Author: Headless Bob

The Nightmare Before Christmas 4D Screening at the El Capitan Theatre 2015

Post author By Headless Bob
Post date September 20, 2015
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The Nightmare Before Christmas 4D Screening at the El Capitan Theatre 2015

The Nightmare Before Christmas has enchanted viewers since its release in 1993. This monster-filled tale of finding one’s self, breaking from routine, and overcoming boredom is now a staple of movie-fare in the Halloween to Christmas seasons.

For the younger generations who have not yet seen this beautiful stop-motion work of art, the story is very simple: Jack, the King of Halloween Town, grows tired of doing the same thing every year. One day, he discovers the glorious Christmas Town and decides that he will take over Santa’s reign for a year – but he and the residents of Halloween Town can’t seem to get it exactly right, and the results are monstrous.

The El Capitan Theatre will be hosting a series of special “4D” screenings of The Nightmare Before Christmas from October 22 – November 1st. The film has added 3D effects and there will be interactive sensory effects (including lights, scents, wind, snow and fog).

Although I have always preferred this film closer to Christmastime, it is a wonderful event to attend, especially if you are bringing children who have not yet seen the film. On the big screen, it is easier to marvel at all the small details of Henry Selick & Tim Burton’s stop-motion world. While the 3D effects are hard to notice and not as pronounced as they are on films that were made to be 3D, the sensory effects are fun and add a bit of magic to the experience. All-in-all, it is worth going to see at least once in this format.

Tickets are available at the El Capitan’s website.

Halloween Yard Display

October 20, 2026 No Comments

Each year I take my Halloween yard display very seriously. While I spent many years in an apartment building in an area of town where I couldn’t keep items out

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

October 18, 2026 No Comments

I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

Film Friday Movies

“Downstairs” Short Film

Downstairs, (directed by Lee Boxleitner), was an official selection at Screamfest 2014. The short film follows a foolhardy night security guard who ignores the warnings and ventures alone into the basement of the building. His curiosity brings on the night from Hell as he investigates what goes on Downstairs.

Sam Boxleitner (Lee’s brother) delivers an endearing performance as security guard Flip Schubbers, adding a touch of comic relief to an otherwise scary film.

Enjoy!

Halloween Yard Display

October 20, 2026 No Comments

Each year I take my Halloween yard display very seriously. While I spent many years in an apartment building in an area of town where I couldn’t keep items out

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

October 18, 2026 No Comments

I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

Movies

Why “Goodnight Mommy” Did Not Work for Me

Post author By Headless Bob
Post date September 16, 2015
No Comments on Why “Goodnight Mommy” Did Not Work for Me

Why “Goodnight Mommy” Did Not Work for Me

Goodnight Mommy directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz is an Oscar-nominated Austrian horror film. After undergoing facial surgery, a mother (Susanne Wuest), returns home to her two sons (Lukas Schwarz and Elias Schwarz), her face completely covered in bandages. The twins soon begin to notice that nothing is like it was before, and begin to doubt that the woman is their real mother.

Below is my take on the film and contains major plot spoilers. Read at your own risk!

More than anything, I wanted to love this film. The long takes and slow exposition were perfect for establishing a tense mood, the costume/makeup design for the mother was unnerving, and Wuest’s performance was spot on. The dream sequences were surreal and terrifying and every detail of the house was interesting and slightly off – especially the large blurry photos. Additionally, the ending shot of the mother and her children staring into the camera for an uncomfortably long time will haunt me and inspire me for years to come.

So where did the film fail? It was a film that needed the plot twist to elicit certain feelings in the audience, but instead of using its twist to its advantage, the twist was clearly foreseeable and the film did nothing to play with audience perception. Perhaps the twist of Lukas’ death is something less foreseen by Austrian audiences, but for American horror fans, we have seen the twist many times before. Within five minutes of the opening scene, my movie companions (who are far less into horror than I) leaned over and whispered, “Lukas is dead”. Thus the magic that could have been present in the movie disappeared.

Now, not all films (this one included) need to have a monster or a fantastic element, but for this film to work and truly get under your skin, it needed to have uncertainty. While some moments do get close – such as the mother inspecting herself in front of the mirror, almost as though she is seeing herself for the first time – these moments are few and far between. We as the viewer never doubt that she is in fact the twins’ mother.

