Scary Christmas to all....

....and to all a good fright!

A Merry Christmas to all you spookables who decided to follow some weird high school kid's Halloween Blog. I hope you all had a great year!

Let's Eat Dead Bird!

- quote by Robert Downey, jr.

Success!

Wow! It has been a LONG time since I sat down to blog a bit about Halloween. Well, here it goes:

MY BEST SEASON YET! Yes, despite the bad weather in PA, I would say that this was my biggest, most elborate, and most successful year of haunting since I started back in 2006.

Visual, this year was killer. We had cornstalks on every porch pillar, a witch's alter, two scarecrows (one themed as the one from Sleepy Hollow, the other we've dubbed "Fleshface" due to his gruesome visage), a beautiful cemetery, and TONS of spooked little ToTs. We lit the graveyard entierly with candles from my mom's wedding this summer. People were amazed by our display, which is pretty small compared to say, haunts like Davis Graveyard, but people came long into the night. I think we had about 200-some visitors on Halloween. While wearing my mask, I was able to scare some people just by looking at them. Already I've got some cool ideas for next year (the picture from pro haunt Haunted Overload is hint at one prop I hope to make). As soon as my brother e-mails me the pics, I'll post 'em! Hope every one had a great Halloween!

PS: Check House Bloodthorn's blog when you can. He has done some amazing work the infamous "Haunt of Miss Rose" formerly owned by Rob at Skull and Bone!

Happy Hallowe'en

Good Luck to you all, and a Happy Halloween to Haunters of All Ages!

Journey into Madness

Well, tonight is my trip to the haunt of Steve Hickman's DARK WORKS. I gotta say, I'm really excited about seeing this legendary haunt in person. This was one of those "haunts on the forefront", with its elaborate maze layout, high-tech pneumatics, and clever use of monster mud. I'm also excited about meeting Steve, it should be cool to get to talk shop with another haunter. Overall, it should be a fun night. Since I'll be getting back really late, I'll post about it tommorow. Now, get back to your prop building you sickos!

PS: Thanks to CB and House Bloodthorn for joining my blog. You both have some very cool blogs yourselves!

Hot Damn (again!)

Well, isn't this my lucky Halloween?

Some friends of mine invited me to go on a trip with them to HalloWeekends at Cedar Point, in Sandusky, OH. I've seen some photos of the park's Halloween event online, and the detail looks very good and it supposed to be a lot of fun. The haunted houses include a haunted mansion, a vampire's nightclub, a twisted toy factory, and a school for undertakers. I'm really looking forward to the scarezone "CornStalkers" a cornfield filled with hillbillies and possessed scarecrows. The whole thing looks awesome! Well, back to prop building!

PS: Big shout-out to Johnny Thunder of Hauntcast for joining my blog. Its just too cool!

Hot Damn!

OMG!!!!!!! I can't believe it!!!! I'm going to see the one and only Terror Syndicate haunt, DARK WORKS, in person this year!

I've always been a huge fan of Terror Syndicate, and the haunt. The props and sets have such a ghoulish and rotten look to them that I just love. Well, I thought, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool to see it in person?" I saw on the site that you have to be invited to attend the haunt in Pittsburg, PA. So I sent a nice, polite e-mail to the owner/operater, Steve Hickman, asking if I could come. I was honestly expecting a "no", but boy, did I get a shock when, just minutes after I sent the e-mail, Steve invites me and my parents to come over to see the haunt a week before Halloween. Not only that, but I get to see all the behind the scene stuff, so it should be awesome! I can't wait! Look out, Dark Works, here comes the HalloweeNut!!!!!!

Terror Syndicate.com

It's coming.....

Halloween, that is. Less than two months 'til the big dance.

Today was a very rewarding day of prop building. I've started building the Hangman's Crow, my first scarecrow, which I'm very proud of. Speaking of props, I picked up some VERY cool stuff at Michael's today. The props I bought include a funkin for my Sleepy Hollow scarecrow, a sign for ToTs, and, best of all, a five-foot tall talking witch prop for $50. The Witch looks kinda cheesey costume wise, right now, but I'm gonna give it an "Extreme Makeover, Haunt Edition". I hope to create a great haunt this year, and I'm striving to achive that goal.

