The Alamo Drafthouse is excited to announce A24’s chilling new horror film THE WITCH as the latest Drafthouse Recommends title. The film will open at Alamo Drafthouse locations nationwide with “sneak preview” screenings on the night of Feb. 18th, 2016. In the lead up to that opening date, select Alamo locations will also host free retrospective screenings of witchcraft horror classics to get audiences in the, er, spirit and to set the stage for director Robert Eggers’ debut feature and groundbreaking new take on the genre.
And, for a limited time this month, Alamo audiences will be able to order up a sinful dessert inspired by the film – The Raspberry & Goat Cheese Tart. Without giving anything away, a goat plays a significant role in the film – and in witchcraft and satanic lore in general – and this rustic tart, created by Alamo chef Trish Eichelberger, filled with sweetened goat cheese and raspberries is a fitting, subtle tribute.
Drafthouse Recommends is Alamo’s own spotlight for groundbreaking, innovative and intelligent first run films – or, simply, new movies that Drafthouse loves and wants everyone to go see. Previous Drafthouse Recommends selections include PEACE OFFICER, IT FOLLOWS, BIRDMAN, BOYHOOD, and SPRING BREAKERS.
Winner of the Best Director Prize at Sundance last year, THE WITCH is an exquisitely made and terrifying new horror film, bringing the age-old concepts of witchcraft, black magic and possession together in an innovative new way to tell the intimate and riveting story of one family’s frightful unraveling in the New England wilderness circa 1630 – decades before the Salem Witch Trails.
“I sat with a white-knuckle grip on my armrests during Sundance last year as THE WITCH debuted and thought to myself, now THIS is an incredible new voice in horror,” says Alamo founder and CEO Tim League. “Robert Eggers has crafted a brilliant, richly detailed and genuinely creepy universe in his debut feature film that rivals or surpasses any horror movie in recent memory. THE WITCH is a modern-day classic.”
Title: THE WITCH
Feb 18th, 2016 – Sneak Preview Screenings In Select Markets
Black Magic: THE WITCH-inspired Retrospective Screenings
2/14 – Austin, TX – Black Magic Free Double Feature: DAY OF WRATH & MYSTICS IN BALI
2/13 – Houston, TX – Black Magic Free Double Feature: WITCHFINDER GENERAL & SUSPIRIA
2/15, 2/16, 2/17 – Dallas, TX – Black Magic Free Single Features: BLACK SUNDAY, WICKER MAN, SUSPIRIA
Victory members in San Francisco, stay tuned to Alamo Drafthouse social media for an opportunity to see THE WITCH at the Alamo Drafthouse at the New Mission on Wednesday, February 10th with director Robert Eggers in attendance.
About THE WITCH
Studio: A24
Genre: Horror
Directed By: Robert Eggers
Written By: Robert Eggers
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, and Lucas Dawson
Runtime: 92 Minutes
In Theaters Nationwide: February 19th, 2016
Rating: R for disturbing violent content and graphic nudity
THE WITCH Synopsis:
In this exquisitely made and terrifying new horror film, the age-old concepts of witchcraft, black magic and possession are innovatively brought together to tell the intimate and riveting story of one family’s frightful unraveling in the New England wilderness circa 1630. New England, 1630. Upon threat of banishment by the church, an English farmer leaves his colonial plantation, relocating his wife and five children to a remote plot of land on the edge of an ominous forest – within which lurks an unknown evil. Strange and unsettling things begin to happen almost immediately – animals turn malevolent, crops fail, and one child disappears as another becomes seemingly possessed by an evil spirit. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, family members accuse teenage daughter Thomasin of witchcraft, charges she adamantly denies. As circumstances grow more treacherous, each family member’s faith, loyalty, and love become tested in shocking and unforgettable ways. Writer/director Robert Eggers’ debut feature, which premiered to great acclaim at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival – winning the Best Director Prize in the U.S. Narrative Competition – painstakingly recreates a God-fearing New England decades before the 1692 Salem witch trials, in which religious convictions tragically turned to mass hysteria. Told through the eyes of the adolescent Thomasin – in a star-making turn by newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy – and supported by mesmerizing camera work and a powerful musical score, THE WITCH is a chilling and groundbreaking new take on the genre.
