Horror Highlights: NOSFERATU Lecture at The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies in London, Frank Henenlotter Retrospective Screenings, Telluride Horror Show 2018

One of my favorite silent films (featuring the iconic vampire Count Orlok), F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu (1922) will be the subject of a special restoration lecture on April 19th in London courtesy of The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies. In today's Horror Highlights, we also have details on retrospective screenings of Frank Henenlotter's films in Brooklyn, as well as an exciting announcement from the 2018 Telluride Horror Show.

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies' Nosferatu Lecture: "The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies - London Presents: A RESTORATION OF ‘NOSFERATU’ (1922) at The Horse Hospital April 19th!

The Miskatonic Institute Horror Studies - London welcomes Watchmaker Films founder Mark Rance to discuss the process and importance of film restoration while putting a spotlight on his challenging work on the NOSFERATU release.

This show-and-tell lecture will illustrate many of the issues encountered and (with varying degrees of success) resolved in a digital restoration of Murnau’s NOSFERATU. We will begin with a description of the original production and the technology used to make the film. The film’s own troubled history complicated the film’s physical reconstruction, and that impacted the digital restoration. The reconstructed master print was made from many disparate elements, as a single negative was simply not available. We will examine many scenes and shots in a side-by-side comparison of the unrestored reconstructed print and the digitally restored version of the same material. As we do, this talk will investigate many of the problems faced by any restoration team when not all the original elements are available. We will examine the use of VFX tools, grain management, tinting processes and photochemical to digital translation issues when restoring motion pictures.

This talk will primarily explore the complex and subjective issues currently floating around in many analog-versus-digital discussions of film and how those opinions can influence the determination of what the restored version should look like if the goal is to replicate the original projected image at the time of the first release. Can digital restorations generate valid preservation copies of photo-chemical materials? Let’s find out.

About the Instructor:
Mark Rance is a documentary filmmaker who for many years was a producer at The Criterion Collection before forming his own company in Los Angeles and producing DVDs and Blu-rays for the Hollywood studios. His titles include THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS, HARD EIGHT (aka SYDNEY), BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA, SEVEN, I,ROBOT, THE PRESTIGE, RESERVOIR DOGS and THE DARK KNIGHT. He moved to London in 2004 and established Watchmaker Films to restore and distribute lost independent films. Those restorations include Eagle Pennell’s THE WHOLE SHOOTIN’ MATCH and LAST NIGHT AT THE ALAMO; Tobe Hooper’s first feature, EGGSHELLS; and Jack Hazan’s A BIGGER SPLASH.

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies – London - A Restoration of 'Nosferatu' (1922)
Date: April 19th, 2018
Time: 7:00pm-10:00pm
Venue: The Horse Hospital
Address: Colonnade, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 1JD
Prices: £10 advance / £11 on the door / £8 concs (students/seniors with ID)
www.miskatonic-london.com
http://www.miskatonic-london.com/events/a-restoration-of-nosferatu-1922/

About the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies:
Named for the fictional university in H.P. Lovecraft’s literary mythos, the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies is an international organization that offers university-level history, theory and production-based masterclasses for people of all ages, founded by film writer and programmer Kier-La Janisse in March 2010, with regular branches in London and New York as well as presenting special events worldwide. The UK branch is co-run by Janisse and Josh Saco, of Cigarette Burns Cinema."

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Frank Henenlotter Retrospective Screenings: Press Release: "If ever there was a student of early horror and exploitation films, Frank Henenlotter is top of the class. Spending years at peak moviegoing on the Deuce (that strip of 42nd Street famous for its grime), Henenlotter then crafted a cinema all his own - films that are gross, hilarious and also very personal. On the occasion of the recent 4K restoration of his classic BASKET CASE by the Museum of Modern Art, and marking the 30th anniversary of BRAIN DAMAGE, we are thrilled to bring together a series of all of Henenlotter’s exploitation films, including the rare short SLASH OF THE KNIFE. In addition, we’ve asked Henenlotter to curate a sidebar of films that have influenced him as part of our weekly series Terror Tuesday and Weird Wednesday. Even better - Henenlotter will appear in person for all shows, with many stories to tell!

