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Candy Corn Vampires, Hocus Pocus, And Other Signs That It's [Halloween]

Lost SalientLost Salient blink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered User regular
edited October 2017 in Social Entropy++
Alright, much like a shadowy figure that only the audience can see, this one snuck up on me, guys. Forgive me; I've relocated to a country where it's 90 degrees all year round and no Halloween merchandise hits the shelves until much, much later, if at all.

It's October 1st! The first day of the most spooky-scary of holidays! Some may argue that Halloween is a single-day event promulgated by the American candy manufacturing industry in conjunction with the ADA in order to sugar up the children of the nation. Those people are ordered to report to their posts on Funkiller Base forthwith. Halloween starts when you unpack your cozy, autumnal decorations, and ends with an evening spent in fancy dress/costume, running around gathering candy or drinking heavily, depending on your age group and responsibility for the well-being of children.

So, what are you all going as this year? Got any swag decorations? Any spooktacular new things to share with the class? I'll do my best to keep a daily post going as I used to do to share movies, music, and general Halloween-themed material. But my new job gives me a lot less free time than it used to, and I'll have guests for part of the month as well as a trip to Melbourne at the end for some random nerd convention or something. Forgive me in advance if I fall behind.

On September 29th, for reasons unknown to anyone except the people in Hollywood who approved the idea and financed it, the world saw the release of Flatliners, starring Ellen Page and Diego Luna. I assume this movie sucks. (It has a 0% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, guys.) I don't want to talk about it. Why would you do this to me, Diego Luna and Ellen Page.

But back in 1990, Joel Schumacher made the original Flatliners, and it fucking rules. It has an utterly crazy cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Oliver Platt, Kevin Bacon, and Billy Baldwin (yes, okay, it's a lesser Baldwin, but he does a great job). The plot: a group of medical students become obsessed, for various reasons, with near-death experiences, and decide that the only way to get real data is to take turns dying and being brought back. The film tagline? "Some lines shouldn't be crossed." The problem? Their experiences in the afterlife seem to be following them back to the land of the living...

The atmosphere, lighting and set design in this movie is off the fucking chain great. It's like the whole thing takes place in some sort of fantastic neon twilight. 'Urban American neo-gothic' should be an aesthetic, if it isn't already, just so it can describe this film. Anyway, you may not love this movie (even if you should), but for your consideration: all of the characters have growth arcs and individual motivations, the 'scares' are effective, and the plot is cohesive - let's be honest, 90% of horror films made these days get an F on at least one of those three metrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi40fDBaVlE

**important disclaimer: please forget everything you know about medicine before watching Flatliners

Moses Sumney - Doomed

Want a beautiful and haunting song to kick off your Halloween season? Allow me to suggest the song 'Doomed' by Moses Sumney.

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

I don't really think I should add anything to this. The song is floating and poetic and also dark. It's the perfect song to listen to while you drink something warm, alone, in the half-light. Yeah. Go do that. Then listen to the whole album. You're welcome.

If you're looking for something to read that's moody and enchanting (and not going to eat up days) - or if you have kids who are inclined toward this sort of thing - please can I advocate for the children's book Black Dog, by Levi Pinfold? It's so, so gorgeous. It's about fear! And bravery! And you should find it and buy it immediately.

Lbeg5Irl.jpg

look at that beautiful and terrifying dog nose.

Happy Halloween, y'all!

RUVCwyu.jpg
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Lost Salient on
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Posts

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    OH MY GOD WANNA BOOP THAT SNOOT

    I have two halloween parties this year and I don't know what to go as. Help.

  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    Yesssssss, I was waiting for this thread

    I'm tight for cash this year, so I probably won't be doing as intense a costume as usual, but I think I got the supplies to do a decent Black Canary; just gotta get boots and decide if I want to do tights or plain fishnets, and make a mask

    BUT there are a ton of cool events I want to do?? Gotta hit up a spooky orchard. And also an event called Pumpkinferno where there's a kilometre of pumpkins carved and stacked to form dragons and other sculptures. And also a movie night at the indie theatre here which we got free tickets for. And also an indie wrestling event that'll be Halloween themed that will be ridiculous.

    So hopefully it'll be a good month!

    Steam
    3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
    Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
  • Lost SalientLost Salient blink twice if you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered User regular
    Nic, I recommend ALSO going as Rachael. I think it's going to be a fairly easy costume to pull together.

    RUVCwyu.jpg
    "Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    I've read this eight times and I still don't know who Rachael is.

