Psychedelic sleaze-burger DESPERATION RISING (1989) presented by St. Louis Video Society
April 13 : 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
SAINT LOUIS VIDEO SOCIETY digs deep in its extensive archives to present the weirdest, wildest, most incredible VHS obscurities. Always free, always presented by Video Society archivist James Milam!
What if David Lynch dropped acid and remade Scarface? This is just one of thousands of questions that will not be answered while your brain is invaded by DESPERATION RISING. Starring Nick “Son of John” Cassavetes and dozens of real-life Los Angeles gang members who appear as part of a rehabilitation program, this is the best movie on earth about a stockbroker seminar that turns into a cocaine-fueled rage war. DESPERATION RISING is filled with dad karate, phone sex, real sex, cocaine, humans exploding, talking parrots, Uzi battles, more cocaine, and rappin’ kids. This psychedelic sleaze-burger could only be better if director/star Jason Holt wrote and recorded Casio-soaked yacht rock songs with titles like “Get Ready To Rip” and “Love Blooms” for the soundtrack. Oh wait. He did!
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 30 minutes prior to showtime, except for “Happy Hour” events and pre-shows when the theater opens at the listed 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.
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- 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.