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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

YES!

Ghosted by A Reader @ 09/11/2005 12:26 PM EDT

Well, it looks like my efficiency at work is gonna go down about 75% in the next month and a half. Sorry boss – I can’t be expected to get anything done with X-E’s Halloween countdown going on – I’m sure you’ll understand.

Ghosted by Gozer @ 09/11/2005 12:38 PM EDT

Long time reader, first time poster…all i have to say is these are always the best articles!

Ghosted by Jedimonkey @ 09/11/2005 12:40 PM EDT

For the hopefully few of you using an AOL browser to hit the site, you may experience some difficulties until tomorrow. IE/Firefox users should be fine.

Ghosted by Matt @ 09/11/2005 12:40 PM EDT

What a thing of joy to brighten up one’s Sunday. :) I almost cried.

I love you, Matt.

Ghosted by Ryane @ 09/11/2005 12:41 PM EDT

Ohh very cool! Now Im getting excited! Thumbs up to you!

Ghosted by IHAQ @ 09/11/2005 12:44 PM EDT

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

Ghosted by Kyle @ 09/11/2005 12:46 PM EDT

dude, yes this is most awesome. And the music! nice touch. Im stoked. Ahh, to have a reason to wake up everyday.

Ghosted by the80sruled @ 09/11/2005 1:02 PM EDT

YAAAAAAAAAAAY for Halloween countdown time!

Oh, and Matt – sorry about the tambourine. I was using it to play Begin the Beguine.

Ghosted by gadgetsgirl @ 09/11/2005 1:06 PM EDT

Oh hell. Now I really DO have the Tim Curry song stuck in my head.

Dammit.

HAIRAH!

SCARAH!

CREEPAH!

CRAWLAH!

HALLLOOOOWWEEEEEN!

(My sister’s favorite movie for a blessedly brief time was "The Worst Witch.")

Ghosted by gadgetsgirl @ 09/11/2005 1:13 PM EDT

The new Ghost With The Most comic is the best thing I’ve seen on the internet since at least last week.

Ghosted by oh who cares @ 09/11/2005 1:25 PM EDT

You single-handedly restore my faith in all that is spooky! Now if only my dial-up would play the Halloween jukebox without buffering every five seconds.

Ghosted by Julie @ 09/11/2005 2:16 PM EDT

Like most X-E’ers, I’m excited about the Halloween countdown…no seriously…I have to change my pants. Plus, the added fun of listening to the Halloween Jukebox while reading the articles, added to the experience. Also, I don’t know if it’s been going on with anyone else, but has there been less and less kids T&T ing in all your neighbourhoods? I just find that really sad, cause Halloween is my X-Mas. Hell I’m 22 and I’m still planning on going out and getting candy (gotta love masks!) Anyhow, can’t wait for the next batch of entries..so keep up the great work Matt. I also send out my thanks to Brian and Tummi..and Happy Haunting everyone!! (cheesy…but I typed it!) :D

Ghosted by Jabo @ 09/11/2005 2:20 PM EDT

THANK YOU!!!!

Ghosted by Carri @ 09/11/2005 2:26 PM EDT

There is a god. Thank you for restoring my faith Matt. Snagle Tooth Salute!

Ghosted by Darth Poop @ 09/11/2005 2:30 PM EDT

God those videos had me cracking up. Your skills are truly on par with Jimmy from "The Wizard". Also, thanks a lot for the jukebox! It provided the perfect atmosphere for reading the articles :D P.S. Any chance we’ll see a commercial haunted house review this year?

Ghosted by Eddie Lightning Frog @ 09/11/2005 2:36 PM EDT

Hey Matt you made a mistake on your Halloween Jukebox list: Somebody’s Watching Me is NOT by Michael Jackson but rather the one hit wonder Rockwell. However, Jackson IS doing the background vocals and the chorus. But the rest of the lyrics are Rockwell who (bit of trivia) is Motown mogul Berry Gordy’s son. But love the rest of the selections though I have to admit never thought of Magic Dance from Labyrinth as Halloweeny. :)

Ghosted by Melissa Y. @ 09/11/2005 2:46 PM EDT

I knew I shouldn’t have deleted "Rockwell" when renaming all of the MP3s.

Ghosted by Matt @ 09/11/2005 2:47 PM EDT

WOW!! It’s here and a day early!! Looks great man but I can’t get the jukebox to play. A RealPlayer window opens up and then…nothing. Any word?
Thanks again for all of the mayhem!!

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 09/11/2005 3:09 PM EDT

Manimal, I would try reconfiguring so that RealPlayer isn’t the default file-opener for this. You shouldn’t have any problem in Windows Media Player, Winamp or iTunes.

