Halloween 2006

[Obi2Kenobi]

First, as some of you may remember, I had a bit of fun last year.

http://www.lurkerlounge.com/forums/index...topic=6964

I'd like to do it again this year!


So, I need some cool ideas for Halloween of 2006. I'm currently creating a dummy using my old costume, with a few modifications. Because I lack a face and have the artistic ability of a blind chipmunk on speed, I am using an old mask. It's meant to be a funny mask, but with the right context, it is more like Freddy Kruger than something at which to laugh.

The closest thing I could find online would be this mask.

I filled a grocery bag with a towel to provide some substance to the head, and keep it from collapsing upon inevitable poking, and then to cover the back, I gave it a wig. The mask has a hat attached, so it looks like it's an actual person wearing a mask. The eye holes were obviously spots where they would see a grocery bag, so I just stuck on some sunglasses.

I stuck a large trash bag in my old "Doctor Stone" uniform, and filled it with clothes and the like, and then put a white turtle neck on it under the scrub but on top of the garbage bag, because otherwise, the lack of a neck would be visible. To give it some support, it has a wooden rod stuck down the back and into the head, letting the head do somewhat realistic swiveling, but I haven't yet figured out how to make it loll if it's poked, or even if that's desirable. The arms are filled with newspaper to give them a realistic shape, but I'm not sure what to do with the hands. I'd like to give it some rubber gloves, like I had last year, but I still need a handshape that looks somewhat human, as the glove is see-through. I might be able to get my hands on the green gloves (rather than the transparent white), which would mean only a shape is required. Any ideas here? I'm thinking of making a wire frame hand, wrapping it in napkins or balloons (no water balloons, because they might freeze and explode) for squishiness, and then sticking the glove on top.

I'm not sure about the pants, probably going to use the same ones I wore last year.

This dummy has been sitting as only a torso and head in my kitchen, and everyone (myself included) in my house keeps thinking it's real out of the corner of our eyes, and my dad has even started talking to it thinking it was me, even though we've all seen it sitting there.

Another dummy I am making is going to be the patient. I was an escaped mental patient a few years ago, thus I already have the fake straight jacket. I'm going to do a similar set-up for this guy, but I might use a more normal mask. I made a mask in theater last year, and it might just do the trick (I only have one rubber mask).

It looks something like this
http://www.festivaloffun.com/masks/plainwhitedeluxe.JPG
I am willing to paint over what I did last year, because it sucked, so any ideas will be helpful. I'm thinking of some kind of anguished / frightened look, not sure what I'm going to do to cover the eyes on it.

I'm going to strap the "patient" to a dolly, and have my knife from last year sticking out of it, possibly ripping up my straight jacket in the process (but it will be worth it).

Now for the real part, my costume. Sadly, I don't think it will be as good as last year, but that's OK. I'm going to be doing up my face, for one. I created a Photoshop rendering of what I will look somewhat like:



I will be wearing a Nazgul style cloak with it. Now that I think about it, I may want to just go as a Nazgul, and all I'd need to get would be the gloves, I think. I'm having a difficult time finding a decent picture of a Nazgul, so I can't tell if I'm missing anything important. I'm not sure if I want to make my face white, like the Nazgul when Frodo is wearing the ring, or put up a semi-transparent black screen so I can see out but they can't see in. Either way, little to none of my face will be visible.

I'm going to be playing some music, but I'm not sure what music to play just yet. I'm considering just tossing in "The Sounds of Halloween", but if anyone has any suggestions, I'm open.

[Rhydderch Hael]

Well Hell's Bells, my pretties— I bought the el cheapo in-store LotR Ringwraith costume from Party City at the beginning of the month. That's the problem with you casual, "normal" people— treating Halloween as something to prepare for a week prior to the 31st. I had my stuff acquired well before the ides of October.

I regret I was never able to find a bona fide medieval travelling cloak (my one regret in this wretched life). But this is the Antelope Valley I'm talking here— if it ain't made of carbonyl iron composites or stamped with a big honkin' American flag, it's unholy and shan't be seen here.:(

Ringwraith getup. Black shoes. Now, what you're looking for are a pair of scaled gauntlets. I myself did not bother with that route. I'm just using black deerskin motorcycle gauntlets. I'm not actually going out— I'm doing door duty, which permits me to indulge in one particular aspect of the costume— instead of the cheap gray nylon belt that comes with the costume, I will be sporting my black/oxblood sword belt instead.

Of course, what comes with a sword belt should be glaringly obvious. It will be peace-tied, of course.

