The faint smell of milk wafted from the CEMEX stage on Sunday night.
The cause? One of several student stunts at the revival showing of FLiCKS, a longstanding campus movie tradition. FLiCKS, known for its mid-movie antics, fizzled out in the 2010s alongside the rise of streaming services. After months of ASSU planning, the free film screenings returned to the Farm with an 8 p.m. showing of “Saltburn.”
During the milk stunt, performed during the film’s infamous “bathtub scene,” a half-dozen students raced to the stage, quickly laying down a tarp before drenching themselves with a gallon of milk each.
According to FLiCKS co-executive director and ASSU co-social director Annie Reller ’24 all of the night’s antics were “approved through the University,” and an internal team would do a “thorough cleaning” in addition to paying janitorial staffers. Reller previously contributed to The Daily.
The milk was one among many surprises for students: In the night’s first interactive element, a FLiCKS classic, paper planes and toilet paper rolls cascaded from the balcony. Later, a student in a blood-stained white t-shirt ran through the aisles. A student band, Cat + The Dogs, emerged from behind a sheet to perform the viral ending song, “Murder on the Dancefloor.”
The two story, 587 seat auditorium filled up quickly as a handful of student short films played in place of previews. The crowd reacted excitedly to the films, and the energy continued throughout “Saltburn.” The 2023 film follows an early 2000s Oxford student (Barry Keoghan) as he stays for the summer at his wealthy friend’s (Jacob Elordi) estate. Shocking scenes provoked gasps, cheers, whistles and laughter from the audience.
FLiCKS wanted their first screening to be “something a little sensational” that would benefit from a communal viewing experience, said FLiCKS co-executive director Daniel Rashes ’26.
Echoing Rashes, Reller said the team wanted the movie selection to add to the student-run feel. “It didn’t feel like a film that would be chosen by adults,” Reller said.
Before the film, FLiCKS offered free alcoholic drinks outside the auditorium to students over 21. According to Reller, because ASSU funds cannot go toward alcohol, FLiCKS solicited alumni donations. Within an hour, Reller said, the team raised more than $1,000.
“It goes to show how much passion alumni have for this event and how excited they were for it to be coming back,” Rashes said.
After the film, students lined up for sugary beignets fried by student group Street Meat.
“It’s sad that this went away,” said Jack Fox ’26 from behind the Street Meat setup, which was laden with trays of pre-cut squares of dough. “It’s a fun way to spend a Sunday night.”
Ella Walsh ’27 heard stories about FLiCKS and its paper airplane flights from her dad, who attended Stanford in the nineties.
“He said to throw paper for him. I didn’t get the chance, but maybe next time,” Walsh said.
Students can make suggestions for future FLiCKS showings, which the directors said they hope will occur on April 28.
According to Rashes, FLiCKS will hold screenings in CEMEX “for now,” with hopes to eventually return to their original site of Memorial Auditorium. Memorial Auditorium has a much larger capacity — more than 1,700 seats — but, according to Rashes and Reller, is much more expensive to rent and lacks the infrastructure for FLiCKS screenings.
Reller said that, although all of this screening’s “shenanigans” were approved by FLiCKS, the team won’t be planning student interruptions in the future.
“It’s in your hands now,” Reller said.