When Hip-Hop met Horror

by: RFR Casket Crew Claymation Werewolf

Most people think the world of Horror fandom is like a family. They believe that there is an overwhelming sense of acceptance and community and that we all stand united, hand in hook against whatever adversity the world can throw at us. For the most part this is all true but there is another side to the horror world as many of us know. It can be sinister, it can be competitive…I’ve only been a horror blogger for a couple of months and I’ve already been shot twice! Yes, the sad truth is that no matter how harmonious we like to imagine this world is, there are things that divide us. Freddy or Jason?….Fast Zombies or Slow? Kane Hodder or Derek Mears? Evil Dead or Army of Darkness? Any of these questions can cause an instant eruption of war between your average dedicated deadite but there is a deeper fault line running through the horror community for decades threatening to tear apart the very fabric of everything that we have worked so hard to build.

Hip Horror Indeed

It will come as no surprise to anyone that I am talking about the Hip-Hop Horror Turf Wars that erupted in the late 1980’s and have only gotten stronger since. When hip hop or “rap” became mainstream it almost immediately began to take off in popularity. Along with its meteoric rise it ignited incredible passion among its fans. That passion took the form of completely new forms of dance, an unprecedented level of poetic expression and the light speed evolution of electronic music. Unfortunately that passion came with aggression, division, and sometimes even violence. Once the world of rap entered into its inevitable partnership with horror movies the division only became worse.

It began small, various hip-hop artists speaking about their fandom of slasher films, giant monsters, and the supernatural…horror directors like Sam Rami and Wes Craven taking on DJ duties at some of the hottest LA nightclubs, and who can forget Stephen King’s short lived segment on Yo! MTV Raps. Soon every monster, unearthly creature and undead slasher began to actively campaign for hip-hop representation. They arrived in Los Angeles by the dozen going to the offices of major record labels, meeting with top executives, slaughtering them and then starting the process all over again. Finally gold was struck, the all American first family of spooky entered in to the ultimate partnership with a struggling, up and coming rapper by the name of MC Hammer. The collective life experiences and vibrant lust for life enjoyed by the Addams’s seemed to be just what Mr. Hammer needed and he was plucked from the depths of total obscurity soon becoming the toast of the town with hit record after hit record. His popularity grew so much that at its peak he became nearly too legit to quit.

After Hammer’s success the floodgates opened and rappers were joining forces with masters of monster movies all across America. Will Smith or the “fresh prince” as he is known on the streets joined forces with the imitable Frederick J “Freddy” Krueger, when Krueger himself senselessly murdered Smith’s long time partner DJ Jazzy Jeff. Smith later said that the rhymes he created with Krueger where not only the freshest he had ever created but also the dopest. He also proclaimed Freddy one of the best natural scratchers he had ever seen. The arrival of the Fresh Prince marked a 180 degree turnaround in Krueger’s career following the end of his 8 year partnership with the Fat Boys who, after defecting from the Krueger Camp announced a newly signed contract with Michael Myers.

Are You Ready for Freddy?

Their first hit song under the agreement “Devil’s Eyes (Pass the Fries)” shot straight to the top of the Killboard Top 100 Horror Charts. It wasn’t all success though …for instance when Chucky and Vanilla Ice formed their infamous White Boys and Killer Toys alliance it turned out to be a huge flop and effectively ended both of their careers. And Young MC’s ill fated “Dance Off“ with Pumpkin Head in the follow-up video to his hit “Bust a Move” became a laughing stock.

Some people weren’t content to enter into collaborations, and became crossover artists in their own right. When C&C Music Factory released their single “Things that Make You Go AAAAAHHHH!” The world fell in love with their new blood, gore and pyrotechnic driven performances. Even international artists got into the act. Seamus O’ Shame (The Leprechaun) actually became a rapper. He made his debut with a song entitled “Lep In The Hood” at the end of a movie with a very similar title. After releasing his album he realized he could lay down some ill tracks and bring people unspeakable pain at the same time and he never looked back.

Need Gold?....Chains?

