Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat -by Monica

Vampires, zombies and ghosts – oh my!

Yes, it’s that time of year again. Time to pull out the witch hats and vampire teeth for tomorrow night. Or the princess dresses and miniskirts for you less fiendish souls. Time to watch scary movies and, of course, eat lots and lots of chocolate.

Kristy Lapanowski said she pulls out the Mike Myers’ classics each Halloween (as in Mike Myers from the Halloween movies, not Austin Powers), but she also has a new favorite scary movie this year, trumping Halloween’s number one spot. “My favorite scary movie is Paranormal Activity because it was actually terrifying,” she said.

Paranormal Activity, the low-budget hyped up film this Halloween season, is about a couple who think there’s a demonic presence in their new home. And on the night of October 6, 2006, they set up a surveillance camera in their room, hoping to document this unknown presence. For those of you who don’t like predictable scary movies, this is definitely the scary movie for you. But if you are a scardey cat, as I am, or cherish your nightly sleep, I would recommend picking another movie when you’re at your local movie theatre.

“My one friend [who saw Paranormal Activity] made me stay with her until 1 a.m. because she was so scared. And she actually cried during the movie,” Richelle Payne, 23, said.

Payne likes a different type of scary movie though. She said her favorite scary movie is the original Psycho. “It doesn't hold much fear factor anymore but I love old horror flicks from the 60s. The black and white, the story lines, the bad editing. I can't get enough of it. And Psycho is just twisted for its time. A cross dressing man with his dead mother in the basement? Oh that’s awesome,” Payne said.

Felicia Guest, 21-year-old education major at Oakland University, said her favorite scary movie is Silence of the Lambs. “Anthony Hopkins can really keep you on the edge of your seat. He is an awesome actor,” Guest said.

Daniel Marley, 20, likes a different kind of cannibalistic movie – the kind of movie with the living dead (and no, I’m not talking about Twilight). “The best scary type movie has got to be Dawn of the Dead the remake. I’m sorry but getting chased down by something that just wants to bite you and eat you is really freaky,” Marley said.

Anjelica Jones, who turned 20 years old today on the day before Halloween, said her favorite scary movie is Amityville Horror. She recommends this movie for people who enjoy scary movies but not the gore that so often accompanies them. “It had really good acting and wasn’t so bloody and gory,” Jones said.

Allison Nemeth, 23, said when it comes to Halloween time, Casper, Hocus Pocus, Double Double Toil and Trouble and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown are the only movies she can handle. “I am proud to admit I am a wimp and scary movies scare me to death. I'd rather enjoy the movie instead of hiding under the blankets!” Nemeth said.

There are also several ghoulish movies in theatres, other than Paranormal Activity, for the 2009 Halloween season:
- Cirque du Freak: the Vampire’s Assistant
- Halloween II
- Saw VI
- The Stepfather
- Zombieland

Now here are some pictures of Halloween decorations from around Michigan:

Ortonville, Mich. photo credit - Marilyn Drake



Oxford, Mich. photo credit - Monica Drake


Waterford, Mich. photo credit - Monica Drake




Armada, Mich. photo credit - Monica Drake



Auburn Hils, Mich. photo credit - Monica Drake