Author: edtwilley

edtwilley
Audio

The Black Widow

TRACK #82:

The Black Widow by Alice Cooper

Vincent Price is awesome. I’m not really sure how else to put it. I could use words like “extraordinary,” or “singular,” or even “eminent,” but they all just sound like “awesome” to me.

Another, even more appropriate word, might be “iconic.” Having starred in over 40 genre pictures, Mr. Price, though not exclusive to horror (having appeared in almost 200 film and television productions) has left his indelible mark on the world of the macabre.

Simply anchoring some of my all-time favorite horror films, including The House on Haunted Hill, The Masque of the Red Death, and The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Vincent Price already equals horror. And that’s not even mentioning The Tingler, The Raven, Last Man on Earth, House of Wax, A Comedy of Terrors, The Pit and the Pendulum, Twice Told Tales, Witchfinder General orThe Fly.

You get the idea.

Even outside the sphere of horror, Price still owns my loyalty, adding his distinctive flare to Egghead, one of my favorite villains from one of my favorite TV shows ever, the old Batman series.

Again, that’s not even to speak of his radio work, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo, his Sears-Roebuck sponsored Fine Art Collection, The Great Mouse Detective, Laura, Dead Heat, Edward Scissorhands, and this absolutely insane album of him talking about witchcraft and the demons. I’ll type that again just in case your breezed passed it: Vincent Price recorded a 90 minute spoken word album all about witchcraft and it’s fucking incredible.

His credits even include a stint on Hollywood Squares. Seriously?

Seriously.

So iconic is Vincent that he appears on the Shindig at least 3 times without any intervention from my sampling hand. You wanna spook up a track, you tapped Vincent for that little extra something sinister. Never a bad decision.

The first example of this is from none other than Alice Cooper, no stranger to the sinister himself. Price leads in Track 82, The Black Widow from Cooper’s 1975 album Welcome to My Nightmare.

As if that wasn’t enough, Price also starred in the corresponding television special which followed the album entitled Alice Cooper: The Nightmare, where he reprises this monologue, in perfect Price fashion, almost identically.

Vincent Price may have passed, but among horror fans he will live on forever, ritualistically resurrected with each push of the play button. And as for the Shindig, his extraordinarily singular and eminent voice can be heard all over it.

 

Audio

Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors)

TRACK #81:

Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors) by Michelle Weeks, Tichina Arnold and Tisha Campbell-Martin with Bill Mitchell

It’s a bit crazy to think we’ve made it 80 tracks into a horror themed playlist without including anything from one of the most beloved horror musicals of all time, Little Shop of Horrors.

I’ll be honest, I don’t care for musicals, generally speaking. They’re unnatural, disorienting and show tunes really aren’t my bag. Why is everyone singing all of a sudden? Am I on drugs? What’s going on up there? What world is this where random strangers are all suddenly singing, and well?

It’s never happened to me.

Granted, I’ve never been attacked by a mummy, either. Nor have I ever seen a Ghoulie in my toilet. But it could happen. I can imagine that world.

I can not, for one moment, imagine a world where all of my friends and I are having a conversation at a diner, then suddenly and for no apparent reason, we all burst out into song to detail plot points, describe feelings or externalize inner monologues through music.

So infectious is our glee that all the waiters and line cooks join in on the number, until our mirth can no longer be contained by the diner itself! We spill out into the streets and stop traffic. A crossing guard and truck driver add a verse. The whole of the town gather behind us in harmony, until finally a car careens into a fire hydrant and an urban geyser punctuates our final note! Then we just start talking again like normal people, without even acknowledging whatever the fuck that nonsense was that just happened.

Can’t picture that ever happening.

I can more easily imagine a cult of satanists rushing the door with an ancient amulet demanding the hostess be sacrificed over a plate of moons over my hammy. I’m prepared for that. I think I could handle that, mentally. I think an impromptu and unacknowledged musical number would fuck me up. I don’t know if I could move passed that. Maybe that makes it more horrific.

That being said, there are a few musicals I can enjoy, mostly because of their genre leanings or satiric nature. Rocky Horror, Cannibal: The Musical, and Little Shop of Horrors all have just the right amount of je ne sais quoi that allows me to get passed that unnatural sensation, and enjoy the musical as I believe it should be, without all my logical, earth-bound hang-ups.

So, in that spirit, we return to the Shindig after a long hiatus with the title track from Little Shop of Horrors. Enjoy!

 

Monster Makers: Graham C. Schofield

Monster Makers: Graham C. Schofield

Professional Make-up artist, mold-maker, teacher, sculptor, painter, voice-over actor, impressionist, part time science-scientist and full time weirdo, Graham C. Schofield is one bizarre dude.

From Man-Thing to life-casting, from materials to methods, from ghost removal to the canopies of Old India and from The Twilight Zone to The Twilight Zone, Graham’s a guy who can drop some serious knowledge bombs on the Hiroshima in your head. Don’t let em do this. At least not without a little preparation.

