Saturday, August 5, 2023

Top 10 pieces of Stranger Things merchandise! Part 1!

Top 10 pieces of Stranger Things merchandise! Part 1!

Listing off the top ten pieces that I've received for my Stranger Things collection. A very special thanks to all of the amazing small business, artists, and companies that have sent me so many amazing items!

 10) My Eddie Munson pop by Funko


9) Eddie Munson/Dio painting by Suspirialand

8) Stranger Things Tarot card deck by Netflix. 

7) New Coke cans by Netflix

6) Stranger Things bath bombs by Lush

5) Steve Harrington wax melts by Burnt Out Candle 

4) Steddie/Fruity Four keychains by Arstyrannus

3) Stranger Things pins by Fandom Underground

3) Eddie Munson Puppet by Milly Moo 

2) Eddie & Dustin pop set by Funko

1) Chrissy Wake Up Arcade by CrystalJadeVaughan





















 

 

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Top 10 moments from Season 4 of Stranger Things!





 Top 10 moments from Season 4 of Stranger Things!

- Here is a list of my personal favorite moments from this season of Stranger Things!






10). Hawkins turns Upside Down.
- The Duffer Brothers explained that this season was the Empire Strikes Back season. Sadly as hard as our hero's fought...they ended up losing. After Max's heart stops, the four deaths have been completed, and Venca's powers cause the four gates to rip open and cause a devastating earthquake turning this once small town literally Upside Down. In all honestly, the only good part of the town getting destroyed was watching Jason get cut in half. (Still sorta wished he had a showdown with Eddie, but I cheered when Lucas got the upper hand.) Still, in a truly chilling moment, in the last minutes of the final episode Will touches his neck, showing that evil is still looming over them. Set to the show's awesome theme, the characters walk out to a field overlooking the town, which is destroyed, and signs of the Upside Down as slowly appearing. Almost in a full circle moment, 11 watches as those tiny particles float through the air from the Upside Down, red lighting is shown, and those flowers she once missed...are now all dying.


9) Will and Jonathan talk.
- Poor Will. This kid can honestly not catch a single break throughout this entire show! In a pretty powerful scene both brothers have a moment alone in the kitchen, getting 11's bath ready to help Max. Jonathan, who eariler clearly watched, and heard his brother and Mike talk in the back of the van, knows what's really bothering his brother, but doesn't fully come out and say it. It was different times guys, and he clearly doesn't really know how to approach this subject. Knowing his brother is hurting, he reminds him that he used to always be the person Will would go to if he had a problem, and let's him know that hasn't changed. I'm so glad Will got at least this amount of comfort from Jonathan...who honestly as much as I hate to say it...didn't serve too much of a purpose this season. 


8). "Chrissy wake up!"
- I'm sure the remix song set to this scene will forever be struck in our heads the remainder of the summer. Thanks to my friend Jeanette, it's actually my new alarm. Still, setting aside that, the haunting final scene in The Hellfire Club episode shows poor frightened Chrissy the cheerleader going to Eddie Munson's trailer to buy Special K. Yep...I actually did a double take, but then again it was the 80's guys. On edge and nervous, she waits alone while Eddie tries to find the drugs, when she's sucked into Venca's curse, resulting in her going into a trance. When Eddie walks out, he finds her with her eyes cloudy and rolled back into her head, and no matter how hard he shakes her and screams...she won't wake up. The scene cuts back and forth of poor Chrissy trapped with the truly horrifying villain Venca appearing. My friend/tattoo artist Shane pointed out how similar Chrissy's death is to Tina's in A Nightmare On Elm Street, which I think was a huge inspiration to the tone of this season. Chrissy, we'll never forget about you...but at least your death resulted in one of the best remixes of all time!


7). Detroit Rock City game montage. 
- In the very first episode The Hellfire Club, we were shown a brilliant montage set to Kiss' Detroit Rock City, we we watch Lucas and the basketball team The Tigers play the final championship game, as well as the kids playing D&D in the Hellfire Club held by Eddie. What makes this scene so great is the clever cuts, comparing both games. Eddie's Voiceover, each player getting knocked out, Lucas taking the final shot, and of course Eric winning the game and getting the respect from Mr. Munson. Great job Lady Applejack. Great Job. "To the death!"


6). Hopper battles the Demogorgon
- We all knew this Gladiator epic battle scene was coming. In fact, it was the scene I was the most excited to see after watching the trailer. There's actually two times that Hopper battles the Demogorgan, and both are equally as epic! The other one is at the end when Hopper uses a sword to kill the Demogorgan, set to Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill. Chills. For. Days. The one I'm highlighting is the first battle, in which Hopper and the other men must fight to the death while a giant Demogorgan hunts them. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Also, was I the only one screaming when the lighter wouldn't light?!


