There's simply nothing quite like HALLOWEEN. I loved Halloween growing up, and I still do. I love everything about it. The ghoulish sights, the trick or treating tomfoolery, the free-spirited charge, and the smell of the crisp cool October night air... ahh. Hell... the horror movie Halloween is one of my all-time faves. For me and my friends growing up in the late 1980s to mid 1990s, Halloween was a very big deal indeed

Tonight we'll look at three separate entities all connected to Halloween. Before we begin, make your choice now. Like some music to accompany you for the following bit?  If so, click here:

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Let us begin...

IT ALL STARTED WHEN....

In 1989 my uncle took me to a local
mom 'n pop shop called Video Mart
(Memories of Renting) and the box
art of HALLOWEEN captivated my
six-year-old imagination. It was my
favorite holiday. And I always had a
thing for horror, even at six-bloody-
years-old. My uncle was the cool,
laid back type that pushed you to
bite into life, so he obliged, renting
the film thinking I could handle it

I ended up watching the film largely
behind my couch, and that night I
had a nightmare of Michael Myers
chasing me. I became a life long
fan from that point on. Go figure

There isn't a Halloween that goes by where I don't pop in at least one of the Halloween films. Besides, there's something else that will forever connect me with the famed horror franchise...

So what is Halloween?  For those who may not know...

Made and released in 1978 on a very low budget, it went on to win the hearts of horror fans everywhere, plus critical acclaim. It had a classic mysterious villain, a great lead in Jamie Lee Curtis and took place in the fictional sleepy mid-western town of Haddonfield, Ohio. And in one night, Michael Myers turned Haddonfield into his own personal bloody playground

                                                                       He's there one second...

And gone the next!

                                                        You never know where he might turn up...

... Perhaps right in your own backyard!

                                                                   He's an unrelenting machine

"GAWD DAMNIT, BEHIND YOU, BITCH!"

                                                            The infamous scene... spooky as hell

Indeed, the Boogeyman gave many of us nightmares growing up

                                                                 Another classic infamous scene

Lock your doors, hide under the bed and count to ten...

                                                                   ... Coz here comes MIKEY!

NOTHING LIKE A GOOD GHOST STORY ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT.....

On October 30, 1994, Nickelodeon aired this wonderful episode. Doug was pretty much the cartoon version of The Wonder Years, and I absolutely loved it. This
ep is the best one

"It all started a LOOONG time ago, when the powerful Baron Von Hecklehoffer fell in love with a beautiful maiden.
To win her love, he built a gigantic mansion. It took him seventeen looong years, but he did it


Finally, on the day they got married, he brought his new bride to the house

He swept her into his arms and ran up the steps

                                          Then he pushed the massive door open for the very first time

He stepped on to the threshold and -- SPLAT!  He forgot to put in a floor

          And ever since
          they plunged to
          their horrible and
          bloody deaths
          there's been a
          CURSE on the
          house

"Anyone home?"

And few have dared to enter it. OH SURE, there were people who said they didn't believe in haunted houses, at least until they crossed...


THE THRESHOLD OF DEATH!


Let's just say, they never stayed too long...

For years nobody bought the house. That is, no one living....

      ... Until one day, a
      scary hooded guy,
      whose face nobody
      ever saw, decided
      to put the house to
      better use...

IT'S FUNKY TOWN!!

And right in the middle of the park is the scariest ride ever -- a ride through a real haunted house -- BLOODSTONE MANOR! A-HA-HA-HA-HA!

And tonight is the grand opening, and you and I
are going in! Cool, huh?!"


"Y-Y-Y-eah, great"

                                                              DOUG'S HALLOWEEN ADVENTURE

                                            You know, Halloween is usually my most favorite holiday

Free candy, spooky pumpkins and costumes, but this year was a little different. This year Skeeter was making me go to the grand opening
of the scariest ride ever made

I was hoping maybe I wouldn't be TOO scared, because I was going as somebody really great -- RACE CANYON

"HA! I made it. The infamous Bloodstone Manor!"

"Not so fast, Doctor Canyon. Are you ready to cross the Threshold of Death?"

*Doug whips a rope around neck of hooded guy*

"What's the matter, big boy? You look... whipped!"

