Here’s something different to add to your Halloween festivities this year - a visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to see a unique presentation of Tim Burton’s original art and design work. It’s been here for a while, so if you miss out on seeing the Tim Burton installation at LACMAyou really have no one to blame but yourself. Yes, it’s closing this Monday, Halloween night, but the good news is it will be open for a day and a half straight to allow for the mad rush of fans who waited as long as you did.
Tim Burton is certainly a one of kind filmmaker who is best known for his unique sense of style as the creator and director of such films as Corpse Bride, Sleepy Hallow, Edward Scissorhands, and most particularly The Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton’s individual flare and genuinely macabre perspective have delighted audiences for decades, while catching the discriminating eye of many members of the art world. It is in that spirit that the LACMA developed a special exhibit to showcase Burton’s unparalleled work as one of the most ingenious minds of modern cinema, both on and off the screen.
Tim Burton at LACMA has been enjoying a tremendous success since it opened in May (even during the week lines have been seen stretching down Wilshire Blvd). For the past six months fans have had the opportunity to see much of Burton’s creations up close and personal. But now the end is near and there remains just a few days more for those who have yet to take advantage of this rare opportunity. In celebration of the final weekend the museum has extended its hours, and will be hosting several parties, staging special performances and offering all sorts of other holiday themed events all weekend long beginning Saturday, October 29, continuing into the holiday itself on Monday the 31st. For complete details and a schedule of events just use the image above as a link to the official website.
Be warned: no doubt the end of the run, combined with the haunted holiday (one particularly associated with Burton) will ensure a continuance of, if not an increase in popularity. But do not be disheartened, because the museum has anticipated the demand. In order to accommodate the expected rush the museum has extended its hours. It will stay open all night Sunday and remain open until midnight the following day on Halloween. It’s really a cool idea, especially for those die hard Burton devotees who will appreciate a midnight viewing. If at all possible that’s when I plan to go. The crowds should be a lot less intense, while the atmosphere should be most especially appropriate - much like going to a late night screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Be advised that you do need tickets, and the weekend tickets have already sold out. However, tickets for Monday between the hours of 2 in the morning (remember its open all night) and 6 in the evening the same day are still available for online purchase. Just follow this link to reserve tickets in advance. And then there’s parking, but that’s free after 7pm on Sunday, and continues to be so through 7am on Monday. Between 7am and 7pm Monday you’ll have to pay for parking, but it becomes free once again from 7pm through midnight. And for the true fanatic there’s the 8th Annual Muse Costume Ball Saturday, October 29th. It is pricey, but The Dead Man’s Ball includes posthumous access to the Tim Burton exhibition as well as California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way", with live music, performances, and projections from 8:30pm–12:30am. No doubt you’re bond to see a plethora of costumed attendees the likes of which will rival any you’ve ever seen anywhere else. After all, they’ll all be trying their best to emulate Tim Burton. That’s a scary thought indeed.
Whatever your plans have a safe and happy Halloween!