While the def jams were flying fast and loose and the money was rolling in, there was something much more ominous brewing below the surface. Turf wars and minor scuffles had began to break out as to who ran what horror neighborhood. The leprechaun laid claim to the Tiny Terror Zone which did not go over well with Chucky or The PuppetMaster Puppets. Jason and Michael Myers left untold death and destruction following the terrifying Silent Lumbering Killer Wars of ‘83.… It all got bad and then it got worse. For decades, record labels and horror movie producers turned a blind eye choosing to focus only on the millions of dollars they were raking in and ignoring the loss of both life and street cred. Sadly, something happened in 2010 that would make the world take notice, when Jackie Earl Haley and Samuel Bayer conspired to do the unthinkable. They murdered Freddy Krueger in cold blood. The worlds of horror, hip-hop, and hip-hop-horror fell silent. They realized that money and fame had gotten in the way of what really counts, poetic expression…and ultra violent gory movies. It was decided by all parties involved that everyone needed to get back to basics and to start doing what they did best. With that in mind, all horror/rap partnerships were dissolved.

Recently it seems as though there have been signs of a mild renaissance in the world of horror rap. Will Smith in partnership with the Saw franchise released the song Getting Jiggysaw With It and it seems to be doing fairly well in the charts so far. We can only hope that this time things will be different. That we can have a real sense of community and produce works that are all about art and not about money or “turf”. Together we can live in a world that undead, horribly disfigured, psychotic serial killers like Freddy Krueger would be proud to call home. With that in mind I hope that each of you can sit back, relax…and have a nice day!

Rotting Flesh Radio SHOW #247: Scare-A-Torium, Ashley Lawrence, The Attic and the Annual Haunt Tours!

SHOW NOTES FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 23, 2011 SHOW #247

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THIS WEEK’S SHOW NOTES:
Alright all you Fright Freaks and Halloween Junkies, the Annual Haunt Tours have arrived! Yes, as we kick off the Annual Rotting Flesh Radio Haunt Tours by hitting the rode we have a jam packed Body Bag for you this week. To kick things off we have Kelly Collins from the Scare-A-Torium Haunted House stopping in with RFR Casket Crew’s Pierce on location during the build of the event.

In addition Haunted Europe is back and this month Mike is bringing you Micheal Bolton, the creator and brain behind Europe’s ScareCon! And Deadites, things don’t slow down yet, because Gruesome Joe is here with the Musical Morgue giving you an in-depth look at the Haunt Rocker’s newest release, The Attic.

We have a Body Bag full of Haunt Industry News and Events for the week and RFR Casket Crew Storm is here with another Halloween Rant In a Haunt Minute and Joey Blood is bringing you all the Bloody Blu-Ray releases for the week!

And Dog Soldier has a special treat for you as he brings us an exclusive interview with Hellraiser’s Ashley Lawrence! Jigsaw Jim is here with a Rancid Review of Sinister Cinema and we have all kinds of Morbid Goodies for you this week.

There are ALL-NEW Rules to Win the Screamline Studios Graverobbing Giveaway and Twisted Tunes from the Grave.

So all you Fright Freaks, Haunters and Halloween Junkies, you can…
Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away to Rotting Flesh Radio!

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The Haunt Rocker’s “Headless Man” Music Video Keeping Halloween Alive

Walt Disney's Classic "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

The Haunt Rocker Jerry Vayne recently released his newest Haunt-strumental CD, THE ATTIC and tune into the newest Rotting Flesh Radio for Show #247 to hear a full review from our RFR Casket Crew Gruesome Joe.

But until then, to kick off the Halloween and Haunt Season, back in 2007, Jerry asked me what would I like to hear to keep Halloween alive, I replied, the Bing Crosby classic Headless Man done Halloween Metal Style and he said “That’s what I had in mind too.”

So from there “The Haunt Rocker” Jerry Vayne (from Foxy Roxx) teamed up with Timm Tantrum (from Psycho Gypsy, Snake City Playboys, Fantom Black) and proceeded recreate the Bing Crosby/Disney classic “Headless Man”. It first aired on Rotting Flesh Radio and is a must to add to your Haunt and Halloween Party Mix!

To add to the fun on a song that never gets old, Here is a fun video Timm made for the track!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND KEEP IT LOUD…SIT BACK, RELAX AND ROT AWAY…

Alice Cooper’s ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ is Here!

Welcome 2 My Nightmare

So as we have mentioned many times on RFR, the sequel album to Alice Cooper’s original hit is out now! Dropping online, in stores, and more, you can now get your copy of WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE.

This has been a long anticipated follow up to the original LP of the same name. And Alice hasn’t been sitting down on the promotion either. We recently posted on the site, that Alice is also have his own Haunted Attraction at the Universal Halloween Horror Nights in California.

