Capital Celluloid 2022 — Day 289: Thu Oct 20

Habit (Fessenden, 1997): ICA Cinema, 6.30pm

ICA introduction:
Larry Fessenden’s horror-infused exploration of loss, addiction, paranoia and madness in 1990s New York has continued to resonate in the three decades since its US release – and we’re delighted that this UK premiere screening will be followed by a Q&A with writer, director, editor and lead actor Larry Fessenden, who will discuss the film and the broader role of his production company Glass Eye Pix since its formation in 1985. After losing his father and splitting with his girlfriend Liza (Heather Woodbury), alcoholic Sam (Fessenden) finds solace with the mysterious, unpredictable Anna (Meredith Snaider), who he meets at a Halloween party hosted by his friend Nick (Aaron Beall). But there’s something strange about the seductive Anna – and as their relationship progresses, Sam’s grip on reality begins to crumble.  Recently the subject of a 20-film retrospective at MoMA in New York, Fessenden and Glass Eye Pix are beginning to receive the recognition they deserve for a four-decade legacy of intelligent, auteur-driven, low-budget filmmaking and their nurturing of emerging talent as diverse as writer/directors Ti West and Kelly Reichardt.

Here (and above) is the trailer.

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