This April, classic horror films come to the Irish Film Institute, as the works of one of the genre’s early greats are screened in a career retrospective.
To celebrate the release of The Old Dark House from April 27th 2018, restored to its former glory now in 4K resolution, the IFI presents a retrospective of the horror works of director James Whale. An acclaimed director on both stage and screen, Englishman Whale was a WW1 vet and former prisoner of war who ended up directing some of the all time great horror films in the 1930s.
Whale made successful hits for the screen including Journeys End as well as the musical Show Boat featuring Paul Robeson, but he is most well known for his work on the Universal horror films, directing Boris Karloff in Frankenstein in 1931 and its iconic sequel Bride of Frankenstein, often considered the director’s masterpiece, in 1935. Though these films were never Whale’s personal favourites, their legacy endures to this day, with a distinctive visual style influenced by German expressionism. Whale was one of the first openly gay directors in Hollywood, leading to a number of his films being interpreted for their possible gay subtext, one of many ways that they’re still shown, discussed and enjoyed today.
The Old Dark House was considered a lost film for decades, with no footage available until a negative was discovered in the Universal vaults in 1968. The new 4K restoration brings the film back to its full gothic glory and will be screened in late April. Check out the full schedule of the James Whale retrospective below. Tickets are available now from the IFI.
The Old Dark House – from Friday April 27th
Frankenstein/The Bride of Frankenstein – Double Bill– Saturday April 28th at 1.00pm
The Invisible Man – Sunday April 29th at 1pm