It's nice to see our country moving in the right direction as far as acceptance of those different than ourselves. Sure, we've got a long way to go to be a completely accepting society, but we're on the right track. Here in New York we see people celebrating diversity all the time. We have the Gay Pride Parade, the Latin American Pride Parade, and those are just two of the more popular ones. However, even with all that, one group has been consistently overlooked...and they're pissed.
The undead have tagged October 31st as Undead Pride Day, and they've launched a website to get their message across. The Official Undead Pride Day website is a place where anyone undead, be they ghouls, banshees, zombies or vampires, can post a message letting the world know it's time they get treated just like everyone else, undead or not.
Cruise on over to the site and check it out. I've gotten a chance to see some of the work uploaded on there, and I guarantee you'll get a chuckle out of it. Also, if you happen to be undead and are inspired by the work of others, feel free to upload your own piece, video, audio or text, and let your voice be heard (even if it is just a guttural growl). Don't forget to follow the movement on Twitter (@undeadprideday). Power to the (undead) people!
Uncle Creepy brought me on board here at Dread Central earlier this year, and I've been truly having a blast writing for all you gorehounds. However, there is something I've been dying to write about but had to wait for the right time. Well, it's that time, Halloween time, and I'm finally getting my chance to write about one of my favorite websites, Zombie Pumpkins, easily one of the greatest Halloween sites around.
Site owner, pumpkin pattern designer and basic jack-of-all-trades badass Ryan Wickstrand has been overlord of the pumpkin carving world since 2003, and he continues to improve and add to the site every year. And not only is Wickstrand a brilliant artist when it comes to designing patterns, he's a gorehound himself (and fan of Dread Central)! Wickstrand's love of horror is blatantly obvious in the patterns he creates. Yes, he has the obligatory Elmo, Kermit the Frog and Hello Kitty patterns for the kids. It is a business after all, and the more diverse he can be, the bigger the fanbase he can grow. But where Zombie Pumpkins excels is in the horror imagery department.
Wickstrand currently has 254 patterns online and is adding to it all the time. And I'm not just talking during October. He posted a My Bloody Valentine pattern in February. I'm telling you, the man is on the ball! But the real highlight of his empire is the Movie Monsters section of the site. Sure, he's got the classics in there -- Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man -- but there's so much more.
Genre fans will love this collection as there are some true gems amongst these patterns. Where else can you find a pumpkin carving pattern of Karen Cooper from the original Night of the Living Dead? She's there with no less than three House of 1000 Corpses patterns. You can carve the monster from John Carpenter's The Thing or Cheryl the Deadite from The Evil Dead. They've even got the classic, worm-eyed undead from Lucio Fulci's Zombie. And as a bonus to all you loyal Dread Central readers, Ryan Wickstrand has given us a FREE PUMPKIN CARVING PATTERN of Fulci's Zombie! Click the image below, and enjoy. All you need is a printer, some pumpkin carving tools, a pumpkin of course and maybe... some guts.
Believe me when I say they are all there. The new and classic Michael Myers, masked and unmasked Jason Voorhees, plain and stitched Chucky, Leatherface, Cujo, Hannibal Lecter, Pinhead…the list is amazing.
And that's just the movie stars. From TV they've got Sookie and her vamps from "True Blood," "Dexter," "The Addams Family," "The Simpsons" and his newest pattern, just unveiled: the awesome bicycle girl zombie from "The Walking Dead."
Is music more your thing? How about a Rob Zombie pumpkin? Zombie Pumpkins has three Rob Zombies and the Living Dead Girl herself, Sheri Moon Zombie, too! Ozzy, Angus Young, Marilyn Manson and Iron Maiden's iconic mascot Eddie.
Trust me; if you've got any inkling to carve a pumpkin this year, this is the place to go. Zombie Pumpkins charges a very reasonable fee for its patterns, and you can choose several pay options. You can get signed up for as little as $2. Come on; you can spare two bucks to amaze and impress your friends, can't you? And believe me; they will be amazed and impressed by your dexterity. As difficult as these things look, they aren't that hard to produce at all. Wickstrand assigns each pattern a difficulty level, and even if you've never seen a pumpkin before, you can get through an Easy Level pattern with no problem. And once you've got the first one under your belt, you'll be banging out Challenging and Advanced Patterns in no time!
Do yourself a favor and head over to Zombie Pumpkins. There truly is something for everyone. And while you're there, send Ryan Wickstrand a message telling him how cool he is and that Doctor Gash and the rest of the crew at Dread Central sent you.