Frank Henenlotter Retrospective

BASKET CASE 4K Restoration
Tuesday, April 3rd @7:00 PM
Dir. Frank Henenlotter
Starring: Beverly Bonner, Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith

Museum of Modern Art 4K Restoration. Duane Bradley has a relationship with his twin brother that most people would consider odd – after all, Duane was born with his brother Belial growing out of his right ribcage. Yes, it’s disgusting – that’s what their father thought too, so he hired some shady doctors to sever the boys’ ties. But what happens now that the Bradley boys are all grown up…? Henenlotter’s feature debut is the most bizarre tale of brotherly love ever committed to celluloid and serves as a beautiful time capsule of NYC in all of its early-80s scum and glory – seeing the streets as they were then is worth the price of admission alone. Its long-lasting 1980s stint as a real-deal NYC Midnight Movie cemented its status as a bonafide cult classic. Henenlotter in person; preceded by "Slash of the Knife," a rare short film by Henenlotter.

1982 | 91 MIN | NR

BASKET CASE 2 + 3 (Double Feature!)
Thursday, April 5th @7:00 PM
Dir. Frank Henenlotter
Starring: Annie Ross, Beverly Bonner, Kevin Van Hentenryck

BASKET CASE 2: Kevin Van Hentenryck returns as Duane Bradley, still toting around that big ol’ basket. This time he escapes the confines of the concrete jungle for a nice relaxing stay with Granny Ruth (legendary jazz vocalist Annie Ross, of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross). Granny Ruth has a soft spot for nature’s special ones, and she knows that other folks don’t share her point of view. So she’s worked hard to secretly operate a safe haven for freaks – *lots* of freaks – and lovingly takes Duane and Belial under her wing. But, as outsiders get wind of who might be hiding out at Granny Ruth’s, the boys’ sibling rivalry kicks into high gear again and the real freakshow begins. Henenlotter in person.

BASKETCASE 3: THE PROGENY: BASKET CASE 3 marks the second writing collaboration (after Frankenhooker) for Henenlotter and his friend Robert "UncleBob" Martin. The two hit it off after Bob's legendary tenure editing Fangoria Magazine, leading to his penning the Brain Damage novelization. Both of them liked their over the top gore as much as they liked lunatic gags, and the last entry in the Basket Case series is certainly the most insane. We've learned from the previous entries that Belial can have romantic feelings and make love ... and in this installment, we find out if he can be a father! Duane, Granny Ruth, and her family of freaks are back too, trying their best to defend themselves from a meddlesome local sheriff. Rarely if ever screened since its original release! Henenlotter in person.1990/1991 | 180 MIN | R | 35MM/Digital

FRANKENHOOKER
Tuesday, April 10th @7:00 PM
Dir. Frank Henenlotter
Starring: James Lorinz, Joanne Ritchie, Patty Mullen

Wanna date!? Dolloped in 42nd St. sleaze, coated in bright purple slime, FRANKENHOOKER is Henenlotter's twist on BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. It’s the weird tale of Jeffery Franken (James Lorinz), a med school drop out who tragically loses his bride-to-be (Patty Mullen) in a remote-control lawnmower accident. Using his uncanny scientific know-how, he devises a grisly way to get her back – and why not give her a better body this time? Although it's very much a comedy, FRANKENHOOKER famously pissed off the MPAA and was ultimately released unrated. Perhaps the Supercrack was too much for them? Henenlotter in person.

1990 | 85 MIN | NR | 35MM

BRAIN DAMAGE
Wednesday, April 11th @7:00 PM
Dir. Frank Henenlotter
Starring: James Lorinz, Joanne Ritchie, Patty MullenConsidered by many hardcore Henenlotter fans to be his finest, BRAIN DAMAGE is a wild, yet cohesive patchwork of addiction-fueled mania, set in the disgusting glory of late-80s NYC. Brian meets Aylmer, a mysterious, ancient, snake-like (ok, phallic) parasitic creature that lives off of brain juice, which it consumes by poking a fang into the host’s spine. The reward (or bait) that Aylmer offers for his meals is an overpowering color-soaked mind-trip that proves to be quite addictive. Gory, goopy, and hilarious, BRAIN DAMAGE is also somehow personal and touching. It’s perhaps the best example of Henenlotter’s extraordinary ability to make us sympathize with characters who are insurmountably separated from society by deformity and dementia. Featuring spectacularly funny (and uncredited) voice work from none other than John Zacharley! Henenlotter in person.