PS: I know I said I would cover the Headless Horseman Hayrides today, but I ran out of time. Sorry.

ScreamParks (Part 1)

Hello, again, haunters of all ages.

Well, I hope to be busy working on one of my scarecrows this Labor Day weekend, and I've been looking for topics when it came to me: I've covered home haunts, but not any pro haunts! So I've decided to cover some haunted ScreamParks* before Halloween!

* ScreamPark: noun; a Halloween theme park consisting of haunted attractions.

The first one I want to cover is an old favorite: Universal Studios Florida's HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS! Its been around since 1991, and has just gotten better since. This year's theme is RIPPED From the Silver Screen! and it just looks awesome! There are three haunts themed to the movies SAW, Child's Play, and an upcoming remake of The Wolfman. Two of the haunts are themed as re-imaginings of Frankenstein and Dracula, while the other haunts are done in the style of cheesey B-rate horror flicks. There's also a haunt called "Silver Screams" and is themed as an old haunted theatre. The mascot or "Icon" this year is called "The Usher", and is very creepy looking. Other attractions include Scarezones and two Stage Shows. Check out their awesome site, you won't regret it!

Halloween Horror Nights

Tommorow's ScreamPark: Headless Horseman Hayrides & Haunted Houses.

A new addiction

Great. Just Great. I find something really cool and addicting, but I find it right before school starts. Ah, well, better late than never. I've finally decided to check the HauntCast podcast, and now I'm hooked! This podcast is designed for Home Haunters and Halloween enthusiasts. The show has many features, including horror movie reviews, interviews with Haunters like Stolloween (maker of some the best paper-mache props), coverage of conventions like HAuNTcon or Transworld, letters to the propmasters of the GARAGE OF EVIL, and much more. Plus, the show comes equiped with a truly bizzare sense of humor, that's still funny. Overall, great show, lots of fun. Go check it out, it's free!

www.HauntCast.net

OK, I'm panicking!!!!!

Oh, no. Less than 80 days until Halloween. And not one prop built yet! One thing is certain: I feel so doomed. :(

I was planning on building three scarecrows back in July, but with my mom's wedding, and getting ready for School, I've been busy. My stepdad, Ben, says not to worry, but I still feel doomed. But enough moaning and groaning. On to other news.

I am seriously awaiting the debut of two horror films: Midnight Syndicate's The Dead Matter, and Warner Bros.'s Trick 'r Treat!

I have always been a fan of Midnight Syndicate's music espically Gates of Delirium and The 13th Hour. The make the classiest Halloween music. So, I figure, if anyone can make a great scary movie, it would be them.

Midnight Syndicate

The Dead Matter

Trick 'r Treat justs looks like great bloody good Halloween fun. It looks like the film makers were trying to capture the spirit of the season with this film. Its coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 6th. Can't wait!

Trick 'r Treat at IMDB

And finally, I've decided a theme for next year's haunt. I'm really excited about this theme, and I think I may keep this theme for several seasons! Maybe I'll make a teaser video. :) Well, talk to all you ghoulies later.

Deadly Duo

As you might now know, one of my intentions with this blog is to give praise to yard haunts who deserve it, particularly little known ones. Today, I'll be covering TWO haunts: The Haunting of Ivy Hall, and the Dead's End Yard Haunt.

The Haunting of Ivy Hall is one of the classiest haunts around. The scarecrows, tombstones, jack-o-lanterns, and even the fog simply REEK of Halloween! The theme seems to be a haunted country estate, and they do a really good job of staying on theme. The website and the photography are simply amazing. See for yourself:

The Haunting of Ivy Hall

The second haunt I'm covering today is the Dead's End. Unlike Ivy Hall, which focuses on elegance, Dead's End has an earthy, even rotten texture and look. It has no real theme or story, but simply has different areas, each with its own theme. I noticed that most of their character's heads were masks from Death Studios, not surprising since their very popular among haunters. Unfortunetly, the haunt will not be around for 2009, due to a landslide. Hopefully, they will reappear in the future. Just take a look, you'll enjoy it.

Dead's End Yard Haunt

Brains! BRAINS!!!!!!!

