The Official Monster Bash Blog

Monster Bash Menu

2011-09-08T06:00:00.009-04:00

Yum!

September is here, and I couldn't be more excited.

Aughost has come and gone, and Monster Bash preparations are now in full effect.

I have my costume half complete. All of our props and decorations came upstairs on September 4th. Now, I am decorating and planning the locations of everything.

Monster Bash 2011 promises to be the biggest, best and spOooOoOoOkiest one yet! I find myself moving away from a typical "theme" like Monster Bash 2008 had, and more toward a room-by-room concentration.

Monster Bash 2011 will also have a more cohesive focus on menu as well.

This will be revolutionary for Monster Bash.

Let's take a trip back -

Monster Bash 2006 - we just got our feet wet and had snacks and whatnot. We did, however, have the always-disgusting "Kitty Litter Cake": (Click the words for the recipe)

...and that went over big. This was also the debut of "Toxic Punch"...which has since become a deliciously evil staple of our Monster Bashes:

Here is the top secret recipe for Toxic Punch that I found via google search:

1 Bottle Hawaiian Punch

1 Bottle Sprite or 7-Up

1 container of Rainbow Sherbet

Optional - Gummy Worms, Eyeball Ice Cubes, Dry Ice

And there you have it!

Anyway, more of the Monster Bash 2006 focus went toward the "Mad Scientist Lab":

Monster Bash 2007 - this was the first year we really took MB up a notch. Not so much on the menu side of things, more on the games/fun aspect. MB2007 was the inception of the "Monster Bash Scavenger Hunt" as well as the "Mummy Wrap" and "People eating Peeps" contest. This year, we just ordered sandwiches from Luigi O'Gradys. There really wasn't much in the way of spooky foods, but the reigning champ foodwise of MB2007 was the oozing Spider Cake:

I loosely based the recipe on the one from this website, and then I tweaked it because I find that green pudding oozing out of a chocolate cake tastes better than green jello. Just a personal preference. Also, I used chocolate licorice for the legs and some candy corn for decoration. He was pretty tasty...and gross.

Monster Bash 2008 - this year we had a "murder circus" theme and therefore, all foods had to be big-top style fare:

We had corn dogs, cotton candy, kettle corn, graveyard cupcakes, etc etc. Not so much in the way of gross or frightening, but a cohesive theme so it worked out nicely.

Monster Bash 2009 - was a hiatus year.

Monster Bash 2010 - was a Monster Bash "Light" due to our spoOoOOooky matrimony. This year we had some help for the brownie dessert:

and the pumpkin cake:

which were delicious editions. We also had pina ghouladas:

and eyeball caprese:

Wow, the evolution of Monster Bash food has really blown my mind. What will MB2011 bring?

I can't give away details, but I can say this:

Expect DISGUSTING, yet delicious, deadly delicacies.

G del T makes me fear the Dark

2011-09-05T11:36:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I've had a chance to Monster Bash Blog, but rest assured, SpOOoOOOOoOky things are in the works!

I have lots of frightening films, abhorrent activities, and evil events that need to be discussed...so let's get to it!

Guillermo del Toro is no stranger to Monster Bash Blog - I love this guy. He produced "The Orphanage" which was incredible, as you'll remember from my earlier post about it...and he wrote and directed "Pan's Labyrinth", which was also great.

So of course, when we went to see another movie and the trailer for "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" came on, I was super pumped.

I mean really, who wouldn't be, look at this thing:

Now, I had no idea until after I saw the movie, but this movie is apparently a "remake" for the 1973 movie of the same name:

I use the term remake loosely because the two don't seem to be identical in the storyline, but close enough.

Honestly, let me cut to the chase.... just go see this movie. Immediately. Go right now after reading this, because this movie was G-R-E-A-T.

I was a little skeptical at first because the villains are like 6 inches tall, I don't like bratty kids being the star, and Katie Holmes is in this, but it scared the crap out of me, Katie Holmes was pretty decent in it, I had a love/hate for the little girl.

Guillermo del Toro wins again.

Haunted Hayride / House Aficionado

2011-08-20T06:00:00.001-04:00

It's the most...wonderful...time...of...the year!

No, not Christmas...why does that always imply Christmas?

It's the most..spoOoOoOOoOkiful...time...of...the year!

I am so pumped. This is what it all comes down to...I'm weeping a little while I type this...

Listening to "Feed my Frankenstein" on repeat while planning Monster Bash games/menu, tormenting my mother...I mean seamstress...to finish my costume, watching spoOoOooOoOoky movies over and over again, pumpkin everything, inserting the words "autumn" and "fall" and "spoOoOoOooKy" into everything in my vocaBOOlary, mummy meatloaf, ghostatoes, I could go on and on...

But the best part of all? Going to a new and spOoOOoky location to try!

One year it was Blood Manor in NYC

Then it was Corrado's in Hackettstown (actually we've done this a couple of times, that's how good it is)

Always DePiero's and whatever store is on Rt. 17....I heard a rumor that DePiero's is closing and while it's probably true, I'm in denial and refuse to believe it. So don't even tell me if it's true or not because you heard it here first, Monster Bash Blog is dispelling the rumor right here and now. Even if it does close I'll still show up every year in my costume and scare all of the developers.

Anyways, another year it was Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly.

And I can't forget Sterling Forest's Forest of Fear in NY

Of course there's Frightfest at Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ.

I love it all...

This year, to add to the tradition, we are finally making the trip to Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. It looks like this year they're doing some sort of old mining town story where the mine collapsed and the town went into chaos...sounds FRIGHTENING!!

August = Autumn

2011-08-16T19:47:00.000-04:00

I realize some people will take offense to my title, and that's ok...not everyone is built for an extended Fall Funfest of Fright...but I think they're just in denial of the inevitable.

Don't you see it? The weather is changing now...it's different. It used to be 95-100 degrees...now...in the morning...it's what we North-Easterners like to refer to as "brisk". Sure, Summer is still holding on...for now.

76 more days, can you believe it? I sure can't. I've been working very hard to make Monster Bash 2011 the biggest, baddest, most spoOoOoOoOoOkiest party yet!

Rumor has it we have ghouls coming up from Florida to celebrate, so this year is going to be bigger than ever!

What are you being this year?

Poison Ivy

2011-07-01T09:18:00.000-04:00

"Leaves of Three...Leave them Be!"

Seriously, poison ivy is so villainous that it has its own poem!

Poison ivy has been an eternally feared phrase in my house growing up. My dad is so insanely allergic that he won't even eat mangoes... that's how serious this plant it. It even affects the ingestion of other fruits!

I can remember being in 6th grade and having such a bad reaction that my one eye was swollen shut and my entire face and arms were covered in poison ivy for what felt like forever. I shuddered with horror at the thoughts of cortaid

benadryl, and that gross oatmeal aveeno garbage that doesn't work...ugh...I was constantly asked "What the hell happened to your face?!" and am forever scarred for life because of it.
Of course, poison ivy is only horrible if you're sensitive to the urushiol (totally looked that word up), and you have a reaction to it. Other than that, you could tear the weeds out all day like William Bartlett, the poison ivy man:

I could watch this video all day. Look at him go! And he'll keep coming back til they're gone!

You know something, I think this could be the premise for a spOoOoOoOOoky movie! Like, a backwoods man (Bartlett) creates a dungeon made of poison ivy that he harvests from innocent people's lawns, then when he goes to collect payment he kidnaps said innocent people...murders them...and FEEDS them to his poison ivy plants! THEN, the plants TAKE OVER THE WORLD! Ivy-pocalypse! WHOA!!! coming soon on Fearnet!

Now, I know why you're really here....you want to see gross poison ivy rash pictures...right?

Well, first what you need to do is go to poison-ivy.org and check out their hall of fame...it is not for the faint of heart.

Here's the worst one i've ever seen / the winner:

ooof...

and my favorite:

Have fun playing in the woods!

Cannibal Holocaust...um....

2011-06-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

There are some movies that I feel like I maybe would have been better off having never seen.

Cannibal Holocaust is probably one of them.

I really ate up the hype (no pun intended)...this movie was so controversial and realistic, that the director, Ruggero Deodato, was actually arrested and had to stand trial. He had to bring the actors into the courtroom to prove that he didn't make a "snuff film". To me, that makes a movie beyond scary. When real life is blurred so much with a movie that people can't tell the difference.

Here's the trailer, but before you watch it be forewarned that there is nudity in it...odd for a theatrical trailer these days but eh, what can you do:

This movie is like the original Blair Witch, except way more violent. It depicts the "real" disappearance of a group of documentary filmmakers who had gone missing after traveling to the Amazon to film indigenous tribes.

An anthropologist from NYU decides to lead a rescue team to go and locate the missing filmmakers, but instead discovers a reel can that holds the evidence of their demise.

Throughout the movie this song is playing, at what seems like the most inopportune times. It doesn't really go with the movie itself:

Weird. It's like being in the waiting room at a dentist's office, no?

Anyway, the guy who goes to rescue them discovers that they weren't very respectful of the tribes and he ends the movie being unsure of "who the real cannibals are".

Now, the movie itself wasn't what interested me, it was the controversy surrounding it.

First of all, there was so much animosity during filming that it's almost like a reality show within itself. There was so much tension during filming that I'm surprised this movie was even made. Cast members didn't get along, people kept getting shorted on pay, Columbians being paid in lunches instead of money and being forced to sit in a burning hut to get a "realistic effect", and most of all...the animal deaths being real.

I love animals.

Couldn't they have found some props to use instead? Like a rubber chicken or something?

And this brings me to the controversies of this movie:

1. Snuff Film. When the movie was released, it was actually confiscated and Deodato was arrested because it was believed that the actors really were killed. All actors had signed contracts to not appear in any promotional type of media to keep up the appearance that they were really killed, and authorities were fooled. Deodato had to void the contracts and bring the actors into the courtroom to avoid life in prison.

2. Impalement. The "impalement scene" was actually examined by the courts because it was believed that she was really killed in that manner. Deodato had to explain how he created the special effect: "a bicycle seat was attached to the end of an iron pole, upon which the actress sat. She then held a short length of balsa wood in her mouth and looked skyward, thus giving the appearance of impalement"- Wikipedia.org.

3. Grisly sexual violence scenes. There is alot of this in this movie. Rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, this movie had it all...yikes. It caused many countries to have difficulty rating it during censorship, some even banned it.

4. Animal cruelty. 7 animals were killed, and 6 were presented onscreen (taken from Wikipedia):
* A coatimundi (mistaken as a muskrat in the film) has its jugular veins cut open by the character Miguel.
* A large turtle (about one meter long) is captured in the water and dragged to shore, where it is then decapitated and its limbs, shell, and entrails are removed. The actors proceed to cook and eat the turtle.
* A large spider is killed with a machete.
* A snake is killed with a machete.
* A squirrel monkey has the top of its skull chopped off with a machete.
* A pig is kicked twice and then shot.

These were the scenes that I physically could not watch. It's too disturbing. Deodato has since condemned the fact that he had chosen to kill live animals, but since it's forever on film it makes me pretty upset. Not only the fact that they were killed, but the manner in which they are killed is horrifying.

So that's Cannibal Holocaust in a nutshell. Pretty disturbing stuff!

Don't Be Afraid to Exorcist III

2011-05-26T20:16:00.000-04:00

Ah, the Exorcist.

Let's be honest, the Exorcist is one of the greatest horror films of all time. Now, I've never seen part 2, but from what I've heard, it was pure garbage. Thanks to my good friend Netflix, The Exorcist III had magically made its way to the top of my queue and arrived at my house last night. At first, I was worried for The Exorcist III, because the original is such a huge act to follow and part 2 was a huge flop...but at the same time I was hopeful, because William Peter Blatty, who wrote the novel and screenplay for the original, was at the helm for part III. Here's a trailer:

The Exorcist III is based on the sequel novel to the original Exorcist, called Legion.

Before I had seen it, I had only one question : Is it going to be exactly the same movie as the Exorcist?

I mean, how many different movies can be made about exorcisms...there's only so many ways they can go, right?

But I can say with confidence, the answer is a surprising : No.

What I really liked about the movie is that it tips its hat to the original, and gives you little tidbits that tie them both together, but other than that, it's its own film.

Basically, the movie takes place 15 years since the death of Damian Karras. Father Dyer, who had given Karras his last rights in the original, and the police lieutenant who was there, go to see the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" on the anniversary of Karras's death every year. Dyer and the lieutenant Kinderman, are good friends and have almost an odd couple-esque type of banter.

Kinderman has been investigating the crimes of the Gemini Killer, who was a notorious serial killer who was supposedly dead. However due to a recent string of murders that feature the Gemini Killer's unique MO, Kinderman begins to doubt that the Gemini Killer is truly dead. The crimes are also religiously driven, which some deaths being crucifixions or having to do with religious figures....and also people who's names begin with a "K".
The deaths are also pretty gruesomely described, however very little gore is really seen.
This part especially creeped me out:

Kinderman, perplexed by all of this, finds out that Father Dyer is in the hospital and makes a stop to visit him...shortly after, he finds out that Father Dyer is murdered, also in the same manner as The Gemini Killer's victims. Including the double "L" at the end of words

How did the killer know that that was a movie they both saw together?!

The hospital then gets put into a lockdown, because as Kinderman reveals, only a small select few knew the real MO of the Gemini Killer, and not the one released to the press as a way to weed out the fakes.

While the hospital is in lockdown, Kinderman is told that a patient in the psych ward room 11, "Patient X", has no identity, and was found 15 years ago near the scene of Karras's death, and claims he is the Gemini Killer. What shocks Kinderman the most is that the patient looks identical to Damian Karras:

What are the chances?! This patient X, goes back and forth between looking like Karras and then looking like the real Gemini Killer, and describes killing all of his victims. It turns out he uses the senile dementia patients in the hospital to carry out his deeds...

like this one...
ahhhh!!!

Another priest, Father Morning, comes in to save the day and perform an Exorcism, but it goes horribly wrong and he almost dies. But along with Kinderman, they are able to save Karras's soul and give him a proper burial.

There were a few weirdo moments...like this one....

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be in a heaven where Fabio isn't:

how'd Fabio get in there and get such primo camera time?

Anyway, I actually really enjoyed this movie. I mean, it wasn't gory or bloody, but it was like a cool CSI episode mixed in with a supernatural horror movie. If you were scarred from The Exorcist II: The Heretic, I would say don't be afraid to give Exorcist III a shot...

Lastly, I just wanted to leave you with this...BIGGEST EXORCIST III FAN EVER:

I Spit On Your Grave (remake)...I love that title

2011-05-09T18:43:00.000-04:00

Seriously, I do. I couldn't even think of a witty remark for it. The title is so great all by itself.

So, at work, everyone knows my love of Halloween. One of my coworkers had recommended "I Spit on Your Grave" (the remake) and said it was great. I decided to trust and see for myself.

Now, I've never seen the original. I know, shame on me. I really should see the original because originals are usually superior to the remakes. Unless you're the new Batman reboot, which is arguably the greatest thing ever (The Dark Knight holds the key to my heart).

Anyways, Let's get started! But first...

Dear spoiler-hater,

Don't hate - appreciate!

Sincerely yours,

MB Blog

I started watching it and immediately it reminded me of "The Last House on the Left". The first half of the movie I found pretty difficult to watch...it starts out pretty slow, a girl moves out to the country side to write a book or something...she runs into some creepy local trash bags...and then it becomes a grisly rape festival.

Even the sheriff gets in on the action...yikes.

finally, she manages to stumble away and fall into the water where the rapists presume she's dead.

But she isn't!

The rest of the movie is GREAT. It's pure revenge and you are rooting for her to get the bad guys...

And the death/torture scenes for these bad guys are in-cred-ible.

Ok so first there's this guy, the "videographer":

Recognize him? He was one of the characters in that movie "Bully" which was super weird and kind of sad. She ties him to the tree so that he's choking, hooks his eyelids open, rubs fish juice on him, and then birds eat his eyes...

Then there's this guy:

He's suspended over a tub filled with lye and has to hold himself up to avoid falling in...

Then there's the leader of the pack of idiots:

he ends up getting tied up, gagged, and losing an important appendage which gets shoved in his mouth via hedge clippers...

Finally the sheriff:

He ends up with a shotgun shoved where the sun doesn't shine...the trigger is tied to one of the other guys, who is sleeping and doesn't know he's tied to a shotgun trigger...

oh man...I'd hate to be that guy.

So basically, MB Blog's sPOoOoOoOoktacular review is that the first 45 mins are pretty non-memorable, but if you can get past that and get to the revenge part, it's definitely worth the watch!

Lifetime Movie Network IS Scary!

2011-05-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Because Cablevision's prices have become so scary I just can't take it anymore, we decided to make the switch over to Verizon Fios.

So far, since we are in the "special deal" phase, we are loving it.

There's so much to enjoy...FearNet is here and bountiful with its free movies...I watch them all and have some great ones I want to share my thoughts on them with you...

There's the Chiller channel..mm mmm good...

And then there's a uterus's best friend: Lifetime Movie Network, or LMN to the "chick movie" savvy.

Oh man, I can't get enough. It's a buffet of movies that we women love.

But you know something, these movies can be pretty scary!

you can actually go through 121 pages of movies and see all of them in their majesty on the LMN website...