I live in an apartment complex now— I'll expect trick or treaters. What they should expect is a guy who does not pull punches when it comes to decorating my ground-floor patio. Mind you, I do not go for blood 'n gore, but the operative word here is 'macabre'. There's a skeletal Reaper floating within my arbor bench. I have two Jack-o-lanterns with sinister grins on their faces. Black undercloth and green scrim over the railing, and a few pierced-metal lanterns (think the tavern scene in the opening cinematic of Diablo II).

Vinyl window appliques of cartoon ghosts with big smiles on their faces saying "Happy Halloween!" will not be part of the scheme.

I bought a skull from the party store. Not one of those crappy plastic ones— I'm talking resin-bonded alabaster. I'm talking about a life-sized figurine of a skull with voodoo markings. A fine, serviceable prop— the kind you keep on your bookshelf all year 'round. Almost gave the clerk a funny look when she stated the limitations of the merchandise refund policy— I ain't giving ol' Bones back even if they paid me double.

The Nazgul costume comes in one size for adults. One Size Fits all, my foot! :angry: I'm just a liiiiiiittle too broad in the shoulders for the best fit. Mind you, it does fit, but the costume is essentially a polyester gown with tatters draped over it. The overall effect is— well— slimming. Broad shoulders, waisted torso. I might as well buy myself an Elvira wig! :blink:

My stopgap solution is to wear a full-length black leather overcoat beneath the costume in an attempt to bulk it out to the silhouette of a travelling coat instead of an evening dress. If the sword becomes a bit too much, I have a walking stick with a trio of foam rubber skulls tied to its top to serve as a totem staff of sorts which I can wield while the longsword comes off the belt's frog.


Music recommendations— Apocalyptica's Inquisition Symphony can serve a turn. A few pieces from the album Cult might do, but Inquisition has the grace of being a cover album that your average metal-head may recognize but the uninitiated will merely think is some wickedly cool cello music. Cult is mostly original compositions— while it is Gothic overall, only a few pieces are truly 'dark'.

[Rhydderch Hael]

Gutted the first gourd in my life today. I've carved Jack o' lanterns before, of course, but the last time I did so was before I was even in high school. My Dad would do the gutting and cleaning part back then, so today's little massacre was a learning experience.

And I learned that pumpkins are somewhat stringy. I mean, stringy. The pulp that you're supposed to carve into resembled something like thatched willow broom bristles (or Big League Chew bubble gum).

I just wanted to share one fun fact: if you carve a design into the back of the lantern as well as the front, you can project an image of that back-carving onto a close-by wall.

[Griselda]

Cutting into the back of a pumpkin is also particularly effective if you have a fog machine and you want your pumpkin to spit fog.

Last year Mr. Gris went a bit crazy and came up with "Dante's Disco Inferno" as the theme of the house- one pumpkin spitting for as described above (the machine itself was hidden by a chair, a blanket, and some other pumpkins, and the plug went in through the mail slot). Then, upstairs we hooked up his intelligent lighting system to shine out onto the street (yay glowing fog) and put on some bad disco. Then we added the sign "abandon all hope ye who enter here", and we were good to go.

The fog covered the whole block. It was great. But, we weren't even going to try to top that this year. This year we just have a few things out. Maybe we'll do a bigger one in a year or two.

[DeeBye]

I bought some cool halloween decorations for our house. I have a ghost family stuffed with leaves in my front yard, and a scary skeleton and scarecrow hanging in my bay window.

My wife carved a pretty awesome jack'o'lantern tonight. She used a template, but it was her very first pumpkin carving attempt. I think it's great.

[Obi2Kenobi]

So I decided to dress up a dummy as the Grim Reaper and the other as the mental patient, and I'll be going as Dr. Stone again. However, I'll have a few improvements. I've hooked up the voice synthesizer to have the input behind my mask, and the speaker is going to be clipped onto my collar. The mask and suit's collar hides the cord.

I'm going to be bald, but I've never done bald before, so I'm not sure how it will look. I'm going to have to do it really early in the morning tomorrow for it to work. I'm thinking of sticking a large wound on my head, too.

I'll be doing my own make up for the morning pictures this year (my dad did the foundations last time, and I wasn't as pleased with it as I have been with my own creations).

My dog is scared of my voice changer. :ph34r:

[Rhydderch Hael]

You know, I'm just going to chuck it all and go around knocking doors on the night of October 30th. When the person invariably asks what am I doing, I'll reply that my Halloween costume is that of a time traveler from the future and I demand candy.

Motorcycle jacket, dark sunglasses, and an Austrian accent may just work, you know...

[Alram]

Where I am currently working the theme is Barbie. As the only male in the department I will be Ken. My costume is:

wear 2 ties--made in Thailand or Taiwan

Wear the registered trademark symbol--the R with the circle around it.

