HOWL-O-SCREAM

For intrepid souls in the Tampa Bay area who enjoy the horrors of Halloween haunts, you might want to plan a trip to Busch Garden’s Howl-O-Scream. Howl-O-Scream shares the same basic themes as Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, but Busch Gardens puts its own terrifying twist on it, filling their 300 acres (that’s nearly three times the size of Universal Studios Florida) with tormenting surprises and unexpected terrors that are more original in nature; since they don’t have NBCUniversal’s vast horror collection (or licensing power) to draw on, they try to add more of a fear of the unknown into the mix.

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Also like HHN, Busch Gardens Tampa runs several of its most popular rides throughout the night, including Cheetah Hunt, SheiKra, Montu, Kumba, Gwazi, and Falcon’s Fury (which is the tallest freestanding drop tower on the continent).

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The event runs Thursday through Saturday nights, October 2 through November 1 (and also on Sunday, October 19). Operating hours are 7:30pm to 1:00am.

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General admission is $89 plus tax. Reduced advance-purchase rates and special offers are available for Busch Gardens Pass members at HowlOScream.com. Guests can save $39 on general admission tickets in advance at participating Publix Supermarkets and AAA locations.  Take advantage of promotional codes found at participating WingHouse and Taco Bell locations in Central Florida and on Fanta products in participating Walgreens and Coca-Cola products in participating Circle K locations.

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Halloween is a time for fun and frivolity, a time to come out of your shell and to acknowledge the mischievous spirit that resides within all of us. Be sure to take advantage of these amazing events while you can.

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And remember – you only die once!

Tampa Theater

Tampa’s most historically haunted movie house brings back 15 Nights of Classic Horror Films, Family-Friendly Spooky Movies, Creepy Cult Favorites, Ghastly Ghost Tours and Bloodcurdling Special Guests

In 2013, the staff of the Tampa Theatre, led by Jill “Witchy” Witeki, offered up a program of some of the most heinous films ever to hit the silver screen, in an effort to scare the living daylights out of their patrons. After much fanfare, they have decided to try and recreate the mayhem for 2014 by bringing back the celebration of the macabre known simply as A Nightmare on Franklin Street.

Tampa’s most historic – and most haunted – grand movie palace will present 15 nights of petrifying programming, with enough variety to haunt everyone from the hard-core horror fan to the most gentle ghosts and goblins. Tickets for “A Nightmare on Franklin Street” classic films are $10 for general admission and $8 for Tampa Theatre Members at the box office, located at 711 N. Franklin Street in downtown Tampa, or online at TampaTheatre.org (service fees apply).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuIhOZQ7r_w

FRIDAY 10/17

        9:00 p.m. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975)

Borrowing largely from conventional cinematic monster movies, the film begins as an innocent young couple is stranded at the home of a mad scientist who is building the “perfect man.” His castle is filled with a most bizarre collection of characters who worship their host, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry, in leather, pearls, fishnets and heavy makeup). Half guests, half-prisoners, Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) are forced to examine their own sexuality as the lascivious doctor unlocks the hidden desires in each of them.

Based on the stage musical by Richard O’Brien (who appears as Riff Raff), the film explodes with unforgettable song-and-dance numbers like “The Time Warp” and “Sweet Transvestite.” The outstandingly outlandish costumes and makeup and all-star cast (Curry, Bostwick, Sarandon, Patricia Quinn, Meat Loaf) make THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW one of the most bizarrely entertaining and enduring musicals ever made. 1h 40m/Rated R/Musical

Tampa’s own INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS shadow cast will provide a live pre-show and audience participation throughout the film. Guests are encouraged to bring their own toilet paper, cards, newspapers, toast and other props – but please, no hot dogs, rice or water guns. For a great audience-participation guide for Rocky Horror “virgins,” visit www.badmovies.org/movies/rockyhorror/audience/  (Site contains adult language and content!)

Tickets for THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW are $15 for general admission and $13 for Tampa Theatre Members, available at the box office, located at 711 N. Franklin Street in downtown Tampa, or online at TampaTheatre.org (service fees apply).

SATURDAY 10/18 – PSYCHO SATURDAY

        9:00 a.m. Tampa Theatre Film Camp Saturday Session: SFX MAKEUP

Just in time for Halloween, learn the tricks of the trade that professional makeup artists use to turn actors into monsters!

