Comic actor Mark DeCarlo has the perfect costume for Halloween: A T-shirt, jeans, sunglasses and a leather jacket.
Who is he supposed to be? God, of course.
“You’re everywhere at once,” he says. “You can get all the candy instantly and then you’ll be back home before the news is over.” And as God, you know which house has all the good candy, he adds.
Even better, “I’ll also know the houses that are giving away the pennies,” DeCarlo says. “Who needs pennies in your candy? All I want is Snickers, a caramel apple with nuts, not without, and Reese’s (Peanut Butter Cups). The crunchy Reese’s, not the creamy.”
DeCarlo, the Chicago native and one-time host of the raunchy, hugely popular syndicated dating game show, “Studs,” can be God for Halloween because he plays Him in a movie. He took on the role for a small, independent film called “Three Days,” which was screened during the 33rd Chicago International Film Festival a few weeks ago. This particular Heavenly Father drives a Corvette, wears a Cubs shirt and smokes a cigar.
“He’s every Chicago guy’s idea of God,” DeCarlo says. “He’s a much hipper God.”
The movie is a comedy-drama based on writer-director and Columbia College graduate Adrian Fulle’s experiences after his mother died on Halloween 1994 when a plane carrying her and 67 others crashed in an Indiana farm field on its way to Chicago from Indianapolis.
“The basic story of the movie is pretty heavy and pretty serious, and it’s a very subjective tale,” says DeCarlo, 35. “So a lot of parts of the movie are very weird, and the characters are very weird, and God kind of comes in as this guy’s savior, strangely enough.”
DeCarlo caught the eye of producer David Miller while performing with other former Second City players in Santa Monica, Calif., and the movie was subsequently shot last year in the Chicago area.
“It’s a pretty serious topic for a movie, yet it’s still really funny,” says DeCarlo. “You can find comedy in virtually any topic if you approach it from the right point of view.” And DeCarlo found out there’s no template for playing the Character.
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“You really can’t go wrong, in my opinion,” he says. “Who’s going to tell you?” Well, there’s the late George Burns’ portrayal in the “Oh, God!” movies, for one.
“Well, I took care of that,” DeCarlo cracks.
“Three Days’ ” fate is in the hands of whatever distributors saw it at the Chicago film festival, but DeCarlo is clearly the master of his fate.
He’s set to star in a movie he wrote called “Bums,” about a group of mid-30s garage band mates who have decided to get on with their lives. DeCarlo and partner Mark Walberg are working on a proposed television series about a computer-generated donkey (DeCarlo provides the voice), which could go the syndicated route between spring and fall 1998.
A constant fixture on television, DeCarlo, who has appeared on “Seinfeld” and “Tracey Takes On . . .,” does a guest turn on ABC’s genie comedy “You Wish” in a special Halloween-themed episode, playing a cable repair guy who turns into a werewolf (at 8:30 p.m. Friday on WLS-Ch. 7).
The frightening standup lineup
Here’s who’s scaring people this Halloween weekend. Current sets are scheduled to terrorize through Saturday; all new acts haunt beginning Thursday unless otherwise noted. Lineups are subject to change horribly.
– Gallagher stalks fruit and vegetables with his Sledge-o-Matic during his annual Halloween scream at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Ind., Friday and Saturday; call 219-769-6600 or 312-559-1212 for show times and reservations.
– The ghastly two-headed monster of Steve Mitchell and Craig Robinson wreaks terror at All Jokes Aside through Sunday. The club is at 1000 S. Wabash Ave.; call 312-922-0577.
– It’s a weekend of terror as Chicago’s frighteningly funny Diane Alaimo reigns at the Funny Bone (1504 Naper Blvd., Tower Crossing Shopping Center, Naperville; 630-955-0500) this weekend.
– The equally ghoulish Steve Seagren is the master of the macabre Friday and Saturday at Zanies in Vernon Hills, 230 Hawthorne Village Commons; call 847-549-6030.
– Haunted Las Vegas act Buddy Hackett brings creepy comedy to the Paramount Arts Centre in Aurora on Saturday, in a show presented by Hollywood Casino. Hackett’s material is especially scary to boys and girls, so mature audiences only; call 630-896-6666 or 312-559-1212.
Shrieks on the tube
Comedy Central’s shockingly funny animated series “South Park” presents a special Halloween edition Friday at 10 p.m. and again at 12:30 a.m., an episode with echoes of “Night of the Living Dead,” “The Invasion of the Pink-Eyed Monster” and “The Crummy Russian Space Station That Wouldn’t Die.”
Jump off the Halloween train, whydon’cha?!
– We once wrote about a group of aspiring standups who went through a comedy course at Zanies. One of those comics, John Tabisz, a firefighter who lives in Downers Grove, is hosting open-mic comedy nights at Jukebox Saturday Night on the first Tuesday of each month. The next comedy night is scheduled for Tuesday, and the venue is at 1227 Maple Ave., Lisle. For more details, call 630-971-8730.
– Y.B.M. Entertainment has its latest “Midtown Spice” variety show set for Wednesday at All Jokes Aside. Standup, skits, music, dance and more are in store for the set, which Midtown Spice is now planning for the first and third Wednesday of each month at All Jokes; call the club for show time and other information.
– Quirky and engaging comedian Jake Johannsen, who has performed two HBO comedy specials, is hitting Zanies’ in Chicago (1548 N. Wells St.; 312-337-4027) Thursday and Nov. 7, and then performing at the Zanies’ Vernon Hills club Nov. 8 (230 Hawthorn Village Commons, Vernon Hills; 847-549-6030).