These movies are some of my favorites to watch throughout the year, but I usually revisit them around Halloween. Movies from the ’80s may lack some of the CGI effects we are used to seeing now, but the characters and story and still entertaining. Enjoy looking at the clips below and feel free to leave comments about them or suggest some that I may not have listed.
Nightmares Haunted House is open for scares Oct. 9, 15-16, 22-23 and 29-31. Ticket office opens at 7 p.m. and closes at 11 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for children ages 12 and under. Tickets may also be purchased online. The haunt is located across from Lowe's in Bentonville off of U.S. 71 behind Kozy Heat, 13080 N. U.S. 71. The Web site is hauntednightmares.com
Story & Photos by Marla Hinkle
The Halloween Hunt
Two hearses, the Mobile Excution Unit and Ghoul Bus are parked and waiting to drive visitors into a spooky state. And the house looms in the distance. Nightmares Haunted House in Bentonville, Ark., has been scaring guests for 23 years, and operators have learned a few new tricks to add to their arsenal of eerie effects.
The bus is painted a flat black and a beastly head is mounted to its top. It was used in the Rogers School District and later sold at an auction for $1,100. This terror on wheels had a few transformations that revamped the vehicle from schoolyard to ghoulyard.
The seats are turned backward for guests to view horror movies on their drive down to the house. Other vehicles include a limo and two hearses. The hearse has something on it you don’t usually see. Skulls, images from horror movies and more decorate the car’s surface with an otherworldly green glow. The graphics and wrap were designed by The Sign Factory in Fayetteville. Several special touches like this are donated from companies.
Another vehicle attraction is the Mobile Execution Unit. Organizer Sean Collins said the first time he tried the “electric chair” it made him sit up in his seat.
“If it can scare me it can scare anyone.”
“It’s all about the atmosphere,” said Erick Tangness, one of the organizers. “After the first week we tweak things to see what scares people most.”
The goal is to incorporate a lot of different ideas instead of attempting an overall theme for the haunted house. Horror elements are interspersed throughout to produce a wider range of effects . For example, there’s a creepy clown, horror movies like Zombieland playing onscreen and actors who appear out of the darkness. Collins said they try to play on as many of people’s fears as possible.
Tangness said he and other staff traveled to a haunt convention in St. Louis this year to gather more ideas for their project.
“We try to bring back some of the premiere effects to Northwest Arkansas and still operate on a nonprofit budget.”
Nightmares Haunted House raises money for the Bentonville/Bella Vista Lion Club charities. Ron Guadian has served as a president of this club and also owns Kozy Heat. The attraction is set up behind his business. He said the organizers’ love of Halloween and money raised for the charities are motivators for the amount of work it takes to set up an event of this size.
The crew began preparing for this year’s event at the end of April. Several new features have been added, including an area sure to fill claustrophobic people with dread. A new special effect really does require vistors to stay on their toes. Organizers said they prefer the exact name of this illusion be kept out of the article, but I tried it and it is disorienting. That’s all I’ll say. You’ll have to come out and experience it for yourself.
Both Collins and Tangness said they try to build the props themselves rather than buying premade items. The house itself is constructed out of 150-year old barn wood. A bench in the front yard appears to be sinking down into the lawn. A gothic streetlamp sheds some light on the yard and a water fountain with an arrangment of dead flowers sets the stage for visitors waiting to enter the house.
Several twists and turns await once you’re inside. A few rooms include a kitchen with an assortment of gruesome specimens, living room, library, bathroom and a bedroom with a corpselike bride. The chills don’t stop once you exit the house. You must make it through a maze lined with dead branches before coming to the graveyard.
Tangness and Collins not only plan the illusions, but they participate in the actual haunting of the house. The masks are from a Hollywood company that outfits some of the cadavers on CSI, Collins said. They are extremely realistic and made of silicone. The fiendish masks move as they talk and appear to be part of the actors’ faces.
They are so life-like that one can see the fine spider veins on the side of a monster face and freckles on the neck area.