     "Nice going, Doug!"


     "No problem, Doctor
     Canyon"


     "Oh, and nice outfit"


     "Why, thanks!"

*Doug slides down the stairs*


"DUM-DA-DUM-DUM!  DUM-DA-DUM!"


"Awww, is little Dougie dressed up to go twick-or-tweeting?"

"No Judy, I'm going to Bloodstone Manor. You get in free if you wear a costume"

"Bloodstone Manor?!?
I hear that's unbelievably terrifying!"




"It's just a ride, Judy. How scary can it be?"

"AHHHHHH!"

                                                            "So, you think you're brave, do you?

Find out tonight at Funky Town when Bloodstone Manor opens its doors to give you the scare of your life -- or DEATH!  Wear a costume and get in free. But once you cross the Threshold, there's NO turning back!

MWAHAHAHA!"

                                                   "So Skeet, uh, you ready to go trick or treating?"

"Trick or treating?  But Doug, I thought we were going to ride Bloodstone Manor?"

"You're not gonna pass up free candy, are ya, man?"

"But there's gonna be HUGE lines if we don't get to Funky Town early!  We might NOT get on!"

"That'd be terrible.... well, I guess we better get started trick or treating"

"Uh, Doug, don't you think we're a bit too old for trick or treating?"


"Naw, you're never too old for free candy"

"8 o'clock!  C'mon man!  Let's get to Funky Town!  We only got two hours!"

Two hours?  How much longer could I stall?  We already been around the neighborhood twice

                                                    "Oooooh, who chopped off my head? Ooooh"

"Hey Roger"

"I told you we'd scare the pants off them! You should have seen your faces. So, who are you two supposed to be?  A hobo and a bath tub?"

"No, man. I'm a spaceship from Space Munks, you know, the video game!  And he's Race Canyon"



"HA! Oh brother!  YOU'RE Race Canyon?  More like... Race CHICKEN!"



"Hey Roger, let's see how brave Race Chicken is!"



"Yeah, he can be the first one to TP Mr. Bone's house!"



"C'mon Race, let's see you in action"



"But Roger, we can't do this"



"Chicken!  Chicken!"



"I am not chicken, it's just -- "



"Then DO IT why don't cha?"

                                                                   "... C'mon Skeeter, let's go"

"Great!  We're just in time for the show!  Hurry!"

Who was I kidding?  How was I gonna cross the Threshold of Death when I didn't even have the nerve to TP a house?


"C'mon Doug we gotta go!"


"I can't, Skeeter. I'm sorry but..."

"What do I need that hat for anyhow?  I'm no Race Canyon"

                                                  "That's OK... we can always go some other time..."

"Hey guys, whacha doin'? Trick or treating?"


"Naw uh!  No way, no, nope, no..."


"Yeah, me neither.
My dad's taking me to
Bebe's costume party.
Cool costumes. Are
you some sort of
spaceship, Skeeter?"

                                                                "Yeah, from Space Munks!"

"And you, Doug, you look like -- "



"I know, I know. A hobo"

"Actually I was going to say Race Canyon, but without the hat"


"You really think so?"


"Yeah!  If you were a little taller, I'd say you were the spitting image!"

       
       *Doug daydreams*


       "I'll handle this.
       BEAT IT!"

"Ohhh Race. Yer mah hero!"

"Say Patty, I don't suppose you and your dad could drop us off at Bloodstone Manor?  Gotta cross the Threshold of Death"



"All right, man!"




*GET YOURSELF TO FUNKY TOWN!*




"I can't believe it. You guys are going to Bloodstone Manor, and you're not scared?"



"Of course not"



"Well I am!  I'd never go on it after what happened to those two guys"



"Well, you can't let a little -- two guys, what two guys?"

"Yeah, they say when they were testing it, two workers rode in, but the only thing that came out... were THEIR SHOES! MAHAHAHAHA!"

"Daddy!  Stop"

     "Well, you can't
      believe everything,
      who told you this?"


     "Skeeter. See ya!"

"What's this about shoes?"



"Oh they're just rumors, man. Like that stuff about the maniac"



"Maniac?!  What do you mean, maniac!?"



