BRIDE OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN! DAY 31: THERE GOES THE BRIDE! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here we are at the end of BRIDE OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN, the big day itself, Halloween! I thank all of you who took the time to read the entries this year and offer feedback. I love Halloween and all things creepy and spooky, so I plan to continue this tradition again when October 2015 rolls around. It all began with THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN, then the spawn of the original "monster," THE SON OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN, and we now bid adieu to the wife and mom herself, THE BRIDE OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN! What shape will next year's entries take? You'll have to wait and see. I'm going to freshen the format (more original video for one) and  might switch to a different venue altogether.

Until then, enjoy these photos of myself and my family from our trick or treat rounds tonight. I was a villain of my own creation, "Jack-O the Halloween Clown," my wife Ali played herself with added flair, and my daughters Ava and Camille were a vampiress and Queen Elsa, respectively! We had a great time with gorgeous weather and good friends. Have a great year and enjoy the rest of Halloween 2014!

BRIDE OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN! DAY 30: 13 REAL HAUNTED HOUSES AND THEIR STORIES!

For the penultimate installment of BRIDE OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN!, I thought I'd go classic with this great article from Huffington Post about 13 of the most horrific haunted houses in the U.S. Just looking at these houses should give you chills, but reading the stories attached to them will leave you haunted yourself.

BRIDE OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN! DAY 29: CREEPY ORIGIN OF THE GHOSTFACE MASK USED IN THE SCREAM FILMS!

One of my fondest memories of Halloween is going into a Rite Aid sometime during early 90s, possibly 92 or 93, and seeing a spooky ghost mask. I thought it was creepy but didn't yet have the interest in mask collecting I'd have later. In 1996, I was pleasantly surprised to see that same ghost mask now being used in a major horror film, Scream. Scream was my "gateway drug" into watching horror movies as an adult and becoming a horror fan. The movie terrified me, especially that mask, but I had to have it. purchased two, both of which were glow in the dark masks. Over the years, I've amassed a half-dozen of different Scream masks and they remain the cornerstones of my mask collection.

This article does a nice job of explaining the "secret origin" of the Ghostface mask, an origin involving a dead mask collector and an abandoned house. Be on the lookout for a multitude of Ghostface-wearing trick r treaters as you go out this Halloween; the Ghostface mask and costume has earned the title of "The icon of Halloween," remaining the highest selling and most worn Halloween costume in the United States since the release of Scream in 1996.

BRIDE OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN! DAY 28: FAMOUS (OR INFAMOUS) HORROR MOVIE LOCATIONS!

This is a great article on some of the most well-known movie locations in the history of cinema, made notorious by their use as backdrops for horrifying tales of unstoppable killers, demonic hauntings, descents into murderous madness, and flesh-eating undead.

14 Real Locations Made Famous By Horror Movies

BRIDE OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN! DAY 27: MY TOP 5 ZOMBIE MOVIES!

Robert Kirkman, creator of the comic book The Walking Deadand the subsequent TV series, once said that his idea for the series was to do a "zombie movie that never ends." With that quote in mind, I offer my top 5 zombie movies, which includes the hours and hours of The Walking Dead TV show. A cheat? Perhaps. But the sad truth is, as awesome as the zombie concept is, there are only really a handful of truly great zombie movies and stories out there.

5. Shaun of the Dead



Shaun of the Dead manages to make this list despite being a comedy. The truth is, the film is a certifiable and legitimate zombie movie, featuring "George Romero" zombies and the rules that go with them. Shaun of the Dead beautifully blends comedy, true zombie horror, romance, and even some gut-wrenching drama, pun intended.





                                                                                 4 . Night of the Living Dead (1990 remake)




Remakes are usually awful and unnecessary, but Tom Savini's (the make up and SFX maestro who worked with Romero on some of his previous movies) modernized take on Romero's original film bucks the trend and then some. Savini does a great job with the direction and design of the film, and puts an interesting spin on how the characters are portrayed in the original film.


3. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

While the remake directed by Zack Snyder has a few good moments, it's still guilty of committing unforgettable crimes against zombie films (running zombies) and creating forgettable characters. The original Dawn of the Dead, first sequel to Night of the Living Dead, features zombie makeup and effects taken to a new level of intensity by Tom Savini and made all the more gruesome by the use of color (the original was filmed in black and white to save money) and a bigger budget. The characters are the ones who take center stage, however, and the film's commentary on consumerism remains valid today, if not more so.

2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This is the one that started it all. George Romero's masterpiece created a new genre of horror films while forever altering the meaning of the term "zombie." Gone are the mind-controlled servants of past horror films. The creatures in Night of the Living Dead (called "ghouls) are relentless and seemingly unstoppable in their pursuit of eating the flesh of the living. Romero brilliantly used the nightmarish taboo of cannibalism and the idea of reanimated corpses to create a new movie monster that could be your best friend, your relative, your spouse, or even you.

1. The Walking Dead (2010-)

Yes, I'm cheating by even putting The Walking Dead on this list, BUT...since Robert Kirkman sees the comic and the show as a never-ending zombie movie, then the TV show can easily fit on this list. The Walking Dead TV series is a truly cinematic experience, featuring a quality of writing, acting, and SFX once previously only seen on film. The Walking Dead is at the top of my list because it is the ultimate realization and continuation of George Romero's zombie concept and vision: like Romero, Kirkman (and the TV series creators after him) use zombies to explore the human condition. The show's fifth season debuted to its highest ratings yet, and the show continues to hold the position as the number one show on television. The Walking Dead is the greatest zombie "movie" ever made because it continues to be made. Though it will one day end, it's legacy will continue on, inspiring future filmmakers and creators to use the zombie as a means of exploring the question: at what point do we lose our humanity and become walking monsters ourselves?

BRIDE OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN! DAY 26: RETURN OF THE HORRIFYING VINTAGE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES!

Last year in SON OF 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN!, I posted some creepy vintage Halloween costumes from days of old. I recently came across a site featuring 71 (!) more pics of truly disturbing vintage Halloween costumes. Enjoy, and be thankful that such costumes no longer exist.

70 Vintage Halloween Costumes