THIS IS HALLOWEEN 2019

Welcome, foolish mortals, to my Halloween Playlist 2019! My Halloween Playlist has been a tradition for many years now, as evidenced by my previous Halloween Playlist posts.

I'm not about the scary or the disturbing, but I'm way into the absurd, supernatural, and, occasionally, morbid. So bring on the spooky, not the scary, and see if any of my Halloween viewing picks this year line up with yours!

Part I: Rediscoveries

When we moved houses, our giant plastic bin of video tapes were deemed superfluous and then tossed in the trash.

I rescued a few of the treasures that I couldn't bear to part with, including my original childhood VHS copies of The Little Vampire and The Wizard of Oz, but since we got rid of that box of tapes, I've missed being able to peel off the flimsy lid of that plastic VHS storage bin and take a trip down memory lane.

Every once in a while, I remember something from one of those tapes and wish I could still go grab the VHS from our crawl space and revisit it (yes, I do still have a functioning VHS player! Welcome to my life).

We live in a super old house and we joke about it being haunted, so ghosts were on my mind this year. That's how I remembered I used to have a VHS of Casper Meets Wendy (1998).

As a kid, I loved Hilary Duff and thought this movie was so entertaining. I found a copy of it to revisit it and discovered it didn't hold up well at all. Little Hilary Duff was still the best part, and what I remembered most was Desmond Spellman, played by George Hamilton, terrorizing Wendy and her witch aunts by almost throwing them into a magic inferno.

The entire viewing was strange; as much as I remembered specific moments as I watched (like the kid getting squirted with ketchup and the paper boy being attacked with newspapers), I found that the whole budget on that movie had been poured into silly special effects. I had hoped I would find that this movie was as sweet as I remembered, but it ended up feeling much more embarrassing than I hoped.

Weirdly, as kids, we owned a copy of Casper Meets Wendy, which was made as a direct to video sequel to Casper (1995), but we didn't own Casper, so I never saw it before I watched the sequel. Maybe that's why I was happy to settle for something overblown like Casper Meets Wendy.

Oh well, it still had cute moments and there's nothing like rewatching something you saw as a kid.

Part II: Discoveries

Looking back on my previous Halloween playlists, I was shocked by the lack of Nickelodeon Halloween. I'm talking about Nickelodeon from my childhood, of course.

We have a DVD (circa 2002) of 5 Halloween episodes of Spongebob, which I will always endorse. That includes the classic episodes "Scaredy Pants", "Imitation Krabs", "Frankendoodle", "I Was a Teenage Gary", and "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost".

The most important classic Nickelodeon discovery I made this year relevant to my Halloween Playist is iCarly. I have always been in love with Drake & Josh and still watch it quite frequently (thanks, Hulu!). I wish there was a Drake & Josh Halloween special or episode that I could include here, but there wasn't one I could really justify.

I made time to try iCarly since it shares a lot of cast and crew with Drake & Josh. We own some of the seasons of iCarly in our Amazon video library and each season was only $9.99, which was a steal considering how much it has brightened our household.

My favorite Halloween iCarly episodes include the first season's "iScream on Halloween" where the kids do a web show from a supposedly haunted apartment, and two other costume and monster-related eps.

Part III: The TV Classics

As always, I've included my Halloween episode of Pushing Daisies, S1 Ep5, "Girth". Pushing Daisies is a great spooky staple because it is both consistently morbid (it is, after all, about a guy who can bring dead things back to life) as well as joyful enough to pass my not-too-scary test.

The Monkees have made their usual appearance on the list. I included the three non-negotiable Halloween episodes, plus the fourth "Halloween" episode, "A Coffin Too Frequent", which is optional (I decided this based my personal episode preferences).

Somehow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has never made it on my Halloween playlist. The first reason my playlist lacked serious Buffy is because I like to be cautious when I recommend this show. It's a show that experiences drastic changes over the course of seven seasons. Just to clarify, when I say I love Buffy, I'm talking about seasons 1 - 3. That's where I'm at.

The real reason I never included Buffy on the list is because I avoid serial dramas on my playlist; for my Halloween viewing marathon, I prefer to jump into sitcom episodes without feeling that I need to rewatch the whole show to know what's going on.

That means that Buffy, and the similar shows I love, have to suffer when it comes to Halloween. It's certainly a serial drama, in the vein of some of my other favorites like Smallville and The Vampire Diaries (or rather they're in the vein of Buffy, but let's not get technical).

The good news is that I've been rewatching Buffy this month while working on some of my painting projects and when I saw S2 Ep6, "Halloween", it occurred to me how audacious it was that this episode wasn't on my playlist to revisit.

