The Nickel | Independent Cinema in Clerkenwell, London

Please note we are unable to offer refunds or exchanges on tickets. No late admissions from 15 minutes after showtime.

DANCE FREAK + VIDEO INTRO

(2025, USA, Alan Resnick, Robby Rackleff)

On the worst day of his life, an unassuming man crosses paths with a feral, hypnotic stranger who looks exactly like him. The encounter detonates his reality: violence erupts, memories collapse, and he wakes days later implicated in crimes he doesn’t understand. As his identity splinters and the city turns hostile, the question isn’t how to clear his name, but whether he can prove he’s even himself.

Co-directed by Alan Resnick and Robby Rackleff, Dance Freak is a low-budget, high-intensity descent into psychological chaos. Blending abrasive humor, stark black-and-white imagery, and a relentless audiovisual assault, the film channels their shared lineage of unsettling genre work into something lean, volatile, and deliberately unhinged.

EXISTENZ

(1999, Canada, David Cronenberg)

Game design as body horror; virtual reality as wetware infection. David Cronenberg’s late-century provocation drops us into a near-future where entertainment isn’t streamed or projected but surgically plugged into the spine. Organic consoles pulse like exposed organs, bio-ports gape in the lower back, and reality itself flickers under interrogation.

This is conspiracy thriller reduced to viscera: guns grown from bone, fast-food mutations, corporate espionage played out in abattoirs and back rooms. Jennifer Jason Leigh’s celebrity game designer navigates shifting layers of simulation with manic conviction, while Jude Law plays the neophyte dragged — willingly or not — into recursive worlds where authorship, agency, and even identity are up for grabs.

Cronenberg treats technology not as sleek futurism but as penetrative biology. Every interface is sexual, every system unstable. eXistenZ doesn’t ask whether we’re inside a game; it suggests the question is already obsolete.

LA BÊTE

(1975, France, Walerian Borowczyk)

Erotic folklore rendered as aristocratic farce and pastoral hallucination. Walerian Borowczyk’s scandalous period fantasy begins in drawing rooms of inherited wealth and decaying lineage, then slips backward into a fevered 18th-century legend of lust, animality, and transgression. Civilization peels away; appetite remains.

This is costume drama dragged into the mud. Silk gowns and antique furniture give way to rutting in long grass, extended to the point of discomfort and absurdity. Borowczyk stages the encounter between woman and beast as both explicit spectacle and savage satire — a confrontation with repression that’s by turns painterly, grotesque, and deliberately excessive. Sirpa Lane moves from porcelain composure to ecstatic abandon, anchoring a film that refuses good taste as a governing principle.

Banned, cut, and argued over on release, La Bête stands as one of European art-cinema’s most brazen provocations: a heritage romance infected by animal desire, played straight and pushed too far.

BLUE VELVET

(1986, USA, David Lynch)

A quiet small town is shattered when a young man discovers a severed ear in a field, plunging him into a hidden world of violence, sexual obsession, and moral corruption. Drawn into the orbit of a nightclub singer and a dangerously unhinged criminal, he becomes entangled in a dark mystery where innocence and depravity collide. Every revelation pulls him deeper into a labyrinth of fear, desire, and menace.

David Lynch’s Blue Velvet juxtaposes the idyllic surface of suburbia with the grotesque underworld lurking beneath. The film is tense, surreal, and intensely atmospheric, blending noirish intrigue with psychological horror. Strange, hypnotic, and haunting, it exposes the darkness lurking behind everyday appearances and examines the uneasy coexistence of innocence and evil.

DEF BY TEMPTATION

(1990, USA, James Bond III)

A young minister visiting New York City is drawn into a hidden world of desire and danger when he encounters a mysterious woman whose beauty conceals a deadly secret. As temptation pulls him further from his faith and upbringing, a string of brutal murders begins to reveal a supernatural force feeding on lust and vulnerability. Caught between devotion and desire, he must confront the consequences of giving in to what he was taught to resist.

Blending urban horror with morality play, Def by Temptation channels the atmosphere of late night city streets and religious unease. James Bond III frames seduction as both allure and threat, using genre thrills to explore guilt, repression, and spiritual conflict. Stylish, provocative, and rooted in cautionary tradition, the film turns temptation into a literal battle for the soul.

BILLY THE KID AND THE GREEN BAIZE VAMPIRE

(1985, United Kingdom, Alan Clarke)

In a small English town, a talented young snooker player faces a chilling challenge when he encounters a mysterious rival with a sinister secret. As high-stakes matches pile up, the line between sport and supernatural menace blurs, and every victory carries a growing sense of danger. The competition becomes more than a game, turning personal ambition into a fight for survival.

A quirky fusion of horror, comedy, and sports drama, Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire revels in its own eccentricity. Alan Clarke mixes dark humor with gothic flair, turning snooker halls into arenas of tension and spectacle. Offbeat, entertaining, and unpredictably imaginative, the film transforms a simple contest into a story of rivalry, temptation, and the weird thrill of facing the unknown.

HARD BOILED

(1992, Hong Kong, John Woo)

Finally restored after being out of circulation for decades! Hard-drinking Hong Kong inspector known as “Tequila” pursues a gun-running syndicate whose operations run from teahouses and warehouses to the fluorescent corridors of a private hospital. His investigation converges with an undercover officer embedded deep within the criminal network, the two men forced into a fragile alliance as their professional roles and moral boundaries blur. What begins as a familiar cops-and-triads pursuit escalates into sustained, close-quarters combat, with public and supposedly secure spaces transformed into zones of continuous crisis. The film’s momentum lies not in plot revelation but in accumulation — of bodies, shattered interiors, and decisions made under extreme pressure.

Produced at the peak of Hong Kong’s pre-handover action cycle, Hard Boiled channels an industry working at full technical capacity, where elaborate stunt work and practical effects underpin its sense of physical immediacy. The film reframes the heroic codes and male bonding of earlier crime melodramas within modern institutional settings, suggesting a city where systems of order — medical, legal, civic — are already indistinguishable from the violence they contain. Both police thriller and endurance spectacle, it stands as a defining artifact of a moment when local genre cinema translated urban anxiety and industrial virtuosity into a relentless choreography of destruction.

THE STABILIZER

(1986, Indonesia, Arizal)

After the murder of his fiancée by flamboyant drug smuggler Greg Rainmaker, whose spiked shoes double as weapons, Peter Goldson sheds his former life and becomes “The Stabilizer,” a vigilante devoted to restoring balance to a city sliding into criminal excess. When Rainmaker kidnaps the eminent Professor Protost, Goldson forms an uneasy alliance with the professor’s daughter, Christina, navigating docklands and industrial corridors in pursuit of both rescue and revenge.

An artifact of exploitation-inflected action cinema, The Stabilizer frames personal vendetta against a backdrop of narcotics trafficking and scientific intrigue. Its stark urban settings and blunt confrontations sketch a moral universe where order is reclaimed through force, even as the film hints that the line between justice and obsession may be perilously thin.

FATAL PULSE + SECRET MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMANCE!

(2018, USA, Damon Packard)

In a surreal, nostalgia‑tinted version of the early 1990s, corporate moguls and dreamers find themselves trapped in a labyrinth of paranoia, ambition, and betrayal. A powerful executive, stranded in his own home with his unpredictable brother‑in‑law, becomes the axis of a strange game where everyone around him is scheming, deceiving, or plotting murder in a world that feels half thriller, half hallucination. As alliances fracture and reality blurs, the pursuit of power turns inward, revealing how tenuous sanity and survival truly are.

Damon Packard’s Fatal Pulse reimagines genre conventions into a fever dream of corporate anxiety and neo‑noir excess. The film’s world is drenched in the glow of late‑century media and paranoia, where every shadow hides a threat and every character teeters on the brink of madness. Strange, disorienting, and defiantly unconventional, it dissolves narrative expectations into an atmospheric rumination on ambition, identity, and the pulse of an era in decline.

PLUS A SECRET 1HR MUSICAL COMEDY PERFORMANCE FROM A SPECIAL MYSTERY GUEST...

SWITCHBLADE SISTERS

(1975, USA, Jack Hill)

A tight-knit gang of high school girls rules their city streets with style, swagger, and ruthless ambition. When rival factions, betrayal, and law enforcement threaten their control, friendships fracture and violence escalates, turning the girls’ world into a perilous battleground where loyalty and survival are constantly tested.

Switchblade Sisters is a high-energy exploitation thriller that blends teen rebellion, street warfare, and sensationalized action. Directed by Jack Hill, the film emphasizes dynamic female characters who are as cunning and formidable as any male counterpart in crime cinema. Sharp, edgy, and unapologetically audacious, it celebrates chaos, camaraderie, and the thrill of living dangerously on the fringes of society.

Introduced by Dominic Hicks.

COFFY

(1973, USA, Jack Hill)

A streetwise nurse takes the law into her own hands when the men who control her neighborhood through drugs, exploitation, and violence push too far. Using her wits, charm, and lethal skill, she sets out to dismantle a criminal empire piece by piece, targeting those who exploit the vulnerable while navigating a city that is as dangerous as it is corrupt.

Blaxploitation at its most uncompromising, Coffy combines relentless action with social awareness and fiery moral purpose. Jack Hill’s direction balances stylish violence, suspense, and sharp character work, while Pam Grier delivers an iconic performance that radiates strength, intelligence, and righteous anger. Fierce, provocative, and unforgettable, the film turns vengeance into empowerment and establishes a hero who refuses to be ignored.

BLOODY MUSCLE BODY BUILDER IN HELL

(1995, Japan, Shinichi Fukazawa)

Set in a dingy Tokyo apartment, a self-absorbed bodybuilder sets out to film a showcase of his sculpted physique with the help of his ex-girlfriend and a cameraman, only to discover that the room is haunted by a furious spirit determined to drag them into chaos.

A frenzied splatter comedy forged in pure DIY ambition, Bloody Muscle Body Builder in Hell channels the scrappy inventiveness of cult cabin-in-the-woods horror while leaning hard into slapstick absurdity. Shot on gritty video and exploding with handmade practical effects, it transforms one claustrophobic location into a whirlwind of possession, rubbery monstrosities, and delirious blood soaked spectacle.

