I love Halloween. There’s something about a holiday that’s meant to scare the bejeezus out of you that appeals to me. Kind of makes me wonder why I don’t write horror rather than YA fantasy/romance…but I digress.
I remember when I was a child, walking around the Chicago suburb where I grew up with my brothers and a host of neighborhood children bearing plastic pumpkins by my side. I was nearly always dressed in a costume handmade by my mom…Holly Hobby, Wonder Woman, an Indian (we didn’t know the term “Native American” back then), a witch, etc. And as we finished up our trick-or-treating for the night, I clearly remember approaching The House.
You know the one. The house with the life-sized monster installed on the roof with a soldering iron. The house with horrifying screams issuing from a doorway that belches fog from its inky depths. The house that draws you in to receive handfuls of candy while doing its best to make you pee your pants.
That house.
When I got too old to trick-or-treat, my mom decided to create The House in the neighborhood. We’d sit on her big, country front porch with scary sounds blaring on the outdoor speakers. We’d dress up in scary costumes and have skeletons that rappelled down ropes to careen toward unsuspecting neighborhood kids. And, of course, we’d have full goody bags to hand out to those who braved the long walk up the drive.
I really miss those days. I barely had enough time this year to scrounge in the garage and pull out some well-worn decorations. Fortunately, my daughter is only five and not yet old enough to remark on the utter lameness of the décor. She was content to stick out light-up plastic pumpkins on the front porch and consider her work done. As long as she gets to wear her Spiderman costume (not handmade, by the way) on the big day, she’ll be happy.
It occurred to me last night as I watched a recorded Ghost Hunters and saw the SyFy channel’s “31 Days of Halloween” logo that Halloween is going to come and go before I’ve really even experienced it this year. There was a time where I would have made a point to go shopping before October 1st with my husband and daughter to pick up one new and special decoration. I would normally have created a list of the local Halloween events and made a plan of attack to fit a few in. We’d have bags of Halloween candy well in advance (just in case, of course—not to nibble on between now and the 31st).
This year, I haven’t made time to enjoy those things. I could list excuses, but instead I think it’s time to change that. I want to get in the mood! I’ve got close to two weeks to get my scare on, and I’d love your help. I’ve made a Top Ten list (in random order) of movies and books that really got to me over the years:
1. Stephen King’s It
2. Saw
3. A Nightmare on Elm Street
4. Scream
5. Dean Koontz’s Phantoms
6. The Exorcist
7. 28 Days Later
8. The Ring
9. Children of the Corn
10. Halloween
Would you please help me add to this list? What should I read or watch this weekend to get me more into the Halloween mood?
Poltergeist. My mom tried to put it on yesterday and I screamed at her not too lmao. The Shining book wise, just the idea of a writer going insane over writers block just scares the bejesus out of me.
Linds
Poltergeist…that’s a GOOD one, Linds! Gosh, the pool scene and the tree…nightmares for weeks as a kid! lol And don’t get me started on that darned clown…
I’d love to help… but I don’t watch horror movies! The only one on your list I have seen is 28 Days Later. Anything much more than that and I’d die!
I did watch Zombieland (at my husband’s insistence) but it was a bit more funny than scary really.
LOL! Yeah, it’s only this time of year that I get into the mood to get scared out of my wits. The only Halloween-like movie I’ve watched this month is Monster Squad…far from scary!
I love Monster Squad!!! I thought Hostel was really creepy and The Collector. My family likes to watch scary movies, so I have seen a lot (When I am not hiding behind a pillow or running from the room!). I loved, loved, loved Stephen King growing up. I was probably the only kid on the block reading him instead of Judy Bloom! IT was always my favorite. Recently I started reading him again. I thought The Dome was fantastic!
Oh…Hostel looks really creepy! Isn’t that the one with the torture scene? It seemed really intense from the clips I saw. Thanks so much for the suggestion, Bethany! :)
Monster House and Goonies to watch as a family and Sixth Sense or The Tooth Fairy (not the one with the ‘Rock’, the horror film) for the grown folk to watch. My original movie was Poltergeist, but seeing as that has already been listed I will retract my statement and try to drown out the horrible thoughts of the STUPID clown! I strongly dislike clowns to this day because of IT and Poltergeist…
YES! Down with the clowns! LOL Thanks for the suggestions, Kate. I really wish I owned Goonies. I need to try to find it on Blu-ray. :)
Miss Raine you have some of my all time faves up there already… The Ring…DUDE! A friend and I went to see in the theater and stayed up talking till about 2am cuz we didn’t want to sleep. LOL! I will second Poltergeist as well. Super creep FX for the day and age. The clown, the tree, the fried chicken….oi! I am also a HUGE fan of The Shining. Kind of old school, but nobody, and I do mean NOBODY does crazy quite like Jack.
I have to agree with you about Jack…no one quite does it like he does! (Although, Cathy Bates in Misery comes close). :D Thanks for the suggestions!