We know by now that BBQ Films, the immersive cinema group, knows how to throw a party. We know they can throw a rave where dancers get covered in blood, events that include time travel and beach parties that pay tribute to great men of the ’80s (we still miss you B.J). But a wedding? In pure BBQ Films fashion, the ceremony which took place inside the House of Yes, in Bushwick, was not your typical ceremony. The party guests were mostly deceased, the groom has seen The Exorcist 167 times and a teenager levitated off the ground to the sounds of Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line (Shake Señora).” All of that shouldn’t be surprising when it’s someone like Beetlejuice whose wedding you’re attending. And get this: some real weddings took place too.Â
In honor of the self-proclaimed “Ghost with the Most,” handing in his bachelor card in order to settle down, BBQ Films screened Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic horror-comedy Beetlejuice to a crowd of both living and dead patrons. But first, Beetlejuice himself flew across the audience, tethered to to the ceiling by wires, landed above the bar, and climbed down and onto the stage. The wedding guests roared with applause at the sight the striped suit-wearing, green haired, white skinned ghost, whose name you should never say more than twice.
Before the bride, looking elegant in a blood red wedding dress, and the groom took the stage to join in (un)holy matrimony, guests got a chance to take a photo with the lucky groom and even with some of the more unusual wedding guests. For those in attendance who just happened to meet their maker on the way to the ceremony or during it, a handbook for the recently deceased was on hand to settle any confusion.
And, for those who were already married, they got the opportunity to have that much more of an immersive experience, by renewing their vows along with the couple on stage. If that was not enough, prizes were giving away for those who donated to the Geena Davis Institute of Gender in Media, an organization that tries “to engage, educate, and influence the need to dramatically improve gender balance, reduce stereotyping and create diverse female characters in entertainment.”
And what is a wedding without a reception? After the film was over and vows were said, people both living and dead danced to music provided by the House of Yes and Mean Red. After the party, guests went underground, both to the subway and to marked graves. But there was a section of the more non-living guests who wanted us to go to some place called Dante’s Inferno Room. While enticing, we decided to stick with the living and head home.
Here are more photos from the event:
He thinks after talking to that Witch Doctor, his head is a little smaller, he’s not worried, he thinks it could be a good look for him. But just to make sure, contact the reporter on Twitter @ChrisLInoa and let him know if it’s just him.