* (Halloween countdown post #1)
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Creepy Twin Boys $179.99
‘Normally, kids are cute. They have an innocent nature that can inspire even the grumpiest adults to get in touch with their inner child. These twins? Well, not so much.’
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Worker’s Comp $3590
‘As the old saying goes, sometimes it’s better to leave it to an expert. This guy definitely doesn’t look like an expert. There seems to be a short in the electrical system, and he’ll soon be eligible for “Worker’s Comp”. His arm moves up and down, his head moves forward and backward, and both of his legs kick. Additionally, an output is provided to activate flashing lights (lights not included), which coordinate with the soundtrack to simulate electrical shocks. Sound system included.’
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Stumpy $3,295
‘Everyone expects the killer to come back to life, but who would expect the decapitated body too? Our Stumpy animation features a decapitated body perched on a realistic bloody tree stump. When activated the body lifts at the waist and turns towards your viewers spewing blood (water) up to 10 FEET out of the neck stump. Animation includes life size victim, realistic tree stump, water blaster setup, all pneumatics and controller with infrared sensor.’
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Moving Halloween Trees $1799.99
‘Once plugged in, branches glow steady with bright, amber-colored LED lights, with each section gradually rotating and moving up and down—maybe they’re dancing, or maybe they’re reaching out to grab a guest.’
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Body Lifted and Contorted $4299
‘Female character stands then lifts 12’ in the air before having arms and legs broken by an unseen force!’
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Giant Motorized Tentacle $599.99
‘Plug in this monstrous mechanical tentacle and watch it flop!’
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Covid Cougher $3199
‘Covid infected patient stands with snotty rag covering face, then suddenly lifts up and starts hacking and coughing like crazy spraying droplets!’
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Evil Tree $5,780
‘This massive animatronic tree has scary glowing red eyes, moving limbs and talking mouth. This popular animated spooky tree has been used in haunted houses, dark attractions, theme parks and more! The height of our Evil Tree is 9′ 6″ tall, and from limp tip to limb tip it is 13′ wide.’
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Kid Pencil Stabber $1799
‘Halloween classroom theme gone bad. Horror prop animatronic child stabs a pencil into his own eye. Horrifying.’
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Walking Light Up Animated Haystack Rat $9.99
‘Walking Light Up Animated Haystack Rat Halloween Decoration is for you! A sturdy plastic box is covered in raffia “straw” and decorated with a faux fur rat head and a poseable faux fur rat tail. when activated, the hay bale moves across the floor, the rat’s red plastic eyes glow, and the decoration plays a snippet of Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”‘
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Limb Eating Zombie Boy $159.99
‘The Limb-Eating Zombie Boy is an animatronic sold by Spirit Halloween. It resembles a crouching zombified boy holding a severed arm. When activated, his head tilts and turns as his eyes light up and mouth moves to grunting and chewing noises.’
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Frankenstein’s Awakening $8,759
‘This is the full Frankenstein experience. Frankenstein lays on table then Dr. throws the switch, sparks fly, then table falls forward and Frankenstein comes to life reaching and grabbing at the patrons.’
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Kid Head Banger $2374
‘Possessed evil child Kid in classroom banging his head against the wall until it bleeds.’
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Whimsical Scarecrow £359.95
‘Have a cheerful Halloween by adding this friendly 6-foot Whimsical Scarecrow to your décor this season. The Whimsical Scarecrow turns side-to-side and has a light-up JOL face and crow’s eyes. His whimsical sayings joyfully invite your guest in with smiles, serving as a friendly remainder to bundle yourself up and keep your pumpkins safe this year.’
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Left for Dead $3,600
‘Looking for a brutal gunshot animation? Our Left for Dead Gunshot Victim animatronic prop is just that! A very graphic and brutal prop that features a bound victim gaged by a double barrel shotgun in his mouth. When activated the victim trashes his upper torso and legs violently in attempt to free himself before both barrels go off creating a loud bang and expelling brain matter (water) out of the back of his head. Animation features a unique mechanism and mounting platform that allows the animation to move in multiple organic ways to simulate a realistic struggle. Prop includes life size victim, replica shotgun, blaster setup, burlap hood, all pneumatics and controller with audio player and infrared sensor. Approx. size 42″ x 20″ x 34″’
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Wake Up Dead $498.00
‘Wake Up Dead is a bloody Frightronic, all electric, animated haunt prop. This hand painted and blooded prop is crafted at Distortions Unlimited and built to last. Just plug her in and she shakes. Wake Up Dead appears to be gasping for air as she shakes under a blood soaked sheet. This creepy prop, can be used in a variety of horror scenes.’
