Lancastrian Gothic has run of historic city

Corsets, capes and cinema combine for a chilling conclusion to the season of Gothic film at The Dukes in Lancaster.
Night Of The Hunter  (12A)Night Of The Hunter  (12A)
Night Of The Hunter (12A)

Three talks on different aspects of Gothic cinema take place throughout February as well as a range of classic films which end on March 1 with The Fall of The House of Usher(PG) accompanied by a live score.

Frightful February begins on Monday, February 10, from 7pm, with a talk by Dr Sarah Post of Lancaster University on February 10 about why children have been so prevalent in Gothic film and the cultural fears and anxieties they represent.

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On the same night Charles Laughton’s classic directioral debut – and the great British actor’s only film – Night Of The Hunter(12A).

In strange fairytale style it tells the tale of a vicious ex-convict – Robert Mitchum – on the trail of a dead former cellmate’s buried treasure.

The brooding villain sets abut charming the man’s widow – Shelley Winters – and two children but doesn’t count on the resistance and determination of the son.

The second talk of the season is An Introduction To European Gothic on Thursday, February 20, from 7.15pm.

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Enter a world of Golems, nuclear zombies, crazed surgeons and lustful vampires as Manchester Metropolitan University’s Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes takes you on a century long journey through highlights of European Gothic film.

It is followed with a screening of Suspiria(18), an occult-fused chiller from Italian master of horror Dario Argento.

Corsets, Capes And Women In White are the subject of a talk about costume in Gothic cinema on Monday, February 24, from 8.30pm by Lancaster University senior lecturer, Dr Catherine Spooner.

Costumes are central to Gothic film, from Lugosi’s cape to Bonham-Carter’s corsets. This talk traces that history and explores the meaning behind some of the most iconic looks.

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This is followed by The Company Of Wolves(18),a groundbreaking re-working of Little Red Riding Hood, adapted from Angela Carter’s short story.

The season ends with The Fall Of The House Of Usher(PG), above, Jean Epstein’s 1925 adaptation of Poe’s novel and a classic of the silent era, on Saturday, March 1, from 6.30pm.

It will be accompanied by a score composed and performed by Louiza Kilcawley.

Tickets for the talks are free but places must be booked in advance. Tickets for the films are £6/£5 concessions, apart from The Fall Of The House Of Usher which are £7/£6.

Call the box office on 01524 598500 or go to www.dukes-lancaster.org. Online bookings, add 47p per ticket booking fee.