HUSBANDS

(1970, USA, John Cassavetes)

A group of lifelong friends confronts the limits of loyalty, love, and ambition after the sudden death of one of their own. As they navigate grief, relationships, and personal failures, tensions simmer beneath the surface, revealing the fragility of bonds once thought unbreakable. Each man must face the choices that have shaped his life and the consequences of neglect, jealousy, and unfulfilled desire.

John Cassavetes’ Husbands is a raw, intimate study of male friendship and midlife crisis. Shot with emotional immediacy and naturalistic intensity, the film captures the aimlessness, bravado, and vulnerability of men struggling to find meaning in the wake of loss. Brutal, heartfelt, and unflinchingly honest, it portrays a journey through grief, indulgence, and self-discovery that is as uncomfortable as it is profoundly human.

WHO CAN KILL A CHILD?

(1976, Spain, Chicho Ibáñez Serrador)

A vacationing couple arrives on a remote Mediterranean island only to find it eerily deserted, save for the children who roam it freely. As strange incidents escalate into open violence, the horrifying truth emerges: the children have turned against the adults. Trapped and increasingly desperate, the couple must confront an impossible moral dilemma where innocence and threat are fatally intertwined.

Bleak, confrontational, and deeply unsettling, Who Can Kill a Child? strips horror down to its most disturbing premise. Serrador stages terror in broad daylight, using sunlit landscapes to heighten the sense of dread rather than conceal it. The film’s power lies not in spectacle but in its ethical provocation, forcing viewers to grapple with fear, guilt, and the collapse of moral certainty when the unthinkable becomes unavoidable.

MYSTERY MOVIE

Not for the easily offended, and strictly programmed for adult audiences only - our mystery films are eye-popping forays into the bold and bonkers world of psychotronic cinema. Expect the unacceptable.

VAMPYROS LESBOS

(1971, West Germany/Spain, Jesús Franco)

In the sun-drenched interzones between Istanbul and the Spanish coast, a young woman becomes entangled with a hypnotic vampire whose erotic pull dissolves the boundaries between dream, desire, and death. Vampyros Lesbos abandons conventional horror mechanics in favour of atmosphere and repetition, drifting through nocturnal clubs, modernist interiors, and bloodless acts of seduction that feel more ritualistic than violent. Franco treats vampirism less as a curse than as a state of erotic dislocation—an endless present where pleasure overrides causality and identity slips out of focus.

Anchored by Soledad Miranda’s uncanny screen presence and propelled by a hallucinatory jazz-funk score, the film occupies a singular space between exploitation cinema and avant-garde mood piece. Its languid pacing and fetishistic surfaces mask a deeper emptiness at the core, where liberation and annihilation become indistinguishable, and desire circulates without resolution.

+ Introduction by Filmmaker & Programmer, Craig Williams

GODMONSTER OF INDIAN FLATS

(1973, USA, Fredric Hobbs)

A small desert town is thrown into panic when a mysterious, mutated creature emerges from the surrounding wilderness. Half-human, half-beast, and entirely terrifying, the “Godmonster” wreaks havoc as locals struggle to understand what they are facing, torn between fear, fascination, and the desire to exploit the creature for profit and notoriety.

Blending science fiction, horror, and darkly satirical social commentary, Godmonster of Indian Flats turns a low-budget monster tale into an offbeat meditation on greed, superstition, and human folly. The film thrives on its surreal atmosphere and bizarre charm, creating a world where terror and absurdity coexist. Strange, unsettling, and oddly poignant, it transforms a desert nightmare into a critique of small-town paranoia and exploitation.

BLACK DEVIL DOLL FROM HELL (ON VHS)

(1984, USA, Chester Novell Turner)

A lonely and pious woman finds herself drawn to a mysterious antique doll whose malevolent influence quickly escalates from unsettling pranks to violent, supernatural terror. As the doll’s control tightens, her life spirals into chaos, and those around her fall victim to its relentless, demonic will.

A shot on video masterpiece from former church organist, Chester N. Turner, Black Devil Doll from Hell revels in low-budget excess and devilish theatrics. The film leans into grotesque violence, uncanny puppetry, and unrepentant exploitation, creating a nightmarish energy that is as absurd as it is frightening.

TRASH HUMPERS

(2009, USA, Harmony Korine)

Follow a small group of elderly “Peeping Toms” through the shadows and margins of an unfamiliar world. Crudely documented by the participants themselves, we follow the debased and shocking actions of a group of true sociopaths the likes of which have never been seen before. Inhabiting a world of broken dreams and beyond the limits of morality, they crash against a torn and frayed America.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

(1978, Czechoslovakia, Juraj Herz)

A humble village girl becomes the captive of a grotesque Beast, a figure both terrifying and tragic. As she navigates his eerie, shadow-filled castle, fear gives way to curiosity and compassion, revealing the humanity hidden beneath his monstrous exterior.

A darkly gothic and visually striking fairy tale, Juraj Herz’s Beauty and the Beast blends horror and romance, exploring obsession, transformation, and the thin line between terror and tenderness.

THE LAUGHING WOMAN

(1969, Italy, Piero Schivazappa)

A young woman becomes the target of a wealthy man’s obsession, as he orchestrates a twisted psychological game that pushes her into fear, humiliation, and terror. Trapped in a labyrinth of manipulation, she must navigate a world where power, desire, and cruelty intersect, and where her survival depends on wit as much as courage.

The Laughing Woman is a provocative and unsettling exploration of domination and psychological horror. Piero Schivazappa uses striking visuals, claustrophobic interiors, and eerie sound design to heighten tension and unease. Sensual, stylish, and disturbing, the film probes the darker aspects of desire and control, crafting a haunting portrait of vulnerability and the perverse games of the powerful.

DEAD MOUNTAINEER'S HOTEL

(1979, Estonia, Grigori Kromanov)

A remote alpine hotel becomes the stage for mystery and paranoia when a train-bound detective arrives to investigate a suspicious death. As he encounters the eccentric guests and strange staff, it becomes increasingly clear that not everything is as it seems and some of the occupants may not even be human. Secrets, deception, and hidden agendas collide, turning the isolated hotel into a claustrophobic labyrinth of suspicion and intrigue.

Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel, adapted from a novel by the Strugatsky Brothers, blends science fiction, mystery, and darkly absurd humor with eerie, atmospheric tension. Grigori Kromanov crafts a world where logic and reality are constantly in question, using the isolated setting to heighten unease and uncertainty. Strange, enigmatic, and richly stylized, the film is a meditation on identity, secrecy, and the uneasy boundaries between the human and the otherworldly.

EURODITTY PRESENTS: LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH

(1969, West Germany, Rainer Werner Fassbinder)

Set in the underworld of Munich, a small time pimp finds his fragile routine disrupted when a cool headed gangster arrives from Vienna with an offer he cannot refuse. Loyalties shift and desire festers as the trio drift through cafés, hotel rooms, and backroom deals, bound together by money, jealousy, and the threat of sudden violence.

A stark debut that strips the crime film to its bare bones, Love Is Colder Than Death announces the arrival of Rainer Werner Fassbinder with icy minimalism. Deadpan performances, rigid framing, and bursts of brutal absurdity turn familiar gangster tropes into something alien and confrontational, laying the foundation for one of the most uncompromising careers in modern cinema.

SECT SILENT CLUB PRESENTS: HELLBOUND TRAIN + MYSTERY SHORTS WITH LIVE SCORE

(1930, USA, James Gist, Eloyce Gist)

Set aboard a runaway locomotive hurtling toward damnation, a cross section of wayward souls board a train whose lavish cars promise pleasure, greed, and excess, unaware that the final stop leads straight to eternal judgment. As temptations mount and warnings go unheeded, the journey becomes a stark allegory of sin and salvation.

A rare artifact of early Black independent cinema, Hellbound Train was created by filmmakers James Gist and Eloyce Gist as a fiery work of religious instruction. Blending sermon, pageant, and silent era spectacle, the film transforms moral warning into vivid visual metaphor, delivering a fervent vision of vice, repentance, and the perilous cost of missing the right train.

FEATURING LIVE SCORE FROM MUTTERICHBINDOOM

SECT SILENT CLUB PRESENTS: HELLBOUND TRAIN + MYSTERY SHORTS WITH LIVE SCORE

(1930, USA, James Gist, Eloyce Gist)

THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE

(1974, USA, Joseph Sargent)

A routine subway ride in New York City turns into a high-stakes hostage crisis when a group of armed hijackers seizes a train full of passengers. With time running out and the city watching, a transit dispatcher becomes the unlikely point of negotiation, racing against both the criminals and the clock to prevent disaster. Every decision carries the weight of lives, and every second brings the tension closer to a breaking point.

A taut, urban thriller, The Taking of Pelham 123 combines meticulous plotting with relentless suspense. Director Joseph Sargent transforms the city’s underground into a claustrophobic arena of danger and strategy. Smart, fast-paced, and nerve-jangling, the film is a masterclass in tension, showing how ordinary people confront extraordinary peril with courage, cunning, and resolve.

CHARLEY VARRICK

(1975, USA, Don Siegel)

A professional getaway driver finds himself caught in a dangerous game when a planned bank robbery goes off without a hitch but spirals into unexpected complications. Hunted by the law and pursued by criminal associates, he must rely on skill, cunning, and nerves of steel to stay ahead. Every decision carries risk, and freedom feels just out of reach as the tension ratchets higher.

Charley Varrick is a taut, meticulously crafted crime thriller that balances action with sharp character work. Don Siegel directs with precision, using suspense, clever plotting, and smart dialogue to immerse viewers in the high-stakes world of small-time crime turned deadly serious. Cool, suspenseful, and relentlessly engaging, the film examines the cost of ambition and the fragile balance between luck and skill in a life lived on the edge.

