Phew, we’re off to a flying start. We’ve still got bits of zombie blood in our ears and make-up in our eyebrows from our Halloween party, but we’re carrying on. We’ve got no fewer than seven full festival days ahead of us, covering the entire Imagine spectrum – from a documentary on special effects in the 80s to the best genre short films, and from your favourite classics in crisp 4K to the very latest anime. Here’s another list of tips to keep you on track.
Club VHS Pop-up – daily until 7 November from 4pm to 8pm in the LAB111 basement
Sure, streaming is great, but you’re always missing that one film you’re dying for. And who said endless choice is fun? That’s why friends Eli and Ismay started Club VHS, a pop-up video library that’s usually based at Eye, and can now be found at Imagine. With films you can actually hold and stroke. Back to the nineties! You’ll find Club VHS in LAB111, downstairs. Read more about their origin story, their motivations and their own favourite finds in this interview.
Imagine Expanded: The New Flesh – every festival day at Hal West
Imagine Expanded has become a fixture at the festival, offering immersive experiences that go far beyond flat film. Some don’t even need an image at all – take, for example, the literally pitch-black productions from British audio collective Darkfield, three of which can be experienced this year. A total of nine dreams and nightmares to explore at your own pace, in Hal West, opposite the Filmhallen. Check out the full programme on the Expanded-page and in the timetable.
Anime trio: A New Dawn, Grotesqqque and Ghost in the Shell
Anime’s a much-loved part of Imagine. Imagine’s distant predecessor, The Weekend of Terror, once screened Akira – unheard of at the time. An anonymous complainant voiced their displeasure via a leaflet: a non-English-language animated film? Outrageous! Fortunately, times have changed. This year, we’re screening three anime gems: A New Dawn, Grotesqqque and the classic Ghost in the Shell (as part of the festival’s Ghost in the Feed theme). All three can still be seen over the coming days.
Family Fears Another Night of Terror + Q&A – 2 November at 11:30 and 5 november at 19:00 in LAB111
In Family Fears Another Night of Terror, an Argentinian family finds itself in the grip of an undefined threat. Are they living their own lives within invisible walls, or are they helpless puppets in an unknown script? A chilling premise that director Cristian Ponce (whose History of the Occult is also screening at Imagine this year) will tell you everything about during his Q&A’s on 2 and 5 November.
Rubberhead: The Life and Monsters of Steve Johnson – 2 November at 14:00 in LAB111
This documentary is high on our Silver Scream Audience Awards list, and you can still go and see why. Rubberhead takes us on a journey through the history of practical effects, tracing the career of one of the industry’s greats: Steve Johnson. Films he worked on? What about Ghostbusters, An American Werewolf in London, Lord of Illusions, The Abyss, Spider-Man 2. And that’s only five out of more than fifty. Johnson: ‘I just wanted to create fun stuff.’ Mission accomplished, Steve!
International Shorts – four compilations spread throughout the week
For our International Shorts-programme – compiled into four programmes – our programmers have, as ever, selected the very best from the recent international crop of short Fantastic films. From Iran to Sweden, from Spain to Thailand, and plenty of places in between. Old-school ghost stories, feminist horror, absurdist animation and, of course, zombies (but with a twist).
My Bloody Valentine 4K + Q&A – 2 November at 19:00 in LAB111
The pickaxe killer is back! In 1981, My Bloody Valentine was a surprising addition to the slasher genre, causing blood to gush in thick streams through the mine shafts of a remote Canadian village. Naturally, it deserved an uncensored 4K restoration and a place of honour at Imagine – in the presence of director George Mihalka! We also had a brief chat with him in the run-up to the event; read that interview here.
The Glorious Dead + Q&A – 3 and 5 November in LAB111 en Filmhallen
Last year, the Adams Family came to Imagine with Mother of Flies; this year, they’re back with The Glorious Dead. With dad John Adams in the dual role of director and actor, mum Toby Poser as co-director, and daughters Zelda and Lulu Adams in other key roles. Together, they’re taking on a gruesome village mystery: Fargo on acid. John and Toby will join us in person on 3 and 5 November.
One Spoon of Chocolate – 3 November at 21:30 in LAB111
Wu-Tang Clan frontman RZA previously made his mark as an actor and screenwriter, and Wu-Tang always referenced genre films in their tracks and music videos. One Spoon of Chocolate is his directorial debut. The plot is delightfully archetypal: an ex-convict returns to his home village and runs into a racist sheriff and a bunch of bad locals. An explosive mix of grindhouse and blaxploitation.
