As I've mentioned in the previous thread, I really loved to read X-Entertainment back in the day, and now that he has a new site, this is actually the first year I've followed his Halloween Countdown (
Dinosaur Dracula!). He does start it kinda early (September 1st!), but it has made this whole last month a lot more entertaining in my life.
He had a great list of ideas to make the Halloween season a little more entertaining that I've been trying to stick to. The whole article is kinda long, because of it being the first day of the countdown, but I figured I'd share the relevant bits along with some of my own opinions:
#1: Stuff your DVR with spooky things!
It’s all about the keywords. Play around, and you’ll be amazed at what you’ll find. Search for “horror,” and “Halloween,” and “spooky,” and “monsters,” and “ghosts,” and whatever else you can think of. You’re going to find so much awesome shit. Once you get a good stock going, you’ll never once be at home without a “Halloween thing” to do.
Ashley's Note: I love this idea, because you're going to find things you may not have found simply by a genre search or a Halloween Search. Additionally, Travis and I put together a list of horror movies we wanted to watch this season, and then sorted the list basically from, "Not really horror, but still creepy" all the way to "This is Halloween movie and can only be watched on Halloween" and have slowly been working our way to the creepier movies.
#2: Draw and color like you’re six years old.
One of my favorite things about this season is how it lends itself to a certain kind of art. Grade school art, basically. Grab a pad, grab some markers, and go to fucking town. Invent creatures, or pay tribute to your favorite movie monsters. You don’t have to be a polished artist to get joy out of this. I sure ain’t.
(PS: That purple demon up there. It’s like someone crossbred a Hutt with Gorga the Space Monster.)
Ashley's Note: Instead of doing this, I'm making my own fabric Halloween decorations for the window, because I apparently think I'm Martha Stewart.
#3: Read a scary book!
This is pretty obvious, but here’s the thing: You can make a night out of just GETTING your scary book. Don’t blow the opportunity by scouring Amazon. If there was ever a time to go to a brick-and-mortar bookstore, this is it. You’ll feel a special connection to your scary book if you do it that way, and besides, bookstores are inherently Halloweeny. I can’t explain why, but they are.
Then, when you get home, curl up with a blanket and some crazy seasonal tea, and have at it. Bonus points if you read during a thunderstorm!
Ashley's Note: Like Travis, I, too, am reading
House of Leaves. I meant to start it sooner, but I got distracted by finishing
A Dance with Dragons.
#4: Find, buy and eat lots of Halloween junk food.
Here’s one way that September definitely tops October. Almost all of the random “Halloween foods” arrive in September (if not earlier), while October’s debuts are a comparative few. It’s kinda hard to wait a month when Frute Brute and Halloween Crunch are in your face every time you go to Target.
I say, don’t bother trying. Trick-or-treating has already marked this as the best season to not care at all about what you put in your body. Don’t let the kids have all the fun. You deserve some, too.
So go for it. Find the Cadbury Screme Eggs, and eat ‘em until you puke. It’s okay, because puke is Halloweeny.
Ashley's Note: I don't allow myself to do this until October 1st, so you can bet that I am going to be at the store tonight or tomorrow.
#5: Go for a walk!
I swear, this isn’t lame. Last year, me and Ms. X got in the habit of going for “spooky walks” at night. We tried to find the most desolate and/or wooded areas. It was a blast. We saw no ghosts and were chased by no serial killers, but every time we went on one, I came back feeling not just physically energized, but
mentally, too. Like I was ready to watch every horror movie ever made, or at least two of them, because walking makes me tired.
If you think about it, the appeal makes perfect sense. We all
go out at night, but how many of us actually take the time to enjoy the night itself? Do it. I command you.
Ashley's Note: I still haven't done this because the weather here has been decidedly unfall-like for most of September.