Halloween Music: Get in the Mood

September 30, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

October 1! It’s tomorrow! Halloween month! Yes!

As you can see, I’m very excited that my favorite month is almost here. So close I can taste it. There’s a hint of pumpkin spice. I’m kidding. There’s a lot of pumpkin spice.

Since I’m always in the Halloween spirit, I don’t need a lot of anything to get in the mood for the month. But I do love music. And what’s better at setting the mood than music?

Lighting, you say? Don’t be a smartass.

So because all I want in life is to help others find the spirit of Halloween (Hint: It’s been inside you all along), I thought I’d list 13 songs that embody what Halloween is all about. Here they are in no particular order.

1. Feed My Frankenstein – Alice Cooper

So yeah, this song is basically a metaphor for sex, but it has the name ‘Frankenstein’ in it and begins with Mr. Cooper promising to feed his “monster.” I enjoy it.

2. Living Dead Girl – Rob Zombie

I should have listed this one first even though I’m not really ranking these. This song is one of my all-time faves. It’s kinda my anthem.

3. Season of the Witch – Donovan

This song has a bit of a creepy, mellow vibe to it. And of course, witches are quite prominent at Halloween (go figure, right?).

4. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Marilyn Manson

Yeah. I love the original by Eurythmics as much as the next person, but Manson’s version adds a little fright to the mix. Plus, this song was the background for the best scene in the movie Trick or Treat, so it has that going for it.

5. Thriller – Michael Jackson

This has almost become the official theme of Halloween. I hear it on the radio about a million times every October, so it’s easy to see why this one belongs here.

6. Trick or Treat – Otis Redding

I was fortunate enough to be introduced to this song just last year. It’s a love song with a lot of soul, and it’s perfect for the holiday. It’s also a nice change from the creepier songs on the list.

7. Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon

Werewolves. A song about werewolves has to be on the list. I love this one for its quirkiness.

8. Who Do You Voodoo, Bitch? – Sam B (Dead Island)

If you don’t play video games, you might not be familiar with this one. It’s the theme of Dead Island, one of my favorite zombie games, and it’s so freakin’ catchy. Seriously. Learn it, and you’ll be singing it all the time. Just don’t do it at church or, like, in front of your boss or mom or anything.

9. Somebody’s Watching Me – Rockwell

Paranoia! Do you feel eyes on you? Is someone following you? Did you hear that noise? Rockwell’s song is paranoia with musical notes.

10. Superstition – Stevie Wonder

Magic and superstitions make the month. Wonder’s classic song is perfect for a funky celebration.

11. Bad Moon Rising – Credence Clearwater Revival

Lots of monsters and magic relate to the moon, so it has to make the cut. It’s also been featured on a ton of scary/supernatural movies and tv shows, including An American Werewolf in London.

12. Disturbia – Rihanna

This song isn’t all obvious about its Halloween-relatedness like the others on the list, but I think it belongs here. It’s a metaphor for the dangers of fame consuming you (I think), but if you stretch your imagination, it also sounds a little like possession with a hint of the demonic in it.

13. Walk Like a Zombie – HorrorPops

When I first heard this song, I wasn’t too big of a fan. It’s very peppy. After repeated listenings though (it kept playing on the Halloween Pandora channel), I grew to kinda love it. Give it a listen. It’s spunky and fun and about zombies.

I already have a playlist with these songs and more, and I suggest you do the same. Start your celebration! Halloween will be here before you know it.

Halloween, Product Review

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Dollar Tree

September 28, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

Oh, Dollar Tree, what would I do without you?

If you’re looking to decorate your whole house for Halloween and throw a party from scratch, I beg you to go to Dollar Tree to check out their awesome merchandise. As the name implies, everything is $1, and you would be amazed at how good their Halloween selection is.

Just check out this awesomeness:

They’ve got tombstones, cemetery fences, signs, holographic pictures, candy dishes, party plates, costumes, door hangers, napkins, treats, props, and so much more.

If you’re looking for some fun party favors or treat bags, go here first.

They have some great skeleton and skull merchandise. No, they don’t have a full-size skeleton prop like some of the bigger stores, but they do have skulls, bone hands, and other items. C’mon. It’s all $1.

Also, if you need to get creepy cloth, they have different colors to choose from. It’s usually $3-$5 at most stores, so it’s definitely a deal here.

I was also pretty impressed by their spider, rat, and bat selection this year. Quite lovely.

I’ll end my short review of my favorite cheap store by talking a little bit about the tongs below. I bought a pair of these last year. Target was selling something similar for $15, so these are a damn good deal. Buy them. Buy five.

If you didn’t get it already, I’m kinda in love with Dollar Tree’s Halloween stuff. Another cool thing about this store is that the items can be dressed up or repurposed in Halloween crafts or other props since everything is so cheap. I’ll even be doing a few posts about using Dollar Tree stuff in your Halloween decor.

