dir: Valeri Rubinchik

1980 // 2 hr 6 min // Digital Projection

We have more ghosts than live people,” murmurs the pale, haunted mistress of the mansion of Marsh Firs (Elena Dimitrova) to a scholar of ancient folklore (Boris Plotnikov) who has arrived at her castle to research the bloody legend of King Stakh, a murdered 15th century nobleman whose spirit supposedly thunders through the local woodlands.

Part folk horror, part supernatural mystery, KING STAKH is a melancholy, chilling mixture of Terry Gilliam, Italian Gothic Horror, 1960s Hammer Films and THE WICKER MAN – and a major rediscovery for genre fans. The longer the young scholar stays in this mysterious house of “shadow, gloom, madness and death,” the more strange and surreal the imagery becomes: a mad widow in a white wig; a man bleeding spontaneously from his skull; a dwarf hiding in a decayed doll’s house; screeching ravens and maniacal puppet shows.

Long unavailable, the film has recently been restored from the original film elements in its extended 126 min. Director’s Cut for its first-ever U.S. release!

High-Brow/Low-Brow/Uni-Brow is a monthly film series programmed by Andrew Linn dedicated to exploring films from every corner of taste and seeing what they have to say with each other