Jessica Wilkie, Dean of the School of Humanities at Mohawk Valley Community College, will present the lecture “Origins of Horror” at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, in Festine Auditorium in Rome, and at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in Schafer Theater in Utica. Admission is free.

In her lecture, Wilkie will discuss F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent film, “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror,” an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, “Dracula.” While “Nosferatu” may not chill a modern audience quite like it did a century ago, there is still much to be learned from the film today. In what is arguably one of the first novel-to-screen adaptations, Stoker’s “Dracula” is re-imagined for visual representation — or is it? Names and places have been changed from page to screen, but themes of “otherness” prevail. In many ways, “Nosferatu” set the template for the horror genre. Murnau’s direction and production established several conventions that persist in horror films throughout cinematic history.

For more information, contact the MVCC Box Office at 315-731-5721 or boxoffice@mvcc.edu.