Krampus Presents: Day Cares, Nurseries, and Playgrounds

I've been a fan of Conan O'Brien since high school (he's actually the person who made me realize I wanted to devote my life to making people laugh), and lately he's been doing some bits about Krampus on his show, so I thought I would share the latest one here. This is Krampus Presents: Day Cares, Nurseries, and Playgrounds. : )

http://teamcoco.com/video/krampus-presents-day-cares-nurseries-playgrounds

HJ’s Holiday 2017 Ghoulish Gift Guide

Got some fans of horror and the paranormal to buy for this Christmas? Haunt Jaunts has got you covered! Check out their awesome gift guide, and you're sure to find the perfect gift...you'll probably find something for yourself too. : )

HJ’s Holiday 2017 Ghoulish Gift Guide

Book Review: The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theater by Alex Matsuo

When I went to AtomaCon in 2015, I attended Alex Matsuo's haunted theaters and demonology panels, and they were so interesting that I decided to read a few of her books. I wrote about More Than Ghosts: A Guide to Working Residential Cases in the Paranormal Field on the blog last year, and now it's The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theater's turn. The Tenth Avenue Theater is located in San Diego and used to be a church; Matsuo, who is a playwright and actress as well as the founder and director of the Association of Paranormal Study (APS), has been involved with a few productions there. Jeff Cotta bought the building from the First Baptist Church of San Diego in 1997 and agreed to let APS investigate the allegedly haunted space a few years ago. The theater is rumored to be haunted by a young girl named Missy who died when she fell down the stairs at the church, a pastor who felt guilty about Missy's death and committed suicide in the chapel's cloakroom, and a British lieutenant who temporarily possessed the doctor who tried to save him and apparently decided to make the building his new home when the doctor came to the sanctuary to pray.

I don't want to say too much about what happened during APS's investigations of the theater because I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who might read the book, but I will say that Matsuo described the investigations so effectively that I felt like I was there. The Haunting of the Tenth Avenue Theater is a fascinating read, and Matsuo definitely knows her stuff when it comes to the paranormal. I've enjoyed both of the books I've read by her, and I hope she'll write many more in the future. : )

My rating: 10/10

Halloween 2017

Another Halloween has passed, so it's time to post pictures of my costume. I dressed as Madonna this year, and I feel like I should start dressing like this all the time. ; )

Costume Discounters: The Exorcist Regan Costume

For the past two months, my job has been writing costume descriptions, and I love it! I recently had to write one for a Regan MacNeil costume, and it's one of my favorites of all the costume descriptions I've written, so I wanted to share it here. : )

The Exorcist Regan Costume

Nerdist Presents: The Mystic Museum

In the mood for a fun Halloween short? Check out Nerdist Presents: The Mystic Museum! The short is around 11 minutes long and stars Kelsey Gunn, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Kristian Bruun, Ptolemy Slocum, and Jake Getman. Kelsey runs the Mystic Museum but has never personally experienced anything paranormal, so she's happy to get involved when Olivia, a paralegal with a haunted apartment, comes in for help. Will Kelsey be able to help Olivia find out why she's experiencing supernatural shenanigans, or will they hit a dead end? You'll have to watch it to find out! : )


http://nerdist.com/the-mystic-museum-olivia-taylor-dudley-kristian-bruun-nerdoween/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=NerdistNewsletter_20171019

2017 Halloween Decorations

I recently moved into a new apartment, and of course decorating for Halloween was my first order of business. By Halloween I'm sure I'll have plenty of decorations up, but here's what I've done so far. 😀👻🎃

Costume SuperCenter: Carn-Evil Playful Clown with Mask Adult Costume

This isn't exactly paranormal, but I wrote the description for this creepy clown costume, so I wanted to share it...can you tell I don't like clowns? ; )

Carn-Evil Playful Clown with Mask Adult Costume

Costume SuperCenter

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I love the paranormal, horror, Halloween, and all that good stuff. For the past few weeks, I've been working as a freelance copywriter for Costume SuperCenter, which is the perfect job for a Halloween-obsessed person like me. My job is writing costume descriptions, and since I've come across so many cool costumes while I'm working, I wanted to share their website with you. If you don't have your Halloween costume yet, check out Costume SuperCenter...you'll definitely find what you're looking for. : )

Buy your Halloween costumes here!

And since I like to write about ghosts on this blog, here's my favorite ghost thing I've come across on their website...so cute!

