All posts by Patti PaulterGeist

Owner, operator, and fuzzy retro feelers giver at NightmareNostalgia.com. Worshipper of our Lord and savior Boo Berry, Patti is a seasoned pro having written for the top horror websites and magazines over the past few years until she decided to go balls to the wall and make her own focusing on pure feel-good nostalgia. Mom to two humans and three furballs.
Editorials

Tainted Candy: The Most Unnerving Scene In “Halloween II”

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I’ve said it a million times. HALLOWEEN II is by far, in my humble opinion anyway, the scariest of the franchise and is rightfully so for many reasons. HALLOWEEN II goes harder in just about every aspect, from the angrier music as a metaphor for a more pissed-off Myers, to the minute details scattered around the film. One in particular, shoved in by John Carpenter that is brief in nature, but perhaps the most fucked up moment in the whole movie.

And it had nothing to do with Michael Myers.

While Laurie Strode is being tended to her wounds by a drunken Dr. Mixter inside Haddonfield Memorial, a car pulls up to the front of the entrance with a frantic mother gently easing her son dressed as a pirate, out of the car and the kid is gushing blood from his mouth as we can see something shiny stuck up in there good. ‘m going to be completely honest because when I saw this as a kid, I thought it was a fuckin’ ice cube. Maybe it was the low definition on my crappy TV, but I went for YEARS thinking this kid had an ice cube stuck in his mouth. Did it make sense? Not a bit. Did I ever question it? Hell no. All I understood was that shit looked like it hurt and when I finally found out it was an actual razor blade from a piece of candy, it was like an emphatic moment of HOLY SHIT for me, and it just made that movie so much scarier.

We only see the mom and son duo two more times-once checking in and being told to wait as the frustrated mom is putting pressure on her kid’s jaw, and then again upon discharge outside the hospital where Gary French (yes, the kid actually has a name) and mom Leigh, (hey, so does the mom!) attempt to have a conversation, but the kid’s words are muddled from the injury and although Gary lives to see another Halloween, he’s obviously scarred for life.

Watching (and realizing) what I was seeing within that scene as a child, and now a parent myself, just makes it that much more chilling knowing these things have absolutely happened. The genius of John Carpenter sticking this out-of-pocket, non-essential plot point in HALLOWEEN II, comes on the heels of mass hysteria of stories of crazed people tainting candy for trick-or-treaters with poison and, of course, razor blades. The first documented incidents go back to the 1950s, where a California dentist laced over 400 pieces of candy with laxatives, sickening over 30 kids. As if kids aren’t scared enough of the dentist! Another incident came in the 1960s where a mother in New York handed out bags of treats containing arsenic-laced ant traps, metal mesh scrubbing pads and dog biscuits. In the 70s, a boy was killed by ingesting a pixie stick laced with cyanide by his own father, who used the legend of poisoned treated on Halloween to attempt to thwart the suspicion away from him. In Minneapolis, in 2000, James J. Smith, 49, was charged with felony adulteration after four teenagers told police they received chocolate bars that were later found to contain needles. As recent as 2022, a child in New York found a razor blade inside a candy bar she got while trick-or-treating. Bringing this John Carpenter’s horrifying scene here, full circle.

PSAs began in the early 70s, warning children and parents about Halloween dangers in the form of educational videos, and after the infamous Tylenol murders of 1982, one year after the release of HALLOWEEN II, the fears of product tampering reached an all-time high, especially around Halloween, and in 1985, another national PSA video was made containing fifteen-minutes beginning with glorious Ben Cooper masks dancing across the screen to some serious disco music. It tackles such pressing issues as the importance of safe pumpkin carving, costume dos and don’ts, and the all-important candy inspection before digging into your sugar haul for the night. 

Seriously, this thing rocks. Sure, it’s slightly dated, but the message still applies.

Many people shrug off the Halloween candy story as just that, a scary story. And while it’s true, most cases of reports seem to be unfounded and the biggest threat of a kid’s Halloween bucket is a sugar-induced stomachache, urban legends notoriously become reality in the minds of crazed folks where the myth turned into a real-life danger for unknowing innocents. Knowing that John Carpenter really didn’t want to do a sequel to his immortal classic and had a vision of his Halloween films exploring the horror holiday’s urban legends and cautionary tales of lore, this scene in itself, doesn’t seem so, out-of-pocket after all. Speaking plainly now, it truly is the most unnerving part of the entire film as the reality lines blur from Terminator Myers hunting down Laurie in a hospital, into something we know has, can, and may happen again somewhere; and that’s what makes it so terrifying.

