Our full lineup of films for the spooky season.
We’re returning to Arnos Vale Cemetery, Bristol’s very own necropolis, with two days of spine-tingling cinema! Our first film at Arnos Vale this October is a firm festival favourite, the wonderfully witchy Hocus Pocus. The ghoulish Sanderson sisters have been terrorising fans for over 30 years (we know, sorry!) - so to celebrate the start of our 2024 Halloween season, why not reacquaint yourselves with these Salem legends…?
Wednesday’s films at Arnos Vale continue with Angela Carter’s The Company Of Wolves, a moody Gothic re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood, which turns 40 this year. The acclaimed author adapted her own short story for the big screen in this darkest of dark fantasy tales; With its eerie atmosphere, striking imagery, and atmospheric score, this critically-acclaimed film is a must-see for fans of the genre.
Due to massive demand in 2023, we’re bringing the vampire bikers sensation The Lost Boys back to the big screen this October. Devilishly funny as well as creepy, it’s a romp through 80s pop culture that has rightfully earned its place in the ‘cult classics’ pantheon.
We’re concluding our time at Arnos Vale with a double bill of haunted house horrors, starting with The Others, a chilling and elegant ghost story starring Nicole Kidman, who was nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for her star turn as a terrorised mother. It’s an intelligent psychological slow burn that will leave you sleeping with the lights on - and the curtains open…
We’re concluding our time at Arnos Vale this October with a double bill of haunted house horrors - finishing up with The Woman In Black, the film adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel and the West End sensation. After a controversial 12A cinema release, a few seconds of extra footage - and a 15 certificate - have been added to this Hammer-produced hair-raiser that will have you watching through your fingers…
Join us at St Mary Redcliffe this October for a very special anthology screening of some of the earliest horror films ever made. These seldom-screened gems from cinematic history will be accompanied by a live, entirely improvised organ recital by the award-winning composer Dr. David Bednall, blending silent cinema with live music to create a unique performance that promises to add another dimension to these remarkable films.
We’re starting off a trio of Halloween-themed Vintage Screenings with one of the Festival’s favourite films, Taika Waititi’s vampire mockumentary. We’ll be pairing it with some delicious New Zealand wines in homage to the film’s Wellington setting, for what’s becoming a tradition of Halloween Vintage Screenings.
Our second Halloween-themed Vintage Screening is the silver screen adaptation of the late, great Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire. Featuring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and an acclaimed breakout performance from a young Kirsten Dunst, this deliciously dark tale still has bite 30 years on from its release…
On Friday evening, we’re bringing a 20th anniversary screening of the very first Saw film to Redcliffe Caves. It’s spawned a juggernaut of an ongoing franchise, but the fiendishly simple concept of the original is still yet to be topped - you’ll be watching through your fingers and counting your toes…!
Our discounted Matinee Screenings of vintage horror return to the Caves on Saturday and Sunday mornings, starting with the seminal sci-fi chiller Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. Based on Jack Finney’s novel - which turns 70 this year - and shot in a film noir style, this 50s classic is both a gripping extraterrestrial thriller and a wry commentary on McCarthyism, and remains as eerie as ever…
Saturday’s programme at Redcliffe Caves is dedicated to 1984, a fantastic year for cult classic horror releases, so we’re celebrating some 40th birthdays - starting with Gremlins! This cult comedy-horror has its own wicked spin on the festive spirit, making it one of the few films that works well at Halloween or Christmas (or both, if you’re like us!).
The double bill of 1984 Stephen King adaptations continues at Redciiffe Caves. Firestarter is full of searing pyrotechnical special effects, and a young Drew Barrymore provides a memorable turn in this adaptation of one of King’s more thought-provoking sci-fi chillers, which was surely a major influence on Stranger Things.
Our day of 1984 horror films continues with a double bill of Stephen King adaptations. Children Of The Corn is a lo-fi, gruesome tale featuring some of the creepiest children in the horror movie canon; add in a pre-Terminator Linda Hamilton, some beautifully unsettling scenery and some subtle political commentary, and you’ve got a true cult classic!
we’re thrilled to be concluding our trio of Halloween-themed Vintage Screenings with a 50th anniversary screening of Mel Brooks’ frightfully funny comedy-horror spoof. We’ll be pairing it with a flight of wines from Eastern Europe, showcasing countries and varieties that are at last beginning to earn their rightful reputation in the international scene.
