Halloween Wars - General Discussion

[Ilovecomputers]

Was anyone else underwhelmed by the themes or the talent?  I admire the carving and the sugar work, but I think the producers have run out of ideas.  Maybe they could just give six teams one week to prepare their Halloween masterpiece based on [whatever criteria] and let the viewers check in once a week (a day's time for the bakers) to see how things are progressing. 

[mojoween]

I’m just super over sticking zombies in everything and declaring it Halloween.

[Spunkygal]

I’m so giddy that the show is back that I have no problem with one second of it. But I am ghoulishly happy that Tator is not back! :evil laugh: 

[ShelleySue]

On 9/14/2020 at 6:42 PM, mojoween said:

 

At the beginning of “Road To...” the first person they showed was Tater and I was so scared he was coming back.

 

Add me to the list of people who are thrilled that Tater has not returned.  To be honest, I was afraid that he'd show up, like Jason Smith, as the host.  I hope we are rid of him for good.

One thing I've notice on the "Road to" Show is that the pumpkin carvers, with the exception of the guy who travels around with this family, all seem to focus on faces/heads.  And even then they only showed him carving pumpkin heads. But when they get on the show they are expected to carve bodies, cars, furniture, etc. I wonder where if they do more of that in real life or if they have to get up to speed just for the show.

edited because I want to clarify that the guy who travels around is a professional (chain saw) sculptor, but when they showed him carving pumpkins they only showed him doing a face.

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by ShelleySue

[bkathi]

I saw something where Allison Hannigan (who hosts the other pumpkin show) said they filmed last November.  It makes sense as they need a ton of pumpkins and squash.  Filming in the Spring would mean shipping in a ton of produce from the southern hemisphere. 

[Grizzly]

I wanted the annoying lady and her Easter parade attending catfish to go home! Do judges not critique that you can still see from the back of its head that it's a pumpkin anymore? I know the other team didn't finish the heads on their characters either but they fit the theme better. 

Apropos of nothing, I find Todd to be very hot.

[Maverick]

 Todd is hot, but he strikes me as one of those guys who's aware of his own hotness and little full of himself.

 I haven't agreed with the judges yet this season.  Last week, I would have sent home that brown monstrosity.  Being generous, it looked like what it was....a big pile of chocolate.  The main pumpkin work, that VW bus, was not good.   The paint job was embarrassing.  

 This week it was a little closer, but I thought for sure the catfish was going home.  The concept was good but it just didn't not come together well at all.

[Rammchick]

16 hours ago, Maverick said:

 This week it was a little closer, but I thought for sure the catfish was going home.  The concept was good but it just didn't not come together well at all.

The only thing the catfish had going for it was the head.  Otherwise, it was a total no.

[mlp]

I was also surprised the catfish team wasn't eliminated.  The head was good but the rest was awful and, as someone said, it looked more Easter-y with all the yellow.  Also there was nothing whatsoever to suggest a date of any kind.  The judges usually rule against scenes that have to be explained.  The spokeswoman for that team is really annoying.

My favorite contestant is still the fireman - can't recall his name.

[ShelleySue]

18 hours ago, Grizzly said:

I wanted the annoying lady and her Easter parade attending catfish to go home! Do judges not critique that you can still see from the back of its head that it's a pumpkin anymore? I know the other team didn't finish the heads on their characters either but they fit the theme better. 

 

2 minutes ago, mlp said:

I was also surprised the catfish team wasn't eliminated.  The head was good but the rest was awful and, as someone said, it looked more Easter-y with all the yellow.  Also there was nothing whatsoever to suggest a date of any kind.  The judges usually rule against scenes that have to be explained.  The spokeswoman for that team is really annoying.

I agree. I was surprised that they are still there.  There is just something about Heather (I think that's her name) that annoys me.  It might be her voice -- it just goes right through me.

I was watching old episodes and Shinmin Li has not aged at all.  I would love to know her secret.

