MD News Desk: Halloween Edition

Today we present a special edition of the MD News Desk, a goody bag filled with various tricks and treats from Movie Dearest:

And the List Goes On:
- This collection of 20 Movie Villain Pumpkin Carvings gets extra cool points for including ... Large Marge!

Women We Love:
- It's Jamie Lee Curtis’ Follicle Funhouse! How many can you name?

On Location:
- O.T.I.S. pays a special visit to the real Elm Street.
- Zombies invade the Monroeville Mall ... again.


Videodrone:
- A retro Halloween treat from Disney. (By the by, note Donald's nephew on the right — in drag as a witch!)
- Anne Ramsey's head explodes while watching The Bad Seed.
- Scream, Brenda Vacarro, scream!
- "Wocka Wocka Wocka": The Bear Wit Project.
- The one, the only: Sorority Girls from Hell!!!
- Forget Paranormal Activity, it's sexy time.
- Hey kids! It's Shaun (the Sheep) of the Dead!
- Trailer Trash: Beware the One-Eyed Monster (NSFW).

Ride the Movies:
- Now playing at Universal Studios Hollywood: Creature from the Black Lagoon: The Musical! Lots of pics and videos here.

Movie Music:
- Scary bunnies: Watership Down to the tune of "Ave Satani".
- "The Love Theme from The Shining".

Poster Post:
- From the frightfully funny comic geniuses at Kindertrauma: Kramer vs. Krueger, Get Out of Africa and On Crystal Lake.


Out in Film:
- Varla Jean Merman hawks the Occult Snuggie and stars in Shut Up, Sweet Charlotte!
- Alan Ball spills his guts on True Blood's third season.
- The Big Gay Sketch Show's Julie Goldman has a mop problem.
- Really scary: Anne Heche gets work.


Hands Off the Merchandise:
- Blasts from All Hallows' Eves past courtesy of The Haunted Closet.
- "So soft and cuddly": Dark Shadows Horror Heads!

"I Am the Night", oil on canvas by Brandon Bird
Film Art:
- Just what every trick or treater wants: a Philip Seymour Hoffman in Magnolia costume. (Hey, at least it's not a Philip Seymour Hoffman in Happiness costume.)

Tune in to Movie Dearest later today for more Halloween fun, including the results of our "Ultimate Vamp Champ" MD Poll and a very "Bewitching" edition of The Actor Factor!

On Location: The Bates Motel

To conclude not only our month long On Location looks at the locales of the scariest movies of all time, but also our Octoberfest of filmic frights, we take a trip to the set of the most celebrated horror movie of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.

The exteriors of the Bates Motel and the adjacent Bates family home were constructed on the Universal Studios backlot. The buildings, which have made appearances in many other films and TV shows over the years, can still be seen on Universal Hollywood's theme park tram tour.

For a creepy up-close look, head on over (if you dare) to our pal Retrocrush's photo-filled trip report of when he got to walk in Norman's footsteps. Look closely, and you'll even see the frightful image of Mama Bates, lurking in the parlor window.

On Location: The Exorcist Stairs

This is the fifth in a month long Halloween-themed series of On Location posts that will take you "back to the scene of the crime" of some of the greatest horror movies ever made.

Located in an unassuming neighborhood in Washington DC, they were once known as "the Hitchcock stairs" before William Peter Blatty and William Friedkin came around. Now, they are "The Exorcist stairs", made (in)famous in the classic horror film when a recently demonized Father Karras (Jason Miller) flings himself out a window and topples down, down, down to his untimely yet heroic end.

Furthermore, not too far from the top of the stairs is the location used for the exterior of the MacNeil house, complete with lamppost, featured so memorably in the film and its iconic poster.

On Location: The Overlook Hotel

This is the fourth in a month long Halloween-themed series of On Location posts that will take you "back to the scene of the crime" of some of the greatest horror movies ever made.

How's this for some crazy trick or treating: Fantastic Fest is holding a party at the Timberline Lodge in Oregon, one of the filming locations of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, on Halloween night, October 31.

