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09/11/2005: X-E’s Halloween Countdown: 2005!

Has anybody seen my tambourine?

And we’re off! X-Entertainment’s 2005 Halloween Countdown starts now, already stuffed with four articles in a growing archive that will be added to every weekday from now until Halloween — plus some weekends if you’re lucky. We’ve got popcorn balls, the return of the Ghost With The Most, a spooky version of Mr. Potato Head, and an early-posted entry for Monday about Epoch’s 1982 electronic Dracula game. What’s next? You’ll see!

We’re also pulling the soul out of one of the site’s Christmas traditions with the first annual Halloween Jukebox, crammed with dozens of spooky songs, movie themes and instrumentals that’ll stream for hours with just one click. Big thanks to sporadic X-E audio engineer Tummi for finding, arranging and normalizing each file. He’ll be adding more songs in the coming weeks! And thanks to Brian for the swank toxic sludge Countdown section on the main page!

I’m exhausted, I’ve got work to do for tomorrow, and I’m sick of this chair. Go read, enjoy, and stay tuned for more and more and more and more updates! Happy friggin’ Halloween.


Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

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Discussion Thread: 83 comments

Halloween’s become the bastard stepchild of the calendar holidays. By and large, each year delivers a progressively lessened interest in this once great season. Or maybe it just seems that way. I’ve watched the number of trick-or-treaters decrease dramatically, I’ve seen stores that formerly dressed their entire staff like vampires only devote half of a half of a half of an aisle to Halloween stuff, and worst of all, I’ve seen entire years fly by without so much of a peep out of It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on network television.

What world does Matt live in? They trot out Halloween earlier and earlier every year. Retailers now devote half a year to three major events: the new school year, Halloween, and Christmas. Everthing else is stomped on and forgotten, and more frequently they have begun shilling the events in an overlapping fashion–I saw a ‘Ween shelf before Labor Day was even here.

You wonder why the years go by so fast for adults–THIS is why. It’s THEIR fault!

Ghosted by Mars @ 09/12/2005 2:29 AM EDT

Cool, not only do we get nifty Halloween themed articles, but LOTS of them.

Sweet.

I only have 1 of those big old school tabletop electronic games myself. TRON. That’s right, Tomy’s very awesome TRON game I used to play at my cousin’s house.

Ghosted by Bloodcat @ 09/12/2005 2:47 AM EDT

My birthday was sunday, this – by far – was one of the best birthday presents! Some people might see that as lame, but I think everyone else here would appreciate the beginning of Halloween countdown as a grand gift. Thanks you, Mr. Matt.

Ghosted by Yorissa @ 09/12/2005 3:46 AM EDT

I could never have imagined there were so many Freddy Krueger songs.

Ghosted by Julie @ 09/12/2005 4:46 AM EDT

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Ghosted by Goody @ 09/12/2005 8:48 AM EDT

Oh man…the jukebox OWNS! The only thing that could possibly make it any better would be some old Misfits tracks.

Ghosted by The Yeti @ 09/12/2005 8:57 AM EDT

Whoops…my bad. Looks like you got it covered. I shoulda known better.

Ghosted by The Yeti @ 09/12/2005 9:05 AM EDT

So, this morning, I was very stoked to browse X-E at the campus computer lab.. only to find out the Halloween Countdown is up and running; which caused my to howl like the Wolfman and breakdance like that scene in Mac and Me.

Ghosted by Review the World @ 09/12/2005 9:21 AM EDT

Like the rest of the XE world, I am happy about Halloween.