I mean, look at some of the titles:
"A Face to Kill For"
"A Killer Among Friends"
"Killing in a Small Town"
"A Nightmare come True"
"A Perfect Murder"
"A Vow To Kill"

I could go on and on...all of them wonderful and disturbing.

I'd like to give you a few of my favorites:

1. No One Would Tell.

I'm going to take "best Lifetime movie" ever one step further...This movie might be the best MOVIE ever. You've got Fred Savage and Candace Cameron in an abusive relationship. Sally Jessy Raphael makes a cameo. Watching the guy from the Wonder Years as a monster terrorizing poor DJ Tanner to a brutal early 90's soundtrack is like a morbid dream come true. This movie is a must see if you are a human being who likes movies.

2. A Cry For Help: The Tracey Thurman Story

This movie is incredible because it is a true story. This poor woman is terrorized by her crazy husband and he STABS her and STOMPS on her head while the cop just stands there and moves his car around and looks confused...miraculously she lives and sues the police department for doing jack shit while Dale Midkiff jumps on her head and screams "I KILLED YOUR MOTHER" to their young son. This movie makes me ROAR at my tv at the cops AND Dale Midkiff. It's a must see.

3. A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story

This movie is so sad. Also a true story, and Mercedes Ruhl is the mom, so obviously she tears it up. It's about a boy who wants to be a woman, and is killed because of it. It's gripping and sad. Also scary that people are a-holes and ignorant and intolerant of others to the point of killing in a brutal way.

4. Nightmare at the End of the Hall

"Courtney Snow (Sara Rue), an author with writer's block, still haunted by the suicide of her best friend while they were in prep school, finds herself teaching at the very same school while trying to get back on her feet. She encounters a young student, Laurel, who seems in every way to be the reincarnation of her best friend from years ago. Laurel seems to know things about Courtney that only dead friend would have known. Is she losing her mind or is it all a cruel hoax? In order to learn what is going on in the here and now, Courtney must first deal with what happened back then. Courtney thought she knew everything about Jane's death, but she never knew the whole truth. If Jane's spirit is indeed working through Laurel, Jane's got unfinished business. One thing is certain; Jane's suicide was never the simple tragedy everybody wanted to believe that it was. "

5. Secrets in the Walls

"Single mom Rachel Easton (Jeri Ryan) and her two daughters, Molly (Peyton Roi List) and Lizzie (Kay Panabaker), move from their cramped Detroit apartment to the suburbs when Rachel gets an irresistible deal on her dream house. But with the night comes scratching from within the walls, distant cries, and a figure of a young woman in the shifting shadows of the basement, and Lizzie begins to behave strangely"

6. Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?

Tori Spelling is in this...Need I say more? Ok, fine, she dates a crazed stalker and her mom tries to intervene which could prove deadly...ahhh!

7. Video Voyeur: The Susan Wilson Story

Oh my God this one is so creepy. They move into this house and their creepy neighbor is VIDEOTAPING them and keeping tapes!!! AHHHH!! That's terrifying!

8. A Deadly Encounter

A woman driving home late at night accidentally cuts a guy off driving home...the guy unfortunately is a psycho stalker who now wants her dead. This is legitimately scary to me, the idea anyway, because people on the road are in-sane!

9.Hunger Point / Perfect Body

What would LMN be without eating disorders? Perfect Body is about a gymnast who is told to lose a few pounds and it frightened me...Hunger Point has Joan from Mad Men and Barbara Hershey and it also deals with eating disorders. True Lifetime form here, people.

10. Speak

Bella from Twilight (fine, Kristen Stewart) is raped and becomes introverted. This one isn't too scary, minus the rape part, but it's more about her coping with it. Actually, it is kind of scary. Rape IS scary. I take back what I said before.

Ugh, it's so hard to narrow them down...What's your favorite Lifetime movie?

Insidious x 2

2011-04-28T19:57:00.000-04:00

You know something, lately everything that has come out that's a "scary" movie has either been a remake, or a Saw continuation. It's put me in a movie theater funk.

So you can imagine how super-spoOoOooker-pumped I was when I saw the trailer for "Insidious":

SPOOOOOOOOKY!

I didn't even know what the word "Insidious" meant because I'm a moron, fortunately my dear husband is a Language Arts teacher.

Here's the definition of Insidious from my BFF Merriam-Webster:
1
a : awaiting a chance to entrap : treacherous b : harmful but enticing : seductive
2
a : having a gradual and cumulative effect : subtle b of a disease : developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent

In terms of the movie itself...I had no idea what it was about...Haunted house? Haunted Kid? but this one thing I saw scared the shit out of me:

Seriously!??! WHAT IS THAT THING?!

It frightened and intrigued me.

So I had to see it.

Jim wanted to see some movie about Abe Lincoln, but when he saw the reviews on IMDB were so great, he caved.

For a horror movie that isn't a remake or a sequel/prequel, a 7.3 on IMDB is pretty incredible!

Anywho, I know there's a notorious commenter out there who hate-Hate-HATES when I spoil, but guess what buddy, I'm going to have to give some really satisfying spoilers.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Ok so there are so many things I really liked about this movie. In the intro, it shows this cryptic scene and then immediately plays these loud noises (sounding like violent violins) and the title flashes across the screen. It sets the tone of anxiety and tension.

So this is the happy family (I think there's a little girl not pictured here though):

How sweet.

Basically, the movie starts with them having moved into a new house and it's quite an adjustment. The dad is a teacher who doesn't have any childhood pictures and the mom is an aspiring musician. They have 2 sons, Dalton and Foster...and there's an obnoxious crying baby.

The one kid (Dalton, the one on the left in the picture) has a vivid imagination, and ends up in the creepy attic playing. He falls and bumps his head, and his parents scold him for playing in the creepy attic. That night while everyone sleeps, Dalton falls into a "coma" where he doesn't wake up and nobody can figure out why.

But things start getting weird...Scary things start happening...The mom, whose name is prounounced Renee, but is spelled Renai, sees and hears these super scary things, and I was pretty damn scared myself!

Scariest line of the movie: (Foster, the other child, talking to Renai when Dalton was in a coma): "I don't like it when Dalton walks around at night"...AHHHH!! Dalton's in a coma!!

It gets so bad the one night, that they actually move houses! This, to me, is really unique from other horror movies. Usually the house is scary as hell and the people stay and try to "fight back" or "face their fears" or they die in the house...I don't think it's very often that they really leave.

So they move, and of course, spoOoOoOky things keep happening.

What is going on?!

So, Barbara Hershey, who plays Josh (the dad)'s mom, explains that she had a vision about Dalton...which is when we see that horrifying image I put up on top..yikes!

And then this flashes on the screen:

Which caused me to jump 3 feet out of my seat...SCARY RED DEMON THING BEHIND THE DAD!

Something happens in Dalton's room and they run in and find the room has been destroyed and Dalton is thrown to the floor...it's time to get help.

This is probably a little comedic relief for the film, because honestly the entire movie is a massive ball of anxiety and fear and wondering what's going to happen to this poor family next...but these two ghostbuster dudes show up with some "homemade" ghost detectors:

They say that they are the filtering system before Elise comes in...so they take a look around and are frightened...

cue Elise:

Elise is great. She's like a really cool, ghost hunting grandma. She sees things and one of the nerdy ghostbuster guys draws what she sees. So, she gets right to work:

After seeing this frightening thing, she tells Renai and Josh that their son has an uncanny ability to leave his body and travel, also called "Astral Projection"

Huh?

This movie takes on a completely different storyline now, because here I am thinking this house is friggin' haunted and this kid is possessed, but no, his spirit is MIA. BUT, because his spirit is not in his body, all of these ghosts want in so they can be alive...including that horrifying demon that has the red face. Oh, and Dalton has traveled into "The Further" which is a realm not meant for the living, and he can't find his way back to his body. yikes!

Now in a wild turn of events, we find out that the reason why Dalton can astrally project so well, is because it is inherited...by...you guessed it! Josh! So Barbara Hershey knew this and Elise because Elise had saved Josh years earlier from a parasitic ghost who tried to take over his body.

We now find out why Josh has never taken pictures, in quite possibly one of the most disturbing and terrifying scenes ever.

So Josh is faced with a difficult decision, to dig up his past as an astral projector and go in and save his son from The Further, or let Dalton rot in limbo and be overtaken by a Demon.

I won't tell you the ending, but it is crazy bizarre and unexpected!

So, MB Blog gives Insidious 2 skeleton thumbs up...I thought it was great, and really a refreshing and new horror film.

Not to mention SpoOoOOktacular!

So SPoOOooktacular, in fact, that we saw it twice!

Pin.

2011-02-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Jim and I were trying to find a good movie to watch the other night, and somehow, we stumbled on Pin.

Man, I am so glad we did.

After reading one single phrase in the synopsis: "life-sized anatomically correct medical dummy"; I knew this was a winner.

Here's the trailer:

5 minutes in to this movie, and here's Pin:

Tell me that isn't the most disturbing dummy you've ever seen in your life. He looks like you've just interrupted him in the middle of him telling an important story. I mean, he kind of looks pissed.

But pair the way he looks with the way the doctor makes him talk...you have pure movie gold:

Skip to 6:34, that's when Pin talks....I have nightmares of that voice.

Basically, Pin is considered a type of story similar to Psycho, and I can definitely see the similarities, but this movie is frightening, disturbing and sad all at the same time. There's so much going on and all of it makes me uncomfortable:

1. Leon and Ursula's relationship. They are brother-sister, but the whole movie has me thinking that Leon wants to get with Ursula.
2. Leon and Pin's "relationship". I feel sorry for Leon, especially at the end.
3. The parents' storyline in the movie. They are almost like Stepford people. The mother is a crazy obsessive compulsive who is obsessed with cleaning everything and is pretty much a psycho. The father I guess the most normal, but I think his vantriloquist doctor act is creepy.
4. Poor Ursula. This girl never had a chance, although despite how horrible her life is and how crazy everyone else is, she seems to turn out the most normal?
5. The Nurse and Pin. Yikes.
6. The scene when Ursula finds out she's pregnant. Oh god.

There's so much material here. You need to see this movie if you like bizarre films that are frightening in a non-gory way.

I will leave you with this though:

Doesn't he kind of look like one of the Baldwins?

I dunno, maybe it's just me?

Monster Bash 2010 (the Lite Edition!)

2011-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

After the massive explosions that were Monster Bashes 2007 and 2008, I find it a little embarrassing that Monster Bash 2010 wasn't so big. Granted, I really didn't have the time and money to put into MB 2010 as I did for the other two, but still, if it has the title of "Monster Bash", it should be spOoOoOOooOktacular!

But, despite all of the roadblocks, we managed to throw together a "lite" bash, and you know what? It was still pretty spoOoOoooOooOktacular!

Can you guess what I am? I'm a skeleton, with a hat and whip....give up? Indiana Bones!

Indiana Bones poses with Jason, who is holding the coveted best costume prize

Santa Cos and Luigi show up

Monster Bash Brownies

Eyeball Caprese

zombie Pete won the best prize award

Monster Bash Pumpkin Cake

Pastry Princess and....Sherman from The Wiz

Pumpkin carving results from the Monster Dash

Zombie Pete wrapping Q-tip Renee during the Monster Dash Mummy Wrap


Pastry Princess v. Luigi during Monster Dash

Not too shabby for a last-minute bash!

2011 planning started 9 months in advance so we're in great shape for this year's to blow your faces off!

The Candy Buffet

2011-02-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

Since it's only fair that we start off on the right foot, I figured I'd give you a little insight into why M.B. Blog has been so quiet over this past year...

The reason is this: The Candy Buffet.

Oh man. This Candy Buffet. It should've been one small aspect of my wedding, but unfortunately it took on a life of its own, surpassing every other portion of our wedding day.

It was an homage to the trick-or-treater in all of us...and since we're such spoOoOoOooOky friends, I wanted to share a few pics of my pride and joy:

These were our escort cards attached to chocolate pumpkin lollipops, this was a sneak preview of all of the candy to come...

This is a nice front view of the entire buffet, my aunt had made homemade chocolates, including a completely chocolate bride and groom, front and center, as a surprise to us

My LOVE dishes, filled with candy corn

A nice side view, I can't get enough orange in my life

The amazing Catherine from For Your Event Planning and NJ Candy Buffets, brought all of my candy buffet dreams to life, including spending probably a massive amount of time separating Reese's Pieces and M&Ms by color for me

Pumpkin jar!

These were my fave: Raspberry filled chocolate pumpkins wrapped in orange foils (made by my Aunt Wendy!)

Chocolate covered krispie treats with sugar leaves on top


Chocolate covered oreos with orange chocolate drizzle, and some with sugar pumpkins on top

Special thanks to Catherine at For Your Event Planning and NJ Candy Buffets for working with me on this and making it the most spectacular, amazing candy buffet ever!

Pet Heaven.

2011-02-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

Did you beloved MB Blog readers see that poll over on the right hand side of your screen? MB Blog wants to know what YOU want to see as this year's Monster Bash theme! I'm not saying it'll definitely be one of those, as I already have a few spooOOoOoOoky ideas up my sleeve, but I am always open to new options.

When we were discussing MB'11, Jim brought up a theme that he has been campaigning for since the birth of Monster Bash, back in Saddle Brook park on a frighteningly beautiful August day in 2006.

And that idea is this: Pet Heaven.

Much like you, my initial thought was "what on Earth is wrong with you?", but then, as I thought about it, depending on how you do it, it can be quite frightening...I guess. Jim, I'm really trying here.

Jim's idea of "Pet Heaven" is probably more along the lines of having a bunch of stuffed animals and filling the condo with the fluff that fills pillows and then maybe harp music?

Oh wait, he just told me he wants to attach a stuffed cat to a "pulley" apparatus and every hour, "send the pet to heaven" by utilizing the pulley to raise the cat up...what a creep.

Personally, I think this is just insane, but if I were to humor him, I'd probably negotiate for mutilating the stuffed toys, putting fake blood on the fluff, and maybe have scary organ music. Jim however doesn't like this and says that isn't pet "heaven" but more like "animal cruelty", which of course is not something Monster Bash wants to have.

Jim just said to hang a cloud in the corner of our living room and have a stuffed cat sitting on it looking at you.

Guys, I don't know, what do you think?

It's Baaaaaaaaaaack!

2011-02-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

Welp, What can we say? Monster Bash has been on a bit of a horror hiatus for the past year. But I can promise you that it has been worth the wait...

Despite my lack of posts, Monster Bash 2010 did happen! We called it "Monster Bash lite" because it wasn't quite as meticulously planned as my other M.B.'s have been, but it was spoOoOooOktacular! I will be posting a little blog about that soon, because my costume was pretty horrendous!

I've also been watching many horror movies because with all of this snow, I've had a lot of time on my hands, so get ready for some repulsive reviews (and probably spoilers, for you spoiler-haters out there who like to call me out on my spoiler tendencies, I'm warning you now.)

But most importantly, I wanted to come on here and announce that today, February 6th, 2011...which most people are focusing on it as being Super Bowl Sunday...has officially become the day that I have begun my tireless work on planning Monster Bash 2011: the 5th annual Monster Bash!!

Trust me, this bash is going to REALLY be the "Bash to End All Bashes"

Get pumped!

Saw III put me at a crossroads...also, who the F is this "Shawnee" character???!

2010-02-13T18:37:00.006-05:00

I've been having this ritual that on Friday nights, late at night, when my mind just won't slow down from the insanely horrible week I've just had...

I watch the horror movie that is featured on Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi).

It really doesn't matter what garbage they show, I'm going to watch it-start to finish.

So last night, Saw III was on.

Now, I saw....Saw (the original Saw).
And like...it was alright. I know alot of people like this series, but for me, I just couldn't really get into it.

Don't get me wrong, I love Carey Elwes and Danny Glover. I think they're great. The foot getting sawed off was pretty gruesome too. Maybe I'm just not smart and puzzle-y enough for it? I don't know. It's not that it had problems or anything...I did find the "Jigsaw" guy to be kind of a creeper, but not in a scary way, more in like a "is he a registered sex offender?" kind of way.

"I have some candy in my car, little girl"

I just wasn't in love. It's not you, it's ME, Saw series.
It wasn't a Jason Voorhees moment for me at all.

So when Saw II came out, I was disinterested and never "Saw" it.

Then VH1 did that show "Scream Queens"...remember that? And the host was some chick I never heard of: Shawnee Smith. And they said she was from the Saw series (gotta be honest, I don't remember her in the first one at all, I had to go back and read the synopsis). I just remember being baffled that they considered here the "scream queen of horror" when I had never really heard of her. Was Jamie Lee Curtis busy when they filmed this?
P.S. here's the clip of the winner, Tanedra, in Saw VI:

Yikes. The arm?!

Anyway, I was fascinated by this Shawnee character and why she was considered the Queen of Horror. I thought that was me?
Why was she given this title? After the show would end though, I'd quickly forget all about it.

Then Saw III came on. And I remembered my quest. Who was this Shawnee character anyway? I had to know. Once and for all.

Well, IMDB.com and Wikipedia.org have some extensive info on this woman. Here are 5 frightening Shawnee facts:

1. She starred in The Blob, Who's Harry Crumb?, and Summer School.

2. She fronted a band called "Fydolla ho", which she founded with Robert Trujillo (Metallica) which sounds like Veruca Salt/Hole kind of?:

3. She is now in a band called "Smith & Pile" which is a country band.:

4. She has 2 kids and is rumored to have a 3rd on the way.

5. She apparently hates horror movies? I think that's a lie. Since she's starred in a whole heap of them.

Ok, so now I feel better knowing about her. But what's her deal in these movies?

