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.

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.

PACIFIC HEIGHTS

(1990, USA, John Schlesinger)

Two insufferably loved-up yuppies decide there's only one thing lacking from their perfect lives: property ownership. They finally consummate their relationship by buying a big Victorian fixer-upper in one of San Francisco's poshest neighbourhoods. And their bank balance grows when they let out its two flats to affluent renters, one of whom is a slick, overconfident businessman who, to absolutely no one's surprise, turns out to be the psychopathic tenant from hell.

Schlesinger's renter-revenge thriller is a tightly-constructed Hitchcockian homage, one underlined by clever cameos for both Tippi Hedren and Schlesinger himself. Hedren's daughter, Melanie Griffith, easily takes the lead off the Ken-doll boyfriend played by Matthew Modine. But it's a mid-Batman Michael Keaton, tackling his first villainous role, who gleefully steals the film as their artful lodger.

Screening as part of The Consummate Professional: John Schlesinger at 100.

THE BELIEVERS

(1987, USA, John Schlesinger)

The life of police psychologist Cal Jamison is turned inside-out after the shocking death of his wife. Moving to Manhattan to escape his traumas, he is instead immediately drawn into a series of grisly ritual murders. Forced to do battle with NYPD incompetence, he uncovers a hidden battle between practitioners of santería and brujería, which quickly poses a threat not only to Jamison himself, but to his wider family.

Part of the late-'80s cycle of occult thrillers that included The Serpent and the Rainbow and Angel Heart, Schlesinger's deepest venture into horror was the feature debut for screenwriter Mark Frost, written while he and David Lynch were developing Twin Peaks. It was also Schlesinger's third and final New York film, delving into even darker territory than its two iconic predecessors, Midnight Cowboy and Marathon Man.

Screening as part of [The Consummate Professional: John Schlesinger at 100.

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.

Introduced by Susan Jonusas.

DISCREET CINE PRESENTS: 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

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.

Please consider yourself forewarned that these films may (and probably will) contain offensive and upsetting content. Do not attend if you are of a sensitive disposition.

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.

MYSTERY DOJO: SURPRISE KUNG FU MATINEES

Enter the 36 Chambers of Grindhouse Cinema, with these Sunday mystery martial-arts matinees that harken back to the glory days of 42nd Street.

Expect deep-cut chopsocky plucked from the 70s and 80s screening on both digital and VHS - with bone-crushing bashers from the genre that mixed Chinese folklore and fantasy, spaghetti westerns, melodrama, Japanese samurai films and American genre cinema into an electrifying combo that inspired both the future of action films - and hip hop.

These Kung Fu flicks became an international sensation in the 1970s, particularly at the Grindhouse cinemas that proliferated in impoverished inner-cities. Here were movies in which working-class heroes stood up to oppression, speaking loud and clear to the marginalised underclasses around the world.

Bring the ruckus!

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.

MADAME WANG'S (VHS SCREENING)

(1981, USA, Paul Morrissey)

PART OF OUR PUNK AT 50! SEASON

Adrift between ideology and fantasy, a young East German arrives in Los Angeles with an unusual political mission. Convinced that American actress and activist Jane Fonda can help spark a revolutionary movement, he travels to California hoping to recruit her to the communist cause. Instead, he finds himself stranded without papers or clear direction, wandering through a chaotic landscape of fringe characters, street hustlers, and outsiders living on the margins of the city.

As his revolutionary ambitions begin to fade, he drifts into the underground punk scene surrounding a restaurant and music venue run by the eccentric Madame Wang. Immersed in a world of flea markets, improvised performances, and unlikely companions, the visitor gradually abandons his original political purpose and becomes entangled in the strange rhythms of American counterculture.

Written and directed by Paul Morrissey, Madame Wang’s presents an offbeat satire of Cold War politics and American consumer culture, blending absurd humor with a portrait of Los Angeles subcultures in the early 1980s.

Introduced by programmer and filmmaker, Craig Williams

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.

COSMIK DEBRIS PRESENTS: THE LAST SEDUCTION

(1994, USA, John Dahl)

After stealing a large sum of money from a drug deal arranged by her husband, Bridget Gregory abruptly leaves New York and disappears into a small town in upstate New York. There she assumes a lower profile while waiting for the situation to cool down, quickly adapting to her new surroundings and manipulating those around her to maintain control of the stolen cash.

In town she meets Mike Swale, a naive local man who becomes infatuated with her and gradually drawn into her schemes. As Bridget plays different people against each other to protect herself from her pursuing husband and other threats, her calculated charm and ruthlessness create a dangerous series of deceptions that grow increasingly difficult to contain.

Directed by John Dahl, The Last Seduction is a neo noir crime thriller centered on one of the genre’s most striking modern femme fatales, combining sharp dialogue and dark humor with a story of greed, manipulation, and betrayal.

Introduced by programmer and filmmaker, Craig Williams

COSMIK DEBRIS PRESENTS: ONE FALSE MOVE

(1992, USA, Carl Franklin)

Three criminals flee Los Angeles after a violent drug related robbery that leaves several people dead. Hoping to lie low before continuing their escape, the group heads toward a small town in rural Arkansas connected to one of their past associates. As the fugitives travel across the country, local law enforcement in the town begins preparing for their arrival, alerted by investigators who believe the suspects may be heading there next.
Dale “Hurricane” Dixon, the town’s eager but inexperienced police chief, becomes determined to take part in the investigation despite having little exposure to serious crime. As outside detectives arrive and the manhunt intensifies, Dixon’s expectations of heroism collide with the harsh reality of violence when the fugitives finally reach the quiet community.

Introduced by writer and producer, Julien Allen

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.

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.

