March has been a little rough, but I have a new haiku to share, celebrating both St. Patrick’s Day and the recent horror show that is the United States. Not everything that glitters is gold.
beware the trickster
whose only concern is gold
death is imminent
Be safe out there.
This year, I’m returning to my roots and posting simple horror haiku.
snow moon bears witness
murder, rape, and dark chaos
heartbroken fools
This year, I’m returning to my roots and posting simple horror haiku.
ICE cold hands
shocking murder in plain sight
dead of winter
Welcome January! Welcome back old friends and new guests! This is a safe place for people who love Halloween, Horror, and Haiku, unless you’re a nazi, bigot, religious fruitcake, scammer, and an otherwise intolerant hater. I hope this message is perfectly f’n clear. A country with such a huge lying govrmnent needs citizens who speak the truth.
As my blog enters its 8th year in existence, I find myself at a crossroads in continuing a minor blog that I cannot dedicate much time to and needing a outlet for my feelings and a place to fuel my creativity. I’ve decided the latter is more important in this current climate.
There will be no gimmicks this year however, no contests, no themes per say, just Halloween, horror, and haiku. I like to celebrate holidays, celebratory events, and significant days, particularly those pertaining to the Arts, so I will continue to do so with haiku.
I quit almost all social media except BlueSky and Pinterest, where I’ve got lots of cool boards to share. Please stop by! I also keep a Reddit page, but there’s no activity there. Happy to engage though!
I thank those who stop by and read my writings. There’s still freedom in America. It will be business as usual. So, channel your inner Lord of the Rings character and let’s make 2026 unforgettable!
Every holiday season, I share the timeless words of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, intriguing, mysterious, and downright the scariest ghost of all of literature, we don’t even need the Ghost to reveal the fates of Scrooge and his loved ones, readers can guess from the second he shows up in the story,
THE Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came
near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air
through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and
mystery.
It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its
head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one
outstretched hand. But for this it would have been difficult to detach
its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it
was surrounded.
He felt that it was tall and stately when it came beside him, and
that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dread. He knew
no more, for the Spirit neither spoke nor moved.
“I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?”
said Scrooge.
The Spirit answered not, but pointed onward with its hand.
“You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not
happened, but will happen in the time before us,” Scrooge pursued.
“Is that so, Spirit?”
The upper portion of the garment was contracted for an instant in
its folds, as if the Spirit had inclined its head. That was the only
answer he received.
This concludes Dickens Sundays in December. Until next Christmas! Be safe out there!
Every holiday season, I share the wise words of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
When the Ghost of Christmas Present appeared before Scrooge, the spirit showed Scrooge the repercussions of his actions and how much he hurt those closest to him, including his faithful employee Bob Cratchit and family, his good-natured but very ill son, Tiny Tim.
“Come in!” exclaimed the Ghost. “Come in! and know me better, man!”
Scrooge entered timidly, and hung his head before this Spirit. He was not the dogged Scrooge he had been; and, though the Spirit’s eyes were clear and kind, he did not like to meet them.
“I am the Ghost of Christmas Present,” said the Spirit. “Look upon me!”
Scrooge reverently did so. It was clothed in one simple green robe, or mantle, bordered with white fur. This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. Its feet, observable beneath the ample folds of the garment, were also bare; and on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath, set here and there with shining icicles. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air. Girded round its middle was an antique scabbard; but no sword was in it, and the ancient sheath was eaten up with rust.
Happy Caturday! It’s the last day of Fall and the last shopping weekend before Christmas. There’s no guarantee you’d get any of these gifts by Christmas day without paying exorbitant shipping costs, so I included some spooktacular digital gifts to give to your favorite Halloween and horror fan this Christmas.
Scrub Daddy: Limited Edition Halloween Sponges, $5
Halloween season may be over but you can still find these adorable limited edition Scrub Daddy Halloween sponges online or in stores. They make great stocking stuffers!
Severin Films Horror Enamel Pins, $12
Last week, I mentioned these Severin Films enamel pins of famous horror directors and actors. I just needed to reiterate you could buy a beautiful enamel pin of horror legends Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. These are so incredible! If only they had Vincent Price, we could’ve had the horror trifecta in our stockings this holiday!
Ototo Designs: Vino, Corkscrew and Bottle Opener, $22.95
Your favorite Halloween fan will light up like a Christmas tree if you gift them this darling Ototo Vino bat corkscrew and bottle opener.
