Every year, we invite our friends to dress up, share a meal, and of course, watch Thriller with silent respect and awe. Below are some photos of our friends’ amazing costumes, party details, and the coolest novelty chocolates you’ll ever see. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be counting down the days until next Halloween.
beautiful chocolates from The Truffle Cottage
Han and Chewie
Let’s be honest—you could pick any Buffy episode to watch this Halloween, and it would be a great decision. With witches, demons, vampires, and all kinds of other creatures that go bump in the night, Buffy is perfect for revisiting this time of year. That’s why I’ve compiled episodes that I think are particularly fitting for a Halloween viewing. With the exception of one, you’ll find I didn’t include the obvious Halloween specials because I think there are creepier episodes that better capture the Halloween spirit—ones well-seated in horror meta-commentary with brilliant visual storytelling. Here’s my list:
In season two, Buffy hits its stride, culminating in one of my favorite season finales of television. That’s not to say it didn’t keep some of the camp from season one. The premise of “Halloween” reminds me of something out of a Goosebumps novel or an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? After getting costumes from Ethan’s Costume Shop, the Scooby Gang and other citizens of Sunnydale transform into literal interpretations of their costumes. For someone who’s never watched Buffy, this is a pretty self-contained episode, perfect for a one-off Halloween viewing, but for lovers of the show, this is an introduction to Ethan Rayne, who seems like a throwaway character but ends up affecting the season arc and several seasons down the road. It’s the beginning of many long-term payoffs and complex narrative arcs that make Buffy a stand-out show.
Not that you need an excuse, but October is the perfect time to indulge your nostalgia and watch cheesy Halloween movies from your childhood. Even though they may not be as spine-chilling as when you were young, these classic Halloween movies will fill you with warm fuzzies—and I gotta say, I think they (mostly) hold up.
Short stories are the perfect vehicle for horror. Many full-length horror movies and long-form novels lose steam in the third act: things tend to slow down to allow for explanations and solutions. Usually, you can see how things will be wrapped up from a mile away, and sitting through the ending is just a matter of principle. Because Tales from the Darkside: The Movie is a compilation of three short stories, the pace never drags and the pieces avoid over-explanation and cliché endings. Despite the outdated claymation and over-the-top, bright red blood, the storytelling rivals the best of ’em.
Based on the novel by Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes combines all my favorite things: creepy carnies, stalwart library patrons, and on-the-nose names, such as “Mr. Dark” and “Jim Nightshade.” Throw in a classic battle of good versus evil and some “Monkey’s Paw” scenarios, and you’ve got a recipe for success. Despite its Disney status, this film has some solid imagery that still haunts me to this day.
With Halloween fast approaching, it’s time for False Positive‘s yearly treat for your eyeballs: 31 Days of Halloween! If you’re not familiar, False Positive is a horror webcomic anthology, showcasing short stories of the surreal, fantastic, and macabre. While reading, you might notice that the stories draw inspiration from cult classics, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Tales from the Darkside, and The Twilight Zone. In other words, False Positive stories will keep you on your toes– you’ll never be sure exactly how things will shake out. To get a taste for the site and the kind of horrific goodies it offers, I recommend starting at the beginning, with the first story updated on the site: “Concoction.” It’s sure to satisfy your Halloween story cravings.
Every day during the month of October, False Positive uploads a new horror-themed, pop-culture art piece that’s sure to inspire awe, terror, and perhaps outright giddiness. This is the fifth year in a row that False Positive has engaged in its annual celebration of October in all its glory, so if you haven’t seen the pieces from years past, it’s worth digging into the 31 Days of Halloween inventories and taking a look. Seeing False Positive‘s horror-themed art every year is one of my favorite parts of the season, and it always signals the official start of my favorite month, getting me into the Halloween spirit.
To whet your whistle, here are some examples of art pieces from past 31 Days of Halloween:
It’s finally October, and all my favorite things are now in season! I’ve had my Star Wars-themed Halloween costume ready to go since early September, and during my hunt, I found so many great fun, easy Star Wars costumes that I have to share with the world! It’s never been easier to grab cool Star Wars cosplay pieces that can make for a simple Halloween costume but become every day wardrobe staples.
