WOMEN'S HALLOWEEN COSTUMES: NON-SEXY NEED NOT APPLY

 For most horror fanatics, Halloween is the most exciting part of our entire year.  For one night, it becomes socially acceptable for us to show off our nerd prowess without fear of judgement.  Now, of course I understand that we are all proud of our geekery year round, but the general populous is less likely to look down upon us around the witching hour.  It also shouldn't matter what the general public has to say about us, but for the sake of argument, let us all just accept the fact that we're more welcome to be spooky this time of year in contrast to say, Easter.  Moving on.  Halloween is a time of tricks, treats, and dressing up as whoever or whatever we please.  The weird thing, is that for women, we are forced to be whatever or whoever we please...within a very specific constraint.  Provocative. Before I even get into this argument, know that I am a HUGE advocate against Slut-Shaming.  If someone wants to dress a certain way, more power to them, this argument is not against women who choose to dress provocatively, it is an argument against perpetuating objectification for no other reason than to excuse objectification with a holiday "tradition".

Without divulging into the history of Halloween and all that jazz, in the western world it is generally accepted as a time of year where individuals dress up in costumes, throw parties, carve pumpkins, and eat an unmeasurable amount of sugar.  Costumes can range from common professions, beloved characters, super heroes, monsters, and of course, sexual fantasies.  Over the past few years, an unsettling trend of women's costumes has grown to a near epidemic status.  It would appear that for a woman to have a socially acceptable Halloween costume, she must wear one in a manner as provocative as humanly possible.  Again, let me emphasize that I have no issue with what a woman chooses to or to not wear.  However, when I walk into a Halloween costume emporium and have to choose between something baring my midriff, something baring my chest, or something so short I'd show my whispering eye if I sneezed, that is a sign of a problem.  The issue here isn't that women are dressing provocatively, the issue is that it would appear that highly sexualized costumes are our only option.  Perhaps worse is the fact that this idea has been so engrained into our skulls, women are starting to believe that it really is our only option.  Are there exceptions to this rule? Of course.  Unfortunately, exceptions are in the vast minority.  

It is true that men and women's clothing must be tailored differently simply because we're built differently. (See: Boobs and Hips)  However, please look at this photo above.  The costume to the left is a familiar Michael Myers costume inspired by the Halloween series.  The costume to the right?  The female version of the same costume.  Seriously. That's supposed to be a Michael Myers costume.  If you look, you'll notice an absence of a mask, a tighter fitting form, a more revealing top towards the breasts, and a set of "fuck-me" pumps.  I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure Laurie Strode could have knocked the block off of "Michelle Myers".  The first image showcased in this article is the increasingly popular "Mrs. Krueger" costume, the female counterpart of Freddy.  I will admit that this is a costume that particularly tickles my fancy, but seriously...Freddy wore pants.  Freddy also had a face burned to all Holy Hell.  Of course, the woman couldn't have burns though, no.  Then no one would want to get her in the sack.

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of women's Halloween costume is how early the sexualization begins.  I won't even post some of the ridiculous things posted about children's costuming, but please read above the description of a "teen" costume.  Teen as in "more than likely too young to consent to sex".  The description says "...whimsical and girly but you are all grown up now so why not find out if big boys like to play with dolls!" Um. What? This sounds like something out of a kiddie-porn chat session. Remember, this costume is geared towards girls between the ages of 13-18, geared towards women who can't vote or in some instances drive or see an R-Rated movie without the help of mom and dad...AND THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE THAT SEXY!? The most screwed up part about all of this is that we are still living in a country where lawyers will ask rape victims what they were wearing and yet women are still expected to dress like this on Halloween.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

I'll admit that I'm guilty of dressing "slutty" on Halloween. I always do. I'm 22 years old and I am at college. However, instead of being a half naked "insert profession or object or character" here, I find a way to show of my horror chops as well.  Since starting college I've been a female Ash (complete with chainsaw arm), a Silent Hill nurse, a broken doll, and this year I'll be going as Laurie from Trick R Treat.  All of these costumes, I've had to make myself.  Why? Because not only is it next to impossible to find horror nerd costumes for a girl that aren't the ones featured above,but to find a costume in plus size? Get outta here...

