CPC Film Series returns with “Scream” and a spooky haunted tour

By Paul Miller

Knightly News Co-Adviser

The CPC Film Series returns for the fall term with the 1996 slasher classic “Scream” on Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. in the Capital Blue Cross Theatre at Central Penn College. Before the event, the Knightly News Media Club will host a haunted tour of the Underground, featuring a spooky tale to accompany the thrills and chills.

“Scream” is a self-aware horror classic that redefined the slasher genre for a new generation. Directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, the film follows teenager Sidney Prescott as she becomes the target of a masked killer obsessed with horror movie tropes. Blending suspense, satire and sharp dialogue, “Scream” revitalized a genre that had grown stagnant, cleverly referencing horror’s past while carving a bold new path forward.

Professor Paul Miller will explore the enduring pop culture relevance of the film, including how it reshaped the slasher genre through its metatextual humor, genre-savvy characters, and commentary on media violence. In his presentation before the film, Professor Miller will examine how “Scream” bridges horror tradition with 1990s cultural anxieties, sparking a wave of self-referential horror and influencing a generation of filmmakers.

Before the film, the Knightly News Media Club will host a haunted tour of the Underground, featuring a unique tale of a wayward soul who lived on the college grounds nearly 100 years ago. This (fictitious) legend will drive the tour throughout the Underground, making stops in four different areas before leading to the concessions stand and into the Capital Blue Cross Theatre for haunted games.

The event begins at 6 p.m. Attendees should plan to meet (weather permitting) at the amphitheater in front of the Underground. The host will greet guests and update them on the legend that will be told throughout the evening. The event is free and open to the public, though donations to the Knightly News for the haunted tour and concessions are greatly appreciated.

Schedule of events:

6 – 6:45 p.m. – Haunted Tour of the Underground (last tour leaves at 6:45 p.m.). After attendees take the Haunted Tour, there will be Halloween-themed games in the Underground until showtime.

7 p.m. – Professor Miller gives his presentation about “Scream,” entitled “Killer Commentary: How Scream Reinvented the Slasher Genre Through Satire and Self-Reflection”

7:30 p.m. – Film screening begins

Knightly News President Noah Lopez developed a trailer for the event that can be seen below.