Hello, ghoulies, ghosties, and long-legged beasties.
I actually stumbled across this site almost by accident. One of my favorite sites, Season of Shadows had often mentioned the work of one Victor "the Undertaker" Ives and his company HauntedHotSauce.com. After awhile, I decided to check it out. I was pleasently surprised. I find the idea of Haunted Hot Sauce to be incredibly funny and clever. All the flavors are suposed to be very tasty and, of course, VERY SPICY!!! All the hot sauce is zombie themed; they have names like Ghoul Drool, Mortician's Mold, and Fleashfeast. All the hot sauces come in a cedar coffin filled with a mixture of spanish moss and and rubber maggots. Heck, the bottles even come with a toe-tage around the top! Since the prices are so good, I ordered a double pack for my dad. It should arive anytime this week. I say all fans of Halloween and spicy food should check out the site!

HauntedHotSauce.com

Pennsylvania, here I come!

Well, I've made a decision about the location of my 2009 haunt, Scarecrow Hill. Since most of my family has moved to Pennsylvania, save for my dad and I, I've been considering temporarily moving my haunt to my mom's new address in PA. Well, I've finally decided that I'll be haunting my mom's driveway this year. I'm sorry to those in Ohio who won't get to see it, but I've got a plan to make a video of Scarecrow Hill. Also, I'm thinking about getting a second fog machine to make sure the air is really full of fog.

There's something about PA that really puts me in the Halloween mood. Perhaps its all the acres of cornfields in PA. My stepdad, Ben, and I, were talking about how cool it would be if someone who owned one of those cornfields would build just a field of creepy old scarecrows. I would love to see something like that. Well, that's all for now.

PS: The scarecrow pictured above is Johnny Appleseed by Pumpkinrot, and is one of my favorite works by Pumpkinrot.

Halloween Nightmares!

Something about Halloween always captured my imagination. Perhaps its the strangeness of it all. And what better place to find the strangeness of Halloween than the printed page! Sure, anyone can write a "scary" book. Heck, some of them are in fact scary! But not often do you find a true bit of Halloween fiction. Well, I've found some; I'm sure you'll love it. By now I'm sure your wondering, "What is this book of Halloween fiction, O HalloweeNut?" Well, it's called October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween. And its some of the best fiction I've read yet!

October Dreams is an anthology of stories, essays, non-fiction, all of them related to Halloween. One of the coolest things about this book is that some of the writers in the book share their favorite Halloween memories. One of my favorite stories in the book is the first one, The Black Pumpkin, by Dean Koontz. Mostly he writes suspense novels, but this story showed a far nastier side. And I loved it! :) Any Halloween fan should get their bloody claws on this book. You won't regret it!

Order it Here:

Demonic Halloween

During one of many mysterious journeys through cyberspace, I have discovered one of the most amazing (yet sadly little known) yard haunts I've seen! Its name: Demon's Rest Cemetery. While it has no real theme, I still forget I'm looking at a display, no the real thing; its THAT good! Despite the name, no demonic or satanic themes are present (which is a good thing). What you'll find instead is incredibly realistic props and a chilly All Hallow's atmosphere. Granted, it's not perfect, (no haunt is), but it sure comes close! :) Just check it out for your self! Also, these are all pictures from the display.

Hallowe'en Land

Hello again, creatures of the night! I have a treat for you today.

Although I mentioned this haunt in a previous post, I did not give it enough credit. That is what I set out to do today. Haunted Overload is perhaps the most unique haunted attraction I've ever come across! The haunt's theme seems to be Halloween, no more, no less. It has a fantastic visual style, with a vibrant color scheme in their lighting. Not to mention, they have giant (as in 30 to 50 feet tall) statues of classic Halloween icons, like witches, ghosts, werewolves, and, coolest of all, SCARECROWS! If I could, I would make Haunted Overload my home! I've included some very cool images from their 2007 and 2008 seasons. Enjoy!

Favorite Halloween Sites & Blogs

Whew! I gotta say, things have been very busy 'round here, what with my Mom's wedding (which turned out beautifully, I may add)! But now, life's back pretty much normal, save for my black cat Nigel being sick :( Anyways, I've decided to share some of my favorite Halloween websites. But not just any websites; these are sites I feel will put the Halloween mood ANYTIME of the year! I promise you'll like 'em!

First, there's ShellHawk's Nest. This is a very fun little blog, with some very amusing posts. Its good for some light-hearted silliness.