It’s super-scary in the light and even more so in the dark.
Sean and Erick wear their realistic horror masks
After 23 years of stuyding the psychology of fear, the organizers feel that they have a good fix on what scares their visitors.
“The overall atmosphere serves to heighten awareness,” Tangness said.
A Halloween banner welcomes visitors to the Haunted Castle
If you want to visit a Halloween town, then spend a weekend in October exploring the streets of The Castle of Muskogee, Okla., during its annual Halloween Festival. Spooktacular revelry awaits around every bend. The Haunted Castle is settled on 60 acres. It’s free for visitors to roam around and take in the sites of staff dressed in their Halloween best, but there is an admission price ranging from $2 to $9.95 to enter one of the nine events.
Here’s a breakdown of the “not-so-scary” events, “medium-scary,” and “scare-your-pants-off” from the 2009 Halloween Festival
Halloween Land for children 8 years old and younger: “A carnival of delight with no scares — games, prizes and more.”
Enchanted Boardwalk: “Enjoy the magic of more than 200 Halloween inflatables from 3 to 12 feet tall.”
Torture Chamber: “See what really happened in medieval times in the depths of the dungeons.”
Haunted Hayride: “This hayride will keep you on your toes as you ride through the Haunted Castle grounds.”
Pirate Ship Stage: “Live entertainment for the whole family. Comedy, drama, juggling and laughs galore. Includes Willie’s Wenches and Jester Rejects.”
Ultimate Maze: “Dare to walk the many pathways of this haunted maze.”
Casa Morte: “A labyrinth through the 12th century castle, with doom and mystery around every corner.”
Domus Horrificus: “Takes you into the areas where your favorite horror monsters dwell.”
Trail of Blood: “Take a walk through the woods if you dare. The lost souls of those who have gone before you will guide you.”
Staff and visitors dance to "Time Warp" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"
Casa Morte was the ultimate spookhouse experience for me. Although the wait was about 30 minutes in line, it was worth it. Staff members danced in a semicircle to Halloween favorites like “Monster Mash” and “Time Warp.” Actors aren’t allowed to touch you, and you aren’t supposed to touch them, but it is still jarring to enter each room and try to distinguish the actors from the life-sized props.
A huge spider-monster creature locked behind bars scared some children and adults back into the corner. Strobe light effects and sound make it look like the creature’s claws were reaching right through its prison for us.
My favorite rooms in the castle were the witch and her grotesque buffet of huge calamari and bone piles next to a bubbling cauldron.
What's for dinner?
Another room featured a vampire waking up from his sleep and emerging from a coffin. Outside of Casa Morte, visitors had a chance to sit in a real coffin and “try one on for size.”
Dracula prepares to rise from his coffin
I thought the Ultimate Maze would be a snap, but I guess my eyes were not adjusted after all of the strobes in Casa Morte. After going the same way twice, we were finally assisted by a white-faced actor with pigtails and a creepy, high-pitched voice, urging us to take this way … this way.
The skull entrance to the Ultimate Maze
Ghostly Host
The Enchanted Boardwalk was a welcome sight and a chance to slow down and see the delight through a child’s eyes. Characters like Garfield and Winne the Pooh were interspersed with traditional October treats like ghosts, witches, pumpkins and skeletons.
Ghosts and goblins populate The Enchanted Boardwalk
Mean and green
The Ghostmobile
My favorite inflatables were the kind you don’t see in a typical neighborhood yard. A couple of the more unusual pieces were a mini skeleton and a set of eyeballs.
Eye see you
Mini scare
Part of the Halloween Festival’s allure is the transformation of the castle grounds into a Halloween town. Other festivals are held there throughout the year, including the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival, Boare’s Heade Feast and Christmas Kingdom. The grounds retain a medieval ambiance, with the restrooms being labeled Privy.
Several food choices are available. Rat on a Stick, turkey legs, bratwurst with sauerkraut and onions and bags of kettlecorn satisfy revelers as they wait for the events to open.
