Zeitgeist Films

With Halloween less than a week away, you’re probably reading this from the line at one of Manhattan’s 22 Ricky’s locations. I was there last year. It took 35 minutes to purchase a feather boa… which I never ended up using. 

Finding the right costume is never easy. You want to be unique, recognizable, and comfortable even when you start feeling tipsy… a balancing act few manage to pull off. (Molly and I are feeling pretty great about our costumes this year though - she’s going as the dinosaur from Tree of Life and I’m going as someone who’s blissfully forgotten ever seeing Tree of Life).

For those of you still looking, however, we present some Zeitgeist-inspired costume ideas. We admit that not all of them will be immediately guessable. But think of how smug you’ll get to be!

Let’s start off easy - 

Hildegard von Bingen, of Vision. It’s feministy and it’s simple. I can’t imagine this requiring more than three towels to achieve. Bonus points if you stop whatever party you’re at to start praying in German. 

Paul Goodman. Glasses, pipe, sweater (comfy rule win), furrowed brow, and you’re done. Really sell it by trying to hook up with everyone you think is cute, while also talking about radical education reforms (it makes sense if you’ve seen the movie).

Admit it, you’ve always thought you’d look pretty good as a lightening bolt. This one is pretty hard to mess up. Get some posterboard, cut the full sheet into the shape of a lightening bolt, and stick it to yourself. You are lazy and wonderful.

Bill Cunningham! Bust out that camera you retired when you got your first iPhone, hop under a spacious blue poncho, and BE SWEET AND CHARMING TO EVERYONE. Bicycle kiiiind of optional, but also not really. Cutest, nicest costume ever. 

To prove how easy this Halloween can be, Molly and I modeled our favorite Zeitgeist costume ideas for you.

Molly looks great as the tree from The Tree, especially when you consider the direction she received: “You are Charlotte Gainsbourg’s dead husband, but you are also a tree, so show me more of that.” 

Branches, trunk, sad-dead expression… it’s one of the more challenging costumes to pull off, but Molly did a great job. 

Pretty much identical.

As for me… I love prison dramas and yelling in Spanish, so I chose to model my Malamadre costume (from Cell 211) - completed in less than six minutes!

Eyebrow articulation could have been a bit better, but boy does that mole look great. 

UNCANNY. (Though next time I will devote a few more minutes to applying stubble).

There you go! Begone with you! Gorge on candy corn! Carve a The Corporation-themed pumpkin and bring it to the Occupy Wall Street folks!