The many faces of Halloween

Evil. Danger. Dread. The undead.
Terror. Fear. Fright. Delight.
Whatever kind of chill you seek,
Fun thrills for souls who are meek -- EEK!
Overkill for those whose stomachs aren't weak,
There's something to do,
That's suited for you.
So, if you dare #8230;
Go out on a terror.Reel thrills HalloweenEveryone's favorite dress-up flick, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," used to play at some area theater or other every weekend. Now, you only see it at "special" screenings with theater-sanctioned live casts where they don't let you bring water guns for the rainstorm scene. Still, whether you're a virgin or a veteran, it's more fun than doing "The Time Warp" with the DVD at home. 10 p.m. Halloween at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $10. (630) 587-8400 or www.thearcada.com."Rocky Horror" also screens at midnight today and Saturday at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. $10. (773) 871-6604 or www.ticketweb.com.If you're looking for something less "fun," the Music Box offers the grimy 1977 grindhouse favorite "Last House on Dead End Street" at midnight Friday and Saturday. $9.25. And if you'd prefer a classic, the Music Box has its annual matinees of Murnau's silent 1922 "Nosferatu" with live organ accompaniment by Dennis Scott at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. $7.25.In 1958, "Horror of Dracula" introduced audiences to the sexier, bloodier vision of Britain's famed Hammer Studios, and it made Christopher Lee a horror icon as Count Dracula. It's screened with the Three Stooges short "Spooks!" and a surreal 1953 animated version of "The Telltale Heart" narrated by James Mason. 8 p.m. Saturday at LaSalle Bank Cinema, 4901 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. $5, $3 for seniors older than 55 and children younger than 10. (312) 904-9442.Filmmaker Jim Trainor curates and introduces "You've Been Warned: A Tribute to Sid Davis." Davis might not be a household horror name, but he scared many an audience with his classroom films about smug teens, unwary baby sitters and delinquent druggies. Some of Davis' equally campy and bleak titles include "The Bottle and the Throttle," "Boys Beware" and "What Made Sammy Speed." 8 p.m. Saturday at Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark St., Chicago. $8, $7 for students. (773) 293-1447 or www.chicagofilmmakers.org.The second annual Six Corners Monster Film Festival offers a variety of chillers. Check out 1941's "The Wolf Man" with an appearance by TV horror host Svengoolie at 8 p.m. today, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" at 8 p.m. Saturday, "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy" at 2 p.m. Sunday, "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, 1925's silent "The Phantom of the Opera" with live organ accompaniment by Jay Warren at 8 p.m. Monday, flicks by local Z-budget auteur David "The Rock" Nelson ("Devil Ant" and "The Mummy 1993 A.D.") at 8 p.m. Tuesday and John Carpenter's 1978 "Halloween" at 8 p.m. on Halloween. It's at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $10 per screening. (773) 736-4050 or www.portagetheater.org.-- Jeff PizekClassy HalloweenPerhaps the classiest and most altruistic way to celebrate Halloween is by attending the Seventh Annual Halloween Ball, a fundraiser for the Chicago Cultural Center hosted by Mayor and Mrs. Richard M. Daley. It's strictly black tie or classy costumes for this evening featuring a seated dinner, plenty of performers and dancing under the famous Tiffany dome of Preston Bradley Hall. Who wouldn't want to pony up the funds to support one of Chicago's landmark buildings? 7 p.m. to midnight today at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago. $600. Reservations required. (312) 744-1364 or www.cityofchicago.org/culturalaffairs. "Giselle" is the tale of a peasant girl who dies for love and later returns as a haunting spirit. Though "Giselle" dates back to 1841, it's only now that the Joffrey Ballet is presenting its first production of the classic romantic ballet. What better way to get classy chills from ballet's most famous ghost story? 