10 Halloween rituals from Halloween fanatic and local horror pro

Dayton-based filmmaker Henrique Couto has made comedies, dramas and even a western, but scary fare is his specialty. A large portion of his filmography are low budget horror films such as “Bleeding Through” (2012), “Scarewaves” (2014) and “Amityville: No Escape” (2016).

Couto is currently in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to turn his 2013 film “Babysitter Massacre” into a horror franchise. He surpassed his goal of $13,000 with 21 days to spare and says he’ll put the extra funds into boosting the production value of two new sequels.

“Additional funds are going to go toward locations, cast and more special effects to make both sequels as best they can possibly be,” Couto said. “We are also going to use the extra money to produce more Blu-ray/DVD extras to give our customers more bang for their buck. The original film had far less to work with so I am excited for all the new possibilities being opened up to our films.”

Couto, who is also a ukulele-wielding singer, is a self-professed Halloween fanatic, who indulges in a number of rituals each season. He recently revealed his suggestions to enhance anyone’s Halloween experience.

MUSIC

1) "Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett: "It's a classic and it has to be played every Halloween."

2) "Halloween Theme Main Title" by John Carpenter: "It is literally like eating a pumpkin roll, pure fall Halloween goodness."

3) "The Green Slime" by Richard Delvy: "The film is silly and the song is oh so wondrous."

4) "Spooky Scary Skeletons" by Andrew Gold: "I can't not. I really can't not include that."

5) "The Ghost of John" by Danielle Ate the Sandwich: "As boss as it is haunting."

OTHER HALLOWEEN RECOMMENDATIONS

1) "Murder Party" (movie): "It's hilarious and captures the feeling of the season perfectly."

2) "Garfield in Disguise" (comic book and television special): "It's been a tradition of mine since I was a child and I haven't broken it yet. Garfield never disappoints."

3) "Trick 'r Treat" (movie): "This film is literally 90 minutes of Halloween spirit."

4) Candy corn (food): "I'm not even sure if I like this stuff, but I eat it out of duty as much as enjoyment. It tastes like Halloween, and I love Halloween."

5) "Until Dawn" (video game for PlayStation 4): "This game is literally like living in a teen slasher movie, so much fun, and the replay value is so high."

If you’re interested in supporting Couto’s horror sequels, there’s still time to contribute to the fundraising campaign at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ukeordie/make-babysitter-massacre-a-slasher-franchise.

About the Author