posted by Michael Zoldessy on March 20, 2009 at 2:50 pm

BROOKLINE, MA — Science on Screen at the Coolidge Corner Theatre takes a dark twist with a presentation of “Night of the Living Dead”, George A. Romero’s 1968 genre-defining zombie horror film on Monday, April 13 at 7:00 pm. This unusual program is the “brainchild” of psychiatrist Steven C. Schlozman, a self-described zombie film fanatic and pop culture enthusiast who will join us before the film to explore the theoretical neuroscience of zombies and the psychological effects they have on others.

What would the brain of a zombie look like? Why are zombies so (physically) unbalanced? Why are they always hungry? Why do normal people, in the absence of being infected, descend to sub-cortical zombie behavior in almost every zombie movie? And just what is it about the concept of the living dead that continually fascinates audiences? Zombie fans will have lots to chew on…
“They’re coming to get you, Barbara!”

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
When the reanimated corpses of the recently deceased begin to rise from the earth and seek human flesh as sustenance, a small group of survivors take refuge inside of a farmhouse. Armed only with guns, blunt instruments and the knowledge that a blow to the head is the only means of taking down their decaying assailants, the living must attempt to last the night. Director George A. Romero gave rise to the survival horror genre with this landmark film, and his vision of the slow-moving, cannibalistic walking dead quickly became the textbook definition of “zombie”. (dir. George A. Romero w/ Judith O'Day, Duane Jones 1h36m)
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
Steven Schlozman, MD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and lecturer in education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He earned his medical degree at the Brown-Dartmouth Program in Medicine, and completed his training in general psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and his Child Psychiatry Residency at the MGH/McLean Program in Child Psychiatry. He is currently the associate director of training for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Program at MGH/McLean, and co-director of medical student education in psychiatry for Harvard Medical School. He is the editor of the “Youth Culture Column” for the Newsletter of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and he writes about the interface of popular culture, music, and the humanities throughout medical education. His articles include: “Vampires and Those Who Slay Them: Using the Television Program ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ in Adolescent Therapy and Psychodynamic Education” (2000); “From Alice Cooper to Marilyn Manson: The Significance of Adolescent Antiheroes” (2003); and, most recently, “Zombies on My Mind” (2009)
According to Schlozman, his interest in Zombie movies started when, as an adult, he was fortunate enough to mix insomnia with a late-night showing on television of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. This led to an exploration of zombie movies that contributed to all sorts of sleep deprivation, waiting as was required to get the kids to bed in order to feed his growing habit. Why the fascination? “The Zombie movie is the perfect playground for the neurologically-, psychologically-, and humorously-minded pop culture enthusiast,” he explains.
ABOUT SCIENCE ON SCREEN
With Science on Screen, the Coolidge presents a feature film or documentary with a basis in science, paired with exciting introductions by notable scientific figures. This monthly series is co-presented by The Museum of Science and New Scientist magazine. Special thanks to our fiscal sponsors: Alex & Brit d'Arbeloff; Gesmer Updegrove, LLP; The Hamilton Company; Harold and Maura Brown; and to our series creator, Richard Anders.
Science on Screen programs are $9.75 regular admission or $7.75 for seniors, students, and Museum of Science members. Members of the Coolidge Corner Theatre get FREE admission to these shows. Tickets are available in advance at the box office, located at 290 Harvard Street in Brookline, or on-line at www.coolidgeorg/showtimes

For more details, visit www.coolidge.org/science or call 617/734-2500.

Upcoming Science on Screen programs:

May 11 – THE SINGULARITY IS NEAR: A TRUE STORY ABOUT THE FUTURE with inventor and entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil

Previous Science on Screen programs include:
2009
GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER with Mahzarin Banaji
GROUNDHOG DAY with Peter Galison
THEREMIN: AN ELECTRONIC ODYSSEY with Tod Machover
2008
CONTACT with Paul Horowitz
MARNIE with Phillip Freeman
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK with Curtis Runnels
SUPERMAN with Max Tegmark
VERTIGO with Catherine Kimble
DARWIN’S NIGHTMARE with Les Kaufman
BODY HEAT with Michael Baum
SLEEPER with Brock Reeve
2007
THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH with Robert Weller
PULSE (KAIRO) with Alan Lightman
STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KAHN with Jeffery Hoffman
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE with Marc Hauser
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND with Daniel Schacter
SO MUCH, SO FAST with Jamie Heywood
2006
LONGTIME COMPANION with Kenneth Mayer, Joe Elia, and Matt Foley
ALPHAVILLE with Sheila Jasanoff
DONNIE DARKO with Bruce M. Cohen
THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN with Alfred DeMaria
WINGED MIGRATION with David Allen Sibley
FORBIDDEN PLANET with Rodney Brooks
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY with Marvin Minsky
RICHARD FEYNMAN: NO ORDINARY GENIUS with Stephen Wolfram
2005
PRIMER with John Joannopoulos
THE ELEPHANT MAN with Virginia Kimonis
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME with Alan Guth
JAWS with Greg Skomal
DIAL M FOR MURDER in 3-D with Steven Pinker

Theaters in this post

• Coolidge Corner Theatre