REPO MAN

(1984, USA, Alex Cox)

PUNK AT 50 PRESENTS

A disaffected young punk drifts into the strange, chaotic world of car repossession in Los Angeles, discovering that the job is far stranger than he imagined. As he chases delinquent vehicles, he encounters anarchic subcultures, shadowy government agents, and a mysterious car with dangerous, possibly extraterrestrial cargo. Every odd encounter pushes him further into a surreal landscape where reality and absurdity collide.

Repo Man is a darkly comic, offbeat cult classic that blends science fiction, punk energy, and social satire. Alex Cox’s direction revels in the absurdities of consumer culture, bureaucracy, and youth rebellion, capturing a city both alien and familiar. Chaotic, irreverent, and wildly imaginative, the film is a collision of genre, attitude, and off-kilter humor that continues to resonate with its anarchic vision of modern life.

SUPERMARKT

(1974, West Germany, Roland Klick)

An aimless eighteen year old scrapes by on the streets of Hamburg as a petty criminal and drifter, stealing small amounts to survive and trying to find a place in a world that seems stacked against him. Encounters with a well meaning journalist who wants to help and a sleazy small time crook who pushes him toward worse choices pull him deeper into trouble. When he falls for a young woman living on the edge, he dreams of a way out, but his desperation and past choices drive him toward a desperate plan involving an armed robbery at a supermarket. As the crime unravels and the net closes in, survival becomes his only goal.

Roland Klick’s film combines grim social realism with action oriented storytelling to paint a raw portrait of life on society’s margins. The camera follows its restless protagonist through the gritty port city and its underbelly, capturing the ruthless energy of a generation that feels misunderstood and abandoned. Supermarkt is both a crime drama and a study of frustration, hope, and the hard choices faced by those with no clear path forward.

NAKED KILLER

(1992, Hong Kong, Clarence Fok)

"An erotic Hong Kong action thriller featuring female assassins who shoot men in the dick." - Cathode Cinema

After a violent confrontation draws police attention, a streetwise young woman is pulled into an underground cadre of elite contract killers. Under the tutelage of a seasoned mentor, she is moulded into a precise and seductive operative, but her trajectory becomes complicated by a principled detective and a ruthless rival trained in a parallel system of coercion and manipulation. Their intersecting paths move inexorably toward a showdown shaped by desire, rivalry, and institutionalised violence.

Emerging from the early-1990s Hong Kong Category III wave, Naked Killer synthesises neon-saturated noir, stylised gunplay, and melodramatic excess. Its fusion of eroticism and hyperbolic action mirrors a period of industrial experimentation, where genre filmmaking pushed boundaries of taste, censorship, and spectacle.

SCREENED WITH DUBBED ENGLISH AUDIO

THE KILLER

(1989, Hong Kong, John Woo)

In a contract hit gone wrong, a seasoned assassin named Ah Jong accidentally blinds a nightclub singer during a routine job. Haunted by guilt and compelled by his own code of conduct, he takes on “one last job” not for pride but to secure the funds for her restorative surgery, even as rival factions close in on his trail. Meanwhile, an unorthodox and determined police detective follows Ah Jong through Hong Kong’s crowded clubs, neon thoroughfares, and rain-slicked back streets, forging an uneasy connection between hunter and hunted that blurs conventional roles of law and criminality. The narrative unfolds not as a classic whodunit but as a sequence of escalating moral crises and carefully choreographed confrontations, where each act of gunplay is both a tactical necessity and a moment of emotional reckoning.

Situated within the heroic bloodshed tradition of late-1980s Hong Kong cinema, The Killer pairs intense balletic violence with reflective themes of honour, friendship, and jeopardised empathy. Ah Jong’s bond with the singer and the shifting rapport with his pursuer underscore Woo’s interest in personal codes of loyalty that operate outside institutional frameworks. Drawn from influences as diverse as French crime films and American urban dramas, the film uses slow-motion gun battles and punctuated silences to map inner conflict onto the city’s material spaces, creating an action melodrama that balances spectacle with melancholy. Its enduring international reputation reflects both its stylistic precision and its resonance as a work that complicates the archetype of the professional killer, positioning The Killer as a defining example of its genre and era.

MYSTERY MOVIE

SCARLET WARNING 666

(1974, USA, Palmer Rockey)

A long-lost oddity of underground cinema, Scarlet Warning 666 stars cult auteur Palmer Rockey in multiple roles — including twin brothers trapped in an unfathomable tale of Satanic skullduggery, bizarre occult rituals, and “demonic assassination” on a country estate. The film’s narrative logic dissolves into a collage of ritual scenes, disjointed character arcs, and surreal confrontations with the infernal, as the characters grapple with forces they barely comprehend in an increasingly chaotic rural nightmare.

A notorious fixture in outsider film lore, Scarlet Warning 666 was restored after decades of obscurity and is celebrated (and derided) as a bewildering example of independent psychedelia and eccentric ambition. Palmer Rockey reportedly served not only as the film’s lead but also took on dozens of roles behind the camera in a project that defies conventional storytelling and embraces its own idiosyncratic creation mythology — alternately dismissed as “the worst movie ever made” and cherished as a cult curio.

VIY

(1967, Soviet Union, Georgi Kropachyov, Konstantin Ershov)

A young seminary student is sent to a remote village to perform last rites for a deceased woman rumored to be a witch. As night falls, he confronts terrifying supernatural forces, including the eponymous Viy, a monstrous entity whose gaze can kill. Trapped in the haunted church and surrounded by the restless dead, he must summon courage and faith to survive the relentless horrors closing in.

Viy is a chilling adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s story, blending gothic horror with folk superstition and atmospheric tension. Konstantin Yershov and Georgi Kropachyov use shadow, candlelight, and elaborate practical effects to create a world of dread and wonder. Dark, imaginative, and unnervingly vivid, the film immerses viewers in a landscape where superstition and terror collide, making fear both palpable and inescapable.

MYSTERY MOVIE

BLUE VELVET

(1986, USA, David Lynch)

OUT OF THE BLUE

(1980, USA, Dennis Hopper)

A rebellious teenage girl grows up in a fractured family in the Pacific Northwest, trying to find her place in a world that feels hostile and unforgiving. Her father is an alcoholic ex‑truck driver serving time for a deadly accident, and her mother drifts through addiction and unstable relationships while the girl clings to music icons and the punk scene as a form of escape. When her father is released from prison, the fragile balance in the household collapses and buried traumas come to the surface, driving her toward a devastating and irrevocable choice.

Dennis Hopper’s Out of the Blue is a raw, unflinching drama that captures the angst and alienation of youth in a world without direction. With a powerful central performance, the film confronts dysfunction, desire for belonging, and the corrosive effects of violence and neglect. Intense, harrowing, and emotionally stark, it offers a bleak but unforgettable portrait of a young life pushed to the edge.

THE LAST MOVIE

(1971, USA, Dennis Hopper)

After a Hollywood crew finishes shooting a Western in a remote Peruvian village, the stunt coordinator known as Kansas chooses to stay behind rather than return to the United States. As the villagers begin to reenact the filmmaking process with makeshift props and ritualistic fervour, the boundary between staged fiction and real life collapses. Kansas becomes both participant and observer in their improvised performances and must navigate the strange cultural transformation unfolding around him.

Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie reflects on the power of cinema, the clash between different cultural worlds, and the way spectacle can take on mythic meaning when unmoored from its original context. The narrative blends surreal, non‑linear storytelling with documentary‑like observation, creating an experimental film that challenges traditional narrative form and foregrounds the collision of art and reality.

MY NAME IS MONDAY: A NIGHT OF SOVIET FILM, MUSIC & ANIMATION

Меня зовут понедельник
A night of Soviet film, music and animation.

“All evidence suggests that the history of mankind has ended. It is time to sum up the outcome, and I think it should be done calmly, without vulgar affectation"

My name is Monday and I am the spy who came in from the cold.
I am useless bureaucracy, flammable fashion and a ruse for criminal justice.
I welcome myself without knocking.
You will find me on the cutting room floor of animation laboratories, the kolkhoz, cults and behind the door of your office. I am in battleships, bunkers, and places in space.
I am Soviet and Cold War film from 1917 to 1991,
My name is Monday and expect me at 8.
Ku.

MY NAME IS MONDAY: A NIGHT OF SOVIET FILM, MUSIC & ANIMATION

REPO MAN

(1984, USA, Alex Cox)

KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE + THE MUSKETEERS OF PIG ALLEY

(1950, USA, Gordon Douglas)

Set in the shadowy back alleys of a nameless American city, an escaped convict claws his way to the top of the rackets through blackmail, betrayal, and calculated brutality, leaving a trail of corpses and double crossed partners in his wake.

A vicious noir powered by the feral charisma of Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye and its star James Cagney, the film revels in moral rot and tabloid savagery.

Paired with the pioneering gangster short The Musketeers of Pig Alley from D. W. Griffith, it forms a grim double bill tracing the evolution of screen crime from silent era street skirmishes to postwar cynicism soaked in greed and gunfire.

NAVAJEROS

(1980, Spain, Eloy de la Iglesia)

PUNK AT 50 PRESENTS

A fifteen year old with a long record of petty crime leads a gang of friends through the streets and slums of Madrid, surviving by stealing, car theft and armed robbery in a world marked by unemployment and social neglect. Without a stable home, he takes refuge with an older prostitute who offers him shelter and care, but his restless energy draws him deeper into violence and chaotic relationships. When he falls for a young woman struggling with addiction and faces betrayal and tragedy among his circle, his life spins toward destruction and ultimately fatal consequences.

Navajeros is a gritty crime drama rooted in the real life of a notorious Spanish delinquent, and it became a defining entry in the quinqui film genre that captured youth marginalization in Spain. Eloy de la Iglesia’s direction depicts the raw realities of street life, crime, love and desperation with unflinching intensity, presenting a world where survival is both aimless and urgent.

RON ORMOND DOUBLE BILL: THE BURNING HELL & IF FOOTMEN TIRE YOU, WHAT WILL HORSES DO?

