This February at the UW Cinematheque, in our ongoing series of new international movies making their first local theatrical showings, we present the Madison Premiere of DEAD MAIL, written and directed by the talented duo of Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy.
Evocatively set in the Midwest at the dawn of the digital age, this dark comedy and thriller is one of the most exciting American movies of the decade! DEAD MAIL begins with the story of Jasper, a diligent post-office clerk played by Tomas Boykin, who discovers a blood-stained cry for help delivered to his “dead letter” office. With assistance from Jasper’s quirky colleagues and a Scandinavian hacker, an investigation uncovers a whole new story, a psychodrama played-out between a synthesizer engineer and his possessive patron. Frequently reminiscent of movies by Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma and the Coen Brothers, Dead Mail’s narrative is consistently compelling and surprising. Set in the mid 1980s, the blandly evocative period details and the numerous stylistic directorial flourishes make it clear that we are in the hands of a confident and talented pair of filmmakers. On this episode of Cinematalk, Jim Healy and Ben Reiser talk to Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy about their friendship, professional history, and the making of DEAD MAIL, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in early 2024 and went on to play a number of other major international Festivals, including Toronto and Leeds. This podcast does contain DEAD MAIL spoilers, and we recommend seeing the movie before listening.
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This February at the UW Cinematheque, in our ongoing series of new international movies making their first local theatrical showings, we present the Madison Premiere of DEAD MAIL, written and directed by the talented duo of Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy.
Evocatively set in the Midwest at the dawn of the digital age, this dark comedy and thriller is one of the most exciting American movies of the decade! DEAD MAIL begins with the story of Jasper, a diligent post-office clerk played by Tomas Boykin, who discovers a blood-stained cry for help delivered to his “dead letter” office. With assistance from Jasper’s quirky colleagues and a Scandinavian hacker, an investigation uncovers a whole new story, a psychodrama played-out between a synthesizer engineer and his possessive patron. Frequently reminiscent of movies by Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma and the Coen Brothers, Dead Mail’s narrative is consistently compelling and surprising. Set in the mid 1980s, the blandly evocative period details and the numerous stylistic directorial flourishes make it clear that we are in the hands of a confident and talented pair of filmmakers. On this episode of Cinematalk, Jim Healy and Ben Reiser talk to Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy about their friendship, professional history, and the making of DEAD MAIL, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in early 2024 and went on to play a number of other major international Festivals, including Toronto and Leeds. This podcast does contain DEAD MAIL spoilers, and we recommend seeing the movie before listening.
Ep 88 - 70 Movies We Saw in the 70s: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Cinematalk
2 hours 10 minutes 1 second
4 years ago
Ep 88 - 70 Movies We Saw in the 70s: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
On October 30th 2021, UW Cinematheque presents a screening of a 4K restoration of the 1974 film THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, directed by Tobe Hooper.
Five hippies on a road trip through rural Texas wind up in the clutches of a murderous, cannibalistic family in this profoundly unsettling modern horror classic. Nerve-rattling from start to finish, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can be as hard to look away from as it is hard to look at. Pry your fingers from in front of your eyes long enough, and you will discover an exceedingly stylish, intelligently crafted creepshow that reveals the mark of true cinephiles behind the lens. Loaded with committed performances, graceful, fluid camera movement, and an immersive, hallucinatory sound design, Hooper’s directorial debut is the perfect Halloween treat especially in the 4K restoration that will be screened.
On the latest episode of 70 Movies We Saw in the 70s, a podcast co-hosted by UW Cinematheque's own Ben Reiser with Scott Lucas, singer-songwriter for the band Local H and serious cinephile, Scott and Ben discuss their love for the film, and try to figure out what makes it one of the scariest and most relentless horror movies ever made.
Cinematalk
This February at the UW Cinematheque, in our ongoing series of new international movies making their first local theatrical showings, we present the Madison Premiere of DEAD MAIL, written and directed by the talented duo of Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy.
Evocatively set in the Midwest at the dawn of the digital age, this dark comedy and thriller is one of the most exciting American movies of the decade! DEAD MAIL begins with the story of Jasper, a diligent post-office clerk played by Tomas Boykin, who discovers a blood-stained cry for help delivered to his “dead letter” office. With assistance from Jasper’s quirky colleagues and a Scandinavian hacker, an investigation uncovers a whole new story, a psychodrama played-out between a synthesizer engineer and his possessive patron. Frequently reminiscent of movies by Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma and the Coen Brothers, Dead Mail’s narrative is consistently compelling and surprising. Set in the mid 1980s, the blandly evocative period details and the numerous stylistic directorial flourishes make it clear that we are in the hands of a confident and talented pair of filmmakers. On this episode of Cinematalk, Jim Healy and Ben Reiser talk to Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy about their friendship, professional history, and the making of DEAD MAIL, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in early 2024 and went on to play a number of other major international Festivals, including Toronto and Leeds. This podcast does contain DEAD MAIL spoilers, and we recommend seeing the movie before listening.
