The necessity of fright, fear, dread and terror stopped being part of the Halloween season a long time ago. Personally, I blame those religious nuts that ruined Halloween day at public schools across the country. Whether you are looking for a Halloween costume ideas acceptable for so-called "autumn festivals" rather than Halloween parties or for bona fide scare the scrap into your underwear Halloween parties, Hollywood can show the show. With, let us add, a touch of humor, whimsy or the comical.
Clint Eastwood and an Empty Chair
Clint Eastwood has provided a number of Halloween costume opportunities over the years, but his high water Halloween party mark will almost definitely have to be 2012. Show up as a cranky old Eastwood dressing down an empty chair spectrally populated by a guy you blame for problems actually created by a guy who shares your own political views. Hollywood comedy meets the scariest Halloween proposition of them all: senility. Suitable for autumn fairs at churches across the country, although the congregations of such may not be the ideal audience for this type of Halloween humor.
Gwyneth Paltrow's Head in a Box
Those attending a Halloween party with a more macabre expectation of costumage might want to look back to the 1990s for inspiration. "Seven" (and I refuse to insert a number into the title that looks nothing like the letter it is supposed to represent) ends with a morbidly delightful surprise waiting Brad Pitt' character. Actually seeing Paltrow's head in the box might have tipped the scales of horror into the darkness of comedy, but the concept of something unseen being scarier than something seen doesn't come across as well at a Halloween party. The perfect Halloween party costume for blonde women creates both a shriek of terror and a devilish bit of laughter in the unveiling.
(Character) in a (Fashion Change)
One of the most memorable sights I witnessed at the 2012 DragonCon in Atlanta was the shocking appearance of a guy wearing a Spiderman suit beneath business attire. There is just something inherently funny and bizarre about seeing a comic book character wearing a suit and tie. This is a great way to repurpose an old costume for a new, more comical effect. Have an old Darth Vader helmet and gloves hanging around? Wear it while also wearing a tuxedo. Or slip on that Joker mask from a few years ago and arrived dressed in gym clothes. The more paradoxical the nature between the usual outfit of the character and what you put him in for Halloween, the better.
