During a season in which electoral politics can be scarier than any atomic creature from the unknown, the most fearsome predator inhabiting D.C. on Monday did not come from the foreboding halls of Capitol Hill, nor the haunted depths of the Beltway.
Instead, the patrons of the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium watched as the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" emerged from the safety of the movie screen to stalk the theater in mind-blowing 3-D. Adding to the thrills of the night were the Jazz Passengers, who provided a lively new, in-house score to the 50-year-old creature feature.
The "Creature from the Black Lagoon" was, at the time of its release in 1954, given wide critical praise for its innovative use of underwater photography, as well as the craftsmanship used in creating of the now-iconic "Gillman" costume for the Creature itself. However, not since the time it was first released have audiences gotten to see "Creature" in its original 3-D format. Thanks to the efforts of the Jazz Passengers and their collaborators, audiences in 14 venues will now be able to see a brand new restored print "Creature from the Black Lagoon."
Nostalgia was thick in scattered segments of the auditorium, before the start of the film. Those in attendance old enough to remember the B movie memories of years passed talked excitedly about a bygone era in science fiction which consumed their adolescence every weekend.
Among the scattered veterans of sci-fi cinema were entire families, college students, middle-aged couples, hipsters and even a few Goths, each hoping to fish their own unique memories from the Black Lagoon that would rival those of past generations.
While the auditorium was not packed, the buzz of excitement was audible when the Jazz Passengers took their positions at the far left of the stage, decked out in gear identical to the threads worn by the characters in the film. Before the bombastic jazz score struck up, the disembodied voice over the PA warned the crowd to put on their 3-D glasses to avoid "cranial explosion," in a nod to schlock-cinema maestros like producer William Castle.
The dialogue for "Creature" had been completely replaced for the Jazz Messengers performance with a humorous pre-recorded audio dubbing co-written by Eileen Weiss and Jazz Passenger and vibraphonist Bill Ware with additional contributions by various members of the band. The idea to add the two layer twist of live music and funny lines came from a 20-minute performance to a portion of "Creature" that the Passengers had done for the 10th anniversary of the Knitting Factory in New York City. It was at that very venue that they had earned their reputation as avant-garde innovators during much of their 18-year run in the music industry.
"Synching up the new lines with original words was very complicated," Weiss said, regarding the pre-recording process.
"Originally, we wanted to do a live dialogue sequence on stage with the Passengers," added co-founder Roy Nathanson. "But that proved to be impossible."
The 3-D effects were startling at first, as evidenced by the audible gasps from the audience. However, gradually it became a relaxing addition to the experience, adding depth to the lush jungle background of the titled Black Lagoon. Occasionally a spear gun would fire directly into the audience or a school of fish would seem to fly directly by someone's nose like a wayward pelican.
Overall, the Jazz Passengers themselves supplied most of the actual thrills. Performing dramatic themes for the Creature's entrance at various points and the blending of an effective mix of funk, jazz, and even hip-hop added much to total effect of the film. They worked though a brief film burnout, keeping their pressure cooker-like intensity going when necessary and wrapping up the evening with a variation on the jazz standard "You Rascal, You," with their variation "You Monster, You."
With the evening over and the Creature vanquished, it has yet to be seen whether or not the memories of the young children in the audience will reflect those shared by their elders. Whether or not the Jazz Passengers had indoctrinated a new generation of Creature Feature fanatics, only time will tell. However, in an age where monsters look and feel like abstract art pieces meant to dazzle rather than actually live and breathe in the memories of theater patrons, it was different to see a Creature that stood the test of time, and whose impact could be modified for new generations to enjoy.
