Lords of Chaos
It’s a diverse week of offerings on Memphis cinema screens.
Tonight, Crosstown Arts’ current resident artist Pierre Primetens will curate a selection of short films from Portugal. It’s a free show, but you can RSVP at the Indie Memphis website.
Tomorrow, Wednesday March 20, at Malco Ridgeway, Lords of Chaos makes it Memphis debut. The long-gestating film is an adaptation of the book by the same name that tells the story of of the birth of black metal in Norway in the late 80s/early 90s. Rory Culkin stars as Euronymous, the founder of Mayhem, a band which started out in the traditional fashion of a bunch of misfits trying to make a mark by creating a new sound. But in the band house near Krakstad, Norway, things got strange and dark quickly. When Mayhem’s first vocalist Per “Dead” Ohlin was found dead of an apparent suicide, Euronymous used the crime scene photos of his friends dead body as an album cover, and made chunks of his skull into jewelry. Members of the musical movement started a record label, burned Christian churches, and engaged in high profile blood feuds. In 1993, Euronymous was stabbed to death by Varg Vikernes, a musician on his label who killed him either for Satanic religious reasons or over a dispute about record royalties, depending on which source you believe. The film adaptation of the story is directed by Jonas Akerlund, who himself played in the proto-black metal band Bathory before moving on to direct music videos like Madonna’s “Ray Of Light” and the legendary “Smack My Bitch Up” for Prodigy. Tickets are available on the Indie Memphis website.
Black Metal Chaos, A Return to the Abyss, and Gregory Peck on Memphis Film Screens This Week
Across town at the Paradiso on Wednesday, the anime feature Made In Abyss: Journey’s Dawn premieres. It’s a sequel film to the series that was a breakout hit in Japan last year.
Black Metal Chaos, A Return to the Abyss, and Gregory Peck on Memphis Film Screens This Week (3)
Sunday March 25 at the Paradiso, TCM hosts a screening of the classic adaptation of the Harper Lee novel To Kill A Mockingbird. Gregory Peck got a Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Atticus Finch. In this clip, you’ll see 10-year-old Mary Badham as Scout, who, in 1962, became the youngest person to ever be nominated for an acting Oscar. (She was eventually dethroned a decade later by Tatum O’Neil, who won at age 9 for Paper Moon.)
Black Metal Chaos, A Return to the Abyss, and Gregory Peck on Memphis Film Screens This Week (3)
See you at the movies!