Two cautionary visions of sin, judgment, and moral alarm collide in Ron Ormond’s uncompromising double feature. In The Burning Hell, viewers descend into a fiery, vividly staged afterlife where sinners endure grotesque punishments for earthly transgressions, a literalized warning of eternal consequence. If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? shifts to a present-day allegory, depicting a suburban community subjected to totalitarian indoctrination and moral collapse, dramatizing the dangers of complacency in the face of corruption. Together, the films confront fear, faith, and obedience in uncompromisingly theatrical terms.

Ormond’s work is blunt, hyper-stylized, and relentlessly moralistic, blending evangelical zeal with lurid spectacle. Both films use exaggeration, allegory, and shock to seize attention and provoke reflection, offering an immersive experience that is as unsettling as it is unforgettable.

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MAN

(1966, USA, Doris Wishman)

COSMIK DEBRIS PRESENTS

Set in a sleek, upscale apartment, Steve and Ann Bundy appear to have it all after a sudden raise boosts their lifestyle. But when Steve falls mysteriously ill and becomes bedridden, mounting bills and lost income push Ann toward desperation. A chance encounter with a unscrupulous pimp offers a shortcut to fast money, forcing her into a morally perilous world.

A tense, gritty slice of urban melodrama, Another Day, Another Man explores the intersection of ambition, illness, and survival. Shot with the raw, unpolished style that defines Wishman’s work, it transforms everyday desperation into a quietly unsettling portrait of temptation, compromise, and the hidden costs of desire.

BAD GIRLS GO TO HELL

(1965, USA, Doris Wishman)

COSMIK DEBRIS PRESENTS

Set on the run after killing her rapist, homemaker Ellen flees to the bustling streets of the Big City, only to be met with a series of new misfortunes. Just as she begins to find a fragile sense of stability, she discovers that her landlady’s son is a detective, threatening to unravel the identity and peace she has fought so hard to reclaim.

A lurid, hallucinatory journey through guilt, survival, and desire, Bad Girls Go to Hell showcases the bold vision of Doris Wishman. With feverish editing, inventive angles, and eroticized chaos, the film transforms a simple flight from violence into a surreal, provocative exploration of morality, vengeance, and female

WHAT'S UP DOC?

(1972, USA, Peter Bogdanovich)

A series of identical suitcases sets off a spiraling comedy of errors when chance meetings and crossed intentions collide in San Francisco. What begins as a straightforward trip tied to an academic conference quickly descends into confusion, as an unlikely pairing becomes entangled with jewel thieves, suspicious authorities, and a growing trail of misunderstandings that refuse to stay contained.

A brisk and affectionate revival of classic screwball farce, What’s Up, Doc? builds its comedy through escalating complications and relentless momentum. Bogdanovich layers romance and slapstick with precision, allowing chaos to snowball while keeping its emotional center intact. Bright, fast, and gleefully unrestrained, the film turns coincidence into comic art, proving that order was never as fun as losing it.

OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN

(1983, USA, George P. Cosmatos)

Set in a quiet Manhattan apartment, a work-obsessed scientist discovers that a relentless intruder is sabotaging his life. As the menace escalates, he realizes the culprit is a single, cunning rat, and his struggle to eliminate it spirals into an obsessive, life-or-death battle.

A taut, psychological thriller in the tradition of urban paranoia, Of Unknown Origin transforms a single apartment into a claustrophobic arena of fear and obsession. With escalating suspense and meticulous attention to detail, the film turns a simple infestation into a gripping study of human fragility, obsession, and the thin line between sanity and terror.

SLUGS

(1988, Spain, Juan Piquer Simón)

Set in a small, isolated town, a mysterious outbreak turns ordinary garden slugs into vicious, carnivorous killers. As residents begin to vanish and panic spreads, a local scientist races to uncover the cause and stop the growing menace before the town is overrun.

A gruesome exercise in eco-horror, Slugs combines relentless creature attacks with grimy, small-town atmosphere. Packed with practical effects and escalating gore, the film transforms a seemingly harmless pest into a relentless force of terror, delivering a disturbingly visceral vision of nature turned lethal.

THE KILLER

(1989, Hong Kong, John Woo)

AT MIDNIGHT I'LL TAKE YOUR SOUL

(1964, Brazil, José Mojica Marins)

A defiant undertaker obsessed with the idea of immortality through his bloodline searches for the perfect woman who can bear him a son, a quest that draws him into increasingly brutal crimes in a small Brazilian village. When his own wife is infertile, he kills her and then pursues the fiancée of his friend, dismissing warnings of supernatural retribution even as his violence escalates. After a string of murders and assaults that go unpunished, a local fortune teller foretells that the spirits of his victims will take his soul at midnight. As the cursed night arrives, eerie apparitions and creeping dread force him to confront the consequences of his relentless cruelty.

José Mojica Marins’ At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul introduced his infamous Coffin Joe character and stands as a foundational work of Brazilian horror cinema, notable for its raw violence, stark moral conflict, and haunting final reel where folklore and vengeance converge.

MYSTERY MOVIE

HUSBANDS

(1970, USA, John Cassavetes)

DIAL: HELP

(1988, Italy, Ruggero Deodato)

Set in a shadowed urban apartment, a young woman becomes the target of a mysterious killer who stalks his victims through the telephone. As each threatening call escalates, she must navigate paranoia, isolation, and mounting terror to survive the deadly game.

A tense, low-budget thriller, Dial: Help exemplifies the ingenuity of independent suspense cinema. With claustrophobic framing, eerie sound design, and relentless psychological tension, the film transforms everyday technology into a conduit of fear, turning a simple apartment and a phone line into a trap from which escape seems impossible.

THE WASHING MACHINE

(1993, Italy, Ruggero Deodato)

A young inspector arrives at the home of three sisters to investigate one of their disappearances. One of the girls claims to have seen her sisters body in the washing machine. But when the inspector checks its gone! Was it a horrifying vision or something more sinister?? As the inspector uncovers the mystery he becomes tangled in the sisters twisted sex games. A delightfully bizarre and incredibly sleazy giallo - filled with mystery, violence and one of a kind Italian charm.

BUSTING

(1974, USA, Peter Hyams)

Set in the gritty streets of New York City, a pair of rookie cops navigate a world of drugs, corruption, and violent crime. As they chase down dangerous criminals, their idealism is tested, and the line between justice and vengeance begins to blur.

A raw and uncompromising entry in 1970s urban crime cinema, Busting combines action, moral tension, and street-level realism. With intense performances and kinetic direction, the film transforms familiar cop tropes into a gripping exploration of law enforcement, ambition, and the personal costs of chasing criminals through a city that seems as hostile as the crime itself.

COPLAND

(1997, USA, James Mangold)

Set in a small New Jersey town dominated by powerful law enforcement figures, a quiet sheriff observes corruption, abuse of power, and hidden violence among his peers. As tensions mount, he must decide whether to stay silent or confront the dark truths festering in his community.

A moody, character-driven crime drama, Copland blends noir sensibilities with social commentary. Anchored by strong performances and deliberate pacing, the film transforms a seemingly sleepy town into a tense moral battleground, exploring loyalty, conscience, and the personal cost of standing up to systemic corruption.

DISEMBODIED

(1998, USA, William Kersten)

Set in a grimly surreal world, Connie Sproutz is a charming young woman burdened with a grotesque affliction: a spore-generating deformity on her face that turns anyone who comes too close into a gelatinous mass, consumed by the neural parasite dwelling in her skull. Her brain, stored safely in a jar beside her bed, leaves her both vulnerable and monstrously dangerous in everyday life.

A bizarre fusion of body horror and dark comedy, Disembodied transforms the human form into a playground of grotesque imagination. With practical effects and surreal visual storytelling, the film turns a single, tragic character into a nightmarish spectacle, exploring isolation, contagion, and the absurd terror of being both monster and victim in a hostile world.

BRAIN DAMAGE

(1988, USA, Frank Henenlotter)

Set in the shadowy underbelly of New York City, a young man named Brian becomes host to a parasitic creature named Aylmer, which injects a euphoric, mind-altering fluid directly into his brain. As the addiction takes hold, Brian finds himself caught between pleasure and destruction, forced to commit increasingly violent acts to feed the creature’s insatiable hunger.

A grotesque and hallucinatory tour de force, Brain Damage exemplifies Frank Henenlotter’s signature blend of body horror, dark comedy, and urban decay. With surreal practical effects, pulsating gore, and a warped sense of humor, the film transforms the human body into a battleground of parasitic control, addiction, and the intoxicating allure of self-destruction.

SHRIME TIME: A NIGHT OF BIZARRO UNDERSEEN ANIME

From radical student animation collectives to sun-bleached techno-dystopias and gore-drenched horror, Shrime Time shines where the sun daren’t: revealing the backside of seldom-seen Japanese visual culture. Expect screenings from the 1960s to the present day, paired with special guests: musicians, artists, researchers and those obsessed with the outermost edges of Japan’s visual imagination.

The Shirime a y?kai (Japanese folkloric spirit and the evenings conveniently misspelled namesake) whose sole purpose is to startle unsuspecting samurai by revealing an eyeball in place of an arsehole. In his sick, twisted way, Shirime embodies the very spirit of B-cinema - a flash of grotesque brilliance, whose origin and intent remain a mystery, leaving the path forever altered.

So come. Sit still in the dark. Let the rectacular eye stare deep into your curious soul.

The Shirime is watching.

MY NAME IS MONDAY: A NIGHT OF SOVIET FILM, MUSIC & ANIMATION

OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN

(1983, USA, George P. Cosmatos)

ILSA, SHE WOLF OF THE SS

(1975, Canada, Don Edmonds)

Set in a brutal Nazi prison camp during World War II, Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS follows the ruthless commandant Ilsa, who conducts sadistic experiments on inmates to prove that women can withstand pain better than men. Obsessed with power and recognition from her superiors, she rules through terror, subjecting prisoners to physical and psychological torture while maintaining a cold belief in the strength and superiority of women under her control. When a defiant new prisoner resists her authority, a dangerous struggle begins that threatens the fragile order of her regime.

