Review: High Strung (and some info about the future of the Haunted Drive-in)

Now this is unusual, isn't it? I said I'd be back next month, and here I am! I'm sure anyone who's followed this blog for longer than a few days expected me to write my next post sometime in October 2018. I can't say I blame you, I've never been one for consistent updates.

The Pumpkin Song Must Be Preserved

As Mischief Night draws to a close and Halloween 2017 gears up, I find myself doing what I always do this time of year: scrambling to finish my annual watchlist before midnight tomorrow.

"Hurry up, hurry up! We've got 32 hours of horror movies to watch and only 27 hours to do it!"

Review: The WNUF Halloween Special

I've mentioned before how Halloween, more than any other major holiday (JUST beating out Christmas), seems to practically run on nostalgia. So much of what we love about October 31st is wrapped up in the experiences we've already had, the candy we received last year or the haunted house we walked through a decade ago. And of course, the cheesy TV specials that have became a ritual of required viewing every season, cartoons and grisly horror and quaint old commercials for shampoo and fast food and department stores that no longer exist. Turns out, the people behind tonight's movie also recognize the power of memories. Let's dive into the WNUF Halloween Special.

My First Halloween Mood Table!

Although a fairly recent tradition at 10 years old, Halloween Mood Tables have captured the imagination of monster kids everywhere. Created by Madd Matt back in 2007, the concept is simple: designate a spot in your home and make it Halloween Headquarters. It can be an end table, a dining room table, a coffee table, or even a folding chair. Some people have utilized setups as primitive as a two-by-four over cinder blocks. Whatever the base, it just needs to be a spot that makes you happy and screams "HALLOWEEN" to all who see it. Basically, it's a Christmas tree for October 31st.

There's no right or wrong way to put one of these together. Every Halloween Mood Table is personal and made for and by its owner. Mine includes Ghostbusters Funko Pops, LEGO minifigures, and activity books from when I was a kid. Others might have a place for candy, a pumpkin, or more elaborate dioramas illustrating horror movie scenes. Madd Matt has offered some basic tips, if you're interested in crafting one yourself: Illumination is effective, choose things that matter to you and say "this is Halloween" and of course, enjoy yourself. You can theme it, or let it be a (monster) mash of different things. Go wild and get creative!

While always an avid celebrator of Halloween, I had never done an HMT. Over the last few years, it's really taken off, with hundreds of people putting together their own ghastly shrines. Even a couple celebrities have gotten in on the creepy fun. So, what with this being the 10th year since its inception and having a nice large dining table I never use, now seemed like the perfect time to join in.

Here's a look at my Halloween Mood Table for this year. Some of the best bits: 

1. The one-eyed skeleton candle holder with the color-changing eye.

2. The Pennywhistle Halloween Book. The bible of Halloween celebrations and required reading every year.

3. LEGO trick-or-treaters with their own pumpkin pails.

Here's another peek at it in this quick video (warning and apologies, the quality is non-existent. My computer lied to me):

Again, all credit goes to Madd Matt for his brilliant idea and for sharing it with the world. Find more great stuff at his website by clicking here. and from there, you can find his excellent Youtube and Facebook pages too! In the meantime, if you've got a Halloween Mood Table, we wanna see it! Post pics in the comments or tweet them at us!

We're building up to Halloween! (Literally.)

It's the second day of Halloween (only boring people call it October). I'm sure you're all lining up trips to the pumpkin patch, the drive-in theater, or maybe some Monster mini-golfing. Perhaps you're staying in with hot cider and pumpkin spice donuts. Whatever you're doing, just make sure it's fun, autumnal, and a wee bit spooky.

Today, my brother and I got into the spirit by collaborating on one of my favorite things: LEGO! After deciding on a movie to watch (My Name Is Bruce, if you cared to know), we got to work putting together the Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion set. It was a fun build, with lots of bats, pumpkins, traps, and hidden treasure. And of course, some creepy old guys in spooky masks trying to stop the meddling kids.

Have a look at our process through the magic of time lapse photography, and if you like what you see here, be sure to like the video and subscribe to the Drive-in's Youtube channel! This is our first legitimate video with original content, and we hope to bring you more soon!

We Just Won't Stay Dead!

Is it time for my annual post already?

Sheesh, good thing that I don't have deadlines around here, or there'd be real trouble. Though I suppose a place like the Haunted Drive-in always has some dead lines. HA! Any way, it's good to be back. I can't say how long it'll last, but I've learned to just appreciate the moments as they come.

To the three of you who are still subscribed to this blog despite it being updated at a glacial place, blessings on your shrunken heads. Here's hoping you still appreciate my awful puns and outdated references. Of course, we celebrate the scary, the cheesy, and the monstrously silly here, so I think you knew what you were getting into when I started writing years ago.

If you're expecting a post with some substance after all my time away, well, it won't be tonight. I'm still got a lot of spinning plates in the air, metaphorically speaking, so the good stuff will be coming down the pike later on. Soon though, I promise! Instead, let me turn your attention to what's been happening on the Drive-in's fringes.

Not THOSE fringes.