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Fashion Retail Mannequin NFS
‘Next generation mannequin robot for fashion retail windows display.’
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Face Off Kid $2399
‘Kid in dirty pink bunny costume stands with rabbit mask, then drops the mask revealing his monstrous face!’
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Killer Boy Slinger $2699
‘Kid hides around corner, then shoots out 90 degrees as arm lifts holding a knife with head up and down movement.’
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Dancing Corpse Flower Potted Plant $29.99
‘Guess what? A corpse flower exhibit is coming to the neighborhood! Most people go their whole lives without catching a glimpse of these incredible plants…and you know what, that’s ok, because it turns out that they’re bloodthirsty.’
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Sally $959.97
‘Bigger than life, Sally giggles as she wiggles.. but still is a little bit creepy! Just plug her in and watch as she moves and laughs! This animated prop features: Sally is approximately 70″ tall. Includes Soundtrack on CD to play in your CD player. Costuming may vary. Made of Latex and foam with metal armature.’
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Driller Killer $4699
‘Deranged torturer stands behind victim in a chain drilling into his temple with an electric drill. When triggered the driller releases the victim who flails crazily!’
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Split Pete $2,400
‘The movement is bearing loaded, no metal on metal pivots in our creations. we build these the best we know how, to last for several seasons. This guy rocks so you will have to attach his base to the floor. And if you want several of these but you don’t want them exactly the same we can do the mouth on all of them. But add arms, different heads other parts like creature legs etc…. Very customizable.’
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Child Patient NFS
‘Features: *Various facial expressions and body movements such as: -Squirming to express a child’s nervousness and anxiety. -Unexpected movement of the head, tongue, arms and legs to simulate a child’s resistance to being treated. -Crying and screaming responses to convey a child’s refusal to receiving treatment. *Replicates systemic accidental symptoms such as: -Convulsions stemming from acute attack and anaphylaxis shock due to local anesthesia positioning.’
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Cable Commando $3240
‘This incredible character can be programmed to move in either direction at variable speeds. He simulates a commando on a zip line as he moves back and forth shooting at your guest. Gun shots together with bright flashes from the end of his machine gun give the strong impression he’s shooting back at you. His erratic speeds and directional changes make it very hard for someone to anticipate his next move. Sound system included.’
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Hanging from Achilles $2599
‘Body hangs from hooks through his feet with hands bound behind his back and a sack over his head, then thrashes violently!’
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Lava Demon $270
‘Unleash a burning evil this Halloween — the Lava Demon! This animatronic demon features a head and hands lit like magma, a devil’s tail, and goat hooves and horns. When activated, the demon turns side to side and warns passersby of the eternal suffering that awaits them. Hook the demon up to a fog machine, and he releases fog through his horns.’
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Prized Kill $1,200
‘Appearing as a static trio of wall mounted deer skulls, this prop sits motionless until activated when the skulls slide down and outwards almost 90 degrees to point the nose mounted spitter directly at your viewers head level. Prop moves in a unique way to disguise the movement mechanism in both retraced and activated positions. Comes standard in a bone finish, but available with blood or mossy finish upon request.’
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Kicking Legs DIY
‘This prop has lasted the last three years and ran around 4 hours a night for the 3 months total. Every time we think about retiring him people ask about him. It has been placed under a lawn mower with blinking puck lights to simulate spinning blades and speakers of a guy yelling “help me,” to being pulled into a freshly dug grave in which we really dug a huge hole in the front yard, to being pulled into a glowing coffin with a skeleton inside. It is one of our favorite motorized props for the yard or home haunt. The cemetery and graveyard wouldn’t be the same without him.’
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Evil Triplets $299.99
‘From ancient omens to pop culture, triplets have always had a unique and sometimes eerie significance. Some cultures viewed them as harbingers of good fortune, while others whispered about them being omens of upcoming calamities. But what if we added an extra dose of horror to the triplet tales? Drumroll for our Evil Triplets Animatronic Halloween Decoration, exclusively made by us—your perfect spooky addition this season!’
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Kid Paper Cutter NFS
‘Kid paper cutter is for a school classroom themed haunted house. A grotesque example of a possessed evil child cutting his own hand off with a paper cutter.’
