The dilapidated Trans Lux theater is tucked in beside the Green Tree Mall in Clarksville. I saw the original Willy Wonka movie there when I was a kid. Its glory days were well behind when it became the “Greentree 4” dollar-cinema, and then it closed for good some 10 years ago. Since then, it has fallen into serious disrepair and was slated for demolition.

That is, until Matt Kemp, Phil Grainger, and William McHugh of Fright Night Productions talked the owners into a lease and began a major renovation that would turn the once crumbling building into “Psychomania – Theater of Terror”.

That was nine months ago, and despite having to fix a leaky roof, screwy electrics, exploding plumbing, and even being harassed by real “live” ghosts, they just kept working. And now it looks like they’re going to pull it off.

On Saturday night, Psychomania – Theater of Terror opens its doors for their “Press Night Gala”. A couple of Spookyblue props will also debut, and I’m looking forward to seeing everything up and running.

Here are some behind-the-scenes pictures. I’m not giving anything away, and there’ll be more to post later. This is what you can accomplish if you work really hard and aren’t afraid of a dumb ol’ poltergeist stealing your hammer when you’re not looking.

Note: You have to be as old as Spooky Blue to refer to the old Greentree 4 Theater as the Trans Lux.

Category: Halloween   Tags: psychomania, theater of terror, trans lux

Scarecrow in Taipei, Taiwan

Something creepy about this guy. Like, if you walked up and swiped his hat, there would be a three-second Samurai Jack blur, then you’d be on the ground looking up at the headless remains of your body for about another second before it collapsed into the grass.

I love the undefined suggestion of a face. Blind, but all-seeing. Silent. Implacable. The Grumble would love him.

Category: Stuff  

They’re firing up the Large Hadron Collider over in Europe on Wednesday.

The LHC is over 16 miles in circumference. According to their website, “The results of LHC experiments will probably change our fundamental knowledge of the universe.” However, it also mentions that particle accelerators are used to dry the paint on soft drink cans.

So, when they hit the button and open a black hole, maybe we’ll all instantaneously flip inside out or get absorbed into some supra-reality, but probably not. If we do, then it’s been fun.

But on the off chance that we’ll live to see Thursday, here are some freshly baked, pleasingly yucky 4-H blucky corpses.

Two adults and two teens put these together in about three hours. Not bad. Not bad at all. Thanks, Josh, for the pics!

Category: Stuff  

Señor Terrible

I’m not usually into the whole evil clown kick. I really prefer werewolves.

But there’s a sort-of Captain Spalding vibe going on with this guy, so I figured I’d just let it develop. Brr, he gives me the creeps.

There’s a bait store on the edge of some small dusty town where this guy breeds crickets in a back room and watches Mexican wrestling on a beat up old black and white TV. The store has been closed for years; crates and shelves covered in mold, insects crawling on every inch of the counters, floors, and walls.

And there he sits at his sagging card table next to the back door. A single florescent light shines coldly above his sweating head. He mutters to himself and chuckles whenever a bug comes close enough for him to smash, sometimes eat. An ash tray overflows onto the floor where the cracked linoleum is dyed a creamy yellow from years of squashed cockroaches.

Señor Terrible. Completely crazy.

Category: Halloween   Tags: artwork, evil clown, senor terrible