Gravedigger's Local 16

Update Your Bookmarks and Links

2011-03-16T13:48:00.001-04:00

A lot of changes are coming up for us here at Gravediggers Local 16.

First off, as of April 01, we will no longer be using the blogger site (gravediggerslocal.blogspot.com) but moving completely over to our current locale, http://www.gravediggerslocal.com/. For those of you who still view the blogger location, please update your bookmarks and links.

The new site will still be renovated while we bring you new content each week. We should have everything fixed and settled over the next handful of months.

With the new format and features, we want to make it easier for you to read and share what we write here at GdL16. You'll notice on the regular site that each new article has a button for all your social media sharing needs. We would be most appreciated if you took the few seconds to click one or more to tell your friends about what we do here.

If you've followed us on twitter (@GdL16) you've seen that we're starting up a podcast. On April 01, we will release the first episode of 6'+, a free podcast of music and more. Every two weeks, a new episode of 6'+ ('six foot plus') will be made available for you to download.

The goal of 6'+ is to provide an entertaining program of music while showcasing some of the music groups, both new and old, that we think you should know about. One of our next renovations is to put more info up under the 6'+ button you see above (on the regular site.)

We're not entirely sure what 6'+ will include but like all things we do, we'll start digging and see what we come up with.

There are plans to increase the content on this website. Strange Jason has actually been roused from his hibernation. We've gotten back into the swing of doing Tuesday uEtsy. N. Oremac has been seen lurking around the shadows. So rest uneasily knowing that the minds of Gravedigger's Local 16 are busy at work.

Remember, you can follow @GdL16, @WeirdJon and @StrangeJason on Twitter. You can also follow 6'+ over at @6ftpls. N. Oremac hopes you don't follow him so he can get away with murder.

The Worst of Troma?

2011-03-09T13:30:00.003-05:00

While reading through the Wikipedia entry for Croaked: Frog Monster from Hell (aka Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake under a new title), I noticed the following comment:

"In his book All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger, Troma president Lloyd Kaufman lists this film as one of the five worst Troma films ever made (along with The Capture of Bigfoot, also directed by Bill Rebane)." Searching for "worst" in the Amazon preview for the book even backed up this claim. Intrigued, I decided to see if I could find the other four.

It was pretty easy to find Curse of the Cannibal Confederates, also known as The Curse of the Screaming Dead. It's also known as being a gored-up remake of the worst movie ever made, A Night of Horror. Although he doesn't flat-out say that it's one of the "big five," Lloyd Kaufman's numerous comments regarding Big Gus, What's the Fuss? make it very easy to tell that it is.

But after that discovery, the online trail went cold. Troma fans apparently think that Fortress of Amerikkka is the worst, but I could not find anything that indicated Mr. Kaufman felt the same way. Although his comments that The Girl Who Returned is "boring" and that "if you put two monkeys in a room with movie cameras they will make The Girl Who Returned in twelve days" seem to indicate it is one of the worst, his later comment that it's one of the Troma library's "overlooked stars" shoots that theory to hell.

So what is the final film in the list of Troma's "bottom five?" I wish I could say that I knew the answer. Hopefully one of our loyal readers will give me the answer. It will be interesting to see if it was actually made by Troma or if it was an outside production that they bought the rights to (like the first three titles I discovered).

Ghost Provokers

2011-03-03T13:34:00.006-05:00

Ghost hunting shows are ripe for parody, so it was only a matter of time before someone created a comedy series on the subject. Ghost Provokers offers a humorous look at one group's unique method of dealing with the dead. My personal favorite is the three-part Halloween special set aboard the RMS Queen Mary, which also features music by the Midnight Syndicate. But enough talk, here it is, direct from the show's official channel:

Winter's Eve

2011-02-28T23:59:00.079-05:00

Nox Arcana

Official Site
Winter's Eve, Monolith Graphics 2009

Winter can be a time of both wonder and woe. While the falling of snow delights many, others look upon it with dread. The gray skies of daytime, coupled with the bare branches of trees looking like grasping hands rising from a grave and longer hours of darkness, make for a dreary mood. The howling winds don't help, either. But in spite of that, there is beauty in the drifting flakes and virgin snow blanketing everything, with icicles glittering like crystals. Noting both sides of the season, Nox Arcana has released two winter-themed albums, Winter's Knight and the CD I'll be reviewing today, Winter's Eve. All performers save for Michelle Belanger have returned for the sequel, as you'll soon see...

"The Messenger" uses chanting male vocals to start off both the album and this intro track, wherein the voice of the White Queen (played by Christine Filipak) tells of a magical winter season. "Frozen Memories" evokes a nostalgic feeling through tolling bells and light touches that remind me of ice crystals. The medium piano and light chimes of "Magic and Moonlight" make me think of nighttime and wonder, with a pinch of magic. Some aspects of this also remind me of The Nutcracker. String work defines both "The Rose of Winter" and "Enchanted Realm," although that last one is heavier and has more light touches. "The Ides of December" uses a speedy, heavy piano along with female vocals and magic-sounding light touches. It becomes hauntingly beautiful at the times it slows in both speed and tone. The name "Gifts of the Magi" makes me think of both the three wise men and the story by O. Henry, although the Middle Eastern drums and percussion make the inspiration for the song clear. "Season of Wonder" uses a piano, along with light touches and female vocals to create a dreamy feel. The string and ye olde tambourine work of "Solstice Dance" conjures up images of a medieval ball.

Piano vocals and merge together in "The White Queen," giving this track about the cover's snow queen a feeling of beauty and regality. The titular track "Winter's Eve" marks the return of Jeff Endemann, who is backed by a harpsichord and female vocals. His singing tells of enchanted kingdom that appears in Ebonshire forest during the winter. Is it an actual magic kingdom or a metaphor for the beauty of a forest in the winter? Knowing Nox Arcana, it's probably both. "Starlight Serenade" brings the night into mind, nicely alternating male and female vocals over piano work. In the band's take on "Greensleeves," the folk standard becomes a harpsichord-based instrumental number accompanied by strings. How is this a Christmas song? Your answer lies here. Although "The Longest Night" suggests the darkness using heavy piano work, the light female vocals and tolling bells suggest a sense of peace as well. The Gregorian Shadow Choir shines in "Pax Terra," which translates as "Peace on Earth." Although their work in the last album could be made to seem scary, this can't. "Winds of Change" initially utilizes a harpsichord to provide a feeling of antiquity before letting other instruments creep in (perhaps signifying change). The light, slow piano work of "Fading Embers" will assuredly bring to mind a dying fire in the hearth at a party or waiting for St. Nicholas to arrive. As the name suggests, "Crystal Chimes" uses light chimes, along with distant tolling bells and vocals that go well with the winter fantasy theme. The peaceful and festive "Serenity" is a great piece of medieval-sounding music. "Winter Rhapsody" uses a medium piano and heavy touches to evoke the alternating beauty and fury of winter weather. The piano and musicbox-like chimes of "Time Slips Away" remind me of the distant memories of childhood, which the winter weather seems to bring out in all of us at times. Those who patiently wait will get a hidden bonus, which includes more musicbox-like chimes and wintery wind.

As usual, the liner notes for Winter's Eve are jam-packed with lyrics and beautiful illustrations, along with a puzzle to decipher. While Winter's Knight had a darker feel, I think Winter's Eve is more accessible to general audiences due to its focusing on memories and magic and is thus perfect for playing in full at holiday parties. That said, they are both great CDs and I'm looking forward to the third winter-themed album that's currently in the works...

Special thanks to Monolith Graphics for the review copy!

Winter's Knight

2011-02-28T23:39:00.030-05:00

Nox Arcana

Official Site
Winter's Knight, Monolith Graphics 2005

Sometimes Christmas music can be creepy. There's a version of "Carol of the Bells" floating around out there that, thanks to the tone and speed of the children's chorus singing, always unnerves me a bit every time I hear it. Sensing the connection between Christmas and spooky stuff, Nox Arcana released Winter's Knight in 2005. It might seem odd to review a Christmas-related album at this time of year, but let's not forget that the title of the album focuses only on winter and the flakes are still falling...

For this album, Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski are joined by designer/photographer Christine Filipak, Eric Gustafson and the Gregorian Shadow Choir, and two other guest performers (who I'll name later) to provide vocals.

"Vigil" uses the sounds of wind and bells to create a lonely mood that ushers in the intro narration about a ghostly knight by Joseph Vargo. "Ghosts of Christmas Past" is both eerie and Christmasy, thanks to its tolling bells, heavy piano and vocals. Just as the title suggests, the music has the feel of recalling the past. "Ebonshire" named for the fictional forest setting of the album. It's much less spooky than the last song...for introduction, anyway. The vocals and string work give it an old and dreamy feel. The dark opening piano of "Solitude" reflects the mood suggested by the track's title. In contrast, the light opening notes and vocals "Crystal Forest" set a much lighter tone for this. You could easily play this at a Christmas party without any looks of confusion over using "spooky" music.

"First Snow" uses its opening somber string work to bring both falling flakes and drifting to mind. "Evening Star" is more (for lack of a better word) upbeat than most of prior tracks and has touch of reverence in the vocals. "Reflections of Long Ago" nicely use light plinking tune, like a music box, backed with wordless female vocals. "December Winds" begins with "olde timey" strings and gets darker, which is appropriate, given how such winds are harsh and chill you to the bone. "Phantom Toccata" is not the toccata you might expect, but it's still a treat. "Hallowed Ruins" seamlessly flows from last track and has a sense of reverence or specialness in both the music and vocals. The male chanting of "Gregorian Hymn" can be beautiful or chilling, depending on your mood or P.O.V. "Spirit of the Season" uses light piano work that gets heavier as it goes on to create a somber work with beautiful touches.

Coventry Carol is an old Christmas carol; a light, but still solemn song about the children slaughtered by the order of King Herod. Guest vocalist Jeff Endemann's minstrel stylings reminds the listener that this is a song of remembrance, not celebration. Perhaps to make up for the tragedy brought up by the last song, "Lullaby" is much lighter and more cheerful. "Winter's Knight" offers fantastic chanting by both sexes to create a somber, yet wonderous, mood. "Past Time with Good Company" is an English folk standard written by King Henry VIII! The guest vocalist for this song is none other than horror author Michelle Belanger. The string work is great here, as is the use of multiple singers. I especially loved the female solo in this. "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" is another old Christmas standard, this time presented as an instrumental (save for some wordless vocals). "Veni, Veni, Emannuel" is simply amazing. Mere words cannot describe it. Hopefully "Redemption" refers to that of the titular winter's knight. Its use of a harpsichord is extremely soothing and relaxing, to the point where an unwary listener might find themselves dozing off. Nox Arcana's take on "Carol of the Bells" starts slowly, then gets very festive and is not creepy at all (despite the use of chanting instead of lyrics). If you wait long enough after this ends, you'll hear a secret track. You'll know when it starts as soon as you hear the wind and light plinking music (I won't spoil the rest).

As is the case with all releases by the band, the CD's liner notes are beautifully illustrated (this time designed to resembled a medieval illuminated manuscript). The notes also contain a puzzle, which seems to require a knowledge of Latin to solve. Winter's Knight itself is an interesting mix of spooky, somber and "standard" Christmas music. Depending on the people who attend your next holiday party, you might want to mix a few select tracks in with other holiday tunes rather than play the entire album. Then again, it managed to get up to #8 on the Billboard chart for Top Holiday Albums, so maybe it's more accessible to general audiences than I thought. Its success also led to a sequel, 2009's Winter's Eve (which I will review in my next article). Although Ms. Belanger did not return for that, she did team up with the band again for 2006's Blood of Angels That same year, Mr. Endemann provided guitar work on a secret track in Carnival of Lost Souls and later went on to appear in Winter's Eve.

Special thanks to Monolith Graphics for the review copy!

Adolph Caesar (1933-1986)

2011-02-27T23:59:00.001-05:00

Even if he had not appeared in episodes of The New Twilight Zone and Tales from the Darkside, I would still be writing about Adolph Caesar today. For although his name might not be familiar to you, odds are that you've heard his voice before.

Born in Harlem on December 5th, 1933 (some sources claim it was in 1934), Caesar eventually got into theatrical acting "just as something to do." Before that, however, he joined the Navy after graduating from high school and eventually rose to the rank of chief petty officer. He started learning his craft at New York University. Although he had several television appearances and a feature role in the late sixties, Caesar took to the stage by joining the Negro Ensemble Company in 1970, later working with repertory groups like the Inner City Repertory Company, the Minnesota Theater Company and the American Shakespeare Company. It was around this time that he got into voiceover roles, lending his voice to countless commercials and film trailers. Although he did participate in the English dub for the animated French spoof Shame of the Jungle in 1975, he didn't officially return to the screen until 1979's The Hitter, which was followed by several other film roles while still providing voiceovers for a wide variety of ads and previews. One can easily imagine audiences being bowled over the split second they realized "The Voice" was onscreen. 1984 brought him what could arguably be his biggest acting break, playing Sergeant Waters in the film adaptation of the play A Soldier's Story (a role he also played onstage). Just as how his stage portrayal netted him an Obie award and a New York Drama Desk award, his work on the film earned him an Oscar nomination. He also appeared in the Oscar-nominated The Color Purple as Old Mister Johnson, and made several other film and television appearances until 1986. On March 6th of that year, Caesar was in the process of playing the character Leon B. Little in the film Tough Guys when he suffered from a fatal heart attack. As he had only completed a single day of filming, his footage was scrapped and the scenes were refilmed with Eli Wallach in the role. In honor of his past work with the company, the Negro Ensemble Co. started the annual Adolph Caesar Performing Arts Award Benefit. Although his career was cut short far too early in life, he is survived by his wife, three children and legacy.

I'm not just referring to his acting roles, either. Although it's true that he added a measure of class to schlockfests like Fist of Fear, Touch of Death and Shame of the Jungle and that his appearances will be shown in repeats and various home video formats for decades to come, it is his vocal work that defines him. From the 70's throuigh the 80's, he was the voice of a generation, providing voiceovers in ads for everything from groceries to Michael Jackson's Thriller album. Remember the line "...because a mind is a terrible thing to waste" from the United Negro College Fund commercials? Caesar originally provided that line. He was everywhere, on a scale rivaled only by the late Don LaFontaine. Although he narrated movie trailers (along with TV and radio spots) for both major studios and independents, his raspy, resonant voice provided an extra "oomph" to cult titles (especially horror films). He lent his voice to trailers for the original Dawn of the Dead, The Incredible Melting Man, both Blacula movies and countless others. It's no wonder that when National Lampoon was putting together their
Golden Turkey album, they tapped Adolph Caesar to record the hilarious ad for the faux movie "Prison Farm."

While his work in that area was looked upon fondly by genre fans even while he could still be heard in theaters, appreciation for him only grew amongst horror fans as ads featuring his work often appeared numerous times in the many trailer compilation video cassettes of the 80's. In more recent times, trailers featuring him have appeared on DVDs as special features, which tend to later get uploaded online on video-sharing sites and torrents. Narration from vintage trailers was reworked for use in ads for more recent movies like From Dusk Till Dawn and the Grindhouse edition of the Machete trailer. I even heard a song using samples from his narration from the preview for the original Halloween II trailer last October! I think it's safe to say that fans will continue to hear his amazing voice for many years to come. For a more in-depth look at Mr. Caesar's work on cult film trailers, please visit his entry at the Grindhouse Database.

It's Women In Horror Month!

2011-02-26T21:05:00.002-05:00

More specifically, it's Women In Horror Recognition Month. Started last year by Hannah "Neurotica" Forman of Ax Wound magazine (NSFW), Women In Horror Month is (to quote the official Facebook page) "...a time set aside to focus on and celebrate all the women in the horror industry. Not just actresses but also fx artists, writers, directors, producers, illustrators, female fans, etc."

As far as we here at Gravedigger's Local 16 are concerned, it's about time something like this has come along. While Zombie Awareness Month is fun and all, it's not like zombies were obscure or in serious need of recognition. But when it comes to horror, women's importance tends to be overlooked. When the discussion comes up, it's usually limited to just scream queens and final girls. But women have much wider and more important influences on the genre than just those two categories. After all, can you imagine what the horror genre would be like if Mary Shelley had never written Frankenstein?

As we suspect that the majority of the other sites participating in the event will be focusing on the professional side, we thought it best to turn the spotlight onto the female side of horror. The common perception of horror is that of a wholly male-oriented field of interest and a visit to many of the online horror message boards seemingly confirms this. But joining Twitter has revealed a countless amount of female fans, from the casual to the hardcore. They are reviewers, podcasters, musicians, authors, home haunters, artists and more. In addition the having to deal with the standard stereotypes faced by horror fans, they also have to deal with the confusion by others over their interest in a "male" genre and the occasional clumsy advances by the manchildren that can be found in any "geek" culture. It's tough, but they still persevere.

No genre could survive without its fans, and all of the wonderful contributions of women in fandom help keep horror going strong. So, here's to all you women in horror fandom! Things just wouldn't be the same without you.

To learn more about Women In Horror Recognition Month, please visit the official website.

Nosferatu - Blue Öyster Cult

2011-02-22T16:36:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago, a friend made me aware of the fact that Blue Öyster Cult did a song called "Nosferatu" by linking to this video:

Given the massive use of their songs "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Godzilla" in countless broadcasts and CD compilations every October, I'm amazed that "Nosferatu" isn't a Halloween standard.

But those songs aren't the band's only horror connections. Not only did they contribute to the soundtrack for Full Moon's Bad Channels, but they have released songs with names like "The Old Gods Return" and "Monsters." Even some of their albums have spooky names! Given that I'm only a neophyte fan, I'm sure that hardcore fans of the band can name even more spooky song titles by the band...

Tuesday uEtsy Announcement

2011-02-22T09:22:00.000-05:00

Due to scheduling and site maintenance, the next Tuesday uEtsy will be on 3/1.

Tuesday uEtsy: Mister Reusch

2011-02-15T11:59:00.000-05:00

Creepy Zombie Signed Halloween Art Print by Mister Reusch

Spring cleaning means a lot of things here at the Local. It might be a bit presumptuous to think that we’re on our way out of the blistering misery that has been the Winter of ’10-’11 (unofficially called ‘You Cold Bastard!’). But maybe if everyone acts that Spring has sprung, then it’ll actually happen. We think that’s how Freddy Krueger and the Tooth Fairy operate, and you know they’re both real as reason.

So, it’s with optimistic delirium that we start to clean and freshen up the look around the Front Offices here. Doc Killian will soon be around collecting for his Mary Shelly Yardsale, where he stitches together savings from pieces of many people’s clutter. While we rid ourselves of things we’ve outgrown, it frees up the space for something new. Instead of leaving our walls bare and dull, we could not think of a better addition than the works of Mister Reusch.

Grim Reaper on Big Wheel Halloween Signed Print by Mister Reusch

Mister Reusch’s use of vivid colors and bold lines makes his paintings stand out, which helps bring a room to life. With that said, some of his better pieces feature the Grim Reaper, like the work above that has a diminutive(however, still deadly) black rider eschew a skeletal horse in favor for a much more enjoyable ride, the Big Wheel. We spoke with Bernie Freakshow about why this painting is so appealing. Outside of the colors and Mister Reusch’s visible talent, this print displays a strange principle of Creeptomotry. The Grim Reeper is creepy. Children can be TERRIFYING. Big Wheels are awesome. Creepy x Terrifying / Awesome = Appealing. It’s referred to as the Epstead Equation.

Halloween Grim Reaper Riding Low Rider Bike Art Print by Mister Reusch

Here, we see the Epstead Equation again. Grim Reaper x Children / Lowrider Bike = a fantastic print. Bernie Freakshow is working a correspondence Master’s course on Creeptomotry so he was happy to help define the principle here in between using his backhoe to finally dig Strange Jason out of his first floor apartment.

FROSTI Original Holiday Pin Up Painting by Mister Reusch

However, if you are one of the few people left in the Northern Hemisphere who isn’t completely repulsed by snow, then this wonderful pinup will do well for your wall. There are those who are in love in the winter and had the wildest time over the past few months. We can’t say that those here have been too thrilled. We’re used to being six feet deep of earth, not snow. But if snow came with more characters like this one by Mister Reusch, we might not object so much.

Russ Meyer Burlesque Tribute Show 2003 Poster by Mister Reusch

With the recently sad passing of Tura Satana, this poster by Mister Reusch for a 2003 Russ Meyer Tribute show may be a bit bittersweet. But perhaps you can have your own tribute to the incredible woman that has become synonymous with Russ Meyer and overall bad-assery. Seriously, that woman was amazing and if you buy this poster to have a daily tribute to her, we totally are on board.

Frankenstein Monster Playing Guitar Original Painting by Mister Reusch

What really drew us to Mister Reusch was his style. There’s a real personal touch in his work that makes it distinct. Like this picture of Frankenstein’s Monster rocking out on a six-string. If you look at this, you can immediately point out that it looks like nothing else. That’s an incredible feat for any artist to do, to establish his or her own swagger. Bravo, Mister Reusch.

We’re glad to say that we got word from Mister Reusch. He recently relisted over a hundred items at his Etsy store. There are so many new items that what we’ve shown here is just a small fraction of his talents. You’ll find that he does more than just spooky – sincere holiday painting, canine portraits and numerous spooky pieces that are for sale. Prints and original paintings.

You can find his website here, as well as his facbook page being www.facebook.com/misterreusch. Mister Reusch is also auctioning off some painting and monster toy/horror collection to pay for his dog’s vets bills. Go over to his page to see if you can big to help him out. And help yourself to another Tuesday uEtsy next week, here at Gravediggers Local 16.

Valenslime's Day

2011-02-14T18:51:00.026-05:00

If you were visiting here one year ago today, then you probably remember this article about The Green Slime. At the time, it was only available on VHS, but now the Warner Archive is offering the remastered edition on DVD-R!

While we're on Amazon, let's take a quick look at some horror-related holiday goodies. First up is this "Attack of the Valentines Zombies" tee-shirt.

The preview for Andy Rash's Ten Little Zombies: A Love Story is very cute and well worth a read.

Speaking of previews, the one for Every Zombie Eats Somebody Sometime: A Book of Zombie Love Songs by Michael P. Spradlin is worth checking out.

These two cards put a twisted zombie twist on traditional romantic phrases.

Although it has no preview, Anthony Giangregorio's Love is Dead: A Zombie Anthology is worth noting due to the subject matter.

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's News to Me!

2011-02-09T13:34:00.028-05:00

While browsing through Comcast's OnDemand service, I discovered that the "Preferred Collection" menu (found in both the "Free Movies" and "Premium Channels" sections) contains free movies that aren't listed in any of the other movie categories. If you want to see films like Curse of the Demon and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, I highly recommend it!

Thanks to laughingsquid on Twitter, I found out that somebody made a fire-breathing Godzilla snow sculpture.

