“Insane in the Samhain” 2013: 31 Days of Horror!

October 1st! I can hardly believe this is the last day of September, but time travels quickly at Fall’s first signs. October is my favorite month of the year. Being a huge fan of horror, that comes as no shock, but it’s not just about being horrified. Fall is a great time to be outside with your friends and family. Lazy strolls down leaf-covered paths can’t be that far removed from Heaven can it? The low-hanging sun adds a copper-orange color to these days, one that doesn’t hang around for long, eventually vanishing before November comes to an end.

Halloween is a great time to be outside with your camera. Local graveyards, churches, orchards, these everyday places take on a magical glow through the lens of a camera. Haunted attractions are plentiful, popping up in every size town across the state. Some are better than others; remember it’s all at your fingertips, don’t blow your cash. Ghost walks and local paranormal research groups offer amateur ghost hunting expeditions, and usually with the relative comfort of being Zak Bagan‘s free. Usually.

Christmas people, despite the similar traits, don’t seem to get Halloween people. Every Christmas person knows what it means to say magic is in the air. It practically accumulates with winter snow. The same goes for Halloween. I know it all goes back to my childhood, that amazing time when your impressionable young mind only needs a spark to ignite a lifelong passion. Somewhere in the events of my youth, a perfect mixture presented itself. Trips to the five and dime store, gazing at the colorful costumes, my Dad taking me to see John Carpenter’s Halloween, the gray skied days in my hometown, my  sidewalk lined with pumpkins and mums, articulated skeletons hanging from the front and back door; all of it congealed and formed the core of one of my dominant loves.

How much do I love it? Enough to get up every single day and have something to share on this website. I crank out a lot of horror movie reviews, horror news, television reviews, craft beer reviews, and metal; not because I have to, but because I love to. Making money from advertising is a nice perk, but I would still work pro bono every week. I’ve lost money due to my unwillingness to decorate this place with garish banner ads and the like. I feel like that’s doing it for the wrong reasons and I would rather keep my integrity. I started this place as a fun, creative outlet, and see no reason to change that formula. Money is great as long as it fits my parameters.

Check in often this month for virtual horror overload. I’ll be reporting all the big horror news for the month, cranking out OVER 31 new and retro horror movie reviews. The Walking Dead season four begins 10/13, and I’ll be providing reviews (not recaps) every Sunday night. American Horror Story: Coven begins 10/9 and you can count on Wednesday night reviews. Fall produces a lot of killer pumpkin and seasonal brews; a lot of shitty beers come down the pike as well – tune in and learn which to steer clear of. I’ll be back at the supremely haunted Bobby Mackey’s Music World in Wilder, KY. Plenty of photos and potential dark energy to report back with. Even Sister Roboto will be in on that trip.

Like metal? Me too. I’ll have a new Q&A interview with Dave Wyndorf of the iconic Monster Magnet. I’ll also be shooting and reviewing a Halloween Night concert with Clutch and The Sword. Looking for nostalgia pieces, weird haunting write ups? I got that. Just stop by every single day in October, probably several times a day to play it safe. Well, kids, the insanity starts tomorrow, I better rest up. Thanks to all the visitors, comments, burgeoning nerd on nerd relationships, and general jackassery that makes this such a fun gig for me. Have fun and don’t take any candy from Dusty.