5) 11 is reunited with Hopper.
- This truly was the one thing that lifted my spirits at the end of the final episode. I was SO glad it happened. 11 and the California gang returns to a destroyed Hawkins. Here, they decide to try and clean up Hopper's destroyed cabin so there's a safe place for 11 to stay. Exhausted, she sits back in her old bedroom, when suddenly the door opens and there stands Hopper. The expression on 11's face says it all. As someone who's lost a parent, we've all had that fantasy that somehow...someway this could actually happen. It really warmed my heart to see these two characters reunite. What really tugged on the old heartstrings was when 11, overwhelmed with emotion, cries and tells Hopper she kept the door open three inches, and always believed he was going to come back. Thank God we actually got a happy moment in this truly devastating episode!


4). The gang saves Steve. 
- This was definitely one of my favorite moments throughout the whole show. In the pervious episode The Dive, Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Eddie take a boat out onto Lover's Lake to investigate if there's an actual gate to the Upside Down nearby. They use a compass, which goes crazy the second they row to the middle of the lake. Steve goes underneath the water, and finds that there is in fact a gate...aka Watergate there. When he resurfaces to tell the others, a tentacle grabs him, and just like a scene out of Jaws, he's pulled underneath the water. Nancy instantly gets up, and dives in after. Next Robin (love that she plugs her nose before going in.), and finally Eddie who screams how stupid this is before half falling, half jumping in. The episode ends with Steve getting attacked in the Upside Down by Demobats. I'll fully admit, I thought Steve might be a goner at this moment. The next episode picks up with Steve getting bitten all over by the creatures, when suddenly a wooden boat oar swings like a golf club, and sends one of the bats flying. Steve looks up, and sees his friends standing there ready to fight. In one of the coolest moments of the show, all done in one take without cutting away, we watch the teens fight the Demobats, in what can honestly be called perfect choreography. Steve finally is able to get up, bites one of the bats, and slams it down before ripping it in two. I truly love how they take a second to collect themselves, as Eddie who looks both terrified and disgusted screams "JESUS H CHRIST!". = Mood. The teens stuck in the Upside Down was a huge highlight for me. Who can forget the epic shot of the gang riding the bikes, and the camera flipping and showing the teens doing the same. Awesome.


3). Dear Billy
- How could I not include one of this season's best storylines? Max is sadly plagued with survivors' guilt after losing her stepbrother Billy from the pervious season. Much like many other people who have lost someone, she starts to become withdrawn, and keeps blaming herself over what happened. The Max in this season is a much different Max from the past two seasons. She's broken up with Lucas, depressed, and living with her mother in a trailer park, almost having to grow up too fast due to her mother struggling to keep a roof over their heads, and her constant drinking. Max says multiple times throughout this season that the night of The Battle Of Starcourt keeps playing over in her mind over and over again. She truly believes she could have saved Billy, but was either too scared...or maybe deep down inside really wanted him to die. Well, if that isn't enough...Max is also cursed under Venca and next to be killed. Here she visits Billy's grave, reading a letter she's written to him venting her emotions. While she's doing this, Venca traps her in his curse, causing her to go into a trance. Steve, Dustin, and Lucas panic not knowing what to do, as Venca uses a vision of Billy to guilt Max into thinking she truly did want him to die, as well as trap her ready to make his next kill. Here, the gang receive information from Nancy and Robin over the walkie that music might make Max snap out of whatever is happening to her. They scramble, putting her Walkman, playing her favorite song. Here Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill blasts (a song we heard earlier from another episode that Max is listening to while walking the hallways of school.) Max suddenly levitates, lifting twenty or so feet up into the air like the other victims. Yet...the magic of Kate Bush makes a small tunnel of light for Max who's pinned against a wall, ready to be killed. She sees her friends at the cemetery, all shouting her name. She closes her eyes, thinks back on happier memories and finds the strength to fight back, get loose, and run towards the light. This scene is extremely powerful set to this song, before Max is able to barley escape, and snaps back to reality. She falls into Lucas' arms, who's hysterical and crying with worry. He tells her they thought they lost her. Here she states, clearly shaken, and terrified, that she's still here. 