There is a lack of perspective and we are unable to ever see things from the point of view of Elias or Lukas. The audience has never seen how the mother treated the boys previously, there is never a moment of serious weirdness from the mother, and we have no context of her behavior towards other people (other than a one-sided phone call that only has her repeating what she earlier said to Elias about “not playing along anymore”). She even begins the film with playing a sweet guessing game with her son(s). This act of kindness immediately undermines the idea that she has been replaced by some horrible new person.

Additionally, the boys’ strange behavior is far more disturbing than anything the mother is implied to have done. Sure, she may have killed the cat (from the boys’ perspectives) but it is far weirder to then take the cat and display it in formaldehyde. It is hard to root for characters that are unrelatable.

The revelations of the photo of the mother and a similarly-dressed woman, and the video of their mother with brown eyes (when the twins corner their “mother”, her eyes are clearly blue), come far too late in the story and are given too little time for consideration or wonder. Within a couple minutes of discovery they are given answers – contact lenses and a friend – with no further discussion in the scope of the film.

This all comes to a head during the torture sequence. There is a difference between effective gore and the overuse of gore just for gore’s sake, a.k.a. “torture porn”. Unfortunately, in this case, since we knew from the beginning that the boy was mentally disturbed and the mother was just a poor woman at her wit’s end, the film turns from a constructive gore to torture porn; we are just seeing a poor woman mutilated and murdered.

Now, if the film had done a better job of creating uncertainty, something changes in the perception of the torture. It is just like the way that no one feels bad when zombies are hacked to pieces or the alien is ejected out into space and killed. There is a much greater horror impact if the audience was almost rooting for the kids in the sequence; if we as the viewer felt like the monster was getting her (gross) just desserts. Then comes the revelation: the fact that all our glee was unfounded – there was no monster, just a poor mother who loved her surviving son. The film was so well-suited for that punch in the gut, its lack was sorely noticeable.

Ultimately, it is a film worth seeing once, but it was not worth the price of a night out and popcorn. Its value lies in the inspiration of what could have been and the directors’ masterful creation of atmosphere. Perhaps an M. Night Shyamalan American remake would bring out the best of this concept.

Halloween Yard Display

October 20, 2026 No Comments

Each year I take my Halloween yard display very seriously. While I spent many years in an apartment building in an area of town where I couldn’t keep items out

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

October 18, 2026 No Comments

I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

Home Decor Lifestyle

Cheltenham Road Drink Coasters

Post author By Headless Bob
Post date September 14, 2015
No Comments on Cheltenham Road Drink Coasters

Cheltenham Road Drink Coasters

Finding items for a vintage Halloween themed kitchen can be hard at times. Paper and cheap plastic plates can be found everywhere, but hardy items that can hold up to everyday use are less common. Plus, as someone who does not want every item I own to have a skull on it, there is an additional level of complication.

Over a year ago, I saw Cheltenham Road at ScareLA and fell in love with their delightfully spooky images. At the time their display consisted of candle holders and nice sets of drink coasters. I purchased a candle holder for my best friend (who says it is a fixture of her Halloween-themed living room) and I bought myself four coasters.

Instead of purchasing a full set, I was able to hand-pick four images from different collections. I took two coasters from the Vintage Halloween set – which depicted vintage Halloween toys and games. The full set contains six coasters and is $24 on the Cheltenham Road Etsy Shop.

And I took two images from the “Halloween Coaster Set“ – which contained made-up Horror businesses from famous legends and lore. The full set contains four coasters and is $20 on Etsy.

After over a year of use, these coasters are still just as vivid and nice as the day I bought them. The coating keeps the images in good condition under normal wear-and-tear and the painted sides have not chipped or faded yet.

These sturdy coasters have a non-slip cork base and are handmade in the USA.

Although I love Cheltenham Road for their Halloween items, they do have a wide-variety of images from comic book-themed to travel-themed. You can find their items on their Etsy Store or in a variety of retail locations in California, Ohio, and Illinois.

