Merry Christmas!


Wishing all of my fellow haunters, haunted house freaks, Halloween enthusiasts and fans of the macabre a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Highbury Cemetery!

(And yes, I post this clip every Christmas, but it remains one of my favorites!)

"But be warned. Santy Claus only brings presents to them thats been good all year. What about you, boy? You been good all year?"




Apocryphos, Kammarheit & Atrium Carceri - "All Dreams Mined"


So I'm revisiting some older releases in my ever-expanding dark ambient library while I'm cleaning the house, getting ready for Christmas celebrations. As I shuffle through the songs, I land on "All Dreams Mined," a collaboration between dark ambient heavyweights Apocryphos, Kammarheit and Atrium Carceri. And wow. I literally stop what I'm doing to listen to this track. And then I listen to  it again. It's THAT good.

"All Dreams Mined" is the final track on the collaboration's 2017 release, Echo. Buried at the end, but definitely the most atmospheric track, making an easy bridge from dark ambient into the larger realm of soundtrack scoring. It immediately calls to mind something from Blade Runner 2049 or other dystopian science fiction film.

And it also plays well as a track for our winter season. Cold, bleak and dark, yet somehow warming in its melancholy. Such a perfect track to put on repeat. Enjoy.




Spital am Pyhrn Krampuslauf


So in these days leading up to Christmas, I have been checking out all of this year's cool Krampuslauf (Krampus Run) videos from in and around Austria.

Such a cool annual winter tradition! And as I have written in the past, a true "bucket list" item of mine would be to go over to Europe and experience one of these Krampus Runs in person.

But this year, I have decided to amend this a bit. After getting a chance to guest act in a local haunt this October, I really want to go to Europe and be a PARTICIPANT in a Krampus Run.

As I watch video after video, I realize that this is the European equivalent to haunt acting here in the US. The interaction is basically the same as being a queue line actor, and the parade watchers have the same reaction as our haunt guests. Fun and enjoyment, while trying to hide the fear and dread from those swinging birch sticks.

One of the best videos that I have seen this year comes from the Austrian town of Spital am Pyhrn (and although is says 2019 in the initial description, it may actually be from 2015--but let's just ignore that for now).

From the Youtube video description:
Accompanied by dull rumbling and roaring bells, around 600 Krampus performers and their companions marched through the snowy Austrian town of Spital am Pyhrn in Upper Austria in 2019. Due to the early darkness of winter and the impressive surroundings of the baroque collegiate church, this Perchten run in Upper Austria, which according to the custom is supposed to banish evil, receives a special touch.

I was blown away from the very first scene in this video. I had never seen the start of a Krampus Run and the vocal track along with the squatting band of Krampuses that spring up with flashing flares and fire on cue is quite powerful.

The entire parade takes place during an amazing winter snowfall, creating the perfect juxtaposed backdrop to the grotesque, frenzied figures parading through the town.

And this particular parade had some really incredible, outside-the-box characters throughout. Alongside the standard Krampus masks were an absolutely STUNNING angel with large flaming wings, an odd duck-billed surreal mask, a talking goat puppet head, a grim reaper with a flaming scythe and a lot more.

Enjoy this one. And if any Austrian Krampus actors wanna give me a shot as a Krampus in their local Krampuslauf, I'd be there in a heartbeat!!




"A Creepy Christmas 2019: Krampus Returns" at The Factory of Terror


It's hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. It seems like Thanksgiving was just last week. Where does the time go?

The only good thing about the yuletide season's quick arrival is the return of Christmas-themed haunts! And tonight, I'm going to blow off some steam with some good AARGH (Akron Area Regional Group of Haunters - cute, no?) friends down at the Factory of Terror for their annual Krampus haunt!

It wasn't that long ago that we were going crazy celebrating the Halloween season, but now it's time to get our Krampus creep on. And what better place than the Factory of Terror

If you're in the Northeast Ohio area with nothing to do tonight, why not meet us down in Canton for some jolly good scares!? And did I mention themed drinks and snowball fights?






Die Pagger Buam - "Kramperl, Kramperl, Besenstiel"


Ummmm, what??




Fröhlich Krampusnacht!


Gruss vom Krampus!

Have you all been good girls and boys this year? If not, you'll be visited tonight by Krampus, the European cloven-hooved, goat-demon who punishes bad children during this holiday season. With a flick of his long tongue and a lash from his birch branched switch, you'll be placed into the basket upon his back and transported to Hell to receive reprimand for all of your misdeeds...

Have you been good this year?

Fröhliche Krampusnacht!

Photo courtesy of Sean Gallup/Getty Images.

Photo courtesy of Matej Divisna/Getty Images.

Photo courtesy of iamexpat.de

Photo courtesy of adobestock



And enjoy "Cloven" from the 2015 Michael Dougherty film, Krampus. Douglas Pipes' perfect track to accompany you on your trip to Hell...




Hardee's Fun Machine 70's Halloween Commercial


I've been sitting on this one for awhile. I wanted to drop this into my annual October Countdown to Halloween hullabaloo, but I just ran out of time. Fortunately, this little nugget of sweet, sweet Halloween nostalgia is way too good to not share!

I don't think I have ever eaten at a Hardee's, but had I known they had a Halloween Fun Machine, I would have been there daily.

A few things about this hilariously awesome commercial. It must have originated somewhere in Long Island with Speedy McGreedy and Frankenstein Mouth's wiseguy accents. Honestly though, I will from this day forward always pronounce "hamburger" as "boy-gah." "I want juicy boy-gahs!"

I will also call a centipede a "creepy crawly Halloween thing." Amazing.

And that jingle? GAH! Take it away, Frankenstein Mouth...