Cinematic Chills & Halloween Thrills: The Spooky Specter

---

Hi readers, it’s Ebe again. Like many of you, I’ve been ritualistically watching my list of favorite Halloween movies this month and trying to discover new ones along the way. My annual list includes Practical Magic (1998), The Craft (1996), Stephen King’s Rose Red (2002), The Love Witch (2016), and the Goosebumps TV Series (1995). Recently, I just watched The Shining for the first time, but I have more to say about the cinematography than the story itself.

---

---

Speaking of films, the Twin Cities Film Fest kicks off today! The event will be jam-packed with in-person showings, panels, Q&A’s, and more. Around 90 of the films will be shown at Showplace ICON Theatre in St. Louis Park, an additional 50 will be available for virtual screenings online. Here are some films I’m personally excited for:

• Black Barbie: Producer Shonda Rhimes and filmmaker Lagueria Davis tell the story of the three Black women, including Davis’s own aunt, responsible for Mattel’s first Black Barbie in 1980. The screening takes place on Oct. 20 at 3:30pm for free.
• Foe: Reminiscent of Netflix’s “Black Mirror,” this sci-fi thriller features Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal. The film follows a married couple whose lives are turned upside down when Mescal’s character is sent to a space station. Screening for this film is on Oct. 23 at 7pm.
• Downtown Owl: This dark comedy, based on the novel by Chuck Klosterman, is set in the fictional town of Owl, North Dakota, and tells the happenings right before a massive blizzard. This one was shot in Minnesota! Screening is on Oct. 28, 9pm.

Make sure to check out the featured short films, too! The film fest runs through October 28th.

---

That’s not all when it comes to local goings-on. Plenty of ghoulish haunts may be in your future if you choose to tempt the fates. If you’re looking to catch a glimpse of a spooky specter and learn about history, the Wabasha Street Caves hosts guided tours where you can learn about the old gangster’s casino that was there during the 1930’s. On that same note, St. Paul’s Green Lantern Saloon, another popular drinking spot for gangsters, holds the mystery of a murder that took place in its alleyway.

---

---

In Minneapolis’ North Loop at Cuzzy’s, a resident ghost “Betsy” adds a touch of the supernatural. Visitors report their drinks moving, ketchup bottles waltzing, and lights responding to an unseen presence. The menu’s advice? If you find your drink taking a slide down the bar, check for moisture first, and if the mystery persists, invite Betsy for a spectral rendezvous. 

---

---

If you don’t mind driving an hour, Henderson, Minnesota, has its own chilling urban legend about a ghost named Crazy Annie who haunts the bridge at 270th street after she was said to have drowned her three children in the river. Locals say that around midnight, you can hear screams, see faces in the water, figures running through the woods, and handprints on the glass of your car windows.

---

On a more serious matter, but perhaps just as concerning, the Minneapolis City Council has once again delayed the vote on the third precinct. The council’s stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to choose between keeping the precinct at its old spot that was burned down during the 2020 riots or moving it to 2600 Minnehaha Avenue, which didn’t score well in a community survey. They also considered temporarily housing it at the First Precinct’s Century Plaza, but that got the boot last month.

Now, they’re throwing around two new spots—3716 Cheatham Avenue and 2520 26th Avenue South. Both would need the city to buy them and maybe some demolition. The price tags range from $28 million to $41.5 million, but fixing up the original precinct is the current cheapest option at $15 million to $18 million and the quickest to get going.

Mayor Jacob Frey expressed frustration at the council’s indecision and urged them to reach a decision by Oct. 31, saying he’d back any of the three original options.

---

That’s all from me, we’ll see you next time.

–Ebe

Hit play on the Spotify icon below for NewMusica’s Latine/Hispanic Heritage Month playlist, a playlist by the NewPrensa team that brings you NewTaste and NewVibes.

---

Advertisements

---

---