River’s Edge – an MGM HD Special Event.

MGM HD – Sky Channel 313 / UPC Eire Channel 325

The first-ever Sundance London film and music festival, taking place 26-29 April at The O2, will feature an MGM HD Special Theatrical Screening of River’s Edge, appearing 25 years after it originally wowed audiences at the 1987 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, U.S.A.

Star, Crispin Glover, and director, Tim Hunter, will be in attendance, participating in a Q and A discussion with audience members immediately following the 28 April screening.

All tickets to the screening will be free and distributed on the second floor of the Cineworld cinemas at The O2 no earlier than an hour before the screening on a first-come, first-served basis.

River’s Edge stands as one of the defining independent works of the 1980s, an alternative to the more saccharine teen films that popularized the era, and a chilling portrayal of disaffected youth – the real Generation X.

A group of friends is stunned to learn that one of their own, John, is bragging about having murdered his girlfriend, Jamie. He takes the group to see the body and what follows is a darkly honest depiction of the ambiguities of friendship. The star-studded cast includes Glover, fresh from his turn as Back to the Future’s George McFly, portraying manic drugged-out leader-of-the-gang Layne; Keanu Reeves, in one of his earliest film roles; Say Anything’s Ione Skye Leitch; and Dennis Hopper, delivering a powerful performance.

Glover said the character of Layne was one of his more enjoyable in a career of playing outsiders: “It seemed apparent that Layne’s primary motivation was to save his friend from the police. In that sense on the page Layne has a strict moral sense that his friend should be stood up for.

“For me River’s Edge has less to do with teenagers and more to do with good solid story structure. It was a good screenplay and then Tim Hunter cast all of the characters well.”

On its release, Roger Ebert praised Glover’s turn as Layne, said: “Glover‘s performance is electric… He carries around a constant sense of danger. Eventually, we realize the danger is born of paranoia; he is reflecting it at us with his fear.”

In recent years director Tim Hunter has taken the helm on episodes of critically acclaimed shows such as Deadwood, Nip/Tuck, Dexter, Breaking Bad and Mad Men.

MGM HD General Manager, Charlotte Hill said: “There are few actors more fascinating than Crispin Glover, and whenever I see Tim Hunter’s name roll in the opening credits I know I can expect something special. It has been a wonderful experience to bring this event together [working with Sundance London, Glover and Hunter].

Hill said of the festival: “Sundance London has provided MGM HD with the perfect platform to showcase this killer slice of the dark side of Generation X’s disillusionment, just as the Sundance Film Festival did in 1987.”

MGM HD will be also be celebrating Sundance London on air by playing six films that have appeared at the Sundance Film Festival, back to back, from 2.45pm on Sunday 29 April.

River’s Edge screens at the first-ever Sundance London film and music festival on Saturday 28 April at 7.30pm, in Cineworld 8. For more information about the screening, visit http://www.sundance-london.com/film-and-events/rivers-edge.