Theme Song: "Highway To Hell" - AC/DC
It's that time of year again--it's Halloween, and I've gotta party! For those not in the know, this will be my 9th Annual celebration, and it's always a spectacle... a spectacle that requires a lot of planning. Three weeks prior to the event I have 3 crucial decisions: 1) Guest List 2) Theme 3) Costume.
After designing some nifty, paper invitations with Comic Life, I draw up a preliminary guest list of the Lucky 13 (actually, 13 fixtures and 2 alternates/longshots), chosen on basis of friendship, annoyance factor, and contribution to the guy-girl ratio. And I've gotta say, this year's list has been the easiest to draw up, especially since so many of my favorite people (ie MEG! and MEL!) are either abroad or on the lamb.
One of the more difficult decisions is choosing a theme for the party. For days I'm searching my mind for any sinister words that also contain the word "nine" a la last year's DV8 ("deviate") party. Since I've always been fascinated by Dante's Inferno, I finally think of the nine layers of the Underworld and come up with JiMBO's 9th Circle Of Hell Party. This becomes even more appropriate when the sexiest costume I can find on the internet is a new, rare Handsome Devil costume, only In Stock on one website (ANYTHINGCOSTUMES.com), only available in a Large.
After spending my Friday night blowing up balloons, hanging streamers, and burning the last of the Party favor DVDs and CDs, I rest up for a couple of hours, thinking that I'm actually ahead of schedule. Hahaha, Boy, was I WRONG! Around noon I grab my clarinet and head off to the last Home Football game against McDaniel to play with my Band peeps one last time. Immediately after gBurg's done kickin' McDaniel's ass, I walk to the library (projector) then Radio Shack (AV cables) then CVS (more decorations) and then La Bella Italia for the six pizzas. Let me say that again, SIX pizzas! Not all that heavy for very awkward to hold, let's just say my biceps'll bulging for WEEKS after that 7-block stride!
Once I finally get home from the pizza place, it's less than half an hour 'til the party's set to begin. I set up the music video reel and wait for the first guests to arrive, so I can put them to work! :-D The lucky winners are Sara and Ambika, and I have them set up the candy dishes, customize the treat bags, and greet the guests. While they do this, I take a MUCH needed shower 'cause Fishnet + 6 miles of marching/powerwalking/striding = YiKES!!
This is just great. I'm done taking my shower, I've thrown on my Devil costume, and I'm literally an hour late to my own party! I make my entrance to find that 4 more people are already here now: Matt, Shaffy, KT, and Beth. Fortunately, they're being stuffed with pizza and entertained by the mind-trippy 80s video, "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This," featuring an androgynous Annie Lennox playing the cello blindfolded while Dave Stewart frolics around a field full of cows. Classic stuff.
Once we've reached our fill of Eurythmics, Benny Benassi, Maroon 5, and the Bee Gees, it's time to break out the Dance Dance Revolution mats. This year I've decided to kick things up a notch by using a projector (with 52" image) AND a TV to create a Sensurround experience. Much to everyone's surprise, Shaffy absolutely dominates DDR on HEAVY MODE! Crazy. Plus, Matt and KT set a new record with their double D's... yet amazingly, they weren't anywhere near the lowest scores of the night, LOL! And I'm happy to say that practically everyone (except Girl Wonder) attempted to play. Even when Megan and Allyson arrived, we managed to peep pressure them into doing it with the classic lines: "C'mon, Allyson, everyone's doing it..." and then, of course, seal the deal with "What's wrong? Don't ya wanna be cool, Jerri?"
To give everybody a chance to rest their legs, we start doing what can only be described as the Devil's work... putting the final nail in the coffin that is 80s Rock and Roll. The most hilarious part about playing Singstar 80s is the bizarre, vintage music videos playing in the background. Plus, my friends finally find out what happens when James is given a microphone, and Believe Me, it ain't pretty. Y'see, when I sing, I've gotta vamp it up--I don't make the rules, that's just how it is. I think the last time I sang karaoke was when Trish and I writhed around on the floor singing Like A Virgin back in the 10th grade... or maybe it was when I crawled across the bar singing "I'm Slave 4 U" at my Technicolor Halloween party ('01). *shrugs* Besides singing "Material Girl" with Shaffy, I think the most fun part of the game is when Ambika, Adam, Travis, and I play "Pass the Mic" aka "Who the hell knows this song?"LIke a Record, Baby
ROund ROund ROund Round...
Click HERE to see the Highlight Reel
Before we've completely lost our voices for the night, the final four, Ambika, Travis, Mark, and I decide to communicate with the spiritual world (courtesy of Parker Brothers) with the OUIJA board. The questions start off rather ambitiously with "What's the cure for cancer?" but then the board tells them my mother's maiden name and Jinming's real age quite accurately. Then comes the million dollar question, "Are any of us friends with a future serial killer? If so, what's his/her name?" Slowly the pointer pauses on the M... A... R... K! DUN DUN DUN!!! We gasp in horror and stare at Mark. Think we'd better put that game away.
Now let's actually do what we came to do: watch some horror movies. The guys vote for Hostel 2 but Ambika votes for my personal all-time favorite, Candyman. And thanks to Daylight Savings Time (Fall Back tonight @ 2:00), we have time to do both, OWWW! Gotta say, although I LOVED the original Hostel, the sequel is a disappointment of epic proportions. Perhaps what's most frustrating is the fact that it has soooo much potential (excellent storyline/themes of social importance/lesbian romance) but it's executed in such a poor and pathetic way. None of the characters are likable, the heroine basically buys her way out of the horror movie, and I can't speak for everyone, but I didn't need to see someone's dick get sliced off for 20 seconds from like TEN different angles. Ew. And Ow. All in all, it comes across as pure (unintentional) comedy because of its absurdity. Honestly, I think the only other time I've ever laughed sooo hard at a recent horror movie was Silent Hill because of paper-thin character development and UNBELIEVABLE sloppy special effects.
The better half of the double feature is Bernard Rose's Candyman, one of my favorite films of all time. Released around the same time as the L.A. riots, the producers back then feared that race riots would break out in the theater. This psychological AND gory tale also serves as a Gothic romance between a skeptical grad student and a vengeful soul of free Black man executed for loving a White woman. In fact, the film inspired my thesis paper last year on "The Influence of Urban Legends on American Horror Cinema."
Looking back on the night, I am pleased with practically every aspect. We had an excellent turn-out (all 10 Confirmed and 1 of the Maybes came), and I'm pretty sure everyone had some fun or at least, some laughs. :-D However, I'll probably return to the original format next year and START with a movie (since that's the most fun part of a Halloween party) and then introduce the games. That said, THANK YOU all for attending my 9th Circle Of Hell Party--even if it was for a few minutes, I was ECSTATIC to see you there! Much Love from Mr. JiMBO Esquire!
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