Because it's one of the most Halloween-y things I've ever seen. And for all its fun costumes, candy, and magic, it also doesn't slack in the quality department. In fact, it's probably one of my favorite episodes of Buffy.

The obvious other serial drama on the list is Stranger Things. But seriously. How can you not have Stranger Things at Halloween?? (Even though I didn't care for season 3... but I'll take the first two seasons, thank you).

And The Addams Family and The Munsters will always be on this playlist because ESSENTIAL VIEWING.

Part IV: The Movies

I got started on the playlist early with both The Addams Family and Addams Family Values this year. I also got the chance to rewatch The Lost Boys, which is a movie I've loved for a long time and was shocked to find it was also overlooked on my other playlists. It is a must-see, both for the Kiefer Sutherland that haunted my younger nightmares as well as laughing out loud at the true masterpiece of the film: every moment with Corey Haim and the Frog Brothers.

As you know, I save the best for last and watch The Little Vampire (2000) at the end of the night! I hope I can carry on this tradition for many years to come.

So there you have it! Check out my full Halloween 2019 playlist below. Hope your Halloween is full of fun and may a ghost follow you home!

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Halloween 2019 Playlist

TV Shows

Pushing Daisies

- S1 E5, "Girth"

The Monkees

S1 E2, "Monkee See, Monkee Die"

S1 E18, “I Was a Teenage Monster”

S2 E18, “The Monstrous Monkee Mash”

+ bonus: S2 E11, "A Coffin Too Frequent"

The Addams Family

- S1 E7 "Halloween with the Addams Family"

The Munsters

- S1 E1, "Munster Masquerade"

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

- S2, E6 "Halloween"

+ all of season 2 if you can handle it

Stranger Things

- S2 E1, "Chapter 1: MADMAX"

- S2 E2, "Chapter 2: Trick or Treat, Freak"

iCarly

- S1 E7, "iScream on Halloween"

- S3 E8, "iBelieve in Bigfoot"

- S6 E4, "iHalfoween"

Movies

- The Addams Family (1991)

- Addams Family Values (1993)

- What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

- The Lost Boys (1987)

- Edward Scissorhands (1990)

- Sleepy Hollow (1999)

- E.T. (1982)

- The Little Vampire (2000)

+ bonus: The Little Vampire (2017)

The Tour-One-One

How does one predict the exact moment that lightning will strike? Assuming you're not Marty McFly and haven't traveled from the future, the next best thing is to look for signs that a storm's abrewing.

And for two years, I've been battening down the hatches.

In May 2017, I showed up at one of New York City's off-Broadway theaters to experience some mystifying little show called The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. To my great surprise, I discovered that this homegrown production was killing it every evening at the Lucille Lortel theater.

Sadly, I'd caught the production at the end of its run and the show was slated to close within a couple weeks of my amazing discovery. I did what I could - I caught it once more before the closing - but I couldn't stomach the idea that it could be going away for good.

After all, I'd been one of the lucky ones. I just happened to be living in New York where the show had opened, so I had access. But what about all the fans of the YA book series that the show is based on that weren't one of the ones with access to the city that never sleeps?

Well, there was nothing for it. It simply had to come back. And in the meantime?

I told my friends. I told my family. I told you. I was especially over the moon when the cast recording was released since one of this show's strengths comes from the stellar songs which have joined the prestigious ranks in my Spotify musicals playlist.

All the while, The Lightning Thief Musical's official instagram account was dropping extremely cryptic messages, maddening little things that made bewildering declarations like "Look for a sign" ...

What was I supposed to do? Just ignore it?

I hoped that the show would return to the Lucille Lortel theater in New York. There was a demand for it and the original run had been too short. But if it returned, would the original cast return? Would the show be the same as the fabulous production I'd seen? And would people still come from the far corners of the earth to see their favorite teenage demigod take on the monsters of greek mythology in musical format?

Every time I listened to that soundtrack, I kept remembering that this wasn't just something I'd invented. This was a good show with a strong story and even better songs. In my dizziest daydreams, I dared to wonder if this little off-Broadway musical could go on tour.

Well, guess what was announced in August 2018? After all of our watching and waiting, half-bloods could rejoice: The Lightning Thief was going on a national tour.

It only took two years for this show to make its wonderful return into my life. The weird thing was that, of all the places, the show started its national tour in The Oriental Theater in Chicago, the very theater I grew up attending shows at (my strongest memories of that place are from seeing Wicked all of those times, walking in under the Oriental's marquee which had replaced all of its white lightbulbs with green ones).

Just over a week ago, I got to see The Lightning Thief start its national tour in my home town. This show, which brings me back to the simple fun of theater for kids, made its debut in the very place I'd seen so many shows as a child.

Although two years is a long time to wait, it also gives you time to convince your chosen loved ones to see the show with you as soon as they have the opportunity.

