Updated on Halloween!

The Irish Post, October 31:

A MODERN horror movie classic with a distinctly Irish feel has been named the scariest film of all time in a new scientific poll.

Hereditary stars Dublin-born Hollywood star Gabriel Byrne as the patriarch of a family grieving after a tragic loss. Things take a turn for the strange when the family begin to experience a series of increasingly disturbing occurrences that build to a memorable denouement.

Boasting a standout turn from Toni Colette as Byrne’s traumatised wife, Hereditary earned writer/director Ari Aster rave reviews, with many proclaiming it one of the scariest films ever made.

Now a new study from GIGACalculator.com has confirmed that Hereditary is, scientifically speaking, the scariest film of all time. To do that, they asked 150 brave souls to watch a selection of noted horror films for the first time, while wearing a heart rate tracker to monitor their pulse. . .

I knew this film was going to be the scariest movie ever. And now, we have proof. Happy Halloween, everyone! Stay safe out there! heart

Gabriel Byrne as Steve in HEREDITARY

October 26

This is not your normal Halloween celebration. No. This is the Global Pandemic Edition of Halloween, 2020.

Unique. Special. Weird.

And that’s okay. We’ll get through it, with a little help from the unique, special, and occasionally weird Gabriel Byrne.

First, the rules. No parties. No friends. No trick-or-treating. No going out into the streets and wreaking havoc…wait! You don’t really do that, do you? No. Okay. So, lots of “No’s” this year.

Here is what we can do.

Setting

Create the appropriate environment at home. Carve that pumpkin. Find that skeleton in the closet and bring him/her/it out. Where is that collection of plastic spiders and bugs from last year? Go find it! And candles. Lots of candles. Make your safe place into a scary and spooky place. It’s Halloween!

Treats

Food and Wine Magazine has a wonderful slideshow of Halloween Cocktails for your imbibing pleasure, if you do that sort of thing.

I begin with the idea of spiked drinks because I’ve always thought this holiday went rather well with the disorientation that can come from a bit o’ the good stuff. Not that I drink. Anymore. Darn it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t! And, as the article above notes, there is nothing quite like drinking a cocktail with eyeballs. wink

Food-wise? Well, you know what you like! Some suggestions:

Entertainment

Now, to the good stuff! How will you while away the Halloween hours alone (or with a trusted significant other, if you are so fortunate), you ask?

By watching special, unique, and weird Gabriel Byrne Halloween movies, of course! There are a bunch from which to choose, but I’ve narrowed down my list to three this year: one reliable shiver-me-timbers gore extravaganza, one new hair-raising scare-fest that frightens me just thinking about it, and one gothic horror romance that I watch every year at this time. I’m referring to Ghost Ship, Hereditary, and Stigmata, in case you cannot yet read my mind.

Will I really watch all three on Halloween night? I might. wink

So, there you are. Halloween during the Time of the Pandemic, 2020 is a safe, secure, fun, and scary evening with Gabriel Byrne. What more could anyone want!?

Have a lovely time and here’s a Gabriel Halloween Wallpaper for your desktop. heart

Note: the deliciously dark and sexy image in the header for this posting is © Akos Simon Photographs. It has become my “go to” Gabriel Byrne photo for Halloween, in case you have not noticed. wink

8 Comments

  1. Sounds good. Ghost ship has been on alot. I’ve never been a horror movie fan. Anyway, happy and safe Halloween to all!

  2. I am not so much a Halloween-person kind of an old girl, but this post made me smile and laugh a lot.
    To stay home and find a scary GB movie or two to put on the screen is a great idea on Halloween.
    I am sure that I will forget everything about pandemic times and corona in real life, if I let me drift away in the world of Ghost Ship and Stigmata. Hereditary is too scary for me I think. It is not my favorite movie, I must confess. So Stigmata and Ghost ship, will be fine!
    Thanks for good ideas!

    Love the coat photo.
    Very scary, but so elegant and full of mystery.
    Beautiful in a ssssscary way!

    Nora from
    Norway

  3. Verónica

    Stella, you are so funny and talented for writing. It is no new for me. I always admired your capability for this stuff.
    I don’t celebrate Halloween, you know, but will grab your suggestion for watching some of these movies, LESS Hereditary LOL
    Happy Halloween !!!

  4. I have not seen all the movies. I’m not sure if Hereditary would be ok for me….I might skip that. There’s only some kinds of scary movies I can do, and some I can’t do.
    Sounds like some ideas for Halloween to think about.

    I really have not done much Halloween the last few years. We had a comic-con about the time of Halloween and it was good. So I did that instead. Fictional scary sounds great right now. Bring on the scary.

  5. Mrinalini

    I remember the first thought that came to my mind when I finished watching ‘Hereditary’ was “Why did I do this to myself?” — thinking about it still gives me shivers….

    Happy (and Safe) Halloween in advance to all Byrneholics from India! I just discovered this site recently and I’d like to give loads of thanks to Stella for the incredible work that goes behind it…And to the lovely Byrneholics community here ofc…You all are so amazing!

  6. Welcome Mrinalini. This post shows Stella’s wit and the fun side of Halloween, namely an excuse to watch more Gabriel Byrne films.

  7. DORA BARALIA

    Dear Stella, thanks for these images. I can buy in my country Stigmata and Hereditary, such hard and excellent films, and the actors in their roles. Ghost Ship by television–this film reminds me of the voyages with my father through great storms. He was a telegraphist. In the second voyage, I was thirteen and this storm was so hard that we thought that we would not survive. It was an experience that I never forget! THANKS for the drinks and the food of Halloween. I prefer to dress like a witch (jajaja). The best for all of you at the distance … my friends … all my feelings … I am near you …

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