STRANGE FRAMES film club
The Fall of the House of Usher
An afternoon of talks, music and stunning cinematic adaptation to celebrate the birth of Edgar Allan Poe.
Director: Ivan Barnett, James Sibley Watson Jr., Melville Webber
Cast includes: Gwen Watford, Kaye Tendeter, Herbert Stern, Hildegarde Watson
PRESENTED BY sTRANGE fRAMES AND tADHG MAE PROects
70 MINUTES / 1950 / UK
Please note this screening replaces the previously advertised Godzila Minus One/Minus Color screening.
Strange Frames and Tadhg Mae Projects are excited to bring you a cinematic celebration of Edgar Allan Poe on his birthday, January 19th. Join us for an afternoon of discussion, music and cinema, with two adaptations of Poe’s 'The Fall of the House of Usher'.
We will be screening Ivan Barnett’s 1950 hidden gem, filmed right here in Hastings, at Fairlight Hall. Upon release this creepy gothic curiosity was awarded the rare honor of an ‘H’ certificate by the BBFC, indicating it’s ‘horrific’ content! The production was attended by infamous occultist Aleister Crowley who was spending his final months in the Netherwood guesthouse on The Ridge used in the film, together with other locations in and around Hastings.
Alongside this we will be screening James Sibley Watson Jr and Melville Webber's 1928 short, which explores Poe’s gothic literature in expressionist terms, inspired by Robert Weine’s groundbreaking The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. The short will be screened with brand new musical accompaniment from Maria Christofi.
The screening will be preceded by a talk from Antony Clayton, author of Mansion of Gloom: The Unsettling Legacy of Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher', the brand new book that explores the dark and mysterious world of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale of madness and premature burial and its chilling legacy in a myriad of media. Antony Clayton is a writer who lives in Hastings, previous titles include Netherwood: Last Resort of Aleister Crowley and Secret Tunnels of England: Folklore and Fact.
"Mr Clayton has done a terrific job in his fascinating book about a fascinating subject." - DR JOHN COOPER CLARKE
Strange Frames is a new film club that celebrates the offbeat, grotesque and arcane, examines the unexpectedly transgressive and revels in the strange frames of cinema. Exploring the 20th century’s most important storytelling medium through the lens of folklore, myth and legend.
Tadhg Mae Projects is an art gallery in the heart of Hastings Old Town. Rooted in the rich tradition of Hastings ancient mythic culture. Tadhg Mae is devoted to celebrating and exploring the mystical and otherworldly, presenting an exciting program of accessible but rigorously curated shows by emerging and established artists, as well as workshops, talks and special events.
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