Things We Saw Today: The Spookiest Gingerbread House Is Now Available for Purchase

While the origins of gingerbread house-making as a winter tradition (let alone a Christmas tradition) are unknown, it has remained a popular mainstay for centuries in many cultures. The decorating of this cottage, made of flat cookies and a lot of sweets, has even influenced real architecture with the “Gingerbread style” coming to prominence in the late 1800s in Vietnam, Haiti, and the U.S. With few limitations, there’s been a lot of creative structures over the years deviating from the six-plane style (box house with a slanted roof).

Now, A24 has decided to cash in on that family tradition by offering a house model of its breakout horror hit, Ari Aster’s Hereditary.

No, not by recreating the dollhouses that get heavy screen time at the start of the movie, but instead, Charlie’s treehouse in the last few minutes of the film. Instead of just giving the pieces, A24 is selling the molds and accessories to make more of these in the future. Of all the movies to make a gingerbread house from, of course, it would be an Ari Aster flick considering the holidays are about family and (from The Strange Thing About the Johnsons to Midsommar) family dynamics are a major theme in his work.

The kit comes with a cast-iron plate to recreate the treehouse and people (Pete, Paimon, and the cult) at the final ceremony in the film. It also comes with a stand/platform that securely elevates the house off the table, a tea light (for drama), and a recipe booklet.

Though it adds quite a bit to the price tag ($62 before shipping), I like that it’s a mold. This way, like the gingerbread tradition, each house can look a little different. Similarly to the treehouse it’s based on, the model is a bit plain so I expect many to heavily decorate it even this year. It’ll likely inspire others who don’t buy the kit to recreate this or try making a haunted-looking gingerbread house. There’s no one perfect way to go about it as long as it’s structurally sound. This is a part of the creative process of making gingerbread structures with family and friends. It’s not a gingerbread house; it’s a gingerbread home.

(featured image: A24)

Here are some other bits of news out there:

• Magic Mike’s Last Dance will end with a whole 30-minute dance sequence as a way to round out the trilogy. (via Empire)
• TSA finds a cat snuck into a checked bag. (via The Washington Post)
• After discussions about the stigma over the name “monkeypox,” the WHO moves forward with new name. (via Politico)
• Disney Studios are currently casting for key roles in the Lilo & Stitch live-action film. (via CAPE on Twitter)

Jamal had his annual dinner with Grandma Wanda.

What did you going to watch, read or play this Thanksgiving weekend, Mary Suevians?

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