MANIAC (1980): 45 YEARS OF SWEAT, SPLATTER, SLASHERS, AND SPINELL!!

MANIAC (1980) d. William Lustig (USA)

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Wildly controversial and undeniably influential, Maniac (1980) is one of the most unsettling slasher films of the early 1980s. Directed by William Lustig and starring Joe Spinell - who also co-wrote the screenplay - Maniac follows Frank Zito, a deeply disturbed and isolated man driven by trauma, navigating the grim streets of New York City.

BATTLE ROYALE (2000) – THE J-HORROR CLASSIC TURNS 25!!!

BATTLE ROYALE (2000) d. Kinji Fukasaku (Japan)

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One of the high water marks of dystopian cinema, Kinji Fukasaku’s Battle Royale takes place in a near-future Japan where a class of 42 students are forced by the government to fight to the death on a remote island. Blending social commentary with extreme violence, Battle Royale critiques government authority, youth alienation, and the sensationalism of media.

THE VAMPIRES OF 1970 (COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE LOVERS, DARK SHADOWS, DRACULA, NUDE VAMPIRE)

COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE (1970) d. Bob Kelljan (USA)
HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (1970) d. Dan Curtis (USA)
THE VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970) d. Roy Ward Baker (UK)
COUNT DRACULA (1970) d. Jesus Franco (Spain)
THE NUDE VAMPIRE (1970) d. Jean Rollin (France)

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1970 was a landmark for vampire cinema. No longer confined to fog-shrouded castles or Victorian settings, vampires were reimagined through the lenses of filmmakers across the U.S. and Europe, allowing the vampire mythos to explore shifting cultural and political attitudes with more sex, skin, and blood on full display. Tonight we’ll be looking at five significant films released that year, each offering a unique and transgressive spin on the undead.

ROMAN POLANSKI'S REPULSION (1965): 60 YEARS OF MADNESS, SEX, AND SILENCE

REPULSION (1965) d. Roman Polanski (UK)

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Co-written and directed by Roman Polanski, Repulsion (1965) is a landmark psychological horror film that explores the mental disintegration of a young woman, Carole (expertly played by Catherine Deneuve), living alone in London. When Carole’s sister leaves her alone for two weeks, paranoia and terrifying hallucinations take over her world. Polanski's first English-language feature - and the first in his iconic “Apartment Trilogy,” followed by Rosemary’s Baby and The Tenant - Repulsion dives deep into themes of isolation, sexual repression, and psychological trauma.