Axe Giant

The Axe Giant the Wrath of Paul Bunyan: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is unleashed!!

Feel the earth shake and your heart pound as you come face to face with an angry American legend! This epic original score features thunderous orchestral themes blended with early American instrumentation. The soundtrack is now available at the Midnight Syndicate Store! While you are there you can also purchase the DVD and other NEW MERCHANDISE!

www.midnightsyndicate.com

"From a simple flourish of strings to behemoth bass horns on the rampage, the score is everything I hoped it would be and more. The perfect marriage of sight and sound, Ed's music carries our film into that cool, cool realm of which filmmakers only dream." - Gary Jones (Director, Producer of Axe Giant)

[Hallowzing here... I was also intrigued to read this at the bottom of Midnight Syndicate's press release...]


More Big Midnight Syndicate News Coming

Stay tuned for a major Midnight Syndicate announcement, coming this October!


Hmmmmmm....

Monsters of Legend

Monsters of Legend has arrived!

This “tribute to the golden age of horror” is inspired by horror films from the silent era, Universal Studios’ horror classics, Hammer Films, and other European horror films of the 60s and 70s. It features sweeping symphonic horror instrumental music and sound effects in the signature style the band helped pioneer. "We want to make you feel like you are a character in one of those classic horror films - that you've entered a world where any one of those iconic Universal monsters could be right around the corner," said composer Edward Douglas. The CD artwork features original images from classic Universal Studios horror movies including Bride of Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, and Dracula.

The CD and a COLLECTOR'S EDITION 12" VINYL VERSION are available at the link below. The album is also available through iTunes, Amazon.com, and will be available in select Halloween retailers beginning in August!

http://www.midnightsyndicate.com/

Random Geekery

Okay - some random thoughts from a certified HALLOWEEN movie franchise geek. I love these movies (well, John Carpenter's original through HALLOWEEN 4 - with a soft spot for part 6), and often have completely random thoughts about the greatness of the early entries and how the later ones could have been improved upon. Here's one example of a random thought I had the other day:

This is actually a long running observation that I've had for many years now, related to the opening scene of the original 1981 version of HALLOWEEN II. You'll recall that film started with the oldie tune "Mr. Sandman" by The Chordettes (a song referenced again in HALLOWEEN H20.) Similarly, every time I hear the 1964 tune "A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy I always think now that's a song that should be used in a HALLOWEEN movie! Read the lyrics with Laurie Strode and Michael Myers in mind, giving the beautiful lyrics a slightly sinister undertone, and decide for yourself...

They say that all good things must end some day
Autumn leaves must fall
But don't you know that it hurts me so
To say goodbye to you
Wish you didn't have to go
No no no no

And when the rain
Beats against my window pane
I'll think of summer days again
And dream of you

They say that all good things must end some day
Autumn leaves must fall
But don't you know that it hurts me so
To say goodbye to you
Wish you didn't have to go
No no no no

And when the rain
Beats against my window pane
I'll think of summer days again
And dream of you
And dream of you


Rob Zombie made a habit of recycling oldie standards in his craptacular HALLOWEEN movies, alas, this one wasn't one of them - but I would have loved to hear this in HALLOWEEN H20 as it seems to fit the vibe of that film perfectly (but as we know, that film had its own recycled soundtrack).

To listen, click below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D2XD341xHo

Frankenstein vs. Bride

SD Comic Con 2012: Rob Zombie on ‘The Lords of Salem’ and Manson

“I’m really excited about Lords of Salem. I was looking at it today, because we’re just finishing the sound design and the sound mix and all that stuff. It’s a really different movie. Because the last couple of movies I’ve made have been these very handheld, rough, and physically violent sort of films. This isn’t like that at all. It’s a very slow-paced, psychological, specifically composed sort of movie. It’s almost the exact opposite of what I’ve done before. So I’m really excited to get it out to see what people think. It’s not what they expect it to be.

“It starts in 1697 in Salem, Massachusetts. The basic idea is that back then, when the witch trials were going on, obviously there were innocent people being killed as witches. But there was a group of people who were not so innocent, but were murdered and put to death. They, before they died, put a curse on Salem, which is now coming true in modern times. Most of the movie takes place in modern-day Salem. I’m trying not to spoil things…

“That’s the problem with things like this – you always have to explain it. But I’m trying to keep something secret so when people see it they don’t go, ‘Oh yeah, I knew all that.’ Because when there are no surprises it kind of ruins it.”

As for his tour with Marilyn Manson, Zombie said, “It’s probably not unlike when I did the tour with Alice Cooper. What I like about these tours is that it’s a co-headlining tour, so both acts do the full show and their full set. Nobody has to sacrifice anything. Alice and I are good friends and it was one of the most fun tours I ever did. But of course there’s gonna be this fun rivalry, because nobody wants somebody else to upstage them. So that’s fun, and I assume it will be more of the same with that.”

If Alice Cooper’s collaboration with Zombie was a case of “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man,” how would Zombie describe his tour with Manson?