THE SWINGING BARMAIDS

(1975, USA, Gus Trikonis)

At the Swing‑A‑Ling Club, a group of young cocktail waitresses go about their shifts serving drinks and entertaining patrons, unaware that a disturbed man with a violent grudge is watching them. After picking out his first victim one night, the killer foils capture by shaving and changing his appearance so he can slip back into the club as a bouncer, placing himself closer to his next targets. Meanwhile, local law enforcement begins to piece together the pattern of murders and close in on the culprit.

Told with the lurid energy of 1970s grindhouse cinema, The Swinging Barmaids pits its colorful ensemble of bar girls against a calculating psychopath while a dogged detective tries to stop the bloodshed. As suspicion and tension build within the club’s walls, friendships are tested and danger lurks behind every smile and spilled drink, taking the everyday setting of after‑hours nightlife into increasingly perilous territory.

THE BOD SQUAD

(1974, Hong Kong & West Germany, Ernst Hofbauer & Kuei Chih‑Hung)

Five Western women are abducted by a band of Chinese pirates and sold into a brothel, where their future looks bleak and uncertain. Before they can be forced into servitude, a pair of local allies take pity on them and begin teaching them martial arts, transforming the frightened captives into fighters with a fierce will to survive. With each new skill they learn, the women grow bolder and more determined to reclaim their freedom.

Their escape becomes a wild and chaotic journey, one that combines slapstick action with unexpected kung‑fu showdowns as the newly trained group battles their way out of danger. What began as a nightmarish ordeal turns into an unconventional fight for liberation, with the women using their hard‑earned strength and unity to take control of their fate against all odds.

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.

COSMIK DEBRIS PRESENTS: BREATHLESS (1983)

(1983, USA, Jim McBride)

Jesse Lujack, played by Richard Gere, is a charming drifter and small-time criminal who roams the streets of Los Angeles, living impulsively and pursuing thrills without concern for consequences. When he kills a police officer during a botched robbery, he goes on the run with his girlfriend Monica, a fashion model caught between love, loyalty, and fear. As the authorities close in, their relationship is tested by tension, danger, and the intoxicating pull of freedom.

A loose remake of Jean‑Luc Godard’s 1960 French classic, Breathless captures the reckless energy and existential restlessness of its protagonists. Jesse’s charisma and recklessness collide with the pressures of law and morality, creating a story that examines obsession, passion, and the allure of living without limits.

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.

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.

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.

THE HEARTBREAK KID

(1972, USA, Elaine May)

Three days into his Miami honeymoon with needy and unsophisticated Lila, Lenny meets tall, blonde Kelly. This confirms his fear that he has made a serious mistake and he decides he wants to be with Kelly instead.

Elaine May (Mikey and Nicky) directs one of the funniest, deeply uncomfortable and anxious cinematic depictions of male ego. Charles Grodin (Midnight Run) delivers a perfectly-pitched comic performance as a man who cannot help but treat every impulsive decision and interaction as an active sales pitch.

Brutal, hilarious, and deserving of rediscovery.

DR CALIGARI

(1989, USA, Stephen Sayadian)

Mrs. Van Houten shows signs of losing touch with reality, and her husband consults Dr. Caligari for treatment. Caligari claims to have a cure, but as his methods unfold, the line between science and madness becomes disturbingly unclear. Strange acts in the town suggest that Cesare, Caligari’s somnambulist, may be carrying out the doctor’s darker intentions, leaving the town gripped by fear and confusion.

Stephen Sayadian (Nightdreams) directs a hallucinatory, over-the-top reimagining of the classic expressionist story. The film combines surreal visuals, black comedy, and grotesque absurdity, turning familiar horror and psychological thriller tropes into something deliberately outrageous, provocative, and unforgettable.

MYSTERY MOVIE

BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES

(2020, Japan, Junta Yamaguchi)

In a small café, a seemingly ordinary television reveals a glimpse of the future: exactly two minutes ahead. The café owner and his friends experiment with this time loop, only for simple curiosity to cascade into chaos, comedy, and escalating temporal confusion. Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes transforms a low-stakes premise into a labyrinth of cause and effect, where every action multiplies and timelines overlap in unexpected ways.

Yamaguchi’s long-take cinematography and meticulous real-time framing create a kinetic, immersive experience, trapping characters—and viewers—in the cascading logic of near-future sight. What begins as a playful experiment becomes a study of consequence, improvisation, and human desire to control the uncontrollable. Time here is both a tool and a trap, and connection feels urgent, fleeting, and perpetually one step ahead of itself.

DEAD MOUNTAINEER'S HOTEL

(1979, Estonia, Grigori Kromanov)

A police officer is called to a remote hotel in the mountains, where everything seems normal at first. Soon, an avalanche traps the guests and staff inside, and strange, inexplicable events begin to occur. Tensions rise as suspicions deepen and the mystery surrounding the hotel’s unusual visitors slowly unfolds.

Grigori Kromanov directs a surreal and suspenseful adaptation of the Strugatsky brothers’ story. The film mixes science fiction, mystery, and dark humor, creating an eerie, unpredictable atmosphere where the normal rules of reality seem to bend and no one is quite what they appear to be.

IMMORAL TALES

(1973, France, Walerian Borowczyk)

Four erotic tales spanning different historical eras explore desire, obsession, and taboo. In the present day, a student and his young cousin are stranded on a beach by the tide. In nineteenth-century France, a girl locked in her bedroom discovers the erotic potential of the objects around her. Sixteenth-century Countess Erzsebet Bathory engages in alleged acts of bloody excess, while fifteenth-century Lucrezia Borgia participates in an incestuous encounter with her family.

Walerian Borowczyk directs with a painterly, surreal eye, combining historical settings, eroticism, and dark humor. Each segment pushes boundaries in a way that is simultaneously shocking, intriguing, and visually mesmerizing, creating a provocative anthology that lingers long after viewing.