Ghosted by Matt @ 09/11/2005 3:13 PM EDT

I’ve been a little angsty lately myself, and that last panel of Ghost with the most totally struck a chord. Give Maw and Paw my TV.
Good on ya for working the ‘weenie archive, Matt. Don’t be self conscious about the old stuff, that’s what got some of us hooked in the first place. Your writing has certainly improved as time’s gone by, which is ideal, but one of my favorite things to do is to go back and read those old articles. I’ve probably read the House review eleventy billion times. Conservatively.

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 09/11/2005 3:28 PM EDT

Wow. Articles are great, and the jukebox is awesomely thorough. Matt, you have singlehandedly made me excited about Halloween. Impressive, since my birthday is in two weeks, and I usually wait until after then to care about Halloween :)

Ghosted by Vegan Mike @ 09/11/2005 3:29 PM EDT

Couldn’t see the video but I could hear the music. Windows Media Player said "error downloading codec". The Dracula game does look like those Coleco table top games from those commercials with Mr. Arcade. Anyone else think Mr. Arcade sounded like Howard Stern? I wonder if he did the voiceover for that commercial.

Ghosted by Pat @ 09/11/2005 3:55 PM EDT

Matt,

Have you seen that Mountain Dew brought back Pitch Black for this year? Now they’re calling it "Pitch Black II." Wonder if it’s any different.

Ghosted by Yow @ 09/11/2005 4:33 PM EDT

I was eating one of those Act II Halloween popcorn balls when I came here and saw that article up, which is too eerie for words. I was ditched one Halloween too, when I was about ten. I had a friend who I was planning on going trick-or-treating with. But right on Halloween night, he decides to suddenly call me up and go Jack Chick on my ass, going on and on and on about how evil the "Devil’s Day" is. Then he hung up and I never saw him again. It was one of the most bizarre experiences I’ve ever had. And I didn’t even get a popcorn ball.

That jukebox is going to be playing nonstop on my computer until Halloween. All it needs is that lovely jingle from "Halloween III." That thing can make snakes and bugs explode from one’s head even without evil microchipped masks.

Ghosted by Monte @ 09/11/2005 4:43 PM EDT

Yep, Media Player was the way to go. Thanks!! I think "They’re coming to take me away" by Napoleon XIV was a nice touch. I remember that my uncle special ordered that for me on a 45 record. It was one of my favorite songs but I was still scared of it (see also: "BORIS THE SPIDER" by the Who, "NIGHTMARE" by John Entwistle, and "COUSIN KEVIN" by the Who).
I guess I will have to wait for the F13 part III funk and the GHOULIES theme :(

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 09/11/2005 4:43 PM EDT

YES! Woohoo! Haha I love the Ghost With The Most!

Jabo, I’ve noticed less Trick or Treaters outside too. Last year was beautiful weather, no snow on the ground and the temperature was well above freezing. It was the kind of Halloween day that would have made my parents lock me in my room all day to keep my from trying to Trick or Treat at noon. But there were like 5 kids that came to my house. However, there were a ton of kids Trick or Treating in the mall which is completely lame. I know I had to Trick or Treat in a snowsuit a few times as a kid but that never stopped me from going outside, or my parents from taking me when I was too young to go alone. I don’t know if parents are lazy or if kids are just wimpy now.

What I do know is that if it’s that nice again this year I’m going Trick or Treating, even if I am 23. If anyone gives me any hassle about it I’ll tell them I’m Trick or Treating for my legless cousin. I don’t have a legless cousin, but they don’t know that.

Ghosted by Gabbylicious @ 09/11/2005 4:54 PM EDT

Those Dracula graphics are too 1970s even for me–and this is coming from someone who liked Merlin.

Ghosted by Felicity @ 09/11/2005 5:10 PM EDT

YES! KICK MO FUNK’N ASS!

I love ‘The Ween’ as nobody calls it. Check out my costume from last year..

http://discreaderror.net/17.jpg
My own rendition of GWAR!

Ghosted by Rayzak @ 09/11/2005 5:37 PM EDT

Halloween already? Where does the time go?

Ghosted by Ekkostar @ 09/11/2005 5:42 PM EDT

Matt has forced me to lose my X-E countdown virginity a day early, and I couldn’t be happier.

Ghosted by Mad Cow @ 09/11/2005 5:54 PM EDT

Kudos on the jukebox. Call me weird, but I can’t get enough of The Monster Mash.

Ghosted by Disgruntled Spam @ 09/11/2005 6:07 PM EDT

The X-E countdown is like an Oriental Trading Co. catalog on crack. Speaking of which, Matt, you should totally order the first 10 pages of OTC and review it all. Assuming you have the money. Which you probably don’t. Have you ever thought of putting up a PayPal donation link? I know I’d be down.

