Oct 04 2014
I could do a whole month worth of Cramps doing covers. They honored a lot of classic rock and roll, making sure that rock would stay alive. They did a cover of “Strychnine” by The Sonics on their seminal album Songs The Lord Taught Us.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=7T7fQp-Dbks
Oct 04 2014
I like beer and I like pumpkins, but it took me a shamefully long time to actually try pumpkin spice beer. The local brewery whose “Pumpkinseed” ale I had been dying to try went out of business before I could swing by for some. I can’t even remember the name or manufacturer of the kind I tried last year. It’s probably for the best seeing as how it was only just okay. Maybe that’s why the jug containing it didn’t use a label and opted for an embossed name in the glass jug. Southern Tier’s “Pumpking” and Sam Adams’ “Harvest Pumpkin” are both good, my heart still belongs to Shipyard Brewing Company’s “Pumpkinhead” ale.
Even if this had not been the first pumpkin-flavored beer I had ever tried, I would still love it. And that’s not just because of its awesome Headless Horseman label art! The pumpkin spice is noticeable without being too overbearing and the cinnamon gives it a nice crisp taste. It’s a very refreshing experience overall. Sadly I have been unable to find it on tap in my area, as I understand it’s even better than the bottled version. It also turns out it’s now available in cans this year.
I have heard some describe this as a dessert beer and it certainly is sweet enough to justify that particular designation. Some might turn up their nose because of this, which is odd since anything pumpkin spice is supposed to be sweet! Let’s not forget how thematically appropriate this is due to Halloween being the glorious candy orgy that it is. I have also heard that adding a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream to a tall glass of Pumpkinhead ale makes for a delicious taste experience. Shipyard’s official website has a handy list of other great ideas for Pumpkinhead-based cocktails as well. They also have something called “Smashed Pumpkin” but I have yet to try it at this time. Judging from the site, it appears to be a stronger tasting version of Pumpkinhead. No matter which version you prefer, just remember to stock up on it as soon as you can. Your cravings will last much longer than it’ll be available in stores. Trust me on this.
Oct 03 2014
Arguably the coolest band in NYC, Twin Guns do a mean cover of Kip Tyler. I was there for this show. The band definitely needs to be seen live.
First heard the Kip Tyler original on the Buffalo Bop compilation Horror Hop. Definitely track it down.
Which one do you like better?
Oct 03 2014
A roughly life-size version of a mini chainsaw. Wouldn’t this be a great inexpensive and light weight costume accessory? Or perhaps you might prepare to use it as a static prop in your home haunt or Halloween display. Place it by a fake severed head (or an old mask stuffed with wadded up paper towels), add some fake webs and dim lighting and you have a perfect spooky scene.
As the watermark in the above image says, this awesome papercraft model was created by Bamboogila. You can find the instructions here, but you have to jump through a few hoops before you can download the actual project template. I’m guessing this is due to his having issues with people trying to make money off his work in the past. Thankfully all you have to do is build three of his other papercraft models and take a picture of them (along with a piece of paper with your name on it) and send it to him. You have to build his Thor project, but you are free to pick the other two from his massive selection of paper models. Might I recommend his papercraft Jiangshi? Given the time it will take to put everything together, you had better act soon so you can have the chainsaw ready by Halloween!
The image illustrating this article was licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. The rest of the article is copyrighted by Gravedigger’s Local 16.
Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for the content on or anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of visiting or downloading from any links on those sites (or constructing a project that’s detailed on them). Attempt at your own risk.
Oct 03 2014
As recently noted by Strange Jason:
“Sup, listener? So, it pains me to have another delay so soon after our last interruption, but the remote corner of the Front Office of Gravediggers Local 16 has broken out in a terrible infestation of goblins. And they’re cool goblins, like, really personable and with interesting point of views on a world that I take for granted. But it’s pretty hard to record and put together a podcast episode, so I got to apologize for ANOTHER week without a program. Sorry.”
In the meantime, check out some of our past October shows:
Episode 14: The Reason For The Season Of The Dead
Episode 40: Into The October Country
Episode 79: …something…something…Halloween
Episode 77: We Can’t Stop Here! This Is October Country!
