Halloween Wars - General Discussion

[OtherLevelJ]

Yup, it's really me. How did I put up with it? Well, it seemed clear from the beginning that the name of the game was Antagonize The Big Dumb Redneck From Podunk Georgia Until He Says Or Does Something Mean That We Can Edit To Make Him Look Like He Was The Jerk. Either that or my so called teammates were completely insane. I mean who acts like that?

One of the fundamental tenets in Mike Caro's Book of Poker Tells is that you find out what your opponent wants you to do and then you do the opposite. I was there to carve pumpkins and make art and to maybe get some attention to my work so that I can provide better for my kid. I wasn't there to score points or make myself look smarter that a 24 year old. It wasn't about ego.

So I just gritted my teeth and rangered on.

Oh yeah and I'm a YUUUGGGEE peace-loving hippy. It's a big thing with me:)

[Spunkygal]

Although Sugar Psychos won, it was good to see Underbakers somewhat come together. That chick Jewel drove me batty with her non-stop yapping about how much there was to do and it appeared that the chicks totally left Jeremy out of the discussion on the wedding idea. The dress that Jeremy did was really good and I hope next year he is teamed with two other people who aren't as obnoxious. Sugar Psychos worked well together and Santosh never disappoints. I don't know how many seasons he's been on, but I always want to try his tasting treats. His sugar work is so impressive. I am ready for next season!!

[caci]

I was only able to see the last couple of minutes, but I am incredibly glad Sugar Pyschos won.  I may have defended the Under bakers last week, but that did not mean I wanted them to win the championship.  Tomorrow, I can happily watch my recording of the show knowing my favorite team won!

[LexieLily]

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

Although Sugar Psychos won, it was good to see Underbakers somewhat come together. That chick Jewel drove me batty with her non-stop yapping about how much there was to do and it appeared that the chicks totally left Jeremy out of the discussion on the wedding idea. The dress that Jeremy did was really good and I hope next year he is teamed with two other people who aren't as obnoxious. Sugar Psychos worked well together and Santosh never disappoints. I don't know how many seasons he's been on, but I always want to try his tasting treats. His sugar work is so impressive. I am ready for next season!!

It did seem like in every judging this season - small scares and the spine chillers, not to mention when they were called safe out of the bottom two every week - the two women on the Underbakers cried and hugged each other and completely ignored Jeremy. So no surprise that they overruled or just ignored him for the idea for their design.

[mlp]

This has been one of my favorite FN shows since the first season but I was almost glad to see it end this year because I was so sick of Jewel.  I can't think why the producers gave her the lion's share of THs when she was unpleasant, unattractive, whiney and also probably the worst sugar artist in the history of the show.  In any event, I was relieved and happy when the Sugar Psychos finally won.  I liked all of them and they did good work.

Santosh is just great .  He's been on several seasons I think and he has always impressed and been modest to boot. 

I hope Halloween Wars comes back next year but sans Jewel and Erin.  There have been a few problem people on previous seasons.  Gonzuela comes to mind and a blonde who actually walked off and quit on one of the early seasons but no one has been as annoying as Jewel.

[OtherLevelJ]

Congrats to the James and Al and Santosh for winning with an incredible piece. Yeah, they should have been competing against the Crypt Cookers but holy cow you should have seen the stage light they had shining through the window. Absolute gorgeosity! And that pumpkin werewolf! I wish I had been allowed to work on something half as cool as that. Great job all around imo.

Well gang, is everybody happy that the Sugar Psychos won? I sure was, because I honestly wouldn't have wanted to win with that team. I didn't feel like there would be honor in it. Feel free to challenge that, but I think it's fair to say.

On a side note, I would, however, like to take an opportunity to toot my horn a little. I carved a giant assed centipede in 45 minutes and we won a challenge with it. And this might just be my own bias talking, but I think we may have even won it legitimately (scale, scale, SCALE!). 

Anyway, please pardon me if it was smug to brag. It wasn't a season of victories for me if you can relate:)

[Madding crowd]

I liked the Underbakers scene and thought it was much scarier and had a better story than the Sugar Psychos. I do think the sugar elements being smaller and the tasting cake being dry did the Underbakers in. Loved  the big pumpkin dress!

