ATLANTIS
dir. Michael J. Murphy, 1990
UK. 80 min.
In English.

SATURDAY, JULY 6 – 5PM
MONDAY, JULY 8 – 10PM
THURSDAY, JULY 18 – 10PM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24 – 7:30PM

When a raiding party from the city of Atlantis kidnaps a man and his two daughters for slavery, he contrives to bring about the destruction of the ruling class utilizing the powers of the mysterious crystal child.

Like AVALON but without the pre-existing mythological world of King Arthur to slot into, ATLANTIS is another wildly ambitious, if convoluted, entry in the Michael J. Murphy micro-cinematic cannon. Some might be tempted to say its reach exceeds its grasp, but this programmer would argue otherwise – the limited means combined with a flat refusal of any irony has a uniquely transportive effect.

The sets are covered in paper mache and nylon, unventilated basements turned into caverns and gladiatorial rings, the score is mostly a haunting Casio drone – what more could you want from a movie this scrappy?