***************************************** From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sat Nov 2 23:21:24 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 02:14:57 -0500 From: Craig Lewis To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Thank you for the support! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com John P. Jeffries wrote: > > Unfortunatly, I could never get over to see the one Candance puts on > with the local Jaycees. (I heard it was a real treat!, I'm bummed I I have had some experiences with local Jaycees. It started in Ohio, and it was great. I came along with some neat equipment, ideas and such, they had the money and some more great ideas. It worked out great. Then I moved to Virginia and the first thing I did was get hooked up with the local Jaycees. They had been doing a haunted house, but it was almost dead. I came with a few ideas, marketing and inside operations that they never done before. There was some resistance from a few older members, but since it was just about dead, the others went for it. Needless to say, it was a pretty successful year. The next year they made me chairman for the haunted house. I got the best location they ever had and while in the initial stages of setup (we had 3 weeks) the "president" of the club started giving me a hard time (I heard later he was jealous of the success of it all). After a few days of this, I quit. I took all of my toys and went home.....which then turned into my own haunted yard display each year. Later I hear some Jaycee clubs are more "preppie" clubs. Not my style. So you are pretty lucky to have such a club to work with. I wish the local club would change, but I hear it is on the same path. I now hope to open a haunted house of my own. In Ohio, I remember there was one (actually two owned by the same person)....The Haunted Schoolhouse and the Haunted Laboratory. The were able to obtain to schoolhouses (old) side by side. Pretty cool idea. The Schoolhouse was 3 stories and over 50 live actors. I can only hope for their success. Craig -- CyberImage- Custom Caps, Shirts & Color ID Badges...GREAT HALLOWEEN SHIRTS & CAPS! http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber Be Sure to Visit Our Halloween Page at: http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber/halloween From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sat Nov 2 23:24:00 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 02:17:51 -0500 From: Craig Lewis To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com I have done a few haunted houses in my time, none of them were guided houses. In the area around here, all of them are guided "tours." I feel like "stop here and wait to be scared!" Does anybody have any other experiences one way or the other? Craig -- CyberImage- Custom Caps, Shirts & Color ID Badges...GREAT HALLOWEEN SHIRTS & CAPS! http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber Be Sure to Visit Our Halloween Page at: http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber/halloween From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 08:41:16 1996 From: milwiron@btprod.com Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 10:31:02 -0600 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: It's the day! and More to Come! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com >Denny Wrote: >> I just finished machining >> a double lift air cylinder for my Jack. >> The cylinder is 15 inches long but extends to 40 inches, >>... keeping things simple. Crank rotation >> will be by gear motor which will also drive the music mech. Rob Wrote: >Keeping things simple? :) Yup yer right, that doesn't sound very simple but it was only an hour of very basic lathe work. What I should have said was the double lift cylinder was a more straight forward mechanical design than using an air cylinder and an additional set of mechanics to achieve a longer lift. It always bugs me to use a clean linear motion and then mess it up with levers or cables to get "more" linear motion. I'm going to a slightly larger box than my original thoughts, so I'll build another double lift cylinder of 20 inches retracted and around 54 inches extended. Denny From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 09:22:44 1996 From: allconen@btigate.com Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 10:04:02 -0800 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: (Haunted Porch) Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com David Kiihne wrote: > > Someone here in Lincoln (Nebraska) did a Haunted Porch also and even made > the local news. > > But the camera guy just kept zooming in on monsters' faces so all you saw of it > was store-bought masks. :( I'll have to keep an eye out (ouch) for it > next year. > > Dave - daveki@nebfef.com > >I'm so excited to find someone else in Nebraska as avid about Halloween as we are. We're in Alliance, but my family is in Lincoln, so I may even get a chance to visit your haunt next year. Debbie Faber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 10:10:38 1996 From: allconen@btigate.com Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 10:51:32 -0800 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Read: Another security idea Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Lund wrote: > > Am I the only one that doesn't get any message text from the following > post? I e-mailed Kendra off the list and got here reply OK. However, every > post she has to the list I get no message text. Nope--same thing happens with us. Debbie Faber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 10:13:57 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 12:44:41 From: JBKadel@gnn.com (Jim Kadel) To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: It's All Relative Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Denny, I can't afford to be that "offended" using a lever, not having a machine lathe :} Jim Kadel (JBKadel@gnn.com) Ref. yours in part: ==================== >It always bugs me to use a clean linear motion and then mess it >up with levers or cables to get "more" linear motion. From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 10:17:58 1996 From: allconen@btigate.com Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 10:57:11 -0800 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: It's the day! and More to Come! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Rob Freeman wrote: But to pay back all of > you for help and encouragement, I plan on posting directions to some of > the effects that I have created. I apologize that I didn't do this > before Halloween, but you all know what kind of time it takes to build a > haunt. With all the time I devoted to just reading the list, I didn't > have time to write the directions down. When I'm done putting > everything away, I should have plenty of time to post them. > > Some of the things that you can look forward to are: > - pnuematics: > . Jack-in-the-Box > . Arm's Up! > . Dracula Rises > . T-Rex Attacks > - motor controlled > . Hat's off > . The Mouse > - electronics: > . 20,000 volt shocker > . Delay timer > . Relay controls > and much more. > > Hopefully this will encourage many of you to stay active on the list. We can't wait. Now that we've found the list, it's Halloween year-round. I'm more skilled at costume ideas and making costumes than these great effects, but would really like to share our ideas as well. Hope everyone sticks around for the fun! Debbie Faber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 10:18:19 1996 From: allconen@btigate.com Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 10:59:58 -0800 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: The 5th Annual Howl-O-Scream Masquerade Ball (LONG) Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com DJ wrote: > > At 11:48 AM 10/30/96 EST, you wrote: > > > The "aquarium head" was lit by a pin spot with a color wheel attached and > >included an aquarium aerator which bubbled merrily away. > > Hi, Stu, > > Wow! It sounds like you had a great haunt! That "aquarium head" really > piques my interest. Can you tell us more about it? You wouldn't happen to > have a jpeg, would you? > > DJ, who's always fishing for new ideas This stirred my imagination also--please tell us!!! Debbie Faber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 10:21:13 1996 From: allconen@btigate.com Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 11:13:12 -0800 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: wrapping up '96/starting on '97 (long) Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com The Proctors wrote: > Got some cool giant vinyl rats from K-mart for $3.00! Wish I'd waited for the sale! But we got some this year and added red and yellow LED eyes to them. Easy to do and they looked great. Debbie Faber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 10:34:24 1996 From: allconen@btigate.com Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 11:28:56 -0800 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: new topics Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Jennifer Etowski wrote: > > 2I am looking for ideas on how to do the flat top hear peice of > frankinstien.I can do dark closes;green make up and scews in my neck but > the shape of the head and hear on the clasic frankinstien monter is > giving me trouble. Maybe use one of those cheap latex bald wigs (1.99 at Target), square off shape with thin foam padding, and glue on black crepe hair. > 3 I am also doing or want to do the mummy. I am looking for imput.I was > thinking of velcroing bedsheet strips or cheezecloth to a white shirt and > pants. My 10 year old said just rap your self in towlet paper.I think I > want something to last a little longer and be able to move in,and be > reasonably easy to get out of and go to the bathroom. I used a ski mask and hot glued strips of white sheeting to it, leaving eyes and mouth open. If I had it to do over again, I would sew a "ski mask" of some lightweight stretch knit so it wouldn't be so hot. Hot glued strips of sheeting to long sleeved white shirt, leaving long tails to wrap around the top of the non-thermal white long johns which served as pants. Hot glued white sheeting to long johns, leaving long tails at ankles to wrap around feet. The gaps between the strips of sheeting I painted to resemble grayed "mummified" flesh. Debbie Faber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 11:20:53 1996 From: JeanniSkip@aol.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 14:13:38 -0500 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Halloween Adventure Store Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com The day before Halloween I was in a mall looking (believe it or NOT) for something unrelated to Halloween, and stumbled into the Halloween Adventure Store. I went inside to see if any of their items had come down in price (no-only broken and damaged stuff in a pile marked 50% off) or if they had the one thing I hadn't already seen anywhere else and could not live without. Not. Their store is designed with a shelf about 7 or 8' high which goes around the perimeter of the store holding the wig heads with their incredible variety of ghoulish masks. I could not help noticing all the bare wig heads (at least 50% of them) and wondered what they do with them after Halloween. I asked the manager who said they will probably sell them. When I asked, "how much" , he replied, "around $3 each". After I visibly recoiled, I said, "you know, you can buy them NEW for that..." and promptly left the store.....the NERVE!!! Jeanni, looking for next year's deals already.... From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 11:20:58 1996 From: JeanniSkip@aol.