Plus, our previous Ambience and AtmosFEAR episodes:
Episode 15: Ambience and AtmosFEAR 2011
Episode 41: Ambience and AtmosFEAR 2012
Episode 78: Ambience and AtmosFEAR 2013
If you have any suggestions for artists/bands (or anything else you want more of on the show) please feel free to submit them to CONTACT at 6FTPLUS dot com.
You can find all previous episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes, Stitcher and Spreaker. They’re also on Facebook and Twitter.
Oct 02 2014
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets do probably the best cover of The Police. I recently watched OUT OF BOUNDS, this Anthony Michael Hall movie that was scored by Stewart Copeland of The Police. Let’s just say there’s a reason why Sting had the solo career afterwards.
Which one do you like better?
Oct 02 2014
I’ve toyed with the idea of posting pumpkin carving videos before, but quickly realized how most of the appeal came from the end result rather than watching the actual carving. It seemed to make more sense to just gather up a bunch of cool Jack O’Lanterns pictures to post rather than focus on a video. But that’s when I came across the following parody video by Mark Rakocy:
You know, that name seems awfully familiar but I can’t quite place it. His website says he is a (and I quote) “Motion Graphic Designer and aspiring Other Stuff specialist” and his Internet Movie Database profile notes his work on several films…including The Dead Matter by the Midnight Syndicate! Come to think of it, he was a contributor on their self-titled debut album and provided graphic design work for Gates of Delirium. Ain’t the internet grand?
Oct 01 2014
I kind of like the cover more than the original. Both are excellent, but the guitar from the Groovie Ghoulies rendition (particularly this one from their ‘Monster Party’ collection) is fast and dirty. Which one do you prefer?
Oct 01 2014
There’s just something about this image. It seems very spooky at first glance, but taking a longer look reveals it as a typical farm in the fall. It would probably look quite cheery in color, but I love the extra atmosphere given by the black and white photography. Halloween is a lot like that.
My anticipation has been growing ever since the leaves starting to change color. Now October has finally arrived. I love the cool, crisp air and the crunch of leaves under my feet as I walk down the street. Pumpkin spice goodies? Yes please! You had better believe I love the decorations that have been starting to appear as well. Many were strictly harvest themed at first, but the Halloween stuff crept in soon enough. We’ll all be seeing displays ranging from the cute to the realistically scary soon enough. And even if some types of decorations aren’t to your liking, it’s still great people are trying to make the Halloween season interesting and enjoyable for all in their own special way. Take the Halloween staple that is the crudely made dummy. It’s easy to mock them for their obvious wooden frames and slumped postures, along with being clad either in old flannel or old dress shirts. But would it ever be truly be Halloween if you didn’t see one? I personally enjoy the sense of nostalgia they give.
The theme to Swamp Foetus playing in my mind as the memories flood back. When I was growing up, there was a local radio station which used to play three songs (“Spooky,” “Monster Mash” and “Martian Hop”) every October. I loved hearing them while on the way to (or back from) some evening errand with my family as a child and even today I rank “Spooky” as one of my favorite songs. Looking back, it’s odd how they limited themselves to only those three. Perhaps I was just missing their other Halloween selections? Working on my costume and pouring over the newspaper listings for haunted attractions in the area were always fun. Even if I couldn’t go to one of the professional ones, I always had my neighbors’ home haunts to look forward to. The love of Halloween decorations, along with checking out the newest spooky stuff at stores, practically goes without saying. Let’s not forget the books! I loved scouring through various Halloween and holiday books for new ideas. I still do it today, even though a lot of it is done online now. Pouring through various horror books and magazines always seemed more special during the fall even though I read them throughout the year. Maybe it’s because so many of the films I drooled over would be shown on TV. Speaking of drooling, that’s precisely what I’m doing since I just learned by my all time favorite Halloween candy is still being sold: Palmer’s “Monster Munny” double crisp chocolate coins. It was the only kind of candy I could only get in October and seeing their foil coin wrappers with the various cartoon monster portraits made each Halloween complete. I had even tried saving said wrappers on a few occasions. You had better believe I’ll be searching the stores for them.
I hope you find what you’re looking for this month. We here at Gravedigger’s Local 16 will do its best to help out by providing a steady flow of spooky content. Please feel free to share your own October memories in the comments section. Stay tuned!