Ghost Party Scene Airblown

Get Ghosted

I've been excited about Ghosted, starring Craig Robinson and Adam Scott, since I first heard about it a few months ago. It finally aired on October 1st, and it's everything I hoped it would be. If you missed the premiere, you can watch it on Fox's website, so go check it out! : )

https://www.fox.com/watch/c83693dcdd309952c32244b16df87ec4/

Haunted By Murder

As often as we hear about ghosts and hauntings, it's rare that we hear about hauntings by the people who are most justified to exact revenge from beyond the grave. I'm talking about murder victims, of course, and you'll be happy to know that several killers have been harassed by the spirits of the unfortunate souls whose lives they took. Check out Freaked's "10 Murderers Haunted By Their Victim's Ghosts" to find out whose victims didn't take death lying down.

https://freaked.com/murderers-haunted/

Movie Spotlight: Little Evil

Little Evil is a 2017 Netflix original movie starring Adam Scott, Evangeline Lilly, Owen Atlas, Clancy Brown, Tyler Labine, Donald Faison, Chris D'Elia, and Bridget Everett. When Gary (Adam Scott) moves in with his new wife (Evangeline Lilly), he tries to bond with his stepson (Owen Atlas), but when he sees Lucas exhibit some pretty strange behavior, he fears that he may be stepdad to a demon.

The Omen is my favorite horror movie, and I write plays (comedies, of course) about Satan, so Little Evil was right up my alley. This movie was written and directed by Eli Craig, who also wrote and directed Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (you can read my review here: Horror Movie Month: Tucker & Dale vs. Evil), so I knew I was in for a treat. Little Evil is an entertaining movie with superb performances from everyone, and it's a fun addition to the horror-comedy genre. I was really excited to see it listed on Netflix last night, and if you like horror-comedy or movies about demonic children, Little Evil is one you won't want to miss. : )

My rating: 8/10

These Earrings Are Out of This World!

I happened to go to Hot Topic yesterday, and when I saw this set of alien and UFO earrings, of course I had to buy them. : )

If you want some of your own, you can get them here:

http://www.hottopic.com/product/alien-ufo-get-in-loser-stud-earrings-set/11014382.html#q=Alien&srule=sortingPriceLowToHigh&sz=120&start=14

Haunted Paintings

I came across an article titled "5 Haunted and Cursed Paintings You Should Never Hang in Your Home" on The Occult Museum website, and I thought it was pretty interesting, so of course I had to share it here. No matter how much you love art, you definitely don't want to own the following paintings:

1. The Anguished Man (artist unknown): This painting is super creepy, so I don't know why anyone would want to hang it on their wall, but when Sean Robinson inherited it from his grandmother (who kept it hidden in the basement), he did just that. He put up with the banging noises and fog that appeared in the house soon after, but when he saw a shadowy figure in his bedroom one night, that was the last straw, and he put the painting in the basement where it belongs.

2. The Crying Boy (Giovanni Bragolin): Prints of this painting of a crying orphan have been the only thing to survive in dozens of house fires.

3. Love Letters (Richard King): This painting can be found at the Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas, and it is said to be haunted by Samantha Houston, a little girl who died at the hotel. Samantha's spirit has been seen playing with a ball (which is how she died) at the hotel, and people have reported feeling strange when they're near the painting.

4. The Dead Mother (Edvard Munch): People who have seen this painting of a child standing next to her mother's corpse have said that the little girl's eyes follow them and report hearing rustling bedsheets near the painting.

5. The Hands Resist Him (Bill Stoneham): A family who owned this unsettling painting of a boy and his doll said that their daughter saw the boy and the doll coming out of the painting several times in the middle of the night.

To find out more and see the paintings, check out The Occult Museum:

5 Haunted and Cursed Paintings you Should Never Hang in your Home

Disneyland is Haunted as Hell, and I'm Never Going There.

When I went to ScareLA last weekend, I attended a live podcast about haunted places in L.A. and Orange County (you can read my write up about it here: ScareLA: Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC), and after hearing about some of the creepy stuff that goes on Disneyland (like the fact that the dolls in It's a Small World sometimes keep moving after the ride has been shut off), I decided to do some research and find out about some more souls who never left "the happiest place on Earth." 

-"The Man with the Cane": In the 1940s, a pilot crashed his small plane in the area where Disneyland would eventually be built; he appears in The Haunted Mansion, usually after closing time, and he always has a cane.

-"The Man in the Tuxedo": A former employee kept seeing this well-dressed spirit in a mirror in The Haunted Mansion, and when he finally reached out and touched her, she quit her job and never set foot in Disneyland again (smart move).

