This Halloween is shaping up to be one of the best in a very long time with events such as the ghost walk around Woodbridge Township, the trunk or treat at Woodbridge High School, and even playoff games for the fall sports starting this week. Not to mention the fact that Halloween is on a Friday this year, leaving room for hours of trick or treating and thrills all weekend long.
Whether you’re going trick or treating, attending Halloween parties, or binge watching horror classics, it’s undeniable that everybody will be having a great time. Especially for horror enthusiasts with recent blockbuster movies like the conclusion to the Conjuring franchise and the highly anticipated sequel to The Black Phone. However, these haven’t been the only films on people’s minds this Halloween season.
Horror Classics
Popular classics include The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Shining, Psycho, and many more. For fans of slasher films, some of the runaway favorites in recent years include the revamped Scream and Child’s Play franchises with some of the most iconic slashers of all time in the Chucky doll and Ghostface. But let’s not forget the supernatural fan base who’ve been spoiled within the last decade with the Exorcist remake, Weapons, Annabelle, and the Insidious franchise. While these may be consensus favorites among horror enthusiasts, that’s certainly not the case among our students at WHS.
Student Traditions
Junior Rosangie Pena is a big fan of the 2017 Spanish Film Veronica which is based off of the true story of Estefanía Gutiérrez Lázaro in 1991. When asked about what made it special, Rosangie had this to say, “What sets it apart from other Halloween movies is how well it is executed. I can relate more to the main character who tries to lead a normal life and makes the movie feel more real.” Rosangie also takes a big interest in decorating her room every year to add a “spooky vibe” and to match with the fall season, even though her family aren’t big decorators.
Fellow Junior Brandon Bartko is a big fan of movies like Halloween and the first Black Phone, liking a variety of both slasher and thriller films. Brandon was asked for insight about his favorite movie and responded by saying that Halloween is “different from all of the others because of the originality and also just how iconic Michael Myers is in terms of Horror legends.” While Brandon isn’t a big fan of decorating for the season, he watches many horror movies throughout October to build excitement.
With all the recent movie releases, it’s easy to get lost speaking about them, however, there’s so much more that makes Halloween special. And part of that is the traditions and activities that people take part in. One especially cool tradition among our students is that of Senior Nicolas Emery and Junior Liam Finnerty who make their own haunted house in the yard. Nicolas had this to say to the Barron Perspective, “Every year, my neighbor and I build this big haunted house in his front yard with our other friends… On Halloween, we stay in the house and scare people going through it.”
Staff Traditions
Speaking of the things that make Halloween special, it’s pretty clear by now that togetherness is what truly makes it special. Almost all of the best activities include having fun with your friends or family and this can range from just basic trick or treating all the way to building a whole haunted house in the yard with your best friend.
Someone who represents a great example of togetherness on Halloween is Mrs. Knox, a math teacher at WHS. While Mrs. Knox isn’t the biggest fan of Halloween, her children are what make it special for her. When speaking with the Barron Perspective about Halloween, almost every answer she gave was related to her family and how they get her invested in the holiday.
“I guess I would say I’m a lot more interested in it and get more excited about it now because of my children… growing up it was whatever, you know, but now seeing them get excited to dress up makes it so much better.”
This October has been one of the most exciting in a very long time and it’s clear that everyone expects it to continue on into this Friday on Halloween where people will look to both continue traditions and make new ones. Now whether you have longstanding traditions or not, there’s no doubt that this Halloween will be special.
