It's almost that time of year again, the time that the old Celts called Samhain, and that today we call Halloween, when the thin barrier that separates our world from that dark place where monsters, ghosts, witches and ghouls rule, evaporates altogether, allowing the denizens to break out, mingle, and generally mix it up.
Our tradition of dressing up in costume on Halloween comes from the Celts. As the website IrishMyths.com puts it, "[T]he goal of [Samhain celebrants] wasn't to appear cute or strong or extravagant, it was to disguise oneself from -- or perhaps even blend in with -- the supernatural beings that might potentially be crossing over from the Otherworld. That meant adopting a frightening appearance." [https://irishmyths.com/2022/10/14/halloween-costume-history/]
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| The monsters broke through to our world just in time to join a parade of trick-or-treaters. |
Here at Films From Beyond we have a direct landline to the Nether/Otherworld, and have it upon good authority that, these days, the dark denizens are as afraid of us as we are of them, with good reason -- both worlds have more than their share of monsters.
But that hasn't deterred Otherworld monsters from going trick or treating on Halloween. For one thing, they don't have to worry about what costume they're going to wear -- they're already in costume, so to speak. For another, they weren't raised by helicopter parents worried about stranger danger or their little ones stubbing their toes in the dark. On Halloween night, they're raring to go. But alas, Halloween isn't always a joy, even for monsters.
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| Caltiki the Immortal Monster decided that instead of going door-to-door trick-or-treating, he would wait for the other kids in the neighborhood to fill up their bags, and then just eat them. Caltiki, the Immortal Monster (1959) |
- Caltiki's favorite treat: Eating whole houses, occupants and all.
- Favorite trick: Eating whole houses, occupants and all.
- Best friend to go trick-or-treating with: His cousin, the Blob.
- More about Caltiki at Films From Beyond.
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| The Thing That Couldn't Die waited hundreds of years to be dug up so he could go trick-or-treating, but then lost his head when a neighborhood kid accidentally carried it away in his treat bucket. The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958) |
- Favorite treat: Gummy worms.
- Favorite trick: Using his head as a treat bucket.
- Best friend to go trick-or-treating with: His girlfriend, The Brain That Wouldn't Die.
- More about The Thing at Films From Beyond.
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| The Brain That Wouldn't Die was fuming when she realized that her telepathically-linked mutant assistant ate all the good Halloween candy and left her with a couple of packets of SweeTarts. The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) |
- Favorite treat: Four lumps of sugar added to the nutrient broth she sits in.
- Favorite trick: Telepathically commanding the mutant to tear the arms off of people who annoy her.
- Best friend to go trick-or-treating with: Well, not the mutant any more; maybe the Thing That Couldn't Die as long as he keeps his hands to himself.
- More about The Brain at Films From Beyond.
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| Tabanga the walking tree monster wished he could move faster, fearing that by the time he got to the first house, all the candy would be gone. From Hell It Came (1957) |
- Favorite treat: Miracle-Gro.
- Favorite trick: Hanging a sign around his neck that says "Free Firewood" and then attacking anyone who gets close.
- Best friend to go trick-or-treating with: Donald Stump.
- More about Tabanga at Films From Beyond.
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| On Halloween night, the She-Creature walked the length of her favorite beach, but was disappointed when none of the beach house dwellers would answer their doorbells. The She-Creature (1956) |
- Favorite treat: Swedish Fish.
- Favorite trick: Tugging at fishermen's lines and then yanking them off their boats when they try to reel her in.
- Best friend to go trick-or-treating with: Her cousin from South America, The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
- More about the She-Creature at Films From Beyond.
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