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 14:13:36 -0500 To: Halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Scary Facts Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Now that Halloween is over, here is are some frightening facts about Halloween printed in an article in last Monday's Los Angeles Times: - This year $1 billion will be spent on Halloween costumes and $900 million more on candy. About $5 million will be dropped on greeting cards. - $157 million worth of advertising will be tied to promotions, including cereal, beer, candy and restaurants and nightblubs hosting parties. - Halloween is second to Christmas for home decorating, replacing Easter. More than 50% of American homes will decorate to the tune of $60 million. - One out of three adults will attend a Halloween party, the nation's third-biggest party day, preceded only by Super Bowl Sunday and New Year's Eve. - Halloween is in the Top Five sales days for beer, surpassing St. Patrick's Day. Plus a few quotes: "Halloween has become a howling big deal because baby boomers, more than any other generation, have never let go of the holiday", says Scott Krugman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation, which represents 1.4 million retail establishments. "They won't let go of Halloween. It's their own childhood memory of that one night a year that they now have turned into a season for themselves and their families," says Mike Bernacchi (marketing professor at the University of Detroit Mercy), who is also editor of Under the Mike-roscope newletter, a marketing and advertising trends publication. Dwayne Ibsen, spokesman for the 300-member Ohio-based National Costumers Assn., says Americans spend on Halloween "simply because it's there and everybody is doing it." Especially adults who make up more than 80% of Halloween costume rentals and spend more than $200 for a costume and $50 for a child's outfit. Ibsen says home decorating has skyrocketed. In 1990 five booths at a Halloween market for retailers sold decoration items. This year 25% of the 1,500 booths displayed decorations. Does this mean we can expect more and more folks like us joining the Halloween list?? ;-) Jeanni From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 12:56:23 1996 From: htraver@dreamsys.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 12:37:28 -0700 Subject: Which way? To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com I've done both guided tours and walk your own kind. Knotts for example is walk right through on all, except for one year with skit. Each has their own plusses and minuses. Depends on how you stage oyur shows, I guess... guided has the bear of a longer wait to get in.... Harry [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 12:59:41 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 15:36:35 -0500 From: Crypt Subject: Re: .gif or .jpeg help? To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Rob Freeman wrote: > > Stuart McIntire wrote: > > I don't have a clue how to accomplish a .gif or .jpeg, > > We also got a video. I haven't a clue how to get an > > mpeg or .avi file set up either, but it might be cool > > to get a video file set up in the archives . > > I'm clueless about electronic pictures, too. I want to create a web > page using still pictures of my haunt or from the video I make every > year. I heard that I could send my film to get prints and digital > copies, I'm just not sure from where, or how to view or edit them once I > got them. The same goes for scanning them. Can I go to a Kinko's or > something to do that? Any help from those of you who have web pages > would be appreciated! > -- > Happy Haunting > Rob Freeman > freemanr@oeonline.com Well you could get a pic scanner. The price on them isn't to bad, under $200 I believe. Or you could get "Snappy" it will let you convert any vidio image to jpeg file . You can take a vidio of your stills and then capture them . Snappy sell for $199 I think. Hope this helps a little L8r Crypt From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 13:00:02 1996 From: htraver@dreamsys.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 12:41:30 -0700 Subject: Re: wrapping up '96/starting on '97 (long) To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com The day after is ALWAYS great for getting things. giant rats for 3 bucks. Good concept :) I picked up sope 3-4 buck masks, a cool bat skull wall hanging (5, laughs with red eyes, no need for those, time to get a second to make a pair :) and a couple of other knick knacks for the time. The one rumor I hear locally I'm interested is about our Halloween club closing up after christmas for 2 months, then re-opening with up to 75% off on halloween items. Can't beat early planning! Harry [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 13:02:17 1996 From: htraver@dreamsys.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 12:43:30 -0700 Subject: Halloween Adventure Store To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Jeanni, you should have offered 50 cents each an d if he didn 't bite, tell him you'll be in in 4 months to buy them at that price (grin) [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 13:09:31 1996 From: htraver@dreamsys.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 12:47:30 -0700 Subject: Scary Facts To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com (article from LA Times from Jeanni on Halloween stats) Jeanni, thge traffic on this list tends to go up fantasticlly about a month before the magic day. Bandwagoners, as it were. You seen how many accidental unsubscribes and working unsubscribes came through afterwards? Most new Halloween stuff is pre-packaged more cutesy than scary items. the small mrechanical toys with speech and music are becoming a hot item, but they sure as hell won't scare me in a haunted house anytime soon! Don: as a lesson, can we make it that bandwagoners cannot re-subscribe if they unsubscribe the week after halloween? or should have two mailing lists, halloween-l and hardcore.hallowen-l for us all year round types? :) Harry /sa [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 13:17:15 1996 From: R4M2J1@aol.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 15:53:15 -0500 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: It's the day! and More to Come! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Denny wrote: < l build another double lift cylinder of 20 inches retracted and around 54 inches extended. >> I'm thinking of making a werewolf pouncing out of his den effect for next year ,your cylinder sounds like it would be perfect for the job. Could you post more detail please? Thanks Dale r4m2j1@aol.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 13:48:19 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 15:30:14 -0800 From: The Proctors To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Halloween decorating article(long) Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Column (by Mickey Guisewite) appearing in Dallas Morning News recently. (syndicated by King Features Syndicate) "It's Scary How Holidays Bring Out Decorators" Just as winter brings snow, spring brings rain and summer brings unrelenting heat, autumn brings something for which we're never quite prepared: the outdoor-decoration people. You know who I mean. It's the woman down the street who manages to transform her ordinary three-bedroom ranch into an aunthentic haunted house complete with cobwebs, graveyard statuary and a Frankenstein monster made from her husband's suit and some old pantyhose. It's the man next door who emerges from his workshop with 17 free-standing wooden ghosts and a handcrafted bird feeder in the shape of a pumpkin. It's the couple who went to the farmer's market and were able to envision a life-size depiction of Bill Clinton made entirely from gourds. During the summer months the outdoor decoration people live in relative obscurity, because almost all of us are able to muster up an acceptable showing of flowers. It's during the rest of the year, when we can no longer count on Mother Nature to provide impatiens and geraniums, that the outdoor-decoration people reveal themselves. Two seconds after ripping a filling out on the Halloween Milk Duds, you look next door and see a cornhusk turkey sneering at you from the neighbor's front porch. Then Thanksgiving is over, and the real fun begins. As you struggle to untangle one measly set of lights, you're suddenly blinded by the family across the street flipping the switch on their "700,000 Points-of-Light Christmas Extravaganza." How do they do it? How do they find the time to conceive of, let alone execute, such masterful outdoor recreating schemes? Does this mean that back in July while I was attempting to resurrect my water-starved petunias, my neighbor was already scouring the Earth's floor for her handmade witch's twig broom? As I dug up weeds, was she patterning a cape and heating up her glue gun? Furthermore, if a person has time to handknit an elf costume for the cement goose on her front stoop, to what lenghths must she go inside her home? Crocheted jack-o-lantern tissue holders for the bath? Marshmallow-festooned yam families for the mantel? As for myself, I plan to start a new outdoor-decorating tradition this year. I envision a little white flag hanging from our porch spray-painted with a message to our neighbors echoing the heartfelt sentiments of my whole family: You win. From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 15:30:51 1996 From: cloudy@wolfenet.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 15:24:11 -0800 (PST) To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: the report (long) Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Hi, I just started the list this year a month before the big day, and think it's so great I plan to stick around all year. We posted a plan for making a fog machine out of a mr coffee (mr foggy) and someone was trying it and me and my husband wondered how it worked out for him! As for our haunted porch, we have a ditch in our yard from my husband digging under the house for various reasons. Over this we made a bridge with one side about 4ft high so that people wouldn't fall in! We covered this with black plastic as well as the railings on our porch. All this we cover with lights, lights, and lights!! The cheap orange ones, some cool see-through skeleton ones that have a green shimmering light inside , and some skull head lights, several sets. Also throughout our yard were flashing skulls and pumpkins on a stick (wand kinds made for kids to carry.) Also included was a display of 6 elaborately carved pumpkins. My husband also made a bat out of foam rubber painted black which would flap its wings when a microswitch was stepped on . Other microswitches triggered lights and a horn placed where the parents usually stand. The flying ghost we had planned was defunct though :{ We had a pretty good turnout and a friend with a troll mask hid under the bridge for some live scares. We brought several kids to tears and some even refused to cross the bridge. (oh, the joy!) After a while, the news must have traveled through the neighborhood about the troll because the kids were expecting it! The best scare was when two teenage boys (about 16 in age) came up to the door and on the way back the troll visibly startled him which brought loads of laughs from myself and our friends who come over every year to watch the fun. Maybe next year they'll realize they are a little too old for trick or treat. I think the parents enjoy it as much as the kids and many came dressed up while taking their kids around, which I thought was great. The great success was the Mr Foggy, which produced so much fog that the whole street was fogged in from one direction! We in Seattle had a cold but rainless night with a little breeze. I love all the great stories and ideas. Keep em coming! Colleen and Jeff From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 16:24:14 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 19:17:16 -0500 From: Craig Lewis To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com allconen@btigate.com wrote: > > Guided tours are the only type of haunt I've ever been through or > involved with. Sure would like to hear ideas for something different > though. > > Debbie Faber Ones that I have built let people go through at their own pace. Rooms are broken up with dark mazes and if people want to run through most of it, that is fine too. If they run, they are scared! If they are scared they will talk it up! It takes a bit more planning and such......more re-inforced walls things like that. People are usually more frightened walking by themselves in the dark as they don't know what will happen and where! Craig -- CyberImage- Custom Caps, Shirts & Color ID Badges http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 16:25:37 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 19:19:48 -0500 From: Craig Lewis To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com htraver@dreamsys.com wrote: > > I've done both guided tours and walk your own kind. Knotts for example > is walk right through on all, except for one year with skit. Each has > their own plusses and minuses. Depends on how you stage oyur shows, I > guess... guided has the bear of a longer wait to get in.... > Yes,....over 2 hours and 15 minutes for a 9 minute tour. Craig -- CyberImage- Custom Caps, Shirts & Color ID Badges http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 16:28:22 1996 Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 16:12:31 -0800 (PST) From: Dave Bell To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Halloween decorating article(long) Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com On Sun, 3 Nov 1996, The Proctors wrote: > Column (by Mickey Guisewite) appearing in Dallas Morning News recently. > (syndicated by King Features Syndicate) > > "It's Scary How Holidays Bring Out Decorators" > Cute... Makes me wonder, though: is Mickey related to Cathy, creator of "Cathy" (Universal Press Syndicate)? Dave From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 16:55:02 1996 From: DWFWW@jazz.ucc.uno.edu Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 18:47:17 -0600 (CST) Subject: Re: Scary Facts To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com >Does this mean we can expect more and more folks like us joining the >Halloween list?? Jeanni, I suspect we are a lot like the dog's wagging tail. Growth is likely, simply because of the snowball effect: "Look what our neighbors did last year! That looked like a lot of fun! Gee, we're on the internet now... I wonder what would happen if we searched the web for Halloween references? Maybe there are other people like the guys next door..." We can actually be a direct cause of the expansion of the holiday, even if it starts off as a small spurt of growth. We're going to grow along with the rest of the 'net, of course. Maybe someday, the tail may actually wag the dog. :-) -Doug *********************************************************************** * Safety, Courtesy, Show and Efficiency: * Doug Ferguson * * The Keys To The Kingdom * dwfww@jazz.ucc.uno.edu * *********************************************************************** From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 22:00:12 1996 From: htraver@dreamsys.