Triskel has a season of scary movies to chill your bones!

Get ready for a spine-tingling experience in Cork. Triskel Cinema, with its rich tradition of celebrating the spooky season, is all set to thrill fans with a Halloween film line-up.

The programme starts on Wednesday, October 30, featuring a classic horror film, a recent smash hit, and a tribute to one of Ireland’s finest directors, Neil Jordan.

The first film in the programme is Oddity, an Irish horror film that premiered at the esteemed SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, earlier this year.

Oddity was written and directed by Bantry filmmaker Damian Mcarthy and filmed in Bantry House. It stars Carolyn Bracken as Dani, who has recently moved into a new rural home with her husband, Ted (Gwilym Lee), who works at a local psychiatric hospital.

While he is at work, Dani is brutally murdered. Her twin sister Darcy, also played by Bracken, is a blind medium who arrives at the house to find answers to her sister’s death and brings a wooden mannequin that she believes will help her, leading to unforeseen circumstances.

The film, which is both frightening and funny, is a great entry point to the horror genre. It introduces newcomers to its lighter side, which balances how truly scary it is.

Halloween, a classic horror film released in 1978 and directed by the masterful John Carpenter, is a significant milestone in the genre. It centres around the murderous Michael Myers, known for his brutal stabbing and slashing of victims. This film not only sparked a franchise that includes 12 additional movies but also left an indelible mark on the horror film landscape. It’s a must-see for any horror film enthusiast.

On the much-anticipated Halloween night, Myers unleashes terror on a small town, pitting Laurie, portrayed by the iconic Jamie Lee Curtis, in a fight for her life. The suspense is palpable, and the thrill is real.

The character’s costume - a mask and overalls - has been a staple at fancy dress parties for the past four decades, a testament to the film’s enduring impact on pop culture.

Halloween made $70 million at the box office against a budget of just $300,000, making it the most profitable independent film in cinematic history. 

Chris O’Neill, Head of Cinema at Triskel, explains why that and Oddity will screen as part of the programme.

“The original Halloween from 1978, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence, is the movie synonymous with this particular season, and it’s always fun to screen it.

“Oddity has been getting rave reviews from critics and is being hailed as one of the best horror films of the year, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to show it at Triskel.”

This year’s programme also includes three films from the Irish director Neill Jordan: Byzantium, Interview With The Vampire, and The Company Of Wolves.

Byzantium is a modern take on the vampire genre, Interview With The Vampire is a classic vampire tale, and The Company Of Wolves is a gothic horror that marks its 40th anniversary this year.

Jordan, whose filmography includes The Crying Game and Michael Collins, has worked in many genres, as O’Neill points out, but he particularly excels at gothic horror.

“Jordan has made films in all sorts of genres - thrillers, comedies, dramas - but the three gothic horrors we are screening are exceptional. 

The Company Of Wolves, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, is a wonderfully dreamy adult fairytale, mixing Little Red Riding Hood with werewolves.

Released in 1984, it stars Angela Lansbury, David Warner, and Jordan’s regular collaborator, Stephen Rea.

Adapted from Angela Carter’s short story, the film focuses on a teenager, Rosaleen, who lives in an area constantly under threat from wolves. When her sister Alice is attacked, Rosaleen is sent to her grandmother’s home, where the woman’s advice and the dreams she stirs up in the girl’s mind become a captivating part of the story.

Are Rosaleen’s dreams heralds of truth or mysterious manifestations of an overactive imagination?

Interview With The Vampire, based on Ann Rice’s novel, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Its influence has inspired a whole new generation of creatives to produce vampire-based films and television shows, including a series based on the film that was recently screened on the BBC.

The film stars Tom Cruise as Lestat de Lioncourt, a charismatic and ruthless vampire, and Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Lac, a sensitive and conflicted one. These characters are bonded for eternity when Lestat turns Louis into a vampire, a decision that sets the stage for their complex relationship.

After 200 years together, Louis decides to tell his story to a reporter, but to what end?

The film also stars Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, a child vampire under the guardianship of Louis and Lestat. Dunst was 11 years old when she made the film and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.

Byzantium is a modern-day vampire story released in 2012 that stars Gemma Arterton as Clara and her daughter Eleanor, played by Saoirse Ronan. They have been vampires since the 19th century, but after 200 years of living the undead life, a painful secret is about to catch up with them, so they seek refuge in an English seaside town.

Triskel Cinema’s Halloween Season takes place from October 30-31. triskelartscentre.ie/