So I watched Saw III, and as a general rule with any horror movie, after I've started watching the first 15 minutes, I'm invested. Good or bad, I need to watch the whole thing.

So I did.

I don't know how I feel. Maybe it was because it was so late at night and I just couldn't sleep, but I think I liked it. I definitely didn't hate it. And I couldn't stop watching.

Could I be at a Saw Crossroads?

The Pig Vat scene made me almost dry heave...and the Twisting Rack was pretty hard to watch...I think the PG version is more fun to watch.

I do think that because I skipped Saw II, I missed out on the flashbacks, because I had no idea who some of those people were. But overall, entertaining.

I don't know if I'll see Saws IV-XXXXXVVIIII, but I thought Saw III was pretty decent.

So wait, the guy had brain cancer?!? WTF?

Final Destination Formula

2010-01-30T20:45:00.005-05:00

A couple of nights ago, I couldn't fall asleep. It was just one of those nights. After almost ripping my own face off from the rhythmic sounds of Jim snoring and me not being able to wake him up to keep me occupied or even to talk to me...I turned on the tv to see if there was anything to put me to sleep.

Flip, flip flip...

Ah, what's this?

I got to TNT and there it was: Final Destination 3.

Not 1, not 2...3.

3 Final Destinations.

Now, I've seen the first one. That airplane scene was pretty neat, if I do say so myself.

I saw the beginning scene to part 2...also very well done. Scary even. Those Final Destination people really know how to play off of our own fears of death, don't they?

Now 3. 3 was...well, exactly the same.

The beginning involves a roller coaster (I'm spoiling, in case you can't tell-so don't be "a hater"-I watch too much Jersey Shore...more on that later)

The roller coaster scene is also cool. I mean, not as cool as the other two...but still, very cool. And scary. Because it makes me think of all of those times that I sat on a roller coaster, waiting and thinking of us flying off the tracks. So yes, you got me again, FD3.

And then the rest of the movie? Aside from that awesome tanning bed scene:

it all fits the same pattern of Final Destination films.

I mean, the characters are sorta different...

FD3 Stars that girl from that dance movie:

and the guy that played Deckard the creepy computer geek in Halloween: Resurrection:

(the guy on the left)

other than that...same.

Here's the FD formula:
1. Crazy death scene after starring character experiences premonition of said death scene.
2. A certain amount of people who would have been involved in the above crazy death scene are spared due to main character's premonition and/or freak-out about the aforementioned premonition.
3. The survivors feel guilt...some don't feel guilt though. Main character feels insane amounts of guilt and is treated like a freak by society.
4. Survivors begin dying one by one in cleverly done death scenes...in the order that they would have died in the original crazy death scene.
5. Main character and sidekick discover "death's pattern" and try to save the survivors.
6. Main character and sidekick (sometimes love-interest) manage to defy death and "survive".
7. Time passes and then death comes back for them in crazy death scene ending.
8. Sequel.

Did anyone see the 3D one yet? Is it any good?
It looks 3D licious:

MB Blog Reader Appreciation Blog: Jeepers Creepers

2009-12-21T19:53:00.010-05:00

Fear Street, this one goes out to you.

Think Back to 2001...A gem....called Jeepers Creepers:

Remember it?

You know something, I find that Jeepers Creepers really got a bad rep. Maybe it's the name? Too rhymy? Is rhymy a word? Now it is.

The movie starred Justin Long (Drag Me To Hell, Dodgeball, He's Just Not That Into You, Drew Barrymore's Boyfriend, and the Mac Guy) and Gina Phillips, who I never heard of but she's in a lot of TV Movies. Regardless, the casting for this movie was great because do they look like brother and sister or what?

Are they really related? I'd believe it.

Anyway, this bro and sis duo is driving home from college or something, and they see a mysterious man throwing bags of bodies down a well or ditch. They end up of course getting involved and mayhem ensues.

We find out that the "man" is really "The Creeper" an inhuman beast that feeds on humans to make new body parts:

Kind of looks like The Undertaker, no?

He has wings too, btw.

Now, I have to admit, there are two things about this film that kind of made it feel corny...one is the stupid song. I get it, Jeepers Creepers...It's the song and the movie title. But like, do we need to keep hearing it? And how does someone always end up playing it? What year are we in?

Second is the psychic woman who is calling them to warn them. How'd she have the number? Fine, I get it, she's psychic...but why didn't she call all of those other poor people for the past 23 days or whatever?

Anyway, the movie's ending is kind of sad, I won't indulge you, but you should def see it. A nice change of pace if you ask me.

There was a sequel made, Jeepers Creepers 2, which I have not seen yet. Is it any good? I read the synopsis on Wikipedia and it seems "eh". And then of course, we'll have Jeepers Creepers 3: The Cathedral, coming out soon.

Monster Bash Blog...ReVAMP(ire)'ed

2009-12-21T19:39:00.002-05:00

Hey, I tried to fit the word "vampire" into "revamped", give me a little cred here!

Anyways, I figure with a new year of spoOOooOoOokiness approaching, it was time to give MB Blog a little makeover mayhem.

First of all, it took me an hour and a half to choose which background I liked best. I like the understated tombstone, don't you? I was torn between orange and pumpkins or this, I like this one. I hope you enjoy it as well.

I hope you like the picture of the Jason cake I made that replaced my childhood Mario costume. If you remember, I made Jason Voorhees a birthday cake back in February for the premier of the remake of Friday the 13th. He loved it, by the way.

I also added a new poll! So get out there and vote about your costume inspirations! And for real, if you get your costume ideas elsewhere, I wanna know about it!

Did you check out my frightening new countdown on the bottom of the page? I sure hope you did!

So, I hope you like the boo and improved changes here at MB Blog!

Exclamation points!!

Descent Part 2 = Better than Decent

2009-12-08T18:40:00.003-05:00

For some reason, November 1st makes everyone forget about what's really important: Halloween.

Why does one day changing make everyone go from Fall fun to Winter wonderland?

I don't get it.

I mean, I keep my head in the game, I'm still thinking about pumpkins and ghosts...why on November 1st is there a Christmas tree replacing my Mr. Bones and Ghost cookie jar?

I feel so out of the loop...

I even went to upcoming horror movies to see what I've been missing, and the website is different...I'm confused!

But what it looks like to me, is that 2010 is going to be the Year of the SpoOoOoOky Sequel!

We have: The Descent 2, Friday the 13th 2 (which is the remake's sequel, making there 2 Friday the 13th 2's...say that 5 times fast), Cloverfield 2 (really?), Silent Hill 2, Jeepers Creepers 3...you get the idea.

The one I'm looking most forward to is definitely The Descent 2. The first one was great, and the sequel looks equally as scary. They've released 11 clips...all great.

Seriously, did you watch them yet? Watch them all. Fantastic. I'm pumped.

I know...it's been awhile

2009-12-07T19:33:00.002-05:00

I know, my 8 posts a month have been hurting...

But there's alot going on these days, ya know?

Lots of sadness lately, but I feel like things will get better soon.

In happier (happiest) news, 2010 will be the Year of the Black Rainbow!! AAHHHH!!!

This is ((almost)) as important as my wedding!

woooo!!

Wishing you all a SpoOoOoOktacular Holiday season!

I'll write more soon...I promise

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

2009-10-31T07:00:00.002-04:00

Can you believe it?!?!

We made it another year!

We here at Monster Bash wish the spoOoOOoOoOoOkiest of bashes to all of you boys and ghouls out there!

Here's to another frightening Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Monster Vote!

2009-10-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

We're going to try something a little different here at Monster Bash Blog...it's called The Tournament of (SpoOoOoOoky) Horror Icons!!!

Basically, I want to know who the most popular, most frightening, most terrifying Horror movie star is...I mean...I know who mine is...but who is yours?

Let me give you some examples....

1. Jason Voorhees.

Known fondly by MB Blog as simply "Jason"... Jason's got it all...he comes from a murderous family, was originally thought to be dead...hates promiscuity...and is completely indestructable. He also loves to travel...especially to places like Camps, New York City, and Outer Space. This guy is really going places and we are along for the ride.

2. Freddy Krueger

Having trouble sleeping? Maybe it's for the best. Freddy strikes terror in the hearts of the young and slutty...even the young and not so slutty. Not a fan of fire, but a big fan of horizontally striped sweaters, Freddy takes fashion seriously. And what about those claws? But really, how long can you stay awake?

3. Michael Myers

Donning an old William Shatner mask, MM doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve. In fact, I don't even think Mikey has a heart. He might be a little bit crazy, but not even bars and squad cars can keep him locked away. Think he's dead at the end of every movie? Think again!

4. Leatherface

What can you really say about a guy named "Leatherface"? I mean, he wears people's faces as masks. He swings a giant chainsaw. His family may be the only thing scarier.

5. Zombies (general)

How do you kill something that's already dead? Oh and also, they want to eat you...no pressure or anything. They also will always find you, and depending on what Zombie movie you're watching, they could be really fast.

6. Sharks (general)

Sharks terrify me. They are 100% real, and if you encounter one, you are on THEIR turf. Get ready for teeth. Lots of them.

7. Clowns (general)

Clowns are frightening, especially Killer Klowns. From Outer Space. Get it? Anyway, it's something about that caked on makeup, and that creepy evil grin. Maybe also the big shoes.

8. Belial

Belial has become a cult icon. Have you seen him? He hates when people have sex, and he loves hamburgers. His shriek could curdle blood.

9. Dracula

I love vampires, but Dracula doesn't look like a Cullen, and therefore, he's scary.

10. Frankenstein

Frankenstein gets a pretty tame rep. I mean, the guy was struck by lightning. He's scary. He has bolts in his neck.

According to eatmybrains.com...Dracula is numero uno head honcho of horror....while Geeks of Doom crowned Hannibal Lecter....who's yours?

Paranormal Activity? Forget it.

2009-10-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

On a cold Sunday night two weeks ago....

I saw it.

Now, I really over-hyped this...as did the rest of America. It was so hard not to...

The movie was EVERYWHERE!

I'd be driving home, in the dark, and it would come on in a commercial...I'd glance in my rear view mirror and freak out a little.

I'd be at home, alone, and the trailer would come on...

I'd immediately avoid all mirrors and dark closets.

I was obsessed. People were describing it as "the scariest movie ever". I was hooked. I had to see it. I was frightened to see it though...would it be TOO scary?

In terms of "ghosts"...I'm a believer. It's realistic to me that people and places are haunted, so could this movie prove to be the scariest movie ever? I had to see it...

Finally, we went to the theater...on a Sunday night...

Sitting there waiting for it to begin, I was HORRIFIED. The guy ripping our tickets told us to "not be too scared"...wtf??!?! WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS MOVIE!?

*******ATTENTION...I'm going to discuss the movie now...and there will be spoilers...so STOP READING NOW if you don't want to know what happens....THANKS! MBBlog*****************

Good enough? No nasty grams, ok readers?

Ok, we're back...

So the trailers come on, which btw, if I can be a female for a minute...I am so pumped to see The Lovely Bones, aren't you?

I watched the trailer and then I had to read the book....and it's fantastic and I can't wait to see the movie now....and...ok, ok...sorry....

The ghoul is back in town.

Anyway, the movie starts, and it's actually...really....reeeeeaaallly slow. You get to know the characters, and they got a camera, and they're pretty damn believable.

That's Katie and Micah, the main characters...what a nice couple...right? They're "engaged to be engaged". Micah is funny, and apparently makes enough money to not have to go outside of the house...and Katie is his spunky leading lady who is in school to be a teacher.

But the tension begins....you feel the tension in the theater, and I think that's what makes it the most scary...because in all honesty, the things that are happening on the screen aren't really that scary. But oh boy, you are so scared waiting for something to happen. Something's going to happen soon, though, right?

And sure enough, things start happening, and people in the audience get rowdy...which I think for a movie like this is the best part...the rowdy crowd. You know, the ones that yell "leave the bitch!" or "holy shit!" or "turn the lights on!"

AHHHHH!!!

There's a couple of cool parts...like this one:

...and by the end of the movie, you are on the edge of your seat waiting....WAITING....ugh the waiting!

And then, the theatrical ending..which is pretty cool...but there was also an original ending...which is sad as hell. I think I prefer to the movie one because it's more exciting and scary...but the original makes you feel really, really bad for them. There's also a third ending out there looming too....something about Katie slitting her own throat? It only aired once at a public viewing though...so...oh well. It'll probably be on the DVD.

There were other differences between the original cuts and the theatrical version, which The Horror Effect Blog explains really well here.

One involved a botched exorcism, which I really wish they would have kept in.

Anyways, as with any successful movie, especially one that cost $15,000 to make and beat out Saw VI, there have been sequel discussions.

And there you have it! Get ready for Paranormal Activity 4: Rise of Katie.

SpoOoOoOOoOky Prevails!

2009-10-26T19:08:00.003-04:00

So, remember when I told you entered that contest on Celebrations.com?

And then I shamelessly asked you to vote for me until your little cold dead fingers couldn't vote any more?

Well, I received this spOoOoOktacular e-mail today:

Hi Kim,

We loved your "SpOoOoOktacular Scavenger Hunt" idea. I would like to send your Boo! Party in a Can from the Popcorn Factory. What address shall we have it sent to?

Thanks!

We did it! And they even got the correct number of OoOoOoOs!

And Monster Bash Blog couldn't have done it without you! Especially the little tip we got on here via comment a few weeks ago!

SpoOoOoOooktacular Scavenger Hunt will strike fear in the hearts of millions who visit the site forever!

And, in return...

I get this!

Let's all enjoy some tinted kettle corn and frightening gummies together!! I can't wait!

Nuptual Pumpkin Debacle

2009-10-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

So ever since we got engaged, I have been working round the clock on my Autumn magic wedding.

The biggest issue for me though is not my dress...or even the flowers.

It's the pumpkins.

Now, I had to really walk the fine line here to keeping my wedding as traditional as possible. As much as people wanted me to have a spooOoOoOktacular monster wedding bash, I had to restrain myself.

I couldn't put my poor sweet grandmother into a costume and have her sit there with bloody body parts and kitty litter wedding cake.

I couldn't do it.

So, I'm taking a more traditional route, with a few MB Blog touches here and there.

And one of those are my favorite autumnal gourd: Pumpkins.

So, I figured I'd make these nice little carved luminaries as my centerpieces.

Like that.

So, I decided that since I'd probably need like 12 of these, I'd do fake ones.

Well, A.C. Moore sells a faux pumpkin, called a FunKin.

They were on sale, so I bought two and of course, with the FunKins, I also needed the fake pumpkin carving set, some leaves, fake candles, etc etc etc.

So I come home and I'm carving away...and it takes me 2 hours to make part of one pumpkin.

And it looks hideous.

UGH.

I hope my bridesmaids feel like hollowing out real pumpkins 2 days before the wedding and rubbing petroleum jelly all over them.

SpOooOooky Weather

2009-10-15T16:25:00.002-04:00

This weather has been frightening.

Right now, I'm looking out my window and seeing rain mixed with SNOW.

SNOW?!

It's October 15th.

I should be looking at spoOoOoOoktacular folliage and sipping apple cider and carving my pumpkins and wearing sweatpants and maybe a long sleeved shirt.

NOPE.

I'm wearing my winter jacket, because it's 32 degrees with the wind chill, drinking hot chocolate, watching my pumpkins develop frost, and wearing sweatpants and three sweatshirts and wool socks.

This is not the October I know and love.

This is January.

This is my worst nightmare...SKIPPING Fall and heading head first into WINTER.

BOOOOOO.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Remake Trailer

2009-10-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

Now, let's be honest here. MB Blog is a longtime Jason Voorhees lover/supporter. I love everything that guy does, from Camp Crystal Lake to Outer Space. So with a heavy heart, I have to admit...

The remake for A Nightmare on Elm Street looks pretty damn good.

In fact, I'll even go as far as to say it's BETTER looking than the remake for Friday the 13th.

Look:

Ouch. That hurt.

And what's even worse? It still looks awesome, despite the fact that Robert Englund isn't returning as our beloved Freddy Kreuger. Instead, it's Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) from Watchmen.

And it STILL looks better.

WTF Jason? What's going on with you?!??!

Now, here's why I think it's going to be superior to the Friday the 13th "Remake":

1. Freddy, despite being played by a COMPLETELY different guy, is still pretty true to form, and I'll even go as far as to say he seems scarier. Englund's Freddy had this dry sense of humor and cracked these one liners, while new Freddy seems a little more grim. Again, I'm just seeing this from the trailer.

Above: Old Freddy

Below: New Freddy

Way creepier.

2. The memorable scenes from the original seem to still be there... The hand coming out of the bathtub while the girl is snoozing in it:

the girl levatating off of the bed:

even the look of the house:

...all look similar. They're classic things about the original and they are still there and done pretty tastefully from what I can see.

3. The beginning scene with the townspeople chasing Freddy and lighting up his hiding spot is pretty friggin awesome. Nice touch.

Now, here are some other things that I've been thinking about.

