This week in genre film: The Room, Perfect Blue and more

Denver's a great place for fans of the big five of genre film (that's sci-fi, fantasy, horror, exploitation and cult), as every week we get a generous helping of selections to choose from. As usual, we're rounding up your options for the weekend to come and the following week, and...

By Cory Casciato

September 9, 2010

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Denver's a great place for fans of the big five of genre film (that's sci-fi, fantasy, horror, exploitation and cult), as every week we get a generous helping of selections to choose from. As usual, we're rounding up your options for the weekend to come and the following week, and making a recommendation of one can't-miss film. This week, we've got the Citizen Kane of bad movies. It's tearing me apart, Lisa!

Pick of the Week: The Room Where: Esquire Theatre, 600 Downing Street When: Midnight Saturday, September 11 only Why?: The Room was released just a few short years ago, in 2003, but it has already attracted a rabid cult of fans (and inspired a video game), including yours truly. From an outsider's perspective, it may be hard to understand why -- the film is meandering, confusing, largely pointless and full of technical mishaps and terrible acting. Some have gone so far as to call it the Citizen Kane of bad movies. Those minor quibbles aside, it's a deeply idiosyncratic movie that never fails to be entertaining even as it bewilders. And isn't being entertained what it's all about? Enter The Room and you'll never be the same afterward. (Read more about The Room in our previous coverage of the film.) More info/Tickets: LandmarkTheatres.com

Also Showing

Perfect Blue Where: Thin Man parking lot, 2015 East 17th Avenue When: Wednesday, September 15 at dusk (9 p.m.-ish) Why?: Perfect Blue is Satoshi Kon's masterpiece, a surreal, dark journey into the dangers of stardom, obsessive fanhood and the thin line between fiction and reality. An intense, brooding psychological thriller that will leave you thinking about it for days to come, Perfect Blue is arguably one of the best anime films of all time. Plus, it's free! Bring a chair or blanket to sit on, though. More info/Tickets: ThinManTavern.com

Empire Records Where: Starz FilmCenter, Tivoli building on the Auraria Campus When: 10 p.m. Friday, September 10, and Saturday, September 11 Why?: The tale told by Empire Records -- of a dying record store and the valiant effort to save it -- has only grown more poignant with time. Plus, isn't it about time we jettisoned the '80s nostalgia and moved on to '90s nostalgia? This movie is as good a place as any to start that shift. More info/tickets: DenverFilm.org

Conan the Barbarian Where: Esquire Theatre, 600 Downing Street When: Midnight Friday, September 10, Saturday, September 11 Why?: This may be your only chance to see the Governor of California punch out a camel. Also, it's a pretty entertaining fantasy film about the most famous barbarian of all time, and the upcoming remake is almost certainly going to suck. More info/Tickets: LandmarkTheatres.com

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