"Niagaravation," a comic, feature-length science fiction/horror/rock musical film produced by Yale graduate Maria Cristina Newsom '87, will have its Connecticut premiere on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m., on the campus. The film will be shown in Davies Auditorium of Becton Center, 15 Prospect St. Ms. Newsom and the film's director, Joe Romano, will introduce and discuss their work with the audience.
Seven years in the making, "Niagaravation" is a parody of, and a tribute to, such classics as "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Producing the movie was a labor of love for the two first-time filmmakers, who, in addition to writing the script, co-star as naive Brooklyn newlyweds vacationing in Niagara Falls in 1961. Their honeymoon turns into a bizarre adventure involving horn-headed aliens who want to steal the Falls to save their drought-ridden planet. To complicate matters, ghosts of former over-the-Falls-in-a-barrel daredevils emerge from their cave beneath the thundering waters.
Winner of the Gold Award at this year's WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, "Niagaravation" is an ambitious work despite its low budget. Its hundreds of locations include Hollywood, Paris and Puerto Rico, in addition to Brooklyn and Niagara Falls. The film features an original rock score and a cast of almost 200, including cult figure Zacherly, who hosted horror movies on television in the 1950s and 60s and recorded the hit songs "Dinner with Drac" and "Monster Mash."
Admission is free and open to the public. For additional information, call the Yale Film Study Center at 432-0148.