Hollywood Gothique
The Vault

Halloween Recommendations: Nightmare Before Christmas & Yard Haunts

Most of the major professional and theme park Halloween Haunts in Los Angeles are open for business by now, but some of the smaller venues – including a handful of amateur yard haunts will be opening their tombs this week. A few month-long film festivals continue with frightening flicks to keep you screaming throughout October.

In Hollywood, Theatre 68’s Haunted House manifests on Friday, then runs from October 24 through 31, from 8pm to 11pm on weekdays, open till midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. We can’t recommend this one personally (having never visited), but we intend to catch opening night this year and let you know how it turns out.

Also on Friday, the Catacombs in Ventura opens to invite unwary visitors into its depths. In Orange County, the Tustin Haunt unleashes its ghosts on Friday. If you’re looking for something more family friendly, check out Enchanted Hallow’s Eve at Star Eco Station Wild Life Rescue Station, Boo at the Zoo, and Scarium of the Pacific, all of which happen on Saturday.

As for amateur efforts, Rotten Apple 907’s Wizard of Odz, Horror on Frankel Street, and The Infected start on Friday. Saturday brings us Whitecliff Manor.

Prefer to do you screaming in the cinema? Well, there’s lots to see.

On Wednesday, the Silent Movie Theatre offers a double bill of THE ETRUSCAN KILLS AGAIN and TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD. We’ve never experienced the former, but the latter is a cult film par excellence – about Knights Templar who rise from the dead. This film almost never screens on the big screen so don’t miss this rare opportunity. George Romero’s personal favorite of all his films, MARTIN screens at the same theatre on Friday.

The Alex Theatre in Burbank offers the 1933 KING KONG on Saturday – not exactly a spooky film but apparently being a monster movie is good enough to get screened during the Halloween season.

And lastly, Tim Burton’s THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS finishes up its one-week run at El Capitan in Hollywood on Thursday. Even if you own the DVD, this annual release is a wonderful opporutnity to enjoy the film with fellow fans – and on top of that, you get to see it in 3D.