all movies alphabetical | Offscreen
11 Minutes
What do a jealous husband, his sexy wife, a sleazeball director, a drug trafficker, a team of paramedics, a female student and a flock of nuns on their lunch break have in common? They are all pawns in Jerzy Skolimowski’s carefully constructed network narrative that highlights eleven climactic minutes.
3 Women
Quiet Pinky finds a job in a health spa for the elderly. She is taken under the wing of ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’, her co-worker and soon-to-be roommate. The two develop a tight-knit bond that becomes increasingly dissociative and claustrophobic. Trance-like and surreal, Altman’s film resembles a waking dream.
42nd street forever conference and panel
Grindhouse cinema is dead... or is it? Although most of its exhibition venues disappeared long ago and the 'true' grindhouse films are no longer produced, these six talks and an industry panel discussion will examine the continued importance of the grindhouse and exploitation in contemporary cinematic culture. All talks will be in English.
A la Recherche de l'Ultra-Sex
High up in their spaceship circling the earth, a team of astronauts watches helplessly on as a pandemic turns the world population into sex-crazed lunatics. This new film by the pranksters of “Message à Caractère Informatif” dubs an amalgam of vintage porn clips with a hilarious new audio track.
A Lizard in a Woman's Skin
The prim and proper housewife to a successful lawyer condones the loose morals of her promiscuous next-door neighbour, but is secretly excited by her hedonistic lifestyle. Unwillingly, she becomes the prime suspect in the police investigation of her murder. A tantalizing, psychosexual giallo by Lucio Fulci.
Basket Case
“What's in the basket?” Everyone asks Duane that same question when he arrives in New York and checks in at the sleazy Hotel Broslin. But what exactly is in that basket? Duane's malformed Siamese twin brother Belial! Together they want to seek revenge on the surgeons who separated their bodies.
Bone Tomahawk
A search party for two missing villagers lands a gang of cowboys in the nest of a cannibalistic caveman tribe. This explosive debut film from up-and-coming prodigy S. Craig Zahler is a blood-soaked horror western that is carried by a range of cult actors, with Kurt Russell taking the lead.
Brain Damage
A worm-like parasite named Aylmer latches into Brian's neck and offers to inject his brain with a hallucinogenic fluid, giving him pleasurable psychedelic experiences. But the catch is, to keep the high, Brian has to feed Aylmer his favourite food... human brains! A twisted and highly regarded cult film.
Chasing Banksy
Henenlotter's latest film is an engaging comedic drama based on true facts. Three friends travel from Brooklyn to post-Katrina New Orleans to steal a unique mural by Banksy. Not out of admiration of his work, but because of the neat million dollars they're convinced it's worth to art collectors.
Cineketje
Psychological drama's, nerve-wracking thrillers and horror films: but what about the children? Offscreen does not forget the little ones and offers a moment of tranquility, in collaboration with Filemon.
Corruption
A business man stumbles upon a string of erotic encounters in a seedy, dilapidated building in New York. The color-coded rooms read as a variation of the circles of hell. Is he trapped in Purgatory or the victim of a real plot? A decidedly Lynchian blue movie from notorious cult director Roger Watkins.
Crumbs
The African plains are dominated by a hovering spacecraft. In this contemplative afro-futuristic sci-fi film, Michael Jackson, Nazi’s and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles make up the ingredients that chain a love story to surreal, political antics, set in the unusual landscape of post-apocalyptic Ethiopia.
Der Fan
Teenage infatuation takes a turn for the worse when Simone becomes obsessed with her favourite pop star. She hunts down her idol and gets physically acquainted. When “R” turns cold Simone swears vengeance. A cult classic of unrequited love with controversial nude scenes and an excellent soundtrack.
Don't Deliver us from Evil
Catholic schoolgirls Anne and Lore smoke cigarettes, read dirty magazines and rile up the local priest – all in the name of Satan. Their souls are irretrievably lost when seducing and butchering simpletons becomes part of their wicked ways. This disturbing but poetic film was blacklisted when it first came out.