Directed by Don Edmonds and starring Dyanne Thorne in a commanding performance, the film blends shock-driven exploitation with pulp melodrama. It presents a grim portrait of unchecked authority and cruelty, framing Ilsa as both tyrant and zealot in a system built on domination. Controversial and confrontational, the film became notorious for its graphic content, securing its place as a defining entry in 1970s exploitation cinema.

ILSA, HAREM KEEPER OF THE OIL SHEIKS

(1976, Canada, Don Edmonds)

Transplanted to a lavish desert kingdom, Ilsa presides over a secluded harem where political influence and sexual power are tightly entwined. As the appointed guardian of the sheik’s private domain, she oversees the selection, training, and discipline of women destined to please powerful oil magnates and visiting dignitaries. Behind the palace walls, opulence masks coercion, and loyalty is enforced through intimidation as much as desire.

When a newly arrived captive challenges the rigid hierarchy of the harem, Ilsa’s authority is tested. Determined to maintain control and prove her indispensability to the ruling elite, she escalates her tactics, turning rivalry and punishment into tools of governance. Directed by Don Edmonds and again starring Dyanne Thorne, the film shifts the franchise’s shock tactics to an exoticized Middle Eastern setting, blending pulp melodrama with erotic exploitation while centering on a figure who wields power as both weapon and shield.

DISEMBODIED

(1998, USA, William Kersten)

MIAMI CONNECTION

(1987, USA, Richard Park)

A martial-arts rock band called Dragon Sound patrols the streets of Miami by day and performs energetic music by night. When a violent gang of drug dealers and ninjas threatens the city, the group must use their combat skills to protect friends, family, and innocent bystanders. Their fight blends high-kicking action sequences with the camaraderie and loyalty that define the band, turning music and martial arts into a united front against crime.

Featuring over-the-top fight choreography, synth-heavy performances, and a campy, earnest tone, Miami Connection is a cult favorite that combines 1980s action, teen adventure, and martial arts spectacle. It celebrates friendship, discipline, and righteous heroism in a world full of exaggerated villains and improbable stunts.

MAN VS BEAST MYSTERY MOVIE

Mystery movie plucked from the depths of our Man vs Beast season!

Not for the easily offended, and strictly programmed for adult audiences only - our mystery films are eye-popping forays into the bold and bonkers world of psychotronic cinema. Expect the unacceptable.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE

(1974, USA, Joseph Sargent)

RACE WITH THE DEVIL

(1975, USA, Jack Starrett)

What begins as a recreational RV trip through rural Texas turns into a nightmare when two couples accidentally witness a human sacrifice carried out by a satanic cult. Realizing they have been seen, the cult members begin to pursue them across backroads and isolated highways, turning the open landscape into a trap. Attempts to report the crime are met with suspicion and indifference, leaving the group unsure of whom they can trust.

Starring Peter Fonda and Warren Oates, the film blends road movie momentum with occult horror. As paranoia deepens and the threat closes in, the story builds toward a tense, action-driven finale. Mixing chase thriller elements with 1970s satanic panic anxieties, Race with the Devil sustains a steady sense of dread while emphasizing the vulnerability of its protagonists in hostile territory.

TWO LANE BLACKTOP

(1971, USA, Monte Hellman)

Two taciturn street racers known only as the Driver and the Mechanic drift across the American Southwest in a stripped-down 1955 Chevrolet, living from one drag race to the next. Their routine changes when they encounter GTO, a talkative, middle-aged man obsessed with his muscle car and the stories he tells about himself. On a whim, the men agree to race cross-country for pink slips, turning the open highway into a sparse battleground of pride and endurance.

Starring James Taylor, Dennis Wilson, and Warren Oates, the film strips the road movie down to its bare elements. Dialogue is minimal, motivations remain opaque, and long stretches of highway emphasize isolation rather than freedom. Quiet and existential in tone, Two-Lane Blacktop presents America as a landscape of movement without destination, where identity is as fluid and elusive as the road ahead.

HELLZAPOPPIN'

(1941, USA, H.C. Potter)

Adapted from the hit Broadway revue, Hellzapoppin’ throws out conventional storytelling in favor of rapid-fire gags, musical numbers, and relentless fourth-wall breaks. Comic duo Olsen and Johnson attempt to mount a coherent film production, but the narrative constantly collapses under slapstick interruptions, visual tricks, and direct confrontations with the projectionist, the audience, and even the film itself.

Starring Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, with standout musical performances by Slim Gaillard, the film moves at a breathless pace. Plot threads appear only to be derailed by absurd detours, elaborate dance routines, and self-aware chaos. More a cinematic variety show than a traditional comedy, Hellzapoppin’ embraces pure anarchy, delivering a barrage of wordplay and sight gags that anticipate later generations of meta-humor.

BLUE SPRING

(2001, Japan, Toshiaki Toyoda)

A group of disaffected boys at a run‑down Tokyo high school drift through their final year with a sense of aimless frustration and growing restlessness. Power within the school’s unofficial social order is determined by a dangerous rooftop ritual known as the “Clapping Game,” in which students test their nerve and status by clapping their hands while hanging backwards off the edge of the roof. When Kujo, an indifferent but admired student, wins the contest and becomes leader, his best friend Aoki expects him to dominate the school with casual violence — but Kujo’s growing disinterest in power sets off a rift that slowly dismantles their friendship and injects escalating tension into the group’s ranks.

Based on the manga by Taiyō Matsumoto, Blue Spring captures the bleak psychology of youth caught between rites of passage and a future that feels increasingly uncertain. As Kujo and Aoki negotiate leadership, loyalty, and disillusionment, the film traces how camaraderie and conflict can blur, leaving a stark portrait of adolescent life shaped by boredom, violence, and the uneasy transition into adulthood.

Introduced by film journalist, James Balmont

9 SOULS

(2003, Japan, Toshiaki Toyoda)

Nine convicted men, most serving time for severe crimes, discover a hidden opening in their crowded prison cell and seize the chance to break free. After escaping, they steal a van outside a strip club and set out in search of a rumored stash of counterfeit money that a fellow inmate once boasted about, intent on dividing the haul and going their separate ways. As the journey unfolds, each man’s individual dreams, regrets, and ghosts come to the surface, prompting them to reflect on what freedom really means and where they belong once the prison walls — and society’s judgments — are left behind.

More than a simple crime drama, 9 Souls weaves elements of adventure, comedy, and human introspection into its road‑movie structure, tracking the group’s physical escape alongside their emotional reckonings. The prisoners’ quest for the elusive treasure becomes a vehicle for confronting unfinished business, fractured relationships, and the possibility of redemption in a world that still sees them as outcasts.

Introduced by film journalist, James Balmont

WHITE DOG

(1982, USA, Samuel Fuller)

After striking a stray dog with her car, a young actress takes the animal in and attempts to nurse it back to health. What seems like an act of kindness turns unsettling when she discovers the dog has been deliberately trained to attack Black people on sight. As the violence escalates, she seeks help from a professional animal trainer who believes the conditioning can be undone, setting the stage for a fraught attempt at rehabilitation.

Starring Kristy McNichol and Paul Winfield, the film uses its stark premise as an allegory for learned hatred and systemic racism. Tense and confrontational, White Dog approaches exploitation territory but ultimately functions as a social thriller, questioning whether deeply ingrained prejudice can truly be unlearned or whether it remains a permanent scar beneath the surface.

MAN BITES DOG

(1992, France, Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde)

Presented as a documentary in progress, Man Bites Dog follows a charming, articulate serial killer named Ben as a small film crew records his daily life. What begins as detached observation soon shifts as the crew becomes complicit in his crimes, helping dispose of bodies and standing by during escalating acts of violence. The line between subject and filmmaker steadily dissolves.

Starring Benoît Poelvoorde in a breakout performance, the film blends pitch-black comedy with stark brutality. Shot in grainy black and white, it satirizes media sensationalism and the audience’s appetite for true crime while forcing viewers to confront their own complicity as spectators. Provocative and deliberately abrasive, Man Bites Dog pushes its mockumentary premise to unsettling extremes.

IMPULSE

(1974, USA, William Grefé)

William Shatner delivers one of the strangest performances of his career as Matt Stone, a grifter and small-time gigolo whose polished charm conceals a deep, volatile psychosis. Moving from town to town, he preys on wealthy widows with a mix of seduction, manipulation, and escalating brutality. When he sets his sights on a vulnerable mother and her suspicious young daughter, the façade begins to slip, revealing a man governed by impulse, paranoia, and sudden eruptions of violence. As his behaviour grows increasingly erratic, the suburban setting becomes a pressure cooker primed for collapse.

A regional exploitation film shot in Florida, Impulse drifts between psychological thriller, lurid melodrama, and eccentric character study. Grefé’s direction foregrounds Shatner’s fevered performance — equal parts theatrical bravado and unnerving instability — while the film’s low-budget texture amplifies its atmosphere of mounting dread. The result is a peculiar, off-kilter artifact of 1970s American grindhouse cinema, where menace and camp intersect in unpredictable ways.

William Shatner audibly farts in this movie.

THE DEVIL'S RAIN

(1975, USA, Robert Fuest)

In a small Western town, the sinister Preston family wields supernatural power through a mysterious satanic book that grants them control over life and death. When the devout Coffin family resists their influence, a deadly game of possession, betrayal, and ritualistic violence unfolds. The forces of evil are relentless, and escaping their grasp proves nearly impossible as the town becomes a battleground between mortal will and dark forces.

Starring Ernest Borgnine, Tom Skerritt, and John Travolta, the film combines gothic horror with sensationalized satanic imagery. Elaborate rituals, dramatic confrontations, and a palpable sense of dread dominate the screen, making The Devil's Rain a visually striking example of 1970s horror that emphasizes style, shock, and the inescapable power of evil.

PUNISHMENT PARK

(1971, United Kingdom, Peter Watkins)

Set in a dystopian vision of Nixon’s America, a group of left-wing radicals are subjected to a sham-trial before being given a choice: jail time, or participate in a sadistic police training exercise, known as ‘Punishment Park’.

A man-hunting-man thriller in the vein of ‘The Most Dangerous Game’, Watkin’s film stands as one of the great works of 70s radicalism. A precursor to the found footage genre, Punishment Park is no less prescient and powerful than it was on its initial release.

