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The theme song for the Halloween franchise is almost as iconic as Michael Myers himself. That simple yet sinister tune makes me want to curl up on the couch and watch something scary. There are no shortage of covers and clever reimaginings of this classic theme, but none of them are quite like this. Music making trio Foggy Mountain Spaceship picked up their banjos and did a cover of the Halloween theme song that’s a little bit country and a lot haunted. 

The video pays homage to the not-so-beloved Halloween III: Season of the Witch and uses a ton of practical effects. The three band members playing this banjo Halloween theme song cover are Chris Elliott on the five string Banjo, Chris Sheldon playing the Banjotron Acoustikit 2000™ Drums, and Kyle Ussery on the BS-1 BanjoSynth. According to a video description, they put their own spin on the song without completely losing the main melody. 

Suddenly, I’m in the mood to both wear a large hat and trick-or-treat…

The post This HALLOWEEN Theme Song Banjo Cover Is Country and Haunted appeared first on Nerdist.

IT: Welcome to Derry, the horrifying new series based on the Stephen King tale, has finally hit our TV screens. Set in Derry, Maine in the 1960s, the series expands on the town’s bloody past, driving home the horror and violence as Pennywise terrorizes the children who live there. Welcome to Derry introduces us to a lot of interesting characters. For long-time Stephen King devotees, there’s one in particular that stands out. That would be the familiar telepath Dick Hallorann, portrayed by Chris Chalk.

Where We’ve Seen Him Before

If the name “Dick Hallorann” rings familiar to you, you’re not going crazy. You may recognize the character from his first on-screen appearance in The Shining, though he was about ten years older. In fact, Hallorann has made several appearances throughout the Stephen King universe. Here’s every mention of the character up until this point.

The Shining

We first see the titular character in Stanley Kubrick’s psychological classic The Shining. Hallorann is a cook at the Overlook Hotel and possesses a gift called The Shining. He shares the ability with young Danny Torrance, with whom he warns of the dangers surrounding it. Hallorann plays a central role throughout the film, extending a hand to the Torrance family as Jack Torrance is possessed by the house. The character is later reprised in the Mick Garris 1990s mini-series.

IT

While Hallorann does not make an on-screen appearance in the 2019 film adaptation, he is mentioned in the Stephen King novel IT. Hallorann is revealed to be an army cook and member of a Black nightclub in Derry, Maine called “The Black Spot,” which is burned down in 1930 by the Legion of White Decency. Because of his telepathic abilities, Hallorann is able to save several Black clubgoers, including Mike Hanlon’s father.

Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep is a sequel to The Shining. The film expands on Hallorann’s backstory, revealing more context about the origins of his Shining ability. Hallorann tells Danny Torrance about his grandparents: his grandmother, Rose Hallorann, who shares his shine, and his abusive grandfather, Andy. After his grandfather’s passing, Rose teaches Dick how to lock away bad shine in a mental lockbox. Hallorann passes this knowledge to Danny.

Chris Chalk is the fourth actor to assume the role of Dick Hallorann, following Scatman Crothers in 1980 (The Shining), Melvin van Peebles in the ’90s (mini-series), and Carl Lumbly in the 2019 sequel (Doctor Sleep). In an interview with Nerdist, Chalk walks through his take on the iconic character.

“The previous depictions of Dick Hallorann informed me for about 45 minutes, and then I had to cut it off because then I had to do my job, which is creating my version of the guy with as much information as I have.” – Chris Chalk

How Will Hallorann Tie Into Welcome to Derry?

Stephen King fanatics are very interested to see exactly how the established character will factor into the terrifyingly gory new series. Naturally, we have to assume his powers come into play in Welcome to Derry, but how?

Episode One

In episode one, Hallorann is briefly introduced while working on the air force base Leroy Hanlon is stationed at. The episode leaves a bit of mystery surrounding the character, establishing him as a central piece to the story. The series immediately sparks a connection between IT and the telepath’s role in The Shining.

The episode emphasizes Hallorann’s focus on Hanlon, as well as his ability to sense the supernatural events unfolding in Derry. Hallorann is the only sane adult able to see IT in its varying forms, which will surely come into play as the series continues.

