Dark Entries

I love Bauhaus. "She's in Parties" is one of my favorite songs of all time.

And, truly, the cover art for many of their singles is - for lack of a better word - the best. I would be thrilled to possess physical copies of any or all of the following:


Actually, I do have a 12" vinyl single of "Bela Lugosi's Dead," and it's absolutely glorious. It was purchased at Amoeba in Hollywood for something like $1.99, and it's probably my favorite record out of my entire collection.

Here's my band covering the aforementioned goth classic at a Halloween show a couple years back:

THIS WEEKEND: Shaun of the Dead Zombie Walk & Vamp Con '09

Of note in Los Angeles this weekend, we have a Shaun of the Dead outdoor screening tonight at 7:30 PM. Pre- and post-show festivities include a zombie photo booth, zombie face painting, a zombie costume contest, etc. More details here. (By the way, can anyone figure out exactly where this will take place? It's probably quite obvious, but I'm still groggy from waking up before 10 AM, so help me out!)

Then, on Sunday, I'll be attending the first ever Vampire Con at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood! The convention actually started last night and continues today with a film festival at the New Beverly Cinema, but count on the Henry Fonda to be the site of "celebrity panel discussions, vampire merchandise and contests," and - at night, naturally - Vampirella's Ball (featuring a DJ set from Gary Calamar, who is the music supervisor on HBO's addictive and excellent True Blood). If you're planning to attend, look for the Magnets de los Muertos booth. Mention this blog and you'll get a free bonus gift!

I'll be back with my impressions of Vamp Con early next week.

Magnets de los Muertos

One of my nearest and dearest friends makes magnets for a living; sometimes, she even makes magnets for fun. One day, she presented myself and my better half with - in my opinion - one of the coolest things I'd ever seen:

Zombie magnetic poetry.

You know those magnetic poetry kits you can buy and stick to your fridge so when your friends come over they can make obscene haiku with them? (What? That's what they're for, right?) Yeah, that's what she had made, but with words like horde, plague, damned, braiiiiins, feed, etc. Sounds like it's right up your gleefully macabre alley, doesn't it? Well, prepare to take your magnetic poetry writing skills beyond obscenity and into the realm of the spooky, ghoulish and grotesque, because Magnets de los Muertos has officially launched, and if zombies aren't your thing, you have tons of other options, including:

• Alien
• Axe Murderess
• Haunted House
• Killer Clown
• Pirate
• Robot
• Vampire
• Witch

I have them all, and they're all amazing. Perfect as little gifts, perfect for Halloween, perfect for any fridge or filing cabinet! Order a set today!

(By the way, we'll be at the first annual Vampire Con in Hollywood this Sunday, so stop by and check 'em out if you're planning to attend. More details on the Vamp Con to follow...)

TONIGHT: Spirits With Spirits at the King Edward Saloon

The King Edward Hotel (photo source)

Any ghost enthusiast in the greater Los Angeles area should be familiar with the group GHOULA, or Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles. In addition to occasional extracurricular activities, GHOULA holds meetings on the 13th of every month (called "Spirits with Spirits") at haunted bars, taverns and restaurants around L.A. I've only been attending for a few months myself, but past meeting places have included the Cat and Fiddle on Sunset and the Queen Mary in Long Beach. For August, our haunted locale is downtown, at the King Edward Saloon at 121 E. 5th Street. Here are the details, taken from the GHOULA blog:

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual gathering of regional ghost hunters. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.” All those who attend will receive a free G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have, please wear it so others can find you.

THE DATE: August 13th, 2009 (Thursday)
THE PLACE: The King Edward Saloon
(121 E 5TH St @ Los Angeles St.) map
THE TIME: 8pm to the witching hour

THE GHOST(S):

The King Edward Saloon, a.k.a. The King Eddy Saloon, a.k.a. The King Edward Bar, just might be the oldest bar in Los Angeles (despite Coles's claims), opening their doors for business in 1906. President Theodore Roosevelt (when staying at the adjoining hotel) is said to have frequented this bar after hours (for his safety). Though there have been many changes in the neighborhood, and Prohibition (when its operation moved into the basement), this tavern has endured. It also remains the last survivor of the fabled "skid row bars" of Los Angeles.