"BUT MEN ARE OBJECTIFIED TOO!" You may cry. No. No they are not. Stop right there. You're wrong. Yes, there will be some skimpy and/or tight fitting costumes here and there, but NOT many.  Seriously, I could count on my fingers how many "sexualized" male costumes there were.  Hell, even the ones that are there are clearly for the empowerment of the man and not for the female gaze. The “sexy” costumes will either be ridiculously jokey with some sort of visual reference to a penis on the exterior of the costume, OR nothing special. Many of the "sexy" male costumes are just different colored boxers, sometimes with a set of suspenders.  The costume to the right is meant to be funny.  There's a reason the "Dick In A Box" video got so many hits, and it's not because it was sexually appealing to see Andy Sandburg gift wrap his johnson.  Of course I'm not saying that men aren't objectified at times, but in the world of Halloween costumes, men can do whatever they want, but if a woman doesn't dress completely risque, she's "doing it wrong".  This is a huge problem and unfortunately, because we keep dishing out the dough for these costumes, it's a problem that isn't going to be resolved anytime soon.

I cannot stress again that I have no qualms with women who decide to dress sexy for Halloween, I do it, I love to do it. It makes me feel good about myself. The problem is that women aren't allowed to make that decision.  Dressing sexy is our only option. Unless we make a costume by hand or forego the costumes all together and wear street clothes, women are forced to pick through the aisles of costumes with hemlines growing shorter and tops squeezing tighter.  We need options, we need choices, and unfortunately for us, the only decisions we get to make in Halloween costume selection is whether or not we're showing leg or breast this season.

THE ABC'S OF WOMEN IN HORROR: L IS FOR...

To celebrate Women In Horror Recognition month, Day of the Woman is celebrating by compiling the ABC's of women in horror.  

TODAY'S PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER: L

Indonesian beauty, Laura Gemser is a woman many have seen but is often left behind.  After a brief stint in modeling, Gemser found herself performing in soft core pornography.  She gained international recognition when she was cast as the star of the Italian Softcore Sexploitation films known as the Black Emmanuelle series; a series following the erotic, bizarre and occasionally violent travels of Emanuelle, a globe-trotting, hedonistic investigative journalist.  Laura Gemser really made a name for herself in Italian horror during the 1970's and 1980's.  With seventeen horror credits to her name, Gemser was an extremely busy lady.  More interesting perhaps was her jump to costume design, where Laura was the designer for both Troll 2 and Troll 3. 

The split pea spitting, cursing, blasphemous, head spinning, demon possessed Reagan MacNeil of The Exorcist is a character that has haunted nightmares for generations.  Starting off her career in the horror genre, Linda Blair has stayed predominately in the horror genre for most of her career.  Whether playing her iconic role or even parodying it, Linda Blair is well aware of how she made herself a household name and has never left her fans behind.  From 2000-2006, Linda Blair was the host of the popular haunted house television series Scariest Places On Earth, and had a cameo role in Scream.  Horror is definitely a staple in Linda Blair's life and we as horror fans should embrace the fact that unlike most actresses who get their start in horror (I'm looking at you Katherine Heigl) she has never once abandoned us and has always kept us at the top of her list of loving fanboys and fangirls.  With twenty one horror credits to her name, Linda Blair is one of the sweethearts of horror...and has an Academy Award nomination for it to prove it. 

Laurie Strode may be the woman many most quickly associate with the beloved Halloween franchise, but the godmother of The Shape is none other than Debra Hill.   John Carpenter even credits her as being the other half of the 50/50 writing cred for Halloween, Halloween II, and Halloween III: Season of the Witch. She also worked alongside him in The Fog. Outside of working with Carpenter, she produced The Dead Zone, Head Office, Escape from NY, World Trade Center, and two of my favorite cult classics: Clue and Adventures in Babysitting. She was honored by Women in Film in 2003. After years of having people not taking her seriously because she was a woman, Hill became one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood. She recalled the transition from being called "sweetheart" and "darling" in her early years as a producer to the respectful "ma'am". She was an incredibly influential screenwriter and producer and gave wonderful pieces of cinema for us to treasure for generations to come.

Obviously, there are PLENTY of women and films that have yet to be uncovered, but who knows...maybe they'll make an appearance under another letter.  Stay tuned to Day of the Woman for a continuation of this series and

"like" Day of the Woman on Facebook 

for plenty of Women in Horror Recognition Month updates. 