Graham also happens to be a really good friend of mine, a Halloweener for life and a huge fan of The Shindig. +3 to relevance.

What’s more? All you gorehounds can catch a glimpse of this madman in action as a cast member of the newest season of Face/Off.

Tune in each week to see the strange creations of Graham and company Tuesdays @ 9/8c on the Syfy Channel.

If your gratification is a bit more immediate, you can head down to the International Make-Up Artists Trade Show  in Los Angeles today, where Graham and fellow Make-Up artist and Face/Offer Corinne Foster will be demonstrating a silicone prosthetic application on none other than my girlfriend Rachel.

You can check out more of Graham’s work @ GCSFX.com or hear the sound of his ridiculous voice @ realiveradio.com.

But, let’s be honest. All I really care about is this; What’s his favorite Shindigger? Well, while it’s hard to speak for a man like Graham, I can say with confidence he’d probably select Track 3: Halloween by King Diamond. Though I’m sure Whodini’s Haunted House of Rock might take a close second.

Be sure to check out this season of Face/Off for some bold and extreme nonsense from Mr. Graham.

Now, as my lawyer he advises you to take 2 hits from the little brown jar in his bag. Not too much though. Just a taste.

State of The Shindig Address

Well Weeners, it’s been about a year now since The Shindig’s first posts, so lets take a look at some stats:

  • 80 tracks into the playlists. Slacking a little here, in my opinion.
  • 592 followers. Not too shabby, though it was 596 the other day.
  • 382 posts. Pretty good. That’s an average of 1.05 a day.
  • 180 original gifs posted. That’s a rough number though, since the hard-drive died, it was tricky just getting that number.
  • 23,706 notes! That’s the most for a single Shindig post. And it’s reigning camp Sir Crypts-A-Lot. People still givin’ that gif love.

Hopefully some of you have enjoyed my ramblings, had a few laughs, reblogged some gifs to spruce up your page, maybe discovered a couple new haunted hits to work into your Halloween rotation and learned something along the way.

I know the posting’s fell off a bit as of late, but as previously stated, we’re not even halfway through this playlist yet, so you can expect more Shindiggery to come.

And remember…there’s only 330 days till Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. 330 days till Halloween…Silver Shamrock!

Keep followin’ and rebloggin’ Weeners and I’ll keep posting.

– HS

Oct. 31st: Halloween (1978)

Though over listed and a decidedly cliched choice, for the purpose of this list, of course John Carpenter’s classic has to take the pole position.

Though I give much love and respect to it’s Yuletide predecessor and inspiration Black Christmas, I still feel Halloween does it better. It is hands down my favorite slasher film and one of my favorite horror films period.

Effectively and methodically paced, Michael’s rookie outing is awash in strange glows and Halloween energy. And the music, not simply the theme (which is great) but all the incidental scoring throughout is eerie and seminal horror business.

The Shape had many sequels and imitators, but nothing holds a jack-o-lantern’s candle to this true American original. And it’s all on Halloween.

Many years have I watched this film on Halloween night and it’s never been a bad decision. Simply watching this film any night is never a bad decision, but from a young age, into my teenage and adult years, Halloween still makes Halloween feel like Halloween.

So, Happy Halloween tumblr.

Oct. 30th: The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror (1990 – Present)

No TV show has celebrated Halloween so consistently, so effectively or so happily as The Simpsons. With their annual Treehouse of Horror episode, featuring 3 vignettes typically parodying genre films, the Simpsons (for me, growing up) equaled Halloween.

The show was a huge part of my youth, and the Halloween specials something I desperately looked forward to seeing. Which movies would they spoof this year? When will it air? What new horrors and laughs lie in wait? These episodes allowed me to both revel in my love of Halloween and further reinforced that love in equal measure.

At one point in time, some of the only samples on the playlist were from The Simpsons Halloween Specials. Over the years, I’ve slowly replaced a good many of them, but some have been left in tact, leading in the same songs as they always did.

I’ve hosted parties where I had whatever episodes existed at the time just running in loops. Other years I’ve spent my Halloween night watching as many as I had.

Some of them (namely 4, 5 and 6) are among my favorite episodes of the entire series. And though, like the show itself, they have long passed their peaked, and grown weaker it seems with each passing year, I still enjoy watching the new ones all the same. I must concede however, that they don’t quite inspire the same giddy Halloween excitement in me as they did in my youth.

While the watching of any 4 Treehouse of Horrors would essentially constitute the length of a movie, I would suggest marathoning the first 12 for a good 4 hour dose of Halloween awesomeness.

Homer reciting Poe, Burns playing Frankenstein and Dracula, The evil Krusty doll, Mulitiple Twilight Zone spoofs, Kang and Kodos, Willie as Freddy, Homer as The Omega Man, Bart as The Fly! So many great Halloween horror moments await you.

Nostalgia rant ceasing. Happy 30th everybody.

