Veteran makeup and effects artist Joel Harlow continues to torture poor Riktus Grimm for the holidays in Old Time Radio Presents A Grimm Hallows’ Eve. For this holiday, it’s Halloween. Fair warning. Get yourself some candy before it’s too late.
Halloween night has fallen over Grimm Manor, a creaky old mansion where the caretaker, Riktus Grimm, lives, surrounded by ghosts. He settles in for the haunted night with a good book. Nearby, an elderly couple huddles around the radio for their annual broadcast, because in this house, Halloween traditions must be followed. One of those traditions is handing out candy, and if they skip it, a curse will befall the stingy miser. Knowing this, the couple sneaks off and rings Riktus’ doorbell for candy… then again… and again… not fooling Riktus with their lame costumes.
Riktus is far from happy, and the two costumed elders make the night worse. When two ghosts show up, sheets over their heads, Riktus finally loses patience and refuses to hand over another piece. Riktus doesn’t know that this time it isn’t the couple, and he’s just made a massive mistake.
A bearded, horned ghoul grins in the candlelight in A Grimm Hallows’ Eve.
“One of those traditions is handing out candy, and if it’s skipped, a curse will befall the stingy miser.”
Returning to his Old Time Radio world, creature creator Joel Harlow brings us another horrifying, whimsical tale for Halloween. As a follow-up to last year’s The Specter of Christmas, Harlow’s work conjures a sense of wonder I haven’t felt since Jim Henson built his creature shop post-Muppets. Harlow is doing world-building here, from intricately detailed set design to extensive monster makeup for his actors and creature puppets that would feel right at home in Henson’s workshop. I’m not the biggest fan of horror, but I can see myself living in this world.
A Grimm Hallows’ Eve is a tale of Halloween horror, but it’s accessible to all ages. The story is a fair warning to anyone who shuts off all the lights in their home to discourage trick-or-treaters from darkening their doorstep…just buy a bag of damn candy. Riktus Grimm returns as our hopeless protagonist, who takes his life way too seriously and is surrounded by ghouls and the undead who push him to lighten up…or darken down, whichever it is.
Joel Harlow continues to tell tales that I want more of. His imagination is so vivid that I can see Harlow soon serving up a dark tale for every holiday, one everyone will want to be part of.
For screening information, visit the Old Time Radio Presents A Grimm Hallows’ Eve official website.
"…world-building from intricately detailed set design to extensive monster makeup..."
