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09/08/2007: Hangin’ With Mr. Krueger.

I got a couple of e-mails this week from readers wanting to know if I’d be doing a “traditional” Halloween Countdown this year. While my sanity would certainly benefit from doing a bunch of shorter blog entries, I’ve come to realize that the holidays are all about suffering for my bullshit art. YES, there will be a very traditional and very what-you’re-used-to X-E Halloween Countdown this year. Very soon, in fact. Don’t want to marry myself to a launch date just yet…but very soon.

And, now that I think about it, this will be the fifth annual Countdown. The fifth! Thanks to everyone who e-mailed in with suggestions and donation offers. If anyone else thinks they have something I can cover this year, drop me a line.


Hit the town last night on the hunt for spooky goodness, and among other things to be reported on in due time, I came across the beauty seen above: A Freddy Krueger hanging decoration. Only slightly expensive with its thirteen dollar price tag, I believe this a new-for-2007 item. I love the shit out of it. It’s perfect for Halloween, but Freddy’s reach is jusssst broad enough to make this one a genuine perennial.

The quality is terrific — Freddy’s head and hands are made of some kind of awesome rubbery material that’s both realistic and fun to touch, while his trademark sweater is real wool, or at least, such a good facsimile that I don’t feel the need to fact check.

Look close at Freddy’s glove. I sure wish I did when I was at the store. Apparently, some hooligan saw fit to rip off three of Freddy’s four glove blades, leaving him both a less effective killer and a constant middle finger-giver. I’m gonna head back to return it for not-wrecked version, and it’ll be interesting to see how the conversation with the store manager goes.

I don’t feel like measuring the hanging Freddy decoration, but if you’re looking for some sense of size, he’d make a great hand puppet. Once I improve my ventriloquism skills, I’ll be available for Bar Mitzvahs.

Happy SNT!


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Discussion Thread: 235 comments

I am looking forward to Halloween this year! I kinda missed out last year because we just moved into our new house. Most of the neighborhood was dirt piles and frames of houses. Now that it’s all done, the neighborhood is full of kids……Can’t wait to unleash hell on the trick or treaters!

Ghosted by Lord Dungbeetle @ 09/09/2007 1:05 AM EDT


mandy_Reeves Somebody’s watching me is already in there it’s just misnamed. The artist says Michael Jackson I believe. Maybe this year Matt can correct it? No Judgment here though :) I love the jukebox I might listen to it this week.

And Matt just reminded me, I came in right when the Halloween countdown was starting and it was the FIRST one! I’m glad I didn’t miss it this year. It’s became a tradition for me. And it reminds me how many years I have came back to this site.

I saw that Kruger last year online. Still cool though. I love (even though I am not a fan of the series) those window decals of Jason hockey mask and all peeking into your window. Love those!

Happy SNT everybody.

Ghosted by Goob @ 09/09/2007 1:05 AM EDT


crazy_mainer Gogol Bordello did make a college football game broadcast I saw today.

Ghosted by mrjayberry @ 09/09/2007 1:06 AM EDT


Yay for SNT. I shall lurk while I play with this Japanese word processor I downloaded.

Ghosted by Annette @ 09/09/2007 1:22 AM EDT


Well technically Michael has the most important contribution to the song, so it makes sense to me.
I have a feeling I’ll be up until the wee hours too. I should get some late night cleaning done but I’ll probably just be refreshing here looking for new posts.

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 09/09/2007 1:29 AM EDT


Well, refresh away. I decided to try to watch Rocky Balboa but the more I layed there the more I kept wondering if there was something interesting happening here, so I decided to try to do both.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 1:32 AM EDT


Hand puppet? Now I see what 13 dollars was expensive. The picture makes it look like it’s close to life size…

Speaking of Halloween, I swear Target gets cooler and cooler with Halloween crap every year. The sheer volume of Halloween stuff that in the grand scheme of things are a complete waste of money yet so inexpensive that they’re almost impossible to pass up is astounding.

