I’m slightly obsessed with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers as this is the Halloween film I probably watched most as a kid on VHS. Growing up with a father who saw the original in theaters and is just as obsessed with the series, fate would have it that this love for the franchise would trickle down the gene pool as well. Hell, I even find a bit of charm in Dangertainment for fuck’s sake. That’s commitment, and I’ll fight you to the death if you utter any slight against Season of the Witch. However, as much as I love all the films and the original is an untouched classic that will forever hold the top spot as Halloween cinema champion, Halloween 4 is the GOAT for retro Halloween fuzzies and the best film in the series to put you into that spooky season feeling.
The opening credits
I’d be hard-pressed not to say this might be the BEST opening in the entire franchise. Had Loomis not screamed, “You don’t know what death is,” and had a skull pumpkin intro in Halloween II, well then shit there would be no contenders. The opening sequence here to the long-awaited return of the Shape after fans booed Halloween III into the pits of cinematic hell (only to be resurrected beautifully later), is the perfect stage of sinister Autumn ambiance set in the silent, yet spooky Midwest. The simplicity of this adds an uneasiness to the air, that something evil is lurking and foreshadowing the chaos to come. And that’s something the 80s’ is infamous for via the Halloween holiday. The simplicity of it all with janky homemade decor strung about that adds a slight edge over any animatronic you might find at any Halloween superstore. It’s eerie as fuck and captures the setting of a 1988 Halloween small Midwestern town perfectly. As a matter of fact, this opening alone needs all the awards. Can we make that happen already?
Jamie’s School
The scenes’ in Jamie’s school are both frustrating and beautifully nostalgic. While you want to punch the shit out of these kids for saying these awful things to this poor kid, the scenic atmosphere that rings all the nostalgic bells in my Spidey Senses goes off at a flashgun rate. From the noisy plastic costumes with the Ben Cooper masks to the die-cut Halloween décor plastering the halls of the school, it makes for one HELL of a nostalgia-fest; including the bullying aspect. We’ve all been there- hopefully not to this extent, but we all know kids can be ruthless bastards.
Vincent’s Drug Store
Aside from the opener, Vincent’s Drug store scene is my absolute favorite part of this movie. My Goddess, it’s like a wave of childhood memories drowning me in my own nostalgic mojo goo. Aside from all that, it’s a fairly crucial scene as this is where Michael picks up his mask for the movie. Dwight H. Little did an excellent job here much like with the rest of the film, capturing the ambiance of a 1980s Mom and Pop shop during the Halloween holiday season. I’ve studied this scene dozens of times. it’s a fun little activity if you’re bored, and there is a TREASURE TROVE of Halloween memories found within Vincent’s Drug. Apart from the cool wall of masks, I’m sure most fans of the film have seen what I’m talking about it here, but in case you need a refresher…
Like a Garbage Pail Kids plastic costume!
Halloween Blow-Molds!*Upper right corner*
And of course the infamous dangly spider we all had along with a Nightmare Makeup Kit!
And finally, the 80s’ ambiance of trick or treating
Aside from Halloween III, the Halloween films don’t really focus on this all-important aspect of the holiday. In H4 however, we got a whole part of the movie dedicated to it as a set-up for the looming evil that is following Jamie and Rachel. Something about the gloomy blue and black hues scored with a bunch of kids running around in their garbage bag costumes just gets me feeling fuzzy about the whole thing. Also, the Halloween decorations (again) give into that nostalgic feeling of happiness. Numerous jointed skeletons are found in this movie. And I can’t seem to get enough of them.
Chances are you’re opening up this article and saying, ” Yeah, yeah… nostalgia and shit, blah, blah, blah…” And while yes nostalgia does have some weight to this, I’m here to make my case as to why this is more than sweet, childhood memories. Halloween in the 80s’ were a magical time that doesn’t seem to hit home by today’s standards. The simplicity of it has been lost by flashy, cheap décor, over-the-top while underwhelming haunted houses, and what little treats given on Halloween night that are simply pathetic in comparison to yesteryear. Maybe it’s the town I live in that leaves me longing for Halloweens’ of the past, but I have an inkling I’m not alone on this sentiment.