"Well they say the guy in the hood, y'kno the guy who bought the house and brought it here, some people think he's STILL in there"



*Doug gasps*



"You can't believe every -- oh maaan!  Look at that line. Eight-thirty. Oh that's just great!"




*75 minutes later*




"Nine forty-five. Fifteen minutes til it closes. We're almost there!"



"Step all the way into the strange realm of the supernatural. Abandon all ye food or drinks"



"What's happening?!  Can you see!?"

"Well, if it ain't Chicken Boy and Bath Tub, thanks for saving my place!"

"We didn't -- "



"Attention everybody, the park is now closing"



"WHAT?!?!"



"Hey, we still got fifteen minutes!"



"Why don't you go to the gift shop. I'm outta here!"

                                                      "I can't believe it, after we waited all this time!"

"Hey look!"


"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"


"Roger, the guy says they're closed"


"Who, that loser?  We still got fifteen minutes. We're within our legal rights"

"I dunno, Roger..."



"Chicken, chicken!"



"He's right, man. We still have fifteen minutes before the park closes up"



"Alright then. Let's do this...."

                                                                           "OW-OOOOOOH!"

"Welcome. I have a special treat in store for... TRESPASSERS. As you can see, there's no way out of this room, except for...

                                                            ... STRAIGHT DOWN!  AHAHAHA!"

"Ooooh man, now what are we gonna do?"



"Oh no!"

"Kind of a short ride, isn't it?"

                                               "Wait, look at this!  It's a trick, mirrors or something!"

"Cool!"



"Yeah, c-c-cool..."



"Easy, Roger. There's nothing to be -- "

"You've crossed the Threshold of Death. There's no turning back now

I see you found the dining room...

*TICK TOCK TICK TOCK*

And I see by the grandfather clock it's time to eat. Sit down, SIT DOWN! You don't want your food to get cold, do you?"

"I'm not so sure I feel hungry..."



"I thought you might enjoy a small salad!"

                                                                              "AHHHHH!!!!!!"

"WHOOOOOAAAAA!!!"

                                                                                *WHOOSH!*

"Look out look out!"

                                                                                "AHHHHH!!!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

*Ride comes to a screeching halt*



"HUH?"



"Hey!  What's going on?"



"Uh oh..."



"What is it, Skeet?"

                                                    "It's 10 o'clock, man... they're closing the park!"

"HEEEEELP!"



"Wait a minute, Roger. I'm sure we can find a way out somewhere if we just don't panic"



"Hey man, it looks like there's some stairs leading down!"



"NO WAY, I ain't going NOWHERE!"



"Oh c'mon Roger, quit kidding"



"Wait, Doug!  Don't leave!"



"What is it, Roger?"



"Did you hear something?  I thought I heard something"



"We're getting outta here. We'll find somebody to get this ride going again"




*10 minutes later*




"That must be Roger over there, c'mon Doug!"

                                                                                "ROGER!"

"I think I may be scared now..."


"HELP ME!  DOUG! SKEETER!"


"What are we gonna do, Doug?"


"Where IS everybody? You thinking what I'm thinking?"

        "Run away?"


        "Right..."


        "HEEEEEEELP 
        MEEEEE!!!!!!"


        "No Skeeter. We
        can't leave Roger
        behind. We gotta
        go back"


        "I was afraid you'd
        say that"

"AH! ... Boy, they sure make these things look real, don't they?"

                                                             "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??"

"AHHH!  W-W-We were just looking for our friend, sir, and we think... he might be here in your... lovely home?"



"Your friend is NOT here. GET OUT!"



"Yes sir. Thank you sir. C'mon Doug. You heard the nice maniac... Roger's not here"



"C'mon guys!  This way!"



"Skeet!  That's Roger!"



"No, man!  It just sounds like him. C'mon!"

What was I doing? Running away like
a little chicken, just
like before. Leaving
Roger at a time like
this

                                                                      I knew what I had to do

"Doug!  What are YOU doing?"



"Excuse me, sir, we're not leaving without Roger"



"THIS WAY..."

