Thursday, October 31, 2024 – Edition: #7825
Let’s See What BS We Can SCARE Up Today…!
BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ A “Monday Night Football” matchup later this season will feature 2 familiar characters, ‘Bart’ and ‘Homer Simpson’, in the decidedly unfamiliar context of a live NFL football game. The alternate, animated telecast of the December 9 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys will feature a fully immersive “Simpsons” experience conveying the actual on-field action. It’ll be brought to life by writers and voice talent from the Fox animated series, whose characters and library became the property of ESPN parent Disney in 2019. The setting for the will be Atoms Stadium in the show’s fictional home base of Springfield, and it’ll be available to watch on Disney+ and ESPN+.
-Deadline
★ Horror movie fans are in for a Halloween treat: A load of killer memorabilia from a number of scary classics is set to be auctioned next month. Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction is scheduled for Nov. 14-17, with over 1,800 rare items from horror movie staples to cult classics going up for bidding. Those include Kurt Russell’s hat from 1982s “The Thing”, a ‘Ghost Face’ mask autographed by “Scream” star Henry Winkler, and James Cameron’s heavily annotated “Aliens” script, which is said to be worth tens of thousands. Fans of the “Halloween” franchise could walk away with ‘Michael Myers” burned mask from the 2002’s “Halloween: Resurrection”, and other memorabilia comes from films like “Cult of Chucky,” “Freddy vs. Jason,” “Jeepers Creepers,” “Hellraiser,” and “Shaun of the Dead”.
-TMZ
★ “Scary Movie,” the comedy franchise that parodied horror movies like “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” is getting rebooted. The Wayans brothers are reuniting for the first time in 18 years to write an original script for the franchise restart. The Wayans brothers and Rick Alvarez will produce. Scary Movie was one of the highest-grossing R-rated horror movies of all time. Production on the reboot is set to begin next year.
-TheWrap
★ The ghost of screen legend Marilyn Monroe is said to be haunting a Hollywood hotel. The “Some Like It Hot” star – who died in 1962 at age 36 – spent 2 years living at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles at the start of her career — and now it’s been claimed her spirit has returned to the building and has been sighted there many times. Singer Brocarde – who claims to have spotted Marilyn’s ghost by the pool, said she has “heard multiple reports of psychics seeing the apparition of Marilyn over the years”, and she “was quite bemused when I did.”
-ContactMusic
★ Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper won’t be popping champagne when the clock strikes midnight — they may be grabbing something even stronger. Cohen confirmed that when the 2 host CNN’s annual New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31, they not only will be allowed to drink on camera, he teased that he and his cohost are in for a boozy night. When asked about it, Cohen said to Variety: “Yes! You bet! After what Anderson did in that hurricane, I’m not only giving him tequila, I’m throwing it at him.” The veteran news anchor endured being struck by debris while covering Hurricane Milton in Florida, after which many fans called on CNN to give the all-clear for Anderson (and Cohen) to let loose as they usher in 2025.
-E!
TODAY’S SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC/Global): Anthony Anderson, “Science Bob” Pflugfelder
• “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV): Anthony Mackie, Sarah Sherman, Shin Lim
• “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (CBS/Global): Seth Meyers, Mohanad Elshieky
• “After Midnight” (CBS/Global): Marcella Arguello, Justin Willman, Caroline Rhea
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV): TBA
• “Watch What Happens Live” (Bravo): Casey Wilson, Danielle Schneider, Jennifer Pedranti
• “The Daily Show” (COM): Connie Chung, host Ronny Chieng
• “The View” (ABC/CTV): Guest TBA, celebrating Halloween with Boo Are You Wearing?