THE GREAT SILENCE

(1968, Italy, Sergio Corbucci)

In the snowbound wilderness of Utah, a mute gunslinger known only as Silence drifts into a community terrorised by bounty hunters who exploit harsh winter lawlessness for profit. When a young widow seeks justice for her murdered husband, Silence’s intervention pits him against the glacial brutality of a legendary killer—and the indifferent authority that enables him.

One of the bleakest and most politically charged of all spaghetti westerns, The Great Silence transforms frontier myth into a study of economic predation and moral impotence. Corbucci’s stark compositions and Ennio Morricone’s mournful score frame a landscape where survival favours the ruthless and heroism is swallowed by the snow. The film’s uncompromising conclusion remains a landmark of the genre’s willingness to strip away illusion and confront the cost of violence with unflinching clarity.

GODS OF TIMES SQUARE

(1999, USA, Richard Sandler)

Filmed over the course of the 1990s, Gods of Times Square is a street-level chronicle of New York’s most volatile crossroads during a period of accelerating commercial transformation. Stationed at the corner with a handheld camera, Richard Sandler records preachers, prophets, hustlers, conspiracy evangelists, and self-styled messiahs who command the sidewalks with competing visions of salvation and doom. As redevelopment advances and the neighbourhood’s rough edges are smoothed into tourist-friendly spectacle, the film captures a disappearing ecosystem of unfiltered expression, improvisation, and street-corner theology.

Sandler’s documentary operates as an urban ethnography: observational, patient, and attuned to the rhetorical rhythms of the individuals who populate the frame. Rather than editorialise, the film allows its subjects’ cosmologies — comic, tragic, apocalyptic, and deeply idiosyncratic — to overlap and contradict one another in real time. The result is a portrait of Times Square before its corporate remaking, a cacophonous public forum where belief, performance, and survival were inseparable.

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.

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 yokai (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.

SHRIME TIME: A NIGHT OF BIZARRO UNDERSEEN ANIME

KNEE JERK PRESENTS: A WOMAN'S TORMENT

(1977, USA, Roberta Findlay)

Upon overhearing that plans are being made to have her committed to an asylum, mentally unstable Karen runs away and takes refuge in an empty beach house on a remote shore. Slowly, her grip on reality diminishes, and a series of violent delusions and escalating impulses take hold as she spirals deeper into isolation and confusion.

Roberta Findlay directs this raw, unsettling piece of 1970s exploitation cinema with a gaze that blends psychological horror and intense emotion. The film moves through surreal, disturbing territory as Karen’s inner turmoil erupts into acts that are both shocking and bizarre, combining elements of horror, sexploitation, and stark character descent.

TENEMENT

(1985, USA, Roberta Findlay)

A drug-dealing gang descends on a South Bronx apartment building, terrorizing the residents and turning their home into a war zone. As the night unfolds, the tenants fight to survive, navigating escalating violence and growing chaos.

Roberta Findlay turns the building itself into a character, capturing the claustrophobia and decay of urban life while pushing the boundaries of exploitation cinema. The film combines gritty realism with relentless tension, creating a raw and punishing thriller where fear and desperation rule every moment.

SEXWORLD

(1977, USA, Anthony Spinelli)

A busload of guests arrives at a luxury resort called Sex World, where they can explore their most secret sexual desires and hang‑ups with the help of advanced android partners and high‑tech pairing systems. Couples and individuals test their fantasies over a weekend of indulgence and experimentation in a setting designed to fulfil whatever erotic experience they seek.

Anthony Spinelli directs this unusual blend of science fiction and adult fantasy that riffs on mainstream ideas while embracing the aesthetics and performances of the 1970s adult film era. The film’s mix of speculative premise and erotic exploration makes it a distinctive artifact of its time, combining playful concept with unabashed sensuality.

THE POPE OF UTAH + Q&A

(1993, USA, Chaim Bianco, Steven Saylor)

A small‑time television evangelist named Melvis Pressin struggles to keep his crumbling career together deep in the bowels of a religious TV station on the Utah‑Nevada border. His show’s sudden national exposure brings unexpected attention, forcing him into a chaotic clash with rivals, audiences, and the shifting realities of fame and faith.

Chaim Bianco and Steven Saylor direct a wry, offbeat comedy‑drama about delusion, show business, and the contradictions of American spiritual culture. The film mixes broad character work with sharp, quirky humour, creating a micro‑dystopian satire that examines ambition and insecurity through its eccentric cast.

THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE

(1980, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Joseph Kong, Nam Gi‑Nam)

A brilliant professor uses cells from the recently deceased Bruce Lee to create three fully grown clones, each trained in martial arts and sent out to battle crime and corruption across Southeast Asia. One clone infiltrates a film production tied to a gold smuggling racket, while the others are dispatched to stop a mad scientist’s sinister plans, leading to a series of increasingly absurd fights and confrontations before the chaos finally resolves itself.

The film is a wild, over-the-top example of Bruceploitation, packing nonstop kung fu action, outrageous stunts, and madcap sci-fi elements into a delightfully ridiculous package. Its sheer audacity and campy energy have earned it cult status among fans of 1970s and 80s martial arts cinema.

LET THE CORPSES TAN + Q&A

(2017, Belgium, France, Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani)

Every summer, Luce, an eccentric painter living in a remote Mediterranean hamlet, finds her world disrupted when grizzled crime boss Rhino and his gang arrive with 250 kilograms of stolen gold. Their plan to lay low quickly unravels as surprise guests and a pair of pursuing motorcycle cops converge on the isolated estate, turning sunshine and ruins into a sprawling, day‑long battlefield of shifting alliances and gunfire. ([turn0search21], [turn0search5])

Let the Corpses Tan is a visceral, hyper‑stylized thriller rooted in the pulp crime and Euro‑Western traditions of the 1970s. The film layers blazing sun, bullets, and oddball characters into a kaleidoscopic collision of violence and visual flair, creating a relentless, almost dreamlike experience that rewards viewers who enjoy cinema that pushes at genre boundaries.