The Costumes
Yep. That is indeed a six-year-old Patti Paultertgeist in a plastic Minnie Mouse costume that was all the rage in 1988. Going to our local Sav-On drugstore for the very latest, and greatest in noisy plastic wear was part of the Halloween tradition right along with grabbing a fun horror flick next door from Action Video, (my Mom and Pop rental store growing up). Of course the Ben Cooper costumes were the heavyweight when it came to Halloween; but even the knockoff brands were just as good- well, I mean if they held up until the end of the night, you were in good shape- and most of the time they did. However, while they may look ridiculous, they are FAR more menacing than any kiddie costume you’ll see at the big chain stores today during the October sales season. There is a reason why film and TV use vintage masks for scary-story telling, (look at Trick R Treat as a great example). Would you be more terrified of this Minnie Mouse mask coming at you in a dimly lit street, or something like this…
Credit: Party City
Sure, the quality is better. It most likely won’t rip by you merely looking at it. But what’s the fun in that!?
School Parties and Community Carnivals
Syracuse.com
Kids waited 364 days for their annual Halloween class party and parade and goddamn it was the coolest part of the year. The entire day was dedicated to educational in some form, Halloween activities with brief intermissions with a game of Heads-Up, Seven-Up. And let’s not forget that tiny sliver piece of cardboard tasting pizza that no matter how bad it was, tasted a lot better than a math quiz. Also, parents would chip in bake homemade treats for the party, giving the teacher a bit of a break in the finance department and we would be drowning in rice-crispy treats along with festively decorated sugar cookies until we would sugar crash an hour later. Now a days, kids are lucky to even get that tiny sliver of pizza, and home-baked goods? Forget about it. The schools have implemented such a strict diet code now that even bringing in Yoplait yogurt might be questionable.
On top of school parties, Community Halloween carnivals were THEE TITS growing up. They were usually held a few days prior to Halloween and were filled with cake-walks, bake-sales, tons of games with candy and pumpkin prizes, and of course, THE COMMUNITY HAUNTED HOUSE. The pic above of a cheesy-smiled me along with my younger ninja brother marked the occasion of us right before my little bro got scarred for life at one such carnival held at the Mirabelli Community Center.
I’m well aware Community “Fall Festivals” do exist, as this is what they’re normally referred to as now. But I can guarantee they didn’t have a haunted house that had a Mad Scientist tour guide walking you through it only to be murdered at the end of the house by Michael Myers jumping out behind a few boxes with a knife and pummeling him into the ground scaring the ever loving shit out of everyone inside. As we had to walk gently over the tour guide’s limp body now drenched in red corn syrup, my mother was holding my brother going out as he was absolutely terrified at what had occurred. Good ol’ Michael though; he made sure to go right up to my bro and give him a little tickle on the chin- sending my brother into a full-blown panic attack, traumatizing the kid for life. I sound like a dick, but eh, you had to be there to see how funny it all kind of was. Nowadays, if you can get a few hay stacks and throw them into a grassy field, that will suffice as a haunted maze for the kiddies. Less traumatizing? Yes, but way less fun.
Halloween Decorations
The fact that today’s most popular Halloween decorations are throwbacks to vintage decor, says it all. My parents had a nice selection of paper cutouts that seemed to last for somehow a decade, along with blow-mold wall decor and figures. When they were brought in from the garage, the smell of stale garage dust with the colorful witch cut-outs got me high on life. Sure, DIY crafts are fun and making the most beautiful Pinterest worthy centerpiece of pinecones and leaves is nice and all; but sometimes a giant orange garbage bag full of leaves and a .99 cent jointed skeleton is all that’s needed to get the true feel of spooky season going.
The Great Trick Or Treating Olympic Candy Event
Alright, the night has finally arrived. We pulled on those noisy garbage bag costumes, grabbed our pillowcases and plastic Empire buckets and headed out for five straight hours of trick or treating. We left as soon as the first hint of orange hue hit the sky and didn’t come back until our bags and buckets were about to break. From festive candy like Mr. Bones and Wax Lips, to popcorn balls and homemade cookies, the great candy swap event with friends was the Olympic event of the year. Dumping our bags onto the selected friends’ living room floor sorting, and trying to trade those Bit ‘O’ Honeys’ for a mini Snickers was the Halloween was definitely the perfect end to a solid evening.
These days, you’re LUCKY to get half a buckets’ worth no matter how far you travel in the neighborhood. Halloween scrooges are abound more than ever, pissing on the holiday and unwilling to spare a Tootsie Pop to save their life. Not to mention the cheap buckets chain stores try to pawn off on the kids for candy hauls with such a flimsy handle, it’ll break at the mere glance of a full-size candy bar. Trick or Treating hours are usually over by at the very least, 8 PM with an occasional strangler bunch of teens that normally get the bulk of any of the ONE candy bag I buy for the occasion. Not sure what happened along the way that made this holiday less magical and with scarce participation, but it sure wasn’t what it used to be.
