Bursting with startling imagery and stunning practical effects, this whirlwind phantasmagoria has influenced generations of directors for more than half a century.

Based on a story by Nikolai Gogol, in 19th-century Russia, a perverse, craven seminary student is forced to keep vigil for three nights at the deathbed of a beautiful young woman. Locked inside a remote village church, reciting prayers for the salvation of her soul, he is haunted by his conscience, and his faith wanes. The revenant, vengeful witch rises from the dead to seduce him, summoning forth a surreal nightmare of fear, desire, and demonic mayhem.

Thought to be the first and only major film made during the 74-year history of the Soviet Union that could be classified as supernatural horror, the intensity of the strange folktale narrative's twists and turns, its rural, endlessly creepy atmosphere, the beautiful and vivid handcrafted sets and costumes - every frame looks like an 1800s picture postcard - transgressive psychosexual imagery, and moments of inspired madness worthy of Ōbayashi Nobuhiko's Hausu, are enthralling.

'Viy' is disturbing, absurd, bizarre, and outlandish at the same time. A real treat for anyone who wants to take a deep dive into a world of phantasmagoria.’
The Cinephile Fix

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The Russian author Nikolai Gogol wrote his novella Viy as part of a collection of short stories first published in 1835. It is a bawdy tale of the supernatural, with horny witches, errant holy men and an army of nocturnal creatures - the kind of narrative that you find in Apuleius' The Golden Ass, Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales or Jan Potocki's The Manuscript Found In Saragossa. In 1909, writer/director Vasilis Goncharov adapted Gogol's tale into a short film of the same name that was Russia's first horror film. Goncharov's VIY is now lost (along with other silent adaptations from 1912 and 1916), but this feature-length version became the first and only horror film of the entire Soviet era, as well as an influential part of the genre's imaginarium. It is the directorial debut of Konstantin Ershov and Georgiy Kropachyov, although it seems likely that the legendary special effects artist Aleksandr Ptushko, artistic director on VIY, was largely responsible for the film's extraordinary visuals and stylised colours. Ptushko's spectacular stop-motion effects and innovative colour cinematography have seen him referred to as the Soviet equivalent of Willis O'Brien, Ray Harryhausen, and Mario Bava. Despite the high regard in which it is held, VIY is still not as widely seen in the West as the altogether looser adaptation of the novella on which it is based, Mario Bava's haunting and visually striking 1960 horror masterpiece, Black Sunday (La Maschera Del Demonio).

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The CUBE Of Wyrding is the CUBE Microplex's ongoing transnational folk horror/urban frights cinema series. It showcases the best in rural folk horror and urban wyrd films, including classics, lesser-known greats, and freaky oddities from the margins, and delves into the darker recesses of the genre. It additionally features silent films brought to life with spectacular live musical accompaniments, lively screen talks, and opportunities to immerse yourself in obscure horror soundtracks.

Venue doors open 30 minutes before advertised start time. All film screenings are ad-free and 18+ unless otherwise stated, and start with no more than a 10 minute selection of trailers.

The Cube is a membership venue; please remember to bring your card. You can join on the door for £1 (life membership).