[Ilovecomputers]

The challenge was “Blind Date from Hell.”  Catfish had no companion/date and was deemed by the judges to not be scary or Halloweenish. The other team, whose arm was said to be made of rice cereal treats covered with cake, mysteriously fell off a wall and broke. Their two characters had expressions and their vignette was interesting. They didn’t complete it 100% because of the arm accident, but it was still better than Catfish’s. Everybody failed on the treats, especially the thick “tickets.”  I had hoped the team with the movie marquee would have had time to do more sugar work for their marquee lights. 

[Spunkygal]

I thought the Monster Support Group was a pretty good episode and the right team won. All three of Mummies Rejects’ monsters were great and had such individual detail.  They knew their limitations and wanted each artist to have a chance to show off their craft. Crave Diggers also did a great job with their display. Yeah, it did read more party than support group, but I knew they wouldn’t go home. That swamp and dragonflies was gorgeous and I liked their characters. Candy Coroners’ bar scene was impressive. All that sugar work! Wow! The hanging bags of blood were clever and the bar counter was a masterpiece. Oh, I can’t believe that hanging chandelier didn’t get broken. In fact, every time any of the teams’ sugar pieces were completed, I thought “ok, is this the piece that gets shattered” but nothing did! The Ghoulicious display looked elementary to me. They had 5 hours and it didn’t look like they used all that time. So, bye bye Ghoulicious! I think the final will be Mummies Reject vs. Crave Diggers. 

[Madding crowd]

I liked this episode too. The other groups were head and shoulders above ghoulicious. They had a good idea with the odd eyeball group, but the details weren’t there. The winning team had the best look but the other two were really good too.

[Spunkygal]

4 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

I liked this episode too. The other groups were head and shoulders above ghoulicious. They had a good idea with the odd eyeball group, but the details weren’t there. The winning team had the best look but the other two were really good too.

The young lady in the Mummies Reject team really is clever with scooping out pumpkin balls and then putting them back in backward to resemble boils and warts. What lovely texture and creepiness that gives to the overall figure! 

[mlp]

I've been rooting for Crave Diggers but I had to agree with the judges on this one.  Crave Diggers had a really good piece but they missed the mark on the theme.  The winning team's display was all-around well done.  That blown glass ghost was amazing.

Some of the teams interpreted "doughnut" very loosely.  I was surprised ShinMin didn't say something about the one that looked like a little cake.

[Rammchick]

49 minutes ago, mlp said:

I've been rooting for Crave Diggers but I had to agree with the judges on this one.  Crave Diggers had a really good piece but they missed the mark on the theme.  The winning team's display was all-around well done.  That blown glass ghost was amazing.

 

It's just a shame that the background on that one was so dark and muddy, because the characters seemed to fade into it, rather than popping.  Otherwise, it was a great effort.  As for Ghoulicious, the artist's rendering of their idea was much better than their eventual product, and could have been cute.  Too bad it didn't come off.

[hilaryvm]

Did anyone else notice that the odd eyeballs had a monster with four eyes?  It was the one on the right, and I kept looking at it thinking it was missing an eyeball, but I just kept seeing 4.  The other teams were so far ahead of theirs, it was almost sad.

[Maverick]

 I felt like the criticism about missing the theme was a little weak.  While hanging out at a bar might be therapeutic for some, it's not exactly a go to spot for support groups.  It felt like they were dinging them hard on the theme to have an excuse to not give them a third win in a row.  Given they don't get anything for winning the second round, not the worst thing in the world if they did.  

 That losing team bugged, glad they're gone.   "It's not going to get any bigger, that's nature".   Sure that pumpkin isn't going to get any bigger but that's not the only size nature makes them in.   So 1) that probably means you picked the wrong size from the patch and 2) while nature wasn't going to magically super size that one, nothing would prevent from getting a larger one and starting over.

[Grizzly]

5 minutes ago, Maverick said:

  So 1) that probably means you picked the wrong size from the patch and 2) while nature wasn't going to magically super size that one, nothing would prevent from getting a larger one and starting over.

The cake artist saw the size of pumpkins he picked. She should have planned accordingly. Not make a fuss when it was too late to do a new pumpkin. Or it was all producer driven drama.

