October 9

Toys- Collectible figures

Found my way into toy figures through many Los Angeles iconic stores. Giant Robot is probably my most frequented location, but Meltdown Comics (RIP) and Soapplant/Wacko are/were visited often. San Diego Comic Con was also another regular for buying one of kind pieces produced exclusively for the show (my fire Tobies from Gary Baseman in a previous post, for instance. ) Below find a few of my creepy/cute collectables.

Nathan Jurevicius- Scary Girl. I was introduced to Nathan Jurevicius through the Scary Girl Mini Treehouse toys. I have several of the mini treehouse figures, both the boxed set and the blind box figures. Most of my figures were purchased at either Giant Robot in LA or at San Diego Comic Con. With occasional buys at Meltdown Comics (RIP).

Tim Burton- well, he’s Tim Burton! One of my favorite collection of figures is from his book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories. A collection of Tragic Toys was created for the book, my favorite of which being The Pin Cushion Queen. I also have a copy of the book and find it melancholy, but sweet at the same time. I am a big fan of all of his films, but have a cute collectable from the corpse bride. Stop motion movies are always on my list of must sees, and this one had great characters and a vintage feel to it that was charming.

Plush Toys- In my collection are many creepy/cute plush monsters, a creepy clown and a felt black cat. Here are some monsters from Ugly Doll and Nice Little Clay (from Bangkok)

October 8

The Haunting of Bly Manor” is a must-see chilling mystery – The Pearl Post

Second in the Haunting series- The Haunting of Bly Manor is a ghostly tale. Told by a narrator at a dinner party, prior to a wedding. She says it isn’t her story, but in the end it is her story to share about a family that has moved on and some that couldn’t. The 1980’s England costumes are well done. I like the children’s clothing, as they have the old school aristocratic feel to their modern dress. If you like complicated tales of haunting and of love and creepy children, it was a lovely series with a bit of the horror genre mixed in.

October 7

Photo from Lost Works Wiki

First Horror Movie- this 3:18 second horror movie The House of the Devil first aired in 1896. It is a silent film with a musical score. This is the beginning of many Horror film tropes…. Bat turning into human, witches, skeletons, ghosts and overall feeling of the house being haunted. To the modern viewer, the effects might feel a bit silly, but can you imagine, back in 1896, just watching a movie must have seemed like magic! Same director- George Melies- as the famous (and one of my favorites) Le Voyage dans la Lune (1902) ( A Trip to the Moon)

You can watch The House of the Devil in its entirety, on YouTube, uploaded by Cranked Up Films. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEAlhnXfThE

October 6

Creepy, Spooky Artists chapter 1

  • Photo by Mark Hanauer
  • image via arrestedmotion.com

Gary Baseman is one of my favorite artists. His juxtaposition of cute and creepy is playful and disturbing at the same time. His personal stories are touching and give you an insight into his caring soul. As a costume designer, I have always wished to see the character costumes that were made for A Performance Act in person. They are amusing in a charming in a delightfully demonous way and I want to take Toby home with me!

I have a very small collection of his toys that fill me with joy. (isn’t that the impetuous to keep a belonging?) These are treasures of mine… small ones are from San Diego Comic Con and large Dunce was purchased and signed at Giant Robot 2 (if I remember correctly) Check out his website link below to purchase your treasured pieces.

https://garybaseman.com/

https://www.widewalls.ch/artists/gary-baseman/artworks

October 5

Netflix and thrill part 2

Last post was focused on series on Netflix,,, this time there are some movies to catch during this wonderful haunted season. Below are some options from various spooky genre. Fund kids movie, comedy horror, and classic creepy horror. Watch with the lights off.

October 4

Netflix and thrill.

This well known streaming platform has too many great horror, true crime, magical, odd and unusual series and movies- for this, Halloween, the best season of the year- to name them all! (but of course we watch them all year round!)

There are, of course, the new mainstream options like Midnight Man, Walking Dead, The Good Witch, Monsters Inside and Fear Street. There are, though a few lesser known, slightly older horror series that are worth a watch.

