Underground Cinema
The 1990s’ answer to Indiana Jones kicks off Underground Cinema 2024
This year’s programme launches with a 25th anniversary screening of The Mummy! Brendan Fraser leads a stellar cast in this delightfully dark blockbuster that deftly blends swashbuckling action-adventure with skin-crawling comedy-horror - stick to the lit path as you enter the Caves, and mind the scarab beetles…
Seventy years since the King of the Monsters first roared
Saturday’s matinee screening at the Underground Cinema is Ishirō Honda’s original Godzilla film. Almost 40 films and seven decades later, the franchise is as unstoppable as the kaiju itself - join us for this special opportunity to view its very first screen outing in an HD restoration of the original Japanese masterpiece.
“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room…”
Saturday’s Underground Cinema selections explore dystopia and the darker side of the human psyche, and where better to begin than a 60th anniversary screening of Dr Strangelove? Stanley Kubrick’s satirical magnum opus is somehow as equally hysterical, chilling and relevant now as it was upon its release, and it remains a must-see for any cinema fan.
The nightmarish novel’s big screen adaptation is a must-watch
Our dystopian films at Redcliffe Caves continue with a 40th anniversary screening of Nineteen Eighty-Four (aptly released in 1984!). John Hurt shines in this chilling adaptation of George Orwell’s infamous novel, which also features Richard Burton in his final film role.
Three decades on, Stone’s satirical shocker still hits hard - and takes no prisoners
Saturday’s programme continues with one of the most controversial and original films of the 1990s, Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers. This shocking study of crime and violence - and the media’s obsession with them - is a bleak and bloody deep dive into the darkest corners of the soul; its whirlwind, psychedelic editing and high-octane soundtrack help make it an exhilarating and unforgettable watch that will linger long in the memory!
The film that still gets people talking - didn’t they learn the rules…!?
Saturday’s programme of dark and dystopian films concludes with a 25th anniversary screening of David Fincher’s infamous Chuck Palahniuk adaptation Fight Club. This cult sensation remains a subject of debate to this day, but it still packs a punch and remains a visceral viewing experience a quarter of a century on.
The grandfather of B-movies is big on bugs
Sunday’s matinee screening is Them!, one of the first ‘nuclear monster’ films of the 1950s, and the first film to use insects as the monster. Seven decades on, this Oscar-nominated creature feature remains a highlight of B-movie history.
David Lynch + Frank Herbert = the definition of cult cinema
Our double bill of films featuring monstrous worms continues with David Lynch’s adaptation of Dune, one of the most iconic sci-fi novels ever written. With the new films reviving interest in Frank Herbert’s magnum opus, revisit the original screen adaptation for its 40th anniversary - just remember to walk without rhythm, and it won’t attract the worms…
Can you learn to dance the Magic Dance before the clock strikes thirteen?
In what has become Underground Cinema tradition, watch Jim Henson’s magical musical adventure Labyrinth at Redcliffe Caves. Get ready to dance the magic dance, and follow Sarah deep into the Goblin King’s realm where nothing can be taken at face value…
Open the door to another world with this adult gothic fairytale masterpiece
The Underground Cinema series concludes with the dark fairytale masterpiece – and firm festival favourite – Pan’s Labyrinth. Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece seamlessly blends a surreal and sinister mythical realm with the harsh realities of the Spanish Civil War’s immediate aftermath.