A Halloween festival turned into a tragedy in South Korean capital, Seoul on Saturday night. At least 153 people mostly teenagers and young adults in their 20s were crushed to death in a stampede and another 65 people were injured.

South Korea Halloween horror: Mostly teenagers amongst dead in Seoul Stampede

South Korea Halloween horror: Mostly teenagers dead in Seoul Stampede

Sunday (October 30) proved to be a day when families were forced to search for their loved missing ones after the deadly Halloween stampede in South Korea capital Seoul. Family members collected bodies, parents searched their children as the nation sought answers for the tragedy that killed at least 153 on an evening which was supposed to be a celebration.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a period of national mourning. The president has declared Seoul's Itaewon district a disaster zone.

"This news came like a bolt from the blue sky," said a father who burst into tears as he collected his daughter's body from a morgue in the nation's capital.

Watch | South Korea Halloween horror: President Yoon Suk-yeol visits stampede site

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The tragedy occurred on Saturday night as a huge crowd celebrating Halloween surged into an alley. Those killed were mainly teenagers and young adults in their 20s.

Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, told a briefing at the scene that 82 people were injured, 19 of them seriously. The deaths included 22 foreigners, he said.

Families and friends desperately sought word of loved ones at community centres turned into facilities for missing people.

At least 90% of the victims had been identified by midday, with delays affecting some foreign nationals and teenagers who did not yet have identification cards, the Interior Ministry said.

Makeshift memorials began appearing near the site, with onlookers leaving flowers and notes.

President Yoon expressed condolences for the victims and his wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured in one of the South Korea's worst disasters and the world's worst stampedes in decades.

"This is truly tragic," he said in a statement, vowing an investigation into the cause of the disaster. "A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul last night."

(With inputs from agencies)

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Sunday (October 30) proved to be a day when families were forced to search for their loved missing ones after the deadly Halloween stampede in South Korea capital Seoul.

Sunday (October 30) proved to be a day when families were forced to search for their loved missing ones after the deadly Halloween stampede in South Korea capital Seoul. Family members collected bodies, parents searched their children as the nation sought answers for the tragedy that killed at least 153 on an evening which was supposed to be a celebration. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a period of national mourning. The president has declared Seoul's Itaewon district a disaster zone. "This news came like a bolt from the blue sky," said a father who burst into tears as he collected his daughter's body from a morgue in the nation's capital. Watch | South Korea Halloween horror: President Yoon Suk-yeol visits stampede site × The tragedy occurred on Saturday night as a huge crowd celebrating Halloween surged into an alley. Those killed were mainly teenagers and young adults in their 20s. Choi Sung-beom, head of the Yongsan Fire Station, told a briefing at the scene that 82 people were injured, 19 of them seriously. The deaths included 22 foreigners, he said. Families and friends desperately sought word of loved ones at community centres turned into facilities for missing people. At least 90% of the victims had been identified by midday, with delays affecting some foreign nationals and teenagers who did not yet have identification cards, the Interior Ministry said. Makeshift memorials began appearing near the site, with onlookers leaving flowers and notes. President Yoon expressed condolences for the victims and his wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured in one of the South Korea's worst disasters and the world's worst stampedes in decades. "This is truly tragic," he said in a statement, vowing an investigation into the cause of the disaster. "A tragedy and disaster that should not have happened took place in the heart of Seoul last night." (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

South Korea Halloween stampede: Nation mourns as it seeks answers

Funny, spooky and goofy!  Best celebrity Halloween outfits of 2022 so far

South Korea's Halloween Horror that killed at least 153 people reminds the world about some of the major crowd disasters that took place in the last two decades. These disasters resulted in a large number of fatalities.

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It's Halloween time and celebrations are in full swing! On Saturday, Orhan Awatramani threw a grand Halloween bash, and many star kids showed up in their spookiest outfits. Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Pandey, Shanaya Kapoor, and Navya Naveli Nanda were&nbsp;in attendance. 
 
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan arrived wearing a monochrome outfit featuring a ripped black T-shirt, a jeans jacket with silver detailing, and a matching pair of trousers. He added a Halloween touch with his kohl eyes.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JahnaviKapoor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JahnaviKapoor</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AnanyaPanday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AnanyaPanday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AryanKhan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AryanKhan</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaraAliKhan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaraAliKhan</a> From Last Night's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Halloween?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Halloween</a> Party <a href="https://t.co/yiDlB1GZRJ">pic.twitter.com/yiDlB1GZRJ</a>
— Sufyan Sattar (@iamsufyy) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsufyy/status/1586600591261929472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Speaking of ladies, Sara Ali Khan looked stunning in a leather mini-skirt and a black crop top studded with silver stones. Sara kept her hair open and her bold makeup added extra glam to her look.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ahansheytty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ahansheytty</a> at Halloween party in Mumbai 🕺🕵️ <a href="https://twitter.com/viralbhayani77?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@viralbhayani77</a> <a href="https://t.co/6CzAAmX8pN">pic.twitter.com/6CzAAmX8pN</a>
— Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani77) <a href="https://twitter.com/viralbhayani77/status/1586436034803343361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JahnaviKapoor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JahnaviKapoor</a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AnanyaPanday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AnanyaPanday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AryanKhan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AryanKhan</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaraAliKhan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaraAliKhan</a> From Last Night's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Halloween?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Halloween</a> Party <a href="https://t.co/yiDlB1GZRJ">pic.twitter.com/yiDlB1GZRJ</a>
— Sufyan Sattar (@iamsufyy) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsufyy/status/1586600591261929472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Janhvi Kapoor sashayed in a body-hugging black strapless dress. She kept her hair open and her smokey eyes added extra drama to her Halloween&nbsp;look.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaraAliKhan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaraAliKhan</a> at Halloween party in Mumbai 🔥🕵️😳 <a href="https://twitter.com/viralbhayani77?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@viralbhayani77</a> <a href="https://t.co/kSvFnMYN6Q">pic.twitter.com/kSvFnMYN6Q</a>
— Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani77) <a href="https://twitter.com/viralbhayani77/status/1586438516526895105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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As we all know, Halloween is the perfect time when one can dress up like their favourite film character. For this year, Ananya channelised&nbsp;her inner Poo from 'Kabhi Khusi Kabhi Gum' as she showed up wearing&nbsp;a pink-coloured sequined mini-crop top with a beige-coloured skirt.&nbsp;We are all aware that Kareena Kapoor's K3G character has been Ananya's childhood crush. 
 
Navya Naveli Nanda was Aladdin's Jasmine, and Shanaya Kapoor was a cute&nbsp;little princess.

It's Halloween time and celebrations are in full swing! On Saturday, Orhan Awatramani threw a grand Halloween bash, and many star kids showed up in their spookiest outfits.

It's Halloween time and celebrations are in full swing! On Saturday, Orhan Awatramani threw a grand Halloween bash, and many star kids showed up in their spookiest outfits. Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Pandey, Shanaya Kapoor, and Navya Naveli Nanda were in attendance. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan arrived wearing a monochrome outfit featuring a ripped black T-shirt, a jeans jacket with silver detailing, and a matching pair of trousers. He added a Halloween touch with his kohl eyes. #JahnaviKapoor , #AnanyaPanday #AryanKhan & #SaraAliKhan From Last Night's #Halloween Party pic.twitter.com/yiDlB1GZRJ — Sufyan Sattar (@iamsufyy) October 30, 2022 × Speaking of ladies, Sara Ali Khan looked stunning in a leather mini-skirt and a black crop top studded with silver stones. Sara kept her hair open and her bold makeup added extra glam to her look. #ahansheytty at Halloween party in Mumbai 🕺🕵️ @viralbhayani77 pic.twitter.com/6CzAAmX8pN — Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani77) October 29, 2022 × #JahnaviKapoor , #AnanyaPanday #AryanKhan & #SaraAliKhan From Last Night's #Halloween Party pic.twitter.com/yiDlB1GZRJ — Sufyan Sattar (@iamsufyy) October 30, 2022 × Janhvi Kapoor sashayed in a body-hugging black strapless dress. She kept her hair open and her smokey eyes added extra drama to her Halloween look. #SaraAliKhan at Halloween party in Mumbai 🔥🕵️😳 @viralbhayani77 pic.twitter.com/kSvFnMYN6Q — Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani77) October 29, 2022 × As we all know, Halloween is the perfect time when one can dress up like their favourite film character. For this year, Ananya channelised her inner Poo from 'Kabhi Khusi Kabhi Gum' as she showed up wearing a pink-coloured sequined mini-crop top with a beige-coloured skirt. We are all aware that Kareena Kapoor's K3G character has been Ananya's childhood crush. Navya Naveli Nanda was Aladdin's Jasmine, and Shanaya Kapoor was a cute little princess.

Aryan Khan to Janhvi Kapoor: Inside B-towners spooky Halloween party

South Korean capital Seoul saw dozens of people getting cardiac arrest during Halloween celebrations as thousands crowded narrow streets in the Itaewon neighbourhood. Local authorities have said that at least 152&nbsp;people were dead and more than 100 were injured. AFP cited a fire brigade official who said that more than 140 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene.

Quoting the fire department, Yonhap news agency reported that around 50 people had cardiac arrest. There were 19 foreigners among those killed in the stampede. They were from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway.

Itaewon is a popular destination for people celebrating Halloween in the South Korean capital, and the incident apparently occurred as the result of a crush resulting from the size of the crowd.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has ordered officials to dispatch first aid teams and for hospital beds to be immediately available.

Emergency first aid

Photographs published by Yonhap appeared to show more than a dozen people lying prone on a street that had been cordoned off by authorities, with rescue workers tending to some of them.

Video footage from the scene of the crush&nbsp;showed people performing emergency first aid on several victims lying on the pavement, while rescue workers rushed to help others.&nbsp;

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Wildly unsafe in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Itaewon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Itaewon</a> right now. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Halloween?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Halloween</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Seoul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Seoul</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%EC%9D%B4%ED%83%9C%EC%9B%90?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#이태원</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%EC%84%9C%EC%9A%B8?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#서울</a> <a href="https://t.co/CBIfXdplx9">pic.twitter.com/CBIfXdplx9</a>
— 민자넬⁷ 🐱 (@janelles_story) <a href="https://twitter.com/janelles_story/status/1586352655487881216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Yellow-jacketed policemen formed a cordon around the site of the crush, with rescue officials loading victims -- some of whom were covered with blankets or other coverings -- into ambulances.

Around two dozen people were entirely covered by makeshift blankets on the roadside.

On Sunday, South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered a thorough investigation saying that the deadly stampede at the Halloween event "should not have happened".

"In the centre of Seoul, a tragedy and disaster occurred that should not have happened," Yoon said in a national address, vowing to "thoroughly investigate" the incident and ensure it never&nbsp;happens again.

He also announced a period of national mourning and ordered the lowering of flags.

“The government will designate the period from today until the accident is brought under control as a period of national mourning and will place top priority in administrative affairs in recovery and follow-up measures.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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South Korean capital Seoul saw dozens of people getting cardiac arrest during Halloween celebrations as thousands crowded narrow streets in the Itaewon neighbourhood.

South Korean capital Seoul saw dozens of people getting cardiac arrest during Halloween celebrations as thousands crowded narrow streets in the Itaewon neighbourhood. Local authorities have said that at least 152 people were dead and more than 100 were injured. AFP cited a fire brigade official who said that more than 140 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene. Quoting the fire department, Yonhap news agency reported that around 50 people had cardiac arrest. There were 19 foreigners among those killed in the stampede. They were from Iran, Uzbekistan, China and Norway. Itaewon is a popular destination for people celebrating Halloween in the South Korean capital, and the incident apparently occurred as the result of a crush resulting from the size of the crowd. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has ordered officials to dispatch first aid teams and for hospital beds to be immediately available. Emergency first aid Photographs published by Yonhap appeared to show more than a dozen people lying prone on a street that had been cordoned off by authorities, with rescue workers tending to some of them. Video footage from the scene of the crush showed people performing emergency first aid on several victims lying on the pavement, while rescue workers rushed to help others. Wildly unsafe in #Itaewon right now. #Halloween #Seoul #이태원 #서울 pic.twitter.com/CBIfXdplx9 — 민자넬⁷ 🐱 (@janelles_story) October 29, 2022 × Yellow-jacketed policemen formed a cordon around the site of the crush, with rescue officials loading victims -- some of whom were covered with blankets or other coverings -- into ambulances. Around two dozen people were entirely covered by makeshift blankets on the roadside. On Sunday, South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered a thorough investigation saying that the deadly stampede at the Halloween event "should not have happened". "In the centre of Seoul, a tragedy and disaster occurred that should not have happened," Yoon said in a national address, vowing to "thoroughly investigate" the incident and ensure it never happens again. He also announced a period of national mourning and ordered the lowering of flags. “The government will designate the period from today until the accident is brought under control as a period of national mourning and will place top priority in administrative affairs in recovery and follow-up measures.” (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

South Korea declares national mourning after 152 killed in Seoul Halloween stampede

10 kid-friendly spooky films you can watch this Halloween - Hocus Pocus to Ghostbusters

Halloween (October 31) is just around the corner! Are you ready for some trick-or-treating? If not, take some style cues from this guide and curate a spooky Instagrammable look in your favourite costume.

