Halloween. Dick Durland
our halloweening houseguests become instantly aware they’re passing through a veritable portal as they become immediately confronted with a second suspended, cocooned corpse…this one being clambered over by a number of oversized spiders. Our arachnid’s prey is an excellent use of this particular space. Not only does the manner in which it’s presented serve to instantly grab the attention of new arrivals, but it’s strung up directly over the handrail such that it doesn’t interfere with stairwell traffic, not to mention being a focal point of the party remaining clearly visible from up on the first floor where Frankenstein’s Castle will rock on into the wee hours.
Note the castlelike walls, twelve feet high here in the split-level entryway. In fact, the entire first floor of the house is transformed into a “haunted castle” each Halloween by covering the walls of every room, halls and all, with appropriately patterned reams of wallpaper, completing the perfect atmosphere for the annual gathering of all our favorite ghouls and goblins.
Of course, the decor has been known to change as events have come to pass, in this instance, swapping out our spider’s prey with perhaps even a more sinister presence.
No matter the individual props that are brought into the mix at any given event, as we delve further into our journey you’ll discover two distinct ongoing themes—the eye-catching nature of the displays themselves, and the degree of detail and thoughtfulness that goes into the presentation of the final selections.
NOW we’re talking…addition through subtraction! Under “game conditions” no matter the decoration/prop, the surroundings take on more of a macabre feel. Here we see our hanging friend captured under castlelike “mood” lighting. Once the party begins, all lighting throughout the house is either accomplished via orange-tinted light bulbs, strings of orange LEDs, lit candelabras, or flame pots…adding eerily to the overall haunted castle effect.
I’m not going to lie…the wallpaper takes a number of hours to hang (longer the first time as you’re measuring to length, cutting out holes for light switches, etc.). But once you get past the initial time investment and bag up the custom-made, labeled sections by room, this seemingly massive task goes much quicker than you’d think after the first undertaking. The bottom line is for OUR Halloween playground, this is the single most important step toward creating the perfect environment, a backdrop against which all other additions/props gain depth and eye appeal. For the boorish, it may seem like overkill, but to those looking to escape the nuances of everyday life and be shown a good time, dedicating sufficient prep time makes ALL the difference.
Common Area
Reaching the top of the staircase, we officially welcome you to Frankenstein’s Castle! Not every prop makes the cut when it comes to populating our house of haunts with appropriate ambiance. As you’ll see, as you venture further into our castle, while a few fun-type decorations can certainly be found in the mix, most purchases are required to pass muster regarding degree of authenticity, horrific value, and appropriateness for the space available. With little exception, the items that find a place in our “house of Frankenstein,” each possess an element of creepiness and originality. Make no mistake about it, this party environment is not meant for little ones but instead attempts to instill a most appropriate horror-movie motif. As such, there remains a purposeful focus on what really “works” versus props that are “happy,” plastic looking, or just plain fake.
As mentioned, orange mood lighting is sprinkled here and there to “improve” visibility to an acceptable level once the houselights go out come party time. Here, our flying demon makes great use of the recessed bay window area, while gargoyles and remnants of past visitors adorn the fireplace. And who is that “Spectre” in the corner?
Not all props are “plug and play!” When shopping to fill our Halloween playground, we keep the creative juices flowing. Here, we see the marrying up of our uninvited Spectre with a surprisingly realistic 3-D coffin which, while purchased separately, work in concert to enhance the imagery. Get a good look at this guy…even in the daylight, he really is creepy looking.
Once the lights dim and mist starts running across the floor via a “fog” machine (on a timer) conveniently hidden beneath the dining room table, it helps to induce a heightened sense of eeriness to this setting. No, we don’t miss a trick! Both pieces of this display were discovered at different ends of the same store, making it easier to imagine them complimenting one another in our special effects-ridden-castle environment.
Hosts note: Removal of some of the bulkier furniture allows for extra space to create a greater variety of effects, as well as additional party space. The kids’ bedrooms (they won’t be home on this “All Hallows’ Eve”) make for the perfect storage areas for excess items.
Not being one to miss an opportunity to further promote the proper atmosphere, even the fireplace finds itself superbly involved through this simple yet extremely effective display of…postmortem ex-partyers? Regardless, we find the presentation awe-inspiring, making an already uninviting location…even more so.
Moving to the left of the fireplace, conveniently located in the “dead space” (pun intended) next to the hutch, we find what no haunted castle would be complete without…a life-sized, fully functioning Mummy!
You’ll also note that a liberal amount of webbing has been applied throughout our virtual castle, supplemented with the occasional length of undetectable thread taped to the ceiling dropped down to about shoulder height, adding yet another interactive dimension to the overall spidery effect.
Truth be told, there’s even a remote-controlled repelling spider (see “Effects/Illusions”) that can be found periodically dropping down from its virtually invisible nesting place in the ceiling strategically located in another section of our haunted house once Frankenstein’s Castle has been completely transformed. Oh yeah, good times.
As implied, this particular mummy is one of the more interactive participants found within these rather elaborately adorned chambers. Motion activated, once engaged, the eyes light up moving from side to side while a quite audible mumbling continually escapes its mouth, desperately crying out for “help” in an effort to free itself from its meticulously bound condition. A real crowd-pleaser! Note that even the main beam running across the ceiling has been wallpapered. A little over the top, but like I say…that’s what this party’s all about.
Below we have the finished scene after the lights go out, becoming dramatically more appealing to the average castle dweller’s eyes and, better still, their mind-set. Seemingly everywhere you look, there’s something new to soak in, adding to the general feeling that this party may yet prove to be somewhat “special.” Over the years, we’ve managed to gather together some extraordinary finds from some of the most unlikely sources. This Mummy is a perfect example, having been purchased from a home improvement center. Well, it certainly improved the house of Frankenstein! Talk about your impulse buys, but I knew when I saw it, we had to have it.
Our resident Mummy is centrally positioned on the far wall of the front-to-back living/dining rooms, allowing for a significant traffic pattern in close enough proximity to maintain his continued involvement throughout the evening’s events. After initial inspection, his near nonstop pleas for assistance tend to fade into the background, becoming just another element in the backdrop against which the night’s gathering