The local jazz and improvisational trio called Color will bring their unique blend of musical flare to a special, single-night screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s first feature release. The 1927 silent film “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog” will be shown as a benefit for the Portsmouth Halloween Parade on October 9. (see details and entire October schedule below)

The show will take place at the recently reopened space beneath Foobar restaurant and bar (formerly the Muddy River Smokehouse) on Congress Street, in Portsmouth.  

For the band Color, this will mark the fourth silent film for which they’ve composed and performed an original score. The trio is made up of saxophone maestro Matt Langley, Jamie Decato on drums, and keyboardist Chris Decato (recently returned from the West Coast where he recorded with the lead singer of Godsmack). They have previously used their free flowing, improvisational technique to spook up films like “The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari,” “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and Murnau’s vampire classic “Nosferatu.” When approached by the Parade committee to turn their talents on a work by Alfred Hitchcock, band leader Matt Langley responded with a simple, enthusiastic “We’re in!”  

Portsmouth Halloween Parade committee member and event organizer Trevor Bartlett says, “When the Music Hall announced they would be screening “Psycho” after the Parade on the 31^st, we thought showing Hitchcock’s early work as a primer was just an irresistible opportunity to carve out some synergy within the Seacoast’s film community.” He adds, “Color has never let us down. They do an amazing job tailoring their sound to fit the different tones of the films. Hitchcock movies are known for their distinct soundtracks, and we can’t wait to hear what they come up with.”  

Of the venue, Bartlett remarks, “The tradition of the parade’s ‘Silent Night’ benefit started in this space back when it was still Muddy River. Great thanks go out to the new owners at Foobar for opening it up for us to return. It really says a lot about their dedication to getting cool things to happen there again, and to the community in general.”  

This macabre evening of movie music starts at 8 p.m. in “The Cave” beneath Foobar at 21 Congress Street, Portsmouth. Tickets are $10, or $5 with student I.D., and will be available at the door an hour before showtime. All proceeds will benefit the Portsmouth Halloween Parade, to cover expenses of permits, insurance and police detail for the October 31^st event.  

About “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog”

The first of Hitchcock’s films to be seen by audiences (his first two having been shelved by the studio for political reasons) is based on a bestselling novel by Marie Belloc-Lowndes, in which a mysterious young man arrives in London to rent a room in the midst of a city-wide spree of grisly murders. The story, a fiction inspired by the infamous crimes of Jack the Ripper, introduces a remarkable number of themes that would go on to become Hitchcock trademarks, including the tension between classes against bustling urban backgrounds; overt, and often subversive, sexual anxiety between the leads, ambiguity surrounding the guilt of the protagonists and not least of all, Hitchcock’s career spanning, and almost pathological, propensity for tormenting comely young blonde women in his films. 

Filmed in England just after Hitchcock had been studying the styles of German Expressionism abroad, the work is visually arresting, blending inventive, evocative use of light and with ingeniously constructed sets. Hitchcock’s addition of recurring motifs throughout the film, often spilling over from the images onto the title cards themselves, was a groundbreaking achievement in the evolution of screen storytelling. 

About The Portsmouth Halloween Parade

The Portsmouth Halloween Parade is a grassroots, all-inclusive community celebration of creativity, resourcefulness, collaboration and free expression on the Seacoast of New Hampshire. Held each year on October 31^st, this year will mark the Parade’s 16^th march through the heart of downtown Portsmouth. For more information, visit the Web site. Of become a fan on Facebook or at Twitter.

 WEB SITE LINK HERE

Other Upcoming PHP Benefit events

Pumpkin Smash
Saturday, Oct. 23 from 8am to 1pm at the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, 1 Junkins Ave. (Rain date: Saturday, Oct 30)
Smash a pumpkin, win a prize!  

Deathrace 2010 - Zombie 1K
Saturday, Oct. 23 from 10:30am to 12:30pm. Pre-register $15; day of, $20
Zombies released on Bow Street to swarm their way to the Farmers' Market. There is a definite 1 kilometer route, but we're not telling what it is. $20 gets a PHP t-shirt, scavenger hunt clues for prezzies along the shamble, and a pumpkin to smash at the end. Last body across the deadline wins! Registration forms coming soon!  

Flatbread Community Night
Need another reason to eat great pizza? Percentage of the evening’s flatbread sales donated to the Halloween Parade, plus raffle! Tuesday, Oct. 26, Flatbread Company, 138 Congress St. 

Undead Beat Night
Thursday, Oct. 28 from 7 to 9pm, Press Room, 77 Daniel St. Donations encouraged.
Spooky poetry reading and open mike with music by Groove Bacteria.  

(I got a) Rock Show, too
Friday, Oct. 29 at 9pm, Foobar, 21 Congress St. Price TBA
A rare rocking appearance of Jupiter 2 and special guests!

Psycho Night 
Sunday, Oct 31 at 9pm, The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., $8.50 Adults, $6.50 Seniors 60+, Students & Military
Drag your mom down to our celebration of the 50th birthday of Alfred Hitchcock's stabby little masterpiece.

Jumbo Circus Peanuts
Saturday, Oct. 30 at 8pm, Portsmouth VFW, 238 Deer St., $5. 
Dance your way into All Saints Day with a Portsmouth Halloween favorite!