An escapist extravaganza outdazzling Mardi Gras
It used to be a children's romp, before the scares of chocolate-covered razor blades. Long, long before that, it was a religious occasion for their pagan elders, and now it has been taken back by the grownupsmasks, costumes, witches, jack-o'-lanterns and all. Increasingly in the '80s, Halloween has become an escapist extravaganza for adults, a trickless treat that more closely resembles Mardi Gras than the candy-and-apple surfeits of yesteryear. This year's celebration will be the most raucous ever, lasting four or five days in some places, a...