Halloween (October 31) is just around the corner! Are you ready for some trick-or-treating? If not, take some style cues from this guide and curate a spooky Instagrammable look in your favourite costume. Once you have zeroed down on the outfit, take some time out to pick a spooky nail art design that can take your look from 0 to 100 real quick. It's the little details that make a look great and nail art is the best way to enter the festive mode and show some spirit. You can get little ghosts painted on your nails, or opt for something intricate. For the shape, you can choose between almond, square, round and stiletto. For the base, you can opt for black, orange or white colour to match Halloween's theme. Here're some spooky Halloween nail art designs! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Thaïs_nails (@thais__nails) If you are planning to become a witch this Halloween, try out this spooky nail art design featuring an animated witch, a tree, and a skull. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Honey Phan (@hnnailsbyhoney) This nail art is inspired by 'Scream' movie franchise. It will pair well with a pink or black outfit. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NAILS DESIGNER | INSPIRACJE NA PAZNOKCIE (@project_paznokcie) If you want to go for something simple, opt for this nail art. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Unghii cu Gel Arad (@adrianaoprea_nailartist) This nail art is both spooky and cute. It will complement any and every Halloween attire. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karolina Knot (@knot.nails) If you have black nail paint at home and a toothpick, you can easily create this nail art at home. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 古河市ネイルサロン Mille Fleur -ﾐﾙﾌﾙｰﾙ- (@natsu814.nail) Also read: Halloween optical illusion makeup looks that will make your jaws drop Nail care tips to follow after getting nail extensions: Apply cuticle oil to your nails twice a day Take vitamin E and omega-3 supplements Use a nail brush with some soap to clean your nails Use nail strengtheners once you get your nail extensions out

Spookiest nail art designs for Halloween

Spooky October has arrived and in just a few days, we will get to wear our coolest costumes for Halloween events and parties. Are you ready to leave everyone spell struck with your Halloween look?

Spooky October has arrived and in just a few days, we will get to wear our coolest costumes for Halloween events and parties. Are you ready to leave everyone spell struck with your Halloween look? If not, take some outfit inspiration from your favourite celebrities and curate something spooktacular. Also, remember that you do have to compromise on fashion just because you are doing some cosplay or donning something that's bone-chilling. And, this your favourite celebrities will show you right now! Kylie Jenner View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hailey Rhode Baldwin Bieber (@haileybieber) Kylie Jenner kickstarted the 2022 Halloween costume bonanza with a spectacular witch costume. Pairing a black off-the-shoulder LBD with stockings, she channelled her inner wicked creature. She amped up the look with green body makeup and a long wig. Riverdale Squad View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) Riverdale actors Lili Reinhart, Madelaine Petsch and Camila Mendes turned into The Powerpuff Girls and gave us their versions of Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup. These costumes are easily available at basic Halloween stores and to complete the look, you can add some stockings, a choker and some head accessory at the end. Also read: Most expensive dresses ever made in history of fashion Emily Ratajkowski LOL How fun of Emily Ratajkowski @emrata do give us Marge Simpson at #heidihalloween bash! #Halloween pic.twitter.com/FJocOrAbfb — SinnamonS ♥ (@SinnamonS) November 1, 2015 Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski reached the Heidi Klum 2015 Halloween Party dressed as Marge from 'The Simpsons' and left everyone's jaws dropped. To create this look, look for a pastel green tube dress and pair it with a necklace made of red beads. You can get the yellow body paint and blue wig at any costume store and if you don't have it, try some DIY. Sophie Turner Sophia Turner as Morticia Addams via /r/pics https://t.co/ScwzbEZ5ez pic.twitter.com/mphXtL2TJN — Mrs. Robot (@jesssarmyy1) September 20, 2019 Sophie Turner turned into Morticia Addams while her husband Joe Jonas became a cigar-holding Gomez for a Halloween part in 2018. With the right thigh-high slit dress and some pale foundation, you can also curate this look, just like this celebrity couple. Kim Petras View this post on Instagram A post shared by KIM PETRAS (@kimpetras) Kim Petras is rocking her Rocky Horror-inspired costume in these pics taken in 2021. With a black sequin bodysuit and some black ropes or ribbons, you can easily recreate this look. Just make sure that you don't forget the gloves and over-the-top makeup. Also read: Timeless '90s-inspired looks that are trendy even today Miranda Cosgrove View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miranda Cosgrove (@mirandacosgrove) What better look than a witch in her little black dress and a witchy cap? For this look, pick any black dress from your closet and pair it with a pointed witchy cap that is easily available at stores. And rest, let your makeup do the talking. Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Lohan gave us life dressed as Harley Quinn for Halloween 2016 #WigGone pic.twitter.com/ZSpWrnoteI — I never said that (@Lohanforfans) July 9, 2018 Harley Quinn is the most iconic Halloween look ever. And, it's easily available in stores. If you are in the mood to do some DIY, you can easily curate this look from scratch at home, with your old clothes. There's no hard rule here. Just pick a pair of old shorts, colour them in red and blue colour, get yourself a top and tear it from a few places (some tomato ketchup as blood stains will look extra good) and finally do the iconic Harley Quinn makeup.

7 celeb-inspired Halloween looks that are equal parts spooky and stylish

"We will not be able to fully meet consumer demand," for the Halloween holiday in October, warned Hershey CEO Michele Buck in prepared remarks about the company's second-quarter results on Thursday.

Chocolate firm Hershey warns of shortage in Halloween holidays' supply

The Sanderson Sisters are back in the first ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ teaser trailer and still have a childish appetite. The famous Halloween film’s sequel, which takes place 29 years after the first one, reunites Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, respectively. Three high school kids, played by Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham, are seen in the teaser scene talking about their plans for that evening.

Becca (Peak) and Izzy (Escobedo) visit a magic shop and recite a ritualistic prayer before realising the chanting works and the Black Flame Candle is lit. Becca (Peak) told Cassie (Buckingham): "Birthday ritual: scary movie marathon, same as every year."

The girls try to flee, but as they do, a crimson crack appears in the ground beneath them.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/india-predator-the-butcher-of-delhi-trailer-the-spine-chilling-case-now-on-your-tv-screen-492690">'India Predator: The Butcher of Delhi' trailer: The spine chilling case now on your TV screen</a>

"Lock up your kids," said Winifred (Midler). "Yes, Salem. We're back!" In a nod to the scenes in ‘Hocus Pocus’ where everyone mistakenly believes the witches to be ladies simply dressing up as the witches, the villagers then greet the witches while dressed as the Sanderson Sisters.

Watch 'Hocus Pocus' teaser trailer here:-

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uMQAqxQQUiM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

When warned that they are likely searching for the stage, Winifred, played by Midler, responds, "Always." It's up to three high school students to prevent the revenge-seeking, voracious witches from heaping a new type of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow's Eve.

Sam Richardson, Doug Jones, Hannah Waddingham, Froyan Gutierrez, and Tony Hale are among the other actors who appear in ‘Hocus Pocus 2’.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-emma-roberts-joins-spider-man-spinoff-movie-madame-web-492627">Emma Roberts joins 'Spider-Man' spinoff movie 'Madame Web'</a>

The sequel premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on September 30.&nbsp;

The Sanderson Sisters are back in the first ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ teaser trailer and still have a childish appetite. The famous Halloween film’s sequel, which takes place 29 years after the first one, reunites Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, respectively.

The Sanderson Sisters are back in the first ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ teaser trailer and still have a childish appetite. The famous Halloween film’s sequel, which takes place 29 years after the first one, reunites Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson, respectively. Three high school kids, played by Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, and Lilia Buckingham, are seen in the teaser scene talking about their plans for that evening. Becca (Peak) and Izzy (Escobedo) visit a magic shop and recite a ritualistic prayer before realising the chanting works and the Black Flame Candle is lit. Becca (Peak) told Cassie (Buckingham): "Birthday ritual: scary movie marathon, same as every year." The girls try to flee, but as they do, a crimson crack appears in the ground beneath them. Also Read: 'India Predator: The Butcher of Delhi' trailer: The spine chilling case now on your TV screen "Lock up your kids," said Winifred (Midler). "Yes, Salem. We're back!" In a nod to the scenes in ‘Hocus Pocus’ where everyone mistakenly believes the witches to be ladies simply dressing up as the witches, the villagers then greet the witches while dressed as the Sanderson Sisters. Watch 'Hocus Pocus' teaser trailer here:- When warned that they are likely searching for the stage, Winifred, played by Midler, responds, "Always." It's up to three high school students to prevent the revenge-seeking, voracious witches from heaping a new type of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow's Eve. Sam Richardson, Doug Jones, Hannah Waddingham, Froyan Gutierrez, and Tony Hale are among the other actors who appear in ‘Hocus Pocus 2’. Also Read: Emma Roberts joins 'Spider-Man' spinoff movie 'Madame Web' The sequel premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on September 30.

'Hocus Pocus 2' teaser trailer: The Sanderson Sisters are back with their Halloween classic after 29 years

A man dressed as the Joker went around attacking passengers on a Tokyo-bound train before setting a compartment on fire. This happened on Halloween. The 24-year-old man said he wanted to kill 'lots of people' in order to secure the death sentence. Palki Sharma brings you the twisted story.

Gravitas | Japan: 24-year-old man dressed as joker attacks passengers on Tokyo train

In Pics : New York’s annual village Halloween parade returns

In what can be called a ‘scary news' on Halloween, a new NBC News poll seems to have suggested the Americans have lost confidence in US President Joe Biden and their optimism for the country. &nbsp;

The moderator of ‘Meet the Press’, Chuck Todd, shared the findings of the latest poll on Sunday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-urges-world-leaders-to-help-address-global-supply-chain-issue-425672" hreflang="en">Biden urges world leaders to help address global supply-chain issue</a>

This development comes days ahead of the off-year November election, which&nbsp;includes the governor's race in Virginia and one year out from the midterm elections. &nbsp;

"We have a brand-new NBC News poll out this morning that's filled with some scary news for the Democrats. The overarching message: Americans have lost their confidence in President Biden and their optimism for the country. At least, they have right now," Todd said. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-dead-9-injured-as-gunman-opens-fire-at-halloween-party-in-texas-425650">One dead, 9 injured as gunman opens fire at Halloween party in Texas</a>

"Just 22% of adults say we're headed in the right direction. A shocking 71% say we're on the wrong track and that includes a near majority of Democrats, who are saying that. President Biden's approval rating stands at a dismal 42%, versus 54% who disapprove," the moderator said. &nbsp;

As per NBC News, around 1,000 adults, 650 of whom were reached only by cellphone, were included in the survey between October 23 and 26. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In what can be called a ‘scary news' on Halloween, a new NBC News poll seems to have suggested the Americans have lost confidence in US President Joe Biden and their optimism for the country.

In what can be called a ‘scary news' on Halloween, a new NBC News poll seems to have suggested the Americans have lost confidence in US President Joe Biden and their optimism for the country. The moderator of ‘Meet the Press’, Chuck Todd, shared the findings of the latest poll on Sunday. Also Read: Biden urges world leaders to help address global supply-chain issue This development comes days ahead of the off-year November election, which includes the governor's race in Virginia and one year out from the midterm elections. "We have a brand-new NBC News poll out this morning that's filled with some scary news for the Democrats. The overarching message: Americans have lost their confidence in President Biden and their optimism for the country. At least, they have right now," Todd said. Also Read: One dead, 9 injured as gunman opens fire at Halloween party in Texas "Just 22% of adults say we're headed in the right direction. A shocking 71% say we're on the wrong track and that includes a near majority of Democrats, who are saying that. President Biden's approval rating stands at a dismal 42%, versus 54% who disapprove," the moderator said. As per NBC News, around 1,000 adults, 650 of whom were reached only by cellphone, were included in the survey between October 23 and 26. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Scary News' on Halloween? New poll says Americans lose confidence in US President Joe Biden

Visitors are back to Dracula's Transylvanian castle to celebrate Halloween, despite a surge of COVID-19 infections in the country. The famous castle is located in Bran, 200 km north of the Romanian capital Bucharest. It is one of the main touristic attractions not only for locals but also for thousands of foreign tourists every year.