Kyle Gallner. I mean, is there a movie that this kid isn't in? He was in The Haunting in Connecticut...he's in Jennifer's Body...and he's in this.

This guy is everywhere!
Not like it's a bad thing...he kinda looks familiar....

And speaking of Twilight...Kellan Lutz, who stars in The Twilight Saga as Emmett Cullen, is also in the Nightmare on Elm Street Remake...just sayin'. I mean, that adds to the appeal for me!

So anyway...Get pumped for 04/30/2010...because (new) Freddy's coming for you!

2009-10-01T07:00:00.004-04:00

Pinch me!

Is it really October?!?!? Are you back already, dear friend?!

I feel like it was only yesterday that I was sniffling at how Monster Bash 2008 had ended and how I'd have to wait until next year (now) to experience the sheer joy and horror that comes with the greatest month of them all! (P.S. I just went back and read my heart wrenching poem to Halloween and got a little choked up, I'm serious.)

While I don't have the bountiful stock pile of cash I had last year to spend only on Halloween, let's make a list of things that I need to do before November 1st:

1. Get the GREATEST pumpkin ever on the pumpkin hayride - I'm going to give this a "half check" because we picked pumpkins last week as part of my super autumnal engagement fiesta, but we're going again this weekend so this is 2x the SpOOoOooOOoOky fun!

2. Carve it and love it

3. Go to Party City/Party Box/ Random Halloween stores 18 times

4. Go to Jason's Woods in Lancaster - This needs to happen!!!

5. Do something SpoOoOoOky and Awesome!

6. Finish my Costume (AMR!! WHERE ARE YOU?@?@?@)

7. Drink Cider - CHECK!

8. Pick Apples - 2x the fun this year!

So are you ready???? Are you REALLY ready?!?! Let's GO!

So Long, September!

2009-09-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Well, September is moving aside and letting the main attraction, October shine on through!

I have to say though, that as much as I absolutely adore October with every bit of my undead being, September is pretty freakin' awesome too.

I actually started writing this post a week or so ago, and now if I could get a little spooOoOokily sentimental for a few, I'd like to add that as of September 26th, 2009...my registration for TheKnot.com is legit! woo!

I'm in the middle of some spoOoOokified wedding planning to go together with Monster Bash/Splash 2009! What a year!

Vote for SpoOoOoOooky

2009-09-22T17:55:00.003-04:00

Sorry, I hate to do this but...
**Shameless Self Promotion Time!**

So, I received a comment on here about a Halloween contest at Celebrations.com, which I now love dearly, because it is an entire website based around party planning...MB Blog's favorite hobby!

Anyway, they are doing a contest for best Halloween games, and yours spooOokily, entered.

Here is my entry, for the SpoOoOoOoktacular Scavenger Hunt!

VOTE FOR ME!!!! I WANT TO WIN!!!

You remember how fun Monster Bashes 2007 and 2008 were with the SpoOoOoOoktacular Scavenger hunt, don't you?

(sung to the tune of "Lookin' for Love (in all the wrong places)")

Lookin' for clues in all the wrong places...

Lookin for pumpkins and at Renee's scary face(s)

Lookin for pumpkins and usin' your flashlight...

Lookin' at clues...wow...Cos's face is such a fright!

Yeah!! I even wrote a song about it! VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!

P.S....Happy 1st Day of Autumn...You know what that means!!!

SpoOOooOoOoktacular Soundtrack

2009-09-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

I think Fall just kind of happened this year. One day, I drove past DePiero's farm in Montvale, and the "Hayrides" sign was there. That's it. That's the sign (literally and figuratively). It's here!

I like to get into the spirit by listening to some of my favorite sounds of the season....

Here are my top fave Halloween songs:

Monster M(b)ash:

Thriller:

The Theme from Halloween:

The Killer Klowns from Outer Space Theme (by the Dickies):

Ghostbusters Theme:

Friday the 13th (Part 3 is my fave):

Jaws Theme:

Feed My Frankenstein (Alice Cooper):

This Is Halloween (Danny Elfman):

Tubular Bells (the Exorcist):

Before Geico made it something else (Rockwell's I always feel like somebody's watching me):

Poltergeist Theme:

I'm Your Boogieman (White Zombie):

Twilight Zone Theme:

He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask) by Alice Cooper:

For an even greater list with practically every Halloween-related song ever created, head over to X-Entertainment's Halloween Jukebox!

Killing Time

2009-09-14T19:53:00.003-04:00

You know what's freaking me out lately?

How quickly time is going by. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was wearing my winter coat and it was the day after Christmas? Didn't Summer only last 2 weeks? Is my cruise really over? Is it seriously Fall right now?!?!?!? Is that a Halloween candy aisle in Shop Rite already? Did Oriental Trading just send me the Halloween catalog?

Was it really almost a year ago that my life was completely turned inside out by my new-found, undying love for Twilight?

....

Actually, instead...Maybe I'm going back in time, because at my age, I shouldn't love this scenario about the vampire falling in love with the girl and that movie and those books....but....

oh boy, I can't help it.

In fact, I almost threw up a little when I read Taylor Lautner's Wikipedia page and saw that he was born almost 10 years after me. Good lord.

The 14 year old in me squealed and giggled with delight last night as I watched this:

...and then I watched it again...and again....and....well, you get the idea.

Holy shit I can't wait....let's count it down!

New Moon Movie and Twilight Movie

but more importantly:

MySpace Countdowns

SpOoOooOoOoOky!!!

Monster Bash vs. Monster Splash

2009-09-09T07:00:00.001-04:00

So, a couple of weeks ago, while in the midst of a horrible moving situation....

A discussion arose....from the dead.

The state of Monster Bash has been...well....uncertain.

For the past 3 years, Monster Bash has been the SpoOoOoOoOkiest Halloween party on the block (Jim's room).

Now, with my impending residence change, there is really no clear idea of how Monster Bash 2009 will be.

Let's look back...

Monster Bash 2006 was birthed during an August walk in the park. It was just going to be a regular Halloween party...but became so much more....

Monster Bash 2007 was bigger and bolder than ever before. MB 2007 was the first showcase of 6'5" Jason Voorhees that I won off of ebay and the first time costumes were taken seriously. It was also the year of my best costume award for being Mr. Peanut, the pinnacle of my Halloween costume building experience.

Monster Bash 2008 was the first MB to feature a theme: Murder Circus. Also, custom invitations were made. MB 2008 blew every previous Monster Bash out of the water, not only in fun, but also in my budget.

Monster Bash 2009....

may take horror...

underwater?

More on that later!

SpoOoOOoOokiest Serveware....Missing

2009-09-07T11:58:00.004-04:00

I could kick myself.

Last year, I was glued to Target.com for all fun Halloween Serveware. I was searching all over for "Murder Circus" themed goodies, and came across the Halloween Lazy Susan:

Look at that thing. It's incredible. It has 3 magical spoOoOoOky ghosts, to hold whatever fun snack accessory you need...and then a cauldron dipping bowl in the center. The "Halloween Lazy Susan" is, in my opinion, one of the greatest seasonal serveware products I've ever laid my Halloween loving eyes on.

I needed it!!!

But at the time, it was a whopping $40....and I couldn't justify buying it....especially with shipping involved. Actually, I think Jim wouldn't let me get it. That's how I'd like to remember it...

I figured "let me wait until it goes on sale AFTER Halloween and I can use it for the rest of the year until next Halloween"

Well, sure enough after Halloween it went on sale.

I watched it like a hawk. Every week. It would go down little by little.

Finally, it said "Clearance" at $30.

Was that enough for me?

Nope.

It's gotta go down lower, I thought.

Well, sure enough, a week later, the listing for it at Target.com disappeared.

No matches?!!? What do you mean? It was just there!

Well, this year, Target has added its Halloween section, so I went there to check to see if they brought an old friend back....

NOT BACK?!?!?!

Not only was this the greatest lazy susan I'd ever seen, but now it's nowhere to be found a year later?!?!? They're not even bringing it back?

I then searched ebay, and was unwilling to pay $44.98 plus shipping.

Dear Target,
Blow the dust off that clearance one, because I know nobody else bought it, and put it back online for me. I promise I'll buy it this time!!
Love,
MB Blog.

Untitled Friday the 13th Project

2009-09-05T09:35:00.001-04:00

A SEQUAL IS IN THE WORKS?!?!?

The 13th Film in the Friday the 13th/Jason Franchise!!

According to Wikipedia FAQ, the movie is set to release on August 13, 2010...which is the 28th anniversary of Part III when Jason first gets the hockey mask, and 17 years since the Jason series of films made the switch over to New Line Cinema.

Even Bloody-Disgusting is abuzz with it.

ScabbyHorror Blog has a whole thing dedicated to Friday the 13th and Jason, which I highly admire, and they speculated it back in February.

I wasn't insanely in love with the remake itself, but I am willing to give this another chance, because I love all things Voorhees.

I hope they go with the Jason X2 or Jason takes Los Angeles idea. Oh man!

SEPTEMBER IS HERE!!!

2009-09-01T07:00:00.002-04:00

You know something, I think that I am not a teacher's best friend. I think it is mostly because I am EXCITED BEYOND ALL BELIEF that it is September!

I feel it coming....it's in the air...can you tell? Autumn is here! Sure, it's still kinda warm out, and it's not Labor Day yet which is the official end to beach season, but...we are only 1 month and 30 days away from the GREATEST holiday ever!!!

We are so close!!!

Get ready for:
-Apple Picking
-Pumpkin Mania
-Slaughterhouse Slow Cooking
-Leaves changing! FRIGHTENING FOLIAGE!
-Sweatshirt season!
and of course...
-Monster Bash Planning....right now, MB has been put into a state of "TBD" because of extenuating circumstances...will it resurrect from the "dead"?! STAY TUNED!

Hurricane Horror

2009-08-29T15:57:00.004-04:00

I have to admit I've been slacking on the MB Blog train...

One of the reasons is that I've recently taken the plunge into home ownership and spend most of my horror filled days and nights being covered in primer and paint. More on the horrors of home ownership later...

But on top of all of that, I happened to have booked a cruise in the beginning of the year that is not only clashing with my woes of being a broke first time buyer, but also is clashing with a fright-filled time of year known to many as...

Hurricane Season.

Now, Hurricane season lasts from June until November, which is the entire summer and then most of my magical fall, but it is also a potentially dangerous time to cruise!

It also always seems to be the only time I book my cruises because they are cheaper, and because kids are in school and not splashing me while I sip on my Pina SpoOoOoOk-ladas.

Or riding on a nice catamaran

mmm cruises...

So, lately, my two favorite websites besides Party City and Oriental Trading are CruiseCritic.com and The National Hurricane Center

Hurricanes are terrifying for many reasons. Obviously the widespread destruction and disarray they cause is terrifying...

but also, the coverage scares me too. Maybe it's the music they play when they are covering it on the weather channel:

Or perhaps it's also that creepy little whirly symbol:

Or seeing it on the big map (that's Hurricane Rita below):

Or the cloud satellite pictures:

...All of them...all scary. Hurricanes are scary because there's really nothing to prevent them. They are a force of nature. We can try to prepare and evacuate and help those affected...hopefully way better than what happened with Katrina, but other than that, when a hurricane is coming....it's coming.

This is actually pretty cool, Wikipedia has a whole list of different things about hurricanes, you can even see which ones affected your state.

The Heavy Hitters Are In The SpOooOoOky Spirit!

2009-08-26T07:00:00.003-04:00

Today, August 26th, 2009 (still Summer, right?), I went to PartyCity.com.....

and here is what I found:

I took a screen shot, sorry it's so small....but basically, it has the theme of orange and black...the words HALLOWEEN FOR LESS in BOLD, orange font, and a fantastic pumpkin taking the place of the A in the Party City logo.
My thoughts?
Tears of horror-filled joy, obviously.

I was feeling lucky, I decided to head over to my other fave, OrientalTrading.com....

Once again, "BOO-TIFUL"?!?!? I LOVE IT!

While O.T. is not as downright Halloween filled as Party City is, I still find it sneaking a few spoOOoOkified tips in there. Also, how creepy/incredible are those mask lollipops? I'm ordering 50 of them.

I think it's safe to say that everyone's joining the dark side....Halloween season will start earlier and earlier until one day, it will never be "out of season".

MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!!!

Home GoOoOoOoOds is SpoOoOoOoOOky

2009-08-22T10:16:00.003-04:00

We here at Monster Bash Blog want to give some spoOoOOOky props to Home Goods.

I went and did a little spooOoOoOkified shopping and found that about 1/3 of the store is completely decked out in Autumnal/Halloween decorations!

From ghost adorned dish towels and placemats, to skeleton door-hangers, I was in horror heaven!

I left with a ghost cookie jar...as soon as I have it displayed, I'll post a picture, but let me say, it is amazing. He's grinning and holding a cookie. I love it.

Thank you to our new best friend, Home Goods!

Lancaster County Embraces Autumn in Aughost

2009-08-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

I know, I'm really delayed in writing this, but...I've been a busy ghoul lately! Sorry!

If you know Jim or I, actually....mostly Jim....but in the past 4 years, also me.....We like going to Lancaster County.

What's so scary about that?

Well, nothing....but wait, let me finish.

Anyway, Jim has been going there since he was a little kid....my "Lancaster" was Aberdeen, Maryland, but we already discussed that in another blog. It's frightening! Ok, maybe not "frightening"...but bizarre for a young child.

Back to my tale of the Amish Country....

So Jim uses any chance he can get to go there....even bribing his boss at work to allow him to have a Saturday off to take a trip. Roberto, I hope you're reading this while eating your jerky. Jim has also expressed a desire to visit there once a month every year....for the rest of his life.

Nobody contributes more to the economy of Bird-in-Hand, PA than Jim himself.

Jim also plans to retire there and buy a house next to a farm.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I received word that Yummie, the mascott for Kitchen Kettle Village, was celebrating his birthday.

That's Yummie with Pat, the founder of Kitchen Kettle Village...This isn't scary at all, in fact, it's heartwarming. Look at how happy they are.

But then a zombie ghoul showed up!!! Now that's a little scarier, right? This is Monster Bash Blog after all, I gotta get something spoOoOoOoktacular in there.

Anyway, Jim and I decided to take a little day trip to visit our old friends: Kitchen Kettle Village, Intercourse Pretzel Factory, Miller's Smorgasbord, the Bird In Hand Farmer's Market....and of course....Yummie. Maybe the zombie ghoul too? No?

Definitely Old Candle Barn though.

And now this is where my story becomes an Autumnal masterpiece.

Old Candle Barn never lets me down. Adjacent to Kitchen Kettle Village is a barn where they make and sell these amazing candles.

Recently in the past maybe two years, they opened up this "room" where they showcase some of their products in a homey setting. My explanation of it truly does it no justice, it's spectacular and I find it bringing a tear to my eye each time I'm in there.

So we went there about 3 weeks ago....on Aughost 1st. Remember how I said Aughost is the unofficial start of Fall season? Well, I'm not alone.

Jim and I went to the Old Candle Barn, and as we rounded the corner into the special room of goodies, I noticed a prominent theme...

The entire room was full of....

FALL MAGIC!!!

There were little pumpkins, a sign that says "Pumpkin Patch", autumnal scented candles, pumpkin potpourri, orange, red, yellow colored accessories....

I started making a scene. Tears rolled down my face, I think other patrons of the Old Candle Barn were confused/disturbed by my grabbing everything in that room and putting it in the basket.

I'm kidding.

Actually, everyone was enjoying it. People were strolling around the room and buying little pumpkin candle holders and harvest scented candles.

It was then that I realized....Lancaster Co. and I were meant to be, because we both celebrate the Fall season....in Aughost.

SpoOoOoOky Childhood Family Vacations

2009-08-11T19:41:00.006-04:00

My childhood family vacations were...peculiar.

While my friends and their parents went to Hawaii, Disney World, California, even the beach....

I went somewhere...much, much different.

I went to:

Aberdeen, Maryland.

Now, before you (monster) bash me for saying that it's peculiar, hear me out.

I loved it there. The people were friendly, the water was soft, the hotel we stayed at gave you free apples at the front desk, there was an awesome indoor heated pool that I would get all pruney from playing in....and there was this amazing buffet called Western Steer, which was later replaced by The Golden Corral, both of which I loved. They also had Mr. Pibb, which is like Dr. Pepper, but for some reason, better.

But the real reason that my father would drag my mother and I down every year wasn't because of free apples, Pibb, or the soft water...

It was the Aberdeen Proving Ground.

What is that, you ask? Go here to find out.

Now, I'm a supporter of our troops, and what they do is something to be revered and respected, but as a baby, infant, toddler, kid.....I had no idea what was going on. I just walked around with my parents looking at all of these tanks at the Army Ordinance Museum and tried to get my parents to buy me the pen that had the little tank float down in the glitter from one end to the other every year.

Also every May, they would have an event called Armed Forces Day, where there were tents set up and life fire exercises and tanks driving around....

See that man with the pink shirt kneeling on the tank? That's my dad. See that miserable little girl wearing that HUGE helmet? That's me. At 5 years old. In 1987. I just wanted to go swimming and eat free apples.

And then I got a little older and was allowed to bring a friend with me for the torture....

