Hollywood Gothique
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Los Angeles Halloween Events for the week of October 16-22, 2015

Los Angeles Halloween fans should take a moment to stop and thank the calendar. Why? Because today is October 16 – just past halfway through the month – and yet we still have three weekends of Halloween fun on the horizon!

Most of the major haunted houses are open, but there are still some interesting smaller events unlocking their tombs, and there are many horror film about to unspool on the silver screen. Peruse the list before to determine which events to add to your personal schedule for the next week…

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Alone: Index of Absorption in Los Angeles
October 17 @ 8:00 am – November 1 @ 5:00 pm | $65

Alone Index of AbsorptionAlone: An Existential Haunting returns for its third Halloween in Los Angeles. This year, the October presentation is the final installment of a four-part mega-work, “Unweave the Rainbow,” which began in June, taking audiences through four indices of Light: Diffusion, Refraction, Reflection, and now Absorption. The 45-minute walk-through experience takes each guest on a solo trip tailored to the individual.

Dates are October 17-18, 21-15, 28-31, and November 1.Tickets are $65 for General Admission, $80 for Priority Access.

No one under 18 is allowed. You will be required to sign a waiver. Street parking is available but difficult; Alone recommends you use the Luxe on-demand valet app.

Learn more here.

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Attack on Titan – End of the World at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica
October 22 @ 7:30 pm | $11

Attack-on-Titan-The-Movies-Part-1-2-Official-TrailerThe American Cinematheque screens the apocalyptic Japanese horror-fantasy. The film screens twice at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica: first on Thursday, October 22 and then again Sunday, October 25. The film begins at 7:30pm on both nights.

Attack on Titan: 2015, FUNimation Entertainment, 100 min, Japan, Dir: Shinji Higuchi. Screening in DCP format. More info here.

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Back to the Future I and II in Victory Park in Pasadena
October 17 @ 5:45 pm – 7:00 pm

Back to the Future 1 and 2Street Food Cinema presents a double bill of Back to the Future and Back to the Future II, with food vendors and live music by the Flux Capacitors. Doors open at 5pm; band plays at 5:45pm; films start at 7pm.

Tickets are $20 for reserved adult seating ($17 in advance); $15 for general adult seating ($12 in advance). Children from 6 to 12 are $11 for reserved seating and $6 for general seating. Children under 5 are free.

The event’s webpage is here.

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Boney Island 2015 in Sherman Oaks
October 17 @ 6:00 pm – October 18 @ 9:00 pm | Free

boney island skull above entranceThe annual Halloween attraction – a whimsical skeleton magic show – returns with a new addition: an Enchanted Garden! This is one of the best yard haunts in Los Angeles – a must-see event for families with children.

This year’s schedule is: October 17 & 18 – 6-10pm; Oct. 21-31 – 6-9pm weekdays, 6-10pm weekends.

Boney Island’s website is here.

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The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) at Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo
October 16 @ 8:15 pm – October 18 @ 2:30 pm | $10

Bride of Frankenstein posterAs part of their annual “Old Town Music Haunt” – a month-long series of Halloween horror movies – the Old Town Music Hall presents The Bride of Frankenstein – quite often regarded as the high-water mark of classic, black-and-white fright films. Once again starring Boris Karloff as the Monster, this sequel actually surpasses the original Frankenstein, including more content from Mary Shelly’s source novel. Director James Whale imparts more of his signature tongue-in-cheek humor, turning the film into a ghoulish black comedy that sustains its ability to amuse and entrance decades later.

The film screens on three days: Friday at 8:15pm; Saturday at 2:30pm and 8:15pm; and Sunday at 2:30pm. Doors open a half-hour before showtime. The show will begin with live performance on the in-house Wurlitzer pipe organ, an audience sing along, and a short comedy film. After a 15-minute intermission, the feature film will commence.

No advance tickets. The theatre website is here.

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Carmilla at the Lyric Hyperion in Los Angeles
October 16 @ 8:00 pm – November 8 @ 3:00 pm | $15

Carmilla on stage retouchThe other great Victorian vampire story, J. Sheridan LeFanu’s Carmilla, gets the stage treatment this Halloween season, courtesy of an adaptation by David MacDowell Blue, directed by Mark Hein. The story has lonely Laura befriended by a mysterious guest, whose name is an anagram for the sanguinary Countess Mircalla Karnstein.

The plays runs from October 16 through November 8 on Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm and on Sundays at 3pm. Tickets are $15. The theatre website is here.

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Dearly Departed Horror Film Location Tour in Hollywood
October 17 @ 3:00 pm – October 18 @ 7:00 pm | $55

Dearly Departed Horror Film Location Michael MyersDearly Departed Tours offers an escorted Halloween tour of famous horror film locations around Hollywood and Pasadena. See streets and houses used in  Halloween (1978), Zombieland, Scream 2, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982), Ed Wood (1994), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and more. Also on the tour are the homes where horror icons Peter Lorre and Bela Lugosi died in real life.

