A Very Reason Halloween

Before binging on pumpkin beer and high-fructose treats this Halloween weekend, why not get yourselves in the Samhain spirit with this fang-tastic collection from your fiends at Reason? You'll find vampires, zombies, Satan, Cthulhu, and other groovy ghouls that go bump in the night. So slip into your sluttiest costume and prepare for some spooktacular fun. Well…we warned you!

The Passion of the Pumpkin: Who killed Halloween? By Jesse Walker.

We the Living Dead: The convoluted politics of zombie cinema. By Tim Cavanaugh.

Interview With a Vampire Expert: Author Eric Nuzum surveys (and survives) the secret world of bloodsuckers. Interview by David Weigel.

Cthulhu and You, Perfect Together. By Tim Cavanaugh.

Satan's Faces: The many lives of Lucifer. By Jesse Walker.

Why Buffy Kicked Ass: The deep meaning of TV's favorite vampire slayer. By Virginia Postrel.

Hell Hounds: How a musical moral panic destroyed three young men. By Damon Root.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Buffy was awesome.

That is all.

[Episiarch]

Correction: Joss Whedon is awesome. Yet Fox keeps canceling his shows.

That is all.

[Andrew S.]

Still haven't forgiven them for Firefly.

[Pro Libertate]

Who has? I bought my brother the series on DVD a few months ago, and now he's pissed at Fox.

[Episiarch]

Let's see:

Firefly, Dollhouse--Joss Whedon

Drive--Tim Minear, who was an integral part of Firefly with Whedon

Sarah Connor Chronicles--nothing to do with Whedon, but a really good show that they had already let go for two seasons

And there are many more. Family Guy once did a list of all the shows they canceled, and it was...long.

[Pro Libertate]

Fine, kill Firefly. But if you're going to do that, let some other network pick it up.

[Episiarch]

Unfortunately, it would have been too expensive for Syfy, and they are the only likely candidates. Same for all those shows.

[Pro Libertate]

It should've become an HBO series.

[SugarFree]

The women were far, far too attractive for HBO. Probably the same reason they turned down Mad Men.

[BakedPenguin]

Didn't HBO do Rome?

[BakedPenguin]

Arrested Development, Futurama.

[JW]

Sarah Connor Chronicles--nothing to do with Whedon, but a really good show that they had already let go for two seasons

Psst. Summer Glau.

[Tulpa]

And yet American Dad lives on.

[Clifford the Big Shaggy Cunt]

The movie was really well done. The TV series? Not so much.

[P Brooks]

I have informed my friends I will be coming to the local Halloween bash as the invisible man, and that one of them should be sure to pick up my prize for "best costume" for me.

[wylie]

"Something just bumped into me, OMG, Brooks is that you?!"

*Meanwhile, back in the Brookscave*

"Muwahahahaha"

[sage]

Am I missing out because I don't really want to try pumpkin beer? I don't like pumpkin pie, and I prefer my beer to taste like beer.

[Andrew S.]

Don't like Pumpkin Pie? I'm pretty sure that's designated as a severe mental disorder in the DSM. You may need to be institutionalized for your own safety.

[Episiarch]

As much as I have to join you in the "I don't like fruit/squash in my beer", some of the pumpkin beers are pretty good. And pumpkin pie is the shit, you philistine.

[sage]

How about chocolate stout? I had a friend push that on me a few years back and I just couldn't get it.

To ProL below: I like pecan pie OK, but I'm usually too full from turkey/ham and stuffing, etc. to want to eat any dessert.

[Episiarch]

No, chocolate stout isn't nearly as crazy as it gets: creme brulee stout, buddy. Not for me.

[Wind Rider]

Beer is swill, in most forms, except for San Miguel domestic (it doesn't travel), but that's probably because of all the hookers. Pumpkin flan, otoh, is the bomb.

[wylie]

I like pumpkin pie myself, but I'll defend to the death your right to let me eat your slice.

[Pro Libertate]

You don't like pumpkin pie? What are you, a communist?

I bet you hate pecan pie, too. Evil

[ClubMedSux]

I'm generally a pumpkin beer disliker, but then again I'm not a fan of most heavily-spiced beers (and pumpkin beers get their most of their "pumpkin" flavor from pie spices, NOT actual pumpkin; in fact, some use no pumpkin at all).

That being said, I had an incredible pumpkin beer a couple years ago at Flossmoor Station, a brewpub just south of Chicago. Instead of using a light ale for his base, the brewmaster started with a Baltic porter and then spiked it with pie spices, roasted pumpkin AND cocoa nibs. The maltiness, roastiness and cocoa all kept the pumpkin flavors in check. Supposedly it was based on another pumpkin beer (a west coast beer, possibly?) that the brewmaster judged the year prior at the Great American Beer Fest. Anybody have any idea what that beer might be?