  • Rorshach KringleRorshach Kringle that crustache life Registered User regular
    my costume this year:

    i'm gonna be a bedsheet ghost with a shell gas station nametag: ghost in the shell. whenever anyone asks me how i came up with my costume, i'll say it came to me at the laundromat when i was washing my whites.

    6vjsgrerts6r.png

  • sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    Do you want to go as something high concept or just dress a part?

  • Lost SalientLost Salient blink twice if you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered User regular
    my costume this year:

    i'm gonna be a bedsheet ghost with a shell gas station nametag: ghost in the shell. whenever anyone asks me how i came up with my costume, i'll say it came to me at the laundromat when i was washing my whites.

    Holy shit this is great.

    @tynic sorry, Rachael from Blade Runner.

    RUVCwyu.jpg
    "Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    my costume this year:

    i'm gonna be a bedsheet ghost with a shell gas station nametag: ghost in the shell. whenever anyone asks me how i came up with my costume, i'll say it came to me at the laundromat when i was washing my whites.

    Holy shit this is great.

    @tynic sorry, Rachael from Blade Runner.

    Also as a Blade Runner person you still get to talk about robots and be entirely in-character!

    Steam
    3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
    Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2017
    ohhhh.

    ... yeah that could work.

    edit: someone in the movie thread mentioned Barton Fink and I wondered for a moment if I could dress up as a spooky hotel, but then I realised everyone would just assume I was from The Shining.

    tynic on
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Cello wrote: »
    my costume this year:

    i'm gonna be a bedsheet ghost with a shell gas station nametag: ghost in the shell. whenever anyone asks me how i came up with my costume, i'll say it came to me at the laundromat when i was washing my whites.

    Holy shit this is great.

    @tynic sorry, Rachael from Blade Runner.

    Also as a Blade Runner person you still get to talk about robots and be entirely in-character!

    also I can carry a tortoise around and continually fail the Voight-Kampff test.

  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    tynic wrote: »
    Cello wrote: »
    my costume this year:

    i'm gonna be a bedsheet ghost with a shell gas station nametag: ghost in the shell. whenever anyone asks me how i came up with my costume, i'll say it came to me at the laundromat when i was washing my whites.

    Holy shit this is great.

    @tynic sorry, Rachael from Blade Runner.

    Also as a Blade Runner person you still get to talk about robots and be entirely in-character!

    also I can carry a tortoise around and continually fail the Voight-Kampff test.

    Just remember Nic, I'm pretty sure tortoises aren't supposed to drink gin. Don't feed gin to your live tortoise.

    Steam
    3DS Friend Code: 0216-0898-6512
    Switch Friend Code: SW-7437-1538-7786
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Cello wrote: »
    tynic wrote: »
    Cello wrote: »
    my costume this year:

    i'm gonna be a bedsheet ghost with a shell gas station nametag: ghost in the shell. whenever anyone asks me how i came up with my costume, i'll say it came to me at the laundromat when i was washing my whites.

    Holy shit this is great.

    @tynic sorry, Rachael from Blade Runner.

    Also as a Blade Runner person you still get to talk about robots and be entirely in-character!

    also I can carry a tortoise around and continually fail the Voight-Kampff test.

    Just remember Nic, I'm pretty sure tortoises aren't supposed to drink gin. Don't feed gin to your live tortoise.

    No fear. That reptilian lush isn't getting a drop of my rooibos gin.

  • Raijin QuickfootRaijin Quickfoot I'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    I miss Halloween parties. Now I just take the kids around the neighborhood.

    They frown on you being wasted while you do that.

  • King RiptorKing Riptor Registered User regular
    I thought my niece and nephew would be staying with us this year so I was gonna go all out for them.

    Instead I will as is my tradition bust out every sitcom Halloween episode I can find

    I have a podcast now. It's about video games and anime!Find it here.
  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    Hi hello

    I love Halloween

    https://youtu.be/syLkrvUko7Q

    Also I haven't watched the nightmare on elm street movies in years. Who here wants me to watch through my bluray collection of them this month and write about it in this thread?

    Tallahasseeriel on
  • #pipe#pipe Cocky Stride, Musky odours Pope of Chili TownRegistered User regular
    This is my first Halloween since moving to Canada where I live in a house. It's also right across the street from an elementary school in a generally very kid friendly neighborhood.

    It's gonna be my first time ever taking part in Trick or Treating.

    I'm so goddamn excited.

  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    I'm so jelly #pipe. That's awesome.

    I haven't been able to pass out candy since I was like 16 and we moved from my childhood home.

    I probably enjoyed passing out candy more than getting it.