[justjen]

I know this comment probably doesn't go here, but it has been bothering me a little since last night.

$50,000 doesn't split up 3-ways very easily, especially if the contestants don't like each other (and super especially if they didn't pick each other...do we know if they pick each other). Can you not picture Jewel saying she deserves more because of the variety of her position or something, like pumpkin carving is pumpkin carving and cake maker is cake making but sugar person does the accessories, tasting stuff, etc. (I know I didn't word that right, but do you see what I'm trying to say)? Also she was a horrible person and anyone who had the show on just as background noise would easily be able to tell that she was the instigator in her team's arguments. 

 

If she's going to be that controlling, maybe have her team up with Al of Sugar Psychos (that's a show I would watch with all the popcorn!). He was controlling with so much less drama and even though I probably would have told him to suck a d***, his team didn't seem to mind as much. "I need a stained glass window NOW!!!" Relax, dude, shit takes time to look good.

[BusyOctober]

Aside from her immature and bratty behavior, I thought Jewel was a poor sugar artist.  If there were a challenge for just sugar work, she would have been tossed out week 1.  Very sloppy, not precise and not as clean as the other competitors. I was also sick of hearing her tell us in every TH "we don't have tiiiimme for this!"

I really liked the shape and the coloring of the wedding gown (kudos, OtherLevelJ!), but I wish the top/Erin's bride sat a little lower into the voluminous skirt.  Wherever the figure's waist was should have been the point of connection to the bottom.  Overall, it was a cool story, but very glad the other team won.  They were definitely more consistent.  Maybe OtherLevelJ can draw a better (i.e.- anyone but Jewel/Erin) team next year and have his cool work appreciated!

[Crucial]

I was rooting for the Sugar Psychos all season long.  I could honestly tell that WAS a bouquet.  I saw flowers.  I didn't care for the "guest judge" at all.  Ahhh the bouquet threw me off..... (really?  that's like saying the eyebrows on the other team threw you off).  I thought they were the most consistent and each challenge they had amazing work.  I couldn't bring myself to vote or root for the Underbakers because of the two women on that team and how they were with OtherLevelJ .  The team was unprofessional only because of the two women on the team.  So many times I heard the pumpkin carver's work applauded but rarely the women. 

[mojoween]

OtherLevelJ one of my favorite parts of the season was when Erin and Jewel basically spent an entire small scare bitching at you about the size of the pumpkin and the judges were basically like "the pumpkin is the only good part of the display."

I never warmed to Jersey but if you take the season as a whole they were the rightful victors.  Although I too wish the werewolf had a neck.

[Amarsir]

11 hours ago, justjen said:

$50,000 doesn't split up 3-ways very easily, especially if the contestants don't like each other (and super especially if they didn't pick each other...do we know if they pick each other).

Is fifty thousand the amount of the prize, or the number of times they mention it? That was my pet peeve. We get it! There's a prize! But they don't have to keep reminding us. What's the worst case, I spend a few seconds thinking the teams are competing out of sportsmanship?

That aside, it was odd that the amount doesn't split evenly. It's not actually a problem since I'm sure it's all contractualized, but it's odd to go home to your family and friends and say "I won sixteen thousand six hundred sixty-six dollars!" 

7 hours ago, whimsey98 said:

Part of the problem, I thought, was that Jewel and Erin didn't seem to include OtherLevelJ into their decision making.  Maybe that was missed in editing, but, at times, Jewel had her back to him which seemed like a way to exclude him.  Poor form on her part.

If I had to guess I would suspect that's the origin of the bad blood. Early on there was a difference of opinion over creative direction and then the women decided they outnumbered Jeremy so they never had to listen to him. Blind guess of course. If @OtherLevelJ wants to correct me I'd be thrilled.

