Christal Wagner Photography
Autumn Nostalgia
The day seemed to be ungodly long as we stared at the clock and waited for porch lights to turn on, signaling our three hours of rick r treating to commence. Jack-o-lanterns glowing to life as families on our block set out final decorations before being ambushed by a masquerade of candy-crazed goblins and ghouls. Pumpkins of various sizes with their sneers, smiles and grimaces would welcome us onto front steps and cheap scares would thrill us as we traversed from house to house. Mom was busy pouring bags of candy into a giant bowl to prepare for the coming Trick r treaters and dad would soon hit pause on the yard work, and accompany us in this annual sugar dazed pilgrimage.
As a kid, it seemed as if this day belonged to us. As the lights popped on one by one throughout the neighborhood, we squashed our winter jackets underneath our most decorative layer of costume, and eagerly leapt off the front stoop to begin. Costumed kids flooded the streets in squirmy delight, neighbors peeking out of there front doors as the streets came to life.
The crisp autumn breeze urged us onward as falling leaves tricked down from the swaying branches looming above. With our pillow cases hanging low, bulbous and bottom heavy with sweets, and our time and energy slipping away, we would soon begin our trek back. Having arrived back on our block, the neighbor kids would disperse back to own homes. My brother and I would pop on an old spooky flick, dump our candy all over the living room floor, and begin the ritual of counting and separating each piece by brand. It would soon be revealed who lucked out with the most Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, and who was cursed with a plethora of Bit o Honeys and those awful orange and black wrapped blobs.
My grandparents home was a charming pink ranch just two blocks from my own. Soon, our families would gather and more spooky traditions would unfold. My cousins and I would go through our collected treasures, and enjoy more candy in one night than we would all year. Someone would probably get sick, and someone else scolded, but hey, it would be worth it.
We would be tested if we walked to our grandparents house from the north. An unfriendly tall black fence enclosed a large two story that demanded your attention as it towered over the corner, its shadow seeping onto the sidewalk in the early evening. If you approached too suddenly, or loudly, a menacing beast of a dog would come darting from some shrubbery within, it’s eyes full of rage and it’s mission, to leave you terrified. We approached first in silence before one mischievous friend would decide to call out to the dog, teasing him and mocking us thereby initiating collective group horror. Candy sacks heavy and swinging, nearly tripping over one another in our too long vampire capes and shifting misshapen wigs, we ran. Pausing in safe territory, hands on our knees, panting, breathless but elated, we felt as if we’d passed some sort of test. We congratulated ourselves at the near miss then, we’d turn our gaze onward to the next obstacle.
As kids, it seemed that each day we created worlds of adventure and fell down rabbit holes of make believe. The walk down Grandma’s the block always held mystery but was certainly enhanced by the spookiness of the season that swirled around us. We dared one another to step forward and up to the front walk, hearts racing, tentative as we approached the most excessively decorated house on the block. This little house was unremarkable otherwise but seemed to simply transform at Halloween. It was as if the occupants waited for this time of year, every year, to reveal their true selves. Inside our heads stories of these strange folks stirred while the sound of chains rattling blasted from concealed speakers nearby.
Spiders and gravestones lined the walk, severed limbs hung from the trees, and a stuffed masked creature guarded the front porch and waited patiently beside the coveted candy bowl. We approached tentatively. Each sneaker taking delicate steps forward. A fake cat with glowing red eyes meowed aggressively and repetitively from the window. Something didn’t seem quite right. Was this all an alluring scene to capture children?! Perhaps this was a Hansel and Gretel situation..? Then, suddenly, “BOO!”. The creature shouted and lunged from the bench. Almost having peed right through my layers of costume and before bolting out of there, we realized that the neighbor was having a little too much fun. Recovering from the cheap scare, I eyed him, giving a mere squeak of awkward laughter and stepped around the neighbor ghoul, keeping my distance as though he might do something again. These people were clearly not to be trusted but candy was on the other side after all. While the adults enjoyed a chuckle at our expense, we managed to utter the tiniest of “trick r treat”s, grab the candy politely, and get the heck outta there, certain that that couldn’t be the only trick up their sleeves. As we headed onward to grandmas, our sanctuary, the spooky soundtrack of Halloween sound effects echoed through the trees and seemed to chase us down the block.
From the earliest pictures of me dressed as a pink mouse with my theatrical aunt lurking as the Wicked Witch of the West, I have loved Halloween for as long as I can remember. Costumed as a child in as varied characters as Bela Legosi’s Dracula, a werewolf, a gypsy, Captain Hook, Charlie Chaplin, I have always loved the creativity spooky season invites. As a child, I fell into the stories of R.L. Stine and loved watching the classic movie monsters take over my television and haunt my dreams. I have a vivid memory of lying on the living room floor and watching The Shining for the first time absolutely mesmerized by the horrific events unfolding at the Overlook Hotel. Creating neighborhood haunted houses and writing spooky tunes to entertain ourselves, my brother and I enjoyed the creepy campy-ness of Halloween year after year. We couldn’t get enough. As adults, we’ve developed new traditions but over the years we have continued to hold spooktactular movie marathons and festive family gatherings. As we have grown, our traditions have shifted but the enjoyment of the season still remains.
As a dance artist and choreographer, for about fifteen years I created Halloween and horror themed dance concerts. I created lightly spooky shows featuring ghosts, witches and dancing pumpkins for the kiddies and shifted to creepier content with dancing zombies and evil scarecrows for teen performers. I created darker material still for my more mature movers and fans. In one concert, demented dancing doctors and nurses terrorized a young patient as she tried to flee the twisted hospital. Once admitted for a Routine Procedure, the show’s title, you’d never check out. Muahahahahhhhh….
