Peculiar Puppets vol. VII (in Glorious 16mm)

As filmmaking grew into a popular and profitable medium, the ancient art of puppetry enjoyed a brand new resurgence. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, some animators created stop-motion films in which puppets came to life and magically moved on their own. Filmmakers also made more straightforward films featuring live marionette and hand puppet performances. A bit later, when early television producers needed quick and affordable entertainment for child-oriented programming, show runners looked towards hand puppets and marionettes for an easy solution.

Roxy Cinema hereby presents a seventh retrospective screening featuring various peculiar examples of puppet films from the 1930s through the 1950s+. This particular showcase features spooky subjects in celebration of the Halloween season. Warning: You may find some of the offerings to be rather creepy, possibly unsettling, and even potentially controversial! This event is programmed by early animation archivist and historian Tommy José Stathes, and prints are hand-selected from his personal 16mm film archive. Film presentation will be followed by a live Q&A session with Stathes.