Forget Miniature Christmas Villages, I Want to Go to Spooky Town!

A number of companies offer various landscapes, buildings, and figures to build your own little Christmas village display/diorama/scene. Those are very cute and enjoyable, but in the past chunk of years I have seen the rise of something I endorse even more--Halloween-themed villages. For example, the good folks over at Lemax have been doing a mix of themed sets since 1990, with recent offerings including the usual Christmas stuff like Santa's Wonderland and an alpine Ski Village. However, since 2000, they've also offered Halloween stuff, such as Spooky Town. Someone can buy a miniature Halloween village that is as cute as it is scary? I mean, sign me up! It isn't just Lemax who do creepy town sets either, with the folks at Department 56 offering the usual smorgasbord of Christmas pieces, but selling some superb Halloween miniatures too!

Why not add some elves and such with the Headless Horseman?

One thing I have not yet seen but would 100% approve of is someone combining the different themes from the same brand (or even different ones) to create a surreal mix of holidays. Something like a twisted, "Nightmare Before Christmas,"-type situation. I want to witness Santa and his elves at an undead roller rave or set the brains food cart (geared toward zombie customers) right outside of the Polar Frost Ice Cream Parlor. Yes, I am equal parts deranged and hilarious, but I lack the space or bottomless funds to create such an epic village of absurdism; I can only encourage someone else as bizarre as myself to do this idea.

Happy Halloween 2025--Remember to be Inclusive!

I wish everyone who celebrates Halloween a fun holiday today and tonight! Should you be handing out candy, please keep in mind that those engaging in trick-or-treating might vary in age, disability, neurodiversity, and so forth. Basically, if someone shows up at your door, give them candy. Don't worry about whether they have a detailed costume, can say, "Trick or treat," or have a plastic pumpkin with a specific color that matches a disability (a new trend that some love and some hate), just give the people who come to your door candy. 

If someone makes the effort to walk up to your house and get a treat, don't make them feel bad if they're teens (you're never too old to trick or treat), are wearing regular clothes (many kiddos hate wearing costumes) or anything else. Halloween is a holiday of fun, and it is for everyone who wants to take part. If you are out getting candy, make sure to be safe and always look out for cars and any other obstacles when it gets dark. Have a great day, everyone!

A Christmas Advertisement Before Halloween Got Me Thinking

Yesterday, October 27th, 2025, I saw a Christmas advertisement from Macy's. It didn't make my blood boil with rage or anything but it was a bit odd. I mean, we haven't even celebrated Halloween yet, and it is already time to start thinking about Christmas? I feel like the holiday shopping season for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/etc. used to not officially kick off until after Thanksgiving. Times have clearly changed.

Perhaps with the rise of internet shopping, the so-called, "Black Friday," after Thanksgiving, is less of a thing (a lot fewer people are camping out for deals these days as opposed to just clicking something into their virtual cart). There are also people who really love Christmas to the point where it is most of their personality. That said, I am one of those people who has a love of Halloween as a part of my personality. I want the holiday with ghosts and goblins before we start up with Santa and his elves (or the Mensch on the Bench and menorahs). I would argue we should, at least, let Halloween night wrap before anyone breaks out the literal gift wrap. Then again, I know some folks aren't into Halloween for reasons ranging from religious to simply hating anything scary and spooky. I imagine they're eager to skip Halloween, and everyone should do what makes them happy. Still, I'm excited to take the kids trick-or-treating. Once it is, in fact, November, I'll break out the Winter holiday decor.

"Mortal Kombat II," Delayed...To Set it Up for Success?

Normally, when a movie is delayed, it is for problematic reasons. It is taking a lot longer to complete, for example. That, or the studio doesn't believe it will do well and wants to dump it in a quiet season, and so forth. Many times a flick gets pushed back or shelved for months or years due to how a studio lacks any hope for it. To delay a movie because you think it will do better than you initially thought, though? Well, that's a bit interesting to hear. Hence, we have, "Mortal Kombat II," going from being due this October to getting delayed about seven months to May--blockbuster season.

There were, "Mortal Kombat," movies in the 90s, but during the height of the COVID-era, "Mortal Kombat," reboot landed in theaters and on streaming about the same time and did pretty well. A sequel focused on the character Johnny Cage (played by Karl Urban) has been in the works for some time, and early buzz has been good--really good. The internet trailer has gotten tons of views, early small-scale screenings received a lot of buzz, and with, "Avengers: Doomsday," delayed from May of 2026 due to how much time and money it is taking (the usual reason things get pushed), that slot is wide-open. Hence, Warner Bros. and New Line are moving, "Mortal Kombat II," back due to optimism that it could make even more money as a Summer popcorn flick as opposed to being in the October dumping ground.

