Two children awaken in the middle of the night to find their father is missing, and all of the windows and doors in their home have vanished. Kyle Edward Ball’s debut feature has the internet buzzing, being hailed as a generation-defining horror film and resulting in sold-out shows and passionately polarizing reviews from critics and audiences alike. Filmed in Ball’s actual childhood home in Edmonton, Canada, Skinamarink captures a nightmare like never before. (more…)
A quintessential horror-comedy from the ’80s, Night of the Comet stars Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney as sisters Reggie and Sam Belmont, two Valley Girls who must unleash their inner action heroine when they’re pursued by zombies and evil scientists after a comet vaporizes much of Los Angeles. Since its release, the film has become beloved for its lighthearted tone, pure ’80s style, and the pair of badass women at the heart of it all, Reggie and Sam, who would later influence the creation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s titular character. (When Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney revisited the movie in 2013 for its Blu-ray release, Stewart remarked, “Who gets to do this kind of stuff? Shop in a store in the middle of the night, try on a bunch of clothes, and get in a firefight with a bunch of zombies? It’s the best!”) (more…)
Every month, Establishing Shot brings you a selection of films from our group of regular bloggers. Even though these films aren’t currently being screened at the IU Cinema, this series reflects the varied programming that can be found at the Cinema and demonstrates the eclectic tastes of the bloggers. Each contributor has picked one film that they saw this month that they couldn’t wait to share with others. Keep reading to find out what discoveries these cinephiles have made, as well as some of the old friends they’ve revisited. (more…)
Leonor Reyes was once a groundbreaking figure in the Filipino film industry during its ragtag action cinema glory days, but now she struggles with old age, mounting bills, and the untimely death of her son. While revisiting an unfinished script about a fearless protagonist trying to avenge his brother’s murder, Leonor is struck on the head by a falling television set and knocked into a coma. As she lays unconscious in the hospital, fantasy and reality begin to blur when Leonor finds herself awake inside her script, becoming the hero of her own story.
Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Innovative Spirit at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, Leonor Will Never Die is the wondrous debut of writer/director Martika Ramirez Escobar and, according to RogerEbert.com, “reaffirms how ingenious the medium can be in the grasp of the right artist.” (more…)
In the Bolivian highlands, an elderly Quechua couple has been living a tranquil life for years until a drought threatens everything they know. While trying to decide whether to stay in the life they’ve always known or move in with family in the city, another complication arises with the arrival of their grandson, who comes to visit with news.
The gorgeous and poignant debut feature by photographer-turned-filmmaker Alejandro Loayza Grisi, Utama is lensed by award-winning cinematographer Barbara Alvarez (Lucrecia Martel’s The Headless Woman), won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and is Bolivia’s official submission to the 95th Academy Awards. Acclaimed by critics far and wide — including The New York Times, Deadline, Variety, RogerEbert.com, and Time Out — Utama will be playing at IU Cinema this Friday and Saturday! (more…)
From the visionary mind of writer/director Brandon Cronenberg (yes, son of David and, as Film School Rejects quipped, “a bloodied and bruised chip of flesh off the ol’ body horror block”), Possessor is about an elite corporate assassin (Andrea Riseborough) who uses brain-implant technology to take over other people’s bodies in order to execute high-profile targets. Her latest assignment becomes her most dangerous one yet, though, when she becomes trapped inside a mind that threatens to obliterate her. Called by the Guardian “an ultra-violent sci-fi-horror freak-out that will probably have you hiding your face in your hands,” you won’t want to miss this impressive thriller when it plays at IU Cinema this Friday! (more…)
