Deptford Cinema
Why Sci-Fi? A couple of months ago at Deptford cinema’s weekly public meeting, someone mentioned in passing the idea of showing some Sci-Fi. On the way to the pub, the ideas started to flow and the initial concept grew into a series of screenings. Before last orders we had 4 years’ worth of films on our list. This maybe shouldn’t surprise you: science fiction has produced some of the most memorable cinematic vistas, the strangest creatures, the most creative imagined hypotheticals, as well as conveying some of the most profound messages in film. The genre has also attracted the very best directors; including Terry Gilliam, David Cronenberg, Andrei Tarkovsky (and, er, Nicholas Webster - make sure you don’t miss Santa Claus Conquers the Martians at our Christmas party in December), all of whom feature in our Sci-Fi Sundays programme, and have each used the genre to make beautiful and thought-provoking films. Sci-Fi is such a broad field of filmmaking, it really transcends any single definition – our season includes thrillers documenting the opportunities and perils of time travel (Twelve Monkeys, Time Crimes and Primer) social commentaries exploring the societal implications of our use of science and technology (Homosapiens, THX 1138 and Born in Flames) and reflective philosophical narratives addressing questions of whether we’re alone in the universe (Arrival, Solaris and Contact) or what we value and what makes us human (Frankenstein, Open Your Eyes and Videodrome). Sci-Fi is so broad and wide-ranging it can seem reductive to label this hugely diverse set of films as genre cinema. There is something that the films we are showing have in common though and so another answer to the question ‘why Sci-Fi?’ is that we wanted, with Sci-Fi Sundays, to show films that use the medium to brilliantly and artfully exemplify a deep-seated curiosity about where science and human ingenuity might lead us, and what we might find there.
To celebrate the season, and take full advantage of the opportunities it offers, we’ve planned loads of extra cool stuff alongside the screenings; there will be short films, live podcasts, a quiz in February, an art exhibition and auction in June, and a range of speakers throughout the year to precede, what we hope will be, animated and lively audience discussions of the films and the issues they raise. All of this kicks off on Sunday 28th October with Terry Gilliam’s 1995 time travel classic Twelve Monkeys, which we’re excited to be screening alongside Chris Marker’s rarely-seen 1962 short film La Jetee which inspired Gilliam’s later masterpiece. After the films, we will be celebrating the opening night with a launch party where you can join us for some Sci-Fi cocktails and space-snacks - and maybe share your ideas about how to pick the next years’ worth of films… Deptford Cinema’s Sci-Fi Sundays will be running, the last Sunday of every month. The season is split into themes of Time, Contact, Dystopia and Body; a mixture of classic cinema, cult films and rarely-seen gems.
LOTS OF LOVE THE SCI-FI SUNDAYS CREW xxxx
Deptford Cinema The London Borough of Lewisham was one of only two London boroughs with no dedicated cinema when Deptford Cinema opened in 2014. Deptford Cinema is a not-for-profit community led project that decided it was time to make this change, with the building of a new venue for film and arts on Deptford Broadway. Cinema should be for everybody, more often, and that’s the ethos of Deptford Cinema, providing interesting cinema, that’s also accessible. Deptford Cinema has been built by the community, for the community. The programming of all films, exhibitions, performances, parties and other events is open to everybody. Deptford Cinema is a community based and community focused volunteer-run organisation that operates by means of a participatory structure. Every week decisions about our programme are made collectively by consensus. All you have to do is come to one of our Sunday volunteer meetings held at the cinema at 11am to share your ideas. Although our 40 seat cinema has been open for business for 4 years now we are constantly improving the cinema and there is always work to do. If you think you can help out and would like to get involved and become part of the cinema, it’s easy: come along to one of our Sunday meetings. Discussions and decisions regarding the organisation’s administration, finances, publicity and visual identity are also held and made by consensus during our weekly meetings.
WHERE TO FIND US ONLINE... For the most recent up-to-date information, start at our website. Further events for the season maybe added as the year progresses. Website
deptfordcinema.org
@deptfordcinema
@deptfordcinema
/deptfordcinema
TICKETS The aim of Deptford Cinema is to provide affordable access to cinema for everybody. Unless otherwise stated, our ticket prices are: ÂŁ6.00 ÂŁ4.50 concessions.
book your tickets online by pointing your camera at the code to the right Alternatively you can purchase tickets at the door of the event you wish to attend, provided we have not sold out.
