The Halloween Zone

Probably the most famous person from Maine is Stephen King. If he’s not first, then he’s gotta be right up there. He and his family live in Bangor, Maine, though he does spend winter in the warmer climate of Florida, he is known as a writer from Maine (and die-hard Red Sox fan).

Years ago, his home in Bangor was decorated right up for the holidays, but then the crowds got to be so huge going by there that they now just leave the house as it is. Notice, though, that the cast iron fence has a gate with bats on top and spider web & spider on the inside of each gate in front. Wicked cool, eh?

As I’ve mentioned at some point in the past in the blog, Mr King and his wife Tabitha own a group of radio stations in the Queen City. A sports station (WZON, AM 620), a rock station (WKIT, FM 100.3), and an adult/contemporary station (WDME, FM 103.1), which also broadcasts local sports events as does WZON.

I am a regular listener to the 6am-9am Sports Zone Morning Show and have also assisted them for a contest during Red Sox season (let’s just say I had to sing “Sweet Caroline”…it was painful on the ears), and even worked with another listener who played guitar and we sang “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot for the morning show (don’t ask). I also listen to the Afternoon Shootaround from 4-6pm. Anyway, at the ZONE Broadcasting office in Bangor, the staff of the stations completely decorate their entryway and hallways and have a haunted house every Halloween for any kids who can get there between 4pm – 7pm. It’s pretty awesome. Here’s a couple of pictures taken today at the station.

Nice, eh?

Then I’m on my way home, and I’m driving through my awesome little town of Orono and I see this:

Maybe they're dressing their yard up as a holiday tree for Halloween....?

Hello!!!! It’s friggin’ Halloween---WTF is with the christmas tree decoration already being up????

Anyway, Happy Halloween…and I guess happy winter holiday too.

Shhhhhhh.......

Don't tell my cousins, but I went and saw The Mist this afternoon. Yup...first showing on opening day. I just couldn't wait to see it. I told them I'd go see it with them next week, but I just happened to be driving by the theater, and it just happened to be 10 minutes before show-time. What else was I supposed to do??

Anyway, the movie is pretty good. The acting is okay, and Marcia Gay Harden is perfect as the psychotic religious freak and Thomas Jayne is good as the every-man who just wants to protect his son. The movie sticks pretty close to the original short story, although the movie ending was far different from Stephen King's story. While I prefer the short-story ending to the movies' version, it was still okay. The effects were good and the creatures were creepy and gross.

I liked it. I actually can't wait to see it again next week with my cousins.

And if I can give you all one piece of advice....don't go in the mist.

The Mist

A movie adaption of Stephen King's short story, The Mist, will be opening in theaters on Wednesday, November 21 (the day before Thanksgiving). The short story first appeared in Dark Forces (1980), a horror anthology, and was later included in Stephen King's own short-story collection, Skeleton Crew (1985).

It is one creepy story about a mysterious mist that envelopes a small Maine town. The towns people gather and soon learn that there are creatures in the mist that are feasting on people, and that a secret project had been going on (The Arrowhead Project) across the lake from their town. It was from this direction that the mist first began to cover the land. They take up shelter in a grocery store, but soon the traits of human nature show through: fear, mistrust, doubt, hopelessness. As the people begin to turn on one another, a small group make a run for it, find a car in the hard-to-see-through mist, and head out to find other life...and to see if the mist ever ends.

The movie was written and directed by Frank Darabont, who did a great job with two previous Stephen King works that he turned into movies: The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. The Mist is one of my all-time favorite works by Mr King (who, I might add, lives in Bangor, Maine, less than15 minutes from where I live in Orono). With Frank Darabont writing and directing this, I expect this to be a really good movie and I can't wait until it gets here!

But, it must get here first. Why do I say that? Well, when I woke up this morning and looked out my window, here's what I saw:

yikes...

I'm currently afraid to go outside...at least until the mist burns off.

If it burns off.....