If that's the case, I hope you had permission for these decorations...

Driving up Cahuenga in Hollywood the other evening, my compadres and I spotted this odd-looking house strewn with a variety of dummies, some of them holding cans of spray paint. While it was still technically the week of Halloween, my feeling was that we were well into the month of November, so Halloween should be over and done with already. (more pics after the jump)

Closer inspection revealed that this was not necessarily strictly Halloween decor, but instead a promotional stunt for DJ Skee and his Skee.TV marketing brand. Yawn.

Nevertheless, here are a few crappy cell-phone shots of mannequins, a big unscannable QR code, and an atrocious paint job.

Halloween detritus -- my favorite kind

L.A., how was your Halloween?  I went to the 4th annual Halloween party held by one of my writer’s group friends.  We had amazing dj music courtesy of the big outdoor Mexican wedding next door.  And we had an always enjoyable theatrical bent to many of the costumes.  These included:

–Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty”
–The Cure’s Robert Smith as a goth zombie, or “Gombie.”  I didn’t realize how much he looks like Edward Scissorhands.
–A pink Crayola crayon
–A Renaissance Vampirella
–Waldo
–A Killer Bee
–The Bride of Frankenstein
–A crazed Laker fan (aren’t they all?)
–Charlie Brown
–Eddie Munster

Surprisingly, we had no “Jersey Shore” cast members, and no politicians.  But we had some topical characters, including a Chilean miner and a couple from “Dancing With the Stars,” albeit with a fishnet twist.  And, perhaps appropriately, our costume contest winner was a tv character: Tina Fey/Liz Lemon from “30 Rock,” including rectangular glasses, clipboard, and bag of Sabor de Soledad Mexican cheese puffs.

So, how about you? Any standout costumes at your Halloween wardrobe (mal-)functions?

In the past I’ve visited Lombardi Ranch in Saugus, Pierce College’s Halloween Harvest Festival, the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival, and even a lovely farm in Ventura County. All of these places had marvelous pumpkin patches, but the most sincere? Hard to say.

This year, I stuck closer to home and checked out Forneris Farms in Mission Hills. The pumpkins there were okay, but what they really have going for them is their fantastic corn maze. You can see an aerial view of it on their website and it’s pretty impressive. It’s large, family friendly and has an optional scavenger hunt. If I didn’t have a navigator, I’d still be wandering around the stalks of corn. While most of the pumpkin patches and farms that are still open close tomorrow, the corn maze at Forneris Farms is open through November 7th.

What are your favorite local pumpkin patches to visit? It doesn’t hurt to start planning for next year!

Nothing says Halloween like a traditional game of bobbing for apples at the old Cock ‘n’ Bull Tavern on Sunset. Go get ‘em, Diane.

The year was 1949.

Photo from the Los Angeles Public Library

As the end of October approaches, we’re hotly anticipating that time when the heady aroma of smashed jackolanterns will once more waft through the air. So check in with us over the next week and a half as we bring you a variety of perspectives on navigating Halloween in Los Angeles – from LA’s spookiest places, to ghostly events, to more Lizard People coverage than you ever thought you’d need (and believe me, you do actually need it). Bookmark this post, because I’ll be keeping an archive of all our Halloween posts. And please comment below and let us know about your favorite scary sights, haunted houses and local Halloween festivities!

The Creepy Beneath Our Feet:  Kevin’s ongoing expose on the Secret Lives of Lizard People (and possibly the greatest run of posts this site has ever known)

LA’s Lizard People

The Patron Saint of the Lizard People

The City with Scaly Shoulders

Lizard People and the Bigger Picture

Passages to the Underworld

Lizards in Disguise

The Real (and Not Actually Creepy Thing

And because all good things must, sadly, end, the Wrap-Up.

Other, less lizard-oriented Halloween posts:

Navigating street closures at the West Hollywood Costume Carnival

Seriously Corny

Hide Your Silly String Tonight

Halloween Wardrobe Mal-Function

Sunshine Gothic

Spend Halloween Weekend with Nick 13 and TIGER ARMY!