Ghosted by Kyle @ 09/11/2005 6:25 PM EDT

By the way, glowing Slimer is a great touch.

Ghosted by Mad Cow @ 09/11/2005 6:36 PM EDT

HEY MAT…HOW BOUT AN ARTICLE ON THE TWILIGHT ZONE, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD ENTRY FOR THE HALLOWEEN COUNTDOWN

Ghosted by HEY @ 09/11/2005 6:47 PM EDT

Yay! The countdown has begun! Ministry ‘Everyday is Halloween’ is on the streamer, I haven’t heard this in like 10 years!!! Loving this thing! :) :):):):)

Ghosted by MissKitty @ 09/11/2005 7:13 PM EDT

Matt, you are seriously my hero! I start getting excited for Halloween around this time every year, but I can find anyone else who’s as into it as I am, so it’s really nice to have somewhere to go to feed my addiction. =)

By the way, the jukebox? Genius.

Ghosted by TipoDeemin @ 09/11/2005 7:24 PM EDT

You should do an article about the Undertaker.It’s Halloween all year with him.Also,I also think you shouldn’t be ashamed of your old articles.My favoite ones of yours were all written a long time ago,like the tribute you did to Krang(who I have eternally pledged my allegiance to)as well as your He-Man articles.Before I came here I thought I was the only one on Earth who remembered the He-Man She-Ra Christmas Special.

Ghosted by Suren @ 09/11/2005 7:31 PM EDT

"Draculady".

Hee.

Ghosted by gadgetsgirl @ 09/11/2005 7:37 PM EDT

"THIS IS HALLOWEEN, THIS IS HALLOWEEN…"

Okay, I don’t remember all of the song but I do remember this:

"I am the ghoul hiding under the stairs, fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair…."
"I am the thing hiding under your bed, teeth like knives and eyes glowing RED…"

Oh, and the cute little vampires playing ice hockey with a jack o’ lantern….

Ghosted by Jillybeann @ 09/11/2005 8:23 PM EDT

The Halloween versions of certain cereals should be out now,becuase I picked up a box of the spooky version of Lucky Charms at Wal-Mart recently.

Just throwing it out there,for those who care.

Ghosted by Overlord @ 09/11/2005 8:41 PM EDT

Ahh, the return of the holiday countdowns. Awesome. I look forward to these. I’ll definately have to try the music, now that I have a computer where the Windows Media Player actually works (just got a new one a few weeks ago, nothing fancy; the old one was going on five and had a tempermental D drive).

Ghosted by starwenn @ 09/11/2005 8:44 PM EDT

Yay! The Ghost with the Most is back! Ahh Matt, don’t kill yourself. You have so much to live for! We need you!!! Etc, etc….

Ghosted by Kay @ 09/11/2005 10:20 PM EDT

Oooh I can’t wait to see if the jukebox really does work with iTunes.

Mac users of the world UNITE!

Oh, and Kidney, I meant that Matt would probably do a survey asking everyone what they’re dressing up as this year. Hence, I don’t want to give it away early. Because I know you’re all waiting on the edges of your seats :P

Ghosted by Knegative @ 09/11/2005 10:46 PM EDT

Wait… which one of the two ghosts has "the most"? Either way, the comic is much better than The Family Circus. On second thought, maybe "Not Me" is the ghost with the most….

Ghosted by Gozer @ 09/11/2005 11:47 PM EDT

HALLOWEEN!

HELL YES! I’ve already ordered all my candy and crazy shit for my pathetic cube at work!

Halloween has now officially begun! Huzzah!

Ghosted by Bryan @ 09/11/2005 11:53 PM EDT

Honestly, I’ve been waiting for this since January. September-October 31st is the reason I put up with the rest of the year. I’m so glad I’m not alone in that feeling.

Ghosted by Bryan @ 09/11/2005 11:58 PM EDT

I just emailed my art contest entry, woohoo! I think I resized it right, with the help of my boyfriend anyway. Can’t wait to see the other entries.

Ghosted by Gabbylicious @ 09/12/2005 12:52 PM EDT

Even though NFL is in full swing, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s sunny and in the mid 80s every day. These articles got me in the fall mood and football could not. Can’t wait for the rest of the countdown.

Ghosted by Jeff Mack @ 09/12/2005 12:56 PM EDT

i dunno if anyones heard randy "macho man" savage’s rap cd but lets just say he puts a
"choke hold" on the rap industry id like to see an article on that

Ghosted by Mike @ 09/12/2005 1:21 AM EDT

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