So, is this scene the most messed up in the movie? I’ll let Dr. Loomis answer that one…

Home Video Releases

The VHS/BETA Home Video History Of “John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN”

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2023 marks 45 years since John Carpenter made a little movie about a homicidal maniac stalking babysitters, and the phenomena of HALLOWEEN hasn’t wavered once since that initial release. If anything, the fandom has only gotten stronger, more fierce, and completely loyal to one of the first masked slashers on the horror scene.

I was pretty damn young when I first saw HALLOWEEN; like, way younger than what should have been allowed at the time- I believe I was around 4 or 5 when I first started catching tidbits of it here and there during one of my Dad’s viewings on TV. It wasn’t until I was about seven when I pressed the play button myself and watched it in its entirety all on my own. I’ll never forget the recorded VHS that held an unholy trilogy of horror on it: a translucent shade of blue VHS tape in a brown clamshell with recordings of Frankenstein (1931), The Exorcist, and Halloween. And thus my love for the franchise was born from an early age, so much so, I, like many others, can utter the whole fuckin’ thing word for word without ever skipping a beat.

Up until the late 90s, I didn’t even own a legit VHS copy. I had merely relied on old faithful blue there along with anytime it was showing on TV- my favorites were when Joe Bob Briggs and MonsterVision would run it, or when the USA Network had a Friday Fright Night.

Also, this is my goddamn favorite promo ever for HALLOWEEN ever; and it’s a double feature!

JOHN CARPENTER’S HALLOWEEN has been released on home video in a myriad of ways over the last 40 years, probably giving this horror film in particular a record for how many different variations of this classic exist to watch at home. In my mind, I never like to live much past the 21st century, so we’re going to forgo the 2,000 releases HALLOWEEN has seen since the DVD coming of age and stick to the nostalgic basics of glorious VHS cover art, where it all began as it had quite the shelf-life on this format. And what the fuck, we gotta throw in BETA with a dash of Laserdisc because they never get their due.

1979 (VHS)

The most coveted VHS of HALLOWEEN is the first-printing, 1979 Meda Home Entertainment Full Screen release that followed one year after the film’s debut. The signature retro orange and simplistic nature of this one, in particular, has been known to sell for thousands to interested buyers in the modern day. It’s pretty much every VHS collector’s holy grail. Mine included.

1979 (BETA)

The BETAMAX was first introduced in 1975 and was basically the 4K version of a VHS with higher resolution and overall better quality viewing. They ran a pretty penny, so you really wouldn’t see this in your average household. But of course, even in 1979 we all knew HALLOWEEN was something special and had to be seen on the beautiful BETA in full screen, so a cassette was made to coincide the release of the VHS. I’ve never owned a BETAMAX myself, but my ritzy friend had one growing up and yep, she had this. I can confirm the visual experience was mounds better, and I was forever jealous I never had a BETA Cassette Player. A second BETA was released in 1985 before the format completely fizzled out and BETA was no more as VHS ultimately won the home video wars.

1981 (VHS)

The second release occurred in 1981 as a promo deal upon the release of HALLOWEEN II. There was another release in 1984 and 1987, but it pretty much had the same box art with nothing really added. In today’s age, there would be hell to pay for that!

1985 (Laserdisc)

1985 brought on the massive Laserdisc format of the immortal classic and ran consumers about $40, which would amount to about $112 in 2023- insane, right? Presented the film in pan & scan, believe it or not, this was the first of a few, Laserdisc releases for Halloween with a really cool Japanese release in 1986, and a Criterion Collection debut in 1994. In 1996, the UK sourced a LD from a new 35mm Panavision print minted from the original negative. Pretty neat, huh?!

1989 (VHS)

1989 brought on one final pressing of Halloween before MEDIA fully went bankrupt, riding the coattails of HALLOWEEN 5 before its theatrical release. Interestingly enough, there was an accidental pressing of the television version that was originally shown on television in 1981 with the extra added scenes. It was pulled from the market shortly after its initial release, corrected, and thrown back into the market, making it a highly sought after collector’s item!

