Wow! The restaurant (Cafe Patou) last night was really good! We left before the live music, but still enjoyed the food. They took a bit too long with our dinner so they gave us a complimentary dessert each, which was nice. Although it was expensive, you do get superb food for your money. The lobster was delicious, as was the artfully-arranged dessert. Highly recommended!

We drove along the Halloween trail in a park in Freeport, IL last night, which was okay but the kids (dressed in various costumes) seemed to be getting a bit fed-up with the whole thing by the time we arrived. It was similar to the Christmas light show they have in the park here every year, only with a Halloween theme. Still, there were some cleverly-done scenes and the entrance fee wasn't too bad.

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We managed to watch a couple of movies this weekend. 28 Days Later was quite good considering its low budget and cast of unknowns. The premise was plausible - a small group of activists raid an animal-testing lab and unwittingly release a potent virus dubbed 'Rage'. Twenty-eight days later, a man wakes up in a hospital room and finds the whole city deserted.

At its core, 28 Days Later is basically a survival horror movie, but one in which intelligent acting and a decent plot take precedence over the shock factor. The cinematography is impressive throughout, especially when you consider that it was pretty much filmed entirely with small digital video cameras. This one's worth a look.

House of 1000 Corpses, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Director Rob Zombie, better known for his music, set out to create a horror movie without reliance on digital special effects and with an atmosphere reminiscent of shlock-horror movies from the 70s. What he ended up with is an appallingly bad film with atrocious acting and excessive gore.

The movie is cut much like a music video, with flashes of disturbing footage and nonsensical ramblings throughout. House of 1000 Corpses is filled with sadistic scenes and buckets of gore, but no real scares. Rob Zombie should stick to his music and resist the urge to work on a sequel. Give this one a miss if you're looking for a scary movie this Halloween!