

Those intimidated by the above should enjoy this more beginner-friendly tutorial from BirdBrain FX:

These all owe more than a little inspiration to Little Shop of Horrors, but don’t limit yourself to copying that movie! There’s no reason you can’t use the basic guidelines from these videos to make a prop plant of your own wholly unique design. If you do, please be sure to post a link to your creation (or tutorial) in the comments!

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 in a video). Attempt at your own discretion.

Quick Makeup Tips and Costume Ideas IV

The above improvised pumpkin costume by Will Hart (better known as CthulhuWho1 in some circles) shows how one can create a great costume without spending a lot of time or money. Personally, I recommend wearing a green knit hat or headband with a “stem” attached rather than taping one directly onto your head.

DIY Halloween Costumes has a plethora of easy costume ideas like a “Mail Stripper” and “Lady Bug.” But those aren’t the only easy ideas on Facebook! The Cult of John Carpenter shows how the right coat and headband flashlight can help you recreate an iconic horror poster and I think my mom’s gone crazy has a unique soda pouring costume.

The October 1975 issue of Ebony Jr. has a great tutorial about creating a starch mask and Rosie O’Donnell’s Crafty U has instructions on how to dress up as “Mummy Dearest.”

Make Fun!: Create Your Own Toys, Games, and Amusements by Bob Knetzger features an amazing “Steampunk Safety Goggles” tutorial. Those goggles would be perfect with the “Mad Scientist” costume from Ed Morrow’s The Halloween Handbook, which also shows alternate ways to be a “Ladybug” or “Mummy.” Joanne O’Sullivan Halloween has instructions for costumes like “Sir Burlap,” “Yuki Ona” and many more!

A Ghostly Good Time: The Family Halloween Handbook by Woman’s Day might be familiar to those of you who read my idea about converting their “Wizard” costume into a “Cthulhu Cultist” costume. In addition to having found another inspiring cultist costume picture, I also have more selections from the book! These selections include the “Crow,” “Three-Headed Four-Armed Monster,” “Frankensteins,” “Swamp Girl,” “Bat Boy” and “Garden Fairy.” Although the “Swamp Girl” link also shows how to convert it into a “Witch” costume, the instructions on turning “Bat Boy” into a “Dragon” and “Garden Fairy” into a “Clown” are available separately. You can save time and money by getting multiple Halloweens out of a single costume!

Seeing as how makeup comes first in the article’s title, I should take a break from costumes. StyleCaster shows how eyeliner can be used to create countless Halloween makeup designs while StayGlam offers easy Halloween makeup ideas. Moving on to gory makeup, Taylor Haze Keller demonstrates how easy it is to create disturbing effects using scar wax and acrylic teeth. wikiHow has tutorials on making fake wounds, fake blood without food coloring and realistic fake blood using chocolate syrup!

Getting back to costumes, Instructables can show you how to make a “Kidnapped Mermaid” (or Merman) costume, articulated angel wings and numerous costumes made from cutting up old tee-shirts.

Accusations of one’s opponent being a conspiracy theorist has been an especially popular argument in American political discussions this year. I imagine this will make eHow’s guide to making a tinfoil hat very popular among members of all political parties, but I think it’s more interesting to use it for your homemade robot costume designs.

Dinosaur Dracula’s “Deadsites” series has resurrected Kellogg’s “Spooky Town” website from 2000, so be sure to visit if you want to learn how to dress up like a “Pirate” or “Mummy.” I swear the instructions aren’t the same as the ones for the other tutorials I shared on the matter.

Finally, iLoveToCreate Blog has many costume ideas and Balmore Leathercraft shows how layering your costume can lead to incredible results.

Creative Commons License

The image illustrating this article was licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License. The rest of the article is copyrighted by Gravedigger’s Local 16.

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.

Video Store Day Is Coming!

The eighth annual International Independent Video Store Day will soon be upon us. It’s a mere 10 days away, so set a reminder and spread the word! You can learn more about the it (and see if any stores nearby are participating) at the official Video Store Day website.

It Came From Wikipedia XI

Many think of countries like America, Britain, Japan and Italy when asked to name countries known for producing lots of horror movies. But there’s one other country which also deserves to be on that list: Cambodia. Not only is there an entire Wikipedia article about the sizable number of Cambodian horror movies, there’s also a Wikipedia category devoted to the subject and a portion the “Cinema of Cambodia” article that’s devoted to the subject!

