10/05/2005 Entry: "Halloween Candy and the Spooky Ride Survey!"

The 2005 Halloween season has been flat in a few ways, sure, but there's a lot of great, new candy out there. We saw a big batch of it a few weeks ago, but here's even more new Halloween candy, either completely fresh or in brand new spooky packaging. Or maybe I just didn't see them last year. On the more depressing side, Lucky Charms cereal is currently available in a special Halloween edition, but it's the same exact shit as last year, right down to the cutout masks. They could've at least swapped some of the marshmallows.

Surrrvey: What are some of the scariest amusement/theme/blah park rides you've ever been on? Feel free to provide links if you have 'em, assuming you know how to do a freakin' HREF code by now. You've already read about my favorite, but here's another...

The Golden Nugget, also from Wildwood, currently inactive but still standing, so there's some hope for a revival. My friends and I more simply referred to the ride as "Mine Shaft," and while it'd later be reformulated with a stupid dinosaur theme, the generalities remained. Riding in a mine cart, you twizzed around a track that had just enough dips and curves to be construed as a roller coasted. The "attractions" inside were greatly varied; some were purely adventure-themed, but others were meant to be frightening. There were a lot of really old, vintage Epcot-style human figurines doing normal mine worker stuff inside, and though they weren't intended to be scary, they certainly were if you went on the ride solo. All these creepy statues looking at you in the dark. Shivery.

The best part was that, near the end of the ride, you'd actually go outside, on top of the mine. You had a totally awesome view of the entire Wildwood boardwalk from there, and it was distanced just enough from everything else to give you these awesome moments of peaceful solitude, with the ocean winds blowing in your face as various skeletons hit giant rats over the head with hammers in the background.

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 10/05/2005 08:48 PM EST

I've rode the tower of terror. It's really small if you get a good look and aren't distracted by the insanity of the ride.

I should mention that when I was 4 king's island wasn't paramount king's island yet, so things were much less movie themed and much more hanna barbara themed.

Chestnuts roasted by dohopoki @ 10/05/2005 08:49 PM EST

I saw an episode of Unwrapped the other day (about carmel-induced products I think) and they showed how they make those Carmel Apple suckers. You better believe that there were some pretty hilarious puns by Marc Summers during the narration though. I just don't remember any of them.

/Physical challenge!

Chestnuts roasted by Gozer @ 10/05/2005 08:51 PM EST

"Blazing Fury" at Dollywood (Dolly Parton's park in TN,) of all places. It's a roller coaster where the cars look like 1890's fire engines. What makes it so scary is that you can't see where you're going except for occasional flaming buildings, animatronic fat firemen, and hapless victims here and there- Think "It's a Small World" in HELL. I don't get scared on roller coasters where you can SEE the drops, but in pitch black? That's some scary shit! Has a great ending too- they hose your now "burning" fire engine down and you get soaked. Fun, fun!

Chestnuts roasted by Jillybeann @ 10/05/2005 08:52 PM EST

Description of "Blazing Fury" from web site:

"An out-of-control fire is just minutes away from engulfing this 1880s town. If you choose to ride, you're instantly recruited to battle this mighty blaze. Help calm the chaos as you climb aboard this indoor roller coaster that screams through town taking each hill and every curve with great speed. Soon, it's apparent that the only way to douse the flames is water--and plenty of it!"

I like how it says, "Soon it's apparent that the only way to douse the flames is with water." Uh, ya THINK???

Chestnuts roasted by Jillybeann @ 10/05/2005 08:58 PM EST

Jeez, It's been far too long since I've been on a rollercoaster. I think the last one I took a ride on was at Riverside park in MA before it was taken over by evil Six Flags.

Chestnuts roasted by D-Roc @ 10/05/2005 09:03 PM EST

I used to eat those suckers way too much in high school. But your right, by the time it's all apple, it's time to throw them out.
There's a haunted house at the Minnesota State Fair that's pretty good, although I haven't been there in ten years. When I was in high school I was a worker at the haunted Hose at the Mall of America. I had to squish myself into a very small box and pretend that a mad magician had really cut me in half. The magician stood behind me with a chain saw, ging crazy, and I screamed for all the people passing by to come save me. It was fun to hand out "behind the scenes" where you saw how all the scary stuff was done. I also was in another section where I would jump out in a witch costume when you weren't expecting it. It wasn't like a ride, you just walked through. That made it fun, cause you could really get into peoples faces.

