Museum’s First Friday movie asks: Is Boris Karloff a jungle beast or man of science?
For immediate release ‐ February 01, 2016
Contact: Jon Pishney, 919.707.8083. Images available upon request
RALEIGH — A man-killer at large! A countryside in terror! Only one man knows the next victim. But it’s a man gone mad! Join us for a spine-chilling, nerve-shattering horror-drama when the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences shows “The Ape” on First Friday, February 5, 7 p.m.
“The Ape” (1940) stars the big screen’s monster maniac Boris Karloff as Dr. Bernard Adrian, a kindly mad scientist who seeks to cure a young woman’s polio. Meanwhile, a vicious circus ape breaks out of its cage, terrorizes the townspeople and eventually breaks into Dr. Adrian’s lab. The Doctor manages to kill the ape before any harm can come to himself, but the human spinal fluids he requires to create his experimental polio serum are destroyed during the struggle. All is not lost however, as the Doctor soon concocts a particularly horrific plan to re-fill his spinal fluid prescription ….
Along with fellow actors Lon Chaney, Bela Lugosi and Vincent Price, Boris Karloff is recognized as one of the true icons of horror cinema, receiving his first big screen break when cast as the monster in the Universal production of “Frankenstein” in 1931. For the next few decades he had varying success in movies, television and Broadway, enjoying a long run in “Peter Pan” as a perfectly-cast Captain Hook. Karloff’s last great role was as an aging horror movie star confronting a modern-day sniper in the Peter Bogdanovich film “Targets” (1968). His TV career was capped off by achieving Christmas immortality as the narrator of Chuck Jones’s perennial animated favorite, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” (1966).
Prior to the movie, explore the surprising and sometimes bizarre world of “Extreme Mammals,” the Museum’s current featured exhibition, in which you can inspect oversized claws, massive fangs, extraordinary snouts, amazing horns and other traits that make mammals truly remarkable. All tickets purchased at the Museum Box Office during First Friday hours are only $10! Tickets are free for Museum members. The exhibition is open until 8 p.m.; last entry at 7 p.m.
Teens! Join us at 6 p.m. in the Daily Planet Café for this month’s Teen Science Café — “The Science of Severe Weather.” When NC State University PhD candidate Brice Coffer tells people he’s a storm chaser, they first ask, “Are you crazy?” then, “How do you study storms?” Brice will attempt to convince you that he’s not (too) crazy and that storms can be beautiful and not something to fear. He will also describe how he studies these fascinating products of nature. Afterwards, he will lead a quiz game on tornado facts and myths. Open to all teens, no RSVP needed. Free food vouchers to the first 50 teens to arrive.
The Museum stays open from 5 to 9 p.m. on the First Friday of every month, inviting visitors to witness a (classic) sci-fi or horror movie on the big screen, wander through eye-catching exhibits, groove to live music by Mystic Shoe and enjoy snacks and beverages from the Daily Planet Café. Additionally, the Museum Store offers after-hours shopping (till 7 p.m.) and an opening reception for Rick Jackson (6–8 p.m.), whose show “Beach Headz: North Carolina Marine Fossil Portraits,” runs February 5–28 in the Nature Art Gallery. All exhibited art is for sale.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (11 W. Jones St. and 121 W. Jones St.) in downtown Raleigh is an active research institution that engages visitors of every age and stage of learning in the wonders of science and the natural world, drawing them into the intriguing fields of study that are critical to the future of North Carolina. Hours: Mon.- Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sun., noon-5 p.m. Visit the Museum online at www.naturalsciences.org. Emlyn Koster, PhD, Museum Director; Susan Kluttz, Secretary, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources; Pat McCrory, Governor.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call 919.807.7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.