This spooky season, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is serving up chills, cinema, and a celebration of feminine power with its annual Monster Mash, happening October 25. This year’s theme — “The Monstrous Feminine” — spotlights iconic and subversive depictions of women in horror, from gothic classics to cult favorites that redefine what it means to be monstrous.
Far from a typical Halloween event, the Monster Mash is an immersive, all-day experience blending film, artistry, and mysticism. Kicking off at 9 a.m., the day begins with a Calm Morning: Bride of Frankenstein Sound Lab, followed by an accessible family matinee honoring the 90th anniversary of the 1935 horror classic Bride of Frankenstein. This foundational film is a perfect entry point to examine how early Hollywood imagined women as both victims and creators of horror.
Throughout the day, guests can explore the transformative power of illusion with special effects makeup and hair demonstrations (11 a.m.–1:30 p.m.) and drop in for Scripted Fright Tours or Monster Meet and Greets, perfect for cinephiles and monster lovers alike.
The afternoon shifts to feminist horror cinema with a 35mm screening of The Love Witch (2016) at 2:30 p.m., followed by a discussion with its visionary filmmaker Anna Biller, whose stylized, satirical take on gender, witchcraft, and desire has earned cult status. Simultaneously, guests can tap into the metaphysical with tarot and palm readings a fitting touch for a day exploring the mystical and the macabre.
For aspiring scream queens and voice actors, the Scream Queens Workshop at 3 p.m. offers a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of horror performance, spotlighting how voice and emotion bring monsters (and victims) to life.
The evening culminates in a 7:30 p.m. screening of Jennifer’s Body — the 2009 cult favorite directed by Karyn Kusama and starring Megan Fox, both of whom will be in attendance. Once misunderstood, the film has been reappraised as a sharp feminist satire on revenge, desire, and the weaponization of beauty. It’s a powerful example of how Black women’s stories, often overlooked, can be reclaimed and celebrated.
With programming that celebrates horror’s most complex and captivating women from stitched brides to seductive witches the Academy Museum’s Monster Mash invites fans to revel in the terrifying, the beautiful, and the unapologetically feminine.
Jamie Broadnax is the creator of the online publication and multimedia space for Black women called BlkCosmo Blerds. Jamie has appeared on MSNBC’s The Melissa Harris-Perry Show and The Grio’s Top 100. Her Twitter personality has been recognized by Shonda Rhimes as one of her favorites to follow. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association and executive producer of the BlkCosmo Blerds Podcast.
