Call it “Horror Decor” as homeowners all around Chicagoland doll up their houses in the scariest possible trappings. Some employ technology to create motion (opening caskets) and audio (frightening sounds) sometimes triggered by sensors so they work only when people draw near. But the old-fashioned favorites, including pillowcase ghosts, still hold their own.
One trend is to ever more giant inflatables — ghosts, spiders, jack-o-lanterns, what have you. How scary can anything inflatable be? Remember those clear plastic living room furniture covers from the ’70s? Those were horrific.
Spooktacular
Ever since he bought his Logan Square house 24 years ago, Frank Lopez has put up an elaborate Christmas display. Eight or nine years ago, he started doing the same for Halloween. On his spacious corner lot, he places lighted, occupied coffins, a towering Frankenstein, glowing jack-o-lanterns. Two fog machines and an audio system cranking out the wailing, howling, chain-clanking sounds of the season complete the effect.
“I don’t want to annoy the neighbors,” he said, explaining why he turns off the audio around 9:30 at night. Next week he’ll take down the Halloween display and start on Christmas.
“That one,” he said, “that one is a lot of work.”
Happy couple
“We call them, ‘Mr. and Mrs. Bones,’ ” said Joe Vogenthaler of the rather stiff newlyweds who grace his Grace Street front porch.
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“I got them a few years ago at an Osco,” he said. “They were the only ones in the store, all dressed and ready to go.”
The couple contain motion detectors cueing the Mrs. to sing “White Wedding,” while the Mr. repeats, “I’ve been dead for so long. I’ve been dead for so long.” Come on, fella, you just came down the aisle. Give it a chance!
Consistently creative
The Roscoe Village neighborhood where Mort Reynolds lives is one of the booming real estate areas of the city.
Longtime residents leave, newcomers arrive, but Reynolds is a very visible constant. He decorates the entire front facade of his house for Christmas, Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day.
“The newer residents have more kids, and they get a kick out of it,” Reynolds said. “Some of the people who have moved away come back to see what’s new.”
Ghostly greeting
The Evanston home of Victor and Sandy Lopez is more welcoming than frightening.
“We don’t want to scare the little kids,” Victor said.
There are more decorations inside the house in the hallway where the children will collect their treats.
Sandy does the windows.
“She puts up the decorations in the front windows,” Victor said, “and she does the things on the shrubs too.” What does Victor do?
“I do the big stuff, the inflatable ghost,” he said. “It’s also the easy stuff.”
Nice and toothy
This year, for the first time, Paul and Sharon Carrano put up a decoration almost half the size of their Bridgeport home. It’s a huge, toothy mouth through which children must pass to get the bags of potato chips and Fritos the Carranos pass out each year.
“I found it at Wal-Mart,” Sharon said. “I haven’t seen one like it up anywhere else. There were two at the store. The other was black with green eyes. I liked this one better. It’s nice.”
Where will she store the gaping maw when the holiday is over?
“You just pull the plug,” she said, “and it folds down into a little box.”