Halloween Bath Bomb Recipes

There are two times you'll find yourself routinely soaking in boiling water: when you're in the process of becoming a delicious stew for your friendly neighborhood cannibals, and when you're just in the mood for a nice bath. Me, personally, I like my baths hot enough to turn me lobster red. As far as being prepared for a meal goes, I'd like to at least thing I didn't get the same kind of crustacean treatment, but you can't always pick and choose. Cannibals probably don't like the taste of bath salts, bombs, or soaps. Even if the smell is incredible. Then, when it comes to having an amazing soak in your bathtub, those things can get so darn expensive! 8-12 dollars just for a bath? Surely you want something more out of it than a half hour soak. That's where these awesome crafty recipes come in, just in time for Halloween season....they may only last for a couple of minutes, but they sure are fun to make.

Be sure to check out the other amazing videos from these creators if you liked their spooky selections. They really are all pretty awesome.

Halloween Cocktails

As the end of the month grows closer, and you're panicking about exactly which recipe to choose for that perfect punch, or how on earth you're going to figure out ways to incorporate as much variety as you can into some spooky delights, have no fear. These awesome youtubers are there to help you out.

And by the way, if you're under 21...you can still make some awesome spooky drinks without liquor. In fact, some of them actually tend to taste better that way, anyway. IF you're still absolutely convinced you need that flavor in some of your drinks, talk to your parents about rum extract for the cocktails involving rum. It will impart the same taste without the side effects. Cheers, and as always...Happy Halloween.

Halloween Playlist 2014

Digging in the digital closet for a few tunes to liven up an otherwise dead party? Well, don't worry. The 2014 playlist is finally ready, with 13 tracks old and new. Spooky and fun enough to get the bones rattling.

Horror Flick of the Week: White Zombie (1932)

A year after the success of Dracula, Bela Lugosi found himself onscreen in another (though much more independent) feature which featured his piercing gaze at it's best. Oh sure. White Zombie is not an excellent example of acting, most of it is your typical 30s low-budget ham. But...there's a certain charm in this film.

One thing I particularly like is that the heroine shares my name, but a more relevant aspect I'd like to mention is her acting in particular once she becomes zombified. The lead actress, Madge Bellamy, was a relatively popular silent film actress. So her over-the-top gesticulating and posing is really a relic of the previous decade, and it's very clear in this movie how drastic the transition between talkie acting and silent acting was becoming. Now I'm not criticizing the style at all, I actually love it...in a silent movie. Somehow when she's this angelic zombie, though, it really works. I suppose it helps that she doesn't say anything else until the very end of the picture. She's rather like the ghost of the 20s, stepping through into the 30s to give a final good-bye to the old style in exchange for the new.

If you are a fan of zombie pictures, this is an essential...because it's one of (if not) the first zombie movies. Not your Fulci-style corpses, but the old-fashioned voodoo kind. People seemingly dead, put into mental slavery through means of a devilish concoction and...if the lobby card up there isn't a slight hint...the gaze (and I guess hands) of their zombie master.

The combination of some silent film style acting, the music, and the constant close-ups when Lugosi uses his powers...reminds me of ballet. It's really quite beautiful.

Lugosi is great in this, in the way only he could have been, dastardly and disturbing. There's no doubt the man had massive screen presence. Some of the pacing is slow, which is to be expected, but I think anyone who really loves the horror genre really needs to devote some time to White Zombie, if not from an entertainment perspective alone, then at least for the historical aspects.

Hallow-Holics Podcast, Ep. 2: Children's Horror Films

Bringing you another episode this week of our little podcast. This week we tackled a few darker children's films, or at least family-friendly.

Here's the archived video of the episode:

Here is the video we mention in the episode:

Horror Flick of the Week: Ghostbusters (1984)

Re-watching this film for our upcoming podcast episode, I was reminded that this is just a fun movie. Sure, it may not be as niche as Sugar Hill, and certainly not as dark as Dagon...but not all horror movies are made alike. Some are horror comedy, some are more kid-friendly. Barring the sexy times between the keymaster and the gatekeeper, you've got yourself a pretty solid (and enjoyable) kid-friendly movie here.

Sure, some of the effects are dated. It's hard to find a movie more than 6 years old that doesn't have dated SFX...but I'm still a bit more intrigued by the stop-motion statues than I would have been if they were cgi monsters.

It spawned two cartoon series, a mega cache of merchandise (I've got a Slimer doll tucked away on my shelf right now) and even got itself a tidy little lawsuit from Huey Lewis, which ultimately got settled out of court.