If you’d like to look both literate and lovely this Halloween, Heavy Red has got you covered. The leading gothic couturier has designed an Alice in Wonderland dress, with a whole host of quirky fun accessories. Your Alice Halloween costume kit includes a teacup little goth hat, Harlequin stockings, playing cards ring, optional skeleton key or teacup necklace, decorative pocket watch (decorative only, so you might be late for a very important date), and optional Mad Hatter or White Rabbit or Lewis Carroll quote temporary tattoo.
ALICE en déshabillé – NOIR ALICE IN WONDERLAND COSTUME & CORSET
From the Heavy Red Fall 2011 Line…
Style# 1120
*PRE-ORDER*
Alice en déshabillé, the limited edition Couture Noir costume by Heavy Red.
Chasing the White Rabbit, Alice finds herself teetering on the edge of a dark abyss – a rabbit hole into Another World. Should she follow, should she not? The wind blows her skirt, Alice loses her balance – the decision has been made – she tumbles in and whirls down, down, down into the darkness. As she falls, her dress catches on a branch here, a floating chair there – endless down, down, down. Suddenly without warning, Alice hits the bottom very hard, head over teacup. “Where am I?” Someone says, “She’s late, she’d better get dressed!” “Dressed??? I am . . . oh dear, it seems my dress was torn off in the rabbit hole!!!”
Alice has landed in Wonderland en déshabillé . . . . . . . . . . .
en déshabillé {French: state of partly dressed or scantily dressed}
You’ve waited and now she is here…Tragic Alice wanders through the darkness, facing danger and despair at every turn as she finds herself forever lost in WoNderLAnD in her underdress and corset. Beautifully innocent & vulnerable, yet undeniably sexy. Heavy Red Couture Noir presents its finest costume to date, with endless ways to customize it to you. The Alice en déshabillé in Wonderland costume is unparalleled in both its unique vision and dark beauty. The dress and corset are of the highest quality, and when Alice’s adventure is no more, the pieces can be integrated into your wardrobe for use all year round.
The Dress:
The ever exquisite Alice mustn’t be late for her tea party. This dashing dress full of curiosity and torment will showcase the beauty of your pale face and glistening tears. The super soft, cream cotton dress is rich with details, double seam bodice quilted cups, edged ruffle bodice and waistline, covered buttons, artistic seam lines which move with the shape of the body, quilted waistline in garter belt shape, a fully layered dress skirt, with an inside panel of ruffles. The shape of this dress is incredibly flattering and versatile. The back of the dress creates a long series of V-shaped ruffles going down to the back of your legs. The dress has corset lacing in back to allow you to cinch the waist as tight as you want. The dress has a back zipper and adjustable straps. At the waistline are 8 sewn cream straps. These straps can be left dangling, can be tied in bows, or can be used to tie up the front panels to reveal your ruffled underskirt. Two black ribbons are also included which can be tied to the straps to hang down or be tied in bows. Ribbons can then be removed to change the look or for easy care and cleaning. This dress can be worn in so many ways and was designed not only to fit all shapes and sizes with ease and perfect adjustment, but to allow you to be the Alice you are, be you naughty or nice.
The Corset
The dark blue faux leather corset (all Heavy Red clothing is animal friendly) is an amazing piece for this costume and to add to your permanent wardrobe. The corset holster has three adjustable buckles in front, above and below the bust for a very flattering look and one across the tummy to give you extra support and flatness where you might need it. The shoulder straps are also adjustable up to 5″. Long torso, short torso, big bust, small bust, tiny waist, not so tiny waist – you will have no problem finding the perfect fit. The back is a fully laced corset with steel bones. The corset is lined with organic cotton. You will be able to cinch yourself as tight as you like and get the great shape you desire. This piece will look amazing over many different Heavy Red dresses and shirts!
What is included in the costume:
-Cream Alice Dress
-Blue Corset (which can be changed to black for an additional fee)
-Harlequin stocking set (full length harlequin stockings and sheer black thigh highs to go over them)
Additional Accessories for your costume:
We are offering many accessories to tailor and customize the look of your costume.
We are offering a discount package which will include the costume and several accessories – see Costume page for details.
Accessories include:
-Cream net and ruffle gloves
-Alice necklaces
-Bangle or pearl bracelets
-Handmade hats which feature teacups and skeleton keys
-Wearable art (Heavy Red Temporary Alice Tattoos)
-Various additional Alice stockings
-Masks
View the costume page to see what is available at any time.
*Please note the costume and all costume accessories are considered seasonal items and are not eligible for refunds. All costume sales are final, however you may exchange the costume for another size providing we still have that size in stock.
This costume is now available for PRE-ORDER. We expect to begin shipping the costume the 1st week of October.
Don’t forget we will again be hosting the best Alice contest open to all those who purchase the Alice en déshabillé costume!
