The "Can't Look Away" exhibit will always be my favorite, but the third piece (with Icons of Science-Fiction rounding out the trilogy) of EMP's new pop culture installations is also really impressive. 

Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic has a little bit of everything -- from the original pages of J.R.R. Tolkien's original manuscripts, to costumes from The Wizard of Oz, Labyrinth, and The Princess Bride, to my most favorite piece: an interactive dragon that doesn't like you messing with his tail. And there is SO MUCH TO SEE, whoamygod. 

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I love fall. And I REALLY love October, because I LOVE Halloween. I’ve got two boxes full of costumes and decorations that I’m constantly adding to, my pantry is full of everything pumpkin spice, and my DVD shelf is lined with 100 or so horror flicks. And the best thing about all this is: I am not alone.

Seattle has a ton of spooky goodness happening over the next few weeks, so I wanted to highlight just a few of them.

This Is Halloween! A Live Music, Cabaret, Burlesque and Film Spectacular
{10/26-10/31 | The Triple Door | $30 adv/$35 day of | 21+ | click here for show times}

Of all the Halloween things, a Tim Burton-themed burlesque show seems the Halloween-iest! And “a spectacular smorgasbord … inspired by “The Nightmare Before Christmas” sounds like a super-fun to spend an evening. Plus, it’s at the Triple Door. I LOVE THE TRIPLE DOOR.

Scarecrow Video presents the VCR That Dripped Blood
{10/27 | Grand Illusion Cinema | 9pm | $8 GA, $5 member}

A compilation of rare horror VHS footage culled from Scarecrow’s archives, featuring blood, special F/X, nudity (!!!), general mayhem … and Alice Cooper. Of course. I can’t even express how completely awesome this is gonna be, you guys.

Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film
{EMP Museum | part of the $20 admission price | Open daily 10am-5pm}

I could spend hours in this exhibit, because I love, love, love looking at all the awesome horror movie props, and listening to Eli Roth, Roger Corman, John Landis and more talk about their favorite horror films. They just swapped out some stuff and added a BtVS spell book and the scary flying metal ball from Phantasm 2—and the Scream booth is SO MUCH FUN. If you haven’t been yet, you need to go. And this month is the perfect time to do it.

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Mick Jagger backstage at the Forum, Los Angeles, California 1972 | All images © copyright and courtesy Jim Marshall Photography LLC

Since I know next-to-nothing about photography and famous photographers, I had never heard of Jim Marshall before I stepped into the new The Rolling Stones 1972, Photographs by Jim Marshall exhibit. (Obviously, though, I had heard of the Stones). Luckily, guest curator Michelle Dunn Marsh was on hand to tell me all about Jim, share details of the photos, and just generally amaze me.

EMP’s Curatorial Director Jasen Emmons helped it all come together by providing a history of the band—and to compliment Marshall’s photos with a lovely centerpiece from the museum’s collection: the original artwork for Exile on Main Street, which is unbelievably awesome.

But enough about that; let’s get to the actual PHOTOS.

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It's ALL HAPPENING!

To complement their Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film exhibit, the EMP has put together a special event of splatterrific proportions - a screening of my favorite Eli Roth film, Cabin Fever, complete with a Q&A involving the lead, Rider Strong (I guess some of y'all worshipped the guy with teen idol fanaticism when he was on Boy Meets World - a show which I actually never watched, but I admit: he is kinda dreamy!) on Friday, February 3.

Anyway! Cabin Fever is full of awesome icky goodness involving a bunch of college friends who hole up in a woodsy cabin, run into a dying guy who's bleeding out of every orifice, and end up contracting a vicious flesh-eating disease. EWWWWWW. The amount of blood, guts, and gore is extremely impressive, and I heart the crap out of the humor in this thing. Tickets are only $10 ($7 for EMP members), and it probably goes without saying, but this R film is not for the kiddos!

Buy your tix now!!! The JBL Theater is an excellent venue for drooling over appreciating guest speakers up close and personal.

Cabin Fever Screening and Q&A with Rider Strong
EMP JBL Theater, 325 5th Ave N
Friday, February 3, doors @7:30pm, film @8pm
Tickets: $10 ($7 EMP Members)

Dude. The EMP is showing Santa Claus Conquers the Martians for Free on Saturday, 12/24!!

A true cult classic, 1964's Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is probably most famous for starring Pia Zadora as a young martian girl, who later became known as one of the worst actress in the world. Fitting, since this movie is generally regarded as one of the worst movies in the world…which pretty much makes is AWESOME.

