Once upon a time Halloween was a quaint, homespun celebration, Now itÿs evolved into a multi-billion-dollar mega-holiday, with an economic impact exceeded only by Christmas. A carved pumpkin and a little trick-or-treating used to be sufficient celebration. Today, Americans expect to be chased through theme parks by chainsaw-wielding maniacs.

Now, the worldÿs leading horror historian will answer all those questions you were simply afraid to ask.

David J. Skal, the critically acclaimed author of The Monster Show (þThe best book on horror movies I have ever read,ú according to Robert Bloch, author of Psycho) and Hollywood Gothic (which Newsweek called þThe ultimate book on Dracula,ú) now offers a colorful, irreverent and frequently very funny slide lecture based on his new book, Death Makes a Holiday: A Cultural History of Halloween. With rare and compelling visuals, Mr. Skal digs deeply into the vaults of this perplexing but always popular celebration. He examines Halloweenÿs ancient roots in harvest rituals and human sacrifice, the fascinating and surprising origins of Halloween icons like pointy-hatted witches, black cats and jack-o-lanterns, and recounts the chillingly true story behind all those urban legends about the razor blade in the apple. He takes you on an eye-popping, cross-country guided tour for a behind-the-scenes peek inside the some of the best haunted houses. He chronicles how Salem, Massachusetts exploited its witch-hunt history to become Americaÿs premier Halloween destination, and explains why John Carpenterÿs Halloween became one of the most successful independent films of all time, creating the slasher genre in the process. And finally, he demonstrates how the events of September 11 may have transformed October 31 forever.

David J. Skal has lectured extensively on genre cinema at leading colleges and universities. His media appearances have included Entertainment Tonight, Joan Rivers, Charlie Rose, The CBS Evening News, and National Public Radio's All Things Considered.

Books and display materials available. Nationwide media appearances October 2002.