Nordic Ware: Haunted Skull Cakelet Pan, $38.50
Every Halloween I post pictures of pizza skulls and every year people wonder how to get their hands on the coolest pan they ever saw. The “skull pan” is Nordic Ware Haunted Skull Cakelet pan and they have tons of other cool pans for all the other holidays too!
Lego Halloween Wreath, $32.99
Legos are the gifts that keep on giving. Building Legos are calming and therapeutic. They’re collectible and you can rebuild them over and over and never get bored. The kid in us won’t allow it. Any spooky set makes a great gift, but this Halloween Wreath is fangtastic! You could get different results each time, it covers two holidays, and with 500 pieces, it shouldn’t take much time at all to complete.
Fangoria Classic Logo Tee, $25
The classic Fangoria.com T-shirt is good ole fashion horror supporting casual wear. Fangoria is one the first true magazines to celebrate horror movies, so we should give back by keeping them alive for generations of future horror fans.
Fangoria+ Subscription (Print+, digital, billed annually), $79.95
Or you could buy a year subscription and get this fancy free t-shirt instead.
HORROR MOVIES
Horror fans love horror movies. Full stop! Sure, we love little trinkets and memorabilia, but what we love most is the very thing that captured our attention and hearts in the first place, HORROR MOVIES! So, when in doubt, buy scary movies, either DVD or Blu-Ray or a streaming service for a couple of months, (doesn’t even have to be a whole year, but that would nice!)
They can even be those cheapass bad two to five dollar bin finds. In fact, that might work out better! Trust me, we horror movie fans are a special bunch. We’ll even watch the small, indie, made in your backyard horror. We may not love it, but we’ll watch it and talk about it cuz we love talking about the spooky films we saw. So, yep, even bad horror movies make great gifts!
Blumhouse of Horrors, 10 Movie Collection, $35
It’s about time that Blumhouse started releasing box sets of their movies. I’d be happier to see Happy Death Day in its own box set, but at least it’s included here. Get Out, The Purge, and Split are also three of best “new” horror Blumhouse has ever produced anyway, so it’s in good company.
LAST MINUTE DIGITAL GIFTS
No time to shop. No time to wait. Gotta have it now, here you go:
Gifting instant access to thousands of scary movies is always a great idea! The two horror movie channels are very similar, except Shudder is little older, more established, maybe has a better selection. Debatable. However, a Screambox yearly subscription is cheaper, even if it has more ads because of it. Really comes down to your patience and wallet.
Bloody Disgusting’s own Screambox Yearly Subscription, $59.99
Shudder Yearly Subscription, $79.99
Foxblood Clothing E-gift Card, starting at $25
Give a e-gift card from Foxblood Clothing in Los Angeles to your fave Halloween and horror fan and let them shop all the after Christmas sales and get exactly what they they really want!
A Gothic Universe Digital Gift Card, price varies
Give the gift of ‘go shop for your own gothic ware’ from A Gothic Universe a fa-boo-lous retailer for goth merch. It’s a win-win!
Calm Subscription, $79
Help your anxious fan relax with the Calm.com app and hundreds of hours soundscapes, sleep stories, meditations and more. Calm may be normal but a well-rested goth has more time to go do cool spooky shit.
Concert Tix for 2026, price varies
Give the gift of live music. SoCalGoth.com has a great chart of all the goth bands out on tour next year in SoCal, but I’m sure you can use it to look up if these bands will play in your area or maybe plan a little trip. SoCal is lovely all times of the year.
Happy Holidays everyone! Wishing you all safe and happy New Year, may 2026 be kinder to us all. Be safe out there!
Every holiday season, I share the wise words of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Dickens’ was a champion of the poor and unfortunate, particularly children. Having grown up destitute himself and enduring the abuse and ills of the labor houses, Dickens knew firsthand of the timeless topics he wrote about.
The Ghost of Christmas Past was the first of Jacob Marley’s three mercurial warnings to the cruel, greedy miser Ebenezer Scrooge to change to his lifestyle or endure a hellish afterlife like his old partner.
She turned back time to show Ebenezer his past, how happy he once was, how in love he once was, but the young Scrooge allowed ambition and greed to rule his life and lost everyone he loved so dearly.