“’Frankenstein versus the Bride of Frakenstein’?” he laughed. “Because Marilyn is a girl’s name…”

“No,” he added, “I can’t wait to do it. It seems like one of those tours that’s so obvious, like we would have done it before. But we haven’t… I’m kind of glad we haven’t, because there are still exciting things to do. It’s gonna be good, because we’re going to do it here and in Europe, and it will go for a while.”

“So I hope we get along,” he laughed again, “because there are a lot of shows!”

– Joseph McCabe, FearNet

http://www.fearnet.com/

Come On Dave

Everything I need to know if life I learned from John Carpenter's BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA. Here's a splendid little tribute video someone made for this underrated gem to help kick off your work week in style.

Haunted Gallery

Totally worth checking out...

http://hauntedgallery.blogspot.com/2011/10/room-of-midnight-reading.html

A Rant

WARNING: The Following Blog Post Is A RANT!

Specifically, this is a rant about Halloween music, and its targets are two-fold. Understand: this is nothing personal against Cassandra Peterson - AKA Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. I'm sure she's a very nice lady. I am equally as sure that Ms. Peterson probably loves Halloween just as much as the rest of us. However, in my mind, she represents all that is commercial and phony about the darkest of holidays. The enemy embodied, so to speak. She has given a face to all the corporations that have exploited and capitalized off the ancient celebration of Halloween, Hallowe'en, All Hallows Even, Samhaim. To be even more direct: I can appreciate a good horror host. If she were only in that role, I could be more forgiving - who doesn't like a buxom, bee-hived, valley-girl, Vampira-esque bombshell introducing cheesy B horror movies? But when she was let into a studio to record 'music' for Halloween, that's where I draw the line! Her compilation albums are so obnoxious, so horrendously banal, and have so little to do with the whole point of this ancient tradition, that it I try to dissuade anyone I see picking one up off the rack while shopping.

Part 2.

I said this rant was two-fold, and here's the sequel: as much as I despise everything the Elvira character stands for, there's a corporate entity that idolizes her and thinks she's hilariously campy and completely Hallow-rific! If you've ever heard of MUSIC CHOICE on cable television, you'll know what I mean. Music Choice is a cable option you can pay for to let you listen to music on your TV. The problem is: they tend to have a limited play-list, meaning they play the same songs over and over and over. Now it would appear that this is a problem for them when it comes to Halloween, for unlike Christmas, there haven't been a lot of Halloween albums released by pop artists over the years - you simply won't find A JOHNNY MATHIS HALLOWEEN, or ROBERT GOULET SINGS HALLOWEEN. Not understanding (or caring) that there have been over fifty years of horror soundtracks to pick and choose from, or that groups like Midnight Syndicate have released fourteen years worth of music to sample, they instead choose to go the Elvira route and compile their playlist almost exclusively from her catalog. Sure, you get the occasional classic thrown in - almost by accident, it seems - Danny Elfman's 'This Is Halloween,' John Carpenter's score for Halloween and Halloween II (but not for the terrific Halloween III or any of Alan Howarth's scores for the later sequels); or a rare Midnight Syndicate track about once a week - so here's a quick, helpful suggestion for the folks at Music Choice:

Purple People Eater has nothing to do with Halloween. Michael Jackson's Thriller has nothing to do with Halloween. The Itsy-Bitsy Spider has nothing to do with Halloween. Dr. Elmo's Redneck Drac has nothing to do with Halloween. Bessie Smith's The Devil's Gonna Get Ya has nothing to do with Halloween. Anything Voodoo related has nothing to do with Halloween. Witchy Woman by the Eagles has nothing to do with Halloween. Evil Ways by Santana has nothing to do with Halloween. Anything recorded by Elvira has nothing to do with Halloween (as hard as that may be to believe). The Chipmunks have nothing to do with Halloween. Crazy Fever by High Noon has nothing to do with Halloween. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman by The Tubes has nothing to do with Halloween. Louis Armstrong's You've Got Me Voodoo'd has nothing to do with Halloween. Night Train by The Kills has nothing to do with Halloween. Martian Hop by the Ran-Dells has nothing to do with Halloween. And for the love of all that's unholy - Maneater by Hall & Oates has NOTHING to do with Halloween! The list goes on and on...

Man In A Shed

Creepy Shed is Creepy.
Originally uploaded by Mullenkedheim

Well there was a man lived in a shed
Spent most of his days out of his head
For his shed was rotten let in the rain
Said it was enough to drive any man insane
When it rained he felt so bad
When it snowed he felt just simply sad

Well there was a girl who lived nearby
Whenever he saw her he could only simply sigh
But she lived in a house so very big and grand
For him it seemed like some very distant land
So when he called her, his shed to mend
She said I’m sorry you’ll just have to find a friend

Well this story is not so very new
But the man is me, yes, and the girl is you
So leave your house come into my shed
Please stop my world from raining through my head
Please don’t think I’m not your sort
You’ll find that sheds are nicer than you thought

- Nick Drake

Scarecrow

Pumpkinrot Scarecrow
Originally uploaded by pumpkinrot

Crows are pullin at my clothes
The wind got my fingers froze
Standing all day keepin watch
Over all the treasures we lost
Sometimes the jail can't chain the cell
And the rain's too plain to tell
All alone by a barren well
The scarecrow's only scarin' himself

-Beck ('Scarecrow')

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah-OPwpQCwk

Vinyl Memories

"So, you want to visit a haunted house, hmmmm? I think I have one that should suit you, that is, if you dare follow me. You will? Fine. Shall we go then? Ah, here we are a the door. Happy haunting."