[Barely Suppressed Rage]

What kind of freak/horrow show doesn't like pumpkin pie? That's downright una-murican!

I'll have a slice each of pumpkin, pecan and sweet potato.

In fact, a good sweet potato pie often is even better than a good pumpkin pie.

[Dagny T.]

Lucky for you lightweights, I have been drinking your share of the pumpkin beer. My favorites were Southern Tier's pumpkin pie in a glass, and Dogfishhead's Punkin. Yum.

[T]

On the beer front, I have to go to Wisconsin next week for business. Any good local micros I can pick up to try while I'm there?

[dunkel]

New Glarus. Try the Spotted Cow.

damn...Tennessee sucks for beer.

[Pro Libertate]

What use does Tennessee have with beer when it has plenty of whiskey?

[dunkel]

There's plenty of whiskey around, but I learned to be a beer snob growing up in Denver, and I miss the variety of beers.

[ClubMedSux]

Depends where in Wisconsin you are. New Glarus is definitely the most celebrated micro up there. Tyranena also has a lot of buzz with beer geeks. If you're into German-style lagers definitely check out Capital. A couple good smaller breweries to keep an eye out for are Central Waters and Lake Louie, though both have a much smaller distribution (Lake Louie only being found right around Madison).

[ClubMedSux]

Oh, and if you're in Milwaukee I think Lakefront is solid as well, and they're supposed to give killer tours.

[MattXIV]

Ale Asylum also has some pretty good options, but is also only sold in the Madison area (the brewery is in Madison near the airport). Their pale ales are particularly worth checking out if you like hops.

[T]

Perfect. I'm flying in and out of Madison. I'll look for all of these.

[Jason]

There was a reason the American Colonists gave up on pumpkin beer and fell back on cider.

[Mongo]

I don't like the taste of pumpkin either --- however, give the pumpkin beers a try, Sage.They're tasty.

[SugarFree]

Some zombies are just special.

[JW]

A friend of mine has some grisly scars from an electrocution accident when he was younger. Big scarring on his arm and leg where the arc left his body and a big chunk out of his chest/abdomen where it entered. He always worked those into his costume every year.

[Episiarch]

If you're going to post pictures of yourself, you should be honest about it.

[SugarFree]

Way to deflect, dude.

[Episiarch]

Who's deflecting, deflector?

[Wind Rider]

The shields canna take much more'a this, Cap'n!

[Suki]

No love for the Chupacabra?

[Suki]

No love for the Chupacabras?

[jrb]

The Groovie Ghoulies have taken care of that.

[sage]

No love for the Chupacabra?

[ClubMedSux]

Suki was right the second time. It's "chupacabraS," even when it's singular.

[Dib]

A chupacabra? But there isn't a goat to feed on for miles!

[BakedPenguin]

If we want someone to suck on goats, I've heard there's this lawyer...

[Wind Rider]

Or Tony.

[creech]

Is that a photo of Obama and McCain from the first debate? I could swear they both came out against eating babies.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Total fake. McCain's not going to wear a sweater vest to a debate. Fucking Reuters.

[Grisly Administration]

ObamaZombie is perfect as the lead in "America Eats Its Young".

[Vaccine]

I love the Obama/McCain photo. Which raises a technical issue - why are none of the article photos options for the facebook "share" function? Only all the sidebar fingernails. Fix your shit, reason.

[radar]

Misfits pic FTW! The real Misfits, not the Newfits.

[Warty]

You've wasted money on the Jerry Only ripoff show, haven't you?

[P Brooks]

I was induced to try some Spaten Oktoberfest recently. Awful, rotten fruity sweetness. Gack.

[Clifford the Big Shaggy Cunt]

I used to drink Spaten in the late 70's. It was okay back then.

[Episiarch]

You're a douche. Heidelberg* has it on tap year round, and it's great, especially with some paprika schnitzel.

* my god, their website is awful

[ClubMedSux]

I'll second the douche assessment. I prefer Weihenstephaner, but Spaten is always a solid choice (especially on tap).

[?]

Right-wing lie factory! That Misfits picture is from 1982.

Adding one to the search hits for "ahistorical libertarian"...now.
(You feel it?)

[prolefeed]

Before binging on pumpkin beer

My wife bought a six pack of the shit, and there's still five bottles left.

Worst. Beer. Ever.

If someone knows of a good brand of it, let me know.