Spooky Shows to Binge over Thanksgiving Weekend

Happy Thanksgivingweek!

Whether you’re joining the shopping boycott on Black Friday to send a message to oligarchs or just need to recharge and rest, Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time for binging spooky TV shows. Here are ten of my favorites.

Castle Rock (Hulu)

The fictional town in Maine that serves as the terrifying locale for most of the stories in the Stephen King universe gets its own supernatural show produced by JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot. True to any Stephen King novel, it’s a dark, mysterious, creepy mind-bender, filled with compelling characters. Sadly, it only got two seasons. A real shame cuz I had so many questions…

The Strain (Hulu)

Back when the CDC were the good guys, the show about a doctor investigating a viral outbreak with ties to an ancient strain of the vampirism was created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan based on their vampire trilogy. Hollywood superstar showrunner Carlton Cuse of Lost fame wrangled this thrilling action horror for four seasons on FX.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)

Witches, warlock, humans, hobgoblins, old deities, and Satan, this ain’t your grandmama’s Sabrina. Forget the 90s WB sitcom, this is a much darker, scarier, and sexier show for Archie Comics breakout star.

Ash vs Evil Dead (Starz)

Evil Dead trilogy fans rejoiced when Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell brought their chainsaw-wielding hero and the Deadites to television for Starz in this action horror-comedy that squeaked out 3 seasons. It’s been 30 years since Ash left the Army of the Dead behind, working at Value Mart with his young friends Pablo and Kelly, drinking his lonely existence into oblivion and ignoring his responsibilities to protect the world until the evil dead come calling for the one that got away.

Stranger Things (Netflix)

Coming-of-age show about a group of friends investigating the disappearance of their friend and the supernatural acts happening in their small town of Hawkins, Indiana is Netflix’s most popular show. Season 5 premieres on November 26, so binging the first four seasons now is perfect timing.

The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix)

Mike Flanagan’s chilling first entry in the Haunting series for NetFlix was loosely based on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name. Part ghost story, part family drama, horror maestro Stephen King hailed Flanagan’s vision of Jackson’s story as brilliant. I guess that’s why King keeps agreeing to let the guy direct movies of his own novels.

Brand New Cherry Flavor (Netflix)

A mind binding thriller set in the 90s about young female filmmaker in Hollywood, whose career gets derailed after mixing it up with a catty bohemian witch. This limited series wasn’t supposed to go beyond 8 episodes, but fans can still dream.

Marianne (Netflix)

This smartly written and wonderfully acted French horror show created by Samuel Bodin about a writer haunted by an ancient evil witch only got one season, but that’s probably for the best, cuz it’s the scariest show on the list. It’s better to watch in French with English subtitles. Your eyes will be glued to the screen anyways.

Kingdom (Netflix)

Not quite Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, this Korean gem is filled with colorful characters, political intrigue, and hordes of zombies. Based on a webtoon series The Kingdom of the Gods created by Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il, this Josean period action thriller was never officially canceled, so fans are still hoping for Season 3, despite the many years that have passed.

The Walking Dead (AMC)

I once read in a Hollywood rag, that studio execs believed no one wanted to watch a zombie TV show and it would be far too expensive to produce. 15 years and 8 spin off shows later, Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead franchise is still churning in some form, while knock off shows have come and gone. I believe it’s all due to the genius of Greg Nicotero and his special effects and make-up team. It’s the first, and the best zombie TV show ever produced, period. And, it totally proved the world loves zombies enough to watch them every week!

Prize Pool 2025

The Halloween Haiku Challenge has ended, but I’m sharing the scares this year, so check back in December for a new holiday haiku challenge!

The prize pool (see below) started with leftover or unclaimed gifts. I also have a lot more Halloween stickers but you can only get so many in one picture.😄

Before every contest, please see Contest Rules and Eligibility page for specific details. It is player responsibility to know the rules before playing any games here.

Happy October 2025!

Happy October! It’s been a busy summer. I admit that keeping up with a blog this year has been challenging. On one hand I love it, I love sharing Halloween haiku and other spooky stuff, but truth is I simply don’t have the time to blog like I used to.

I did make time to visit Disneyland recently for some Fall fun.

I also know times are tough and depressing. It’s not going to get better anytime soon, we need Halloween! We need to celebrate our culture and traditions more than ever and we need to make new memories! Good memories! You never know when that may be the only thing you have. So after careful consideration, I will again be celebrating all 31 days of Halloween this year.

