The Official 2009 Halloween Costume Recap Thread

November 2, 2009 10:35 AM

We've had a day to recuperate from our post-Halloween comas and now it's time to share our awesome costume success stories. And horror stories, because it wouldn't be Halloween without them too.

carmicha had a good idea but we really hadn't had enough time to get pics up (or our own sobriety, for that matter). So here now is the official, admin-approved 2009 Halloween Costume Recap Thread. MetaFilter is positively dripping with creativity and you all need a place to brag a little. Let's see your handiwork!

posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis to MetaFilter-related at 10:35 AM (88 comments total)

I went as an invisible favorite. No pictures, obviously.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:43 AM on November 2 [5 favorites]

I went as a Jedi again like I did last year, so that's boring. But I did want to share my favorite costume I saw:

This girl was wearing this skimpy black satin dress with the words "Ego", "Id", and "Super-ego" all over it. She was a Freudian Slip.
posted by olinerd at 10:45 AM on November 2 [3 favorites]

I went as a Surreal Killer, thanks to a suggestion from an old AskMe. Luckily, I had my trusty LED belt buckle to provide a label, though it didn't really keep me from explaining what the hell I was supposed to be all night. Most of the folks at the psych-nerd party I went to were all "Dali? Huh?" but the ones who got it seemed to groove on it ok.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 10:49 AM on November 2 [1 favorite]

I dressed in drag for the first time ever to become the Whore of Babylon.

You have no idea how many oven-mitts I have crammed into my undergarments in these photos. But I was really happy with how it turned out, and had an amazing time.
posted by hermitosis at 10:58 AM on November 2 [7 favorites]

There were people with real costumes at the conference/event that I was at, and there were people who just sort or wore whatever. I decided to bring a few costumey things and see how I felt. And how I felt was wandering downstairs to the game show and open bar and game of Werewolf basically in my pajamas with a few costume touches added on so that when I was done for the evening, bed was even closer than usual. When people asked what I was I said "dressed up for work!"
posted by jessamyn at 11:09 AM on November 2 [1 favorite]

I went as an invisible favorite.

That's my fave!
posted by dersins at 11:15 AM on November 2

I let my scraggly facial hair grow for a few weeks, cut up the fake fur liner from an old trenchcoat, bought a pair of women's leopard-print stretchy pants, and went as a caveman. I ran a 5K road race with some friends that morning, and chafed the hell out of my nipples because the non-fur side of the bearskin was like the underside of a cheap carpet and I had only test-fitted the costume while wearing a t-shirt.

On the plus side my girlfriend let me club her over the head and (sorta kinda) drag her into my bedroom by her hair, so that was pretty cool.
posted by xbonesgt at 11:16 AM on November 2

I went as a Surreal Killer,

Needs more lederhosen. Also, lobsters.
posted by dersins at 11:17 AM on November 2 [1 favorite]

I was the broken span of the Bay Bridge! I must've posed for 100 pictures with people in the Mission. I'm sure they're out there somewhere. Some people thought I was a mousetrap. Waiting at Bart for 45 minutes at 2:00 am was irony gone real bad.
posted by iamkimiam at 11:17 AM on November 2 [6 favorites]

I made a simple crow/raven costume with little trouble. Thanks, friend who had a party, for making me follow through with making a costume of any sort after many years of vaguely thinking about it for a month.
posted by mikepop at 11:18 AM on November 2 [3 favorites]

I went as a dad who wouldn’t stop reminding his son to say “thank you” and “trick or treat.” Also, to play the music.
posted by bondcliff at 11:24 AM on November 2 [3 favorites]

I fulfilled a lifelong dream when I was Sam Adams and my girlfriend was the St. Pauli Girl. Appropriate drinks were enjoyed.

