How To Celebrate Halloween in 2020
By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22
This probably isn’t the best year to go about celebrating Halloween like the years of past, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get the holiday spirit! Whether you have younger siblings or are holed up with roommates somewhere, you can have just as much fun indoors as you can anywhere else!
Movie Marathon
HBOMax, HBO’s new service that just so happens to be free for USC students has a whole page just for horror movies and series. Movie theater’s are closed, but shared streaming sites like Scener aren’t. Get online with a couple of friends for a movie marathon or series binge! Turn down the lights, cuddle up with your favorite fall-flavored drink, and get to watching!
Watch recent hits like The Invisible Man…
“The unseen maniac of the Universal monsters canon returns to invisible life in this frightening 2020 reboot. Golden Globe®-winner Elisabeth Moss (TV’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”) stars as a young woman who escapes her abusive relationship with an optics engineer only to have him fake his death and return as the titular terror–who makes it his sole mission to terrorize her.”
…and Doctor Sleep…
“In this sequel to Stephen King’s “The Shining,” the troubled, now-adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) meets a teen who shares his extrasensory gift of the “shine” and tries to protect her from a cult whose members feed off the shine of innocents to become immortal.”
…or classics like Alien…
“Ridley Scott’s classic sci-fi chiller about seven astronauts who find intergalactic horror in deep space. Tom Skerritt plays the captain of the spaceship Nostromo, whose crew is picked off one-by-one by a seemingly indestructable creature. Sigourney Weaver is the tough Ripley, who faces the killer in a final showdown that made movie history.”
…or Jaws!
“It was the film that changed the way people felt about swimming in the ocean! In one of the most popular films of all time, a man-eating Great White shark terrorizes a peaceful resort community. It’s up to police chief Roy Scheider, shark expert Richard Dreyfuss and salty fisherman Robert Shaw to end the shocking attacks.”
You could also catch up on current series like The Third Day…
“Told over six episodes and in two distinct halves, this thriller is set on Osea, a mysterious island off the British coast. “Summer” centers on Sam (Jude Law), a man drawn to Osea whose residents are set on preserving their traditions at any cost. “Winter” follows Helen (Naomie Harris), a strong-willed outsider whose arrival precipitates a battle to decide its fate.”
…or Lovecraft County!
“A search for a missing father turns into an otherworldly trip. Based on Matt Ruff’s novel, this series follows Korean war vet Atticus Freeman, his friend Letitia and his Uncle George on a journey across 1950s Jim Crow America. What follows is a struggle to survive against the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters ripped from an H.P. Lovecraft paperback.”
Costume Party
Yes, you can still dress up regardless of whatever your Halloween plans are. Whether it’s just for yourself, you and your roommates, or your family — if you’ve been looking for an excuse to bring out the makeup and cloaks you still can! (PS: Why not dress up for your Movie Marathon for some extra fun!)
Pumpkin Carving
There’s nothing wrong with some good ole’ arts and crafts. Get a satisfactory dose of halloween spirit from the safety of your home by doing some next-level pumpkin carving! I mean, yeah, there’s nothing wrong with going the classic route, but there’s nothing wrong with a challenge too.
Perhaps one of these random, definitely not USC-themed stencils?
Horror-Themed Gaming
If you don’t know about the mountain of multi-player online games available, you can check out this post from our very own editor Sophie Pei for some ideas! From Among Us to One Night Werewolf — just because your stuck indoors doesn’t mean you can’t connect with your friends and indulge in all those halloween-feels.
Among Us:
“There are two “teams”: you can be a crewmate in which you primary purpose is to run around, complete various tasks, stay alive and successfully identify and persecute the “imposter”; as an imposter your goal is to sabotage the crewmates, divide and conquer and kill the isolated crewmates, and avoid blame and hideaway in the vent system. This game is addictive, fun, and every time I play I find more nuances that make it more enjoyable. While there is a chat feature built into the game, it’s definitely much more fun playing over a call.”
One Night Werewolf:
“The teams are the werewolves, villagers, and tanner. The winning team is the one that correctly executes a player of the opposite team (unless you’re the tanner in which case you win when you are executed). Almost all the roles have a unique role and objective (unless you’re a villager in which case, sorry, you just need to survive). However to add an extra layer of confusion and complication, there are certain roles, eg. witch, town drunk, troublemaker, that can switch your allegiance so you may not actually end up being the role you started with. This is a fun game with a typical round lasting between 10 to 15 minutes but can easily be played for hours!”
Seasonal Baking
You don’t really need an excuse to bake, but it never hurts to have one. If you can’t binge out on candy, there’s still other ways to rack up your sugar intake for the night! Pull out any ole’ cookbook you have lying around, do a quick internet search, or maybe even check out these USC recipes!
Baked Apples By The American Language Institute
BrowniesBy USC Folklore
Reverse Trick-Or-Treat
It’s probably not the safest idea to go about trick-or-treating in the normal way, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stock up on your favorite treats. It also doesn’t mean you can’t share your treats either. Instead of going door-to-door asking for treats, maybe do some drop-offs instead. Give your friends a nice, no-contact surprise!
Socially-Distanced Events
If you live in Los Angeles, there are a couple drive in events you can safely indulge in. You don’t necessarily have to be cooped up!
Check out the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride…
“Thinking you’re going to miss out on Halloween this year? Not if we have anything to say about it. This year, we’re taking the hayride off the trail and bringing it to you in the safety of your parked vehicle! Announcing the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride: Live Drive Up Experience. A first of its kind immersive experience from the creators of LA’s favorite Halloween event. Not just a drive in! Experience this reimagined haunted “drive up”. An original haunted show featuring a multimedia story displayed on a 40 foot screen, as well as horrifying sets and characters from Midnight Falls that surround the theater and bring the story to life!”
…or the Stranger Things Drive-In…
“Attention all Stranger Things fans! It’s time to travel back in time to 1985 and become a Hawkins resident - in real life. Adventure calls, so gather your friends and drive to the Starcourt Mall. Immerse yourself in the thrilling world of Stranger Things, where you will take part in a “drive-into” experience like no other. You will unlock the untold story of Hawkins in this unique format event - all from the safety of your car. In a central DTLA location, you’ll dive into and explore a living, breathing story to savour some of the best moments from the Netflix series and maybe even witness some unforeseen and unusual occurrences. Book now to unlock the secrets that await…”
…or Urban Legends Haunt!
“Drive-thru Halloween haunt. Guests will enjoy in the safety of their own vehicle a drive-thru where scare seekers will experience a theatrical, immersive storytelling and terrifying sets. Guests will be entertained by live performances throughout their drive, plus experience 4 interactive show zones and an immersive show of lights, sound, special effects and monsters will come alive, all while following the mandated Covid-19 safety social distancing restrictions.”
You can check out this article for more events!
Candy Tree/Candy Sticking
If you live in a neighborhood with a lot of kids or just enjoy giving out candy during Halloween, maybe it’s still possible to do so safely. Instead of handing out treats face-to-face, create candy bags to hang in a tree near your home! Alternatively, you could also stick lollipops taped to longer poles in a front lawn for those who pass to pluck easily and safely!
Basically, Halloween in 2020 doesn’t mean you can’t go out — the tons of drive-in experiences prove that — but it does mean you should keep safety in mind!
Have fun, be safe, and fight on!
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