Well here we are… Halloween. The big one, the day itself, the moment I always look forward to even though I don’t always have super fancy high-octane plans for it. Yeah, that’s kind of but not really true. This whole month with all the entries was my plan all along and I loved every second of it. And now, just like when I wrapped up last year’s Halloween entries, I find myself asking, “What else is there to do?”
Once again, we’ll set the tone with some music.
Last year, I gave a good overview of how I celebrated the holiday and what I watched. This year, it only seemed right to take the ideas further and write full-on reviews, share more childhood memories and thoughts, and pay tribute to people and things I admire that helped develop my love for horror and take it further. In addition, it was also fun adapting my blog categories/series into Halloween-related entries. It was fun exploring those possibilities, and yet I only scratched the surface of what I could do next year.
I have to admit, the whole experience was slightly hectic. The blog entries weren’t as fully-planned as I’d hoped. The ideas were chosen during September, and many of them were outlined, but some of them were dropped and I went with different topics when I later noticed that there was a nostalgic vibe behind the entries. I figured that’d be a cool theme, so I went with it. The fact I had other life things going on in September also kept me from doing more in-depth pre-planning; so that only added to the hectic nature.
Still, the fact I was able to do three entries per week is a nice feeling of accomplishment, and I’m happy with how they turned out. The topics were fun to dive into, I loved rewatching the movies for the reviews, and I especially had fun creating the featured images/graphics. My favourites to work on are easily the images for Mingled-up Musings and the Slasher movie-daydream piece. It was nice sketching out the ideas and then diving into Gimp to bring them to life.
As for those reviews, it was hard to choose which movies to review at first, especially since there are a lot that played a part in shaping my love for horror movies. This means there will be more for next year though, so that’ll be exciting. 🙂
Despite having written a good variety of entries, a small part of me was hoping to do more. There’s so much to do and so much to talk about! I love horror movies and other little things connected to Halloween, so there’s always going to be something left. But like I said earlier, this was my way of celebrating throughout the month and I’m definitely satisfied with the results.
And how about anything outside of the blog? Well I’ve been watching other movies like the classic Universal monsters films, Hellraiser, old Halloween specials, and I also had a blast watching the Cinemassacre livestream over the weekend in which James Rolfe and his friends commentated on a couple movies and showed every Monster Madness review they’ve produced. They did it on Youtube and it was really cool hanging out in the chat room, discussing the movies and other Cinemassacre projects with fans.
So, what else is there? How about an awesome horror montage? I’ve always loved those!
One thing that kind of stopped me in my tracks recently is the question of, “Why do I like all this?” Everything about this month: the horror movies, the Halloween costumes and decorations, haunted houses, the season change & scenery, the entire festive nature as a whole, everything. Sure, it all makes for a fun time and there’s a lot of nostalgia behind it, but as I tried to look behind it and find out what it is, I had a hard time pinpointing it.
It’s probably not a case of just having a one-stroke answer, because maybe it’s okay that I have multiple answers for that. Let’s go ahead and see what it all might add up to.
The horror movies are a nice form of escapism and can allow one to have an adrenaline rush while also giving us entertaining & chilling performances that are timeless and madly entertaining. The season change and scenery? It’s simply gorgeous! Just look at it. Then there’s the Halloween decorations and haunted houses. Those are cool because they transform something ordinary into a creation not of this world, allowing one to really use their imagination and play around. And the whole festive nature & costumes? Everything about that is great because it gives a sense of many people coming together to celebrate, show another side of their personality, and unleash their inner kid as they enjoy themselves.
In short, there’s a lot I love about this time of year. It’s the fuel from which future blog entries will emanate, and it’s what makes me always want to seek out more content from other Halloween fanatics. The creativity that this inspires is probably one of the biggest reasons I love Halloween and everything leading up to it. It is a time to plan something, craft it, and then share it with others. Whether it’s a costume, haunted house, written reviews, video reviews, drawings, films, or anything else, it’s something I always love to look at and share.
To anyone out there who does creative stuff during October, you’re one of the reasons I love this time of year; and I want to thank you for adding to the spirit and fun of Halloween. You’re also the reason I write these blog entries in the hopes that others will share their similar memories and thoughts.
Thank you to everyone who celebrates Halloween, and thank you for reading. The month is over, but the fun will never stop. I can’t wait to do this next year all over again.
Stay safe and have a happy Halloween! 🙂
Kasey Lewis - Actor, Writer, Creator 