Halloween Guest Blog: Allyson Bird

November 2, 2011

As an addendum to our Halloween series (and I refuse to believe the season is over yet), up-and-coming British Fantasy Award-winning British author Allyson Bird (Bull Running for Girls, Isis Unbound) checks in with us with a game, a horror movie walking tour best played during the Halloween season, or any time of the year, for those of us to whom such movies hold a thrill not so easily contained by that one holiday.

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I’d like Halloween to really come alive within a small town setting (a little like mine in New Zealand) and get into the spirit of things. Have a film screen in each shop/store, place of interest etc, and show an appropriate film. Essential viewing to give children (especially the very young) the best of nightmares.

On the train from Wellington to my town let us have NIGHT OF THE DEMON. Don’t let anyone off the train until the end.

The Toy Shop. Puppets! Bloody scary things. Those porcelain dolls which are supposed to look cute but aren’t. Chucky dolls. And let us not forget the clowns. Show IT.

The Estate Agent. Perched on a hill here in the Wairarapa is the creepiest old colonial style house. Two storey which is uncommon in the countryside. From a distance is stands, quite grandiose, and as you drive closer you see the decrepit exterior, a house crying out to be bought, and repaired. Show THE HAUNTING.

The Old Cinema/Theatre. The 1945 Ealing Studios Portmanteau film with one story about a ventriloquist and his dummy. Film to be: DEAD OF NIGHT.

The Museum. Show HOUSE OF WAX.

The Hotel. THE SHINING. Of course.

The Butcher. Don’t even bother. Put a pig’s head in the window, throw a little blood on the walls, and you are done.

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ISIS UNBOUND is due out in December from Dark Regions Press.

Visit Allyson Bird’s website.