• “The Talk” (CBS): “Rocktober Ultimate Lip Sync Challenge” with emcee Bill Bellamy
• “Live With Kelly and Mark” (ABC/CTV): Halloween show and audience costume contest
• “The Kelly Clarkson Show” (Check local listings): Reba McEntire and Rex Linn, Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone, The Boulet Brothers
• “The Drew Barrymore Show” (Check local listings): Mariah Carey
• “The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Check local listings): Halloween with Janelle Monáe
• “Ghosts” (CBS): Halloween 4: The Witch: The ghosts, seeking excitement during a low-key Halloween, join Patience in putting Sam on a witch trial.
• “Law & Order” (NBC): A student is accused of killing his teacher; when the suspect’s age puts the case in limbo, Price and Maroun put the school’s policies on trial.
• “Secrets of the Dead” (PBS): Field of Vampires: The 2022 discovery in Eastern Europe of more than 50 errant burials that indicate a perceived threat of vampirism in the 17th century.
• “NFL Football” (Fox): Houston Texans @ New York Jets
BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Beyoncé’ – Her attorneys are again asking regulators to register her daughter Blue Ivy Carter’s name as a trademark, more than 12 years after she and Jay-Z first sought to lock up the intellectual property rights to their daughter’s name. In a motion, her lawyers pushed back on a 2024 ruling that consumers might confuse the name with another Blue Ivy: a clothing boutique in Wisconsin.
• Chappell Roan – Her second album might be on the way sooner than fans expect. She took to Instagram to share pics, including shot of herself holding her “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” LP, and wrote: “Album kinda popped off imo but it is time to welcome a hot new bombshell into the villa.” She previously shared the potential single or album title “She Gets the Job Done.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/58nzb5cu
• Linkin Park — will play their new single ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ at the 2024 League Of Legends World Championship opening ceremony on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London. The song is the 2024 League of Legends World Championship Anthem, and will appear on the band’s album “From Zero”, out Nov. 15.
• Sinéad O’Connor – Her cover of Nirvana‘s ‘All Apologies’ is used on the soundtrack of the new trailer for the upcoming film “Queer”. Starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, the film is based on the William S. Burroughs novel of the same name. It will hit theaters next month. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/48txynac
• Rush — Geddy Lee will release his new book “72 Stories” on May 13, 2025. It will center on Lee’s extensive baseball collection. And Nov. 1, Rush will release the new vinyl box set dedicated to their time with Atlantic Records, “The Albums: 1989-1996”.
• Shaboozey — Just one week before his ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ would have matched Morgan Wallen’s record 16-week streak at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 from 2023, he lost his spot at the top – to Wallen. Wallen’s ‘Love Somebody’ debuted at #1 on the all-genre chart this week.
• Chris Janson – will drop the new single ‘Cheap’ tomorrow. He announced it on socials after several teaser clips of the tune, which chronicles his heartfelt reflection on life. Janson’s latest single ‘Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get’ is still climbing the country charts. LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3un6uywh
• Toby Keith – His team has dropped some new cups and sauces perfect for your next barbecue and gathering. They posted on X: “@TobyKPremium”, the brand Keith was developing prior to his passing, launched last month and the Big Daddy Cups and Getcha Sum Sauces are proving to be big hits.” LINK: https://tinyurl.com/3484bym4
SHOOTING THE BULL
BINGE EATING:
While the 31st of October is all about the joy of trick-or-treating and the sugar rush that goes along with it, November 1st could very well be all about having an upset stomach from the cornucopia of treats ingested the night before (…and probably in the morning, too). According to a report from the School of Medicine at the University of Washington, enjoying too much of the sugar, saturated fat and additives in candy can throw your gut microbiome into disarray. What does this mean to you (and more likely – to your kids)? A lot of inflammation, which can result in health issues ranging from obesity and infections to immunity impairments, and even mild cognitive impairment. Experts say that sugar-coated nuts and fruit such as honey-roasted almonds and candy apples rank among the gut-healthiest of the Halloween treats, while candy corn, Skittles and other sugar-candies are among the worst. Chocolate-based treats are somewhere in the middle. If the gut biome has been disturbed (that means if someone has a tummy-ache), focus on the “four F’s of food” (loosely speaking…):
☞ Fiber-rich foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, fruits, and vegetables, to regulate digestion and nourish beneficial gut bacteria.
