September 23, 2026
From Edgar Allan Poe’s explorations of undeveloped northern Manhattan wilderness to H.P. Lovecraft’s documented walking tours of then-Inwood Forest (which Lovecraft described as “…a forest primeval, with winding paths, gigantic trees, and not a mortal in sight.”), the northern Manhattan area has been home to countless famous and unusual imaginations. The beginnings of the film industry were right across the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, where luminaries like famed magician Harry Houdini hung from the Palisades cliffs in early film serials; the origin of the term “cliffhanger”.
In this series, we’ll delve into two actors, a director, a comic book powerhouse, and a one of the most famous rock stars of the ‘70s, some well-known and some known mostly to seasoned fans, who spent time exploring the streets, theaters and parks of northern Manhattan.
The series is curated and hosted by production and screening collective KHLOARIS and Inwood Art Works. The screenings will take place every Wednesday in October at 7:30pm (Doors at 7:00pm) at Inwood Art Works Studio, 112 Seaman Ave., New York, NY 10034. Admission to each screening, $15.00. Available online and at the Door.The Stuff and Dust Devil are both R-rated, and not suitable for children. Dracula and Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park are either unrated or PG-rated. After each screening, we’ll hang out to connect and talk about the films.
October 7th: Dracula (Tod Browning, 1931).
Director Tod Browning’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s famous novel, starring the iconic Bela Lugosi, is one the most famous horror movies ever made. It kick-started Universal Studio’s horror cycle, and helped turn Dracula into one of the most famous names in horror, cinema and pop culture. In the role of vampire hunter Van Helsing was one Edward Van Sloan. Van Sloan lived for a time on 215th Street and Seaman Avenue in Inwood, while performing on Broadway. He was one of the most prolific character actors in horror films from the golden age, also appearing in Frankenstein, The Mummy, Dracula’s Daughter, Behind the Mask, Before I Hang and others. Preceding Dracula will be the 1931 short horror-comedy “Boo,” made up of clips from Universal’s horror output and incredibly dated jokes. Directly following the feature will be an exclusive screening of the rare 1-minute epilogue to Dracula. Hosted by Van Sloan, censors objected to this epilogue’s playful assertion that vampires are indeed real. It was removed from the film and was, until recently, considered lost.
October 14th: The Stuff (Larry Cohen, 1985)
Genre filmmaker Larry Cohen was born in Washington Heights in 1941, and later relocated to nearby Riverdale. He was the writer-director of the horror films It’s Alive, God Told Me To, Full Moon High, Q, A Return to Salem’s Lot, among others. The Stuff is Cohen’s satirical sci-fi-horror-comedy about an organic dessert sensation, sold after it bubbles up from the ground, and later causes havok. We are pairing The Stuff with the short subject “The Haunted Mouth,” for an entire night of dental and dessert horror. In “The Haunted Mouth,” plaque is the evil spirit haunting a haunted house, meant to scare children into brushing and flossing. The short film is narrated by Cesar Romero of “Batman” fame. (Mr. Romero also did some of his schooling in Riverdale.)
October 21st: Dust Devil (Richard Stanley, 1992)
A surreal, violent horror-western from South Africa about a murderous demonic shapeshifter, hunting lonely travelers in the desert. Dust Devil is equal parts sexy, gory and metaphysical, with themes exploring the region’s fraught racial politics of the time. The film was purchased by Miramax for American distribution, but released in a cut that director Richard Stanley was unhappy with. We’ll be presenting the “final cut,” approved by the director. Titular Dust Devil star Robert John Burke was born in Washington Heights and appeared in a number of other horror and science-fiction films, including Nightmare Weekend, Robocop 3, Thinner and No Such Thing. Mr. Burke remains a busy working character actor on the small and large screens, and is a certified and active New York State firefighter, a certification he earned after his rescue work during and after 9/11.
October 28: Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (Gordon Hessler, 1978)
Kiss had a level of stardom unprecedented in the late ’70s. Best-selling albums and hit singles were not unusual, but Kiss also had Marvel comics, action figures and all sorts of merchandising targeted to kids and teenagers. Their science fiction and horror-fueled costumes and imagery made Kiss appear as if they were really from another world. A movie seemed the natural next step, so Kiss teamed with kids’ animation powerhouse Hanna-Barbera for one of the strangest rock band vehicle movies ever made. A TV film in the US, and released theatrically in parts of Europe, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park plays very much like a live action episode of “Scooby-Doo,” with songs by Kiss. The band has remained mostly embarrassed of the film, but it is an undeniably fun cult object. Kiss founder Paul Stanley was born Stanley Bert Eisen, and was raised in Inwood, at 531 West 211th Street. Our series will screen the European theatrical cut of the film, released there as Attack of the Phantoms.
The feature will preceded by “Supaidâman” (“Spider-Man,” Koîchi Takemoto, 1978), a Japanese theatrical short with a very unusual take on Spider-Man. Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee spent his formative years on Fort Washington Ave. in Washington Heights. He could often be found watching adventure films at the Loew’s 175th Street Theater (now known as the United Palace), and would later go on to create one of the most impressive fantastic bodies of work in his lead role at Marvel Comics, creating Iron Man, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, and the Avengers. This Japanese production is one of the first theatrical presentations of one of Lee’s creations, born of a partnership between Marvel and Japan’s Toei Productions.
