Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with halloween

Help me go to hell!

twiki — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:40:32 -0800

Halloween Filter: Help me make my demon's lair even more cool this year. Last year was my first year in a house since I was a kid, so I had great fun decorating the place for ourselves and for trick-or-treaters. Rather than the usual coffins and skeletons and ghosts, we decided on a theme: Hell.

As in, I was the devil, my stepdaughter and pug were dressed up as minions, and everything was themed around the fires of hell/red/black you get the idea. You can see what we did last year here.

I'm looking for help with ideas for this year, how to make it even cooler (without costing a fortune - my budget is probably $100 all told for additional props).

Ideas? Share one, share all!

Bonus points for anyone who has suggestions on how to safely incorporate fire (or the look of fire) into our front yard on Halloween night - pits? candles? But kid friendly, obviously, since we don't want trick-or-treater-BBQ.

Halloween icons

Unsomnambulist — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:14:17 -0800

Characters and icons specific to Halloween? I'm trying to come up with a list of characters, icons, and similar that are specifically relevent to Halloween (the holiday)... meaning not every popular movie monster would make the fit, no matter how "popular" they are around Halloween.

Clearly, The Great Pumpkin is at the top of the list. Jack Skellington, or some other Nightmare Before Christmas characters also work for obvious reasons.

The Headless Horseman fits because according to legend he only appear Halloween night. By the same token, Michael Myers fits... his bloody rampages coincide with Oct. 31st.

Ben Cooper might also fit... although it was the name of possibly the most famous Halloween costume company ever - cheap vinyl jumpsuits and a flimsy plastic mask. Loved em!

Any ideas?

Absorbing sound...as a bunny.

janepanic — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:59:34 -0800

Hello all! I am looking for a particular kind of mask, and I am hoping you can help me find it. I'm looking to get a couple of masks as seen in this Mates of State video:
link!

I've never seen them for sale anywhere, and I'm not sure if they have a special name. I really like the squirrel and the owl, but really I am not picky. I live in Hamilton, so a real-life store in Toronto would be fine. Or somewhere online. Whatevs. Anyone seen these around and know where to get them? Thanks!

Help me brainstorm a witch's apothecary worth of Halloween props

rosebengal — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:33:59 -0800

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. Halloween is fast approaching and I need help creating some apothecary style props from the Bard's well known witches chant based on the introduction to That Scottish Play. Most of my audience isn't going to remember much past "eye of newt and toe of frog" but being a geek about details I'd like to try to create a tableaux of the entire contents of that cauldron. Here are my constraints. I'm crafty but sorely lacking in free time this year (and I've already vowed to make a full sized papier mache cauldron...). I'm not looking for authenticity, e.g. I don't have any desire to know where I can purchase a goat gall bladder or baboon blood. Items that can handle at least a week of non-refrigerated display are desirable. Easy to find re-purposed household items a plus.

Here's the list (and my ideas).

poisoned entrails (Shakespeare was nonspecific as to whose)
toad venom -- corn starch slurry dyed maroon, or glowy...
fen snake -- rubber snake
eye of newt -- bubble tea tapioca pearls
toe of frog
wool of bat -- cotton wool, dyed black
tongue of dog
adder's fork
blind worm's sting
lizard leg
owlet wing -- raid flytying supplies for feathers
dragon scale
wolf tooth
witches mummy (powder) -- talcum powder
shark jaw
hemlock root -- errant walnut tree sprout from yard
[human] liver
gall bladder of a goat -- silly putty
yew slips
[human] nose
[human] lips
baby finger
tiger entrails
baboon's blood -- corn syrup and red food coloring

Costumes for my clones!

pyjammy — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:20:58 -0800

What can my triplet infants be for Halloween? Last year, you helped with my Halloween costume when I was pregnant. This year, now that the babies are ex-utero, I need a costume idea for them!

Details:
- They'll be nearly 11 months old at Halloween
- They're identical boys
- They aren't walking, so they'll be sitting in strollers for this, which can be incorporated into the costumes
- I don't mind dressing up, but my husband is resistant to dressing up. Hmmph.
- We're in Louisiana, so it will probably be pretty warm

As in my last question, clever is best, though mildly offensive I suppose would be inappropriate. Inexpensive is best, since there are so darn many of them to dress. And I'm pretty crafty, so I can try to make them (hence the long lead time on this question.)

(For the record, I was a magic 8 ball last year.)

Adults who seem to be "working" Halloween.

TheManChild2000 — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:42:15 -0800

Why would it be that every Halloween here in Phoenix I get a bunch of adult Trick or Treaters who are have perfunctory costumes or, much more typically, no costume at all? I'm not talking about the gruff teenagers with no costume and a plastic grocery bag who shamble up, grunt when you give them something, and then walk away. Also not fully decked out adults who are clearly out for a good time. Just all these cheerless seeming adults who don't even look you in the eye.

