The ultimate day of debauchery is finally upon us - no, it's not the night before your wedding, I'm talking about Halloween. Not only is Halloween on a Saturday night this year but it's also the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, which means there will be an extra hour of fun to add and potentially 60 more minutes to be out at the bars - from what I understand, some will be staying open after the clocks are turned back.
Since there are 25 hours of Halloween, it is especially crucial to choose your costume wisely. I've learned many of these tips the hard way (and I am sure that many of my readers have, too) - here are some helpful Halloween party hints:
Don't wear a costume with a mask or headpiece that will get in the way of your drinking. This is of vital importance.
Beware of cumbersome costumes. Being able to actually sit down is helpful. Halloween parties often involve being in crowded spaces and you don't want to be bumping into everyone, spilling the drinks of other patrons and potentially inciting an altercation between yourself and a werewolf.
Props are more trouble than they're worth. If you're at a party or out at a bar, holding a prop is going to become bothersome almost immediately. Keep this in mind when planning your costume - if it's a prop that will solely illustrate what you are and you ditch the prop, you'll have to explain your costume to everyone for the rest of the night. It's an obnoxious situation to be in. This advice also applies to complicated concept costumes - unless you don't mind having to begin almost every sentence with "I'm supposed to be..."
Ladies, let's try to make it more interesting than just being the "naughty" version of whatever it is you intend to be. You're better than that. Keep it classy.
WATCH THIS
Halloween Shows
Access 5 in Fredonia is doing a Halloween weekend lineup. Friday night will include: the 2008 Halloween parade, 10:45 to 11 p.m.; "The WorSub Films Variety Hour Halloween Special," 11 p.m. to midnight; "Plan 9 From Outer Space," 12 to 1:21 a.m.; the 2008 Zombie Crawl, 1:21 to 1:30 a.m.; "House on Haunted Hill," 1:30 to 2:47 a.m. On Saturday night, the beginning of the lineup is the same, and then "Night of the Living Dead" from midnight to 1:38 a.m., more Zombie Crawl, then "Carnival of Souls" from 1:47 to 3:11 a.m. If you only watch one film, see "Carnival of Souls." It's super-creepy but also somewhat comical due to the horrendous acting, for which anti-Academy Awards should be given.
Turner Classic Movies has a whole Halloween weekend lineup, with back-to-back spooky movies on Friday and Saturday. The Friday night theme is Psychological Thrillers and Saturday's is Mad Scientists. I strongly suggest "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," with the 1941 version at 8 p.m. and the exceptionally eerie 1932 film at 2:30 a.m.
Brand New
"V," the new ABC series about alien invasion, will premiere on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. The "V" stands for "Visitors," of the extraterrestrial persuasion that come to earth and initially boast a peaceful agenda. If we've learned anything from "The Twilight Zone" episode "To Serve Man," it's that aliens who claim to want to help mankind actually wants to roll us in breadcrumbs, fry us up and enjoy us for dinner. My dad, a science fiction connoisseur, watched the original series in the 80s and loved it. Reviews I read of the "V" pilot ranged from extremely positive to so-so, but all critics seemed to agree that the special effects are epic.
WHAT REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS
Pumpkin smashers. I cannot wrap my mind around what is wrong with the sick, sad sort of individual that delights in taking a carved pumpkin - hours of painstaking, messy work - off of someone's front porch or steps and hurling it onto the street. When you witness the pumpkin's guts splatter all over the sidewalk and hear the satisfying squish as they hit the ground, how do you feel? Accomplished? Elated? Congratulations - you just killed a child's dreams. I hope that for each pumpkin that is smashed, two of the pumpkin smasher's dreams are similarly killed.
WHAT'S HAPPENING - Halloween!
I also compiled trick or treat hours and events for a separate article that is also running in today's OBSERVER. I wasn't sure which events to include in my column and which to include in the article, so I decided that the column events would be where a young child's presence might be inappropriate; the festivities would likely end in tears for anyone who isn't allowed to see a PG-13 movie; and booze might be served and/or consumed. All Halloween events are on Saturday, Oct. 31, unless otherwise noted. Both north and south county, here's what's happening:
Ethos New Music Society will present Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" from 7 to 10 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall, along with some footage of the film's composer, Bernard Herrmann, discussing the music in the film.
Bart's Cove Halloween party, 8 p.m. to midnight, with music by Trio, prizes for costumes and drink specials.
BJ's Halloween, starting at 5 p.m. Specials all night, costume contests, giveaways.
Dunkirk is hosting its first Halloween Pub Crawl on Oct. 30, with sign-ups to start at the Clarion Hotel at 7 p.m. The cost is $10, including a themed mug and drink specials. Be sure to wear a costume as each bar will be giving out prizes for best costumes. The route is as follows: Clarion Hotel, 8 to 9 p.m.; Walleye Willies, 9 to 10 p.m.; Spike Dailey's Pub, 10 to 11 p.m.; Tito's, 11 p.m. to midnight; Rookie's Sports Bar, midnight to 1 a.m.
41 West will have a Halloween Party.
The White Inn Halloween Drink Special and Costume Party, starting at 5 p.m.
At Muldoon's, a Halloween costume contest will be held, with a $200 first prize, and for second and third prizes, tickets to the Dec. 16 Sabres game or a $100 bar tab. Live music by Colors In the Air will be upstairs.
Coughlin's will have live music on Friday by Good Friday and the Dixieland band on Saturday, with music from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. each night.
At the Labyrinth Press Co. in Jamestown, Halloween night begins with Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs at 8 p.m., followed by a theatrical reenactment of a Salem witch trial and Noiseferatu, where an instrumental soundtrack will be performed to accompany the original "Nosferatu."
Forte's Surprise Party, starting after 10 p.m. at 114 E. Third St. in Jamestown, will be Halloween-themed, with DJs Brother Curry & Fluvanna Beachcomber and guest Andrew Harrington.
At Mojo's in Jamestown, there will be the Smackdab Halloween Party with Maury and the Master Plan at 10 p.m.
The Great Pumpkin Skate will be held Friday, Oct. 30, at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena from 7-10 p.m. with a public skate, Halloween music, pumpkin bowling and a costume contest.
GET OUT OF TOWN
Kitchen Distribution returns from the dead to present Hallowasted: Part V. This annual Buffalo Halloween tradition will feature all the usual scary stuff for the holiday plus music by the following DJs: NSFW, MJB Corporation, MoneySnake and Global G.U.T.S. The party starts at 10 p.m., costs $10 and is for the over 21 trick or treaters only. Kitchen Distribution is located at 20 Auburn Ave. in Buffalo.
April Diodato is an OBSERVER staff writer. Contact her at aprildiodato@gmail.com
