Songs from the Second Floor

The Man with the Golden Arm

December 1955 •English

A junkie must face his true self to kick his drug addiction. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation in 2005.

Life of Brian

August 1979 •English

Brian Cohen is an average young Jewish man, but through a series of ridiculous events, he gains a reputation as the Messiah. When he's not dodging his followers or being scolded by his shrill mother, the hapless Brian has to contend with the pompous Pontius Pilate and acronym-obsessed members of a separatist movement. Rife with Monty Python's signature absurdity, the tale finds Brian's life paralleling Biblical lore, albeit with many more laughs.

Trainspotting

February 1996 •English

Heroin addict Mark Renton stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends -- Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud and Tommy. He also has an underage girlfriend, Diane, along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can't escape the life he left behind when Begbie shows up at his front door on the lam, and a scheming Sick Boy follows.

Lost Highway

January 1997 •English

A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.

Requiem for a Dream

October 2000 •English

The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island residents are shattered when their addictions run deep.

Scorched Earth

December 2022 •English

After the apocalypse, all water is radioactive and deadly to drink. In this dystopian world, Gylian goes to extreme lengths to make sure her daughter gets the medication she needs to survive.

Freak Out

October 2004 •English

Two best friends, Merv Doody (James Heathcote) and Onkey (Dan Palmer), take a hapless escaped mental patient under their wing and attempt to teach him how to become a real serial killer.

Egg

July 2016 •English

‘Egg’ is an absurd comedy about friendship and expecting the unexpected. Ivy and Margaret meet for tea, same time, same place, everyday. But today Ivy has some important news… From first time director Alice Trueman and starring Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones's Diary, Miranda, Smack The Pony) and Kiki Kendrick (The Nine Lives of Thomas Katz).

Blink

October 2013 •Spanish

Lucio is an introverted boy who spends his nights dreaming of Greta. Little by little, he begins to prefer to spend his time dreaming, escaping reality and sharing his time with Greta and a mysterious knight.

Beetlejuice

March 1988 •English

A newly dead New England couple seeks help from a deranged demon exorcist to scare an affluent New York family out of their home.

Going Places

March 1974 •French

Two whimsical, aimless thugs harass and assault women, steal, murder, and alternately charm, fight, or sprint their way out of trouble. They take whatever the bourgeoisie holds dear, whether it’s cars, peace of mind, or daughters. Marie-Ange, a jaded, passive hairdresser, joins them as lover, cook, and mother confessor. She’s on her own search for seemingly unattainable sexual pleasure.

La fiesta del cine

February 2015 •English

A young filmmaker looking for production assistance.

Tell Her That I Love Her

September 1977 •French

Industrious accountant David Martinaud claims to be visiting his parents every weekend, but it's merely a cover for the labor-intensive refurbishing of his country cottage. The reason for David's secrecy is that his childhood crush, Lise, lives nearby, and, although she's married, he still believes they'll get together. His devotion to the idea borders on mania, and, when Lise's husband is accidentally killed, he quickly spirals out of control.

Else

March 2007 •French

Carrie

November 2002 •English

An awkward, telekinetic teenage girl's lonely life is dominated by relentless bullying at school and an oppressive religious fanatic mother at home. When her tormentors pull a humiliating prank at the senior prom, she unleashes a horrifying chaos on everyone, leaving nothing but destruction in her wake.

Julia

March 2008 •English

An alcoholic becomes involved in a fellow A.A. member's plan to kidnap her young son from the boy's wealthy grandfather.

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

October 1989 •English

The wife of an abusive criminal finds solace in the arms of a kind regular guest in her husband's restaurant.

The Libertine

September 2004 •English

The story of John Wilmot, a.k.a. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave, only to earn posthumous critical acclaim for his life's work.

Amarcord

December 1973 •Italian

In an Italian seaside town, young Titta gets into trouble with his friends and watches various local eccentrics as they engage in often absurd behavior. Frequently clashing with his stern father and defended by his doting mother, Titta witnesses the actions of a wide range of characters, from his extended family to Fascist loyalists to sensual women, with certain moments shifting into fantastical scenarios.

The Holy Mountain

November 1973 •Spanish

The Alchemist assembles together a group of people from all walks of life to represent the planets in the solar system. The occult adept's intention is to put his recruits through strange mystical rites and divest them of their worldly baggage before embarking on a trip to Lotus Island. There they ascend the Holy Mountain to displace the immortal gods who secretly rule the universe.