Second, we have the Pumpkin Queen's Halloween Haven! The lady who writes this blog is really good with words. Her posts always make me yearn for Halloween and wish that it was October all year-round.

Third, the Captain's Ramblings. Very good for information on the latest horror movies. Also very funny.

Fourth, my favorite blog of all time: PUMPKINROT! What can I say about this man, this genious? King of the Scarecrow, Master of the Arts Macabre! Just check out his site, and you'll know what I mean!

Fifth, the Haunting of Ivy Hall. Unfortunately, its not update very often, but is loaded with great imagery and atmosphere.

Sixth, there is the Universal Studios Florida haunted house event, Halloween Horror Nights! This is one of the most realistic collection of haunted attractions in the industry, and some of there event themes are absulutely incrediable!

And finally, there's Haunted Overload. While I love haunted attractions that go for realism, this haunt's visual style cannot be beat. I so wish I could visit it in New Hamsphire.

Well, that's all for now. I'll post again soon!

Heads Will Roll!

Hello again, fellow spookables, to the Misadventures of the HalloweeNut. I do believe it’s time for a Movie Review. The movie: Sleepy Hollow!

I wound up watching the movie after a particularly painful incident involving me falling off a zip-line in a friend’s backyard (man, did that HURT!) After I calm down from my 12 foot plummet, I settled down to watch a movie and relax. Now Sleepy Hollow is one I’ve wanted to see for a VERY long time. Once my dad gave the OK, I settled down on a comfy couch in a dark room to watch Sleepy Hollow!

The Plot: We are introduced to Inspector Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), a detective in New York City, circa 1799. Ichabod’s scientific methods of investigation into crimes are way ahead of his time, and he’s considered crazy by his collogues. In order to get rid of the pesky Ichabod, the police chief sends to the town of Sleepy Hollow, where three people have been found, decapitated with an axe! It’s soon revealed the killer is non-other than the infamous Headless Horseman, the ghost of Hessian mercenary from the American Revolution. Now it’s up to Ichabod to stop the Horseman before he kills everyone in Sleepy Hollow. But how do you kill someone who’s already dead?

All in all, I’d give this great little horror film 4½ stars out of five. From the ultra creepy opening scene, to its blood-drenched climax, this film will put you in the Halloween mood anytime of year. A must-see for all Halloween fans!

Also, here's a link to nice yard haunt themed to this move:

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

(New) Lair of the HalloweeNut!

Interesting new project! My mom and my stepdad, Ben, have moved to PA, along with my brother and sister. It seems that my siblings will both have a themed room. For my bro, its a rain forest outpost; for my sis, its the beach (you know, dolphins, sea-shells,bla, bla, bla). However, my mom asked me what I wanted to do with my room for when I'm staying with them. So, being the freak I am, I of course said, "I think I'd like to do a Halloween room!" Thank God she didn't say "No". Anyways, the room will have a fiery color scheme; I.E. orange, yellow, red. I will also decorate with pumpkins, skulls, you name it! Now, if only I could do something like THIS:

http://www.jekyllandhydeclub.com/

Official Backstory (Part 3)

Hmmm, where was I? Ah, yes:

It seems the farmer in question had been noticing a strange smell of something rotting coming from the barn. When he opened it, there it was: the stuff of morbid legend, the Hangman's Crow! About six feet long, a decaying skull for a head, and a noose 'round it's rotten neck. Soon, everyone was talking about the reapperence of the Hangman's Crow. And of course, Emerick Belsco, with his bizzare scarecrow obsession, had to have it.
But not all was as it seemed. The Hangman's Crow had been made with the bones of a murderer, and the ghost of said killer did not want his body put on display again. So, when Belsco purchased the Hangman's Crow from the farmer, the murderer's ghost followed the body to Belsco Manor. There, it convinced the souls of the dead buried in the cemetery to help it haunt Emerick Belsco. They did, and slowly began to drive Belsco and his wife, Anastasia, insane. In the end, Belsco shot his wife, and hung himself, their ghosts joining those that had haunted them in life. But, it seems, in begining to haunt the Manor, the ghosts found that they would be trapped there forever. Belsco Manor was shuttered and abandoned. It still stands there, in Raven's Wood, New Hampshire, waiting for the day when its sole inhabitants, the ghosts, can haunt again.......