The day of 1984 horror classics at Redcliffe Caves continues with Ghostbusters. The franchise is still going strong four decades on, but nothing tops the original - strap on your proton packs and prepare for the Stay-Puftapocalypse!
We’re rounding off our day of 1984 films with a late night screening of one of the most iconic horror films of all time, A Nightmare On Elm Street. The franchise may have put its instantly recognisable villain through the injustices of numerous inferior sequels (and THAT novelty rap) but Freddy Kreuger’s delightfully creepy debut still has the power to haunt your dreams.
For Sunday’s Matinee Screening at Horror In The Caves, we’re thrilled to present a special showing of Cat People, kindly licensed by the BFI. This 2K digital restoration brings out the eerie beauty of this creature feature noir’s stylish shadows and chiaroscuro lighting; it’s a moody and suspenseful alternative to the monster movie shtick of the 1940s, with one of the most celebrated jump scares in history…!
Somehow, it’s already time to celebrate the 10th birthday of The Babadook! This harrowing psychological chiller was part of our very first Horror In The Caves programme way back in March 2016, and we’re excited to bring it back to the Caves for an anniversary screening. Top hats off to first time director Jennifer Kent for this astonishing debut, which is one of the creepiest films of the century so far…
Join us for a 20th anniversary screening of The Grudge in Redcliffe Caves this October. Japanese filmmaker Takashi Shimizu directed this English-language remake of his 2002 hit Ju-On: The Grudge, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Bill Pullman; it’s a deeply unnerving watch with some of the most iconic imagery of early 2000s horror cinema!
If you’re feeling particularly brave this Halloween, enter the Caves for a very special 50th anniversary screening of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, with a stunning digital restoration showcasing this infamous cult classic in all its gory glory. It’s a must-see for any horror aficionado - and for those of you thinking that a 50 year old film can’t be all that bad, don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Another modern classic celebrating its 10th anniversary this year is the haunting It Follows. It’s a wickedly simple premise, executed with aplomb and has a truly nightmarish aura that will linger long in the memory. With a sequel only recently confirmed, and lead actress Taika Monroe currently starring in occult chiller Longlegs, now is the perfect time to catch it - before it catches you…
Due to massive demand, we’ve added an extra screening of The Descent. Tickets always go fast for this, but watching it in the Caves is a truly immersive, and terrifying, experience, and possibly unsuitable for anyone with severe claustrophobia. It’s the ultimate way to experience Horror In The Caves – but you have been warned!
In the build-up to Halloween, we present a 30th anniversary screening of Kenneth Branagh’s blood-soaked adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. This grisly retelling of a true horror classic, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, is one of the more faithful adaptations of the source material, and we’re delighted to screen this restoration from the original negatives in a suitably atmospheric venue this October!
Just in time for Halloween, we’re bringing a double bill of 90s nastiness to the Planetarium, starting with the bombastic Starship Troopers. The irony of Paul Verhoeven’s startling send-up of fascism went over some contemporary critics’ heads, but its cult reputation as an action-packed sci-fi satire endures. Would you like to know more? Then enlist in the brutal battle against the bugs…
Our Halloween season continues with a milestone anniversary screening of one of the few horror movies to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, The Sixth Sense. M. Night Shyamalan’s breakthrough film remains an arresting watch, 25 years on from its release - it’s got chills, thrills and twists that make it an instant pop culture classic!
Just in time for Halloween, we’re bringing a double bill of 90s nastiness to the Planetarium, concluding with the cult horror Event Horizon. Paul W.S. Anderson’s “haunted house in space” movie horrified studio execs with its disturbing imagery; if you’ve never seen this delightfully creepy gem, you’re in for a night that will linger long in the memory…!
We’re thrilled to announce a screening of the 2003 cut of Ridley Scott’s game-changing sci-fi horror Alien. This remastered and reworked cut ratchets up the tension and restores some sequences from the cutting room floor, including one of the most controversial scenes from the entire franchise. It's a futuristic fright-fest and pure cinema genius that deserves to be enjoyed on the big screen just in time for Halloween!
We’re heading to The Station this Halloween for a screening of the film that defines ‘cult classic’! Need we introduce The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Need we encourage you to dress accordingly? Need we ask whether you’re shivering with antici –
– pation?
