IU Auditorium continues Halloween traditions with ‘The Cat and the Canary’

While Bloomington and the IU campus offer scads of fun Halloween traditions, from throwing items at the screen at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater’s presentation of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” or stumbling down Kirkwood Avenue scantily clad, the IU Auditorium is continuing with a tradition that began in 1969.\nA 8 p.m. today, the IU Auditorium will present the remastered silent film “The Cat and the Canary,” with accompaniment by organist Dennis James. \n“The Cat and the Canary” is a horror film starring Laura La Plante as Annabelle West. It was originally released in 1927. Attendees will view the remastered DVD version, according to a press release. \nJames, who tours the world playing live music to accompany silent films, began his organ career at IU, and played his first show at the IU Auditorium as an undergraduate student, he said in an e-mail. \nHe played the organ to the 1929 silent film version of “The Phantom of the Opera” last year, continuing with his tradition of performing at the IU Auditorium on Halloween. \nRadio station B97-WBWB will host a costume contest before the show, and attendees are encouraged to dress up in homemade costumes. \nThere will be several finalists selected for three categories: scariest, most creative and best-overall costume. \nThe audience will choose the best in each category. Winners will receive either a $100 gift certificate from Plato’s Closet or Scotty’s Brewhouse, or a four gigabyte video iPod nano. \nNo store-bought or rented costumes are allowed, said Libby Hiple, account executive for B97. \nStudent tickets for the movie are available for $7 to $15, and tickets for the general public are available for $13 to $18. \nThey can be purchased at the IU Auditorium Box Office or through www.ticketmaster.com.