Sep 30 2014
‘sup, kiddies? No SJTV this week due to preparations for the Halloween season. I guess you’ll just have to find another way to KILL some time at work (or wherever else you read these little musings.) But don’t worry – we still have some things to help rot your brain – some classic Tales From The Crypt commercials to hold you over until next week.
Sep 29 2014
With the news of Fox greenlighting a Deadpool movie after positive fan reaction to leaked test footage, I was reminded of another film featuring a Marvel antihero which received much praise online. The 2013 fan film Truth in Journalism:
As you can see, it shatters any expectations about this being the kind of cheap and poorly acted short that immediately comes to mind when the phrase “fan film” is mentioned. This should come as no surprise since it uses professional actors, such as Ryan Kwanten from True Blood, and was written and directed by Joe Lynch (who is no stranger to the world of horror, be it in front of or behind the camera). The use of a full crew didn’t hurt either. I also feel the film shows what potential found footage superhero movie could have if handled by the right people. I can’t be the only one who wishes something like this would show up in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” at some point. Of course, that’s assuming Marvel would forgive the unauthorized nature of the project. That’s why the onscreen title doesn’t reference Venom, Eddie’s full name is never given and we only see brief glimpses of the character once the alien symbiote shows itself.
But the film isn’t without its flaws. While the film itself delivers many clues it is set in the 80’s and refers to events from issues of The Amazing Spider-Man, the post-credits scene features an appearance by another Marvel character utilizing his depiction from one of the more modern Marvel movie adaptations (I won’t spoil it by saying who it is exactly). While the version of Eddie Brock depicted in Truth in Journalism is undeniably charismatic and entertaining to watch, his actions blatantly contradict his “protector of the innocent” characterization in the comics. Since this was made as a homage to Man Bites Dog, I’m going to guess this is due to the portrayal of the lead in that film.
Although he did not write or direct the short, this is still a labor of love by producer Adi Shankar. Read this interview if you don’t believe me. As the man behind the “Bootleg Universe” he seeks to use films in the series as a way of “…reinterpreting the characters I love without red tape.” He also produced the Punisher fan film Dirty Laundry starring none other than Thomas Jane. That’s right, the same actor who portrayed the character in Lions Gate’s first attempt at a Punisher movie! Like Truth in Journalism, I enjoyed the film while taking issue with how some aspects of the protagonist’s characterization. There’s no way the Frank Castle of the comics would show that much hesitancy to get involved after witnessing criminals harassing someone. But there’s also plenty to love about the film. The acting and fight choreography are perfect and if not for the use of digital blood, this could easily be considered as a throwback to the 80’s vigilante subgenre. In other words: give it a shot!
UPDATE: So it turns out the guy who made this has been making a habit of pumping out unauthorized films about copyrighted characters and apparently refers to this as a new way of doing “business.” Consider all my praise for this guy officially retracted.
Sep 26 2014
To quote the description given at the new listing:
“AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BROWNS! Canadian Horror Punk represent! Plus, the 50th Anniversary of the Munsters. Music from The Long Losts, Twin Guns, Aaron and the Burrs and much more! Plus, The Monstermatt Minute!”
Remember to email 6′+ (contact at 6ftplus.com) or leave a comment below about the show, whether you liked it or not. Tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, but above all – enjoy.
You can find all episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes, Stitcher and Spreaker. They’re also on Facebook and Twitter.
Sep 24 2014
Today marks the 50th Anniversary of The Munsters. Last week saw the 50th anniversary of The Addams Family tv show, but since we work blue collar here, we have a bit of an affinity towards the middle class American dream that is The Munsters. We’ll have more about this on this week’s episode of 6ftplus, but in the meantime, pop in your favorite episode (they’re on Netflix) and listen to Butch Patrick’s attempt at a hit single.
Sep 23 2014
Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean our Crypt Keeper doesn’t have to stay in shape, as he opens the episode by lifting some ‘dead’ weights. And before we get a chance to make any more puns, in walks ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER wearing a Tales From The Crypt T-shirt. He’s here to turn the Crypt Keeper from that 90lb corpse into a decaying MACHO MAN.
