By Danielle Livoti
As the Halloween weekend approaches, more and more students are trying to find places to spend their evening. The Northeastern News has found a few destinations that will fulfill everyone’s desire to have fun and be scared on the creepiest of all nights.
One place to check out is the historic Brattle Theatre, located on Brattle Street in Harvard Square in Cambridge. For those who don’t want to go to haunted houses and be face-to-face with vampires and zombies, this movie theater is just the place to be. The theater will be showing three different movies. “Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat In Outer Space”, anime film, will start at 5:30 p.m. The theater will also be showing “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” which is newly restored and hasn’t been shown at the Brattle in over 20 years. This show starts at 7:30 p.m. and an award will be given to the audience member with the best Robin Hood costume. Watch the dead come alive as the theater shows the classic horror film, “Evil Dead 2.” This show, which starts at 10 p.m., has been a Halloween tradition and many people come dressed in their finest zombie attire.
Brattle theatre employee Hannah Richards, 25, of Sommerville, Mass., said 25 tickets for the ‘Evil Dead 2 show have already been sold.
For those interested in seeing the movie, try to get tickets early. Richards says that she doesn’t expect things to get too crazy, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Freshman English major, Michelle Bablo, 18, said that this Halloween she is “probably going to a party for a little, then I’m going to see Evil Dead 2.”
If going to the movies isn’t scary enough for you, try venturing into the woods to Spookyworld in Foxoboro, Mass.
John Hurley a senior Finance major, has been to Spookyworld, and sayid, “It was alright. There’s lots of things to do, and the people do a good job scaring you.” When asked if he was going this year, Hurley said, “Well, it’s [Halloween] on a Friday night, So I’ll probably go out somewhere in Boston.”
For those who do want to go to Spookyworld this Halloween, be prepared for a fun-filled evening. There are six haunted houses at the park, a place to meet celebrities and tons of carnival games. There are even people who will scare your loved ones for only $15. After the fright, they supply you with a Polaroid photo of the “victim” and a T-shirt.
The haunted houses includes “The House of Fangs”, which is a home for Vampires as well as “The Spirits of London”, where you can view a collection of “ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural creatures”, as Spookyworld’s website, spookyworld.com, says. Besides vampires there are also zombies to be encountered. Walk through the “Phantom Mineshaft”, have the undead grab at your ankles, and see if you can make it out alive. If you just can’t get enough of the living dead, make your way over to “Elvira’s Nightmare Haunted House”. Elvira and her living-dead family will be pleased to meet you. According to Teresa Kentel, 40, from Hudson, MA., “It is scary.” Kentel has been working at the park, and has been through the houses. She also said that many of the houses have a “scare factor”, a rating system which lets you know just how scary it is, before you enter. The best thing about the haunted houses, Kentel said, “[Is]the effort [the performers] put into it. It’s neat. It’s real.”
If you find it unbearable to be scared any longer, there are gift shops to look though, and celebrities to meet. This weekend, go and get an autograph from Rex Trailer, star of “Boomtown,” a former kids TV show. Also, John Fiore (aka “Gigi Cestone”) from “The Soprano’s” will be there on Halloween Night and the following day. Tippy Hedren, of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” will be signing autographs, as well as WWE superstar John Cena.
Spookyworld also offers a Horror Museum, which holds props from horror movies like “The Re-Animator”, “Killer Clowns from Outer Space”, “Psycho”, and “Silence of the Lambs”.
Halloween weekend is the park’s final weekend. They have been open from Friday through Sunday for the whole month of October. On October 31st, the park opens at 6pm. Tickets cost $23.50 a person and there is more than enough at the door.
For those who desire a more realistic portrayal of Halloween, journey to historic Salem, Mass. This town has been all about Halloween for the entire month with their “Haunted Happenings” festival, which started October 5, and ends November 2.
Salem, which is best known for the Salem Witch Trials, is devoted to scaring tourists by using events that have occurred within the town. There are a number of tales to be told about witches, pirates, shipwrecks and ghosts. What better way to find out all these creepy stories than by taking the “Nautical Nightmare Haunted Harbor Cruise”? This cruise ship coasts along Salem’s coast and the captain tells of true stories of ghastly happenings. This tour sails at 7pm and 9pm on Halloween. It costs about $10 for students, and departs from Pickering Warf. For more information and tickets, call 978-745-0666.
For those who get a little seasick, try sticking to land with the “Terror Trolley”. While traveling on a trolley throughout the dark streets of Salem, the driver will tell of local horror stories. This costs $15 and departs from the Trolley Depot on Essex Street in Salem.
Also on land is the “Witch Trial Trail and Terror Trail.” This is a walking candlelit tour which according to hauntedhappenings.org, includes “tales of hauntings, murder, and spectral assaults”.
Besides these haunted activities, there are many more Halloween inspired happenings going on. On Oct.29 and Oct. 30, The Hawthorne Hotel is having their annual “Harvest Moon Brew Night.” This starts at 8pm, and it is a 21+ event (as beer samples are handed out). The Hawthorne Hotel also has it’s annual Costume Ball on Halloween night, which offers $1500 in cash prizes. For more information, and to purchase tickets, call 1-800-729-7829.
The Finz Restaurant and Victoria Station Restaurant are also holding costume balls. There are cash prizes at both establishments. Both are located along Pickering Warf.
Salem also houses museums, such as the Salem Witch Museum, The Witch Dungeon Museum, the Witch History Museum, a New England Pirate Museum, and a Wax Museum. All will be holding special activities during the day on Halloween.
Students, such as Michelle Bablo, expect Salem to be packed on Halloween. Bablo said she isn’t going to go this year because, “It’s going to be crazy.”
Samantha Fodrowski, 17, Freshman Journalism major, will be going to Salem this year. Last year, she saw the band “Tool” play in New York on Halloween. She said, “I’d help my mom hand out candy, and hang out with my friends” This year, she’s going to Salem. “Apparently I’m too old to go trick-or-treating, so I’ll be tearin’ up the streets of Salem, checking out the witch village, going to a few haunted houses, and having a good time with my new friends.”
In opposition to Samantha, Freshman Physical Therapy major, Rachel Berliner, 18 will not be going to Salem. “I go trick or treating every year.” On Halloween, age doesn’t mean anything to Rachel, who will be dressing up as David Bowie. “Halloween is a chance to dress up as anything, from your role model, to a complete idiot, and get lots of candy,” she said.
No matter what one chooses to do on Halloween, it all comes down to having a good time. As John Hurley said, “Halloween to me, it’s just kids having fun. It’s just about fun.”