From his personal appearances throughout rock history from Television, Music Videos and even The Muppet Show, Alice set the Horror Trend in Rock N Roll as the innovator of the genre. Many have followed in his footsteps so much so the Newest Wednesday 13 Single ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ (Click Here to Listen to The Track) mentions Alice Cooper as his childhood inspiration!

The tracks from this sequel album over 35 years overdue are hard hitting, riff splitting and classic in true Alice style. With tracks like ‘The Nightmare Returns’ or ‘I’ll Bite your Face Off’, Alice pulls out all the punches. True to Horror, the spooky feel and the complete storyline of his albums in concept ring true.

It may be over 35 years too late, but better late than never from the Original Rock Horror Icon!!

BUY WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE ON AMAZON by CLICKING HERE

ABOUT ALICE COOPER:
“Every great production deserves a sequel – even if comes 35-plus years after the original. In 1975, Alice Cooper joined forces with longtime collaborator and producer Bob Ezrin to record his first solo album Welcome to My Nightmare, a theatrical concept album about the nightmares of a young boy named Steven. Now, he’s followed Steven into adulthood and presents Welcome 2 My Nightmare, a new but familiar concept album about the fear, anxiety and disgust that haunt Alice Cooper’s dreams in an era of Facebook, Lady Gaga, Sketchers and Angry Birds.

“Alice hates technology, disco is still a nightmare for him and working in a cubicle from nine-to-five would give him cold sweats,” Cooper says. “At the same time, this is a nightmare so all these normal life things are thrown into this crazy world that’s only logical when you’re in the nightmare. You could have an elephant in your garage, and you’re on the lawn in a pink tutu cooking hot dogs. And at the time it’s fine. But when you wake up you go, ‘How insane is that? Where did that come from?’ So we realized that having Alice in a modern-world nightmare is a great place to come from theatrically because we can go anywhere we want and make it as insane as possible.”

Alice Cooper: The Original Horror Icon

A wild, surreal odyssey, Welcome 2 My Nightmare provided Cooper and Ezrin the opportunity to work with numerous musicians and experiment with various musical styles. The three surviving members of the original band, guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith, co-wrote three songs and they all played on “When Hell Comes Home,” a gritty ‘70s-style rock track about the nightmare of domestic abuse. “I wanted the song to feel like it was off of Love it to Death or Killer, Cooper says. “But we never had to talk about playing the song ‘70s-style, they just did it. It was great and there was nothing we could do to make it any more ‘70s ‘cause that’s just the way these guys play.”

The collaborations with his fellow original band members stemmed from their 2010 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for which they reunited to play four songs. “I was always looking for a logical reason to work with them again,” Cooper says. “When we broke up there was no bad blood. Most bands break up and they start suing each other. We never broke up on that level. We broke up on a very friendly level. ‘You go do what you’re gonna do, I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do. Let’s see what happens.’ When we got in the Hall of Fame I called them up and I said, ‘We have to do four songs. Let’s get together and rehearse.’ And they sounded great. They played great. We did a few projects after that. We played a couple times together. And I said, ‘Let’s keep it going. Let’s get these guys on the album.’ And Bob said, ‘That’s a great idea. Let’s write with these guys.’ It just worked.”

The first single from Welcome 2 My Nightmare, “I’ll Bite Your Face Off,” is about a gorgeous but deadly female who takes Alice by the hand and guides him through the various scenes of his nightmare. The song was co-written by Neal Smith and features a swaggering ‘60s British rock rhythm, brash, bluesy guitars and sneering, seductive vocals. “We tried to make this sound as much like early Rolling Stones as possible and we really did capture that,” Cooper says. “We’ve been doing it onstage and the audience sings along without knowing the song.”

On “Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever,” Cooper combines a tongue-in-cheek disco beat and rhythm with near-rap vocals and lyrics about taking a machine gun to zombie disco dancers who refuse to die. Then there’s the zany surf rock of “Ghoul’s Gone Wild,” the derelict down-on-his-luck slur of “The Last Man on Earth,” and the Beatles meet Gary Glitter show tune “The Congregation,” which stars Rob Zombie as a narrator describing such modern-day nightmares as telemarketers, lawyers, pimps, mariachi bands and mimes.

One of the highlights for Cooper is the throbbing, modern rocker “What Baby Wants,” which stars Ke$ha as the devil. “Some people thought I was crazy to have Ke$ha on the record, but I never saw her as one of these Britney Spears diva girls. I saw her more as a rock singer. So I said, ‘Let’s present you not as a diva, but as a rock singer on this.’ We wrote the song together and in the end the darker lyrics were hers.”