So last week, I found all of my dreams had come true. Despite the weather's attempt to snow down Chicago (a rather weak attack on Satan's part, considering Chicagoans are proud survivors of some of the most consistently ugly weather in America), I found myself, once again, walking under The Oriental's lighted marquee to watch the show I'd been waiting for. Sitting next to some of my greatest friends in the world, I got to see this show I've been waiting to share with them for what feels like a long time.

I mean, does it get any better than this? I freaking love theater.

And I'm delighted to report that there had been very few changes made from the production I saw at the Lucille Lortel two years ago. The Oriental is a much larger theater than the Lortel, so I was a bit worried that the show wouldn't have as much comedic impact in a larger space. I was worried for nothing though. One of the great joys was being next to my friends as they heard the jokes for the first time and experienced the comedy and inventiveness of the show.

The whole place was ecstatic - and, I might add, totally sold out. This was the Saturday evening show, and despite the weather, the place was packed. And it wasn't just packed with people who were mildly interested. This was people who had gotten these tickets as soon as the tour was announced, who applauded when their favorite characters first came on stage, and who gave the cast a standing ovation.

There was also that magical little sense that you only get at the theater when an especially good song that everyone nows is about to start. Those first couple notes begin and everyone whispers in anticipation. The people who came out to this show knew the songs from repeated listening to the album on Spotify and they couldn't wait to hear them live.

Here's the list of tour dates and locations for The Lightning Thief this year. Don't miss it!

Lightning has struck Chicago and - would you believe it? - I was there to see it.

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THIS IS HALLOWEEN 2018

As of today, I can now truthfully say that I've taught an introductory film course at the university level dressed as Eleven from Stranger Things.

Because - yay! - it's Halloween!

And this is my 3rd annual Halloween Playlist post, sharing all of those movies and shows that are making today super spooky at my house.

If you've read my original Halloween Playlist, or looked at last year's Halloween Playlist, then you already know that when I talk about Halloween, I'm celebrating the "Disneyland Haunted Mansion" type of Halloween.

This year, I'm here to correct a mortifying oversight on the part of last year's playlist. I'm here to tell you that today is the day to watch What We Do in the Shadows (2014x).

Before I saw this film, I never knew I needed it in my life. But I did not know how much I was missing.

It's like The Office. In New Zealand. With Vampires.

There is virtually no end to the usefulness of the quotes. And I cannot think of a more riotous Halloween movie.

As if you needed more incentive to watch this movie on Amazon because it's included in Prime, there's also the fact that they've just announced a TV show version of What We Do In The Shadows that's going to air on FX in the spring. I have never been more ready for a show in my life.

Please invest in your future and watch the first few minutes of the movie below:

In addition to this new(wish) discovery, I'm also a creature of habit and love to return to the tried and true movie-watching rituals on my holidays.

As you know, every year, we watch The Little Vampire (2000). Because it's the Halloween movie in my house, and because it is a formative film which was indisputably integral the course of the rest of my life.

One thing that has been noticeably missing from my Halloween festivities this year is a new season of Stranger Things, so I've been rewatching Seasons 1 and 2 to fill in the gap of new content. Last I heard, ST Season 3 was slated for summer 2019... which I think is a conflict of interest. When you think of Stranger Things, do you think of bright summer sunshine? No, you think of Christmas lights and Ghostbuster trick-or-treaters.

I got a chance to watch a few of my favorite Halloween episodes of The Monkees TV show yesterday, as well. There is a better description of which episodes I'm talking about in last year's playlist. But, just so you know, a lot of episodes of The Monkees are now on YouTube. Which means I get to take them wherever I go!

Every Halloween, I'm both surprised and not surprised at the staying power of The Addams Family. It's covered so many mediums - including comics, television, movies, and the Broadway stage - and I'm sure I don't have to convince you there's a reason I still see Wednesday Addams walking around every year.

I've got a bit more watching to do tonight, so happy Halloween, foolish mortals!

Here's a list of the films I talked about (or didn't talk about) that are all in the gumbo of my Halloween playlist each year:

TV:

- The Addams Family

S1 E7 "Halloween with the Addams Family"

- The Munsters

S1 E1, "Munster Masquerade"

- The Monkees

S1 E2, "Monkee See, Monkee Die"

S1 E18, “I Was a Teenage Monster”

S2 E18, “The Monstrous Monkee Mash”

- Pushing Daisies

S1 E5, “Girth”

- Stranger Things

Seasons 1 & 2

Movies:

- What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

- Edward Scissorhands (1990)

- Sleepy Hollow (1999)

- The Addams Family (1991)

- Addams Family Values (1993)

- E.T. (1982)

- The Little Vampire (2000)

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