Oct. 29th: Night of the Demons (1988)

One of my absolute favorites, this one has slipped in and out of my Halloween night top spot over the years, and for a multi-feature Hallows Eve marathon, it’s a sure-fire selection.

This awesome late 80’s gore-fest has everything you want for a Halloween Movie:

  • An awesome title sequence with a great theme
  • A plot that takes place entirely on Halloween
  • A Halloween party as its main event
  • A haunted and abandoned house as its main setting
  • Demon possession
  • Drinking and bad decisions
  • A sexy and possessed goth chick dancing to Bauhaus
  • A naked Linnea Quigley shoving lipstick in her nipple
  • Fun gore and Special FX
  • A great soundtrack
  • Obnoxious and memorable horror victims
  • Choice one-liners
  • A crotchety old prick who hates Halloween
  • And enough Halloween ambiance to satiate all of the 31st’s requirements.

Weirdo goth girl Angela is throwing a Halloween party at the infamous and abandoned Hull House. Sounds like a deal, so even the squares decide it might be a lark.

Unfortunately for them, Angela’s party agenda happens to include a seance. Probably not the best idea in Hull House on Halloween, the night where all the creepy things are suppose to stalk the earth.

Though seemingly a dud, the seance works, and soon a torrent of Halloween hell rains down on everyone involved.

Classic 80’s horror on display here. If you’ve never seen Night of the Demons, this is the year. Wait for the 31st, imbibe the poison of your choice, sit back and let the Halloweeniness possess you.

Triple feature all 3 Night of the Demons for an extra Halloweeny evening.

Oct. 28th: Trick ‘R Treat (2008)

When it comes to straight up Halloween atmosphere, no movie quite kicks you in the pumpkins with it like 2008’s Trick ‘R Treat. It just may win the prize for most Halloweeny movie ever. Dunno if that title is ultimately subjective or actually quantifiable. Either way, this ones definitely being considered.

Playing like the Pulp Fiction of horror, Trick ‘R Treat weaves 4 Halloween yarns together, all on our night of All Hallo’s.

I’ll be honest, I can do without the Werewolf girls, I find the story drags a bit, with a pretty telegraphed reveal, but the other 3 stories are top-notch Halloween tales.

While not without its faults, it’s great fun, with more pumpkins and trick or treating than any other movie to date. Try not getting amped about Halloween watching this movie, I dare you.

I had heard about it’s troubled release and was sad it to find out it wasn’t going to get its day in the theaters. I was pretty stoked when it was finally released on DVD and was able to bathe in its orange glow, thinking “finally another awesomely Halloweeny Halloween movie.”

Oct. 27th: Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Despite being the Michael-less entry, this bizarre and underrated installment trumps them all in the Halloween department.

It’s a definite must somewhere in the Halloween week. If you’ve never caught this entry, or have passed on it based on poor reviews or its non-canonical status, give it a shot this year, especially around Halloween.

It is by no means a flawless film, and its pretty rough around the edges, but it has a lot going for it, particularly if you’re in the need of a hefty dose of Hallo’s Eve atmosphere.

Initially, Carpenter wanted the franchise to be this; a different Halloween-themed film for each yearly “Halloween” installment. It’s a great concept, and had this film come 2nd, been a little better and done better critically and at the box office, it probably could have worked. Oh well, I suppose.

Essentially, mad Celtic Druids create face melting masks and peddle them to the public in an attempt to carry out the greatest single mass-sacrifice of children in history. Alright, sounds like a plan, Old Man from Robocop

If that’s not enough to sell you, how bout tons of Halloween ambiance, a fantastic synth-laden score from Carpenter and Howarth, Tom Atkins, masks, trick or treating in spades, some sex, dudes dumping latex into hydro-cal molds and that classic commercial jingle. Holy Samhain!

3 more days till Halloween, Halloween, Halloween. 3 more days till Halloween, Silver Shamrock!

Oct. 25th: Ernest Scared Stupid (1991)

Long-time followers are sure to know of my love of Jim Varney, Ernest P. Worrell and this movie.

One of my favorite Halloween movies of all-time, Ernest Scared Stupid has definitely made its way into a Halloween night triple feature on more than one occasion. Sometimes though it just gets an October viewing. Either way, it’s a prime selection and an October must.

Unfortunately, Ernest mania (was that ever even a thing?) was waning by ‘91, and the movie didn’t fair too well at the box office, or with critics. It was the last Ernest outing to be released by Touchstone Pictures and Ernest was not long for the theatrical world, finding his subsequent, independently produced and inferior efforts heading for the video market.

Which is a shame, because this is honestly my favorite, and while I’m not sure it’s “better” the Ernest Goes to Camp, I think it’s the most enjoyable, and superior to both Saves Christmas and Goes To Jail, but that’s just me. I’m a die-hard Halloweener.

This is family Halloween fair at its best with Ernest ineptly battling a gaggle of awesome Chidio-made trolls. It’s fun, funny and above all chock full of Halloweeniness. So how ‘bout a bumper sandwich, booger lips!?