New stand-alone Saturday Film Camp sessions give budding film buffs the opportunity to learn about specific aspects of movie making and appreciation. This three-hour session is for students in grades 6-12 and will meet from 9:00 am to noon. Registration is $50 per camper and space is limited. To register, visit http://tampatheatre.org/education-programs/

         4:45, 7:30 & 10:15 p.m.  PSYCHO (1960)

Anthony Perkins is lonely innkeeper Norman Bates, who presides over an out-of-the-way motel under the domineering specter of his mother. The young, well-intentioned Bates is enthralled when Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a blonde bombshell on the run with stolen money, checks in for the night. But Mother doesn’t like loose women, so the stage is set for what is often credited as the invention of the modern horror film genre – as well as one of the most famous scenes in cinematic history.  1h 49m /Rated R/Thriller

SUNDAY 10/19

         3:30 p.m.  LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1960)

Based on the 1960 comedy of the same name, nerdy florist Seymour Krelboyne (Rick Moranis) buys a strange plant to display at his seedy Skid Row flower shop, Mushnik’s. He names the plant Audrey II in honor of his coworker and crush Audrey Fulquard (Ellen Greene), and nurtures it… until he realizes that the plant has a craving for human blood. As Audrey II’s unique appetite grows, so do Seymour and Audrey’s feelings for each other. But will the man-eating plant take over the world before the guileless couple can defeat it? 1h 12m /Not Rated/Dark Comedy

        5:45 p.m.  LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1986)

Based on the 1960 comedy of the same name, nerdy florist Seymour Krelboyne (Rick Moranis) buys a strange plant to display at his seedy Skid Row flower shop, Mushnik’s. He names the plant Audrey II after his crush, fellow co-worker Audrey Fulquard (Ellen Greene), and nurtures it… until he realizes that the plant is carnivorous and has a craving for blood. As Audrey II’s unique appetite grows, so does Seymour’s love for Audrey. But will the man-eating plant take over the world before Seymour and Audrey can defeat it? 1h 34m/Rated PG-13/Musical Comedy

MONDAY 10/20

        11:30 a.m.  Balcony-to-Backstage Tour: Ghost Stories

Who was Fink Finley? Why does the Lady in White still roam the mezzanine? And what has led to Tampa Theatre being known as one of the most haunted buildings in town? Learn the Theatre’s secrets, stories, art and architecture with a “balcony to backstage” tour that will focus on the historic movie palace’s ghostly guests.

The 90-minute tours will kick off in the lobby at 11:30 a.m. and will feature a special demonstration of the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ. Tickets are $7.50 for adults and $5 for children ages 2 to 12. Tampa Theatre Members are free. Space is limited, so arrive early!

         7:30 p.m. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)

Young FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is assigned to help find a deranged serial killer (Ted Levine) who skins his female victims’ corpses. To gain better insight into the twisted mind of a killer, Clarice visits a mental hospital for the criminally insane to interview inmate Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). Clarice believes that the renowned psychiatrist turned serial killer might have the answers, but she must first gain Lecter’s trust by satisfying his interest in her personal life.  1h 58m/Rated R/Thriller

TUESDAY 10/21

7:30 p.m. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974)

Upon the death of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein, a young neurosurgeon (Gene Wilder) inherits the family castle, and with it a hunchback assistant (Marty Feldman), a ditzy lab assistant (Teri Garr), and the hideous housekeeper, Frau Blucher (Cloris Leachman). With the help of his granddad’s diary, he picks up where the mad doctor’s reanimation experiment left off and accidentally unleashes the Monster (Peter Boyle). Directed by Mel Brooks and shot on the same sets as the original 1930s FRANKENSTEIN films, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN combines film-noir elegance with the type of uproarious sight gags and double entendres that Brooks’ films are famous for. 1h 46m/Rated PG/Comedy

WEDNESDAY 10/22

        7:30 p.m.  A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)

Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp, in his first big-screen role) and the teens of Elm Street are tormented by nightmares about a razor-fingered killer named Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). But when one of them dies in her sleep, they realize that the powerful evil that’s haunting them has powers in the waking world as well. It’s up to Nancy to find a way to stop him… if she can stay awake long enough to do it. 1h 31m/Rated R/Horror

THURSDAY 10/23

         7:30 p.m.  CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON 3-D (1954)

A research team digging in the Amazon comes across the fossilized claw of a half-human, half-fish creature. Back at the oceanographic institute, the find encourages scientists David Reed (Richard Carlson), Mark Williams (Richard Cunha) and the beautiful Kay Lawrence (Julia Adams) to head to the jungle to find more evidence of the prehistoric beast. Instead, they find themselves face to face with a living specimen and capture the mysterious creature. But when it breaks free and kidnaps Kay, Mark and David must decide how to save her and avoid becoming prey themselves.  1h 29m/Not Rated/Sci-Fi

FRIDAY 10/24

         7:30 p.m.  PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007)

