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Now Playing at the Packard Campus Theater (October 18 – 20, 2018)

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The following is a guest post by Jenny Paxson of the Packard Campus.

Bonnie Raitt as seen on Soundstage

Thursday, October 18 (7:30 p.m.)
An Evening of Folk, Blues, Soul and Rock Highlights from ‘Soundstage (1974-1982)
Soundstage is a live concert television series produced by WTTW Chicago and distributed by PBS. The original series aired between 1974 and 1985; it was revived in 2003 and is still being produced. Emphasizing live performances, Soundstage presented a dramatic contrast to the way music had been televised until that point when variety shows (such as The Ed Sullivan Show) and lip-synched cabaret shows (such as The Andy Williams Show) were the norm. This unique program curated from the television archive of the Library of Congress features performances by Jackie Wilson, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Jackson Browne, Al Green, Dr. John, Doc & Merle Watson, Leonard Cohen, Jesse Winchester, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Tom Waits, Phoebe Snow & David Bromberg, Don Williams, Waylon Jennings, Etta James, Graham Parker, The Blasters and Tina Turner. Digital presentation, approximately 90 min.

Dracula (Universal, 1931)

Friday, October 19 (7:30 p.m.)
Dracula (Universal, 1931)
Bela Lugosi’s portrayal of Dracula defined the ultimate vampire characterization for decades to follow, and the actor made a career of the role, both on screen and on stage. Director Tod Browning referenced Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel and subsequent stage plays, including a 1927 Broadway production starring Lugosi, to inform his cinematic approach to the legend. Browning, cinematographer Karl Freund and art director Charles D. Hall created an eerie gothic atmosphere to frame Lugosi’s performance. Dwight Frye is memorable as Dracula’s creepy minion Renfield. Unusually, Dracula did not have a specific score written for it and only two pieces of music are on its soundtrack:  Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake during the opening credits, and the overture of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg during a scene at an opera. Ben Model will be on hand to fill the gaps by providing a live theatre organ underscore for the film. Selected for the National Film Registry in 2000. 35mm print produced by the Library of Congress Film Preservation lab in 1984, 73 min.

Saturday, October 20 (7:30 p.m.)
Häxan (UFA, 1922)
This Swedish-Danish documentary-style horror film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen is a study of how superstition and the misunderstanding of diseases and mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. Leonard Maltin describes it as, “a visually stunning history of the occult, recreating actual incidents based on records of witch trials, demonic possessions, and torture by the Inquisition. A genuinely scary, no-holds-barred silent film.” Live musical accompaniment will be provided by Ben Model. Digital presentation, 91 min.

For more information on our programs, please visit the website at: www.loc.gov/avconservation/theater/.

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