"Over here, you
morons!  Alright,
when I see them
coming I'll shout
TRICK or TREAT,
and then you guys
CREAM 'em, got it?"

                                                                       "Got it!  Heh heh heh"

"Roger's outside, but how?"



*Maniac hits rewind*

"Those goons. I
bet they think I'm
a chicken. AH HA!
Well, we'll JUST see
who's the chicken!"

"That weasel..."



"So he tricked us!"



"... That rat!  We go through all this trouble and now we get EGGED"

                                                "HAHAHA... NOT NECESSARILY... HAHAHAHAHA!"

"I'm f-f-f-freezing..."

"Hey!  Can it!  They'll be out soon. I wonder what's taking those guys so long?"

"ROOOGER!  WIIIILLY!"

"Shut up Boomer!"

"I didn't say anything, Roger"

"Then who...."

                                              "IT WAS ME.... LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO US, ROGER!"

"What the -- !  Y-Y-Y-You're...."


"WE'RE GHOSTS, THAT'S WHAT!"

"AND NOW WE'RE GONNA HAFTA HAUNT YOU FOREVER.... I guess"

                                        "WHERE ARE YOU GOING? YOU'RE NOT CHICKEN, ARE YA?!"

"You got that right!  Ch-ch-chicken!  Don't haunt me, Doug!  I'll do anything!"



"IT WAS ROTTEN OF YOU TO TP ALL THOSE HOUSES"



"We'll clean 'em up, honest!  All of 'em!"



"Oh yeah, I mean, don't worry about that. We'll clean 'em up!"



"TONIGHT?!"



"Yeah sure sure, whatever you say!"

"ALRIGHT THEN. OH, AND ROGER, ONE MORE THING......."

                                       "NEXT TIME -- YOU MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY!! MWAHAHAHA!"

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

   "Did you see their
   faces?"


   "Yeah man, I don't
   think I've ever seen
   them run so fast!"


   "Boy, and we couldn't
   have done it without
   you, sir"

"I have something that may belong to you"

                                                                         "A Race Canyon hat...

... MY Race Canyon hat!"

                                              "But where did you -- how did you -- WHO ARE YOU?!"

"Just call me... BARON VON HECKLEHOFFER!"

                                                            "BARON VON HECKLEHOFFER?!?!"

"... W-W-Wha'd'ya
say we head home,
Skeet?"


"S-S-Sounds good,
man"


Tonight, I think I did
Race Canyon proud.
Not only was I brave
enough to cross the
Threshold of Death,
but I even went back
to save Roger

                                            I wonder if Race Canyon ever had to run all the way home?

THE HALLOWEEN CHAINSAW MASSACRE

I believe every kid deserves at least ONE Halloween that he or she can look back on and say... that was THE NIGHT


In 2003 I took Story Telling in college. It was a great class -- one of those where you actually looked forward to attending


Yes, very rare indeed


On October 2, 2003, I shared with them the greatest Halloween night I ever had. I called it...
The Halloween Chainsaw Massacre

In my 20 years of existence, never once have I ever met a kid who did not look forward to this particular night. It's the time of the year where the days grow short -- and the nights grow LONG. A night where goblins roam the streets, where the moon reigns supreme,
and where the clamor of sneakers crunching the gravel can be heard in the passing of the howling wind

Now, I don't know what I did to piss off the Halloween Gods, or druids, but for Halloween '91, '92 and '93 I was sick to the point that I couldn't go out. Thus, I missed out on Halloween when I was 8, 9 and 10 years old. Time was running out. I still had yet to experience THAT ONE Halloween
I could call my own. So that year, 1994, I didn't care if I came down with Malaria. OK, I did care, but not even Mother Nature's wrath could stop me THIS year

                                       I was counting down the days to Monday night, Halloween 1994!

My best friend Nelson spent the past three Halloweens with his cousins. Me getting sick around Halloween time had become... tradition. So every year I told Nelson to forget about me and go crazy. That backfired in '94 when I realized he had already made plans with his cousins out of
town. He invited me, but believe it or not, I declined my best friend's offer. Why?  I'll tell you why!

