Halloween in Westfield Southcenter

It was one heck of a cloudy afternoon when me, my sister Elise, her baby Irvine, and my brother-in-law Senior went for an afternoon break at Westfield Southcenter and not just any afternoon break because it's Halloween day and in Halloween, most of the people are in costumes. I've seen kids going around the mall in their costumes to do some trick-or-treating and it's not just the kids are into costumes, grown people are joining in the Halloween action.

HALLOWEEN 2014: Ideal horror movies to watch

We all enjoy watching some super scary horror movies on the dead of the Halloween night. Most horror flicks include some ghosts, monsters, demons, and most famously, zombies. So, if you have some pals you've invited for a Halloween movie night, what are the best horror movies for you and your pals to watch on Halloween nighttime afterdark?

1) The Child's Play series

Yes, the Child's Play series is notably one of the most scariest films to watch and it's not recommended to watch with the kids because...it's about a spirit of a serial killer possessed through a toy named Chucky. Such gore scored this maniacal ginger-haired killer toy numerous sequels like Child's Play 2, Child's Play 3, Bride of Chucky, and Seed of Chucky. If you want the ultimate wet-in-your-pants thrills, I'd suggest to find yourself the killer DVD collection packed with all the Child's Play movies. Worth the scare, right?

2) The Friday the 13th movies

In superstition, Friday the 13th is considered unlucky, but in horror movies, Friday the 13th is about a killer in a hockey mask named Jason hunting down hapless teenagers. There are 12 movies of this franchise, including the killer Freddy vs. Jason movie where the masked killer meets his match: the man with a viciously long claw named Freddy Krueger.

3) A Nightmare on Elm Street

Anyway, on the subject of Freddy Krueger, this madman is the one to scare for in A Nightmare on Elm Street. There are seven Elm Street films from the first one up to Wes Craven's New Nightmare but deciding which of the Elm Street movie is the scariest and gory is all up to you. It's worth the slash when it comes to your craving for fear.

4) Saw

Hello...I want to play a game. Yes, the sadistic killer known as Jigsaw is notorious for the insane contraptions where most of the victims died while a few managed to survive. The Saw series has been one of my favorite in the horror movie department but sadly for me, I only liked the first two. The seventh and the final chapter was gory but sadly...it really is the end for the franchise, which is sad. Yes, there are seven Saw films from the start to finish and if you're a faint at heart, best to look away while you can because you can't take the gore from such a scary franchise.

5) The George A. Romero's zombie movies

The 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead was fine but has anyone seen the original 1979 version? Well, never mind about that but the George A. Romero zombie movies were the ones that defined the zombie movie trend by storm and the franchise is well known to be "one of the most daring, hypnotic, and absolutely vital horror films of the past decade" (fangoria.com). Whether if it's Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Diary of the Dead, Survival of the Dead or Land of the Dead, these zombie movies are more of a treat if you are in the urge for some zombie movie marathon this Halloween with your mates.

6) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Inspired from real events, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is about a group of teens taking a detour from a road trip to Texas and what happens next is beyond their darkest fears. It maybe a cult favorite but sadly, this genre can be a bit of an overrated for us but if you get the hang of it, then this might be more gory than any other horror movies you know. Be warned though, EVIL WEARS MANY FACES.

7) Scary Movie

If too much horror is on your mind, how about a mixture of horror and comedy to bring you some good vibes on Halloween? Yes, the Wayans bros. made a series of spoof films based on some of the most notable horror movies known to mankind. The latest was Scary MoVie, which is the fifth installment of the film and it spoofs films like Paranormal Activity, Mama, and so much more.

8) Battle Royale

Okay, so maybe not much of a horror but this is definitely one of the most bloody brutal movies made by the Japanese. In a dystopian future where the Japanese economy collapsed, the government established the Battle Royale where a group of school kids kill each other until the only one survived. I was amazed that Tatsuya Fujiwara, the one who played Light from the Death Note movies since 2006, was in that movie but more importantly, this killer Japanese movie is worth traumatizing. I watched the first one and trust me on this, it really shocked my mind till the end of the film.

9) The Conjuring

One of 2013's most scariest movies ever seen by many, The Conjuring was inspired from real events and it's about a group of paranormal investigators called upon to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. It maybe known to be one of the most terrifying cases the world has ever faced but watching this movie 'till the end will keep you wondering. On 2014, there's a prequel spin-off called Annabelle and just like The Conjuring, Annabelle is still a scary movie to watch and it's not recommended for the faint at heart.

