October: A month of spooky, sweet fun. This month has a lot to offer: candy, cool costumes, fall decor, a pumpkin pandemic, and so much more. However, this year October in particular was filled with unexpected fun. Take October 27, for example. This iconic day in history came to be when two highly anticipated media releases occurred on the same day: The Five Nights at Freddy’s movie, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). These two things could not be more different. A movie about murderous animatronics and a pop album re-recorded from 2014 should not go together; nonetheless, fans of both embarked on a wild ride: “Five Nights at Freddy’s (Taylor’s Version).”
The idea of such a double feature can be traced back to mid-July of 2023, when millions went to see the films Barbie and Oppenheimer in one sitting. Popularized as “Barbenheimer,” the idea attracted widespread attention, becoming a brief cultural phenomenon advertised by big brands, and continuously celebrated in theaters. Of course, it was extremely fun to get dressed up for and see two entirely different movies. It may be why the idea of a FNAF and Taylor Swift double feature seemed so appealing.
First, the movie. Upon walking into Regal, there were many devoted FNAF fans, dressed up as their favorite animatronics. It brought on similar, fun, vibes to movies like Barbie and The Eras Tour Film, and made the experience all the more enjoyable. Walking into the theater, everyone was extremely excited for the movie to start. Many FNAF fans from the start have been waiting for this movie for nearly a decade. The hype was very high. Given it was opening night, fans were very nice and friendly with one another, bonding over the fact that something they all enjoy is coming to the big screen. Once the movie started, fans went insane over all of the references and lore in the movie, and it was a very enjoyable viewing experience. As for a review, this movie was not a horror movie. The horror aspect of it, as well as some of the story left a bit to be desired. That is not to say it was not a good film. The entire experience, from fan interactions to the general excitement during the movie was excellent, and it was a perfect start to the night.
Next, it was time for Taylor. Having waited the entire day to listen to 1989 (Taylor’s Version), the hype was high for this activity. Upon hearing the first beats to “Welcome to New York,” everyone knew that they would be in for a night of musical heaven. Taylor’s older voice sounded fantastic singing her past songs. The vault tracks: “Slut!,””Say Don’t Go,””Now That We Don’t Talk,””Suburban Legends,” and “Is it Over Now?” were new and exciting, while still fitting the old “1989-esque” style (no pun intended).
This was a crossover no one asked for, maybe even wanted; however, what we got was something everyone needed. Putting FNAF and Taylor Swift together in a sentence wasn’t something anyone would have thought of, but resulted in a fun, spooky, musical night of laughter and jumpscares (thank you, balloon boy).
