Editorial By: Giaco Furino
So it’s Halloween and you’re in a relationship? Cool! Chances are either you or your significant other (or the both of you) have thought about a couples costume for Halloween. We understand the temptation is strong, but don’t just go as Peanut Butter and Jelly, don’t don mustaches and dress as Mario and Luigi. You’re a reader of this site! You can do better… and by better, of course, we mean creepier! Here are six great ideas to scare in tandem.
Bonnie and Clyde (Deceased)
We’ll start you off with a classic Halloween costume. Bonnie and Clyde, the infamous robbers and leaders of a small gang during the great depression, are perfect candidates for a couples costume. Dress up in Great Depression-era garb, tote around a fake gun, and feel like a badass. But we can do better than that. Remember the final scene from the 1967 movie, where Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway are riddled with bullets? That’s the costume we’re going for!
What You’ll Need: For the person playing Bonnie, you’ll need an era-appropriate dress and an awesome tommy gun. For the person playing Clyde, you’ll need a handsome suit, a nice hat, and a devilish grin. Both costumers, of course, will need a pair of scissors. Don’t rush this costume; in real life Bonnie and Clyde were reportedly shot fifty times… you’ll have to cut all those bullet holes!
Rosemary and Her Baby
When Rosemary’s Baby hit theaters in 1968 it captivated audiences and critics, and even managed to freak out the church and expectant mothers! Mia Farrow delivered a performance so realistic that some claimed it was too true to life. So now it’s up to you and yours to create a truly terrifying couples costume around this flick. Everyone likes to dress up as a baby for Halloween (well, maybe not everyone), if you’re gonna do it you might as well dress up as the spawn of Satan.
What You’ll Need: For the person playing Rosemary, you’ll need that adorable pixie haircut, a big kitchen knife, and a blue sleeping gown. For the person playing Baby, you’ll need… well… we only really see it’s demonic eyes. So go crazy! Just make sure you nail the eyes.
Frankenstein’s Monster and His Companion
(image source: Illustrated Classics No. 26: Frankenstein)
So you want to go as “Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein”? Well stop right there! Let’s get literary here. Let’s work from the source, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. You’ll be going as Frankenstein’s Monster, and you’ll be going as the Monster’s Companion. And don’t go reaching for that green makeup, either, you’re both made of corpses, and you’ll both be fleshy and rotten and disgusting, just like in the book. In fact, in the novella Dr. Frankenstein can’t even pull the trigger and bring the Companion to life, he’s too worried it’ll turn out just as monstrous as the Monster.
What You’ll Need: You’ll both need to dress in shabby clothing. Better stock up on liquid latex, too, if you really want to get that “just a mound of rotten flesh” look. Remember, keeping these costumes literary is the key to staying creepy and standing out against the flat-topped Frankenstein masses.
Oedipus and Jocasta
Want to really freak out your friends? Dress up as Oedipus and Jocasta from Greek Mythology. Do you remember the classic tale? Here’s a 10th grade English class primer: Oedipus’ father knew his son would one day kill him, so he left the infant out in the wilds. Baby Oedipus was saved and given to the childless king. He later ends up unwittingly killing his father and marrying Jocasta… his mother. And when the couple finally finds out that he’s killed his dad and been chilling with his mom for years she hangs herself and he gouges out his own eyes. Perfect for a couple costume!
What You’ll Need: For the person playing Oedipus, you’ll need greek robes and LOTS of blood around your eyes. For the person playing Jocasta, you’ll need greek robes and a rope. It’s like a toga party… but, you know, terrible and creepy.
King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
If you’ve got a fancy dress and a King’s costume laying around (and who doesn’t!?) don’t just go as a tired old King and Queen. Go as King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn! Their sordid love, marriage, and eventual split make the juiciest soap opera seem dull. Unable to bear the nearly-mad King Henry a son, Anne Boleyn was charged with adultery and conspiracy and sentenced to death. Even after a thoughtful testimony she was walked into the public square and given a swift beheading. So why be a plain King and Queen when you can be a blood splattered maniac King and his beheaded bride!
What You’ll Need: For the person playing Henry, you’ll need a big beard, a big belly, and the blood of your many dead wives on your hands. For the person playing Anne, give yourself as nasty a neck wound as you can muster! And make sure you’re both pasty! Royalty is always pasty!
Chupacabra and Goat
(image source: Michael Lee, 2007)
The Chupacabra, the legendary creature that’s known to suck the blood out of farm animals, was first sighted in Puerto Rico in 1995. The creature, according to witnesses, kills livestock like sheep, cows, and goats, and sucks all their blood from them, leaving them bone-dry. The creature’s name literally translates to “goat sucker” so… Chupacabra and Goat! It’s a match made in heaven and a perfect couple costume.
What You’ll Need: Aside from buckets of blood? For the person playing the Chupacabra, make sure you’ve got nasty fangs, big claws, and a penchant for blood. For the person playing the goat, make sure you’ve mastered the “oh no I’m being drained of all my blood” look.