Streets are lined with opportunities to transform into a favorite Halloween character. Face painting, a perfumery , and a candle making shop keep guests entertained.
Visitors make their own candle magic
A shop with 50 percent off costumes and Halloween props offers a good chance to snag some animatronics and other lighted decorations at a steal. One 5-foot tall witch with a bubbling cauldron was around $45. I’ve seen similar ones for $120 to $250 in retail stores.
With all the ghostly characters roaming the streets, it would be advisable to get your own “vampire protection kit.” Luckily, there was a shop open that sold items from Garlic Festival Foods based in Hollister, Calif.
Garlic samples are offered to keep vampires at bay
I purchased a Garli Garni, all-purpose shake-on. I don’t know about vampires, but I’m sure I kept several people at bay with garlic breath.
Night lights
Perhaps the most magical part of the evening was sharing it with other Halloween enthusiasts beneath an October sky. A moon made milky by feathery clouds lit the night, along with orange lights strewn throughout the grounds. An inflatable ghost wavered in the wind, as if to say goodbye, see you again next year.
Guests walk the Halloween streets
Face painting is part of the ultimate Halloween experience
A sea of tree leaves wave in the wind, transforming the rolling Ozark hills into a glorious quilt of orange, cranberry and gold. The landscape is a perfect October scene upon entering Mammoth Spring, Ark., home of Halloween and folk artists Ron and Sherry Byrum.
The couple’s yard exhibits a warm welcome to autumn. Spinning ghosts, spirits in a circle and a graveyard share some of the same whimsy and wonder found in Byrum’s paintings.
Leaves scuttle on the porch steps as Sherry opens up the doors to their home.
First is her craft room, an inviting space full of warm sunlight that casts a friendly glow.
Halloween cards dangle from bare black branches of her Halloween tree. Paintings and artwork populate nearly every corner.
A huge sheetrock painting of a magical witch lounging on a crescent moon with star bursts dripping all around hangs above the bed. An original acrylic painting sits on the piano. “Glimpse of a Witch” is perfect for collectors who love details of fall leaves and a black silhouette of a witch flying by the full harvest moon.
On the fireplace is a Halloween ornament with a haunted house scene painted all around and a sculpture of a menacing hell hound with fangs.
The dog was part of an artist challenge where all participants designed around the same theme. Daisy, the Byrums’ sweet-natured dog, served as a muse for this piece, although she is adorable and not the least bit frightening. If you see a friendly beagle in one of his paintings, it’s probably Daisy.
Two of Ron’s favorite works are ” Haunted Tree House” and “Hay Rides.”
“I love the colors in these paintings and the harvest and autumn themes.”
In “Hay Rides,” a witch drives a team of horses past a two-story farmhouse lit from the glow of a burnt-orange sunset beginning to fade into clouds outlined in the glow of a full moon.
Another witch flies up to this moon and beyond a field and tree with golden leaves. The tree house in Ron’s other favorite is spellbinding. The root system provides steps up to windows that are lit with all sorts of frightful nocturnal activities. Witches frolic and stir a cauldron that spews up its mystical brew.
So where does he find inspiration? From his imagination, Ron said.
“I just start with a blank canvas and let the drawing come out.”
Her husband was born with this talent to draw and create, Sherry said. Ron was raised near Elizabethtown, N.C. His parents were deeply religious and hardworking, he said. Art was just not something that was understood as a viable career choice for him.
“My mother would say something I drew was pretty, but what was its purpose? She told me I was wasting paper.”
But his artistic drive never left him. Sherry is from Houston and the two met in eastern Texas and have been married 30 years. Sherry has always believed in Ron’s ability and talent, she said.
“We’ve done a lot of different jobs before finding our niche,” Sherry said.
Painting houses was one job, along with a commission in Memphis, Tenn., for a record store. The couple lived in Memphis before moving to Mammoth Spring 10 years ago to escape city life.