So if you’re wondering where to go to start your decorating, run to Dollar Tree as fast as your little legs can take you.

Halloween, Product Review

2016 Halloween Merchadise Review: Gordman’s

September 26, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

Gordman’s has never been a big draw for me for Halloween merchandise because it usually only has the cutesier items just for decoration. If you’re looking for just home decor items, you should check them out because they have a pretty good selection. I was pleasantly surprised that they had an actual prop this year – even if it was a little overpriced.

It seems like there was more of a limited selection this year than for previous Halloweens, but they still had a pretty good mix of items:

They had some pretty cool pumpkins and jack o’ lanterns for general fall decorating. I especially liked the black/white and gold variety two pics below:

A few items were less cute and more scary. Check out these zombie and ghoul stand ups in the pic below. They stood about 2 feet tall each, so they wouldn’t be considered a real prop, but they’re pretty cool.

As always, skeleton and skull items get my attention faster than anything else, so you can imagine that I kinda fell in love with this little guy. I might catch him when I do my post-Halloween discount shopping.

Although I don’t like cute Halloween items as a general rule, I do love me a good countdown clock. This one was pretty cool:

And as I said before, they actually had a full-size prop this year. Check out this bad boy:

I got up close and personal with him to get a good pic of his face. I really like the detail.

With the exception of the prop, everything was reasonably priced. I’d compare the prices to TJ Maxx and Home Goods. The prop itself was priced at a little over $200, which for a prop that only lights up and doesn’t move, is a little too much.

Halloween, Product Review

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Big Lots

September 22, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

Big Lots is one of my favorite places for budget Halloween merchandise. They always have a few things that I just love for a great price. Just check out this witch:

I also love their small home decor items. They’re kinda going with a royal golden crown thing this year. Note the kingly crows and skulls on the top shelf. There were also some dapper skeletons sporting cool little top hats. Who doesn’t like a skeleton in a top hat?

They also have a wide variety of lighting, including rope lights, strobes, pathway markers, and various bulbs:

This guy was one of my favorites. He’s like one of your basic butler greeter, but he has a ton to say. I recorded him for a full minute, and he never repeated himself. Check out the video on Facebook.

And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but everyone this year has hopped on board the animal skeleton train. Check out all these awesome guys. These are extra special because they’re all animated. I’ll upload a pic and video or two on Facebook, too.

I hope everyone’s Halloween shopping is going well. Mine’s on a bit of a hiatus because of a few home improvement projects in the works, but I’m almost finished. I’m way past due to focus on my favorite holiday.

Dark Comedy, Halloween, Songs

Frightful Comedy: Stephen Lynch’s Halloween

September 20, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

I love scary things. If you’ve been reading the blog, I’m sure you already know that. But I like to laugh, too. A lot. So mixing creepy with funny almost always makes me happy.

I stumbled across this little gem a few days ago. I’m already a fan of Stephen Lynch’s comedy (his song, “Beelz,” is one of my favorites), so I was surprised I hadn’t already heard it before. And since I hadn’t heard of it, I’m sure there are people like me who would also like to check it out.

Stephen Lynch – Halloween

Thinking of all the cool creatures
That I will meet… on this night.
Ghosts and goblins and witches,
Roaming the streets… in moonlight.

Bowls of candy and goodies,
Delicious and waiting… in store.
The sound of cute little footsteps
As they approach…my front door.

Letting the children inside to drink beers,
Razorblades hidden in Three Musketeers,
Screams from the basement of kids begging to be set free,
That’s what Halloween means to me.

Tightening the clamps that are holding
Their little heads… so tight.
Putting my lips to their ears
As I whisper, “Please… don’t fight.”

I promise I’ll let you go home
If you swear not to tell… a soul!
Well, I’ll just untie these—I’m kidding.
Now, where is my chainsaw? Let’s rock and roll!

A pinch of your brother, a teaspoon of you,
With the head of your sister, would make a good stew.
I’d give you a taste, but your tongue’s in the stew. Irony!
That’s what Halloween means to me.

Trick-or-treat, smell my feet,
Give me something good to eat.
Trick-or-treat, smell my feet,
Give me someone… good to eaaaat!

Movie Reviews, Movies

Blair Witch Project: The Sequel Is Here

September 16, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

The sequel to Blair Witch Project – which is creatively named Blair Witch – premieres tonight in theaters. The original revived the found footage genre when it came out in 1999, and whether you love it or you hate it, you can’t deny that the movie deserves a prominent place in the Horror Movie Hall of Fame.

If that’s not an actual something, it should be.

You might be thinking, “What about Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2?” Well, two things:

Stop thinking about it. It’s not a good movie. It just isn’t.
The creators want us to ignore it, so that’s what you should do.

