Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN Screening at Webster University February 7th – ‘Grave Tales’

“I’ve harmed nobody, just robbed a few graves!”

The ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series continues at Webster University Thursday February 7th with a screening of the groundbreaking Hammer Horror classic THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957) starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The screening will be at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts at 7:30. A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE. Look for more coverage of the  ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series here at We Are Movie Geeks in the coming weeks.

Having enjoyed success with the sci-fi horror film THE QUATERMASS XPERIMNET (1955), the Hammer studio was eager to further exploit the apparent appeal of darker content. In the early ‘60s, horror cinema had mostly gone out of fashion, with the popular big-screen monsters now being of scientific or outer space origin. After Quatermass’ success, Hammer decided to resurrect the Frankenstein property, it being the blueprint fiction work for science leading to terror. The tragic creature of Mary Shelley’s creation had become a figure of mockery by the time of its 1948 encounter with Abbott and Costello, but Universal still held copyright despite the property’s apparent lack of profitability. As such, the script of Hammer’s reboot had to have as little to do with both Universal’s films and Shelley’s original novel as possible.

Hammer’s resulting film, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, is far closer to the gothic tone of Shelley’s source, replacing James Whale’s almost fairytale-like aesthetic with a mid-Victorian Switzerland of elaborate sets, and playing up the gruesome meticulousness of Victor Frankenstein’s experimentation. The film also differed from the previous Hammer horror, swapping monochrome for striking Eastmancolor. Director Terence Fisher’s film revels in blood reds and lurid greens that breathe life into the grisliness. Don’t miss your chance to see it all on the big screen February 7^th.

$7 for the general public
$6 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$5 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.

Advance tickets are available from the cashier before each screening or contact the Film Series office (314-246-7525) for more options. The Film Series can only accept cash or check.