halloween - yes, seriously, halloween

Halloween was so unique this year that even though it is 11:37 on the eve before the first of December, I want to tell you all about it (thank you Kari for the pictures off you blog).

There is a large gothic cathedral on 110th that celebrates Halloween by showing an old silent horror film accompanied by a live organ music and followed by a parade of ghouls. Seriously, creepy and fun. The movie this year was Phantom of the Opera and even though the grand organ was still undergoing reconstruction (that’s a word, right?), the music was alive and eerie. Jon had been working late all week and the last thing he wanted to do was sit on a wooden chair at 10:30 at night and watch a black and white silent movie so he stayed home. At first I was going to try and sell the tickets, but Kari suggested I just go with her and Isaac and she even found a fellow teacher to Jon’s ticket from me. High five Kari.

The movie was fun. It was my first silent film and my first Lon Chaney film. Actually, I have a vague recollection of seeing the original Frankenstein…. A bunch of people from the ward were there so it was great to see the creative costumes. One family was all dressed up as different super heroes and another couple was dressed as Minnie Mouse and a rodent exterminator. As for the four of us; Isaac was polygamist, and the three of us were his wives.



The best part was the parade at the end. Isaac said as soon as the lights went out and the first ghoul appeared through the smoke at the front of the cathedral he could feel how tense Kari and I got. With the flash on in the pictures below you can’t tell how truly creepy these costumed charters really were. Aside from the ones slinking down the aisle there was one rappelling down one of the columns from the ceiling and ghost swaying back and forth about the crowd.

I’d definitely like to go again next year and take Jon along.