CityView Magazine

6 October 2023 Mary Zahran, a big Rod Serling fan, can be reached at maryzahran@gmail.com. SOMEDAY YOU'LL THANK ME What makes Halloween so scary? BY MARY ZAHRAN C hildren aren't the only ones who find Halloween frightening. Some adults do as well. Several years ago, when I was well into middle age, we had a neighbor who decorated her front yard with scenery that terrified me. e centerpiece was a young woman dressed in a long white gown who sat in a tree swing that was always in motion, even when there was no wind. A light mist hung over the ground, creating an eerie picture for passers-by. In case that image wasn't scary enough, there was also a soundtrack of someone moaning. I don't know why this scenario frightened me so much. All the neighbors I spoke with thought it was a masterpiece. Even little children liked it. What was wrong with me? Our neighbor eventually moved away, taking her Halloween decorations with her. When autumn rolled around, I found myself missing the girl in the swing. But I didn't miss the eerie sounds that had emanated from her yard. Perhaps what makes Halloween so scary for many people, including me, is not so much what we see but what we hear. Anyone who has ever watched any of the "Halloween" movies knows how menacing the theme is. is piece of music stays with you long aer the movie has ended. Like the theme from "Jaws" or "e Twilight Zone," we realize it only takes a few notes to instill fear in the viewer. If a few musical notes don't scare you, other things will. ere is no shortage of violent movies shown at Halloween. I avoid these films, not because they are scary, but because they frequently seem to be the exact opposite of scary. eir unrelenting depiction of graphic violence strikes me as a caricature of the horror genre. How many times can Michael Myers sneak up on someone before he no longer terrifies viewers? How much blood and gore can anyone watch without eventually getting bored and turning off the television? What I find scary, or at least spine- tingling, are stories in which the true horror is not the blood or the violence but the psychological threat, especially when it occurs in an otherwise nonthreatening setting. Rod Serling, creator of "e Twilight Zone," was a master at turning an ordinary event into a horrifying experience. If you really want to scare yourself this October, skip the crazy slasher films and watch "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," an episode of "e Twilight Zone" starring William Shatner. Shatner plays an airline passenger who is recovering from a mental breakdown. He sees a gremlin on the wing outside his window, but he can't persuade anyone else that this creature is real. When they land, Shatner is taken to a hospital for observation. An airport crew examines the plane and finds evidence of damage to the wing. Perhaps something was out there aer all. Now that we have explored some of the audio-visual terrors of the season, let's look at the truly scariest thing of all — Halloween night. When Oct. 31 finally rolls around, we have frightening possibilities that make gory movies and eerie sounds seem silly. Forget worrying about a maniac on the loose. ere is nothing more terrifying than looking out your window and seeing a group of children heading toward your house at the precise moment you discover you have no more candy. What do you do? Do you turn out the lights and slam the front door shut as they come up the walkway? Do you give everyone an IOU to be redeemed tomorrow aer you buy leover Halloween candy at half-price? Do you try to convince trick-or-treaters that dried prunes are even more delicious than chocolate candy bars? ere are no good answers here, which is why this prospect is so frightening. No matter what you do, you will now be known as the Ebenezer Scrooge of the neighborhood. e only neighbor more disconcerting than Ebenezer Scrooge is someone like Mrs. Smith, a well-meaning but inept baker who loved to make Halloween treats for the children in my neighborhood. When I was a little girl, I would stand at her door, praying that her culinary skills had improved since last year, but my prayers went unanswered. I always went home with something I couldn't possibly eat but could use as a paperweight. Given a choice to spend Halloween eating Mrs. Smith's baked goods or grappling with the gremlin on the airplane wing, I would definitely choose the gremlin.

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