[OtherLevelJ]

One thing that HAS surprised me about all this is the number of people who are put off by the uneven math. Yup, it's a little weird. $13333 for each winner, minus taxes (there's another twist:). I find it a little amusing that the uneven numbers throw so many people off (myself included btw). Also, the way they seem to fetishize the amount like its fifty million instead of fifty thousand . . . I get budgetary restrictions but these days if your prize pool isn't ridiculous then you shouldn't lead with it imo. I certainly wasn't there for the money. Clearly I was there for the self-esteem boost and the team building:)

As far as the creative decisions go, I got less than 0% creative control. I don't mind the give and take of teamwork at all but there was absolutely no give with those two. If I had an idea it would get shot down and 'out voted'. They would paint my work black if they didn't toss it off the riser when I wasn't looking. And I didn't spend a lot of time looking because apparently carving pumpkins is a lot more time consuming than pulling sugar or cutting cake because for some reason I didn't feel like I had an extra hour to cry and create drama and make executive decisions about things that were not my area of expertise. The amount of my time they spent telling me how much they didn't think I had time to finish was mind-boggling

 

[OtherLevelJ]

Quote

11 hours ago, mojoween said:

OtherLevelJ one of my favorite parts of the season was when Erin and Jewel basically spent an entire small scare bitching at you about the size of the pumpkin 

 

I'm sorry but you have to be more specific:)

For realsies though every single challenge. Every. Single. Challenge. Not once were they happy with anything I did. Not once did they think their contribution was anything less than perfect. Not once. Every. Single. Challenge.

The most egregious example was the Medusa's New Do small scare where they told me the pumpkin was the worst part. I personally didn't agree and judges didn't either.

[Drogo]

Your Behind the Scenes topic.

[Drogo]

Folks, there's a new thread for Behind The Scenes talk here. 

This thread ("Demonic Wedding") is for discussing the events of the finale only.

[Spunkygal]

@OtherLevelJ, you have amazing talent...in the last episode alone, both the centipede and the wedding dress were awesome. I hope you are back next year with more inclusive teammates.

Would you be willing to tell more about how Underbakers was assembled? Sounds like you had never laid eyes on these two before. Maybe you guys were put together because your were first timers in the show? Hopefully you were able to network with other artisans through your appearance. And I hope you feel somewhat vindicated that apparently everyone else on this forum saw through the dysfunction. 

Edited November 1, 2016 by Drogo
Corrected @name.

[justjen]

It would be nice to know how the teams are determined. I casually watched a couple episodes from previous seasons when they were rerun in late September (I'm still super new to Food Network) and I just assumed that all three people somehow worked together as a career. But from watching every episode of this season, it occurs to me that maybe they were created during some sort of So You're Going To Be On Halloween Wars Orientation icebreaker game.

[OtherLevelJ]

11 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

@OtherLevelJ, you have amazing talent...in the last episode alone, both the centipede and the wedding dress were awesome. I hope you are back next year with more inclusive teammates.

Would you be willing to tell more about how Underbakers was assembled? Sounds like you had never laid eyes on these two before. Maybe you guys were put together because your were first timers in the show? Hopefully you were able to network with other artisans through your appearance. And I hope you feel somewhat vindicated that apparently everyone else on this forum saw through the dysfunction. 

Thanks for the compliments and Yes! you have no idea how vindicated I feel reading Internet comments about the show. While many people are crediting The UnderBAKErs with practically ruining the show, for the most part they are being incredibly kind and consistent with their compliments towards me. I can't say I hate it either.

I mean you all saw the crap I put up with. I went into that situation with my eyes wide open expecting SOME sort of fuckery, but I didn't expect two teammates who seemed like they were programmed to ceaselessly and baselessly criticisize and complain about everything I did-even the stuff we would plan out and agree to like the size of the pumpkin-and try to instigate a fight at every turn and overact like anything I said was literally Hitler. It was a bizarre and uncomfortable gas lighting, and if it was all staged then I think the plan backfired when I refused to play the Defend Your Ego game. 

As to the question of how the teams are assembled, all I got for you is a big nothing burger. I had never met nor heard of either of them. That's not a dig or anything. I just don't know a lot of bakers in Boston or sugar yankers  from New York.

Edited November 2, 2016 by OtherLevelJ
Sppeeling

[justjen]

6 minutes ago, OtherLevelJ said:

As to the question of how the teams are assembled, all I got for you is a big nothing burger. I had never met nor heard of either of them.

So...nothing like Voltron?

(I really do have work I'm pretending to do)

[OtherLevelJ]

JB was awesome to work with to be honest. I thought he was a real cool dude that was good at what he did, though I can see why the lightheartedness would put some people off who preferred a more somber Halloween vibe.

