Here's a film to step up the Halloween spirit!

Steps (2022)
Starring: Mori Christian and Kris Cummins
Director: Russell Miller
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

A woman (Christian) movies into her just-purchased house, only to discover that the previous owner has left something behind...

"Steps" is a expertly paced and well-filmed haunted house tale. It mostly avoids the jump scares that so many creators of short films (and long-form horror films, too, for that matter) rely so heavily on. What we get here is good old-fashioned tension building through escalating weirdness

The only non-nitpicky complaint I can voice about this film is also a compliment: As the film ended, I wanted to know more. More about the main character, more about the house she purchased, more about the person who sold it to her, more about the previous owner/inhabitants... just more. Generally, stories like this that don't have the slightest hint as to why the supernatural events of the film are happening bother me. I generally feel like there should be some slight hint as to why this curse is upon a particular place or is happening to a particular person. There are some exceptions, though, like what we have here--a film so engaging that it sparks my imagination and causes me to make up the greater story surrounding it. That, in turn, makes me wish that I could know the REAL story beyond the edges of the story we are told.

But why don't you take a few minutes to check out "Steps"? Even if you aren't as impressed with it as I was, I think you'll agree that it's an excellent short film, as well as a great way to boost the Halloween Spirit!

Halloween is coming...

... and Bessie Love is trying to decide what costume she'll wear to the Shades of Gray party this year!

 

 
 
 

Tuneful Tuesday with DARK

 

Tuneful Tuesdays are usually something you find exclusively at our sister blog Terror Titans during the 31 Nights of Halloween. BUT! We're pulling out all the stops this year for the month of October here at Shades of Gray, so we're bringing you some chilling tunes on Tuesdays, in addition to our standard Musical Mondays, until Halloween arrives.

We're kicking off the creepy music festival with "Skeleton Dance" from the Hamburg-based darkwave singer/songwriter known as DARK. While you're watching this stylish video and grooving to the dark-trance, you may be wondering where the skeletons are at. Well, there's one in almost every shot--even if it's covered in fleshy bits and wearing ridiculously high platform boots.

If you like your dancing skeletons not wearing their Halloween costumes, you should check out this post, as well as this one.

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.