10) Paranormal Activity

Most of the bizarre moments are caught on tape in the series of films where paranormal things happen after dark and caught on tape. The first Paranormal Activity film takes place on a suburban starter tract house where residents were disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic but mostly active during the night. In the second installment, Paranormal Activity 2, after Dan and Kristi gave birth to a newborn baby, something demonic is going on after dark. In the prequel Paranormal Activity 3, the chilling moments of young sisters Katie and Kristi were caught on tape for the first time. Paranormal Activity 4, the pre-sequel, takes place five years after the disappearance of Kati and her nephew Hunter, she has returned with a mysterious boy, ready to target new victims caught on tape. The recent film, The Marked Ones, the first ever PA spinoff, centers on the victim named Jesse as he heard horrifying sounds from his neighbor's apartment, only to found out that there's an ancient curse that won't stop until he's dead.

11) The Purge

In a dystopic future, there was an event called The Purge where one night a year, all crimes are legal. Last year's film really was a very frightening experience and because of the frightening success of the last film, they've spawned a followup earlier this year called The Purge Anarchy. Watching both of the Purge films makes viewers experience some serious trauma about the plot where all crimes are legal in one night and how to survive until the end of the annual purge.

12) Ghostbusters

Ah yes, the horror-comedy-action movies about a group of Ghostbusters responding to some paranormal emergencies and ready for action! Who else remember these films as well as the theme song? WHO YOU GONNA CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS! These movies maybe very very old but they're a lot more enjoyable to watch...

Well, there are so many horror movies to recommend you but I guess I'll just stop here. Feel free to decide which horror movie is best suited for your Halloween horror movie night and enjoy the dead of the night with your pals...if you dare.

HALLOWEEN 2014: What should you be wearing for Halloween?

Halloween is here and so many people are getting into the Halloween spirit by, nope, not just candies, but getting their inner character on. Yes, people are dressing as their favorite characters no matter how old they are. You see that's what we love about Halloween because we can be who we want to be.

Because of so many choices, it's time for me to narrow down (sort of) some of the ideal characters you want to dress for Halloween if you want to stand out from the rest...

FOR THE KIDS:

Even today, kids love to dress as their favorite cartoon characters and most shops are offering kids' costumes to dress up with but what to dress as is everyone's guess and I'm listing the recommendations on what to wear for the kids this Halloween:

- Disney characters from the past, present, and future has always been every little boy or girl's favorite for Halloween season. For the boys, the best Disney characters they want to wear are Woody or Buzz from the Toy Story trilogy films, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Aladdin, the seven dwarves from Snow White, Mr. Incredible, Dash, there are so many Disney characters to be for the little boys but because we're in the 10's (that's a decade for 2010's) and now it's 2014, best to dress as this decade's Disney characters such as Dipper Pines from Gravity Falls, Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates, oh, and The 7D. What? You know nothing about The 7D? The new show as seen on Disney XD?! Here's what The 7D looks like if you haven't seen one...

The 7D

These are The 7D: Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, Dopey, Bashful, Doc, and Grumpy. Think you can dress as one of the 7D? Come on, give it a try. It takes creativity and some shopping from thrift stores to pull one off. Oh and you're planning to have your kid dress as The 7D's Grumpy, make sure you bought a plastic flower pot from the Home Depot. Yes, they look like flower pots but they're unbreakable even when you fall it from a height. It may sound ridiculous but it's what you need to give your kid a Grumpy look.

I almost forgot, are you guys planning to watch the upcoming Disney movie, Big Hero 6, next month? Well, if you have a kid who's chubby, that would be just the perfect bet to turn him into Baymax for Halloween? Hmmm? Don't know Baymax? Time to relook at that trailer:

See that big white character that looked like the Michelin Man? That's Baymax. Sorry if I had to say that but it takes a white fat suit and some mascot trickery to have little chubby kids be like Baymax from the upcoming Big Hero 6 film. Even without the armor main character Hiro Hamada made for him, it still looks good to dress as Baymax.

As for the girls, Disney Princesses are what every little girl wants to be; Snow White, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Jasmine from Aladdin, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Tiana from The Princess and The Frog, Rapunzel from Tangled, and Merida from Brave. That sounds good for the girls but for today's climate, with the success of Disney Junior TV show Sofia the First and last year's Disney movie Frozen, most little girls are ready to be either Sofia, Princess Anna, or Queen Elsa for Halloween. Speaking of the upcoming Big Hero 6 movie, how about telling your little girls to dress as Gogo Tomago and Honey Lemon this Halloween? I know they're too tricky to pull one off but if you have good creativity skills turning your little girls into one of the heroines from the upcoming movie. Yeah, sounds great and if most of the kids fully dressed as the Big Hero 6, trick-or-treating never felt so super.