It was simple: I wanted
to trick or treat in MY hometown. The place where I had grown up. My cousins (Vince from Tha Crossroads) lived in this grand neighborhood that had "mid-upper suburban America" written all over it. Elaborate, gorgeous 2 story houses lined the streets. Everybody knew that neighborhood was the place to be on Halloween night. I spent Halloween there the last time I was able -- 1990 -- and I HAD to return, no matter what
It was THE place to be on Halloween night, BAR NONE

                                                           Absolutely elegant neighborhood it is

HALLOWEEN NIGHT 1994

My cousin Vivian picked me up and drove me to
her place. There I met her cousin, John. Like me, he was 11, so we hit it off quickly. And with an air of mystique in the, er, air, and the moon out in full force... it was grounds
for a perfect night of Halloween mischief

All of my cousins had Halloween parties to go to, so they left me and John to our own devices. It was 8 PM. The night was young. And the night was now ours to rule
Gotta love that cool crisp October night air, ahhh...

The first house an old man opened the door and in the background I heard:

Dun dun dun dun... DUNT DUNT... DA DUNT!

His living room was lit
only by the glow of the television, whose flickering images made shadows dance against the wall like primitive tribal warriors

The old man dropped Snickers and Skittles into our Halloween bags. "My Packers gonna kick some butt tonight. You two have a good one now, you hear"

A couple houses later, we were walking up the steps casually when a flying corpse blindsided us from out of nowhere!  John and
I jumped back as we watched the corpse swing back and forth. A laugh came from behind the black curtain, which draped the entire porch.
A man in his late 20's peered out from behind the curtain and waved to me and John

"GOTCHA!"

           He showed us
           the small hole
           he'd cut in the
           black curtain
           to prey on poor
           unsuspecting
           trick or treaters.
           Said we were
           his first victims
           of the night. We
           shared a hearty
           laugh while he
           passed over the
           candy. Then he
           spotted some
           new blood on
           its way

"Alright boys, if you don't mind, I best be getting back to my command center!  Thanks for... dropping by!  MWAHAHAHA!"



I watched as he ran up the steps and dragged the corpse-on-a-rope back behind the thick black curtain, which was impossible to see from far away in the dark of night. That's certainly ONE way to stay young!

STEP RIGHT UP....

John and I were just
trick-or-treating and
having a good time
being care-free kids
on this most mystical
of nights

           We pointed out
           all the macabre
           decorations, of
           which, ON THIS
           NIGHT, in this
           neighborhood,
           there were 100s
          

An hour flew by. It was now 9 PM. We were standing here when, suddenly, we heard a scream in the not-too-far distance. "The hell's that!"  I said excitedly.
We ran the next block over with great hope

We found a U-shaped court

At the very end of the court stood a towering 2-story house that looked like it jumped out of a horror movie. John and I looked at each other in bewilderment as we made our way to the ghostly abode. Upon reaching
the driveway, I heard something I'd never forget...

"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!"

The blood curling shriek sent a chill up and down my spine. Next to me stood a monstrous executioner. "What is this?"  We pointed to the line of kids just ahead of us on the driveway

"Welcome to the Johnsons' Haunted House!"  He bellowed, his shiny axe gleaming on his broad shoulder in the faint glow of the street lamp. "Free of charge but beware... once you go in... there's NO GOING OUT! MAHAHAHA!"

John and I grinned at one another and hi-fived. Wow, a haunted house!  And free, too!  Neither
of us had been to one before, and I'd always wanted to. This was turning out to be THE perfect night...

As we waited in line my imagination ran away. I thought back to last night -- Doug's Halloween Adventure. Was this a ride?  No, it's only a 2-story house, silly

Moments later, I glanced up. One window was lit under the glow of the moon. More screaming came from the garage.
It was soooo intensely atmospheric, and to an 11-year-old, Heaven!

8 minutes later John and
I found ourselves at the gate. The night was so pitch-black I couldn't even make out my own hand in front of my face. The gate door creaked open with a loud sound effect. A light mist splashed its way into my eyes. In the near distance a loud chainsaw was buzzing. I wondered,
"If I take four steps forward, would my head get chopped off?"



... sweeeet!

