“Knock – Knock : Murder or Treat?”

Halloween has always been one of my favourite celebrations!

I know, I know, is not an Italian custom. So what? I celebrate it anyway. It will be for my penchant for the theatre but the idea of dressing up and walk around with a different face for a night in which everything-can-happen, it’s something I really like!

I’m glad that in recent years it is also spreading here and that some children come knocking for the traditional “trick or treat?”; It will not be a little make-up and fun to make us lose our cultural identity !!
What I hope is not going to be imported along with the festivities and costumes by creatures of the night, it is the incredible spear in murders that take place on the night of October 31.
I don’t think it’s the party itself to blame, whilst the possibility for murderers to blend into the crowd. In fact, the same peak is registered on New Year!
But I digress.
And maybe I’m also make you a little worried.
It is that speaking of Halloween, treats and masks (and assassins), a TV series come to my mind, which is extremely teasing that goes perfectly well with both the spirit of the festival and the autumn period more generally. Therefore provide  yourself with the S’mores Lollipop * and other mouth-watering treats, with a beautiful face mask (one of those that…. if you open the door with that cucumber smeared on your face you are more scarying than  if you wore a full Halloween costume), and make sure that there is still a daylight, or someone in your home that can protect you from the psychological anxiety that this show generates.

That it is not inviting, I confess, but I promise that The Following is one of those series that must be seen with the right atmosphere: in this case, the worry!

Created by Kevin Williamson (“Dawson’s Creek” – “The Vampire Diaries”) for Fox tv, The Following is above all a conflict between two forces: good and evil (yes ok it does not shine for originality but read on) where the good is represented by the FBI agent – an alcoholic – looking anything but recommended, Ryan Hardy – played by none other than Kevin
Bacon, and evil is the serial killer – aspiring writer – face of an angel Joe Carroll – who lends his face and British accent the charming James Purefoy.

What appealed to me most about this show is that it has changed the idea that you have of serial killers and the good that fight them. Not only our Special Agent Hardy has more than one skeleton in the closet, but more than once he is acting in ways not exactly ” nice “. In addition, the serial killer, usually depicted as an asocial and gloomy character, is affiliate instead with a group of supporters, which includes many people, equally with obvious mental problems, in desirous of being in the spotlight, in need of a leader , of a purpose. Joe Carroll is this: a guide, a person people can rely on.
Certainly not the killer stereotype!

No need for Halloween or a mask to hide and kill: the followers of Joe, his supporters, are hiding everywhere, living by ordinary people, are out (and in) your home, your office, your supermarket. The salesgirl you call for bread, the babysitter, the postman, the composer, your boss. They are all potential murderers.

But Ryan too has his fans, his followers, and are just as disturbing in my opinion!

Ryan and Joe could not be more different for their job and  and their formation, but they are incredibly similar in passions and tastes. Beginning with the women they compete for, to close with a passion for alcohol and Gothic poetry.
Edgar Allan Poe is the inspiration for Joe, but Ryan is his muse.

The relationship between the two is intricate, ambiguous, and is the mainstay of the show.

Not to be missing other fascinating characters, indeed, there are plenty of them, from the investigation team to the group of psychopathic killers. There are even twins creepy style or Shining cats Siamese de Lady and the Tramp, a sign that despite the innovations on the theme, the classic never goes out of style!

And now that you are terrified even by your own shadow, it’s the right time to start the TV series.

 

* S’mores Lollipop
(The recipe is from my friend, Anna)

Ingredients for 4 people:
– 16 Marshmallow
– 1 Dark Chocolate Bar
– 1 pack of biscuits “Digestive” (It can be replaced with gold biscuit)
– 16 swabs for Chupa Chups
– 5 plastic cups

Method:

First we have a marshmallow on each plastic stick as if to create a Chupa Chups, once completed this task we break the bar of chocolate in a bowl and let it melt in the microwave for about 40 seconds (an alternative to microwave you can melt the chocolate in a small pot with high sides with the addition of a little ‘milk).
We wrap the cookies in a bag with a rolling pin to freeze and reduce them in a grain not too little, but not too big, then dispose the grain in a bowl.
Take the plastic cups and drill holes on the bottom, the size of the plastic sticks, this will serve to make us keep the lollipop straight in the cooling process. For every glass we make 3 holes.
Once the chocolate and the cookies are ready, we can proceed with the preparation of our “S’mores lollipop”.
First we dip marshmallows in the chocolate, and soon after in the chopped cookies and quickly lay down each lollipop in glasses previously punctured.
We leave it to rest for about 10 minutes, the time required to harden the chocolate, before enjoying them with the right company.