Blair Witch follows a group of college students into the Burkittsville woods where they are predictably – as the title suggests – terrorized by a malevolent presence. According to IMDB, the main cast for the movie is double the original at a total of 6. Hopefully, they’re all a lot more likable than the 3 from the first movie, but it doesn’t really matter. I doubt any of them make it out alive anyway.

I’m really interested to see how this one measures up, but I’m on the fence about whether to see it in theaters or not. Unfortunately, I am part of the group that doesn’t do very well with shaky cam movies. I get motion sickness quite easily, I get really nervous about throwing up, and I’m cheap so I don’t want to pay for a ticket for a movie I can’t watch. I made it through the Paranormal Activity movies because the cameras were still most of the time. PA: The Marked Ones almost did me in, but I stayed strong. I’m a fighter.

I actually really like the original. Many say they hate it because it’s basically just three annoying college kids arguing in the woods most of the time, but if you’re familiar with the forest – whether because you’re a frequent camper or because you grew up around it – I think it’s easier to identify with the terror and dejection of being lost and frightened. Yeah, you just want to punch them most of the time, but when you hear the children laughing in the woods around them, see the creepy stick figures, or see the bloody bundle of Josh’s hair and teeth, you kinda feel for them. I mean, that’s pretty terrifying.

And the ending is one of my favorites of any horror movie. It packs a punch. Seriously, I would recommend anyone watch just for that part.

Anyway, if I go see the sequel, I’ll be sure to give a quick review of my experience. I’ll also make sure to get a Sprite to help my stomach power through. Maybe I’ll give it a pep talk beforehand.

Do you plan on seeing it in theaters?

Television

American Horror Story: No More Waiting

September 14, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

Alright American Horror Story fans, the wait is over! Season 6 begins tonight, and all of the speculation over the theme can come to an end. Hallelujah!

If you’re a fan like me, I’m sure you’ve been experiencing the frustrating yet titillating impact of the many, MANY different teasers/commercials they’ve made for this season. Seriously. I just counted 30 on their Facebook page. Yes, some of them are compilations, but still, 30 is technically a buttload. Look it up.

Check them out here.

They’ve already said that not all the teasers are actually related to the theme of the season. There was even a sweepstakes people could enter to try to pick the correct teaser and win a Mercedes-Benz.

Don’t worry if you didn’t enter. I’m pretty sure they’ll be calling my name as the winner tonight.

I’ve read comments on Facebook and Reddit from people angry that the creators are messing with the fan base, but I think this marketing ploy has been pretty awesome. The teasers have been one crazy mindf*ck after another. So entertaining. I’m wondering how the actual show will measure up.

Here’s what we know so far:

We know Roanoke will play a part. Set photos with the word “Croatoan” carved into a tree have led some to believe, and prematurely claim, that the theme of the season is American Horror Story: Lost Colony. I don’t think this is true, but we know that this has already been a part of the AHS universe. Violet used the word in the Murder House season to banish a ghost after psychic Billie Dean told the story of Roanoke.
Lady Gaga is definitely in it. Like it or not (and for the record, I love it), she’s been confirmed as a cast member, and her newest song was featured in one of the latest teasers. I liked Gaga’s performance in Hotel, so I’m pretty happy she’s back.
There’s going to be different eras involved. The Roanoke set photos are obviously from way back when, but we’ve been told that the present day will also be seen.
TV Guide and Rotten Tomatoes might have accidentally given away the theme. Both have indicated that American Horror Story: The Mist will be the name this time around. Are they right?
The creators have given sneaky little hints that the show will have a lot to do with cults and children. Creepy kids? Maybe the little antichrist, Michael, from the first season will make an appearance. One of the teasers was very Rosemary’s Baby-ish, so I think it’s a big possibility.
The freaky hum prominent in some of the trailers is awesome. I just found out tonight that it’s a song from Kali Uchis named Sycamore Tree. I wonder if ‘Forest’ is the theme after all.
If Jessica Lange makes an appearance – even if it’s just a quick cameo – I will vomit from utter happiness.

I’m sure we won’t get all the answers to our questions tonight, but at least it’ll be a start. The anticipation has been killing me!!!

Halloween, Product Review

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Home Goods

September 12, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

Home Goods always has a great Halloween selection, and they didn’t disappoint this year. If you’re not familiar with Home Goods, it’s basically a bigger, fancier home section of TJ Maxx. They even carry some of the same stuff, which makes sense because they have the same parent company. And like TJ Maxx, their prices are pretty sweet.

When I first walked in, I was greeted by this cool display:

I especially loved this tall grim reaper figure. Most of their items are more decorative in nature, so they don’t have many things that could be used as props in a haunted house or yard. But this handsome guy here would look right at home in any cemetery scene.

