Happy Caturday!

Sable Killer Pumpkins sm — ©KillerPumpkins

To view more of John Pelico’s art, please visit the KillerPumpkins website here: https://www.killerpumpkins.com/

Friday Fright Nightcaps – Pumpkin Pie Shots

Tis the season of pumpkin spice and everything nice, and scary!

A nice man named Dan over at Mantitlement perfected the ultimate recipe for Pumpkin Pie Shots, just in time to celebrate National Pumpkin Day!

pumpkin-pie-shooter-top sm — Photo by Mantitlement

Ingredients

2 ounces Caramel vodka
2 ounces Pumpkin Spice liquor
2 ounces RumChata
Sugar or sprinkles for rimming the glass (optional)

pumpkin-pie-shooters-sm — Photo by Mantitlement

To view the full recipe, please go here: https://www.mantitlement.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-shots/

Wicked Art Wednesdays – Toxic Toons

This October, we celebrate the multi-talented artist and animator Eric “Unkle” Pigors, who hails from Santa Clarita, CA.

Artist: Eric Pigors
Company/Studio: Toxic Toons
Where to Purchase Goods: Online shop, comic book and horror conventions, special events, specialty stores, i.e., Halloweentown Store, Mystic Museum, etc.
Website: https://www.toxictoons.com/
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/toxictoons

Why we love them: This former Cartoon Network and Disney animator serves up the creepy dark art of every type of monster you can dream of and several only he could think up. His works are silly, gruesome, and the characters always look like they’re having a good time. If you could picture yourself inside one animated cartoon for a night, it’d be at a Pigor’s Halloween party.

©ToxicToons

Halloween Playlists

The beauty of creating your own playlist vs. listening to someone else’s is that you’re guaranteed to LOVE every song. With the variety of hosts and methods available, it’s super easy to create your own playlists these days. The real problem lies in finding the time to research a good variety of songs. So, I thought I’d help out with a little playlist of my own Halloween faves.

30-40s-50s

The Ghost of Smokey Joe by Cab Calloway

Old Man Mose by Louis Jordan

That Old Black Magic by Frank Sinatra

I Want to be Evil by Eartha Kitt

Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley

Poison Ivy by the Coasters

Witch Doctor – David Seville and the Chipmunks

60s

Monster Mash by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers

Riboflavin-Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood by Don Hinson and The Rigamorticians

Martian Hop by the Randells

I Put a Spell on You by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

Love Potion #9 by The Searchers

Little Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

Devil in a Blue Dress by Mitch Ryder

Spooky by Classic IV

Ain’t Superstitious by Howlin’ Wolf

Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones

70s

Superstition by Stevie Wonder

Angie Baby by Helen Reddy

Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band

Devil Woman by Cliff Richard

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult

Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon

Frankenstein by Edgar Winter Group

Swamp Witch by Jim Stafford

Witch Queen of New Orleans by Redbone

80s

Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band

Magic by The Cars

Thriller by Michael Jackson

Ghostbusters by Ray Parker, Jr.

Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell

A Nightmare on My Street by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Dead Man’s Party by Oingo Boingo

Ghost Town by The Specials

Devil Inside by INXS

Hammer Horror by Kate Bush

Psycho Killer by Talking Heads

Pet Semetery by The Ramones

90s

Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson

The Munsters Theme by Los Straitjackets

Werewolf by Southern Culture on the Skids

Dragula by Rob Zombie

Halloween (She’s so Mean) by Rob Zombie and the Ghastly Ones

This is in no way a comprehensive or ‘best of’ list. I’m just hoping to inspire people to put together their own awesome Halloween playlist and encourage younger music lovers to continue listening to the great music of years past.

Haiku of the Week

lurking creature
yellow eyes shine in moonlight
black cat pounces

Happy Caturday!

halloween cat old poster

15 Scariest Black/White Horror Classics

Decades after their release, we still enjoy watching scary classic horror films. Some movies on my list are considered to be pillars of the horror genre, created sub-genres of their own and set the bar for generations of filmmakers to come.

♦♦♦♦♦

15. House on Haunted Hill (1959) Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart

An eccentric millionaire offers five strangers $10,000 if they can spend one whole night with him and his estranged 4^th wife in a haunted house.

Some actually consider this film comical or fun, but taking into account that audiences were not as knowledgeable about horror films gimmicks, as they are today, this movie was quite scary for its time. Director Williams Castle used camera tricks, shadows, ugly witches and skeletons to create the quintessential haunted house movie.

14. The Body Snatcher (1945) Boris Karloff, Henry Daniell

A ruthless doctor and his young student get into trouble with their murderous supplier of illegal cadavers.

Based on the short story of Robert Louis Stevenson, a fictional account of the real life surgeon Robert Knox and the murderous exploits of his corpse suppliers, Burke & Hare, this film was dark, disturbing and featured some fine acting from Boris Karloff. Some people even consider Karloff’s role as the Cabman and grave robber John Gray better than his turn as Frankenstein’s monster. This was the last movie that Karloff and Lugosi would appear in together.

13. Nosferatu (1922) Max Schrek, Greta Schroder

An ancient vampire named Count Orlock leaves his home in Carpathian mountains by ship, terrorizes the crew, and eventually settles in the little town of Wisborg, where he sets his sights on the beautiful wife of his real estate agent.

Unlike Dracula, Max Schrek’s vampire wasn’t suave or sexy. No, this creature was more like animal that prowled around in the dark before pouncing on victims. Like other German Expressionist films, this is a silent film, however, not original, as the filmmakers were almost sued out of existence by the Stoker estate for ripping off the Dracula story.

Continue reading “15 Scariest Black/White Horror Classics” →

Advice from a Jack O’Lantern

Autumn is the best season

Between the golden hues of fallen leaves and the smell of fresh baked apple-cinnamon in the air, Autumn is more than just a season, it’s a force in the universe, with the power to bring back memories, compel lovers to take chances, and motivate people to nurture their creative side.

Autumn wraps around people like a warm blanket, sometimes reminding them of happier times in childhood or giving them hope towards the future. Like the trees that shed their leaves, preparing for winter’s coat, people lose the inhibitions that hold them back, allowing themselves to experience the joys of the holidays and all that life has to offer.

Autumn is a time of reflection, a time of nature, a time of wonder and a time to spend with loved ones and friends. So, this fall, reconnect with an old friend or go visit a family member you haven’t seen in a while. Go for a long walk in the park or the forest. Pick out a pumpkin at a pumpkin farm. Take up a new hobby or make some crafts. Or, create a bucket list and have fun checking each item off.