THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS has an enormous fan base, and it’s become one of the most iconic movies of our time, thanks to a ton in the way of merchandise. The latest, these new bookends from toy and collectible company NECA, offer you the chance to decorate your bookshelf with a couple of nice pieces of art from the movie featuring the characters Jack Skellington and Sally.

The Halloween season is a celebratory time, and one that just isn’t limited to marathon film viewings. It’s a cause to venture out with your friends and for many horror fans (like me), to distressingly experience the distinction between that on your screen, and that which is in your face. For years now, New York City has played witness to Nightmare, what’s become one of the most notable haunted attractions, defined by its ever-changing themes and theatrical sensibilities. This year’s edition (on now at New York City's Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center at 107 Suffolk St) sees its creators present a warped view of the fairy tales we’ve all grown up with, and it’s entirely spooky and full of nasty, nasty fun.

The month of October is a frightening one indeed: ghosts, ghouls, goblins, breast cancer awareness. And contrary to popular belief, the festivities of the month only get better with age, like a fine wine. As kids we went door to door, trick-or-treating and bobbing for apples while donning the disguises of our favorite Saturday-morning anthropomorphic animal fighting teams. As we transitioned into adulthood, we’ve donned the outfits of promiscuous maids and zombie versions of celebrities who have died in the past year, and are all the better for it. In recent years, the time-honored tradition of the Halloween haunted house has shifted its appeal toward an older demographic, offering suggestive themes and graphic entertainment geared toward adult audiences—and in New York City, it’s no exception. Among the best offered this year is Vortex Productions’ new Blackout.

Fans of Ozzy Osbourne, horror and the paranormal who are looking for an otherworldly experience can now reach out to “the other side” via the new collector’s-edition custom Ouija: The Ozzy Osbourne Edition. This limited-edition release breathes new life into the 100-plus-year-old spirit board.

With all of the current hype surrounding the supernatural and the undead, it’s easy to get lost in the morass. Triad Toys is looking to stand above the crowd with its new, original line of Dead Cell figures—specially trained hunters, the first of which is the Ragnarok vampire-hunting Dakota.

If there’s a lesson to be gleaned from the dozens of inane slasher sequels we’re all guilty of enjoying, it’s that nothing ever really dies. Take the scripted audio drama, for example. For most people, radio drama is an antiquated relic that winked out around the same time hula hoops and car fins began to vanish. A few minor revivals have come and gone over the ensuing decades, but thanks to the Internet, the form now seems to finally be climbing all the way out of its grave.

This past Saturday night, I got a chance to visit the Horror Hill haunted trail, a dark and creepy attraction located in Newnan, Georgia. This was also a special night, because I took advantage of the opportunity to pay a little extra and stay for a campout, where they scare the hell out of you all night long by a fire.