Chestnuts roasted by kb @ 10/05/2005 09:10 PM EST

On the subject of the Paramount Parks, Paramount's Kings Dominion in Doswell, VA had built a huge mountain that contained no less than 6 different rides in its existance(3 of them being Smurf themed ones), but it currently holds a roller coaster built in and around that same mountain: Volcano: The Blast Coaster. The only time I went to that park was last year, and it did not dissappoint. You are launched into the track whilke you do the usual loops and corkscrews both inside and outside of the mountain, and then you are launched right outr of the very top. Awesome

Speaking of ones that really freaked me out, in that same park the only coaster to ever give me the jibblies was Hypersonic XLC. Just waiting to be launched just freaked me the hell out, but it was worth it going up the only hill at 80mph.

and Good News, my college is running a trip to Great Adventure on the 15th and I will so be there. I hope I can finally ride Kingda Ka.

And can someone please give me tips on where to find Frankenberry and/or Boo Berry on Long Island? Thanks.

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 10/05/2005 09:21 PM EST

Matt-

I dont think you answered my earlier post asking if i could somehow burn the halloween jukebox music to a CD, could you help me a little on that one?

Chestnuts roasted by Cotter @ 10/05/2005 09:27 PM EST

Invader
I just saw them at Target, but not in Long Island.

Chestnuts roasted by kb @ 10/05/2005 09:29 PM EST

Need some more ideas for Halloween coverage,Matt?

At Target,they have Star Wars character goblets and huge ceramic Darth Vader heads full of M&Ms. That ceramic Darth Vader is nice,it's almost like a cookie jar. Although,I don't think it's just for Halloween,it might be still available around Christmastime as well.

You could riff on the old "mask and vinyl smock" costumes like like Retrocrush did. Or going on that tangent,go around to all different kinds of small stores and see what licensed properties they're selling costumes of. Today I was at Family Dollar and saw they were selling costumes of the red jumpsuit Captain Picard wore on Star Trek: The Next Generation,and the Padawan outfit Anakin wore at the end of Star Wars Episode One. Can't remember anything else,but this is a area worth looking into.

Chestnuts roasted by Overlord @ 10/05/2005 09:29 PM EST

I really like the idea of Halloween gum. Especially the bat gum. (The Batgum!)
I associate those caramel apple suckers with just about every cause for candy throughout my school career. I don't know when they were first made, but I really seem to remember them from elementary school for some reason, I don't know. They were ALWAYS around at Halloween, though.
I have no answer for the survey.

Chestnuts roasted by Rainbowfeet @ 10/05/2005 09:32 PM EST

On a band trip to the merry ol' land of Dallas circa 1996, I faced an unimpressive specimen known as the "texas Giant". It promoted itself as being the worlds largest wooden roller coaster. Not having enough sense at the age of 18 to realize that "hey they didn't use steel, they used wood, this probably isn't stable" I eagerly waited 1.5 hours in line. Thinking that the people screaming at the top of their lungs and vomiting with such force that they passed out were simply pusssies who didn't deserve the thrill of the worlds largest anything, I sat down next to my sexually indescriminate band director. The beginning of the ride was the usual preparing you for the inevitable plunge that they all are, but soon I realized that sumthin' wuddint right! The Fucker shook completely with each movement it made. I don't mean the car I was riding in, I mean the whole big wooden bastard swayed creaked and seemingly splintered with each movement. Realizing the gravity of my mistake I began clutching my band directors arm with such force that I bruised the poor bastard. This was ok because he had already passed out.
When the terror had ended, I stumbled off the platform tripped down the stairs and puked on a 7 yr old kid. Meanwhile my band director was being revived by the management, it was discovered later that the fucker actually shit his pants.
Though this coaster didn't look that impressive, it was the feeling that it was going to collapse while you were whirling around on it.

Chestnuts roasted by bloodybrilliantme @ 10/05/2005 09:46 PM EST

I so want to go to Dollywood. DP is a class act.
The apple pops were big at my HS too, and I also would toss them out when the sticky was gone.
(Cotter, read back a thread for a suggestion)

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 10/05/2005 09:48 PM EST

sexually indescriminate band director hmmmm, anybody else interested?!?

Scary rides? I don't really get scared by haunted houses, but there is a church-sponsored one in the next town over that's really scary. It's not really monsters and such, it's more of a "sin's that will put you in hell" kind of thing.
They have crazy drug addicts, pregnant teen mothers, and a really rowdy bunch of gang bangers trying to scare you. But the scariest part is that they actually reach out and touch you! Not just tap you either, they will stop you from going forward and give you a little shake, or a push. It's fucking scary, way more than I can really describe it.

Quackbusters was better than I remembered it!! I love the part where Tweety turns into the monster Tweety!