WHERE TO FIND US... The entrance to the cinema is located at 39 Deptford Broadway in Lewisham, London, SE8 4PQ. BY TRAIN The nearest station is the Deptford Bridge DLR stop, a 3 minute walk. Alternatively Deptford (5 minutes), New Cross (5 minutes) and New Cross Gate (15 minutes) overground stations are all within walking distance. BY BUS Bus routes 53, 177, 453, N89, 47 and 225 all stop close to the cinema.
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BY CAR There is a car park which is free to use after 6:30PM behind the cinema on Vanguard Street.
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% Deptford Station (5mins) ! New Cross Station (5mins) ! New Cross Gate Station (15mins)
Deptford Bridge DLR (3mins)
Hand-printed Tote Bags and 14 different Pin Badges available from the Deptford Cinema bar.
TWELVE MONKEYS + La Jetée short_film + LaUNCH PARTY evening_event
_TERRY-GILLIAM_1995_USA_129min_
SUN28_OCT18
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
There’s one filmmaker living today whose films continue to present a world that is repressive and restricted, but whose characters have a perception of reality that takes them - and the audience - to where anything is possible. That filmmaker is Terry Gilliam. After the success of The Fisher King (1991), Gilliam was offered a new project in the shape of Twelve Monkeys, a complex and brilliant screenplay by David Peoples (Blade Runner) and his partner, Janet. The story takes place in the year 2035 and prisoner James Cole (Bruce Willis) is selected by a group of scientists to travel back in time to 1996 to gather information on a deadly virus, which has forced humanity underground. However, Cole accidentally arrives in 1990, and soon finds himself in the company of mental patient Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt) and Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeline Stowe) who he tries to convince of his mission. But has Cole really travelled from the future, or has he ended up in the company of these two because he’s simply lost his mind? Like all great Sci-Fi films, Twelve Monkeys reflects our own reality and it continues to be prescient and ever more important, especially as we find ourselves in a digital age where we struggle to know exactly what is real and what is fake. The film was released in 1996 to critical acclaim and became a box office hit, securing acclaim and A-list status for Gilliam in Hollywood. Both Willis and Pitt play against type and are superb in their roles (Pitt went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor), but what truly holds the film together is Madeline Stowe; the love story between her character and Willis’ is the glue of the film, elevating it above most others from the genre. BILLYBOT___ Go behind the scenes with The Hamster Factor, a fascinating documentary that chronicles the highs and lows of Twelve Monkeys’ production. The filmmakers, Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, went on to document two of Gilliam’s attempts at making The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, with Lost In La Mancha (2002) and more recently with He Dreams of Giants, which is currently in post-production.
LOS CRONOCRÍMENES ‘TIMECRIMES’ + DR. NIKK EFFINGHAM guest_speaker
_NACHO-VIGALONDO_2007_SPAIN_92min_
SUN25_NOV18
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
Héctor and his wife Clara are renovating a country home. Whilst lounging in the garden and scanning the countryside with his binoculars, Héctor spies some interesting things going on in the woods; things he decides to investigate further… It’s hard to give much more of a synopsis for Timecrimes without spoiling the fantastic snowballing story that follows, hopefully you’ll trust us when we say it’s great! Small details and props that at first seem like set dressing eventually become integral as Héctor’s day only gets worse whilst the plot straddles horror, tragedy and comedy and sometimes all three at once when viewed from alternative angles. Shot on a budget of 2.6 million and with a total cast of only four (including director Nacho Vigalondo), Timecrimes is a ‘small film’, but it’s definitely greater than the sum of its parts. The plot quickly ramps up and unravels so make sure you keep your wits about you as you follow Héctor down the rabbit hole… “Like Christopher Nolan’s Memento or Shane Carruth’s Primer, Timecrimes is as elaborately designed as a Persian rug, with early scenes foreshadowing later ones in a manner that’s only truly appreciated on a second viewing. And unlike, say, Lost, Timecrimes has a final pay-off that is satisfying and logical, albeit in a way that gave me a bit of a headache when I began to think about its implications.” - Ryan Lamble, Den of Geek
SAMBOT___ Director Nacho Vigalondo credits the success of Timecrimes to a one-off comic 'Chronocops' by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (the pair behind Watchmen) in 1983’s issue #310 of 2000 AD. Check out Future Shock! The Story of 2000 AD, a documentary that covers the rise of the British comics institution that is 2000 AD. Following that thread, we’d recommend 2012’s Dredd based on the most well-known 2000 AD character.
SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS + THE DREAM FACTORY live_podcast + HOLIDAY PARTY evening_event
_NICHOLAS-WEBSTER_1964_USA_81min_
SUN16_DEC18
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
To be honest, we’ve not seen this film. We do know it has 2.5/10 on IMDb and 24% on Rotten Tomatoes and inhabits prestigious IMDb lists such as ‘Worst movies that i saw’ and ‘Top 25 worst movies of all time in no order’ whilst garnering critic reviews that state ‘There’s no warmth to the movie, no good cheer or happiness…’ and ‘This is, without exaggeration, one of the single worst films ever made, which hasn’t prevented it from becoming a cult classic.’ For once the internet appears to agree on this one thing; by all accounts, this is a terribly bad movie, but luckily for us it’s one that inhabits that so-bad-it’s-good sweet spot. We haven’t seen it so we can’t be sure but we’re reliably informed that Kimar, ruler of Mars, is infuriated that the children on his planet are lazily under the influence of Earth’s pop culture. Kimar orders the kidnapping of Santa Claus in the hope he will be able to pull the Martian children out of their lazy rut… This is a holiday special Sci-Fi Sunday and as such we aren’t just going to invite you in, force a bad movie on you and then throw you back into the wild world. Oh no, we have so much more in store! Joining us for post-film deconstruction, discussion, games, prizes and more will be John and Joel from The Dream Factory podcast – the world’s finest crowdsourced movie production podcast - for a live recording. After both the screening and the podcast recording, join us for a Sci-Fi Holiday party for the remainder of the evening!
SAMBOT___ This won’t be the first time John and Joel have held the hand of a Deptford Cinema audience through a bad movie, nor even of a film about Santa. In December 2015 they screened the Mexican Christmas nightmare, 1959’s Santa Claus followed in April 2016 when they guided us through 2012’s Jurassic Shark.
PRIMER + WHEN DID TIME TRAVEL COME FROM? short_film
_SHANE-CARRUTH_2004_USA_77min_
SUN27_JAN19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
Aaron and Abe are two suits who accidently create a time machine in their garage. Working round the clock for a faceless tech company, they research levitation as a potential money-making venture in their spare time. As their research progresses and their device develops, they stumble across some surprising side effects, ultimately creating a functioning time machine. Once the pair start to use the device both opportunities and problems arise, exposing differences in the friends’ personalities and vision, posing risks for the two friends and their friendship. Legendary for its tiny budget and lo-fi feel, 2004’s Primer is technical, detailed and hyper-realistic. A world away from sleek big budget Sci-Fi Primer is shot in a range of colourless, badly lit locations including boxy kitchens, cluttered garages and an anonymous storage facility. Where other time travel films feature bold, theoretical constructions such as wormholes and faster-than-light space travel (or otherwise rely on unarticulated mechanisms of magic to move their protagonists backwards and forwards through time) Primer’s focus is on the mechanics of the time travel machine itself – ‘the box’ - as a practical feat of engineering and construction, and side effect of scientific innovation. In a similar way, Primer does not present time travel as a slick, futuristic enterprise – moving backwards through time in Primer is claustrophobic, time-consuming and bad for your health (as well as for your relationships). The most distinctive feature of the film though remains it’s famously complex plot, which has spawned a wealth of explanatory diagrams and Youtube videos. A film that really rewards on repeat viewings in order to fully unravel the plot, director Shane Carruth refused to simplify his film, creating a genuinely original piece of work, and a Sundance Grand Jury winner, in the process.
ANNABOT___ Astonishingly Primer cost less than $7,000 to make in 2004 but Carruth took a further nine years to make his second feature, the critically-acclaimed science fiction romance Upstream Color.