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 21:45:50 -0700 Subject: Re: It's the day! and More to Come! To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Dale, for a werewold effect of pouncing out, why not use a floor track with the werewolf on wheels? use a fast motor and cable or a pneumatic cylinder. The floor track would keep things in alignment and bear the weight of a large werewolf.... Harry [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Sun Nov 3 22:00:58 1996 From: htraver@dreamsys.com Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 21:55:54 -0700 Subject: Re: Which way? To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Craig, that sound similar to the Puzzle Zoo alien haunted house I reviewed here last week. They did about 3-5 people per group per minute which was way too ridiculous. One haunted house I had seen previously years back was the Factory of Nightmares in Northridge which runs about 20-30 per group for doing groups. Their throughput is fairly decent. Taking a hint from rollercoasters, over 1,200 per hour is a decent throughput. The Boomerang at knotts locally has a throughput of some 600 per hour, and a terribly annoying wait. Most other local coasters avertage about 1400 per hour with some monsters such as Colossus doing opver 3,000 per hour for a very good line throughput. If you design a haunted house with a guided tour, take a design hint once again. Your throughput rate will be determined by the length of the skits and transitions, and the slowest room will be the bottleneck. Plan your design carefully, and for your slowest room, make it a DOUBLE room. Make two identical rooms, and alternate them. This way, you can have twice the throughput of that problem room. One such example is the stretching room for the Haunted Mansion at disneyland. They use two identical rooms and alternate entry. The room exits converge back into the main path. Either they can time exit to keep the way ahead empty or the groups can add together. Harry [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 04:39:29 1996 From: Jacqui Young To: "'halloween-l@netcom.com'" Subject: Cold Night Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 07:29:09 -0500 Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Well Halloween night, we had -4C with winds between 50 and 60 km/hr. The webs didn't stay well on the tombstones and the Grim Reaper (me) was freezing. Other than that the night was a complete success. We had compliments galore and outside of a few smart alec teenagers who should have stayed home to help with their parents haunts the kids loved it. For a first year it went really well, so well that next year my husband is going to stay home and help and is already coming up with ideas. He's still not sure we need anything as elaborate as the crank ghost, but I'm working on him. I'm pretty sure I can talk him into a fogger or the web shooter, so Denny be prepared. Thanks for everything guys. The real reward was when my 11 year old asked, how come Halloween is so much more exciting this year, made the work worth while, and I'm pretty sure I'd be willing to suffer through the raging cold I have now to stand out there and freeze again next year. I do think the reaper needs a nice heavy wool cape though, have to work on that. Jacqui jacqui.young@cciw.ca From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 05:10:20 1996 From: R4M2J1@aol.com Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 07:59:54 -0500 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: It's the day! and More to Come! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Harry, Sounds like a good idea. Could you give me more details on how to set something like that up? Thanks Dale r4m2j1@aol.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 06:18:00 1996 From: milwiron@btprod.com Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 07:59:14 -0600 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: It's the day! and More to Come! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com At 03:53 PM 11/3/96 -0500, you wrote: > >Denny wrote: >> build another double lift cylinder of 20 inches retracted and around 54 >>inches extended. >I'm thinking of making a werewolf pouncing out of his den effect for next >year ,your cylinder sounds like it would be perfect for the job. Could you >post more detail please? > Dale r4m2j1@aol.com Hi Dale, The following is a reply I sent to Carl Chetta to answer the same request. These air cylinders were only conceived to fill my needs and not meant, at all, to be reproducible without machine tools. Denny ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Carl, The total travel or lift is 26 inches which allows for piston and cup seal thicknesses and cylinder end caps... I left a lot of meat on the end caps for attachment purposes. This gives the full extension of 40 inches. The unit is single acting and made out of 6061 T6 aluminum tube and black Delrin for end caps and the backing pistons for the cup seals. The large cylinder is 1 1/2 O.D. x 1 3/8 I.D. The small cylinder that telescopes into it is 1 O.D. x 7/8 I.D. Since I'm not lifting much weight the 7/8 bore for the "small" cylinder is more than enough. The final piston rod is 1/2" diameter aluminum rod, though I will use 1/2 inch tubing for my next, 20" unit to cut down on mass. Denny From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 06:18:02 1996 From: milwiron@btprod.com Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 07:59:16 -0600 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: It's All Relative Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com At 12:44 PM 11/3/96, you wrote: >Denny, > >I can't afford to be that "offended" using a lever, not having a >machine lathe :} > >Jim Kadel (JBKadel@gnn.com) No room for a lever within the confines of the box. Machining a custom air cylinder was based on my project goals and available resources. I mentioned it only as a "project up-date" not as an answer for everyone's pneumatic needs. 'nuff sed, Denny From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 06:48:35 1996 From: ALLAN DAVID Date: Mon, 4 Nov 96 09:32:31 -0500 Subject: RE: the report (long) (and my "Mr. Foggy") To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com I built a "Mr. Foggy" from our defunct coffee maker. It worked pretty well, but spurted a little bit. I don't know if the problem was the balance between the thermostat and the fluid pumping rate, or the fluid itself. It did produce a decent amount of fog, however. Next summer I'll try to snag another coffee maker or two at garage sales to make some more. Unfortunately, Halloween night here was a little breezy. We set up the fog machine, but the fog dissipated fairly rapidly. I think the kids appreciated what we did, though. Regards, David dallan@dow.com - ---------- From: cloudy@wolfenet.com[SMTP:cloudy@wolfenet.com] Sent: Sunday, November 03, 1996 10:24 AM To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: the report (long) Hi, I just started the list this year a month before the big day, and think it's so great I plan to stick around all year. We posted a plan for making a fog machine out of a mr coffee (mr foggy) and someone was trying it and me and my husband wondered how it worked out for him! [stuff deleted] I love all the great stories and ideas. Keep em coming! Colleen and Jeff From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:18:00 1996 Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 10:00:55 -0500 (EST) From: Lund To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Wrong e-mail address Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com I posted the wrong e-mail address for Carl Chetta at the end of the Trash Can Trauma text in the archives. I posted cheeze@adstone.com It should have been cheese@adstone.com Correct that text please. (change z to s). Thanks Larry _ ___c Lawrence H. Lund \ _| \_ 179 Studley Street __\_| oooo \_____ Brentwood, NY 11717 ~~~~|______________/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ E-mail: llund@suffolk.lib.ny.us llund179@aol.com Phone: (516)-231-8790 Fax: (516)-434-9315 Larry _ ___c Lawrence H. Lund \ _| \_ 179 Studley Street __\_| oooo \_____ Brentwood, NY 11717 ~~~~|______________/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ E-mail: llund@suffolk.lib.ny.us llund179@aol.com Phone: (516)-231-8790 Fax: (516)-434-9315 From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:39:47 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 96 10:30:20 EST From: Stuart McIntire To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Halloween Adventure Store Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Jeanni says: >The day before Halloween I was in a mall...and stumbled into the Halloween >Adventure Store. I went inside to see if any of their items had come down >in price... Sad to say, the Spencer's store I worked at this year didn't run a sale (50% off) until the day after Halloween...and we originally weren't supposed to be open after the 31st! I could have sworn that last year we started a few days before and continued for at least two days after. I think they missed a bet by not starting the sale sooner. Especially given the huge amount of packing to do over the weekend of unsold merchandise... :( Also sad to say is that one of the first items I HAD to have this year (the Cryptkeeper Candelabra) was priced at $21.99 at Spencer's, while Target and others sold it for $14.99. I bought it with my employee discount on top of the sale price and was happy with my bargain. My wife tells me that Target went 50% off after the Big Day which brought their price below what I paid for mine at Spencer's! :( - Stu stuart.mcintire@uage.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:42:38 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 10:35:23 -0500 From: "Candance S. Towsley" To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Craig Lewis wrote: > > I have done a few haunted houses in my time, none of them were guided > houses. > > In the area around here, all of them are guided "tours." > > I feel like "stop here and wait to be scared!" > > Does anybody have any other experiences one way or the other? Our Haunted House is guided. Unfortunately, the fire inspector in our county required us to have guides. So, we're kinda stuck with them. He required us to send a guide with a flashlight through with each group. (They don't have to have the light on, just have it available.) We kinda use it to help the spooks. We have the guides shine the light into each scene before they enter to alert the spooks they're comming. The way our doorways are made, the victems can't see in. The guides stay in front, and the spooks wait for them to pass before pouncing. We do send the patrons into a maze with no guide, but the guide has to stay close and keep an eye on the groups as they go through. We're in a cattle barn, and the maze is open, so that's pretty easy. From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:47:43 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 09:40:14 -0600 From: David Kiihne To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Waynesboro Jaycees Haunted House -Reply -Reply Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Nathan Kahn described his 4-stage Pepper's Ghost setup that went from live person to skeletal dummy with 2 decomposition stages in between. Your description was perfectly clear. Actually I sketched out something similar a few weeks ago for a magic trick idea, but I just hadn't thought of it in those terms. (It could work well for a haunt, too, so I'll share.) Also mine was more like a "3-and-a-half stage" setup. The idea is to have a shorter female change into a taller male with a morphing skeleton as the transition stage. The girl would take her position and then turn to a skeleton. The skeleton would then stretch to the man's height (and lose the extra rib - Where's my copy of Gray's Anatomy??) and then the man would materialize around the skeleton. Of course the man and woman are on the turntable part and the skeleton (which, actually, I haven't worked out all the details on) is made of plastic or fabric attached to some rigging in back to allow it to stretch and have the extra rib come up into a hollow rib above it. In my mind it looks really cool! But then all of my ideas look cool in my mind... It's when I try to bring them into reality that I find out how stupid I really am. ;) But not THIS one! THIS one will be _different_! :) David J. Kiihne - daveki@nebfef.