Fri 10/30, 2009 4pm, 7:30pm, 10pm, Midnight
Sat 10/31, 2009 4pm, 7:30pm, 10pm
Sun 11/1, 2009 2pm, 5pm, 7:30pm
Wed 11/4, 2009 9pm

Cannibal Holocaust (1980) is a controversial exploitation film directed by Ruggero Deodato from a screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici. In the Amazon Rainforest, four documentarians journey deep into the jungle to film indigenous tribes. Two months later, after they fail to return, famous anthropologist Harold Monroe travels on a rescue mission to find the group. Eventually, he recovers and views their lost cans of film, which reveal the missing filmmakers’ cruel fate.

Cannibal Holocaust is a well known exploitation film because of the controversy following its release. After premiering in Italy, the film was seized by a local magistrate, and Deodato was arrested on obscenity charges. He was later accused of making a snuff film due to rumors which claimed that certain actors were killed on camera. Although Deodato was later cleared of these charges, the film was banned in Italy, the UK, Australia, and several other countries due to its graphic depiction of gore, sexual violence, and the inclusion of six genuine animal deaths. Many nations have since revoked the ban, yet the film is still barred in several countries. This notoriety notwithstanding, some critics view Cannibal Holocaust as a social commentary about civilized society

The Cass Corridor Gets A New Film Theatre

The Burton Theatre is a new, independent cinema in the Chinatown/Cass Corridor neighborhood of Detroit that features classic art house, independent, LGBT, foreign and cult films. Responding to the shortage of art house venues in the city, the Burton Theatre aims to help Detroit rival Chicago and New York as a center for independent film.

The Burton Theatre will also be the home to the Cass Avenue Film Syndicate (CAFS). Under the guidance of dedicated Detroit based artists, CAFS exists as a resource for independent filmmakers in Detroit with public outdoor displays of art, lectures from professionals and by providing a space and encouragement to inspire local filmmakers to experiment and create.

While the Burton Theatre focuses on film, it is not be limited to that. Its vision is to expand as a venue for music and other performance art with a focus on local artists. It will also work to engage its audience more deeply than typical theaters by making them active in programming and by creating a space where artists and patrons of the arts connect.

The Burton Theatre: 3420 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-473-9238.