Warning: This post contains an animated gif with flashing light and could trigger seizures for those with sensitivity to light.
In 1982’s “Halloween III: Season Of The Witch”, master toymaker Conal Cochran, owner of Silver Shamrock novelty company devises a plot to murder children across the country.
The Silver Shamrock masks, comprised of a pumpkin, a witch and a human skull (the most popular masks countrywide) are affixed with a button in the back, marking them as processed and authentic. Unbeknownst to the public, the hidden chip in the buttons serve as triggers, designed to activate during the Halloween special and “the great giveaway”, scheduled to air on Halloween night on all of the major television networks.
Of course everyone is encouraged to watch the special while wearing their Silver Shamrock mask.
During the movie, a demonstration occurs with an unsuspecting family who has visited the facility. The couple sit in a demonstration room while their son dons his mask for a sneak preview.
The flashing light and music begin and the son enjoys, for a moment, before clutching the sides of his head in silent agony and collapsing to the floor. In the subsequent shot, various creatures emerge from his imploded head. Among them, a venomous snake that bites and kills the shocked and screaming couple as they try to escape the locked room.
Cochran’s reason for the murderous scheme? He has become disgusted with the commercialism behind the holiday, once celebrated as the Festival Of Samhain (the Season Of The Witch) by true believers. Thus, he intends to play “a joke, on the children…”
Wicked, ain’t it? And I thought WE were cruel about Christmas time and Santa Claus and shopping!
You know, we talk about the wretched nature of humankind in Hollywood productions, books and scary ghost stories, but I think we forget the nasty reality of it all.
People can be unconscionably vicious. Flat-out evil.
The movie’s predecessor, “Halloween II” shows a scene were a child is taken to the hospital with a towel cupped under his face, mouth wide open. He had bitten into an apple, laced with a razor blade.
As gruesome as the killer mask concept from “Halloween III” is, the razor is considerably more terrifying. It’s real life. It’s in your neighboring city. It’s right next door. It’s in your kitchen, living room and bedroom.
For the sake of my readers, I will spare you all the bloody photographs I’ve seen over the years of food prank injuries from Trick-Or-Treating aka “Beggars Night”.
Growing up, the apple was the one thing we were told never to accept, for fear of razors or worse, poison. I remember one home, about 3 blocks down where an elderly woman handed them out. The moment my friend Earl got one, he immediately screamed, “POISON!!!” before throwing it high into the air, down the street. The look on her face was saddening, but I think she soon realized how her kind gesture was received by the youth in the area.
I’m sure the apple was harmless, but I can’t say the same about every situation. Come to think of it, my faith in this woman and her close proximity to our “hood” didn’t necessarily guarantee that she was noble in her intentions.
This world is not a safe world. This world is not a kind world.
I know that many ask how someone can be so hateful, knowing that the majority of the people consuming these treats are children of various ages. Well, you need to keep in mind that they’re no different than the sexual and moral deviants who would kidnap someone or open fire into a crowd of people.
I think the only difference is that they’re greater cowards, hiding behind the anonymity of random contributions to your candy collection bag. Outside of taking each handout and labeling it with the person’s name and address (which little-to-no one has the time, energy or desire to do) there are few ways to identify who gave what items. But in the COVID era, who wants to wear gloves and place these items in separate packages while collecting anyway (remember my previous post about Halloween safety during pandemic)?
Most families can only narrow their bagged booty down to the community in which they participated.
Dear Lord, why has this holiday become such a chore?
We often instruct parents to lay out the candy and inspect each piece individually. If you’re extra careful, you should open each wrapper and cut into every item. But I have to be honest, if you saw the haul my four boys used to bring in, you’d think they robbed Walmart. I’m talking several serious POUNDS of candy, covering the dining room table from end to end. These kids put some distance and hustle into their efforts and as an overweight, candy-loving daddy, I couldn’t have been more proud of them.
Thankfully, they never experienced what people could be capable of where we lived. The only horrors for them would have been growing up in my neighborhood, where “bag snatching” was the thing (teenagers jumping out of bushes or behind cars, snatching your hard work and running off).
I wish I didn’t have to talk about this, but looking at the news articles on my computer this morning reminded me of just how sick our society is and how much we continue to devolve over time.
For what it’s worth, I really appreciate the fact that malls, schools and churches, even small neighborhood communities, hold their own, safer versions of Trick-Or-Treating. But it shouldn’t have to be this way. With all that’s going on this world, the one thing we shouldn’t be concerned about is the danger of asking for a treat, only to be tricked in the worst way.
As I said in my previous blog, we’re so concerned about costumes of a violent theme like Michael Myers, Jason from “Friday the 13th”, etc. But there are issues that deserve more concerted attention.
People who need closer surveillance.
If you ask me, it ain’t the masks and the movies.
It’s hateful people with malicious, murderous intent, who make this holiday truly frightening.
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