Can't see us? This is what normal little girls look like, right? Little Mermaid shirt? Check....pink headband and pink pants? Check....Camouflage face paint?........
Also, if memory serves, this was after we left the "Lyme Disease Awareness" Tent...wooohooo!!!

So every year, we'd pack up the minivan, ride 3 (or more) hours down to Aberdeen, and my mother and I would pout at the length of time it would take my dad to lap around the tanks and give me a 45 minute lecture about each one's "tracks". Then we would go shopping and eat at Western Steer and then I'd go swimming.

I decided to drag Jim here one year to show him my "roots". I bribed him with a Yankees/Orioles game to get him more in the spirits to go to Aberdeen. Some things were the same: the free apples were still there, the woman at the front desk was still there...I think, and the pool was still pretty fun. The Golden Corral had moved, and wasn't quite the same....and the Proving Ground was kind of scary because we had to go through a heavy duty security check just to get in.

But, as bizarre as my family trips were, I still enjoyed them...and I know alot about Lyme Disease awareness and that my dad drove a Sheridan tank when he was in the army.

Good (spOoOoOky) times.

Chilling Childhood Toys

2009-08-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

As a kid growing up in the 80's and early 90's, we had a lot of weird toys that I think about now and I am surprised they were even created/sold...There's even a website dedicated to toys of the 1980's.

These are just a few of my all-time childhood favorites:
I had Teddy Ruxpin:

who was kind of creepy and used to tell me "bedtime stories" through his motorized mouth and slow, calculated eye blinks...and he palled around with Grubby, a....worm?:

....Terrifying!

And of course, Rainbow Brite, who was clearly created out of a drug induced haze. She rode on a white horse that had rainbow hair named Starlite who ran on rainbows and there were all these little fuzzy things running around talking to her, and there was a villain named...Murky? yep, Murky Dismal.

And Cabbage Patch Kids. They smelled like baby powder, had tattoos of some guy's name on their butts....and grew out of...cabbage? Who thinks of this shit?

Oh my god, did you watch those commercials? Telling kids they're 'premies"....a doctor gave the cabbage patch doll a real checkup?! A dad calling his mother to tell her she's a grandma and that his 6 year old had twins?! Isn't this taking it way too far?! The lifeguard child molestor?! Fashion minded cabbage patch kid?! HORRIFYING!
As an aside, there were Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids, that have since been recalled, because they have a chewing mechanism that can't be turned off and kids lost fingers and ponytails in it:

AHHH!!!

Snacktime Cabbage Patch Kids are just one on this great list of the Top 10 Most Dangerous Toys Ever. Also included are:

Sky Dancers:

They caused temporary blindness, skin lacerations, and broken ribs and teeth!

And Lawn Darts....which are banned in the U.S. and Canada because they killed 3 kids. Today, we play Cornhole instead.

Moving along, Pound Puppies were depressed dogs that you would "rescue" and grow to love. They were cute in a sad, starved, pathetic kind of way.

reading their wiki page, I learned that the bad guy is named "Captain Slaughter", and he is trying to "get rid" of the puppies....WTF?!

Madballs had disgusting faces on them and had gross names and mannerisms.

There's a million of them....

Of course, other than creepy and bizarre, some were very, very dangerous....

Like, the Pogo Ball.

Shaped like a planet, this thing had to break at least a few ankles. It's meant to be a pogo stick, minus the stick, plus a ball. Good luck not breaking bones on this one.

Or the Skip-It:

Ugh. My ankles still feel bruised from this frigging thing.

This commercial always infuriated me. How is there being a counter on the ball considered the "very best thing of all"? Is that really "the best"? Also, when I would Skip-It to major injuries, the ball would get scraped and destroyed and smash against everything on the concrete. So it looked like a car ran over it and a dog gnarled it after owning it for a week. You also looked like a fool, because one leg stayed straight while the other one jumped. My ankles were never the same.

And of course, the Slip'n Slide. Slip'n Slide was manufactured in 1961 by Wham-O, which is also responsible for the Hula Hoop and Frisbee.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has a report online about how dangerous the Slip'n Slide truly is. Apparently, only smaller children should be using S'nS because older children and adults can suffer traumatic spinal chord and neck injuries.

I don't really feel that much else can be said after that, so....practice spOOoOOKY safety when playing with toys!

"Hot" Costume Alert Today on USMagazine.com...

2009-08-03T19:34:00.004-04:00

So today I was minding my own business, reading some spOoOoooky online celebrity news....and I came across a Halloween related article:

BuyCostumes.com is selling this terrifying "hot costume" for 2009:

Is that a schoolteacher?
A supreme court justice?
A talk show host?

is that a younger Sally Jesse Raphael?!

No?!? WHO ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE?!?!?!

Oh.

Kate Gosselin?

Who is that?

She's a mom to 8 kids?
....Next.

The only redeeming quality is that the name of this wig is "8 is too much" ...haha.

This is not a good costume idea...and here's why. The only way someone would know who you are is if they are into celebrity gossip, or they watch "Jon and Kate Plus 8". Which would narrow you down to mainly women. Jim wouldn't even know who this is, and I have made him watch the show. Halloween is a unisex event, people. You can't wear a costume that not everyone will know what you are. Remember my rules!

I was so devastated that BuyCostumes was promoting this, but then I decided to look deeper into their "New for 2009" stock and I was even further surprised:

First, there's these Muppet Masks:

Um sir.....Elmo and Cookie Monster are eating your head!

I'm so distracted by Gonzo's eternally flared nostrils that I can't even appreciate the craftsmanship.

Then there's a clump of hair for sale that is supposed to be Simon Cowell's hair?

This guy's face also looks like he's smelling something gross...not breaking the dreams of young musical hopefuls. Also...new for 2009?

...Motorcycle Police Helmet? Does this guy look like he's into it?
Didn't think so. This looks like a "last seen photograph" of this guy...before he escaped the institution.

Also considered "New" for 2009....God knows why...Is this miserable looking Cheech costume:

This is "Up in Smoke"'s Cheech...from 1978...read the info on it...it's horrible/great.

Slash...errr "rock superstar" is not new for 2009:

And then there's this which I think is supposed to be Michael Jackson, but it is seriously horrifying...also they call it "Pop King" and nowhere mention the words "Michael" or "Jackson". Creepy though. Reeeeally creepy.

I figured Michael Jackson would be a hot costume for 2009...There's so many great options...Thriller Michael, Beat It Michael....but Kate? Kate Gosselin? Oh no.

It's Aughost Again!

2009-08-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

AHHHHHH!!!!
It's Aughost!

I can't tell that Fall is right around the corner, because for the past few days I've had that feeling...

That feeling where I start thinking about how friggin' awesome Autumn is. The weather, the way the sun looks in the mid to late afternoon, the colors of the trees, the pumpkin / apple picking, the fun activities that you can only do in fall (hayrides, haunted houses, pumpkin carving, MONSTER BASH PLANNING, etc), sweatshirt season, costume preparations, slow cooking, mmmmhhhhmmmmm). Are you there yet? I sure am.

I consider mid-Aughost (fine, entire August) the official start of Autumn. People who are in the teaching profession especially hate when I say that, but too bad! Also, the weather this summer in the tri-state area, possibly beyond, has been HORRIFIC. Did we even have summer? Or was it monsoon season? Just wondering.

Think about it, in Aughost, parents go "back to school" shopping, which includes Fall clothing and other supplies...but mostly stuff for Fall. All stores begin their sales of Autumnal wares. I received word yesterday that Yankee Candle has their Fall fragrance collection out...also, I just saw on their website that they have 8 new candles...

1. Moonlight Harvest
2. Vanilla Pumpkin
3. Macintosh Spice
4. Farmer's Market
5. Autumn Fruit
6. Almond Cookie
7. Be Thankful
8. Lakeside Birch

All of those except Almond Cookie and Lakeside Birch SCREAM Fall, dont' they? I think my favorite is either Moonlight Harvest, Vanilla Pumpkin, or Farmer's Market. What's yours?

Anyway, in other news, also in Aughost, my best pals, Party City and Party Box, start stocking the Halloween stuff. Slowly, but surely, Halloween comes into the mix.

This year, I need to keep reminding myself to be a little more frugal in terms of spending for Monster Bash 2009, the Economic Recession Edition. It's very hard though, and it's still ok to look, right?

On the way back from Raymour and Flanigan, I can make that easy U-turn right into Party City's parking lot. It's practically on the way!

Bash to the Future

2009-07-31T07:00:00.003-04:00

You know, I've been really agonizing over this year's Monster Bash. Each year, the cost of MB has increased substantially, to last year, which carried a price tag of over $1000. No joke. The cost of props, food, music, invitations, prizes, etc to fit into the Murder Circus theme was through the roof. Have we taken what was once a simple Halloween Party (I'm lying, it's not a "simple Halloween party"...it's the best party on Earth) and made it into something too commercial?

Jim and I pondered and pondered over the future of Monster Bash. With my impending transition from "living at home" to "being a new homeowner", as well as with the tough economic times, we had a lot to think about. This year, would we make Monster Bash even MORE costly? Could we afford it? Where would it be held? Is Jim's room no longer a viable venue? Will Monster Bash be altered forever? Will I have to change my Blog tag line?!

And then, Jim sent me this:

[ No Subject ]
Friday, July 10, 2009 1:13 PM
From:
"Jim"
To:
"Monster Bash Blog"

It began as a pure evil....

And each year, it grew bigger and bigger.

And now it's time to ask yourself.....

Can this evil possibly be contained anymore?

This year...on October 31st....we'll all find out.

Because this year....Monster Bash goes...

BAcK tO bASICKs

Come experience Monster Bash as you've never experienced it before...

Experience Monster Bash...

In an EcoNoMiC rEcESSioN

The only thing we won't cut back on is the body count.

I believe we've got something here....

Stay tuned!

The Haunting In Connecticut

2009-07-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

March 27th, The Haunting In Connecticut came out in theaters.
The internet hype for this movie, leading up to it, was out of control. I can't even tell you how many times I saw that scene where the kid has writing all over his body on my email, my myspace, CNN.com...you name it, the advertisement popped up. I think it was even on weather.com a few times.

I was moderately interested in seeing it. Remember? Anything that claims to be "based on a true story" captures my interest immediately. I also 100% believe that ghosts will remain in a house if something bad happened or if they don't "cross over". I'm a believer.

Anyway, the movie came out, then left theaters, and I still hadn't seen it.

It wasn't that I didn't want to, it was just that I didn't get the chance to.

So, Jim found it at a $1.00 rental at the A&P and I was pumped! I was finally going to get to see it 4 months later!

The movie stars Virginia Madsen as the mother, who I happen to really like, and who was also in Candyman, as well as in another movie called The Haunting (she really likes haunted houses I guess).

She's the mother and her son, Matt, is going for experimental cancer treatments far away. She decides that instead of making him drive home everynight, that they would look for a house to rent while the treatments are ongoing.

Cue the House in Connecticut.

They move in, despite it being formerly a funeral home, and the creepiness begins.

There's alot of jump scares, and some cool things, like the body carvings:

But then there are also the things about the ectoplasm? Isn't that Slimer? I couldn't get past thinking about that.

Also, I felt the jamming of the family backstories down my throat was nauseating.

Granted, there were a few parts that I jumped and some of the dead things looked pretty neat, I still was annoyed by the drunk dad. It was also more religiously based than I had expected. Were they trying to be the Exorcist?

Apparently the movie was so successful that there are plans in the works to make a sequel and possibly a thrid movie as well. The sequel will have something to do with an exorcism and an evil presence in New York or something.

Overall, I give The Haunting in Connecticut an "eh". It was watchable, and not really boring, but I wouldn't watch it again I don't think. It was "ok".

Extra-gourd-inary Jack-O-Lanterns!

2009-07-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

If you know me, you know how much I love pumpkins. I love everything about them. They are orange, which is my fave color, they are delicious as pies, soups, raviolis, dips, roasted, seeded, etc....they are nice to look at, fun to pick, extremely fun to carve! I could go on and on...but I won't, because you get the idea, right?

Anyway....hold on, I just want to make a note that Jim just made me smell pumpkin potpourri in an attempt to make me go to Lancaster PA, and instead a whirlwind of Autumn love just came over me...

Ok, back to the pumpkin post!

I love to carve pumpkins. It's become such a staple to my fall/Halloween fanfare. Jack-o-Lantern carving is quite a skill...a skill that I personally lack, but that others are incredible at. And so, this is my dedication blog to all of you Jack-o-Lantern masters out there!

I googled "amazing Jack-o-Lanterns" and these following carvings are the cream of the crop!:

3-D Skull pumpkin. This almost doesn't even look like it was once a pumpkin at all. The details are amazing on this one. How do you do this?!

The Death Star-o-Lantern for all you Star Wars fans out there.

This is that monster:

from Pans Labyrinth that is terrifying and awesome looking at the same time. Very cool.

Transformers-o-Lantern.

Barfing pumpkin has been done many times, but for some reason, I'm still entertained by it!

I believe one of these, maybe not this one, but one of these, was done on the Food Network Challenge: Outrageous Pumpkins. BlogThemeMachine also has 54 more amazingly carved pumpkins, kinda like this one. P.S. I don't know why but this pumpkin looks kind of like John Candy.

There's even a carved pumpkin for the sports lover out there.

Pac Man, anyone?

Michael Myers vs. Jason Voorhees in Pumpkin form.

"Its'a Me! Mari-o-Lantern!"

I guess this really isn't a "Jack-o-Lantern" by default, but still...Incredible!

Oh No!

Here's a great webpage that someone has made showing pumpkin carvings through the years. The music is awesome too!

Time to start practicing my carving skills, Halloween is only 3 months away!

In Memoriam: The Essex Mountain Sanatorium

2009-07-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

**Special thanks to Jim for sending me the link to the The Essex Mountain Sanatorium website.**

As terrifying as I find abandoned buildings, they never cease to fascinate me. During my senior year of high school, and in the beginning of my college years, there was Blue Hill....which is a creepy haunted house that was boarded up and abandoned and the police blocked it off for some reason (because it was haunted, obviously) years ago.

The past few years, I was hellbent on Eastern State Penitentiary.

And now, The Essex Mountain Sanitorium, formerly located in Verona, NJ has grasped my interest.

It has now become the Hilltop Reservation, a natural preserve made of the lands that once contained the EMS.

But prior to that, this place looked terrifying! Even the website gives me the creeps!

The history of the building is truly fascinating. Its uses constantly evolved, from beginning as a type of orphanage, then to a home for girls, then to a Tuberculosis treatment ward (where apparently there was great success in treatment of the disease) and haven for soldiers with lung injuries during WW1. As Tuberculosis was being contained by vaccines and science breakthroughs, the sanatorium became obsolete and was closed in 1982.

In 1987, the moderator of the website discovered the sanatorium and was fascinated by it.

I totally agree, it is extremely bizarre how everything was left behind. Why would people just leave behind everything as if they were in a hurry to get out? The website shows different files that were left behind after the sanatorium closed.

And of course, the scary stuff! There's an entire section of strange things caught in pictures. There is also a section where people can share their own stories of the sanatorium.

The website is extraordinary in the extensive amount of information it provides. You can see pictures of the sanatorium from all different eras here. You can also find comparison pictures from way back when to more recently to see how the buildings have changed.

WeirdNJ has also covered the Essex Mountain Sanatorium.

So has VacantNJ.

Here is a tribute video that someone made about the sanatorium (the pictures are very eerie and haunting):

This is another short film made, and it is frightening:

So what's the deal? Were there horrible experiments being performed and that's why it was closed so abruptly? Did escaped mental patients hide out there? Is it really haunted? Perhaps the answers were demolished along with the buildings.

RIP To The Thriller

2009-07-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

I know, Michael Jackson passed away two weeks ago, but I can't stop listening to his musical catalog.

He and Janet Jackson were such a huge part of my childhood. I used to take dance classes (from Kindergarten until my Junior year of h.s.) and throughout the 80's and 90's their music was about 95% of the music the teachers would use for warmups and recitals and everything else that required music.

Now, the only time you hear "Billie Jean" or "Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough" is at a wedding.

I'm kind of sad that it took him dying for me to appreciate it all over again, but here we are.

And so, in true Monster Bash fashion, I'd like to post my favorite spoOoOoOOoky Michael Jackson song/video, but unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere that will let me post it.

So I'll just have to link to it here....you know what it is already, don't you?

And...In a special shout to Jim, here's the Indian version of Thriller:

R.I.P.

Why I Think I Like the Movie Orphan Already

2009-07-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, I've seen this trailer a few times when I go to see movies (mainly because I only see horror films, and so, naturally, this movie trailer is always on when I go):

Orphan:

Now, I know what you're thinking...it looks like a mix between The Omen:

and The Good Son:

Right? Well, I agree. Also, I was skeptical because the director is the same guy who directed the remake of House of Wax, which was a huge stinker.

But, those things aside, I am willing to embrace Esther with open arms, because I happen to like a bunch of things about this movie:

1. The girl playing Esther is super scary looking. She's very, very creepy and eerie. The movie poster, which just mainly has some clever shadowing, also terrifies me.

2. I like Peter Sarsgaard.

3. There is major controversy stirring up because adoption agencies are FURIOUS that this movie has been made. Not that I like seeing adoption agencies in distress, but I can't believe there's drama about this. Literally, google "orphan adoption controversy" and see what comes up. Drama draws attention and public interest, hence, I'm interested.