☞ Polyphenol-rich foods such as dark chocolate, berries, red grapes, green tea, and extra virgin olive oil to reduce inflammation and encourage the growth of healthy gut bacteria.
☞ Unsaturated fats such as omega-3 fats, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, avocados, and fatty fish such as salmon to support a healthy microbiome.
☞ Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and yogurt to help replenish beneficial bacteria and restore gut balance.
(Also, parents should take control of all remaining peanut butter cups in the treat bag, just to be safe!)
(Well thanks a lot for telling me now what I needed to know 3 weeks ago when we bought 6 bags of mini Mars bars that were supposed to be handed out tonight – but they’re gone!)
-TheConversation
BINGE WATCHING:
Binge-watching is a relatively new thing, brought on by the age of streaming. And many of us have spent an entire evening – or an entire day or weekend making our way through a season – or an entire show. And that might seem like something that you could be called “lazy” for doing, new findings indicate that, actually, it takes a whole lot of self-control to binge-watch. Researchers from the University of California-San Diego’s Rady School of Management and School of Global Policy and Strategy found that people usually must first schedule their binge watching. That’s because, to most, it is important to watch that TV show or movie series in the correct order – and that means they must make sure they know where to access them all. It also means we also must pay money or time to binge-watch something. So, as the researchers point out, the next time you feel guilty about binge-watching, remember this: While the term “binge” implies impulsive behavior, binge-watching TV is a common activity, planned out in advance by viewers.
(Wow. Only some slacker-dude researcher in California would come up with a study that finds it’s good to spend all weekend in your jammies watching TV!)
(For us, just watching an EPISODE counts as binge-watching. Because kids. And because me falling asleep at 9:30!)
-StudyFinds
SWEET WINE:
Wine influencer Kimberlee Lizakowski, known online as “That Blonde Wino”, has come up with her list of the perfect wine and Halloween candy pairings. That’s right…mowing down those bite-sized treats just got better! According to That Blonde Wino, “The perfect pairing can enhance the flavors of what you’re enjoying, and wine and candy are no different.” Here are her ‘wine and candy pairing’ suggestions…
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and merlot: “The warm fruity notes of merlot pair well with the chocolate-peanut butter perfection of a Reese’s.”
• Sour Patch Kids and pinot grigio: “A crisp white like pinot grigio tones down the tartness of the candy.”
• M&M’s and Gamay: “A light, fruity red pairs nicely with the milk chocolate in M&M’s and with their extra sugar kick from the candy coating.”
• Peanut M&M’s and malbec: “The chocolate in M&M’s mixed with malbec’s velvet-like finish and the slight saltiness of the peanuts is the perfect combination.”
• Starburst and viognier: “With Starbursts being so juicy, a full-bodied viognier is the perfect match.”
• Twizzlers and Sangiovese: “A lot of the fruity notes found in Twizzlers such as cherry and plum, can also be found in a Sangiovese.”
• Candy corn and chardonnay: “The creaminess of a chardonnay complements the flavors in candy corn nicely by muting some of that high-sugar taste.”
• Hershey’s and zinfandel: “The fruit-forward notes in zinfandel balance out the classic creamy flavors in a Hershey’s bar.”
• Kit Kat and pinot noir: “The jammy notes in a pinot noir are a nice complement to the chocolate coating of a Kit Kat.”
• Twix and cabernet sauvignon: “A bold cab paired with a more complex candy like Twix and its many different layers of flavor…keeps you wanting more with every bite.”
(I think I’ve just found my soulmate!)
(After a night of chasing my kids around the neighborhood, then trying to get their sugar-infused little brains to calm down and sleep, I think I’ll just pair my wine with…wine!)
