Psycho with Theremins

Question: What’s free, black and white, and has awesome written all over it? Answer: The Super Scary Movie Night, an evening of retro horror flicks and surreal soundtracks. Tomorrow night, artist Kevin Arrow and Barron Sherer will screen freaky Super 8 mm films — some from their own stash and others checked out from the library — while a lady trio plays some wild instruments.

Sherer, who admits a lot of the night will be impromptu, says the films include The Mummy, Psycho, Son of Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Birds, and that tacky ’80s film Warlocks. But instead of watching Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh mope around the Bates Motel for 109 minutes, you’ll get the film’s digest version, which jumbles all the gory stabby bits up against each other.

At just 10 or 15 minutes each, the predigested films no longer include much dialogue so you won’t miss any plot points when the live soundtrack starts. Ana Mendez will provide eerie waa-waas with an actual, bonafide theremin (that wacky instrument with antennas that emits sounds according to the player’s proximity. Hear someone play the Legend of Zelda theme on one here). Nicole Martinez will do some circuit bending to provide tiny, scary sounds, and Beatriz Monteavaro will add some banging drama with drums. To sum up, the night will be like watching a dozen horror flicks while on speed in a theater where the organ has been commandeered by space aliens.
Fri., Oct. 22, 8:30 p.m., 2010