X (R)
Ripping into theaters for ONE NIGHT ONLY, Ti West’s modern day slasher classic “X” is back on big screens across the country, featuring a special preview of “MAXXXINE,” the final film in the “X Trilogy,” which follows the deadly exploits of burgeoning movie star, independent pornography icon and Texas Chainsaw style final girl Maxine Minx.
After an incredible 2022, in which “X” and its turn of the century prequel “Pearl,” wowed audiences back to back, West is realizing a level of mainstream appeal rarely allowed an independent horror master. With a filmography of certified indie horror bangers like “House of The Devil,” “The Sacrament” and “The Innkeepers,” West had more than made a name for himself before A24 came calling. Hoping to craft a love letter to the art of filmmaking, West and his crew traveled to Australia to tell the story of a group of upstart pornography producers and performers in the ’70s who picked the wrong farmhouse as their prime location. Featuring a star-making performance from Mia Goth (“Infinity Pool”) and a pre-superstar status Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”), “X” proved that the old slasher formula was still rife for reinvention and capable of offering nuanced, emotional stories therein.
I had never cried during a slasher film before watching “X” in a theater and there are two scenes in particular that eat me up inside to this day. Rest assured there are also rampant mutilations, aggressive animal attacks, and plenty of pitchfork shenanigans to secure the film’s placement as a modern horror standard bearer.
“X” will be playing for ONE NIGHT ONLY at Prytania Theaters at Canal Place on June 18.
THE SEVENTH SEAL (PG)
One of the most haunting and beautiful pieces of filmmaking in history, “The Seventh Seal” is returning to theaters at The Prytania Theatres at Canal Place as a part of their “Prytania Cinema Club” series.
A titanic work of historical fantasy from Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, “The Seventh Seal” follows a knight (Max Von Sydow) as he returns home to Denmark only to find his country smothered by the Black Death. After being approached by Death itself, the knight challenges it to a game of chess, hoping the game will prolong his life long enough to traverse the crumbling remains of his country and accomplish one final meaningful deed.
“The Seventh Seal” is one of those movies that has slipped into the collective unconscious, a film known perhaps by reputation but rarely seen by modern eyes. Its depiction of Death has been parodied (most notably in “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey”) to the point where one might believe this film to be stodgy or muted. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bergman crafts a world in slow decline, where life means little and madness is the encroaching inevitability of death. Set against the backdrop of Medieval Europe, our characters rage against their fate through art, song, and love; all while Death itself is hot on their heels. Post 2020, Bergman’s depiction of a world tearing itself apart while people’s lives continue on is shockingly prescient, with an immediacy that speaks to the eternal power of great art and the inevitability of our own demise.
The final moments from this film have stuck with me for years upon seeing it. They come to me in the dead of night and fill my dreams with dread. What more could you ask from the cinema?
“The Seventh Seal” is playing at Prytania Theatres at Canal Place on June 16 and 19.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (R)
A gateway horror film that terrified and mystified generations, “A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” was the film that crystalized the series’ distinct irreverence, twisted imagination, and cemented Freddy Kreuger among our finest American movie monsters.
Set several years after the events of the original film, “A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” features a new batch of Elm Street Kids sequestered in a mental hospital where they are easy pickings for Freddy. Only with the help of Nancy (returning Heather Langenkamp) and each other can they team up to fight the Dream Demon on his turf, the boundless realm of their own subconsciouses.
With nightmarish special effects, the first on-screen performance from an instantly iconic Patricia Arquette and a script co-written by genre legend Frank Darabont (“The Shawkshank Redemption”, “The Mist”), director Chuck Russell (“The Blob”) is able to conjure a world far grander than the previous entries even attempted while crafting the ultimate vision of Freddy Kreuger; foul mouthed, wise cracking and endlessly entertaining. A bell weather for horror in the late 1980’s, “A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” might just be the pinnacle of its era, not just for the series but the genre as a whole. It certainly has the best THEME SONG.
Presented by Screamfest NOLA & Timecode NOLA, “A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” is playing for one night only, Monday, June 17. Join in the frights and fun with trivia and prizes from the illustrious WaxWork Records and Horror Pack. There’s truly nothing better than watching an iconic film in a room filled with rabid, reverent horror fans.
Get your tickets before they’re gone.
You’ll be glad you did.
“A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” will be playing for ONE NIGHT ONLY at The Broad Theater on June 17.