The only one I remember as a standout elsewhere was the older lady who went as Jessica Tandy in The Birds, complete with mechanical crows in her wig.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 11:27 AM on November 2 [2 favorites]

Oh, and my lurker mefite partner dressed as the Lamb of God, also as foretold in Revelation.
posted by hermitosis at 11:29 AM on November 2

I thought about dressing up as The Dude but then decided that sounded like too much work, which I think still counts.
posted by cortex at 11:33 AM on November 2 [6 favorites]

I went as a pirate-dressed-up-as-DU.
posted by DU at 11:34 AM on November 2

Well, my sister and I designed a baseball-style t-shirt with a "Swine Flu" logo for a party last weekend...the back of my shirt said H1 and her said N1. I promptly spent last week in bed with...the flu.

Next year I'm going as a million dollars, just to see what happens.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 11:35 AM on November 2 [4 favorites]

Best costume I saw, kid's division: some eight-year-old kid made himself a full set of Japanese o-yoroi samurai armor out of cardboard and construction paper.

Best costume I saw, adult division: a toss-up between the guy who just dressed all in white but then wrote the word "costume" and drew a bar code on his t-shirt, and the couple who made their own Pigs In Space costumes.

Weirdest costume I saw: At some point I ended up at a sports bar with my roommate, and a woman walked in wearing all white and sporting a boa she'd made for herself out of several Beanie Babies. I believe she was supposed to be Lady Gaga (which lead to an interesting moment having to explain to my roommate who Lady Gaga was).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:36 AM on November 2

I was Max from Where the Wild Things Are. Surprisingly, I only saw one other Max. I've never done a pop culture costume before, and it was really heartwarming to have people break into giant grins when they saw me on the street. It made up for all the people who thought I was a rabbit.
posted by mollymayhem at 11:42 AM on November 2 [2 favorites]

Mr. WanKenobi and I went as Joan Holloway and Bert Cooper from Mad Men (source photos here and here). Only three or four people recognized who we were, but they were ecstatic. A whole bunch of others asked if I was his secretary. To which I testily replied that I'm his office manager, thank you very much!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:53 AM on November 2 [2 favorites]

I was the Bad Hair Fairy. That's what you end up with when you have a horrible wig and some other oddly assorted stuff like wings and decide you need a theme to your costume after all. I carried a curling iron and a blow dryer and people were afraid of me.
posted by mygothlaundry at 11:56 AM on November 2 [1 favorite]

I was so stuck on the "I'm a slutty blank" idea that it evolved into me being the spirit of Christian chastity.

I put heart-shaped iron-ons (as pasties) on a white, mock-turtleneck unitard, made a "chastity belt" out of a million tiny locks, keys, Bible lockets and angel charms (it looked like chain-mail underwear, except worn on the outside) and a long, perfectly-white wig. I also wore white false eyelashes and crown made out of crosses. I rebuked a few sluts at the party I went to, where I enjoyed standing near the black light for added effect.

For once, I wasn't cold, but a couple of people accused me of dressing as Lady Gaga. I don't have a pic yet but will post one when I do.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 12:10 PM on November 2 [1 favorite]

I also went to another party on a different day dressed as Miss Argentina, the afterlife receptionist from Beetlejuice. Unfortunately every time someone hugged me or touched me, my body paint flaked off... so by the time I made it to the photobooth area at the 2nd party the only part that was still ok was my face.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 12:14 PM on November 2 [2 favorites]

My costume did indeed have a hat. I was the Queen of Hearts. By far my most successful costume ever.
posted by ocherdraco at 12:17 PM on November 2 [3 favorites]

For once, I wasn't cold, but a couple of people accused me of dressing as Lady Gaga. I don't have a pic yet but will post one when I do.

FWIW a family member DID dress as Lady Gaga and won 500 bucks. *rolls eyes*
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 12:26 PM on November 2

I went as Phineas Gage, but no one told me that my prosthetics had lost their alignment midway through the party, so it morphed into kinky Phineas Gage (sfw).