[Taeolas]

The right team went home. The eyeball monsters were good in concept, but in implementation they fell very short. 

Of the others, all three did excellent jobs. The spun sugar bar top was just incredible, as were the dragonflies on the other teams. I'd have been fine with any of them winning. 

[lh25]

15 hours ago, Grizzly said:

The cake artist saw the size of pumpkins he picked. She should have planned accordingly. Not make a fuss when it was too late to do a new pumpkin. Or it was all producer driven drama.

I agree, but the pumpkin carver should have said so.  Instead of going on about that's the size of pumpkins and take it up with nature.  He made is sound like there was just one size.

[ShelleySue]

1 hour ago, lh25 said:

16 hours ago, Grizzly said:

The cake artist saw the size of pumpkins he picked. She should have planned accordingly. Not make a fuss when it was too late to do a new pumpkin. Or it was all producer driven drama.

I agree, but the pumpkin carver should have said so.  Instead of going on about that's the size of pumpkins and take it up with nature.  He made is sound like there was just one size.

What ever it was, all that matters is that Heather is gone.

[Foodnetworkdiva6]

Is this the worst cast show on earth? I can't tell if it's low budget, or if it's just produced by the host and judges - so we can't get rid of them.  Shinmin is so frigid and unlikeable it's cringey.  Todd is painfully just okay and boring. Jonathon is possibly the least convincing and most un-funny judge ever.   What the actual fuck Food Network?

[hookedontv]

On 9/29/2020 at 11:54 AM, ShelleySue said:

What ever it was, all that matters is that Heather is gone.

^^^ I wish I could like this 100 times. Everything about her was grating, her voice, her facial expressions, her tone. I found Heather very easy to dislike. And limited talent. 

Boy, I'm in a cranky mood today!

[Rammchick]

21 hours ago, hookedontv said:

^^^ I wish I could like this 100 times. Everything about her was grating, her voice, her facial expressions, her tone. I found Heather very easy to dislike. And limited talent. 

Boy, I'm in a cranky mood today!

Did I hear her say that she went to med school, or was it vet school?  It was hard to tell which.  But perhaps a bit of a chip that we're picking up?

[Ilovecomputers]

On 9/29/2020 at 2:50 PM, Foodnetworkdiva6 said:

Is this the worst cast show on earth? I can't tell if it's low budget, or if it's just produced by the host and judges - so we can't get rid of them.  Shinmin is so frigid and unlikeable it's cringey.  Todd is painfully just okay and boring. Jonathon is possibly the least convincing and most un-funny judge ever.   What the actual fuck Food Network?

Thank you.  One of our local PBS stations used to broadcast town hall meetings.  I'm starting to think that might be more interesting...

[Maverick]

 I don't know what's up with the judges this season.  I thought the one they gave the win to was the worst by far and we're going home for sure. 

[Rammchick]

12 hours ago, Maverick said:

 I don't know what's up with the judges this season.  I thought the one they gave the win to was the worst by far and we're going home for sure. 

I loved that piece but they ruined it with that black sea floor.

I have the worst time with this show -- I can never remember the names of the teams!  But did anyone else notice that in the small scare, the team's piece of the guy looking in the mirror at the werewolf -- looked like Tater?!

[Madding crowd]

I thought the one with the giant kraken was by far the best. Yes the raft was too small but that was a minor detail. The winning team made a piece that was too dark and the bone broth treat sounded gross to me. 

[Spunkygal]

Candy Coroners: deserved the small scare win with the candy corn performing surgery on the other piece of candy. Loved their spine chiller but I wish they had gone with some pale greens or aqua mixed with blues instead of what looked like pale purple on the ocean floor. That made so many of their sugar creatures just blend in. The movement of the tentacles coming off the display was great. I thought this was their best piece yet and they should be in the final.

Mummies Reject: Drowning girl in beast belly. Again, the beast’s belly should have been a different color to highlight all the other creatures. That drowning girl was brilliant. And their tasting element sounded yummy. I knew they’d be in the final. 

