Fans of the original blood-sucking cinematic icon can enjoy a spellbinding symphony of horror in Vancouver this fall.
In honour of the groundbreaking film Nosferatu's 100-year anniversary, self-described "destructive" pop duo Big Kill will hold a gothic performance at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church in Vancouver.
The Vancouver-based band says attendees can expect a "night of hyper pop frenzy" as they bring the silent, flesh-feeding centenarian back to life.
Touted as one of the most influential horror movies of all time, Count Orlok, or Nosferatu, was played by the skeletal Max Schreck. The German film was directed by F. W. Murnau and was an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, albeit a decidedly less "sexy" one than you might recall if you've seen the 1992 version starring Keanu Reeves, Gary Oldman, and Winona Ryder.
The screening is part of the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), which runs from Sept. 29 until Oct. 9 this year.
"If this is a creature of the Expressionist imagination, Nosferatu stands out for Murnau’s decision to film on location in medieval Baltic towns; the horror derives its special frisson from placing the supernatural within the natural world," explains the festival description.
The film also materialized a few years after the 1918 H1N1 Influenza pandemic claimed the lives of roughly 25 to 50 million people worldwide, notes the VIFF.
Big Kill is a "destructive pop and production" duo (Cayne McKenzie and Andrew Huculiak) headquartered in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, with a sound rooted somewhere "between experimental and hyperpop, moving from commercial pop to noise to drill to Eurodance."
In addition to over 130 feature films and 100 shorts, the festival will host 20 special talks and events for both the general public and film industry audiences.
Nosferatu 100 by Big Kill: A Symphony of Horror
When: Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m.
Where: St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church - 1022 Nelson St, Vancouver
Cost: $18. Book tickets.
