Marilyn Manson — “This is Halloween,” from the album/soundtrack Nightmare Revisited (2008).
How could I not start the week off with this classic? I chose Manson’s version, as it’s my favorite, but here are two alternates you might enjoy!
Panic! at the Disco
Broken Peach
Wednesday 13 and horror go hand in hand. From his days with Maniac Spider Trash, all the way to 2019 and his current band, Wednesday’s subject matter — both lyrically and visually — is always an ode to the macabre.
For this list, I am going to stick to videos from his later days as front man of the band bearing his stage name. Choosing only five was difficult, but here are my picks.
1. “I Walked With a Zombie”
2. “Blood Sick”
3. “Condolences”
4. “What the Night Brings”
5. “Bad Things”
Though it is not a horror-themed video, I had to include this one. I love this song, and I love videos that show live footage and behind-the-scenes clips.
It’s October, which means spooky season, my favorite time of the year! I would have done a lot of horror/Halloween-themed posts if everything hadn’t been so hectic. But alas, that’s life.
With that being said, there are still seven days left until the month’s end, so I have time to get some of my Spooktober ideas uploaded.
My first special post for October is a Top Five list featuring music videos based on horror movies! Over the years, several artists have paid homage to their favorite scary film. The trend is most prevalent in the rock and metal genres, which is appropriate, don’t you think?
And here we go! (These are in no particular order.)
1. “The Kill” – Thirty Seconds to Mars // Based on Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining
2. “Beim Ersten Mal Tut’s Immer Weh” – Oomph! // Based on the psychological thriller Hard Candy, directed by David Slade and starring Ellen Page
3. “Engel” – Rammstein // Based on the snake dance scene in From Dusk Till Dawn
4. “Living Dead Girl” – Rob Zombie // Based on the 1920 silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, with a nod to White Zombie as well
5. “Hell in the Hallways” – Ice Nine Kills // Based on the film adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie
My mom and I spent the majority of the day at the nursing home with my grandmother. There has been no change, except her blood pressure has dropped slightly (no cause for concern, according to Hospice) and they are now having to suction out her throat and esophagus at least two or three times a day. So, please continue praying/sending us positive thoughts, if you would.
In other news, it’s October — my favorite time of the year! (I know we’re already 13 days in, but I’ve been distracted.) I have no idea what I’m going to be for Halloween. I’m leaning toward a variation on Harley Quinn, the girl on the cover of Mindless Self Indulgence’s Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy, or Tim Sköld. I haven’t had the chance to indulge in many horror movies so far; however, my best friend and I have binge-watched “Light as a Feather” on Hulu.
Other highlights of October: it’s finally below 1000 degrees here in Alabama, and my favorite college football team, the Alabama Crimson Tide, is undefeated. Oh, and Alter Bridge is playing a show within two hours of me on the 17th.
Given that this is a music blog, I guess I should mention something about music, huh? Ha! Okay. Here are a few upcoming releases:
I’m trying to schedule some posts in my free time so that my blog isn’t lacking content for consecutive days, or even a full week. I hope to resume the playlist challenge and choose a featured band on the 21st.
I’ve been talking about this for weeks and last night, my two best friends and I got together and recorded the first episode of Horror Chats! Our topic was favorite horror films and subgenres. It’s a little awkward, but I feel like it offers a glimpse into where we’re each coming from.
We’re already discussing our next topic, so head on over and subscribe to my channel! Episode two will be up fairly soon, I hope!
And by the way, if you subscribe to me, I’ll likely subscribe to you. I believe in supporting the community I want to be a part of.
Horror Chats (Ep. 1)
Michael Myers returns this October! Are you ready?
Horror is an interesting genre because there are so many facets. Fear, whether rational or not, is a personal experience. I feel that this gives the writers, directors, etc., of horror films a lot of room in which to play. There are movies I don’t find remotely creepy that scare my friends, and vice versa. So naturally, this list is very subjective.
1. Halloween — (The original one. Rob Zombie’s remake was atrocious.) How can you not love this movie? I watch it every year.
