Series: Favorite costumes of Halloween's past...

This costume was a big hit at our 2001 Halloween party. He's an escaped mental hospital patient named "Harry Buttinski".

Amazingly, my friend in the costume managed to stay in character all night (and it didn't really look like he's was trying too hard).

Pumpkinrot Yard Haunt 2007 video...

Pumpkinrot is probably the most well known creator of amazing Scarecrows. These go well beyond just carving a face into a jack o' lantern. The stuff he makes are like hideous works of art!

This video is from his 2007 home haunt, but his website has some great individual images of his creations over the past several years. He has developed his own niche and style with his props that many home haunters strive to replicate.

Take a look at www.pumpkinrot.com.

Using compressed air in your haunts...

Phantasmechanics has a great reference article on using compressed air to animate props. For any home haunter who is looking to take their attraction to the next level, adding a system capable of moving props quickly and powerfully is a sure way to create some great scares. A basic understanding of pneumatics is necessary, as working with compressed air can be dangerous if precautions aren't taken.

Here is an excerpt:

"Compressed air offers a number of advantages over electrical actuators for haunts, and has accordingly been used for many decades in dark attractions. The hiss of air accompanying a scare was a hallmark of the dark rides I grew up with. Utilizing compressed air is the most efficient method to produce sudden and startling kinetic effects. It is safe to use on damp ground outdoors, allows quick and powerful movements without the risk of blown fuses or overheating, and allows for the relatively simple construction of devices that would be expensive or impossible to duplicate using other methods.

The amount of force generated at the output of an air actuator (usually a piston and rod housed in a cylinder and connected to an object to be moved) by even a modest amount of input pressure can be amazing. If you've never considered an air system because it seemed too daunting, peruse this article and discover the basics. It may be just what you're looking for."

Click here to see the full article.

Something Got Into Charlie...

Here's a clip from a recent prop (Halloween 2007) from Woody at Scare FX (http://scarefx.blogspot.com/).

I've had Scare FX bookmarked for quite a while and frequently visit the site when I'm looking for inspiration for creating props or set pieces.

Scare Compilation Video

Since giving a good scare is what haunters enjoy most, I thought it would be fun to share a compilation of fun scares. I believe this was originally from America's Fuuniest Home Videos.

Every once and a while I'll post some of the more creative photos of props or costumes from our annual haunt or party. This prop was hanging in the entryway to our house for Halloween 2002.

We had a green rubber skull and stapled a white wig to it. It was then lit with a blacklight. For some reason, we thought it might look cool to put some flashing lights into the hair and the effect actually turned out pretty well.

Vile Things home haunt...

I use the internet to find inspiration in creating new props. Frequently I'll come across a site that I can get an idea or two from. Sometimes, I'll come across a site that makes me go Wow!!!

Vile Things is such a site. Although it doesn't appear to have been updated in while, this site has fantastic home built props. The site lists the different projects that have been built (up to 2006) and shows quite a bit of detail about the actual construction process for several of the props. Pics and videos of the props in action are also included. I particularly like the Bellicose prop and the Animated Obelisk.

Here is a link to show some detail on the construction for their home haunt in Halloween of 2006.

http://www.vilethings.com/vile_things_2006_home_haunt_2.htm

I hope to see them back in action this year.

SPFX Zombie Mask

SPFX Masks make some of the most impressive masks I've seen. They use silicon which allows the mask to form fit over the head but also allows facial movement, talking (and eating) and expressions.

For commercial haunters, they can eliminate the need for make-up and are fast to put on and take off. This YouTube video show the Zombie mask in action.

They have several different designs. I particularly like the "Old Man" mask. 2 or 3 new characters are added each year and the attention to detail is simply amazing. These masks are however pricey. Last year the masks sold for $200-$300 per mask but this year the prices are closer to the $500-$800 range, depending on the design.
To see more, check out http://www.spfxmasks.com/.

Skulltronix Talking Skull and Skeletron - Transworld 2008

At Transworld this year, Skulltronix announced an animated skeleton body to join it's award winning talking skull. The technology in these products is fantastic.

Unfortunately, the price tag will be a bit steep for most home haunters and probably out of the range even for most commercial haunts. $1600 will get you the skull (dmx) and for another $4000 you can score the animated skeleton.

Several haunt enthusists have built or modified their own talking skulls, but the skills needed to do this are waaaaaay outside of my particular skill set.

Behind the Spider~Wiper prop...

I saw this video from Village Haunts about a year ago and was amazed at the detail of this homemade animatronic prop of a giant spider. This thing moves it legs independently, lunges forward and backwards, turns it's head and even squirts venom (water) at its victim. Amazing!

This should provide plenty of inspiration for do-it yourself home haunters.

Haunted Overload

I had heard about Haunted Overload a while ago. This halloween attraction has been rated in the top 10 in the nation. What amazing about this is that it started as a home haunt and has grown massively each year. The creator/owner Eric Lowther had to move into much bigger property in 07 to support the expansion.

Eric creates most of the props and decorations at his haunt. Some of the stuff he and his team build are amazing. Many effects are giant, some are over 30 feet tall!

If you are a fan of haunts and will be in the New England area this October, you owe it to yourself to check out Haunted Overload. Take a peek at the video to get a small taste of the attraction.

Welcome to my site!

I've created this blog to share my enjoyment of my favorite day of the year - Halloween!

Most neighborhoods have a "Halloween house" and ours is it. I start planning my home haunt in February and have usually commenced building a few props by the time summer rolls around. The neighborhood kids enjoy snooping around while I'm working in the garage to glean a sneak-peek at what unexpected scares might be in store for them.

What I absolutely love about Halloween is the creative freedom that this holiday offers. I enjoy coming up with imaginative ways to turn my normal suburban home into something scary and special, that kids will remember as they grow up.

-Gibber