Halloween: The Happy Haunting of America

Freddy and Jason and Michael, oh my! Halloween, the favorite holiday of dentists, is almost upon us again. This playful homage to All Hallows Eve takes viewers across America to visit haunted houses and ghoulish celebrities. Robert Englund (Freddy of Nightmare on Elm Street fame), baby boomer rocker Alice Cooper, Doug Bradley (Pinhead from the Hellraiser series), and Angus Scrimm (Phantasm) are among the interviewees who talk about the joys of Halloween past--although personal reminiscence takes priority over historical lore here. Hosted by Daniel Roebuck (who starred in the much maligned--unfairly so, in my opinion--Dudes), this cornucopia of Halloween trivia offers visual run-throughs (literally hand-held camera b-roll stuff) of haunted houses, but that’s not the real treat (at least for me). My favorite segments were the interviews with long-time mask makers and make-up artists. Folks like the legendary Tom Savini and Bob Post (who used to stage elaborate re-creations of horror classics in the living room until his wife wisely kicked his butt out into the backyard--you’ll understand why when you see the footage of the immense, detailed sets). Plus, for all of you who’ve lost sleep at night wondering what the heck ever happened to little Tabitha from Bewitched, Erin Murphy is interviewed here. Actually, for you trivia buffs, Erin was one half of three sets of twins which played the little tyke from 1966-1972. Fun stuff. Recommended. (R. Pitman)