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Halloween 2023 Countdown!

The_Escalation said:
Alright, here's my Halloween Tuesday thought:

I was thinking about my "goalposts" for the year and how they move up just a little earlier every year. And I started thinking about how last year almost immediately after July 4th, we started to see Halloween items hit the shelves. Typically from July 4th into early August there's kind of a lull or a break where retailers take their time clearancing the summer/July 4th items, then they go into "Back to School" mode, and THEN Halloween stuff finally makes an appearance. But last year it's as if they were in a hurry for Halloween to get here.

That makes me happy. I wonder if, like with our "Christmas hunting" that we start in late April/early May, we will be able to start "Halloween hunting" in July going forward? I think that would be wonderful.
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I really like the idea of Halloween hunting.
 
The_Escalation said:
I promised to reveal the theme for my JOL Day celebrations this year, so here we go.

This year during the Offseason Planning Session, I started thinking about what a scaredy cat such as myself could do for a Halloween celebration. As most of you know, I'm not a scary movie guy, so I don't regularly indulge in the kind of fare that you'd usually enjoy on Halloween.

I thought about maybe doing video games. Silent Hill came to mind, as did Castlevania and Devil May Cry.

It turns out I've been overthinking it. The answer is simple: What's more Halloween than the original classic movie monsters? Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, etc.? They can still be scary, but they're a fun kind of scary, and the movies came out long ago before special effects became what they are today.

So, for my JOL Days this year, I'll be doing a deep dive on one classic Halloween monster per JOL Day - either by watching the movie, reading the novelization, or both if time permits. Then on Halloween, I'll close out with the original Big Bad himself, Dracula. Here's my schedule that I've put together:

January: Frankenstein
March: The Mummy
May: The Invisible Man
July: The Werewolf/Wolf Man
August: The Creature from the Black Lagoon
October: Dracula
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I am also not a scary/horror movie kind of person, but I love the old classics, so I love your idea. I also stay away from R rated movies which thins the ranks even more. When people were talking about "The Thing," a few weeks ago, I thought they were talking about "The Thing from Another World," with James Arness as the Thing. If you want to do a double feature sometime that is a fun "classic."
 
LadyLynn said:
My Halloween thought is more of a question: I am wondering what everyone's favorite part of Halloween is--the movies, the decorations, the candy and seasonal food, the mood or something else. Fore me, it is ALL of it.
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Ditto! Honestly Halloween the day is no biggie. I like it but it is not anything like Thanksgiving or Christmas. But boy do I just love everything about the whole Halloween season which consists of the above you mentioned. Christmas season is still number 1 but Halloween season is pretty close second.
 
The_Escalation said:
Alright, here's my Halloween Tuesday thought:

I was thinking about my "goalposts" for the year and how they move up just a little earlier every year. And I started thinking about how last year almost immediately after July 4th, we started to see Halloween items hit the shelves. Typically from July 4th into early August there's kind of a lull or a break where retailers take their time clearancing the summer/July 4th items, then they go into "Back to School" mode, and THEN Halloween stuff finally makes an appearance. But last year it's as if they were in a hurry for Halloween to get here.

That makes me happy. I wonder if, like with our "Christmas hunting" that we start in late April/early May, we will be able to start "Halloween hunting" in July going forward? I think that would be wonderful.
Click to expand...

I love the idea of calling it "Halloween Hunting". I was already doing it basically each time I would make a Christmas Hunting run, but now knowing that there is "officially" another hunting activity really hits me in the feels this evening. If I'm being dead honest, I could technically say that my "Halloween Hunting" sort of starts each Spring because one of my "goal posts" so to speak is scoping out the outside garden center at Lowes, which usually opens up again at the end of February, as I am always eager to begin lawn work, and mowing, etc.. Eventually, Straw Bales and Mums and things of that nature make their way there usually by mid to late summer. Halloween Hunting is totally going to be a thing this year. I promise.
 
The_Escalation said:
I promised to reveal the theme for my JOL Day celebrations this year, so here we go.

This year during the Offseason Planning Session, I started thinking about what a scaredy cat such as myself could do for a Halloween celebration. As most of you know, I'm not a scary movie guy, so I don't regularly indulge in the kind of fare that you'd usually enjoy on Halloween.

I thought about maybe doing video games. Silent Hill came to mind, as did Castlevania and Devil May Cry.

It turns out I've been overthinking it. The answer is simple: What's more Halloween than the original classic movie monsters? Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, etc.? They can still be scary, but they're a fun kind of scary, and the movies came out long ago before special effects became what they are today.