Aside from that, little girls can dress as other Disney characters such as Doc McStuffins, Sheriff Callie, Nina from the Nina Needs To Go shorts, Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls,

- The 2014 live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may have the most ugliest rendition of the Ninja Turtles but that doesn't stop them to garner some Turtle fans into watching this film, especially when we laugh at Mikey's pop culture references. Good thing some toy stores are offering costumes inspired from the 2014 movie and if you want your kids to dress as one of the Turtles; from the leader Leonardo, hotheaded Raphael, geeky Donatello, and the fun-loving Michelangelo, that's your call. Still, Michelangelo's my favorite because I watched that film last summer and I laughed at his lines. Now I know how I felt upon watching my favorite childhood heroes reloaded.

- Marvel superheroes are every little boys' dream to become one for Halloween. From The Avengers, X-MEN, to Spider-Man, whichever Marvel superhero you want is all up for the little boys but that doesn't stop there because with the arrival of Guardians of the Galaxy, there's no shortage of choice which Marvel hero will be. If you haven't see Guardians of the Galaxy, here's the movie that will serve as your inspiration for the little boys to be one of them...except for Gamora because she's female and little girls can be Gamora.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Like I said, little girls can be Gamora but the boys can be either Star-Lord, Rocket, Drax, or Groot. Well, the first three was fine but for Groot, it's going to be difficult to have your little boy dress as that hulking tree-like creature but you can try that yourself. Gosh...I have a super strange feeling that Guardians' Groot looks the same as Pokemon XY's Trevenant. Get it? Because they both look like trees. He he he...

- Adventure Time may have been with us for four years but this hit cartoon is still doing the rounds for our little kids with some more surprises. Because of Jake the Dog's power to change into things, finding some Jake the Dog-related merchandises is a lot easy especially the Jake suit. Yes, everyone wants to be Jake but they can feel free to dress as main character Finn the Human (or Fionna the Human girl if you have a little girl), Ice King, Marcy, or PB. Word of warning though, Lady Rainicorn and LSP are extremely impossible (due to LR's long body and LSP's...well globby looks and levitation). As for BMO, it takes a cardboard box and some art to pull one off so your kid can be a BMO.

- The DC Universe remains a very popular choice for the little ones. Kids can be either Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Cyborg, The Flash, or any other heroes from the DC Universe.  Feel free to choose which DC hero or villain your kid can be for Halloween.

- The Transformers also remains one of the most popular choice for the kids and thanks to the Age of Extinction film, looks like they still got the touch. Those trick-or-treaters are going to be one of the Autobots or the menacing Dinobots from the movie but I prefer seeing little kids dressed as Optimus Prime or Bumblebee for Halloween. Well, Bumblebee's still my pick because he's a Chevy Camaro and he's cool even with his new look.

FOR THE ADULTS:

Kids dress as cartoon characters for trick-or-treating purposes. We, adults, dress costumes for fun especially when they are going out to the party. In the case of "Everyone let's have fun here", we're all free to be who we are but for me, there are some ideal suggestions on who are you going to be on Halloween.

- Vampire Fashion. No need to be the king of vampires like Dracula and because vampires are so hot thanks to Twilight and Vampire Diaries, the ideal vampire fashion is all gothic and dark. That's right, gothic and dark. The looks that inspired a blood-sucking immortal.

- Because of The Walking Dead and other zombie movies in history, zombies are all the rage and if you are planning to dress as the flesh-munching undead for the party, have enough make-up and some ragged clothes to wear because...that's how zombies look like; wearing ragged clothing with some blood spills, creepy-looking faces, and a scary stance that is a proof of being a flesh muncher.

- Science Fiction is what all geeks and nerds know about and for Halloween, nerds and geeks of all kinds are glad to be either from Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and any other forms of sci-fi we all know about. Since this is 2014, I'd expect some people will turn up as one of the characters from Star Wars Rebels (except Chopper because he's a robot and we're too small to be like Chopper) or the 12th Doctor from Doctor Who. For those who want to be the 12th Doctor, take a look at what he's wearing:

12th Doctor

Notice the coat he wore. It has some red inner sides while his coat's exterior remains much darker for you to see. It's going to take a lot of luck to find his coat (or some old man's toupee to complete the look)...but if you managed to find it, dressing as the 12th Doctor is no slouch, got it? Also be advised that the Daleks and the TARDIS are extremely impossible to cosplay as and if I say "impossible", I really mean it because it takes some metal (or polystyrene) to create a Dalek replica and insert yourself on it a la Metal Gear's cardboard box, even going on the party as the TARDIS. Heh, good luck going to the party as a Dalek or the TARDIS. They won't see your faces...

