Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku..... - Day #31 - SILVER SCREAM SATURDAY (Final Screening)

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN, EVERYBODY !!!!!!!

Well, Boils & Ghouls... the BIG DAY has arrived !! Yes, October 31st is here at last and FINALLY we can REALLY get into the spirit of things (ahem!) and celebrate HALLOWE'EN in fine style !! Of course, this also means that the Countdown To Hallowe'en 2015 is now over, and this will be the very last post in the month-long blogathon that was "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku"!

Now those of you who have been regular visitors to this blog throughout the past month could well have come here today expecting another "Silver Scream Saturday" post but, given that October 31st is Hallowe'en, I thought I'd do something a little different today... so, I'll apologise now to anyone who feels let down by this unexpected change. Anyway, since much of the content for this month-long blogathon was geared towards hosting some sort of spooky soirée on Hallowe'en which could easily have involved catering for any number of ghoulish guests, I thought I'd dedicate this last post to anyone that might be spending the night alone (rather than at a social gathering) and offer-up a "best of the rest" selection of Hallowe'en / Horror-related Roku channels that you can settle-in to for the night and stream to your TV screen from the comfort of your armchair (bed, sofa, etc.) thanks to the "magic" of Roku !!

Before I get started on my "best of the rest" list, may I first suggest that you take a look back over the recommendations that were made throughout the month of October, under the extremely cryptic banner of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku", to see if any of those entries tickle your fancy for a "Spooky Saturday Hallowe'en Soirée" chez-vous !! My advice would be to first peruse the varied selection of "Macabre Movie Monday" horror films and/or my vintage horror recommendations of the silver screen from previous "Silver Scream Saturday" posts, not forgetting to also consider those which featured on "Wicked Watch Wednesday" in mid-week (all month long). Failing that... if you think you'd prefer more of an "audible" experience this evening, instead of something viciously "visual" to arouse the senses, then why not look back through each of the "Terrifying Tuesday Tunes" blog posts for some Hallowe'en "ear candy" to fill your virtual "trick 'r treat" bags?! Once you've decided on "sight" or "sound", you might well want to prepare a little something (food and/or drink-wise) to tempt your taste buds prior to commencing your streaming session and, to that end, there are (of course) both my "Fiendish Food Friday" and "Toxic Tipple Thursday" series of posts which should cater to all your needs in that respect. Then, while you're at it, why not take a look at each "Shocking Sunday Surprise", in case any of those happen to catch your interest?!

Anyway... if, after all that, you still haven't found something that you can sit & stream every shock & scream to, then don't panic because I have THIRTEEN TERRIFYING TREATS in reserve for you. These, for the most part, are the bread and butter of streaming horror channels... they fly the flag for "horror" all year round, and not just on Hallowe'en, which many of the so-called "big-hitters" are often guilty of. So, in addition to all of the channels featured (both this year & in the past) as part of my annual "Countdown To Hallowe'en" month-long blogathon, please spend some time checking out the following stalwarts of horror streaming on Roku and PREPARE TO GET YOUR FRIGHT ON !!!!!!

DRIVE-IN CLASSICS............................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

GRINDHOUSE CHANNEL...................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

CLASSIC HORROR MOVIES...............................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

SNAG XTREME.....................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

THE CULT MOVIE NETWORK...........................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

BIZARRE TV..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

FULL MOON...........COST: $1.99 PER MOVIE to $4.99 FULL ACCESS (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

VINTAGE HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR...COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]

CINEMA TERROR RADIO!.................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

HORROR FLICKS...........................................COST: £1.49 (MONTHLY) [Roku Guide Review]

OLD TIME RADIO USA.......................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

SHOCK RADIO!......................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]

HALLOWEEN SCREENSAVER....COST: £0.69 (ONE-OFF PAYMENT) [Roku Guide Review]

*******************************************

Anyway, that's about as much as I can offer you in terms of Hallowe'en entertainment on your Roku player goes (at least, for the time being) so, hopefully you have all managed to find a channel or two with sufficient content to make your Hallowe'en season just that extra bit special this time around?!

Unfortunately, if these particular Hallowe'en / Horror-themed Roku channels weren't to your liking then YOU WILL HAVE A LONG WAIT as there won't be any more of these dedicated posts until October 2016, when the successor to: "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku"will be unveiled. Still, that's not to say that there won't be the odd one or two cropping-up from time to time in my regular 'Weekly RoundUp' posts between now and then. Meanwhile... have a safe and happy Hallowe'en 2015 and, when you're done with this blog, please be sure to take some time (as I will) to visit the other contributors to the 2015 Countdown To Hallowe'en and discover all of the Hallowe'en treats that they have been serving-up every day throughout the past month especially for you !!

Fangs (as always) for stopping by !!

Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku..... - Day #24 - SILVER SCREAM SATURDAY (Screen Four)

Welcome back, Boils & Ghouls...

... to 'Day Twenty-Four' of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" and the fourth instalment of "Silver Scream Saturday" where, each week, I will recommend another horror movie classic which can be streamed to your television set(s) via the magic of Roku player !!

So if, like me, you plan to while away the hours during these dark autumnal evenings by watching a succession of Hallowe'en / Horror-themed movies to get into the (ahem) "spirit" of things, you should make a point of looking back through the posts I've made on this blog EVERY SATURDAY since the start of October for some absolute classics of creepy cinema to set the mood for the season !!

Today, I have decided... given the influence Japanese Horror or "J-Horror", as some call it, has had on the horror genre (as a whole) in the last couple of decades, it seems only fair to add a little Asian spice into the mix for this series of Hallowe'en posts. Fortunately, I didn't have to look too far before coming across a Roku channel that offered not only J-Horror, but also "K-Horror" (that's Korean Horror, if you were in any doubt) and "HK-Horror" (yep, you guessed it... Hong Kong Horror) as well as Thai Horror (dare I suggest, "T-Horror"... anyone? no? oh, well... I tried!). Suffice to say that, if you're partial to horror movies of an Asian persuasion, then you'll want to add this channel to your macabre movie viewing, in the final week leading up to Hallowe'en !!

It probably comes as no surprise to you, that this Asian Cinema-based Roku channel can be found in the "Movies & TV" genre (i.e. category) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Generally speaking, the 'Asian Crush' movie channel provides an assortment of the hottest summer blockbusters, plus leading martial arts & action films, popular animé & gut-wrenching cult indies as well as the newest romantic comedies featuring your favourite stars, all of which can (currently) be watched (on an ad-supported basis) completely free-of-charge. With movie genres (i.e. categories) ranging from things like Action to Comedy, Cult to Drama and Romance to Thriller, plus (of course) Horror, Independent Films & Documentaries, you'll never be hard-pushed to find something that suits your taste in films. Best of all, however, is that the movies are ALL COMPLETELY FREE TO WATCH when viewing them on an ad-supported basis. However you are also given the choice to pay & watch individual movies on an entirely ad-free basis for that full, uninterrupted movie-watching experience. The cost of the ad-free service is $0.99 per movie but as I always say, for the sake of sitting through a few commercials, I think you're better off going down the ad-supported route and maybe spending your money on some popcorn to eat while you watch any, or all, of these films for FREE !!

Obviously, having multiple genres to choose from in the main menu of the 'Asian Crush' channel means that not all of the included content is relevant to this post. As I mentioned before, there are other loosely relevant genres included (such as Cult and Thriller or perhaps even Drama, Action or Comedy) in which you might find something from "the best of Asian cinema" that grabs you but, sticking to the general theme of Hallowe'en, the (current) selection to be found in the "Horror" category of 'Asian Crush' on UK Roku player (incl. IMDB links) is as follows:-

• End Call (aka "Sataniki Klisi") [Feature Film] (2008) [dir. Kiyoshi Yamamoto] (1h 32m)
• Antarctic Journal (aka "Namgeuk-Ilgi") [Feature Film] (2005) [dir. Pil-Sung Yim] (1h 55m)
• Feng Shui (aka "Huang Jui Fa-Din-Khon-Likhit") [Feature Film] (2003) [dir. Bunthin Thuaykaew] (1h 33m)
• The Evil Twin (aka "Jeonseol-Ui Gohyang") [Feature Film] (2007) [dir. Kim Ji-Hwan] (1h 35m)
• Be With Me [Feature Film] (2009) [dir. Hong Dongmyung, Eun-kyung Jo, Jho Gwang-soo Kim] (1h 48m)
• Gurozuka (aka "Guroduka") [Feature Film] (2005) [dir. Yoichi Nishiyama] (1h 23m)
• Haze [Feature Film] (2005) [dir. Shin'ya Tsukamoto] (0h 49m)
• Haunting Me (aka "Hor Taew Tak") [Feature Film] (2007) [dir. Poj Arnon] (1h 31m)

Despite the rather small selection on offer, my own PICK OF THE BUNCH would have been the intense exercise in basic fear & dread, that is... claustrophobic japanese horror mystery "Haze" (2005) which was directed by Shin'ya Tsukamoto. However, instead... I'm going to recommend "Fine, Totally Fine" [aka "Zenzen Daijobu"] (2008) [RUN TIME: 1h 50m] directed by Yosuke Fujita. Now, I know some of you are probably thinking, "wait a minute, that's not even in the list", and you'd be right... BUT it is part of the 'Asian Crush' selection and can be found under the "Cult" category. I reserve my right to include it as "Pick Of The Bunch" on account of the fact that one of the principle characters, Teruo, is a haunted house enthusiast (obsessed with scaring people and collecting monster figurines) and whose dream is of one day building the most "Super-Ultra-Haunted-House-Deluxe" that will literally "scare people to death". So, if that doesn't scream "Hallowe'en" at you, then you're probably missing a funny bone or two which would otherwise get tickled to death by watching this cult comedy. If, however, you'd like to know more about this movie, IMDB has all the details VIA THIS LINK.

