Monthly Media Recap - October 2024

Well, here we are at another Halloween! If you're looking for something to watch tonight, maybe something below will grab your interest.

Streaming Series

What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu)

Over the past few months, binged all five seasons. Kinda sad this year is the final season. The show is so damn funny with top notch performances and certain things that will no doubt linger in the pop culture consciousness for years to come.

Movies

Oddity (2024, Shudder/Amazon Prime)

I don't know if I would have watched this if not for the buzz I'd been seeing around it, but I'm glad I did! It's an...odd amalgamation of thriller, murder mystery, and horror that works very well. It actually feels like something that Hammer could have put out in the 70s. It's the kind of creepy that might have you turning on lights in the house when you're alone.

Rating: 7/10

*Labyrinth (1986, Hulu/Peacock/Tubi)

Not only did I get to introduce Mrs Dex to one of my all time favorite movies but we got to see it in a theater with a live band performing the music! It's quite an experience seeing this with an audience and the live music. There were a handful of people in costume but hearing the audience reactions was a real treat. The tour is going for quite awhile so check ticket availability!

Rating: I can't objectively give a rating to this, it's part of my DNA 

Halloween Hot Wheels 2024 - Street Shaker

 We've made it to the finish line! Here is the final Halloween Hot Wheels of 2024 and tomorrow is Halloween!

Street Shaker was introduced in 2011 and this is the 15th release. In 2017, it was released with Batman deco as part of a Justice League wave.

This one looks like it would be the perfect ride for Slimer. It might not be his exact shade of green but it looks like it's dripping with ectoplasm.

From the Hot Wheels Wiki:

Street Shaker is a high-performance muscle car design, blending classic styling with modern performance. Designed by Jun Imai in collaboration with NASCAR racing driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., the car was originally named Hammerhead (stylized on card as "Hammerhead"), the name being chosen by Earnhardt; Earnhardt has stated that the car's design is based on "an old Chevrolet Bel Air fused with a modern Camaro". Due to copyright reasons the model has been named "Street Shaker" since 2014. 

 

One of my favorite things about toy cars since I was a kid is when they mold the interior of the vehicle. Not only can you see the engine but the steering wheel and stick shift. It's like you can put yourself right in there.

Now Hear This - Halloween 2024 The Final Chapter

 You're tuned into KRPT radio for another round of hits from the underground. 

Six feet underground!

Are you groovy ghouls ready to rock? Click the cover art to go to Bandcamp where you can preview and purchase the tunes.

Midnight Danger makes some great darksynth that sounds like it was taken from an obscure 80s horror flick. In addition to their terrifying tunes, they have a killer music video for To the Shadows and Back which is a fantastic tribute to 80s horror.

Punk Rock Halloween II brings you 28 tracks to keep your blood pumpin'...assuming you're still alive. I'm not sure if this is 100% covers but there are a lot including: Grim Grinning Ghosts, Ghostbusters, (It;s A) Monsters Holiday, and Dead Man's Party.

If you need something a little more mellow, how about The Manchester String Quartet's A Gothic Halloween? They cover the theme from Halloween, Don't Fear the Reaper, and even Marilyn Manon's The Beautiful People. Most of these aren't songs I'd put on a Halloween mix (I'm a snob about my Halloween music) but hearing them covered this way, they hit a little different. 

 

BoJo is back with his annual Halloween Mix Tape. There's all sorts of fun stuff in here. If you enjoy classic novelty albums, here's another to add to your collection...for free!

Haunted Halloween Board Game

In September 2023, I found a Kickstarter for Haunted Halloween, a board game about trick or treating. It had almost everything I would put in my dream trick or treat game, so I had to back it! 

 

In case you're wondering, the only thing really missing that my dream version would have is a "take that" element where you can play tricks on houses...or other players!

The game arrived just in time for Halloween! Being the Hallo-weirdo that I am, I went in for the Deluxe version of the game which includes a lot of fun extras. 

 

I should take this time to mention that this game is put out by Castle Clark, which is a small family owned and operated business. I've been in touch with them regarding a couple issues with the shipping (not their fault) and they have been super!

