Frozen evil meets fiery hate in Museum’s First Friday feature film

For immediate release ‐ September 24, 2015

Contact: Jon Pishney, 919.707.8083. Images available upon request

RALEIGH — Prepare for the shock of your life: a film that will overwhelm you with horror twice as grim, a hundred times more terrifying, with two mighty monsters locked in mortal combat. You can be afraid, but don’t miss one of the great classic horror films of the 1940s, when the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences shows “Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman” on First Friday, October 2 at 7pm.

Lawrence Stewart Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) is plagued by a physical oddity that turns him into a crazed werewolf after sundown. His desire to rid himself of this ailment leads him to the castle owned by mad scientist Dr. Frankenstein. Frankenstein, it turns out, is now dead, yet Talbot believes that the scientist’s daughter, Baroness Elsa Frankenstein (Ilona Massey), can help him. However, his quest to right himself puts him on a collision course with Frankenstein’s monster (Bela Lugosi).

In this film, Lugosi takes over the role made famous by Boris Karloff, and also manages to introduce the iconic Frankenstein monster-walk. Although not explained in the movie, the monster is now blind; a side-effect of having Ygor’s brain implanted in him at the end of “The Ghost of Frankenstein” (1942). That is why he lumbers around with his arms outstretched. Lugosi’s starring role in Bram Stoker’s “Count Dracula” (1931) established him as one of the screen’s greatest personifications of pure evil. His reputation rapidly declined, mainly because he was only too happy to accept any part handed to him, and ended up playing pathetic parodies of his greatest role.

Lon Chaney Jr. – aka the Prince of Pain – once again sinks his teeth into the role of Talbot/Wolfman. Junior’s career was influenced (and often overshadowed) by that of his father, silent film star Lon Chaney, who is best known for his role as Quasimodo in the silent movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1923). It was not until after his father’s death in 1930 that Junior went to work in films. Most of the parts he played were unmemorable until he was given the role of the simple-minded Lennie in the film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” (1939). Junior was cast as the tortured Lawrence Talbot in “The Wolf Man” (1941) and appeared in a slew of horror films after that, but never achieved his father’s level of stardom.

Enjoy our new exhibition at a First Friday discount. Want to see more fangs and claws? Prior to the movie, explore the surprising and sometimes bizarre world of “Extreme Mammals,” a new exhibition where you can inspect oversized claws, massive fangs, extraordinary snouts, amazing horns, and other traits that make mammals truly remarkable. You’ll also discover how humans might be the most extreme mammal of them all. All tickets purchased at the Museum Box Office during First Friday hours, are only $10! Tickets are free for Museum members. Exhibition is open till 8pm / last entry at 7pm.

Teens – join us for our first Teen Science Café of the season and learn all you ever wanted to know about lemurs with Chris Smith, educational specialist with the Duke Lemur Center, home to the world’s largest colony of lemurs outside Madagascar. Some lemurs are cute, and some are creepy. Some lemurs are so creepy they’re cute. And did you know that lemurs get their name from the Latin word for “ghost” or “spirit?” Lemurs are also threatened with extinction — the scariest story of all. The presentation, “Ghost Stories: Lemurs of Madagascar,” will be held at 6pm in the Daily Planet Café.

The Museum stays open from 5 to 9pm on the First Friday of every month, inviting visitors to witness a (classic) sci-fi or horror movie, wander through eye-catching exhibits, groove to live music, and enjoy snacks and beverages from the Daily Planet Café. Additionally, the Museum Store offers after-hours shopping (till 7pm) and an opening reception for Barbara Rohde (6-8pm), whose show “Wings” runs October 2 – November 1 in the Nature Art Gallery. All exhibited art is for sale.

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