Tiger Army shows are always awesome, and their Halloween shows are Legendary.
They’ll be at The Grove in Anaheim, on October 30th with Jack Grisham & The West Coast Dukes and Throw Rag
and on Halloween October 31st with Mad Sin and Hillbilly Casino.

Not to be Missed!

I have Four Pairs of Tickets to each show to Give Away! And a surprise Extra Pair for one of the nights! Ooooo…Bonus! Which night? Well, you don’t know, do you? Is it a Trick, or is it a Treat?

To enter the contest leave a comment on this post, and make sure to let me know what night you want to go. If either night is fine, let me know that. (That’s a good way to get an edge in the contest, I’m not gonna lie.) Winners will be selected randomly, or perhaps capriciously. It amounts to the same thing.

Oh, and no one will be getting tickets to both nights,  so don’t ask. Seriously.

Have Fun and Good Luck.

Tiger Army Never Die!

Tickets are regularly $35, discounted to $29 ($25 for students) for the next two weekends (Oct. 8-10, 15-17), but I’ve got two pairs of freebies for this Friday or Sunday if you can get your clever on and provide a caption for the photo below in the comments. Keep reading for details.

Click me twice to make me bigger

So leave your best/funniest caption  in the comments below, and don’t forget to supply an email address where I can reach you. Winners will be selected sometime after midnight (of course) Thursday night by a committee of two (me and a PR guy–now you’re really scared aren’t you?). Watch your email late Thursday night/early Friday morning. If you can’t make this weekend, they can raincheck your tickets for next Friday or Sunday.

Of course, if you plan to go, you should check out the website for all the details. I’m a blogger, not your mother. Go. Have fun.

[Also, if you want to hedge your bets, the Queen Mary is giving away tickets to the best caption for this pic. Tweet your caption to @TheQueenMary with the #DarkHarbor hashtag.]

Thanks to the LA Weekly and LA Weekly web editor Erin Broadley for loaning these images–and Josh–to us.

Check out the slideshow here!

Makes me wonder, why is Silly String so threatening? Surely the cost of cleaning up silly string doesn’t rival the Halloween revelers street mess. Does anyone even use silly string anymore? This just makes me want to go out and buy a couple of cans to blast someone with tonight!

CuriousJosh pic, Halloween 2008

Big ups yet again to Mr. Curious for the info. I’m so lazy I hadn’t planned anything for tomorrow yet–not even a costume. Josh, this is my cheat sheet for tomorrow! You’ve made my social life SO much easier.  -Lucinda.

Hello Los Angeles! Looking for something different?

I’m CuriousJosh, once again happily here courtesy of LA Weekly, to let you in on everything from partying in an old church to burlesque queens to costumes amidst the hallowed halls of world-class LA museums. There’s also one post-ghost highlight where House music legend John Tejada plays the intimate Zanzibar next Wednesday. After the weekend, I’ll return with photos from the events, plus some secret happenings I habituate throughout LA’s underground nightlife.

Danse Macabre (Friday)
Visit Danse Macabre for hip haunts in an off-beat venue. An old church provides perfect haunting grounds for the hip and energetic crowd brought together by Shits & Giggles and Jelly Roll. Special performance by host The Lady Tigra. The werewolves will be howling along with DJs Christine Renee, Travis TK Disco (Hot Biscuit), Aaron Castle (A Club Called), Chris Bowen, and Victor Rodriguez. 10p-5a. The Church, 606 E. 6th Street. Limited pre-sale tix for $10. $15 at the door. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/86732

Miss Kitty’s Parlor (Friday and Saturday)
Miss Kitty’s Parlor presents dual debauchery for Friday and Saturday. Expect an alternative crowd enjoying go-go dancers of all genders, combined with provocative burlesque…and a variety of DJs. Friday features Victoria Vengeance burlesque, a live set from Calpernia Adams, with DJs Slash Fiction & RX Slaughter. Saturday features Godhead, Courtney Cruz from LA Weekly’s “Best of LA” Devil’s Playground burlesque night, with DJs Barbeau and Riley More.

