Horror is a polarizing genre.
The mere mention of the word keeps some audiences from even considering a movie, while the idea of spending 90 minutes with a cast of characters being steadily killed off is other people’s idea of a relaxing night out.
But horror, like all genres, exists on a spectrum. Some films truly set out to fill you with dread and terror, while others play more like broad comedies with blood splatter. These are movies that find glee in the grotesque, making the morbid so ridiculous that you cannot help but laugh.
We are celebrating this subgenre all October with our “Gorecore” series, which continues tonight with “House,” a surreal spectacle from director Nobuhiko Obayashi. An incredibly basic setup—a group of teenage girls visit a country estate full of malicious supernatural forces—is given a deranged treatment by Obayashi, who fills the titular house with demonic cats, monstrous pianos, killer clocks, and other off-the-wall inventions.
With a background in experimental film and advertising, Obayashi imbues the film with a kind of insidious escapism that becomes scarier than any of the deaths on screen. His characters feel like they just stepped out of a soda commercial and never give up their cheery disposition—even after being attacked by floating heads or flaming logs.
It is a striking satire of the pressure placed upon us by commercial marketing to stay optimistic even when the world feels wrong. It is also just a bonkers way to spend a night at the movies—the perfect example of how sublimely silly horror can be.
Special Events
“Eleanor the Great”
A funny examination of grief, truth, and connection that marks the directorial debut of Scarlett Johansson, “Eleanor the Great” follows Eleanor (Academy Award nominee June Squibb), a 94-year-old woman who relocates to live with her daughter in New York City. Struggling to make new friends, Eleanor accidentally claims her deceased friend’s story of surviving the Holocaust as her own—a lie that brings her closer to her new community while quickly spinning out of control.
“Predators”
“To Catch a Predator” was a sensation—journalism that perfectly matched the rise of reality television. David Osit’s new documentary “Predators” explores the motives behind the show, its staggering rise and eventual fall, and the aftermath of the world it helped create.
Part of our Limited Engagement series, “Predators” plays for one week after October 17.
The New Hard-Boiled: “Point Blank”
Our series “The New Hard-Boiled: The Birth of American Neo-Noir” kicks off with the Lee Marvin classic “Point Blank”! Director John Boorman made his Hollywood debut with this tale of revenge that sees professional criminal Walker (Marvin) left for dead by his partner after robbing a major criminal syndicate. Back on his feet, Walker sets out to get revenge and claim his take, working his way up the chain of the people who stabbed him in the back.
October 22, at 7 p.m., and October 25, at 5 p.m.
Queer Cinema Club: “Beautiful Thing”
Queer Cinema Club Berkshires returns to The Triplex with “Beautiful Thing,” director Hettie MacDonald’s (“Normal People”) groundbreaking queer coming-of-age story! The Filomena’s Michael Bolognino will join us to introduce this rarely screened British indie cult classic about two teenagers coming to terms with their sexuality in a London housing project. Regarded as a landmark piece of queer filmmaking for its grounded and empathetic depiction of young queer identity, don’t miss “Beautiful Thing” when it plays on October 23!
Thursday, at 8 p.m.
“One Battle After Another”
When a former revolutionary’s daughter goes missing, he taps into his network of radicals and outcasts to bring her home in “One Battle After Another,” the latest from acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson (“There Will Be Blood,” “Boogie Nights”). Featuring an all-star cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, and more, “One Battle After Another” is an action-packed ode to the lengths parents will go to protect their kids from their pasts.
Already being hailed as one of the best films of the year (and even this century), do not miss your chance to see Anderson’s latest masterpiece on the big screen!
Coming Soon
“Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere”
After his breakthrough success with albums “Born to Run,” “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” and “The River,” Bruce Springsteen found himself disconnected from his roots and questioning his place as an artist. What he did next—crafting the stripped-down, intimate album “Nebraska” in his bedroom in New Jersey—is the focus of director Scott Cooper’s “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,” which sees Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) playing the Boss during this pivotal moment in his career.
Starts October 24.
“Blue Moon”
The story of legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke) bravely facing the future as his professional and private life unravel at the opening-night party for his former partner Richard Roger’s (Andrew Scott) hit show “Oklahoma!,” Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon” is a witty look at a creative legend watching the world pass him by. Also featuring Margaret Qualley and Bobby Cannivale, don’t miss this love letter to the golden age of Broadway!
Starts October 24.
“Spinal Tap II: The End Continues”
We are turning things up to 11 on October 24 when “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” comes to The Triplex! Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer are back as Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins, and Derek Smalls, members of the legendary rock band who are forced to reunite for one last show—all while being filmed by documentarian Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner).
Part of our Limited Engagement series, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” plays for one week starting on October 24.
Gorecore: “Re-Animator”
Herbert West has a good head on his shoulders… and another one on his desk! Our “Gorecore” series ends with Stuart Gordon’s H.P. Lovecraft adaptation “Re-Animator,” the story of a medical student West (Jeffrey Combs) who creates a formula to bring the dead back to life. When his discovery is dismissed, West sets out to prove that it works—and creates more trouble than he could ever imagine.
October 24, at 8:30 p.m.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
Give yourself over to absolute pleasure on October 25 when we screen “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” presented with BIFF and No Comply Foods! Celebrate the ultimate midnight movie with this interactive screening that marries live theater and the movies together during this story of a wayward couple (Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick) who stumble upon the estate of the liberated mad-scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) on the night his grand invention comes to life.
Preshow costume contest! Prop bags provided by No Comply!
October 25, at 9 p.m.
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Our “1975 at 50” series continues with that year’s runaway Oscar winner, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”! Jack Nicholson stars in this adaptation of Ken Kesey’s beloved novel as R.P. McMurphy, a convict who feigns mental illness in an attempt to avoid a prison sentence, only to end up in the care of stern authoritarian Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). As McMurphy attempts to liberate his fellow patients, he and Ratched engage in a battle of wills that consumes them both.
October 26, at 4:30 p.m.
The New Hard-Boiled: “Klute”
“The New Hard Boiled: The Birth of American Neo-Noir” continues on October 29 and November 1 with “Klute,” Alan J. Pakula’s atmospheric thriller about a private detective (Donald Sutherland) who turns to Bree, a high-priced call girl (Jane Fonda, in an Oscar-winning role), to help find a missing person who may also be her stalker. Swirling with the Watergate-era paranoia that became Pakula’s trademark with movies like “The Parallax View” and “All the President’s Men,” don’t miss your chance to see this classic noir on the big screen!
October 29, at 7 p.m. and November 1, at 5 p.m.
“The Night of the Hunter” with Live Score
We are thrilled to have Vaguely Pagan join us to perform a new live musical score to “The Night of the Hunter” on October 30! Robert Mitchum stars as a serial killer posing as a preacher who seduces a widow and terrorizes her children in pursuit of money hidden by their father. A stylish and evocative thriller that has influenced generations of filmmakers, this is a one-of-a-kind screening with new music from Vaguely Pagan designed to complement the stark orchestration and hymns of the film.
October 30, at 8 p.m.