Speaking of Asian cinema, fans of Japanese monster movies often refer to the Godzilla and Gamera films from the 50’s-70’s as being the “Shōwa films.” But where does the term come from? It turns out it’s a reference to the reign of the emperor at the time. If we go to the entry for “Shōwa period,” it turns out the emperor in question was…oh…wow. Um…I think I’ll start referring to films from that time as the “classic films” from now on…

Let’s move on to jolly old England! Lock Up Your Daughters is a lost British horror movie which might feature a special performance by Bela Lugosi. Or maybe it’s just a clip show movie. You’ll have to read the article to see what I mean. The Wikipedia entry for Ghostwatch has a lot of fascinating details about the infamous British television special. The clear shot of the makeup used for “Pipes” the ghost is a special treat, as is the list of Pipes’ complete appearances throughout the special.

Speaking of ghosts, it turns out the original script for Ghostbusters was surprisingly similar to the Filmation Ghostbusters cartoon. Speaking of that cartoon, it turns out a episode recycled the character design and animation cycles for “Drac” from Groovie Goolies in an episode about Count Dracula! Getting back to the more famous movie, the entries on the proton packs and the “Ghost Blasters” dark ride are surprisingly lengthy.

For a brief time in the 90’s, horror movies inspired by fairy tales were a thing. Don’t believe me? Read up on Rumpelstiltskin, Pinocchio’s Revenge and Snow White: A Tale of Terror and prepare to be amazed. Just be careful of all the spoilers!

Speaking of the 90’s, that’s also when the urban legend about scientists drilling a hole into Hell was spread across the internet. Unsurprisingly, the story (and the audio recording of tortured souls) were a hoax. But the actual origin of the recording might surprise you! Speaking of urban legends, let’s read up on Bloody Mary next!

Have you ever wondered who owns the libraries for the various “Poverty Row” horror movies of yesteryear? You’ll have to look at the article about Republic Pictures (and its current owner) in order to find out!

Giantkiller was an awesome comic book miniseries which needs more love. I wouldn’t mind a live action or animated adaptation, either. Seriously, how can you not like a comic where watching episodes of Ultraman is considered proper training for battling giant monsters?

The list of all the various adaptations of The Phantom of the Opera is packed with information. It’s how I learned “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” was first played by the Phantom onscreen in the 1962 movie! Other interesting list on Wikipedia include the list of Sci Fi Pictures original films, the “Syfy original films” category and the list of numerous unrealized projects the channel has announced over the years.

Absolute Dice Halloween

I’ve only just recently dipped my toes back into the world of games and boy do I have some catching up to do! One of the things I missed out on was a line of games called “Absolute Dice.” Then again, that might also be because the game seems to be more popular in the UK than the US. But hopefully the subject of today’s review just might change that! The game’s popularity since it debuted in 2016 has spawned numerous variations: there’s a word version, a drinking version, a Christmas version and of course, a Halloween version.

In addition to the awesome orange velvet bag, the game comes with a total of ten dice. There’s a black number die, a black icon die, six orange icon dice, an orange silver icon die and an orange golden icon die. You don’t need a game board, although you might want to supply your own pencils and scrap paper depending on players’ memory skills. Let’s look at what you do get:

I tried to get a photograph of the nifty branded plastic bag the game came packaged in, but it defied all of my attempts to photograph it without the reflections coming off the clear plastic portions of the bag ruining the shot. The dice originally came in a resealable plastic bag packaged inside the velvet drawstring bag, but it’s really up to you if you want to keep using it.

The rules are simple: Players roll two black dice to determine what Halloween icons they need to collect and the number of turns they have to roll the orange scoring dice. For example, let’s say I roll a ghost and the number four. This means I have four turns to roll the dice to see if I get any ghosts. Each ghost I roll gives me one point. If I end up rolling a silver ghost, I get a point for that die and double points on all other ghosts I rolled for that turn. Rolling a golden ghost nets me triple points on all the ghosts I roll for the turn, in addition to a point for the golden icon itself. Something special happens when you roll both golden and silver icons, but you’ll have to get the game to find out! The game continues until one player scores one hundred and one points. But you’re welcome to make up your own house rules and the official Absolute Dice website includes some alternate rules as well. If you notice the black “Absolute Dice” tag in the above picture, that’s not just there for show. It’s actually a folded card which contains the rules! I had no trouble reading it, but you can print out a larger version from the game’s website if you so desire. Due to the size of the dice, this game is not suitable for children under the age of five. However, the only minimum number of players you need is two. That’s right, there’s no maximum number of people who can play!

