Boris Karloff in FRANKENSTEIN Screening at Webster University This Thursday – ‘Grave Tales’

“Look! It’s moving. It’s alive. It’s alive… It’s alive, it’s moving, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, it’s alive, IT’S ALIVE!”

The ‘Grave Tales’ Horror film series continues at Webster University Thursday January 31st with a screening of the groundbreaking horror classic FRANKENSTEIN (1931) starring Boris Karloff. 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.

Dr. Henry Frankenstein, played by Colin Clive, and his assistant Fritz, portrayed by Dwight Frye, stalk the graveyards at night. They dig up the fresh corpses of the recently deceased in order to fulfill a mad scientist’s dream. They seek to give life to a dead, stitch-quilted chimera of a man. In their quest to play God they create something “…The Modern Prometheus” author, Mary Shelley describes as “supremely frightful.” After all “any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the creator of the world” would be a terrifying marvel.  Boris Karloff’s version of the Frankenstein Monster doesn’t kill because he has the brain of a murderer but due to his childlike ignorance. The Monster does not understand the consequences of his actions.

FRANKENSTEIN was even more successful than DRACULA, also from 1931 (and last week’s ‘Grave Tales’ film), and ushered in the “Golden Age” of horror. Though it owes more to the Peggy Webling stage play than  Shelley’s novel, this film certainly gave horror the boost it needed to become a cornerstone genre..Director James Whale would go on to display his genius in three more horror films for Universal, THE OLD DARK HOUSE, THE INVISIBLE MAN< and THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. Whale never wanted to be dubbed a “horror director,” but these are his most famous works and allfour have stood the test of time. There would be many sequels to FRANKENSTEIN, even after Karloff abandoned the role after the third film. Karloff became a star after the release of Frankenstein, and had to have back surgery from the rigors of the makeup and costume. FRANKENSTEIN is a true classic and one that no horror fan can go without seeing.

$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.