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Vampire Bat $6,240.00
‘Our giant Vampire Bat animatronic features a lot of movement. The head features three movements: turn, lift, and moving jaw. The arms lift to showcase the detailed wings. Power: pneumatic, a minimum of 100 psi.’
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Tree Shaker $244.99
‘Pneumatic mech designed to shake an artificial tree or bush like some sort of creature is rustling around in the woods.’
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Frothy Snowman $4,560.00
‘Frothy Snowman animated version. He is one pissed off Snowman w 4 arms ready to grab and strangle anyone who wishes him a Merry Christmas. Bah Humbug!’
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The Skinned Table Slammer $1799
‘Life Size and Life like Cast Resin Slamming Body Prop New and Will Shock even the most Hardened Guest as they have never seen anything like this before …’
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Crawling Monster Hands $499
‘Our Crawling Halloween Monster Hands are perhaps the scariest thing ever to crawl across any table. Just turn these animated hands on, and these harrowing hands begin to “walk” on its own while making a bone-rattling tapping noise.’
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Hooked Helen $648
‘Hooked Helen shaking hanging lady. All electric. Includes link to download Frightronic audio track. Clothing may vary.’
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Mutant Monster Octopus $3999
‘”It Came From The Deep.”‘
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Trick or Treaters $4995
‘4 trick or treater kids mob together, then mob shoots out 5′ while ghost raises up 12″, Arms lift with stabbing motion while holding knifes, 3 heads move. Scissor throw can be Longer or shorter if needed. 5 foot, 3 foot, 2 foot throws options available.’
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Can-nibal Corpse $5299
‘Ghoulish mad scientist is stuffing victim into a toxic barrel. Lid is slammed down, then reopened to reveal a horrible melted mutant!’
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Tug O War $499.99
‘Terrify visitors with this frighteningly realistic Tug of War Animated Clown Prop! The two clowns stare at onlookers as they wrestle over a clearly panicked child. The clowns are wearing striped and polka-dotted clothes and big shoes, and their haunting faces have sinister makeup.’
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p.s. Hey. ** Charalampos, Hi. Everyone, Charalampos (Tzanakis) has some new sentences up on the donotsubmit site and you might want to check them out, I think, right? If so, go here. I’ll get to them as soon as I can. I’m still film heavy. Vibes galore of a positive nature from dreamily chilly Paris. ** Bill, Hi. That cat-riding chandelier was from an ancient ‘Our Gang’ comedy. Oh, you’re in New York! Fantastic that you’re doing gigs there! I’ll hit that stream this weekend, Fantastic. It’s been too long. Oh, wait, there is no stream there, shit. It’s a dead duck. Maybe they’ll archive it? How was the gig with Chris Burns? Have and create a blast, sir. And talk you after the break. ** _Black_Acrylic, That looks fun at a peek. I’ll dwell within it in a bit. Everyone, Apropos of yesterday’s post, _Black_Acrylic has a find for y’all: ‘Back in the 20th Century there was a BBC sitcom called Only Fools and Horses that featured a classic scene of 2 brothers attempting to clean a chandelier. 4 minutes of supreme physical comedy there.’ It’s here. Thanks, pal. And that is divine news about the Flash Fiction. I’ve been biting my nails, literally, awaiting its triggering effect on your internal prose machine. Awesome! ** Dee Kilroy, Thanks, Dee. It was nerdy fun to compile. Did I not have a lightless chandelier or two in there? Maybe not. Trust me, if I’d come across a gif of the ‘Lord of Illusions’ prop, it’d have been in there. You good? May the weekend wash over you. ** Mark, Hey, Mark. Oh, cool, I like Fred Wilson’s work. Those look tasty. The Kuchars, fantastic. Guaranteed mindblow right there. Have the obvious and real fun. ** LR, Hi, Luke Rathborne. Yeah, the decade hasn’t been too shabby in a lot of respects. Thank you about VOIDLAND. I want it, of course. Is it a postal thing? If so, write me at denniscooper72@outlook.com, and I’ll send you my mail-related coordinates. Thanks a lot. Bonjour/soir from you know where. ** Steve Erickson, Nice: the screenings. I’m curious about the Preciado film. Interesting. We still have a few technical things to do before we submit the film later today. Then we’ll probably take a couple of days break before going on. Most of what we need to do to go forward requires funds, and we still have none, so we have to enter the shitty mind state of trying to figuresout how to scrounge said funds up. Otherwise, Elias Ronnenfelt of Iceage/Var is publishing a book of poetry, and I’m going to a reading/signing/musical performance by him this afternoon. And hopefully see a film that isn’t ours at long last. What’s your weekend? ** Misanthrope, Me funny? Aw, gosh, thanks. I guess I know wilder women than you do? It’s supposed to rain here too, and I’m blissed at the prospect, weird me. Make that something you’re doing something. ** Cody Goodnight, Hi. I’m good. Thanks! If I get to LA for Halloween, there’s a Halloween Rob Zombie + Alice Cooper concert there that I’d love to see. If you watch the recent ‘Apes’ movies, avoid the first one with James Franco. It’s not good. The second and third ones are … what they are, which I quite liked. Nice Halloween-y screening you had there. I need start watching horror films again. What’s around? Have a deliciously spooky weekend, my friend. ** Okay. It is officially the beginning of Halloween season here on the blog, and I initiate that phase as I do every year with a display of the animated props I most crave to come across if not plunk down in my apartment. See what you think, and, if you can afford it, buy me one or several of them, thank you. See you on Monday.