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:47:45 1996 From: htraver@dreamsys.com Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 07:32:06 -0700 Subject: Re: It's the day! and More to Come! To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Dale, think mechanics here. I am not familiar with pneumatic (air) systems. You may want to check out with Carl for that. The sliding raqil trick I seen in use these days round Knotts, and it's easily adaptable for home usage. Basically, you can set up two pipes or anything to form rails on which your scare unit will slide on. The rails are to bear the weight of the unit, allowing a LARGE item like a full sized wolf or dragon or whatever on it. Try using the grooved wheels for security fences that go on a v shaped rail. This will keep it on track. Basically, it's a scrounge and create operation here. Make your scare unit in a dark corner or hidden in a hole, so people cannot see how large it it. It does not have to slide out on pneumatics. Someone can be pushiog it out or riding on it, sliding out FAST towards the guests. Even skateboard or caster wheels can work, but they will tend to go all over the place. Rails work much faster with less noise. Harry [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:48:07 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 09:35:40 -0600 From: David Kiihne To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: *Sniffle Sniffle* -Reply Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Sorry to hear about the low turnout. I'm sure some trick-or-treaters would have been pretty therapeutic for the community by getting some sense of normalcy back. (Only on _this_ list could ghouls and goblins running amok in a neighborhood be considered "normalcy." :) About your display, though; Don't give up on it yet. Last year we lived right smack in the middle of a huge apartment complex and had a grand total of 9 kiddies. All I had time to do then was put up my little anti-mask in the window and I wondered if that effort was even worth it. Then, this year we moved into a house across town. Yesterday the manager of my old apartment complex called to say that they had a record turnout of over 50 kids. And they were all asking about "the guy with the cool face." (I was just about ready to blush when I figured out she was referring to my anti-mask.) What with the move and all, I didn't do a darn thing for this year at the house. :( ...but even in our little circle we had 66 kids. Fortunately, we had enough candy, but that _did_ mean that the wife and I couldn't do as much post-holiday binging as we had hoped. :) With that turnout in mind, I'm already sketching things out for next year. ...Now how can I get that swinging ghost idea to work? Hmmm.... Dave - daveki@nebfef.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:48:14 1996 From: htraver@dreamsys.com Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 07:32:36 -0700 Subject: RE: the report (long) (and my "Mr. Foggy") To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Idea for keeping fog in: use thin nylon netting or camouflage netting along the sides and possibly the roof line, to keep the fog inside.... Harry [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:48:53 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 96 10:39:02 EST From: Stuart McIntire To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re[2]: Is That A Dummy....Or Is It Memorex? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com >Heh heh... that's Stu for ya. Always aware of the fine details. :) Thanks, Joe! Yeah...given the tight timeframe of pulling into the driveway from work to the first group of kiddies, I was ecstatic to get the response I did. Not breathing for a minute to a minute and a half at a time was the least sacrifice I could make for my art! ;) BTW, how did your efforts go...were you one of the many caught in the bad weather? I seem to recall you saying just how cold it was...maybe you should consider doing a Carribean theme next year...or a rotting flesh version of Jimmy Buffett (?)... :) - Stu stuart.mcintire@uage.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:59:07 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 96 10:50:23 EST From: Stuart McIntire To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Nightmare Before Christmas > ? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Lucien apologizes unnecessarily: >(note: I remember someone saying awhile back there was an uproar over >someone putting halloween decorations on christmas trees, I mean no >harm if I offend anyone and apologize in advance) I innocently posed a question shortly after Christmas last year asking what (if anything) people received as gifts that could be put to use for Halloween. I, for example, didn't receive any- thing of the sort, but *did* give my wife a portable CD player (half selfishly) which I knew would be put to good use with CDs I would buy in the future expressly for Halloween. Always think- ing ahead :) So what transpired was the first controversy on the list, for which I earned the moniker Evil Doc Stu...a nickname that Denny came up with - it's a good thing we're friends! ;) I began to suspect then (and believe it even more so now) that the person who was "offended" was someone who joined the list with the intent of starting some sort of flame war. I had printed out a list of the subscribers and searched for her name to no avail. Nor have I seen it since. So even Internet mail- ing lists have hit-and-run artists..."drive-by flame wars?" All I know is that she never responded to subsequent postings on the subject... - Stu stuart.mcintire@uage.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 07:59:19 1996 From: ALLAN DAVID Date: Mon, 4 Nov 96 10:52:35 -0500 Subject: RE: the report (long) (and my "Mr. Foggy") To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Has anyone tried this? It would be nice to have some means of containing the fog in the presence of a light breeze. David dallan@dow.com - ---------- From: htraver@dreamsys.com[SMTP:htraver@dreamsys.com] Sent: Monday, November 04, 1996 9:32 AM To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: RE: the report (long) (and my "Mr. Foggy") Idea for keeping fog in: use thin nylon netting or camouflage netting along the sides and possibly the roof line, to keep the fog inside.... Harry [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 09:01:30 1996 Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 08:46:41 -0800 (PST) From: Don Bertino To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Halloween Adventure Store Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com On Mon, 4 Nov 1996, Stuart McIntire wrote: > Jeanni says: > > >The day before Halloween I was in a mall...and stumbled into the Halloween > >Adventure Store. I went inside to see if any of their items had come down > >in price... > > Sad to say, the Spencer's store I worked at this year didn't > run a sale (50% off) until the day after Halloween...and we > originally weren't supposed to be open after the 31st! I > could have sworn that last year we started a few days before > and continued for at least two days after. Walmart did something I never heard before, they put everything on sale for fifty cents (.50) I mean everything! It didn't matter if it was a .75 item or a $20 item. Every bag of halloween candy was twenty cents (.20) I went that night (11/1) and there was nothing.... I mean nothing left of halloween. Christmas stuff had already been stocked on the shelves. Man, that's what I call a sale. :) don bertino@netcom.com ____/^\_____________________________________ Disney ascii art & / \ || FDC MCP || / \ animations are at <______\ [] [] [] || [] [] [] || [] [] [] /______> http://www.calweb.com \----------------||----------||----------------/=== /~bertino===============\______________||__________||______________/===== From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 09:32:32 1996 Date: Mon, 4 Nov 96 09:21:46 PST From: oliver@nemesis.saic.com (Thomas W Oliver) To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: The party's over... Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com *SIGH* Here's a reprint of what SHOULD have gone out. Hello. I've been lurking here for a few weeks and haven't posted anything (with the exception of one misdirected email to the group at large a few weeks ago. From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 10:13:44 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 13:05:04 -0500 From: Craig Lewis To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com htraver@dreamsys.com wrote: > If you design a haunted house with a guided tour, take a design hint > once again. Your throughput rate will be determined by the length of the > skits and transitions, and the slowest room will be the bottleneck. Plan > your design carefully, and for your slowest room, make it a DOUBLE room. It all comes down to good planning. I designed a HH with actually 2 haunted trips inside. I used every little bit of space possible. It also kept the flow going. Also made more money.....people wanted to go through twice to see what they missed from the other side. Craig -- CyberImage- Custom Caps, Shirts & Color ID Badges http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 10:15:53 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 13:08:27 -0500 From: Craig Lewis To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Candance S. Towsley wrote: > > Craig Lewis wrote: > > > > I have done a few haunted houses in my time, none of them were guided > > houses. > > > > In the area around here, all of them are guided "tours." > > > > I feel like "stop here and wait to be scared!" > > > > Does anybody have any other experiences one way or the other? > > Our Haunted House is guided. Unfortunately, the fire inspector in our > county required us to have guides. So, we're kinda stuck with them. A requirement??? WOW! I never heard of that before. Where are you located? Craig -- CyberImage- Custom Caps, Shirts & Color ID Badges http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 10:29:02 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 13:20:09 -0500 From: "Candance S. Towsley" To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Craig Lewis wrote: > > Candance S. Towsley wrote: > > Our Haunted House is guided. Unfortunately, the fire inspector in our > > county required us to have guides. So, we're kinda stuck with them. > > A requirement??? WOW! > > I never heard of that before. > > Where are you located? Columbus, Indiana They're not required on the state level, I think. John Jefferies was able to run without them. However, our county guy said to have guides. From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 10:31:02 1996 Date: Mon, 4 Nov 96 10:11:59 PST From: oliver@nemesis.saic.com (Thomas W Oliver) To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: The party's over... Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com aaarrrrggghhhhhhh! (If this don't work, I'll take the time to reformat the information. Most of it is poorly written anyways due to constant interruptions ) TWO Hello. I've been lurking here for a few weeks and haven't posted anything (with the exception of one misdirected email to the group at large a few weeks ago. *sigh* this letter was started last week, and I'm just now getting time to re-write it. Life's been busy at work & home. *SIGH* We've been putting up a 'graveyard' in our front yard in Clairemont for the last 8 years, and this year we've moved to El Cajon. We're use to not getting very many kids (1st year was 4, then 10, then.... until 50 kids last year) Our problem was being just off the main street, in the wrong direction. We lived just off of balboa next to the walk-over bridge on 805, so there wasn't a lot of kid-traffic. Altho last year I talked with a guy who drove his kids to our house, 'cause they use to live near by & the kids wanted to visit our graveyard! B-) B-) We now live on a private dead-end street out in the sticks, so I was resigned to just getting the neighbor kids (~4 kids) although I over-bought on the candy. We had a total of eleven kids! (I know, not much- but just wait until next year!) I have been building up over the last eight years, and some of the old stuff REALLY looks bad/cheap/etc. I'm hoping to improve/replace before next year, and since I've found this list, I'm more motivated (I just need more time!) B-( We have a 12' spiderweb attached to the house running down to the fence with a skeleton 'caught' in it, backlite with a green light. We built a wooden coffin which has had various 'hosts' and a red light shining on them. There is a dummy on the roof with a big knife that WAS lite with a red light, but the wind & rain caused a short in the fixture. *sniff* There is a 48 inch blacklight above the front door, tomestones, light-up jacks, and assorted spiders, snakes, wal-mart stuff, etc. Oh, taking some of the info from this list, I created 'foam-bones' & hot-glued some of them into a skeleton & rapped it into a mummy, the rest I created a 'bone-ghost' (non-motion) to hang up. I created a 'foam-swamp-monster' about 6 years ago as a test sfi-fi costume (which I never finished due to things like HEAT-RETENTION B-) which has been in the graveyard ever since. I *MUST* thank Terror by Design for the *timely* arrival of my web-shooter. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I love it. It came in the mail on the day you said it would! Almost all my electical 'light-ups' are plugged into a converted motion sensor (for two spot lights) so that when the kids get close, everything would turn on, and help save $ when no one was around. (Also serves as an added incentive to keep scum from trying to sneak in & steal/break things) Hmm getting kinda long here... Anyway I'm going to take it down on Sunday, so if anyone in the area would like to drop by before then to say hi the address is: 8118 Sterling Dr El Cajon 92021 447-4159 Take 8 east to the Greenfield exit & turn left towards East Main. Turn right on east main Turn left at Pepper Drive (next light) At the top of the hill turn right onto Sterling & keep going you cann't miss it B-) We'll be home tonight after shopping at Target & the place off of 94 & broadway sale sale sale sale sale!!!! Time to stock up. We'll be gone most of tomorrow night as well, but the room mate should be there. TTFN Thomas W Oliver |"Carpe Denarii - 'seize the dough' (TWO)" From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 12:53:53 1996 From: GFerris330@aol.com Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 15:43:55 -0500 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: (Long-Review)-Halloween in Salem Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Hello everybody, Hope you all had a splendid Halloween. As I mentioned before, my girlfriend and I headed to Salem, MA this year. I can safely say that not only was it the best Halloween I've ever had, but also the best vacation I've ever had. I would like to thank those of you who suggested that we check out Salem. It was worth it! We got to our hotel (in Peabody, MA) late Tuesday night. After breakfast the next morning we headed into Salem. Upon arriving we saw that there were already a number of folks walking around the town in costume (though most of these appeared to be younger and fans of the Vampire: The Masquerade RPG). There was a feeling of Halloween in the air which was just what we were looking for. Banners and pumpkins were everywhere. Every shop or business appeared to have some type of decoration. We bought a "Fright Pass", a pay-one-price ticket to the three main "houses" in the town. Salem is fairly small so we were able to walk from our parking spot to each of the attractions. Ghostly Manor, Terror on the Wharf, and Dracula's Castle were all entertaining little haunts which were good for a couple frights, bunch of giggles, and lots of nice sets. The longest of the three took only about 5 minutes to complete. Obviously they were not on par with some of the mega-haunts mentioned here on the list, or even some of the modest ones in Buffalo. However, they served their purpose in adding to the atmosphere of the town. After a bit of shopping at Pickering Wharf, we headed back to the hotel. On Thursday morning we went out to breakfast. While driving, I saw a yellow flasher and heard a siren. Wouldn't you know it?...It was the Ghostbusters car (or a very good replica)! We later saw the car in front of one of the clubs in Salem, it was pretty cool. Checking the local paper I saw that there had been bad traffic problems in Salem in previous years. Because of this, we decided to go to Salem around noon, so we would be sure to get a place to park. If any of you go to Salem next year, keep this in mind. As it gets close to dusk, traffic backs up for miles outside of the town. There were already lots of folks in costume, wandering around the town. We grabbed lunch and then went back to the car to "suit up". It takes well over an hour for us to get everything on. It was just about dusk by the time we got ready. By the way, thanks to all of you who gave me suggestions on how to "pump up" Frankenstein. I used the batting and it was a big hit. Walking the streets, we were often stopped by folks who wanted to take pictures with us. We were stunned but gladly obliged them. We were amazed that there were so many British and Oriental tourists there. Many said that since they didn't have Halloween back home, they had come to see it in Salem. There were street musicians, vendors, games, and attractions everywhere. It was really amazing. Then came the best part! We walked up to the grandstand and an official from Salem pulled us aside. She led us up to the stage where we were named the 1st annual king & queen of Salem's Haunted Happenings. It was unbelievable! From there, we led the parade from Essex st. to Salem Commons. Upon arriving at the Commons, we caught an entertaining concert by the Big Nazo Puppet Rythm & Blues Band (kinda like life-size muppets). For the rest of the evening we wandered the town, stopping at various watering holes and having the time of our lives. All in all, I would highly recomend that everyone spend at least one Halloween in Salem. I know that we'll be back next year! Take Care, Greg in Rochester, NY From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 13:37:09 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 16:23:57 -0500 From: Craig Lewis To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Candance S. Towsley wrote: > > Where are you located? > > Columbus, Indiana > > They're not required on the state level, I think. John Jefferies was > able to run without them. However, our county guy said to have guides. It's a shame to see politics play a role in such things. I did a house in the city one year, and it was great.....did it in the county the next time and I got harassed for just about everything! I had to build walls out of sheetrock instead of plywood just because of harassement! Craig -- CyberImage- Custom Caps, Shirts & Color ID Badges http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 15:07:57 1996 From: "D. Joseph Creighton" Subject: Just call me Eye-gor... To: halloween-l@netcom.com Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 16:55:57 -0600 (CST) Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com In the last exciting episode, Stuart McIntire wrote: } BTW, how did your efforts go...were you one of the many } caught in the bad weather? I seem to recall you saying } just how cold it was... Well, it wasn't all that bad, actually. As a realist/pessimist, if you expect the worst and prepare for it, you end up being pleasantly surprised when things improve, however slightly. We did get a break on the wind: the system moved out for the most part and left behind a barely noticable breeze. Without that, our signs would have been blown to probably South Dakota. The temperatures were still slightly below freezing, but I love winter so it wasn't much of a hardship. Besides, with the makeup and costuming, the outdoors provided a nice place to stay comfy-cool. As for the show itself, here is this year's story (borrowing liberally from last year's pre-amble)... - - - - - - - - - - As your call slows, you reach a small country home. Looking down the long, 250 foot driveway and into the yard, you can see the house lit by an erie green glow with a backdrop of looming oaks and elms. The kids in the back seat are now standing up and looking around at things, curiosity getting the best of them. They remember this place from last year -- some with very vivid memories of the horrors they endured -- and are expecting the worst. To make matters worse, a tall roadsign sits here. A long arrow points its way into the yard and the words "MAD SCIENTIST" are emblazoned across it. Gathering your courage, you turn the wheel and begin the long drive in. Halfway down the road, a small sign staked into the ground comes into view under your vehicle's headlights: "GO AWAY!" it says. As you pass it, another appears saying, "TURN BACK NOW" and that is followed by a third: "THIS MEANS YOU!" Miles from any other houses in this area of the country, you come to the realization that if you needed help, you would be completely out of luck. As you continue your approach, a man stands ahead carrying an old, rusty gas lantern. He is tall, his hair dishevelled and unkempt, and he wears a white laboratory coat. Obviously the mad scientist. "Welcome," he says, smiling wildly, "welcome! You must come in out of the cold." With the slight chill in the air, you find his invitation welcoming, even though he is supposed to be mad. Gathering the kids, you and your crew pile out of the vehicle and follow the scientist to a small, fenced-in plot of land. The tall shadows within its confines and the bare dirt in rectangular shapes reveal its nature to you long before the scientist and his lantern can properly light things: a graveyard. >From behind one of the taller stone markers, a small man appears, shuffling and groaning as he walks. His head and face are partially obscured by a brown hood, and as he nears you can make out the disfiguring hump over his shoulder. Suddenly, he releases a gutteral scream, throwing up his arm for protection. The shovel hidden in his hand drops to the ground with a clang and his hood falls, revealing his face. You see a disgusting scar across his left eye, from forehead cheek, exposing raw flesh and an eyeball that hangs percariously out of its socket. One child voices a thought common to everyone, "Oh, gross!" Quickly, the small hunch-backed man covers himself again with his hood and groans loudly, attempting to wave everyone off. "Oh, quit your complaining!" the scientist says. "You knew we were going to have company tonight." The hunch-backed man's head nods slowly, and he turns and shuffles his way to the house. The scientist leads you and the children through the graveyard, reading the epitaphs from each head stone and laughing insanely after each. One of them, however, seems to evoke a more hideous laugh than the others: "Here lies my wife, I bid her goodbye. She rests in peace, And now so do I." You look to the children and they seem non-plussed. Granted, they are far more quiet than usually, but you can almost hear their thoughts: "This guy is weird..." After the tour, the scientist leads your group to the stairs of the house. The hunch-backed man appears to be ignoring you as you pass him and walk up the open, wooden stairs to the deck of the house. Odd, you think, that a mad scientist has a deck on his house. Suddenly, a child screams. You turn in time to see a hand reaching through the deck railings, pulling at one of the children's ankles. The hunch-backed man! Before you can react, the scientist appears and reaches over the railing to give the hunch-backed man a solid hit. "Fool!" he says. "You don't take and bury them until *after* they are dead!" The hunched-back man howls in -- pain? -- and retreats into the darkness. Now inside the house, the scientist is bathed in red light, shadows, and a few spider webs. Around you, rats are seen on mouldy bread and a brain is on display, oozing blood. With tape measure in hand, the scientist scans the children with glee, squeezing a few skulls happily. "I'm looking for a nice, new brain. Does anyone have one to spare?" All the chilren say they do not, and the scientist looks visibly dejected. He turns and