What Columbia’s Arts Community watches
when they stay home on Halloween
No offense to all of you with mad costume skills out there and those of you who live for Halloween each year as a time to dress up, go out, and show off your own personal magic. But for some of us who are either costume-challenged, lazy, tired, shy, or indifferent, our favorite way of celebrating Halloween is turning off the porch light, bogarting our favorite bags of sugar, and hunkering down on the couch with one of our favorite frightening flicks.
If you find yourself if any of the above categories, you have nothing to fear but the films themselves. Jasper polled some of Soda City’s artists, activists, admins, and supporters for their advice on the perfect way to spend a comfy-cozy Halloween night in our jammies celebrating Samhain with a favorite film.
Here’s what they shared with us.
From Kristin Cobb, Executive director of Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College
“I am not a scary movie person - but I did love The Shining with Jack Nicholson! Oh, and Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands.
Having had two kids four years apart, and living in the perfect “one street in” neighborhood, we did lots of trick or treating. It was always a family affair as my dad loved to come give out and eat the candy. We always ordered pizza from the local Greek restaurant and red wine for the adults. Halloween candy is a mainstay in my house from mid-October until the big day. Who doesn’t love a fun size Snickers?
This year, Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College had some fun with a screening of the popular Hocus Pocus Halloween fave.”
From Chad Henderson, Artistic Director at Trustus Theatre
“At Halloween, I often feel that as a theatre-artist that wearing a costume is something I do professionally when acting – so Halloween can feel like amateur night. While I’m actually breaking with tradition and plan on experiencing the Elmwood/Earlewood Halloween festivities this year, I usually make little to no effort to celebrate Halloween like I did in my college days (even then, I still made little to no effort in regards to a costume and focused on beer). I’m still not on task with selecting a costume for next week (if I even do it at all), but I look forward to seeing many friends from the neighborhood and witnessing the madness that I’ve never experienced but heard a lot about.
Usually around this time of year, I try to get a viewing of It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown in, or the Garfield Halloween special. Though I haven’t done it this year, I also try to squeeze in a viewing of a classic horror film like Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween. I did re-watch the first half of the 90s version of Stephen King’s IT with Tim Curry this month – does that count?
Chad is excited about the upcoming Trustus production of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Marjorie Prime for more info visit https://trustus.org/event/marjorie-prime/
Lee Snelgrove, executive director of One Columbia for Arts and Culture
“Favorite go-to Halloween flick - Beetlejuice, because I'm not a huge fan of scaarrrry movies. This one has the right mix of humor, spookiness and the special early-Tim Burton eeriness for me. Halloween to me has always been less about frights and more about the strange and macabre. That's the vibe I get from Beetlejuice.
I'm probably going to enjoy plenty of candy (Kit Kat and Krackle for the win) on Halloween night since we don't get a whole lot of tricker-treaters at our house. So, I'm going to need something to counter that chocolatey sweetness and my go-tos are Irish whiskey or bourbon-barrel aged barleywines.”
Lee is looking forward to Columbia’s new Public Art directory as well as Amplify Columbia
From Martha Hearn Kelly, artistic director of The Mothers Comedy Group
“My favorite film for Halloween has to be Shaun of the Dead. Sharp, silly, and a bunch of zombies? You had me at ‘braaaaains.’ I prefer to watch with a pile of friends, a bag of Cheddar Sour Cream chips, and the candy I bought on sale November 1.
Martha Hearn Kelly will be playing Mary Bennet in Trustus' upcoming production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly.
Mark Ziegler is owner and Master designer hairstylist at Five Points Salon as well as musical theatre actor and company member at Trustus.
“So my favorite go to Movie for Halloween would definitely be the original Scream movie! Not just because, obviously, it has a cult following with all the sequels, but the original cast is stellar with great cameos and what not. Over the past several years our group of friends has set up a porch party on Park Street and drank lots of libations and handed out candy to the many trick or treaters that come to Elmwood Park! It’s become quite the tradition!”
From Jay Matheson, owner of the Jam Room and director of the Jam Room Music Festival
“I don't have much of a Halloween tradition. I do watch some Halloween themed films leading up to the holiday then, if I'm home that night. I’ll do the same. My overall film selection is typically the original classics mixed with campier ‘50s – ‘70s horror.
I also throw in a Hammer versions of the Mummy, Frankenstein etc. Occasionally something new pops up that I want to watch but most modern horror isn't something that I enjoy.
As far as snacks go I cook organic popcorn in in a cast iron skillet with some real butter on it. Beer and then maybe a scotch at the end would be a beverage choice.
Jay is looking forward to the Brandy and the Butcher show coming up on November 15th.
From Faith Creech, co-owner of PMG Studios, co-director of Freedom Festival International, and director of public relations for Carolina Film Network
“My favorite movie to watch on Halloween is Hocus Pocus, because to me it embodies everything about the holiday. There is nothing better than popping some popcorn, having a glass of wine and watching Hocus Pocus!
Check out the Freedom Festival International at www.freedomfestfilm.com
From Angi Fuller Wildt, chief development officer at the Columbia Museum of Art
“The House on Haunted Hill (1959), starring Vincent Price. I first saw this scary film (to my 10-yr old self) when I had the chicken pox and my mom put a TV in my room. This was my first taste of late night TV – I also subjected myself to The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976), starring Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen, and Planet of the Apes (1968) – that Statue of Liberty scene spooked me! I like to revisit these classics on Halloween night as we don’t get trick-or-treaters on my street. Red wine goes well with mini candy bars in Halloween-colored wrappers for these viewings.”
Angi is looking forward to the classic sci-fi and horror film memorabilia exhibition, It’s Alive!, opening February 15th at the CMA.
+++++++
Whether you go out and treat yo’self this evening or stay in and shiver, from all of us at the Jasper Project to all of you …
-Cindi Boiter
Cindi is the executive director of the Jasper Project and the editor of Jasper Magazine