Now available in North America 
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Hi!!
And another attempt – let’s see if this comment appears!
How did things go in the studio last week and on Monday? Did you manage to sort the stubborn sound issues out? How do you feel about where you’re at right now? What are the next steps?
SCAB’s 13th issue was born last Friday! I know you’re super busy these days, but here it is anyway: https://scabmag.files.wordpress.com/2023/09/scab_issue-13.pdf
I’m ready for love’s gasp-worthy tan line! Love choosing “My mind is depraved, my status is single, and I’m finally horny once again” as his future headstone epitaph, Od. (Yeah, I’ve been in the blog’s belly since the last escort post!)
I loved the latest SCAB 😉
Charlemagne Palestine
Hi Dennis I hope you have good times in the Elias event. I saw him in Paris playing solo the first time I went there and he was so nice with everybody I wish I could have talked to him to be friends but I was still extremely shy I did wave to him from afar tho and I got red I am way past that phase and expressing my self helped
Tell tomorrow what film you did watch if you do and your thoughts, I wonder if seeing your film over and over if it transforms in your eyes again and again in interesting ways and gets born reborn all the time
Good vibe from boring Crete
Hi Dennis.
How are you? I’m doing ok. Yes! I’m so excited to see your Halloween posts! These props are very amusing. I really like the tentacle and the pencil kid ones. When I was younger, my mom took me to these Halloween stores and I would watch and play with the animatronics and props all day. There was one of Jason Voorhees I used to press when other kids came by to scare them. Thank you for this post. The Zombie + Cooper sounds fun! I’m a fan of both their work, and I say do it if you’re able. I plan to avoid the first. I’ve heard it isn’t very good, and Franco is a nauseating screen presence anyway. I started watching horror films the day September came. For today, I rewatched The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. It’s nowhere near as good as the first, but it’s a lot of fun since it’s essentially Tobe Hooper making a comedy out of the original. It’s chaotic and has songs by Oingo Boingo, The Cramps and Concrete Blonde, so i’m satisfied. It has a really cool amusement park set-piece that I think you’d enjoy. Speaking of which, I’m watching a documentary on roller coasters hosted by Vincent Price and it’s incredibly charming. Besides that, I spent my dad listening to The Modern Lovers. Really underrated band. Hope you have a good one, Dennis!
Yo, Dennis.
Doing excellently. I pray you’re the same. My art could be faster but that’s always the way. Tripticks finally arrived. Looking forward to it. Boyfriend’s doing well at work & the tiny quirks have stabilized. He’s productive, I’m productive, fit & feeling sexy, adding to my wardrobe for the first time since, hell, 2019. Life is perfect with fall is settling in at the edges of our tiny life. Watched pair of coyotes shortcutting through our woods as I was biking home tonight. Looking forward to digesting a few novels and getting lots of art with a side of editing done over the next two days off. Apparently I am going to be the Log Lady for O’ween. Siegfried will be the Log. I don’t feel like there’s any choice in the matter. It was fate. Wishing you the best w/ the poetry (reading?) you mentioned in passing in yesterday’s response thicket. Keep yourself productively distracted by art & the money will be drawn, almost as if by fairy magnets, to the soothingly aloof positivity of You Working At Your Real Job. That’s my policy at any rate. Hasn’t failed me… altogether… :S
The Haystack Rat seems like good value for those of us on a budget. Speaking of, I have just shelled out for this Smiley Face Rug for my living room to go with Jeremy Deller’s Bless This Acid House print on the wall. I don’t think Mum will be too impressed but I feel it ought to tie the space together nicely.
