Halloween season begins

Starting with bad news: The manager of a grocery store told me that he heard there would be a shortage of Monster Cereals this year. I hope he's wrong - fingers crossed!

Good news: Disneyland's Halloween Time started last week. I visited the Haunted Mansion and I LOVE the gingerbread house this year. The gingerbread house actually opens and closes his mouth like a hungry monster - he even has a colorful tongue inside.

Pumpkin Donald welcomes you into the park

The French Market restaurant (across the plaza from the Haunted Mansion) has a special seasonal entree right now - a muffaletta sandwich served in a Jack Skellington coffin! It was tasty and it comes with a side of chips. I like this better than the trinket/ornament giveaways that require 13 visits to the park to collect the set. I'd rather just have a coffin lunchbox! We skipped dessert, though they looked very nice this year.

The coffin has a twisted vine handle, and a little surprise built into the bottom. You have to take the sandwich and paper out to see it.

No, I won't tell you what it is!

Target had some good Halloween stuff out - I got a silver skull candle that claims it will bleed red wax out the eye sockets. Exciting!

As far as home entertainment, I've already scared the crap out of myself with The Exorcist 3 and Fire in the Sky. I downloaded the entire works of Edgar Allen Poe to my e-reader. Yes, I have it in book form, but it's so heavy and cumbersome to read from. E-readers FTW.

Next up: Haunts at Universal Studios and Knott's both open soon. There's a new haunt this year in Newport Harbor - Ghost Ship. My favorite theater The Maverick is adding Frankenstein Has No Legs to its weird repertoire (puppets and Frankenstein? GET OUT OF MY DREAMS AND INTO MY CAR). Stages OC is touting DRAGULA - drag queens and Dracula (yes, please). And the beautiful El Capitan theater is showing the Nightmare Before Christmas in 4D meaning they'll have weather effects to go along with the plot of the movie. I think of NBC as a Christmas movie and not a Halloween movie, but I hope I'll find time to go see it.

Southern California Halloween activities

If you've waited until now to start thinking about a frightening Halloween activity for the weekend, you've come to the right place. Here are my favorites, listed in no particular order.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios

Year after year they have highly-themed, quality mazes as well as some scare areas around the usual Universal Studios park. The backlot area is particularly scary since it does seem like a free-for-all in the woods, and crazed killers lurk everywhere. Tickets are $59 at the gate. Here's last year's review.

Knott's Scary Farm Haunt in Buena Park

Read my Knott's Haunt review for details. Tickets are $46.00 at the gate. It's an old standby that won't disappoint, and this year had several great mazes.

Night of the Living Dead / Zombie Love at the Maverick Theater in Fullerton

I was lucky enough to attend both this year - Night of the Living Dead gets better every year, and I couldn't recommend it more. Each year they add a little something to the show that makes it different and better than the previous year. But let me say that if Scott Johnson ever stops playing Ben, it won't be the same for me. I now trust him - and only him - with my zombie-killing needs. Read my review for Zombie Love over at Spooky Little Girl's blog. It was also entertaining, though nothing can compare to NOTLD, and I wouldn't recommend it if you don't like musicals. Tickets for both shows are most likely already sold out, but it never hurts to call and ask.

The Olde Towne Music Hall in El Segundo

I went to their showing of Dracula and loved it. The Mighty Wurlitzer is front-and-center in the theater; before the movie we heard everything from traditional, carousel-style organ music to a cover of the Beatles. It's a treat, and a glimpse at a simpler time. Every Halloween weekend they show the original silent Phantom of the Opera, and the organ is played as the score to the movie. Personally, I never need to see anything Phantom ever again, but if I hadn't seen it recently, I'd go just for the live music. It's a cheap evening too - tickets are $8 and concessions are about $2 each.

The Dia de los Muertos event at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

I understand that it gets crazy-busy, so if you can manage the horde, you'll love the altars, the Day of the Dead processional, and beautiful costumes. Tickets are $10, parking is non-existent. It's an L.A. tradition, so maybe the chaos is worth it.

Old Towne Haunt in Pasadena

When I visited, it was great - truly scary. The Old Towne Haunt doesn't have the same quantity of mazes as a theme park haunt, but they make up for it by scaring the crap out of you for the 15-20 minutes that you're there. They find clever ways to breathe new life into their mazes, and the scare-actors are usually pretty dedicated. Tickets are $14, and there's a front-of-line pass for $19.

