Costumes & Accessories (35) / Party Supplies (12)

Horror Movie Party

Table of contents

Introduction

For a party with a bit of a difference, you won’t go wrong with a horror movie-themed event. It’s a rich genre filled with diversity and therefore packed with ideas sure to chill everyone to the bone and leave a lot to the imagination. Nevertheless it should be fun and an evening worth remembering for all who attend. Below you’ll find a couple of ideas that could help you organize an unforgettable time. But first, a little background info on the horror movie genre.

 

The 1890's saw the arrival of the first horror films. These were films, often silent shorts, that would attempt to elicit religious fear in the viewer. These include Georges Méliès' 1896 Le Manoir du diable ("The House of the Devil") which is often cited as the first ever horror film as well as the 1898 release of La Caverne maudite ("The Carvern of Demons"). After these a number of other filmmakers entered the horror genre with perhaps the most well known being Frankenstein, which was produced in 1910.

 

It was however only in the 1930s that those films we all know today would be released. These included Dracula (1931), The Mummy(1932) and the Invisible Man (1933). All these films, along with many others, including their predecessors, would focus on religious or supernatural themes.

 

After the war many horror films changed orientation, instead focusing on human fears, aiming to elicit those insecurities inherent to most humans. These could be seen in "Psycho" which is classified under "horror-of-personality" or Hellraiser which falls under "horror-of-demonic". Naturally these sub-genres are plentiful and have all been combined, along with their predecessors, to create those films we know today.

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Horror Movie Party Invitations

The invitation is obviously one of the most important parts of any party – it’s how you persuade your friends to come and fill the event with life. As such they need to be clever and on theme. Below you’ll find a couple of ideas to expatiate on. Should you need any of the items or materials described, simply pop down to the appropriate retailer and buy them there. Do remember to include the following details as to ensure that your guests have all the information they need:

 

  • Party Name: Be creative here and give your party a horror-able name. Think along the lines of “Dan’s Severed Hand Frenzy”.

  • Salutation: As for the salutation, well, use your own judgment and come up with something that will relate to the central horror theme of your party.

  • Date & Time

  • Venue/Location

  • Dress Code

  • Contact Details

  • Additional information…

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Dracula’s Letter

Of all the creatures of the night, Dracula is perhaps one of the most well known. Aside from preying on hapless victims, he occasionally enjoys a get-together with some of his closest friends. Oh, and seeing as the count was a rather formal type of guy, you’ll also be needing some sealing wax and a seal.

 

For this invitation you’ll be creating a bloody letter as if it came from Count Dracula himself, with little more than a computer, a printer, some parchment and some fake blood.

 

To start off, simply type up the invitation on your favorite word processor. Take care to use vocabulary and a font to reflect the nature of your party. Here’s a short example:

 

Count Alex’s Impalement Bash

 

Honorable Fred & Mary

 

You are hereby invited to be impaled attend my humble little gathering along with some other guests of mine.

 

The date of your execution the event is on the 14th of March, 2009, at 12am - It is to be held at the old Gallows Cemetery.

 

Dress code will be strictly horror.

 

Please do not worry about bringing food or drink as your presence will be all that is required to make a feast.

 

Once done, simply print it out on the parchment and carefully spatter it with the fake blood and small unidentifiable objects.

 

Finally, using the sealing wax and seal (and taking care not to injure yourself), seal the letter and get ready to deliver it.

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The Demon Invitation

Let your guests know they’re in for a scary night by sending them the harbinger of evil deeds… the demon. While quite easy to make, this invitation will require a slightly higher budget.

 

For this invitation you’ll simply need a miniature little demon available from Horror Prop shops in your area or online. In addition, you will have to create a paper-based invitation not unlike the on described under Dracula’s Letter for each of your guests.

 

Once you have the little demon statuette, simply tie the invitation to a suitable place on the demon and get ready to deliver them!

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Bloody Skull Invitation

There’s nothing that spells out gruesome deeds like a bloody skull, especially if there’s a message on this too. For this invitation you will need a number of skulls – one per couple or one per individual guest – as well as some red blood-like ink or paint.