ARRIVAL + SCI-FI PUB QUIZ evening_event
_DENIS-VILLENEUVE_2016_USA_116min_
SUN24_FEB19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
After alien spacecraft appear at various locations around the world, linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is brought in by the military to attempt communication. Geopolitical tensions rise as nations disagree on how to tackle the situation and Banks could be the only person that can understand the whole picture. Arrival is another incredible film from one of the great blockbuster directors of our time; Denis Villeneuve, director of Prisoners, Sicario and, possibly the most eagerly awaited sequel of all time, Blade Runner 2049. Arrival is another film within our Sci-Fi Sundays season that is not easily categorised, drawing on ideas from real-world politics relating to conflict, diplomacy and colonialism. It also engages with several classic Sci-Fi motifs and could quite happily sit under at least one of the other season’s sub-themes (those of you who’s seen the film before will know what we mean!). Arrival is distinctive in combining a large-budget feel and stunning special effects with thoughtful direction and nuanced performances from its lead actors. In a similar way, the story told in Arrival plays out both on the grandest of scales and the most personal – as efforts to understand the nature of the alien invasion stall, tensions rise until world peace comes under threat, whilst at the same time Banks, struggling to understand her own responses to the situation, is engaged in private and personal conflict. Arrival was justly awarded the Academy Award for Cinematography; beautifully shot by Bradford Young it’s aesthetic feels authentic and grounded. Describing the visual look of the film as “dirty Sci-Fi” Young sought to recreate the feeling, as director Villeneuve explained, that you had “when you were a kid on the school bus on a rainy day and you’d dream while looking out the window at the clouds.”
SAMBOT___ If the above isn’t enough to sway you, then our favourite youtube video essayist The Nerdwriter sees Arrival as ‘A Response To Bad Movies’. Watch his essay via the code.
SCI-FI PUB QUIZ
Calling all cinephiles! A fully immersive film experience, our take on the pub quiz involves video clips and audio cues, digital pictionary, and other fun and games set in our cinema space. Teams of no more than four and there will be fabulous prizes to be won! The bar will of course be open and we will be serving an extra special film themed quiz cocktail and some tasty space snacks. Entrance - ÂŁ2 per person
SUN24_FEB19
DOORS_19:00 QUIZ_19:30
DEPTFORD CINEMA NEEDS VOLUNTEERS Are you interested in gaining experience working with a vibrant multi-award winning arts organisation? Get involved! FILM PROGRAMMING EVENTS MANAGEMENT BOOK-KEEPING GALLERY CURATION MARKETING & PUBLICITY SOCIAL MEDIA BAR MANAGEMENT BUILDING & D.I.Y.
Come along to one of Sunday meetings at 11AM to get involved. Everyone is welcome!
SOLARIS + CONTACT short_film
_ANDREI-TARKOVSKY_1971_SOVIET-UNION_167min_
SUN31_MAR19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
A space station orbits the oceanic planet Solaris, monitoring and observing the world for signs of life. After a series of strange and impossible reports from the crew members aboard including his friend Dr Gibarian, psychologist Kris Kelvin is sent to the station to determine the wellbeing of the crew and whether the mission should be abandoned. On arrival Kelvin finds the station in a state of disrepair. The remaining crew members are evasive, preoccupied by private matters; his friend, Dr Gibarian, has killed himself. He catches glimpses of other people on the station – occupants who were not part of the original crew. One morning Kelvin wakes to find his late wife, Hari, in his quarters. She has no recollection of how she got there but can remember their life together perfectly. After his initial horror, Kelvin begins to accept her presence, but the uncomfortable question remains: who, or what, is she? One of cinema’s true pioneers, Andrei Tarkovsky made just 7 films over his career but left an indelible mark on the medium. Solaris, released in 1972, is the film in which he came closest to answering a question that had permeated through his entire career: what does it mean to be human? Along with 2001, Solaris is one of the most profound and visionary science fiction films ever made.
ROBORICH___ Solaris was adapted from Stanislaw Lem’s novel of the same name and Tarkovsky would go on to make a masterpiece out of the wonderful novel Roadside Picnic by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky (1979’s Stalker). For Stanislaw Lem, however, Tarkovsky’s work was a failure dismissing it as a film preoccupied with people’s “erotic problems in space”.