The last year* I kept close track included a fourty year old guy with a 2$ mask and street clothes who jogged up to the door and held out his hands, a woman in jeans and a tshirt with a baby sleeping on her shoulder who wanted candy for two different bags, and two separate uncostumed moms who held out their own bags after their group of kids got candy.

Is it just people who see an opportunity for free stuff and don't know/care about what's appropriate? Are people taking the candy and then selling it somewhere?

* FD: this is a repost of an old question, rewritten to hopefully eliminate what got it deleted before. Plus, hopefully someone might have an answer this time.

No Kang and Kodos?

horseblind — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:39:07 -0800

What are some great animated halloween classics appropriate for the teen set? My girlfriend is a youth services librarian and is planning teen programs for the rest of the year. For Halloween she initially thought of having a Tim Burton themed Halloween viewing party. Turns out the district doesn't have the rights to have a viewing of Nightmare Before Christmas. However, she can show Corpse Bride. So, she's looking for other animated Halloween classics to fill out the party. Unfortunately, The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" series can't be shown due to rights issues. Halloween themed "Classic" Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies are also out due age level and various social issues (including racism and stereotyping.)

What else can you recommend to make for a great Halloween Movie Party for a bunch of teens hanging out at the library?

Does anybody drive their kids to different (better?) neighborhoods to do their trick-or-treating?

Rich Smorgasbord — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:38:24 -0800

Did anybody drive their kids to different (better?) neighborhoods to do their trick-or-treating? I walked downtown last night, through a casual middle class neighborhood, an uptight (fancier front yards) middle class neighborhood, a young-adult-and-some-hipsters neighborhood, and a commercial neighborhood. There were hordes of trick-or-treaters in the casual middle class neighborhood, a few in the uptight middle class neighborhood, and none in the other neighborhoods. I just figured that some little kids must live in the other places, and they must be bugging their parents to go trick-or-treating.

They're not just for apples anymore!

freshwater_pr0n — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:09:13 -0800

I am researching the best way to accomplish this task: make life-sized, edible, realistic replicas of a razor blade, suitable to bring to a Halloween party next year. What sort of candy medium would work bestl?

Balls out

Mach3avelli — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:23:48 -0800

For Halloween this year, my costume (similar to this one) is a giant, inflatable, flesh-colored penis. Can I get in any trouble with the law for wearing it out in public? And does it make a difference whether that day is Halloween or not?

Is the Santa Monica Halloween parade my best option tonight?

jeremias — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:47:23 -0800

In LA on business and wondering: Is the Santa Monica Halloween parade my best option? And if so where do I park? As always . . . Looking for some diversions tonight, not into dressing up or partying per se, but would love to costume watch. I'm not too familiar with LA, and Santa Monica blvd is not far from my hotel, but it's far enough that I will need to drive, so trying not to spend $ on parking. Or perhaps LA locals have a better alternative?

Costume help!

sarelicar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:12:42 -0800

How can I make my boring Dorothy costume funny and/or ironic? Since I'm the laziest halloweener ever, I'm doing Dorothy because I have a)red shoes and b)a blue dress.

My best idea so far: a basket and a stuffed doggy. I'm at a loss.

In your infinite creativity, hive mind, please advise. Adult humor is welcome but I'm not strapping anything on. Thanks all!

All dressed up with no place to go

Evangeline — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 15:11:56 -0800

Halloween in New York - where to go? Caveats, of course. Taking my cue from this post, what bars/pub/lounges can I go to in Manhattan or Brooklyn tomorrow night where I can sit around dressed as Marie Antoinette and sip a martini? I'm not interested in anything too crowded (not a Webster Hall kind of vibe) and I'm not cool enough to get into any of the big club parties, which I probably wouldn't enjoy anyway. I want someplace that's celebrating Halloween, that's festive, but not too crowded.

Fashionably Late to the Party

idiotfactory — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:37:54 -0800

Did I miss Halloween? A girlfriend of mine is coming back to town today and so tomorrow night we want to go celebrate Halloween together. However, I can't find anything for us to do! I know that last weekend was when all the cool stuff was happening, but surely, there is something we can do on a Wednesday night. Should we just take our chances and attempt a pub crawl? Oh, and we're in the bay area.

Okinawan Pop Band Halloween Costume Advice

billtron — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:00:28 -0800

HalloweenCostumeFilter: My band has a gig on Halloween in the East Village of NYC. Can you help me complete my costume? I can't use my hands, because of the instrument I play. I usually wear a black suit, bowtie, and bowler hat, and I am looking for minimal detail that can be added to make a quickly and commonly identified costume. Last year I wore some terminator makeup on my head and that was enough. Any recommendations?

