Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, which means that you probably need a costume like NOW for this weekend. To inspire those of you who a) waited until the last minute, and b) are still holding onto that “Sexy Cat/Nurse/What Have You” costume you wore in college, here are 4 costume ideas from 4 Movies We Love (The Royal Tenenbaums, Home Alone, Beetlejuice, and Heavy Metal Parking Lot) that you can easily put together from either thrift stores or your friends’ closets. Happy Halloween!

“I can’t even begin to think about knowing how to answer that question.”

The adopted daughter of Royal and Etheline Tenenbaum (and sister to Richie and Chas), Margot Tenenbaum is all cool indifference, eyeliner, and SECRETS. Channel Margot in a slip (perfect for sulking around in bathrooms), perfectly blunt-cut hair (no scissors necessary - we got ours with some serious hairspray and bobby pins), and her signature pieces: a belted fur coat and a wooden finger. Accessorize with clandestine affairs, concealed Dunhills, inappropriately intense love of a sibling, cuckolds and/or loafers.

“I don’t wanna sleep with Fuller! If he has too much Pepsi, he’ll wet the bed!”

Alright, so Kevin McCallister may not qualify as a GIRL on film (afer all, he’s the MAN of the HOUSE), but sometimes comfort rules and you’re just way into the idea of dressing up as an 8 year old in a Christmas sweater. A power-tool-wielding, booby trap-making, tarantula-loosing, bebe gun-shooting, Wet Bandit-boggling 8 year old in a Christmas sweater. Tell me that’s not appealing. Accessories for Kevin are a whole cheese pizza (just for you), a cracked picture of Buzz’s girlfriend (woof!), and a toothbrush that’s been approved by the American Dental Association. Bonus points for rocking a turtleneck under the sweater like it’s picture day at school.

“My life is a dark room. One big dark room.”

Lydia Dietz was way pissed when her dad and stepmom moved her out to the sticks, but her haunted new house turned out to be right up her death-obsessed alley. As the unwilling bride of Beetlejuice (hence the veil) she took late-80s, bummed-out, goth-teen angst to surprising new heights. All black is de riguer for Lydia, as are undereye circles, spiky bangs and a newly discovered copy of The Handbook For The Recently Diseased Deceased. Non-optional accessories are sullenness, a healthy disdain for sculpture (”This is my ART and it is DANGEROUS”) and, of course, Beetlejuice’s shrunken head.

“I’m Dawn, I’m 13.”

The girls of “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” loved hairspray, their way older boyfriends, and REALLY 80s JEANS. They weren’t opposed to making out before the Priest show, and given the chance they’d jump Rob Halford’s bones and show him just what Glen Burnie, MD was made of. Get the look in a metal band t-shirt, a leather or denim jacket from decades past, and copious amounts of eyeshadow. But don’t go overboard on the 80s theme - our model really put it best: this is HONEST 80s. No bangles necessary (but crimped bangs are bitchin’). Accessories include but are not limited to: red cups, beer, being underage, more beer.

ROLL CREDITS
Photographer: Shervin Lainez of shervinfoto
Sets & Styling: Morgan Hungerford
Margot Tenenbaum: Becca Gourley
Kevin McCallister: Cortney Hungerford
Lydia Dietz: Ashley Fulwiler
Heavy Metal Parking Lot Girl: Kara Voorhees
Hair & Make Up: Cortney Hungerford
Special Effects (ie: graphic design): Erik Loften
Produced by: Svetlana Legetic
Special thanks to the Greens for the 1984 Ford LTD, and to Ben for jumpstarting it for us. Twice.

 Send to a Friend