An Unorthodox Halloween – Page 96

Guild Wars

When I’m not building wierdo crap for Halloween, you’ll likely find me on the computer.

And, one of my favorites remains Guild Wars. Originally, I gravitated towards Guild Wars as it was one of the few games that my (at the time) dial up connection could actually allowe me to play. But as time has gone on, the whole casual nature of the game continues to draw me back. I take breaks where I don’t play it for months on end, but always come back to it. No fee, no deletions for inactivity, no penalties, everything just the way I left it. More should follow this example of online play.

So, I’ve been playing it since 2005, and have consistantly bought the chapters as they came out, and even bought a few extras on my account. Still, it was this last year that Guild Wars was truly inspiring.

I had started making skulls early in the year last year, and had already decided they would be thrust up on stakes. However, the prevailing image going into September was 100 skulls on top of 100 stakes.

This was brought about, largely by the original, original idea I had for the whole yard that I’ld have different animal skulls up on stakes, and the collection would just grow year by year. Switch animal for human, and add in a brief scene from “The Fountain” that depicted the same in front of a Mayan Temple, and we were heading down that path. Every skull up on top.

Then September hit. I was mostly wrapped up with Halloween preparation, and Guild Wars had recently released it’s Eye of the North expansion. So, with a little free time, I set out and started playing. A couple weeks later, I walked into the following cave.

It was beautiful. In a totally Halloween kind of way.

I walked around the place, literally, for 20 minutes, staring, examining, and taking pictures.

“The Fountain” had nothing on the visuals here.

It was here. A few poles scattered in this cavern, impaling human skulls that the vision for my own yard changed for the better.

I had to get to work to IMPALE the skulls, not just casually set them on top. Suddenly, a casual leadup to Halloween became real busy again, and I had to leave Guild Wars once more to get to work on Halloween. Fortunately, Guild Wars, as always, is forgiving and would not punish me for leaving.

And, for a few nights prior to the big night there when we light the torches, we even lit it up in homage to that cavern in Guild Wars

Crappy Movie Friday nights.

It’s been going on for several years now.

“Fear Friday” they prefer to call it. A nice horror movie double feature.

AMC runs a couple horror movies every Friday night. I like to call it “Extremely crappy movie Fridays”. Because, normally, that’s what they are.

Most people would assume a Halloween nutjob like myself would simply love horror movies. Myself, I find most horror movies to be utter crap. Especially newer ones. But,usually, they are the kind of films that are so bad, you have to laugh at them. And who knows, you might see something to make for Halloween in one.

You can count on AMC to dredge up some utter crap to show most friday nights. This past weekend, however, they did get a little gem in “Christine”. Not that it’s GOOD, really, just that it wasn’t total crap. Fairly decent for a Steven King film. Of course they followed it up with what has to be the worst of the Halloween films: Halloween: The Curse of Micheal Myers. THAT’s more like it AMC. There’s what I’m used to.

Of course, FMC on the other hand got it down good this weekend. Alien and Aliens. Both special editions with the deleted scenes. Alien remains a personal favorite. Memories of many a sleepless night on that one. Aliens can’t really be called a horror movie. More action film fun.

Even TNT got in on the act this weekend showing King Kong. (Over and over) Most complaints on the new rendition are that they take too long getting to the island. Personally, I think they got the lead up stuff done perfect. Especially all the references to the original film. This is needed backstory. What needs to be cut is most the scenes on the island. The bugs scene goes way too long, as does the Trex fight. But, still, a good return of the classic monster movie. And, well done monster movies are horror films I DO actually enjoy.

Good movie weekend, really.

And I look to see AMC has us some real winners coming this weekend.

Puppetmaster followed by The She Creature. That’s one Extremely Crappy Movie Friday Night!

One man’s junk…

Boy, do I love the swap meet.

For those that don’t know, there’s a swap meet down at the drive-in every Saturday and Sunday. Think flee market, or a whole bunch of garage sales rolled into one location. Saturday is really not too exciting, most folks go on Sunday. And, it’s become a tradition for me, the boys, and Talia to go down and peruse over what people have laid out. We usually meet up with my parents and wander around.

This past weekend was the first REAL opportunity we’ve had this year, due to weather.