As far as judges go, can ANYBODY be a more appropriate judge than Elvira Mistress of the Dark?

Nobody has nicer legs, that's for sure. I mean I hate to make it seem like that's the most interesting thing there is about Cassandra Peterson because it's so not, but she is a preternaturally attractive woman. The camera does NOT do her justice. 

[Mabinogia]

I can't help but feel they put teams together hoping for the kind of drama they got from Underbakers but I think it backfired. While all talented, I did not enjoy watching them at all. Sorry OtherLevelJ, it wasn't you, but man was your group a toxic combo. I wish you had had a better experience because what drew me to the show was watching Bling Bats in the first series and how well they ended up working together. That is enjoyable to. I would love to have seen what you could do with a supportive team. Same for all competitors. I don't want to see melt downs or fights. I want to see people with incredible skills put in an environment that brings out the best in them. Yes, I'm a fan of Great British Bake Off and wish more competitive shows would follow their example. It is possible to get drama out of just watching someone carve a pumpkin that is threatening to collapse under it's own weight, or trying to carry a sugar glass window without breaking it.

It is sad to watch this show devolve into interpersonal drama. What made Bling Bats great was exactly the lack of that, and what they produced was amazing. If I want to watch people fight on camera I'd watch those stupid Real Housewives shows or Big Brother. I want to see food artists making magic.

[RealityCheck]

Halloween Wars, Season 7.premieres Sunday October 1, 2017 at 9PM.

Meet the Teams

Episodes

Quote

01 : The Hitchhiker's Worst Nightmare
02 : Secret Creature Reveal
03 : Monster Party
04 : Zombie Cooking Show
05 : Beware!

[Spunkygal]

Yay yay yay yay!!!!! Can't wait!

[mlp]

Hurray!  This is one of my favorite shows and I've been wondering if it would be on again this season.  Good news.

[JessDVD]

Awesome! I always enjoy this one, as long as the teams aren't totally lame. I scanned through this year's and I recognize Charity and Mike from the Morbid Masterminds, from previous appearances on Cake Wars and Ultimate Cake-Off, both were quite good so I have hopes for that team.

[Drogo]

The crew hits the road searching for eighteen of the greatest pumpkin carvers, cake artists, and sugar artists, while six ovens and seven tons of pumpkins await the potential competitors.

Six teams compete. Featured: what happens when hitchhikers find themselves driving towards disaster after accepting a ride from a terrifying stranger.

[LexieLily]

Bria, is it? The sugar artist on the team that was in the bottom two already has three strikes against her in my book. And baseball says three strikes and you're out.

Strike One: Yes, they've had contestants from previous years come back but I don't know that it's entirely fair that she is allowed to come back with a different team when she won the show and the money with her last team.

Strike Two: Some consideration and empathy for her teammate that cut himself and had to get stitches would be nice instead of bitching about how screwed they were now, considering the judges singled out his pumpkin motorcycle as the best part of the piece and reason they were staying.

Strike Three: I'm going to need her to be eliminated sooner rather than later if she keeps talking to the judges in limericks.

[crazycatlady58]

Yes I think she said something  on the line of " He decided  to cut himself  and now we may lose" ? That may not be the exact  words but close . That is the first  time I have rooted for a team to lose.

[Maverick]

 The returning contestant who thinks she's Mother Goose (spoiler alert:  sh's not) needs to STFU.   It was "her" pumpkin carver and "her" cake artist.  Just because you're doing the talking heads doesn't mean you're the queen and the others are there to do your bidding.  It's called a team.  Look it up.

 Tater can go anytime too.  I thought that "the pumpkins talk to me" was just a schtick to get on the show, but after that incident with the other teams picking pumpkins I think he legit believes that shit.  

 I thought the lumberjack truck should have went home but it wasn't even in the bottom two.  The truck wasn't the best display ever, but it wasn't bad and had some creative thought behind it.  I would rather see what else that team could have pulled out than Team boxy truck and stick figure lumberjack.

[Drogo]

Five teams compete. Featured: the horrific, hideous monsters that disguise themselves with normal human faces.

[Drogo]

The final four teams, consisting of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist, and a sugar artist, compete to create unique and appetizing Halloween-themed displays that capture what occurs when all of the most macabre monsters throw their own party.