Your guide will be dressed as Michael Myers, so you can get a photograph of yourself being stabbed to death by “The Shape” in front of the hedge where an actual scene from the film was shot.

Dates for the four-hour Horror Film Location Tour are October 17-18 and 24-25. All tours begin at 3pm at Sunset Bouelvard in Hollywood, between N. Shrader Boulevard and Cassil Place; the exact location details will be provided when you purchase tickets.

Dearly Departed is also offering a Ghost Tour this season. The event’s webpage is here.

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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) at the Eyptian Theatre in Hollywood
October 17 @ 8:30 pm

Dr._Jekyll_and_Mr._Hyde_(1920)_04The American Cinematheque hosts an evening of silent horror presented by Retro Format Films on 8mm. The headliner is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), starring John Barrymore. Also screening will be scenes from the Louis B. Mayer production starring Sheldon Lewis, released the same year, and the complete 1911 one-reel Thanhauser version starring ames Cruze. Cliff Retallick will provide live musical accompaniment.

The event’s webpage is here.

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The Fly (1958) at Old Town Music Hall in El Segundo
October 18 @ 7:30 pm | $10

The Fly (1958) posterAs part of their semi-regular “Sci Fi Sunday” series, the Old Town Music Hall screens the 1958 version of The Fly, starring Al (later David) Hedison as a scientist whose experiments with matter teleportation end when his molecules are accidentally mixed with those of a housefly. Vincent Price co-stars in this classic sci-fi monster movie, which features a truly memorable ending with a human-fly hybrid trapped in a spider’s web.

The film will be preceded by live live organ music, an audience sing along, and an episode of the 1936 serial Flash Gordon. After a 15-minute intermission, the feature film will commence.

The theatre website is here.

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Growl-o-ween Pet Parade and Costume Contest in Venice
October 18 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm| Free

Growl-o-ween 2015The Dog Bakery  presents Growl-o-ween at its Venice location. Proud pet owners are invited to put their pups on parade and enjoy a costume party and contest. Prizes include packaged treats and a 4.5-pound bag of dog food. Also, all dogs will receive a bag of fresh baked samples from the Dog Bakery.

Registration is free. Call or visit the store to sign up and be sure your dog receives the free gift!

The Dog Bakery’s Pasadena location presents another Growl-o-ween pet parade and costume contest on October 25. The Bakery’s website is here.

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I Sell the Dead at Arclight Hollywood
October 18 @ 8:00 pm | $16.50
I-Sell-The-Dead-Trailer
I Sell the Dead

As part of the Arclight Cinemas’s “Arclight Presents” series, the Arclight Hollywood screens the 2008 horror-comedy about a grave-robber headed for the gallows, reflecting back on his criminal career – which includes encounters with corpses that did not necessarily stay dead.

Get more info here.

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L.A. Lit Crawl in NoHo Arts District in North Hollywood
October 21 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm | Free

Lit Crawl 15-banner-LA2On Wednesday, October 21, fans of the literary arts are invited to attend the 3rd annual L.A. Lit Crawl in the NoHo Arts District. Galleries, theatres, restaurants, and bars will host dozens of literary events, featuring local authors and celebrities, followed by a closing party.

Though not exclusively devoted to Halloween, the Lit Crawl will feature several horror- and sci-fi themed presentations, including Zombies Versus Vampires; Animals, Aliens, and Other Creatures; and Creepy Crawlies.

L.A. Lit Crawl begins with an opening program at Laemmle’s NoHo 7 at 6pm. Participants then choose which events to attend at different locations during three rounds, beginning at 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm. The evening closes with a party at Studio 77 Noho (address: 5077 Lankershim Boulevard), running from 10pm to Midnight.

L.A. Lit Crawl is free except for the Studio 77 party.

Learn more here.

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Los Angeles Live Steamers Ghost Train in Griffith Park
October 16 @ 7:00 pm – November 1 @ 10:00 pm | $15

Los Angels Live Steamers Ghost Train 2014: EntranceThe Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum revs up their 7-1/2 gauge model trains for another Halloween filled with spooky scenes and astral projections. The twenty-minute outdoor ride is equivalent to driving by dozens of elaborately decked-out yard haunts, featuring amazing lighting effects. The fright-factor is completely family-safe – lots of great visuals but no live monsters attacking you from the shadows.

The Ghost trains will run on three weekends from mid-to-late October: October 16-18, 23-25, and 29-31, plus November 1. Learn more about the Ghost Train at the event’s Facebook page.

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Haunted Adventure 2015: Forgotten Fairytales at Starlight Bowl in Burbank
October 16 @ 7:00 pm – October 17 @ 9:00 pm | $5
Burbank Haunted Adventure
Burbank Haunted Adventure

The annual Halloween Adventure Tour in Stough Canyon Park offers Forgotten Fairytales for 2015. Guides will lead victims through the Starlight Bowl, transformed into a demented maze of frights with strangely familiar fairy tale characters around every corner.