Walked away with a case of Loctite Power Grab. This stuff is KEY to my being able to build halloween stuff. Years ago, we bought some at the old house to fix some paneling on the shower that was coming off. So, we found this stuff in a “tub and surround” format, and figured it would do the job.

Nope. Humidity kept it wet for a week, and we ended up using a competitive product instead. So here I was with a half a tube of the stuff when my uncle found the little bone that’s now atop my staff. I was wondering how to attach the thing, looking around at what I had available, and there was this half a tube of crap, may as well use it up, it worked great for adhering the bone to the wood.

A year later, I’m making the pelvis bone mask, and needed to build a top piece to make it fit my head and allow me to glue a wig on. Power grab worked so well on the staff, why not here? I discovered you could manipulate the stuff quite well if you got your fingers wet, mold it, push it around.

It was the following year we pushed it to the limits. A cow skull, some screen to fill in gaps, a couple tubes of power grab, and a bucket of water.

Blends right in with the bone…
Even sculpted large sections of the thing with the stuff.

All in all, it turned out much different than the original design idea, but quite well at the same time. Made as a response to too many wee ones being too scared by the first mask, this one was a bit too far the other way and no one was really scared.

We tried again to use it for it’s intended purpose when we remodeled the kids’ bedrooms. Figured maybe it just wasn’t cut out to be in a bathroom setting. Tried to put a simple piece of moulding up. No luck.

But, it takes paint really well. Last year’s mask was made of not but some clay covered in this power grab. Shown here in a rare work-in-progress stage with a lower jaw piece that never quite made it. We couldn’t get the latex to dry fast enough to have it attached to my face. It looked fine just the upper part, however.

So, walking away with an entire case of the stuff for less than half price was a major victory. I can’t blame someone for getting rid of the stuff either. My experience is it really is nothing but high quality white glue. It’s intended use as a construction material is highly suspect in my opinion. However, as a craft glue, it’s great. I’ve even got some sloshing around in the garage as I attempt to get a recipe for paper mache out of the stuff, and it’s looking QUITE promising.

The other major victory came in the form of some old bottles. Dirty, crusty, old, bottles. Normally these sell for $1 a piece at the swap meet as they are collectibles. I got a whole box, more than a dozen for $2. I’m not collecting them for any normal display, but rather for an idea that is a year or two away from fruition yet. “The lemonade stand from hell” as one person put the idea. But, more on that at a later time.

Also, a small personal triumph. After struggling for a couple days, I managed to fiddle with some HTML crap and get a working countdown clock up in the corner there, instead of having to link to someone else’s. I’ve always preferred the mysterious clock rather than stating the obvious “till halloween” after. I get questioned every year what the sign in the yard is for. Always makes me smile when someone has to ask.

Castle of Chaos…

Spring Scare time. Love this time of year. Always get a little something to wash away the cute bunnies and flowers.

Myself, Kyle, and Alec headed down to Castle of Chaos this year. Having never been there before, and having read VERY mixed reviews of the place, I was a bit nervous about it.

First of all, I can understand why so many people dislike the place. Castle of Chaos, it turns out, is not your run of the mill haunted house. And, the complaints read that it was too short, or not scary enough. Well, it’s as long or short as you want it to be. And, there are 3 different haunts here, only one of which is designed to be ‘scary’. The other two are about giving you a story, around a ‘scary’ setting.

Now, to those thinking I’m nuts taking a 5 year old along. This is the kid who at the age of two, helped me build a dummy, knowing exactly what pieces meant to go where, and then wanted to make it “scariest”. This is all very natural to him, and he understands it’s all people in costume.

Thus, walking up on the street, we come up to this couple of scary folk. Alec marches up to the tall one “What’s your name?” The axe wielding maniac answers “his name is skippy.” “Hi Skippy, my name’s Alec”. Pose for pictures, shake his big boney hand, and in we go.

Now, I had decided it best to avoid the “Xtreme terror” haunt, and focus on the other two with the kids. And, after getting our tickets, we went into a waiting room. There was a large crowd gathered for the Vampire Mystery, so we went to “3D terror” first.

So, predictably, we get some 3d glasses (“Safety goggles”) to go into this top secret lab, where there are a doctor and 2 assistants performing experiments.

