Mike128
Member
Worked in a local haunted house that had chainsaws. They put packing string on instead of the chain. It gave a look of chain running around but doesn't do damage.
planning for next halloween: legality of chainsaws
- Thread starter General Geoff
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Art Eatman
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"Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess," seems to be the philosophy behind this idea.
Halloween is for kids twelve and under, with some amount of guidance from adults. Scary, yeah, but within limits.
This chainsaw stuff, as an idea, comes across as wrong about kids, Halloween and life itsownself. It goes way beyond spooky-scarey and on into the realm of real terror for little guys.
To me, it's a wrong thing. And that's as politely said as I find possible.
Art
Halloween is for kids twelve and under, with some amount of guidance from adults. Scary, yeah, but within limits.
This chainsaw stuff, as an idea, comes across as wrong about kids, Halloween and life itsownself. It goes way beyond spooky-scarey and on into the realm of real terror for little guys.
To me, it's a wrong thing. And that's as politely said as I find possible.
Art
Cosmoline
Member
If you want to put real, useful fear in the little ones, have a portion of the haunted house be a dark room where they get to experience five minutes of a judgment debtor's exam by their future ex-wife's lawyer.
"What's in your wallet now?"
"what?"
"You're under oath. What's in your wallet right now."
"Ah, twenty dollars."
"Well let's have that then."
"No."
"Did you file an exemption on that cash?"
"What's an exemption?"
"OK, hand it over Timmy. Now let's talk about those new shoes you've got on. Where did the money for those come from? Doing a paper route on the sly?"
"What's in your wallet now?"
"what?"
"You're under oath. What's in your wallet right now."
"Ah, twenty dollars."
"Well let's have that then."
"No."
"Did you file an exemption on that cash?"
"What's an exemption?"
"OK, hand it over Timmy. Now let's talk about those new shoes you've got on. Where did the money for those come from? Doing a paper route on the sly?"
Maybe elsewhere. Around here we get mostly teens from 13-15... and I could have sworn some of those kids Wednesday were pushing 16 and 17. They weren't with little kids (like a little sister or brother) either. I almost slipped and was going to say, "Aren't you a little old for this?", but then I reminded myself nobody is too old for good old fashioned fun. There's nothing wrong scaring the teen crowd. Afterall, 13 years old makes you an adult in Judaism.
I don't know where the little kids go, but very few show up at my place.
That's interesting that you say that. I have to disagree and agree at the same time. I think every kid is different. For example, growing up (and to be honest even a little bit today) the notion of supernatural scares me much more than anything else. The idea of ghosts for example is IMO the scariest of all things because you can't run away, you can't hide, you can't defend yourself, etc. Conceptually it just seems to be the most terrifying concept of all - more than aliens, monsters, or crazy killers. I remember as a kid walking through haunted houses and there would always be somebody with a chainsaw. It didn't scare me. On the other hand a seance or movie about an exorcism scared the heck out of me. I would imagine there are people who are just the opposite and find chainsaws to be extremely scary. I'm just saying everybody is different.
I understand what you're saying about how Halloween has evolved into a REAL fright-fest over the years. I think it has its downsides, but I also recognize that kids (and most people) for whatever reason enjoy getting scared - particularly the teen crowd. That's why when commercial haunted-houses/terror-houses show up in town, kids can't get enough of them. It's most evident in the movies that are coming out these days. It seems that 50% at least of movies these days are horror flicks of some kind. Maybe even more.
I can't explain why because I don't like to watch them. However, there obviously is ample demand for them or they wouldn't be made. Teens are the largest small-range age demographic as far as moviegoers are concerned.
I do agree though that the under 12 crowd shouldn't be exposed to anything horribly scary though. I would imagine the OP, as well as anybody here, has enough sense to not be pulling the chainsaw gag with 12 year olds or younger kids there.
Olivia gets 10 of those dollars. You should have thought about that when you called her a "poo-poo head".
I dressed up as Leatherface for Halloween in '05 and used an old chainsaw minus the chain to scare people at 2 parties I went to.
Me with my Saw
My costume on its own (without the saw) worked well enough that the two spook houses I went to offered me a job that night if I wanted it, mainly because I scared the people working in the spook house, and that their Leatherface was essentially a mini-me when compared in size.
Me and the Wife
I'm 6'8" and at that point was about 440 lbs (lost almost 100 since then) and I had some platform shoes I wore to another party where I was easily 7 feet tall.