-NYPost, first published in BS in 2023
THE 12 MOST COMMON NIGHTMARES:
According to a survey of 2,000 people conducted last year…
1. Falling – 64.7% reported dreams of this
2. Being Chased – 63.3%
3. Death – 54.9%
4. Feeling Lost – 53.8%
5. Being Trapped – 52.4%
6. Getting Attacked – 49.5%
7. Missing an Important Event – 43.7%
8. Waking Up Late – 42.6%
9. Death of a Loved One – 35.8%
10. Being Injured – 35.1%
11. Losing Teeth – 34.3%
12. Natural Disaster 31.9%
(I was sure that being naked in public would be one of the most-common nightmares that people have. And by ‘naked in public’, I mean ‘ME naked in public’!!)
-NYPost
BEST HORROR MOVIES OF ALL-TIME:
This is according to a panel of cinema experts at Variety magazine…
1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974): Very few horror movies possess the quality of a true nightmare — that scary bad dream you can’t wake up from. A masterpiece of terror, starting with the title.
2. The Exorcist (1973): William Friedkin’s (faint-inducing) classic remains so compelling because everyone involved commits to the realism of demonic possession. Ellen Burstyn’s unflinching commitment to rational explanations for what’s wrong with her child perfectly sets up the bed-levitating, head-rotating and projectile vomiting of Linda Blair’s character Regan. The evil feels believable…
3. Psycho (1960): Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest film is a landmark of cinematic horror. 64 year later, every detail and motif — birds, drains, eyes, windshield wipers, stairway, swamp, shrieking violins, not to mention Mrs. Bates’ Victorian-bunned head — is nothing less than iconic.
4. Jaws (1975): It not only gave audiences several good jolts, young Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster compelled millions to avoid the water, for fear that they might be attacked in places where a fin has never even been sighted.
5. Rosemary’s Baby (1968): Roman Polanski’s brilliantly disturbing thriller is rooted in a fearful vision of pregnancy that’s sympathetic to the very women it could give a nightmare to. It’s also the most intimate movie about Satan ever made.
6. Night of the Living Dead (1968): The notion of brain-dead corpses rising from their graves — as presented in George Romero’s genre-defining classic — is as homegrown a fear as horror cinema has to offer, and it spawned hordes of imitators. (…and sequels!)
7. Audition (1999): It would be no exaggeration to say that Takashi Miike’s ultraviolent thriller is the “Citizen Kane” of visionary sadistic feminist revenge fantasies. (Critics always feel the need to include a few weirdo films like this in their lists…)
8. Frankenstein (1931): The ultimate and perfect monster movie. Boris Karloff ’s creature, now the quintessential icon of Old Hollywood horror, was an image of pure disfigured terror.
(***Caution – Content***) 9. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975): Pier Pasolini’s obscene art-house endurance test mirrors the Marquis de Sade’s most controversial work, as a group of innocents are subjected to unspeakable degradation. (Sorry about the title…)
10. Carrie (1976): Pure fairy-tale horror bliss. A Cinderella-goes-to-the-prom-and-gets-a-bloodbath story from Steven King.
-Variety
DID YOU KNOW?
An optometrist says he has the solution to eyestrain. A poll revealed that 7 out of 10 adults experience screen-related eye strain. Not only that, but 40% rarely remember to rest their eyes, and 20% NEVER take a break. Board-certified optometrist Bryce Appelbaum, O.D. says that the “20-20-20” rule is a simple hack to help alleviate the ache that comes with spending hours in front of a screen. That means “taking a break every 20 minutes, looking at something at least 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds.” He says that the eyes are, in fact, muscles, and it is necessary to “unclench” them regularly, by focusing on something a different distance away.
-NYPost
BS CHRONOMETER 10.31.24
TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Halloween”, also known as ‘Hallowe’en’ (a contraction of “All Hallows’ evening), less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, it is a long-time tradition in the US and Canada. The celebration spread to many other countries by the late 1900s and early 2000s. Its origins come from a Celtic festival for the dead called “Samhain.” Celts believed the ghosts of the dead roamed Earth on this day, so people would dress in costumes and leave “treats” at their front doors to appease them.
