NLM at Night: Night of the Lying Dead

In the spirit of Halloween, join us for an evening exploring the terrifying ties between truth, lies, and fear. Film critic for Newsday Rafer Guzman dives into horror on the silver screen to show how eras of movie monsters reflect real-world anxieties, from the “body snatcher” films that characterized the McCarthyistic 1950s to the examinations of race and gender in today’s social horror hits. Hear from Kathy Kelly, owner of Paranormal Books and Curiosities and curator of The Paranormal Museum, about how horrifying happenings spread like wildfire through rumors, urban legends, and folklore.

Explore our latest exhibition truth* and walk the fine line between truth and lies. What are you really afraid of? Grab a signature cocktail, sit back, and find out! 

6pm – Doors open: enjoy creepy cocktails, spooky snacks, and our newest exhibition, truth*! Take part in The Science of Fear: Perception is Reality, an ongoing sequence of interactive activities exploring how fear can impact what we see as true.

Every half hour – All Eyes on Me: Dissecting the Science of Sight – Is seeing believing? See for yourself how the eye works with this live dissection presentation, and hear how our sense of sight can be mislead, misinformed, or otherwise clouded with scary stimuli. Caution: what you see here may be disturbing. Presented in partnership with the Academy of Natural Sciences.

6:30 pm – Paranormal Pennsylvania: History, Mystery, and Mythology – Join Kathy Kelly, founder of Paranormal Books & Curiosities and The Paranormal Museum in Asbury Park, NJ as she investigates stories of ghosts and unexplained happenings in the Philadelphia area. What does our fascination with ghost stories say about us, and how can we find the truth in the terror?

8:00 pm – 100 Years of Fears: A Century of American Anxieties Through the Lens of Horror – From vampires to body snatchers to the socially-charged horror of today, horror movies have always acted as a dark mirror of our very real anxieties. Join Newsday film critic Rafer Guzman for a decade-by-decade dive into how what we fear on the screen reflects the greater truth of what society has contended with through the history of the genre. Featuring discussion of films such as Haxan, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Exorcist, Scream, and many more.

Speakers

Rafer Guzmán is a film critic and entertainment reporter for Newsday in New York. He is also a frequent contributor to WNYC’s “The Takeaway,” a co-host of the podcast “Movie Therapy with Rafer and Kristen” and a member of the New York Film Critics Circle.

Kathy Kelly is a true student of the paranormal. From her first play written at age 8 called, “Monsters” to her most recent trip to investigate the Queen Mary, Kathy eats, sleeps, and loves the paranormal. A steadfast supporter of story telling and community building, Kathy believes that in every story there is a kernel of truth and sometimes a whole lot more than that.

Kathy opened Paranormal Book & Curiosities in 2008 and The Paranormal Museum soon after to share her love of the strange and unusual with others. A gifted story teller, Kathy has a Master’s degree in history and find that the two go hand in hand. Her lectures are intriguing and entertaining as well as illuminating and unique. Kathy’s knowledge of history and all that is paranormal are only surpassed by her friendly and humorous personality.