So, for my JOL Days this year, I'll be doing a deep dive on one classic Halloween monster per JOL Day - either by watching the movie, reading the novelization, or both if time permits. Then on Halloween, I'll close out with the original Big Bad himself, Dracula. Here's my schedule that I've put together:

January: Frankenstein
March: The Mummy
May: The Invisible Man
July: The Werewolf/Wolf Man
August: The Creature from the Black Lagoon
October: Dracula
Click to expand...

Castlevania and the original Devil May Cry are super "Halloweenish", IMO. Castlevania can be played on the switch, but do you know if Devil May Cry is backwards compatible on PS4 or PS5? I sunk some serious hours into the original!
 
@The_Escalation I love your idea of using the classic movie monsters each JOL Day.

I feel your connection with them like I have the connection to Michael / Jason as far as October / Fall / Scary movies.

I love your idea and I think it is fantastic. I love seeing Jack O Lantern Day grow / adapt over time.
 
SolidSnake84 said:
Castlevania and the original Devil May Cry are super "Halloweenish", IMO. Castlevania can be played on the switch, but do you know if Devil May Cry is backwards compatible on PS4 or PS5? I sunk some serious hours into the original!
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The first three Devil May Cry games are available on the Switch as well. I think all five games are available on the PS4.

I played and beat the first two games. The first one is my favorite by far. The second one was mediocre, from what I remember. I did start the third game but never beat it; however I really liked what I played of it.
 
SolidSnake84 said:
@The_Escalation I love your idea of using the classic movie monsters each JOL Day.

I feel your connection with them like I have the connection to Michael / Jason as far as October / Fall / Scary movies.

I love your idea and I think it is fantastic. I love seeing Jack O Lantern Day grow / adapt over time.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I am pretty excited about this "theme" this year. It feels kind of like taking Halloween back to basics. The original monsters haven't gotten a chance to shine in a long time. Time to find out what makes them Halloween legends.
 
LadyLynn said:
My Halloween thought is more of a question: I am wondering what everyone's favorite part of Halloween is--the movies, the decorations, the candy and seasonal food, the mood or something else. Fore me, it is ALL of it.
Click to expand...
Can't choose just one. I think you have to have them ALL to make a proper Halloween season. If I was forced though to only have one choice, I would say the movies, because I LOVE lounging on the couch and watching Halloween movies. There's nothing else like it in the world!
 
DAYS TO JACK O LANTERN DAY: 6
DAYS TO SPOOKY SPRING: 66
DAYS TO HALFOWEEN: 95
DAYS TO THE BERS: 219
DAYS TO HALLOWEEN SEASON: 236
DAYS TO OCTOBER: 249
DAYS TO HALLOWEEN: 279

Happy Rudolph Day, Halloween Friends! I'm hoping today is a day full of Feels. I have Christmas music on right now, the smell of pine wreath from a "scentsicle" that I hung on the little tree, and tonight I am going to watch "Home Alone".

Folks, It's calling for snow today here, and it's on a Rudolph Day which I think makes it extra special. Here in about an hour when I leave for work, I will be checking and hoping "THE HOUSE" still has its lights up as I drive to work, in the snow, with Christmas music on, and seeing a home still decorated for Christmas. In January, I don't think I've ever had all three things together like that!

Tomorrow we move back to having a dose of Fall feels with Tom Turkey Day! I'm excited for the new little things that I will add tomorrow! Have a great day, friends!
 
That first JOL Day sure is dragging its heels getting here. Let's go already!
 
Edge612 said:
Morning Halloween Fans! We have some rain and snow coming today. But again it looks more like rain than snow. At least it's not a bad winter so far. But I still love autumn/halloween #1 by far. Have a great day!
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I had to shovel snow, and more is on the way. January is coming to an end and I am going to cheat big time and celebrate JOL on Sunday, I need the full day!
 
SolidSnake84 said:
Can't choose just one. I think you have to have them ALL to make a proper Halloween season. If I was forced though to only have one choice, I would say the movies, because I LOVE lounging on the couch and watching Halloween movies. There's nothing else like it in the world!
Click to expand...
For me it's become the activities - Halloween lights show, Halloween Trail, Halloween Hayride, Apple picking etc. But it's all amazing.
 
LadyLynn said:
My Halloween thought is more of a question: I am wondering what everyone's favorite part of Halloween is--the movies, the decorations, the candy and seasonal food, the mood or something else. Fore me, it is ALL of it.
Click to expand...
I really think for me it's the atmosphere and overall mood. The cooler weather comes in and the sunsets are just perfect. The evenings feel just a bit more mysterious. Halloween is only one day, but to me it affects the entire month of October. There's really no other month like it.
 
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