Halloween @ The Skirball (Friday)
The best Halloween deal on a great party can be found at the Skirball Center’s annual friday night celebration. An unbelievably low $10 gains entry to enjoy Hip-Hop, House, Mash-ups, R&B, and Electro in 3 areas, with over 1500 people. RSVP to Porter@PorterTinsley.com with first and last name for $10 list. Costume Required. Skirball Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. LA, 90049. RSVP to Porter@PorterTinsley.com required.

LA Dead Halloween Celebrations (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
LADead and Malediction Society deliver 3 nights of ghoulishness. Friday’s Grimm Fairytale Ball features Darkwave, Trip Hop, Dark Indie, Dark 80′s, Tribal, World Fusion, NeoClassical, Ethereal, Downtempo, Synthpop and Avant Garde with DJ Xian (Malediction Society, Ruin Hollywood, Wumpskate) and DJ Pumpkin (Kabinet Theatre, Cirque Bezerk, The Wandering Marionettes). RSVP through a link next to the event on ladead.com for discount on tickets, which cost between $10 and $20. Entrance & $5 Valet down S. Westmoreland, East of Vermont. http://www.myspace.com/RuinHollywood.

Saturday’s Night of the LADEAD offers unending undead until sunrise at The Bridge. RSVP through a link next to the event on ladead.com for $5 list before midnight. 21+ | 10PM-Afterhours, @ The Bridge: 1356 Palmetto St, 90013. http://www.ladead.com

LADEAD’s masquerade trio crescendoes with Sunday’s Malediction Masque, a steampunk, neo-victorian darkwave and industrial celebration. $2 entry with RSVP links next to event on LADead.com. MALEDICTION SOCIETY, Every Sunday · 10PM-2AM · $7 Entry · 21+, 3100 Wilshire Blvd, LA, 90010. http://www.myspace.com/maledictionsociety.

West Hollywood’s Annual Halloween Carnaval (Saturday)
Multiple stages highlight this annual free street fair where crowded streets and amazing costume displays are the real attraction. Considering the heart of WeHo location, this affair can get a little scandalous. Be sure to grab parking tips from the official website for this highly popular destination, and stop by the Vaudeville stage to see my friends Vaud and the Villains. http://www.weho.org/halloween

Ecco Heaven and Hell Halloween (Saturday)
If you enjoy a Hollywood Halloween with a twist, stop by Ecco’s Heaven and Hell Halloween where the normally VIP tabled venue will adopt alternative touches through burner group Camp Chillax’s outdoor tented area, with additional art installations by Radhika Heresy and the Hive Art Collective. ECCO Ultra Lounge, 1640 North Cahuenga (corner of Hollywood). Tix here.

LACMA Muse Heroes and Villains Costume Ball (Saturday)
Spend your Halloween with art inspired mayhem at the sixth annual Muse Costume Ball. Bands, DJs, interactive electronic art, and large installations combine for an immersive All Hallow’s Eve experience. Features include the Engine, Mindshare Labs, Museum of Traffic, Voxhaul Broadcast, Gotham Chopra, Kim Anh, Glass Garage Gallery and more. http://lacma.org/support/Muse.aspx#costume

IComplex Halloween 3D (Saturday)
A full 3D experience begins when special glasses are received upon entry for viewing IComplex’s Halloween 3D’s visuals designed by Rabbit in the Moon’s VJ Tek. With 5 rooms of varied electronica highlighted by Daedelus’s birthday celebration, the extensive lineup is best viewed on the official website at: http://halloween3d.icomplex.org/

Heat at Zanzibar (Wednesday)
Zanzibar’s Wednesday night club, Heat, remains House music’s best kept secret in Los Angeles. This Wednesday night, house music legend John Tejada headlines with Michael Hart and Porter Tinsley. Considering the cover is only $10, I would recommend early arrival.

A taste of these events  can be seen in the photos on my website at http://www.curiousjosh.com, and in this week’s LA Weekly CuriousJosh Column here.