-"Mr. One Way": Space Mountain is haunted by the ghost of a man who died on the ride four decades ago; he disappears before the ride is over and has also been spotted in the employee locker room.

-"Disco Debbie": Possibly a cast member who had an aneurysm and died at work, this glowing spirit likes to ride Space Mountain, materialize on the track, and roam around the building.

-Dolly Young: A woman named Dolly Young was thrown from the Matterhorn and run over in 1984; her ghost has been seen and heard there ever since.

-Deborah Gail Stone: A cast member was crushed to death in the America Sings attraction in 1974, and up until the attraction was eventually shut down, cast members would hear a female voice warning them to be careful.

For more on these lost souls and other Disneyland hauntings, check out A Spooky Tour Through Haunted Disneyland...there's a ton of information there and some other stuff about It's a Small World that will creep you out (the phrase "a pattering of small footsteps" in relation to It's a Small World just might give me nightmares). If you've experienced paranormal activity at Disneyland, please leave a comment and tell me all about it. I can't find out for myself if any of this is true because I'll be avoiding Disneyland for the rest of my life. ; )

ScareLA: Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC

I was lucky enough to go to ScareLA this year, and while I was there, I attended Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC, a live version of the Collywobbles podcast. I wrote about it for Haunt Jaunts, and you can read about it here:

Scare LA: Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC

You can also watch the podcast, which I highly recommend because it was really entertaining. : )

ScareLA

I moved to L.A. on August 2nd, and it's no coincidence that my move happened a few days before ScareLA, an awesome convention celebrating all things Halloween. There was so much to do there that I didn't get a chance to see as much as I would've liked, but I did get to check out all the vendors, attend the "Monstrous Spirits: Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC" podcast, see my favorite theatre group, 2Cents Theatre, perform scenes from Nilbog the Musical, and try to avoid dozens of creepy clowns. I took a ton of pictures, so feel free to live vicariously through me if you didn't get to go. ; )

A marquee for IT Presents Float: A Cinematic VR Experience

From the school bus featured in IT Presents Float: A Cinematic VR Experience

IT Presents Float: A Cinematic VR Experience

Frankenstein's monster, Hollywood Horror Museum booth

Regan MacNeil, Hollywood Horror Museum booth

A demonstration by EI School of Professional Makeup

Nope.

Triple nope.

Gremlins from Trick or Treat Studios

ScareLA's announcements were made by a familiar voice: John Kassir, the voice of  The Cryptkeeper.

Well, this is creepy...

Reign of Terror Haunted House booth

Reign of Terror Haunted House booth

2Cents Theatre performing a scene from Nilbog the Musical

More Nilbog

The cast of Nilbog the Musical

Me as the devil (photo credit: Juan Lozano)

I saw some cool things at ScareLA, so here are some links where you can find more information about them:



ScareLA


2Cents Theatre

Trick or Treat Studios

Hollywood Horror Museum

Reign of Terror Haunted House

Harlequin Costume

Scream For Me Inc.

Megan E. Risk, Freelance Artist

VFX

ScareLA was so much fun, and it was the perfect way to spend my first weekend as an L.A. resident. I can't wait to go again next year! : )

Movie Spotlight: Absolutely Anything

Absolutely Anything is a 2015 movie starring Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Rob Riggle, Eddie Izzard, and Joanna Lumley and featuring the voices of Robin Williams, Michael Palin, Terry Jones (who also directed the movie), Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, and Eric Idle. Schoolteacher Neil Clarke (Simon Pegg) is given the ability to do anything by a group of aliens who want to see if he will use his powers for good or evil (and if he chooses evil, Earth will be destroyed).

Absolutely Anything is a fun movie with an impressive cast, particularly Simon Pegg as a man learning that having powers can be more of a curse than a gift. Though all the humans in the film
were great, my favorite character was Neil's dog, Dennis (voiced by Robin Williams), because he was adorable, and dogs are the best. ; )

My rating: 7/10

Blog Anniversary

I went to the Roswell UFO Festival in 2013, and it inspired me to start this blog. Four years and more than 400 posts later, I'm still having fun with it, and I'm thankful to everyone who's been reading it. To celebrate the blog's anniversary, I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite posts. : )

 Movie Spotlight: Ghost Shark

 Encounters: U.F.O. Experience

Review: Carrie the Musical at City Stage Co.

Movie Spotlight: What We Do in the Shadows

Visiting the UFO Watchtower

Review: Evil Dead the Musical at the Knight Theater

My Favorite Bad Movie: Hobgoblins

And the one that started it all:
Roswell...finally!