“These are the shadows of the things that have been, that they are what they are, do not blame me!”
I wanted to pay a little tribute to the great horror icon Udo Kier, who passed away last month.
Udo Kier, the charming blue-eyed German actor with over 280 film credits across multiple countries, worked with every director under the sun, and starred in every type of genre movie you can think of, from arthouse cult classics to Marvel blockbusters. He was mostly a champion for small and independent foreign films, and a LGBTQ rights advocate.
Udo Kier made small movies and big movies. He loved making art. He was smart, funny, and understood the movie business. He understood sometimes you went in to make money, and only money, and sometimes you went in to make art, no matter what it cost.
Kier often played villains, weirdos or deviants, and his immense talent could elevate even the smallest roles. He once said “The villain is the character that people remember.” Udo Kier’s menacing villains will always be remembered by horror fans and filmgoers.
Severin Films Hall of Fame Enamel Pin #17: Udo Kier, $10
Severin Films has a great collection of enamel pins celebrating horror directors and horror stars of The Theatre Bizarre, a horror anthology from 2011, with wraparound segments featuring Udo Kier.
I think Blood of Dracula is one of Udo Kier’s best roles. This is autograph reprint is a great small gift for anyone who loves those old indie euro subculture films.
FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN & BLOOD FOR DRACULA / 6 Discs / 4K UHD / NEW RB Blu-ray, $174
Blood for Dracula and Flesh for Frankenstein starring Udo Kier and Joe Dallesandro, directed by Paul Morrissey were arguably both actors’ most memorable films. Filmed in Italy, the films were repackaged and released in the US under Andy Warhol’s production company. This Italian box set looks amazing.
Mark of the Devil 4K UHD and Blu-ray 3 Disc Set – Vinegar Syndrome, $28
One of Udo Kier’s first roles was a supporting character in the infamous Hexen bis aufs Blut gequält a.k.a Mark of the Devil, a 1970 German knock-off of The Witchfinder General. This horror historical film was known for its realistic scenes of torture and violence towards women, and featured a marketing campaign that leaned in and promoted the film with the slogan “rated V for violence.” Theaters even handed out sick bags. It’s no wonder the filmed eventually got banned in England under the video nasty age and wasn’t publicly shown again until heavy cuts were made.
Dario Argento’s Symphony of Fear features three of the Italian horror maestro best films 4K restorations, $30
Udo Kier had a small but important role in Dario Argento’s 1977 classic Suspiria. As Dr. Mandel, Udo showed off his range. Yes, he was known for over-the-top villains, but he could tone it down when he needed to.
Brand New Blade Trilogy (Blu-ray, 2024) Exclusive Slipcover, Wesley Snipes, $26 (varies by eBay seller)
In Marvel comic book adaption of Blade starring Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff, Udo Kier had a small but fitting part playing Vampire Elder Dragonetti who butts heads with young rebel vampire Deacon Frost played by Dorff.
Shadow of the Vampire – Special Edition (2000) Blu-ray, $22
Udo Kier joined fellow scene chewers Willem Dafoe and John Malkovich for a spine-tingling movie about the filming of Nosferatu in 2000 Shadow of the Vampire.
Obviously, with 280 films, there’s no way I can post suggestions to all of Udo Kier’s movies, but he has starred in some pretty iconic films that would make cult-film lovers and horror fans mighty proud to have on their shelf. He worked with Lars von Trier and Gus Van Sant a lot, so be sure to check out all those titles.
Buyer Beware Warning: Be sure to check specs before purchasing any movie DVDs, as some of these are in PAL format and won’t play in the USA. You can find almost anything on Amazon, but I suggest shopping small and independent this holiday season.
Rest in peace Mr. Kier!
Happy holidays! Be safe out there!
Back in Victorian times, people practiced strong Christmas traditions, including telling ghost stories. Charles Dickens wrote the most famous Christmas ghost story of all time and I like to celebrate it every year.
Ebenezer Scrooge was a crusty old mean rich white guy who liked to take out his selfish grievances out of the lowest and poorest of society, which included his own employees. The ghost of Scrooge’s former business partner Jacob Marley shows up one night with a warning for old miser, change your wicked ways or suffer eternity in chains just like him.
“I wear the chain I forged in life… It made it link by link, and yard by yard.”
Halloween Horror Haiku 
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