I’m a nut about halloween – specifically designing halloween displays for the neighborhood to enjoy. Each year I try to come up with both a theme and cool gimmicks and props to go along with the theme.

Halloween is about the fun. Christmas is fun, too, dont get me wrong. But going too far with decorating and displays, I feel, ruins the meaning of the season.  Halloween is all about the fun and commercialism, right?

Halloween 2010

This year I gave a nod to the original Universal Studios monsters in a fun, modern way. I created four of the original monsters and made them into a “live” band. The monsters included: Frankenstein’s monster, Wolf Man, Dracula and the Mummy. A fifth character – a skull and some bones – was added in, coming out of a pile of dirt beside a headstone. It was the lead singer. “Frank” and Wolf Man sang “backup.”

More videos on my YouTube channel.

Previous Years

2009 – Mad Scientist Lair

The precursor to 2010′s idea in more ways than one, I transformed my porch into a mad scientist’s laboratory.  Glowing slime oozed down the wrought-iron supports. A three-tiered shelf of flasks, beakers and other glass containers which were filled with mini skeletons, eyeballs snakes and  creatures suspended in  fluids that glowed under the black light.

The major feature this year was a seven-foot tall replica of Frankenstein’s monster. He was propped up on a slab against the side of the house near the door.  Trick-of-treaters would have to talk with him to get their candy – which I was giving out 15 feet away in the driveway, hiding in the shadows.

I supplied Frank’s voice via a wireless microphone attached to a speaker behind Frank’s slab.

I think it was more entertaining talking to more parents than the kids!

2008 – Phantom of the Opera

Basically, I came up short on a good idea, so in a last-minute panic I thought of doing a simple scene from Phantom of the Opera.

The result was the “lair” scene from the musical complete with:

• The Phantom, himself at the organ
• Christine, passed out in the corner
• Several dozen battery-operated candles and two fog machines.
• Both Music of the Night and Phantom of the Opera emanated from a speaker inside the organ

I also created a working, “crashing chandelier” that I released each time someone walked by.

2007 – Ghost Pirate Ship

Our favorite by far. The prate ship covered nearly the entirety of our house frontage.  Our “skeleton crew” of seven pirates were all over as you walked into and inside the ship. Two animatronic pirates would talk to you as you; one as you approached and another after you stepped inside.

Our Jolly Roger pirate flag flew over our roof, about 12 feet in the air. It was able to be spotted from down the block and glowed from the residual blacklight.

Two “real” cannons fired at you at random intervals, complete with smoke, red lights and about 180 watts of bass-booming sound.  The Pirates of the Caribbean movie score played softly across the entire scene.