Halloween Truffles: WOWE-E!

Bloggers just love Halloween.

It's that one time of year when we get to engage in all our of favorite childish pastimes. Unlike, of course, the rest of the year, when bloggers are, erm, engaging in their favorite childish pastimes.

In honor of the scariest, harriest, creepiest, crawliest night of the year, here is a bevy of links, mp3s and video clips, including costume tips, pumpkins, candy, literature, weirdo clowns, and the Hardy Boys all helping you to get in the spirit.

But first, here is the most terrifying thing I've seen this month - and it's not even Halloween themed.

Favorite simple costumes: a paper skeleton arm clawing off my face, 50s cardboard masks, a paper bag, oven buns. 

Kick it old school with some vintage Halloween images on Flickr from riptheskull, Halloween Guy, and Halloween in the Time of Cholera.

Pumpkins! Pumpkins! Extreme Pumpkins! Floating Pumpkins!

Yikes, pumpkins!

The world of the Halloween novelty song is filled with ghastly impersonations, but none as obscure and with lyrics as awesome as this little number recently uncovered by Vinyl Meltdown.

mp3: Bela Goldstein, "Old Boris"

My favorite song from the kiddie film Mad Monster Party should have become a dance craze (or at least been covered by The Monks).

mp3: Little Tibia and the Fibula, "The Mummy"

Truly creepy is this horror story told by a jack-o-lantern who learned to speak only after eating a doughnut. I hate when that happens (via Harvey's Midnight Hour)

mp3: Winchell's Donut House, "Hear the Monsters"

If it's more music you're looking for - peek over here for 72 freaking tracks of swing, novelty, rockabilly, and other vintage horror songs.

This Halloween, why not curl up with a good book. Say some Poe, maybe? Say some Poe with amazing illustrations?

Kids, send in your money now for Monsters, Monsters, MONSTERS!! (Monsters not included)

Halloween video clips abound! Our own Listener Kliph keeps the spirit alive with not one, but TWO blogs filled with classic Halloween goodness. Saturday Morning Blog features spooky cartoon classics, while his Classic Television Showbiz site always pulls up great obscurities, including Vincent Price on the Dating Game, horror night drive-in promos, and an expose of Ghoulardi from PM Magazine. 

Meanwhile at Universal Horror Sounds, you can groove to Shari Belafonte's "Get Dead", The Nightmare Before Christmas in Russian (waaaay creepier), and perhaps my own personal Halloween nightmare: visiting a haunted house with a clown.

But my favorite video find this year? How about that time that Lorne Greene, Bernie Taupin, and Paul Williams helped the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew defeat Dracula at the most awesome Halloween party you've never been to. Read more about the episode at Kindertrauma.

Speaking of Halloween partying, you need some upbeat music to fill that floor with, right. Well, how about some disco horror? A variety of selections come to us via Vinnie Rattolle's Records, including this danced up version of a horror theme classic.

mp3: Captain Zorro, "Phantasm Theme"

Before you hit the trick or treat trail, make sure you are dressed safe in reflective, fire resistant costumes. And make sure to use an appropriately spooky candy bag (or for maximum treats, use a pillowcase). Halloween candy is delicious, but to really score, you have to memorize the Candy Code!

Wonderful Wonderblog sent me tripping down my Scholastic book club memories with his post of Count Morbida's Monster Quiz Book, from my favorite character in Dynamite Magazine.

mp3: Count Morbida's Chamber of Horrors

Want to watch a cheesy horror movie but not commit to the viewing time? Read the recaps at Music From The Monster Movies, where every cheesy B film is distilled to it's simplest truths in hilarious pigeon-English (it is written by two cave-dwelling movie monsters, after all). My favorite recent review is for Target Earth. "Make us chuckle whenever robot fall over! What is more funnier is when they fall on face though!!.. More undignified!"

Another quick horror movie fix is to simply watch the trailers. Movie director Joe Dante is behind Trailers From Hell, where he and other movie directors ("Gurus") showcase the trailers for movies that really f-ed them up as kids. All trailers are available with or without commentary. Here, Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright tells us about why he loves Phantom of the Paradise.

Okay, heck with it. Just look at the horror movie posters. Here are 100 of them!

Of course, monsters have been around since well before we started warding them off with costumes, novelty songs, and sickeningly sweet cocktails. Here are some samples of sordid monster woodblock prints from 1870s Japan.

And finally, what is your church doing to celebrate Halloween? Correct response: NOTHING!

Comments

[Twindowlicker aka Andrea]

Thanks for the link to my Halloween song post, you guys do me a great honor! Check back every Tuesday, when I post my "Choosday Choons", chock full of old records that only the most discriminating music dorks dig deep! Lotsa love-- Andrea aka "Twindowlicker" on LiveJournal and "Laughing_Gravy" on myspace

[trav]

thank you- this is a monster lovin graphic designer's dream of inspirational linkage

[Heather]

Now you know why women are insane.

[Sleazy Martinez]

Baby Laughalot reminds me of this scene in Dario Argento's "Profondo Rosso".

http://www.youtube.com/v/haoefVqBv0Y&hl

[Man]

I wonder any of these 'Baby-laugh-a-lot' still exist, because it sure can scare the shit out of anyone.