Tuesday, November 13, 2012

What Halloween Means to Me Bonus Features: Ingo Holtorf and Chaitanya Reddy



Hello Cellmates!  I hope you all had a killer Halloween and have slept off those hangovers.  I hope yours was as amazing as mine.  Halloween that is, not the hangover.  Anyway, I have to admit, Son of Celluloid is a little miffed at the moment.  After that crazy Halloween season I took a week and a half to recover and attend the Buried Alive Film Fest (reviews coming soon), and when I stop to look around, suddenly everyone thinks it’s Christmas time.  Sucks to your Xmas, I’m not done with Halloween yet!  Since you guys seemed to dig the What Halloween Means To Me event so much, I say it's time for the deleted scenes from the countdown.  I promised 31 entries, and dammit, I meant it.  I’ve got some entries that either came in late, were a victim of panic stricken rescheduling on my part, or just didn’t fit in for whatever reason.  Today we have a double feature of international Cellmates.  They both tell a sad story of Halloween not being a big deal to the general populace where they are, but they’ve both got the spirit, and that’s what counts.

First up is Ingo Holtorf.  I refer to this guy by the nickname “German Cellmate #1.”  Ingo is awesome, sending me movies, helping me finally get my hands on Cannibal and even a Crimson Ghosts Patch, and being an overall great guy and supporter of SOC. He’s got his own blog, Helford667 Movie Reviews and More, which mainly focuses on action flicks.  I highly recommend you go check it out HERE.  So Ingo, tell us your story…
“Hello there Cellmates. I was asked to contribute to SOCs Halloween theme “What Halloween means to me.”  I’m not such a hardcore horror geek like most of you, but here it goes:
Since I live in Germany, things are a bit different around here. And although we adopted Halloween in a way (especially the retail industry), it isn’t the same as in the USA.
If I had the money and would be a little more outgoing, I’d probably take part in one of the Halloween parties that sure take place somewhere around here during the time of Halloween, but that’s not the case.
But the kids do take the opportunity to go around the neighborhood to trick or treat, something I did too when I was little.  So I’d say it’s more a kid’s event than anything else. A few years ago, I totally didn’t think about it and was surprised by kids ringing my doorbell. I really didn’t have much to give them, but I tried to collect everything that remotely resembled candy. I also had to really be careful how much to give to every single one, ‘cuz of my limited stash. Very embarrassing indeed. So, the next year I made sure to have enough candy. Though the number of kids ringing the doorbell varies, it’s always nice to open the door to those kids; some are singing songs for you, some even serve you a little horror poem. Really cute to say the least. Of course, one feels obliged to watch a horror movie…or two…or three, but it really isn’t as deeply rooted here as it is in the States.
I’d love to go out as Freddy Krueger - with a kickass mask, some serious glove, and the sweater and all - but we are in a crisis, and I’m one of the affected. Maybe some other year in the future. The traditional German Fasching (carnival) is set in February each year, so that would be another chance of masking up. Halloween really is a cultural import from the USA that got adopted to a certain degree, so I would be lying if I said it means all that much to me. I am not as much of a horror geek as most of you. But I do like the tradition, no doubt about it. Hope you all celebrate it with dedication and fun (don’t drink & drive)!”

So, the Trick or Treating kids sing songs and recite horror poems?  That actually sounds pretty damn cool.  Anyway, next up we’ve got Chaitanya Reddy checking in all the way from India.  Chaitanya is a maniac.  In fact, he’s a two-time champion MANIAC!  For the last two years I’ve been involved in the HALLOWEEN HORROR MOVIE MARATHON MADNESS, a race to watch as many horror flicks as possible with certain elements.  For the last two years Chaitanya has posted insane numbers and easily won the contest.  It hasn’t even been close.  The dude isn’t human.  He sleeps even less than me!  I knew someone THAT dedicated (and obviously completely out of his f’n mind) had to be a part of What Halloween Means To Me.  Then, he told a story I couldn’t believe about how he discovered Halloween in the first place.  Chaitanya, Ingo, and Maynard Morrissey (back on day 9) all expressed similar desires to experience an American style Halloween one day, so to all of you guys, if you ever find yourselves stateside in October, I extend the invitation to come join in Son of Celluloid’s Halloween Adventure.  So Chait, take it away…

“This is the first time I’m writing to contribute for a bog & I’m quite elated to do this since it’s Nathan’s blog, which I personally adore and read almost everything on it. About me; I’m a 21-year-old movie freak from India, a "horror starved nation" as I always call it. Watching movies, which started as a hobby from my teens, transformed into a passion & a madness now in my early 20`s. I watch everything from 3 hour-long family dramas to the so-called torture-porn, with a soft spot for Horror movies.
’Til 2009, "HALLOWEEN" was just a name I knew from various Michael Myers movies and loads of cartoons I used to watch as a kid. I assumed it as a day of kids getting lots of candy, people putting on costumes, and partying hard. I started learning about Halloween slowly from the time I landed on Facebook. I’ve never had or made a Halloween costume nor carved a Pumpkin, which I would certainly love to do in the coming years, but I do celebrate Halloween...in fact, the whole October… by watching a shit load of Horror movies (thanks to HALLOWEEN MADNESS). And when I say a "shit-load," I mean something near a 100 or even 200. I participate in a movie watching contest and relish the taste of watching horror movies for 30 days. I do save the Halloween classics for the final day, which totally gives me a feeling of being at a virtual party. Furthermore, I’ve already started my marathon this year; and looking at the number and the type of movies lined up, I must say it is going to be the best October to date.  I totally hope my anticipation turns into a reality. Well, adding anything more about myself would make this an auto-biography, so on a quick note I would like to thank Mr. Son of Celluloid for providing some space on his wonderful blog and for the fellow Cellmates…Happy October and Happy Halloween!  Cheers.”

351 days ‘til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.  351 days ‘til Halloween.  Silver Shamrock!

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