Zombie Joe's theater in North Hollywood

Currently showing Attack of the Rotting Corpses. I haven't seen this particular show, but I like the small theater, and the I-could-die-here vibe that I got when the doors were closed and the lights went out. There's artwork on display in the lobby, and concessions are cheap. Tickets are $15.

There are also lots of lovingly-crafted home haunts - and there are even probably a few in your neighborhood - but it takes some looking to find them. If you want to stick close to home and you don't want to pay a lot of money, I recommend searching your city's website, and these sites:

Alley Cat Scratch - they meticulously list haunts from Burbank to San Juan Capistrano. I'm sure you can find something on that site that is in your neck of the woods.

HauntedHouse.com - they also have a list of many of the smaller attractions. Use the top navigation if you're not in CA.

If you don't like my suggestions, here are a few reviews from my friend Spooky Little Girl:

Los Angeles Haunted Hayride in Griffith Park; tickets are $25-$60

Reign of Terror in Thousand Oaks; tickets are $13-$20

Or if you just want to stay home and watch a scary/corny movie, don't forget about Elvira on Saturday night, and your Netflix subscription. Netflix Instant has some great movies, with my personal favorites being the old-school monster movies, and the campy classics.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space - a campy tradition. With terrifying clowns.

Dracula A.D. 1972 - a bizarre spin on Dracula that focuses on a group of beatnik kids in England in the 70s.

The Munsters: Season 1 - If you want to make Halloween a light, family affair, you can't go wrong with the Munsters.

Them! - my personal all-time favorite creature feature. It's a classic B-movie that does tend toward hokey-dom, but I think it holds up surprisingly well.

Knott's Haunt 2010 Review

Earlier this month I made my annual pilgrimage to the Knott's Berry Farm Haunt, and I thought this was one of the stronger years. It seemed really tired last year, and many of the mazes were sorely in need of a face lift. It seems like they noticed because there were several great changes to the park. I won't go into great detail about all of the mazes, but there were a few stand-outs.



Sleepy Hollow Mountain: The Log Ride has finally changed themes from the very tired Pyromaniax. It was so exciting to see new decor and monsters! If you're a pumpkin enthusiast, you'll love the dozens of glowing jack-o-lanterns, and the moody, misty woods were perfect for setting a believable Sleepy Hollow theme.

The Labyrinth is always good for pretty things - pretty costumes, pretty decor, and silly, tittering spooks. It's not scary, but it is fun to walk through. The stairs and uneven terrain help with the outdoorsy, fairy forest theme.

Virus Z in Fiesta Plaza. As we were walking through I said It's exactly how I always pictured the Zombie Apocalypse! The maze starts out in an abandoned 1950's-style diner and winds through a zombie-filled suburban town. It wasn't the scariest maze, but it was the most satisfying. How often does something deliver exactly what you'd hoped for?

The Corn Stalkers is a good one for me, but only because I've never seen a real-life corn field. I love the smell of the hay bales that stack up taller than my head; the thought of really being in a spook-filled corn field is plenty of scare for me.

While it is nowhere near the bottom of my list of favorites, I do have to say that Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre was better this year. It didn't make me roll my eyes and sigh the way it did last year.


I just wanna talk! Image courtesy of Knott's.

And a dishonorable mention to the Black Widow's Cavern (Calico Mine Ride). Every year, I cross my fingers and hope that the giant spider in the middle of the cavern will finally move or do something, and I am always disappointed. As a spider-enthusiast, I'm sad to say that it is really time for this one to go. Knott's is pretty good about changing it up, so I hope to see something new in the Calico Mine next fall.

If you've never been to Knott's for the haunt, or if you haven't been in years, but are thinking about it, I think this is a good year to get back into the Haunt Groove. The Virus Z zombie maze alone was worth it for me, and the Sleepy Hollow log ride got me in the mood for the rest of autumn...if it ever shows up.

Zombie defense

It's time to get real and train for the inevitable zombie uprising. The zombies won't take pity on you, and neither will these guys:



UDAZ-DO: The Way of Unarmed Defense Against Zombies

Real zombies at every event!

Learn skills to STAY HUMAN!

I don't know these guys, but I salute their efforts. LA folks - check it out and report back...if you survive.

Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone has a spooky and zombie-filled Halloween tomorrow!


