Like most Halloween fans, I'm all about the first three installments of the film franchise. But I recently picked up the Mondo Halloween box set, featuring the soundtracks to the first five films.
I have listened to the soundtracks to the first three films a million times each, but I was pleasantly surprised by Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. This soundtrack was composed solely by Alan Howarth, who had worked previously in conjunction with John Carpenter on Halloween II and Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
Howarth takes the iconic 5/4 theme timing of the original, but adds a nice bit of ambient sound to give it a fresh update. And I love Mondo's new vinyl release version. It's slightly different than the 1988 original, but it still flows really well. And you gotta love that red-and-white clown costume split vinyl! This one has been on constant rotation at the Cemetery all weekend long...
Time for a quick plug... Hey, fellow haunters! Got a small wad of cash just burning a hole in your pocket and looking for the perfect Halloween-related something to drop it on? Why not visit my good friend Dave over at Closed Casket Studios, where he's running a killer sale all Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday weekend! 20% off everything all weekend. Time to stock up on the sickest prop heads, hands and face masks in the industry. And you'll be supporting a hell of a good dude. Just be sure to tell him that Highbury Cemetery sent you!! I'm off to go add a goodie or two to my collection, too!
I was late to the Hill House party, but I was immediately hooked and ended up watching the entire series in a weekend. So much more than just a beautifully-shot ghost story. It was filled with gut-wrenching sadness, yet I just couldn't turn it off. I can't recommend this series enough! And the Newton Brothers' soundtrack perfectly sets the tone of sadness and melancholy of it all. This one has been on repeat all day long...
Last year, I came up with the idea to do something creative with my jack-o-lanterns after Halloween instead of simply throwing them all into into the trash. It was a little bit art and a little bit mischief. It even became my submission for the annual The Great Pumpkin Project. A perfect offering to all things Halloween... This year, I had the same idea lined up and a new location scouted out and ready to go. It was an abandoned house on the curve of a busy local street. I drove by it daily and smiled each time, just imagining how cool it was going to look with a slew of jack-o-lanterns scattered throughout the unkept lot. It was going to be perfect! And then this summer, the trucks showed up... My plans were thwarted as contractors began to refurbish the house! What was once the perfect location for a pumpkin dump slowly converted back into a livable home. I was crushed... Fast forward to Halloween and I had to go out for another scouting run. I had a few alternate locations around the city picked out and I drove by each one. Most were eliminated due to exposure or possible security issues. I wanted to make sure that this year's location would be clearly visible to many people, yet have an extended amount of time before the pumpkins were removed. Soon, my list was whittled down to one location...
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Yesterday I got up early, my sights set on the morning's covert plan: pumpkin dump 2018. My spot was perfect. High traffic and visibility and a lower chance of security or any other kind of trouble. My true objective was still to place them in a spot in nature and the pumpkins, now free from any candle wax or other non-biodegradable elements, would be able to feed the local wildlife population. As I peered out the bedroom window, I immediately noticed the fresh dusting of snow on the ground. I checked the weather forecast. Current temperature: 24 degrees. Ouch. I should have done this the week before when it was in the 50s... I quickly loaded the car with all 13 jack-o-lanterns, now all frozen solid from the winter cold and snow, and quickly made my way to the dump spot. I entered the grounds inconspicuously and parked my car near the rear, trying to remain unseen. The morning sun had poked out and the traffic had already started to pick up. I needed to move quickly, yet stay invisible. I made 7 trips from the car to the back of the mausoleum. When all 13 were gathered, I quickly set up the final display. Neatly arranged around the cemetery mausoleum's doorway, mere yards from an increasingly busy street. After the last pumpkin was placed, I quickly grabbed my camera and began shooting. And in roughly 10 minutes, I was gone...
Pumpkin dump 2018 was a success! I had found an amazing, and somewhat obvious, location in one of my local cemeteries. It's a place that I drive by all the time and have actually shot a Cemetery Sundays installment in a few years back. If you're in the Akron area, I invite you to look for this installment. It's plainly visible, if you know where to look. It's on one of the busiest roads in the city with a traffic light at the intersection, giving you plenty of time to enjoy. I also encourage all of my other fellow haunters to extend the Halloween season and do your own pumpkin dump. All that I ask is that you use common sense in picking a location. Be smart and be careful. And clean out the pumpkins. We don't want to harm the local wildlife population that will gladly snack on them!
The perfect track for a low-key evening, nestled away from the damp, dark cold of late autumn. The warmth and melancholy of piano notes shielding the approaching snows of winter...
This year's "Halloween Hangover" didn't last long. Only three days after the whirlwind of Halloween night, my son and I got the chance to drive up to Cleveland and check out the 2018 Dia De Muertos Ohio parade. An amazing event highlighting the city's vibrant Hispanic culture and celebrating the traditional Mexican and Latin American "Day of the Dead" holiday.
We had been to this wonderful event in years past, but has missed the last 2 years due to Halloween scheduling conflicts. I was really excited to get back up to it this year, and especially because I got the chance to have my young son experience it, too. Ornate altars and elaborate ofrendas were displayed throughout the neighboring Church Hall and yard while vendors sold Day of the Dead and skeleton wares. Many attendees donned the traditional skull face paint and costumes. Mariachis even serenaded the crowd throughout the afternoon, culminating in the main event, the annual "Skulls & Skeletons" parade. As the parade-goers gathered at the parking lot entrance, it became a sea of skeletons, stilt-walkers and puppets. We got a spot close to the entrance, camera in hand. As the parade embarked from the lot, I snapped wildly at all of the inventive, ornate and fun costumes. If you ever find yourself in the Northeast Ohio area, you really should make a point to come check out the Dia De Muertos Parade in Cleveland! It really is a great cure for your "Halloween Hangover"! Here's a small selection of shots from the celebration...
A cold, weathered hand pierces the rust-laden earth of a late autumn night. Reanimated decay becomes the evening's guide. Masked faces bask in the fiery glow of a jack-o-lantern's illumination. A lifeless finger points the direction toward the next porch-lit house. For this is the night of ghouls and goblins and tricks and treats. This is the night of Hallowe'en...