Chestnuts roasted by kidneyboy @ 10/05/2005 09:57 PM EST

Scariest ride ever... Location: Disney World. Name: It's a Small "fucking" World. Good God. I went on that when I was younger, and I swear I almost cried. You go on a boat ride through various world places while mechanical puppets girate in a robotic motion to the sounds of the annoying song by the same name. I remember it was kind of dark, the water is murky as hell, and it's just plain terrifying. The most evil robotic dolls in all the land. I hate Disney World now. It ruined my relationship with all non-muppet dolls and puppets. Ugh.....

Chestnuts roasted by Mattman @ 10/05/2005 09:59 PM EST

Monster Plantation at Six Flags over Georgia. Okay, it wasn't SCARY, persay, but it did rock. I think it's closed now.

Chestnuts roasted by Julie @ 10/05/2005 10:00 PM EST

The scariest ride I've ever been on was at the county fair, and it was called The Octopus. It was basically a bunch of tilt-a-whirl cars on a giant spoked wheel that was tilted at a forty-five degree angle, so that you swoop up and down and all that jazz. The reason it was so scary is because our county had hired the shadiest bunch of carnies available, and The Octopus had obviously not been maintained since the late seventies. Say what you will about Six Flags mega-rides...at least you can be fairly confident that none of the restraining bolts on the Superman Tower of Power are completely rusted through.

Chestnuts roasted by Jedoc @ 10/05/2005 10:15 PM EST

"The Golden Nugget" didn't frighten me - heck, I thought it was awesome - but it scared the heebie-jeebies out of my youngest sister the last time we rode it in 1990. This is the same girl who spent most of her high school years two steps from moving into Dracula's Castle.

Other than that, I was a wuss when it came to scary rides and roller coasters of any kind. Mom had to talk me onto the tiny (if fast and jerky) Flitzer at Morey's Pier. Dark rides didn't and don't bother me. I liked Golden Nugget, thought It's a Small World was cute but underwhelming, miss the Disney World Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (it apparently still exists in Disneyland), and simply shrugged at the Haunted Mansion.

Dracula's Castle sounds like it would have scared me to death back in the day, not because of the dark, but because of the blood-and-gore theme and the atmosphere.

Chestnuts roasted by starwenn @ 10/05/2005 11:02 PM EST

Co-incidentally, several things.

I couldn't think of ride that scared me before because I was thinking about when I was a kid. Then, I read "Six Flags mega-rides" and I remembered a time when I was NOT a kid, and actually thought I was going to die after riding a Six Flags ride. Great America, in Gurnee, IL, the new coaster at this time was the Raging Bull. It's not really anything tooo outraegous, but the fact that I popped two hits of acid in the parking lot that morning did kind of factor into it!

So, this was early afternoon, I was just past peaking, and was getting kind of on edge. The line for Raging Bull was even longer than for Batman, so say, like 1 hour 15 min. I made it onto the ride, it started, and it was over in a flash. I was fine for the whole thing! But, walking down the offramp, I suddenly had super-severe back-spasms, so bad that I had to lay down right there on the side of the exit ramp. I was all cramped up into like a fetal position on my side, even my hands were clenched up with cramps.

And of COURSE a security guy had to come over and check out if everything was okay. I was beyond talking from the back pain, so my friends just told him that I needed a drink of water! So he handed us a bottle of water from a bag he had. And then he made sure I wasn't passing out or anything, and left! Good thing he must not have seen my pupils!

I mean, it sounds bad, but in like 10 minutes, I was able to function, enough to walk around to a different part of the park and find a restaurant to sit in. I then just sat out everything else for the next 2 hours until we left. Bummer.

So that is the scary ride experience that came to me while I was just getting into Jaws 2.

Chestnuts roasted by kidneyboy @ 10/05/2005 11:42 PM EST

This isn't "scary", but some of my friends and I went on the Tilt-a-whirl at a fair this summer and we got it spinning really fast by shifting our weight at the right times. It was like 10x better than even an average roller coaster.

Chestnuts roasted by Gozer @ 10/06/2005 12:07 AM EST

Once upon a time I was on "Dueling Dragons" at Universal's Islands of Adventure. I love the ride, and never had been afraid of it until I was stuck on the thing during a thunderstorm. It was only drizzling when the ride began, so they let us go. Before the first drop the ride stalled and it began to downpour. We were stuck for a good 15 minutes in a crazy lightning storm. Once the ride started up, we got pelted with rain drops which felt somewhat like needles piercing your face at 100 mph. The lightning was freaky. That sorta freaked me out.

Chestnuts roasted by EtHM @ 10/06/2005 12:09 AM EST

Not a theme park ride, but there was this UFO dealie at the parish (we have no counties here!) fair, that spun so fast it through you up against the wall and would sort of hang you in the air a little.