The game is easy to understand and is great for people who just want to jump in and start playing. I tested the plastic dice and they didn’t seem to favor any particular side. The smooth edges of each engraved die means they will roll for awhile, so be sure to keep that in mind if you’re playing at a small table. Especially given how fast and furious dice rolls can be when players get drawn into the game! So skip bobbing for apples and bring Absolute Dice Halloween to your next Halloween party. The bag easily fits in your pocket, even when filled with the dice, so bringing the game along on trips (or to a friend’s house) is not problem at all. It sure beats carrying a traditional board game around. Similarly, rolling festive dice with family and friends is much more fun than gargling their backwash while trying to bite an apple!

Special thanks to Absolute Dice for the review copy!

How To Make A Prop Chainsaw

Do you need a fake chainsaw for Halloween and require something with more heft than a papercraft version? Fear not! The Prop Master’s Handbook has posted a tutorial on YouTube which shows how you can make a fairly realistic one for very little money:

This also gave me a great idea for a haunted house room or Halloween window display. First, make a prop chainsaw according to the above video’s instructions. Once it’s finished and everything’s dried, put it on a table. Adding a few fake body parts is optional and if you can’t splash some fake blood around, lit the scene with a red light. Then print out and hang some appropriate warning signs in the background. That’s all you need for a simple window display, but you should probably include a surprise visit from a performer if you’re doing this at a haunted house. Since people would expect to be attacked by someone with a chainsaw, perhaps someone could sneak up on them and either scream “Get away from my saw” or attack with a different prop weapon? Or maybe the table the chainsaw is displayed on has some plastic covering which hides someone underneath? Whether they attack with another prop chainsaw (and appropriate sound effects) is up to you, as I doubt anyone would expect a chainsaw attack like that!

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 in a video). Attempt at your own discretion.

Free Horror Movie Commentaries VI

I honestly thought my previous article about free commentary tracks for horror movies was going to be my last installment. So when a whole year went by and I came across a free commentary for Spookies and nothing else, I went back an slipped it into the article as a secret bonus. But one year after that and now I’m suddenly swimming in free commentaries. Some are filled with nothing but jokes and others are serious discussions about the film. Some are free downloads and others can only be streamed for free. But they’re all worth checking out!

VHS LIFE has done numerous downloadable commentaries, including one for Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead. Although I linked directly to a commentary for a non VHS source, the title of the podcast should clue you in as to the format to use when you watch the movies associated with their other commentary tracks.

The Podcast Under The Stairs also has its share of commentaries, like the ones prepared for the 80’s Invaders From Mars remake and Demons.

There’s an “unofficial” commentary track for Lights Out which was apparently uploaded onto SoundCloud by the film’s director!

The Kaijusaurus Podcast’s live discussion of Tristar’s infamous attempt at a Godzilla movie just barely qualifies as a commentary. You’ll understand once you hear it. However, ComicBookCast’s commentary track for the 2014 American Godzilla movie is a true blue commentary.

Fantom Publishing has a line of unofficial commentaries for various Doctor Who serials available for sale. In order to help promote them, they’ve released the one for the first installment of The Sea Devils for free! I’m afraid I don’t know how well it works with the NTSC release of that serial since it appears to have been recorded for use with the PAL release. greatestshowinthegalaxy has one for The Day of the Doctor as well.

Time travel fans might also appreciate the free fan commentary track for Primer despite it having nothing to do with the series noted above.

Searching around SoundCloud has also brought me tracks for District 9, My Bloody Valentine, the original Halloween II, The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence), Aliens, Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II. You can search for more using the “commentary track” and “movie commentary track” tags as well!

You can also search the “commentary” tag on Bandcamp, but I thought I should provide you with some direct links as well. Find The Computer Room has free downloads of commentaries for Cloverfield, the original Night of the Living Dead, the original Halloween II and Nosferatu. However, Drunken Zombie’s commentary for Insidious and the commentary for Scanners by Uncle Jerk’s Commentary Corner can only be streamed for free.

Here’s the complete list of past installments:

Free Horror Movie Commentaries!
More Free Horror Movie Commentaries
Even More Free Horror Movie Commentaries
Still More Free Horror Movie Commentaries
Yet More Free Horror Movie Commentaries

As always, Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of downloading from any links given here. Attempt at your own discretion. Blah blah blah…

6’+ Episode 237 is Up!