I’ve made my case. And I’m sticking by it. So I’ll just leave you with this photo of me sucking on a candy box in my sweet homemade witch costume from 1986.
It’s the best time of the year! The days grow darker, nights are longer, and there’s a crispness in the air that all point to the spooky season we’ve waited for all year long. We all know we’ll busy ourselves with planned horror movie marathons to keep us glued to the screen long into the wee hours of early morning, but there’s just something special about a good scary book to enhance the eerie needs around this time of year.
Perfect time to pick out that blood-curdling spine-chiller to curl up with under a warm blanket . So warm your apple cider, grab a goody to go along with it, and join us over here at the Nightmare as we go over some terrifying choices to haunt your dreams for weeks to come.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
The gothic classic that’s ravaged the psyche of generations ever since its grim release. The infamous story of grave robbing and the perpetual pursuit of mankind’s need to tamper with things only God is meant to wield. Arrogantly death itself is challenged by the book’s titular character as he slips further away from the lighted world of his friends and loved ones and entraps himself in a world of darkness and isolation as the insidious work of his own hands rises from the slab to hunt down and pay revenge upon all Victor Frankenstein holds dear. No one is safe from the monster’s relentless grasp.
I read this back when I was 17 and instantly fell in love with the narrative and cinematic scope its writer, Mary Shelley, seized in words and tone. It remains one of my top 5 absolute favorite books and is a true loss to any horror reader who has yet to discover its black magic. The movies this single book has inspired is in the hundreds so why not come into the dark with Victor and me to see true mastery of the written craft at work. You may not leave the same though.
Not only is it one of the earliest among gothic horror but it’s heavily influenced genres such as body horror and science fiction alike. Highly influential and violently poetic.
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
This book is chilling and it’s no wonder the movie adaptation scared the devil out of the world and earned the title of ‘scariest movie ever made.’
The devil is real, at least between the covers of Blatty’s book. Upon its publication, people were not ready for the sorcery presented herein. Surely the Devil could not exist in a world of science and education. These aren’t the Dark Ages after all. But Blatty reintroduced Satan – and all his foul little ways – back to the human psyche.
Certainly the Devil was not a new concept and this wasn’t the first book to give Satan the spotlight, but there was simply something authentic, yes, indeed very real about Blatty’s presentation of evil. One that poked a cold and bony finger into the lower spine of society.
One of my professors at seminary went to question Blatty about this book and challenge him for falsely handling the topic of exorcism. The very opposite thing happened though as my professor left (after meeting with the writer) entirely convinced the man was well aware of the occult and the supernatural dangers surrounding it.
No Merchandising. Editorial Use Only. No Book Cover Usage.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Warner Bros/Hoya Prods./Kobal/REX/Shutterstock (5885474g)
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist – 1973
Director: William Friedkin
Warner Bros/Hoya Productions
USA
Scene Still
Horror
L’Exorciste
The Exorcist took Satan out of the boiling pits of Hell, a vivid image everyone had in mind since the release of Dante’s Inferno, and also away from robed and darkly cloaked covens, a thing typically associated with the Prince of Darkness, and dropped him right inside the everyday home of any family. The Devil’s target is not the rich and powerful, but the young, the innocent, and, most importantly, the pure in heart. This was a Devil you couldn’t kill with a stake through the heart, holy water, or prayer. The message was Satan is far greater than we are ready to deal with. And it doesn’t matter if you believe in him or not. If he’s invited in – no matter how innocently – he will not turn down the invitation.
Upon its publication, the whole tone of horror books changed for the following two decades to come.
Doubtless, you’ve watched the movie. It may be time to pick up the book and let its haunting merits enter your mind.
The Rats by James Herbert
It’s nothing short of a travesty that James Herbert is not talked about more among horror bookworms. When’s the last time you saw a book boasting his name? Can you believe this guy was all the rage back in the ‘70s? This guy was taking the world by storm with his macabre visions and graphic details.
They say the devil’s in the details and they’re right! Especially when it comes to the grotesque mastery of this one man’s writing skills. He just knows the perfect spot – the one that that’ll hurt the most – to stab and get under your skin. Not only that, but he will gleefully start scraping a nerve before you can beg for the whole nasty ordeal to stop. And he’ll do so with a pleasant smile – one only the English can muster – on his face. He’s a lovely chap but a true sadist with a typewriter.