We forged on ahead, spider web tangling in our hair. Taking a turn on our left to the garage door entrance, we followed an S curve. Strobe light hit us from every which angle, and horror movie icons flashed in the darkness at all turns!  Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers and big ol' Leatherface all on hand! And they were authentic. The knife Myers held was real, as was the chainsaw wielded by Leatherface


Near the end a large
trash can lid had a note scribbled across it...


"WARNING: REMOVE THIS LID AND DIE!!!!"


John gave me the honors. So then, in the strobe-lit madness, with a ghoulish soundtrack playing loudly in the garage, I popped the lid open...

... and out jumped a werewolf!  For amateurs, the whole setup was unbelievable, full of first-rate costumes, props and creativity. BRAVO, JOHNSONS!



Finally we made our way through the garage door, leading to their living room, which led to the front entrance where the haunted house trip concluded with candy. John and I were absolutely THRILLED. We thanked the Johnsons for their awesome efforts. Never in a million years did I ever imagine anything like this would happen...

ONE FINAL THRILL....

John and I were walking the streets now, trick-or-treating some more and talking excitedly about what we just went through. Did we pick the right neighborhood or what!
And just when I thought
it couldn't get any more eventful... IT DID

It was 9:45 now and the streets became incredibly dark. Everyone was gone. No more trick-or-treaters in sight. I looked up at the huge 2 story houses that lined the streets like an army of steamrollers.
All the lights were now switched off. It was odd. It was.... eerie. Like a ghost town. The mist started to roll in... it was getting to be that kind of night....

John and I were walking down this loooong dark street when, out of the mist, came these five taller and older boys. They must have been 13 or 14 years old

Looking back, we probably should have turned the other way, but that night of Halloween 1994 we didn't. Both parties kept walking toward one another... until we came face-to-face. The one in the middle was evidently the leader as he walked slightly ahead

He stepped up to me and John. The five of them stared the two of us down

Then, without warning, the leader snatched John's candy bag!




The bullies laughed, hi-fived and jogged off into the dark night




I'll never forget that look on John's face. A look of hopelessness, a look of devastation.




Two hours' worth... gone. Like that  *snap fingers*

I peered down that looong dark street into the mist. By now the bullies were getting smaller and smaller until I could
barely make them out

I stared back at John once more. He was still frozen in a state of dead shock. Then, without saying a word, I dropped my bag and sprinted after the bullies. I snapped. I didn't really think about it, but between seeing the violated look on his face, the adrenaline coursing through my body, and the INJUSTICE of it all, something inside me SNAPPED

And the weirdest thing happened as I ran. Everything around me blurred. I became the only concrete object amist an army of gorgeous 2 story Shapell houses. I saw myself running in
third person.... saw the moment happening from BEHIND MY BACK



I had an out-of-body experience




As I closed in on the unsuspecting bully, I swiped back John's bag. I stood there with the bag firmly in my grasp as the lead bully whipped around to face me



Another staredown ensued. It lasted 20 seconds, but felt more like 20 nights



By now his goons came over and it was five of them all glaring at me. I didn't know what was going to happen, quite frankly, at that moment I didn't care. All I knew was, I wasn't going to
be the first one to blink. I stood my ground. Stared back at them. Come hell or high water, I
wasn't about to back down



I matched him eyeball for eyeball. His painted pirate-y face against my cheap Walgreens $1.99 white skeleton mask. And when it was over, only one glare was left standing, and it wasn't his 




Easing off, he signaled for his cronies to follow suit... and they left. Not a single word was ever exchanged between us

I watched them disappear into the mist of the night as John caught up to me, huffing and puffing

I handed him his bag. We didn't say anything. Not because we had nothing to say, but because we knew nothing needed to be said. We just stood there, two eleven-year-old boys, in the middle of one of the blackest nights I'd ever seen

It was the greatest Halloween a kid could ever ask or hope for

CLOSING THOUGHTS

There isn't a Halloween that passes where I don't think back to that fateful night in '94. I remember it vividly today as though it happened just last month. Finally, I experienced the Halloween I always wanted. But in my wildest dreams growing up, I never imagined it'd be
what it turned out to be