4. It's rated R. FINALLY!! Get that PG-13 out of MY FACE!

5. One of the producers of the film is....Leonardo DiCaprio! Let's face it, anything Leo does or is a part of, I'm on board.

So, my verdict? It's got my attention, and I'm interested in seeing it.

July 24th....Esther's going to creep out and/or offend audiences everywhere!

Happy Frightening 4th!

2009-07-04T09:12:00.003-04:00

So, I was surfing around, trying to find a good topic to blog about for today, being a horrorday and all, and I found that someone else was on the same wavelength as me!

I swear the asker isn't me, but we are definitely on the same page here!

So here were the answers:
1. Independence Day
2. Uncle Sam
3. I Know What You Did Last Summer
4. Cape Fear
5. Jaws

Ok, now let's get down to business...

Cape Fear is great and I've already discussed it here.

Jaws, I mean...if you follow MB Blog at all you know how I feel about sharks, and I reference this movie a billion times...here's one of those times.

I Know What You Did Last Summer annoys me because that title is super long and annoying to type with capitals. I....Know...What....You...we're still going?....Did....Last....ugh....Summer. I believe I went to see this in theaters because of Ryan Phillippe, and I will also divulge and say that I believe I own the soundtrack to this film. Slightly embarassing? You bet.

Independence Day isn't really a horror film, and the answerers of the question acknowledge that, but I guess Science Fiction counts, because there are aliens in it and they are trying to kill us, which is scary, right? Also, Jeff Goldblum is in it. Just sayin'.

Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's get down to business...

Uncle Sam?!

I've never heard of this movie, although I believe I used its movie poster last 4th of Ghouleye not knowing what it was for!

Here's the trailer:

This reminds me of one of the trailers they showed during Grindhouse.

This movie is so hard to find online...even Wikipedia is stumped! They do, however, give it a little blurb in the original Uncle Sam wiki:

Furthermore, Uncle Sam appeared as a horror villain in the eponymously titled 1997 film, Uncle Sam. In this film, a veteran who died during Desert Storm rises from the dead to exact justice upon those he perceives as "unAmerican" after some teenagers burn the American Flag on his grave. The poster is a full-on spoof of the classic Uncle Sam poster, with a zombified Sam and the tagline "I want you... dead."

X-Entertainment has a fantastic review of it complete with screen shots, so definitely it's worth the read, although seemingly not worth the watch.

It is available on Amazon for $13.00...you've gotta be kidding me.

Seriously though, I need to see this movie, and if any of you have, please tell me about it!

While I search for Uncle Sam for less than a dollar, you enjoy your spOOoooooOoOoOoky BBQ's and have a Happy 4th of Ghoul-Eye!

Ghoul-Eye, Round 2

2009-07-01T07:00:00.005-04:00

Here we are again, huh?

I've found that before I embark on blogging each month, I go back to the last year's blogs to see what I was into at the time. Of course, The Dark Knight was a huge part of last Ghoul Eye, I still love it unconditionally as well. Wow, what a great movie. There was so much excitement surrounding it and I went to see it 3 times in a row...God I love that movie. I loved it SO much that I was Joker Nurse for last year's Monster Bash:

Close, right?

Also, last Ghoul Eye, I wrote about my "Autumn State of Mind", which I'm always in, FYI; as well as crazy Uncle Sam's....Ouija Boards....and Worst Deaths in Horror Films.

But the single best moment of Ghoul-Eye of last year?

So, here's to another great Ghoul-Eye of blogging!

Ways to Make June Feel Like October

2009-06-28T19:46:00.004-04:00

So, it's nice outside now. 4th of Ghoul-eye weekend is days away. Sweatshirts are basically locked away in closets. Nobody wants to hear about soups, pumpkins, cider....it's all about lemonade and ice cream.

I know what you're thinking: MB Blog, how can I create an Autumnal feeling in these warm days of Summer?

Well, I have some ideas...

1. Make Pumpkin Ice Cream. Missing your favorite Autumn gourd? No problem! Let's combine the best of both worlds! Cool down this Summer with a nice, orange favorite!

Seasonal Selection? NOT ANYMORE!

2. What about....
+ =
Bobbing for Apples in a Swimming Pool!
I mean...what better way to cool off than incorporating Fall into a fun water sport...Marco Polo? Nah, I'll just be over here bobbing for apples in this gigantic pool!

3. Campfire Scary Stories!

Grab your sleeping bags, and camp out! And of course, don't forget your flashlight and scary stories....what was that noise? Did you hear that? (This also includes scary unsafe carnival ride stories, which always go over well as far as scary stories go...because they could be true!)

4. Replace corn on the cob with candy corn!
Hey, you're still eating corn, right?

Your BBQ's will be so much SWEETER!!!

5. Speaking of BBQ....Change the names of your BBQ foods. For example, Jim and I no longer refer to potato salad as "potato salad"....potato salad has officially and permanently become "ghostato salad". And there's so much more. Just saying "ghostato" makes me feel like it's Halloween!

6. Create a Watermelon Jack-O-Lantern!

Now, this guy has the right idea. He's right. Halloween is just too great to only have one time during the year...and while pumpkins may not be readily available, why not make one out of watermelon?

See? Just as scary.

And of course....PLAN YOUR MONSTER BASH!!! What are you doing sitting there and reading? Halloween is only 5 months away...GET TO WORK!

The Vampire Craze

2009-06-19T07:00:00.003-04:00

You know, with so many great spoOOooOoOoky things out there, there are always crazes.

Zombies have been pretty popular for awhile now, before that, I'd say clowns were the rage.

Lately, movies have been made surrounding "deadly strains" of viruses causing pandemics and making people go mad (I Am Legend, 28 Days/Weeks Later, etc)

But now, I've got my money on Vampires.

Movie Crunch made a great list of the top 15 Vampire movies of all time...including:

Interview with the Vampire

Bram Stoker's Dracula

Shadow of the Vampire

30 Days of Night

The Lost Boys

Twilight (My vote)

(I'll use any excuse to put a picture of him on my blog) I mean...can you really blame me? Look at him:

spoOoOoOokily good looking

It's scary how cuuuuuuuuute he is

ominous....

...oh....sorry....about that....how'd that get in there?

....hm.....I.....oh.....moving along....

Let the Right One In (I added that one in)

Blade and Blade II

From Dusk Til Dawn

Even Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, Blade II) is continuing to delve deeper into his love of bloodsuckers. He has written a trilogy of Vampire novels, the first one that just came out called The Strain, which was released on June 2nd, and looks awesome. He combines two hot phenomena right now: virus strains and vampires. Well done.

What's next? Obviously New Moon, which is the sequel to Twilight in case you are male or living in a hole somewhere and didn't know that.

I like this phase...let's keep it going!

Jason Voorhees in Your Own Home!

2009-06-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

No...I'm not selling my 6 foot tall Jason Voorhees prop....are you kidding? I love that thing!

And then, to show his diversity and creepiness, we dressed him up as a clown for last year's Monster Bash:

But...today is a special day!

Today, Friday the 13th (2009 remake) is released on DVD! So you guys and ghouls can have your very own Camp Crystal Lake without leaving the comfort of your couches!

In case you didn't already see my blog about this movie...since I saw it on Midnight on...Friday the 13th....here's the trailer:

And here's unreleased footage with Uncle Phil from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air

....ok fine...that wasn't real....Or was it?

Anyway, Jim and I already have the entire library of Friday the 13th films...so of course we need to add to our collection. I'll see you at Best Buy later.

Drag Me To Hell = Loud,SpoOoOoOoky, and Gross

2009-06-14T07:00:00.003-04:00

I know, it's been out since May 29th...

But I finally got to see it!

Drag Me To Hell.

I'd also like to add that we went on the opening night of The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3, and The Hangover was the hottest movie going on. Everyone before us, literally everyone, was purchasing tickets for The Hangover, which was sold out, and fans were leaving upset. Jim and I had no problem getting DMTH tickets...because it's been out for weeks. So now's the time to see it!

I don't know if you remember, but way back in scary May, I wrote about how pumped I was to see this movie...
And now...I have seen it! Finally!

DISCLAIMER:
Dear beloved readers,
Now, I'm going to discuss the movie here, so I realize how unhappy some people may get that my blog has spoilers. Since we're such great friends, I'd like to tell you that if you don't want to know about what happens, I suggest you stop reading until you see it....or just leave the Internet completely, because Wikipedia, IMDB, and even the official movie website can also spoil this for you. So, no more fresh comments to me, ok?
Sincerely, your pal, Monster Bash Blog.

Moving along, The movie starts off in 1969 in Pasedena, where a couple brings their young son who has been hearing voices. We find out that the boy had stolen a necklace from some gypsies and despite the medium's efforts, the boy gets...you guessed it! Dragged to Hell. The scene ends with the medium saying in Spanish, "We will meet again" or something along those lines...
That brings us to a series of the opening credits with some eerie violin music and animations, explaining the curse that takes 3 days to develop.

After the credits, we meet a woman named Christine Brown

who is vying for a position as the assistant manager at her bank firm. She is up against this brown nosing turd named Stu Rubin, who is seriously hated by me and everyone else in the theater throughout the entire movie. Anyway, she comes to meet this old creepy woman, Mrs. Ganush, who hasn't made her payments two times now and is at risk of losing her home. Christine, who doesn't want to risk losing the promotion because she has no backbone, turns Ganush down. The old woman begins to beg and grab Christine, and Christine calls security over and "shames" the old woman. Mrs. Ganush is escorted outside after attacking Christine, and Christine is visibly shaken.

Later that night, Christine gets to her car and is attacked again by the old woman.

Mrs. Ganush grabs one of her buttons from her jacket and places a curse on her.

It is after this that Christine begins experiencing weird winds, flies, and attacks by shadows...and the old woman:

Despite her boyfriend, Clay's, pleas, she goes to see a psychic named Rham Jas (who is my favorite character on earth). Rham sees that she is being haunted by a dark spirit and that she is cursed by the darkest curse of all: the Lamia.

**Fun Fact! The Lamia is also made popular in Pans Labyrinth, as this terrifying character:

AHH!!!
Holy shit that thing was scary...remember?:

Anyway, Christine tries everything from killing her adorable kitten (seriously, I was depressed about this for the entire movie) to offer the blood of an innocent animal to the Lamia....to trying to visit Mrs. Ganush to have her remove the curse (but she's too late: the old lady has bit the dust)....to then having a seance to try to bring the spirit out to slaughter it.

She ends up travelling back to that same house in Pasedena that we saw in the beginning, and the same medium tries to bring the spirit of the Lamia out to kill it. This scene is awesome, btw.

After that doesn't work, Rham tells Christine to give the button to a new owner to avoid the Lamia dragging her to Hell on the third day.

Christine struggles with who to give it to, even though I think she should have given it to Stu or Mr. Jacks (her jerk boss), but she decides to take the button and give it back to the corpse of Mrs. Ganush.

So, she treks to the graveyard, digs up Ganush's corpse, and places the envelope with her. After an epic struggle to get out of the mud and away from the corpse of Mrs. Ganush:

Christine goes home and gets ready to meet with Clay and go away for the weekend.

I'm not even going to beat around the bush here and tell you that the ending is incredible and unexpected. I think to a degree, you can kind of guess what happens...you see Clay holding an engagement ring and you think that "aww, she made it!" she gets her job promotion, she buys a brand new coat, and everything seems to be going wonderful. Then you find out that she left the wrong envelope with Mrs. Ganush's body, and Clay had found the button late last night. At this point, she falls into where the train is coming and she gets....yep...dragged to hell! She never had a chance! She didn't make it!? No!! All I kept thinking was how sad I was about that cute kitten.

The movie is filled with alot of "BOO!" jump-out-of-your-seat moments. Literally 80% of the movie is...AHH!! The old woman is so horrific, it makes it even more frightening:

Oh my god someone made a split screen of the actress playing Ganush and look at the difference:

I jumped 3 feet out of my chair! I wasn't alone, the girl sitting behind Jim let out blood curdling screams at every moment. After the movie, as an aside, I went into the bathroom and I heard at least 3 different girls say they didn't want to go into the stall because they were too scared. That's how you know this is a scary movie!

Also, there is a lot of goop and gross shit...I am guessing that takes the place of blood, since this is rated PG-13, which originally turned me off to the movie, but I felt was still done fantastically.

In closing, I think this move truly has it all: suspense, gore (gross-ness), horror, a great storyline, and more jumps than you can ever imagine.

Jim liked it so much he even wrote about his own feelings about it....and Jim rarely ever blogs, so that should be an even better reason to see it.

SO GO SEE IT! You have 3 days before I drag you to ....go see it...haha!

((Special thanks to DragonrageHR for the great pictures))

Dead Snow? Dead...Snow.

2009-06-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

Being an avid fan of all things spoOoOoOoOky, I've learned that there can really be a scary movie made about anything.

And I mean...ANYTHING.

So, why I was surprised when I heard there was a movie coming out on June 12th called Dead Snow is still beyond me.

Dead Snow has been a hot topic of discussion around here for as long as I can remember. It's the hottest topic since Black Sheep (the movie from 2006 about the Zombie Sheep):

Dead Snow, in case you couldn't tell from the movie poster above, is about a group of medical students who go up to a cabin in the mountains for their Easter break, only to discover that this cabin was also occupied by the Nazis when they occupied Norway during World War II. The Nazis had frozen to death, and when the students find some of their gold...they come back from the dead to reclaim it...and kill the students.

In short, this movie is about Nazi Zombies.

Nazi....Zombies.

Would you have ever thought it?

Here's the trailer:

Along the vein of The Evil Dead, this movie is an over-the-top horror-comedy with alot of gore...and zombies...that happen to be Nazis.

IFC has purchased this film and it will be available to get on demand to watch!

Apparently, Nazi Zombies are so popular they even have their own website. Ok fine, it's from a video game, but still...more Nazi Zombies. Even IMDB has a tag for "Nazi Zombies" and there are a whole bunch of related topics.

**Update 06/14/09: I watched this last night with Jim...and my parents. It was their 28th wedding anniversary and they wanted to watch a movie with us...naturally, I chose this. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. The death scenes are incredible. Seriously, this movie is so bad it's awesome. I loved it.

Let The Right One In

2009-06-09T07:00:00.003-04:00

***I PUT SPOILERS IN HERE, IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING***

I never even heard of this film until recently, but apparently it came out a year ago (so if you're mad that I'm spoiling it for you a year after it came out you should be ashamed of yourself). Anyway, this was one of those rental ideas that Jim had actually found.

Let the Right One In is a 2008 Swedish...not Norwegian...film that is actually listed as the 191st film in the top 250 greatest films of all time on IMDB.com. For a foreign horror film, that is phenomenal.

The film, and book, are both titled after a Morrissey song, "Let the Right One Slip In".

That picture of Morrissey is pretty spoOoOoOoOky and ominous.

You know what else is great about the movie? It's considered a "Romantic vampire film"....hmmm...that reminds me of another great "romantic vampire film"....

Oh! What a nice surprise to have you on here!

....sorry...where was I? Ah yes, back to Let the Right One In...

The movie is about a boy named Oskar, who is bullied in school. I mean BULLIED.

Here is Oskar taking a beating (see the slash on his face)
These bullies are little assholes who try to hurt him on a daily basis. Usually, they succeed. Poor Oskar just takes it, but has withheld anger and pretends with his knife in the courtyard that he's killing them or "making them squeal like a pig".

One of these said nights in the courtyard, he encounters a strange girl, named Eli, who seems to appear out of nowhere.

They develop this sweet and magical relationship...

There's only one problem.

Eli...is a vampire.

She also can't come in unless she's invited or else this happens:

Anyway, Eli relies on her "friend" to bring her blood, but when he dies, she must do things for herself.
She finds a woman and begins chowing down. She is stopped by the woman's boyfriend, and flees.
What happens to the woman who is changing into a vampire:

This movie rules.

Anyway, Eli tells Oskar that she will protect him from the bullies. She tells Oskar to get tougher and to fight back, even to kill.

Oskar takes her advice, begins weightlifting classes, and hits one of the bullies in the ear with a pole, causing him to have major ear issues. The bully, his jackass friends, and his older brother seek out revenge on Oskar.

Meanwhile, the town is becoming suspicious of Eli's strange behavior and of the death's happening in town.
After one of the townspeople try to kill Eli, Eli decides she must flee town and leave Oskar behind.

With Oskar alone and defenseless, those loser bullies devise a plan to have Oskar come to swim practice...

So he's happily treading water to music...when all of a sudden, the turd bully's brother comes in...

Seriously, you can't see his face, but trust me, the brother is like 30...why is he bullying a 12 year old kid? Also, his stupid brother deserved it.

Anyway, the brother tells Oskar that he has to stay underwater for 3 minutes or else he'll gauge his eyes out...so he holds him under:

Time ticks by....the lesser minion bullies are getting anxious....Eli is gone...Oskar looks like a goner...but then:

Is that...a leg?

It turns out, Eli came back to save Oskar. Because she loves him.

Here's the entire scene, because it's so fantastic. Between the marching to the beat of the weird music while Oskar innocently treads water, and the underwater falling body parts, I could watch this scene over and over again:

Then they run off together and do morse code on the train. The End?