Halloween Yard Display

October 20, 2026 No Comments

Each year I take my Halloween yard display very seriously. While I spent many years in an apartment building in an area of town where I couldn’t keep items out

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

October 18, 2026 No Comments

I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

Events Movies News

The Black Cauldron Screening at the El Capitan Theatre

Post author By Headless Bob
Post date September 13, 2015
No Comments on The Black Cauldron Screening at the El Capitan Theatre

The Black Cauldron Screening at the El Capitan Theatre

Of all Disney animated features, there is none more obscure than The Black Cauldron. Released in 1985, this film tells the story of a young man named Taran who must protect Hen Wen, a magical pig, who knows the location of the mystical black cauldron. Taran and Hen Wen must find this dark magic cauldron before The Evil Horned King, a diabolical tyrant, seizes it to wield its ultimate power. The story is loosely based on Lloyd Alexander’s The Chonicles of Prydain (a great series to read for those who love the fantasy genre).

The official synopsis is: “Whoever releases the mysterious Black Cauldron’s power will be invincible! The fearsome Horned King will do anything to possess it, but he is challenged by the most unlikely adversary – a young assistant pig keeper named Taran, who dreams of doing heroic deeds. With a motley team of the brave Princess Eilonwy, a minstrel named Fflewddur Fflam and Hen Wen, a remarkable pig who can predict the future, Taran embarks on a quest to stop the Black Cauldron’s evil once and for all. Will he have the courage to succeed? “

The darkest of the Disney animated films, The Black Cauldron was released with a PG rating (after being edited twice to avoid a PG-13 rating). Ultimately, its harshness and scariness caused Disney to pretty much bury it until recent years – much to the dismay of fantasy ~~nerds~~ – or rather – fans.

Disney has still not yet fully embraced the film, but a great step forward is the special Halloween screenings that will take place at the El Capitan Theatre on October 15th – 18th, 2015.

Tickets range from $12-$14 for adults, $11 for children, and $11 for seniors. VIP tickets (which include assigned seating, popcorn, a drink, and a souvenir popcorn bucket) are $23 each. Additionally, just like the previous week’s run of Hocus Pocus, on the film’s opening night (October 15th) at 7:00 p.m., there will be an exclusive “Spooktacular Soiree” – which includes an El Capitan Theatre tour, beer, wine, and soft drinks, treats, a private exhibit viewing, and a souvenir photograph.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the official El Capitan Theatre website. I hope to see you at the theater!

Halloween Yard Display

October 20, 2026 No Comments

Each year I take my Halloween yard display very seriously. While I spent many years in an apartment building in an area of town where I couldn’t keep items out

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

October 18, 2026 No Comments

I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

Home Decor Lifestyle

Halloween Shopping 2015 – Round 1

Post author By Headless Bob
Post date September 12, 2015
No Comments on Halloween Shopping 2015 – Round 1

Halloween Shopping 2015 – Round 1

Now that Labor Day has passed stores are beginning to display their Halloween wares in full force. Below are some early highlights of this Halloween shopping season:

Vintage Style Lanterns, Set of 2 - World Market ($29.98)

These vintage-style lanterns are 7″ Wide, 3″ Deep, and 12.5″ High. They are made of a light-weight tin with vivid accent colors. Use them with LED candles or tea lights to add vintage Halloween flare to your decor.

Spooky Icon Halloween Tablecloth - - Pottery Barn ($99)

Although pricey, this bright tablecloth with vintage-Halloween-inspired images would fit perfectly in any spooky kitchen. It is a linen/cotton blend 70″ wide by 108″ long.

Patterned Fabrics - Joann Fabrics ($5.99 - $10.99/yard)

Joann Fabrics is the mecca for all things crafty. This Halloween season they are stocking a mix of some old favorites and a bunch of new prints. From Bats to Cats to Pumpkins, there are a variety of choices to make the perfect Halloween quilt or craft.

Slime Edison Lights - Target ($15)

These 10-ct string lights appear to be covered in a monstrous green slime – a unique little touch that sets them apart form regular string lights. The bulbs are a little large, but they certainly make a scary statement.

Pumpkin Cocotte - Sur La Table ($149.96)

Fall is the perfect time for soups. This burnt orange pumpkin cocotte is a wonderful addition to an autumnal table and can be functional in the kitchen year-round. Though expensive, it is build to last; it is dishwasher safe, oven safe to 500 degrees, and has a lifetime warranty.

These are just some of the early highlights of this shopping season. Keep an eye out for all the new and exciting Halloween fare stocking the shelves of your favorite stores!