THE ABC's OF WOMEN IN HORROR: H IS FOR...

To celebrate Women In Horror Recognition month, Day of the Woman is celebrating by compiling the ABC's of women in horror.  

TODAY'S PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER: H

Heidi Honeycutt (The artist formally known as Martinuzzi) is quite possibly the go-to woman in horror.  An actress, film journalist, new media journalist/consultant, web designer, editor, screenwriter, director, film festival director, webmaster, and staunch feminist, Heidi Honeycutt is one of the most pivotal women dealing with the horror genre today. In 2004 she created the website Pretty/Scary, the first horror website devoted to women, now known as PlanetFury.com and continues to write about women directors of genre films. Her news website PlanetEtheria.com is all about women directors of horror, science fiction, and fantasy films. Heidi  is the co-director of the Viscera Film Festival  the first women’s-only genre film festival in the world, and she’s also the director of the Etheria Film Festival, which shows only science fiction and fantasy directed by women.  To put it simply, Heidi Honeycutt is an inspiration, and a beacon of hope for women in horror everywhere.

Alexandre Aje's Haute Tension is a film that has many horror fans and feminists alike in a state of peril trying to determine just how to classify this film.  Although I personally do not believe it to be a feminist film, there are those that believe it is, and for that, I will give it notice.  The two major characters this story are female (with some major lesbian undertones) and seem to be struggling to escape the terror of an unknown man.  While the twist ending seems to be what prevents this from being a feminist film, it is still about and driven by strong women struggling to overcome turmoil both mentally and physically without the help of a male.  

She has evolved from a running scared little girl, to debonaire Scream Queen. It takes some mad skills, a wicked scream, and of course a sexy look to transcend in the film industry, and this one has done it with flying colors. She's of course, the one and only Danielle Harris.  The undisputed sweetheart of the horror genre, Danielle Harris has been acting within the genre for a majority of her existence.  Her character "Jamie Lloyd" in Halloween 4 & 5 was able to win over the hearts of fans everywhere and was adorable enough to get ol' Uncle Mike to even remove his mask for her.  She took some time doing other films which most have become cult-hits and even got to be in a Disney Channel flick with a very very young Katherine Heigel. She made her return to the genre that made her famous by playing a seemingly bit part but a very memorable part in Urban Legend. She had some reoccurring roles on the show Charmed but she recently got back into her horror roots...literally. Rob Zombie cast Danielle to play Annie Brackett in his Halloween remake as well as the sequel H2. Quickly following, Adam Green scooped her up for his Hatchet films just to add to her impressive resume of horror credits.

Ti West's smash-hit House of the Devil is in no way a feminist film, but I feel that the main character is crucial in the way women should be represented in horror films.  Samantha Hughes is your everyday girl just trying to scrap up some extra dough in order to achieve her independence and live on her own.  She looks like the girl next door and behaves like a normal college student.  This BLOWS MY MIND considering horror films of the new millennium fail to believe that female roles cannot be played by anyone that doesn't resemble a super model or act like the girl every guy wished he could get in high school. A majority of the film showcases Samantha alone without any other interaction, and she behaved the way any actual young 20 something would. Samantha Hughes is one of the most authentic female characters in a horror film of the last ten years and I commend Ti West for creating a film with a front woman that can actually be liked.  She is strong, quirky, intelligent, independent, has a strong sense of sisterhood, but more importantly...she's real. 

Heather Langenkamp was just a bit player in The Outsiders until Wes Craven made her Nancy Thompson, the teen heroine of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Nancy Thompson isn't just a character, she's an icon; and Heather Langenkamp gave us a performance (whether it was Oscar worthy has nothing to do with it) that we won't ever be able to forget.  Not only was Nancy (in my opinion) the strongest of the final girls, but Heather Langenkamp is an actress that never forgot where she came from.  Years after putting away her shield against the razored gloves, she returned to her roots by serving as not only the executive producer and an actress, but also the narrator of the incredible documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy.  Langenkamp and her husband, David Leroy Anderson, own and operate AFX Studio, a Special F/X Make-Up firm that is credited with the special make-up for such films as Dawn of the Dead, Dragonfly, Frost/Nixon, and Angels & Demons.  As of right now, Heather Langenkamp  directed an autobiographical documentary about her career as Freddy's favorite teenager titled I Am Nancy.