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, Chicago. $25-$140. (312) 902-1500 or www.joffrey.com. The University of Chicago Symphony Orchestra Halloween concert "The Haunted" shows that classical musicians can let their hair down and dress up for some Halloween fun. Barbara Schubert conducts a program featuring Wagner's overture to "The Flying Dutchman," "O Fortuna" from Orff's "Carmina Burana," Saint-Sa#235;ns' Danse Macabre and more. The University of Chicago Chorus and dancers from the Hyde Park School of Ballet join in the fun. 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday at the University of Chicago's Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th St., Chicago. $8 for adults; $4 for students and children. (773) 702-8069.Medical devices aren't really torture instruments, but you can let your imagination run wild with the "Eat, Drink and Be Scary" benefit for the Foundation for Community Betterment at the International Museum of Surgical Science. Along with gawking at museum exhibits, the evening also includes a costume contest, cocktails, food and an auction. 7 p.m. Saturday at the museum, 1524 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. $50-$60. (312) 642-6502 or www.communitybetterment.org.Dog costume contests are old hat, but the HOWLoween Dog Parade hosted at the Museum of Contemporary Art is sure to inspire some owners to take a modern approach to costuming Fido. Perhaps a Picasso cubist canine creation? Or maybe a drip and splatter Jackson Pollock outfit (then again, probably not a good idea with dogs doing this naturally). 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday in the Sculpture Garden at the museum, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago. Free. (312) 280-2660 or www.mcachicago.org.A fun way to introduce children to classical music is with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago's concert "Halloween Haunts: Lemony Snicket in 'The Composer Is Dead.'" This interactive concert lets children help Snicket find out who the culprit is among the orchestra. 3 p.m. Saturday at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Pre-concert family activities begin at 1:30 p.m. $10-$60. (312) 294-3000 or www.cso.org. Being a not-for-profit itinerant theater company can be scary, so why not help with the future of Point of Contention by attending its annual benefit? There's a silent auction, raffle and refreshments right before a staged reading of "Frankenstein." 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. $20. (630) 220-0730 or www.pointofcontention.org.-- Scott MorganScary HalloweenYou'll have nowhere to hide in "Disturbed II," an installation spookhouse. Audiences are required to stand in a single room to wait for actors to make their entrance, enacting short plays designed to induce disgust, horror, etc. Let's say this one's not a feel-good romantic comedy. Performed every 30 minutes from 8 to 11:30 p.m. today through Halloween at Oracle Productions, 3809 N. Broadway St., Chicago. $7-$9. (773) 329-1088 or www.oracletheatre.org.Care to make conversation with the world's most famous dead magician? You'll have your chance at the Houdini S#233;ance, in which Neil Tobin of the Society of American Magicians (hey, that sounds legit) attempts to make nice with Harry Houdini, who expired this earth on Halloween 1926. Just wait: In 50 years, they'll be talking to David Copperfield. S#233;ance entrance fee includes admission to Excalibur nightclub to dance off the fright. 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Excalibur, 632 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. $20. (312) 266-1944 or www.supernaturalchicago.com.Piles of smelly laundry and moldy old sports equipment aren't the only frights lurking beneath cellar stairs. Nightmares Basement of the Dead isn't for children or sensitive hearts -- high-pitched horrors include automation and actors with an ax (quite literally) to grind. Spectators 13 and older only. 7 to 11 p.m. today and Saturday and 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Halloween in the basement at 42 W. New York St., Aurora. $12; online discount coupon available. (630) 896-2466 or www.42fear.com.-- Mark GuarinoFamily-friendly HalloweenLambs Farm transforms its farmyard into an eerie Halloween festival for the Third Annual Haunted Harvest. Youngsters can ride an Enchanted Carousel or try their hand at a round of Graveyard Golf. Note: The Train of Terror, with its live monsters and ghouls lurking in the woods, is not recommended for the very young. 