I used to have neighbors who put up the most disturbing Halloween decorations. Their house was a drab grayish-green color and they would fill their yard with these creepy scarecrow-type bodies. I confess I always skipped that house while trick-or-treating. When they moved away, I was kind of relieved when the new owners painted the house a cheery yellow color and that was the end of those horrible Halloween decorations.

Now the scariest house on the block has a fake graveyard in the front yard and some green fog that floats around the steps. It's actually more cool than creepy. Speaking of which, last week I asked everyone to check out these 7 Halloween decorations that move, light up or make noise and tell me if they thought they were fun or frightful. To be honest, I thought more people would say that these displays went too far so I was surprised to see the overwhelming majority loved these crazy lawn ornaments.

In honor of the last few days where we can show our 2009 Halloween spirit, check out some of my favorite extreme Halloween decorations:

• 7 Halloween decorations that move, light up or make noise
• 8 creepy indoor decorations that might be cool enough to last all year

photo: grandin road