Not scary in and of itself, but once I was riding it, and this kid puked. It didn't have anywhere to go except right back into his face, and he started screaming.

Screams that haunt me to this very day. Sometimes I wake up at night hearing "I'm gonna puke! Blargh!" followed by "SOMEBODY HELLLLLLLP!"

Chestnuts roasted by The Wukong Effect @ 10/06/2005 12:17 AM EST

Matt, I understand the feeling that Halloween is slipping away the older you get. As I'm now 24 and working no less than 55 hours a week, it seems like I really have to force the Halloween out of the times.

HOWEVER, I have to say I feel more Halloween spirit this year than I have for any in recent memory. 5 neighbors on my block alone have already decked out their houses! It's only October 5th! That's pretty good for a neighborhood of old folks in Brooklyn. I am being seriously outdone on the decorations department.

So fret not, Halloween is still good and alive, you just don't see it when you're working all day!

Chestnuts roasted by B-log @ 10/06/2005 12:19 AM EST

oh yeah, there was this ride, I think at Universal Studios or MGM. Honey,I Shrunk the Kids, and there was this part where rats or mice or gerbils were supposed to be running under the audiences feet, and it must have been air jets or something. And that was pretty scary. This was when I was a kid, ya see!

Hey Gozer, know any good cheap parking garages to keep a car in for a couple days? Or do you think it would be all right parked on the street for that long?

Chestnuts roasted by kidneyboy @ 10/06/2005 12:20 AM EST

Scariest ride I had was on a guy who didn't know that he was gay yet.

Chestnuts roasted by mrs. who @ 10/06/2005 03:17 AM EST

You guys gotta see this. A Dremel brand pumpkin carving kit. click on the link for the Dremel.com direct link to it. Matt check it out!! A halloweeny orange dremal with pumpkin templates!!! Onto the article...

Chestnuts roasted by Goob @ 10/06/2005 06:04 AM EST

Matt,

Do you have "99c Only" stores in NY? it is a very large chain store here in Southern California,they have some of the whackiest stuff including some off the wall Halloween candy from god knows where!!!!i recomend a trip you will find plenty to collumn about, this I assure you!

Chestnuts roasted by Evlash3 @ 10/06/2005 06:57 AM EST

Halloween is sort of subdued feeling this year Matt. Its one of those collective conscience things not getting older, I'm older than you and this year just feels blase'; I think everyone is feeling it. I am loaded up with more decorations than ever...every inch of our place is Halloweenified, and I've been watching horror movies non-stop. I even booked a business trip to Dedham, MA and am staying on Elm street just cause it makes my whole business trip seem spookier. Busyness has alot to do with it but so does the fact that its like 85 fucking degrees outside. I think our fortunes will change when the leaves do and it gets chilly.....mmmmchili.

Chestnuts roasted by Funky Boo Berry the 70's Ghost @ 10/06/2005 09:29 AM EST

the haunted house at Rocky Point, in RI was classic

Chestnuts roasted by gerv @ 10/06/2005 09:33 AM EST

Oh Halloween is definately approaching. Yesterday as I was putting the finishing touches on my graveyard, no less than 5 people stopped and told me that they were stepping up to compete with me. So now we have six families decorating in a neighborhood that didn't even put out pumpkins before I moved there. The spirit is spreading. I will have to send you some pics Matt. I think we should all send pics of our decorations to Matt and get some feedback and suggestions from the readers. What do you think?

Chestnuts roasted by Tigerfan @ 10/06/2005 09:37 AM EST

Scariest ride ever? Bumper boats. When I was eight, and piloting a bumper boat alone, the steering mechanism locked up and I was stuck in the middle of the boat pond spinning in circles. Then the spinning stopped... but only because the boat stalled out which left me completely stranded. I had to be rescued by a park employee. In the meantime all my friends and relatives had ended their ride and were all watching me and laughing. My mom being the biggest culprit who used up a roll of film documenting the hilarity.

Chestnuts roasted by Carri @ 10/06/2005 09:37 AM EST

I try to stay away from scary things as my imagination tends to escalate sitauations to far beyond what they were intended to be. Plus, once I'm in that mode, I don't come down easily. That said, as a kid I loved The Haunted River at Kings Dominion (one of the rides in the mountain Invader Norbert mentioned. It was part of Paramount's carnage along with [sniff] Time Shaft.) The first time I rode it I was terrified, not so much from what was happening, but from what I was afraid was going to happen. Plus, I knew from standing outside that at some point we were going to drop and I had no idea when. After I did it and knew what to expect, it was pure fun. My dad and I rode it once (and only once) with my sister when she finally got big enough to ride it. After the drop at the end, we looked down to find my sister in the floor of the car bawling her eyes out. I think it scarred (and I mean scarred, not scared) her and she wouldn't go near it for the longest time after that.