In other Godzilla news, IDW Publishing has worked out a deal with Toho to publish a comic book called Godzilla: Monster World. The comic, which will be released next month, will also feature appearances by other monsters from the Godzilla franchise! Licensing issues prevented that from happening in the Marvel and Dark Horse Godzilla comic book series, although this will not be the first time an original American comic book will feature other Toho monsters. That honor goes to Trendmasters' one-shot comic book, although it would have happened sooner if Atlas Comics' proposed Godzilla series had ever been realized. Hardcore fans will note that the promotional Godzilla vs. Megalon comic doesn't count since it was a loose film adaptation rather than an all-new adventure.

Your dreams have come true...there is an Alien Pez dispenser.

The Warner Archive has released an official DVD-R of the rare Rankin-Bass/Tsuburaya Productions giant turtle movie, The Bermuda Depths. It's right up there with Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and Legends of the Super Heroes in terms of highly sought after video rarities released by the Archive.

Someone is actually making a sequel to The Killer Shrews. I hope they either call it "Shrew Fast Shrew Furious" or The Killer Shrews: The Squeakquel.

The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society, best known to readers of this site as the makers of The Shadow Over Innsmouth audio drama and the "Scary Solstice" CD series, have announced that their film adaptation of "Whisperer in the Darkness" will premiere at this year's H.P. Lovecraft film festival. Those booking a room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel to attend the festival should use the code "HPL" before checkout in order to get a nifty discount. For more information, please visit its official Facebook group and/or the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society Facebook group. Oddly enough, that last group posted a picture of a fungi-infected spider that nicely illustrates the sort of head structure Lovecraft intended for the Mi-Go of the story the film is based on.

Also on the Lovecraft front, Bang! Productions Ltd. and Colin Edwards have completed an audio movie version of Lovecraft story "The Dunwich Horror." Although the concept of audio movies predates this adaptation, it does seem to be the first drama-style audio movie that is in 5.1 sound and plays in theaters (as opposed to "direct to CD/MP3" release). For more information, please visit the official website.

Finally, I'd like to announce that we have some updates coming to the site this year. Gravedigger's Local 16 is in the process of being redesigned and moved to a new server. We're also in the process of adding images to older articles. Although we originally only intended to add cover scans to old reviews, we've also been toying with the idea of putting pictures in other articles. Please let us know what you think of this, or anything else you would like to see here, by contacting the Front Office. While you're writing, please feel free to discuss your favorite podcasts, as we're in the process of creating an official Gravedigger's Local 16 podcast with music, stories and more! More will be posted about this as it develops...

Tuesday uEtsy: Intl. Robot

2011-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

[Etsy.com's tagline is "Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Coincidentally, there's a lot of spooky on Etsy, and each Tuesday, we highlight one of the sellers. If you're looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your tomb or get a gift for that special something in your afterlife, Etsy.com is a place for spooky econo.]

Intl. Robot (http://www.etsy.com/shop/dylanS)

Robots.

Here at the Local, we are keen to remember that Robots were once as frightening as any vampire, zombie or monster. Time and the march of technology has reduced the fiction and increased the fact with robot science, making the reality of operational machine men more of a dream of today than that of tomorrow. Most cell phones and laptops have functionality that dwarfs the fantastic ideas of Atomic Age.

Fear, though, is the hardest of emotions to forget. Today, we walk the grounds with the primordial wariness of that which hunted our ancestors, of the shadows that loomed just at the edge of the firelight that we conquered through science and knowledge. While we advance, there looms the fear and distrust that one day, the machines we use will ultimately destroy us.

Which isn’t to say that we can’t get some fine clothing out of it. This week’s Tuesday uEtsy brings us the fantastic artwork of International Robot (Designs by Dylan S) who specializes in clothing that captures both the fantastika and the dread that science can bring.

Robot Invasion American Apparel RED Mens Large

Though the above red Robot Invasion shirt convey an incoming threat of mechanical proportions, the Robots VS Zombies design displays a time where Robots work for the benefit of mankind (unless you happen to be a member of Rights and Equality for Animated People, who have been cracking down on stereotype depictions of reanimated persons.) But if you dream of a world where you are kept safe from the Zombie horde by an army of friendly but deadly robots, this shirt is for you.

Robots VS Zombies Army

Not to take sides in the Robot versus Zombie conflict (despite a visible bias in their name,) International Robot (Designs by Dylan S) have a lovely olive green Zombies shirt. Perhaps the color will help you blend in with some of the more chartreuse members of your clan. We recommend it. It might help out Loretta. Last time we saw her, she was a bit green around the gills. Bernie Freakshow says his wife’s just a bit ill. Poinsettia’s a bit worried. She would buy this shirt for her mother but there’s concern that it wouldn’t fit (“She keeps eating,” the youngest Freakshow told us.) Thankfully, it comes in many sizes so when you purchase it, you’ll look suave and fashionable in it.

Zombies Olive Green

Intl. Robot (Designs by Dylan S) also have a ufo and Sasquatch bent for those who want to show some pride for our Bigfoot brothers. In this display of crossing the streams, a wandering wendigo finds he’s going for an unexpected trip. Hopefully, those piloting that extraterrestrial Trans-Am will be nice. Yetis are notably laid back but once you start probing, you take your live into your own hands.

Bigfoot Abducted By UFO

Science. It’s scary. But it’s also fashionable. Check out International Robot (designs by Dylan S) here on Etsy. Check out their brand new webpage too! And they're on Facebook. And we're on this site, which we hope to be in a week from now for the next Tuesday uEtsy.

Hop-py Chinese New Fear!

2011-02-03T13:12:00.017-05:00

In the spirit of last year's in-depth look at the surprisingly monster-related origin of Chinese New Year, I had wanted to discuss the Jiang Shi, more commonly known as the "Chinese Hopping Vampire." But as the lousy winter weather has robbed me of the time to research and write such an article, I'll have to go with my back-up plan and show a movie clip. Thanks to Gerezous, here's a little something from Robo Vampire:

Naturally, you're going to want to know more. In 1985, the Hong Kong comedy Mr. Vampire popularized the use of jiang shi in films and spawned yearly sequels until 1992 while in 1987, RoboCop was a worldwide box office success. In 1988, Filmark International decided to cash in on both with one of its trademark patchwork films. By combining footage from a Thai action movie with newly-shot scenes of a cyborg battling hopping vampires, all connected loosely by a drug smuggling ring, Filmark created weirdest mockbuster of all time. Get this: Although the "Robo Warrior" footage was only loosely inspired by RoboCop, several of the vampire scenes were directly based on scenes from the original Mr. Vampire!

Sun Nien Fai Lok!
Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
Happy Chinese New Year!

The Monster Channel

2011-02-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Corpse S. Chris of Horror Host Graveyard has been running The Monster Channel for almost a year now. I came across it just recently. It went 24/7 this past January. A lot of public domain and licensed movies, television serials and interesting shows of horror and sci-fi are available for you whenever you want.

You'll find movies and hosted shows (featuring many of the active Horror Hosts seen on Chris's Horror Host Graveyard.) every day. Friday has The Friday Night Monstercast, a special double-feature made for The Monster Channel.

Along with the live stream (which you can watch from your computer, your mobile device or your television) there is a real-time chat. Many of horror hosts and spooky people hang out there. You'll catch me there from time to time. Feel free to stop by (http://100ymm.com) and catch some of the programming.

Tuesday uEtsy: Imaginary Trends

2011-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Long Sleeve Pima Cotton Brains Shirt-Adult Large

This year, more so than before, will provide a dreadful February with miserable weather and a general yearning for spring. It’s a bit of a cliché to hate on Valentine’s Day and its odd placement. Instead, let us celebrate a different member of the playing deck – hate not the hearts and celebrate the clubs with Imaginary Trends.

There are a few running themes with Imaginary Trends’ store. The first is the classic favorite: skulls. What we like here at the local is the different look of this one Skull ringer shirt. The angle is different and it’s nice that Imaginary Trends remembered that skulls come in blue every once in a while. Gulko came up here to the Front Offices a couple months ago, a blue skull in hand. Wasn’t really human but would you expect it you? He keeps it on a shelf in his shop, keeping it safe for when someone comes to claim it. Such things are never left forgotten for long. Stand out and be memorable on your own with this shirt.

Adult Large Skull Ringer T-Shirt

Along with skulls, Imaginary Trends makes the lovely pun of “I Club Zombies,” building on the I HEART iconography. Considering your stance on Zombies, you might club a baby seal before a zombie. Or you might do both eagerly. Either way, here’s a shirt that’s beautiful, green and displays a skull. Perhaps you can find a bit of masking tape and write TO GO and WITH on two pieces to demonstrate a fondness of Rave Zombies. Either way, this is a shirt for you.

I Club Zombies Adult Shirt

They even have the slogan in a onesie, so your little offspring can join in on the fun. Why should the clubbing be limited to those who have been potty-trained? When we were looking at this, Loretta Freakshow came by and said that it looked adorable and would just spoil any baby that wore it. So not only would it make your baby look tough, it would protect it, since no one likes to eat a spoiled baby.

I club zombies 3-6 month onesie

For those children a little bit older, there’s this rootin’ tootin’ sherrif cowboy kid’s shirt. Lately, it’s largely forgotten that skeletons are big fans of westerns. Usually, when you see a cow-skull or a bleached bones on a panning desert scene in any cowboy film, that’s some skeleton’s brother or sister and the whole family is proud of the shot. Skeletons don’t have the nerves for horror and find that the narrative of a nice western is much more to their liking.

Organic Cotton Baby Skull Shirt

On top of all that you’ve seen here, Imaginary Trends also does illustrated buttons, so you can accessorize every single shirt or hoodie you buy!

Illustrated button set

Check out Imaginary Trends etsy page and find their Fan Page on Facebook. And find your way back here next week for another Tuesday uEtsy.

Free (Legal) Download: Werewolf Cult Chronicles

2011-01-30T13:34:00.025-05:00

It's been a long time since the Front Office showed how to get a free download of the movie Pig. Too long, in fact. That's why I'm stepping up to the plate with another free movie download. This time around, it's an interconnected series of short films called The Werewolf Cult Chronicles.

Although filmed in Sweden during the early 2000's, the series itself is in English and spans a variety of time periods and countries, from 1916 England to Canada in the year 2019. Although the idea for the series came to creator J. Pingo Lindstrom in 2000, it was not until 2003 that the first installment was released. Said installment, Chimera, pits unsuspecting soldiers against a werewolf during an attempted rescue mission. While its low budget gives the series a rough start, director Mike A. Martinez still manages to deliver some effective and creepy scenes. The opening sequence alone is a must-see and does somewhat balance out the fact that only one of the werewolf's hands (or is that paws?) is seen for the bulk of the creature's rampage. However, later installments of the series do show more of their lupine stars.

According to the official website, where you can also find the downloads, The Werewolf Cult Chronicles is allegedly responsible for the creation of both the first Swedish werewolf movie and the first Swedish Vietnam war movie! And to think, they're kind enough to let you download it for free. As it has a Creative Commons license, it might be worthwhile for budding horror hosts to ask the filmmakers for permission to use the films on their program rather than use the same old (and sometimes legally dicey) public domain films that everyone seems to be using these days. Said host shouldn't let the recentness of the films bother them, as the older hosts they seek to emulate used films that were relatively recent. After all, 1950's horror hostess Vampira showed movies from the 1930's, the equivalent of a modern host showing films from the 1980's. In fact, the legendary Svengoolie played 1999's Ragdoll in 2004!

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

Marik Plays Bloodlines

2011-01-28T13:16:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time, there was a Youtube user called LittleKuriboh who had an idea. He would reedit episodes of the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! into shortened parodies. Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series became a smash hit and spawned countless other abridged series, along with some spin-off channels.

Despite not being a fan of the anime, I absolutely love Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series, even to the point where I've occasionally slipped some injokes about it into entries here. So when I found out LittleKuriboh had recently started a horror-related project, I was thrilled. Said project is a humorous play-through of the video game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines by the now-defunct Troika Games, done entirely in-character as the parody version of Marik Ishtar. The commentary by "Marik" (and his friend Bakura) is extremely funny and includes several references that are bound to please horror fans, with only a few injokes about the abridged series scattered throughout. Although it's mostly new-viewer friendly, it should be noted that some of it is somewhat NSFW.

If you liked the above first installment, you can watch the rest of the series at its official Youtube channel. Some might ask "Why doesn't this guy drop the injokes and just play the game as himself?" Thing is, he made a video showing why that would be a bad idea. So please, give this video a chance. I doubt you'll regret it!

Tuesday uEtsy: Team Welser

2011-01-25T09:09:00.001-05:00

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE vintage style movie poster

Winter has been overwhelming this time around. Unexpected snowfalls and negative temperatures have made the ground stubborn and unreceptive to any shovel-ready arguments. Thankfully, we’ve been very lucky this passing time. Haven’t heard of any major deaths or need for digging. Instead, it’s been a time for hibernation. A lot of people are staying indoors to avoid the winter altogether. A lot of movies watched, we suspect.

With that, we’re gland to display Team Welser for the first Tuesday uEtsy for 2011. Featuring the artwork of Mark Welser, Team Welser’s store has a wide variety of Welser’s original artwork of well known movies. These 50’s & 60’s throwback renditions of eighties and nineties cult and horror movies capture the essence even though the art is of a prior era. Take this print of ‘The Return of the Living Dead.’ Those who have seen the movie recognize the character played by Linnea Quigley, and how Welser’s design captures both the sex and the horror of this movie.

The Return of the Living Dead vintage style 5X7 print

Among classics like ‘Hellraiser’ and ‘Friday the 13th,’ Team Welser also have covered modern horror flicks (soon-to-be-classics) like ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Zombieland,’ seen below. Poinsettia says that ‘Zombieland’ is one of her favorite movies. We couldn’t say. Our line of business has us deal enough with the departed that any kind of idea of ‘the dead rising from their graves’ indicates a poorly done job on the gravedigger’s part. Poinsettia, after finding out that we remain unaware of the seminal performance by one Woody Harrelson and company, has insisted we Netflix it. She brought it up again when she and the Freakshow family came around for the Union holiday parties. Loretta and Bernie are doing well, fyi.

Zombieland vintage style 5X7 print

Team Welser doesn’t just offer up movie posters and prints. Their store also has portraits of well known comic book superheroes and famous monsters. Along with the lovely soon-to-be Mrs. of the monster, you can find prints of the Wolfman, Dracula and the Frankenstein creature himself.

Bride of Frankenstein poster 11x17

A talented comic artist, one of the specialties offered by the Team Welser Etsy store is the Custom Comic Book Cover ‘Save The Dates.’ Since most weddings occur when the ground isn’t covered in two-to-four feet of snow and ice, the Front Office has received a few save-the-dates, making sure our calendar is well populated before we can escape and say that we had no idea that someone was getting married THAT weekend. Make sure that your wedding doesn’t get ditched like what we do to others by employing Team Welser to make custom Kirby-esque covers that make sure YOUR guests will not only remember the date, but actively count down until you say EXCELSIOR I DO! to your loved one.

Custom Comic Book Cover Wedding Save The Dates

Be sure to check out the Team Welser store for all the items showcased here and more. As well, Mark Welser has a Deviant Art account (markwelser.deviantart.com) and you can find him on Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/markwelser. And you can find a new Tuesday uEtsy here next week.

Tales of Cthulhu

2011-01-24T13:23:00.003-05:00

Cthulhu is an interesting case in the world of horror literature. Although easily the most popular of Lovecraft's creations, so much so that the Lovecraftian interconnected literary universe is referred to as the Cthulhu mythos, he actually doesn't make many actual appearances in the bulk of mythos tales. In H.P. Lovecraft's original stories, Cthulhu only appears once in "The Call of Cthulhu," then is only referenced in other stories. The closest thing to another physical appearance is the account of the star-spawn of Cthulhu's battles with the Elder Things in "At the Mountains of Madness."

The reason for Cthulhu's scarcity is most likely due to both Lovecraft's preference to suggest horror rather than show it outright and the phrase "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn." Those who have read the "The Call of Cthulhu" know that it means which translates as "In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming." As a being who can only awaken "when the stars are right" to destroy the world as humanity knows it, it makes little sense to have Cthulhu constantly awakening. Having a human protagonist repeatedly defeat him would destroy all sense of the Great Old One's menace and having Cthulhu fulfill his destroy would drastically reduce the amount of stories that could be written in the same universe. No, it is far better to have Cthulhu wait silently in the background, as the idea of his rising is far more frightening than a story about it could ever be.

That said, Cthulhu is a very impressive monster and the temptation to use him in a story must be enormous for Mythos writers. Many have picked up where Lovecraft left off, with stories ranging from straight horror to pure comedy. One of the more infamous ones is August Derleth's "The Black Island," wherein an atomic bomb is dropped on Cthulhu! Although that tale is sadly unavailable online, I have gathered a nice little collection of other stories that involve Cthulhu in one way or the other:

"From the Parchments of Pnom" by Clark Ashton Smith is more of a description of the contents of a fictional book than it is a story, but it does offer some insights on Cthulhu, including a family tree!

Although sadly incomplete, the preview for Ian Watson's "The Walker in the Cemetery" is enough to whet the reader's interest. Like all the stories in the Cthulu's Reign anthology, "The Walker in the Cemetery" deals with what happens to the world after Cthulhu rises. However, this story is unique in its depiction of Cthulhu. Not only does it feature multiple aspects of Cthulhu in various sizes, but a seven foot tall one traps a bunch of tourists in a never-ending Genoan cemetery and starts to slowly pick them off. Just keep in mind that it comes off more as a 80's European gore movie (with some Rose of Iron thrown in for good measure) rather than a straight Lovecraft story.

Nick Mamatas' full-length novel Move Under Ground also deals with Cthulhu's awakening, this time done in Jack Kerouac's Beat style. In fact, Kerouac is one of the main characters!

Neil Gaiman takes things in a more humorous direction in "I, Cthulhu." In it, Cthulhu tells his life story to a servant with a very familiar last name.

"A Colder War" by Charles Stross takes us to an alternate version of the Cold War, one where the Russians have a secret weapon from a sunken undersea city...

Although Cthulhu only has a minor appearance of sorts in Bruce Turlish's "The Final Pronunciation," the importance of it cannot be denied and it has dire consequences for everyone involved (although not in the way one would expect).

Did you like the artwork used at the beginning of this article? It's by a very talented artist named Cyril van der Haegen and has been used on the box art for the Call of Cthulhu Collectible Card Game published by Fantasy Flight Games. Both Fantasy Flight Games and the artist were kind enough to let me use that painting in this and if you like it, I hope that you'll at least visit their websites (if not buy a copy of the game). Interestingly enough, said card game has "story cards" in it, which could potentially let players create their own tales of Cthulhu...

Thanks to Fantasy Flight Games and Cyril van der Haegen for use of the image!

12 Interesting Things About Gigan

2011-01-19T13:21:00.000-05:00

Hailing from Space Hunter Nebula M, the cyborg monster Gigan is one of the odder-looking members of Godzilla's rogues gallery. With his massive hook-claws, visored eyes and chest-mounted buzzsaw, Gigan has made quite an impression on fandom since his first appearance in 1972. In recognition of this popular daikaiju, here's a collection of interesting trivia ranging from basic facts to obscurities known by only the most hardcore of fans:

1. Although his first onscreen appearance was in Godzilla vs. Gigan, the character was originally supposed in the never-realized
Godzilla vs. the Space Monsters: Earth Defense Directive, which was retooled as The Return of King Ghidorah before the project got canned. However elements from those scripts were used in Godzilla vs. Gigan (which is reflected in the film's Japanese title, Earth Destruction Directive: Godzilla vs. Gigan) and Godzilla vs. Megalon.

2. Despite what some might think, the name "Gigan" was not chosen due to its connection to the word "Gigantic." Although it is true that the term "Gigan" has been applied to giant monsters before, Gigan's name might actually be a play off the Japanese term for "artificial eye."

3. Although Gigan is shown shooting a laser from his forehead in video games and the poster art for Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. Megalon, this power was never used in any of Gigan's film appearances until 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars. The reason for this is explained here.

4. While reading the third volume of The Illustrated Night Parade of A Hundred Demons by Toriyama Sekien, I noticed that the monster Waira has arms similar to Gigan's. Could this have been part of the inspiration for Gigan's design?

5. Gigan's final appearance in the Shōwa era was in the 11th episode of Zone Fighter, where he fought both Godzilla and the titular Zone Fighter.

6. Speaking of Zone Fighter, Gigan gained the ability to generate explosions with his hooks in his appearance on the show.

7. Similarly, Gigan got new powers in Godzilla: Final Wars, such as being able to fire grappling cables and razor sharp discs. Over the course of the film, Gigan's arms are replaced with giant chainsaws. Also, he is given jetpacks to aid in flight and a barbed tail.

8. Gigan was originally played by Kenpachiro Satsuma (aka Kengo Nakayama), who also played Hedorah and went on to play Godzilla in the Heisei Godzilla series. In his most recent appearance, Gigan was portrayed by Kazuhiro Yoshida. I can't say this with any certainty about Mr. Yoshida's experience, but I do know that Mr. Satsuma's costume had heavy claws and feet made from solid resin.

9. Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity has tracks called "Gigan Rocks" and "Gigan Device" featuring statues of a Giganlike creature.

10. In the 1980's, an especially odd unlicensed Gigan toy was produced. This "Gigan" had eyes, two clawed digits on its hands and feet, a buzzsaw that started in the middle of its stomach and an odd color scheme. Someone even wrote in to G-Fan magazine about it, asking if it depicted how Gigan looked before he was converted into a cyborg!

11. Those who are familiar with the Trendmasters Godzilla toyline from the 1990's might recall that the picture of Gigan on the packaging looked much different than the actual toy. That's because it was (allegedly) a picture of a Japanese model Trendmasters had purchased to aid in designing their Gigan toy.

12. In his original appearances, Gigan was depicted as being 65 meters (about 213 feet) tall. For his 2004 revival, Gigan was boosted up to 120 meters (about 394 feet) tall!

Music to Haunt By: House of Nightmares

2011-01-11T13:00:00.015-05:00

Buzz Works

Official Site
House of Nightmares, Monolith Graphics 2010

While browsing through the ol' Google Analytics, the sheer number of people who read the Nox Arcana and Buzz Works installments of "Music to Haunt By" after searching for "House of Nightmares" convinced me that I simply had to review Buzz Works' newest release.

Given how the above links already give the origins of Buzz Works and its Nox Arcana connection, let's jump straight into the review. The titular track "House of Nightmares" opens with moaning, thunder and theremin-style wailing music. Tolling bells, a chanting male chorus and other sound effects add to the spooky feel created by the occasionally John Carpenter-esque music. Similarly, "Night Closes In" has something of a Carpenter feel to it. The pounding music gives one the sensation of time running out or being chased (perhaps that explains the moaning effects), while the contrasting music box-like chimes add to the sense of unease. I can easily see this track being used in a room setup involving a chase or perhaps even a haunted nursery. The moans that close it out also leads the listener into "Book of the Dead," where moaning and male vocals creepily chant over heavy, pounding music. Haunters should find that this will greatly enhance the feel of a room containing a spooky-looking spellbook prop, especially if it's played so low that it can only be heard when people approach the book. In fact, you can make it even scarier if you use a motion sensor that starts playing the music when people get close enough.