1995 (VHS)

In 1995, Blockbuster which had become the king of VHS home movie rentals, purchased the distribution rights to Halloween and released it as part of their Blockbuster Presents October showcase. This is also the VHS that most people own because in pure Blockbuster fashion, they printed a SHIT TON of these bad boys for purchase. Less is never more with Blockbuster as they always 200 copies of one new movie taking up two walls in their store.

Also, let’s look at that TV promo for it because it’s pretty damn glorious.

1997 (VHS)

In 1997, Halloween distribution changed hands once again, but this time for the last time to Anchor Bay and with that saw yet, another VHS release. But, this is also the first time the film was hawked to home video with a Widescreen version, as the movie has only ever been seen at home in full screen.

1998 (VHS)

In 1998, to mark the film’s holy twentieth anniversary and the release of HALLOWEEN H2O, Anchor Bay put out this gorgeous orange double cassette collector’s VHS edition that also came with this keychain that I still proudly keep on me this very day. This clamshell edition, to me, is the absolute best as far as VHS releases go, and the only one I own personally. The 10.31.78 Edition, as it was called, was limited to only 40,000 copies. The first tape is the widescreen presentation of the film, and the second tape contains all its special features as in television scenes (as well as the slightly censored opening kill of Judith), Halloween Unmasked 1998, the film’s theatrical trailer, and a couple of TV spots, radio spots, and a beautiful photo still gallery. My only regret is not sending in that dollar for the poster.

2001 (Final VHS)

2001 was the final year a Halloween VHS would ever be released and with this, Anchor Bay pimped out the extended edition, which was basically the film’s theatrical cut with the television scenes spliced in. Which has now, become the fan favorite way to watch it.

Soon after, the VHS format completely fizzled out to make way for the advanced DVD technology. However, I have to say, old faithful 40 year VHS’ I own still hold up and play well while you so much as slightly hold a DVD wrong, the thing doesn’t want to play right. Which is why the resurgence of the VHS in the past years has become a splendor to behold to know the cassette tape has found its way back into mainstream households. And most importantly, 45 years later, HALLOWEEN, and its many VHS format releases.

Which one is your favorite?!

Editorials

Halloween in the 90s: The Last Great Decade That Got it Right

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Every year around this time, I think about how Halloween was when I was a kid and how so much has changed over the last 20 years. I think many of us can collectively agree that the ’90s were probably the last great decade that gave the Halloween holiday its proper due. As a young kid in the 80s in October, I can vouch that era, in particular, is yet to be unmatched except for perhaps the 70s (but I was only a twinkle in my dad’s eye in that decade, so I can’t speak on that); but as an older kid, and teen in the 90s, Halloween fucking rocked then. And I refute the accusation that I’m looking at the times through rose-colored nostalgic glasses.

Growing into a young adult, a mom, and into now just a grumpy 40-year-old witch, I’ve watched the holiday slowly lose its lackluster and excitement. Modern-day paranoia along with today’s technological advances and a lazy attitude brought on by corporate America all have a filthy hand in this. It’s quite rare these days to see a kid wearing a homemade Halloween costume, and what’s worse, is that the Halloween whore costumes have become so goddamn ridiculous that when you come across a Sexy Ronald McDonald costume, you gotta know that the Halloween holiday has taken a turn for the worse.

Yep. This dumb shit really exists. I would, however, like to know who actually thinks this is sexy because I’d like to get a restraining order on you, thanks in advance.

Halloween Costumes

Anyway, Halloween in the 90s looked a lot different from decades prior. It was a lot more colorful, loud, and in your face. Much like, well, the 90s as a whole. And damn it was fun. The costumes became much bolder for us kids, while still suffocating under cheap plastic masks, and more creative than ever before. The homemade Halloween costume was still in effect, however, you’d see more than your fair share of Batmans’, Ninja Turtles, and Power Rangers throughout the day/night. As for the girls, a sea of Disney Princesses and later in the decade, Spice Girls were the popular choice. Of course, the slasher would always reign supreme among both boys and girls who knew their Halloween shit, especially with the addition of Ghostface in the mix.

I still think to this day, those Beavis and Butthead masks were more terrifying than anything on the market.

Halloween TV/Snacks

Halloween TV went hard. Every other commercial was dedicated to Halloween, and every brand got on the spooky bandwagon. The Pepsi and Doritos collab in the early ’90s, is one that many from that generation remember the most.