Three people at the party not only recognized my costume, but were able to put a name to it without prompting. I love my friends.
posted by Riki tiki at 12:35 PM on November 2 [6 favorites]

Err... sfw except for the metal bars coming out of my head.
posted by Riki tiki at 12:42 PM on November 2

I went as a Valkyrie, but only got one blurry picture before my camera battery died, and I had to go. Real chainmail!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:44 PM on November 2 [2 favorites]

I was a robot. I was going to go as Roger O. Thornhill, from North by Northwest, as mentioned in Ocherdraco's hat question, but I couldn't pull the trigger on cutting my hair.

The eyes on my mask lit up at the flip of a little switch in my hand. I knew it was working well when we passed some surly looking too-old-to-trick-or-treaters who said, "Woah. That's tight, dog."
posted by dirtdirt at 1:05 PM on November 2 [6 favorites]

I did not dress up for Halloween. That being said, I was dressed like this. It's what happens when you're part of an erotic hillbilly band.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:16 PM on November 2

I dressed as Pagus, from Michael Kupperman's Tales Designed to Thrizzle

Nobody got it but I think it's one of the best I've done, up there with "fried egg" and Box from Alpha Flight
posted by jtron at 1:26 PM on November 2

I was Max from Where the Wild Things Are.

Max and Wild Things spotted on the "T' in Boston. "They win Halloween!"
posted by ericb at 1:26 PM on November 2 [9 favorites]

"They win Halloween!" (ericb)

Oh my goodness, yes they do.

Some of my favorite costume sightings:

• two Quail-men
• two Dr. Zoidbergs (both apparently followed the example from that link)
• a little girl dressed as Captain America, muscles and all
• a woman in jeans and a t-shirt with a sign around her neck that said "Slutty Me (same as normal me)"
• a whole passel of people dressed up as characters from Alice in Wonderland that somehow lacked a Queen of Hearts (I waved; they waved and hallooed and pointed)
• my two friends (including cristinacristinacristina) who were (working) Franzia Boxed Wine (one was white and one was red)

There were also no less than three flashers (two that just had trenchcoats over shorts, one with a flashing light when he opened his coat), four swine flus, three Maxes from Where the Wild Things Are, and about seven Michael Jacksons (age of youngest: approx. 5. age of oldest: approx: 55).
posted by ocherdraco at 1:47 PM on November 2

Me = Lady Gaga as a Viking. Or as I was calling her, "Saga Gaga." Photo 1, photo 2.

My boyfriend went as Italian Spiderman.

It was awesome.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 1:51 PM on November 2

Father and son, tortoise and hare.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 2:00 PM on November 2 [1 favorite]

I didn't do anything for myself but I make my son a viking
posted by beccaj at 2:30 PM on November 2 [3 favorites]

We went as Ryu and Chun Li from Street Fighter, and even won the costume contest. I was surprised how many people quickly identified us.
posted by sephira at 2:38 PM on November 2

Since I just went as generic 'future girl' (not Gaga-esque, since I'm kind of in favor of wearing the bottom half of a costume) and Reptile went as Jesus, both of which are kind of boring, I will share what we saw while giving out the 500 pieces:
#1: A group in a giant, Carnival-style puppet, with separate people on each hand.
#2: A surprising number of traditional costumes, like ghosts and devils and robots. There were some damn fine robots.
#3: Bizarrely, two or three homemade Pikachus. Pikachu? Really?
posted by cobaltnine at 2:42 PM on November 2

Notable costumes I saw at the party I went to:

Topical: A couple with posters of their Facebook pages, a Sim, a couple dressed as Swine Flu (pig snouts & ears, t-shirts with H1N1 printed on them), a Lolcat (girl dressed as cat with "I can has cheeseburger?" on her shirt).

Political: Two guys prosletizing for Zombie Jesus, a guy Teabagging for Jesus (wearing a huge teabag with a set of balls attached), a girl giving herself a coat-hanger abortion.

Movie: Beetlejuice, Dr. Manhattan, Lela from 5th Element, Mystique, Wolverine.
posted by scalefree at 2:43 PM on November 2

We went to the Urlesque Meme party. My girlfriend went as a meme and myself the process of creating a meme... a meta-meme.
posted by yeti at 2:51 PM on November 2 [1 favorite]

I went as Coraline.