After twenty-somethings Katie (Katie Featherson) and Micah (Micah Sloat) move into a suburban starter home in San Diego, they begin to experience loud noises and strange happenings in the middle of the night. Katie has an interest in the paranormal and believes that malevolent spirits have been following her since childhood. Though Micah is not so easily convinced, he sets up a battery of video cameras so that if a spirit does manifest, he can capture its behavior on tape. 1h 26m/Rated R/Horror

        10 p.m. Lights-Off Paranormal Investigation

In 1965, Tampa Theatre’s projectionist Foster “Fink” Finley died after 35 years of service to his beloved movie palace. Strange occurrences have been reported in and around the projection booth ever since – an unexplained tap on the shoulder, doors opening and closing, shadows passing through the room, and the lingering smell of lilac aftershave… Foster’s favorite.

But Fink isn’t the only spirit suspected of haunting the Theatre’s historic halls. Join Tampa Theatre as they partner with experts from Genesis Paranormal ServicesKissimmee Paranormal Investigations and Fire and ICE Paranormal Investigators of Florida to bring you an evening of lights-off investigation into the building’s five most common supernatural claims.

The four-hour experience includes heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine, expert guides and the use of professional paranormal investigative equipment. It will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience guaranteed to make you see Tampa’s grand movie palace in a different light.

Tickets are $80 for general admission and $75 for Tampa Theatre Members at the box office, located at 711 N. Franklin Street in downtown Tampa, or online at TampaTheatre.org (service fees apply).

SATURDAY 10/25

         11:30 a.m.  Balcony-to-Backstage Tour: Ghost Stories

Who was Fink Finley? Why does the Lady in White still roam the mezzanine? And what has led to Tampa Theatre being known as one of the most haunted buildings in town? Learn the Theatre’s secrets, stories, art and architecture with a “balcony to backstage” tour that will focus on the historic movie palace’s ghostly guests.

The 90-minute tours will kick off in the lobby at 11:30 a.m. and will feature a special demonstration of the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ. Tickets are $7.50 for adults and $5 for children ages 2 to 12. Tampa Theatre Members are free. Space is limited, so arrive early!

         5:15 p.m.  FREAKS (1932)

When the carnival’s beautiful trapeze artist, Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova), learns of Hans’ (Harry Earles) inheritance, she takes a sudden interest in the newly wealthy leader of the sideshow freaks. She cooks up an underhanded scheme with her fellow performer and lover Hercules (Henry Victor) to steal Hans away from his fiancée, marry him and make off with his money. But at the wedding party, a drunken Cleopatra tells the sideshow oddities exactly what she thinks of them, and together, they decide to make her one of their own. 1h 4m /Not Rated/Suspense

         7:30 p.m.  SCREAM (1996)

One year after high-schooler Sidney Prescott’s (Neve Campbell) mother dies, two students at her school are mysteriously murdered in ways reminiscent of their favorite horror movies. When Sidney becomes the serial killer’s next target, she begins to suspect the deaths of her classmates and her mothers are connected. With the help of Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), a tabloid news reporter, Sidney is determined to uncover the truth.   1h 51m/Rated R/Comedy Slasher

         10:15 p.m.  ERASERHEAD (1977)

In director David Lynch’s feature-film debut, Henry Spencer (Jack Nance) lives in a hopeless industrial landscape, lusting after the beautiful woman who lives in the apartment across the hall. After his girlfriend, Mary (Charlotte Stewart), gives birth to a deformed creature that resembles a lizard, the baby won’t stop crying, and the horrifyingly piercing wail drives Mary insane. Left alone with the baby, Henry soon decides to stop the nightmare once and for all.  1h 29m/Not Rated/Suspense

SUNDAY 10/26

3:30 p.m. THE WITCHES (1990)

In this big-screen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel, recently orphaned Luke Eveshim (Jason Fisher) spends the holiday in a hotel with his grandmother Helga. While exploring the hotel with a new pal, he discovers a convention of women that reveal themselves to be a coven headed by the Grand High Witch (Anjelica Huston). They escape alive… but not entirely unharmed, and must figure out how to stop the witches’ evil plans as newly transformed rodents.  1h 31m/Rated PG/Family

6:15 p.m.  FRANKENWEENIE (2012)

When young Victor’s pet dog Sparky (who stars in Victor’s home-made monster movies) is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But the bolt-necked “monster” strikes terror in the hearts of Victor’s neighbors, and Victor has to convince them (and his parents) that despite his gruesome appearance, Sparky’s still the loyal friend he’s always been in this animated family-friendly comedy by director Tim Burton (THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS).  1h 27m/Rated PG/Animated