 

Now, once you have the skulls and the paint, you can either use your finger to trace the bloody invitation on the skull (by dipping your finger in the paint first) or you can use a paintbrush. Make sure the blood runs a little from the letters for the sake of authenticity.

 

Once you’re done, give them a bit of time to dry and then have them delivered.

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Horror Movie Party Dress Code

There’s only one place you’ll get the appropriate gear for a horror movie-themed party, and that’s a horror prop shop. Items can include head bands that simulate knives through heads or axes stuck in heads. Fake Frankenstein heads or masks are also a must for horror parties.

 

But, for the purpose of your invitation, you can simply state “Horror Movie” as the dress code or “Blood, guts and gore”.

Horror Movie Party Decorations

As mentioned before, there’s only one place for authentic horror supplies, and that’s a horror prop-shop online or in your area. Items that can be used as part of the decorations for your horror movie themed party include the following:

  • Tombstones

  • Limbs & various other bloody body parts

  • Bloody chainsaws (make sure they can’t switch on at all)

  • Spider webs

  • Coffins

  • Fake blood one the walls, ceiling and floor

  • Skeletons

  • Horrible sounds! (Yes, sounds can add to the decorative ambience.)

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Horror Movie Party Guest Arrival & Announcement

Here’s an idea: replace your doorbell’s bell with a spine chilling scream for the event. As your guests stand outside wondering what that was, have a real scary character open the door and welcome your guests. As for their announcement, well, be creative and think along the lines of:

 

“Master, the dinner has arrived. It’s Mr. & Mrs. Johnson”.

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Horror Movie Party Favors

From the very horror prop shop on the internet or in your area, you’ll be able to get your guests a variety of gruesome party favors that’ll ensure that they never forget the event. Here are a couple of ideas:

  • Moving Hand

  • Skinned Limbs

  • Coffins

  • Vampire Statues

  • Gargoyle Statuettes

  • Demon Statuettes

  • Tombstones

 

Whatever you get, remember to attach a note bearing the name and date of your party. If your party favor is made out of metal and if there’s sufficient space, have it engraved for that permanent, non-fading memory.

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Horror Movie Party Activities

Horror Film Fest

Set the mood for the evening (or even a whole weekend) by having your own horror film festival. This will simply require renting a couple of horror films that you think are bound to terrify your guests.

 

Recommended titles for a horror film fest include:

  • The Exorcist

  • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

  • The Shining

  • Silence of the Lambs

  • Halloween

  • Psycho 

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Horror Scene Reenactment

An activity that will definitely get the minds going and your guests curling up in fits of laughter is the reenactment of horror scenes from your favorite horror films (perhaps even after the Horror Film Fest mentioned above).

 

This can involve anything including gruesome deaths to the severing of limbs. And just to make things a bit more competitive, appoint a panel of judges to award points to all the performers.

Tales of Horror

This is an activity for those with the ability to act out their stories whilst telling them. For added effect, this is best done in a pitch black roomy environment where the only light will be on the person that speaks.

 

If you’re lacking a good story to tell, look on the internet for a couple that you think will be really scary. As there are plenty available, send some to your guests to memorize and practice telling to ensure that everyone has a pleasantly horrific time.

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Horror Head Bowling

There are no tenpin bowling alleys in haunted houses or in Count Dracula’s castle, but that doesn’t mean bowling is allowed.

 

For this activity you’ll need to pay another visit to your horror prop shop to get your hands on a fake severed head as well as a couple of fake severed limbs. Make sure the limbs can stand upright by themselves as they’ll serve as the pins.

 

When it’s game time, arrange the limbs to resemble the triangle of pins found in tenpin bowling. Once done, use the head as the bowling ball and see how many limbs you can knock down.

 

As far as horror-themed party activities go, this one will make for a very interesting experience.

Food & Drink

Horror-themed parties are of course just horror-themed, featuring no real blood, limbs or even brains. As such, you are free to serve whatever you feel appropriate, but be sure to give it some pretty gory names.

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