Like The original Welcome To My Nightmare, which was highlighted by “Only Women Bleed,” Welcome 2 My Nightmare also features a lovelorn ballad, “Something to Remember Me By,” which was written with Dick Wagner back when they released “I Never Cry” in 1976. “We never used it on an album before because I never felt I was good enough to sing that song,” Cooper reflects. “It was never in my key, I could never get it right. Finally, we got it where my voice is in the right place so we included it and it may be the prettiest ballad we ever wrote. Steve Hunter played guitar on it and we really got a nice Beatles-y sound out of it. So when you’re listening to it you hear this really pretty romantic song and then you realize that in the Nightmare Alice is singing to a pile of bones that used to be a girl.”

Fans of the first Welcome To My Nightmare will recognize melodic references to the original woven throughout the new record. For example, in the cinematic minor-key song “The Nightmare Returns,” Ezrin plays the theme from “Steven” when Cooper sings, “I think we’ve heard that song before.”

“I really like the idea of having some of the musical identity of the first album showing up in the second album,” Cooper says. “It really connects the two and if you’re a real Alice fan and you hear those themes it makes you feel comfortable.”

Welcome To My Nightmare, which came out in 1975, was a landmark album for Cooper. It was his first solo release, following a historic string of anthems written and recorded by the original band between 1971 and 1974, including “School’s Out,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Elected,” and “I’m Eighteen.” A multimedia smash long before the dawn of music television, Welcome To My Nightmare proved that Cooper could remain popular musically and could take theatricality to an entirely new level of dream by exposing audiences to the crippling fears of a seven-year-old child with an active imagination.

Welcome To My Nightmare spawned two major singles, the ominous, anthemic title track and the beautiful, melancholy acoustic ballad “Only Women Bleed,” and featured narration by horror movie icon Vincent Price. In addition to touring the live “Welcome To My Nightmare” show, Cooper created the prime time special The Nightmare, which was essentially the first long form music video. The program debuted in April 1975. In September he shot the concert film “Welcome To My Nightmare” at London’s Wembley Arena.
“A seven-year-old kid is pretty sure there’s something living in the closet and thinks that something is waiting for him under his bed,” Cooper says. “His toys are probably coming to life and trying to kill him. And I thought, ‘Well, that’s a good general approach for the album because we’ve all been kids and we’ve all had those nightmares.’”

Wednesday 13 Debutes New Single ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’

Something Wicked This Was Comes by Wednesday 13

Wednesday 13, The Horror Rock man who has been a guest on Rotting Flesh Radio as a guest and also had his music on the show, is no stranger to Horror Rock Fans everywhere.

Recently Wednesday 13 reunited with the Murderdolls and released a new CD a few year ago. Now, getting back to his catchy riffs, horror lyrics and solo career, Wednesday is amping up for his newest CD to drop soon ‘CALLING ALL CORPSES’.

The new single is titled ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ and serves as a look back to Wednesday’s childhood filled with toys, horror and more. The song is catchy, the riffs are heavy and Wednesday’s style is very apparent once again. Although many will hope the song is filled with references from the 80s Walt Disney Productions film featuring Jonathan Pyrce, it has nothing more than the title to share. But this doesn’t affect the power horror heavy hitting song Wednesday is known for.

Take a listen and jam away. The CD can be found on amazon as well as the debut single at: www.Amazon.com – Something wicked This Way Comes

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Wednesday 13

We are working to get Wednesday 13 back as a guest on Rotting Flesh Radio but until then, Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away to his newest horror release Deadites!!!

Free Catalog and Haunt Kit from Fright Catalog When You Join the ‘Haunt Club’

Fright Catalog's Haunt Club

Are you excited for Halloween? Counting down the days? Then the Haunt Club from Fright Catalog is for you!

The All-New Haunt Club is a way for you to stay in the Halloween Mood all year. And by joining the Haunt Club for $4.95 you get a 100 page printed catalog from Fright Catalog full of Props, Costumes, Music, Masks and more. You will get three Horror Movies on DVD, and a CD chock full of eerie music for your Home Haunt, Pro Haunt or Spooky Needs.

You will also get year round promotions and specials from the Fright Catalog, and the exclusive Haunt Kit as well. This package retails at a $50 Value. Yours FREE for only $4.95 S&H when you sign up for our Haunt Club.

If you would like to get your FREE Haunt Kit and more visit: www.FrightCatalog.com and get yours because these are LIMITED! We will post photos of ours once it comes in the mail.