Crave Diggers: Banker in the bathroom. I didn’t care for the story at all. Yes, the movement of the tentacle coming out of the floor was neat and the marble piece was brilliant but overall, it was my least favorite. I would have sent them home. 
 

[mlp]

I thought each team had positives and negatives so I had no idea which one the judges would send home.  Jeff the fireman is easily my favorite this year so I was relieved when his team stayed even though that team's display had no WOW factor..  I probably would have eliminated the team that won because the best parts were Steve's sugar pieces which didn't stand out against the dark background.  

[Popples]

I was shocked that the Candy Coroners went home; I really liked their piece. The judges kept going on and on about the tiny life raft but I thought it was for scale showing how far the victim was from it.

It was a bit strange that they all thought of a tentacled beast when thinking of claustrophobic situations. No one thought of trapped in an elevator or kid in the closet/under the bed with a monster.

[mojoween]

I’ve felt that Crave Diggers and Mummie’s Reject have been the best all season so I’m not sad they made the finale.

None of those three displays had even a passing acquaintance with Halloween, however.

[Madding crowd]

21 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I’ve felt that Crave Diggers and Mummie’s Reject have been the best all season so I’m not sad they made the finale.

None of those three displays had even a passing acquaintance with Halloween, however.

I thought it would be something closer to a monster in the closet than giant tentacle creatures. I wonder if that theme was suggested to them.

[Grizzly]

I thought Candy Coroner's creature was much better than Mummies Rejects. Yes the life size girl was spectacular. But I still would have sent Mummies home.

[ShelleySue]

21 hours ago, Madding crowd said:

the bone broth treat sounded gross to me.

One thing that I never understand -- the challenges, including the treats, are supposed to be a surprise, right?  Why would the kitchen have bones and marrow just siting around?  Is that something standard because I don't think I've ever seen it used before on this show.

 

[Madding crowd]

I thought the same thing. I’m guessing they plan the treats ahead of time and request a list of ingredients. 

[Taeolas]

It may be like Iron Chef, where the contestants are given a list of possible "surprises" they will get so they can do some preparation. And then when the actual competition reveals the treat criteria, they can modify from there. The themes of their challenges in general may be hinted at/handled with a prelist ahead of time as well so they have some ideas that they can refine for the actual competition. 

[Maverick]

I imagine they film this at a main FN studio and if so they probably have a central "pantry" that the various shows can pull from.   Alternatively, the contestants may be able to bring speciality ingredients with them.  It would be easy enough to work bones into most scenes on a show like Halloween Wars. 

[mlp]

4 hours ago, ShelleySue said:

One thing that I never understand -- the challenges, including the treats, are supposed to be a surprise, right? 

I've never believed that.  I think it's just like Cupcake Wars and Cake Wars where they gave the bakers the theme and they all rushed to their stations, whipped out sketch pads and came up with fully formed concepts with which all team members agreed - in a matter of seconds.  No way.

3 hours ago, Maverick said:

I imagine they film this at a main FN studio and if so they probably have a central "pantry" that the various shows can pull from.

If they film at FN, they are right upstairs from Chelsea Market so they can get pretty much anything they want.  

[Guest]

One thing that struck me about this episode was how good-natured and relatively calm all three teams were.

"Oh, the glasses broke; can you fix them?" "Sure."

"Oh gosh, the tentacle fell off." "Ok, I'll put it back on, how does that look?"

"The figure's taking a long time, I can't put any of my pieces on until that's done."....[figure gets done and everything gets put on with no further comment or raised voices]

A nice change from some of the "WHAT DID YOU DO????" "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" hysterics of years past.

[Eliza422]

On 10/5/2020 at 2:18 PM, Popples said:

I was shocked that the Candy Coroners went home; I really liked their piece. The judges kept going on and on about the tiny life raft but I thought it was for scale showing how far the victim was from it.

It was a bit strange that they all thought of a tentacled beast when thinking of claustrophobic situations. No one thought of trapped in an elevator or kid in the closet/under the bed with a monster.