Do kids trick or treat in Mile End, Montreal?

235w103 — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:35:30 -0800

Do kids trick or treat in Mile End, Montreal? This is my first year in Mile End, living above some friends who used to live in my apartment on Parc Avenue. The last few apartments I've lived in (Harlem, Harlem, Hochelaga Maisonneuve) haven't been really trick-or-treat neighborhoods, and I was wondering if anyone knows if kids trick or treat around here? I'd love to sort of have a neighbor party out on the front porch, passing out candy, but would anyone actually come?

White Sheet == Ghost?

nathan_teske — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:21:25 -0800

When and where did we associate dressing up in a white sheet and yelling 'boo!' with ghosts? I understand the connection of the white sheet to the arechetype of a ghost as a gauzy apparation -- but where did that come from and who first decided that a white sheet was the perfect costume for kid or even klansmen?

I only eat the brains of MBAs...why am I always hungry?

shothotbot — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 19:16:45 -0800

I need some help with zombie makeup. I dont usually do costumes, but this Halloween I was thinking about being an Investment Zombie, (though my actual fate upon being bitten by a member of the undead would be "Hedge Zombie") So I was thinking trash an old shirt & tie, lightly dust a suit with baby powder and do some zombie makeup. The make-up advice I have found from google has been really advanced and I am a novice at make-up.

So, finally we get to the question: what is some quick and easy zombie make-up?

I have armature wire and plastilina. Help.

devilsbrigade — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:10:25 -0800

CostumeFilter: I have armature wire and roma plastilina. What can I do before tomorrow night? My plan was to make a stylized African-ish mask of a bull/antelope/Pan-type thing. Unfortunately, I started tonight, and after cutting a bit of the armature wire up, I started to notice how amazingly frustrating it is to work with. So now I'm faced with the sad reality of having to scale back a bit.

I'd still like to have something that goes over my head, but I don't exactly have a great artistic streak. Any ideas given the materials (oof) would be terrific!

Other than this, I'm wearing baggy cloth breeches. I'll be going barefoot & shirtless (and I'm on the hairy side).

Yes, Thriller is on the list

KirTakat — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:05:46 -0800

I'm having a Halloween party tomorrow, and I was looking for some good music videos to have playing on the T.V., Here's a decent list from Yahoo (of all places), but I was hoping for a few more good choices. Youtube links highly appreciated!

Nuts to two Kraft caramels, Smarties, and a Tootsie Pop

kmennie — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:36:27 -0800

What can I hand out at the door this Hallowe'en that'll be a bit better than the usual sort of treat? We moved this year, to a rather storybookish village of about 2,000. It's a friendly place and full of children, and supposedly I can expect 100-200 trick-or-treaters.

Apparently the previous owners of our house went all out. Many of our neighbours, some without kids, have elaborate displays. The competition is stiff, here...

I'm for blowing a bit of cash, but 100-200 is going to add up quickly. Right now I'm toying with ideas in a variety of price ranges.

Stuff I have thought of:

-- a bag with a variety of fun-size candies, and a small toy. A plastic bug or something. But where, in Canada, can I get a gross of plastic bugs for a good price on short notice?

-- full-size chocolate bars at a minimum; just give out more sugar than people normally do

-- individually wrapped Mrs Fields cookies (er, they're decently priced at the Costco here) or something else that you don't normally see

More ideas are needed for a "OMG, you totally have to go to that lady's house; it was the best" reaction among the local prepubescents. Help?

Because going as a Goth is kinda out...

electriccynic — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:24:39 -0800

Forthcoming Halloween party with a fancy dress theme. I'm a Chinese bloke who hates dressing up. any particular suggestions? Bear in mind that for one stag night, I tried going as Al Capone. Everyone just thought I was Oddjob.

Short short story.

Hargrimm — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:05:54 -0800

I need an extremely short suspense story. I will be reading a suspenseful story at school on Halloween. I need a school-appropriate, suspenseful short story. Unfortunately, it's a short short story. It can't be any longer than about three minutes to read out loud. The time constraint has eliminated all of my usual stories, so I'm in a jam.

Yummy disgusting

thirteenkiller — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:37:53 -0800

Since it's almost Halloween and all, I need ideas for foods that look disgusting but don't taste disgusting. Does anyone have any good recipes or sources? In particular, I'm interested in bodily fluids/discharges and body parts, human or otherwise, but I try to keep an open mind.

Let AskMe **** you!

Neilopolis — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:18:03 -0800

As part of my Halloween preparations, I'm looking for mp3 files of (preferably) real or alleged exorcisms. Can you help? I'm just looking for a different kind of scare this year, and I was inspired to ask this by watching The Exorcist again.

Bonus question: do you have or do you know anyone who has first- or second-hand experience with exorcism? Any stories? Just curious.

Thanks!