EPILOGUE

My cousins moved from that great neighborhood many years ago... about 10, in fact, circa '97. It was pretty much my second home growing up. In '95 I met up with John again, both of us looking to reclaim the magic of the Halloween before. We had a blast in '95. It was my 2nd favorite Halloween and a worthy sequel indeed. We trick or treated in the same neighborhood, but sadly the Johnsons were not able to do their traditional haunted house this year. Something about their sons not coming home from college in time, I recall. Still, John and I told the parents how much their haunted house last year meant to us. In turn, they told us they did it for kids like us... that they were only doing what they could to make Halloween extra special for at least one kid. Hey... I can think of at least two. And quite frankly, I'm sure the Johnsons have created fond Halloween memories for dozens and dozens of lucky young trick-or-treaters. God Bless them indeed... God bless those Johnsons. For a huge update on 'em, see Adventures in Africa.

After we circled the neighborhood once or twice, my cousins took
us to the local haunted house. It was my first taste of the "REAL" thing. What a HIGH that proved to be. When you're 12, it's Heaven. We were a group of seven. Going down one dimly-lit hallway, out of nowhere Michael Myers appeared and chased us down the hallway and into the next room before disappearing back in the shadows. Being stalked by my all-time favorite villain was a nightmare come true. The first time I saw the original Halloween in 1989, I dreamt that night Myers was after me. Six years later, 1995, that nightmare became reality!

Halloween '95 was a worthy sequel indeed, but as great as it was, the original ('94) was that much better



Going back to the day that I shared my story in Story Telling (10.2.03), yes, I aced it. They gave me a rousing ovation and I remember my professor saying "Steve, you have an irresistable style and great stage presence"


Needless to say, I aced the class. I told two other great tales that semester, but that's another story, pardon the pun, for another day... ^ click on link above -- hey, I keep my promises!  ;)


Later that same semester (Fall 2003), I was hand-picked to attend a late night workshop where I shared this same story with a room full of freshmen. It was me, a few other choice classmates and a bunch of professional-type story tellers outside of our University. Because it was at night time and even closer to Halloween, my story came to life THAT much more. It was a humbling experience to have been asked to model for the newbies how effective storytellers spin their craft

H10 -- HALLOWEEN ONE DECADE LATER

Halloween 2004...


TEN YEARS LATER... I returned to that same ole neighborhood. I went trick or treating with my (at the time) girlfriend, and guess what I discovered... 

       ... The Johnsons
       STILL live there...
       and they STILL
       do the Halloween
       Haunted House!
       Every year, in fact.
       I nearly ran up to
       the end of the line!

It was surreal going through it ten years later. As Mr. and Mrs. Johnson handed me a Snickers bar at the exit, I told them I was the 11 year-old-kid 10 years ago who loved it so much. They almost fell over!  We talked for 10 minutes. About the haunted house, about how the S-curve
was first implemented in 1994, about the neighborhood.... about LIFE


It's SO good to know some things in life stay the same. In an era where people move often and stop doing traditions -- those damn Johnsons still live in that gorgeous neighborhood... and every Halloween... they re-create the magic for kids... kids like John and me... kids who I hope will experience the kind of night we did on that fateful Halloween of '94

CURRENT DAY

I didn't do much last year. Went out with David and Mike (from BUON COMPLEANNO!) and visited the old house that David and I grew up in together. We came home just in time to catch the conclusion of Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers on AMC. It was no Halloween '94 or '95, but it was fun in its own right. On a side note, in that David piece I talked about finally convincing him to go to the haunted house with me. And no, it's not mentioned in the article but you know how I convinced him?  I showed him Doug's Halloween Adventure. Yep. Funny how crap seems to be in a cycle, eh?  Somehow, things are always inter-connected. This Halloween, tomorrow night, I don't have any special plans. I might take my little cousin out, I might check out the Johnsons again -- see if they still hanging around in an era of constant change, but whatever I do, I always make it a point to head out; if for nothing else, to smell the streets, feel the energy of the night. While Halloween has lost some of its magic over the years, I still enjoy it to this day. Whatever YOU decide to do yourself this Halloween, have fun, be safe, and oh....

                                                                         ONE MORE THING.... 

                                                        HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! MWAHAHAHA....