No one under 6 will be be allowed. Children under 12 must be accompanied by adult. No flashlights, costumes or props allowed on the tour. No refunds.

Burbank is offering several other Halloween events, mostly for children. You can find more information here.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at Chance Theatre in Anaheim Hills
October 15 @ 7:00 pm – October 18 @ 5:00 pm | $25

Legends - SquareSpooky fun for kids! This adaptation of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” -currently at the Chance Theatre – gets “relaxed performance” on October 15, for which children under four will be admitted. Directed by Darryl Hovis, the play is a revised version of Jonathan Josephson’s adaptation for Wicked Lit (reviewed here), but with a new second act that reveals the “true” story of what happened – from the point of view of Ichabod Crane’s horse.

There are also performances on Saturday, October 17 at 1pm and 5pm and on Sunday, October 18 at 11am and 5pm.

Approximate Running Time: 1 hour with no intermission.

Content Rating: Good for ages 4 and up. Find tickets at the Chance Theatre.

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The Mad Magician at Heritage Square Museum in Newhall
October 17 @ 6:30 pm | $10

1954-THE-MAD-MAGICIAN-TRAILER-VINCENT-PRICEHeritage Square Museum presents its annual Halloween & Mourning Movie Night, featuring a classic horror film that should be good spooky fun for the whole family: The Mad Magician (1954), starring Vincent Price and Eva Gabor – screened in 3D! Bring a picnic, blankets, chairs, to make yourself as comfortable as possible. Admission is free for Museum Members and $10 for the general public. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

Note: The following weekend, Heritage Square Museum presents its annual Halloween and Mourning Tours. The museum’s website is here.

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Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension at Mann Chinese 6 in Hollywood
October 22 @ 7:30 pm

Paranormal Activity the ghost dimension posterParanormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension in RealD 3D premires at the Screamfest Film Festival on Thursday, October 22, the day before it hits theatres nationwide. Can anyone explain how a found-footage film is presented in 3D? Is stereo-vision standard on smart phones these days?

Screamfest will screen numerous other films throughout the week, including the original Paranormal Activity on Wednesday, October 21. Get more info from the Screamfest website.

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Perdition Home 2015 in Yorba Linda
October 22 @ 7:00 pm – October 25 @ 11:00 pm | Free

Perdition Home Logo HorizontalThe self-proclaimed “Goriest Home Haunt in Orange County” should appeal to fans of hard-core Halloween horror. Though Hollywood Gothique has never seen the full haunt, we did experience a mini-maze version at ScareLA in 2014 – filled with eviscerated bodies and electric firecrackers for a jolting effect. We understand that Perdition Home has more going for it than gore; it’s a fairly elaborate home haunt, along the lines of the Backwoods Maze in Burbank (an acknowledge source of inspiration).

This Halloween, Perdition Home is open on October 22-25, 29-31 & November 1. Hours are approximately 7-11pm (probably longer on Halloween night).

The haunt’s website is here.

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Shoreline Village Haunted House 2015 in Long Beach
October 16 @ 4:00 pm – October 18 @ 8:00 pm | $5

Shoreline Village Halloween Haunt XShoreline Village in Long Beach presents its annual Halloween haunted house. Dates are October 16-18, 21-25, 28-31. Hours are 4-8pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays; 3-9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $5. All proceeds benefit the YMCA Youth Institute.

The Haunted House is only one of several Halloween events occurring at Shoreline Village in October. Learn more here.

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The West Hollywood Haunted Pub Crawl 2015
October 15 @ 6:30 pm – November 14 @ 6:30 pm | $50

WeHo Pub Crawl 2015The West Hollywood Haunted Pub Crawl invites you to partake of spirits (in both senses of the word) during a three-hour tour of haunted hang-outs, hotels, restaurants, and clubs, including Pink Taco, Chateau Marmont, The Den, Sunset Trocadero, The Comedy Store, Riot House, Saddle Ranch, and The Sunset Tower Hotel. Along the one-mile trek, a “Gore Guide” will regale you with sinister side of West Hollywood history, revealing the human stories that lie behind the alleged hauntings.

The Haunted Pub Crawl runs from October 15 through November 14, Thursdays through  Saturdays at 6:30pm and Sundays at noon and 6pm. More dates will be added if the current schedule sells out.  A second route is planned, which will visit rock clubs such as  The Rainbow Room, The Whiskey, Viper Room, and State Social House, along with a haunted bookstore.

The pub crawl begins at Pink Taco. Arrive on time; the Gore Guide waits for no one.

NOTE: Half-off discounts are available to Hollywood Gothique readers who use the promo code STEVE when purchasing tickets here.

Steve Biodrowski, Administrator

A graduate of USC film school, Steve Biodrowski has worked as a film critic, journalist, and editor at Movieline, Premiere, Le Cinephage, The Dark Side., Cinefantastique magazine, Fandom.com, and Cinescape Online. He is currently Managing Editor of Cinefantastique Online and owner-operator of Hollywood Gothique.