Film Talk - Cinematic Demonology: The Devil in Film

October 23, 2024

Film Talks

Whether you think of Him as the embodiment of all evil, a folkloric trickster, or an abstract concept of the world’s ills, Satan, in all of his guises, exists. Well, in the movies, at least. The Devil has been a fixture on screens across the world since the very beginnings of Cinema. From Georges Méliès early fantasias to New Hollywood and the blockbuster era, Satan appears with a Biblical regularity. But portrayals of the Devil vary greatly. Is He the enemy of God and all Mankind? Or a more personal demon who comically tempts the protagonist with worldly riches and desire?

SIFF Programmer Dan Doody explores the variety of representations of the Devil in film, as well as the tropes and themes that accompany these portrayals, from the genesis of cinema to our modern apocalyptic blockbusters.

Häxan will be screening on October 18 at the Film Center in association with this Film Talk.

Streaming Tickets grant access to the film talk virtually, live-streamed via Zoom from 7-9:00pm PT. Access to the recording is not provided after the live session.

SIFF year-round passes and vouchers are not valid for this event.

Tickets

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CLASS SPECIFICS

Wednesday, October 23, 2024
7:00–9:00pm PT
SIFF Film Center
$25 Sustainer | $20 Regular | $15 Member

About the Instructor: Jeremy Cropf

About the Instructor:

A Seattle-area native, Dan Doody received a degree in English from Western Washington University, and began working for the Seattle International Film Festival in 1999. He programs both features and short films for the festival, serving on the WTF! committee and as the festival's lead coordinator for its Oscar® qualifying ShortsFest section. He is an enthusiast of the gothic in both film and literature, the pagan-haunted pastorals found in English ghost stories, and the seedy streets of film noir. He could quite happily live in a crumbling castle so long as it was within walking distance of a neon-lit diner on a rain-slicked city boulevard.