I was enamored with this movie when I was a kid, because who can resist a movie about martians kidnapping Santa Claus to teach their little green children to have fun? Plus, the toy factory they put together to auto-make toys is fantastic.

Throw back some bloody marys or mimosas, and then head over to the EMP to see this for free on Christmas Eve at 1pm for some festive fun! (It's showing back-to-back until 3pm, and you'll be able to catch up if you miss anything. Trust me.)

Not literally, of course. BUT! You guys. I have been to the EMP's new Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film exhibit twice in the past 4 days and I think I'm in love. 

The ax from The Shining! Masks from An American Werewolf in London! A full-size Alien! Actual pages from Bram Stoker's Dracula! Guillermo del Toro's illustrated journal! Freddy's glove! Jason's mask! GROSS stuff from Hostel & Hostel 2! Tons of interview footage! A scream booth! Crazy shadow creature-making special F/X! An f'ing CRITTER!!! 

*whew* ok, okay, Amie. Remember to breathe. 

But seriously, like everything at the EMP, this exhibit is totally amazeballs. They blew this thing out with enough detail to keep both casual horror fans and diehard genre buffs happy, happy, and more happy. 

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To celebrate their new Can't Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film exhibit -- that they obviously curated just for me -- the EMP is throwing a huge partay on Saturday night {10/1} called the Fashionably Undead Bash: A Totally Killer Dance Party. Starting at 9pm, there will be beer & cocktail specials, a costume contest, and music from The Talking Deads (a zombie cover band of The Talking Heads. what), the always entertaining Head Like a Kite, and, I quote: "iconic horror-themed jams from DJ Severed Hans". hee. 

Some lovely stylists and makeup artists from VAIN will also be on hand to assist with scary-hip looks. What does all this awesomeness cost, you might ask? Why, a mere $10 for EMP members, and $18 for everyone else.

Fashionably Undead Bash
Saturday, 10/1, 9pm-1am
EMP Sky Church
$10 members/$18 non
get tix online at Brown Paper Tickets

Between the star-studded opening of the Nirvana exhibit at the EMP, and the 800 different kinds of awesome that took place on Record Store Day, we could barely keep up. However, we did manage to sneak a few shots off at the EMP, as well as at The Head and the Heart's evening set at the Queen Anne Easy Street, both of which are below for the viewing. Enjoy!

Friday night's opening of the Nirvana exhibit:

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Based on all current internet reports, tonight is going to kick some serious ass.

EMP members, press, and invited guests are being beckoned down to Seattle Center to check out the prefunk for the opening of Nirvana: Taking Punk to the Masses. It's just the beginning of a weekend full of grand-opening events, but we're particularly excited about this evening's affair -- because some legendary folks will be taking to the turntables (!!) and spinning hits for the night, including Kurt Bloch, Steve Fisk, Charles Peterson, and Mark Pickerel. No shit.

You know. Just another Friday night in Seattle.

Here's the whole rundown of the weekend, if you're out kicking some Record Store Day activities and want to take break to peek at the EMP's happenings. Please note that tonight's event was closed for RSVP replies last week, so the first chance you'll have to view the exhibit is tomorrow morning (for members, at a family-friendly pre-opening) or tomorrow afternoon (for non-members, starting at noon).

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My mind is being blown as I look at my calendar pages for today and tomorrow. On top of the intoxicating sunshine the weather folk have predicted for the weekend, the indie-gods have bestowed a packed schedule of wonderfulness:

APRIL 16-18: EMP Pop Conference
It's going to be full of great sessions around this year's topic of sounds and the machines that make them. This year I'm most excited about hearing Tim Quirk and his look at "The Quiet Revolution: From the Walkman to the iPod, How Portability and Infinite Storage Have Changed the Way We Listen, and What We Listen To" on Friday at 10.45am. Catching Mike McGonigal moderating "Identity Projects" and Michaelangelo Matos on the "Interrogating the Digital" - both on Sunday - will rock 33 1/3 socks off as well.

APRIL 17: Record Store Day
Empty out your canvas bag and your bus pass, it's time to take Seattle record stores by storm on an all day tour picking up a slew of very special limited edition releases to remind us all how important it is to support out local independent record stores.  I am most looking forward to getting to Jigsaw Records in time to pick up each release in their LTD RSD-only series (only 25 will be pressed!) with floppies by Math and Physics Club and BOAT. (full scoop)

{even more amazing things to do this weekend after the jump!}

And I'm sure I missed something... what else is going on this weekend? All this fun must be a thank you for getting our taxes done on time, right?

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