I agree - my very first thought was monster under the bed...I don't really think of drowning as a claustrophobia problem. I have a feeling their original brief was something different.

[Rammchick]

17 hours ago, Eliza422 said:

I agree - my very first thought was monster under the bed...I don't really think of drowning as a claustrophobia problem. I have a feeling their original brief was something different.

That makes sense, because all 3 teams made some variation on the "kraken" theme, and it seems unlikely they would have gotten there otherwise.

[Ilovecomputers]

On 10/5/2020 at 3:18 PM, Popples said:

It was a bit strange that they all thought of a tentacled beast when thinking of claustrophobic situations. No one thought of trapped in an elevator or kid in the closet/under the bed with a monster.

Personally, I think being trapped in one’s car with a monster,  driving down a highway, would be scary. 

The banker didn’t look like he was sitting on a toilet. They should have put his pants around his ankles. I thought the expressions of the drowning girl were amazing—not the drowning girl with the potato chip sized life raft. Had to laugh when Shinman was presented with the bone marrow treat. She generally complains about things being too sweet. Not this time, hun. Blech!  I wouldn’t go near that for anything. Saw a different Halloween cooking show where a contestant dipped his hand in red food coloring and dragged it across a plate. Blood spatter is what these treats need. 

[Spunkygal]

5 hours ago, Ilovecomputers said:

Personally, I think being trapped in one’s car with a monster,  driving down a highway, would be scary. 

The banker didn’t look like he was sitting on a toilet. They should have put his pants around his ankles. I thought the expressions of the drowning girl were amazing—not the drowning girl with the potato chip sized life raft. Had to laugh when Shinman was presented with the bone marrow treat. She generally complains about things being too sweet. Not this time, hun. Blech!  I wouldn’t go near that for anything. Saw a different Halloween cooking show where a contestant dipped his hand in red food coloring and dragged it across a plate. Blood spatter is what these treats need. 

Ha! I thought the potato chip raft was a cheerio!

[Spunkygal]

The lovely Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, is usually a judge sometime each season but since she is amazingly in her 70’s, I wonder if she’s traveling these days. I hope we see her!

[Spunkygal]

Well, the right team won. That clown creature was awesome! Their pumpkin guy sure didn’t do much other than the bear and some smaller characters. The sugar guy was exceptional...I think he’s been on the show before. Their “scare” of the spider popping out of the box was a good plan B since the confetti out of the cake was never going to be scary. But I hated the requirement of a jump element. Just let them do their big scary creatures and quit pimping out lame ideas. So congrats to Mummies Reject. 

Crave Diggers had a fairly good presentation (and a great idea), especially the execution of their scary figure, and Joel the sugar guy is fantastic. But bits of it looked messy. That sofa looked like it had been picked up off someone’s curb. The babysitter’s phone and hand were messy. And there was no way their scary creature was going to jump up so they handled that the best they could.

I’ve said it before—I howl with laughter at the staged, fake breakage of sugar pieces. 

Edited October 12, 2020 by Spunkygal

[Rammchick]

Mummies Rejects for the win... great piece, even though it still suffered from the same background issues that plagued this team the whole competition.  It's as if no one stood back from the display at a point in the round where colors that don't pop could still be fixed.

[Taeolas]

Crave Diggers had the more solid jump scare idea, but their execution faltered. 

IMO that design they had planned shouted for a flash to be hidden in the "selficamera", and the monster revealed when the flash goes off. 

And they got hung up on the "jump" part. It could have been as effective if not more effective if they could have the monster "hidden" behind the curtains of the window behind the main character and revealed by the curtains falling down in time with the flash.

 

[mlp]

I was disappointed because I wanted the Crave Diggers to win but I really can't argue much with the decision.  The Crave Diggers had several execution errors and their scary monster didn't work properly.  Mummies Rejects had a good monster and Steve's usual outstanding sugar work but I didn't care for the overall look of the piece.  It was dark and murky and didn't look unified to me.  I'm glad I didn't have to make the decision.