“What we really become known for was our yard art,” Sherry said.
This ornament is painted with a full Halloween scene
An original artwork is displayed on the piano
Daisy is transformed to a hellhound for an art challenge
Daisy listens as the Byrums talk about her role in their art
Ghosts spin in the October wind
Ghosts form a circle in the back yard
People began asking if the Halloween yard signs featuring witches were for sale. The spinning ghosts that appear to turn and fly in the wind were a design of Ron’s that was bought by Impact Plastics. The company sold the corrugated plastic ghosts to Walmart, but the design was altered so the ghosts do not spin, Ron said. The retailer no longer sells this product, but the spirits live on in the Byrums’ fantastical yard.
The steep backyard leads up to a graveyard and grim reaper. A ghost circle is particularly eye-catching at night, Ron said. Light in the center changes colors and projects onto the white sheets. Halloween decor continues with a birdhouse that looks as if it could be a haunted mansion, Sherry said. Ron has constructed about 50 birdhouses ranging in size from two to four feet tall.
The couple loves gardening as well as art. Sherry is a member of The Haunted Gardens, an online group that discusses tips on growing varieties that would fit into a magical garden, such as moonflowers and black tulips. Sherry also grows 100 varities of daylilies, many of which are orange.
Lights decorate her house year-round. She begins with clear lights in August, adding purple and orange in October and replacing these colors with red and green for Christmas. Sherry’s creativity is mirrored in a painting titled “Haunted Lantern House,” where purple and orange lights are strewn around the branches of a tree house.
Sherry is the resident computer guru and social networker, with Facebook, Myspace and a blog, The Hive. Both artists create computer graphics with animation. She designed her husband’s Web site and began selling his artwork on eBay in 1999. The volume of work includes nearly 100 listings. Networking with other Halloween artists has been gratifying, Sherry said.
“Everyone is so nice and supportive of each other’s work.” For Halloween, the Byrums participate in Spooktacular, an event where business owners hand out candy for the holdiay downtown.
Also, Country Sampler will feature Ron’s work in the November 2010 issue. Byrum was one of three artists whose work was chosen for a magazine ad.
Sherry said talking to other artists and focusing on her art without the interruptions of a full-time job are perks. For Ron, he has more time to enjoy his art and work “without a boss.” However, the couple still experiences some pitfalls of the starving artist syndrome, he said.
That’s where his experience in painting houses comes in handy. Ron incorporates techniques like faux finishes and painting vine and design motifs on walls. Painting on woodwork is another skill he employs to make a countertop resemble marble or Arkansas stone.
Charles and Sue Vaughn, owners of Riverbend Nursery in Mammoth Spring, are clients. Sue said she was pleased with the job Ron did in painting her walls to appear like stone and countertop to resemble marble. Knotty pine and hand-cut rails were used in the chairs. He painted plywood to match chairs to get a light oak look. The kitchen island countertop Ron painted looks country antique and is one of Sue’s favorite areas that Ron painted.
Another large project for Ron was at the McCullogh House, a 14,000 square-foot mansion in the woods where he hand-painted rooms and completed a lot of the woodwork.
Byrum said he doesn’t do one activity too long before starting another.
“I think Ron has Attention Deficit Disorder,” Sherry said.
But the pair shares some clear-cut goals: They would like to offer their paintings in different formats and larger sizes, which is something they have explored at Cafepress.com. Starting an art show in Mammoth Spring is a project Sherry would like to develop.
Although the Byrums celebrate all holidays with gusto, Halloween is their favorite. The artists offer a few Christmas paintings. Some still showcase some Halloween friends. Ron gives an impish grin when he talks about some of the more unusual Christmas/Halloween pairings, such as a bat flying a holly-trimmed garland to decorate a Christmas tree as a cat, crow and beagle and grim reaper are captivated by the tree’s glow. A moon wearing green ear muffs and a jack-o-lantern smile completes the holiday mix.
