Seasons

Two inventive and unique films from 1970 soundtracked by krautrock masters CAN, with live footage of the band playing during intermissions.


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 stages a televised game show which pits contestants’ lives against deadly stakes for the chance to win a massive cash prize. 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.

An exploration of the surreal and weird essence behind the veil of mundanity that shrouds the lives of Central/Eastern European citizens.

Euroddity excavates the roots of absurdity with tools of art and artifacts of culture - we’re observing not Gregor Samsa’s natural monstrosity, but his record collection, mid-century furniture, and an intricate diet preferences.

Our first session is the stunning dark gems of Juraj Herz, a master of mysterious macabre humour and a gothic visionary of the Czechoslovak New Wave. A gifted photographer and puppeteer, a very talented self-taught director, Herz ended up far from being a New Wave poster-boy - he was Czechoslovak cinema’s great outsider. Over two decades marked by misunderstanding from his peers and constant intrusion from the authorities, Herz pursued his gothic vision of an expressionistic world undone by forces beyond rational control.

On Saturday, 10th of January, we’ll watch two very different milestones of Hertz filmography - the pulpiest and schlockiest 1982 FERAT VAMPIRE, a John Carpenter-esque horror comedy about a demonic race car that runs on human blood, and 1969 THE CREMATOR - a renowned cult classic, the most purely disturbing title of the Czech New Wave, and an enduring vision of the depravity lurking just beneath the surface of bourgeois respectability.

And on the 21st of January, we’ll meet BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - a personal take on a classic fairy tale motif, heavily decorated with horror, romance, baroque costumes, and distinct, eerie Moravian and French landscapes and architecture. Released in 1978, this gloomy, dreamlike fantasy cemented Herz’s reputation as a maestro of the macabre and a talented conjuror of atmosphere.

Ally Russell Shields introduces a double feature of late-era Elizabeth Taylor films directed by Joseph Losey.

These more experimental works feel like a departure from Elizabeth Taylor’s Golden Age output, but their examinations of feminine identity, sexual liberation, mental illness and the fragility of existence are in many ways a continuation of her earlier works. The key difference between her earlier and later filmography is how much freedom she was afforded to push the boundaries. Because Taylor’s star power has always stemmed from her unapologetic, gleeful daring to embrace the full spectrum of human experience, from its splendour to its suffering. It only seems right, then, that her oeuvre should span critical and commercial successes, underrated artistic triumphs, and irredeemable stinkers. It all adds up to a truly incomparable life and career.

**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.

Art by Marianna Madriz

Half a century ago, The Damned and the Sex Pistols released their first singles, and everything shifted. A nihilistic and violent reaction to the grim artifice of late capitalism, social conformity, and lost future.

This year, The Nickel will explore punk filmmaking in all its forms, from raw DIY independent filmmaking to features that incapsulate the chaotic refusal of order.

Punk cinema is less about style than stance. It refuses polish, refuses comfort, refuses explanation. Fifty years in, these films are still raw and alive.