Moving on, and getting back to the "Horror" category (as outlined above) another recommendation would be "The Evil Twin" (2007), directed by Kim Ji-Hwan, as your next best option on account of the beautiful cinematography and costumes. That said, some of the translation(s) in the subtitling do leave a lot to be desired. If you've ever seen a lyric insert from a piece of Japanese vinyl, then you'll know exactly what I mean !! Other than that Pil-Sung Yim's icy thriller "Antarctic Journal" (2005) is also worthy of watching, thanks largely to the presence of Korean megastar Song Kang-Ho in the lead role. Alternatively, if you're in the mood for more of a Horror-Comedy (feat. four ageing-yet-still-outrageous drag queens running a boarding house with ghosts in the dormitory) try "Haunting Me" [aka "Hor Taew Tak"] (2007) directed by Poj Arnon. On the other end of the scale, THE ONE'S TO AVOID ARE... the likes of Thai horror "Feng Shui" [aka "Huang Jui Fa-Din-Khon-Likhit"] (2003), directed by Bunthin Thuaykaew, and Kiyoshi Yamamoto's "End Call" [aka "Sataniki Klisi"] (2008), but you can pretty much take your pick of the others and they should be ok. Still, this horror-themed content will ensure that you have plenty of ways to pass the time between my daily doses of Roku-related Hallowe'en horror in "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" while, at the same time, satisfying your appetite for even more horror movies in the build-up to Hallowe'en !!

Meanwhile, if you'd like to discover more about the 'Asian Crush' channel for Roku player, you can do so via their Official Website FOUND HERE. Alternatively, you can visit the dedicated page on their developer's website VIA THIS LINK. Those wishing to connect with the 'Asian Crush' channel can use their Twitter Feed: @asiancrush or else, get social with them via: Asian Crush (Facebook)

It may further interest you to know that, according to the channel description for the 'Asian Crush' channel, taken from the Official Roku Website, the channel was developed for Roku by a company called adRise. If that name happens to sound familiar to you, it could be because that company is also responsible for the development of the 'Premiere' channel available on Roku players not to mention the MANY OTHER FAMILIAR CHANNELS they have created over the years for Roku channel store(s) IN ALL REGIONS. Should you need to contact this developer, you can do so via their Twitter Feed: @ad_Rise or else, get social through: adRise (Facebook). Of course, you can always find out more about adRise by visiting their Official Website VIA THIS LINK, or by using their CONTACT FORM to ask a specific question that you may not have been able to find an answer to on their site. The folks at adRise would also like to hear from you if you're interested in partnering with them (either as content owners or advertisers), if you have some news to share, or if you'd just like to know more about the many other channels that they have developed for the Roku player. 

Those of you who wish to add this channel to the Hallowe'en-themed entertainment on your Roku player(s) but are, perhaps, unable to access the Channel Store on your device at this precise moment... can also take care of things by simply LOGGING-IN to your Online Roku Account, scrolling down to the 'Manage Account' section, and using the "Add a Channel" option. That way, when you do have access to your Roku player, the 'Asian Crush' channel will be there ready for you to watch whenever you so choose !! All you must do to achieve this, is type the following access code under "Add a Private Channel" and click the 'Add Channel' button:-

ACCESS CODE:- asiancrush

Anyway, that's pretty much all there is to it, except to point out that the 'Asian Crush' channel has been given an average score of "3.5 out of 5" from 1,458 ratings (so far) in the channel store description from the Official Roku Website. That statistic alone should be reason enough to give this a try, never mind that ALL THE FILMS ARE FREE TO WATCH too (even if they are ad-supported) !!

Having said that, if this particular Hallowe'en / Horror themed Roku channel was not to your liking then FEAR NOT because there will be something else on offer in tomorrow's post, continuing the month-long blogathon that is: "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku", as we bring you more devilish delights EACH AND EVERY DAY from now UNTIL HALLOWE'EN... 

So, with that in mind, I'd best get writing... so as not to keep you waiting like I did today!

Still... fangs again, for stopping by !!

Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku..... - Day #23 - FIENDISH FOOD FRIDAY (Fourth Course)

Welcome back, Boils & Ghouls...

... to 'Day Twenty-Three' of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku"  and to the fourth instalment of "Fiendish Food Friday", a series of posts in which I aim to recommend some "scary starters", "macabre mains" and "devilish desserts" plus an assortment of (ahem) "finger food", making it easier for you to cater to the ghoulish guests at your spooky soirée this Hallowe'en season !!

