Vincent Price: Master of Terror, Suspense and Total Foodie
Alamo Drafthouse, 180 Portage Street, Kalamazoo
Oct. 5, 7 p.m.
drafthouse.com/kalamazoo; (269) 532-7990
Whenever people talk about Vincent Price, it’s easy to conjure up images of mad scientists, vengeful murderers and doomed protagonists stuck in creepy haunted houses.
But what about Vincent Price the gourmet chef? Well it turns out he and his wife Mary were quite the gourmets and even wrote a bestselling cookbook in 1965, A Treasury of Great Recipes. The book would eventually go on to inspire many chefs and become a highly sought-after (and expensive) out-of-print book.
Upon the 50th anniversary of the book’s release, and its recent reissue, the Alamo Drafthouse in Kalamazoo has decided to at last reconcile these two seemingly disparate sides of Vincent Price with its Abominable Dr. Phibes Feast.
“I think a lot of times when people think of successful actors or movie stars, they tend to think their whole lives must have revolved around acting or performing,” said James Sanford, creative manager at Alamo Drafthouse Kalamazoo. “And it’s rather fascinating to find someone like Vincent Price who was always celebrated for his roles in horror films and Edgar Allan Poe films, to find that he was such a connoisseur of great cuisine.”
For the event, Alamo Drafthouse will screen The Abominable Dr. Phibes, which stars Vincent Price as the titular doctor, bloodthirsty and determined for revenge on the nine doctors he holds responsible for his wife’s death. Throughout the film, chefs at Alamo Drafthouse will be whipping up some of Price’s tastiest recipes straight from the book A Treasury of Great Recipes, including the Croque Monsieur, an extravagant ham and cheese sandwich that Sanford can only describe as “heavenly.”
While Alamo does similar food and film events on a regular basis, this one is a little special as Price’s daughter, Victoria, will be sharing memories of her dad via a multimedia presentation prior to the film. She’ll also be hanging out after the film to sign copies of the 50th anniversary reissue of A Treasury of Great Recipes and will participate in a short Q&A session.
The event happens Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. For a full menu and more information on this event, visit drafthouse.com/kalamazoo. And while you’re there, check out some of their other spooky Halloween-themed events, including screenings of classics such as Don’t Look Now, Plan 9 from Outer Space and Nightmare on Elm Street. Also, Anthony E Griffin, one of the co-founders of Thriller! Chiller! Film Fest, hosts an all-day cult film fest at Alamo Drafthouse on Oct. 24.
