“Pier Paolo Pasolini’s last film, from 1975, is also in a way the ultimate film: its representation of depravity may be unsurpassable… Pasolini suggests that the classical values of Western civilization and the ostensibly progressive modernity that’s based on them are steeped in the blood of innocents. This film is essential to have seen but impossible to watch.” -Richard Brody, The New Yorker

Be prepared, SALÒ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM is not for the weak of heart. With a more-than-justified reputation as the most disturbing film ever made, SALÒ depicts with cold precision the sexual and psychological atrocities visited on 16 young men and women, held hostage by a group of depraved nobles at the end of WWII. Pasolini based the film on a notorious book by the Marquis de Sade but shifted the locale to the town of Salò, where Pasolini’s brother was killed during the war (and where he himself was arrested by the Nazis). One of the most controversial and widely censored films ever made (it took over 25 years for the uncut version to screen in England), SALÒ has lost none of its power to shock and disturb. However, the film is no mere exercise in empty trolling but rather an enraged allegory depicting the dehumanizing effects of fascism and the false hope of ostensible liberal democracy.

[In De Sade’s work,] the body becomes merchandise. My film is planned as a sexual metaphor, which symbolizes, in a visionary way, the relationship between exploiter and exploited. In sadism and in power politics, human beings become objects. That similarity is the ideological basis of the film. –Pier Paolo Pasolini, on Salò

Arkadin co-owner Keith Watson will provide an introduction to this screening. If you’ve been curious about this harsh work of cinematic extremity but never quite worked up the courage to see it, don’t miss a rare chance to experience the film with an audience. If it all becomes too much, cute, cuddly animal videos will be playing in the lobby.

This film is screening as part of Arkadin’s September-long series ENVELOPE PUSHERS, spotlighting extreme cinema, convention-flouting surrealism and radical comedies that push the boundaries of content, narrative and sometimes good taste.

Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.

THEATER POLICIES

All seats are first-come, first-served.

The theater opens one hour prior to showtime, except for “Happy Hour” events when the theater will open at the event’s start time.

All ages are welcome at Arkadin except for Drinkolas Cage events, which are restricted to 21+. We follow the MPAA rating guidelines for all other films.

Tickets can be purchased using the BUY TICKETS link above. Upon ordering, you will receive a confirmation email from Square. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the show at the concession counter.

If you’ve purchased advance tickets, when you arrive, please give your name at the concession counter to check in.

Tickets are returnable by sending a request through the contact form located on our About Us page prior to showtime.

When an event is sold out, we reserve the right to release open seats to customers on the waitlist. If you have a pre-purchased ticket and arrive late and there is no seat for you, your ticket will be refunded.

All screenings are held in our indoor theater unless indicated otherwise in the event description above.

Please respect your fellow movie-goers by remaining quiet and refraining from using your cell phone throughout the screening.