So, if you're planning to host your own ghastly gathering on October 31st, you should take some time to FINALISE YOUR HALLOWE'EN MENU SOON as there's ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT from tomorrow until Hallowe'en itself... I KID YOU NOT !!! So, rather than leave your ghoulish guests to go hungry during your fiendish festivities READ THIS POST for plenty of instructional tips and advice on "how to" conjure-up some tasteless treats (sic) to fuel the zombie horde and pile your plates high enough to feed the bats in the belfry with all the ghastly grub & ghoulish goodies you will have prepared for your fang-tastic friends & other crazy creatures attending your Hallowe'en celebrations !!

As I've been saying for the past few weeks now... the great thing about entertaining at Hallowe'en is that you can really let your imagination run riot and things can still be really simple, as well as creative, and it's pretty easy to come up with some creepy creations that will feed your ghoulish guests without too much trouble! Even if you don't happen to find something within this particular Roku channel, you'll still be able to get plenty of inspiration from the one hundred or so other channels which populate the "Food" category of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Well... time is now running out and, if you haven't sorted out your menu yet, you're going to need a crash course in catering for Hallowe'en along with a hailstorm of ideas... so, with that in mind, we're making the main focus for today's Roku channel one that will show you "how to" put together a beastly buffet, full of frightfully fiendish foodstuffs and devilishly delicious desserts, that can all be washed down with a pick of the poisons from your wonderfully wicked wine cellar. Suffice to say that, if your guests are partial to novelty nibbles of a Hallowe'en variety, then you'll definitely want to add this channel to your macabre menu planning, as you prepare the H(orr)ors d'oeuvres in readiness for Hallowe'en !! 

As you might expect from the name, this recipe-based Roku channel can be found in the "Food" genre (i.e. category) of the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. Generally speaking, the 'CHOW' channel provides videos covering many aspects of cooking & entertaining that range from good food recipes to restaurant advice. The particular features of interest, with regard to the forthcoming Hallowe'en festivities, that can be found on this channel include videos on "How To Crush Ice For Cocktails", "How To Make Deviled Eggs" or "Pumpkin Spiced Cookies" and "How To Make Pumpkin Pie". These will ensure that you have plenty of ways to pass the time between my daily doses of Roku-related Hallowe'en horror in "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku" while, at the same time, helping you prepare for your own Hallowe'en party celebrations !!

According to the channel description for the 'CHOW' channel taken from the Official Roku Website, the content providers are also responsible for the development of the 'CHOW' channel on Roku so, obviously, their talents don't just end with making original videos to fulfil your cooking & entertaining needs online, as with their website. If you need to contact the developer, you can do so via their Twitter Feed: @chow or else, get social with them via: CHOW (Facebook). Of course, you can also find out more about the 'CHOW' channel for Roku by visiting their official website VIA THIS LINK !!

For those of you who'd like to add this channel to the Hallowe'en-themed entertainment on your Roku player(s) but are, perhaps, unable to access the Channel Store on your device at this precise moment... you can also take care of things by simply LOGGING-IN to your Online Roku Account, scrolling down to the 'Manage Account' section, and using the "Add a Private Channel" option. That way, when you do have access to your Roku player, the 'CHOW' channel will be there ready for you to watch whenever you so choose !! All you must do to achieve this, is to type the following access code into the data entry field under "Add a Private Channel" and click the 'Add Channel' button:-

ACCESS CODE:- chow

Anyway, that's pretty much all there is to it, except to point out that the 'CHOW' channel has been given an average score of "3.5 out of 5" from 1,278 ratings (so far) in the channel store description on the Official Roku Website. That statistic alone should be reason enough to give it a try !!

Finally, to round-off this fourth instalment of "Fiendish Food Friday" on 'Day Twenty-Three' of the 'Countdown To Halloween' for 2015, I thought I'd best remind you (again) of how NOT to approach your pumpkin carving, thanks to this short clip by a very well-known "celebrity chef" from Sweden...

REMEMBER: DON'T BE A 'MUPPET'... chainsaws are for texan-style massacres at the movies, so be sure to carve your pumpkin(s) carefully using something better suited to a task such as this !!

Anyway, that's all for today... just remember to come back in 24-hours for 'Day Twenty-Four' and more Hallowe'en-themed content, courtesy of "Alucard's Bat-tastic Guide To Hallowe'en On Roku", when I will reveal your next helping of horror for "Silver Scream Saturday", and then (again) this time next week for the very last "Fiendish Food Friday" of our "Countdown To Hallowe'en" 2015... not forgetting, when you're done, to visit the other contributors to the 2015 Countdown To Hallowe'en and see what kind of Hallowe'en treats they have in store for you between now and October 31st! :-)

Fangs (as always) for reading !!