Halloween Countdown, Day 28

[eldritchhobbit]

We're getting close to the big day, ladies and gentlemen!

First, a few links in the spirit of Halloween:
-- From io9: "Weirdest and Most Wonderful Halloween Comic Covers"
-- From Tor.com: "That Ghostly Appeal"
-- From Flashbacks.com: "Nostalgic Halloween Memories"
-- From nocturniquette1: "Vintage Halloween Postcards" (Thanks to dodger_winslow.)

Next, I return to an old favorite: a very spooky U.K. Public Information Film from 1973 meant to warn children about the dangers of playing near water. I think it is worthy of repeated viewings, especially during the Halloween season. The creepy narration by Donald Pleasence and the Grim Reaper-esque appearance of "The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water" make this - to my mind at least - a horror classic in its own right. Remember: he'll be back...

And now, to cleanse the palate, a truly unique a capella and multi-track performance of the "Ghost Busters Theme":

Spooky Text of the Day: Today's poem is "Hallowe'en" by A.F. Murray (1909).

A gypsy flame in on the hearth,
Sign of this carnival of mirth.
Through the dun fields and from the glade
Flash merry folk in masquerade--
It is the witching Hallowe'en.

Pale tapers glimmer in the sky,
The dead and dying leaves go by;
Dimly across the faded green
Strange shadows, stranger shades, are seen,--
It is the mystic Hallowe'en.

Soft gusts of love and memory
Beat at the heart reproachfully;
The lights that burn for those who die
Were flickering low, let them flare high--
It is the haunting Hallowe'en.