Spooky Daily

Sneak Preview of the 2024 Lights on Eckman Halloween Light ShowFirst, there was a Jack-o-Lantern with a candle inside to help identify the houses that gave out candy on Halloween. Then came electric lights, and Halloween fans put up outdoor decorations for Halloween as well as Christmas. Then LED lights made a lot more outdoor lighting possible. With color changing lights and computer synchronization, the Halloween light show became a thing, with the idea of "the more, the merrier."

Find Out Where the Horror Movies Take PlaceThe image above is a small part of an interactive map of horror movie locations. The full map shows the entire world, but I cropped it to only the US so it would be easier to see. Believe me, Europe is just as crowded. Each color signifies a different type of horror, whether vampire, ghost, killer, or some other creature. You can filter the map to show only the type of horror films you want to explore. Zoom in and click to pull up details about a movie and where it was either filmed or the story was set.Even though it doesn't contain every horror film ever made, you can still see that New England is over-represented. They do have an awful lot of ghost stories and an awful lot of beautiful but spooky-looking locations. As far as cities go, London, Paris, New York, and Tokyo have so many movies you will have to zoom way in to separate them. This kind of map can be a lot of fun, and it may introduce you to horror films you have never seen, so check it out. -via Metafilter 

La Lechuza: When an Owl is Not an OwlAn owl is only a minor character in Halloween lore in most of the US, but in Texas and northern Mexico, an owl could be a shapeshifting witch! It makes sense, since owls are fierce predators and can have a wingspan of up to five feet. Add that to the fact that they are active in the dark, and they can be pretty terrifying when they fly at you, especially if you've been drinking. La Lechuza is said to especially dangerous to drunk people and children, those who are most prone to believe in them.

Spirit Halloween's Grand Opening CelebrationIt's Spirit Halloween season! The company's flagship store held its annual Grand Opening on August first, and drew thousands of people from all over to Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. The occasion was a festival of sorts, with food, entertainment, and games. Is your local Spirit Halloween store open yet? They staked out their territory months ago and posted signs to let everyone know where the seasonal pop up shop will be this year, and you've been cruising by to check on their progress. Opening day is typically in August, but varies from location to location because each store has to hire a full crew and set up merchandise. If your local store isn't open yet, enjoy this video walk-through of the New Jersey store on day two, after the crowds died down a little.

Adorable Animated Knit Frogs Celebrate HalloweenIndia Rose Crawford has created a lovely miniature world for the tiny frogs that she knits. You'll find plenty of their animated adventures at TikTok, where they recreate everyday scenarios of all kinds. Watch them get ready for Halloween by elaborately decorating their miniature home!

The Challenge: Watch 100 Horror Movies in 92 DaysSpooky Sarah created a challenge called 100 Horror Movies in 92 Days a couple of years ago. The difficulty factor is that they have to be movies you haven't seen before! This could be a problem for dedicated horror fans of a certain age, but there are resources for finding new-to-you movies. Louise at Monstrumology explains how she has completed the challenge before, and how you can, too. You'll find link to many more resources at Metafilter. You might want to stock up on popcorn, too. This will be a great experiment for those who are up to it. Or even those who aren't, because even if you don't get to 100 movies by Halloween, no one will know and you'll have a lot of fun watching horror films you never knew existed before. The 92 days starts on August first, so get to your TV now!