Escape Michael Myers (The Game)

Here's a fun one to get you through a slow day. In anticipation of the release of Halloween Ends, a fun little game has been released where you, playing as Laurie Strode, have to evade the always-pursuing shape of Michael Myers!

It's pretty simple, with only left and right movements to escape Michael Myers, but there are cool little weapons that you can pick up along the way to extend your escape through different sections of Haddonfield.

I'm pretty terrible at it, but this game is still pretty fun and it keeps us in the Halloween mindset as we wait patiently for the final (probably not FINAL final...) chapter of the Michael Myers saga, Halloween Ends. Give this one a shot and see how far you can run!

Play the Escape Michael Myers Game here. And fight like hell!

  

Simulakrum Lab - "Christine"

John Carpenter's iconic theme song to his 1983 hit, Christine, still stands as one of my personal favorites. But Simulakrum Lab's 2021 cover really offers a nice refresh on the original, giving it a cool, modern synthwave feel. Enjoy!

 

"The Thing" Posters By Rafa Orrico

Mondo is going to be offering up these really cool, limited-edition posters for John Carpenter's iconic sci-fi/horror film, The Thing, by artist Rafa Orrico. A very unique twist to a film that has been covered a million times over. I REALLY dig the bold 60s typography, the stark black-and-white imagery, and the expansive swaths of white space.

The Thing (Version 2), by Rafa Orrico.

The Thing (Version 1), by Rafa Orrico.

Version 2 is the clear winner for me. Such a great treatment and so well designed. And each unique element cleverly plays to Carpenter's vividly horrifying storyline. I don't always go after the always hard-to-get Mondo posters, but this one will be the exception.

Both of Orrico's The Thing posters will go on sale at 11 am CT, Thursday, September 15 on the Mondo Shop site. Good luck!

 

Boy Harsher - "Burn It Down"

From the brand new soundtrack to Halloween Ends, just released today (this single, along with the entire soundtrack are available now at Sacred Bones)! I'm really digging this one, with its subdued synthwave sound. Enjoy!

  

"Halloween" Movie Posters

Lots of things going on around the Cemetery today, but I wanted to share these super cool John Carpenter's Halloween movie posters from fanofspooky's Tumblr page. I would kill to have these printed at full size!

Crisp and clean, unlike me after a day spent setting up the yard display...

Enjoy!

 

"Halloween" For The Atari 2600

Here's one for the older folks following along! Do you remember how amazing the Atari 2600 was when it came out? The dawn of the video game home console era ushered in so many classics! Pac Man, Space Invaders, Frogger, Asteroids, Halloween.

Wait, what?

Back in 1983 when I was playing River Raid, Pitfall! and Yars' Revenge, Wizard Video Games released Halloween, based on the original 1978 John Carpenter classic.

At that time, I had never even heard of the game, partially due to the haphazard way the game was released, and then Wizard's eventual bankruptcy soon after.

But in seeing the gameplay, I wish I had picked up a copy along the way! The unnamed babysitter evades the unnamed killer as she tries to rescue random children in the house's two floors. And Carpenter's iconic film theme translates wonderfully into 8-bit mode, even if the blocky graphics are a laugh compared to today's games.

If this has piqued your interest, be prepared for sticker shock, as the game's collectability has gone through the roof! A quick check over at eBay reveals absolutely RIDICULOUS resale prices!

And if you're not ready to shell out that kind of money, simply enjoy the wonderful 8-bit music and blocky characters in the game-play video below.

You can read a bit more about Halloween here. Enjoy!

 

Halloween Kills

I'm pretty excited for tomorrow's release of Halloween Kills, the second second part of, err, the ninth part of, uh, the second Halloween II but on a new timeline of, or...

Regardless of where it falls within the Halloween franchise timeline, it's supposed to be pretty dark and brutal (like any good second act of a trilogy should be). And anything starring Michael Myers will instantly put me into Halloween mode (holiday OR movie, I guess?). So I'm pretty amped to see it.

Outside of being a huge horror film fan, I'm also a HUGE horror film soundtrack fan. I'm always adding to my vinyl record soundtrack collection, and there is something absolutely iconic about John Carpenter's amazing, and instantly recognizable, score to this franchise.