Plus Q&A with directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani.

DOOR

(1988, Japan, Banmei Takahashi)

A housewife named Yasuko lives with her husband and young son in a high‑rise apartment, where a persistent door‑to‑door salesman begins to harass her after she accidentally injures him trying to keep him outside. The unwanted encounters quickly escalate into threatening phone calls, disturbing messages on her front door, and a growing sense that her everyday life is slipping into paranoia and danger. As the salesman’s behaviour becomes more unsettling, the tension widens into a nightmarish battle for control of her own home. ([turn0search22], [turn0search1])

This 1988 Japanese horror thriller builds dread out of ordinary life disrupted by obsession and intrusion, moving from quiet unease to increasingly intense scenes of psychological and physical threat. Known for its raw atmosphere and relentless pacing, Door has become a cult rediscovery for fans of classic J‑horror rooted in fear that starts at the threshold of home.

VIRIDIANA

(1961, Spain, Mexico, Luis Buñuel)

Viridiana, a young novice nun, arrives at her uncle’s decaying estate to care for him, only to be confronted with his lecherous behavior and moral corruption. As she tries to impose her ideals of charity and piety on the household, her efforts spiral into chaos, exposing hypocrisy, greed, and the darker sides of human nature.

Luis Buñuel delivers a darkly comic and provocative critique of religion, morality, and social pretension. With its striking imagery and biting satire, the film remains one of Buñuel’s most controversial and celebrated works, blending surrealism and realism in a uniquely unsettling way.

With introduction by film editor for Cold Magazine, Valeria Berghinz.

TETSUO THE IRON MAN

(1989, Japan, Shinya Tsukamoto)

A man is mysteriously transformed into a grotesque hybrid of flesh and metal after a bizarre encounter with a scrap‑metal–obsessed stranger. As his body slowly fuses with machinery, he becomes increasingly violent and unrecognizable, spiraling into a nightmarish cycle of rage, obsession, and mechanical mutation.

Shinya Tsukamoto’s debut is a visceral, industrial horror experience, drenched in stark black-and-white visuals, rapid editing, and metallic sound design. The film’s relentless energy and body‑horror imagery create a feverish, almost hypnotic assault on the senses, establishing it as a landmark of Japanese cyberpunk cinema.

MYSTERY MOVIE

SEARCHING FOR THE WRONG EYED JESUS

(2003, USA, United Kingdom, Andrew Douglas)

Musician Jim White serves as a guide through the landscapes and communities of the American South, traveling across rural towns, highways, and forgotten backroads in search of the stories, music, and beliefs that shape the region. Moving between churches, prisons, truck stops, and small bars, he encounters a wide range of musicians, writers, preachers, and locals whose lives are shaped by faith, hardship, and the enduring traditions of Southern culture.

Along the way, White meets performers such as Johnny Dowd, David Johansen, and members of The Handsome Family, as well as novelist Harry Crews and traditional banjo player Lee Sexton. Through interviews, musical performances, and wandering conversations, the film gathers fragments of stories about sin, redemption, and survival, gradually forming an impressionistic portrait of a region where religion, folklore, and music remain deeply intertwined.

BATTLE ROYALE

(2000, Japan, Kinji Fukasaku)

In a dystopian near-future, a class of high school students is forced to compete in a government-run program where they must fight to the death until only one survivor remains. Trapped on a remote island and armed with weapons, the students struggle to survive, form alliances, and confront the moral and psychological consequences of being forced into such a brutal scenario.

Kinji Fukasaku turns the concept into a tense, relentless thriller that mixes dark satire with explosive action. The film examines authority, rebellion, and the extremes of human behavior, balancing shocking violence with moments of strategy, desperation, and tragic irony.

BLOOD SIMPLE

(1984, USA, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen)

A Texas bar owner hires a private investigator to kill his wife and her lover, but a series of misunderstandings, deceptions, and coincidences turn the plot into a spiraling chain of violence and paranoia. As the characters attempt to cover their tracks, trust erodes and danger multiplies, leading to increasingly tense and deadly consequences.

Joel and Ethan Coen craft a taut, darkly comic neo-noir where mood, suspense, and visual storytelling drive the tension as much as plot. The film’s careful use of shadows, framing, and music enhances the sense of inevitability, making it a striking debut that established the Coens’ signature style.

SHRINE OF ABOMINATIONS

(2025, USA, Ross Kennedy, Skinner)

The Library of the Occult presents...

On the cursed world of Orbus Kaal, the malevolent wizard Gar‑Gnargorath tries to invoke the cosmic horror forms of Demotep as part of his universal plans for revenge and domination. His ambitions set into motion an epic, otherworldly conflict when another terrifying being named Morgogg also looms within the realm, promising chaos and confrontation as these dark forces collide.

This stop‑motion animated short blends fantasy, horror, and cosmic spectacle into a wildly imaginative, handcrafted world. Packed with grotesque creatures, arcane visuals, and a raw, psychedelic energy, Shrine of Abominations delivers a unique horror fantasy experience that pulls from heavy metal aesthetics and old‑school fantasy imagination in a way few films attempt.

Plus a selection of The Library of the Occult music videos, short films + limited vinyls and merch available on the night.

Runtime: 85 mins

Certificate: 18

Tuesday 12/5

Bar 5.30pm

Film 6.30pm

Digital

Book here

WOMEN IN REVOLT

(1971, USA, Paul Morrissey)

A group of radical feminists in New York City bands together to fight for women’s liberation, overthrowing oppressive male authority and experimenting with increasingly extreme methods of rebellion. Their actions mix political activism with outrageous antics, turning their movement into both a social statement and a chaotic spectacle.