Obviously, there are PLENTY of women and films that have yet to be uncovered, but who knows...maybe they'll make an appearance under another letter.  Stay tuned to Day of the Woman for a continuation of this series and

"like" Day of the Woman on Facebook 

for plenty of Women in Horror Recognition Month updates. 

THE ABC's OF WOMEN IN HORROR: C IS FOR...

To celebrate Women In Horror Recognition month, Day of the Woman is celebrating by compiling the ABC's of women in horror.  

TODAY'S PROGRAM IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER: C

Before there were final girls, there was Hazel Court.  Her autobiography published shortly after her death was called Horror Queen, and that's exactly what she was.
Despite her long career on both sides of the Atlantic, many film fans know of Hazel Court only from appearances in such productions as The Masque of the Red Death and The Raven. But Miss Court is far more than just someone who once appeared in a Vincent Price movie. A promising British starlet in the 1940s and early 1950s, Court hit her stride appearing in crime dramas and mysteries--even appearing in several of them with her then-husband Dermot Walsh. In 1954, she starred in the offbeat English sci-fi flick Devil Girl from Mars, and before long was specializing in horror pictures. Court was the female lead in two early Hammer productions: The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959).  She went on to star in dozens of other horror films, and established a reputation that has yet to go unmatched.

“I think women have a different take on what people find scary. I love horror films but most I don’t find scary. Some of the ideas the women have come up with are scary, perhaps rooted in their own experiences. A lot of them have female lead characters. What we’re not getting is the standard horror film, where the only appearance girls make is to run around semi-clothed before getting their heads chopped off. The female characters are much more important in the narrative than in most horror films.”-Caroline Cooper Charles.  Caroline Cooper Charles is one of the most influential women in horror that you've probably never heard of. She is currently CEO of Universal Spirits, the independent production company she established in the spring of 2010 and is the  head of creative development of Darklight, an initiative to encourage female horror directors at the low-budget film studio Warp X. To put it in the simplest terms, Caroline Cooper Charles is a damn fine example of a Woman In Horror deserving some recognition.

With twelve (and counting) purely horror genred movies under her belt, Jamie Lee Curtis is often seen as one of the most well known and respected scream queens in horror history.  The daughter of powerhouse actor Tony Curtis and Janet "mydeathruinedshowersfortherestofeternity" Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis was destined for film stardom.  The definitive "final girl", Jamie Lee Curis broke onto the acting scene with her iconic portrayal of The Shape's baby sister, Laurie Strode in Halloween.  Between the years of 1978-1981, Jamie Lee Curtis was the "Molly Ringwald" of slasher films.  Her acting chops were undeniable and her career skyrocketed shortly after.  While she has gone to perform in films of just about every genre, Jamie Lee Curtis will forever be known as the "queen of scream".  Recently, David Grove penned a novel detailing the life (both personally and professionally) of Jamie Lee Curtis throughout her career.  Now if she can only convince her husband Christopher Guest to make a horror themed film with his comedy style.  Hey, a girl can dream.

Love her or hate her, Diablo Cody has been making ridiculously huge strides for women in horror.  Although she made her mark in the cinematic world penning a little indie film that destroyed its hipster cred by going oh-so-mainstream, Diablo Cody has been on a huge upswing for screenwriting horror films.  The author of the screenplay for the Megan Fox horror/comedy Jennifer's Body, she created a story about the perfect, pretty, cheerleader Jennifer Check (played by Megan Fox) and ends up as the sacrifice in a Satanic ritual. Now this isn't held by some weird cult, it's held by a douchey garage band in the hopes that the sacrifice will increase their chances of getting signed. While she may be criticized for the dialogue she uses for her characters, she brings in the bacon and her films never seem to do poorly in the box office.  Her talent hasn't gone unnoticed as she is set to co-write the script for the upcoming re-imaging of The Evil Dead as well as the film adaptation for S.G. Browne's Zombie love story BREATHERS.  I admire this woman for her accomplishments and personally, I find her to be quite inspirational.

