P R E S S
R E L E A S E S 2004
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September 30, 2004
Horror Classic Makes MASS MoCA Spooky Choice on Halloween Night
(North Adams, Mass.)-- This Halloween promises frightening fun at MASS MoCA with the film screening of James Whale's 1931 horror classic Frankenstein on Sunday, October 31, at 8pm in the Hunter Center. Returning to MASS MoCA, BQE Project performs live music with a brand new score that brilliantly complements this horror classic. Before the screening a costume parade and contest will create a ghoulish mood and, following the film, ticket-holders are invited to a closing reception for the Williamstown Film Festival season to wrap up the evening.
"We are delighted to continue a tradition begun in 1999 with memorable Halloween programming," said Jonathan Secor, MASS MoCA's director of performing arts. "We've had dance parties and films on Halloween and always feature a great costume contest as part of the evening. This year we're presenting the film as a joint feature with the Williamstown Film Festival, so the event will be both a Halloween party and the closing celebration for the WFF season." Based on the novel of the same title, Frankenstein explores the creation of life by introducing one of the most unforgettable mad scientists of all time, Dr. Henry Frankenstein. Played by Colin Clive, Dr. Frankenstein wishes to create a simple creature from various body parts. But no sooner do the words "It's alive! It's alive!" fly from his mouth than the monster, played by Boris Karloff, becomes violent and breaks free from the laboratory. But can a dead man really walk among the living? Considered a breakthrough movie for actor Boris Karloff, Frankenstein in turn showcased the true genius of director James Whale as well as Arthur Edeson's expressionistic cinematography. Released over 70 years ago, Frankenstein still entices and scares audiences with its dark humor, extraordinary use of make-up, and eerily perfect film angles. Mark Radice of Edinburgh University's Film Society says, "Karloff's performance is superb, conveying all the monster's raw emotions just through his eyes, and eliciting sympathy from the audience despite his brutal actions. It comes from an early enough period in Universal Film's history of horror filmmaking to still be unique and original, and Whale firmly demonstrates that he was the greatest horror director of his time. Brilliantly moody, definitively seminal, this is one of the most important films ever made." Led by Eastman Music School graduate Tom Nazziola, the BQE Project is no stranger to adding musical accompaniment to film screenings. Nazziola was commissioned by the Museum of Moving Image in NYC to create a new score for Charlie Chaplin's silent classic The Gold Rush, which was MASS MoCA's first silent film/live music event in June 1999. He was most recently commissioned by VocalEssence to compose a new choral work for the 2004-2005 concert season. Having developed a loyal following, the BQE Project is an eight-piece chamber ensemble that performs original music scores and live performances to both silent films and "talkies." They encourage audiences to appreciate a wide palette of film, from newly created interactive cartoons to early silent films by Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Tickets to Frankenstein with the BQE Project are $13 in advance, $16 the day of the show, and $10 for students. MASS MoCA members get 10% off. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office located on Marshall Street in North Adams from 11 A.M. until 5 P.M. (closed Tuesdays.) Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or online at www.massmoca.org at any time of day. The Williamstown Film Festival's sixth season will run October 22-31, with the complete schedule to be announced soon. In the past WFF has honored John Frankenheimer, David Strathairn, and Sigourney Weaver and presented such acclaimed independent films as The Station Agent, Off the Map, The Quiet American, Roger Dodger, and Spellbound. "It's nice to be back at MASS MoCA," says WFF executive director Steve Lawson. "We've had some great collaborations over the past five years -- Tape, Shadow of the Vampire, last fall's Mr. & Mrs. Bridge -- and Frankenstein promises to be another memorable evening." MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located off Marshall St. in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings. For Immediate ReleaseContact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org