Embrace of the Serpent
A terminally ill explorer pins his last hope for salvation on the healing power of a rare medicinal plant in the Amazon. A shaman leads him on his quest. Shot in striking black-and-white photography, the spiritual quality of their journey calls to mind Werner Herzog, Miguel Gomes and “Apocalypse Now”.
Et ma Soeur ne pense qu'à ça
One of the first attempts in Belgium to make sexploitation – by director Henri Xhonneux (“Téléchat”, “Marquis”) using an American sounding alias – is a twisted story about two sisters struggling with their libido. Its German title “Die Pornoschwesterns” leaves little to the imagination.
Evolution
The sole inhabitants of a mysterious island are women and little boys. Ten-year-old Nicolas starts to ask questions and digs up frightening answers. Hadzihalilovic’s latest film creates a phantasmagoric nightmare world where beauty intertwines with the grotesque, her poetic vision painted by Belgian cinematographer Manuel Dacosse.
Evolution (second screening)
The sole inhabitants of a mysterious island are women and little boys. Ten-year-old Nicolas starts to ask questions and digs up frightening answers. Hadzihalilovic’s latest film creates a phantasmagoric nightmare world where beauty intertwines with the grotesque, her poetic vision painted by Belgian cinematographer Manuel Dacosse.
Fatal Attraction
In the 1980s, this psychological thriller was on everyone’s lips. A happily married man (Michael Douglas) has a brief affair with a business partner (Glenn Close). The momentary flames of passion have dire consequences in a wild mind game where every single minute brings a shocking turn of events.
Frankenhooker
When Jeffrey's fiancée is chopped to pieces by a lawnmower, he uses his dubious medical knowledge to try to bring her back to life. He reassembles his beloved Elizabeth using the body parts of New York's finest prostitutes, and resurrects her during a heavy lightning storm. A horror comedy classic!
Heart of a Dog
What at first seems to be a portrait of Laurie Anderson's musically gifted terrier Lolabelle, grows into a touching yet playful reflection on mortality, our present society and the death of her partner Lou Reed. A personal meditation that's variously funny, heart-warming, moving and deeply spiritual.
High-Rise
A young doctor moves into his new apartment in an enormous tower block, where the poor tenants stay on the lower floors, while the upper classes party it up on the top. Social lines begin to blur in a look at a microcosm of a world gone mad. Brit rebel Ben Wheatley takes on J.G. Ballard’s classic dystopic novel in a hyper-stylised pitch-black satire.
High-Rise (second screening)
A young doctor moves into his new apartment in an enormous tower block, where the poor tenants stay on the lower floors, while the upper classes party it up on the top. Social lines begin to blur in a look at a microcosm of a world gone mad. Brit rebel Ben Wheatley takes on J.G. Ballard’s classic dystopic novel in a hyper-stylised pitch-black satire.
I drink your blood
Charles Manson meets “Night of the Living Dead” when rabid, drug-infested hippies go on a blood-crazed killer spree in this wildly demented and unrelentingly violent shock film. One of the first films to be rated X for violence and a true grindhouse classic – shown in its rare uncensored version!
Innocence
Deep in a dark, dense forest lies a mysterious boarding school for girls, where young Iris is greeted by her new classmates. The girls are forbidden to leave the grounds, but hold secret nightly meetings. A highly atmospheric, metaphoric and provocative view on the female metamorphosis from child to woman, where the only certainty is that innocence must eventually come to an end.
La Plus Longue Nuit du Diable
Belgian documentary filmmaker and teacher Jean Brismée's sole work of fiction is an excellent excursion into horror. Italian beauty Erika Blanc is a wonderfully creepy succubus as she sets out to seduce and kill seven travellers who seek shelter in a secluded old castle in the Black Forest.
Labyrinth
An afternoon screening for the whole family in which we undertake a fantastic voyage to the wonderful world of Jim Henson (“The Muppet Show”). When the 16-year old Sarah (Jennifer Connely) gets frustrated by her crying baby brother Toby, she calls out for goblins to take him away. Surprisingly, the goblins actually show up and kidnap Toby to their kingdom...
Le Journal Intime d'une Nymphomane
In search of pleasure and excitement, Linda heads off to the big city. But these luxuries come at a price: addiction, prostitution and sexual abuse lie in wait. She casts off men and finds solace in the arms of a lesbian countess. Sex, drugs and psychedelic rock in this sexploitation film by Jess Franco.