CONTACT + PROFESSOR IAN CRAWFORD guest_speaker
_ROBERT-ZEMECKIS_1997_USA_150min_
SUN28_APR19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
Released in 1997, Contact tells the story of Astronomer Dr Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) who works at the SETI program in Puerto Rico as part of a dedicated group of researchers monitoring space for signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life. One day, Arroway’s soothing sounds of space static listening is interrupted when she receives an encrypted signal from the star system Vega, some 26 light-years away. The signal, it turns out, contains the blueprints for an enormous machine, which will presumably transport a single occupant to Vega to meet alien intelligence. Nations fund the construction of the machine and Arroway is eventually selected to be the candidate to travel in it. Science, politics and religion are all put to the test, especially for Arroway who, at 9 years old, lost her faith in God when her father passed away. Since then, her whole life has been leading to this moment and she has no problem in risking her own life in search of ‘contact’. However, others believe she may be risking the life of everyone else by stepping in the machine. Adapted by Carl Sagan’s novel of the same name, Robert Zemeckis (the Back to the Future trilogy) directs with both a sense of patience and clever use of CGI-aided trickery which will leave you questioning “Just how did they do that?”. Jodie Foster is perfect in the role of Arroway; smart, yet pining for the unexplained, and she’s surrounded by good company: Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, William Fletcher and Angela Bassett. In what would become the most critically acclaimed science fiction film about ‘contact’ since Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, some 20 years prior, Contact is not to be missed!
BILLYBOT___ If you enjoyed travelling light-years with Jodie Foster, why not do the same with her co-star Matthew McConaughey in Christopher Nolan’s Sci-Fi Interstellar. Although not the masterpiece Nolan had intended, it’s thought-provoking and is visually awe-inspiring. Wormholes have never looked so enticingly beautiful.
HOMO SAPIENS + DR. CAROLINE EDWARDS guest_speaker
_NIKOLAUS-GEYRHALTER_2016 _SWITZERLAND-GERMANY-AUSTRIA_94min_
SUN26_MAY19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
To launch the Dystopia strand of our Sci-Fi season we want to investigate: what the world be like when we humans have passed on? What will we leave behind? How will nature reclaim her spaces? These are the questions Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s mesmerising documentary answer. From Detroit to Fukushima Geyrhalter finds the places humanity has lost or abandoned; amusement parks, theatres, a cave of rusting cars, hospitals, ghost towns and power stations. The mark we leave on the world will be metal and concrete, strange monuments to ways of life that will depart with us. Geyrhalter’s beautiful and eerie compositions give us time to reflect and to marvel at the strangeness of the industrial world and our effect on the planet. Though not technically a science-fiction film Homo Sapiens presents one of the most compelling depictions of what a dystopian future would likely look like. Though unanimously acclaimed Homo Sapiens failed to receive a cinema release in the UK so we are thrilled to be able to present it on the big screen where it belongs! “For its sheer visual exaltation, this is the most extraordinary documentary I have seen in years.” - Peter Bradshaw, theguardian
ROBORICH___ There is an inherent eeriness in cityscapes devoid of people and it’s proven a popular feature of Sci-Fi films for years. 28 Days Later has the added bonus of featuring a deserted London but other good examples include The Road, and The Quiet Earth.
THX 1138 + ART AUCTION FUNDRAISER evening_event
_GEORGE-LUCAS_1971_USA_86min_
SUN30_JUN19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
Before hope was instilled in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas visited the future in 1971 with his feature-debut THX 1138. Set sometime in the 21st century, the film offers a world where citizens live underground and are controlled by the use of mandatory drugs, altering their minds and suppressing their emotions. Sexual intercourse and the concept of family are prohibited - it’s a future where “love is the only crime”. THX 1138, a loyal factory worker, and LUH 3417, a surveillance centre worker, find themselves developing sexual desires for one another when they secretly reduce their drug intake. They become sexually involved and, having broken the law, are both arrested and it is soon revealed that LUH is pregnant. With their fates sealed, THX is determined to escape - the only question is, can he? Lucas creates a world which, like Star Wars, looks used but here it’s done in an abstract way; the future is clinical yet disturbingly threatening. It’s a world that Lucas would later describe as “being trapped in a case with the door unlocked, but being unwilling or afraid to open the door and go out.” The film is an allegory for the state of the world in the 1970s, an unbridled consumer culture that has lost connection with the natural world and is simply self-contained. Watching this today and seeing the similarities with our own world only makes watching the nightmare experienced by THX and LUH unfold all that more jarring. It’s no wonder the film has gained popularity since its release.