Haunted Snow House is one I have up in my house all winter. Bats and ghosts fly above the home while snow softly falls on a quiet graveyard.
Ron said he planned to complete at least six new haunted house pictures in the coming months.
“I never do the same thing twice.”
Leaves continue to blow across yards and downtown Mammoth Spring as I prepare to leave the magical world of Sherry and Ron Byrum. Driving down Arkansas 9 throughout the hilly region dotted with lakes, farms and huge oak and maple trees, one can almost see a witch stirring her brew behind a tree house filled with merry visitors, or a skeleton sitting out on a front porch rocking chair, waving as you pass by.
Building a village is something I enjoy doing each year. For me, the most creative part of the process is grouping the houses and accessories together to form a realistic landscape. This involves searching for lichen in autumn colors, swampy green and Spanish moss, rocks, tile and more.
If you would like to gain some tips and share your knowledge, then Building New Worlds is a great social networking site devoted to all aspects of villaging, including different brands such as Lemax.
I have met many people here who I have learned techniques from. I am always curious to see how other people interpret the village scenes. Jeanny, a village enthusiast from the Netherlands who particpates on the site. She describes her process below.
A burnt orange sunset sets the scene for this macabre village
“I started the background as a painting for my daughter. I looked at it and thought … this will be a great background for a Halloween display. So I painted very quickly the sides. I used acrylic paint, which is easy to use and dries very quickly. I cut the foam in pieces so the fit into the shape of the background. I made everything black, even the plants.
I only have four houses for Halloween. In Holland, we do not celebrate it, so looking at the American, I had a little idea how to do it. The road is made of little stones, which is what I bought at the garden center. Also, the plants and trees. The tree on the right I made myself. The houses are all from Department 56 and the coach as well. The moss is all the came color as the heather in the background. We can buy moss in every color we want, but it is not real moss. The black dog is from a dollhouse shop.”
Here are a few pictures from the 2010 Department 56 Snow Village Halloween display. It has grown so large that the village seems real now, so I thought a little narrative would add to the characters. Please feel free to share your village pictures and tips in the comment area below.
Lights from the village emit a warm and inviting glow. I visit this village once a year, around Halloween. This is what I see: One orange light flickers against the walls of an eerie lighthouse that is haunted by a glow-in-the-dark ghost. Six skeletons guard the entrance to a cave and buried treasure. Captain Black Bart’s Ghost is surely not afraid, since he drowned with his crew long ago. The skeletons sway in the wind and some stand at attention. I guess these are some of the ship’s crew.
The ship has a name on it, Spooky Schooner. I thought it resembled the Mary Celeste, a haunted ship. Maniacal laughter and a foghorn blast from the ship. I’m getting out of here!
Skeletons guard the cave's entrance
A monstrous orange sea creature is on view at Monsters of the Deep Museum. Rotten fishy smells waft over from the poor caretaker’s bucket. I wonder if he is delivering food to the nautical nightmares housed in the museum? Even more curiosities are on display at Grimsly’s House of Oddities. A strange family greets visitors. A grim woman holds a bat umbrella to shade her from the sun while two-headed twins and a creepy boy with a pet dragon scowl at passersby.
Miners are busy at work as a wayward Frankenstein and his bride zoom by on a motorcycle. The couple took a break from entertaining guests at Castle Blackstone on top of the hill and decided to take a scenic drive alongside a road lined with pine trees.
Another skeletal cyclist is out for the day on a blacktop road that leads out of town. But I think it is a dead end …
This skeleton is bone to be wild
Coal miners toil along the track
Ned and Ted take a break from work at the tool factory to enjoy some drinks from the Witch’s Brew Pub in downtown Halloween City.
The boys take a break from work at Witch's Brew Pub
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Screaming voices carry outside the theater. I wonder what bloodcurdling movie is showing? Even the pumpkins are scary outside of LaGhosti Theater. This one has sharp pointy teeth and shares a bench with a black cat.
