Hell With Hollywood - Edison's Frankenstein And Dwain Esper's Maniac

-
Thu 25 January 2007 // 20:00

(Thu 25th / 8pm / £4/3)

THE HELL WITH HOLLYWOOD is a monthly film night priding itself on showing everything weird shocking and in the threads of horror traditions in
association with Redemption and Mondo Macabro.
This month's offering - Edison's "Frankenstein" and Dwain Esper's "Maniac".
In 1910 Thomas Edison made the world’s first Frankenstein film. Tonight Hell With Hollywood is proud to allow you a glimpse into the early world of cinema by screening this ultra rare film. Although slightly different from the more modern adaptations of Shelly’s story, and only 13 minutes long, this is 13 minutes of pre-Universal sublime glory.

Dwain Esper’s Maniac is loosely based on Poe's 'The Black Cat'...and it is quite possibly one of the weirdest films ever committed to celluloid. Although Esper sometimes makes Ed Wood Jnr look like Stanley Kubrick, his no-holds- barred exploitation approach to his work gives 'Maniac' a unique edge. Esper pretends that 'Maniac' is a genuine study into the effects of madness on the human condition, and justifies this by inserting title cards explaining very dubious mental conditions throughout the film. This then leaves him free to run riot with the plot by including scantily clad females fighting with hypodermic needles, eyeball eating and cold blooded murder. Add to this some outstandingly appallingly bad acting, truly absurd dialogue and some great footage knicked from blasphemous silent classic 'Witchcraft through the ages' and you have yourself one of the blackest, funniest, strangest films you're likely to see this year!