2) 11 Vs. 001
- It's really hard for a scene from a television show to give me chills. Well, guess what? This moment at the end of episode 7 The Massacre At Hawkins Lab did it for me. After it's been revealed that the friendly orderly who helps 11 escape, staging for how she got out at the beginning of season 1, we learn several different things. First, that the orderly is really number 001. That the story Papa told the other children that this child died years ago was false. That he's been living as a "prisoner" at the lab for years, and due to a tracker in his neck, he's weakened and unable to use his power. Poor naive 11, thinking he's her friend, helps him in ripping it out of his neck. (Was I the only one that truly thought she was going to accidentally kill him, resulting in her losing it?) Well, sadly this was a HUGE mistake and it results in 001 going on a complete massacre killing everyone at the lab, including all of the other children. Poor 11 discovers this, and after a very epic monologue, we learn the backstory of 001 aka Henry as we flash back and forth to Nancy being shown through memories connecting everything. 001 asks 11 to join him, knowing her power, and instead even at such a young age she refuses, and actually catches him off guard by using her power, and causing him to fly across the room. Angered, 001 and 11 have the ultimate showdown and for a fraction of a second you truly think 11 might not be strong enough as she's lifted up into the air, her limbs twisting like his other victims, and blood running out of her eyes. Here 11 nearly on the brink of death, somehow conjures up the memory of her birth, and the only time she ever heard her mother say she loved her. That gives her enough strength to snap out of it, and turn the tables on a truly stunned 001. Here, set to the chilling song "She'll Kill You." from season 1 she's able to blast 001 through a two way mirror, and pin him against the wall. Here she releases the same amount of rage she's shown in the last episodes of season 1 and 2. 001 screams in pain as he basically evaporates before her every eyes, and is banished into a gate she opens, sending him into the upside down. Between the music, 011's pained and defeated screams, and little 11 using all of her power to vanish him really does it for me. It's at this exact moment that 11 remembers what really happened that night, who Venca is, and gets her powers back. Talk about an epic scene!


1) Master Of Puppets
- Are we really surprised that this was my number one pick? It's safe to say that the Duffer Brothers, and actor Jospeh Quinn were responsible for bringing in a brand new character this late into the show and still be an instant fan favorite. Eddie Munson has appeared multiple times throughout my list, since he clearly was a scene stealer. This epic moment was shown for just a fraction of a second when the official trailer for season 4 dropped, and right away fans much like myself were pumped. I was able to put two and two together, knowing the only reason some teenager would be jamming out in the Upside Down would be used as a distraction of some sort since the Demobats were already shown in the very same trailer. What attracts bats? Ding! Ding! Ding! Sound! I knew this had to be the only reasoning behind something so over the top, that it could only work in the Stranger Things universe without being cheesy. For weeks fans tried to guess what song Eddie was playing, and for a brief time fans including myself thought he might be playing his gutter to wake Nancy up from her trance. In the end, the phase 3 of the plan to get the bats away from the house ended up being the much better written direction on getting the ultimate metal show in a different dimension! I felt Metallica was the perfect choice for a character like Eddie, and I'm sure everyone loved his shoutout to poor Chrissy who tragically died in the first episode. The epic editing of the montage of everyone fighting from different locations, as well as poor Max running around trapped was set perfectly to this truly epic song. What makes it even more impressive is that Joseph Quinn played the song himself while filming. This moment will definitely go down in one of the top moments throughout all 4 seasons of Stranger Things!


3 cheers to season 4!


Sunday, March 20, 2022

Scream 2022 - What worked and what didn't work

 Scream 2022 - What worked and what didn't work.


This past January the long awaited Scream 5 was released. To quickly fill you in, the Scream movies have always meant a lot to me since they were such a huge part of my childhood. In mid 1996, I'll never forget my older sister Alexis telling me that at school she heard about a movie where a girl gets stuck through a doggy door that's on a garage door, and it goes up and crushes her head. My eight year old self was fascinated. I was obsessed with horror from a young age, and always as a treat I was allowed to rent from the horror second from our local mom and pop video store. I instantly ran to my mother and told her about this movie, and a few nights later we rented Scream, and I sat back in awe. 

A few months later Scream 2 was announced and I'll never forget recording the teaser trailer that played after Scream broadcasted on cable, and how many times my sister and I watched it. In fact, that Halloween we both dressed up as ghost face. That December in 1997, my mother was cool enough to actually take my sister and I opening night to see the sequel, and she did the same in 2000 with the third. These movies were favorites of mine, and I had many great memories re-watching them with my late mother who absolutely loved them. In fact, when I was away at college in 2011, I was lucky enough to go to the midnight showing of Scream 4 (which blew me away after the rather clumsy and comedic direction part 3 went with.) 

After Wes Craven's passing, I figured that was it. He made overall 4 pretty solid slasher films, and that was that. I never watched any seasons of the MTV spinoff show, but was rather shocked when I heard rumors of a possible fifth film being made. Somehow I felt like this was sorta in bad taste since Wes was honestly the heart behind these films. With him no longer here...where could they go?

Well, back to Woodsboro...that's where.

I didn't really follow production which honestly helped me keep my standards low for this one. All I knew was who was being casted, that the original 3 were returning, and that the directors of Ready Or Not (which I felt was "okay") were taking over. Well, January came and guess what guys?

I GOT COVID!

Ugh! Legit pure Hell on Earth, so it took me awhile to see it. I think instead of writing the regular lowdown on it, I'm just going to list what worked for me as a fan, and what didn't work. Mind you, I've been rewatching it, to try and understand the hype behind this film. It did great at the box-office, which means there will be a 6th. Hey, as a fan of long stretching horror series, with terrible sequels, I'm sure my ass will be there opening night to carry on my tradition I sadly had to break with this one after getting so sick.


What worked...


1). The opening - As much as I love part 4, that opening truly sucked. This one brought it back to basics, and was downright brutal. The broken ankle and blade through her hand really got me.