Despite surge of Covid cases, visitors flock to Dracula's castle for Halloween in Romania

“I live in Salem, Massachusetts, where the witch trials were,” said Bridget Saunders, 20, an undergraduate at Salem State University. “Halloween is a huge ordeal.”

But when she walked out of her house last Tuesday, five days before Halloween, she saw that her landlord had skipped the holiday altogether and put up a fully decorated Christmas tree. “Couldn’t he just have waited a few days?” she said.

Apparently not. Christmas creep, the retail phenomenon of stores promoting Christmas merchandise earlier and earlier, seems to have elbowed its way past Halloween this year, and pushed aside the plastic pumpkins from store shelves.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/diwali-special-not-just-india-these-countries-also-celebrate-the-festival-425785" hreflang="en">Diwali special: Not just India, these countries also celebrate the festival</a>

Christmas trees went up before the leaves fell in much of the Northeast. The singer Britney Spears, for example, put up her Christmas tree, complete with gold tinsel and glass ball ornaments, two weeks ago. “I’m celebrating Christmas way early this year, because why not?” she posted on Instagram on Oct. 15. “I believe any reason to find more joy in life is a good idea.”

Retailers, including upscale boutiques and discount shops, have turned their stores into winter wonderlands weeks, even months, earlier than last year.

Nordstrom unveiled its displays of Balsam Hill artificial Christmas trees in most of its stores in early October, about one to two weeks earlier than last year. Bloomingdale’s moved up its virtual holiday events (where you can learn to make charcuterie boards and other Instagram-ready tableaus) to late October, rather than November, as it did in 2020.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/pack-your-bags-10-best-travel-destinations-for-2022-revealed-cook-islands-tops-list-425546" hreflang="en">Pack your bags! 10 best travel destinations for 2022 revealed, Cook Islands tops list</a>

Lowe’s set up its stores for Christmas a week earlier. “We expect customers to begin decorating earlier than ever, and Lowe’s made the strategic decision to order and bring product into our warehouses and stores earlier,” said Amy Allison, a company spokesperson.

It’s not exactly about spreading holiday cheer. “From a retailer’s perspective, it’s an opportunity to have many more sales and returning customers,” said Thomai Serdari, an adjunct professor of marketing at the Stern School of Business at New York University. “For individuals, it reflects a desire to extend the happy holiday season.”

The pandemic has further complicated matters. Supply-chain issues have spurred a fear of scarcity. Americans, many of whom celebrated a watered-down version of the holiday last year, are also eager to get the holidays started and make up for lost time.

“We knew our customers would want to come in earlier this year,” said Russ Patrick, a merchandise manager for Neiman Marcus, which began selling holiday goods — including fully decorated Christmas trees — in September. “There is a desire to make up for last year’s season that was very impacted by the pandemic.”

Discount retailers are also capitalizing on the supply-chain rush. “People are thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, the stores aren’t going to have product,’ ” said Bruce Levine, the chief merchandising officer at 99 Cents Only Stores, which is based in California. “This mindset is making people want to shop early, and we wanted to take advantage of that.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-squid-game-jumpsuits-to-kim-kardashian-pop-culturememe-inspired-halloween-costumes-422971" hreflang="en">From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes</a>

Before the pandemic, 99 Cents Only Stores would flip its displays from Halloween to Christmas on the night of Oct. 31. This year, it cleared out the Halloween goods in mid-October. “We are running 10% ahead of last year on sales,” Levine said. “We are projecting to do our biggest Christmas yet.”

Big Lots, another budget chain, put out Christmas lights and trees right after Labor Day. (Halloween goods were sold in July.) “Customers now know if they don’t get out there and shop early, they might not get what they want,” said Bruce Thorn, the company’s chief executive.

Not all retailers have moved up Christmas this year. Home Depot and Walmart are on the same schedule. One reason may be that not all consumers are happy with the supersized shopping season.

Joe Ramoni, 29, a YouTube creator from Philadelphia, went to his local Rite Aid and Target last week to shop for Halloween decorations, hoping to score some sales, but they were all gone and replaced with Christmas frills. “It seems like we are leapfrogging right from Halloween to Christmas because of the commercial value,” he said. “Isn’t there time for both?”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

“I live in Salem, Massachusetts, where the witch trials were,” said Bridget Saunders, 20, an undergraduate at Salem State University. “Halloween is a huge ordeal.

“I live in Salem, Massachusetts, where the witch trials were,” said Bridget Saunders, 20, an undergraduate at Salem State University. “Halloween is a huge ordeal.” But when she walked out of her house last Tuesday, five days before Halloween, she saw that her landlord had skipped the holiday altogether and put up a fully decorated Christmas tree. “Couldn’t he just have waited a few days?” she said. Apparently not. Christmas creep, the retail phenomenon of stores promoting Christmas merchandise earlier and earlier, seems to have elbowed its way past Halloween this year, and pushed aside the plastic pumpkins from store shelves. Also read: Diwali special: Not just India, these countries also celebrate the festival Christmas trees went up before the leaves fell in much of the Northeast. The singer Britney Spears, for example, put up her Christmas tree, complete with gold tinsel and glass ball ornaments, two weeks ago. “I’m celebrating Christmas way early this year, because why not?” she posted on Instagram on Oct. 15. “I believe any reason to find more joy in life is a good idea.” Retailers, including upscale boutiques and discount shops, have turned their stores into winter wonderlands weeks, even months, earlier than last year. Nordstrom unveiled its displays of Balsam Hill artificial Christmas trees in most of its stores in early October, about one to two weeks earlier than last year. Bloomingdale’s moved up its virtual holiday events (where you can learn to make charcuterie boards and other Instagram-ready tableaus) to late October, rather than November, as it did in 2020. Also read: Pack your bags! 10 best travel destinations for 2022 revealed, Cook Islands tops list Lowe’s set up its stores for Christmas a week earlier. “We expect customers to begin decorating earlier than ever, and Lowe’s made the strategic decision to order and bring product into our warehouses and stores earlier,” said Amy Allison, a company spokesperson. It’s not exactly about spreading holiday cheer. “From a retailer’s perspective, it’s an opportunity to have many more sales and returning customers,” said Thomai Serdari, an adjunct professor of marketing at the Stern School of Business at New York University. “For individuals, it reflects a desire to extend the happy holiday season.” The pandemic has further complicated matters. Supply-chain issues have spurred a fear of scarcity. Americans, many of whom celebrated a watered-down version of the holiday last year, are also eager to get the holidays started and make up for lost time. “We knew our customers would want to come in earlier this year,” said Russ Patrick, a merchandise manager for Neiman Marcus, which began selling holiday goods — including fully decorated Christmas trees — in September. “There is a desire to make up for last year’s season that was very impacted by the pandemic.” Discount retailers are also capitalizing on the supply-chain rush. “People are thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, the stores aren’t going to have product,’ ” said Bruce Levine, the chief merchandising officer at 99 Cents Only Stores, which is based in California. “This mindset is making people want to shop early, and we wanted to take advantage of that.” Also read: From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes Before the pandemic, 99 Cents Only Stores would flip its displays from Halloween to Christmas on the night of Oct. 31. This year, it cleared out the Halloween goods in mid-October. “We are running 10% ahead of last year on sales,” Levine said. “We are projecting to do our biggest Christmas yet.” Big Lots, another budget chain, put out Christmas lights and trees right after Labor Day. (Halloween goods were sold in July.) “Customers now know if they don’t get out there and shop early, they might not get what they want,” said Bruce Thorn, the company’s chief executive. Not all retailers have moved up Christmas this year. Home Depot and Walmart are on the same schedule. One reason may be that not all consumers are happy with the supersized shopping season. Joe Ramoni, 29, a YouTube creator from Philadelphia, went to his local Rite Aid and Target last week to shop for Halloween decorations, hoping to score some sales, but they were all gone and replaced with Christmas frills. “It seems like we are leapfrogging right from Halloween to Christmas because of the commercial value,” he said. “Isn’t there time for both?” This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Has the Christmas shopping season overtaken Halloween?

In the Super 12 stage of ICC Men's T20 World Cup, the Virat Kohli-led Team India were off to a poor start after a 10-wicket loss to the arch-rivals Pakistan in their campaign opener on Sunday (October 24), they then locked horns with New Zealand in their second match of the tournament, which is crucial from India's perspective.&nbsp;

As millions of fans are backing the Men In Blue to solidify their position in the race to semi-finals, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has taken a hilarious jibe at umpire Richard Kettleborough, who is officiating the crunch match between India and New Zealand.&nbsp;

Wasim wished the fans Happy Halloween, with a reminder that it is not going to be an easy night being Kettleborough as one of the officials. Interestingly, he was also officiating during India's loss to Australia in the 2015 World Cup semi-final, he was officiating when India lost in the Champions Trophy 2017 final to Pakistan and he was also the umpire when West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-finals.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-ridiculous-virat-kohli-says-too-long-a-break-as-india-take-on-nz-after-seven-days-in-t20-wc-2021-425628">'It's ridiculous': Virat Kohli says 'too long a break' as India take on NZ after seven days in T20 WC 2021</a>

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Happy Halloween Indian fans 🎃 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvNZ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/22v9EV0Mdc">pic.twitter.com/22v9EV0Mdc</a>
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) <a href="https://twitter.com/WasimJaffer14/status/1454690077997551616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
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ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2021 | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsNZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsNZ</a> , 28th Match 
 
Umpire: Richard Kettleborough 
 
Hoping to see turn of events tonight<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianCricketTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianCricketTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewZealand?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NewZealand</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup21?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup21</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/t20worldcup2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#t20worldcup2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WC2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WC2021</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RichardKettleborough?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RichardKettleborough</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZtBhvwAqu9">pic.twitter.com/ZtBhvwAqu9</a>
— #T20WorldCup #T20WorldCup2021 T20WorldCup #PAKvIND (@T20WorldCup_U) <a href="https://twitter.com/T20WorldCup_U/status/1454773364183158784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RichardKettleborough?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RichardKettleborough</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZvsIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZvsIND</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/kJzOoOf4GL">pic.twitter.com/kJzOoOf4GL</a>
— Sai Theja (@csaitheja) <a href="https://twitter.com/csaitheja/status/1454758850637099012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
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India has lost All the Knockout Matches where Richard Kettleborough was On Field Umpire... In WTC Final he was TV Umpire too 😭 
And in today's Virtual Knockout, he's the On Field Umpire. 👻<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/t20worldcup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#t20worldcup</a> <a href="https://t.co/iWe0CmMZvh">pic.twitter.com/iWe0CmMZvh</a>
— Muhammad Kaif 🇵🇰 #TeamPakistan (@muhammadkaif158) <a href="https://twitter.com/muhammadkaif158/status/1454736518619275265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/michael-vaughan-names-only-team-which-can-stop-destructive-england-in-t20-world-cup-2021-425604">Michael Vaughan names only team which can stop 'destructive' England in T20 World Cup 2021</a>

Ahead of the India vs New Zealand match, captain Kohli said that "it's ridiculous" that the Indian team is playing twice in 10 days in the ongoing tournament.&nbsp;During toss, Virat said, "It's ridiculous, we are playing twice in 10 days. Too long a break, but yeah, the guys have recovered well. Had good practice sessions, are itching to go out on the field, which is a good thing. When you have so many days off you want to get on the park and get into the groove."

In the Super 12 stage of ICC Men's T20 World Cup, the Virat Kohli-led Team India were off to a poor start after a 10-wicket loss to the arch-rivals Pakistan in their campaign opener on Sunday (October 24), they then locked horns with New Zealand in their second match of the tournament, which is crucial from India's perspective.