I feel like that last bit needed a few commas.

Ghosted by RageTreb @ 09/09/2007 1:33 AM EDT


Just wanted to drop by and say hello to everyone. Happy SNT.

The lady and I are headed to Target tomorrow to grocery shop for the week. After hearing about the Halloween displays being out I feel like I have something to look forward to now.

Ghosted by Magic Toy @ 09/09/2007 1:37 AM EDT


Magic Toy Yeah, I hear ya. I’m tempted to head down there myself tomorrow after reading all this.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 1:41 AM EDT


I concur with Matt on the staying up late tonight…only night I get to anymore :(

And my first SNT in weeks…

Ghosted by Shuanfu @ 09/09/2007 1:44 AM EDT


Wow, DJ D and Shuanfu here for SNT? And I’m here too? Full moon must be out.

Ghosted by Bll @ 09/09/2007 1:59 AM EDT


Yeah ever since we got the inside word that the ‘ween stuff was supposed to hit tomorrow I’ve been planning to hit Target first thing in the morning. Not that I need any more crap around the house, but whatever.

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 09/09/2007 2:07 AM EDT


I screwed my name up. I’m Bill. I think I may change it to “Big Splasher.”

Ghosted by Bill @ 09/09/2007 2:08 AM EDT


Hey, “Bll”…how ya doing? I think this might officially be my first SNT.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 2:17 AM EDT


Great freddy puppet.

I cannot wait for the halloween countdown.

Tommorow is the NFL start…besides thursday night.

GO EAGLES!@!!!

and nothing like being ghosted…witha pumpkin icon w00oooo!

Ghosted by shaun322 @ 09/09/2007 2:17 AM EDT


Hell ya, DJ D! I’m glad you are not the mute family member anymore.

Go Eagles ya damn right! Are you watching them from Mick’s?

Ghosted by Bill @ 09/09/2007 2:24 AM EDT


RAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH! Why do I always fall asleep at like 9:00 on Saturday nights?
I’m always coming in late for SNT.

As for Ghost Dots, I totally mentioned those in the last thread. They don’t actually glow in the dark, they’re just glow-in-the-dark-colored.

Ghosted by Somethin' Funny @ 09/09/2007 2:28 AM EDT


micks as in what..i’m watching them from my couch via comcast hd with a 30 pack of miller light and my trotter jersey with a tampa logo taped on printed from my cpu..and possibly an autumn mix of candy corn from cvs…best day ever

Ghosted by shaun322 @ 09/09/2007 2:31 AM EDT


Yeah, it’s good to be back. Thanks to you and Matt for that one.

I caught the end of a Clemson/Florida State game last weekend with my dad. I’ve never been much of a football fan honestly, but if I watch it long enough with someone else I can kind of get into it. I’m more of a baseball guy myself, especially the Braves. But I haven’t been watching them lately cause they just keep letting me down. Man, talk about a team that’s just not what they used to be! They’re still my team though.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 2:34 AM EDT


Ahhh….Still there is something about watching the Eagles from a smoke laden bar, Phili fans, Yuengling on draft, smokes behind the bar, 20 degrees outside, juke box playing “Allen Town” from Springstein, and a lukewarm shot of Yardbird to bring you to your senses…..huh?

Ghosted by Bill @ 09/09/2007 2:38 AM EDT


I love the cold weather coming and I love the fact people here do to. Bring on the spooks!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=deoJUBW9CI8

Ghosted by Bill @ 09/09/2007 2:48 AM EDT


Those “poltergeist” parts of that video are so terrible.

Ghosted by Somethin' Funny @ 09/09/2007 3:00 AM EDT


I do like the demon baby at the end. Very nice…

There’s a site called GhostPix.Com that has loads of good evp’s, assuming you believe they’re real. The ones of children are incredibly creepy. I stayed up till 3am one night just scaring the holy hell out of myself listening to those once.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 3:13 AM EDT


I like EVPs because you can hear whatever you want.
I wish I could remember what that’s called. It’s the same thing as seeing faces in patterns.

