Pacific Cinematheque presents Tales of the Brothers Quay: A Retrospective

Stop-action nightmares are brought to life in this retrospective on Timothy and Stephen Quay, identical twins and masters of disturbing, fetishistic, visceral, and extraordinary animation. This double-bill program of thirteen shorts is selected from a quarter-century of startling work that has earned the brothers an enormous cult following. Includes Street of Crocodiles, recently selected by Terry Gilliam (Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Brazil) as one of the ten best animated films ever made. “This megadose of the Quays’ singular vision will haunt your perception for days” (Time Out New York). 

Their The Piano-Tuner of Earthquakes stole my breath when it came through with the Vancouver International Film Festival. Ethan brought me. As arresting as Strings, (another film absolutely everyone must see), it was infatuating, erotic, and haunting. I’ve never stopped looking for a copy. We agreed after that we’d not ever seen anything that so exquisitely captured the marvelous feeling of a trembling dream. There was a sense of timelessness I couldn’t let go of, nor did I want to for days after. I could catch glimpses of it between my lashes as I sat looking out the window of the bus or waiting in a line-up. Their work is transformative and not to be missed. 

So, that said, what are people doing Saturday night?

May 4, 5, 7. Titles + showtimes.