The Quarantine Stream: ‘Halloween Atmospheres’ Are Full of Tricks and Treats

(Welcome to The Quarantine Stream, a new series where the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.)

The Movie: Halloween Atmospheres by Witching Season Films

Where You Can Stream It: YouTube (and Below)

The Pitch: The folks at Witching Season Films put together two videos full of “Halloween atmospheres.” That is, a series of shots of various Halloween decorations in fall-like settings. It sounds harmless, but there’s something undeniably ominous about it all. And also wonderful.

Why It’s Essential Quarantine Viewing: In my previous Quarantine Stream, I mentioned that we’re more or less about to jump into Halloween season. In case you thought I was just having a laugh, I’m back to keep this theme alive, baby! While Halloween will be much different this year – what with the deadly pandemic and all – there’s no reason we can’t keep the spooky season alive.

Chalk these up to “mood movies” if you will. There’s no plot, no story, no characters. It’s just a series of shots that all invoke the vibe of Halloween. There’s an arc, I guess, in the sense that the films start during the day and then progressively, the day ends, the sun sets, and night takes over. But that’s really it. And I love them so, so much. They remind me of the atmospheric opening credits of Halloween 4, and they also make me pine for the good old days of fall. Remember fall? You see, kids, back in the old days, we had these things called “seasons.” And when summer ended, fall would roll in, bringing with it chilly weather, fire-scented breezes, and a crisp feeling in the air. Now, since the planet is dying, we get about a day or two of fall weather, but mostly it stays hot and summer-y – until it’s suddenly winter. It’s a bummer, and I hate it.

But if I can’t have a real fall back, I can at least live vicariously through these videos. You can practically smell the cider and dead leaves wafting off these things. It’s glorious. Witching Season Films describe themselves as “A Utah-based media production company specializing in Halloween and horror,” and in addition to these wonderful videos, they’re also responsible for The Witching Season, a series of short films devoted to Halloween, streaming on Amazon. They’re fun, low-budget affairs (although I honestly prefer these atmosphere videos more). They also have a feature film in the works called They Live Inside Us. I look forward to seeing that someday, but for now, I’ll cherish these videos full of “spooky atmospheric visuals and music designed to set the perfect Halloween atmosphere.”