RETROGOTHIC FILM SERIES
April 24-26, 2026 | |$12 per film | $50 for a 5-Pass
WEBSITE:
https://carolinatheatre.org/series/retrogothic-film-series/
Francis Ford Coppola’s BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA
(R, 1992, 128 min)
Here is Francis Ford Coppola’s gothic spectacle unleashed on the big screen — a baroque collision of love, death, and supernatural terror. Gary Oldman transforms from ancient fiend to irresistible lover, with Winona Ryder as his tragic obsession, Keanu Reeves as the mortal rival, and Anthony Hopkins in scene-stealing form as Van Helsing. Drenched in shadow, thunder, and crimson, every frame is pure Victorian nightmare made lushly romantic. For those who first clutched it on VHS, it’s the ultimate gothic fantasy; for those who later embraced its wild costumes and decadent visuals, it’s still the perfect dark romance.
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Dan Curtis’ BURNT OFFERINGS: 50th Anniversary!
(PG, 1976, 116 min)
“The perfect summer rental for the last vacation you’ll ever take.” Screen legends Karen Black, Oliver Reed, and Bette Davis headline this devilishly entertaining haunted house shocker from genre maestro Dan Curtis, the visionary behind Dark Shadows and Trilogy of Terror. When Marian and Ben snag a sprawling country mansion for the summer at the bargain price of $900, they think they’ve scored the deal of a lifetime. But this bargain bites back. As strange accidents mount and relatives start dropping like flies, the couple discovers their charming fixer-upper has one very nasty habit—it stays young by killing its guests. Creepy, campy, and gloriously gothic, this is one summer rental you’ll never forget.
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Terence Fisher’s DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS: 60th Anniversary!
(NR, 1966, 90 min)
From Hammer Films comes Dracula: Prince of Darkness, the chilling sequel to Horror of Dracula that cemented Christopher Lee as the ultimate Count. Ten years after Dracula’s fiery destruction at the hands of Van Helsing, four unsuspecting travelers ignore local warnings and seek refuge in his brooding Transylvanian castle. There, sinister servants prepare a blood-soaked ritual to resurrect their master. Once revived, Dracula stalks the living with feral intensity, preying on innocence and faith alike. With gothic sets, vivid Technicolor, and Lee’s unforgettable, wordless performance, this super rare screening offers Hammer devotees the chance to rediscover a cornerstone of vampire cinema.
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Daniel Haller’s THE DUNWICH HORROR
(R, 1970, 90 min)
Based on H.P. Lovecraft’s chilling tale, The Dunwich Horror plunges audiences into a world of cosmic terror and gothic dread. Dean Stockwell stars as the mysterious and monstrous Wilbur Whateley, who travels to Miskatonic University in search of the legendary Necronomicon. Graduate student Nancy Wagner becomes the target of his malign influence as unnatural events escalate, drawing Professor Armitage and his allies into a confrontation with ancient evils that blur the line between science and the supernatural. Directed by Daniel Haller and marking the first screenwriting credit for Curtis Hanson—who would later win Oscars for L.A. Confidential—and produced by Roger Corman following his celebrated Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, the film is a gothic masterpiece. Infamous for its suggestive themes, grotesque imagery, and unnerving creature effects, The Dunwich Horror pushed boundaries for its time and remains one of the era’s most provocative supernatural horror films.
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Larry Cohen’s IT’S ALIVE
(R, 1974, 91 min)
“There’s only one thing wrong with the Davis baby… it’s alive.” With that tagline and an infamous TV trailer that gave a generation nightmares, “It’s Alive” secured its cult reputation. The nightmare begins when Frank and Lenore Davis’s second child is born monstrously deformed, lashing out with lethal instinct. As police and scientists close in, the parents wrestle with guilt, denial, and an unholy bond of love. Though framed as a modern thriller, the film pulses with gothic dread: a cursed family, a monstrous heir, and a world powerless against fate. Cohen blends creature-feature shocks with 1970s social anxieties, while Bernard Herrmann’s eerie score underscores the tragedy. Once dismissed as schlock, it now stands as modern gothic horror at its most unforgettable.
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Richard Attenborough’s MAGIC
(R, 1978, 118 min)
“A terrifying love story.” With a remake produced by Sam Raimi now in development, there’s never been a better time to experience the 1978 original. Anthony Hopkins delivers a mesmerizing performance as Corky, a timid magician who rises to fame with his ventriloquist dummy, Fats, whose personality grows darker, more cunning, and terrifyingly independent. Ann-Margret stars as Peggy, the woman caught in the escalating tension, whose love and loyalty are tested as jealousy, obsession, and murder spiral out of control. Though set in contemporary New York, the film pulses with gothic dread: a cursed partnership, hidden violence, and evil lurking in the familiar. With tragedy, moral ambiguity, and psychological terror woven together, Magic proves horror can be intimate, unsettling, and unforgettable.
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CENTENNIALS SCREENING!
Roger Corman’s THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM
(PG, 1961, 80 min)
Scream queen Barbara Steele and horror icon Vincent Price star in this deliciously macabre chiller from gothic master Roger Corman, whose 100th birthday we celebrate in 2026. Inspired by the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, the film tells of Elizabeth Medina (Steele), a young bride who dies mysteriously, leaving her brother Francis (John Kerr) desperate for answers. But inside Nicholas Medina’s (Price) shadow-drenched castle, explanations are as twisted as the corridors themselves. Whispers of premature burial, ghostly apparitions, and a blood-soaked family curse spiral into madness—until the shocking truth is revealed. With cobwebbed crypts, storm-lashed towers, and Price at his most sinister, this is gothic horror at its most gloriously over-the-top—a fitting gem to revisit in honor of Corman’s centenary.
TRAILER:
• Roger Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024): An iconic filmmaker known as the "King of the Bs," he pioneered independent cinema and mentored countless famous directors and actors, including Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.
Michael Reeves’s WITCHFINDER GENERAL
(R, 1968, 86 min)
Witchfinder General is one of the most disturbing visions of British horror’s golden age. Set during the English Civil War, it follows Matthew Hopkins, chillingly portrayed by Vincent Price, as he exploits superstition to accuse innocents of witchcraft—profiting from torture and execution until vengeance rises against him. Unlike Hammer’s gothic fantasies, Reeves presented human cruelty in stark daylight, making the violence all the more unsettling. Upon release, the BBFC demanded cuts, and the film carried an X certificate in Britain, while U.S. audiences saw a censored version under the Poe-inspired title The Conqueror Worm. Controversial then, acclaimed now, its bleak landscapes and merciless tone remain devastating—an experience that grows only more powerful on the big screen.
Viewer’s Guide: Graphic violence, torture, and historical brutality.
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