 She may not have a laundry list of horror credits to her IMDB page the way Jamie Lee Curtis does, but Neve Campbell should never be ignored when it comes to horror street cred.  Neve Campbell emerged as the fresh faced final girl of Wes Craven's SCREAM.  Campbell revisited her role three times in all of the sequels from the original film.  Wes Craven saw her performance on the television show Party of Five and is quoted to say "She could best embody a character who was "innocent" but also able to handle herself while dealing with the demanding physicality and emotions of the role".  Neve actually almost didn't take the role after finishing The Craft, but was willing to do so as it would be her first feature starring role.  It's safe to say that she made the right decision in taking the job.  Her role as Sidney Prescott even earned her a Best Actress award at the 1997 Saturn Awards.  Over ten years from her first performance as Sidney Prescott, Neve Campbell returned to the big screen for one final hurrah in SCRE4M.

Obviously, there are PLENTY of women and films that have yet to be uncovered, but who knows...maybe they'll make an appearance under another letter.  Stay tuned to Day of the Woman for a continuation of this series and

"like" Day of the Woman on Facebook 

for plenty of Women in Horror Recognition Month updates. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM DAY OF THE WOMAN

peace, love, and braaaaains

~bj-c

BJ-C'S HALLOWEEN PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

POST 666: THE DEVIL THAT WALKS AMONG US-A LIFELONG LOVE AFFAIR WITH MICHAEL MYERS

Six more days til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. Six more days til Halloween, SILVER SHAMROCK!  Today embarks on a cliche horror day, as this will be the six hundred and sixty sixth post on Day of the Woman.  Rather than go the predictable route and write about something religious (since I've already covered it), I chose a more personal topic: The devil that walks among us.  Michael Myers is hands down my favorite of the main slashers.  Despite the recent reboot of the franchise, my heart has always remained in the sleepy town of Haddonfield, Illinois.  As the holiday of his namesake peeks its head around the hedges, it's only fitting that I finally fess up and admit my love for the Shatner faced shape.   

My earliest recollection embarking the emotionless maniac was after my fifth Halloween, the first trick or treating experience I can consciously remember.  I had spent the evening running around the neighborhood dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West and cackling at children in the street.  Even as a kindergartner, I was a big crusader for remaining in character.  After the night was overtaken with hooligans intent on smashing pumpkins and stealing children from unsupervised toddlers, I managed my way back into the front door with my pillowcase filled with sugar dragging behind me.  The living room was dim and my mother sat with a wine glass in hand with her face glued to the television.  Exhausted, my dad picked up my (at the time) two year old sister and retired for the remainder of the night.  I poured out my conquests into the middle of the living room and began organizing the horde (something I would do every year following).  After the chocolates were separated from the sour, my mother extended a makeup remover wipe to me and simply said "Come here, I want to show you something". 

I climbed on top of the couch and snuggled into my mother's embrace.  The film began to roll, and I don't think I blinked the entire duration of the film. It was as if some sort of supernatural force had taken a hold of my psyche and forced my eyes wide A Clockwork Orange style without any contraption to hold them open.  I sat on the couch paralyzed and my mother just looked down at me and said "So, what'd you think?"  I turned to look back up at her and at full conviction exclaimed "THAT WAS THE COOLEST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN!"

Years would go by and my infatuation with The Shape grew to an almost unhealthy level.  I found myself renting the films as much as humanly possible and shutting down my entire evening if AMC were to play it on television.  There was an instance one Halloween where a teenager wore a Michael Myers costume and just stood silently in the middle of the street.  I couldn't walk down the block if I saw him there.  For as scared as I was, I couldn't help but hope that I'd see him at the end of the road whenever I turned a corner. 

Maybe it is the preference he has for murdering people in the comfort of their own home, or the fact he shows absolutely no signs of struggle or weakness while he does it.  Michael is the embodiment of pure evil and he makes it his goal to assure that you're aware of it.  He doesn't need one-liners or a slew of imaginative means of torture to destroy his victims.  He slashes, and he dashes...and yet makes sure his victims feel every single second slip away.  He's not just a serial killer, he's a cruel personification of malevolence.  To top it all off...he can't die.  It doesn't matter what anyone does to him, he can not die.  If anything, that's the scariest part of him all.  Michael Myers is the epitome of a horror icon and has been a staple in my little horror pumping heart.  Here's to you, Michael Myers for your successful career causing nightmares, surviving any and every challenger, and making a name for yourself as the perfect example of a Halloween slasher. 