This historic bar (even if it is mostly ignored and forgotten) occupies the South-East corner of the even more historic King Edward Hotel, designed by Parkinson and Berstorm (Parkson later designed many L.A. landmarks, including Union Station, City Hall, and Bullocks Wilshire). When this building first opened it not only proudly boasted that all the materials that went into the construction orginated from Los Angeles, but that due to its unique design was "absolutely fire-proof."

Those features aside, this saloon has another reason to brag. It is home to one of the great archetypal ghosts of America, the "vanishing hitchhiker." This apparition/urban legend has been seen in some form all over the United States (the most famous one being "Resurrection Mary" outside of Chicago), and even locally different versions of this story have been connected to the San Fernando Mission and Mulhulland Drive.

The Kind Eddy's version of this tale is that an awkward woman (possibly inebriated) introduces herself to a male patron at closing, and asks for a ride to her home in the Belvedere Garden section of East Los Angeles. The man, either with the best or worst intentions, agrees and even offers his coat to the shivering woman. On route, she demands that the driver pull over at the Evergreen Cemetery, where she mysteriously jumps out of the car and disappears into the dark grave yard. When the driver goes to look for her (and his jacket), he finds that she has completely vanished into thin air. As he leaves, he notices his jacket draped over a tombstone bearing the same name as the one she gave.

Is this ghost story a true haunting? Is it just another urban legend? Or, is it a hoax perpetuated by a woman with a sick sense of humor? Go to the the King Edward Saloon and find out for yourself.

Etsy's Halloween Preview

You're probably already somewhat familiar with Etsy, the online repository for all things homemade. Although I've spent some time ogling, I've never actually ordered anything...but I think that's about to change. Almost everything featured in their Halloween Preview is seriously awesome. For example:

Instant Cemetery Display, complete with 16 hand-drawn tombstonesSlit Throat Choker (with matching blood drop earrings, sold separately!)Ouija Board Pendant - love the dangling planchette

Other notable items include (but are certainly not limited to) delicious-looking Pumpkin Chocolate Truffles, Skeleton Hand Barrettes, Poe-inspired "Nevermore" gift tags, Pumpkin Juice soap (Harry Potter fans represent!), a bat necklace that would do Lily Munster proud, and even a "Spider Witch" ball gown featuring an orange strapless dress adorned with an elegant spiderweb and a huge black spider perched on the shoulder.

Coraline (2009)

Speaking of spooky gateway drugs, an excellent animated movie that came out earlier this year was recently released to DVD, and I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already. Coraline is the tale of a lonely little girl who finds a portal to a parallel universe of sorts and learns just how much truth there is in that old adage, "Be careful what you wish for." It's based on a book by Neil Gaiman, and although I'm not familiar with the source material, I did read some Gaiman in high school, and I was particularly fond of the Sandman comics and his novel Neverwhere. I think this film does a great job of capturing his trademark blend of playful whimsy and creepy/fantastic atmosphere. I highly recommend the 3D version, which was pretty spectacular when I saw it in theaters (I can't attest to how well the effect will translate on DVD, unless you're fortunate enough to have a really, really large television...or a private screening room). The best endorsement that I can give this movie is to pass along an opinion that I heard that this is basically a "horror move for kids." Still, I think you're likely to enjoy it regardless of age - but if you can pass it along to a little one and help foster a love of creepiness, so much the better!

When the Crypt Goes Creak and the Tombstones Quake...

So Mark and Brian over at KLOS recently held a contest for a family to win the chance to spend a night in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion - a first in the history of the park.Now, the lucky winners have been chosen, and they'll be spending the night in the Stretching Room this Sunday. Fortunately for the rest of us, the family patriarch has set up a blog to document their experience. Here's what they know about what's in store for them so far: "We’ve been warned that there are surprises to be expected….creaking doors, rattling chains, 'maybe' some visitors in the middle of the night." If you're as jealous as I am, you'll surely want to bookmark that page and check it out again on Tuesday!