2) Red Right Hand returning - Ah, that iconic song we all knew so well from the original trilogy. Well, sadly it was absent in part 4, so the little Easter egg of it returning was a huge treat.

3) Some of the new characters - Sorry, this is pretty split down the middle. With every Scream we are introduced to a brand-new cast. Part 4's cast was overall pretty likable (I know there's hate on Kirby, but I didn't think she was that bad guys! Plus, gotta love that fans know she's alive...even though I really don't think the actress would return.) As for the cast, only half of them were likable in my eyes and really worked. Mikey Madison (Amber), Dylan Minnette (Wes), Jenna Ortega (Tara), Mason Gooding (Chad), and last but not least Jack Quaid (Richie). These new characters worked really well for me. I found them likable, and not annoying at all. (PS. I'm not counting Kyle Galiner (Vince) since he was barley in it.

4) The gore - It was great. I really have to hand it to the effects team. Like I mentioned earlier, even though I didn't find the kills very creative, they were truly brutal. We got knifes through necks, brains blown out, somebody gutted from both sides, blades through hands, broken bones, somebody lit on fire, and somebody stabbed 22 times and shot. Whoa!

5) Finally one of the OG trio dies - Even though Dewey was my least favorite one to go, and it crushed me to see him finally bite it (after getting stabbed how many times throughout the series?!) This made this real, and really makes things darker.

6) All of the Easter eggs for fans - There's too many to count. Vince's tattoos, the voice cameos, Stu's original house...fans get it all with this one.


What didn't work...


1) The "requel" overall idea -
I understand that the Scream movies are very self aware. Very "meta" and focuses on different aspects for each entry. This one really just didn't do it for me. Maybe it's because I HATED the 2018 Halloween. In fact, I hate whenever any movie does this. I found Mindy's overall rant about the new rules pretty cringeworthy.

2) The lead - No offense to Melissa Barrera, but I couldn't stand her character. Not one single part of her character was likable. I honestly hope they kill her off first in the opening of the 6th film. Sorry...not sorry.

3) The CGI De-aged Billy Loomis. - Even though, yes the Billy storyline wasn't that far fetched I really couldn't stop rolling my eyes when Sam is shown having visions of her father...yet looking exactly as he did the night he was killed (how would she know what he exactly looked like?) Also my eyeballs almost rolled out of my head during the scene where Sam is crawling on the floor, and Billy motions to where a knife is, and smirks at her. Then at the end her looking at his reflection and smiling. Fans can argue that this was all Sam since it was part of her visions in her head...but I'm sorry, I'm not buying it. I call total bullshit. They yet again were trying to do fan service and took this piece of shit character, who was a truly awful human being and tried to make him the good guy? Umm...no thanks. You killed Drew. You're dead to me. If they bring back Stu in the next one, stick a fork in me...I'll be done.

4) The killer's motive - This was hands down the weakest motive to date for the killers. Now I had no problem with Richie and Amber being the killers, but the reasons why they are doing everything was so stupid it honestly ruined the movie for me. In fact it made Mickey's blame the movies motive actually sound pretty good.

5) The massive amount of cringe from Sid and Gale - I talked about this with a friend, and the two of us agreed that Sid and Gale in act 3 legit gave the worst performances these two actresses have ever gave. Just so many cringey lines and moments. "You ready for this?" "This? Never." "You want the honors?" ect. Just everything about them in the last act got under my skin.


Overall I would give Scream 2 stars. It tried hard, but just didn't fill the shoes Wes left behind. I did like that the film was dedicated to him through, which really warmed my heart.

Still, go check it out ASAP. Trust me, my ass will be there opening night for part 6.

Thursday, November 18, 2021

10 roles Jay Underwood could have played!

 10 roles Jay Underwood could have played!


A few weeks ago while resting my back up after taking a nasty fall, I saw a post on Instagram talking about the 1987 After School Special "The Day My Kid Went Punk." I had always heard about this ridiculous made for TV movie, but happened to notice the title role was played by Jay Underwood. I personally knew him from three roles growing up as kid. Bug the scumbag boyfriend from Uncle Buck "Ever hear of a tuneup? Hehehehe!", Chip the android from The Not Quite Human films, and as Eric from The Boy Who Could Fly. After watching The Day My Kid Went Punk, I looked him up on IMDB, and fell down the Underwood wormhole. Jay acted for twenty-five plus years before stepping away from Hollywood to become a preacher, and raise his family. For the last two weeks I've had what I've called Bugathon. Here I've watched The Day My Kid Went Punk, Not Quite Human, Not Quite Human 2, Still Not Quite Human (always wished they had made a 4th movie in the late 90's!), The Boy Who Could Fly, The Invisible Kid, Son Of Darkness To Die For II, The Fantastic Four (which I actually really loved! Don't judge!), Uncle Buck, The Raffle, A Reason To Believe, The Beat Goes On, Stalked, Sleepstalker, Star Command, Valerie Flake, his TV appearances on The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles,  21 Jump Street, Superboy, ER, Star Trek Voyager, The X-Files, and Murder She Wrote. My buddy who's a fellow Jay fan, and who's gotten a huge kick out of my Bugathon, even sent me several Jay tapes to I can make a "Bug stack". The two I haven't seen before are Fatal Affair (where I guess he stalks C. Thomas Howell. I'm pumped!) and The Gumshoe Kid. Sadly my VCR went to the giant Radio Shack in the sky after 25 years of proud service. The Gumshoe Kid was responsible, but I guess I counted myself lucky since t didn't actually eat the tape! I still want to see this one and Fatal Affair, but I have to figure out how to get another VCR since both titles are out of print!