Halloween Yard Display

October 20, 2026 No Comments

Each year I take my Halloween yard display very seriously. While I spent many years in an apartment building in an area of town where I couldn’t keep items out

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

October 18, 2026 No Comments

I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

Movies

“The Visit” Review

The Visit directed by M. Night Shyamalan’s was released on September 11th, 2015. This found footage horror film concerns two children who visit their grandparents for the first time. While their mother goes on a cruise, Becca and Tyler spend a week with their grandparents. Things start out wonderfully, but it soon becomes apparent that something is terribly wrong.

After a string of disappointing films, this newest Shyamalan movie was a pleasant surprise. The film has a well-balanced mix of horror elements and humor, with a relatable cast that keeps the story believable and engaging.

Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould play Becca and Tyler (respectively). Children actors can make or break a film – but they certainly make this one. The found-footage style gives them plenty of moments to fool around and act like normal kids, leading to many of the lighter moments in the film. Their brother-sister dynamic mirrors many of the real-life families that I have seen. They remained consistent and believable even as their situation becomes more and more bizarre. As a viewer you root for them and hope that they come to no harm.

Becca is a budding young filmmaker, which allows Shyamalan to include many jokes filmmakers can truly appreciate – like everyone and their brother saying that they used to be an actor. These moments of humor ease the tension and only help to emphasize when the plot turns dark – though I would characterize the film as more comic than horror.

Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie shine as the progressively scarier grandparents. Through the course of the filmic week we see them degrade from a picturesque couple to something far more sinister. Dunagan truly shines in her interview scenes, switching from sweet Grandma to hysterical at the drop of a hat.

This film marks a comeback for Shyamalan. None of the film feels like it has been forced for the sake of a twist and there are many memorable moments – from the comedy of Tyler’s rapper alter ego to genuinely tense scenes like a game of hide and seek below the house. The film feels like it could fit in with the “Family Horror” of the 1980’s. It certainly has its dark moments, but with strong child protagonists and a lack of gruesome gore, this film would serve as a nice gateway for the young adult sect to experience the horror genre (for those children whose parents are not horror addicts and let them watch Chopper Chicks in Zombietown at four-years-old). There is some nudity of the elderly grandparents, but it is all handled in a tasteful manner.

I hope that this film fares well at the box office. It has a unique premise and is not reliant on gore or visual effects. With all the generic “Sinister”s and “Insidious”es, horror fans need to support different films (even though Blum still produced this one). The only way to get more creative films is to vote with your movie-going dollar. It is certainly worth a watch and will have a place on my movie shelf once it is released on DVD.

Halloween Yard Display

October 20, 2026 No Comments

Each year I take my Halloween yard display very seriously. While I spent many years in an apartment building in an area of town where I couldn’t keep items out

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

October 18, 2026 No Comments

I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

Events Movies News

Horrorfest: 8 Films to Die For 2015

Post author By Headless Bob
Post date September 10, 2015
No Comments on Horrorfest: 8 Films to Die For 2015

Horrorfest: 8 Films to Die For 2015

Horrorfest (8 Films to Die For) began in 2006. Eight independent horror films (including both U.S. and international submissions) were given theatrical releases around the country for one terror-filled weekend. Choosing the best of indie horror, Horrorfest continued for three years 2007, 2008, and (switching from a weekend in November to one in January) 2010.

Much to the dismay of indie horror fans, after 2010, After Dark Films (the company behind Horrorfest) decided to end the Horrorfest tradition and opted instead for directly producing a slew of direct-to-DVD horror films. Although some of the films were truly enjoyable, they could not replace the experience of seeing great indie horror in theaters with a slew of die-hard fans.

Then, with very little press coverage, this past summer, After Dark Films announced a new round of the 8 Films to Die For slated to come to theaters on October 16th, 2015. Despite the less-than-ideal release date (as it competes with thousands of other horror/Halloween happenings), the 8 Films to Die For is sure to be a popular event for horror-lovers.

The films that will be released theatrically are: Re-Kill, Murder in the Dark, The Wicked Within, Lumberjack Man, Suspension, Unnatural, Bastard, and Wind Walkers. You can view their trailers below:

For more information about participating theaters and schedules, visit the official 8 Films to Die For website. Details will be posted soon.

