701 CCA (Center For Contemporary Art) is a little-known piece of art heaven located in the heart of Downtown Columbia…but not for long. For this past All Hallow’s Eve, from 7 pm-12 am, they hosted their first ever signature event that featured a costume bash, which I have to say, was unbelievable. If you weren’t there, you missed an extravagant event. The entire 701 Whaley building was utilized to its fullest extent.

 

They sold masks at the door if you were not feeling particularly “artsy”, The Nickelodeon Theatre showed “Troll 2” on loop, Jasper Magazine had a Ghost Story Salon where you had the opportunity to swap the spookiest of spooky stories, Sid+Nancy took “Black Carpet” photo portraits (I mean hello, can you say profile pic?) and Greenhaven Preserve had casket photo portraits. 701 CCA had their Biennial Part 1 exhibition on display downstairs, as well, but the main event was The Uncommon Costume Contest.

For all of you horror film junkies out there, here are two films you may not have seen that are perfect for getting you in the mood for the holiday season: 

 

Dog Soldiers

 

Low budget werewolf movies are almost unanimously awful (one need look no further than the “The Howling II: Stirba - Werewolf Bitch” for proof).  “Dog Soldiers” is perhaps the only exception to this rule, utilizing suspense and awesome, practical special effects to overcome its financial limitations.  What really makes the film stand out is the soldiers actually behave like trained professionals.  It seems like in every other horror movie, the military is comprised entirely of violent General Ripper-wannabes (“Day of the Dead”), rape-crazed sociopaths (“28 Days Later”) and grunts with IQs less than their shoe size (“Aliens”). 

Anyone can incorporate fashion into Halloween night. Stylists, do you want to be the next Rachel Zoe? Designers, want to be the next Karl Lagerfeld? TGIH (thank goodness it’s Halloween, duh). Here’s my top pick for girls and boys…and don’t worry guys, I kept yours extra simple!

 

Girls: Rachel Zoe

Rachel Zoe has a more bohemian style than most of her fashion counterparts. If you want to look the part, you’ll need:

When we initially think of Playboy, two things come to mind: naked college girls and Hugh Hefner in his garnet robe and slippers. But these contexts are so twentieth century. The new Playboy brand consists of a variety of companies, including clothing lines and a suite at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.

Happy Post-Halloween! I decided to venture into Five Points last weekend, simply to laugh at people, and I couldn’t help but think: "Isn’t it funny how the meaning of Halloween changes over the years?" Let’s take a look back through the years and see just how much you’ve “matured.”