About the Film: The Day of the Beast (99 mins)
Convinced that the Antichrist will be reborn in Madrid on Christmas Day, Father Angel (Álex Angulo, Pan’s Labyrinth) hatches a bold plan to forstall Armageddon. He will dispatch of the devil himself, but first he must get his hands dirty and learn about sin. He enlists a death-metal record store clerk and a celebrity occultist to the cause. Alex de la Iglesia’s blasphemous black comedy is a wild ride shot through with his trademark comic book verve. He went on to win the Best Director award at the Spanish Oscars.
4K restoration by Severin Films
Content Considerations: Graphic violence
About The Crypt Keepers
The Crypt Keepers is a unique Vancouver-based band designed specifically to celebrate music created for the best holiday of the year: Halloween! Starring vocalist Jason Winikoff and some of the best musicians from Vancouver’s blossoming jazz & rock scenes, this group plays perennial Halloween favourites as well as serious deep cuts that only the most dedicated spooky movie fanatic will know.
Music from 8:00 pm
Film 9:15 pm approx.
This performance is part of VanJazz 2026, a new Jazz festival running from October 14-25.
Vocalists – Jason Winikoff, Jacqueline Breakwell
Keyboard – Elias Grames
Guitar – Johannes Grames
Bass – Brad Pearson
Drums – Nik Focht
Reeds – Mike Braverman
Trumpet – Mike Coury
The Day of the Beast is a shotgun blast of a film. It dives deep into religion, demonology, friendship, conservatism, fascism, and so much more… feels like a heady mixture of Raimi, Romero, Schrader, Pasolini, Cervantes. Highly entertaining with a dash of shock and awe.
AW Kautzer, The Movie Isle
A devlishly funny horror-comedy.
Nigel Floyd, Time Out
Splendidly blasphemous.
Anne Billson, Daily Telegraph
Co-Presented with
The Crypt Keepers
Oct 24
8:00 pm
VIFF Centre, VIFF Cinema
Book Tickets
Saturday October 24
Indigenous & Community Access
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Film Credits
Producer
Andrés Vicente Gómez
Screenwriter
Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Álex de la Iglesia
Cinematography
Flavio Martínez Labiano
Editor
Teresa Font
Original Music
Battista Lena
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Amp up your Halloween with a unique live set of holidays cuts from The Crypt Keepers, followed by Alex de la Iglesias's cult comic horror Day of the Beast, a wild ride about a sinful Catholic priest on the warpath against Satan.
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