Official Backstory (Part 2)

Man, do I seriously need to keep my promises when it comes to blogging. Thankfully, school has let out, so I can do more blogging and prop-making over the summer. However, this post is to tell you part of the aforementioned backstory, so here it goes:

Once upon a time, in a town called Raven's Wood, New Hampshire, there was a very wealthy, and powerfull man named Emerick Belsco. He owned several farms and businesses in the country, and lived in his own mansion, called Belsco Manor. He had a young wife and more money than God. But, he had a bizare and disturbing obbsestion with scarecows. He had at least 30 of them, all displayed on a hill over looking his house. But there was one he was desperate to find: it was called the Hangman's Crow. It was actually the mummified remains of a serial killer who was hung shortly before the American Revolution. As punishment, the killer was turned into a scarecow, and displayed in a farmers field. Belsco had been looking for the Hangman's Crow for years. And one day, it was discovered in a farmer's barn......

To Be Continued......

Official Backstory (Part 1)

Hello again. As I've already posted on May 24th, I've been working on an offical backstory and permenent theme for all the Halloweens after 2009. The story involves a man named Emerick Belsco, and is set just into the 19th Centeury. Its about Belsco's desire for macabre artifact called the "Hangman's Crow". It will be set in an old, rotting Gothic mansion. The goal of this unique haunt will be to play tricks on the guest's minds. Interestingly enough, I consider Halloween 2009's theme of Scarecrow Hill to be a prequel to Belsco Manor in '10 (they both use the same scarecrow prop). Already, cool prop ideas are spinning thru my head (hearse....talking corpse....haunted seance). Ahh, pleasent goose bumps :) Later today, I'll post the Belsco backstory!

Weddings and Tombstones

Whoa. Sorry I haven't gotten the pics from Great Lakes FrightFest uploaded yet. Let's just say I'm having technical difficulties with the camera. (#$%! camera! Where's that cord!) But, in other news, My mom has given my an interesting project for her wedding to my future step-dad, Ben. Ben and I will be making Celtic Crosses as wedding decorations (Mom and Ben are having a Celtic-themed wedding). But the cool part is, after the wedding, I can turn them into tombstones! The process is a variation on directions from the ever-so-helpful book, How to Haunt Your House, which I'll review later this month. The main difference: instead of monster mud, I'll be using pre-mixed cement. Well, catch ya later!

Back from FrightFest!

Hi again! I'm back from my day trip to the Great Lakes FrightFest. In the short, it was a BLAST! We had to get up really early to go on our three hour car trip to Petersburg, Michigan, just over the Ohio border. The campsite on its own, I wouldn't recommend, but, in full swing of the FrightFest, the campsite was in true Halloween spirits. Whacked-out hearses were parked next to elaborately decorated tents. There were seminars, how-to demonstrations, kiddie activities, great meals, and above all, shear spooky fun! The first seminar I saw was on saftey, and was done by "Crazy" Bob Turner of the Haunted Hydro in Toledo, Ohio. Unfortunately, We (me, my dad, and my brother and sister) had to leave after dinner, so we didn't see the Fog-Off by Froggy's Fog, or the Haunters Against Hunger Haunted House :( But, I think I might be able to go next year, so watch out, Great Lakes FrightFest, the HalloweeNut WILL be back.....with a VENGEANCE!!!
PS: Later today, I'll post the pics I took.

Great Lakes FrightFest

Great Lakes FrightFest Tommorow!

Hot dog! I can't wait for Saturday! I'll try and take some pictures for y'all! In the mean time, enjoy this cool pic I found!

Pics from My First Haunt (Part 1)

I know, not the best display ever, but the ToT's (and me) loved it. I'll post more soon!

A Permanent theme?

For years now, a story has been circling in my mind. A story about a man named Emerick Belsco. I don't even remember how I came up with the name "Belsco" (pronounced "Bell-SKO"). This character has gone thru all kinds of variations , from a pirate captain to a British Lord to a gunslinger and back again. But in the end, he's always been a kind of evil overlord, ruling an innocent little town in New England. His home has always been Belsco Manor. And he, in every version of his tale, has a VERY bloody end. But finally, after two years, he is finally coming home. By 2010, there will be a new kind of nightmare on the block. This haunt will focus on the ghosts that are a result of one man's dark obbsessions, and his ruthless quest for something called the "Hangman's Crow". Stay tuned for more....

