If you follow me on social media, you know that I’ve been going nuts trying to find that new bat-shaped version of Reese’s Puffs cereal. I love a happy ending:

Yep, I finally found it! (I say “finally” as if finding a Halloween cereal during the first week of September is somehow on the late side.)

Something about Reese’s Bats grabbed me in a big way. I talk about my wild search in the video, and it’s no joke: I went to dozens of stores looking for this stuff, knowing that I’d never really be at peace until I knew what it was like to eat bat-shaped Reese’s Puffs.

And what was it like? Find out in tonight’s video:

WATCH IN HD ON YOUTUBE!

I normally wouldn’t do two cereal videos in a row, but I needed to get this Reese’s Bats thing out of my system. I just love it so much. Of all the new spooky foods I’ve seen or heard about, this is by far my favorite.

Thanks as always for watching the vid. Without you, I wouldn’t have had a reason to work on a four-minute cereal review for 12 straight hours. (Wait, should I be thanking you for that?) Read More…

Time to dust off another recurring feature from Halloween Countdowns past. Get set for a new edition of ‘80s and ‘90s Halloween Newspaper Ads! (I promise, it’s more exciting than it sounds.)

With this series, my goal is to hit upon some of the less-celebrated aspects of yesteryear’s spooky seasons. Stuff you never knew, or forgot you did. “Deep cuts,” as the kids say.

Freddy’s Revenge Sneak Preview!
(October 1985)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 premiered on November 1st, 1985. October 31st sure would’ve been a cooler release date, but alas, in 1985, it fell on a Thursday.

Still, some lucky fans did get to see the film on Halloween night, as part of a special screening in NYC. The first 100 arrivals also received free Elm Street posters, and the whole thing was apparently hosted by Freddy Krueger himself!

Guarantee you that anyone who attended this screening still remembers it. (Assuming they’re, you know, still alive.)

My guess is that New Line wanted to produce some post-release TV spots with glowing praise from fans, and a quick YouTube search confirms that they did exactly that. I’m such a little detective! Read More…

It’s October of 1993. Mom drives you to Toys “R” Us to find a Halloween costume. Too old for Lamb Chop and too bashful for Aladdin, you settle on a cheap hockey mask and a pair of gnarly werewolf gloves.

But here’s the best part: After Mom pays the bill, the cashier hands you a special Halloween sample box stuffed with free snacks!

If you haven’t read my prior articles on the subject, Toys “R” Us used to give out “R” Treat sample boxes. This happened at least ten times during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, with themes ranging from Batman Returns to Jurassic Park to summer-lovin’ giraffes.

The boxes were free with any purchase, and I was obsessed with them. The only thing better than leaving Toys “R” Us with a new action figure was leaving Toys “R” Us with a new action figure and a CARDBOARD BOX FULL OF JUNK FOOD.

But jeez, a Halloween version? That was over the top in a pinch-me sort of way. Let’s take a closer look at the contents: Read More…