Thursday, December 18, 6:00 p.m.

The third feature by Cuban director Juan Padrón, Vampires in Havana (1985) is a silly, raunchy spoof of horror and gangster films. Wolfgang Amadeus von Dracula, the nephew of the famous count, invents a formula that allows vampires to endure sunlight--which he tests on his nephew Joseph "Pepe" Emmanuel. It works so well that Pepe is completely unaware of his true nature; he plays jazz trumpet in a nightclub and joins a cell plotting to overthrow a repressive general. Pepe soon finds himself dodging the general's inept henchmen and rival vampire syndicates who want the valuable formula. Drawn in a simple, cartoony style that suggests a cross between the work of Zagrebfilm and the Mad Magazine cartoons of Sergio Aragones, Vampires in Havana offers American audiences a rare glimpse of the work of one of Cuba's leading animators. Unrated; suitable for ages 16 and up: Nudity, sexual humor, profanity, violence, ethnic stereotypes. --Charles Solomon

(Juan Padrón, Cuba, Spanish with English subtitles, 1986, 80 min.; Not Rated, probably R)

Cost: Free with Museum admission, which is only $5 after 5:00 p.m. every Thursday.

Thursday, December 18, 6:15 p.m.

Sign Language Associates, Inc. of Tampa and interpreters Carol Downing, Crystal Millard and Dalí docents interpret tours of the collection, Wifredo Lam In North America and the world of Dalí into American Sign Language.

Free with Museum admission, which is only $5 after 5:00 p.m. every Thursday.

Saturday, December 20, 2008, extended hours for shopping 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Museum store (which is free to visit) will host its annual holiday shopping opening house with "surreal deals" on select Dali merchandise, complimentary Starbucks coffee and sweets in the morning, sangria and holiday punch in the afternoon, plus a complimentary Wine tasting accompanied by live Spanish guitar music.

Holiday Hours:

Thursday, November 27, 2008 - Closed
Wednesday, December 24, 9:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 25, 2008 - Closed
Friday and Saturday, December 26-27, 9:30- 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 28 - 12:00-7:00 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday, December 29-30, 9:30- 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 31, 9:30- 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 1, 12:00-8:00p.m.