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

“How about a second helping of the podcast that makes you get into the Halloween spirit? We double-down on the pumpkin spice with music from THE YOUNG WEREWOLVES, THE ROAD SODAS, SPEEDBALL JR., and more. Plus, the MONSTERMATT MINUTE and 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.

Creepy Cocktails and Devious Drinks VI

Kaye Hamm’s Kreepy Katering offers many tempting beverages like the “Rotten Apple Martini,” “Mad Scientist” and “Eyeball High Ball.” Bakingdom’s “Sparkling Apple Cider Slushies” are also worthy of note.

The Haunting Grounds has recipes for “Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate” and “Candy Corn Milkshakes.” Speaking of candy corn, NellieBellie has a wonderfully simple take on “Candy Corn Punch.”

There are countless people who were suspected of being Jack the Ripper. Now it looks like there are different drinks bearing the name of the legendary serial killer, as evidenced by 1001Cocktails’ “Jack the Ripper Cocktail” and Bar None Drinks’ “Jack The Ripper #2.”

Speaking of legends, the “Wyooter Hooter” recipe at DrinkInHand has quite the story behind it. Jack Daniel’s created the drink as part of a Halloween promotion, complete with merchandise. Although I initially suspected the monster the drink is named for was cooked up by Jack Daniel’s marketing department in the 80’s, a reference to the Wyooter can be found in Joe Clark’s 1971 book Lynchburg. So perhaps the humble Wyooter is actual “fearsome critter” like the Snallygaster Or maybe it just means it’s 70’s fakelore. I don’t know. All I can say for sure is how the company has been known to revive said promotion every so often.

DeKuyper USA’s “Vampire’s Kiss Halloween Cocktail” and Sugar, Spice and Glitter’s “Vampire’s Kiss” differ in more ways than their names.

The Spruce Eats’ “Black Cat” would make a good companion to any witch (of legal drinking age). The Flavor Bender’s “The Witch’s Heart,” FYI Television Network’s “Witch’s Stocking” and HGTV.com’s “Witches’ Brew.” Just be sure to be very careful since “The Witch’s Heart” uses dry ice. Since “Witch’s Brew” is described as having a “Caribbean kick” in its recipe, why not serve it alongside Rated R Cocktails’ “Hula Ghoul” and Common Man Cocktails’ “Dead Doug” at your next spooky shindig?

Please drink responsibly!

Freaky Food V

If you want to learn how to assemble your own “Hob-Goblin Cake” like the one above (along with some fortune cakes), be sure to check out Volume 21, Issue 10 of Table Talk. Notice how I said “assemble,” as it’s a guide for decorating a molasses fruit loaf to look like the above image. The Dixie Cook-book has a recipe for a “Fruit Loaf Cake” using molasses. But what about the fortune cakes? Epicurious.com has the recipe for the “Spiced Chocolate Cookies,” Mrs Mulford’s Cakes reveals how to make “Chestnut Icing” and Circular has the “Maple Icing” recipe! I strong suggest that you skip adding in the optional fortune items in order to reduce the risk of choking. Thankfully, the similarly vintage recipe for “Night-Owl Cakes” from Volume 81, Issue 44 of The Country Gentleman tells you pretty much everything you need to know. However, the more recent Ladies Night: 75 Excuses to Party with Your Girlfriends by Penny Warner returns to the “assemble” method for its “Spider Cupcakes” and “Pumpkin Cake.” Seeing as how one of the ingredients is a Twinkie, I’ll pass on looking up the recipes for each component this time around.

Just when you think you’ve heard of every possible Halloween recipe ever, Karen Jean Matsko Hood’s Halloween Delights Cookbook: A Collection of Halloween Recipes comes along to prove you wrong with “Green Pond Slime” and “Eyes of Newt” (among many others)! Ghoulish Halloween Recipes: Halloween Recipes by T. M. Fuller also offers many recipes including (but not limited to) “Old Fashion Candy Corn Fudge” and “Classic Candy Corn Up-side Down Cake.” Some of the many recipes packed into Annie Rigg’s Halloween Treats include “Gingerbread Jack-O’-Lanterns” and “Eyeball Cookies.”

Eyeball cookies and candy corn also describe the next few recipes I have in store for you! 100 Directions has some “Oreo Cookie Eyeballs” POPSUGAR Food’s recipe for last year’s infamous “Candy Corn Pizza” is exactly what you think it is. There are a surprising number of recipes for different types of “Candy Corn Pizza.” Gourmandize’s “Candy Corn Pizza” and Inside BruCrew Life’s “Peanut Butter Candy Corn Pizza” are two different dessert recipes while Tablespoon.com’s “Candy Corn Pizza” is a special cheese pizza with slices which look like candy corn instead of tasting like it! Those seeking an even more unusual look for their pizza will love Hungry Happenings’ “Stuffed Pizza Skulls.”