My favorite costumes: a Mobius stripper, a medieval plague doctor
posted by peacheater at 3:04 PM on November 2

I didn't dress up but the best visitors I had were three kids (ages 5 to 11-ish, two boys and a girl) dressed up as nerds. They wore short sleeved plaid shirts with pocket protectors, heavy black glasses with masking tape wrapped around the nose piece, carried laptop bags as candy bags, etc. I gave dad a thumbs up and he laughed.
posted by deborah at 3:06 PM on November 2

I was Rorschach. But without beans.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 3:10 PM on November 2

I got red on me.
posted by adamdschneider at 3:13 PM on November 2 [1 favorite]

My husband and I went as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. (Many thanks to the MeFites for their fake boob advice.)
posted by web-goddess at 3:39 PM on November 2

The adults in my neighborhood are turning Halloween into a roving, free-flowing outdoor cocktail party. Just like last year, I saw several dads with beers and cigars, and several moms with glasses of wine. Not to be outdone, I sipped (quaffed?) several glasses of wine from a water bottle, while my two little skeletons raided the candy bowls. At one house, I was offered hors d'oeuvres. At another, curry.

Signs of civilization on the Seattle Eastside. Suck it, you townie haters.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:43 PM on November 2

Two more I just remembered, both from TV: Dexter Morgan & the Green Guy from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
posted by scalefree at 4:11 PM on November 2

The adults in my neighborhood are turning Halloween into a roving, free-flowing outdoor cocktail party.

I need some advice on getting this going in our hood, Papa Bell.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 4:19 PM on November 2

I solicited advice for my costume in AskMe. I went as the opening credits sequence to Law and Order. It turned out perfectly. Playing the DOINK DOINK sound whenever I left a conversation was lots of fun.

DOINK DOINK
posted by painquale at 4:44 PM on November 2 [4 favorites]

Meh, I was Death from Sandman (thanks to some help from AskMe), and it went ok. The real awesomeness of the night, however, was my boyfriend, who was the Flying Spaghetti Monster in Wii boxers.

I don't understand the Wii boxers either, so don't ask.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 4:53 PM on November 2

I went as Gandhi. People seemed to get a kick out of it, and now there are countless pictures of me floating around on random people's cameras. My favorite moment:

I was at a bar, dressed as Gandhi, and a girl was looking at my costume. I looked over at her and said hi, and she says, "What is your costume?" I say, "I'm Gandhi." She says, "I don't know what that is." Like, she not only doesn't know who that is, she doesn't know what that is. LOL, what's a Gandhi?
posted by malapropist at 5:41 PM on November 2 [1 favorite]

Please tell me you went door to door singing "IIIIIII / WANT GHAN-DI / [clap-uh clap clap / clap clap]".
posted by cortex at 5:44 PM on November 2 [3 favorites]

what's a Gandhi?

Twenty rupees, same as in town.*

*Gandhi is actually on the 20 rupee note released in 1996^{^}
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:52 PM on November 2 [7 favorites]

Mrs. Bastard and I were Zombie Teabaggers. Zombie makeup, redneck-slogan ballcaps with tea bags, sleeveless "patriotic" t-shirts, and misspelled signs (ZOMBYS AGENST HELTH CARE, and OMABAS' DETH PANNELS TOOK OUR JOBS).
posted by Cookiebastard at 6:15 PM on November 2 [2 favorites]

purpletangerine and I crossdressed. My sister did my hair... which was crazy-awesome if I do say so myself.
posted by odinsdream at 6:35 PM on November 2

Thanks, Winsome Parker Lewis, for resurrecting my thread! I went as a garden gnome using a hat and boot tops I sewed, a blue Slanket and a re-styled Santa beard/wig combo. Mr. Carmicha went as... a very cool, um, something which he made using random crap from the garage and Great Stuff. This gargolye rocked; she made the mask, wings, collar and tunic herself and she had feet every bit as impressive as her paws-n-claws. A good time was had by all.
posted by carmicha at 6:38 PM on November 2 [1 favorite]