Chestnuts roasted by Lori @ 10/06/2005 09:49 AM EST

kidneyboy: Well, I've never kept my car parked in a lot for more than like half a day, but most of the parking garages downtown seem like they'd be safe. There're two on Lake St and one on Johnson and Carroll that I usually use when I go downtown. I don't think you'd be able to find any street parking where you'd be able to park for more than two hours though.

Chestnuts roasted by Gozer @ 10/06/2005 09:49 AM EST

We got a similar Golden Nugget ride in Iowa at a place called Adventureland called "The Underground." Animatronic puppets dressed as miners in a "haunted mine." Not Scary, but it's still my favorite.

I hate scary rides, though. Big Wimp here. I went on the Tilt-a-Whirl at the state fair this year and couldn't make it all the way through. The thing spun so fast I thought my neck was being broken. I always thought whiplash was something made up for lawsuits until then. My neck was SORE for 2 days.

I saw some gummy brains at Target in a small bucket that looks liked Frankensteins head the other day. Had some other scary candy also.

I love those caramel apple pops. Not because of the caramel though, but because the apple pop itself tastes like Jones Soda's regular (not the Halloween) sour apple soda. Same color too.

Off-topic, I'm sure everyone is familiar with Flinstones Vitamins. But I saw a commercial the other day for Flinstone Vitamin Gummies. If they taste like regular gummies, I would eat them by the ton. Probably the first real "healthy" candy. Also, Fred and Barney are now selling for Midas car repair I believe.

Loved the Scary Berry Lemonade, thought the Caramel Apple one wasn't bad, but DESPISED the candy corn Jones Sada. (No Strawberry Slime yet).

I'm long-winded today.

Chestnuts roasted by JLAJRC @ 10/06/2005 10:24 AM EST

Diss the Lucky Charms all you want. I'm just happy I managed to snaffle a box. None of the cereals here (England) ever take on a holiday flavour. Here's to Saturday morning watching cartoons and eating Halloween cereal.
This is so sad...I'm 34 in 2 days.

Chestnuts roasted by Scott @ 10/06/2005 10:25 AM EST

Matt-

I personally think that the blog is very hard to get into when it comes to an early post, and even harder to answer someones question. It would be a good idea to consider a forum.

Squee-

I downloaded Replay music, and it's good, but it puts all the songs in one track...

Chestnuts roasted by Cotter @ 10/06/2005 10:25 AM EST

The Lost Dutchman's Mine at the long-gone Frontier Village in San Jose. Or the Ferris Wheel at Frontier City in OKC. I think I'll go with the Ferris Wheel because it's still there. It's on top of the highest point in the park, and the gondola is a circular affair, like a cupcake cup, attached to a pivot above your head. The slightes move makes the thing rock back and forth like it's about to toss you out into the ether. I rode it with my sister's youngest son, who was about six at the time, and we were stock-still the whole time. I said afterwards, "I don't think I'm riding that again." My nephew said, "Me neither, Uncle."

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 10/06/2005 11:47 AM EST

Kingklash I live in Oklahoma and the trip to the Ferris Wheel is a yearly sojourn for us. You're right it is a killer.

Chestnuts roasted by bloodybrilliantme @ 10/06/2005 12:04 PM EST

Well. The scariest ride I've been on is the Drop of Fear. Every year I got to the Calgary Stampede (I'm from Calgary) and every year the company that brings the rides (the good ol' carny folk of Conklin, you've probably seen them at your local fair) brings The Drop of Fear which is one of those rides that brings the car straight up to the top of the really tall tower, high enough that you think you're going to pee yourself, and then drops it. One year, my friends and I rode the thing and there was magically NO LINEUP right after our ride, so the the carny-man said "You kids wanna go again?" and we said yes, having barely gotten out of the chairs. Doing that twice in a row made me shake so hard I could barely walk straight. Never again will I do it twice in a row!

Chestnuts roasted by Gabbylicious @ 10/06/2005 12:48 PM EST

At now closed for good Fantasy Farm in southwestern Ohio, they used to have this "Haunted" ride where you'd sit in these little carts and go through this ride where random scary things would jump out at you while you crept along the squeaky rails in your little cart.