BILLYBOT___ This isn’t the only Sci-Fi Robert Duvall (THX 1138) has starred in. He plays a scientist in charge of cloning in the Arnold Schwarzenegger led SciFi actioner, The 6th Day. The film is neither Duvall’s or Schwarzenegger’s best but it’s fun and explores an avenue that society continues to toy with: cloning. It also features the most terrifying doll anybody would want to own, let alone play with.
SCENES OF SCI-FI 22JUN-30JUN
art auction fundraiser SUN 30JUN doors 19:00
exhibition + ART AUCTION
From Saturday the 22nd of June to Sunday the 30th of June, THE CORRIDOR gallery space at Deptford Cinema will be hosting the SCENES OF SCI-FI exhibition where some of our favourite local artists will be displaying work based upon iconic moments from science fiction. On the evening of the 30th you’ll have the opportunity to bid for these pieces in an art auction fundraiser for the cinema.
WHY NOT HIRE DEPTFORD CINEMA?
You can hire Deptford Cinema for a private screening, a party, a meeting, etc. E-mail info@deptfordcinema.org for more information
BORN IN FLAMES + TBC updates_on_our_website
_LIZZIE-BORDEN_1983_USA_90min_
SUN28_JUL19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
We are delighted to present a rare screening of Lizzie Borden’s radical first feature film. Set in a near-future America where an ostensibly socialist government has achieved power, Born in Flames chronicles the fight against oppressive sexism and racism that still mars a self-proclaimed ‘progressive nation’. Ten years after the Social Democratic War of Liberation a male-dominated government and mass media perpetuate a status-quo that permits harassment, violence and prejudice against women, LGBTQ and people of colour. While pirate radio stations combat the state-sponsored media, and the ‘Women’s Army’ challenge harassment on the streets the fight back against oppression is nonetheless divided and disorganised. However, after the suspicious death of black activist and leader of the Women’s Army, Adelaide Norris, in police custody, the battle between the state and the oppressed intensifies. Presented in a faux documentary style mixing together newscasts, surveillance footage and talkshow clips, Borden produces a far-reaching and prescient film on a very limited budget. Born in Flames burns with a radical intensity; it is a compelling vision of the future and a damning reflection of our own times. It is a film long underseen but which remains as relevant and incendiary as ever.
ROBORICH___ Though Borden uses a largely nonprofessional cast, including many reallife activists and writers, it does feature a rare acting role from Kathryn Bigelow who would go on to be the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar. Bigelow also directed Strange Days, a wickedly mad tech thriller film that we highly recommend!
FRANKENSTEIN + THE ART OF SCI-FI BOOK COVERS short_film
_JAMES-WHALE_1931_USA_70min_
SUN25_AUG19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
The story of Dr Frankenstein, a scientist who cobbles together and animates a monster from parts of dead bodies taken from graves, is one of the best known in fiction. Frankenstein is initially euphoric in successfully creating life, but in spite of his hopes and ambitions for the creature, it is misunderstood and maligned. The monster inspires fear and loathing in those it encounters, as the scientist struggles to contain his creation. Universal Studios’ 1931 film remains the classic cinematic version of Mary Shelley’s novel, easily surpassing remakes of the film in 1973, 1992 and 2015. The image of Boris Karloff (a relatively normal looking person in real life), transformed for the film into an incarnation of the monster that conveys both its power and vulnerability, now occupies genuinely iconic status in horror, science fiction and cinema more broadly. Mary Shelley’s novel was 200 years old in 2018 and it continues to serve as a cautionary tale about the extent to which we should intervene in nature, articulating deeply held anxieties about the pace and power of science, and intuitions about the sacred, ‘God-given’ character of life. Many of these themes resonate today, and Frankenstein is still frequently cited in public conversations about biotechnology, genetic engineering and artificial intelligence.
