At this moment I'm laying in bed at an
hour far past any reasonable bedtime, a phenomenon likely due to
teeter-totter of physical labor and deep sleep that is my early
November. For as much as I'd wanted to slip in one more update during
October it simply wasn't a possibility within the ensuing whirlwind
of activity. And much as some of you may want me to move onto some
different topics there are still a few Halloween related items that
simply must be touched on. If you'd be so kind as to allow an old man
his ramblings I'd like to cover some Halloween aftermath.
As always the conclusion of October
brought plenty of joy mixed with the proper amount of melancholy. It
was a massive season for me with it feeling like an eternity ago when
I was posting about the likes of Maple Creme Oreo, The New Kids,
and Tallow Glee. Even the antics of The Addams Family menu at
IHOP seem like a relic from another era. That's the mark of a good
season though, when you're still sad to see it go but so close to
being sick of it that the clean-up is almost guaranteed to be
refreshing. Just like every year this one wasn't without its share of
flaws or missed adventures, never went on an adventure to a big
haunted house for example, opting instead for the local courthouse
showing. Some of those incomplete tasks were handled in the beginning
of November such as finally getting to play a couple rounds of
Ghosts.
During the build-up to the 31st
I'd been indulging in some of those token items that help to make
autumn better than the other seasons. Had plenty of cider and donuts,
chugged a fair-share of pumpkin ale, and went for a nighttime walk in
the woods. Well... in the park is more accurate but the activity of
strolling through the near pitch-black pathways while leaves rustle
all around you makes for such a marvelous cheap thrill.
One item I'd been looking forward to
this year, and almost feared I'd have to skip given shoddy finances,
is the remake of old PS1 favorite, Medievil. Way back when the
original came out I instantly fell in love with it to the point that
it became a customary inclusion of October activities for the
following six or seven years. You can understand then the interest in
this remake which has gained some very silly press coverage. Knowing
that the development team was remaining faithful to the original
design meant I fully expected some negative reviews claiming it to be
outdated. What I didn't expect was the number of folks saying the
game is too hard. One reviewer even compared it to the Dark
Souls franchise. Never played that series but the comparison
is making me think modern gamers really can't play for shit.
Medievil's difficulty has always been unbalanced with a couple
of choke points but it's far from hardcore.
Regarding the merits of the remake
itself the development team managed to bring back much of what made
the original so lovely with enough alterations to keep things
interesting. It's all small stuff mind you, slight changes to boss
battles, some control differences, and the occasional timing change
for platforms and puzzles. Most of it is very welcomed with only a
few differences leading to distress. Personally I missed the original
contact sounds and reactions found in the pools of the ancient dead.
Likewise I struggled with the new placements for the guard and jump
buttons for the first few hours. Still the overall effect was as
intended with waves of nostalgic bliss as I tore through the old
playground of Gallowmere slashing through hordes of monsters. Best of
all the game lasted into this month and acted as an ointment for the
post holiday blues.
Another topic I'd pushed back
throughout the season was Mtn Dew Voodew. This mystery-flavor
offering from the folks at Dew started to show up in August but for
whatever reason was a real pain to get for some of us. In my case I
could only consistently find it as the local Family Dollar, and only
in bottled form. Never once did I find the twelve pack of cans no
matter how many stores I checked out. Let this serves as the round of
applause for dollar stores as one of the true pillars of Halloween.
As to that mystery-flavor; most say it's Skittles, a minority claims
orange-cream, after drinking a few bottles I can see the value in
both arguments. No doubt there's a Skittles vibe in here but I can
also taste a smooth orange component in there as well. It's neither
the best nor worst Dew but an excellent seasonal treat all the same.
I'd love to see the Voodew concept continue with further years
bringing new mysteries, so long as the company remembers to bring
back Pitch-Black as well.
Halloween night proper proved to be
quite memorable largely due to some nutty weather. All the
preparation went well and I had plenty of helpers on hand to
entertain the crowds but wet, snowy, windy weather cut the usual
turnout down by a good chunk. Now I've gotta get a bunch of leftover
candy to different charities. Even with the reduced activity there
were still plenty of folks taking pictures with my fellow monsters,
admiring the decorations, and a neighbor even informed us that the
house makes her happy. When you're feeling betrayed by the greater
forces at work it's a real boost to see folks enjoying the result of
all this work. Plus the imagery of the night was unforgettable with
snow slowly piling on our shoulders under a blue-tinted sky
contrasted against the blazing orange of pumpkin light.
So how was this season? Well, it was
unique to say the least. There were plenty of aspects that played out
smoothly and provided tons of fun. On the flip-side there were a
number of weird challenges mainly on the retail front with store
either pushing their items too slowly or too quickly with weird
pricing and poor stock. Plus it seemed like some people couldn't be
bothered to think about all the glorious aspects of the season. Can't
really blame them with it being the end of a decade. Even I catch
myself looking to 2020 for all the potential promise it brings with
it. In the here and now though it was a season that demanded a little
more fight and gumption than usual and that's what made it unique,
right down to the snowy finish.
After a night of candy and horror
films came the massive clean-up job as I spent four days dismantling
and packing away hundreds of decorations. In the process I battled
countless spiders and nearly broke a against a sewing machine. There
was a brief moment of serenity to be found when taking down the
hanging ghouls from the tress. One particular pumpkin man waved in
the wind just right against the evening sky in a way that felt as if
the season was saying a farewell. Something about that moment made
the end of Halloween feel alright, as if a friend were leaving with
promises to return soon.
With all the ghosts and goblin packed
away, and the reward for my surviving being some new Thanksgiving and
Christmas gear, we can move on with proper November business. There
are cinematic turkeys to discuss, Super Sentai to catch up with, and
plenty of early Christmas shenanigans to indulge in. As always I want
to thank all you fine readers for putting up with months of Halloween
obsession, and hope you'll share some stories of your holiday. We've
got tons to talk about in these last two months of the year so expect
to see plenty of posts here in the coming weeks.
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