Mournin' Mess story
Dale Sweeney, a sleazy, down-on-his-luck news writer, is currently investigating several bizarre murders of the homeless. Sweeney soon discovers that the murders may be related to the Grateful Homeless Outcasts and Unwanted Layaway Society (G.H.O.U.L.S.), a mysterious organization whose charitable façade hides a horrific secret. Directed by: Manny Coto. Story by: Manny Coto.
14 total · 1 choice · 6 major · 7 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| monster | choice | The story featured beings called "ghouls" which, if defined in the traditional sense, are some kind of monstrous beings connected with graveyards and the consumption of human flesh. The ghouls in this story displayed both characteristics in spades. |
| alcohol abuse | major | Heavy drinking was central to Dale's storyline. The newspaper editor sarcastically urged Dale to "buy an alcohol powered generator" so that he could "urinate into it every morning and have enough electricity for the whole day", when he excused his being late to work on account of his electricity having been cut off. |
| cannibalism | major | The ghouls in this story were sufficiently human that they could blend in with human society and not be suspected. They could also have sex with humans. The viewer must then ponder whether when they start munching away at humans, that counts as cannibalism or not. |
| charitable organization | major | The sinister Grateful Homeless Outcasts and Unwanted Layaway Society (G.H.O.U.L.S.) organization used a charitable façade to hide its true mission: supplying ghouls with the corpses of homeless people for their ghastly feasts. |
| journalism | major | Dale was a sleazy, down-on-his-luck news writer who found more than he bargained for during the course investigating several mysterious murders of homeless people. |
| serial murder | major | Dale was investigating what appeared to be a serial murderer of homeless people. |
| what it is like to be homeless | major | The viewer is shown through the homeless man Robert's eyes what it might be like to eek out an existence on the streets. |
| cooking | minor | In his intro, a chef's hat wearing Crypt Keeper was preparing a recipe from his "Betty Croaker" cookbook. |
| funeral rite | minor | There was a brief scene of a man of the cloth presiding over a recently murdered homeless man being laid to rest. |
| getting fired from one's job | minor | Dale was fired from his job with some glee and little fanfare. |