Gift Idea: Spooky Soaps

Looking for a great gift idea? Allow me to recommend these spooky soaps from Villainess...

Arsenic & Old Lace

Smells Like: "Sweet black cherry tarts with warm, clinging honeymusk and a soft wisp of old-fashioned perfume - roses, honeysuckle, gardenia and chamomile."

Bathory

Smells Like: "The cloying sweetness of a covetous lust for misspent youth, offset by a geriatric touch of rose and carnation, and underscored by a malevolent insinuation of sandalwood."

And, of course, Blood

Smells Like: "A full-bodied spiced Merlot grounded in dry fig and inspired by a ripe bouquet of berries. "

There are others, of course, with similarly awesome names, but these are my favorites. (Based on names, product descriptions and packaging, mind you - I haven't actually smelled any of these yet, although I have sampled other soaps from this company.) Bonus: They are surprisingly inexpensive! I think these would make lovely hostess gifts throughout the entire month of October...or any time, really, as long as you have the right hostess!

Ghost Adventures Lockdown: Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Excellent news for those of us waiting for an update on the forthcoming Ghost Adventures 7-hour live event mentioned here: We now have a location! According to the GA Official Fan Site, the lockdown will take place on Friday, October 30th at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia.

Built during the Civil War, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV, is the second largest, hand-cut stone building in the US, second only to the Kremlin in the world. For decades its massive walls housed the insane, the neglected and the unwanted. Patient-on-patient violence was common. Inmates were subjected to brutal medical procedures. The asylum was finally shut down in 1994 and stands empty today.

Even while operational, there were much reported paranormal activity in the asylum's 2-1/2 miles of corridors. Visitors were grabbed from behind and dragged into rooms. Mysterious figures darted through walls. Today, those brave enough to venture inside report hearing the incoherent screams of the insane.

Ghost Adventures will have unprecedented access to the entire asylum from the seclusion cells where the most violent patients were shackled to the medical center where hundreds of primitive ice-pick lobotomies were performed.

As always the team will be padlocked inside the facility, unable to escape as they record their experiences.

So excited! I'm particularly pleased that the broadcast will take place on the 30th, rather than the 31st - because who wants to stay home all night on Halloween, especially a rare Halloween-on-a-Saturday!?

(It's also worth mentioning that, if you live anywhere near WV, the asylum appears to offer ghost tours year-round, as well as special Halloween activities including a Fall Fest, a Witches Ball and a haunted house - called "The Asylum," natch. Definitely worth checking out - visit the website for more info.)

Scooby Doo, Spooky Gateway Drug?

As I sit here watching a weekend-long marathon of vintage Scooby Doo episodes on the Cartoon Network, I have to ask: How many of my fellow spooky enthusiasts grew up watching Scooby Doo, Where Are You? For obvious reasons, it seems like Scooby Doo was (and, hopefully, remains) a real gateway drug to the macabre for the young and impressionable. How many of us watched episode after episode, loving the heady blend of '70s kitsch, spooky/supernatural themes, random stoner jokes and slapstick cartoon comedy, hoping and praying that - just this once - the gang would find a real monster under that sheet or behind that mask instead of old Mr. Jenkins, the amusement park caretaker or old Mr. Carruthers, crooked real estate developer? I can't be the only one!

Unfortunately, if you're over the age of 8 or so, you'll find that Scooby Doo starts to get repetitive pretty fast. (That's why they need a constant stream of guest stars to liven things up! Phyllis Diller and the Harlem Globetrotters, anyone?) Still, I'll always love Scooby for stoking the fires of my love affair with spookiness. I'll just try to overlook later atrocities, like Scrappy Doo, and the regrettable live action movies starring Mr. and Mrs. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, Matthew Lillard and a really poorly executed CGI Scooby.

Zoinks! No thanks. I think I'll also avoid the live action "Scooby Doo Origins" movie they're pimping on Cartoon Network - I mean, Fred doesn't even have blonde hair! What's that about?! In the meantime, however, I'm happy to relive my childhood with this little marathon. Anyone else share my affection for Scoob?