The 3D art was pretty cool, and we round a corner into the doctor’s chamber. Tubes running everywhere, wierdo things floating in jars, this green and orange paint on everything, the orange looking like it’s floating thanks to the glasses. And in the center, a big dentist chair covered in 3d effects.

Predictably, Alec is chosen as the guinee pig. “Hop up in the chair”

“OK!” Climbs in. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Dr Stitches, and we’re going to do an experiment on you that will extend your life 300 years. Of course there are certain side effects. Minor skin…discoloration” As he’s pulling these BIIIIG needles off a tray. 3d effects and all.

Alec: “Are you going to kill me?”

“I would NEVER kill someone….(intentionally)”

Alec, eyes getting big “Is that going to hurt?”

“I promise it’s not going to hurt me at all.”

“I don’t think I want a turn”

Kyle, however, having become accustomed to more standard haunts, didn’t really know what to do. So used to the style where you stay quiet, and slowly move through as the actors do their thing.

And so it went on through the hospital. Alec did get a little nervous when we hit the maze, one of the patients pestering us as we wound our way through. But, I can’t blame him for being a bit nervous about a mental patient dressed up like a clown, who looked like he had 2 faces thanks to the glasses.

Next, it was on to the Vampire Mystery. We get there just in time, and there are a bunch of late teens/early 20’s college kids standing, listening to this speil by Dracula about the rules of his castle. He leaves, and another group comes in to explain to us how to kill Dracula. But first, we can ask this gypsy a question. A bunch of college kids standing around stupid, not wanting to look silly asking the lady a question, while Alec is doing the jumping up and down with his hand raised. He asks if we are going to win. She pulls out the magic 8 ball and it says “yes definately”. Never doubt the gypsy magic. He is given a card for his bravery in asking the question, and they go on to then give everyone a random card and explain that we get these cards (but be sure to call them WEAPONS) to help us kill the vampire. (who’s looking silly now, college kids, we gots an extra one) So, between us, I have holy water, Kyle and Alec both have a wooden stake, and Alec ALSO has a rosery that will frighten vampires away.

You proceed into the castle, talking to folks in each room, and if you ask the right question, or perform the right task, they help you by giving you information or better weapons. This is a huge game, not a haunt. And, it’s also where other people can ruin the thing for you. Some places you’re supposed to find hidden cards, and some of the teens would snatch the whole pile instead of taking the ONE they are supposed to. But, we muddled through and obtained the weapon that would kill Dracula. (cause wooden stakes are not enough, that’s why he has so many movies) As the thing goes on, fewer and fewer of the items are given out, and you have to work together to come up with a winning combo. We sneak into the chamber, and Kyle and Alec use their uberweapons to put an end to Dracula. But, unfortunately, we didn’t get the prize as it went to another in the group who had an instruction manual AND the weapon. At least we didn’t get eaten ourselves, eh? Dracula goes into his death throws and sprawls out on the ground.

Alec bends down and gives him a big hug, and asks if he’s ok.

All in all, it was a very fun night.

So, for those of you wondering whether to go to Castle of Chaos. This thing is about having FUN, not about getting scared. Take your time, talk to the folks, and have a good time. PLAY the game, and don’t ruin it for others. If there’s some jerks in your party, just return to the room you needed whatever in later, it’ll be restocked. As for the Xtreme Terror, they were handing out splatter shields (plastic coveralls). If that’s your thing, all the better.

Just remember to hug Dracula when it’s all over.

Rearranging things

Been fiddling with this here HTML stuff.

Not a clue what I’m doing, but most of it seems logical enough. You know, with all that experience I had writing my own games back on the Apple IIe and all…yeah, just the same. Sure.

Actually, to be honest, it reminds me a LOT of ye olde Appleworks. Showing my age there. But I wrote plenty of reports on that, and the whole open carrot, close carrot, for every little thing, and looking at the whole thing in that little code (maybe 2 people out there are recalling this…hi mom) is really similar to HTML. I’m just still figuring out what all the tags actually are here.

So, if you come in here and it all looks like crap all the sudden, it’s probably because I screwed something up, and please let me know.

Tonight is Castle of Chaos night. I’ll post how it goes when I can.