It is annoying that a flick--one which is totally done and looks decent--is getting delayed, but if a studio is doing this because it believes in a flick, that is weirdly almost heartwarming--even though at the end of the day any changes are all about maximizing profits. It is a bummer we can't see Karl Urban and friends fighting in, "Mortal Kombat II," for Halloween, but at least we can enjoy the movie closer to Memorial Day of 2026.

Happy Halloween 2024!

I want to wish all the folks who are celebrating the holiday a happy Halloween! I always enjoy Halloween as I am a fan of pumpkins/pumpkin spice, adore the Fall season (although it's been weirdly warm), and enjoy spooky as well as not-too-scary fun! If you're going to trick-or-treat or attend a party do please be safe. Also, keep in mind that as it is Thursday you may still have responsibilities the next day whether you're nursing a candy hangover, alcohol hangover, or a mix of the two--so take it relatively easy if needed! Anyways, have a fun day and night, everyone!

As Halloween Approaches I Present: 3 Game Moments that Actually Scared Me

I don't scare too easily. I've seen a bunch of horror flicks and while the occasional sudden moment can make me jump, it doesn't freak me out and keep me up late at night. The only movie that ever really freaked me out was, randomly enough, "The Sixth Sense." I don't even believe in ghosts, but that movie was equally sad and scary. Anything else though with Freddy, Jason, Michael Meyers, Lepruchans, Candyman, serial killers, or such just entertains me. The same goes with games, although there have been three occasions that come to mind where a video-game legit scared me. The kind of fright where you stay up a little later thinking about how wild it was--that sort of scared.

1. The opening of, "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain."

Toussaint Egan over at Polygon has made the same observation as me, the opening of Hideo Kojima's last MGS game is actually quite terrifying. Whether you know all the story reveals that come later in the game or are going in fresh, it is like a totally different title than the open-world military combat game it morphs into after the first couple hours. The game opens with Snake in the hospital, emaciated and weak from a coma, being stalked by a strange man on fire who seems dedicated to killing you. Players can't tell what is real, a hallucination, or if this is some version of Hell that Snake has ended up in. That fire-man coming at me was a surreal nightmare incarnate.

2. Finding Mia in, "Resident Evil VII: Biohazard."

I never found the, "Resident Evil," games scary. They had attempts at jump-scares with the Nemesis, but nothing that made me feel ill at ease until I dipped my toes into the seventh official game in the series. Perhaps because it switched to a first-person perspective that made everything feel more visceral, especially when you first locate your character's wife. You're playing at Ethan Summers and you find Mia early in the game, but something is really wrong with her. Some kind of infection has made her homicidal and by the time she shoots up a flight of stairs at the player and uses a chainsaw to cut one of our hands off I was quite alarmed. The whole game is pretty spooky, but Mia was what stuck with me.

3. The Floormasters in, "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."

I don't know why, but as a kid, these things legit scared me. They would appear in certain dungeons by first manifesting as a shadow overhead that made a weird whistling howl as it grew bigger. Then, you'd be grabbed by the strange mysterious form and dragged to an earlier part of the dungeon. With some quick footwork, you could dodge what turned out to be a creepy-looking hand you had to attack. Once you hit the hand, however, it would break into three mini ones that would attempt either to choke you or reform the big hand. As a middle-school student these things just really struck me as spooky.

The Variety Saint Louis Trunk-or-Treat Event Was Great Fun!

I've written about the wonderful organization here in Saint Louis known as Variety on a previous occasion. They help families in a multitude of ways and were kind enough to highlight how their assistance in getting Clarkson his Novachat device was incredibly helpful when it came to his communication skills. Variety held a Trunk-or-Treat event today and it was a lot of fun!

Samii, Clarkson, Gibson, and I all drove to the event and our good friend Emily met us there to do the trunk-or-treating with us! Clarkson loved one spot where they had made slime (as seen above). He kept making faces as he touched it but didn't want to stop! Everyone loved his Halloween-themed shirt as well with bats on it.

Gibson and Samii had fun outfits themed for the event as well, with Samii sporting a Jack-o'-lantern shirt and Gibson dressing as Donald Duck--he got lots of compliments for his adorable outfit. I need to make sure to thank our friends Doug and Rachel who gifted us the getup! Here is a better look at the boys in their clothing before we left--I tried to crop out the cat the best I could who desperately tried to pop into the picture:

Variety's trunk-or-treat event was fantastic! The cars were all decorated wonderfully with an assortment of themes, everyone was incredibly nice, and the weather was about as perfect as one could have hoped for today. We want to thank Variety for all they do and look forward to attending more fun shindigs they have throughout the year!

The 11th Annual RRParks Cards Halloween Set is on Kickstarter!

