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15th AOAFF powered by DEI: Two masterpieces by James Whale at Drakopoulou Park

Tonight, we invite you to Drakopoulou Park to experience a world made of "Gods and Monsters" - the world of James Whale - with a back-to-back screening of "Bride of Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man". Free admission.

A WORLD OF GODS AND MONSTERS: TWO MASTERPIECES BY JAMES WHALE

Bride of Frankenstein

When: Wednesday 23 July | 21:30
Where: Drakopoulou Park | Free Admission

90th anniversary screening in a digitally restored print.

One of the masterpieces of fantastic cinema (and cinema in general) began as a sequel to the massive success of the 1933 Frankenstein, yet it ended up enriching and surpassing its predecessor. Elsa Lanchester embodied both the writer Mary Shelley and the Monster’s bride, Boris Karloff gave voice to his character’s despair, and director James Whale delivered a grand guignol masterpiece.

In Bride of Frankenstein, comedic touches highlight the harsh distortion of a society that wants to consider itself normal, contrasted with the noble “barbarism” of a creature born different who simply wishes to communicate. His loneliness meets and doubles with the presence of the woman created for him. He lacks answers to her questions, and she, shocked by her existence, doesn’t have time to fully realize or share her pain with him.

Full of dark humor and heartfelt sympathy for his two noble monsters, the film instantly entered the timeless lexicon of pop culture and remains a prime example of the grandeur Hollywood cinema was once capable of. Ioanna Papageorgiou

Directed by: James Whale | Starring: Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson | Duration: 75’ | Year of Production: 1935

The Invisible Man

When: Wednesday 23 July | 22:45
Where: Drakopoulou Park | Free Admission

The film will be screened in a digitally restored print.

There was a time when movie superheroes didn’t necessarily have muscular physiques, digital enhancements or latex costumes. It was an era when subconscious fantasy met literary sources, and cinematic magic found its origin in the birth of monsters. Universal’s monumental creatures were dark creations from an unexplored, inner realm that, through romantic and obsessive motifs, conveyed the anxiety of inevitable terror, leaving an indelible mark on both screen and soul.

A few years after James Whale’s cinematic revolution (and resurrection) of Frankenstein, the producers—following their usual approach - requested a sequel. Whale temporarily declined and proposed a different… monster. The Invisible Man is an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ inventive novel and serves as a parable of madness and the megalomania of a man desperately seeking visible display, only to be punished with invisible existence.

Starring the then nearly unknown Claude Rains (Casablanca), Whale chose the English countryside as the setting and critiques the arrogance of the scientific community with an impressive film of high intellect, intricate pioneering effects, and a twisted sense of humor. Panos Gkenas

Directed by: James Whale | Starring: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, Henry Travers, Una O’Connor, Forrester Harvey | Duration: 71 minutes | Year of Production: 1933



    Publication date: 2025-07-23 11:38:33

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