I went as a CO2 molecule--two red balloons labeled "O" attached on either side of a black stocking cap labeled "C". Scary, easy to do, goes over well with the atmospheric scientists. Halfway through the evening I took off one of the balloons to convert myself into carbon monoxide (I gave the resulting free radical to the ten-month-old at the party, who seemed very pleased with it.)
posted by fermion at 6:46 PM on November 2 [1 favorite]

painquale: "I solicited advice for my costume in AskMe. I went as the opening credits sequence to Law and Order. It turned out perfectly. Playing the DOINK DOINK sound whenever I left a conversation was lots of fun.

DOINK DOINK"

Pix or it didn't happen! :)
posted by radioamy at 7:47 PM on November 2

Found low pixel girl via reddit/pics. It's win.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:57 PM on November 2 [4 favorites]

I went as a piece of software. I was covered in binary code, complete with bugs, patches, and a license agreement that I DEMANDED everyone read before they could talk to me. My partner was a software pirate, of course.
posted by kathrineg at 8:16 PM on November 2 [1 favorite]

I was a Halloween grinch for most of the month, but it ended up being really awesome. After handing out chocolate to a ton of adorable toddlers (seriously, they were all babies at that perfect smiley happy candy-is-the-best-thing-ever stage) I went to a fun party and ended my night eating a baguette on the street at a biker dance party while dressed as a hippie (I started off the night as the "Grateful Undead" but my face paint did not last as long as I did).

So, you guys win. Halloween is fun.
posted by oinopaponton at 8:44 PM on November 2

I went as Ai-chan/Yatterman 2go from the Yatterman movie.
posted by emmling at 9:14 PM on November 2

I was also max... I usually hate doing anything so topical, but who am I to argue with an excuse to base a costume around fleece pajamas?

Ironically, I haven't even seen the recent film based on the popular children's book. It just reminded me how much I like it...
posted by flaterik at 9:34 PM on November 2

Mekka Lekka Hi there
posted by Hoopo at 10:55 PM on November 2 [10 favorites]

Oh my god everyone click Hoopo's link.

You will not regret it.
posted by ocherdraco at 11:32 PM on November 2

What did Jesus wear?
Why, this!
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:22 AM on November 3

I went as Maude Lebowski from the dream sequence in The Big Lebowski. Here's a better photo from when I wore it to LebowskiFest a few weeks ago. I won a trophy for Best Maude!
posted by bluishorange at 6:27 AM on November 3 [3 favorites]

Bluishorange, no way! So did I!

Unfortunately, it was really, really slapdash. I ended up having a friend hurriedly staple the remains of a skirt to myself for the top, and the spray paint wasn't totally dry on the vinyl, so I stuck to myself (and the pillowcase I sat on in the car).

Still, I'm keeping most of the parts, and I'll do it better next time.

And when you think you need to buy the smaller things for the boobs? Just buy the bigger ones. The guy at Home Depot won't judge you as you hold them up to your chest; he spent half the day making a MarioKart with someone else.
posted by Madamina at 7:22 AM on November 3

Oh, I totally forgot about a fantastic costume I saw at a party two days before Halloween!

A guy dressed up in a brown suit, got some hornrim glasses, and colored his hair white -- and then made a little 3-d model of a house out of paper and attached it to some helium balloons and walked around with them.

He was "Carl Fredricksen" from the movie Up.

(The best part was that there was another guy there in a boy scout uniform, completely by accident -- we made them pose for pictures together.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:36 AM on November 3

I ran out of candy at like 7:30 and ended up having to raid the pantry for treats...one kid got a bell pepper, one kid got a box of Jell-o.
posted by sexyrobot at 8:19 AM on November 3 [3 favorites]

Madamina, this was my second Maude attempt, after one made mostly of hot glue in 2004. I learned a lot the first time, so this one was a lot easier. Next time you will kick lots of ass!