THIS WILL BE MY FUTURE HOME

I LOVE LMFAO
there, I said it.
Sue me.

CTHULHU SHIRTS, COSTUMES, AND VLOGGING, OH MY!

IF YOU LIKED ______ YOU'LL LOVE ______

Now that Halloween has been peeking its little head around the corner, it's also become the time where I find myself bombarded with friends asking for movie recommendations for the frightful nights to come.  If I'm being completely honest, I've discovered something ridiculous.  My friends are cowards.  Seriously! Instead of trusting my judgement and recommendations, I'm stuck listening to "Well...I really liked ________ do you know anything like that?"  Most of the ________ films are usually some mainstream garbage cranked out by Anchor Bay and I am left shaking my head and trying to plead with them to watch something else.  So now...I present you SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

If you liked PROM NIGHT, you'll love THE LOVED ONES

I still haven't been able to wrap my finger around it, but there's an overwhelming amount of the collegiate population that found themselves scared by the remake of Prom Night.  Apparently, they can easily identify with how teenagers treat Senior Prom like some monumental event in their lives that they believe will actually matter in ten years.  Oh well.  Australians have been really picking up their game when it comes to horror, and they further proved it in 2009 with The Loved Ones.  While not as much of a party filled prom as the Brittany Snow edition, this film shows what happens when you turn down an invitation from the quiet girl at school.  Spoiler Alert: Don't decline invitations from the quiet girls at school. They don't take it well...

If you liked TWILIGHT, you'll love NEAR DARK

Okay, I'm sort of stretching it on this one considering most Twi-hards have some sort of brain damage.  If I'm going to rat on how much Twatlight blows, I should at least be able to combat their obsession with a proper horror equivalent.  Near Dark is exactly what Twilight would be if Stephenie Meyer understood vampire folklore, wasn't Mormon, and had the talent to write a decent storyline.  A vampire love story of epic proportions, this film is jam packed with fabulous one-liners, vampires BURNING in the sunlight, and a test to see how far someone is willing to go for love.

If you liked THE RING, you'll love A TALE OF TWO SISTERS

I don't know why, but Americans really have some sort of issue with creepy dark haired women.  While vastly different from The Ring, this South Korean import deals with tragic deaths within a family and the horrifying events that take place shortly after.  The film has beautiful imagery, some unsettling nightmare scenes, and a pretty decent amount of spookiness paired with an eerily wonderful score.  Seriously, trust me on this one.

If you liked CABIN FEVER, you'll love SPLINTER

Eli Roth did to shaving your legs what JAWS did to swimming in the ocean.  I see his flesh eating bacteria and raise him a "Thing-esque" plague.  Overlooked gross-out film Splinter has moments that genuinely made me squeal out of my seat.  Ladies and Germs, that doesn't happen very often.  Without spoiling it, there is one in particular that got an audible reaction out of me.  Watch it, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

 If you liked SAW, you'll love DREAD

Okay, there's no madman hell-bent on teaching lessons and there's no unnecessary gore.  The torture in this film is far more cruel than anything Jigsaw could concoct.  Think of what you're most afraid of.  I mean, really REALLY afraid of.  Now think about someone using that against you to the nth degree for no other reason than to ruin your life.  Add that to the uber sexy Jason Rathbone, and you've got yourself a movie.

Like these lists?  Let me know and I'll be sure to create more of them for you.  Comment with suggestions and I'll be sure to crank out more through the month of October!

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT HALLOWEEN!

Oh darlings, hello. I've been away from a computer for a while and have been surviving off of mobile devices for a bit.  Long story short, I'm back.  As October has reared its beautiful little noggin, it's time to bring back an old favorite.  Image lists! A while ago I would post "things I like to do" and use an image from a horror movie to describe it.  I'm going to (attempt to) post every day for the rest of October just to keep everyone in the festive mood.  I once posted a video blog about the things I hated about Halloween, and it was so well received, I made a sequel to it.  To combat those video blogs, I would like to present to you an image list of the things I LOVE about Halloween.

 

THE FACT SHOVELING MY FACE WITH CANDY WILL BE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE

DOGS IN COSTUMES

SCARING THE CRAP OUT OF MY BABY SISTER

PUTTING ON COSTUME MAKEUP

THE FREAKS THAT COME OUT AT NIGHT

NIGHTMARES

SEEING THE EXORCIST PLAYED ABOUT A HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN TIMES

HAUNTED HOUSES

 COSTUME PARTIES

JACK-O-LANTERNS

THE RETURN OF THE WALKING DEAD!!!

