Welcome to my nightmare, an ode to everything wicked, ghastly and terrifying... Scary Jerry's HALLOWEEN. This holiday has carved out a special place in my bloodied heart for many years, and this site will guide you through my recommended Frightful Books, Scary Movies, Creepy Arts and more to fill the cold night with your darkest nightmares.

About Scary Jerry
I grew up in Southwest Texas (be afraid), but it wasn't until moving to San Francisco, that my love for the scary holiday took over my soul. My first eye-popping visit to Halloween in the Castro left me speechless: from the elaborate costumes, like the woman being rolled around in real phone booth covered in black crows, to the hordes of zombied people dancing on the streets while Terror Tunes pumped out of massive speakers.

While in San Francisco, I was able to visit the most haunted place in America (Alcatraz), and live in a very old gothic Victorian flat that was truly haunted (our elongated hall was frequently visited by an old woman that smelled of gardenia, and a clairvoyant was once psychically attacked during one of our parties).

I now live in San Jose, nestled between two of the Bay Area's oldest cemeteries and just a few blocks from the famously haunted Winchester Mystery House. It seems that where ever I go, I cannot escape the scary. Visit the Ghastly Gallery to see some pictures from my haunted places and parties, and then make plans to attend a Haunted Attraction.

Why This Website
When I started collecting Halloween books, movies, and memorabilia, I realized how difficult it was to find creepy stuff. I visited countless websites but nothing stood out as a noteworthy source for everything Halloween. I also noticed that most sources for Halloween are geared towards the lil' trick-r-treaters. Halloween is just as much for adults. While candy and costumes may be the bread and butter of this second most profitable holiday, retail stores are realizing that adults also love spooky stuff. National stores like Target, Z Gallerie, and even Pottery Barn now offer Halloween products for the refined consumer. Find out more in Dreadful Shopping.

Why Celebrate Halloween?
Halloween is plain fun: candy, costumes, decorations, horror movies and haunted houses. It's one of the few holidays that is not based on religion or government. It truly is a cultural holiday that evolved from many traditions of people from many different countries and backgrounds. To learn more, please visit the Horror History.

Halloween also beckons us to be scared, and being scared has many positive effects. When you are scared, adrenalin is released, your heart rate increases, and your body gets a little cardiovascular workout. Being scared also reduces stress levels (just like laughing reduces stress), and by "surviving" a little fright, you can achieve the ultimate satisfaction of overcoming anxiety and cheat death. It's all very empowering.

"We build up tension in our lives and we need a way to release it," says San Francisco State University professor Jeff Leroux. "Being scared or scaring others is a way to release that tension. Especially around Halloween you see people testing their boundaries of fear. The further those boundaries are pushed, the greater the payoff." (Oakland Tribune, Oct. 26, 2005)

Contacting The Dead
I hope you have a bone-chilling, blood-curdling visit and hope you get some wicked inspiration for your Halloween. If you have a question, comment or suggestion, please email me at jerry@jerryworks.net. Have a Happy Halloween!