The back of the box shows what all is included. The Deluxe version extras include 3D printed player figures, ghost figures, candy corn trays to hold the treats you earn, a 3D printed coffin, and a 3D printed Jack-O-Lantern to hold all the candy pieces.

Let's get a closer look after the break!

Halloween on the Hill

 A couple weekends ago, Mrs Dex and I went to check out Halloween on the Hill in Beverly, MA. She's not the biggest fan of haunted attractions so this year I tried to find more family friendly things.

 

Long Hill is a 114 acre estate and for most of the year, you can visit the public gardens and walk trails through the woods. For October, it's transformed into Halloween on the Hill!

The trails are populated by hundreds of carved funkins and Halloween decorations.

This pumpkin portal was there as a photo op backdrop but there was another one as you enter the walking trails.

Salem Night Faire

 For a few weekends in October you can step into the Salem Night Faire, a craft fair that shares its border of reality with strange beings from another realm. This is the seventh year for the Faire and I finally decided to pay a visit.

The Faire has over 50 vendors offering all sorts of things including jewelry, clothing, art, and other hand made items. There's also plenty of food and drink to be had. The event is located at Salem's Pioneer Village. Hocus Pocus fans would no doubt recognize Binx's home as the early Salem scenes were filmed here.

You can even find the Sanderson's spell book inside the building.

Venture further in after the break!

Funko Pop - Overwatch Reaper Blizzard Exclusive (520)

I'm aware of Overwatch but have never played it. I don't generally go for squad based games where you might have to actually talk to your teammates. Definitely more of a solo gamer here but I was definitely happy to have been gifted this Pop from someone that knows what I like.

If my quick, uninspired Google search is accurate, this seems to be some kind of alternate skin for the Reaper character and not what they normally look like in game. Which is a shame, I really want a 6" scale action figure of this pumpkin-headed badass! The "normal" version looks more like a sci-fi Death in black with a skull-like mask.

 

He's decked out in a windswept duster, some sci-fi body armor, and his gunbelt has a little skull and crossbones on the buckle. He's also dual wielding a pair of blasters. Ain't nobody smashing this pumpkin!

Not much to see on the back side but the "blowing in the wind" duster.

The best thing about him is the glow in the dark feature which lights up his orange skin and Jack-o'-Lantern features.

Bicycle - Nightmare Before Christmas Playing Cards

 Unintentionally saved the best deck for last. I found this one on the 5th and had the other playing card posts done already.

This is what I'd call a premium deck straight out of the wrapper! The tuckbox is a matte black with silver and purple foil that makes the front really pop.

Even the inside of the box has graphics! Just getting this far in opening it, I was already impressed.

Halloween Hot Wheels 2024 - Muscle Bound

 Zooming along, the fourth week of Halloween Hot Wheels goes Muscle Bound.

Muscle Bound is a relatively new model, having just debuted in 2019. This is the sixth version to be released. In 2023, it appeared in a Batman 5-pack with a Robin paint job.

From the back of the 2019 card:

Eye-blurring acceleration and eye-popping styling come together in this salute to the American muscle car era. The twin 4-barrel V8 engine in this car is so huge, a giant power bulge had to be built into the hood to contain it! 

 

 Hot Wheels design can get crazy and it's good to see a "normal" look once in awhile. It kind of looks like a sports Cybertruck from this angle. That aside, the grinning jack-o'-lantern design along with the 31/Halloween graphic make this a solid entry for the Graveyard Garage. 

 

Now Hear This - Halloween 2024 The Revenge

We're spinning back around with more tracks for you to get down! 

If you're lurking about on Bandcamp, give me a follow right here.

 

 

Let's drop that beat like a guillotine!

Click the cover art to go to Bandcamp where you can preview/purchase the music.

The short lived Zombina and the Skeletones side project, Beat Bats has posted this rare EP which you can download for free, but only for a limited time.

 

 

Halloween at High Noon has quite a collection of 13 tracks from different artists.I really like this one because it's electronic/dub so you're getting creepy tunes with some bass (the instrument, not the fish). In addition to 13 Tricks, they also released 13 Treats here.