- Like what kids do, we can always feel free to dress as a Disney character from the past, present, and the future. For today, I personally recommend dressing as this decade's Disney characters; say Frozen, The 7D, Big Hero 6, Gravity Falls, you name the rest but it's your call. I suspect that in the case of Big Hero 6, one of your pals is chubby enough to cosplay as Baymax. He he he...

- Superheroes. You'll name them, you'll be them. Whether if its from Marvel or from the DC Universe, it doesn't really matter.

- Some people will be wearing as their favorite anime heroes and villains so whether if its Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball, SAO, Attack on Titan, or any other anime otakus know, you are always more than welcome. Parties are getting used to those anime otakus nowadays. 

- As for video game characters, well I'd recommend dressing as one of the characters from this year's hottest games such as Destiny, Infamous Second Son, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, The Evil Within, Sunset Overdrive, Lords of Shadow 2, Tomodachi Life, Call of Duty Advanced Warfare, Titanfall, and so much more. Those hardcore gamers really know how to get their game on, even at the outside world dressed as a video game character.

- We love cosplaying as one of the Pokemon characters and while in the age of XY, Pokemon XY that is (from the Pokemon X and Pokemon Y games and the Pokemon the Series XY TV show), I'd recommend cosplaying as one of the characters from this generation. From the main characters, the Kalos Gym Leaders, those Team Flare baddies, the allies (Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor), Professor Sycamore, the Kalos Elite Four, even the Kalos Champion Diantha as well. As for the Pokemon...oh jeez...remember the whole "impossible to cosplay" part? Remember the "mascot trickery"? Some people never learned...and they'll just dress as their favorite Pokemon anyway...even the four-legged ones. Come on...we only have two legs so if you're going to dress as a Pokemon, you have to act like one and if you're dressing as four-legged Pokemons (say Sylveon, Xerneas), you'll gonna have to move on all fours, which is very exhausting...

With the upcoming Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, might as well take the time to dress as one of the Hoenn region characters for a change?

I guess I'll just stop here. Feel free to dress whichever character you want to be and have a happy halloween, folks!

HALLOWEEN 2014: Loser candies to avoid

*This post is a carry-over from one of my last year's Halloween special posts.

Loser Candy

Well, it's that time of the year again when the kids dressed up as their favorites and then head out to the suburbs to get some candy for the fun of it. Of course, being kids, they are too picky and they don't like "loser candy" which is a term as heard from a Gravity Falls episode. The loser candy probability can be somewhat CRITICAL and you'll never know when will loser candy hits you, making your trick-or-treating the worst so what are the "loser candies" you should avoid this Halloween?

1) Sugar-free candy

As kids, they have cravings for sugar coated confectionery but some neighbors think they are concerned because of, well, diabetes or toothache, and what they will do is taking the reversal that is...sugar-free candy. They may look like candies but sadly...no sugar. If you encounter those, AVOID. Oh and if you're diabetic and if you don't want the risk of losing a leg, don't go trick-or-treating. Just saying...

2) Pixy Stix

These powdered candy known as Pixy Stix is far out one of the worst candies to avoid for Halloween because they're far too...well, bland for their taste and sweetness. It's about as rubbish as...drinking unsweetened tea at McDonald's.

3) Chocolate-dipped apples

Come on, no kid in the world wants that. These apples dipped in chocolate on a stick are considered "loser candy" because...no kid of today likes fruits disguised in chocolate. See one of these from your neighbors and AVOID.

4) Hard candy

Whether if it's mint flavored, fruit flavored, or for worse, taste like medicine, this is the one to avoid because there is a risk that your teeth can't handle the hardness. If I were in that situation, I would rather just swallow it rather than biting it.

5) Mounds or Almond Joy

They may look like chocolate but when you ate one of those...(vomiting) Why would they made these piece of crud? Nobody likes those for Halloween!

6) Jelly belly

These beans taste like plastic and no matter the color and the taste of those, they will always taste like plastic. AVOID these loser beans on Halloween.

7) Candy corn

Invented by a Philadelphian, candy corn is made of wax, sugar, and corn syrup. By the looks of it, it looks like a corn's kernel but if you manage to eat one...these candy corns can be a bit blah and makes you as disappointed as a man during the Great Depression. AVOID this loser candy when you see one.

8) Licorice

Licorice is considered a "loser candy" and best to avoid one of these if you don't want your jack-o-lantern get jacked up with a pile of rubbish.

9) Circus Peanut

As Candy from Gravity Falls may say "Circus peanut? This is loser candy!"

