October 30. 7pm. Library 111. 

Vampire Night @ The Library begins with a look back at the development of the cinematic vampire. Starting with Murnau's Nosferatu: Symphony of the Night and Tod Browning's Dracula, this talk will trace the development of major vampire tropes and concepts that greatly altered the concept of the folkloric vampire. No longer strange bloated corpses heavily linked to disease, the cinematic vampire became a sex symbol and an icon of outsider status: often attractive, emotional, capable, and quite often "more human than human" (though sometimes the exact opposite, being brutal monsters driven by their lust for blood). Movies discussed will be a wide-range of films from horror to crime drama, from anime to blaxpoitation, from action movies to vampire erotica. Why does the concept of a bood-drinking superhuman with strangely specific weaknesses appeal to us so much and why has the vampire been the king of movie monsters for so long? Come and listen and discuss. There will be ample time for questions and feedback. Halloween treats will be provided and door prizes will be handed out. Costumes are optional, but they will make Doug happy. 

Stay after to watch the 1922 vampire movie classic - Nosferatu - which bridges a gap between the classic vampire stories and the more modern takes that would soon follow.