There is a meme going around poking fun at the fact that the second the calendar flicks over to October, everything and everyone suddenly gets a whole lot spookier in anticipation of Halloween. The joke is, of course, rooted in reality, as fake spider webs and carved pumpkins have already begun to creep back into existence only to vanish on the first day of November (cue the Christmas lights). You will be pleased to hear that Dublin cinema is no exception to this eager wait for Halloween. As part of the Bram Stoker Festival, the Light House Cinema is screening an array of classic horror films all centred around the theme of monsters. Likewise, the Irish Film Institute (IFI) is hosting its annual Horrorthon, cramming a multitude of frightful flicks into four days.
The Bram Stoker Festival takes place from October 28th to 31st all over Dublin city, inducing spookiness in all kinds of interests and activities. The Light House Cinema is playing its part in showing the iconic monster movies we all know and love on the big screen. It kicks off with the exemplary sci-fi horror, Creature from the Black Lake, on October 28th . A strange creature is discovered in the depths of the Amazonian jungle and captured by a group of scientists for further study, making for a thrilling movie. As if things were not scary enough, the film is being shown in 3D so expect to recoil in terror at the sight of the notorious Gill-man.
That same Friday evening, Claude Rains plays the eponymous monster in The Invisible Man, directed by renowned horror filmmaker James Whale. On October 29th, an ancient Egyptian mummy is brought back to life in the 1932 film The Mummy. As if that was not enough, it is followed by a screening of The Wolf Man with Lon Chaney starring as the famous creature.
Whale is back at it again with another classic horror film with the disturbing yet tragic Frankenstein on October 30th in the Light House Cinema. Mary Shelley’s infamous Frankenstein’s monster is brought to life by Boris Karloff in this 1931 film. Its sequel, Bride of Frankenstein, is also being shown later that day. If we can learn anything from these horror films, it is that science experiments always go terribly wrong.
There cannot be the Bram Stoker Festival without Dracula. On October 31st, the iconic 1931 take on Stoker’s monstrous invention will be shown. Bela Lugosi’s role as the Count is widely regarded as the definitive Dracula, making this a must-see film for Halloween.
If these classic monsters are simply just too terrifying for you, the Light House Cinema is also screening some more contemporary horror films. Francis Ford Coppola’s version of The Count is not to be missed on October 29th, while The Shining is screening on October 30th. Known as a “masterpiece of modern horror”, Stanley Kubrick’s cult classic is eerie and petrifying as a family try to settle into their new lives in the mountain-isolated Overlook Hotel. Last of the Light House Cinema’s “monster mash” is John Carpenter’s Halloween, in which an escaped convict returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, to terrorise its residents.
Over in the IFI, an extensive program of mostly new horror films is being offered from October 27th to 31st. Horrorthon 2016 begins with the South Korean film Train to Busan, which sees passengers struggling to survive on a train when zombies attack fellow commuters. Just one of the many films screening on October 28th, Raw is a vegan’s nightmare. In fact, it is everyone’s nightmare. A young teen begins having intense cravings for fresh meat after a hazing ritual at her new high school. The film is so disturbingly graphic that emergency medical services had to be called for some of the audience during its screening at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.
On October 29th, the claustrophobic survival thriller, The Chamber, will have its audience gripping their seats as the pilot of a small submarine and a three man Special Ops team on a secret recovery mission become trapped underwater in a fight for survival. Notably for the following Sunday, the IFI Horrorthon team have selected an array of the best horror short films from around the world for your viewing pleasure. The Horrothon in the IFI culminates with Headshot on Halloween evening. A young man suffering from severe head trauma and amnesia is nursed back to health by a young doctor, but his past quickly catches up with him, leading to trouble for them both.
Heading to one of the many horror films being screened in the run-up to Halloween is the perfect way to prepare for the spooky night itself. From iconic films to exciting contemporaries, there is something to appeal to everyone. So, head along to the Light House Cinema’s monster lineup or the IFI Horrorthon and dare to be scared.