Paul Morrissey and Andy Warhol blend camp, satire, and sharp social commentary to create a subversive and flamboyant look at gender politics in the 1970s. The film’s bold performances and irreverent humour turn its critique of society into a stylish, provocative, and often absurd cinematic experience.

Introduced by filmmaker and programmer, Craig Williams AKA Cosmik Debris.

TENEBRAE

(1982, Italy, Dario Argento)

A series of brutal murders terrorizes a small Italian town, leaving the police baffled and the community in fear. A young woman becomes the focal point of the investigation as strange occurrences and mysterious figures point toward a supernatural presence, suggesting that the killings may be linked to dark, hidden forces rather than ordinary criminals.

Dario Argento delivers a masterful giallo that combines intricate murder mysteries with visually stunning set pieces and suspenseful camerawork. The film’s stylish violence, eerie soundtrack, and tense pacing create a hypnotic, unsettling atmosphere that has cemented it as a cornerstone of Italian horror cinema.

L'ANTICRISTO

(1974, Italy, Germany, Alberto De Martino)

A young woman and her husband retreat to a remote countryside home to recover from a family tragedy, but their isolation soon turns nightmarish. The woman begins experiencing terrifying hallucinations, unexplained phenomena, and escalating physical and psychological torment, suggesting that sinister, supernatural forces are at work.

Alberto De Martino delivers a provocative and visually intense horror film, blending psychological dread with shocking imagery. Its mix of supernatural horror, extreme tension, and surreal sequences makes it a striking example of 1970s European shock cinema.

SÉRIE NOIRE

(1979, France, Alain Corneau)

In the shadowy outskirts of Paris, a desperate door-to-door salesman crosses paths with a mysterious young woman trapped in a grim world. As his obsession deepens, his grip on reality begins to slip—and the line between escape and destruction starts to blur.

Série noire adapts Jim Thompson’s A Hell of A Woman to the banlieues of Paris: in an astonishing performance, Patrick Dewaere (Themroc) attempts to save a young girl from prostitution, with murder the only solution.

Guest programmer Eva Yelmani will introduce this screening.

THAT MOST IMPORTANT THING: LOVE

(1975, France, Andrzej Żuławski)

Servais Mont, a freelance photographer who works taking compromising photos, gets fascinated by Nadine Chevalier, a tormented low-budget movie actress married to an eccentric film photo collector.

Andrzej Żuławski offers a De Palma-esque reminder of the inherent exploitation of making (and viewing) images, as well as the thin line that separates "legitimate" cinema from its pornographic underbelly.

Guest programmer Eva Yelmani will introduce this screening.

VAMPYROS LESBOS

(1971, West Germany/Spain, Jesús Franco)

DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING

(1972, Italy, Lucio Fulci)

A series of child murders shakes a small rural Italian village, and suspicion falls on various townspeople as secrets, superstitions, and moral hypocrisy come to light. A determined journalist and local authorities struggle to uncover the killer while confronting the tension between traditional beliefs and modern justice.

This giallo blends suspenseful, gruesome thrills with a sharp critique of small-town paranoia and social hypocrisy. The film’s careful build-up of tension, combined with unsettling imagery, creates a morally complex and hauntingly atmospheric story.

MYSTERY MOVIE

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.

LA PRISONNIÉRE

(1968, France, Henri-Georges Clouzot)

Set within the sleek, decadent world of Parisian galleries and underground fetish clubs, a young woman becomes entangled with a manipulative photographer whose erotic power games blur the line between performance and imprisonment. What begins as fascination curdles into psychological captivity as she finds herself both subject and spectator in a labyrinth of desire.

A cool, hypnotic study of control and obsession, La Prisonnière stands as the final film of Henri-Georges Clouzot. Awash in pop art colors and disorienting compositions, it transforms erotic fixation into a sleek chamber of mirrors, where liberation and confinement become indistinguishable and every gaze conceals a trap.

XXX RATED 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.

This screening will feature adult-themed content, including sexually explicit and risqué material. Please consider yourself forewarned that these films may (and probably will) contain offensive and upsetting content. Do not attend if you are of a sensitive disposition.

MYSTERY DOJO: SURPRISE KUNG FU MATINEES

THE THIRD MAN

(1949, United Kingdom, Carol Reed)

A man arrives in post‑war Vienna to meet an old friend, only to find that he has recently died under mysterious circumstances. As he investigates, he becomes entangled in a web of black-market dealings, deceit, and shifting alliances, uncovering secrets that challenge everything he thought he knew about his friend and the city itself.

A masterclass in noir tension and atmospheric storytelling, the film combines shadowy cinematography, unforgettable performances, and a haunting score to create an enduring tale of suspense, betrayal, and moral ambiguity.

RESERVOIR DOGS

(1992, USA, Quentin Tarantino)

A group of criminals is brought together for a heist, but when the job goes horribly wrong, suspicion, paranoia, and betrayal tear the team apart. As they hide out in a warehouse, tensions flare and alliances fracture, forcing each man to confront secrets, lies, and the consequences of their actions.

Quentin Tarantino’s breakout crime thriller is a masterful blend of sharp dialogue, intense character work, and nonlinear storytelling. The film’s mix of suspense, dark humor, and explosive violence has made it a landmark of modern independent cinema and a cult favorite among crime film fans.

PORNOSTAR

(1998, Japan, Toshiaki Toyoda)

A young man named Arano arrives in Tokyo with a bag full of knives and little else, wandering the streets with a brooding, unreadable intensity. His hostility toward the yakuza erupts into sudden violence, and after killing his first targets he becomes entangled with a small‑time gangster and his inept underlings. What begins as aimless rage draws him deeper into gang conflicts, unpredictable alliances, and escalating chaos amid the city’s underworld.