Time to add a little fun to your Monday afternoon. While not news by any stretch of the imagination, there are a couple of audience reaction clips floating around YouTube that we had to bring to your attention. Have some time to kill? Pull up a chair and dig on the terrors of days gone by!
Below you'll find videos for the theatre recorded crowd climax of the original John Carpenter classic Halloween and a sampling of the absolute hysteria surrounding the release of The Exorcist. Before viral marketing there was just plain word of mouth, and rarely did two films generate more of it than the following.
Bring back memories? Makes you wanna watch 'em again? Of course it does. How about you share your favorite theatre-going memories with us in the comments section below! Come on, kids! Dish the dirt!
Today is the final day of the very first auction set up by The sCare Foundation. The clock is ticking! Place your bids while you can! It's for a good cause!
The sCare Foundation has set up its first charity auction that will enable you to own a piece of the Halloween franchise history. That's right, kids! You can bid now on an authentic screen-used Michael Myers mask worn by actor Brad Loree in the 2002 film Halloween: Resurrection (images below). The mask comes directly from the producers behind the iconic horror series and is signed by director, Rick Rosenthal, complete with a certificate of authenticity.
All other screen-used masks have been destroyed or sit in private collections, making this rare piece of memorabilia a must for Halloween fans.
The proceeds for this item benefit The sCare Foundation. It cannot be resold or re-auctioned and is in the condition as donated. Additional shipping charges may apply based on the winner's location.
Pretty nifty, no? Want something cool but don't have cash like that? sCare knows this all too well and has another way for you to get some free swag just by taking a minute of your time. Simply head on over to The sCare Foundation online and sign up for their mailing list. Each week they will pick a random person who has signed up for the list, and said winner can procure anything from T-shirts to signed posters to tickets to upcoming exclusive events!
Now that's badass! Click here to find out what The sCare Foundation is all about.
There are two things true about horror fans ... One: We love this stuff to an insane degree and would do anything to nurture our obsession. Two: We have really big hearts. Now there's a way to put both of those facts to work for one hell of a good cause.
The sCare Foundation has set up its first charity auction that will enable you to own a piece of the Halloween franchise history. That's right, kids! You can bid now on an authentic screen-used Michael Myers mask worn by actor Brad Loree in the 2002 film Halloween: Resurrection (images below). The mask comes directly from the producers behind the iconic horror series and is signed by director, Rick Rosenthal, complete with a certificate of authenticity.
All other screen-used masks have been destroyed or sit in private collections, making this rare piece of memorabilia a must for Halloween fans.
The proceeds for this item benefit The sCare Foundation. It cannot be resold or re-auctioned and is in the condition as donated. Additional shipping charges may apply based on the winner's location.
Pretty nifty, no? Want something cool but don't have cash like that? sCare knows this all too well and has another way for you to get some free swag just by taking a minute of your time. Simply head on over to The sCare Foundation online and sign up for their mailing list. Each week beginning this coming Monday (August 22nd), they will pick a random person who has signed up for the list, and said winner can procure anything from T-shirts to signed posters to tickets to upcoming exclusive events!
Now that's badass! Click here to find out what The sCare Foundation is all about.
Did you know "The Munsters" mansion was in Texas? Okay, not the original mansion used in the show, but the McKee family of Waxahachie, Texas, built an almost exact replica and live in it to this day. Located just about half an hour south of Dallas, the house is based on careful examinations of the exterior and interior shots from the show, right down to the lifting staircase!
The home is a private residence and is only open for public tours once a year: right before Halloween as a charity event.
This year's event has been announced: October 21 and 22, from 7pm to Midnight, the house will be open for tours and a party will be thrown on the grounds. Appearing this year will be actress Pat Priest, best known as the freak of the family, Marilyn Munster!
This is a real shindig with costumes, face painting, a live band, a dj, a fire performer, a fortune teller, midway games and more! All proceeds benefit the Ellis County SPCA.
Did you know "The Munsters" mansion was in Texas? Okay, not the original mansion used in the show, but the McKee family of Waxahachie, Texas, built an almost exact replica and live in it to this day. Located just about half an hour south of Dallas, the house is based on careful examinations of the exterior and interior shots from the show, right down to the lifting staircase!
The home is a private residence and is only open for public tours once a year: right before Halloween as a charity event.
This year's event has been announced: October 21 and 22, from 7pm to Midnight, the house will be open for tours and a party will be thrown on the grounds. Appearing this year will be actress Pat Priest, best known as the freak of the family, Marilyn Munster!
This is a real shindig with costumes, face painting, a live band, a dj, a fire performer, a fortune teller, midway games and more! All proceeds benefit the Ellis County SPCA.
