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Ah, fall is here! Students are clogging up the streets, bars, and restaurants of Williamsburg again, BGE kicks off Howl-o-Scream next week, and I'm mulling over what I'm going to read during October, better known as . . . THE GRISLY MONTH OF HORROR! I've always been a fan of horror fiction, and October is when I indulge that peculiar appetite. For the entire month, its nothing but horror novels, horror short stories, and horror flicks (both old and new--I'm a big fan of the classic Universal movies). So, as you might guess, I have a few favorites--horror stories I think everyone should read. Here are five, in no particular order: Dracula by Bram Stoker--Let's get one thing straight about this story. There is no freakin' romance between Count Dracula and anyone here, despite all the movie and stage adaptations that make him into some sort of pathetic, tortured soul weeping over his lost love. He's a bloodsucking rapist, and Van Helsing is out to kill him--that's it. This book can be slow going at times, but stick with it. Stoker's epistolary style, using letters, articles, and journal entries, makes the story seem quite real, and the Count is one of the best literary monsters ever. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson--This one set the standard for just about every ghost story that followed. A paranormal investigator puts together an unlikely team of "ghost hunters"; of course, not everything goes as planned. Jackson was first known for Life Among the Savages, a comedy about life in the suburbs, but much of her work is pretty twisted and worth checking out. By the way, the best movie version is Robert Wise's The Haunting--stay away from the wretched, newer version starring Catherine Zeta-Jones. Hell House by Richard Matheson--This was sort of an answer to Jackon's Hill House. Matheson admired Jackson's novel, but was irritated because it was a bit vague about whether the haunting was "real" or just a figment of one character's imagination. So, he decided to write the same story, leaving no doubt that something supernatural was going on--and it's nearly as great as Jackson's book (if much grislier). The movie version, The Legend of Hell House, is very good (Matheson provided the screenplay for it). Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury--I think this is Bradbury's best book. He grabs you from the opening paragraph and just doesn't let up, building the suspense and horror beautifully. As if traveling carnvals weren't creepy enough, wait until you get a load of "Coogan and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show." You'll never look at a Ferris wheel in the same way again. The Disney movie version, directed by Jack Clayton with a script by Bradbury, isn't bad, either. I am Legend by Richard Matheson--Forget the rather weak movie adaptations and stick with the original novel. Matheson turned the vampire/zombie subgenre on its head with this book. As for this year, two Brian Keene novels, Ghost Walk and Dark Hollow, are on my list (thanks for the recommendation here, Dave) and maybe Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. If you're of a more "literary" bent, you might check out Dan Simmons's The Terror, a historical novel about an actual, ill-fated 19th-century expedition to find the "Northwest Passage" with a supernatural twist (along with all-too-real horrible humans). So, what's on your Halloween reading list this year?

There's plenty of variety at Universal, just like at Disney, so your group should do just fine. October is a great time to visit for two reasons: 1) weekday crowds should be quite manageable and 2) Halloween Horror Night at Universal Studios (which will be mobbed). If you do Horror Night, the Express passes are worth the extra money.

TPR stayed at Alton's Splash Landings and Blackpool's Big Blue Hotel. Both were very good (particularly the former, with its indoor waterpark and excellent theming), but a bit pricey, I would think.

I'm not a fan of the "boomerang coaster" concept, but the new restraints should, at least, eliminate the headbanging.

^I wouldn't consider Drayton to be "essential." You've hit the nail on the head with this list.

This thread is already in the "black hole." We've actually existed in the alternative black-hole dimension for centuries, but were unaware of it until this thread was created.

There's also Railtown in the Sierra foothills near Jamestown, Calif. (not too far from Sonora). a lot of movies, such as Back to the Future 3, and TV shows, such as Little House on the Prarie and Petticoat Junction, used Railtown's tracks and trains.

^You're hardier than I am, Falafel. I tried to sit through SCCTM once in high school, but couldn't do it. But MST3K made it immensely entertaining. Another awesome MST Xmas episode riffs on a Mexican movie called, simply, Santa Claus. And it features a mincing little creep (named "Patch") in tights and devil horns who works the anti-Santa beat for Satan.

^This ride could be set up like the Reese's cup Challenge at Hershey, only instead of "Team Chocolate" and Team Peanut butter," it would be "Team Jesus" and "Team Santa."

The Christmas shooting dark ride reminds me of my favorite line from Mystery Science Theater, when they were riffing on Santa Claus Conquers the Martians:

Yeah--it made my top-ten-woodies list last year (might not this year, even though it was running well in April).

Sorry to hear about your accident. I hope the remaining surgeries go well and that you're back on your feet soon.

^^I think the big problem is using "Life in the Fast Lane." To me, a song about living the fast life in SoCal doesn't go with a Vekoma mine train. Originally, this ride was to be called "Midnight Rider," and if they'd used a haunted western ghost town as a theme, it might've worked.

^^^Super Fly was one of the greatest movie soundtracks ever. But with all due respect. I think Pam Grier can kick all the candidates' butts.

I'd say it's more like the DCA of rock and roll--a nice-enough start, but they need to show steady improvement.