"Darkness Rising" features somewhat dreamy music that is soon overtaken by darker music and the sound of a beating heart. "Dead Time" appropriately begins with a clock ticking, then strings and pounding piano notes are combined with with wordless female vocals. The harpischord is used to great effect here, and it further adds to the sense of danger and the otherworldly. As an added bonus, this track's length makes it ideal for looping. "The Ruins" starts off softly and then gradually builds up. The whispering and music definitely makes you feel like you're in an ancient, haunted place. There's a rain or fire effect that can be heard at points as well. I personally would have preferred it to not be used, but it doesn't hurt the track. It's just something to keep in mind if you want to use it for a haunted room or crypt scene. "The Forgotten Crypt" uses a steady deep note with alternating light, chime-like notes and pounding notes layered on top. The numerous scary sound effects are only icing on the cake. Despite the name, it can be used in many haunt scenes and the light touches could let it work in a haunted nursery scene.

The medium, pounding buildup of "Well of Souls" reminds me of a rock song starting, but the rest of the track is eerie rather than rocking. There's also a feel of danger and movement felt amongst the pounding notes, which allow the track to be looped for use in more than just a scene involving a bottomless pit effect. "The Descent" has a light industrial feel to this, although the female vocals lend an unearthly feel to it. I think the prior track conveyed a sense of descent better, but this track would work wonders in a haunted factory or boiler room setting. "The Summoning" has a perfect spooky opening that just screams horror. Breathing and moans, followed by thunder, precede a spoken chant that summons the forces of darkness. The chant, presumably read by Joseph Vargo, can also be found in the CD's enclosed booklet. Pounding music and heavy horns signal the coming of the "Ancient Evil" summoned by the previous track. Moans and the occasional burst of chanting add to the feel of a powerful being rushing into our world.

"The Black Abyss" has great eerie, otherworldly opening music and sounds, plus some monstrous groans and dripping. It's perfect for looping in cave scenes and bottomless pit setups. "Shadow Dwellers" starts with soft, steady pounding notes with lighter material and creepy sounds layered on top. However, it then goes into heavier pounding music (including some guitar and harpischord work)and tolling bells. It is bound to evoke the image of something creeping around while on the prowl. The rock-style opening of "Bridge Between Worlds" does have an otherworldly feel thanks to its sound effects and interesting musical variations, but it might not be to everyone's tastes. I can easily see this working in a vortex tunnel. Slow, pounding music and effects make "On the Prowl" live up to its name, wherein bursts of Halloween theme-style guitars alternate with heavy piano work.

"Devil's Night" has pounding notes and noise that fall somewhere between tribal drums and an "industrial" sound. Naturally, these are paired with moaning chants and spooky sounds. The bells and female vocals play off each other especially well. The distorted chimes and heavy sound effects of "The Nether Realm" transport listener to another world filled with danger. The bubbling-like effects that pop up at times might seem odd, but could benefit some setups, such as a vortex tunnel leading to a room with lava effects. In "Hallow's Eve," effective organ work leads to a soft harpischord and even softer moans. But the moans increase and pounding notes join in soon, as do the bells. The pounding notes of "Unleashed" increase and decrease to create impression of something being freed and chasing someone (or something). Heavy piano notes are used occasionally, while moaning chants add to the bells and other effects. It could used in a variety of settings, but I think playing it can add an extra "oomph" to the final scene of a haunted attraction or put some additional excitement to a darkened hallway.

This CD has cemented my conviction that Buzz Works is not simply Nox Arcana working under another name. The musical presence of Jeff Hartz, both in terms of playing and writing abilities, are undeniable and set both this and Zombie Influx apart from the (also awesome) style of Nox Arcana. That said, Joseph Vargo does retain enough of that style so that Buzz Works albums will still appeal to the Nox Arcana fanbase.

House of Nightmares is a definite "must have" for both haunters and those who like to play scary music and effects while handing out candy on Halloween. Were it not for a few minor details in select tracks, I would say this would be the perfect CD for use in any haunt setup. That said, it is pretty darn close and it's easy to program a CD or .mp3 player to skip over any tracks that don't fit the mood you're trying to create. I should also stress that these albums exist because their artists have set out to tell a story, not to make haunted house soundtrack CDs.

Special thanks to Monolith Graphics for the review copy!

Julebukking

2010-12-31T22:00:00.003-05:00

While discussing the Krampus with some family members, my mother mentioned that, during her pregnancy with me, a Swedish aunt of hers had told her of a deer or goatlike creature called the "Julebukk" which helped pull Santa's sleigh.

From what I've been able to tell, the tradition started with the legend of the Norse god of thunder, Thor! Thor was said to ride across the sky in a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr (roughly translated as "Toothgnasher" and "Toothgrinder"), the sound of which created the sounds of thunder rumbling. According to the "Prose Edda," Thor was known to kill the goats in order to have food, which he would share with others. After the meal finished, Thor would use his powers to revive them as if nothing happened. This led to a now-defunct Swedish winter tradition of having someone dress up as a goat, pretend to get sacrificed and is later "revived." But as Christianity spread throughout Europe, all references to Thor were stripped away and the creature was transformed into a Yule Goat or "Julebukk" (roughly translated as "Christmas buck").

But the Julebukk was no mere goat. Some traditions said it was half human, while in others, it is a nasty beast that frightens children. But over time, this was softened into a friendly, magic goat that brings presents and tells funny poems. Naturally, this was merely a family member or friend dressed in a costume. Although Father Christmas (aka Santa Claus) eventually took over such duties, the goat became his assistant in some cultures. In some places, the Yule goat figure was actually turned into a human Santa Claus figure! That said, the Julebukk's nasty past wasn't completely removed from the character, as the newer depiction also has a mischievous streak. Also, straw Yule Goats became popular Christmas ornaments among Scandinavian cultures. In fact, the downstairs mantle of my childhood home had a straw Julebukk decorating it, but I had never knew of its significance until recently.

The Julebukk also led to the tradition of Julebukking (aka "Christmas fooling"), which involves going door to door for treats in disguise between Christmas and New Year's Day. Originally, carrying a goat's head was part of the tradition, but that was phased out in favor of just wearing goatish costumes. Julebukking traditions vary, but all share the basic idea of going from house to house in disguise to get treats. Does anyone else think that sounds kind of familiar? As for the various traditions, some hold that Julebukkers disguise their voices and body language and don't go to the next house until their identity is uncovered while another tradition requires the singing of Christmas songs. Sometimes a person from the visited home will be required to join the Julebukkers on their trip to the next home! It's not just practiced in Europe, either. According to this, there are still some communities in the US that still continue this ancient tradition. If any of our readers do this, we hope that you'll post your favorite Julebukking memories and pictures here.

Chris Scalf Rules

2010-12-30T23:30:00.002-05:00

If you have yet to see any of Chris Scalf's amazing artwork, then you're seriously missing out. From the pages of G-Fan (who, along with Bob Eggleton, have become the-in my opinion-top artists for the magazine) to the covers of various Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica comic books, Mr. Scalf's work has graced numerous publications and pleased fans worldwide. To be honest, I'm shocked that a cult DVD label has yet to hire him to spice up the cover art for their releases.

Those intrigued by my praise for the man are highly advised to visit his official website, blog and Youtube channel to see examples of his work. You won't be disappointed!

We Wish You a Mythos Christmas

2010-12-25T10:00:00.003-05:00

The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society has given the world a ton of cool Lovecraft-themed goodies, from the modern silent movie version of The Call of Cthulhu to the "Dark Adventure Radio Theatre" audio drama series (as covered in my review of The Shadow Over Innsmouth installment). They've even released not one, not three, but two Christmas albums! Both A Very Scary Solstice and An Even Scarier Solstice are chock-full of creeped up Christmas classics and the only thing scarier than the subject matter is just how good the singing is! But don't take my word for it, just check out this fanmade video for "I Saw Mommy Kissing Yog-Sothoth" from A Very Scary Solstice by aabeeceed.

As if that wasn't enough, the HPLHS also has a page with free sheet music and clips from the albums!

Merry Christmas!

Christma(dnes)s

2010-12-24T19:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Last-minute shopping and schedule-rearranging, coupled with the weather and other surprises are at their maximum this week and the resulting stress is killer. So, as a warped tribute to the madness so prevalent before the big day, here's a collection of weird 'n wild Christmas-related horror goodies that weren't lengthy enough to get their own separate articles:

The above graphic comes from Elizabeth Anderson's children's tale, The_Goblins' Christmas. It's an odd little tale that hasn't gotten much attention since its initial publication in 1908 and I'm fixing that by providing you all with a direct link to the illustrated full text. Just be warned that some of the language used isn't very politically correct and some children might find the eventual fate of the goblins upsetting.

Speaking of stories, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol greatly helped give Christmas its current focus on familial togetherness and generosity, as its celebration had previously been dwindling and focused more on drinking and wild partying (Wikipedia offers a brief-yet-informative look at Christmas before and after its "reformation"). However, it had one other interesting effect on the holiday: It forever linked ghosts and Christmas in England! Not only was Dickens soon forced to pen other ghost stories (both directly Christmas-related and standard spooky stories without a holiday theme), but it became customary to tell ghost stories at Christmastime.

Don't believe me? heck out the description in this audio drama collection of British ghost stories or the introduction of this excellent review of The Stone Tape (includes spoilers). Like A Christmas Carol, The Stone Tape had a lasting impact...on paranormal studies. Come to think of it, I wonder how much Dickens' membership in The Ghost Club had to do with A Christmas Carol (or vice-versa).

Oh look, someone decided to give the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies treatment to A Christmas Carol, how...unnecessary. What's next, a zombie-filled version of Edison's Conquest of Mars?

On the plus side, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies isn't nearly as obnoxious and its humorous carols are a great way to spice up a winter zombie walk. Or, if you prefer reading stories to sheet music, The Undead That Saved Christmas anthology should be more appealing. Both links give you free previews of each book, which I highly recommend checking out.

Despite being known primarily for spooky music, Nox Arcana has also released two Christmas albums (with a touch of darkness). They also offer Christmas cards featuring Joseph Vargo's amazing artwork on their official website!

The Amazon.com preview for Monte Beauchamp's The Devil in Design: The Krampus Postcards offers a wealth of vintage art depicting our old friend the Krampus.

For those wanting a Merry Fishmas, I recommend this festive plush wreath featuring Cthulhu.

Those of you who read my Man or Astro-Man? article might remember their robot-themed side project, Servotron. But what you might not know is that they did a Christmas-themed vinyl EP called There Is No Santa Claus! featuring cover art by Shag!

Finally, here's the Google Books preview for I'm Dreaming of a Fright Xmas by Alan-Bertaneisson Jones. It's a highly informative and surprisingly lengthy (given the subject matter) tome devoted to Christmas-themed horror movies. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With A Dalek

2010-12-19T14:45:00.002-05:00

Although I'm not a fan of Doctor Who, I must admit to having a fondness for Daleks. Their unusual appearance is both visually pleasing and does an excellent job of hiding the fact there's a human performer inside. This was an intentional (and brilliant) choice by Dalek creator Terry Nation and designer Ray Cusick, which gives the Daleks a truly unearthly appearance and sets them apart from the
the series' plethora of goofy-looking alien creatures and robots. Is it any wonder that the Daleks have been repeatedly mistaken for robots, both in the context of the show (they're actually octopus-like mutants in mechanical suits) and in terms of the special effects used to realize them onscreen? Besides, you have to love their frequently badass lines.

It should also be noted that the Daleks' distinctive plunger arm is due to it being a last minute replacement for a mechanical claw the original costume used. One of the actors allegedly voiced concern that people could get injured by the claw and a spare toilet plunger was all that could be found on such short notice.

I wasn't the only one captivated by the Daleks, as "Dalekmania" swept across the UK immediately after their debut in the second serial of the first season of Doctor Who in 1963 (and continued through February 1964). Not only would battles with evil aliens become cemented as a regular staple of the program, but and tons of licensed merchandise (and two feature films) soon followed. Said merchandise including a 1964 holiday novelty song called "I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With A Dalek" by the Go-Go's:

As you've probably gathered from the song, the Go-Go's in question are not the ones who did "We Got the Beat." These Go-Go's were a 60's group consisting of Mike Johnson, Alan Cairns, Abe Harris, Bill Davison, Les McLeian and Sue Smith (who provided the childlike vocals in the above song). Surprisingly, famed British songwriter Les Vandyke penned the song, albeit under the name "Johnny Worth!"

Gravedigger's Local 16 Christmas Flashback

2010-12-07T11:21:00.002-05:00

Although most of our Christmas content is posted in December, there have been occasions where such articles had to be posted before December rolled around. As a result, they have sadly become under-appreciated.

So to remedy the situation, please let this entry act as the Ghost of Christmas Past (of the non-cybernetic variety of course) and take you to some selected
winter and Christmas-related articles from years past:

Winterbeast
Krampusmas
Happy Horrordays!
Christmassacre in July
Nixon and Hogan Smoke Christmas
'tis the season...FOR HALLOWEEN SHOPPING?

Chanukkill

2010-12-04T13:37:00.006-05:00

Long-time readers will remember my struggles with coming up with a good idea for a horror-related article about Chanukkah (and Kwanzaa, for that matter). Although I'm still clueless about what to do for a Kwanzaa article, I wound up stumbling across something that blew away my original idea for an article about golems.

For you see, my reading through the Wikipedia entry for the holiday lead to me seeing a painting of a woman holding a severed head! Although it wasn't the same one used in this article (Judith with the Head of Holofernes by Lucas Cranach the Elder), Cristofano Allori's Judith with the head of Holofernes was a still an attention grabber. As it turns out, there's a minor Chanukkah custom of eating cheese and other dairy products that is linked to the story of Judith and Holofernes.

According to book of Judith ("Yehudit" or "Yehudis" in Hebrew), Bethulia was under attack by the Assyrian general Holofernes and his men, who strengthened their control by blocking of the village's sole supply of water. Things were looking very bleak for the inhabitants, until a widow named Judith approached the village elders with a plan. She would go to Holofernes while pretending to be someone sent by God to aid him until she was able to lull him into a false sense of security and do away with him. Needless to say, the plan worked perfectly and the general was smitten by the beautiful stranger. After spending three days at his camp, Judith feed him wine and cheese until he fell asleep. Seizing the opportunity (and the man's own sword), she quickly cut off his head and secreted it out of the camp. Some accounts claim that she was assisted by her servant, apparently done to differentiate the story from that of Salome, which is similarly decapitation-based. In any case, Holofernes' men were demoralized by his death and the sight of his head inspired the villagers to drive off the invading army.

Now, despite the fact that the book of Judith is deuterocanonical (not a part of the Hebrew bible and is thus "non-canon"), some sources credit Judith's actions with allowing women to be included in the obligation of lighting candles for Chanukkah. In any case, the account is very popular and has inspired numerous works of art in addition to the previously-noted traditions. Come to think of it, this also makes the Local horror-themed nickname for Chanukkah more appropriate than originally thought.

Happy Chanukkah!

More Fiends of the Local

2010-11-30T13:21:00.020-05:00

Once again, I'm paying tribute to the fine folks that pay us tribute:

Rach on Film
Terror Titans
Deadly Serious
Video Cultures
Secret Fun Spot
Holy Miss Moley
The Witch's Hat
Werewolf Kibble
Mike and movies...
The Spooky Vegan
Horro's Gory Reviews
Rough Ride Creations
raculfright_13's blogo trasho
This, That...The Other Thing
Simon McNeil - Life in Toronto
The Last Blog On Dead-End Street
Dr. Goremans Nightmare Emporium
Custom Zombie's Undead Ramblings
The World of Einstein & Pencil Shavings

Thank you!

Forget Turkey Day, it's Turtle Day!

2010-11-25T13:25:00.054-05:00

We here at Gravedigger's Local 16 celebrate Godzilla's birthday every year, but what about Gamera?

Regular readers of this site are no doubt familiar with Japan's favorite giant, flying turtle (that breathes fire to boot). If not, then you need to read this. Now. In either case, what you may not realize is that the first Gamera movie came out all the way back in 1965 on this very da...What? It came out on the 26th? Seeing as how I'd have to wait until 2015 to have this article posted on the correct day and still have it be Thanksgiving at the same time, I'll think I'll just celebrate a day early. I'd probably still be too busy being in a food coma to write this up tomorrow anyway.

In honor of Gamera's birthday, I wanted to post something really unique and special. So let's look at the Gamera movie that never made it. After 1971 Gamera vs. Zigra (the 7th film of the original series), Daiei planned on pitting Gamera against a giant serpent called Garasharp. Although things apparently got to the point where a costume was made, Daiei's bankruptcy effectively ended the project. Sadly, the costume was either unavailable, unusable or forgotten when the Tokuma Shoten publishing company bought Daiei and released Gamera: Super Monster in 1980. It's a shame, too, as doing so would have spiced up what little new Gamera footage was shot for the film (which largely consisted of stock footage from the previous entries in the series).

However, fans did eventually get a chance to see Garasharp. For you see, a short film was created about the film for the release of the Gamera series on laserdisc (and later carried to DVD). Using a combination of interviews and narration over concept art, storyboards and models, the basic plot for the film was revealed. Thanks to kaijusroyaume, we can watch it right this instant:

I don't know much Japanese, but the basic jist of the video is that Gamera would fight and eventually kill Garasharp. Although Garasharp dies, it was able to give birth to either two offspring or a single two-headed creature. Being the friend of all children, no matter what species they are, Gamera spares the offspring's life by flying it to a deserted island to live out its days in peace. The end also offers a tantalizing glimpse at another monster in addition to Garasharp: a bulky orange monster on four thin legs that isn't shown in the synopsis detailed in the video. Apparently, this creature is named "Malcobkarappa" and its name seems to indicate that it's a mutated fungal growth of some kind, presumably something that was originally growing on (or in) Garasharp.

Hopefully, Kadokawa Pictures (the company that bought Tokuma Shoten and now owns Daiei's assets) will see fit to revive Garasharp and Malcobkarappa for a future Gamera film. Until then, we'll have to make due with the information gathered here. I'm just thankful they made that video showing what could have been.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy (Early) Birthday Gamera!

Edison's Conquest of Mars

2010-11-21T13:00:00.002-05:00

No, this is not a book/DVD release of an old silent movie like Edison's Frankenstein. It's actually the unauthorized sequel to H.G. Wells' classic novel, The War of the Worlds!

The year was 1898. Wells' alien invasion classic had been published in complete book form after being serialized the year before in Pearson's Magazine. During that same time, an unauthorized version of the story was serialized in a New York newspaper and 1898 saw another unauthorized serialization published by the Boston Post, that was retitled as Fighters from Mars. In both cases, each of the pirated versions changed the setting of the story to the city the newspaper was published in, something that only increased Wells' dismay over the unauthorized works.

Although such flagrant acts of intellectual property theft might seem mind-boggling, such things were all too common in America during that time. Bootleg books were a big business back then, with the USA being the 19th century equivalent of China today when it comes to unauthorized DVDs. Despite pleas from famed authors like Charles Dickens, a combination of isolationists and those who profited from said bootlegs successfully pushed for the government to refuse signing any international copyright agreements. In fact, it was not until about 1988 that the United States signed onto the Berne Convention, which had been in existence since 1886!

Getting back on topic, the success of these altered versions was popular enough to warrant a sequel. However, accounts vary as to which version led to the creation of Edison's Conquest of Mars. Several sources credit the Fighters from Mars version, which would imply that the Boston Post commissioned it. However, other sources claim that it was published in the New York Evening Journal and thereby imply that it is actually a sequel to the version set in the Big Apple.

In any case, astronomy columnist Garrett P. Serviss was approached to write it, presumably due to his "talent for explaining scientific details in a way that made them clear to the ordinary reader." In writing of his tale of humanity's revenge against the hostile Martians, Serviss made the unusual choice of including both himself and famed inventor Thomas Edison as characters in the story. According to page 204 of Glenn Yeffeth's contributions to The War of the Worlds: Fresh Perspectives on the H.G. Wells Classic (the Google Books preview for which is sadly no longer available online), he actually made a personal visit to Edison to get his approval for his role in the story. He agreed, perhaps influenced by how the last literary project he was involved in ultimately went nowhere. However, it is also claimed that Edison was less than pleased when the newspaper apparently implied that he helped write the story. The next page also wisely notes that the "Earth strikes back" theme of Edison's Conquest of Mars misses the point of Wells' original tale. In it, he presented England with an advanced, uncaring enemy that sought to conquer with such single-mindedness as to immediately attack without any attempt at communication. In other words, a force that gave the imperialistic British empire a taste of its own medicine. It also attacked the idea that "natural order" or the ideas that one race was more advanced than others (and should thus rule over them) promoted by Social Darwinism. Compare that to the quotation noted here, where Serviss basically uses the very sort of logic Wells was criticizing to justify Earth's actions in his story!

According to both Wikipedia and Yeffeth, Edison's Conquest of Mars was the first literary work of science fiction to feature disintegrator rays, alien abduction, spacesuits, interstellar combat and aliens being responsible for the construction of the pyramids. Even with Edison's reputation as the "The Wizard of Menlo Park" (due to his association with the then mind-blowing inventions of the light bulb and phonograph) in mind, the idea of him constructing spaceships and rayguns with the technology of the time does seem pretty ridiculous to modern readers. Even today, we'd laugh if someone tried writing a story where Dean Kamen fought off an alien invasion. Perhaps this is why several reprints of the story removed his name from the title? In any case, those who are familiar with the fact that many of "Edison's" inventions were just modifications of preexisting devices will undoubtedly smirk over the reference to Edison studying Martian technology left over from the original invasion prior to developing his own spacecrafts. Given his rather adversarial relationship with Nikola Tesla, it's easy for those "in the know" to joke about the disintegrator ray being lifted from Tesla.

Come to think of it, the sequence in which Edison nonchalantly disintegrates a crow contradicts his stated philosophy of nonviolence, both in terms of the treatment of animals and the creation of weaponry. Then again, he had no problem electrocuting an elephant (and filming it) to promote the use of direct current, so maybe Serviss wasn't too far off after all.

But what about the story itself? Thanks to Project Gutenberg, you can read the entire story online (complete with the original illustrations)!

Rampage

2010-11-16T20:15:00.000-05:00

As a fan of Japanese monster movies, it should be no surprise that Rampage is one of my all-time favorite video games. For the uninitiated, Rampage is a 1986 video game by Bally Midway that allows players to control one of three giant monsters and wreak havoc across the USA by smashing buildings (but being careful not to be on one as it collapses) and eating people. The monsters in question are George the gorilla, Lizzy the lizard and Ralph the werewolf. But those names meant nothing to me as a little kid when I first encountered the game during a family vacation in Vermont; I knew King Kong and Godzilla when I saw them. I had no idea why there was a giant werewolf and even to this day I'm still not entirely sure. My best guess is that the programmers decided to throw in a non-traditional giant monster so they could claim that had only used enlarged versions of random animals if the owners of Godzilla or King Kong ever threatened a lawsuit. I also recall being baffled over Lizzy only breathing fire after eating certain items that took away health and how the monsters turned into human beings after losing too much health, but I still had tons of fun smashing cities anyway.