The Wookiee
Chewbacca Hoodie- Hot Topic. $74.99
(Note: Hot Topic has online and in-store sales all the time, so watch out for those! )
Chewbacca shirt- HallowenCostumes.com. $14.99–$19.99
With my favorite holiday fast approaching, some of you may be scrambling to throw together an easy costume. Not everyone can obsessively plan out Halloween months in advance (like I do), and maybe you just want a clever costume for a Halloween party. Here are some easy costume options that can all be donned by women and gents alike.
1. Dr. Who
What You Need:
With a few easy-to-find and inexpensive items, you’re in business as Dr. Who. Think Geek even offers a Dr. Who quick costume set with a fez and bow tie. It doesn’t get any easier.
2. Shaun
What You Need:
Muss up your shirt and tie so you look nice and disheveled from running for your life. Don’t forget to put a red ink stain on the shirt pocket. Bonus points for adding a cricket bat to the ensemble.
On October 27, 2012 the Nay-Walton household transformed into a creepy crawly Halloween hovel, complete with cobwebs, skulls, pumpkins, and tasteful blood accents for our annual Halloween bash. We made cake pops, taco soup, witches’ brew, bloodbath punch, and friends brought apples with dip, Halloween donuts, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and other goodies. We cranked the Oingo Boingo and basked in the company of our delightful friends.
(eyeball cake pops)
(table decorations)
(table detail– the tablecloth was gauze with blood stains)
If you’re looking for cookies that make you weep with happiness, this is your lucky day. These whoopie pie cookies with a creamy to-die-for pumpkin cream cheese filling will leave you a blubbering wreck. Side note: if you want to avoid people giggling every time you say “whoopie” you can call them sandwich cookies, everything an Oreo wishes it could be in its wildest dreams.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
5 ounces cream cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
After poring over the prolific section of Wally World dedicated to Halloween sugar cookie supplies, I decided on this cookie cutter set (mostly because it comes in a coffin box). I also picked up some blessed pre-made Pillsbury sugar cookie dough, food coloring, and a couple fine-tipped frosting applicators in black and orange.
I make my own frosting (since it’s easy as pie). Just take some powdered sugar, add a touch of vanilla extract, and add a tad of water until it’s the consistency you’d like. Done and done.
This is the result of my second batch. Word of warning: it turns out Pillsbury sugar cookie dough needs quite a bit of flour added to it. My first batch spread out way too thin, making all my cookies turn out as amorphous blobs (which I frosted and promptly ate). I added about a cup of flour to the second batch, and they turned out pretty well.
I can’t wait to make other Halloween treats! I’ve been compiling lists of recipes to try out, and I’d love to hear suggestions!
Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. Right around the middle of September, I start quoting lines from Something Wicket This Way Comes and planning activities for the entire month of October. I love going to haunted houses, baking fall treats, watching horror movies, planning Halloween parties, and most importantly, decorating my apartment. So to start off my Halloween-obsessed posts, here’s a guide to some of the geeky Halloween decorations I’ve found and love. Not for the casual Halloweener.
1. Alien Skull. $9.99. eCrater.
This little gem would make a lovely addition to any end table, mantle, or centerpiece. Buy it here.
2. Zombie Gnome Horde. $55. Etsy.
This would look great on any lawn or porch all year round. Get it here.
3. Haunted Memories Antique Photos. $12.99 and up.
If you’ve ever dreamt of owning some Haunted Mansion-esque creepy photos, now’s your chance. Haunted Memories sells holographic, old-looking photos that appear nice one moment and horrifying the next. I bought some of these babies at a Comic-Con booth last year, and they’re awesome. Their website is a bit of a pain, but browsing the creepy portraits is a lot of fun. Browse them here.
Editor. Tetris master. Beatrix Kiddo cosplayer. Adjunct English instructor. Kid Robot collector. Whedon trivia queen.
Geek Appetite: Serving up geek goodies & good eats 