I won’t start this by saying, “it’s that time of year again,” because whenever I come across Halloween content during the off-season and they say “it’s that time of year again” I feel a wisp of sorrow. Anyway, I’d like to share some media discoveries that could help spookify any time of year. As someone who regularly mines the caverns of the internet in search of Halloween-enhancing content, sometimes I worry that there’s little more to discover. Thankfully, these finds have proven me wrong.
Halloween in Edison, NJ (1984)
Frank of Ghoulish Terrors Magazine sent this to me with a description saying they "actually found this footage on a VHS tape retrieved/bought at an estate sale, years ago." This sounded like the setup for a fun modern throwback, but the moment I hit play, its authenticity cried out. A mysterious found videocassette is already the stuff of legends, but in this case, the contents are even more impressive. It’s essentially a short film about a quartet of monsters in search of a victim. They only pause along the way for the sake of growling, infighting, feasting, spell-casting and the destruction of small objects.
I’m deeply impressed with this production on so many levels. First, it’s a youthful fantasy scenario realized– the type of dream I might have concocted while standing in the Halloween aisle. Sure, costumes are meant for parties, trick or treating, and perhaps even uniforms for haunted house workers. But what might a costume’s ultimate purpose be? The answer is demonstrated in this video– camaraderie and art.
The makers of this featurette had access to resources that were seemingly unattainable in my youth. They had the spending power to get head-to-toe outfits, including accessories like rubber hands. They also had single-use perishables like smoke bombs. The budget even accommodated a full bag of destructible groceries. Most importantly, they shared a common vision, and possessed the technical tools and know-how to capture it all on videotape. I’m amazed at how well each shot is framed, and how steady the camera stays.
The artistic decisions are just about perfect. The scant dialogue and loose narrative eliminate distractions, allowing wistful viewers to get lost in their world and in their time. Each character is a timeless classic, and the characterization of each villain stays true to our longstanding expectations. The Frankenstein grunts and flails, the witch cackles and casts, and the ghoul growls. Speaking of audio, they use the classic Horrible Sounds of Halloween cassette as a realtime soundtrack. (The sound effects on that album were stolen from Sounds to Make You Shiver, but that one is tough to find on cassette, and I’m betting they used the more portable format.)
The wooded setting is also universal. The set design follows youthful Halloween logic in that the monsters’ lair is a cabin in the woods covered with dime store decor, complete with a smoky cauldron. On top of all that, it’s an unintentional period piece, especially at the end when we’re treated to a classic car show and an interior done up in the New Jersey vernacular. Finally, the story culminates in the triumph of good over evil. The antagonists are beat at their own game with opposing human stick-wielders.
This is a rare snapshot of American Halloween in the 1980s boiled down to its essence. I can't say I've ever seen another slice of Halloween as pure as this one.
Halloween Night II by Kendall J. Redburn
I happened across this 1991 Mac game on archive.org and I can’t understand how this bit of gaming history isn’t constantly referenced and celebrated throughout geek culture. It’s a trick-or-treat simulator from the perspective of the candy giver, except that all the visitors are real monsters, including a few that appear to be of the cosmic horror persuasion. The surprisingly intense artwork and sound design create an atmosphere that is both fun and genuinely chilling. As a kid, my household had an early Mac that was necessitated by my dad’s educational pursuits. Thanks to a clearance bin, we had one game called Airborne, and it dominated my mind and artistic life for a season. I can’t imagine how different my youth (and my life!) would have been, had I discovered this wondrous piece of software.
Charles Dickens' Ghost Stories from the Pickwick Papers (1987)
I’m going to scale way back on these write-ups so that I can go ahead and post this piece, but this animated TV movie is way more artful and atmospheric than I was expecting. A great, spooky-time watch.
Night of the Headless Horseman (1999)
This animated Fox special manages to squeeze some real chills and atmosphere out of the relatively early computer animation, something I've been warming up to recently. My main criteria for Halloween entertainment is that if feels like Halloween, and this one does from start to finish.
Amazing World of Ghosts (1978) with commercials from 1986
I’ve talked about this movie in another Halloween write-up, but yes, this version is seasoned with late night commercials! The beginning is cut off, but that’s even better because this would be the PERFECT show to discover during a restless night in 1986. I’ve had this on repeat for months now. Its power to soothe my spirit is unmatched.
WKBW Halloween Archives-Radio Broadcasts from Buffalo, NY 1968-1973
This collection of radio broadcasts taps into the same vibe as Amazing World of Ghosts, especially the episode on Vampires. It's full of sensationalized, unchecked information, aided by the audio enhancements of the era. Like the above documentary, I can enjoy this as standalone entertainment, but if I want to maximize my pleasure, I envision the surrounding circumstances from when it aired— deep in the 1970s up in the exotic (to me) northeastern United States. It would have been the perfect program to find on the transistor radio after turning off the porch light, and flipping the TV to a black and white horror movie, volume turned down.
This Halloween Night walking tour of Ontario is amazing.
Witching Season Halloween Atmospheres
These vignettes seem to be inspired by the legendary opening credits of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. The do a good job scratching that spooky itch.
Pure Halloween on Spotify
Lastly, here is a playlist that I personally hand-picked, chock full of genuinely eerie music. It avoids the common Halloween staples and goes light on the film scores. There’s a healthy dose of Dungeon Synth in there, and plenty of brooding symphonic stuff. Turn it on while you’re running errands at dusk and watch the world turn creepy in a good way.
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