Pumpkins carved by yours truly

If you're looking to make some last minute plans, here are my picks:

The Cellar - Trick or EAT dinner in Fullerton. The menu includes maggots, slaughterhouse drippings, and a graveyard mud souffle. YUM! Dinner is at 6:00pm, $49.99. Make reservations ASAP!

Frankenstein in Love also in Fullerton. I just discovered this a few days ago, and I'm hoping someone will go and report back.

But really, NOTHING could be better than the Night Of The Living Dead play back-to-back with Rocky Horror at the Maverick Theater.

If you feel like battling crowds, you could do the Universal Haunt. Definitely spring for the front-of-line pass!

Or if you just want to stay in and pass out candy to the kids, you could rent Trick 'r Treat. It's visually stunning, and not overly gory, but frankly, a bit disjointed. It's fun to watch, though, and I don't think anyone will be disappointed. Nothing really compares to some of the movies from the Horror Box Set. We've watched The Bat, Carnival of Souls, Night of the Living Dead, Little Shop Of Horrors, and The Last Man on Earth and I find them superior to a lot of recent horror movies. Less gore, more scare!

Don't like any of these suggestions? Check out Alley Cat Scratch. It's the best site for Halloween-y things to do in Southern California.

Have FUN!

Halloween activities around SoCal

If you're living in Southern California, you know there's no shortage of scary Halloween activities this year. But which ones are worth sitting in traffic? Starting with the best, here are my favorites:

#1 Universal Horror Nights (Hollywood)

This haunt has the best production - what else would you expect from a movie magic company? I highly recommend doing the tram tour first. The trams will drop you off in the middle of chainsaw-wielding clowns, a hideous plane crash, and the Psycho house. The uneven terrain and lack of lighting really add to the fear. It's like a monster free-for-all. Some of the mazes are not as strong, but all have fantastic decor and will assault all of your senses. My only complaint is that they really pack people into the mazes; many scares will go to the people in front of and behind you. Check out a longer review here. Tickets range from $35-$56 depending on the day, but they also offer a front-of-the-line pass. Lines get long, so if you can afford it, it's worth it.


#2 Night of the Living Dead at Maverick Theater (Fullerton)

As Homer once said, I love legitimate theater. The only word to describe this play is AWESOME. They do a great job of staying true to the movie - everything about this play is fun and perfect. There are many genuine scares, some painfully ear-splitting screaming, and enough surprises to keep even a non-zombie fan engrossed. This year they're doing a science fiction double feature with NOTLD and Rocky Horror. I haven't had a chance to see Rocky yet, but if it's half as good as NOTLD it will be entertaining. $19 for a single ticket/$30 for the double feature. It's worth every penny.


#3 Sinister Pointe Haunt (Brea)

This year features two mazes - Silent Hill and Fear. This production lacks the glossy, high-budget of Universal, but makes up for it with passion. Both of these mazes are well thought out and work in many scares. The lines are long, so you might want to opt for a front-of-the-line pass, but the wait is worth it. They only allow a few people in at a time so you really get the feeling that you're all alone with the monsters. Having never played Silent Hill, I probably missed a lot of the story behind the decor, but I still enjoyed it. Fear is an interactive maze, meaning that you have to complete tasks to move on. There are even some areas where they will split up your group and you'll each have a different experience. I don't want to spoil any surprises, but I'll just say that I screamed louder and harder from one particular scare than I ever have in my life. The scream was followed by my pounding heart and a lot of expletives. Nice job, pigface! Do both mazes - tickets are $20/$30 for the front-of-the-line pass. Support your local haunts and buy a souvenir photo too.



#4 Haunted Hayride (Calabasas)

This was a fun, but somewhat pricey evening. I felt tickets were a little expensive for 15 minutes of scare. The decorations were great - the small carnival that they put on is straight out of a horror movie. Masked ice-scream vendors, singing disembodied heads, and purple and orange tents really add to the spooky feel of the fair. Guests are loaded on to a hay-lined trailer and towed by tractor. We found out first-hand what happens when the mental hospital patients go missing. The theme didn't always make sense, but there were some good scares and a lot of really dedicated monsters. There was a lot to see including a headless motorcyclist and a truly scary circus. After the 15-20 minute hayride you can go on a ghost story walk. We opted to hang around the carnival and watch the magic show. The blundering magician and his lovely assistant kept us entertained, but I think the show was lost on many of the people at the fair. This is the hayride's first year, and I have no doubt that next year will be even better. Hayride-only tickets are $20-25, Hayride and Ghost Story tickets are $35, VIP tickets are $65. Longer review + ghost story tour here.