Also, my book Paranormal Jokes and Haiku is free through July 19th. : )

https://www.amazon.com/Paranormal-Jokes-Haiku-Crystal-Smith-Connelly-ebook/dp/B00U1SPTZM/

Exciting News!

In a month or so, you might notice that I'm not posting as often as usual, so I wanted to tell you why: In early August, I'm moving to L.A. to finally try to follow my dream of being a TV writer! I still plan on posting here as much as I can, but since I'll have to work a lot to be able to afford an apartment, it might be hard for me to post once a week or more like I do now. My first weekend there, I'll be attending a Halloween convention called ScareLA though, and of course I'm going to write about that and share some pictures. ScareLA sounds really cool, and I'm excited to wear my '80s Ghostbuster costume again. For more info on ScareLA, check out their website, and if any of you will be there, let me know. : )

http://scarela.com

Roswell: A Great Place to Crash

I was inspired to start this blog after a trip to the Roswell UFO Festival, and since this week marks the 70th anniversary of the Roswell UFO crash, I thought this would be a good time to share a bunch of my Roswell posts in one place. Enjoy! : )

Roswell...finally!

What happens in Roswell...

The International UFO Museum and Research Center

Don't tell anyone, but we smuggled something home from Roswell...

Book Review: Beyond Roswell

Roswell Memories

2017 Roswell UFO Festival

It's almost time for the Roswell UFO Festival again! The festival starts on June 29th, and this year is the 70th anniversary of the famous UFO crash, so you should go if you get the chance. I went in 2013, and it was so much fun! The festival offers lots of interesting lectures by UFO experts, and you can see who the guests will be here:

http://www.ufofestivalroswell.com/ufo-festival-guest-speakers/

Check out the UFO Festival's website to see what fun stuff will be going on! : )

http://www.ufofestivalroswell.com/

Movie Spotlight: Evil Alien Conquerors

Evil Alien Conquerors is a 2003 movie starring Michael Weston, Chris Parnell, Diedrich Bader, Tyler Labine, Elden Henson, Phil LaMarr, and Beth Grant. Two evil aliens, My-ik (Diedrich Bader) and Du-ug (Chris Parnell), from a planet called Kabijj are sent to Earth with a mission: to behead all humans within two days and take over the world. Will they be able to accomplish this seemingly impossible task, or will they keep getting too distracted by women and Smirnoff Ice to destroy mankind?

I watched Evil Alien Conquerors a few years ago, and I really liked it, so I decided to watch it again and write about it on my blog. I love Chris Parnell, and he's great in this, as is Diedrich Bader. Evil Alien Conquerors is silly, entertaining, and original, so give it a chance if that's the kind of thing you like. : )

My rating:7.5/10

Join the Haunt Jaunts Facebook group...if you dare!

Since this blog's readers are interested in the paranormal, I wanted to let you guys know about a new Facebook group you might like. I've featured Haunt Jaunts on my blog a bunch of times, and now there's a Haunt Jaunts Facebook group, so if you're interested in haunted locations and things like that, check it out! : )

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HauntJauntsGroup/

Happy Ghostbusters Day!

June 8th is Ghostbusters Day, and since I've done quite a few blog posts about Ghostbusters, this seems like a good time to share a bunch of them in one place. But first...pictures! : )

Bret and Slimer

Bret and Peter Venkman

Halloween 2014

Halloween 2014

AtomaCon 2014

AtomaCon 2014

Finally seeing Ghostbusters on the big screen

Birthday cake for my '80s party

Halloween 2016 ('80s Ghostbuster)

Halloween 2016

Ghostbusters: The Best Quotes: http://paranormalcrystal.blogspot.com/2014/02/ghostbusters-best-quotes_27.html

My thoughts on the upcoming Ghostbusters movie: http://paranormalcrystal.blogspot.com/2014/10/my-thoughts-on-upcoming-ghostbusters.html

Ghostbusters: The LEGO Edition: http://paranormalcrystal.blogspot.com/2016/06/ghostbusters-lego-edition.html

Movie Spotlight: Ghostbusters (2016): http://paranormalcrystal.blogspot.com/2016/07/movie-spotlight-ghostbusters-2016.html

Book Review: Ghosts from Our Past by Erin Gilbert and Abby L. Yates with Andrew Shaffer: http://paranormalcrystal.blogspot.com/2016/10/book-review-ghosts-from-our-past-by.html