Halloween Philosophy: Themes

Hello, and welcome to the first Halloween Philosophy of 2009! Our topic today: Themes!

I've always felt themes are a really good thing in haunts. They tie together what could be just random decorations into something truly special! Now, there are two kinds of yard haunts: "Haunt Stews" with no themes, and Themed Haunts.

"Haunt Stews" have no themes and are often more or less no better than the average store bought display. That doesn't mean they can't look very cool; Dark Works in PA is a great walk-thru haunt, yet has no theme to speak of.

On the other hand, Theme Haunts are becoming more and more popular among haunters. One of the best themed (yet little known) haunts is called Haunted Tiki Island. This great little haunt has a very unique theme of of Voodoo and tiki curses, all set in a spooky jungle. Their job themeing the haunt is unbeleivable!

In the end, though, it's the haunter's call to theme or not to theme, but I say, THEME ALL THE WAY!!!

Great Lakes FrightFest!

Cool news! For the first time, me, my dad, and my siblings will be going to the Great Lakes Fright Fest! I'm very excited. This will be my first Halloween convention I've visited. The events will include a "Fog-off" by Froggy's Fog, show-and-tell's, hayrides, seminars, and a awesome looking Haunted House! I can't wait!

PS: Thanks to That One Chick for being my first follower! It means a lot.

Great Lakes Fright Fest

Scarecrow Hill

I don't quite remember where I got the idea for Scarecrow Hill 2009. I just remember looking at Scarecrow how-to's at Haunt Project. I found one that resembled a scarecrow from Sleepy Hollow. I then drew up a budget and a name. For my birthday, I had gotten a Scarecrow Mask from Death Studios, who make some of the coolest masks. I'm now building the Scarecrow, and I think it'll look cool!
P.S: Anyone think tiki torches is good for a pumpkin patch?

My First Haunt (Part 2)

My mom had helped me build the set in the garage. I used a shiny piece of semi-transparent tarp as a backdrop, and put the organ in the center. I filled rusty pots and wicker baskets with dead plants. Cobwebs were everywhere. I put the strobe light in the corner. For my costume, I wore my dad's college grad robes, and a white mask. For scars, my mom glued oatmeal to my face with honey, and covered it with skin-colored greasepaint. When the ToT's came, the screaming started! I had an absolute blast! My favorite part of the screams was when a whole bunch of teenage girls freaked out when I jumped out. I regret, though, that I took an hour off to Trick-or-Treat. So many disappointed victims :( In the end, I couldn't fall asleep that night. But MAN was it worth it!

My First Haunt (Part 1)

I began haunting three years ago. Now, I like unusual films, so I was instantly taken with the horror classic Phantom of the Opera. My mom and I had watched it one summer, and she said, "We should build a pipe organ for Halloween!" I was a bit surprised; up 'till then, my mom didn't enjoy Halloween like I did. Months went by, and I forgot. But come October, Mom brought it up again. So, we did it. We used here writing desk as the base of the organ, and painted cardboard fabric tubes as pipes. My Dad bought me a strobe light. I burned a CD of Gothic Opera. But, just two days before Halloween, I said "We need a backdrop." So, I spent all of Halloween (I was home-schooled at the time) shopping for props. I bought a skull candle, battle axe and scythe, "Phantom" mask, and lots of cobwebs in bags. Then, the evening arrived.....

Why this Blog exists

Your probably wondering what this blog is all about, right? Well, it is dead-icated to my favorite holiday of all time, HALLOWEEN! It is also dedicated to my hobby of Extreme Halloween Decorating, or "Yard Haunting". I have currently haunted for three years, and I'm already building for my fourth. Past themes have included Phantom of the Opera, Frankenstein's Laboratory, and Granny's Parlor. This year's theme will be "Scarecrow Hill". I will update my blog as often as possible, with Philisophical Halloween Ramblings, updates on the haunt, fun and spooky pics, and much, much more! Please check back soon.

Hello, World Wide Web!

Welcome to the realm of the HalloweeNut, AKA, me! I promise I'll post more real fast.