In the Super 12 stage of ICC Men's T20 World Cup, the Virat Kohli-led Team India were off to a poor start after a 10-wicket loss to the arch-rivals Pakistan in their campaign opener on Sunday (October 24), they then locked horns with New Zealand in their second match of the tournament, which is crucial from India's perspective. As millions of fans are backing the Men In Blue to solidify their position in the race to semi-finals, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has taken a hilarious jibe at umpire Richard Kettleborough, who is officiating the crunch match between India and New Zealand. Wasim wished the fans Happy Halloween, with a reminder that it is not going to be an easy night being Kettleborough as one of the officials. Interestingly, he was also officiating during India's loss to Australia in the 2015 World Cup semi-final, he was officiating when India lost in the Champions Trophy 2017 final to Pakistan and he was also the umpire when West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-finals. ALSO READ | 'It's ridiculous': Virat Kohli says 'too long a break' as India take on NZ after seven days in T20 WC 2021 Happy Halloween Indian fans 🎃 #INDvNZ #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/22v9EV0Mdc — Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) October 31, 2021 × ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2021 | #INDvsNZ , 28th Match Umpire: Richard Kettleborough Hoping to see turn of events tonight#IndianCricketTeam #India #NewZealand #T20WorldCup #T20WorldCup21 #t20worldcup2021 #T20WC2021 #RichardKettleborough pic.twitter.com/ZtBhvwAqu9 — #T20WorldCup #T20WorldCup2021 T20WorldCup #PAKvIND (@T20WorldCup_U) October 31, 2021 × #RichardKettleborough#NZvsIND #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/kJzOoOf4GL — Sai Theja (@csaitheja) October 31, 2021 × India has lost All the Knockout Matches where Richard Kettleborough was On Field Umpire... In WTC Final he was TV Umpire too 😭 And in today's Virtual Knockout, he's the On Field Umpire. 👻#t20worldcup pic.twitter.com/iWe0CmMZvh — Muhammad Kaif 🇵🇰 #TeamPakistan (@muhammadkaif158) October 31, 2021 × ALSO READ | Michael Vaughan names only team which can stop 'destructive' England in T20 World Cup 2021 Ahead of the India vs New Zealand match, captain Kohli said that "it's ridiculous" that the Indian team is playing twice in 10 days in the ongoing tournament. During toss, Virat said, "It's ridiculous, we are playing twice in 10 days. Too long a break, but yeah, the guys have recovered well. Had good practice sessions, are itching to go out on the field, which is a good thing. When you have so many days off you want to get on the park and get into the groove."

India vs New Zealand: Wasim Jaffer's Halloween-inspired jibe at umpire Richard Kettleborough

At least nine people were injured and one man died&nbsp;at a Halloween party in Texarkana, Texas, as a gunman opened fire at an event centre.&nbsp;

The Texarkana Police Department, in a statement on Facebook, said, "Officers responded to several reports of shots fired at the party venue in the 2300 block of Texas Blvd. at 11:56 on Saturday night. When they got there, they encountered a large number of people running from the building and several inside suffering from gunshot wounds."

A 20-year-old man was declared dead at one of the hospitals. His name has not yet been released.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/documents-trump-wants-to-shield-from-capitol-riots-investigators-revealed-425544">Also read |&nbsp;Documents Trump wants to shield from Capitol riots investigators revealed</a>

The police have said that the injuries of the other nine people did not appear to be life-threatening. As per the police, the suspect left the scene in an unknown vehicle and has not been taken into custody.&nbsp;

"Detectives are investigating and interviewing victims and witnesses. It is estimated that there were at least a couple hundred people in the venue when the shootings occurred," said police.

The motive of the shooting remains unknown. However, the preliminary investigation concludes that the shooting may have been the result of some type of disturbance among some of the partygoers.

(With inputs from Agencies)

At least nine people were injured and one man died at a Halloween party in Texarkana, Texas, as a gunman opened fire at an event centre. The Texarkana Police Department, in a statement on Facebook, said, "Officers responded to several reports of shots fired at the party venue in the 2300 block of Texas Blvd.

At least nine people were injured and one man died at a Halloween party in Texarkana, Texas, as a gunman opened fire at an event centre. The Texarkana Police Department, in a statement on Facebook, said, "Officers responded to several reports of shots fired at the party venue in the 2300 block of Texas Blvd. at 11:56 on Saturday night. When they got there, they encountered a large number of people running from the building and several inside suffering from gunshot wounds." A 20-year-old man was declared dead at one of the hospitals. His name has not yet been released. Also read | Documents Trump wants to shield from Capitol riots investigators revealed The police have said that the injuries of the other nine people did not appear to be life-threatening. As per the police, the suspect left the scene in an unknown vehicle and has not been taken into custody. "Detectives are investigating and interviewing victims and witnesses. It is estimated that there were at least a couple hundred people in the venue when the shootings occurred," said police. The motive of the shooting remains unknown. However, the preliminary investigation concludes that the shooting may have been the result of some type of disturbance among some of the partygoers. (With inputs from Agencies)

One dead, 9 injured as gunman opens fire at Halloween party in Texas

In what can be called a rare sighting, some parts of northern United States are in for a treat this weekend as solar flare will make the northern lights visible to residents on Saturday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Normally seen in only Alaska, the lights will be visible as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa&nbsp;and Oregon in the US this time. Scientists also expect the lights to become visible in the New England region, Montana and Washington. These lights could be seen on both Saturday and Sunday.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/homo-bodoensis-its-official-we-have-a-new-ancestor-425007" hreflang="en">Homo bodoensis: It's official, we have a new ancestor</a>

A solar flare, which erupted on Thursday, is expected to reach the Earth on Saturday. It has caused a large group of solar-charged particles to come towards the Earth, which makes the lights more visible in the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For the solar flare, the NOAA has issued a G3 geomagnetic storm watch this weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/why-is-mysterious-dark-energy-leading-to-expansion-of-the-universe-425187" hreflang="en">Why is mysterious dark energy leading to expansion of the universe?</a>

The storm doesn’t seem to be harmful to&nbsp;humans, but the NOAA has listed possible interference with electronics, such as false alarms on protection devices,&nbsp;voltage irregularities&nbsp;and interruptions to navigation and radio signals as possible side-effects.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, the NOAA said in its storm watch that "impacts to our technology from G3 storms are usually nominal."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In what can be called a rare sighting, some parts of northern United States are in for a treat this weekend as solar flare will make the northern lights visible to residents on Saturday night.

In what can be called a rare sighting, some parts of northern United States are in for a treat this weekend as solar flare will make the northern lights visible to residents on Saturday night. Normally seen in only Alaska, the lights will be visible as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa and Oregon in the US this time. Scientists also expect the lights to become visible in the New England region, Montana and Washington. These lights could be seen on both Saturday and Sunday. Also Read | Homo bodoensis: It's official, we have a new ancestor A solar flare, which erupted on Thursday, is expected to reach the Earth on Saturday. It has caused a large group of solar-charged particles to come towards the Earth, which makes the lights more visible in the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. For the solar flare, the NOAA has issued a G3 geomagnetic storm watch this weekend. Also Read | Why is mysterious dark energy leading to expansion of the universe? The storm doesn’t seem to be harmful to humans, but the NOAA has listed possible interference with electronics, such as false alarms on protection devices, voltage irregularities and interruptions to navigation and radio signals as possible side-effects. However, the NOAA said in its storm watch that "impacts to our technology from G3 storms are usually nominal." (With inputs from agencies)

During Halloween weekend, solar flare helps northern lights become visible to US

From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes

The South Korean government will deal sternly with violators of COVID-19 rules during the Halloween weekend and foreigners will be no exception, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said on Sunday.

The minister issued the warning during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, saying Halloween celebrations pose a high risk of additional infections, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Halloween falls on Sunday this year.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-haunted-houses-need-to-terrify-you-more-than-ever-this-halloween-422993">Haunted houses need to terrify you more than ever this Halloween</a>

"The government and local governments have been carrying out joint patrols in areas frequented by foreign nationals and visited by multiple people," Jeon said, referring to a week-long patrol period that ends Tuesday.

He said the authorities have also been conducting a campaign to discourage people from gathering.

"With regard to foreign nationals who are caught violating antivirus rules, we plan to take strict measures in accordance with relevant laws," he added.

South Korea is set to begin a phased return to normal life on Monday, starting with the lifting of curfews on restaurant hours and allowing private gatherings of up to 10 people in the capital area and up to 12 in the rest of the country.

Jeon said cluster infections continue to be reported across the country and that concerns persist over an increase of cases amid the return to normal.

He called for continued adherence to social distancing protocols, such as mask wearing and regular ventilation.

The South Korean government will deal sternly with violators of COVID-19 rules during the Halloween weekend and foreigners will be no exception, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said on Sunday.

The South Korean government will deal sternly with violators of COVID-19 rules during the Halloween weekend and foreigners will be no exception, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said on Sunday. The minister issued the warning during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, saying Halloween celebrations pose a high risk of additional infections, reports Yonhap News Agency. Halloween falls on Sunday this year. Also Read | Haunted houses need to terrify you more than ever this Halloween "The government and local governments have been carrying out joint patrols in areas frequented by foreign nationals and visited by multiple people," Jeon said, referring to a week-long patrol period that ends Tuesday. He said the authorities have also been conducting a campaign to discourage people from gathering. "With regard to foreign nationals who are caught violating antivirus rules, we plan to take strict measures in accordance with relevant laws," he added. South Korea is set to begin a phased return to normal life on Monday, starting with the lifting of curfews on restaurant hours and allowing private gatherings of up to 10 people in the capital area and up to 12 in the rest of the country. Jeon said cluster infections continue to be reported across the country and that concerns persist over an increase of cases amid the return to normal. He called for continued adherence to social distancing protocols, such as mask wearing and regular ventilation.

Foreigners in S Korea warned against violating Covid rules on Halloween

Iconic 1960s television series 'The Munsters'&nbsp;is at the centre of a new Halloween-inspired auction called Monsters &amp; Friends happening at Heritage Auctions in Beverly Hills. 
 
Props, merchandise and costumes from the cult comedy show about a family of misfit monsters are all up for grabs in a vast collection assembled by Hollywood producer Kevin Burns, who died last year at the age of 65. 
 
"It's an amazing assemblage. It took decades to put this together," said Brian Chanes, senior entertainment consignment director at Heritage Auctions, pointing out an electric chair the character of Grandpa used to relax in and a latex prosthetic that built up Herman Munster`s forehead so he would resemble the Frankenstein monster.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-squid-game-jumpsuits-to-kim-kardashian-pop-culturememe-inspired-halloween-costumes-422971" hreflang="en">From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes</a> 
 
There are other horror and sci-fi props up for auction from Freddy Krueger's mask used in the 1984 'Nightmare on Elm Street'&nbsp;to Ewan McGregor`s lightsaber from 'Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones'. 
 
The two lots expected to fetch the highest bids are costumes and a ray gun from the first 'Star Trek'&nbsp;pilot episode and the original script from the 1931 'Frankenstein'&nbsp;movie. 
 
"In the 30 years I`ve been doing this, I`ve never seen one," said Chanes, referring to the script. "I do not know what it`s going to sell for. It`s going to be exciting to see what happens because it`s extraordinarily rare."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-marvel-covers-artworks-starring-stan-lee-go-up-for-blockchain-auction-424590" hreflang="en">Marvel covers artworks starring Stan Lee go up for blockchain auction</a> 
 
Bidders can also get their hands on items like Wilson, the ball companion of Tom Hanks in 'Cast Away', a flightsuit from 'Top Gun'&nbsp;bearing the tag of Peter Mitchell Maverick, Tom Cruise's character in the movie, and Robin Wright`s red Princess Buttercup dress from 'The Princess Bride'. 
 
The auction will close in the first week of November.

Iconic 1960s television series 'The Munsters' is at the centre of a new Halloween-inspired auction called Monsters & Friends happening at Heritage Auctions in Beverly Hills.

Iconic 1960s television series 'The Munsters' is at the centre of a new Halloween-inspired auction called Monsters & Friends happening at Heritage Auctions in Beverly Hills. Props, merchandise and costumes from the cult comedy show about a family of misfit monsters are all up for grabs in a vast collection assembled by Hollywood producer Kevin Burns, who died last year at the age of 65. "It's an amazing assemblage. It took decades to put this together," said Brian Chanes, senior entertainment consignment director at Heritage Auctions, pointing out an electric chair the character of Grandpa used to relax in and a latex prosthetic that built up Herman Munster`s forehead so he would resemble the Frankenstein monster. From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes There are other horror and sci-fi props up for auction from Freddy Krueger's mask used in the 1984 'Nightmare on Elm Street' to Ewan McGregor`s lightsaber from 'Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones'. The two lots expected to fetch the highest bids are costumes and a ray gun from the first 'Star Trek' pilot episode and the original script from the 1931 'Frankenstein' movie. "In the 30 years I`ve been doing this, I`ve never seen one," said Chanes, referring to the script. "I do not know what it`s going to sell for. It`s going to be exciting to see what happens because it`s extraordinarily rare." Marvel covers artworks starring Stan Lee go up for blockchain auction Bidders can also get their hands on items like Wilson, the ball companion of Tom Hanks in 'Cast Away', a flightsuit from 'Top Gun' bearing the tag of Peter Mitchell Maverick, Tom Cruise's character in the movie, and Robin Wright`s red Princess Buttercup dress from 'The Princess Bride'. The auction will close in the first week of November.

