The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson, an Administrative Assistant at the Packard Campus.
Thursday, September 24 (7:30 p.m.)
The Changeling (Associated Film, 1980, R rated *)
After his wife and daughter are killed in a car accident, classical composer John Russell (George C. Scott) moves to Seattle to teach at his alma mater. Looking for a quiet place to live, he rents a secluded estate in the countryside, but soon discovers that the house is haunted by the presence of a child who died there more than 80 years ago. The story is based upon events that writer Russell Hunter said he experienced while living in a mansion in Denver, Colorado. Peter Medak directed this chilling horror classic that also stars Trish Van Devere and Melvyn Douglas. Martin Scorsese added The Changeling to his Scariest Movies of All Time list. *No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian. 107 min.
Friday, September 25 (7:30 p.m.)
Arachnophobia (Buena Vista, 1990)
Fed up with the inherent dangers of big-city life, Dr. Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels) moves his family to a seemingly safe small California town. Soon Dr. Jennings encounters a series of sudden deaths where the bodies have been completely drained of blood. Evidence begins to point to a deadly spider species that has been mistakably imported from the rain forests of Venezuela. Frank Marshall, longtime producer of Steven Spielberg’s films, made his directorial debut and John Goodman gives a noteworthy performance as a slovenly exterminator. Advertisers didn’t know if they should market the film as a horror movie, thriller or a comedy, so the term “thrill-omedy” was coined. 103 min.
Saturday, September 26 (7:30 p.m.)
Cult Horror Film Double Feature
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (20th Century Fox, 1992)
In this action-comedy horror film, Valley girl cheerleader Buffy (Kristy Swanson) learns from a mysterious man named Merrick (Donald Sutherland) that she is the “chosen one” of her generation — destined to rid the world of vampires. Also in the cast are Luke Perry, Rutger Hauer, Paul Reubens and Hilary Swank. The film was taken in a different direction from the one that its writer, Joss Whedon, had intended, so five years later he created the darker and acclaimed TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 92 min.
Army of Darkness (Universal, 1992, R rated *)
Bruce Campbell returns as the one-armed Ash in the third installment of director Sam Raimi’s slick comic book-like horror trilogy that began with The Evil Dead in 1982. Continuing from Evil Dead II, Ash is transported back in time with his ’73 Oldsmobile and a chainsaw to 14th century England where must locate the Book of the Dead in order to return to the present day. Co-starring Elizabeth Davidtz and Bridget Fonda with music by Danny Elfman, this tongue-in-cheek sequel delivers gore, sword-and-sorcery-style action, and comedy. Army of Darkness won the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film of the year, given by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. . *No one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian. 81 min.
For more information on our programs, please visit the web site at www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.