But we just can’t stay away from the sweet stuff! The Simple, Sweet Life offers “Braaaaaains (Cupcakes),” Tastes Better From Scratch has “Halloween Graveyard Brownies,” the Halloween Museum has a festive gelatin sculpture and Campfire Marshmallows’ “Ghostbusters Marshmallow Skewers” should please fans of last year’s recipes.

Foodies of FB’s Halloween album and gallery of fan creations don’t link to any recipes, but several of the foods showcased are so simple you don’t need instructions! /but if you want somewhat more complex fare, head on over to Haunted Bay’s Halloween Recipe Database.

As a special bonus, here are generous previews of three cook books with recipes from Vincent Price:

A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price

Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy by Vincent Price

Mary and Vincent Price’s Come Into the Kitchen Cook Book by Mary and Vincent Price

They might not be scary or festive, but who cares when it’s from master of the macabre himself? Bon Appétit!

Haunted Attraction Tour Videos II

It was a hard search, but I managed to find enough haunted attraction tour videos which met the criteria I discussed last year. I enjoyed the range of audio options used this time around (although this year’s selection admittedly starts off with several videos featuring music from the same artist). Hopefully next time’s selection will have even more variety!

Please keep in mind that strobes and other flashing lights might be present in the following:

Continue reading

6’+ Episode 236 is Up!

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

“After a bit of silence, we return with a BURST! A FLASH! of orange and black, as we kick off Halloween season with songs from FORBIDDEN DIMENSION, CALABRESE, THE LONG LOSTS, and more. Monstermatt Patterson pops by with some pumpkin donuts, but one bite, and it tastes like the MONSTERMATT MINUTE!”

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.

Castle of Horror Trivia

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was originally going to be called “The Brain of Frankenstein” and was also supposed to feature appearances by Kharis the Mummy and Alucard, the son of Dracula! Anyone who has seen Son of Dracula will find that idea particularly baffling.

Have you ever wondered why Michael Myers is sometimes referred to as “The Shape” in discussions of the Halloween franchise? Although some have claimed the script’s use of that name it was a reference to a term used in the Salem witch trials, John Carpenter revealed it was actually his way of suggesting that Myers is a human being with the humanity “bleached” out of him.

Popular rumor has it Disney had expressed interest in making a softened version of A Nightmare on Elm Street back when Wes Craven was shopping the original script around the entertainment industry. However, Craven has gone on record to say he has no memory of Disney ever approaching him.

One common criticism about Anabelle was it seemed unrealistic for anyone to want to purchase such a creepy doll. As it turns out, the makers of the film had once considered making the titular doll look like Raggedy Ann (as was the case with the real Annabelle doll).

The famed Alien imitator Creature almost had a sequel, but the director the script was offered to convinced the producer to make Deep Space instead!

Have you ever wondered why a movie about an insect monster is called Blue Monkey instead of something more appropriate for the subject matter? The film started development as “Green Monkey” because the executive producer wanted to make a horror movie with that title and the first draft of the script featured a monkey-like alien creature. Then the executive producer requested that the space angle be dropped and a later draft by a different writer changed it into a tropical parasite. Somewhere along the line it became “Blue Monkey” and the completed film included a scene where a child refers to the monster as a “blue monkey” after having a nightmare about one.

At one point Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence was going to include a woman impregnated by the title character.

Pay special attention to the armed forces confrontation scenes in Gorgo the next time you watch it. That way you’ll notice how the ammunition used actually gets less and less powerful with each battle!

There were lots of unused jokes about Ash’s possessed hand pitched for Evil Dead II, including a scene were it would fly through the air wearing a Superman cape!

Ed Wood’s favorite psychic once wrote a stage production of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The Crypt Keeper literally has Chucky’s eyes!

Jungle Manhunt was supposed to feature a scene where Jungle Jim battled a dinosaur. Although a dinosaur costume was made for the film and the scene was allegedly shot, the battle doesn’t appear in the final version.

The script for The Collector was originally written as the prequel to Saw. On a related note, Saw II started out as a standalone horror script called “The Desperate.”