"Quarantine" / [REC] Equally Terrified Me

2009-06-06T07:00:00.009-04:00

Every now and then, Jim uses his "MyCokeRewards" points, because he drinks an ungodly amount of Coke Zero, and we rent free movies.

Fortunately, we both agreed on two horror movies, and one of them was Quarantine.

We watched the preview on OnDemand and I was pumped!
Here's the trailer...so great:

Quarantine is the 2008 remake to the 2007 Spanish film, REC.

Here's the trailer for REC:

You can watch the entire film for REC here, it's a playlist separated into parts. That's what I did. Trust me, it's great.

Quarantine is almost shot-for-shot identical to REC. Here's the plot:
Basically, a news reporter (all pictures taken from Quarantine stills, btw):

and cameraman (Angela and Scott...or Pablo if you're watching REC) are filming a night segment following around fire fighters in Los Angeles. Everything is filmed as though you are behind the camera lens, kind of like Cloverfield, but less shakey for the most part. Anyway, Angela meets and becomes friendly with two firefighters, Fletch and Jake. They receive a call to an apartment building, where they discover a woman drooling blood, and foaming at the mouth.

(This might not actually be the woman in the beginning, I can't really remember, but this pic is pretty sweet).
Two police officers are already there, along with Fletch and Jake, and many of the apartment tenants. The woman attacks one of the police officers:

and throws Fletch over the stairwell.

Both are bitten by the woman.

At this point, the law enforcement and SWAT teams outside board up the building, quarantining it off from the rest of the world. Snipers are set up to not let anyone escape the building. The electricty goes out, and cell phone services are cut off. We also find out after some time in the movie when Angela, Scott, and some tenants sneak upstairs to an old tv, that the chief of police assures news reporters outside that "everyone has been evacuated". Which isn't true. Obviously. There is then an awesome scene where Scott beats an infected girl to death with the camera lens. Incredible.

Camera smash death scene doesn't happen in REC, which is a shame.

As time goes on, people in the building are getting sick, bitten, and become infected and insane. Fletch, despite a major compound fracture and a major fall on his face earlier, is up and walking...and foaming at the mouth.

They sedate Fletch and bring him to the back where the Police officer who was bitten and another sick girl are being contained. A veterinarian living in the complex tends to the wounds and discovers that the symptoms being suffered are like accelerated Rabies that he's seen in animals.

Everyone is forced to wait in the lobby area in a group, and as they do a headcount, it is learned that there was a man from Boston renting the attic apartment but hasn't been seen for over a month. At this point, Angela interviews a young girl and her mother who explain that she has bronchitis and her dog, Max, was sick too, so her dad brought him to the vet and can't get back into the building.

At this point, the other remaining police officer receives word that the CDC is coming in to take blood samples and assess the wounded. The vet tells them that a blood sample can't determine rabies, but rather a brain sample. This causes a scuffle.

Anyway, the CDC comes in in their space suits

and they begin drilling into Fletch's skull. Fletch comes to and attacks one of the CDC men. The other CDC guy tells Jake and the rest of the people in the building that a sick dog was brought the vet and began attacking and killing the other animals. Angela ties this together with her earlier interview and discovers that the little girl with the dog Max is infected.

The little girl bites her mother, and runs off. This causes a frenzy and everyone is running around and Jake exclaims "We've lost control of the building". Angela begins to suffer an emotional breakdown, and everyone is running for their lives.

People are bitten, one guy tries to escape and is shot by a sniper (so much for everyone being evacuated huh?).

The landlord tells Jake and Angela that there is an escape through a drainpipe in the sewer, but that the keys are on the third floor. They make it up, get the keys, but Jake is killed by the now-infected landlord.

Angela and the cameraman are the only two left. They try to get downstairs, but are surrounded by the infected, so they are forced to go upstairs. They somehow end up in the Boston man's attic apartment and think that he is gone and the room is vacant.

They find news articles about doomsday and discover that the Boston man has been experimenting with the virus that has infected everyone. They end up having the light blown out by an infected boy, and use night vision to see the emaciated and gaunt Boston tenant roaming around in the dark. Angela can't see anything, only Scott through the camera, and it is an extremely intense moment. Angela ends up making noise, causing the insanely creepy Boston man to attack Scott and eat him. Angela, now searching in the dark, finds the camera, is attacked as well...drops the camera...tries to drag herself toward it in the pitch black, and is dragged off into the darkness.
Terrifying.

At first, I didn't recognize anyone, but then...I picked out that Fletch was played by Johnathan Schaech (Jimmy from That Thing You Do) and Jake the hunky fireman was played by Jay Hernandez (Crazy/Beautiful and Hostel) as the two firemen. I also was so impressed by the star of the movie, Jennifer Carpenter, that I looked her up and she is from The Exorcism of Emily Rose, White Chicks, and she is married to Michael C. Hall from Six Feet Under and Dexter.

I felt that the acting in this was very believeable. Angela, although sometimes annoying with her freaking out, was pretty accurate as to how I think anyone would behave in that given situation. The infected were awesome, vomitting blood, biting, screeching. It was really, really scary. I jumped about 6 or 7 different times. The filming through the camera lens was even more scary because you felt like you were right there in it. This movie must have been great at the theaters.

I also woke up in the middle of the night scared I'd see the monster in night vision again.

So what are the major differences between REC and Quarantine?

1. The ending is slightly different between the two...In Quarantine, it's a man from Boston in a cult with the "doomsday virus"...and REC, it's an agent from the Vatican trying to cure a possessed girl and gives up, leaving her to rot in the attic.

2. The final monster in REC is a million times more amazing looking than in Quarantine

3. The scene with Fletch getting up and walking around is not in REC

4. Camera smash death isn't in REC :(

5. The whole rabies theory isn't even introduced in REC

6. Only one CDC guy comes in, and he doesn't drill brains

7. No rabid dogs in REC

8. No TV scene that says "Everyone has been evacuated"

9. No drunk tenant trying to go upstairs

10. The mom of the little girl in REC is more of a bitch

11. No snipers kill anyone in REC

12. Replace veterinarian with intern

13. REC is in Spanish

Other than those, everything right down to the night vision ending is identical.

Seriously, rent this movie, or even watch REC....or both....you will love them!

Howl at the Moon June

2009-06-01T07:00:00.007-04:00

It's June....and today marks 4 months until October!

Time flies when you're thinking spoOooOooooOooOky!!!

Fun Fact, there will be a full moon on June 7th this year, so all of you werewolves out there, get pumped.

What else is going on this month? There's an incredible movie coming out this month featuring zombies that you've never in your wildest dreams imagined would have been featured in a horror film, but I'm not going to elaborate just yet. That's for a whole blog within itself! Just cherish that run-on sentence until I update you further.

Seriously people, if you have any horror filled suggestions, throw them my way...Monster Bash Blog welcomes any ideas for scary blogs! (June's a tough month spoOoOky-wise).

So, here we go again...another month...another 8 blogs...another day closer to Halloween!

MB Blog's Courtney Girls Blog Appreciation Day: 30 Days of Night

2009-05-30T07:00:00.009-04:00

I've been doing a lot of spoOoOoOooOky appreciations lately, haven't I?
And by "a lot"...I mean two. I like doing them though, I mean...what better way to blog about spoOoOoOoOky Halloween magic than to include you, my wonderfully terrifying readers!

In one of my past blogs, Julie from the Courtney Girls blog suggested a great horror movie:

30 Days of Night (2007)

and I was shocked, and slightly embarassed, that I haven't covered this movie yet, because it is great!

So, closing out the un-spoOoOoOky month of May is a horrorfest known as: Monster Bash Blog's SpoOoOoOktacular Review of 30 Days of Night!

The movie is based off of a horror comic book series of the same name. Directed by David Slade (also directing the next Twilight film: Eclipse), the movie takes place in a town called Barrow, Alaska. We join the movie as the town is gearing up for the annual period that the sun sets for 30 days, and the town is besieged by darkness. Josh Hartnett stars as Sheriff Eben Oleson, who is the hunky, good looking sheriff in town.

Of course, there's an underlying drama of him and his wife, Stella, going through a separation, and she is preparing to leave town for the 30 day period and leave Eben in the dust.

That's Stella. She's one badass chick. And a heartbreaker.

Let me also just say here that I love, love, love when I'm watching a horror movie and the screen goes black and it says something like "Last day of sun" or whatever. I love it. It creates such a spoOoOoOOky mood. They had it in 28 Weeks Later as well and I loved that too. I appreciate the little things.

Anyway, we follow Sheriff Love Stallion all over Barrow as he does his rounds...except today, weird things are happening that can't be explained...

A weird stranger has entered the town...but he hasn't flown in...he's walked (you see him in the beginning).

**note my only pet peeve with this movie really is the stranger's voice...it's pretty annoying.
Anyway...
People start brutally dying.

Then the power goes out and the phones go down.

And then...vampires go on a murderous rampage!

There's blood all over the snow covered town. It's mayhem.

Basically, this movie is a vampire movie. But not like, Dracula vampires....

These vampires are friggin' awesome looking:

Their eyes are black and beady...and they are covered in blood and they make these screechy noises when they're "feeding". They also speak another language, and they love classical music.

This one is the "head vampire":

He does most of the talking. The others mainly screech.

The survivors in the town have to wait for snowstorms to provide cover so that they can move from building to building in an attempt to make it to where the generators are to wait out the rest of the 30 days until daylight reappears.

A lot of crazy things happen...and the ending breaks my heart. I mean...come on. Why can't the ending be happy? So sad. He loves her.

You can actually watch the entire movie on YouTube here (it's in different parts, but all you need to do is click). I actually watched the entire thing again and it was just as awesome as I remembered it, and I saw it in theaters...so this is pretty good. Just a suggestion...do the full screen if you're going to watch it on YouTube...I learned that by part 6 and it was so much better.

Oh, and think you're a fan?
Think again!

H2 Will Be 2 Times SpoOoOoOoOkier!

2009-05-28T07:00:00.004-04:00

Monster Bash Blog Terrifying Teaser Time!

In 1978, John Carpenter made one of my favorite movies of all time: Halloween.
In the years to follow, up until around 2002, there were a total of 8 sequels.
In 2007, Rob Zombie created a "remake" of Halloween which explored the inner workings and beginnings of Michael Myers.

The remake was awesome because Rob Zombie's films tend to be very shocking, gory, and violent...yet very entertaining to watch. Halloween was no exception.
There were definitely some scenes that were horribly difficult to watch...like this one below:
This scene is where the bully that tortured Michael Myers at school during the day is walking home from school through the woods...
(Warning! This clip is pretty gruesome):

The clown mask even creeped me out.

Overall, I felt that Zombie payed homage to one of the greatest horror films ever.

So you can imagine my excitement when I found out that Rob Zombie's sequel to the original Halloween was going to be coming out...and it's called....H2:

Not to be confused with Halloween H2O:

According to the official website, H2 will be in theaters on August 28th...that's so soon! It's exactly 3 months from today...that's 3 months to get insanely pumped about it!!!

More to come on this later...

The Horrors of Heatstroke

2009-05-22T07:03:00.001-04:00

I realize that with Mummy-morial Day coming up, the unofficial start of summer is on the horizon. Once May 25th rears its warm, sunny head... pools will open, tank tops will be put in the top drawer, lemonade and ice cream become major food groups, and people spend their days bbq'ing and having deck parties. Halloween seems to be so far away....

But something much more terrifying lurks in the shadows cast by the seemingly inviting sunshine....HEATSTROKE!

So....Hot...Can't....Go...On....Wearing...Jeans....

Here's a spOoOoooooooOoOooky picture of heatstroke effects:

so calm...yet....so horrifying and sweaty...on...half of his face? I wonder if this is one of those "Goofus and Gallant" things from Highlights magazine? This picture reminds me of Greg Tolan (Billy Zabka...also from the Karate Kid) from "Just one of the Guys"

Kind of? No? Fine.

Anyway...where was I? Oh...

Heatstroke, or Hyperthermia, occurs when the body's temperature rises to such a high degree that it can't cool itself off. The heat isn't dissipated enough to maintain a normal temperature, and the body take a major hit from it, sometimes even resulting in death!

So what should I do?!

AHHH!! This guy is so serious, I'm scared.

Scary picture of a guy laying there. There's so much going on here...fluids...fans....compresses....

Mayo Clinic offers some comprehensive tips to identifying heat stroke and treatments.

Also, my friend and every doctor's arch nemesis, WebMD, also gives some great info.

Heatstroke has such a vendetta against us that there was even a b-alien-sci-fi-horror movie made called...Heatstroke! Starring Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper) and D.B. Sweeney from The Cutting Edge and that movie about the Alien abduction (Fire in the Sky), the movie is about a model and a marine fighting against aliens who want to destroy Earth through Global Warming! Scary!

I seriously used to think you could find ANYTHING on the internet...but....I cannot find the trailer for this movie. This makes me think one of three things:

a) This movie doesn't really exist

b) Nobody on Earth has seen it

c) It's so horrible that nobody even bothered to post it

I boldfaced the one that I think is true. What do you think?

So, enjoy your bbq's, unsuspecting victims...and beware...when the sun hits high noon....HEATSTROKE IS COMING FOR YOU!

Unsafe Carnival Rides are Scary

2009-05-19T07:00:00.002-04:00

I remember as a kid I used to get SO PUMPED when I would see those carnival fliers that a carnival was coming to town. I knew all the carnival "hotspots"...the K-Mart parking lot....next to Wendy's...you know what I'm talking about.

And then I'd usually get someone to take me, or as I got older, I'd get dropped off to meet friends and we'd do the "laps" around the carnival, play a few games, maybe I'd win some garbage that would sit on my shelf or in the garbage forever.

And of course...there were the horrifying carnival rides....

Zipper

It appears that this is a main website for the Zipper. The Zipper is one of the most terrifying rides of all because the only thing separating you from a concrete death is a small pin holding together a thin cage of painted metal. Also, the guy running the Zipper is rarely someone that you would want to converse with on a human level. He (I've never seen a she) usually has mid-back length hair, is wearing a flannel that has a few holes in it, sporting unkempt facial hair, a backwards Daffy Duck cap, and may be covered in motor oil. His fingernails are also 4 inches long and he loves listening to Godsmack while rotating the Zipper cages. Or Drowning Pool.

The Zipper also has its very own Facebook. Who'd have thought?

The Domain of Death3 , which has some great reviews on all rides, carnival and otherwise, also has some great info on the Zipper.

Gravitron

Are we in outer space?! Whoa!! The Gravitron is perhaps the most visually appealing ride of them all, with a weird UFO design. While on the ride, you'll notice about 70% of the riders turn themselves completely upside down, and the rest of the people are busy feeling their cheeks separate from the rest of their faces. Also, you have to walk up an awesome ramp into complete darkness where it's you, your friends, complete strangers, and some dude, usually a DJ in the making, in the center running the ride/music selection. The music in here is either techno, metal, or gangster rap. Take your pick, I've seen them all.
This video has the elusive "hip hop" dj:

Kamikaze

The Kamikaze ride looks kind of like two opposing hammers that swing past each other and go upside down and makes me want to barf. Fortunately, you get a shoulder harness. Unfortunately, it doesn't look safe to me.

Ring of Fire

This ride is basically one huge loop. It's a rollercoaster that is in an eternal loop mode. According to its Wiki page, it says it's not good to operate this ride in frequent lightning. Apparently there is a lot of red tape to operating this ride: hydroplaning, not allowing poor unsuspecting riders to hang upside down for more than 6 seconds, etc. It also makes loud screeching noises as it reaches the top to stop. Yikes.

RoundUp

This is basically an outdoor version of the Gravitron (see above), but it moves up and into the air instead of staying stationary. At Six Flags Great Adventure, it's called "Fantasy Fling". Did that close? I don't remember. RoundUp makes me extremely uncomfortable, because if memory serves, all that's holding you in is centrifugal force and a piece of chain from dog leash.

Scrambler

Apparently, this isn't known to the entire world as the Scrambler, which upsets me. It's actually more well known as "the Twist". And upon reading the Wiki page, there are two distinctive types of Twists: Grasscutter and and Sizzler. The difference? Sizzler kills more riders than the Grasscutter. Just kidding...well...not really.

Pharoah's Fury

Also known as "the Pirate Ship" or in some more extreme cases, a space shuttle that actually goes upside-down, the Pharoah's Fury is a pendulum-style ride that basically goes back and forth and continuously raises in height until giving the feeling that you are practically vertical. The daredevils usually sit on the far ends, because you feel like you're even higher than everyone else and like you're falling out the seat. The older crowd takes the middle, usually. I guess what make this terrifying is the fact that they way the seats are, you are looking at everyone on the other side...which I find weird and uncomfortable. Also, you're held in by a lap bar and that's it. I can't tell you how many times I feared the boat becoming "unhinged" and launching me to my doom.

Ferris Wheel

I hate heights. Like....I haaaaate them. I don't even like standing on chairs...too high. So the ferris wheel just is not a winner for me. Also, the way they are constructed at carnivals makes me even more firm in my hatred of them. It's a sloooow rise up to the top and sometimes, you get stuck up there...or your cart detaches and you crash to the ground. Either way, I'm not having it. I don't care how romantic you think it is.