MONDAY 10/27

        7:30 p.m. GREMLINS (1984)

Rand Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) is an inventor who hasn’t successfully invented anything. But this Christmas, he’s bringing his son, Billy (Zach Galligan), something special – a small, cuddly creature known as a mogwai. The little fella comes with three crucial instructions: He’s not to be fed after midnight, he’s not to get any direct light, and he should never be given so much as a drop of water. Unfortunately, the rules are harder to stick to than they seem, and Billy suddenly finds himself with far too many “pets,” all with big appetites. It’s up to Billy and his girlfriend (Phoebe Cates) to stop the mischievous gremlins before they ruin Christmas for the residents of rural Kingston Falls. 1h 46m/Rated PG/Comedy Horror

TUESDAY 10/28

        7:30 p.m. SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)

Shaun (Simon Pegg) lives a mundane life in London. Joined by his immature and ever-present roommate, Ed (Nick Frost), he excels at nothing except drinking pints of ale and watching television, which causes friction with his girlfriend, Liz (Kate Ashfield). Before Shaun can save his relationship, however, he’s got to fend off a horde of zombies that are slowly taking over the city. Armed with a cricket bat and a vague sense of direction, Shaun must rescue his friends and loved ones by leading them to the only safe place he can think of – the pub. 1h 39m/Rated R/Comedy Horror

WEDNESDAY 10/2

        7:30 p.m. CHILD’S PLAY (1988)

Karen Barclay (Catherine Hicks) buys a doll for her son Andy (Alex Vincent) as a present. But little does she know that the toy is possessed with the soul of mass murderer Charles Lee Ray. Andy loves his new friend until Chucky starts confiding in the young boy and resumes his killing spree. The fiendish murderer is tired of being trapped in the body of a doll, though, and his only escape is to transfer his evil into Andy. 1hr 27min / Rated R / Horror

Then, stay after the film for a question-and-answer session with SPECIAL GUEST STAR Alex Vincent, who played Andy in all of the Chucky films. As a young man, Alex moved to Florida to study sound engineering and audio post-production at Full Sail University in Orlando. He now resides in the Tampa Bay area and runs his own recording studio, A/V Productions.

THURSDAY 10/30

7:30 p.m. Tampa ghost stories with Deborah Frethem – $8 for Tampa Theatre Members at the box office, located at 711 N. Franklin Street in downtown Tarethem, author of “Haunted Tampa: Spirits of the Bay”

Local author and storyteller Deborah Frethem takes to Tampa Theatre’s historic stage for an intimate evening of Bay-area ghost stories and supernatural tales from her new book, Haunted Ybor City.  Following the performance, Frethem will sign copies of all three of her books, including Ghost Stories of St. Petersburg and Haunted Tampa: Spirits of the Bay, with sales benefitting Tampa Theatre’s ongoing restoration efforts.

Tickets for this special “A Nightmare on Franklin Street” live event are $10 for general admission and $8 for Tampa Theatre Members at the box office, located at 711 N. Franklin Street in downtown Tampa, or online at TampaTheatre.org (service fees apply).

FRIDAY 10/31

        7:30 p.m. EVIL DEAD (1981)

Five college friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they stumble upon the Book of the Dead, an ancient tome bound in human flesh and inked in blood. After awakening the flesh-possessing demons by playing a taped translation of the text, each of the friends is transformed into the evil dead, one by one, except for Ash (Bruce Campbell). Ash must dismember his friends and survive the night to battle the evil dead. 1h 25m /Rated NC-17/Horror

10 p.m. EVIL DEAD (2013)

In the remake of the 1981 horror classic of the same name, Mia (Jane Levy) is a drug addict whose recent overdose was nearly her last. Mia’s longtime friends Olivia and Eric along with her brother David and his girlfriend Natalie take her to the family’s old cabin in the woods to quit cold turkey. When Mia starts to start to revolt, Eric discovers a book bound in human flesh and inked in blood and reads the words out loud. One by one the friends are to be possessed until no soul has been left unclaimed. 1h 31m /Rated R/Horror

Now that’s a great lineup of films. If you are in the Tampa area, there’s plenty for you to see and enjoy this Halloween season.

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Adam Sinclair
Adam is a lover of travel, and has always been interested in finding and exploring new and exciting places. In these tough economic times, travel can help provide an escape from the stresses of everyday life. He plans on sharing his favorite getaways with the readers of MiceChat.com, and hopes to visit some of the best area attractions with the world with his audience at his side. Follow him on twitter (@faborplumbs) as he searches for his next amazing destination, and check out some of his other favorite places at Faborplumbs Funtastic Finds as well as the Local Getaways section of Examiner.com!