That's it.

[kandrathe]

Where I am currently working the theme is Barbie. As the only male in the department I will be Ken. My costume is:

wear 2 ties--made in Thailand or Taiwan

Wear the registered trademark symbol--the R with the circle around it.

That's it.

How many Barbies? My mind drifts off to Lynn & Tessa... "C'mon Barbie let's go party..."

[ShadowHM]

I wore my witch costume to shell out again. :) Long black dress and an old woman mask.

My night was complete after a couple of little kids asked me (in a shaky voice) if that was my 'real face' and one uncostumed teenager actually jumped back from the door as I opened the door. :D

[Ashock]

Semi-disturbed text.

Don't take it the wrong way or anything, but if you scared my kids with that and made them cry, I'd make you cry.

So I suggest that you limit your fun to at least teenagers and adults. You never know when there's another me walking around with his little kids.


-A

[Munkay]

Don't take it the wrong way or anything, but if you scared my kids with that and made them cry, I'd make you cry.

You mean like this guy? Couldn't resist posting the link.

[Rhydderch Hael]

Don't take it the wrong way or anything, but if you scared my kids with that and made them cry, I'd make you cry.

So I suggest that you limit your fun to at least teenagers and adults. You never know when there's another me walking around with his little kids.
-A

The operative mantra behind a Halloween that accomondates your legitimate concern is "scaring without scarring". Horror without danger. Set up an atmosphere, deliver a few thrills, but never let the audience think you're actually going to do anything to them.

Spooking is definitely a 'cheap' thrill of the unskilled. Even an bikini-clad supermodel can make you jump if she pops out of the shadows fast enough.

[Ashock]

You mean like this guy? Couldn't resist posting the link.

Sorta, except if I came back it would not be to apologize but to finish the job because my kids are still crying hysterically. Oh and btw, I'm not joking.

As far as I'm concerned, you can scare adults and teens all you want. You scare < 10 year olds and you're fair game. So basically, use common sense. Teens are there mostly for the thrills. Little kids are there to get candy and that's it.

-A

[Delc]

Sorta, except if I came back it would not be to apologize but to finish the job because my kids are still crying hysterically. Oh and btw, I'm not joking.

As far as I'm concerned, you can scare adults and teens all you want. You scare < 10 year olds and you're fair game. So basically, use common sense. Teens are there mostly for the thrills. Little kids are there to get candy and that's it.

-A

You don't have to try very hard to scare a 10 year old anyway. Putting some decorations and playing spooky music usually seems to be plenty.

[Ashock]

You don't have to try very hard to scare a 10 year old anyway. Putting some decorations and playing spooky music usually seems to be plenty.

Yes, that's the point. Imagine a 10 y.o. or a 4 y.o. seeing the above? Common sense always helps.... and often prevents trips to a hospital.

-A

[ShadowHM]

Sorta, except if I came back it would not be to apologize but to finish the job because my kids are still crying hysterically. Oh and btw, I'm not joking.

As far as I'm concerned, you can scare adults and teens all you want. You scare < 10 year olds and you're fair game. So basically, use common sense. Teens are there mostly for the thrills. Little kids are there to get candy and that's it.

-A

You have it backwards. :rolleyes:

Teens are there for the LOOT. Little kids are there for the whole shivery scary (but not really because they are there with their parents) ride.

If your child got scared by my witch costume at the door, then you didn't prep them for the evening. Blame yourself, but don't blame me.

And don't be risking jail time over your inabilty to be an effective parent.

[DeeBye]

Little kids are there for the whole shivery scary (but not really because they are there with their parents) ride.

My son was all excited that he got scared by some guy dressed up as Darth Vader. He said he got FREAKED OUT :w00t:

[Obi2Kenobi]

Don't take it the wrong way or anything, but if you scared my kids with that and made them cry, I'd make you cry.

So I suggest that you limit your fun to at least teenagers and adults. You never know when there's another me walking around with his little kids.
-A

Yeah, I just gave the little kids the candy. I was only at my house for a little while, after that I was out walking around, where I could actually target this.:)It's far more fun to scare people when they aren't 5, because making little kids cry is just sad.:(

Pictures and story soon!

[kandrathe]

Yeah, I just gave the little kids the candy. I was only at my house for a little while, after that I was out walking around, where I could actually target this.:)It's far more fun to scare people when they aren't 5, because making little kids cry is just sad.:(

Pictures and story soon!

Awhile ago, before we had kids, some of our other married no-kids friends would congregate at one of our houses in costume to hand out candy. There were ghouls, witches, ghosts, fake blood, missing limbs... but , by far the scariest costume to the children was when I dressed like...