Speaking of Universal Monsters, they had one hell of a revival during the decade, and I think the PEPSI CO giant may have had a hand in that with these commercials- making them “cool” for the new generation. As if they ever weren’t... The Universal Monsters massive VHS set came in around this time as well, and Frankie and Drac just exploded into pop culture all over again like it was a brand-new thing. Now, I had been watching these movies since I was in diapers, but it was definitely nice to see Bride of Frankenstein cookies in my lunchbox.

The commercials went hard, but the Halloween specials went even HARDER. We still had old faithful airing every year like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and Garfield’s Halloween Adventure, but the 90s brought in into syndicated programming that was already encased in the blocks. Series TV like Roseanne, The Simpsons, and Home Improvement had Halloween specials every year that every single damn one of us tuned in for. The early 90s in particular, brought prime cable channels to more homes than ever before and with newer kids channels like Nickelodeon and Disney having their own network stations, new programming came along with that. Shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark, Rugrats Halloween specials, Pete and Pete and AAAH! Real Monsters were just a few that were a mainstay in October.

But, that being said, Nick or Treat/ Snick or Treat was where it was AT, because we all wanted to win those prizes so badly.

The contests were usually sponsored by McDonald’s and the one I remember the most in particular is the one where you would pick up an entry form at McD’s and if Nickelodeon called you, you would winsome cool prizes. The anticipation of the phone ringing and answering every phone with “Nick Or Treat!” was, by far, both anxiety inducing and exciting. I never won, but damn, I tried, and it was pretty hilarious when salespeople would phone the house and I would answer like that.

Also, Disney religiously played Disney’s Halloween Treat all through October, whereas it’s not even on their oh-so-mighty streaming service. LAME!

Since Halloween snacks and TV sort of go hand in hand, the cereals released during Halloween in the 90s were on par for some of the best. Of course, we had our Monster cereals, but we would also get Halloween themed versions of Rice Krispies, Fruity Pebbles, and hell, even Waffle Crisp if you remember that one! Actually, before someone shoots me, Halloween Waffle Crisp was introduced in 2000, but the OG was a 90s cereal so I’m letting that one-year difference slide. Sure, we still have that today. But we don’t have Halloween Waffle Crisp. And that, my friends, is a Halloween catastrophe.

Also, we had Addams Family cereal. Can’t beat walking around your house at 2 AM with your Cousin ITT flashlight, rummaging through the cabinets for snacky-snacks.

Halloween Books

If you were a bookworm like I was in the 90s, series like Goosebumps and Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark were must reads all year-round of course, but essential during spooky season. It was even better when they were featured outright in the Fall Scholastic Book Fair.

While I’m here, special shoutout to the Scary Stories For Sleepovers series that always got overlooked because those were damn, good books.

Halloween Decorations

The 90s were also the last year of true die-cut and paper decorations, along with lawn leaf jack-o-lanterns. I want to say I’m wrong, but after the new millennium hit, you just didn’t see these as often as you would, if at all. Gel clings have taken over the Halloween window market these days, and well.. let’s just say the art of the matter doesn’t compare here.

Hefty. Be smart here. You’re sitting on a nostalgic gold mine. Bring these back. Thanks.

Trick-or Treating

Trick-or-treating was nowhere near as cool as in the 90s. It seems that more and more people forego that old-fashioned, door-to-door trick-or-treating in lieu of trunk-or-treating. Instead of enjoyable neighborhood candy-soliciting, the kiddos can go to a parking lot to collect their wears while the pumpkin spice latte-fueled parents’ pretty much ignore their kids.

Trunk-or-treat sounds more like a threat than a good time to me.

Kids in the ’90s celebrated all day with school parades and activities, and we immediately went out after an hour intermission between school and home, to obtain a shitload of candy. We were out all night for hours at a time, staking rich houses for those full-size candy bars for hours. My parents usually had to buy three bags of candy to keep up. These days, you’re lucky to get a handful of kids. Last year, I got ONE trick-or-treater. It felt like the end times for me. Now, I know this isn’t in every neighborhood, and maybe I’m exaggerating a little based on my own bitterness about present practices, but I’m not far off here.

Seriously, the last time I saw anyone give out homemade treats was in the 90s. Popcorn Balls are underrated, and a lost art, folks.

The ‘90s were arguably the best and, for what I feel, the last time for a kid to have a real Halloween experience the way it should be. Unfortunately, in these weird and wild times, I don’t know if things will get better or worse. But at least we have memories and those of us that still have that nostalgic Halloween spirit, can continue doing things our own way. That is, at least until dementia kicks in for me.