There will be two themes this month, Haunted Halloween and Halloween Happy. Americans are a haunted people, but we all deserve life. Halloween is for everyone. Full stop. The holiday combines both ancient pagan and religious ceremonies. The original purpose was to chase away the demons and bad ghosts that crossed over the spirit realm because of the thin veil between the living and the spirit world.

Don’t let anyone tell you how to do Halloween. Decorate or not. Wear a costume or not. We can be scary and sweet. We can be spooky and cute. Let the teenagers trick or treat. Kids collecting candy are too occupied to do anything else. I truly believe Halloween makes people happy. It’s about community. We need our communities more than ever. It’s the only thing that can save America now.

Be sure to check back every day this October for cool, fun, and inspirational Halloween, horror, and haiku.

HALLOWEEN SCHEDULE 2025

Monday Macabre

Every Monday, I’ll be posting a brand new Halloween Haiku, honoring the theme of Haunted Halloween.

Trick or Treat Tuesdays

Check in on Tuesdays for some online fun. I’ve got treats and I’ve got tricks.

Wicked Art Wednesdays

Every Wednesday, I’ll showcase the amazing and unique talents of Halloween artists from around the globe.

Timeless Thursdays

Every Thursday, let’s travel back in time and revisit some of the greatest Halloween music ever made on the corporeal plane.

Friday Fright Nightcaps

Bubble bubble, drink away trouble, it’s the return of Friday Fright Nightcaps!

Sinister Saturdays

Decadent desserts from the darkside. I’m not much of a cook, so this could get truly evil.

Spooky Sundays

Spooky Sundays are for reading, relaxing, and recharging our brooms.

Eat, drink and be scary!

7th Annual Halloween Haiku Challenge
#Halloweenhaikuchallenge2025

Due to time constraints, this year’s contest will start at midnight on October 30th through Halloween day. Winner chosen on November 1st.

More details to come, but for now, sharpen those pencils or pull up a blank page; I can’t wait to see those Halloween haiku!

Don’t forget to follow Halloweenhorrorhaiku on Pinterest and Blue Sky.

Have a Happy Halloween season, everyone! Be safe out there!🎃

Winter Wolf – January 2025

Hello and Happy New Year! This month’s theme is the winter wolf. The winter wolf braces for the long cold months with courage and intelligence. Having already grown in its winter coat and possessing the gift of adaptability, this magnificent creature is well equipped to survive brutal harsh weather.

A few years ago, I quit Facebook. Last year, I quit Twitter. I was never on Tik Tok, and so, this year, I’m widening my self-imposed ban on social media to include Instagram and Threads. My time and energy can be used much more productively, and my money and support, well, that’s reserved for ideals I believe in.

Wolves are highly intelligent, social creatures. They’re caring, playful and all about the family and pack. When an enemy appears and threatens said tribe (like a buncha Nazis, kidnappers, rapists, slavedrivers, terrorists, treasoners, and their followers, who sadly allowed their cowardly, greedy, jealous minds to get hijacked), it’s time to get strategic about how to fight this evil, just like how they got strategic in their takeover of America. I’m choosing with my wallet and my eyeballs first. The battle has already begun.

The only thing I’ll miss are friends. I don’t expect any friends to do this too. Everyone needs to decide which roads to travel on their own. I do expect my real friends to understand and love me. Maybe we’ll see each other again and pick back up, right where we left off.

So, what does all this mean for my little web blog? Not much here is going to change. I’ll still do monthly haiku, a monthly blog post, post movie lists or reviews, post art and images, recipes and fun stuff associated with Halloween, horror and haiku. Who knows, with all that extra time and effort not spent catering to bots and an endless sea of scrolling eyeballs, I’ll produce something more impactful to culture and humanity.

I urge everyone to spend less time on social media, less time listening to big media, less time thinking about non-existent issues that racists, mysognists, and religious zealots want you to worry about. Make art instead. Write poetry. Watch movies. Listen to music. Buy from small mom and pop, brick and mortar stores. Protect the planet. Pay attention to climate change. Practice good DEI. Fight true evil pretending to believe in a fake god, and seriously, fuck nazis.

Be well and stay safe.

Last Minute Gift Ideas 2024

Happy Creepmas! Looking for last minute virtual gift ideas? No stress! You can pull up your phone and have an amazing gift in less than 5 mins. Check it out!

