Hollywood Gothique

Considering that the Halloween season is already in full swing (Hollywood Gothique hit four major haunted house events in September), October 1 is no longer a major date heralding the arrival of Halloween in Los Angeles. Nevertheless, if only for tradition’s sake, we wanted to pause and note that October is here, in all its [...]

The Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is currently offering discounts on pre-sale tickets through their website. You can save $3 per ticket, until these tickets sell out. This Halloween’s presentation, Los Angeles Haunted Hayride: The Congregation, runs on October 5-6, 11-14, 18-21, 24-28, 31. Regular ticket prices are $28 for General Admission, $37 for a “Double [...]

Edmundton Sun’s Lifestyle section offers a dire warning about this Halloween: Adults, frustrated by the sad state of the world, will take this one-night opportunity to act out all their repressed aggressions. What’s weird about the article is that it neglects to mention the obvious: Halloween offers a safe, socially acceptable pressure valve for blowing [...]

The Canadian Press notes that old, abandoned prisons make the perfect setting for a Halloween haunt. Someone did something similar a few years ago at the jail in downtown Los Angeles, and the Altadena Sheriff’s Station had an annual “Haunted Jail,” although it appears not to be operating this year.
The Wall Street Journal offers eight [...]

Worried about letting your kids run lose on Halloween night? This article points to some new products that will improve safety, such as fiber optic costumes that are easy to see in the dark and a hand-held tracking device that allows you to keep tabs on trick-or-treaters even if they scurry out of sight.
Get tips [...]

Despite the economic recession, American are spending more than ever on Halloween, according to this article. The Business Journal follows up with an article predicting a boost in Halloween spending because more people say they intend to celebrate this year. Cincinnati.com comes to similar conclusions here.
Church in Northhampton launched a crusade to commemorate heroes rather [...]

A couple of universities are offering safety tips for Halloween. A lot of it is common sense, but a little refresher course never hurt, especially if you’re so enthusiastic that your excitement might overwhelm your better judgement.
The University of Maryland provides two lists of quick tips:
For Trick or Treaters:

Carry a flashlight.
Stay on sidewalks.
Obey traffic signals.
Wear a watch [...]

Someone on YourHub.com has posted a brief public service announcement regarding a clinic that will offer free x-rays of Halloween candy this year. The post is accompanied by the admittedly exaggerated image at right, which suggests that the problem of pins, needles, and razor blades inserted into treats is one of epic proportions. The truth [...]

Yahoo News has an odd editorial by Susan Estrich titled “Halloween Horrors.” I say “odd” because it is one of those opinion pieces wherein the author feels content to offer a discourse based pretty much on her vague personal impressions without recourse to any real evidence to back it up. What happened [...]

Street.Com has a very nice article on Halloween collectibles. Perhaps the most surprising point it makes is that the vintage era for collectibles lasted from 1919 until 1935 – a time when Halloween celebrations consisted mostly of adult parties where guests would play games and take home prizes: candy boxes, lanterns, or noisemakers. According to [...]

Here is an interesting article with some advice for pet owners regarding Halloween. The article warns that pets can be easily frightened by the noise and confusion of Halloween, which represents a break with their regular comfortable routine. Candy and candy wrappers can be bad for your pet’s health. And if you want to dress your [...]

WBKO.com – the website for a Kentucky TV station – has a post about entitled “Police and Parents Emphasize Halloween Safety.”
The general premise – that this is a dangerous Halloween and parents need to check trick-or-treat candy to make sure their kids don’t get poisoned – is fallacious. Stories about razor blades in apples [...]