• “Caramel Apple Day”, saluting the tasty Fall treat made by dipping apples on a stick into hot caramel. Not many people hand them out to trick-or-treaters anymore, but you can enjoy one yourself! (And for our money, they beat ‘candy apples’ by a long shot! BTW, it is also “Candy Apple Day”)
• “Carve a Pumpkin Day”, your last chance to carve a pumpkin because Halloween is tonight. Pull out your patterns and get to work. (Or try carving a turnip…that’s what the Irish originally carved faces into…)
• “International Magic Day,” traditionally a day for magicians to meet, celebrated on the anniversary of Harry Houdini’s death on October 31st, 1926.
• “Doorbell Day”. Gee, I wonder why they picked today? Doorbell day recognizes the little buzzer, unique tones, and rings that alert us to visitors, on this, the day that they will ring more than any other. (Should this occasion by renamed “Doorbell-Cam Day”?)
• “International UNICEF Day”, observed on October 31st since 1967, the reason many trick-or-treaters collect donations in UNICEF coin boxes.
• “Girl Scout Founder’s Day”. Juliette Gordon Low, also known as Daisy, who was born on October 31, 1860, was the founder of Girl Scouts of the USA.
• “Knock-Knock Jokes Day”, celebrating their momentous contribution to the comedy world.
Two of the worst:
1. “Knock-Knock.” “Who’s there?” “Cows go.” “Cows go who?” “No, silly. Cows go Moo.”
2. “Knock-knock.” “Who’s there?” “Interrupting pirate.” “Interrupt…” “ARRRRRRRRR!”
AND REMEMBER . . .
[Fri] Vegan Day
[Fri] Give Up Your Shoulds Day
[Sat] Cookie Monster Day
[Sun] Cliché Day
This Week is…Red Ribbon Week (for keeping kids drug-free)
This Month is…Sausage Month
TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1931 [93] Dan Rather, Wharton TX, TV news anchor (“CBS Evening News 1981-2005”, “60 Minutes” 1968-81, “The Big Interview with Dan Rather” since 2013)
1961 [63] Larry Mullen Jr, Dublin Ireland, rock drummer (U2-‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, ‘With or Without You’)
1961 [63] Peter Jackson, Pukerua Bay New Zealand, movie director-producer (“The Hobbit” films, “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “The Beatles: Get Back”)
1963 [61] Dermot Mulroney, Alexandria VA, movie actor (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”, “Young Guns”)/TV actor (“Shameless” 2015-17) COMING UP… “Play Dirty”
1963 [61] Rob Schneider, San Francisco CA, movie actor (“Deuce Bigalow”, “Hot Chick”)/TV actor (Saturday Night Live 1990-94)/father of Elle King
1966 [58] Adam Horovitz (‘Ad-Rock’), New York NY, rapper-guitarist (Beastie Boys-‘Fight for Your Right [to Party!]’)
1967 [57] Vanilla Ice (Rob Van Winkle), Dallas TX, rapper (‘Ice, Ice Baby’ and….ummmm….) /“Dancing With the Stars” season 23 contestant [Fun Fact: ‘Ice Ice Baby’ was the first hip hop song to top the Billboard Singles Chart]
1976 [48] Piper Perabo, Dallas TX, movie actress (“Coyote Ugly”, “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle”)/TV actress (“Yellowstone” 2021-22, “Covert Affairs” 2010-14)
1993 [31] Letitia Wright, Georgetown Guyana (raised in London UK), movie actress (‘Shuri’ in “Black Panther” and “Avengers” movies, “Urban Hymn”)
2000 [24] Willow Smith, Los Angeles CA, pop singer (‘Whip My Hair’, ‘Fireball’)/TV host (“Red Table Talk” co-host 2018-23)/movie actress (“I Am Legend”)/daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith
THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
2006 [18] After 35 years at the helm, host Bob Barker announces he’ll retire from “The Price Is Right” (Drew Carey takes over).