Dennis, Oh, shit, it’s that time of year again! Eeeeekkkkk.
The wild women I know tend to be wild in the sense of drinking way too much. Some of them, in their younger days, were very, very wild. Not fire wild, though. 😀
Yeah, we got the remnants of that tropical storm. Luckily, we didn’t get the forecasted high winds or flooding. Looks like the rest of the weeks should be swell. (See what I did there, following “flooding” with “swell”? Derp.)
I want to ask you: all this film editing and all that,..how involved are directors with that stuff usually? Like, at the Oscars, there are awards for editing and sound editing and they make it seem like these guys who do the editing are pretty independent and do it without much involvement from the directors. You never see the director listed for the award. You know what I mean? Or is it that directors tend to be more involved in such things on “smaller” movies?
Hi Dennis,
I know you are super busy, but I’d really love your insight into living in Paris.
I’m a painter and filmmaker currently living in Paris. I’m suddenly worried that I didn’t get a long stay visa but I was told you have managed to stay for many years without one. Can you give me some insight into this? Will I be okay just to stay here or do I need to go back to the usa and get a long stay visa? Paul (malibupaulbennett@gmail.com)
Ah yes, I appreciate the cost links, ya know, just in case I have been itching to buy two little scary twins for 200$ Im kidding! Ya know, that’s a pretty good price actually. The mannequins at my job are actually really cool and sometimes during my shift I just stand in front of them amusingly as they do their little routine.
https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Halloween-Animatronic-Decoration-Activated/dp/B0CFMWCB21
I kind of like this one. Some guy was waiting hours before the store opened to get it because we had only two. Mad respect
https://www.spirithalloween.com/product/4-2-ft-poor-george-animatronic/244395.uts
I LOVE this guy ^^^ because every time you trigger him he just flails his severed torso around. The word “Poor” is in his name which is kind of an anomaly because when he is triggered he laughs manically and his face is happy so idk maybe just because he has no legs but legs are overrated.
https://www.spirithalloween.com/product/4-9-ft-hell-spawn-animatronic/244375.uts
Ok sorry last one!! Our Leatherface animatronic was decapitated by some really shitty customer and we had to replace it with this devil guy. I triggered him the other day and his gag is that he springs up 3 or 4 feet. He almost knocked me in the face haha.
AHH. Oh btw if u have the time you should watch the little bottom clips of them in action because that’s the cool part.
Arsenic (the doll) nearly died yesterday. It was a rainy day and I found him face-down in a puddle. He’s in critical condition but I think he’ll make it. Must have jumped from my bag.
Yes you are right about the surgery thing. I might wait. But I do have an extensive knowledge of medical things, respectfully. The big thing for surgery is the post operation and going septic. This guy named Joseph Lister is to credit for the the first anti-septic surgery. Dirty times. I could go on but i’ll try not to.
My guess is about sometime at the end of this year for the drawing. But idk. I think im coming so close to finishing the draft of this silly book. I’m starting to get name ideas, I want it to be a intriguing title that says a lot while saying very little.
My two choices at the moment are either RABID or SCAB- or wait DOGBITE
Dogbite is kind of a predictably boring name for the book but maybe those three words conjure very interesting (maybe gross) ideas of the story concept.
AGH im still running over the animatronic list again. Omg. This has to be one of the most overwhelmingly fascinating post so far. It might top the Taxidermy one. Also I am about to go down a rabbit hole of the channel you posted with the pencil stabber kid. I love it AH!
Those are all very nice props! Do you collect Halloween props or decorate the apartment with them?
Is it easy to get published today or is the publishing industry still competitive or about nepotism/networking in a way?
What did you like doing back when you would take Dexedrine, bi-phetamine-I guess these black beauties were like Adderall-LSD and shrooms?
Did you ever meet the author Rick Moody? I know he liked guided by voices at one time as one of the stories in demonology mentioned them. I read his novels in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Reading the ice storm on acid while waiting for my train home from class in college was fun. The film was not bad Christina Ricci was the best part of it as she had some hilarious scenes in it. That was my thing when I used to take LSD I loved doing everyday things while on it, going into nature or in industry, or just sitting and watching people, trying to play board games, the visuals that made sounds, and listening to music.
Good luck with the film editing and everything else.