There are many things in my youth that had a cumulative effect on my lifelong love for Halloween and all things spooky. The 'Halloween' Holiday Book you can find on my website, our life-size 'Witchy-Poo' who flew on our front porch in the month of October, and seeing old Universal monster movies at our small town movie theater's Saturday matinees are but a few I can think of off the top of my flattened head. But one of the biggest influences of my young, macabre life was one particular 1974 vinyl record produced by Pickwick, appropriately titled: SOUNDS TO MAKE YOU SHIVER!

If you were a child of the '70's (or have ever read a haunted blog in your life) you probably remember this one. Frankenstein smashing out of a haunted castle, Dracula spreading his cape wide at the top, the Wolf Man looking hungry down below, and a multitude of other ghosts, goblins, and creatures running wild on the album's cover. Now, you must understand, that this is not a record that I simply played on our front porch on Halloween night. I played this record EVERY SINGLE DAY. Until it became so scratched that I had memorized where the skips would occur and would help the needle along so I could continue listening. This went on for years until eventually the album simply would no longer play at all - particularly Side 1, which was a long, continuous track of your journey through the haunted house (Side 2 was isolated tracks of all the sounds effects heard on Side 1).

My older brother and I used to play this late at night when we were supposed to be getting ready for bed, completely terrifying ourselves before the lights went out - especially at the part where the narrator, long an old friend of ours, would implore us: "Don't...look...behind you!" So many great memories from years of listening horror, back before cable TV, video games, cell phones, VCR's, home computers and the internet. It was just a cheap turntable with crummy speakers and a boy's imagination at work.

I'm sure I could track down a CD of this album now - or even the actual vinyl - but for some inexplicable reason I have chosen not to. Maybe I just want to hold on to the memories of those sounds and the narrator's chilling voice...I don't know. I suppose some day I'll break down and eventually purchase a copy - if nothing else it may be worth owning a vinyl copy simply to put its amazing artwork in a frame and hang it on my wall. I often wonder if my folks still have this record (or ANY of their old records aside from Christmas) in a box somewhere in their attic. I haven't seen it in decades, and back then when an album no longer played it was simply thrown away. Now THAT'S scary!

Track Listing:

1. A Night In A Haunted House
2. Witch Laugh
3. Count Dracula And His Victim
4. Screams & Groans
5. Moans & Groans
6. Cats
7. Dogs
8. Banging Shutter
9. Phantom Piano
10. Creaky Door
11. Breaking Windows
12. Thunder
13. Wind
14. Frankenstein's Monster Breaks Loose
15. Hooting Owl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J-MAX1xgLw

Mood Music

WTF?

That's all I can say about this. I knew Rob Zombie loves horror, b-movies, schlock and grindhouse films, heavy metal and other musical influences...but I had no idea he was a coffee connoisseur - much less an entrepreneur in the field of the flavorful bean. So here's one of his brands, and apparently he has other flavors to choose from. Here's the lowdown from his site:

Our deepest and darkest roasted coffee. This 100% Certified Organic, Fair Trade Certified™ French Roast offering has a surprising characteristic that you'll notice when you purchase whole beans - a hint of speckle. This is because we artistically blend our French Roast with a moderate percentage of different roasts, producing a complex taste profile that no other French-style coffee has in existence. Savor the deepness.

WTF? I mean seriously - who knew?

Check it: http://robzombie.shop.bravadousa.com/Product.aspx?pc=BGAMRZ25

I Wanna Be Elected!

It's about time!

And amazing that it took this long to be put on the ballot - but such is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I can tell you this - when the Drive-In of the Dead finally opens its gates on Halloween, you'll see Alice Cooper already enshrined in our HOF!

Alice says: "Five guys starting a band, just hoping to meet girls and drink free beer, rehearsing and playing local bars five hours a night for the first few years - that was us," he said. "We came up with the theatrics and made every effort not to sacrifice the music one bit; we thought it was like our job to bring theatrics to rock 'n' roll."

Read more: http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/2010/09/alice-cooper-honored-by-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-nomination-touts-fellow-nominee-and-good-friends-.html?rss=rss-kabc-snippet-7694263

More Avett Art

Have you checked these guys out yet? Not only are they amazing musicians, but they are amazing artists as well. Head on over to their official site and give them a listen - you'll be glad you did.

www.theavettbrothers.com

Avett Art

Wish I could get my hands on this poster - it's totally frame-worthy. If you haven't given The Avett Brothers a listen, it's the perfect time of year to do so...

http://www.theavettbrothers.com