Mythic Flix

Mythic Flix

Enjoy cult mythic flix outdoors at the National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour throughout April.

Enjoy the suspense and the mystery of 1950s and 1980s cult classics with the National Maritime Museum's outdoor Mythic Flix this April.

The fun begins with 1950s Creature Features on board HMAS Vampire from 13 to 15 April. The films will be screened on the rear gun turret on the heli-deck of the ex-Navy destroyer.
The films include:
Tues 13 April: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) Rated PG
Wed 14 April: Abbott and Costello meet the mummy (1955) Rated G
Thurs 15 April: It came from beneath the sea (1955) Rated PG

If you prefer the blockbuster fantasy hits of the 80s, don't miss our 1980s Mythic flix by the harbour's edge. The museum will screen three family classics on the harbourside performance platform with seating under the stars against the backdrop of the city skyline.
The films on show are:
Thurs 29 April: Labyrinth (1986) Rated G
Fri 30 April: The Never Ending Story (1984) Rated G
Sat 1 May: The Dark Crystal (1982) Rated G

The night will begin with a pre-screening tour of the ship from 6:30pm. Films will screen from 7 pm with the museum's restaurant, bar and snack kiosk open from 6 pm to 9 pm. Bring along a blanket, pillow and picnic dinner or dine and see the movie from the comfort of the museum restaurant Yots.

Tickets are $15 per adult and $10 per child.
Bookings are essential: www.annmm.gov.au/mythicflix or call (02) 9298 3644 for more information.

Interview with Scott Andrew

Scott Andrew is the Events Coordinator for 'mythic flix' at National Maritime Museum.

Where did the idea for Mythic Flix this April come from?

Scott Andrew: We have a fantastic temporary exhibition at the Maritime Museum running until the middle of May called Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids. It's come from the American Museum of Natural History and features all manifestations of amazing beasts of mythology, exploring the science, paleontological findings and cultural beliefs which all mash together to create some incredible stories. And we thought what better way to explore these stories than with some really cool films about mythical creatures from the 1950s and the 80s.


Do you think fantasy movies such as Labyrinth are becoming popular again due to the vampire movie craze?

Scott Andrew: I think people are always attracted to the idea of the 'other', and fantasy is a great way of exploring that. There are usually human characters whom we can relate to, but we get to explore our darker sides through the fantastical creatures of the imagination. It's not just Vampires though - if you look at really popular films like Avatar or even Alice in Wonderland, there's an element of the surreal which involves the suspension of disbelief, and this often goes back to deep-seated beliefs and superstitions from mythology of old. The 80s films are great because they didn't have the 3D CGI technology that we have available to us now, so they relied on more traditional techniques of puppetry and good old fashioned storytelling. And the old 50s films have a wonderful naivety and a retro kitsch feel to them.


How did you choose the movies to screen?

Scott Andrew: We sat around the office and made a list of all of our favourite films from when we were growing up - things that we haven't had the pleasure of seeing on the big screen in decades. The hard part was narrowing down the list, but we feel that we came up with a pretty good cross section of great 50s and 80s family classics.


What is your favourite film screening outdoors at the National Maritime Museum?

Scott Andrew: It would have to be Labyrinth. Bowie is simply stupendous in this film - absolutely hilarious. And that hair! This was also Jim Henson's last feature film before he died in 1990. It was a great flick back in the 80s, and it's now something I want to share with my kids.


What makes the HMAS Vampire the perfect location to watch these films?

Scott Andrew: We've actually got two great locations for the Mythic Flix at the museum. The 80s films are on our harbourside performance platform - a simply stunning location with the city skyline glistening as a backdrop. The 1950s Creature Features are being held on the deck of our Navy destroyer HMAS Vampire. This is such a unique venue. You'll actually be sitting on a floating cinema! It's a rare chance to go aboard a piece of Australia's maritime history - at night - and with films on the menu like It Came From Beneath The Sea, who knows what mysterious things may occur!


Tell us a little bit about the 1950s Creature Feature movies:

Scott Andrew: The terror ... the horror ... the suspense! We've got three great movies: Creature from the Black Lagoon - a prehistoric gill-man is discovered in the depths of the Amazon and takes a fancy to the expedition leader's girlfriend; Abbott and Costello meet the Mummy - which is a hilarious twist on the shlock horror genre; and It came from beneath the Sea - if you thought Sydney's restaurants served up some big squid, then catch a load of this! San Francisco is ravaged by a giant radioactive octopus, which wreaks havoc and wrestles with a submarine. Wait a minute, we've got a submarine at the museum ... perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all!!


How suitable are the 1950s Creature Feature movies for children?

Scott Andrew: The 50's films are rated PG, with some mild scary scenes, but in the context of the 50s, they're really pretty tame. The 1980s films are all rated G and perfect for all ages.


What should audiences expect from the night?

Scott Andrew: Bring a blanket or a pillow and be prepared to rug up for an evening of thrills and chills, with a few laughs thrown in to boot. You can bring a picnic to all film screenings, and our harbourside cafe and bar will be open for the 80s film screenings.


What is coming up next at the National Maritime Museum?

Scott Andrew: Mythic Creatures - Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids is open until 23 May. Like all of our core galleries, the exhibition is free. You can also go onboard our submarine, Navy destroyer and working tall ships when they're in port. We've got loads of things happening for kids and families, school holiday activities and a really diverse array of lectures, talks and performances.