Leave her to Heaven
Richard is a novelist who rushes into marriage with beautiful socialite Ellen. Their fairytale turns to nightmare when Ellen reveals a mean streak. Morbidly jealous and desperate for attention, she allows no competitors for Richard’s love. A favourite of Martin Scorsese: ‘the perfect film noir – in technicolor’.
Let Me Die a Woman
Full-on exploitation mayhem made by the legendary Doris Wishman (“Deadly Weapons”, “Blaze Starr goes Nudist”) under the pretense of a serious documentary on transsexuality and sex change operations. One of the most jaw-dropping and unclassifiable films ever to ooze forth from the 70's grindhouse.
Let's Scare Jessica to Death
Having recently been released from a psychiatric hospital, Jessica longs for a new beginning. She isolates herself in the countryside with her husband and a few friends. But is she safe from the aftermath of her mental illness? This chilling and unconventional ghost story doubles as an existential parable.
Mademoiselle
Jeanne Moreau is the visiting schoolteacher of a sleepy French village. Unable to quell her passion for destruction, she gives in to seemingly random acts of violence. A singular contribution to the British New Wave Cinema, shot in ominous and mesmerizing black and white photography.
Marnie
Sean Connery falls head over heels for Tippi Hedren. The fact that she’s a compulsive kleptomaniac is just a side note to her charm. Hitchcock’s film belongs to both the crime and mystery genre and delves into a rich thematic array of sexual and psychological disorders.
Matinee: Bye Bye Birdie
A nostalgic trip back to the Golden Age of cinema: the Sunday afternoon Matinee screening for all ages. Welcomed by old school hostesses, treat yourself to ice cream and a vintage sixties extravaganza in glorious CinemaScope and Technicolor!
May
Some girls go for swag, but May goes for body parts: her new beau has the perfect set of hands. He likes her because she’s weird. But how weird is 'too weird' when your girlfriend is a ruthless psychopath? “May” is both a horror film and the story of a girl who desperately wanted to belong.
MS .45
Cult actress Zoë Lund as an avenging angel of death in Abel Ferrara’s revenge thriller that treads a fine line between arthouse and exploitation. After she is raped on two consecutive occasions, Thana makes it her mission to gun down any man that comes close. The streets of New York are dangerous ground!
Out of the Blue
Rebellious Cebe feels abandoned by everyone. Father is in jail, mother is a junkie. Even Elvis is dead. A raw character study of a confused teenager drenched in grimy punk ethos. This spiritual follow-up to “Easy Rider” is a lost masterpiece by director Dennis Hopper - shown on a brand new 35mm print!
Possession
Their marriage in pieces, Anna and Mark's tense relationship has become a psychotic descent into screaming matches, violence and self-mutilation. The unhinged woman takes on a secret affair with a demonic, tentacled creature... A deeply unsettling experience, this psychotronic classic is not to be missed.
Pretty Poison
Gamine fatale stirs up trouble in this sweet but sour sixties’ neo-noir. Ex-convict and pathological liar Dennis (Anthony Perkins) tries to string beautiful high school girl Sue Ann (Tuesday Weld) along in a make believe story of secret agents and spy missions. But Sue Ann has plans of her own…
Repulsion
Carol (a twenty-year-old Catherine Deneuve) comes undone when her sister goes away for the week. Dull-eyed and distressed, she holes herself up in the vacant apartment. Polanski’s breakthrough film is a cinematic tour de force, a claustrophobic psycho thriller and a terrifying case study of female anxiety.
Safe
One of the most remarkable horror features of the 90's crawls under your skin with very little bloodletting. An all-American housewife (Julianne Moore) is led to believe she’s overtly sensitive to environmental toxins. Todd Haynes (“Carol”) blends his take on paranoid delusion with sun-drenched photography.
