What plans do you have for Halloween 2009?

We (me and my girlfriend) will have to babysit 5 kids on this Halloween. We haven't decided whether or not we're hosting a Halloween party this year or not. Some years we do, and some years we don't. It's mostly up to my girlfriend. Well, if no Halloween party then we will go out tricking or treating around our neighborhood, and come back home to watch a funny horror movie, eat popcorn, candy and drink some punches until their parents come over to take them home. So we will have small adult party, like watch real scary horror movie, eat pizza, wings, chips, and drink some boozes... maybe talk about ghost story like that.

Halloween Horror Nights 2008

I'm going to write a bit more about Halloween Horror Nights this year, but I thought it was excellent and this is a brief summary.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, Halloween Horror Nights takes place at Universal Studios, Orlando from the end of September through the beginning of November. This year Sept 26 through November 1st.

The 2008 theme is Bloody Mary/Reflections of Terror and Universal did a great job in making it scary! There were a large number of scare zones and haunted houses. Plus wandering scarers.

I'll tell you about our party: A 10 year-old girl and 8 year old boy were quite scared by much of it. An 11 year old girl and 9 year old girl loved it. I guess a lot depends on temperament. Two women were scared by it too, but they both enjoyed it and wanted to go back.

More to follow...just wanted to start with this.

Halloween Parade fund-raising starts early

By The Sentinel staff

It is never too early to scare up support for a parade.

Mechanicsburg Halloween Parade Association, a nonprofit organization of local residents, is working on its annual fund-raising drive.

The parade is scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 11, maintaining the tradition of being the first Halloween parade in the region, organizers say.

In 2004, the association's spent $10,613 for the parade, but only raised $10,223.

A surplus from prior years offset the shortfall for an association which relies on the generosity of area residents and businesses, member Jeff Shatzer says.

For a contribution form, visit www.mechparade.org or contact Treasurer Ann Edgar at 697-5267 or hd5play@aol.org.

In-kind contributions, such as gift certificates, that can be distributed to participants are also welcome. Contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

'Scream IV' Set with Neve Campbell Returning

by Erik Davis
Who knows what finally convinced Neve Campbell to return to the Scream franchise, but according to Variety (and Bob Weinstein), she'll join both Courteney Cox and David Arquette in a fourth installment set to begin production in April or May. This fourth installment will be the first in a new trilogy, and The Weinstein Co. is in talks with Wes Craven to helm at least the first film. No word on whether Campbell and the Cox-Arquette duo will stay on past the first flick or be hacked up five minutes in (I'd vote for the latter).

The Weinstein Co. have been battling rumors of money trouble for awhile now, letting go of employees and delaying films due to lack of funds and manpower. Now, though, Bob Weinstein says the company will be returning to some of the franchises that helped produce box office, and in addition to three new Scream films, they're bringing Robert Rodriguez back to write and direct Spy Kids IV in 3D, with production on that set to begin in March of 2010 (so much for Sin City 2 ...). Also on the agenda for Weinstein is a third Halloween movie in 3D, as well as remakes of Hellraiser, Scanners (in 3D), Short Circuit and American Werewolf in London. On whether Weinstein will be able to handle all these films without bankrupting the company or delaying release dates for years on end, Bob notes, " ... there is no question that financing is readily available to produce and market these films."

It's Halloween at National Lampoon

Why is National Lampoon still allowed to waste film? Don't get me wrong, I loved their early efforts, but the last few have been direct-to-video (or is it DVD now?) piles of crap.

Well, they're back again with National Lampoon's Clubhouse Trick of Treat. The film tells the story of a 15-year-old boy who is grounded and must stay home to baby-sit his brother and sister on Halloween. They soon find that their old house is haunted, complete with a secret passage that leads them on a wild Scooby Doo/Beetlejuice type adventure. So who did they sucker to act (I use this term loosely) in this one? Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds), Vanessa Angel (Kingpin), Taylor Dooley (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D), Jake Thomas (Lizzie McGuire), Nikki Griffin (The O.C.) and Matthew Lawrence (The Hot Chick).

At this point I'd be willing to settle for another crappy Vacation sequel. Notice I don't say spin-off - stay as far as you can away from Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure.

Halloween is two months away; time to start costume shopping

Labor Day is approaching, back-to-school shopping is done, so online moms’ thoughts are turning to the next big shopping opportunity—Halloween. Internet measurement company Hitwise reports that Internet searches for “halloween costumes” increased 196% last week versus three weeks prior.