I ended up using a super long Welding Apron because that was the only thing long enough to fit me without looking ridiculously tiny. Most aprons ended up looking like large bibs lol.
I scared the crap out of people at both parties. I'd show up, start the chainsaw and charge in. Then I'd wait an hour or two and do it again to mess with the new arrivals.
My buddy made an actual, functioning Freddy claw out of copper pipe, rivets and metal from a machete, he said working with the steak knives just wasn't worth the time and wouldn't look right. Cost him about 2 days of tinkering and 40 bucks to make a claw that people offered him $250 on the spot for. He turned it down and now has it on his mantle piece. He found a red sweater and spray painted the stripes and then dragged it behind his car. His face was done with just some wax, latex and his wife's old make up.
Me and my friend in his Freddy Costume
My friend as Freddy
Lessons Learned:
1. Chainsaws are oily and messy and lose the fun scare factor after the first one or two times. They are a royal pain to cart around in anything other than a pick up truck as they get everything oily and gassy. Just the gasoline stink and oil stink alone is enough to drive you batty, especially if you have to ride in a car or SUV with it.
2. I am an ogre but even I got tired of lugging it around, unless you're out swinging it around etc it is just a glorified prop, and a bloody prop machete, knife, mallet or hatchet works just as well if you have to carry something.
3. Unless you plan to be scaring kids on your property or a fun house, it just isn't worth it to carry around the whole time. The other thing is having stuff in your hands sucks because invariably you have to take off your mask to get some air, drink a beer or two and you either have to juggle the prop and mask in your hands or set it down etc. They look great but become a pain in the ass quick. Do the scares and then stash it and get to partying.
4. I got a chainsaw and leather welding apron for a costume and have ended up using them for odd jobs around the house and yard. The leather apron still has the 'blood' stains on it but it is great for when I am working on my guns, knives, swords etc.
That said the cops in my town seem pretty cool compared to how uptight the people in this thread are, they wanted pictures with me and my friend in the Freddy costume. Course it is a college town (Stillwater OK) and the crime rate was pretty low. The year before I walked onto campus in a Jason costume with a bloody machete in broad daylight and no one cared. Most people excuse craziness on Halloween that any other day of the year they wouldn't put up with.
You can tell if a chainsaw has no chain on it or not, and unless you're wandering around at random people or bringing it into public settings like a restaurant or store it isn't a big deal. The point of trick or treating is there are supposed to be tricks, like scaring the crap out of kids, or giving them ice cubes instead of candy, or asking them to answer questions (like who was the first president or 5 times 10) if they want candy. I would say don't go wandering off your property, but instead use it to scare kids that walk by etc.
I've had people pull the no-chain chainsaw trick while out trick or treating quite a few times. Kids and adults love the sound it makes, there is no mistaking that noise in the dark. Thing is it is a Halloween only deal, when cops and people are expecting scary silly crap. Do the chainsaw trick in say middle of November or September and prepare to get yelled at.
Me with my Saw
My costume on its own (without the saw) worked well enough that the two spook houses I went to offered me a job that night if I wanted it, mainly because I scared the people working in the spook house, and that their Leatherface was essentially a mini-me when compared in size.
Me and the Wife
I'm 6'8" and at that point was about 440 lbs (lost almost 100 since then) and I had some platform shoes I wore to another party where I was easily 7 feet tall.
I ended up using a super long Welding Apron because that was the only thing long enough to fit me without looking ridiculously tiny. Most aprons ended up looking like large bibs lol.
I scared the crap out of people at both parties. I'd show up, start the chainsaw and charge in. Then I'd wait an hour or two and do it again to mess with the new arrivals.
My buddy made an actual, functioning Freddy claw out of copper pipe, rivets and metal from a machete, he said working with the steak knives just wasn't worth the time and wouldn't look right. Cost him about 2 days of tinkering and 40 bucks to make a claw that people offered him $250 on the spot for. He turned it down and now has it on his mantle piece. He found a red sweater and spray painted the stripes and then dragged it behind his car. His face was done with just some wax, latex and his wife's old make up.
Me and my friend in his Freddy Costume
My friend as Freddy
Lessons Learned:
1. Chainsaws are oily and messy and lose the fun scare factor after the first one or two times. They are a royal pain to cart around in anything other than a pick up truck as they get everything oily and gassy. Just the gasoline stink and oil stink alone is enough to drive you batty, especially if you have to ride in a car or SUV with it.
