A Moon Girl at Work (in Her Halloween Costume)!

We fired up the telescope at the Shades of Gray Observatory and captured another picture of a Moon Girl, hard at work keeping the lunar phases on track. As is their habit, the Moon Girls wear costumes all of October, because they are firm believers in every night of October being Halloween!

Musical Monday with Michael Vuckovac

If you need someone to score your horror film, maybe you need to reach out to Michael Vuckovac, the fellow who wrote and performed today's great track, "The Ghosts of Salem". He also directed the very moody video. (He has released music and performed under various names, but his most recent efforts have been presented as Michael's Statements.)

You can enjoy more of Michael Vuckovac's music and videos on his YouTube channel. We'll also be spotlighting one or two more of his efforts here and over at our sister blog Terror Titans, as this year's 31 Nights of Halloween unfold!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

As always, we're spending October gearing up for the spooktacular day that is Halloween, both here and over at our sister blog, Terror Titans. But before we get too deep into the celebration of the creepy and fantastic, we want to pause for a moment to call attention to the fact that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Being trapped in an abusive relationship is an all-too-real horror that faces too many men, women, and helpless children. We hope that none of our readers and visitors find themselves in such situations, but if you do--or if you suspect you know someone who is--there are resources and information here. Don't suffer in silence.

 

Meanwhile, here's an extremely well-made short film that addresses the subject of domestic abuse with great creativity and effectiveness.

The Mime (aka "El Mimo") (2010)

Starring: Joja Heglez, Teresita Saad, and Ruben Ovideo

Director: Kive Guttman

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

The Chilling Artwork of Katsuya Terada

Japanese artist Katsuya Terada is known for providing character designs for several animated films and series, such as "Blood: The Last Vampire" and as a prolific cover artist. He is also renowned for CONSTANTLY drawing in his sketchbook, producing thousands of elaborate drawings like the ones we're offering a small sample of today.

We hope they'll begin to awaken the Holloween Spirit within you!
 

 

 
 

 

Princesses of Mars, Part 44

On this trip to Mars, we find the Princesses relaxing, just hanging around and letting it all hang out.

In Preparation for 31 Nights of Halloween!

For a number of years now, there has been at least one post every day during October at our sister blog Terror Titans for the 31 Nights of Halloween! This year, the 31 Nights of Halloween will also be taking place here at Shades of Gray! There will be at least one post every day shortly after Midnight... and you can then check out Terror Titans later after darkness has fallen again around 5pm! (Shades of Gray is on Pacific Standard Time, by the way.)

As a warm-up/preview to the creepy festivities, here's the evolution of a drawing, which shows Vampirella meeting Simon Garth the Zombie, from sketch to final. The artwork is by the great Pablo Marcos.

What will the dancers do now that Fall is here?

On International Dance Day 2022, the ballerinas ran off into the wild. We're trying to keep track of them, and we'll try to bring you updates on the last Wednesday of each month until International Dance Day 2023.

But as the night-air begins to chill and winter is approaching, what will the ballerinas in the great outdoors do?

Well, most are putting on more clothes to stay warm.

Some are even wearing coats...

... and carrying umbrellas to stay dry when it rains.

Others are taking shelter underground, in the subways...

 

 

... or finding caves in which to hibernate until the warm weather returns.

A titanic struggle for them... fun for us!

The Bench (2014)
Starring: Daniel Rock and Josh Tichauer
Director: Melody Rock
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A man's (Rock) relaxing moment on a lake-side bench is interrupted when a stranger (Tichauer) sits down next to him.

"The Bench" is a short silent movie pastiche that is far more effective at capturing the spirit of silent comedies than the vast majority of other efforts out there. The filmmakers didn't so much try to mimic the cliches of silent movie acting as they went for pacing and the physicality of the comedy. As such, they delivered a fun two minutes that should appeal equally to lovers of silent movies and all who appreciate well-crafted comedy.

Even more impressive: "The Bench" delivers a very timely message, and it does so in a gentle way that few filmmakers have the ability to do, or are unwilling to do. The core issue that causes conflict between the two characters in the film--and the simple way it's ultimately resolved--is a reflection of what's causing many social conflicts these days. The fact this film is almost ten years old, and still feels fresh in its message, is either a strong indictment of the state of American culture, or a strong indication of the film's high quality and timelessness. (However you choose to look at it, though, there is no doubt that "The Bench" is a superior piece of filmmaking.)

I invite you to take a couple minutes to check out this fine little film... and please let me know if you think I've steered you wrong with my praise for it. 

Julia Roberts is dead...

... dead tired that is. Dead tired of being declared dead.

Actress Julia Roberts was recently the subject of another Internet Death Hoax--the third such one in as many years. As I type these words, she is very much alive and probably looking forward to receiving a lot of praise for her upcoming film, "Ticket to Paradise" (2022), in which she co-stars with George Clooney.

Or she will be looking forward to the praise, once she's done mourning her own tragic passing.

It's a Mohammed Monday!

THIS WEEK WITH JESUS & MO

This fine portrait of Mohammed was done by Karl M.
(And we hope it will ensure our continued ban in Pakistan.)