With schools just opening, back-to-school shopping is pass้. For instance, searches for backpacks reached their peak during the week ending July 30, and searches were down 29% last week from their peak, Hitwise reports.

Last year, Internet searches for “halloween costumes” began increasing in August and peaked at levels thirteen times normal during the week ending Oct. 9, nearly three weeks before Halloween. In contrast, searches for “halloween,” a term not necessarily shopping-related, began increasing several weeks later and peaked the week ending Oct. 30, 2004, just before Halloween.

Hitwise reports that early search term data indicate that this year’s hot costumes will be related to two of this year’s hit films: “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” and “Batman Begins.” Among the top 30 search terms driving visits to leading costume retailer BuyCostumes.com for the four weeks ending Aug. 27 were “Star Wars costumes,” “Batman costumes” and “Darth Vader costumes.”

Hitwise says Halloween searchers are generally women between 25 and 34 years old.

Visitors to CostumeExpress.com were 97% more likely than the average Internet user to be in that age group while shoppers at BuyCostumes.com were 69% more likely than the average Internet user to be in that age group. Women comprised 58% of visitors to BuyCostumes.com and 56% of visitors to Costume Express. “This may indicate that a large percentage of those searching for Halloween costumes are mothers with young children,” Hitwise says.

The top Halloween costume sites, along with each one’s share of visits from search terms, according to Hitwise:
1. www.halloweenmart.com, 16.76%
2. www.buycostumes.com, 16.18%
3. www.costumeexpress.com, 5.05%
4. www.halloweenstreet.com, 4.30%
5. www.halloweencostumes4u.com, 4.13%

Hallween Telling =Bus Tour Explores Old Louisville's Ghostly Past

By Connie Leonard

(LOUISVILLE, August 12th, 2005) -- Old Louisville is known for its historic houses, but not everyone knows several are said to be haunted. One neighborhood is filled with ghost stories. And as WAVE 3 Investigator Connie Leonard reports, if you choose to ride along on "The Ghosts Of Louisville Tour," it could be a fun and frightening start to your weekend.

If you're looking for something different to do on weekends, you can now board a bus and take a ghostly tour of old Louisville.

Old Louisville's rich -- and sometimes forgotten -- Victorian legacy shines bright these days, thanks to a history lesson with a twist.

Every Friday night, writer David Domine takes his riders on a trip back in time. It's a trip that involves 1,200 homes and some 50 blocks of amazing architecture.

And ghost stories. Lots of them. From a son who squandered the family fortune and shot himself in a back bedroom, to ghost stories based on real events.

"When I dug a little further I found out very often there were historical backgrounds that might explain some of these hauntings," Domine said.

Jenny Bowman is a case in point.

As the story goes, Bowman, a maid, was working at her employer's residence at a home at 1152 south Brook Street in April of 1887. Her employer had left her alone in the home when two men broke in.

Domine says "when she came downstairs and saw the two burglars, they were at the fireplace, so what they did was they picked up the fireplace poker and beat her with that. And the the doctor's report said she was beaten so badly that one of her eyes was knocked from her socket."

As Bowman clung to life, the Courier-Journal posted updates on her condition for 19 days until her she died.

Originally, the house was located across the street from the old Male High School, but it was eventually destroyed to make way for I-65.

But the phantom of Brook Street lives on.

Domine says homeowners through the years reported seeing a woman's image in the fireplace, and a lot of people today still believe that Jenny Bowman's spirit walks up and down Brook Street. Many people have reported seeing a misty figure hovering above the sidewalk.

The tales of families who lived together and sometimes died together transport those on the tour.

John Reliford, an admitted ghost story fan, says "it makes it kind of cool when you live in this neighborhood and you've got all these cool things going on."

It's downright scary how popular Domine's "Ghosts Of Old Louisville" has become. As Domine explains to his readers, it's not exactly conjuring up spirits by candlelight.

In fact, he says he himself was a big skeptic until "I moved into a house on Third Street where strange things were going on."

After the unexplained sights and sounds, he began swapping stories with the neighbors. Domine says he'll remain somewhat of a skeptic until a ghost walks up and shakes his hand.

Until then, he hopes more people will become intrigued in the history and the stories of what was.

"Ghosts are a way of connecting to your past," Domine said. "It's part of the collective memory and sort of acknowledging what your history is and making a connection with that."

If you'd like to catch one of the tours, they're scheduled every Friday night, and groups can be accommodated on other days of the week.

For more information, call 637-2922 or visit www.ghostsofoldlouisville.com.

Online Reporter: Connie Leonard

Online Producer: Michael Dever