This raw crime drama from Toshiaki Toyoda mixes gritty street violence with a punk‑infused energy and disquieting character study. The film’s visceral pacing and stark urban backdrop reflect a restless, unmoored spirit, making it a compelling and visceral piece of late‑90s Japanese cinema.

Introduced by journalist and writer, James Balmont

HIS MOTORBIKE, HER ISLAND

(1986, Japan, Nobuhiko Obayashi)

After a tough breakup, Koh, a laid‑back motorbike enthusiast, heads out on his Kawasaki across the Japanese countryside and unexpectedly meets Miyo, a free‑spirited local who shares his passion for bikes. Their connection grows as he teaches her to ride and they explore both open roads and their own desires for freedom and adventure. Over time their bond deepens, even as their different outlooks on life and riding reflect the personal journeys each must navigate.

This tender, evocative drama blends romance with the restless energy of youth, capturing the thrill of the open road and the fragility of fleeting connections. With its mix of colour and black‑and‑white cinematography and a nostalgic, reflective tone, the film lingers in the mind long after the final ride.

SPIDER BABY

(1967, USA, Jack Hill)

A decrepit mansion houses the Merrye family, whose surviving children suffer from a bizarre, degenerative disease that makes them increasingly violent, cunning, and feral. As outsiders arrive, the family’s twisted games and macabre antics escalate, revealing their darkly comic, horrifying nature and the strange, grotesque world they inhabit.

Spider Baby blends black comedy, gothic horror, and campy thrills into a deliriously twisted fable. With its eccentric characters, claustrophobic setting, and outrageous yet eerie atmosphere, the film has become a cult classic of macabre American cinema.

PHANTASM

(1979, USA, Don Coscarelli)

After the death of his parents, young Mike discovers that his small town cemetery is plagued by strange occurrences, including a mysterious mortician known as the Tall Man. As he investigates, Mike encounters flying silver spheres, reanimated corpses, and a nightmarish underworld that defies the laws of reality.

Phantasm is a surreal and terrifying horror classic, blending dreamlike visuals, relentless suspense, and inventive supernatural elements. Its eerie atmosphere, iconic villain, and imaginative scares have cemented it as a landmark of 1970s American horror.

WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE

(1995, USA, Todd Solondz)

Heather, a shy and awkward seventh-grader, navigates the trials of middle school life while dealing with neglectful parents and a socially aggressive sister. Her days are filled with humiliation, isolation, and small rebellions, as she struggles to assert herself in a world that seems determined to push her down.

Todd Solondz delivers a darkly comic and painfully honest coming-of-age story, mixing cringe-inducing humour with moments of genuine empathy. The film’s sharp observations of adolescence and suburban dysfunction have made it an enduring cult classic.

PALINDROMES

(2004, USA, Todd Solondz)

A young woman named Aviva returns home after a suicide attempt and struggles to reconnect with her family and the world around her. As she attempts to piece her life back together, she grapples with identity, belonging, and the chaotic tangle of her own emotions, friendships, and relationships.

Todd Solondz’s unconventional narrative loops and fragments mirror Aviva’s disturbed inner world, blending dark humour with raw emotional insight. The film confronts themes of forgiveness, alienation, and self‑destruction in a way that is unsettling, compassionate, and uniquely Solondz.

DEADBEAT AT DAWN

(1988, USA, Jim Van Bebber)

A small‑time criminal and his girlfriend try to escape the violent grip of a rival gang after a heist goes wrong. As tensions mount, the streets become a battleground of revenge, loyalty, and survival, leading to bloody confrontations that test both courage and morality.

Jim Van Bebber’s Deadbeat at Dawn is a raw, kinetic exploitation thriller, drenched in punk energy, fast-paced violence, and gritty urban chaos. Its relentless pace and unapologetic brutality make it a cult favorite for fans of underground action cinema.

DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS

(1971, Belgium, France, Germany, Harry Kümel)

A mysterious and alluring couple, Elisabeth and Countess Bathory, arrive at a Belgian hotel, where they befriend a young newlywed and his wife. Seduction, obsession, and supernatural undertones soon emerge, drawing the guests into a web of eroticism, manipulation, and dark secrets that threatens to consume them entirely.

Daughters of Darkness blends gothic horror with lush, sensuous visuals and slow-building tension. Its eroticized atmosphere, psychological intrigue, and nightmarish elegance have cemented it as a standout in European horror cinema.

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.

NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER

(1980, USA, Robert Butler)

A tough, New York City ex-cop relentlessly searches for his kidnapped teenage daughter, held by a deranged drifter who’s mistaken her for the child of a wealthy businessman. As the chase rages through the city’s derelict streets and subways, both men are pushed to the brink.

Restored at long last, this notorious cult thriller has been nearly impossible to see on any format except VHS for over four decades and is a furious, grimy portrait of Manhattan at its wildest.

MYSTERY MOVIE

AMERICAN MOVIE + COVEN

(1997, USA, Chris Smith, Mark Borchardt)

Mark Borchardt, an aspiring filmmaker from Milwaukee, struggles to complete his low-budget horror film Coven amid financial hardship, family pressure, and his own obsessive perfectionism. The documentary follows his chaotic efforts to fund, cast, and shoot the project, revealing both the absurdity and earnestness of independent filmmaking.

This acclaimed documentary is a hilarious, heartfelt, and sometimes painful look at obsession, ambition, and the dream of making it big against all odds. Its humor and humanity make it a must-watch for anyone fascinated by the trials of creative pursuit.

SCREENING WITH COVEN

Within Mark Borchardt’s film-within-the-film Coven, a group of witches gather for a dark ritual that unleashes supernatural terror. The story is a low-budget horror tale filled with campy effects, eccentric performances, and tense, nightmarish sequences that showcase Borchardt’s passion for genre filmmaking.