Masks, Munsters and more up for Halloween-inspired auction

Hong Kong promenade has been lit up by a giant pumpkin. The sculpture is part of a wider Halloween exhibition that has been unveiled to add some spooky excitement to 2021's post-lockdown celebrations.

Giant inflated Halloween pumpkin lights up Hong Kong harbour

Come fall and America gets talking about their pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies and pumpkin lanterns. They are festive, they drumroll the beginning of winter and they are possibly one of the most easily identifiable gourds/squash in the kitchen. They are a member of the gourd family that includes cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelons and zucchini.

But what makes the humble orange coloured fruit (yes, a fruit not a vegetable) such a hit in the US, so much so that their two festivals -- Halloween and Thanksgiving -- are nearly incomplete without it?&nbsp;

<img alt="pumpkin" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="81c00276-747d-4ff3-9ccd-c2312b9462af" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-220.jpg" />

Before becoming a major cultural symbol in America, pumpkin was used as a marketing tool by people who discovered that they had plenty of it. Initially, in colonial America, people fed on bread and beer, something they acquired a taste for from their colonisers. As food shortages hit when world wars took place, people started hoarding pumpkins since they were plentiful and could be used on the bread as a filling/dressing.

It then struck them that pumpkin was theirs to make use of, since they always had enough of them and could easily become a part of mainstream food.&nbsp;From there, pumpkin became an accessory, a decoration item, a US symbol.&nbsp;

<img alt="pumpkin" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="57741d53-641a-448e-bbc3-82fc05fc47fc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New-219.jpg" />

Once Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1844, there was no going back for pumpkins. It now offers the “authentic and wholesome American” feel and is synonymous with everything festive.&nbsp;

Almost every US&nbsp;TV show or Hollywood film that has an Autumn/Fall theme has pumpkins feature in a prominent manner. Atleast one episode of every US show that airs during the festive time&nbsp;has pumpkin being marketed as an American thing to eat/play with. Every iconic successful US show has had atleast one dedicated Halloween/pumpkin-themed episode including&nbsp;'Friends', 'Brooklyn 99', 'The Simpsons', 'Modern Family', 'The Office' and the list is endless. Popular culture has reinforced the idea of a pumpkin being quintessially&nbsp;American and rightfully so since the fruit is indigenous to the region.&nbsp;

It’s been a long walk for pumpkins, from being native to the Americas and still being ignored to now finding a space at the top shelf. What adds is that the humble fruit is a rich source of antioxidants, fiber, potassium and vitamin C and makes a great dessert item. It’s also kids’ favourite thing to play with during Halloween with almost every house in the US and Canada doing their own version of Jack - o lanterns. Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-%E2%80%98halloween%E2%80%99-and-the-problem-with-its-sequels-424228" hreflang="en">‘Halloween’ and the problem with its sequels</a>

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It was the National Pumpkin Day in the US on October 26 and then there's Halloween on October 31. Happy feasting on pumpkin you all!

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-fendi-x-skims-collaboration-is-real-424261" hreflang="en">Fendi x SKIMS collaboration is real!</a></h2>

Come fall and America gets talking about their pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies and pumpkin lanterns. They are festive, they drumroll the beginning of winter and they are possibly one of the most easily identifiable gourds/squash in the kitchen.

Come fall and America gets talking about their pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pies and pumpkin lanterns. They are festive, they drumroll the beginning of winter and they are possibly one of the most easily identifiable gourds/squash in the kitchen. They are a member of the gourd family that includes cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelons and zucchini. But what makes the humble orange coloured fruit (yes, a fruit not a vegetable) such a hit in the US, so much so that their two festivals -- Halloween and Thanksgiving -- are nearly incomplete without it? Before becoming a major cultural symbol in America, pumpkin was used as a marketing tool by people who discovered that they had plenty of it. Initially, in colonial America, people fed on bread and beer, something they acquired a taste for from their colonisers. As food shortages hit when world wars took place, people started hoarding pumpkins since they were plentiful and could be used on the bread as a filling/dressing. It then struck them that pumpkin was theirs to make use of, since they always had enough of them and could easily become a part of mainstream food. From there, pumpkin became an accessory, a decoration item, a US symbol. Once Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1844, there was no going back for pumpkins. It now offers the “authentic and wholesome American” feel and is synonymous with everything festive. Almost every US TV show or Hollywood film that has an Autumn/Fall theme has pumpkins feature in a prominent manner. Atleast one episode of every US show that airs during the festive time has pumpkin being marketed as an American thing to eat/play with. Every iconic successful US show has had atleast one dedicated Halloween/pumpkin-themed episode including 'Friends', 'Brooklyn 99', 'The Simpsons', 'Modern Family', 'The Office' and the list is endless. Popular culture has reinforced the idea of a pumpkin being quintessially American and rightfully so since the fruit is indigenous to the region. It’s been a long walk for pumpkins, from being native to the Americas and still being ignored to now finding a space at the top shelf. What adds is that the humble fruit is a rich source of antioxidants, fiber, potassium and vitamin C and makes a great dessert item. It’s also kids’ favourite thing to play with during Halloween with almost every house in the US and Canada doing their own version of Jack - o lanterns. Also read: ‘Halloween’ and the problem with its sequels From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes It was the National Pumpkin Day in the US on October 26 and then there's Halloween on October 31. Happy feasting on pumpkin you all! Fendi x SKIMS collaboration is real!

Why is America obsessed with pumpkins?

The astonishing opening-weekend grosses for “Halloween Kills,” the 12th film in the durable “Halloween” franchise, may have surprised some observers — after all, audiences are still hesitant to visit theaters, and reviews for this installment were not kind.

And they’re not wrong: it’s truly a mess, a whiplash-inducing attempt to fuse straight horror, sideways comedy and socially relevant themes. But just as you can’t kill Michael Myers, the knife-wielding psychopath at its center, you can’t kill “Halloween,” which has outlasted other horror franchises from the same era like “Friday the 13th” (dormant since 2009) and “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (since 2010).

So what is it about this series that has proved so durable? What keeps fans — and I count myself among them — coming back, forever granting the series second chances at greatness, fully aware of the inevitability of disappointment? A look back at the first five films in the series (available in new Blu-ray collector’s editions from Shout Factory but also streaming on major platforms) provides some answers.

It’s impossible to overstate the impact of John Carpenter’s 1978 “Halloween,” a film now treated as a sacred text among horror aficionados — and for good reason. The thriller was innovative, quite literally from the first frame: it opens with a lengthy sequence in which we see a brutal murder through the killer’s eyes. It’s easy to understand what the film’s imitators lifted from this: the heavy-breathing point-of-view framing, the gratuitous nudity, the prurient moralizing (the victim is killed after a casual sexual encounter). Few bothered to replicate Carpenter’s technical wizardry — that four-minute introductory shot, clearly inspired by the opening of Orson Welles’ “Touch of Evil,” plays out as an unbroken take — or use it as ingeniously as “Halloween” does: to delay, for as long as possible, the moment of shock when Carpenter finally reveals that the murderer is the 6-year-old Michael Myers, who has slain his own sister. Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-hollywood-to-ban-live-weapons-on-film-tv-sets-after-alec-baldwins-mishap-424224" hreflang="en">Hollywood to ban 'live' weapons on film/TV sets after Alec Baldwin's mishap?</a>

In stark contrast to the slasher movies it spawned, and even to its own sequels, barely a drop of blood is shed in “Halloween.” Carpenter and his co-writer and producer, Debra Hill, spend much of the film’s first hour crafting distinct, memorable characters, particularly Myers’ final would-be victim, the bookworm babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), and his psychiatrist and antagonist, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence).

So rather than reveling in guts and gore, the original film’s emphasis is on suspense, terror and mood. Carpenter’s elegant direction makes inventive use of negative space and darkness (particularly when moving Michael’s ghostly white mask in and out of the cinematographer Dean Cundey’s inky night spaces), and of foregrounds and backgrounds, which frequently reveal the killer’s presence to the viewer before he is seen by his potential victims. Carpenter also masterfully manipulates the pace, which rises and falls in waves through the first and second acts, casually accumulating dread and fear, before moving into the relentlessly scary closing scenes.

“Halloween” was a commercial sensation, grossing roughly $47 million on a budget of $325,000. That tremendous return on investment prompted a slew of quick, cheap imitations — after all, the logic went, you didn’t need stars or production values, just some attractive young unknowns and a guy with a knife. None of the successors was more transparent, or more successful, than the “Friday the 13th” series. Its makers couldn’t replicate Carpenter’s stylistic flair, so they invested in elaborate, intricate killing scenes and blood by the bucket.

“Friday” and its first follow-up had already come and gone by the time “Halloween II” hit theaters, in October 1981, but that series’ influence is keenly felt in this sequel. Though Carpenter and Hill wrote and produced again (with directorial duties handed off to Rick Rosenthal), the violence is much more extreme and the body count is higher, as is the volume of jump scares, a sure sign that the filmmakers didn’t believe their audience had the patience for the slow builds of the initial installment.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-the-jonas-brothers-are-about-to-get-roasted-in-netflix-special-family-roast-get-deets-inside-424226" hreflang="en">The Jonas Brothers are about to get roasted in Netflix special 'Family Roast'</a>

But “Halloween II” still has moments of visceral terror that rival the first film, and compositions that are breathtaking in their ingenuity. At their best, these films can tap into a primal fear: of being chased, of running for our lives, of realizing too late that we don’t have a way out. It’s why the scene of Laurie seemingly trapped in a closet in the first film has lodged itself so firmly in our collective memories; it’s why the sequel’s basement chase is so similarly effective. Throughout the series, characters and dialogue return to the idea of “the boogeyman,” a relentless force of evil whom you, of course, cannot kill; “Halloween” works on our subconscious, to a great extent, because it is rooted in childhood fears. (The fears of “Friday the 13th” are teenage concerns: getting caught, either having sex or doing drugs or both.)

The “Halloween” movies’ willingness to take risks, at least early on, is more pronounced in the next installment. The first sequel ends, perhaps hopefully, with the death of Michael Myers; the next year, Carpenter and Hill produced “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” an effort to rebrand the series as a horror anthology, telling a completely different story in a completely different style. This tale of an evil plan to murder kids en masse&nbsp;via killer Halloween masks is closer to 1950s science fiction (or, at the very least, ’70s riffs on the genre like the “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” remake) than anything that was happening in horror in the 1980s — and, perhaps as a result, audiences rejected the attempt to rethink “Halloween.”

That was, in retrospect, the last time the series tried to break new ground rather than follow current trends. But that’s probably the other explanation for the longevity of “Halloween”: its malleability. When producer Moustapha Akkad resurrected the series in 1988 with “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” he gave the fans what they wanted — more of the same — though that film, and its quickie follow-up a year later, “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers,” felt more like “Friday the 13th” sequels than anything Carpenter and Hill had made. Both films have moments of genuine fright and a handful of affecting performances, but they feel like the series reacting to trends rather than setting them, a pattern that continued through the next entries: the winking, “Scream”-influenced “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” (1998); the extreme horror of Rob Zombie’s 2007 mash-up of remake and origin story; and the gestures of social relevance in the current iterations.

These efforts to rethink, rebrand and reboot that original, comparatively simple exercise in suspense have failed and succeeded in roughly equal measure. Yet we’ll plunk down our ticket money, no matter how sour the word-of-mouth, no matter how dire the reviews, because we’ve grown up with these movies.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-eternals-despite-a-massive-buzz-this-is-one-of-the-lowest-rated-mcu-films-424179" hreflang="en">Eternals: Despite a massive buzz, this is one of the lowest rated MCU films</a>

Part of it is sheer nostalgia, plain and simple: “Halloween” movies remind us of sneaking contraband videotapes into sleepovers and scaring each other silly late at night, after the parents were asleep. The series will probably never scale those heights again, and we know it. But we’ll keep showing up, like die-hard fans of a baseball team that hasn’t nabbed a pennant in years, but can still win a big game every now and then.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

The astonishing opening-weekend grosses for “Halloween Kills,” the 12th film in the durable “Halloween” franchise, may have surprised some observers — after all, audiences are still hesitant to visit theaters, and reviews for this installment were not kind.