Chestnuts roasted by Review the World @ 10/06/2005 12:52 PM EST

The Kingda Ka at Great Adventure in Jersey was the scariest ride I have ever been on. I was so shaken up at the end of the ride that I couldn't even get my seat belt off! One of the workers had to come over and help me and people waiting in line were pointing and laughing at me!

Chestnuts roasted by angie @ 10/06/2005 01:01 PM EST

Invader Norbert--I live at the Jersey shore. Go on Medusa, trust me, you'll like it. That park is great for the pop culture buzz you get from Warner Bros. stuff, but that's about it. I dont dig the atmosphere of the park anymore (especially the gangs and stuff). Plus, what makes me laugh everytime I go there is when the groups of Hassidic Jewish families (mainly from nearby Lakewood, NJ) venture onto the water rides fully clothed in long skirts and long sleeved tops or long black coats and come off soaked.

I REALLY want to go to King's Dominion (I know its in Virginia--6 hours from me), but my boyfriend is not a ride enthusiast. Maybe I'll convince him to go sometime.

I had my job interview today, and I'm getting good vibes about it. I'll know next week, and then you'll know. :-D

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 01:05 PM EST

Jillybeann, how close to do you live to Dollywood? Or did you go on vacation there only?

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 01:05 PM EST

Sign me up for the sexully indiscriminate band leader! I'm kidding, just walk away from it...

The tiny elephant reaking havoc on everyone's sanity cracks me up in "Quackbusters"--its one of my all time favorite Looney Toons vignettes.

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 01:10 PM EST

I'm not a ride person so the few I've been on just scare me physically because I'm scared of everything. This includes the Ferris Wheel, anything that spins fast and aw, hell rides just scare me PERIOD.

Chestnuts roasted by Melissa Y @ 10/06/2005 01:11 PM EST

Regarding your candy article Matt, I must say I share your disappointment in how Halloween is getting the shaft as the years go by. I was just remarking to my boyfriend the other day on the phone how the local Duane Reade used to have TONS of fun costumes and decorations for the season and now most of the aisle is candy and not even Halloween themed candy but just candy at a discounted price. I have a feeling Halloween is going to blow anyway since it falls on a Monday. I always loved Halloween and I feel the spirit slowly deteorating. Not sure why but it bums me out too.

Chestnuts roasted by Melissa Y @ 10/06/2005 01:14 PM EST

Hey Matt- I felt pretty melancholy about my lack of Halloween celebration for a while. Last year it came to a head when I didn't carve the pumpkins I grew in the back yard. Your writings and ramblings have made me a lot more psyched for Halloween that I have any right to be and I think my enthusiasm has been spreading to some of my friends. Make sure to watch some good horror with your best friends... I think that always helps. And when you pass out the treats (the really good ones that only those of us in the twilight realm between youth and maturity know are *really* the good ones) you'll see the way the kids look at each other when you hook them up. And even if they say "thanks mister" I think it makes it all worth it! Keep rockin' Matt!

Chestnuts roasted by Colt @ 10/06/2005 01:15 PM EST

Matt,
I am a relative newcomer to your site. Coming upon it was a complete accident by way of FARK, but I have to say it is the greatest thing that has happened to me in the many years of maudlin internet content. From the countdown to the jukebox, to your utter brilliant ability to desribe any and everything with extreme comic prowess, you alone are responsible for my abundance of halloween spirit. Fuck Jack Skelington, I hereby crown you the king of Halloweentown. I also thank you for your time and effort that you put into this site........I love you man.

Chestnuts roasted by bloodybrilliantme @ 10/06/2005 01:26 PM EST

you're not getting his beer, bbm.
If I ever win a shipload of money, I think I'll open a year-round Hallowe'en store. people make money doing the same for Xmas, don't they? There's a North Pole City in OKC that's open all year. It would be a combo magic shop, Hot Topic, costume supply, wax museum, walk-through haunted house attraction, and movie theater all in one. With lots of GhostBuster and vampire/monster hunter paraphenalia. Can't have the spooks without a means to put the hurtin' on 'em, now can we?

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 10/06/2005 02:08 PM EST

Speaking of Halloween candy, someone just walked in my office with a bag of Dem Bones as a birthday present. (I love having a birthday in October cos I always get the coolest Halloween stuff!) So now I have skeleton bits in fruity flavors strewn across my desk. Fun! The scariest ride I've ever been on? Not a ride, but a walk through haunted house, Terror On Church Street, down in Orlando. It was really cool, especially the room that was a morgue with a strobe light and hanging cadavers.

Chestnuts roasted by violetdied @ 10/06/2005 02:38 PM EST

Kinglash, there is a Halloween store open all year round. It's on the Avenue of the Americas in New York. I went there a couple of Christmas' ago.