In The Rats, we are given exactly what we’re expecting from a title like this. That is if you’re expecting to read a book about legions (I mean legions too) of greasy overgrown rats set upon tearing the citizens of London to weeping bloody shreds. No one is safe from these violent, blood-thirsty terrors either.
Think a sweet old woman is gonna make it just because, well, she’s an old woman? Well, that’s rich. She gets it pretty bad. And, if memory serves me correctly, she gets taken down and torn apart because she had the audacity to rush over and help some other poor soul being attacked. That’ll teach ya for being nice!
How grizzly is this book? Well by the time you get to chapter three a baby has already been flooded by a living flow of red eyes, yellow teeth, and no mercy. And just for good measure, as if a fine fuck you especially from the writer, in the same instance the rats kill a puppy as they chew the bones away from the baby. That’s the kind of book you’re getting yourself into.
It’s brilliant stuff for the gorehounds out there. It’s messy and it’s almost smelly like you can sense the filthy sewers these giant feral things swarm out of. And this book has nothing in common with the Bruno Mattei film, Rats: Night of Terror. In case you were wondering.
Just imagine yourself sitting at a red light when suddenly – and for no good reason – your car is gnawed through by rats. You are trapped. Your instinct is to get out but when you look out the window the whole road is alive with flesh-hungry rats. You cannot escape and can only sit and wait for the pain the stop as you slip into the embrace of the Abyss. That’s the genius of The Rats. I guess it bears similarity with a zombie plague, that overwhelming sense of ‘escapelessness.’ Something about knowing we, human beings, are victims to nature really has a way of chewing us up.
Not for the faint of heart but is perfect for a great creepy feeling as the world hides in shadows… what else might be hiding out there with the night? Be wary of things that can scurry across the floor and climb up into your bed and glide like phantoms under the sheets.
James Herbert needs to be more recognized by us horror fans. The man was brilliant.
Off Season by Jack Ketchum
Let’s keep it nasty, shall we? Many fans might be surprised I didn’t go with his The Girl Next Door and I do recommend it. But Off Season fits the fall mood more, kind of like the title suggests.
It’s the perfect time to go relax at that cabin by the lake. Or so our cast of characters think. What awaits them though is a painful and agonizing fate wrought by a feral family who lives in secret out in the woods and who hungrily stalk any poor soul who has the shit fortune to pass by.
The book opens with a Good Samaritan (the Hell is it with these stories punishing folks for being nice?) stopping her car to help a seemingly injured young girl. It’s all a sickening ruse as the kind woman soon finds herself in a ring of dirty, smelling, inbred teenagers who see her as less than human. They came to play and she’s the toy. The ruthlessness depicted at the story’s beginning lets the reader know that the main cast of unsuspecting characters (to come) is in for Hell.
Jack Ketchum was my mentor and I miss him dearly. The man is the reason why I’m writing today and it all began with me picking up this book from (get this) Wal-Mart of all places! I like to think some soccer mom also picked up a copy and threw it away in disgust once she realized just what the fuck she purchased.
This is splatterpunk kind of stuff and proves that pain is scary and the human body has very little worth in the eyes of psychopaths.
Psycho by Robert Bloch
I feel it fitting to end this first part with the book that creeped out the master of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. The man could not put this book down and it drove him to make the one horror film that would dare change the tone and attitude for horror movies for ever. Much like, I might add, The Exorcist did.
We’ve all seen the movie (I mean assumedly) and know the story very well. However, and very interestingly, unlike the movie’s adaptation that follows Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane, the book makes us follow Norman Bates. It gets uncomfortable too as poor dumpy Norman casually talks with Mother come morning to night. It had to have been fun for early readers not to know (SPOILERS!!!!!!!) Mother is in fact dead and he’s interacting with dried-out husk.
Like I said we have to tag along with Norman Bates. If you read this book there’s simply no choice. We become unwilling voyeurs into the daily routines of a man who is not at all right in the head. And there is no reflection of Anthony Perkins in this Norman Bates. None of that handsome and clean-shaven man of mystery.
The book did inspire sequels, just like the movie did, but I’ve not had the chance to read those yet. Although I’ve heard that they greatly differ from the cinematic continuation. Speaking of which I do strongly recommend the film sequels. They have no business being as good as they are and I think horror fans get cheated for not giving the movies a chance. I snubbed my nose at them because, well, how dare they make a sequel to Psycho? But to my surprise, the films really hold up. Ok tangent over… I guess I should get copies of the book sequels too.