picks up the cauliflower-like organ and offers it to the childen, "Care for some old brain?" One child, more foolish than brave, accepts the offer and reaches out to pluck off a piece of what she believes to be ordinary vegetable matter. However, once she makes contact with the frontal lobe, the sticky, moist, and blood covered surface makes her rethink the idea and her supposition. She withdraws her hand with a very familiar "Eeeeeuuuuu!" Suddenly, from the depths of the darkened stairway beside you, a form appears carrying small bags in its arms. The zombie-like creature is dressed entirely in black, it's face white and scarred, the lips black like the night. It does not smile, it does not speak. It merely approaches the children and glares at each of them as a small bag is handed to them one by one. Some children recognize the face as being friendly in normal situations, but the impassive stare and heavy breathing make them doubt their memories: this person is scary. The scientist ushers everyone to the door, saying "When you find a new brain, please come again!" An evil laugh echoes throughout the house. You quickly leave the mad scientist's home and make your way back to your vehicle, children in tow. Standing beside your only transportation out of here is the hunched-back man. He notices your approach and proceeds to hobble his way to the doors and open them for you to enter. Tentatively, you usher each of the children in and seat yourself. The hunched-back man raises a good arm and flops it around very quickly. His groan is an almost musical cadence from high to low, over and over again. Then it dawns on you: he's saying goodbye. The children, some giggling now, all wave goodbye as well. The hunch-backed man closes the vehicle door with some effort and waves a final farewell before he shuffles back off to the graveyard, presumably to return to the work ordered by his master. - - - - - - - - - - I hope you enjoyed the show. Again, this was a collage of all the visitors we had. Only one child came to tears because of me trying to help him into the vehicle, but it was my own nephew and he didn't quite recognize me with the makeup and hood, not to mention the fact that my vocalizations were all grunts and such. (In case it wasn't clear, I was the hunch-backed man; my wife was the zombie from the basement and my neighbour/friend was the mad scientist). We gained a few more kids from word-of-mouth this year, and even had one ask if it was Ok to drop by with her children even though they were from another town. Well, of course it was! We rural Canadians can be so damn polite :) We lost a few kids, too: one was a given, since he was far too scared last year to return. The other group was a no-show for no apparent reason, so we'll be expecting them again. Around here, you know everyone who comes (or doesn't :) Finally, you know you've got a good mini-haunt when a husband and wife (friends of ours during daylight hours) arrive to see what you've done and they don't even have children to take out! Happy Hallowe'en. - Joe 'already simmering ideas for next year' -- "Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot!" -- M. Everingham http://www.ee.umanitoba.ca/~djc/ D. Joseph Creighton [ESTP]\ Sr. Programmer, DB Support: Administrative Systems Joe_Creighton@UManitoba.CA \ University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 15:28:17 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 17:19:44 -0800 From: The Proctors To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Halloween in Salem Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com GFerris330@aol.com wrote: (many great details deleted) > There were street musicians, vendors, games, and attractions everywhere. It > was really amazing. Then came the best part! We walked up to the grandstand > and an official from Salem pulled us aside. She led us up to the stage where > we were named the 1st annual king & queen of Salem's Haunted Happenings. It > was unbelievable! From there, we led the parade from Essex st. to Salem > Commons. Hail King Greg!! Sounds like I missed a really fun time! karen p cproctor@flash.net From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 15:32:16 1996 From: GFerris330@aol.com Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 18:24:22 -0500 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Fwd: (Long-Review)-Halloween in Salem Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com --------------------- Forwarded message: Subj: (Long-Review)-Halloween in Salem Date: 96-11-04 15:44:22 EST From: GFerris330 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Hello everybody, Hope you all had a splendid Halloween. As I mentioned before, my girlfriend and I headed to Salem, MA this year. I can safely say that not only was it the best Halloween I've ever had, but also the best vacation I've ever had. I would like to thank those of you who suggested that we check out Salem. It was worth it! We got to our hotel (in Peabody, MA) late Tuesday night. After breakfast the next morning we headed into Salem. Upon arriving we saw that there were already a number of folks walking around the town in costume (though most of these appeared to be younger and fans of the Vampire: The Masquerade RPG). There was a feeling of Halloween in the air which was just what we were looking for. Banners and pumpkins were everywhere. Every shop or business appeared to have some type of decoration. We bought a "Fright Pass", a pay-one-price ticket to the three main "houses" in the town. Salem is fairly small so we were able to walk from our parking spot to each of the attractions. Ghostly Manor, Terror on the Wharf, and Dracula's Castle were all entertaining little haunts which were good for a couple frights, bunch of giggles, and lots of nice sets. The longest of the three took only about 5 minutes to complete. Obviously they were not on par with some of the mega-haunts mentioned here on the list, or even some of the modest ones in Buffalo. However, they served their purpose in adding to the atmosphere of the town. After a bit of shopping at Pickering Wharf, we headed back to the hotel. On Thursday morning we went out to breakfast. While driving, I saw a yellow flasher and heard a siren. Wouldn't you know it?...It was the Ghostbusters car (or a very good replica)! We later saw the car in front of one of the clubs in Salem, it was pretty cool. Checking the local paper I saw that there had been bad traffic problems in Salem in previous years. Because of this, we decided to go to Salem around noon, so we would be sure to get a place to park. If any of you go to Salem next year, keep this in mind. As it gets close to dusk, traffic backs up for miles outside of the town. There were already lots of folks in costume, wandering around the town. We grabbed lunch and then went back to the car to "suit up". It takes well over an hour for us to get everything on. It was just about dusk by the time we got ready. By the way, thanks to all of you who gave me suggestions on how to "pump up" Frankenstein. I used the batting and it was a big hit. Walking the streets, we were often stopped by folks who wanted to take pictures with us. We were stunned but gladly obliged them. We were amazed that there were so many British and Oriental tourists there. Many said that since they didn't have Halloween back home, they had come to see it in Salem. There were street musicians, vendors, games, and attractions everywhere. It was really amazing. Then came the best part! We walked up to the grandstand and an official from Salem pulled us aside. She led us up to the stage where we were named the 1st annual king & queen of Salem's Haunted Happenings. It was unbelievable! From there, we led the parade from Essex st. to Salem Commons. Upon arriving at the Commons, we caught an entertaining concert by the Big Nazo Puppet Rythm & Blues Band (kinda like life-size muppets). For the rest of the evening we wandered the town, stopping at various watering holes and having the time of our lives. All in all, I would highly recomend that everyone spend at least one Halloween in Salem. I know that we'll be back next year! Take Care, Greg in Rochester, NY From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 17:04:38 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 19:30:27 From: JBKadel@gnn.com (Jim Kadel) To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Revisit The Night Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Fellow Fright Fiends, I have a short video strip in AVI format that you can download if you'd like to visit the sights and sounds of my Haunted Porch. The quality is not to my liking, but its the best I can do with my (very) cheap "capture" board. Browser address: ftp://members.aol.com/jimk60 then scroll to the bottom of page and click on: hallowen.zip [this file UNzips to one called: hallowen.avi which you need the associated Windows AVI playback files to view. Jim Kadel (JBKadel@gnn.com) P.S.: If you have Windows, also download the file: PORCH_96.WRI which describes fully the entire porch layout. For those who would like to read about the porch layout who don't have Windows, just download the text file: PORCH_96.TXT. From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 19:35:23 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 22:12:51 -0500 From: Craig Lewis To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com milwiron@btprod.com wrote: > What was the inspector's explanation to require sheetrock if the plywood you > wanted to use was to local code? > Denny Wasn't fireproof! They said I needed it to be fireproof! There was even a sprinkler system in the stupid building! But since we were on a schedule....and a very short one at that, we gave in. I think there were more politics than anything else. Craig -- CyberImage- Custom Caps, Shirts & Color ID Badges http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 20:07:45 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 17:44:40 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: I am finally able to post!!{long} Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Hello Tired Ghouls, We have survived the 31st of October!! Here is a run down on what the finished yard looked like. The victims waited in the front of the yard for one of our "Spirit Guides" to lead them through. Each spirit had one of the battery operated candles just to give that low angled glow up on their faces. The graveyard had a scarecrow with a revolving pumpkin/skull head on it and lite skeleton hands. One grave had the body coming out of the ground and the other just had a pile of bones and a few reptiles and bugs. Several large tree branches with bats and vultures hanging in them added to the feeling. The victims were lead through the graveyard and past a coffin. We had a young lady inside who of course jumped out and scared the group. They were then led into a long hallway with 3D vinyl and plastic pictures hanging on the walls. We told them it was the family gallery. This was lite with black lights. The end of the tunnel was a two way mirror with a very large ghoul behind it. It ran with a motion sensor from a light used in the yard during the rest of the year. The fun part about this hallway was that the mirror effect caught their attention about 2/3's down the hallway, so they did not pay attention to the small flashlight beam that set off one of those pop out wall plaques. We put this at adult height because when a adult screams they all scream!!! This worked every time. They then entered a room with a person dressed in a headsmans costume. He was swinging around a very old ax. He had his own tombstone telling of his job duties... Next to him was a basket with a head sitting in red food coloring and milk!! When the kids would get ready to leave the guide told them that this is what happened to the last group to go through. At this point the man would pick up the dripping head and thrust it towards the group...they ran into the next room!! Red lights were the only thing used in the headsmans room and it gave a great effect. The next room was lit in blue light. The helper was dressed as a knight with a sheild and a large sword. On the wall we had mounted the large white dragon head. The room was decorated with snow covered props and phony snow on the ground. When all the people were in the room the knight would point the sword to the dragon and inform them that he had killed the last frost dragon. Of course at this point the noise started the lights went out and a computer generated dragons roar ripped through the room. A black light came on and CO2 came out of the dragons nose!!!! It was a great effect...Most of the kids were expecting the usual smoke so when the room was cold it came as a shock!!! On to the dungeon room with a walled in skeleton and rats etc. We had