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Swooping Bat

Haunted

Happenings

2018

     I love holidays in general, I’ve always been very spirited that way, but Halloween is one of my absolute favorites! I’ve found the sensation of being frightened by something I know couldn’t actually hurt me appealing since I was young. The scarier the better! I’m also very big on traditions. In years past I’ve decorated my house, watched as many horror movies as I could, reserving select titles for the week leading up to Halloween and gone trick-or-treating with my family. (Yes, I’m one of those parental anomalies who never outgrew dressing up.)

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     However, this year heralded significant changes in my life. My daughter’s budding independence and other circumstances beyond my control have forced me to deviate from my normal holiday routines. This will mark the first year we do not trick-or-treat together. She’s reached that age where she would rather spend Halloween with friends and I’m grateful she’s given me as many years as she has. Though saddened, as any mother will be when her child begins the inevitable drift away, I decided that while I may not have trick-or-treating anymore, there are plenty of other activities we can enjoy together in the spirit of the holiday before Halloween night.

Halloween Hat and Decor

     One tradition that hasn't changed yet is our costuming. Similar to how she chooses a theme for her birthday party each year, I've also allowed her to pick her own Halloween costume since she was two. The caveat to this is whatever she, chooses, I also dress up as, either to compliment or contrast. (No matter what she picks, my version is always scary in some way.) It's another unique bonding experience we’ve shared over the years. Even when she’s chosen something…less than frightening, I’ve managed to match my costume to the theme at the very least. (Like the year she wanted to be a faerie princess--I became a dark faerie.) We visited the Halloween store in search of one idea but she changed her mind in-store and we walked out with another. She is being a devil this year so I shall be a demon slayer!

     Frightfest at the Great Escape is an event I always wished I could attend and the opportunity presented itself this year. While we wandered the park enjoying the rides (my love of fear in the name of good fun also makes me an avid thrill-seeker,) announcements reminiscent of those heard in The Purge came over the loudspeakers informing us that there “would be no safety” for those who did not leave the park by 5:00 p.m. My daughter has never relished fear as I do so one of her friends made sport of jumping out from around corners trying to scare her.  At five o’clock costumed performers began appearing amongst the patrons, first just making their sinister presence known. As the evening grew darker, they became livelier in their attempts to scare people. My daughter was particularly leery of the Scarecrow Man and had a real good fright when a chainsaw-wielding maniac chased her through the Ghost Town tunnel!

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     Though I commend her bravery in facing her fear of going upside-down by finally getting on the Greezed Lightning, (a coaster that travels in a completely vertical, 72-foot-high circle that she’d abandoned before it started twice during a previous visit to the park) the experience did not exactly end well. In her anxiety, she forgot her phone was in her sweatshirt pocket. It not only fell out but was subsequently run over! All we were able to recover was the screen portion. She was understandably upset but we still had a good laugh over it after. Upon replacing her phone the only pictures she wasn’t able to recover were the ones from that day and how many people can tell such an interesting story about how their Iphone got destroyed?

     This year marks the fortieth anniversary since the release of John Carpenter's iconic film Halloween, which gave birth to one of the most widely-recognized (albeit fictional) serial killers of all time.  I was tickled pink, (or should I say stabbed bloody?) when I learned a new Halloween was being released and that Jamie Lee Curtis would return! In celebration of this event, my daughter and I binge-watched all of the original films, plus the two Rob Zombie remakes before seeing the latest installment on the big screen. My daughter has dubbed Michael Myers her “horror boyfriend.” Fun fact: Did you know the mask Michael Myers wears is really William Shatner of Star Trek fame?

ROLLER COASTER: 1

CELL PHONE: 0

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     This year also marks the two-hundredth anniversary since Mary Shelley published her horror classic Frankenstein. Celebrating this bi-centennial, the Hudson River Shakespeare Company staged a production of the tale. My daughter and I attended, along with two of her friends and while never once was the classic, "It's alive!" line uttered, we still had an enjoyable time, complete with appropriately-themed treats from the concession stand. Parts of the performance were downright startling, especially on the part of “The Creature.” The actor did a splendid job of toying with emotions, making us feel sympathetic for him at one turn and frightened of him the next. He and the actor portraying Henry were my favorites, though Sophie was also amusing and Frau Frankenstein’s scream alone could turn your blood cold. My daughter’s friends liked the Inspector General and she herself enjoyed Victor Frankenstein the most. She was fairly outraged by how it ended and fortuitous circumstance gave us the opportunity to discuss the show with Herr Frankenstein himself before we left which she was quite pleased about.

     Also joining the list of spooky anniversaries are two of my favorite childhood films, both celebrating their twenty-fifth birthdays in 2018. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas was a ground-breaking-game-changer in the world of animation. To this day it's still one of my favorite works Burton has ever produced and right up there on my list of favorite movies EVER! The amount of time and dedication it took everyone involved with its creation is staggering and the artwork and overall design is just stunning. My propensity for fun socks goaded me into finally replacing my Jack Skellingtons which had become so full of holes over the years I could no longer repair them. I sense a sing-along viewing of this movie in the very near future!

     My other favorite Halloween movie sharing its twenty-fifth anniversary with TNBC is Disney's Hocus Pocus. (I've mentioned that I'm

really just a kid masquerading as an adult, right?) There was something so appealing to this movie when it first came out that still has a firm grip on me. Bette Midler is such an amazingly talented woman and I think this is one of those rare movies that was cast perfectly. Replace a single one of the actors and it just wouldn't be the same. Unfortunately I don't have television so I was unable to watch the reunion special BUT I will be celebrating in a different way! Pushing the Limit Productions is staging a

a live-cast version that, judging by their facebook feed, promises to be marvelously entertaining! (Spoiler alert: If you've yet to see anything about this show, Winnifred is played by a dude in drag! I already bought tickets for Saturday's show because I have no intention of on missing out on this!

     ***UPDATE*** We had such a blast at this show last night! Upon entering we were handed bags containing various articles including rubber fingers, squirt guns filled with water, battery operated tealights, toilet paper, packets of salt and...toast. This strange goody bag was accompanied with a list of instructions on when to use the props. The squirt guns were the most fun, which we used when Max Dennison summons "The Burning Rain of Death" and we all got to fire away at the performers! The toast was funny as well. It was used when  Winnifred says, "I always wanted a child and now I think I'll have one...ON TOAST!" Everyone in the audience threw their toast at her. We also had a good time TP-ing each other. Incidentally, Mary was also played by a man. (How I failed to catch that during the time I spent following the event is anybody's guess!) These two witches were hands-down my favorite characters in this--they were just so INTO their roles!

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     Adding to all this fiendishly fun mischief, I still have jack-o-lantern carving and will be attending a production of Faustus by Will Kempe's Players on Halloween night! Yes, I will be going in costume. I'll post further updates to this page as they occur. Until then, happy haunting!

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