10) Wax candy

From wax lips to wax cola bottles, these wax candies are the ones to avoid as well because...who would rather eat some wax or something? Ahem...wax is...like...Wax Museum or Star Wax of polishing wax of whatever...who would eat wax as a candy?!

11) Necco Wafers

These two-centuries old candies are the king of "loser candies" because not only it's old but the chalky taste of those thin candy wafers in a pack makes it the ultimate "loser candy" to avoid this Halloween.

12) Asian candies

WATCH OUT! Some of your neighbors bought out some candies straight from Asian stores. See one of those suspicious-looking candies straight from Asia and AVOID. No kid likes those for Halloween.

There are so many loser candies your neighbors might throw at you but beware...not all neighbors may give you candy but sometimes un-edibles or for worse...FRUITS! If you don't want to wind up in that situation, use science to determine which of your neighbors serve the best candies, which serves "loser candies" or both. Be careful, some may come up with a surprise attack on your jack-o-lantern full of candies.

So there you go, next time when you're out trick-or-treating this Halloween, use the data gathered from this segment and find out which "loser candy" you should avoid from your neighbors.

HALLOWEEN 2014: Tips during the Undas traffic

*This article is a carry-over from one of last year's Halloween special post, although there are some minor changes to keep it in tune with the times. 

All Saints' Day is on November 1st, 2014, which is the day after Halloween. All Saints' Day is a holiday where families visit the graveyard to pay respects for the fallen. However, there's more to it than that because what to expect on All Saints' Day is heavy duty traffic. That's right. Slow-moving traffic that will surely leave you dead after long hours of traffic. No wonder it's a non-working holiday but hey, if you and your family had your ride to the cemetery and expect a very long traffic during UNDAS 2014, what are your best ways to kill your boredom when the annual heavy Undas traffic kicks in?

1) Pack lots of snacks, meals, and drinks on your trip

The heavy traffic on the way to your cemetery will leave you thirsty and starved on the road. The best thing to do is before you leave your home and to the cemetery is to pack enough snacks and drinks on your trip. Either your mom's fully-cooked meal sealed in Tupperware boxes or crisps such as Chippy, Nova, Ding Dong, Tortillios or whatever junk food you know, make sure you have enough snacks while getting stuck in traffic. Oh yeah, as for drinks, stock up on whatever you want; mineral water, soda, sports drinks, iced tea, whatever drink you want but one more thing; NO ALCOHOL. Remember the whole "don't drink and drive" law.

2) Entertainment

Long traffic usually means boredom for the people heading to the cemetery and the best to do is open up your car's radio and set to FM frequency because everybody needs music. Get it? If radio isn't enough, either your portable TV (if you had one), your MP3 player, or your hand held console would do but be sure that it's fully charged before on the go. If possible, bring a mobile charger with you but make sure your car has enough power to charge your gadgets!

3) Servicing

Your car is nothing more of a traveling companion when you need it so it's best to service it before you go. Make sure the parts are working fine as well as the lights, the brakes, the oil, and the electric supply. Oh and if you're brave enough through the high gas prices, be sure to full tank your car. It maybe an expensive solution but if you're not into driving, seek public transportation or hitch a ride with a buddy.

4) Internet connectivity

 A long road away from home usually means one thing, you can't do internet because you're miles away from your home's broadband but not to worry. If you brought your laptop and any other Wi-Fi capable gadgets, make sure that you have a mobile Wi-Fi with you. Make sure that it has enough load (or charge) in order to go internet surfing while on the move. Oh yeah, if you guys made it to the cemetery, be sure to check in from your Swarm! Your friends will notice that you came from a long trip this Undas!

5) Defense

A long trip can be somewhat risky because there are some jologs wanted to steal your ride or doing some kind of a Mad Max-style of attacks. Defensive driving may be unnecessary in an event like this but this can save you and your family from bad people trying to hurt you on your way to the cemetery. If you have long objects surrounded on your car, these can make a vital defense in case some crooks approached you with a gun pointing at you. Keep Calm and Aim for the Head. Time to say rest in peace, crooks!

6) Don't let the kids say "Are We There Yet?"

If you had kids with you on your trip, then you're in bad luck because the only question kids will tell you on your way to the cemetery is the dreaded ARE WE THERE YET? Tell your kids no, stop asking questions, and ask them to play with their toys. Silence is virtue on this trip.

7) Do your All Saints Day...at home

If you're not in the mood to travel, why not do this at home? Make a faux tombstone (out of your cardboard) and be sure to have candles so you can pay respects without travelling through the long traffic!

So there you go, these are the best ways to kill your boredom when the annual heavy Undas traffic kicks in. Have a nice road trip this All Saints' Day!