Mandy

press release: SAT., 9/29, 4 p.m. & 7 p.m.

USA | 2018 | DCP | 121 min.

Director: Panos Cosmatos

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache

In a remote mountain community in 1983, Red Miller (a quintessentially nutty Cage performance) and his beloved Mandy (Riseborough), must face off against an army of ravaging pagans and motorcycle-riding hellborn creatures. One of the most acclaimed and controversial films from this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Mandy is a mad fever dream that reveals the stunning, singular talents of director and co-screenwriter Cosmatos, who, in his own words, is “obsessed over the minutiae of heavy metal, fantasy art, science fiction, and horror films.” “Were scientists to engineer an uncut, 100-proof cult sensation, it would probably look, sound, and kick like this” (A.A. Dowd, A.V. Club).

Premiere Showcase is the Cinematheque’s effort to bring the boldest and most exciting new cinema back to the big screen. Crafted with the same curat­orial acuity we bring to our repertory series, Premiere Showcase presents exciting new work by contem­porary directors that would otherwise have no theatrical venue in the area. Our selections for this calendar include two acclaimed films from this year’s Sundance Film Festival: the Zellner Brothers’ Western comedy Damsel and Panos Cosmatos’ visionary revenge fantasy Mandy, starring a delightfully unhinged Nicolas Cage. Also in September, Casting is a new German movie that exposes the sometimes harmful casting process for a remake of a Fassbinder classic. Plus, Egyptian filmmaker Tamer El Said will appear in person to discuss his meta-film about filmmaking In the Last Days of the City, and our annual collaboration with Madison’s Asian-American Media Spotlight brings two films to the Cinematheque: Miao Wang’s documentary Maineland and the contemplative drama August at Akiko’s.

All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.