ANNABOT___ Frankenstein’s monster is one of the most depicted characters in film history appearing as a character in over 50 films, including Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965) and Alvin and the Chipmunks meet Frankenstein (1999)
ABRE LOS OJOS ‘OPEN YOUR EYES’ + DR SILVIA CAMPORESI guest_speaker
_ALEJANDRO-AMENáBAR_1997_SPAIN_117min_
SUN29_SEP19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
Cesar is a wealthy, entitled pretty-boy who inspires envy in those around him. Between cruising in his sports car and holding meetings with the managers of his ample financial trust, he spends his time throwing parties in his high-ceilinged loft apartment and bedding a never-ending string of beautiful women. Superficial and self-interested, Cesar is presented as a victor in the lottery of life. He treats his girlfriends with a cool disinterest and is indifferent to the jealousy of his closest friend, Pelayo, ignoring entirely his feelings when he decides on a whim to pursue the woman his friend is in love with. However, Cesar’s life is abruptly transformed when he is involved in a serious accident and he begins to experience life from a very different vantage point. His life goes on to take a series of strange turns, eventually prompting him to question his friends, his environment and ultimately his own identity. Alejandro Amenábar’s 1997 film is multi-layered and excitingly original; a thriller first and foremost, the story follows a series of twists and turns as Cesar’s strange fate unfolds. Whilst it is clear from early on in the film that things are not entirely as they seem, the line between appearance and reality is not fully clarified until the final moments of the film. Cesar’s story is also a meditation on despair, isolation and identity, articulating the most cynical of perspectives on the effects of beauty on a person’s destiny. Open Your Eyes nevertheless embodies a hopeful optimism in Cesar’s desire for the truth, and, finally, in its hopeful message about the value of human life. The film also works as a wistful romantic drama illustrating the poignancy and peril of obsession, and of lost love.
ANNABOT___ Open Your Eyes actor Penelope Cruz also starred in Vanilla Sky, the inferior American remake that made $200 million worldwide and made Cruz familiar to non-Spanish film audiences in 2001.
VIDEODROME + TBC updates_on_our_website
_DAVID-CRONENBERG_1983_CANADA_87min_
SUN27_OCT19
DOORS_15:00 FILM_15:30
LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH! Max Renn (James Woods, never better) is the controller of a small Cable TV channel that specialises in “softcore porn and hardcore violence”. Renn is constantly on the lookout for new content ripped from the illegal airwaves to deliver to his insatiable audience. His tech pirate, Harlan, picks up glimpses of a channel, seemingly from South America, that seems perfect: Videodrome. It’s a show of shocking and meaningless violence and Renn is determined to have it. But as he starts to investigate where the show comes from he encounters the demented media mogul Brian Convex who wants to use television to rid America of the weak. Not only does Max begin to suspect the violence and murder on Videodrome is real but that there is something more terrifying going on beneath the surface. Because hidden within the Videodrome broadcast is another signal. A signal that seems to do strange things to the human body… Cronenberg was inspired to make this film by contemporary fears that violent video content was damaging viewers. Videodrome imagines a world in which watching extreme content does indeed twist and warp its viewers - but in typical Cronenbergian body-horror fashion, the effects are not just mental, but very physical. Working with legendary special make-up effects artist Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London) Cronenberg creates some of the most iconic and disturbing images in Sci-Fi horror. Though inspired by the analog aesthetic of the VHS era, the fears and anxieties explored in Videodrome are just as relevant in today’s world. ROBORICH___ The undisputed king of body horror he may be but Cronenberg fans can see a different side of him in the underseen Canadian film Last Night. It’s a quieter, bittersweet take on the apocalypse movie and Cronenberg appears in one of his few major actor roles as a selfless power company employee who tries to keep the power running despite the imminent end of the world.
each screening we have a host of extra content.. EXTRAS Accompanying
LA JETéE (1962) short_film
SUN28_OCT18 alongside TWELVE MONKEYS We are thrilled to present a rare big screen outing for Chris Marker’s masterful short film, La Jetée, in which a prisoner in the future is sent back and forth through time to find a way to restore the destroyed world. It has endured as one of the finest short films of all time, even making it to #50 on Sight & Sound’s 2012 poll of the greatest films ever made and was the inspiration for Terry Gilliam’s Twelve Monkeys.
DR. NIKK EFFINGHAM
guest_speaker SUN25_NOV18 alongside TIMECRIMES Besides being an avid cinema goer, Nikk Effingham, reader at the University of Birmingham is a philosopher who specialises in metaphysics. He’s written articles on the philosophy of time, the nature of objects, the nature of properties, philosophical theology, as well as in the philosophy of epidemiology. He is currently finishing a book on the philosophy of time travel, which is under contract with Oxford University Press.
