31 Days of Halloween finishes with last-minute costume ideas and scary TV

With only two more days until Halloween, we wrap up our 31 Days of Halloween column with some last minute costume ideas, suggestions of what to watch on TV and DVD and some fun Halloween trivia. Have a happy and safe Halloween!

WHAT TO WEAR

Haven't figured out what to wear for Halloween just yet? Come on…the clock's ticking! here are some last minute fast and simple costume ideas that will make you look like you've had your costume worked out all along.

Hugh Hefner: Throw on your pajamas, a silk robe, slippers and a pipe. every Playmate will want to hang with you this Halloween.

Mummy: A simple enough costume to create using gauze (or toilet paper, if you wanna go cheap) wrapped over white clothing.

Rubik's Cube: Have an old box big enough to cover your torso lying around the house? cut out holes for your arms and head, then use white, red, blue, orange, green and yellow markers or construction paper to color in nine squares on each side.

Twilight vampire: all you need to pull off the Cullen look is some blue jeans, a button up shirt (for guys) or a blouse (for gals), some glitter lotion rubbed on your skin and a bored look on your face.

If you're just lazy, here's some ideas to keep your costume simple:

n Carry a quarter and a hammer. What are you? A Quarter-Pounder.

n get an old box. cut a hole for your head. Attach book, tissue box and lamp. What are you? A "One Night Stand!"

n Wear normal clothes. Attach a dollar to each ear. What are you? A Buccaneer (Buck-an-ear).

n an empty box of cereal. A toy knife. Instant "Cereal Killer."

n Wear normal clothes and make a sign that says "Nudist on Strike!"

TERRIFYING TELEVISION

Best bets on basic and cable television to get your scary on

Thursday

n 8 p.m., ABC — You can't miss seeing one of the most beloved Halloween TV specials of all time at least once before the holiday, so gather the kids and tune in for "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and watch as poor Linus waits in vain for the Great Pumpkin to appear for yet another year.

n 8 p.m., NBC — Shrek and the gang gather in a creepy haunted castle to tell scary stories in "Scared Shrekless," one of the few new animated Halloween-themed specials airing this year. and seriously, who doesn't love Shrek?

n 8:30 p.m., NBC — You must watch "Community," as Chevy Chase's character Pierce dresses up as The Beastmaster (making this MUST SEE TV). The rest of the gang also dress up (often with hilariously scary results) in this "Night of the Living Dead"-inspired episode.

n 9 p.m., NBC — The gang at "The Office" decide to get into the spirit of Halloween by having a costume contest. as usual, hilarity ensues.

Friday

n 7 p.m., FX — Michael Myers returns to his childhood home to disrupt the shenanigans of a group who are attempting to spend the night there in "Halloween: Resurrection" (2002). Followed by "Halloween: H20" (1998) at 9 p.m.

n 8 p.m., TCM — Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee star in "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957), a classic horror film from Hammer Studios.

n 9 p.m., The Travel Channel — The crew of "Ghost Adventures" visits Vulture City, Ariz., where death awaited many during the gold rush of the 1800s.

Saturday

n 2 p.m., Cartoon Network — Mystery Inc. is joined by the band KISS in "A Scooby Doo Halloween."

n 8 p.m., ABC Family — Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker get witchy in the Halloween classic "Hocus Pocus" (1993).

n 8:30 p.m., NBC — Monsters battle aliens posing as jack-o-lanterns during Halloween in "Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space," an animated special that will delight fans of the film.

Sunday (Halloween)

n 7 p.m., SyFy — "Ghost Hunters: Halloween LIVE" finds the gang at New York's abandoned Buffalo Central Terminal, trying to scare up some ghosts.

n 8 p.m., ABC — Rob Zombie helps the crew of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" at the Oregon School for the Deaf, creating a haunted house to aid in fund-raising efforts.

n 8 p.m., AMC — Flesh eating ghouls terrorize a group of survivors holed up in a shopping mall in the better-than-expected remake of "Dawn of the Dead" (2004).

n 10 p.m., AMC — Based on the epic comic book series, Frank Darabont brings us the highly anticipated "The Walking Dead." I know what I'll be watching after trick or treating!

DVD/STREAMING

These scary fright flicks will get you through the final days of our 31 Days of Halloween. everything listed in this column is also available for Instant Viewing if you are a Netflix subscriber (and really, who isn't nowadays?).

"The Monster that Challenged the World" (1957) — A 1950s sci-fi creature-feature centered on prehistoric mollusk hatchlings that emerge from the Salton Sea and terrorize Californians. We're talking huge, overgrown slugs, here. Now that's scary.

"Yongary, Monster from the Deep" (1967) — when a mighty earthquake shakes South Korea, a terrifying reptilian monster burrows out from its subterranean lair and ascends to the Earth's surface to wreak havoc on Seoul in this "Godzilla" rip-off that is more fun that it ought to be.

"Sometimes They Come Back" (1991) — Everyone needs a little Stephen King at Halloween. This Heartland-set chiller based on King's short story stars Tim Matheson as a high school teacher who returns to his quiet hometown only to find himself haunted by malign spirits spawned by a tragedy from his childhood.

"The Return of Dracula" (1958) — After killing an artist in Transylvania, Count Dracula (Francis Lederer) assumes the man's identity and heads to America, where he moves in with the Mayberry clan and continues his nocturnal bloodsucking. You can't keep a bad vampire dead.

"Tales of Terror" (1962) — It's a triple threat of terror from the master of the genre, Edgar Allan Poe, starring a terrifying threesome of legendary proportions: Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone. This collection of three films – The Black Cat, Morella and The Case of M. Valdemar — offers everything horror fans can't get enough of, from murder and dementia to live burials, open tombs, resurrection and zombies.

HALLOWEEN FUN FACTS

n Some people believe that if you see a spider on Halloween, it is the spirit of a loved one watching over you.

n According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, you will see your future spouse.

n 90 percent of parents admit to sneaking goodies from their kids' Halloween trick-or-treat bags.

31 Days of Halloween finishes with last-minute costume ideas and scary TV

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