There’s an interesting controversy regarding the gore in Nightmare. The opening credits claimed Tom Savini did the makeup effects, but Savini denied that was true. However, the director has a different take on the matter…

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (& Other Loathsome Locales)

There’s a special village tucked away in New York. It’s so quiet and pleasant that one could even describe it as being “sleepy.” If not for one infamous resident, most people would think it would be an ideal place to visit. But we’re not “most people,” now are we? So let’s read the Halloween classic that is Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Speaking of the greatest holiday ever, “The Ledge” by Kiddferd P. tells the tale of a sensitive soul’s encounter with menacing trick-or-treaters while “Come See Old Witchy” by Ken L. Jones takes us into a most unusual garage haunt. It also demonstrates why one should never destroy someone else’s Halloween decorations.

What terror tour with be complete without a trip to a graveyard or two? “The Graveyard Speaks” by Hunter Shea takes us to one where a ghost appears over a gravestone each night. A graveyard also appears in “Horror At Vecra” by Henry Hasse, but the back-country New England town of Vecra isn’t haunted by any mere ghost. The eldritch tomes in the room at the back of Eb Corey’s house made that very clear. Did I mention how people who sleep in that room often have the exact same dream…or how those who have that particular dream usually disappear?

Now we travel from New England to the original England. Leighton, to be precise. That’s the home of scenic lake Henpin and the structure nearby which locals refer to as “the abbey.” It’s an ancient stone building with lots of subterranean chambers. And secrets. You can learn more in Paul Tobin’s “The Drowning At Lake Henpin.”

The nature of our next destination is obvious thanks to the story’s title: “The Thing In The Crib.” You might also know it under the alternate titles author Tom Smith gave it, “The Task of Carter Randolph” and “Cthulhu Cthild Cthare.”

“The Graven Image – Being the Narrative of James Trenairy” by William Sharp brings us to a remote house in Kensington which contains a most disturbing work of art.

Let’s hit the high seas by taking a ride on the good ship Kamtschatka. But maybe it isn’t that good of a ship after all, since passengers keep throwing themselves overboard after staying in a certain room. Francis Marion Crawford will reveal the sinister secret of “The Upper Berth.”

Sinister secrets also come into play over the course of “The White People” by Arthur Machen. In it, friends who gather at a moldering old house discuss the nature of evil read the unsettling diary of a young girl. There’s trips to white realms with hills as high as the moon and hidden places were rocks grin and twist. I’m amazed the creepypasta community never latched onto this like they had previously done with other older works of fiction.

While we’re in Europe, let’s head on over to a mountain in Spain haunted by undead Knights Templar. If that reminds you of Tombs of the Blind Dead (exception for the part about the mountain), that’s because “The Spirits’ Mountain” by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer was the inspiration for it! His work also inspired Jesús Franco’s Mansion of the Living Dead and Cross of the Devil. The upcoming Curse of the Blind Dead is also based on two of his stories. Many of these works can be found at the same link I provided for “The Spirits’ Mountain.” The book’s table of contents claims these are actually legends collection from around Spain but I don’t know if this is true or if it’s another classic use of a “false document” in horror fiction.

Since we’re on the subject of authors whose works have inspired numerous horror movies, let’s move on to H.G. Wells! Everyone knows how The Island of Doctor Moreau takes place on a tropical island where inhumane experiments lead to inhuman creatures, but how many of you know about his short horror story “The Red Room” (which hasn’t inspired numerous cinematic adaptations)?

M. Grant Kellermeyer usually collects and republishes vintage scary stories at Oldstyle Tales Press, but he’s also been known to create his own tales of terror. “Shadow and Dust” finds a man who sleepwalks into his basement each night. Why does he do this and what does it have to do with his children’s nightmares about someone standing over their beds at night? “Lost and Found” takes us to a family gathering by a lake. But when someone finds a watch and decides to go home alone rather than go with the others, he has a chilling discovery about his new timepiece’s original owner.

Robert McCammon plenty of short stories to choose from, but “Lizardman” and “Black Boots” immediately caught my eye. The first story takes us to a swamp, but the beast lurking in it isn’t a humanoid reptile! No, it’s something far more unusual and you’ll have to read the story to find out. As for the second tale, it follows a cowboy being followed by something nasty in the desert.

If you’re sick of the great outdoors, head inside the Victorian house which figures so prominently in the climax of “Reflections In Black” by Steve Rasnic Tem. Or perhaps you might prefer a trip through Rhianne Purificacion’s “Hall of Statues” at a museum? This tale differs from the others since it actually stars…YOU! The Noctrium’s library and Horror Garage have more frightful fiction as well!

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