As you can see in the pic below, they had a wide variety of decorations, from the cool and creepy to the glam and cute.

These skulls were also some of my favorites. Yeah. I know. Surprise, surprise. I liked the skulls.

Of course, they had pumpkins of all types and colors for those that want to steer their decorating to the fall side of things.

One thing I thought was really cool at Home Goods was the types of decorative skulls they had (again with the skulls!). Just look at some of the different kinds in the photos below:

There was also one that was copper instead of silver and one that was completely jewel encrusted. I tried taking a picture of the jeweled skull, but my camera turned it into a sparkly blob.

And this little guy with his Burton-esque vibe had me almost getting out my debit card…but I stayed strong. I can’t go spending all my Halloween moneys this early in the game.

I would definitely check out Home Goods for your Halloween decorating needs, especially if you’re looking for more decorative items instead of actual props. They had quite a few unique items that I truly liked.

Plus, if you’re throwing a Halloween party and want to stay away from paper goods, they have a ton of plates, cups, and food serving items to choose from. Just check out the selection in the pics below:

I’m pretty sure I’ll end up with that cheese plate at some point.

Make sure to check out my other Halloween merchandise reviews to know exactly where to shop to fulfill your needs. Also, make sure to follow me on Facebook for blog updates and additional pictures of Halloween products.

Halloween, Product Review

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Home Depot

September 8, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

Well, I had the pleasure of going to Home Depot yesterday, and yet again, they have KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE FREAKIN’ PARK.

Last year was the first time I really took notice of Home Depot’s Halloween decorations, and I think that’s because they had just seriously upped their Halloween game. I’d been looking forward to this year’s display, and I wasn’t disappointed.

They have a wide selection of prop items from fake lanterns and jack o’ lanterns to bone animals and animatronics. And everything is priced pretty reasonably, too.

Check out this cool Frankenstein’s monster:

He wasn’t plugged in, but he lights up and says a few phrases.

They, of course, had a great display of animatronics. My favorite was the dragon. She flaps her wings and just looks pretty badass in general.

As you can see in the second picture of the post, there were a lot of smaller prop items. My favorite was this guy just because he’s pretty unique:

That would be a great prank to pull on someone, too. Imagine if you were to go to someone’s house to watch horror movies and secretly placed that outside their window until the perfect moment where you say you heard something outside the window and they go to check, move back the curtain, and promptly piss their pants.

You can tell that I’ve thought about this.

I really liked their hanging items. A few lit up and talked, and they were only $19.98. That’s pretty awesome.

This cool trio of witches wasn’t lit up when I went, but I thought they were fun.

I also liked this guy:

Home Depot also has more light show items this year. If you don’t know what those are, they are light stakes that project creepy shapes or lights on any surface you choose. They’re great to supplement a sparse spot of your yard or house.

So should you go to Home Depot to check out their Halloween stuff? Yes. You should run there.

Halloween, Product Review

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Pottery Barn

September 6, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

Pottery Barn is not a place I frequent simply because the prices for most things they sell are too high for me. I just can’t justify spending $35 for a wine glass. BUT I love the stuff they carry. I just have to wait to get it on a very, very big discount.

So needless to say, I probably won’t get to purchase any of the Halloween decorations I’m reviewing in this post, but I hope that some of you out there with a larger disposable income might benefit.

They really didn’t have a whole heck of a lot of stuff, but the items they did have were pretty awesome. There was a really cool table layout they had set up. Just look at this creepy, elegant thing:

I just loved everything on it. The center platter held one of my favorite items:

The glass skull decanter was beautiful in person. I loved it. Sadly, it’s priced at $39.50, and without any vodka in it, I just can’t justify spending that much on it. Maybe when it’s half off.

I also really liked the skeleton wine glasses:

There’s also a really cool condiment set. I didn’t get a picture of it while I was there, but you can see it here. It’s fantastic, but again, it’s too pricy for my blood.

They also had a selection of pumpkins ranging from about $24.50 to $39.50. I liked some of the mirrored ones they had, and the larger metallic pumpkins caught my eye as well.

So while I actually love their merchandise, I probably won’t get to enjoy any of their items this year due to the high prices. I could get a few things, but I’m cheap and just can’t spend that much on some of that stuff. But I hope you are able to get something. I’ll just be envious of your purchases.

The Fright Owl

Monthly Archives: September 2016

Halloween Music: Get in the Mood

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Dollar Tree

2016 Halloween Merchadise Review: Gordman’s

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Big Lots

Frightful Comedy: Stephen Lynch’s Halloween

Blair Witch Project: The Sequel Is Here

American Horror Story: No More Waiting

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Home Goods

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Home Depot

2016 Halloween Merchandise Review: Pottery Barn

For those who prefer a little fright in their day