Masterclass (price varies)

Give the gift of knowledge! I mean, there is no better gift than that. The online classes are easy, interesting, and fun. Your giftee can take classes at their own pace and pick whatever topic they want to study, there are over 200 to choose from! It’s fantastic for new budding writers.

Loot Fright Box from Lootcrate ($34.99 per crate)

Gift a bimonthly horror box filled with officially licensed and exclusive cool collectibles, apparel, and other horror goodies. It’s the gift that keeps on giving

Patreon

A gift for two people! Support independent artists, creators, influencers, musicians, and podcasters by gifting a fan with a Patreon subscription.

You need to set up a free Patreon account in order to gift someone but they have made gifting is easy, click here for more info.

Artists like Diana Levin of Ghoulish Bunny use Patreon to connect with fans.

Calm 1-Year Subscription ($69.99)

Gifting wellness is a beautiful gift and shows how much you care. Everyone deserves to be happy and feeling good about their mental health, but sometimes it’s challenging and people don’t know where to start. A Calm subscription is unimposing way to ease into caring for oneself.

Online Gaming Subscription or Gift Cards (price varies)

Plenty of spooky games are available for horror fans on PC, Playstation, XBox, or Nintendo Switch.

Buying a year long online gaming subscription service is an amazing gift. Gaming subscriptions are costly and more and more game companies are adding online play to their games.

There are hours of online entertainment to enjoy, but it helps to know what system your giftee is on. Just ask, “hey, what gaming system are you on?” Below are the big ones:

Playstation Plus Digital or Gift Cards ($25-$100)

Xbox Game Pass Digital or Gift Cards ($10-$50)

Nintendo Switch Online Digital or Gift Cards ($3.99-$19.99)

Steam for PC

You can purchase digital subscriptions online, or even give physical gift cards that can be found at any grocery store, retailer store or pharmacy store.

Dying Light I & II

Amazon Prime 1-Year Subscription ($139)

Free to watch Prime movies, TV, online books, music, and free shipping for a year! Best gift ever! Now, Amazon has made it a little difficult to gift an actual membership. You have to purchase a gift card instead and then the person uses it to buy themselves the membership. Taken from website: “Amazon no longer offers the ability to directly gift an Amazon Prime membership, but you can use an Amazon gift card to purchase a Prime membership.”

Gift Cards (price varies)

The good ole standby gift. It may seem impersonal but it’s not. People love getting giftcards. If you know their favorite stores or online shops, it helps, but a Visa giftcard that works anywhere, still the cherry on the top of an ice cream sundae.

Happy Holidays!

Witchy Gifts 2024

Happy Friday! This week’s gift guide is for the witches. Whether you’re a baby witch or a seasoned enchantress, witches need tools and toys to practice their craft. These gift suggestions are general and meant for everyone. Obviously, if the giftee has a specific practice in mind, like they want to be a kitchen witch or moon witch for example, you’re gonna want to find the tools, toys, and books geared towards that.

I listed some cool items from shops I like, but this is only a tiny guide to inspire you in finding the perfect gift for your favorite witch, even if it’s yourself. Happy Creepmas!

Polished Amethyst Pendulum ($7.50) Woot & Hammy

Llewellyn’s 2025 Magical Almanac ($14.99) – Llewellyn https://www.llewellyn.com

Llewellyn’s 2025 Witches’ Calendar ($14.99) – Llewellyn https://www.llewellyn.com

Witches Broom – Cinnamon scented with key ($18.00) The Crooked Path

Witches’ Brooms, various sizes and styles

Moons and Butterflies Modern Witch Hat ($20.99) – Hot Topic https://www.hottopic.com

Modern Witch Hat, various colors ($20) – Moons Gift Shop https://moonsgiftshop.com/product/modern-witch-hat/

Standard Rider-Waite Tarot Deck ($21.95) – various shops

Pre-order: Agatha All Along Soundtrack ($25) – Disney Music Emporium https://www.disneymusicemporium.com/product/XVLP292/agatha-all-along

Purple Crystal Ball, 3in. ($49) – 13 Moons

Crystal Ball, Various sizes and prices

Pentacle with Moon Phases Necklace ($40.99) – Woot & Hammy https://wootandhammy.com

400 Page Large Grimoire leather journal, Print Tree of Life Journal, Blank spell book book of shadows Leather Celestial Gifts For Him Her ($48.99) – Amyracraft (Etsy)

Monthly Haiku Corner – December

Happy December! The theme is month is Wicked Wonderland. December is very much an opportunity to experience a second Halloween. There’s ghost stories, wicked elves, mysterious and mystical creatures, jolly ole Santa and the sinister Krampus. Lots of spooky fun coming this month, so check back often! Wishing you all very haunted holidays!

empty magic bag
wicked elves lie and deceive
Where is Santa?