one of the beating hearts inside the skeleton and a moving hand reaching for the keys to the door. Many rats and snakes and slimy things, all painted with BL paint. Two four foot BLs were used and it was a great effect!!! We also used a idea that we found in the how to run a haunted house book. We cut out a few bricks from the phony brick paper and mounted a skull with spine in the back of a black box. Took a old color wheel and painted it black and red!!! Great effect the skull would disappear and then come back. One person would see it and the next would not and no one would agree!! Also gave us a great idea for next year. Many people would not look in afraid that something was going to jump out....you know what we are going to do next year :) Last room was our daughter dressed as a gypsy with the crystal ball and the whole thing. She would wave her hand over one of those books that rock and make noise and she had several lamps that moved around. She would give a little story and then make them say a secret word. From there they went outside where a dead princess gave them their treat. The front of the yard was covered with plywood that was painted with a facade of a haunted house!! Windows, doors, and all sorts of things. Then we added actual items like door bells and a black wreath on the door to add a 3D effect!!! This kept the people busy while they were waiting for their turn. DENNY!!! Thanks for the police tape..we could not figure out how to finish part of the front facade so we painted a porch and criss crossed it with the tape. People thought it was great!!! Problems... One large group of punks went through. We only thought there were four, but several others were lurking around. By the time we had them all in the house they were trashing everything. They stole the flashlight, tried to tear down the walls and then tried to steal the props from the dungeon...Got them there!! The props were all painted with BL paint and were still wet!! There hands were covered in BL paint and it showed up the whole time they were being kicked out. We used a walkie talkie system to keep track of things. When the trouble started I called for help and the guys turned on the huge flood lights we had mounted on the walls. They came running and the punks were soon removed...Always has to be one in a crowd. We do this all by ourselves with the help of friends. This all takes place in the front yard and driveway. With this in mind we did over 350 people!! Not bad for a small town family!! We were wondering, does anyone have ideas on control of the size of groups going through. We found if they got to big there was always a smart mouth in the group. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks for all the help and ideas...Glad to see that most had a great Halloween. NOw about next year.... Kathy The new kid on the crypt mmarcrum@ix.netcom.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 20:15:59 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 18:06:31 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Ideas and thoughts! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Doug mentioned something that I forgot!! The adults and kids. I had several parents who thanked me for doing this and reminding them of their youth. I had one family who had moved during the year, tell me that they had driven over one and a half hours to come back to go out. They said their kids insisted!! We had several cars full of parents only telling us that the kids were coming to their doors talking about us!! So when they ran out of candy they came by to check us out themselves!! One parent came by with a bottle of wine for us, just as a Thank You for doing this for the neighborhood!! Yes Doug you are right this will keep me building and planning for next year!! As for the punks they remind me that maybe if this gets one kid to have a imagination and grows up to think for himself he will never grow up to be like these jerks!!! Now about next year.... Kathy the new kid on the crypt mmarcrum@ix.netcom.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 20:17:46 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 17:59:05 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: The Day After: Where's the coffee? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Don, Well, you have done another great job of getting this list out!! I don't think anyone on the list did not use at least one of the things they learned here!! Thanks for a great list and for all your hard work. Kathy From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 20:29:52 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 18:09:47 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Nightmare Before Christmas > ? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Lucien, I find it very hard to not confuse my Holidays!! I really like the idea of a Halloween Tree, but the family would probably have a big fit!!! Good idea though. Kathy From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 20:41:09 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 18:21:56 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Water head!! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Stu, I love the idea of the aquaruim head. I was wondering do you do anything with the peoples hair so it looks like it is floating in the water?? This would look great next year in our lab set up!! I think I hear my husband screaming now!!! Kathy From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 20:43:46 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 23:32:35 From: JBKadel@gnn.com (Jim Kadel) To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: - test - Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com This is a test message. I haven't rec'd any message from the Halloween-L server since 8 pm this eve. Just checking to see if the server is down. From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 20:49:33 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 18:39:38 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Scary Facts Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Jeanni, Thanks for the great facts. We have a person here in our area that is thinking of putting up a commercial Haunted house next year but was not sure. I think I will send him a copy of your facts note!! I don't think he will have any questions at that point. Kathy The new kid on the crypt From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 20:56:40 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 18:47:08 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Craig, I like the idea of letting people go through at their own pace, but do you have any problems with getting ripped off!! This year we had several things taken and that was with guides!! How do you keep this from happening??? It is hard to find people to play guides each year so any ideas would be a great help. Kathy The new kid on the crypt From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 21:11:51 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 19:00:42 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: (Long-Review)-Halloween in Salem Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Greg, PLease tell us that you have at least one picture of this that you are planning on posting to the archives??!!!??? What a great night for you! Did you get a crown or anything... Kathy The new kid on the crypt mmarcrum@ix.netcom.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 21:18:05 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 18:54:03 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Halloween Adventure Store Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Stu, Did your Spencers have the large moving Crypt Keeper??? We went in to the store and it was down to $325! I asked if it was going to go on sale and they said no. The manager said it was not going to be made anymore so that it was not going to go any lower :( to bad...There sales were really slow coming! Kathy The new kid on the crypt mmarcrum@ix.netcom.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 22:16:45 1996 Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 20:04:28 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: - test - Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com No Jim, We are all here, we are just recharging our batteries!! Long weekend you know. Kathy From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Mon Nov 4 23:55:48 1996 Date: Tue, 05 Nov 1996 02:47:23 -0500 From: Craig Lewis To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Mike Marcrum wrote: > > Craig, > I like the idea of letting people go through at their own pace, but do > you have any problems with getting ripped off!! This year we had several > things taken and that was with guides!! How do you keep this from > happening??? It is hard to find people to play guides each year so any > ideas would be a great help. > Kathy > The new kid on the crypt Well, lots of nails, glue and such. I would have a person in every room to do the scare. Doing it without guides means you can't really have any skits. They have to be quick, suspenseful scares. Keeping the group scared makes them run to the next room and they don't have time think about stealing. We also kept the most valuable items further away from the people. Doing it without guides keeps the costs and body count down. However, since things are usually much scarier, you will have to reinforce certain walls (ex. the wall you scare the people into). I did one where a room that I thought wasnt't too scarey (the first room), ended up having to be "rebuilt" the next day and certain wall reinforced. A group of 8 made the exit of the room twice as big when all of them tried to run through a 3 foot opening at once. The more I think about this, the more I'm interested in putting together a privately owned HH. I think I can certainly put together a better production that a lot of the local groups. BTW, has anybody hear of some "Haunted Restraunt" in New York? It sounds pretty neat. It would be cool to have a whole complex, rest, gift shop and HH in the same building. Craig -- CyberImage- Custom Caps, Shirts & Color ID Badges http://www.intrlink.com/~cyber From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 00:03:18 1996 From: htraver@dreamsys.com Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 23:58:14 -0700 Subject: RE: the report (long) (and my "Mr. Foggy") To: halloween-l@netcom.com Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com David, I seen Knotts string up high nets over the ghost town streets in some plces to keep the fog in the area. That's where I get the idea. My best friend also told me that camouflage netting would keep fog in.... Harry [ Sent From: Dreamscape Systems - dreamsys.com ] [ Location: Van Nuys, CA - (818) 781-7529 ] From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 03:29:42 1996 Date: Tue, 5 Nov 96 06:12:29 EST To: halloween-l@netcom.com From: Bill Lewis Subject: Re: Once again. Call for Photos Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com At 11:58 AM 11/1/96 -0400, you wrote: >The website will be going up in as early as 3 weeks, so send your >photos to me now. Heck I still gotta get the film developed first... That is if I don't lose them again this year... Bill Lewis NSWC Carderock Division Code 6060 (301) 227-2742 lewisw@oasys.dt.navy.mil lewisb@erols.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 03:29:49 1996 Date: Tue, 5 Nov 96 06:08:08 EST To: halloween-l@netcom.com From: Bill Lewis Subject: RE: Freon tanks as air tanks, and alarming pumpkins -Reply Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com At 11:46 AM 11/1/96 -0500, you wrote: >You can buy from Sears (or other automotive places) a portable air tank that you fill from a >compressor and then take to where you need it. Ok if you don't need constant pressure, but for an >extended use for animitronics, you really need to use a compressor for a constant supply of air. But for those really air hungry f/x, locating a protable tank close will give you plenty of air on demand. Particularly if you don't want to drag out your compressor because of size, noise, theft protection etc... You should still have to connect the port. tank to the compressor so that your "resevoir" can refill. Bill Lewis NSWC Carderock Division Code 6060 (301) 227-2742 lewisw@oasys.dt.navy.mil lewisb@erols.