Fans of the 1988 movie “Beetlejuice” will remember the terrifying giant sandworm.
The crowd at next week’s Portsmouth Halloween Parade will be menaced by this creature. At 10-feet-tall, and 30-feet-long, it is sure to be one of the highlights of what is always a spectacle in the New Hampshire city’s downtown.
The worm is the creation of Holly Cook of Rye, New Hampshire. The sandworm will be added to her six other monsters, all from “Beetlejuice.” Her monsters have been added one at a time each year, including Little Ricky, the Witch Doctor, Lydia Deetz, snake man, and of course, Beetlejuice himself. All the monsters were made by Cook in her basement.
The sandworm is so big it had to made in two separate parts of her basement, and it will require nine “wranglers” to handle it. A cart had to be built to hold up the massive head and coordinate it with the body. A 24-foot truck will be rented to transport it because it will not fit in anything else. Altogether there are 15 members of the crew and an additional 10 dancers this year.
Cook’s passion for her project began when she and her husband, Tim, moved to the Seacoast, attending their first Portsmouth Halloween Parade in 2009.
As always the parade this year will be held on Oct. 31, at 7 p.m.
“I loved the parade so much and said I want to be a part of this,” said Cook. “I love Halloween and I love the movie, so I started making monsters.”
Cook’s first parade was in 2010 where she and her husband dressed up as Beetlejuice.
“I love the creativity and the characters of ‘Beetlejuice.’ I love Michael Keaton and the irreverence of his comedy,” she said.
Cook’s monsters are all handmade, paper mache based and the detail is so precise one would assume she spent her life as an artist. In reality she is retired, the founder of a biotech company who has found a new calling.
Cook used 44 yards of fabric and 45 yards of Velcro on the body, which is supported by hula hoops, pipes, chicken wires, 1.5 gallons of Elmer’s glue and countless rolls of duct tape. The wranglers will all be attached to the beast by flag carrier harnesses.
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