It's a good weekend picture. It's a good movie to watch with kids. It's a good movie to watch with friends. Ghostbusters (and the sequel) are ultimately just good movies, and worth re-watching every couple of years. I'll save further opinions for our upcoming podcast, but I think it's fairly obvious I won't have much negative to say about it.

Drive-in Trailers: Creepy Crawlers (Part 1)

"Don't you ever laugh as the hearse goes by,

For you may be the next one to die.

They wrap you up in a big white sheet

From your head down to your feet.

They put you in a big black box

And cover you up with dirt and rocks.

All goes well for about a week,

Until your coffin begins to leak.

The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,

The worms play pinochle on your scalp,

They eat your eyes, they eat your nose,

They eat the jelly between your toes.

A big green worm with rolling eyes

Crawls in your stomach and out your sides.

Your stomach turns a slimy green,

And pus pours out like whipping cream.

You'll spread it on a slice of bread,

And this is what you eat when you are dead." 

That song...for me as an impressionable child...freaked me out. It wasn't the actual part about rotting, or leaking coffins, or dying....it was the worms. The bugs. I don't have an innate fear of insects and their ilk, but I can't help but get a little bit of a shiver when I think about being swarmed by/filled with creepy crawlies. So, in honor of their post as really freaking horrible little monsters...the trailers presented today are all about bugs and arachnids. ENJOY....

I really had no idea there were SO MANY of these movies, it's a very expansive genre. So I decided to stop here for now, or risk getting into the triple digits territory. There will be another one some time in the future though, so keep an eye out...and some bug spray handy.

Horror Flick of the Week: Sugar Hill (1974)

For those of you distraught at the seemingly small selection of watchable horror on Netflix instant, rejoice. I have found a movie (I'd been looking for for ages) that will tickle your fashion bone, chill your spine bone, and remind you just how good an exploitation film can be. I speak of course, of Sugar Hill.

Now I'm hoping you managed to get the plot from that quick trailer, and I'm sure you might have caught that it's rather like a combination between Dr. Phibes/Theatre of Blood/Cleopatra Jones. If you didn't, trust me...it is. What's more, I watched the movie expecting more slash and hack deaths for the bad guys than the sheer variety of epic murders delivered to me. There's of course, the voodoo, plenty of zombies (with some of the most interesting make-up I've ever seen), the massage parlor massacre, and more. It's just...god it's good.

Half the time, I was thinking about how awesome the storyline was...and how deliciously campy-cheesy it managed to be, while still maintaining quite excellent film quality for the genre. The other half of the time, I was reminded that the 70s get a horrible wrap for clothes, which really isn't justified. Just look at all the glamorous get-ups she wears in that trailer, the gorgeous hairstyles, and those INCREDIBLE LEISURE SUITS!

Well, what are you waiting for? Watch it. Watch it now! QUICKLY!

Horror Flick of the Week: Dagon (2001)

This week, I'd like to talk about one of my personal favorites, Dagon. This is one of those movies you either really love (like myself) or really hate. It has slow and developed pacing, which is something you don't really see in a lot of horror films anymore, and I think that's the trouble some people had with this film. Well, that and the fact that it's called 'Dagon', but it's really more of an adaptation of Lovecraft's other story, 'Shadow Over Innsmouth'. A very loose adaptation. Face it, there's absolutely no way to film a Lovecraft story and keep it spot on every step of the way, the man's visions are just...well, sometimes they're impossible even to envision (that's not a bad thing, though.)

BUT, that aside, the film maintains the feel of a Lovecraftian tale. It maintains a creepy environment, and definitely manages to drum up a healthy dose of ichthyophobia. It's also a 'one dark and stormy night' kind of story, which I can definitely appreciate. When a film manages to make a majority of the timeline feel like real time, it's much easier to get sucked into the story.

For anyone who's in the mood for something that builds suspense, I'd recommend this. I'd also recommend it for anyone who needs another reminder why we should fear the old ones. After all, as they say...Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Fhtagn!

For a Gory Cause: The Mortuary Collection

Back again gang with a new kickstarter that just has me UNBELIEVABLY excited. 13 days to go and still a little over 10k left. This is a cute throwback to the camp of the 80s, and looks like it could be another excellent anthology. You all know how much I love those anthologies.

I'll just quote the page for you: "An eccentric mortician spins four twisted tales of madness and the macabre in a sleepy New England town where nothing is as it seems."

If this at all interests you, please check this link out. They've even got an awesome video.

