THE BRAIN 1988
A giant mutant brain terrorizes Canadians at Christmastime! BUT THAT’S ONLY THE BEGINNING!! A group of teens stumble on a mad scientist (David Gale, RE-ANIMATOR) who is attempting to control people’s minds via a public access TV show. And this somehow leads to a goop-filled, multi-tentacled mutant brain that eats a guy, throws a woman out of a window, and forces neighbors to commit chainsaw murders. Combining teen angst from OVER THE EDGE, conspiracy theories that out-strange STRANGER THINGS, and monster effects that feel like outtakes from KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE, THE BRAIN is a one-in-a-zillion trash-horror treasure chest. This movie also features one of the greatest lines of dialogue that you’ll hear this year: “You think you’re in America? Well, you’re not -- you’re in high school!”​
Thursday, December 19
Director: Ed Hunt
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Starring: Tom Bresnahan, Cynthia Preston, David Gale​
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Runtime: 94 min., USA
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Language: English
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Director: Luigi Bazzoni
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Starring: Franco Nero, Silvia Monti, Wolfgang Preiss​
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Runtime: 92 min., Italy
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Language: English
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THE FIFTH CORD 1988
The success of Argento’s THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE ushered in a wave of new, modern takes on the giallo thriller. Some rose above the crowd thanks to skillful execution and stylistic experimentation. Case in point: THE FIFTH CORD, which, in the hands of director Luigi Bazzoni (LE ORME, THE POSSESSED), turns a conventional premise into a visually stunning exploration of alienation and isolation.
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When a man barely survives a brutal assault en route home from a New Year’s party, washed-up, whisky-swilling journalist Franco Nero (DJANGO) is assigned to the case. Before long, the maniac strikes again, this time with fatal results. As the body count rises, Nero is under suspicion himself, making it even more imperative that he crack the case. His only clue: black gloves found at the location of every attack, each with a finger cut off...