Calcasieu SerialFest flying high with tribute to superheroes

Don’t settle for any-ol’ movie watching this weekend. Saturday, July 13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is the 10th Annual Calcasieu SerialFest at the Brimstone Museum Annex, 900 S. Huntington St. This theme is Superheroes of the Serials. Audiences can expect superhero action that inspired modern Marvel and DC comic films. The event is free, and includes free drinks, popcorn and a free pizza lunch.

Think the Lone Ranger, Tarzan, Batman. No, not the MIchael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Christian Bale and Robert Pattinson Batmans. Not even the Batman played by Adam West , but further back to a time when the big screen was black and white and serials were popular.

Serials were movies cut up into short chapters, usually 10 to 12 that theaters ran from the ’30s to the ’50s. Each show would end with a cliffhanger, explained Patrick Bennett. “This would get you to return to the theater each week to see how the hero escapes the cliffhanger and the next chapter of the story. Serials died out in the 50s when many households began getting television sets and TV series took over.

Bennett held the first SerialFest in 2011 at the Central School auditorium.

“It was actually a test run before we started the Lake Charles Film Festival, he said. “I have a strong love for those old serials and knew that someday I would bring back SerialFest. To me, the serial is a lost art form.

When Bennett met Tom Trahan, Henning Cultural Center executive director, Serial Fest found a new home.

He continues to educate audiences about serials and preserve the history of them and pass them on to new generations. Serials, Bennet said, are the first time many comic book heroes were seen in live action on the big screen.

The day of watching images of yesteryear includes Superman, Captain Marvel, Captain America and The Green Hornet.