Seance on a Wet Afternoon
This British gem benefits from the Method-inspired acting of its female protagonist. An unbalanced woman who believes she's a medium, concocts a scheme by kidnapping a rich man’s daughter. While her weak-willed husband takes care of the dirty work, she offers her clairvoyant services to the girl’s parents…
Shock
With the emotional support of a new man in her life, Dora tries hard to settle back into the house she used to share with her late husband but fails to pick up her routine. The walls breathe with a disquieting presence that seems to immediately infect Dora’s son… The last film by the legendary Mario Bava.
Short films by Lucile Hadzihalilovic
Three short films by Lucile Hadzihalilovic: La Bouche de Jean-Pierre (1996), Good Boys use Condoms (1998) and Nectar (2014)
Shortscreen
For the annual Shortscreen program, Offscreen and website Kortfilm.be present a selection of recent Belgian short films that fit the Offscreen criteria: original, unusual, bizarre and surprising. The films will be introduced by the filmmakers!
Singapore Sling
A symphony of the foul and the fair that savours disgust: a man searches for his lost love and falls victim to a mentally deranged mother/daughter pair in their secluded mansion. He becomes a pawn in a game of sexual domination and torture. An aesthetically pleasing atrocity exhibition, soaked in bodily fluids!
Sisters
A film that set the stage for the rest of Brian de Palma's career: full of references to Alfred Hitchcock, with an ominous soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann and inspired use of split screen. De Palma took a definite turn to the suspense genre after this macabre Freudian thriller on two murderous twin sisters.
Suddenly, Last Summer
When a surgeon is called in to perform brain surgery on a young woman (Elisabeth Taylor) undergoing psychiatric treatment, he digs into her case history and uncovers the horrible truth. A dark classic with a queer interest and base notes of prostitution and incest, based on a play by Tennessee Williams.
That's Sexploitation!
Frank Henenlotter joins legendary film producer David F. Friedman on a tour through the colourful history of sexploitation: arcade loops, “educational” sex hygiene pictures, nudie cuties plus all of the variations in-between, illustrated by some of the strangest clips from the Something Weird archives.
The 1000 Eyes of Dr Maddin
Often given the moniker of ‘the Canadian David Lynch’, this documentary walks you through the mystery of Maddin with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with his most important stars and sympathizers (Isabella Rossellini, Udo Kier, Kenneth Anger). Awarded at the Venice Film Festival.
The Baby
A social worker gets entangled with a twisted family whose only son is still in diapers. Kept under the thumbs of his domineering mother and malevolent sisters, twenty-year-old ‘Baby’ seems condemned to his cot. A striking finale tops off this deliciously perverse freak show that has to be seen to be believed.
The Forbidden Room
The result of Maddin’s interactive ‘Séances’ is a lengthy fever dream that journeys into the centre of the director’s own cinematic universe. Multi-layered, tongue-in-cheek and surreal: a torrent of images and scenes that takes its visitors on a hazy ride to the other side of the looking glass.
The Mafu Cage
Cissy and Ellen are the offspring of a deceased primatologist. For all their differences, the two are incestuously close. Cissy is a feral brat who spends all of her time in a cage, Ellen the conductor orchestrating the madness. The man that enters their universe, had better thought twice…
The Room
This is it: the first concoction from a director with the ambition of Orson Welles and the talent of Ed Wood. The result is a “so bad it’s good” movie turned worldwide cult phenomenon à la Rocky Horror Picture Show. Bring your plastic spoons and pillows for this ultimate in guilty pleasures!
Toys are not for Children
Jamie is the child of a broken home. She marries her well-meaning first love but is haunted by ghosts of the past. She turns to prostitution to act out her girlish fantasies with older men. A perverse Oedipal narrative that is sleazy but heartfelt and epitomizes exploitation at its finest.
Trouble Every Day
American couple Shane and June go to Paris on their honeymoon. Little does June know that her hubby has a secret. He's looking for the man who infected him with a virus that makes him lust after human flesh. A dark and brooding drama that feeds on eroticism, starring Vincent Gallo and Béatrice Dalle.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
An old mansion in the Hollywood Hills provides the backdrop for a grotesque battle of wills. Bette David plays former child star Baby Jane Hudson, a spoiled and rotten alcoholic who gets a kick out of terrorizing her invalid sister (Joan Crawford). The ultimate camp comedy on sibling rivalry!
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