Rufus Butler Seder shot Screamplay almost entirely inside a 3,200-square-foot South End loft using matte paintings, scale models and expressionistic lighting, and cast underground legend George Kuchar as a greasy ex-boxer landlord. It premiered alongside Blood Simple in 1985 and then effectively vanished. Anthology opens the new 4K restoration, scanned from Seder's own 16mm print, with the team in the room.
What to expect
A 91-minute 16mm-to-DCP presentation of the new 4K restoration, preceded by Seder's 1977 short trilogy In the City. Writer-director-star Rufus Butler Seder and producer-cinematographer Dennis M. Piana appear for Q&As after the evening screenings on Friday and Saturday; star Katy Bolger joins on Friday.
Good to know
- Runtime is 91 minutes, preceded by a six-minute short
- Newly restored in 4K from the director's personal 16mm print
- Writer-director Rufus Butler Seder and cinematographer Dennis M. Piana appear in person after the evening screenings on the first two nights of the run
- Multiple showtimes daily across the run, including matinees on the weekend
- Anthology is at 32 Second Avenue at Second Street, closest to Second Ave on the F
Planning Sep 25–27, 2026 in NYC?
This list keeps changing as events are verified. We'll send you the final version the Thursday before — and you can unsubscribe right after if that's all you need.
Common questions
Is this a horror film or a comedy?
Both — it is a campy gothic horror-comedy about a screenwriter whose murder scenes start happening for real, with George Kuchar in a supporting role.
How long is the run?
It opens Friday, September 25 and Anthology has showtimes listed daily through September 30; no closing date has been published yet.
