Mental Floss

HALLOWEEN

A still from Dario Argento's Deep Red (1975).

Broadly speaking, you know what you’re getting at the end of a horror movie. But the cleverest scary movies upend our definition of "scary" altogether.

Paul Schrodt
Spirit Halloween stores are a sign Halloween has arrived.

The seasonal workers of the most popular Halloween shop in the country share stories of messy customers, employee perks, and URP (Unexplained Retail Phenomena).

Jake Rossen
Debbie Reynolds, Kimberly J. Brown, Emily Roeske, and Joey Zimmerman in Halloweentown (1998).

For Disney Channel Original Movie fans, spooky season can only mean one thing: It’s time to watch 'Halloweentown.'

Kerry Wolfe


Penguin/Image Comics/Amazon

There's no better time of year to crack open a new horror book, and if you're in need of recommendations, the Mental Floss staff has you covered.

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nito100/iStock via Getty Images

Much like Halloween itself, the practice of dressing up in costumes is the result of a hodgepodge of traditions from around the world.

Hannah McDonald


Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wikimedia Commons // CC0 1.0

Science has revealed historical truths about mummies, but they just can't shake their association with curses, myths, and Halloween.

Kat Long
Anchor Bay Entertainment

For many fans, George A. Romero's 'Dawn of the Dead'—an over-the-top horror comic book for the big screen—remains the greatest zombie film ever made.

Matthew Jackson
Jupiterimages/iStock via Getty Images

Trick-or-treating for candy on Halloween only became common a few decades ago, but the tradition's roots stretch back to ancient pagan celebrations.

Michele Debczak