When the state of Florida comes to mind for most people in the United States or around the world, things like flatlands, lousy traffic, beaches, high temperatures, retirement communities, hurricanes, and political snafus come to mind. However, in Central Florida, in the heart of the city of Tampa, the world of horror and Halloween is celebrated like in any other mid-western city. According to WalletHub, Tampa Bay ranks as the 23rd best city for Halloween enthusiasts, with metrics including the number of costume stores, trick-or-treat stops, and Halloween celebrations.
Since October 2013, one of Tampa’s historic landmarks, The Tampa Theatre, has put the world of horror and celebrating Halloween to the forefront. The Theatre’s “A Nightmare on Franklin Street” film series showcases various films throughout the horror world, ranging from classics in the genre to silent films and recent contemporary movies. The Theatre was first built in 1926 and is considered one of the 10 Most Beautiful Cinemas in the world by the BBC, as it was designed by famed Chicago-based architect John Eberson. The renowned architect gave the Theatre a night-like look with stars, adding to the experience of watching movies in the building. The Tampa Theatre has grown a reputation for being haunted, leading to the Theatre producing Ghost Tours, and with its 1238-seat auditorium, it hosts nearly 1,000 events each year.
The “A Nightmare on Franklin Street” event began over a decade ago and has gone through numerous iterations and ideas. This year, the series runs for three weeks (October 11-31), showing more films than ever, with multiple days including double features beginning with the 1980s slasher classic Prom Night, which stars Jamie Lee Curtis. The festivities end on Halloween night, coming full circle with Curtis’ most famous role of Laurie Strode in 1978’s Halloween, followed by another tentpole horror classic in Wes Craven’s Scream…