It’s captivating to look at Arnold as he was twenty-five years ago, especially since he’s been making a second go at a film career playing old, grizzled veterans. Here was a man who was on top of the world, and somehow, he managed that with an accent thicker than his neck. But to see his face without wrinkles and a body in its prime made me sit back and consider time, and how even the man at the top of the world can’t escape the clock.
This concept of time and aging doesn’t go far from our mind as we start THE SWITCH off with a shot of an old hand stoking a fire, before panning back to see a table full of pills in a well-furnished room that would be called ‘old fashioned’ if we were having an estate sale. And we might as well be, since the old man whose hand was stirring those flames seems pretty close to shedding his earthly coil.
In walks Fulton the Butler, played by Ian Ambercrombie (famed actor who played a lot of roles that nerds, freaks and geeks would know: Alfred Pennyworth on the short lived Birds of Prey series, Mr. Lippman on Seinfeld as well as the wiseman in Army of Darkness), finds his employer spent the entire night in the study.
“I’m in love, Fulton! I’m in love!” says Carlton Webster, and that’s the most goddamn creepy thing I have ever seen, because it’s said by William Hickey. I don’t think there was a time when William Hickey was NEVER 78 years old. He’s known for being Uncle Lewis on Christmas Vacation and a bunch other movies – but this gravel voiced man embodied withered evil. Gnarled. Twisted. And to hear him opine with sweet lovesickness made me leave my chair and fix a calming drink, because it’s going to be one of THOSE episodes.
So Carlton tells his man Fulton that he’s in love with Linda, grasping at her photograph and admitting his true feelings. It’s never really discussed how Carlton met Linda. But this is ‘Tales From The Crypt’ and we only have twenty minutes. Fulton, of course, is worried about this woman’s intentions (because why would a young woman love an older man if not to get into his wallet and not his pants?) Two episodes into the second season and we have two instances of gold-diggers. Wonderful. This is what happens when your script is a comic book from 1954.
Sep 19 2014
In case you don’t read our podcast’s Facebook page, here’s a repeat of an important status update:
“Sorry, folks. Got to take a week off. In the meantime, why not revisit our last Friday the 13th episode?”
Said Friday the 13th episode can be found here. If you have any suggestions for artists/bands (or anything else you want more of on the show) please feel free to submit them to CONTACT at 6FTPLUS dot com.
You can find all previous episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes, Stitcher and Spreaker. They’re also on Facebook and Twitter.
Sep 17 2014
If you want to please an actor who spends all his time on movie sets and otherwise before the camera making horror “entertainment” then shudder at the mere mention of his name. Then and only then does he know he has “arrived” in the most elite upper crust of horrordom.
Such a one is Boris Karloff and no one who has ever seen him on-screen can argue that point. If you haven’t been exposed to his special kind of menace on the screen, hurry to the Leathbridge Theatre where “The Terror” is being played and you’ll quickly see what we mean.
He is best known as the screen’s “Frankenstein” even though he has not portrayed a Frankenstein since 1935 when he did “The Son of Frankenstein,” the third of the series. Of course, he has other horror roles to his credit but it was his Frankensteins that won him acclaim as the greatest terror character actor in motion pictures and a worthy successor to the late Lon Chaney, who in his day, was undisputed champion.
Off-screen, the “Real” Boris Karloff is cultured, soft-spoken, an English gentleman whose real interests are flower gardens, poetry, the legitimate stage and world affairs. He is a devoted husband and father, an avid fan and follower of the English spectator sports, cricket and rugby.
But on-screen, every Karloff movie is a scary one and “The Terror” ranks right up there with the best of them. As the Baron von Leppe, wandering around in his isolated castle and being haunted by far, far more than memories, he is a truly ominous character.
Jack Nicholson and Sandra Knight furnish the young lover romantic interest, while Dorothy Neumann is an old woman you wouldn’t care to meet after dark. Richard Miller and Jonathan Haze add to the intrigue amidst sets that are lavish and mood-provoking. Part of the action takes place in wooded mountain country famed for its beauty.
“The Terror” as produced and directed by Roger Corman and is an American International release in conjunction with The Filmgroup, Inc. It was filmed in Color and Vistascope.
[This post is based around one of many prepared articles included in the pressbook for The Terror. With the exception of adding a theater name in order to mimic how this would have looked in an old newspaper, the article has been unchanged. To see more, head on over to From Zombos’ Closet.]
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