Let the Creepy Season Begin

Halloween season officially kicked off tonight with the Silent Music Revival's showing of short films by Slavko Vorkapich at Gallery 5. I made sure Andrew and I had front row seats for the kick-off.

These were creepy and disturbing short films, made all the more unsettling by the band Silver Top Beauty, featuring the operatic voice of Antonia Vassar.

The guitar, keyboards and that haunting voice began with an improvisation to a 1920s student-made film Day of the Dead and followed with two avant-garde shorts of Vorkapich's, including the classic The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra.

Vorkapich was a special effects whiz and a master of the montage, talents he utilized in 1930s-era Hollywood to great notoriety. His mad skills in both areas were in evidence in the films we saw tonight, complemented by Antonia's voice, the only one I can imagine being able to do justice to these films.

Afterwards, I spoke to a couple of newcomers to the event and they were blown away by the synchronicity of the film and music, which is exactly what moves me month after month at SMR. That and the admission cost: zero.

It really has to be experienced to be fully appreciated and tonight's near-capacity crowd would have gladly sat through a much longer show, but organizer Jameson likes to keep it fresh by mixing up the screening lengths. Tonight's ended all too soon for Andrew and me, and probably most of the audience.

Jameson always invites conversation after the screening and I love to geek out with him about silent films; he knows so much more than I do that it's almost like a silent film school lesson. I ask, he answers and we both get all worked up. Andrew says he loves to just stand back and watch us go at it.

Once I got that out of my system, Andrew and I headed to Avalon for drinks and basket o' fries ("You know me so well," he said when I showed him the menu) while catching up. Somehow, despite me having to walk home and get my car, I arrived first and ordered my drink from long-time bartender Jason.

When Andrew arrived and ordered, Jason asked, "Same tab?" and I clarified, "No, he's in a relationship." I don't know who thought that line was funnier, Jason or Andrew, but it definitely resonated with both. Well, he is.

He had lots of good stories and gossip for me and we talked about music because that's what our friendship was originally based on and we'll never let that go. I gave him a hard time about a couple of things, he told me he hated me and I reminded him that he really doesn't.

He admitted as much and we went back to talking about other people, especially the ones we don't like. We're like an old married couple who just go through the motions of challenging each other, knowing that we really think the same deep down.

It's kinda creepy. Not like Slavko Vorkapich pre-Halloween creepy, but definitely not right.

Neither of us would have it any other way.