Although not the first game of this nature, an honor that belongs to 1981's Crush, Crumble and Chomp!, the influence of Rampage cannot be denied. Is it mere coincidence that The Movie Monster Game (notable for actually licensing Godzilla) came out that same year? The game Ramparts (not to be confused with Rampart by Atari) came out a few months after Rampage debuted and has been accused of being a thinly disguised knock-off. If not for the success of Rampage, it's quite possible that the 90's King of the Monsters series and 2003's War of the Monsters might not have come into existence.

Said success eventually resulted in the release of 1997's Rampage World Tour, which added a storyline, bonus superpowers and the occasional computer-controlled monsters that had to be defeated. The series continued (and added new player-controlled monsters) with Rampage 2: Universal Tour, Rampage Through Time, Rampage Puzzle Attack and Rampage: Total Destruction.

Although the original game is often available as an unlockable bonus in many of the above games, there's also a way to play it if you don't have them. Just make sure you have Shockwave enabled and click here for some city-smashing fun!

Costume Crazyness 2010

2010-11-07T19:00:00.001-05:00

Back when Weird Jon wrote "Son of Shameless Cross Promotion," he had no idea that the "Costume Crazyness" series would be dropped from URBMN the very next year due to changes in the site's format and would be moved to Gravedigger's Local 16. Neither did I, for that matter, but the site had changed so much since then and both the owner and I agreed that it would make more sense over here, Sadly, this happened after I had written my update for the Halloween countdown and what little free time I had was soon devoured by other things. So rather than disappoint fans of the series by not doing a 2010 installment I decided to post it in November, just like a Halloween episode for any given animated comedy series on Fox. But enough about that, let's get to the knock-offs and other assorted costume oddities!

Holy crap, they made a Pai Mei knock-off? That's...pretty cool, actually. It's a shame they referred to a Chinese character as a Japanese "sensei" rather than the proper "sifu." They also lose style points for not calling it a Bak Mei costume.

Scream knock-offs? That is so 1996. I am somewhat impressed by the fact that the last one is also a knock-off of Ex Mortis' Stalkarounds. You rarely see something rip off two different costumes at the same time.

This is just a "Ragga Muffin Sailor" costume and not Raggedy Andy. Right...

I'll give the manufacturer of this "Killer Mechanic" costume credit, they didn't go out of their way to make the picture look like Michael Myers in any way. But the style of those coveralls (and the fact that nobody ever dresses up as a killer mechanic) give the game away. The same can't be said for this "Overalls" costume, though.

Speaking of coveralls, this is the weirdest Jason costume I've ever seen. The bell bottom pants, the disproportionate arms and head, the mullet... this is like a live action representation of what would happen if David Gonterman tried drawing Jason Voorhees.

This "Pop Angel" wig irks me. If you already make a wig that looks like Lady Gaga's hairstyle, why not release it as is and let her fans make the obvious connection. Do they really think people would be too dumb to not notice the similarity without the stupid name?

While we're on the subject of wigs, let's move along to this "Sexy Blues Singer" wig that's clearly supposed to be Amy Winehouse. Can she really be called a blues singer? Or "sexy," for that matter? I thought the term "sexy" had a restraining order against Winehouse. At least this "Rehab" wig is more accurate.

Hoo hoo, I invented knock-off masks Robin. Tell 'em Fred!

That half a shark is eating Con Bro Chill! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Why would anyone want, let alone need, "Billy Bob Werewolf Teeth?"

The name of this costume is astoundingly accurate.

Um, what?

What a lazy Papa Smurf costume picture. They really couldn't spring fore some blue face paint and gloves? I mean, even that kids' Michael Myers knock-off I discussed earlier managed to do that.

This isn't a costume, it's a t-shirt and novelty skirt. Oh, and anyone who has "Secret Wishes" about Spongebob Squarepants needs serious help.

I think I just discovered where Early Cuyler buys his hats. Hell yeah!

What's wrong with this Snooki costume (Besides the fact that Jersey Shore costumes exist)? For starters, it's thin. It desperately needs a fat suit (or a gift certificate to an all-you-can buffet) and a can of orange house paint if it wants to be an accurate Snooki costume.

What's the biggest problem with this "sexy" Avatar costume? Well, aside from the Na'vi not being sexy, the design for this costume is exactly the same for the kid's Avatar costume.

Is it too soon to joke about this?

Best. King. Kong. Knock-off. Ever!

It boggles my mind that American Greetings would be okay someone making sexy Strawberry Shortcake costumes. There's a Beepo the Clown joke to be made about this, but I don't have the heart to do it. Oh, and that last link? EXTREMELY NSFW.

What's a Halloween without costumes based on hurtful ethnic stereotypes? Highly desired but sadly always out of reach. What's next, a "Moneylender" costume?

I know toy companies often put out "battle damaged" versions of characters as an easy way to pad out a toy line, but since when did costume companies get in on the act?

The product description for the "You In Bed With A Hot Blonde" costume says "This might be the only way you can score on Halloween night." They're being too generous, as wearing this will guarantee that you won't get laid that night (if ever). Come to think of it, this will also guarantee very difficult trips to the bathroom.

This Article is Dedicated in Loving Memory of Con Bro Chill

Guest Writer: Mr. B. Bertram

2010-11-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

[Recently, we got in touch with one Mr. Bertram Bertram, soliciting his expert opinion and analysis for our readers. As one of the foremost Haunt Experts around (you may find his expertise readily available here), we were incredibly pleased to hear back from him and are honored to present his writing here today.]

Observations on a Peculiar Entertainment
by Mr. Bertram Bertram

When I was first contacted by the Gravediggers Local to contribute to the publication, I demurred. My time was simply too restricted to allow for proper reflection and coherent narration upon the subjects to which I am most engaged. Yet now that October has again given way to November (which seems to happen with increasing regularity), I found myself idly wandering the stacks of the manor library in vague disquietude.

My manservant, Walter, concerned with my saturnine mood, suggested that I revisit the Gravediggers’ invitation to share with you my vast experience in the field of haunted attractions. Walter’s reminder was timely. After fortifying myself with his excellent cucumber sandwiches and black coffee, I was ready to embark upon this project that I know will be as educational for you as it is enjoyable for me.

The Basic Idea
“Haunting” and being a “Haunter”, in my field, refers to working in the haunted attraction industry. In the broadest possible terms, a haunted attraction (or “haunt” for brevity’s sake) is any dedicated venue that seeks to entertain patrons using elements of horror, the macabre, and/or the supernatural. This definition does not include horror movies or horror based theater plays because the theaters in which they are experienced feature many different genres over time.

However, films, film technology, and many elements of theater are incorporated into modern haunted attractions. Further, dark rides, such as Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, are considered haunted attractions because of the overall theme, not because of any particular use of technology or level of intensity. There are, of course, grey areas to these definitions that I will explore later. But for now, this should provide a basic concept of a haunted attraction for our discussion.

What Do We Do?
Much of my work has been, first, as a performer then as an advisor to performers in haunts. We are often referred to as haunt actors, but I find that label a tad misleading. We certainly do act in our work as haunters, but it’s a peculiar form of acting that incorporates facets of several types of entertainment finally brought together into a unique type of performance.

We haunters create a form of entertainment that is similar to theater, movies, stand-up comedy, and performance art. Like theater, we create artificial characters that communicate their basic natures through costume, makeup, spoken words, embodied actions and constructed environments. We utilize technology and special effects that have been developed for theater and for Hollywood films. We interact with patrons on an individual basis each night like a stand-up comedian who finds source material in the audience, but who also must defend against hecklers. Lastly, we create immersive fantasy worlds in which to perform, complete with sound tracks, odors, props, lighting and pathways for guests. These environments are more akin to site-specific artworks than to 3-walled sets found on theater stages.

We may or may not be required to support an overall narrative. We may or may not say the same lines each night we perform (assuming that our character has lines). We may not even be performing as the same character each night. Lastly, we risk bodily harm each night from the environments in which we perform, but mainly from the guests who may be so caught up in our performance or in their own inebriation that they find it acceptable to physically attack us in ways that only the worst stand-up comedian has ever suffered.

In Closing
So you see that being a haunter is, at the most basic, a unique type of performing in a strange medium of entertainment. This is an adequate introduction to my series of short articles. I hope that I have whetted your intellectual appetite for further discussion of my peculiar field of study. I will return soon with more commentary on working in the haunt industry.

For now I remain truly,

Bertram Bertram

For He's A Jolly Good Kaiju...

2010-11-03T15:28:00.020-04:00

...which nobody can deny!

That's right, it was on this very day that the first Godzilla was released in Japan. So what better way to celebrate the first Godzilla movie than by watching Godzilla movies? Thankfully, Crackle has a bunch of streaming Godzilla films available online and they're all legit.

If you want more streaming tokusatsu fun (albeit not Godzilla or Toho-related), head on over to Hulu to watch episodes of Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot and Ultraman Towards The Future (known as Ultraman Great in Japan). But parents should keep in mind that level of violence might be an issue in Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot and that a character swears in the 5th episode of Ultraman Towards The Future.

Finally, here's a cool Godzilla blog that you should check out.

Happy Birthday Godzilla!

Day of the Dead

2010-11-02T13:20:00.036-04:00

It's el Dia de los Muertos! Seeing as how I explained the holiday last year, let's skip straight to the fun stuff!

Have you ever read about the delicious-sounding Mexican pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and wanted to have a taste? Well, you're in luck, because I found a two page recipe for it in John Lithgow's (yes, that John Lithgow) Boredom Blasters: Halloween Edition. Although it's not quite the traditional Mexican sugar skull, Skull-A-Day does have a recipe for sugar skull cookies.

But there's more to the Day of the Dead than just food, there's also the beautiful folk art, also known as "La Calavera Catrina" (The Elegant Skull). Both Senora Muertos and Ethan Cranke have some incredible stuff inspired by the holiday that I highly recommend checking out.

Speaking of checking stuff out, here's a picture of a Santa Muerte figure in front of a fortune teller's parlor in Mexico's Chinatown. Ain't multiculturalism grand?

Feliz el Dia de los Muertos!
Happy Day of the Dead!

Halloween, Thor Style

2010-10-31T13:30:00.001-04:00

Over the last two countdowns, I've been closing things out with a music-themed Youtube video that ties into Halloween in some way. I didn't originally intend to do it each year and I have no clue how long I'll keep it up. All I do know is that this video was the perfect closer to the 2010 countdown:

To provide a little background on the video, the uploader has a Halloween tradition where he dresses up as a musician who has influenced him and plays a ukulele cover of one of their songs. In 2006, he chose to dress as Jon Mikl Thor.

But his dressing up for Halloween isn't the only reason I chose this video. After all, Thor has been discussed here before due to his work in films like
Zombie Nightmare and Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare and his live shows often feature him changing into a variety of cool Halloween masks over the course of the show. Also, many of Thor's music videos (as seen in the 2005 An-THOR-logy DVD) involve him battling alien invaders and other evil forces. Although he's not what you'd call a "horror rocker," he has done his fair share of songs about vampires, ghosts, beast women and the like.

I suggest reading his official biography page or Wikipedia entry for the full details on his career, but here's a brief summary: Jon Mikl Thor was originally a bodybuilder, eventually becoming the only Canadian ever to claim both the titles of "Mr. Canada" and "Mr. USA" in the 70's. But the music bug bit Thor, and he formed a band. Although initially using names like "Mikl Body Rock" and "Thor and the Imps," the name eventually became simply "Thor." In between bouts of guitar playing, the singing strongman would perform feats of strength, like inflating hot water bottles (much harder than it sounds) and bending metal bars held between his teeth! Although the band drifted apart in the late 80's as Thor branched out into more behind the scenes work and a few movie roles, Thor returned with a vengeance in the late 90's and has been rocking to this day.

I've often said that Thor straddles the line between awesome and cheesy, and I love his music for it. Sure, the lyrics in songs like "Thunderhawk" can get pretty goofy at times, but the backing music is pretty damn good and others songs like "Intercessor," "We Live to Rock," "Thunder on the Tundra" and "Keep the Dogs Away" will rock your face off. You might smirk sometimes, but you will rock out. Stuff like Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and the Flames" and Hotshot's "Always in My Heart," make me laugh hysterically and aren't terribly played, but I would never think for a second of buying one of their CDs. But that's not the case with Thor.

I fully believe that this mix of serious and silly is fully intentional, too. I mean, do you really think he'd allow a cover like this on one of his albums if he was dead serious about his work? The plug for his VM Sports clothing line is a great touch.

In addition to the above linked most recent release, his 1985 album Only the Strong has been re-released. If you look at his output (especially the stuff mentioned here at the local), you'll see he one hell of an imagination. Hopefully, this will all mean more Thor in future.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T12:00:00.000-04:00

From all of us here at Gravediggers Local 16, we wish you a safe and happy Halloween.

A bit early, but why not?

2010-10-31T11:03:00.000-04:00

Thought the American Thanksgiving is next month, I would like to take today to thank each and every one of the readers we've had in the past year. GdL16 keeps growing and we're still not sure how this little experiment is going to turn out. Everyone's continual support here, on the twitter feed and over at Facebook is truly appreciated.

Thanks go out to every single shop on Etsy that allowed GdL16 to run a Tuesday uEtsy. They'll return in November but thank you for helping us grow the site by having some spooky content every Tuesday. It also allows the Front Office to tell more about the GdL16 world.

Many, many thanks go to each and ever artist that has let us review their spooky, tiki and plain awesome bit of work here on the site. It's been incredible how warm a reception we've received to offer our humble opinions and insights on another person's art.

And personally, I want to thank Weird Jon, The Abominable N. Oremac, Atomic Mystery Monster and the Front Office. I am lucky to write for this site but I'm even luckier to have these guys writing, offering fun and hilarious reads.

Happy Halloween, everyone. Go out and get some candy!

Big Scream TV: The Boo Tube

2010-10-30T13:28:00.001-04:00

As noted in my last review of a video decor DVD, although the concept (and commercially available) existed in the age of VHS, it wasn't until DVD technology entered the picture that Halloween video decor really took off. One of the biggest and most influential titles to take advantage of the technology was the Big Scream TV series by Lightform Productions.

The concept behind the series is simple: a looping series of spooky talking heads that seem to float in nothingness that can easily be done at home. The DVD-R starts with a quick credits screen that notes the following performers: Bill Lae, Mike Ziemkowski, Tim Peyton and Teresa Shea. We then go to a graveyard-themed menu with looped scary music and wind effects. Three tombstones give us the following choices: "Here Lies the Untame," "Here Lies the Tame," and "Here Lies Scary Tips and Illusions."

Choosing the "untame" option starts a fourteen minute and thirty-three second long video of numerous spooky faces. The faces, realized using a combination of makeup and computer generated effects, pop up onscreen for a few seconds to either growl, laugh menacingly or make some comments before vanishing. The transitions are very well done are aren't just simple fade ins/outs. For example, the mouth monster shown on the cover is spat out and gobbled up by a giant disembodied mouth and demons appear and disappear in explosions of flame. The CGI effects also add extra touches to the fiendish faces. Frankenstein's monster shoots sparks from his electrodes, a three-eyed monster wiggles its ears and shoots steam from his nose and lots of other neat little touches that I won't spoil. Although there is some pretty creepy stuff here, it should be noted that several monsters ham it up for their performances and tell corny jokes. Also, despite the "Untame" name that implies use for teenagers and adults, several monsters makes references to children and candy, for reasons that will become clear in a bit. In a nice touch, the track loops automatically and each face has its own chapter stop (for a total of thirty).

Selecting the "Tame" plays most of the same material from the "Untame" loop. In fact, the only difference is that the demons, rotting corpse, mouth monster and exposed brain guy scenes have been removed, making the running time only seven minutes and 38 seconds before it automatically loops. It also cuts the chapter stops down to fourteen! Don't be fooled, though. There's still some material that will scare kids. Although I'm sure some of the jokes (especially the mummy that injures itself) will help them cope.

Selecting the "Tips" option will play a four minute video about the basic set-up, how to use the DVD in displays and decorating suggestions. There are a lot of great tips here, like how to adjust brightness and contrast to reduce light from TV (in order to hide the fact that a screen is being used). There's also an explanation of using the DVD to create an amazing Pepper's Ghost effect, which is clearly explained in simple terms and is actually very easy to set up using Plexiglass and household items. In a nice turn of events, the thinnest and cheapest type of Plexiglass is actually the type that works best for the effect! But even if you aren't able to do that effect, you can still play it on a TV with decorations around it (I recommend putting a frame around the screen) or put it in a darkened window. If you have to go that route, might I suggest putting in a dark room that people can't enter, thanks to the open doorway being blocked off? You can use stacked boxes, fake nailed-up boards or warning tape to both keep people from getting closer and to add to the effect.

Despite being a DVD-R, Big Scream TV: The Boo Tube has an excellent transfer. Sadly, there is no submenu for the individual chapter stops or loops for individual characters. Although somewhat understandable since this 2004 DVD was the first release in line, it would have been a welcome feature. It is possible, however, to program your DVD player to do that (or to make your own custom mix of characters). That might be the best course of action for those using it in a haunted house. The mad scientist segment alone would be a perfect introductory video to explain the rules of a mad scientist-themed haunted attraction. Depending on your tastes as to how the characters look and act, as some might not like the dialogue directly referencing Halloween if the haunt runs throughout October, then this might be the best option. Those using this on Halloween without a specific theme for their house should be easily satisfied, and use of the Pepper's Ghost effect will almost guarantee that their house will be the talk of the neighborhood. That said, I wish the loops were longer in length. I know that Trick or Treaters probably won't mind, seeing as how they'll only see a few of the faces as they visit, but I can imagine that this could get old after awhile at a party. Having this on a factory-pressed DVD would have been nice, as those tend to be more durable than recordable media. In any case, I certainly know what will be making an appearance in one of my future Halloween displays...

The success of The Boo Tube led to two more installments in the series, Funny Bones and Crystal Ball. Lightform Productions has also gone on to release a how-to DVD called Xtreme Haunted Home Make-Over, along with more traditional video decor products like Halloween Scarols and Terror Eyes. I strongly suspect that the success of these titles is why several cheap video decor DVDs started flooding the market in the following years.

Special thanks to Lightform Productions for the review copy!

Burn: Out and Up.

2010-10-30T11:05:00.000-04:00

I need to find an official 'Gravediggers Local 16 Halloween Countdown Trophy' and mail it to Weird Jon for this is the third consecutive year in a row that he's maintained a straight countdown OR lasted longer than I have. The man is a machine.

I wouldn't say I burn out easily but that the part of my mind that is reserved for Halloween is hardwired in a way that it can't really stand repetition for long. I like spooky but I like spooky that's different. This is a problem because spooky things (movies, books, music) usually, to me, end up sounding/being derivative, bland and somewhat dull.

So. A few days ago, I come across The Order of the Fly's 'Rot':

I was generally excited because here is a band that had a song under two minutes. Ecstatic! Holy cow, here's something new. A death punk band keeping it brief and heavy. Sort of different. The singer's voice wasn't trying to emulate Glenn Danzig, Peter Murphy or Elvis. Seemed something new.

Of course, the under two minute song was not the norm. Which, I can now see, makes sense. The Order of the Fly has two singers and two keyboards (keyboard + keytar) so it's kind of hard to have a discography made up of solely two to three minute songs without half your band getting bored.

They're still a good band. If you want to find a band that infuses punk, metal and new wave into something spooky, The Order of the Fly is there for you.

They're not the only instances. Here's Blitzkid.

Blitzkid has been around for years and I have kind of overlooked them, not out of any real reason. Similarly, I catch the above video and thing 'what have I been ignoring all these years?' A two minute song that's catchy, angry and fast? Well, let's see what they have.

Similar results. Disappointment.

See, Blitzkid has some talented musicians, much like Order of the Fly. Hardcore punk, the basis of the two minute fast song, wasn't started by any text-book-talented musicians. Yeah, Minor Threat was great and so was Bad Brains. And 'Milo Goes to College' is a great album, but they kept it short, fast and sweet more because that was the attention span and anger of the time.

Cue twenty-five years later, and you got the devilspawn of hardcore and they actually have some chops. Blitzkid, yeah. They can put out an album of two minute speed deathpunk on it but after that's done, they're going to be bored. Listening to their other songs, it was clear that they have brains as well as talent, much like Order of the Fly. These are bands that think, and kind of want to be entertained playing the music as they entertain you.

So I continue on my days, looking for the mixture of Minutemen and Misfits. I'll add 'Nosferatu' and 'Rot' to a playlist and rock out for as long as I can before burning out and burning up.

Music to Haunt By: Michael Hedstrom

2010-10-29T23:55:00.055-04:00

Michael Hedstrom

Official Site
Midnight Circus, Hedstorm Productions 1999
Clive Manor, Hedstorm Productions 2001
Demagogue, Hedstorm Productions 2007

The haunted attraction/Halloween community is just as prone to fads and crazes as everyone else. Asylums, pirates and rednecks are only a few of the theme ideas (be it for a room or the entire haunt) that took the community by storm, both professional and home haunters. Sometimes it's due to the success of a particular movie that sparks it (as was the case with the pirate and wizard crazes), but it's hard to pin down what sparks the others. My personal theory is that the internet's ability to share prop tutorials and theme ideas allows ideas to spread much faster than they could in the old days. So if one person's setup is popular enough, then numerous people will set out to do their own version.

In the late 90's, clowns were the big thing in haunt setups. The only problem was, there wasn't any spooky circus music available. Countless numbers of people would post at haunt forums asking for where they could find such music, only to be told there really wasn't any and they'd have to either snag a copy of the out-of-print Killer Klowns From Outer Space soundtrack or play scary sound effects over regular circus music. Thankfully, one home haunter took it upon himself to fill the void: Michael Hedstrom.

Although both Michael and his wife Tamara (best known as "Keeba" to fans of their excellent Halloween website) have been haunting their home for years, it wasn't until 1999 that Mr. Hedstrom combined his love of Halloween and music in his debut effort, Midnight Circus.

"Clown Alley" definitely shows that Michael Hedstrom is a big fan of Danny Elfman's work, given that it's strongly influenced by the theme to Beetlejuice. But in addition to being different enough to not sound like a mere cover version of that song, several wacky sound effects have been layered over it. These laughs, honks and sproinging noises pop up in many other tracks (including one that uses a bouncy version of a funeral dirge). But a circus is more than just clowns, as tracks like the vaguely Middle Eastern "Temple of Temptation," the coughing and hacking of "The Dancing Firebeasts" and the spooky "Museum of Oddities" reflect. I suspect that the Amazon reviewer who claims to use Midnight Circus in sideshow performances (like fire-eating and sword swallowing) goes to these particular tracks a lot.