Since last year I've enjoyed dabbling in hockey cards, Marvel trading cards, and have read about all kinds of non-sports cards that are fun. The folks behind RRParks make all kinds of interesting non-sports cards and every year do a fun Halloween assortment. I know some folks look at trading cards more as an investment where they spend huge sums of money on various athletes, but there is something to be said for trading cards that are--simply put--just good fun! Hence, when I read about the, "RRParksCARDS 11th HALLOWEEN & PIRATES TRADING CARDS Event," being on Kickstarter I thought it sounded really cool. The folks at RRParks said they would love for me to blog about the Kickstarter campaign, so I'm doing so to encourage folks to check out the various pledge levels of exciting and cool cards! Give the Kickstarter campaign a look and join in on the fun.

Television Tuesday: "Agatha All Along," is Coming This Halloween and Looks Fun

Disney/Marvel has been slowing down the release of movies and Disney+ television shows, but one that has still been in the works is a program focused on Agatha Harkness. It went through a few names before finally settling on/being revealed as, "Agatha All Along." The teaser trailer dropped yesterday with it being promoted as a spooky Halloween season release. Give it a look:

I'm into it if for no other reason than I am always down for more Kathryn Hahn in the Marvel Universe and Aubrey Plaza is making her MCU debut here too ("Legion," was a whole different continuity). The last time we saw Agatha she was the main villain of, "Wandavision," depending on how much of a baddie you feel Wanda herself was in that show (before totally going full-monster in the last Doctor Strange flick). This looks to be exploring the more fantastical and scary side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and if it is even half as enjoyable as the, "Werewolf by Night," special I'd imagine it shall be fun.

Have a Fun and Safe Halloween 2023!

It's Halloween today! I love Halloween and hope everyone has a fun and safe time. Whether you are trick or treating (which you're never too old to do) or staying in and watching spooky movies, have a great day!

I Actually Like Candy Corn

Every Halloween season folks like to post about their favorite Halloween candy and jokingly state how, "Candy corn is the worst and dead last on the list!" Well, it maybe isn't my favorite candy ever, but I actually am a fan of candy corn. I like how it is chewy and has a pleasing sweetness. It isn't some elaborate candy card filled with liquid caramel or another fancy feature, it is just candy corn. That simplicity is a part of the charm too. I know a number of people out there hate candy corn, but maybe if they looked deep inside, ignored the popular consensus, and were honest with themselves they'd realize it is a decent little treat.

Reminder: You Are Never Too Old to Trick or Treat

Every year I see debates online about how old is, "Too old," to go out and say, "Trick or treat!" for some candy. I would argue you're never too old. I don't get why people get angry at teenagers who dress up and go door to door. Would you rather they be sitting at home on their phones or be out...but causing mischief? If someone wants to put forth the effort to walk around and show up at your house and request candy, give them the candy. Let folks enjoy things!

That AV Club's, "20 Best Slasher Films of All Time," List Has Some Random Choices

Richard Newby of the AV Club has a list offering his take on the, "20 Best Slasher films of All Time." There are parts of the list I wholly agree with ("A New Nightmare," is rightfully on there and the first, "Halloween," is #1) and other entries that left me scratching my head. The only, "Friday the 13th," film to grace the list is the shoddy 2009 remake? The 2005 version of, "House of Wax," with Paris Hilton is here too? "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and, "Scream," makes sense, but, "Psycho II," is a bit of a left-field choice. Also, I know it is an acquired taste but one of the, "Leprechaun," films deserves some props. Also, where the dickens is, "The Devil's Rejects?" Quite possibly the best film Rob Zombie ever made (some are much better than others) it is arguably a love letter to gruesome horror flicks that stands on its own feet in the genre too, yet it gets ignored? True, it isn't a single, "Slasher," killing folks, but that is the case with, "The Strangers," too, and that's listed (plus the aforementioned TCM has a whole deranged family).

This list of what Richard Newby considers the 20 best slasher films of all time is overall pretty solid (no argument with, "Sleepaway Camp," or, "Black Christmas," being on there), but much of the list just seems defensive of weird choices as if Newby wants to irritate readers. For example, when he says, "You ready for it? Child’s Play 2 is better than Child’s Play. There, I said it. The band-aid has been ripped off." Dude, just tell us why you like movie as opposed to being all angry about it, like with your choice of the earlier-discussed 2009, "Friday the 13th," literally having the opening sentence, "Fine, boo me all you want." I mean, I am booing, but that's beside the point. You made a list, some of it I and many others will agree with and some parts are just baffling. That's okay though, it's your list, own it without shame or embarrassment...even when you're wrong and should've said, "Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives," is the best in the franchise, but that's just my opinion.

Happy Halloween 2022!

I wanted to wish everyone a fun, safe, and spooky Halloween this year! Whether you're going trick or treating, handing out candy, watching some movies, or otherwise just chilling, I hope you have a great night. Enjoy this frightful night as tomorrow everything and everywhere will be all about Christmas with a little lip service paid to the upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving. For now, though, let's have some scary (or not-so-scary if you prefer) fun!