2. I am an ogre but even I got tired of lugging it around, unless you're out swinging it around etc it is just a glorified prop, and a bloody prop machete, knife, mallet or hatchet works just as well if you have to carry something.
3. Unless you plan to be scaring kids on your property or a fun house, it just isn't worth it to carry around the whole time. The other thing is having stuff in your hands sucks because invariably you have to take off your mask to get some air, drink a beer or two and you either have to juggle the prop and mask in your hands or set it down etc. They look great but become a pain in the ass quick. Do the scares and then stash it and get to partying.
4. I got a chainsaw and leather welding apron for a costume and have ended up using them for odd jobs around the house and yard. The leather apron still has the 'blood' stains on it but it is great for when I am working on my guns, knives, swords etc.
That said the cops in my town seem pretty cool compared to how uptight the people in this thread are, they wanted pictures with me and my friend in the Freddy costume. Course it is a college town (Stillwater OK) and the crime rate was pretty low. The year before I walked onto campus in a Jason costume with a bloody machete in broad daylight and no one cared. Most people excuse craziness on Halloween that any other day of the year they wouldn't put up with.
You can tell if a chainsaw has no chain on it or not, and unless you're wandering around at random people or bringing it into public settings like a restaurant or store it isn't a big deal. The point of trick or treating is there are supposed to be tricks, like scaring the crap out of kids, or giving them ice cubes instead of candy, or asking them to answer questions (like who was the first president or 5 times 10) if they want candy. I would say don't go wandering off your property, but instead use it to scare kids that walk by etc.
I've had people pull the no-chain chainsaw trick while out trick or treating quite a few times. Kids and adults love the sound it makes, there is no mistaking that noise in the dark. Thing is it is a Halloween only deal, when cops and people are expecting scary silly crap. Do the chainsaw trick in say middle of November or September and prepare to get yelled at.
Oh I forgot, the bad thing is just being dressed up like that is it is scary to some of the little kids. And you have to take time and pull off your mask and show them it is all pretend and not scary or bad.
Though the real young ones, usually under 3, don't understand that it should be scary and just smile at you in all of your horror.
Tweens and teenagers talk a good game and they scare pretty easy especially walking up behind them silently and just waiting for them to notice you're there, or starting the chainsaw behind them and yelling. But then afterwards they want to know what you did to make your costume, and ask a ton of questions and become chatter boxes wanting to put the costume on themselves.
The easiest targets are usually women under 40, after about age 40 most of them rolled their eyes and laughed. Course most women and girls I've met yell the same at a near 7 foot tall chainsaw wielding maniac as they do at spiders or crickets in the house. The grannies that knew what was going on and who Leatherface is, wanted to try on my apron and mask etc. The others just shrugged and smiled.
Though the real young ones, usually under 3, don't understand that it should be scary and just smile at you in all of your horror.
Tweens and teenagers talk a good game and they scare pretty easy especially walking up behind them silently and just waiting for them to notice you're there, or starting the chainsaw behind them and yelling. But then afterwards they want to know what you did to make your costume, and ask a ton of questions and become chatter boxes wanting to put the costume on themselves.
The easiest targets are usually women under 40, after about age 40 most of them rolled their eyes and laughed. Course most women and girls I've met yell the same at a near 7 foot tall chainsaw wielding maniac as they do at spiders or crickets in the house. The grannies that knew what was going on and who Leatherface is, wanted to try on my apron and mask etc. The others just shrugged and smiled.
Whind Soull
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I think it's fine on your property, but not otherwise.
For what it's worth, if I was walking around Halloween night and you jumped out of a dark alley right in front of me and revved a real chainsaw, I would at the least draw my gun and order you to "get on the ****ing ground!" Depending on the distance between us and the perceived level of threat, I might just go ahead and empty the magazine into you.
For what it's worth, if I was walking around Halloween night and you jumped out of a dark alley right in front of me and revved a real chainsaw, I would at the least draw my gun and order you to "get on the ****ing ground!" Depending on the distance between us and the perceived level of threat, I might just go ahead and empty the magazine into you.
OP
OP
General Geoff
Member
REOIV, thanks for the excellent advice. By the way, you are a Halloween DEITY.
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