The astonishing opening-weekend grosses for “Halloween Kills,” the 12th film in the durable “Halloween” franchise, may have surprised some observers — after all, audiences are still hesitant to visit theaters, and reviews for this installment were not kind. And they’re not wrong: it’s truly a mess, a whiplash-inducing attempt to fuse straight horror, sideways comedy and socially relevant themes. But just as you can’t kill Michael Myers, the knife-wielding psychopath at its center, you can’t kill “Halloween,” which has outlasted other horror franchises from the same era like “Friday the 13th” (dormant since 2009) and “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (since 2010). So what is it about this series that has proved so durable? What keeps fans — and I count myself among them — coming back, forever granting the series second chances at greatness, fully aware of the inevitability of disappointment? A look back at the first five films in the series (available in new Blu-ray collector’s editions from Shout Factory but also streaming on major platforms) provides some answers. It’s impossible to overstate the impact of John Carpenter’s 1978 “Halloween,” a film now treated as a sacred text among horror aficionados — and for good reason. The thriller was innovative, quite literally from the first frame: it opens with a lengthy sequence in which we see a brutal murder through the killer’s eyes. It’s easy to understand what the film’s imitators lifted from this: the heavy-breathing point-of-view framing, the gratuitous nudity, the prurient moralizing (the victim is killed after a casual sexual encounter). Few bothered to replicate Carpenter’s technical wizardry — that four-minute introductory shot, clearly inspired by the opening of Orson Welles’ “Touch of Evil,” plays out as an unbroken take — or use it as ingeniously as “Halloween” does: to delay, for as long as possible, the moment of shock when Carpenter finally reveals that the murderer is the 6-year-old Michael Myers, who has slain his own sister. Also read: Hollywood to ban 'live' weapons on film/TV sets after Alec Baldwin's mishap? In stark contrast to the slasher movies it spawned, and even to its own sequels, barely a drop of blood is shed in “Halloween.” Carpenter and his co-writer and producer, Debra Hill, spend much of the film’s first hour crafting distinct, memorable characters, particularly Myers’ final would-be victim, the bookworm babysitter Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), and his psychiatrist and antagonist, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence). So rather than reveling in guts and gore, the original film’s emphasis is on suspense, terror and mood. Carpenter’s elegant direction makes inventive use of negative space and darkness (particularly when moving Michael’s ghostly white mask in and out of the cinematographer Dean Cundey’s inky night spaces), and of foregrounds and backgrounds, which frequently reveal the killer’s presence to the viewer before he is seen by his potential victims. Carpenter also masterfully manipulates the pace, which rises and falls in waves through the first and second acts, casually accumulating dread and fear, before moving into the relentlessly scary closing scenes. “Halloween” was a commercial sensation, grossing roughly $47 million on a budget of $325,000. That tremendous return on investment prompted a slew of quick, cheap imitations — after all, the logic went, you didn’t need stars or production values, just some attractive young unknowns and a guy with a knife. None of the successors was more transparent, or more successful, than the “Friday the 13th” series. Its makers couldn’t replicate Carpenter’s stylistic flair, so they invested in elaborate, intricate killing scenes and blood by the bucket. “Friday” and its first follow-up had already come and gone by the time “Halloween II” hit theaters, in October 1981, but that series’ influence is keenly felt in this sequel. Though Carpenter and Hill wrote and produced again (with directorial duties handed off to Rick Rosenthal), the violence is much more extreme and the body count is higher, as is the volume of jump scares, a sure sign that the filmmakers didn’t believe their audience had the patience for the slow builds of the initial installment. Also read: The Jonas Brothers are about to get roasted in Netflix special 'Family Roast' But “Halloween II” still has moments of visceral terror that rival the first film, and compositions that are breathtaking in their ingenuity. At their best, these films can tap into a primal fear: of being chased, of running for our lives, of realizing too late that we don’t have a way out. It’s why the scene of Laurie seemingly trapped in a closet in the first film has lodged itself so firmly in our collective memories; it’s why the sequel’s basement chase is so similarly effective. Throughout the series, characters and dialogue return to the idea of “the boogeyman,” a relentless force of evil whom you, of course, cannot kill; “Halloween” works on our subconscious, to a great extent, because it is rooted in childhood fears. (The fears of “Friday the 13th” are teenage concerns: getting caught, either having sex or doing drugs or both.) The “Halloween” movies’ willingness to take risks, at least early on, is more pronounced in the next installment. The first sequel ends, perhaps hopefully, with the death of Michael Myers; the next year, Carpenter and Hill produced “Halloween III: Season of the Witch,” an effort to rebrand the series as a horror anthology, telling a completely different story in a completely different style. This tale of an evil plan to murder kids en masse via killer Halloween masks is closer to 1950s science fiction (or, at the very least, ’70s riffs on the genre like the “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” remake) than anything that was happening in horror in the 1980s — and, perhaps as a result, audiences rejected the attempt to rethink “Halloween.” That was, in retrospect, the last time the series tried to break new ground rather than follow current trends. But that’s probably the other explanation for the longevity of “Halloween”: its malleability. When producer Moustapha Akkad resurrected the series in 1988 with “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” he gave the fans what they wanted — more of the same — though that film, and its quickie follow-up a year later, “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers,” felt more like “Friday the 13th” sequels than anything Carpenter and Hill had made. Both films have moments of genuine fright and a handful of affecting performances, but they feel like the series reacting to trends rather than setting them, a pattern that continued through the next entries: the winking, “Scream”-influenced “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later” (1998); the extreme horror of Rob Zombie’s 2007 mash-up of remake and origin story; and the gestures of social relevance in the current iterations. These efforts to rethink, rebrand and reboot that original, comparatively simple exercise in suspense have failed and succeeded in roughly equal measure. Yet we’ll plunk down our ticket money, no matter how sour the word-of-mouth, no matter how dire the reviews, because we’ve grown up with these movies. Also read: Eternals: Despite a massive buzz, this is one of the lowest rated MCU films Part of it is sheer nostalgia, plain and simple: “Halloween” movies remind us of sneaking contraband videotapes into sleepovers and scaring each other silly late at night, after the parents were asleep. The series will probably never scale those heights again, and we know it. But we’ll keep showing up, like die-hard fans of a baseball team that hasn’t nabbed a pennant in years, but can still win a big game every now and then. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

‘Halloween’ and the problem with its sequels

Greg DeFatta needed the exorcism bed.

So this spring, he maxed out his line of credit at $200,000, bought the bed that shook as if possessed, bought the clown costumes stained with blood and added hundreds of other items to his online cart. Maybe that would draw crowds to his two haunted attractions in San Diego, businesses that have supported his family for more than three decades but that were shut down in 2020 by the pandemic.

“‘Devastating’ is a great word to describe the Halloween season last year,” said DeFatta, 61, owner of The Haunted Hotel and The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park. “You know, it was scary. It was horrifying. And if we can just get through this year, we’ll be fine.”

That is the predicament this month for hundreds of haunted houses, a staple of the Halloween season and an attraction that embodies the financial struggles of small businesses across the United States as the economy limps toward recovery.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-squid-game-jumpsuits-to-kim-kardashian-pop-culturememe-inspired-halloween-costumes-422971">From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes</a>

Consumer spending this Halloween season is expected to reach a record high of $10.1 billion, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation. An estimated 65% of Americans intend to celebrate this Halloween, up from 58% last year and nearing the 68% who said they would celebrate in 2019.

For haunted house owners and workers, the renewed excitement made possible through vaccinations is a hopeful sign that a strong spooky season this month can make up for last year’s lost revenue. Some say business is back to normal, while others have noticed that lines are not as packed as before.&nbsp;

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Of those Americans who planned to celebrate Halloween this year, 18% said they would do so by visiting a haunted house, down from 22% in 2019, according to the National Retail Federation.

While most larger attractions have been able to reopen this year, some smaller operations that were devastated by the lack of revenue last year were not able to.

“We’re trying to bounce back this year,” said Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, vice president of Full Moon Productions, which operates several haunted houses across the country, including The Edge of Hell, which was founded in 1975 in Kansas City, Missouri, and is considered one of the oldest commercial haunted houses.

Mindful of the pandemic, some places are continuing to incorporate masks with their costumes or demanding that workers be vaccinated, Arnett-Bequeaith said.

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“It’s a hard business,” she said. “Scaring people is not easy or cheap.”

Some of the larger haunts, she said, have spent more than $1 million over the years as they try to keep up with an audience that is no longer content with strobe lights and skeletons.

Now owners of large haunted attractions are seeking upscale props, such as animatronic demons, movielike monster makeup and projectors that can display high-resolution zombies — all expensive features that can slim the profit margins or drive up ticket prices.

For those whose haunted houses are their sole source of income, the six-week season is, as ghoulish owners would say, do or die. This year, it is even more critical.

“It’s a lot of anxiety,” said Michael Jubie, owner of The Headless Horseman, a haunted house and hayride attraction in Ulster Park, New York.

Jubie said he lost about 75% of his income last year because he could not operate at full capacity. The Headless Horseman used to employ 375 people. Now it is about 190. “It’ll take 10 years to recoup,” he said.

High lumber prices, product shortages and rising costs of goods are adding extra hurdles to haunted houses this season, owners and workers said.

Tino Pascuzzi, who runs The Sanctuary Haunted Attraction in Oklahoma City, said his decision to close last year was devastating.

“When we close, there’s an entire ecosystem of workers that are affected,” Pascuzzi said.

The witches, nuns, Freddy Kruegers and demented doctors who terrify visitors are often hopeful actors and theater students from the nearest university. Then there are the security personnel, sanitation crews, marketers and vendors who provide the props.

The haunted attraction industry, with about 1,200 locations that charge admission, generates an estimated $300 million in revenue and spends about $85 million on advertising, according to America Haunts, an organization that collects data for the industry.

“It’s like 20 Broadway shows every night,” said Dwayne Sanburn, owner of 13th Gate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Between COVID last year and Hurricane Ida this year, the attraction “really got hit,” he said. But profits this month were up about 20% compared with last year, he added.

“I think everyone’s ready for entertainment and ready to go out, and Halloween is perfect for that,” Sanburn said.

In recent weeks, some smaller haunted houses have also been crawling toward more financially stable ground.

Dan Hopkins, 71, opened the Hollis Haunted Chicken House in Heflin, Alabama, about 18 years ago to raise money for the local fire department, the theme being a mutant chicken invasion that a farmer tries to control by enlisting the help of his friends, Jason from the “Friday the 13th” series and Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

In the waiting room are real chickens — a metaphor, Hopkins said, for what people will become once stepping inside.

“We’re doing just as well as ever,” Hopkins said, adding that the attraction might net about $100,000 by Halloween.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Greg DeFatta needed the exorcism bed. So this spring, he maxed out his line of credit at $200,000, bought the bed that shook as if possessed, bought the clown costumes stained with blood and added hundreds of other items to his online cart.

