Shiver time! Halloween movies, from a South Korean zombie thriller to ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘The Exorcist,’ at the drive-in this week
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Halloween’s Friday, and moviegoers in possession of a car, some warm clothes, blankets and an itch to revisit “Beetlejuice” or catch up with the South Korean zombie smash “Train to Busan” can go on quite a drive-in tear this week.
The pop-ups are located from Zion to Gibson City, from Pilsen and Lincoln Yards to the Chicago State University parking lot, where Jordan Peele’s “Us” lies in wait. This list should be plenty to get you thinking about one last drive-in experience in 2020.
WEDNESDAY
Come for the frozen mango, stay for Pam Grier and Snoop Dogg: As part of the monthlong Music Box of Horrors at the Drive-in, the pop-up Pilsen venue presents “Bones,” Ernest Dickerson’s 2001 cheeky thriller about a murdered gangster (Dogg, back when he was a comparatively big dog) rising from the grave to avenge his death. The ChiTown Grill inside (the movie’s projected on a screen outside the soccer facility) serves tacos, frozen mango desserts and other non-standard (thank God) concessions. 9:30 p.m., ChiTownMovies drive-in, 2343 S. Throop St., Pilsen. $30 per vehicle plus fees at musicboxtheatre.com.
Music Box operations manager Ryan Oestreich says you can run your car for five minutes, to crank the heat. Then it’s engine-off, scream-on time. “Dress warm and bring blankets,” he advises.
A warm and fuzzy Halloween: “Monsters, Inc.,” one of Pixar’s best pure action comedies, serves up something for all ages. It’s also playing the ChiTown Movies drive-in, 2343 S. Throop St., Pilsen. $47.20 at chitownmovies.com.
Merrionette Park Scooby sighting! The Alsip Park District presents “Scoob!,” a little something released early in the pandemic. Opens 5:30 p.m. for trick or treating; movie starts at 6:30 p.m. Sears Park, 123rd and Trumbull Ave., Merrionette Park. Pre-registration required. $25 per car at alsipparks.org/calendar-of-events.
THURSDAY
While we wait for “Candyman” … This Halloween week wouldn’t be the same without Jordan Peele’s second massive hit, “Us,” showcasing one of the greatest un-Oscar-nominated performances (thank you, Lupita Nyong’o) in the history of screen horror. Chicago State University outdoor space, 9501 S. King Drive. Lot opens at 7 p.m.; parking $3; the movie is a steal at $5 for non-CSU thrillseekers. Go to the eventbrite.com site for details.
FRIDAY
Zion calling: At dungeonofdoom.com, plans for the Halloween weekend are partly enticing, partly confounding. But they include a “Motion Picture Horror Movie,” aka “2 Hours of SCARE VISION Theater,” on a 46-foot-wide screen. Not bad. Motion Picture TBA. “Be Careful,” the website states, “as the Lot will be full of Creepy Freaks." Movie entry times, 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11:55 p.m., 600 29th St., Zion. $59 per vehicle (max four passengers; additional bodies, $15 each. Go to dungeonofdoom.com for tickets and information.
Kids, we’re off to Gibson City: No pop-up here, pal: The Harvest Moon Twin Drive In Movie Theatre is strictly old-school, and this weekend’s Halloween Spooktacular features two separate double features to close out the season. On screen one, it’s a double bill of “Monsters, Inc.” and the oddball cult favorite “Hocus Pocus." On screen two, a Tim Burton showcase: "The Nightmare Before Christmas” and, just to wake 'em up with a few beheadings, the R-rated “Sleepy Hollow.” Doors open at 6 p.m., films start at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1175 S. Sangamon Ave., Gibson City. Cash only at the box office; advance tickets ($8 for car and driver, $8 per additional adults, $7 for children 4-11, at harvestmoondrivein.com/.
Zombie invasion attacks Lincoln Yards, even before it gets built: As part of the final week of the Asian Pop-Up Cinema programming at the Lincoln Yards development, “Train to Busan” comes to the site near the Chicago River, under the auspices of the Davis Theater. It’s a South Korean smash with a huge international following. 7:30 p.m., 1684 N. Throop St., Chicago; $15-$20 per vehicle; tickets and more information at asianpopupcinema.org.
SATURDAY
Riot Fest Halloween Special redefines the phrase “all ages”: Riot Fest is billing this combination of live concert, costume contest and moviegoing an “all ages!” attraction. Uh, “The Exorcist”? Hello? You’d be an idiot to bring the kids, but the line-up sounds zesty: The bands Knuckle Punk and Hot Mulligan open for Linda Blair and company. Doors open 5:30 p.m.; movie at 8 p.m. Chicago Drive-in aka SeatGeek Stadium East Lot, 7000 S. Harlem, Bridgeview. $124.98 per car up to four people; extra passengers purchase an additional ticket. Go to eventbrite.com for the details.
Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
Wendy Fox Weber is entertainment editor and columnist for the Lake County News-Sun, the Beacon-News, the Daily Southtown, Naperville Sun, the Post-Tribune, the Courier-News and Pioneer Press.
Twitter @phillipstribune
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