Fort Macleod, Alberta – Nosferatu, Bonnie & Clyde, Passchendaele and many more amazing movies will make a comeback at the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod this fall.

Monday Movie Memories premieres Monday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m. and will take movie goers on a trip through cinematic history.

With the advent of cinema in the 1890s and centuries of prior inventions leading up to the launch of this world changing invention, film evolved from the image rotating glass disc called the électrotachyscope invented in 1887 to silent films of the late Victorian era accompanied by live piano and sound effects.  Further advancements brought the onset of the talkies in 1923, marrying film and sound together and the release of three-strip Technicolor film in the 1930s.  Recent developments like the 1990s computer animated movies to today’s popular 3D movies continue to draw movie fans to the silver screen in ever increasing numbers.

The Empress Theatre has been a part of the exciting movie industry since its earliest days. It was the fourth theatre built in Fort Macleod during a booming time entering the entertainment scene when silent films were a popular past time.  Today, it stands as the only remaining theatre in Fort Macleod and a true testament to the town’s resilience and spirit.

100 years of film have graced this grand lady’s screen and to celebrate this major milestone, Monday evenings will bring a weekly featured film from one of the past 10 decades.

The September 10 launch will see the return of Nosferatu to the silver screen.  This 1922 classic German expressionist horror film rated PG in Alberta also called Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula directed by F.W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlock the Vampire.  The film is the first Dracula/horror film, with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel.  For horror fans and thrill seekers, taking in this classic film at the 100- year-old ghost inhabited Empress Theatre could just prove to be a new experience to remember for years to come.

Monday, September 17 will bring Safety Last to the Empress, a film originally released back on April 1, 1923 and unrated in Alberta.   Today Safety Last is still viewed as one of the great film comedies of all time.  Starring Harold Lloyd, this silent romantic comedy features the climbing stunts of this early motion picture star while the film title spoofs the common expression ‘Safety First’!

"A great deal of consideration has been put into choosing just the right films for this centennial film initiative," says Brent Hutchinson, Empress Theatre executive director.  "We hope to attract current and new Empress movie buffs during this special time at the Empress."

The price is right for this weekly event, with prices running at $5.00 for adults, $4.50 for students and $3.50 for seniors and children.

The latest weekly movie listings can be found on the Empress Theatre website and www.empresstheatre.ab.ca, also by calling the movie hotline at 403-553-4151 or by visiting us on Facebook, Twitter and the Empress Theatre blog at empresstheatrefortmacleod.blogspot.ca.