Guest Programmed and Introduced by Film Critic Alexander Sternberg

FREEWAY 2: CONFESSIONS OF A TRICKBABY

(1999, USA, Matthew Bright)

In Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby, Crystal “White Girl” Van Meter, played by Natasha Lyonne, is a bulimic teenage prostitute serving time for robbery and assault. She finds herself confined to a minimum‑security facility where her chaotic behaviour lands her alongside another young inmate, the unpredictable serial killer Angela “Cyclona” Garcia. When they stage a violent breakout together, the unlikely pair set out on a cross‑border odyssey toward Tijuana in search of Cyclona’s former guardian, Sister Gomez, played by Vincent Gallo, whom they hope can offer sanctuary and guidance. Their journey quickly devolves into an escalating spree of violence, chaotic encounters, and surreal detours that blur the lines between crime, survival, and desperation.

Along the way, the fugitives leave a trail of mayhem as they clash with law enforcement, encounter bizarre characters, and grapple with Cyclona’s unstable impulses and White Girl’s own internal struggles. With its darkly twisted take on the Hansel and Gretel archetype, the film embraces shock, spectacle, and uncompromising excess, pushing its protagonists ever deeper into a lawless odyssey where redemption and ruin are indistinguishable.

MYSTERY MOVIE

(1988, Canada, Sandor Stern)

An anatomically correct medical dummy becomes the focal point of a fractured family’s unraveling when a lonely young man clings to it as more than a teaching tool. Raised with emotional distance and sheltered from the world, he begins to believe the doll is alive, using it as confidant, alter ego, and moral compass. As adulthood approaches and real relationships threaten his fragile equilibrium, his fixation deepens into something dark and dangerous, with companionship and reality bleeding into one another.

Blending psychological horror with unsettling family drama, Pin treats the eeriness of the everyday as its real terror. Sandor Stern’s film submerges viewers in the quiet dread of obsession and mental collapse, tracking a descent that feels both personal and unavoidable. Strange, provocative, and lingering long after the credits, the movie turns a lifeless figure into a haunting force that reshapes everything around it.

PIECES

(1982, Spain, Juan Piquer Simón)

Set on a college campus, the film follows a tense investigation into a mysterious figure committing a series of violent attacks. As students become increasingly fearful, the authorities struggle to identify and stop the perpetrator, creating a mounting sense of suspense and unease.

Blending thriller elements with a heightened, sensational style, Pieces emphasizes tension, mystery, and dramatic confrontations. The film became known for its audacious approach and striking visual sequences, earning a place in cult cinema for audiences drawn to intense, suspense-driven storytelling.

LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET

(1977, USA, Roger Watkins)

After being expelled from film school, a disgruntled young man stages a series of increasingly brutal snuff-style murders to exact revenge on a society he despises. Filmed with a raw, guerrilla aesthetic, the killings blur the line between fiction and reality as he drags the audience into his dark, obsessive vision.

A grim and controversial exploitation film, Last House on Dead End Street combines amateurish grit with shocking violence, creating a disturbing, unforgettable descent into revenge, nihilism, and obsession.

THE NINTH CONFIGURATION

(1980, USA, William Peter Blatty)

In a secluded military psychiatric hospital, soldiers tormented by wartime trauma are evaluated under the care of a maverick psychiatrist whose methods challenge both protocol and belief. When a cynical New York surgeon is drafted in to assess a delusional patient claiming that alien forces influence government policy, professional skepticism collides with existential inquiry. As the institution’s internal logic spirals between rapture and disorder, questions of faith, madness, and redemption loom large.

Adapted from Blatty’s own novel, The Ninth Configuration defies easy categorisation — part psychological drama, part dark comedy, and part metaphysical fable. The film uses its isolated enclave as a crucible for probing the limits of belief and the human response to uncertainty, crafting a narrative that is as much about the search for meaning as it is about the fractures of the psyche.

THE STUFF

(1985, USA, Larry Cohen)

A mysterious, sweet, and seemingly irresistible dessert called “The Stuff” begins to sweep the nation, quickly becoming a popular treat. When a former FBI agent discovers that it is alive and parasitic, feeding off its consumers, he sets out to warn the public. Corporate interests and government officials, however, are more concerned with profit than safety, creating obstacles that heighten the tension.

Blending satirical humor with horror and science fiction, The Stuff critiques consumer culture, corporate greed, and blind enthusiasm for fads. Its mix of absurdity and suspense gives the film both a playful edge and an underlying sense of danger, making it a cult favorite for its commentary as well as its inventive premise.

CUT-THROATS NINE

(1971, USA, Ken Hughes)

Set in the Old West, the film follows a small group of outlaws and bounty hunters who converge on a remote desert town in search of stolen gold. As greed and paranoia mount, alliances shift and betrayals become inevitable, turning the harsh landscape into a deadly trap. Survival depends on cunning, timing, and ruthlessness, with trust proving as scarce as water in the desert.

Cut Throats Nine combines gritty Western action with a tense, suspenseful atmosphere. The story emphasizes moral ambiguity, the brutality of frontier life, and the destructive nature of avarice, delivering a raw, unflinching vision of violence and human desperation in a lawless world.

SAINT JACK

(1979, USA, Peter Bogdanovich)

Adrift in the margins of Singapore’s underworld, an American hustler scrapes by on charm, improvisation, and an unshakable belief in his own luck. Moving between brothels, bars, and backroom deals, he dreams of one big score that will finally deliver independence and control. But as alliances shift and expectations close in, survival becomes a daily negotiation, and freedom proves far more elusive than he imagined.

Loose, atmospheric, and quietly unsettling, Saint Jack captures a world defined by transience and moral ambiguity. Bogdanovich lets the city breathe, using its rhythms to mirror a life built on drift rather than direction. Ben Gazzara gives a deeply lived-in performance, blending swagger with vulnerability to create a portrait of a man clinging to autonomy in a system designed to consume him.

TALES OF ORDINARY MADNESS

(1981, Italy, Marco Ferreri)

Based on the writings of Charles Bukowski, the film follows Charles, a hard-drinking, disillusioned writer navigating the seedy underbelly of urban life. He drifts through bars, casual relationships, and encounters with marginalized characters, exploring the raw, often grotesque realities of sex, addiction, and human desire. Charles’s life is a series of excesses and misadventures, punctuated by moments of introspection and fleeting connection.

Ferreri’s adaptation emphasizes unflinching realism and dark humor, blending eroticism, social critique, and absurdity. Tales of Ordinary Madness paints a stark portrait of alienation, the pursuit of pleasure, and the contradictions of modern life, capturing Bukowski’s uncompromising voice in cinematic form.

DEEP END

(1970, United Kingdom, Jerzy Skolimowski)

Set in a crowded London public bathhouse, the film follows Mike, a teenage boy working a summer job, who becomes infatuated with Susan, a confident and enigmatic older woman. As he navigates desire, jealousy, and confusion, his obsession grows, leading him into increasingly risky and morally ambiguous situations. The confined, steamy environment heightens tension, reflecting the intensity and awkwardness of youthful obsession.

Deep End blends psychological drama with sensual tension and dark humor, using bold visual composition and a moody soundtrack to amplify the protagonist’s inner turmoil. The film explores themes of sexual awakening, obsession, and the vulnerability of adolescence, offering a sharp, sometimes unsettling look at the collision between desire and experience.

DAS MILLIONENSPIEL

(1970, West Germany, Tom Toelle)

In a near-future Germany, a televised game show pits contestants’ lives against deadly stakes for the chance to win a massive cash prize. George, the chosen participant, becomes the target of relentless hunters while cameras broadcast his every move to a captivated audience. As he navigates traps, public scrutiny, and moral dilemmas, the line between entertainment and real-life violence becomes increasingly blurred.

Das Millionenspiel is a prescient thriller that satirizes media sensationalism, voyeurism, and the ethics of televised spectacle. Its tense pacing, social critique, and darkly ironic tone explore how society consumes danger as entertainment, making it an early and influential commentary on reality-based programming.

EATEN ALIVE

(1976, USA, Tobe Hooper)

In Eaten Alive, a deranged hotel owner named Judd lures unsuspecting guests to his remote East Texas establishment, where they quickly discover that his hospitality masks a horrifying secret. A man‑eating crocodile lurks in the nearby swamp, and Judd delights in orchestrating gruesome encounters for his victims, watching them fight for survival as the creature attacks. The hotel, dilapidated and isolated, becomes a nightmarish trap where escape seems impossible.

Known for its tense atmosphere, graphic violence, and Hooper’s signature surreal horror touches, Eaten Alive combines backwoods terror with grotesque suspense. The film explores human cruelty alongside natural predation, creating a claustrophobic and relentless experience that heightens both shock and dread as the line between predator and prey blurs in the swamp’s shadowy depths.

AN UNMARRIED WOMAN

(1978, United States, Paul Mazursky)

In An Unmarried Woman, Erica Miller is forced to reassess her life after her husband unexpectedly leaves her for a younger woman. Suddenly navigating divorce, singlehood, and her own emotional turmoil, Erica moves into a new apartment in New York City and attempts to rebuild her sense of self apart from the identity she once shared with her spouse. As she tentatively re‑enters the world of dating, nurtures friendships, and explores her passion for art, Erica oscillates between vulnerability and newfound independence.

The film is an intimate character study that explores personal growth, resilience, and the evolving definition of love and fulfillment. Through Erica’s ups and downs, An Unmarried Woman captures both the pain of loss and the quiet exhilaration of carving out a life on one’s own terms, offering a poignant reflection on identity, autonomy, and the shifting landscape of relationships in late‑20th‑century America.

Introduced by programmer, Agne Qami

PSYCHOMANIA

(1973, United Kingdom, Don Sharp)

A British biker gang, led by the charismatic and eccentric Tom, develops a macabre obsession with death and immortality. After a fatal accident, Tom returns from the grave, terrifying both rivals and the local community while blurring the line between life and the supernatural. The gang’s fascination with mortality fuels increasingly bizarre and dangerous behavior as they experiment with the limits of life and consequence.