Greg DeFatta needed the exorcism bed. So this spring, he maxed out his line of credit at $200,000, bought the bed that shook as if possessed, bought the clown costumes stained with blood and added hundreds of other items to his online cart. Maybe that would draw crowds to his two haunted attractions in San Diego, businesses that have supported his family for more than three decades but that were shut down in 2020 by the pandemic. “‘Devastating’ is a great word to describe the Halloween season last year,” said DeFatta, 61, owner of The Haunted Hotel and The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park. “You know, it was scary. It was horrifying. And if we can just get through this year, we’ll be fine.” That is the predicament this month for hundreds of haunted houses, a staple of the Halloween season and an attraction that embodies the financial struggles of small businesses across the United States as the economy limps toward recovery. From 'Squid Game' jumpsuits to Kim Kardashian: Pop culture/meme inspired Halloween costumes Consumer spending this Halloween season is expected to reach a record high of $10.1 billion, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation. An estimated 65% of Americans intend to celebrate this Halloween, up from 58% last year and nearing the 68% who said they would celebrate in 2019. For haunted house owners and workers, the renewed excitement made possible through vaccinations is a hopeful sign that a strong spooky season this month can make up for last year’s lost revenue. Some say business is back to normal, while others have noticed that lines are not as packed as before. Gucci to have next fashion show on Hollywood Boulevard Of those Americans who planned to celebrate Halloween this year, 18% said they would do so by visiting a haunted house, down from 22% in 2019, according to the National Retail Federation. While most larger attractions have been able to reopen this year, some smaller operations that were devastated by the lack of revenue last year were not able to. “We’re trying to bounce back this year,” said Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, vice president of Full Moon Productions, which operates several haunted houses across the country, including The Edge of Hell, which was founded in 1975 in Kansas City, Missouri, and is considered one of the oldest commercial haunted houses. Mindful of the pandemic, some places are continuing to incorporate masks with their costumes or demanding that workers be vaccinated, Arnett-Bequeaith said. Which Indian film will go to Oscars 2022? Find out here “It’s a hard business,” she said. “Scaring people is not easy or cheap.” Some of the larger haunts, she said, have spent more than $1 million over the years as they try to keep up with an audience that is no longer content with strobe lights and skeletons. Now owners of large haunted attractions are seeking upscale props, such as animatronic demons, movielike monster makeup and projectors that can display high-resolution zombies — all expensive features that can slim the profit margins or drive up ticket prices. For those whose haunted houses are their sole source of income, the six-week season is, as ghoulish owners would say, do or die. This year, it is even more critical. “It’s a lot of anxiety,” said Michael Jubie, owner of The Headless Horseman, a haunted house and hayride attraction in Ulster Park, New York. Jubie said he lost about 75% of his income last year because he could not operate at full capacity. The Headless Horseman used to employ 375 people. Now it is about 190. “It’ll take 10 years to recoup,” he said. High lumber prices, product shortages and rising costs of goods are adding extra hurdles to haunted houses this season, owners and workers said. Tino Pascuzzi, who runs The Sanctuary Haunted Attraction in Oklahoma City, said his decision to close last year was devastating. “When we close, there’s an entire ecosystem of workers that are affected,” Pascuzzi said. The witches, nuns, Freddy Kruegers and demented doctors who terrify visitors are often hopeful actors and theater students from the nearest university. Then there are the security personnel, sanitation crews, marketers and vendors who provide the props. The haunted attraction industry, with about 1,200 locations that charge admission, generates an estimated $300 million in revenue and spends about $85 million on advertising, according to America Haunts, an organization that collects data for the industry. “It’s like 20 Broadway shows every night,” said Dwayne Sanburn, owner of 13th Gate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Between COVID last year and Hurricane Ida this year, the attraction “really got hit,” he said. But profits this month were up about 20% compared with last year, he added. “I think everyone’s ready for entertainment and ready to go out, and Halloween is perfect for that,” Sanburn said. In recent weeks, some smaller haunted houses have also been crawling toward more financially stable ground. Dan Hopkins, 71, opened the Hollis Haunted Chicken House in Heflin, Alabama, about 18 years ago to raise money for the local fire department, the theme being a mutant chicken invasion that a farmer tries to control by enlisting the help of his friends, Jason from the “Friday the 13th” series and Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” In the waiting room are real chickens — a metaphor, Hopkins said, for what people will become once stepping inside. “We’re doing just as well as ever,” Hopkins said, adding that the attraction might net about $100,000 by Halloween. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Haunted houses need to terrify you more than ever this Halloween

These days, there’s a lot to be anxious about. There’s a lot to fear. There’s the environmental wreckage that’s increasingly evident around the world, the fragile state of our political systems, the mutating virus making the very air we breathe dangerous.

It’s perhaps no surprise that a horror renaissance has happened in film over the last decade. If many other aspects of one’s day are a running list of terrors or involve creeping dread and consuming paranoia, then the eyes and mind, already accustomed to that, will expect it from whatever page or screen they land on.

In 2016, Victor LaValle’s novella “The Ballad of Black Tom” showed racism and institutional violence through the lens of Lovecraftian cosmic horror (while pushing back against the racism and xenophobia built into H.P. Lovecraft’s original work). The year after that, Jordan Peele’s horror film “Get Out” literalized the oppression and occupation of Black people. As Americans have taken to the streets to protest police violence, a raft of films and shows have explored the horrors of the nation’s racist history, culminating recently in “Candyman.”

On Friday, there’s the release of “Halloween Kills,” which adds to the 43-year-old franchise. We’re all still watching the religiously tinged “Midnight Mass” on television, and the bookshelves are bleeding this year from Chuck Wendig’s “The Book of Accidents,” about a dark past that continues to haunt, next week’s collection of tragic tales “Ghost Sequences” by A.C. Wise and “Nothing but Blackened Teeth” by Cassandra Khaw, a story, in part, about soul-sucking relationships.

Horror fans have always known that the genre is more than a nightmare carnival. Horror is, and always has been, in dialogue with the anxieties and fears of its time. During the Great Depression, the misery and economic strife were embodied by monsters from literature and folklore, as Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and the Mummy made their way across the movie screen. In the 1980s, when paranoia about the Cold War and fears of nuclear winter reached a fever pitch, a slate of suburban terrors assured us that our insecurities were valid, that we were not, in fact, safe in our homes. Enter Jason Voorhees, with his machete and hockey mask; Michael Myers, with his mechanic overalls and chef’s knife; and Freddy Krueger, with his fedora and very sharp fingers.

But horror doesn’t just reflect our fears and anxieties back at us. It also helps us process them. Horror is a fun house mirror everybody can use. It exaggerates, distorts and distills whatever it is we’re trying to work through, then delivers it back to us as entertainment.

Horror can offer comfort, can offer solace. Not because it’s an accurate representation or dramatization of our turmoil — who’s that intentional with their media consumption? — but because horror comes packaged for us in 400-page novels, in two-hour movies, in stories that end. Whether those books or films end happily or not, they end. For all of us who sense no end to our own daily horror stories, that’s what’s important.

And even amid the jump scares and houses that are obviously haunted, horror can get you thinking, can get you talking. That’s the key to what horror can do. Horror can shine a light on things we’d rather ignore, can confront us with our failings. Horror can challenge us to do better. “Get Out” didn’t solve discrimination or racism — Black people are still dying in traffic stops — but it did, at least for a couple of hours, make a lot of people see the racism that lurks beneath even the most liberal-seeming facades. And that’s success. That’s art.

Every horror story, whether an ecological disaster or a vampire encounter, a haunted house or a plague, is basically a long, dark tunnel that the story’s “final girl” is trying to survive.

It’s terrible in this tunnel, no doubt. The cars she clambers over are coffins. There are unnatural creatures shrieking from the ceiling. The walls are crumbling and seeping and maybe even undulating, and this muck she’s having to wade through is noxious, but — but way down there, through the dark, almost too distant to see, so far away that it has to be taken on faith that it’s actually there, is a point of light.

That’s where she’s headed. The light might be a train, or some monstrous angler fish (horror writers can be cruel like that), but struggling ahead toward that light is what a horror story can gift you.

Never mind that this virus keeps reaching back for variant after variant. Never mind that our politicians are so entrenched in their camps that the common good is just a dim memory. Never mind our monstrous ecological footprint.

In the long, terrible tunnel of her horror story, our heroine keeps struggling ahead, placing one foot in front of the other. Despite the damage, the terror, the hopelessness, the pain, despite her friends and family falling all around her, our heroine does that thing that humans are so, so good at: She keeps going.

If she can struggle on against those insurmountable odds, then, well — so can we, right?

These days, there’s a lot to be anxious about. There’s a lot to fear. There’s the environmental wreckage that’s increasingly evident around the world, the fragile state of our political systems, the mutating virus making the very air we breathe dangerous.

These days, there’s a lot to be anxious about. There’s a lot to fear. There’s the environmental wreckage that’s increasingly evident around the world, the fragile state of our political systems, the mutating virus making the very air we breathe dangerous. It’s perhaps no surprise that a horror renaissance has happened in film over the last decade. If many other aspects of one’s day are a running list of terrors or involve creeping dread and consuming paranoia, then the eyes and mind, already accustomed to that, will expect it from whatever page or screen they land on. In 2016, Victor LaValle’s novella “The Ballad of Black Tom” showed racism and institutional violence through the lens of Lovecraftian cosmic horror (while pushing back against the racism and xenophobia built into H.P. Lovecraft’s original work). The year after that, Jordan Peele’s horror film “Get Out” literalized the oppression and occupation of Black people. As Americans have taken to the streets to protest police violence, a raft of films and shows have explored the horrors of the nation’s racist history, culminating recently in “Candyman.” On Friday, there’s the release of “Halloween Kills,” which adds to the 43-year-old franchise. We’re all still watching the religiously tinged “Midnight Mass” on television, and the bookshelves are bleeding this year from Chuck Wendig’s “The Book of Accidents,” about a dark past that continues to haunt, next week’s collection of tragic tales “Ghost Sequences” by A.C. Wise and “Nothing but Blackened Teeth” by Cassandra Khaw, a story, in part, about soul-sucking relationships. Horror fans have always known that the genre is more than a nightmare carnival. Horror is, and always has been, in dialogue with the anxieties and fears of its time. During the Great Depression, the misery and economic strife were embodied by monsters from literature and folklore, as Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and the Mummy made their way across the movie screen. In the 1980s, when paranoia about the Cold War and fears of nuclear winter reached a fever pitch, a slate of suburban terrors assured us that our insecurities were valid, that we were not, in fact, safe in our homes. Enter Jason Voorhees, with his machete and hockey mask; Michael Myers, with his mechanic overalls and chef’s knife; and Freddy Krueger, with his fedora and very sharp fingers. But horror doesn’t just reflect our fears and anxieties back at us. It also helps us process them. Horror is a fun house mirror everybody can use. It exaggerates, distorts and distills whatever it is we’re trying to work through, then delivers it back to us as entertainment. Horror can offer comfort, can offer solace. Not because it’s an accurate representation or dramatization of our turmoil — who’s that intentional with their media consumption? — but because horror comes packaged for us in 400-page novels, in two-hour movies, in stories that end. Whether those books or films end happily or not, they end. For all of us who sense no end to our own daily horror stories, that’s what’s important. And even amid the jump scares and houses that are obviously haunted, horror can get you thinking, can get you talking. That’s the key to what horror can do. Horror can shine a light on things we’d rather ignore, can confront us with our failings. Horror can challenge us to do better. “Get Out” didn’t solve discrimination or racism — Black people are still dying in traffic stops — but it did, at least for a couple of hours, make a lot of people see the racism that lurks beneath even the most liberal-seeming facades. And that’s success. That’s art. Every horror story, whether an ecological disaster or a vampire encounter, a haunted house or a plague, is basically a long, dark tunnel that the story’s “final girl” is trying to survive. It’s terrible in this tunnel, no doubt. The cars she clambers over are coffins. There are unnatural creatures shrieking from the ceiling. The walls are crumbling and seeping and maybe even undulating, and this muck she’s having to wade through is noxious, but — but way down there, through the dark, almost too distant to see, so far away that it has to be taken on faith that it’s actually there, is a point of light. That’s where she’s headed. The light might be a train, or some monstrous angler fish (horror writers can be cruel like that), but struggling ahead toward that light is what a horror story can gift you. Never mind that this virus keeps reaching back for variant after variant. Never mind that our politicians are so entrenched in their camps that the common good is just a dim memory. Never mind our monstrous ecological footprint. In the long, terrible tunnel of her horror story, our heroine keeps struggling ahead, placing one foot in front of the other. Despite the damage, the terror, the hopelessness, the pain, despite her friends and family falling all around her, our heroine does that thing that humans are so, so good at: She keeps going. If she can struggle on against those insurmountable odds, then, well — so can we, right?

You’re Anxious. You’re Afraid. And I Have Just the Solution.

A new teaser for the upcoming thirteenth season of `Doctor Who` has been unveiled by BBC, revealing an official premiere date and giving a glimpse of what to expect from the show as series star Jodie Whittaker begins her final run in the role of the eponymous Time Lord.

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According to Variety, the series titled `Doctor Who: Flux` will premiere on BBC One, BBC America, and BBC iPlayer on October 31. The eight-episode season will serve as a larger narrative that will put a cap on Whittaker`s tenure as the Thirteenth Doctor.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rrGBqKqb3gg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

The actor will take her final bow in the role in 2022, with three feature-length specials planned to be released after the conclusion of the new season. The first special will premiere on New Year`s Day, with the next two to follow throughout the year.

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The new teaser for the show features Whittaker`s Thirteenth Doctor warning of an incoming threat from the mysterious "Flux," which will spawn any number of foes to combat against."Can you hear me?" the Doctor asks in a transmission. "Listen carefully. We don`t have much time. The Flux is coming. It`s bringing with it the Sontarans, Weeping Angels, creatures known as the Ravages, and enemies from across the universe. This is the fight of our lives!"The imminent departure of Whittaker from `Doctor Who` will mark the end of an era for the long-running series in more ways than one. 
 
As per Variety, along with the actor, showrunner Chris Chibnall will also leave the series, making room for returning showrunner Russell T. Davies, who first revived `Doctor Who` in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the star.&nbsp;

A new teaser for the upcoming thirteenth season of `Doctor Who` has been unveiled by BBC, revealing an official premiere date and giving a glimpse of what to expect from the show as series star Jodie Whittaker begins her final run in the role of the eponymous Time Lord.