Part of the 2007 Line-up, the Clown is a one-of-a-kind mask. One of our most popular masks, this mask comes with hair and also the option to include a built in bladder, for a pulsating brain effect.
Clowns were originally meant to be fun and amusing, however many people now find clowns to be quite disturbing. When presented in a circus atmosphere people tend to enjoy them, but out of their element they take on an entirely different persona. John Wayne Gacy, who was a clown by day and a serial killer by night was an extreme example of evil clowns. In dozens of movies clowns have been portrayed in a very dark light. Steven King’s Pennywise in IT, The Joker in Batman, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and Captain Spaulding from Rob Zombie’s horror movies are just a few examples of Hollywood perpetuating the clown as a decidedly unfunny character.
Having an exaggerated fear of clowns is called Coulrophobia and is not uncommon amongst children and teens these days, and a lot of that is due to today’s movies in Hollywood.
In 2007, SPFXmasks takes the clown mask to whole new level of creepiness. Bearing all of the trademarks of a circus clown such as bright orange hair and traditional clown makeup with happy face, this is a classic evil clown mask. Ultra realistic exposed brain and skull (with optional pulsating brain effect) with a real nasty grimace leaves little doubt in your mind that this clown wants to do you serious harm.
Unlike traditional still latex clown masks, SPFXmasks professional Hollywood quality masks conform and move with your facial expressions perfectly. Rusty Slusser has really outdone himself by created a classic murderous clown mask that all other clown masks will be judged by. Halloween will be even nastier this year!
It is that time of year! We’d like to give a hearty thank you to the the great folks at SPFX Masks for our bloody site design. If they can make us look this scary, think what they could do for you. Halloween is just around the corner.
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 15 — SPFXMasks, the originator of silicone Halloween masks has created a line of full-head specialty masks using high quality silicone — a material that until now has been primarily used by professional special effects artists in Hollywood.
Rusty Slusser founded SPFXMasks in early 2001 with his business partner Ron Hess, and his company is the first on the market to offer this exciting new product.
“Most Halloween mask manufacturers produce their masks using a stiff slip latex which yields a static expression with little or no natural movement,” Rusty says. “Some companies have begun to use foam latex material to create prosthetics that allow the wearer to show their natural facial expressions, but the prosthetic first needs to be applied and then blended and painted. This time-consuming procedure requires not only artistic talent but also a lot of patience. Silicone masks are the perfect alternative.”
Utilizing special manufacturing and painting techniques developed specifically for silicone, SPFXMasks has created a line of masks that allow the wearer to experience the best of both worlds – the ease of wear ability that traditional slip cast latex masks provide, as well as the real-life fleshy movements and realism of foam latex prosthetics. Jeff Rector, Writer, Director, and Producer of “REVAMPED” says: “I just worked with SPFXMasks on my new horror/action film ‘Revamped.’ Their mask was incredibly lifelike and saved my actors many grueling and uncomfortable hours in the makeup chair. The end result was fantastic! With our shooting schedule, I simply didn’t have time to create that kind of extensive make-up. This new silicone technology that SPFXMasks has pioneered not only saved me a lot of time and money, but also helped create a wonderful demonic character for my film. These guys are great! Thanks for everything Rusty!”
Dustin Diamond, better known as ‘Screech’ from Saved by the Bell, is a proud SPFXMasks customer. Dustin says, “For more than 21 years in the television and film industry I have been up close and personal with many different special effects artists. Everyone agrees that when it comes to masks that look real and can scare the pants off of you, Hollywood professionals are where it’s at. SPFXMasks makes some of the most realistic and scary masks that you can buy. The quality of the materials is outstanding. Using silicone instead of latex means that your mask will last a lifetime. The high level of detail and professional paint job that goes into each and every mask means that you’re getting what you would expect to see on a movie set.”
Tom Morawetz, author of “Making Faces, Playing God” says: “SPFXMasks are unique. Nothing on the market matches their quality and visual impact. They represent a new dimension in the creation and marketing of high-quality silicone masks. SPFXMasks will be in my next book.”
SPFXMasks is currently gearing up to create several new exciting and original designs for the 2007 Halloween season, so just beware.
It's nice to see our country moving in the right direction as far as acceptance of those different than ourselves. Sure, we've got a long way to go to be a completely accepting society, but we're on the right track. Here in New York we see people celebrating diversity all the time. We have the Gay Pride Parade, the Latin American Pride Parade, and those are just two of the more popular ones. However, even with all that, one group has been consistently overlooked...and they're pissed.
Time to add a little fun to your Monday afternoon. While not news by any stretch of the imagination, there are a couple of audience reaction clips floating around YouTube that we had to bring to your attention. Have some time to kill? Pull up a chair and dig on the terrors of days gone by!
Part of the 2007 Line-up,