Horrifying House Plants Spread Their Branches

August 20, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact: Steve Popson (919) 733-7450, ext. 379

RALEIGH - Beware the triffids! They grow...know...walk...talk... stalk...and KILL! And they'll be welcoming First Friday patrons when the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences shows The Day of the Triffids (1962) on Friday, September 3, at 7 p.m.

Based on a novel by John Wyndham, the movie tracks the evil and hungry triffids – a seriously invasive species of plant capable of moving around and attacking people. They branch out and raid the city following a meteor shower that produces a glow so bright that 99 percent of the population is instantly blinded. Ironically, Wyndham also wrote Village of the Damned (1960), a novel/movie about a bumper crop of freakishly blond-headed, blue-eyed children that eyeball adults into submission.

Triffids stars Howard Keel as Bill Masen, one of the few people still able to see, who leads a band of survivors in an attempt to prune back the triffids. The role is an interesting change of pace for a leading man of several classic movie musicals of the early '50s, including Annie Get Your Gun, Calamity Jane, Showboat, Kiss Me Kate, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

The role of scientist Karen Goodwin is played by Janette Scott, who is mentioned in the opening title song of The Rocky Horror Picture Show: "And I really got hot when I saw Janette Scott fight a triffid that spits poison and kills." She must have made an impression on Mel Tormé as well – the Velvet Fog married Scott four years after the film's release.

First Friday runs from 5 to 9 p.m. The feature begins at 7 p.m. and is preceded by a live music and film short from the A/V Geeks archives. Admission is free. The Museum Store offers after-hours shopping, and the Acro Café serves up light fare, as well as beer and wine. Or you can visit the Museum's special exhibit, "Treasures Unearthed: North Carolina's Spectacular Gems and Minerals," as it stays open till 9 p.m. Only $3 for First Friday attendees. Last tickets sold at 8:00 p.m.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the web at www.naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.

Home	What's New?	Visitor Info	Calendar	Exhibits
	Education	Research	Museum Store	Join Us!
Search	Fun Stuff	Site Map	Staff Directory	Links