Part 1 of my conversation with guest Matt Phillion as we discuss Halloween and horror flicks. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Dead Meadow, The Cloud Room and The Beatings.

Show notes:

• Salem, Mass., is Halloween Central

• Just a straight-out fun holiday

• Can be frustrating for those who live in Salem

• Old-school newspaper pro-tip: Keep booze in yer desk

• "Write drunk, edit sober"

• As a kid, Matt was excited to dress up on Halloween

• Jay: All about the candy

• In NH, rural location meant we didn't have trick-or-treaters

• Don't get that many now

• Matt's costumes over the years: Robin, Julius Caesar

• Jay: Moses, Don King, Bootsy Collins

• Matt has a Batman mask this year

• When kids are scared of your costume

• Enjoyed Halloween more as an adult

• The Lunchlady and the Flasher

• Scary movies are fun

• Matt: Blair Witch had a great gimmick, not a great story

• So much more scary watching movies by yourself

• Matt: The Saw movies are terrible, but creepy

• Zombie movies are everywhere

• Allegory for fear of disease

• Real-life face-eating is scarier

• Horror movie remakes are coming out all the time

• Jay: Still remember the trailer for the late '70s flick It's Alive

• Horror films are good investments

• Jay: Loved the film version of The Shining

• To be continued

• Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Dead Meadow - Yesterday's Blowin' Back

The Cloud Room - Mrs. Marquis de Sade

The Beatings - How Many Times Can You Say Goodbye to the Same Person?

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review! The Dead Meadow song is on the album Warble Womb on Xemu Records. Download the song for free at RollingStone.com.

The Cloud Room song is on the compilation You Be My Heart. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Beatings song is on the album Italiano on Midriff Records. Download the song for free at Epitonic.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.