With the holidays right around the corner, everybody's looking for
unique gift items to get that special haunter in their life. We've
compiled a list full of novel, unique and helpful items for haunters
from every walk of life. Some of these items you've probably heard of
or seen before; some you may not have seen before. In any event, we've
racked our brains and searched the web to find some of the coolest,
most useful and cost-effective "toys and props" that the industry has
to offer!.
"Once
soft and cuddly, now dead and bloody." This is the philosophy behind
Teddy Scares: to take something cute and cuddly and turn it into a
macabre plush that's morbidly appealing. While I will admit that these
aren't exactly "haunt-related", they're so cool that they have to be on
the haunter's wish list. Currently, they have five different bears to
choose from: "Rita Mortis", who's the 'bad-ass' of the group, "Edwin
Morose", the broken-hearted poet, "Abnormal Cyrus", the cyclops bear,
"Hester Golem", the
re-animated
zombie bear and "Redmond Gore" the mask-wearing, ax-weilding serial
killer. Each bear stands at 12" tall, comes with it's own removeable
toe tag and an accessory, be it a bloody weapon, a roach crawling out
of the bear's chest or an eyeball resting in a pocket. Teddy Scares are
priced at around $25 each and can be found at places like Spencers,
Tower Records and various other retail and online shops. Like what you
see? Expect even more in the near future. Newer bears are being
unearthed for a likely 2005 release. There is even a fan club for those
of you who find these plushes ghoulishly irresistable (this editor is
not ashamed to admit that he owns one!). Benefits include a Teddy
Scares T-shirt, discounts off future purchases, and even a limited
edition Teddy Scare. For more information on Teddy Scares or to find a
retailer, please visit http://teddyscares.com
Haunted
Media's first DVD Documentary, "Season of Screams" is a feature-length
documentary on the world-famous screampark, "Knott's Scary Farm's
Halloween Haunt", this video takes you on the inside and tells the
story behind the legacy of the "Halloween Haunt", with interviews from
those that helped start the annual event, to the actors, to fans of
Halloween Haunt and more! It really brings the history of "Knott's"
alive in many ways; so many that you'll find yourself watching this
documentary over and over, even at almost 2 1/2 hours long! The
production is top-notch, with an overall very professional feel to it
and the soundtrack is also very good, although reminiscent of Midnight
Syndicate. The bonus features are interesting to say the least. Extra
footage
from the "Wolfman Jack" show, footage of retired mazes, photos, a
tribute to the late head of the makeup department, Melanie Ann Smith
and more! Fact is, "Season Of Screams" will appeal to every haunter,
regardless of whether or not you've been to Knott's before. I would
highly recommend picking this DVD up. It's filled with funny stories,
interesting facts and is a great entertainment value all around. For
more information on "Season of Screams", please visit http://hauntedmedia.com
Ed
Gein has without a doubt inspired many horror movies and in turn been a
direct (or sometimes indirect) influence on today's haunts. In keeping
with the cannibalistic tradition, Kevin Klemm, founder of 'The Ed Gein
Collection' has prided himself on making some of the coolest and most
grotesque products around. One unique product in particular is their
signiature item: the skull bowl. So morbid that you'll swear it came
straight from Plainfield, Wisconsin. The bowl is made out of a life
size replica of a human skull and comes complete with a finger bone
handle, and reversed jaw for stability. Use it as a candy dish or
perhaps even to eat out of.
The uses for such a dish are only limited by your imagination. The skull bowl retails for $39.99 and can be found at http://edgeincollection.com
What
haunter hasn't been through Disney's Haunted Mansion? And let's face
it, those of you who have had the chance to visit this attraction has
come to love it and appreciate it, especially for it's visual effects
that continue to amaze guests 35 years after its opening. One of the
many effects that still continues to be talked about and attempted to
emulate is the famous changing portraits. While you may not have a
Disney-sized budget, that doesn't mean that you can't have a similar
effect. Haunted Memories
have created their own version of the changing portraits and have
offered them at an affordable price. Unlike Disney's changing
portraits, these use a lenticular screen effect to change the images
from normal to grotesque. Currently, there are 20 different portraits
to choose from and they are priced at around $130. For more
information, please visit http://hauntedmemories.com.
"Scary
Dark Rides" is a fascinating ride that takes you on a magical journey
from the golden era of dark rides and traveling spook shows, all the
way up to present day dark rides, with a few breaks along the way. This
book is not so much the entire history of the dark rides, but rather
the author's story; what he recollects and admires so much of these
treasured rides. If you've ever been to one of those hokey carnival
spook houses, or were one of the "foolish mortals" who dared enter
Disney's Haunted Mansion, then chances are, this book will take you
back to these places and make you reminisce about yesteryear. Doug's
unique style of writing will not only conjur up warm memories of days
past, but he actually takes you back into his childhood and makes you
feel as though you're a part of it. "Scary Dark Rides" paints a vivid
portrait of all types of dark rides, from the spooky, to not so spooky,
all while entertaining you with some brief history, little known facts
and humor that presents itself from a unique point of view. Overall,
this is a wonderful book that anybody who's ever enjoyed the cheap
thrills and laughs that a dark ride provides, should pick up! It's a
great read, a fascinating tale and one that you won't soon forget! To
boot, it's VERY reasonably priced and makes a great addition to ANY
haunter's book shelf. You can find "Scary Dark Rides"at http://spookybook.com
For the more subtle haunter, Pushin' Daisies also offers a coffin wall
clock which would prefectly adorn any wall. The clock is made from
white pine, is painted black and measures 5 1/2" x 11". It features an
American made quartz movement which runs on one AA battery and a
gothic-style face to help keep track of time, even after you've passed
on. This morbid timepiece retails for $26.95 and is also available in
an unpainted natural finish. You can find the coffin clocks at http://www.pushindaisies.com/candypress/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=78
Finally,
we have one last piece from Disney's Haunted Mansion. The front gate
sign. You've all seen it, hanging on the brick column outside the
foreboding mansion facade, with the demon face on top and the ever
familiar "Haunted Mansion" logo inscribed on it. Well, now's your
chance to own an exact replica of the sign, molded from the actual
Disneyland sign and cast in resin. This large and heavy plaque measures
14" by 24" and has a hanger on the back. It's finished with a simulated
weathered bronze finish with deep relief and detailed features and
sells for $199. You can find this true collector's item at http://www.phil-sears.com/Disneyana6.htm.
If this is a little out of your price range, this site also offers a
scaled down plaque version of the famous gateway sign. You could also
check eBay for miniature replicas. Luckily, I was able to find a scaled
down version to grace my desk with.
