Tag Archives: witch

2019 Halloween Merchandise Review: Home Depot

September 11, 2019 thefrightowl Leave a comment

*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Home Depot is one of my favorite Halloween shopping destinations.

There. I’ve said it.

Out of every store that sells Halloween items (besides Spirit Halloween and Halloween Express), Home Depot is the one I check on the most when the season gets close so that I can be one of the first ones to check out their stuff in person.

I love their selection! They always have a ton of cool animatronics set up in store, and their prices are really reasonable for most of their items. They’ve really been great the past few years. This is just some of what I found at my local store:

Home Depot’s animatronic offerings are as good if not better than some you can find at Spirit Halloween or Halloween Express. And you can find a ton more options online. Their Animated Cauldron Trio of witches (shown above) is particularly adorable. They also have a great variety of human and animal skeletons to choose from, and they have other cool home decor and prop items.

That being said, it was really hard to pick my favorite items this time. But I finally narrowed it down, so…

Favorite Finds at Home Depot

Sandworm Inflatable: I love Beetlejuice, and I was so happy to see this guy when I walked in. He’s HUGE! I love it so much, and they offer another Beetlejuice-themed inflatable that pairs the sandworm with Beetlejui- Whoa! I’ll stop there for obvious reasons. Anyway, it has the sandworm atop his tombstone with a projected scene from the movie. It’s awesome, but it sadly wasn’t at my store.
Macabre Witch Animatronic: THIS. IS. MY. FAVORITE. WITCH. ANIMATRONIC. EVER. That is a bold statement, but you’ve got to go see this lady. She’s got a Cajun accent, and she says some great stuff. I just love her so very much.
Towering Animatronic Werewolf: This guy looks especially creepy in person. He is super tall and looms over you, snarling and moving his head. Love it, and I really need a werewolf for my yard. He might be it.
Ghost Girl: They have two versions of this one: a hanging one and this stand-up animated one. I like the stand-up because she’d be creepy just standing in the corner of a room with maybe some scary toys scattered around.
Lighting Effects: These are just two of the LightShow effects Home Depot offers, but I really like them. The eyes blink, and the skeleton’s head moves back and forth. Really neat.
Talking Raven: This was a simple little prop, but I like the way the bird moves. A little jerky, like a real bird. He’d be right at home in a witch scene.
Glow-in-the-Dark Skeletons: I bought one of these last year and really liked it. In fact, I liked it so much that I’ll probably pick up a few more this year.
Skeleton Solar Light: This is so cute, and I really regret not buying it when I saw it because it’s hard to find now. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and they’ll get another shipment soon. Fingers crossed!

Just writing all this makes me want to go back and look at everything again. And don’t worry if they don’t have some of these items at you local store. Many of the items above and much more are available online! Just head to Home Depot’s website and type ‘Halloween’ in the search bar. They offer free shipping for so many items, or you can buy online and pick up in store!

Have you gone to your local Home Depot yet? What was your favorite find? Let me know if the comments, and please be sure to share this on Facebook or Pinterest!

Halloween, Music

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: 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.

Books, Scary Stories, Television

Frightmaster Lovecraft, Spinnin’ Terror

May 27, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

It’s Friday again, and if you’re looking for a way to start your weekend off with a fright, then I suggest you look into the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Even if you haven’t read any of Lovecraft’s stories, you are still sure to have read, heard, or watched something that was influenced by him. Multiple musicians, directors, comic book artists, and authors (including the master of horror himself, Stephen King) have cited Lovecraft as a huge inspiration in their work.

And for all you Evil Dead fans (myself included), you know the Necronomicon? Yeah. He invented that. Respect.

Now, if you’re looking for light reading, this ain’t it. His stories boast some of the heaviest content I have ever read. Thinking about the size of the universe and your place in it can make you feel small, but Lovecraft’s descriptions of our place in the galaxy, the origins of our ancestors, and ancient inhabitants of our planet make you feel positively microscopic.

It’s not feel-good material is what I’m saying. It’s just good. Really good.

My favorites of his stories are “At the Mountains of Madness,” “Dreams in the Witch House,” “The Dunwich Horror,” “The Shunned House,” and, of course, “The Call of Cthulhu.”

It’s about this guy, but scarier.

I suggest you start with all of those and keep going.

Not much of a reader? No problem. Check out the following movies and TV episodes based on or influenced by his work:

Re-Animator (1985): This horror-comedy based on Lovecraft’s story “Herbert West – Re-Animator” is gory, disturbing, and hilarious.
Masters of Horror – “Dreams in the Witch House” (2005): The second episode of this awesome series (check it out if you haven’t already) is directly taken from the story of the same name. It’s dark and creepy, and it’s one of my favorites.
South Park – “Coon 2: Hindsight,” “Mysterion Rises,” & “Coon vs. Coon & Friends” (2010): Trouble begins in the first episode of this trilogy when DP drills too deep into the ocean floor and releases Cthulhu from the watery depths. Of course, Cartman is there to make friends. If you love to laugh, this will not disappoint.
The Thing (1982): Although it isn’t actually based on the story, this movie is reminiscent of “At the Mountains of Madness,” one of my all-time favorite Lovecraft stories. Antarctica? Check. Doom? Check. Gloom? Check. Creepy Alien Lifeforms? Check.

I believe I’ll take my own advice and re-read some of my favorite stories over this long weekend. What about you? Do you have any favorites? What Lovecraftian horrors give you the chills?

Creepy Crafts

Make It Work

April 27, 2016 thefrightowl Leave a comment

I love Halloween, but that does not mean I have an all-inclusive attitude toward Halloween things. I have drawn a definitive line at the cutesy stuff. Halloween is meant to be scary or, at the very least, dark and mysterious. I don’t want to look at Halloween things and think “Awww! How adorable!”

Unless you’re talking about little trick-or-treaters. I had at least 3 Elsas come to my door last year, and I thought they were precious.

Anyway, I say this to tell you that my prejudice against the cute almost made me miss out on a pretty sweet deal. A few years ago, my husband and I were at Lowe’s two days before Halloween, and they were clearancing out their merch to make way for Christmas stuff. I only glanced at their dwindling selection. One of the clearanced items was an adorable (read: nauseatingly cute) life-sized, animated witch, complete with pastel pink striped socks, cute little boots, and pink ribbon in her bodice and hat. She was also wearing a brightly-colored tutu.

That’s right. A tutu.

Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with me, and I began to move along, but my husband stopped me. Like me, my husband can’t pass up a good deal, so he’s always on the lookout for a sale. He noticed a sign that said clearance items were an additional 75% off their already 50% marked down price. That meant that this cutesy, originally $150 witch was now $20.

*Record Scratch*

Halloween prop-making was still new to me, so my first thought hadn’t been how to make this work. Those thoughts were just, “Ew. Cute. No.” But after finding out about the crazy low price, I started thinking about how I could improve it. I mean, $20 for a life-sized prop is a freakin’ amazing deal, and I couldn’t pass it up. I knew I had craft paint to up the creep factor and a few black capes I could use to cover the skirt at home. So $20 and some change later, we were loading that baby up in my car.

And this is what she looks like now.

Pretty sweet, right? She’s been greeting trick-or-treaters at my front door for the past two years, and now I never turn down something at first site.

The Fright Owl