The short horror film at the heart of American Movie demonstrates the chaotic charm and determination behind independent filmmaking, blending spooky atmospherics with the earnest energy of a homemade horror epic.

IN THE COLD OF THE NIGHT

(1990, USA, Nico Mastorakis)

A high‑profile fashion photographer named Scott Bruin is plagued by a series of increasingly disturbing nightmares in which he appears to attack and kill a mysterious woman. When that woman begins to step out of his dreams and into his waking life, Scott must confront whether his visions are merely fantasies or harbingers of something more sinister and real.

This 1990 erotic thriller blends psychological mystery with late‑night cable ambience and surreal dream logic. Its mix of neon‑soaked visuals, uneasy tension, and uncanny mood make it a standout example of early‑90s genre cinema that sits somewhere between noir, nightmare, and sleazy intrigue.

MYSTERY MOVIE

UNFAITHFULLY YOURS

(1948, USA, Preston Sturges)

A world-renowned conductor’s imagination runs wild after suspecting his wife of infidelity, leading him to fantasize about revenge in increasingly elaborate and comically dark scenarios. As his mind spirals through plots of passion, jealousy, and murder, reality collides with his vivid imaginings in unexpected and humorous ways.

Unfaithfully Yours is a brilliantly crafted screwball comedy that mixes Hitchcockian suspense with Howard Hawks’ signature wit and timing. Its inventive structure, playful tension, and Cary Grant’s charismatic performance make it a sophisticated and enduring classic of 1940s cinema.

ROLLING THUNDER

(1977, USA, John Flynn)

A decorated Vietnam War veteran returns home to Texas, only to find his family caught in a violent robbery that leaves them traumatized. Driven by grief and a sense of moral duty, he embarks on a relentless quest for revenge, confronting both criminals and the darker realities of a society that seems indifferent to justice.

Rolling Thunder is a taut, gritty revenge thriller that captures the anger, alienation, and disillusionment of post‑Vietnam America. Its tense action sequences, brooding atmosphere, and emotionally charged performances make it a powerful exploration of trauma and retribution.

SALT ALONG THE TONGUE + Q&A

(2024, Australia, Parish Malfitano)

After her mother’s sudden death, Mattia is sent to live with her estranged aunt, her mother’s identical twin. As she struggles with grief in this new environment, a buried family secret begins to surface, and her mother’s presence lingers in unsettling ways. Through food and ritual, the boundary between the living and the dead begins to dissolve, drawing Mattia into something both protective and dangerous.

Blending possession, witchcraft, and coming-of-age drama, the film moves between tenderness and body horror, using food, memory, and the body itself as conduits for something uncanny. Its vivid, sensory style and all-female world give it a distinct, almost dreamlike intensity that sits somewhere between family melodrama and supernatural fever dream.

Plus Q&A with the director, Parish Malfitano

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.

BETTER THAN NOTHING PRESENTS: THE REFLECTING SKIN

(1990, United Kingdom, Canada, Philip Ridley)

A young boy living in the rural American countryside becomes fascinated by a mysterious woman who lives alone in a nearby house. As his curiosity deepens, he begins to interpret strange events around him as signs of something supernatural and increasingly sinister, blurring the line between imagination, desire, and fear. His world slowly darkens as he becomes convinced that death itself may be watching over his community.

The Reflecting Skin is a haunting coming-of-age tale that mixes rural Americana with gothic horror and dreamlike imagery. Its sun-drenched landscapes contrast sharply with its themes of decay, violence, and childhood perception, creating a surreal and deeply unsettling atmosphere that lingers long after it ends.

COSMIK DEBRIS PRESENTS: HEAT

(1972, USA, Paul Morrissey)

A former child star, now reduced to living in a cheap Hollywood motel, drifts through Los Angeles trying to revive his acting career. He becomes entangled with a needy, washed-up actress and her volatile daughter, entering a world of transactional relationships, sexual manipulation, and fading dreams.

A bleak, often very funny portrait of Hollywood at its most desperate, the film strips away glamour in favour of something colder and more transactional. It plays like a warped echo of classic studio-era melodrama, where ambition, desire, and emptiness all blur together in a distinctly Warhol-era haze.

Introduced by filmmaker and programmer, Craig Williams

COSMIK DEBRIS PRESENTS: TRASH

(1970, USA, Paul Morrissey)

The movie follows Joe, a heroin addict, throughout his quest to score more drugs. The episodic plot occurs over a single day and centers on Joe’s problematic relationship with his on-off, sexually frustrated girlfriend. During the course of the day, Joe overdoses in front of an upper-class couple, attempts to fool welfare into approving his treatment by having Holly fake a pregnancy, and frustrates the women in his life with his drug-induced impotence.

Set in the Warhol Factory’s orbit, the film drifts between bleak realism and absurd, often very funny encounters, building a loose, improvisational portrait of addiction, codependency, and life on the margins of New York. Its raw performances and confrontational mix of sex, humour, and despair give it a strange, lived-in intensity that feels both chaotic and oddly intimate.

Introduced by filmmaker and programmer, Craig Williams.

VORTEX

(1982, USA, Beth B, Scott B)

PART OF OUR PUNK! AT 50 SEASON

A film noirish atmosphere follows a private detective as she investigates the plans of a powerful corporate businessman seeking government defense contracts through manipulation, political influence, and covert “corporate wars.” As she digs deeper, the case spirals into a web of paranoia, conspiracy, and shadowy power structures.

A key work of New York’s No Wave scene and starring Lydia Lunch, the film filters classic noir through a stripped-down, punk sensibility, full of murky visuals, jagged performances, and downtown energy. More concerned with mood and texture than clean storytelling, it plays like a lo-fi transmission from a decaying, conspiratorial city.

