Witches, spirits, ghosts and ghouls—Halloween is all about taking delight in the gruesome and frightening. Embrace the macabre this year with a scary movie marathon.
[a scary scene]
>> Greet your guests with a spooky porch tableau. Hardware stores carry a wide selection of creepy lighting choices, such as flickering bulbs. Set out carved pumpkins, and consider turning your front yard into a small ‘graveyard.’
>> Set the lighting low, and light candles. String fake spiderwebs and prop up a fake skeleton in a corner chair. Spray paint a few cheap vases black and fill them with dead branches. Throw white sheets over some of the furniture to achieve that ‘abandoned house’ look.
>> Set out plenty of pillows and blankets so guests can get cozy. Tell everyone to come dressed in comfy clothing or pajamas.
[trick-or-treat]
>> For snacking, rent a popcorn machine (funcarnival.com). Set it up with popcorn boxes (orientaltrading.com has dozens of designs), extra butter, and toppings like chili lime salt, black pepper Parmesan and white cheddar with rosemary so guests can customize.
>> Serve boxes of movie theater candy—Red Vines, Junior Mints, M&M’s and Swedish Fish.
>> For drinks, offer beer and wine, as well as some nonalcoholic options like iced tea and soda. Make a big batch of Halloween-themed punch.
>> Give each guest a bingo card with common horror movie cliches (the car won’t start, for example). Give the winner a mini bottle of bubbly and a movie theater gift card.
[flick picks]
>> A proper movie marathon requires at least three films— go for as long as you’d like (dare we suggest a 24-hour open house movie marathon party?!).
>> Schedule breaks between films for guests to stretch their legs, use the restroom, refill drinks and get some fresh air.
>> Select horror movies from different genres so you’re not watching multiple slasher films in a row. Mix classic suspense flick Rear Window with fun, corny Halloween and supernatural thriller Alien.
>> Or make it a family-friendly affair with picks like Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, and Disney’s animated version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
[wicked good eats]
>> Since guests mostly will be lounging around watching movies, keep the food simple. Order pizza, and round out the offerings with finger food like chips and dip, crudites, spanakopita, a fruit tray, edamame and buffalo wings with blue cheese dip.
