On Saturdays in July, the Florida Museum of Natural History hosts a summer movie party with some of its favorite beasts and creatures invited to attend. The honored guests include a giant simian that scaled a New York City icon, a scaly fish-like creature that happened to lurk in Florida springs and a Bigfoot-like beast who lived in the American suburbs. And, oh yes, a certain skunk ape will make the scene as well.<\/p>\n
But no autographs, please: The appearances of \u201cKing Kong,\u201d the \u201cCreature from the Black Lagoon\u201d and the title characters from \u201cHarry and the Hendersons\u201d and \u201cTrail of the Skunk Ape\u201d will be silver-screen only, though the museum is rolling out a figurative red carpet for its expected human guests as well.<\/p>\n
Along with free screenings of the above movies on Saturdays in July, the museum\u2019s new Movie Series includes introductions and panel discussions tied to the series\u2019 theme: cryptozoology, which involves the search for animals whose existence has not been proven, says Tiffany Ireland, education assistant at the Florida Museum.<\/p>\n
The films, which tie into the museum\u2019s current featured exhibit, \u201cTitanoboa: Monster Snake,\u201d also are very entertaining to see, Ireland says. \u201cThey\u2019re fun, summertime movies, honestly. But I think it\u2019s something that people can bring their families to and have great conversations about them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saturday\u2019s opening film, the 1933 version of \u201cKing Kong,\u201d is followed July 13 by \u201cHarry and the Hendersons,\u201d the 1987 movie about a bigfoot creature that ends up living with an American family. On July 20, the series features the 1954 film, \u201cCreature from the Black Lagoon,\u201d which included scenes filmed in Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs, and follows that July 27 with the mock documentary, \u201cTrail of the Skunk Ape,\u201d a 1987 film with scenes shot in Paynes Prairie.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things we wanted to do with this series was to have movies from different time periods,\u201d Ireland says. \u201cWe want people to see how our culture and these kinds of topics have changed in the past 80 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each of the screenings starts at 7 p.m. with an introduction by Ireland, followed by the screening at 7:30 p.m. and a closing panel discussion. \u201cThey\u2019re great great, fun movies,\u201d Ireland says. \u201cAnd with our panels, we\u2019ll actually be able to have a unique way of not only watching the movies but discussing them.\u201d