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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!

Posted by Matt on 09/08/2007. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 235 comments

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.

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 3:21 AM

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?

Chestnuts roasted by Bill @ 09/09/2007 3:29 AM

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

Chestnuts roasted by Somethin' Funny @ 09/09/2007 3:29 AM

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.

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 3:35 AM

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

Chestnuts roasted by Bill @ 09/09/2007 3:38 AM

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!

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 3:40 AM

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.

Chestnuts roasted by Ben @ 09/09/2007 3:45 AM

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.

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 3:46 AM

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

Chestnuts roasted by Jen @ 09/09/2007 3:52 AM

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?

Chestnuts roasted by ChibiSoma @ 09/09/2007 5:15 AM

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

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 09/09/2007 7:31 AM

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.

Chestnuts roasted by Special K @ 09/09/2007 7:42 AM

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….

Chestnuts roasted by Shuanfu @ 09/09/2007 10:48 AM

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

Chestnuts roasted by Annette @ 09/09/2007 12:41 PM

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.

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 1:00 PM

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

Chestnuts roasted by nogood @ 09/09/2007 4:04 PM

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

Chestnuts roasted by Moony @ 09/09/2007 4:09 PM

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!!

Chestnuts roasted by Terror Claws Cole @ 09/09/2007 6:19 PM

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.

Chestnuts roasted by nogood @ 09/09/2007 6:20 PM

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

Chestnuts roasted by TB Tabby @ 09/09/2007 6:46 PM

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!

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 7:01 PM

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.

Chestnuts roasted by JLAJRC @ 09/09/2007 7:17 PM

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.

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 7:26 PM

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

Chestnuts roasted by Reid @ 09/09/2007 7:35 PM

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!

Chestnuts roasted by DJ D @ 09/09/2007 7:44 PM

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