Halloween at Brannach Film usually follows a year of planning and preparation to make the best out of the occasion, it is after all my favourite time of the year. Previous years have seen horror film productions, horror film marathons and recently, employment in the entertainment industry as a scare actor for live shows and events all. As with other events on the calendar, each Halloween is made to be as memorable as possible.
I often hear conversations about the origins of Halloween, these conversations often identify Halloween as another imported concept from the States and often try to dismiss it as just another corporate cash-in or globalised strategy to have us all spend more at allocated times of the year. It seems to me that some people only wish to focus on the negative. While I can see there reasoning to some extent, personally I like to find enjoyment in enjoyable things rather than pick them apart for faults. While the event ‘Halloween’ as we know it may come from an American think tank, every region on earth has a history of the occult and folk lore that are to send shivers down the spine. They all make for excellent reading too.
But what has become increasingly popular in previous years is the role played by pop culture in the annual costume parade. It is more common now to have people masquerade as their favourite movie character than it is to have any reference to local history. Maybe because Halloween is not to be taken too seriously anymore. The contrast can also be quite stark when comparing the dedication and skill applied to a home made Iron Man costume to the red and yellow onsie with mask bought from a bargain bin, it seems clear that Halloween means many things to many people.
If one all encompassing term could be used to describe the modern form of Halloween, perhaps it could be Imagination, or Creativity perhaps, as they seem to be what brings the most joy out of the occasion.