Since after COVID, the hype around Halloween seems to have died down. Kids don’t talk about costumes anymore, and it seems like people move on as soon as the 31st ends. Since I already felt that way, I went into this Spooktacular Movie Night held by ASB with neutral expectations, not really expecting much, and so I wasn’t really disappointed when the mood was more chill.
Held on Friday, 10/17, ASB showed “Monster House”, originally released in 2006, projected on a large inflatable movie screen. The ASB students passed out free popcorn and sold snacks, but most students brought their own food. Attendance was free, but the No-Go list was enforced.
“Monster House” is an animated movie where a kid, DJ, is home alone on Halloween. On the DJ’s street, there is a grumpy old man who hates kids and is known to yell at them. DJ’s friend’s ball gets lost in the old man’s house, and when they try to get it back, they get sucked into the house, which turns into a monster.
I had no expectations about the movie but walked away thinking it was a decent pick for the evening.
The animation looked really strange and interesting. The characters moved around realistically but their faces were cartoonish, leading to strange visuals. The plot was really weird in general and entertaining for the times I was paying attention. One thing that really stopped the momentum were the ads that played throughout the showing, at least every 15 minutes. It took me out of the experience, and is something to keep in mind next time.
I was excited to take pictures of people reacting to the movie and hanging out with friends, but I ran into camera issues. Unfortunately, me struggling with my DSLR settings while my friends tried to lock in as tech support was the most eventful part of the night.
This event was kind of a let down, the energy was low and the actual movie kept getting interrupted before I could get invested. Overall, it connects to how I’ve been feeling about Halloween since COVID. The season sort of just shows up and leaves, and I honestly think Thanksgiving gets more hyped up in general. Halloween isn’t my favorite season, and it seems like it’s on it’s way out.