"The Tunnel of Fun" takes things back to the clowns for awhile, although "Temple of Temptation II" and the snarling, growling of "Wild Animal Cages" do take the listener back to other aspects of the circus. "Midnight Midway" provides an eerie circus feel suitable for both haunted circus/carnival scenes with and without clowns. The same goes for the calliope-sounding (but likely computer-generated) "The Carousel Phonograph," a quick along with plenty of crackles and pops to hint of being played from an oft-used phonograph record. "The Tunnel of Fun" is an effects track that compiles all of the effects previously used in other tracks. The layered nature of the screams, footsteps, heartbeats, clown effects and the like don't lend themselves well to individual use. However, this track is great for livening up a darkened hallway or dark maze (especially if you put icky-feeling things on the walls, like pieces of hose to simulate snakes). As a special bonus preview of the next album, we get "Clive Manor." use of march-like drums and cymbals give this a decidedly light feel, which also allows its use in a circus setting.

The album Clive Manor came two years later in 2001, offering listeners a musical trip through a haunted house. We start with a moody trip through the "Forest" (guess which type of scene this works best with) that leads us to an equally effective "Hidden Passage" (good for any scene needing a spooky atmosphere). "Dungeon" mixes music and the sounds of dripping and chains, making it perfect for any dank, dark location in your haunt. Although good for a variety of scary settings, "The Lost Steps" is a great way to spice up one of the few aspects of haunted attractions that don't have music especially tailored for them: stairs. Even if you don't do haunted houses, it's a neat way to add a little atmosphere to your front steps. Seeing as how I already covered "Clive Manor" in my Midnight Circus review, let's move along to "Big Game Trophies." First I first read the track listing, I imagined spooky music with a few soft growling and roaring effects tossed in. Instead, I got amazing tribal drumming that whisked me off to a distant jungle. If you don't have a haunted trophy room, this track also works for scenes involving witch doctors or shrunken heads.

"From the Mist" uses an interesting computer or synthesizer effect at times that makes me think of spectral orbs floating about. It's not a bad track to bust out if you're using Phantasm spheres and don't have any music from said franchise to use. "Nursery" gives vocalist Tamara Hedstrom a chance she's talented in both scaring and singing. As the plinking music that brings children and music boxes to mind, she occasionally urges the listener to stay and play in several haunting whispers. I wonder if this was used in their own haunted nursery scene? "Hall of Portraits" is my favorite track, as it's really creepy and perfect to use to introduce people to Hedstrom's work. In fact, that's why I chose to use it in the Myspace Halloween countdown that eventually mutated into Gravedigger's Local 16 (previously noted in my reviews of the music of Daikaiju and The Ghastly Ones). It's perfect for use with just about any creepy scene, not just the classic "hallway full of spooky paintings." The title of "Widow's Walk" refers to an architectural feature alleged to be used by the wives of sailors, ever on the lookout for their long-absent husbands. The name alone adds a lot to the implied back story of the manor. But, given that most haunts probably don't use one, this mournful tune will have to be used elsewhere. Perhaps the walk is where we spy the "Storm," an effects track filled with thunder, rain and howling wind. I would have preferred a little more variety in the thunder effects, along with a little more space between each use of said effect, but it's an otherwise serviceable track. Finally, a sense of urgency kicks in as the "Fleeing the Grounds" begins. It's a great way to end the album, along with the added bonus of being useful in a scene where visitors have to run from something.

2007 brought the release of the most recent (and unique) album, Demagogue. What's a demagogue, you ask? Well, it's a term for a ruler who leads and controls people by exploiting the emotions (especially fear) and views of their subjects. The official website describes the album as "A dark musical journey from the birth of the universe to the death of a madman, from mysterious and hypnotic to angry and violent."

Things kick off, appropriately enough, with "In the Beginning." It's a mysterious instrumental number, good for a wide variety of scenes. Both "Awakenings" and "Basic Instinct" are very moody, while "Sanctuary" and "Isolation" are both great for dungeon scenes, basements and the like due to their lonely feel and dripping sounds. You can even use them back to back if you wish. "Epiphany" is the shortest track, running just under a minute in length. It musically recreates the sensation of thinking something over until a realization suddenly occurs. If the preceding tracks represent the early life of a theological scholar, then "Demagogue Emergent" marks their rise to power using religion. The use of chanting in many (but not all) of the tracks that follow make them perfect for scenes involving cults or altars. These tracks are "The Word," "The Order," "Sister Mary Katherine," "Idol Worshipers" and "Victory Prayer." "Holy War" gets the blood pumping, with musical notes simulating the clashing of armies. Naturally, "Mourning" follows such a battle. As expected, it's great for a funeral setting or any scene involving death. "Afterlife" makes for a fitting close to the album, given the theme.

All tracks from the above three CDs, save for "Epiphany" from Demagogue, are perfect for looping and each album could be played on a loop for any house decorated with the appropriate theme. Clive Manor has the broadest appeal due to the general nature of its theme, although "Big Game Trophies" might not work for some setups.

Michael Hedstrom's spooky use of synthesizers and instruments should definitely appeal to fans of music from groups like Nox Arcana and the Midnight Syndicate. Those in the industry have taken note of his talent as well. Midnight Circus was used in the "Carnival of Carnivorous Clowns" maze at Knott's Scary Farm's award winning and on Music Choice's "Sounds of the Seasons" channel, while Clive Manor was nominated for a JPF award. Hopefully we can expect more great things from Mr. Hedstrom (and hope they happen to him as well).

Special thanks to Hedstorm Productions for the review copies!

Music to Haunt By: Hollywood Haunts

2010-10-28T23:30:00.004-04:00

Hollywood Haunts

Official Site
Monster Movie Haunts!, Introsound 2008

Those who browse through Halloween CDs each year may have noticed a mysterious newcomer to the field: Introsound. Initially debuting with the "Dr.Goodsound's" line consisting of Twisted Circus of Horror Sounds, Creep Show and Halloween Haunt-O-Tron, Introsound's newest line is Hollywood Haunts. Said line consists of albums designed to provide spooky dance music for parties (like the Halloween Chiller Dance Party! CD) and spooky music and sound effects, like the subject of today's review. Why the name "Hollywood Haunts?" That's because the company was started by Gary Gelfand, who has worked as both a sound editor and sound effects editor on numerous movies. Although the 2008 release Monster Movie Haunts! credits Jonathan Cooper and Ryan Teixeira with the composing duties, the reference to that work also being done by Introsound leads to believe that Mr. Gelfand also played a role in this.

The name Monster Movie Haunts! seems to stem from the concept of doing music based around general horror movie archetypes rather than covers of themes from such films. Not only does this format provide for more originality, but it also frees the composers from being constrained by the running time of a particular scene and lets them dwell on the subject for as long as their imaginations desire.

The opening track "Pirates!" might seem like an odd choice for such an album at first, but it actually makes sense. After all, several horror films have involved pirates, such as Night Creatures and The Lost Continent. Don't forget the use of ghosts and sea monsters in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise! The creaking of a wooden ship leads us into rousing, but things take a turn for the creepy when said music eventually gets distorted upon the arrival of the first of many ghostly "Yarrs." Pirates shouting leads to organ comes, along with thunder more creaking effects. Drums and the initial appearance of the "Yo Ho" chorus usher in more of a sense of menace to the affair. The ending fadeout includes organ work, tolling bell, moans, an accordion shanty and bubbling effects. I'm baffled by said bubbling. Perhaps it's a reference a pirates cooking or maybe it's supposed to represent something sinking? It's a shame how its rather confusing appearance takes one out of the otherwise great atmosphere that the track provides.

An evil laugh and loud, scary music kick off the eerie chanting of "Mad Mummy's Tomb!" The tone and style later shift to a general "Egyptian" feel using flutes, gongs and the like. Although this particular section is not scary, it goes a great job of. But a moving stone lid and the screaming of a crowd signals the music to get moving lid crowd, music gets heavier and is joined by angrier chanting. A cobra's hiss temporary takes us back back to the regular Egypt music, but chanting and more lid movements put a stop to that. The ever-building scariness is joined by a faraway yell and dripping before the roaring mummy appears. Naturally, the frightened crowd we heard earlier panics. As drums and a new "Egyptian" tone take over, we hear more of the mummy's roars and growls as he attacks a man with a rather goofy scream. The closing of the and sounds of wind make for a very effective end. Like the one before it, I have a few issues with the effects here. Although a somewhat unusual choice, I can accept the roaring mummy due to seeing a few movies using such a vocalization. Although the large screaming crowd seemed odd at first, it actually makes sense if you assume that it's a large expedition. Still, it would be more ideal if effects that didn't require the listener to stop and think about how they fit in (and to have not used that ridiculous male scream). Also, the fact that the expedition sees the lid move and screams (but doesn't flee) makes much more sense when you remember that these tracks are supposed to be looped. In other words, people will only hear some parts of the track as they pass through the scene it's used in.

"Dragon Slayer: The Sorcerer's Realm!" begins with tiptoe synth notes and then the sound of a clashing sword. Thing get heavier and rockin' as we hear the roars and howls of the strange creatures the titular slayer has to battle. As thunder roars, we can also hear the breathing and slashing sword of the heroic knight, which leads to a funky beat and keyboard work. The fact that the pounding percussion sounds like a blacksmith hammering a sword is a neat touch.

"Black Forest Vampires!" is an excellent soundscape that's easily the scariest track on the CD. Amidst the ever-howling wind, we hear flapping wing and the echoing, screaming yell-like bird calls...or are they really some type of vampire. They even sound like they're coming closer and closer to you at times. There's also the constant sound of creaking, perhaps from a coffin or door of an abandoned house. Speaking of which, this track could be used with any haunted house setup and not just for vampires in a forest.

The beeping music that opens "Fright Night Sci-Fi: Planet X!" initially reminded me of an old school 8-bit video game. The numerous appearances of an evil-sounding robotic voice speaking in an unknown language and spooky space effects. Although it later switches to organ-like music and a spooky theremin-like "woo" noise for awhile, it eventually fades back to the original beeping style (but with more creepy musical accompaniments). This is perfect for just about any scene involving aliens, especially if the scene involves walking through a dark and malfunctioning crashed spaceship.

"Dr. Frankenstein's Lab: Midnight Madness!" is the longest track of the album, clocking in at a little over ten minutes. Sadly, I feel that it's the weakest track of the album. It opens with LOUD organ music that dominates the entire track. It immediately piles on effects like bubbling, thunder, female screams, an evil scientist laughing and faint sparking. Sadly the laughing feels forced at times and when the scientist mumbles, he ends up sounding like the "Yip Yip" Martians from Sesame Street. Although Introsound wisely mixed in new sound effects to offset the repetition of older effects, choices like a witch-like woman laughing and yowling cat seem out of place despite being lumped in with zapping noises, oddball echoing monster yells, rats and a heartbeat. I think this would have worked a lot better as a soundscape. It could ope with thunder and some lab sounds, then we'd hear maniacal laughter, other lab sounds, a beating heart and a different monster groan.

Thankfully, "Bait's Motel!" not only makes up somewhat for that disappointment, but wisely opts not to mimic the Psycho theme song. Creaking doors, footsteps, wind, soft snarling, a heartbeat and light bubbling pave the way for soft, scary music. As the synth work builds in volume, it becomes very effective and reminds me of 80's horror movie music. The music temporarily stops for thunder, moans and yells but soon returns. There's a steady pace to it, as the killer seems to go from room to room in a murder spree. First we hear pounding knocks on a door, then choking, a heartbeat, screams and growls followed by a deep, evil laugh. Later, a ringing guest bell, ghoulish laughter, soft chortling, whispering and bubbles (my best guess is that it's a shower or bathtub reference) come into play for the effective ending.

"Theater of Horrors!" is the second of the album's unofficial 80's horror duo, whose moody, mysterious music follows knocking and a creaking door. As we hear drips, creaking doors, wind, squeaking rats and screams, the soft synth music hints at glory days long past. Despite the name, this track could work in any haunt setup or scene devoted to an old place that has seen better days.

Despite the name, "Child's Play!" has nothing to do with Chucky. After the tinkling, music box-like intro, the sounds of a bird cawing and distant children saying "Nah Nah Nah" are heard. Suddenly, evil growls brings in louder, scarier music (which reminds me of an evil version of "Ring around the Rosie"). The use of evil laughter and circus-like drums make this track suitable for both clowns-themed scenes or an intense haunted nursery.

The overall feel of Monster Movie Haunts! is what would happen if a relative of a Midnight Syndicate or Nox Arcana-type group married one of those "spooky sound effects" CDs that pop up everywhere come October. All of the tracks have lengths suitable for use in individual looping, which is probably the most effective way to use this. Playing this entire album on a loop while handing out candy might confuse people, especially if your decor doesn't match most of the themes suggested by the tracks. It's a shame that the occasional use of a less-than-ideal sound effect or two in some tracks dampens some otherwise great tracks (and music). Sometimes I wonder if some of the sillier-sounding stuff was purposefully intended in order to appeal to small children who would otherwise be terrified by certain tracks. Whatever the case is, there are several excellent tracks where this is not an issue. The heavy use of sound effects might be a turn-off for some, but may please others. I recommend listening to samples on Amazon before deciding whether or not any of the tracks will be suitable for your intended use.

Special thanks to Introsound for the review copy!

Ghoul Squad

2010-10-28T17:53:00.000-04:00

Ghoul Squad on MySpace and Facebook

Ain't gonna front - I don't know anything about this band except 1) They're from Massachusetts 2) They've been in this game longer than most of the other death rock punk bands these days 3) they might be broken up and 4) the music is incredible.

Last March, they said a 7-song E.P. is coming out. Hopefully, we can drum up enough interest for them to reprint 'The Witch Grows Up' and 'Dark Ride' so I can purchase copies. Or maybe they can throw their stuff up on Amazon mp3 or iTunes. Either way, don't go away, Ghoul Squad.

Music to Haunt By: Dronolan's Tower

2010-10-27T23:55:00.127-04:00

Dronolan's Tower

Official Site
Journeys in Darkness Vol. 1: Those Who Dwell Beneath, Forever Young Music 2008

Although initially surprised by the idea of CDs designed for use while playing tabletop RPGs, I must admit that it's not a bad idea. Remember, the whole point of a role playing game is to immerse yourself in another world and what better way to do that than through music? That's why music and sound effects are so important in haunted attractions!

I first became aware of the concept from a friend, who owned an "Introduction to Dungeons and Dragons"-type set that came with a CD. Apparently, it contained both music, sound effects and characters talking and my friend mainly used it to laugh at the goofy voices. Having never heard of any other such CDs since then, I assumed it was a one-off failed experiment. So imagine my surprise when I learned that the Midnight Syndicate released an official CD for use with Dungeons and Dragons in 2003! As it turns out, enough RPG fans were buying their CDs for use in gaming sessions to attract the Syndicate's attention. This led to the band setting up booths at gaming conventions, where they got in touch with the company that owns Dungeons and Dragons and, well, you know the rest. Interestingly enough, neither this nor the first CD I mentioned where the first musical projects associated with role playing games, as shown at the following Wikipedia notations.

But they aren't the only ones producing such CDs. Research reveals that soundtrack CDs are available for both the Cybernet RPG and the German edition of Little Fears. Spaceship Zero also inspired a CD, but it does not seem intended for use while gaming. The same band behind that release, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, also produced a compilation CD for use with the d20 version of Call of Cthulhu.

But what about music designed for fantasy adventures using any gaming system? That's where Dronolan's Tower comes in. Founded in 2006 by David Allen Young in Studio City, California, the motto of Dronolan's Tower is "Music By Gamers For Gamers." With the help of a choir and Hollywood studio orchestra, Dronolan's Tower released Legends of Kitholan Vol. 1: Tales of the Long Forgotten in 2007 to immediate acclaim. The album netted three awards in that year's Radio Rivendell Fantasy Awards: "Best Fantasy Album," "Best Unsigned Artist," and "Best Song by an Unsigned Artist." This was followed up in 2008 with Journeys in Darkness Vol. 1: Those Who Dwell Beneath, which focuses on dungeon crawls and darker themes than the general fantasy-based Legends of Kitholan.

So if gamers can use spooky ambient music CDs for use in games, then why can't Halloween enthusiasts and haunters do the reverse?

The light percussion of "Prelude - The Hand of Fate" leads to bells and heavy, epic fantasy-type backing music. The drums and horns toward the end add to the effect and give this track the feel of the opening credits sequence of a movie. In "Tomb of the Cursed," soft, serious string work gets varied when the light drum pounds get involved. But as the pounding gets louder, the music gets scarier for awhile. Soft piano, deep, low horns and some brief male chanting give it a more mournful tone until the soft "fantasy touches" lightens things up a bit towards the end. The opening low strings of "City of the Ancients" transition well from the last song and have an epic, but subdued mood. Violins provide a lighter sense of ethereal unease via at times, while there is a spookier, heavier feel at others (especially near the end). "Where Men Dare Not Tread" starts with "tip toe"-like pianos and low, heavy horns that gradually build in volume. Drums pick things up, as do horns. It's as if you have been spotted and are now on the run. Things slow down near the end, but the track still retains a feel of danger. In fact, the use of drums there makes me think a fight has broken out.

In "Those Who Dwell Beneath," low string work builds somewhat in intensity and is occasionally joined by drums. It's very moody and effective until the drums build up and team with deep horns to provide a feeling of danger and menace. "Glories Lost" has a feel of elegant sadness thanks to the softish, medium string work but once the drums come in and the violin work varies, you know there's more than just sadness here. Horns and the return of musical tip-toeing are a nice touch. "Mysteries of the Deep" provides a low sense of danger in its soft intro, then soft horns, piano and plucking strings give it a more laid back feel. I think that pretty much every track on the disc is all well-suited toward creating the sense of exploring, but this one works especially well. "O Darkest Knight" is the spookiest of the tracks, thanks to the evil whispers, chanting and sinister strings that open it. However, it adopts adventurous feel not long after and the violins get a real chance to shine here. The evil touches come back later, though. "Realm of Shadow" has a soft, low intro that sets tone for rest of track. The mix of strings, drums and what seems to be soft chanting in "Escape from the Depths" make for rousing opening. The drums are very pounding here, although the music later becomes slower (but is still energetic). I can easily imagine flight from some underground realm, fighting at some times and hiding at others.

Writer/composer David Allen Young has put together an amazing CD that could easily be the soundtrack for a big budget, major Hollywood motion picture. Although darker in nature than the first release by Dronolan's Tower, this is not a scarefest. Instead, the music immediate brings fantasy films like the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series to mind and also creates sense of guarded wonder with some elements of chills and excitement...the exact same emotions felt by countless children on Halloween upon finding a house that has gone all-out in its choice of decorations. So if you have a castle or wizard-themed setup and want music that will draw everyone into the mood of the realm you have created without overwhelming the little ones, definitely use this album.

Given that the average track length is about six or seven minutes, all but the first track are ideal for individual looping. In my opinion, however, the CD works best in its original intended form in which the album is played from start to finish and looped again. The tracks all flow into each other quite nicely and succeed in their intended goal of being long enough to act as a backdrop for players' characters to
explore, fight and (hopefully) emerge triumphant and have it more or less synch up with the music at some point. Perhaps things will get darker and scarier in tone for the second volume. Only time will tell...

Special thanks to Dronolan's Tower for the review copy!

The Meteors

2010-10-27T12:06:00.000-04:00

Thirty years ago, three lads from the isle of England put together a band called The Meteors and from there, some say, the genre of psychobilly was born. Punk rock and rockabilly mixing together, with elements of horror mixed in with classic roots rock country.

Thirty years as a band is pretty impressive, even more so when you see the Meteor's prolific discography (including front-man and original member P. Paul Fenech solo and side projects.)

They're really catchy and much more high-energy than some of the other bands who utilize the upright bass. More electricity fueled speed. It's no wonder why Meteors fans have adopted the name 'the Wrecking Crew.' It's like this band is out to demolish everything in its path. Seems like they would be a fun show.

You can find them at the modest website of KingsOfPsychobilly.com to check out news and tour dates, though the only ones on the books so far are off in Germany (the Germans sure do love themselves some psychobilly and death rock.)

Music to Haunt By: Buzz Works

2010-10-26T23:55:00.063-04:00

Buzz Works

Official Site
Zombie Influx, Monolith Graphics 2009

If you read yesterday's installment about Nox Arcana, you might remember how I teased about another new release of sorts from them. That's due to their involvement with Buzz Works...

Buzz Works' origins lie in an Ohio-based store of the same name that's devoted to all kinds of spooky decor and merchandise. Although established in 1997, it wasn't until relatively recent times that founder Jeff Hartz decided to start a music project under the same name. Teaming up with Joseph Vargo of Nox Arcana to fill out the group's ranks, Zombie Influx was their first release in 2009.

Although William Piotrowski did handle the engineering duties, only Hartz and Vargo shared the songwriting and performing duties (while Hartz also wrote the dialogue and provided the vocals). This isn't merely a Nox Arcana album under a different name, although there are some of their trademark touches in it. There are, however no bonus tracks or opening narration that are standard in Nox Arcana albums. As a special treat, the liner notes contain the text used in the broadcasts scattered throughout the disc and pictures of Rich Klink's awesome zombie sculptures (which are also used on the disc art).

"Ground Zero" starts things off with a kinda dreamy synth opening, but its later tone, drums and a variety of sounds of zombies make this more of a nightmare. There are some lighter touches with little to no zombies, but track still creepy. The title of "Satellite Radiation" comes from the theorized cause of the dead rising in Night of the Living Dead and the use of beeping satellite noises that go in and out of the music (and other technological sounds) both reflects that and goes well with the drums and synthesizer work. In "Defcon Six," a crackling broadcast tells of the raised danger level due to a virus and provides instructions on what to do. "Creeping Death" uses slow and creepy heavy synth work and other spooky touches to great effect. These include occasional female vocals, a vaguely tribal drums effect and a zombie groan. "Echoes of the Living" has lots of eerie synth work with lots of twists and turns, along with some light guitar and an almost bubbling-like sound. "Doomsday" is aptly named thanks to its heavy, pounding drums and bells. Light vocals and increasing piano use adds to the exciting, but hopeless, feel.

"The Feeding" opens with an odd horn effect, heavy synth open and other creepy touches (such as a heartbeat-like drum). I can imagine a few scattered zombies creeping out to a source of food, which in turn attracts more and more of the undead. Perhaps that's why we hear machine guns at the end. "Warning Signs" is a short broadcast (with brief synth work) about the signs of infection. "The Dawn" is clearly a reference to Dawn of the Dead. The use of low zombie effects under synth work is very unnerving and somewhat otherworldly. "Dead Run" uses bells, pounding synth and fast, frantic piano work to create the effect of running in a panic. Light synth work and what seems to be thunder effects kick off "Post Mortem," which are soon joined wailing vocals (or are they notes?) and a slow, soft guitar that eventually fades away before the zombie groans enter the picture. "The Panic Spreads" blares a short siren before a broadcast usual broadcast about the zombies overwhelming defense forces. The comparison to the gates of hell opening is definitely a reference to the tagline for Dawn of the Dead or possibly even a reference to the alternate title for this film.

