Amidst the medley of memories etched in the celluloid tapestry of time, this snapshot of a storied edifice stands in its resplendent glory. The Minerva Lodge #86 in East Corinth, Vermont is a structure woven into the fabric of cinematic legend, serving as a veritable portal to an era of whimsy and enchantment. It’s as if the ghost of Beetlejuice himself still lingers in the shadows, playfully beseeching us to say his name thrice.
This photograph captures a moment of stillness, a curious blend of the temporal and the eternal. The Lodge’s exterior, garbed in a coat of timeworn white paint, seems to whisper secrets of mischievous specters and otherworldly antics. The sun casts its golden embrace upon the facade, breathing life into the scene, as if coaxing the characters of the beloved film to dance once more within the hallowed halls of this Lodge.
Attached to a cellar door, a poster of the iconic Beetlejuice, portrayed by the inimitable Michael Keaton, holds court. This spirited visage, a kaleidoscope of mischief and malevolence, serves as both guardian and guide to the Lodge’s storied past. The twisted grin, a Cheshire-like leer, seems to taunt the viewer, inviting them to join the carnival of macabre delights that unfolded within these walls. The moss-green suit and unruly shock of hair, now immortalized in countless tributes and cosplays, offer a tangible link to a time when the bizarre and the fantastic were woven into the very fabric of our collective consciousness.
The image of the Lodge also serves as a reminder of the power of imagination and of a bygone era when macabre storytelling held sway over the hearts and minds of a generation. In this hallowed space, where fact and fiction entwine, we are transported to a realm where the line between the living and the dead blurs, and the extraordinary holds sway over the mundane.
The photograph of Minerva Lodge #86 serves as more than a mere visual relic; it is a phantasmagorical tapestry, a window into a world of wonder and delight. As one continues to gaze at the weathered facade, one cannot help but feel a shiver of excitement, a thrill of anticipation at the prospect of stepping into the sepia-toned world of Beetlejuice. For within these walls, the spirits of the past still dance, weaving their enchantments around our hearts, and beckoning us to join them in a celebration of the strange, the fantastic, and the eternally unforgettable.
Photos copyright Amelia Desertsong. Edited by Tom Slatin.
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