For my boobs I used a styrofoam sphere, and those don't come in a lot of sizes, which is why I had to squish in. That's a lot of info for Metafilter to have about my boobs, but whatever.
posted by bluishorange at 9:00 AM on November 3

My son was a perogi.

This is actually from last year, but I missed this thread last year (if there was one).
posted by Kabanos at 10:23 AM on November 3 [5 favorites]

I was Max too!
posted by sweetmarie at 11:19 AM on November 3 [1 favorite]

I did not have a costume, so I decided to dress up, put on a wonder-bra and makeup and go as "cute". I don't normally wear makeup or do girly cloths, so I was feeling rather out of my element. I walked out of the bathroom and all my girlfriend could say was..."wow, did you do all that to cover up that big zit on your face?". Needless to say, the makeup came off, the wonder-bra was exchanged for a sports bra and I wore sweatpants, hoodie and a scowl the rest of the evening (after I stopped boohooing like the emotional girl that I sometimes can be).

She did, however... apologize profusely and then proceeded to give me all of her Halloween candy as a make-up present, and what better sorry is there than a handful of mini-snickers?
posted by Jenny is Crafty at 12:13 PM on November 3

Kane from Alien.

That's one of my three-month old twins as the chestburster.
posted by total warfare frown at 12:42 PM on November 3 [13 favorites]

Sweetmarie, your max is AWESOME!
posted by flaterik at 2:00 PM on November 3

Thanks! I was quite pleased with it myself.
posted by sweetmarie at 2:41 PM on November 3

total warfare frown, you just made my week.
posted by Riki tiki at 2:41 PM on November 3

I was, in fact, Lady Gaga. But a drunk dude asked me if I was Disney Concert Hall and sort of made my night.
posted by Thin Lizzy at 4:43 PM on November 3 [2 favorites]

you're welcome!

mine had claws though! claws I say!
posted by flaterik at 5:15 PM on November 3

Lifted from Fark: Demonstrating once again the collective intelligence of America, poison centers across the country got the most Halloween calls from people who had swallowed the liquid inside glow sticks.

Pandemic, now, please. Apparently the population needs to be markedly thinned.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:09 PM on November 3

Pandemic, now, please. Apparently the population needs to be markedly thinned.

I think you have confused a MeTa thread about people's nice Halloween costumes for the "rants about how stupid people are" thread which is... elsewhere.
posted by jessamyn at 7:36 PM on November 3 [1 favorite]

The foul-smelling liquid inside can cause skin irritation, itchy eyes and upset tummies, but not Halloween death.

What, exactly, is Halloween death?
posted by ocherdraco at 7:37 PM on November 3 [1 favorite]

Sorry.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:37 PM on November 3

What, exactly, is Halloween death?

It's the death that comes about three or four weeks before Thanksgiving Death.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:46 PM on November 3

i was sexy rorschach. forgot the leather gloves at home, but that was really the only mishap.
posted by emilyd22222 at 8:53 PM on November 3

oh, and for future reference, if any of you ever plan on wearing white face paint, prepare for butterteeth.
posted by emilyd22222 at 8:55 PM on November 3

Finally, photos of my spirit of Chastity costume. Rebuking sluts. With my date, Colossus.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 10:41 AM on November 4

Oh hi I'm late to the thread. My reclusive friend demanded that I accompany her to a dread BAR to drink shitty theme drinks and save her from the doom of hanging in a platonic group with a guy she has the hots for. She was Liz Lemon, so I cobbled together Ugly Betty, including a necklace I made in 10 minutes from Claire's glass pearls and painted cardboard. Photobooth Pics are terrible when you costume mostly involves a big letter! You can't see it, but the tights are actually plaid, which I am proud of. Also the shoes are Fluevogs, which I deemed "designer" enough for Uggo-B.

Sad part is, I looked much better and more put-together than I normally do.
posted by Mizu at 5:26 PM on November 4