Ghosted by Jimbalaya @ 09/12/2005 9:37 AM EDT

The kid who never went trick or treating because it was the devil’s day? Yeah, that was me. Apparently, when I was about 3, my parents heard some talk or something and that was it. So, for the rest of my youth, Halloween night was usually spent in the back of the house trying to watch TV with all the lights off or going somewhere to wait it out. For this reason, I’ve always hated Halloween. I always felt like the only kid on the planet who didn’t get to celebrate it. On Halloween day, all my friends would be psyched and I would be praying no one would ask me about my plans. What was infinitely worse (not counting the horrible trick-or-treat hours I spent in hiding like some mini Salman Rushdie) was the day after. All the other kids would have snuck their most brag-worthy candy (that made it through the night) to school to show everyone and I had squat. I was angry and bitter and I can’t say it hasn’t carried over. A few years ago I got psyched because it was my first Halloween in my own house and I was going to give out candy like a good neighbor. It was a generally depressing evening mostly spent waiting around and occasionally giving candy to some ungrateful, snotty little punk kid.

So, that said, I’m trying to let X-E heal me and help me enjoy Halloween the way I was never able to as a kid. This is my second Halloween Countdown (which are too awesome for words) and I have to admit that I’m starting to enjoy this holiday a little more. Thanks.

And maybe I just don’t know what funny is, but "Why are we sleeping together? What did we do?" made me totally laugh out loud.

Ghosted by Lori @ 09/12/2005 11:57 AM EDT

I am loving the countdown, thank you Matt. Every work day can be full of slacking off for the next month and a half!

Ghosted by kb @ 09/12/2005 12:43 PM EDT

YEAH! WOO-HOOO! YO BABY YO BABY YO BABY YO! YO BABY YO BABY YO! YYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

Bring on the Shags! Bobby "Boris" Pickett! King Diamond! Drag out all my Doctor Demento Hallowe’en tapes! Time to start fixin’ up my costume! All Hallows’ is ON, SHEEPENHERDER! Keep America strong, watch more horror movies! Buy exclamation points in bulk!
And now, just to get it out of the way:
HALLOWE’EN RRRRRUUUUUUULLLLLEEEESSSS….
*KA-SPLOOOOSHHH!*

(kingklash will return as soon as he re-constitutes.)

Ghosted by kingklash @ 09/12/2005 1:07 PM EDT

Lori–Just thought you’d like to know that you aren’t alone. When I was a wee one, my mom went nuts and decided Halloween was LITERALLY worshipping Satan. She wouldn’t even take us to our church’s "Fall Festival" because it was too similar to the H-day. And we too spent the night in the back of the house with the lights off. Nothing says Halloween like cowering in the dark…not in fear of monsters but in fear of trick-or-treaters.

So yeah, I grew up a little bitter too, but like you, hope that Matt can help us heal our wounds!

Ghosted by purplegirl247 @ 09/12/2005 1:34 PM EDT

Lori:
I was in a similar boat as you. My parents weren’t completely against Halloween, but weren’t gung-ho about celebrating such an evil holiday. Actually, probably a bigger part of it was that we lived in a very rural area so when you have to walk 3-4 minutes between houses it hardly seemed worth the trouble.
I do have some fond memories of trick-or-treating though. Halloween’s pretty huge here in Madison though, so it makes up for it a little.

Ghosted by Gozer @ 09/12/2005 1:44 PM EDT

Someone knows their I Love the Eighties.
Mars, you’ve got a point but the problem is they rush Drac outta the stores before he even gets his day, in favor of the new three month Xmas season.

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 09/12/2005 2:03 PM EDT

http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/i_love_the_80s_3d/series.jhtml VH1 I Love the 80’s 3D is coming in November! It will actually show some clips in 3D! I can’t wait.

Ghosted by King Chachi @ 09/12/2005 2:18 PM EDT

I have 1 question for you, Matt:

Did you pick up those Halloween Jones Sodas that I mentioned in the previous thread? And if so, will there be an article on it?

Also, on the Countdown Intro page, you have the Evil Dead 2 Review listed twice.

Ghosted by Invader Norbert @ 09/12/2005 2:21 PM EDT

I haven’t picked them up yet, but I certainly will.