My Bugathon has been a nice little distraction, and I've been honestly having a blast doing it. I told people on my Instagram that if they can think of any other actors from the 1980's, send me their names. I might need to have another actor themed marathon maybe in December. 

While watching all of these titles, it got me thinking...

What other roles could I have seen Mr. Underwood playing.

10) Michael - The Lost Boys
- I think this is probably my second favorite pick on this list. The Lost Boys is in my top 3 favorite vampire movies of all time. In fact, I sorta tossed back either putting him as Caleb from Near Dark, or Charlie in Fright Night. Michael from The Lost Boys ended up winning, because roughly around 1987 Jay would have been the perfect choice of playing Michael. Nothing against Jason Patrick, I just could never buy that he was supposed to play Corey Haim's brother. Also he seemed a whole lot older than everyone else. I feel it would have been a little more realistic having a more realistic looking teenager play the lead role of Michael. I mean...as realistic as you could get from a vampire movie!

9) Ryan - Friday The 13th The Series 
- I LOVE John D LeMay from Friday the 13th the series. Even though Jay might have been a little young to play Ryan starting in 97, I feel this would have been the perfect kind of show for Jay to be in. Plus I think his chemistry with Robey would have been amazing! I'm sure with his belief's now, this would have been a big no-no, but I feel that's what was missing from Jay's career. A lead in a TV show that got picked up. Something with shelf-life that would become a cult classic. 

8). Edward - Edward Scissorhands 
- This was my first pick to write this article to begin with. Maybe it's because of how great he played the title role in The Boy Who Could Fly, but I think age wise, and acting abilities, he hands down would have played the ultimate Edward. Johnny Depp is great, but something about Jay playing him I think would have brought more emotion, as well as erasing any memories of him playing the jerk boyfriend in Uncle Buck!

7). Lance - Pulp Fiction
- OT loves casting actors from cult movies. I think in 93/94 he would have played a great Lance, especially in the shot to the heart scene. Just him sitting in the chair eating cereal listening to the phone would have me dying.  

6). Lloyd - Say Anything
- I love me some John Cusack, but ever since I heard that Brandon Lee originally read for the part of Lloyd, I began to think of who else could have played the romantic boombox holding lead? I feel it would have been interesting to see Jay play in another romance/drama a few years after The Boy Who Could Fly. I always wished John Hughes had used him more. I know this is Cameron Crow, but he really did have the look to be in more teen movies. I always felt he had the perfect look to be in movies like The Breakfast Club, or St. Elmo's fire. 

5).  Josh - Clueless
- Even though nobody ages like Paul Rudd, I still feel Jay roughly would have been the perfect age and have the perfect look to play Cher's dreamy, and charming step-brother.

4).  Stef - Pretty In Pink
- We all know he can play a great villain (Uncle Buck), so I think he would have played the perfect Stef (James Spader) from Pretty In Pink. Not only can he play a great jerk, I think also that iconic moment at the end when he sees Blaine has won the girl he secretly always wanted, and you can actually see the hurt look in his eyes...only two guys could pull that look off for audiences to but it. James, and Jay.

3).  Valentine - Tremors 
- Kevin Bacon rules, but not only in 89/90 would Jay be the perfect age, he would also have the perfect look fighting these underground worm monsters.

2). Johnny - My Boyfriend's Back
- Love Andrew Lowery in this, but how adorable would Jay have looked in this?! I always felt this was a really sweet dark comedy, and often doesn't get talked about. Plus, seeing Jay lose body parts, all the while shouting "I ate Chuck for you!" would be worth it alone. 

1). Jack - Speed
- I love the movie speed. It's the perfect action movie. I think the chemistry between Sandra Bullock and him would have been crazy good. Sure nobody can replace Keanu, but I felt Jay would have been the everyday Joe that has the fight crazy Dennis Hopper, all the while trying to make sure that flipping bus doesn't blow up in Los Angeles traffic.


So in closing, what movies could you have seen Jay play? Let us not forget to date, he's played the best Johnny Storm aka The Human Torch to date!!!




Sunday, November 14, 2021

Chip’s November Mixed Tape!


              Head on over to listen to Chip’s latest mixed tape! Just in time for the holidays!

