Fear and Panic in Modern Society
With Special Guests the late Mary Whitehouse and more...
For the first time, Abertoir is presenting a discussion focussing on censorship in the UK. Examining the public and political mood of the 1980’s video nasties era through to the current hot topics in today’s news, there hasn’t been a more interesting time to discuss such issues.
We welcome to the stage a number of special guests who have been involved in this fascinating era. Among them the late Mary Whitehouse, most famous for launching a sensational campaign of hatred towards the video nasties, even though famously admitting to never having actually seen them. We welcome her to the stage to express her viewpoints and give a structured and well-rounded argument to why horror movies really do deprave, corrupt and damage not only humans, but dogs as well.
There will be opportunities for the audience to pose questions to the panel during the discussion.
Another first for Abertoir, we've been having plenty of fun coming up with some juicy questions to put to you, and this will be the chance to show us all exactly how much of a horror fan you really are!
Do you spend your time reading about nunsploitation instead of the Daily Mail? Did you always wish it was a human centipede you were studying in biology class? And do you really know how many alternative titles there are for Zombie Flesh Eaters? Now’s your chance! And how can you possibly refuse a round called "The Vincent Price is Right?"...
Featuring live music by
A special party night themed around the classic Vincent Price movie of the same name, we encourage you to dress up and dance the night away!
Devilish Presley has become a significant force on the gothic-punk scene in the UK & Europe during the last seven years. Their live shows are legendary and they have toured with The Damned and The Meteors. They have just completed work on their 5th album ‘The Dark Triad' with their fabulous blend of fast and furious darkly flavoured gothic-punk songs.
Ghostfire bring musical substance to the term ‘steampunk', and resonates to the debauched decadence and absinthe-fuelled anarchy of life in the eighties... the 1880's. The Laze present a tribute to some of the great movie classics that have graced our screens, from John Carpenter to Goblin, via chainsaw favourite Pieces and a bit of Vincent Price thrown in for good measure...
There will be a prize for best costume, judged by Victoria Price herself, for anyone wanting to dress up!
Celluloid and Sorcery
Occult expert Gavin Baddeley takes to the stage for another of his enjoyably tongue-in-cheek presentations. This time, Gavin will be leading us through the story of witchcraft in cinema, taking a look at how the dark arts have graced our screens throughout the decades.
A Passion for Evil
A one man theatre performance by John Burns
Aleister Crowley is one of the most controversial men of the 20th century. A master of the occult, outstanding mountaineer, poet and writer, Crowley fearlessly pursued his search for the truth, exploring the world and the darker regions of his mind with equal vigour. Crowley turned the moral attitudes of a hypocritical Victorian society upside down. He was branded a traitor, there were allegations of human sacrifice yet even today he is followed by thousands.
John Burns takes you behind the myth and the legend in a chilling play that portrays Crowley and all his contradictions.
A long-standing tradition in the Abertoir schedule is our extremely popular Mystery Grindhouse. A film so terrible and cringe worthy, that we have an irresistible urge to share it with you!
This year, for the first time, we are delighted to welcome Nicko and Joe’s Bad Film Club who will provide a live commentary to destroy what little shreds of credibility this mystery film ever held.
For the first time the shackles of polite cinema etiquette are discarded as the audience are encouraged to jeer, heckle and participate with the film creating a unique interactive cinema experience. Because, as we know, nothing is as much fun as watching a bad film with friends but, then again, nothing can be more soul destroying than watching one alone...
"Taking the piss out of such movies in the rowdy, bear-pit atmosphere that Nicko and Joe encourage is, I think, a way of reclaiming some of the time we've lost to all those bad films…I suspect this goes to the heart of the Bad Film Club's appeal." Time Out
with Live Piano Accompaniment
(Jean Epstein, France 1928, 65mins)
Not the Vincent Price classic, but an even earlier version of Edgar Allan Poe’s tale of madness. A haunting, expressionist experience, made even better by the involvement of French surrealist Luis Buñuel who worked as Epstein’s assistant on the feature. Isolated in his wind-swept castle, Roderick Usher is obsessed with painting the portrait of his wife Madeline. Yet as the painting nears its finish, becoming more and more to life, the real Madeline becomes paler and withdrawn….. Drenched in atmosphere, Epstein’s film is quite remarkable for 1928, featuring some unusual visual camera tricks that seem decades ahead of their time.
We are delighted to be welcoming silent film pianist John Sweeney to Abertoir, who will be performing a live score to this film.
THE VINCENT PRICE LEGACY
Reflections from his Daughter
Vincent Price, classic icon of cinema, theatre and culinary genius would have been 100 years old this year. To mark the "Vincentennial" of this legendary figure, we are honoured to welcome his daughter Victoria Price on stage to talk about her father's incredible life.
Author of the book 'Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography', Victoria will be sharing with us her deep and intimate knowledge of her father's life, covering his long and stunning career in theatre, film and television through to his irresistible love of art and cooking: a unique and fascinating insight into a true legend.
Studio Space: 9th - 11th Nov
The Box: 8th - 13th Nov
Absent But Not Forgotten is an ongoing collaborative art project between west Wales artists, Kathryn Campbell Dodd and Jacob Whittaker.
Belief in the paranormal can be controversial; but there is a strong human desire to find pattern and meaning in the unexplained. Absent But Not Forgotten uses video and sound experiments, textiles, furniture and technical objects to evoke the world of ‘ghost hunting’ through site-specific installations. The project considers the associations, clichés and influences of TV and films on the phenomenon.
Exploring the aesthetic language of ghost hunting, paranormal documentary and horror film, the work questions the urge towards paranormal interpretations for uncanny or unexplainable phenomena and makes parallels between the obsessive nature of processing the data from paranormal experiments and the artist’s creative process.
Original Movie Artwork from around the World
Born in St Louis in 1911, Vincent Price is known throughout the world as one of cinema’s finest and most identifiable actors. He had three main passions in his career: acting, cooking and fine art, and spent his long illustrious career juggling all three; appearing in over 100 films, authoring several gourmet cookbooks and even establishing the Vincent Price Art Museum.
Abertoir has gathered its own collection of art in honour of Vincent Price, and this exhibition takes a look at how his films have been represented across the world. This collection comprises of original movie advertising from a time when Vincent Price was at the height of his popularity. Lobby cards and posters show how his films were marketed in different countries, and provide a fascinating tour of his truly international career.