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Lambs Farm, I-94 at Route 176, Libertyville. $15 for an all-night pass; free for children younger than 3 with purchase of an adult pass. Individual event pricing is available for $3-$5. Parking is free. (847) 362-4636 or www.lambsfarm.org. The Illinois Railway Museum offers its Terror on the Railroad event for ages 13 and older that includes a haunted train wreck, a Train of Chills and the "possessed" Screamliner. Guests can also ride an antique streetcar through the darkness. 6:30 to 11 p.m. today, Saturday and Halloween at the museum, 7000 Olson Road, Union. $10; includes museum admission. (815) 923-4391, ext. 471, or www.terrorontherailroad.com or www.irm.org.Navy Pier hosts its annual Navy Fear Halloween event with activities for family members of all ages. The kid-friendly Ghostly Gardens features face painting, inflatable rides, concerts, a musical Monster Bash with Patch the Pirate Dog, and an Eerie Express train with special effects and live actors. Bolder souls can enter the Demons of the Deep haunted house -- with both "mild" and "wild" versions: mild is recommended for ages 8-13; wild is recommended for ages 13 and older. Now through Halloween at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. Hours vary. $14 for Demons of the Deep ($19 for three-ride combo), $9 for Ghostly Gardens ($16 for three-ride combo, face painting and temporary tattoos). (312) 595-5282 or www.navypier.com.For those who want a to see the lighter side of Halloween, Brookfield Zoo's not-so-scary Boo! at the Zoo event is the place to be. Watch as professional pumpkin carvers create masterpieces out of 500-pound pumpkins. Youngsters can show off their Halloween costumes in a daily parade and win prizes for scariest, best animal theme, most original or best group theme. Other activities include haunted hayrides; meet-and-greet sessions with Tex, a great-horned owl; and giant inflatable Halloween characters. 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the zoo, First Avenue and 31st Street, Brookfield. $6-$10. Parking is $8. (708) 688-8000 or www.brookfieldzoo.org. Spring Hill Mall will host a Children's Costume Contest for children ages 12 and younger and a Pet Costume Contest for dogs, cats, gerbils and other pets. Prizes for both contests will be awarded in five categories: funniest, most original, best character look-a-like, cutest and scariest. Registration for children begins at 6 p.m. on Halloween in the mall's center court; the event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Registration for pets begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday; the event begins at 6:30 p.m. in the mall's center court. Spring Hill Mall is at routes 31 and 72 in West Dundee. (847) 428-2200 or www.springhillmall.com.-- Laura StewartHipster HalloweenPlaying famous: Hip folks love Halloween, too. Thus, it's tradition for original, Chicago-area bands to crowd bills on Halloween weekend, each performing a tribute set to a particular act "as" their heroes.The folks behind the annual A/V XPLO offer the Everyday is Hallow-Xplo. Among the psychedelic and experimental bands taking part are Midstates as The Jesus and Mary Chain, Plane as Blondie, The Bon Mots as Badfinger, Star as Guided by Voices, Theory Anesthetic as Neutral Milk Hotel, Darling as The Misfits and LMNOP as The Flaming Lips. 7 p.m. today at Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago. $10 in advance; $12 at the door. (773) 278-6600 or www.subt.net.Detholz! prepares for Sunday's annual "Jukebox of the Dead" cover song bash at the Empty Bottle by headlining Kickstand Productions' third annual Halloween Extravaganza. Other participants include Light Pollution as The Cure, Bachelor Party Weekend as The Misfits, Roboggan as Grandaddy, Last Fast Action as Motion City Soundtrack, From Here on After as Foo Fighters and a "mystery band" as Modest Mouse.7 p.m. Saturday at the House Cafe, 263 E. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb. $7; $6 with costume. (815) 787-9547 or www.thehousecafe.net.Of course, Saturday is also Double Door's 11th annual Halloween Bash. This one has The Last Vegas as Alice Cooper, Catfish Haven as The Misfits (really, is there a more holiday-appropriate band to salute?), Thunderwing with guest Mike O'Connell as the MC5, The Midnight Shows as Boy George, The Sleepers as Pearl Jam and Blackbox as Local H.9 p.m. Saturday at Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. $12. (773) 489-3160 or www.doubledoor.com.Meanwhile, synth buffs get their own tribute night this year. The Electronic Halloween Extravaganza features J+J+J as Kraftwerk, Goudron as Gary Numan, Far Rad as Giorgio Moroder, and Harold Faltermeyer, Beau Wanzer and Rolan Vega as Front 242 and Mandate as D.A.F., along with DJ Saskrotch.8:30 p.m. Sunday at Subterranean. $8 in advance; $10 at the door.All dressed up: OK, so you've got an amazing costume. It's original, elaborate and looks great on you. You're not just gonna sit around your converted loft sipping iced chai all night, are you? You need to take that sucker out and be seen.Head over to the Neon Barbie Halloween Party, a fashion show featuring work by artists from Mario Ink Bodypainting. There'll be a midnight costume contest with cash prizes and house/trance beats by DJ Inphinity. You can pose for free pictures inside a life-sized Barbie box, which might make for a nice MySpace avatar.10 p.m. Saturday at Rednofive, 440 N. Halsted St., Chicago. $20. (312) 733-6699 or www.rednofive.com.Or, go to Old Town for the seventh annual Pimp and Ho Party, where DJs Mixin' Marc and Nathan Scott spin house, trance and techno for folks dressed in their sexed-up best. The biggest pimp and finest ho get a $1,000 prize.9 p.m. Saturday at Crobar, 1543 N. Kingsbury St., Chicago. $20. (312) 266-1900 or www.crobar.com.For the ultimate see-and-be-seen event, try the 11th annual North Halsted Street Halloween Parade. People and their pets show off their most impressive and outrageous costumes, marching north on Halsted Street from Belmont to Cornelia avenues before returning south to a stage at Halsted and Roscoe streets. There, live music and more than $5,000 in costume contest prizes await.Free registration begins at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at Spin, 800 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. The parade steps off at 7 p.m. (773) 868-3010 or www.chicagoevents.com.-- Jeff PizekTween HalloweenHalloween is the holiday for tweens. They're old enough to get into the horror, but young enough not to be jaded about costumes and all the other trappings. Still, they can sometimes use a little inspiration to get the imagination going.And appealing to that audience has been a perfect way for Six Flags theme park to extend its season with Fright Fest. In addition to the usual rides, there's trick-or-treating and a couple of haunted houses. $35 to $55, plus $15 parking. 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday at Six Flags, 542 N. Route 21, Gurnee. (847) 249-4636 or www.sixflags.com/greatamerica.For cheaper and more wholesome thrills, there's always the self-proclaimed World's Largest Corn Maze. If the mere thought of a cornfield will activate your tween's nascent teenage cynicism, try going after dark. 3 p.m. to midnight Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 3 to 11 p.m. Sunday and Halloween at Richardson Farm, 9407 Richardson Road, Spring Grove. (Last admission is two hours before closing, to give stragglers time to clear the maze.) $9.50 for adults, $7 for seniors, $8.50 for teens, $7 for children; free for those younger than 5. (815) 675-9729 or www.richardsonfarm.com.After that there are any number of haunted houses, such as the Dark at Stade Dairy Farm, 3709 Miller Road, McHenry; the Elburn Leos Haunted House at Elburn Lions Park, 500 S. Filmore St., Elburn; the Eleventh Hour Haunted House at the Berthold Nursery and Garden Center, 434 E. Devon Ave., Elk Grove Village; Evil Intentions at the Ditka Sports Dome, 730 N. Bolingbrook Drive, Bolingbrook; the Haunted Dungeon at Lisle Parks Garage, 1820 Short St., Lisle; the Elgin Turners Haunted House, 112 Villa St., Elgin; the Lombard Jaycees Haunted House, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard; the Palatine Jaycees Haunted House in the Sears Essentials parking lot at 563 N. Hicks Road, Palatine; and the Nightmares Basement of the Dead, 42 W. New York St., Aurora.There are a couple in St. Charles: the Haunted Manor at Charlestowne Mall, 3800 E. Main St., and the Jaycees Haunted House at the Tin Cup Pass Shopping Center, Main Street and Tyler Road. Wheaton's Jaycees have a "maison de morte" at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Road, Wheaton, and there's also the St. Matthew Haunted House at 24500 N. Old McHenry Road, Hawthorn Woods.Finally, downtown at the Theater on the Lake at Fullerton Parkway and Lake Shore Drive, there's a Haunted Sanitarium running now through Halloween, but that dares tweens to lie about their ages, as it's intended for children 13 and older. Still, I'll bet it couldn't hold a candle to the old St. Benedict's Haunted Labyrinth on Irving Park Road, may its memory rest in peace. (312) 742-7994 or www.chicagoparkdistrict.com.