1988 | 84 MIN | UR

BAD BIOLOGY
Monday, April 16th @9:30 PM
Dir. Frank Henenlotter
Starring: Anthony Sneed, Charlee Danielson. The trademarks of Henenlotter's best work are all over BAD BIOLOGY: physical deformity, intense sexual problems, hilariously over-the-top dialogue, and of course, unrequited love. Underneath all the flesh and blood Henenlotter always has some sort of heartache and bittersweet, missed romantic opportunity. Jennifer (Charlee Danielson) is an insane, sociopathic sex fiend, destined to never find “the one”, and Batz (Anthony Sneed) is a nervous loner who's shut himself off from society … both happen to have genital afflictions that make other "body horror" films play like they're PG-13! Punctuated with an aggressive hip-hop score from the film's co-writer R.A. The Rugged Man, BAD BIOLOGY was Henenlotter's triumphant return to filmmaking after the 16-year hiatus following BASKET CASE 3. Talk about making up for lost time - many hardcore Henenlotter fans consider it his finest. Henenlotter in person; preceded by "Slash of the Knife," a rare short film by Henenlotter.

2008 | 84 MIN | NR

Sidebar of Henenlotter's Favorite Films

THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT (AKA THE CREEPING UNKNOWN; Also Screening as Part of Our Terror Tuesday Series)
Tuesday, April 3rd @9:30 PM
Dir. Val Guest
Starring: Brian Donlevy, Jack Warner, Margia Dean, Richard Wordsworth

Nigel Kneale's science fiction serial "The Quatermass Experiment" was a sensation when it appeared on the BBC in 1953, and its popularity led to an early form of Hammer Studios making a feature version for worldwide release. American audiences saw it as THE CREEPING UNKNOWN and met Professor Bernard Quatermass for the first time through actor Brian Donlevy. Following a mysterious accident with early rocket travel, it seems that the lone surviving astronaut from the trip might be carrying a new, dangerous kind of disease. Don't be mistaken. This isn't some snoozy SF talkathon - Kneale's story is infected with radically weird concepts, culminating in some of the decade's wildest screen gross-outs. Die-hard Henenlotter fans will instantly recognize the influence of this early chapter in what we now call "body horror." Introduced by Henenlotter as a sidebar to a retrospective of his work.

1955 | 82 MIN | NR | 35MM

STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MISS OSBOURNE (Also Screening as Part of OurWeird Wednesday Series)
Wednesday, April 4th @9:30 PM
Dir. Walerian Borowczyk
Starring: Howard Vernon, Marina Pierro, Patrick Magee, Udo Kier

Frank Henenlotter's adoration of cinema knows no bounds. But while one might easily guess his favorites include slimy monster movies and Hammer films, the inclusion of Borowczyk's traditionally ignored take on the Robert Louis Stevenson story might be a surprise. Derided as horror trash by some and as mere pornography by others, DR. JEKYLL AND MS. OSBOURNE have remained painfully obscure since its release. Forced to see it on a grainy VHS bootleg, Frank cherished the tape for years until only recently when Arrow Video restored the film for their immaculate blu-ray release. Starring Udo Kier, this fever dream retelling is immersed in a trippy electronic score, and like much of Borowzyk's best work challenges the confines of narrative storytelling and filmmaking alike. At its core lies a profound and devious concept, wherein uncensored exploration of gender identity clashes with classical horror tale codes in a storm of bloodshed and raw lust. Introduced by Henenlotter as a sidebar to a retrospective of his work.