2020 [04] ‘James Bond’ actor Sean Connery dies at his home in the Bahamas at age 90.
TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS. . .
2005 [19] The white suit John Lennon wore on the cover of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album sells at an Amnesty International charity auction in Las Vegas for $118,000.
2022 [02] Taylor Swift becomes the first artist ever to claim all top 10 slots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, all songs from her album “Midnights”.
TODAY’S FIRSTS . . .
1892 [132] Arthur Conan Doyle publishes “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”.
2011 [13] “Day of Seven Billion”, the day designated by the UN Population Fund as the approximate date when the world’s population reached 7 billion (coincidentally all of them are in front of you at Starbucks!) Current world population: 8.19 billion…and counting. UPDATES: http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
BULL’S BITS
BS WHACK HALLOWEEN FACTS:
✓ Halloween has variously been called ‘All Hallows’ Eve’, ‘Witches Night’, ‘Lamswool’, ‘Snap-Apple Night’, ‘Samhaim’, and ‘Summer’s End’.
✓ The original name of ‘Count Dracula’ in Bram Stoker’s famous book was ‘Count Wampyr’.
✓ The word “witch” comes from the Old English ‘wicce’, meaning “wise woman.”
✓ The sounds of stabbing in the “Halloween” movie were made by a knife being plunged into a watermelon.
✓ Pumpkins are classified as a fruit, not as a vegetable.
✓ The average bag of candy that one child will collect on Halloween contains about 11,000 calories.
-Reader’sDigest, GoodHousekeeping, FactRetriever
Best of BS . . .
BS TAKE THE HORROR OUT OF HORROR FILMS:
• The Amityville Hor D’oeuvres
• Texas Chain Store Mascara
• Nightmare Traffic On Elm Street
• Rosemary’s Fur Baby
• The Decent
• An American Woolworths In London
• The Fly…Swatter
• The Blair Sandwich Project
• I Know Who You Did Last Summer
• Friday the 30th
• The Craft, featuring Martha Stewart. Okay, maybe that’s just scary in a different way.
-Twitter, first published in BS in 2018
BS PET PEEVES OF TRICK-OR-TREATERS:
✪ People who forget to buy candy and just offer you a bite of their sandwich.
✪ People who want receipts.
✪ When your Mariachi costume is so convincing you get deported to Mexico.
✪ Encountering a jack-o-lantern that looks suspiciously like your mailman’s head.
✪ Black jelly beans that turn out to be blood-swollen ticks.
✪ People who sit outside on their porch at the end of a long driveway and give you the stink-eye.
✪ When you find something in your goodie bag called ‘Malted Meat Balls’.
✪ When as soon as you get home, your dad wrestles you to the ground for the Kit Kats.
✪ When they say “Trick-or-treat”, and the homeowner says, “OK….trick!”
✪ When someone gives you something healthy.
-First published in BS in 1998
BS WEB GOODIE:
THIS is why we’re afraid of black cats (sound up, definitely): https://tinyurl.com/mry3u8p8
BS RANDOM JOKES:
• I remember when Halloween was the scariest night of the year. Now, it’s Election night.
• I’m pretty sure that ghosts are really just people who died while trying to fold a fitted sheet…
BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ What is the most-scared you’ve ever been?
BS WATER COOLER QUESTIONS:
• A Halloween poll found that half of us will have THIS horrifying experience on Halloween. What is it?
Answer: Running out of candy for trick-or-treaters
• Scientists found that our fear of THIS is inherited from our ancestors. What is it?
Answer: Spiders and snakes
BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Halloween is not only about putting on a costume. It’s about finding the imagination and costume within ourselves…
