Halloween may be the time of the season for things that go bump in the night, but every once in a while it’s nice to focus on the more mundane aspects of the holiday. Movies that depict this more realistic side of things are few and far in-between, but are a welcome addition to the ever-expanding collection of Halloween marathon material. Linda Palmer’s long-delayed comedy, Halloween Party, attempts join this collection by depicting the age-old struggle of hosting (and surviving) a seasonal costume party.
Starring Elle Newlands, Frank Gangarossa, Chris Pentzell, Christian Blackburn, David Banks and many others in an ensemble cast of partygoers and troublemakers, Halloween Party chronicles the drama going on in and around the titular house party. Unbeknownst to the guests, the host family decides to set up hidden cameras and a costumed crew to spy on them. Spooky hijinks ensue, featuring mysterious fortune-tellers, jealous werewolves and disappointed trick-or-treaters.
Naturally, this is a very different kind of Halloween movie compared to the usual slashers and ghost stories, but that doesn’t stop the film from carrying a genuine autumn vibe. Anyone who’s ever been to a costume party can relate to the struggles of both the hosts and guests, especially as they’re forced to deal with drunk versions of their friends and colleagues. This results in a charming movie with an interesting cast of characters and a believable story.
That being said, Halloween Party isn’t exactly the laugh-out-loud comedy that it hopes to be. The script, while clever enough, doesn’t feature much in the way of actual humor, instead relying on superficial gags that don’t benefit the film as a whole. Much of the humor relied on hidden footage of the guests on their worst behavior, but that ends up feeling more mean-spirited than actually funny. The lack of a true protagonist also muddled the experience, though it could be argued that the Stud-Finder Girl (Newlands) and Homeless Guy (Gangarossa) were the real main characters.
The likeable cast really made it worth enduring these unfunny moments, however, as the character interaction was certainly the best part of the movie. Seeing the guests argue over whether or not Gangarossa’s character was an actual homeless person or not was genuinely funny, and it was particularly interesting to see how all these colorful characters related to Ben and Julie (the hosts).
Nevertheless, these positive aspects don’t fully redeem Halloween Party‘s darker side. The hidden cameras were more of a gimmick than anything else, rarely contributing to the story, and the script could have used some better jokes. Although, if you can get past these demerits, there is still a fun time to be had with the movie. It may not be the best comedy out there, but Halloween Party will certainly get you into the October spirit.