Psychomania combines horror, dark comedy, and cult biker rebellion, using over-the-top imagery and fantastical elements to create a surreal, nightmarish tone. The film explores themes of mortality, obsession, and the allure of outlaw culture, cementing its status as a unique entry in 1970s British genre cinema.

THE APPOINTMENT

(1981, United Kingdom, Lindsey C. Vickers)

A quiet British suburb is rocked when a teenage girl’s violin recital looms at the same time her father must travel for work. That night, the family is beset by unsettling nightmares and visions that seem to foreshadow a tragic turn of events. In the background lurks the unresolved disappearance of another young girl from the same community, and an eerie presence appears to weave dread through ordinary moments and everyday objects.

The film unfolds as a slow‑burn supernatural thriller that blends psychological unease with hints of folk horror. Rather than relying on overt shocks, it uses atmosphere, haunting imagery, and creeping tension to blur the line between subconscious fear and inexplicable forces at work, inviting the audience to wonder whether the horrors are external realities or manifestations of guilt and anxiety.

MYSTERY MOVIE

SECRET CEREMONY

(1968, United Kingdom, Joseph Losey)

In postwar London, a fragile, emotionally scarred woman, Leonora, becomes entwined with Cenci, a rebellious and unpredictable young woman who seeks comfort and guidance after a personal tragedy. Their complex relationship blurs the boundaries between maternal care, manipulation, and desire, as each struggles with grief, loneliness, and the need for connection. Psychological tension escalates as their interactions grow increasingly intense and unstable.

Secret Ceremony blends psychological drama with elements of gothic suspense, exploring themes of identity, dependency, and the fragility of human relationships. With restrained performances and a meticulously composed visual style, the film examines the dangerous interplay between vulnerability and control, creating a haunting and emotionally charged narrative.

BOOM!

(1968, United Kingdom, Joseph Losey)

Set on a secluded Mediterranean island, the film follows Flora, a wealthy and eccentric widow, whose isolated world is disrupted by the arrival of a charming young con artist posing as a nobleman. Their interactions unfold as a surreal and often absurd exploration of desire, manipulation, and mortality, with Flora oscillating between vulnerability, obsession, and defiance.

Boom! blends dark comedy, surrealism, and psychological drama, emphasizing stylistic visuals and heightened performances. The film examines themes of power, seduction, and the human fascination with death, creating an offbeat, theatrical atmosphere that reflects both the absurdity and melancholy of its characters’ lives.

DERANGED (ON VHS)

(1987, 1987, Chuck Vincent)

Alone in her apartment while her husband is away, Joyce is attacked by a masked intruder and kills him in self‑defense. Traumatized by the incident and already struggling with unresolved psychological wounds, she begins to withdraw into her own mind. Hallucinations, fragmented memories, and imagined conversations with figures from her past start to blur the line between reality and fear. As her isolation deepens, she becomes increasingly convinced that anyone who enters her life poses a threat, driving her toward increasingly desperate and violent acts.

Deranged unfolds almost entirely within the confines of Joyce’s apartment, using her growing paranoia to sustain tension and unease. The film merges psychological thriller elements with horror, focusing on the deterioration of its central character’s psyche and the unsettling interplay between trauma, fear, and perception.

THE MYSTERY DOJO: MYSTERY ACTION FILM

A mystery action film obtained from the depth's of the Nickel Mystery Dojo...

Not for the easily offended, and strictly programmed for adult audiences only, our mystery films are eye-popping forays into the bold and bonkers world of psychotronic cinema. Expect the unacceptable.

WILD STYLE

(1983, USA, Charlie Ahearn)

Set in the Bronx, Wild Style follows a young graffiti artist navigating the early hip-hop scene of New York City. As he balances his creative ambitions with the pressures of street life, the film explores the interconnected worlds of breakdancing, DJing, rapping, and tagging. Rivalries, collaborations, and the pursuit of recognition drive the narrative, showcasing the energy and inventiveness of a burgeoning cultural movement.

Blending documentary-style realism with dramatized storytelling, Wild Style captures the vibrancy and raw creativity of early 1980s hip-hop. Its emphasis on street art, music, and community highlights the social and cultural roots of the movement, making it both a time capsule and an influential chronicle of urban youth expression.

VIDEO BAZAAR PRESENTS: PRIVILEGE

(1967, United Kingdom, Peter Watkins)

In a near-future Britain, Steven Shorter, played by Paul Jones, is the most famous pop star in the country, adored by millions of screaming fans. Behind the scenes, however, his carefully orchestrated career is controlled by powerful figures in government, business, and the media, who use his image and performances to channel public emotion and maintain social conformity. As Shorter’s popularity grows into a national obsession, he becomes less a person than a symbolic figure deployed to pacify and unite the population.

When a young artist, played by Jean Shrimpton, begins to question the machinery surrounding him, Shorter starts to realize the extent to which his identity and fame have been manipulated. Privilege unfolds as a chilling satire about celebrity culture, propaganda, and mass psychology, presenting a vision of pop stardom transformed into a tool of political and cultural control. Shot in a semi-documentary style, the film blurs fiction and reportage to create an unsettling portrait of how media spectacle can shape belief, loyalty, and obedience.

THE BABY

(1973, USA, Ted Post)

Set in Los Angeles, The Baby follows Ann Gentry, a social worker assigned to investigate the unusual Wadsworth household. Living there is a fully grown man known only as “Baby,” who is treated by his domineering mother and manipulative sisters as if he were still an infant. He is kept in a crib, dressed in diapers, and discouraged from developing beyond a childlike state. As Ann spends more time with the family, she becomes increasingly disturbed by the strange dynamics and psychological control that keep Baby trapped in permanent infancy.

Blending psychological horror with dark melodrama, The Baby explores themes of power, dependency, and manipulation within a deeply dysfunctional family. As Ann attempts to intervene and free Baby from his abusive environment, hidden motives and unsettling secrets begin to surface. The story builds toward a shocking twist that forces the audience to reconsider the characters and their intentions, leaving the boundaries between victim and perpetrator disturbingly unclear.

Introduced by programmer, Maria De Paula-Vázquez

THE MAFU CAGE

(1978, USA, Karen Arthur)

The Mafu Cage centers on Ellen, a quiet and emotionally fragile woman who lives in a large house filled with exotic animals collected during her late anthropologist father’s travels. She shares the home with her ambitious sister Cissy, whose successful public life contrasts sharply with Ellen’s withdrawn and increasingly erratic behavior. As Ellen spends more time isolated among the animals in a room she calls the “mafu cage,” her attachment to them becomes unsettling and obsessive.

Blending psychological drama with elements of horror, The Mafu Cage explores repression, jealousy, and the destructive tensions within a strained sibling relationship. Ellen’s fragile mental state and resentment toward Cissy gradually intensify, turning the household into a space of mounting unease. As buried emotions surface and the sisters’ bond deteriorates, the story moves toward a disturbing climax that exposes the consequences of long suppressed anger and isolation.

Introduced by programmer, Maria De Paula-Vázquez

EURODITTY PRESENTS: GOLEM

(1980, Poland, Piotr Szulkin)

In a grim future world ravaged by nuclear war, society has collapsed into a rigid technocratic order where scientists attempt to “improve” humanity through genetic engineering and social reform. Pernat, a manufactured human being shaped by these experiments, awakens without memory in this bleak dystopia and is monitored constantly as he tries to navigate his environment. When he begins to chafe under the watchful eyes of his creators and question the purpose of his existence, his rebellion sparks a chain of events that lead him into conflict with those who engineered him and the fractured society they control.

Taking inspiration from Jewish folklore and the novel Golem by Gustav Meyrink, Golem reframes the mythical creature as a genetically engineered man seeking autonomy in a world that treats him as both product and experiment. Pernat’s struggle to break free from societal constraints becomes a stark allegory about agency, identity, and the dehumanising forces of authoritarian control. As he oscillates between compliance and revolt, the film probes the uneasy line between creation and domination in a future shaped by fear, conformity, and the remnants of human ambition.

DELETED SCENES PRESENTS: CECIL B. DEMENTED

(2000, USA, John Waters)

Cecil B. Demented follows an underground filmmaker who leads a radical group of devoted cinephiles determined to wage war against mainstream Hollywood. During a movie premiere, the group kidnaps a famous but frustrated actress and forces her to star in their guerrilla film, which they shoot illegally across the city while evading the authorities and studio security.

Blending dark comedy with anarchic satire, Cecil B. Demented celebrates rebellious filmmaking and critiques the commercialization of cinema. The film portrays its band of self proclaimed film terrorists as both fanatics and passionate artists, using outrageous stunts, confrontations, and film culture references to champion independent creativity over corporate entertainment.

DELETED SCENES PRESENTS: POLYESTER

(1981, USA, John Waters)

Francine Fishpaw appears to live a comfortable suburban life, but her world is quietly collapsing. Her husband runs an adult theater and openly cheats on her, her daughter is rebellious and frequently in trouble with the law, and her son has developed a disturbing obsession with women’s feet. Overwhelmed by scandal, humiliation, and loneliness, Francine turns to alcohol while trying to maintain a sense of dignity amid the chaos surrounding her family.

Blending outrageous comedy with melodramatic parody, Polyester exaggerates the conventions of domestic drama to explore hypocrisy, morality, and suburban excess. As Francine’s life spirals further into absurdity, the film embraces camp spectacle and bad taste humor while poking fun at middle class respectability and the sensationalism of tabloid culture.

GUN CRAZY

(1950, USA, Joseph H. Lewis)

An aimless young man, driven by a singular obsession with firearms, crosses paths with a charismatic woman whose own restless impulses make her ripe for danger. United by a mutual fascination with guns, they embark on a crime spree that escalates from small-time heists to high-stakes robbery, their volatile chemistry fuelling increasingly reckless violence. As law enforcement closes in, their seductive bond — forged in adrenaline and transgression — becomes both catalyst and undoing.