I just got my first copy of the Halloween Kills soundtrack and I am pleasantly surprised. A darker twist to the original that hopefully sets the tone to the new film. I'm not going to reveal any spoilers to it, but be sure to tune in tonight at 7 pm EST on John Carpenter's YouTube channel for a live Listening Party and Q+A with soundtrack composers John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies. This should be pretty cool!

 

John Carpenter - "The Dead Walk"

I'm patiently waiting for this one to release on February 5 on Sacred Bones Records. Man, that seems far away... 

More wonderful work from the synth master himself!

The 21st Of April...

11:55. Almost midnight. Enough time for one more story...

Daniel Davies Feat. John Carpenter - "Destructive Field"

Oh man, do I LOVE this new track from Daniel Davies. So dark and menacing. And with the addition of bandmate (and Godfather) John Carpenter, I think it's one of their best collaborations to date.

Davies' new release, Signals, drops next week on Sacred Bones Records and I cannot wait to spin this one. If the rest of the tracks are anywhere near as good as this, it's going to be living on my turntable for quite a while...

And if this dark collaboration is a hint of things to come for Carpenter's upcoming Halloween Kills, we are all going to be in for a hell of a treat!

Enjoy.

John Carpenter - "Halloween Triumphant"

Only three more days until the new Halloween film hits theaters! In the meantime, enjoy another new track composed by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies for the film...

Daniel Davies - "Stasis"

I have been listening to Daniel Davies' newest release, Events Score, constantly since it came out a few months back. Fantastic, synth-driven tracks that aren't far from the work he is doing with fellow bandmate and godfather, John Carpenter.

The standout for me has become "Stasis," the last track on this release. So much melancholic atmosphere...

Daniel Davies - "Shadows Alive"

From Daniel Davies, godson of and guitarist to John Carpenter's recording and touring band. A very "Carpenter-esque" haunting retro synth track from "Events Score," which releases today!

Events Score is available on Bandcamp, Lakeshore Records, and a gorgeous limited vinyl release from Burning Witches Records.

Guess which one I ordered!?!? And look for Davies' next release, the highly anticipated Halloween film soundtrack alongside current bandmates John and Cody Carpenter this October!

New Halloween Soundtrack - By John Carpenter!

I was beyond excited upon hearing that there is a new Halloween film in the works, especially with legendary director John Carpenter brought on to produce. This new film somehow fits in as a new sequel to the 1978 original, which makes no real sense especially with the quality of the original sequel, but like everyone else, I'm willing to give it a shot. Because hey, John Carpenter.

So imagine how giddy I got when news broke that Carpenter was tagged with creating the new score to the film, too. A new Carpenter-associated Halloween film WITH A CARPENTER SCORE! Technically it will be composed by Carpenter, his son Cody and godson Daniel Davies (part of his band that have been touring for the past 3 years), which should make for an interesting update on the original score.

After hearing this news, I was all in. On October 19th, I will be in line to see this at my local theater (large crowds of people be damned!). I have been taken over by Halloween mania...

And to keep the hysteria going, Sacred Bones Records announced the release of the new Halloween soundtrack this week. Kaboom. My head just exploded. 3 different vinyl versions from Sacred Bones. And literally a thousand other release versions throughout other record labels, record stores and countries. Enough to make a collector go mad...

I quickly settled on grabbing a copy of the Sacred Bones "Art Edition" of 2,000. An alternate, die-cut sleeve with amazing (better!) art by Chris Bilheimer, really cool clear-and-orange-blob vinyl, and a huge, super cool Michael Myers target practice poster. And I'm glad I moved quick on this one, because all 2,000 sold out in 24 hours. Unbelievable. I guess Halloween mania isn't just limited to me...

The Halloween soundtrack drops on October 19th!

October 19, 2018

Exactly six months from today, Michael returns to Haddonfield.

The new teaser poster for Halloween was released today, showing an aged, one-eyed Michael Myers.

The excitement is slowly starting to build at the Cemetery, an now the official countdown begins. I'm staying cautiously optimistic for this one and I'm really hoping this new "sequel after part 2" really nails it.

More info at Bloody Disgusting.


  

Happy Birthday, John Carpenter!

(Image courtesy of George Wilhelm/Los Angeles Times)

The master of horror (who is still very much alive) turns 70 today. Don't ever stop, good sir! In honor of his birthday, here is a live video that I shot of Carpenter performing the title track to his 1983 film, Christine, at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit, Michigan back in November, 2017.