Old Time Radio: An Interview with Vincent Price

I've made you guys aware of my fangirl obsession with Vincent Price several times, and the following is one of my favorite interviews of his focusing on radio. He makes some excellent points on why radio drama and horror has been and will always be absolutely incredible.

I don't think it surprising that such an incredible actor with such a stupendous voice dabbled in a lot of radio, and I recommend 'The Saint' if you really want to listen to one of the more entertaining audio shows he's been involved with.

Vintage Comics - Ghost Comics: The Ghost Gallery 1 & 2 (Cover - Pg. 17)

Unsurprisingly in this comic, there was a running theme of ghosts in the stories. Maybe it had something to do with the title. Again I see a sort of awkward transition from radio stories to print, where the dialogue conveys what people or doing when it doesn't really need to. They also have a very pulp fiction feel to them, which is kind of funny if you think about it. Take your average gangster story, replace the detective with a ghost or snowman, and BOOM. You've got a horror comic. Despite that, there's still much less talking than I've seen on other less polished comics, and I can at least appreciate that they keep things interesting enough to turn the page. THAT, my friends, is the most important detail when it comes to a comic or a book.

Addendum: I also forgot to mention how good the artwork is. Definitely a cut above a lot of them. The lines are crisp, and the colors are superb. Top notch.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, guys! Today, I thought I’d just feature a few awesome fan-made music videos from youtube, just to get everybody in the mood for tonight’s festivities. Whether you’re going to a haunted house, taking your kids trick or treating, actively trick or treating, or even just sitting home and watching a movie.

Spooky Board Games: Ask Zandar

Can it be? At long last, another board games entry? Originally marketed in 1992, this game was the kind that you'd gradually lose every piece to...except the crystal ball. That's right, the crystal ball. Sort of like how you may not have every piece for Pretty Pretty Princess, but you'd damn sure keep that black ring.

So if you're wondering why this little piece of nostalgia is classified as spooky, look at it from the perspective of a six-year-old little girl who clung to each and every prediction this pre-programmed talking doll in a plastic bubble made. I was going to get a phone call? 2 weeks later, I got one. HOW DID HE KNOW?!!!

1-4 players, not one of the larger interactive games, this one makes an excellent companion for a slumber party. Afterwards, maybe a bedtime story from the Necronomicon.

"Bad luck and extreme misfortune will infest your pathetic soul for all eternity. Next question."

Picture the 8-ball, but you draw cards to ask it, then make bets on whether Zandar will answer in the positive or negative. Your goal is to collect all of your colored gems, and you only get them by getting Zandar's answer right. You get it wrong, you lose a gem. Don't worry if he starts talking in Latin backwards, though. That just means he's happy.

Since it was made in the 90s, you're not going to see much appreciation in value for a run-down copy of the game. If it popped back on the shelves, it would probably be in the 15-20 dollar range. Still, it's fun, and it can get kids talking. That's kind of the whole point, really, just to stimulate chit-chat. Perfect for the Halloween season.

Spooky Board Games: Zombie Fluxx

You know, sometimes, old maid just doesn't cut the deck. Go fish rarely has enough bite to it. Poker never involves a red-hot fireplace instrument. Fluxx, however, can pretty go in just about any direction you want it to. There's a game for Star Trek enthusiasts, Hippies, Monty Python, Cthulhu (may he waken soon, Iah! Iah! Cthulhu fhtagn.) There's a Fluxx for everyone...even...

Zombies? That's right. Flesh-eating monsters stalking the world in re-animated corpses, primarily feasting on brains and the occasional intestine, the most love-able creatures on earth have got their own Fluxx game.

For those of you innocents who have not gotten the chance to enjoy a good round of Fluxx, this one is absolutely fantastic to start with. The basic rules are 'draw a card, play a card'. From there, you can play a goal, which gives everyone an idea of how they can win the game. The goal can be changed. You can play weapons/keepers, zombies/creepers have to be on the table when you get them, and you can even play rule cards. It can get pretty wild when you've got a 'draw 5, play all' card, or when the son of a bitch sitting next to you decides to change the goal right when you're about to win...but the worst card of all, the one card that can turn a five minute game into a five hour game when you're not careful...is Larry. When anyone changes the goal, he shifts clockwise. And so the pain usually begins.

Screw you, Larry!

This game taught me the meaning of expensive card decks, it also taught me the meaning of friendship, and now I truly understand what jerks my friends are. But hey, it's pretty fun! If you want to learn more about the wonderful world of fluxx, check out http://www.looneylabs.com for their whole line of cards. I've got my eyes on 'Are You a Werewolf' at the moment, but I'll probably never go to a party without this one.