How to get in the mood for Halloween (for couch potatoes)
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For 2000 years people have been celebrating what we know today as Halloween. It all kicked off over in Ireland when the Celts started ‘Samhain’, a festival to honor the dead and welcome winter. They would dress up, light bonfires and dance around.
Today we just celebrate all things creepy and supernatural, sometimes by dressing up as monsters and collecting candy from people. But it’s all a bit exhausting. I mean, making a bonfire, doing a ritual dance or putting on a costume to meet the neighbors requires effort.
So, here are some entirely non-energetic options to get you feeling spooky this Halloween.
Read a book! For example…
Harry Potter
Nothing gets us worked up about monsters, magic and the supernatural like Hermione and the gang. Begin chronologically with book one, or literally just start reading any. But there’s no discussion – Prisoner of Azkaban is the best!
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley’s gothic horror novel about a mad scientist and a gruesome monster will get you in the Halloween mood. It might be 200 years old, but trust us, it’s still as relevant as ever.
Anything by Stephen King
The master of the horror genre. Some of his best novels include The Shining, Salem’s Lot, Carrie and Misery. Reading these will keep you up all night. (Sorry.)
Got time to kill? Try a Netflix series…
Dark (German language)
This is modern sci-fi noir at its very best. In a remote German town (where it’s literally either raining or cloudy the WHOLE time), a child goes missing. Strange things are happening in the forest too, and at the creepy nuclear power station down the road. But it all seems a bit familiar…
The Walking Dead
This post-apocalyptic zombie series is one of the most-watched US cable shows ever. It’s gone a bit downhill in recent seasons, but the earlier entries are a real treat! Get cosy on the sofa and prepare to watch zombies eat people.
Dexter
Ok fine, this one isn’t technically a Halloween-type series. But the idea is pretty dark and twisted! When was the last time you watched something where your favorite character is the serial killer? Yep. Thank us later.
Or just put a movie on!
A Quiet Place
Tense and involving, this is a well-crafted horror about a family fighting to survive against terrifying creatures that hunt by sound. So they can’t make any noise. Like, not even sneezing is allowed. Watch this film in silence for maximum effect. That includes rustling the popcorn.
The Others
Basically this is your standard haunted house movie. A woman takes her two kids to a secluded mansion while she waits for her husband to return from WW2. Things get creepy. Like, really creepy.
The Babadook
This low-budget horror is about a mother, her child, and the monster he sees in his dreams. And it’s pretty high on the scare scale. The tension builds up throughout, from slightly unsettling at the beginning to spine-tingling scary near the end. Eeek!