1989 Director: Shinya Tsukamoto Starring: Tomoro Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Nobu Kanaoka, Shinya Tsukamoto, Naomasa Musaka Words – Christian Abbott “Your future is metal!” This line hits two-thirds into the film, and after a series of deliriously disturbing sequences, you believe it. It’s hard to grasp Tetsuo, it is as timeless as it is grotesque, and…
Tag: cult
Japan 2020
From Akira Kurosawa, to Godzilla and Studio Ghibli, Japan has given the world some of its most iconic titles in cinema. To mark the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Tokyo, we took a retrospective look at a selection of films which hold a lasting influence on cinema and popular culture, as well…
Reel Steel Cult Weekender 2020 Film Festival
The Reel Steel Cult Weekender is a celebration of films which hold a ‘cult’ or ‘classic’ status in cinema – older titles shown again on the big screen, so that today’s audiences can experience important, overlooked or influential titles in their genre. Hosted at Sheffield’s historic Abbeydale Picture House – a Grade II listed 1920’s…
The Evil Dead (1981)
1981 Director: Sam Raimi Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly Words – Oliver Innocent One of horror cinema’s most iconic titles, The Evil Dead succinctly sums up the genre’s key themes; a preoccupation with darkness and death. It’s short, snappy and memorable. With a title like The Evil Dead you…
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
1976 Director: John Carpenter Starring: Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Martin West, Tony Burton, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Kyes Words – Joe H. A director synonymous with horror, John Carpenter earned his prolific status with films such as Halloween (1978), The Thing (1982) and They Live (1988), inspiring and influencing generations of countless filmmakers. But…
Color Out of Space
Director: Richard Stanley Starring: Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Q’orianka Kilcher, Tommy Chong, Madeleine Arthur, Julian Hilliard, Brendan Meyer Words – Carly Stevenson Adapted from the H.P. Lovecraft short story by cult director Richard Stanley, Color Out of Space is a stunning spectacle of cosmic body horror that perfectly captures the fear of the unknown we…
Blade Runner
1982 Director: Ridley Scott Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, Daryl Hannah Words – Nathan Scatcherd Unquestionably one of the greatest and most influential sci-fi films of all time, Blade Runner takes on a whole new dimension this year, specifically in November. Yes, Ridley Scott’s future-noir classic is set in November…
Midsommar
2019 Director: Ari Aster Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter, Ellora Torchia Words – Carly Stevenson Set amidst a solstice festival that occurs every 90 years, Midsommar follows a group of anthropology students as they embark upon a ‘research trip’ to rural Sweden at the invitation of Pelle, a…
Battle Royale
2000 Director: Kinji Fukasaku Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto, Takeshi Kitano Words: Katherine Guest Battle Royale, a Japanese dystopian thriller, is a film in which violence is made into a spectator sport. More specifically, it is about children on children violence as a result of government legislation. In the two decades since its…
Oldboy
Director: Park Chan-wook Starring: Choi Min-sik, Kang Hye-jung, Yoo Ji-tae, Oh Dal-Su, Ji Dae-han Words – Nathan Scatcherd Oldboy has – in the years since its release – become one of the prime examples of ‘extreme’ Asian cinema to really be embraced by Western audiences. Part two of director Chan-wook’s ‘vengeance trilogy’ (preceded by Sympathy…