The event includes a 1920's-themed formal ball, live music and shows, a copy of the Jeff Kleinsmith designed poster and (for those braving an overnight stay) an in-room screening of the movie itself.


The Timberline was used for some exterior shots of the infamous Overlook Hotel, with interiors filmed on soundstages in England. Alas, no actual hedge maze exists there, but it still sounds like a spooky evening.

For more Shining thrills, one can also take in The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, which was Stephen King's original inspiration for the Overlook (and used for locations of the 1997 mini-series remake). They too offer a Shining-themed ball, on October 25 as well as the 31st. Curiously, they too will screen The Shining on the first night, but The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween itself.

On Location: Burkittsville, Maryland

This is the third in a month long Halloween-themed series of On Location posts that will take you "back to the scene of the crime" of some of the greatest horror movies ever made.

Nobody had heard of Burkittsville, Maryland before The Blair Witch Project made it the home of a fictitious phantom in the forest. And apparently, Burkittsville still wishes nobody had heard of them. Just take a look at what the town's official website has to say about the movie that, well, put them on the map:

"The 2000 movie The Blair Witch Project which purports to be based on events that took place in Burkittsville, is a work of fiction and any questions re. the film or events depicted therein should be directed to Artisan Entertainment" [sic]

Despite such thinly-veiled (and poorly punctuated) diversion tactics, fans of the fright flick still flock to Burkittsville, such as our ol' pal O.T.I.S., who relates all the history of this reluctant tourist attraction in yet another witty trip report.

On Location: Bodega Bay

This is the second in a month long Halloween-themed series of On Location posts that will take you "back to the scene of the crime" of some of the greatest horror movies ever made.

The calm serenity today of Bodega Bay, California (about an hour north of San Francisco) bears little resemblance to the quaint harbor town seen 45 years ago when Alfred Hitchcock sicked The Birds on it.

Nowadays, you are less likely to see a horde of terrified children running screaming from their school (now a private residence) or witness seagulls crashing into the local gas station (actually the Tides Wharf Restaurant). But you can see the church where Suzanne Pleshette's Annie Hayworth met her feather-strewn end. Just heed her warning and don't visit Bodega during migration season.

On Location: Monroeville Mall

This is the first in a month long Halloween-themed series of On Location posts that will take you "back to the scene of the crime" of some of the greatest horror movies ever made.

Monroeville Mall, located in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is your typical American mall ... well except for that time back in the 70's when it was overrun by zombies. That's right, this is the place where George Romero filmed the original (some would say seminal) Dawn of the Dead.

For the history of the mall and a firsthand account of a zombie-free visit to Monroeville, head on over to the O.T.I.S. blog.

Summer Under the Stars: Gene Kelly

Movie Dearest continues our daily previews of Turner Classic Movies' month long "Summer Under the Stars" celebration:

Now Playing Star Profile for Gene Kelly - Stardates: Born August 23, 1912, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; died 1996. Star Sign: Virgo. Star Qualities: Grace and masculinity in equal measures, cocky charm, endless enthusiasm. Star definition: "His career stands as an example for all of us how a performer can produce an unforgettable work of art." -- Mikhail Baryshnikov. Galaxy of Characters: Harry Palmer in For Me and My Gal, Gabey in On the Town, Jerry Mulligan in An American in Paris, Don Lockwood in Singin' in the Rain.

On the Town was not only Kelly's directorial debut (with co-director Stanley Donen), but it was also the first movie musical ever to be shot on location. And that location was, of course, "New York, New York".

The Big Apple is seen extensively in that opening number (belted out by Kelly and his fellow "sailors on leave", Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin), from the Statue of Liberty to Rockefeller Plaza to the Brooklyn Bridge ... and they see it all in the span of a three-minute song. As they say, "what a wonderful town" ... and a wonderful movie, too.

On the Town airs tomorrow on TCM at 8:00 PM EST as part of their Essentials, Jr. series.