“One of the best things about this show and this version of Dick is that it is all new information,” said Chris Chalk, when asked how Derry will expand the character. “Everything in this version is new information that is leading up to a future point. So in some ways, I had an easier job than everybody else.

“One, I knew I wasn’t going to die. And then two, I have an incredible landmark, so long as I honor some of what has already been created. I can then with [director] Andy [Muschietti], with my castmates, with the script, develop everything I want on my own. It was very rare that anyone gave out character notes. So I think filling in those blanks of how he became who he is, that is a different exercise, but it’s also a very fun exercise as an actor,” he continued.

It’s safe to say that Hallorann’s Shining ability will play a crucial role as the series unfolds. It might even be the key to stopping the infamous clown himself. Be sure to check back at this post after each episode as more information is revealed.

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The post How Will Dick Hallorann Factor Into WELCOME TO DERRY? appeared first on Nerdist.

At Amazon’s Deliver the Future event in October, Jeffrey Schweitzer, who leads Amazon’s Global Disaster Response Operations, gave a rare inside look into how the company mobilizes its technology, logistics, and human networks to meet moments of crisis head-on. His journey from military interoperability architect at the Pentagon during Hurricane Katrina to the architect of Amazon’s modern disaster response strategy, illustrates how innovation and compassion can intersect to save lives.

When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, Jeffrey found himself rappelling down a 54-story building in New Orleans to install a hydrogen fuel cell–powered mesh network, creating connectivity where none existed. That mission of “impossible made possible” would later become the foundation for how he approaches disaster relief at Amazon today. In his current role, Jeffrey oversees a team dedicated to harnessing the power of Amazon’s cloud technology, employee volunteer base, and partner ecosystem to bring aid and innovation to communities in need.

Amazon’s disaster relief strategy is a blend of speed, precision, and empathy. The company works through national coordination channels, NGO partners, and local nonprofits to deliver critical aid and deploy technology in the aftermath of natural disasters. But it’s not just about logistics—it’s about understanding who needs help most. As Jeffrey put it, his team’s “customers” are often the underserved and unserved: the volunteer firefighters, small-town emergency crews, and rural communities that lack the funding and infrastructure of major metropolitan areas.

This commitment was put to the test during Hurricane Helene, a powerful storm that struck Appalachia. “We weren’t in North Carolina when it hit,” Jeffrey recalled. “We were standing outside the stage area, and four hours after the eyewall went through, we drove into the community.” What they encountered was devastation on a scale the region had never seen before, isolated towns cut off by washed-out roads, missing persons, and floodwaters that had reshaped the landscape.

In these conditions, traditional relief methods were nearly impossible. “The only way in was by horseback or helicopter,” Jeffrey said. So his team turned to technology. Partnering with other volunteer organizations, Amazon deployed drones to map nearly 27 miles of the flooded Nolichucky and North Toe rivers. Flying at 300 feet, the drones covered thousands of acres a day providing critical situational awareness far faster than manual searches could.

That effort exemplifies the future Jeffrey envisions: one where artificial intelligence, robotics, and data analytics augment human response teams. By using AI to analyze drone imagery, responders can identify where to focus search efforts, track infrastructure damage, and even anticipate where future flooding may occur. These rapidly deployable, tech-enabled solutions are part of what Jeffrey calls “Disaster Response Innovation” a frontier where Amazon’s engineering expertise meets humanitarian need.

But at its core, this mission remains deeply human. “Our customers are the people who struggle,” Jeffrey said. “Because I struggled. Everywhere I’ve been, it’s been a hard climb. So I look for the ones who need help the most.”

Through that ethos, Amazon’s Global Disaster Response Operations is redefining what corporate responsibility looks like in an era of escalating climate disasters. It’s about delivering hope, powered by technology, teamwork, and an unshakable belief that even in the darkest moments, innovation can light the way forward.

The post How Amazon Is Transforming Disaster Relief Through Technology and Heart appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

The season of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is officially upon us, with the movie playing in select theaters before a global debut on Netflix on November 7th.

As the film’s trailers and early reviews have illustrated, the project just might be a masterpiece… one that tells its own sweeping tale while being incredibly reverential to both Mary Shelley’s source material and the larger cultural mythos of Frankenstein’s monster. For eagle-eyed fans, one particular name proves this in spades, giving a beloved comic creator their flowers.