UPDATE: Underground frightfest “The Descent” frightens underground tonight
In Airplane, the doomed jet’s in-flight movie seems to be nothing but footage of planes crashing. It’s a darkly funny image, but it’s an inspired one too—especially at Halloween. This time of year, who wouldn’t want to see The Poseidon Adventure on a cruise or The Old Dark House in, well, an old dark house?
But the Screenland has concocted perhaps the most macabre movie-venue pairing yet. Tonight only, Strong Distilling’s murky caverns become the backdrop for 2005’s masterful caving-freakout The Descent.
Equal parts slow-burn haunt and sensory-assault nightmare, the movie turns empty screen space into something tangible and malevolent. The screen’s edges eventually blur and disappear. And eventually, whatever is hiding in that darkness seems to spill out of it.
In a theater, the claustrophobia is as real as the popcorn. In an actual subterranean setting, catching your breath in the lobby isn’t as easy.
Space is (of course) limited: the cave only seats 40.
The Descent screens at SD Strong Distilling Caves (
UPDATE: We just received word that tonight’s screening of The Descent has been rescheduled. We’ll keep you updated as we find out more.
