Stay tuned everyone…

I’m assuming this all stems from a single image I used from the movie Zombie Strippers and I mentioned a review would be coming soon (it’s still coming soon by the way). But seriously, is that all it took? What are these people in search of strippers doing when they finally get to this site?! The abandonment rate is low. Hmmm. Perhaps I should add a Zombie Babe of the Day?? Nah (I need to stop thinking out loud…)

Well, this post is for all the people looking for zombie eye candy. But don’t get used to it – this is a family friendly page! Tomorrows post – How to make fake blood that tastes good

He's lost his stomach...

The Missing Guts prop is a rarity these days and to be honest, I don’t have much info to share. Here’s what I do know…

Source Info: Mine was handed down to me in a large dumping of Halloween props and I unfortunately didn’t get a lot of background info. The prop’s name is Missing Guts and it’s at least a few years old. I don’t know the retail price but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t cheap.

Missing Guts!

Design: It’s hard to find props like this nowadays. Many items you see in stores are made with cheaper materials and less design detail – but not this guy! The body parts and gore are shaped really well and the paint job looks like it was hand painted.

Dissembled, this prop comes in 5 pieces (see photo gallery below.) All of the parts fit nicely together with strong metal tubing. Because of this tubing, the prop has some weight to it and that’s a good thing. Assembling him can be a bit tricky if you start with the wrong part or if you don’t have a helper. It’s best to assemble is with him laying on his back. Attach all of the parts and then carefully stand it up. The weight keeps everything together and it wont tip over easily.

Animation: This is a static prop so there’s no animation to it. The prop is gesturing as if he had just punched his fist into his stomach and now he’s ripping out his guts. Lovely!

Final Thoughts: I’m thrilled to own this prop and I would appreciate any additional info anyone can provide.

Note – If you look at the close-up of this guys face in the photo gallery, you’ll notice some blood dripping down his face and on his nose. I believe this is fake blood added by the previous owner. It’s a good match if that ’s the case!

Missing Guts Prop - Photo Gallery

Here you'll find several photos of this prop in all it's bloody gore. I've also included a shot of it before assembly. More photos are available upon request!

8 Photos

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Pros: Attractive Design, Sturdy Construction, Unique Concept
Cons: Assembly
Best Uses: Home Haunt, Pro Haunt
Bottom Line: Buy it if you can find it!

Frankie's hurting...

Frankenstein is a classic in the horror world. He’s one of the original Universal monsters and he’s a staple of any haunt. So what’s the harm in making a life size foam version of him? Well…

Source Info: This guy (like many of my recent and upcoming prop reviews) was handed down to me in a large dumping of Halloween props. And just like all the others I didn’t get a lot of background info. I don’t know the manufacturer or what name they gave him, and I don’t know the retail price. I’m guessing he went for around $150, maybe $200 tops…

Design: It’s hard to judge since this prop is pretty old and it’s taken a beating over the the years. It looks like a pretty quick and sloppy paint job. This isnt meant for up-close viewing, but more of a background item.

The back is flat which means you can only lay it flat on a table. The top of his legs are a bit hollow so the torso has something to sit in, but this doesn’t provide enough stability to stand it upright. You could place him on a board tilted up as if he were in the Frankenstein lab, but if it’s too vertical the top half will fall over.

The arms are also very flimsy and are really designed to be on a flat surface. The legs are one solid piece of foam with no space between the legs. While that adds to the stability, it takes away from the realism of the prop.

Final Thoughts: This guy may have been a little more impressive when he was new off the factory line, but it’s still a poorly made prop. Frankenstein collectors might still be interested but if you’re looking for something to use in your home haunt, look elsewhere!

(The Frankencuted “animated” prop by Spirit Halloween is a good alternative, but only if you buy it at a deep discount (maybe find it used.) It’s not worth the $250 sticker price. Full review of this prop coming soon.)

Note – If you look at this guys head and chest in the photo gallery,  you’ll notice some blood and a stab wound/syringe. I believe these are after market effects added by the previous owner.

6ft Foam Frankenstein - Photo Gallery

Here you'll find several photos of this prop. One shot is the prop being used in a home haunt. This was the previous owners haunt, not mine. More photos are available upon request!

5 Photos

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Pros: Classic Monster
Cons: Cheap Materials, Poor Design
Best Uses: Home Haunt
Bottom Line: Buy it only if you really want it.

Source Info: I got this prop from a friend, and I believe it was several years old. I don’t have an exact date or the original retail price. I suspect it was a Spirit Halloween prop, but don’t hold me to that…

Design: Lets start with the base – something you can’t actually see in the photos, but it’s made of thick heavy steel. It’s not tipping over any time soon! The latex “neck” of the skull covers this base and it does it well. Just watch when you place this prop on a table… the weight can be deceiving and the metal base will put a dent in a wood table.

The neck, head, and horns are nicely designed and painted. It all meshes well together and looks like one piece.

The actual candles are unfortunately nowhere near as sturdy as the quality base. All it would have taken was a better design for mounting the candle. Instead its just glued on, and this results in frequent trips to the garage for more super glue. But as long as the prop isn’t moved around too much you’ll be okay. The bulbs are replaceable and you can use standard lights or the more appropriate flicker bulbs.

Controls: This part is pretty simple and just what you would expect. Plug it in and turn the dial to ON or OFF. This is better than having it always on when plugged in. I like having options…

Final Thoughts: Overall this prop was made with good care and design. The candles are a bit sensitive so don’t let the kids near it. I would still suggest buying it.

Skeleton Candelabra - Photo Gallery

A few notes about the images. The yellowish line you see down the middle of the skulls face was glue that dripped down from the previous owner. I kinda like it!

You'll also notice one of the candles is crooked. This is not by design, but rather the glue not holding properly. This I don't like!

