Defend Your Home from the Undead with Multi-use Furniture

Asylum:Last Sunday was World Zombie Day, and once again it was marked by hundreds of bored students dressing up as the undead and running around all around the world frightening tourists and pretty much everyone else as well (it was also technically for charity).

All in good fun, you might think. Sadly, we’re always irrationally terrified by mock-zombies. The sight is just a little too close to our nightmares. (Hey, even Lego zombies make us nervous.)

But halfway through ordering 50 bags of rice and a shotgun, we realized that no matter how terrified of zombies you are, you shouldn’t have to give up your sense of style in order to prepare for their inevitable attack on civilization.

If only there was a piece of furniture that would combine clean lines and strong design, and then break apart into a shield and zombie-bludgeon at a moment’s notice … Oh, wait. Everything exists on the Internet. Sold! (Via Gearfuse)

Meet Hitchcock Barbie!

Popbytes: oh my gosh – i love this! mattel is releasing a hitchcock barbie based on alfred hitchcock’s classic 1963 thriller the birds starring tippi hedren who is still alive and doing fine today at age 78 (she happens to be mom of actress melanie griffith) ms. hedren has been running a wild animal preserve here in california for a number of years now called shambhala catering mainly to large cats born in captivity – many of the animals are orphans or cast-offs from circuses, zoos and private owners who could no longer care for them – i’d really like to go up there someday and take a safari tour which is offered only a few times a year! the makers of this collectible doll did an excellent job at capturing ms. hedren’s classic look while still maintaining the whole ‘barbie’ vibe (it’ll be available in stores in october) i hope there’s more of these ‘hitchcock’ inspired figures – this is way better than that new S&M barbie! popbytes over & out for tonight…xxoo

PS there is a remake in the works for the birds which i say is total blasphemy but the rumor is naomi watts could be slipping into ms. hedren’s role which i’d have to say is a great casting choice but they’ll never be able to top the original – i say leave well enough alone! (and let’s not forget ms. watts is pregnant again so it could be awhile before she’s back to making movies…)

Elvira’s still got it…and she’s bringing it to Philly

The famed “Mistress of the Dark” will be spending the evening of Halloween in the City of Brotherly Love, touring the city in the most frightening of fashions.

Elvira’s Evening Schedule, Oct 31, 2008:

5:30 PM – Poe House

Elvira will start out with a visit to Edgar Allan Poe’s former home in Northern Liberties, where she’ll read his notoriously creepy poem, The Raven. Stop by from 5:30-7:00 p.m and have a listen.

7:30 PM – Eastern State Penitentiary*

After that, Elvira will stop at Eastern State Penitentiary — known as America’s most historic prison — to mix and mingle with guests at the prison’s popular Terror Behind The Walls haunted house attraction.

10 PM – Halloween Bash*

Elvira wraps up the evening with an appearance at the Haunted Halloween Bash, taking place at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue. General admission tickets for the Bash are available for $30, and VIP admission is $75.

And after partying the night away, revelers can take advantage of a special one-night-only hotel package.

So pull out that old witch costume and get ready for some trick or treating, Elvira-style!

Henri David and His Halloween Ball

PhillyMag: My parents were very plain, down-to-earth, lovely people. They couldn’t imagine where I came from.I knew I was gay pretty much when I was 12 and having lots of sex. Boys and girls. But the boys were lots more fun.

John Waters is a good friend. He lives in Baltimore, and he’s said to me on numerous occasions, “You have more freaks than I do. You do good here.” Some of my friends in the entertainment industry call this city “Freakadelphia.”

My father died when I was 14. And my mother when I was 18. At the funeral, my aunt — the Bitch of the West — said, “You weren’t even hers.” And that’s when I learned I was adopted. It was a little like a B movie.

Some Philadelphians who shall remain nameless — ahem — claim to have been at Stonewall but were not. But I was there. I didn’t start it, but I was there.

My parents wanted me to be a cantor in the synagogue. That’s as much theater as they could deal with.

The mustache, the beard — these are simply methods of not shaving. And then the mustache became a trademark. Besides, I look too young when I shave it.

I don’t work out. Don’t go to spas. No stylists. I use water — not even soap.

Partner? Blech. That’s for a law firm. The word is “lover,” not “partner.” And what’s that other thing I hate, when they’re getting wedding bands — what do they call that ceremony? A commitment band! It’s a wedding band, folks. Commit this! What are you committing?

Stevie Nicks is a great client and friend. I create jewelry for her constantly. And I’ve designed jewelry for Elton John. He makes me laugh.

I started the Halloween parties in ’68, just because I needed a place to wear my costumes.

I learned to cha-cha on Bandstand, and then I went back to synagogue and taught everybody there to cha-cha. I was cool.

I still like the ladies. I think they’re lovely. But I don’t want to sleep with them. I haven’t slept with a woman for a million years. When I was 16. There was no reason to after that.

Michael Nutter’s pretty bright, but I’ve always stayed out of politics. I’m hoping some people come along that are a little more interesting, but what I know about Nutter, he’s not a fool.

No, no hints on my outfit for this year. The people who help me make my costumes don’t even know. Each one only knows a piece.

I’ve been making jewelry for 40 years. There’s something about jewelry, making it sparkle. Making people sparkle.

Champagne is my drink of choice, though I don’t drink much. I’m Jewish, and Jews don’t drink much. Freixenet, Moët. Doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s not Great Western.

When I was 16, I got to meet Yul Brynner — a childhood dream. He was outside the Shubert in his long black limousine with a big chinchilla throw — oh, it was dynamite. I went inside, and he was eating steak tartare. And he gave me some.

Once a week, I go to the butcher and get him to grind me up some gorgeous steak. And I eat it. Raw.

There’s an awful lot of political correctness in the gay community. Now it’s “queer,” not “gay.” I hate that. It’s very interesting to me to see these very conservative gay men who look exactly like their friends. Abercrombie and who? Whatever. Look in the mirror, honey, please.

I’m frightened by the young gay kids who think AIDS can’t affect them. Or they think there are pills that will take care of it. But I’ve lived through it. I’ve lost 95 percent of my dearest, oldest friends. At least 100 people.

When I’m sitting on the floor in Kobe, Japan, picking out a pearl that looks like a turtle or a shrimp, or whatever it looks like to me, I’m the happiest kid in the world.

My legacy? Fun. Perle Mesta gave great parties. Truman Capote gave great parties. I give great parties.

Wow. Me lucky guy.

The largest Halloween party in the city of Philadelphia, the Henri David Ball. Join in the Halloween costume party. Costume contest begins at the stroke of midnight at Sheraton City Center Hotel (17th and Race)

Don’t come as you are; come as you want to be.

Arrive before 10pm if you plan on buying tickets at the door (recommended). Advanced tickets are for sale from Halloween Jewelry Store, 1329 Pine St. 215-732-7711.

Apple Gives $100K To Bite Prop 8

Queerty: Super delicious computer company Apple today came out against Proposition 8, which would (say it with us!) overturn gay marriage in California.

From a message left in the “hot news” section of Apple’s website:

Apple is publicly opposing Proposition 8 and making a donation of $100,000 to the No on 8 campaign. Apple was among the first California companies to offer equal rights and benefits to our employees’ same-sex partners, and we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation.Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.