Dracula & Frankenstein on the Big Screen!

monster double feature

Back in 1938, a theater owner named Emil Umann rented prints of the original Dracula and Frankenstein, along with Son of Kong, and screen them as a triple feature. He got the rental of the films pretty cheap because the studios didn’t think anybody cared about these monster films anymore. Oh how they were wrong. These screenings became so popular, that Umann started running them close to 24 hours a day to keep up with the demand. He even contacted Bela Lugosi to come down to make appearances during the screenings. Once Universal discover this, not only did they increase the film rentals, but made 500 more prints and started renting them to other theaters. Plus, they immediately put another Frankenstein film into production!

If you haven’t had the chance to see these two classic monster films on the big screen and are in the Chicagoland area, now is your chance. The Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge, IL, will be screening both Dracula and Frankenstein on October 30th, starting at 7pm. The Pickwick is a great theater to see these films too! So make your plans now to make sure you attend and see our horror history come to life on the big screen!

For more information, just click HERE.

King Kong Celebrates 85 Years!

King KongThe granddaddy of all monster movies, the one and only original King Kong (1933), celebrates its 85 year anniversary this year. To help commemorate this event, the Park Ridge Library and the Pickwick Theatre are doing something special. At the library, they have a huge display of different items from or pertaining to this classic movie. These items are from the estate of director Ernest Schoedsack and his screenwriter wife, Ruth Rose. This collection is on public display for the first time.

Then on Thursday, March 15th, the Pickwick Theatre will be screening the original 1933 feature, once at 2pm and then again at 7:30pm. Tickets range from $6 for the matinee screening to $10 for the evening one. Advance tickets can be purchased for a little bit less.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to see this film in a theater, on a huge screen like it was originally intended, I can’t say enough what you’ve been missing. It really is amazing to see it like this. So make plans to stop by the Park Ridge Library, see the exhibit, then head over to the Pickwick for the screening. You won’t regret it. For more information, just click HERE.

King Kong Display

The Green Slime on the Big Screen!

Chicago area fans of this 1968 Toho film will have the chance to see this amazing film (yes, I did say amazing) on the big screen this Thursday evening at the Pickwick Theatre in Park Ridge. It is screening as part of a double feature, along with Yongary: Monster from the Deep (1967). There are other kaiju films being screened there in part of the G-Fest that is going on this coming weekend at the Crown Plaza Hotel O’Hare.

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I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to make it out to the Fest this year (once again), but I do know that I will be doing my best to make it to the Green Slime screening. I mean, how could I pass up one of my favorite Toho monster flicks! Hope to see you there!