Shop Small Business Saturday 2024

Hello! Today is Shop Small Business Saturday. This new annual tradition of supporting the mom and pop local businesses in your own town follows Black Friday every year. Today, I’m celebrating the last day of November with one of my favorite small businesses.

Backstitch Bruja

It’s been a joy to watch Yvette’s business grow from a small online shop into a real brick and mortar store in San Dimas, CA. This busy entrepreneur still makes time to travel around to Halloween and horror conventions and spooky events around the SoCal area. Follow her on Instagram for details on appearances.

This is just a small taste of what’s offered up this Creepmas season. It seems that everything pictured is still in stock, but merch moves quickly at Backstitch Bruja.

But don’t fret if something sells out. If you can be patient, get yourself a Backstitch Bruja giftcard. They usually restock.

Haunting Holidays and Merry Creepmas to all!

My Favorite Vampire Movies

The theme this month is November’s Undead Embrace. Most vampire movies feel like autumn, or winter, with the exception of The Lost Boys, which had cool summer vibes.

My list of faves is made up of all older movies. Honestly, Abigail was the last good vampire flick I’ve recently seen. Some on my list are endearing, all the Draculas, because Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of my favorite novels. Dapper and mysterious, the hyponotizing Bela Lugosi is still the best, but Frank Lagella was sauve and sophisticated enough to make forget all about those bad disco effects. Gary Oldman was tall, dark, and handsome, but honestly, young Christopher Lee still might be my favorite, sinister and sexy. He turned me onto Hammer Horror, and no one does olde English victorian goth better than Hammer.

The original Swedish Let the Right One In, from 2008, the gruesome horror coming of age tale, had the best story of all the vampire movies I’ve ever seen (it was also based on a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist).

And the militia controlled religious zealotry of the American apocalypse featured in Stakeland is something I very much forsee happening to our great nation, minus the vampires, well, maybe…

The other films, oh hell, I just like sleek, fun action horror monster movies.

So, here’s the list. Perfect for a Black Friday movie marathon, or you can go fight off real life vampires at the stores if that’s your thing. Bwahahaha😄

Dracula, 1931
Let the Right One In, 2008
The Lost Boys, 1987
Stakeland, 2010
Horror of Dracula, 1958
Dracula, 1979
Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1992
Near Dark, 1987
Blade, 1998
Underworld, 2003

Honorable Mentions:
Salem’s Lot
Fright Night
Afflicted
The Hunger
Only Lovers Left Alive
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Interview with a Vampire
From Dusk til Dawn

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday or a very happy Thursday.

Happy Halloween!

I’m a mixed bag of emotions today. Happy that my favorite day of the year has arrived, this is what we’ve been counting down to, of course, but the last day in October is also a bittersweet day. I feel like I didnt celebrate in the way that I wanted. It’s always a bummer to celebrate Halloween season with a US presidential election looming, but this year was particularly sickening. Mostly, work is just kinda killing me. I didn’t even carve my own pumpkin yet! <gasp>

It’s time to say goodbye to our favorite month, our favorite holiday, our favorite time of the year. While the Fall season is in full swing and finally there’s some cooler temps out in SoCal so it actually feels like Autumn, that too is winding down. Christmas crept into retail stores while we were picking out pumpkins. I’m not even ready for that, so I will once again stretch out Halloween through November, before introducing a brand new haunted vampire theme for the month. I’m leaving my decorations up, I’m watching more classic horror movies, I will carve that pumpkin, and I’ll help my fellow Halloween lovers suffering from withdrawals by providing Halloween content, as we barrel into the wicked wonderland.

Truthfully, this website never stops Halloween. We do celebrate all year long but it’s just extra during October. Thank you for stopping by this season. I’m stoked to read all the haiku for this year’s Halloween Haiku Challenge 2024 and pick a winner tonight. Stay tuned for more bloodcurdling fun this November and a brand new haunted holiday season in December. Happy Halloween!