When it comes to the rules of Halloween, Trick’ r Treat serves as an entertaining, definitive rulebook to keep Samhain at bay. Keep your jack o’ lantern lit, wear a costume, always check your candy, and always ensure you have treats on hand for trick or treaters.
There are well over a hundred horror movies set around Halloween, though, many imparting invaluable life lessons of their own. At least when it comes to our favorite holiday.
Here are seven rules to abide by when celebrating Halloween…
Give Treats, Not Tricks – Night of the Demons
Long before Trick’ r Treat instilled the importance of doling out candy to trick or treaters, the curmudgeon in Night of the Demons showed why playing Halloween tricks could come back to haunt you. In the beginning, before the core group of characters would befall the demons of Hull House, a grumpy Old Man (Harold Ayer) with Halloween hatred in his heart bought razor blades. He stuffed them into the apples designated for trick or treaters. The intent, of course, was to kill any joy for the holiday through harm. His vicious scheme backfired when his loving wife baked them into a pie, blades and all, giving him just desserts. Sure, the phrase is “trick or treat,” but always, always choose treat.
Don’t Eat All the Candy – Tales of Halloween: “Sweet Tooth”
By now, movies have long imparted the necessity of checking your Halloween loot, in case you happen to have a miserly neighbor that spikes the treats with razors or poison. But the opening segment of this Halloween anthology gives a worthy reason why you shouldn’t attempt to devour your candy haul all in one go. If you do, you’ll get a tummy ache in more ways than one; the demon Sweet Tooth will collect the candy from your belly if you don’t leave any out for him. Sharing is caring.
It’s Okay If You Don’t Make Your Costume. No Really. – The Predator
Some of us aren’t crafty enough to pull together a great DIY Halloween costume, and that’s okay. Rather than trying to assemble an ensemble from boxed up items collecting dust without mom and dad’s permission, it’s acceptable to go the store-bought route. Little Rory McKenna (Jacob Tremblay) helped himself to dad’s secret box of Predator armor in the basement, donning it as his trick or treat costume. Not only did he murder a bully and blow up his house, but he unwittingly set off the homing beacon that lured the Predator to him. In short, much of what transpired in this sequel can be traced back to Rory’s costume theft. Oops.
Choose Haunts Carefully – Hell House LLC
Visiting haunted attractions is a major staple of the spooky season, but it helps to plan. Read up on reviews to scope a place out before you go. If the site is brand spanking new, has zero reviews yet, and operates out of a dilapidated old hotel or in the middle of nowhere, maybe choose a different haunt. On the first night that Hell House LLC opened its doors, after spending time repurposing an old labyrinthine hotel, it descended into fiery chaos resulting in multiple deaths of patrons and staff. They couldn’t even make it past their grand opening. If you happen to make it to a haunt without doing your research in advance, another indicator of trouble would be the parking lot’s sparsity. In Haunt, the patrons drove out to the middle of nowhere and still signed waivers despite only two cars in the lot. Just go elsewhere.
Halloween Crowds Aren’t Always Safer – Hell Fest
It’s deeply ingrained in us from an early age that there’s safety in numbers. In most cases, that’s probably true. Not on Halloween, though. On a night where ghouls, ghosts, and masked monsters wandering about is the norm, actual killers can lurk in plain sight. No one will bat an eye at a murder happening during a big event or party because it’s assumed to be part of the Halloween festivities. That’s precisely what happens when a group of friends attends Hell Fest, a theme park decked out in holiday décor and mazes. As a masked killer picks them off one by one, the crowd is none the wiser.
Be a Polite Party Guest – Murder Party
This rule extends beyond Halloween, but on a holiday that revels in thrills and chills, it’s best to really adhere to it this time of year. Lonely Christopher Hawley (Chris Sharp) finds an invitation to a Halloween party on the street. Like a well-mannered party guest, he assembles a costume and whips up a loaf of pumpkin raisin bread to bring to the party hosts. That etiquette assists in saving his life. He soon discovers that the party is hosted by art students looking to impress by committing murder. They intend Christopher to be their victim, but one of them happens to be severely allergic to raisins. It causes her death, taking out one of his would-be murderers and leveling the playing field a bit.
Never Give Up Your Halloween Spirit – The Halloween Franchise
If there’s one thing the Halloween franchise has taught us, it’s that you cannot kill Michael Myers’ Halloween spirit. No matter the deaths or continuity, Halloween’s favorite boogeyman keeps popping up on October 31 to resume his favorite holiday past time. Halloween is what we make of it, and Michael Myers’ endless holiday spirit is aspirational. We should all be like Michael Myers. Not in terms of killing -that isn’t nice, don’t do it – but in terms of unwavering perseverance in Halloween celebrations. Little Sam might be the embodiment of Halloween, but Michael Myers is the original holiday mascot. For a good reason. Happy Halloween!