It’s time for Spooky Season!
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October 5, 2020
Flashback Friday: Joanna Newsom
October 9, 2020
Ghosts, jack-o-lanterns, and witches, oh my! Halloween is one of the best times of the year. We love Halloween so much we dedicate the entire month of October to it and have officially renamed it “Spooky Season.” From getting creeped out by our favorite shows and movies to going all out on costumes, candy, and self-expression, Halloween encourages all things spooky, weird, and out of the norm. To help get you into the “spooky mood,” here’s a list of some of our favorite videos to say “boo.”
Every Halloween needs a good spooky playlist, and we’re kicking ours off with the vampire rock queen CHARACULA’S “Mummy Dance.” With her visually aesthetic video, CHARACULA gives us a peek into the world where eerie horror and science fiction share a dance that’s hard to forget. Her combination of metal and movie theatre drive-in is the perfect way to kick off any Halloween party. This visually stunning video and song will definitely get you into the spooky mood.
It’s a no-brainer that we included Justina’s “Halloween.” From right here in the garden state, Justina holds nothing back. Her Jersey attitude is what gives this video and song the energy it has. In her video “Halloween,” she wastes no time calling out all the fakes and phonies. The title may be simple, but the rest of the song packs a punch with its dynamics that are sure to get you in the Halloween spirit.
“Ran For My Life” by Guinevere
Everyone loves a good zombie music video to get into the spirit of Halloween. Guinevere’s “Ran for My Life” music video is no exception. The grungey and dark aesthetic of the video certainly gets you in the mind space. When making zombie music videos, most artists get full marks on creativity and creep factor, but Guinevere goes above and beyond with this video. Taking use of her inner gamer, Guinevere went ahead and made this music video interactive! It transforms you from everyday life to being dropped in the middle of a zombie apocalypse horror movie. Good luck trying to sleep after this video…you might want to leave the lights on!
The next video on our list of Halloween favorites is “Erased” by Sin7. This next video is everything we love about Halloween and all things scary: abandoned buildings, creepy masks, and the slight nod to the devil. The heavy rock anthem is sure to leave your heart and blood pumping even after the music video ends. The glitchy filming gives it that paranormal investigation documentary vibe and puts viewers right in the psych ward with the band. From start to finish, this video is a crazy adrenaline rush with a twist at every turn.
“Carry Your Own Light” by My Demons Galore
Next up on the playlist is another video about demons. But this time, it’s not about a demon with horns and a tail. This time the demons referenced in “Carry Your Own Light” are the demons we all have inside. The demons that live in our minds making us believe the worst of ourselves. My Demons Galore’s video for “Carry Your Own Light” paints a picture of the different dynamics between the dark and light moments in our heads. The video starts in the dark, symbolizing the days where you want to pull your hair out and scream and curse out the world, to the light days where things seem possible and light and good. The video and the context of the song is a refreshing mix up from the typical Halloween songs. This video goes out to those who stay positive in the face of mental health struggles.
It’s not Halloween without a creepy cartoon video. That’s exactly what Gramps the Vamp’s video for “Boomzap!” is. The band members take a step back for this one and just let the music and the visuals speak. At first, you think it’s a nice little story about a little astronaut family hovering around in space. Then things start to take a turn when floating eyeballs with ostrich legs take over. The video puts you into a hypnotic, old school Halloween spiral that seems impossible to get out of.
“Zombie Killer NYC” by Mighty Matt Saladino
This video looks like something that was taken right out of a zombie apocalypse animation movie. With NYC landmarks and references to pop culture, this video is a perfect storm of zombies and amazing rhythm. With references to a pandemic, this video represents a lot of ironies that – in 2020 – you can’t help but laugh at. It seems like apocalypse storylines are going to be around for a very long time. The way 2020 has been so far, it won’t be surprising if an apocalypse happens sometime soon.
“This Time I’ve Got It” by The Great Tomsoni & Co.
Halloween is never complete without a good haunted mansion. Haunted mansions are some of the highlights of the entire month of October. The Great Tomsoni & Co wastes no time with introducing this theme. The video starts with a spooky shot of a decrypted old mansion with an extremely creaky door. The music video is like walking straight onto the set of a Dracula or Frankenstein film. But unlike Dracula, you’ll want to stay awhile.
Written by HIP intern Rebecca Karaman.