Fun Slide

The Fun Slide is a ride where you literally do all of the work. You have to grab a filthy potato sack that everyone else has been riding/vomitting/spitting/crying/drooling on, walk up, up, up to the top of the slide, and then wait until it's your turn to possibly go flying off the side to your death, because there are no rails...just yellow greased mayhem all the way down to the bottom, where you roll onto some outdoor carpet that's covering pavement. This is my least favorite of all carnival rides.

Chair-O-Planes

In terms of "least protection from death", this ride comes pretty close. Picture being on a swing in a swingset...that starts violently flailing you around and you are basically held there by a long chain. And then the chain breaks. Or the ride collapses. Ok, maybe not always, but the chance is there.

Another ride called the Yo-Yo (a variation of the Chair-O-Plane rides) is apparently very unsafe...This happened last year in May

There's so much uncertainty when you go on carnival rides. First, who or what is that person running your ride? Does he have concern for human life? Also, why is "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" constantly on repeat by every scary ride? Are these rides even safe?

Who can forget Kaitlyn Lassiter, the teenage girl who's feet were severed on the Superman ride at Six Flags in Kentucky?

Not to compare Six Flags with that of the travelling carnival, but there are sure a lot of accidents that occur.
Here's a list of all incidents that occurred at a Six Flags park.

RideAccidents.com is a great site provides all up to date accidents referring to rides.

For the most part, I'm sure these rides run fine and for every accident, there are a billion riders that walk away just fine. I just personally can't trust any ride that is taking my life into its hands that can be assembled/disassembled in a day.

Dr. Giggles

2009-05-15T06:06:00.001-04:00

I have a really funny memory of my friend Heather and I when we were younger. Heather was always such a horror movie buff and her parents had a great collection.

One year for our town's Halloween parade and contest, I think we were in 6th grade, I dressed up like the Molly Doll from American Girl (I know, not my brightest moment in horror history) and she dressed up as Dr. Giggles.

You can just imagine the judges at this event, judging adorable apple-cheeked 6th graders and coming up on a girl wearing a bloody surgeon uniform. I think she won 1st place, I'd like to think based on their fear and her creativity.

In any case, that was one of her favorite movies, and I remember her so vividly carring a huge knife (fake, obv, we were like 11), wearing bloody scrubs, and telling people she was Dr. Giggles...followed by a maniacal preteen giggle.

Dr. Giggles is from 1992, directed by Manny Coto (for all of you Star Trek/24 fans out there). It's about the psycho son of a murdering surgeon who comes back to the town of Moorehigh to "seek revenge" and "giggles" while he kills everyone.

Basically, he and his father were "ripping patients' hearts out in a gory attempt to bring back the doctor's dead wife" -Wikipedia. That father surgeon was stoned to death, but the son (Dr. Giggles) escaped.

Dr. Giggles ends up coming back to Moorehigh, out for revenge.

It really doesn't star anyone famous, except Holly Marie Combs, who is in Charmed and that lifetime movie where she and her boyfriend are in the military and they kill some girl and then they talk to each other in code like instead of saying "I love you" they say "greenish brown female sheep" (get it? olive ewe?) or something like that:

She always looks like she's super pissed or in serious pain. Perfect for Dr. Giggles.

Anyway, Combs stars as the main character, Jennifer, who coincidentally is diagnosed with a heart condition and has to wear a monitor. Of course, there's parties and promiscuous teens involved, and Jennifer goes through drama seeing her bf Max with another girl and running away, all while Dr. Giggles is on a murderous rampage.

Jennifer eventually gets successful heart surgery all while defeating Dr. Giggles. A lot is accomplished by Jennifer in this film, I suppose!

Also, this movie is filled with bizarre medical murder scenes and corny lines delivered by the Doc.

I mean...the tagline is:

Sorry...the Doctor is in...sane

Tell me you didn't cringe a little on that one.

He also addressed the audience directly at the end when he's dying, saying, "Is there a doctor in the house?" Boo.....

All in all, this movie is so ridiculous, you should see it. For nostalgia's sake.

SpoOoOoOoOoky Horror Movie Websites

2009-05-12T07:00:00.005-04:00

So, being the number one (only) Official Monster Bash (not the game, the party) Blog site year 'round...I always (never) get asked this question:

What is the best Horror Movie Website?

Well, I think I have it narrowed down to three...but which is the BEST?

Fearnet.com vs. Upcoming Horror Movies vs. Bloody-Disgusting.com

I have practically grown-up with (in Monster Bash terms) UCM. They are my go-to guys and ghouls for all of my upcoming horror needs. Then one day, I was doing some extensive online spoOoOoOOoky research, and Fearnot.com crossed my path.

FEARnet is basically the website that accompanies the FEARnet horror network. It was launched on Halloween, 2006, and offers free streaming of movies, message boards, trailers, shorts, etc etc. There is also FEARnet on Demand for 24/7 horror fun on TV. If you don't have access to that though, every Wednesday, the section for free movies available to stream is updated and rotated, so you can watch 24/7 horror right from your computer as well. The site has a lot going on, there's videos all over the place, one starts automatically and it too me a few minutes to find it, there's a section for "Frequently Feared" videos, a news section, a lot. Lots of stuff. There's also a whole heap of upcoming trailers to check out that appear exclusive to the site. Very cool.

Upcominghorrormovies.com is the only of the three without an official Wikipedia page. Bummer. On the bright side, I have exclusively been going to them to make my list of movies out during a particular month since the creation of this blog. I like their forum setup where people can review the films and how they give a calendar of movie releases. Of all the websites, I find UHM to be the most clear and easy to navigate. While it lacks the bells and whistles the other two have, I find it to be very efficient for what I'm using it for: details about upcoming horror movies coming out.

Bloody-Disgusting.com is something that I find myself linking to often, yet never really realizing its full potential...until now. According to Wikipedia, it is considered "the world's most popular horror website". It has been running since 2002, and is run by Brad Miska and Tom Owen. Bloody-Disgusting is also affiliated with the Horror Hound convention. BD's page is clearly the most gruesomely designed out of the 3. It's bloody...and kind of disgusting! MB loves it! I would say that their best asset on this site is the extremely comprehensive news articles they post. I learned about 10 new things just from looking at this site that got me super pumped about the horror world. I'm definitely a fan of the black and red theme that the site has going on. Very spoOooOoOOooOOoky!

So...what's the best? Am I missing one? More than one? I find that I use each site for a different purpose and they are teach the pinnacle of my horror search. So as usual, I stay neutral. I love them all equally. What about you?

Drag Me To Hell...and Pontypool

2009-05-05T06:54:00.001-04:00

May doesn't really have alot going on in terms of horror movies in theaters. I guess it's that whole "warm weather" thing deterring people from what really matters: Halloween!

Fortunately, there is May 29th.

May 29th has not one...but TWO horror movies entering theaters! Wow! What a treat!

Here are my thoughts on each of them...

Drag Me To Hell:

I can totally see the relation to the Evil Dead trilogy and
The Ring. Not in the plot of the movie so much, but just in the over-the-top nature of what appears to be the climax and ending of the movie, and with the whole "you only have a certain period of time to live before you're killed" theme.

Justin Long stars in this movie and to be honest, I kind of like his movies. I actually did see "He's Just Not That Into You"...I thought it was about some kind of bodysnatchers, but I was wrong. And I also liked him Jeepers Creepers.

Alison Lohman plays the main female lead, and she is from Big Fish.

There's a ton of other people in this, none of whom I've ever heard of, which is always a plus for me.

The movie is directed by the Raimi brothers, who are most noted for a whole slew of horror films, including The Evil Dead, The Grudge series, 30 Days of Night, and they will be directing the 2010 sequel of The Evil Dead.

I also love the tagline to this movie:
Christine Brown has a good job, a great boyfriend, and a bright future. But in three days, she's going to hell.

Basically, the trailer looks pretty self explanatory: girl wants a job promotion, shows the boss that she's a tough cookie and stands her ground and makes "tough decisions", gets cursed, has to break the curse before she's "dragged" to "hell".

I think this movie is going to be good.

Pontypool:

I liked both advertisements for the movie. Very clever. The tagline:
Shut up or die.
Brilliant!

This movie reminds me of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, mixed with The Fog and The Mist, and 28 Days Later.
For some reason, I can't get over how much I dislike this name for a movie. I keep thinking it's another Hostel movie, but it isn't. It actually sounds pretty good,but I keep getting it confused with a snuff type of movie, because of the name. I know it's the name of the town...but come on...Why can't they call it Zombie Language or something?

Anyway, the movie is based off of a book called Pontypool Changes Everything by Tony Burgess. The plot of this movie is one of my fave types of plots....savage virus on the loose, people becoming "zombies", few survivors...how do they survive? Can they survive? I mean, this is legitimately scary because it's semi-realistic. Not the zombie part, but the virus outbreak.

I think it sounds like a really cool concept...supposedly the entire movie leaves you kind of "out of the loop" as you only discover things as the characters do. You're trapped with them. There is no outside help. Plus, the whole idea of the disease being spread through language is a clever idea.

Pontypool will only be available in limited release, but I think we should go find it! Rumor has it IFC will release it so you can watch it from the comfort of your own home!

Can't wait? Check out the radio station Mazzy in the Morning!

Even though May is pretty shorthanded on Horror in theaters, at least we have May 29th.

April Showers Bring....

2009-05-01T07:00:00.001-04:00

May is officially underway...whoa...rhyming!

Can you believe it? 5 more months until October...and you know what October brings! Magic, Mania, and Monster Bash!
We're more than halfway now! I can't wait! Have you thought of your costume yet? I finally have figured mine out. It came to me while I was blogging the other day, so thank you Monster Bash Blog for inspiring me!

So for the first blog of May, I was trying to play around with the whole idea of "April showers bring May flowers"...but I couldn't think of anything witty or clever. I was trying "April showers bring May scours" but then I wasn't really sure what "scours" meant...something about diarrhea and lamb illness? And I didn't like "May sours"...so it just got to be too messy.

Instead, I'd like to take the idea of pretty May flowers...and make it a little more spoOoOoOoOooky:

I give you....

Deadly flowers!

Wikipedia, my good friend, has an incomplete, yet comprehensive list of poisonous plants, as does LiveScience.com with their "Top 10" List.

Associated Content also had a list of 4 deadly types of flowers.

Now, I'm no Botanist, but I'm going to attempt to discuss a few deadly folliage offenders here...feel free to add to the list!

Water Hemlock:

is a flowering poisonous plant that is sometimes mistaken for the delicious parsnip...except for the fact that it can kill you. The poison in the plant, cicutoxin, causes death by the rapid distruction of the central nervous system. Ingestion of water hemlock is "fatal when swallowed, causing violent and painful convulsions" (Wikipedia.org). Hemlock all around isn't too great, because another type, called "Poison Hemlock" works similarly by taking out the CNS (check out my biology terms!), but with a poison similar to that of nicotine (quit smoking!), called coniine.

Rhododendron

Species of this plant can be toxic to animals like horses and other "grazing" animals. For humans, the honey made from bees feeding off the pollen of these plants can have a hallucinogenic and laxative effect. The culprit of these plants? Grayanotoxin.

Lily-of-the-Valley

Apparently, all parts of this flower are poisonous. So stop right there with your L-O-T-V love. Look but don't ingest.

Foxglove

I swear I've heard the name of the thing found in Foxglove...it's called digoxin. I remember hearing something about people giving digitoxin (from digoxin) to horses? Or maybe it was people? Perhaps in a Lifetime movie or two? Maybe I'm wrong. I probably am, but still...digoxin is some serious stuff, because it not only causes some horrible effects upon ingestion, it also affects the heart. Foxglove is highly poisonous....hence why it's on my list!

Oleander

Isn't this also the name of a deer or a band or something? Oleander is highly poisonous, and in small amounts, is lethal. Especially to young children. Oleandrin and neriine are two toxic components of oleander. Wikipedia gives a great description of just what this plant does.

Wolf's Bane

According to Wikipedia, the first effects of Wolf's bane occurs in the gastrointestinal area-mouth, stomach, throat, etc. After an hour, you begin vomitting and everything begins to shut down. Eventually, the pulse slows and you die from asphyxia. Not pleasant.

Nightshade

Nightshade sounds scary. Is there a band named "Death by Nightshade"? Seriously, what a great name. I just googled and there isn't...so if you decide to name your screamo/death metal/progressive rock/whatever band "DBN", please include me, Monster Bash Blog, in the liner notes...thanks.

Anyway, botanical.com even agrees that nightshade is DEADLY. So take that.

So, I know you're riveted at this amazing list of poisonous plants but I bet that the main question on your mind is: "what's the worst plant?" Well, look no further. I mean, it's open to interpretation, but according to a bunch of places I searched, the Castor Bean is considered the world's most deadly plant.
Ricin, a poison found in the Castor Bean (which grows to the Caster Oil Plant)

can be deadly if consumed...even in small quantities. The Castor Bean was considered by the 2004 Guinness Book of World Records to be the most poisonous plant in the world.
Honestly, Ricin is no joke. Read here about these related ricin incidents. Even though there's a vaccine for ricin poisoning, survivors may suffer long-term organ damage! AHHHH!

Not enough deadly plant info for you? Here are some other ones to check out:

Narcissus
Chrysanthemum
Anthurium
Wisteria
Ficus

Deadly flowers and plants are no strangers to the box office either.

We've got Little Shop of Horrors:

I mean, not really scary...but still...deadly plant...

The Ruins:

Which I discussed way back when.

And then there's another one called "The Day of the Triffids":

Which is about a meteor hitting the planet, everyone goes blind, and are attacked by experimental plants/aliens.

IFC made a great list of movie plant villains.

And of course...MY favorite deadly plant?

So be careful the next time you're out there stopping to smell the flowers...spoOoOooOoOoOky!

**All pictures linked from Photobucket.com**

MB Blog Anonymous Reader Appreciation Day: April Fool's Day

2009-04-29T07:00:00.002-04:00

After my April Ghoul's blog, it was brought to my ghoulish attention that I missed over an apparent April gem: April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day is a 1986 horror film directed by Fred Walton (who also did the original When a Stranger Calls). The cast is a bunch of people from 80's awesome movie royalty (actually, to be fair, when I first started writing this, I hadn't even seen the movie yet, so I put "a bunch of people that I've never heard of" and upon seeing it, had to change it immediately in the middle of watching it because of the all-star team in this movie)....First of all, there's Amy Steel, who plays Ginny in Friday the 13th Part II (You, know, the one that puts on the dead-and-headless Pamela Voorhees' sweater and uses her "child psychology" college education to distract Jason).

Does the pitchfork ring a bell?
Amy Steel ALSO is in Walk Like a Man (just learned that now).

Aside from Steel, there are two...not one...but two characters from Just One Of the Guys-the one that plays Deborah, and the one that plays love interest Rick; Biff from Back to the Future; and Larry from Summer School.

Anyway, I decided to check it out...and while it couldn't be the first blog of the month...we're going to close out April Ghoul's with April Fool's Day (The Movie!)! When have you known MB Blog to be conventional with horror? Don't answer that- And off we go!

Ok so first of all, I have to come clean that seeing this trailer, despite it's awesome Top Gun music in the beginning, is so horrific and terrible that it nearly completely deterred me from seeing it:

But I pressed on. I mean, it's considered a "cult classic" after all, how bad can it be?

Basically, the movie starts off as most 80's horror films do...there is a heap of college students all gathering together for some kind of graduation or spring break party at some rich snob's (Muffy St. John...how much more snobby can you sound?) house. Everyone has to take a ferry over, and one of the friends gets seriously injured and is taken away.

Everyone is very jilted by this, but they press on to Muffy's pad and are greeting with some practical jokes set out by muffy-a whoopie cushion, this awesome chair that folds back and you spill out, et al.

Next, people start going missing and showing up dead. The survivors are trying to figure out "who done it?" and it turns out that Muffy's insane twin, Buffy, has escaped and killed Muffy and that the host is really Buffy, not Muffy. Wow, what a mouthful!

So now it looks like Kit (one of the remaining girls) has lost her boyfriend somewhere in the mix and is running for her life. She runs into the living room, where all of her "dead" friends are sitting on the couch waiting for her. She's in disbelief...and soon, boyfriend ends up in the living room too and sees that everyone is alive and fine. It turns out that Muffy has been practicing for some kind of weekend murder-mystery event to help keep the estate open. Everyone was in on the joke except the two "survivors". This must be the "twist" ending I'd heard so much about.

Anyway, the movie seems to have reached the end and Muffy goes back to this Jack-in-the-Box that scared her as a child and she decides to make it open up...and as she does it...some girl that you hardly see throughout the movie comes up behind her and slits her throat! Whoa! Oh, wait...no she didn't...it was just another April Fool's!

There was a remake to the movie made in 2008:

starring Scout Taylor-Compton (who played Laurie Strode in Rob Zombie's Halloween), but it was released straight to DVD, and apparently, wasn't that good.
Here's the trailer for that, sorry the sound isn't too great...even though the movie looks far worse than the quality of sound:

Overall, this movie was kind of an un-scary-scary movie. Nobody actually died, so you can leave feeling good about it, and the idea behind it was pretty clever. Jim hated it though, so he kept trying to fast-forward it. After he named what other movies all of the cast members were in, he completely lost interest, which made the movie lose some of its luster for me.

Seriously though, I wish I had a friend that could do Hollywood special FX makeup...my Monster Bashes would be even greater! Muffy is one lucky rich snob.