Arts happenings conjure Halloween spirit around the IU Bloomington campus
Post courtesy of newsroom intern Tori Lawhorn:
Halloween isn’t just about trick-or-treating. If you want to embrace the spooky spirit of the holiday, check out some of the Halloween-inspired arts events happening around the IU Bloomington campus.
IU Auditorium
This year organist Dennis James returns to the IU Auditorium in its 75th anniversary season to accompany the film that started his career: “The Phantom of the Opera.”
“Dennis James Hosts Halloween“ — Before Dennis James, one of the world’s greatest cinema organists, traveled the world performing in festivals and composing original scores for silent films, he was an IU student with a passion for organ music and film. He organized and sold tickets to his self-produced performance of “The Phantom of the Opera” to a sold-out crowd on Oct. 31, 1969.
Now, 46 seasons later, James is coming back to his alma mater to perform the masterpiece that started his illustrious career. James will accompany the silent film starring Lon Chaney at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 30. In the classic story, a young soprano becomes the obsession of a disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House. Tickets are $8 or $16 for IU students, $16 or $21 for general admission.
Grunwald Gallery of Art
The Department of Biology donated some of its specimens to the show.
“The Wunderkammer: Curiosities in Indiana University Collections“ — This show highlights the practice of private and institutional collecting of art, artifacts, specimens and objects through the special collections on the IU campus that are not typically seen by the average visitor.
Some objects in the exhibition include Herman B Wells’ handmade underwear from the Elizabeth Sage Costume Collection, a hen’s egg found trapped inside the walls of the Wylie House in 1835 and an original 1955 Relax-A-Cizor device from the Kinsey Institute Collections.
The exhibition runs until Nov. 18 at the Grunwald Gallery, which is open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday in the Fine Arts Building.
Mathers Museum of World Cultures
The Dia de los Muertos altar is displayed in the Mathers Museum of World Cultures.
The 10th Annual Dia de los Muertos Community Altar, on display until Nov. 1, will celebrate and honor the memories of deceased loved ones. Each year the altar is built upon the foundation of the previous years’ offerings. The event is free and open to the public. Times are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.
Halloween Family Fun Fest: Monster Mash is at 2 p.m. on Oct. 31. The family-friendly Monster Mash will help celebrate the new “Monsters!” exhibit, which will continue at the Mathers Museum through Dec. 18. Visitors will have the chance to play monstrous games, including Pin the Eye on the Monster and Monster Bowling, and to make crafts, including Monster Goo. Free and open to the public.
Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union
Union Board Films presents “The Babadook“ on Oct. 29 through Oct. 31. In the chilling film, a troubled widow discovers her son is telling the truth about a monster that entered their home through the pages of a children’s book. There will be showings at 8 and 11 each night. Free with student ID, $2 general admission.
IU Cinema
“Psykho III The Musical” is one of the short films based on Hitchcock on the bill Oct. 30 at IU Cinema.
Experimental Hitchcock shorts program will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 30 at IU Cinema. Immortalized as a master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock nevertheless also radically challenged the Hollywood system’s norms and cinematic language. The filmmakers featured in this program have in turn appropriated Hitchcock’s work as their own raw material for their experimental films. Screenings include “Vertigo,” “Psycho,” and “Torn Curtain,” among others. Free, but ticketed.
“Mommie Dearest” will be screened at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 30 at IU Cinema. Based on the best-selling memoir by Christina Crawford, “Mommie Dearest” pulls back the curtain on life with Joan Crawford. This campy adaptation features an over-the-top portrayal of Crawford by Faye Dunaway as an intensely terrifying and abusive monster of an adoptive mother, who could give any horror-film antagonists a run for their money. $3 for all tickets.
“Hausu (House)” will be presented at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 30 and 7 p.m. on Oct. 31 at IU Cinema. $3 for all tickets. The 1977 Japanese horror film is a hallucinatory head trip about a schoolgirl who travels with six classmates to her ailing aunt’s creaky country home, only to come face to face with evil spirits, bloodthirsty pianos, and a demonic house cat. Contains graphic content, including violence and nudity.
IU Cinema tickets are available online or at the IU Auditorium Box Office.
Tags: Grunwald Gallery of Art, IU Auditorium, IU Cinema, Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Union Board, whittenberger auditorium
