MorbidMuch

Thirty-four years ago today, we were treated to more of the night HE came home!  And you know what?  It was awesome!  It was 1981's HALLOWEEN II!

I'm retracting a previous statement of mine.  I no longer believe that BOY MEETS WORLD holds the title of coolest Halloween special.  Nope.  That title belongs to THE ADVENTURES OF PETE & PETE.  And I stand by it.

Just some quick thoughts regarding the H20 workprint...
I finally got around to watching the HALLOWEEN H20 workprint that I've had lying around for going on seven years now.  First impression?  The music/score in this print is awesome!  Why oh why was the majority of the music replaced with the SCREAM score?  John Ottman's score was incredible (although, I did notice that he borrowed a little bit of the I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER score).

Thirty-three years ago today, we were gifted the brilliance that is 1983's HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH.

Initially regarded as a bust and a flop (most because this movie is sans Michael Myers), it has since picked up steam and is now regarded as a cult classic.

The movie contains one of the most catchy jingles in the history of jingles -- and that is the Silver Shamrock song that plays during the TV spots for companies line of Halloween masks (a skull, witch and pumpkin).

If for whatever reason you have never been able to bring yourself to watch this, then shame on you.  It's FANTASTIC in every imaginable way.

Here's to HALLOWEEN III!

If you were a kid growing up in the 90s then there is a good chance that you read something from the creative genius R.L. Stine!

With this month’s release of the “Goosebumps” movie staring Jack Black the nostalgia factor for R.L. Stine’s beloved Young Adult Book Series is at an all-time high!

I myself read and still own about 90% of the Books from the Series’ Original Run (1992 -1997) but by the time the Fox Television Series based off the books hit the air my days of taking in all things associated with Stine were winding down! Besides watching the big debut of “The the Haunted Mask” during the Halloween Season of 1995, there were only a few episodes I can recall only catching on Fox around this time.

I really hate to admit this but besides me and my friend Louanne, nobody was reading these books anymore once we hit the 8th Grade and at the fear of going against the grain I too stated to keep my Goosebumps books at home and ceased reading any of the new ones that were still being pu…

Twenty-seven years ago, HE returned.  Following the backlash of HALLOWEEN III's lack of Michael Myers, the studio decided that Myers needed to come back -- which leads us to 1988's HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS.

H4 is widely considered the best of the post-H3 sequels.  And really, I have to agree with that.  Despite Michael's appearance, the movie is a fantastic Halloween-themed slasher movie.  And we're given our first Danielle Harris appearance (as Jamie Lloyd).

Here's to HALLOWEEN 4!


Also, here's a fun HALLOWEEN 4 reference in TV's FAMILY GUY...

I was probably 11, maybe 12 years old. I had spent the evening trick-or-treating with my friend, BJ, in his neighborhood. BJ's family were a little more well-off than my own (maybe a lot more), so he lived in a pretty nice suburban community. I, on the other hand, lived in the middle of the boonies, surrounded by cows and trees. I had one neighbor across the street and only 2 more houses within the distance of a mile. Because of this, trick-or-treating was a "no-go" in my neighborhood.
I'm truly not even sure if BJ and I were actually "friends". His father was a friend of my dad. We would go to their house on occasional weekends to swim in his family's pool and have cookouts. BJ was a few years younger than I, but possibly more mature in some ways. I'm not sure how much we actually had in common other than both being baseball fans and both loving NES. On top of his large collection of DC Super Powers figures, he was also the first kid I knew that own…

Heavy-handed. Schmaltzy. Disjointed. Tonally uneven. Cheaply imitative. Unnecessarily over-sentimental. Mawkish and saccharine. These are some of the more colorful adjectives I’d use to describe Lady in White. When I saw Nick from MORBIDMUCH was taking guest submissions for his site on the topic of “your favorite Halloween films” for the late-October homestretch, I jumped at the chance to contribute a piece, naturally. (What can I say? Any opportunity I get to ramble on other people’s sites, I take.) For whatever reason, the first Halloween movie that popped into my head was 1988’s Lady in White. Don’t ask me why, but it honestly took me .2 seconds to decide on that film. Why was that my immediate go-to? I do not know. It ended up being a dreadful choice, but I’m no quitter: I told Nick I chose Lady in White, so I’m gonna talk about Lady in White. Now, admittedly, I hadn’t watched Lady in White all the way through since I was a very small child. I mean, we’re talking multiple decades. B…

Twenty-six years ago, Michael Myers returned from a year-long hibernation to seek his revenge of his niece Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) in 1989's HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS.

Even though HALLOWEEN 5 is widely regarded as a weaker entry in the franchise, it does, like most slashers, hold a special charm.  We're able to see the aftermath and devastation from HALLOWEEN 4 play out a year later -- and see the growth of Jamie Lloyd.

However, HALLOWEEN 5 can be blamed for introducing a few pieces that HALLOWEEN 6 attempted to put together -- specifically, the Thorn tattoo on Michael's wrist and the mysterious man in black.

Don Shanks' portrayal of Myers in H5 was always one of the more violent variations we've seen, at least to me, anyway.

So here's to THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS, a film that also had another character named Mikey -- not that it matters.

It's that time of the year again -- and my good friend Jay of The Sexy Armpit is back with this year's Halloween special!

Jay's special, be it Christmas or Halloween, are always great and a really fun watch.
It's a horror comedy anthology where The Sexy Armpit crew tells stories around a fire. Jay's dreams are haunted, Mike has an interesting date, and Mandy gets an invitation to Jay's horror marathon. Tons of cameos, surprises and more! Written by Jay Amabile. Directed by Jay and Mike. Starring Jay Amabile, Mike Wirth, and Holly Knapp. Music by Lux Devil and Kevin Macleod. More info at sexyarmpit.com So what are you waiting for?  Watch it now!

Yes, I know -- 1978's HALLOWEEN is a classic.  I'm not disputing that.  I love it -- and it might possibly be my favorite movie of all time (neck-n-neck with FIGHT CLUB).  But HALLOWEEN, no matter how great, isn't without its share of faults.

I've put together a list of FIVE FORGIVABLE MISTAKES.



1. MAGICALLY APPEARING WET SIDEWALK

Early on in the film, when Laurie is returning home from school, it's apparent that it is a super dry day...no clouds or rain in the sky.  Yet, when Laurie strolls up her front lawn and into her house, the sidewalk is noticeably wet.  This falls in line with the whole "movie goof" thing.  Yeah, it could be from a sprinkler system, but that's not likely -- the wetness goes all the way down the street -- and it was 1978.

Why it's forgivable: It doesn't affect the plot at all.  And they had a shoe-string budget of $300,000 (low even for for '78).


2. HARDWARE STORE ROBBERY

Exactly when did the hardware store get broken…

We all have them.  You know what I'm talking about.  A VHS tape with a couple scary movies on it that was recorded from the TV.  And not just any old recorded horror VHS tape -- but one of your earliest ones.  One that really helped pave the way for your fandom into horror.

Well, guys and girls...I found mine.  A VHS tape of recorded "horror" movies from 1993!


Now before you laugh uproariously at the misspellings on the label, just remember: my mother made this for me.  But she's actually a good speller, which makes this tape that much better!

Though only three titles are written on the side, there are actually four programs on the tape.  And they are...
Beetlejuice (written as Betelgeuse)Chris Cross (S01E02 - "It's a Jungle in There")Ernest Scared Stupid (written as Earnest Scard Straight)Leprechaun (somehow spelled correctly) I just recently popped this tape in and watched it from beginning to end -- and guys -- things just ain't what they used to…