HEROSTRATUS   1967
Directed by Don Levy
142 minutes
In English

Well this time around we are going to get all weird for an evening, with this landmark experimental film from 1967. This is a narrative film, about a poet who plans a public suicide (as a protest statement against the corruption of society)... but the way the story is filmed is wildly poetic, breaking down all of the assumed stereotypes and conventions of cinema. I guess it should be no surprise that such an original and inventive film should come from someone who has never been to film school, and who actually comes from a background in theoretical science. Over the years, Herostratus has come to be considered the masterpiece of alternative underground British cinema.

Although this is a highly eclectic film, it had a huge impact on more commercial films like Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and Roeg/Cammell's Performance. Herostratus is an over-the-edge, mind-bending journey, and some of its images will haunt you for years. It's rarely ever been screened since its initial showings in the 60s, so this is a very special event. With Helen Mirren, Michael Gothard and the voice of Allen Ginsberg.

"A surreal exploration of the potential endgame of the cynical capitalism behind Swinging London."

Since it is Tuesday, this will be a beautiful high-definition projection