Gilroy resident Luis Castilla is excited to share his custom, immersive, thematic Halloween display with his neighborhood and the community.
Castilla, a 26-year-old film student at Gavilan College, has decorated the small front yard of his family home on Martiri Drive in west Gilroy every Halloween for the last seven years. The intricately designed display features elements from some of his favorite scary movies, carefully placed dynamic lighting, motion sensors and animatronics that guide visitors from the curb to his front door.
The interactive display includes a “crime scene” made up of skeleton pieces scattered on the ground, characters from “Scream” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” hanging ghosts from the flick “Hallows’ Eve” and a hanging rotten pumpkin.
A seven-foot-tall animatronic, menacing clown, whom Castilla named “Hugz the Clown,” stands on the edge of the driveway where every visitor has to pass before triggering a motion sensor that causes the character to talk to them. Other elements invite visitors to interact with hidden sensors that produce spooky surprises.
At times, Castilla will don his costume—the character Leatherface from “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Castilla has loved Halloween since he was a child. Since he was 8, he said he has taken on the creative task of decorating his family home during the holidays—especially for Halloween.
“Halloween has always been a big passion for me,” Castilla said during a recent evening tour of the display. “They’re not just decorations—they mean something to me.”
This year, Castilla started planning the display in August. He said the goal is not simply to frighten people.
“It’s not just about making it scary; it’s also family friendly,” Castilla said. “It’s about being creative and bringing joy to the neighborhood.”
As a film student at Gavilan, Castilla has focused his studies on scriptwriting and acting. His preferred genre is slasher films. He has some work in progress on that front that he is eager to release in the coming months.
As for his Halloween display, Castilla’s neighbors have already seen a taste of the decor as he has been setting everything up. Naturally, he is expecting plenty of young trick-or-treaters on Halloween night, and plans to host friends and classmates for an upcoming private gathering to share his creativity.
“I take Halloween more seriously than my birthday. I would even say this is my pride,” Castilla said. “There’s no place like home for Halloween.