Audience members would always ask, “how did you come up with such a show?”. Well, inspiration is everywhere. I find myself staying open to what might grab my attention whether it be through memory, experience or imagination. Sometimes, a combination of all three. I still watch horror movies and creepy TV shows all year long but especially during the fall months. The imagery, characters and ambiance of horror films have often inspired me to create art. Sometimes it’s a vibe, a scene, an image, and other times a character’s gait or mannerisms might inspire a movement or motif. For example, the movements of the dancing staff in Routine Procedure were inspired by the postures of the faceless nurse figures in the motion picture, Silent Hill.
I enjoy reading thrillers and in particular, the works of Stephen King. I often write my own tales of terror and adventure that later I hope to develop into longer stories. Many of my stories have come to life over the years through dance although not all of them spooky. For a Halloween show, an abridged, and abstracted version of a storyline would unfold into a series of tied together dance numbers. Different characters taking on different movement qualities. The choice of music, some popular Halloween classics, film scores, and often old odd tunes of another time, would come together as a soundtrack to my living breathing dance-ical, like musical. All of these choices helped to shape the world I wished to create as the characters, accompanied by familiar imagery and sounds, literally danced the story to life. When it comes to Halloween themed productions, my goal was tthat each be reminiscent of horror films of the past to evoke nostalgia for audience members.
I often wonder why there seems to be a pressure to leave the things we once loved behind. It has certainly served me to continue to develop many of the same interests I’ve had as a child although, much like reading, while we may have started with picture books, we are now onto greater novels. Having perspective, getting more creative with interests and hobbies, I myself am simply in a new chapter, perhaps closer to mid-way through the book. Certainly our interests change and shift as we grow but why must we leave certain things behind? Behaviors, maybe, but why interests? An adult version of me that doesn’t remember those childhood experiences, and early influences, isn’t me at all. If we leave childhood behind to become adults I believe we risk to lose touch with a valuable piece of ourselves. A piece that believes in magic, mystery and make believe. This is what makes my work unique to me. If I were to leave behind that part, to strike it from memory, I would not be me and my productions less authentic.
With the smell of burnt leaves in the streets and skeleton limbs emerging from store shelves, Halloween is a time of year where I am transported right back to my youth. Memories of that wondrous time come sweeping back in with the cooler air. If October has you too feeling the enchantment of the season, and in need of some general fall fun, read on for Halloween recommendations and remove the cobwebs from the door to imagination.
Socially Distant Recommendations in Wisconsin:
Visit a pumpkin farm for picking up a pumpkin and other outdoor festivities. Visit Jerry Smith’s Pumpkin Farm if in Southeast Wisconsin! www.Jerrysmithfarm.com
Visit an apple orchard for apple picking. Visit Elegant Farmer if in Southeast Wisconsin!
Take e a fall hike! Visit a state park.
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Parks
It may not be the time for large group gatherings but you can still find plenty to do to celebrate the season. Find out what haunted historical building exist to explore or see if a ghost tour is available. If in the midwest, check out www.hauntedwisconsin.com for more.
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31 days of Halloween doodles! Challenge yourself to a spooky drawing, painting, collage, project, etc. daily!
Get creative with your Halloween decor! (I always put dolls limbs sticking out of my plants!)
Create a spooky scene with Goodwill decor. Spray paint simple items like candle holders and serving trays to infuse your space with gothic vibes!
Try some Halloween creative writing! Here are some prompts:
Startled, I sat up in bed. The closet door creaked and slowly started to open to reveal …
My feet kept pounding the ground, one in front of the other, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up this pace much longer before …
The pages started to turn on their own and I stared as the words on the page rearranged themselves to say …
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Try a new fall recipe!
Try a new local Oktoberfest or pumpkin beer.
Make a Halloween playlist!
Curl up with a good spooky book and set the mood with a spooky soundtrack in your headphones. See book recommendations below.
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Halloween movie list:
31 days of Horror (ADULTS)!
- Annabelle
- The Amityville Horror
- Carrie
- Candyman
- Children of the Corn
- Child’s Play
- Creepshow
- The Conjuring
- Dead Alive
- The Evil Dead
- The Exorcist
- The Fly
- Friday the 13th
- Halloween
- Hereditary
- Insidious
- IT
- The Lost Boys
- Night of the Living Dead
- Nightmare on Elm Street
- Poltergeist
- Psycho
- The Omen
- Scream
- The Shining
- Sleepy Hollow
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- Trick r Treat
- Young Frankenstein
- Zombieland
PG / PG-13 Make sure to research suggestions are appropriate your child!
- The Addams Family
- The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad
- Arachnophobia
- Beetlejuice
- The Boxtrolls
- The Bride of Frankenstein
- Casper
- Coraline
- Coco
- Corpse Bride
- The Creature from the Black Lagoon
- Dracula
- Ernest Scared Stupid
- Frankenstein
- Ghostbusters
- Goosebumps
- Frankenweenie
- Ghostbusters
- Gremlins
- The Haunted Mansion
- Hocus Pocus
- Hotel Transylvania
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
- King Kong
- Monster House
- Monster Squad
- The Mummy
- Paranorman
- Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas
- Scooby Doo!
- The Witches
Creepy Reads:
Jay Anson’s “The Amityville Horror”
Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes”
Stephen King’s “IT”
Stephen King’s “Carrie”
Stephen King’s “The Shining”
Riley Sager’s “The Final Girls”
Riley Sager’s “Home Before Dark”
Riley Sager’s “Home Before Dark”
Simone St. James’ “The Sun Down Motel”
Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”
Ruth Ware’s “The Turn of the Key”
*For kids, try any R.L. Stine GOOSEBUMPS Book, Alvin Schwartz’s “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”, or Ray Bradbury’s “The Halloween Tree”!