SPOOKYTOWN: SPIRITS HAUNTED BAR AND RESTAURANT

How many times have you thought to yourself "I love horror, but I really love food and alcohol" ?  If the answer is "more than once", then you should invest yourself and some interest into helping out Kristi Nommensen Dorson and her plan to start a haunted/horror themed hot spot...THAT'S OPEN OUTSIDE OF HALLOWEEN!

The following article was sent to me from Ms. Dorson herself to be broadcast to all you here.

As so many of our stories seem to go, I've been attracted to the 'strange and unusual' since I was a wee thing. My dad has always been a freak for Halloween and has provided a home yard haunt for the neighborhood kids each year from the time I was little. It seemed only natural that a love of horror movies, haunted houses, and spooky things would be in my blood. I've also always had an entrepreneurial mindset and have dreamed of, amongst other things: being a writer, owning a cafe, running a haunted bed and breakfast, owning real estate, running / living in a roadside attraction, running a restaurant, starting a variety of different stores, and more. When I was 23, my family and I stopped at a popular tourist spot in Spring Green, WI: The House On The Rock. I had no idea what I was in for when we stopped for what we thought would be a brief visit. I had no idea how much my mind was about to expand. Needless to say, I loved the place instantly, and it remains one of my favorite places ever, as well as a source of endless inspiration.

Since then my ideas have been brewing and slowly meshing together. I started gathering ideas of what I would include in my OWN version of House On The Rock, if I were able to build one. What sort of collections would I fill the place with? I began calling it my "NOT House On The Rock House", which was eventually shortened simply to "The Not House". My list includes things like: spooky tiki bars, haunted diners, living walls, collections of creepy old toys (like Boglins), collections of awesome horror shirts (such as those from Fright-Rags), a movie theater / drive in showing horror movies and cult classics, rooms full of Rube Goldberg machines, a car museum (for my husband) with a hearse section (for me), a life-sixed replica of the Lord of Darkness from Legend, a haunted bed and breakfast, a steampunk room, a room full of miniature replicas of horror buildings (such as the mansion from the Tales From The Crypt intro), and more. It occurred to me that I would need a lot of money. AND a lot of land. Since I have neither, the dream has just continued to build and I have always considered it a 'semi-retirement' goal.

It so happens that a few months ago, we visited the Raven's Grin Inn for a friend's birthday. Raven's Grin, for the uninitiated, is a FANTASTIC year-round haunted attraction in Mount Carroll, IL. Run by Jim Warfield and his wife Jessica, it defies explanation and is well worth the time to visit. (Their website can be found at http://www.hauntedravensgrin.com). We have been out there several times and have even struck up a friendship with Jim and Jessica (great people!), and yet it never occurred to me to look at Mount Carroll as a site for my vision, at least until this last trip, when we spent some time in one of the local bars and found that it is for sale. Opportunity? DEFINITELY! My husband and I talked to the owner quite a bit, then went home and spent a couple days thinking about it, and decided we were going to give it a go. Opening a spooky-themed bar and restaurant right next door to a fantastic, established year-round haunted house just seems like the perfect thing for us. 

And so, the idea for "Spirits Haunted Bar and Restaurant" was born. I started a blog to chronicle the process (http://theroadtospookytown.blogspot.com). We have no available capital, and I am only in the process of writing the business plan and doing the financial research right now. What we DO have is a huge dream that has been building for years, a passion for all things spooky and unique, a love of fun, and the drive to make it all happen. I realize my vision of Spookytown, my tongue-in-cheek name for the whole kit and caboodle, is an immense Disneyland-sized dream that may never be fully realized. Spirits is step one, and it may be the only step we ever take, or it may take us places even I have never dreamed. But I believe in dreaming big. And I believe there is a thirst for some place like this; a place for the misfits, the freaks, the lovers of the strange and unusual. A place we can congregate and share our passions. A place that even the 'normals' can visit and get a taste of the otherworldly, if only for a day or two. I BELIEVE IN SPOOKYTOWN. And I am going to make it happen. For you, for me, and for everyone that's ever believed, even if only for a moment.