                                 Click here to listen to Chip's November Mixed Tape! 




Friday, October 22, 2021

Halloween mood counter 2021!

 Halloween mood counter 2021!


One of my ALL time favorite things about Halloween is decorating. I usually start in late August. Ever since I was a kid, this was one of my favorite things about the Fall. In the last several years, I've taken a page out of Mr. Dinosaur Dracula, and started making Halloween "mood" tables. Basically you take a flat surface, and decorate it with some of your favorite Halloween decorations, horror figures, movies, etc. So  if somebody was to look at it, they would see basically what the inside of your brain around this spooky season would look like! 


I think Matt was brilliant thinking this up, and I've been doing this for the past few years, and totally getting a kick out of other fellow Blogger's Halloween themed tables! For more killer Halloween themed fun, head on over to Dinosaur Dracula. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that Matt's blog is one of my all time favorites, and I love watching his Youtube channel around this time of year!


In the past few years I've been decorating tables, jammed packed with glitter pumpkins, action figures, laserdisc, VHS tapes, and basically anything that makes me think of this truly magical time of the year. This year I decorated a counter in my kitchen, that I usually reserve for holiday decorations. For the past several months before hand I got lazy, so for the entire summer it was decorated with my Showdown In Little Tokyo collection. Once late August hit, I got off my ass and covered the entire counter with items from my collection downstairs, even picking up a few new items to add on, and every time I enter my kitchen. to pour myself a cup of coffee, I'm able to stare at a sight so beautiful, it's almost as lovely as a sunrise. (collectors get it) 


So here's a quick breakdown of some of the items I have that cover this year's Halloween mood counter...

- I won't be listing mini items such as slime, pumpkins, tiny ghosts, etc.


1) Cujo vinyl 
2) Album artwork for The Mind Of Eddie Quist
3) Readfull Things Produce Joe figure
4) Crospy and Woodstock figures (made by me)
5) Signed The Midnight Hour VHS
6) Haunted House music box decoration
7) Vintage horror novel
8) Mini Friday The 13th the series radio


9) Vintage Halloween cookbooks
10) Night Of The Creeps VHS
11) Near Dark VHS
12) Creepshow figure
13) Slumber Party Massacre figure
14) Waxwork records Creepshow artwork
15) Cycle Of The Werewolf book
16) Ghostbuster Marshmallow slime 
17) Return Of The Living Dead II London 1888 pin
18) Red Monster wine bottle


18) Pieces vinyl
19) Night Of The Demons vinyl
20) A Nightmare On Elm Street 4 Dream Master figure
21) Joe Bob Halloween figure
22) Graveyard Shift VHS
23) Dinosaur Dracula mascot doll
24) Vintage Tombstone wine bottle
25)Guttersnakes Creepshow pin
26) Halloween glitter cup
27) Voodoo doll
28) Squishy brains 
29) Rubber eyeballs
30) Pumpkin lights

- In closing, a very special thanks to Dinosaur Dracula for such a killer idea! One of my favorite things to do every year while decorating is my Halloween mood tables/counters. If anyone does one please share! I love seeing everyone's collections! Hope everyone is safe, and has a very happy Halloween!!!











Thursday, October 21, 2021

Ultimate Halloween Marathon!

 Ultimate Halloween Marathon!


It's officially 11 more days until Halloween! With plenty of spooky things to watch on TV, horror fans from all over truly love this time of year! With American Horror Story, Chucky the TV series, What We Do In The Shadows, Eli Roth's History Of Horror, non-stop marathons of classic horror movies on such channels like Paramount, SyFy,  and AMC, this entire month there's always been something new or old to watch to truly get into the Halloween state of mind. Between these TV shows, channels, and streaming services, there's always at least three or four awesome things to watch in the days leading up until the 31st! Here are 10 killer movies or shows to check out to get into the Halloween spirit!




10) Halloween Baking Championship
- I usually don't like cooking/baking shows. Of course there's Halloween Wars, but the Halloween Baking Championship I feel is a little more unique with its challenges. Plus I always felt this show wasn't repetitive like Halloween Wars. I myself can bake a little bit, but watching these people whip up these crazy tasty looking dishes always floor me. Plus, who doesn't love a cake that's usually themed with something spooky?! Some of this stuff looks so awesome you honestly cringe whenever the judges cut into it to taste!

