I love Halloween. Probably not a surprise to those who know me:
I like horror and the theatrical, so a holiday devoted to both obviously floats
my proverbial boat.
On the first Halloween I remember, I wanted to be a
witch: not the typical choice for boys
my age who all opted for Spiderman, Wolfman, and Whateverman. I was enamored and obsessed with “The Wizard
of Oz” and I wanted to be a wicked witch. Funny how, of all the colorful
characters I could have chosen, I wanted to be the villain. That, among other things, proved portentous. My parents likely went back and forth on the
idea, but in the end, they conceded to honor my wish, thinking it was probably
okay at this young age for me not to have sex roles explained and/or enforced. Unaware of all of that, I was giddy to get
the trappings that would turn me into an evil witch. My costume ended up not being nearly as glamorous and
dramatic as I had hoped. In fact, it was
a fairly tacky, store-bought piece of crap as I look back on it. That Halloween, though, I didn’t care; I was
a wicked witch and the night was glorious.
And this is the
wonderful thing about Halloween. We can
all be free to let our fanciful side out.
We can be witches or princesses, superheroes or demons. We can be scary or silly. It isn’t really tied anymore to a major religion
like Christmas or Hanukkah, it isn’t specific to a single country like Thanksgiving
or Presidents Day, and it isn’t fettered with family obligations. Anyone can
partake, however they choose. It’s a
celebration of the freedom of imagination—whether that includes enjoying a fancy
dress masked ball where frivolity and laughter echo, visiting a haunted house
where ghosts and ghouls scream in the dark, passing out candy to neighbor children,
roaming the streets for aforementioned candy…or curling up on the couch watching
a scary movie.
And, if the last
option sounds like your cup of tea, I’d offer up my homage to the horror genre, DEADLY REVISIONS. It’s a slow-burn psychological
thriller with dark shadows and things that go bump in the night. And it stars the great Bill Oberst, Jr. as the
horror writer who just may be haunted by his own creations. Here's a sneak peek...
See more at www.deadlyrevisionsmovie.com/
In any event, however you choose to celebrate Halloween, I hope it’s fun and memorable as all good things should be.
Till next time...
