AS A KID growing up in the Midwest, Halloween was a big deal. I’d start working on my costume in June, sometimes creating two so I could trick or treat twice—once with my parents and once with my friends. We went to our church’s haunted house every year, and even though it was always the same show, it was brilliant. I went to the same school as Harold Ramis’ kids, and on Halloween, he would don the old Ghostbusters uniform for us. It was just for that one day—a special occasion.
There are different ways to spend Halloween, depending on your age, of course. Sometimes it’s about dressing up for treats; sometimes it’s about tricks. At a certain age dressing up becomes fun again. One recent Halloween my friend Nate and I dressed up as Ari and Uzi from the movie The Royal Tenenbaums and went to a party at the Chateau Marmont. It was a blast to watch superfamous people in costume. My favorites were Ashton [Kutcher] and Demi [Moore], who dressed as the Chicago Bears (I’m from Chicago). It was totally unexpected and awesome.
Just like costumes, horror movies are synonymous with Halloween, but if you catch me watching one, it’s going to be in bed with my wife [Ashlee Simpson-Wentz]. When we went to see the new Halloween at the Grove movie theater, I was scared to drive home. I made her check the car before I got in. The Hollywood Cemetery has always freaked me out, too. They throw parties on the graves of people who’ve been dead for 60 years. Who wants to order a Red Bull near someone’s remains?
The truth is since moving to LA, I feel a bit like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin—I get hyped up, only to be often disappointed. The leaves don’t change color. Kids don’t trick or treat in my neighborhood. Photographers camp out at the pumpkin patches waiting to get a “starsare- just-like-us” moment. This year I plan on taking my son, Bronx, to his first pumpkin patch. I want to let him pick the pumpkin—I just don’t want to do it as a photo op.
But over the years I’ve come to realize Hollywood actually has an important aspect of this holiday at its very core. Every day people dress up as something they are not—whether it’s the Spider-Man on Hollywood Boulevard or the valet at the hotel. They’re all in costume, masquerading as someone else.
This year I plan to bring the Midwest to LA for Halloween. We’re going to make it a big deal. It’s a chance for everyone to escape for a night, when it’s OK to dress up like the villain for a sweet reward. I think we will get Bronx a couple of outfits. And we’ll dress up our dogs, too—they’re all good sports and usually put up with a picture or two. So if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by the Wentz household—we’ll have a bowl of candy waiting for you.