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 04:04:26 1996 From: milwiron@btprod.com Date: Tue, 05 Nov 1996 05:44:25 -0600 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com At 10:12 PM 11/4/96 -0500, you wrote: >milwiron@btprod.com wrote: > >> What was the inspector's explanation to require sheetrock if the plywood you >> wanted to use was to local code? >> Denny > > Wasn't fireproof! They said I needed it to be fireproof! There was >even a sprinkler system in the stupid building! But since we were on a >schedule....and a very short one at that, we gave in. I think there >were more politics than anything else. > Obviously they should have informed you of that when your blueprints were turned into the building commission for approval! Plywood is not allowed in many communities unless treated at the mill or locally for flame retardancy or painted with a couple of coats of flame retardant paint. Even then most Fire Marshalls will hesitate, even with a sprinkler system, which is required in most towns for any type of building open to the public. Denny From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 05:15:58 1996 From: milwiron@btprod.com Date: Tue, 05 Nov 1996 07:01:49 -0600 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Dealing with local officials was- Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com At 10:12 PM 11/4/96 -0500, you wrote: >milwiron@btprod.com wrote: > >> What was the inspector's explanation to require sheetrock if the plywood you >> wanted to use was to local code? >> Denny > > Wasn't fireproof! They said I needed it to be fireproof! There was >even a sprinkler system in the stupid building! But since we were on a >schedule....and a very short one at that, we gave in. I think there >were more politics than anything else. > I wrote: Obviously they should have informed you of that when your blueprints were turned into the building commission for approval! Plywood is not allowed in many communities unless treated at the mill or locally for flame retardancy or painted with a couple of coats of flame retardant paint. Even then most Fire Marshalls will hesitate, even with a sprinkler system, which is required in most towns for any type of building open to the public. Denny I write in retro... Hey All, This should be a good lesson to anyone planning a public haunted house. Most communities will require much if not all of the following for an indoor attraction- (John Jeffries- these are a few off the top of my head, I'm sure you have many more.) 1. Building board must sign off on your proposal and blueprints. 2. Later changes in the design must be signed off. 3. Sprinkler system in the building. 4. If a ceiling is dropped to a lower height, the sprinklers must be dropped in that area. 5. Access ramps. 1 inch rise in 12 I believe is the steepest I've heard of. 5. Flame retardant wall coverings, plywood usually won't pass. 6. Marked exits. Exit doors painted a different color than walls. 7. Fire extinguishers. 8. Workers equipped with flash lights for escape purposes. 9. Emergency lighting. 10. Flame retardant curtains, props, large costume pieces. Set accessories may also be required to be treated for flame retardancy. You may be asked to submit samples for testing. If in doubt, spray it. 11. A public PA system is a good idea but not always required. 12. Clean floors near exits... no mattresses, leaves, trash, etc. 13. Minimum lighting requirements at all times, usually around 1 lux. 14. Basic first aid kit and telephone access to emergency agencies. 15. Low voltage wiring or line voltage wiring done to code. None of these are cut in stone and each locality will be different, but it's a good representation of what to be prepared for. Going into the local board for approval with a good knowledge of the codes will get you a lot further than bitching about the heavy finger of government. Denny From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 06:05:30 1996 Date: Tue, 05 Nov 96 08:49:59 EST From: Stuart McIntire To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re[2]: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com >Wasn't fireproof! They said I needed it to be fireproof! Go figure. From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 06:06:51 1996 Date: Tue, 05 Nov 96 08:54:35 EST From: Stuart McIntire To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re[2]: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com >BTW, has anybody hear of some "Haunted Restraunt" in New York? Would that be the same place where Peter Graves hosted the segments for A&E's Biography on the old horror film stars (Lon Chaney, Jr., Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Peter Lorre)? I saw the one on Lugosi - it seems to me whatever the name of the place was, it was in New York and may very well have been a restaurant. - Stu stuart.mcintire@uage.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 06:21:48 1996 Date: Tue, 05 Nov 96 09:05:19 EST From: Stuart McIntire To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Water head!! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com >I love the idea of the aquaruim head. I was wondering do you do >anything with the peoples hair so it looks like it is floating in the >water?? This would look great next year in our lab set up!! That's a tough one. We didn't try to recreate the look. There's no way I can think of to make hair look like it's waving around in the water as if you were underwater (at least not realistically). I guess a possibility is a small fan blowing from below, but I'm not sure. Our "actor" bobbed her head around a bit (and she wasn't the main focal point), so I suppose it was a detail most people overlooked. >I think I hear my husband screaming now!!! Over aquarium head, or the VISA bill??? ;) - Stu stuart.mcintire@uage.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 06:36:57 1996 Date: Tue, 05 Nov 96 09:23:46 EST From: Stuart McIntire To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re[2]: Halloween Adventure Store Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com >Did your Spencers have the large moving Crypt Keeper??? Yep. We had three, sold two. The night we began to tear down, I took the one that was on display in the front of the store and set it on the toilet in the back and unrolled some toilet paper and snaked it through its hands. I then shut the door most of the way (it usually remained open). I scared the bejeebers out of one of my co-workers when she went to grab her coat and purse... ;) She took the Elvis mask, placed it over the Cryptkeeper's head, and left it for the morning crew to find... :) >We went in to the store and it was down to $325! Will wonders never cease? Ours started and ended at $399.99 >I asked if it was going to go on sale and they said no. The manager >said it was not going to be made anymore so that it was not going to go >any lower :( to bad...There sales were really slow coming! I can't attest to the veracity of that statement - nor can I dispute it. I'd been told at various times that we would never carry any Frighteners merchandise since the manufact- urers would have no way to gear up for Halloween merchandise based on a movie that was released in September. I guess I look dumber than I thought I did. I only asked since they were offering Frighteners stuff on their web page as early as August or September. We also supposedly were not going to carry any of the masks based on the Universal monsters. We sold a ton of Mummys, Frankensteins, Draculas, Brides, Wolfmans (men?), and Creatures from the Black Lagoon (I bought one of those). We also weren't supposed to carry the Chucky dolls. We did, but didn't get them until our last shipment, so we sent at least six back to the warehouse. Moral of the story: Even the managers don't always have a clue as to what the heck is happening in their own stores. BTW, there's a great book out there somewhere that gets in- to the whole history of Tales from the Crypt, including a big section on merchandise. It's heavily illustrated and makes a great conversation piece. Unfortunately, I haven't a clue what the title or price is... :( - Stu stuart.mcintire@uage.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 06:51:16 1996 Date: Tue, 05 Nov 96 09:31:45 EST From: Stuart McIntire To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Ideas and thoughts! Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com >I had one family who had moved during the year, tell me that they had >driven over one and a half hours to come back to go out. We had exactly the same situation with the party at school. One of the families who had moved came back to see the haunted house. York, Pennsylvania to Germantown, Maryland. Not bad. From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 07:11:25 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 04:58:57 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Which way? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Craig, I have had several people mention the haunted resturant but have not talked to anyone that has gone there :( Of course it is all the way to the other side of the country.... As for the guide/no guide I can see what you mean about a scare person in each area and strong walls. The reason we did not lose more to the punks was because things were nailed down pretty well, or tied with 40# fishing line!! ( I hope they hurt their hands) We have already started to talk about next year and I think guides are out and scares are in!! One funny story ( no lectures please ) A family went through the house in one group, dad/mom/two sisters/ teenage boy!!! Well the young man when he got to the dragon room thought he would be a smart tush!! After several times asking him nicely than telling him harshly to move away from right in front of the dragon he refused!! " I was here last year and I know what it is going to do. Big deal" Dad said " go for it!!!" Well the CO2 went off ( hubby did not give a full blast because he was close) and boy was he surprised when it was ice cold !!!! He started to whine that it hurt and was cold...I thought we were headed to court for sure...Dad cuffs the young man on the ear and tells him " that is what you get for being a smart $%^ next time you will listen to the lady" !!! By the time he was out of the haunt they were all laughing and asking if they could go through again. Thanks Dad!!!! Kathy the new kid on the crypt From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 07:26:54 1996 Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 05:14:28 -0800 From: Mike Marcrum To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Once again. Call for Photos Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Honest!! I will take the film to the lab as soon as I can find the camera under all the boxes and body parts!!! Can we snail mail the photos to you, if we don't have a scanner and all that tech stuff!! Kathy the new kid on the crypt mmarcrum@ix.netcom.com From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 07:42:58 1996 Date: Tue, 05 Nov 1996 09:32:52 -0800 From: The Proctors To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Milk jug skeletons Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com I've received some requests for directions on how to make milk jug skeletons. These are pretty simple, _definitely_ cheap, & between 4-5 foot tall. The directions come from either the '92 or '93 Oct. issue of Family Fun magazine. (they called it "Mr. Bones") I keep a stack of the 1-page directions on hand because people always ask how to make them. Our family's only quibble with the original skeleton is that he has a dorky head & we're going to redesign or replace it with something else this year. My 13 yr. old says its not scary enough! They looked really good in blue neon with a black lite this year, although I don't think I'll be using the neon painted ones outdoors in the daytime again! They're just a little too bright for daylite use now! I think the directions make more sense when you see the illustrations on them. I haven't got the directions into my computer yet, so at the moment it'd be easier for me to just mail them to people the old-fashioned way from the current stack I have. The moment I get a decent version of the directions & illustrations (& photos) into the computer, I'll let you know. (or if someone else does) Otherwise, anyone who is interested, just send me your address (which, after mailing, I swear to promptly trash & not use for nefarious purposes whatsoever) and start saving those milk jugs! The supplies needed are 8 or 9 one-gallon milk jugs, string, scissors, a glue gun & a 1-hole punch. (The amt. of jugs needed is not exact because different brands have different amts. of good "surface space" available for use. You'll see...) karen p. cproctor@flash.net From owner-halloween-l@majordomo.netcom.com Tue Nov 5 07:43:22 1996 From: allconen@btigate.com Date: Tue, 05 Nov 1996 08:34:02 -0800 To: halloween-l@netcom.com Subject: Re: Nightmare Before Christmas > ? Reply-To: halloween-l@netcom.com Mike Marcrum wrote: > > Lucien, > I find it very hard to not confuse my Holidays!! I really like the > idea of a Halloween Tree, but the family would probably have a big > fit!!! Good idea though.