Speaking of which, "Transmutation" uses light, but pounding, synth, bells, guitar and heavy piano work to create something that reminds me of Dawn of the Dead. to some degree (especially the drum effects). "The Pain of Dying" is also a reference, this time to a line from Return of the Living Dead. Light, dreamy music and some crackling gives way to slams wailing notes and scary synth work. The fast-paced percussion and bells that open for "Armageddon" helps build a sense of dread and hopelessness. Some organ and keyboard work give this an 80's horror-style feel that only lets up to the sounds of jets soaring and bomb blasts. "Dead Life" uses strange, disturbing synth music and vocals that I can't place (and which brings strange life forms to mind). I can see this track working in an alien-based scene as well as a zombie-based one. "Flesh Eaters" could refer to a wide variety of zombie movies, including the original title intended for Night of the Living Dead. A guitar and slow, low sirens blare as a hoard of zombies is heard. Said hoard is eventually overwhelm guitars and other musical touches for awhile. A snippet of the earlier news report on zombies plays later, as do odd synth effects that seem out of place to me. "Ravenous" mixes a fast piano with drums, electric guitar, synth hand claps, bells, harpsichord and samples from previous bulletins mixed in. The titular "Zombie Influx" uses creepy opening music and mournful strings with samples of a man talking about his dead wife and seeing things in the nearby woods. One part seems to imply that he's the cause of this. News bulletin samples and what seem to be samples from Night of the Living Dead play us out over synth work.

A few minor quibbles over some of the sound effect choices aside, Zombie Influx is an amazing album that makes the listener feel like they're inside an 80's zombie epic. The majority of tracks are loop-friendly and the album played in its entirety will compliment any zombie-based setup. In fact, some people were so taken by it that they started a haunted house in Sweetwater, Tennessee based on it (and using it as a soundtrack) called "Defcon 6." As for Buzz Works, they've recently unleashed their second album, House of Nightmares. If it's anything like Zombie Influx, then we're in for a treat.

Special thanks to Monolith Graphics for the review copy!

Dissecting "Alien Autopsy"

2010-10-26T16:10:00.001-04:00

While going through some videos made by the company responsible for that King Kong-inspired birthday party that I used in my last article, I noticed that they had done a video inspired by the infamous Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? TV special. Although the slightly gory video was done as a tongue-in-cheek promotion of their Alien Autopsy party package, the fact that they almost nailed the look of the alien inspired me to look up more on the matter in order to see if any other recreation-type deals had been done. What I found was far more interesting...

First, I went to this site, which I had only briefly looked at in the past, which broke down how a model "alien" like the one seen in the film could be made. This page not only gives Stan Winston's real opinion of the film. In Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction?, footage of Winston was apparently edited to make it seem as if he didn't think the footage was a hoax. It also seems that he might have been under the impression that the film was actually from the 1940's when he first looked at it.

This notes various signs in the film that point to it being a hoax and makes some notes about "hot frames" while this page lists several alien autopsy "recreations." I suspect that the reason so many of the "recreations" don't look exactly like the subject of the "Alien Autopsy" film (although they look more realistic) is due to fears of copyright infringement lawsuits. Speaking of which, I remember back around the time the film had first been shown on TV, an episode of Sightings played some footage and noted that, if the footage really was authentic, then it being filmed by the government in the 1940's would've made it automatically public domain and therefore they weren't paying for use of the footage. It wouldn't surprise me if they were only bluffing, but it still amuses me to this day.

Some of you might remember how the man behind the footage (Ray Santilli) and the man who created the alien (some content is NSFW) confessed to the hoax in 2006. But, as you can see in this interview, the confession seems to have been done solely to promote a movie inspired by the hoax. Also, the "Okay, the film you saw was faked, but it was based on a real film that got mostly destroyed" is laughable (and strikingly similar to the story Frank Hansen gave about his Minnesota Iceman exhibit). I think that the various goofs highlighted by Trudang.com negate any claim that what little remained of the so-called original film was present in Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? Well, that, and the fact that nobody can say for sure which frames are the "real" ones. Santilli needs to "put up or shut up" if he really expects people to believe his claims.

Of course, those who saw the 1999 TV special, The World's Greatest Hoaxes: Secrets Finally Revealed know why he won't: There was nothing to recreate. You see, the producers (including one who had worked on Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction?, Robert Kiviat) found the people Ray Santilli contacted to do the film prior to his teaming up John Humphreys (who provided special effects on Doctor Who during the 1980's). They had even filmed some test footage that included an actor pretending to be Harry Truman, although it wasn't as good as the version we're all familiar with. The fake Truman is very important, since Santilli was claiming that footage of him had convinced him the film was authentic back when he was promoting Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? However, no scenes of "Harry Truman" were ever seen in it! It looks like he forgot the script was revised. On top of that, the people behind the rejected first attempt made no mention of being told to recreate anything. In fact, they were basically given free reign over the design of the alien!

Another blow to the "recreation" claim is that an alien spacecraft did not crash in Roswell, New Mexico. Although it's a lengthy read, this excellent website attacks every single Roswell crash claim from all possible angle, leaving any reasonable person to conclude that it was a weather balloon that touched down in 1947. Think that nobody could ever mistake something like that for a flying saucer? Think again. In other words, if the alleged Roswell crash never happened, then any claimed footage of bodies recovered from said crash have to be a hoax. Perhaps as a result of that, some have started claiming that the film is from a different UFO crash. However, proponents of that theory fail to realize that the revelations made by The World's Greatest Hoaxes: Secrets Finally Revealed make that theory untenable. It doesn't help that the US government has a very poor track record in keeping secrets, as shown in jmercer's humorous post made on June 27th 2005 at 1:26 PM here.

Even though it's a hoax, Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? has made a huge impact on American pop culture, inspiring everything from haunted house scenes to toys. Although it should be noted that Mattel released a "Dissect an Alien" toy as part of their "Mad Scientist" line in the 1980's, long before the special was conceived, it was the hoax that popularized the idea. It even inspired some imitation films, such as the one used in The Secret KGB UFO Files (which used a decaying sea turtle and plastic limbs) and a chupacabra autopsy using a mangy canine carcass! What's next, "Loch Ness Monster Autopsy?"

Had a wife. Couldn't feed her.

2010-10-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

When I think to myself "I better go down to the basement. I have two that I need to take the knives to, today," I realize it's thoughts like those are why I wouldn't be a good schoolteacher, but a great one.

The two pumpkins I secured over a week ago had held up, thanks to a tip from the forums over at www.zombiepumpkins.com. Keeping them cool but not too cool is advised, so instead of having them deflate in my apartment, I stored them down in the basement.

As you can see, they're frightened. You would be too if some strange guy kept you underground for ten days. Thankfully, I was able to hypnotize the one on the left. The other one developed Stockholm Syndrome and was eager to go.

The history of the Jack O'Lantern is that some dude who could head not to heaven nor to hell decided to wander the earth with a hollowed out turnip as a lantern. Being that turnips are small and gross, I think we've made the right decision to upgrade. As you can see, I have the cheap four-dollar pumpkin kit that features two blades, a scoop, a pounce wheel and a 'drill.' The last two would break during use, having me sing out 'CHEEEAAAAP PLASTIC' in a mocking fashion.

I chose The Ghastly Ghoul because, as noted before on this site, I first got into surf (and spooky) music thanks to The Ghastly Ones. When Patchmaster General Ryan revealed the 2010 Ghastly Ghoul pattern, I knew I had to do it. The cat is done in favor of my own, Jack. He's a black cat so by nature, this holiday is for him but I don't think he grasps the concept of Halloween and, to be honest, who does anymore? I figure that I might as well throw out some props to him so maybe he won't wake me up in the middle of the night anymore.

Right, bud?

Cleaned off any dust and dirt that might be on the pumpkins. Here we see my handtowl, which I have named Skully, doing his work. Doing a bang up job there, Skully.

You don't really want to use a kitchen/steak knife for carving. Even back before there were kits like the one I bought, my family would always use the really thin, flexible knife for pumpkin carving. Thick blades don't work unless you're whittling. Carving requires thinness. But for the stabbing the hell out of the head like this, steak'em.

You'll notice the outline I did with a sharpie. Being that I haven't carved a pumpkin in about two years, I decided to give myself some help. It would come in later when I got the design ready. It leaves a few smudge marks that, in the light, makes your pumpkin look odd. But when it's dark - who cares?

It might have been the pumpkins (I got two for ten bucks from a local grocery store) but the insides were not as sloppy or as gross as I remember. Not as soggy and the seeds were clumped in an organized way, not as random and wild as I remember. But of course, back when I was still too young to vote, drink or operate any kind of fun machinery, life itself was random and wild.

When taping the design to the pumpkin, I had to compromise on which side looked better, the natural sitting-position of the pumpkin and how to place a flat piece of paper against a curved pumpkin. Over at the ZombiePumpkins forum, user St0ney suggested printing the design out on sticker paper. I was hoping to do that this year, since when you eliminate the problem of attaching the design to your pumpkin, there goes one of the biggest problems.

But, I made due. It'll make my Ghoul look a little stumpy, but hey - he'll look different. My family, when carving pumpkins, has always enjoyed being original with their creativity. From my Dad's first whittling of a werewolf to my latter experimentations of Barney the Dinosaur (at the height of both his popularity and the cultural hatred of his saccharine behavior) to Frank Zappa to some obscure web cartoonist, the designs were always different and hand done. One of these days, I'm going to have to follow Patchmaster General Ryan's example and do some personal creations of my own.

Of course, I can't draw a picture worth a damn but who says that'll stop me?

What you see here is the design, modified a bit through natural error. I ran the pounce wheel over the outlines, used the drill (until it broke on the second eye) and outlined the holes with sharpie. That, plus cleaning, took about an hour and a half, especially since the first time I used the pounce wheel, it didn't go through. Maybe I need to raid a fabrics store or something for a metal device but I think they're in fashion to BDSM people. I wonder if I'll be carded?

For the next hour or so, I carved away. It was quiet and I had time to focus. Peaceful. I can see why people go all out and decorate their lawns or yards or steps with multiple pumpkins. Just cutting the heck out of these things is a crafty way to focus and feel a bit calm. Maybe I'll bust out some designs later and just see what I can do. People have used ZombiePumpkin designs for things other than pumpkins or watermelons. Maybe. Maybe.

Anyway, here's what it looked like, all done:

Not too bad. The ear is a little different and I have to get a better candle because that's why its mouth looks a bit off. But overall, a great design by Ryan and not too bad for a rusty hack like myself.

As for the second pumpkin, I felt myself getting tired by the time I was finishing up this one. As you can see, close up, it's a little rough. Not a lot of smooth cuts. I didn't want to start a second pumpkin that ultimately ended up chucked. So I decided to torture it. After having witnessed its friend being gutted and carved up, setting it aside until tomorrow seems traumatic to the thing. On a plus side, what I've just done is as entertaining as the last three Saw movies.

As for our carved friend, I didn't want to put him back in the basement. So why not have him chill out? Once I get some petroleum jelly, he'll be able to sit on the windowsill for the rest of the week. Until then, he's been told not to drink all the beer.

Music to Haunt By: Nox Arcana

2010-10-25T22:30:00.005-04:00

Nox Arcana

Official Site
Blackthorn Asylum, Monolith Graphics 2009

For years, I had thought the Midnight Syndicate was the only group out there doing spooky ambient albums based around a single theme. So as you can imagine, I was pretty blown away with I stumbled across the Wikipedia entry for Nox Arcana. Elated by the idea of even more cool haunt music being out there, I immediately started researching Nox Arcana.

Formed in Cleveland, Ohio by Joseph Vargo, the name "Nox Arcana" is Latin for "mysteries of the night." Since 2003, the famed horror artist and his bandmate William Piotrowski have been cranking out albums devoted to everything from horror authors to ghost pirates.

Given that Mr. Vargo used to be a part of the Midnight Syndicate, it might be tempting for some to label Nox Arcana as a Midnight Syndicate clone. However, that is just not the case. If you go read my history of the band, you'll find that Vargo was huge part of the reason the Syndicate adopted that style (so Nox Arcana is merely doing more of the kind of music he's always been doing). Besides, Nox Arcana includes lots of extra bonuses with their albums, such as opening narration, bonus tracks and lengthy liner notes filled with details to help draw draw listeners further into the world the album's music has located. They're often filled with puzzles and injokes, too. How can you not love a group that would name a song after an obscurity like this?

Blackthorn Asylum is not merely a trip through a haunted asylum, as certain tracks and the liner notes (designed to look like a journal) reveal that an experiment that should be familiar to readers of this story by H.P. Lovecraft. Medical diagrams and coded messages can also be found in the liner notes. I won't spoil anything by telling you what I've found, but let's just say the answers will surely delight any horror fan.

"Legacy of Darkness" starts things off with rolling thunder followed by a combination of synth work, piano, pipe organ and a variety of sound effects. After the laughing, moans and screams, a crackling recording (voiced by Joesph Vargo) discusses the nature of insanity and hints at the secrets of the asylum. The title track "Blackthorn Asylum" is very scary and good for just about any scare scene or haunt. This thanks to its moody piano, chanting vocals, and synth work that alternates between medium and heavy in terms of volume and feel. The vocals, piano and synth work of "Sanitarium Gates" are relatively softer than they were on the previous track, but are still just as effective. The tolling bells are a great touch.

"Abandoned" uses soft piano notes and foreboding synthesizer work to evoke the feeling of loneliness. The wordless female vocals (by guest vocalist Christine Filipak) go well with the violins and chanting male vocals (the Gregorian Shadow Choir) and add to the sense of unease (with a touch of danger). "Threshold of Madness" has a wonderfully pounding, 80's horror movie feel to it. Soft speedy piano work is soon dominated by pounding drums, male chanting, organ work and bells. Eerie use of a harpsichord in "Tapestry of Decay" gives the track a suitably ancient feel, with female vocals, light bells and synth notes coming in at times. Male vocals later join in for a spell and add to the sense of dread. "Hidden Horrors" effectively uses heavy synth work, an evil laugh and male chanting, followed by female vocals. The very chilling bursts of chanting and organ work in this are strengthened by low whispering and more laughter. It's perfect to use in a part of your haunt where you want to keep visitors guessing about then something will come after them. "When Darkness Falls" couples light piano work, female vocals and soft (but somehow heavy) synth work. The plunking of keys seems like shadows growing, and the later use of bells and a violin add to the mood.

"Shock Treatment" is a soundscape that runs less than a minute in length. Thankfully, its use of pulsing, electrical shocks and screams are great for continuous looping without sounding odd. This is ideal for use with scenes based around electric chairs or shock treatment. "Fractured Memories" uses light piano work with some heavy touches, aided by synth notes, bells and vocals. "Phantasmagoria" gets the heart racing with pounding percussion, the sound of thunder and loud chanting in a language I can't make out (presumably Latin). Thunder and rain signal the coming of the "Creeper," whose evil laugh is often heard throughout the track. Low violins and bells make up most of the track, with moaning male chants enhanced by lone female vocals. A light, slow piano gets "Sanity Slipping" going and are later joined by more chanting, bells and the occasional use of a music box-like effect.

"Dementia 13,"named after the horror movie of the same title uses pounding notes and soft wails to get things going. Great piano work is eventually joined by bells, chanting and wild violins that add a sense of madness to the menace. The combination of piano and violins give "Solitary Confinement" a mournful feel, aided by bells and light male chanting in background. "Frenzy" lives up to its name thanks to its fast, heavy piano and bells. Vocals of both sexes also add to the effect. "The Condemned" uses pounding, heavy drums and chanting, along with a "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor"-style organ work. I love the musical "slamming" effect in this. "Spiders in the Attic" uses eerie synth (or is it violins) and a new type of wordless female wails along with piano, bells and the sort of chanting we're used to. Its spooky sound and long length make it great for any haunted attic or basement.

"From Beyond" is another short soundscape, where pulsing and buzzing summon up something that growls, laughs evilly and speaks backwards. "Essence of Evil" uses bells and heavy synth work, along with a piano and male chanting in Latin to live up to its name. The drums and female chants that join in later are extremely effective. "Fade to Black" opens with a Halloween-style piano open with bells and heavy synth, along with chanting and a gong near the end. Or is it? A period of silence reveals moody synth work and breathing, followed by a crackling recording about the dangerous mutated inmates in basement. Sinister laughter takes us to another brief silence, followed by the resonator sound effects, moaning, and the backwards-talking demon.

Despite the name, the music of Blackthorn Asylum can work with haunted attractions or yard setups of many other themes besides asylums (minus most of the soundscapes, of course). The majority of the tracks are well suited for looping and for playing while distributing candy come Halloween. I'm not the only one to notice the greatness of William Piotrowski and Joseph Vargo's music. Big-name theme parks have used their work, as have the Travel Channel and a special showing of Nosferatu. As of this writing, Nox Arcana have recently released Theater of Illusion and have contributed to another project I'll be discussing tomorrow...

Special thanks to Monolith Graphics for the review copy!

The Trail of Terror

2010-10-25T16:00:00.001-04:00

Photos by Jonathan Matthews, jon (at) krative.com.

Located in Wallingford, Connecticut, The Trail of Terror (www.TrailofTerror.com) celebrates its 16th year of operation in 2010. Thankfully, haunt expert Bertram Bertram invited me to come visit and partake of the Trail's spookiness.

This year celebrates 'Sweet 16,' marking the anniversary of the Central Valley Hospital massacre that saw the gruesome results of what happenes when you combine madness and teenage girls.

The story in itself is much more creepy than I can summarize here, so head to the website and explore.

Since its inception, the Trail of Terror has been a not-for-profit operation, donating the money it raises to both local and international charities. Having worked with the Red Cross in the past, the Trail currently raises money for the Wallingford Emergency Shelter. It also works with C.R.E.W., a student-based group that does community service projects as well as participates in Housing for the Homeless. Last year, the Trail of Terror gave $75,000 to the Wallingford Emergency Shelter and $12,000 to C.R.E.W.

Seventy-five THOUSAND dollars. That is unbelievable. Wrap your head around that number right now and think about it, because none of the participants are paid. They are all volunteers, doing the equivalent of part-time work and giving their weekends up to help operate this.

The Trail works with local high schools. While the management, area/scene supervisors are adults, most of the volunteers there are of that high school age, getting early work experience but also able to express their theatrical and spooky sides.

Each weekend in October (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) the Trail accepts visitors from around 7pm to 11p. People start to line up around 5:30, if not sooner, to avoid having to wait possibly three or four hours before they get in.

Once the haunts and monsters are all ready by showtime, the distinctive opening bars of 'Thriller' hit the air, causing the packed lines to shout in joy for the Trail of Terror is open!

You can find directions to the Trail here. There are two more days that they're open. Speed Passes have sold out so if you're going to go, show up early and bundle up.

When I was invited, I was given the option to experience the Trail as a guest, or to possibly help out. I chose the latter after hearing about how much good the Trail does. As I waited to hear which parts might be open, I saw the line of regulars come in - kids who were ten years younger than I was, who have volunteered their time to spend six hours out in the 40-degree night so that people from across the world can come and get scared.

It's really fantastic, thinking about it. And to come back, weekend after weekend. That takes some dedication and some boundless energy, because this is not some second-rate scare-stand. Once the song hits and the crowd cheers, there is no more performer. What you see is what you get - that monster is real and they're going to get you. That man with the chainsaw is crazy and no, that isn't make-up.

I spent my night fighting off brain-hungry aliens, rescuing people by ushering them into a smoke-filled tunnel. Bodies screamed, voices moved and when the door slammed behind the last person crawling, I had noticed both the night had my voice had gone.

At the end of the night, the performers gathered and spoke of soreness, adventures what they planned for the next night. Though tired and cold, there was a level of enthusiasm, which is why they come back every weekend. Every scream was a sign of success, of a job well done. It was a auidble goal, to make sure that every customer was either frightened or that their hearts were racing by the time they moved on from our part of the Trail.

It was a great experience and I encourage any of you to see if you can help out at your local Haunt.

Music to Haunt By: Midnight Syndicate

2010-10-24T21:27:00.005-04:00

Midnight Syndicate

Official Site
The 13th Hour, Entity Productions 2005
The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates, Entity Productions 2008

If you hang out in forums devoted to Halloween and/or haunted attractions, then you've probably heard of the Midnight Syndicate. Their music is held in very high regard and always comes up in discussions over what makes for the best spooky soundtrack. Their music has appeared in TV shows, numerous movies and professional haunted attractions. But who are they?

Formed in Chardon, Ohio in 1995 by Edward Douglas, the original Midnight Syndicate was a very different animal than it is today. Although Edward Douglas composed the music and the trademark "soundtracks to movies that don't exist" theme was there, the 1997 debut album didn't only feature the scary instrumental music like their work does now. Instead, it also included music from the following genres: "rock, rock-a-billy, techno, rap, new age, humor-pop, jazz, and space [music]." As you can see from that link, they also used to have a much larger lineup. Things got a little more familiar for modern fans in 1998, when the lineup was cut down to Douglas, Gavin Goszka, and artist Joseph Vargo. Opting to do an album consisting solely of the music the Midnight Syndicate would become famous for: dark ambient music. The resulting Born of the Night (for which Vargo provided the name, cover art, vocals and creative direction) was a smash hit and forever cemented the Syndicate's style. Although he left the group in 2000 to work on a book (and eventually start his own band), Goszka and Douglas kept things going and have continued to release albums to this day.

One such album is 2005's The 13th Hour, the cover art for which was provided by the late, great Keith Parkinson. It's a sequel of sorts to their 2001 album Gates of Delirium, which took listeners through the haunted Haverghast Asylum. This time around, we're touring the haunted Haverghast family mansion (no doubt a reference to Dr. Crawford Tillinghast).

"Mansion in the Mist" brings things to a spooky start with heavy synthesizer work combined with other effects (including what I swear is a creaking sound of some kind) and light, off kilter piano work. It brings to mind someone seeing an abandoned mansion at night and approaching it. "Forgotten Path" is a soundscape consisting solely of sound effects. We hear insects chirping and footsteps, as if someone is making their way to the mansion. After hearing a bird cawing, we hear someone going up the steps, opening a creaky door, then entering and closing said door. "Time Outside of Time" is the perfect musical representation of entering an haunted house. The opening piano is soon followed by scary, mournful synth work and light, wordless female vocals (provided by the lead singer of Lazy Lane, Lily Lane). The breathing effects at one point are a great touch and its length makes it ideal for looping.