2. Halloween II — They should have stopped with this one. But come on. Trapped in a hospital, unable to fully function because you’re on meds, and people are gradually disappearing around you…
3. Saw — Judge me if you must, I didn’t sleep after I watched it the first time.
4. Scream — Yes, it’s terrible, in a way. Still, it started a string of movies that everyone close to my age watched.
5. Urban Legend — The least lame of those particular slasher films. The premise was actually legitimate. So underrated.
6. The Houses October Built — A mockumentary. Haunted houses, clowns, and a stripper joint where the dancers wear monster masks. Two thumbs up.
7. The Den — Okay, this one bothered me more than it should have. It had that realistic edge, the multiple events that made me say “That could really happen.” I was tense throughout.
8. Fright Night — Again, the original. Not that I don’t love Anton Yelchin, but Chris Sarandon may literally be the sexiest vampire in the history of ever. When he dances with Amanda Bearse in the club… Rawr!
9. Lights Out — It wasn’t exactly scary. However, it was very well done.
10. The Final Girls — In my opinion, not technically a horror film despite being classified as “horror” and “comedy”. With that being said, I adored this movie. It was SO good. Funny and full of feeling, as well as all the 80’s slasher flick staples, this is a must-have in your collection.
I would give The Funhouse Massacre honorable mention. Another movie that embraces the comedic value of horror films, it toed the line of cheesiness rather admirably, without ever crossing into full-on lame. The killers and their methods actually earned a shiver or two.
And that’s it! Most of these can be found on Netflix or Hulu, I believe. And Showtime has been running The Funhouse Massacre into the ground. Pop some popcorn, grab a blanket, and turn off the lights… It’s time to get spooky!
It is October!!!! The weather is cooler, my football team is undefeated, and I’ve already bought some Halloween swag because, let’s be honest, it’s the best holiday. So now it’s time for my Halloween playlist. I didn’t do this last year, but I swear it will be tradition from now on.
First and foremost, I have to include some Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper, because honestly, how can you go wrong with either?
1. Marilyn Manson: “Dope Hat”
2. M. Manson: “Tourniquet”
3. M. Manson: “The Dope Show”
4. Alice Cooper: “Some Folks”
5. Alice Cooper: “The Black Widow”
6. Alice Cooper: “Welcome to My Nightmare”
Now, there are several songs by several bands/artists I put on my previous Halloween playlist that I would still highly recommend. For instance, “Love You to Death” by Type O Negative, and The 69 Eyes’ “Velvet Touch.” You just can’t go wrong with anything that has an eerie, sexy, dark vibe to it.
This year, I have discovered a few more bands/artists I feel must be honored during October.
7. Ghost: “Square Hammer”
8. Ghost: “Missionary Man” (a cover, but I’m obsessed!)
9. Ghost: “Body and Blood”
10. The 69 Cats: “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” (another cover; still a must-have!)
11. Third Realm: “Dance Like You Wanna Die”
12. Third Realm: “Sick Mind”
13. Third Realm: “Invitation to Hell”
14. Amerakin Overdose: “Dead Girl on the Dance Floor”
15. Fever Ray: “The Wolf”
16. Levitika: “Zombie Barbie”
17. Puscifer: “The Undertaker”
18. Tim Skold: “Better the Devil”
19. Tim Skold: “Neverland”
20. Lisa Hannigan: “You Haunt Me”
21. 9 Electric: “Naked”
22. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: “Red Right Hand”
These are simply my recent finds! Add in some Depeche Mode, London After Midnight, and Rammstein, as well. I personally love the gothic industrial genre. Or you can just throw on the Queen of the Damned soundtrack, which I love!
My best friend is a hair and makeup wizard, in my opinion, so I keep asking her to doll me up and take pictures. Lol. Since it is October, our most recent “shoot” was done in Papa Emeritus (Ghost) face paint.
October is my favorite month. I love autumn, and I love all things connected to Halloween: the decorations, the candy, the movies. Oh, and football is still on. (Roll Tide!)
I’ve been lazy with my posts on here. Yes, I post everyday, but it’s just my playlist challenge and the weekly focus (and Let’s Talk Covers, when I remember). I’m going to try to get better, and October gives me plenty to blog about. I already have a couple of posts written 🙂
In other news, Alter Bridge is finally coming to my home state in November. I am so excited! Here’s hoping I get to meet the guys again.
I hope all of you are having a wonderful 2017!