^The moderators are watching this thread closely, and will issue warnings as necessary. Please do not "backseat moderate." As for the "stripper" comparison, it was a joke--and the resemblance is quite uncanny. Remember that having a sense of humor is essential to enjoying TPR.

^It does boil down to being respectful of other persons' beliefs. The only person as annoying than a militant Christian is an equally militant atheist. As for agnostics, Monty Python summed it up best: "There's nothing a good agnostic can't accomplish as long as he's not sure what he believes in." OK, a question for Candidate Beemer. Heart is asking the McCain campaign to "cease and desist" in using their music (for example, "Barracuda") during the campaign because they do not support him or Sarah Palin. Beemer, what music would you like to use in your campaign, and would you seek the artist's permission in doing so?

Or just from the orgy itself. "Orgiastic screaming" is not allowed in U.S. parks, with the exception of Led Zeppelin: The Ride.

Strangely enough, I think it is--unique, in any case. How many theme parks actually celebrate LSD trips? The park's greatest strength at the moment is its atmosphere, and I think you're right about it needing more time to "mature." The potential is there, if the place survives.

^Amen to that. I often wonder what happened to the party of Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.

Good lord, tell me about it. Dark rides with classic characters, atmosphere to burn (at all the "Magic Kingdom" parks), and flat rides that parents can enjoy along with their kids.

Drilling offshore or in ANWAR won't curb our dependence on foreign oil at all. The U.S. uses 25 percent of the world's supply, yet our oil fields (including those that haven't been tapped) make up about 3 percent. Plus, it'll take a good ten years or so to get those wells to produce.

It’s early September. Days are starting to get shorter. And watching yourself in the mirror while brushing your teeth is going to take on a whole new meaning—especially if you’ve been a regular visitor to Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) Web site. This year’s HHN Web site does more than sell the event (“Reflections of Fear”). It also places you in the middle of a fresh, original telling of the urban legend of “Bloody Mary,” a story that has already inspired a number of variations, such as the Candyman movies and this summer’s Mirrors. And who is Bloody Mary? Just repeat her name a certain number of times in a darkened room in front of a mirror, and you just might find out. This is Universal’s most immersive HHN Web site ever, said TJ Mannarino, the park’s director of entertainment at a conference call held on September 3, 2008. The site sets the stage with the story of Dr. Mary Agana, a renegade psychiatrist who disappeared on August 27, 1958. The doctor’s fate might be entwined with that of Boris Shuster, a private investigator. Her story is brought up to the present by group of paranormal investigators called Legendary Truth. That’s all I’m going to say about the story. Go to the HHN sitefor more—you won’t be disappointed (especially if you dim the lights). Telling this story online required the Universal creative team to come up with the largest amount of original material, including images and music, ever created for HHN, said Mannarino. The team found the Bloody Mary legend attractive because the character’s folklore is quite mysterious—no one knows the “true story” of Bloody Mary. Her story provided a great way to tie all the haunted houses and scarezones together, as well. It’s all about making “the perfect horrific cake.” Actual concept drawings and elevations used to design the haunted houses and scarezones were used as "evidence" on the site, thus merging the “virtual” world with the “real” world. The park even unveiled the billboards for the event on August 27—the date that Mary “disappeared.” I’m generally reluctant to delve too deeply into the HHN Web site because I like to be surprised at the park. But the “Reflections of Fear” site, while providing some cool (and creepy) background information, actually suggests as many questions as it answers. “It’s a magician’s trick,” Mannarino said. The site tells you about some characters “without connecting all the dots,” giving users “35 to 50 percent of the story to set you up for the ‘real-world’ experience.” “It’s just the beginning, so pay attention,” he said. But the audience is just as important as the site, according to Mannarino. Universal works hard to tailor the site to the needs of online community—to show appreciation for the event’s fans. “We’re definitely a part of the [online] community, too,” he said. Universal also appreciates how savvy the online fans are. For example, one group discovered early on that Universal had licensed the Web domain “legendarytruth.com.” “Fans are always gonna be smarter than us,” said Mannarino. “We love that! The Web site gets its strength from the fans.” He also gave us a look at the event itself. The immersive nature of the “Reflections of Fear” site will be reflected right at the park entrance—when you’re invited to pass through the mirror into Bloody Mary’s world. Make a choice, left or right, and you’ll be plunged immediately into one of the park’s scarezones. In fact, there will be four “very intense, highly themed zones” right off the bat (there’s a total of six zones and eight houses). Characters will venture out of the houses to provide more “street action,” and you may find scareactors in the park’s front-gate area, where you usually don’t expect them. Visitors will think, “I’m in Halloween, and I can’t get out!” So, I advise all of you planning to check out Universal Florida’s Halloween Horror Nightto peruse the Web site—it will enhance your visit. But if you just can’t wait, you might try lighting a few candles in your bathroom, dimming the lights, and chanting “Bloody Mary” in front of your mirror. You might get there all the sooner. PS--For a good summary of the site, go to CTU Agent's (Tyler's) HHN thread.

^Sometimes, if you just hit your "refresh" button, the site returns to normal.

Ah, but did it play an inappropriate Eagles' song while you rode? (Actually, no Eagles would be another plus.) Thanks for the update--this park looks great.