“Monsters in the Movies” At AMPAS

Beverly Hills, CA (October 6, 2010) — The evolution of creature technology and the fundamental role technology plays in shaping monster movies will be explored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in MONSTERS IN THE MOVIES on Thursday, October 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The evening, presented by the Academy’s Science and Technology Council and hosted by special effects makeup artist and on-set animatronic effects supervisor Shane Mahan, will include an onstage conversation with industry experts on the technical design of such creatures as King Kong, the Gill Man and a London werewolf.

Film clips will trace the evolution of creature technology, from KING KONG (1933), BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935), CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954), HORROR OF DRACULA (1958), ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. (1966), PLANET OF THE APES (1968), THE EXORCIST (1973), AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981) and ALIENS (1986) through the digital age of JURASSIC PARK (1993), ZATHURA: A SPACE ADVENTURE (2005) and KING KONG (2005).

Complementing the clips and discussion will be a lobby display of artifacts used to create visual effects for a range of aliens and creatures from classic and contemporary monster movies.

Tickets for MONSTERS IN THE MOVIES are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets are available for purchase by mail, at the Academy box office (8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or online at www.oscars.org. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved.

The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at the 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

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