Chestnuts roasted by Scott @ 10/06/2005 03:06 PM EST

Kingklash,

The year 'round halloween store is a great idea and I bet you could raise the capital from XE loyalists alone. Of course we would probably be most of your customers as well but I think you could do it. I would be in.

Chestnuts roasted by Tigerfan @ 10/06/2005 03:06 PM EST

God, how cool is this site. Full of totally random shit. Very entertaining.

JVB

Chestnuts roasted by James_Vander_Beat @ 10/06/2005 03:20 PM EST

Sam I am; eat my bulging bag!

Chestnuts roasted by Anteatercocc @ 10/06/2005 03:22 PM EST

I figger'd I wasn't the first to have the idea, but still, what an idea! I'd have to hire a couple Goth-types, but they would have to be Happy Goths, dammit! But not Visigoths, though.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 10/06/2005 03:26 PM EST

Hah! Visigoths! Tremendous!

Chestnuts roasted by bloodybrilliantme @ 10/06/2005 03:31 PM EST

Hey everyone!! Check out my brand-new MySpace page by clicking on my name!!! I'd like you guys to join if you're members, or let me know where your pages are!

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 03:59 PM EST

Is there such a thing as a "happy" goth? I wanna know!

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 04:18 PM EST

The closest I can find is Gilly the Perky Goth fom the Dork Tower comics. But there has to be real-life Happy Goths out there somewhere.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 10/06/2005 04:23 PM EST

kingklash, I'm sure you'll find some more!

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 04:33 PM EST

So, at our Wal-Mart's here they've got Christmas stuff up since the last week of August, not alot but about an aisle worth. But now its full-blown Christmas stuff surrounding Halloween stuff on all sides, slowly closing in like a Holiday Macrophage, eating the horror. I love Christmas but it already makes Thanksgiving get skipped entirely. Nowadays its goes from Halloween directly to full on Christmas. Thanksgiving is just an eating dayin the middle of Christmas season.

Chestnuts roasted by Funky Boo @ 10/06/2005 04:35 PM EST

Invader Norbert--I live at the Jersey shore. Go on Medusa, trust me, you'll like it.

Allison, you have no idea how freaking bad I wanted to ride that my first time there in May. I went on May 26, the day after my senior prom, and it was just a total nightmare. I only got in 4 coasters in 6 hours: Batman & Robin: The Chiller (Robin side), Batman: The Ride, Nitro, and Superman Ultimate Flight.

As I've said before, I live on Long Island (in suffolk county) so Great Adventure is about 3 hours away, and like I said, I'm going for my 2nd time ever next saturday with my college. Still wanting Frankenberry info, thanx in advance.

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 10/06/2005 04:39 PM EST

Good luck getting on Medusa, Invader Norbert! I like the Robin side of Batman and the front row of Nitro, but have not been on Superman Ulitmate Flight (last time I went was in October 2002).

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 04:44 PM EST

Allison,

I tried to add you on MySpace but I need to know your last name or email address. Why don't you just add me - click my name!

Chestnuts roasted by Kyle @ 10/06/2005 05:20 PM EST

Kyle, you are now listed!!!!! Thanks for joining!

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 05:40 PM EST

Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, PA, used to have a ride called the Hell Hole. You walked into this big ciruclar room and stood against the high walls. The room started to spin really fast and the gravitational force sucked you to the wall -- which was a good thing because the floor dropped out from underneath you. When i was a kid, I rode this with my friend Jonathan who was a frequent victim of motion sickness. As the room was spinning, and poor jonathan was pinned helplessly to the wall, he puked. Gravity pulled the puke back as soon as it left his mouth, showering him with liquified funnel cakes and corn dogs.

I guess that happened a lot on the Hell Hole because it closed down not long after Jonathan's fateful spin.

Chestnuts roasted by undeadhead @ 10/06/2005 05:45 PM EST

I updated my settings Kyle and everyone--just click on my name to add me to your friends.

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 05:49 PM EST

Spinal Tap said you have friends in a Hell Hole.

Chestnuts roasted by kingklash @ 10/06/2005 05:50 PM EST

Hey COTTER- Try playing with the settings on Replay Music. It seperates the tracks perfectly for me.

Chestnuts roasted by D-Roc @ 10/06/2005 05:57 PM EST

Poor Jonathan! I went on a ride like w/a group of classmates at Six Flags Great Adventure, and I remember three kids in the group coming off absolutely pale! they closed that one too!

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 07:05 PM EST

I just have to say that I was reading some back articles, and I found the one with the Shaggy "interview." Man oh man, that was like great! I like the Shaggy reply hyperlinks--"Like, click to hear my answer about that!"