Happy Halloween for 2021!

Today is Halloween. It is a lot better Halloween than last year as it is much more possible to actually do stuff. That said, I still encourage everyone to take preventative actions against COVID-19 if they are going trick-or-treating/attending a party/etc. I hope everyone has a lovely and spooky holiday!

Pumpkin Spice is Back for 2021!

Every year it occurs earlier and people say it is happening too soon. Every year they call me, "Basic," for being excited. Every single year I do not care and just smile at their complaints and insults because I'm happy. Yes, I'm overjoyed that pumpkin spice is back!

Today, Starbucks officially is selling its delicious pumpkin spice latte along with the admittedly mediocre pumpkin cream cold brew. They also are launching an apple crisp macchiato, which sounds intriguing and worth a try. If you're ant-Starbucks but still have a hankering for a pumpkin product there is no need to fret. Dunkin' has its own fall flavors and if you're feeling really frisky then it might interest you to hear Panera temporarily has a cinnamon toast crunch latte inspired by their popular bagel.

Yes, it is still August and so hot outside that more than half the nation is under heat advisories. You know what, though? The Spirit Halloween stores are opening up within the carcasses of shuttered businesses, pumpkin spice is back, and I'm gonna party like it's Fall.

Have a Fun and Safe Halloween/Turn Your Clocks Back

Even if this Halloween is going to be quite different (as I blogged about the other day) that doesn't mean it has to lack fun. Despite it being safer for this year to pass on parties and trick-or-treating either not happening or requiring many alterations, the overall vibe of Halloween is still with us and it is a lovely holiday. I always love Halloween, whether it's presented more as a scary event or a lighthearted humorous one. I hope you have a fun and safe Halloween yourselves and if you live in an area that observes Daylight Savings you'll need to turn your clocks back an hour tonight. Don't forget, as annoying as it is to have to do it!

All the Cool Stuff Happens the Year Halloween Is Basically Cancelled

We aren't really doing much this Halloween as a Nation/World. Some people are trick-or-treating as safely as possible, but many are not due to COVID-19. This makes all the cool stuff happening this Halloween unfortunate. Three awesome things that normally would make this Halloween cooler are as follows:

1. It's a full Moon. Halloween having a full Moon hasn't happened since 1944 and one occurring on this holiday is just tonally appropriate. Ghost, goblins, witches, and a full Moon!

2. Halloween is on the weekend. You can go trick-or-treating and then sleep in because Halloween is on a Saturday. You don't have to wake up and go to the school or work the next day sore from running around or suffering from a candy hangover.

3. It's Daylights Savings, "Fall back." I hate DST in general as it throws everyone off. That said, this is the time when we get an extra hour of sleep in the Fall. Not only is it a weekend as my second point remarked, but you also get a whole extra hour of sleep! You can party all night...if it were safe to party.

Those are amazing benefits to it being Halloween this year...except we're in a pandemic. The irony would be hilarious if it weren't so tragic.

September 1st in 2020 Means I'm Gonna Enjoy Fall-Themed Things Starting Now

The end of 2019 and most of 2020 has sucked for this planet, and between all the loss our family has experienced and the pandemic wreaking havoc upon this Earth it has sucked for us too. Therefore, now that it is September 1st I officially am declaring it Fall for myself. I will now enjoy all the pumpkin spice drinks I want (including weirdly advertised ones) and talk about/encourage discussion of anything relating to Halloween because it is such a fun holiday with a number of scary movies that relate to it as well--and I love me a good horror movie.

I don't care if September 1st is too early in some people's minds to guzzle PSL as if I need it to survive or to put-up some bats, skeletons, and pumpkins. I'm gonna do it, because that is one of the few things we have control over this year--our celebration of the holidays that hopefully make life a bit better during this tough time. Now let's get these leaves turning colors and somebody start heating-up the spiced apple cider!

Television Tuesday: Stop Torturing Your Kids With Cruel Halloween Candy, "Pranks," In the Hope You Get on T.V.

Normally the idea of a parent doing a cruel prank on their own children that results in the kids screaming and crying sounds like borderline child-abuse to anyone with common sense. However, when the host of a late-night comedy show asks people to lie to their kids about eating all of their Halloween candy--and then send-in a video of the kids having a meltdown so he can air it at the start of November--that's just apparently peachy-keen. People must be cool with its because this is the ninth year of this dumb shit being all the craze.

Doing this, "Prank," is cruel to kids who worked hard to get that candy so some grown adults who should know better can laugh at a child's expense. Don't purposely make your children cry or throw a fit for an idiotic, "Prank," in the hopes you'll be able to further embarrass your kids on television should their rage/tears make it on Kimmel's show. It is an awful way to kick-off November, a month with a holiday about treasuring family/friends and treating them well. This is just mean, pure and simple.