Smart home Halloween: Special FX for a spooky, next-level house

What makes Halloween so delightfully spooky? Is it the lineup of scary movies on TV? Is it the people (and dogs) wandering the streets in creepy costumes? Halloween decorations, quite literally, set the scene for a haunting holiday. You’ve undoubtedly seen inflatable ghosts and temporary tombstones peppering your neighbors’ lawns over the years. But this year, you can really turn up your Halloween scares with a little help from the tech world.

It’s time to bring a little high-tech terror to your street. Amazon has a smattering of some very cool special effects to make your decor more lifelike (or dead-like, as the case may be) than ever.

Here’s what we found.

Holiday digital decoration projector (with 16 AtmosFX video effects)

This mini projector comes with a 4-by-6-foot virtual reality projection screen and a USB stick loaded with 16 AtmosFX holiday scenes. There are eight Halloween scenes, four Christmas videos and four miscellaneous holiday effects. Project waltzing spirits, a crowd of zombies, the shadow of a grave digger and more onto the sheer screen and bring these haunting images to life.

Holiday projector with projection screen and 16 videos, $280

Holographic gray projection material

To give your ghosts an even more otherworldly glow, you can buy a holographic gray projection screen. These screens are also available in white.

Holographic gray projection material (5.5 by 9 feet), $50

AtmosFX “Witching Hour” digital decoration

This witch projection boils up trouble in her cauldron, conjures spells and even sings original Halloween songs. This decoration comes on a DVD, which you can play through your television or plug into any projector, like the Reaper Brothers holiday projector.

AtmosFX “Witching Hour” digital decoration, $40

AtmosFX “Macabre Manor” digital decoration

Who wouldn’t want to invite this spooky, long-since-dead family into their Halloween party? Like the “Witching Hour” digital decoration, this effect comes on a DVD, which can be played through a TV or through a projector. 

AtmosFX “Macabre Manor” digital decoration, $40

Face-transforming LED mask

This customizable mask connects to a mobile app via BlueTooth. The app has hundreds of animated and still faces and even allows you to upload your own images. Don’t have your phone nearby? No problem. You can also flip through your favorite designs by waving your hands in front of the mask. Wear this high-tech creation with your costume, or use it as a dystopian decoration.

Face-transforming LED mask, $80

LED flame lightbulb with gravity sensor (2 pack)

These indoor-outdoor LED lightbulbs emit a realistic flame-like flicker, making your haunted house that much spookier — without the potential danger of actual fire. These bulbs are also equipped with a gravity sensor, making the flame effect that much more convincing. They also function in a static “general light” mode and a slow-pulsing “breathing” mode.

LED flame lightbulbs (2 pack), $13

Haunted doorbell with animated eyeball

When you push the button on this animated doorbell, the eye pops open, lights up and looks around and your guests, all while horror music plays. This decoration is fun for trick-or-treaters and Halloween party revelers alike. Batteries are sold separately.

Haunted doorbell with animated eyeball, $22

Motion-activated singing skeletons

These motion-activated skeletons engage in bony banter and play banjo music for passersby. They’re around 39 inches tall when standing, or 23 inches tall when seated. Best of all, these skeletons are multi-lingual. With just one switch, you can select from English, French or Spanish. But act fast; these skeletons are selling quickly.

Banjo-playing, singing skeletons, $126

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