El Topo18

Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky | Mexico | 1970 | 2h 5m | Spanish w/ English subtitles | Starring Alejandro Jodorowsky, Brontis Jodorowsky, José Legarreta, Alfonso Arau, Gerardo Zepeda

In the barren expanse of the desert, a mysterious gunslinger, donned in black, embarks on a transformative journey in search of enlightenment. Joined by his young son, he navigates a landscape fraught with a succession of bizarre and symbolic trials, each forcing him to confront the fundamental nature of his own existence. Visionary Chilean filmmaker, Alejandro Jodorowsky concocts a surreal acid Western using evocative imagery, profound symbolism, and philosophical storytelling.

Reviews

‘It’s tempting to say they don’t make films like this any more, but I’m not sure anyone has ever made them like Jodorowsky.’
★★★★
Ed Potton, The Times

‘It’s a bizarre head-trip festival of occult psychedelia, heatstroke visuals, Age-of-Aquarius nude dancing and violence through poster-paint fake blood splattered about the place.’
★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed El Topo between July 28, 2023 and July 31, 2023.

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What else is on?

Today (Thursday 23rd January)

12:30

Conclave 12A
Parent + Baby Screening
2h
After the sudden death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence is thrust into one of the world’s most secretive and ancient rituals: the selection of a new pontiff. A captivating political drama starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini.

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15:00

The Remains of the Day U
2h 14m
In 1930s Britain, the ordered life of a head butler is disrupted by the arrival of a housekeeper who develops feelings for him. Elegant adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Booker Prize-winning novel starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.

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18:00

Honouring Jean-Luc Godard 18+
75m | French w/ English subtitles
The Cultural Programme at Oxford University presents a special screening honouring the late works of French New Wave icon Jean-Luc Godard, including a Q&A with Godard's close collaborator, filmmaker and cinematographer Fabrice Aragno.

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21:00

Nickel Boys 12A
2h 20m
In 1960s America, two young Black men form a friendship while in a corrupt reform school. Director RaMell Ross adapts Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel as an immersive exploration of America’s buried history.

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Tomorrow (Friday 24th January)

15:15

We Live in Time 15
1h 47m
Almut and Tobias meet in an unexpected encounter that forever alters their lives. But a challenging truth emerges that threatens to upend everything they’ve built. Uniquely structured rom-com starring Oscar nominees Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.

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17:45

Nosferatu 15
2h 12m
Evil plagues a small town in 1830s Germany as sinister vampire Count Orlok becomes dangerously infatuated with a young local woman. Director Robert Eggers (The Witch) breathes new life into one of cinema’s most iconic monsters.

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20:45

Better Man 15
2h 15m
Pop icon Robbie Williams has experienced a fame-filled roller coaster like no other. Inventive and unexpectedly poignant retelling of his life exploring the highs and lows of stardom – with Robbie portrayed, intriguingly, as a chimpanzee.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!