Terror Awaits You in “THE ATTIC” the New CD from Haunt Rocker Jerry Vayne

'The Attic' from Jerry Vayne

Deadites who listen to Rotting Flesh Radio know and love the Haunt Rocker Jerry Vayne. Storming into the Haunt Industry in 2008 with our very own Dark Pandemoium CD, Jerry has carved his way into the black hearts of haunters everywhere like the knife through a Jack-O-Lantern.

His newest release THE ATTIC is All-New for 2011. This haunt season, attractions, events, and halloween enthusiasts can get their haunt on with his newest Haunt-Strumental!

“Mount the stairs… hold your light steady… something waits for you in the dark corners of.. “The Attic”… The new haunt-strumetal soundscape from “The Haunt Rocker”, Jerry Vayne. “The Attic”… NOW AVAILABLE for $8.99 at http://www.JerryVayne.com Horror waits… above….”

This new CD will send chills down your spine. From driving hard riffs to melodic terror, there is something for every room in your event, to queue line entertainment. This haunt-strumental CD tells a story through the fingertips of Jerry to his guitar.

We have been listening to THE ATTIC since its early stages of recording to the final drop this week and have been impressed. It is the best release to date from Jerry Vayne and it will be proven to others in haunted attractions, in your bedroom, or just rocking out in your car.

Rotting Flesh Radio will have a full review on an upcoming show. So be prepared for Gruesome Joe’s full review.

Until then:
“THE ATTIC is a melodic masterpiece from the Haunt Rocker Jerry Vayne that captures the terror, melody and senses of the unsuspecting Haunt Customer.” – Jonathan Johnson (Owner/Host of Rotting Flesh Radio)

To get your copy of THE ATTIC visit: www.JerryVayne.com

ABOUT THE HAUNT ROCKER:
In 2008, a new musical specter “materialized” into the Haunted Attraction Industry, gouging his way into the Haunted Attractions of the nation.

His focus? To change the traditional haunt music of the industry on its’ ear by creating his own brand of Haunt-Strumetal™ soundscapes.

Starting with Rotting Flesh Radio’s “RFR Presents: Dark Pandemonium ” A Descent into the Labyrinth of the Mind”, the 18-track Dark Carnival/Vampire concept CD “Damnations Embrace”, the re-envisioning of the Midnight Syndicate’s classic “Shadows” for the sound track CD “The Dead Matter: Original Soundtrack” (Winner of the 2011 Golden Cob for “Best B-Movie Soundtrack”) , as well as custom tracks for the Toxicity Haunted Attraction and Wells Township Haunted House , the abomination “Soul Collector” and the dark, demented corners of the newest soundscape “The Attic”, the Haunt Rocker has slowly infested his aural apparitions into the haunts around the globe.

The Wine Train Announces All-New Halloween Party for 2011

The Napa Valley Wine Train Halloween Bash

On October 28, 2011, the Napa Valley Wine Train be hosting the first ever Trick-or-Train Halloween Bash. Trick-or-Train guests will enjoy a sumptuous evening with dinner and drinks on board the Napa Valley Wine Train followed by a party featuring the musical styling of DJ Tommy Fullove, dancing, and a costume contest in the station. This is an event for guests aged 21 and over. Guests are encouraged to come dressed up for the holiday. Entertainment will continue until 1:00 a.m.

The Trick-or-Train will begin at 6:30 p.m. with three eerie hours on board for dinner and drinks. Guests will have time to explore the entire Train, which consists of rail cars so old, they have almost disappeared from the American landscape. Most of the rolling stock dates from as far back as 1915.

The Napa Valley Wine Train

After dinner, guests will disembark at the Napa Station where there will dancing and musical entertainment provided by San Francisco based DJ Tommy Fullove. Tommy Fullove, a prestigious San Francisco based DJ, is well-known for his eclectic musical collection, his strong connection to the crowd and for his vibrant energy. Fullove began exploring his natural musical talent when he was in high school by starting his own DJ business. Music and entertainment has always been a true passion of his, and for the past 17 years he has been the highlight of parties all over the country.

A winner will be selected for the costume contest at 10:30 p.m. The Trick-or-Train after party is not limited to guests riding the Train. For those who chose not to ride the train, but still want to participate in the festivities, the after party will begin at 9:00 p.m. Guests must be 21 years old to attend.

