Nosferatu & Frankenstein Screened with Live Music

With Halloween approaching, the Someday Cinema Series will once again treat audiences to a horror double feature, this time from the silent screen era. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922), the first film adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, and the short Frankenstein (1910), the first adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel of the same name, will play back-to-back at 1 PM, 4 PM and 7 PM at the Edmond Town Hall Theater at 45 Main Street, Newtown, CT.

Silent screen accompanist and historian Ben Model will perform on the piano, at the 1 PM matinee only; tickets $5. The 4 & 7 PM shows will have recorded music; tickets $3. The running times for the double features will be around 2 hours, and tickets and concessions can be purchased in the lobby for cash.

Mr. Model explains, "I don’t have access to the original score for NOSFERATU, and there was no score written for FRANKENSTEIN, so I’ll be performing my own music. Some of the music is worked out and composed ahead of time, but a good hunk of it happens during the show. This allows me to customize the score to each particular show’s ‘vibe', and makes every silent film show a unique experience.” Learn more about Mr. Model’s expertise at silentfilmmusic.com.

NOSFERATU is one of the most famous monster movies for classic film fans. This German expressionist film was directed by F.W. Murnau, starring the striking Max Schreck as the creepy Count Orlok, and makes great use of light and shadow, and camera angles. It is atmospheric and spooky, making scary moments very effective.

The 1910 FRANKENSTEIN (an Edison Kinetogram) manages to cram the entire story into a 1000 feet, or one reel, of film, which is about 14 minutes. While the performance styles and filmmaking techniques may be old-fashioned, this film seems more sympathetic to the Monster than later adaptations.

These films are sponsored by Byrd’s Books of Bethel, and Ben Model’s performance is sponsored by the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, who also present the Someday Cinema Series.

Don’t miss the last two series offerings in the season, BRINGING UP BABY (1938) on November 17, 2019, and THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940) on December 15. Due to schedule changes, visit tiny.cc/2019somedaycinema for up to date information.