Halloween Yard Display

October 20, 2026 No Comments

Each year I take my Halloween yard display very seriously. While I spent many years in an apartment building in an area of town where I couldn’t keep items out

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

October 18, 2026 No Comments

I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

Movies Music

Comfort Me with Absinthe – Mr. Moonshine

Post author By Headless Bob
Post date September 9, 2015
No Comments on Comfort Me with Absinthe – Mr. Moonshine

Comfort Me with Absinthe – Mr. Moonshine

Mr. Moonshine is a alternative rock band from Long Beach California whose music perfectly captures the strange and bizarre. Comprised of brothers Anthony Pedroza (vocals, bass, guitar) and Andrew Pedroza (vocals, synth), Daysmel Muniz (guitar), and Ternell Cooksey (drums), this band has an alluring sound that is sure to entertain those who enjoy dark and enchanting melodies.

“Comfort Me With Absinthe” is one of the A-tracks from their debut self-titled album. Its sound is flirtatious, theatrical, and darkly sensual.

Its theatrical nature is highlighted in the music video with animation from artist Michelle Prebich (Bats in Your Belfry). In this video she uses cutouts to create a beautiful stop-motion piece. Her use of sand as the magical absinthe is an ingenious touch that adds whimsy and fantasy to the piece.

I hope that you enjoy this music video as much as I do!

Halloween Yard Display

October 20, 2026 No Comments

Each year I take my Halloween yard display very seriously. While I spent many years in an apartment building in an area of town where I couldn’t keep items out

Pick the Perfect Pumpkin

October 19, 2026 No Comments

Halloween night is fast-approaching, and if you haven’t gotten your pumpkin already, it is time to think about going out to get one. Big or small, orange or white, and

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

October 18, 2026 No Comments

I spy with my little eye: a spooky Halloween scavenger hunt! Games and activities liven up parties by sparking conversations and creating fun challenges for friends. A scavenger hunt is

Games Video Games

We Happy Few

Since Bioshock Infiinte‘s release in 2013, there has been a sore lack of dystopian alternate history games. Finally, Compulsion Games began work to fill that void with their upcoming video game, We Happy Few. Set in a dystopian English city in 1964, We Happy Few is “the tale of a plucky bunch of moderately terrible people trying to escape from a lifetime of cheerful denial. Set in a drug-fueled, retro-futuristic city in an alternative 1960s England, you’ll have to blend in with its other inhabitants, who don’t take kindly to people who don’t abide by their not-so-normal rules.”

The concept is quite engaging. You play as a citizen of Wellington Wells, a town filled with a drugged-up populace, all hiding from “The Very Bad Thing” that happened during the war. Your character is no longer happy with escaping reality using “Joy” – the drug that keeps the citizens of Wellington Wells in perpetual happiness – and is just concerned with escaping the city. If other citizens figure out that you have not taken your Joy, they will make you take it by force or just beat you to a bloody pulp, resulting in a game over. The Kickstarter video gives a unique insight into the mindset of the average citizen of Wellington Wells:

So far, the gameplay looks unique and challenging. The game is estimated to take 3-4 hours to play through and all deaths are final. Yes, perma-death. Each time your character dies, you begin the game again, but the map will completely change – it is randomly generated at the start of each game. The game will not be as simple as just retracing your steps. You will need to learn to strategize, master stealth, and know when to engage in combat. You will also have to make sure you don’t starve.

So far there are three character options:

There may be additional characters in later patches, but for now, this off-beat bunch will have to do. Although the game is very open-world, players will be able to gain insight into these characters’ backstories and perhaps help them find redemption through the gameplay.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Comulsion Games is set to release this game in 2016 for the XBox One, Windows, Mac, and Lunux. If you missed out on the original Kickstarter, there is still a chance to help back this game through their “Slacker-Backer” campaign. There are a variety of pre-order tiers from the $10 Digital Soundtrack & Digital Art Book to the $240 Collector’s Edition Box.

Check out this amazing game and support the creators as they work on this unique indie game.

The Nightmare Before Christmas 4D Screening at the El Capitan Theatre 2015

“Downstairs” Short Film

Why “Goodnight Mommy” Did Not Work for Me

Below is my take on the film and contains major plot spoilers. Read at your own risk!

Cheltenham Road Drink Coasters

The Black Cauldron Screening at the El Capitan Theatre

Halloween Shopping 2015 – Round 1

“The Visit” Review

Horrorfest: 8 Films to Die For 2015

Comfort Me with Absinthe – Mr. Moonshine

We Happy Few

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