BYU NewsNet - Movie Parties Makfe for Ghoulish Good Times

Choose the spookiest movie, invite all your friends, set the scene with food and décor and the party is sure to be one to die for.

With the huge selection of Halloween movies out there, anyone could pick a film and plan a party around it.

"If you're going to have a good party, you have to have music, food and lots of people," said Brett Bardsley, a BYUSA event planner and a 22-years-old public relations major from Stevensville, Mont.

While planning a party seems intimidating, using a movie as the base idea immediately opens up entertaining possibilities.

Chilling Classics

Classic films present a mysterious air through black and white film and seeming naivety of times gone by. Films such as Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds," "North By Northwest" and "Rear Window," lend a chilling air to any Halloween party. Parties revolving around Hitchcock's "Psycho" may include shower curtains as tablecloths or "Bates Motel" signs decorating the front door.

"Wait Until Dark" and "Charade," both starring Audrey Hepburn, and "Frankenstein," are spookily suspenseful films known to hold the audience's attention as well as celebrate the creepiness of the holiday. For all films, invite guests to dress in black, gray and white to set the scene for vintage thrills.

If throwing a party seems too terrifying, take a group to the BYU Special Collections on Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. for a spine-chilling double feature of "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" and the 1956 version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

"They're both so good," said James D'Arc, curator for the BYU Motion Picture Archives. "That's why we made it a double feature. Each one is short enough to where it's just a little longer than attending a single feature. The notion that was relevant during the 1950s of possession, of alien possession, is what the two films share."

Suspense and Paranormal

Screening films to make the hair on the back of the neck stand up is a tribute to the traditional Halloween feel. Asking guests to wear a touch of red and turning down the apartment's heat add a creepy atmosphere for "The Sixth Sense," while "What Lies Beneath," will keep party guests in a gripping All Hallows Eve mood.

Glasses of water placed on all flat surfaces and aluminum foil hats for party visitors set the mood for a "Signs" party. Serve pizza and Reese's Pieces while watching "E.T." and decorate with a blown-up photo of E.T. and a bicycle with a basket.

Jake Davies, an 18-year-old freshman from Alpine, said "The Ring" is his favorite Halloween film. "I'd probably do everything around a circle, like pizzas with the center cut out," he said regarding a party idea. Lifesavers and donuts could serve as dessert.

Invite a frightening air with movies "The Grudge," "The Village," "Clue" or "The Skeleton Key" to keep the Halloween horror alive.

Creepy Comedies

If spine-chills aren't one's forte, there are plenty of Halloween films meant to tickle the funny bone, such as "Young Frankenstein" and "Haunted Honeymoon," both starring the original Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder. "Beetle Juice" adds a humorous note to a usually haunted holiday. Decorate with spider webs, plastic bugs and serve gooey goods and drinks topped with dry ice for an added eerie effect.

Parties featuring "Ernest Scared Stupid" or "Labyrinth" starring David Bowie, add a wacky atmosphere to any party. Decorate 80s style and ask guests to rat their hair and wear spandex. Salute the 80s with caramel popcorn, Squirt soda and vintage candy, such as Whatchamacallits, Charleston Chews and Bubble Tape bubble gum.

"You need continuity with the food, it has to relate well with the movie," Bardsley said. "Dressing up in costumes is always appropriate. Also lingo, your vocabulary has work with the movie as well."

Nostalgia or Juvenile

If searching for a nostalgic feel, or if there are munchkins running through the house, there are plenty of movies to appease both requests. Have guests dress up in witch costumes while watching "Witches" or "Hocus Pocus"; provide black poster board for a hat-making activity and serve green drinks out of a cauldron filled with dry ice.

When partying with children, activities are a big deal, Bardsley said: "Games for sure, eating a donut off a string and bobbing for apples."

The Harry Potter series provides a plethora of tricks for little monsters. Guests can dress in the colors of Hogwarts' houses while chopsticks turn into wands and poster boards transform into hats. Decorate the house with brooms, candles and twinkle lights.

Although originally aimed at a younger audience, "Casper," "Monsters Inc.," "Ghostbusters," "Corpse Bride" and "Gremlins" can still be entertaining for adults.