[Wings]

This is my first time watching.  Is the cake provided by production?   And is there anything else they are given?  

[Rammchick]

The eliminated team had a concept that was too out there, sadly.  Points for that big piece of sugar that was amazingly clear.  However, points deducted for spelling cannibal "cannible" .  Tator the pumpkin whisperer can go any time, thanks.  Pushing the other guy out of the way because the pumpkin spoke to him was beyond rude.  It actually made me hope their piece wouldn't win, although I wanted to reach through the screen to get their tasting element.

[mlp]

Quote

However, points deducted for spelling cannibal "cannible" .  Tator the pumpkin whisperer can go any time, thanks.

Totally agree.  I kept waiting for a judge to point out the spelling error and was surprised no one said anything.  I thought Tator was a bit strange when I watched the intro show but now I think he's a lot strange and not very likable.

I like the guy who cut himself but the women on his team are awful.  They were both very self-centered and acted like he'd hurt himself on purpose plus the one who did all the THs looks and sounds like she's bored to death.

I felt sad while watching the shots of old shows and seeing Vinny Garcia knowing that he died not too long after his team won Halloween Wars.  I always liked him.

[Rammchick]

mlp, I didn't know about Vinny.  He and his wife, Michelle, were mainstays of these FN cake decorating shows.  Sad :(

Edited October 2, 2017 by Rammchick

[CherZ]

I can't stand Tator and I want him to be gone soon - also his work isn't good. But the sad part is the other two members of his team are really talented. I loved the Mary figure. Sigh.

Also Brie? Bria? I couldn't stand her on Season 4 and they brought her whiny ass back again. I wish she and Tator were on the same team so I could boo them at once. The other members of their teams are so much better.

If Halloween Wars pulls another Underbakers drama thing again this year, I'm SOOO out. That was terrible and good teams went home for the sake of reality show b.s.

[mlp]

Quote

mlp, I didn't know about Vinny.  He and his wife, Michelle, were mainstays of these FN cake decorating shows.  Sad :(

It was two or three years ago now.  He was diagnosed with some kind of leukemia and died just a month later.  I've wondered what became of Michelle because she was so dependent on him.  Very sad.

[Christina]

Michelle has serious issues. I didn't keep up on the drama, but she had a few GoFundMe's, moved a boyfriend in about thirty days after Vinny died, posted throughout Facebook that the new boyfriend was finally disciplining her kids because Vinny didn't, got arrested for purchasing a gun legally for her boyfriend who couldn't do it himself because he was a felon, pissed off the people who donated to the GoFundMe accounts wanting to know if the money they sent her went to the gun purchase, either admitted or joked about being a skinhead, which didn't make a lot of sense at the time because of her children, and after an arrest, possibly as the result of opiate abuse, claimed the cops beat her for several hours and the only other white woman in the jail laid over her to protect her from the abuse. She also claimed the cops stabbed her tires, which is why I'm thinking she was arrested for DUI and drove over something. There were also civil suits for her ripping off investors, along with those for selling cakes but not baking them or refunding the money. Many of the claims of fraud existed when Vinny was still alive, but her criminal actions didn't appear to take place until after his death. She was in need of some serious intervention for a while back then, and I hope she received it.

None of these teams have really drawn me in. The episode Hayride of Horror aired October 2, and still haven't been drawn in. I like a lot of the final products, it's not like I could do any of it, I just don't care much for the people, and I'm afraid they have decided to cast for personalities as opposed to skill, like everything else Food Network has screwed up lately. 

[Josette]

Hayride of Horror is a separate Halloween Wars series.   HoH features two larger teams competing against each other.   I was confused when I first tuned in, but here's the scoop:

Quote

Halloween chills and thrills continue as new series Halloween Wars: Hayride of Horror takes the competition out of the kitchen and into the pumpkin patch. When night begins to fall and the pumpkin patch closes for the day, two teams of master food artists - working in cake, sugar, and a whole lot of carved pumpkin - face off to create terrifying Halloween displays through three episodes, with one team taking home $15,000 each episode. But to win the cash prize, the winning team’s displays of horror must win the votes (and screams) of a wagon full of hayriders and judges Zac Young and Bianca Appice. Hosted by Harley Morenstein, Halloween Wars: Hayride of Horror premieres Monday, October 2nd at 10pm ET/PT on Food Network.

