Bryan Jones
Staff Writer
ESU is hosting a cinematic treat this Halloween for students and the community alike. As part of Kemp Library’s A24 Film Series, a mystery horror movie will be screened on October 30, to celebrate the spooky season.
Spearheaded by Professor Megan Smith, associate professor and interim director of Kemp Library and Professor Patsie Varkados, assistant professor of art, media and design, the event aims to blend the excitement of modern film with the macabre stories of the season and community engagement.
The screening will take place on Wednesday, Oct.30, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Beers Lecture Hall, and in a unique twist for the series, the chosen film for the event is a complete mystery. No attendees will know what film is playing until the lights dim and the film begins, adding a layer of intrigue befitting the Halloween season.
Considering the multitude of movies produced by A24 films in the horror genre alone, this means there’s quite a pool of titles to select from. Dark and gripping hits such as Hereditary, Lamb and The Witch, are just a few of the potential choices, with student input also having a large role in the selection process.
“If you give us the feedback, we’ll incorporate that into the playlist,” said Professor Smith. “We really want to give our students the movies they’re suggesting.” Having begun in 2022 the series of screenings has been successful, with the library’s basement computer lab, where the films were initially screened, quickly being outgrown due to the sheer number of attendees.
“Two years ago, Patsy made an amazing deal with A24,” said Professor Megan Smith, who also co-organized the series. “She has a lot of contacts within the industry, and she was originally going to pay for all of this out of pocket.” However, because of Professor Varkados’ connections, the university has been able to offer these screenings with no charge to the students.
“I think it’s pretty cool to keep the movie they’re showing a mystery,” said Nick Russo, 19, a sophomore majoring in sports management, from Orange County, New York. “A lot of other movie types like action ones can be predictable, so going with a mystery horror movie is fun because it leaves audiences guessing what could from start to finish of the movie.”
The event is more than just a movie screening though. Attendees of the event will be given a raffle ticket, allowing them to potentially win exclusive prizes such as Kemp Library gear, academic supplies and even some A24 merchandise in some instances.
“I’m always up for some freebies, and having stuff like that really shows good an event can be,” claimed Russo. “Getting the chance of a gift just for showing up is pretty cool.”
While there certainly is buzz for the event from staff and students alike, others have pointed out that the event could do more to have a more widespread audience.
“These events are great to have, but they’re really difficult to attend for people who commute to campus” Said, Gabriel Montavlo, 22, a senior majoring in History, from Queens, New York. “If I had more time in my schedule I’d go, but participating in these events is harder for commuting students. I think if we had an option to screen the film over zoom so commuters could watch too, it would work out for everyone.”
Montavlo does bring up a valid point in suggesting a zoom alternative, especially with how many people tend to turn out for ESU’s A24 film nights.
The original venue of the basement computer lab within Kemp Library was quickly outgrown, in favor of using Beers Lecture Hall. However, that may be a very likely change in the future.
“We quickly outgrew the computer lab in the basement, and while we moved to a larger venue, we may need to move the venue elsewhere in the future,” Said Smith “We’re still seeing lots of new people, and we’re even having post-movie discussions. Our audience keeps growing.”
Attendees will receive their raffle tickets upon entering the venue. Simply showing up is enough to receive a raffle ticket for the event.