The same goes for "Fallen Grandeur," a great "general scare" track thanks to its spooky, speedy organ work followed by heavy synth and the occasional chanting vocals. "Hands of Fate" is a very brief effects track consisting of a clock ticking and minor (but heavy) synth) notes. Soft synth and piano work gives "The Drawing Room" a sense of both unease and a period setting. One gets the feeling that the piano is playing on its own. "Mausoleum D' Haverghast" is great for any scene involving the dead, from mausoleum to graveyards. Its mournful bells are accompanied by the heavy synth and occasional chanting vocals in background. "Family Secrets" starts with a synthesizer riff that should be familiar to horror movie fans, then gives way to a light, steady piano under synth and wordless female vocals. A bell causes a shift to greater sense of danger, then shifts out to interesting variations in both music and vocals. "Last Breaths" is another very brief effects track, wherein we hear softish breathing (and other effects), which suddenly gasps out.

"Vertigo" has a pounding intro that grips you and never lets go. A gong, violin and other instruments scattered throughout and the wordless vocals give it a sense of falling down from a great height. "The Watcher" uses medium, steady piano notes and blowing wind effects, which are later joined by light vocals and other effects, to give the feeling of being watched (and being scared as a result). The faint evil laughter at the end is a great touch. "Cellar" is a soundscape that runs just under a minute, which kills me since it's (in my opinion) too short to work as a looped track while otherwise being the perfect background to any dank, dark location. It could work very well, however, with a motion-sensing device that's activated when someone has to go downstairs in order to get to the next room in a haunted house. A musical stinger, the soft squeaking of rats and a door opens to start things off. Next comes dripping and more rats, and is that a whisper or just another synth note? Creepy synth effects, along with some light vocals, are a major part of the heavy, pounding "Cold Embrace." "Hand in Hand Again" starts with the sound of a phonograph starting up, the whirring of which takes us to the soft sounds of a real 1919 recording by Raymond B. Egan. The Midnight Syndicate has upped its scare factor by overlaying spooky effects that eventually overwhelm said song.

"Harvest of Deceit" opens with a pounding, steady piano accented by gong strikes and soft vocals. Similarly pounding bells with synth effects are also present and the piano work changes over time before slowing down at the end. "Footsteps in the Dust" uses light plinking noises that sound like tiptoeing to open things, but soon the spooky synth kicks in to show that things aren't as innocent as they seem. We also get distorted voices of a parent and child (the latter played by the then two year old Mary-Kate Douglas, daughter of the group's founder), a door slamming and a heartbeat. The piano work in "Veiled Hunter" is medium in both volume and speed, and also picks up synth at times. In fact, sometimes it reminded me of the famous "ki ki ki, ma ma ma" from the original Friday the 13th. "Sinister Pact" uses barely heard vocals, organ, synth work and the occasional bells to create a spooky feel. The soft, distorted voices are a nice touch. Running just under two minutes, "Grisly Reminder" effectively uses soft, light synth work and piano with the occasional use other effects. The short, but scary "Deadly Intentions" uses whispered female "come with me" and synth work to great effect.

That voice seems to have lured the visitor/listener into "The Lost Room," which is Carpenteresque at times, but still remains its own distinct work. The pounding synth and bass line are joined by a piano, and...are those moans I hear as well? A new twist is added to the room in "Living Walls," in which a harpsichord intro is joined by vocals and synth work. At this point, it's easy to imagine faces forming in the walls as the visitor looks the other way. But as the bells enter the picture, so do the breathing and groaning effects that imply the faces have been spotted. It's sure to be a cool way to accent the famous spandex-based haunt scene of the same name.

"Gruesome Discovery" uses soft, quick synth notes and gongs that imply someone running away from danger. Eerie vocals and additional synth notes add to the effect. The drums usher in a child's laughter followed by closing doors. "Return of the Ancient Ones" starts with loud booms, the sound of falling plaster, soft wind, and then steady series of synth notes. Said synth work gets faster as the vocal chorus and gongs make themselves known. It's like being stalked by a Lovecraftian entity. It all stops as clock strikes midnight...or does it? The bells slow and distort...even time is being controlled by the house! The title track, "The 13th Hour" is also the final track. We start with another boom, then synth music that increases in speed and volume. Crashing effects add to the sense of running for dear life from something unspeakably evil, pushing all obstacles aside. More moans and effects and effects build, then it suddenly stops as door opens. As crickets are heard, it becomes clear that the evil is confined to the mansion and we're finally safe.

The use of music and soundscapes to imply a storyline rather than directly tell it makes The 13th Hour a more grown up version of those narrated "trip through a haunted house" records many of us listened to as kiddies, like A Night in a Haunted House and Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted_House.

The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates is an interesting little album which was released to promote the Midnight Syndicate's then-upcoming feature film The Dead Matter, but was not the soundtrack. Instead, it is a mostly material inspired by the movie, although some work from the film was included.

The mix of creepy organ riffs, synth work and bells on the opening track "Cathedral Ruins" is very foreboding and eerie, with a touch of sadness. It's a great mood setter for just about any haunted scene and is perfect for looping. The quick "Shadowed Grove" evokes the feel of walking in a dark forest, using only soft, creepy drum beats and synthesizers. "Meeting of the Acolytes" is a "light" sort of scary, but still effective. Cymbals and soft (but forceful) piano work mix with wordless chanting and synth work. "The Revenants" has an opening that bring the theme from Halloween to mind, in which the opening piano forms the backbone while the violins and percussion effects add otherworldly sense of menace. It's a good way to creep out, but not terrify, children while still being enjoyable for adults

"Called From Beyond" has a heavy synth opening, followed by a gong and other scary touches. Some parts vaguely remind me of the Jaws theme. The light wordless vocals get louder as song progresses and thr increased gong use makes me wonder if they're being used to summon something calling King Kong style. "Nightfall" use a light, but unsettling piano with even lighter synth touches. One gets the sense of someone nervously (but masterfully) playing the piano. "The Hunt" uses its pounding, heavy beat and drums to give both a sense of urgency and feel of being pursued by something nasty. "Across the Chasm" is a quick, alternately heavy and soft piano piece that incorporates other touches to create the effect of creeping over great depth.

"Cemetery Gates" is another loop-worthy track that's perfect for those who want to use something other than the usual dirge for their graveyard or funeral scenes. The mournful piano and tolling bells go extremely well with the wordless vocals and synth work. Although the sounds of wind in "Entering the Crypt" eventually give way to the piano, they never truly leave. The flapping of bats' wings are a great touch and the track is perfect for any "old, dark house" setup. Castle setups will benefit from use of "Alchemist's Chamber," which uses heavy, somewhat pounding synth over very scary organ work and wordless vocals. Harpsichord interludes gives it an "ancient" feel. "Tear of Osiris" is an eerie track I wish went on for a little longer, using soft gongs, chimes and flutes to create a vaguely Egyptian melody. "Forging the Scarab" starts with a heavy, pounding beat and synth work joins in to further the effect of dreadful work being done. There are also some light touches, like chimes and gongs, that give a sense of scrap metal and hammering. As usual, the wordless vocals are as effective as ever. "Shadows Descend" uses soft 'n steady synth and piano notes, along with touches of female and male vocals. The piano gets more involved about a minute in, then gets somewhat erratic as the sense of synth menace increases. Both get rather varied later on, but eventually return to "normal."

Although fairly short in length, "Inside the Scarab" creates a building sense of menace via synthesizer, with the occasional use of noise that suggests the beating of an insect's wings. "Exodus" uses a combination of piano, bells and light synth work to create a spooky feel. There's definitely a sense of leaving in a hurry. It "picks up" at points, as if a brief rest was cut short and later gets very menacing and pounding midway through. Perhaps that part represents the reason for this exodus? A medium, steady piano opening in "Dark Legacy" leads to synthesizer work, and later a gongs signals the organ to join in. It feels like someone recollecting of the past, and there are otherworldly touches at one point (along with vocals). The light, plinking melody of "Lullaby" is very much like a child's music box. The occasional use of soft female vocals increases the feel of something supernatural. Things go off kilter, then synth work and children chanting enter the picture.

"Lost" is the first of three bonus tracks, all performed by Gavin Goszka. It (just like the other two bonus tracks) is a throwback to the original sound of the Midnight Syndicate. In sharp contrast to the preceding material on the disc, this has a rock feel and actually has lyrics! The use of synth work and guitar makes for interesting combo, along with a light piano riff and various spooky touches. The interesting guitar opening of "Not Your Saviour" sets the tone for the track, while drums and other synth touches are gradually added (including hand claps). Finally, the otherworldly effects at opening of "Theme to the Dead Matter (A.b.t Remix)" slowly give way to funky effects over piano and the vocals we're used to from the rest of the album. But they too give way to more claps and even some spacey robot-like(!) noises at one point. None of the bonus tracks are well-suited to use in scaring people and are best either skipped over or tossed into a Halloween party playlist.

The music of The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates' flows together very well (with the exception of the bonus tracks) without sounding repetitive, making it especially well-suited for both casual listening and/or playing while handing out candy to trick or treaters. The same can also be said of The 13th Hour. For use in haunts, the lengths and themes of certain tracks will most likely result in haunters picking and choosing the tracks best suited for the scenes they've set up rather than using the entire album. Now that I think about, I can also easily see some combining multiple tracks, such as using both "Footsteps in the Dust" and "Lullaby" to create the aural backdrop for a haunted nursery.

As of this writing, the Midnight Syndicate has recently released two new albums, the Destini Beard collaboration The Dark Masquerade and the "best of" Halloween Music Collection compilation (which includes some selections from the albums used in this review). Here's hoping they have many more to come!

Special thanks to Entity Productions for the review copies!

Rest Up

2010-10-24T15:07:00.002-04:00

We're one week from Halloween.

Yeah, vampires, anime and the Groovie Ghoulies. Kind of a hodgepodge of medi-core but it's Sunday.

The 2010 Halloween Contest Winners!

2010-10-23T20:00:00.012-04:00

It was a pretty good first contest, here at Gravediggers Local 16. Before we go any further, we want to extend our gratitude to all of those who entered. A contest without entries is the saddest pumpkin on the block. You took time out of your day to craft together some effort - could have taken an hour or a minute - it was still time that you gave to this little website. Thank You.

We have received word back from our celebrity judges, the Freakshow Family - Bernie, Loretta and daughter, Poinsettia. We've tallied up the scores and are ready to present the winners of the 2010 Halloween Contest here at Gravediggers Local 16.

First off:

THE LIMERICK CONTEST

We received a wide range of limericks, offering our judges the chance to puzzle at the clever wordplay offered by you, our readers. It came down to Mike's entry that won the Grand Prize - a copy of Halloween Hootenanny on CD, a Bath O'Lantern organic vegan soap from BubbleGenius, a membership to ZombiePumpkins.com and, in addition, he will receive a pumpkin themed metal Luminary that Weird Jon has donated from his wild traverses across this haunted globe.

Mike
The Halloween party was rocking,

The zombies in top hats were shocking,

The trouble all came,

When a man with no brain,

Got caught sniffing somebody's stocking.

The runner up prize goes to Ellen Hudson, who vividly captured one of Weird Jon's best kept secrets - his lifelike animal calls. How she knew, we'll have to leave to private eyes and mystic mediums. But her clairvoyance and witty writing will earn her a copy of Halloween Hootenanny on CD.

Ellen Hudson

The Gravedigger’s Local was in for a scare.

Weird Jon would arrive dressed as a bear.

He’d let out a roar,

Making guests run for the door.

Leaving the gravediggers alone in their lair.

Congratulations to the winners of the Limerick Contest! Not for nothing, everyone who submitted demonstrated a clever grip on rhyme, and we would like to share all the entries with you!

Ronni Burke

At Gdl16 his favourite time is Halloween,

With Spooks & Ghouls & Vampires too,

And the odd witch wtih witches brew,

So at Gdls Party on Halloween Nite,

Jump out of the shadows and give Gdl16 and his Followers a fright!!!!!!!

There was a young fella called Bela,

Who was a scarey young fella,

With capes and bats and blood you see

Only vampyres like him,

Scare the crap outa me!!!!!

There was a man called Vlad,

Whose life was very,very sad,

With heads on spikes,

Twas nothing he liked,

Biting necks he declared, I might like that.

(Roni actually sent in four limericks, but since the contest stated three (3) limericks maximum, we only counted the first three in the contest. Not to diminish his limerick ability, here is the fourth, which is a humdinger if ever there was one!)

Two gents called Burke and Hare.

Robbin graves was a job theyd share,
Into the graveyard theyd creep,
And dig down deep,
A fresh corpse theyd bring to the air.

Johnny Saturn

It's Hallowe'en and our party's been drinking
So much that now we're all stinking
We've crashed Gravedigger's Local
where the owners are vocal
About wanting to know what we're thinking.

I'm creeped out by Weird Jon and Strange Jason
Calling out to some lady they're chasin'
It doesn't get too much better
When they finally get her
For the result's what you might call "debasin'"

Talking to Weird Jon for a minute
About the contest and how I will win it
But I have a strong hunch
After tasting the punch
That someone's slipped arsenic in it!

Mike
The once was a creature from hades,
Who had quite a thing for the ladies,
At the Halloween do,
He picked one or two,
To give birth to his hell spawny babies

The party was ever so booming,
But the shadow of death it was looming,
It came in through the door,
Threw up on the floor,
And all of the guests went a zooming.

Jason Darrick
Weird Jon had a coffin full of cash.
To buy music to make sure the party was a smash.
He cleaned out the store
Bought spooky records galore
But the hit of the night was the Monster Mash.

Strange Jason had a wonderful affinity
That had party goers howling with glee
His costume was tied
His makeup was applied
And he walked the local's halls handing out candy.

Marina Monstro
All dark and spooky on Halloween night
The party raged on with fiendish delight
As the moon rose high, there came a knock on the door
Zombies looking for brains, could this party supply anymore?
Every ran and hide from these undead creatures

The zombies moaned and reached for their heads
Spooky Jason threw what he could, zombie heads spilling out red
The nerve of those zombies, trying the ruin the party
We'll have to use their guts and make something arty!

Jim Phillips
Pale faces looked on with distain,
at the lad looking smug & quite vain.
Though he thought "I'm the highlight,
A buff vampire from Twilight!"
He was looked on as something to drain.

Ellen Hudson
On Halloween night someone spiked the punch.
Atomic Mystery Monster lost his lunch.
No one had a clue,
Just what to do.
Drink up the punch, was my first hunch.

Surely the party would be great,
Even Strange Jason got a date.
Dressed as a cat,
She looked like a rat,
But Jason was sure he found his mate.

THE ART CONTEST

It was a close contest here. With a narrower field of entrants, it came down to a hair - one of Bernie's - in deciding who would walk away with the grand prize.

But it was Ellen Hudson, whose uncanny ability to capture the Atomic Mystery Monster in art form - something photographers have failed to do for decades - won her the Grand Prize of Scarecrow brand custom fitting vampire fangs, the high end Blood Gel to go with the new fangs, Perfect Creature on DVD and Heart On anatomical heart-shaped vegan soap from Bubble Genius.

As for the Runner Up in the Art Contest, when we said it was close, it was. In fact, all three other entrants, Cheryl Dmetruk, Mike Roberts and Miss Wendy Thirteen will all receive a copy of Perfect Creature on DVD because the contest was that close. Bernie, Loretta and Poinsettia all had their favorites in the other pictures and instead of causing a family feud that might render our favorite freakshow family asunder, it just made sense to reward all entrants on their great submissions!

Cheryl Dmetruk!

Mike Roberts!

Miss Wendy Thirteen!

And with that, the Gravediggers Local 16 2010 Halloween Contest comes to a close. With one week left until the big night, we hope that all of you have a blast getting ready for a great holiday. Thank you again to each and everyone of you who entered. Thanks to the Freakshow family for helping out with judging this year's contest. And thanks to you, dear readers, patrons and union members. We wouldn't be here without you.

Music to Haunt By: An Introduction

2010-10-23T13:39:00.128-04:00

Having clearly not learned my lesson from doing the Freaky Tiki Surf-ari, I've decided to do another music-related review series for the site. However, unlike last time, this will be much shorter and won't have the introduction and first review merged into a single post...

Sound is an important part of any haunted attraction, be it the noise made by a performer or by a hidden audio player blasting scary sound effects. Don't get me wrong, a haunted attraction can still be great without any prerecorded sound effects or music, it's just that sounds can greatly enhance a scare. Try watching any of the shark attack scenes from Jaws without the music and you'll see what I mean. No offense to Dario Argento, but I'm convinced that Deep Red would have been nowhere near as intense without Goblin's amazing score.

But you don't necessarily need sound effects to scare people. Simply playing the theme from Halloween in a darken room is enough to unnerve many people. However, doing that in a room decorated to look like a spaceship will only cause confusion (if not outright amusement). You just have to match the right audio with the right setup.

Over the course of this review series, I'll be looking at CDs from artists that specialize in music designed to scare people. I'll also include suggestions on what themes work best with each CD and how certain tracks can be used, be it at your haunted house or simply played in the background when trick or treaters come a-calling.

These aren't the standard "scary sound effects" CDs you can pick up just about anywhere come October, although some of the CDs will have a track or two of just sound effects. Most of the time, the majority of the tracks will either be just music or a combination of music and sound effects. For those not in the know, the latter is also known as a "soundscape." Soundscapes can be a combination of sound effects played over music, or a group of related sound effects playing on the same track (either playing one after the other or layered over each other). For example, a graveyard soundscape could consist of ravens cawing and the wind blowing, with the occasional sound of a grave being dug or a shuffling zombie.

Speaking of soundscapes, our Twitter pal Tribal Gothic has recently released an ambient sci-fi soundscape called "A Failed Event in Time." You can get the free .mp3 here.

For an even more in-depth look at the use of sound in a haunted attraction, I highly recommend this two-part article from 2 Scary Guys. Also, our recent "Tricks and Treats" article has a few sneaky sound tricks. Check 'em out!

Women are scary, too.

2010-10-22T16:00:00.000-04:00

Jason. Freddy. Leatherface. Pinhead.

Where are the women?

Technically, it was Mrs. Voorhees who did all the killing in the first 'Friday,' but where are the iconic female monsters to compete with the males? I haven't seen all the horror movies out there and my memory can be dim as a jack o'lantern's candle in mid November, so if you have suggestions, leave them with the comments or add them to our Twitter feed @GdL16.

Have there been studies on the female antagonist in Horror? Do you know of any blogs or sites that we can pass along here on Gravediggers Local 16?

High-Tech Haunted Houses

2010-10-22T13:33:00.006-04:00

For the past two Halloween Countdowns, I've always had at least one haunted attraction review. Sadly, it's looking more and more like that won't be the case this year. Ironically, my busy schedule for the countdown leaves me with zero free time to check out any of the few haunted attractions that are within reasonable driving distance. As for my usual method of reviewing a haunt I've been to in years past, my well (of four) attractions that haven't definitely ceased operation seems to have dried up.

One attraction is definitely still open, but their web site is lacking in certain information I require and I have been unable to contact them. Similarly, there's another haunted house that I'm not sure is still in operation, and I'm never able to reach a person whenever I try calling the company that runs it. I was able to contact one last week, but they were still undecided as to whether or not they would be doing it again this year! Finally, the last haunt on my list has been replaced with a differently themed haunt run by the same organization that ran the original (and is set up at the same location), but is allegedly so different (and so awful) that reviewing the one I went to would be pointless. What's a guy to do?

Well, besides hope that Strange Jason gets to go to the haunted trail that invited him to attend, I live vicariously through videos of haunted attractions. Along with Living Dead Live!, the following video from the official CBS Youtube channel was enough to make me feel better about the whole matter:

If the haunted attraction review sites I have linked to in the past aren't enough of a consolation for you, check out:

Haunted Illinois
Is It October Yet?
Haunted House Chicago

Alternately, you can look at these classic articles about various haunted attractions:

Dracula's Castle
Harvest of Horrors
The "Ultimate Haunt"
Witch Dungeon Museum
Barrett's Haunted Mansion

Living Dead Live!

2010-10-21T22:30:00.000-04:00

Although there are tons of materials devoted to the various aspects of creating of haunted house, one topic remains mostly ignored amongst all the how-tos on prop-making and setting up a haunted house: scaring people. Far too many people think simply wearing a mask and yelling "Boo" while jumping out of a dark corner is all you need to do in order to scare people.

So when I discovered Living Dead Live! while perusing through Amazon, I was pretty excited. Especially because of the names I saw listed on the cover. I was familiar with Jim O'Rear due to his acting work and presence in the Halloween/haunt community and Rich Hanf is a pretty big name in the haunted attraction industry. In fact, he is a professor at Halloween University! This was clearly put together by guys who knew their stuff when it comes to scaring.

The film opens with Rich Hanf speaking outside his 2002 "House of the Living Dead" haunted attraction. He's very energetic, animated and quick to make a joke, like an 80's wrestling manager "cutting a promo." We learn that this is actually a sequel to a video from 1997 called Live on Horror Hill and that, just like that video, we'll be going through a haunted house, room by room, to examine how the scares are achieved. After a reprise of a gag from Live on Horror Hill (presented in a way that's still funny to those who haven't seen it), we get the opening credits. Said credits are played over footage of people getting scared as they go through the haunt, and certain footage is reused many times over the course of the film.

Right from the beginning, Hanf shows the viewer how a scare can be used to force people in a certain direction. In this first example, he uses a rattling, chained-up door prop to startle people into running further down the hall at the beginning of the haunt. It's positioned by the doorway that customers use to enter the haunt, and it doesn't start moving until the customers are partway down the hall with their backs to the door. This is followed by footage of the scare in action, which occurs after the initial explanation of each scare.

Oddly, the footage used for the next scare (involving a giant rat and a killer clown) only seems to show the clown scaring people. The asylum room is truly inspired and jam-packed with scares, featuring numerous instances of a single actor providing multiple scares. My favorite involves a jailed inmate startling someone by suddenly appearing in a cell and rattling the bars. This gets the customer to back up towards the opposite wall, which contains an actor behind a hidden drop panel. When the hapless victim turns around to see what made the loud noise behind them, the first actor removes the bars from his cell and starts to climb out. That way, when the customer(s) who get scared by the drop panel turn back around, they're surprised by the freed prisoner coming after them and are forced towards the next scare. As our host notes, using scares to direct people are important, as it helps keep them from aimlessly milling about for too long and clogging up the flow of customers.

The next few scares are mostly based around distracting people prior to hitting them with a scare (which greatly enhances the effectiveness of said scare), the first of which involves an actor who has already provided two other scares. Getting the most scares out of one actor is a constant theme throughout Living Dead Live!, be it by having the same "character" reappearing elsewhere or by having them secretly trigger an effect in a nearby room. Other distraction and misdirection-based scares include a room which takes advantage of the fact that people will assume that everything in a room that mostly consists of painted figures on a wall is merely a flat painting and another involving a corpse behind glass. On the non-distraction front, there's also a scare designed to tempt (and nail) people who break rules like "no touching."