-- Ted CoxStaged HalloweenFirst Folio Shakespeare Festival revives "The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story," its scrupulously adapted and cleverly staged homage to the master of the macabre. 8 p.m. today and Saturday and 3 and 8 p.m. Sunday at the Mayslake Peabody Estate, 1717 W. 31st St., Oak Brook. $21-$26. (630) 986-8067 or www.firstfolio.org.A mad scientist plays God in H.G. Wells' unsettling "The Island of Dr. Moreau." Lifeline Theatre, a company known for its pristine literary adaptations, transfers the Darwinian parable to the stage. 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 2 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave., Chicago. $25. (773) 761-4477 or www.lifelinetheatre.com."The Phantom of the Opera," Andrew Lloyd Webber's spectacle about a tortured musical genius in love with a young soprano, returns to Chicago in a touring production. Previews begin on Halloween; the musical opens Nov. 2 and runs through Jan. 5, 2008, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St. Chicago. (312) 902-1400 or www.broadwayinchicago.com.Across town, Porchlight Music Theatre's production of the other "Phantom" continues through Nov. 11. The script tends toward melodrama, but Maury Yeston's score is lovely. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays at the Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. $34-$35. (773) 327-5252 or www.theatrebuildingchicago.org."The Rocky Horror Show," the adults-only, cheeky rock 'n' roll musical spoof of monster movies -- and inspiration for the 1970s cult film -- runs through Dec. 2 at the Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport Ave., Chicago. 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 p.m. Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 7:30 p.m. Sundays. $35-$45 ($5 discounts Monday, Tuesday and Halloween for anyone in costume). (773) 325-1700. Speaking of "Rocky Horror," NightBlue Theatre performs its version of the show at 8 p.m. today and 7:30 and 10:45 p.m. Saturday at the Sabre Room, 8900 W. 95th St., Hickory Hills. $18. (708) 598-1200 or (630) 257-3077. NightBlue reprises the show at 7:45 and 10:30 p.m. on Halloween and 9:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Elbo Room, 2871 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago ($12) and at 8 p.m. Thursday and Nov. 2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport, Chicago. $15. (312) 902-1500 or www.nightbluetheater.com.The Grand Guignol-inspired movie sendup "The Horror" continues through Nov. 3 at the Cornservatory, 4210 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. $7-$15. (312) 409-6435 or www.cornservatory.org.Annoyance Theatre's slasher-iffic "Splatter Theatre," a spoof of 1980s teens-in-peril films, continues at 4830 N. Broadway St., Chicago. 10 p.m. today and Saturday, 8 and 10 p.m. on Halloween and 10 p.m. Nov. 2. (773) 561-4665 or www.annoyanceproductions.com."Carpenters' Halloween," a satire on John Carpenter's classic film set to the music of the Carpenters, runs at 8 p.m. Tuesday and Halloween at Mary's Attic, above Hamburger Mary's, 5400 N. Clark St., Chicago. $10. (773) 784-6969.Lastly, Babes With Blades skewer vampire, cannibal and zombie tales in "Horror Academy" at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays through Nov. 4 at the North Lakeside Cultural Center, 6219 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago. $18, $15. (773) 880-0016 or www.babeswithblades.org.-- Barbara Vitello 512337'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' 512374'Disturbed II' 417297Boo! at the ZooCOURTESY OF JIM SCHULZ 376318'Giselle'COURTESY OF HERBERT MIGDOLL 235368'The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story'COURTESY OF D. RICE 512505Fright Fest at Six Flags GreatAmerica. 237356J+J+J