Midnight Syndicate has become synonymous with haunting atmospheric sounds capes that take the listener on a journey. The haunt-scapes are a perfect blend of otherworldly orchestrations, and things that go bump in the night. Midnight Syndicate has created music for the world’s top haunted houses, amusement parks, home haunts and Halloween events (like Universal Studios, Halloween Horror Nights etc).

“Carnival Arcane,” is the new studio album from Midnight Syndicate. Darkness afoot, wet leaves and torn canvas tents await you. Approach the carnival with caution, for all is not what it seems. Listen as the ringleader delivers the treats of the traveling circus; take a ride on a grand carousel and witness death defying trapeze artists. Madame Zora will speak of your fate, what fortune could be in your cards? Once you enter the circus….you will never leave.

3 CD giveaway, sponsored by Midnight Syndicate: continue reading this entry »

Halloween is one of the single most influential horror movies to date; its budget was $325,000 and has grossed over $47 million in the United States box office alone. The film’s release date was October 25th, 1978. It has become of the most profitable independent films. Its villain, Michael Myers, remains a horror icon and the film has received critical reception. The film has been released in several formats, DVD editions and is shown on TV several times a year.

Several things to note about John Carpenter’s Halloween are his spectacular lighting and first-person camera angles. Carpenter used suspense building and shadows rather than blood and gore to create fear and uneasiness. In early years, critics seemed dismissive and uninterested in Carpenter’s work. However, it later received awards and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

On Halloween, a six year old Michael murders his fifteen year old sister, Judith. Michael is sent to a sanitarium where is placed under the care of a Dr. Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasance). Fifteen years later, he escapes the sanitarium, returns to his home town (Haddonfield, Illinois) and stalks a teenage girl named Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends. Dr. Loomis follows Michael back to Haddonfield, knowing all too well of Michaels intentions.

The sequel to the film continues immediately after the first film and reproduces the key elements that made the first Halloween so successful. Michael follows the clearly shaken and injured Laurie to the nearby Haddonfield Hospital. As Dr. Loomis continues to search for Michael, his investigations reveal Michael’s true identity, Michael and Laurie are brother and sister. One feels a state of suspense, panic and fear as Laurie limps and crawls her way through the darkened hospital corridors.

Once again, critics gave Halloween II dismissive reviews and were quoted as saying “a fall from greatness.” However, in recent years, critics have given Halloween II positive reviews saying “By the standards of most recent horror films, it was far better than the slew of inferior sequels and rip-offs that followed in subsequent years.”

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Oct31st.org is giving away a free copy of Martha Stewart’s brand new Halloween Handbook. It features the best of Martha Stewart’s Halloween ideas, recipes and lots more. It’s printed on sturdy paper, much like a book! 116 pages of decor, tricks and treats.

Here is how the contest works: The contest starts now!! All you have to do is comment below about oct31st.org! It has to be a real comment about the website, something you like, something you used from here – a wallpaper, a recipe etc.

Enter your name, email address (so I can contact you – should you win) and a website -if you have it. A random person will be drawn next Saturday – September 11th 2010. The handbook will be sent to you in an envelope with cardboard (to avoid bending). Please help spread the word about Oct31st.org. Join the facebook group and share the url to this website with your friends! Tweet via Twitter about oct31st.org and include @oct31stdotorg in your tweet. Good Luck!