SALVATION!

(1987, USA, Beth B)

PART OF OUR PUNK AT 50! SEASON

A biting black comedy set in the world of televangelism in late‑1980s America, Salvation! follows Reverend Edward Randall, a slick TV preacher whose polished sermons mask a private life filled with hypocrisy and self‑interest. After accidentally seducing a stranger during a storm, he becomes entangled with her stridently religious sister Rhonda and her unemployed husband Jerome, setting off a sequence of opportunistic schemes and shifting alliances. What starts as an attempted blackmail quickly spirals into an uneasy partnership that forces each character to confront their own motives and desires.

Starring Stephen McHattie as the charismatic but compromised preacher, with Exene Cervenka as Rhonda and Viggo Mortensen as Jerome, the film satirizes the spectacle of televised faith and the entanglements of sex, money, and morality. Through off‑kilter humor and surreal, punk‑inflected energy, it skewers the self‑serving excesses of religious showmanship and the porous line between sincerity and exploitation.

MERMAID LEGEND

(1984, Japan, Toshiharu Ikeda)

After the sudden death of her husband during a night fishing trip, Migiwa Saijima begins to suspect that the incident was not an accident but the result of corruption involving local businessmen and powerful figures along the coast. Isolated and struggling with grief, she gradually uncovers signs that her husband’s death was tied to a larger conspiracy connected to land development and criminal interests in the region. As the truth becomes clearer, her sorrow transforms into a fierce determination for revenge.

Taking advantage of local folklore surrounding a legendary sea spirit, Migiwa begins a calculated campaign of retaliation against the men she believes responsible. Using the image of a vengeful mermaid to spread fear and confusion, she lures her targets into increasingly dangerous situations, turning the coastal landscape into the setting for a series of violent confrontations.

Directed by Toshiharu Ikeda, Mermaid Legend blends elements of revenge thriller, folklore, and exploitation cinema into a dark story of grief and vengeance set against the stark beauty of Japan’s coastal fishing communities.

ROLLING THUNDER

(1977, USA, John Flynn)

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.

ROADGAMES

(1981, Australia, Richard Franklin)

A long-haul trucker picks up a mysterious hitchhiker while crisscrossing the isolated roads of rural Australia. When a series of strange disappearances begins to surface, suspicion falls on everyone, and what starts as a routine journey becomes a tense game of cat and mouse. Trapped in a landscape where help is far away, each mile raises the stakes and deepens the sense of unease.

Roadgames is a taut, suspenseful thriller that combines Hitchcockian tension with the stark isolation of the outback. Richard Franklin crafts an atmosphere of paranoia and slow-building dread, keeping viewers uncertain about who can be trusted. Stylish, gripping, and chilling, the film transforms ordinary roads into a labyrinth of fear and obsession, proving that danger can lurk in even the most mundane places.

MYSTERY MOVIE

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.

DEADLY CIRCUIT

(1983, France, Claude Miller)

A professional courier named Mickey is hired to deliver a mysterious package across Paris, but when the exchange goes wrong he finds himself on the run, pursued by criminals and caught in a labyrinth of double-crosses and shifting loyalties. As he moves through the city’s underworld, every encounter deepens the sense of paranoia and danger surrounding the job.

Deadly Circuit blends crime thriller mechanics with a detached, almost existential tone, turning its chase narrative into something colder and more elusive. Its cool surfaces, offbeat performances, and stylised approach to suspense give it a distinctive place within 1980s French cinema.

GOD TOLD ME TO

(1976, USA, Larry Cohen)

A disturbed young man named Richie believes he is receiving direct messages from God, commanding him to carry out a series of violent acts. As he drifts through Los Angeles, his delusions intensify, pulling him deeper into a fractured reality where faith, madness, and brutality become indistinguishable.

God Told Me To is a strange, unsettling blend of police procedural, science fiction, and psychological horror. Its mix of religious paranoia, urban decay, and unexpected narrative turns gives it a uniquely disorienting edge, making it one of the more singular genre films of the 1970s.

MYSTERY MOVIE

WENT THE DAY WELL?

(1942, United Kingdom, Alberto Cavalcanti)

A group of villagers in a quiet English countryside community welcome what they believe to be British soldiers stationed in their town. It soon becomes clear that the men are actually German paratroopers in disguise, and the villagers must band together to resist the occupation and fight back against the enemy within.

Blending wartime propaganda with moments of genuine tension and brutality, the film presents a chilling what-if scenario of invasion on home soil. Its calm rural setting contrasts sharply with sudden violence, giving it a stark, unsettling power that lingers beyond its patriotic framework.

MESSIAH OF EVIL

(1973, USA, Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz)

A young woman travels to a small coastal California town in search of her missing father, only to find the place gripped by a strange, dreamlike malaise. As she stays in his deserted home, she begins to uncover cryptic writings and disturbing clues that suggest the town is under the influence of a dark, otherworldly force. Her investigation leads her into a series of increasingly surreal and terrifying encounters with its inhabitants.

An eerie, slow-burning horror film that drifts between waking nightmare and cosmic dread, it builds its power through atmosphere rather than conventional scares. Its haunting imagery and disjointed narrative give it a hypnotic, almost apocalyptic tone that has made it a cult favourite.

MATADOR

(1986, Spain, Pedro Almodóvar)

A young man obsessed with bullfighting and death becomes entangled with a former matador and a mysterious lawyer, both of whom are driven by a shared fascination with eroticism and killing. As their paths converge, desire and violence become inseparable, leading them into a dangerous, obsessive relationship where pleasure and death are intertwined.

A provocative blend of melodrama, dark comedy, and psychological thriller, the film explores the connection between sex, death, and spectacle with bold, stylised intensity. Its heightened tone and fixation on obsession and performance make it one of the more striking early works in its director’s filmography.