This pumpkin and cat share a bench outside the theater
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It seems like everyone is out on the town tonight. The Candy Cauldron is doing the most business, naturally. Gummy worms rise from the cauldron, sending a sweet and fruity fragrance out on the night air. Lollipops dot the yard and a chocolate spider dangles from under the roof, sending out warm waves of milk chocolate scent. Licorice, hard-shell candy and taffy entice from the windows and entrance. Ghosts in cauldrons serve as streetlights. Is that a huge walking, talking candy corn ahead? No, it’s just a neighborhood kid dressed in a candy costume. How appropriate!
Children flock to the Candy Cauldron
Madame Zelda is busy working on a new display for her wax museum. You never know what to expect next. The Bride of Frankenstein, Frankenstein, Dracula, a mummy and a man trying to break out of the window light up the storefront.
Zelda works on another display
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A carnival set up on the east side of town keeps revelers bathed in a sea of purple and orange light. I waited in line quite a while for a ride on the Ghostly Carousel, but it looks like it is occupied. What’s that? A witch with steel-gray hair laughed as she rounded the corner, and a skeleton is right behind her. Oh well, maybe some of the humans will be able to enjoy a ride once these ghouls have had their fun.
Monsters have a ball at the carnival
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I feel a little lost here. Wait. There’s a sign up ahead . A skeleton figure holds an umbrella with wires poking out. He looks chilled to the bone. The raven on the sign posts shakes the rain off his purple-black feathers. Let’s see. The landmark spots are Grimsly Estate, Haunted Rails and Creepy Creek.
Wow, what a huge mansion on the hill. Witches, ghosts and creatures of the night appear to be dancing in a circle of revolving yellow light that is coming from the mansion window. It looks harmless enough with trick-or-treaters holding out their bags to the homeowners. They are wearing Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein costumes. At least I hope they are costumes.
Another mansion doesn’t look so friendly. The name says Grimsly Manor, and it’s no wonder. A creepy couple waits with treats, but I don’t think anyone is going to want these. A rat is on the slouching older woman’s tray.
I certainly don’t see any trick-or-treaters here, but it looks like a vampire strolling on the grounds may join them. An eerie melody plays around the grounds and crypt area.
A corpse couple plays this tune on a coffin-shaped piano.
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A man named Gravely the butler holds out a wormy bowl of candy at his estate. I can’t believe anyone would want this who is human, unless they want to cleanse their palate of the sweet and gooey treats back in town.
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Trick-or-treaters crawl the neighborhood lawns like beetles wriggling around a freshly dug grave.
Little space explorers walk past a manicured lawn
A group of trick-or-treaters amble down a cracked sidewalk
These little tykes take lessons at Ghoul School
The un-welcome mat is surely just for Halloween
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Lights begin to fade as this more upscale part of town turns into weedy, dusty paths that lead to what some say is a toxic waste area. Dead Creek runs alongside Dead Creek Mill and the swamp. Jazz plays from three zombies set up outside the Voodoo Lounge.
A waiter with one glowing eye and a sinister smile ambles outside to the trio for break in between songs. The constant mist emanating from Foggy Point clouds my vision.
The Zombies play outside of Voodoo Lounge
A skeleton fishes from Foggy Point
Swampy hocus pocus witch stirs her brew
An old hermit strolls along Creepy Creek Bridge
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I finally found the Creepy Creek Bridge and crossed it to find the friendly orange and green farmland. Orange because so many fields and leaves have yielded their orange leaves and golden corn, green fields and scarecrows. Screech Owl Farm was selling their harvest of gourds and pumpkins, and a farm down the lane lets you pick your own pumpkins.
Pumpkins are for sale at Screech Owl Farm
Pick your own pumpkin
Eunice feeds her chickens at Screech Owl Farm
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Well, it’s time to leave the Halloween Village and get back to the real world. I will take the next train out of Rickey Railroad Station. This train has a glowing pumpkin leading the way with black smoke coming out of the lid. I hope you join me next year for new adventures!
