Planned 'Ghostbusters' screening at Restlawn cemetery stirs controversy in Wausau

WAUSAU - Tom Alesia can't stand the thought of a comedy movie being shown only yards from where he laid his mother to rest 42  years ago.

Alesia, who lives in Madison, said that of all the places to host a movie screening, Restlawn Memorial Park might be the most inappropriate. 

Staff members at the Wausau north-side cemetery plan to show the classic movie "Ghostbusters" at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 11. The free movie event will be held outdoors in a portion of the cemetery where no one is buried, near the mausoleum at the back. 

Although moviegoers wouldn't be sitting on burial sites, the event leaves a bad taste in Alesia's mouth — and the screening has been the subject of a social media debate. A post on the popular Facebook group "You Know You're From WAUSAU, WI If..." garnered more than 140 comments, ranging from those who called the screening disrespectful to the dead to those who thought it was a great idea.

"I'm just disappointed and surprised by the cemetery," Alesia said in an interview with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. "To see a cemetery choose this option ... it's disturbing." 

For Restlawn owner Christine Toson Hentges, the event isn't a sign of disrespect — it's something positive, a way to bring the community together and dispel the fear of cemeteries. 

Cemeteries don't need to be spooky or frightening, she believes. 

"It's a trend at cemeteries to hold these types of events," she said. "It represents that a cemetery is a vital part of the community." 

Toson Hentges also owns and operates a cemetery in Milwaukee, where the company started showing movies last year. She said the movies have gone over rather well, giving the community a safe place to enjoy the outdoors. There were critics at first, but the series has become popular, she said.

"The purpose is to bring people together in a positive way," Toson Hentges said. "We want people to come back and reflect on the memories." 

Cemeteries weren't always a place where spooky legends and fear of death lived, according to an article published in 2010 by the Wall Street Journal. They were once social centers, where people would go for walks, take carriage rides or picnic by a loved one's grave. That's what Toson Hentges hopes movie nights will encourage. 

"We encourage the community to be there always," she said. "It helps us bring in the next generation." 

On the "You Know You're from Wausau" Facebook thread, opinions still varied. "I can't imagine the place of rest for all of my relatives (being the site of) some Halloween spook show," wrote one commenter. Another shared the opposite view:

"I love it! I'm going," she wrote. "I'm sure it won't offend my Nana or Papa who are buried there. Land is for the living."

Contact Going Out reporter Laura Schulte at 715-297-7532 or leschulte@gannett.com; on Twitter @schultelaura.