1981 | 92 MIN | NR

THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (Also Screening as Part of Our Terror Tuesday Series)
Tuesday, April 10th @9:30 PM
Dir. Terence Fisher
Starring: Freda Jackson, Martita Hunt, Peter Cushing

At the impressionable age of ten, a young Frank Henenlotter was dropped off for the day at his local movie theatre in Lynbrook Long Island. BRIDES OF DRACULA might have seemed like an average monster movie at the time, but what the film laid out bare for Frank and many others were a combination of sex and horror from which cinema could never recover. Hammer regular Terence Fisher offered up a fascinating sequel to Horror of Dracula that while featuring the inimitable Peter Cushing as Van Helsing would *not* feature Christopher Lee as the Count. In his absence, what better than a to-this-day alarming bevy of ample-chested vampire brides to sell tickets? By today's standards it may seem tacky and fueled by that distinct, horny brand of British ribaldry, but you can't argue with the results. BRIDES OF DRACULA is one of Hammer's finest, a classic; and the inspiration for Jess Franco himself to make The Awful Dr. Orloff, released only two years later. Introduced by Henenlotter as a sidebar to a retrospective of his work.

1960 | 85 MIN | NR | 35MM

THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF (Also Screening as Part of Our Weird Wednesday Series)
Wednesday, April 11th @9:30 PM
Dir. Jesus Franco
Starring: Diana Lorys, Howard Vernon, Perla Crista

One of Frank Henenlotter's most cherished directors is the Spanish maverick Jess Franco. But the affair didn't begin on 42nd St., on VHS, or because of some fanzine writer. Not by far - Franco's first horror film was released in America as THE AWFUL DOCTOR ORLOFF, and (like THE CREEPING UNKNOWN and BRIDES OF DRACULA, also in this series) screened at Frank's childhood movie theatre in Lynbrook, Long Island! The twisted blend of a gruesome mad doctor's obsessions with an air of lusty European sensuality still seems surprising today, almost resembling a Sexploitation remake of EYES WITHOUT A FACE. Introduced by Henenlotter as a sidebar to a retrospective of his work.

1962 | 90 MIN | NR | 35MM"

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Telluride Horror Show 2018: Press Release: "TELLURIDE, CO - APRIL 2, 2018: 3-Day Passes for Telluride Horror Show 2018 are now available for purchase on the festival website.

From October 12-14th, attendees will experience the world's latest and greatest genre films at Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House, Nugget Theatre, and the recently added Palm Theatre.

Named one of "The 20 Coolest Film Festivals" and "13 Film Festivals To Die For" by MovieMaker Magazine, our 9th edition promises to keep with the programming integrity of past festivals.

Horror fans are encouraged to purchase 3-Day Passes as soon as possible: PURCHASE MY PASS

A 3-Day Pass is only $150 and provides entry to all films and special events, including the Ice Scream Social, Annual Pig Roast, Horror Trivia and more!

6-Pack tickets will be available later this summer. Price and date TBD.

FESTIVAL LODGING SPECIALS: October is the most affordable month to visit Telluride and the Horror Show is excited to have Alpine Lodging Telluride back as its official lodging sponsor. Discounted festival rates start at only $107/night! Limited hotel rooms, condos, and private homes are now available: LODGING SPECIALS

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Telluride Horror Show is your chance to support indie film while aligning your brand with one of the world's premiere film destinations: SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

ATTENTION FILMMAKERS / CALL FOR ENTRIES: Telluride Horror Show is currently seeking short and feature-length films in the following genres: Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Genre Comedy, and Genre Documentary. The Early Bird Deadline is April 15th: SUBMIT MY FILM

The Telluride Horror Show, Colorado's first and longest-running horror film festival, returns for its 8th edition October 12-14, 2018. Every year, the festival attracts the latest & best horror films from all over the world and attendees from all over the country for an intimate gathering of genre film fans in the world-famous mountain resort town of Telluride, Colorado. For three days and nights, experience an eclectic mix of horror, suspense, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi and dark comedy in Telluride's Sheridan Opera House, Nugget Theatre, and Palm Theatre, with many of the films making their World, North American or US Premieres. The festival features an average of 20 feature films and 60 short films, and hosts special programs, guests, and events. If you love horror, and film, then you don't want to miss the Show. Named one of the "20 Coolest Film Festivals" and "13 Festivals to Die For" by Moviemaker Magazine."