Chestnuts roasted by Allison @ 10/06/2005 07:22 PM EST

Thanks Allison!

Chestnuts roasted by Kyle @ 10/06/2005 07:46 PM EST

Matt, I'd love to see Ghost with the Most go 3-D in tissue ghost format!

Chestnuts roasted by Carri @ 10/06/2005 08:31 PM EST

LOL Carri

Seriously Matt, make some more Ghost with the Most. They are absolutely hilarious. I personally like the crap-tastic drawings, but it wouldnt hurt to go 3-D... what would youdo about the words, though...

Chestnuts roasted by Cotter @ 10/06/2005 08:38 PM EST

The ride to which dohopoki makes reference at the very beginning of this thread was called Phantom Theater. It was lamer than lame, featuring a host of cartoony-looking anamatronic characters with only slightly sinister looking expressions on their faces. The best part of the ride was near the end when you could catch a glimpse of some pimply-faced King's Island employee scanning a dozen surveillance-camera feeds for naughty children spitting their gum at the robots or copping feels in the dark. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"

As coincidence has it, I spent an evening at KI just last weekend. Their seasonal decorations and attractions are cool enough, but nothing to get too hot-n-bothered over. I must say that I wish KI wasn't trying so hard to be like Universal Studios what with all the movie-themed rides and whatnot (the "Italian Job" and "Tomb Raider" rides fall totally flat when compared to proven entities like The Vortex). KI should stop worrying about the "Paramount's" prefix of their name, and focus on what brought them to the dance to begin with: kick-ass roller-coasters. Instead of wasting money on movie tie-ins, they should spend it on higher hills, bigger loops, and longer tracks. Harumph. Harumph.

Chestnuts roasted by The Yeti @ 10/06/2005 08:51 PM EST

Not really a ride, but a HAUNTED HOUSE IN OLD TOWN, FLORIDA! These guys on the street practically dragged you in, and when the spiders dropped on my head inside, I almost lost it.

That place was DARK- the kind of dark where you are feeling the walls helplessly and thinking "please don't let anyone touch me right now!"

Chestnuts roasted by Muppet Baby @ 10/06/2005 09:08 PM EST

I like the Robin side of Batman and the front row of Nitro,

Ironically, my only ride on Nitro WAS in the first seat, and it was awesome. I can't decide which front row seat was better: Nitro or Apollo's Chariot.

and Superman Ultimate Flight kicked some major ass. Only ride that i've EVER screamed like a little girl, and I haven't been a little girl in a LONG time!

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 10/06/2005 10:08 PM EST

Allison,
I live in Raleigh, NC, but I grew up in Knoxville, TN (where my folks still live) so excursions to Dollywood were the norm. It used to suck when it was called "Silver Dollar City" in the early 80's, but when Queen Dolly took over, the place EXPLODED with hillbilly goodness and more fun than a jug of white lightnin' can provide.

Chestnuts roasted by Jillybeann @ 10/06/2005 11:28 PM EST

And incidentally, off-topic, but my dad buys his tires from Johnny Knoxville's dad. He owns a huge tire super store in Knoxville. Just thought I'd add...

Chestnuts roasted by Jillybeann @ 10/06/2005 11:38 PM EST

I've seen several types of candy/gum at Target and Wal-Mart.

Target had:

Eyeball gum in small ice-cream like containers. They also had gummy brains in another food like container. Gummy fingers, gummy flies (I think), and one other box that had a mix of three different things (looked like a pizza slice).

Wal-Mart had:

Two types of liquid filled gum. One is called "Pumpkins", and they look like little pumpkins and the liquid inside is a bit sour. The other gum is called "Blood Drops" and the liquid inside is sweet tasting, then it tastes like cough syrup.

Chestnuts roasted by MLD @ 10/07/2005 01:37 AM EST

If you had a cool operater on Hell Hole at Kennywood, he'd let you sit in the middle of the floor and as it spun you'd go off-center and be flung to a wall, then you'd have to climb up like spiderman. That was always amwesome too, to climb around and end up upside down.

Chestnuts roasted by Funky Boo @ 10/07/2005 09:32 AM EST

I think it WAS called Phantom Theater. Granted, I realize it was lame but the anamatronic during the line wait made 4 year olds feel like they were about to step into the portal of hell to have their souls ripped into confetti. I don't know what it actually talking about but with the voice it was using you know it was something along those lines.

Chestnuts roasted by dohopoki @ 10/07/2005 10:32 AM EST

it would like to participate of the films of the Power Ranger

Chestnuts roasted by Danilo Lasalvia @ 10/17/2005 01:19 PM EST