Toad/Retoad is the latest from Boo Dudes who always deliver comedy with a Halloween theme. With songs like "The Legend of Creepy Follow", "Frankenstein Crashed on my Couch", and "Do the Dirt Nap Dougie" you know you're in for a fun time.

Halloween Scene's The Last Trick or Treater is a soundtrack based on the album art and a short story. This would be good ambience for your front door Halloween night.

 

If you like a little spooky in your surf, check out this collection from Greasy Mike. Not every track is Halloween adjacent but it is a fun throwback novelty album. 

 

Don't forget to visit the other Countdown to Halloween sites!

You can find a list at the link below.

Tricks and Treats Card Game

After last week's Halloween Party, it's time to divvy up your candy!

 

Tricks and Treats is another card game from Trick or Treat Studios featuring the art of Drew Rausch. The game itself actually came out in 2012 and this is an updated version with new art.

In this fast and fun game of bluffing, you must divvy up your Halloween candy fairly. Or at least, make it seem like it's split fairly. If someone else can guess which bucket is yours, you'll be forced to give up your entire haul!

This is another game where you're trying to out bluff your opponents. The goal is to have the most candy at the end of the game. To start, a number of candy buckets are placed equal to the number of players plus two. Then each player is secretly assigned one of the buckets with a card that matches it.

On your turn, you draw a card then play a candy to any of the buckets. Obviously you want to put candy into your own bucket but as part of anyone's turn, they can "tattle" on you by guessing which bucket is yours. If they're right, you're out of the game. If they're wrong, they are out of the game and you get their bucket card to add to your score.

 

The reaper above is the "game over" card. He is secretly shuffled into the bottom three cards of the deck so you never knew exactly when the game will end..assuming people don't get tattled out of the game!

There are also special baskets you can add to the mix to make things more interesting.

 

 Here's a brief overview and review of the game.

As of this writing,  Tricks and Treats is sold out at Trick or Treat Studios but I have spotted it in Barnes & Noble.

Coffin of Toys

 While browsing TikTok, an ad popped up for something I was actually interested in, can you believe it? It looked like it might a fun little Halloween treat so I pulled the trigger.

It's a 3D printed coffin (with magnetic lid) full of little critters and spooks. It's also the perfect size to fit a 3.75" action figure! Tasha is hanging out in this post for size reference.

There's a total of 10 figures stuffed in the coffin. 3D printed hinged toys seem to be the hot thing if the ads I keep seeing are any indication. The bat, spider, and axolotl are super cute. The cat is probably supposed to be lying down but kind of looks like it got run over. The ghost has a neat little feature where the legs/feet can be extended as they are here or tucked inside.

A...ghost bee? Maybe it's a boo-bee, that pun's definitely been around awhile. Not sure why there's a pigeon in with this crew but there it is. I think it'd be better if it were printed in black with yellow eyes/beak. I love the little people in the front. Maybe it's the round heads or them being a little chonky but they seem like they're having a good time.

Classic Creepy Comics - Spook

 Spook is another book brought to you from Star Publications, the same folks that put out last week's pick, Ghostly Weird Stories. It ran for nine issues From January 1953 to October 1954.

Spook is a bit of a mixed bag. You'll get at least one supernatural/monster type horror story but you'll also find crime, science fiction, and jungle stories along with a couple pages of prose fiction. This is probably due to it originally being a crime book that started in 1945 and changed names a few times.

The first issue kicks off with a Headless Horseman story (sort of) so I had to check it out. The stars of the story are teen Jerry and his pal Sergent Spook, who is in fact, the ghost of a cop. I'm guessing they had other adventures in the books leading up to this because it's just a weird place to start with no back story. The Horseman ends up being being a projection created by some guy that found oil and wanted to keep everyone away. Sounds like a case for the Mystery Inc.!

One of the things that jumped out at me looking through these books is the number of ads that seem targeted to girls. I'm not saying these comics are "just for boys" but were a lot of girls reading this stuff back then?

 

All but one issues of Spook are legally available online at Comic Book+. If you're looking to get the most horror out of your reading, I'd suggest issue 30. Although 28 has the below story, a scifi adventure, and some jungle girl action.

Swing over to the Countdown blog below to see the other participants!