Katie Pumpkinhead’s Pumpkin Patch

 I was recently given the opportunity to check out a new, independent Halloween short film called Pumpkin Guts: Devil’s Night.  (Picture from IMDb) I first became aware of this film through the  Instagram page , and to say I absolutely knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’d love it, would be an understatement. I can always tell when a piece of media is truly going to radiate Halloween, in the way that will transport me through whatever month we’re currently in (in this case, probably the most disgusting July on record) and into Halloween night itself. When I was offered early access to this short film, I could not have been more honored. Even though I’ve built up somewhat of a following within the Halloween community, it still amazes me every day that people finally truly see and feel what I’m trying to create; that my love of Halloween finally means something and brings some joy and comfort to others like myself, and that anyone, especially a filmmaker, would trust me ...

 Much of this year has felt eternal to me. I'm not entirely sure why. But on some level, it's felt like Halloween was never going to come around again. I have theories as to why things have felt so long and hopeless, most of them having to do with my own schedule, and seasonal depression now on top of it. Whatever the feeling was, it was scary for me. Like being a trapped animal. But, yesterday afternoon, I went for a walk. That is a rarity for me these days as the heat intolerance connected to my summer SAD seems to be getting worse by the day, but after a rainstorm and some Halloween shopping, I was feeling pretty decent.  And, possibly for the first time since 2024 began, I could feel it again. The final leg of our journey to Halloween.  I looked around at the yards I was passing, and could almost see the Halloween decorations, where they will be standing once again. My old friends who visit me once a year. I miss them; their comfort. But, for the first time since last...

 I know I've spoken a lot here about different times and moments in my life that I've found transformational, or pivotal in helping shape me into who I am today. But there is one date I really don't think I've ever mentioned before: June 29th, 2005. This was the day I saw the musical Wicked for the first time. I've always been fascinated by witches, both fictional and in their real-life lore. I'd watch anything relating ti them, especially when I was in my teens. They fascinated me. I used to say I'd never met a witch I didn't like.  So, when I heard the news that there was going to be a Broadway show about the untold backstory of the witches from The Wizard Of Oz, I knew I needed to see it. (It's worth noting that I'm also a sucker for backstories of well-known characters.)  It took two years from the time the musical initially opened, as it was extremely (no pun intended) popular for quite awhile, but I was finally gifted tickets for my high sc...

 Someone on Instagram recently asked me, at what point do I stop mourning the previous Halloween, and start celebrating the upcoming one. This was an interesting question to me, as it's honestly not something I think I've ever thought about before. Halloween is so perpetual to me, that the separation between this Halloween and last Halloween is not something I feel I've ever considered, save for the excitement of being able to say "this Halloween", once the Gregorian New Year hits.  So it's something I've been contemplating lately. What am I thinking about, when I go for walks around the neighborhood? Am I envisioning where the decorations were, last year, or where they will be, again?  I honestly think it's always a bit of both. When I was younger, there was a house I trick-or-treated at that had a globe-shaped light that was designed to look like a witch flying across a full moon. It was obviously homemade, and it was a big deal in my Halloween-lovin...

To continue the recent theme of possession movies, today I'd like to talk about a movie in the same sub genre that far exceeded my expectations:   Late Night With The Devil. I didn't know a whole lot about this movie going into it. All I really need to know about a movie to want to watch it is that it's Halloween-themed. That's literally all it takes. Throw in a vintage vibe and I'm all in. Late Night With The Devil is presented in the style of a lost broadcast of a popular 70s late-night talk show known as Night Owls, hosted by a man named Jack Delroy. The beginning of the movie gives us a little rundown of Jack's career, his constant rivalry with Johnny Carson, his controversial involvement in a "gentlemen's club" known as The Grove, with questionable intentions, and eventually the tragic death of his wife, an actress named Madeleine Piper. Jack's career takes a hit while he grieves for Madeleine, but he decides that Halloween night, 1977, wi...

I recently watched last year's attempted legacy sequel/semi-reboot of the Exorcist franchise, The Exorcist: Believer.  I don't think I heard a single positive thing about this movie when it was released. The hate for it was truly inescapable within the horror community. I didn't watch it expecting a cinematic masterpiece. It was more of a "It's free, may as well see what everyone's bitching about" type of watch. I wasn't expecting to like it. In fact, I was expecting to, most likely, laugh at it. (That said, I never choose to see or not see a movie based on reviews, anyway.)  However, while it certainly is far from the most amazing and brilliant thing I've ever watched, I have to say, I failed to see exactly what was so wrong with it.  To give a quick synopsis, The Exorcist: Believer is the story of a young girl named Angela, raised by a single father after an earthquake in Haiti killed her pregnant mother. There's a whole opening sequence that...

 In 2018, I thought I was dying. It wasn't a health scare, at least not a physical one.  I was losing myself. 2018 was a truly transitional time for me. At the time, I was living with my parents, along with my boyfriend at the time, who I'd been with for over a decade. They say you never know what the next day is going to bring, and April 2018 was proof of that.  Around the middle of the month, I made the decision to end my relationship, for several reasons, one being complicated feelings I had for someone else. I was in the process of figuring all of that out, when, not more than a week later, my father abruptly decided it was time to retire, put the house up for sale,  and move to Florida.  I don't do well with change on a good day. But dealing with all of this at once was rough. I was facing a breakup, a possible new relationship, and suddenly potential homelessness, all at once. (If you know me at all, you'll understand that moving to Florida was never a con...