Ghosted by Somethin' Funny @ 09/09/2007 3:18 AM EDT


http://youtube.com/watch?v=rktWNkx03RY

This, I believe. I also like his turkey scream! :)

I have been to GhostPix via Coast to Coast AM radio. Very creepy!

Ghosted by Bill @ 09/09/2007 3:19 AM EDT


Yeah, it is interesting how that works. Sometimes the people who put these things together will say something like, “We’re pretty sure they’re saying so-and-so here”, and I’m like, Really??? Cause I’m not hearing that at all…I’m totally hearing something else.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 3:21 AM EDT


See, I try and ground myself but I have a friend of mine who does this sort of stuff on his own and he has flipped my mind. He’s a chemical engineer for Du Pont. I think he would boo-hoo any rubish that is out there. His tapes are scary to say the least. He released them to Penn State and they are holding them for authentication. Crazy, huh?

Ghosted by Bill @ 09/09/2007 3:29 AM EDT


’s called Pareidolia BTW.
It’s a form of Apophenia.

Ghosted by Somethin' Funny @ 09/09/2007 3:29 AM EDT


Wow, that’s awesome. I know of a really rad cemetary (where the picture on my MySpace page was taken) and I really want to go out there with some decent recording equipment and see what I can get. If I can get the genuine article, then I’ll know for sure it’s real. Well, I already do believe some of it is, but there’s a lot of fakes out there too obviously. Of course, I’ll share whatever I find right here.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 3:35 AM EDT


I don’t know what to believe. I can’t really speak 100% for myself. I wish I could.

Ghosted by Bill @ 09/09/2007 3:38 AM EDT


Well, kids I would like to keep this up cause I’m enjoying the chat, but I’m getting pretty sleepy and have to be up in about 6 hours, so I’m heading out. I’ll catch you all tomorrow. Later!

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 3:40 AM EDT


Best. Bar Mitzvahs. Ever.

Speaking of Best things ever, Shoot ‘Em Up was one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen. From start to finish, it was just shooting people, with both carrots and a baby involved.

Ghosted by Ben @ 09/09/2007 3:45 AM EDT


Hehe..one last thing. I had to run to the kitchen a few minutes ago to get something and of course the whole house is pitch dark, except for a small light in the kitchen. Anyways, I had just watched that first video that Bill put up and I guess I was a little spooked cause I heard a noise in the living room and I just froze and got kind of freaked out. Then I heard it again. It was probably just the cat or something but as I was walking through the living room to get back to my room, I just started walking faster and faster till those last few steps down the hall were just a full sprint!

Thanks, Bill.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 3:46 AM EDT


Has there ever been an article on “Disney’s Halloween Treat”? The first version with the pumpkin narrator?

Ghosted by Jen @ 09/09/2007 3:52 AM EDT


Huzzah, Halloween Countdown goodness continues. Half a decade of them!

One of the few things I can actually count on being there these days. Lord knows you can’t see any fuckin’ Halloween specials on TV anymore. Not like in the 80s, when things didn’t suck.

Gonna have an 07 Halloween Jukebox too?

Ghosted by ChibiSoma @ 09/09/2007 5:15 AM EDT


I knew I shouldn’t have gone to bed so early last night. Ghost videos are always scarier in the middle of the night.

Ghosted by Jedoc @ 09/09/2007 7:31 AM EDT


It’s 6:40 am CST and I haven’t been to bed yet… Where’s my award?! I think this is the first all-nighter I’ve pulled since last December!

Funny that your post has to do with Freddy, Matt. The reason I’m up so late is because tonight happened to be Dinner and a Horror Movie Night and we watched half of the first season of Masters of Horror… Robert Englund was in one of them… Dance of Death or something. I’m not sure I’d recommend it, but it was fun to watch him anyway.