A new teaser for the upcoming thirteenth season of `Doctor Who` has been unveiled by BBC, revealing an official premiere date and giving a glimpse of what to expect from the show as series star Jodie Whittaker begins her final run in the role of the eponymous Time Lord. Daniel Craig, James Corden re-create Back to the Future & Thelma & Louise live According to Variety, the series titled `Doctor Who: Flux` will premiere on BBC One, BBC America, and BBC iPlayer on October 31. The eight-episode season will serve as a larger narrative that will put a cap on Whittaker`s tenure as the Thirteenth Doctor. The actor will take her final bow in the role in 2022, with three feature-length specials planned to be released after the conclusion of the new season. The first special will premiere on New Year`s Day, with the next two to follow throughout the year. Madonna says past movie requests on her life were by 'hideous, misogynist' men The new teaser for the show features Whittaker`s Thirteenth Doctor warning of an incoming threat from the mysterious "Flux," which will spawn any number of foes to combat against."Can you hear me?" the Doctor asks in a transmission. "Listen carefully. We don`t have much time. The Flux is coming. It`s bringing with it the Sontarans, Weeping Angels, creatures known as the Ravages, and enemies from across the universe. This is the fight of our lives!"The imminent departure of Whittaker from `Doctor Who` will mark the end of an era for the long-running series in more ways than one. As per Variety, along with the actor, showrunner Chris Chibnall will also leave the series, making room for returning showrunner Russell T. Davies, who first revived `Doctor Who` in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the star.

'Doctor Who' season 13 teaser reveals Halloween premiere date

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This story contains spoilers for the seventh episode of 'WandaVision.'

If you are a fan of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” there are five words that have been stuck in your head for the past week: “It was Agatha all along.”

The 62-second earworm appears in Episode 7, “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” and its purpose is simple: It explains what Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), has been up to this entire time. It has also taken on a life of its own, having spawned numerous trap, rock and rap remixes in the days since the episode debuted Feb 19.

“None of us knew this was going to be the song,” said composer Robert Lopez, 46, who created the songs for the series with his wife of 17 years, Oscar and Grammy-winning lyricist Kristen Anderson-Lopez, 48. “We woke up that morning to find that it was all over the internet, and it was like, ‘This is awesome.’”

It isn’t the first time the songwriting power couple has created an infectious earworm, having written tunes such as the Oscar- and Grammy-winning song “Let It Go” for the Disney animated movie “Frozen” and the Oscar-winning ballad “Remember Me” for the Pixar animated film “Coco.” They’ve won a pile of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys between them. (Lopez, who co-conceived and co-wrote the hit musicals “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon,” is in rarefied air as the only double EGOT — someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, twice over.)

But it is a minute-long riff on “The Munsters” theme that has burned itself into the brains of the collective internet over the past week.

 
“It’s got an ‘Addams Family’ twist with an electric harpsichord,” Anderson-Lopez said. “It’s super-duper cool and feels like something you’d find in a haunted house.”

Sung by Hahn and a chorus of male backup singers (including Lopez), it delivers the dramatic revelation that Agnes is the powerful witch Agatha Harkness — and that it is she, not Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), who is behind all the oddities happening in sleepy little Westview. (Having killed a dog, she reveals, was among her dastardly deeds.)

When the song debuted on Spotify and iTunes on Tuesday, it leaped to the No. 1 slot on the iTunes soundtrack charts. (The trap remix created by hip-hop artist Leland Philpot is “the most glorious thing,” Anderson-Lopez said.) 
 
In a phone interview from Connecticut on Wednesday, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez shared how the track came together, their trick for getting their own songs out of their own heads and why Hahn’s character is “perfidious” rather than “hideous.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Q: Did you have any idea “Agatha All Along” was going to blow up like this?

ROBERT LOPEZ: No, not at all. We were sort of sad that we were winding down and we didn’t know if we’d have any hits come out of this thing. But my goodness.

Q: What part of the song came to you first?

LOPEZ: We have a theme — the “WandaVision” motif — that’s in every single song. So that was how we began with “Agatha.”

KRISTEN ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But, in a way, “Agatha All Along” was there all along. We’ve been spoon-feeding a tritone that’s called the devil’s interval — the&nbsp; 'duh-duh-duh'&nbsp;— throughout the series. And then ultimately, when the big reveal happens with the 'DUH! DUH! DUH!', everyone had been hearing it steadily, so it felt like an old friend.

Q: Where did you look for inspiration for the song?

LOPEZ: We started with a different idea for a version of the song more along the lines of “That Girl.”

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But it just wasn’t right; it just wasn’t churning my blood the way that I wanted it to. So then we thought: It’s a show about witches, right? So let’s embrace it. What other shows are about witches and Goth figures? “The Addams Family,” “The Munsters,” the “Monster Mash” — all these Halloween-y kind of songs that have this grinding, growling bari sax.

LOPEZ: We also have an electric harpsichord, which is what they use in “The Addams Family.” That’s the thing going dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit — the repeated chorus.

Q:Who does what when you’re writing a song?

LOPEZ: It changes with every song. Sometimes we’ll write it together in the same room, sometimes one of us will write the whole thing and the other one will take credit. In this case, Kristen wrote the full lyrics and gave them to me on a sheet of paper, and then I went to town with music.

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: I would wake up in the morning, and sometimes I’d be so excited to write the songs that I would write them in the shower. Get out, get a towel, scribble them on a piece of paper with drips, blurring ink — and Bobby would compose them by 10 a.m., and we’d record them after lunch, and then get notes at like 5 p.m.

Q:“Perfidious” is quite the lyric! Where did that come from?

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: We knew we didn’t want to say "hideous," because Agatha is still hot. So I looked at a rhyming dictionary and was like: “'Perfidious!' It’s so great! It’s so perfect!”

LOPEZ: We always have an SAT word in the lyrics somewhere because people appreciate learning a word. And if they already know it, they appreciate being able to brag that they know it.

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: Right! “Frozen fractals …” [from “Let It Go”]

Q: Your neighbors were not fans of one of your last hits, “Let It Go.” Has reaction been more favorable this time around?

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: It’s still early — they’ve had less than a week. But I’m starting to feel the trickles on Twitter. I’m getting messages saying, “Thank you so much for ‘Agatha All Along,’ now please remove it from my head!” and “It’s been five days, now take it back, please!”

Q: Do the songs you write get stuck in your head, too?

LOPEZ: Of course! You wake up in the middle of the night with it pounding in your ears. But having a song that gets in people’s heads is such an honor for us. It means what we created somehow magically connected across space and time and landed in another person’s neurons. It’s what was in our heads, and now it’s in their heads, and that’s something we now all share.

ANDERSON-LOPEZ:I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning with “She’s insidious / So perfidious” just going on a loop in my head. And so I replaced it with: “Don’t worry, / Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh, / be happy.”

LOPEZ: That’s how you get it out of your system …

ANDERSON-LOPEZ: … replace it with another thing that’s been stuck in your head before.

This story contains spoilers for the seventh episode of 'WandaVision.' If you are a fan of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” there are five words that have been stuck in your head for the past week: “It was Agatha all along.

This story contains spoilers for the seventh episode of 'WandaVision.' If you are a fan of the Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” there are five words that have been stuck in your head for the past week: “It was Agatha all along.” The 62-second earworm appears in Episode 7, “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” and its purpose is simple: It explains what Wanda and Vision’s nosy neighbor, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), has been up to this entire time. It has also taken on a life of its own, having spawned numerous trap, rock and rap remixes in the days since the episode debuted Feb 19. “None of us knew this was going to be the song,” said composer Robert Lopez, 46, who created the songs for the series with his wife of 17 years, Oscar and Grammy-winning lyricist Kristen Anderson-Lopez, 48. “We woke up that morning to find that it was all over the internet, and it was like, ‘This is awesome.’” It isn’t the first time the songwriting power couple has created an infectious earworm, having written tunes such as the Oscar- and Grammy-winning song “Let It Go” for the Disney animated movie “Frozen” and the Oscar-winning ballad “Remember Me” for the Pixar animated film “Coco.” They’ve won a pile of Oscars, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys between them. (Lopez, who co-conceived and co-wrote the hit musicals “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon,” is in rarefied air as the only double EGOT — someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, twice over.) But it is a minute-long riff on “The Munsters” theme that has burned itself into the brains of the collective internet over the past week. “It’s got an ‘Addams Family’ twist with an electric harpsichord,” Anderson-Lopez said. “It’s super-duper cool and feels like something you’d find in a haunted house.” Sung by Hahn and a chorus of male backup singers (including Lopez), it delivers the dramatic revelation that Agnes is the powerful witch Agatha Harkness — and that it is she, not Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), who is behind all the oddities happening in sleepy little Westview. (Having killed a dog, she reveals, was among her dastardly deeds.) When the song debuted on Spotify and iTunes on Tuesday, it leaped to the No. 1 slot on the iTunes soundtrack charts. (The trap remix created by hip-hop artist Leland Philpot is “the most glorious thing,” Anderson-Lopez said.) In a phone interview from Connecticut on Wednesday, Anderson-Lopez and Lopez shared how the track came together, their trick for getting their own songs out of their own heads and why Hahn’s character is “perfidious” rather than “hideous.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation. Q: Did you have any idea “Agatha All Along” was going to blow up like this? ROBERT LOPEZ: No, not at all. We were sort of sad that we were winding down and we didn’t know if we’d have any hits come out of this thing. But my goodness. Q: What part of the song came to you first? LOPEZ: We have a theme — the “WandaVision” motif — that’s in every single song. So that was how we began with “Agatha.” KRISTEN ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But, in a way, “Agatha All Along” was there all along. We’ve been spoon-feeding a tritone that’s called the devil’s interval — the 'duh-duh-duh' — throughout the series. And then ultimately, when the big reveal happens with the 'DUH! DUH! DUH!', everyone had been hearing it steadily, so it felt like an old friend. Q: Where did you look for inspiration for the song? LOPEZ: We started with a different idea for a version of the song more along the lines of “That Girl.” ANDERSON-LOPEZ: But it just wasn’t right; it just wasn’t churning my blood the way that I wanted it to. So then we thought: It’s a show about witches, right? So let’s embrace it. What other shows are about witches and Goth figures? “The Addams Family,” “The Munsters,” the “Monster Mash” — all these Halloween-y kind of songs that have this grinding, growling bari sax. LOPEZ: We also have an electric harpsichord, which is what they use in “The Addams Family.” That’s the thing going dit-dit-dit-dit-dit-dit — the repeated chorus. Q:Who does what when you’re writing a song? LOPEZ: It changes with every song. Sometimes we’ll write it together in the same room, sometimes one of us will write the whole thing and the other one will take credit. In this case, Kristen wrote the full lyrics and gave them to me on a sheet of paper, and then I went to town with music. ANDERSON-LOPEZ: I would wake up in the morning, and sometimes I’d be so excited to write the songs that I would write them in the shower. Get out, get a towel, scribble them on a piece of paper with drips, blurring ink — and Bobby would compose them by 10 a.m., and we’d record them after lunch, and then get notes at like 5 p.m. Q:“Perfidious” is quite the lyric! Where did that come from? ANDERSON-LOPEZ: We knew we didn’t want to say "hideous," because Agatha is still hot. So I looked at a rhyming dictionary and was like: “'Perfidious!' It’s so great! It’s so perfect!” LOPEZ: We always have an SAT word in the lyrics somewhere because people appreciate learning a word. And if they already know it, they appreciate being able to brag that they know it. ANDERSON-LOPEZ: Right! “Frozen fractals …” [from “Let It Go”] Q: Your neighbors were not fans of one of your last hits, “Let It Go.” Has reaction been more favorable this time around? ANDERSON-LOPEZ: It’s still early — they’ve had less than a week. But I’m starting to feel the trickles on Twitter. I’m getting messages saying, “Thank you so much for ‘Agatha All Along,’ now please remove it from my head!” and “It’s been five days, now take it back, please!” Q: Do the songs you write get stuck in your head, too? LOPEZ: Of course! You wake up in the middle of the night with it pounding in your ears. But having a song that gets in people’s heads is such an honor for us. It means what we created somehow magically connected across space and time and landed in another person’s neurons. It’s what was in our heads, and now it’s in their heads, and that’s something we now all share. ANDERSON-LOPEZ:I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning with “She’s insidious / So perfidious” just going on a loop in my head. And so I replaced it with: “Don’t worry, / Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh, / be happy.” LOPEZ: That’s how you get it out of your system … ANDERSON-LOPEZ: … replace it with another thing that’s been stuck in your head before.

Meet the songwriters behind the 'WandaVision' hit 'Agatha All Along'

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