THE DREAM FACTORY
live_podcast SUN16_DEC18 alongside SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS The world’s finest crowd sourced movie production podcast comes to Deptford Cinema for a live recording. After the screening of SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS, Joel and John will be recording a live episode of THE DREAM FACTORY podcast with audience partcipation, games and more. After the podcast we’ll be continuing the festivities into the evening with a holiday party with food, drink and much merryment.
WHEN DID TIME TRAVEL COME FROM? short_film SUN27_JAN19alongside PRIMER A video essay tracing the origins of time travel fiction by The Nerdwriter. Evan Puschak has been making videos as The Nerdwriter since 2011. His videos cover a variety of subjects: film, politics, music, painting, poetry, culture, sociological concepts and more.
CONTACT (2017)
short_film SUN31_MAR19 alongside SOLARIS Stranded on a distant planet, a lonely astronaut sends out a signal in search of human contact. ‘Contact’ a graduation film by Katy Wang, an animation director in London and recent graduate from Kingston School of Art having studied Illustration Animation BA(Hons). In 2017, she was named one of It’s Nice That’s ‘Graduate of the Year’. Her previous work includes the award-winning ‘Mind the Gap’ which she made in her first year of study, in 2015.
PROF. IAN CRAWFORD SUN28_APR19 alongside CONTACT
guest_speaker
Ian Crawford, Professor of Planetary Science and Astrobiology at Birkbeck, is a scientist working in the field of astrobiology and exoplanets, a member of the UK Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Network and a former president of the Society for Popular Astronomy. He has given a number of public talks on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, including a recent highlight at the Royal Institution, and regularly speaks to the media as an expert on the fields of astrobiology, lunar exploration and space science.
DR. CAROLINE EDWARDS guest_speaker SUN26_MAY19 alongside HOMO SAPIENS
Dr Caroline Edwards is Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Birkbeck, University of London. Caroline is currently working on her second book which will consider how fictions of extreme environments (such as Mars, Antarctica, the deep sea and the centre of the earth) have allowed writers to imagine creative responses to real and perceived disasters about climate change, from the late 19th century to the present day.
THE ART OF SCI-FI BOOK COVERS short_film SUN25_AUG19 alongside FRANKENSTEIN
A look at the colourful history of Sci-Fi book covers by The Nerdwriter. Evan Puschak has been making videos as The Nerdwriter since 2011. His videos cover a variety of subjects: film, politics, music, painting, poetry, culture, sociological concepts and more.
DR. SILVIA CAMPORESI guest_speaker SUN29_SEP19 alongside OPEN YOUR EYES
Silvia Camporesi, director of Bioethics and Society Master’s programme at Kings College London, is a bioethicist who researches the ethical and social issues raised by frontier biomedical technologies. She has written papers on a range of topics including, issues associated with medical research, genetic engineering, organ donation and posthumans.
We’ll be adding further extras throughout the year so make sure to check our website regularly for new additions to our 18/19 Sci-Fi Sundays season.
deptfordcinema.org
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18/19 15:00 19:00 15:00 25.11.18 15:00 16.12.18 19:00 27.01.19 15:00 24.02.19 15:00 19:00 31.03.19 15:00 28.04.19 15:00 26.05.19 15:00 30.06.19 15:00 19:00 28.07.19 15:00 25.08.19 15:00 29.09.19 15:00 27.10.19 15:00 28.10.18
TWELVE MONKEYS (1995) + LA JETEE (1962) SCI-FI SUNDAYS LAUNCH PARTY LOS CRONOCRÍMENES (2007) + Guest Speaker Dr. Nikk Effingham SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS (1963) + THE DREAM FACTORY Podcast Live HOLIDAY PARTY PRIMER (2004) + WHEN DID TIME TRAVEL COME FROM? ARRIVAL (2016) SCI-FI PUB QUIZ SOLARIS (1971) + CONTACT (2017) CONTACT (1997) + Guest Speaker Prof. Ian Crawford HOMO SAPIENS (2016) + Guest Speaker Dr. Caroline Edwards THX 1138 (1971) SCI-FI SCENES ART AUCTION FUNDRAISER BORN IN FLAMES (1983) + TBC FRANKENSTEIN (1931) + The Art of SCI-FI Book Covers ABRE LOS OJOS (1997) + Guest Speaker Dr. Silvia Camporesi VIDEODROME (1983) + TBC
39 DEPTFORD BROADWAY SE8 4PQ deptfordcinema.org /deptfordcinema @deptfordcinema