Ghosted by Special K @ 09/09/2007 7:42 AM EDT


I was here for like 10 minutes Bill then I wussed out and just needed to go to bed…sorry I missed out. However, I could have not have joined the fun anyway. Those kinda videos creep me to holy hell and back, especially in the house situation I currently live in. I would have never been able to watch those things; I even had to turn it off this morning after I read what the video was about. If someone else in in the house I can deal, but it’s just to creepy all alone.

And talk about cats creeping ya out: My cat will be all fine and chill then all out a sudden look as if he sees someone then either run over to them and check it out or get really nervous and try to hide from them. But no one is ever there. ANd they say cats can sense spirits. Let me tell ya, that is freakin’ just great….

But I’m like most people: I still don’t know what I believe comepletely yet. But the idea of it still is creepy….

Ghosted by Shuanfu @ 09/09/2007 10:48 AM EDT


Yeah, I ended up turning in at like 1:45 last night…

Ghosted by Annette @ 09/09/2007 12:41 PM EDT


Well, I’m finally up after a good night’s sleep and some really weird dreams. Hope you kids didn’t have too many nightmares after the ghosty videos.

Yeah, I think all cats (and dogs) have some sort of supernatural ability, or at least wild imaginations. Mine will sometimes just freeze and look down the hall real intensly or she’ll stare at something (or someone) that seems to be right in front of her and just look it up and down for a couple of minutes at a time but there’s not anything there.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 1:00 PM EDT


DJ D Halo’s a solid game, I’m just more of a Socom junky, I was hooked on it all the way back from the first Socom on PS2, but also moved on to the 360 craving some next gen. I’m more into the slower paced gameplay – in Socom you’re normally not set up for respawning, the games might last about 5 minutes and if you die you have to sit out and wait till the next round, which slows things down a bit. Halo is more of a frag fest, if you die you normally respawn in 5 seconds anyway.

It really just depends on personal preference, Socom with the slower paced semi-realistic Navy themed gameplay, or Halo with the fast paced sci-fi shootout. Coke vs Pepsi.

I haven’t actually tried the PS3 yet though and the 360 is definitely a nice system, I especially like the Live Arcade. I would probably keep both systems but I really don’t find myself playing games all that much anymore and would be content to own a PS3 just for Socom – if they’re able to recapture the old glory of Socom 1&2

Ghosted by nogood @ 09/09/2007 4:04 PM EDT


Well animals don’t lie about what they sense.

My cat still plays with his buddy occasionally, even tho that buddy died three years ago, and talks to spirits a lot. My parents also had one cat they thought was touched in the head because he would sit down and have entire conversations with ghosts. They thought he was ‘lost’ and ‘worried because he couldn’t find anyone’ even tho he was just in the next room. They called him their ’sensitive, interior decorator cat’. I started telling him to talk quietly ’cause they thought he was crazy…which worked.

BTW, one thing that can take the fear right away – remember they’re just people, sans flesh. You CAN tell them to piss off. :D

Ghosted by Moony @ 09/09/2007 4:09 PM EDT


Well said, ChibiSoma.

I’ve been hoarding Halloween specials on DVD if I can find em. Snagged Garfield’s Halloween/Thanksgiving/Xmas disc, followed by Charlie Brown’s three, then a box o Christmas specials by Rankin Bass. My kids are gonna see Halloween and Christmas specials dangit!!

Ghosted by Terror Claws Cole @ 09/09/2007 6:19 PM EDT


Special K I believe that was “Dance of the Dead”, very cool story. Originally a short story that is now included as an addition to the current printing of “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson, possibly one of the best horror books ever written.

They made a movie of I Am Legend back in the day as “Last Man on Earth” with Vincent Price, and of course later as “Omega Man” with Charleton Heston, not to mention heavily inspiring Night of the Living Dead, and the upcoming “I Am Legend” movie with Will Smith.

