Chicago Halloween DUB
Date Of Production
1988
Abstract
A rapidly-edited short documentary showing how a variety of individuals, cultural organizations, and performers celebrate Halloween in Chicago.
Log
00:00 - 00:30: Opening credits with spooky synth music and sounds, accompanied by images of candles, skulls, and skeletons.
00:31 - 00:59: Credits continue, listing some of those featured: Splatter Theatre, The Witches Ball, Hades Haunted House, Samantha the Rat Girl, and Robert "Freddy" Englund. In the background, a group performs a ritual with fire, blue flames, and chanting.
01:00 - 01:25: A man in a mask discusses his love for Halloween, relating it to how most people feel about Christmas. He explains the pagan holiday of Samhain, "when the veil between the dead and the living is at its thinnest". Shots of pumpkins carved for Halloween and other decorations are intercut.
01:26 - 01:45: Costumed people dance at a nightclub, intercut with bloody footage from a Splatter Theatre performance. Actor Robert Englund, known for playing Freddy Krueger, wishes everyone in Chicago a terrific Halloween.
01:46 - 02:25: Splatter Theatre scenes are intercut with cobwebs and other decorations. Kimble Paul, a bouncer at Chicago nightclub Neo, describes plans for a mock sacrifice while wearing a burning candle on his head.
02:26 - 03:30: A superimposed title introduces Jospeh, a pagan, who wears a pentagram necklace. Members of the Heartland Pagan Association are interviewed in a group. They discuss the holiday of Samhain in detail. This is followed by a collage of short shots of people dancing and having fun in costume at a club. The soundtrack is a song by The Cramps.
03:31 - 04:00: The masked man from the first scene discusses Samhaim in more detail, intercut with images of costumed children at a Halloween parade and scenes from Splatter Theatre.
04:01 - 04:30: Gretchyn Steele, identified in a superimposed title as a witch, discusses the role of women in Halloween and the horror aspect of the holiday, intercut with scenes from Splatter Theatre. This is followed by another brief transitional shot of the children's Halloween parade.
04:31 - 05:45: Kimble Paul from Neo discusses Halloween before Christianity. A pagan group performs a formal ritual.
05:46 - 06:26: A man dances and breathes fire. Members of the Heartland Pagan Association discuss Halloween as a solemn occasion. A group of drag queens show off their outfits and shoes and a group of people dressed as nuns sip drinks and laugh.
06:27 - 07:10: Robert Englund judges a costume contest and interviews some of the contestants, followed by more shots of the children's Halloween parade.
07:11 - 08:51: An extended bloody scene from Splatter Theater's performance precedes an interview with Rene Arceo from the Mexican Fine Arts Center (now known as the National Museum of Mexican Art), who discusses the differences between the Day of the Dead and Halloween, intercut with shots of Day of the Dead artwork.
08:52 - 10:59: Samantha the Rat Girl conducts a performance of her acrorats, surrounded by Halloween decorations. An interview with Joe Jensen from Hades Haunted House is intercut with footage of people entering the haunted house and footage of the rats doing tricks.
11:00 - 12:43: Kimble Paul continues to discourse on Halloween. The Splatter Theatre performance reaches its bloody climax and the credits roll.
00:31 - 00:59: Credits continue, listing some of those featured: Splatter Theatre, The Witches Ball, Hades Haunted House, Samantha the Rat Girl, and Robert "Freddy" Englund. In the background, a group performs a ritual with fire, blue flames, and chanting.
01:00 - 01:25: A man in a mask discusses his love for Halloween, relating it to how most people feel about Christmas. He explains the pagan holiday of Samhain, "when the veil between the dead and the living is at its thinnest". Shots of pumpkins carved for Halloween and other decorations are intercut.
01:26 - 01:45: Costumed people dance at a nightclub, intercut with bloody footage from a Splatter Theatre performance. Actor Robert Englund, known for playing Freddy Krueger, wishes everyone in Chicago a terrific Halloween.
01:46 - 02:25: Splatter Theatre scenes are intercut with cobwebs and other decorations. Kimble Paul, a bouncer at Chicago nightclub Neo, describes plans for a mock sacrifice while wearing a burning candle on his head.
02:26 - 03:30: A superimposed title introduces Jospeh, a pagan, who wears a pentagram necklace. Members of the Heartland Pagan Association are interviewed in a group. They discuss the holiday of Samhain in detail. This is followed by a collage of short shots of people dancing and having fun in costume at a club. The soundtrack is a song by The Cramps.
03:31 - 04:00: The masked man from the first scene discusses Samhaim in more detail, intercut with images of costumed children at a Halloween parade and scenes from Splatter Theatre.
04:01 - 04:30: Gretchyn Steele, identified in a superimposed title as a witch, discusses the role of women in Halloween and the horror aspect of the holiday, intercut with scenes from Splatter Theatre. This is followed by another brief transitional shot of the children's Halloween parade.
04:31 - 05:45: Kimble Paul from Neo discusses Halloween before Christianity. A pagan group performs a formal ritual.
05:46 - 06:26: A man dances and breathes fire. Members of the Heartland Pagan Association discuss Halloween as a solemn occasion. A group of drag queens show off their outfits and shoes and a group of people dressed as nuns sip drinks and laugh.
06:27 - 07:10: Robert Englund judges a costume contest and interviews some of the contestants, followed by more shots of the children's Halloween parade.
07:11 - 08:51: An extended bloody scene from Splatter Theater's performance precedes an interview with Rene Arceo from the Mexican Fine Arts Center (now known as the National Museum of Mexican Art), who discusses the differences between the Day of the Dead and Halloween, intercut with shots of Day of the Dead artwork.
08:52 - 10:59: Samantha the Rat Girl conducts a performance of her acrorats, surrounded by Halloween decorations. An interview with Joe Jensen from Hades Haunted House is intercut with footage of people entering the haunted house and footage of the rats doing tricks.
11:00 - 12:43: Kimble Paul continues to discourse on Halloween. The Splatter Theatre performance reaches its bloody climax and the credits roll.
Color
Color
Reel/Tape Number
1/1
Language Of Materials
English
Has Been Digitized?
Yes
Format
Cassette Tape ➜ 3/4" U-Matic
Form
Subject
Related Collections
Related Places
Main Credits
Dinello, Dan (is filmmaker)
Shock Productions (is production company)
Additional Credits
Bob Brink (is editor)
Beth Burnett (sound)
Suzy DuFour (sound)
Mindaugas Maculis (sound)
Bill Petty (sound)
Taggart Siegel (sound)
Kate Wrobel (sound)
Participants And Performers
Robert Englund (is participant)
Splatter Theatre (is performing group)
Hades Haunted House (is participant)
Samantha The Rat Girl (is participant)
The Witches Ball (is participant)
Heartland Pagan Assosiation (is participant)
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