Dino Drac’s Daily Halloween Thing!
Saturday, October 22nd:
I only have a moment as I’m about to film a video, but I had to wish a happy 40th birthday to Halloween III, which is my favorite film from that franchise, and also just one of my favorite horror movies, and *also* just one of my favorite movies from any genre.
High on the list of reasons to love Halloween III is its amazing score. What a masterpiece from Carpenter and Howarth. It completely captures every vibe of the film. The score is mysterious, weirdly hopeless and very robotic.
I still listen to it all the time, especially when I’m on long drives. If you’re new to it, prepare to fall in love, even if the movie itself isn’t exactly your cup of tea.
Friday, October 21st:
A friend spotted this promo standee in an antique shop. It wasn’t for sale, but I had to show you it anyway. My God, she’s beautiful! A well-accessorized Lady Mummy carting around old school Pepsi and a bag of Jumpin’ Jack Cheese Doritos. (The best Doritos flavor ever, especially in its original black bag with the neon lettering!)
I’m guessing it’s from 1991. I did end up speaking to the owner of the standee, and we agreed to talk again in a few months. So who knows, maybe someday I’ll pop up with a hideously expensive pile of cardboard and beg y’all to validate me. For now, let’s just agree that she’s hot.
PHYSICAL CHALLENGE: In honor of Ms. Doritos Mummy, watch something mummy-related between now and Sunday night. And by “mummy-related” I just mean it has to have a mummy character somewhere in it. Movies, shows and cartoons all apply.
Thursday, October 20th:
Here’s a complete playthrough of the original Castlevania, for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Consider it spooky background noise.
This game will forever remind me of one very specific childhood sleepover. I was staying at my old best friend’s house. Me, him and his older brother stayed up half the night trying to beat this game.
We were downstairs, with no adults in sight. Aside from the television’s glow and one half-broken corner lamp, there were no other sources of light. I can’t remember if it was storming, but let’s assume it was.
Mix that with the late hour and the creepy Castlevania music, and I felt like I was trapped in a third grade horror movie. I scarfed down Cinnamon Toast Crunch and put off pissing for as long as I could, terrified of braving the pitch black hallway.
Meanwhile, my friend and his brother argued over how to defeat that floating Medusa head.
I’m not sure if it seemed that way when I was living it, but in retrospect, what a great night!
Wednesday, October 19th:
Back in my trick-or-treating days, teensy Snickers and individually-wrapped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were my dynamic duo.
Of all the “common” Halloween candies, those were my absolute favorites. I wouldn’t have wanted a bag filled with nothing but those – variety is the spice of life – but I sure as shit wanted more of those than any other candies.
When I returned home on Halloween, the Snickers and Reese’s Cups were always the first to go. I’d try to resist and try to ration, but the way they tickled my throat was just too addictive.
I can still remember the very specific stomachaches that came with eating too many of them. It was like an impossible mix of a blood sugar spike and hypoglycemia. I’d be doubled over, almost dizzy from fullness, cursing Big Chocolate at large.
Of course, after two minutes, I’d eat more candy.
Tuesday, October 18th:
Well, this was nuts. I received a gift box from McDonald’s that just completely blew my mind. Inside a sleek black box was an absolute bonanza of Boo Buckets stuff — like even more than I could fit in that photo!
There was the complete set of Boo Buckets. A set of patches. Three sweatshirts. A McBoo hat! A pin! Various Halloween decorations! A freakin’ INSTAMAX CAMERA! All that plus a little card that I can redeem at McD’s for a free Boo Bucket. (Which of course I’ll never do, because that card is worth more to me than any bucket.)
Weird as it sounds, the box itself may be my favorite item. It has the Boo Buckets on ‘em, and is the kind of box I would’ve spent way too much money for on eBay. I will never, ever toss that box.
This didn’t just make my day. It kinda made my whole season. Thanks, Ronald. Hope y’all had fun on the first official day of Boo Bucket hunting!
Monday, October 17th:
This was a good day! While the McDonald’s Boo Buckets aren’t supposed to be available until tomorrow, I knew that all participating locations had to have the pails by now. It was just a matter of finding one willing to hand them out early.
I struck out in NY, but got lucky in NJ. They only had the ghostly white McBoo bucket, but that didn’t stop me from buying three anyway. (Which worked out, because as you can see, each pail has a trio of faces printed on it.)
And yes, just like in the old days, they’re serving the Happy Meals right inside the buckets, which permanently glues the telltale stink of McDonald’s food to the plastic. I’m lovin’ it.
As someone who’s been doing nostalgia features about these buckets for literally twenty years now, this is such a trip! It’s hard to take stock of these things when they’re happening, but I have no doubt that the 2022 Halloween season will be remembered as one of the best ever.
The Boo Buckets should be widely available on Tuesday. Good luck finding them, because that’s half the fun!
Sunday, October 16th:
Friday’s challenge was to buy a pumpkin, so I did. It’s not very large, but it does have a stem long enough to double as Yoda’s gimer stick.
I have big plans for this pumpkin, and I’m not talking about triangular eye sockets. See, I’ve long been enamored with the idea of hollowing out a pumpkin and using it as a bowl for an autumn soup or stew. This one is exactly the right size.
Course, my version won’t really be an autumn soup or stew. I don’t eat pumpkins and I hate everything in the squash family. I’m thinking of something more along the lines of Dinty Moore.
I can’t believe they came that close to naming a stew after the guy from Arthur 2.
It’s good to have big dreams, but you also need small ones to soften the blow when they won’t let you be an astronaut. One of my smaller dreams is to eat beef stew out of a pumpkin. Wish me luck.
