OK, for those that didn't know already...

I'm quite indecisive when it comes to my haunt. My plan for this year was to take the year "off" (so to speak) and let my stepdad take over the haunt in PA, while I prepared for a walk-thru party haunt in 2011. Well, it didn't work out exactly as planned. Not that I got distracted by another theme, but I got overwhelmed by the size, scale, and EXPENSE of the walk-thru project. Remember, I'm only in high school, so I don't have a huge budget! So I've made a slight change of plans: my Stepdad will still run the porch haunt in PA this year, and I'll be focusing my energy and personal budget on a Halloween party for my friends. This one doesn't have a theme (unless "general Halloween stuff" counts as a theme). But it should be fun and I'm looking forward to it.

PS: the above image is one of many cool pics from the Love Manor Flickr page

Old-School Haunting

As some of readers may recall, last year I covered a lot of little known Halloween Home Haunts. Well, today I decided to cover some haunts that I feel help bring back the ToT in you; you know, that ONE house that went crazy with the Halloween decor, that house that got you addicted. The haunts I cover today are ones I feel capture the feel of the Halloween Houses of yore....

#1: the Bloodshed Brothers Haunted House!
This is isn't the greatest haunted house in the universe, but it has a charm to it. It feels like the Haunted Houses of the old days, minus the peeled grapes/eyeballs. It's put together by two young guys on a very tiny budget, so please, be kind go check out this neat little haunt (you'll LOVE the final gag in the video)!

Bloodshed Brothers Haunted House video:

#2: Katzper's Haunt!
Katzper's captures the feeling of old school haunting best, methinks, with it's cemetery/cornfield and haunted basement. Pumpkinrot is a big fan of this guy's work, so you KNOW it'll be good. Here's a YouTube link!

Katzper's Haunt:

#3: Brandywine Cemetery!
This is a high-tech version of the walk-thru's of yester-Halloween. The owner, Robert Beech, does a great job, and has an amazing Haunt. This is a great behind-the-scenes look at one of America's better Haunts.

Brandywine Cemetery Daylight Tour:

Well, that's all for now. I hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Next Post -- Halloween Double Feature: Trick 'r Treat and Halloween!

2010 Theme video

Music by Nox Arcana

Halloween 2010

I bid you velcome, fellow spookables.

I'm hear to give you all a little clue about my Haunt theme this Halloween. Last year's haunt was great, but I'm going to try and make this year's haunt even better. I've been looking into all sorts of atmosphere effects, such as new lighting, fog FX, and even spooky scents. All to help set a mood. I'm hoping this year will provide a break from my typical Gothic or "Classic Hallowe'en" themes. It's a popular theme I'm doing this year, but I'm doing MY way, which will hopefully be very different from your typical version of this theme. I'll make it gritty and disturbing, with a very angry vibe. I'll create an atmosphere that is haunting and mysterious, yet feeling like something very, very bad is about to happen. The kind of feeling that keeps you looking over your shoulder, looking for that potential attacker. In the backstory I'm working on, the characters from the Haunt are seeking a bloody revenge.....on you! I'm working on a video to annoucne the theme this year; the picture above is a little hint at things to come...

Well, back to work. Scare ya later, kiddies!

OK, enough Procrastination!

Yes, I'm finally going to review the Terror Syndicate Productions haunt, DARK WORKS!

The last Saturday before Halloween, my brother Hayden, Stepdad Ben, and myself, all piled into the car, popped a CD of Midnight Syndicate in the stereo, and hit the road for Pittsburgh, PA! After finding owner Steve Hickman's house, and the home of Dark Works, we hoped out of the car to wait in line. We waited in line for about an hour, finding out that only three people per group are allowed to enter the haunt (this helps amp up the creep factor). Finally, after waiting under a true werewolf moon, we entered the mouth of Hell!

I won't give away too much about the Haunt (gotta keep it surprising for next year), but I can tell you that it is ONE OF THE BEST HAUNTS I'VE BEEN IN!!! Heck, it outshone the 7 Floors of Hell by far! There were very few actors, but every animatronic and animation was perfect, better than most haunts, including some pro ones! The place simply oozed Halloween atmosphere, especially in the disgusting bathroom! It was both indoor and out door, and scenically amazing! The real showstopper was the "TV room", which I won't describe (I can't, words don't do that room justice), but it was very theatrical, and is something I've never scene in any haunt before!

Afterwords, when the haunt closed, I got to meet Steve, and talk shop with him. He's a great guy, very hospitable and generous. Turns out He rarely buys masks and props -- he makes them! Also, everyone knows Steve to be the man who invented the term "Monster Mud", but did you know that he also coined "dorp" alias Erosion Cloth? The guy was nice enough to show me how things worked, and he even gave me a "Dark Soundscapes" CD that he made! Overall, I highly recamend the show and the Website, and I give both Steve and his haunt Five Stars. Great Job.

There. I'm done now. :)

Terror Syndicate website

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

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!

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!