9) Halloween franchise
- No Halloween movie marathon would be complete without...well the Halloween movies. These films have always been very near and dear to my heart since my mother absolutely loved the original film. I guess back in 1978 my father took her to see the first film at the drive-in. Later that night my dad picked up a hitchhiker (ah, the 70's) and my mother nearly killed him since she was so spooked over seeing the movie. I remember it was a rite of passage when my mother finally allowed my sister and I to watch the Carpenter classic, and they were a huge part of my life growing up as a true blue horror fan. I always view the first two original films as one giant film. I feel I loved Season Of The Witch before it was cool to love it. (Tom Atkins will forever be my silver fox husband. *swoon*) I always wonder, had that film actually done well, what other cool original ideas could they have thought of for separate sequels. I feel the Michael Myers storyline has been beaten to death, and for the most part the films following the first two aren't that good. Sure part 4 is good (great ending), 5 was a mess, six was awful (both cuts), H20 I actually really love. I view that as a true part 3 of the Myers storyline. Yeah it cashed into the whole Scream/I know What You Did Last Summer craze in the late 90's, but I have tons of memories watching this one and loving the fact JLC came back. Plus that opening and ending! That's how you start and finish a sequel! 7 was awful and yes...I saw it in theaters. The Rob Zombie remake as much of a mess as it was (I'm sorry but white trash Michael Myers? Really?) still holds a special place in my heart since it was released on my 19th birthday, and my mother and I had so much fun seeing it, we even saw it again the following week. H2 is visually stunning, and a pretty good example of someone self-destructing suffering from grief and PTSD. I sadly could relate since by the time H2 came out I had lost my mother, and seeing movies like this just didn't feel the same after losing her. I HATED the 2018 movie (sorry to people who loved it. Remember guys, Jason Goes To Hell is my favorite Friday the 13th sequel.) but despite JLC returning again I thought it was poorly written, and after so much hype just fell flat. Unless you're living under a rock, I'm sure any horror fan has checked out Halloween Kills either in theaters or streaming like I did on Peacock. To whoever watched it and loved it...good for you. But honestly guys...I rather watch Winchester lick his own asshole for an hour than to watch that train-wreck again. #facts. Any who, these movies are usually on TV 24/7 during the whole month of October. I myself are planning on watching 1,2,3,4, and H20 before next week!

8) Roseanne - Halloween specials 
- Even though the woman herself is a POS, the original show...well at least the first 8 seasons were pure gold. It tells the story of a blue collar lower class family dealing with daily realistic struggles. What Roseanne was best known for were the absolute killer Halloween episodes since she claimed she was the "Queen of Halloween." Starting with season 2, we got to see the family in awesome Halloween costumes, the entire house decorated, and Dan and Roseanne constantly trying to one up each other when it came to tricking/scaring each other. The only Halloween episode I feel that fell flat was the one from I believe season 8 when Roseanne has her baby. Man...that one was weird! Still, watching these classic Halloween themed episodes are a must, not just for the costumes...but for Dan and Roseanne being total couple goals trying to scare the living shit out of each other!

7) Creepshow/Creepshow 2/ Creepshow TV
- Romero + King were the ultimate team for the 1980's. Together they made Creepshow in 1982. A cast jammed packed with well known or up and coming actors. Brilliant effects, creepy music, and five chilling tales in the style of 1950's horror comics. Creepshow is one of my favorite horror movies (who doesn't love Romero and King?) and I've always enjoyed the guilty pleasure otherwise known as part 2. (We won't ever speak about part III) What's even cooler is that Greg Nicotero made the TV series which airs on Shudder and AMC (perfect format making this into a TV series since that means the amount of stories/episodes are endless!) For the first film, I would say my favorite stories are Father's Day, The Crate, and Something To Tide You Over. For the sequel I hated they only did 3 stories, but of course The Raft wins top place for me. I know people always think of Tales From The Darkside as the unofficial part 3 (I could see that) I always loved the Lover's Vow storyline (is that even the name of that segment?) but for the TV series, originally I was a little worried since the first season just didn't seem to grab my attention. Luckly part 2 kicked things off last spring with a bang. Model Kid, Public Television Of The Dead, and Dead and Breakfast hit all the marks for me. Season 3 so far has been pretty good. Some episodes are better than others, but I feel if they continue with this overall vibe, fans of the original movies have a lot to look forward to! Since I hurt my back last month, I've been catching up on shows I haven't gotten around to finish, and Creepshow is always something to look forward to every Thursday! This month I've actually watched the first movie twice so far!

6) Night Of The Demons
- Of course any horror movie that actually takes place on Halloween is a must to watch. Back in college, I actually first watched Night Of The Demons after discovering that the same director as Witchboard made this cult classic! I've always loved makeup artist Steve Johnson, and I absloutely loved the fact he met his future wife B movie queen Linnea Quigley on this film. Telling the story of a group of teenagers who decide to throw a party on Halloween night at a giant abandoned mansion. Here they make the fatal mistake of doing seance, which accidentally releases three evil spirits that take over a few of the teenagers, that start picking off the guests one by one. Can the survivors make it until dawn? This film is pure 80's cheese at it's finest. It spawned 2 sequels, and an actual half decent remake. Still, nothing beats the original which is a staple to watch every October! Plus that ending! Makes you think twice before bitting into an apple again!