Ju-On Origins- Big fan of the Ju-On movies, so was excited when this series premiered. Loved the mystery with the horror in this back story for the Ju-On movies. The whole series has an eerie quality to it, even though many scenes are setting up the mystery. Recommend for Korean Horror movie fans.

Diablero- There are 2 seasons of this Mexican made horror series. This is a comical and sometimes gory, but very interesting show about demon hunters. Love seeing different cultural references to demons and the underworld. Fun, a bit campy, but overall charming.

The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (TV Series 2018) - IMDb

The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell- This fun baking show has all the elements I love, puppets, a vintage feel and of course creepy edible desserts. A bit silly, but fun to watch the delectable delights being assembled.

John Heffernan - Movies and TV Shows on Netflix | Flixable

Dracula- Mini series. This show is so captivating, it is easy to finish in one night! This British television series was quite popular when it premiered, but seems to have been overshadowed by newer US series. If you haven’t taken the time to watch this traditional story with a bit of a twist, make the time to visit or revisit it.

October 3

Horror Movie Malignant

After a few days of communing with the spirits, needed a movie break. Tonight’s movie was Malignant- a James Wan movie. Loved going underground in Seattle for a long chase scene through the old parts of the city. For the most part, the movie is enjoyable and has some interesting twists. To not spoil the plot for those who haven’t indulged yet, will just say there were some great costuming and makeup fx moments. ( some of the fx thanks to Spectral Motion. An amazing shop of talented folk. @spectralmotion #spectralmotion) My Horror movies leanings are more towards the psychological thrillers and old Hollywood monsters. This has a bit of the monster element and a twist at the end (that is not really a shock, as there is much foreshadowing throughout the beginning.) In my opinion it tows the line between slasher and monster movie nicely.

If you are in the mood for a new Horror flick, give it a try.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3811906/

October 2

Welcome to Midnight Falls. Los Angeles Haunted Hayride in Griffith Park, Los Angeles.

Had a great time wandering around the Halloween Festival in Midnight Falls. Large festival area with numerous photo ops and a great band going on all night. There are various food stations and a small shop with fun merch. Hayride is very genuine with sitting in a pile of hay in a long trailer. Many themes along the tour and interesting characters. 3 mazes around the festival grounds. My favorite was Trick or Treat in which you needed to actually push the doorbells of small houses throughout the maze. It was imaginative and had numerous spooky gory characters sprinkled about the streets of Midnight Falls. Dead End Diner has you enter through an old diner with great immersive environment. Head out the back of the diner into a haystack maze and it is definitely a dead end, as the farmers kept sending us in the wrong direction and we were going around in circles. Midnight Mortuary is spooky and immensely detailed with many disgusting and gore filled rooms. Heading out into the cemetery you have vampires hanging out in the trees. Take some time to read the headstones, if you dare to hang around. Overall a great night! Go early as parking is a bit tough and you need to take shuttle to the festival. Also will give you plenty of time to wander around and take in all the spookiness.

For tickets go to:

https://www.losangeleshauntedhayride.com/attractions

October 1

House Of Spirits Cocktail Soiree

October 1rst, Halloween season started strong with House of Spirits: A Haunted Cocktail Soiree in Highland Park, CA, at York Manor. This was a clever use of Haunted mazes, instead of the usual maze specific theme, all the mazes were tied together through one eerie story connected by the Midnight Man. There were roaming spirits in the main lobby area adding to the ambiance and telling the story. Drink stations sprinkled around the house had some interesting cocktails. Each ticket gives you 2 hours to wander around the haunted space.

For more information and tickets:

https://houseofspiritssoiree.com/los-angeles/

Happy Haunting

Halloween Season is upon us!

I am a huge fan of the scary and cute. For me Halloween is the best season! This is a month long deep dive into the Haunt and Horror genre. Here in Los Angeles there is a plethora of Haunted, Horror, Spooky, and of course Cutely Creepy events, entertainment, festivals, etc. throughout the month! Of course around the world, whether new or old, it is a good month to binge on Horror Films, Psychological Thrillers, as well as Family Friendly films. Also, there are numerous scary, gory, terrifying and gurokawa television to consume on your local streaming services. Keep checking for new Haunted content throughout the month!