5 Photos

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Pros: Attractive Design, On/Off Control, Quality Base
Cons: Fragile Candles
Best Uses: Home Haunt, Halloween Party
Bottom Line: Buy it if you can find it!

George Romero, Grandfather of the Zombie

Today’s the day folks! The man who started it all, aptly titled the ‘Grandfather of the Zombie,’ George A. Romero turns 70 years old.

He’s best known for kicking off the zombie craze with his 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. In those 96 minutes of glorious black and white, Romero took the audience to a place they had never been before.

For me, my introduction to the movie was an old VHS bootleg I picked up in my hometown’s spring festival. I was browsing through a stack of tapes when the guy at that table stopped me, picked out the Night tape and said “This is what you’re looking for.”  I brought that tape home and watched in awe as the dead came back to life and proceeded to eat people.  I was hooked! Shortly after I watched Dawn of the Dead at a friends house and I’ve been a Romero follower ever since.  His “Dead” series has been through quite a few twists and turns. Some groundbreaking and some disappointing, but it’s always a fun ride walking into one of his movies.

The next installment for the series is due out later this year and will be called “Survival of the Dead.” In the meantime, I think a viewing of Night is in order to honor Mr. Romero. Tonight I’ll be watching the 1969 classic – Millennium Edition of course (never the 30th anniversary re-edited nonsense) – followed by 1990 Tom Savini remake.

Happy Birthday and keep the zombie flicks coming…

Chest Splitting Zombie

This one is an oldie but a goodie! The “Chest Splitting Zombie” may be one of the older Spirit Halloween products but it doesn’t disappoint!

Source Info: I was lucky enough to get this prop from a friend as a gift, but I understand it was released around 2006 or 2007 and the retail price was $200. That seems a bit steep but considering it’s age, that seems about right for the time. Spirit’s line of animated props was more limited and you paid a premium for something like this.

Design: The base of the prop could use a little work. It’s sturdy and heavy, which is a good thing, but it looks fake. In comparison to the rest of the prop design the base is a disappointment. Is he rising out of a volcano? Why are there several hands reaching up? It cheapens the look of the prop.

The body itself looks great! The color of the latex on the body parts don’t match perfectly, but that’s not a huge concern in the dark. The head/face looks good and the hairs hanging in front of his face are a nice touch!

The inside parts (that you see when he rips his chest open) look good but they did a poor job of hiding the foam stuffing. You’ll see this if you look at him from an angle. This could have been easily fixed with a little extra latex on the insides.

Animation: The animation is sound activated. I’ll never understand why motion activation is ever excluded from these animated props. Home haunters want that option – so give us that option. Even if it raises the final cost for the addition parts. That issue aside, the movement is great! Once he’s activated, he pulls his chest open to reveal a beating heart. At the same time he slowly kicks his head back (as if looking up at the sky) and lets out a scream. Unlike many other animated props, the movement here is very fluid – making this one of my favorite props.

Controls: Normally these props don’t provide you with many control options. It’s either on or off. This time time Spirit added a much appreciated volume control for the screaming sound effect. A home haunt can vary greatly in size and location, so having the ability to adjust the volume makes sense. My only question is why have they stopped including this feature?

Final Thoughts: This prop was innovative at the time of its release and it’s stood the test of time. You’ll be hard pressed to find one available for purchase and if you do, I suggest you go for it!

Chest Splitting Zombie Animated Prop - Photo Gallery

Here you'll find several photos of this guy in action. I also added some shots of the box. More photos are available upon request!

8 Photos

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Pros: Attractive Body Design, Movement, Sound Effects
Cons: No Motion Sensor, Poorly Designed Base
Best Uses: Home Haunt
Bottom Line: Buy it if you can find it!

Night of the Living Dead's Ghoul Girl

If you haven’t already checked out Morbid Decor on ETSY, well, you’re clearly not as cool as me, but you’re also missing out on some pretty sweet lighting for your home, dungeon and/or cave

With a nice selection of lamps and hanging or standing light-boxes you’re bound to find something to meet your needs.  These products feature stills shots from some of the greatest horror movies of all time. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead, and Nosferatu just to name a few!

I prefer the hanging light-boxes and my personal favorites are the Night of the Living Dead Ghoul Girl (featured in the image to the left) and Leatherface Flipping Out! There’s something special about capturing the moment of young girl trying to eat her parents brains… or a psychotic killer having a hissy fit because he couldn’t catch you in time to cut you up with his over sized chainsaw. Poor babies!

Go check them out now before they’re all gone! Also, look for them at Monster Mania this March 12-14 in Cherry Hill, NJ.

I Can Has Zombie Kiteh?!

[via: icanhascheezburger.com]

This legitimately gave me goose bumps - no joke!

Yeah, you heard me right. Zombie snails! Feed Me Brains covered this topic but it was lost when the old site crashed. I felt it was a worthwhile topic to re-post so present to you (again,) zombie snails…

So here’s the deal. The poor snail gets infected by a mind controlling parasite. Said parasite takes over the snails brain and deforms/colorizes its tentacles which causes them to pulsate. WOW! But hold on, it gets worse!

The zombie snail then makes it way to the top of the rain forest to catch some rays, but unfortunately its fun in the sun wont last very long. The crazy pulsating tentacles look like maggots that birds feed on. Eventually a bird will swoop in, tear off a tentacle and eat it! The snail lives on in it’s zombie form and will regrow its missing tentacle – only for the parasite to reinfect it! The bird on the other hand also becomes infected and proceeds to poo all over the forest spreading zombie poo which more snails eat, they become infected and the whole cycle continues!

This is one crazy zombie snail parasite with psychedelic tentacles which birds eat and poo which snails eat. WTF!

So I pretty much ruined the story for you, but watch the video anyway…