5) Trick R Treat
- Horror anthologies when done right can be a total blast (Creepshow, Creepshow 2, Trilogy Of Terror, Tales From The Crypt, etc.) to watch this time of year. Trick R Treat is one of the best films made in this style, and totally captures the whole October/Halloween vibe. With Sam, the tiny little...child? Who appears in every segment, we witness all stories connect to each other over the course of Halloween night. Some stories are slightly better than others, but overall is a must to watch in order to get into the proper Halloween spirit. I for one hope this director continues doing horror movies that are holiday themed. I mean he's tackled Halloween and Christmas. Let's see a Thanksgiving themed one next! Killer turkeys for everyone!!!

4) The Stepfather 
- I absolutely love the first 2 Stepfather movies. These were favorites of my late mother's, and I have tons of fond memories renting the three films while growing up. The first movie is always a must to watch in October since it takes place in autumn. Here we watch Jerry Blake, a charming, handsome, and friendly real-estate agent who's recently married a window with a troubled teenage girl. But here's the twist. Jerry isn't who he says he is. In fact, the year before in another town he slaughtered his entire family, changed his looks and identity, and started a new life elsewhere. In fact...it seems that this follows a pattern. The brother of Jerry's last murdered wife figures it out that he's been doing this for years. He marries into families of single mothers, and tries to be the "perfect" family, until something happens and he's disappointed. Snapping, he starts planning a new life elsewhere, changes his identity and looks, and then slaughters his entire family before finding a new one. What makes it even more scary is the fact this is loosely based on a true story. The first films are great, and Terry O' Quinn does SUCH a great job. This isn't your typical slasher, and scenes such as the one from above truly capture the beautiful autumn surroundings in this "perfect" little neighborhood. 

3) Dark Night Of The Scarecrow
- Man, back when made for TV movies were awesome! In fact this isn't the only made for TV movie that's making this list! Back in the 70's and 80's, made for TV horror movies were HUGE. ABC or NBC would usually do a movie of the week and show such classics like Devil Dog From Hell, Don't Go To Sleep, Trilogy Of Terror, and most famously...Dark Night Of The Scarecrow. I actually saw this movie for the first time in college. A buddy of mine knew I was staffing a horror convention and gave me money to buy this film that had just been released on blu-ray. I went to the booth, and had no idea I was actually meeting the director! He was super awesome, and signed both mine and my friend's copies of the film. A few nights later, I went to my friend's dorm where a bunch of the guys were planning on drinking some beers and watching this. I was SO glad I had never seen this movie before, since it was a total blast to watch. Telling the story of a sweet mental disabled man named Bubba, who is falsely accused of harming a little girl who actually got hurt when a dog attacked her. A bunch of men from the small farming community decide to put justice in their own hands, and hunt down Bubba using their own dogs. Here they pick up his scent, and see that Bubba actually has hidden himself as a scarecrow in the middle of a field. His elders mother always taught him to hide whenever the town's people were harassing him. Here the men open fire, and brutally murder Bubba in cold blood. It isn't that long afterwards, that they receive word that Bubba actually saved the young girl's life, and that a dog was responsible for hurting her. Here the men stage it to look like they were forced to open fire in self-defense, and get off with a slap on the wrist. That is...until the men all start dying in mysterious farming accidents, with the scarecrow always spotted nearby. Is it Bubba back from the dead? Or is it something much worse? This film is a classic and one of my favorites to watch every October!

2) The Crow
- Come on guys, we can't say we're shocked to see this on my list? This is the ultimate movie to watch now on Devil's Night (October 30th) Not only is it one of my ALL time favorite movies, it's always visually striking, and despite the tragedy that surrounds the production of this film, we get to see the late Brandon Lee finally step out from his father's shadow, and give the performance of his life. It often makes you wonder...had the accident not have happened...what other stellar performances were we robbed of when Brandon died and his career/life was cut short. This is the ultimate revenge movie, and this film as well as the song Burn by The Cure will forever be Brandon's. The scene at the end when he's exhausted, and laying against Shelly's grave will forever rip my heart out. We miss you Brandon. Thank you for this beautiful film. I'll be pouring one out in your honor next week on the 30th, and shouting "Fire it up!" 

1) The Midnight Hour 
-  I told you that Dark Night Of The Scarecrow wasn't going to be the only made for TV movie! The Midnight Hour is my ALL time favorite movie to watch every Halloween. I'll never forget renting this movie as a kid, and how my sister and I absolutely fell in love with it. For years I searched for this film, before finally finding it on VHS as well as bootleg. Fingers crossed we finally get the blu-ray release it deserves! This is a cult classic, jammed packed with stars, a killer soundtrack, cool makeups, and best of all every vampire, ghoul, zombie, ghost, werewolf, and witch crammed into this charming fun movie! Everyone who has seen this movie all says the same thing...it's the perfect film to watch on Halloween! I was lucky enough to have the guy who played Phil to sign my VHS copy, and even leave a sweet message on my voicemail years ago. It will forever join the ranks with The Monster Squad, as a fun childhood favorite of mine. Also LeVar Burton squirting ketchup and breaking eggs on his mummy costume is classic!


So what are you guys watching this week?
Happy Halloween everyone!!!