The Young Building auditorium will adopt a frightening new ambience this October, playing classic horror films in Halloween spirit. Hosted by the Camosun College Student Society (CCSS), the month-long CCSS B Movie Festival includes three free-admission movies—The Terror (1963, screening on October 3), The Last Man on Earth (1964, screening on October 10), and The Little Shop of Horrors (1960, screening on October 17)—leading up to a minimal-fee (with prop bags included) viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) on October 24.
Organized by CCSS clubs and events assistant Amy Lee-Radigan, the series highlights what movie-going has to offer.
“I think the primary reason that I wanted to put [these films] on is we have this fantastic space, this great auditorium and I think that it’s sometimes not used as often for these kinds of events; I think it could be really cool. A lot of students have asked us in the past about movie nights… I think that with theatres not being as prevalent as they used to be, it’s still something that people are interested in doing,” says Lee-Radigan. “Perhaps part of the nostalgia factor that seems to be really big right now… Going to the movies is one of those things.”
Searching beyond copyright-protected cinema into the depths of public domain to reduce cost, Lee-Radigan got creative, hand-selecting films that some Camosun students may have missed when they were first in theatres.
“A little bit of the inspiration was, we have all of these fantastic old classic horror movies and stuff like that that are in the public domain now, which is great. And so why not show those? And I think it’s also cool because, for especially a lot of younger students, these are not movies that they’ve ever seen before. And so you get the benefit of being able to see a new-to-you movie for free in a really cool space,” says Lee-Radigan. “The Young Building comes with so much history anyway that it really, I think, lends itself to that.”
With the aim of reducing potential harm to audience members, the event includes content warnings to establish a comfortable viewing experience accessible to all Camosun students. Content warnings will include cautions of gore, loud noises, and sensitive depictions; Lee-Radigan says the CCSS has, however, selected films that are generally tolerable to audiences.
“I like that these older movies don’t have a lot of [over-the-top gore], and so much of it is just based on ambience. I think that they’re great,” they say. “Even if you don’t really like horror movies, you might like these movies.”
The cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show has long been crowned a Halloween tradition, embracing costumed audiences with props ready for the tossing. Lee-Radigan says the event welcomes these cultural customs and will provide prop bags for audience members for use during the film. Although the movie includes subject matter that may be uncomfortable for some viewers, the film’s exploration of gender and rejection of normalcy have lent fans 49 years of queer inclusion.
“I think there’s something there. I think it’s just the deeper themes in The Rocky Horror Picture Show—the problematic elements aside, which I think are very well documented and talked about—I think the deeper themes of just, you don’t have to live your life a specific way just because everything in society is telling you that you have to live your life this specific way, or you feel that this is the prescribed path for you and that you can deviate from this path,” says Lee-Radigan. “It can be, I think, a very freeing movie to watch in that way.”
CCSS events like these movie nights offer students the opportunity to engage with other students, says Lee-Radigan. They say that while many people may be overwhelmed with classes, involvement can allow students to unwind in community.
“I think, especially when you’re travelling to a new place and maybe living in a new city, you want that community. If the main reason that you’re here is because you’re going to school here, your college is going to become your main community. So if you’re able to increase that community outside just the classes, I think that’s always going to be a positive thing,” they say. “And I think it’s always going to be something that students crave and I think can be so beneficial.”
Lee-Radigan says the upcoming screenings give students an intermission from busy college life, sitting down with friends and strangers to share a night of entertainment.
“I think [the movies are] very cheesy and don’t take themselves too seriously, which when everything in your life revolves around school and grades and taking everything seriously,” they say, “that can be a really lovely diversion.”