how to embody the slasher summer experience

summerween countdown

A lilting whistle supplies the testimony of Summer’s abrupt arrival. The sun’s feral blaze ravages bare skin, churning out cascades of sweat and morphing houses into havens. The wind howls, goosebumps prickle, and a metallic stench claws in the air. Green leaves flutter, adorning the outstretched arms of trees, their past long forgotten. They were once abandoned, siphoned of their glory and left to the earth’s caprice. Their pristine appearances now lend them value. We yearn for their presence when snow mars the ground, yet we disregard their existence when they return. The lost art of practicing gratitude, hindered by social media and the pursuit of instant gratification. This is a reminder to appreciate the subtle intricacies ingrained in each molecule, embellishing the universe. If we do not, then who are we but a blizzard, siphoning nature of its iridescence?

I am incandescently enamored with Halloween. Even in its absence, I make it a habit to live in the moment, harboring gratitude for life's finer and fortuitous seasons. I do not wish for it to be here now. To me, that would drain its elusiveness and sanctity. I will bask in the glory of summer until it ultimately passes, chewing on its flavor and soaking in its beauty. Allowing it to shine without clouding its wonders with my own distaste. There should be a subtle appreciation for all seasons. We are constantly shedding the old versions of ourselves to make room for the future’s prospects. The Earth does this too; fallen leaves for a budding chance at regrowth. Like a phoenix, rising from the ashes.

The origins of Summerween can be traced back to the show, Gravity Falls. As a 2004 baby, this show is a familiar friend. It visited my television screen on many occasions, nourishing curiosity in the pits of my imagination. Oh, how I love spooky things. So do the citizens of Gravity Falls; that is why they celebrate Halloween twice a year. It falls on June 22nd, less than a month away. I will attempt to garner and emulate the tangibility of a slasher summer with a list of cinema, curated by a Halloween enthusiast. These picks are suffused in a camp/summer setting, which will immerse you in the spirit of Summerween.

• Scream 1

  (This is the only one that stays from the theme of summer, yet it’s my favorite slasher, so I must include it.)

• American Horror Story—Season 9: 1984

• Pearl

• Hell of a Summer

• Fear Street Trilogy: 1978

• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

• It (2017)

• The Final Girls (2015)

• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

• Stranger Things