[Spunkygal]

@Drogo, it does appear that there are two Halloween Wars shows on FN as the above poster points out. One is the usual show which airs on Sundays and the episode titles are here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-wars/episodes/700

Confusingly, there is another set of shows called Halloween Wars on FN which is only three parts and has only two teams. It is called Hayride of Horror and is set outside, which is kind of cool. It has a lot of familiar faces from past teams including Froggy. This HofH airs on Monday nights. So perhaps the season  7 titles should be corrected on the HW main page. I don't know if you want to create another set of titles for HofH. 

Edited October 3, 2017 by Spunkygal

[Drogo]

The final three teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar artist go into battle to create stunning and scrumptious Halloween-themed displays that imagine what happens when a horrifying undead ghoul hosts their own zombie cooking show! Bryan Fuller, executive producer and creator of Hannibal and American Gods, joins the judging panel.

[Drogo]

It's the spine-tingling finale of Halloween Wars! The final two teams made up of an expert pumpkin carver, a cake artist and a sugar artist have slaughtered their competition and must face off in one last epic showdown. The team that can best illustrate the final seconds before a deadly danger strikes will be crowned Halloween Wars champion and win $50,000! Fiona Dourif, actress from the hit horror franchise Child's Play, serves as guest judge.

[Drogo]

Another $15,000 is at stake as two teams of master food artists face off in another Hayride of Horror battle. To win, they'll have to combine cake, sugar and carved pumpkin to show how to survive a night escaping the demonic inhabitants of a possessed zoo.

[Spunkygal]

I enjoyed this and it was a pleasant diversion from the true horrors of yesterday's news. When I saw that my DVR had recorded it, I was confused and think they should have just called it Hayride of Horror and not Halloween Wars. Last night was the scarecrow strikes back and I thought the winning team deserved it. The spurting blood and lighted rope were genius. But the pumpkin carving and painting of both teams was great. Loved the farmer's wife...she really had life! It was great seeing so many familiar faces although Froggy and Reva are the only names I remember. In my opinion, you can't have enough Halloween competitions! 

[mojoween]

Too creative?  Seriously?  Did she even SEE what the other teams did?

I disagree with the winning team because the car was incredibly out of proportion to the figure and I can't believe no one brought it up.

I just really need Vivian to stop talking.  I know that's mean and she seems like a lovely person but no.

Also the returning brown-haired lady can STFU too.  Sorry he ruined your night by NEEDING STITCHES IN HIS CARVING HAND.

[mlp]

Thanks for the update, Christina.  I knew Michelle had a sordid background but I didn't know any of that.

[JessDVD]

I thought it was unfortunate that Losing Team's design fell short, because I thought their work was the cleanest of the group.

Morbid Masterminds remain the clear winners in my mind. Their small scare was the best by miles. 

The pumpkin whisperer's team, I think won the larger one because the judges really liked the story behind it, more than necessarily superiority of design or execution. I thought they did well in creativity, with materials and so on, but I didn't really think it was the best.

I know someone from college who worked for Bleeding Heart Bakery (Vinny & Michelle's cake place) for awhile, and I always wanted to ask said acquaintance if she knew anything more than the internet chatter about what went down there, but I ended up not because we're really only facebook friends and if it was as ugly as it sounded from the internet chatter, it was possibly a painful subject for her and she would have been in the right to tell me to MYOB. (MMOB?)

[mojoween]

Wasn't the mustache guy on Halloween Wars proper and the nation cheered when he fell in his pumpkin and broke it because he was such a jerk?

I know the winner is up to kids but worms in dirt is so unoriginal.  Other than ruining macaroons by sticking almonds on them that was the best dessert by far.

[Christina]

16 hours ago, Josette said:

Hayride of Horror is a separate Halloween Wars series.   HoH features two larger teams competing against each other.   I was confused when I first tuned in, but here's the scoop:

I didn't even realize they were different people, that's how little these people mean to me. I should have realized that the extremely annoying, "He decided to cut himself" woman wasn't there, but I didn't. Once I saw that there was an episode of Hayride to Hell on this series, so I thought it was that show and they broke these teams into two groups for that display.