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It’s spooky season!
What is the difference between spooky versus scary, and how do you design that experience? I loved this essay, which uses examples from the set of Hocus Pocus and haunted houses, to think a little more about the difference:
Unsurprisingly, McHale told me that he finds comfort in spookiness, for the way it lets us think about life and death at the same time. It allows us to play with those ideas, as Clasen would say. “If it goes too far, you’re confronted with things you don’t want to deal with, but if it’s just enough, it’s a comfort,” McHale said. “If it’s lightly spooky, it’s almost a whimsical reminder of what life is about.”
Dirt: On Spookiness
[dirt.substack.com]
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