A still from reading "Words from the Press" takes us into a long segment featuring numerous clips of local news footage promoting "House of the Living Dead." These are frequently mind-blowing, featuring things like a newscaster in bleeding "Jason" mask, multiple uses of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and a segment where things keep popping out of walls until the room fills up like a reverse clown car. It's all gloriously bizarre, although watching all of the clips does give away a large portion of the attraction. All of this footage appears to have been recorded at home although certain flaws, like the very high contrast footage featuring Rich Hanf's wife seems to be the fault of news crew and not the people behind the DVD. There's also one segment where the footage seems to "flash," but I can't say if it's an error or merely an attempt to simulate a strobe light.

Then we're taken back to the scare tips and explanations. More creative misdirection scares are discussed (the ones in the haunted mine and hanging room are truly brilliant), as are the psychological effects of black curtains, the importance of showmanship, and what sort of scares to use for promotional news shoots.

Another still takes us to a lengthy segment devoted to the actors and actresses. Mr. Hanf and a series of various employees sit in a meeting room and discuss the room they appear in, how their scare works (often followed by footage of the scare in action), memorable customer reactions, how to improve the room and (of course) general tips. There is a lot of great advice here, like "get your scare and get out of there" and the importance of actors taking control of their room, often by
singling out a person to get them more involved in the experience.

After that, the viewer is taken on the final leg of the haunt break-down. There's plenty of old standards, such as a graveyard, strobe room and laboratory, along with more original material like the "Hall of Doors" (the scares aren't as obvious as they sound). Of course, the old standards always have a new twist, such as how the mad scientist is able to get multiple scares at once.

But wait, there's more! Before the credits roll, there's a ton of videos of people going through the haunt and some interviews with scared customers. It's interesting to see how the character in some rooms are rotated and seeing some actors do scares that weren't previously mentioned by Hanf. The customer reactions are, as you've probably guessed, quite a hoot. All the classics are here, from people losing shoes to people who go in acting brave getting scared silly.

This 2003 DVD-R release has no menu or chapter stops, which is quite annoying given that it's about an hour and 43 minutes long. There aren't any special features
(there is a funny joke about this on the back cover), which is a shame since the news footage segment could have easily served as a bonus feature without removing essential from the film. But, in all fairness, this appears to have been the first time those involved had ever released a DVD.

The transfer is full frame, camcorder quality with the occasional rainbow/tape lines and artifacting. To be honest, the quality doesn't both me, as I find it much less annoying than flat, overly bright Mini DV transfers you see on direct-to-video crapfests like The Tomb. What did annoy me, however, were the longish black pauses between haunt footage and Hanf's segments and the squeaking noise that first appears several minutes into the movie (and occasionally pops up later on). I asked Mr. O'Rear about this and sadly, this was present on the master copy. He was not sure as to exactly what caused it, but theorized it could have something to do with a low battery. Unfortunately, it pops up at points where simply removing that portion of the audio track and replacing it with ambient noise or redubbed dialogue would be impossible (as would simply not using that footage).

The same can't be said for the long breaks between footage transitions, however. That really should have been fixed in post-production or, failing that, replaced with graphics outlining the scare tips made from the previous segment (not unlike the scrolling subtitles from time to time to emphasize a point or provide further hints). Another thing that could have been taken care of in post is the order of the segments, as the constant breaks from the main dissection of the attraction's scares is rather distracting. In my opinion, it would flow much better in the following order: step-by step through the haunt, actors, live haunt footage and maybe the news promos (if they weren't used as an extra).

Any other issues can mostly be chalked up to Living Dead Live!
As this was more or less made by two guys using only one camera on the final night of the haunt's run (Halloween), there was no time for multiple takes. Thankfully, Rich Hanf rarely flubs his dialogue and those are limited to the interviews with performers. And even then, the others (including cameraman Jim O'Rear) seize upon the opportunity for some good-natured joking. Likewise sometimes the camera angles used during the "live" footage might not be to everyone's taste, but the fairly narrow portions of the haunt were designed to keep scared customers moving forward and not for filming. Especially filming by a cameraman who was taking care not to get in anyone's way.

Although primarily intended for those already familiar with the haunted attraction biz, home haunts can still pick up some great tips from this. However, the entertainment and educational value is marred somewhat by the presentation. Thankfully, that's nothing that couldn't be fixed by a little editing and a "Living Dead Live: Reanimated!"-type reissue of the title.

Special thanks to Jim O'Rear for the review copy!

Jill Thompson: Queen of Halloween.

2010-10-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Jill Thompson is amazing. There's no denying that her career as a cartoonist has produced some of the most fantastic spooky artwork out there. There's both a playfulness in her line work and a genuine sense of creepy in her colors, making her a great example of how spooky and weird can be fun.

I first found her work through the 'Scary Godmother' character back in a comic shop. The character, who she would list as a cross between a fairy godmother and a witch in the 'Ghouls Out For Summer' story, is joined by a list of spooky characters - Harry the Werewolf, Bugaboo the Monster-under-the-bed/in-the-basement and Mr. Pettibone the skeleton. Friends of a young girl named Hannah, Scary Godmother's initial books are aimed more at the younger set. More spooky than scary, the collection is a great way for the young to get into reading. But for adults, Jill Thompson's art is spectacular. Real crisp linework and vivid colors make each page a great sight to see and each reading shows something you didn't see before. You can get the collected books here for a really great price.

For the more adult readers is her work with Evan Dorkin, the Beasts of Burden. The series details the continuing adventures of a group of animals first appearing in the Dark Horse Book of Hauntings (with a story in The Book of Witchcraft, The Book of the Dead, The Book of Monsters.) Showing how the animal world deals with the supernatural, it's a great comic book.

Jill Thompson also does Magic Trixie, which I can't front and say I know much about. But it seems to pick up with the whimsical supernatural adventures that left off with Scary Godmother. If ever I find myself near a comic shop this season, I'll have to check it out - and I encourage you to, as well.

Follow Jill Thompson on Twitter and check out her official site here.

A Halloween Moon

2010-10-20T16:27:00.002-04:00

Although the use of video technology for decoration did exist in the days of VHS, things really didn't take off until DVDs entered the picture. Finally, a program could be played over and over again in a loop without the need for constant rewinding.

TransLumen Technologies seeks to differentiate themselves from the virtual fireplaces and "ghoul logs" on the market by doing something other than the standard video wallpaper DVD. Rather than doing an actual video that's mean to be watched, they use a series of images to create an illusion of a still picture that changes at times. Apparently, there's no threat of screen "burn-in" since the images are always changing. The back cover says that these were intended for use on widescreen televisions and that the changes can't be detected on them. As I have an old school tube TV, I can confirm that the disc can be used with it, although the transitions are somewhat easier to detect (especially if you constantly watch the screen).

As you've probably guessed, one doesn't technically watch a TransLumen DVD. Instead, it's better if you only glance at the screen from time to time. This makes it best suited for use "in the background" at a Halloween party or in the waiting area of a haunted house. Although the back cover says a "cabinet, mirror, window shade or other concealment methods" are not required (presumably a reference to the Big Scream TV series and other such titles), I suspect that many Halloween enthusiasts will be tempted to place a fake picture over their screens in order to help give the appearance that this is a haunted painting. A fun way to further enhance the effect is to position a mirror across the room from the screen playing A Halloween Moon. People are naturally drawn to mirrors and as they look at themselves, they'll probably notice that the image has changed since they last saw it.

A Halloween Moon starts off with an opening title screen and and explanation of the technology on the disc, followed by a 30 second time lapse version of the entire "show." This entire segment (including the opening) counts as the DVD's sole chapter stop. Next comes the main program, which clocks in at about an hour and automatically loops (skipping the introductory screen) after the conclusion.

We're greeted with a black and white scene depicting a deserted house on a lonely road with a full moon overhead. However, this gradually shifts into color (and said colors change shades over time) while scary sound effects and music play. Although the audio fades out completely after five minutes, it returns every now and again. The initial return (tolling bells) is a clever way of drawing people's eyes back to the screen to both take notice of the changes and to get them prepared to check back at other points in time to see how else the "painting" has changed. However, the sound/silence ratio (and duration) constantly changes after that, rather than predictably occur every five minutes or not long after a new image appears onscreen. It's a clever touch that might take some awhile to get used to. Of course, those who either want no audio or who wish to use a different soundtrack only need to hit "Mute" on their remote.

I was impressed how TransLumen Technologies managed to stretch out the amount of sound effects over the course of the DVD without it ever seeming boring or skimpy. They even manage to pull of using two versions of "Toccata and Fugue in D" (the classic spooky version and a lighter take on it) and not have it seem repetitive. New effects or music are always layered in whenever something is repeated. Said music is excellent and ranges from "pounding and spooky with wordless vocals" to "eerie yet mystical." The program's final segment uses a mix of old and new material to make for a great ending.

However, I do have a few issues with the choice of certain effects. For example, the barking dog effect that appears about fourteen minutes in sounds like a regular dog barking. Although its sudden appearance after a lengthy silence is genuinely surprising, I would have preferred something a little more vicious-sounding. Also, some effects are much louder than others, like the door slamming about forty minutes in (which implies a use of effects from multiple sources).

But let's not forget the visual side of things. Many other spooky images pop up over the course of the disc's running time, ranging from a strange reddish light appears in the upper window of the house to the very creepy "skull in the moon" effect (along with plenty of other spooky touches I won't describe). I did like how, at the end, the various scary things fade away and the image gets monochromatic again, which makes the transition back to the beginning very seamless.

This 2007 DVD is a very impressive first effort by Translumen, with an excellent widescreen transfer and is scary enough to please adults while not being too intense for all but the youngest of children. As it's a DVD-R release, some players might display "lines" onscreen during the first play-through and it is advised that you play A Halloween Moon at least once prior to the visitors arriving. Thankfully, the label is printed onto the disc rather than being glued on. I also think it would be a nice creepy touch if future Halloween-related titles had some objects that appear and disappear from time to time without sticking around for the final picture.

Company founders Carol Sherman (company President) and Doug Siefken (who also directs the company's DVDs) were also kind enough to answer the following questions:

---

Please tell us a little about the company.

Carol Sherman: TransLumen Technologies was founded and the first patent was filed at the beginning of 2000 followed by a second patent application. The initial art on Video Compact Disc (VCD) for internal use was shown to Kodak, Viacom, Disney and Panasonic. They verified its competitive uniqueness via patent and internal technology searches. In 2002 – 2003 TransLumen was issued U.S. Patents #6,433,839 and #6,580,466 for graphic imaging algorithms. On 02/02/2002 Sony Galleries sponsored an exhibit featuring the first public implementation of TransLumen’s Fluid Stills® technology. The show exhibited three pieces of the VCD based art, two on TVs and one projected.

TransLumen Participated in a Boeing “think tank” to create future technologies. TransLumen successfully completed a collaborative 3-month test with NEC on plasma screen burn-in mitigation. We then presented a simulation on the Access Grid Facility for the Office of Naval Research along with one to the Technology Research Education & Commercialization Center. TransLumen also collaborated with Boeing Integrated Defense and QinetiQ for Command/Control applications during this time.

In the years 2004 – 2005 TransLumen received a NASA Illinois Commercialization Center Award and participated in a DARPA Cognitive Performance think tank for Augmented Cognition. The first functional peripheral awareness indicator integrating Subthreshold Extreme Gradual Change (STEGC) was developed. Since 2006 TransLumen received a State of Illinois’ Homeland Security –Innovation Product grant, made presentations to and submitted “white papers” to Augmented Cognition International and the World Bank, received an Illinois Technology Development Alliance grant to advance use of the v-INDICATOR™ for universal mobile device use, received an Office of Naval research contract Broadcast Agency Announcement (BAA) for perceptual training and partnered with Lockheed Martin to conduct further development associated with the perceptual training BAA. In addition, we have launched the game “UAV Fighter,” an Apple App for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

Please tell us a little about your "Fluid Stills" technology.

Carol Sherman: We currently hold three patents on the Fluid Stills® Sub-threshold Extreme Gradual Change (STEGC). With their pictorial roots, the pieces produced in this manner can be very fluid yet non-disruptive when used as ambient art. The pieces are a part of the “Stillism”, "video art installation" and "video painting" genres. Each frame has all of the qualities of a photograph, painting or other piece of still art while the work as a whole embodies the temporal flow of the motion picture.

The technology relies on slowing change from one image to the next to a point slow enough to be below the visual sense of change. In other words “it looks like a still image but is dynamically changing.”

TransLumen developed an art DVD for the Chicago Field Museum using its Fluid Stills® technology. A Fluid Stills® Chicago Skyscape for the renovation and re-branding of Chicago’s Holiday Inn Express Hotel was installed in 2007 (and is still running) at 640 N. Wabash.

How did the idea to do a Halloween title come about?

Doug Siefken: I have always thought that Halloween was the most awesome of holidays – loving the excitement of it. I wanted to do an art piece that lent itself to the “festive” (scary really) aspects of Halloween but suitable for all ages.

What's the creation process like for your products?

Doug Siefken: We use the following process

1. Create and develop the concept
2. Develop the “story” timeline
3. Create or acquire the artwork and audio tracks
4. Process as STEGC (Sub-threshold Extreme Gradual Change) raw imagery/video
5. Compile video using MPEG2, H.264 etc.
6. Distribute as digital file or DVD/Blu-ray etc.

Are the art and audio original or were they licensed from another company?

Carol Sherman: The art in A Halloween Moon was based on about 15 original photographs by Doug Siefken and a handful of licensed art. The audio is a collection of original music and sound effects by TransLumen combined with licensed pieces. The licensed pieces came from sound effect/audio and art collections.

Which companies were they licensed from?

Carol Sherman: The audio was licensed primarily through Sony and Sonic libraries and mixed with original TransLumen content.

Are you planning on switching from DVD-Rs to DVDs at any point?

Doug Siefken: Yes – we are planning to introduce a variety of formats including DVD, Blu-ray and streaming for all of our titles. An interesting point is that in various formats it is a “Green technology.”

Interesting! How are these a “green" technology?

Carol Sherman: The images when played back via certain file formats (not DVDs or Blu-ray) are "green technology" because only the change is transmitted and there is very little change compare to full motion video. High-def images have been successfully played over 14400 baud modems (over telephone).

Do you have any plans for further Halloween (or other holiday)-related releases?

Carol Sherman: We are planning to release product for all major Holidays and currently are producing and /or translumenizing content for Long Glance Media.

Special thanks to TransLumen Technologies for the review copy!

Help Us Rock the Rondos!

2010-10-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Although this isn't the first time we've discussed the Rondo Awards, this is the first time we're ready for the nomination period. So please, go here and nominate Gravedigger's Local 16 as the best website (or any other category you think we qualify for) so we can get on the ballot this year.

Tiger Army

2010-10-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

I don't know the guy personally but I'm sure that Tim Armstrong of Rancid is a big fan of psychobilly. Nekromantix, HorrorPops and The Creepshow are all signed to his Hellcat Records label, which also is home to Devils Brigade, which is Matt Freeman's side project when he's not playing in Rancid.

Over ten years at Hellcat, Tiger Army is a band that has become synonymous with psychobilly as Nekromantix. Tiger Army first appeared out in California by Nick 13 in 1996. It's one of those cases, like Mr. Chi Pig of SNFU, where time has made for a rotating cast of characters supporting the front man. Tiger Army lives as long as Nick 13 lives.

There's a more western punk influence in Tiger Army. Smoother. Kind of less reliant on the signature slap-bass sound that the upright brings to the table. There's that 90's Bay Area attitude to the music that makes it seems less aggressive as one might expect out of no-hope-fuck-you situations you'll find on the East Coast. Granted, why would you move to Southern California?

(seriously, Hellcat? 'Embedding Disabled by Request? You're killing me, Tim)

Tiger Army's last release came out three years ago, which is pretty weird to me because I actually remember it coming out. Normally, this stuff happens under my radar, which is funny since the last release was called MUSIC FROM REGIONS BEYOND.

They're playing this Halloween - both on the 30th and 31st. Throw Rag is there, as well as Mad Sin. If you're located in Anaheim or will be in that part of the world, check them out. Nick 13 has some solo country work coming out, which sounds pretty nice so far. I'll have to pick up a copy if's it out. I like roots country and I hope the best for Nick13. Hell, if he and Blanche can put on a show sometime around here, I would buy them all a drink and personally thank them if I could. .

Remakes Are Hell p.2

2010-10-19T15:17:00.001-04:00

News Broke Out like a bad case of scabies that the Hellraiser remake is going to go PEE GEE THUR-TEEEN for the reason of "why the fuck not?"

It makes sense, since the film industry is still kind of confused as to what to do with itself. Jackass 3D makes 50 million in a weekend and gets positive reviews while the geek-pandering 'Scott Pilgrim' bombs. Maybe the idea has gotten across that horror movies might not be the golden goose of 'shell out three million. make ten. profit.' anymore? I don't know. Someone with greater ideas about this might write in the comments.

Truth is, this makes sense to me from a financial standpoint. Hellraiser doesn't really have the cultural connection that 'Friday the 13th' or 'Nightmare on Elm Street' had. Jason and Freddy are your stalwarts, the Superman and Batman of your horror genre. Pinhead falls on the lower echelon. It's harder to dress up like him and he's kind of a dick, really. Black leather and meat-hooks. Not a lot of personality, where as Jason and Freddy are a few household items and BOOM! Start running.

Appeal to a greater audience with disposable income and your big budget remake of a nearly 25-year old slasher will make back your budget. Sure, the 2010 'Nightmare' made three times it budget for a R-rated figure, but people KNOW Freddy. Who the fuck is this Pinhead guy?

Amber Head, actress rumored to be for the 'lead,' was born the same year that Hellraiser came out. Keep that in mind. Remakes are hell, folks.

What a (Pumpkin) Carve Up!

2010-10-19T13:36:00.075-04:00

Ah, the soft, eerie glow of a lit Jack O'Lantern on Halloween night. What could be better? To help further this grand Halloween tradition, we here at Gravedigger's Local 16 have compiled a list of helpful pumpkin carving-related links. So if you've exhausted your ideas for pumpkin faces, really want to dominate the next pumpkin carving contest or just want to do something different this year, read on:

First up, the Amazon preview of Great Pumpkins: Crafty Carving for Halloween by Peter Cole and Jessica Hurley has several spooky pumpkin design stencils.

Similarly, the Google Books preview for Shelley Wolson's Budget Celebrations: The Hostess Guide to Year-Round Entertaining on a Dime has a few stencils, but you'll need to use the "zoom" option in order to read the directions.

Although both DLTK's Holiday Crafts and Activities and this Halloween Forum thread offer tons of free stencils, three particular names stand out in my mind when it comes to websites with great pumpkin carving stencils:

Zombie Pumpkins
The Pumpkin Lady
Ultimate Pumpkin Stencils
Although they are all businesses, they do also offer a generous selection of free stuff. The Pumpkin Lady even offers extra specials and free patterns to her Facebook fans and exclusive deals and other goodies to those who join her newsletter! Similarly, both Ultimate Pumpkin Stencils and Zombie Pumpkins offer special bonuses on their Facebook pages, and all of the sites mention numerous deals and freebies on their Twitter feeds. Zombie Pumpkins also deserves an extra special shout-out for kindly donating a year's subscription to their service as a prize for our 2010 Halloween contest.

Although it doesn't have any stencils, the preview for Tom Nardone's Extreme Pumpkins does have some great tips on pumpkin carving, along with directions on how to make a "cannibal pumpkin."

If you want to give your pumpkin a really unique and detailed look, be sure to read this three page article from an October 2007 issue of Boys' Life.

Finally, this GdL16 entry from our first Halloween countdown has an amazing pumpkin-carving project for those of you who don't fear a challenge. Oh, and you should definitely check out the Wikipedia entry on Jack O'Lanterns if you have some spare time. Not only is it very fascinating, but it also has a great selection of pictures that includes a preserved, turnip-based Irish Jack O'Lantern!

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

Remember...

2010-10-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

...when I said my favorite vampire was Bunnicula?

I change my mind.

More about this later in the week.

It Came from Amazon II

2010-10-18T13:32:00.115-04:00

Keep Watching the Skies! American Science Fiction Movies of the Fifties has an amazingly awesome cover Can you name all of the characters depicted on it?

The cover of the Goodtimes home video DVD release of King Kong vs. Godzilla always makes me snicker. Why? Because they used images from a more modern Godzilla movie and the 70's Kong remake to try to fool unwary consumers into thinking it was filmed more recently than it really was!

Back when Furbies first came out, my friends and I often joked about their resemblance to the Mogwai from Gremlins. It seems like someone at Hasbro had the same view on the matter...

Long before Freddy vs. Jason, there was the Jason vs. Leatherface comic book miniseries.

This offers an interesting look at Elvira's appearances in video games (including a recent one). I think it's somewhat ironic, given that the woman who plays Elvira, Cassandra Peterson, apparently invested in the failed Halcyon video game system.

Speaking of the Mistress of the Macabre, here's the cover for the VHS release of Midnight, a romantic comedy made to cash in on Elvira's massive...popularity.

This is the worst possible way to design a VHS cover for The Navy vs the Night Monsters.

This Terror of the Doll VHS baffles me. Is it a simple case of retitling or does the "From the film 'Trilogy of Terror'" mean that this is really just a single segment of that film? If so, why would they expect anyone to buy such a short release?

Virtual Gutter is by far the weirdest relaxation DVD I've ever heard of.

Given the generic cover art, it's easy to assume that this audio drama version of Night of the Living Dead is merely the film's audio track slapped onto a CD by some sleazy bargain bin company. Instead, it's an all-new, abridged version of the story starring the original cast and authorized by George Romero and John Russo.

This is lawsuit waiting to happen.

These "Ultraman salaryman" toys are the oddest pieces of Ultraman merchandise I've ever seen. Seeing a Dada head on a female body is disconcerting, to say the least. In contrast, this is the greatest Ultraman product ever produced.

Believe it or not, there actually was a novelization of Black Devil Doll From Hell.

Does anyone else remember the Gooflumps parody series that came out during the Goosebumps craze? It only lasted for two books and popular rumor at the time had it that R.L. Stine was secretly writing them. However, that turned out not to be the case. Fans left hanging by the lack of further installments presumably moved on to the Barf-O-Rama- series, which featured books like The Legend of Bigfart and Jurassic Fart.

I want this CD. Yesterday.

Amazon's teaming up with the "content burned on demand" service Createspace has resulted in a flood of new companies starting up. Naturally, there ares tons of Halloween CDs and plenty of oddball stuff like: Halloween 101: Spooky Jewish Music, United States Of Halloween, Confederate Halloween, Irish Halloween Horror Songs, Spooky Halloween in the USA and Halloween Fart Explosion.

Oh yes, you read that last one right. Sadly, it's not a one-off release. There are TONS of these things, all with the same use of "wacky" band names and bizarre cover art. Although I must admit that the cover of Frightening Farts For Halloween actually made me smile.

But that isn't the weirdest thing about those CDs. Despite allegedly being from different companies, several listings use the exact same product description. What's really going on here?