Ghosted by Matt @ 09/12/2005 2:39 PM EDT

Gozer, my comment about a woman looking like gozer was in no way about you. I saw a female marine walk by me and I looked at her and said to myself she looks like gozer. just was wondering if people think she would find that thought offensive.

Ghosted by RAS @ 09/12/2005 3:20 PM EDT

I’ve SO been looking forward to the Halloween countdown. Nice job on the Jukebox!

Ghosted by Merry @ 09/12/2005 3:28 PM EDT

RAS: Ah – I was just curious. I didn’t know if I missed a thread or something and was out of the loop or if you were talking about actual Ghostbusters character.

Gozer the Traveler. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!

Ghosted by Gozer @ 09/12/2005 3:43 PM EDT

blorgh…. habble…. plastic bones…. glurgle…. Fun Size…. blaach…. murblesitz…. GhostBusters 1&2 boxset…. potzrebie…. Super Castlevania…..

Ghosted by kingklash, in a loose pile of parts @ 09/12/2005 4:12 PM EDT

It’s the first day of school, I’m waiting for my ride since class got out earlier than expected and what do I do with my hour? Latin homework? Greek homework? Do I start reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream for my Shakespeare course? No, I go read the blog on X-E and celebrity gossip on MSN. I just can’t believe I have that much to do after the first day!

Ghosted by Gabbylicious @ 09/12/2005 7:49 PM EDT

The "Dracula" instructions warn you not to leave it out in daylight!

Ghosted by kid nicky @ 09/12/2005 8:14 PM EDT

The Ghost with the Most comic was one of the most beautiful things ever. You are an inspiration to all of us…. or something

Ghosted by yardrac @ 09/13/2005 1:06 AM EDT

I was at the mall yesterday with my girlfriend. We happend on a Spencers (directories involved) to look at the halloween items. She is a halloween fan, but more in the spiritual sense(cue Nightmare Before Xmas music). After a family of 12 cleared the doorway we entered and I saw the most awesome thing. A…or THE lawn decoration of a corpse that TEARS OFF ITS OWN HEAD. She wasn’t as impressed as me. Maybe that is a good thing. Either way, that foolish zombie "gonna be ripping his head off" in my yard within the week. Unless, it is 40+ bucks, in that case, I will savor the memories.
–DigDug OUT!

Ghosted by DigDug @ 09/13/2005 1:15 AM EDT

can we contribute mp3’s to the jukebox? I have a couple I can email.

I am going to rush like hell to get my pic in. I have my pic in my head, i just need to draw it and figure out some way to scan it :(

Ghosted by Goob @ 09/13/2005 4:52 AM EDT

Put me on the list of "my parents were freaky Christians who were against Halloween." Luckily, my parents got a clue by the time I was seven and I got to go out with my big brother. :)

Ghosted by Bitchick @ 09/13/2005 7:57 AM EDT

Hey, Matt, love the jukebox! What movies are part of the "Halloween Mega Mix"? I recognized Disney’s "Haunted Mansion" attraction, "Halloween", "Hellraiser", "The Rocky Horror", Jacko’s Thriller, Star Wars, "The Blair WItch Project"… What else is there?

Ghosted by Roddy @ 09/13/2005 8:32 AM EDT

Go there to see Dracula’s sign up on the eBay auction block.
He must be rolling in his grave.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/RARE-HOUSE-Of-DRACULA-Sign-Mystery-Vampire-GOTH-L-K_W0QQitemZ7182828083QQcategoryZ804QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Ghosted by brado @ 09/13/2005 6:53 PM EDT

jesus jumped up with Kris Kross!!

Try http://www.tinyurl.com next time buddy!

I feel old. at least John Ritter didn’t die on my birthday again!!

Ghosted by kidneyboy @ 09/13/2005 7:17 PM EDT

Those popcorn balls really bring back a lot of memories. I remember getting those every year, I loved them!

Ghosted by Jade @ 09/15/2005 5:33 PM EDT

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