On Location: Brokeback Mountain

By now, we all know that Brokeback Mountainwas more then just a movie. But did you know that you can actually visit Brokeback Mountain?

Rocky Mountain Outfitters exclusively provides one day horseback trips to Moose Mountain (the peak that "starred" as the title character) in picturesque Alberta, Canada (which stood in for Wyoming) where the Academy Award winning classic was filmed. The horseback tours (running continuously this year through the end of this month) offer views of several locations used in the movie (including the "I ain't queer" scene and Jack and Ennis' camp; it's not clear if you also visit the iconic "I wish I knew how to quit you" spot though), plus an authentic western barbeque (I wonder if they serve beans or soup).

Or if you would rather just watch the scenery on the big screen one more time (and are in scenic Beverly Hills), the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will be screening Brokeback Mountain tomorrow night as part of their "Great To Be Nominated” series. The film's Oscar winning screenwriter Diana Ossana will be on hand afterwards for a discussion. Visit Oscars.org for more information.

On Location: The Von Trapp Villa

Have you, like me, ever wanted to pay a visit to the land of the edelweiss, where the hills are alive with the sound of music? I have often dreamed of packing up my favorite things and traveling sixteen going on seventeen hours by plane so that I can track down my own lonely goatheard for a little something good. Too bad I'm a little short on the dough (poor me). And though I have confidence that my wish of climbing ev'ry mountain in that far-off land will some day come true, I know I will have to bid "so long, farewell" to it for now.

This dream was reawakened recently with the news that the Villa Trapp, the original Von Trapp family villa near Salzburg, Austria, opened this weekend as a hotel and museum. Despite the fact that the classic movie musical version of the Von Trapp's lives, The Sound of Music, was not actually used for filming (at the time, it was inhabited by a bunch of missionaries), fans should still get a thrill at visiting the actual location where the events of the movie took place, minus a little less musical numbers and the beatific presence of Julie Andrews, of course.

And although Music lovers have been visiting the area for years through scenic tours themed to their favorite movie, not everyone is happy about this endeavor to cash in on history, real and cinematic. Residents of the neighboring village have already expressed their displeasure, and you know the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont (where the famous family settled in after their escape from the Nazis) is likely none too pleased about their new competition.

However, I imagine that both locations will, like the appeal of The Sound of Music, continue to thrive. After all, there is just something about Maria.

On Location: Griffith Park Observatory

When in Los Angeles, visit Griffith Park Observatory and you'll not only see all the stars in heaven (via their giant telescope), but you'll see a few of the earthbound type as well ... or at least, where they left their mark on cinematic history.

Many film and television shows have filmed at the historic location (with its signature view of the city below and the iconic Hollywood sign above), but none more famously then Nicholas Ray's Rebel Without a Cause, starring James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo. Both the legendary knife fight and tragic climax were filmed right on the sight's grounds.

A bronze bust of Dean was placed outside the observatory's signature domed building in commemoration of the filming of the classic movie.

Click here to buy Rebel Without a Causeon DVD from Amazon.com.

On Location: The Christmas Story House

This post starts off an occasional feature spotlighting famous movie locations.

If A Christmas Story is your favorite Christmas movie too, then you and I will get along just fine. Which means Brian Jones and I would probably be BFFs, since he took his love of the droll comedy beyond an annual Christmas Eve viewing: he bought Ralphie's house. Not only that, he restored the three-story, wood-frame house in Cleveland to its appearance in the movie and opened it up for all to enjoy about a year ago.

Not only can fans take a tour of the actual house used during filming, but you can even visit the Higbee's Department Store ("I like Santa") and the Chinese restaurant ("fa-ra-ra-ra-ra"), where Peking duck is always on the menu. And of course, you can purchase your very own "major award" at the gift shop. And if you don't know what that is, then you sir, are no friend of mine.

Click here to buy A Christmas Storyon DVD from Amazon.com.
Links via Imdb.com, CBSNews.com, AChristmasStoryHouse.com and YouTube.com.