$155 Gourmet Express Car
$185 Vista Dome Car
$30 After Party Only

To get in on the Wine Train visit: http://winetrain.com/holiday/halloween

Napa Valley Halloween Party

ABOUT DJ TOMMY FULLOVE
Tommy Fullove, a prestigious San Francisco based DJ, is well-known for his eclectic musical collection, his strong connection to the crowd and for his vibrant energy. Fullove began exploring his natural musical talent when he was in high school by starting his own DJ business. Music and entertainment has always been a true passion of his, and for the past 17 years he has been the highlight of parties all over the country.

Halloween Sounds Galore for Your Haunted House, Party and More…

Halloween Music Galore

Every haunt season you have to think about adding the element of sound to your event. This goes beyond just music, and ambiance. It also involves FX, those little drips of water, the strange noises in the corner and more.

A variety of FX CDs and Digital Downloads exist in the Halloween Industry and one of the best series out there are from a good friend of ours at Rotting Flesh Radio, Kevin Alvy of Gore Galore and his Sounds of Gore CD Volumes.

Sounds of Gore

We have a variety of these in stock in the RFR Morgue Studios and many haunted attractions use them every season.

Well, Kevin wants to let haunters know about this continuing series of CDs.

“We have 16 volumes of Various Sound effect Soundscapes. From Meatlocker to Demonic whispers to Silent Hill inspired tracks “Dark Apocalypse”, and tons of different themes in between. And even more Rustyknife and Hedstorm productions CDs.”

As Kevin has stated, these are great additions to your event. It will add that FX Ambiance and more to scare those patrons.

You can get all the Volumes, Hedstorm and more at: www.HalloweenMusicGalore.com or for basic Digital Downloads you can find all of the Sounds of Gore Volumes and the Rotting Flesh Radio Dark Pandemonium CD at: www.HauntAudio.com

A Rockin’ Way to Prep Your Limbs for the Haunting Season

by: RFR Casket Crew Hatter 99

Thriller ' A Horror Pop Classic'

In a few short weeks we as scareactors get to shine up our trusty black hauntin’-shoes, de-coagulate our fake blood, and scrape the crusty crud off of our makeup tubes. Mentally, we’re ready. Physically, perhaps not so much. So this week I’d like to share a fun way to get into nimble shape for the haunting season while perhaps fulfilling a lifelong dream that you might have.

Hat ON.

As a child of the 80s, I grew up identifying Michael Jackson’s Thriller as my all-time favorite music video, and it remains so to this day. Killer makeup + Vincent Price + Zombies dancing in the street. It’s a perfect mashup. I always loved that zombie dance sequence, and through the years I would sit on the couch and dream of doing those moves. A few years ago, as I was watching the video, I finally discovered that I actually had legs. I wiggled my right foot. And then I wiggled my left foot. And then–wait for it–YES! I wiggled them both. I stood up, rewound the video to the beginning, and tried to dance along with the video. My confidence quickly fizzled, though, when I discovered that it’s a friggin’ hard dance to do without any instruction. Distraught but still keen to learn, I Googled “How to do the Thriller dance.” After sifting through a few useless sites and smart aleck comments of “Watch the music video,” I found one site that looked promising, THRILL THE WORLD, an entire website devoted to teaching people how to do the dance, and it’s a FANTASTIC resource. The goal of the site is to gather as many people as possible to perform the iconic dance at the same time in their respective areas of the world, and within the site are a plethora of resources for teaching and learning the dance, including dance scripts and instructional videos. If you click “Learn the Dance,” you’ll be taken to a page where you can order the DVD or view all of the videos on YouTube. The instructor breaks the dance down into manageable little chunks, creatively naming each move (e.g. shuffle, hop, stare, roar), and instructing the dancer to say (out loud) those moves when learning the steps. It works like a charm, and in a few short days you’ll be able to mentally chant those moves as you are performing the dance alongside MJ in the video.

Learn How to Monster Dance

So, if you’re looking for a fun way to loosen up for the haunting season and don’t really want to hit up the boring old gym, you can cue up the videos and rot away in your living room. Pull the shades for some spooky darkness. Put on a costume and some makeup if you’re so inclined. And remember: You don’t have to normally be a dancer to have fun with this; after all, you’re playing a zombie, so you can stumble around and screw up your moves all you want, and nobody will be any the wiser. I have zero experience in dancing, but the way the lessons are structured with the emphasis in naming each movement rather than counting, I can do the dance now at will and will likely never forget the chants. That’ll come in handy when I’m six feet under and have a sudden hankering to climb up and do an impromptu performance in the street.

Hat OFF.