If you like horror you should def check out Matheson’s stuff, he went on to write episodes of the Twilight Zone like the one with the creature on the airplane wing, as well as other books, movies, etc.. and heavily influenced the writing of future horror writers such as Stephen King.

Ghosted by nogood @ 09/09/2007 6:20 PM EDT


Two horror-themes video games are being released in time for Halloween: Clive Barker’s Jericho and Dementium: The Ward.

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/adventure/clivebarkersjericho/index.html?tag=result;title;0

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/action/dementiumtheward/index.html?tag=result;title;0

Ghosted by TB Tabby @ 09/09/2007 6:46 PM EDT


nogood Way to mention Richard Matheson! Nice! Yeah, I keep promising myself I’m going to go back and catch up on him and Lovecraft, but keep finding other things, namely Harry Potter (although that’s all over now) and mostly comics, keep getting in the way. I’m really looking forward to “I Am Legend” and hope for the best with it. I just hope the big budget/Will Smith studio aspects just don’t ruin it.

TB Tabby Holy crap! Man, have I been out of the loop. I’m a HUGE Clive Barker fan, like boardering on obsessive, but have been neglecting his website lately. I can’t believe I didn’t know about this till you posted it.

That’s it. That clinches it. Between Jericho coming out, the upcoming Resident Evil 5, and all the cool first person shooters, I’m saying it right now. I’m through debating it. I’m getting an X-Box 360. End of story. There, you heard it here first, kids. Red rings be damned!

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 7:01 PM EDT


I think having just the one blade on his middle finger actually makes him more badass. It’s like he’s saying “Screw You” while killing his victim.

While I have yet to explore the two Halloween shops near us, last year one of them had a life-size, motion-sensitive, talking Freddy statue. It was over 100 bucks so I didn’t get it obviosuly.

Here’s some Freddy things that can be reviewed for the Countdown:

The Nightmare on Elm Street video game: I don’t think this or the Friday the 13th one has ever been reviewed.

A random episode of “Freddy’s Nightmares”: Since it’s played on AOL’s IN2TV, this one would be easy to do.

Nightmare on Elm Street comic books (either old or new series: You’d be surprised how many of the horror movie icons have had their own series (although usually short-lived). Can’t wait for Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash mini this November.

Saw “Superbad” this afternoon. Not bad, but it also wasn’t the hilarious classic everyone has made it out to be.

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 09/09/2007 7:17 PM EDT


JLAJRC Amen to all of that. Yeah, I’ve been recording “Freddy’s Nightmares” since it started reruning onto a couple of tapes. I tell you, though it seemed like a much better series back in the day than it does now. Of course anything Freddy related was amazing to me when I was like 8. The little bits where he comes in and does his thing are fun, but overall it’s a terrible show! It was kind of interesting to see a very young Brad Pitt on an episode the other day though.

Yeah, I’m really digging the stuff that Wildstorm is putting out now and also looking forward to Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. It’s cool that they’re working the Necranomicon into the whole thing. They put out a book last week called “New Line Cinema Tales of Horror” but my local shop was sold out of it so I’m on the waiting list.

I’ve got a life sized cardboard standup of Freddy that I bought at the beach about 10 years ago. I think it’s coming with me when I move to my new place in a few weeks but I’m trying to decide where to put it.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 7:26 PM EDT


Saw the new 2007 Jones Halloween sodas at Target… The only new one I could see was some kind of licorice one…

Ghosted by Reid @ 09/09/2007 7:35 PM EDT


Licorice….ew.

Oh, speaking of New Line Horror, has anyone else seen the ads for what they’re doing at Universal Studios for Halloween this year? They’ve got the rights to the 3 big New Line properties–Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface–and they’ve built these big attractions around them and will have actors out there playing the parts. Man, I wish I could afford to go!

Ghosted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 7:44 PM EDT


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