There is no scarier place to be next week than in the deep darkness of the UWM Union Theatre as the university cinema screens two old international creepers on the silver screen.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 28 and 29 at 7 p.m., you can see "Vampir-Cuaedec," directed by Spain's Pere Portabella in 1970. The 75-minute film is, in the words of the theatre's description, "a delirious reflection on the codes and conventions of the horror film through the language of structural materialist cinema."
In plainer terms, the film was shot on the set of Jesus Franco's "Dracula" and it is part documentary about the making of that film and part horror film in its own right.
On Thursday and Friday, Oct. 30 and 31, at 7 p.m. (Thursday) and 9 p.m. (Friday), is Masaki Kobayashi's 161-minute 1965 film, "Kwaidan," which nabbed a Special Jury Prize at Cannes.
Though the running time may sound a little daunting, the film comprises four dark tales from Lafcadio Hearn's Japanese ghost stories. Again, UWM Theatre says, "a lavish, Cinemascope production, the film's poetic expression is unmatched in all of Japanese cinema. ... Four episodes about mortals caught up in forces beyond their comprehension when the supernatural world intervenes in their lives."
All of these special Halloween screenings are free and open to all.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