A landmark of film noir and crime cinema, Gun Crazy combines tight, kinetic direction with a psychological intensity that interrogates obsession, agency, and moral collapse. Joseph H. Lewis’s inventive use of long takes and dynamic camerawork heightens both the film’s romantic fatalism and its mounting tension, crafting a timeless tale of lovers on the edge of ruin.

EXISTENZ

(1999, Canada, David Cronenberg)

THE LADY IN RED

(1979, USA, Lewis Teague)

Set against the backdrop of Depression-era America, The Lady in Red follows Polly Franklin, a young farm woman who flees small-town confinement for the promise of excitement and independence in Chicago. Drawn into the orbit of gangsters and nightclub glamour, she reinvents herself amid speakeasies, crime syndicates, and shifting loyalties. Her relationship with the notorious outlaw John Dillinger places her at the center of a world where danger and desire are tightly intertwined.

Starring Pamela Sue Martin as Polly and Robert Conrad as Dillinger, the film blends crime drama with pulp romance. Produced by Roger Corman, it balances period detail with exploitation-inflected energy, presenting Polly not only as a witness to criminal legend but as a woman navigating ambition, survival, and betrayal in a violent, male-dominated underworld.

MYSTERY MOVIE

WHITE STAR

(1983, West Germany, Roland Klick)

White Star follows Kenneth Barlow, an ambitious but volatile music producer, played by Dennis Hopper, determined to turn an eccentric young man named Moody into the next electronic pop sensation. Moody possesses a striking stage presence and a talent for performance, but his erratic personality and fragile mental state make him difficult to control. As Kenneth pushes relentlessly for success, he begins shaping Moody’s image and behavior with increasingly manipulative intensity.

Set within the emerging world of early electronic pop music, the film examines the pressures of fame, artistic ambition, and the commodification of identity. Kenneth’s obsessive drive for recognition gradually destabilises both men, turning their partnership into a tense struggle over control, authenticity, and the cost of stardom.

STAR 80

(1983, USA, Bob Fosse)

The rise of Dorothy Stratten, a young Playboy model, is captured in sharp and tragic detail. She quickly attracts the attention of Hugh Hefner and the entertainment industry, navigating the glittering world of modeling and fame. But her life is shadowed by Paul Snider, her controlling husband, whose obsession with her career and personal life grows increasingly dangerous.

Star 80 chronicles ambition, desire, and the destructive consequences of obsession. As Dorothy’s star ascends, the pressures of fame and the possessive influence of Paul converge, driving the story toward a shocking and fatal climax that exposes the dark side of celebrity culture.

STAR TIME

(1992, USA, Alexander Cassini)

Henry Pinkle is a socially awkward young man whose life revolves around his favorite television show. When that show is suddenly cancelled, he is driven into a deep psychological crisis, convinced that his existence has been erased along with it. Standing on the edge of a rooftop and ready to end it all, he is approached by a mysterious figure named Sam Bones, who talks him down and offers a strange alternative path that promises fame and validation rather than obscurity.

Recruited into Sam’s surreal worldview, Henry becomes obsessed with the idea of becoming famous and begins a violent spree while donning a creepy baby mask and chasing stardom in the only way he believes possible. As his actions escalate, the blurred lines between fantasy and reality, celebrity and anonymity, leave him grappling with the very media-driven identity he hoped to achieve.

I DRINK YOUR BLOOD

(1970, USA, David E. Durston)

After a Satanic hippie cult terrorises a rural town and assaults a local family, a young boy retaliates by injecting rabies-infected animal blood into meat pies the group eagerly consumes. What begins as an act of impulsive vengeance triggers an escalating outbreak of uncontrollable violence, delirium, and psychosis, as the cult members — and those who cross their path — succumb to the disease. The town’s isolation becomes a crucible of panic where social order collapses under the pressure of infection and hysteria.

Produced at the height of the American exploitation boom, I Drink Your Blood fuses countercultural anxieties with shock-driven horror, reframing late-1960s generational conflict as a rabid plague narrative. Durston’s approach favours intensity over restraint, creating a feverish mix of grindhouse mayhem, regional detail, and abrasive sociopolitical subtext. The result remains a key example of early 1970s drive-in extremity — chaotic, confrontational, and unmistakably of its moment.

ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL

(1974, West Germany, Rainer Werner Fassbinder)

Set in a small West German town, the film follows the unlikely romance between Emmi, a middle-aged widowed cleaning woman, and Ali, a much younger Moroccan immigrant worker. Their relationship sparks curiosity, gossip, and hostility from family, neighbors, and coworkers, exposing deep-seated prejudice, loneliness, and societal hypocrisy. As the couple navigates love amid suspicion and isolation, the film examines how fear and social conformity can corrode human connection.

Using a restrained, almost theatrical style, the story blends melodrama with social critique. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is a poignant exploration of loneliness, racism, and the quiet courage required to pursue intimacy in a judgmental society, highlighting Fassbinder’s gift for unflinching emotional realism.

ROAR

(1981, USA, Noel Marshall)

Tippi Hedren and Noel Marshall star as a couple living on a sprawling estate filled with over 100 untrained lions, tigers, and other big cats. Their idyllic life takes a dangerous turn when their family is threatened by external forces, and the unpredictable animals begin to attack. In a chaotic mix of comedy, drama, and sheer animal mayhem, the family must navigate life alongside some of the most dangerous predators on Earth.

Roar is infamous for its on-set hazards, with actors and crew sustaining real injuries during filming. Beyond the spectacle, the film portrays the complex bond between humans and animals, highlighting both the majesty and unpredictability of wildlife while capturing the unrelenting energy and peril of living in close quarters with wild creatures.

Q: THE WINGED SERPENT

(1982, USA, Larry Cohen)

In New York City, a series of bizarre murders baffles the police, all linked to a mysterious, ancient flying creature. Detective Shepard investigates the attacks and soon realizes that a gigantic winged serpent, identified with the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, is responsible. As the creature terrorizes the city, Shepard races against time to stop it before it strikes again, navigating both the disbelief of authorities and the chaos caused by a mythical predator in an urban landscape.

Featuring a combination of horror, adventure, and urban spectacle, Q: The Winged Serpent blends city grit with supernatural terror. The film’s inventive creature effects and tense action sequences create a sense of wonder and dread, as humanity confronts a force both ancient and unstoppable amidst the concrete jungle.

FOLIES MEURTRIÈRES + DAWN OF AN EVIL MILLENIUM

FOLIES MEURTRIÈRES (1984)

A mysterious masked killer prowls the shadows, hunting down young women in a relentless spree of brutal violence. With minimal dialogue and a stripped‑down slasher format, the film unfolds as a series of visceral, lo‑fi murder set pieces that place spectacle and shock above conventional narrative. Against the backdrop of eerie synth and nightmarish visuals, victims are stalked and brutally dispatched in grotesque sequences that emphasize dread and disorientation over character or explanation.

DAWN OF AN EVIL MILLENIUM (1988)

In this bizarre Super‑8 oddity, a demon summoned to Earth takes control of a souped‑up 1970 Oldsmobile and embarks on a chaotic road‑kill rampage. Equal parts surreal and anarchic, the short plays like an imagined B‑movie trailer built from feverish genre mashups and lo‑budget effects. What begins as an off‑kilter premise quickly descends into unpredictable mayhem, with the possessed muscle car barreling through landscapes and expectations alike.

THE SOULTANGLER (VHS SCREENING)

(1987, USA, PAT BISHOW)

In The Soultangler, a wildly inventive but low‑budget horror oddity, the brilliant and unhinged scientist Dr. Anton Lupesky develops an experimental serum called Anphiorum that can force a user’s soul to leave their body and inhabit the corpse of the recently deceased. What begins as a curious breakthrough quickly spirals into madness as those who try the drug are driven to fatal hallucinations and uncontrollable violence. Alongside a reporter and other locals who uncover the disturbing experiments, the threat grows as bodies become vessels for nightmare‑inducing possession and chaos spreads.

The film unfolds like a fever dream of 1980s horror, embracing DIY charm, practical gore effects, and relentless surreal energy. Characters grapple with involuntary possession and the grotesque consequences of tampering with life and death, creating a visceral, unpredictable journey that merges body horror with bizarre speculative fiction. Though rough around the edges, The Soultangler has earned a cult reputation among fans of shot‑on‑video horror for its ambition, oddball visuals, and unapologetic embrace of the weird.

EXISTENZ

(1999, Canada, David Cronenberg)

LONDON

(1994, United Kingdom, Patrick Keiller)

In London, an unseen narrator, voiced by Paul Scofield, returns to the British capital after several years abroad to accompany his reclusive friend Robinson on a series of reflective urban explorations. Through a series of three walks around diverse areas of the city, their observations mix personal insight with encounters and images drawn from real life, capturing the city’s architecture, public spaces, and cultural landmarks. The narrative bridges memory, literature, and everyday experience as it recounts events and social change in London over the course of a year.

More than a straightforward travelogue, London unfolds as a cinematic essay on the character and transformation of the city itself, using archival imagery and evocative narration to weave in political and historical context. References to literary figures and philosophical ideas subtly shape the film’s impressionistic portrait, linking the lived environment with broader cultural currents and the lived realities of early 1990s London.

BLACK MAMBA

(2016, USA, Belinda M. Wilson)

A mysterious neighborhood sorceress known as Black Mamba offers potions, spells, and supernatural solutions to desperate people seeking to change their lives. Behind the façade of a helpful occult practitioner, she secretly traps demons in jars and uses dark magic to manipulate the fates of those who come to her door. Each visitor arrives with a wish or problem they believe magic can solve, but the bargains they strike lead to grotesque and often horrific consequences.

Structured as a series of twisted cautionary tales, Black Mamba follows characters whose desires spiral into surreal punishment, from couples seeking miracle cures to individuals chasing beauty, love, or forbidden fantasies. As Black Mamba’s spells unleash monstrous transformations, demonic encounters, and violent retribution, the film embraces an unrestrained DIY aesthetic packed with homemade effects and wildly imaginative imagery, creating a chaotic piece of outsider horror driven by its creator’s singular vision.