John Carpenter Live at the Majestic Theatre, Detroit 11/10/17

I was a bit surprised when I saw that John Carpenter was heading back out on the road for another tour, this time in support of his newest release, John Carpenter Anthology (Movie Themes 1974-1998).

When I saw the tour schedule, I noticed that again like last year, he was not stopping anywhere in Ohio (what the hell, John!?!?). The closest stop was Detroit, a nice three hour drive from the Cemetery. And after going back and forth, I eventually decided to check it out again, this time with Mrs. Highbury along for the ride. We don't get out to that many shows anymore, but for John Carpenter, we would make an exception!

We both hopped into the car and made the quick-ish drive over to Detroit, ready to experience an amazing show. We arrived at the Majestic Theatre 30 minutes before the doors opening, only to have to sit outside in frigid temperatures for over an hour. And furthermore, my camera was denied access to the show, so I could only shoot with my phone.

But even with all that, the show was incredible and we had an amazing time. Carpenter and his band came out and flawlessly cranked through his massive library of iconic horror film soundtracks and even included a few of his original compositions from 2015's Lost Themes.

Of course, if you have seen my post from last year's show, you'll quickly notice a LOT of similarities between that show and this one. A lot of the same songs and accompanying film clips that played behind the band played on this tour, too. But honestly, hearing live versions of utter Carpenter classics like Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live and especially Ennio Morricone's epic title track for The Thing is an opportunity that I just couldn't pass up...

And with a painfully steady hand, I was able to film the final track in their incredible set...

We really, really enjoyed this show. And even though it was very similar to last year's tour, I'm still glad I went, especially so that Mrs. Highbury could experience it. And she loved it, too. We were both happy that we made the journey.

And of course, we couldn't make it through the whole show without a stop off at the merch table. I ended up picking up a John Carpenter autographed vinyl copy of his new Anthology (Movie Themes 1974-1998) and an INSANELY cool Escape From New York shirt. And then I had to go back and buy an Anthology screened tote bag to carry it all in...

I've been spinning Anthology nonstop since I got home, and I highly recommend picking up a copy! Especially for that slightly more guitar heavy version of The Thing and for Christine. And obviously for Halloween and Assault on Precinct 13. And definitely for The Fog and In The Mouth of Madness. But mostly for They Live and Escape From New York. Yeesh.

Carpenter's Anthology Tour continues on, heading toward the East Coast, so get out and see him if he's playing near you. Or even if not! It is well worth the trip!

  

One Guess.

Can anybody guess who I'm going to see tomorrow night??

Who wants to meet me and Mrs. Highbury in Detroit and enjoy the hell out of this show!?!? Full post when I get back!!

John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - "Halloween II" Soundtrack

While I think the general consensus is that the 1981 sequel pales in comparison to the original (outside of that insane Ben Tramer scene, of course), Halloween II really shines with its soundtrack. The duo of Carpenter and Alan Howarth take the original film's iconic sparse piano notes and give them an updated synthesizer reconstruction, creating a deeper, more menacing sound. And the use of The Chordettes' classic Mr. Sandman track adds the prefect unsettling kiss at the end of an exceptional horror soundtrack.

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross - "John Carpenter's Halloween"

“I clearly remember my friends and I at thirteen years old conning our parents into letting us see Halloween when it came out in 1978. We left the theater forever changed. We were damaged and scarred, with the shit genuinely scared out of us and that theme stuck firmly in our heads. John Carpenter, it’s your fault that I turned out the way I did.”
-Trent Reznor 

Last Friday, Nine Inch Nails duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross dropped their new version of the John Carpenter classic, Halloween. I've given it a few listens now and I have decided that I do like this. A lot.

I can see the viewpoint of the purists, as I'm definitely one too. But for me, it plays more as an homage to the classic. They have left just enough of the original to keep me satisfied. And I really like the way the piece transitions from the stark notes of the Carpenter original into the discordant style of Nine Inch Nails.

This one is going into the audio library and I'm really hoping to see this get a cool vinyl release in the very near future. And I wonder if this track would be considered for use in Carpenter's upcoming 2018 Halloween sequel/reboot/reimagining??