  • #pipe#pipe Cocky Stride, Musky odours Pope of Chili TownRegistered User regular
    I'm gonna bust out my Wario costume from PAX a few years ago since it's comfortable enough to wear all night

  • wirehead26wirehead26 Registered User regular
    I’ll be spending Halloween in Kuwait.

    Yay.

    I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!!!
  • ZonugalZonugal (He/Him) The Holiday Armadillo I'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered User regular
    #pipe wrote: »
    I'm gonna bust out my Wario costume from PAX a few years ago since it's comfortable enough to wear all night

    @#pipe, I was thinking of bringing out my Waluigi one.

    Ross-Geller-Prime-Sig-A.jpg
  • miscellaneousinsanitymiscellaneousinsanity grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, and brother, i hurt peopleRegistered User regular
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular

    Okay I remember that angel from the series, but the animation seems kind of shitty compared to my memory?

  • HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    I always wanna do schlubby broke nose tropical shirt Max Payne 3 Max Payne but it's always too fucking cold, maybe this dirtball will heat up enough so it's feasible

    Broke as fuck in the style of the times. Gratitude is all that can return on your generosity.

    https://www.paypal.me/hobnailtaylor
  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    Last time I wore a costume on Halloween I was 13 years old.

    Tallahasseeriel on
  • HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    You specify on Halloween

    Broke as fuck in the style of the times. Gratitude is all that can return on your generosity.

    https://www.paypal.me/hobnailtaylor
  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    I mean I'm always wearing my human disguise.

  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    edited October 2017
    Uriel wrote: »
    Last time I wore a costume on Halloween I was 13 years old.

    That sounds fun. Did you dress like a modern 13yr old, or how you were dressed at 13?

    MichaelLC on
  • TallahasseerielTallahasseeriel Registered User regular
    Really though I never leave the house so no occasion to dress up.

    Is a bummer.

    One time when I was a kid I went trick or treating as death. It was pretty cool.

  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    So far the only Halloween-y thing I've got planned this month is a double feature of Alien and The Thing down in Cambridge

  • ChimeraChimera Monster girl with a snek tail and five eyes Bad puns, that's how eye roll. Registered User regular
    Pretty much me overnight....

    1zdjug1qyr63.jpg

  • PwnanObrienPwnanObrien He's right, life sucks. Registered User regular
    Hallowe'en is too commercialized these days. We've lost the meaning of the season: participating in the Celtic festival of Samhain by carving turnips and disguising ourselves to avoid the spirits of the recently deceased as well as faeries and elves.

    Mwx884o.jpg
  • ToxTox I kill threads he/himRegistered User regular
    DLECEZpUMAEnEaJ.jpg

    Twitter! | Dilige, et quod vis fac
  • JMan711JMan711 6'8" weighs a f*&#ing ton He's coming, he's coming, he's comingRegistered User regular
    edited October 2017
    I'm seeing Suspiria tonight for the first time on the big screen in 4K. Tuesday I will be seeing the original Night of The Living Dead for the first time in theater as well. I seem to be starting the season off right so far.

    Granted we have been decorated for Halloween since the beginning of September, so my girlfriend and I might be a little too much into the holiday.

    JMan711 on
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  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    edited October 2017
    For some reason it felt like the first real day of fall today. A spooky chill wind blew through.

    BahamutZERO on
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  • never dienever die Registered User regular
    Tox wrote: »
    DLECEZpUMAEnEaJ.jpg

    So the first time I saw that I read it as "HelaWeed" and the poster still works.

  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    I look at that picture and first thing I notice is the blue/orange color scheme that become so ubiquitous in movie posters.

    Also won't be doing anything this Halloween. Door's staying locked as usual while I prepare for National Novel Writing Month to begin the next day. Last thing I want is constant interruptions.

  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    I liked halloween a lot for a long time but this year I'm not observing it. Instead i am beginning christmas that night. Its gonna rule

  • Rorshach KringleRorshach Kringle that crustache life Registered User regular
    you are a monster

    6vjsgrerts6r.png

  • KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    I just came up with a costume idea that I think would be awesome to do, but I'm going to try to figure out how to do it:

    A conspiracy board (Its something I always joke about)

    Thinking I would do it so I could somehow wear it, with my face being in the middle (Maybe a question mark mask?).

  • HeadCreepsHeadCreeps NOW IS THE TIME FOR DRINKING! Registered User regular
    I love Halloween, but I never get to do anything for it anymore. This year I have it off, but Tuesday is a school night and I'm taking an evening class, so that kinda ruins it

    It's all good though, I've lived here for over two decades and I don't think we've ever gotten a single trick-or-treater

    Still kinda bums me out :?

    vEaRQgH.png
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