#5 Knott's Halloween Haunt (Buena Park)

Knott's Scary Farm is an annual tradition for many other people in Southern California, and I think this was one of their better years, but it doesn't compare to other haunts. The Dia de los Muertos and Terror of London mazes were two of the strongest new offerings that I can recall, but the detail and quality doesn't compare to Universal. Because they, like Universal, pack people into the mazes to keep them moving, the scares don't measure up to those at Sinister Pointe. If you're a die-hard yearly visitor like me, you'll go anyway, but if you're choosing just one haunt to visit this year, opt for Universal. I love Knott's like an old friend, and I will continue to attend their haunts, but walking through mazes like the terrible Uncle Bobo's Big Top of the Bizarre is just disappointing. If you're going to go, I recommend the Pre-Scare dinner for their haunted boo-fet, and the ability to enter the park a half hour early. Tickets are $39.99-$49.99, Boo-fet tickets are $25.00

There are other haunts that we didn't get to like the Queen Mary Shipwreck in Long Beach, the Backwoods Maze in Burbank, or The Empty Grave in Anaheim.

For a fun, but not-so-scary activity, check out the review of Disneyland's Happiest Haunts tour.

Only 7 days until HALLOWEEN!

Disneyland's Happiest Haunts Tour - Review

Mr. O'Lantern and I have been busy ravenously consuming Halloween activities - it's been great! So far we've done Knott's, Universal, the stage production of Night of the Living Dead, a Haunted Hayride, and, most recently, the Happiest Haunts Tour of Disneyland.


Oogie Boogie decides on your prize at the Haunted Mansion Holiday


If you're a Disneyland fan, I highly recommend the Happiest Haunts walking tour. It is a bit pricey at $64 per person (does not include park admission; discount available for APs), but it was SO BUSY at Disneyland on Sunday that it was worth every penny to not have to wait in lines.


Hunting for paranormal activity in California Adventure

The tour begins with your Ghostbuster-esque guide explaining his ghost hunting equipment and handing out an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) device to each person. The devices are really just headsets so that you can better hear the guides, and they don't work that well - I ended up hiding mine in my purse until the end of the tour.

The “ghost noise” hunt took us to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in California Adventure where our group filled an entire elevator. After the ride our second guide – a haunting lady - took over and a told us a few stories about the origins of Halloween. Each guide had a distinct personality and they were VERY dedicated to their characters. Taking this tour will get you on Tower of Terror, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, and Haunted Mansion Holiday. I felt a little guilty about cutting in front of the long lines, but a friend said he was loving all the hate he was feeling since he paid so much for it – ha!


A Dio de los Muertos display in Frontierland

The guides kept switching off, bringing a different feel to each part of the tour. Some of it is a little corny, but it’s always fun, and NO LINES! There’s about an hour between the end of the tour and the start of the verbosely-titled "Halloween Screams: A Villainous Surprise in the Sky!". There is a special fireworks viewing area roped off for the tour guests. They call it an obstructed view since there are trees in front of the castle, but not having to camp out to catch a glimpse of the ghost dog is worth a lesser view. The fireworks were really cool – huge plumes of fire shoot from the castle, Zero hovers around in the sky, and all the best villains come out to play. The music was a little cheesy, but it is Disneyland, so cheesy fireworks music is to be expected. The castle looked lovely painted in spooky light – possibly my favorite fireworks experience yet.


Blinking necklaces identify the tour

The tour promises a haunting keepsake for each guest of the tour. Our first gifts were crazy blinking green necklaces – I think we wore them so tour members could easily be found in the crowds, but they also worked well for making little kids beg their parents for a toy. At the end of each necklace is a “Ghost Relations” key that looks like it might fit a door at the Tower of Terror Hotel. Later we were also given a note of thanks from our guide, and a marshmallow rice crispy treat in the shape of an apple (though it really looked more like a pumpkin or a tomato). No picture, because I devoured mine for breakfast the next day (a healthy choice).


My key and invitation to the fireworks

If you want to see the Disneyland and California Adventure parks decorated for Halloween, but you don’t want to spend hours in line, I recommend this tour. It is about 3 hours long with no food or restroom breaks; go prepared. Call Disneyland to book your tour. We made our reservations about two weeks in advance.